380 You look down coldly on the arena-heaps
Of headless bodies, shapeless, indistinct!
The Judgment-Angel scarce would find his way
Through such a heap of generalised distress
To the individual man with lips and eyes,
385 Much less Aurora. Ah, my sweet, come down, And hand in hand we'll go where yours shall touch
These victims, one by one! till, one by one,
The formless, nameless trunk of every man
Shall seem to wear a head with hair you know,
390 And every woman catch your mother's face
To melt you into passion.'
'I am a girl,'
I answered slowly; 'you do well to name
My mother's face. Though far too early, alas,
God's hand did interpose 'twixt it and me,
395 I know so much of love as used to shine
In that face and another. Just so much;
No more indeed at all. I have not seen
So much love since, I pray you pardon me,
4. It seemed to me.
.
1102 / ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING
As answers even to make a marriage with
400 In this cold land of England. What you love Is not a woman, Romney, but a cause: You want a helpmate, not a mistress, sir, A wife to help your ends,?in her no end. Your cause is noble, your ends excellent,
405 But I, being most unworthy of these and that, Do otherwise conceive of love. Farewell.'
'Farewell, Aurora? you reject me thus?' He said. 'Sir, you were married long ago. You have a wife already whom you love,
410 Your social theory. Bless you both, I say. For my part, I am scarcely meek enough To be the handmaid of a lawful spouse. Do I look a Hagar,5 think you?'
'So you jest.'
'Nay, so, I speak in earnest,' I replied.
415 'You treat oP marriage too much like, at least, talk about A chief apostle: you would bear with you A wife .. . a sister . . . shall we speak it out? A sister of charity.'
'Then, must it be Indeed farewell? And was I so far wrong
420 In hope and in illusion, when I took The woman to be nobler than the man, Yourself the noblest woman, in the use And comprehension of what love is,?love, That generates the likeness of itself
425 Through all heroic duties? so far wrong, In saying bluntly, venturing truth on love, 'Come, human creature, love and work with me,'? Instead of 'Lady, thou art wondrous fair, 'And, where the Graces6 walk before, the Muse
430 'Will follow at the lightning of their eyes, 'And where the Muse walks, lovers need to creep: 'Turn round and love me, or I die of love.' '
With quiet indignation I broke in. 'You misconceive the question like a man,
435 Who sees a woman as the complement Of his sex merely. You forget too much That every creature, female as the male, Stands single in responsible act and thought As also in birth and death. Whoever says
440 To a loyal woman, 'Love and work with me,' Will get fair answers if the work and love,
5. In Genesis 16 Sarah's maidservant, who bore a 6. In classical mythology goddesses who personichild, Ishmael, by Sarah's husband, Abraham. fied beauty and charm.
.
AURORA LEIGH / 1103
Being good themselves, are good for her?the best
She was born for. Women of a softer mood,
Surprised by men when scarcely awake to life,
445 Will sometimes only hear the first word, love,
