O’ercame her spoken troth, o’ercame her fear;

And she prepared, as now the hour drew near,

The mean contrivances, nor felt disgust.

15

She set the lamp beneath a chair, and cloked

Thickly its rebel lustre from the eye:

And laid the knife, to mortal keenness stroked,

Within her reach, where she was wont to lie:

And took her place full early; but her heart

Beat fast, and stay’d her breath with sudden start,