'And now, may it please you, oh stranger, to hear our story.
'Know then that our father was a Moor, one of the wealthiest of his
people, and he dwelt with his fellows in Spain, honoured and beloved.
Now, when Allah--whose name be exalted!--decreed that our nation should
be driven from the country, he, unwilling to leave the land of his
birth, built him, with the aid of magic arts, this palace. Here he
brought us, his four daughters and all his riches; he peopled it with
slaves and filled it with all necessary things, and here we lived in
peace and prosperity for many years; but at last a great misfortune
befell us, for our father, who was a very learned man and accustomed to
busy himself with many abstruse matters, one day got lost in a
metaphysical speculation--and has never been found again.'
Here she stopped, and they all sighed deeply.
'We searched high and low, but in vain, and he has not been found to
this day. So we took his will, and having broken the seal, read the
following,--"My daughters, I know by my wisdom that the time will come
when I shall be lost to you; then you will live alone enjoying the
riches and the pleasures which I have put at your disposal; but I
foresee that at the end of many years a youth will find his way to this
your palace. And though my magic arts have been able to build this
paradise for your habitation, though they have endowed you with
perpetual youth and loveliness, and, greatest deed of all, have banished
hence the dark shadow of Death, yet have they not the power to make four
maidens live in happiness and unity with but one man! Therefore, I have
given unto each of you certain gifts, and of you four the youth shall
choose one to be his love; and to him and her shall belong this palace,
and all my riches, and all my power; while the remaining three shall
leave everything here to these two, and depart hence for ever."
'Now, gentle youth, it is with you to choose which of us four you will
have remain.'
Amyntas looked at the four damsels standing before him, and his heart
beat violently.
'I,' resumed the speaker--'I am the eldest of the four, and it is my
right to speak first.'
She stepped forward and stood alone in front of Amyntas; her aspect was
most queenly, her features beautiful and clear, her eyes proud and
fiery; and masses of raven hair contrasted with the red flaming of her
garments. With an imperious gesture she flung back her hair, and spoke
thus,--
'Know, youth, that the gift which my father gave me was the gift of war,
and I have the power to make a great warrior of him whose love I am. I
will make you a king, youth; you shall command mighty armies, and you
shall lead them to battle on a prancing horse; your enemies shall quail
before your face, and at last you shall die no sluggard's death, but
pierced by honourable wounds, and the field of battle shall be your
deathbed; a nation shall mourn your loss, and your name shall go down
famous to after ages.'
'You are very beautiful,' said Amyntas, 'but I am not so eager for
warlike exploits as when I wandered through the green lanes of my native
land. Let me hear the others.'
A second stepped forward. She was clad most gorgeously of all; a crown
of diamonds was on her head, and her robes were of cloth of gold sewn
with rubies and emeralds and sapphires.
'The gift I have to give is wealth, riches--riches innumerable, riches
greater than man can dream of. Do you want to be a king, the riches I
can give will make you one; do you want armies, riches can procure
them; do you want victory, riches can buy it--all these that my sister
offers you can I with my riches give you; and more than that, for
everything in the world can be got with riches, and you shall be
all-powerful. Take me to be your love and I will make you the Lord of
Gold.'
Amyntas smiled.
'You forget, lady, that I am but twenty.'
The third stepped forward. She was beautiful and pale and thoughtful.
Her hair was yellow, like corn when the sun is shining on it; and her
dress was green, like the young grass of the spring. She spoke without
the animation of the others, mournfully rather than proudly, and she
looked at Amyntas with melancholy eyes.
'I am the Lady of Art; all that is beautiful and good and wise is in my
province. Live with me; I will make you a poet, and you shall sing
beautiful songs. You shall be wise; and in perfect wisdom, oh youth! is
perfect happiness.'
'The poet has said that wisdom is weariness, oh lady!' said Amyntas. 'My
father is a poet; he has written ten thousand Latin hexameters, and a
large number of Greek iambics.' ...
Then came forward the last. As she stood before Amyntas a cry burst from
him; he had never in his life seen anyone so ravishingly beautiful. She
was looking down, and her long eyelashes prevented her eyes from being
seen, but her lips were like a perfect rose, and her skin was like a
peach; her hair fell to her waist in great masses of curls, and their
sparkling auburn, many-hued and indescribable, changed in the sunbeams
from richest brown to gold, tinged with deep red. She wore a simple
tunic of thin silk, clasped at her waist with a jewelled belt of gold.
She stood before Amyntas, letting him gaze; then suddenly she lifted her
eyes to his. Amyntas's heart gave a mighty beat against his chest. Her
eyes, her eyes were the very lights of love, carrying passionate kisses
on their beams. A sob of ecstasy choked the youth, and he felt that he
could kneel down and worship before them.
Slowly her lips broke into a smile, and her voice was soft and low.
'I am the Lady of Love,' she said. 'Look!' She raised her arms, and the
thin, loose sleeves falling back displayed their roundness and
exquisite shape; she lifted her head, and Amyntas thrilled to cover her
neck with kisses. At last she loosened her girdle, and when the silken
tunic fell to her feet she stood before him in perfect loveliness.
'I cannot give you fame, or riches, or wisdom; I can only give you Love,
Love, Love.... Oh, what an eternity of delight shall we enjoy in one
another's arms! Come, my beloved, come!'
'Yes, I come, my darling!' Amyntas stepped forward with outstretched
arms, and took her hands in his. 'I take you for my love; I want not
wealth nor great renown, but only you. You will give me love-alluring
kisses, and we will live in never-ending bliss.'
He drew her to him, and, with his arms around her, pressed back her head
and covered her lips with kisses.