To steal her glad young life from her!
But who can tell? In very sooth
She may love him but with the light love of youth.
[Again silence; she takes out the little phial, looks long at it and says under her breath:
This phial—were I its powers to try—
My husband would sleep for ever and aye!
[Horror-struck.
No, no! To the river’s depths with it straight!
[In the act of throwing it out of the window, stops.
And yet I could—’tis not yet too late.—