Page:The Collected Poems of Dora Sigerson Shorter.djvu/77

And he took her hand in his right hand,
Down to the church by the lake,
And there he questioned the pale young priest
If a maiden her life did take.

But neither had heard of a new grave
In all the parish around.
And no one could tell of a young maid
Thus put in unholy ground.

So he loosed her hand from his hand,
And turned on his heel away,
And, “I know now you are false,” he said,
“From the lie you told to-day.”

And she said, “Alas I what evil thing
Did to-night my senses take?”
She knelt her down by the water-side
And wept as her heart would break.

And she said, “Oh, what fairy sight then
Was it thus my grief to see?
I will sleep well 'neath the still water,
Since my love has turned from me.”

And her love he went to the north land,
And far to the south went he,
And her distant voice he still could hear
Call weeping so bitterly.

And he could not rest in the daytime,
He could not sleep in the night.
So he hastened back to the old road.
With the trysting place in sight.

What first he heard was his own love's name,
And keening both loud and long.
What first he saw was his love's dear face.
At the head of a mourning throng.