Read "The Man with a Past" by Thomas Hardy online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
THERE was merry-making / When the first dart fell / As a heralding,- / Till grinned the fully bared thing, / And froze like a spell- / Like a spell.
Innocent was she, / Innocent was I, / Too simple we! / Before us we did not see, / Nearing, aught wry- / Aught wry!
I can tell it not now, / It was long ago; / And such things cow; / But that is why and how / Two lives were so- / Were so.
Yes, the years matured, / And the blows were three / That time ensured / On her, which she dumbly endured; / And one on me- / One on me.