The Keepers of the People

906“There should not be two women, speaking women, from the West, in Varandaleel,” he said.

907“There will never be two women from the West in Varandaleel,” said Prince Ralph, laying as slight a stress on the word “women” as made it pregnant.

908Prince Raleigh understood.

909“Is it so?” he said. “And yet—” and he was silent.

910“I have a fear,” said Prince Ralph. “But what says the second book of the Wisdom of the Princes? ‘A woman will have her way; but she can always die.’”

911“It is true,” said Prince Raleigh. “But how long have you had this fear?”

912“Since we were a week wedded; but above all since we came to the head of the pass, and looked over the plains of Varandaleel,” said Prince Ralph.

913“She sleeps sound,” said Prince Raleigh, looking down at the child.

914“She sleeps at my will,” said Prince Ralph.

915“She will pine for her kinsfolk,” said Prince Raleigh.

916“No: she was a lonely child, the daughter of a fool, a mother who does not waste her life upon her children. Moreover, we are her kinsfolk. But she will wake soon; and it were well that she woke in fairyland.”

917With that he lifted the child from the couch, and, carrying her out into the garden, laid her on a coverlet spread by one of the mute girls on a marble seat. The old Prince and Vashti followed him out; and the three of them drew apart behind some gardenia bushes under a palm, and stood in the shadow waiting.

918Presently the cool air roused Althea, she stirred, awoke, and threw out her arms; then raising herself on her elbow, gazed round her with drowsy eyes, drawing in deep breaths of the fragrant air. At last she had come to fairyland; and the long sleeping, broken by the two hours’ wakefulness at night, when she walked round the hushed camp with Alrasch and Prince Ralph had come to an end. She drew herself up, and sat for a while, still drowsy, gazing at the lighted palace, at the play of the moon-rays among the drops of the tall jet of a fountain that rose on her right, till a breath of air drifted some of the spray on her face. The cool touch of it awoke her outright; she gave herself a little shake, slipped from the marble bench, and came towards the palace on limbs stiff and weak from disuse, fingering curiously her golden girdle. A sound of footsteps brought her to a standstill in a little dread, and she faced towards them with quickening heart-beats: it might be a Prince, it might be a Dragon. Prince Ralph came out of the bushes; and she went to him swiftly, crying, “It is Fairyland! Really and truly Fairyland!”