VOLINÈ.
Heavily chained and without food we were left in our old quarters
until morning, not even the benefit of a light being vouchsafed to us.
For this harsh treatment we had only Perodii to thank; indeed, it was
highly improbable that the King had been apprised of our return, as
we arrived at so late an hour. We passed the remainder of the night
in miserable suspense, listening to the regular tramp of the guards
outside, and saying little to each other.
"I hope, Graham, you now see the folly of your foolish intrigue with
this woman. Had it not been for her we should never have incurred
the anger and the hatred of this Prince Perodii; the King would have
overlooked our killing Osa, and we should now be free," said the
Doctor, with more irritation in his voice than we had ever heard before.
"Come, come, Doctor," answered Temple, "it's no use reproaching Graham;
and this scoundrel of a Prince Perodii may yet go a little too far."
"But how can that help us? How can his downfall shake off our fetters?
How can his evil fortune bring our release from captivity, or save us
from death?" continued the Doctor, with a dogged determination to
stick to his opinions on women in general.
"I'll back a woman's wit to find a way," Temple went on. "Volinè's
dislike for this Perodii, and her partiality for Graham, will act as
irresistible incentives to triumph over the man she despises, and save
the other whom she loves."
"We have not had much evidence to confirm what you say, Temple," said
the Doctor, as obstinately as ever.
"True," answered Temple; "but you cannot suppose that this girl has
remained idle. Depend upon it, her royal father has had to put up with
a good deal of coaxing and entreaty on behalf of her lover. She will
be sure to take advantage of our escape from Remagaloth, and make the
most of her time, unless she is very different from the girls of Earth.
Perodii's absence from Edos, too, favours her efforts, and she will
have had a clear field. Then there is this Echri----"
"Pray draw the line at the supernatural. This ring affair is not worth
serious words--a lot of humbugging duplicity, shielded by religion. No!
you will never convince me, Temple. As I said before, so I say again,
women are the root of all mischief; and it is a thousand pities this
Volinè ever became mixed up in our affairs."
"Well, well, Doctor, we won't argue further, it only makes
unpleasantness."
All through this controversy Graham never uttered a word. He sat still
in the darkest corner of the room, and only the occasional jingle of
his brass fetters told us that he was awake. Secretly he enjoyed this
conversation about his dear one. It was untold joy to him to be back
again under the very roof that sheltered her, to be so close to her;
and the hope of seeing her again gave him strength, and brightened the
dark hours of his captivity. He never lost confidence in the beautiful
girl who had made him happy by giving him her love; and he knew that
he and his companions would neither be forgotten nor forsaken in their
need. He would not provoke discord in their little band by argument
with his good and worthy friend, Doctor Hermann, on the only topic
on which they were bound to disagree. He preferred to sit in silence
through the night, with glad thoughts of Volinè for his company. He
had escaped what looked like certain death, he was back near the woman
who was all-in-all to him; the very garden in which they had met and
tasted the secrets of love was but outside the prison window; the dark
hopeless future, which had appeared but a stormy plain of wild despair,
stretching away, away unto death, seemed already tinged with the dawn
of happiness! He knew Volinè's ring had already delivered him twice
from great peril; and he felt, whatever danger might betide, the secret
of salvation therefrom circled round his finger a sacred charm against
death. That he could impart a little of this confidence in the virtues
of his treasure to his comrades was his constant wish--not for his
own sake, but for theirs. Yet all that he could say had been already
said. The Doctor continued to pooh-pooh its efficacy; Temple was wont
to smile and listen, half incredulous, yet impressed considerably by
his earnestness. Each, however, required more palpable proof than
that already given. "They forget," Graham continued to muse, as he lay
listening to the Doctor and Temple talking, "that they are in a new
world, beyond all earthly influence; and that the power of this holy
Echri is mysterious and unnatural, only because it is new and strange
to us. Were it rendered familiar to us by earthly custom and every-day
experience, we should look upon it as a most natural thing. We must be
prepared for all kinds of surprises here. If a great and holy man of
this world possesses a power which is invested solely in God in our
own, why should we marvel?"
As he sat musing thus the ring upon his finger suddenly glowed with
great heat, and made him cry out in agony.
"Why, Graham, what is the matter?" said all three of his companions
together.
"Nothing; it was a sudden spasm. I must have been dreaming. I am all
right, I assure you," he answered, resolving to conceal the actual
cause of his transient pain. "It seems like some manifestation of
Echri's," he mused. "Well, I believe in his power, and have faith
in his ring. I cannot help myself, I am compelled to do so." Then,
speaking aloud, he continued:
"I hope you are not very greatly inconvenienced by these cursed
fetters, my friends. The night is nearly spent, and I hope daylight
will bring release."
"Mr. Graham, ha' ye no chance o' breakin awa'?" said Sandy. "These
chains are uncommon heavy and tiresome."
"None this time, Sandy--I don't feel up to it; besides, they are
stronger than they were before. Be patient till the morning, and then
we shall see what turns up. Something good, I hope, for all our sakes."
Beyond a word or two of enquiry, first from one and then from another,
as to how each was bearing up in misfortune, the remainder of the night
was passed in silence. Sometimes we dozed, and woke again with a start
of alarm, wondering where we were; then we lay and listened to the
guards pacing to and fro outside our door, or the noise of the distant
fountains in the garden of Siccoth. The time passed slowly enough,
and by the dawn we felt terribly cramped and sore, owing to our being
compelled to remain almost in one position the livelong night.
The sun had been up several hours before our prison door was opened,
and food brought to us. Perodii came with the guards, and was again
most insulting in his language.
"Let loose these dogs of Ramos for a little season, until they have
eaten," he commenced, addressing the guards standing at the half-open
door. Then turning to us, he exclaimed:
"Perodii hopes ye have all passed a pleasant night; they sleep safely
who repose in chains. Now up and to your victuals; but methinks ye
will not find them such dainty fare as when the traitor Kaosp provided
them. By my soul, we will have no more of such nonsense! Prisoners ye
are; and as prisoners shall ye be treated, so long as Perodii hath the
charge of ye. And hark ye, no more shall that wanton wench, Volinè, or
her gifts and favours, be admitted here! Guards, heed well my words;
that man shall die who admits that forn----"
"Perodii! how darest thou utter such words concerning me, the daughter
of thy King?" said Volinè, and she pushed the trembling guards aside
and walked into the room, her cheeks scarlet with burning indignation,
her eyes aflame with anger, and her hands clenched tightly to control
her passion.
"What doest thou here, Volinè?" exclaimed Perodii, starting violently,
and evidently ill at ease, but preserving with a mighty effort his
usual air of bravado. "Meddle not with my affairs, or, by the living
God, I will acquaint the King with thy brazen interference."
"What do I here? That is no business of thine. I come to set these
prisoners free, and to conduct them to my father's presence, not as
his captives but as his guests! Strike off those bonds and chains this
instant, or the King's just wrath shall overtake thee. Guards! in the
King's name Volinè commands ye! Strike off----"
"Stay!" shouted Perodii in a voice of rage, and pointing to the door.
"Volinè, this is no place for thee! Get thee hence to thy apartment,
and there wait thy father's pleasure."
"Braggart, hold thy peace! Volinè is no child, to be chid by thee. Thou
hast enough to answer for! Go! The daughter of thy King hath bidden
thee go!"
"And what if I refuse? These guards are my servants, and await my
orders."
"Thy servants! Say the King's, thy master! Now guards, advance, and do
my bidding----"
"Let a soldier stir, and he shall die!" shrieked Perodii, beside
himself with passion.
"We obey thee, Volinè, even as we obey the King," said their captain,
leading forward his men, and in a moment our fetters were struck off
and we were free. Perodii, without another word, walked away, his face
livid with rage and hatred.
"That mon bears us na guid-will, Mr. Graham," muttered Sandy, as we
watched the discomfited prince hurry away.
Our lives had been full of eventful surprises, from the moment that we
had descended upon the surface of this strange world, and this last
unexpected change in our fortunes seemed one of the most wonderful of
all. As yet, Volinè had not addressed a single syllable to any one of
us; but a smile of ineffable sweetness stole over her handsome face,
and blushes like as the tints of an opening rose glowed all unbidden on
her cheeks as she glanced at Graham for an instant, and met the look of
admiration and pleasure with which he was lovingly regarding her--her,
his dear one, from whom he had been ruthlessly torn asunder and had now
rejoined.
"Good Himos, thyself and thy comrades may now depart," said Volinè,
addressing the captain of the guard. "I will myself conduct these
men of Ramos to my father's presence. Thou hast nought to fear from
thy disobedience of Perodii. From this hour must thou cease to take
commands from him, until such time as it may be the King's, thy
master's, pleasure to order otherwise."
Bowing low, Himos gave the word to his troops, who marched away, led
by him, from our prison-chamber along the corridor, but in an opposite
direction to that taken by Perodii. Volinè then advanced towards us
with hands held out in welcome, and smiling sweetly said, in a voice
from time to time trembling with emotion:
"Men of Ramos, no words that I can speak can say the sorrow that I feel
for all the indignities and hardships ye have suffered since entering
our royal city, Edos. My soul doth grieve within me at your unjust
treatment from the hands of the King, my father; but his mind hath been
poisoned and biassed against ye by him who brought ye here in chains,
and sought your ruin, to gratify his own feelings of revenge. Since
ye were so miraculously delivered from death at the crag Remagaloth,
the King hath doubted the wisdom of his judgment on ye, and ye would
at least have been free to go your way unmolested, had not Perodii
prevailed upon the King to be allowed to take ye captives, to bring ye
here again, and then to carry out the awful sentence of the Supreme
Court himself! So far hath he been favoured, but his villainy is now
unmasked; wiser counsel hath prevailed with the King. In bestowing upon
ye, O distinguished and learned strangers from Ramos, his royal pardon,
he offers ye his hospitality and protection, so long as ye may make
this our world your home. But come now with me to his royal presence,
and hear words of welcome and of freedom from his own lips. He waiteth
to break his morning bread with ye.
"Stay thee: no thanks are asked or needed," continued Volinè, with
upraised finger, as Temple began to speak, "for methinks it is I that
have brought much trouble on ye. Besides, ye must be full of weariness
and hunger, and it is not fitting or seemly that I should keep ye
longer here." And as she spoke Volinè placed a tiny whistle, wrought in
fine gold and set with gems, between her lips, and blew three times,
short and shrill, thereon. In a few moments two court-marshals, dressed
in quaint and costly garb, and with long white wands tipped with
crescents of crystal, appeared, together with four of Volinè's female
attendants, and stood in respectful silence by the doorway, bowing low
as the King's fair daughter passed out, beckoning us to follow her.
"We hear from this Volinè only a few fragments of the reason for this
change of opinion in our favour. She has left much more untold,"
whispered the Doctor to Temple, as they walked along side by side
behind the marshals.
"True, Doctor," answered Temple in an undertone, "but I have no doubt
that this royal maid has been pleading our cause with her old father,
and that her strong attachment to Graham has lent eloquence to her
oratory. The complete story of our pardon is reserved for his lucky ear
alone."
"Say unlucky--most unlucky, Temple; for that woman's toils are creeping
round him, and too late he will feel them hampering his ambition and
retarding his progress."
"Doctor, I must really give you up as an incurable. Your ideas on women
are out of all focus. Still, you must admit that a woman has rescued us
from a terrible position----"
"Into which she alone plunged us. No, no, Temple. We shall never agree
upon it--never!" and he relapsed into silence for the rest of the way.
We walked along corridor after corridor, through lofty halls, and up
and down wide staircases crammed full of curious and costly gems of
art, until it seemed as though the colossal palace was an endless
maze of enchantment and voluptuous grandeur. At the foot of the last
staircase Volinè and her maidens passed away through a lofty archway on
the right, waving us a smiling farewell as she went, and we continued
to follow the two marshals alone.
At the top of this last flight of stairs we reached another archway,
hung with soft and heavy draperies, on either side of which stood a
guard, so still and inanimate that he looked carved out of the stone
itself. As we crossed the twenty paces or so of the landing, these
sphinx-like soldiers, with a common impulse, flung the curtains wide
apart, and we passed through into a magnificent banquet-chamber. The
scene before us dazzled us with its splendour. We had thought to meet
the King alone, perhaps with his daughter; but, instead, we saw him
sitting at the head of a table, round which a hundred male guests
were also seated, to whom a sumptuous feast was evidently about to be
served. Five vacant seats, two on one, and three on the other side of
the King, were empty, and to these, all travel-stained and grimy from
the fight in the cave, we were conducted.
"Men of Ramos, we meet more happily than we parted. Welcome to our
morning feast. Eat and refresh yourselves, and having done so we may
then speak together," said the King, bowing and smiling graciously.
We each kept silence, but acknowledged the old King's cordial greeting
with a respectful bow. Then the meal commenced, and was continued in
solemn silence, course after course, until the last dishes had been
removed, and huge bowls of wine-like liquid had been placed upon the
table. Now the attendants withdrew, and shortly afterwards, from some
hidden chamber, strains of sweet ravishing music poured in subtle
cadence, and women's voices were heard singing a dreamy madrigal.
Then came a solo in a woman's voice, more entrancingly beautiful than
all the rest, rising and falling in matchless compass--a song that
had for its theme the birth and trials and triumph of Love. Was this
last sweet, hidden singer Volinè? And did she sing the story of her
own tender passion? One of us at least was certain that the voice he
heard was that of his beloved, and the words that wandered through the
banquet-hall, like a hymn from Paradise, were addressed to him. Stirred
to his soul's depth's, he listened, entranced, with throbbing pulses,
to the message that was sung to him by a woman who was fashioned fairer
than the cunningest conception of earthly man could picture!
At last the music ceased, the singer's voice was hushed, and amidst a
death-like silence, which held the assembled guests in thrall, the King
addressed us:
"Strangers from the star-world Ramos, having now broken your fast, it
is my duty, here in the presence of my faithful Ministers of State, to
explain to ye the reason of your welcome here as free men and honoured
guests. All the terrible indictment against ye, with the exception of
the killing of Osa, hath been proved to be false! I am satisfied that
my daughter's honour and fair fame are as untarnished now as before
ye came to Edos, and that a noble of our Court, by name Perodii, hath
lied. The High Priest, Echri, hath also spoken favourably of ye, and
your cause hath been ably pleaded by the wise men that dwell in our
good city Helmath. My philosophers are learned in the science of the
heavens, and they have said that the wondrous tale ye tell bears stamp
of truth, and none of sorcery. That being so, we grant our royal pardon
for the slaying of our subject Osa, believing that, as ye have already
said, he brought his fate upon himself, and in expressing our sorrow
for the great misery and hardships we have caused ye, we welcome ye
as friends and brothers, and bid you remain in Edos as our guests so
long as ye may have the wish. We regret we did not heed the words
of the men of Helmath sooner, but Perodii's cunning made us ignore
their counsel--and nought can kindle a father's wrath so readily, or
feed its flame so well and warp his judgment, as the dishonour of his
child. Perodii's guilt was only proved to me at yesternight; hence his
treatment of ye. He now is deep in our displeasure, and his seat at
our royal board is empty. Ye need fear him no more. Our heralds shall
proclaim your pardon, and your entrance into royal favour, throughout
all Edos, and then may ye wander in safety at your will."
"My comrades and myself rejoice heartily at the words you have spoken,
O King of Gathma," said the Doctor. "Let peace and unity prevail
between us, so that we may labour for the common weal of the children
of your world and of ours. Glorious possibilities are before us; and
that the intercourse between the peoples of two sister-planets, when
once fairly established, may bring forth nothing but good, I feel sure
will be echoed as heartily by your majesty and your people as by my
companions and myself. We thank you, King of Gathma, for your clemency,
and for the friendly sentiments you have just expressed, and will do
our best ever to merit your friendship, your protection, and your
hospitality!"
The Doctor's words were received with a salvo of applause from the
brilliant gathering around us, and shortly afterwards the King left his
seat, saying as he retired, followed by his Court, that he would meet
us again in a few hours, after the business of State was over.
As soon as the King and his ministers had gone, servants arrived and
conducted us to a suite of luxuriously fitted baths, where we made
ourselves more presentable. Fortunately, each had donned an entirely
new outfit before we deserted the _Sirius_, so that our task was by
no means a difficult one. We were discussing our altered fortunes,
after completing our toilet, when a marshal entered and, walking up to
Graham, said with a low bow:
"Art thou Harry Graham?"
"I am; what is your pleasure?" he answered.
"Then Volinè would see thee. Follow me, and I will show thee to my
mistress."
"Go and enjoy your well-deserved happiness," said Temple, in English;
but the Doctor muttered something by no means complimentary to Volinè.
Graham was too full of joy to feel angry with his old and eccentric
friend, and thanking Temple for his good wishes, turned and followed
his conductor. Once more he must furnish this portion of our narrative
himself:--
"Leaving the saloon of baths, I followed my stately guide along a wide
corridor, on either side of which was ranged statuary of priceless
value, until we came to the wide staircase up which we had passed on
our way to the banquet-chamber. Through an archway at the foot of
this, I knew the way led to Volinè's apartments. At the bottom of this
spacious stairway we met two of Volinè's maids, and here the marshal
bowed and left me. These maidens then stepped forward, and each taking
one of my hands, they bade me come with them, and so I was led into
Volinè's presence.
"I found my darling in a magnificent chamber, where every luxury that
art and ingenuity could devise assisted in making the whole harmonious
and splendid. She was reclining on a low couch, draped with rich
dark furs of silky softness, her flossy hair falling all free and
unrestrained around her bust and shoulders, one shapely arm resting
along the back of the couch, the other pillowing her lovely head.
What incarnation of female beauty! was my single thought as I beheld
her there in all her splendour; and for a moment I stood upon the
threshold of her room, spell-bound between my maiden guides, dazzled
and bewildered by the vision of perfectness before me. With a smile for
which any man would cheerfully have sold his soul, she rose into a
sitting posture, saying:
"'Cyni, thou and thy sister may now leave.'
"Neither of us spoke nor moved further until the two maids had gone,
leaving me standing as in a dream, watching the sweet picture before
me. Then Volinè rose to her feet, and with smiles and blushes lending
an added charm to her countenance, came towards me, murmuring my name!
The spell was broken; and oblivious to aught else, I ran forward and
clasped her in my arms again.
"'Oh, Volinè, Volinè! my darling; this is rapture indeed. How good of
you to send for me thus!'
"'Happy do I feel to have thee with me again,' she answered, as her
head sank nestling on my breast.
"We kissed each other's lips, and together we drank the cup of our joy
to the dregs in one long, intoxicating draught, without a single drop
of bitterness to taint its sweetness.
"But why dwell on the ecstasy of our embrace and of our meeting, after
so much terrible sorrow? I led her unresistingly to the couch she had
so lately left, arranged the fallen furs around her, and sat me down
by her side. There, with one arm around her waist, and with my eyes
feasting upon the beauty of her face and form, we conversed of all
that had befallen us since last we talked together and parted in the
garden Siccoth, on that dreadful night before Remagaloth. We talked
those lovers' trifles, so sweet and apt when spoken, yet so cold and
passionless and uninteresting when read by others unconcerned.
"Then Volinè told me of all that had happened on the night we parted,
as we thought for ever. How all her efforts were in vain; how she had
visited Echri and been comforted in her despair; how he had promised to
intercede with the King. How he came too late; and how she spent the
time that we were at Remagaloth praying fervently for our salvation.
She told me of her joy when the news of our wondrous escape was brought
to Edos; of Echri's visit to the King; and of how the high and mighty
priest had exerted his power, and delivered us from an unrighteous doom!
"'Daily since then, dear Harry,' she told me amidst sobs and smiles,
'have I pleaded thy cause with my father; beseeching him to spare thee
and thy companions; to discredit Perodii's words, and to lend ear to
the utterances of the great and good Echri, and the men of Helmath.
I besought him to let ye go your way in peace, and not to cherish
feelings of revenge and hatred unworthy of a mighty king. But all I
could say availed me nothing definite. He felt keenly the disgrace and
humiliation in the Hall of Justice, and his heart was still hardened
towards ye, although I could perceive his mind was wavering, until
driven to desperation I told my father the naked truth.'
"'And what may that truth have been, darling?' I whispered, seeing
her hesitate, with heart beating fast within me, and with the
long-cherished hope that she had told the King of her love for me, and
that royal favour had smiled upon my suit.
"'Dost thou press me to answer, Harry?'
"'Indeed I do, my bonny one.'
"'But, mayhap, my words will cause thee pain!'
"'Not more than the suspense and anxiety I now suffer, until I hear
them, sweet one,' I answered, with faltering hope, dreading, yet eager
to hear her reply.
"'Then hearken to my words, and interrupt me not until I have told thee
all. I doubt me not that thou hast remembrance of Perodii's conduct in
Siccoth, and of the lying words he then did speak. From that night,
until the day of thy trial and sentence, he used his knowledge of our
stolen interview as a power of evil and annoyance against me. His
threats to make my honour the common gossip of the streets of Edos
bound my tongue to silence, for we women of Gathma dread to have our
fame tossed to and fro upon the breath of scandal. And so he forced his
unwelcome attentions upon me. I bore them, Harry, for thy sake; for he
gave me solemn assurance that my meeting with thee should be told to no
man, and that he would seek to save thee!'
'Darling! by the----'
"'Nay, interrupt me not, Harry,' she continued, placing a finger on
my lips. 'Thou knowest how he broke faith with me, and lied before
my father and a hundred thousand dwellers of Edos, and what woe his
words have wrought. He lied because his passion found no favour in my
sight, and because the King seemed in clement mood towards ye; and
well dost thou know the evil of his words. I told thee of my father's
wrath, and how he heard me without relenting, when last I met thee in
the garden. After thy trial and sentence, Perodii sought by threats to
make me yield unto his wish, and mate with him, but rather would I
spill mine own blood than be his wife. He even dared to attack me yet a
second time, on the night of thy escape from Remagaloth, and by cunning
artifice entered my chamber, where I prayed for thee! Cyni, by great
good fortune, chanced to be with me----'
"'By the living God, Volinè, Perodii shall answer to me for this,' I
said, in a voice that echoed the anger and hatred burning in my soul.
"'Hush! and hear me on. I have but little else to tell thee. Seeing
that he had been witnessed by Cyni he sped away, telling me that he was
starting from Edos that night to take thee prisoner again, and carry
out himself the sentence that had been pronounced upon thee. I held my
peace, hoping that some evil might overtake this Perodii in his search,
and praying that his quest might be vain; until I heard from a hunter
noble, by name Kios, that ye had struggled valiantly near Helmath, yet
had been overcome, and were being carried back to Edos. Then I told my
father all, and proved my words by good Cyni's aid. Great was his wrath
at the manner in which Perodii had duped him, and quickly did he take
steps to protect and befriend ye, as ye have already seen.'
"'But why not have told your father all this long ago, darling?'
"'My father hath many cares, and much business of State to do, and I
did not like to add to his troubles.'
"'But this Perodii; what punishment will be meted out to him? Surely,
he merits death for so insulting the daughter of his King.'
"'Harry, our laws are not thy laws; our customs in Gathma are not like
those in Ramos--Earth, as it is called by thee. Know thee, that even
the King hath no power to put to death a noble of Perodii's rank. He
can but depose him from Court----'
"'But Kios, whom we met near the city of Pamax, told us that for some
offence he had been condemned to die, and only saved his life through
the clemency of the King.'
"'Ah! I also heard yesterday from worthy Kios of your stay with him in
the woods of Theloth, and wish him well. But Kios was not of such noble
rank as Perodii, who in station is next to the King.'
"'That shall not prevent his reckoning with me, Volinè. The day shall
yet come when I will make him confess as publicly that his words were
lies, as when he spoke them in your father's Judgment Hall.'
"'Heed him not, O Harry; let him go his own evil way. Cross not his
path a second time, or he may do thee harm, and I----'
"'Should what, dear one?' I asked as I kissed her forehead.
"'Should never cease to grieve for thee; she answered, nestling closer
to me, and gazing into my face with her splendid eyes.
"'But I have no fear of such a coward as he; and by the customs of the
Earth I long have left, I swear he shall answer for his added insults
on you.'
"'Harry, Harry, dost thou not care for me enough to obey me? Thou dost!
Then let Perodii rest in the deep disgrace into which he hath already
fallen. By the customs of Edos, methinks no greater punishment could
be given him. And now thou must leave me.'
"'But when may I see you again, darling? To-night? Yes, say to-night,
and in the garden Siccoth, by the arbour where you first met me.'
"'Well, thou hast my promise. Now haste thee to thy comrades, for the
hour hath arrived when my maids do come to me.'
"'May the hour soon come, my darling, when we shall never have to part
again,' I said to her, unable longer to control my feelings.
"'What meanest thou?'
"'I will tell you, my precious one, in Siccoth's arbour, where, at
sunset, I shall wait in weariness until you come,' I answered, as I
kissed her again and again, before tearing myself away from her white,
encircling arms.
"Once more three blasts were blown by Volinè upon that golden whistle,
and almost immediately Cyni and her sister entered, and conducted me to
the foot of the staircase, where I found the marshal waiting to escort
me back to my companions.
"I found them in one of the smaller rooms of the Palace, happy enough,
and full of what they had been doing during the morning that I had
spent with Volinè. Temple had been amusing himself in wandering from
room to room of this wonderful Palace, passing his time in admiring
the costly and beautiful works which adorned its interior; all of
them new and strange, and like nothing to be found in the palaces of
Earth. The Doctor and Sandy had walked abroad into the streets and
squares of Edos, and were full of the curious scenes and customs they
had witnessed, and the strange types of architecture they had seen.
Everywhere they had been treated with respect, although much curiosity
was excited by their appearance and movements."
"I was just telling Temple that Edos would scarcely suit a man of his
commercial instincts," remarked the Doctor to Graham as he entered the
room. The Doctor had quite recovered his good temper, and the walk
abroad had put him in the best of spirits. "What do you think of a city
where there are no shops, nor marts of business? Edos is a centre of
luxury--a dwelling-place of the noble and those of high degree. None of
its inhabitants toil or trade therein. It is an ideal city; smokeless,
noiseless--a repository for the best and brightest results of the brain
and genius of a world, and a gathering-place for its cultured people,"
continued the Doctor, led away by his enthusiasm. "I want a hundred
hands, Graham, to chronicle all I have seen. My one regret is that my
life will not be long enough to do justice to this glorious world, or
to describe its endless wonders."
And so the afternoon slipped away in pleasant, entertaining chat,
varied by a light meal, which was served to us _al fresco_ by two of
the Palace servants. In the early evening the Doctor, Temple, and
Graham dined with the King--another sumptuous feast, at which the old
monarch made himself especially agreeable, and never seemed to tire
of hearing us recount our journey across the heavens, and tell of the
world we had left. Curiously enough, no ladies were numbered among the
guests; but this and the morning feast, we learned afterwards, were
State banquets, at which it is not etiquette for females to appear.
Graham--unknown, of course, to all the rest--chafed exceedingly under
the long and almost endless interrogations of the King; for he thought
of the tryst he had to keep with Volinè. Already the sun was sinking
low in the western sky; and he was all impatience to hasten away. At
last the meal was finished, and the brilliant gathering of nobles and
ministers rose from the table, and separated into groups to carry on
a friendly conversation. In the confusion Graham managed to slip away
unobserved, but took Temple into his confidence before doing so, who
promised to make excuses for him, if his absence chanced to be noticed
by the King.
"I left the banquet-hall just as the King and the Doctor were eagerly
engaged in a discussion upon the civilised forms of government on
Earth, slipping out unperceived, and hurrying along the corridor
towards the staircase that led down to a lower corridor, to which
I knew there was an entrance to the garden of Siccoth-trees. I was
just about to open this door, stooping down to examine the fastening
thereof, when the hated voice of my rival, Perodii, hissed into my ear
the following words:
"'Spawn of evil, we meet again! How often more art thou going to cross
my path and live? Beware, or by my eternal soul I will slay thee even
here.'
"'Prince Perodii, I desire to have no further intercourse with you,
and I waste precious time in answering your vulgar words.'
"'So, so; that wanton wench, Volinè, waits thee. My curse upon her for
meddling----'
"Perodii never finished his sentence, for without thinking of the
consequences of my act, and forgetting in my passion what I had
promised Volinè, I gave the Prince a stunning blow full in the face
with my clenched hand, and sent him reeling to the ground.
"'Take that; and may it teach you better manners,' I said, as I
delivered the blow straight from my shoulder. 'And, hark you,' I
continued, as he lay half-stunned upon the mosaic floor, 'if you ever
dare to speak one more insulting word in my hearing, about the woman I
love, may your worthless blood be upon your own head, for I will slay
you as I would a brute beast.'
"The Prince by this time had recovered his feet, and stood mad
with pain and rage, half blinded by the blow I had dealt him, and
unsheathing the long knife that dangled in a jewelled scabbard from his
waist. What the end would have been it is difficult to conjecture, but
at that moment our good friend Himos came along with a posse of troops,
at sight of whom Perodii sheathed his weapon and walked away, saying as
he did so:
"'The hour of my revenge is yet again delayed; but I will wait, aye,
wait for centuries yet to come, if need be, and wipe out all thy
insults in thy blood.'
"Nodding to Himos, I sped through the doorway into the garden, and
hurried along between the rows of curious shrubs and flowers towards
the arbour where Volinè had promised to meet me. Already the sun was
dipping behind the distant hills, and I feared that my darling might
have come, and not finding me there, had gone away again.
"The arbour was empty, and just as I saw it on that fateful night that
seemed already sunless ages gone. I sat me down on the seat where we
had embraced; then I walked to and fro along the path that her dear
feet had trod, scarcely able to control my impatience as the day fell
slowly into night and Volinè came not. Had harm befallen her? Then
terrible thoughts of Perodii's mad vengeance floated through my brain,
and I cursed myself for not killing him outright, and thus preventing
him from working her evil. At last my ear caught footsteps sounding on
the pathway, clearer and clearer in the still evening air. Then she for
whom I waited came from out of the shadows towards me, and in another
moment my sorrow was changed to joy as I folded her in my arms.
"'I fear I have kept thee waiting, but a disturbance in the Palace
has caused me delay. Perodii hath lodged complaint against thee for
striking him without cause, and my father is annoyed and angry that
such a vulgar fray should have taken place under his roof. Perodii now
hath no business within our royal house, and my father refused to hear
more of his words. Harry, why didst thou not keep thy promise to me,
and leave this man alone?'
"'Volinè, he is a coward and a liar. He alone is in the wrong, and
thrust himself upon me as I came hither. He insulted you, and I
struck him to the ground in my passion; but I am sorry now, for I have
offended you. But pardon and forgive me, dear one, and let nothing come
to mar our happiness. I will see the King anon, and tell him the simple
truth. Come! kiss me, and make me happy again.'
"'Thou dost not deserve it, Harry; but there--' and as she kissed
me she continued, 'And now heed my wishes better in future, or my
forgiveness will be more slowly given, I promise thee.'
"And so this little cloud above our happiness drifted away, and we
enjoyed all the sweets of each other's company to the full. I was
determined now, to-night, to ask Volinè to be my wife. In spite of our
differences of race, and inequality of rank and station, I resolved to
tell her of my passion, and to hear my fate.
"'Volinè,' I whispered, as I drew her gently and yet closer to
me--'Volinè, do you not know that I love you more passionately than
ever mortal man has loved before? Do you not know that you have brought
brightness into my life, and have taken that place in my heart which
only one woman can ever fill?'
"'But wilt thou always love me so?'
"'Always, darling; always--until the race of my life is run, and
all power of loving is stayed by the hand of death. Here, in this
arbour, I swear it. By my home world yonder, and all that I hold dear
thereon--see you, glimmering as a star above the tree-crests in the
southern sky--I pledge to love and to worship you, Volinè, so long as I
have life to love, and breath to speak it. Volinè, you are all in all
to me; my first love and my last. Without you, life is but another name
for pain; with you, bright and radiant joy for ever. I am yours, and
you are mine. Volinè, be my wife. Crown my happiness to-night by saying
"Yes."'
"'Stay, Harry; thy last words have brought a strange and unknown pain
to my heart, and revealed the misery that is now before me whichever
way I answer thee. Harry, the sweets of wifehood with thee are a joy
which I may never hope to reach. There is one barrier that must ever
stand between us, which maketh impossible a union between a son of thy
world and a daughter of mine. It hath been so ordained, and therefore
we cannot alter it to meet our will. This barrier of which I speak is
the span of life. Here, as thou knowest there are old men amongst us
who have seen five hundred summers whiten into winter. Four hundred
years are the men of Gathma's usual span, even as thou hast told me
but seventy are the limit of the men of Earth and thine. I am but five
and twenty summers--comparatively in childhood, yet--and for fifty
summers more I shall enjoy the sweets of youth. Thou art in the middle
of thy tiny course, and in a few more years will reach the close of
thy allotted span. Think then of my time of endless widowhood, sadly
mourning for thee; yearning for the love I tasted, only to lose. Were
I to wife with thee, my short happiness would ever be clouded by its
early end! It must not, cannot be!'
"'Volinè, your words blot out all brightness from my heart, which now
feels turned to stone. All now is dismal woe again--woe without a ray
of hope, and there is naught but death before me to free me from my
pain. Without you I cannot, will not, live, for life would be but a
living death of dark despair. Is there no hope for me? No hope, Volinè
dearest? Am I but to review this promised land of happiness from afar
off, only to turn my face away from its green pastures for ever? Ah,
no, it is too horrible!'
"'My poor Harry, it is as hard for me as for thee; for I love thee as
a woman only loves when she doth love, that is with all her soul. No
hope can lighten our darkness or leaven our sorrow. Yet, stay! There is
one way--one only; but, alas! it is all too terrible--too terrible to
speak.' And here she burst into a passionate fit of sobbing, and clung
tightly to me, stricken down with grief.
"I soothed her as best I could, and dried her hot tears with my own
parched lips, sighs of agony meanwhile breaking unbidden from my own
heart, and big beads of sweat rolling off my forehead like drops of
molten pain.
"'Speak, my darling, speak unto me,' I implored. 'Give words unto your
thoughts, and let me know and share them. Volinè, speak? or my heart
will burst with its heavy weight of woe.'
"Then, mingled with her sobs and moans of anguish, she spoke to me thus:
"'Harry, thou canst purchase happiness, but the price thou wilt have to
pay is as costly as it is terrible! I have heard that Holy Echri hath
the power of prolonging life, of endowing mortal man with forces that
rejuvenate. The ordeal is awful. It is one of fire! To him who would so
prolong or purchase life, the penalty is that he shall suffer all the
horrors of death by fire. I know not the secrets of the mystic rite;
but I will question Echri on the morrow. Doth it not seem unholy? And
yet; and--yet--love--is--sweet----'
"'Volinè, your words bring new hope to my heart. If Echri possesses
this wondrous power, then will I prove my love for you in his fires.
His furnace shall but burn the dross of my love away, but refine it
into a yet purer passion!'
"'Oh, Harry; how brave and how noble thou art! Thy calmness gives me
confidence. If thou hast will and courage to pass through this fire for
me, then surely shalt thou be rewarded by calling me thine own--that
is, provided my father hath no obstacle to urge against our union. But,
brave one, the hour is already late, and we must return. Meet me here
to-morrow even, at setting sun, and I will bring thee news from Echri.
Until then, adieu.'
"'Courage, courage, Volinè, my darling. All shall yet be well,'
I whispered to her, as we walked along the garden-paths towards
the Palace; and then planting kiss after kiss upon her willing,
desire-athirsted lips, and snowy brow, I released her from my arms, and
she went away.
"Love runs no smoother here, in Gathma, than on Earth, I mused, as
I walked along the brilliantly-lighted corridors, thinking over the
events of the past hour. A great and indefinable awe seemed creeping
through every fibre of my body, as I thought and thought over the
ghastly pledge I had just given, tempted by the vision of beauty in my
arms. Did I regret my hasty, passionate vow? I now asked myself in
cooler moments. No, no, a thousand times no, I mentally answered my own
question; for if the way to my own happiness lies through fire, through
fire I am thoroughly prepared to go."
* * * * *
[Here in the original MS. follows a long account of a scientific
nature, which, though of the greatest importance to philosophers,
might not be of sufficient interest to the general reading public.
I have therefore deemed it expedient to omit this portion of the
narrative, and keep as closely as possible to the fortunes of Harry and
Volinè.--ED.]