So unconcerned with him ... so cold?
21
He left the rout in all its splendour
And drove back home, immersed in thought;
A swarm of dreams, both sad and tender,
Disturbed the slumber that he sought.
He woke to find, with some elation,
Prince N. had sent an invitation.
'Oh God! I'll see her. . . and today!
Oh yes, I'll go!'and straightaway
He scrawled a note:
What's wrong with him? . . . He's in a daze.
What's stirring in that idle gaze,
What's made that frigid soul excited?
Vexation? Pride? Or youth's old yen
For all the cares of love again?
22
Once more he counts the hours, pacing;
Once more can't wait till day is past.
The clock strikes ten: and off he's racing,
And now he's at the porch at last;
He enters in some apprehension;
The princess, to his added tension,
Is quite alone. Some minutes there
They sit. Eugene can only stare,
He has no voice. Without a smile,
And ill at ease, he scarcely tries
To answer her. His mind supplies
But one persistent thought the while.
His eyes retain their stare; but she Sits
unconstrained, quite calm and free.
23
Her husband enters, thus arresting
This most unpleasant tte--tte;
Eugene and he recalled the jesting,
The pranks and fun when first they'd met.
They laughed. Then guests began arriving.
And on the spice of malice thriving,
The conversation sparkled bright;
The hostess kept the banter light
And quite devoid of affectations;
Good reasoned talk was also heard,
But not a trite or vulgar word,
No lasting truths or dissertations
And no one's ears were shocked a bit
By all the flow of lively wit.
24
The social cream had gathered gaily:
The nobly born and fashion's pets;
The faces one encounters daily,
