| It was a frosty December, it wsn’t the season for fruits;
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| His father fell dead of heart disease while lacing up his boots.
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| It was a frosty December when into his grave he sank;
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| His uncle found Victor a post as a cashier in the Midlands Counties
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| bank.
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| It was a frosty December Victor was only eighteen.
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| But his figures were neat and his margins straight and his cuffs were
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| always clean.
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| He took a room at the Peveril, a respectableboarding-house: And Time
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| watched Victor day after day as a cat willwatch a mouse.
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| Victor went up to his bedroom, set the alarm bell;
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| Climbed into his bed, took his bible and read of happend to Jezebel.
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| It was the First of April, Anna to the Peveril came;
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| Her eyes, her lips, her breasts, her hips and her smile set men
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| aflame. |
| It was the Second of April, she was wearing a coat of fur;
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| Victor met her upon the stairs and fell in love with her.
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| The first time he made his proposal, she laughed, said:'I'll never
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| wed':
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| The second time there was a pause, then she shook her head. |
| Anna |
| looked at the mirror, pouted and gave a frown; |
| Said;'Victor's as dull
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| as a wet afternoon but I’ve got to settle down.'
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| The third time hemade his proposal, as they walked by the Reservoir,
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| She gave him a kiss like a blowon the head, said,'You are my heart’s
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| desire.'
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| They married early in August, she said;'Kiss me, you funny
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| boy':
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| Victor took her in his arms and said:'O my Helen of Troy.'
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| The clerks were talking of Anna, the door was just ajar:
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| One said:'Poor old Victor, but where ignorance is bliss, etcetera.'
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| Victor looked up at the sunset as he stood there all alone; |
| Cried:'Are
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| you in Heaven, Father ?', but the sky said’Address not known.'
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| Victor looked up at the mountains, the mountains all covered with
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| snow;
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| Cried:'Are you pleased with me, Father ?'and the answer came
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| back, No.
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| Victor came to the forest, cried:'Father, will she ever be true ?'
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| And the oaks and the beeches shook their heads and they
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| answered:'Not to you.'
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| Victor came to the meadow where the wind went
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| sweeping by: Cried:'O Father, I love her so,'but the wind said:'She |
| must die.'
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| Victor came to the river running so deep and so still;
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| Crying:'O Father, what shall I do ?'and the river answered:'Kill.'
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| Anna was sitting at table, drawing cards from a pack;
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| Anna was sitting at table waiting for her husband to come back.
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| Victor stood in the doorway, he didn’t utter a word;
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| She said:'What's the matter, darling ?'he behaved as if he hadn’t
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| heard.
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| There was a voice in his left ear, there was a voice in the
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| right,
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| There was a voice at the base of his skull saying:'She must die
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| tonight.'
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| Victor picked up a carving knife, his features were set and
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| drawn, Said;'Anna, it would have been better for you if you had not
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| been born.'
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| Anna jumped up from the table, Anna started to scream,
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| But Victor cam slowly after her like a horror in a dream.
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| She dodged behind the sofa, she tore down a curtain rod,
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| But Victor came slowly after her, said’Prepare to meet Thy God.'
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| He stood there above the body, he stood there holding the knife;
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| And the blood ran down the stairs and sang; |
| 'I am the Resurrection |
| and the Life.'
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| They tapped Victor on the shoulder, they took him away
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| in a van;
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| He sat as quiet as a lump of moss saying; |
| 'I am the Son of Man.'
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| Victor sat in a corner
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| Making a woman of clay.
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| Saying:'I am Alpha and Omega, I shall come
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| To judge the earth one day.' |