Arden: 
        A banner in the wind! and me you lead,
        And shall!  At least, I follow till I win.

Astraea: 
        Forbear, I do beseech you.

Arden: 
               I have had
        Your hand in mine.

Astraea: 
        Once.

Arden: 
               Once! 
        Once! ’twas; once, was the heart alive,
        Leaping to break the ice.  Oh! once, was aye
        That laughed at frosty May like spring’s return. 
        Say you are terrorized:  you dare not melt. 
        You like me; you might love me; but to dare,
        Tasks more than courage.  Veneration, friends,
        Self-worship, which is often self-distrust,
        Bar the good way to you, and make a dream
        A fortress and a prison.

Astraea: 
               Changed! you have changed
        Indeed.  When you so boldly seized my hand
        It seemed a boyish freak, done boyishly. 
        I wondered at Professor Spiral’s choice
        Of you for an example, and our hope. 
        Now you grow dangerous.  You must have thought,
        And some things true you speak-save ‘terrorized.’ 
        It may be flattering to sweet self-love
        To deem me terrorized.—­’Tis my own soul,
        My heart, my mind, all that I hold most sacred,
        Not fear of others, bids me walk aloof. 
        Who terrorizes me?  Who could?  Friends?  Never! 
        The world? as little.  Terrorized!

Arden: 
               Forgive me.

Astraea: 
        I might reply, Respect me.  If I loved,
        If I could be so faithless as to love,
        Think you I would not rather noise abroad
        My shame for penitence than let friends dwell
        Deluded by an image of one vowed
        To superhuman, who the common mock
        Of things too human has at heart become.

Arden: 
        You would declare your love?

Astraea: 
               I said, my shame. 
        The woman that’s the widow is ensnared,
        Caught in the toils! away with widows!—­Oh! 
        I hear men shouting it.

Arden: 
        But shame there’s none
        For me in loving:  therefore I may take
        Your friends to witness? tell them that my pride
        Is in the love of you?

Astraea: 
               ’Twill soon bring
        The silence that should be between us two,
        And sooner give me peace.

Arden: 
        And you consent?

Astraea: 
        For the sake of peace and silence I consent,
        You should be warned that you will cruelly
        Disturb them.  But ’tis best.  You should be warned
        Your pleading will be hopeless.  But ’tis best.