The King in Yellow

by Robert W. Chambers

  THE STREET OF THE FOUR WINDS

  "Ferme tes yeux a demi, Croise tes bras sur ton sein, Et de ton coeur endormi Chasse a jamais tout dessein."

  "Je chante la nature, Les etoiles du soir, les larmes du matin, Les couchers de soleil a l'horizon lointain, Le ciel qui parle au coeur d'existence future!"

  I

  The animal paused on the threshold, interrogative alert, ready for flightif necessary. Severn laid down his palette, and held out a hand ofwelcome. The cat remained motionless, her yellow eyes fastened uponSevern.

  "Puss," he said, in his low, pleasant voice, "come in."

  The tip of her thin tail twitched uncertainly.

  "Come in," he said again.

  Apparently she found his voice reassuring, for she slowly settled upon allfours, her eyes still fastened upon him, her tail tucked under her gauntflanks.

  He rose from his easel smiling. She eyed him quietly, and when he walkedtoward her she watched him bend above her without a wince; her eyesfollowed his hand until it touched her head. Then she uttered a raggedmew.

  It had long been Severn's custom to converse with animals, probablybecause he lived so much alone; and now he said, "What's the matter,puss?"

  Her timid eyes sought his.

  "I understand," he said gently, "you shall have it at once."

  Then moving quietly about he busied himself with the duties of a host,rinsed a saucer, filled it with the rest of the milk from the bottle onthe window-sill, and kneeling down, crumbled a roll into the hollow of hishand.

  The creature rose and crept toward the saucer.

  With the handle of a palette-knife he stirred the crumbs and milk togetherand stepped back as she thrust her nose into the mess. He watched her insilence. From time to time the saucer clinked upon the tiled floor as shereached for a morsel on the rim; and at last the bread was all gone, andher purple tongue travelled over every unlicked spot until the saucershone like polished marble. Then she sat up, and coolly turning her backto him, began her ablutions.

  "Keep it up," said Severn, much interested, "you need it."

  She flattened one ear, but neither turned nor interrupted her toilet. Asthe grime was slowly removed Severn observed that nature had intended herfor a white cat. Her fur had disappeared in patches, from disease or thechances of war, her tail was bony and her spine sharp. But what charms shehad were becoming apparent under vigorous licking, and he waited until shehad finished before re-opening the conversation. When at last she closedher eyes and folded her forepaws under her breast, he began again verygently: "Puss, tell me your troubles."

  At the sound of his voice she broke into a harsh rumbling which herecognized as an attempt to purr. He bent over to rub her cheek and shemewed again, an amiable inquiring little mew, to which he replied,"Certainly, you are greatly improved, and when you recover your plumageyou will be a gorgeous bird." Much flattered, she stood up and marchedaround and around his legs, pushing her head between them and makingpleased remarks, to which he responded with grave politeness.

  "Now, what sent you here," he said--"here into the Street of the FourWinds, and up five flights to the very door where you would be welcome?What was it that prevented your meditated flight when I turned from mycanvas to encounter your yellow eyes? Are you a Latin Quarter cat as I ama Latin Quarter man? And why do you wear a rose-coloured flowered garterbuckled about your neck?" The cat had climbed into his lap, and now satpurring as he passed his hand over her thin coat.

  "Excuse me," he continued in lazy soothing tones, harmonizing with herpurring, "if I seem indelicate, but I cannot help musing on thisrose-coloured garter, flowered so quaintly and fastened with a silverclasp. For the clasp is silver; I can see the mint mark on the edge, as isprescribed by the law of the French Republic. Now, why is this garterwoven of rose silk and delicately embroidered,--why is this silken garterwith its silver clasp about your famished throat? Am I indiscreet when Iinquire if its owner is your owner? Is she some aged dame living in memoryof youthful vanities, fond, doting on you, decorating you with herintimate personal attire? The circumference of the garter would suggestthis, for your neck is thin, and the garter fits you. But then again Inotice--I notice most things--that the garter is capable of being muchenlarged. These small silver-rimmed eyelets, of which I count five, areproof of that. And now I observe that the fifth eyelet is worn out, asthough the tongue of the clasp were accustomed to lie there. That seems toargue a well-rounded form."

  The cat curled her toes in contentment. The street was very still outside.

  He murmured on: "Why should your mistress decorate you with an articlemost necessary to her at all times? Anyway, at most times. How did shecome to slip this bit of silk and silver about your neck? Was it thecaprice of a moment,--when you, before you had lost your pristineplumpness, marched singing into her bedroom to bid her good-morning? Ofcourse, and she sat up among the pillows, her coiled hair tumbling to hershoulders, as you sprang upon the bed purring: 'Good-day, my lady.' Oh, itis very easy to understand," he yawned, resting his head on the back ofthe chair. The cat still purred, tightening and relaxing her padded clawsover his knee.

  "Shall I tell you all about her, cat? She is very beautiful--yourmistress," he murmured drowsily, "and her hair is heavy as burnishedgold. I could paint her,--not on canvas--for I should need shades andtones and hues and dyes more splendid than the iris of a splendid rainbow.I could only paint her with closed eyes, for in dreams alone can suchcolours as I need be found. For her eyes, I must have azure from skiesuntroubled by a cloud--the skies of dreamland. For her lips, roses fromthe palaces of slumberland, and for her brow, snow-drifts from mountainswhich tower in fantastic pinnacles to the moons;--oh, much higher than ourmoon here,--the crystal moons of dreamland. She is--very--beautiful, yourmistress."

  The words died on his lips and his eyelids drooped.

  The cat, too, was asleep, her cheek turned up upon her wasted flank, herpaws relaxed and limp.