Her lord, in very weariness of life,

Girt on his sword for scenes of distant strife.

He reck’d no more of glory: grief and shame

Crush’d out his fiery nature, and his name

Died silently. A shadow o’er his halls

Crept year by year: the minstrel pass’d their walls;

The warder’s horn hung mute. Meantime the child

On whose first flowering thoughts no parent smiled,

A gentle girl, and yet deep-hearted, grew

Into sad youth; for well, too well, she knew