CHAPTER XVI.
VOLIN?.
Heavily chained and without food we were left in our old quartersuntil morning, not even the benefit of a light being vouchsafed to us.For this harsh treatment we had only Perodii to thank; indeed, it washighly improbable that the King had been apprised of our return, aswe arrived at so late an hour. We passed the remainder of the nightin miserable suspense, listening to the regular tramp of the guardsoutside, and saying little to each other.
"I hope, Graham, you now see the folly of your foolish intrigue withthis woman. Had it not been for her we should never have incurredthe anger and the hatred of this Prince Perodii; the King would haveoverlooked our killing Osa, and we should now be free," said theDoctor, with more irritation in his voice than we had ever heard before.
"Come, come, Doctor," answered Temple, "it's no use reproaching Graham;and this scoundrel of a Prince Perodii may yet go a little too far."
"But how can that help us? How can his downfall shake off our fetters?How can his evil fortune bring our release from captivity, or save usfrom death?" continued the Doctor, with a dogged determination tostick to his opinions on women in general.
"I'll back a woman's wit to find a way," Temple went on. "Volin?'sdislike for this Perodii, and her partiality for Graham, will act asirresistible incentives to triumph over the man she despises, and savethe other whom she loves."
"We have not had much evidence to confirm what you say, Temple," saidthe Doctor, as obstinately as ever.
"True," answered Temple; "but you cannot suppose that this girl hasremained idle. Depend upon it, her royal father has had to put up witha good deal of coaxing and entreaty on behalf of her lover. She willbe sure to take advantage of our escape from Remagaloth, and make themost of her time, unless she is very different from the girls of Earth.Perodii's absence from Edos, too, favours her efforts, and she willhave had a clear field. Then there is this Echri----"
"Pray draw the line at the supernatural. This ring affair is not worthserious words--a lot of humbugging duplicity, shielded by religion. No!you will never convince me, Temple. As I said before, so I say again,women are the root of all mischief; and it is a thousand pities thisVolin? ever became mixed up in our affairs."
"Well, well, Doctor, we won't argue further, it only makesunpleasantness."
All through this controversy Graham never uttered a word. He sat stillin the darkest corner of the room, and only the occasional jingle ofhis brass fetters told us that he was awake. Secretly he enjoyed thisconversation about his dear one. It was untold joy to him to be backagain under the very roof that sheltered her, to be so close to her;and the hope of seeing her again gave him strength, and brightened thedark hours of his captivity. He never lost confidence in the beautifulgirl who had made him happy by giving him her love; and he knew thathe and his companions would neither be forgotten nor forsaken in theirneed. He would not provoke discord in their little band by argumentwith his good and worthy friend, Doctor Hermann, on the only topicon which they were bound to disagree. He preferred to sit in silencethrough the night, with glad thoughts of Volin? for his company. Hehad escaped what looked like certain death, he was back near the womanwho was all-in-all to him; the very garden in which they had met andtasted the secrets of love was but outside the prison window; the darkhopeless future, which had appeared but a stormy plain of wild despair,stretching away, away unto death, seemed already tinged with the dawnof happiness! He knew Volin?'s ring had already delivered him twicefrom great peril; and he felt, whatever danger might betide, the secretof salvation therefrom circled round his finger a sacred charm againstdeath. That he could impart a little of this confidence in the virtuesof his treasure to his comrades was his constant wish--not for hisown sake, but for theirs. Yet all that he could say had been alreadysaid. The Doctor continued to pooh-pooh its efficacy; Temple was wontto smile and listen, half incredulous, yet impressed considerably byhis earnestness. Each, however, required more palpable proof thanthat already given. "They forget," Graham continued to muse, as he laylistening to the Doctor and Temple talking, "that they are in a newworld, beyond all earthly influence; and that the power of this holyEchri is mysterious and unnatural, only because it is new and strangeto us. Were it rendered familiar to us by earthly custom and every-dayexperience, we should look upon it as a most natural thing. We must beprepared for all kinds of surprises here. If a great and holy man ofthis world possesses a power which is invested solely in God in ourown, why should we marvel?"
As he sat musing thus the ring upon his finger suddenly glowed withgreat heat, and made him cry out in agony.
"Why, Graham, what is the matter?" said all three of his companionstogether.
"Nothing; it was a sudden spasm. I must have been dreaming. I am allright, I assure you," he answered, resolving to conceal the actualcause of his transient pain. "It seems like some manifestation ofEchri's," he mused. "Well, I believe in his power, and have faithin his ring. I cannot help myself, I am compelled to do so." Then,speaking aloud, he continued:
"I hope you are not very greatly inconvenienced by these cursedfetters, my friends. The night is nearly spent, and I hope daylightwill bring release."
"Mr. Graham, ha' ye no chance o' breakin awa'?" said Sandy. "Thesechains are uncommon heavy and tiresome."
"None this time, Sandy--I don't feel up to it; besides, they arestronger than they were before. Be patient till the morning, and thenwe shall see what turns up. Something good, I hope, for all our sakes."
Beyond a word or two of enquiry, first from one and then from another,as to how each was bearing up in misfortune, the remainder of the nightwas passed in silence. Sometimes we dozed, and woke again with a startof alarm, wondering where we were; then we lay and listened to theguards pacing to and fro outside our door, or the noise of the distantfountains in the garden of Siccoth. The time passed slowly enough,and by the dawn we felt terribly cramped and sore, owing to our beingcompelled to remain almost in one position the livelong night.
The sun had been up several hours before our prison door was opened,and food brought to us. Perodii came with the guards, and was againmost insulting in his language.
"Let loose these dogs of Ramos for a little season, until they haveeaten," he commenced, addressing the guards standing at the half-opendoor. Then turning to us, he exclaimed:
"Perodii hopes ye have all passed a pleasant night; they sleep safelywho repose in chains. Now up and to your victuals; but methinks yewill not find them such dainty fare as when the traitor Kaosp providedthem. By my soul, we will have no more of such nonsense! Prisoners yeare; and as prisoners shall ye be treated, so long as Perodii hath thecharge of ye. And hark ye, no more shall that wanton wench, Volin?, orher gifts and favours, be admitted here! Guards, heed well my words;that man shall die who admits that forn----"
"Perodii! how darest thou utter such words concerning me, the daughterof thy King?" said Volin?, and she pushed the trembling guards asideand walked into the room, her cheeks scarlet with burning indignation,her eyes aflame with anger, and her hands clenched tightly to controlher passion.
"What doest thou here, Volin??" exclaimed Perodii, starting violently,and evidently ill at ease, but preserving with a mighty effort hisusual air of bravado. "Meddle not with my affairs, or, by the livingGod, I will acquaint the King with thy brazen interference."
"What do I here? That is no business of thine. I come to set theseprisoners free, and to conduct them to my father's presence, not ashis captives but as his guests! Strike off those bonds and chains thisinstant, or the King's just wrath shall overtake thee. Guards! in theKing's name Volin? commands ye! Strike off----"
"Stay!" shouted Perodii in a voice of rage, and pointing to the door."Volin?, this is no place for thee! Get thee hence to thy apartment,and there wait thy father's pleasure."
"Braggart, hold thy peace! Volin? is no child, to be chid by thee. Thouhast enough to answer for! Go! The daughter of thy King hath biddenthee go!"
"And what if I refuse?
These guards are my servants, and await myorders."
"Thy servants! Say the King's, thy master! Now guards, advance, and domy bidding----"
"Let a soldier stir, and he shall die!" shrieked Perodii, besidehimself with passion.
"We obey thee, Volin?, even as we obey the King," said their captain,leading forward his men, and in a moment our fetters were struck offand we were free. Perodii, without another word, walked away, his facelivid with rage and hatred.
"That mon bears us na guid-will, Mr. Graham," muttered Sandy, as wewatched the discomfited prince hurry away.
Our lives had been full of eventful surprises, from the moment that wehad descended upon the surface of this strange world, and this lastunexpected change in our fortunes seemed one of the most wonderful ofall. As yet, Volin? had not addressed a single syllable to any one ofus; but a smile of ineffable sweetness stole over her handsome face,and blushes like as the tints of an opening rose glowed all unbidden onher cheeks as she glanced at Graham for an instant, and met the look ofadmiration and pleasure with which he was lovingly regarding her--her,his dear one, from whom he had been ruthlessly torn asunder and had nowrejoined.
"Good Himos, thyself and thy comrades may now depart," said Volin?,addressing the captain of the guard. "I will myself conduct thesemen of Ramos to my father's presence. Thou hast nought to fear fromthy disobedience of Perodii. From this hour must thou cease to takecommands from him, until such time as it may be the King's, thymaster's, pleasure to order otherwise."
Bowing low, Himos gave the word to his troops, who marched away, ledby him, from our prison-chamber along the corridor, but in an oppositedirection to that taken by Perodii. Volin? then advanced towards uswith hands held out in welcome, and smiling sweetly said, in a voicefrom time to time trembling with emotion:
"Men of Ramos, no words that I can speak can say the sorrow that I feelfor all the indignities and hardships ye have suffered since enteringour royal city, Edos. My soul doth grieve within me at your unjusttreatment from the hands of the King, my father; but his mind hath beenpoisoned and biassed against ye by him who brought ye here in chains,and sought your ruin, to gratify his own feelings of revenge. Sinceye were so miraculously delivered from death at the crag Remagaloth,the King hath doubted the wisdom of his judgment on ye, and ye wouldat least have been free to go your way unmolested, had not Perodiiprevailed upon the King to be allowed to take ye captives, to bring yehere again, and then to carry out the awful sentence of the SupremeCourt himself! So far hath he been favoured, but his villainy is nowunmasked; wiser counsel hath prevailed with the King. In bestowing uponye, O distinguished and learned strangers from Ramos, his royal pardon,he offers ye his hospitality and protection, so long as ye may makethis our world your home. But come now with me to his royal presence,and hear words of welcome and of freedom from his own lips. He waitethto break his morning bread with ye.
"Stay thee: no thanks are asked or needed," continued Volin?, withupraised finger, as Temple began to speak, "for methinks it is I thathave brought much trouble on ye. Besides, ye must be full of wearinessand hunger, and it is not fitting or seemly that I should keep yelonger here." And as she spoke Volin? placed a tiny whistle, wrought infine gold and set with gems, between her lips, and blew three times,short and shrill, thereon. In a few moments two court-marshals, dressedin quaint and costly garb, and with long white wands tipped withcrescents of crystal, appeared, together with four of Volin?'s femaleattendants, and stood in respectful silence by the doorway, bowing lowas the King's fair daughter passed out, beckoning us to follow her.
"We hear from this Volin? only a few fragments of the reason for thischange of opinion in our favour. She has left much more untold,"whispered the Doctor to Temple, as they walked along side by sidebehind the marshals.
"True, Doctor," answered Temple in an undertone, "but I have no doubtthat this royal maid has been pleading our cause with her old father,and that her strong attachment to Graham has lent eloquence to heroratory. The complete story of our pardon is reserved for his lucky earalone."
"Say unlucky--most unlucky, Temple; for that woman's toils are creepinground him, and too late he will feel them hampering his ambition andretarding his progress."
"Doctor, I must really give you up as an incurable. Your ideas on womenare out of all focus. Still, you must admit that a woman has rescued usfrom a terrible position----"
"Into which she alone plunged us. No, no, Temple. We shall never agreeupon it--never!" and he relapsed into silence for the rest of the way.
We walked along corridor after corridor, through lofty halls, and upand down wide staircases crammed full of curious and costly gems ofart, until it seemed as though the colossal palace was an endlessmaze of enchantment and voluptuous grandeur. At the foot of the laststaircase Volin? and her maidens passed away through a lofty archway onthe right, waving us a smiling farewell as she went, and we continuedto follow the two marshals alone.
At the top of this last flight of stairs we reached another archway,hung with soft and heavy draperies, on either side of which stood aguard, so still and inanimate that he looked carved out of the stoneitself. As we crossed the twenty paces or so of the landing, thesesphinx-like soldiers, with a common impulse, flung the curtains wideapart, and we passed through into a magnificent banquet-chamber. Thescene before us dazzled us with its splendour. We had thought to meetthe King alone, perhaps with his daughter; but, instead, we saw himsitting at the head of a table, round which a hundred male guestswere also seated, to whom a sumptuous feast was evidently about to beserved. Five vacant seats, two on one, and three on the other side ofthe King, were empty, and to these, all travel-stained and grimy fromthe fight in the cave, we were conducted.
"Men of Ramos, we meet more happily than we parted. Welcome to ourmorning feast. Eat and refresh yourselves, and having done so we maythen speak together," said the King, bowing and smiling graciously.
We each kept silence, but acknowledged the old King's cordial greetingwith a respectful bow. Then the meal commenced, and was continued insolemn silence, course after course, until the last dishes had beenremoved, and huge bowls of wine-like liquid had been placed upon thetable. Now the attendants withdrew, and shortly afterwards, from somehidden chamber, strains of sweet ravishing music poured in subtlecadence, and women's voices were heard singing a dreamy madrigal.Then came a solo in a woman's voice, more entrancingly beautiful thanall the rest, rising and falling in matchless compass--a song thathad for its theme the birth and trials and triumph of Love. Was thislast sweet, hidden singer Volin?? And did she sing the story of herown tender passion? One of us at least was certain that the voice heheard was that of his beloved, and the words that wandered through thebanquet-hall, like a hymn from Paradise, were addressed to him. Stirredto his soul's depth's, he listened, entranced, with throbbing pulses,to the message that was sung to him by a woman who was fashioned fairerthan the cunningest conception of earthly man could picture!
At last the music ceased, the singer's voice was hushed, and amidst adeath-like silence, which held the assembled guests in thrall, the Kingaddressed us:
"Strangers from the star-world Ramos, having now broken your fast, itis my duty, here in the presence of my faithful Ministers of State, toexplain to ye the reason of your welcome here as free men and honouredguests. All the terrible indictment against ye, with the exception ofthe killing of Osa, hath been proved to be false! I am satisfied thatmy daughter's honour and fair fame are as untarnished now as beforeye came to Edos, and that a noble of our Court, by name Perodii, hathlied. The High Priest, Echri, hath also spoken favourably of ye, andyour cause hath been ably pleaded by the wise men that dwell in ourgood city Helmath. My philosophers are learned in the science of theheavens, and they have said that the wondrous tale ye tell bears stampof truth, and none of sorcery. That being so, we grant our royal pardonfor the slaying of our subject Osa, believing that, as ye have alreadysaid, he brought his fate upon himself, and in expressing our sorrowfor the great misery and ha
rdships we have caused ye, we welcome yeas friends and brothers, and bid you remain in Edos as our guests solong as ye may have the wish. We regret we did not heed the wordsof the men of Helmath sooner, but Perodii's cunning made us ignoretheir counsel--and nought can kindle a father's wrath so readily, orfeed its flame so well and warp his judgment, as the dishonour of hischild. Perodii's guilt was only proved to me at yesternight; hence histreatment of ye. He now is deep in our displeasure, and his seat atour royal board is empty. Ye need fear him no more. Our heralds shallproclaim your pardon, and your entrance into royal favour, throughoutall Edos, and then may ye wander in safety at your will."
"My comrades and myself rejoice heartily at the words you have spoken,O King of Gathma," said the Doctor. "Let peace and unity prevailbetween us, so that we may labour for the common weal of the childrenof your world and of ours. Glorious possibilities are before us; andthat the intercourse between the peoples of two sister-planets, whenonce fairly established, may bring forth nothing but good, I feel surewill be echoed as heartily by your majesty and your people as by mycompanions and myself. We thank you, King of Gathma, for your clemency,and for the friendly sentiments you have just expressed, and will doour best ever to merit your friendship, your protection, and yourhospitality!"
The Doctor's words were received with a salvo of applause from thebrilliant gathering around us, and shortly afterwards the King left hisseat, saying as he retired, followed by his Court, that he would meetus again in a few hours, after the business of State was over.
As soon as the King and his ministers had gone, servants arrived andconducted us to a suite of luxuriously fitted baths, where we madeourselves more presentable. Fortunately, each had donned an entirelynew outfit before we deserted the _Sirius_, so that our task was byno means a difficult one. We were discussing our altered fortunes,after completing our toilet, when a marshal entered and, walking up toGraham, said with a low bow:
"Art thou Harry Graham?"
"I am; what is your pleasure?" he answered.
"Then Volin? would see thee. Follow me, and I will show thee to mymistress."
"Go and enjoy your well-deserved happiness," said Temple, in English;but the Doctor muttered something by no means complimentary to Volin?.Graham was too full of joy to feel angry with his old and eccentricfriend, and thanking Temple for his good wishes, turned and followedhis conductor. Once more he must furnish this portion of our narrativehimself:--
"Leaving the saloon of baths, I followed my stately guide along a widecorridor, on either side of which was ranged statuary of pricelessvalue, until we came to the wide staircase up which we had passed onour way to the banquet-chamber. Through an archway at the foot ofthis, I knew the way led to Volin?'s apartments. At the bottom of thisspacious stairway we met two of Volin?'s maids, and here the marshalbowed and left me. These maidens then stepped forward, and each takingone of my hands, they bade me come with them, and so I was led intoVolin?'s presence.
"I found my darling in a magnificent chamber, where every luxury thatart and ingenuity could devise assisted in making the whole harmoniousand splendid. She was reclining on a low couch, draped with richdark furs of silky softness, her flossy hair falling all free andunrestrained around her bust and shoulders, one shapely arm restingalong the back of the couch, the other pillowing her lovely head.What incarnation of female beauty! was my single thought as I beheldher there in all her splendour; and for a moment I stood upon thethreshold of her room, spell-bound between my maiden guides, dazzledand bewildered by the vision of perfectness before me. With a smile forwhich any man would cheerfully have sold his soul, she rose into asitting posture, saying:
"'Cyni, thou and thy sister may now leave.'
"Neither of us spoke nor moved further until the two maids had gone,leaving me standing as in a dream, watching the sweet picture beforeme. Then Volin? rose to her feet, and with smiles and blushes lendingan added charm to her countenance, came towards me, murmuring my name!The spell was broken; and oblivious to aught else, I ran forward andclasped her in my arms again.
"'Oh, Volin?, Volin?! my darling; this is rapture indeed. How good ofyou to send for me thus!'
"'Happy do I feel to have thee with me again,' she answered, as herhead sank nestling on my breast.
"We kissed each other's lips, and together we drank the cup of our joyto the dregs in one long, intoxicating draught, without a single dropof bitterness to taint its sweetness.
"But why dwell on the ecstasy of our embrace and of our meeting, afterso much terrible sorrow? I led her unresistingly to the couch she hadso lately left, arranged the fallen furs around her, and sat me downby her side. There, with one arm around her waist, and with my eyesfeasting upon the beauty of her face and form, we conversed of allthat had befallen us since last we talked together and parted in thegarden Siccoth, on that dreadful night before Remagaloth. We talkedthose lovers' trifles, so sweet and apt when spoken, yet so cold andpassionless and uninteresting when read by others unconcerned.
"Then Volin? told me of all that had happened on the night we parted,as we thought for ever. How all her efforts were in vain; how she hadvisited Echri and been comforted in her despair; how he had promised tointercede with the King. How he came too late; and how she spent thetime that we were at Remagaloth praying fervently for our salvation.She told me of her joy when the news of our wondrous escape was broughtto Edos; of Echri's visit to the King; and of how the high and mightypriest had exerted his power, and delivered us from an unrighteous doom!
"'Daily since then, dear Harry,' she told me amidst sobs and smiles,'have I pleaded thy cause with my father; beseeching him to spare theeand thy companions; to discredit Perodii's words, and to lend ear tothe utterances of the great and good Echri, and the men of Helmath.I besought him to let ye go your way in peace, and not to cherishfeelings of revenge and hatred unworthy of a mighty king. But all Icould say availed me nothing definite. He felt keenly the disgrace andhumiliation in the Hall of Justice, and his heart was still hardenedtowards ye, although I could perceive his mind was wavering, untildriven to desperation I told my father the naked truth.'
"'And what may that truth have been, darling?' I whispered, seeingher hesitate, with heart beating fast within me, and with thelong-cherished hope that she had told the King of her love for me, andthat royal favour had smiled upon my suit.
"'Dost thou press me to answer, Harry?'
"'Indeed I do, my bonny one.'
"'But, mayhap, my words will cause thee pain!'
"'Not more than the suspense and anxiety I now suffer, until I hearthem, sweet one,' I answered, with faltering hope, dreading, yet eagerto hear her reply.
"'Then hearken to my words, and interrupt me not until I have told theeall. I doubt me not that thou hast remembrance of Perodii's conduct inSiccoth, and of the lying words he then did speak. From that night,until the day of thy trial and sentence, he used his knowledge of ourstolen interview as a power of evil and annoyance against me. Histhreats to make my honour the common gossip of the streets of Edosbound my tongue to silence, for we women of Gathma dread to have ourfame tossed to and fro upon the breath of scandal. And so he forced hisunwelcome attentions upon me. I bore them, Harry, for thy sake; for hegave me solemn assurance that my meeting with thee should be told to noman, and that he would seek to save thee!'
'Darling! by the----'
"'Nay, interrupt me not, Harry,' she continued, placing a finger onmy lips. 'Thou knowest how he broke faith with me, and lied beforemy father and a hundred thousand dwellers of Edos, and what woe hiswords have wrought. He lied because his passion found no favour in mysight, and because the King seemed in clement mood towards ye; andwell dost thou know the evil of his words. I told thee of my father'swrath, and how he heard me without relenting, when last I met thee inthe garden. After thy trial and sentence, Perodii sought by threats tomake me yield unto his wish, and mate with him, but rather would Ispill mine own blood than be his wife. He even dared to attack me yet asecond time, on the night o
f thy escape from Remagaloth, and by cunningartifice entered my chamber, where I prayed for thee! Cyni, by greatgood fortune, chanced to be with me----'
"'By the living God, Volin?, Perodii shall answer to me for this,' Isaid, in a voice that echoed the anger and hatred burning in my soul.
"'Hush! and hear me on. I have but little else to tell thee. Seeingthat he had been witnessed by Cyni he sped away, telling me that he wasstarting from Edos that night to take thee prisoner again, and carryout himself the sentence that had been pronounced upon thee. I held mypeace, hoping that some evil might overtake this Perodii in his search,and praying that his quest might be vain; until I heard from a hunternoble, by name Kios, that ye had struggled valiantly near Helmath, yethad been overcome, and were being carried back to Edos. Then I told myfather all, and proved my words by good Cyni's aid. Great was his wrathat the manner in which Perodii had duped him, and quickly did he takesteps to protect and befriend ye, as ye have already seen.'
"'But why not have told your father all this long ago, darling?'
"'My father hath many cares, and much business of State to do, and Idid not like to add to his troubles.'
"'But this Perodii; what punishment will be meted out to him? Surely,he merits death for so insulting the daughter of his King.'
"'Harry, our laws are not thy laws; our customs in Gathma are not likethose in Ramos--Earth, as it is called by thee. Know thee, that eventhe King hath no power to put to death a noble of Perodii's rank. Hecan but depose him from Court----'
"'But Kios, whom we met near the city of Pamax, told us that for someoffence he had been condemned to die, and only saved his life throughthe clemency of the King.'
"'Ah! I also heard yesterday from worthy Kios of your stay with him inthe woods of Theloth, and wish him well. But Kios was not of such noblerank as Perodii, who in station is next to the King.'
"'That shall not prevent his reckoning with me, Volin?. The day shallyet come when I will make him confess as publicly that his words werelies, as when he spoke them in your father's Judgment Hall.'
"'Heed him not, O Harry; let him go his own evil way. Cross not hispath a second time, or he may do thee harm, and I----'
"'Should what, dear one?' I asked as I kissed her forehead.
"'Should never cease to grieve for thee; she answered, nestling closerto me, and gazing into my face with her splendid eyes.
"'But I have no fear of such a coward as he; and by the customs of theEarth I long have left, I swear he shall answer for his added insultson you.'
"'Harry, Harry, dost thou not care for me enough to obey me? Thou dost!Then let Perodii rest in the deep disgrace into which he hath alreadyfallen. By the customs of Edos, methinks no greater punishment couldbe given him. And now thou must leave me.'
"'But when may I see you again, darling? To-night? Yes, say to-night,and in the garden Siccoth, by the arbour where you first met me.'
"'Well, thou hast my promise. Now haste thee to thy comrades, for thehour hath arrived when my maids do come to me.'
"'May the hour soon come, my darling, when we shall never have to partagain,' I said to her, unable longer to control my feelings.
"'What meanest thou?'
"'I will tell you, my precious one, in Siccoth's arbour, where, atsunset, I shall wait in weariness until you come,' I answered, as Ikissed her again and again, before tearing myself away from her white,encircling arms.
"Once more three blasts were blown by Volin? upon that golden whistle,and almost immediately Cyni and her sister entered, and conducted me tothe foot of the staircase, where I found the marshal waiting to escortme back to my companions.
"I found them in one of the smaller rooms of the Palace, happy enough,and full of what they had been doing during the morning that I hadspent with Volin?. Temple had been amusing himself in wandering fromroom to room of this wonderful Palace, passing his time in admiringthe costly and beautiful works which adorned its interior; all ofthem new and strange, and like nothing to be found in the palaces ofEarth. The Doctor and Sandy had walked abroad into the streets andsquares of Edos, and were full of the curious scenes and customs theyhad witnessed, and the strange types of architecture they had seen.Everywhere they had been treated with respect, although much curiositywas excited by their appearance and movements."
"I was just telling Temple that Edos would scarcely suit a man of hiscommercial instincts," remarked the Doctor to Graham as he entered theroom. The Doctor had quite recovered his good temper, and the walkabroad had put him in the best of spirits. "What do you think of a citywhere there are no shops, nor marts of business? Edos is a centre ofluxury--a dwelling-place of the noble and those of high degree. None ofits inhabitants toil or trade therein. It is an ideal city; smokeless,noiseless--a repository for the best and brightest results of the brainand genius of a world, and a gathering-place for its cultured people,"continued the Doctor, led away by his enthusiasm. "I want a hundredhands, Graham, to chronicle all I have seen. My one regret is that mylife will not be long enough to do justice to this glorious world, orto describe its endless wonders."
And so the afternoon slipped away in pleasant, entertaining chat,varied by a light meal, which was served to us _al fresco_ by two ofthe Palace servants. In the early evening the Doctor, Temple, andGraham dined with the King--another sumptuous feast, at which the oldmonarch made himself especially agreeable, and never seemed to tireof hearing us recount our journey across the heavens, and tell of theworld we had left. Curiously enough, no ladies were numbered among theguests; but this and the morning feast, we learned afterwards, wereState banquets, at which it is not etiquette for females to appear.Graham--unknown, of course, to all the rest--chafed exceedingly underthe long and almost endless interrogations of the King; for he thoughtof the tryst he had to keep with Volin?. Already the sun was sinkinglow in the western sky; and he was all impatience to hasten away. Atlast the meal was finished, and the brilliant gathering of nobles andministers rose from the table, and separated into groups to carry ona friendly conversation. In the confusion Graham managed to slip awayunobserved, but took Temple into his confidence before doing so, whopromised to make excuses for him, if his absence chanced to be noticedby the King.
"I left the banquet-hall just as the King and the Doctor were eagerlyengaged in a discussion upon the civilised forms of government onEarth, slipping out unperceived, and hurrying along the corridortowards the staircase that led down to a lower corridor, to whichI knew there was an entrance to the garden of Siccoth-trees. I wasjust about to open this door, stooping down to examine the fasteningthereof, when the hated voice of my rival, Perodii, hissed into my earthe following words:
"'Spawn of evil, we meet again! How often more art thou going to crossmy path and live? Beware, or by my eternal soul I will slay thee evenhere.'
"'Prince Perodii, I desire to have no further intercourse with you,and I waste precious time in answering your vulgar words.'
"'So, so; that wanton wench, Volin?, waits thee. My curse upon her formeddling----'
"Perodii never finished his sentence, for without thinking of theconsequences of my act, and forgetting in my passion what I hadpromised Volin?, I gave the Prince a stunning blow full in the facewith my clenched hand, and sent him reeling to the ground.
"'Take that; and may it teach you better manners,' I said, as Idelivered the blow straight from my shoulder. 'And, hark you,' Icontinued, as he lay half-stunned upon the mosaic floor, 'if you everdare to speak one more insulting word in my hearing, about the woman Ilove, may your worthless blood be upon your own head, for I will slayyou as I would a brute beast.'
"The Prince by this time had recovered his feet, and stood madwith pain and rage, half blinded by the blow I had dealt him, andunsheathing the long knife that dangled in a jewelled scabbard from hiswaist. What the end would have been it is difficult to conjecture, butat that moment our good friend Himos came along with a posse of troops,at sight of whom Perodii sheathed his weapon and walked away, saying ashe did so:
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"'The hour of my revenge is yet again delayed; but I will wait, aye,wait for centuries yet to come, if need be, and wipe out all thyinsults in thy blood.'
"Nodding to Himos, I sped through the doorway into the garden, andhurried along between the rows of curious shrubs and flowers towardsthe arbour where Volin? had promised to meet me. Already the sun wasdipping behind the distant hills, and I feared that my darling mighthave come, and not finding me there, had gone away again.
"The arbour was empty, and just as I saw it on that fateful night thatseemed already sunless ages gone. I sat me down on the seat where wehad embraced; then I walked to and fro along the path that her dearfeet had trod, scarcely able to control my impatience as the day fellslowly into night and Volin? came not. Had harm befallen her? Thenterrible thoughts of Perodii's mad vengeance floated through my brain,and I cursed myself for not killing him outright, and thus preventinghim from working her evil. At last my ear caught footsteps sounding onthe pathway, clearer and clearer in the still evening air. Then she forwhom I waited came from out of the shadows towards me, and in anothermoment my sorrow was changed to joy as I folded her in my arms.
"'I fear I have kept thee waiting, but a disturbance in the Palacehas caused me delay. Perodii hath lodged complaint against thee forstriking him without cause, and my father is annoyed and angry thatsuch a vulgar fray should have taken place under his roof. Perodii nowhath no business within our royal house, and my father refused to hearmore of his words. Harry, why didst thou not keep thy promise to me,and leave this man alone?'
"'Volin?, he is a coward and a liar. He alone is in the wrong, andthrust himself upon me as I came hither. He insulted you, and Istruck him to the ground in my passion; but I am sorry now, for I haveoffended you. But pardon and forgive me, dear one, and let nothing cometo mar our happiness. I will see the King anon, and tell him the simpletruth. Come! kiss me, and make me happy again.'
"'Thou dost not deserve it, Harry; but there--' and as she kissedme she continued, 'And now heed my wishes better in future, or myforgiveness will be more slowly given, I promise thee.'
"And so this little cloud above our happiness drifted away, and weenjoyed all the sweets of each other's company to the full. I wasdetermined now, to-night, to ask Volin? to be my wife. In spite of ourdifferences of race, and inequality of rank and station, I resolved totell her of my passion, and to hear my fate.
"'Volin?,' I whispered, as I drew her gently and yet closer tome--'Volin?, do you not know that I love you more passionately thanever mortal man has loved before? Do you not know that you have broughtbrightness into my life, and have taken that place in my heart whichonly one woman can ever fill?'
"'But wilt thou always love me so?'
"'Always, darling; always--until the race of my life is run, andall power of loving is stayed by the hand of death. Here, in thisarbour, I swear it. By my home world yonder, and all that I hold dearthereon--see you, glimmering as a star above the tree-crests in thesouthern sky--I pledge to love and to worship you, Volin?, so long as Ihave life to love, and breath to speak it. Volin?, you are all in allto me; my first love and my last. Without you, life is but another namefor pain; with you, bright and radiant joy for ever. I am yours, andyou are mine. Volin?, be my wife. Crown my happiness to-night by saying"Yes."'
"'Stay, Harry; thy last words have brought a strange and unknown painto my heart, and revealed the misery that is now before me whicheverway I answer thee. Harry, the sweets of wifehood with thee are a joywhich I may never hope to reach. There is one barrier that must everstand between us, which maketh impossible a union between a son of thyworld and a daughter of mine. It hath been so ordained, and thereforewe cannot alter it to meet our will. This barrier of which I speak isthe span of life. Here, as thou knowest there are old men amongst uswho have seen five hundred summers whiten into winter. Four hundredyears are the men of Gathma's usual span, even as thou hast told mebut seventy are the limit of the men of Earth and thine. I am but fiveand twenty summers--comparatively in childhood, yet--and for fiftysummers more I shall enjoy the sweets of youth. Thou art in the middleof thy tiny course, and in a few more years will reach the close ofthy allotted span. Think then of my time of endless widowhood, sadlymourning for thee; yearning for the love I tasted, only to lose. WereI to wife with thee, my short happiness would ever be clouded by itsearly end! It must not, cannot be!'
"'Volin?, your words blot out all brightness from my heart, which nowfeels turned to stone. All now is dismal woe again--woe without a rayof hope, and there is naught but death before me to free me from mypain. Without you I cannot, will not, live, for life would be but aliving death of dark despair. Is there no hope for me? No hope, Volin?dearest? Am I but to review this promised land of happiness from afaroff, only to turn my face away from its green pastures for ever? Ah,no, it is too horrible!'
"'My poor Harry, it is as hard for me as for thee; for I love thee asa woman only loves when she doth love, that is with all her soul. Nohope can lighten our darkness or leaven our sorrow. Yet, stay! There isone way--one only; but, alas! it is all too terrible--too terrible tospeak.' And here she burst into a passionate fit of sobbing, and clungtightly to me, stricken down with grief.
"I soothed her as best I could, and dried her hot tears with my ownparched lips, sighs of agony meanwhile breaking unbidden from my ownheart, and big beads of sweat rolling off my forehead like drops ofmolten pain.
"'Speak, my darling, speak unto me,' I implored. 'Give words unto yourthoughts, and let me know and share them. Volin?, speak? or my heartwill burst with its heavy weight of woe.'
"Then, mingled with her sobs and moans of anguish, she spoke to me thus:
"'Harry, thou canst purchase happiness, but the price thou wilt have topay is as costly as it is terrible! I have heard that Holy Echri haththe power of prolonging life, of endowing mortal man with forces thatrejuvenate. The ordeal is awful. It is one of fire! To him who would soprolong or purchase life, the penalty is that he shall suffer all thehorrors of death by fire. I know not the secrets of the mystic rite;but I will question Echri on the morrow. Doth it not seem unholy? Andyet; and--yet--love--is--sweet----'
"'Volin?, your words bring new hope to my heart. If Echri possessesthis wondrous power, then will I prove my love for you in his fires.His furnace shall but burn the dross of my love away, but refine itinto a yet purer passion!'
"'Oh, Harry; how brave and how noble thou art! Thy calmness gives meconfidence. If thou hast will and courage to pass through this fire forme, then surely shalt thou be rewarded by calling me thine own--thatis, provided my father hath no obstacle to urge against our union. But,brave one, the hour is already late, and we must return. Meet me hereto-morrow even, at setting sun, and I will bring thee news from Echri.Until then, adieu.'
"'Courage, courage, Volin?, my darling. All shall yet be well,'I whispered to her, as we walked along the garden-paths towardsthe Palace; and then planting kiss after kiss upon her willing,desire-athirsted lips, and snowy brow, I released her from my arms, andshe went away.
"Love runs no smoother here, in Gathma, than on Earth, I mused, asI walked along the brilliantly-lighted corridors, thinking over theevents of the past hour. A great and indefinable awe seemed creepingthrough every fibre of my body, as I thought and thought over theghastly pledge I had just given, tempted by the vision of beauty in myarms. Did I regret my hasty, passionate vow? I now asked myself incooler moments. No, no, a thousand times no, I mentally answered my ownquestion; for if the way to my own happiness lies through fire, throughfire I am thoroughly prepared to go."
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[Here in the original MS. follows a long account of a scientificnature, which, though of the greatest importance to philosophers,might not be of sufficient interest to the general reading public.I have therefore deemed it expedient to omit this portion of thenarrative, and keep as closely as possible to the fortunes of Harry andVolin?.--ED.]