Page:Twilight Hours (1868).djvu/87

She bent to kiss me, but between our lips
There fell a crystal tear that parted them,
And held them parted, like magician's spell ;
And then I knew, as children know such things,
That not my life, nor love, nor deathless soul,
Could weigh, with her, against a hair of his ;
Knew it, and loved her utterly the while.
Mark turned and left us : Agnes watched him go,
Tike one who sees a sudden, angry sun
Drop down behind the threatening, smoking hills,
To rise upon the ruins of a world.
Yet still she sang to me in notes sad-sweet.
" Sleep, little sister, sleep ! the flowers are nodding weary ;
Over the mountain-tops steal shadows, soft and slow ;
Dreaming thy happy dreams, my love shall still be near thee,
Into the fairy-land together we will go.
" Sleep, little sister, sleep ! the bees have ceased their humming ;
Swiftly the forest birds have vanished with the light,