THE DAUGHTER OF HEAVEN
BY
PIERRE LOTI AND JUDITH GAUTIER
Translated by RUTH HELEN DAVIS
CONSTABLE & COMPANY LTD.
10, ORANGE STREET
LEICESTER SQUARE, W. C.
1913
Preface
Thoroughly to understand China, one must realize that it has for three
hundred years cherished in its heart a deep and continually bleeding
wound. When the country was conquered by the Manchus of Tartary, the
ancient dynasty of the Mings was forced to yield the throne to the Tzin
invaders, but the Chinese nation never ceased to mourn the ancient
dynasty nor to hope for its restoration. Revolution is therefore a
permanent thing in China--a fire which smoulders eternally, breaking
into flame in one province only to be smothered and blaze out again
presently in another.
No doubt the Yellow Empire is too immense to permit of complete
understanding among the revolutionaries, or of collective effort to
break off the Tartar yoke. Several times, nevertheless, the Chinese
race has been near to victory. When, some twenty years ago, certain
events, which Europe never really understood, brought about an upheaval
in China, the revolutionaries, victorious for a time, proclaimed at
Nang-King an emperor of Chinese blood and of the dynasty of the Mings.
His name was Ron-Tsin-Tse, which means: The Final Flowering, and by
the faithful his era was called Tai-Ping-Tien-Ko, which is as much as
to say: The Empire of the Great Celestial Peace. He reigned seventeen
years, concurrently with the Tartar Emperor at Pekin and almost within
the shadow of that city.
Later, the authorities forced a complete suppression of his history:
all records of it were confiscated and burned, and men were forbidden,
under penalty of death, even to utter his name. Here, however, is the
translation of a passage relating to him which occurs in a voluminous
report addressed by the Tartar general Tsen-Konan-Wei, to the Emperor
at Pekin:
"When the revolutionaries rose in the province of Chan-Tung (he
says) they possessed themselves of sixteen provinces and six hundred
cities. Their guilty chief and his criminal friends had become really
formidable. All their generals fortified themselves in the places they
had taken, and not until they had stood three years of siege were we
again Masters in Nang-King. At this time the rebel army numbered more
than two hundred thousand men, but not one of them would surrender.
The moment they perceived themselves lost they set fire to the palace
and burned themselves alive. Many of the women hanged or strangled
themselves, or threw themselves into the lakes in the gardens. However,
I succeeded in making one young woman prisoner, and pressed her to tell
me where the Emperor was. 'He is dead,' she replied; 'vanquished, he
poisoned himself.' But immediately the new Emperor was proclaimed in
the person of his son, Hon-Fo-Tsen. She led me to the old Emperor's
tomb, which I ordered broken open. In it was found in fact the
Emperor's body, enveloped in a shroud of yellow silk embroidered with
dragons. He was old, bald, and had a white mustache. I caused his body
to be burned and his ashes to be thrown to the winds. Our soldiers
destroyed all that remained within the walls: there were three days and
nights of killing and pillage. However, one troop of several thousands
of rebels, very well-armed, succeeded in escaping from the city,
dressed in the costumes of our dead, and it is to be feared that the
new Emperor was able to escape with them."
This Emperor, Hon-Fo-Tsen, who, in fact, did succeed in fleeing from
Nang-King, was looked upon by the real Chinese as their legitimate
sovereign, and his descendants in secret no doubt reigned after him
uninterruptedly.
Several years ago a very remarkable man, who seemed to incarnate in
himself the new China, dreamed of a pacific and genuine reconciliation
of the two inimical races. (He had many dreams indeed: one of them,
for instance, that of founding the United States of the World.) He
conceived the almost unrealizable project of converting to his ideas
the Emperor at Pekin himself and of securing his help to reform China
without the spilling of any blood. His name was Kan-You-Wey. To get
near the Emperor he opened a school at Pekin in 1889.
Many rumors, though very conflicting ones, were in circulation
concerning the personality of this invisible Emperor Kwang-Su, kept as
he was under strict guardianship, like a captive in the heart of his
palace and so unknown to everyone. Some versions declared him alert,
well-read, interested in modern things; others represented him as
feeble in body and spirit, given to excesses and incapable of action.
Kan-You-Wey would believe only in the favorable version: he knew
besides What the ministers of the Dowager Regent were worth, masters
with her of the Imperial power. He pitied the Imperial victim. His
whole heart turned toward his sovereign because he was unhappy. How
could he reach him in his quadrupled walls? How win the attention of
his melancholy idol? Kan-You-Wey ten times renewed his attempts, with
the zeal of an apostle, and succeeded finally, in 1898, thanks to one
of his disciples, in putting before the Emperor a memorial that he had
prepared for him.
Then the phantom-sovereign roused himself. Much struck with these
insurgent ideas, he wanted them explained to him in detail, and gave an
audience to the reformer. He surrendered at once to the influence of
this great spirit, made him his minister, intimate and confidant; and,
sustained by his counsel, achieved at last the control of his affairs.
It is at this moment of the reign of Kwang-Su that our play takes
place. The Emperor himself is the hero, and Kan-You-Wey figures in it
under the name of Fount-in-the-Forest.
Judith Gautier and Pierre Loti.
Act I--First Tableau.
The Gardens of the Palace at Nang-King.
Second Tableau.
The Throne Room of the Palace at Nang-King.
Act II--The Pavilion of the Empress.
Act III--Interior of the Imperial Citadel at Nang-King.
Act IV--First Tableau.
The Place of Execution at the Base of the Ramparts, Pekin.
Second Tableau
The Grand Throne Room in the Palace at Pekin.
DRAMATIS PERSONĂ
THE EMPEROR OF PEKING, a Tartar of the Tsing (Pure) Dynasty (aged 30)
FOUNT-IN-THE-FOREST, Councillor to the Tartar Emperor
ARROW-BEARER }
FAITHFUL PRINCE } Chinese dignitaries of the Court of Nanking
WINGED PRINCE }
THE SON OF SPRINGTIME, the little Chinese Emperor at Nanking
(aged seven or eight)
VEILED-LIGHT, the Empress's Councillor
CHIEF ASTROLOGER
A TARTAR GENERAL
POPLAR, A HIGH MANDARIN
ROCK }
FIR-SAPLING } Gardeners at the Nanking Palace
HUMPBACK }
STRONG-ARM }
TWO TARTAR SPIES
TWO TARTAR EXECUTIONERS
AN EUNUCH
THE DAUGHTER OF HEAVEN, Chinese Empress of the Ming (Bright) Dynasty
(aged twenty-four or twenty-five)
GOLDEN LOTUS }
CINNAMON } Ladies-in-waiting to the
TRANQUIL BEAUTY } Empress
PEARL }
GOVERNESS OF THE PALACE AT NANKING
GOVERNESS OF THE PALACE AT PEKING STREET
VENDORS OF SWEETMEATS AND FLOWERS AT PEKING
HIGH MANDARINS, COMMON PEOPLE, CHINESE AND TARTAR SOLDIERS
Time: China at the Present Day
ACT I
First Tableau
THE GARDEN OF THE PALACE AT NAN-KING.
_To the left, the pavilion of the
ladies-in-waiting, in front of which is a
flower-wreathed verandah, Through the trees
and the bushes in full bloom, roofs of yellow
earthenware, with upturned gable-ends and
decorated with monsters, can be seen. Great
twisted cedars, pools, rivulets, curved bridges
of marble and red lacquer. Preparations are on
foot for a fĂȘte. In the background servants
are setting up banners, lances, and emblems of
every shape. In the foreground, gardeners are
putting the garden in order and sweeping away
the rain of flowers which has fallen from the
trees. The sun is rising._
THE DAUGHTER OF HEAVEN
SCENE I
ROCK, FIR-SAPLING, STRONG-ARM, HUMPBACK, _gardeners. In the
distance a bell and a drum can be heard._
ROCK
[_Stopping his work and listening._] _Do you hear_ the
great bronze bell and the drum? Another Prince is passing
through the Gateway of State and making his entrance into
our Palace of Nanking.
FIR-SAPLING
Yes, I hear----but I would rather see.
STRONG-ARM
Beautiful sights are not for us to see.
ROCK
The great ceremonies do not need the gaze of such as us.
FIR-SAPLING
Yes! we know that. Our duty is to work on in
silence,--patiently to prepare the beauty of the festival
which is not for our eyes.
STRONG-ARM
Are you complaining?----Every creature must accept the
place in life which falls to its lot.
ROCK
That law governs all. There are some animals that are proud
and splendid, birds with magnificent plumage, and there are
also rats and horrible insects, which inspire loathing.
STRONG-ARM
Among trees there are kings, and among flowers princesses.
ROCK
And many poor plants have neither beauty nor perfume.
FIR-SAPLING
The rain refreshes them just the same, and the sun warms
them.
HUMPBACK
It sometimes happens that chance favours the most humble.
Listen to me. Though I was in no way to blame, I have
witnessed a sight which I was forbidden to see.
STRONG-ARM
You? You have witnessed such a sight?
FIR-SAPLING
What was it? Tell us.
HUMPBACK
Well, it was yesterday, after sundown. The other gardeners
had just gone away; I had not yet finished my task, but
remained to polish one of those great marble lions, at the
Gateway of State. I was working all unsuspicious, when
suddenly I heard the great drum and the clanging of the
bell, and I saw the watchers descend from their tower to
open the great gate. The guards and generals and ministers
were all running. I heard it said that the new arrival
was the most important of all the invited guests, the
Viceroy of the Southern Provinces. How could I make my
escape in the midst of all these wonderful personages? It
was impossible! I hid behind one of the huge paws of the
lion and made myself very small. No one took any notice of
me----and I saw, I saw through the pierced globe, you know,
which the lion holds in his clutch----.
FIR-SAPLING
You saw the Viceroy of the South enter with his retinue?----
HUMPBACK
Yes, I saw! Oh! such costumes of silk and gold! Such horses
shining with gems! Such banners! And some terrible faces,
too, some glances awful in their pride!----But when he
came, oh! then I understood that besides him all the others
counted for naught. He was pale, with a very weary air, on
a horse led by two attendants----His costume was simple,
but seemed richer than all the others----He was so imposing
that my heart would no longer beat in my breast, and it
seemed to me that if only he turned his unseeing eyes
towards me, I should drop dead.
FIR-SAPLING
Ah, was it like that? If one feels like that for no more
than a Viceroy, how would it be if one were gazed upon by
the Emperor himself?
HUMPBACK
But I assure you, no one who has not seen him can----
FIR-SAPLING
Hush! Hush! Here comes a Palace official.
SCENE II
ROCK, FIR-SAPLING, STRONG-ARM, HUMPBACK, ARROW-BEARER, a
Palace official.
ARROW-BEARER
So this is the way you do your work? You fritter away in
foolish chatter the few precious moments which are left.
HUMPBACK
The work will be finished, my Lord.
ARROW-BEARER
Will be finished! What, when I see the ground still strewn
with petals and dead flower----and here, of all places,
around the Pavilion of the Ladies-in-Waiting. [_Aside_]
where blooms that living flower whom I adore.
HUMPBACK
No sooner have we put all straight than the spiteful wind
shakes the branches and we have to begin all over again.
ARROW-BEARER
Remove them from the moss, at all events----Those faded
flowers look like so many stains.
SCENE III
ROCK, FIR-SAPLING, STRONG-ARM, HUMPBACK, ARROW-BEARER,
GOLDEN LOTUS, CINNAMON, PEARL, TRANQUIL BEAUTY--LADIES IN
WAITING.
_The ladies appear hesitatingly on the verandah of the
Pavilion._ GOLDEN LOTUS _advances and rests her elbows on
the balustrade._ ARROW-BEARER _gazes upon her with evident
emotion._
CINNAMON [_in a whisper_]
I thought I recognised the voice of my lord Arrow-Bearer.
TRANQUIL BEAUTY
Golden Lotus recognised it before you.
PEARL
That young man is always stealing about here.
TRANQUIL BEAUTY
We all know the reason.
CINNAMON
See, he greets our companion as if she were a Queen.
TRANQUIL BEAUTY
Is she not the Queen of his heart?
ARROW-BEARER
The breeze of spring time caresses me gently and
intoxicates me with the perfume of the lotus.
TRANQUIL BEAUTY
The allusion is evident.
CINNAMON
It is well known that The breeze of springtime signifies
love.
PEARL
And her name is Golden Lotus.
GOLDEN LOTUS [_to_ ARROW-BEARER]
My lord, I heard that you ordered the flowers to be
removed----Was I misinformed?
ARROW-BEARER
I dared to raise my voice to give that order----Can I have
displeased you?
GOLDEN LOTUS
Oh! no----But I desire to ask your indulgence for the
lovely dead flowers. Permit them to remain there as a
carpet at the foot of our pavilion. Though broken from
their stems, they are still beautiful and keep their
perfume.
ARROW-BEARER
What glory for me to obey you! I envy those flowers which
will be trod by your little feet.
[_He makes a sign for the gardeners to
withdraw._]
TRANQUIL BEAUTY [_Pulling at the sleeve of_ GOLDEN LOTUS]
Enough, Golden Lotus. It is not proper for us to listen to
such remarks.
ARROW-BEARER
Have you nothing more to say to me?
TRANQUIL BEAUTY
Let us go. Come, we must return to the Pavilion.
GOLDEN LOTUS [_to_ TRANQUIL BEAUTY]
No, stay a moment.
[_to_ ARROW-BEARER]
My lord, you know news travels slowly to the quarters of
the Ladies-in-Waiting, and my curiosity is eager on this
most solemn day, when our Empress is to restore the throne
of the bright dynasty of the Mings and to take on her
the regency of the Empire. At what precise hour will the
festival begin? Do you know the order of the ceremonies?
ARROW-BEARER
What great pleasure for me to be able to inform you. The
Criers Of the Minister of Rites proclaimed last night the
order of the ceremonies. I have taken note of what I heard.
[_He takes from his sleeve a small scroll_] I hope to write
several poems about this later. It is a date quite unique
in the annals of China.
GOLDEN LOTUS
Oh! read it to us, my lord.
[The young girls eagerly gather about
ARROW-BEARER.]
ARROW-BEARER [_reading_] On this holy day on which our
Empress, laying aside her mourning for her illustrious
Husband, is about to take up the power in the name Of Her
son, in defiance of that usurper who for three hundred
years has held all China under his yoke: An order to all
high Dignitaries of the Palace, to the Masters of the
Ceremonies, to the Grand Secretaries of State, to the
Ministers, Warriors, and Princes, to the Guardians of the
Imperial Seal! Let them hold themselves in readiness
before the last watch of night and gather together all
the precious objects which they have in their keeping
so as to place them, according to the due rites, on the
six golden tables in the Palace of Great Purity. Let the
Master-in-Chief of the Music place orchestras and singers
in the galleries and in the Throne-room. As soon as the
last watch shall have sounded, let the Astrologer go to
inform Her Majesty the Empress that the chosen hour has
come when she must repair to the Temple of her Ancestors
to offer the prescribed sacrifices to the August Shades.
Her Majesty will be attended only by the Princesses and Her
Ladies-in-Waiting.
TRANQUIL BEAUTY
By us!----Then let us return to the Pavilion, we must
prepare at once.
GOLDEN LOTUS
We shall be told when it is time.
ARROW-BEARER [_continuing to read_]
From the Temple of Ancestors to the Palace of Great Purity,
let all Dignitaries, Officers, Guards, Secretaries form
up in a line on either side of the road along which the
Empress will pass in a palanquin, ornamented with dragons
and phoenixes, to the foot of the staircase leading to the
throne-room, where the grand ceremony of investiture will
take place.
GOLDEN LOTUS
Will women be present at that?
ARROW-BEARER
Yes, the Princesses and the Ladies-in-Waiting will form the
retinue of the Empress and group themselves about her.
GOLDEN LOTUS
Ah! I was not sure----It was that particularly which I
wished to know.
ARROW-BEARER
The young Emperor will be close to the brave mother
who is to reign in his name. Reign, you know how!
Reign in mystery, in anguish, faced by insurmountable
difficulties----
GOLDEN LOTUS
How many hearts beat for Her, how many strong arms are
ready to defend Her!
TRANQUIL BEAUTY
Have all the invited guests arrived at the Palace?
ARROW-BEARER
I believe so. The most powerful of all, the Viceroy of the
South, has been lodged not far from here, in the Pavilion
of Limpid Fountains. If the bushes were not so leafy you
would be able to see the roof of his residence from your
Pavilion.
CINNAMON [_In a whisper_]
I should love to get a look at the Prince.
GOLDEN LOTUS
One question more, my Lord. Does not some new danger
threaten us? Dark rumours have reached us----Are our
reconquered Provinces well garrisoned?
ARROW-BEARER
Alas! even during the hours of joy, anxiety assails us.
Alas that, when the delicious perfume of a flower caresses
us, we must watch with dread the storm which is always
threatening on the horizon. The gazelle had a little
respite because the tiger was wounded. If he recovers, he
will immediately begin again the pursuit of his prey.
GOLDEN LOTUS
What is the meaning of that allusion?
ARROW-BEARER
That the Tartar Emperor, who reigns at Peking and considers
us, the dispossessed Chinese, as rebels, has just been
vanquished in the war which the dangerous Western
Barbarians made against him. With great difficulty he has
obtained peace, and he has not yet recovered from the
effects of his defeat.
GOLDEN LOTUS
Ah! yes, the rumor of that war came to us. But what was the
cause of it?
TRANQUIL BEAUTY
How politics interest her!
PEARL
Yes! when that young man is her teacher.
ARROW-BEARER
The cause of it was peculiar. A Prince, kinsman to the
Tartar usurper, conceived the foolish idea of mustering
an army of bandits to hurl upon the hated Christians in
the north of China. But the horde, once let loose, got
out of hand. It rushed against the barbarian strangers,
whose presence has for a long time been tolerated in the
neighbourhood of the Palace. Then the armies of the Western
nations came to sack Peking, whence the Tartar Emperor fled
with his entire Court.
GOLDEN LOTUS
Doubtless it is unhappy for us that the usurper has made
peace----
ARROW-BEARER
Who knows? Perhaps China might have fallen under a more
evil dominion still.
TRANQUIL BEAUTY
Is the lesson not finished yet?
GOLDEN LOTUS [_withdrawing_]
It is time, my lord, for us to prepare for the festival.
ARROW-BEARER
It is you who will beautify the setting.
GOLDEN LOTUS
Ah, do not make sport of me----until we meet again, my lord.
ARROW-BEARER
[_Seeing someone come from the right._]
Go into the house quickly! Your illustrious neighbour, the
Viceroy of the South, is walking in the garden and comes
this way.
TRANQUIL BEAUTY
[_Lowering a bamboo blind_]
If we could only see him through the blind!
ARROW-BEARER
Farewell! I must give place to a nobler visitor.
[_The young girls go in, and_ ARROW-BEARER
_hurries off._]
SCENE IV
_The_ TARTAR EMPEROR, _disguised as the Viceroy of the
South, with_ FOUNT-IN-THE-FOREST, _his minister._
FOUNT
I see no one----Your Majesty may come forward.
EMPEROR
Your Majesty! Do you wish to ruin me?
FOUNT
Oh! Sire.
EMPEROR
Again!
FOUNT
When we are alone, I cannot refrain----
EMPEROR
You must----Behind those blinds, probably spies are
watching us.
FOUNT
Eaves-droppers, rather. That is the Pavilion of
Ladies-in-Waiting.
EMPEROR
The Pavilion of the Ladies-in-Waiting----So there are also
Ladies-in-Waiting here? In very truth, it seems to me that
I am dreaming. Yet I knew what I came hither to find that
after three centuries of reign the Emperors of my dynasty
had never succeeded in subduing the secret resistance of
the conquered--I knew that. That in the Southern Provinces
the rebels had never yet bowed the head, aye, I knew that.
That Nanking was their capital and that here a descendant
of the Mings had even reigned. For more than seventeen
years before being crushed by our armies, of all that I
was aware----But I thought this phantom empire was more
mysterious, more hidden in the dark, and here I find a
palace as beautiful as mine, with guards, dignitaries,
ministers, a ceremonial regulated as at my own Court----Our
Empire is too large it seems, to be governed by one head
alone----I wished to see with my own eyes. I was prepared
for all surprises, yet this is beyond me.
[_He sits down on a bench under a tree in full
bloom._]
FOUNT
What is more surprising still is that you are here unknown
to all; here in the midst of your implacable enemies, and
clad in the fashion of three hundred years ago.
EMPEROR
It is a happy coincidence that this Viceroy of the South
whose place I have taken is of my build----What can he be
thinking of this adventure, in the ship where he is now
held a prisoner for me? What can he imagine, do you suppose?
FOUNT
Anything--except the truth.
EMPEROR
Yet if he should escape, would I not be lost indeed?
FOUNT
My heart feels as though in a vice. Are you not lost in any
case?
EMPEROR
Silence! After all, what have I to risk? My life? Under the
shadow of that throne from which they would banish me, is
not life an unending agony? With what crushing weight do
the slow hours fall upon me. Who can describe the horror
of that indolent stagnation, of that idle solitude? Oh!
the rage which consumes the soul, when one is the Master
and yet has no power! If I find death here, I shall be a
thousand times happier for having come. All my unhappy
existence down to the present has not been worth as much
to me as these last few days of flight and travel, this
rapture of escape, for a time, from that grey, silky web
wherein I am a prisoner. Oh! to work, to work in the
sunshine, to work like a man, to attempt some daring act,
which, if I die, will at least remain behind to honour my
memory.
FOUNT
You are wonderful, you are noble, you are fearless. But I,
who am as nothing, I have the right to tremble.
EMPEROR
It is you, however, who have awakened my spirit, who have
aroused it from its deadly torpor; it is you who have
inspired me with will and strength. Have you not approved
of my project? Have you not found noble, and worthy of a
sage, the dream which carried me away.
FOUNT [_kneeling before the_ EMPEROR]
I cried aloud with enthusiasm, I wept with emotion when I
grasped your sublime thought----But it is an impossible
dream, and the wish to realise it is a madness as generous
as it is vain. I fear for you, Sire, my well beloved
Master, I fear!
EMPEROR
You fear what? Up to to-day has not my plan worked out as
if by magic.
FOUNT
Up to to-day, yes, I cannot deny it.
EMPEROR
My departure from the Palace, which seemed so perilous--not
an obstacle! You, my dear minister, enter your official
palanquin, I was at your side in the costume of your
Secretary! I smiled, you remember, like a schoolboy playing
truant. My manner was so gay as to frighten you.----And
your poor little secretary, your pupil, as dear to you
as a son, consented to take my place in my bed with its
funereal silk draperies, in that sepulchral chamber, railed
and walled in again and again, where one stifles with the
perfumes which are too sweet. If I come through safe, what
can I do in recognition of this boy's tremendous devotion,
who acted as substitute for the martyr which I was, who
entered into the mummied body of an Emperor of China?
FOUNT
Will he know how to play the part which he assumed?
EMPEROR
Oh! it is an easy part, that of sovereign in my sad, closed
room. One sleeps, reads, meditates, and keeps one's self
from doing more. I have made use of the weapon which is so
often used against me. I have been accused of being ill
when I am not so. This time it is I that pretend. Who will
dare to doubt?
FOUNT
And the doctor who is taking care of the mock Emperor--are
you sure of his fidelity?
EMPEROR
My doctor? What interest would he have in betraying me? He
thinks I am engaged in some affair of gallantry and I have
promised him a province if my absence is not discovered.
He is watching his patient carefully and has strictly
forbidden anyone to go near him.
FOUNT
That is capital!
EMPEROR
Even in my city of Peking there is no risk of my being
recognised, since none of my subjects have even seen my
face. Flight is made easy for an invisible emperor! And
once on the ship--so freighted with your anxiety, do you
remember? what rapture it was to fly through space, light
as the cloudlets of smoke which followed in our track!
FOUNT
It is true, the kidnapping of the Viceroy and his
companions was the more dangerous feat, but our sailors
managed it marvellously. The immortals are with us, your
Majesty.
EMPEROR
Poor little Viceroy! As the escort who came to greet him
had never seen him, nothing was simpler than that I should
be taken for him. I told you, Fount-in-the-Forest, that all
must be as simple as child's-play!
FOUNT
Sire! Did you compose novels of adventure they would
be more interesting even than those of the famous Lo
Kwan-chung.
EMPEROR
Well, you see, they left me but two things in my splendid
solitude; love and opium. Opium exalts the imagination, and
I have had plenty of leisure to dream about my plans.
FOUNT
I plan out the future in my writings--prophetically,
perhaps, but then I leave to the generations that are to
come the duty of fulfilling my prophesies. You, Sire,
are offering your own blood as a sacrifice to assuage
unconquerable hate. The Immortal gods shall bow to you as
to their equal: but those on whom you wish to heap your
kindness will destroy you.
EMPEROR
Who knows? Hatred often yields to love.
FOUNT
Not such immemorial hatred as this. Nothing has softened
it, and for these three hundred years it has not even
known the weakness of a love affair. Never has a Tartar
married a Chinese woman, never has a Chinese loved a Tartar
woman. During the three years since you issued the decree
authorising marriages between the two races, none have
availed themselves of the permission.
EMPEROR
Yes, there has been one marriage----
FOUNT
One marriage! One of your courtiers, to please you, married
the daughter of one of your ministers; and do you recall
the number of favours by which you have had to repay that
act of sacrifice?
EMPEROR
You are, however, a Chinese, and I believe that you love me
a little.
FOUNT
On me alone you have shed the light of your soul; and I,
moreover, have cast away the prejudices which fetter life.
I love you and I admire you.
EMPEROR
Well, that is my recompense----
FOUNT
Someone is coming! We must take care----
SCENE V
_Light Palanquins, each carried by two men, stop before
the Pavilion. Two attendants accompany them and mount the
steps._
FOUNT
Some eunuchs, come, no doubt, to fetch the
Ladies-in-Waiting.
EMPEROR
I thought it was forbidden to employ eunuchs outside of my
Palace of Peking!
FOUNT
All privileges are allowed in the Palace of Nan-king.
[_They step aside until the Ladies-in-Waiting
shall have passed._]
SCENE VI
_The_ EMPEROR, FOUNT-IN-THE-FOREST, _the_
Ladies-in-Waiting, _and the_ Eunuchs.
TRANQUIL BEAUTY [_In a whisper to_ GOLDEN LOTUS]
Those lords are still there.
GOLDEN LOTUS
They have a noble mien.
PEARL
They are secretly watching us.
CINNAMON
Let us pretend that we do not see them.
EUNUCH
The Empress is about to leave Her Palace. You must continue
your gossip to-morrow.
TRANQUIL BEAUTY
If we are late, the fault is yours.
PEARL
You should have informed us sooner.
EUNUCH
Quick, quick, the last watch of night is about to sound.
[_They enter their palanquins, and go on their
way in a single file preceded and followed by
an_ EUNUCH.]
SCENE VII
_The_ EMPEROR _and_ FOUNT-IN-THE-FOREST
FOUNT
They are pretty.
EMPEROR
And so gracefully dressed! It makes me regret the fact that
my victorious ancestors imposed the Tartar costume on the
people. These Chinese robes are so much more beautiful.
FOUNT
They make the women appear more slender and delicate.
EMPEROR
Do all the inhabitants of the city garb themselves in the
old way?
FOUNT
In their homes, no doubt, they do. Out of doors, in the
streets, they still keep up a pretence of wearing the new.
EMPEROR
The Viceroy whom I sent to Nanking is certainly not
ignorant of all this. Why has he not informed us?
FOUNT
Your Viceroy, Sire, is not a Tartar, but a Chinese, which
means that he espouses the cause of the rebels. Yet at
Peking, outside the walls of your Palace of Eternal
Silence, what goes on is fairly well known. While you are
dreaming of ultimate peace, they are preparing for war.
EMPEROR
Alas!----
[_Trumpets, xylophones and gongs are heard in
turn, each five times. Then the watchmen pass
slowly._]
FOUNT
The fifth watch.
EMPEROR
Must we go in?
FOUNT
Not yet. The Empress is going to the Temple of her
Ancestors. That will give us a little time.
EMPEROR
The Empress!----In a few moments I shall see Her! The
beautiful vision I have dreamed of is to be destroyed
by the actuality----Ah! this woman, who must have the
uttermost horror for me, can have no idea that for months
past she has filled all my thoughts, has haunted my
solitary hours. If She only knew that the phantom Emperor,
isolated in his palace at Peking, wrote poems in her honour
night after night!----
FOUNT
She is said to be beautiful and charming, but that is
perhaps only a courtier's tale.
EMPEROR
If She is not, then my sacrifice will be only the more
meritorious.
FOUNT
Ah! see, there she comes. She is crossing the garden, and,
as no one is here, her palanquin is wide open.
EMPEROR
Ah!
[_Through the flowering bushes he gazes
ardently at her. The sound of a march is
heard._]
But I recognise Her, my friend, that woman so beautiful and
tender, so noble and delicate, that rare, that imperial
flower!----Friend, what do you think of this omen? It is
She, absolutely She--She whom I have seen reflected in the
mirror of my dreams----
FOUNT
The eyes of the dragon traverse all space.
[_The_ EMPEROR _seats himself again on the
bench, leaning on_ FOUNT-IN-THE-FOREST, _almost
fainting._]
EMPEROR
See how this emotion shatters my strength!
FOUNT
You are like the sacred lyre, whose strings vibrate at the
slightest inspiration.
SCENE VIII
_The_ EMPEROR _and_ FOUNT-IN-THE-FOREST, _the little_
EMPEROR _of Nanking,--a child of seven or eight years, who
enters playing with a shuttlecock in the Chinese fashion,
with graceful movements. Some Royal nurses follow him, two
serving-men remain at the back._
FIRST NURSE [_trying to take the shuttlecock away_]
Sire, take care not to overheat yourself.
CHILD
No! no! give it back to me; I want to play some more.
SECOND NURSE [_Respectfully approaching the_ TARTAR EMPEROR]
Sir, no one is permitted to remain in the presence of our
Majesty, the young Emperor.
EMPEROR
It is he!
[_The shuttlecock with which the little_
EMPEROR _of Nanking is playing falls on the
knees of the big_ EMPEROR, _who takes it in his
hands._]
CHILD [_To the_ Second Nurse]
Leave him there, I want him to stay. You see that he is ill.
[_To the_ EMPEROR]
Why are you so pale? Are you ill?
EMPEROR
No, Sire! It is emotion which has made me pale.
CHILD
What about?
EMPEROR
At seeing you, perhaps.
CHILD
That is queer. Do you think I play shuttlecock so well?
EMPEROR
With infinite grace.
CHILD
Soon, during the ceremony, I shall have to be perfectly
quiet. So I am running about now, to have more patience
later----Do you understand?
EMPEROR
[_Handing the child the shuttlecock_]
Do you wish to go on with your game?
CHILD
No! keep it as a gift from me to your son.
EMPEROR
I have no son.
CHILD
Oh, how sad that is! Very well then, keep it just the same,
in memory of a child who has no father.
EMPEROR
[_Detaching a jewel from his girdle_]
Thank you! Take this in exchange as a remembrance from a
man whose greatest desire is to have you for his son.
CHILD
Oh! thank you----
FIRST NURSE
Sire, it is time----
CHILD
It is a little dragon--an Imperial Dragon! I recognise it!
But how do you come to have it? You have not the right to
wear it! Do not be afraid, I will tell nobody. Good-bye
till next time.
EMPEROR
Till next time!
[_The child runs away, followed by his nurses.
The_ EMPEROR _gases after him until he is out
of sight._]
SCENE IX
_The_ EMPEROR _and_ FOUNT-IN-THE-FOREST
FOUNT
You are still all of a tremble.
EMPEROR
My trouble is mixed with sweetness----Would it not seem
that Heaven approves of me and will be my ally? This child
comes to me, defends me, is uneasy because of my pallor,
and gives me his plaything----Ah! how precious to me is
this little gift.
FOUNT
Yes! I felt with you the emotion of that chance
encounter----But let calm descend upon your soul. You will
need all your composure not to betray yourself during the
ceremony of the robing, for this time you are not playing
the leading part. Do not forget the three obeisances, the
nine complete prostrations. You cannot accustom yourself to
bend the knee to another.
EMPEROR
But I know all these fine points of etiquette better than
anyone, for am I not condemned always to see men prostrated
at my feet, touching the ground with their foreheads?
[OFFICERS, GUARDS _and_ HERALDS _enter at the
back of the stage and begin to form into lines.
Some unfurling banners. The_ CHIEFS _give out
orders_].
FOUNT
Let us return! It is time, since you must rehearse your
speech. Above all, Sire, change nothing in it. I so much
fear that you will betray: yourself by some imprudent words.
EMPEROR
It seems too commonplace, that speech of mine-----Since I
have seen her, Her, I must compose another----
FOUNT
Oh! no, I beg you. You might distract yourself, break off
short, or, more likely, let yourself be carried away beyond
measure.
EMPEROR
You may prepare an opium-pipe for me. Then my mind will
work with more ease and clearness.
FOUNT
Oh! you promised me to give up that poison. You know full
well that it is the complete destruction of your energies
and your will. The exaltation which results from--it, you
know very well with what depression you must pay for that
later on.
EMPEROR
Come! come! only one puff. I swear to you this shall be the
last.
[_They leave. Trumpet-calls are heard and
shouts of command as the curtain falls._]
Second Tableau
_The throne-room in the palace of Nanking, seen from the
side. The_ EMPRESS _and the throne upon which she is
seated appear in profile. The_ LITTLE EMPEROR _is seated
near her. The throne is raised on a number of steps; the_
LADIES-IN-WAITING _are behind the_ EMPRESS, _fanning her
with large, feathered fans. The bodyguard is placed on
the steps of the throne, and each man is holding a censer
containing Tibetan incense. All the dignitaries and
officials are standing, in order of rank. At the back,
across a colonnade, open-air galleries may be seen, in
which are musicians and singers. The palanquin of the_
EMPRESS, _with its dragons of gold, is also visible.
Outside the crowd can be vaguely seen and heard. Opposite
the throne, on a platform, are some dancers costumed as
armed warriors, standing motionless. Everyone is standing,
with the sole exception of the_ EMPRESS _and her little
son._
SCENE I
_The crowd, the_ EMPEROR _and_ FOUNT-IN-THE-FOREST (_the
two latter still disguised, but in full official costume_),
_the_ FAITHFUL PRINCE.
THE CROWD [_crying rhythmically_]
Ten thousand years!
Ten thousand years!
A happy life to our King! A happy and a long life to our
King.
Ten thousand years! Ten thousand years.
[_The music continues at the back._]
TARTAR EMPEROR [_In a whisper to_ FOUNT-IN-THE FOREST]
This old palace is infinitely more beautiful than mine. Its
art is purer and more exquisite.
FOUNT [_Also in a whisper_]
Our Chinese art, Sire, in all its ancient purity.
EMPEROR [_Smiling_]
You have remained our masters in all things. In comparison
with you we shall always be barbarians, we the invaders and
the conquerors. Oh! may it be the unique glory of my reign
to restore the noble Chinese tradition by fusing the two
peoples for all time to come.
FOUNT
Let us not speak so much, well beloved master. We are being
watched! And do not forget that soon you must prostrate
yourself!----
EMPEROR
Before Her! Oh! that will be an easy task.
FOUNT
And your speech, I pray, let it be altogether correct and
commonplace----The fascination which She seems to exercise
over you terrifies me already.
[_Chorus, singing at the back_]
Forefathers of my race, from Heaven look down
Upon this palace with benignant eye!
Your son, the chosen of the immortal gods,
See now I mount the glorious throne on high.
[_The dancers execute three evolutions of the
ritual dance known as the Dance of the Feather
and of the Flute_]
CHORUS [_At the back_]
Let but your spirit and your bravery,
Your virtues be the guidance of my life;
Then shall I triumph over evil foes
And fear no fortune in the fiercest strife.
[_The dancers execute three more figures._]
CHORUS [_Again_]
The Dragon, on my standard there unfurled,
Bathes his gold scales in Heaven's azure pure.
My reign shall famous be all times to come
'Neath his protection, powerful and sure.
[_The dancers complete the three last figures_]
MUSIC
[_The master of ceremonies approaches, the guardian of the
seals salutes him, and with a gesture indicates that he
is to follow him. He conducts him to a golden table at the
back of the stage. The guardian of the Seals, after having
bent the knee, takes from that table the great seal of the
Empire, which lies on a large salver. The master of the
ceremonies then conducts him to the foot of the throne and
withdraws. The guardian of the seals bends the knee and
offers the seal to the FAITHFUL PRINCE. When the FAITHFUL
PRINCE has taken it, the guardian kneels before the throne,
makes three prostrations, rises, and withdraws backwards.
The FAITHFUL PRINCE bends the knee, and holding the salver
with both hands, offers it to the_ Empress, _then he
rises._]
[_The music stops_]
FAITHFUL PRINCE [_To the_ EMPRESS]
In the name of all the princes here assembled, in the name
of the faithful people and of the army ready to die for
the Bright Dynasty, I present to Your Majesty the most
sacred treasure, the priceless trust which your ancestors
have transmitted to us from generation to generation--the
Great Seal of State. In giving You this, we recognise you
as the Sovereign of the Empire during the minority of your
beloved Son. Accept the decree of Heaven with composure and
reverence.
[_Two_ LADIES-IN-WAITING _descend the steps of the Throne,
take the salver and place it on a table very near the_
Empress.]
FAITHFUL PRINCE
Oh! Daughter of Heaven, whom we swear to serve faithfully!
To the end that you may accomplish the work of your deified
ancestors, never forget the ten precepts which are the rule
of conduct of all sovereigns. As they are engraved here on
the precious jade, it is my privilege to read them to you
this day in the hearing of all.
[_Reading from a block of jade, which is handed
to him._]
Fear Heaven.
Love the people.
Exalt the soul.
Cultivate the sciences.
Honour merit.
Listen to wise counsels.
Lessen taxes.
Mitigate the laws.
Spare the treasury.
Avoid the allurements of the senses!
Obeying these commands, one is sure to follow in the right
path. But one must advance along this road without turnings
aside or falterings. Oh! our Sovereign, be attentive and
anxious, as though each hour of the day you carried a
chalice filled to the brim with water not one drop must be
spilled. Act thus, and then your conduct will be just and
your dynasty endure eternally----
ALL
Ten thousand years!
Ten thousand years!
[_The orchestra plays,_ FAITHFUL PRINCE _bends the knee,
prostrates himself three times, stands, and retires to his
place. The music ceases, complete silence reigns, the_
EMPRESS _rises._]
SCENE II
THE EMPRESS, THE CROWD
EMPRESS
Enlighten me, Oh, Divine Reason! Spirits of my ancestors,
enter into my spirit, strengthen my weakness, embolden
my heart!----Will these womanly hands have the power to
carry on high this sceptre, which is still too heavy for
the frail hands of my little son? At least they shall not
tremble! They shall hold it with an unrelaxing grasp, which
death alone will have the power to unlock. And you will aid
me, all of you, my faithful ones, you will aid me with your
advice, with your wisdom and your courage.
The name allotted by the Book of Centuries to the last
descendant of the Bright Dynasty is: Perfect Harmony
Realised. But alas! it seems a faraway dream, this harmony
announced in the ancient days of our history, and longed
for with many a prayer by our bruised hearts. Instead of
this dream of the future, we have the terrible present with
its uncertainty, instability, and war! And that Empire, of
which you have proclaimed me sovereign, we must reconquer
day by day, tearing it fragment by fragment from the grasp
of the ravisher.
Ah, how much bloodshed have we seen in the past three
centuries! It is a stream purple with blood, on which
floats the vessel freighted with our noble hopes! It tosses
about, it battles with the tempest, this vessel with the
reddened timbers, but it cannot suffer shipwreck, for
it stands for justice and right. Some day it shall drop
anchor in a peaceful port, the Bright Dynasty shall be
re-established for ever--and all our beloved dead, whose
bodies are scattered throughout the length and breadth of
the land, whose spirits abide in the clouds above, all our
unnumbered dead shall then have their magnificent revenge
and receive the reward of their martyrdom.
Like everyone of you here assembled, I dedicate my life
to that sacred cause; but it suffices not to die without
regret, we must fight to the last, we must defend ourselves
with our final breath, that our death may be fruitful. To
reconquer our country, to break the yoke which dishonours
it, let us make our hearts fearless, our souls implacable.
No pity nor mercy for the Tartar! May our heroic wrath
never lessen, nor our holy hate be appeased.
Toward all other living men we know our duties: good will,
compassion, charity. Whoever these men may be, whether they
come from the north or the south, or from the covetous
west, to all who shall call themselves our friends, let us
extend a brotherly hand in accordance with that immemorial
tradition, which only our invaders have violated.
I swear to you, oh, shades of my ancestors, and to you,
all my well beloved subjects, I swear to keep severe watch
upon myself, to take good care that I am not remiss in
any of my duties, I swear to be attentive and anxious, as
though I carried in my hands a chalice filled to the brim
with water, of which not one drop must be spilled. I swear
to hold my head high against the threats of the future, to
submit with resignation to cruel fate, and not even to move
an eye-lash if the sword be lifted against me.
[_She resumes her seat upon the Throne._]
ALL
Ten thousand years!
Ten thousand years!
[_The music recommences at the back. At a sign from the
Master of Ceremonies, the Mandarins leave their places and
arrange themselves in several lines at the foot of the
Throne._]
TWO HERALDS
Bend the knee.
[_Other_ Heralds _at the doors repeat the order
to the crowd on the terrace and in the Court
yards._]
Bend the knee.
[_All the mandarins bend the knee at the same
time_]
THE HERALDS
Prostrate yourselves.
HERALDS AT THE DOORS
Prostrate yourselves.
[_All the mandarins prostrate themselves three
times, touching the ground with their foreheads
three times at each prostration._]
THE HERALDS
Arise.
HERALDS [_At the doors_]
Arise.
[_All the mandarins rise and resume their
places._]
A HERALD
Let the Viceroy of the South, in the name of all, make
reply to Her Majesty.
[_The Master of Ceremonies approaches the_
TARTAR EMPEROR _and leads him towards the
Throne. The little_ EMPEROR _of Nanking
exchanges glances of recognition with the_
TARTAR EMPEROR. _He shows him a Golden
Dragon, which is hanging on a chain round
his neck, while the_ TARTAR EMPEROR _shows
him the shuttlecock hidden under his robe.
The_ EMPRESS, _surprised, questions her son
with a look. The child smiles mysteriously
and moves closer to her. The_ TARTAR EMPEROR
_contemplates the_ EMPRESS _for a few moments,
then slowly prostrates himself. He rises, and
the music ceases._]
EMPEROR
Oh, Divine Majesty! I, your slave, and at this moment
one of the first dignitaries of your Court, why am I so
insignificant a thing? Why is my will barren, when it
is so eager to make a path both smooth and glorious for
your feet? Oh! at my powerlessness to crush the menace of
fate, what a tumult of desire and righteous rage disturbs
my soul! And yet the celestial radiance of Your presence
illumines and inspires me. The dazzling light which
emanates from Your Majesty's presence seems to colour the
clouds on the far horizon, to pierce the shadows, and I
see You there, in the great city of the Tsings. I see you
seated and all powerful, on the very Throne of the TARTAR
EMPEROR; the immense empire, undivided and at peace,
extending under your feet like a carpet of honour.
No! destiny cannot be cruel to you; before Your sacred
presence, its weapons will be dashed to pieces. Do not
the laws of Heaven and earth seem always to yield to
certain superior beings? Do you remember the beautiful
favourite, who formerly captivated one of your sovereign
ancestors? When the day arrived on which, having forfeited
the Imperial favour, she was given into the keeping of
the executioners, she gazed upon them calmly, and as
they brandished their swords against her, she smiled
sweetly--her only defence. Then they threw their weapons
at her feet, for no one had the courage to extinguish that
radiant smile----
[_A murmur of astonishment makes itself felt
throughout the crowd._]
And so you will disarm destiny, and your most deadly
enemies will bend the knee before you----
[_So saying, he bends his knee_]
The EMPRESS
[_After a moment of astounded silence, without
rising from the Throne_]
Thank you, my noble subject! Your bold words have surprised
us, but have also charmed us. Moreover, the tragic
circumstances of our investiture make excuse for passionate
thoughts and exceptional speech. Your prophetic vision has
touched us very deeply----Thanks to you! Thanks to all!
[_The_ TARTAR EMPEROR _rises and resumes his
place. Music March. The_ EMPRESS _descends
slowly from her throne; her retinue forms up to
follow her and crosses the stage. She reaches
the terrace where She enters her palanquin
decked with gold dragons. The whole assemblage,
without leaving their places, bend the knee
and then prostrate themselves._]
CHORUS [_At back of stage_]
Let all happiness and peace
Rule here now and never cease!
Heaven, grant our humble prayer,
Give us blessings mild and fair,
Gentle rain and balmy air!
Let our pious voices rise
To the gods above the skies!
ALL [_Interrupting the Choruses_]
Ten thousand years!
Ten thousand years!
[_The great drum and bell are sounded
alternately._]
CURTAIN
ACT TWO
[_The stage setting is all of white marble, glistening in
the moonlight. At the centre back is seen the_ EMPRESS'S
_Pavilion rising upon several terraces of white marble. Its
curved roofs are ornamented with monsters and small bells.
Leading to the terraces, in the middle of the stage, is an
"imperial stair," an inclined plane of white marble, on
which an immense dragon is carved in bas-relief; and also,
on either side of this, two identical marble staircases
bordered by bronze and jade animals and huge censers on
marble brackets. Numerous symmetrical kiosks flank the
pavilion on this side and that with curved roofs similar
to those of the pavilion, ornamented with small bells and
monsters._
_As the Curtain rises, no one is on the stage. A gentle
breeze causes the small bells to tinkle at the angles of
the roofs._]
SCENE I
The EMPRESS _and_ FOUR ATTENDANTS.
[_The_ EMPRESS _comes out of the pavilion and advances
slowly to the edge of the terrace, her eyes raised to the
moon._ FOUR ATTENDANTS _follow her, but remain in the
background._]
EMPRESS
[_Halting at the top of the Imperial stair_] Oh, Night
of enchantment! Pure light and silence cool!----Oh,
scintillating stars, envelope me in your rays! And thou,
pale moon, shroud me in thy blue light; calm my soul,
cool my fever! [_She commences her descent down the
"Imperial Stair," two of her attendants following, one by
the staircase on the right, the other by the staircase on
the left, regulating their steps according to those of
the_ EMPRESS _in the middle._] That dream, that strange
dream which has aroused me from my sleep, I still feel
the terror of it----[_Lowering her voice_] The terror and
the charm. [_To her attendants_] Let the astrologer be
called at once, that he may discover the meaning of this
dream and explain it without dissembling. Listen carefully
to my words. I was about to become the prey of a serpent
with shining scales,--already he was twining about me
and slowly choking me with his chilly coils. Fascinated
by his steady gaze, I had not the force to struggle;
enervated, inert, I surrendered myself, with no repugnance
against death. With fear and suffering a languor that was
almost a delight was mingled----A supreme effort of the
will, however, extricated me from his grasp, and suddenly
aroused from sleep and dreams I found myself regretting
those deadly coils which had imprisoned me----What can this
dream portend? [_To the women_] Report what I have told
you to the astrologer. Let him question the Unknown, and
give me his response here without delay. Go at once! [_Two
of the Attendants depart at this command. The_ EMPRESS
_continues to descend slowly. She is alone in the middle
of the Imperial stair, which is very long, and whose white
surface seems sown with tiny glistering spangles._] How
the dew sparkles on the marble footpath! It seems like a
carpet of stars. But as I walk I put out their light, and
my trailing gown changes the little glistening drops into
a pool of water, which soaks the hem of my robe. [_She
continues to descend._] Why is there ever before my eyes
the image of that man whom I saw this morning for the
first time? Why, on this day, when so many heavy duties
have devolved upon my weakness, can I recall only that
deep and ardent gaze, which met mine with such sovereign
audacity? Why was I no more offended by that gaze than by
the rays of the kindly sun that beat upon my palace? He
found me beautiful, and his admiration for me shone like
an ornament more precious than the Imperial Phoenix of
my head-dress. How well I understood, when he prostrated
himself before me, with what feelings he threw himself at
my feet----And my son exchanged glances of recognition with
him! How came he to know him? Why did I not even dare to
ask him, as though to speak of that man to my own child
were criminal? Oh, kindly powers of the night, spirits of
my deified ancestors who are about me in the air, august
shades to whom I have rendered homage in your golden
temples, come to my aid, gather about your unworthy and
feeble daughter! That man, that stranger in my path, on
such a day! Oh, divinities from whom I am descended, take
from my soul the very remembrance of him. In a solemn vow
I have renounced my earthly personality. Nothing of myself
belongs to me. Daughter of Heaven, Empress and Regent, I
am claimed entirely by my more than human mission----Help
me to triumph over the weaknesses which were the charm of
life. Aid me to forget that there are flowers and pearls
and perfumes, grant that I may lose consciousness of the
fact that love is the only realm of woman, and beauty her
true power. May my breast from henceforth be only the
marble prison of my frozen heart! Should it revolt and
wish to beat again, may my will become its stern gaoler!
Aid me, oh, come down, pure spirits of the air! Make me as
unyielding as the goddesses of jade, who keep their eyes
lowered that they may not see the things of this world!
[_The two attendants return and prostrate
themselves._]
FIRST ATTENDANT
The astrologer is ready to give your Majesty his answer.
EMPRESS
Let him come!
[_The attendants leave._]
That serpent which entwined me, Ah! that cannot be he. His
commanding gaze, riveted to mine, was noble and open. Why
should he appear to me in that hostile and terrible form?
No, no! in a soul that has eyes like that treachery cannot
flourish----It cannot be he----and yet I was carried away
by that icy embrace. Who else then, in the world could it
be?