Part 24 (1/2)
As the final words left his lips, a rich note of melody stirred the air, and a song in which words and music seemed thoroughly welded together, rose vibratingly up to the quiet sky:
”Here by the sea, My Love found me!
Seagulls over the waves were swinging; Mermaids down in their caves were singing, And one little star in the rosy sky Sparkled above like an angel's eye!
My Love found me, And I and he Plighted our troth eternally!
Oh day of splendour, And self-surrender!
The day when my Love found me!
Here, by the sea, My King crown'd me!
Wild ocean sang for my Coronation, With the jubilant voice of a mighty nation!-- 'Mid the towering rocks he set my throne, And made me forever and ever his own!
My King crown'd me, And I and he Are one till the world shall cease to be!
Oh sweet love story!
Oh night of glory!
The night when my King crown'd me!”
No language could ever describe the marvellous sweetness of the voice that sung these lines; it was so full of exquisite triumph, tenderness and pa.s.sion, that it seemed more supernatural than human. When the song ceased, a great wave dashed on the sh.o.r.e, like a closing organ chord, and Von Glauben spoke.
”There! You wanted your own way, my princess, and you have had it! You have sung like one of the seraphim;--do not be surprised if mortals are drawn to listen. Sst! What is that?”
There was a pause. The King had inadvertently cracked a twig on one of the pine-boughs he was holding back in an endeavour to see the speakers.
But he now boldly pushed on, beckoning De Launay to follow close, and in another minute had emerged on a small sandy plateau, which led, by means of an ascending path, to a rocky eminence, encircled by huge boulders and rocky pinnacles, which somewhat resembled peaks of white coral,--and here, on a height above him,--with the afternoon sun-glow bathing her in its full mellow radiance, sat a visibly enthroned G.o.ddess of the landscape,--a girl, or rather a perfect woman, more beautiful than any he had ever seen, or even imagined. He stared up at her in dazzled wonder, half blinded by the brightness of the sun and her almost equally blinding loveliness.
”Gloria!” he exclaimed breathlessly, hardly conscious of his own utterance; ”You are Gloria!”
The fair vision rose, and came swiftly forward with an astonished look in her bright deep eyes.
”Yes!” she said, ”I am Gloria!”
CHAPTER XII
A SEA PRINCESS
Scarcely had she thus declared herself, when the Bismarckian head and shoulders of Von Glauben appeared above the protecting boulders; and moving with deliberate caution, the rest of his body came slowly after, till he stood fully declared in an att.i.tude of military 'attention.' He showed neither alarm nor confusion at seeing the King; on the contrary, the fixed, wooden expression of his countenance betokened some deeply-seated mental obstinacy, and he faced his Royal master with the utmost composure, lifting the slouched hat he wore with his usual stiff and soldierly dignity, though carefully avoiding the amazed stare of his friend, Sir Roger de Launay.
The King glanced him up and down with a smiling air of amused curiosity.
”So this is how you pursue your scientific studies, Professor!” he said lightly; ”Well!”--and he turned his eyes, full of admiration, on the beautiful creature who stood silently confronting him with all that perfect ease which expresses a well-balanced mind,--”Wisdom is often symbolised to us as a marble G.o.ddess,--but when Pallas Athene takes so fair a shape of flesh and blood as this, who shall blame even a veteran philosopher for sitting at her feet in wors.h.i.+p!”
”Pardon me, Sir,” returned Von Glauben calmly; ”There is no G.o.ddess of Wisdom here, so please you, but only a very simple and unworldly young woman. She is--” Here he hesitated a moment, then went on--”She is merely the adopted child of a fisherman living on these Islands.”
”I am aware of that!” said the King still smiling. ”Rene Ronsard is his name. He is my host to-day; and he has told me something of her. But, certes, he did not mention that you had adopted her also!”
Von Glauben flushed vexedly.
”Sir,” he stammered, ”I could explain--”