Chapter II
The fairy appeared, and said:
"Four of the gifts remain. Choose once more; and oh, remember--
time is flying, and only one of them is precious."
The man considered long, then chose Love; and did not mark the tears
that rose in the fairy's eyes.
After many, many years the man sat by a coffin, in an empty home.
And he communed with himself, saying: "One by one they have gone
away and left me; and now she lies here, the dearest and the last.
Desolation after desolation has swept over me; for each hour
of happiness the treacherous trader, Love, as sold me I have paid
a thousand hours of grief. Out of my heart of hearts I curse him."
