“It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me. “_I_ was a child and _she_ was a child, In this kingdom by the sea; But we loved with a love that was more than love―― I and my Annabel Lee; With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven Coveted her and me. “And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsmen came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea. “The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Went envying her and me―― Yes!――that was the reason (as all men know In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. “But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we―― Of many far wiser than we―― And neither the angels in heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee: “For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling――my darling――my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea, In her tomb by the side of the sea.” I looked up at Katherine and saw that she was smiling. “It was written about this place,” I declared, “about just that strip of yellow sand and that blue sea.” “And about just this little boy,” said Katherine, stroking my hair back from my forehead. “Just this little boy,” I answered, narrowing my eyes under her touch, “whom you think such a very little boy indeed.” “Such a dear little boy,” murmured Katherine, lulling me with her voice, and all the time stroking my hair. “Is he dear?” I asked eagerly. “I think so.” “And you like him?” “I like him very much.” “How much? What do you like about him?” She laughed. “I like everything about him?” “But what?” “The way he is: the way he looks: the way he pouts when he is cross: the kind of things he says: the way he asks questions: even the way he hesitates before some letters, so that you can see what he is going to say in his eyes before he can get it out.” I was intensely happy. I leaned back my head, and Katherine’s dark blue eyes looked straight down into mine. I could see nothing but that clear dark blue which seemed to shut me out from the world, yet I knew she was smiling. Then she bent lower and her lips lightly touched my forehead.