The event that was to transform life occurred on a January rooming in 1845, In the August. of the previous year she had published two volumes of verse. Their pub-Hieation had evoked many pleasant letters, but none more pleasant than the one that began:—
1 love. your. verses with all, my hearty dead Sis harrettand thi Hor was signed.
"Yours wvifully, Robert Browning. hawbeth was already familiar with Browning's poetry, which she valued very highly, and she naturally appreciated $0 unexpected a com-letter from such a hand!" were the words with which she replied to him.
The Lovers Meet Many more letters from the same hand were to follow. But it was not until the late spring of the following year that the two poets were to meet. On May 16 we find her explaining to Browning that she "cannot widmit visitors in a general way" but that he may come, if he cares to.
The acquaintanceship thus formed quickly ripened into love. Browning on his side proved an ardent wooer, and Elizabeth soon found it necessary to impose some restraint upon his exuberance, She had not, at that time, it would seem, the courage to follow the dictates of her heart, and it is possible that she still feared risking parental displeasure. At length, however, the hour of surrender came.
Browning writes a letter suggest ing marriage in unmistakable terms, "You have touched me," she writes, "more profoundly than even you can have touched me—my heart was fall when you came here to-day. Henceforth T am yours for everything except to do you harm."
An Elopement The arrangements for the marriage were conducted the, utmost secrecy. In the meanwhile Browning was doing his utmost to force Elizabeth from the strangalating influences of the house in Wim-pole Street. He encouraged her to go out—it was the first step on the road to her recovery. She was still beset by fears and scruples, but the patience and determination of her lover finally broke down every. intervening obstacle,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.