AURORA LEIGH.
Though insolent your letter and absurd,
And though I hate you frankly,—take my Smith!
For when you have seen this famous marriage tied,
A most unspotted Erle to a noble Leigh,
(His love astray on one he should not love)
Howbeit—beware, you should not want his love,
You’ll want some comfort. So I leave you Smith;
Take Smith!—he talks Leigh’s subjects, somewhat worse;
Adopts a thought of Leigh’s, and dwindles it;
Goes leagues beyond, to be no inch behind;
Will mind you of him, as a shoe-string may,
Of a man: and women, when they are made like you,
Grow tender to a shoe-string, foot-print even,
Adore averted shoulders in a glass,
And memories of what, present once, was loathed.
And yet, you loathed not Romney,—though you’ve played
At ‘fox and goose’ about him with your soul:
Pass over fox, you rub out fox,—ignore
A feeling, you eradicate it,—the act’s
Identical.
‘I wish you joy, Miss Leigh.
You’ve made a happy marriage for your friend;
And all the honour, well-assorted love,
Derives from you who love him, whom he loves!
You need not wish me joy to think of it,
I have so much. Observe, Aurora Leigh;
Your droop of eyelid is the same as his,
And, but for you, I might have won his love,
And, to you, I have shown my naked heart,—
For which three things I hate, hate, hate you. Hush,
And though I hate you frankly,—take my Smith!
For when you have seen this famous marriage tied,
A most unspotted Erle to a noble Leigh,
(His love astray on one he should not love)
Howbeit—beware, you should not want his love,
You’ll want some comfort. So I leave you Smith;
Take Smith!—he talks Leigh’s subjects, somewhat worse;
Adopts a thought of Leigh’s, and dwindles it;
Goes leagues beyond, to be no inch behind;
Will mind you of him, as a shoe-string may,
Of a man: and women, when they are made like you,
Grow tender to a shoe-string, foot-print even,
Adore averted shoulders in a glass,
And memories of what, present once, was loathed.
And yet, you loathed not Romney,—though you’ve played
At ‘fox and goose’ about him with your soul:
Pass over fox, you rub out fox,—ignore
A feeling, you eradicate it,—the act’s
Identical.
‘I wish you joy, Miss Leigh.
You’ve made a happy marriage for your friend;
And all the honour, well-assorted love,
Derives from you who love him, whom he loves!
You need not wish me joy to think of it,
I have so much. Observe, Aurora Leigh;
Your droop of eyelid is the same as his,
And, but for you, I might have won his love,
And, to you, I have shown my naked heart,—
For which three things I hate, hate, hate you. Hush,
