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- text-indent:0; - } - td.leader-dots span { - background:white; - } - - .tab1c1 { } - .tab1c2 { } - .tab1c3 { } - .tab1c1-col3 { border-right: 0px solid black; } - .tdStyle0 { - padding: 0px 5px; text-align:center; vertical-align:top; - } - .tdStyle1 { - padding: 0px 5px; text-align:left; vertical-align:top; - } - .tdStyle2 { - padding: 0px 5px; text-align:left; vertical-align:top;padding-left:29px; text-indent:-24px; - } - .tdStyle3 { - padding: 0px 5px; text-align:right; vertical-align:bottom; - } - .pindent { margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0; text-indent:1.5em; } - .noindent { margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0; text-indent:0; } - .hang { padding-left:1.5em; text-indent:-1.5em; } - .literal-container { text-align:center; margin:0 0; } - .literal { display:inline-block; text-align:left; } - </style> - <style type="text/css"> - h1 { font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold; text-align:center; - page-break-before: always; word-spacing:.2em; } - h3 { font-size:.8em; font-weight:bold; text-align:center; margin-top:2em; } - .poetry-container { font-size:.9em; - margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; - margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; } - div.blockquote { margin-top:.5em; margin-bottom:.5em; } - .pindent {margin-top: 0.3em; margin-bottom: 0em;} - hr.tbk { border:none; border-bottom:1px solid; - width:30%; margin-left:35%; margin-right:35%; - margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; visibility:hidden; } - hr.pbk { width:50%; } - .bbox {border-style:solid; border-width:2px; width:19em; - margin-right:auto; margin-left:auto; padding:.01em; - border-color:black; } - hr.boxed { height:2px; border-width:0; background-color:black; } - </style> - </head> - <body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Dreams and delights, by L. Adams Beck</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Dreams and delights</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: L. Adams Beck</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: January 14, 2023 [eBook #69786]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Al Haines, Cindy Beyer & the online Distributed Proofreaders Canada team at https://www.pgdpcanada.net</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DREAMS AND DELIGHTS ***</div> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div class='figcenter' style='width:80%'> -<img src='images/cover.jpg' alt='' id='iid-0000' style='width:100%;height:auto;'/> -</div> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div class='bbox'> - -<div class='literal-container' style=''><div class='literal'> <!-- rend=';bold;fs:.9em;' --> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.9em;font-weight:bold;'><span class='it'>THE NOVELS OF</span></p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.9em;font-weight:bold;'><span class='it'>L. ADAMS BECK</span></p> -</div></div> <!-- end rend --> - -<hr class="boxed"/> - -<div class='literal-container' style=''><div class='literal'> <!-- rend=';bold;fs:.9em;' --> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.9em;font-weight:bold;'><span class='sc'>The Key of Dreams</span></p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.9em;font-weight:bold;'><span class='sc'>The Perfume of the Rainbow</span></p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.9em;font-weight:bold;'><span class='sc'>The Treasure of Ho</span></p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.9em;font-weight:bold;'><span class='sc'>The Ninth Vibration</span></p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.9em;font-weight:bold;'><span class='sc'>The Way of Stars</span></p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.9em;font-weight:bold;'><span class='sc'>The Splendour of Asia</span></p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.9em;font-weight:bold;'><span class='sc'>Dreams and Delights</span></p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div></div> <!-- end rend --> - -</div> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div class='lgc' style=''> <!-- rend=';bold;' --> -<p class='line0' style='margin-top:1em;font-size:2.5em;font-weight:bold;'>DREAMS</p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:2.5em;font-weight:bold;'>AND DELIGHTS</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.8em;font-weight:bold;'>BY</p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:1.2em;font-weight:bold;'>L. ADAMS BECK</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line0' style='font-weight:bold;'>NEW YORK</p> -<p class='line0' style='margin-top:.2em;margin-bottom:.2em;font-size:1.2em;font-weight:bold;'>DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY</p> -<p class='line0' style='font-weight:bold;'>1926</p> -</div> <!-- end rend --> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div class='lgc' style='margin-top:1em;'> <!-- rend=';fs:.8em;' --> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.8em;'>Copyright, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926</p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.8em;'>BY DODD, MEAD, & COMPANY, INC.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line0' style='margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:3em;font-size:.8em;'>Printed in U. S. A.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.8em;'><span style='font-size:smaller'>THE VAIL-BALLOU PRESS</span></p> -<p class='line0' style='font-size:.8em;'><span style='font-size:smaller'>BINGHAMTON AND NEW YORK</span></p> -</div> <!-- end rend --> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line0' style='text-align:center;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:1.2em;'>PREFACE</p> - -<p class='pindent'>These stories of dreams and delights in breathless jungles -of Ceylon, among Himalayan mountains, by Chinese seas, -in ancientries beneath dead suns and withered moons, are in -truth the soul’s longing to behold the White Swan of the -World when in dim twilights of dawn and evening she -spreads her wings for flight. And because to such wings -time and distance are nothing I have gathered one feather -dropped on Dartmoor as she soared to Gaurisankar where -on the highest peak of earth, circled by great stars, the -Mystic Mother of India dreams her divine dream as the -ages unroll beneath her feet. The Snowy Goddess, She who -is Very Woman of very woman, knows that whether by -Thames or Ganges, Mississippi, Yang-tze, or rolling Nile, -Her daughters are the same, yesterday, to-day and for ever, -and holding in their hands the hearts of men, so fulfil Her -purpose. And because no true story can be told without -this knowledge, I set Her name at the beginning of these -dreams and delights, invoking devoutly the protection and -inspiration of Her who is at once Eve and Lilith, Athene and -Aphrodite, Parwati and Kali, Virgin, Mother, and Destroyer, -but in all forms and incarnations, Enchantress and Conqueror -of men.</p> - -<p class='line0' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>L. Adams Beck.</span></p> - -<p class='noindent'>Canada.</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<table id='tab1' summary='' class='center'> -<colgroup> -<col span='1' style='width: 1em;'/> -<col span='1' style='width: 22.5em;'/> -<col span='1' style='width: 2.5em;'/> -</colgroup> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col3 tdStyle0' colspan='3'><span style='font-size:larger'>CONTENTS</span></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'><span style='font-size:x-small'>PAGE</span></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 leader-dots tdStyle2'><span>“<span class='sc'>V. Lydiat</span>”</span></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'><a href='#ch1'>3</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 leader-dots tdStyle2'><span><span class='sc'>The Sea of Lilies</span></span></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'><a href='#ch2'>41</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 leader-dots tdStyle2'><span><span class='sc'>The Bride of a God</span></span></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'><a href='#ch3'>61</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 leader-dots tdStyle2'><span><span class='sc'>The Beloved of the Gods</span></span></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'><a href='#ch4'>89</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 leader-dots tdStyle2'><span><span class='sc'>The Hidden One</span></span></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'><a href='#ch5'>107</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 leader-dots tdStyle2'><span><span class='sc'>The Marriage of the Princess</span></span></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'><a href='#ch6'>143</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 leader-dots tdStyle2'><span><span class='sc'>The Wisdom of the Orient</span></span></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'><a href='#ch7'>167</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 leader-dots tdStyle2'><span><span class='sc'>Stately Julia</span></span></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'><a href='#ch8'>185</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 leader-dots tdStyle2'><span><span class='sc'>The Island of Pearls</span></span></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'><a href='#ch9'>215</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 leader-dots tdStyle2'><span><span class='sc'>The Wonderful Pilgrimage to Amarnath</span></span></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'><a href='#ch10'>253</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 leader-dots tdStyle2'><span><span class='sc'>The Man Without a Sword</span></span></td><td class='tab1c3 tdStyle3'><a href='#ch11'>281</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line0' style='text-align:center;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:10em;font-size:1.2em;'>“V. LYDIAT”</p> - -<div><h1 id='ch1'>“V. LYDIAT”</h1></div> - -<p class='pindent'>She sat and looked at the signature written under the -name of the story in readiness for typing.</p> - -<p class='line0' style='text-align:center;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em;'>“THE NINEFOLD FLOWER.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was a fine story, she knew, and the signature satisfied her -also as it always did. <span class='it'>V.</span> is the most beautiful letter in the -alphabet to write and look at, the ends curving over from -the slender base like the uprush of a fountain from its tense -spring. When she “commenced author,” as the eighteenth -century puts it, she devoted days and days to the consideration -of that pen-name. For several reasons it must not reveal -identity. Most women prefer the highwayman’s mask -when they ride abroad to hold up the public. It gives a -freedom impossible when one is tethered to the responsibilities -of name and family. One becomes a foundling in -the great city of Literature and the pebble-cold eye of human -relationship passes unaware over what would have stung -it into anger or jealousy if it had held the key of the -mystery. That is, if the secret is guarded as carefully as -V. Lydiat’s.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But, for all I know, her strange reason for secrecy may -never in this world have swayed man or woman before.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In reality she was Beatrice Veronica Law Leslie.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A mouthful indeed! You can make as many combinations -with that as with the trick lock of a safe, and it will be -as difficult to pick the secret. She had a strong superstition -about keeping to her own initials, anagrammed or reversed -and twisted. It seemed to her that this was part of a bond -of honour of which another held the pledge. With this pen-name -a most astonishing thing had befallen Beatrice -Veronica Law Leslie, for she won a literary success so sudden -and singular that the very management of it required a -statesmanship she never before knew she possessed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A little must here be said of her life that this strange -thing may be understood. She was the only child of a well-known -Oxford don and a somewhat remarkable mystically-minded -mother who died when the girl was fourteen. Her -father, after that loss, “tried life a little, liked it not, and -died” four years later, and Beatrice Veronica who was known -in her family as B. V. then betook herself to the guardianship -of an aunt in Montreal. Here, she also tried life a -little, on the society side, and certainly liked it not. There -was an urge within her that cried aloud for adventure, for -the sight of the dissolving glories of the Orient and contact -with strange lives that called to her dumbly in books. -They peeped and mocked and vanished to their unknown -countries taking her longing with them, and life lay about -her vapid, flat, dominated by an Aunt of Fashion.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She floated on a duck pond and sighed for the ocean. -What is a young woman of spirit, not too beautiful to be -dangerous, of small but sufficient means, to do in such a -case? Beatrice Veronica knew very well.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She waited until she was twenty-one, meanwhile securing -the allegiance of a girl, Sidney Verrier, in like case, an enthusiast -like herself, and on a May morning of dreamy sweetness -they got themselves into a C.P.R. train for Victoria, B. -C., leaving two ill-auguring aunts on the platform, and away -with them on a trip to the Orient <span class='it'>via</span> Japan. They were -under bond to return in a year.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was a wonderful, a heavenly experience—that wander-year -of theirs. The things they saw, the men and women -they met, the marvels which appealed to every sense! But -I must not dwell on these for they are but the pedestal to -the story of V. Lydiat.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A year! Impossible. Four, six, eight years went by and -still unheeded aunts clamoured, and the pavements of -Montreal lacked their footsteps.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And then, in Agra, Sidney Verrier married, and apologetically, -doubtfully, dissolved the fair companionship, and -Beatrice Veronica was left to solitude.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>When the bridal car rolled off to the station and the -honeymoon at Mussoori, she sat down and considered. She -had not realized it until then. The ways of the world were -open, for experience had made them plain. She had acquaintances, -go where she would. There was no material -reason why she should not continue this delightful nomad -existence delightfully. But she was lonely, and suddenly -it became clear to her that she wanted quiet, time, -recollection. She had assisted at a great feast of the senses -and had eaten to satiety.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now—imperatively—something in her heart cried -“Enough.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Afterwards she wondered if that had been the voice of -V. Lydiat crying in the wilderness. The note of preparation.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But where to go? Her aunt was still treading the daily -round of bridge and luncheon parties in Montreal and the -soul of Beatrice Veronica shuddered in the remembrance. -No, no. The bird set free does not re-enter its gilded cage, -however temptingly the little dish of seed is set forth. But -she loved Canada for all that. She remembered, as she and -Sidney Verrier had passed through the glorious giant-land -of the Rockies, how broadly uplifted and vast had been the -heights and spaces, how enormous the glee of the rivers -tumbling from hidden sources, and they called her across -far waters and beneath strange stars.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But could one live in such colossal companionship? Is -it possible to dine and sleep and yawn in the presence of -Gods and Emperors? There was the doubt. And then she -remembered a shining city laving her feet in shining seas, -with quiet gardens where the roses blush and bloom in a -calm so deep that you may count the fall of every petal in -the drowsy summer afternoons. A city of pines and oaks, -of happy homes great and small,—a city above all, bearing -the keys of the Orient at her golden girdle,—for it is but to -step aboard a boat, swift almost as the Magic Carpet, and -you wake one happy morning with all the dear remembered -scents and sights before you once more. And her heart said -“Victoria,”—where Westernmost West leans forward to kiss -Easternmost East across the Pacific.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So she went there—now a woman of twenty-nine, self-possessed, -and capable, and settled herself in a great hostelry -to choose and build her home. Her home, mark you!—not -her prison. It was not to be so large as to hamper flight -when the inevitable call came—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>Take down your golden wings now</p> -<p class='line0'>From the hook behind the door,</p> -<p class='line0'>The wind is calling from the East</p> -<p class='line0'>And you must fly once more.</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>I wish I might write of the building of Beatrice Veronica’s -home for it developed into one of the immense joys of her -life. But more important things are ahead, so it must -suffice to say that it was long, low and brown with sunny -verandas and windows avid of sunshine, and that all the -plunder of travel, and books, books, books found happy -place in it and grew there as inevitably as leaves on a tree.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But it was while all this was in embryo that the thought of -writing impressed itself on Beatrice Veronica. Partly because -the house adventure was expensive and she wanted a -larger margin, partly because she had seen with delighted -interest and intelligence all the splendid spectacle of men and -cities. Her sound knowledge of history and cultivated taste -in literature should count for pebbles in the writer’s sling -who goes forth to conquer the great Goliath of the public. -She revolved this thought often as she walked by murmurous -seas or nested in a niche of rock to watch the mountains -opposite reflecting every change of sunlight as a soul in -adoration reflects its deity. It really seemed a waste not to -turn all this to some sort of account. And success would be -sweet. But how to begin!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She bought an armful of the magazines which make gay -the streets of Victoria. “I ought to be able to do this kind of -thing,” she reflected. “I have a good vocabulary. Father -always thought about eight thousand words, and that should -go a long way. Besides I’ve seen nearly all there is to see. -Let’s try.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She did, and ended with more respect for the average -author. The eight thousand were as unmanageable as mutineers -or idiots. They marched doggedly in heavy columns, -they right-about-faced and deployed; but there was -no life in them. The veriest man-handler of a grizzly or a -cow-boy could do better. Being a young person of quick -insight and decision she decided to waste no more time in -that direction. She laid away the magazines and decided -to be a spectator with memory and hope for companions. -She burned her manuscripts and turned her attention to -planning her garden.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And it was then that V. Lydiat dawned on the horizon.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Dawned. That is the only word, for it came and the sun -came after. It happened in this way.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>One night, in the usual way Beatrice Veronica fell asleep -and dreamed, but not in the usual way. She was standing -by a temple she remembered very well in Southern India, -the Temple of Govindhar. It stood there, under its palms -wonderful as a giant rock of majolica, coloured lavishly in -the hard fierce sunshine, monstrously sculptured with gods -and goddesses, and mythical creatures of land and water in -all the acts of their supernal life, writhing and tapering upwards -to the great architectural crown supported by tigers -and monkeys which finished the building,—a crown gemmed -with worshipping spirits for jewels, a nightmare conception -of violence in form and colour; the last barbaric touch to -the misbegotten splendour. Vaguely the whole thing reminded -Beatrice Veronica of her literary efforts and she -stood among the palms looking up to the blaze against the -blue and smiling a little.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Suddenly she became aware that a man was standing near -the great gate which no unbeliever’s foot may pass, looking -up also, shading his eyes with his hand from the intolerable -sunlight. His face was sensitive and strong, an unusual -blending, his eyes grey and noticeable. She liked his figure -in the light tropical clothing. He had the air of birth and -breeding. But he seemed wearied, as if the climate had -been too much for him, a look one knows very well where -the Peninsula runs down to Cape Cormorin, and the sun -beats on the head like a mighty man of valour.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Then, as dream-people will, he came towards her as if they -had known each other all their lives, and said, slowly, meditatively:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have tried and tried. I can’t do it.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>With a sense that she knew what he meant though she -could not drag it to the surface, she found herself saying -earnestly:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But have you tried hard enough? <span class='it'>Really</span> tried?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He put his hands to his forehead with a tired gesture:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I’m always trying. But <span class='it'>you</span> could do it.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She said, “Could I?” in great astonishment.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>They stood a moment side by side, looking at each other -and then as if from a blurred distance she heard his voice -again.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It was said long ago that if any creatures united their -psychic forces they could conquer the world, though singly -they could do nothing.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Temple and palms dissolved into coloured mist; they -swam away on another wave of dream and vanished. She -floated up to the surface of consciousness again, awake, with -the pale morning gold streaming in through the east window.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She knew she had dreamed, for a sense of something lost -haunted her all day, yet could not remember anything, and -things went on in their usual course.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That evening sitting in a corner of the hotel lounge, with -the babble of music and talk about her, she had the irresistible -impulse to write,—to write something; she did not in the -least know what. It was so urgent that she walked quickly -to the elevator and so to her sitting room, and there she -snatched pen and paper and wrote the beginning of a story -of modern life in India, but strangely influenced by and -centring about the Temple of Govindhar. As she wrote the -name she remembered that she had seen it among the palm -trees in its hideous beauty, and now, like a human personality, -it forced itself upon her and compelled her to be its -mouthpiece.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>How it happened she could not in the least tell. Certainly -she had travelled, kept her ears and eyes open and -learned as much as any woman can do who keeps on the -beaten track in the Orient and consorts with her own kind -in preference to the natives. The two worlds are very far -apart—so far that nothing from below the surface can pass -over the well-defined limits. Moreover she was not a -learned woman,—Indian thought of the mystic order had -never come her way, and Indian history except at the point -where it touches European was a closed book. Therefore -this story astonished her very much. She read it over -breathlessly when it was finished. If she had had that -knowledge when she was there how all the mysteries of the -temple would have leaped to light—what drama, what -strange suspense would have lurked in its monstrous form -and colour! The critic in her brain who, standing aside, -watched the posturing and mouthing of the characters, told -her austerely that the work was good—excellent. But -something behind her brain had told her that already. She -read it over ardently, lingeringly, with an astonishing sense -of ownership yet of doubt. <span class='it'>How</span> had it come? And the -writing? No longer did the eight thousand of her vocabulary -march in dull squadrons, heavy-footed, languid. They -sped, ran, flew, with perfect grace, like the dancers of -princes. They were beautiful exceedingly. They bore the -tale like a garland. She read it again and again, with bewildered -delight.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She tapped it out herself on the keys of her Corona and -sent it to the editor of a very famous magazine, with the -signature of “V. Lydiat.” As I have said, that matter took -long thought, prompted from behind by instincts.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was done and V. Lydiat, a climbing star, shed a faint -beam over the world. For the editor wrote back eagerly. -He knew he had found a new flavour. “Your work impresses -me as extremely original. I am anxious to see more -of it. I need hardly say I accept it for the magazine and I -shall hope to hear from you again before long.” A cheque -followed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>No need to dwell on Beatrice Veronica’s feelings, mixed -beyond disentanglement. She was not astonished that the -work should be recognized as good, but—V. Lydiat! What -had happened to her and how? Strange tales are told to-day -of sudden brain-stimulations and complexes. Was she -the happy victim of such an adventure, and if so, would it -be recurrent? How should she know? What should she -do? She felt herself moving in worlds not realized, and -could not in the least decide the simple question of whether -it was honest to accept commendation for a thing she felt in -her very soul she had not done and could not do.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But then, who? What was V. Lydiat?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He, she, or it, came from starrier spheres than hers. -Wings plumed its shoulders, while hers were merely becomingly -draped in seasonable materials. She knew that the -visitor was a subtler spirit, dwelling beyond the mysteries, -saturated with the colour and desire of dead ages which can -never die—an authentic voice, hailed at once by the few, to -be blown at last on the winds of the soul which, wandering -the world, let fall here and there the seeds of amaranth and -asphodel.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Yes—V. Lydiat was entirely beyond her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But you will understand that, though Beatrice Veronica -could not enter into the secret places, it was a most wonderful -thing to be amanuensis and business manager. To her -fell the letters from editors and publishers, the correspondence -which rained in from the ends of the earth, protesting -gratitude, praise, entreaties for counsel in all things from -routes to religions. These latter were the most difficult, -for it would have taken V. Lydiat to answer them adequately. -But Beatrice Veronica did the best she could, and -her life moved onward aureoled and haloed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She learned at last the rules of the game. V. Lydiat’s -ethereal approach could only be secured by the wand of a -fountain pen. She must sit thus armed with a fair sheet -before her and wait, fixing her mind on some idle point of -light or persistent trembling of leaves, and suddenly the -world would pass miraculously from her and she would -awake in another—an amazing world, most beautiful, brimming -with romance, lit by suns of gallant men and moons of -loveliest women. The great jewels of the Orient shed -starry splendours, and ghostly creeping figures pursued them -through jungles and mountain passes. Strange magics -lurked in the dark and drew the soul along the Way of -Wonder.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The strangest experience. It began always in the same -way. The blue Canadian sky, the hyacinth gleam of the sea -through oak and pine dissolved in unrealities of mist, and -sultry Oriental skies, yellow as a lion’s eyes or the brazen -boom of a gong, beat their fierce sunlight downward as from -an inverted bowl. And then—then, she knew V. Lydiat -was at hand. But never with companionship. It was a -despot and entered in, with flags flying, to the annihilation of -Beatrice Veronica. She wrote like a thing driven on a wind, -and woke to find it done. The possession obliterated her, -and when she could collect her routed forces it was gone.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So time went on and V. Lydiat’s fame was established and -Beatrice Veronica wore it as a woman too poor to appear at -Court with fitting magnificence shines in borrowed jewels -and trembles to wear them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>One night in the moonlit warmth, with the vast Princesses -of the Dark hidden in the ambush of breathless trees, she sat -in the high veranda of her little house with the broad vista -through pines to the sea.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was a heavenly night; if the baby waves broke in the -little bay they must break in diamonds,—the wet stones -must shine like crystals.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That day V. Lydiat had transported her to a great and -silent jungle in Cambodia and they went up together through -the crowding whispering trees to the ruined palaces where -once great kings dwelt, and passed together through sounding -halls sculptured with dead myths to the chambers, once -secret, whence queens looked forth languidly from wildly-carved -casements into the wilderness of sweets in the -gardens.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>V. Lydiat had led her to a great tank of crystal water in -the knotted shade, paved with strange stones inlaid with -human figures in wrought metal,—a place where women -with gold-embraced heads once idly bathed their slender -limbs in the warm lymph—a secret place then, but now open -to cruel sunlight and cold incurious stars.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So far she knew it all. She had photographed that tank -with its stony cobras while Sidney Verrier timed the exposure. -But of the story told to-day she knew nothing.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A wonderful story, old as time, new as to-morrow, for the -figures in it were of to-day, people who had gone there, as -she herself had done, only to see, and were captured, subjugated -by the old alarming magic which lurks in the jungle -and behind the carven walls and eyeless windows. A dangerous -place, and she had not known it then—had thought -of it only as a sight to be seen, a memory to be treasured. -But V. Lydiat knew better—knew it was alive and terrible -still.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She leaned her arms on the sill and looked out to the sea -that led towards the hidden Orient and in her heart she -spoke to the strange visitor.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I wish I knew you,” she whispered. “You come and go -and I can’t touch you even while you are within and about -me. You interpret. You make life wonderful, but perhaps -you are more wonderful still. If I could only lay hold of -you, touch you, have one glimpse of you! <span class='it'>What</span> are you? -Where do you come from? Where do you go? I hear. O, -let me see!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was like a prayer, and the more intense because the -dead stillness of the night presented it as its own cry and -entreaty.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Dead silence. Not even the voice of the sea.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She laid her head on her folded arms.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I’ve been obedient. I’ve laid myself down on the -threshold that you might walk over me and take possession. -Have you no reward for me? Are you just some strange -cell of my own brain suddenly awake and working, or are -you some other—what?—but nearer to me than breathing, -as near as my own soul?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The longing grew inarticulate and stronger, like the dumb -yearning instincts which move the world of unspeaking -creatures. It seemed to her that she sent her soul through -the night pleading, pleading. Then very slowly she relaxed -into sleep as she lay in the moonlight—deep, soul-satisfying -sleep. And so dreamed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She stood in the Shalimar Garden of the dead Mogul Empresses -in Kashmir. How well she knew it, how passionately -she loved it! She and Sidney Verrier had moored -their houseboat on the Dal Lake not far away one happy -summer and had wandered almost daily to the Shalimar, -glorying in the beauty of its fountains and rushing cascades, -and the roses—roses everywhere in a most bewildering -sweetness. How often she had gone up the long garden -ways to the foot of the hills that rise into mountains and -catch the snows and stars upon their heights. It was no -wonder she should dream of it. So in her dream she walked -up to the great pavilion supported on noble pillars of black -marble from Pampoor, and the moon swam in a wavering -circle in the water before it, and she held back a moment -to see it break into a thousand reflections, and then became -aware of a man leaning with folded arms by the steps: his -face clear in the moonlight.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Instantly she knew him, as he did her—the man of her -dream of the Temple of Govindhar.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>As before he turned and came toward her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have waited for you by the temple and here and in -many other places. I wait every night. How is it you come -so seldom?” he said. His voice was stronger, his bearing -more alert and eager than at Govindhar. He spoke with a -kind of assurance of welcome which she responded to instantly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I would have come. I didn’t know. How can I tell?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He looked at her smiling.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“There is only one way. Why didn’t you learn it in India? -It was all round you and you didn’t even notice. -You don’t know your powers. Listen.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Beatrice Veronica drew towards him, eyes rapt on his -face, scarcely breathing. Yes—in India she had felt there -were mighty stirrings about her, thrills of an unknown -spiritual life, crisping the surface like a breeze, and passing—passing -before ever you could say it was there. But it -did not touch her with so much as an outermost ripple. She -was too ignorant. Now—she could learn.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You see—this is the way of it,” he said, leaning against -the black pillar. “The soul is sheer thought and knowledge, -but, prisoned in the body, it is the slave of the senses -and all its powers are limited by these. And they lead it -into acts which in their consequences are fetters of iron. -Still, at a certain point of attainment one can be freer than -most men believe possible. When this is so, you use the -Eight Means of Mental Concentration and are free. You -step into a new dimension.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Is this true? Do you know it?” she said earnestly. -“Because, if there is any way which can be taken, I have a -quest—something—someone——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She stammered, and could not finish.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I know. Someone you want to find in the dark. Well, -it can be done. You would not believe the possibilities of -that freed state of consciousness. Here, in the Shalimar -you think you see nothing but moonlight and water—nothing -in fact but what your senses tell you. But that is nonsense. -Your eyes are shut. You are asleep in Canada and -yet you see them by the inner light of memory even now -and the help I am giving you! Well—use the Eight Means, -and you will see them waking and as clearly as you do in -sleep. But I, who am instructed, see more. This garden -to me is peopled with those who made it—the dead kings and -queens who rejoiced in its beauty. See—” he laid his hand -on hers and suddenly she saw. Amazing—amazing! They -were alone no longer.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Sitting on the floor of the pavilion, looking down into the -moon-mirroring water was a woman in the ancient dress of -Persia, golden and jewelled,—she flung her head up magnificently -as if at the words, and looked at them, the moon -full in her eyes. The garden was peopled now not only with -roses but white blossoms sending out fierce hot shafts of -perfume. They struck Beatrice Veronica like something -tangible, and half dazed her as she stared at the startling -beauty of the unveiled woman revealed like a flaming jewel -in the black and white glory of the night.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>With his hand on hers, she knew without words. Nourmahal -the Empress, ruler of the Emperor who made the -Shalimar for her pleasure, who put India with all its glories -at her feet. Who else should be the soul of the garden?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It seemed to Beatrice Veronica that she had never beheld -beauty before. It was beyond all pictures, all images in its -sultry passionate loveliness,—it was——</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But as she watched spellbound, the man lifted his hand -from hers and the garden was empty of all but moonlight -and roses once more, and he and she alone. She could have -wept for utter loss.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Was it a ghost?” she asked trembling.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“No, no,—an essential something that remains in certain -places, not a ghost. There is nothing of what you mean by -that word. Don’t be frightened! You’ll often see them.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She stared at him perplexed, and he added:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You see? One has only to put oneself in the receptive -state and time is no more. One sees—one hears. You -are only a beginner so I cannot show you much. But you -<span class='it'>are</span> a beginner or you would not be here in the Shalimar with -me now. There is a bond between us which goes back—” -He paused, looking keenly at her, and said quickly “Centuries, -and further.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She was stunned, dazed by the revelations. They meant -so much more that it is possible to record. Also the sensation -was beginning in her which we all know before waking. -The dream wavers on its foundation, loosens, becomes misty, -makes ready to disappear. It would be gone—gone before -she could know. She caught his hand as if to steady it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Are you V. Lydiat?” she cried.—“You must be. You -are. You come to me every day—a voice. O let me come -to you like this, and teach me, teach me, that I may know -and see. I am a blind creature in a universe of wonders. -Let me come every night.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>His face was receding, palpitating, collapsing, but his -voice came as if from something beyond it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“That is what you call me. Names are nothing. Yes, -come every night.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was gone. She was in the Shalimar alone, and somewhere -in the distance she heard Sidney Verrier’s voice calling -clear as a bird. Beatrice Veronica woke that morning -with the sun glorying through the eastern arch of her veranda. -She was still dressed. She had slept there all night. -Of the dream she remembered snatches, hints, which left -new hopes and impulses germinating in her soul. The unknown -flowers were sown in spring. They would blossom -in summer in unimaginable beauty.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That was the beginning of a time of strange and enchanting -happiness. Thus one may imagine the joy of a man -born blind who by some miraculous means is made to see, -and wakes in a world of wonders. It is impossible that anyone -should know greater bliss. The very weight of it made -her methodical and practical lest a grain of heavenly gold -should escape her in its transmutation to earthly terms.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The morning was V. Lydiat’s. At ten o’clock she betook -herself to her high veranda, and folding her hands and composing -her mind looked out to sea through the wide way of -pines which terminated in its azure beauty. Then, as has -been told before, it would blow softly away on a dream-wind, -and the story begin.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And at night there was now invariably the meeting. At -first that was always in some place she knew—somewhere -she recognized from memory, haunts of her own with Sidney -Verrier. But one night a new thing happened—she woke -into dream by the Ganges at Cawnpore, at the terrible Massacre -Ghaut, a place she had always avoided because of the -horrible memories of the Indian mutiny which sicken the -soul of every European who stands there.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now she stood at the top of the beautiful broken steps -under the dense shade of the very trees where the mutineers -ambushed, and he was below, beckoning her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Well done, well done!” he said, as she came slowly down -to where holy Ganges lips the lowest step. “This was a -great experiment. You could never have come here alone,—I -could not have brought you until now, and I had to fight -the repugnance in you, but here you are. You see? We -have been putting stepping-stones, you and I, each from our -own side, and now the bridge is made and we hold hands -in the middle. You can come anywhere now. And listen—I -too am learning to go where I have never been. The -world will be open to us soon.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He looked at her with glowing eyes—the eyes of the explorer, -the discoverer, on the edge of triumph.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But why here—in this horrible place?” She shrank a -little even from him as she looked about her. He laughed:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“That is no more now than a last year’s winter storm. -They know. They were not afraid even then. They laugh -now as they go on their way. Be happy, beloved. They -are beyond the mysteries.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Of that dream, she carried back to earth the word “beloved.” -Who had said it, she could not tell, but in the dark—the -warm friendly dark—there was someone who loved -her, whom she loved with a perfect union. Was it—could -it be V. Lydiat? She did not know. Also she remembered -that she had dreamed the Massacre Ghaut at Cawnpore, and -took pains to search for pictures and stories of the place -to verify her dream. Yes—it was true. Things were becoming -clearer.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Also, her power in writing increased very noticeably about -this time. V. Lydiat was recognized as holding a unique -place amongst writers of the Orient. On the one side were -the scholars, the learned men who wrote in terms of ancient -Oriental thought, terms no ordinary reader could understand, -and on the other, the writers of the many-faceted -surface, the adventurers, toying with the titillating life of -zenana and veiled dangerous love-affairs,—a tissue of -coloured crime. V. Lydiat recorded all, and with a method -of his own which approached perfect loveliness in word and -phrase. The faiths of the East were his,—in India and -China alike his soul sheltered under the Divine Wings, at -home in strange heavens, and hells which one day would -blossom into heavens. As he and Beatrice Veronica had -posed stepping-stones until they met in the middle, so he -built a splendid bridge across the wide seas of misunderstanding -between east and west, and many souls passed -across it going and coming and were glad.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I’m only a pioneer,” he said to Beatrice Veronica one -day (she could dream the day as well as the night) sitting -in the gardens of the Taj. “You too. It will be done much -better soon. See how we are out-growing our limitations -and feeling out after the wonders of the sub-conscious -self, the essential that hands on the torch when we die. -Die? No, I hate that word. Let’s say, climb a step higher -on the ladder of existence. Every inch gives us a wider -view of the country. You see?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She liked that “You see?” which came so often. It was -so eager—so fraternal in a way. Yes, they were good comrades, -she and V. Lydiat.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Do you know I write for you?” she ventured to ask. -“I have often wondered if you speak as unconsciously as I -write.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“No, no. I know. I always know. Longer ago than -you would believe you used to work for me. We are in the -same whirl-pool, you and I. Our atoms must always be -whirled together again. You can’t escape me, Beatrice -Veronica.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Do you think I want to?” she asked.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But in daily life she clung to her secret like grim death. -She would not have been burdened with V. Lydiat’s laurels -for the world. The dishonesty of it! And yet one could -never explain. Hopeless! Who would believe? And -apart from that, she had a kind of growing certainty that -V. Lydiat would enter upon his own one day. Not that she -remembered him as any more than a vague dream influence; -she did not, but yet the realization of a Presence was growing, -and she herself developing daily.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There is not much space here to tell the wondrous sights -she saw with V. Lydiat, and holding by his hand. That -would be a book in itself—and a beautiful one. And -though she could only remember them in drifts like a waft -of far-off music on a breeze, it was incomparable food for -the sub-conscious self, and strengthened every latent faculty -of memory and experience. Beatrice Veronica promised -to be a very remarkable woman if some day the inner -and outer faculties should unite.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But what was to be the solvent? That, this story can -only indicate faintly for the end is not yet.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She went out a little less into her small world of daily life—not -shunning it certainly, but her inner life was so -crowded, so blissful that the outer seemed insipid enough. -Why figure at teas and bridge parties, and struggle with the -boredom of mah jong when the veranda was waiting with the -green way before it that led to the silence of the sea, and -the lover beyond? For it had come to that—the lover. All -joy summed up in that word, joy unmeasurable as the oceans -of sunlight—a perfect union. She walked as one carefully -bearing a brimmed cup,—not a drop, not a drop must spill,—so -she carried herself a little stiffly as it might seem to the -outer world which could not guess the reason.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>People liked her—but she moved on her own orbit, and it -only intersected theirs at certain well-defined points. Her -soft abstracted air won but eluded;—it put an atmosphere -of strangeness about her, of thoughts she could not share -with anyone.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“She must have rather a lonely life of it!” they said. -But she never had.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>One day came a letter from Sidney Verrier, now Sidney -Mourilyan, from her husband’s coffee plantation in the -Shevaroy Hills in southern India. She wrote from the settlement -of Yercaud— “Not a town,” she wrote, “but dear -little scattered houses in the trees. We have even a club, -think of it!—after the wilds where you and I have been!—and -there are pleasant people, and Tony expects to do well -with coffee here. I wish half the day that you could come. -You would like it, B. V.— You would like it! And you -would like my boy—two years old now, and a sheer delight. -Not to mention my garden. The growth here! The heliotropes -are almost trees. The jasmines have giant stars. -The house is stormed with flowers—almost too sweet. -Couldn’t you come? Don’t you hear the east calling? At -all events you hear me calling, for I want you. And you -must be having very idle lazy days, for I remember I never -could imagine what you would find to do if you stopped -travelling. Your whole soul was in that. It’s a cold country -you’re in—frigid pines, and stark mountains and icy -seas. Do come out into the sunshine again.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She laid down the letter there and looked at the beloved -pines almost glittering in the sunshine as it slid off their -smooth needles. And idle?—her life, her wonderful secret -life! Little indeed did Sidney know if she could write like -that. She took up the letter again, smiling.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And listen, B. V.—there’s a man going round by Japan -to Canada, a man called Martin Welland. I should like you -to know him for two reasons. First, he can tell you all -about this place. Second, I think he is interesting. If you -don’t find him so, shunt him. My love, my dear B. V., and -do come. Think of all you might do with this as a starting -point.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There was more, but that is the essential. You may -think at this point that you know exactly how this story -must inevitably end. But no.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was about four months after this that Beatrice Veronica -was rung up on the telephone in her veranda as she sat -reading. The imperative interruption annoyed her;—she -put down her book. A man’s voice.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Miss Leslie? I think your friend Mrs. Mourilyan told -you I was coming to Victoria. My name is Welland.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Polite assurances from the veranda.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yes, I am staying at the Empress. May I come out and -see you this afternoon? I have a small parcel for you from -Mrs. Mourilyan.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So it was settled, and with her Chinese servant she made -the little black oak table beautiful with silver and long-stemmed -flowers in beautiful old English glass bowls. If -he went back to Yercaud he should at least tell Sidney that -her home in “that cold country” was desirable.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He came at four and she could hear his voice in the little -hall as Wing admitted him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She liked it. The words were clear, well-cut, neither -blurred nor bungled. Then he came in. A tall man, broad-shouldered, -with grey eyes and hair that sprang strongly -from a broad forehead, clean-shaven, a sensitive mouth, possibly -thirty-eight, or so. All these things flashed together -in an impression of something to be liked and trusted. On -his side he saw a young woman in a blue-grey gown with -hazel eyes and hair to match—a harmony of delicate browns -enhancing an almond-pale face with faintly coloured lips -and a look of fragility which belied the nervous strength beneath.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The parcel was given and received; a chain of Indian -moonstones in silver, very lovely in its shifting lights, and -then came news, much news, of the home at Yercaud.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I heard of you so much there that you are no stranger -to me,” he said, watching with curious interest while she -filled the Chinese cups of pink and jade porcelain with jasmine -tea from a hidden valley in Anhui. It fascinated him—the -white hands flitting like little quick birds on their -quick errands, the girl, so calm and self-possessed, mistress -of herself and her house. Many years of wandering had -opened his heart to the feminine charm of it all, the quiet, -the rose-leaf scent in the air, the things which group by instinct -about a refined woman.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You have a delightful home!” he said at last, rather -abruptly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yes— When you return do try to convince Mrs. -Mourilyan that I don’t live in a hut on an iceberg. You -agree with me, I am sure, that only Kashmir and perhaps -one or two other places can be more beautiful than this.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yes. I fully agree. Yet it misses something which -permeates India in places far less beautiful. It lacks atmosphere. -Just as the fallen leaves of a forest make up a -rich soil in which all growth is luxuriant, so the dead ancientry -of India makes earth and air rich with memory and -tradition—and more. You can’t get it in these new countries.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I know,” she said eagerly. “Here it’s just a beautiful -child with all her complexities before her. It rests one, -you know. I felt it an amazing rest when I came here.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I can understand that. And they tell me the climate -is delightful. I wish I could stay here. I may come back -some day. But I must return to India in four months.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You have work?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yes and no. I have collected an immense quantity of -notes for several books, but—now you will laugh!—I shall -never write them.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But why—why? I know there’s an immense opening -for true books about the Orient.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I think so too. But you allow it’s a drawback that I -am entirely devoid of the writing gift. I have my knowledge. -I have the thing flame-clear in my mind. But let -me put it on paper and it evaporates. Dull as ditchwater! -You see?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That last little phrase sent a blush flying up her cheek. -It recalled many things.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yes, I see. But couldn’t you put it in skilful hands?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He laid down his cup and turned suddenly on her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Could <span class='it'>you</span> do it?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I? I wish I could, but I am doing work at present——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Literary?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Of a sort. Secretarial. I write from dictation.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“May I ask what sort of things?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>With a curious reluctance she answered.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Indian,” and said no more.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He seemed to meditate a moment on that; then said -slowly:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It appears you have experience of the very things that -interest me. Tell me—for I have been so long in the -wilds— Is there any writer nowadays taking the place -with regard to things Indian that Lafcadio Hearn did with -things Japanese? A man who gets at the soul of it as well -as the beautiful surface?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>With her eyes on the ground and a sense of something -startling in the air, she answered with a question.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Have you ever heard of V. Lydiat’s books?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There was a puzzled furrow between his eyebrows.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Not that I know of. Up in Kulu and beyond, the new -books don’t penetrate. A man or a woman?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“People are not certain. The initial might mean either. -But the critics all say a man. The last is called the ‘The -Unstruck Music,’ the one before ‘The Dream of Stars.’ -The first, ‘The Ninefold Flower.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Beautiful names,” he said. “Can I get them here?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I can lend them to you.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>They talked long after that, in a curiously intimate way -that gave her secret but intense happiness. It was almost -in fear that she asked when he was going on and where.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>When he went off he carried the three books under his -arm.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I shall read ‘The Ninefold Flower,’ first. It interests -me to see how a writer’s mind develops.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That night she had no dream and next day she tried even -more eagerly than usual to get in touch with V. Lydiat, -but in vain. The oracle was dumb. It frightened her, for -the whole thing was so strange that she had never felt sure -it might not vanish as suddenly as it came. She sat patiently -all that morning, hoping and sorely disturbed, but the -Pacific hung a relentless azure curtain before her fairyland -and the pines dreamed their own sunshine-fragrance and -made no way for palms.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At one o’clock the telephone rang sharply,</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Welland speaking. May I come and see you this afternoon?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was impossible for she had an engagement, but she -named the evening at eight. He caught at it—his voice was -evidence of that eagerness.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He came a minute or two before the time, and a book was -in his hand. She knew the cover with a drift of stars across -it before he spoke.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It broke out the moment he was in the room.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A most amazing thing. I hardly know how to tell you. -You’ll think I’m mad. It’s my book—<span class='it'>mine</span>, yet I never -wrote it.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>They stared at each other in a kind of consternation and -the little colour in her face fell away and left her lily-pale. -She could feel but not control the trembling of her hands.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You mean——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I mean—there are my notes one after another, but -expressed in a way I never could hope for, exquisitely expressed. -But it’s mine all the same. A cruel, enchanting -robbery! You don’t believe me. How could you? But -I can prove it. See here.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>With passionate haste he pulled a roll of paper from his -pocket, and pushed the typed sheets before her. The first -story in “The Ninefold Flower,” was called “The Lady of -Beauty.” The notes began, “The Queen of Beauty,” and -went on <span class='it'>seriatim</span> with the scaffolding of the story.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The way it’s done here, in this book, is the very way I -used to see it in my dreams, but it was utterly beyond me. -For God’s sake, tell me what you think.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She laid it down.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Of course it’s yours. No doubt of that. But his too. -You blocked out the marble. He made the statue. The -very judgment of Solomon could not decide between you.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“That’s true,” he said hopelessly. “But the mystery of -it. The appalling hopeless mystery. No eye but mine has -ever seen that paper till now.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Silence. A grey moth flew in from the garden and circled -about the lamp. The little flutter of its wings was the -only sound. Then in a shaken voice very unlike its usual -sedate sweetness, she asked.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Mr. Welland, do you ever dream?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Awake? Constantly.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Asleep?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She saw caution steal into his frank eyes and drop a -curtain before them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Why do you ask? Everyone dreams.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She gathered up all her courage for the next question.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Were you ever in the Shalimar?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Certainly. Does anyone ever go to Kashmir and miss -it?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He was fencing, that was palpable. It gave her hope for -a golden gleam through her fear. She clasped her shaking -hands tightly in each other.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have the strangest dreams. I can only bring back -snatches. Yet I know there is a wonderful connected story -behind them. I dreamt the Shalimar not long ago,—I -brought back one image. A woman in an old Persian dress -sitting by the black Pampoor pillars and looking down into -the water where the moon dipped and swam all gold.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yes, yes, go on!” he breathed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“There were flowers—white flowers. I never saw them -there in the daylight.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Unbearably sweet,” he interjected. “The scent is like -the thrust of a lance. I know, I know. But there was another -woman. I can’t remember her face.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“How did she stand?” asked Beatrice Veronica.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Near me—but she could see nothing. The day still -blinded her, until——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Until you laid your hand on hers. Then she saw.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Another long silence. Only the beating of the moth’s -wings. He leaned forward from his chair and laid his hands -on the clasp of hers. Their eyes met, absorbing each other; -the way for the electric current was clear.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I remember now,” he said, very softly. “It was you. -It was you at the Temple of Govindhar. At the Massacre -Ghaut of Cawnpore. Ah, I dragged you there against your -will to show I was the stronger. It is you—always you.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>What was she to say? With his hands on hers it was a -union of strength which put the past before both like an -open book. She remembered all the dreams now. Impossible -to tell them here—they were so many, like and unlike, -shaken shifting jewels in a kaleidoscope held in some unseen -hand. But jewels. They sat a long time in this way, rapt -in wordless memories, their eyes absorbing each other—the -strangest reunion. When speech came it brought rapture -which needed little explanation. They bathed in wonder as -in clear water, they flung the sparkle of it over their heads -and glittered to each other in its radiance. When had such -a miracle been wrought for any two people in all the world? -The dreams of the visionary were actual for them and -heaven and earth instinct with miracle.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When we are married—when we pass our lives utterly -together the bond will be stronger,” he said, kissing her hand -passionately two hours later. “We shall be awake with reason -and intellect as well as vision to help our work, we shall -do such things as the world has never dreamed, prove that -miracle is the daily bread of those who know. Two halves -of a perfect whole made one forever and ever. You see?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He looked at her a moment with shining eyes and added, -“The wise will come to us for wisdom, the poets for beauty, -and we shall make our meeting-places the shrines of a new -worship.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Beatrice Veronica agreed with every pulse of her blood. -The Great Adventure, and together!—what bliss could equal -that marvel?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>They were together perpetually, and surely human happiness -was never greater than that of these two adventurers -with the blue capes of Wonderland in sight at last over -leagues of perilous seas. In another image, their caravan -halted outside the gates of Paradise, and in a short few -weeks those gates would swing open for them and, closing, -shut out Fate.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But she did not dream of Martin Welland now, nor he -of her. The discovery and all it involved was so thrilling -that it brought every emotion to the surface as blood flushes -the face when the heart beats violently. The inner centres -were depleted.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>They were married and Paradise was at hand, but for a -while the happy business of settling their life engrossed -them. It would be better to live in Canada and make long -delightful visits to the Orient to refill the cisterns of marvel, -they thought. A room for mutual work must be plotted in -the bungalow; then there was the anxious question of a -southern aspect. Then it was built, and it became a debatable -decision whether some of the pines must fall to enlarge -the vista to the sea. Friends rallied about her on the news -of the marriage, and rejoiced to see the irradiation of Beatrice -Veronica’s pale face. Then they must be entertained.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Then the endless joyful discussions as to whether the author -should still be V. Lydiat or whether collaboration -should be admitted. These things and many more filled the -happy world they dwelt in.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Can the end be foreseen? They never foresaw it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The hungry claim of human bliss fixed its roots in the -inner soil where the Rosa Mystica had blossomed, and exhausted -it for all else. That, at least, is the way in which -one endeavours to state the mysterious enervation of the sub-conscious -self which had built the stepping-stones between -them to the meeting-point.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She went hopefully to her table when they had settled -down, and he sat beside her doing his utmost to force the -impulse across inches which had made nothing of oceans. -It was dead. He could think of nothing but the sweet mist -of brown tendrils in the nape of her neck, the pure line from -ear to chin, the delights of the day to be. She sat with the -poor remnant of his notes before her—for nearly all had -been exhausted in the three books—and tried to shape them -into V. Lydiat’s clear and sensitive beauty of words. It -could not be done. Her eight thousand words marched and -deployed heavy-footed as before. They were as unmanageable -as mutineers or idiots. There was no life in them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So it all descended to calmer levels. They slept in each -other’s arms, but they never dreamed of each other now. -They had really been nearer in their ghostly meeting by the -Taj Mahal or in the evil splendours of Govindhar—far -nearer, when she wrote and could not cease for joy, than -when Martin Welland sat beside her and struggled to find -what had flashed like light in the old days. They had to -face it at last—V. Lydiat was dead.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It troubled them much for a while, but troubled the world -more. The publishers were besieged with questions and -entreaties. Finally those also slackened and died off.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>V. Lydiat was buried.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>They thought that perhaps if they returned to India the -dead fire would re-kindle under that ardent sun. But no.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>One day, at Benares, standing near the great Monkey -Temple of Durga, Martin stopped suddenly, and a light -came into his eyes.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“B. V. I’ve just remembered that one of the wisest of -the pandits lives near here—a wonderful old fellow called -Jadrup Gosein. Let’s go and state the case to him. The -wisest man I know.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>They went, Beatrice Veronica ashamed to feel a little uprush -of regret at the sacrifice of a part of the wonderful day. -Martin knew so much. It was heavenly to go to these -places with him, and have them illumined by his research. -But they went to the pandit.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The holy man was seated under the shadow of a great -image of Ganesha the Elephant-Headed One, the Giver of -Counsel, and when they sat themselves before him at a measured -distance the case was stated.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There was a long pause—a deep silence filled with hot -sunshine smelling of marigolds, and the patter of bare feet -on sun-baked floors, as curious quick eyes watched the conclave -from afar.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Jadrup Gosein meditated deeply, then raised his serene -dark face upon them with the dim look that peers from the -very recesses of being. His words, incomprehensible to Beatrice -Veronica, had the hollow resonance of a bell, near at -hand but softened.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“There was a man long since,” he began, “to whom the -high Gods offered in reward of merit, a rose-tree—very small -and weak,—a suckling, as it were, among trees, with feeble -fibrous root, accessible to all the dangers of drought and -sun, and as he stretched his hand doubting, they offered him -for choice a rose from the trees of Paradise, crimson and -perfumed, its hidden bosom pearled with dew and wafting -divine odours. And they said ‘Choose.’ So he said within -his soul, ‘The tree may die—who knows the management -of its frail roots? But the rose is here, sweeter than sweet, -immortal since it grew in Paradise! I choose the rose.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And they put it in his hand. And the wise Elephant-Headed -One said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘O fool! What is a rose compared to a rose-tree that -bears myriads of roses? Also the rose dies in the heat of -human hands. The tree lives; a gathered rose is dead.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My children, you have chosen the rose. Be content. -Yet in another life remember and cling to that which unsevered -from the parent tree sends roots into the Now, the -Then, and the Future, and blossoms immortally.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So he dismissed them kindly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He means,” said Martin with troubled brow, “that ordinary -household happiness shuts a man in from the stars. -Do you remember the flute of Pan, B. V.? He tore the -reed from the river and massacred it as a reed to make it a -music-bearer for the Gods.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“The true Gods sigh for the cost and pain,</p> -<p class='line0'>For the reed that grows never more again</p> -<p class='line0'>As a reed with the reeds in the river.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>“But we are so happy!” she whispered, clinging against -him to feel the warmth of his love. “The outer spaces are -cold, cold. I don’t regret V. Lydiat. I have you. The -reeds were happier in the river.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Martin Welland sighed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You had both,” he said. “You have only me now.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But that regret also slipped away. They forgot. It all -faded into the light of common day and they were extremely -happy.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The two could never account for the way in which they -had come together in that dream-land of theirs. They had -lost the clue of the mystery once and for all.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Jadrup Gosein could have told them, but it never occurred -to them to ask him. There are however many lives and the -Gods have a long patience.</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:1.2em;'>THE SEA OF LILIES</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-bottom:10em;font-size:.8em;'>A STORY OF CHINA</p> - -<div><h1 id='ch2'>THE SEA OF LILIES<br/> <br/> <span style='font-size:smaller'>A STORY OF CHINA</span></h1></div> - -<p class='pindent'>I had come down from the mountain fastnesses of my -home in Kashmir on pilgrimage to a certain island off the -coast of China. A long, long pilgrimage, but necessary; for, -with a Buddhist monk attached to the monastery of Kan-lu-ssu -in the hills of North China, I was to collect certain information -from the libraries and scholars of two famous -monasteries on the island of Puto. I, Lancelot Dunbar, am -known to the monks of the northern monastery of Kan-lu-ssu -by the friendly title of “Brother of the Pen,” and it is my -delightful lot to labour abundantly among the strange and -wonderful stores of ancient Buddhist and historic knowledge -contained in some of the many monastic libraries scattered -up and down India, China and Ceylon. It follows that my -wife and I own two homes.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>One is a little deserted monastery in the Western Hills, in -China, known as “First Gate of Heaven,” and so beautiful -that the name might have grown about it like the moss on -its tiled roofs. Following the bigger monasteries, it has its -quiet courtyard, its lotus-pool and the peaked roofs with -their outward, upturned sweep. The pines crowd upon us, -and the cloud-dragons of rain and wind play in their uncouth -sport among the peaks and fill our streams with singing, -glittering water.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Our other home is a red-pine hut near the Liderwat in -Kashmir. The beauty of it, the warm homeliness set amid -the cold magnificence of the hills and immeasurable forests, -no tongue can tell. The hut is very large and low, divided -into our own rooms and the guest-rooms, with hospitable -fireplaces for fragrant pine-logs and floors strewn with rugs -brought by yak and pony down the wild tracks from Yarkand -and Leh. Beautiful rooms, as I think—the windows -looking out into the pines and the endless ways that lead to -romance and vision.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Which home is the more beautiful I cannot say. We have -never known, and our friends give no help; for some choose -one and some the other. One day I shall write of our life in -Kashmir, the clean, beautiful enchantment of it, the journeyings -into the mountains—but to-day I must recall myself -to the pilgrimage to Puto.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It is an island off the coast of China, as I said before, most -holy to the Buddhists of the Far East, dear to all who know -it in its beauty and religious peace and the lovely legends -that cling about it, a place of purification of the heart and -of a serenity that the true pilgrim may hope to carry away -with him as the crowning of his toil and prayer. It is one -of the Chusan Archipelago and is separated from the large -island of Chusan by a stretch of water known as the “Sea of -Lilies.” And it is not very far distant from the hybrid dissipations -of Shanghai and the swarming streets of Ningpo -and can be reached from either. Yet it is as far removed -from their hard realities as if it were built on floating clouds -and lit by other dawns than ours.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Shanghai concerns itself, I am told, with that ancient and -universally respected Trinity of the World, the Flesh, and -the Devil. I know little of it myself and accept the testimony -of friends, and especially of one who knew it well. -“I just think,” he said with conviction, “that if nothing happens -to Shanghai, Sodom and Gomorrah were very unfairly -dealt with.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So I met my friend Shan Tao in Ningpo, and we set sail -together. The island of Puto, at all events, concerns itself -with a very different Trinity from that of Shanghai. For -the deity of Puto is the Supreme, enthroned in eternal light, -and on his right hand stands Wisdom and on his left, Love. -The patron saint of this island is Kwan-yin (the Kwannon -of Japan), the incarnation of divine love and pity, she who -has refused to enter paradise, so that, remaining on this -sad earth, she may be attentive to the tears and prayers of -humanity and depart from it only when the Starry Gates -have closed behind the last sinner and sorrow and sighing -have fled away like clouds melting into the golden calms of -sunset. Yet when I say “she,” I limit the power of this -mighty <span class='it'>Bodhisattva</span>, or <span class='it'>Pusa</span>, as Buddhas-to-be are called -in India and China. For that pure essence is far above all -limitations of sex and, uniting in itself the perfection of both, -may be manifested as either, according to need and opportunity. -Be that as it may, Puto is the holiest, most immediate -home of Kwan-yin, and her influence spreads far beyond its -shores and makes the very sea that surrounds it sacred. -Therefore it is to this day the Sea of Lilies.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>For when the Dwarf-men, the Japanese, came storming -down on the island from Hangchow long ago and carried -off a part of the sacred relics, they woke in the dawn to -find their ship moving slower and slower and finally rocking -like a ship asleep in what seemed a vast meadow of lilies. -Thick as snow about them lay the ivory chalices with golden -stamens; thick as the coiling of snakes innumerable were -the long piped and knotted stems, with the great prone -leaves. Neither oar nor sail could move the ship; for the -mysterious lilies, white and silent, that had sprung up from -the depths in a night held it as if with chains. And then -comprehension entered the hearts of the Dwarfs, and, taking -hurried counsel, they put the ship about and headed for -the sacred island once more. As they did so, a soft wind -like the waft of a passing garment breathed on the surface -of the sea, the ivory chalices closed and the crystal lymph -flowed over them, and, where the leagues of blossom had -spread, were now only the foam-flowers of the waste ocean. -So the treasures were restored to Puto, and, when the story -was told to the monks, they adored the Heavenly Lady who -guards her own.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Lest it be said that the burdened consciences of the -Dwarfs misled them into a dream, let the story be told of -Wang Kuei, a haughty official who was sent on his Emperor’s -behalf to do reverence at the shrines of Puto and did it -grudgingly and with a pride that ill became him. So, when -his ship set sail from the island and he sat in glory on deck, -glad at heart that his service was over, suddenly her swift -course was stayed. Behold, in the moonlight, the meadows -of ocean had bloomed into innumerable lilies, and there was -no sea-track between them, no glimmer of water in the interstices -of the paving-leaves, and the ship was a prisoner of -beauty! Then the story of the Dwarfs rushed into his soul. -In haste he prostrated himself on the deck with his face toward -the island and prayed for pardon as he had never yet -prayed, and the Heavenly Lady heard him and the lilies -were resumed into her pure being. The man of pride returned -to Puto and, doing homage of the humblest, went -back in security to his Emperor.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But who can tell the beauty of Puto, looking forth on its -little sisters of the archipelago with the serenity of an elder -who has attained? We put up in one of the cells allotted -to pilgrims in a monastery among the hills overlooking the -Sea of Lilies. Surely, I think, a lovelier place could not be. -The little ways wind about the island, past great rocks sculptured -with holy figures and groves of trees that climb the -hills to the tiled roofs of the many temples and monasteries. -And wild and sweet on the hills grows the gardenia, whence -the island has its name of “White Flower.” The sunny -sweetness of its perfume recalled to me the far-away, wild -daphne bushes of Mount Abu in Rajputana, near the marvellous -white temples of Dilwara, temples of another, yet -not unallied, faith. It is easy to tell when the gods go by—it -can never be common air again, but sweet, sweet unutterably.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>All day I trod the bays on sand fine as powdered gold or -wandered among the flowers, taking notes for my book at -the various temples and talking with the monks and such -hermits as are not under the vow of silence. When they -found I was at work for Kan-lu-ssu in the hills, they opened -their hearts and told me many things.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I suppose it is difficult for the western mind to comprehend -the impulses that send a man to dwell in the solitudes -of Puto, girdled with its miraculous sea, there to let the years -slip from him like a vesture, unheeded, unregretted—but to -me it is easy. Let me tell the story of one of these monks, -gathered from his own lips and told where a ravine breaks -down to the sands of a little bay; where the small waves fall -in a lulling monotone, a fitting burden to quiet words softly -spoken as the shadows lengthened to the hour of rest. He -was named in religion “High Illumination.” His name in -the world I cannot tell.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>His father had been a farmer in Anhui, a well-to-do man -for his class. There were two sons, and my friend was the -younger. His father, of whom he spoke with deep reverence, -had the utmost confidence in the elder brother. In dying, -he expressed only the desire that the elder brother would -make a just division with the younger of all the possessions -he was leaving, and so departed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And I was content,” said High Illumination, “knowing -my father’s wisdom and believing that his wish, uttered in -the presence of us both, would be as binding upon my honoured -brother as an imperial command. Therefore, when all -observances of departure had been completed and the proper -time came, I expected my share in peace, and the more so -since my good father had provided for my marriage with -a beautiful maiden, the daughter of a lifelong friend. But -that was not to be.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And still my brother said nothing; all the duties of the -seasons proceeded and I worked and helped him, expecting -daily that he would speak.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Then at last in great astonishment I ventured this: -‘Honoured Elder Brother, the will of our just father is still -unfulfilled. Should we not proceed in this matter?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And he, with anger and a reddened face: ‘What is this -discontent? Do you not share the land where you labour -upon it? What more would you have?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So, very temperately and courteously, I said: ‘Honoured -Elder Brother, I work but as a hired man who has no hire. -I have not so much as a <span class='it'>cash</span> in my pocket to buy me the -least of pleasures or needs. I have but my food, and that, -as I think, my elder sister [the brother’s wife] grudges me. -Such certainly was not the intention of our just father.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Then, his face distorted with rage, he replied, ‘Have your -way, and if it bring bitterness and disturbance of spirit, then -thank yourself for your greed!’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>High Illumination paused a moment as if in memory.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Greed!” I said indignantly. “My friend, you were -wronged and cruelly. You could in a court of law have -compelled him to do you justice.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yet he was right: for me it was greed,” said High Illumination, -with a smile of quiet humour. “I had thought -of it night and day, till it had soured my soul. But the next -day at dawn my brother called to me with anger in his voice -and said: ‘The division is now made. Come and see.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So we passed along through the dewy dawn-gold in silence, -past his fields of budding rice and millet prosperously -green, and at last we came to a great stretch of pebbles and -water-springs where nothing would grow, no, not even a -blade of grass. The place had come to my father from -many ancestors, and none could either use or sell its barrenness.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And there it lay, grey and hard in the morning gold, and -my brother, pointing, said: ‘Take it; the division is made. -And when you store your plentiful rice, thank my generosity.’ -And, turning, he left me and went back to his prosperity, -laughing.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It was a devil’s deed,” I said. “Surely he laid up for -himself a black <span class='it'>karma</span> in so doing.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>High Illumination shook his head slowly. “Who can -judge the karma of another? Daily did I pray that my -brother’s feet might be set in the way of peace, and I had -assurance that thus and no otherwise it should be. But -hear the story and its loveliness.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So I sat nearly all day, staring at the pebbles. There -was not even a yard of the ground that spade and hoe could -conquer, and I knew myself vanquished. Then in the evening -I rose and went to a neighbour and said, ‘I beseech you -to find me work; for I must eat or die.’ He gave me work -and the wage was my food only; for he was bone-poor. So -I lived for two years, and, if I passed my brother, he would -jeer at my rags and leanness.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Now, as I went by my desolate heritage one day, I -saw that between the pebbles were pushing little bright -green shoots, strong and hardy, thrusting the small stones -aside to make room for their impatience. The tender -greenness pleased me. It was like warmth and sunshine to -see the life of it, and I wondered what manner of growth -could find food among the stones. For a while I could not -go that way, but, when I went again, behold a thing most -beautiful, for all the plants were covered with buds like -pearls!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My brother, hear a marvel. One day, before ever I came -in sight of it, a sweet perfume, warm with the sun, exhaling -the very breath of paradise, surrounded me. When I approached, -the desert had blossomed abundantly. I could -not see the stones; they were covered with lilies, white lilies, -each with a gold cup, set in ivory, to hold the incense-offering -to the sun. What could I say, what think in beholding this -miracle of loveliness? I sat beside them to watch what they -would do, and a light breeze moved the flowers like bells -upon the stems, and there was a going in the leaves of them -as though the hem of an unseen garment trailed among them. -And they were mine.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“They had never grown there before?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“No man of those parts had seen the like; nor I myself. -Every day, when my work was done, I went to look at them -and sat to see their beauty of ivory and gold. And once, as -I sat, the rich official, Chung Ching-yu, rode by. Pausing -in astonishment, he bought a handful of the flowers, giving -me the first money I had seen for a year, and he told me to -gather the bulbs in due season and receive from him in return -their weight in silver. And what he said ran on to other -rich men and to men not rich, in the city of Ningpo, and they -came bidding against one another for the bulbs to sell to -the great and to send in ships to strange countries, until I -who had been poor scarce knew how to store my riches. -And I saw what my lilies loved and put for them more stones -and water, and the next year they were a wilderness of -sweets, where all the bees of the world came to gather -nectar.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But I knew indeed whence they came, since such beauty -could not be of earth, and I withdrew myself to a lonely -place and addressed my prayer to Kwan-yin, who had thus -blessed my poverty, and I said: ‘O Adorable, whose ears -are open ever to the cry of the oppressed, whose beautiful -eyes are pitiful to sorrow, I bless thee for this compassion. -And because I dread the love of riches, and the flowers and -not money, are to me my soul, give me grace so to receive -the mercy of thy gift that it may befit thy greatness and my -littleness.’ Even as I said the words, a thought came to me, -and I went to find my brother, whom I had not seen for -long days.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Now, when he saw me come, his face darkened with rage, -and he said: ‘Are you come to taunt me because of my -folly, in that I gave the best of all the land to your idleness, -or to thank me for the gold it has heaped upon you? Speak -out; for the lucky man may speak.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Then, standing at the door, I said this: ‘Elder Brother, -your action was unjust, and certainly the Divine does not -sleep, but awaits its hour in peace. As for me, the Spirit of -Compassion has seen my poverty and had pity upon me, and -now I will tell you my heart. Two nights ago as I lay and -slept, it seemed to me that the moonlit air grew sweet with a -sweetness more than all my lilies—nay, than all the flowers -of earth—and I knew that the gates of paradise were opened -and that the immortal flowers exhaled their souls, and that -to breathe them was purification. Then, far off on a cloud -so white that it resembled the mystic petals of the lotus, -stood a lady with veiled face, and in one hand a chalice and -in the other a willow spray, and even through the veil her -beauty rayed as the moon behind a fleece of cloud. My -Brother, need I say her name?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And, as I spoke, the hard face softened; for who is there -that knows not the Pity of the Lord? I continued: ‘In a -voice sweeter than sleep, she augustly addressed me, saying: -‘The Divine on its hidden throne knows no repose while the -sigh of the oppressed is heard before it. And because this -injustice was borne with patience, the armies of the flowers -of paradise were marshaled. Say, now, whether justice was -done.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And I said, ‘It was done.’ And, as a cloud slips off the -moon as she glides upward to the zenith, so fell the veil—but -what I saw I may not tell, nor could, for I weep in remembering -that Beauty.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>His voice faltered even in recollection; nor could I speak -myself. We sat in silence awhile, looking over the Sea of -Lilies with the twilight settling softly upon it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Then he resumed: “So I said: ‘Elder Brother, having -seen this, I have all riches and need no more. Take the -land; for I depart into the life of peace, where is no need of -gold or gain, having beheld the ineffable Treasure of the -Nirvana and the very Soul of Quiet.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And his eyes kindling, he said, ‘What, is it mine—all -mine?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Yours. Yet remember that these lilies are of heaven. -It is in my mind that these will have not only pure water and -clean rock but also a clean heart to tend them.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Then, very doubtfully, he took my hand and held it -awhile in his and, dropping it at last, turned, weeping, away. -Thus we parted, and I came to Puto.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And you never saw him again?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>High Illumination smiled, looking to where the star of -evening blossomed above us. “Four years passed,” he replied. -“Then, among the pilgrims who came to the holy -shrines, I saw my brother, and yet could scarcely think it -he, so reverently and with such humility he knelt where the -Divine Lady waits in gold at the left side of the Infinite One.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Need I recount the rest, O Brother of the Pen? He -came to my cell and, seated at my feet, he told me all. -When I was gone, the lilies withered, and at first he thought -he lacked my skill and spent much money on digging and -trenching, but still the lilies died, and at last he saw that the -air that clung about his garments withered them. So, as he -sat musing on this strange thing, he resolved in his soul that -he would no more sell the Divine in the streets nor market -his peace for gold, but that he would set aside these stones -and pure springs for almsgiving to the poorest of the poor. -Looking up, he said this: ‘Spirit of Compassion, have pity -on my soul, bound and crippled by the love of gain. For I -too am not beyond the bounds of thy pity, and, if there is -hope of it for me in this life as the fruit of some solitary good -deed in former existences, grant that the flowers of heaven -may blossom once more and the souls of many rejoice in -their loveliness.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And, as the words were said, he knew that the prayer was -heard. The lilies returned in a beauty beyond telling, and -it seemed that half the world desired them. He who had -not known the joy of giving became now, as it were, the -very source of charity and gave not only of his lilies but of -his rice and millet and all his gains, that the heart of the poor -might be gladdened with plenty. So, as he told, we sat together, -hand in hand, with tongues that could not be satisfied -in telling and eyes that beheld the greatness of the Divine. -And for many years he came, and the monks watched -and watched for his coming and I most of all. And at last -he did not come, but his son in his place, who told me that -the bond of life had been gently loosed, and it was believed -that High Presences stood about his death-bed while the villages -mourned.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“O Brother of the Pen, write this true story, that all may -know there is none like unto the Hearer of Prayer!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The evening star hung like a steadfast lamp over the dim -ocean, and the air was so still that, when at last a faint stirring -came in the grasses and leaves, it was as if some listening -influence were passing softly away, as indeed I believe.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Skeptics may say that the wish was father to the thought. -But I know better. And as for the flowers themselves, there -is a strange susceptibility in the plant life we call “lower.” -Of that truth I know many stories which I shall tell one day.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But how shall I tell the beauty of Puto looking forth on -its little sisters of the Archipelago with the serenity of a -saint who has attained? I sat alone next day by the carved -Rock of Meditation pondering these things, and bathing my -soul in the peace of them as in deep water. The mystery of -the place was about me, for Puto is a home of the mystic -order of Buddhist monasticism which in India is called -Jhana, in Japan Zen, and there were men at hand to whom -the bond of the flesh is a thing easily unloosed. One sat on -the height above me now in profound meditation.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I analyzed my own heart. Is it because all this with the -atmosphere it creates, is so beautiful that I love it? Or is -it because it presents a truth forgotten, lost, in our hurrying -day of fevered unrest?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Because it is of the truth. That is the answer. None -can doubt it who understands and loves these people and -their teachings.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>None—who is admitted to the quiet of their secret places -and thoughts.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It is a truth which is a part of nature itself. Consider -the lilies of the field. They breathe it, the soft breezes whisper -it among the leaves of the maiden-hair trees, the measured -cadence of the sea chimes it eternally on the golden -shores of Puto.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>They have the secret of peace, which we have immeasurably -and to our ruin lost.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So my friend Shan Tao and I paced along the pilgrim’s -path past the sea-cave where visions of the holy Kwan-yin -are said to have been seen in the sun ray that strikes through -the rent roof with something of the same effect as the light -contrived to fall from above in the temple of Mendoet in -Java on the white and beautiful face of the Bodhisattva who -sits in ecstasy below. And wandering on, beguiling the -way with legends and tales of the Excellent Law to reach -the southern monastery, pausing to look at the half ruined -pagoda adorned on its four faces with carvings of Kwan-yin, -and her brother saints, P’uhsien, Wen-shu and Ti-tsang, the -last known in Japan as Jizo the beloved protector of dead -children, we reached the southern monastery and the courtyard -with its noble incense burners and candle holders, -shaded by trees. Here it was a part of my purpose to search -for references in the library on the upper story where the -treasures are guarded by a serene Buddha in alabaster. And -let me say that if ever the libraries of the many Chinese -monasteries are searched with care and patience great additions -will be made not only to the science of the soul but -also to the world’s wisdom. Many lost treasures thus await -their day of resurrection—treasures brought back in the -early days of our era by Chinese monks who made the terrible -pilgrimage through the cruel deserts and mountains to -India that they might return loaded with the spiritual treasures -of illumination and wisdom, and learned comments -and digressions on these written by mighty Chinese patriarchs -whose gilded and lacquered bodies are still preserved -in the remote abodes of faith.</p> - -<hr class='tbk'/> - -<p class='pindent'>And when that day of revelation comes it will be found -how much of the religious thought of the divided faiths can -be traced to common sources in an antiquity so vast that it -strikes the soul with awe. May that knowledge bring union -and surcease to the petty wranglings and contempts which -cloud the living waters of Truth.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There are few scenes more serenely beautiful than the -lotus pond of this monastery and its still waters doubling the -old arched bridge and the sailing clouds, and the sunshine, -unbearably delicious, brooding, brooding upon it like a soul -in ecstasy. A soft collegiate calm was about us, the monks -coming and going at intervals with kindly glances at my pen -and note book, and the reverence for the written character -and for what it represents that contact with our civilization -will most certainly kill. A harmless snake was basking in -the sun not far away, and a deer taught tameness by fellowship -wandered about under the trees, as they do on the island -of Miyajima in Japan.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>How beautiful the confidence of the creatures in these -Buddhist resorts, how much we lose in losing their companionship! -The gentleness of heaven was on Puto that -day, and the words of a poet-monk who wrote of the beloved -island floated through my mind like little golden clouds.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Who tells you that there is no road to heaven? This is -heaven’s own gateway, and through it you may pass direct -to the very Throne of the Divine.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I left it on a lovely day of summer—no foam-flowers -blossoming on the Sea of Lilies, a drowsy golden haze veiling -the neighbouring islands. I could scarcely have borne to -leave it, especially its unrifled stores of wisdom, had I not -known that I was free of it henceforward and might count -on my welcome, come when I would. Almost, as we crossed -the sea, I could dream that the miraculous ship of Kwan-yin -floated before us, its sails filled with no earthly breeze, bearing -the happy souls to the golden Paradise of the West where -the very perfume of the flowers is audible in song. We who -in Dante read the story of another Boat of Souls may well -recognize the inmost truth of this legend. And certainly in -Puto the soul may at least enter the heavenly Boat of Beauty -that the poets have sung in all tongues and ages, and pass -in it to the blue horizon of dreams and delights.</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:10em;font-size:1.2em;'>THE BRIDE OF A GOD</p> - -<div><h1 id='ch3'>THE BRIDE OF A GOD</h1></div> - -<h3>I</h3> - -<p class='pindent'>Two hundred years ago in India, many happy people dwelt -in the little town of Krishnapur—happy because their belief -was fixed and immutable and it brought them gladness; for -in all innocence and devotion they worshipped Krishna the -Beloved, the Herdsman of Brindaban, Lord of Love, whose -name their little town carried like a jewel of price.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And certainly the God had gifted it with beauty. The -terraced houses climbed the ways of a hill deeply wooded -with tamarind and pippala trees, and down a deep ravine -ran the little Bhadra River, falling from great heights to -feed the blue lake below. The place lay in the sunshine, -clear and bright as a painting on crystal brought by the Chinese -merchants, and by the favour of the God a delicate coolness -spread upward from the lake among the clustered -houses. In its midst was a very small island with a little temple -lifting its shining gilded roof and spires among the palms. -In this he was worshipped as the Flute-Player, an image -of black basalt, very beautiful—a youth with the Flute forever -at his lips; and there were devout men and women who -declared that, in the midnight silence, sounds of music comparable -only to the music of Indra’s heaven had been heard -among the palm trees and mingled with the eternal song of -the river. This report and the beauty and quiet of the fair -little town brought a few pilgrims to bathe in the lake, crowding -the broad low ghats that led down to its pure waters -with their flower-hued garments and the strong chanting of -their prayers.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Many legends haunted the town of Krishnapur.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now the Pandit Anand Das was a man learned in the -Vedas and all the sacred books, and his heart glowed with -a great devotion. Since his son, who should have inherited -his learning, was dead, and it could not flow in that beloved -channel, he resolved that, slight and frail as a woman’s intellect -must needs be, he would instruct his daughter Radha -in the mysteries of the Holy Ones, as far as possible. He -had named her Radha from his devotion to Sri Krishna; for -Radha is the heart’s love of the God; and in bestowing this -name he had made offering and prayed that he might live to -see her as beautiful, as true in devotion as the Crowned -Lady. The prayer was answered.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Beautiful indeed was Radha, an image of golden ivory, with -lips like a pomegranate bud before its sweetness is tasted, -and great eyes dark as the midnight and lit by her stars. -Beautiful the soft moulding of her rounded chin, and the -shaping of the flower-face poised on its stem like a champak -blossom that all the bees of love must seek, and the silk-soft -brows and the heavy sweep of shadowy lashes. Flawless -from head to rosy heel as the work of a mighty craftsman -who wills not that his name shall perish, so was Radha; and -when the people saw her as she passed along the little street, -they gave thanks to the Beautiful for her beauty. Fairer -than fair, wiser than wise in all the matters of the Gods, she -lived her quiet days among the palms and temples, and each -day laid its gift at her feet.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now the Brahman, her father, having, as it were, devoted -her to the God, rejoiced to see that <span class='it'>bhakti</span>—which is faith, -love, and worship in a perfect unity—was a steadfast flame -in her heart; nor was there any word to utter her burning -devotion. As a child she would leave all play to sit before -his feet and hear as he read of the divine Krishna,—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>The story of the Lord of All</p> -<p class='line0'>Beginneth with a Pastoral,—</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>and her child’s heart lived among the meadows of Brindaban -with the marvellous Child whose very name is ‘He who draws -or attracts.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And thus her learned father taught her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“This Krishna is the true incarnation of the Preserver -who upholds the universe. ‘For in him,’ says the Mahabharata -Santeparva, ‘the worlds flutter like birds in water’; -and of him did not Maheshwara the Destroyer say: ‘The -divine and radiant Krishna must be beheld by him who desires -to behold Me.’ Thus in Sri Krishna is all Deity -sheathed in flesh, that the soul of man may dimly apprehend -his glory. A Child—yet thus in the Holy Song does the -Prince Arjun cry to him:—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“ ‘God, in thy body I see all the Gods,</p> -<p class='line0'>And all the varied hosts of living things,</p> -<p class='line0'>The undivided Thou, the highest point</p> -<p class='line0'>Of human thought.’</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>“Can such a Being be approached by mere humanity? -No, he is too far away—the ear of man may not hear, and -the eye of man may not see. How if he were born among -us, if we might touch his feet, and show him in simple human -ways our devotion? How if he would turn the common -earth to beauty by breathing the air we breathe?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And because it is so desired, it is done and Krishna is -born, the Herdsman of Brindaban, the Beloved of India.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So reading day by day, he instructed her in the lovely -story of the Childhood, and, with the ancient Pastoral, took -her to the forests and rich cattle pastures where Jumna River -flows wide and still to the sea. The people are kind and -simple, the sacred cows are driven out at dawn to feed, and -brought back in the brief glow of evening by the fair women -who tend the gentle beasts; and this is Brindaban, the home -on earth of the Lord of All, the utterly Adored.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So much a child! But when floods of rain threatened -to sweep away the herds and their keepers, he raised the -hill Govardhan on the palm of his small soft hand, and sheltered -them from the torrents and the fighting winds. And, -as she sat at his feet, the Pandit showed his child Radha -pictures of that other Child, darkly beautiful, who could -poise the world on his shoulder.</p> - -<h3>II</h3> - -<p class='pindent'>As she grew older, the story widened and deepened with her -years. But as she came to girlhood, her anxious mother, -Sita Bai, ventured with trembling to doubt if it were well to -draw her heart yet closer to the radiant manhood of the -young God; for now the story is to be mystically interpreted -and read by the light of the wisdom of the old and learned.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Was there not Mira Bai, who went mad for the love of -him and could not leave his image or his temple, and dreamed -of his sweetness night and day until she wasted to a shadow -and died? And, my lord, is not his great temple as Jagannath, -Lord of the World, but ten miles from us at the great -town of Chaki; and is it not filled with bands of <span class='it'>devidasis</span>—the -dancing girls? Would you have your daughter as one of -them—sacred but—vile?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She caught the word back on her lips and looked about -her in terror. Then added passionately:—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“O my lord, is it well to kindle such a passion in her heart, -and she little more than a child?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Better be possessed by that love than by the follies and -wickednesses that haunt the hearts of women to their ruin -and ours. Woman, I know what I do. Be silent!” was all -his answer.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So she was silent, and daily the story went onward and -filled the soul of the girl. For now, as Krishna grew to -manhood, beauty came upon him, irresistible, heart-compelling, -the world’s Desire, and on the banks of Jumna -was sung the Song of Songs—the Lover, dark and glorious, -to whom the souls of all the women of Brindaban, whether -wife or maid, cling passionately, forgetful of self and of all -but him. And the deepest symbol of the adoration of -Krishna is the passion of man for woman and woman for -man.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Walk warily here, my child, if you would understand,” -said the Pandit; “for we move among pitfalls made by the -mind of man fettered to his senses—the mind of man, that -coin bearing the double superscription of spirit and flesh. -Yet the story is plain for him who has ears to hear!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Radha, speechless, with dark eyes filled with adoring -love, listened—listened, with no heart for aught else.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Tell me more, more!” she said.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he, seeing the Divine Passion, the trembling of her -lips, the uttering of her heart, told on, imparting the desire -of the God.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And when, as at this time, a marriage was spoken of for -her with the son of the rich Brahman Narayan, she shrank -from it with such shuddering horror that for very pity her -father put it by for a while. But her mother watched in -great fear.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And every evening, when the light was calm and golden -and her father laid his books aside, she would sit before -him, putting all else aside that she might drink in the sweet -nectar of his words.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And now he told of the Herd-maidens bathing in the clear -ripple of the river where the trees hang in green shadow over -the deep pools.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Their garments lie on the bank, forgotten in the joy of -youth and life, as they sing the praises of the Beloved, until -at length one remembers and looks, and lo! some thief -has stolen the vesture, and they stand ashamed in the crystal -lymph, their long locks gathered about them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Who has so bereft them? For no man or woman should -bathe uncovered; and they have sinned—they know it!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And then a voice calls from the world of leaves above their -heads, and there sits the Desired, shining like a star caught -in the topmost boughs, and before him are rolled the stolen -garments, and when, all shamefaced, they entreat for their -restoration, the Voice exhorts them:—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And if it is for My sake you have bathed and purified -yourselves, then come forth fearless, and receive your vesture -from my hands.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he laid in her hand the picture of the Gopis fearing -and adoring as they leave the lustral water, some shrinking -in humility, to receive their vesture from the Beautiful, who -sits smiling far above them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And this, my daughter, is a very great mystery!” he said -gravely. “And its meaning is this: ‘Thy <span class='it'>Thou</span> is still -with thee; if thou wilt attain unto me, quit thyself, and -come.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And she said,—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Father, surely the Self is withered into nothing when this -dearworthy One calls. What were life, death—anything -in the Three Worlds, compared with beholding his blissful -countenance?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he replied,—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Even so it is”; and laid aside his book and fell into a -deep musing on the Perfections of the Lord; and Radha sat -beside him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So that night her mother said timidly,—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Lord of my life, the girl is possessed by the God. I fear -for her life. In her sleep she speaks aloud of him and -stretches empty arms to the air, moaning. The colour fades -in her lips, her eyes are fixed on dreams. She has no peace. -Should we not seek an earthly lover for her own, that she -may forget this Divine that is all the world’s?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he replied sternly,—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Woman, lift up a grateful heart to the God that this girl -is not as the rest but consumed by the love of the Highest. -I have a thought unknown to you. All will be better than -well.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And she desisted in great fear and obedience; but the very -next evening was the story told of Radha—heart of the God’s -heart, the Beautiful whose name she herself bore! And the -girl listened in an ecstasy.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was a very still evening, the stars shining large and near -the earth, the moon a mere crescent, such as when Maheshwara -wears it in his hair and dreams on the mountain-peaks -of Himalaya. They sat in the wide veranda, supported -on wooden pillars bowered in the blossoms of the purple -bougainvillæa and the white and scented constellations of -jasmine. The wide transparent blinds of split cane were -raised to admit the faintly perfumed breath of the garden; -and by the Pandit’s elbow, as he sat on his raised seat, -burned a little oil lamp, that he might read the sacred pages.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Radha sat on her low cushion beside him, the <span class='it'>sari</span> of -Dakka muslin threaded with gold fallen back from her head -as she looked up.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘In the passion of their worship, the women of Brindaban -are drawn out into the forest, each grieving if he do but turn -his calm immortal eyes upon any other than herself. -Therefore, only in the secret places of the forest is there now -any joy. It has left the little houses and gone out to dwell -by the river. They must follow, for they bear the world’s -wound in their heart, and he is its Balm.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘For a time his eyes rest on Radha the Beautiful, and she, -transported with the pride of love, entreats that he will carry -her in his arms. He stretches them to her with his mystic -smile, and even as they touch her, he vanishes, and she is -alone in a great darkness.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Here again, my daughter, is the parable clear,” the -Pandit interrupted the reading to say. “Here is no room for -spiritual pride and exclusive desire. Learn your place, -proud soul! It is at his feet until he, unasked, shall raise -you to the level of his heart.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘So at the last she falters and falls, stunned with grief, -the Herd-maidens weeping beside her, and—suddenly the -Light shines. He has returned. He speaks:—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Now I have tried you. You have remembered and -thought upon me.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘You have increased your affection like beggars made -newly rich.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘You have chosen my service, abandoning the world and -the Scriptures.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘How can I do you honour? I cannot reward you -enough.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Though I should live for a hundred of Brahma’s years, -yet I could not be free of my debt.’ ”</p> - -<h3>III</h3> - -<p class='pindent'>She sat in silence; and breaking upon it, they heard the -soft tread of a man stop by their gate, and voices, and the -servant who guarded the gate came in haste.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Great Sir, here is the holy Brahman who is chief at the -altar of great Jagannath in Chaki, and he would speak with -you.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Bring him instantly hither. Stay! I go myself!” cried -the Pandit, rising. He had forgotten his daughter.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Father, have I your leave to go?” She drew the sari -about her face.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Daughter, no. This is a wise man and great. Be reverent -and humble, and stay.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She stood, trembling with fear to see one so holy. Surely -it was a portent that the servant of the God should come on -their reading. Yet she quieted her heart, and when her father, -attending the great guest, placed him on his own seat, -with the image of the wise Elephant-Headed One wreathing -his trunk behind him, she bowed before him and touched -his feet, for to her he was as Brahman and priest, an -earthly God.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He was a man in middle life, tall and dignified in spite -of a corpulence which gained upon him, and his features -clear-cut in the proud lines that denoted his unstained ancestry. -He knew himself the superior of kings. He would -have spurned with his foot a jewel touched by the -Mogul Emperor of India. Yet more. Had the Rajput -Rana, a king of his own faith, sun-descended, royal, cast his -shadow on his food in passing, he had cast it, polluted, away. -So great is the pride of the Brahmans.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Namaskar, Maharaj! What is your honoured pleasure?” -asked the Pandit.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I am on my way to Dilapur on the divine business,” he -answered, with a voice like the lowest throbbing notes of -the bronze temple gong. “But I would have a word with -you, Brother, as I go.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Has my daughter your leave to depart, Maharaj?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Certainly, friend, though it is of her I come to speak. -May I behold the face of the maiden? A Brahmani has no -need to veil it. They are not secluded like the Toorki -women.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Unveil before the Presence, my daughter, Radha.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The guest started at the name so familiar to him in his -devotions.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is singular, in view of my errand, that you should have -given her this holy name, Pandit-ji.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“She deserves it for the devoted love that she bears to -Sri Krishna,” returned her father. “Of her face I say nothing, -but her heart is flawless.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is well!” said the priest Nilkant Rai, and turned -gravely to Radha.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Many were the <span class='it'>devidasis</span>, the nautch girls of the God, in -the Temple of Jagannath. His eyes, deep and glowing, -were no strangers to beauty, for the fairest were gathered -like flowers to adorn the altars of the God, to dance and sing -before his divine dreams, in all things to abide his will.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Six thousand priests serve Sri Krishna as Jagannath, Lord -of the Universe, at Chaki, for great is his splendour. The -Raja of Dulai, royal though he be, is the sweeper of his -house. More than twenty thousand men and women do his -pleasure, and of the glories of his temple who can speak?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But never had Nilkant Rai beheld such beauty as trembled -before him then—darkly lovely, whitely fair, the very -arrows of desire shooting from the bow of her sweet lips, -half-child, half-woman, wholly desirable.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>His eyes roved from the wonder of her face to the delicate -rounding of her young breasts and the limbs exquisitely expressed, -yet hidden, by the sari.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He looked in silence, then turned to the Pandit.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Surely she is an incarnation of Radha in face as in name. -Brother, she has my leave to go.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Yet, when she had fled like a shadow, Nilkant Rai did -not hasten. The other waited respectfully. <span class='it'>Pañ</span>—the betel -for chewing—was offered in a silver casket. A garland of -flowers perfumed with attar of roses was placed about the -guest’s neck. Refreshments were served and refused.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At length he spoke, looking on the ground.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Brother, it is known to you that the God makes choice -when he will of a bride, favoured above all earthly women. -Beautiful must she be, pure as a dewdrop to reflect his glory -and return it in broken radiance, young, devout— Surely, -even in this land of devotion, it is not easy to find such a -one!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is not easy, holy one!” returned the Pandit, trembling -as he foreknew the end.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The other continued calmly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Now it so chanced that the priest Balaram passed lately -through this town, and going by the tank to the temple, beheld -your daughter, and returning, he came to me and said: -‘The God has shown the way. I have seen the Desire of -his eyes.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Great is the unlooked-for honour,” said the Pandit -trembling violently; “so great that her father and mother -bend and break beneath it. But consider, Holy One—she -is an only child. Have pity and spare us! The desolate -house—the empty days!” His voice trailed broken into -silence.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“If this hides reluctance!” Nilkant Rai began sternly. -“If you have given a foul belief to any tale of the Temple——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I, holy Sir! I have heard nothing. What should I -hear?” The old man’s voice was feeble with fear. “Do -I disparage the honour? Sri Krishna forbid! No, it is but -the dread of losing her—the empty, empty house!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And is she not at the age when marriage becomes a duty, -and would she not leave you then? Unreasonable old man!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Holy Sir—Maharaj, I tremble before the honour. But -if the girl married, she would bring her babe and make her -boast and gladden our hearts. But thus she is lost to us. -Have pity! There are other Brahmans rich in daughters. -Take not the one from my poverty.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Nilkant Rai rose to his feet with majesty.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I go. Never shall the God be rejected and ask twice. -But when your daughter, old and haggard, looks up at you, -answer that it was her unworthy father who kept her as a -drudge on earth, when he might have raised her to a throne -in heaven.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>As the old man stood with clasped hands, Radha broke -from the shadows and threw herself before him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My father, would you hold me back? What joy, what -glory in all the world can befall your child like this? The -bride of the God! O Father!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The tears were running down her face like rain. They -glittered in the lamplight. He could not meet her eyes. -Nilkant Rai stood by, silent.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“She is beautiful as a nymph of Indra’s heaven!” he -thought. “Not Urvasi and Menaka, the temptresses of -sages, were more lovely!” He said aloud;</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The maiden is right. She is worthy of the God’s embrace. -Is there more to say?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Maharaj, I worship you!” said the old man submissively -(and still he had not looked at his child). “It is well. -What orders?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Let her be perfumed and anointed daily. Let her food -and drink be purer than the pure. Let her worship daily at -the temple of Sri Krishna. The bridal shall be held in a -month from this, that time being auspicious. The Car of -her Lord shall come for her as the Queen she is, and all envy -the Chosen.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He turned to Radha, still at her father’s feet.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Farewell, happiest Lady. Joys earthly and celestial -await you. Rest in the knowledge of the favour of Sri -Krishna. Hear of him, dream of him, until the glad truth -slays all dream.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He moved slowly toward the steps. Her father pursued -him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Maharaj. Forgive, forgive! I neglect my manners. -Thanks a thousandfold for the honour you have condescended -to bring us this happy day. Your commands are -ever before me.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The words poured forth. He could not say enough.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is well, Pandit-ji. It is well. Say no more!” said the -great guest, striding onward to the gate where two other -Brahmans and his <span class='it'>palki</span> awaited him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She stood in the shadows as the Pandit returned.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Father, beloved, did I do wrong? Have you not taught -me all my life that there is none like him—none?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My pearl, what is done is done. He cannot be resisted. -It is well your heart goes with your feet. Now sleep.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She passed in silently, and sat all night by the small cotton -mattress laid on the floor. How could she sleep?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Nor was there sleep for the Pandit. Sita Bai needed -little telling, for she had listened behind the curtains; and -now, with a livid pallor upon her, she confronted him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Lord of my life, what is there to say? You know—you -know!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I know,” he answered heavily.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Sita Bai was too dutiful a wife to reproach her husband -with anything done; but his own thoughts returned to the -long evenings spent in contemplating the Perfections of the -God. He replied to his thought.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yet had she never heard his name, it had been the same. -Nothing could have saved her from the temple of Jagannath.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Saved.” He caught the word back from his own lips in -deadly fear, and added in haste: “Whom the God honours -cannot set his grace aside, and there is none who would. -None in heaven or earth.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“None,” echoed the woman faintly. Then, in a whisper -scarcely to be heard, “Whom Nilkant Rai chooses”—and -steadily averted her eyes.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>They dared say no more of this even in whispers to each -other; for if this were reported, grief, ruin, death were the -sure end.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>One word more did Anand Pandit breathe:—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“She must keep her joy. It is the God’s. If he love her, -he yet may save her. Let no word be said.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She touched his feet in token of submission. All night -they sat in a bitter silence.</p> - -<h3>IV</h3> - -<p class='pindent'>Next day, all through the little holy town, bathing in its -glad sunshine beneath the swaying palms, had run the news -of this honour. Sita Bai, with a mask of gladness fixed on -her face, visited the wife of the goldsmith, and begged her -sympathy with the divine event. The gold bangles rang -as she joined her hands; for she had come clad in splendour, -and her sari was of purple silk of Paitan woven with strands -of gold.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>When Radha went with her mother to the temple, crowds -of the simple people had gathered by the lake beneath the -neems and tamarinds to behold the beauty beloved of the -God. True, they had seen it before, but to-day it was -strange and new. Her throat rose like the stem of the lotus -above the snowy folds of her sari, and like the purity of the -lotus was her face with its downward eyes hidden in heavy -lashes. She moved already like a bride, a little apart from -her mother, to whom she had clung hitherto.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A voice shouted, “Jai Krishna!” (Victory to Krishna), -and many voices took up the cry. A woman, quivering with -eagerness, flung a garland of wet marigolds about her neck. -Flowers were strewn before her happy feet. Never before -had a Bride been chosen from Krishnapur. It might well -seem the benediction of the God.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A beautiful woman, in a sari of jade-green and silver, -pressed up close to her and whispered,—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Pray for me, O Beautiful, when you lie in the arms of -the God, for me Ramu, wife of Narayan the Sahoukhar, that -I may bear a son. Surely he will grant it for a wedding -gift!” She stooped to the feet of Radha to worship her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I will pray,” the bride answered, pacing gently onward.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Petitions poured in upon her as she moved through the -dappled light and shadow of the trees, beside the melted -jewels of the lake. A great gladness possessed her. It was -as if the air upbore her light feet; and the people followed -in crowding joy until she made the <span class='it'>ashtanga</span>—the great -prostration before the Flute-Player, the Alone, the Beautiful, -who moves through the world scattering joy and love with -the far music of his Flute—He to whom all and none may -draw near.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>When the people were gone and the sun had set, and quiet -breathed from the grey garments of evening, she entreated -her father to read to her from the Song of Songs, written -by the sweet-voiced singer Jayadeva, who has sounded all -the secrets of love.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At first he hesitated, then with a strange look upward, he -read.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘This is the story of the anguish of Radha.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘For Radha, jasmine-bosomed, beautiful, waited in vain -for her immortal Lover, by the banks of Jumna. This is -the Dark Night of the Soul, for the face of the Beloved is -averted in eclipse. In her sight, joyous and joy-giving, he -lingers on the banks of Jumna with the happy herd-maids, -while the <span class='it'>koels</span> flute their soft <span class='it'>koo-hoo-oo</span> in the deep green -shade. And the poet makes the invocation:—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘ “Krishna, Lord of Love, stoop from thy throne to aid us. -Deign to lift up our hearts for the sake of this song that is -the cry of all who shed the tears of desertion as Radha -shed them.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘And Radha cries aloud in her despair:—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“ ‘ “Wind of the Indian stream,</p> -<p class='line0'>A little, O a little, breathe once more</p> -<p class='line0'>The fragrance of his mouth. Blow from thy store</p> -<p class='line0'>One last word, as he fades into a dream.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘But he, far away in his Heaven, is lost in the Infinite -Bliss; while she, deceived, beholds him playing by the -river. Yet, because the soul, fevered with illusion, cannot -soar to him, he forsakes his throne, sending his messenger -before him, thus to plead with her:—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“ ‘ “The lesson that thy faithful love has taught him</p> -<p class='line0'>  He has heard.</p> -<p class='line0'>The wind of spring, obeying thee has brought him</p> -<p class='line0'>  At thy word.</p> -<p class='line0'>What joy in all the Three Worlds was so precious</p> -<p class='line0'>  To thy mind?</p> -<p class='line0'><span class='it'>Ma kuru manini manamayè</span>,<a id='r1'/><a href='#f1' style='text-decoration:none'><sup><span style='font-size:0.9em'>[1]</span></sup></a></p> -<p class='line0'>  O be kind!”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<div class='footnote'> -<p class='footnote'> -<span class='footnote-id' id='f1'><a href='#r1'>[1]</a></span> - -My proud one, do not indulge in scorn.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class='footnotemark'/> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘He pleads, as it were, for forgiveness, the Divine reasoning -with the soul and justifying his ways. And all is -well, and joy leaps over the horizon like the sun that drives -the dark with arrows of victory. For he comes.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘So then, Jayadeva writes of the high close, the mystic -nuptials of the soul and her Bridegroom.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The old Pandit paused, his voice trembling, with the dark -eyes of his Radha fixed upon him. Then read on:—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“ ‘Enter the House of Love, O Loveliest!</p> -<p class='line0'>Enter the marriage bower, most Beautiful,</p> -<p class='line0'>And take and give the joy that Krishna grants.’ ”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>And again he paused, the words choking in his throat, -and she laid a soft hand on his.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“ ‘Then she, no more delaying, entered straight;</p> -<p class='line0'>Shame, which had lingered in her downcast eyes,</p> -<p class='line0'>Departed shamed. And like the mighty deep</p> -<p class='line0'>Which sees the moon and rises, all his life</p> -<p class='line0'>Uprose to drink her beams.’ ”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>He laid the book aside and extinguished the little lamp, -so that only the moonlight was about them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>After a while, he said,—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My daughter, the God leads you in strange ways. Yet, -whatever the hearts of men, he is true. Offer him your -heart in all purity, and in the end it shall be well with you. -We will speak of this no more.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But, Father beloved, do you not share my joy?” she said -tremulously.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He was silent.</p> - -<h3>V</h3> - -<p class='pindent'>The days went by very swiftly to the time of the divine -marriage. Messengers came and went between the mighty -temple of Jagannath and little Krishnapur, bearing gifts and -jewels. Casting half-contemptuous glances, they passed by -the little shrine where the Bride worshipped daily; but all -contempt died when they were admitted to see her face.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The God has chosen well!” they said, and looked at one -another with meaning.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So the great day dawned in a passion of sunlight, and with -flutes and drums and shouting the great Car of Jagannath -waited for the Bride; and as she came forth, the -pomegranate-blossom flush of joy rising in her golden -cheek, her parents bowed before her and touched her feet -in worship—no longer their daughter, but a goddess.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Ankleted and zoned with gold, clothed in woven gold so -supple that it yielded to every breath, the sun-rays dazzled -back from her upon the adoring crowd until they put up -their hands to veil the splendour. And so she sat, a Radiance, -for all the world to see, high on the Car wreathed and -hung with flowers, the image of the Bridegroom beside her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Oh, wonderful, terrible greatness for a woman! And so, -with songs and triumph they bore her to her bridal.</p> - -<hr class='tbk'/> - -<p class='pindent'>Mighty is the Temple of Jagannath, where by the eternal -sea the people crowd all day to worship the Lord of the -Universe. In little Krishnapur, he is the Beloved, the -Herdsman, the Beautiful. Here, he is far removed—too -great for love or fear. Human thought quails before his -Vastness.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The temple is in itself a city, and no feet but those of -worshippers may pass even the strong outward walls. Very -glorious are the carvings that adorn it. Terrible figures -of Gods, many-headed, many-armed, bending giant bows, -trampling giant enemies, brandishing awful weapons, dandling -on their knees great Goddesses with slender loins and -full breasts that overweight their swaying grace. Very -awful are these figures, with clustering hair and crowns -above their long eyes, and suns and moons rising and setting -on their brows, and the symbols of their might scattered -about them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But it was night, and it was among the wildly tossing -lights that the Bride approached the home of her Lord; and -the temple was dreadful, for it was dark and all the intricate -ways lit with flickering points of light like the eyes -of beasts; and, lost among strangers, her heart turned to -water; for it resembled a great cave of blackness, and she -could see but the naked bodies of worshippers and giant images -of the holy Gods hovering through thick air laden with -incense fumes and burning <span class='it'>ghi</span> and the dung of the sacred -animals and the pungent smell of rotting marigolds. And -there were cauldrons with flames fed by wild worshippers -from the hills, and these crowded about the <span class='it'>palki</span> wherein -they brought her through the temple, and touched it with -hands that made her tremble, imploring her prayers as she -lay in the breast of the God. Bats hung from the roof or -swooped in the gloom. Their sourness tainted the air, and -men, dim as ghosts, slunk about the fearful ways.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Thus dwell the Gods.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And suddenly terror submerged her like an ocean wave, -and she sank back and the world left her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>When sense and memory returned, she lay in her <span class='it'>palki</span> in -the great Hall of Dancing—a mighty hall supported on -many pillars; and around her stood in motionless bands the -<span class='it'>devidasis</span>, the dancers of the God, chosen to delight his -senses for their grace and beauty.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And, seeing her stretch her hands for help, the wild and -flying dance began. They lifted her from the <span class='it'>palki</span> and she -stood among them, shimmering in gold, and about her they -wheeled, advancing and retiring, linking and unlinking like -dancers in a dream. And they sang the marriage song she -had heard in the quiet of her home; but now it was terrible -as it burst from hundreds of throats, gonged and cymbaled, -with clashing and a thunder-beat of drums.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Enter, thrice-Happy, enter, thrice-Desired,</p> -<p class='line0'>And let the gates of Hari shut thee in.</p> -<p class='line0'>Tremble not. Lay thy lovely shame aside</p> -<p class='line0'>And love him with the love that knows not fear.</p> -<p class='line0'>Give him the drink of amrit from thy lips.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>She stood like one clinging to a surf-beaten rock as they -tossed about her with wild hands and eyes, the whole world -mad with noise and dance and colour; then, dropping on her -knees, she covered her eyes in terror.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And thus the servants of the God welcomed her to his -arms.</p> - -<h3>VI</h3> - -<p class='pindent'>Night, and a great quiet. A chamber of gold set with -jewels glittering in the moonlight that came down some -secret way, borne on a cool breath from the sea.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She lay alone in the golden place, and the jewels watched -her like eyes. Was it terror, was it love that possessed -her? A thousand images blurred her closed eyes—He, the -Beautiful, with peacock crown, with eyes that draw the soul, -with lips of indescribable sweetness. It could not be that -she should lie close to the heart of the God. How dare -flesh and blood aspire to that mystic marriage? Must they -not perish in the awful contact? And, if it could be, how -return to earth after that ecstasy?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“May I know and die!” she prayed. “Oh, let me not -pass unknowing! Let me know and die!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And as the minutes dropped by, this prayer was all her -thought, and it possessed her being.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Then, dividing the darkness, she heard the voice of a -Flute very far off. Like a silver mist, it spread vaporous, -a small fine music, but growing, drawing nearer, and, as it -strengthened, clear drops of music fell through this mist -like honey from the black bees’ comb. It crept about her -brain and steeped her eyes as if in poppy juice, so sweet, -so gliding, most infinitely wooing as it grew and filled the -air with peace.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And in this high marvel was a blissful safety beyond all -words, more sweet and delectable than any man may tell. -The grace of his Childhood, of the dearworthy passage of -his blessed Feet among men, returned to her with a joy that -melted her heart with love. And so she rose and stood upon -her feet, as one called, trembling with blissful longing.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Far down the long ways, passing through pools of moonlight -and dark, came One whom the music followed. His -face could not at first be seen; about him was a leopard -skin. Naked but for this, beautiful and slender, his silent -feet moved onward. Like one utterly alone in a great forest, -he came,—slowly,—lost in some unutterable thought, made -audible in sweet sound.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The Bride, the Lover, and between them, the music and -the moonlight only. She would have knelt, but her feet were -fixed; and he drew near with unseeing eyes—O Beautiful, O -wholly desirable, to draw the hearts of men! And still -the Face Divine was hidden.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But as he drew near and would have passed, she cried -aloud with a passionate glad cry, “My Lord indeed!” rejoicing -suddenly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he turned and looked upon his Bride with heavens -in his eyes. And as she saw what no words can utter, she -fell upon his feet and lay, slain sweetly with a bliss more -keen than any pain.</p> - -<hr class='tbk'/> - -<p class='pindent'>But the Brahman, Nilkant Rai, waiting behind the pillar -to seize his prey, had heard and seen nothing of the Glory.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>As she fell, he sprang like a tiger on a fawn, and lifted -the fair dead body, and stumbled in the trailing hair, and -knew his vileness conquered. And in that moment the Eye -of Destruction opened upon him the beam that withers -worlds and hurls them like shriveled leaves into the Abyss.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he dropped her and stumbled screaming into the -dark, a leper white as snow.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But when they came in the dawn to implore the will of -the God from the happy lips that his had blessed, the Bride -lay at rest on the dim straight golden bed, and between her -breasts was a Flute set with strange jewels that no man -could name. Nor shall they ever; for when they laid her -body on the pyre they left this Flute in her bosom.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And when Anand Das heard what had befallen, he said -this:—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When did the Herdsman sleep on his guard or the Beloved -fail the heart that loved Him? It is well, and better -than well.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he who tells this story ends it thus:—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Meditates the Herdsman ever,</p> -<p class='line0'>Seated by the sacred river,</p> -<p class='line0'>The mystic stream that o’er His feet</p> -<p class='line0'>Glides slow with murmurs low and sweet—”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>and breast to breast with God, the soul that adores Him.</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:1.2em;'>THE BELOVED OF THE GODS</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-bottom:10em;font-size:.8em;'>A STORY FROM THE MAHABHARATA</p> - -<div><h1 id='ch4'>THE BELOVED OF THE GODS</h1></div> - -<h3>A STORY FROM THE MAHABHARATA</h3> - -<p class='pindent'>Reverence to Ganesha, Lord of the Elephant Trunk, that, -in a day found fortunate, he aid me to tell this tale, which -whoso heareth shall receive prosperity in this world and in -that other.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In the age of the ancestors there dwelt a great King in -Vidarbha, with a Queen of the highest grace and beauty, -and these did all things pleasing to the gods, making rich -gifts to Brahmans and honouring kine, and in reward for -these things the gods gave to them three sons and a daughter, -and this was Damayanti, the loveliest of earthly women. -And she was known throughout the universe as the “Consumer -of Hearts”; for the very report of her beauty agitated -the hearts of thousands who might never hope to see it. -Slender-waisted was she and stately as a young palm-tree, -and though she was a mortal, Sri, the wife of Narayana, -had dowered her with her own eyes, black and soft and so -long-lidded that they all but touched the silken hair upon -her temples. The very gods in the Paradise of Indra heard -the report of this marvel and coveted it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now as Damayanti, like a crescent moon, rounded into -maidenhood, it so befell that her maidens in talk together -praised none but that Tiger among Men, Nala the Prince. -For they said: “This Prince overpasses all men, and what -shall be said of him? Surely he is laughing, bold and handsome -as Kama, the God of Love—he whose bow is strung -with honey-bees, sweet and stinging. The arrows of his -eyes are pointed with five-tongued flame. All hearts burn -in his glances.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Damayanti silently heard and pondered.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But the report of her had in like manner reached Nala, -and sweet thoughts grew up in him for the slender-waisted -maid. And he dreamed of her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now it chanced that one day, wandering in the great -woods that surrounded his palace, he saw a flock of swans, -white and beautiful as though washed in the waters of -Lake Manasarovar, that cold jewel of the Himalaya, and -indeed they were of that royal race of swans who, dwelling -there, feed only on unpierced seed-pearls, and therefore are -they so white. So, as they drew together, the Prince, -stealing noiseless as a snake through the jungle, seized one, -for love of its whiteness, and held the long throat clutched in -his hands and the plumed wings beneath his knees.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But in those days royal men had understanding of the -lesser creatures of the gods, and that king-swan spoke and -Nala heard his speech: “O Tiger among Men, slay me not. -To me also is my life dear and precious! Have pity, for I -will do good service. I will fly through many leagues of -air, and in the ear of the Princess Damayanti will I say that -of all men you are the noblest and stateliest. And having -heard this, she will greatly desire you.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And by the favour of Kama, the Prince withdrew his -hands, saying, “Swan, observe your promise; for this is the -duty of the honourable.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And the swan, inclining his head, flew away with his companions, -having instructed them as to the course they should -pursue on alighting in the gardens of Vidarbha.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now in the garden-close the Princess and her maidens -played, and she excelled them all, though each was fair. -And the swans, seeing these lovely ones among the flowers, -fluttered to earth and stood near them, arching their necks -and preening their feathers, and their whiteness delighted -the Princess and she said, laughing: “Chase these swans, -each one a swan; for it appears that they desire captivity at -our hands.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And every maiden pursued a swan, with laughter and -sweet cries, and as each all but seized her swan, the swan -eluded her and fluttered a little farther. Most lovely of -all sights was it to behold the maidens and the swans, as, -equal in beauty, they fluttered hither and thither among -the flowers and the trees. And Damayanti, laughing with -her voice of music, pursued her swan, she also, that lovely -lady of the long eyes, not knowing that her heart was the -destined prey of the swan she sought to capture.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>For, when her hands were even upon the snow of his -plumage, that king-swan eluded her again and spoke in -the speech of man, and in amazement she stood to hear -what he would say, as he inclined his head before her feet. -“Lady, O Most Beautiful, Damayanti, Consumer of Hearts, -there is a Prince in Nishada, and his name—oh, mark it well—is -Nala. As the Twin Stars shine in the sky, so he shines -among men. Surely we swans, flying in the pure air, see all -men and divine beings and the great gods. But we have -seen none like unto Nala. Pearl among Women, if you -should wed this Prince of Princes, were it not better than -well?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And when Damayanti heard this, she looked sidelong -through her lashes like a maid, for she was young and -tender, and she said this, very softly: “Dear swan—white -swan! Fly and tell this thing to the Prince.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And that white beauty, the feeder on pearls, said, “Hearing -and obeying, I go.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And with strong strokes of his pinions he rose into the -sky, followed by his mates, and clove the air to Nishada and -told the Prince her word, being the destined messenger of -love.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But he carried the heart of the maid upon his wings; for -Damayanti sat her down upon the flowers and, when her -ladies returned from chasing the swans, they found her with -her hand pressed upon her empty bosom and tears welling -like jewels from the dark deeps of her eyes. And though -they entreated her to speak and reveal the cause of her -grief, she would say nothing but this one thing: “All is -well—and ill! Trouble me no further.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And they returned, sighing, to the palace, with Care -among them for a companion.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>For Damayanti wanned and paled. Like a caged jungle-dweller -would she pace up and down, unresting, her eyes -upon the ground. Food lost its savour, and what was sleep -but a weariness? And in the garden-close she sat in her -gold gown and watched the peacocks displaying their -splendour to the sun as they danced before the rains, and -she only prayed for wings that she might fly to Nishada. -Very full of mischief were the words of that swan!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So her royal mother, instructed by the maidens that the -Princess pined away daily, went to her lord, the King, and -said: “Such and such is the case of our daughter. Do -then according to your wisdom.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And the King pondered the thing deeply; for he loved -his daughter, and he answered: “I perceive she is no -longer a child. Youth and maidenhood are waxing in her, -and who can gainsay them? It is now fitting that she make -her choice among princes and kings.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So the careful King, having considered, sent forth this -message to the courts of kings: “Lords of the Earth, it is -with us an ancient and honourable custom that the daughters -of kings make choice of a husband suitable to their degree -and royalty; nor do we force them to unchosen marriages. -And this is known as the <span class='it'>swayamvara</span> of a king’s -daughter. My Princess is now of due age to choose her -lord. Come therefore to the swayamvara of Damayanti, -receiving honourable welcome.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And the news flew like gongs and drums over the land; for -there was no man but knew of the loveliness of the Consumer -of Hearts, and each one thought within himself, “She -will choose me, and yet if not, still shall I see that face of -faces.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So from every country came processions to the court of -Vidarbha: trains of elephants walking slowly beneath the -weight of the gold and silver castles upon their backs, where -sat the kings of men; horses with jewelled saddles and -bridles, the very stirrups glittering with clarified gems that -the feet of kings might tread upon them; glorious companies -of fighting-men, bearing their pennons; archers with bows -tipped with ivory, strung until they sang like the strings -of the <span class='it'>sitar</span> in the wind. So in armies they came until the -earth groaned beneath their feet, and the great camps were -set about Vidarbha.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Also came Nala the Prince, gallantly accompanied, riding -to Vidarbha, and thoughts of love were thick as honey-bees -in his heart.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But who shall discern the thoughts of the Gods?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>For it chanced that two great saints, Narada and Parvata, -mighty in their austerities, pure and high of thought, -ascended the heavens at that time, to make a visit and -obeisance to Indra the God, in his own Paradise. And he, -the King of the Clouds, rising to them, did them honour -and welcomed them; for the presence of the saints is as a -rich perfume in the nostrils of the gods. Therefore he -saluted the two, asking tidings of the world.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Narada replied: “High God, it is well with -the world. It is well with the kings. There is no complaint.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Indra spoke again: “But where are my fighters—the -kings of men? Do they not love—do they not fight -as of old? I see no souls of haughty warriors entering my -heaven. Is it all peace? Where are my fighting-men?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So Narada made reply: “O Cloudy God, all is peace -upon the earth, and there is no thought but of beauty: -the King of Vidarbha makes the choosing for his daughter -and the kings and princes dream of naught else; for she -is the very Lotus of the World and the Pearl of Women. -And the kings flock as one man to Vidarbha.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And while Narada said this, the Immortals gathered to -hear, and when he spoke of the maid Damayanti, their -eyes shot forth peculiar radiance and they said: “To this -maid’s choosing we four will go. She is worthy to choose -among the deathless rather than the kings, and she shall -reign in the Paradise of Indra and sit beside that divinity -whose bride she wills to be.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Indra, the Cloudy God, said, “I will go.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Agni, the Lord of Fire, said, “I also.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Varuna, the King of Waters, said, “And I.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And the Dark Presence that is Yama, the Lord of Death, -said, “I go.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So their winged chariots that are self-directed, flying like -thought where they will, awaited them, and the gods ascended -them and, thinking of Vidarbha, were presently beside -its walls.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But Nala the Prince, approaching with his company of -great men and soldiers, elated with love and hope, looked -up and beheld the Gods, seated in their golden chariots. -And these, the Protectors of the World, saw him and hesitation -in their purpose seized them, because he shone like the -sun and was a man indeed, and their divine hearts adjudged -him worthy even of Damayanti—so straight and tall he -stood and like a king’s lance, and in the beauty of his brows -and strength of his person was there no blemish from head -to foot. Even like their own brother, Kama, the God of -Love, so he seemed to them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But, descending through the clouds and softening their -divine voices that human ears might abide them, they accosted -him: “Aho! Prince of Nishada—Prince Royal! -We have an errand. We have need of a noble messenger. -Who will go for us?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he did homage, pressing his palms together, answering: -“I see Four Shining Ones. I will go. What is -your errand, that I may do it?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So Indra, leaning from his chariot, said this: “The Gods -stand before you, Prince of Nishada. I am Indra, the King -of the Clouds, and he beside me is Agni, the Lord of Fire, -and here, Varuna, the King of Waters, and he behind me is -Yama, the Lord of Death. Go now to Damayanti the Princess, -and say this to her: ‘The Protectors of the World, the -Four Great Gods, desiring your beauty, are come to the swayamvara. -Make choice then to which of these Great Ones -your heart inclines; for that dignity whom you shall choose -is yours, O maiden of excelling fortune.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But Nala, joining his hands in prayer, said to Indra: -“O Mighty, how can I do this? O Mightinesses, anything -but this! I, too, have journeyed to Vidarbha, desiring the -maid. How should I entreat for another, even for a god? -Being divine, have pity.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But these divinities replied: “Have you not said, ‘I go’? -Is it possible that a royal man should break his word? It is -not possible. The great forswear themselves in nothing. -Depart.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So he said: “Her gates are guarded; for she is a king’s -daughter. A man may have no secret speech with her.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Indra answered: “But that may you! Fear not. -Depart.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And as the divine voice ceased, the Prince stood in the -inmost chamber of Damayanti. He knew not how; yet -he was there.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And his eyes swam and his heart fluttered within him; -for she sat with her maids like a goddess and his heart -knew her. Beautiful was she and yet more than beautiful; -for all grace, all love shone about her as the light surrounds -the moon in her interlunar caves. So a mild radiance filled -the air about the Princess and moved as she moved, going -with her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now, when these ladies beheld a man standing in their -presence, they sprang up like frightened deer, each grasping -the other for protection and gathering about the Princess -to shield her, so great was their fear. Then, seeing -the kindliness of his beauty and the nobility of his brows, -these lovely ones gathered courage and they saluted him -with timidity, murmuring: “Aho, his grace! Aho, his -beauty! What is he? Who?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But the Princess, her heart fluttering like a leaf in the -wind, stood higher than the rest and spoke thus: “Noble -Prince—for by a faultless body I judge you royal—how -have you come thus suddenly like a God? Surely this would -anger my father. Have you no fear of his wrath?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But there was love in her voice and with love the Prince -answered: “O Most Lovely, I am Nala of Nishada, and I -am the herald of the gods. For to your choosing come -the Four, almighty, heaven-shining—Indra the King of -the Clouds, Agni of the Fire, Varuna of the Waters, and -he whom to name is fear, Yama, the Lord of Death. And -these will that you choose one among them to be your immortal -lord, and it is by their power that I stand before you. -Who am I to be the messenger of the Great Ones? Now -judge what is well; for this is an honour to shake the soul -of a woman.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So Damayanti bowed her fair head in reverence, hearing -the gods named, and having done obeisance, she raised -her head and spoke: “Yet, O Prince, is my heart set on -you and I am faithful. The white swan was my messenger -and to you he bore my love. It is for your sake only that -the kings are bidden to my swayamvara, but I have already -chosen. Even now the maidens make ready the garland -that I would hang about your neck. O Prince of Men, O -Flame of Strength and Knightliness, what says your heart? -For me, I choose your arms or death. There is no other -way.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he, sighing bitterly, said: “With the very Gods -awaiting you, how, Princess, should you choose a man? -And what am I but dust beneath their feet? But you, O -lady, choosing one of these excelling Gods, shall escape all -death and mortality and reign shining beside him throughout -the ages; for immortal flowers do not wither, and death and -time are unknown to such as these. Sit therefore enthroned -above us. Choose and, choosing, be divine.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But she replied in haste and weeping: “Before these -mighty Gods I bow. To them I address my prayers, but -you I choose—you only will I take for my husband. You -only. What to me is immortal life if I have not you?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And her body trembled like a bamboo in the wind, while -he replied: “Here being their messenger, I may not speak -for myself. Duty and reverence hold the door of my lips. -Yet if the time come when in honour I may speak, then will -I utter what lies in my heart. May that time come!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“May it come!” said the Princess and dashed the tears -from her eyes, and like a queen she stood and said: “In -full presence of my father and of the kings let these Divine -Ones enter, and, O Prince, who are the light of my sad eyes, -enter you, too, and I, a free maiden, will choose freely. And -to you, what blame? For it is I who choose and the gods -know all.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So he returned to the Gods and, sighing, told what had -befallen, bidding them to the swayamvara of Damayanti, -the Consumer of Hearts. So the Shining Ones knew that -her heart was set upon Nala of Nishada.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now, on an auspicious day and in the right quarter of -the moon, the swayamvara was held in a mighty court surrounded -by golden pillars bound with garlands, and with -royal seats set for the suitors. And closing it in was a great -gatehouse with guards.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Through the gates passed the kings to their places, and -what a sight was there as these noblest of the earth approached! -How should a woman choose among them? -Crowned were they with odorous blossoms pressed down -upon their dark locks. Lordly jewels swung in their ears. -Some were rough in majesty, great-thewed, and the muscles -stood out upon them like cords. Some were delicate in -strength like bows of the archer Gods, but splendid kings -were all, proud and fierce of aspect, fit spouses for such -beauty; and in a ring they sat, their eyes glittering and fixed -upon the way that Damayanti should enter, desiring that -loveliness as the very crown jewel of their state. But none -saw the Gods.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And into that ring of set faces entered the Princess, unveiled -and pacing like a deer, and on her right hand her -brother Danta, and the garland of choosing on her arm, and -when she entered all held their breath, so more than mortal -fair she seemed, and they knew that the half was not told -them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So, with her soul set on Nala of Nishada, the Princess -Damayanti went by the kings, and, as she passed each one, -his face darkened as when a cloud crosses the sun and the -world is grey. So at last she stood before Nala and raised -her eyes under the cloud of her beautifully bent lashes, and -fear and pain shot through her tender heart like an arrow, -for lo, the Four Shining Ones had condescended to take the -earthly shape of Nala as they stood beside him, so that they -might try the maid and she not know her love. There were -five Nalas, and which was her own she could in no way tell, -for each one bore his very face, his very form. So the Gods -walk disguised, and who shall know them?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Then, sore perplexed, trembling in her great fear and -reverence, she sought, meditating, to recall the signs by -which the Gods may be discerned when they assume flesh. -But of these none could she see, and the five remained immovable -as she stood before them and in silence the kings -watched what would be.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So, seeing no help in herself or anywhere on earth, that -lovely lady joined her palms and, raising her lotus-eyes, -spoke thus: “O Divine Ones, I heard the swan and chose -my lord, and by that sincerity which I have kept in all faith -and honour, I call upon your greatness, O Mighty, who for a -while have blinded my eyes, to show my King to me! Appear, -O Protectors of the World, in your proper shape, that -I may do such reverence as mortals owe to Gods; and reveal -him, mortal, but mine own.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Being thus called upon in the strength of a pure woman, -straightway the Gods, dropping all disguise, disclosed their -beauty. And immediately she knew them; for their sacred -feet touched not the earth but hung a span’s length above it -in the air, and their forms of crystal essence cast no shadow. -No sweat was beaded on their pure, eternal brows, and their -crowns of flowers in radiance cast back the sun’s beams nor -drooped in the heat. And neither wavered their shining -eyes, fixed upon the Princess, nor did the lids flicker, and in -motionless majesty the Immortal Gods stood there.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And beside them stood Nala, very weary and foredone -with grief and pain. His shadow lay black before him in -the fierce sun, the sweat hung thick upon his brows where -the faded flowers drooped. Beautiful, wearied and mortal, -he stood beside the Immortal Gods.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So Damayanti looked upon those unchanging faces, in -which was neither sorrow nor anger, for they sit above the -thunder; and they regarded her, as it were unseeing, yet seeing -all things, as do the holy images, and in their divine -hearts was no love at all. So she passed them by and hung -the perfumed garland round the bowed neck of her love, and -in her voice of music took him to be her lord.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he said this: “O Lovely—O Faithful, since before -Gods and men you have chosen me, unworthy, true man will -I be and faith and honour will I keep while the breath is in -my nostrils.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So together they worshipped the Four, while all the kings -and princes cried aloud: “<span class='it'>Sadhu!</span>”—“Well done!” For -there was none but rejoiced in the beauty and faithfulness -of these two.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So the Immortal Gods, standing in that presence, gave -lordly gifts to the pair. And Indra, the Cloudy God, gave -this: that, when Nala should perform sacrifice, he should -with mortal eyes see the visible God and behold him unafraid. -And Agni, the Lord of Fire, gave this: that at all -times he would come at the call of Nala. And this is a great -gift. And Varuna, the King of Waters, gave this: that at -the word of Nala of Nishada the waters should rise and fall, -obedient. But Yama, the Lord of Death, gave two gifts; -and of these the first was to walk steadfastly in the ways of -righteousness; and the second (let it not be despised!) was -to be skilful in preparing food. And in after times by -strange chance did this prove a great and goodly gift.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Thus was the marrying of Nala, King of Men, with Damayanti, -Pearl of Women.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Reverence to that Lord of Elephant Trunk to whom obstacles -are as nothing, and to those Four Shining Ones who -showed compassion, their ears being open to the prayer of -purity.</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:10em;font-size:1.2em;'>THE HIDDEN ONE</p> - -<div><h1 id='ch5'>THE HIDDEN ONE</h1></div> - -<p class='pindent'><span style='font-size:smaller'>(The heroine of this story was a Princess of the great Mogul dynasty -of Emperors in India. She was granddaughter of Shah-Jahan and the -lovely lady of the Taj Mahal, and daughter of the Emperor Aurungzib -whose fanaticism was the ruin of the dynasty. The Princess’s title was -Zeb-un-Nissa—Glory of Women. She was beautiful and was and is a -famous poet in India, writing under the pen-name of Makhfi—the Hidden -One. Her love adventures were such as I relate, though I have taken the -liberty of transferring the fate of one lover to another.</span></p> - -<p class='pindent'><span style='font-size:smaller'>For her poems, which I quote, I use the charming translations by -J. Duncan Westbrook, who has written a brief memoir of this fascinating -Princess. She was a mystic of the Sufi order and her verses “The Hunter -of the Soul,” which I give, strangely anticipate Francis Thompson’s -“Hound of Heaven”, in their imagery. The poems not specified as hers -are a part of my story.)</span></p> - -<p class='pindent'>The office of hakim (physician) to the Mogul Emperors -being hereditary in my family from the days of Babar the -conquering Emperor, I was appointed physician to the Padshah -known as Shah-Jahan, and when his Majesty became -a Resident in Paradise (may his tomb be sanctified!) my office -was continued by his Majesty Aurungzib, the Shahinshah, -and rooms were bestowed on me in his palace, and by -his abundant favour the health of the Begams (queens) in -the seclusion of his mahal was placed in the hands of this -suppliant and I came and went freely in my duties and was -enlightened by the rays of his magnanimity. And my name -is Abul Qasim.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But of all that garden of flowers, the Begams and Princesses, -there was one whom my soul loved as a father loves -his child, for she resembled that loveliest of all sweet ladies, -her father’s mother, she who lies buried by Jumna River in -the divine white beauty of the Taj Mahal. (May it be -sanctified to her rest!) In my Princess’s sisters, it is true I -have seen a flash now and again of that lost beauty, but in -her it abode steadfast as a moon that knows no change and -at her birth she received the name of Arjemand after that -beloved lady, whose death clouded the universe so that its -chronogram gives the one word “Grief.” But the child -also received the title of Zeb-un-Nissa—Glory of Women, -and such this resplendent Princess most truly was.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And surely the prayer for resemblance was granted by the -bounty of Allah, for she grew into womanhood dark, delicious -as a damask rose, enfolding the hidden heart of its -perfume in velvet leaves, a soft luxuriant beauty that stole -upon the heart like a blossom-bearing breeze and conquered -it insensibly. Of her might it be said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“For the mole upon thy cheek would I give the cities of -Samarkand and Bokhara,” and a poet of Persia, catching a -glimpse of her as she walked in her garden, cried aloud in an -ecstasy of verse:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“O golden zone that circles the Universe of Beauty,</p> -<p class='line0'>It were little to give the earth itself for what thou circlest.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>Yet, this surprising loveliness was the least of her perfections.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But how shall this suppliant who is but a man describe -the spell of her charm? Allah, when he made man and -laid the world at his feet, resolved that one thing should be -hidden from his understanding, that still for all his knowledge -he should own there is but one Searcher of Secrets. -And the heart of this mystery is woman, and if she be called -the other half of man it is only as the moon reflects the -glory of her lord the sun in brilliance, though (as a wise -Hindu pandit told me for truth) she has a cold and dark -side which is always unknown to him, where alone she revolves -thoughts silent, cold, and dangerous. Therefore to -sift her in her secrecies is a foolhardy thing, and not in vain -is it written by Aflatoun (Plato), the wise man of Greece, -that the unhappy man who surprised a goddess bathing in -the forest was rent in pieces by his own hounds.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Yet this feat must be attempted for if there is a thing it -concerns man to know it is the soul of this fair mystery who -moves beside him and surrenders Heaven to him in a first -kiss and the bitterness of the hells in a last embrace.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Therefore I essay the history of this Princess, the Glory of -Women, who was an epitome of her sex in that she was beautiful, -a dreamer, a poet, and on the surface sweet in gentleness -as a summer river kissing its banks in flowing, but beneath——</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I write.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Seeing her intelligence clear as a sword of Azerbajan, her -exalted father resolved that his jewel should not be dulled -by lack of polishing and cutting, and he appointed the wise -lady Miyabai to be her first teacher. At the age of seven -she knew the Koran by heart, and in her honour a mighty -feast was made for the army and for the poor. As she grew, -aged and saintly tutors were appointed, from whom she -absorbed Arabic, mathematics and astronomy, as a rose -drinks rain. No subject eluded her swift mind, no toil -wearied her. Verses she wrote with careless ease in the -foreign tongue of Arabia, but hearing from an Arab scholar -that in a single line the exquisite skill betrayed an Indian -idiom, she discarded it instantly because she would have perfection -and wrote henceforward in her own tongue—Persian.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>No pains were spared upon this jewel, for the Emperor -desired that its radiance should be splendid throughout Asia, -yet her limit was drawn, and sharply. For in her young -pride of learning she began a commentary on the holy Koran, -and hearing this, he sternly forbade it. A woman might -do much in her own sphere, he wrote, but such a creature -of dust may not handle the Divine.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I, Abul Qasim, was with her when the imperial order -reached her and saw her take the fair manuscript and obediently -tear it across, desiring that the rent leaves be offered -to the Shadow of God in token of obedience. But those -dark and dangerous eyes of hers were not obedient beneath -the veiling of silken lashes, and turning to me, to whom she -told her royal heart, she said;</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“What the hand may not write the heart may think, and in -the heart is no Emperor. It is free,” and leaning from the -marble casement she looked down into the gliding river and -said no more.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Yet the Emperor made amends, and noble, as far as his -light led him. Not for a woman the mysteries of the faith -of Islam that he held of all things the greatest, but, fired -by the praises of her tutors, he sent throughout India, Persia -and Kashmir for poets worthy of this poet-Princess and -bid them come to Delhi and Agra and there dwell that a fitting -company be made for her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So, veiled like the moon in clouds, curtained and attended, -the Princess Arjemand was permitted to be present at tournaments -in the palace where the weapons were the wit and -beauty of words, when quotations and questions were flung -about as it might be handsful of stars, and a line given -be capped with some perfect finish of the moment’s prompting -and become a couplet unsurpassable, and very often it -was the soft voice from behind the golden veil that capped -the wisest and completed the most exquisite, and recited -verses that brought exclamations from the assembled poets.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Not even Saadi (may Allah enlighten him!) nor Jalalu’d-din -Rumi (may his eyes be gladdened in Paradise) excelled -this lady in the perfumed honey of their words.” So with -one voice they cried.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And this was not homage to the daughter of the Protector -of the Universe. No indeed! for death has not washed out -her name with the cold waters of oblivion and now that she -is no more beautiful nor daughter of the Emperor her verse -is still repeated where the poets and saints meet in concourse.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It will be seen that her life in the Begam Mahal (the Palace -of the Queens) must needs be lonely, for there was none -among the princesses who shared her pleasures, and their -recreation in languidly watching the dancers or buying jewels -and embroideries and devouring sweetmeats wearied her as -sorely. But she had one friend, Imami, daughter of Arshad -Beg Khan, and this creature of mortality who writes these -words was also accounted her friend though unworthy to be -the ground whereon she set her little foot.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Day after day did the Lady Arjemand with Imami write -and study, and the librarians of the Emperor had little peace -because of the demand of these ladies for the glorious manuscripts -and books collected by her ancestors from all parts -of the earth.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>They sat and the walls echoed to the low note of her voice -as she read and recited and so beautiful were the tones of -my Princess that I have seen the water stand in the eyes of -those who heard her recite her own verses or those of the -great Persians. It was a noble instrument ranging from the -deepest notes of passion to the keen cry of despair, and I -would listen unwearied while the day trod its blossomed way -from dawn to sunset in the Palace gardens. Great and wonderful -was this new palace of the Emperor with tall lilies inlaid -in the pure marble in stones so precious that they might -have been the bosom adornments of some lesser beauty. -Palms in great vases brought by the merchants of Cathay -made a green shade and coolness for two fountains—the -one of the pure waters of the canal, the other of rose-water, -and they plashed beside a miniature lake of fretted marble -rocks sunk in the floor where white lotuses slept in the twilight -of the calm retreat. Such was the chamber of the -daughter of the Padshah.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But of all the jewels the Princess was the glory.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Surely with small pains may the Great Mogul’s daughter -be a beauty, but had she been sold naked in the common -market-place this lady had brought a royal price.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Toorki and Persian and Indian blood mingled in her and -each gave of its best. The silken dark hair braided about -her head was an imperial crown. From the well-beloved -lady who lies in the Taj Mahal (may Allah make fragrant -her memory), she had received eyes whose glance of slow -sweetness no man, not even the men of her own blood (excepting -only her stern father), could resist, and of her rose-red -lips half sensuous, half child-like, might it be said</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Their honey was set as a snare and my heart a wandering bee,</p> -<p class='line0'>Clung and could not be satisfied, tasted and returned home never more.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>The imperial Mogul women were indeed the jewels of the -world, because the beauties of Asia were chosen to be their -mothers. The net of the Emperors swept wide, and I, who -in virtue of my age and faithful service have seen, testify -that there was none like them, and the loveliest of all was -fit but to serve my Princess kneeling. Shall not the truth -be told? Of the soul within that delicious shrine her deeds -must tell.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now as I have written she sat with Imami by the little -lake, and I in a marble recess by one of the great latticed -windows that looks down on Jumna river and on the other -side over the city of Shahjahanabad, new and luminous in -magnificence. In all the world else are no such palace and -city. At this moment she read aloud a letter from her -father Aurungzib concerning the memoirs of her ancestor the -Emperor Babar who founded their dynasty in India, a book -written by his own hand and religiously preserved in the -Mogul archives, and she read it with anger because when -she demanded this book from the librarian, the Padshah -hearing wrote thus:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Happy Daughter of Sovereignty. There is one manner -of life for men, who are the rulers, and for women, who are -the slaves. It seems you go too far. What has a daughter -of our House to do with our ancestor Zah-r-ud-din Muhammed -Babar, the resident in Paradise? I have granted much -already. Plant not the herb of regret in the garden of affection. -He writes as a man for men. The request is refused. -Recall the verse of the poet:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“ ‘Ride slowly and humbly, and not in hurrying pride</p> -<p class='line0'>For o’er the dusty bones of men, the creature of dust must ride.’</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>“What an Emperor writes is not suitable for the Princesses -of his House. His duty is rule; theirs, obedience.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was a discouragement but a command, and another had -laid the finger of obedience on the lips of silence, but, taking -counsel with her heart, this Princess did not so.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She called to me for her pen and wrote in answer:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Exalted Emperor, Shahinshah, Shadow of God, King of -the world, Refuge of the needy, father of the body of this -creature of mortality, be pleased to hear this ignorant one’s -supplication. Surely you have fed my mind on the bee’s-bread -of wisdom, and from your own royal lips have I learnt -that the words of our ancestor (upon whom be the Peace!) -are full of flavour and laughter, generous and kind, shining -with honour and the valour of our family. Now, since this -is the root whence sprang your auspicious Majesty’s rule, -should not a humble daughter triumph in it? True is it -that I am your female slave, yet may this worthless body -bear one day a son to transmit your likeness to the prostrate -ages, and since we do not breed lions from lambs, his -mother should carry the laughter and fire of her race like a -jewel in the mine of her soul. I make my petition to the -Padshah, the holiest of Emperors.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It will be granted me,” said the Princess reading these -letters aloud to Imami and to me, “because of that last word—the -holiest. He values that title more than to be called -the Shahinshah. And with all my heart I would it were -otherwise.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And why, high Lady?” cried Imami in sheer astonishment. -“Surely the Padshah is a saint and his deeds and -words will shine in Paradise. It is blessed to be devout.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I know little of Paradise, but I know, and my father -might know if he studied the life of Akbar the Great, his -great-grandfather, that to be so bitter a saint in our Mohammedan -faith that he insults and persecutes every other -is to break our dynasty to powder. Consider of it, Imami, -as I do. Have you read the Acts of Akbar Padshah the -greatest sovereign that ever reigned? Were I emperor in -India thus and thus I would do.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Glory of Women, may your condescension increase! -What did Akbar Padshah?” said Imami, joining her hands, -but I said nothing because I knew.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Though he was born Moslem yet he honoured all the -Faiths, knowing in his wisdom that the music is One and -the dogmas but the foolish words that man in his ignorance -sets to it. All faiths are true, and none!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The blood almost fell from my face as I heard her, because -had these words been carried to the Emperor not even -her rank, not even her daughterhood, could have saved the -Princess. With Imami and me she was safe, but in a palace -a bird of the air may carry the matter.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yes!” she went on, laughing coldly, “Akbar Padshah -had in all ways the tastes of Solomon the Wise and his Begam -Mahal (Palace of the Queens) was a garden of beauty. -But observe! The Queens were chosen from every faith -and each had the right to worship as she would. There were -Indian princesses who adored Shiva the Great God and -Krishna the Beloved. There was the Fair Persian who worshipped -the Fire as Zoroaster taught, and there were ladies -of the faith of our Prophet more than can be counted. -Whereas in the zenana of my imperial father——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She paused, and Imami continued with gravity that concealed -a smile:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The Begams recite the holy Koran all day, as becomes -the ladies of the Emperor who says that he sighs for the life -of a faquir.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And would he had it!” cried the Princess with passion, -“for every day discontent grows among the Hindus that are -taxed, beaten, and despised only because they hold the faith -of their fathers. Is there one of them employed about the -court or in the great offices? Not any. Whereas the Emperor -Akbar in his deep wisdom made them as one with ourselves -and thus built up a mighty Empire that my father -with holy hands destroys daily.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“O Brilliant Lady, for the sake of the Prophet, be silent!” -I said, for indeed she terrified me by her insight. It is better -for a woman that she should not know, or, knowing, keep -silence. “If these words were carried to the Padshah——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I should at the least be imprisoned and never more see -the light of day— Well, one may be a devotee out of the -Faith as in it, and like Akbar Padshah, I am the devotee of -Truth who shuts her fair eyes on no faith that men hold -in humbleness of heart. And were it policy only, is it not -madness to disgust and terrify the countless millions of the -Hindus upon whom our throne is carried? The end is -sure.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“What is the end?” asked Imami in a whisper.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Misery for himself—though that matters little, for he -will take it as the robe of martyrdom from the hand of Allah, -but ruin for the Mogul Empire in India. O that I were -a man!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Her face lit up into such pride and valour as she spoke -that I wished it also, for I knew that her words were true as -truth. But in India a woman can do nothing. It is little -wonder I trembled for my Princess.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A picture of her Imperial father lay on the low table at -her elbow, painted by a Persian artist of fame, and beautiful -as a jewel in its small brilliant colours, and looking upon it -one might see the Kismet of the Emperor in every feature. -Eyes stern but sad, the narrow brows and close lips of the -man who sees not life as it is but as his own thought of it, -bounded by those high narrow brows that overweighted the -lower part. The head of the Emperor was surrounded like -that of a saint with a golden halo and his stern eyes were -fixed on some vision invisible to others. The jaw was weak -but fine, and of all dangerous things on earth beware the -strength of a weak man in the grip of his belief. The Princess -looked at it, and then at me:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The Emperor (may Allah enlarge his reign) should have -lived in the time of the Prophet and have been the Sword in -his right hand. He is born centuries too late. It is policy -now that carries all before it. O could I speak my mind to -him, for my brothers dare not, but he and I are worlds apart -and in his presence I am silent.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I sighed. Not his throne, nor his children, nor his women, -nor aught on earth weighed for one grain of sand against -the Pearl of the Faith. True is it that the Emperor Akbar -followed the Vision also but with eyes how wide and clear!—knowing -this for certain, that mortal man <span class='it'>cannot</span> know, -that Truth is a bird flying in the skies and lets fall but a -feather to earth here and there. So he made for himself a -faith that held the quintessence of all the faiths, and had -his sons been like to him—but past is past. They were not, -and they broke his great heart.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So I said, bowing very low:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Princess, when the happy day comes that you must wed -you shall make your lord Lord of the World with your wisdom.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She laughed, but bitterly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“O, I have lovers! For one, Suleiman, my cousin, son -of the brother whom the Emperor slew because he stood too -near the throne. By report I knew what he was, but I saw -him and spoke with him——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My Princess, and how?” I asked in great surprise, knowing -that his presence in the Begam Mahal would have been -death.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She looked at me with large calm eyes.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My faithful servant, have you come and gone so long -about the Begam Mahal and have not known that all things -are possible? Prince Suleiman was veiled like a woman, -and like a woman he stood where you sit, and I saw his face -and we spoke together. Should not cousins meet who may -be man and wife? And I have loved his father, Prince -Dara, very much, who was learned and good.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I trembled again when I heard, for had the Emperor -guessed that she had done this thing what hope for her? -His three brothers had he slaughtered, and the Prince Suleiman -was doomed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And he saw your face, O Brilliant Lady?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“No, and not for fear’s sake but because I liked him not at -all. He said ‘O Envy of the Moon, lift up your veil that I -may enjoy the marvel of your beauty’ and I sang this verse -I had made to my lute.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She caught up her lute that lay beside her and sang,</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“I will not lift my Veil,</p> -<p class='line0'>For if I did, who knows?</p> -<p class='line0'>The bulbul might forget the rose,</p> -<p class='line0'>The Brahman worshipper</p> -<p class='line0'>Adoring Lakshmi’s grace</p> -<p class='line0'>Might turn, forsaking her,</p> -<p class='line0'>  To see my face;</p> -<p class='line0'>My beauty might prevail.</p> -<p class='line0'>Think how within the flower</p> -<p class='line0'>Hidden as in a bower</p> -<p class='line0'>Her fragrant soul must be,</p> -<p class='line0'>And none can look on it.</p> -<p class='line0'>So me the world shall see</p> -<p class='line0'>Only within the verses I have writ.</p> -<p class='line0'>  I will not lift the Veil.</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>“And the fool caught me and would have torn it,” she -added, “but Imami restrained him, and he flung from us like -a woman in temper as in dress. A contemptible creature!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But Lady of Beauty, what had you against him?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Do I not know all that goes on in this city? Do I not -know that Prince Suleiman spends his days and nights in -Shaitanpur (Devilsville, the quarter of pleasure) and was -I to show my face to a man reeking from the embraces of the -bazaar? No, I am Makhfi (the Hidden One) and hidden I -will remain for such as he. I will be no rival to Peri Mahal -the dancer and her like.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And even as she ended a low voice at the curtain that -veiled the entrance asked for admission and when she granted -it, the heavy silk was drawn aside and a tall veiled woman -entered. The Princess did not look up but I saw Imami’s -eyes fix as if startled.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Her slave prays for a word with the Marvel of the Age -whose mind is so lovely that it outshines even her fair face -and her face so beautiful, that it is the lamp that permits the -light of her soul to shine through.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Warm for a woman!” said the Princess, and looked -straight at the new-comer who stood salaaming with the -utmost humility. She added impatiently:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“There is no need of this ceremony, lady. Remove your -veil. The good physician Abul Qasim is privileged to see -the faces of all in the Begam Mahal.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In a flash the veil was torn off and a man’s face appeared -beneath it—young, bold, and handsome with the high features -of the Imperial House, a splendid dissolute young man -with the down black on his upper lip like the black astride -the young swan’s bill. Prince Suleiman, the son of Dara -the Emperor’s brother.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Ha, daughter of my uncle!” he cried,— “Did I not wager, -did I not swear, that I would see that hidden beauty -and now I see it face to face. Poets have sung it and painters -praised it, but their words and their colours were lies for -they could not utter the truth. And having seen I entreat -for my father’s sake, for love’s sake, that it may be mine.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He made towards her eagerly, wholly disregarding Imami -and me. I looked to see her confused or angry, but she -spoke with a most misleading calm.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Exalted cousin, you have won your wager and your -bride. If her embrace is cold it is at least constant and——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Cold, with those burning lips of rose, those glowing eyes? -O Loveliest, Divinest, grant me one kiss for earnest if you -would not have me die at your feet.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I saw her sign with her hand to Imami who glided away, -flattening herself against the wall as if terrified, then she -spoke serenely.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Exalted cousin, when were you last in Shaitanpur?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It stopped him like a lightning flash. He stood arrested -on the marble before her face.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I know nothing of Shaitanpur,” he said, breathless.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“No? Nor of the dancer Peri Mahal and her house with -the courtyard of roses, nor of the song she sings?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Again she caught up her lute and sang in a low voice,</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Black bee, strong bee, the honey-eater,</p> -<p class='line0'>Plunder my perfume, seek my heart</p> -<p class='line0'>Cling to me, ravage me, make me sweeter,</p> -<p class='line0'>Tear the leaves of the rose apart.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>He stared, his eyes slowly dilating. That the daughter -of the Emperor should sing the song of the bazaar—the song -of the light women—! Then it emboldened him. He -threw himself forward to seize her hand.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Maker of verses, this is a rose of your own garden. Till -now I never heard it, but it speaks of love. You shall not -ask me twice. My rose, my pearl, my star!—” He caught -the hem of her veil. Now I knew well from her eyes that -he rushed on his fate, but it was written in the book of his -destiny and what is written who can avert?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She drew back a little and looked at him with soft eyes—wells -of delicious darkness, the swelling curves of her -lovely form a temptation for true believers, and her lips -smiling a little as if from delight at their own sweetness. -And indeed her voice was gentle as moonbeams and as caressing, -as though she could sacrifice all to please the man -whom she exalted with the sight of her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Fortunate cousin, I am a weak woman. How dare I -face the wrath of the Emperor? He did not love your father. -He does not love your father’s son, yet if he did——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She drooped her head a little as if with a soft shame that -overwhelmed her in the depths of modesty. O very woman, -divine yet a child!— She had turned wisdom into folly -with a glance. And he trembling, and with eyes fixed, -stammered out:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Alas, I have dreamed of your sweetness and what is the -dream to the truth? I am drowned in it. O give it to -me; make it mine that in life and death it may enfold me and -that I may never again behold a lesser light, having seen -the ineffable.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he caught her hand passionately and drew her towards -him, she yielding gently and slowly, resisting a very -little, and looking at him as if with compassion.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And very softly in a voice like the breathing of a flute she -said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“O my cousin, how should we face the wrath of the Emperor?” -as though all her soul were in that question.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he, kissing her hands with frenzy, said in broken -words:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Ah, Moon of my delight that knows no wane, let me but -watch with you through the starry hours of one night, and -then, then if the Padshah’s will be to slay me, I shall at least -have lived.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And I also,” she said, looking down like the feminine -incarnation of modesty, so that enraptured he flung his arms -about the yielding softness of her most exquisite form and -kissed her on the lips as a thirsty man in the desert grasps -the cup nor can sever his mouth from it. And when he -would permit her to speak she leaned her head backward to -gain space, and she said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“What is my lord’s will with his slave? And in what -shall I obey him?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now I, standing in the recess would have warned him, if -I could, that not thus—O not thus, does the proudest and -wisest of women abandon herself to such as he! For I had -pity on his youth and the manly beauty of him, and the -Imperial blood that he shared with her. But who was this -creature of dust to obstruct the design of the Imperial Princess? -And indeed even I wavered and was uncertain that -I guessed her meaning, with such veiled submissive sweetness -did she hold his hand in hers and touch it to her lovely -brows.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And trembling like a man in a fever, he replied.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“O darling little slave, since you give me the right to command -what is wholly mine, I say this— Let my slave, whose -slave I am, expect me to-night when the moonlight touches -the western corner of the Divan-i-Am, and I will come to -this chamber of bliss, and my life, my soul, are in the hand -of my slave whose feet I kiss.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And throwing himself on the marble like a worshipper he -kissed the flower-soft feet that showed like bare gold beneath -the hem of her robe, and so rising to his knee, looked -up at her as an idolater at the goddess vouchsafed to his -eyes.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But she looked beyond him at the curtain that veiled the -door. It lifted to a hidden hand, and Imami stood there, -ash-pale, in her hand a dish of gold, and standing upon it a -great goblet of jewelled glass with pomegranate sherbet -brimming in it rose-red and rose-petals floating on the surface -and beside it two cups of gold flashing with diamond -sparks, and on her knee she offered it to the Princess, who -took the goblet and a cup smiling.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Fortunate cousin, since this is so, and I, my father’s best-beloved -child, will petition him to grant me my heart’s desire, -let us drink the cup of betrothal in the presence of the Hakim -Abul Qasim and the lady Imami. Heart of my heart, -I pledge you!” and setting the blossom of her lips to the -jewelled rim she drank, and filled the other cup for him, and -still kneeling before her breathless with adoration, he took -the cup in both his hands, and I watched and could say no -word because her purpose was clear to me and I knew well -that of all women on earth she was the last to endure the -insult of his presence. And Imami knelt by the door,—her -face like ivory against the heavy gold curtain. Now, as he -set his lips to the cup, suddenly Imami sprang to her feet -and tottered back against the sculptured marble and with -scarce breath to fill her voice——</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The Emperor comes,” she said, and fell again on her -knees at the door, hiding her face in her hands.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I saw the sickening terror that struck the colour from the -cheeks and lips of the lover. He knelt there with a glassy -countenance like a man in the clutch of a nightmare who -cannot flee from the advancing doom—his limbs weighted -with lead, his heart with the pressure of an exceeding horror. -But Glory of Women caught him by the hand.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Exalted cousin, there is but one way from these rooms, -and the Emperor closes it. Fly to the room beyond my -bed-chamber, the room of the marble bath, and hide where -you can while I hold him in talk. Allah hafiz! (God protect -you!) Go!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And she pushed him from her, and he fled. Then, most -singular to see, she composed her veil, glancing in the mirror -set in silver that was the gift of the Portuguese priests, -and turned to the door, and as she did so the curtain was -lifted and Aurungzib Padshah entered and Imami prostrated -herself and I also, but the Princess Arjemand knelt.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now I know not how this should be, but in a room where -great events have just happened it is as if the waves of passion -beat about the walls and waft the garments of those -who have been present, and it seemed to my guilty heart as -though the very flowers enamelled on the marble cried -aloud,</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Majesty, there is a man—a man in hiding.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And certainly the Padshah halted and looked with suspicion -from one to the other of us. He was ever a man of suspicion, -unlike the easy humour of his father Shah-Jahan, and -the half drunken good-nature (shot with frightful angers) of -his grandfather Jahangir. Aurungzib Padshah was a small -man, dark exceedingly, with veiled eyes and shut lips, and -never have I seen him warmed by any emotion of love, pity, -fear, but always calm, cold, self-collected and austere. For -it is well known that his only care was religion, and to this -he sacrificed his all.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So looking hard at the kneeling Glory of Women he said -coldly,</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In the name of the most beneficent and merciful God, -what is this disturbance? Speak, exalted daughter, Princess -of the family of chastity. It is revealed to this suppliant -at the throne of Allah that there is a hidden thing in -these chambers. Speak. What is it?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And kneeling, my Princess answered.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“May joy attend my exalted father, the adorner of the -gardens of happiness, the decorator of the rose-parterre of -enjoyment! There is but one hidden thing in these chambers, -and it is your unworthy daughter, who is known by -your august favour as Makhfi, the Hidden One.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I saw the eyes of the Padshah fix on the golden dish that -lay on the marble with one cup emptied of the pomegranate -sherbet and the other half emptied, the sherbet running in a -red stream like blood along the marble.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“This was set down in haste!” he said through clipped -lips.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In haste, O Glory of Allah!” said the Princess with the -wet beads clamming the silken tendrils on her forehead. -“I drank and was about to drink the second when your -auspicious feet blessed the threshold.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You are thirsty, happy daughter of sovereignty? Then -drink the remainder. You have my permission.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I saw the gleam in either black eye of him as he spoke, -watching her sidelong. She lifted the cup to her lips with -a hand that shook so that it rattled against her teeth, though -she struggled to command herself.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“No, do not drink, royal daughter. It is stale,” he said, -still standing and smiling coldly. And the Princess answered -with quivering lips:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Will not the Mirror of God be seated and partake of refreshment -offered by the hand of his slave?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Not of that cup and not until I have observed your -embroideries and manuscripts, daughter of high dignity,” -the Padshah replied, and followed by my Princess, Imami -still kneeling by the door, and I by the latticed marble window -he walked about the hall and into the chambers beyond, -talking pleasantly to the Princess at his shoulder, -and so returning took his seat on the divan, and she served -sherbets and fruits on a golden dish to his Majesty.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He was later to attend the Am-Khas, the Hall of Audience, -and was attired kingly. His vest was of white and delicately -flowered satin, with heavy silk and gold embroidery. -His cloth-of-gold turban was aigretted with diamonds great -as stars, with a topaz at the base that shone like the sun. -A chain of great pearls hung to his knees, and above all these -jewels was his cold repelling dignity as of a King too great -to be approached even by the favourite child of his pride, -and all the time he sat she knelt before him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At length he spoke as if in meditation.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Glory of Women, you have grown into beauty like that -of the Maids of Paradise. Your long lashes need no antimony, -your eyes are winter stars, and in that robe of gulnar -(pomegranate blossom) you appear like that princess -who bewildered the senses of the mighty Suleiman. [I saw -a quiver pass over her features as she bowed her head beneath -the weight of praise.] Does not the rose long for the -nightingale? Does not your heart, exalted daughter, turn -to love?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And with her eyes on the ground, she answered.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Exhibitor of Perfection, my heart is set on far other -matters. If in this land of good fortune I be remembered -as a poet, I ask no more of destiny save that the rank of -the daughter of Emperors be attached to my name for -ever.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is well. Yet marriage must be considered. Fortunate -daughter, have you bathed to-day?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And she, deadly pale.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Shadow of the benignity of the Creator, no.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And with set lips he called to Imami by the door.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Hasten, lady, and light the fire beneath the great vessel -of water in the bathing room of the Begam, and I will remain -in discourse with her until it is ready.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Imami casting a fearful glance on the kneeling -Princess moved slowly to the inner chamber, and it is the -truth that my soul sickened within me, for though I knew -the young man worthless, and the son of a dangerous father, -yet who could bear this without terror of spirit? And the -Emperor, laying aside his awful Majesty, made his presence -sweet as sunshine in the great chamber of marble, saying:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Exalted daughter, it is but seldom we have leisure to -relax, and yet the olfactory of my soul inhales with delight -the ambergris-perfumed breezes of affection and concord, -and daily if it were possible would I enjoy them. Yes, even -when absent—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“ ‘I sit beside thee in thought, and my heart is at ease,</p> -<p class='line0'>For that is a union not followed by separation’s pain.’</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is in my mind to move with my ladies and the living -family of dignity and glory to reside for a time at Lahore, -and we shall then be more together, partaking of the irrigation -of the rivers of affection.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Great father, you promise me a joy to increase health -and exalt happiness.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She swayed as she knelt, and leaned against the divan -with closed eyes.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Exalted father, the perfume of flowers and of the rose-water -fountain have given me a faintness. May I retire -for a moment with the hakim Abul Qasim to my inner -chamber lest I fall at your feet?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is granted, Glory of Women, and the lady Imami shall -recite to me your latest verses until you return.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I came forward making the salutation, and helped the -Princess to rise, she leaning on my aged arm, and the lady -Imami took her place unrolling a manuscript of verses -splendid with Persian illuminations in blue and gold. The -Emperor composed himself to listen with pleasure, for it is -well known that all the sovereigns of that mighty line were -skilled in versifying and just critics of <span class='it'>ghazal</span> and <span class='it'>suja</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And as we moved forward, I supporting her, the Princess -breathed in my ear:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I meant his death, but Allah knowing my heart knows -I am innocent of this hideous thing. O Abul Qasim, father -of my soul, is there aid in earth or heaven?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But what could I say? Only the Great Physician of the -Hidden Dispensary could assist that unfortunate. And -meanwhile the sweet voice of the lady Imami read aloud the -verses of the Princess.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“O love, I am thy thrall.</p> -<p class='line0'>As on the tulip’s burning petal glows</p> -<p class='line0'>A spot yet more intense, of deeper dye,</p> -<p class='line0'>So in my heart a flower of passion blows,</p> -<p class='line0'>See the dark stain of its intensity</p> -<p class='line0'>  Deeper than all.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>And then we lost the words as we moved into the inner -chamber.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now this inner chamber was all of pearl-pure marble, and -in the midst a deeply sunk bath of marble long and wide -and with its walls decorated with lotuses and their leaves, -and a silver pipe led the water to this from a mighty silver -vessel six feet and more in height and of great capacity, -supported on a tripod of sculptured silver, and below it a -place for fire, enclosed and fed with sweet-scented woods and -balls of perfume made of rare gums. And, O Allah most -Merciful, there the lady Imami had kindled fire by command -of the Emperor, and within might be seen the brilliant blue -flame licking up the perfumes and crawling like snakes -about the cedar wood below the vessel. And certainly I -looked that the Princess should do some desperate deed for -the enlargement of the man most miserable hidden within -the vessel, and releasing her I stood like a graven image of -terror, expecting what she would do.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She laid her hand on the silver, and amid the crackling of -the flames she said in a clear small voice:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You came unsought. You violated the secrecy of the -Hidden One. What then is your duty, exalted cousin?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And from within he spoke in a voice—O Allah, most compassionate, -grant that I may never hear such again!—the -one word:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Silence.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And she:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is true. Keep silence if you are my true lover, -for the sake of my honour. For if your voice is heard I am -a dead woman. But I too will be faithful to death.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he answered:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On my head and eyes.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And by her command I gave her water to drink and applied -an essence to her nostrils, and we left the room, pulling -the heavy curtains before it, and we returned to where the -Padshah sat with the pale lady Imami reading aloud and he -smiling in calm content. Seeing us return, he motioned my -Princess to a seat on the divan saying:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I would hear your verses of ‘The Lover.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“What is the fate of a lover? It is to be crucified for the -world’s pleasure.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And taking the manuscript from the hands of Imami she -read aloud:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Dust falls within the cup of Kaikobad</p> -<p class='line0'>And King Jamshid,</p> -<p class='line0'>Nor recks the world if they were sad or glad,</p> -<p class='line0'>Or what they did.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“How many hearts, O Love, thy sword hath slain</p> -<p class='line0'>And yet will slay!</p> -<p class='line0'>They bless thee, nor to Allah they complain</p> -<p class='line0'>At Judgment Day.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>And so read on steadfastly for the space of an hour, until -the Padshah, replete with the sweetness of the melody, rose -from the divan, and said graciously:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“May the tree of hereditary affection watered by this hour -of converse grow in leaf and fruit and overshadow us both -in peace. Go now, exalted daughter, and bathe your angelic -person and rest with a soul sunned in the favour of the -Emperor.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he went, we attending him to the door of the secluded -chambers, and when we returned, the Princess lay in -a dead faint on the divan, and the fire beneath the great -vessel of silver was red and silent, and within was silence -also.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The courage of Babar the gallant and Akbar the greatly -dreaming was not dead in their descendant and thus in a -great self-sacrifice he became a traveller on the road of -non-existence, and I wept for him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So the Court moved to Lahore.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But after this on my Princess came a change hard to be -told.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She had despised the Prince alive. For his death she -loved him, and with a poet’s passion and tenderness mingled -with a woman’s. Her sole relief was in solitude, pouring -forth the burning thoughts wherein the phoenix of her -soul was consumed in perfumed flame which will forever -kindle the heart of man to like ecstasies.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Great Princes sought her, among them Akil Khan, a most -beautiful young man, aglow with courage and splendour. -He had seen her, dreaming on the roof of her pavilion in the -dawn, pensive and lovely, clothed in dawn-colour, her long -hair braided with pearls falling about her, and mad with -love, he sent her this one line, awaiting completion:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A vision in crimson appears on the roof of the Palace.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Kneeling, I implored her to give him some solace,</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“For O, Light of my soul,” said I, “the years drift by -like leaves, and shall this miracle of beauty and of intelligence -clear as diamonds lead its graces to the grave and -leave the world no copy? My Princess, my Princess, have -pity on your youth! True, the high Prince died a hero for -the sake of a lady’s honour, yet remember that until then the -soul of him was at home in Devilsville, and not in the rose-gardens -of Allah. You have mourned him long enough: -awake now to joy.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But she put it gently aside, saying:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The soul washed in the lustration of death is pure. -What is Shaitanpur to him now? He has forgotten it. -And shall I who accepted the sacrifice, forget? O, that -I had not failed in courage—that I had died with him! -Give me the paper of Akil Khan.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And considering the line he had written—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A vision in crimson appears on the roof of the Palace,” -she wrote beneath it this line completing the couplet:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Neither supplications nor force nor gold can win her.” -And so returned it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Yet, gallant man as he was, this did not stifle his hope, -and knowing that in her garden at Lahore she was building -a noble marble pavilion, he entered the garden one day disguising -his princeliness under the garment of a mason, -carrying his hod on his shoulder, and passed where she stood -apart watching her girls who were playing at chausar.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And as he drew near he whispered,</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In my longing for thee I have become as dust wandering -round the earth,” and she whose soul was fixed as a lonely -star, responded immediately,</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“If thou hadst become as the wind yet shouldst thou not -touch a tress of my hair.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So it was always. An embassage was sent from the -Shah Abbas of Persia entreating her hand for Mirza Farukh -his son, and the Prince came with it, a gallant wooer. She -dared not at once refuse the insistence of her father Aurungzib -Padshah, and consented that he should come to Delhi -that she might judge of his worthiness. And with a glorious -retinue resembling a galaxy of stars he came, and she -feasted the prince in the pleasure-pavilion in her own garden, -and in its marble colonnade with her own fair hand -offered him wine and sweetmeats, but veiled in gold gauze, -so that not one glimpse had he of the hidden eyes. And -exalted with wine and folly he asked for a certain sweetmeat -in words which by a laughing play on words signify—a -kiss!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>This, to the proudest of women! One moment she -paused and then haughtily,</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Ask for what you desire from the slaves of our kitchen,” -and so went straight to her royal father and told him that -though face and jewels were well enough, the man had the -soul of a groom under his turban of honour, and she would -have none of him. She had her royal way.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Raging with foiled pride and desire he sent her this -verse,</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“I am determined never to leave this temple.</p> -<p class='line0'>Here will I bow my head, here will I prostrate myself.</p> -<p class='line0'>Here will I serve, and here alone is happiness.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>But he beat against marble, for she returned this answer -only:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Child, how lightly dost thou esteem this game of love!</p> -<p class='line0'>Nothing dost thou know of the fever of longing and the fire of separation, and the burning flame of love!”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>Alas, her heart knew them too well!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So he went away despairing and that was the last of her -suitors.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Very sad grew my Princess. The dead have more power -than the living, and the clutch of a dead hand chills the -blood. She had the soul of a mystic and in her poems -desire for the Eternal Beloved was mingled with love of -him who was now also behind the Veil of non-existence, and -I know not which was more in her thoughts when she wrote -with tears that fall and falling gather,</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“O idle arms,</p> -<p class='line0'>Never the lost Beloved have ye caressed:</p> -<p class='line0'>Better that ye were broken than like this</p> -<p class='line0'>Empty and cold eternally to rest.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“O useless eyes,</p> -<p class='line0'>Never the lost Beloved for all these years</p> -<p class='line0'>Have ye beheld: better that ye were blind</p> -<p class='line0'>Than dimmed thus by my unavailing tears.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“O fading rose,</p> -<p class='line0'>Dying unseen as hidden thou wert born:</p> -<p class='line0'>So my heart’s blossom fallen in the dust</p> -<p class='line0'>Was ne’er ordained his turban to adorn.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>Very strange is the heart of a woman! I, remembering -her scorn for this very Prince and her will to slay him with -her own hand, could not at all commend nor comprehend -her passion for him dead whom living she trod as the dust -beneath her feet. She permitted my speech gently, but -would reply only,</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He loved me and gave his life for me.” And I venturing -to rejoin,</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But O exalted Lady, men will give their lives for a little -thing, a jewel, a worthless intrigue, the slaying of a tiger, -and is his sacrifice worth such a return as yours?” she replied -with calm; “Greater love hath no man than in silence -to lay down his life uncheered by commendation or -the joy of battle, and to him I swore fidelity. Should I -change? In his death was the high heart that in life would -have grown to glory—and I broke it.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And I said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is greater love to live for a woman than to die for her -and this he could never have done, for his profligacy and -selfishness would have swept all love to ruin,”—and she, -smiling, put this by, as one who has attained in her own -heart to behold the innermost secrets of love. And which -of us was right I cannot now tell.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But as love rose about her like a tide her thoughts turned -more and more to the Supreme, the Self-Existent,—and this -love also consumed her for He wounded her heart with the -august secrets of His beauty, and perceiving in vision wafts -of His sweetness she sank into a deep melancholy, desiring -that to which no earthly passion may attain. So in this -poem she beheld Him as the Hunter of the Soul:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“I have no peace, the quarry I, a Hunter chases me,</p> -<p class='line0'>  It is Thy memory.</p> -<p class='line0'>I turn to flee but fall: for over me He casts His snare,</p> -<p class='line0'>  His perfumed hair,</p> -<p class='line0'>Who can escape Thy chain? no heart is free</p> -<p class='line0'>  From love of Thee.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>So passioning for the Divine she spent her days in longing, -and a great wisdom came upon her, for even as her mighty -father narrowed in vision, persecuting the Hindus, and -breaking the very Empire against the rock of their tortured -faith, so she like the sun at setting illumined all beliefs, even -the lowliest, with her level rays, declaring that where any -prayer is made that place is the mosque and the Kiblah.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Had that lady been Emperor it is not too much to say -she had saved the Empire. Would to Allah that she had -been. But He knows all.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Yet a better fate was decreed for her for she lived, exhaling -love as the lily its perfume, and departed in a white -peace, a gently fading light like the cresset that for a little -illumines the quiet of a tomb, and this she said in dying,</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I am the daughter of a King but I have taken the path -of renunciation, and this shall be my glory, as my title signifies -that I am the Glory of Women.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>This she is, for in India she is remembered by all who -burn in the fire of love, human or divine.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Yet, since she was a woman and therefore a creature of -unreason, must I condemn her passion for the worthless -prince to whom her royal life was dedicate.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And here I set down the last words that Makhfi—the Hidden -One—wrote with her dying hand, and they were these—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Yet, Makhfi, unveiled is thy secret,</p> -<p class='line0'>Abroad all thy passion be told,</p> -<p class='line0'>Who saw not the beauty of Yusuf</p> -<p class='line0'>When he in the market was sold.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>and as she lived she died, lamenting that too late she had -known his hidden heart.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>When she was departed a poet of Persia made these -verses of her: concerning the serenity of her spirit:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Love sings to himself of love and the worlds dance to that music,</p> -<p class='line0'>As wise snakes dance to the Charmer playing upon his pipe,</p> -<p class='line0'>Love gazes on deep waters for ever dreaming his face.</p> -<p class='line0'>Slay all my senses but hearing that I may immortally listen.</p> -<p class='line0'>Calm every wave of my soul that it may mirror the Dream.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>And her father the Emperor, grieving, made her a glorious -tomb of marble domed and pinnacled with gold and the -tower and minars roofed with turquoise tiles. Nay, the -very sand of the paths was dust of turquoises, and about it a -glorious garden where her sweet spirit might gladden to -dream in the moonlight, her griefs forgotten, her joys completed -in the ecstasy of union with the One, the Alone.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And yet—yet—thus wrote my Princess:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“If on the Day of Reckoning</p> -<p class='line0'>God saith, ‘In due proportion I will pay</p> -<p class='line0'>And recompense thee for thy suffering.’</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Lo, all the joys of heaven it would outweigh.</p> -<p class='line0'>Were all God’s gladness poured upon me, yet</p> -<p class='line0'>  He would be in my debt.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>May the lights of Allah be her testimony and make bright -her tomb.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>For I loved her, and pray that her memory may be fragrant -when I am dust.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And very strange and secret is the heart of a woman.</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:10em;font-size:1.2em;'>THE MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCESS</p> - -<div><h1 id='ch6'>THE MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCESS</h1></div> - -<p class='pindent'><span style='font-size:smaller'>(Salutation to the Elephant-Headed God, who is the Remover of Obstacles -and the Giver of discretion, and may he enable his worshipper the -Pandit Gurdit Singh to relate this story with well-chosen words and harmonious -periods that so it may enchain the hearts of all.)</span></p> - -<p class='pindent'>Of all the lands that smile upon their lover the sun, surely -the land of Kashmir is the loveliest. All round that Valley -of Beauty the mountains stand like the guardians of a great -Queen. No harsh winds may ruffle the lakes, darkly blue as -the eyes of the goddess Shri, where the lotuses dream above -their mirrored images in amazement at their own divinity, -for the shields of the eternal snows piercing even the heavens -turn aside all tempests and only a sweet and calm sunshine -makes the air milk-warm.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And because the beauty that surrounds them is absorbed -by the princesses of Kashmir until they become like the -slender-waisted beauties of the ancient poems and stories -of India, radiant as the sun, fair as the full moon mirrored -in a lake dreaming of her own beauty, so are they eagerly -sought by all the Kings from North to South, and great -dowries are given for them with jewels piled high like grain -in harvest, and elephants and garments with beaten gold -laid on them such as would dazzle the eyes of the Queens of -other countries. And nothing is too much to give for their -seductive beauties.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now, at one time the King of Kashmir had a daughter, his -only one,—more exquisite than dawn blushing on the snows. -She had stolen the hue of her eyes from the blue of the lotus -of the hidden lakes, and the delicate shaping of her face was -high craftsmanship of high Gods at the work they love best. -And down to the ankle rolled her midnight hair, braided -and jewelled, and Love’s own honey made her mouth a -world’s wonder of rose and pearl,—and the curves of her -sweet body were rounded as the snowdrifts of Mount Haramoukh -and as pure. And even this was not all, for what -is a flower without scent and beauty without charm? But -grace went beside her like an attendant, and attraction that -none could resist was in her glance, and whoso escaped the -lure of her eyes would assuredly fall a victim to the seduction -of her sweet laughter so that only in the protection of -the Gods was there safety, and it is known that even the -Gods cease their vigilance where a beautiful woman is concerned -and forget their divinity.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now this Princess Amra loved above all things the gardens -of her royal father, and it was her custom, forsaking -the Palace, to come for days with her women to the gardens -by the lake, dwelling in the Pavilion of the Painted Flowers -and passing the days in singing and feasting, wandering beneath -the shade of the mighty chinar trees and breathing the -perfume of flowers and the coolness of the high snows.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So on a certain day she and her ladies wandered through -the roses in beauty so exquisite that the flowers swayed to -behold them and the very waters of the cascades delayed -to kiss their feet, and as they did this there came a message -from the King her father that he had betrothed her to marry -the King of Jamu, and the marriage would take place in the -marriage month according to the auspicious calculations of -the astrologers. And hearing this, the Princess stopped in -terror beside the water that falls over the ripple of cut marble, -and she said to her women:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“O sorrowful day! O fears that beset my heart! I who -have never seen any man save my auspicious father and -brothers and the old grey-beard, the Pundit Ram Lal,—what -a fate is this! What do I know of men? How shall -I learn? O, my misery!”—and she sat herself beneath the -shade of a great chinar tree, and became inconsolable, weeping -bitterly, and her women wept with her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So passed an hour, and at last her confidante, Lailela, a -girl from Bokhara, having dried her eyes began to look -about her, and she saw that with the written command of -the King had come a small object folded in rose silk and -bound with threads of gold, and with the insatiable curiosity -of a woman she said to the weeping Princess:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Great Lady, here is a something—I do not know what, -but I guess it to be a bridal gift from his Majesty.” And the -Princess took it in her hands and her ladies gathered about -her as stars surround the moon, and with her slender fingers -and nails like little pearls she unthreaded the knots of gold -and the inner treasure was disclosed, and it was a frame of -gold filagreed and set with rubies and diamond sparks, and -within it the portrait of a young man, and written on the -back of it: “The King of Jamu.” The artist, whose skill -resembled that of the Creator, had depicted him seated on -his throne of ivory inlaid with gold, and in his turban blazed -that great jewel known as the Sea of Splendour, but these -did not for one moment detain the eye, for he was himself -the jewel of Kings, young, noble, dark of hair and eyes, with -amorous lips, proud yet gentle, and a throat like the column -that upholds the world, and limbs shaped for height and -strength and speed. And surely had he been a water-carrier, -men had said, “This is the son of a King.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And as the Princess Amra looked she sighed and changed -colour, and the last tear fell from her long lashes upon the -portrait, and she dried it with her gold-bordered veil, and -looked and sighed again, and lost in thought she fell into a -deep silence.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Lailela said with sympathy:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Surely a terrible doom, O Princess! Now had the King -been an old man, kind and paternal, it would but have been -passing from the arms of one father to another. But a -young man— O, there is much to fear, and who shall sound -the deeps of their hearts?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And the Princess slowly shook her head, not knowing -what she did, still gazing at the portrait, and Lailela continued:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Little do we all know men. But I have been told it is -safer to adventure in a jungle of tigers than to take a husband -knowing nothing of their wiles and tyrannies, and it -is now my counsel that we should all declare before the -Princess any small knowledge that has reached us, that she -may not go forth utterly unarmed.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And all the ladies looked doubtfully at one another, and -the Princess smiled faintly as a moon in clouds, and said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Sisters, it is my command that you do as Lailela has said, -for her counsel is good, and she herself shall begin, for I -perceive there is knowledge behind her lips. Let all now -prepare to listen, for we speak of love.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And she laid the portrait on her knees, and Lailela with -laughter in her long eyes but a great gravity of speech, told -this story:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Now, Princess, this is one of the parables that the Sheikh -Ibrahim related to his daughter, the Lady Budoor, that she -might be admonished. For the damsel was the temptation -of the Age, with heavy hips, and brows like the new moon, -and a mouth like the seal of Suleiman, so that the reason of -whoso saw her was captivated by her elegance. But she -spoke little, or of trivial matters, and smiled not at all, relying -on her beauty, which, indeed, was the perfection of the -Creator’s handiwork. May his name be exalted! And her -father accosted her, saying:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Know, O daughter, that Shah Salim had five thousand -wives and concubines of perfect loveliness, with languishing -looks, high-bosomed, and of equal age, a delight to beholders -such as astonished the mind. But the King was wearied -because of the dullness of their society and it so befell that -he yawned repeatedly and his jaw became fixed with the -violence of his yawns, nor could the art of the <span class='it'>hakims</span> unloose -it. And the Queens and the concubines slapped their -faces for grief, and the Emirs trembled because of the case -of the King.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Now it chanced that the King of Seljuk sent unto Shah -Salim a slave girl from Tabriz, and the merchant who conducted -her bore this message, written on ivory, bound with -floss silk, and perfumed with ambergris: “Know, O King of -the Age, that the perfume is not to be judged by the jar, nor -the jewel by its weight, for the perfume is the soul of the -rose, and the secret of the jewel is its fire. Receive, therefore -this gift according to the measure of thy wisdom.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘But the Shah-in-Shah, speaking with difficulty, for his -jaw was held as in a vise, commanded, saying; “Enclose her -with the Queens and the concubines, for they have brought -me to this, and the sum of my wisdom and experience is -that they are all alike, and whoso knows one, knows all. -Yet, first let me behold her, since she is the gift of a King.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘And they unveiled the damsel, and behold! she was slender -as a willow branch, low-bosomed, green-eyed, and her -hair was like beaten bronze, nor could she for beauty compare -with the wives of the King, so that the beholders marvelled -at the gift of the King of Seljuk.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘And she looked upon the King, and, seeing his case, she -closed her eyes until they shone like slits of emerald and -laughed aloud until the Hall of Requests echoed with her -laughter, and her voice was like the flute and such as would -bewilder the reason of the sages and cause the ascetic to -stumble in his righteousness, and she could narrate stories -like those of the Sultana Shahrazad (upon whom be the -Peace!), and her effrontery was as the effrontery of the -donkey-boys of Damascus. For there is none greater. -Nor did she fear the Shah-in-Shah before whom all abased -themselves.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘So she seated herself before the Wonder of the Age, and, -casting down her eyes, the damsel related to him the true -story of the Adventure of the Lady Amine and the Sage El -Kooz. And the heart of the Shah was dilated and he laughed -until there was no strength left in him, and the <span class='it'>hakims</span> -thumped his back, fearing that life itself would depart from -him in the violence of his laughter. And his jaw instantly -relaxed. So being recovered, he commanded saying: -“Bring hither the artificers of gold and let them make a chain -that shall bind the waist of this slave to my wrist, for where -I go she shall go, that my soul may be comforted by her -narratives and the sweetness of her laughter. For this truly -is a gift worthy of a king. But place guards at the doors -of the others.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘And after consideration and counsel with his Wazir he -bestowed upon the Queens great gifts and returned them to -their parents. And there was a great calm. And he became -distracted with love for this slave and they continued -in prosperity and affection until visited by the Terminator -of Delights and Separator of Companions.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Extolled be He whom the vicissitudes of time change not -and who is alone distinguished by the attributes of Perfection!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Now this is a parable, my daughter, of the secrets of the -hearts of men, and I will relate others that thou mayest be -admonished.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And the Lady Budoor answered modestly: ‘Speak on, -my father, I listen.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And when Lailela had finished this story she resumed her -seat, and the ladies reflected deeply, and the Princess said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“This must undoubtedly be true. As a man no longer observes -an object which he sees daily, so must it be with a -man and the beauty of his wife. Clearly it is not enough -to be beautiful even as a Dancer of Heaven. It is also needful -to be a provoker of laughter. Would that I knew the -stories of this slave . . . Sisters, have they been heard by -any of you? What is beauty, when the beautiful are forsaken -or die? But tell me.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And now Vasuki, a lady of the Rajputs, stepped forward -in all the insolence of beauty, swaying her hips, and rearing -her head like a Queen as she came, and she began thus:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Princess, of my heart, let none tempt you to undervalue -the gift of loveliness by which even the greatest of the -Gods are subjected as my story will declare. And let it be -remembered that if even a man weary of his wife’s beauty—there -are yet other men in the world, and what though our -faith forbid marriage there are other faiths. And, if this -be impossible, a woman can always be captured if so she -will! And I would have you recall the story of the Rani -of Mundore who being left a widow was captured by a great -King and ruled him and his Kingdom. But hear my story -of why Brahma, a high God of my people, has four faces in -his temple.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In the ancient days in India two evil and terrible brothers -rose to kingly power. They were inseparable as the -Twin Stars, the Aswins, and together they did evil mightily -and in their union was their strength. Finally they formed -plans to storm the lower heavens and expel the Gods and -there was every reason to believe they would carry out this -determination. So the Gods held a great Panchayet (council) -and some said one thing, some another, and at last -Brahma the Creator spoke as follows:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Great Gods and Heavenly Ladies, in the union of these -wretches is their power, because where two perfectly agree -their wisdom is unconquerable. It is only because this has -never been the case on earth that we are able to keep any -sort of order. Now of all influences the most powerful is -love. True it is their palaces are full to over-flowing with -handsome women but we are still the Gods, the makers of -men. Let us take for our model the Goddess of Beauty herself, -and send some exquisite one on earth to distract and divide -the evil kings.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So the flowers of heaven were brought, and the Goddess -of Beauty stood unveiled and divine before them, and from -the ivory of the lotus blossom they made a sweet body, and -from the dark blue lotus they made two dreaming eyes, and -they took the storm cloud for the glooms of her heavy lashes, -and the midnight deeps for the lengths of her silken hair, -and for her smile they took the sunshine and for her blush -the dawn, and for her coquetry the playfulness of the kitten, -and for her seductions the wiles of the serpent, and for -her fidelity—but all their materials were exhausted before -the necessity for this was remembered. And Lakshimi gave -her instead what is invisible but omnipotent, her own charm -which none has ever seen but all the Universe has felt. And -when all was done great Brahma breathed life into the fair -image and she arose and looked down upon her own beauty -with astonishment and in a voice of crystal music she said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I am Tillotama.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And all the Gods stood confounded at their own handiwork -but the Goddesses turned angrily away.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So they commanded her to go to earth and instructed her, -each mighty heart beating with agony that she should go. -And she passed before the Throne of Brahma making a -<span class='it'>pradakshina</span>, a reverential threefold circuit, about him keeping -him always to the right. And he gazed passionately upon -her and she made a turn to the left, and for pride he would -not turn his head, but from the energy of his soul’s longing -another face sprang out on the left side of his head and the -eyes still followed her, and as she made her circuit this again -happened at the back and still he regarded her, and at the -right side also, so that wherever that loveliness went his -eyes fed upon her with more passion than the moon-bird -who steadfastly regards the moon all night. And, Princess, -this is the undoubted reason why the image of Brahma has -ever since had four faces. So she went to earth with ruin -for her dower, and the two evil kings desired her and slew -one another for her possession. And Saraswati, the wife of -Brahma, immediately demanded that their work should be -undone and the fair creature resolved again into the elements -of nature lest the peace of heaven should be broken. -So it was done, but Brahma retains forever his four faces.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Therefore, Princess, if beauty thus subjugates the greatest -of the Gods, what will be the effect of such beauty as -your own upon the heart of the King of Jamu?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Amra clasping her hands, replied:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But this is a terrible story! For if the greatest of the -Gods, who has a glorious Goddess for his wife, be not faithful, -what hope is in men? I grow so terrified that death -itself seems preferable to marriage. Is there no comfort -in any of you?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And now, treading delicately on little bound feet, came -Ying-ning, the fair Chinese maiden from Liang, who had -been presented to the Princess because of her skill in embroidery -and cosmetics. And she saluted humbly, and requested -permission to speak:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Princess, a great lady has last spoken and who am I? -Yet because I tremble to hear her speak of any other than -a husband in the love of a woman, hear me, for of all dangers -the greatest is the jealousy of a husband. And this is -a true story of my country.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“There was a very great artificer long, long years ago and -he made an image exactly resembling a man. It was composed -of wood and glue and leather, and sinews of catgut, -and so great was his skill that he made even a heart that beat -and set it in the breast, and the features were exquisitely -painted and it resembled a great Chinese lord, noble and -handsome and able to sing, move, and talk. Finally he -showed it to the King of Liang who was struck dumb at such -handiwork, for it was like the power of the Immortals. And -he said; ‘My Household must certainly view this marvel, -and there can be no objection to this course of conduct since -I have satisfied myself it is but a thing of springs and -leather.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So, on the following day, the artificer brought his image -to the Pepper Chambers, being himself an aged man and in -circumstances which permitted his entry. Being introduced -to the presence of the King, the Queen and the ladies who -rejoiced in the King’s favour, these ladies all stared with -the utmost bewilderment at the handsome young man thus -represented. The artificer touched its chin and it burst into -a love-song most delicately sung in a mellow and manly -voice. It recited a passage from the poets in praise of wine. -It kow-towed before the King. But unluckily, encouraged -by success, the artificer touched its heart, and with the utmost -audacity it gazed upon the ladies and winking one eye, -seized the hand of the loveliest, and placed a sacrilegious -arm about her person, she smiling. A frenzy of passion -swept over the King on seeing this. He shouted for the -death of the artificer, and though the aged man in a terror -instantly rent the image apart into a heap of wood and -leather, he could not be appeased and the unfortunate was -led out and beheaded. Furthermore, he ordered the lady -who had been thus polluted to be instantly strangled because -she had not shrieked on the instant as (he asserted) any -virtuous woman, a stranger to such a contact, must have -done. And in spite of her piteous entreaties she was slaughtered. -Was this reasonable, O my Princess? But be it -known to you that in love and in possession also there is no -reason, and that this is the manner in which all men would -act. And moreover it is their right, and it is entirely just -that even the looks or dreams of a woman should be faithful -to her husband and to him only.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Ying-ning retreated to the circle, and the Princess -wrung her hands and cried:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“What then is to become of women if they are thus surrendered -to the mercy of the merciless! I will entreat at -my father’s feet that I may live and die a maid. And I -will——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But she could not continue for the beating of her heart, -and now the little lovely gesang, Pak, from Phyong-yang in -the Land of the Morning Calm, whence come all the fairest -singing girls, moved trembling forward and spoke in a voice -of silver, but so low that the Princess called upon her to -stand at her feet that she might hear. Enclosed in a great -lotus blossom she had been presented to the Princess that -she might cheer her with strange dances from the Korean -land, and she had clapped her hands for joy when the ivory -petals fell apart disclosing the small dancer crouched within. -But the women of the Morning Calm have few words and -all now leaned forward to hear what this silent one might -say.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Great Lady, near my home by the Green Duck River -lived long ago a Yang-ban (noble) who had a beautiful -daughter named Ha. She had a slender throat on which -was set a face most delicately painted and of exquisite -charm, the lips resembling ripe cherries and the eyes of -liquid brilliance. Many marriage enquiries were made, but -her father finally made the choice of a young Yang-ban of -good position named Won Kiun, and on a day of favourable -omens she was borne to his house and became his wife. For -five years they lived together in harmony nor did he spend -his time without the screened apartments, for she could even -play chess and he could converse with her. But alas! she -bore no child and daily did her anguish increase, for she -could hear his sighs because he had no son to perform the -rites for him when his time should come. Still hoping, she -delayed, but this could not last, and on a certain day she -approached him saying:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Lord of my Life, may your worthless wife speak?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He gave permission.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Five years,’ said Ha, ‘have gone by and I have not fulfilled -my duty. It is certainly the evil destiny of your -worthless wife which has caused this. Therefore I say -thus:—I will sell my pins of jade and buy a concubine for -you. Accede to my humble request.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Won Kiun could scarcely hide his astonishment, for -though this was but fulfilling a duty, still it is not common -for a wife to make this offer. But he agreed instantly for -he earnestly desired a son, and after so many years naturally -desired also a change of companionship. Ha therefore made -search and found a girl named A-pao of as much beauty as -the price she could pay would fetch.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It was then that Ha’s sorrows began. She was neglected -by Won Kiun, tormented by A-pao, but enduring in silence -as a wife should, she went about her work with a smile. -But A-pao also failed in her duty for there was no child, and -presently Won Kiun whose health had always been frail, -departed to the ancestral spirits, A-pao shamelessly took -her place in the house of a rich man, and Ha was left a desolate -widow, and the more so because her parents and her -husband’s justly despised her as a barren wife.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But, Princess, mark what followed!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“She had placed her husband’s spirit tablet, which contained -his third soul, beside her bed, and before this made -her offerings of bread and wine and prayers for pardon, and -one night when she had wept herself to sleep a strange thing -happened. The tablet moved,—a human figure slowly -emerged from it and stood on the floor, and Ha, with eyes -distended with terror, saw her husband. In the well-remembered -voice he said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I have permission from the Junior Board of the Gods of -Hades to visit you as a reward for my filial merit on earth, -and this in spite of your conduct in that very mistaken business -of A-pao. Had <span class='it'>I</span> been consulted she was by no means -the person I should have chosen. Yet I am come to visit -you and shall do so nightly for a month.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The faithful Ha laid her head on his feet and sobbed for -joy. What a reward! How small now did all her many -sacrifices appear!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“For a month the spirit tablet nightly became her husband, -and on the last day of the month he bid her an eternal farewell, -and the tablet fell to the ground and broke into two -pieces. With tender care she mended it, and set herself to -await the birth of her son.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In due time he was born and her cup of joy would have -run over but that the most shocking rumours were spread -by A-pao and her mother-in-law, and it was believed that -she had grossly dishonoured the fragrant memory of her -husband. Vainly she explained the facts. The only result -was that the magistrate, fearing lest he might possibly -destroy a child of miracle, would not himself put it to death, -but commanded it should be flung to the swine. Marvellous -to tell, the swine, instead of devouring it, kept the child -alive by breathing warmth upon it, and it was then that, -starving for food, and broken-hearted, Ha demanded a test -before the assembled people. It is well known that the -children of the spirits cast no shadow, and the child, before -an immense crowd, with his miserable mother watching from -behind a curtain, was brought into the full sunshine and -held up. To the amazement and fear of all, no shadow was -cast on the earth. To set the matter forever at rest the -spirit tablet was then brought out and a little blood drawn -from the tender arm of the child. This was spread on the -tablet inhabited by the father’s spirit and it instantly sank -in and disappeared, though when spread on another, it rolled -off, leaving no mark. Amid loud shouts the child was pronounced -the true heir of the family. Ha was immediately -pardoned by the parents of Won Kiun and taken into their -favour, being permitted to serve them to the end of their -days, which she did with perfect devotion.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My Princess will see from this true story the great reward -that humility and patience bring to a good wife. It is not -every husband who returns from the Land of the Dead to -bring joy to one in such a lowly position. And though it -is easy to be seen that it was his own transcendent merits -which occasioned this joyful result, without the patience of -Ha the nobility of her husband and his parents could -scarcely have been rewarded. Therefore the duty of a -woman is submission and where this exists all her follies and -faults may be covered as a rich brocade covers a poor divan.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The ladies were silent and the Princess again shook her -head with tears in her eyes.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“This is a difficult case,” she said, “and in truth each -seems more alarming than the last. It appears that marriage -is a sea of perils great and terrible, and to escape shipwreck -all but impossible. Possibly if Ha had not bought -the concubine—but have none of my ladies a story of man’s -fidelity? Is such a thing unknown?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And even as she spoke a woman with a face like the dusk -of the evening and eyes as its stars in clouds, broke in upon -her words unmannerly but with such power that all turned -to listen, forgetting even the Presence.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My Princess, my beloved, hear now this last story, for -these women have spoken of little things, but I will speak -of great.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is known to you that when the King Rama ruled in -Kosala and was thence driven for awhile into the wild woods, -there went with him of her own choice and in utter devotion, -his wife, young and lovely and noble, the Queen Sita. And -when he entreated her to leave him because of the horror of -the great woods and the wild beasts, and the evil spirits and -hunger and poverty, she replied only: ‘How should I stay -in the glorious city when my husband is gone? I count all -evils as blessings when I am with him. Without him life -is death. And if my prayer is refused I will enter the fire -and await him in the Paradise to be.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So she followed Rama, clothed in poverty and in the -wood she served him, unfaltering in piety and all wifely duty. -And as the result of this nobility her beauty so grew that -the very Gods, passing on their high errands would pause -for joy to see her perfections.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But on a certain day when the King was absent, the evil -King of Lanka stole this Pearl, hoping to set it in his crown.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Princess, it is not needful to tell the sorrows of Sita, -the temptations she resisted nor the cruelties that could not -break her pure will. Flawless in strength and brightness -as the very spirit of the diamond was her faith. And when -Rama at last, by the aid of the Gods, conquered the evil-doer, -she sat beneath a tree, in poor array, trembling for -joy to think that her head should lie once more upon her -husband’s breast and her ear be gladdened with his praise -for the fight she had fought alone in sorrow.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So she stood before him and he sat upon his victorious -throne and thus he spoke:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Lady, my work is done. I have avenged my honour -and the insult put upon me and my foe is broken. But mistake -me not. It was for no love to you that I fought, but to -uphold the dignity of my race. Your presence now hurts -me as light hurts a diseased eye. Another man has seen -your face unveiled. His hand has touched you. You have -dwelt in his palace. You are no wife of mine. Go where -you will. Do what you will. We are parted.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>[And the Princess and all the ladies stared with great -eyes to hear what the woman told.]</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And this before a great assembly. So, at first the Queen -wept silently, because this shaft pierced her very heart. -Then, drying her tears, she raised her fair head and answered:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Is all my faithful love forgotten? It was hard for a -weak woman to resist supernatural strength. Yet in all -perils of death and shame I have been utterly chaste in soul -and body, and no evil came near me, for in me there was -none to meet it.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“She paused and the King made no answer. And she -said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘If man deserts me the High Gods are faithful. Make -ready the funeral pile. I will not live in this shame.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And it was done;—none daring to look in the King’s face, -and he still silent. . . . So, circling her husband thrice in -farewell reverence, the Queen entered the fire. And even as -the flame lapped her feet, the Great Gods descended in radiant -chariots plumed for the untrodden ways of the air, and -the God of the Fire, who is the Purifier, took her by the hand -and presented her to Rama, saying,</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Even as is my white flame purity, so is the purity of -this Queen.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And he accepted her from the God’s hand.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Princess, would not all the world believe that after this -coming of the Gods this King would have honoured his -Queen? Yet no.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He knew her pure, but, since others whispered that another -had seen her face, and who could tell?—again he dismissed -her for in him as in all men, pride was mightier -than love.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And once more, Sita, standing before him and knowing -this the end, made declaration of her chastity that all might -hear. And suddenly transported beyond the weakness of -a woman, she stood as one divine, perfect in high soul and -nobility, and she said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Never has any thought that was not pure and chaste -entered my heart, and as my heart so is my body. This -have I said. And now, I beseech of the Earth, the Great -Goddess, Mother of us all, that she will grant me a refuge, -for I have none other.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And as she spoke these words, a very soft air, laden with -coolness and sacred perfumes, stirred among them, and in -the silence there arose from the earth a Throne and upon -it the Mighty Mother of men and Gods, and she raised the -Queen in her arms and set her upon the Throne that all might -see her throned and glorious. And lo! for a moment she -sat majestic, and the assembly hid their faces, and when -they again raised them all was gone and only the common -day was about them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But the King wept uncomforted knowing that never -again by city or forest might he see that fair face, which being -his own he had cast from him.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And the woman paused, and all the ladies cried that this -was the cruellest story of all, demanding that she be dismissed -from the Presence as an offender. But the Princess -sat submerged in thought, and the woman said softly:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My Princess—my beloved,—the Gods rule. In all life is -sorrow, whether in Kashmir or Jamu. But the Gods abide. -In the hollow of Their hand lay this Queen, and in the darkness -the King’s eyes could not pierce They smiled. Certainly -she leaned on Their might and so walked content and -what could man do to her? Fear not, my Princess. The -Gods abide—whether in Kashmir or Jamu, and the earth is -Their footstool. And this being so the life of a woman is -her own, go where she will.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And there fell a great silence and she who said this glided -away and was gone. And presently the Princess rose in the -midst of the women like a Queen, and she spoke:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“This is the truth. Fate is fate and love is love, and -what we do is our own, and not the deeds of another. For -that Queen I do not weep, but for the King who was blind -to her glory. It is the valour of men that sends them forth -to war, and it is the valour of women that puts their hearts -in the hand of their husbands. And to me, since I have -seen this portrait all other things are empty, and if he slay -me still will I love him. For it is the High God, who is -worshipped by many names, who has made the woman for -the man and the man for the woman, and He abides unchanging -in Unity and what He does is better than well.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And as she spoke the colours faded on the mountains -and on the lake the evening came with quiet feet.</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:1.2em;'>THE WISDOM OF THE ORIENT</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-bottom:10em;font-size:.8em;'>A DIALOGUE AND A STORY</p> - -<div><h1 id='ch7'>THE WISDOM OF THE ORIENT<br/> <br/> <span style='font-size:smaller'>A DIALOGUE AND A STORY</span></h1></div> - -<h3>I</h3> - -<p class='pindent'>“I believe you take as long to dress as I do,” she said pettishly; -“I call it neither more nor less than poaching when -a man looks so well turned out. And a Poet, too! Well—you -can sit down; I have twenty minutes free.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She was dressed for a bridge party. Dressed—oh, the -tilt of the hat over her delicate little nose; the shadow it -cast over the liquid eyes, ambushing them, as it were, for -the flash and spring upon the victim! But I was no victim—not -I! I knew my young friend too well. She endured -me more or less gladly. I sat at her feet and learned -the ways of the sex, and turned them into verse, or didn’t, -according to the mood of the minute. I had versified her -more than once. She was a rondeau, a triolet, a trill—nothing -more.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Why mayn’t a poet look respectable as well as another?” -I asked, dropping into a chair.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Because it isn’t in the picture. You were much more -effective, you folks, when you went about with long hair, -and scowled, with a finger on your brows. But never -mind—you’ve given us up and we’ve given you up, so it -doesn’t matter what women think of you any more.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You never said a truer word!” I replied, lighting my -cigarette at hers. “The connection between women and -poetry is clean-cut for the time. As for the future—God -knows! You’re not poetic any more. And it’s deuced hard, -for we made you.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Nonsense. God made us, they say—or Adam—I never -quite made out which.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It’s a divided responsibility, anyhow. For the Serpent -dressed you. He knew his business there—he knew that -beauty unadorned may do well enough in a walled garden -and with only one to see and no one else to look at. But in -the great world, and with competition—no! And you—you -little fools, you’re undoing all his charitable work and undressing -yourselves again. When I was at the dance the -other night I thirsted for the Serpent to take the floor and -hiss you a lecture on your stupidities.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She pouted: “Stupidities? I’m sure the frocks were -perfectly lovely.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“As far as they went, but they didn’t go nearly far enough -for the Serpent. And believe me, he knows all the tricks -of the trade. He wants mystery—he wants the tremble in -the lips when a man feels—‘I can’t see—I can only guess, -and I guess the Immaculate, the Exquisite—the silent silver -lights and darks undreamed of.’ And you—you go and -strip your backs to the waist and your legs to the knees. -No, believe me, the Dark Continent isn’t large enough; and -when there is nothing left to explore, naturally the explorer -ceases to exist.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I think you’re very impertinent. Look at Inez. Wasn’t -she perfectly lovely? She can wear less than any of us, and -wear it well.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I couldn’t keep my eyes off her, if you mean that. But -not along the Serpent line of thought. It was mathematical. -I was calculating the chances for and against, all the -time—whether that indiscreet rose-leaf in front would hold -on. Whether the leaf at the back would give. At last I -got to counting. She’s laughing—will it last till I get to -five-and-twenty? thirty? And I held on to the switches to -switch off the light if it gave. The suspense was terrific. -Did she hold together after midnight? I left then.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I won’t tell you. You don’t deserve to hear,” she said -with dignity.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A brief silence.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“What do you mean by saying you poets made us?” she -began again, pushing the ash-tray toward me.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Well, you know, as a matter of fact people long ago -didn’t believe you had any souls.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Rot!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I shouldn’t think of contradicting you, my dear Joan, -but it’s a fact.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Oh, the Turks, and heathen like that.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Well, no—the Church. The Fathers of the Church, met -in solemn council, remarked you had no souls. It was a -long time ago, however.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“They didn’t!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“They did. They treated you as pretty dangerous little -animals, with snake’s blood in you. Listen to this: -‘Chrysostom’—a very distinguished saint—‘only interpreted -the general sentiment of the Fathers when he pronounced -woman to be a necessary evil, a natural temptation, -a desirable calamity, a domestic peril, a deadly fascination, -a painted ill.’ You see you had found the way to the rouge-box -even then.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I shouldn’t wonder if they were right,” she said, incredibly. -“I’ve often doubted whether I’ve a soul myself. And -I’m sure Inez hasn’t.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I shrugged my shoulders.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“At all events, the poets thought you were not as pretty -without one. We disagreed with the Church. We always -have. So we took you in hand. Your soul was born, my -dear Joan, in Provence, about the year 1100.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She began to be a little interested, but looked at her tiny -watch—grey platinum with a frosty twinkle of diamonds.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Go on. I’ve ten minutes more.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Well—we were sorry for you. We were the Troubadours -of Provence, and we found you kicked into the mud -by the Church, flung out into the world to earn your bread -in various disreputable ways—by marriage, and otherwise. -You simply didn’t exist. We found your beautiful dead -body in the snow and mud. And we picked you up and -warmed you and set you on a throne all gold and jewels. -Virtually, you never breathed until we wrote poems about -you.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Jewels! We have always liked jewels,” she sighed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We gave you a wonderful crown first, all white and shining. -We made you Queen of Heaven, and then even the -Church had to eat humble pie and worship you, for you were -Mary. We did that—we only. But that wasn’t enough. -You opened your eyes, and grew proud and spoiled, and -heaven was by no means enough. You wanted more. You -would be Queen of Earth, too. And we did it! We gave -you a crown of red jewels,—red like heart’s blood,—and we -put a sceptre in your hand, and we fell down and worshipped -you. And you were Venus. And you have been Queen of -Europe and the New World ever since.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Of Europe only? Not of Asia? Why not?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Oh, they are much too old and wise in Asia. They are -much wiser than we. Wiser than the Church. Wiser than -the poets—than any of us.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“What do they say?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Well—let’s think. That you have your uses—<span class='it'>uses</span>. -That you are valuable in so far as you bear children and are -obedient to your husbands. That, outside that, your beauty -has its uses also within limits that are rather strictly marked. -That in many rebirths you will develop your soul and be -immortal; if you behave, that is! If not—then who shall -say? But you have your chance all the time. With them -you are neither goddess or fiend. You are just women. -Not even Woman.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“What ghastly materialism!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“No, no! The happy mean. The perfect wisdom. -Meanwhile, you yourselves are all hunting after the ideals -of the market-place, the platform, the pulpit. I wonder -how many extra rebirths it will cost you! Never mind. -Time is long. The gods are never in a hurry, and you will -arrive even if you only catch the last train.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But this is all fault-finding, and unfair at that. Will -you have the goodness to advise? If we stick on our pedestals, -you all run off to the frivolers. If we frivol, you weep -for the pedestal. What is it you really want? If we knew, -we’d try to deliver the goods, I’m sure.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I’m not!” I said, and reflected. Then, gathering resolution, -“Have you the patience to listen to a story?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“If it’s a good one. How long will it take?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Ten minutes. The author is the Serpent.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Then I’ll certainly put off Inez for fifteen minutes. -Who’s it about?”—running to the telephone.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Eve, Lilith, Adam.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Who was Lilith?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Adam’s first love.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She sat down, her eyes dancing, her lips demure; the prettiest -combination!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I didn’t know he had one. But I might have guessed. -They always have. Go on!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I went on, and this is the story.</p> - -<h3>II</h3> - -<p class='pindent'>“You were speaking of the pedestal. That, of course, -was invented in Eden; for Adam early recognized the convenience -of knowing where to leave your women and be certain -of finding them on your return. So he made the pedestal, -decorated it, burned incense before it, and went away -upon his own occasions; and when Eve had finished her -housekeeping (you may remember, Milton tells us what -good little dinners she provided for Adam), she would look -bored, climb upon the pedestal obediently, and stand there -all day, yawning and wondering what kept him away so -long.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Now, on a memorable day, the Serpent came by, and -stopped and looked up at the Lady of the Garden,—who -naturally assumed a statuesque pose,—and there was joy in -his bright little eyes. But all he said was, ‘May I ask if -you find this amusing?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And Eve replied, ‘No, not at all. But it is the proper -place for a lady.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And the Serpent rejoined: ‘Why?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And Eve reflected and answered: ‘Because Adam says -so.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So the Serpent drew near and whispered in his soft sibilant -voice: ‘Have you ever heard of Lilith? <span class='it'>She</span> does not -stand on a pedestal. She gardens with Adam. To be -frank, she is a cousin of my own.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And this made Eve extremely angry, and she replied -sharply: ‘I don’t know what you mean. He and I are -alone in Eden. There’s no such person as Lilith. You are -only a serpent when all’s said and done. What can you -know?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And the Serpent replied very gently,—and his voice was -as soothing as the murmur of a distant hive of bees,—‘I am -only a Serpent, true! But I have had unusual opportunities -of observation. Come and eat of the Tree of Knowledge -of Good and Evil. Long ages ago I tasted the Fruit. -The savour of my teeth is sweet on it still.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Eve hesitated, and she who hesitates is lost.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I own I should like to know about this Lilith,’ she said. -‘But we were told that fruit is unripe, and I don’t like bitter -things. Is it bitter?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And the Serpent narrowed his eyes until they shone like -slits of emerald.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Sweet!’ he said; ‘come.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So she descended from the pedestal, and, guided by the -Serpent, stood before that wondrous Tree where every apple -shines like a star among its cloudy leaves. And she plucked -one, and, tasting it, flung the rest angrily at the Serpent, because -it was still a little unripe; and having tasted the Fruit -Forbidden, she returned to the pedestal, pondering, with the -strangest new thoughts quickening in her brain.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“If Adam noticed anything when he came back that evening, -it was only that Eve was a little more silent than usual, -and forgot to ask if the thornless roses were striking root. -She was thinking deeply, but there were serious gaps in her -knowledge.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The first result of her partial enlightenment was that, -though she now only used the pedestal as a clothes-peg and -spent all her spare time in stalking Adam and Lilith, she always -scrambled up in hot haste when he returned. He could -be certain of finding her there when he expected to, and he -made a point of that because, as he said,—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘No truly nice woman would ever want to leave it and -go wandering about the Garden. It does not do for a respectable -woman to be seen speaking even to an Archangel -nowadays, so often does the Devil assume the form of an -Angel of Light. You never can tell. And besides, there is -always the Serpent, who, in my opinion, should never have -been admitted.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Eve said nothing, which was becoming a habit. She only -folded her little hands meekly and accepted the homage -paid to the pedestal with perfect gravity and decorum. He -never suspected until much later that she knew what a comparatively -interesting time Lilith was having, and had indeed -called on that lady at the other end of the Garden, with -friendly results. She was well aware that Lilith’s footing -on the garden paths was much more slippery and unsafe -than her own on the pedestal. Still, there were particulars -which she felt would be useful.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When Adam realized the facts, he realized also that he -was face to face with a political crisis of the first magnitude. -If they fraternized, those two, of such different characters -and antecedents, there was nothing they could not know—nothing -they might not do! The pedestal was rocking to its -very foundation. The gardening with Lilith must end. -She would demand recognition; Eve would demand freedom. -It might mean a conspiracy—a boycott. What was there -it might not mean? He scarcely dared to think. Eden -was crumbling about him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It was a desperate emergency, and as he sat with a racking -head, wishing them both in—Paradise, the Serpent happened -along.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Surely you look a little harassed,’ he said, stopping.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Adam groaned.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Is it as bad as all that?’ the Serpent asked, sympathetically.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Worse.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘What have they been at?’ asked the Serpent.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘They each know too much, and they will soon know -more,’ he rejoined gloomily. ‘Knowledge is as infectious -as potato blight.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The Serpent replied with alacrity: ‘In this dreadful -situation you must know most. It is the only remedy. -Come and eat at once of the Fruit of the Tree. I have never -understood why you did not do that the moment the Rib -took shape.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And Adam, like Eve asked: ‘Is it sweet?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So the Serpent narrowed his eyes till they shone like slits -of ruby, and said, ‘Bitter, but appetizing. Come.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And Adam replied: ‘I like bitters before dinner.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We all know what happened then; with the one exception -that, as a matter of fact, he found the apple a little overripe, -too sweet, even cloying; and not even swallowing what -he had tasted, he threw the rest away.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is just as well to have this version, for it must have -been always perfectly clear that Eve, having tasted the apple -and thus acquired a certain amount of wisdom, could never -have desired to share it with Adam. [“I have thought that -myself,” murmured Joan.] No, it was the Serpent’s doing -in both cases; though naturally Adam blamed Eve when the -question was raised, for she had begun it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But what was the result? Well, there were several. It -has, of course, been a trial of wits between Adam, Eve, and -Lilith ever since. But, in tasting, he had learned one maxim -which the Romans thought they invented thousands of years -later. It flashed into his mind one day, when he saw the -two gathering roses together and found his dinner was half -an hour late in consequence. It was simply this: Divide -and Rule. Combined, he could never manage them; the -sceptre was daily slipping from his hand. Divided, he -could. So he put the maxim in practice and sowed division -and distrust between Eve and Lilith. They ceased to visit -each other, and were cuts when they met. And, naturally, -after the Eviction the meetings ceased entirely.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You will have understood before this, my dear Joan, that -Adam was the first mortal to realize the value of competition. -He now became the object of spirited competition between -the two. Each in her own way outbid the other to -secure his regard. Eve’s domestic virtues grew oppressive; -Lilith’s recklessness alarming. And it will readily be seen -why women have pursued men, rather than the other way -over, as we see it in the lower walks of creation.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Don’t prose,” said Joan. “What happened?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Well, in the last few years, the Serpent, who is always -upsetting things, happened along again, and found Eve -balancing in extreme discomfort on the pedestal, and -Lilith resting, exhausted, after a particularly hard day’s -pursuit of Adam. And between them was a wall of icy -silence.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He paused and said with his usual courtesy, ‘Ladies, you -both seem fatigued. Is it permitted to ask the reason?’ -And his voice had all the murmuring of all the doves of -Arcady.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And Lilith replied angrily: ‘I’m sick of hunting Adam. -I always catch him and always know I shall. And he wants -to be caught, and yet insists on being hunted before he gives -me the rewards. Who can keep up any interest in a game -like that? If it were not for Eve, who would take up the -running if I dropped it, he might go to Gehenna for me!’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Oh, how true! I like Lilith best!” whispered Joan. -She was not smoking now.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Strong, but pardonable,’ said the Serpent. ‘And you, -dear Lady?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And Eve, casting a jealous scowl at Lilith, replied: ‘I’m -weary of this abominable pedestal. If you had stood on it -off and on for five thousand years, you would realize the -cramp it means in the knees. But I daren’t get off, for -Adam says no truly nice woman ever would leave it, and it -pleases him. If it were not for Lilith, who would be upon -it in two seconds, I should be off it in less. And then where -should I be? She <span class='it'>will</span> go on hunting him, and of course he -must have quiet at home.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘And you <span class='it'>will</span> go on standing on your imbecile pedestal, -and of course such boredom makes him restless abroad,’ retorted -the other.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In the momentary silence that ensued, the Serpent looked -up at Lilith and narrowed his eyes till they shone like slits -of amethyst.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘My cousin,’ he said, ‘our family was old when Adam -was created. He is poor game.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Nobody knows that better than I,’ said Lilith tartly. -‘What do you suppose I hunt him for?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘What, indeed!’ said the Serpent, hissing softly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Because of Eve—that only!’ she flashed at him. ‘She -never shall triumph over me. And what there is to give, -he has.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He turned to Eve, narrowing his eyes till they shone like -slits of fire.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘And you stand cramped on this pedestal, beloved Lady?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Because of Lilith—that only! She, at all events, shall -not have him. And think of his morals!’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>(“Aha!” said Joan, with intense conviction.)</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The Serpent mused and curved his shining head toward -Eve.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘If you will allow me to say so, I have always regretted -that you never finished that apple, and that my cousin Lilith -has never tasted it at all,’ he murmured. ‘A little knowledge -is a dangerous thing, as certain also of your own poets -have said.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I have sometimes thought so, too,’ Eve replied mournfully; -‘and there is a word that now and then flashes across -my brain like an echo from the past, but I can never quite -recall it. It might explain matters. Still, it is no use talking. -That apple rotted long ago, and if the Tree is still -growing, which I doubt, there is always a guard of flying -infantry at the Gate. It is easier to get out than in where -Eden is concerned.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The Serpent smiled blandly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘You have evidently forgotten that, by arrangement with -the Governing Body, I have always free ingress and egress. -Look here!’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He unfolded his iridescent coils, and there lay within -them—shining, mystic, wonderful, against his velvet bloom—two -Apples.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“There was no hesitation, for each was equally weary of -Adam’s requirements; and, snatching each an Apple, they -ate.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But the Fruit has grown bitter since the days of the -Garden. There is nothing so bitter as knowledge. Their -lips were wried, and the tears came, and still they ate until -not an atom remained. The Serpent watched. For a moment -each stared upon the other, trembling like a snared -bird, wild thoughts coming and going in the eyes of the -Barren Woman and the Mother of all Living. Then Eve -stretched out her arms, and Lilith flung herself into them, -and they clung together, weeping.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And the Serpent opened his eyes until they shone like -sun, moon, and stars all melted into one; and he said, ‘Ladies, -the word you are seeking is, I think, <span class='it'>Combination</span>.’ -And smiling subtly, he went away.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So Eve descended from her pedestal and trampled it; and -Lilith broke the rod of her evil enchantments; and they -walked hand in hand, blessing the world.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Adam meanwhile was shooting,—big game, little game,—and, -amid the pressure of such important matters, never -paid any attention to this trifle. But this was the beginning -of what will be the biggest trade-union the world will -ever see. All the women who matter will be within it, and -the black-legs outside will be the women who don’t count. -So now you see why men will not much longer have a run -(literally) for their money. Adam may have to put up -with it, for he never ate the Apple as Eve and Lilith have -done, and therefore does not know so much about the things -of real importance. Unless indeed the Serpent— But we -won’t think of that until it happens.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Now, my dear Joan, whether all this is a good or a bad -thing, who can tell? The Serpent undoubtedly shuffled the -cards; and who the Serpent is and what are his intentions, -are certainly open questions. Some believe him to be the -Devil, but the minority think his true name is Wisdom. All -one really can say is that the future lies on the knees of the -gods, and that among all men the Snake is the symbol of -Knowledge, and is therefore surrounded with fear and -hatred.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Now that’s the story, and don’t you think there’s a kind -of moral?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I waited for a comment. Joan was in deep meditation.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Do you know,” she said slowly, “it’s the truest thing I -ever heard. It’s as true as taxes. But where do <span class='it'>you</span> come -in?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I wasn’t thinking of us,” I said hurriedly. “I merely -meant—if you wished to be more attractive——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Attractive!”—with her little nose in the air. “I guess -it’s you that will have to worry about your attractions, if -that comes along. I won’t waste any more time on you to-day. -I’ve got to think this out, and talk it out, too, with -Inez and Janet.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She rose and began to pull on her gloves, but absently.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I felt exactly like a man who has set a time-fuse in a -powder magazine. The Serpent himself must have possessed -me when I introduced his wisdom to a head cram-full -of it already.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It’s the merest nonsense, Joan. It isn’t in the Talmud. -The Serpent never thought of it. I made it all up.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You couldn’t. It isn’t in you. Or, if you did, it was an -inspiration from on high.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“From below,” I said weakly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She smiled to herself—a dangerous smile.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I must go. And you really were a little less dull than -usual. Come again on Tuesday. The moral of it all is, so -far, that the poets are really worth cultivating. I will begin -with you!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She flashed away like a humming bird, and I retired, to -read my Schopenhauer. But the serious question is—shall -I go on Tuesday?</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:1.2em;'>STATELY JULIA</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-bottom:10em;font-size:.8em;'>A STORY OF ENCHANTMENTS</p> - -<div><h1 id='ch8'>STATELY JULIA<br/> <br/> <span style='font-size:smaller'>A STORY OF ENCHANTMENTS</span></h1></div> - -<p class='pindent'><span style='font-size:smaller'>(A letter from Mr. Amyand Tylliol to his friend, Mr. Endymion Porter -at the Court of his Majesty, King Charles the First.)</span></p> - -<p class='pindent'>To my kind and constant friend, that lover of the Muses, -Mr. Endymion Porter, to whose understanding heart all -confidences may be carried, these presents to bring my news.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Since you marvel at the delay of your humble servant -needs must I tell you of a singular hap which hath befallen. -Yet no hurt, therefore be not distrest, for all is well. And -truth it is that I have met a most ingenious gentleman, and -this is the marrow of what I would say.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>For, prospering in my journey, I did reach Exeter, and -there in the shadow of the Cathedral Church, transacted -my affair with Mr. Delander as foreseen. And a right fair -and noble church it is, rich beyond imagining with images -of kings and bishops, queens and holy martyrs.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>From Mr. Stephen Delander (who quarters the arms of -Tylliol with his own from an alliance in the days of Queen -Elizabeth of blessed memory, and therefore calls cousin with -me) have I received most hospitable entertainment, and -noble conversation enriched with such sparkling gems of -poesy and rhetoric as cannot be told in words. And hence -is he become my singular good friend and as such to be remembered -and cherished. His house lies in the Cathedral -precincts and is by all the city known as Domus Domini, -the Lord’s House, since it belonged to the foundation of -the Cathedral in days now like to be forgot.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And ’tis a house delightful to the fancy, in a very small -garden set with a few sombre trees, enlightened with clove-gilly -flowers and roses, and box hedges with winding walks -among the turf. Within, deep-windowed, with grave and -handsome plenishing and great store of books clothing the -walls, and all of a sober discretion that bespeaks a gentleman -of lineage and parts. And over it towers the cathedral -church the which (looking upward) appears to swim in the -blue as though native to the skies, and sheds from its mighty -bells a voice of warning over the clustering city with every -passing hour, for a <span class='it'>memento mori</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A place indeed for the feeding of pensive musing and the -relishing of the fair-zoned Muses even as in the groves of -Academe.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So, business concluded, ’twas the habit of Mr. Delander -and myself to sit in the oriel commanding the cathedral and -to hold sweet discourse, with a flagon of right Canary between -us, and from one of these exchanges sprang my delay.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>For he, talking of the writing of the rare Master Ben -Jonson, spoke as follows:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A poet indeed, but sure Mr. Tylliol, being a lover of -verse and a trafficker in its niceties, knows we have here in -this rude Devonshire a poet—nay, what say I?—<span class='it'>the</span> poet -of women and flowers and elves that skip by moonlight, -with like delights of the phantasy, such as rare Ben or even -the rarer Master Shakespeare cannot excel?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Lord, sir!” says I. “I stand amazed. I knew it not. -Who may the gentleman be?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I would not have you think,” he responded, “that this -gentleman hath the choir note of our young Milton, nor -yet the plenteous invention of Will Shakespeare. ’Tis a -country Muse, but exquisite. A muse withal that hath been -to town and drest her lovely limbs in lawns and silks, and -wears pomander beads in her bosom. A Muse whose blush -is claret and cream commingled. And as I said, exquisite. -A voice of Castaly.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And what does the gentleman in the wilds and what is -he?” asked I, a-tip-toe with curiosity, for well you know my -passion for these rarities. And hastily I added:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Hath your honour any taste or relish of his verse at hand -to whet my appetite? For with poetry as with manners—from -one can all be told.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He mused a moment smiling, then recited thus:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>          <span style='font-size:smaller'>“TO A LADY SINGING</span></p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“So smooth, so sweet, so silvery is thy voice</p> -<p class='line0'>As, could they hear, the damned would make no noise,</p> -<p class='line0'>But listen to thee walking in thy chamber,</p> -<p class='line0'>Melting melodious words to lutes of amber.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>“O rare!” cried I, clapping my hands. “A right music, -like drops of honey distilling from the comb. Was this a -happy chance, or may the gentleman summon the delicate -Ariel when he will?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He smiled, indulgent:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Since you compare the lines with honey, hear yet again.” -I sat elate.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“As Julia once a-sleeping lay</p> -<p class='line0'>It chanced a bee did fly that way.</p> -<p class='line0'>For some rich flower he took the lip</p> -<p class='line0'>Of Julia, and began to sip.</p> -<p class='line0'>But when he felt he sucked from thence</p> -<p class='line0'>Honey (and in the quintessence)</p> -<p class='line0'>He drank so much he scarce could stir</p> -<p class='line0'>And Julia took the pilferer!</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Sweet Lady-flower, I never brought</p> -<p class='line0'>Hither the least one thieving thought.</p> -<p class='line0'>But taking those rare lips of yours</p> -<p class='line0'>For some fresh fragrant luscious flowers,</p> -<p class='line0'>I thought I there might take a taste</p> -<p class='line0'>Where so much sirop ran to waste.</p> -<p class='line0'>Besides, know this,—‘I never sting</p> -<p class='line0'>The flower that gives me nourishing.’</p> -<p class='line0'>This said, he laid his little scrip</p> -<p class='line0'>Of honey ’fore her Ladyship,</p> -<p class='line0'>And told her (as some tears did fall)</p> -<p class='line0'>That this he took and that was all.</p> -<p class='line0'>At which she smiled and bade him go</p> -<p class='line0'>And take his bag; but this much know</p> -<p class='line0'>When next he came a-pilfering so,</p> -<p class='line0'>He should from her full lips derive</p> -<p class='line0'>Honey enough to fill his hive.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ’Tis a pure seed-pearl,” said I. “Small but Orient. -And now, Mr. Delander my worthy friend, tell me where -hides this shepherd of the enchanted pipe, for if, as you say, -in Devon, then Devon I will not quit till with these tickling -ears have I listened to his sweet pipings. And if Julia be his -neighbour, as we may suppose— O, sir, speak by the cards -and tell me true!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“There is,” he responded, “in this His Majesty’s shire -of Devon, a very savage forest, yet with no trees,—known -as the Forest of Dartmoor. And well may I call it savage, -for there do savages harbour that would make as little to -slit a man’s throat and cast him in a slough as I to toss this -nut-shell. Of the roads to these parts, least said soonest -mended—sooner indeed than they. But know that around -this execrable miscreant of a Dartmoor lie little lovely villages -full of a sweet civility of flowers and hives of bees, -and kine and pretty maids to milk ’em. And above all -there is one called Dean Prior and of this the spiritual shepherd -is Mr. Robert Herrick.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Sure his crook is wreathed with roses and the pretty -lambs of the flock have nought to fear from their shepherd,” -says I.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I take your meaning, Mr. Tylliol, and yet—[he paused -here with a peculiar sweet smile]—though you might decipher -much from his verses of Julias, Dianemes, Perillas, -and other charming ladies, and he is much accused as a loose -liver, ’tis possible to read his riddle wrong. Go therefore -and see him. I have known another who did this and returned -surprised. Yet cross not Dartmoor on your life, -but go softly below it where honest folk live. Also, a coach -goes down two days hence within two miles of the village -and with it a riding guard. Take your stout nag, and so -God bless you and send you a happy meeting with a man -not commonly to be accosted.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>’Twas in vain for me to beshrew and becall myself for -the veriest ass between this and London, and doubtless I had -flinched from so great an enterprise but that Mr. Delander -poured verses more and more mellifluous into mine ears until -at last I was as Ulysses, drunk with the fierce wine of the -Sirens’ voices, and there being no mast whereto to bind me -and Mr. Delander full of laughing incitements, I set forth -to follow the track of music as a bee the track of the unseen -rose’s perfume.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Of the roads I forbear to speak, and the harbourage by -the way would willingly forget, but the air was sweet and -fragrant with earliest summer and the fields yet gilt with -cowslips and I spied a few late primroses lingering about the -roots of trees in the shy copses. Also, an exceeding delicate -flower like a silver star, that made sweet constellation -in the lush grass. And could the courtesies of London be -imported I know not where a man might better fleet the -hours than in this warm and languid shire of Devon.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So, on the fourth day we observed a wild mountain -stream, browner than October ale, that rushing danced to -meet us, breaking in a thousand showers, spray, and rillets -among its rocks—a lovely thing to see and hear—the youngest -surely of the bright nymphs of the hills.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And this,” says the guard of the coach, “is the Dean -Burn, and not far off the Vicarage, and the few houses -of the village are far down the road where we shall presently -come. So here, worshipful sir, we leave you.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Then, being arrived and the coach still standing to discharge -certain packets for the parson I spied a comely man -in middle age coming to meet us.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He was drest in hodden grey, clean but simple, his head -bare and the sunshine on it, and his eyes smiled with his -mouth. And in that first sight I gave my liking to Mr. Herrick, -and so has it continued.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I presented my letter from Mr. Delander, and of the -cordial of my welcome need I not to speak.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Nay, what favour?” said he. “Sure to a rustic that once -knew London, pinioned here to rude rocks and trees, ’tis -like a scent of the kindly civil streets to see an accomplished -gentleman. Blush not, sir, for so I have it under Mr. -Delander’s hands and seal, and I know no better judge. -’Tis little I can give, but my pleasant maid, Prudence -Baldwin, hath a bed with sun-bleacht sheets in waiting for -the traveller, and my roof is weather-proof, and my little -creeking hen, foreseeing a friend, hath made shift to lay her -long white egg, and this rascally riveret that I have abused -in verse, yet love, hath provided fresh-dewed cresses for -our meat. If with these and a very little more, my guest’s -hunger can be satiate, then welcome again—thrice welcome -to Dean Prior.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>With gladness I accepted, for the welcome was as much -in his eye as on his lip, and so we came to the low house -seated in a small garden gay with gilliflowers, culver-keys, -sops-in-wine, lad’s love, and all the outspread courtiers that -pay homage to the rose. And roses he had, great store, -both damask and white, and the party-coloured York and -Lancaster—to the which he drew my notice.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Lord, what a little house, and poor though neat, and yet -with sparkles of money here and there in a rich picture or -two, and a settle and chest carved by no ’prentice hand, and -a worn but costly velvet cloak thrown over the back. And -a clock, grave as Time himself, with a dial curiously illustrated -with mottoes and cherubims. And before entering I -took notice that a sun-dial stood in the garden, with this -verse engraved<a id='r2'/><a href='#f2' style='text-decoration:none'><sup><span style='font-size:0.9em'>[2]</span></sup></a> so as the gnomon should point the lesson:</p> - -<div class='footnote'> -<p class='footnote'> -<span class='footnote-id' id='f2'><a href='#r2'>[2]</a></span> - -The inscription on the sun-dial is my own. <span class='sc'>L. Adams Beck.</span></p> - -</div> - -<hr class='footnotemark'/> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Shine, Sun of Righteousness, with beam more bright</p> -<p class='line0'>Than this great dawn my dial doth invite,</p> -<p class='line0'>And as the gnomon’s shadow doth incline</p> -<p class='line0'>To tread his steps, let my sprite follow thine.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>Which methought a devout reflection pleasing to Christian -ears, and so I said, but he smiling put it by.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And now with a handsome curtsey Mrs. Prue met us, coming -from her kitchen, a kindly buxom woman with flowered -skirt pulled up through her pockets, and a cap white as the -foam on Dean Burn, and in her hospitable hand a little -server, she pressing us to drink a cup of ale before our -dinner served. And so showed me to my little cell with -lavender stuck in the windows, and sheets that might have -wrapt the smooth limbs of the divine Julia, though I dare -to say they never did. And since the bed was spread with -down pulled from the Vicar’s own geese it invited a pure and -honest slumber.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But, marry! when we came to dine, that I thought should -have been on eggs and cresses at the best, here was a surprise.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>For before Master Vicar were laid two smoking trouts, -broiled to a turn over sea-coals.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And of these,” says mine host, “you may eat fearless, -for they were caught in Dean Burn, and of all clean livers -commend me to the trout that is indeed a dainty monsieur; -and these inhabit in water clear as crystal beams, unlike -those degenerate fish that scavenge in Thames. And moreover, -these hands took them this morning, for I am a brother -of the rod, and love to sit a-angling and a-musing.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And needs must I say that these trout with Mrs. Prue’s -sauce, the rich droppings of the fish mixed with fresh sweet -butter and the yolk of an egg, was a dish for feasting Gods.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>’Twas followed by a bird trapt on the moor, of a reddish -flesh and <span class='it'>haut gout</span> very delicious, and what should come -after that but a junket with nutmegs grated and clouted -cream—so yellow, thick and mellow that I praised and commended -and Mr. Herrick heapt my platter until I cried -quarter.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Cream of cowslips,” says he, “for the meadows whence it -was drawn are gilt with their fragrant blossoms and the -leisurely cows lie among them and crush their sweetness -as well as devour it. And if you condescend later to taste -it with a crust of Mrs. Prue’s bread and her marmalet of -crab-apples, you shall say it is good honest country fare -if simple.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I rose content from a meal excelling all the varieties of -rich men’s tables, and on his proposal we sat a while under -his honey-suckle bower to look upon the prospect and digest -our meat seemly, while Mrs. Prue moved softly about the -house clearing and cleansing.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And seeing the moment favourable, I adventured a question -much in my mind.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Sir, in your divine and honey-golden verse, recited to -me by our common friend, Mr. Delander, you speak with -opprobrium of this rude Devonshire. Yet here I come and -find you set amid delights of soul and body such as a king -might envy. Is it true that you, looking on these sweet -hills and meadows, this singing riveret and the hues and -scents of your garden, can wish yourself in the noise and -foulness of towns? Resolve me this doubt, for, trust me, it -perplexes me.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He smiled a little.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Why, sir, is a poet wiser than another that he should -not long for the rainbow a field away? You are to take -notice that when I lived in London I abused the smells and -sights and craved for country quiet. And now I have it -’tis the other way about. But in all good soberness this is -the better life and I know it. Here is the eye enlarged to -beauty, the ear attuned to music celestial, and the company, -though not choicely good, is innocent, and if evil, hath no -tinsel to hide its native ugliness.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He paused a moment as though to digest his thoughts -and added:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Here we rise with Chanticleer and make the lamb our -curfew, and the day’s small cares ended and our souls committed -to the Keeper who sleeps not, we slumber discharged -of griefs. And if our food be plain the seasoning is thanks.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“God, to my little meal and oil</p> -<p class='line0'>Add but a bit of flesh to boil,</p> -<p class='line0'>And Thou my pipkinet shalt see</p> -<p class='line0'>Give a wave-offering unto Thee.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>He smiled so cheerfully that I enquired:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Your own verse, reverend sir?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My own. My Muse is not always concerned with -ladies’ eyes nor with the revels of Mab and Oberon whereof -I have also delighted to write. She kneels sometimes, face -veiled. And these I call my Noble Numbers.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There was a moment’s silence, so great that through the -singing of the water I might hear the cropping of Clover-lips, -his red cow. ’Twas not long however before I -resumed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Then, sir, the country is now your choice preferred?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I said not so. Nay, I long sometimes for the town. -But I know and scarce know how, that my lot will be cast -there again for some sad years, and then I shall return here -to lay my bones in peace among my people.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Was this revealed to you in dream, sir? But this question -is overbold. Few men reveal their dreams.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Mine,” says he, “are so chaste as I dare tell them. Yes, -in a dream. Doubtless induced by the present discontents -which will wreck our good King Charles and many lesser -with him.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We discoursed of these, and with each word I liked mine -host the better, until his gentleness emboldened me so much -that at the last I said;</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And where, worthy sir, are the houses of the lovely and -wealthy ladies who keep you good company in summer -sunshine and winter snow? Where dwells the stately Mistress -Julia, bright and straight as a garden tulip, a flower -which I confess the Roman name of Julia calls always to my -sight. Where the sparkling-eyed lady Dianeme, the shy -Anthea, the delicate Perilla light as a woodland anemone, -and all this shining garden of sweets that your muse commends -to our worship? Let me own nor blush for’t, that -my journey, though undertaken to their poet, was seasoned -also with the hope to kiss their feet.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Sir, you did well. The Hesperides are worth even a -journey to Devon. And doubtless you shall see the stately -Julia, and the bright Anthea and all the fair choir, but not -yet. And now will I repeat you my latest homage to one of -these ladies, and then I must needs visit my sick while you -sit in the meadow and watch the milkmaid at her fragrant -labour.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>    <span style='font-size:smaller'>“THE CURIOUS COVENANT</span></p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Mine eyes like clouds were drizzling rain,</p> -<p class='line0'>And as they thus did entertain</p> -<p class='line0'>The gentle beams from Julia’s light</p> -<p class='line0'>To mine eyes levelled opposite,</p> -<p class='line0'>O thing admired!—there did appear</p> -<p class='line0'>A curious rainbow smiling there,</p> -<p class='line0'>Which was the covenant that she</p> -<p class='line0'>No more would drown mine eyes or me.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>“O exquisite felicity!” cried I with delight. “And did it -not move your empress to mercy?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It moved her, sir!” he answered with a subdued laughter. -“And now must I forth. Entertain yourself, I pray you.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He went toward the village, bearing in his hand a well-stored -panier brought forth by Mrs. Prue, in the which I -might espy little pots and pipkins clearly bespeaking a charitable -heart. And when he disappeared I took in hand the -rod he commended to me and did go a-angling in the Dean -Burn.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But the sun was bright and the water like dancing diamonds -and its song so dulcet that even with my good will I -would fain leave the silly trout in their crystal house, and -so I e’en turned over in the short sweet-smelling grass and -there fell asleep and dreamed of Julia with her smooth rubious -lips and velvet cheek, and of the banquets of elves -and their midnight rejoicings, but dimly and with the sound -of water in it all, until I fell in the very deeps of slumber -and dreamed no more.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Suddenly and soon as it seemed, but was not, I heard a -voice soft as a cushat’s call me, and looking up drowsily beheld -a pretty milkmaid summon Clover-lips and Pretty -Primrose, and they responded slow but obedient.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>O charming sight, though the maiden wore but a homespun -gown of blue and had on her head nothing but a straw -hat bought at the fair. For her skin was cream with here -and there a cowslip freckle, and she was cherry-cheeked and -had withal a soft black eye and two clear-marked arches of -brows, and lips that you would not have smile lest the perfect -bow unbend, nor smiling would have grave lest the -quarrelet of pearls be hidden. And about her neck and -bosom was folded very modestly a handkerchief tucked into -her bodice.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So I rose to my feet and made my bow, for beauty, -though but in a milk-maiden, is native to the skies and enforces -homage, and the pretty maid blushing dropt so deep a -curtsey that I thought she must take root in the grass like -a flower, so long was it before she lifted the stars of her -eyes to mine.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I was bid by his Reverence, sir, to stroke you a syllabub,” -says she. “And will your Honour have it here and -now, for I have the verjuice of crab-apple and all needful?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Here and now if you’ll favour me,” says I enchanted, -and sat down to watch the lovely sight. Nor could I have -departed if even she had bid me;</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“For in vain she did conjure him</p> -<p class='line0'>To depart her presence so,</p> -<p class='line0'>With a thousand tongues to allure him</p> -<p class='line0'>And but one to bid him go.</p> -<p class='line0'>When lips delight and eyes invite,</p> -<p class='line0'>And cheeks as fresh as rose in June</p> -<p class='line0'>Persuade delay, what boots she say:</p> -<p class='line0'>‘Forego me now; come to me soon.’ ”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>But indeed the lass was pleased I stayed, and dulcet her -voice as she rounded a song to coax the cows let down their -milk.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“For ’tis known they always milk best to music,” says she, -“and often I would have Jan Holdsworthy to bring his pipe -and please ’em.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And thus I heard a Devon ballad, whereof a verse sticks -in my head:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“So Robin put on his Sunday clothes,</p> -<p class='line0'>Which were neither tattered nor torn,</p> -<p class='line0'>With a bright yellow rose as well as his shoes</p> -<p class='line0'>He looked like a gentleman born, he did!</p> -<p class='line0'>Ay, he did! Sure he did!</p> -<p class='line0'>He looked like a gentleman born, he did.”</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“And—”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>“Nay, but I won’t sing the next bit,” says she with her -head against the cow’s warm silken side, and one bright -black eye regardant.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And why, my pretty lass?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Because Robin went for to be uncivil and kiss the maid -in the song. But she would have none of it and serve him -right, for—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“She gave him a smack in the face, she did!</p> -<p class='line0'>Ay, she did! Sure she did!</p> -<p class='line0'>She gave him a smack in the face, she did!”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>She trilled it out, defiant as a thrush at dawn, and I could -have committed Robin’s crime but for respect to her innocence -and Mr. Herrick’s hospitality. And sure never was a -syllabub so delicate and warm as this, strained from the -balm-breathing kine through sunburnt hands fresh rinsed -with sparkling water from Dean Burn.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I drank that wine of Nature’s brewing nor could be satisfied. -And when her pails foamed to the brim and Clover-lips -and Pretty Primrose returned disburdened to their -cropping, says I:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Tell me, my pretty one, where are the great houses -about these parts where dwell the fair and splendid ladies -who excel you in nothing but their wealth? And do they -come to the church o’ Sundays?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Anan, sir?” says she, bewildered.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The ladies in silks and lawns and jewels,” I insisted. -“Of whom I have read as shedding the lustre of their graces -even on these wild and solitary meads.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Methinks my talk was too fine for her. She laught like -one amazed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Ladies, your honour, I know of none, nor never saw silk -nor lawn nor lady, nor heard of such but in the ballads the -chapmen bring to the fair.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But sure there are great squires and lords in these parts -and will have their hunting and sports and their ladies to -ride with them, and come to church in coaches and on pillions -a-Sundays?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“No, your honour, no,” says she. “I would it were so. -’Twere fine to see the young madams, gay as kingfishers on -Dean Burn, but never saw I one, nor look to. And now I -must be going, with your leave, for I must sit at my wheel -or our dame will know the reason.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And with another curtsey the fair pretty maid departed to -her innocent labour, and ’twas as though the sun went -with her, so clear and lucid a beam was she of youth and -beauty.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But she left me musing, for where and how should Mr. -Herrick meet with his fair ladies unless indeed he took horse -and rode abroad, and I perpended and resolved to watch, -being sharp-set to see his peerless beauties if I died for it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>To grace our supper on Mr. Herrick’s return were the -cresses from the Dean Burn and little young radishes from -the garden with a cream cheese dewy in green leaves and a -dish of eggs dressed in an amulet by Mrs. Prue (and savoury -meat they were) and a tansy pudding to follow. And if I -be charged with gluttony in thus citing I crave pardon, for -I know not how but the mind sat down with the body to -the feast and both were nourished.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Mrs. Prue, the prudent, brought us after a very little glass -each of surfeit-water and of such comfort that I would -needs have her recipe, the which she imparted very gravely:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We take of red corn poppies a peck and put them in a -dish with another for cover, and so into the oven several -times after the household bread is drawn. We lay them -in a quart of aqua vitæ [“And this,” interrupted Mr. Herrick, -“comes very good from the sea-covers by Plymouth, -and is brought to us on moor ponies.”] and thereto we add -a race of ginger sliced, nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, a handful -of figs, raisins-of-the-sun, aniseed, cardamom and fennel -seeds, with a taste of lickorish. And so lay some poppies -in a great vessel and then the other ingredients and more -poppies and so continue till the vessel’s full. We then pour -in our aqua vitæ and let it so continue until very red with -the poppies and strong of the spice. We take from it what -we need, adding more aqua vitæ. And much good may -it do your Honour for ’tis a known cordial.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is so!” says I sipping, “and trust me, I am beholden -to you, good Mrs. Prudence, and will benefit.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We left our glasses empty and betook ourselves to the -bower in the garden so twined and wreathed with the -gold and amber horns of honey-suckle spilling their fragrance -that my soul was ravisht, and Mr. Herrick fetching -his lute saluted mine ears with strains celestial, adding his -voice thereto at moments, yet not loud but as if thinking -melodiously to himself in serene reverie in the deepening twilight.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Hear, ye virgins, and I’ll teach</p> -<p class='line0'>What the times of old did preach.</p> -<p class='line0'>Rosamund was in a bower</p> -<p class='line0'>Kept, as Danae in a tower.</p> -<p class='line0'>But yet Love who subtle is,</p> -<p class='line0'>Crept to that, and came to this!</p> -<p class='line0'>Be ye lockèd up like these</p> -<p class='line0'>Or the rich Hesperides,</p> -<p class='line0'>Or those babies in your eyes</p> -<p class='line0'>In their crystal nunneries,</p> -<p class='line0'>Notwithstanding Love will win</p> -<p class='line0'>Or else force a passage in.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>He plucked a few notes and was silent, for Philomel in a -thorn beside the Dean broke forth, amazing the night with -harmony, and holding breath we listened to the sweet delirium -that hath enchanted the ages.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She stopt as suddenly as she began and flew to some more -distant groves to duel with another songster as lovely, -the moon herself in rising seeming to pause and listen ere -she ascended her silver throne.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Exquisite!” says he sighing. “How have I the rude -audacity to match my numbers with hers? Yet I too have -my breast on a thorn and must sing or die. And you assert -that they please, Mr. Tylliol?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“They enchant,” cried I eagerly. “But, O, Mr. Herrick, -my good host and worthy friend, I beseech you reveal -to me where hide the Hesperides you celebrate in verse that -will not die like Philomel’s. Few are my days here. Let -me not return empty. With the most awful reverence will -I stand at a distance to admire, nor with a thought smirch -the crystalline lawn that veils the bosom of Madam Julia or -the silks that rustle in Dianeme’s going. What—what are -the earthly names of these admired ladies?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In one hour, when the moon is up and at full, then you -shall meet them,” says he. “For then they do use to give -me gracious tryst beyond Dean Burn at a certain place -known to me and to them. And if their beauty is not correspondent -to your expectation, blame not them, but consider -rather the teaching of Plotinus his book wherein he -writes: ‘That which sees must be kindred and similar to -its object before it can see it. Every man must partake -of the divine nature before he can see Divinity.’ So then, -if they appear not lovely the fault is in the eye that sees.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But, sir,” says I bewildered; “is this so also with the -perishable beauty of women which leads man into ways -unallied indeed with Divinity?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He touched a few soft notes on the pensive strings, responding -gravely:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“That man hath never beheld the beauty of woman whom -it leads downward, but only a shadow and simulacrum, as -it were; the false Duessa, whereas the true Una (the One) -is crowned with stars and in its nature heavenly.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I have conversed, as is known to my friend, with many -men counted high, but, trust me, here with the world -charmed by moonlight and the quiet running of water, the -voice of this man took on a quality unearthly and you are -to know that it moved me exceedingly as with something -latent and not to be exprest. Nor would I answer but sat -attentive while he pursued his thoughts aloud.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“For so says also the wisest man that ever wore flesh -(setting aside only the Bright and Orient Star) and these -are his words: ‘Such a man uses the beauties of earth as -steps whereon he mounts, going from fair forms to fair -deeds, and from fair deeds to fair thoughts, and from fair -thoughts attains to the Idea of Absolute Beauty. And if a -man have eyes to see this true Beauty he becomes the friend -of God and immortal.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And after this we both observed such a silence as when -sweet music dies and leaves the air ravisht and in ecstasy, -and so sate I know not how long until at last the moon -glided over the trees and threw her light on the Dean Burn. -He then arose, still holding his lute.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You would see my beauties, Mr. Tylliol, and that you -shall! Come with me now.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And so led the way to a part where the water spread wide, -glittering and very shallow, and here great flat stepping-stones -used by generations, as he told me, and on these we -crost and went on and up (our path clear as day) until, it -might be half a mile or more, we came to a singular little -amphitheatre (so I may call it) of turf, short and cropt -and soft as kings’ carpets, with thick bushes and trees and -some rocks surrounding it, very secret and secluded, enclosing -it into a fair pleasance but not large.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And here I often sit,” he whispered. “But go very -softly.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And indeed a natural awe, of I know not what, fell on me -and constrained me into a breathless quiet, following him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So presently we seated ourselves on a low rock cushioned -with moss, and then taking his lute he began to play gently, -but with such a penetrating sweetness as Orpheus himself, -who with his music melted the hearts of trees and rocks, -could scarce, I think exceed, yet most simple withal.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And the melody was singular, and with a delicate continuity -like the ceaseless running of rain or water, and after -awhile it appeared to me as if, like a revolving spinning -wheel, it cast abroad silver threads which mingling with the -moonlight did dance and whirl and shape themselves into -changing forms (but I know not what) dissolving and returning -and re-shaping in a labyrinth that mazed me. And -whether it was my own brain that spun them (as in dream) -I cannot tell, nor whether they were real or imagined.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But presently a sweetly lovely face peeped from the -boughs, finger on lips, the pointed chin elfish as though the -cap should be a flower, a truant indeed from Fairyland. -And “Silvia!” he whispered, continuing to play. She, if -she it were, listened, archly smiling, a face and no more, and -suddenly the leaves closed about her, and nothing there.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>My breath stumbled in my throat, and I closed my eyes -an instant, and when again they opened, at the further end -of the pleasance, but dim in the moonlight as though in a -mist of lawn and cobweb lace, I saw a lady pace from one -covert to the other. And myself this time, but whether -aloud I know not, said: “Madam Julia.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>For she moved imperial, but her beauty I cannot itemize, -nor know now whether I saw or dreamed her lips—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Which rubies, corals, scarlets all</p> -<p class='line0'>For tincture wonder at,—”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>nor the black splendour of her hair, and the proud dark -glance she cast about her in passing, nor the splendid -sweeping of her gown.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And even as she parted the boughs and Dian-like was hid -among them, came another following, but stepping lightly -from behind a rock whereon a tree laid leafy fingers of -lucent green,—a creature of soft and flower-wafting breezes, -white and sunbeam-haired, and I dare swear the ray of her -eyes was blue, though see them I did not.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Mr. Herrick, speaking as in time to his lute, seemed -to say:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Smooth Anthea for a skin</p> -<p class='line0'>White and heaven-like crystalline,”—</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>and she waved a moonbeam hand as he whispered and, -springing as lightly between the rocks and boughs as a leaping -stream, was gone.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Then suddenly his lute ceased as though to give place to -a better and a lady, robed in white, came cradling a lute -to her bosom and singing—O words melodious, melting -into heavenly numbers—I believe I knew at the blessed -moment what they were but now have they slipt my gross -understanding. For ’twas indeed the choice Myrrha—O -Music, O maid divine, walking soundless as flowing -water and bathing in her own sweet harmonies as a Naiad in -her native crystal.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And even as she past, unheeding her worshipper, Mr. -Herrick’s lute resumed the strain.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And now past two fair ladies, close entwined as Hermia -and Helena, whispering each in the other’s ear and casting -oblique and tender looks upon their poet, the one in a yellow -robe like a spring daffodil and the other in a most pure -violet, perfume-breathing as the hue she wore. And the -first was crowned with may, white as ivory exprest in -blossom, and my heart said for me, “Corinna, who will go -a-maying while the world lasts.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“She that puts forth her foliage to be seen,</p> -<p class='line0'>And comes forth like the spring-time fresh and green,</p> -<p class='line0'>And sweet as Flora.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>And indeed she past me so near that I caught the almond-sweet -breath of her wreath.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And the other sure was the lady Dianeme, for I knew her -by her dancing shining eyes and the bough of blossomed -laylock in her hand.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Sweet, be not proud of those two eyes.”—</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>Yet what could she be but proud of what the world counts -among its jewels? And after them came running the delicate -Perilla to join herself to their garland, and so smoothly -did she glide that I looked to see her shod with the winged -sandals of Hermes, for not a blade bent as she past, and -so she slipt across the moonlight.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And then a little crowd of sweet shadows—Perenna the -lovely, Sappho (but not she of the Leucadian rock), the -Delaying Lady with handsome sullen brows, and lips pouted -in half disdain, the beloved Electra, graceful as a harebell -on a breeze, the reluctant Oenone and many others, fair -and Orient gems set in a carcanet for the Muse’s wearing. -And after them a young Cupid, kitten-eyed and mischievous -with his bow braced.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And at this the air filled suddenly with nimble laughters -and little cries flipt with merry breath in the trees above -us, and small shapes drunk with dew and moonlight dropt -from the boughs like spiders sliding down their threads, -so many that they pelted quick as rain-drops on the turf. -And, lo you! ’twas a rabble of Oberon’s courtiers tripping -across to set their mushroom tables in the shade retired -from the moon of night, and indeed, methought the Lady -Moon leaned her golden chin on a bar of cloud to watch the -silly shower and laugh at their follies.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But the voice of Mr. Herrick’s lute waxed faster and -faster till it spun a labyrinth of music wherein the fairies -did flout and spin and stagger, singing, and these words -reached me but no more:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Through the forest, through the forest</p> -<p class='line0'>I will track my fairy Queen,</p> -<p class='line0'>Of her foot the flying footprint,</p> -<p class='line0'>Of her locks the flying sheen.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>And whether this was sung or danced I know not, for the -moon dipt behind a cloud, and all shapes from distinct became -confused into a swift murmur whether of sound or -sight or the ripple of the Dean Burn I can tell neither to -myself nor others, only that presently there was darkness and -silence. Nor can I say whether hours or minutes had past -when Mr. Herrick laid his hand upon my arm and roused -me from what I took to be a deep meditation.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Dear guest,” says he, “you have slept long, and every -leaf is pearled in dew, and the Night would be secret with -her subjects. We intrude. Therefore rouse yourself, for -Mrs. Prue will think us strayed sheep if she wake, and indeed -I will bespeak your soft treading for she is but a crazy -sleeper and hath of late been sick, almost to be lunatic, with -a pain in her teeth.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But I was stumbling as if heavy with sleep and could say -naught, and so we crost the shining water on the stones and -returned wordless, and that night I slept like a happy spirit -in the dewy meads of heaven.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Not a word said the next day and Mr. Herrick almost distraught -with busyness for the riding post brought him letters -from his rich London kin and the news of growing troubles -between King and Parliament very piercing to his honest -heart.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And on the day following my nag was saddled, and the -coach returning on its way to Exeter I was to ride with it -for security, but still not a word said on the matter nearest -my soul.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Then as we waited for the wheels,—I having bid Mrs. -Prue a kindly farewell with a vail which but ill compensated -her hospitable services, Mr. Herrick said musingly:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Once, Mr. Tylliol, I made a verse on Dreams, in the -which this was writ:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“ ‘Here are we all by day; by night we are hurled</p> -<p class='line0'>By dreams, each one into a several world.’</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>“And I have read in ancient books that it is not impossible -but a man may be hurled into another man’s world or House -of Dreams—not often indeed but once in a great while. -And if this be so and it seems to that visitant a house of -lunacies or moonstruck madness (as well it may), shall there -be pardon for his dream-host therein?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And I:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Sir, not a house of lunacies, but a house of enchantments -whereof I would I had the freehold! And if you had any -part in unlocking the door (whereof I know not what to -think) take my loving and humble thanks and again make -me welcome when leagues lie between us. For dreams ask -neither wheels nor hoofs to carry them.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And he smiling said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Come!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So, lovingly we parted and the enchanted place grew small -and dim, receding behind me, and with fleshly eyes never -again shall I see the clear running of Dean Burn and the -lush meadows where fair Margery stroked me a syllabub of -cowslip cream. But Mr. Herrick shall I see, for his dreams -are not as other men’s and he comes, I know, sooner or later, -to London.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now what all this means, I cannot know but may guess, -and on that I say no more. Let each man read it as he -can. But never again tell me that Mr. Herrick is a loose -liver because his Muse dwells like a dove in the warmth of -ladies’ bosoms, for I know better.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Jocund his Muse was, but his life was chaste,” is the -self-chosen Finis to his book, and well it may.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And for a last gift he slipt into my hand at parting his -latest verses or effusion to Madam Julia, whose stately pacing -haunts me yet and ever will.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“This day, my Julia, thou must make</p> -<p class='line0'>For Mistress Bride the wedding cake.</p> -<p class='line0'>Knead but the dough and it will be</p> -<p class='line0'>To paste of almonds turned by thee.</p> -<p class='line0'>Or kiss it thou but once or twice</p> -<p class='line0'>And for the bride-cake there’ll be spice.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>And to me those words will ever bring the scents and -fragrance and the dreams of Dean Prior, and as for the cake, -’twill be eat beyond Dean Burn on the little mushroom -tables of fay and ouphe and elf, and the drink shall be a -pearl of dew for each, served in the purple of a pregnant -violet.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And so ends my letter but much more and stranger things -shall I tell when I come to my friend.</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:1.2em;'>THE ISLAND OF PEARLS</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-bottom:10em;font-size:.8em;'>THE HIDDEN HEART OF CEYLON</p> - -<div><h1 id='ch9'>THE ISLAND OF PEARLS<br/> <br/> <span style='font-size:smaller'>THE HIDDEN HEART OF CEYLON</span></h1></div> - -<p class='pindent'>The Island of Pearls, shaped like a dewdrop hanging -from the lotus petal of India, is loveliest of the Oceanides, -a Nereid floating on blue tropic seas. She is a voluptuous -beauty, jewelled, languid, fanned by spiced airs, crowned -with flowers, dusky, sultry, with strange romances in her -past as she went from lover to lover, faithful only to one, the -eternal sea. Colombo flames on you in the sun, hidden in -trees so deep, so green that if you climb a hill the town is -lost like a bird’s nest in the tangle of vegetation. And -what trees!—unlike the pensive elm and poplar, the ribbed -oak of the West, these burst into flowers and a spendthrift -fire of life. There is a giant covered with clusters of mauve -blossoms like the rhododendron—I could not leave it—I -was caught like a bee by its huge glory towering up into the -sunshine. It bathed every sense in delight to stand beneath -and see the larkspur blue of the sky through the crowded -bloom. Others more austerely beautiful with faint rose and -white crocus flowers springing from the grey stem and loading -the air with perfume, and for the background the grace -and grandeur of the palms balancing their frondure in the -blue. There are no words to describe these things. Only -in colour or music can their splendour be told.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And the lavish fruit! Mangosteens, mangoes, papayas, -oranges,—Aladdin’s jewels of wizard gardens. And the -jewels themselves, for Ratnapura, the City of Gems, is near -at hand. Moonstones heaped in great pearl-shells, like -silvery blue moonlight touched with swimming gleams of -gold, great cats’ eyes with oblique pupils, aqua-marines of -purest sparkling green, sea water dipped up from the secrecies -of deepest depths, wine-dark jargoons, tourmalines -many-hued as spring flowers, sapphires ranging from pale -azure to ocean blue, carbuncles that flame in ancient legends -as sacred jewels, all these and many more Ceylon displays -like the Queen she is. And the sea is as the jewels—all -light and glitter and the broken glories of rolling surf. It is -these things which have made her the desire of men’s eyes -from time immemorial—the Island of the blue horizon, -scarcely believable for beauty and wonder. Hear Abdulla, -called Wassaf, the poet of Siraf in Persia, when he wrote -of her long centuries ago:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When Adam was driven forth from Paradise God made -a mountain of Ceylon the place of his descent, to break the -force of change and so assuage his fall. The charms of this -fair country, the softness of the air, are beyond all telling. -White amber is the dregs of its sea, and its indigo and red -bakam are cosmetics for beauty. The leaves, the barks, -and the sweating of its trees are cloves, spikenard, aloe -wood, camphor and fragrant mandel. Its icy water is a -ball of muneya for the fractures of the world. The -boundaries of its fields refresh the heart like the influence -of the stars. The margins of its regions are the bedfellows -of loveliness. Its myrobalums impart the blackness -of youthful hair, and its peppercorns put the mole on the -face of beauty on the fire of envy. Its rubies and carnelians -are like the lips and cheeks of charming girls, and its -treasures are as oceans full of polished gems. Indeed the -various birds are sweet singing parrots and the pheasants of -its gardens are graceful peacocks.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So they told of her, and merchants came from the end of -the earth to trade in the wonders of Serendib, bringing and -taking riches, and not only riches but tales of wildest wonder -and romance. They said the people were descended -from a royal lion and hence their name Singhalese—Singha, -a lion. They said she breathed her sweetness for miles out -to sea and that before the shore rose from the horizon the -air was languid with her spices and perfumes. Was this -true or hyperbole? It is at least certain that in many parts -of the island the wild lemon grass is almost overwhelming in -its odour and many of the flowers scent all the world about -them. The tropical sun and hot dewy moisture stimulate -plant life into a passionate luxuriance of fragrant beauty. -Horror too, for there are blossoms whose name of Stercula -foetida tells all that need be told of their loathsomeness.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In this strange land the sands of some of the rivers are -minute rubies and garnets, and it is of Serendib the story -was told of serpents that guarded the precious jacinths, and -the stratagem of the merchants in flinging pieces of meat -into deep valleys where they lay, that hovering eagles might -strike their talons in the meat encrusted with jewels and -carry it to their nests in the rocks, where ready hands could -seize it. The jacinths have become diamonds in the Arabian -Nights, but we all know the story in the mouth of Sindbad -the sailor of perilous seas.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And the merchants had terrible tales to tell of the women -of the island. They were sirens as dangerous as ever sought -to beguile Ulysses. Some of them dwelt in a great city of -iron on the coast with fluttering signals on their towers to -lure sea-farers, and when the eager boats made for the shore -women of the most alluring loveliness, perfumed and garlanded, -ran to meet them, stretching passionate arms, wooing -them to enter the city. There they caressed them until -every sense was drowned in delight, when bound and helpless, -they flung them into iron cages and devoured them one -by one.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The merchants were the great romancers of the ancient -world—the singers of songs, the tellers of tales, and surely -they had the right, for is there more romance in any word -than in their own name? It calls up mirage after mirage -of wearied camel caravans toiling through deserts of sand -to cities that were old when Balkh and Damascus were -young; where the blue and glittering domes of porcelain rise -against intenser skies in sunsets sonorous as a gong with -deep light and colour. It is the merchants always who carry -romance and adventure in their corded bales. In robe and -turban they yearn for the caravanserais and the men coming -by many ways to the meeting place. They hunger for the -flat hot cakes seed-sprinkled, and the savoury smells of the -kous-kous bubbling in oil, but most of all for the excitements -and lusts of the bazaar and the dangerous winding ways of -forbidden palaces. See them unroll the gold and flowered -stuffs of Bokhara, the silks from Cos as transparent as running -water that gave the fair Pamphila the glory of having -invented a dress “in which women were naked though -clothed.” See the muslins of Dacca unloosed from the -swaying camel-packs;—the merchants can scarcely handle -them lest a faint breeze blow them from their hold, for of -these it is told that the Emperor, Akbar, the Truth-Seeker, -rebuked a woman who appeared before him robed in woven -air, saying, “Little does it become a daughter of the Prophet -to show herself arrayed in one dress only and that, as it -were, nothing, being but the illusion of a garment.” And -she replied audaciously: “Majesty, Light of the Age, I am -more modest than modesty’s self, for I wear at this moment -<span class='it'>Nine</span>.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Through all the stories of Ceylon the merchants go, -tempting the perilous seas in frail dromonds and crank high-decked -galleons, tempted in turn by princesses, more perilous -than the seas, shooting dangerous glances through rose-coloured -veils. Sometimes their historic quests were wild as -any dream. It was rumoured over Asia that the lost Tree -of Life grew in the jungles of this fortunate Island and a -King of Persia and Emperor of China sent their merchants -with huge wealth to buy its precious leaves—more than ever -precious in the intrigues of Oriental Courts—but only to -find it grows in a Paradise more far away than even the -famed Serendib, and that no merchants, young and ardent, -grave and bearded, could lay that merchandise before the -throne.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Ceylon figures in one of the most ancient epics of the -world—the Ramayana, for it was Ravana the demon King -of Ceylon (Lanka) who seized the lovely Sita, wife of the -God-King Rama as she wandered in the forest, and bore her -through the air to his island kingdom. The writer of the -poem was a mighty poem maker: Valmiki,—let his name -be fragrant for all time! And like all his divine brotherhood -he was first taught by sorrow. For sitting one day in -the heart of the woods, Valmiki beheld two herons singing -for joy and love as they wandered together by air and water, -and as he gladdened to their gladness, an archer shot the male -bird and he fell bathed in blood, never again to sweep the -wing-ways of the sky, and his mate fluttered about him in -agony. So Valmiki, with the wrath and power of a poet, -cursed the man who had done this black deed, and, as he -spoke, suddenly he knew that his words were a measured -music and that a new and wonderful thing had befallen in -the world. And so it was, for Brahma appeared in the -cloud, four-faced, majestic, and commanded him to write -the history of Rama and the storming of Ceylon in this -same mysterious music. “And it shall be true in every -word,” said the God, “and so long as the world lasts shall -this story be known among men.” And that was the beginning -of poetry in India.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Perhaps this is the chief fame of Ceylon, for the God -spoke not in vain. There is no city now so lovely as that of -which Valmiki tells—the city of jewelled pavements and -windows of glimmering crystal and the cloudy palaces where -the cruel King dwelt and where Sita was a captive. For—“Here -dwelt the fair princesses torn by him from vanquished -Kings. Now it was night and they lay overpowered with -wine and sleep. One had her head thrown backward; some -had their garlands crushed; some lay in each other’s bosoms, -or with arms interlaced, others in slumber deep as death. -The King Ravana lay on a dais apart made of crystal and -adorned with jewels. Here lay he overcome with wine, with -glittering rings in his ears and robed in gold, breathing like -a hissing serpent. Around him lay his sleeping Queens, and -nearest him the dearest, the golden-hued Mandodari.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So the story runs through all its epic wonder of love and -war, and yearly in India is celebrated the harrying of -Ravana—I have seen his ten-headed image go up in flames -amid the rejoicing of a multitude. Yet, as I think, the -ancient city, Anaradhapura, now a ruin in the jungle, could -not have fallen so far behind the splendours of Valmiki. -Many who have visited it have written of it as it is in death—the -broken fragments of palaces and temples, a few preserved -here and there like rocks that are the survival of -some lost Atlantis in the drowning ocean of the forest. -How few recall it as it was in its pride and power! I stood -in the green dimness of the glades where are the sculptured -tanks where the queens bathed in days long dead, and read -the words of one who knew it well—Fa Hien, the Chinese -Buddhist pilgrim of the fourth century <span style='font-size:smaller'>A. D.</span> For this was -the Anaradhapura of the Ceylon he visited in search of the -words of the Lord Buddha; of himself he speaks in the third -person:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“To the north of the royal city is erected a great tower in -height 470 feet,—it is adorned with gold and silver and -perfected with every precious substance. There is by the -side of it a monastery containing 5000 priests. They also -have built here a hall of the Lord which is covered with gold -and silver engraved work. In the midst of this hall is a -jasper figure (of the Buddha) in height about 22 feet. The -entire body glitters and sparkles with the seven precious -substances. In the right hand he holds a pearl of inestimable -value. Fa Hien had been absent many years from -China; the manners and customs of these people were entirely -strange to him, moreover his fellow travellers were -now separated from him, for some had remained behind and -some were dead. All at once as he stood by this jasper -figure, he beheld a merchant present to it as a religious offering -a fan of white silk of Chinese manufacture. Unwittingly -Fa Hien gave way to his sorrowful feelings and the -tears flowed from his eyes.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Those tears, dried so long since, gave to this Western pilgrim, -standing in the same place, the true Virgilian sense -of tears in mortal things, and still they move the world.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Ceylon is a land of the Gods. They have left their footprints -very plain upon this radiant loveliness as they came -and went. She has known many generations of them. All -who would understand her should read Valmiki’s semi-divine -poem of the great battles of Rama, God-King of India, as he -fought here his wars of the Gods and Titans to rescue his -wife, the lovely Sita, the heart’s love and worship to this day -of his dominion.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Here, when the Demon King held her in captivity, -the army of Rama strode across the bridge of scattered -rocks between Ceylon and India. Still may be seen the gap -that no strength, human or divine, could pass, where the -mighty host was stayed, until a little tree squirrel, for love -of Rama, laid his small body in the hollow, and because love -is the bridge eternal between the two worlds, the rescuing -host passed triumphant over it. But Rama, stooping -from his Godhead, Incarnation as he was in human flesh -of Vishnu the Preserver, lifted the crushed body tenderly -and touched the dead fur, and to this day, the tree squirrels -bear the marks of the divine fingers upon their coats of grey.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There is no demarcation in Asia between the so-called -animal and human lives. Rama himself had passed through -the animal experience on the upward way and knew well -what beats in the little heart beneath fur and feather.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In those wonderful parables, the Birth Stories of the Lord -Buddha, are recorded his supposed memories of the incarnations -of bird, animal and other lives through which a -steadfast evolution led him to the Ten Perfections. How -should he not know, and knowing love? Is it not written by -a great Buddhist saint: “It may well be that to the eye of -flesh, plants and trees appear to be gross matter; but to the -eye of the Buddha they are composed of minute spiritual -particles; grass, trees, countries the earth itself, shall enter -wholly into Buddhahood”? And does not science, faltering -far behind the wisdom of the mighty, adumbrate these -truths in its later revelations?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We know too little of the wisdom of the East. The Magi -still journey to Bethlehem, but only those who have the -heart of the Child may receive their gold, myrrh, and frankincense.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Yet, for mere beauty’s sake, these stories of the East -should be read. Men thrill to the mighty thunder-roll of -Homer’s verse, but the two supreme epics of India are little -known. If the West would gather about the story-teller as -the East gathers, in bazaar or temple court, the stories should -be told from these and other sources, until Rama stands beside -the knightly Hector, and Sita’s star is set in the same -heaven where shines the lonely splendour of Antigone.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>When the rapturous peace of the Lord Buddha could no -longer be contained within the heart of India, it overflowed, -and like a rising tide submerged Ceylon. And now, although -India has forgotten and has returned to the more -ancient faiths, Ceylon remembers. The Lotus of the Good -Law blossoms in every forest pool. The invocation to the -Jewel in the Lotus is daily heard from every monastery of -the Faith, where the yellow-robed Brethren still follow the -way marked for them by the Blessed One who in Uruvela -attained to that supernal enlightenment of which he said, -“And that deep knowledge have I made my own—that -knowledge, hard to perceive, hard to understand, peace-giving, -not to be gained by mere reason, which is deeper -than the depths, and accessible only to the wise.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yet, among living men are some whose eyes are but a -little darkened with dust. To them shall the truth be manifest.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>If it be an aim of travel to see what is beautiful and -strange, it may be also an aim to seek that spiritual beauty -where it sits enthroned in its own high places; and my hope -in Ceylon was to visit the land where that strait and narrow -way of Buddhism is held which is known as the Hinayana—or -the Lesser Vehicle. In Tibet, China, and Japan, -I had known the efflorescence of the Buddhist Faith where, -recognizing the mystic emanations of the Buddhas, it becomes -the Greater Vehicle and breaks into gorgeous ritual -and symbolism, extraordinarily beautiful in themselves, and -yet more so in their teaching. Buddhism, in those countries, -like the Bride of the Canticles, goes beautifully in jewels -of gold and raiment of fine needlework, within her ivory -palaces. In Ceylon, like the Lady Poverty of Saint Francis -of Assisi, she walks with bared feet, bowed head, her -begging-bowl in hand, simple and austere in the yellow robe -of the Master—her rock-temples and shrines as he himself -might have blessed them in their stern humility. Save at -the Temple of the Tooth, the splendours she heaps upon his -altars are those of her flowers. With these she may be lavish -because his life was wreathed with their beauty. He -was born in a garden, beneath a Tree he attained Wisdom, -in a garden he died. A faith that is held by nearly every -tenth living man or woman is surely worthy of reverence and -study, even in these hurrying days when gold, not wisdom, -is the measure of attainment.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So I came to Ceylon for the first time but not for the last.</p> - -<hr class='tbk'/> - -<p class='pindent'>Near a little town in the hills stands a Wihara—a monastery—dreaming -in the silent sunshine. The palms are -grouped close about the simple roofs—so close that the passing -tourist could never guess that the Head of the Buddhist -Faith in Ceylon, a great saint, a great ruler of seven thousand -priests, dwelt there in so secret, so complete an austerity.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He was a very old man when I came, but his ninety-two -years sat lightly on him and each year had laid its tribute of -love and honour at his feet. He was known as the Maha -Nayaka Thero; and in religion, for the love of the Master, -he had taken the Master’s human name of Siddartha. It -was strange indeed to see the simplicity of his surroundings;—to -me it appeared singularly beautiful: it breathed -the spiritual purity that had made him beloved throughout -the island.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A great scholar, deeply learned in Sanskrit and Pali and -in the abtruse philosophy that is for the elders of the Law, -he was yet the gentlest of men, and his very learning and -strength were all fused into a benignant radiance that sunned -the griefs of the world he had cast so far behind him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I was glad to wander about in the quiet monastery—the -little one-storied quadrangle on the side of the hill. It offered—it -invited—the life of meditation, of clear thought, -of delicate austerity. The noise of great events (so-called) -was like the dim murmur of a shell when they reached the -Wihara and the ear of Sri Siddartha. But he heard, he -noted the progress of science, even to the possibilities of -aviation, because to a Buddhist saint all spheres of knowledge -are one, and all nothing, in the Ocean of Omniscience.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So the people brought their grievances and troubles to -the aged Archbishop. You were in the presence of a very -great gentleman when you entered and found him seated, his -scribe cross-legged at his feet to record what passed. The -people would approach him softly and with the deepest reverence, -and with permission would seat themselves on the -ground at a due distance.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Venerable Sir, we are in trouble. We seek your counsel.” -That was the cry. And always, in spite of his many years, -he listened and counselled and comforted.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Soon after my arrival his birthday was celebrated with -much rejoicing. The Bhikkus (monks) had put up little -festive bamboo arches, fluttering with split palm-leaves like -ribbons, all about the Wihara, and troops of Bhikkus came -to lay their homage at his feet. The roads were sunshiny -with their yellow robes as they flocked in from remote -places—jungle, cave-temples, and far mountains. The -laity came also, crowding to see the Venerable One. He received -them all with serene joy, and pursued his quiet way, -thinking, reading, meditating on the Three Jewels—the -Lord, the Law, and the Communion of Saints. And the -Bhikkus departed, believing that he might be among them -for many days.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But it was not to be; for, a few days later, while he was -sweeping the garden walks, a duty he had made his own, he -felt a sudden loss of strength, and lying down, in two hours -he passed painlessly away.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I was permitted to visit Sri Siddartha as he lay in death. -The room was very simple and bare. Many of his Bhikkus -stood about him, and there were flowers, flowers, everywhere. -Beside him burned a perfumed gum, sending up its -thin blue spirals of fragrance.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I was received with perfect kindness, and especially -by his favourite disciple and pupil—a young monk with a -worn ascetic face, who stood in deep meditation at the head -of his Master. He looked up and smiled, and raised the -face-cloth that I might see, and looked down again at the -brown face, calm as a mask of Wisdom with its closed lips -and eyes. Even closed, they looked old—old. A Bhikku, -standing by, told me that all had loved him and were bereaved -in his going. “But for him—he is in the Nirvana of -Paradise.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The strange phrase awoke in my mind the words of the -Blessed One, and I repeated them as I stood beside that -quiet sleep.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But this, O Bhikkus, is the highest, this is the holiest -wisdom—to know that all suffering has vanished away. -He has found the true deliverance that lies beyond the -reach of change.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And I remembered the symbolic fresco in Colombo, representing -the Lord Buddha borne dead on a chariot in a -garden. The gardener digs his grave, but the Lord awakes -from death, and bids the man know he is not dead but living. -The Buddha stands majestic by the open grave—the -gardener recoils in fear. Death has no more dominion.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So I left Sri Siddartha lying in the mystery where all the -wisdoms are one.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In the garden, in the riot of tropical blossom and beauty, -a Bhikku was standing in the perfect stillness that is a part -of the discipline. He greeted me, and we spoke of my -quest.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Go,” he said, “to Mihintale, where the Law first came to -this island by the hands of Mahinda. Seek also the great -Dagoba where stand the images of the Buddhas that have -been and of Him who is to come. And under the Tree -which is a part of that Tree beneath which the Blessed One -received illumination, meditate on Truth.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I delayed only that I might see the flames receive the discarded -body of the Venerable One; and the ceremony took -place next day, amid a vast gathering of the people and the -great companies of the Bhikkus. They flooded the ways -with sunshine in every shade of yellow, from deep primrose -to a tawny orange. The roads were strewn, with rice like -snowflakes, stamped into star-shapes. A strange melancholy -music went with us. So, climbing a steep hill, we -came to the pyre, heaped with the scented and aromatic -woods of the jungle, and closed from human view by a -high scaffolding draped with bright colours. On this pyre -he was laid, and one of his own blood, holding a torch, applied -the pure element to the wood: and, as he did so, the -assembly raised a cry of “Sadhu, Sadhu!” and with that -ascription of holiness a sheet of flame swept up into the -crowns of the palms, and the scent of spices filled the air. -And even as the body of the Blessed One passed into grey -ash, passed also the worn-out dwelling of Sri Siddartha.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I made my way next day to a temple hollowed in the -rock, the ceiling of which is frescoed with gods and heroes. -It is taught that here the Canon of the Buddhist Scriptures -was first committed to writing about 450 <span style='font-size:smaller'>B.C.</span> Here five -hundred, priests, learned in the Faith, assembled, and collating -the Scriptures, chanted every word, while the scribes -recorded them with stylus and palm-leaf as they heard. -Burmese, Tibetans, Indians, all were present, that so the -Law might be carried over Asia, and the Peace of the -Blessed One be made known to men.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Here, too, the discipline was fixed. The Bhikku must -not be touched by a woman’s hand. He must eat but -twice a day, and not after noon. He must keep the rule of -the Lady Poverty as did Saint Francis. He must sleep nowhere -but in Wiharas and other appointed places. And -these are but a few of the commands. Yet, if the rule is -too hard for him, the Bhikku may relinquish it at his will, -and return to the world a free man—a fettered man, as the -Master would have said, but free according to the rule of -the Transient World. It is said that few accept this permission.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It took little imagination to people the silent temple with -the Assembly—the keen intellectual Indian faces, the yellow -robe and the bared shoulder, seated in close ranks in the -twilight of the temple. Now it was silent and empty, but -a mysterious aura filled it. The buildings of men’s hands -pass away, but the rock, worn not at all, save where feet -come and go, preserves the aspect of its great day, when it -was the fountain-head of Truth.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A solemn gladness filled the air. Surely the West is waking -to the message of the East—that message, flowing -through the marvellous art of China and Japan, through the -deep philosophies of India, the great Scriptures of the Buddhist -Faith, and many more such channels. And we who -have entered the many mansions through another gate may -share and rejoice in the truths that are a world-heritage.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was time now that I should visit the holy places, and I -took the road through the jungle, intending to stay at the -little rest-houses which exist to shelter travellers. The way -is green with grass in the middle; there are two tracks for -wheels—narrow and little used. Even the native huts may -sometimes be forty miles apart. And on either side runs -the huge wall of the jungle, holding its secret well.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Great trees, knotted with vines and dark with heavy undergrowth, -shut me in. Sometimes a troop of silver-grey -monkeys swept chattering overhead; sometimes a few red -deer would cross the road, or a blue shrike flutter radiantly -from one shelter to another. Mostly, the jungle was silent -as the grave, but living, breathing, a vast and terrible personality; -an ocean, and with the same illimitable might -and majesty. Travelling through it, I was as a fish that -swims through the green depths of water.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So I journeyed in a little bullock cart—and suddenly, -abruptly, as if dropped from heaven, sprang out of the -ocean of the jungle that bathed its feet a huge cube of rock -nearly five hundred feet high, with lesser rocks spilt about it -that would have been gigantic were it not for the first—the -famous Sigurya.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>An ancient people, led by a parricide king, took this -strange place and made of it a mighty fortress. They cut -galleries in the living rock that, like ants, they might pass -up and down unharmed from below; and on the head of -the rock—a space four acres in extent—they set a king’s -palace and pleasance, with a bathing-tank to cool the torrid -air. Then, still desiring beauty, this people frescoed -the sheer planes of this precipitous rock of Sigurya with pictures -that modern Singhalese art cannot rival. These vast -pictures represent a procession of ladies to a shrine, with -attendants bearing offerings. Only from the waist upward -are the figures visible; they rise from clouds as if floating in -the sky. The faces have an archaic beauty and dignity. -One, a queen, crowned and bare-bosomed, followed by attendants -bearing stiff lotus blooms, is beautiful indeed, but -in no Singhalese or Indian fashion—a face dark, exotic, and -heavy-lidded, like a pale orchid. It is believed the whole -rock was thus frescoed into a picture-gallery, but time and -weather have taken toll of the rest.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The Government has put steps and climbing rails, that -the height may be reached. Half-way up is a natural level, -and above it soars the remainder of the citadel, to be climbed -only by notches cut in the rock, and hand-rails as a safeguard -from the sheer fall below. And here this dead people -had done a wonderful thing. They had built a lion of -brick, so colossal that the head towered to the full height of -the ascent. It has fallen into ruin, but the great cat-paws -that remain indicate a beast some two hundred feet high. -There is a gate between the paws, and in the old days they -clambered up through the body of the lion and finally -through his throat, into the daylight of the top. Only the -paws are left, complete even to the little cat-claw at the -back of each. Surely one of the strangest approaches in -the world! Here and there the shelving of the rock overhangs -the ascent, and drops of water fall in a bright crystal -rain perpetually over the jungle so far below.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Standing upon the height, it was weirdly lovely to see the -eternal jungle monotonously swaying and waving beneath. -I thought of the strange feet that had followed these ways, -with hopes and fears so like our own. And now their fortress -is but a sunny day’s amusement for travellers from -lands unknown, and the city sitteth desolate, and the strength -of their building is resumed into the heart of nature. But -the places where men have worshipped and lifted their hands -to the Infinite are never dead. The Spirit that is Life Eternal -hovers about them, and the green that binds their broken -pillars is the green of an immortal hope.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The evening was now at hand, and, after the sun-steeped -day, the jungle gave out its good smells, beautiful earth-warm -smells like a Nature-Goddess, rising from the vast -tangle of life in the mysterious depths. You may gather -the flowers on their edge and wonder what the inmost flowers -are like that you will never see—rich, labyrinthine, beyond -all thought to paint.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The jungle is terrible as an army with banners. Sleeping -in the little rest-house when the night has fallen, it -comes close up to you, creeping, leaning over you, calling, -whispering, vibrating with secret life. A word more,—only -one,—a movement, and you would know the meaning and -be gathered into the heart of it; but always there is something -fine, impalpable, between, and you catch but a breath -of the whisper.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Very wonderful is the jungle! In the moonlight of a -small clearing I saw the huge bulk of three wild elephants -feeding. They vanished like wraiths into the depths. The -fireflies were hosting in the air like flitting diamonds. -Stealthy life and movement were about me: the jungle, wide-awake -and aware, moving on its own occasions.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A few days later I was at Anaradhapura. Once a million -people dwelt in the teeming city. Here or near was -the site visited by the famous Chinese pilgrim already mentioned, -Fa Hien. But it is in ruins; the jasper image is -gone. The tower is in the dust. A few priests watch by -the scene of so much dead greatness and receive the pilgrims -who still come with bowed heads to the Holy Places. -But Fa Hien has reached the home of all the pilgrimages—the -City of God dear and desirable in the sight of Plato -and Saint Augustine, and all the warriors of all the faiths, -and the inexorable years that have devoured the splendours -of the Kings leave untouched his tears and his hope, for -both are rooted in immortality.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He writes:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The houses of the merchants are very beautifully -adorned. The streets are smooth and level. At this time -the King, being an earnest believer in the Law, desired to -build a new monastery for this congregation. He chose a -pair of strong oxen and adorned their horns with gold, silver -and precious things. Then providing himself with a -beautiful gilded plough, the King himself ploughed round -the four sides of the allotted space, after which, ceding all -personal rights, he presented the whole to the priests.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>This must be the monastery described by a later pilgrim, -Hieuen Tsang, who journeyed from China to India about -the year 630 <span style='font-size:smaller'>A.D.</span> In visiting Ceylon, he writes of its magnificence -and especially of an upright pole on the roof “on -which is fixed a mighty ruby. This gem constantly sheds -a brilliant light which is visible day and night for a long -distance and afar off appears like a bright star.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That too is quenched in the dust. Where do the great -jewels of antiquity hide? But one is left at Anaradhapura -more precious than rubies—the famous image of the Buddha -seated alone in a forest glade, the true presentment of a -God, to whom beneath his closed eyes eternity is visible and -time the shadow of a dream. Around him surged once -the clamour of a great city, around him now the growth of -the forest, both to his vision alike—and nothing. Some -wayfarer had laid a flower at his feet when I stood there, -and a white tassel of the areca palm. The sun and moon -circle before him in this lonely place and the centuries pass -like seasons.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Forgetful is green earth; the God alone</p> -<p class='line0'>Remember everlastingly.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>The place is a village lost in the woods, but inexpressibly -holy because it contains in its own temple the sacred Bodhi -Tree which is an offshoot of that very Tree beneath which -the Lord Buddha received the Perfect Wisdom. Ceylon -desired this treasure, and they tried to break a branch from -the Tree, but dared not, for it resisted the sacrilege. But -the Princess Sanghamitta, in great awe and with trembling -hand, drew a line of vermilion about the bough, and at that -line it separated from the Tree, and the Princess planted it -in perfumed earth in a golden vase, and so brought it, attended -by honours human and superhuman, to Ceylon—to -this place, where it still stands. It is believed to be 2230 -years old.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>With infinite reverence I was given two leaves, collected -as they fell; and it is difficult to look on them unmoved if -indeed this Tree be directly descended from the other, which -sheltered the triumphant conflict with evil.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The city itself is drowned in the jungle. In the green -twilight you meet a queen’s palace, with reeling pillars and -fallen capitals, beautiful with carved moonstones, for so -are called the steps of ascent. Or lost in tangle, a manger -fifty feet long for the royal elephants, or a nobly planned -bath for the queens, where it is but to close the eyes and -dream that dead loveliness floating in the waters once so -jealously guarded, now mirroring the wild woodways. A -little creeper is stronger than all our strength, and our armies -are as nothing before the silent legions of the grass.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Later, I stood before the image of that Buddha who is -to come—who in the Unchanging awaits his hour; Maitreya, -the Buddha of Love. A majestic figure, robed like a king, -for he will be royal. In his face, calm as the Sphinx, must -the world decipher its hope, if it may. Strangely enough, in -most of his images this Saviour who shall come is seated like -a man of the West, and many learned in the faith believe -that this Morning Star shall rise in the West. May he come -quickly!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I set out one day for Mihintale, in a world of dewy, virginal -loveliness, washed with morning gold, the sun shooting -bright arrows into the green shade of the trees, a cloud -of butterflies radiant as little flower angels going with me. -One splendour, rose-red, velvet-black, alighted with quivering -wings on the mouse-grey shoulder of the meek little bull -who drew my cart and so went with us.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I was glad that my companion should be a devout Buddhist, -for his reverence and delight in the beauty of his -faith taught me many things. We climbed up through trees -so still that the rustling of their shadows on the ground -might have been audible, and as we went he told me a very -ancient Buddhist story which must have reached the Island -with the Apostle Mahinda, son of the high Emperor -Ashoka, who brought the faith from his father’s court in -India. Ashoka is one of the great world-rulers, the Constantine -of the Buddhist teaching and himself a devout disciple. -This story is a Jataka or Birth Story of the Lord, one of -those to which I have already alluded, as conveying moral -teaching (and often much folk lore), and this is called “The -Dancing Peacock.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Thus have I heard. In the old days the Blessed Buddha -sat at Jetavana, and they told him of a monk who had become -drowned in luxury, eating, drinking and adorning his -person with magnificence, so that he cared nothing for the -faith. And at last they brought him before the Lord that -he might be admonished. And the Perfect One said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Is it true, monk, that despising all nobility you have -surrendered yourself to idle luxury?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And without waiting to hear a word more the monk flew -into a violent anger, and tearing off his magnificent robe he -stood naked before the Master, crying:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Then, if you like not my robes, this is the way I will go -about!’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So the bystanding monks cried out: ‘Shame, Shame!’ -and in a fury he rushed from the hall and returned to the -condition of a layman. And the Lord said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Not only now, O monks, has this man lost the Jewel of -the faith by immodesty but it was also with him in a former -life. Hear the story of the Dancing Peacock.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Very long ago in the first age of the world, the birds -chose the Golden Bird to be their King. Now the Golden -Bird had a daughter, most beautiful to see, and he gave her -her choice of a husband, after the ancient manner of India, -calling together all the birds of the Himalaya. And he sent -for his daughter, saying: “Now come and choose!” And -looking she saw the Peacock with a neck of gold and emeralds -and a train of spread jewels, and instantly she said: -“Let this be my husband!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So all the birds approached the Peacock, saying:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Noble Peacock, the Princess has set her heart upon you. -Therefore rejoice with humility.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But the Peacock, walking arrogantly, replied:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Up to this day none of you would recognize the greatness -that was in me. Now instantly do homage to my majesty!’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And so intoxicated was he with pride that he began to -dance, spreading his wings and swaying his head, and altogether -conducting himself like a drunken man who cares -not at all for decency. And horror seized the Golden Bird -and he said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘This fellow has broken loose from all sense of shame—how -could it be that I should give my Princess to such as -he?’ And he uttered this:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Pleasant is your cry. Jewelled is your back. The -feathers of your tail are glorious, but, Sir, to such a dancer, -I can give no daughter of mine!’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And he bestowed his Princess immediately upon a bird of -modest behaviour, and the Peacock, covered with shame, -fled away.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Therefore, brethren, this monk has now lost the Jewel -of the faith as he once lost a fair wife. For in a former -birth, the Peacock was this shameless monk, but I myself -was the Golden Bird.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And this is a lesson also upon the stately calm which -marks the gentleman according to Oriental opinion. It is -the low-born only who may hurry and storm. Other stories -I heard, for my friend was a student of ancient things, and -this belief in lives past and to come is the spiritual life blood -of the Orient. It is the mete-yard of justice. He asked -me whether the Christian faith explicitly denied it, and I -could only reply—No; quoting that strange passage of -the Blind Man, when disciples questioning the Christ—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Did this man sin or his parents, that he was born blind?”—pass -unrebuked for the implication.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The Hill of Mihintale rises abruptly as Sigurya from the -forests, and the very air about it is holy, for it was on this -great hill that Mahinda, mysteriously transported from -India, alighted bewildered as one waking from a dream. -Here the King, Tissa, seeing the saint seated beneath a tree, -heard a voice he could not gainsay that called his name -three times; and so, approaching with his nobles, he received -the Teaching of the Blessed One.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The hill is climbed by wonderful carved shallow steps, -broken now, and most beautiful with an overgrowth of -green. At the sides are beds of the Sensitive Plant, with its -frail pink flowers. They would faint and fall if touched, -and here you would not even breathe roughly upon them, for -Buddhists regard the shrinking creatures as living and hold -it sinful to cause such evident suffering.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Descending the grey steps, the shade and sunshine dappling -his yellow robe and bared shoulder with noble colour, -came a priest, on his way to visit the sick of the little village. -He stopped and spoke. I told him I had come from -visiting the shrines of Burma, and he desired me to give -him a description of some matters I had seen there. I did -so, and we talked for some time, and it was then mentioned -that my food, like his own, necessitated no taking of life. -Instantly his whole face softened as he said that was glad -news to hear. It was the fulfilling of a high commandment. -Would I receive his blessing, and his prayer that the truth -might enlighten me in all things? He bestowed both, and, -having made his gift, went upon his way with the dignity -of perfect serenity. That little circumstance of food (as -some would call it) has opened many a closed door to me -in Asia.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At the top of the hill is a deep shadowy rock-pool, with a -brow of cliff overhanging it; and this is named the Cobra’s -Bath, for it is believed that in the past there was a cobra -who used, with his outspread hood, to shelter the saint, Mahinda, -from the torrid sun, and who was also so much a little -servant of the Law that none feared and all mourned him -when he passed upon his upward way in the chain of existences. -Here, above the pool where he loved to lie in the -clear cool, they sculptured a great cobra, with three hooded -heads, rising, as it were, from the water. It was most sinuously -beautiful and looked like the work of a great and -ancient people, gathering the very emblem of Fear into the -great Peace. On the topmost height was the <span class='it'>stupa</span>, or -shrine, of Mahinda, incasing its holy relic, and the caves -where his priests dwelt and still dwell. I entered one, at -the invitation of a Bhikku, an old man with singularly beautiful -eyes, set in a face of wistful delicacy. He touched my -engraved ring and asked what it might mean. Little enough -to such as he, whose minds are winged things and flutter -in the blue tranquillities far above the earth!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The caves are many, with a rock-roof so low that one -cannot stand upright—a strange, dim life, it would seem, -but this Bhikku spoke only of the peace of it, the calm that -falls with sunset and that each dawn renews. <span class='it'>I</span> could not -doubt this—it was written upon his every gesture. He gave -me his blessing, and his prayer that I might walk forever in -the Way of Peace. With such friends as these the soul -is at home. Peace. It is indeed the salutation of Asia, -which does not greet you with a desire for health or prosperity -as in the West, but only—Peace.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I would willingly tell more of my seekings and findings in -Ceylon, for they were many and great. But I pass on to -the little drowsy hill town of Badulla, where the small bungalows -nest in their gardens of glorious flowers and vines. I -sat in the churchyard, where the quiet graves of English -and Singhalese are sinking peacefully into oblivion. It was -Sunday, with a Sabbath calm upon the world. A winding -path led up to the open door of the little English church, a -sweet breeze swayed the boughs and ruffled the long grass of -the graves; the butterflies, small Psyches fluttered their -parable in the air about me. A clear voice from the church -repeated the Lord’s Prayer, and many young voices followed. -It was a service for the Singhalese children -who have been baptized into the Christian Faith. They -sang of how they had been brought out of darkness and -the shadow of death and their feet set upon the Way of -Peace.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Surely it is so. When was that Way closed to any who -sought? But because man must follow his own categorical -imperative, I repeated to myself, when they were silent, the -words of the poet Abdul Fazl, which he wrote at the command -of the Emperor Akbar as an inscription for a Temple -in Kashmir:—</p> - -<div class='blockquoter9'> - -<p class='pindent'>“O God, in every temple I see people that see Thee, and in -every language they praise Thee.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>If it be a mosque, men murmur the holy prayer, and if it be a -Christian church they ring the bell from love to Thee.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Sometimes I frequent the Christian cloister, and sometimes the -mosque, but it is Thou whom I seek from temple to temple.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Thine elect have no dealings with heresy or orthodoxy, for -neither of these stands behind the screen of thy Truth.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Heresy to the heretic and religion to the orthodox!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But the dust of the rose-petal belongs to the heart of the -perfume-seller!”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='pindent'>Yes,—and an ancient Japanese poet, going yet deeper, -says this thing: “So long as the mind of a man is in accord -with the Truth, the Gods will hear him though he do -not pray.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I passed the night at a little rest-house and next day set -out on the long journey to Polonnarewa, and beyond that to -Trincomali, through a wild part of Ceylon, stopping each -night at the rest-houses which mark the way. Jungle in -India is often mere scrub; this is thousands of acres of -mighty forest. A small road has been driven through it, -and on either side rises the dark and secret wall of trees, impenetrable -for miles, knitted with creepers and blind with -undergrowth—a dangerous mystery.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“Thousand eyeballs under hoods,</p> -<p class='line0'>Have you by the hair.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>It seems that every movement is watched, that strained ears -listen to every breath from the secrecy that can never be -pierced.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Much farther on the forest opens into the ancient tank -of Minneri, for these great artificial lakes of the bygone -Kings here and in India are called tanks. It is a glorious -lake twenty miles in circumference and I saw it first with -the mountains, exquisite in form and colour, rising behind it -in the rose and gold of a great sunset. Some forgotten King -made it to water the country, and there are still the very -sluices unbroken though choked by masses of fallen masonry. -It is the work of great engineers. No place could -be more lovely—the silver fish leaping in translucent water, -and one pouched pelican with its ax-like beak drifting -lazily in a glory so dazzling, that one could only glimpse it a -moment in the dipping sparkles of the reflected sun. The -way, like the ascent to Mihintale, was banked with masses -of the Sensitive Plant, lovely with its fragile pink flowers and -delicately folding and dropping leaves, fainting as you brush -them in passing.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But the lake—the wide expanse, calm as heaven and a -shimmer of rose and blue and gold! I lingered to watch -it—the strange beautiful grotesque of the great bird floating -above its own perfect image. It was evening and the -jungle was sweet with all the scents drawn out of it during -the long sun-steeped day—heavenly scents that come from -the teeming life in the mysterious forests, fresh forests germinating -on the ruins of the old—murmuring, calling, vibrating -with life and wonder and strange existences, and -their endless chain of blossom and decay.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It grew dark soon after Minneri, and the fireflies were glittering -about us and the moonlight white on the narrow way. -A whispering silence filled the air with unseen presences -as of the feet that long, long centuries ago trod this way on -their errands of pleasure or pain to the dead city of my goal. -I could almost see its spectral towers and palaces down the -moon-blanched glades. Illusion—nothing more.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The driver missed the track to Polonnarewa, but that mattered -little, so wonderful was the night in the lonely place -and the great dark where once a mighty people moved, and -now but the moon and stars circle before a dead majesty.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But at the long last we found our way and the little rest-house -which stands where stood the royal city, near a dim -glimmer of water. The only accommodation was a chair, -but that was welcome, and when I woke in the grey dawn -she came gliding with silver feet over the loveliest lake rippling -up to the steps of the fairy house in the woods, and -peopled by the glorious rose lotus, grown by the ancient people -for the service of the Temples. And the traveller whom -I met there went out before breakfast and brought in for -provender a pea-hen, a wood pigeon, and a great grey fish -from the lake. For myself, I eat like a Buddhist priest -and am content,—living foods were not for me.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The ruins at Polonnarewa are wonderful indeed, much -more perfect than those of the better known Anaradhapura, -though it does not offer, like the latter, the marvellous row -of the Buddhas who have fulfilled their mission and that -Buddha of Love who is yet to come. All about are temples -with colossal Buddhas, palaces, the strangely sculptured -stone rails which are so distinctively Buddhist surrounding -richly carved shrines. Hinduism mingled with Buddhism -also. Some of these beautiful relics have been dug out of -the jungle strata, some reclaimed from the invading growths -which are so all-obliterating in a tropic country, and no -doubt there is as much more to be discovered. The carved -work is exquisitely lovely. How strong is the passion for -beauty—in the very ends of the earth it is found, and surely -it confirms the Platonic teaching that it is a reflection of -that passion of joy in which the Creator beheld his work on -the seventh day and knew that it was good.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I cannot describe the wonder of passing through these -glades and lawns and seeing the great dagobas, those mighty -buildings of brick, but now waving with greenery, enshrining -each its holy relic. Would that it were possible to imagine -the city which dwelt under their shadow! But the -homes of men pass very swiftly away. It is only the homes -of their souls which abide. Yet the jungle is more wonderful -than what it buries. The sunlit walls of green guard -the road jealously. The sun-flecks only struggle a few -inches within that line, and then—trackless secrecy. A -bird flew out, jewelled, gorgeous, “Half angel and half bird.” -Are there greater wonders within? Who can tell? It is -sometimes death to attempt to lift the veil of Isis. I saw -the gravestone of a young man who for all his strength and -youth was lost in the jungle—caught in the poisoned sweetness -of her embrace and so died. It may have been a lonely -and fearful death, and yet again—who knows! There are -compensations of which we know nothing.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I stayed at the little rest-house of Kantelai on its lake -with the jungle creeping and whispering about it— “Dark -mother ever gliding near with soft feet.” Days to be remembered—unspeakably -beautiful—they leave some precious -deposit in the memory almost more lovely than the sight -itself, as in the world of thought the spirit is more than the -body.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And for the end to my journey the great and noble harbour -of Trincomali! I wonder why tourists so seldom go -there, but the ways of the tourist pass understanding. It -winds about in lakes of sea blue among palms and coral -bights and glittering beaches. Long ago, the people drifting -over from India built a temple where the old fort now -stands, and though thus polluted the site is still holy and -you may see the Brahman priest cast offerings into the sea -from a ledge high up the cliff, with the worshipping people -about him. Then the Portuguese swept down upon Ceylon -in their great naval days when they were the Sweepers of the -Sea, and they destroyed the temple and built their fort. -And the Dutch followed, and the Portuguese vanished, and -the French conquered the Dutch, and again the Dutch the -French, and then the English, hawking over the Seven Seas, -pounced like the osprey, and the Dutch sovereignty passed -into their keeping. Did I not say the Island had many -masters?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So the English made this a great fortified place, humming -with naval and military activity; men-of-war lying in the -bay, guns bristling in the beautiful old fort that guards the -cliff. And now all that too is gone—blown away like a -wreath of mist, and the only soldiers and sailors are those -who will stay forever in the little grave-place under the -palms, and if it so continues I daresay the jungle will take -Trincomali as it has taken the City of Kings.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A beautiful place. I wandered on the beach among the -shells one marvelled to see as a child, when sailor friends -gave them into eager hands—deep brown freckled polished -things, leopard-spotted and ivory-lipped, and so smooth that -the hand slips off the perfect surface. Delicate frailties of -opal and pearl shimmering with mystic colour, spiny grotesques -with long thorned stems—there they all lay for the -gathering. And at last I went up into the old fort.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It covers many acres on the cliff and the jungle is steadily -conquering the empty bungalows and fortifications. It is -very old, for the Dutch built it in 1650. Now in the thickets -the forsaken guns make an empty bravado like toothless -lions. I saw a deer and her fawn come peering shyly -through the bushes, and they fled before me. The casements -are empty and a flagless flagstaff looks over the -heavenly calm of the sea.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Almost lost in the shade I found some old Dutch graves, -very square and formal—a something of the rigidity of the -burgomaster about them still, as of stiff-ruffed men and -women. “Here sleeps in God—” said one mossy inscription -(but in Dutch)—and then a break, and then “Johanna” -and another break, and only a word here and there and a -long obliterated date. And the Dutch were masters and -Johanna slept in the ground of her people as securely as if -it had been The Hague itself. So it must then have seemed. -And now it is English, and whose next? Truly the fashion -of this world passeth away! They were touching, those -old tombs, with inscriptions that once were watered with -tears, that no one now cares to decipher. And there they -lie forgotten in the sighing trees, and the world goes by. -The dominion of oblivion is secure, whatever that of death -may be.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I climbed down to a casement in the cliff, half-way to the -sea, a little shelf overlooking the blue transparence that met -the blue horizon, and wondered what the grave God-fearing -talk of the Dutchmen had been as they leaned over the parapet, -discussing the ways of the heathen and the encroachments -of the British. And from there I made my way to -the rocks below with the brilliant water heaving about them. -Some large fish of the most perfect forget-me-not blue shading -into periwinkle mauve on the fins were playing before -me, and as they rolled over, or a ripple took them they displayed -the underside, a faint rose pink. Such beautiful -happy creatures in the wash of the wandering water clear -and liquid as light! Sometimes they wavered like moons -under a ripple, a blot of heavenliest blue, submerged and -quivering, sometimes a shoal of black fish barred with gold -swam in among them, beautiful to see. I could have stayed -all day, for it was heavenly cool, with a soft sea breeze blowing -through the rocks, but even as I watched a great brown -monster came wallowing through the water, and my beauties -fled like swallows.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The touch of tragedy was not wanting, for high on the -cliff was a little pillar to the memory of a Dutch girl who -fell in love long ago with an Englishman—a false lover, who -sailed away and left her heartbroken. Here she watched his -sails lessening along the sky, and as they dipped below the -horizon, she threw herself over the cliff in unendurable -anguish.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A tragic story, but it is all so long ago that it has fallen -back into the beauty of nature and is now no more sad than -a sunset that casts its melancholy glory before it fades. -Yet I wonder whether in all the hide and seek of rebirth she -has caught up somewhere with her Englishman! She knows -all about Psyche’s wings by this time, and he too must have -gained a dear-bought wisdom through “the great mercy of -the gift of departing,” as the Buddhists call it . . . they to -whom death is so small an episode in so long a story.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I sat by the pillar and watched the dying torch of the -sunset extinguished in the sea—a sea of glass mingled with -fire. And very quietly the stars appeared one by one in a -violet sky and it was night.</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:10em;font-size:1.2em;'>THE WONDERFUL PILGRIMAGE TO AMARNATH</p> - -<div><h1 id='ch10'>THE WONDERFUL PILGRIMAGE TO AMARNATH</h1></div> - -<p class='pindent'>In all India there is nothing more wonderful than the pilgrimages -of millions, which set like tidal waves at certain -seasons to certain sacrosanct places—the throngs that -flock to holy Benares, to Hardwar, and to that meeting of -the waters at Prayag, where the lustral rites purify soul and -body, and the pilgrims return shriven and glad. But of all -the pilgrimages in India the most touching, the most marvellous, -is that to Amarnath, nearly twelve thousand feet up -in the Himalayas. The cruel difficulties to be surmounted, -the august heights to be climbed (for a part of the way is -much higher than the height at which the Cave stands), the -wild and terrible beauty of the journey, and the glorious -close when the Cave is reached, make this pilgrimage the -experience of a lifetime even for a European. What must it -not be for a true believer? Yet, in the deepest sense, I -should advise none to make it who is not a true believer—who -cannot sympathize to the uttermost with the wave of -faith and devotion that sends these poor pilgrims climbing -on torn and wearied feet to the great Himalayan heights, -where they not infrequently lay down their lives before -reaching the silver pinnacles that hold their hearts’ desire.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I have myself made the pilgrimage, and it was one of the -deepest experiences of my life; while, as for the beauty and -wonder of the journey, all words break down under the effort -to express them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But first for a few words about the God who is the object of -devotion. The Cave is sacred to Siva—the Third Person of -the Hindu Trinity; that Destroyer who, in his other aspects, -is the Creator and Preserver. He is the God especially of -the Himalayas—the Blue-Throated God, from the blue -mists of the mountains that veil him. The Crescent in his -hair is the young moon, resting on the peak that is neighbour -to the stars. The Ganges wanders in the matted forests of -his hair before the maddening torrents fling their riches to -the Indian plains, even as the snow-rivers wander in the -mountain pine forests. He is also Nataraja—Lord of the -Cosmic Dance; and one of the strangest and deepest-wrought -parables in the world is that famous image where, in a wild -ecstasy, arms flung out, head flung back in a passion of motion, -he dances the Tandavan, the whole wild joy of the -figure signifying the cosmic activities of Creation, Maintenance -and Destruction. “For,” says a Tamil text, “our -Lord is a Dancer, who like the heat latent in firewood, diffuses -his power in mind and matter, and makes them dance -in their turn.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The strange affinity of this conception with the discoveries -of science relating to the eternal dance of the atom -and electron gives it the deepest interest. I would choose -this aspect of the God as that which should fill the mind of -the Amarnath pilgrim. Let him see the Great God Mahadeo -(Magnus Deus), with the drum in one hand which symbolizes -creative sound—the world built, as it were, to rhythm -and music. Another hand is upraised bidding the worshipper, -“Fear not!” A third hand points to his foot, the -refuge where the soul may cling. The right foot rests lightly -on a demon—to his strength, what is it? A nothing, the -mere illusion of reality! In his hair, crowned with the -crescent moon, sits the Ganges, a nymph entangled in its -forest. This is the aspect of Mahadeo which I carried in -my own mind as I made the pilgrimage, for thus is embodied -a very high mysticism, common to all the faiths.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Of all the deities of India Maheshwara is the most complex -and bewildering in his many aspects. He is the Great -Ascetic, but he is also Lord of the beautiful daughter of the -Himalaya,—Uma, Parwati, Gauri, Girija, the Snowy One, -the Inaccessible, the Virgin, the Mystic Mother of India, to -give but a few of her many and lovely names. She too has -her differing aspects. As Kali, she is the goddess of death -and destruction; as Parwati, the very incarnation of the -charm and sweetness of the Eternal Femine. As Uma she -is especially Himalayan.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In the freezing mountain lake of Manasarovar she did -age-long penance for her attempt to win the heart of the -Great Ascetic, the Supreme Yogi,—her lovely body floating -like a lily upon its icy deeps, and so, at long last, winning -him for ever. She is the seeker of mountains, the Dweller -in the Windhya Hills, the complement of her terrible Lord -and Lover, whose throne is Mount Kailasa. Yet in some -of his moods she must be completely absorbed and subjugated -to ensure his companionship, for he is the archetype -of the perfected human yogi of whom says the ancient Song -Celestial that “he abides alone in a secret place without desire -and without possessions, upon a firm seat, with the -working of the mind and senses held in check, with body, -head and neck in perfect equipoise, meditating in order -that he may reach the boundless Abyss; he who knows the -infinite joy that lies beyond the senses and so becomes like -an unflickering lamp in a lonely place.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>This union is possible to Parwati and her Lord. So dear -are they each to the other that they are often represented as -a single image of which one half is male, the other female, -the dual nature in perfect harmony in the Divine.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Thus then is the Great God to be visited in the high-uplifted -secret shrine of the mountains, which are themselves -the Lotus flower of creation. At dawn, suffused through all -their snows with glowing rose they dominate Indian thought -as the crimson lotus of Brahma the Creator. At noon, blue -in the radiant unveiled blue of the sky they are the blue -Lotus of Vishnu the Preserver, the Pillar of Cosmic Law. -At night, when all the earth is rapt in <span class='it'>samadhi</span>, the mystic -ecstasy, they are the snowy Lotus, throne of Siva, Maheshwara -the Great God, the Supreme Yogi when he dreams -worlds beneath the dreaming moon upon his brow.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And India is herself a petal of the World Lotus of Asia as -the Asiatic mind conceives it. Look at Asia of the maps -and reverence the Flower which thrones all the Gods of -Asia.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The Cave at Amarnath is sacred because a spring, eternally -frozen, has in its rush taken the shape of the holy -Lingam, which is the symbol of reproduction and therefore -of Life. This is also the Pillar of the Universe—that Pillar -which the Gods sought to measure, the one flying upward, -the other downward, for aeons, seeking the beginning and -the end, and finding none. Yet again, it is the Tree of Life, -which has its roots in Eternity, and branches through the -mythology of many peoples. And if there are degenerated -forms of this worship, surely the same may be said of many -others. And it is needful to know these things in order to -realize the significance of the worship.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The pilgrimage can be made only in July and August. -Before and after, a barrier of snow and ice closes the way, -and makes the Cave a desolation.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The start is made from Pahlgam, a tiny village on the -banks of the Lidar River in Kashmir, where it leaps from -the great glacier of Kolahoi to join the Jhelum River in the -Happy Valley. Pahlgam itself stands at a height of about -eight thousand feet.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The day before we started there was a great thunderstorm, -the grandest I have ever known. The mountains -were so close on each side that they tossed the thunder backwards -and forwards to each other, and the shattering and -roaring of the echoes was like the battles of the Gods or -the rolling of Maheshwara’s mighty drum in the mountain -hollows, while the continuous blue glare of the lightning -was almost appalling. It was strange to feel only a little -web of canvas between ourselves and that elemental strife -when the rain followed as if the fountains of the great deep -were broken up—cold as snow, stinging like hail, and so -steady that it looked like crystal harpstrings as it fell. Yet -next day we waked to a silver rain-washed world, sparkling -with prisms of rain and dew; fresh snow on the mountains, -and delicate webs of soft blue mist caught like smoke in the -pines.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So we set forth from Pahlgam, with our cavalcade of -rough hill ponies carrying the tents and provisions and all -our substance, and began our march by climbing up the -river that flows from those eternal heights into the Pahlgam -valley. Much of the way can be ridden if one rides very -slowly and carefully for these wonderful animals are sure-footed -as cats; but the track is often terrifying—broken -boulders and the like. If the ponies were not marvels, it -could not be done; and if one were not a safe rider, one certainly -could not stick on. The pony gives a strong hoist -of his fore-legs, and you are up one rock and hanging on by -his withers; then a strong hoist of the hind legs and you are -nearly over his neck; and this goes on for hours; and when -it is beyond the pony you climb on your feet, and ford the -torrents as best you may.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Up and up the steep banks of the river we climbed, among -the pines and mighty tumbled boulders. Up by the cliffs, -where the path hangs and trembles over the water roaring -beneath. On the opposite side the mountains soared above -the birches and pines, and the torrents hung down them like -mist, falling, falling from crag to crag, and shattering like -spray-dust as they fell. Once a mighty eagle soared above -us, balancing on the wind, and then floated away without a -single motion of his wings—wonderful to see; and the spread -of his wings was greater than the height of the tallest man.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We had long passed the last few huts, and the track -wound steadily higher, when suddenly growing on us, I -heard a deep musical roar like the underlying bass of an -orchestra—the full-chorded voice of many waters. And -as we turned a corner where the trail hung like a line round -the cliff, behold, a mighty gorge of pines and uplifted hills, -and the river pouring down in a tremendous waterfall, boiling -and foaming white as it fell into the raging pit beneath.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>What a sight! We stopped and looked, every sense -steeped in the wonder of it. For the air was cool with the -coolness that comes like breath off a river; our ears were -full of the soft thunder; the smell of pines was like the taste -of a young world in one’s mouth; yet it was all phantasmal, -in a way, as if it could not be real. I watched the lovely -phantom, for it hung like a thing unreal between heaven and -earth, until it grew dreamlike to me and dyed my brain with -sound and colour, and it was hard indeed to pass on.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That night we camped in a mountain valley some two -thousand feet above Pahlgam. It was like climbing from -story to story in a House of Wonder. The river was rushing -by our tents when they were pitched, pale green and -curling back upon itself, as if it were loath to leave these -pure heights, and the mountains stood about us like a prison, -almost as if we might go no farther. And when I stood -outside my tent just before turning in, a tremulous star was -poised on one of the peaks, like the topmost light on a Christmas -tree, and the Great Bear which in India is the constellation -of the Seven Rishis, or Sages, lay across the sky glittering -frostily in the blue-blackness.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I had a narrow escape that day; for, as I was leading the -cavalcade, I met a wild hill-rider in the trail between two -great rocks, and his unbroken pony kicked out at me savagely -with his foreleg and caught me above the ankle. Luckily, -they do not shoe their horses here; but it was pretty -bad for a bit, and I was glad of the night’s rest.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Next day we started and rounded out of the tiny valley; -and lo! on the other side another river, flowing apparently -out of a great arch in the mountainside. Out it poured, rejoicing -to be free; and when I looked, it was flowing, not -from the mountain but from a snow-bridge. Mighty falls -of snow had piled up at the foot of the mountain, as they -slipped from its steeps; and then the snow, melting above, -had come down as a torrent and eaten its way through the -wide arch of this cave. Often one must cross a river on -these snow-bridges, and at a certain stage of melting they -are most dangerous; for, if the snow should give, there may -be frightful depths beneath.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Here first I noticed how beautiful were the flowers of the -heights. The men gathered and brought me tremulous white -and blue columbines, and wild wallflowers, orange-coloured -and so deeply scented that I could close my eyes and call -up a cottage garden, and the beehives standing in sedate -rows under the thatched eaves. And there was a glorious -thistle, new to me, as tall as a man, well armed and girded -with blue and silver spears and a head of spiky rays. -Bushes, also, like great laurels, but loaded with rosy berries -that the Kashmiris love.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We turned then round a huge fallen rock, green and moist -with hanging ferns, and shining with the spray of the river, -and before us was a mountain, and an incredible little trail -winding up it, and that was our way. I looked and doubted. -It is called the Pisu, or Flea Ascent, on the dubious ground -that it takes a flea’s activity to negotiate it. Of course, it -was beyond the ponies, except here and there, on what I -called breathers, and so we dismounted. The men advised -us to clutch the ponies’ tails, and but for that help it would -have been difficult to manage. My heart was pumping in -my throat, and I could feel the little pulses beating in my -eyes, before I had gone far, and every few minutes we had -to stop; for even the guides were speechless from the climb, -and I could see the ponies’ hearts beating hard and fast under -the smooth coats.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But still we held on, and now beside us were blooming the -flower-gardens of the brief and brilliant Himalayan summer—beds -of delicate purple anemones, gorgeous golden ranunculus -holding its golden shields to the sun, orange poppies, -masses of forget-me-nots of a deep, glowing blue—a <span class='it'>burning</span> -blue, not like the fair azure of the Western flower, but -like the royal blue of the Virgin’s robe in a Flemish missal. -And above these swayed the bells of the columbines on their -slender stems, ranging from purest white, through a faint, -misty blue, to a deep, glooming purple. We could hardly -go on for joy of the flowers. It was a marvel to see all these -lovely things growing wild and uncared for, flinging their -sweetness on the pure air, and clothing the ways with beauty. -And at each turn fresh snow-peaks emerged against the infinite -blue of the sky—some with frail wisps of white cloud -caught in the spires, and some bold and clear as giants -ranged for battle—the lotus petals of the Infinite Flower.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And so we climbed up and reached another story, and -lay down to rest and breathe before we went farther up into -wonderland.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The top was a grassy “marg,” or meadow, cloven down to -the heart of the earth by a fierce river. Around it was a -vast amphitheatre of wild crags and peaks; and beneath -these, but ever upward, lay our trail. But the meadow -was like the field in Sicily where Persephone was gathering -flowers when she was snatched away by Dis to reign in the -Underworld. I remembered Leighton’s picture of her, floating -up from the dead dark, like a withered flower, and -stretching her hands to the blossoms of the earth once more. -I never saw such flowers; they could scarcely be seen elsewhere.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>And here the myriad blossoms lay</p> -<p class='line0'>In shattered rainbows on the grass.</p> -<p class='line0'>Exulting in their little day</p> -<p class='line0'>They laughed aloud to see us pass.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>We left them in their merriment,—</p> -<p class='line0'>The singing angels of the snows,—</p> -<p class='line0'>And still we climbed the steep ascent</p> -<p class='line0'>Along the sunward way it knows.</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>The snow had slipped off the meadow,—was rushing away -in the thundering river far below,—and the flowers were -crowding each other, rejoicing in the brief gladness of summer -before they should be shrouded again under the chilly -whiteness. But their colour took revenge on it now. They -glowed, they sang and shouted for joy—such was the vibration -of their radiance! I have never dreamed of such a -thing before.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And then came our next bad climb, up the bed of a ragged -mountain torrent and across it, with the water lashing at us -like a whip. I do not know how the ponies did it. They -were clutched and dragged by the ears and tails, and a man -seized me by the arms and hauled me up and round the -face of a precipice, where to miss one step on the loose stones -would have been to plunge into depths I preferred not to -look at. Then another ascent like the Flea, but shorter, -and we were a story higher, in another wild marg, all frosted -silver with edelweiss, and glorious with the flowers of another -zone—flowers that cling to the bare and lichened rock -and ask no foothold of earth.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That was a wild way. We climbed and climbed steadfastly, -sometimes riding, sometimes walking, and round us -were rocks clothed with rose-red saxifrage, shaded into pink, -and myriads of snowy stars, each with a star of ruby in its -heart. Clouds still of the wonderful forget-me-not climbed -with us. Such rock gardens! No earthly hand could plant -those glowing masses and set them against the warm russets -and golds of the lower crags, lifted up into this mighty sky -world. The tenderness of the soft form and radiant colour -of these little flowers in the cruel grasp of the rocks, yet -softening them into grace with the short summer of their -lives, is exquisitely touching. It has the pathos of all fragility -and brief beauty.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Later we climbed a great horn of rock, and rounded a -slender trail, and before was another camping-place—the -Shisha-Nag Lake among the peaks. We saw its green river -first, bursting through a rocky gateway, and then, far below, -the lake itself,—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>We passed the frozen sea of glass</p> -<p class='line0'>Where never human foot has trod,</p> -<p class='line0'>Green as a clouded chrysoprase</p> -<p class='line0'>And lonely as a dream of God.—</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>reflecting the snowy pinnacles above. The splintered peaks -stand about it. Until July it is polished ice, and out of one -side opens a solemn ante-chapel blocked with snow. The -lake itself is swept clear and empty. The moon climbs -the peaks and looks down, and the constellations swing -above it. A terrible, lonely place, peopled only by shadows. -It was awful to think of the pomps of sunrise, noon, and -sunset passing overhead, and leaving it to the night and -dream which are its only true companions. It should never -be day there—always black, immovable Night, crouching -among the snows and staring down with all her starlight eyes -into that polished icy mirror.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>For days we went. We left their mirth</p> -<p class='line0'>For where the springs of light arise,</p> -<p class='line0'>And dawns lean over to the earth,</p> -<p class='line0'>And stars are split to lower skies</p> -<p class='line0'>White, white the wastes around us lay,</p> -<p class='line0'>The wild peaks gathered round to see</p> -<p class='line0'>Our fires affront the awful day,</p> -<p class='line0'>Our speech the torrents’ giant glee.</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>We camped above the lake, and it was cold—cold! A -bitter wind blew through the rocks—a wind shrilling in a -waste land. Now and then it shifted a little and brought -the hoarse roar of some distant torrent or the crash of an -avalanche. And then, for the first time I heard the cry of -the marmot—a piercing note which intensifies the desolation. -We saw them too, sitting by their burrows; and then -they shrieked and dived and were gone.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We made a little stir of life for a while—the men pitching -our tents and running here and there to gather stunted -juniper bushes for fuel, and get water from an icy stream -that rippled by. But I knew we were only interlopers. -We would be gone next day, and chilly silence would settle -down on our blackened camp-fires.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In the piercing cold that cut like a knife I went out at -night, to see the lake, a solemn stillness under the moon. I -cannot express the awe of the solitudes. As long as I could -bear the cold, I intruded my small humanity; and then one -could but huddle into the camp-bed and try to shut out the -immensities, and sleep our little human sleep, with the camp-fires -flickering through the curtains, and the freezing stars -above.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Next day we had to climb a very great story higher. Up -and up the track went steadily, with a sheer fall at one side -and a towering wall on the other. We forded a river where -my feet swung into it as the pony, held by two men, plunged -through. It is giddy, dazzling work to ford these swift -rivers. You seem to be stationary; only the glitter of the -river sweeps by, and the great stones trip the pony. You -think you are done, and then somehow and suddenly you are -at the other side.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And here a strange thing happened. When the morning -came, we found that a <span class='it'>sadhu</span>—a wandering pilgrim—had -reached the same height on his way to the Cave. He was -resting by the way, very wearied, and shuddering with the -cold. So I ventured to speak to him and welcome him to -our fire and to such food (rice) as he could accept from -some of our men; and there, when we stopped for the mid-day -meal, he sat among us like a strange bird dropped from -alien skies. Sometimes these men are repulsive enough, but -this one—I could have thought it was Kabir himself! -Scrupulously clean, though poor as human being could be, -he would have come up from the burning plains with his -poor breast bare to the scarring wind, but that some charitable -native had given him a little cotton coat. A turban, -a loin-cloth looped between the legs, leaving them naked, -grass sandals on feet coarse with travelling, and a string of -roughly carved wooden beads such as the Great Ascetic himself -wears in his images were all his possessions, except the -little wallet that carried his food—rice and a kind of lentil. -I thought of Epictetus, the saint of ancient Rome, and his -one tattered cloak.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>  A wandering sadhu; far he came,</p> -<p class='line0'>His thin feet worn by endless roads;</p> -<p class='line0'>Yet in his eyes there burnt the flame</p> -<p class='line0'>That light the altars of the Gods.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>The keen wind scarred his naked breast.</p> -<p class='line0'>I questioned him, and all the while</p> -<p class='line0'>The quiet of a heart at rest</p> -<p class='line0'>Shone in his secret patient smile.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>Yes, he had come from hot Bengal,</p> -<p class='line0'>From scorching plains to peaks of ice;</p> -<p class='line0'>Took what was given as chance might fall,</p> -<p class='line0'>And begged his little dole of rice.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“And have you friends, or any child?</p> -<p class='line0'>Or any home?” He shook his head,</p> -<p class='line0'>And threw his hands out as he smiled,</p> -<p class='line0'>And “Empty,” was the word he said.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>And so he sat beside our fire,</p> -<p class='line0'>As strange birds drop from alien skies,</p> -<p class='line0'>Gentle but distant, never nigher,</p> -<p class='line0'>With that remoteness in his eyes.</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>This was a man of about fifty-five, tall, thin, with a sensitive -face, yet with something soldierly about him; dignified -and quiet, with fine hawk-like features and strained bright -eyes in hollow caves behind the gaunt cheek-bones. A beautiful -face in both line and expression; a true mystic, if ever -I saw one!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He told me he had walked from Bengal (look at the map -and see what that means!) and that the poor people were -very kind and gave him a little rice sometimes, when they -had it, and sometimes a tiny coin, asking only his prayers in -return. That he needed very little, never touching meat or -fish or eggs, which he did not think could be pleasing to God. -For sixteen years he had been thus passing from one sacred -place to the other—from the holy Benares to Hardwar where -the Ganges leaves the hills, and farther still, praying—praying -to the One. “There is One God,” he said; and again I -thought of Kabir, the supreme mystic, the incarnate Joy, who -also wandered through India,—striving, like this man:</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>  He has looked upon God, and his eyeballs are clear;</p> -<p class='line0'>There was One, there is One, and but One, saith Kabir,—</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>  To learn and discern of his brother the clod,</p> -<p class='line0'>  And his brother the beast, and his brother the God.</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>But does it not fill one with thoughts? That man had a -soul at rest and a clear purpose. And the Christ and the -Buddha were sadhus; and if it seem waste to spend the sunset -of a life in prayer, that may be the grossest of errors. -We do not know the rules of the Great Game. How should -we judge? So he came with us, striding behind the ponies -with his long steadfast stride, and his company was pleasing -to me.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That was a wondrous climb. Had any God ever such an -approach to his sanctuary as this Great God of the heights? -We climbed through a huge amphitheatre of snows, above -us the ribbed and crocketed crags of a mighty mountain. -It was wild architecture—fearful buttresses, springing -arches, and terrible foundations rooted in the earth’s heart; -and, above, a high clerestory, where the Dawn might walk -and look down through the hollow eyeholes of the windows -into the deeps of the precipice below.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I suppose the architect was the soft persistence of water, -for I could see deep beach-marks on the giant walls. But -there it stood, crowned with snow, and we toiled up it, and -landed on the next story, the very water-shed of these high -places—a point much higher than the goal of our journey. -And that was very marvellous, for we were now in the bare -upper world, with only the sky above us, blue and burning -on the snow, the very backbone of the range; and, like the -Great Divide, the rivers were flowing both ways, according -to the inclination of the source.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Before us lay snow which must be crossed, and endless -streams and rivers half or wholly buried in snow. That -was a difficult time. The ponies were slipping, sliding, -stumbling, yet brave, capable, wary as could be. I shall -for ever respect these mountain ponies. They are sure-footed -as goats and brave as lions and nothing else would -serve in these high places. In Tibet they have been known -to climb to the height of 20,000 feet.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Sometimes the snow was rotten, and we sank in; sometimes -it was firm, and then we slipped along; sometimes riding -was impossible, and then we picked our way with alpenstocks. -But everywhere in the Pass summer had its brief -victory, and the rivers were set free to feed the sultry Indian -plains.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At last we won through to another high marg, a pocket of -grass and blossom in the crags; and there, at Panjitarni, we -camped. Of course, we had long been above all trees, but -nothing seemed to daunt the flowers. This marg lay basking -in the sun, without one fragment of shade except when -the sun fell behind the peaks in the evening. But the flowers -quivered, glowed, expanded. My feet were set on edelweiss, -and the buttercups were pure gold. The stream ran -before me pure as at the day-dawn of the world, and from all -this innocent beauty I looked up to the untrodden snow, so -near, yet where only the eagle’s wings could take her.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Next day was an enforced rest, for everyone, man and -beast, was weary; so we basked in the sun, reading and -writing, and but for the July snow and the awful peaks, it -was hard to believe that one was in the upper chambers of -the King’s Palace. Yet the air was strange, the water was -strange, and it was like a wild fairy-tale to look down from -my camp-bed and see the grey edelweiss growing thick beside -it, and hear the shriek of the marmot.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Next day we should reach the Cave, and when it came the -morning looked down upon us sweet and still—a perfect -dawn.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>First we crossed the marg, shining with buttercups, and -climbed a little way up a hill under the snows, and then -dropped down to the river-bed under caves of snow for the -path above was blocked. It was strange to wade along -through the swift, icy waters, with the snow-caves arching -above us in the glowing sunlight. The light in these caves -is a wonderful lambent green, for the reflected water is -malachite green itself; but I was glad when the passage was -over, for it looked as if some impending mass must fall and -crush us.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We climbed painfully out of the water, and in front was -a track winding straight up the mountain. It was clear that -we could not ride up; but we could not delay, so we started -as steadily as the ponies. I hardly know how they did it—the -men dragged and encouraged them somehow. And still -less do I know how we did it. The strain was great. At -one point I felt as if my muscles would crack and my heart -burst. We did the worst in tiny stages, resting every few -minutes, and always before us was the sadhu winning steadily -up the height. It was a weary, long climb, new elevations -revealing themselves at every turn of the track. Finally, -I fell on the top and lay for a bit to get my wind, -speechless but triumphant.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We rode then along the face of the hill—an awful depth -below, and beside us flowers even exceeding those we had -seen. Purple asters, great pearl-white Christmas roses -weighting their stems, orange-red ranunculus. It was a -broken rainbow scattered on the grass. And above this -heaven of colour was the Amarnath mountain at last—the -goal.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Then came a descent when I hardly dared to look below -me. That too could not be ridden. In parts the track had -slipped away, and it was only about six inches wide. In others -we had to climb over the gaps where it had slipped. At -the foot we reached a mighty mountain ravine—a great cleft -hewn in the mountain, filled like a bowl to a fourth of its -huge depth with snow, and with streams and river rushing -beneath. We could hear them roaring hollowly, and see -them now and then in bare places. And at the end of the -ravine, perhaps two miles off, a great cliff blocked the way, -and in it was a black hole—and this was the Shrine.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The snow was so hard that we could ride much of the -way, but with infinite difficulty, climbing and slipping where -the water beneath had rotted the snow. In fact, this glen is -one vast snow-bridge, so undermined is it by torrents. The -narrowness of it and the towering mountains on each side -make it a tremendous approach to the Shrine.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A snow-bridge broke suddenly under my pony and I -thought I was gone; but a man caught me by the arm, and -the pony made a wild effort and struggled to the rocks. -And so we went on.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The Cave is high up the cliff, and I could see the sadhu’s -figure striding swiftly on as if nothing could hold him back.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We dismounted before the Cave, and began the last climb -to the mouth. I got there first, almost done, and lo! a -great arch like that of the choir of a cathedral; and inside, a -cave eaten by water into the rock, lighted by the vast arch, -and shallow in comparison with its height of 150 feet. At -the back, frozen springs issuing from the mountain. One -of the springs, the culminating point of adoration, is the -Lingam as it is seen in the temples of India—a very singular -natural frost sculpture. Degraded in the associations -of modern ignorance the mystic and educated behold in this -small phallic pillar of purest ice the symbol of the Pillar of -Cosmic Ascent, rooted in rapture of creation, rising to the -rapture of the Immeasurable. It represents That within the -circumference of which the universe swings to its eternal -rhythm—That which, in the words of Dante, moves the sun -and other stars. It is the stranger here because before it the -clear ice has frozen into a flat, shallow altar.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The sadhu knelt before it, tranced in prayer. He had -laid some flowers on the altar, and, head thrown back and -eyes closed, was far away—in what strange heaven, who -shall say? Unconscious of place or person, of himself, of -everything but the Deity, he knelt, the perfect symbol of -the perfect place. I could see his lips move— Was it the -song of Kabir to the Eternal Dancer?—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>He is pure and eternal,</p> -<p class='line0'>His form is infinite and fathomless.</p> -<p class='line0'>He dances in rapture and waves of form arise from his dance.</p> -<p class='line0'>The body and mind cannot contain themselves when touched by his divine joy.</p> -<p class='line0'>He holds all within his bliss.</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>What better praise for such a worshipper before him in -whose ecstasy the worlds dance for delight—here where, in -the great silence, the Great God broods on things divine? -But I could not know——</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>I could not know, for chill and far</p> -<p class='line0'>His alien heaven closed him in.</p> -<p class='line0'>His peace shone distant as a star</p> -<p class='line0'>Remote in skies we cannot win.</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>I laid my flowers on the altar of ice beside his. Who -could fail to be moved where such adoration is given after -such a pilgrimage? And if some call the Many-Named -“God,” and some “Siva,” what matter? To all it is the Immanent -God. And when I thought of the long winter and -the snow falling, falling, in the secret places of the mountains, -and shrouding this temple in white, the majesty of -the solitudes and of the Divine filled me with awe.</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>Outside the marmot’s cry was shrill,</p> -<p class='line0'>The mountain torrents plunged in smoke;</p> -<p class='line0'>Inside our hearts were breathless still</p> -<p class='line0'>To hear the secret word He spoke.</p> -<p class='line0'>We heard Him, but the eyelids close,</p> -<p class='line0'>The seal of silence dumbs the lips</p> -<p class='line0'>Of such as in the awful snows</p> -<p class='line0'>Receive the dread Apocalypse.</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>Later we climbed down into the snowy glen beneath the -Cave, and ate our meal under a rock, with the marmots -shrilling about us, and I found at my feet—what? A tuft -of bright golden violets—all the delicate penciling in the -heart, but shining gold. I remembered Ulysses in the Garden -of Circe, where the <span class='it'>moly</span> is enshrined in the long thundering -roll of Homer’s verse:—</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“For in another land it beareth a golden flower, but not in this.”</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='noindent'>It is a shock of joy and surprise to find so lovely a marvel in -the awful heights.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We were too weary to talk. We watched the marmots, -red-brown like chestnuts, on the rocks outside their holes, -till everything became indistinct and we fell asleep from utter -fatigue.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The way back was as toilsome, only with ascents and -descents reversed; and so we returned to Panjitarni.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Next day we rested; for not only was it necessary from -fatigue, but some of our men were mountain-sick because of -the height. This most trying ailment affects sleep and appetite, -and makes the least exertion a painful effort. Some -felt it less, some more, and it was startling to see our strong -young men panting as their hearts laboured almost to bursting. -The native cure is to chew a clove of garlic; whether it -is a faith cure or no I cannot tell, but it succeeded. I myself -was never affected.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Of the journey down I will say little. Our sadhu journeyed -with us and was as kind and helpful on the way as -man could be. He stayed at our camp for two days when -we reached Pahlgam; for he was all but worn out, and we -begged him to rest. It touched me to see the weary body -and indomitable soul.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At last the time came for parting. He stood under a pine, -with his small bundle under his arm, his stick in his hand, -and his thin feet shod for the road in grass sandals. His -face was serenely calm and beautiful. I said I hoped God -would be good to him in all his wanderings; and he replied -that he hoped this too, and he would never forget to speak -to Him of us and to ask that we might find the Straight -Way home. For himself, he would wander until he died—probably -in some village where his name would be unknown -but where they would be good to him for the sake of the -God.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>So he salaamed and went, and we saw him no more. Was -it not the mighty Akbar who said, “I never saw any man lost -in a straight road”?</p> - - - <div class='poetry-container' style=''> - <div class='lgp'> <!-- rend=';' --> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>He came with us; we journeyed down</p> -<p class='line0'>To lowlier levels where the fields</p> -<p class='line0'>Are golden with the wheat new-mown,</p> -<p class='line0'>And all the earth her increase yields.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>He told us that his way lay on.</p> -<p class='line0'>He might not rest; the High God’s cry</p> -<p class='line0'>Rang “Onward!” and the beacon shone,</p> -<p class='line0'>“And I must wander till I die.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>“But when I speak unto my God</p> -<p class='line0'>I still will tell him you were kind,</p> -<p class='line0'>That you may tread where He has trod</p> -<p class='line0'>Until the Straight Way home you find.”</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>He joined his hands in deep salute,</p> -<p class='line0'>And, smiling, went his lonely way,</p> -<p class='line0'>Sole, yet companioned, glad, yet mute,</p> -<p class='line0'>And steadfast toward the perfect day.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -</div> -<div class='stanza-outer'> -<p class='line0'>And still I see him lessening</p> -<p class='line0'>Adown the endless Indian plain.</p> -<p class='line0'>Yet certain am I of this thing—</p> -<p class='line0'>Our souls have met—shall meet again.</p> -</div> -</div></div> <!-- end poetry block --><!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>Thus I have tried to give some dim picture of the wonders -of that wonderful pilgrimage. But who can express the -faith, the devotion that send the poorer pilgrims to those -heights? They do it as the sadhu did it. Silence and deep -thought are surely the only fitting comments on such a sight.</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:10em;font-size:1.2em;'>THE MAN WITHOUT A SWORD</p> - -<div><h1 id='ch11'>THE MAN WITHOUT A SWORD</h1></div> - -<p class='pindent'><span style='font-size:smaller'>(What is told in this story of jujutsu or judo, the Japanese national -science of self-defence and attack, is from the point of view of an -expert, strange as it may appear.)</span></p> - -<p class='pindent'>This is the true story of an experience which befell me -in Japan. For six years I have kept silence and I tell it -now only because my own knowledge assures me of the -growing interest in matters relating to what Oriental scholars -call “the formless world”—that is to say the sphere surrounding -us which we now know to be independent of solidity -and time as we conceive them, a world not to be grasped -by our fallible senses yet apprehended by some of us in certain -conditions not tracked and charted definitely. Modern -science, feeling after the mysterious, has named this world -which permeates ours and yet is invisible, the Fourth Dimension -because it is not subject to the three illusions of -length, breadth and height which imprison most of us from -the cradle to the grave. But why philosophize? Let me -tell my story.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>My name is Hay, and I am a middle-class Scotchman, a -public school and University man who, like others, took -part in the War. I came through whole and sound but it -left its mark. For one thing, it knocked to smithereens the -average ideals of success and attainment, which, again like -others, had shaped my life, and from being a strictly average -man in that I followed the herd in all its decencies of convention -the war left me naked and unsheltered in the open -without a rag of conviction to hide me from the truth if it -should happen to pass my way. But I had ceased to believe -in its existence outside the things we use in daily intercourse.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Another effect also. My war experience was naval and -chiefly in the Mediterranean where men of all nationalities -were coming and going, and that constant contact wore thin -the shell an Englishman inhabits—such crustaceans as we -are!—until I began to see in what different terms the universe -may be stated from the differing angles of race and -nationality. What helped me to this understanding was a -friendship I struck up with a Japanese naval officer—a remarkable -fellow as I thought then and know now. He -spoke English perfectly and had not only read but inwardly -digested what he read, which is more than can be said for -most of us. I owed him two services besides. He taught -me to speak Japanese—I am quick at languages,—and being -a great expert in the national art of defence and attack -which is known as jujutsu, he began to give me lessons which -were the beginning of much. His name was Arima, his -age the same as mine—thirty-four,—and for very different -reasons we both left our services when the war shut down.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Yet I knew our friendship would not end there, nor did -it. One day while I was dining alone in my club in London, -wondering whether I should ever again find anything which -I honestly felt worth doing, a letter reached me. I knew -the almost mercantile precision of the hand before I opened -it and it sent a pleasurable thrill through nerves which had -been stagnant with exhaustion since I had been ashore.</p> - -<div class='blockquoter9'> - -<p class='noindent'>“Hay sama,</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I think much of you and wonder if you ever free a thought -to cross the sea to my little house in Kyushu. That is our southern -island and since illness drove me from our navy I live there. I -need the sunshine of a friend’s company and if you feel the same -need come, I beg you, and make me a long visit. I live in a -beautiful valley run through by a river which will please you. It -flows by rocks and mountains, pine woods and prosperous villages; -a happy land. Not far from my house is a temple to -Hachiman, God of War. I do not pay my devotions there for -reasons which you will understand. But come, my friend. I -have learned many things since we met and no doubt it is the same -with you.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='pindent'>That letter flung up a window in a stifling room. It -meant escape from the dull indifference besetting me and -contact with those people who of all in the world preserve -the Stoic virtues which seemed to be the only ones likely -to extricate me from my Slough of Despond. I wrote my -answer within ten minutes and in two months I was in -Japan.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I did not go at once to Arima, nor will I tell my first adventures -on landing and making myself at home in Tokyo. -They are neither good reading nor thinking. I had more -than one reason to regret that Arima had made me free of -the country by giving me its tongue. Pretty well worn out, -with a stale taste of sour regrets in my mouth, I went down -at last to Kyushu, and in the garden of Arima’s delightful -little house I take up the story.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was a true Japanese garden, a wide landscape seen -through the diminishing end of a telescope. There was a -forest, a mountain which had spilt its mighty boulders by -the side of a running river with a Chinese bridge thrown -over it. True, one could have bestridden the mountain and -hopped the river, but what did that matter? The real river, -the Kogagawa, rippled beside the grass which ran down to -where a great willow dipped cool fingers in liquid crystal -from the mountain heights, and under that green veil of -drooping boughs with eyes half closed it was possible to -dream that the little garden passed into the idea which had -filled its maker’s mind, and became grand and terrible, a -place of wild beauty and awe.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It must be so,” said Arima smiling, “because he saw it -so, and what a man has once clearly seen is registered immortal -and can be seen by others when necessary.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He sat under the willow, his fine bronzed face and throat -bare to the flitting shadows of trembling leaves.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Who made it?” I asked. “He cannot have been a common -man.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He was my great-great-grandfather and very far from -a common man. I have a paper in his own hand which tells -why and how he made it and it is a very strange story.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He threw away his cigarette and sat looking at the wandering -paths paved with flat stones here and there, the little -flowering herbs springing in the crevices; at the mountain -where, altering the scale, you might wander and be lost for -dreadful days in mighty gorges and ravines. The river -swept round it in a rapid current possibly two feet wide and -joined the Kogagawa in a lovely bay quite four feet across -where a fairy fleet might have anchored after a prosperous -voyage from Stratford on Avon in the dream of a midsummer -night.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Some day I will read you his paper, but not yet. I have -reasons for delay. The spirit of our country is hovering -over you but has not yet entered in and possessed you. -People come to Japan in ship-loads and see the surface -bright with colour and gaiety which we spread out before -them. But they do not know. We do not mean they -should. To be truthful—I do not think any foreigner can -understand Japan unless he is a Buddhist at heart— As -you are.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I?” I echoed in uttermost astonishment. “My good -fellow, I am nothing. I haven’t the devil of a ghost of a -notion what it all means.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He looked at me with a quaint smile hiding in the deeps -of his narrow eyes. It peered out like a wise gnome, as old -as the hills and older.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Your downstairs self knows very well. It has not passed -it on yet to your honourable upstairs self. But the wireless -begins to talk and the air is full of voices beating at -your ears. What stories they will tell you! I should like -to hear them.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>For the moment I could not be sure that he was in earnest. -But I could ask, for it was an intimate hour.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The full moon was rounding up from behind the mountain -of Naniwa where the monastery of the Thousand-Armed -Kwannon, Spirit of Pity, looks out over a wide and -wonderful landscape of woods and valleys. That day we -had visited the house of the Abbot,—The House Built upon -Clouds, they call it, and there, for a moment I had had an -experience new and very difficult to describe.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Yet I must try. It began with a physical sensation like -a strange intake of breath which I could not expel, and made -my heart beat violently. That passed, but I thought it had -affected my head for it seemed that my memory was disturbed. -I could not remember my name, and my past life, -as I recalled it from childhood, was gone, shrunk to an -invisible point so small that I could look over it to something -beyond. That something moved in cloudy shapes impossible -to focus into clear vision. I saw as one sees when a -telescope needs adjusting and another turn will clear all -into intelligibility. But for a moment I had dropped my -historic, racial sense like a garment, and the monk with his -calm face like lined and weathered ivory seemed nearer to -me than anyone I had ever known though it was not half an -hour since we had met. I could remember his sonorous -Japanese name. My own was gone. I must place the scene -clearly. Arima was examining some ancient vessels of fine -three-metal work from Tibet, and the Abbot and I stood by -the window looking out over the vast drop of the valley -from such a height that it was like a swallow’s nest in the -eaves of the spiritual city. Suddenly I was aware that our -eyes were fixed on each other, on my side with passionate, -on his with searching intensity.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Again, what shall I say? I was conscious that something -arresting had happened and could not tell myself what it -was. But it was his eyes through which I looked, as through -a window, with an overwhelming question.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Also, he was speaking in a clear low monotone like running -water. It was as though he continued a conversation -of which I had lost the beginning.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But how can you expect to see without concord of mind? -Yours is in the confusion of a tossing sea. It has no direction. -The way you must follow is to repeat these words -until you understand them perfectly.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He paused and enunciated these strange words clearly:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have no parents. I make the heavens and the earth -my parents. I have no magic. I make personality my -magic. I have no strength. I make submission my -strength. I have neither life nor death. I make the Self-Existent -my life and death. I have no friends. I make my -mind my friend. I have no armour. I make right-thinking -and right-doing my armour. Can you remember this? It -is the beginning.” Looking in his eyes I remembered and -repeated it perfectly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Good!” he said with calm approval.—“And there is -one clause more. An important one. ‘I have no sword. -I make the sleep of the mind my sword.’ That signifies -that the outer reasoning self, which is really nothing, must -be lulled asleep and put off its guard before the inner self, -which is All, can function.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Suddenly as it had come the experience ended. I was -released. I stood in the window, watching the softly floating -clouds, the waving woods far, far beneath, the wheeling -of a drove of swallows in blue air. The Abbot was speaking -with Arima; they were handling the vessels, barbarically -rich, and discussing them with interest. Had my experience -been some wild momentary distortion of the brain? I -shuddered as if with cold. My hands were shaking. Then -all was normal.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But, clambering down the hundreds of beautiful broken -steps overgrown with flowers and moss where so many generations -have come and gone in pilgrimage, I said nothing -to Arima. It had become impossible. Something called -the war to my mind and I said something careless, but he -waved that aside.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We must speak of it no more. Why steep one’s soul in -illusion? Much that we thought real and allowed to affect -us was nothing, and the emotions it caused less than nothing. -I have awaked. You are near the dawn.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I thought this remark cruel, and said something heated -about the dead who had paid with their lives for the illusion—the -ignorant things one does say! He received it with -his invulnerable Japanese courtesy.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I went too fast. Pardon me. The Buddha alone can -impart knowledge to the Buddha, and who am I that I should -speak? The time and the master come together. Here, -my friend,—you should drink of this running water. It -comes from a beautiful spring in the mountain above. They -call it ‘Light Eternal’ and say that to taste of it is to drink -perfect health. If only it were as easy as that!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>By the mossy rock lay two little dippers of pure white -wood. I was extremely English at that instant and nothing -would have induced me to soil my lips with a cup used by -strangers. I hooped my hands and drank,—he, from the -dipper.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You miss the sacrament,” he said, “but the water in any -case is good.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And so we went home, talking of the treasures of the -monastery, wonders of art, famous throughout Japan.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But now, in the gathering night concentrating its radiance -in a moon so glorious as to obscure the nearer stars, in the -breathless silence made vocal by the ripple of the river on -its eternal way, beneath the dropped veil of the willow influences -were loosed which opened my heart, and I told -Arima my experience of the afternoon. I asked whether -he had been conscious of what had passed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>His face was a shadow beneath the boughs. I saw only -the moonlight in his eyes as he replied.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“No. I knew nothing. The Abbot Gyōsen was speaking -with me all the time. I thought you were absorbed in -the view. It is most wonderful.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That could not satisfy me.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Impossible,” I said. “For how could that strange formula -come into my mind? I never heard it before. I -have not the faintest notion what it means.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There was a brief silence, then he answered slowly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I scarcely think it my part to clear up the matter. Will -you not ask the Abbot himself? Yet there are one or two -things I could say if you wish.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Seeing I was in earnest he continued.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The Abbot Gyōsen is a remarkable man. In the first -place seclusion in a mountain temple in devout contemplation -purifies the heart, and then he is a deep student of Zen. -Zen is the science of mental or spiritual concentration. In -India they call it Yoga. A man who possesses this knowledge -can do things which to the ignorant of its powers appear -miracles. They are perfectly natural however. In -his youth he had magnificent skill in jujutsu. No man could -stand up against him. There was a reason for that.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He was silent for a moment, and then added:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“His influence is enormous. You would scarcely credit -the true stories I could tell of him.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I listened in deep reflection, staring at the broken ripples -of moonlight in the river. Again the weird intake of breath -seized me, my heart beat rapidly with the consciousness that -I was face to face with the Unknown; that it had eyes but -I was blind, groping in the dark. Light, light: That was -the cry within me.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The formula?” I asked, when my breath steadied again.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I could not see even his eyes now. Arima was an invisible -presence.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In Japan,” he said, “in connection with jujutsu and otherwise -we recognize a strange force which we call <span class='it'>kiai</span>, a very -powerful dynamic. We consider it a manifestation of the -primal energy. It lies all round us for the taking by anyone -who will use the necessary means and in itself is neither -good nor evil. The result depends on the person who uses -it. What the Abbot Gyōsen passed into your mind was -certain of the first rules of this knowledge. We call them -the Rules of Detachment. He must have been conscious -that you have reached the fit stage for instruction.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Then all I can say is that he was entirely mistaken. He -could hardly choose a worse subject for any spiritual experiments -than myself.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Arima laughed slightly but kindly as one laughs at a -child’s ignorant certitude.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“That is not possible. Men of his sort are not mistaken. -But <span class='it'>you</span> mistake. Certainly this force may be employed -for a very high kind of spiritual adventure, but in itself it is -neutral. It is only a force, and what he foresees for you I -cannot tell. It is a sword. Now a sword may be employed -by a god or a devil or any of the grades between.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>This idea was so new to me that I said nothing for a moment, -revolving the thing inwardly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Can you mean that a force of tremendous possibility -lies about us for anyone to use who will? That a man can -handle the powers of miracle——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He shook his head:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“There is no miracle. There is only Law and some of us -understand it better than others. Knowledge is always -power and the unscrupulous may know as well as the saints. -But they will know from a different and disastrous angle. -Does one always see power in worthy hands? You and I -who have lived through the war know better than that. -No, this force is applicable to small things as to great. It -can mean success in money-grubbing or the open door to -an apostleship. As I said—it is a sword. But it cannot be -trifled with. It carries you to a stage where you perceive -the danger too late and are seized with an indescribable -horror. The wings melt in the sun’s flame, and then——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He made an eloquent gesture with his hand which suggested -a fall from some unimagined height.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I won’t believe it,” I said resolutely. “That whatever -rules the universe should trust it anywhere to clumsy or -wicked interference— No, impossible!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yet we see it daily,” Arima replied calmly. “But -things always come right in the long run. This power of -which I speak is only one gesture of the Supreme and there -is much behind it. Illusions pass like clouds but the sun -remains.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But—but,” I hesitated.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is this which explains the mystery of good and evil, -as we call them. Think it out and you will see. Shall -we go in now? I have a fancy that the processes of the -night—even the river—like to be free of us intruders. -If we are not in harmony with them——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Arima!” I said on an impulse, “have you this secret? -I think—I know that in your hands it would be safe. What -you have said makes me long for more. If the Abbot -judged me fit for so much—and you say he must have -known——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He stretched his hand in the moonlight and grasped mine -in a strong clasp. I had a sensation of something throbbing -and beating from his wrist to mine. It flowed tingling -along my veins until it was warm about my heart.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is day!” he said.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I heard no more. It was day. A fierce sun blazed upon -me and I was alone in an unknown country. A mountain, -in contour like the famous Fuji, loomed up majestic, snow -spilt down its sides like the sticks of a half opened fan. -I stood in a mighty gorge beside a fiercely running mountain -river, the swift torrent forced back by its own speed among -the rocks in curling white waves. Where two rocks craned -forward to each other from opposing shores a noble Chinese -bridge, huge stones gigantically moulded almost to a semi-circular -spring, spanned and bridled the wild creature beneath, -and on either shore was a willow tree.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Why was it familiar though so strange? But I stood -bewildered. A moment ago I had been beside my friend -in moonlight and quiet, now a great sun beat on tossing -mountains and river, and I was alone.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Terribly alone. I stood ignorant which way to turn, -helpless, baffled, in a place which might have been empty -from the world’s beginning, but for the bridge. Would -anyone ever come? Should I roam there imprisoned in -vastness until I died? It was a nightmare of terror. I -ran to the great willow as if for refuge in its tent of delicate -shifting shade, and pushing aside the boughs I entered and -sat down throwing my arm about the trunk, smooth, warm, -as the flesh of a woman, that I might steady myself against -something living and tangible.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There are Dryads in Japan, tree spirits, and especially -do they haunt the willow. Beautiful, alarming, some of the -stories, but always instinct with the life which lies just -below our horizon. Now I was conscious of some presence -beside me, not to be accosted until its own moment of -choice. I put out my hand instinctively; it met nothing. -I said a word aloud. No answer. And again most disabling -fear submerged me. Then, clear and small, as if written, the -Rules of Detachment rose in my mind, and hurrying, I repeated -them under my breath, not knowing how they could -help, but catching at anything.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have no parents. I make the heavens and the earth -my parents. I have no strength. I make submission my -strength.” And so to the end.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have no sword. I make the sleep of the mind my -sword.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Now, as I said these words the meaning flashed upon me -in light. Here was I—alone in a frightful solitude—so -desolate that it might have been the Mountains of the -Moon. What means of escape could I make for myself? -What friends had I—what sword? The Rules assured me. -The enemies—the mountains, the wild ways, were my slaves -if I could believe it. In submission strength awaited me. -In the surrender of the plotting reason, which can only -break tangible material obstacles, my latent powers would -function. And what were they?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Once more and confidently I repeated the words, knowing -that they unloosed some hard-bound knot in my being. I -willed to be in the garden of Arima. My one instinct was -flight.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I was sitting beneath the willow tree— Yes, but in -Arima’s garden, and he was beside me looking steadfastly at -the river where moonlight flowed away with it to the ocean.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Impossible to describe the shock of relief. It never -occurred to me to ask if I had been asleep—to think I had -been hypnotized or anything of the kind. I knew the experience -was real.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Where have I been?” That was the only possible question. -He replied:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In the garden. Did you not recognize it? See—the -mountain, the tumbled rocks, the river and bridge. <span class='it'>But</span> -in the garden as my ancestor first saw it. Some day you -shall hear why.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But first—first— Was I long there? Time—I forgot -time.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You are there now, only the blinkers are over your -eyes again. And as to time—there is no such thing as -time. There is only eternity. If I count in the way we -measure when we wear our blinkers you had the sight for -twenty-four hours. It was last night when it began. Now -it is to-night. I have slept, have eaten, have walked to the -village and written many letters and all the time you sat -here. Time is really nothing but a dream—a necessity -in the world of the Three Dimensions. As soon as you -break the shell—it is nothing.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Again I cannot describe the tumult of feeling in me, -mingled with a passionate longing for something of my own -lost and ravished from me. I had a sense of unutterable -weakness and shame. He read my thought like speech and -answered:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But you threw it from yourself. You were frightened, -forlorn, and you caught at the Rules and concentrated, and -being power they acted as you wished, and transported -you back into the blindness of the daily life that walls us -in from the Lovely, the Utterly Desirable.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You mean,” I said slowly, “that one can ruin oneself -as easily as save. And that I should not have come back at -my own will?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Exactly. One must always go on. To come back is -highly dangerous. If you had had patience and had concentrated -upon what is called ‘extension’ you would have -climbed the mountain and on the other side——”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“What? What?” I cried, for he paused.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We call it the Shining Country. You would have—liked -it! Also you would have met the One who Waits.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I repeated in bewilderment;</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The One who Waits? But who?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I cannot tell. Different people probably for everyone. -It might have been my great-great-grandfather for all I -know. He is often in his garden. But it is the right -one always. Don’t think I blame you though for using -your scrap of power in a fright. That often happens at -first. What man has mastered jujutsu at the first throw? -Still, he may be badly hurt, and you are hurt and will pay -for it. Later on, beware that you never use power to bring -you back to the place you have left it. A man pays for that -to the last farthing.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You mean—snatching at the wrong things?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yes, in a way. The wrong things for you. There is -no fixed way or rigid moral standard. There cannot be. -All depends upon the man himself and the occasion, and—many -a man has been saved by his sins. One learns the -rules as one goes. Of course the rudiments of them govern -every sort of society of men civilized or uncivilized. But -you must be hungry. Come in.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I shall never forget that meal. Nothing could be simpler. -There were rice cakes, honey, eggs, and pale fragrant tea. -But—I despair of words—the food had new meanings. I -could feel the good of it, the life of nature, of living things, -passing into my blood, so restorative that when it was eaten -I felt like a tuned violin on the shoulder of a mighty master; -not a sound or sight but drew harmonious answer from -my spirit. The river flowed from the footstool of the -Eternal. Each flower shouted its evangel and their chorus -was that of the morning stars singing together. The dart -of the swallows was the flight of arrows from the bow of -Love. They dazzled in blue air. I daresay no more.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Arima came out in his cotton kimono and bare head. -I saw new meanings in his face each moment, and the -bronzed beauty of the man struck on a naked nerve, as -though each sight of beauty awakened a longing for the -next step beyond. He read my thought, and pausing in -his work of training a fruit bough answered meditatively;</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yes, even the first breath of air in that country is inspiration. -It is full of dangers—a fighting country, sometimes -a No Man’s Land. Some of its ways seem to lead -horribly downward. And there is always hell.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Hell? A state of mind?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yes, and of body too—they sometimes involve each -other. But it braces one. There is much more to it than -you can know yet. Only remember—one has got to break -into that country somehow unless one is content to be the -prisoner of the senses for a whole wasted lifetime.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I shuddered slightly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“At the present moment I don’t feel that I ever want -to see it again.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Natural enough. Let us have a bout of jujutsu now.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We stripped, and he threw me as he always did, but all -the same I was learning. I got a new lock that day and, -more important, made an advance in pliability. I stooped -and yielded and released myself when I thought he had got -me for good. He shouted with pleasure.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Right! You will be a shodan one day. That is our -lowest teaching grade. Now rest.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He came up to me an hour later:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You are wishing to go to the Kwannon monastery to see -the Abbot. He will receive you. Before you start would -you like to hear the story of my ancestor and the garden? -It is very short.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Strange. I had not thought of the Abbot, but I knew now -that to see him was my inmost wish. That had been the -meaning of my joy. I nodded, and Arima led the way to -the willow. I did not then know why but the magic of -the garden centred in that willow, thrilled in every leaf of -it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We sat down in its shade; I, on the grass with my arms -clasped about my knees.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My ancestor was a handsome young man, and the only -son of a rich and noble family who owned much land about -here. Nearly all ran through his fingers in his extravagance -and flowed away from the family like river-water, until -only a few acres just here were left. I need not tell you -all his life—you can imagine the story of a rich, reckless, -sensuous fellow without bit or bridle. But he was a fine -soldier, a fine poet—we think much of that in Japan—and -he wrote the story of his life later with such fire and drama -and such strange hidden things, that if it could be printed—but -it never could. People would not believe it. Some -day you shall read.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A strange change came over the garden while he spoke. -It extended itself before my eyes—flowing outward softly. -The flowering bushes which had been within a few feet were -now vague in the distance. The mountain flung a cone -of shadow over leagues. Even as I saw this, we were in -the land of True Sight—yes, that was its name—and -Arima was telling his story under the willow of my terror.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He had broken his own wife’s heart. He coveted the -love of the wife of a man of good birth—a samurai named -Satoro, and taking her by force made her his own. The -husband, unarmed, met him here in what is now this garden, -and when he drew his sword to attack him, by the power -of the most skilful jujutsu dashed the sword from his hand -and himself to the ground, breaking his jaw and blinding -him with blood. He had to endure the disgrace. Terrible -humiliation for a nobleman! No help— Look about you -and see how lonely!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Awful and vast the mountains stretched away into snowy -silences with the muted roar of a distant avalanche. Cold, -shudderingly cold the river, frozen in the pools with a bitter -glaze of ice. No life, no death, but arrested petrifaction, -with the moon stranded on a peak in a dead world.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And the sword! A sword worn by his ancestors in -knightly fashion, pure steel and gold—the very spirit of -the house. Satoro picked it up and stood leaning on it -over the prostrate man as he lay on the rocks writhing like -a crushed snake to hide his ruined face.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘This place is your own heart,’ he said; ‘cold, empty -and dead. You will come back to it times out of mind. -Kimi san, my wife, is on the other side of the mountain. -You never possessed her; she is mine. But what I have -to say is this. Your sword also is mine. I have a lien on -you. You are my slave. I tell you now to begin at the -beginning. You shall learn jujutsu. What it will teach you -is to defend yourself from yourself. And when you have -learnt that— Then I shall give you fresh orders.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The man raved and swore and spat blood, all unintelligibly -as a beast. He was humiliated in all that a Japanese -noble most values, and his only thought at the moment -was revenge and suicide. The other stood, looking down -upon him with calm. ‘I will return the sword to my lord -when he knows its use. A good sword scorns an ignorant -wearer. Now I leave you, but we shall meet in this place.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He went off, walking lightly and strongly. The fallen -man dragged himself together. To lose his sword— Do -Westerners understand that bitterness? I cannot tell.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A retainer came by and finding him, summoned help. -When they got him to the house, they told him the woman -was dead. She had severed an artery in her throat as a -Japanese lady must do in the face of dishonour. Blind -with rage he sent to the house of her husband to slaughter -him. He had disappeared.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Henceforth my ancestor was known as The Man without -a Sword—a terrible name. He could not appear among -the nobles. His life was a ruined thing.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Arima paused again and then added:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It would be better that the Abbot should tell you -the rest. You will think it remarkable.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I stood up, so possessed with the story, for he had told -it like one inspired, that it was only as I moved that my -position flashed on me.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“How can I go? I am lost in the mountains. Come -with me!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He stood beside me, looking onward:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“That is impossible. There are never any guides. -There is only power. Besides, there are different ways for -different people and I know nothing of yours.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I looked about me, considering. The bridge was the -obvious way and certainly the easiest. I did not know -the hour, and there was a hint of dusk in the air, but I -had already learnt that in this strange land time and its -phenomena have quite other meanings than with us. Night -might break on me in a wave of sunlight or dawn open -its rose in the heart of midnight. Who could tell? But -the bridge way would be safer.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I turned to say a last word to Arima. There was no -human being in sight; it was a vast solitude dominated by -the black cone of the mountain’s shadow.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I made for the bridge walking as quickly as the rough -stones allowed, and climbing its semi-circular hump I looked -before me and rejoiced to see the track much clearer than -it had seemed from the other side. Evidently a well-used -way, and this encouraged me in my hope of meeting someone -who could direct me to the monastery of Naniwa. -Therefore I went with more confidence, relieved from the -crawling fear of the supernatural which the other side of -the bridge inspired.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The track took me up a slight rise and round a jutting -rock which obscured the river, and having done about two -miles of quick walking I heard steps coming round a bend -of the trail and rejoiced to think I could ascertain the -way.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Nearer they came and disclosed a Japanese, his kimono -pulled up through the obi for the ease of walking. He -made the usual polite bow and would have passed but for -my raised hand. I asked my way with the honorifics I -had learnt from Arima. He stopped at once and replied -with the utmost courtesy:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The monastery? Yes— You could go this way. One -reaches it by several. But it is not the right way. Far -from it.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Then will you tell me how to go?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Sir, I cannot tell you. I wish I could. I really do not -know your way.” It was infuriating. I said scoffingly:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“If you know this is wrong surely you know which is -right?” He replied as if he were saying the most ordinary -thing in the world:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Sir, it is not so easy as you think. Places are states -of mind in this country, therefore you will honourably see -that no one can tell anyone else their way and how best to -get there.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Bowing, he made to pass me. It was then that -for the first time I noticed two things. One that his -hair was dressed in the old-fashioned queue headdress which -one sees in Japanese prints, shaved, but for a knot drawn -up on the head, the other that he had a most remarkable -face. The features were good, even excellent, and the dark -bright colouring fine. But the eyes were arresting under -the black level brows, and filled with tranquillity as a pool -with shadows. On the impulse they gave me I spoke.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I wish I could go with you.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Sir, that could hardly be. I come from Yedo and I -go to my garden in the valley you have left.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Yedo!—the ancient and long-disused name of Tokyo,—and -Tokyo on the central island and days’ journey away! -Train and boat might have brought him, and yet—shivering -doubt assailed me like the thin creeping of drops of water -through a dyke which presages the later roar of the flood. -The garden! I could not withhold myself nor hesitate.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“May I ask your name?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“If you want to know my name you must watch what -road I take and know to what I return. How can you -know? I did not even think you would have seen me. -Since it is so however, I will repeat that in this road you -will have great need of self-defence. Now I bid you goodbye -and wish you safely at Naniwa.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He was gone round the corner so quickly that I had a sensation -of vanishing. I ran after him and looked. Nothing. -So I took my way onward. He had told me nothing to -change it. A word really would have sent me backward -to try my luck in another direction but he had not spoken it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Soon after it was dark and raining, with a moon very -young and bewildered in drifting clouds. She gave a weary -light scarcely enough to hint the track and indicate a group -of trees, the first I had seen, on the right. Coming up, -among them was a small flickering light, and the barking -of a dog sounded homely and even inviting, for by this -time I was dragging tired feet. If I could sleep there how -welcome the rest and shelter!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The place looked poor and dilapidated enough to be open -to any offer of payment though in any case I might have -trusted to the hospitality of the country Japanese.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I knocked at the rough door wondering that anyone could -exist in such a tumble-down place and a young girl came to -the door, faintly seen in dim lamplight. She stared at -me in astonishment and bowing low, called softly:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Madam, mistress,—what shall I do? A gentleman.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A young voice answered:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Tell him to come in if he will do us such an honour,” -and a graceful little figure appeared in the opening of a -lattice door, her face unseen because the light fell behind -her. I obeyed. Poor as the house was that room was -enchanting. Very simple, but the draperies were good, the -cushions beautiful in colour, the <span class='it'>hibachi</span> was full of charcoal -and above and round all bathing it in charm was the -delicate perfume of a woman’s presence. She rose from her -profound Japanese salutation and looked me in the face.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Hay sama!” she faltered, paling to the lips. And I -knew—I knew!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Six months before in the crowded city of Tokyo I had -gone to a dinner at a restaurant near Shimbashi. I remembered -the garden outside with clumps of gorgeous chrysanthemums, -lamps of splendid colour before the dusk drowned -them and the moon washed them with silver. Geisha -attended us, girls with every nerve braced and strung for -their profession of charming the wary and unwary alike. -And I was charmed by the sad mirth that looked out from -one pair of dark and lovely eyes. I drew her aside before the -evening ended and asked her to follow me to the <span class='it'>machiai</span>—a -house of meeting, and escaping from the noisy party -I waited in the cold handsomely furnished room that never -spoke of love, until she came.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That meeting led to many things—some merry, some -sad, but when I left Tokyo to see her no more I knew that -the part I had played was to set my heel on her little head -and drive her deeper into the mire. Still, it was ended -and need trouble me no more. One could forget.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And now I sat by her side in this land of bitter memories.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>She drew a cushion beside mine and leaning her little -black head against my shoulder looked up in my face, -welcoming me with the sweet courtesy mingled with fear -that I remembered so well.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And why are you here in this wild place, Hana san? -Have you given up your work?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Her bewildered look! I can see it now.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“How can I tell? I—I came. I was told it must be.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You are resting here? You go back?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Let us talk of other things, Hay sama. How I am -glad to see you!” I could get nothing more from her than -that.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Silence and the little noises of dropping charcoal, and -the softness of her in my arms. It was a renewal of that -passionate intimacy which had left a wound in the very -heart of my soul.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We talked into the small hours,—so much to say, so much -to hear, and time passed—hours, days— How could I tell? -And then as fatigue and quiet and warmth overpowered -all my resolution she put her arms about me and gathered -me to her bosom and the night melted into passion and -passion into dream and the dark stole past us on noiseless -feet.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I waked in a chill dawn alone, disillusioned and abashed, -dragged back violently to a thing I had forgotten and -abhorred. The room was empty, a cold wind blowing -through the tattered paper of the window, and when I called, -no answer. The two women had gone with the night. No -food, no fire, dead ash in the <span class='it'>hibachi</span>, emptiness and the -squalid decay of a wooden house long forgotten. What had -a beauty of Tokyo been doing in such a place?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Fear of the loneliness seized me. I went out quickly -without looking after me, then at the twist of the path -turned and saw—desolation and waving weeds and a bough -of some bush thrust through the window that had taken -root within. I pushed on toward Naniwa, sick at heart.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was at that moment a thought shot through me and -chilled my blood. When Arima and I had visited Naniwa -it had taken us exactly two hours from his house to the -monastery hill. But yesterday I had walked for many -hours, and to-day seemed no nearer my goal. Grey interminable -moorland stretched before me with a mountain -blocking the way at a distance and other tossing peaks beyond. -Where was I? Where was Naniwa? Might I not -walk for ever and ever in widening circles to a lost goal? -The ground whispered with evil in every blade of grass. -It hissed in the rustle of dry squat bushes. And last night—last -night! There were reasons why that memory -brought horror and shame to be my companions on the -right and left. But I went on from sheer inability to consider -what else I must do.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The clump of bushes on the right parted and a tall strong -fellow burst out of them and planted himself across my -way. A Japanese, broad, brawny, violent-faced. As I -halted he sprang at my throat like a wolf.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And you tracked her here? You could not let her be? -Then take your payment from her husband Kondo!”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>What happened next came in a blinding flash. He struck -at me with a loaded stick. It missed the first blow and I -had him by the throat with the new lock I had learnt from -Arima, shaking him violently to and fro, driving my fingers -deeper and deeper into his flesh in a frenzy of rage and -hate. I would have the innermost heart’s blood of the -brute.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I had it. He reeled in my grasp with horrible choking -noises, and suddenly I was shaking the life out of a dead -thing. As I thrust him from me with sickening triumph -he fell heavily as a full sack prone on the track before me.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It must have been long before the rage died in me and -I stood face to face with my position. I—a foreigner—had -killed a Japanese, and after an intrigue with his wife. -It felled me beside him—I crouched and hid my face and -tried to think.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Presently I rose and with the murderer’s instinct dragged -the corpse into the bushes to hide it. Thought was impossible. -I suffered as a dumb beast must suffer the extremity -of torture without the power to reason. Only I -must hide it and flee. The neighbourhood of the horrible -thing was hell.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I went on.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Later— “Is it just—is it just?” I said to myself, “that -one instant’s madness should doom a man for ever?”—forgetting -the long temptation I had played with, the slow -delicious yielding, the triumph and delight with which I had -slowly built up my torture chamber. Not only from the -time I landed in Japan, but before,—I had been busy at the -building all my life. How could I complain when the trap -snapped on me?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At last I broke from the numbness into memory. The -man who had passed me on his way to his garden. His -words returned like black birds flying heavily round my -head.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You are not in the right way. Places are states of -mind. In this way you will have much need of self-defence.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And Arima’s words also. “There is no guide. There -is only power.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Power. That brought the Abbot to my mind—the Rules. -Could it be that they could rescue me from this horrible -country where evil hid like a snake behind every stone. O, -to be out of it—free—forgetting! I remember I fell on -my knees as if in prayer and with dreadful earnestness -began to repeat the Rules, passionately desiring the garden -of peace.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have no parents. I make the heaven and the earth -my parents. I have no weapons—I make submission my -strength.” Light broke in my brain. Submission? Then -should I dictate—should I trust myself to my own choice -of where I would be? Arima had warned me against return.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“If you had used what we call ‘extension’ and had -gone on you would have been on the other side of the -mountain.” If there were to be refuge for such as I it -could only lie along the way of courage. I knew it—I -knew it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I changed my thought instantly. “Set me where -I should be if it is in the gateway of hell.” And again. -“Only free me of myself. Let me go forward. There is -no sin like cowardice. Better lust and murder and the -fight to the death with them than cowardice.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Then, with an intensity that shook me like a leaf in storm -I uttered the words of power, hiding my face in a very passion -of belief.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Quiet. I lifted my face and looked about me for the -terrible way I had accepted. I was lying on the broken -steps ascending to the monastery and the House Built upon -Clouds at Naniwa. And it was dawn.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The wonder of peace! The sun had not yet out-soared -the eastern trees and every bough dropped dew to the -glittering grass. A bird, its little clenching feet on a blossomed -twig beside me, sang like all the bliss of heaven. In -a pool at my feet the lotus, child of the clear cold stream, -raised rosy chalices to the sky and from it ran a stream -divinely clear and bright. The sun might have been the -first that ever shone upon a perfected world untroubled -by man, so clear and clean the water-gold of the morning.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I stood up and looked about me drawing deep breaths -of purity. Above me beneath a great tree, lost in contemplation, -sat the Abbot Gyōsen.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I stumbled towards him. I remember I said: “I have -come,” and that he motioned with his hand to a place beside -him. Together we watched the slow crescendo of the mighty -music of the dawn.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The sun was above the trees when he spoke, turning the -serenity of his face upon me.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You have learnt your lesson. Has it brought content?” -I summoned my thoughts to reply clearly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have learnt much but the truth I do not know. Does -the corpse still lie on the moor and the woman weep in the -deserted house. Am I guilty?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In your soul, yes. Therefore in truth, yes. When you -yielded to lust in your heart and willed murder both were -accomplished. Your own Scriptures teach this and that -thought is the only true reality. This have all the Buddhas -known. In what men ignorantly call fact you are not -guilty. But, being guilty, learn this. Every instant terminates -a life and the next is a new birth. While each minute -exists the past is dead and the future unmade. I speak -here according to the knowledge of this world, but the -truth is that there is <span class='it'>no</span> time, and that you are now what -the Divine sees you—a ray of his splendour. This truth -being as yet too high for you to remember that even on this -world’s showing you are free to be what you will. The -choice lies before you. With a thought you may be in the -horror of the Desolate Country, with another in the Shining -Land. For every man makes his own universe until he can -see it as it is in the Thought of the Divine.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Blinded with truth I asked a question simply as a child.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Then what must I do?”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Resolve and go forward,—what else? knowing that in -yourself is all power.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But the training? Free me from myself! If we can -realize these powers the means of using so terrible a weapon -rightly should be open to all.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is open. But men will not believe. They will not -will. They do not think, and events take them like sea-weed -on a wave. You know your own weakness but it is strength -compared with that of the majority. You, at least, have -seen and heard. Study the teachings of the perfect One, -the Buddha, if you would be a man. Realize your union -with Power, knowing that it is a harp of many strings of -which you are one, and tune yourself in harmony with the -music of the spheres. At present you are a man without -a sword.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That phrase! It kindled a world of recollection. I -looked into his face with another entreaty.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Arima sama told me that I might hear the end of the -story of the Man without a Sword from your honourable -self. Tell it to me, I beseech you.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He rose and invited me to follow him into the House -Built upon Clouds promising that he would rejoin me when -he had transacted some necessary business. I sat in the -window looking out and down into the glorious depth of -waving woods bathing in sunshine like water, experiencing -myself such tranquil joy as the trees themselves must know, -fulfilling their perfect Law in the smile of the Divine.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was long before the Abbot returned, but to me it seemed -a moment. We have no true means of measuring time for -the truth is that it has no existence, and when the soul is -liberated this truth is evident. At once he began the story -of the Man without a Sword.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In Japan very terrible was the position of the man who -had lost his sword. Better a thousand deaths of lingering -torture. There was no man so low as to give him companionship—and -he a noble! Therefore he changed his name -to that of Kazuma, and casting aside what money was left -he abandoned his wife who was dying of grief and shame, -and coming to Yedo took up the study of jujutsu hoping -some day to become a teacher of this in the great city. -More lonely a man could not be than Kazuma. His wife -died. His son was taken by his brother and he saw him no -more. His own name was blotted out and forgotten. His -brother believed and hoped him dead, and but for the command -of his foe he would have killed himself.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Jujutsu, my son, is, as you know from Arima sama, an -art that every noble person should learn. It is said to have -come from China, and it was taught that the very Gods -had used it in chastising the barbarians. The name roughly -signifies ‘the strength of weakness,’ and thus it arose. It -was noted that the boughs of a willow were not broken by a -heavy fall of snow when strong trees cracked beneath the -weight. And why? Being pliant they bowed their weakness -and the snow slipped off. My son, recall the Rule. -‘I have no strength. I make submission my strength.’ -As with the soul so it is with the body. How shall I sum -up this art of attack and self-defence? It is the perfect -control of the mind resisting defeat. It is to use weakness -in such a way that it masters brute strength. I have seen -a slight woman who possessed this knowledge fling a heavy -man over her shoulder and stun him. There are locks and -blows which may easily kill the opponent and for this -reason the higher secrets are withheld from all but those -who are fit for initiation. The pupils are trained to endure -heat and cold and all hardships. It is a high and noble -discipline, for no greatness can be attained without abstinence -from the three vices of lust, drink, and the love of -money with their attendant diseases of the spirit.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“This art Kazuma studied, and as he did so much became -clear to him and he approached the secret of life. And -when he had reached a certain skill his master taught him -that there is in jujutsu a higher branch of mysterious power. -And he, beginning dimly to apprehend the meaning of the -command laid on him by the husband of the woman he had -slain, for so indeed he had, desired with eagerness to advance.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Now, my son, at the gate of this higher initiation stands -a ceremony to be endured. The initiate must submit to -strangulation and to be revived by <span class='it'>kwappo</span>—the art which -recalls men to life. And should this fail, revival is made by -means of a power named <span class='it'>kiai</span>. To Kazuma, knowing nothing -of <span class='it'>kiai</span>, but very weary of life, this command came like -the friendly voice of death, and with joy he presented himself -to the master of the art who was chosen to be his executioner.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He lay down, offering his throat, and in a few seconds -was what is called dead.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Now, being thus enfranchised, instantly he found himself -in the place of his humiliation by the rushing river, with -cold desolation about him. And by the river knelt his -conqueror washing the blood from his hands as though -their fight was but just ended. He rose and faced Kazuma.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘You have obeyed my command.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I have obeyed.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘What have you learnt?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘That there is no death. It is more life, but life as we -have made it. As a man has sown he reaps in life after -life.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Until what time?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Until the time when he sows good grain.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Do you repent your past?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I do not look back. I go forward. It is forgotten. -The man who did the deed died with it. Now I would be -a teacher of jujutsu.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Well said! You have learnt to defend yourself from -yourself and you would teach others. I will give you fresh -orders.’ Kazuma stood like a soldier before his general.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Teach what you have learnt. Then come back, and in -this place of desolation where you fought and conquered -more than you knew make a garden and build a bridge. -Go now,—in power!’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He bowed low, Kazuma also. ‘My friend!’— As the -words met his ear they melted in a confused murmur -of human voices and he struggled back to consciousness -in the school of jujutsu in Yedo. Men knelt and -stooped about him fearful lest he had gone so far -on the way of death that even the powerful shout of -<span class='it'>kiai</span> could not reach him. But he rose and gravely thanking -his executioner went and stood before his master.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My son, Kazuma became the greatest teacher of jujutsu -in Japan. He could disarm and bring to his feet a two-sworded -man shrieking for mercy. With his shout he could -do to death any evil-doer within hearing and restore the -fool when he had mastered his lesson. Power was mighty -in his step, his gesture, his glance. What money he made, -and it was much, was for those who had need, he himself -living in an untouchable content.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Thus time went by.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“One day, having saved the life of the only son of a noble -house, the father coming to him said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘My lord, what shall I give you? In mercy accept -a gift lest I and my house break under the weight of -gratitude. Have pity and take!’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So, after much musing, Kazuma replied.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘You have bought great lands by the river Koga. I -grow old. Give me, my lord, if you will, a corner by the -river, very small, where I may make a garden and build a -wooden bridge for those who must cross the rapids. Very -dangerous is the current.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So it was done and he made his garden and built with his -own hands a bridge of wood, and there was no day but the -people blessed his name and learnt from him that power lies -about them for the taking and that its best use at the present -time is to make gardens and be a builder of bridges. Other -uses later. My son, Kazuma still walks in his garden and -he sits beneath his willow and his sword hangs at his side. -The bridge leads where you know, for you have crossed it.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There was a moment’s silence and it spoke as never yet -words. He resumed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My son, make your own garden. And there is room -for many bridges.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>When my mind dwells on beauty the face of the Abbot -full of unworded meanings floats on clear air before me. It -ended and completed the story so that all he left unsaid was -written in fire between the spoken words. And I understood -and like himself cannot express more than the alphabet.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I returned from Naniwa by the hidden way. Flowers -blossomed along the moors. I never saw more lovely, and -where the corpse had lain children were dancing in a ring. -Where the broken house had crouched among trees, was -a shrine to the Thousand-Handed Spirit of Mercy beloved in -Japan. A child lay in her bosom and her hidden eyes were -bent upon it in a moonlight rapture. May I live in that -country for the eternities!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I crossed the bridge and walked beside the river to the -garden of Arima. He sat by the water plaiting a basket of -willow, and rose, bowing, to meet me.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have come,” I said, “to learn jujutsu.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He smiled.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I have learnt it and with it the secret of power. I go in -and out of Kazuma’s garden. And beyond.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And the Abbot, who was once Kazuma, and will be more, -sits there, girded with his sword.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:.8em;'>THE END</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:.5em;font-size:1.2em;font-weight:bold;'>TRANSCRIBER NOTES</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Misspelled words and printer errors have been corrected. -Where multiple spellings occur, majority use has been -employed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Punctuation has been maintained except where obvious -printer errors occur.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A cover was created for this eBook and is placed in the -public domain.</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DREAMS AND DELIGHTS ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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