And he knew not why, but his words forbore

To lure from the gloom of his thought the other.

For hitherto, with a kindly art,

We have seen that he moulded his speech
In the fashion quaint, which the moody heart
Of his brother not often had failed to reach.-
But he now was mute, and his pulse beat fast,
So into the midst of the wood they past.

Then suddenly, and solemnly,

And with a death-like cheek,

Chang paused, and darkly turned his eye

On Ching--but did not speak.

And strange, and yet more strange that look

Glared out through the dull air.

And his brow grew damp, and his knees they shook, And a horror crept cold thro' his stiffening hair.

His lips were apart and trembling,

But their voice like a ghost was fled;---
So stood he and so gazed,

When Ching, fear-stricken and amazed,

But with a tone, dissembling

The strangeness and chill of his dread,

Spake out, and his voice was as winds, when again They break with a groan thro' the Ice-king's chain.

66

"My brother, wherefore bendest thou
"On me that eye, and boding brow?
“Have I offended thee in aught ?—-

66

Speak, brother, out the angry thought! 66 But gaze not on me with that fierce

"And silent aspect-thy lips quiver, "And thine eyes look as they would pierce, "Like darts, my life--I feel thee shiver "Ev'n as thou stand'st, and every vein "Creeps chill'd by thine-"

"Ay, thou hast said

"The very curse-the very bane,

"For which my soul could look thee dead. "Cannot this blood glide fast or slow, "But thou its very pulse must know? "Can I not move, or breathe, or yell "My tortures to the tacit air,

“But still thine eye must on me dwell,
"And still thy ghastly shape be there?

66

Oh! I could gripe thee with these hands, And tear away the fleshy bands, "The curse of clay which from our tribe "Hath severed our unnatural fate,

"Made us to this wide earth a gibe,

"And to ourselves---a hate!

"Ay, shudder, for my heart is told,

"At last the words are said--

"Hark! for in them thy doom hath knoll'd

“A knell of deeper dread "Than ever yet to mortal bore

"The fullness of despair! "Henceforth to each for evermore 66 An open hate we bear"Henceforth must jealousy and fear, "And horror be thy daily cheer!

"Henceforth the blest sun shall look dark, "The earth grow red with blood, "Thy haggard eyes shall dread to mark

66

Thy mirror in the flood--

"Thy flesh shall waste-the dewy sleep,

"The quiet pulse shall fly thee--"For thou must know, A FOE must keep "Lone watch for ever by thee!

"And thro' the night, and by the day,
"In bed-at board-at every tide
"Of time and place--that foe must stay
"To curse thee by thy side!

"And own a deep and solemn joy

"The while he feels himself decay,

"That the same death which must destroy “Himself-rots thee away !--

“And now I seal my lips!"

He ceast;

And his strained hands their clench releast:
And his breath gasped as if to free
His breast from some departed spell,
Yet witching with its memory.

And thus--as stands some fearful thing
Of war, awhile its vengeance spent---
Sullen and dark he stood; while Ching
A look on his swart visage bent,
Where fear--amaze--love-pity mingled;
So plainly baring all the soul,

That there a glance might well have singled
Each separate feeling from the whole :
And when a moment's pause had died,
Thought gush'd to speech, and he replied.

66

Thy fever, not thyself, hath spoken, "Mine only friend-my brother

"Oh! by our childhood's every token"By all we have been to each other--

66

By the sweet comfort we have taken "From our own lips when others chid; “The thought that, if by all forsaken,

66

"One friend Fate never could forbid,-"By every joy in common shared,

Or sorrow felt, or danger dared,

"Oh wrestle, with the fiend within, "And be yet-yet what thou hast been! "My brother, when our father blest us, "Could one be in the prayer forgot? "And when our mother's love carest us, "That love could either share it not? "Our sleep, our food, our life the same, "And if sometimes our breasts might frame "A different impulse or desire;

166

Methought to both 'twas sweet to yield
“And all that might have chafed appeal'd
"But to our love, and to the tie
"Of our belov'd affinity!

"Belov'd!--was our love not more free,
"From Envy-coldness---and from all-
"The thoughts of self, than theirs can be
"Who, in their chill'd affection, call
"Divided forms and schemes which brood
"O'er lonely projects-brotherhood!

"How often, in our childish years,

"We talked throughout the sleepless night, "And blest the bond which now appears "Accursed in thy sight!

"How often were we wont to say
"Each worldly bond must pass away —
"Time must dissolve, and absence sever,
"And Death all other hearts divide;
"But, Brother, thou and I can never

"Be sundered from each other's side!