She. Since thou hast come, dear heart, I live no more Save in the hours when thou art by. Thy grave, Full penetrating voice and speech I crave, And all thy cares.... I wonder how before This satisfied companionship I bore The old dull days, for thou with marriage gave So much! And yet,—bear with me, dear!—My brave Heart seems defenceless now! Those days of yore Full of ambitious dreams, beyond my reach Have vanished far. O love me! since the whole Of life is narrowed down to this! and teach Me willing subjugation, as years roll,— Be more than lost ambitions I beseech,— My lord and husband, since thou hast my soul! He. Dear one, dost think thou art alone in this Great overwhelming conflict of love’s might? Dost think thou art dependent, and my right Is subjugating thee? O sweet, the bliss Of marriage lies beyond such talk as this! True love is most dependent, and all right Is yours as mine, since our supreme delight Lies with each other; then let us not miss The joy of this full time by hint of war, Or agonize ourselves with distant fears,— A truce to these misgivings! With such store Of love we’ll front our happiness, that years Will bring us compensations more and more. I master? nay, a beggar,—see these tears! |