Rasselas in the Vegetable Kingdom

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVII, Issue 24, 15 December 1906, Page 19

Rasselas in the Vegetable Kingdom

By

GEORGIA WOOD PANGBORN

THE; make-believe of grown people lacks both realism and romance, being merely a kind of stupid falsity that neither pleases nor de-

ceives. The house where Kasselas lived was a sort of make-believe, a large and splendid toj', Brodingnagian for any house, while Rasselas was little, even for eight years old.

The floors were slippery, the rugs dim and soft, and absent - minded statues stood about in attitudes, nobody seeming to mind their being while and unfinished. When Rasselas offered to paint them with his water colours, he was refused with empty laughter.

Had there been reality or romance anywhere, it surely would have lurked in Rassela’s play-room, on? would think; but a maid and a governess were there nearly all the time; the maid to keep t hings neat, the governess to impart useful information in general, which included showing him how to play with his toys—and every one knows that this is no way to 'inanage a play-room. Blit the, ‘governess’ ideas about geography were’.creditable. Egypt was good on account of the Sphinx and the Pyramids; so little being known about the inside of them; so many interesting things having been dug out of the sand. South America was good, too, because of the forests with animals in them. Then, if you cared to go to the North Pole, there Were Polar bears, the aurora borealis, and snow huts.

At that time, Rasselas still supposed himself to be one Harold Marlowe, not having discovered his right name. That knowledge came out of a book filched from the great glass cases of the “mustn’t touch” library; a still', learned book, though with some rather interesting woodcuts —he would never have tried to read a book without pictures — with misty trees on its shining leather covers, its leaves stuck together with gilding, proving Rasselas to be the first in that house who had read it. “Rasselas Johnson” was the name of the book/the words being written one above the other. It was the tale of a prince who lived in a certain Happy Valley, and did not like it.

On one of those days when a new trnrse add a’ new governess were to arrive in the evening, Rasselas sat long upon the verandah," beside his mother, who was leading, and she fell asleep because, Rasselas supposed, there were no pictures in the book she read—her delicate underlip relaxed, her forehead crumpled by the ray of sunlight that lay across her eyes. She was a plump, good-natured person, who, but for her toilettes and social duties, might, have been cuddlesome. Then Rasselas softly departed upon a tour about the great stone waII with spikes on top, searching, in the character of that other Rasselas, means of escape from the Happy Valley, until, in that part of the grounds where the “mustn’t touch” fruits grew.- he came upon a grapevine which had hooked an elbow about one of the iron spikes of the wall, and seemed strong enough to give One a hand up. He clutched the sharp points of the spikes, thrusting bis toes lietwcen them, ami looked upon the world as he find never done ■ before, -though he bad been often oijjt in it, ridjng and walking .with pijopte who eagerly told him- to look ht this thing a-nd that. -To really see a thing one' must discover, it him-elf. First lie' considered the blue, uneven,

mountains, then the roofs of the town a mite away, then the half hidden red chimney of the little house next door; and so was approaching by degrees that which was more immediately beneath him, when he was challenged, as people must expect to be challenged at the boundaries of other people’s kingdoms, and his name demanded. “Rasselas Johnson,” he replied at once. The sentry wore a white sunbonnet, and must throw her head very far back, to train the funnel on him properly. Rasselas considered the face at the bottom of the funnel, and the result of his examination was that without further parley he slipped sidewise between the spikes and jumped down beside her. She stuck out a tremulous underlip. “You jumped on my moonllowers,” said she. “It is the most rapid growing of all climbing vines,” she recited in a voice weak with repressed tears. “Although a perennial species in the tropics (sniff), it is as readily grown from seed as any annual. The vines are literally covered with thousands of immense, pure white, fragrant flowers. Many of them measure—seven —inches— across—” The voice failed, the accusatory suubonnet funnel turned away and was hidden in the crook of a small elbow. The sleeve was tight, and the elbow tip had worked its way through. “There isn't any such thing.” said lias selas, looking about. Was it a gam-.-? He hardly' knew what to think. “There was going to be!” She gesticulated backward at the print of Rasselas’s hands, knees, and feet in the brown earth. Some broken, heart shaped leaves were crushed into the soil. “I had soaked the seeds till they were all cracked and pobb.y. I soaked them for days and days, and I planted them in boxes in the house, and I transplanted them into little flower-pots, and then f set' them out here, and then you jumped on them.” “I’m sorry,” said Rasselas sadly, for he remembered now having heard that one planted seeds in order to have flowers. “I only' wanted to get out of the Happy Valley.” “It isn’t; it’s Mr Marlowe’s place. I suppose the gardener was chasing you off, but you needn’t have come down < n my moonflowers.” He had begun with romance, why not continue it? Why' not reconstruct all things gloriously? “The gardener didn't chase me. He’s my uncle. I can go anywhere I like and do anything I please. I should like to play with you now.” “I was playing at working in my gar den, but that's no use now.”

“I know a story,” quoth Rasselas. and lie launched into the tale of the Prince in the Happy Valley. • —“And so they went back,” he finished, “into Abyssinia, because they thought they ought to; but that was silly, I think. Why should they ought? It was nicer outside. And so they named me Rasselas Johnson out of the book, and I am visiting my uncle, who is Mr Marlowe’s gardener, and they let me do anything I want to. I have very good times,” he asserted emphatically, “because I can go out. of the gate and play with other children and make mud pies.” “Anybody can make mud pies.”

“Master Harold can’t. He’s Mr Marlowe’s little boy. They don’t even let him play with me.” While they' were conversing, a long, narrow shadow had b en advancing upon them silently, Rasselas was the first to become aware of this shadow, as it shot beyond them, across the perished moonllowers to the wall, and was there bent in the middle, as one bends a paper doll to make it sit down; from there on, it stood upright in the likeness of a man with a wide brimmed hat. Rasselas and the sunbonnet funnel turned at the same instant, and she said, sadly; “He jumped on my moonllowers. papa, but he was in a hurry to get out of the Happy Valley.” The gentleman made no r<ply other than to sit dow’n with them crosslegged, and. being a tall, thin person in a linen duster, one thought of those long-legged sand-coloured grasshoppers with knees drawn up in meditation. He examined the little broken plants attentively, found one whose stem was not severed, and silently replaced it, adjusting the earth about its roots. "Half a loaf.”' said he. “is better than no bread; besides, you have had an adventure, which is better still. Adventures are uncommon in the Vegetable Kingdom.” “Is this the Vegetable Kingdom?” asked Rasselas. The little girl giggled, but not so her father. “Part of it,” he mused, his face rippling into benevolent wrinkles. "Why not? 1 have just been putting down an insurrection of ‘pusley’ in the strawberry bed. Our borders are never sate against wild carrots, and I noticed the spies of the enemy were already in the potato field.” These people, Rasselas perceived, tin deistood how to play. He blushed with pleasure. “Are you the king?” “Yes. You don't mind my not wearing a crown? 1 don’t very often. They haven’t invented a crown yet that is worth si cent to keep off the sun; and till they do, a straw hat sloes verywell.” “You can play it’s a crown.” “Yes, 1 can do that. Did 1 .understand you to say' you were Rasselas, Prince of Abyssilia? You ought to be wearing crowns yourself. I should think, but 1 suppose you were in such a hurry to get out of the Happy Vatley' you couldn’t stop for one.” He looked shrewdly at the hoy. who amended with dignity “Rasselas Johnson.” ■ “Johnson! Of course. Johnson. You also described yourself, if I mistake not, as a young man of unusual freedom, whose temporary absence would be unlikely to cause alarm.” Rasselas looked anxious, but nodded. The gentleman looked him over thoughtfully. “Well,” said he, “it may' be that your modesty causes you to underrate your importance, or it may be—a-h —in some sort, glamour poeti cal license. At all events, it would seem too bad to have scaled so high a wall to no purpose and—l have seen the Happy Valley.” lie shrugged his shoulders and rose up—4o tall that ho could look over the, wall when lie stood on his tiptoes. “I think I shouldn't care to stay in tl > Happy , Ylalley myself,” he muttered, when he had so surveyed it; “let’s go (o thn Palace. What with intriguing ‘pusley' and thia

melancholy accident to the infant ladics-in waitiug of the Princess Ines, I think we have had enough of matter* of state for one day. The Vegeta bl* Kingdom, Frinc'e,' has ’ its cares as well as other kingdoms, but the crown, being of straw, is not so heavy as other crowns, and the head that wears ft does not lie uneasy. Although a person of the least importance, as you describe yourself. I dare, say you will have to be back to tea or dinn r- bit in th* meantime there arc milk and cookie* at the Palace. Your mother want* you, Inez." The Palaee was cool and dim. Nk queen or other royal person was in th* dining room; only two blue bowls milk and a plate heaped with cookies. The King had announced the coming of Iho guest, but the Queen was too busy to bother with visiting priqco* that day. Rasselas had never b fore seen * house like this of the Vegetable Kingdom. The floors were painted brown, and the walls a mild variation of t.-rrn cotta. Everywhere there were bookshelves, with loose papers or pamphlets, inserted in the spaces left by 'he tops of the books—not in the least resembling a “mustn’t touch” library. Also there were divans and window-seats, indicating people of leisurely habits, and many cushions, mostly grimy and out at elbow. There was a. rug, with fringe singularly, mutilated. A guinea pig hitehed out from under the divan and began to lunch upon this rug as scion as the children had settled down to their meal. “He thinks the fringe is grass.” saifl Inez. “We are all wondering what Ist will do when he gets through with the fringe. I don’t know what wo should do if he kept right on and ate the rug. His name is Sardanapalus.” So they took the guinea pig with them when they went back to the garden. changing it from om- thing to another as I hey happened to nee.l. now an elephant and now a lion - a matter of great indifference to Sardanapalus, who, wherever you put him down, would begin to eat at once, without argument or criticism of his environment. There were few environments that Sardanapalus could not cat, but. he liked green best, and picked out the clover in it first, “Papa is a poet.” said Inez. “What’s Rasselas said: “I’m a norphan, and I. come from a ninstitution.” He ' said it rather abstractedly, for people on the. other side of the wall were plainly calling: “Harold! Harold!” and among their voices Mr. Marlowe’s was prominent. Sooi) afterward, tha Marlow carriage could be seen through the trees, driving rapidly down the yellow road. “1 shouldn’t wonder," said Rasselas, very calmly, “if somebody had been kidnapping that boy. They’i'e always afraid of it. That's the trouble with being a rich child. But nobody's ever afraid about me.” And they went on playing until the west grew 1 luminous and the shadows were long tmd purple. A bell rang in the directioii of the Vegetable Kingdom Palace. “That's my supper.” said Ines, “(food-bye. I will forgive you about) the moonllowers.” Rasselas inserted his head in the fans

Bel, and kissed her warm, moist mouth. Th»n he stood for some time by him •eif. looking sadly after her. but at kngth elimbed over the wall by placing snap boxes on top of each other; those boxes which had been houses a few minutes before, and previously to that had •■ontaiired young moonfloxver plants •nd other garden stuff. He climbed down the grapevine, un-•b-erv.d on the other side, and took his way sombrely to the great pillared veranda of the make-believe house, alter, he was greeted with hysterical questions and kisses, and xxas greatlv bored He admitted with perfect calmness that In- ;ad been kidnapped, just as they fi-jrci. by two very large men with bla<-k Ire.irels. nisi taken to a cave: but bare Iris <-aptors hart fill n asleep, and he bail stain them as they lay. an«l escaped. And to this tale he stuck with -si.-h pl.u-id satisfaction in its plausibility that in the end one or two wc.tk-’nind, d women almost believed him, but nobody ever knew the truth. However, it was decided forthwith that Rasselas needed a change, and he was sent to school, and played no more at that time with the sunbonuet priu sess of the Vegetable Kingdom. Ihe full muon stood just over the southeast wall of the Marlowe place, foolish aud open-mouthed. From the big house came the tuning of xiolins. Rasselas—but he had forgotten that name and now thought of himself as Harold Marlowe —paced in the shadow of the wall, his head downcast, sulkily unobservant of the blazing window, that laid orange patterns on the lawn, catching a floxver ir.g shrub here and there: of carriages rolling up the great curving drive: of flashes of colour passing within the bright doors: of the triple thump of th- lust waltz—a waltz that be liked ■with all the sentimental soul of him. am! that increased his self-pit v. He halted, with his back to the wall and hi* hands in his pockets, pondering, after the manner cd poets, about the moon, the fragrance of the shrubs, the

sadness of niii-iv. ami the peculiarities of his own temperament. He wondered if he dared stay away from the house for the whole evening. Something 'oft and fragrant touched his cheek. Suppling it a evntle-winged night moth, he brushed it lightly aside, but as it persisted, turned and looked into the face of a great white flower, swaying at the '! nder tip of a vine which drooped from the top of the spiked wall. And then be ~-iw that these ugly spikes were al! softly blossoming iu shimmering white under the moon, and straightway remembered the Vegetable Kingdom that he had once itiseovered on. the other side. and bow there were a princess. a king and a .preen who stayed in the kitehen. hut fed a little vi'iting prinee with milk aud cookies. And the num ■ of that visiting prinee— Rasselas Johnson! The grapevine, having grown as he had grown, eonht stilt help him. He climbed up as before; cautiously stepped over toe spikes, and leaped, hut awkwardly, so that be eante down on all fours. A seared voice -slid: "For mercy's sake!.’’ —- th-n waen Ire had dusted his knees and apologised to au indistinct person in a white gown, who had shrunk into th? great flowering vine uuiil she might have been one of the blossoms— "I really believe you re Rasselas Johnson!” said she. "1 couldn’t eonte track before. They sent me to school. lon are the VegetaHe Princess, aren't you?” "I'm Inez Alleu. of course: but I don’t titink it'- at all nice of you to jump over things like that.” "1 wanted to get out of the Happv Valley.” Mre laughed. and came out of the vine, but her retreat into it had been so hurried that she was quite euussshed, and must work carefully to disentangle the slender branches from her hair ami ruffles. without further bruising the flowers. "Your inoonftvwers,” said Rasselas, ’“have come over to juy side of the wall.’’ "Well, you’re at liberty to prune them off if you don’t like them.” "1 didn’t say I didn't like them. If I hadn't seen th m I shouldn’t be here.” There was an awkward silence while

they looked at each other with experimental -miles. “You’ve grown a good deal,” she finally said. Ka-e-la- bowed. “There has been time. Relatively, however, we seem to be about the same a- we were th. n.” Inez eonsideresl the remark carefully. At last she’replied: “This is perfectly ridiculous. 1 don't realh know you at all.” "I'm Ra.'S«-las Johnson." "You told ns that you were the gardener's nephew—” He felt that his evening dress was bringing suspicion upon him. "Oh, I am!" he -aid fervently. "I’m just helping the butler.” "Oughtn't you to be getting hack, then ?” . "No. I didn't 'nave to. You see—• that is—l won’t fee needed until ever so much hater.” "Oh! Well. I don’t mind. 1 came out here to listen to the music. What have you been doing all these years?” "Why, they educated me.” "And now expect you to take a servant’s place!” "Oh, no! I just wanted to be obliging. Aud you haxe been planting moonflowers ever since?” "That —ami working my way through college. I'm just out this summer. I suppose you dent know anything about gardening? 1 can't decide whether to go into violet- or mushrooms. There's enough land, and 1 won’t teaeh — I won't!” s “1 should think violets were nicer th-in mushrooms.” "It's not a question of -entiment.” said Inez sharply, and sigbed. Rasselas remenil>erv»i that lor father was a poet. Yet it wa-n't very poetic for one’s daughter to raise mu-hrconi- for her living and work her way through college. He thought of his own verses guiltily. His family ha.l Iweu greatly bored when they' appeared in tie college magazines. *T wish you knew something about gardening. 1 should think, being the gardener's nephew —” "I could learn!" said Rasselas. "You don't think I was offering you a position, did youi 1 was only wishing I

kmw sowelrody that knew something Yu«t -or. .mr plaree has. wwi been cultivated uHieh aud agricultural books are very rexnfu-ing. They're so ungrammatiiwL Half the time they say ju-t the opposite of what they mean.” "Inez!” called a voice somewhere i* the darkness. "Inez!’’ . "Il xvorries papa to have me out w lien tire dew is falling. Won't you come iu and see him** Only one small light marked wher# lay the Vegetable Kingdom palace, so low and little among its trees that it was in visible from the third-storey xvindows of the other palace across the way. Its walls were shaggy with vines and buttressed with shrubs. The moon, going before, hovered over its little ebimney. dark against the grey-green sky. The waltz followed with plaintive inquiry and subtle iamentatiou, but Ra—s-la' was no longer sad. A white kitten tiptoed to meet t'uem, mewing delicately. Against the glowing xvindow-shade sat tire shadow of a somnolent parrot, headless on its pereii, and in the exact middle of the threshold the hunched hacks of three guinea formed a triple a reh —mother and children in siieuv meditation. A rather rank -xlour of tobacco emanated from a deep shadoxv under the leafy wistaria. "It's Rasselas Johnson, papa.” saul Inez to tire shadow. "He jumped over the wall again into the Hioonflov.ers and said he wanted to gel out of the Happy \ alley.” After which explanation Inez picked up the white kitten and eat on tire steps, with her buck texward her father and Rasselas. listening to the musie, her thoughts no doubt ou the violet and mushroom business. The poet »poke somexxhat dryly: "GxMHI-evening. Air. Johnson. I trust all is well in Abyssinia?’ And Rasselas slammere*! a little as he said that it was. He sat on the railing, facing the guinea pigs, who stared, motionless, unwinking, the light from behind them glinunerius across their six bulging eyes. He had not been enuseimis of deceit before. He had supposed it was all in the wav of romance. He dhl aot like

Seing unaMe to look a guinea pig in the fcer, and turned the cusnersation aa ftaetily as might be from Abyssinia. It gravitated naturally enough to agriculture aa a pursuit for women, particularly the growing of violets and mushrooms. When the musie stopped Inez turned around. "And we could eat the mushrooms ourahis,'' she said, "if we couldn't sell them all. They 're said to be very nourishing ! ”

Was it Rasselas’s imagination, or did the light as it struck across her face show a dim depression under the cheekbone. aa if, perhaps he burned with sudden anger — she hid not always enough to eat! There bad been wist-fulne-s ui that remark—“ They’re said to be very nourishing!’’

Then he remembered how in that other time there had been a Queen in the kitchen who served out bowls of bread and milk. He dared not ask, but there -eeuied no bint of her anywhere now, and by and by as they talked, Inez said nasually enough, though her voice was a shade softer on the phrase. "Mother used to say —” so he knew how the Queen must now he elsewhere, and that Inez mast be reigning alone in the kitchen, as well as in the garden; for the King, it developed, had grown ota and lame, so that in daytime he spent long hours of meditation in the sun, and warm evenings. like this, -at silent upon the ve-r-.n-da. In winters, no doubt, a lamp, an open fire, his many books, and the same long. slow thoughts of age.

Rasselas looked at the slim Princess Inez in her white gown, with her white kitten, whose ears she was abstractedly turning inside out, and thought how it must be lonely for her.

When he bad looked at hex a little longer bi~ breath quickened. He straightened his slovenly shoulders anti smiled queerly, for he guessed from the symptoms, though he was not quite cure, what bad happened to him, or at least what was in a fair way to happen if he stayed much longer where he was, and got into the habit of escaping by the uioontiower wav out or the Happv Valley. "There might be complications about that,” he thought to himself. "They’d do something hateful if 1 married—eonfound it!—‘beneath’ me. Suppose they cut me off. for instance, would she take me on as a hired many" Ami the idea had its attractions. He also ran over in his mind a certain story about King Cophetua and a Beggar Maid, blushing hotly in the darkness. Knowing his family’s prejudices, however. the hired man alternative seemed Kkelier—and the guinea pigs’ round, truthful eyes never left his face. So all that evening the owners of Rasselas on the other side of the wall went about their business with smiling faces, but hearts angry, at this one more defection from the path of propriety on the part of the heir to the throne. "Mooning somewhere. 1 supiH.se." his father grow led to his mother,’ during a hurried conference. And she. poor soul! put her handkerchief carefully to her eyes behind her fan. whispering brokenly: "To treat me so when I’ve tried so hard.’’ "Von don’t suppose anything’s happened i said his sister, coming up breathlessly. "Parker saw him walking out in the grounds.” “I don’t care if there has,’’ said Mr. Marlowe, and they separated. troubled anti ashamed, to attend to their guests onee more. Inez decided to try, tentatively, both violets and mushrooms. This was the advice of Rasselas. He said, also, that he would find out everything he could from his uncle, the gardener, and bring over books. <*re need not always jump over the wall. There are gates, if one cares to go SO far round about. So it came to pass that Rasselas became acquainted with the conventional way of entertaining the \ egetable Kingdom, though he secretly preferred the other, and used it when the shelter of darkness protected him from ehanre- gardeners. Also it came to pass that he dreamed dreams and found an elaborately simple code of ethics in the saying about the vahie of a man who makes two blades of grass to grow where but one grew before. If one substituted violets and mushrooms for blades of grass, the statement gained in value beyoud all argument. The Vegetable Kingdom came to niftin for him those same twenty acres or so that it had meant years before. One played the game of life with silent plants, and found all the £l*aii>urablv excitement of living and few, any. of its irritations.

Rasselas. under the direction of Inez, gathered the summer apples for jelly, then the winter ones to be buried rn sand in the cellar, tben the butternuts, hickory nuts, and black walnuts. It was Kassela. who fashio red coldfraines for wintering over the lettuce, ami took down a tigerish but tender-leaved rosebush from its trellis, covering it with straw ami leaves.

iM hat have you done to your bauds! ’’ said his mother at lum-hemi. and received a lengthy account of a golf ball tbahad down wale into bramblse.t He tucked up the bulbs, too. in like manner, ami set all things in order for their sleep, ami as be wrought the Princess Inez grew more and more gracious but soatrwhat shy. Ihe King, however, walking feebly with crutch ami crammade a little remark upou the work of his new ally. and. indeed, sometimes gazer! at him with a vague and questioning trouble, convicting Rasselas of guilt which his- reason hotly denied. Yet the time must eome. he knew with foreboding. when explanations would I* demanded from both 'ides of the wall, and then —suppose he had to leave Abyssinia penniless! Put hr horticultural terms, his father believed in severe prun ing—had cut off already as many unpleasant things and persons as he could from his own existence, it was not at ail beyond possibility that a too disobedient. always tin satisfactory sou would be cut off ■’ if he dared too tai. And. suppose it to turn out that way. could he become enough of a gardener to justify himself in hiring out permanently to ihe Princess Inez* For he had no other ealii-tg by which to earn his salt, certainly. Thus matters stood at the close of autumn, when th* Marlovves were about to return to the city. Al! things were, bale ami sombre, wiht a hurry of gray clouds in the north, but -with slanting sunlight from the south in which the first fine snowfiakes bad melted. Th* last eglantine, small, ruby red, its petals a bit leathery from obstinacy, but smelling of lune none the less, was under consideration by Inez as Rasselas came over to say good-bye. " I go tomorrow.” “ Tomorrow? ” " I’ll eome early in the spring, you know.” Sb* looked steadily at the hard blue mountains to tbe-north. and unmistakable winter was in-her eves. "We shall be glad—to have you back.’* "What will you do alt winter?” "Attend to the mushrooms and violets. and do papa’s typewriting.’’ “ I’ve never been here in winter.” " It’s not very interesting." "If 1 got a chance to rim up now and then, would you “ “Be glad to see you? Yes." Still the steady look at the mountains over which winter would presently eome rushing: still that look of patience, to break a man's heart. "Inez, if 1 ia?ne to you with nothing Not winter, but spring, and cheeks like the one eglantine. Rasselas stammered on—his cheeks were pale— something about " Vour subject—always—” He was thinking of consequences. of all he meant by "coming with nothing.” " I don’t want a hired man.” said Inez, hysterically, “ but if you care—” A slow step was approaching—an old straw hat just visible above a regiment of frost-tonelied dahlias. They were not brave enough to go deliberately to meet the King, but they found courage at least to wait his coming. hand in hand. When lie saw them thus, he halted, with his quiet old hands folded upon his -vine, and -eemed not at all surprised. *• Well. Ra'Sela'.’’ he said, at length. “I don’t know how this will b* received in Abyssinia." His fingers moved restlessly, and he looked beyond the lovers to where the roofs of th. Marlowe bouse towered into the sky. " 1 have lived apart from the world so long, I hare come to set values differently from th* accepted manner. My ideas are not practical. If 1 ought to have spoken ami prevented this. And yet. I have your happiness at heart.’’ He -at down upon a nearby bench and leaned his chin upon the veined hands that were crossed upon his cane, while the autumn leaves played in the wind up and down th* path, and his white hair fluttered on, his shoulders. “ When liar-eta' M-t out to find happiness, did lie shirk anything! ’’ Inex looked bewildered;-Rasselas hung his bead.

The gentle voice pursued: “ Why should we in the compass of a pale Keep law, and form, and due proportion Showing, hh in model, our firm estate. When our sea walled garden, the whole land. Is lull of weeds—? ” “ Hut! ” said Rasselas. r ' suppose that the prince of a royal house—since we have played at figtrees so long—suppose he finds himself incapable even of selfgovernment; suppose him. since, his earliest memory, weighed in the bulance and found, by those who understood tho-e things, wanting. Suppose him to find a little kingdom — little, and yet great, too —that he thinks he can understand and help to govern well, urd learn to govern himself in the process —and— you know liow well Horace liked his Sabine farm, sir. I’m not bringing up my best argument—” he lifted Inez’s hand to his lips. “ I haven't" exactly meant any deception. You know all about it. I see. and must have known all along.” But Inez drew away from him. and her face was white, as she said: “ Who are you?”

“ 1 hardly know,” said Rasselas. sadly. “Over there”—he pointed toward the (shining roofs and chimneys of the great house—“ they called me by a mime that I didn't like, and when J was a little boy I tried to change it.” And what is it they call you over there? ’’

She was standing by her father now, leaning a little, as for support, on his bent shoulders. The manner of Rasselas sank ignobly to the gloomy fret fulness of a detected thief.

“ What’s the use of asking that. Your father knew all along, arid you must have guessed by now. I'm Harold Marlowe.”

“The man I thought of marrying,” said Inez slow ly, “ had a different name, anil lift was ■ poor. He was different. I think, ih a number of ways.” And she turned towards the house. It did not occur to Rasselas to try further self-justification. She did not glance Baek at all, but went slowly on with drooping head. The kitten, who had been culling the Hying leaves up and down the-path, frisked at her skirt, and got in 11-I 1 -- way of her feet with careless goo< 1 . humour. Hassel-s looked after her until the door closed, then drooped his head in dejected silence. On raising his troubled eves, lie was amazed and somewhat offended to .'hid the old man regarding him with a emile that was both amused and. kindly. When one has just acted out what rne supposes to be his life’s high tragek", nothing cuts deeper than a spectator'., smile. ” I seem to have made an ass of myse'.f. ' he said, seljisli in his first thought. Why,” said the poet, “ not so bad—n> —not. more 'luvi most young men. I wouldn't worry about that aspect of it.” “It was child's play at llrst—and—this summer--I didn't see my way to undeceive her she liked me as the gardener's nephew as a man rather below her, you see. in station. T know well enough jiovr below her I am in every way, but I was afraid that as Harold Marlowe she might not let me help- -and—you can't understand what it’s been for me—this

digging around in the plants, and her showing ine how to do things.’’ “Two in a garden yes—the old plot.”

“I hsvin’t been posing as the Lord of Burleigh or—or ("ophelua. Oh. daihn it! If you don't understand, it’s no use my trying to explain. Every word I say makes me put more of a cad.” “ I understand. Didn't I join in your little play, when you jumped out of the Happy Valley into the poor child’s moondower bed. destroying her little dreams and plans’ I let you stay and play, didn’t I? And I let your distracted parents ’ look for you — it did them no harm—■ ” He chuckled, then by degrees grew serious ami a little sad. “I think your greatest reason for the deception is the one you refrain from mentioning through delicacy—the disapproval of Abyssinia.”

“ Anything I do,” groaned Rasselas, “is unpopular over there.” “You think you.are.misjudged? ” “I don't know. I have a better opinion of myself than they have of me—or 1 hail until a few minutes ago.” He looked wistfully at Inex's window, where the. shade had been drawn down. “ I don't know anything about finance. To please them 1 tried to learn a little while ago, and blundered into a loss so heavy that-well, my father came so near disowning me then that I suppose it wouldn’t be safe to cross him again. My notion was to do as I liked for once, —to marry Inez and work on your farm here. It seemed as if we could be happy and as if I could make it pay, even if my father did cut me off entirely. I can reason about vegetables and small sums, even if I can't about millions and corporations and all that. One may be able to recite the multiplication table and do sums in long division, and yet make a poor fist at analytics.” “ Yet it seems,” the poet said doubtfully. “as if there were a question of responsibility. The kingdoms of to-day, though not called kingdoms, are so none the less, and those who are born to power —well, there was a king who, during a battle, sat still and envied the shepherds. Doubtless he would have made a better shepherd than king, and yet, being a king ” “ Being what he was. he ought to have resigned, abdicated —don't you think, sir? ” “‘Oh, what a pity is it That he has not so trimmed and dressed his hind. As we this garden — said the poet. “ There are so many," sighed Rasselas. “ who can trim and dress it better than he- ean; his younger brother, for example.” The poet went on: “ 1 lived in a Happy Valley once, and 1 shirked it in something the way you want to do: but, then, you aren’t a poet—are you?” “ No. indeed! ” said Rasselas eagerly. “ And perhaps to be happy is a duty, though the moralists don't teach so, and. as you say, this little farm is big enough to be happy in—if that were all. Big enough for you and Inez, as it was for me—and -another.” ' ’ - “ But you heard what she said just now. It's all over. There’s no use in argument.” “ No. not in argument, but it may not be all over. Go back to Abyssinia for a while, and think it over. Make sure. too. whether vou have a duty there

that you are shirking. I think Inez hasome notion about that.'’ “ If only you won’t send me away for ever.” “ No, not forever.” The snow was sodden and unwholesome in the hollows between bare ridgeand hammocks, and a tremendous wind boomed in the naked trees. It was dark and rainy, neither spring nor winter, desolate beyond all other seasons. The pcet lay back in a Morris chair, his feet on a tabouret, pillows tucked under him at every possible angle, a - gay Afghan over his long, thin legs. Breathing had become a serious matter with him whifeh he was in haste to be done with as soon as might be. He seemed listening as if for some other sound than the wind, and watched Inez anxiously and furtively as she prepared his gruel over the coals in the fireplace. “Inez.” “Yes, dearest.” “Mustn’t- make —too much—Of things that don’t really matter. 'Sometimes —it’s —better not to hold too rigidly to principles—they may be—only—prejudices.” "Oh, papa, dear—surely right is right.” “Not always.” He smiled whimsically. “I can’t argue, though—now—you’ll just have to accept—my conclusions.” “Don’t ask me to forgive him. papa.” “Forgive—no. Stevenson says he doesn’t know what—forgiveness is. There isn’t any such tiling.” “You’ve made me burn your gruel, dear. I'll make some more, and you mustn’t talk to me about him this time.” “J must talk—while I can. Wasn’t that a step on the porch?” “It was the wind. Nobody would come in such weather.” “Inez —” he raised himself up with difficulty and looked at her imploringly—■ “take what life offers —when it offers. Don’t let happiness pass by for the sake of a whim. Happiness is a duty when it comes. It doesn’t often come—not real happiness. I’m sure some one knocked.” “The wind has knocked all day, but I’ll make sure.” The knock was unmistakable this time. At first it had been timid, but was imperious at last, and when she opened the door the wind and rain entered noisily, but with them a young man, wet and stormy as young Spring itself, who threw his arms about her and "kissed her. And it was rather astonishing, if one thought of the manner in which she had dismissed him. how quietly her hands, clasped together behind his neck, and how meek her pale face was under his kisses. “Did papa send for you?” she said at last. “Yes. But I was ready to conic anyway.” “Perhaps he is Tight. Come in and talk to him while I make his gruel.” “Good evening. Mr. — Johnson,” said the poet tremulously. “I trust all is well in Abyssinia?” “You will be pleased to know, sir. that 1 have made my peace with Abyssinia to such an extent that 1 can do as I like in the matter of most importance to me. I am cut off with a shilling at my own request, and the shilling is of moderately generous proportion.-.’’ Inez brought the gruel. “I hope you aren't hungry.” smiled the poet; “if you are, I’m afraid you’ll

have to put up with gruel. We’ve got out of the way of eating much else of late. I can't, and Inez is too lazy to eook just tor " herself.” “There’s liaeon.” said Inez, shyly, “an! eggs. I 'think. ATIiC hens were cackling this morning. And it won’t take long to make biscuit.” " -

“I’m more hungry for this than anything else— ’’ Rasselas kissed her again—eyes. hair, and mouth, while her father smiled approval. And the storm blustered savagely at doors and windows; but people who are contented with gruel, bacon, and eggs, and each other, are not troubled by such matters. -

Once the poet, turning his dim eyes upon the trickling panes, observed cheerfully: “This is a real spring rain.” No one replying, he intelligently regarded the two cooks who were manipulating the frying pan over the coals, and making sad work of that frugal dinner by reason of their happy absent-minded-

“Without doubt, happiness is a dutv.” he said softlv.