| |
| HEEDLESS she strayed from note to note, | |
| A maid, scarce knowing that she sang; | |
| The dainty accents from her throat | |
| In undulations lightly rang. | |
| |
| She sang in laughing rhythms sweet; | 5 |
| A bird of spring was in her voice; | |
| Till, on through measures deft and fleet, | |
| She caught the ditty of her choice. | |
| |
| A song of love, in words of fire, | |
| Now made her breast with passion stir; | 10 |
| It breathed across her living lyre, | |
| And thrilled the waiting chords in her. | |
| |
| Uplifted like a quivering dart, | |
| One moment poised the tones on high, | |
| To tell the language of her heart, | 15 |
| And swell the pæan ere it die. | |
| |
| She smote the keys with will and force, | |
| Like storm-winds swept the sounds along; | |
| Her flying fingers in their course | |
| Vied with the tumult of her song. | 20 |
| |
| Her eyes flashed with the burning theme; | |
| A glow of triumph flushed her cheek; | |
| No need of words to tell the dream | |
| Of love her lips would never speak. | |
| |
| When the wild cadence died in air, | 25 |
| And all the chords to silence fell, | |
| I knew the spirit lurking there— | |
| The secret that had wrought the spell. | |
| |
