Yet, though the time of day and the natural light deprived the theatre of much of the strangeness and glamour with which it is usually associated, and which so much impress a youth who sees it for the first But when the acting began his terror became more intense. The grotesque figures seemed to him those of devils, or at the best of fantastic imps or gnomes. He could understand nothing of the dialogue, but the gestures, the laughter, the wild singing, were shocking to him. When the Signorina appeared, the strange intensity of her colour, the brilliancy of her eyes, and what seemed to him the freedom of her gestures and the boldness of her bewitching glances, far from delighting, as they seemed to do all the others, made him ready to weep with shame and grief. The beauty of the music only added to his despair; had it been less lovely, had the acting not forced now and then a glance of admiring wonder or struck a note of high-toned touching pathos even, it would not all have seemed so much the work of evil. When the comedy was over he crept silently away to his room; and in the excitement of congratulation and praise, as actors and audience mingled together, and the Signorina was receiving the commendations of the Prince, he was not missed. He could not stay in this place—that at least was clear to him. He must escape. He must return to nature, to the woods He cried himself to sleep: all through the night, amid fitful slumber, the crowd of masques jostled and mocked at him; the weird strains of unknown instruments reached his half-conscious bewildered sense. Early in the morning he awoke. There had been rain in the night, and the smiling morning beckoned him out. He stole down some back stairs, and found a door which opened on gardens and walks at the back of the palace. This he managed to open, and went out. The path on which the door opened led him through rows of fruit-trees and young plantations. A little forest of delicate boughs and young leaves lifted itself up against the blue sky, and a myriad drops sparkled in the morning sun. The fresh cool air, the blue sky, the singing of the birds, restored Mark to himself. He seemed to see again the possibility of escape from evil, and the hope of righteousness and peace. His whole spirit went out in prayer and love to the Almighty, who had made these lovely things. He felt as he had been wont to do when, on a fine Sunday, he had walked home with his children in order, relating to them the most beautiful tales of God. He wandered slowly down the narrow paths. The fresh-turned earth between the rows of saplings, After wandering for some time through this delicious land of perfume, of light, and sweet sound, he came to a very long but narrow avenue of old elm trees that led down a gradual slope, as it seemed, into the heart of the forest. Beneath the avenue a well-kept path seemed to point with a guiding hand. He followed the path for some distance, and had just perceived what seemed to be an old manor-house, standing in a courtyard at the farther end, when he was conscious of a figure advancing along the "You must be the new tutor to their Highnesses," she said; "I have heard of you." Mark said that he was. "You do not look well," said the lady, very kindly; "are you happy at the palace?" "Are you the Princess Isoline?" said Mark, not answering the question; "I think you must be, you are so beautiful." "I am the Princess Isoline," said the lady; "walk a little way with me." Mark turned with the lady and walked back towards the palace. After a moment or two he said: "I am not happy at Joyeuse, I am very miserable, I want to run away." "What makes you so unhappy? Are they not kind to you? The Prince is very kind, and the children are good children—I have always thought." "They are all very kind, too kind to me," said the boy. "I cannot make you understand why I am so miserable, I cannot tell myself—the Prince is worse than all——" "Why is the Prince the worst of all?" said the lady, in a very gentle voice. "All the rest I know are wrong," The Princess was silent for a moment or two; it was not that she did not understand the boy, for she understood him very well. "No, I think you are right and not the Prince," she said at length, in her quiet voice. There was a pause: neither seemed to know what to say next. They had now "Come back with me," she said, "I will show you my house." They walked slowly along the narrow pathway towards the old house at the farther end. The Princess was evidently considering what to say. "Why do you know that they are all wrong?" she said at last. "Highness," said the boy after a pause, "I have never lived amongst, or seen anything, since I was born, but what was natural and real—the forest, the fruit-trees in blossom, the gardens, and the flowers. I have never heard anything except of God—of the wretchedness of sin—of beautiful stories of good people. My grandfather, when he was alive, used to The Princess did not seem to notice this last uncourtly speech. "'I shall then find all my forefathers in Heaven,' I would say to him," continued Mark. "'Yes, that thou wilt! we shall then be of high nobility. Do not lose this privilege.' If I lose this privilege, how sad that will be! But here, in the palace, they think nothing of these things—instead of hymns they sing the strangest, wildest songs, so strange and beautiful that I fear and tremble at them as if the sounds were wicked sounds." So talking, the Princess and the boy went "How happy you must be here, gracious Highness!" he exclaimed. They were standing apart in one of the windows towards the end of the long room, and the noise of the looms made a continuous murmur that prevented their voices being heard by the others who were near. The Princess looked at Mark for some moments without reply. "I must speak the truth always," she said at last, "but more than ever to such as thou art. I am not happy." The boy looked at her as though his heart would break. "Not happy," he said in a low voice, "and you so good." "The good are not happy," said the Princess, "and the happy are not good." There was a pause; then the Princess went on: "The people who are with me are good, but they are not happy. They have left the world and its pleasures, but they regret them; they live in the perpetual consciousness of this self-denial—this fancy that they are serving God better than others are; they are in danger of becoming jealous and hypocritical. I warn you never to join a particular society which proposes, as its object, to serve God better than others. You are safer, more in the Mark stood gazing at the distant forest without seeing it. He did not know what to think. "I do not know why I have told you this," said the Princess; "I had no thought "Why do you go on with this life," said Mark sadly, "if it be not good? The Prince would be glad if you would come back to the palace. He has told me so." It seemed to the boy that life grew more and more sad. It seemed that, baffled and turned back at every turn, there was no reality, no sincere walk anywhere possible. The worse seemed everywhere the better, the children of this world everywhere wiser than the children of light. "I cannot go back now," said the Princess. "When you are gone I shall forget this; I shall think otherwise. There "Then are these people really not happy?" said Mark again. "Why should they be happy?" said the Princess, with some bitterness in her voice. "They have given up all that makes life pleasant—fine clothes, delicate food, cunning harmonies, love, gay devices, and sports. Why should they be happy? They have dull work, none to amuse or enliven the long days." "I was very happy in my village outside the palace gates," said Mark quietly; "I had none of these things; I only taught the little peasants, yet I was happy. From morning to night the path was straight before me,—a bright and easy path; and the end was always light. Now all "No, not so," said the Princess, "you are wanted here. Where you were you were of little good. There were at least others who could do your work. Here none can do it but you. They never saw any one like you before. They know it and speak of it. All are changed somewhat since you came; you might, it is true, come to me, but I should not wish it. The air of this house would be worse for you even than that of the palace which you Mark looked sadly before him for some moments before he said: "Even if it be true what you say, still I must go. It is killing me. I wish to do right and good to all; but what good shall I do if it takes all my strength and life? I shall ask the Prince to let me go back." "No," said the Princess, "not that—never that. It is impossible, you cannot go back!" "Cannot go back!" cried Mark. "Why? The Prince is very kind. He will not keep me here to die." "Yes, the Prince is very kind, but he cannot do that; what is passed can never happen again. It is the children's phrase, Mark was silent for a longer space this time. His eyes were dim, but he seemed to see afar off. "No," he said at last, "it is true, I cannot go back. The village, and the school, and the children have passed away. I should not find them there, as they were before. If I cannot come to you, there is nothing for me but to die." "The Pagans," said the Princess, "the old Pagans, that knew their gods but dimly, used to say—"The God-beloved die young." It has been said since by Christian Mark walked slowly back to the palace. He could not think; he was stunned and bewildered. He wished the Princess Isoline would have let him come to |