The Songs of Bilitis: II. Elegies At Mytilene: Mnasidika's Silence

MNASIDIKA'S SILENCE

All day she laughed and even mocked at me a little. She refused to obey me, in the presence of some strangers.

When we had come home again I affected not to speak to her, and when she threw her arms about my neck, saying: "Are you angry?" I said to her:

"Ah! you are no longer as you used to be, you are no longer like the first day. I do not recognize you any more, Mnasidika." She did not answer me.

But she put on all her jewels, the jewels that she had not worn for long, and even the blue-embroidered yellow robe she had not worn since the day of our first meeting.