Sweetly it came, seductive, soft bizarre,
Huddled and breathless now, now note by note
Crying its separate pain ... now near, now far ...
Mingled with all the throbbing of the boat.
How beautiful! the first star came, to float
Impalpable in dusk, low in the east;
It seemed to sing on when the music ceased.
Herald of love, lo, love itself it seemed,
Singing into the twilight of her soul....
How beautiful!... across dark waters gleamed
Red lights and green, she heard a bell-buoy toll
Suddenly caught in the after-wash’s roll;
A smell of autumn fires came down the wind;
Beauty so keen it seemed it must have sinned....
What was this night, what did it bring to her,
What flower unfolded in its darkness now?
She was this night; she felt her deep soul stir,
The slow strange stir of blossoms in the bough....
How beautiful! She watched the forefoot plough
Sheer through the foaming black, the white waves gliding
Dizzily past, now swelling, now subsiding....
O Youth, O music, O sweet wizardry
Of young life sung like fire through beating veins!
O covering darkness and persuasive sea!
O night of stars, of blisses and of pains!
But most, O Youth, that but an hour remains,—
Be fierce, be sweet with us before you go;
For, knowing you, the best of life we know.
Enchanted so she watched dark waters slipping
Swiftly and dizzily past the sheer black side,
Watched the fierce wind in sudden flurries whipping
The torn spray from the waves, against the tide;
High among stars she saw the mast-head glide,—
Steadily now, now swinging slowly, slightly,
There the high mast-head lantern burning brightly....
O Youth, O music, O sweet wizardy,—
O covering darkness of mysterious night!—
She turned; along the dark deck, quietly,
He came again; an open door shed light
Strongly across him for a space, then fright
Suddenly set her wild heart beating, beating,—
Suddenly set her endlessly repeating
“I mustn’t speak! I mustn’t speak!”—And then
He stood beside her, close and warm and strong,
And she knew sudden the beauty that’s in men,
And all her blood flew musical with song....
“—Beautiful, isn’t it?—Have you known it long?”—
Calmly he looked at her, and gently spoke.
She nodded, lightly; then the warm words broke
Easily, quickly, fervently from her heart,
All the restraint of all her youth was gone,
She felt a thousand warm new instincts start
Out of her soul, birds taking wing with dawn,
Singing their hearts out ... With a deep breath drawn,
“Yes! I’ve known it for years, and loved it, too;
Beautiful!—This—is this the first for you?”
They talked, in low tones; and the sound of sea,
Falling of foam and swish of dropping spray,
Encircled them with song, incessantly;—
They felt alone, the world seemed far away.
They two! they two! so seemed the night to say;
A darkness and a stealing fragrance came
Spreading through all their souls, silent as flame....
O beauty of being a living thing, she thought,—
Of drawing breath beneath these stars, this sky!—
O beautiful fire that from his eyes she caught,
That made her breath rise quick, her lips burn dry!
What was this thing? Dread came, she scarce knew why,—
Impulsively she went; yet she had given
Her word to dine with him, her earth was heaven.