Author: Robert Browning Source: The Laboratory (Ancien Regime)

Now that I, tying thy glass mask tightly, Meaning: The speaker is preparing to use poison, tying a mask to protect from fumes.

May gaze through these faint smokes curling whitely, Meaning: She looks through the smoke at the apothecary working.

As thou pliest thy trade in this devil's-smithy-- Meaning: She describes the lab as a devil's forge, hinting at evil intent.

Which is the poison to poison her, prithee? Meaning: She asks which poison will kill her rival.

He is with her, and they know that I know Meaning: Her lover is with the rival, and they know she knows.

Where they are, what they do: they believe my tears flow Meaning: They think she's crying, but she's plotting revenge.

While they laugh, laugh at me, at me fled to the drear Meaning: They laugh at her while she fled to a dreary church.

Empty church, to pray God in, for them!--I am here! Meaning: She prayed in the empty church, but now she's at the lab.

Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste, Meaning: She tells the apothecary to keep grinding the poison.

Pound at thy powder, I am not in haste! Meaning: She's in no hurry, savoring the process.

Better sit thus and observe thy strange things, Meaning: She prefers watching the poisons to attending court.

Than go where men wait me, and dance at the King's. Meaning: She'd rather be here than at the King's dance.

That in the mortar--you call it a gum? Meaning: She asks about a substance in the mortar, maybe gum.

Ah, the brave tree whence such gold oozings come! Meaning: She admires the tree that produced the golden gum.

And yonder soft phial, the exquisite blue, Meaning: She notices a blue phial that looks sweet.

Sure to taste sweetly,--is that poison, too? Meaning: She wonders if that blue liquid is also poison.

Had I but all of them, thee and thy treasures, Meaning: She wishes she had all the poisons and the apothecary's skill.

What a wild crowd of Invisible pleasures! Meaning: She imagines the invisible pleasures of killing.

To carry pure death in an earring, a casket, Meaning: She could carry poison in jewelry or accessories.

A signet, a fan-mount, a filigree basket! Meaning: She lists items like earrings, caskets, signets, etc.

Soon, at the King's, a mere lozenge to give Meaning: She plans to give a lozenge at the King's event.

And Pauline should have just thirty minutes to live! Meaning: Pauline would die in thirty minutes from it.

But to light a pastille, and Elise, with her head Meaning: Alternatively, lighting a pastille would kill Elise.

And her breast and her arms and her hands, should drop dead! Meaning: Elise would drop dead instantly.

Quick--is it finished? The colour's too grim! Meaning: She asks if the poison is ready, but the color is too grim.

Why not soft like the phial's, enticing and dim? Meaning: She wants it to look enticing like the blue phial.

Let it brighten her drink, let her turn it and stir, Meaning: She wants it to brighten her rival's drink.

And try it and taste, ere she fix and prefer! Meaning: The rival will taste it and prefer it.

What a drop! She's not little, no minion like me! Meaning: She notes the rival is not small like her.

That's why she ensnared him: this never will free Meaning: That's why she ensnared him; this poison won't free his soul.

The soul from those masculine eyes,--say "No!" Meaning: The poison won't stop his attraction to her rival.

To that pulse's magnificent come-and-go. Meaning: She refers to the rival's pulse and beauty.

For only last night, as they whispered, I brought Meaning: Last night, she stared at the rival while they whispered.

My own eyes to bear on her so that I thought Meaning: She focused her eyes on the rival.

Could I keep them one half-minute fixed, she would fall Meaning: She thought if she stared long enough, the rival would shrivel.

Shrivelled; she fell not: yet this does it all! Meaning: But she didn't fall; the poison will do it.

Not that I bid you spare her the pain; Meaning: She doesn't want to spare the rival pain.

Let death be felt and the proof remain: Meaning: She wants death to be felt and leave proof.

Brand, burn up, bite into its grace-- Meaning: She wants the poison to burn and mark her face.

He is sure to remember her dying face! Meaning: Her lover will remember the rival's dying face.

Is it done? Take my mask off! Nay, be not morose; Meaning: She asks if it's done, takes off mask, tells him not to be sad.

It kills her, and this prevents seeing it close: Meaning: The poison kills her, and this prevents seeing it close.

The delicate droplet, my whole fortune's fee! Meaning: The droplet is her entire fortune's fee.

If it hurts her, beside, can it ever hurt me? Meaning: If it hurts her, it can never hurt the speaker.

Now, take all my jewels, gorge gold to your fill, Meaning: She offers all her jewels and gold to the apothecary.

You may kiss me, old man, on my mouth if you will! Meaning: She even offers a kiss on the mouth.

But brush this dust off me, lest horror it brings Meaning: She asks him to brush dust off her, fearing horror.

Ere I know it--next moment I dance at the King's! Meaning: She will dance at the King's next moment.