utterdespair, for the Queen's state was considered worse this morning.
"Alas, alas!" he cried, as he turned away, "it is hopeless."
But among those who overheard his words was one who was not satisfiedwith feeling very sorry for the poor King.
This was a little mermaid named Chryssa. She was younger than Ila andOrona, and she was of far less exalted position; in fact, she wasscarcely more than a little servant in the Queen's household. Andprobably no one would have spoken of her as beautiful if asked todescribe her. But she _was_ beautiful, nevertheless, and wonderfullysweet and loving; and the living being she loved the most in the worldwas the Queen. Of course, like every one else, Chryssa had heard allabout the quest of the rose which was to cure the Queen; and now thethought struck her, could _she_, unknown to any one, try in her turn tobring the earth-flower fresh and fragrant which alone would have magicpower to save her royal mistress's life? There seemed something luckyin being the _third_ to try, "and, at least," thought Chryssa, "it wouldbe, so far as I am concerned, `the gift of love,' as the poor Queenkeeps murmuring."
She determined to make the endeavour; and late that night, just for fearof being seen--though she was so insignificant a person that there wasnot much chance of her being missed--she set off. She was not by natureso strong or courageous as Ila and Orona; she knew very little, indeed,of anything but her own sea home, as she had been treated like a child,and had never heard the stories and descriptions of the world above,which were often related to entertain the Queen and her ladies. Nowonder her poor little heart almost failed her through the long darkjourney up to land. And at first when she reached the surface all wasstill as dark there as below. But as she lay there panting, almostdoubting if she had done well to come, up above, over the land, thereshone out a marvellous light, which at once filled her with hope andjoy. It was the moon--slowly the silvery lamp glided out from behindthe clouds, and the little mermaid almost cried aloud for joy.
"Oh, beautiful light," she said, "thank you for coming. Show me what todo; I will follow your guidance," and a gleaming streak across the watershone out as if inviting her to follow it.
Swiftly the mermaid swam in the direction of the land, full in the glowof the light; and a girl--an earth-maiden--standing at her window in thesummer night thought that she saw a vision, and scarce knew if she wereawake or dreaming.
"It is late," she thought. "I must get to sleep or I shall be growingtoo fanciful."
But before she lay down on her little bed she carefully unfastened abeautiful red rose which was pinned to her bodice and placed it in aglass of water, kissing it as she did so, for it was the first gift ofher betrothed.
Poor Chryssa reached the shore; but though the moonlight still shonepale and pure and clear, it gave her no help. For the radiance was nowspread all over the land; and before her there stretched a steep androcky coast, beyond which--far off it looked to the mermaid--she coulddimly see trees and bushes and some darker, harder form among them.
"It may be a house, such as the earth-folk live in," she thought. "Andthere perhaps these flowers they call roses are growing. But how am Ito get there? and how should I find the flower if I were there?"
Still she must try. Slowly and painfully she drew herself some littleway up the shore, catching hold of the stones with her hands; then shestopped to rest, and set off again. It was really not very distant, butto poor Chryssa it seemed terrible: she could only go a few yards at atime without resting. The night was far gone, the dawn at hand, whenthe little mermaid, gasping and exhausted, her tender hands bruised andbleeding, sank for the last time, unable to drag herself any farther, ona grass plot just below the window whence the young girl had seen her inthe moonlight like a vision, floating towards the shore.
Hebe, for so the maiden was called, woke early, and after glancing ather rose, threw open the window and leant out to watch the sunrise.
"How lovely it is," she thought, "and how happy I am!" for her betrothalhad only taken place the day before.
"Dear rose, I will keep you always--even when withered--always, till--"
But a low sob or wail, just below the window, startled her. What couldit be? Leaning farther out, she saw at first nothing but a long tangleof shining hair covering some unseen object, for Chryssa's hair was likea golden cloak.
"What is it? Who is lying there?"
A faint voice answered--
"Oh, lady, I think I am dying! I have lain here all night, torn andbleeding, and none of my race can live many hours on land."
Half-terrified at the strange words, but still more pitiful, Hebehastened out. The window opened on to a little balcony, and steps leddown to the garden. She would almost have been too frightened toapproach Chryssa--for though there were old legends of mer-folk aboutthat coast, generations had passed since any had actually been seen--butfor the sweet expression in the little mermaid's face and eyes, dyingthough she seemed. This gave Hebe courage to go near her, and with theointment and linen she quickly fetched, to bind up her cuts and bruises.Then Chryssa told her story in gasping words.
"If I could but live to take a rose to the Queen," she said, "I wouldnot mind dying; though, for one of my race, life should last for fullfive hundred years, and life is very beautiful."
"Alas!" said the earth-maiden, "there are no roses in our garden, thesoil does not suit them; and before I could procure one for you, youwould die, I fear. But,"--and she made a great effort--"I will do foryou what I had thought I could never do but a few minutes ago. I willgive you my own rose--the first gift of my best beloved." And with thewords, she ran back to her chamber and returned, the red rose fresh andblooming in her hand.
She kissed it as she gave it to Chryssa.
"Carry healing in your fragrance," she murmured. And, strange to say,as a breath of its perfume reached the mermaid, she herself in somemagical way began to revive. Her eyes sparkled as she blessed Hebe forher generous sacrifice.
"I feel," she said, "that the conditions are all fulfilled. My Queenwill be saved."
But Hebe's eyes looked over the fields to where the waves were lappingthe shore.
"The tide is coming in," she said, "you will not now have so far to go.But I must help you. Clasp me firmly round the neck, and I will carryyou to the nearest creek, where already you will find the ocean water,which is to you what this fresh, balmy air is to us."
And little Chryssa did as she was told, and Hebe, lifting the lightburden in her strong young arms, carried the daughter of the strangeunknown race of the sea as tenderly as if she had been a fragile sisterof her own. For, after all, there was the greatest of all bonds betweenthem--love and self-sacrifice in their hearts.
All went well. Chryssa reached the sea-king's palace feeling strongerand better than when she set out, and the rose, too, seemed to havegained fresh beauty and fragrance by its contact with the waves. Nosooner did the almost dying Queen breathe its perfume than her strengthbegan to return, and in a few hours she was cured.
No reward would have been too great for the King and Queen to bestowupon the little mermaid; but she asked for none save to be hermistress's constant attendant.
They say--so, at least, the waves, who told me the story, whispered--that down in the ocean depths, somewhere in a wonderful palace, thereblooms still a flower of earth--a red rose--endowed with a magic gift ofhealth and healing.
Mrs Caretaker's voice stopped. For a moment or two the children didnot move. Then she laid her hand gently on their heads, and they liftedthem.
"It is a lovely story," said Alix, with a sigh of content. "Do youthink, dear Mrs Caretaker, that _perhaps_ we may see Chryssa some daywhen we are bathing?"
Mrs Caretaker shook her head.
"At least we may _look_ for her; perhaps she comes up to the shoresometimes--we _might_ catch a peep of her face among the surf. Youmight send her a message by one of the fishes you know, Mrs Caretaker."The old woman smiled.
But suddenly Rafe started.
"I was forgetting," he said. "Haven't we been here a great while? What_will_ nurse say?"
"Never mind," said their friend. "Remember, I promised to see youhome," and again she stroked their heads.
And that was all that happened, till--
"You must be getting up, my dear; to-day you are going to the sea,remember," sounded first by one little bedside and then by the other.
"Were we very late of coming in last night?" asked the children atbreakfast.
"Not so very, I don't think," nurse replied. "But you see I can't tellexactly, as I found you both undressed and in bed fast asleep when Icame up from my supper. You did give me a surprise."
Rafe and Alix looked at each other and smiled. Nurse thought it
An Enchanted Garden: Fairy Stories Page 19
