The Princess and the Goblin

  CHAPTER 10

  The Princess's King-Papa

  The weather continued fine for weeks, and the little princess went outevery day. So long a period of fine weather had indeed never beenknown upon that mountain. The only uncomfortable thing was that hernurse was so nervous and particular about being in before the sun wasdown that often she would take to her heels when nothing worse than afleecy cloud crossing the sun threw a shadow on the hillside; and manyan evening they were home a full hour before the sunlight had left theweather-cock on the stables. If it had not been for such odd behaviourIrene would by this time have almost forgotten the goblins. She neverforgot Curdie, but him she remembered for his own sake, and indeedwould have remembered him if only because a princess never forgets herdebts until they are paid.

  One splendid sunshiny day, about an hour after noon, Irene, who wasplaying on a lawn in the garden, heard the distant blast of a bugle.She jumped up with a cry of joy, for she knew by that particular blastthat her father was on his way to see her. This part of the garden layon the slope of the hill and allowed a full view of the country below.So she shaded her eyes with her hand and looked far away to catch thefirst glimpse of shining armour. In a few moments a little troop cameglittering round the shoulder of a hill. Spears and helmets weresparkling and gleaming, banners were flying, horses prancing, and againcame the bugle-blast which was to her like the voice of her fathercalling across the distance: 'Irene, I'm coming.'

  On and on they came until she could clearly distinguish the king. Herode a white horse and was taller than any of the men with him. He worea narrow circle of gold set with jewels around his helmet, and as hecame still nearer Irene could discern the flashing of the stones in thesun. It was a long time since he had been to see her, and her littleheart beat faster and faster as the shining troop approached, for sheloved her king-papa very dearly and was nowhere so happy as in hisarms. When they reached a certain point, after which she could seethem no more from the garden, she ran to the gate, and there stood tillup they came, clanging and stamping, with one more bright bugle-blastwhich said: 'Irene, I am come.'

  By this time the people of the house were all gathered at the gate, butIrene stood alone in front of them. When the horsemen pulled up sheran to the side of the white horse and held up her arms. The kingstopped and took her hands. In an instant she was on the saddle andclasped in his great strong arms.

  I wish I could describe the king so that you could see him in yourmind. He had gentle, blue eyes, but a nose that made him look like aneagle. A long dark beard, streaked with silvery lines, flowed from hismouth almost to his waist, and as Irene sat on the saddle and hid herglad face upon his bosom it mingled with the golden hair which hermother had given her, and the two together were like a cloud withstreaks of the sun woven through it. After he had held her to hisheart for a minute he spoke to his white horse, and the great beautifulcreature, which had been prancing so proudly a little while before,walked as gently as a lady--for he knew he had a little lady on hisback--through the gate and up to the door of the house. Then the kingset her on the ground and, dismounting, took her hand and walked withher into the great hall, which was hardly ever entered except when hecame to see his little princess. There he sat down, with two of hiscounsellors who had accompanied him, to have some refreshment, andIrene sat on his right hand and drank her milk out of a wooden bowlcuriously carved.

  After the king had eaten and drunk he turned to the princess and said,stroking her hair:

  'Now, my child, what shall we do next?'

  This was the question he almost always put to her first after theirmeal together; and Irene had been waiting for it with some impatience,for now, she thought, she should be able to settle a question whichconstantly perplexed her.

  'I should like you to take me to see my great old grandmother.'

  The king looked grave And said:

  'What does my little daughter mean?'

  'I mean the Queen Irene that lives up in the tower--the very old lady,you know, with the long hair of silver.'

  The king only gazed at his little princess with a look which she couldnot understand.

  'She's got her crown in her bedroom,' she went on; 'but I've not beenin there yet. You know she's there, don't you?'

  'No,' said the king, very quietly.

  'Then it must all be a dream,' said Irene. 'I half thought it was; butI couldn't be sure. Now I am sure of it. Besides, I couldn't find herthe next time I went up.'

  At that moment a snow-white pigeon flew in at an open window andsettled upon Irene's head. She broke into a merry laugh, cowered alittle, and put up her hands to her head, saying:

  'Dear dovey, don't peck me. You'll pull out my hair with your longclaws if you don't mind.'

  The king stretched out his hand to take the pigeon, but it spread itswings and flew again through the open window, when its Whiteness madeone flash in the sun and vanished. The king laid his hand on hisprincess's head, held it back a little, gazed in her face, smiled halfa smile, and sighed half a sigh.

  'Come, my child; we'll have a walk in the garden together,' he said.

  'You won't come up and see my huge, great, beautiful grandmother, then,king-papa?' said the princess.

  'Not this time,' said the king very gently. 'She has not invited me,you know, and great old ladies like her do not choose to be visitedwithout leave asked and given.'

  The garden was a very lovely place. Being upon a Mountainside therewere parts in it where the rocks came through in great masses, and allimmediately about them remained quite wild. Tufts of heather grew uponthem, and other hardy mountain plants and flowers, while near themwould be lovely roses and lilies and all pleasant garden flowers. Thismingling of the wild mountain with the civilized garden was veryquaint, and it was impossible for any number of gardeners to make sucha garden look formal and stiff.

  Against one of these rocks was a garden seat, shadowed from theafternoon sun by the overhanging of the rock itself. There was alittle winding path up to the top of the rock, and on top another seat;but they sat on the seat at its foot because the sun was hot; and therethey talked together of many things. At length the king said:

  'You were out late one evening, Irene.'

  'Yes, papa. It was my fault; and Lootie was very sorry.'

  'I must talk to Lootie about it,' said the king.

  'Don't speak loud to her, please, papa,' said Irene. 'She's been soafraid of being late ever since! Indeed she has not been naughty. Itwas only a mistake for once.'

  'Once might be too often,' murmured the king to himself, as he strokedhis child's head.

  I can't tell you how he had come to know. I am sure Curdie had nottold him. Someone about the palace must have seen them, after all.

  He sat for a good while thinking. There was no sound to be heardexcept that of a little stream which ran merrily out of an opening inthe rock by where they sat, and sped away down the hill through thegarden. Then he rose and, leaving Irene where she was, went into thehouse and sent for Lootie, with whom he had a talk that made her cry.

  When in the evening he rode away upon his great white horse, he leftsix of his attendants behind him, with orders that three of them shouldwatch outside the house every night, walking round and round it fromsunset to sunrise. It was clear he was not quite comfortable about theprincess.