'She marries gold to-morrow--let her wed!
She will not wed a beggar, but I think
She'll wed a life-long sorrow--let her wed!
Aye--aye--I hope she'll live to curse the day
Whereon she broke her sacred promises.
And I forgive her?--yea, but not forget.
I'll take good care that she shall not forget;
I'll prick her memory with a bitter thorn
Through all her future. Let her marry gold!'
Thus ran my muttered words, but in my heart
There ran a counter-current; ere I slept
Its silent under-tow had mastered all--
'Forgive and be forgiven.' I resolved
That on the morning of her wedding-day
Would I go kindly and forgive Pauline,
And send her to the altar with my blessing.
That night I read a chapter in this book--
The first for many months, and fell asleep
Beseeching God to bless her.
Then I dreamed
That we were kneeling at my mother's bed--
Her death-bed, and the feeble, trembling hands
Of her who loved us rested on our heads,
And in a voice all tremulous with tears
My mother said: 'Dear children, love each other;
Bear and forbear, and come to me in heaven.'
"I wakened once--at midnight--a wild cry--
'_Paul, O Paul!_' rang through my dreams and broke
My slumber.
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