152
FANNY.
And stories woven of sorrows and misfortunes
Are bad enough in prose, and worse in rhyme:
Mine, therefore, must be brief. Under protest
His notes remain—the wise can guess the rest.
clxv.
clxvi.
The party, and the failure, and all that,
The theme of loungers in their morning walk,
Porter-house reasoning, and tea-table chat.
The third, some newer wonder came to blot them,
And on the fourth, the "meddling world" forgot them.
clxvii.
I passed their house—the shutters were all closed;
The song of knocker and of bell was over;
Upon the steps two chimney-sweeps reposed;
And on the door my dazzled eyebeam met
These cabalistic words—"this house to let."
