Had sickness seized him? She unclasped his helm,
And laid her white hand gently on his brow,
And the large veins felt stiff and hard like cords.
The touch aroused him. He raised up his hands
And spoke the name of God in agony.
She knew that he was stricken, then, and rushed
Again into his arms, and with a flood
Of tears she could not bridle, sobbed a prayer
That he would tell her of his wretchedness.
He told her, and a momentary flush