"I saw a serpent in my Lady's heart,"--

Vane.

Ah! spare me the torment of hearing--

Fitzgerald.

Your own lines?

Vane.

_Mur_-dered!

"I saw the serpent of my Lady's heart,
Lovely and leprous; and a violet sigh
Shook the wan, yellowing leaves of threnody,
Bruised in the holy chalice of my Art."

Fitzgerald.

Ah yes! I didn't quite catch the meaning.

Vane.

Meaning? It is a piece of _mu_-sic, in which I have skilfully
e-_lu_-ded ALL _meaning_.

Fitzgerald.