On the third morning after our visit to the school of the ninyetas, the
prætor and the tribune teachers with Correliana and her mother called at
the quarters of the corps, to escort M. Hollydorf to the prætorial
colonnades, as the husband elect of Luocuratia, for the fulfillment of
his probationary term. After receiving the congratulations of adoption
from the Heracleans, all joined in the matin song of thanksgiving in the
lower fora. While the prætor and his wife were absent, aiding Luocuratia
in her valedictory salutations, M. Hollydorf was entertained by
Correliana and the Doschessa. In order that he might perfectly
understand the premeditated process of transfer, and security achieved,
Correliana stated: “The Dosch had auramentally learned your
determination to make Heraclea your home three months ago, and suggested
the apt adoption of your peculiarities to her disposition; but until
convinced of your constancy to our customs he advised the course we have
pursued. The result of your trial has proved of happier import than we
anticipated, as well as of Luocuratia’s ready infilmentary adaptation
for the unity of impression; but now you can rest assured that her
thoughts have already become interwoven in desire with your own, so that
your example will be held paramount to ours. After the bewildering maze
your presence caused was dispelled, her thoughts were directed for the
shadowy investment of your image with her own as a prelude for more
perfect realization, with a success which imparted a trust free from
doubt or fear in question of its fulfillment; in this mood I left her,
promising to visit her in the evening. In keeping with my appointment, I
found her awaiting my coming in the garden, in full confidence that,
with my aid, whatever there might be of mystery to her veiled
comprehension would be cleared for her perception’s perfect
understanding. With an endearing caress, fluttering with the timidity of
a newborn joy, her eyes drooping in tremulous expectation, were filled
to fullness with happy anticipations, as she leaned her head upon my
shoulder, invoking with attentive silence my aid for the full
interpretation of her waking vision. That she might taste the cup of my
own realized joy, without tantalizing prelude, I rehearsed your confided
doubts and fears as the counterpart of her own, the while encircling her
waist with my arm, in support of her head’s nestling repose, that the
body’s medium of a sister’s affection might more fully open to her the
gates of revelation; then to the trama of her love I interwove, through
the shuttled impulses of her ear, the vibrating threads of your
affection, until they became involved with the stamina of your stronger
nature; then the rustling sigh of relief bespoke the double investment
complete in the unity of confiding reciprocation. This accomplished,
inasmuch as the agency of my influence could represent the responsive
source of sexual alliance, for the embodiment of affection, she became
so deeply absorbed with sweet meditative reflection that she was
unconscious of my departure. This ingraft of affection, in surety so
propitious, should engender solicitude, on your part, in behalf of your
race; for enjoyment ever lacks full maturity, when we feel that there
are others with the prestige of purity and goodness, who are denied our
privilege from the want of kindly direction.”
To which supplication, M. Hollydorf replied:—“Truly thankful for your
pleading consideration, however little my faults merit your lenity, I
must ask your continued forbearance; as you can scarcely imagine from
the purity of your associations, the depth of insincerity that must ever
oppress and haunt me with the bitterness of reflection for my
unworthiness, in accepting the boon of an alliance that so far exceeds
my present capacity for just appreciation. But if the neglected germ of
good intention, brambled by evil example, can be redeemed to offer an
equivalent worthy of your acceptance, it shall be my constant study to
withhold your memory from the past, which is beyond the reach of
extenuation, by the integrity of an exampled affection.”
_Correliana._ “That you may feel to the full extent the confidence
bestowed with Luocuratia, my father has left his written salutation for
presentation, which with your permission, I will read, that it may
convey to you the living warmth of a personal address.
* * * * *
“‘To M. HOLLYDORF, _Director of the Heraclean Deliverers_:—
“_Carrissimus_, acting upon the information received with advice from
the Dosch and his advisers, and your own confidence imparted to my step-
daughter, Correliana Adinope, affording verification of our own
observations, that there exists a unity of attachment between you and
her twin sister Luocuratia, we offer you with unspeakable gladness our
joyful congratulations, with the sum of our united affection. In
bestowing our fullest sanction, we are truly happy in being able to
contribute, from our Heraclean resources, the means of perfecting our
ties of grateful reciprocation, and rejoice that we have achieved the
privilege of calling you by the endearing name of son, as you were in
anticipation wedded to our affection. In accepting our daughter for the
cultivation and solace of mutual affection, you will have our assurance
of her enduring devotion, which no mischance can abate; for with her the
animus of goodness exceeds in thoughtful intention the power of
expression. In her affection you will find an allied support all-
sufficient for happy sustenance, and in its overplus an index of the
homage outflowing in reciprocation from every Heraclean. In conformity
with the happy experience of our ancestors, we herewith, in addition to
our verbal invitation, proffer the formality of script, with the desire
that you will become a member of our household, in domiciliation, during
the three months allotted for probationary exemplification of
congeniality in habits necessary for unity in affectionate
reciprocation. Luocuratia will return to gladden our colonnades at the
approach of noontide, then with your presence our joy will overflow in
thanksgiving to the Source of direction, that devised the achievement of
our deliverance through your instrumentality.
ADESTUS.”
Correliana, while reading her father’s script welcome, watched with keen
interest its effect, and was recompensed to an extent exceeding her
expectations, by the warmth made manifest from the grateful emotions of
the respondent. Fully satisfied with his relief from the sensitive
reproaches of his disposition, for thoughtful diversion from his waiting
suspense, she appealed to the Doschessa for encouragement in behalf of
her meditated mission for the colonistic establishment of schools for
the educational intuition of self-legislation, among the civilized Giga
races. “Have you, in your auramental experience, which enables you to
reach and advise the thoughts of Giga women, found them all so abjectly
subservient to the trammels of society and its fashionable tyrannies?”
_Doschessa._ “The exceptions are simply modified, all worship at the
same shrine of thoughtless fatuity, with a heedless tendency for the
utter extinction of purity and goodness.”
_Correliana._ “Alieu, woe is with our hopes, if to such a depth of
desecration the animus of purity has befallen with our sex! Surely, she
must still retain the germ of her affectionate inheritance; and with the
lead of our example it must revive with the nourishing warmth of a
mother’s love.”
_Doschessa._ “In truth, we have never failed to discover in women, when
free from the actual vices of corruption, the latent spark of goodness
that with exampled cultivation may be revived for truthful
reciprocation. Dependent as we have been upon auramentation for the
invocation of purity in thought, the impressions are as transient as the
conjurations of a dream, which give place to the more tangible waking
visions of sense. If the current of their superficial conversation could
be stayed, for the silent inception of thought, your mission would be
rendered easy. Perhaps the irresistible impression of your own and
companion’s beauty, will surprise from envious covetousness sufficient
thought for the detection of an inceptive source, with the desire for
its privileged bequeathment to their children? For often in selfish
lamentation we have heard Giga women supplicate in prayer for the
abatement of their own scandalous dispositions. One of their formulistic
invocations to the ‘throne of grace,’ offered as an oblation for the
“contrite heart,” I will repeat:—
“‘Purge from me hypocrisy, ere I from life depart,
And all deceptions, that belong to the lying art.
Then purify love, from thoughts of material sense,
And make me feel that goodness responds to future tense.’”
This accusative conviction is by no means rare, and the purity of your
personal appearance, in consonance with exampled goodness, might attract
thoughtful consideration from its contrast to the degrading attrition of
selfishness subject to the material influence of gold. Your example
might lead them in train to adopt our dress, which is light and
‘elegant,’ subserving all the requirements of bodily freedom, and purity
in protection; if so fortunate you would remove the embargo of
oppression from their bodies, and the curse of talkative frivolity from
their tongues.”
Here the Doschessa was interrupted by the sound of light footsteps,
quickly followed by the voices and presence of Cleorita and Oviata, who
with an escort of Kyronese maidens came bounding into the triclinium
with the joyful announcement, “He’s coming!” Pale and breathless,
Correliana, without waiting for farther words of explanation, sped
forth, her feet with dainty touch kissing the earth with gladness,
passing with the swiftness of an arrow in its flight those already
hastening down the avenue of the latifundium, apprised of the near
approach of Captain Greenwood. First, she passed Mr. Welson and Dr.
Baāhar, then with graceful ease Mr. Dow, whose lank form and longer
strides had distanced his associates; even the mayorong, inured to an
active mountain life, and long journeys on foot, now fledged with the
grateful remembrance of his people’s preservation, was left behind. Then
as Captain Greenwood, urging his mule to its utmost speed, caught her
view as he entered the cinctus gate, the earth seemed to respond with
elasticity to the touch of her feet, and before he could dismount from
his quadrupedal conveyance, he was clasped in the frank embrace of her
arms, and had received her kiss of welcome, while her face, eloquent
with smiles and tears of joy, became radiant with beauty in contentful
expression. Her hushed silence, from the fullness of happy enjoyment,
was aroused from selfish indulgence, by the salutation of her father to
his already adopted step-son. Still in half embrace, as if loth to
relinquish the body temple animated with the shrine of her devotion, she
was not forgetful of the affectionate relation she held foreign to self.
Her parents and sister, who had followed with equal steps, but had held
anxious desire aloof, until the fullness of her first emotions of
gladness had subsided, were first made known to each other with
affectionate designations, newly fledged from the English idiom. In turn
the captain received embraces of welcome from each, which unloosed his
tongue from its accustomed reticent caution, Correliana’s still
encircling arm causing the grateful current of speech to flow in accord
with her own emotions.
The family scene closed, M. Hollydorf, in freedom from rival jealousy,
gave his cordial salutations of welcome, which were followed by the
other members of the corps. Then the Heracleans and Kyronese claimed the
privilege of expressing their affectionate gratulations. The mayorong,
distrustful of his power for expressing the reverential emotions of his
gratitude, for the deliverance of his people from their extreme peril,
although second to the prætor’s family, in greeting with his presence
the captain’s entrance, had allowed all the precedence. Approaching the
captain, when beckoned by the prætor, hereditary impulse inclined him to
prostration, but the humiliating act was arrested by an energetic
embrace which relieved him from his embarrassment. While the prætor was
gratefully presenting the Betongese for the captain’s kindred
recognition, attention was attracted by the musical call of children
from his incoming train. Mr. Welson, recognizing the voices that were
making the name, Don Guillermo’s, melodious, on approaching, in quick
transition, found his neck enwreathed with the arms of his little
favorites, Lavoca and Lovieta, whose eager curiosity, after bestowing
their kisses of welcome, inquiringly asked, in whispered accents, who
the angel was that embraced the captain, and the other, and others?
Supporting with his arms, their bodies pendent from his neck, Mr. Welson
carried the children to Correliana and Luocuratia, “and the others,” to
receive from their lips the much coveted welcome; which was given with
such loving zest, that sweet surprise made dewy their jetty eyes, while
their cheeks glowed through the olive tint, embrowned from exposure,
with an exquisite blending that enhanced their rare infantile beauty. As
all the Heracleans and Kyronese matrons and maidens claimed the
privilege of surprised affection, in bestowing the salutation of
welcome, it was long before they were restored again to the full
possession of Don Guillermo, and then were so mazed with delightful
impressions, and wondering gladness, that they were unable to give
heedful answers to his inquiries. At length, after an apologetic round
of besitos beneath his grizzled moustache, which caused him, laughingly,
to utter the interjectional expostulation “bas-tan-te,” they in rambling
relation commenced the rehearsal of events which led to their transfer
from parental care and their natural home.
Observing his inquiring gaze directed to a young woman, whose eyes were
occupied with curious admiration in following the changing variations in
the scene enactment from the loving outflow of affection evoked by the
captain’s advent, Lovieta and Lavoca exclaimed with united voices, “Oh,
that’s Annette, our governante, we love her very much.”
Then with childlike simplicity, peculiar to Spanish infantas, they
informed him that she was a nice beautiful teacher of music, and
everything else, and Captain Greenwood’s sister, but not in the regular
way, although they were very fond of each other. “Father loves them very
much, and when the captain told him he was coming to live here for good,
she said, that with his permission she would go wherever he went, and
make his home hers. This made him very glad. Then father seemed to be
sad with thinking, and then he loved us so much while shedding tears,
that when we could speak, we asked what made him so triste? He said, he
wanted them to take us to Heraclea that we might be educated so that we
would be always good, and could be present with him and mamma although
absent in body, which would keep them from feeling sad and lonely. But
we could see that mamma and he were very, very triste. This made us
sorry. So he talked to us of all you had written of the happiness of the
people here, because they were truly good and pure in their love toward
each other, without selfish concealments; then we were glad and wanted
to be with you. The mammatits you sent, who have been with us all the
way, told us all about the school, and how loving the children were
toward each other, which made them always very beautiful; but you, nor
they, didn’t tell us that there were angels here. Then they said that
there were no dolls here, for the larger nines helped to care for the
ninaquillas,—how very, very beautiful they are,—do they never grow old
and ugly here, so that they have to paint their faces, and scold like
grandma, because people don’t like them? Then, as we were a going to
say, mother don’t feel exactly safe with herself, and becomes fearful,
when grandma talks to her of her soul’s perdition, which we can’t well
understand, only that it’s padre Molinero’s doings. So she wanted us to
come here before we were too old to enter the school, that she and papa
might visit us and learn how to be truly affectionate without talking
too much; but we don’t see, now, how that can be; ay, ay, pobre mamma
and papa! But they said it was for our happiness that they wished to
send us, which we can now see. How beautiful, nice, and clean everything
looks! Is it always so? And papa said, that without us his home would be
desolate. Then mamma looked at him wild like, but so pitiable, and
choked so, then looked so sorrowful, that we hugged and kissed her and
whispered we wouldn’t go away and leave her; then she said, ‘Pedro?’
soft like, and papa took her in his arms, and we all cried together; but
so happy, it didn’t seem like crying, and couldn’t speak for ever so
long a time, but then we felt so content, when we thought so lovingly,
and said nothing. Then when mamma could speak, she said whisperingly and
softly, so that we could scarcely hear her for our crying, ‘Pedro, it is
better they should go, and I will try to make you feel that your house
and home are not desolate.’ Then he kissed her and we all cried again
for joy. But grandma made us feel so unpleasantly by saying that it was
as good as throwing our souls away to send us where there were no
priests and churches, we didn’t feel any sorrow when we bid her good-
bye. So we have come away from bad example to get souls that will make
us live as though we had no bodies, for we were very much afraid of
death. The mammatits said the Heracleans lived to make each other happy,
so that each one was loved by all the rest, and in caring for one they
cared for all the rest, so that there could be no grief and repentance
for wrong-doing, for all were good, and cared more for others than
themselves; and we can now see that you are all gladness, and were
sometimes so triste when you were with us. We love father a little more
than we do you, because you see we have always known him, and we haven’t
known you so long. But the gente pequenézas said you were so much
changed in disposition we should hardly know you; and to be sure, now
that we see you when you smile, we feel so glad; and sometimes, when you
lived with us, your smile made us feel sad, as though we’d rather you
would not.”
_Lavoca._ “Yes Lovieta, just think, didn’t his smile at home remind you
of the rose blossoms that look out from the old grated window of the
claustro San Jaun; which seemed for all the world as though they wished
to come out into the sunlight, but couldn’t, because they wouldn’t
confess it was sinful? But they say you never speak cross words here,
for in loving to do so much for others, without money, you have nothing
to scold for. You see we never told mamma all what the Manatitlans could
do to make us good, as they said the priests would persuade her mother
that we had dealings with the devil. Señor Arbitrator, the one that used
to talk with father most, told him all about the schools, and how you
live here. How queer it is that you can hear them talk when you listen
to what they say in your ear, and can scarcely see them on your hand,
let it be ever so clean, for they are very particular. Then their voices
are so very small and chirrupy. But father says, that they are louder in
proportion to size than the cicada’s. Mother was very loving and
cheerful after they came, but very much frightened; then we knew the
gentle pequenézas had talked to her. So you see that we are here with
Annette Pozzuoli, who has come to teach the Heracleans music, which you
said in your letter they are fond of, and we have heard the mammatits
chant their morning and evening songs of praise. Are you really and
truly glad to see us, now that you are so good! Oh dear, what queer
dresses, now that we see them! But how nice, sweet and clean they look!
How very, very, beautiful! Do you think that they will love us if we are
truly good?”
Mr. Welson, with the opportunity assured them that he was truly glad to
see them, as he was certain that they would be loved and happy, and he
was sure that mamma and papa would soon follow the lead of their
affection, and in Heraclea forget that they had ever been unhappy.
The prætor and family had listened unobserved to the prattling relation
of the diminutive maidens, and at its close bestowed upon them the much
coveted caresses, then placing them in charge of Cleorita and Oviata,
who could converse with them in their own language, they were subjected
to the rights of the Kyronese bath, which excited their wincing but
mirthful admiration; and their comfortable contentment was well assured
when they found themselves invested in Heraclean raiment, which
impressed them with the feeling of purified adoption.
After they had been placed in charge of the Kyronese maidens, the
assemblage moved up the avenue toward the city. Mr. Welson, who had
devoted himself to Annette, after his introduction by the children, was
pleased to learn in more direct language the events which had transpired
in Don Pedro’s family, from the period of her return from a visit in the
country, a few days subsequent to his departure on board of the
_Tortuga_. From the description she gave of the children’s thoughtful
endurance and self-dependence during the river voyage, and journey from
Amelcoy, it was evident that they had already entered upon their
novitiate under Manatitlan direction; for they expressed a decided
determination to take care of themselves for the relief of others, and
exhibited so many traits of prudential foresight that they were a help
rather than a burden. At the commencement of the voyage, she said, that
Captain Greenwood and herself had felt great solicitude for the
children, and was half inclined to look upon their exile as an
inexcusable act of indifference on the part of Don Pedro. “But on the
third day, when the poignancy of their grief had become consolable, they
immediately evinced a desire to relieve us from anxiety. With permission
and encouragement they took charge of their own clothes and personal
purity, submitting themselves to our inspection for approval and
direction; and have improved so much in foresight that we have found it
hard to excel them in neatness. As you have seen them this morning, they
have appeared throughout the journey, causing by their example a
constant desire for cleanly renovation on the part of the muleteers, who
were ashamed to appear in negligent garbs, of doubtful purity, to
subject themselves to the reproving contrast. If you remarked their
appearance, you must have observed that they are wonderfully clean and
tidy in their department, and have been unusually attentive in rendering
assistance to all, so that the trip has been one of unalloyed pleasure,
from the exampled influence of the children. When we started from
Amelcoy the captain took Lovieta before him on the saddle-bow, and I
took charge of Lavoca; but on the second day they insisted that they
could ride unsupported on the led mules, and their prudence had so
completely inspired our confidence that they were allowed to make the
trial, with such success that the mules on the fourth day exhibited such
a manifest preference, that jointly with the children they declared
their independence from the arrieros, and have since been recognized by
mules and muleteers as especial favorites.”