CHAPTER XII
'THE UNSELFISH MERMAID' (_continued_)
What then?--the saddest things are sweet.
_The Boy Musician._
The spinning-wheel fairy stopped for a moment.
'Oh, go on, go on, please,' said the two little girls. 'It is sointeresting, and it has been just as you said; we have seen the picturesof it all gliding before us, as the thread passed through our fingers.Do go on, dear fairy; it must be that Emerald had caught the littlegirl.'
'Yes,' the fairy continued, 'so it was. Small wonder that her rescuercould not find the child. She was lying safe, though as yet unconscious,in the mermaid's arms, the golden chain thrown round Emerald's own neck,for she had found it when she stooped to take up the baby. As yet thesea-maiden scarcely realised what she had done, in yielding to theimpulse of hiding the child from her friends. And it was not till theyhad left the spot, in the vain hope that the little creature might havedrifted farther down the coast, that Emerald dared to breathe freely,and think over what had happened. By this time her little"treasure-trove" had half opened her eyes, and murmured some baby words,for, after all, she had been but momentarily under the water. Emeraldhad no difficulty in soothing her, and in a minute or two the littlegirl sank into a sweet and natural slumber. Then, without giving herselftime to think, her new nurse, drawing out a tiny phial, without which nomermaid is allowed to swim to the surface, poured out of it a few dropsof a precious liquid, with which she anointed the baby's face and lips.This liquid has the magic power of enabling a human being to live underwater without injury, and of restoring to life those on whose behalf allthe science of the landsmen would be exerted in vain.
'"Now, my darling," she whispered to herself, "you are safe, and youbelong to me. I can carry you down to our beautiful home, for it must bethat you are meant for me, and the jewel, which your little hands flungbefore you, is the gift that I was to seek for our princess."
'And so saying, though casting cautious glances on all sides, she swamrapidly away till she reached the rocky islet where she had parted fromher sisters. There, being well out of sight of the shore, she rested fora time. No one as yet but herself had reached the meeting-place, whichEmerald by no means regretted. She wished to have the pride and pleasureof exhibiting her treasures down below to all the mermaids who werejoining in the gift to the princess, when they assembled together tohear the result of the expedition. Possibly, too, at the very bottom ofher heart there may have been hidden some little misgiving as to herright to carry away the child, and she may have dreaded her eldersisters' opinion as to this. As regarded the golden necklet, herconscience was quite at rest, for before leaving the shore she hadplaced there some of the rare shells and pearls which the sea-folk knewto be so highly valued on land, that they were ample payment foranything they might carry off with them from the upper country.
'Now, rapidly, she made her way homewards, seeking her own little bowerat once, and there, on her couch, she laid the still sleeping child;then drawing from her own neck the beautiful chain, she sought about forthe prettiest shell she could find, in which to lay it ready for theprincess's acceptance.
'Before very long she heard the voices of her sisters and friendsreturning; she hastened out to meet them. Her eldest sister gave anexclamation of pleasure as soon as she caught sight of her.
'"Oh, Emerald," she cried, "I am so glad to see you. We couldn't helpfeeling a little anxious at not finding you on the rock; it seems youdid not enjoy your visit to the surface, as you hastened back so soon."
'"That was not my reason for returning so quickly," said Emerald, with asmile. "I found what I sought"--"and more too," she added to herself ina low voice--"so there was no reason for delay. See, sisters, and all ofyou, what I have found. Could anything be prettier or rarer as a gift toour princess?"
'Her companions crowded round her eagerly, and all united in admiringand approving of the beautiful gold ornament.
'"And you shall have the full credit of having found it, littleEmerald," they said; "but for you we should have been sadlydiscouraged."
'For they had returned either empty-handed, or at best bringing trifles,scarcely worth offering to the princess.
'The chain was carefully put away till the next day, when it was to bepresented, and then the little crowd dispersed, which Emerald was gladof, as she was anxious to confide to her most trusted sister the secretof the _living_ treasure which she had hidden in her bower.
'The elder mermaid looked at the sleeping child with startled eyes.
'"Emerald," she exclaimed, "you did not steal her surely?"
'"No, no," the little mermaid replied, "she fell almost into myarms--but for me she would have lost her life; she is mine, my very own,and I do not pity her people for losing her; they should have taken morecare of the little darling."
'Just then the baby awoke and gazed about her in surprise. Then herlittle face puckered up for a cry at the strangeness of everything shesaw, but before she had time to utter it Emerald caught her in her arms.
'"My sweet," she said, and the child looked up at once at the sound ofthe lovely voice, "my sweet, you must not cry, I have so many prettythings to show you. You shall be quite safe and happy here with us inthe beautiful sea."
'The little girl looked up at her, and a smile gradually broke over herface.
'"Show me the pretty things," she said, "and then, then you will take mehome, kind lady, won't you? home to brother and nurse and mamma--theywill cry if baby doesn't come soon."
'Her sister glanced at Emerald as she heard these words, but the youngermermaid would not see the glance.
'"Baby shall see all the beautiful things now at once," she replied;"she shall catch the little fishes in her hands as they swim past, andgather the pretty sea-flowers and pick up shells, such as you have neverseen. And I will sing songs to baby, such pretty ones." The littlecreature smiled again.
'"Baby would like that," she whispered. "Baby will take the prettyflowers and shells home to show brother and nurse."
'"Yes, yes," said Emerald hastily, "baby is going to be such a happylittle girl," and then, taking her hand, she led her away to thesea-gardens round the palace, amusing her so well, and singing to herwhen she grew tired, that at first it seemed as if all thought of herhome and former life would soon fade from her infant memory.
'And thus things went on for some little time. While the child was happyand merry, she seldom spoke of returning to the upper world; but ifanything crossed her baby wishes, or at night when she grew sleepy, hercry was sure to be again, "Oh please, kind lady, take me home."
'Then Emerald would rock her in her arms, and sing to her the wonderfulsongs of the mermaidens, so strange and lovely that the child seemedbewitched by them, and her little face would lose all look of distress.And when this happened, Emerald's spirits rose again and she wouldmurmur to herself, "My darling is growing quite happy and contented. Ishall never need to part with her. The upper world would seem coarse andclumsy to her now."
'The young mermaid's own character seemed quite changed by the charge ofthe tiny foundling. Instead of being the first to propose new games ofplay, or even mischief, she now grudged every moment that separated herfrom the little human girl, and her companions often rallied her abouther devotion to her "new toy," as they called it.
'"You will get tired of her after a while," they said, laughing. "Youare too young to make yourself into such a mother-slave to her. Why, noone would know you for the same maiden!"
'But Emerald only smiled in return.
'"I shall never get tired of her," she said; "she is my owntreasure-trove."
'Nevertheless, during all this time some misgiving, low down in herheart or conscience, made her keep away from the aged sea-lady, who hadoften in time past reproved her for her thoughtlessness. Why she did soshe excused to herself by saying she had no leisure now for anything butcare for the little girl.
"And the great-grandmother could not but be pleased if she knew how mytime
is spent," she would say to herself; "she was always the one totell me to be of use to others and to be more sedate, and I am certainlynow following her counsel." Yet notwithstanding these assurances toherself, she took care that in their playing and gambolling she and thebaby should keep away from the cave where dwelt the aged grand-dame.
'So time went on. It passes perhaps more quickly, or its passing is lessnoticed, down in the under-world of the ocean, than with the dwellers onthe land. It seemed to Emerald but a few days since the coming of herlittle pet, when her happy belief that all was right received a suddenblow. Baby was growing big now, for nearly as much of her life had bythis time been spent in the sea as on land, and Emerald had fondly hopedthat all remembrance of her own home had faded from the child's mind.The princess arrived one day on a visit to her parents. Emerald hadalways been a favourite of hers, and meeting her playing in the palacegardens with her little charge, she stopped to speak to them.
'"Ah, Emerald," she said, "so this is the pretty child you saved? I haveheard of her. How well you have treasured her, and I, too, have beencareful of _my_ treasure." She touched the long golden chain hanginground her neck as she spoke, and playfully tossed it towards the littlegirl, who caught it, laughing. But as she looked more closely at thegolden links in her fingers, a change came over her little face; it grewtroubled, and Emerald, fearful lest she should begin to cry, made someexcuse to the princess and carried her away, talking merrily as theywent. But the child's face did not clear.
'"Emerald," she said, for by this time she could talk quite perfectly,"something has come back to me. I remember that pretty chain. I threw itinto the water, when brother was running after me. Oh, Emerald, I wantto go home to him and the others. You may come too, dear Emerald, but Imust go home."
'Her words sent a thrill of fear through the heart of her youngsea-mother.
'"Oh, baby darling," she said, "what has put such fancies in your littlehead? Are you not happy with Emerald and all your pretty toys and games?Emerald cannot go away from her own country, and she would be toomiserable without you. And you--you would cry sadly at night, if she wasnot there to sing you to sleep."
'And the trouble on the mermaiden's face, as she spoke thus, grieved thelittle girl, for she had a tender heart. She gently stroked Emerald'scheeks, and said no more for the time. But from that moment, ever andanon, there crept into her soft blue eyes the strange, sad, far-awaylook which told that the charm was broken. She was pining for her ownrace and her own land.
'Emerald tried not to see it, tried to persuade herself that the childwould be miserable away from the sea country, that it would be cruel tothe little creature herself to restore her to her friends. Gradually,however, it became impossible to go on deceiving herself. Baby grewthin and pale--every one noticed it. Though gentle and tender as ever toher mermaid nurse, it was rarely now that her voice was heard inlaughter or glee; and her smiles were even sadder than the wistfulnessin her face.
'But all this time, though Emerald knew it not, her aged friend had keptwatch over her and her new experience; and one day there came a message,bidding her go to the grand-dame's cave, as she had something to say toher. This was a summons no young mermaid would have dared to disobey,and so, holding the little girl as usual by the hand, she made her waythither.
'Her old friend looked at her earnestly.
'"It is long since you have been to see me, my child," she said, "andthis is your little charge."
'She drew the little girl towards her as she spoke, and kissed her.
'"Are you happy with Emerald?" she asked her gently. The child's paleface flushed deeply.
'"Emerald is very good to me," she replied, "and sometimes I am veryhappy, but I have a pain here," and she touched her heart. "I want to gohome, I want to see brother and mamma and nurse again; until I do, thepain won't go away."
'"It will get better soon, I think," said the sea lady, and then shedrew the child's attention to a charming rockery in one corner of hercave, so that she could speak to Emerald without being heard.
'"You have known this, I fear," she began. "You are not doing right, mychild, and your own heart must tell you so."
'Emerald hung her head.
'"You told me," she said, "you told me not to live for myself, but forthe service of others--have I not been doing so?"
'"You did well," was the reply, "in saving the child's life, and sincethen you might have had other chances of the same kind, but you havenever returned to the upper world to seek for them. You have yielded tothe pleasure to yourself, of giving all your time to her, forgetting orrefusing to believe that you have no right to her. She is neither of ourrace nor blood--think of the bitter tears that must have been shed forher by her own people. See now--now that she is growing older and natureis speaking to her--the suffering that is beginning for herself. Nochild's face should look as hers does."
'It was enough. Emerald threw herself at her old friend's feet indeepest repentance.
'"It is all true," she cried; "I see it now, and indeed I knew itbefore, but I would not let myself think of it. I will take baby back toher home--now, at once, before my courage fails me."
'And the little girl, hearing the distress in her dear Emerald's voice,ran forward.
'"What is it," she said; "is the lady angry with you?"
'"No, no," was the reply, "I am very pleased with Emerald; and now, mylittle girl, the pain at your heart will go. Emerald is going to takeyou home, home to your mother and your brother, and you will be veryhappy."
'"But Emerald will come too?" asked the little girl; for though her facegrew rosy with delight, her heart misgave her for her mermaid friend.
'Emerald drew her towards her and kissed her fondly.
'"My darling," she whispered, "I will carry you home myself, but I couldnot stay in your country."
'"And shall I never see you again, then?" asked the little girl sadly.
'"I cannot say," Emerald replied; "but sometimes, if I may, I will cometo the edge of the beautiful garden where is your home, and sing softly,so that you will know I am there. But this must be a secret between youand me. And now," she went on, "there is no time to lose; clasp yourarms tightly round my neck, my little one, for we have a long way togo."
'Their old friend smiled in approval.
'"Sing to her, my child," she murmured, "it will lull her to sleep andsave her the pain of parting from you. The sun is still high in theheavens, it will be still full daylight when you reach the upper world.Lay her on the grass near the spot where you found her and kiss her onthe brow. But do not linger yourself; she will wake to full remembranceof her life before she came to you, and all will be well."'
* * * * *
With these words the spinning-wheel fairy's voice ceased, but Hildegardeand Leonore did not move or speak for some moments. Then they raisedtheir heads and gazed at their kind friend. 'Oh, thank you, thank you,'they said, 'for the story and the pictures; we couldn't look up atfirst, for we saw something more than you had told us. Almost theloveliest pictures of all came at the end.'
'There was one,' said Hildegarde, 'of the baby running to her mother inthe garden, and the little brother came too, and they knew her again ina moment, though she had been so long away--oh, it was beautiful!'
'And,' added Leonore, 'the last of all nearly made me cry. The baby hadgrown quite big and was standing near the water's edge. Emerald had beensinging to her, and just for one moment we saw her face--so sad, but sosweet. Oh, how I should love to have a mermaid friend.'
But even as she spoke, her voice grew drowsy. She knew thespinning-wheel fairy was smiling at her and Hildegarde, and they bothfelt her gently releasing the rainbow thread from their fingers, butafter that they knew no more, till a sound of tapping woke them up.
It was Amalia, knocking at the door of the blue-silk room; and when theyopened their eyes, there they were, lying on the soft fleecy rug infront of the fire, as if they had never moved the whole afternoon.
'It will be nice to be able to go out again,' said Hildegarde to Leonorewith a smile, 'especially as we have no more nuts to crack.'
'Yes,' said Leonore with a sigh; 'but some day, Hildegarde, surely_some_ day, the dear fairy will send for us again. Don't you think so?'
THE END
The Magic Nuts Page 15
