One hand on Juan’s carelessly was thrown,
Quite by mistake—she thought it was her own;
Unconsciously she lean’d upon the other,
Which play’d within the tangles of her hair:
And to contend with thoughts she could not smother
She seem’d by the distraction of her air.
’Twas surely very wrong in Juan’s mother
To leave together this imprudent pair,
She who for many years had watch’d her son so—
I’m very certain mine would not have done so.
The hand which still held Juan’s, by degrees
Gently, but palpably confirm’d its grasp,
As if it said, ‘Detain me, if you please;’
Yet there’s no doubt she only meant to clasp
His fingers with a pure Platonic squeeze:
She would have shrunk as from a toad, or asp,
Had she imagined such a thing could rouse
A feeling dangerous to a prudent spouse.
I cannot know what Juan thought of this,
But what he did, is much what you would do;
His young lip thank’d it with a grateful kiss,
And then, abash’d at its own joy, withdrew
In deep despair, lest he had done amiss,—
Love is so very timid when ’tis new:
She blush’d, and frown’d not, but she strove to speak,
And held her tongue, her voice was grown so weak.
*Canto I, est. 109-112: la mano de Julia en la de Juan «quite by mistake» y el primer beso.*