He replied:
"I am, as heaven made me, a being of mingled nature. So I rememberwithout distaste old happenings which now seem scarcely credible. Icannot quite believe that it was you and I who were so happy when youthwas common to us... O Melusine, I have almost forgotten that if theworld were searched between the sunrise and the sunsetting the MelusineI loved would not be found. I only know that a woman has usurped thevoice of Melusine, and that this woman's eyes also are blue, and thatthis woman smiles as Melusine was used to smile when I was young. Iwalk with ghosts, king's daughter, and I am none the happier."
"Ay, Periori," she wisely answered, "for the spring is at hand, intentupon an ageless magic. I am no less comely than I was, and my heart, Ithink, is tenderer. You are yet young, and you are very beautiful, mybrave mastiff... And neither of us is moved at all! For us the springis only a dotard sorcerer who has forgotten the spells of yesterday. Ithink that it is pitiable, although I would not have it otherwise." Shewaited, fairy-like and wanton, seeming to premeditate a delicatemischief.
He declared, sighing, "No, I would not have it otherwise."
Then presently Melusine arose. She said:
"You are a hunted man, unarmed--oh, yes, I know. Demetrios talkedfreely, because the son of Miramon Lluagor has good and ancient reasonsto trust me. Besides, it was not for nothing that Pressina was mymother, and I know many things, pilfering light from the past to shedit upon the future. Come now with me to Brunbelois. I am too deeply inyour debt, my Perion. For the sake of that boy who is dead--as you tellme--you may honourably accept of me a horse, arms, and a purse, becauseI loved that boy after my fashion."
"I take your bounty gladly," he replied; and he added conscientiously:"I consider that I am not at liberty to refuse of anybody any honestmeans of serving my lady Melicent."
Melusine parted her lips as if about to speak, and then seemed to thinkbetter of it. It is probable she was already informed concerningMelicent; she certainly asked no questions. Melusine only shrugged,and laughed afterward, and the man and the woman turned towardBrunbelois. At times a shaft of sunlight would fall on her pale hairand convert it into silver, as these two went through the high woodsthat had never yet been felled or ordered.
PART FOUR
AHASUERUS
_Of how a knave hath late compassionOn Melicent's forlorn condition;For which he saith as ye shall after hear:"Dame, since that game we play costeth too dear,My truth I plight, I shall you no more grieveBy my behest, and here I take my leaveAs of the fairest, truest and best wifeThat ever yet I knew in all my life."_
21.
_How Demetrios Held His Chattel_
It is a tale which they narrate in Poictesme, telling how Demetriosreturned into the country of the pagans and found all matters there ashe had left them. They relate how Melicent was summoned.
And the tale tells how upon the stairway by which you descended fromthe Women's Garden to the citadel--people called it the Queen'sStairway, because it was builded by Queen Rudabeh very long ago whenthe Emperor Zal held Nacumera--Demetrios waited with a naked sword.Below were four of his soldiers, picked warriors. This stairway was ofwhite marble, and a sphinx carved in green porphyry guarded eachbalustrade.
"Now that we have our audience," Demetrios said, "come, let the gamesbegin."
One of the soldiers spoke. It was that Euthyclos who (as you haveheard) had ventured into Christendom at the hazard of his life torescue the proconsul. Euthyclos was a man of the West Provinces and hadfollowed the fortunes of Demetrios since boyhood.
"King of the Age," cried Euthyclos, "it is grim hearing that we mustfight with you. But since your will is our will, we must endure thistesting, although we find it bitter as aloes and hot as coals. Dearlord and master, none has put food to his lips for whose sake we wouldharm you willingly, and we shall weep to-night when your ghost passesover and through us."
Demetrios answered:
"Rise up and leave this idleness! It is I that will clip the ends of myhair to-night for the love of you, my stalwart knaves. Such weeping asis done your wounds will perform."
At that they addressed themselves to battle, and Melicent perceived shewas witnessing no child's play. The soldiers had attacked in unison,and before the onslaught Demetrios stepped lightly back. But his swordflashed as he moved, and with a grunt Demetrios, leaning far forward,dug deep into the throat of his foremost assailant. The swordpenetrated and caught in a link of the gold chain about the fellow'sneck, so that Demetrios was forced to wrench the weapon free, twistingit, as the dying man stumbled backward. Prostrate, the soldier did notcry out, but only writhed and gave a curious bubbling noise as his soulpassed.
"Come," Demetrios said, "come now, you others, and see what you can winof me. I warn you it will be dearly purchased."
And Melicent turned away, hiding her eyes. She was obscurely consciousthat a wanton butchery went on, hearing its blows and groans as if froma great distance, while she entreated the Virgin for deliverance fromthis foul place.
Then a hand fell upon Melicent's shoulder, rousing her. It wasDemetrios. He breathed quickly, but his voice was gentle.
"It is enough," he said. "I shall not greatly need Flamberge when Iencounter that ruddy innocent who is so dear to you."
He broke off. Then he spoke again, half jeering, half wistful. SaidDemetrios:
"I had hoped that you would look on and admire my cunning at swordplay.I was anxious to seem admirable somehow in your eyes ... I failed. Iknow very well that I shall always fail. I know that Nacumera willfall, that some day in your native land people will say, 'That agedwoman yonder was once the wife of Demetrios of Anatolia, who waspre-eminent among the heathen.' Then they will tell of how I cleft thehead of an Emperor who had likened me to Priapos, and how I dragged hissuccessor from behind an arras where he hid from me, to set him uponthe throne I did not care to take; and they will tell how for a whilegreat fortune went with me, and I ruled over much land, and was dreadedupon the wide sea, and raised the battlecry in cities that were not myown, fearing nobody. But you will not think of these matters, you willthink only of your children's ailments, of baking and sewing andweaving tapestries, and of directing little household tasks. And thespider will spin her web in my helmet, which will hang as a trophy inthe hall of Messire de la Foret."
Then he walked beside her into the Women's Garden, keeping silence fora while. He seemed to deliberate, to reach a decision. All at onceDemetrios began to tell of that magnanimous contest which he had foughtout in Theodoret's country with Perion of the Forest.
"To do the long-legged fellow simple justice," said the proconsul, asepilogue, "there is no hardier knight alive. I shall always wonderwhether or no I would have spared him had the water-demon's daughternot intervened in his behalf. Yes, I have had some previous dealingswith her. Perhaps the less said concerning them, the better." Demetriosreflected for a while, rather sadly; then his swart face cleared. "Givethanks, my wife, that I have found an enemy who is not unworthy of me.He will come soon, I think, and then we will fight to the death. Ihunger for that day."
All praise of Perion, however worded, was as wine to Melicent.Demetrios saw as much, noted how the colour in her cheeks augmenteddelicately, how her eyes grew kindlier. It was his cue. ThereafterDemetrios very often spoke of Perion in that locked palace where noecho of the outer world might penetrate except at the proconsul's will.He told Melicent, in an unfeigned admiration, of Perion's courage andactivity, declaring that no other captain since the days of thosefamous generals, Hannibal and Joshua, could lay claim to suchpreeminence in general estimation; and Demetrios narrated how the FreeCompanions had ridden through many kingdoms at adventure, serving manylords with valour and always fighting applaudably. To talk of Periondelighted Melicent: it was with such bribes that Demetrios purchasedwhere his riches did not avail; and Melicent no longer avoided him.
There is scope here for compassion. The man's love, if it be possibleso to call that force which mastered him, had come to be an incess
antmalady. It poisoned everything, caused him to find his statecrafttedious, his power profitless, and his vices gloomy. But chief of allhe fretted over the standards by which the lives of Melicent and Perionwere guided. Demetrios thought these criteria comely, he had discoveredthem to be unshakable, and he despairingly knew that as long as hetrusted in the judgment heaven gave him they must always appear to himsupremely idiotic. To bring Melicent to his own level or to bringhimself to hers was equally impossible. There were moments when hehated her.
Thus the months passed, and the happenings of another year werechronicled; and as yet neither Perion nor Ayrart de Montors came toNacumera, and the long plain before the citadel stayed tenantless savefor the jackals crying there at night.
"I wonder that my enemies do not come," Demetrios said. "It cannot bethey have forgotten you and me. That is impossible." He frowned andsent spies into Christendom.
22.
_How Misery Held Nacumera_
Then one day Demetrios came to Melicent, and he was in a surly rage.
"Rogues all!" he grumbled. "Oh, I am wasted in this paltry age. Whereare the giants and tyrants, and stalwart single-hearted champions ofyesterday? Why, they are dead, and have become rotten bones. I willfight no longer. I will read legends instead, for life nowadays is nolonger worthy of love or hatred."
Melicent questioned him, and he told how his spies reported that theCardinal de Montors could now not ever head an expedition againstDemetrios' territories. The Pope had died suddenly in the course of thepreceding October, and it was necessary to name his successor. TheCollege of Cardinals had reached no decision after three days'balloting. Then, as is notorious, Dame Melusine, as always hand inglove with Ayrart de Montors, held conference with the bishop whoinspected the cardinals' dinner before it was carried into theapartments where these prelates were imprisoned together until, inedifying seclusion from all worldly influences, they should haveprayerfully selected the next Pope.
The Cardinal of Genoa received on the fourth day a chicken stuffed witha deed to the palaces of Monticello and Soriano; the Cardinal of Parmaa similarly dressed fowl which made him master of the bishop'sresidence at Porto with its furniture and wine-cellar; while theCardinals Orsino, Savelli, St. Angelo and Colonna were served with foodof the same ingratiating sort. Such nourishment cured them ofindecision, and Ayrart de Montors had presently ascended the papalthrone under the title of Adrian VII, servant to the servants of God.His days of military captaincy were over. Demetrios deplored the lossof a formidable adversary, and jeered at the fact that the vicarship ofheaven had been settled by six hens. But he particularly fretted overother news his spies had brought, which was the information that Perionhad wedded Dame Melusine, and had begotten two lusty children--Bertramand a daughter called Blaniferte--and now enjoyed the opulence andsovereignty of Brunbelois.
Demetrios told this unwillingly. He turned away his eyes in speaking,and doggedly affected to rearrange a cushion, so that he might not seethe face of Melicent. She noted his action and was grateful.
Demetrios said, bitterly, "It is an old and tawdry history. He hasforgotten you, Melicent, as a wise man will always put aside the dreamsof his youth. To Cynara the Fates accord but a few years; a wanton Lycelaughs, cheats her adorers, and outlives the crow. There is anunintended moral here--" Demetrios said, "Yet you do not forget."
"I know nothing as to this Perion you tell me of. I only know thePerion I loved has not forgotten," answered Melicent.
And Demetrios, evincing a twinge like that of gout, demanded herreasons. It was a May morning, very hot and still, and Demetrios satwith his Christian wife in the Court of Stars.
Said Melicent, "It is not unlikely that the Perion men know to-day hasforgotten me and the service which I joyed to render Perion. Let himwho would understand the mystery of the Crucifixion first become alover! I pray for old sake's sake that Perion and his lady may taste ofevery prosperity. Indeed, I do not envy her. Rather I pity her, becauselast night I wandered through a certain forest hand-in-hand with ayoung Perion, whose excellencies she will never know as I know them inour own woods."
Said Demetrios, "Do you console yourself with dreams?" The swart mangrinned.
Melicent said:
"Now it is always twilight in these woods, and the light there isneither green nor gold, but both colours intermingled. It is like afriendly cloak for all who have been unhappy, even very long ago.Iseult is there, and Thisbe, too, and many others, and they are notsevered from their lovers now.. Sometimes Dame Venus passes, ridingupon a panther, and low-hanging leaves clutch at her tender flesh. ThenPerion and I peep from a coppice, and are very glad and a littlefrightened in the heart of our own woods."
Said Demetrios, "Do you console yourself with madness?" He showed nosign of mirth.
Melicent said:
"Ah, no, the Perion whom Melusine possesses is but a man--a very happyman, I pray of God and all His saints. I am the luckier, who may notever lose the Perion that to-day is mine alone. And though I may notever touch this younger Perion's hands--and their palms were as hard asleather in that dear time now overpast--or see again his honest andcourageous face, the most beautiful among all the faces of men andwomen I have ever seen, I do not grieve immeasurably, for nightly wewalk hand-in-hand in our own woods."
Demetrios said, "Ay; and then night passes, and dawn comes to light myface, which is the most hideous to you among all the faces of men andwomen!"
But Melicent said only:
"Seignior, although the severing daylight endures for a long while, Imust be brave and worthy of Perion's love--nay, rather, of the love hegave me once. I may not grieve so long as no one else dares enter intoour own woods."
"Now go," cried the proconsul, when she had done, and he had noted hersoft, deep, devoted gaze at one who was not there; "now go before Islay you!" And this new Demetrios whom she then saw was featured like adevil in sore torment.
Wonderingly Melicent obeyed him.
Thought Melicent, who was too proud to show her anguish: "I could haveborne aught else, but this I am too cowardly to bear without complaint.I am a very contemptible person. I ought to love this Melusine, who nodoubt loves her husband quite as much as I love him--how could a womando less?--and yet I cannot love her. I can only weep that I, robbed ofall joy, and with no children to bewail me, must travel very tediouslytoward death, a friendless person cursed by fate, while this Melusinelaughs with her children. She has two children, as Demetrios reports. Ithink the boy must be the more like Perion. I think she must be veryhappy when she lifts that boy into her lap."
Thus Melicent; and her full-blooded husband was not much morelight-hearted. He went away from Nacumera shortly, in a shaking ragewhich robbed him of his hands' control, intent to kill and pillage,and, in fine, to make all other persons share his misery.
23.
_How Demetrios Cried Farewell_
And then one day, when the proconsul had been absent some six weeks,Ahasuerus fetched Dame Melicent into the Court of Stars. Demetrios layupon the divan supported by many pillows, as though he had not everstirred since that first day when an unfettered Melicent, who was aprincess then, exulted in her youth and comeliness.
"Stand there," he said, and did not move at all, "that I may see mypurchase."
And presently he smiled, though wryly. Demetrios said next:
"Of my own will I purchased misery. Yea, and death also. It isamusing.... Two days ago, in a brief skirmish, a league north of Calonak,the Prankish leader met me hand to hand. He has endeavoured to do thisfor a long while. I also wished it. Nothing could be sweeter than tofeel the horse beneath me wading in his blood, I thought.. Ey, well, hedismounted me at the first encounter, though I am no weakling. I cannotunderstand quite how it happened. Pious people will say some deity wasoffended, but, for my part, I think my horse stumbled. It does not seemto matter now. What really matters, more or less, is that it wouldappear the man broke my backbone as one snaps a straw, since I cannotmove a limb of me."
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bsp; "Seignior," said Melicent, "you mean that you are dying!"
He answered, "Yes; but it is a trivial discomfort, now I see that itgrieves you a little."
She spoke his name some three times, sobbing. It was in her mind eventhen how strange the happening was that she should grieve forDemetrios.
"O Melicent," he harshly said, "let us have done with lies! ThatFrankish captain who has brought about my death is Perion de la Foret.He has not ever faltered in the duel between us since your paltryemeralds paid for his first armament.--Why, yes, I lied. I always hopedthe man would do as in his place I would have done. I hoped in vain.For many long and hard-fought years this handsome maniac has beenassailing Nacumera, tirelessly. Then the water-demon's daughter, thatstrange and wayward woman of Brunbelois, attempted to ensnare him. Andthat too was in vain. She failed, my spies reported--even DameMelusine, who had not ever failed before in such endeavours."
"But certainly the foul witch failed!" cried Melicent. A gloriouschange had come into her face, and she continued, quite untruthfully,"Nor did I ever believe that this vile woman had made Perion provefaithless."
"No, the fool's lunacy is rock, like yours. _En cor gentil domnei permort no passa_, as they sing in your native country.... Ey, howindomitably I lied, what pains I took, lest you should ever know ofthis! And now it does not seem to matter any more.... The love this manbears for you," snarled Demetrios, "is sprung of the High God whom wediversely worship. The love I bear you is human, since I, too, am onlyhuman." And Demetrios chuckled. "Talk, and talk, and talk! There is nobird in any last year's nest."
Domnei: A Comedy of Woman-Worship Page 8
