in perfect safety, when the treacherous Leuwenhock,--he was the
magician,--caught me dexterously with his fingers, and placed me in his
microscope. Notwithstanding it was night, and he was obliged to use a
lamp, he was by far too practiced an observer, and too great an adept,
not immediately to recognise in me the Master Flea. Delighted that a
lucky chance had delivered into his hands such an important prisoner,
and resolved to draw every possible advantage from it, he flung poor me
into chains, and thus began a painful imprisonment, from which I was
yesterday freed by you. The possession of me gave the abominable
Leuwenhock full power over my vassals, whom he soon collected in swarms
about him, and with barbarian cruelty introduced amongst us that which
is called education, and which soon robbed us of all freedom, of all
enjoyment of life. In regard to scholastic studies, and the arts and
sciences in general, Leuwenhock soon discovered, to his surprise and
vexation, that we knew more than himself; the higher cultivation which
he forced upon us consisted chiefly in this:--that we were to be
something, or at least represent something. But it was precisely this
being something, this representing something, that brought with it a
multitude of wants which we had never known before, and which were now
to be satisfied with the sweat of our brow. The barbarous Leuwenhock
converted us into statesmen, soldiers, professors, and I know not what
besides. All were obliged to wear the dress of their respective ranks,
and thus arose amongst us tailors, shoemakers, hairdressers,
blacksmiths, cutlers, and a multitude of other trades, only to satisfy
an useless and destructive luxury. The worst of it was, that Leuwenhock
had nothing else in view than his own advantage in showing us
cultivated people to men, and receiving money for it. Moreover our
cultivation was set down entirely to his account, and he got the praise
which belonged to us alone. Leuwenhock well knew that in losing me he
would also lose the dominion over my people; the more closely therefore
he drew the spell which bound me to him, and so much the harder was my
imprisonment. I thought with ardent desire on the beautiful Gamaheh,
and pondered on the means of getting tidings of her fate; but what the
acutest reason could not effect, the chance of the moment itself
brought about. The friend and associate of my magician, the old
Swammerdamm, had found the princess in the petal of a tulip, and this
discovery he imparted to his friend. By means, which, my good
Peregrine, I forbear detailing to you, as you do not understand much
about these matters, he succeeded in restoring Gamaheh to her natural
shape, and bringing her back to life. In the end, however, these very
wise persons proved as awkward ideots as the Genius, Thetel, and the
Thistle, Zeherit. In their eagerness they had forgotten the most
material point, and thus it happened that in the very same moment the
princess awoke to life, she was sinking back again into death. I
alone knew the cause; love to the fair one, which now flamed in my
breast stronger than ever, gave me a giant's strength; I burst my
chains--sprang with one mighty bound upon her shoulder--a single bite
sufficed to set the freezing blood in motion--she lived. But I must
tell you, Mr. Peregrine Tyss, that this bite must be repeated if the
princess is to continue blooming in youth and beauty; otherwise she
will dwindle away in a few months to a shrivelled little old woman. On
this account, as you must see, I am quite indispensable to her; and it
is only by the fear of losing me, that I can account for the black
ingratitude with which she repaid my love. Without more ado she
delivered me up to my tormentor, who flung me into heavier chains than
ever, but to his own destruction. In spite of all the vigilance of
Leuwenhock and Gamaheh, I at last succeeded, in an unguarded hour, in
escaping from my prison. Although the heavy boots, which I had no time
to pull off, hindered me considerably in my flight, yet I got safely to
the shop of the toyman, of whom you bought your ware; but it was not
long, before, to my infinite terror, Gamaheh entered the shop. I held
myself lost; you alone could save me: I gently whispered to you my
distress, and you were good enough to open a little box for me, into
which I quickly sprang, and in which you as quickly carried me off with
you. Gamaheh sought in vain for me, and it was not till much later that
she learnt how and whither I had fled.
"As soon as I was free, Leuwenhock lost all power over my people, who
immediately slipt away, and in mockery left the tyrant peppercorns,
fruitstones, and such like, in their clothes. Again, then, my hearty
thanks, kind, noble Mr. Peregrine, for the great benefit you have done
me, and which I know as well as any one how to estimate. Permit me, as
a free man, to remain a little time with you; I can be useful to you in
many important affairs of your life beyond what you may expect. To be
sure there might be danger if you should become enamoured of the fair
one,----"
"What do you say?" interrupted Peregrine; "what do you say, Master? I,
I enamoured!"
"Even so;" continued Master Flea: "think of my terror, of my anxiety,
when you entered yesterday with the princess in your arms, glowing
with passion, and she employing every seductive art--as she well knows
how--to persuade you to surrender me. Ah, then I perceived your
nobleness in its full extent, when you remained immoveable, dexterously
feigning as if you knew nothing of my being with you, as if you did not
even understand what the princess wanted."
"And that was precisely the truth of the matter," said Peregrine,
interrupting Master Flea anew. "You are attributing things as a merit
to me, of which I had not the slightest suspicion. In the shop where I
bought the toys, I neither saw you nor the fair damsel, who sought me
at the bookbinder's, and whom you are strangely pleased to call the
Princess Gamaheh. It was quite unknown to me, that amongst the boxes,
where I expected to find leaden soldiers, there was an empty one in
which you were lurking; and how could I possibly guess that you
were the prisoner whom the pretty child was requiring with such
impetuosity?--Don't be whimsical, Master Flea, and dream of things, of
which I had not the slightest conception."
"Ah," replied Master Flea, "you would dexterously avoid my thanks, kind
Mr. Peregrine; and this gives me, to my great consolation, a farther
lively proof of your noble way of thinking. Learn, generous man, that
all the efforts of Leuwenhock and Gamaheh to regain me are fruitless,
so long as you afford me your protection: you must voluntarily give me
up to my tormentors; all other means are to no purpose--Mr. Peregine
Tyss, you are in love!"
"Do not talk so!" exclaimed Peregrine. "Do not call by the name of love
a foolish momentary ebullition, which is already past."
Peregrine felt the colour rushing up into his cheeks and forehead, and
giving him the lie. He crept under the bed-clothes. Master Flea
continued:
"It is not to be wondered at if you were unable to resist the
surprising charms of the princess, especially as she employed many
dangerous arts to captivate you. Nor is the storm yet over. The
malicious little thing will put in practice many a trick to catch you
in her love-toils, as, indeed, every woman can, without exactly being a
Princess Gamaheh. She will try to get you so completely in her power,
that you shall only live for her and her wishes, and then--woe to me!
It will come to this question:--is your nobleness strong enough to
conquer your passion, or will you prefer yielding to Gamaheh's wishes,
and thus replunging into misery not only your little protege, but the
whole people whom you have released from a wretched slavery?--or,
again, will you resist the allurements of a treacherous creature, and
thus confirm my happiness and that of my subjects? Oh that you would
promise me the last!--that you _could_!----"
"Master," replied Peregrine, drawing the bed-clothes away from his
face,--"dear Master, you are right: nothing is more dangerous than the
temptations of women; they are all false, all malicious; they play with
us as cats with mice, and for our tenderest exertions we reap nothing
but contempt and mockery. Hence it is that formerly a cold deathlike
perspiration used to stand upon my brow as soon as any woman-creature
approached me, and I myself believe that there must be something
peculiar about the fair Alina, or Princess Gamaheh, as you will have
it, although, with my plain human reason, I do not comprehend all that
you are saying, but rather feel as if I were in some wild dream, or
reading the Thousand and One Nights. Be all this, however, as it may,
you have put yourself under my protection, dear Master, and nothing
shall persuade me to deliver you up to your enemies; as to the
seductive maiden, I will not see her again. This I promise solemnly,
and would give my hand upon it, had you one to receive it and return
the honourable pledge."
With this Peregrine stretched out his arm far upon the bed-clothes.
"Now," exclaimed the little Invisible,--"now I am quite consoled, quite
at ease. If I have no hand to offer you, at least permit me to prick
you in the right thumb, partly to testify my extreme satisfaction, and
partly to seal our bond of friendship more assuredly."
At the same moment Peregrine felt in the thumb of his right hand a
bite, which smarted so sensibly, as to prove it could have come only
from the first Master of all the fleas.
"You bite like a little devil!" cried Peregrine.
"Take it," replied Master Flea, "as a lively token of my honourable
intentions. But it is fit that I should offer to you, as a pledge of my
gratitude, a gift which belongs to the most extraordinary productions
of art. It is nothing else than a microscope, made by a very dexterous
optician of my people, while he was in Leuwenhock's service. The
instrument will appear somewhat small to you, for, in reality, it is
about a hundred and twenty times smaller than a grain of sand; but its
use will not allow of any peculiar greatness. It is this: I place the
glass in the pupil of your left eye, and this eye immediately becomes
microscopic. As I wish to surprise you with the effect of it, I will
say no more about it for the present, and will only entreat that I may
be permitted to perform the microscopic operation whenever I see that
it will do you any important service.--And now sleep well, Mr.
Peregrine; you have need of rest."
Peregrine, in reality, fell asleep, and did not awake till full
morning, when he heard the well-known scratching of old Alina's broom;
she was sweeping out the next room. A little child, who was conscious
of some mischief, could not tremble more at his mother's rod than Mr.
Peregrine trembled in the fear of the old woman's reproaches. At length
she came in with the coffee. Peregrine glanced at her through the
bed-curtains, which he had drawn close, and was not a little surprised
at the clear sunshine which overspread the old woman's face.
"Are you still asleep, my dear Mr. Tyss?" she asked in one of the
softest tones of which her voice was capable; and Peregrine, taking
courage, answered just as softly,
"No, my dear Alina: lay the breakfast upon the table; I will get up
directly."
But, when he did really rise, it seemed to him as if the sweet breath
of the creature, who had lain in his arms, was waving through the
chamber--he felt so strangely and so anxiously. He would have given all
the world to know what had become of the mystery of his passion; for,
like this mystery itself, the fair one had appeared and vanished.
While he was in vain endeavouring to drink his coffee and eat his
toast,--every morsel of which was bitter in his mouth,--Alina entered,
and busied herself about this and that, murmuring all the time to
herself--"Strange! incredible! What things one sees! Who would have
thought it?"
Peregrine, whose heart beat so strongly that he could bear it no
longer, asked, "What is so strange, dear Alina?"
"All manner of things! all manner of things!" replied the old woman,
laughing cunningly, while she went on with her occupation of setting
the rooms to rights. Peregrine's breast was ready to burst, and he
involuntarily exclaimed, in a tone of languishing pain,--"Ah! Alina!"
"Yes, Mr. Tyss, here I am; what are your commands?" replied Alina,
spreading herself out before Peregrine, as if in expectation of his
orders.
Peregrine stared at the copper face of the old woman, and all his fears
were lost in the disgust which filled him on the sudden. He asked in a
tolerably harsh tone,--
"What has become of the strange lady who was here yesterday evening?
Did you open the door for her? Did you look to a coach for her, as I
ordered? Was she taken home?"
"Open doors!" said the old woman with an abominable grin, which she
intended for a sly laugh--"Look to a coach! taken home!--There was no
need of all this:--the fair damsel is in the house, and won't leave the
house for the present."
Peregrine started up in joyful alarm; and she now proceeded to tell him
how, when the lady was leaping down the stairs in a way that almost
stunned her, Mr. Swammer stood below, at the door of his room, with an
immense branch-candlestick in his hand. The old gentleman, with a
profusion of bows, contrary to his usual custom, invited the lady into
his apartment, and she slipt in without any hesitation, and her host
locked and bolted the door.
The conduct of the misanthropic Swammer was too strange for Alina not
to listen at the door, and peep a little through the keyhole. She then
saw him standing in the middle of the room, and talking so wisely and
pathetically to the lady, that she herself had wept, though she had not
understood a single word, he having spoken in a foreign language. She
could not think otherwise than that the old gentleman had laboured to
bring her back to the paths of virtue, for his vehemence had gradually
increased, till the damsel at last sank upon her knees and kissed his
hand with great humility: she had even wept a little. Upon this he
lifted her up very kindly, kissed her forehead,--in doing which he was
forced to stoop terribly,--and then led her to an arm-chair. He next
busied himself in making a fire, brought some spices, and, as far as
she could perceive, began to mull some wine. Unluckily the old woman
had just then taken snuff, and sneezed aloud; upon which Swammer,
stretching out his arm to the door, exclaimed with a terrible voice,
that went through the marrow of her bones, "Away with thee, listening
Satan!"--She knew not how she had got off and into her bed; but in the
morning, upon opening her eyes, she fancied she saw a spectre; for
before her stood Mr. Swammer in a handsome sable-fur, with gold
buckles, his hat on his head, his stick in his hand.
"My good Mistress Alina," he said, "I must go out on important
business, and perhaps may not return for many hours. Take care,
therefore, that there is no noise on my floor, and that no one ventures
to enter my room. A lady of rank, and--I may tell you,--a very handsome
princess, has taken refuge with me. Long ago, at the court of her
father, I was her governor; therefore she has confidence in me, and I
must and will protect her against all evil machinations. I tell you
this, Mistress Alina, that you may show the lady the respect which
belongs to her rank. With Mr. Tyss's permission she will be waited on
by you, for which attendance you will be royally rewarded, provided you
are silent, and do not betray the princess' abode to any one." So
saying, Mr. Swammer had immediately gone off.
Peregrine now asked the old woman, if it did not seem strange that the
lady, whom he could swear he met at the bookbinder's, should be a
princess, seeking refuge with old Swammer? But she protested that she
believed his words rather than her own eyes, and was therefore of
opinion that all, which had happened at the bookbinder's or in the
chamber, was either a magical illusion, or that the terror and anxiety
of the flight had led the princess into so strange an adventure. For
the rest, she would soon learn all from the lady herself.
"But," objected Peregrine, in reality only to continue the conversation
about the lady, "but where is the suspicion, the evil opinion, you had
of her yesterday?"
"Ah," replied the old woman simpering, "that is all over. One need only
look at the dear creature to be convinced she is a princess, and as
beautiful withal as ever was princess. When Swammer had gone, I could
not help looking to see what she was about, and peeping a little
through the key-hole. There she lay stretched out upon the sofa, her
angel head leaning upon her hand, so that the raven locks poured
through the little white fingers, a beautiful sight! Her dress was of
silver tissue, through which the bosom and the arms were visible, and
on her feet she had golden slippers. One had fallen off, and showed
that she wore no stockings, so that the naked foot peeped forth from
under the garments. But, my good Mr. Tyss, she is no doubt still lying
on the sofa; and if you will take the trouble of peeping through the
key-hole----"
"What do you say?" interrupted Peregrine with vehemence; "what do you
say? Shall I expose myself to her seductive sight, which might urge me
into all manner of follies?"
"Courage, Peregrine! resist the temptation!" lisped a voice close
beside him, which he instantly recognised for that of Master Flea.
The old woman laughed mysteriously, and after a few minutes' silence
said,--"I will tell you the whole matter, as it seems to me. Whether
the strange lady be a princess or not, thus much is certain, that she
is of rank and rich, and that Mr. Swammer has taken up her cause
warmly, and must have been long acquainted with her. And why did she
run after you, dear Mr. Tyss? I say, because she is desperately in love
with you, and love makes people blind and mad, and leads even
princesses into the strangest and most inconsiderate follies. A gipsy
prophesied to your late mother that you would one day be happy in a
marriage when you least expected it. Now it is coming true."
And with this the old woman began again describing how beautiful the
lady looked. It may be easily supposed that Peregrine felt overwhelmed.
At last he broke out with, "Silence, I pray you, of such things. The
lady in love with me! How silly! how absurd!"
"Umph!" said the old woman; "if that were not the case she would not
have sighed so piteously, she would not have exclaimed so lamentably,
'no, my dear Peregrine, my sweet friend, you will not, you cannot be
cruel to me. I shall see you again, and enjoy all the happiness of
heaven.'--And our old Mr. Swammer! she has quite changed him. Did
I ever use to get any thing of him but a paltry sixpence for a
Christmas-box? And now he gave me this morning a crown, with such a
kind look--no common thing with him--as a douceur beforehand for my
services to the lady. There's something in it all. I'll lay you any
thing that in the end Mr. Swammer is her ambassador to you."
And again the old woman began to speak of the grace and loveliness of
the lady with an animation that sounded strange enough in the mouth of
a withered creature like herself, till Peregrine jumped up all fire and
fury, and cried out like a madman, "Be it as it will--down, down to the
key-hole!" In vain he was warned by Master Flea, who sate in the
neckcloth of the enamoured Peregrine, and had hid himself in a fold.
Peregrine did not hear his voice, and Master Flea learnt, what he ought
to have known long before, namely, that something may be done with the
most obstinate man, but not with a lover.
The lady did, indeed, lie on the sofa, just as the old woman had
described, and Peregrine found that no mortal language was adequate to
the expression of the heavenly charms which overspread the lovely
figure. Her dress, of real silver tissue, with strange embroidery, was
quite fantastic, and might do very well for the negligee of the
princess, Gamaheh, which she had perhaps worn in Famagusta, at the very
moment of her being kissed to death by the malicious Leech-Prince. At
all events it was so beautiful, and so exceedingly strange, that the
idea of it could never have come from the head of the most genial
theatrical tailor, nor have been conceived by the sublimest milliner.
"Yes, it is she! it is the Princess Gamaheh!" murmured Peregrine,
trembling with anxiety and pleasure. But when the fair one sighed,
"Peregrine! my Peregrine!" the full madness of the passion seized
him, and it was only an unnameable anxiety, robbing him of all
self-possession, that prevented him from breaking in the door, and
throwing himself at the feet of the angel.
The friendly reader knows already how it was with the fascinations, the
celestial beauty, of the little Doertje Elverdink. The editor, however,
may safely declare, that, after he too had peeped through the key-hole,
and seen the fair one in her fantastic dress of tissue, he can say
nothing more than that Doertje Elverdink was a very pretty little
puppet. But as no young man can possibly be in love, for the first
time, with any but an angel, without her equal on earth, it may be
allowed also to Mr. Peregrine Tyss to look upon Doertje Elverdink as
something celestial.
"Recollect yourself, my dear Mr. Tyss; think of your promise. You would
never see the seductive Gamaheh again, and now I could put the
microscopic glass into your eye, but without such help you must
perceive that the malicious creature has long observed you, and that
all she is doing is only deceit, to seduce you. Believe me, I mean it
well with you." So whispered Master Flea in the fold of his collar;
but, whatever doubts might arise in Mr. Peregrine's mind, he could not
tear himself away from the fascinating sight of the little one, who
knew well how to use the advantage of being supposed to fancy herself
alone; flinging herself into all manner of voluptuous attitudes, she
put the poor Peregrine quite beside himself.
He would most likely have been still fixed at the door, had it not been
for a loud ringing, and Alina's crying out that Swammer had returned.
Upon this he hurried up the stairs into his chamber, where he gave
himself up to his love-thoughts, but with these thoughts returned the
doubts which had been raised in his breast by the admonitions of Master
Flea. There was, indeed, a flea in his ear, and he fell into all manner
of disquieting meditations. He thought to himself, "Must I not believe
that this lovely creature is the Princess Gamaheh, the daughter of a
mighty king? But if this be the case, it is folly, madness, to aspire
to the possession of so exalted a personage. Then too she has begged
the surrender of a prisoner, on whom her life depends; and as this
exactly agrees with what Master Flea has said, I can hardly doubt that
all, which I would interpret into affection for me, is only a mean to
subject me to her will. And yet to leave her!--to lose her!--that is
hell! that is death!"
In these painful meditations he was disturbed by a modest knocking at
his door, and the person who entered was no other than his lodger. The
ancient Mr. Swammer, at other times a shrivelled, misanthropic,
grumbling man, seemed suddenly to have become twenty years younger. His
forehead was smooth, his eye animated, his mouth friendly: instead of
the odious black periwig he wore his natural silver hair; and in the
place of the dark gray upper-coat, he had on a sable, such as Aline had
before described him. With a cheerful and even friendly mien, by no
means usual with him, he came up to Peregrine, protesting, that he did
not wish to disturb his dear host in any occupation, but his duty as a
lodger required that he should the first thing in the morning inform
his landlord he had been under the necessity of giving refuge to a
helpless damsel, who sought to escape from the tyranny of a cruel
uncle, and would, therefore, pass some time in the house. For this he
needed the permission of his kind host, which he now requested.
Involuntarily Peregrine inquired who the lady was, without reflecting
that this in fact was the best question he could ask to get a clue to
the strange mystery.
"It is just and proper," replied Swammer, "that the landlord should
know whom he is lodging in his house. Learn then, my respected Mr.
Tyss, that the damsel, who has taken refuge with me, is no other than
the fair Hollandress, Doertje Elverdink, niece of the celebrated
Leuwenhock, who, as you know, gives here the wonderful microscopic
exhibitions. Leuwenhock was once my friend, but I must acknowledge that
he is a hard man, and uses my god-daughter cruelly. A violent affair,
which took place yesterday, compelled the maiden to flight, and it
seems natural enough that she should seek help and refuge with me."
"Doertje Elverdink!" said Peregrine, half
dreaming;--"Leuwenhock!--perhaps a descendant of the naturalist, Antony
Leuwenhock, who made the celebrated microscopes."
"That our Leuwenhock," replied Swammer, smiling, "is a descendant of
that celebrated man, I cannot exactly say, seeing that he is the
celebrated man himself; and it is a mere fable that he was buried about
two hundred years ago at Delft. Believe it, my dear Mr. Tyss, or else
you might doubt that I am the renowned Swammerdamm, although, for the
sake of shortness and that I may not have to answer the questions of
every curious blockhead, I call myself Swammer. Every one maintains
that I died in the year 1680, but you see, Mr. Tyss, that I stand
before you alive and hearty; and that _I_ am really _I_, I can prove
even to the dullest, from my Biblia Naturae. You believe me, my worthy
Mr. Tyss?"
"Since a short time--" said Mr. Tyss, in a tone that showed his mental
perplexity, "since a short time I have experienced so many wonders,
that I should be in perpetual doubt, if the whole had not been a
manifest subject of the senses. But now I believe every thing, however
wild and fantastic. It may be that you are the dead John Swammerdamm,
and, therefore, as a dead-alive, know more than other common men; but
as to the flight of Doertje Elverdink, or the Princess Gamaheh, or
however else the lady may be called, you are in a monstrous error. Hear
how the matter really happened."