up,
Having his other penitents to mind.
If then, all outlets thus secured save one,
At last she took to the open, stood and stared (1040)
With her wan face to see where God might wait—
And there found Caponsacchi wait as well
For the precious something at perdition’s edge.
He only was predestinate to save,—
And if they recognised in a critical flash
From the zenith, each the other, her need of him,
His need of … say, a woman to perish for,
The regular way o’ the world, yet break no vow,
Do no harm save to himself,—if this were thus?
How do you say? It were improbable; (1050)
So is the legend of my patron-saint.

Anyhow, whether, as Guido states the case,
Pompilia,—like a starving wretch i’ the street
Who stops and rifles the first passenger
In the great right of an excessive wrong,—
Did somehow call this stranger and he came,—
Or whether the strange sudden interview
Blazed as when star and star must needs go close
Till each hurts each and there is loss in heaven—
Whatever way in this strange world it was,— (1060)
Pompilia and Caponsacchi met, in fine,
She at her window, he i’ the street beneath,
And understood each other at first look.

All was determined and performed at once
And on a certain April evening, late
I’ the month, this girl of sixteen, bride and wife
Three years and over,—she who hitherto
Had never taken twenty steps in Rome
Beyond the church, pinned to her mother’s gown,
Nor, in Arezzo, knew her way through street (1070)
Except what led to the Archbishop’s door,—
Such an one rose up in the dark, laid hand
On what came first, clothes and a trinket or two,
Belongings of her own in the old day,—
Stole from the side o’ the sleeping spouse—who knows?
Sleeping perhaps, silent for certain,—slid
Ghost-like from great dark room to great dark room,
In through the tapestries and out again
And onward, unembarrassed as a fate,
Descended staircase, gained last door of all, (1080)
Sent it wide open at first push of palm,
And there stood, first time, last and only time,
At liberty, alone in the open street,—
Unquestioned, unmolested found herself
At the city gate, by Caponsacchi’s side,
Hope there, joy there, life and all good again,
The carriage there, the convoy there, light there
Broadening into a full blaze at Rome
And breaking small what long miles lay between;
Up she sprang, in he followed, they were safe. (1090)

The husband quotes this for incredible,
All of the story from first word to last:
Sees the priest’s hand throughout upholding hers,
Traces his foot to the alcove, that night,
Whither and whence blindfold he knew the way,
Proficient in all craft and stealthiness;
And cites for proof a servant, eye that watched
And ear that opened to purse secrets up,
A woman-spy,—suborned to give and take
Letters and tokens, do the work of shame (1100)
The more adroitly that herself, who helped
Communion thus between a tainted pair,
Had long since been a leper thick in spot,
A common trull o’ the town: she witnessed all,
Helped many meetings, partings, took her wage
And then told Guido the whole matter. Lies!
The woman’s life confutes her word,—her word
Confutes itself: “Thus, thus and thus I lied.”
“And thus, no question, still you lie,” we say.

“Ay, but at last, e’en have it how you will, (1110)
“Whatever the means, whatever the way, explodes
“The consummation”—the accusers shriek:
“Here is the wife avowedly found in flight,
“And the companion of her flight, a priest;
“She flies her husband, he the church his spouse:
“What is this?”

Wife and priest alike reply
“This is the simple thing it claims to be,
“A course we took for life and honour’s sake,
“Very strange, very justifiable.” (1120)
She says, “God put it in my head to fly,
“As when the martin migrates: autumn claps
“Her hands, cries ‘Winter’s coming, will be here,
“‘Off with you ere the white teeth overtake!
“‘Flee!’ So I fled: this friend was the warm day,
“The south wind and whatever favours flight;
“I took the favour, had the help, how else?
“And so we did fly rapidly all night,
“All day, all night—a longer night—again,
“And then another day, longest of days, (1130)
“And all the while, whether we fled or stopped,
“I scarce know how or why, one thought filled both,
“‘Fly and arrive!’ So long as I found strength
“I talked with my companion, told him much,
“Knowing that he knew more, knew me, knew God
“And God’s disposal of me,—but the sense
“O’ the blessed flight absorbed me in the main,
“And speech became mere talking through a sleep,
“Till at the end of that last longest night
“In a red daybreak, when we reached an inn (1140)
“And my companion whispered ‘Next stage—Rome!’
“Sudden the weak flesh fell like piled-up cards,
“All the frail fabric at a finger’s touch,
“And prostrate the poor soul too, and I said,
“‘But though Count Guido were a furlong off,
“‘Just on me, I must stop and rest awhile!’
“Then something like a white wave o’ the sea
“Broke o’er my brain and buried me in sleep
“Blessedly, till it ebbed and left me loose,
“And where

  By PanEris using Melati.

Previous chapter/page Back Home Email this Search Discuss Bookmark Next chapter/page
Copyright: All texts on Bibliomania are © Bibliomania.com Ltd, and may not be reproduced in any form without our written permission. See our FAQ for more details.