20 THE PRINCESS
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nd sweet as English air could make her, she :But Walter hail’d a score of names upon her, 155And “ petty Ogress,” and “ungrateful Puss,”And swore he long’d at college, only long’d,All else was well, for she-society.They boated and they cricketed ; they talk’dAt wine, in clubs, of art, of politics : 160They lost their weeks ; they vext the souls of deans ‘They rode ; they betted ; made a hundred friends,And caught the blossoms of the flying terms,But miss’d the mignonette of Vivian-place,The little hearth-flower Lilia. Thus he spoke, 165Part banter, part affection. “True,” she said,“We doubt not that. O yes, you miss’d us much.T’ll stake my ruby ring upon it you did.” She held it out ; and as a parrot turnsUp thro’ gilt wires a crafty loving eye, 170And takes a lady’s finger with all care,And bites it for true heart and not for harm,So he with Lilia’s. Daintily she shriek’dAnd wrung it. “Doubt my word again!” he said.“Come, listen! here is proof that you were miss’d : 155. hailed, cf. 1. 60—“‘ snow'd it down,”’ VI. 50—“ rain,” and our ex-pression, ‘‘showered.”’ 158. she-society, cf. IIT. 147—“‘our fair she-world.” 161, lost their weeks. In the English universities, residence in col- residence toward his degree. The ex ression, then, simp]irregularity of attendance. . piv fenteas63. cf. Herrick: ‘Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.”164. In the French, from’ which the name of the fiower comes,mignonette is the diminutive of mignon (darling). :172, for true heart, for real affection, preter
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