Madame La Marquise
Said Hongray de la Glaciere, unto his proud Papa:
“I want to take a wife, mon Pere,” The Marquis
laughed: “Ha! Ha!”...
The girl with who, I fain would splice is Mirabelle du Veau
What made the Marquis start and stare, and clutch his perfumed beard?
Why did he stagger to a chair, and murmur: “As I feared”?
He wailed: “My son, you cannot wed with Mirabelle DuVeau.”...
Her mother was your mother's friend ...I blame it on the weather.
We had a very sultry spell. One day, mon Dieu! I
kissed her.
My son you can't wed Mirabelle,. She is...she is
your sister.”
...sore-stricken Hongray fled, and sought his grief
to smother.
And as he writhed upon his bed to him there came
his Mother...
“Today your bride you may decide, to-morrow you
may marry.
Yes, you may wed with Mirabelle, or Raymonde if
you'd rather....
For I as well the truth may tell...Papa is not your
father.”
Robert Service |
