Motley Author:Walter De la Mare Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: MRS. GRUNDY ' Step very softly, sweet Quiet-foot, Stumble not, whisper not, smile not: By this dark ivy stoop cheek and brow. Still even thy heart! What seest... more » thou? ' ' High-coifed, broad-browed, aged, suave yet grim, A large flat face, eyes keenly dim, Staring at nothing—that's me!—and yet, With a hate one could never, no, never for- get . . .' ' This is my world, my garden, my home, Hither my father bade mother to come And bear me out of the dark into light, And happy I was in her tender sight. ' And then, thou frail flower, she died and went, Forgetting my pitiless banishment,Mrs. Grundy n And that Old Woman—an Aunt—she said, Came hither, lodged, fattened, and made her bed. ' Oh yes, thou most blessed, from Monday to Sunday Has lived on me, preyed on me, Mrs. Grundy: Called me, " dear Nephew "; on each of those chairs Has gloated in righteousness, heard my prayers. Why didst thou dare the thorns of the grove, Timidest trespasser, huntress of love ? Now thou hast peeped, and now dost know What kind of creature is thine for foe. ' Not that she '11 tear out thy innocent eyes, Poison thy mouth with deviltries. Watch thou, wait thou: soon will begin The guile of a voice: hark!...'' Come in, Come in!' THE TRYST Flee into some forgotten night and be Of all dark long my moon-bright company: Beyond the rumour even of Paradise come, There, out of all remembrance, make our home : Seek we some close hid shadow for our lair, Hollowed by Noah's mouse beneath the chair Wherein the Omnipotent, in slumber bound, Nods till the piteous Trump of Judgment sound. Perchance Leviathan of the deep sea Would lease a lost mermaiden's grot to me, There of your beauty we would joyance make— A music wistful for the sea-nymph's sa...« less