The Star in the West

78 THE STAR IN THE WEST True Love , let us now enter those enchanting realms of Free Love , which is True Love in its truest form . Nina is our guide , pointing us out the hill - top road which will lead us above the social plain , and awed by the mystic love of woman , Racing and maddening from the crown of flame , The monolithic core of mystical Red fury that is called a woman's heart .' Enter the sphere of Free Love , and sit by the side of Alice , look into the depth of her eyes , the depths of her heart . As a seeker sees the gold In the shadow of the stream ; see there her love , As a diver sees the pearl In the shadow of the sea ; and murmur not above our breath Ah ! you can love , true girl , And is your love for me ?? “ Alice , an Adultery .” As golden a book of poetry as Mademoiselle de Maupin is of prose . The first poem in the book is called “ Messaline ." 3 It is in a way a foreword to the ensuing sonnet - se quence , and yet in a way it is not , its spirit being more essentially of Lust ; for whatever the “ unco gude ” may say , that of Alice and her lover is not . To adulterate is to debase ; but there is no debase ment here . Love burns pure as a flame , and if it is , as it is here , between a married woman and a lover | Tannhäuser , vol . i, p . 232 . 2 The Three Shadows , Rossetti . 3 In the second edition , the first edition began with White Poppy .