Plain Tales from the Hills

  VENUS ANNODOMINI.

  And the years went on as the years must do; But our great Diana was always new-- Fresh, and blooming, and blonde, and fair, With azure eyes and with aureate hair; And all the folk, as they came or went, Offered her praise to her heart's content.

  Diana of Ephesus.

  She had nothing to do with Number Eighteen in the Braccio Nuovo ofthe Vatican, between Visconti's Ceres and the God of the Nile. She waspurely an Indian deity--an Anglo-Indian deity, that is to say--andwe called her THE Venus Annodomini, to distinguish her from otherAnnodominis of the same everlasting order. There was a legend among theHills that she had once been young; but no living man was prepared tocome forward and say boldly that the legend was true. Men rode up toSimla, and stayed, and went away and made their name and did theirlife's work, and returned again to find the Venus Annodomini exactly asthey had left her. She was as immutable as the Hills. But not quiteso green. All that a girl of eighteen could do in the way of riding,walking, dancing, picnicking and over-exertion generally, the VenusAnnodomini did, and showed no sign of fatigue or trace of weariness.Besides perpetual youth, she had discovered, men said, the secret ofperpetual health; and her fame spread about the land. From a mere woman,she grew to be an Institution, insomuch that no young man could be saidto be properly formed, who had not, at some time or another, worshippedat the shrine of the Venus Annodomini. There was no one like her, thoughthere were many imitations. Six years in her eyes were no more than sixmonths to ordinary women; and ten made less visible impression on herthan does a week's fever on an ordinary woman. Every one adored her, andin return she was pleasant and courteous to nearly every one. Youth hadbeen a habit of hers for so long, that she could not part with it--neverrealized, in fact, the necessity of parting with it--and took for hermore chosen associates young people.

  Among the worshippers of the Venus Annodomini was young Gayerson."Very Young" Gayerson, he was called to distinguish him from his father"Young" Gayerson, a Bengal Civilian, who affected the customs--as he hadthe heart--of youth. "Very Young" Gayerson was not content to worshipplacidly and for form's sake, as the other young men did, or to accepta ride or a dance, or a talk from the Venus Annodomini in a properlyhumble and thankful spirit. He was exacting, and, therefore, the VenusAnnodomini repressed him. He worried himself nearly sick in a futilesort of way over her; and his devotion and earnestness made him appeareither shy or boisterous or rude, as his mood might vary, by the side ofthe older men who, with him, bowed before the Venus Annodomini. She wassorry for him. He reminded her of a lad who, three-and-twenty years ago,had professed a boundless devotion for her, and for whom in return shehad felt something more than a week's weakness. But that lad had fallenaway and married another woman less than a year after he had worshippedher; and the Venus Annodomini had almost--not quite--forgotten his name."Very Young" Gayerson had the same big blue eyes and the same way ofpouting his underlip when he was excited or troubled. But the VenusAnnodomini checked him sternly none the less. Too much zeal was a thingthat she did not approve of; preferring instead, a tempered and sobertenderness.

  "Very Young" Gayerson was miserable, and took no trouble to conceal hiswretchedness. He was in the Army--a Line regiment I think, but am notcertain--and, since his face was a looking-glass and his forehead anopen book, by reason of his innocence, his brothers in arms made hislife a burden to him and embittered his naturally sweet disposition. Noone except "Very Young" Gayerson, and he never told his views, knew howold "Very Young" Gayerson believed the Venus Annodomini to be. Perhapshe thought her five and twenty, or perhaps she told him that she wasthis age. "Very Young" Gayerson would have forded the Gugger in flood tocarry her lightest word, and had implicit faith in her. Every one likedhim, and every one was sorry when they saw him so bound a slave of theVenus Annodomini. Every one, too, admitted that it was not her fault;for the Venus Annodomini differed from Mrs. Hauksbee and Mrs. Reiver inthis particular--she never moved a finger to attract any one; but, likeNinon de l'Enclos, all men were attracted to her. One could admire andrespect Mrs. Hauksbee, despise and avoid Mrs. Reiver, but one was forcedto adore the Venus Annodomini.

  "Very Young" Gayerson's papa held a Division or a Collectorateor something administrative in a particularly unpleasant part ofBengal--full of Babus who edited newspapers proving that "Young"Gayerson was a "Nero" and a "Scylla" and a "Charybdis"; and, in additionto the Babus, there was a good deal of dysentery and cholera abroadfor nine months of the year. "Young" Gayerson--he was about five andforty--rather liked Babus, they amused him, but he objects to dysentery,and when he could get away, went to Darjilling for the most part. Thisparticular season he fancied that he would come up to Simla, and see hisboy. The boy was not altogether pleased. He told the Venus Annodominithat his father was coming up, and she flushed a little and said thatshe should be delighted to make his acquaintance. Then she looked longand thoughtfully at "Very Young" Gayerson; because she was very, verysorry for him, and he was a very, very big idiot.

  "My daughter is coming out in a fortnight, Mr. Gayerson," she said.

  "Your WHAT?" said he.

  "Daughter," said the Venus Annodomini. "She's been out for a year atHome already, and I want her to see a little of India. She is nineteenand a very sensible, nice girl I believe."

  "Very Young" Gayerson, who was a short twenty-two years old, nearly fellout of his chair with astonishment; for he had persisted in believing,against all belief, in the youth of the Venus Annodomini. She, with herback to the curtained window, watched the effect of her sentences andsmiled.

  "Very Young" Gayerson's papa came up twelve days later, and had not beenin Simla four and twenty hours, before two men, old acquaintances ofhis, had told him how "Very Young" Gayerson had been conducting himself.

  "Young" Gayerson laughed a good deal, and inquired who the VenusAnnodomini might be. Which proves that he had been living in Bengalwhere nobody knows anything except the rate of Exchange. Then he said"boys will be boys," and spoke to his son about the matter. "Very Young"Gayerson said that he felt wretched and unhappy; and "Young" Gayersonsaid that he repented of having helped to bring a fool into the world.He suggested that his son had better cut his leave short and go down tohis duties. This led to an unfilial answer, and relations were strained,until "Young" Gayerson demmanded that they should call on the VenusAnnodomini. "Very Young" Gayerson went with his papa, feeling, somehow,uncomfortable and small.

  The Venus Annodomini received them graciously and "Young" Gayersonsaid:--"By Jove! It's Kitty!" "Very Young" Gayerson would have listenedfor an explanation, if his time had not been taken up with trying totalk to a large, handsome, quiet, well-dressed girl--introduced to himby the Venus Annodomini as her daughter. She was far older in manners,style and repose than "Very Young" Gayerson; and, as he realized thisthing, he felt sick.

  Presently, he heard the Venus Annodomini saying:--"Do you know that yourson is one of my most devoted admirers?"

  "I don't wonder," said "Young" Gayerson. Here he raised his voice:--"Hefollows his father's footsteps. Didn't I worship the ground you trod on,ever so long ago, Kitty--and you haven't changed since then. How strangeit all seems!"

  "Very Young" Gayerson said nothing. His conversation with the daughterof the Venus Annodomini was, through the rest of the call, fragmentaryand disjointed.

  . . . . . . . . .

  "At five, to-morrow then," said the Venus Annodomini. "And mind you arepunctual."

  "At five punctual," said "Young" Gayerson. "You can lend your old fathera horse I dare say, youngster, can't you? I'm going for a ride tomorrowafternoon."

  "Certainly," said "Very Young" Gayerson. "I am going down to-morrowmorning. My ponies are at your service, Sir."

  The Venus Annodomini looked at him across the half-light of the room,and her big gray eyes filled with moisture. She rose and shook handswith him.

  "Good-bye, Tom," whispered the Venus Annodomini.