Chapter II

At first, they lodged me there with such a loon!
“Our clown!” so said the boys; and clown he was;
Would tease all day, and tumble round all night;
And, every morning, sure as came the sun,
Would start and rout me out, with strap in hand,
Plied like a coach-whip round my dancing shape,
Well put to blush until I dodged away.

A chum had Elbert too; and, like my own,
A wild boy caged, who seem’d more wild at times
Through beating at his bars, a hapless wretch.
And when our happier love had flower’d in us,
Half pitying each other, half this chum,
Which pity grew, we both stood round, scarce loath
To note his own wild set inflating him
With well-blown whims that swell’d his empty pride
Forsooth, the better bubble he could be,
The better hope we two could have of what
Should blow him from us. Then the blow came on:—
A gust of scolding struck him, and he went,—
Obey’d the call that had been mouthed for him,—
An inn-clerk’s, as I think,—and bow’d content
To sink from view like Paul, one gloomy night,
From out the window of his room; while we,
Much giggling, flung his luggage after him.