[Illustration]
They stand alone on the moonlit spot,--
Sing Ho--ho! and Ha--ha! there!
One is the villain, and one is not,
But the heroine's father.
They stand alone on the patch of light
(Which comes from the left as well as right)--
Oh, 'tis a glorious place and night
For a Murder Scene! Rather!
They talk of deeds (of the parchment kind)--
Sing Ha--ha! and Ho-ho! there!
The heavy father, to reason blind,
Has them with him to show there!
The deeds relate to the old man's will;
The villain wants them to pay a bill!
The night is cold, and the night is still
Let the music be slow there!
They stand alone in the pale-green light--
Sing Hey--hey! and he--he! there!
What is this flashing so keen and bright?
What is this that I see there?
Oh! deed of darkness in light descried!
Oh! villain thrice damn'd that blade to hide,
Right 'tween the arm on _the farther_ side--
Certain death when it be there!
They're still alone on the moonlit spot--
Sing He--he! and Hey--hey! there!
Though one is Standing,[1] and one is not,
For _one's_ cold as the clay there!
The villain covers the dead man's stare--
The corpse lies stiff in the limelight's glare!
The act is done!--and for all I care,
The dead body can stay there!
[Footnote 1: HERBERT.]
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