The Knight Of The Golden Melice, John Turvill Adams [the reading list TXT] 📗

Mind, He Rose From His

Seat, And Throwing The Beaver Robe A Little Off The Right Shoulder To

Allow Opportunity For Gesticulation, He Stood Before The Picture, And

After A Moment Of Grave Thought Addressed It.

  

 

"Waqua," He Said, "Is A Young Man, And Ashamed To Speak First In The

Presence Of His Elder; But The Customs Of The White Men Are Very

Different From Those Of Their Red Brethren, And Perhaps Among His

White Brothers The Young Men Speak First That Their Folly May Appear.

Because He Thinks His White Brother Desires Him To Speak, He Will Make

A Very Little Speech."

 

  

"The Silent Chief (So He Called The Picture, Not Knowing What Other

Name To Use) Knows That Waqua Is A Friend, Because He Sees Him In

Company With The White Man Who Went Away With The Chief's Daughter

With The Strawberry Lips. Waqua Only Asks The Hospitality Of The

Silent Chief, And Permission To Remain In His Lodge Till His Friend

Returns."

 

  

Thus Having Spoken, Waqua Gathered Up His Robe Upon His Shoulder, And

Awaited A Reply.

  

 

But In Vain. Still The Figure Preserved Silence, And Maintained The

Same Immovable Attitude, Gazing On Him With Eyes From Which There Was

No Escaping, And Which Seemed To Pierce Into His Soul. The Uneasiness

Of Waqua Increased. He Felt No Fear, But A Confusion Of Thought Which

Threatened To Obscure Entirely His Faculties. The Idea Crossed His

Mind That The Man Was Dumb, But That Accounted Only For The Silence.

Why The Immobility? If He Were Dumb, At Least He Could Walk, For

Well-Formed Limbs Were Visible. But The Man Was Quite Still, Not Even

Winking, Only Fastening His Eyes Steadfastly On His Own. To The

Excited Imagination Of The Indian, The Eyes Began To Assume A Deeper

Sternness, And He Found It More And More Difficult To Withdraw His

Own. Suddenly, A Thought Darted Through His Mind, Which Made Him

Shiver All Over, And Spring From His Seat. The Idea Of Fascination

Caused The Start. He Had More Than Once Beheld The Black Snake

Extended On The Ground, Charming, With His Glittering Eyes The

Anguished Bird Which, With Fainter And Fainter Screams, Striving To

Delay A Fate It Could Not Escape, Kept Flying Round And Round In

Constantly Diminishing Circles, Until It Fell Into The Jaws Of The

Destroyer. The Same Fatal Influence He Had Seen Exercised Upon Rabbits

And Other Small Game, The Prey Of The Snake, And He Did Not Doubt That

A Like Fascination Was Attempted To Be Practiced On Himself, And That

The Man Was A Conjurer. The Thought Threw Him Into A Rage, And He

Determined To Take Vengeance For The Insult. Drawing, Therefore, His

Tomahawk From His Girdle And Brandishing It Over His Head, He

Exclaimed,

  

 

"Waqua Is A Warrior, And Not A Bird To Be Made Weak By A White

Medicine."

  

 

But Before The Enraged Indian Could Cast The Weapon From His Hand, He

Felt His Arm Suddenly Arrested, And, Turning, Beheld The Laughing Face

Of Prudence Rix. 

 

 

"Stop, Stop!" Cried The Girl, Hardly Able To Speak For Merriment;

"What Are You Going To Do? It Is Not A Man, But Only A Painting."

  

 

It Is Not Probable That The Indian Perfectly Comprehended The

Explanation Of Prudence, Who, In Spite Of Her Affected Fears, Had

Been, Without His Knowledge, An Amused Spectator Of His Conduct; But

Her Interposition Had The Effect To Prevent Any Violence, Especially,

As Upon Looking Again At The Portrait, He Felt No Longer The Awe Which

Had Oppressed Him, And Therefore Knew That The Charm Had Lost Its

Power. He Lowered The Tomahawk To His Side, And Addressed Himself To

Her.

  

 

"What White Man Ever Entered The Wigwam Of Waqua And Was Not Invited

To A Seat On His Mat? Who Can Say That Waqua Fastened His Eyes On Him

Like A Snake?"

  

 

"But See," Said The Girl, Advancing To The Portrait, And Passing Her

Hand Over Its Surface; "It Is Nothing But A Cunning Painting. Come And

Satisfy Thyself."

 

  

Waqua Complied, In Part, With Prudence's Invitation, Feeling Some

Contempt For A Man Who Would Permit Such An Indignity And Advancing To

The Picture Regarded It With Keen And Inquisitive Glances. He Refused,

However, To Touch The Figure, Until Prudence, Taking His Hand In Hers,

Placed It On The Canvas. But No Sooner Did He Feel The Flat Surface,

Than, Uttering A Cry Of Astonishment, He Leaped Backward, Almost

Overturning Prudence In His Haste, Keeping His Eyes On The Picture,

And Ejaculating Twice Or Thrice The Expression, "Ugh!"

  

 

"What A Simple Savage Thou Art," Exclaimed Prudence, "I Tell Thee It

Cannot Bite. It Can Neither Hear Nor See, And Thou Art A Man To Be

Scared By It!"

 

  

The Indian Felt The Taunt, Conveyed Quite As Much In The Tone As In

The Words, And Without Replying, But As If To Show That He Was Above

The Feeling Of Fear, Holding The Tomahawk In One Hand, He Passed The

Other Over The Whole Surface, As Far As He Could Reach, Winding Up The

Achievement With Eyes Wild With Wonder, And Snorting Out Divers

Astonished "Ughs!"

 

 

Chapter X ("Burned Marmion's Swarthy Cheek Like Fire, And Shook His Very Frame For Ire, And--'This To Me!'--He Said.")

 Marmion.

 

 

At This Moment The Assistant Spikeman Entered The Room. His Advance

Had Been So Noiseless That It Was Unobserved By Either The Girl Or The

Indian, So Entirely Were They Engrossed By The Adventure Of The

Portrait.

 

  

"Whom Have We Here?" He Exclaimed. "Methinks, Prudence, There Are

Other Parts Of The Dwelling More Fit For Such Visitors." 

 

 

"I Desired To See," Said The Girl, Evasively, "How A Savage Would Act

Who Never Had Beholden A Painting. There Is No Great Harm In That,"

She Added, Pouting.

 

  

"And Doubtless He Mistook It For A Live Man. Master Vandyke Had Skill,

I Trow, To Deceive More Learned Eyes Than Those Of A Wild Indian. But,

Prudence, Thou Knowest That I Mean Not To Chide Thee. Far Different

Words Arise Spontaneously To My Lips. But Go, Now, And I Will Pay The

Honors To Thy Red Friend."

  

 

"He Is No More Friend Of Mine Than I Hope All The World Are My

Friends," Answered The Girl, Glad To Get Away To Acquaint The Lovers

That Spikeman Was In The House.

  

 

"I Wish," She Muttered, As She Closed The Door, Though Not So Loud As

To Be Overheard, "That Some Folk Were Not So Great Friends Of Mine."

 

  

"Have My People Given My Friend Anything To Eat?" Inquired The

Assistant, On The Departure Of The Girl.

  

 

"Waqua Is Not Hungry," Answered The Indian. "His White Brother Has Fed

Him Until He Has No Place For More."

 

  

"What Thinks Waqua Of The Painted Man?" Asked The Assistant, Observing

That The Eyes Of The Savage Wandered Every Now And Then To The

Painting. 

 

 

"It Is A Great Medicine," Replied The Indian, Noticing With Admiration

The Resemblance Between It And The Assistant, (Whose Father's Portrait

It Was.) "My Brother Loved His Father Very Much, And So, Before He Was

Called To The Spirit Land, My Brother Put Him On A Board, Even As

White Men Put Faces In Frozen Water. But My Brother Is Wiser, Because

He Makes His Father Stay On The Board, Instead Of Disappearing Like

Faces In Frozen Water."

 

  

"My Brother Is Right," Said The Assistant, Not Unwilling To Avail

Himself Of An Opportunity To Impress On The Mind Of The Savage The

Superiority Of The Whites; "But He Has Seen Little Of The Wisdom Of

The White Man. It Is A Light Thing To Put A Man Upon A Board, Though

At The Same Time He May Be In The Spirit Land. It Is Wonderful To

Waqua, But A White Child Understands It. If Waqua Remains The Friend

Of The White Man, Greater And More Wonderful Things Shall He Learn."

 

  

"Waqua Is An Indian, With An Indian Head, And He Is Afraid It Is Not

Big Enough To Hold All These Things. It Makes His Head Ache To Think

Of Them."

 

 

"My Brother's Head Will Grow. But Will He Follow Me Now Into Another

Part Of My Dwelling?"

  

 

The Indian Made A Gesture Of Assent, And The Assistant Preceding Him,

The Two Went In The Direction Of The Room Where Were Arundel And

Eveline.

  

 

Prudence, When She Left Spikeman And Waqua Together, Had Rushed In

Upon The Lovers To Apprise Them Of The Assistant's Presence. The Proud

Spirit Of The Young Man Revolted Somewhat At The Idea Of Stealing Out

Of The House Like A Felon, And A Little Time Was Spent Before The

Expostulations Of Prudence And The Entreaties Of Eveline Could

Prevail. And When He Rose To Leave, Some Time Longer Was Consumed In

Tender Leave-Takings, Which, Though They Seemed Instants To The

Lovers, Were Lengthened Almost Into Hours To The Anxious Waiting-Maid.

Hence It Happened That When The Door Was Opened, Arundel Was

Confronted By The Assistant. Surprise And Indignation Were Both

Expressed In The Countenance Of Spikeman, As He Demanded To What

Circumstance He Was Indebted For The Honor Of The Young Man's Company.

 

  

"Master Spikeman Knows," Answered Arundel, "Without Any Averment On My

Part, That I Came Not To See Him."

 

 

"It Needs No Declaration Of Thine To Assure Me Of That," Said

Spikeman.

  

 

"I Do Nought," Said Arundel, "Which I Will Not Avouch By Both Deeds

And Words. Plainly, I Came To See Mistress Eveline Dunning, And

Strange Indeed Would It Be, Were I In This Strange Land To Avoid Her

Presence."

  

 

"Speak Out The Whole Truth," Said Spikeman, With Rising Passion, "And

Avow That Like A Thief Thou Didst Steal In To Corrupt The Affections

Of My Ward, And Teach Her Undutifulness To Her Guardian." 

 

 

Before The Young Man Could Reply, Eveline Interposed.

  

 

"You Do Master Arundel Wrong, Sir," She Said, "To Charge Him With

Aught Unbecoming. He Comes Hither In Open Day, And That By My Special

Invitation."

 

  

The Eyes Of The Spirited Girl Flashed, And Her Cheeks Were Crimson, As

She Made The Avowal.

 

  

"This From You, Eveline Dunning," Exclaimed Spikeman, With

Ill-Suppressed Rage. "Have You So Far Forgotten The Modesty Of Your

Sex As To Make This Declaration In Public? I Knew Before, That This

Boy Had Bewitched You, But Dreamed Not That He Had Triumphed Over All

Maidenly Reserve."

  

 

There Was Something Insufferably Insulting, Both In The Tone And In

The Insinuation Concealed In The Language, Which Was Not Entirely

Understood By The Pure Mind Of Eveline, But Which Was Maddening To Her

Lover.

  

 

"Only A Base Ingrate And Liar," He Cried, "Would Slander Celestial

Purity. Master Spikeman Knows That What He Utters Is False."

 

 

"Ha! Darest Thou, Malapert Boy," Said Spikeman, Advancing To Arundel

With His Arm Raised, As If About To Strike; But Waqua Stepped Between

Them. He Had Gravely Listened To The Heated Conversation, And Supposed

He Understood Its Purport.

  

 

"Let Not The Wise White Man," He Said, Addressing Spikeman, "Imitate A

Mad Wolf In His Anger. Give To My Brother For His Wife The Girl Whose

Cheeks Are Like The Summer Morning, For Her Heart Has Hid Itself In

His Bosom."

  

 

The Fury Of Spikeman, Thus Bearded In His Own House, Was Now Directed

To The Savage. Anger Appeared To Have Completely Deprived Him Of

Reason, For Turning Upon The Indian With Glaring Eyes And Exerting His

Strength To The Utmost, He Hurled Him With Irresistible Force Across

The Room Against The Wainscot, Where His Head Struck A Post, And He

Fell Bleeding On The Floor.

  

 

Waqua Was Instantly On His Feet Again, And His First Motion Was To

Clutch The Tomahawk, But Arundel Catching His Arm, Compelled Him To

Desist From His Revenge. Holding The Savage By The Arm, Arundel Passed

Out Of The Apartment, Leaving The Assistant Standing As If Petrified

By His Own Violence, While Eveline, Pale, Yet Resolute, Had Sunk Upon

A Seat, And Prudence Was Hysterically Shrieking. As Soon As They Stood

In The Street, Arundel Said:

  

 

"I Am Grieved, Waqua, That Thou, On My Account, Shouldst Have Been The

Object Of The Ruffian's Rage. Its Possibility Occurred Not To Me."

 

  

"Let Not My Brother Grieve," Said The Indian. "It Is Nothing; Not So

Much As The Scratch Of A Bear's Paw."

 

  

"I Take Blame To Myself For This Day's Unhappy Violence, And Hope That

No Further Mischief May Spring Out Of It.