English
SoIwentonmylonelyway,and,onreachingtheHall,IfoundLadyMurielstandingatthegarden-gatewaitingforme.
“Noneedtogiveyoujoy,ortowishyoujoy?”Ibegan.
“Nonewhatever!”shereplied,withthejoyouslaughofachild.
“Wegivepeoplewhattheyhaven’tgot:wewishforsomethingthatisyettocome.Forme,it’sallhere!It’sallmine!
Dearfriend,”shesuddenlybrokeoff,“doyouthinkHeaveneverbeginsonEarth,foranyofus?”
“Forsome,”Isaid.“Forsome,perhaps,whoaresimpleandchildlike.Youknowhesaid‘ofsuchistheKingdomofHeaven’.”
LadyMurielclaspedherhands,andgazedupintothecloudlesssky,withalookIhadoftenseeninSylvie’seyes.
“Ifeelasifithadbegunforme,”shealmostwhispered.
“IfeelasifIwereoneofthehappychildren,whomHebidthembringneartoHim,thoughthepeoplewouldhavekeptthemback.Yes,Hehasseenmeinthethrong.
Hehasreadthewistfullonginginmyeyes.HehasbeckonedmetoHim.Theyhavehadtomakewayforme.HehastakenmeupinHisarms.
HehasputHishandsuponmeandblessedme!”
Shepaused,breathlessinherperfecthappiness.
“Yes,”Isaid,“IthinkHehas!”
“Youmustcomeandspeaktomyfather,’”shewenton,aswestoodsidebysideatthegate,lookingdowntheshadylane.
But,evenasshesaidthewords,the“eerie”sensationcameovermelikeaflood:IsawthedearoldProfessorapproachingus,andalsosaw,whatwasstrangerstill,thathewasvisibletoLadyMuriel!
Whatwastobedone?Hadthefairy-lifebeenmergedinthereallife?
OrwasLadyMuriel“eerie”also,andthusabletoenterintothefairy-worldalongwithme?
Thewordswereonmylips(”Iseeanoldfriendofmineinthelane:ifyoudon’tknowhim,mayIintroducehimtoyou?”)
whenthestrangestthingofallhappened:LadyMurielspoke:
“Iseeanoldfriendofmineinthelane,”shesaid:“ifyoudon’tknowhim,mayIintroducehimtoyou?”
Iseemedtowakeoutofadream:forthe“eerie”feelingwasstillstronguponme,andthefigureoutsideseemedtobechangingateverymoment,likeoneoftheshapesinakaleidoscope:nowhewastheProfessor,andnowhewassomebodyelse!
Bythetimehehadreachedthegate,hecertainlywassomebodyelse:andIfeltthatthepropercoursewasforLadyMuriel,notforme,tointroducehim.
Shegreetedhimkindly,and,openingthegate,admittedthevenerableoldman—aGerman,obviously—wholookedabouthimwithdazedeyes,asifhe,too,hadbutjustawakedfromadream!
No,itwascertainlynottheProfessor!Myoldfriendcouldnothavegrownthatmagnificentbeardsincelastwemet:moreover,hewouldhaverecognisedme,forIwascertainthatIhadnotchangedmuchinthetime.
Asitwas,hesimplylookedatmevaguely,andtookoffhishatinresponsetoLadyMuriel’swords“LetmeintroduceMeinHerrtoyou”;whileinthewords,spokeninastrongGermanaccent,“proudtomakeyouracquaintance,Sir!”
Icoulddetectnotraceofanideathatwehadevermetbefore.
LadyMurielledustothewell-knownshadynookwherepreparationsforafternoon-teahadalreadybeenmade,and,whileshewentintolookfortheEarl,weseatedourselvesintwoeasy-chairs,and“MeinHerr”tookupLadyMuriel’swork,andexamineditthroughhislargespectacles(oneoftheadjunctsthatmadehimsoprovokinglyliketheProfessor).“Hemmingpocket-handkerchiefs?”hesaid,musingly.
“SothatiswhattheEnglishmiladiesoccupythemselveswith,isit?”
“Itistheoneaccomplishment”,Isaid,“inwhichManhasneveryetrivalledWoman!”
HereLadyMurielreturnedwithherfather;and,afterhehadexchangedsomefriendlywordswith“MeinHerr”,andwehadallbeensuppliedwiththeneedful“creature-comforts”,thenewcomerreturnedtothesuggestivesubjectofPocket-handkerchiefs.
“YouhaveheardofFortunatus’sPurse,Miladi?Ah,so!Wouldyoubesurprisedtohearthat,withthreeoftheseleetlehandkerchiefs,youshallmakethePurseofFortunatus,quitesoon,quiteeasily?”
“ShallIindeed?”LadyMurieleagerlyreplied,asshetookaheapofthemintoherlap,andthreadedherneedle.“Pleasetellmehow,MeinHerr!I’llmakeonebeforeItouchanotherdropoftea!”
“Youshallfirst,”saidMeinHerr,possessinghimselfoftwoofthehandkerchiefs,spreadingoneupontheother,andholdingthemupbytwocorners,“youshallfirstjointogethertheseuppercorners,therighttotheright,thelefttotheleft;andtheopeningbetweenthemshallbethemouthofthePurse.”
Averyfewstitchessufficedtocarryoutthisdirection.“Now,ifIsewtheotherthreeedgestogether”,shesuggested,“thebagiscomplete?”
“Notso,Miladi:theloweredgesshallfirstbejoined—ah,notso!”
(asshewasbeginningtosewthemtogether).
“Turnoneofthemover,andjointherightlowercorneroftheonetotheleftlowercorneroftheother,andsewtheloweredgestogetherinwhatyouwouldcallthewrongway.”
“Isee!”saidLadyMuriel,asshedeftlyexecutedtheorder.
“Andaverytwisted,uncomfortable,uncanny-lookingbagitmakes!Butthemoralisalovelyone.
Unlimitedwealthcanonlybeattainedbydoingthingsinthewrongway!
Andhowarewetojoinupthesemysterious—no,Imeanthismysteriousopening?”
(twistingthethingroundandroundwithapuzzledair).“Yes,itisoneopening.Ithoughtitwastwo,atfirst.”
“YouhaveseenthepuzzleofthePaperRing?”MeinHerrsaid,addressingtheEarl.
“Whereyoutakeaslipofpaper,andjoinitsendstogether,firsttwistingone,soastojointheuppercornerofoneendtothelowercorneroftheother?”
“Isawonemade,onlyyesterday,”theEarlreplied.“Muriel,mychild,wereyounotmakingone,toamusethechildrenyouhadtotea?”
“Yes,IknowthatPuzzle,”saidLadyMuriel.“TheRinghasonlyonesurface,andonlyoneedge,It’sverymysterious!”
“Thebagisjustlikethat,isn’tit?”Isuggested.“Isnottheoutersurfaceofonesideofitcontinuouswiththeinnersurfaceoftheotherside?”
“Soitis!”sheexclaimed.“Onlyitisn’tabag,justyet.Howshallwefillupthisopening,MeinHerr?”
“Thus!”saidtheoldmanimpressively,takingthebagfromher,andrisingtohisfeetintheexcitementoftheexplanation.
“Theedgeoftheopeningconsistsoffourhandkerchiefedges,andyoucantraceitcontinuously,roundandroundtheopening:downtherightedgeofonehandkerchief,uptheleftedgeoftheother,andthendowntheleftedgeoftheone,anduptherightedgeoftheother!”
“Soyoucan!”LadyMurielmurmuredthoughtfully,leaningherheadonherhand,andearnestlywatchingtheoldman.“Andthatprovesittobeonlyoneopening!”
Shelookedsostrangelylikeachild,puzzlingoveradifficultlesson,andMeinHerrhadbecome,forthemoment,sostrangelyliketheoldProfessor,thatIfeltutterlybewildered:the“eerie”feelingwasonmeinitsfullforce,andIfeltalmostimpelledtosay“Doyouunderstandit,Sylvie?”
HoweverIcheckedmyselfbyagreateffort,andletthedream(ifindeeditwasadream)goontoitsend.
“Now,thisthirdhandkerchief”,MeinHerrproceeded“hasalsofouredges,whichyoucantracecontinuouslyroundandround:allyouneeddoistojoinitsfouredgestothefouredgesoftheopening.
ThePurseisthencomplete,anditsoutersurface—”
“Isee!”LadyMurieleagerlyinterrupted.
“Itsoutersurfacewillbecontinuouswithitsinnersurface!Butitwilltaketime.I’llsewitupaftertea.”
Shelaidasidethebag,andresumedhercupoftea.
“ButwhydoyoucallitFortunatus’sPurse,MeinHerr?”
Thedearoldmanbeameduponher,withajollysmile,lookingmoreexactlyliketheProfessorthanever.
“Don’tyousee,mychild—IshouldsayMiladi?
WhateverisinsidethatPurse,isoutsideit;andwhateverisoutsideit,isinsideit.
SoyouhaveallthewealthoftheworldinthatleetlePurse!”
Hispupilclappedherhands,inunrestraineddelight.
“I’llcertainlysewthethirdhandkerchiefin—sometime,”shesaid:“butIwo’n’ttakeupyourtimebytryingitnow.
Tellussomemorewonderfulthings,please!”
AndherfaceandhervoicesoexactlyrecalledSylvie,thatIcouldnothelpglancinground,half-expectingtoseeBrunoalso!
MeinHerrbeganthoughtfullybalancinghisspoonontheedgeofhisteacup,whileheponderedoverthisrequest.
“Somethingwonderful—likeFortunatus’sPurse?
Thatwillgiveyou—whenitismade—wealthbeyondyourwildestdreams:butitwillnotgiveyouTime!”
Apauseofsilenceensued—utilizedbyLadyMurielfortheverypracticalpurposeofrefillingtheteacups.
“Inyourcountry”,MeinHerrbeganwithastartlingabruptness,“whatbecomesofallthewastedTime?”
LadyMuriellookedgrave.“Whocantell?”shehalfwhisperedtoherself.“Alloneknowsisthatitisgone—pastrecall!”
“Well,inmy—ImeaninacountryIhavevisited”,saidtheoldman,“theystoreitup:anditcomesinveryuseful,yearsafterwards!
Forexample,supposeyouhavealongtediouseveningbeforeyou:nobodytotalkto:nothingyoucaretodo:andyethourstoosoontogotobed.Howdoyoubehavethen?”
“Igetverycross,”shefranklyadmitted:“andIwanttothrowthingsabouttheroom!”
“Whenthathappensto—tothepeopleIhavevisited,theyneveractso.
Byashortandsimpleprocess—whichIcannotexplaintoyou—theystoreuptheuselesshours:and,onsomeotheroccasion,whentheyhappentoneedextratime,theygetthemoutagain.”
TheEarlwaslisteningwithaslightlyincreduloussmile.“Whycannotyouexplaintheprocess?”heenquired.
MeinHerrwasreadywithaquiteunanswerablereason.“Becauseyouhavenowords,inyourlanguage,toconveytheideaswhichareneeded.Icouldexplainitin—in—butyouwouldnotunderstandit!”
“Noindeed!”saidLadyMuriel,graciouslydispensingwiththenameofthelanguage.“Ineverlearntit—atleast,nottospeakitfluently,youknow.Pleasetellussomemorewonderfulthings!”
“Theyruntheirrailway-trainswithoutanyengines—nothingisneededbutmachinerytostopthemwith.Isthatwonderfulenough,Miladi?”
“Butwheredoestheforcecomefrom?”Iventuredtoask.
MeinHerrturnedquicklyround,tolookatthenewspeaker.
Thenhetookoffhisspectacles,andpolished,them,andlookedatmeagain,inevidentbewilderment.
Icouldseehewasthinking—asindeedIwasalso—thatwemusthavemetbefore.
“Theyusetheforceofgravity,”hesaid.“Itisaforceknownalsoinyourcountry,Ibelieve?”
“Butthatwouldneedarailwaygoingdown-hill,”theEarlremarked.“Youca’n’thaveallyourrailwaysgoingdown-hill?”
“Theyalldo”,saidMeinHerr.
“Notfrombothends?”
“Frombothends.”
“ThenIgiveitup!”saidtheEarl.
“Canyouexplaintheprocess?”saidLadyMuriel.“Withoutusingthatlanguage,thatIca’n’tspeakfluently?”
“Easily,”saidMeinHerr.“Eachrailwayisinalongtunnel,perfectlystraight:soofcoursethemiddleofitisnearerthecentreoftheglobethanthetwoends:soeverytrainrunshalf-waydown-hill,andthatgivesitforceenoughtoruntheotherhalfup-hill.”
“Thankyou.Iunderstandthatperfectly,”saidLadyMuriel.“Butthevelocity,inthemiddleofthetunnel,mustbesomethingfearful!”
MeinHerrwasevidentlymuchgratifiedattheintelligentinterestLadyMurieltookinhisremarks.
Ateverymomenttheoldmanseemedtogrowmorechattyandmorefluent.
“Youwouldliketoknowourmethodsofdriving?”hesmilinglyenquired.
“Tous,arun-awayhorseisofnoimportatall!”
LadyMurielslightlyshuddered.“Tousitisaveryrealdanger,”shesaid.
“Thatisbecauseyourcarriageiswhollybehindyourhorse.Yourhorseruns.Yourcarriagefollows.
Perhapsyourhorsehasthebitinhisteeth.Whoshallstophim?Youfly,everfasterandfaster!Finallycomestheinevitableupset!”
“Butsupposeyourhorsemanagestogetthebitinhisteeth?”
“Nomatter!Wewouldnotconcernourselves.
Ourhorseisharnessedintheverycentreofourcarriage.
Twowheelsareinfrontofhim,andtwobehind.
Totheroofisattachedoneendofabroadbelt.
Thisgoesunderthehorse’sbody,andtheotherendisattachedtoaleetle—whatyoucalla‘windlass’,Ithink.Thehorsetakesthebitinhisteeth.Herunsaway.Weareflyingattenmilesanhour!
Weturnourlittlewindlass,fiveturns,sixturns,seventurns,and—poof!Ourhorseisofftheground!
Nowlethimgallopintheairasmuchashepleases:ourcarriagestandsstill.
Wesitroundhim,andwatchhimtillheistired.Thenwelethimdown.
Ourhorseisglad,verymuchglad,whenhisfeetoncemoretouchtheground!”
“Capital!”saidtheEarl,whohadbeenlisteningattentively.“Arethereanyotherpeculiaritiesinyourcarriages?”
“Inthewheels,sometimes,myLord.Foryourhealth,yougotosea:tobepitched,toberolled,occasionallytobedrowned.
Wedoallthatonland:wearepitched,asyou;wearerolled,asyou;butdrowned,no!Thereisnowater!”
“Whatarethewheelslike,then?”
“Theyareoval,myLord.Thereforethecarriagesriseandfall.”
“Yes,andpitchthecarriagebackwardsandforwards:buthowdotheymakeitroll?”
“Theydonotmatch,myLord.Theendofonewheelanswerstothesideoftheoppositewheel.
Sofirstonesideofthecarriagerises,thentheother.Anditpitchesallthewhile.
Ah,youmustbeagoodsailor,todriveinourboat-carriages!”
“Icaneasilybelieveit,”saidtheEarl.
MeinHerrrosetohisfeet.“Imustleaveyounow,Miladi,”hesaid,consultinghiswatch.“Ihaveanotherengagement.”
“Ionlywishwehadstoredupsomeextratime!”LadyMurielsaid,assheshookhandswithhim.“Thenwecouldhavekeptyoualittlelonger!”
“InthatcaseIwouldgladlystay,”repliedMeinHerr.“Asitis—IfearImustsaygoodbye!”
“Wheredidyoufirstmeethim?”IaskedLadyMuriel,whenMeinHerrhadleftus.“Andwheredoeshelive?Andwhatishisrealname?”
“Wefirst—met—him—”shemusinglyreplied,“really,Ica’n’trememberwhere!AndI’venoideawherehelives!AndIneverheardanyothername!It’sverycurious.
Itneveroccurredtomebeforetoconsiderwhatamysteryheis!”
“Ihopeweshallmeetagain,”Isaid:“heinterestsmeverymuch.”
“Hewillbeatourfarewell-party,thisdayfortnight,”saidtheEarl.“Ofcourseyouwillcome?Murielisanxioustogatherallourfriendsaroundusoncemore,beforeweleavetheplace.”
Andthenheexplainedtome—asLadyMurielhadleftustogether—thathewassoanxioustogethisdaughterawayfromaplacefullofsomanypainfulmemoriesconnectedwiththenow-cancelledengagementwithMajorLindon,thattheyhadarrangedtohavetheweddinginamonth’stime,afterwhichArthurandhiswifeweretogoonaforeigntour.
“Don’tforgetTuesdayweek!”hesaidasweshookhandsatparting.
“Ionlywishyoucouldbringwithyouthosecharmingchildren,thatyouintroducedtousinthesummer.TalkofthemysteryofMeinHerr!
That’snothingtothemysterythatseemstoattendthem!
Ishallneverforgetthosemarvellousflowers!”
“IwillbringthemifIpossiblycan,”Isaid.Buthowtofulfilsuchapromise,Imusedtomyselfonmywaybacktoourlodgings,wasaproblementirelybeyondmyskill!
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