After the departure of Florizel and Perdita, the shepherd’s son,
seeing the despair of the old man because of the disgrace he had
fallen into, counselled him to go and tell the King that Perdita was
no daughter of his.
“There is no other way but to tell the King she is a changeling, and
none of your flesh and blood,” he declared. “She being none of your
flesh and blood, your flesh and blood has not offended the King, and
so your flesh and blood is not to be punished by him. Show those
things you found about her, those secret things, all but what she has
with her. This being done, let the law go whistle, I warrant you.”
“I will tell the King all, every word,” said the timorous old man.
“Yea, and his son’s pranks, too, who, I may say, is no honest man,
neither to his father nor to me, to go about to make me the King’s
brother-in-law.”
The worthy rustics at once put their intention into practice, and
hearing that the King had already left the palace in pursuit of his
son, they followed him to the seaside, to deliver over the things
which had been found with the deserted infant.
* * * * *
Since the death of Hermione, Leontes had lived a life of penance and
gravity, devoting himself to the memory of his lost wife and son.
Some of his councillors would fain have persuaded the King to marry
again, but the impetuous lady, Paulina, faithful to her deeply-wronged
mistress, declared that there was no lady living that could be
compared with her, or was fit to take her position as Queen. Paulina
reminded Leontes also of the words of the Oracle, which had said that
there would be no heir to the throne until that which was lost was
found.
Leontes, who was much more tractable than of old, and who knew now how
to value the unflinching honesty of this outspoken lady, replied that
he would never marry again until Paulina herself bade him do so.
“That shall be when your first Queen breathes again--never till then,”
said Paulina. And matters were in this state when Florizel and Perdita
reached Sicilia.
The young pair received the warmest welcome from Leontes, but closely
following their arrival came a messenger from Polixenes, begging
Leontes to seize hold of the Prince, who, casting off both his
dignity and duty, had fled from his father, and from his hopes, with
a shepherd’s daughter. Polixenes himself had arrived in Sicilia,
bringing with him the old shepherd, the seeming father of Perdita.
But the momentary cloud was soon dispelled, and great and unexpected
joy filled the whole country. The things which the aged shepherd had
taken to Polixenes furnished full proof that the rescued little babe
was no other than the long-lost daughter of Leontes. The mantle of
Queen Hermione; her jewel on the neck of it; letters of Antigonus
found with it, which they knew to be in his handwriting; the majesty
of Perdita herself, which so closely resembled her mother; the
nobility of her bearing, which nature showed was above her breeding,
and many other evidences, proclaimed her with all certainty to be the
King’s daughter.
All was now rejoicing. Bonfires were lighted, and crowds ran about the
streets, gossiping over the news, and wondering at all the strange
things that were taking place. The meeting of the two Kings, it was
reported, was a sight never to be forgotten--such a weeping for joy,
casting up of eyes, and holding up of hands. Leontes, overcome with
rapture at finding his daughter again, one moment embraced her, the
next cried, “O, thy mother, thy mother!” Then he asked forgiveness
of Polixenes; then embraced his son-in-law; once more flung his arms
round his daughter; now thanked the old shepherd, who stood by like a
weather-beaten relic of many Kings’ reigns.
So with Paulina, joy and sorrow strove for utterance at the sight of
the young Princess. One moment she wept for the loss of her husband,
whom the shepherd’s son had seen killed by the bear, the next she was
filled with rapture that the oracle was fulfilled. She lifted the
Princess from the ground, and so locked her in an embrace, as if she
would pin her to her heart that she might no more be in danger of
losing her.
The Princess was told of her mother’s death, with the manner how
she came by it, bravely confessed and lamented by the King himself.
Hearing that there was a wonderful statue of the Queen, which had
taken many years to make, and which was just completed, and in the
keeping of Paulina, Perdita was most desirous to see it, and thither
the royal party and all their company of lords and ladies now went.
On arriving at Paulina’s house, Leontes looked all about for the
statue, but though Paulina led them through a gallery rich with many
rare and beautiful objects, they did not see there what Perdita had
come to look upon--the statue of her mother. At last they reached the
chapel, and Leontes ventured to remind Paulina of the object of their
visit.
“As she lived peerless,” replied Paulina, “so her dead likeness, I
do well believe, excels whatever yet you looked upon, or hand of man
hath done; therefore I keep it lonely, apart. But here it is; prepare
to see the life as vividly mocked as ever still sleep mocked death;
behold, and say ’tis well!”
Paulina drew back a curtain, and there, beautiful and motionless
before their eyes, stood the majestic image of the dead Queen.
For a moment they stood mute and breathless, gazing in amazement,
for surely artist’s cunning had never wrought so wonderful a
representation of life.
“I like your silence,” said Paulina; “it the more shows off your
wonder. But yet, speak. First you, my liege; comes it not something
near?”
“Her natural posture!” murmured Leontes. “Chide me, dear stone, that I
may say indeed thou art Hermione; or, rather, thou art she in thy not
chiding, for she was as tender as infancy and grace. But yet, Paulina,
Hermione was not so much wrinkled, nothing so aged, as this seems.”
“O, not by much,” said Polixenes.
[Illustration: “O, thus she stood ... when first I wooed her!”]
“So much the more our carver’s excellence,” said Paulina, “which lets
go by some sixteen years, and makes her as if she lived now.”
“As now she might have done,” sighed Leontes. “O, thus she stood, even
with such life of majesty, warm life, as now it coldly stands, when
first I wooed her!”
“Give me leave,” said Perdita, “and do not say ’tis superstition that
I kneel and then implore her blessing. Lady, dear Queen, that ended
when I but began, give me that hand of yours to kiss.”
“O, patience!” said Paulina. “The statue is but newly fixed; the
colour is not dry.”
She made a movement to draw the curtain, saying that if they looked
much longer they would presently think the statue moved. But Leontes
implored her to let him gaze at it longer, for the more he did so,
the more lifelike it appeared; it seemed to breathe; there was light
in the eyes; it recalled to him all his love and sorrow for the lost
Hermione.
“Let no man mock me,” he said, “for I will kiss it.”
Paulina begged him to forbear, and again offered to draw the curtain,
and again he prevented her.
“Either forbear, and at once leave the chapel, or prepare for further
amazement,” said Paulina. “If you can behold it, I’ll make the statue
move indeed, descend, and take you by the hand. But then you’ll
think--which I protest against--I am assisted by wicked powers.”
“What you can make her do, I am content to look on,” said Leontes;
“what to speak, I am content to hear; for it is as easy to make her
speak as move.”
Then Paulina bade music sound, and as the soft strains floated
through the chapel, the statue of Hermione stirred, stepped down from
its place, and took Leontes by the hand.
Yes, it was indeed Hermione, living and breathing, as she had parted
from her husband sixteen years ago. His long sorrow and penance
were over; henceforth he would live in tenderest affection with his
deeply-cherished wife.
The faithful Paulina was not left to spend her latter years in
loneliness. Antigonus was dead, but Leontes reminded her that as she
had found a second wife for him, so he would find a second husband for
her.
“I’ll not seek far,” he said, “to find thee an honourable husband, for
I partly know his mind. Come, Camillo, and take by the hand this lady,
whose worth and honesty are richly noted and here proclaimed by us, a
pair of Kings.”