They grinned defiance, lingering still.
"I charge ye quit me, in His name
Who bore His cross against the hill!--
By Him who died a death of shame,
That I might live, and ye might die,--
By Christ the Martyr!"--As a flame
Leaps sideways when the wind is high,
The bright one bounded from my side,
At that dread name, without reply;
And Death drew in his mantle wide,
And shuddered, and grew ghastly pale,
As if his dart had pricked his side.
There came a breath, a lonely wail,
Out of the silence o'er the land;
Whether from souls of bliss or bale,
What mortal brain may understand?
Only I marked the phantoms went
Closely together, hand in hand,
As if upon one errand bent.

* * * * *

THE TRUE STORY OF LUIGI.


A white dove flew down into the market-place one summer morning, and,
undisturbed among all the wheels and hoofs, followed the footsteps of
Luigi.

He carried in one hand a sunflower, and thoughtlessly, while it hung