He lived with Sorrow, protected by his Will.
For fear he might arouse
The hulking giant, he never crossed that sill.
The three shared house.
He dreamed sometimes the giant had wrenched loose
His terrible strong hands—
And then he watched the slim, lithe Will, by ruse
Testing the bands.
So lightly he went up and down the stair,
Merry enough, and free,
Thinking they made a friendly, gallant pair,
The Will and he.
One day the Will, (who had grown strained and thin,)
Wearied of playing groom,
Took holiday, and left him idle in
An upper room,
(Having first visited and double-barred
The darkened lower floor).
He felt afraid, and went and listened hard
At his closed door;
And sure enough, there came a clank and rattle,
Then stillness, dead;
Then, mixed with curses and the crazy prattle,
A mounting tread.
Leave a Reply