THE LAST
I KNOW not how long it was before the eyes of our mistress recoiled
from that humorous front with which her great captain met the whole
assembly. With her, I fear it must have been an age. Yet at last
her gaze, that was now hapless, faltered altogether, and, like a
proud-wingèd bird with its plumage torn, it fell to earth.
At the same instant this delectable form was shaken bitterly. And then
our mistress looked up, and with eyes that shone no more like the
Tagus, and with cheeks ashen white instead of the rosy carmine of a
fair flower, she said with a most beautiful gentleness,--
“An it please you, Sirrah Red Dragon, I--I will wed the froward prince.”
Without permitting her unhappiness to stray away to him to whom this
resolve was published, she summoned to her side the royal captive with
an air that was ineffable.
The King, who was only too well acquainted with all that had passed,
for it was of the highest significance to Castile and to himself, came
forward at his youthful cousin’s behest.
“Froward prince,” said the Countess Sylvia, speaking with a sweet
broken gentleness which yet seemed to proclaim a wide dominion of the
soul, “your crime is forgot. The halters are taken from the throats of
your ministers. Your treasuries are given back to you; and with them is
given my good pleasure.”
With a cheek the colour of snow, our mistress held forth her slender
jewelled fingers to him of Castile. Yet at first the King made no sign,
perhaps for bewilderment or perhaps for shame. And then, slowly and
modestly, with a humility in all his gestures, with a pure and noble
fire in his eyes, he knelt before her and bowed his head.
THE END
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.
Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.
New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the
public domain.