No More Learning

They laughed together.
"Stark? " he inquired. "No matter for the proof. "
"Yes, Stark. And you? "
"I'm Stark. " He drew his passport.
"You know we might not be and still be cousins:
The town is full of Chases, Lowes, and Baileys,
All claiming some priority in Starkness.
My mother was a Lane, yet might have married
Anyone upon earth and still her children
Would have been Starks, and doubtless here to-day. "
"You riddle with your genealogy
Like a Viola. I don't follow you. "
"I only mean my mother was a Stark
Several times over, and by marrying father
No more than brought us back into the name. "
"One ought not to be thrown into confusion
By a plain statement of relationship,
But I own what you say makes my head spin.
You take my card--you seem so good at such things--
And see if you can reckon our cousinship.
Why not take seats here on the cellar wall
And dangle feet among the raspberry vines? "
"Under the shelter of the family tree. "
"Just so--that ought to be enough protection. "
"Not from the rain. I think it's going to rain. "
"It's raining. "
"No, it's misting; let's be fair.
Does the rain seem to you to cool the eyes? "
The situation was like this: the road
Bowed outward on the mountain half-way up,
And disappeared and ended not far off.
No one went home that way. The only house
Beyond where they were was a shattered seedpod.
And below roared a brook hidden in trees,
The sound of which was silence for the place.
This he sat listening to till she gave judgment.
"On father's side, it seems, we're--let me see----"
"Don't be too technical. --You have three cards. "
"Four cards, one yours, three mine, one for each branch
Of the Stark family I'm a member of.