Thomas Hardy - The Duel lyrics

"I am here to time, you see; The glade is well-screened—eh?—against alarm; Fit place to vindicate by my arm The honour of my spotless wife, Who scorns your libel upon her life In boasting intimacy! "'All hush-offerings you'll spurn, My husband. Two must come; one only go,' She said. 'That he'll be you I know; To faith like ours Heaven will be just, And I shall abide in fullest trust Your speedy glad return.'" "Good. Here am also I; And we'll proceed without more waste of words To warm your co*kpit. Of the swords Take you your choice. I shall thereby Feel that on me no blame can lie, Whatever Fate accords." So stripped they there, and fought, And the swords clicked and scraped, and the onsets sped; Till the husband fell; and his shirt was red With streams from his heart's hot cistern. Nought Could save him now; and the other, wrought Maybe to pity, said: "Why did you urge on this? Your wife a**ured you; and 't had better been That you had let things pa**, serene In confidence of long-tried bliss, Holding there could be nought amiss In what my words might mean." Then, seeing nor ruth nor rage Could move his foeman more—now d**h's deaf thrall - He wiped his steel, and, with a call Like turtledove to dove, swift broke Into the copse, where under an oak His horse cropt, held by a page. "All's over, Sweet," he cried To the wife, thus guised; for the young page was she. "'Tis as we hoped and said 't would be. He never guessed . . . We mount and ride To where our love can reign uneyed. He's clay, and we are free."