And must I, through my years of wandering, The hour of Yamen's wrath? I thought thou wouldst embody me anew, ... ... Yea, re-create me! Father, is this all? 4. But in that wrongful and upbraiding tone, For rising anger half supprest his grief. Had I not spell-secur'd thee from disease, ... ... And thou!... fool, fool... to perish by a stake! And by a peasant's arm! ... Even now, when from reluctant Heaven, Forcing new gifts and mightier attributes, So soon I should have quell'd the Death-God's power. 5. Waste not thy wrath on me, quoth Arvalan, And thus o'er earth and air they roam at will, Go fearlessly before the aweful throne. But I,... all naked feeling and raw life, ... What worse than this hath Yamen's hell in store? If ever thou didst love me, mercy father! Save me, for thou canst save... the Elements Know and obey thy voice. 6. KEHAMA. The Elements Shall sin no more against thee; whilst I speak Fate hath made that its own; but Fate shall yield ARVALAN. Only the sight of vengeance. Give me that! Vengeance, full, worthy, vengeance!...not the stroke Of sudden punishment, ... no agony That spends itself and leaves the wretch at rest, But lasting long revenge. KEHAMA. What, boy? is that cup sweet? then take thy fill ! 7. So as he spake, a glow of dreadful pride Inflamed his cheek, with quick and angry stride He moved toward the pile, And raised his hand to hush the crowd, and cried, Bring forth the murderer! At the Rajah's voice, Calmly, and like a man whom fear had stunn'd, Ladurlad came, obedient to the call; But Kailyal started at the sound, And gave a womanly shriek, and back she drew, 8. It chanced that near her on the river-brink, The sculptured form of Marriataly stood; It was an Idol roughly hewn of wood, Artless, and mean, and rude; The Goddess of the poor was she; None else regarded her with piety. But when that holy Image Kailyal view'd, To that she sprung, to that she clung, On her own Goddess with close-clasping arms, For life the maiden hung. 9. They seized the maid; with unrelenting grasp They bruised her tender limbs ; She, nothing yielding, to this only hope Clings with the strength of frenzy and despair She screams not now, she breathes not now, She sends not up one vow, She forms not in her soul one secret prayer, All thought, all feeling, and all powers of life In the one effort centering. Wrathful they With tug and strain would force the maid away; . Didst thou, O Marriataly, see their strife, In pity didst thou see the suffering maid? Or was thine anger kindled, that rude hands Assail'd thy holy Image? ... for behold The holy image shakes! 10. Irreverently bold, they deem the maid And now with force redoubled drag their prey; And now the rooted Idol to their sway Bends,... yields,... and now it falls. But then they scream, For lo! they feel the crumbling bank give way, And all are plunged into the stream. 11. She hath escaped my will, Kehama cried, ... I have thee still, The worser criminal! And on Ladurlad, while he spake, severe The strong reflection of the pile Lit the protruded brow, the gathered front, The steady eye of wrath. 12. But while the fearful silence yet endured, Ladurlad roused himself; Ere yet the voice of destiny Which trembled on the Rajah's lips was loosed As if despair had waken'd him to hope; Only to save my child, I smote the Prince; ... 13. The Man-Almighty deign'd him no reply, Still he stood silent; in no human mood Of mercy, in no hesitating thought Of right and justice. At the length he raised. His brow yet unrelax'd, his lips unclosed, ... And uttered from the heart, With the whole feeling of his soul enforced, The gathered vengeance came. 14. I charm thy life From the weapons of strife, From fire and from flood, From the serpent's tooth, |