"O base Assyrian knight, what is thy news?
Let King Cophetua know the truth thereof."
The King next morning was pacing his library with unquiet step. He was disgusted with every one and all the world, and with nothing so much as himself. To begin with, the Marquis de Tricotrin\'s disquisition on the kingly office had made a deep and unpleasant impression upon him. He felt the Frenchman was perfectly right in all he had said, and that a king, to do his duty, must be practically a nonentity. It was like a crown to his old trouble. Long he had grieved over his enforced inaction, and now, just when he hoped to find an escape, and spread his wings as wide as King Stork, he found himself crowned King Log by the very hand, by the very facts, by the cogency of the very philosophy in which he had put his trust.
It was true that the Marquis had suggested to him a path by which he might still climb to the far-off heights on which his eyes were always fixed; but yet he knew it was only[Pg 197] done to amuse him, to get him, as it were, out of the way. He was man of the world enough to know that M. de Tricotrin could not have meant what he said. And yet, was it not the truth? Was not the sublime life, after all, the life of moral influence rather than the life of action? Was it not a grander thing to implant a living spirit of nobility into his people than to try and amend them by what were only little bits of tinkering after all?
Yes; no doubt the Marquis was right unconsciously; but how to live the life he praised? Alone, without sympathy, without encouragement, he could not do it, and there was no one to whom he could go and say, "Help me!" There was no one who would even understand what he meant. At least only one, and since last night she was cut off as far as the rest. Ah! if she had only been what he had almost thought her, how all his troubles would have been ended? At last he might have ceased to resist the snares and cunning of the heartless daughters of Eve; he might have taken the lovely woman in his arms, to find in her beauty and refinement, in her spiritual influence and tender sympathy, the divine secret of the noble life. All that was wanting in him she would have supplied; and when those soft eyes lit up with the light of love, as they watched the efforts which she inspired, and which she alone could understand, it would be reward[Pg 198] and encouragement enough to lead him ever onward, upward, hand in hand with her.
But there were no such women now. It was only a boyish dream to think of it; and it only made him angrier with himself to recognise how much her sympathy must have been to him, since now that he had lost it he could muse so childishly. He laughed bitterly to think of himself like a baby crying for the moon, or at least for something as pure and gentle and serenely bright, and as far off and as impossible to attain.
He strode to the window to watch those that came and went at the palace gates, and so dissolve his thoughts. The beggars were crouching there as usual in the blazing sunlight, making deep-blue shadows under their broad hats and voluminous turbans and tattered cloaks. Here and there a leg or an arm, or a shaggy breast, baked to a ruddy brown, gave a glowing bit of colour amidst the grey of filth; and here and there in the blue shadows a forbidding face could be dimly seen distorted and screwed into deep-marked wrinkles, to keep out the fierce glare which beat on them from the parched roadway and the dusty walls.
Like all who pretended to any taste at that time, the King was an authority on chiaroscuro, and was never tired of studying the picture at his gates. But to-day it brought no sense of art. It only raised again the memory of Penelophon, and then all at once[Pg 199] perfect purity and gentleness and the serenity of an unsullied soul seemed close within his grasp. It almost alarmed him to find how that which had been a mere fancy was growing in his mind to be a possibility. He began to think his senses must be strangely unhinged if for one moment he could harbour the preposterous thought that perhaps here after all was what he sought. The painting above the hearth seemed to be gaining over him the mystic influence which he had always permitted to the old knight\'s armour. In vain he recalled the beggar-maid in her dirt and ignorance; in vain he told himself it could never be as long as reason remained to him. Still the prospect would always be returning to him, and at each return it gained new strength.
He was turning away from the window that he might not see the beggars any longer, when a commotion amongst them attracted his attention. The bright lights and blue shadows and bits of warm colour broke up and intermingled into new combinations as they lazily scrambled together to pick up some coins that had been flung to them; and then he saw hurry by them the beautiful figure of Mlle de Tricotrin. She was coming for her morning walk, which she always took now, at his invitation, in the shady alleys of the palace gardens. He marked her downcast looks, the graceful folds of her clinging gown, gathered daintily[Pg 200] at her breast with a flowing knot of ribbon, and the gentle refinement which her every movement told of. He watched her as she passed beneath his window, and felt his eyes dim at the sight of the marvellous beauty that could never be his.
Suddenly she raised her head to look up where he was, and ere he could withdraw their eyes had met. He had seen the sad, pleading look beneath the dark lashes; he had seen the soft flush that spread over the matchless face; he had seen the shapely head bowed again in deepest resignation down upon the troubled breast as she passed on from the cold, unanswering look he gave her; and now he was pacing the room again in strange agitation.
Could such beauty be the outward sign of the baseness which he had been taught to believe in? If one woman could be as good and pure and gentle as Penelophon, why should not another? Why should not this one? If she had jarred upon him so last night, did it not show that she was not the perfect schemer he had thought her? A knock at the door came to his relief. It was the Chancellor\'s hour of audience, and Turbo entered as calm and snarling and business-like as ever.
"Good morning, Chancellor," said the King, as usual. "Is there any business?"
"None, sire," answered Turbo—"at least, none of mine; but I believe General Dolabella has something to report."
[Pg 201]
"Why, what is that?" exclaimed the King.
"Oh, nothing, I fancy," said the Chancellor. "Some blunder of the officer in command of the party of gendarmes who arrived last night. There was a stupid brawl with the townsfolk, or something of that kind."
"But that seems to me serious," said the King, "considering how necessary secrecy is to my purpose. Let him be admitted at once."
General Dolabella was ushered in, wearing a look of tremendous mystery and importance, and with official brevity reported that a party of gendarmes arriving in the city during the previous night had encountered a man maltreating a girl, and that in endeavouring to arrest him and prevent further violence, one of the privates had been shot dead by the miscreant; "and if your majesty pleases," concluded the General, with an even greater air of mystery than before, "the officer is in attendance to give further details."
"I will question him immediately," said the King.
"Would your majesty wish to make the examination in private?" said Turbo. "If so, I will retire."
"I see no occasion," answered the King, before the commander-in-chief could interpose. "Besides, I shall probably need your assistance. Let the officer enter."
[Pg 202]
The hero of the last night\'s adventure was at once introduced. He saluted the King with spirit, and then stood rigidly at attention, without in the least noticing the Chancellor.
"This is a most grave affair, sir," began the King. "Have you any light to throw on the parties concerned?"
"I believe, sire, I have identified the girl," replied the gendarme.
"And who do you suppose she is?"
"She is a servant of Mlle de Tricotrin.
"In what capacity?"
"I do not know, sire; but it may elucidate the point if I inform your majesty of a curious statement she made to me."
"Well, sir, proceed," said the King, as the officer hesitated.
"She spoke very strangely," replied the gendarme, "of having been rescued from some danger by your majesty."
"And what of the man?" asked the King, endeavouring to conceal his interest.
"As to that, I cannot speak with such certainty," answered the officer.
"But of what kind was he?"
"He was dressed, sire, like a beggar."
"Hear, Chancellor! hear, General! to what a pitch of insolence these wretches are coming!" said the King hotly. "It is growing past bearing. We have not acted a moment too soon."
[Pg 203]
"Not a moment," said the General.
"Not a moment, I quite agree," said the Chancellor.
"If you could recognise the man," pursued the King. "I would have him arrested at once."
"It is possible, sire, that I might," said the officer, as rigid as ever. "He was a beggar with a limp, deformed shoulders, and a peculiarly educated voice for one of his class. And, further, I think I can tell your majesty where to inquire for him."
"What do you mean, sir?" said the King. "Proceed as shortly as possible."
"He took refuge in the High Chancellor\'s garden," said the officer.
"Are you sure of this?" asked the King, growing suddenly calm.
"I took particular pains not to be mistaken, sire," answered the gendarme, "because the fellow had the impudence to say he was the Chancellor himself."
"What is the meaning of this?" said the King, turning on the Chancellor.
"A lie to cover a lamentable piece of incompetency, I should say," said Turbo coolly.
"That, sire, is a very natural solution for his excellency to offer," said the General, coming with subdued excitement to the aid of his subordinate; "but it hardly explains the fact that this note, directed in Mlle de Tricotrin\'s hand to his excellency, was found upon this unfortunate girl."
[Pg 204]
With all his self-control Turbo could not suppress an uneasy movement as the General produced the little note and handed it to the King. In the excitement of having the girl in his power he had quite forgotten this part of the arrangement, and so had omitted to possess himself of the evidence of Mlle de Tricotrin\'s treachery.
"It appears to be meant for you, Chancellor," said the King quietly, passing on the note to him. "You see?"
Turbo took it and read it through with deliberation. "It was intended for me, sire," he said imperturbably.
"Then the beggar who was guilty of this crime," said the King, with affected calm, "is no other than the High Chancellor of Oneiria."
"Your majesty\'s conjecture is perfectly correct," replied Turbo, who saw that all hope of concealment was now at an end.
"Before Heaven, this is too much!" exclaimed Kophetua, still in a well-controlled voice, but growing white with anger. "General Dolabella, you will arrest his excellency."
The General came forward with an uneasy air to receive the Chancellor\'s sword. Turbo drew it quietly from its sheath, and presented it with elaborate politeness.
"Shall I take his excellency\'s parole?" asked the General, "or will your majesty?"
"Neither, sir," answered the King. "You[Pg 205] will call a guard, and remove him to the Tower immediately."
The General, after looking at the King for a moment in blank amazement, bowed, and despatched the officer for some files of the Palace Watch. A distressing silence followed his departure, which Turbo seemed to enjoy immensely, till at last he broke it himself.
"I do not wish," said he, with affected humility, "to complain of your majesty\'s vigour. In my old pupil I can only warmly admire it. But as your majesty has adopted this spirited course, I would beg the privilege of the meanest prisoner, and demand on what charge I am arrested."
"You may inform the prisoner," said the King, addressing Dolabella, "that he is arrested on confession of murder and abduction."
"Your majesty is extremely kind," answered Turbo, "and it is only right that I should show my sense of your clemency by letting you know that you are acting in error both of law and fact."
"I must ............