I did my very boyish best to shine In tricking her out for a masquerade : The pins were placed sufficiently, but not Stuck all exactly in the proper spot. LXIII. But these are foolish things to all the wise, And I love wisdom more than she loves me; My tendency is to philosophize On most things, from a tyrant to a tree; Our ultimate existence? what's our present? LXIV. There was deep silence in the chamber: dim LXVIII. A fourth, as marble, statue-like and still, LXIX. And lo! a fifth appears :-and what is she? LXX. They should have walk'd there in their spright-But all this time how slept, or dream'd, Duda? liest trim, By way of change from their sepulchral sites, And shown themselves as ghosts of better taste, Than haunting some old ruin or wild waste. With strict inquiry I could ne'er discover, And scorn to add a syllable untrue; But ere the middle watch was hardly over, Just when the fading lamps waned dim and bine, And phantoms hover'd, or might seem to hover, To those who like their company, about LXXIV. And now commenced a strict investigation, once Conjecturing, wondering, asking a narration, Dudu had never pass'd for wanting sense, LXXV. At length she said that, in a slumber sound, The matron, too, was wroth to leave her warm And chafed at poor Dudù, who only sigh'd, 'I've heard of stories of a cock and bull; To take us from our natural rest, and pull The whole Oda from their beds at half-past Would make us think the moon is at its full. She dream'd a dream of walking in a wood-To-morrow, what his Highness's physician A 'wood obscure, like that where Dante found | Will say to this hysteric of a vision. Himself in at the age when all grow good; Life's half-way house, where dames with virtue crown'd, Run much less risk of lovers turning rude; And that this wood was full of pleasant fruits, And trees of goodly growth and spreading roots; LXXXI. 'And poor Juanna, too, the child's first night With you, Dudù, a good night's rest have But now I must transfer her to the charge LXXXII. Lolah's eyes sparkled at the proposition; But poor Dudù, with large drops in her own, LXXXIII. She promised never more to have a dream, For laughter-but she felt her spirits low, over This weakness in a few hours, and recover. And here Juanna kindly interposed, And said she felt herself extremely well To quit her gentle partner, and to dwell LXXXV. As thus Juanna spoke, Dudù turn'd round, |