The candle in the window burned down to the socket Sputtered, a flared a moment And went out unobserved For the woman slept and dreamed In her dreams, she sat beside the cradle of a second child The first one was dead The father was dead The home in the forest was lost and the dwelling in which she lived was unfamiliar Lifting her eyes she saw two bright objects Starring the darkness with a reddish green glow For these were the eyes of a panther The beast was at the open window directly opposite and not five paces away Nothing but those terrible eyes was visible But in the dreadful tumult of her feelings, as the situation disclosed itself to her understanding She somehow knew that the animal was standing on its hinder feet Supporting itself with its paws on the window ledge That signified a maligned interest Not the mere gratification of an indolent curiosity