No unfamiliar face might overlook me—
Suddenly God took me!
[Pippa passes.
Monsignor. [Springing up.] My people—one and all—all—within there! Gag this villain—tie him hand and foot! He dares...I know not half he dares—but remove him—quick! Miserere mei, Domine! quick, I say!
Scene.—Pippa's Chamber again. She enters it.
The bee with his comb,
The mouse at her dray,
The grub in its tomb,
Wile winter away;
But the fire-fly and hedge-shrew and lob-worm, I pray,
How fare they?
Ha, ha, best thanks for your counsel, my Zanze—
'Feast upon lampreys, quaff the Breganze'—
The summer of life's so easy to spend,
And care for to-morrow so soon put away!
But winter hastens at summer's end,
And fire-fly, hedge-shrew, lob-worm, pray,
How fare they?
No bidding me then to...what did she say?
'Pare your nails pearlwise, get your small feet shoes
More like...(what said she?)—and less like canoes'—
How pert that girl was!—would I be those pert
Impudent staring women! it had done me,
However, surely no such mighty hurt
To learn his name who passed that jest upon me: