Part 37 (1/2)
”Yes, on an open platform underneath the stars. And do you know,”
he sank his voice yet lower, ”I hear them at times; very faintly of course,--their songs have so far to travel; but I hear them,--yes, I hear the stars.”
Lady Tamworth rose in a whirl of alarm. Before this crazy exaltation, her very desire to pursue her purpose vanished. For Julian's manner even more than his words contributed to her fears. In spite of his homily, emotion was dominant in his expression, swaying his body, burning on his face and lighting his eyes with a fire of changing colours. And every note in his voice was struck within the scale of pa.s.sion.
She glanced about the room; her eyes fell on the easel. ”Don't you ever paint?” she asked hurriedly.
He dropped his head and stood s.h.i.+fting from one foot to the other, as if he was ashamed. ”At times,” he said hesitatingly; ”at times I have to,--I can't help it,--I have to express myself. Look!” He stepped suddenly across the room and slid the curtains back along the rail.
The wall was frescoed from floor to ceiling.
”Julian!” Lady Tamworth cried. She forgot all her fears in face of this splendid revelation of his skill. Here was the fulfilment of his promise.
In the centre four pictures were ranged, the stages in the progress of an allegory, but executed with such masterful craft and of so vivid an intention that they read their message straightway into the heart of one's understanding. Round about this group, were smaller sketches, miniatures of pure fancy. It seemed as if the artist had sought relief in painting these from the pressure of his chief design. Here, for instance, Day and Night were chasing one another through the rings of Saturn; there a swarm of silver stars was settling down through the darkness to the earth.
”Julian, you must come back. You can't stay here.”
”I don't mean to stay here long. It is merely a halting-place.”
”But for how long?”
”I have one more picture to complete.”
They turned again to the wall. Suddenly something caught Lady Tamworth's eye. She bent forward and examined the four pictures with a close scrutiny. Then she looked back again to Julian with a happy smile upon her face. ”You have done these lately?”
”Quite lately; they are the stages of a man's life, of the struggle between his pa.s.sions and his will.”
He began to describe them. In the first picture a brutish G.o.d was seated on a throne of clay; before the G.o.d a man of coa.r.s.e heavy features lay grovelling; but from his shoulders sprang a white figure, weak as yet and shadowy, but pointing against the G.o.d the shadow of a spear; and underneath was written, ”At last he knoweth what he made.”
In the second, the figure which grovelled and that which sprang from its shoulders were plodding along a high-road at night, chained together by the wrist. The white figure halted behind, the other pressed on; and underneath was written, ”They know each other not.” In the third the figures marched level, that which had grovelled scowling at its companion; but the white figure had grown tall and strong and watched its companion with contempt. Above the sky had brightened with the gleam of stars; and underneath was written, ”They know each other.” In the fourth, the white figure pressed on ahead and dragged the other by the chain impatiently. Before them the sun was rising over the edge of a heath and the road ran straight towards it in a golden line; and underneath was written, ”He knoweth his burden.”
Lady Tamworth waited when he had finished, in a laughing expectancy.
”And is that all?” she asked. ”Is that all?”
”No,” he replied slowly; ”there is yet a further stage. It is unfinished.” And he pointed to the easel.
”I don't mean that. Is that all you have to say of these?”
”I think so. Yes.”
”Look at me!”
Julian turned wonderingly to Lady Tamworth. She watched him with a dancing sparkle of her eyes. ”Now look at the pictures!” Julian obeyed her. ”Well,” she said after a pause, with a touch of anxiety. ”What do you see now?”
”Nothing.”
”Nothing?” she asked. ”Do you mean that?”