DELILAH

We have another viceroy now,— those days are dead and done

Of Delilah Aberyswith and depraved Ulysses Gunne.

Delilah Aberyswith was a lady — not too young —

With a perfect taste in dresses and a badly-bitted tongue,

With a thirst for information, and a greater thirst for praise,

And a little house in Simla in the Prehistoric Days.

By reason of her marriage to a gentleman in power,

Delilah was acquainted with the gossip of the hour;

And many little secrets, of the half-official kind,

Were whispered to Delilah, and she bore them all in mind.

She patronized extensively a man, Ulysses Gunne,

Whose mode of earning money was a low and shameful one.

He wrote for certain papers, which, as everybody knows,

Is worse than serving in a shop or scaring off the crows.

He praised her “queenly beauty” first; and, later on, he hinted

At the “vastness of her intellect” with compliment unstinted.

He went with her a-riding, and his love for her was such

That he lent her all his horses and — she galled them very much.

One day, THEY brewed a secret of a fine financial sort;

It related to Appointments, to a Man and a Report.

‘ Twas almost worth the keeping,— only seven people knew it —

And Gunne rose up to seek the truth and patiently pursue it.

It was a Viceroy's Secret, but — perhaps the wine was red —

Perhaps an Aged Councillor had lost his aged head —

Perhaps Delilah's eyes were bright — Delilah's whispers sweet —

The Aged Member told her what‘ twere treason to repeat.

Ulysses went a-riding, and they talked of love and flowers;

Ulysses went a-calling, and he called for several hours;

Ulysses went a-waltzing, and Delilah helped him dance —

Ulysses let the waltzes go, and waited for his chance.

The summer sun was setting, and the summer air was still,

The couple went a-walking in the shade of Summer Hill.

The wasteful sunset faded out in Turkish-green and gold,

Ulysses pleaded softly, and — that bad Delilah told!

Next morn, a startled Empire learnt the all-important news;

Next week, the Aged Councillor was shaking in his shoes.

Next month, I met Delilah and she did not show the least

Hesitation in affirming that Ulysses was a “beast.”

We have another Viceroy now, those days are dead and done —

Of Delilah Aberyswith and most mean Ulysses Gunne!