One person, however, did not succeed in getting out in time before thegates were shut, and that was the High Priest Agon, who, as we had everyreason to believe, was Sorais' great ally, and the heart and soul of herparty. This cunning and ferocious old man had not forgiven us for thosehippopotami, or rather that was what he said. What he meant was thathe would never brook the introduction of our wider ways of thought andforeign learning and influence while there was a possibility of stampingus out. Also he knew that we possessed a different system of religion,and no doubt was in daily terror of our attempting to introduce it intoZu-Vendis. One day he asked me if we had any religion in our country,and I told him that so far as I could remember we had ninety-fivedifferent ones. You might have knocked him down with a feather, andreally it is difficult not to pity a high priest of a well-establishedcult who is haunted by the possible approach of one or all ofninety-five new religions.
When we knew that Agon was caught, Nyleptha, Sir Henry, and I discussedwhat was to be done with him. I was for closely incarcerating him,but Nyleptha shook her head, saying that it would produce a disastrouseffect throughout the country. 'Ah!' she added, with a stamp of herfoot, 'if I win and am once really Queen, I will break the power ofthose priests, with their rites and revels and dark secret ways.' I onlywished that old Agon could have heard her, it would have frightened him.
'Well,' said Sir Henry, 'if we are not to imprison him, I suppose thatwe may as well let him go. He is of no use here.'
Nyleptha looked at him in a curious sort of way, and said in a drylittle voice, 'Thinkest thou so, my lord?'
'Eh?' said Curtis. 'No, I do not see what is the use of keeping him.'
She said nothing, but continued looking at him in a way that was as shyas it was sweet.
Then at last he understood.
'Forgive me, Nyleptha,' he said, rather tremulously. 'Dost thou meanthat thou wilt marry me, even now?'
'Nay, I know not; let my lord say,' was her rapid answer; 'but if mylord wills, the priest is there and the altar is there'--pointing to theentrance to a private chapel--'and am I not ready to do the will of mylord? Listen, oh my lord! In eight days or less thou must leave me andgo down to war, for thou shalt lead my armies, and in war--men sometimesfall, and so I would for a little space have had thee all my own, ifonly for memory's sake;' and the tears overflowed her lovely eyes androlled down her face like heavy drops of dew down the red heart of arose.
'Mayhap, too,' she went on, 'I shall lose my crown, and with my crown mylife and thine also. Sorais is very strong and very bitter, and if sheprevails she will not spare. Who can read the future? Happiness is theworld's White Bird, that alights seldom, and flies fast and far till oneday he is lost in the clouds. Therefore should we hold him fast if byany chance he rests for a little space upon our hand. It is not wise toneglect the present for the future, for who knows what the future willbe, Incubu? Let us pluck our flowers while the dew is on them, for whenthe sun is up they wither and on the morrow will others bloom that weshall never see.' And she lifted her sweet face to him and smiled intohis eyes, and once more I felt a curious pang of jealousy and turned andwent away. They never took much notice of whether I was there or not,thinking, I suppose, that I was an old fool, and that it did not matterone way or the other, and really I believe that they were right.
So I went back to our quarters and ruminated over things in general, andwatched old Umslopogaas whetting his axe outside the window as a vulturewhets his beak beside a dying ox.
And in about an hour's time Sir Henry came tearing over, lookingvery radiant and wildly excited, and found Good and myself and evenUmslopogaas, and asked us if we should like to assist at a real wedding.Of course we said yes, and off we went to the chapel, where we foundAgon looking as sulky as any High Priest possibly could, and no wonder.It appeared that he and Nyleptha had a slight difference of opinionabout the coming ceremony. He had flatly refused to celebrate it, or toallow any of his priests to do so, whereupon Nyleptha became very angryand told him that she, as Queen, was head of the Church, and meant tobe obeyed. Indeed, she played the part of a Zu-Vendi Henry the Eighth toperfection, and insisted that, if she wanted to be married, she would bemarried, and that he should marry her. {Endnote 18}
He still refused to go through the ceremony, so she clinched herargument thus--
'Well, I cannot execute a High Priest, because there is an absurdprejudice against it, and I cannot imprison him because all hissubordinates would raise a crying that would bring the stars down onZu-Vendis and crush it; but I _can_ leave him to contemplate thealtar of the Sun without anything to eat, because that is his naturalvocation, and if thou wilt not marry me, O Agon! thou shalt be placedbefore the altar yonder with nought but a little water till such time asthou hast reconsidered the matter.'
Now, as it happened, Agon had been hurried away that morning without hisbreakfast, and was already exceedingly hungry, so he presently modifiedhis views and consented to marry them, saying at the same time that hewashed his hands of all responsibility in the matter.
So it chanced that presently, attended only by two of her favouritemaidens, came the Queen Nyleptha, with happy blushing face and downcasteyes, dressed in pure white, without embroidery of any sort, as seemsto be the fashion on these occasions in most countries of the world. Shedid not wear a single ornament, even her gold circlets were removed,and I thought that if possible she looked more lovely than ever withoutthem, as really superbly beautiful women do.
She came, curtseyed low to Sir Henry, and then took his hand and led himup before the altar, and after a little pause, in a slow, clear voiceuttered the following words, which are customary in Zu-Vendis if thebride desires and the man consents:--
'Thou dost swear by the Sun that thou wilt take no other woman to wifeunless I lay my hand upon her and bid her come?'
'I swear it,' answered Sir Henry; adding in English, 'One is quiteenough for me.'
Then Agon, who had been sulking in a corner near the altar, came forwardand gabbled off something into his beard at such a rate that I could notfollow it, but it appeared to be an invocation to the Sun to blessthe union and make it fruitful. I observed that Nyleptha listened veryclosely to every word, and afterwards discovered that she was afraidlest Agon should play her a trick, and by going through the invocationsbackwards divorce them instead of marry them. At the end of theinvocations they were asked, as in our service, if they took each otherfor husband and wife, and on their assenting they kissed each otherbefore the altar, and the service was over, so far as their rites wereconcerned. But it seemed to me that there was yet something wanting, andso I produced a Prayer-Book, which has, together with the 'IngoldsbyLegends', that I often read when I lie awake at night, accompanied me inall my later wanderings. I gave it to my poor boy Harry years ago, andafter his death I found it among his things and took it back again.
'Curtis,' I said, 'I am not a clergyman, and I do not know if what I amgoing to propose is allowable--I know it is not legal--but if you andthe Queen have no objection I should like to read the English marriageservice over you. It is a solemn step which you are taking, and I thinkthat you ought, so far as circumstances will allow, to give it thesanction of your own religion.'
'I have thought of that,' he said, 'and I wish you would. I do not feelhalf married yet.'
Nyleptha raised no objection, fully understanding that her husbandwished to celebrate the marriage according to the rites prevailing inhis own country, and so I set to work and read the service, from 'Dearlybeloved' to 'amazement', as well as I could; and when I came to 'I,Henry, take thee, Nyleptha,' I translated, and also 'I, Nyleptha, takethee, Henry,' which she repeated after me very well. Then Sir Henry tooka plain gold ring from his little finger and placed it on hers, and soon to the end. The ring had been Curtis' mother's wedding-ring, and Icould not help thinking how astonished the dear old Yorkshire lady wouldhave been if she could have foreseen that her wedding-ring was to servea similar purpose for Nyleptha, a Queen of the Zu-Ven
di.
As for Agon, he was with difficulty kept calm while this second ceremonywas going on, for he at once understood that it was religious in itsnature, and doubtless bethought him of the ninety-five new faiths whichloomed so ominously in his eyes. Indeed, he at once set me down as arival High Priest, and hated me accordingly. However, in the end off hewent, positively bristling with indignation, and I knew that we mightlook out for danger from his direction.
And off went Good and I, and old Umslopogaas also, leaving the happypair to themselves, and very low we all felt. Marriages are supposedto be cheerful things, but my experience is that they are very much thereverse to everybody, except perhaps the two people chiefly interested.They mean the breaking-up of so many old ties as well as the undertakingof so many new ones, and there is always something sad about the passingaway of the old order. Now to take this case for instance: Sir HenryCurtis is the best and kindest fellow and friend in the world, but hehas never been quite the same since that little scene in the chapel.It is always Nyleptha this and Nyleptha that--Nyleptha, in short,from morning till night in one way or another, either expressed orunderstood. And as for the old friends--well, of course they have takenthe place that old friends ought to take, and which ladies are as a rulevery careful to see they do take when a man marries, and that is, thesecond place. Yes, he would be angry if anybody said so, but it is afact for all that. He is not quite the same, and Nyleptha is very sweetand very charming, but I think that she likes him to understand that shehas married _him_, and not Quatermain, Good, and Co. But there! what isthe use of grumbling? It is all very right and proper, as any marriedlady would have no difficulty in explaining, and I am a selfish, jealousold man, though I hope I never show it.
So Good and I went and ate in silence and then indulged in an extra fineflagon of old Zu-Vendian to keep our spirits up, and presently one ofour attendants came and told a story that gave us something to thinkabout.
It may, perhaps, be remembered that, after his quarrel with Umslopogaas,Alphonse had gone off in an exceedingly ill temper to sulk over hisscratches. Well, it appears that he walked right past the Temple to theSun, down the wide road on the further side of the slope it crowns, andthence on into the beautiful park, or pleasure gardens, which are laidout just beyond the outer wall. After wandering about there for a littlehe started to return, but was met near the outer gate by Sorais' trainof chariots, which were galloping furiously along the great northernroad. When she caught sight of Alphonse, Sorais halted her train andcalled to him. On approaching he was instantly seized and draggedinto one of the chariots and carried off, 'crying out loudly', as ourinformant said, and as from my general knowledge of him I can wellbelieve.
At first I was much puzzled to know what object Sorais could have had incarrying off the poor little Frenchman. She could hardly stoop so lowas to try to wreak her fury on one whom she knew was only a servant. Atlast, however, an idea occurred to me. We three were, as I think I havesaid, much revered by the people of Zu-Vendis at large, both becausewe were the first strangers they had ever seen, and because we weresupposed to be the possessors of almost supernatural wisdom. Indeed,though Sorais' cry against the 'foreign wolves'--or, to translate itmore accurately, 'foreign hyenas'--was sure to go down very well withthe nobles and the priests, it was not as we learnt, likely to beparticularly effectual amongst the bulk of the population. The Zu-Vendipeople, like the Athenians of old, are ever seeking for some new thing,and just because we were so new our presence was on the whole acceptableto them. Again, Sir Henry's magnificent personal appearance made a deepimpression upon a race who possess a greater love of beauty than anyother I have ever been acquainted with. Beauty may be prized in othercountries, but in Zu-Vendis it is almost worshipped, as indeedthe national love of statuary shows. The people said openly in themarket-places that there was not a man in the country to touch Curtis inpersonal appearance, as with the exception of Sorais there was no womanwho could compete with Nyleptha, and that therefore it was meet thatthey should marry; and that he had been sent by the Sun as a husband fortheir Queen. Now, from all this it will be seen that the outcry againstus was to a considerable extent fictitious, and nobody knew it betterthan Sorais herself. Consequently it struck me that it might haveoccurred to her that down in the country and among the country people,it would be better to place the reason of her conflict with her sisterupon other and more general grounds than Nyleptha's marriage with thestranger. It would be easy in a land where there had been so many civilwars to rake out some old cry that would stir up the recollection ofburied feuds, and, indeed, she soon found an effectual one. This beingso, it was of great importance to her to have one of the strangers withher whom she could show to the common people as a great Outlander, whohad been so struck by the justice of her cause that he had elected toleave his companions and follow her standard.
This, no doubt, was the cause of her anxiety to get a hold of Good, whomshe would have used till he ceased to be of service and then cast off.But Good having drawn back she grasped at the opportunity of securingAlphonse, who was not unlike him in personal appearance though smaller,no doubt with the object of showing him off in the cities and country asthe great Bougwan himself. I told Good that I thought that that was herplan, and his face was a sight to see--he was so horrified at the idea.
'What,' he said, 'dress up that little wretch to represent me? Why, Ishall have to get out of the country! My reputation will be ruined forever.'
I consoled him as well as I could, but it is not pleasant to bepersonated all over a strange country by an arrant little coward, and Ican quite sympathize with his vexation.
Well, that night Good and I messed as I have said in solitary grandeur,feeling very much as though we had just returned from burying a friendinstead of marrying one, and next morning the work began in goodearnest. The messages and orders which had been despatched by Nylepthatwo days before now began to take effect, and multitudes of armed mencame pouring into the city. We saw, as may be imagined, but very littleof Nyleptha and not too much of Curtis during those next few days,but Good and I sat daily with the council of generals and loyallords, drawing up plans of action, arranging commissariat matters, thedistribution of commands, and a hundred and one other things. Men camein freely, and all the day long the great roads leading to Milosis werespotted with the banners of lords arriving from their distant places torally round Nyleptha.
After the first few days it became clear that we should be able totake the field with about forty thousand infantry and twenty thousandcavalry, a very respectable force considering how short was the time wehad to collect it, and that about half the regular army had elected tofollow Sorais.
But if our force was large, Sorais' was, according to the reportsbrought in day by day by our spies, much larger. She had taken up herheadquarters at a very strong town called M'Arstuna, situated, as I havesaid, to the north of Milosis, and all the countryside was flocking toher standard. Nasta had poured down from his highlands and was onhis way to join her with no less than twenty-five thousand of hismountaineers, the most terrible soldiers to face in all Zu-Vendis.Another mighty lord, named Belusha, who lived in the greathorse-breeding district, had come in with twelve thousand cavalry, andso on. Indeed, what between one thing and another, it seemed certainthat she would gather a fully armed host of nearly one hundred thousandmen.
And then came news that Sorais was proposing to break up her camp andmarch on the Frowning City itself, desolating the country as she came.Thereon arose the question whether it would be best to meet her atMilosis or to go out and give her battle. When our opinion was askedupon the subject, Good and I unhesitatingly gave it in favour of anadvance. If we were to shut ourselves up in the city and wait to beattacked, it seemed to us that our inaction would be set down to fear.It is so important, especially on an occasion of this sort, when a verylittle will suffice to turn men's opinions one way or the other, to beup and doing something. Ardour for a cause will soon evaporate if thecause does not move but sits down t
o conquer. Therefore we cast our votefor moving out and giving battle in the open, instead of waiting till wewere drawn from our walls like a badger from a hole.
Sir Henry's opinion coincided with ours, and so, needless to say, didthat of Nyleptha, who, like a flint, was always ready to flash out fire.A great map of the country was brought and spread out before her. Aboutthirty miles this side of M'Arstuna, where Sorais lay, and ninety oddmiles from Milosis, the road ran over a neck of land some two and a halfmiles in width, and flanked on either side by forest-clad hillswhich, without being lofty, would, if the road were blocked, be quiteimpracticable for a great baggage-laden army to cross. She lookedearnestly at the map, and then, with a quickness of perception that insome women amounts almost to an instinct, she laid her finger upon thisneck of rising ground, and turning to her husband, said, with a proudair of confidence and a toss of the golden head--
'Here shalt thou meet Sorais' armies. I know the spot, here shalt thoumeet them, and drive them before thee like dust before the storm.'
But Curtis looked grave and said nothing.
CHAPTER XX THE BATTLE OF THE PASS