18 
THE TALE OF ARCHAIS 
He ceased :  but out of Heaven no sound of might, 
No tongue of flame gave answer.  Still as night, 
Silence and sunlight, stream and mead, possessed 
The whole wide world.  The maid’s reluctant 
breast 
Heaved with soft passion nowise understood, 
And her pulse quickened.  Through the quiet wood 
Her answer rang :  “ My voice with thine shall 
break 
The woodland stillness, for the fountain’s sake. 
I’ll sing to thee—Lamia !  mother, I obey ! ” 
In vain the desperate boy pursued the way 
With awful eyes ;  no bruiséd flower betrayed 
The tender footsteps of a goddess maid ; 
No butterfly flew frightened ;  on the pool 
No ripple spoke of her ;  the streamlet cool 
Had no small wreath of amber mist to mark 
Her flight ;  she was not there, the silver spark 
Had flashed and faded ;  all the field was bare, 
No wave of wing bestirred the sultry air, 
Save only where the noontide lark rose high 
To chant his liberty.  The vaulted sky 
Was one blue cupola of rare turquoise 
That shimmered with the heat. 
His pulses pause