At the same moment the silver doors of the palace were opened, and from
them issued black slaves, magnificently apparelled; they descended to
Amyntas and with courteous gestures assisted him out of the boat. Then
two other slaves, even more splendidly attired than their fellows, came
down and led Amyntas slowly and with great state into the court of the
palace, at the end of which was a great chamber; into this they motioned
the youth to enter. They made him the lowest possible bows and retired,
letting a curtain fall over the doorway. But immediately the curtain was
raised and other slaves came in, bearing gorgeous robes and all kinds of
necessaries for the toilet. With much ceremony they proceeded to bathe
and scent the fortunate creature; they polished and dyed his finger
nails; they pencilled his eyebrows and faintly darkened his long
eyelashes; they put precious balsam on his hair; then they clothed him
in silken robes glittering with gold and silver; they put the daintiest
red morocco shoes on his feet, a jewelled chain about his neck, rings on
his fingers, and in his turban a rich diamond. Finally they placed
before him a gigantic mirror, and left him.
Everything had been conducted in complete silence, and Amyntas
throughout had preserved the most intense gravity. But when he was alone
he gave a little silent laugh of delight. It was obvious that at last he
was to be rewarded according to his deserts. He looked at the rings on
his fingers, resisting a desire to put one or two of them in his pocket
in case of a future rainy day. Then, catching sight of himself in the
mirror, he started. Was that really himself? How very delightful! He
made sure that no one could see, and then began to make bows to himself
in the mirror; he walked up and down the room, observing the stateliness
of his gesture; he waved his hands in a lordly and patronising fashion;
he turned himself round to look at his back; he was very annoyed that
he could not see his profile. He came to the conclusion that he looked
every inch a king's son, and his inner consciousness told him that
consequently the king's daughter could not be far off.
But he would explore his palace! He girded his sword about him; it was a
scimitar of beautiful workmanship, and the scabbard was incrusted with
precious stones.... From the court he passed into many wonderful rooms,
one leading out of the other; there were rich carpets on the marble
floors, and fountains played softly in the centre, the walls were inlaid
with rare marbles; but he never saw a living soul.
In the last hour Amyntas had become fully alive to his great importance,
and carried himself accordingly. He took long, dignified steps, and held
one hand on the jewelled hilt of his sword, with his elbows stuck out at
right angles to his body; his head was thrown back proudly and his
nostrils dilated with appropriate scorn. At last he came to a door
closed by a curtain; he raised it. But he started back and was so
surprised that he found no words to express his emotions. Four maidens
were sitting in the room, more beautiful than he had thought possible
in his most extravagant dreams. The gods had evidently not intended
Amyntas for single blessedness.... The young persons appeared not to
have noticed him. Two of them were seated on rugs playing a languid game
of chess, the others were lazily smoking cigarettes.
'Mate!' murmured one of the players.
'Oh!' sighed the other, yawning, 'another game finished! That makes five
million and twenty-three games against your five million and
seventy-nine.'
They all yawned.
But Amyntas felt he must give notice of his presence, and suddenly
remembering an expression he had learnt on board ship, he put on a most
ferocious look and cried out,--
'Shiver my timbers!'
The maidens turned towards him with a little cry, but they quickly
recovered themselves and one of them came towards him.
'You speak like a king's son, oh youth!' she said.
There was a moment's hesitation, and the lady, with a smile, added, 'Oh,
ardently expected one, you are a compendium of the seven excellences!'
Then they all began to pay him compliments, each one capping the other's
remark.
'You have a face like the full moon, oh youth; your eyes are the eyes of
the gazelle; your walk is like the gait of the mountain partridge; your
chin is as an apple; your cheeks are pomegranates.'
But Amyntas interrupted them.
'For God's sake, madam,' he said, 'let us have no palavering, and if you
love me give me some victuals!...'
Immediately female slaves came in with salvers laden with choice food,
and the four maidens plied Amyntas with delicacies. At the end of the
repast they sprinkled him with rose-water, and the eldest of them put a
crown of roses on his hair. Amyntas thought that after all life was not
an empty dream.