Lady Clare | Page 2

your life,
And all you have will be Lord Ronald's,
When you are
man and wife."
"If I'm a beggar born," she said
"I will speak out, for I dare not lie,

Pull off, pull off the brooch of gold,
And fling the diamond necklace
by."
"Nay now, my child," said Alice the nurse,
"But keep the secret all
you can."
She said, "Not so; but I will know
If there be any faith in
man."
"Nay now, what faith?" said Alice the nurse,
"The man will cleave
unto his right."
"And he shall have it," the lady replied,
"Though I
should die to-night."
"Yet give one kiss to your mother, dear!
Alas, my child! I sinned for

thee."
"O mother, mother, mother," she said,
"So strange it seems to
me!
"Yet here's a kiss for my mother dear,
My mother dear, if this be so,

And lay your hand upon my head,
And bless me, mother, ere I go."
She clad herself in a russen gown,
She was no longer Lady Clare:

She went by dale, and she went by down,
With a single rose in her
hair.
The lily-white doe Lord Ronald had brought
Leapt up from where she
lay.
Dropped her head in the maiden's hand.
And followed her all
the way.
Down stepped Lord Ronald from his tower:
"O Lady Clare, you
shame your worth!
Why come you dressed like a village maid,
That
are the flower of the earth?"
"If I come dressed like a village maid,
I am but as my fortunes are:
I
am a begger born," she said,
"And not the Lady Clare."
"Play me no tricks," said Lord Ronald,
"For I am yours in word and
in deed;
Play me no tricks," said Lord Ronald,
"Your riddle is hard
to read."
Oh, and proudly stood she up!
Her heart within her did not fail:
She
looked into Lord Ronald's eyes,
And told him all her nurse's tale.
He laughed a laugh of merry scorn:
He turned and kissed her where
she stood;
"If you are not the heiress born,
And I," said he, "the
next in blood--
"If you are not the heiress born,
And I," said he, "the lawful heir,

We two will wed to-morrow morn,
And you shall still be Lady
Clare."

Finis
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Tennyson
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