Page:Poems of Sentiment and Imagination.djvu/153

Rh Hear in my spirit music like thy voice—

Never see vision with so much of heaven

In look or action; that the memory

Of our short intercourse shall live and burn

Forever on the altar of my heart;

If to say I love thee truly, wholly,

With an undying passion, can impress

A deeper sense of truth upon thy mind,

Azlea, I say it—and would be believed!

Azlea. Alvernon, I have never until now

Listened to words of passion; never felt

Aught of a love other than children feel

For parents best and fondest—so that now

Thy words sound through my spirit; but my heart

Is hoarded up from passion. Did I feel

That in my inmost soul which you describe,

I would not let it live!

Alver. Azlea, I have thought thee, and thou art,

The tender girl of nature, full of love;

And yet you tell me that you would not list

Your heart's impassioned pleadings, even when

Another heart joined in its earnest prayer

For the sweet blessing of your love. Is this

The voice of your own spirit? Hath it not

Been darkened by the shadow of mistrust?

Else how didst thou learn to be stern to love?

Azlea. Thou art right in guessing it is not

The natural promptings of my untaught heart

To harden my soul's softness; and I fear

I am not cautious to propriety;

And knowing nothing of life's varied ways,

I would avoid all evil.

Alver.Surely thou

Hast had a gloomy teacher for thy youth;