He had heard one or two read
aloud at home, and had looked at one or two himself, but had gone no
further. Madge, her mother, and her sister had read and re-read
them.
'Oh,' said Madge, 'for that Vale in Ida. Here in these fens how I
long for something that is not level! Oh, for the roar of -
"The long brook falling thro' the clov'n ravine
In cataract after cataract to the sea."
Go on with it, Frank.'
'I cannot.'
'But you know OEnone?'
'I cannot say I do. I began it--'
'Frank, how could you begin it and lay it down unfinished? Besides,
those lines are some of the first; you MUST remember -
"Behind the valley topmost Gargarus
Stands up and takes the morning."'
'No, I do not recollect, but I will learn them; learn them for your
sake.'
'I do not want you to learn them for my sake.'
'But I shall.'
She had taken off her hat and his hand strayed to her neck. Her head
fell on his shoulder and she had forgotten his ignorance of OEnone.
Presently she awoke from her delicious trance and they moved
homewards in silence. Frank was a little uneasy.
'I do greatly admire Tennyson,' he said.
'What do you admire? You have hardly looked at him.'
'I saw a very good review of him. I will look that review up, by the
way, before I come down again. Mr Maurice was talking about it.'
Madge had a desire to say something, but she did not know what to
say, a burden lay upon her chest.
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