by F. Anstey
which sees all thedifficulties and dangers beforehand, even exaggerated by distance, andyet advances calmly and undauntedly to encounter them. My courage wasof that sort, and it is generally admitted that it belongs to a farhigher order than the other.
Now that the die was cast I found myself anticipating the eventful daywith philosophic equanimity. It was an uncomfortable method ofgetting married, no doubt, but after all, what man ever _was_comfortable at his own wedding?
And surely one crowded quarter-of-an-hour (for it would certainly becrowded in that cage) of glorious life would be worth an age withoutLurana--who was not to be won by any other means.
PART II
It was now the eve of my wedding-day, and it was generally taken forgranted that Lurana and I would be allowed to enter the lion-cagewithout opposition from any quarter.
Whether we should find it as easy to come out again was a point onwhich opinions differed considerably, but the majority must have beenconfident that the ceremony would pass off without any unpleasantinterruption--for the rush to obtain seats was tremendous.
I was just as tranquil and collected as ever; I could not detect thatmy valour had "ullaged," as wine-merchants say, in the slightestdegree, though Lurana was perpetually questioning me as to whether Iwas sure I would not rather withdraw.
Of course, I indignantly repudiated the very idea, but it is wellknown that a perfectly sober person, if suddenly taxed with beingdrunk, will seem and even feel so, and it is much the same with anyimputation of cowardice.
I began to think that constant tea tasting, even though the infusionsare not actually swallowed, probably has some subtle effect upon thenervous system, and that it would brace me up and also show me howlittle cause I had to be uneasy, if I dropped into the AgriculturalHall once more and saw Niono put his lions through their performances.
So I left the City early that afternoon and paid for my admission tothe hall like an ordinary sightseer; I did not ask Lurana to accompanyme, because I knew she must have plenty to keep her at home just then.
I was just in time for the performing lions, and found a place in theouter edge of the crowd; it was strange to stand there unrecognisedand hear myself being freely discussed by all around; strange anddecidedly exhilarating, too, to think that in another twenty-fourhours I should be, not a spectator of what was to take place in thatarena, but one of the principal performers, the centre of breathlessinterest, the hero of the hour!
But with the appearance of the cage, this unnatural exhilarationsuddenly died down. It was not so much the lions, though they struckme as larger and less easy-tempered than on the first occasion, whilethe lioness was as nearly in open revolt as she dared. What troubledme most was that the cage contained another inmate, one whom I did notremember to have seen before--a magnificent specimen of the Bengaltiger.
It seemed perfectly clear to me that the brute was only abouthalf-trained; he went through his tricks in a sullen perfunctory way,with a savage, snurring snap every now and then, which, even at thatdistance, made my flesh creep.
And, whenever he snapped, clouds of steam issued from his great jaws;I could see, too, that the lioness was secretly egging him on to freshacts of defiance, and that he was only watching his opportunity tocrouch and spring as soon as Niono's back was turned.
I was perfectly determined that I would not have that tiger at _my_wedding; he would never keep still for a moment; he would upset allthe other animals, and how could I be expected to remain cool with agreat, hot, steaming beast like that at my elbow? Why, he must raisethe temperature of that cage to the atmosphere of a Turkish bath! ForLurana's sake as well as my own, I really must draw the line attigers--they were not in the bond.
Another thing that annoyed me was the senseless tomfoolery of theclowns, who persisted in running after the cage at the conclusion ofthe performance, and teasing the poor defenceless animals by makinggrimaces and dashing their ridiculous conical hats against the bars.It was painful to think that any one could be found to smile at suchcheap buffoonery--if I had been the ring-master, I would have giventhose cowardly idiots a taste of the whip!
I decided to go round afterwards and see Onion about that tiger.
I did not see the lion-tamer, as he had just left the hall, and MrSawkins, I was told, was engaged, but I saw Mlle. Leonie, who was mostfriendly.
Mademoiselle.]
I remarked, carelessly, that I saw they had put a tiger into the cage.
Mademoiselle said he was a member of the _troupe_, but had beenindisposed and temporarily transferred to the hospital cage.
I hinted that a tiger, however convalescent, was hardly a desirableaddition to our wedding party. Mademoiselle was astounded; a sogracious beast, a veritable treasure, with him present, the ceremonywould have a style, a _cachet_, an elegance. Without him--ah! bah! itwould be _triste_--banal, tame!
I admitted this, but urged that we were quiet people who wanted to bemarried as quietly as possible, and that a tiger, for persons in ourcondition of life, was a ridiculous piece of ostentation. It wasalways better to begin as one meant to go on.
She differed from me totally. I was too modest, for, of course, it wasincredible that I, who was so full of _sangfroid_, could object to thetiger for any other reason?
"Personally," I replied, "I had no prejudice against tigerswhatever--but Mademoiselle would understand that I was bound toconsider another person's convenience."
"Not possible!" exclaimed Mademoiselle, "a young lady with so much_verve_ to be timid! Why, Mons. Onion raved of her fearlessness!"
I said it was not timidity in Lurana's case--she merely happened tohave an antipathy for tigers. Some people, as Mademoiselle wasdoubtless aware, were unable to remain in the same room with a cat;Miss de Castro could not stay in the same cage with a tiger--it wastemperament.
"Ah," said Mdlle. Hortense, "I understand that. A sensitive?"
"Yes," I said, "a sensitive."
"But Niono says she is one of us!" objected Mademoiselle, "that shewas brought up amongst animals--that her mamma was herself ananimal-tamer."
"Of white mice and canary birds," I said, "but that is not quite thesame thing as tigers, and I am perfectly certain that if that tiger isretained, the wedding will not take place."
Her keen grey eyes flashed with comprehension. Ah, the poor littleone! in that case it was another thing. She would speak to the"Patron" and to Mons. Onion; the tiger should not be permitted totrouble the fete. I could rely absolutely upon her--he should beaccommodated elsewhere.
I went back to Lurana in a somewhat relieved frame of mind, and whenshe asked me where I had been, I mentioned, perhaps unwisely, that Ihad dropped in at the Circus and had a little chat with Mlle. Leonie.I did not say anything about the tiger, because there seemed to be noobject in disturbing her, now that the matter was comfortably settled,not to mention that if Lurana had known I had directed the removal ofthe tiger without consulting her, she was quite self-willed enough toinsist on his immediate restoration to the lion-cage.
Most girls would have been impressed by my courage in going near theCircus at all at such a time; not so Lurana, who pretended to believethat Mlle. Leonie was the attraction.
"Oh, I noticed she was making eyes at you from the very beginning,"she declared; "you had better marry her, and then Mr Niono couldmarry me. I daresay he would have no objection."
"My darling," I said, gently, "do not let us quarrel the very lastevening we may spend together on earth."
"You might take a more cheerful view of it than that, Theodore!" sheexclaimed.
"I think you are a little inclined to treat it too lightly," Ireplied. "I have been studying those lions, Lurana, and it is mydeliberate opinion that they are in a condition of suppressedexcitement which will break out on the slightest pretext. Unless youcan trust yourself to meet their gaze without faltering, without somuch as a flicker of the eyelid you will, unless I am greatlymistaken, stand a considerable chance of being torn to pieces."
"Nonsense, Theodore!"
she said, "they can't possibly tell whether I ammeeting their gaze or not, or even shutting my eyes--for, of course, Ishall be wearing a veil."
But _I_ should not--and it really did not seem fair. "I rather thoughtof putting on a green shade myself," I said. It had only just occurredto me.
"Don't be absurd, Theodore!" she replied. "What _can_ you want with agreen shade?"
"My eyes are not strong," I said, "and with those electric lights soclose to the cage, I _might_ blink or even close my eyes. A greenshade, like your bridal veil, would conceal the act!"
"As if anybody ever _heard_ of a bridegroom with a green shade overhis eyes! I certainly will not enter that cage if I am to be madepublicly ridiculous!"
"Do I understand," I said, very gravely, "that you _refuse_ to enterthe lion-cage?"
"With a man in a green shade? Most certainly I refuse. Not otherwise."
"Then you will sacrifice my life to mere appearances? Ah, Lurana, thatis only one more proof that vanity--not love--has led you to thismarriage!"
"Why don't you own at once that you'd give anything to get out of it,Theodore?"
"It is you," I retorted, "_you_, Lurana, who are secretly dreading theordeal, and you are trying to throw the responsibility of giving upthe whole thing on me--it's not _fair_, you know!"
"_I_ want to give up the whole thing? Theodore, you _know_ that isn'ttrue!"
"Children, children!" said the Professor, who had been a silent andunnoticed witness of our dispute till then, "What is this talk aboutgiving up the marriage? I implore you to consider the consequences, ifthe wedding is broken off now by your default. You will be mobbed by ajustly indignant crowd, which will probably wreck the hall as a signof their displeasure. You are just now the two most prominent andpopular persons in the United Kingdom--you will become the objects ofuniversal derision. You will ruin that worthy and excellent man, MrSawkins, offend Archibald Chuck, and do irretrievable damage to MissRakestraw's prospects of success in journalism. Of myself I saynothing, though I may mention that the persons who have paid me fancyprices for the few seats which the management placed at my dispositionwill infallibly demand restitution and damages. I might even be forcedto recover them from _you_, Theodore. On the other hand, by merelyfacing a hardly appreciable danger for a very few minutes, you coveryourselves with undying glory, you gain rich and handsome weddinggifts, which I hear the proprietors intend to bestow upon you; youreceive an ovation such as is generally reserved for Royal nuptials;and yet you, Theodore, would forfeit all this--for what? For a greenshade, which would probably only serve to infuriate the animals?"
This had not struck me before, and I could not help seeing that therewas something in it.
"I give up the shade," I said; "but I do think that Lurana is in sucha nervous and overstrung condition just now that it is not safe forher to enter the cage without a medical certificate."
Lurana laughed. "What for, Theodore? To satisfy the lions? Don'tdistress yourself on my account--I am perfectly well. At the appointedtime I shall present myself at the--the altar. If you are not there toreceive me, to stand by my side in the sight of all, you lose me forever. A de Castro can never marry a Craven."
She looked so splendid as she said this that I felt there was no perilin the world that I would not face to gain her, that life without herwould be unendurable.
Since she was as resolved as ever on this project, I must see it out,that was all, and trust to luck to pull me through. Onion would bethere--and he understood lions; and, besides, there was always thebare chance of the ceremony being stopped at the eleventh hour.
I left early, knowing that I should require a good night's rest, andLurana and I parted, on the understanding that our next meeting wouldbe at the Agricultural Hall on the following afternoon.
Whether it was due to a cup of coffee I had taken at the Professor's,or to some other cause, I do not know, but I had a wretched night,sleeping very literally in fits and starts, and feeling almostthankful when it was time to get up.
A cold bath freshened me up wonderfully, and, as they naturally didnot expect me in the City on my wedding-day, I had the whole morningto myself, and decided to get through it by taking a brisk walk.Before starting, I sent a bag containing my wedding garments to theAgricultural Hall, where a dressing room had been reserved for me, andthen I started, via the Seven Sisters Road, for Finsbury Park.
As I passed an optician's shop, I happened to see, hanging in thewindow, several pairs of coloured spectacles, one of which I went inand bought, and walked on with a sense of reassurance. Through themedium of such glasses a lion would lose much of his terrors, andwould, at the same time, be unable to detect any want of firmness inmy gaze; indeed, if a wild beast can actually be dominated by a humaneye, how much more should he be so when that eye is reinforced by apair of smoked spectacles!
"A de Castro can never marry a Craven."]
My recollection of the rest of that walk is indistinct. I felt nodistress, only a kind of stupor. I tried to fix my thoughts on Lurana,on her strange beauty, and the wondrous fact that in a very few hoursthe ceremony, which was to unite us, would be, at all events,_commenced_. But at times I had a pathetic sense of the irony whichdecreed that I, a man of simple tastes and unenterprising disposition,should have fallen hopelessly in love with the only young woman in theUnited Kingdom capable of insisting on being married in a wild-beastcage.
It seemed hard, and I remember envying quite ordinarypersons--butchers, hawkers, errand-boys, crossing-sweepers, and thelike, for their good fortune in not being engaged to spend any part ofthat afternoon in a den of forest-bred African lions.
However, though there was nothing about the intentions of the HomeOffice in the early editions of the evening papers, the officials_might_ be preparing a dramatic _coup_ for the last moment. I wasdetermined not to count upon it--but the thought of it kept me upuntil the time when I had to think of returning, for the idea offlight never for an instant presented itself to me. I was on _parole_as it were, and I preferred death by Lurana's side to dishonour andsecurity without her.
So anxious was I not to be late, and also to discover whether anycommunication from the Home Secretary had reached the manager, that Ialmost hurried back to Islington. I was admitted to the Hall by aprivate entrance, and shown to the kind of unroofed cabin in which Iwas to change, and which, being under the balcony and at some distancefrom the gangway between the stables and the ring, was comparativelyprivate and secluded.
Here, after asking an assistant to let Mr Niono know I had arrived,and would like to see him, I waited. The Circus had begun, as I knewfrom the facts that the blare of the orchestrions was hushed, and thata brass band overhead began and left off with the abruptness peculiarto Circus music.
Screens of board and canvas hid the auditorium from view, but I wasconscious of a vast multitude on the other side, vociferous and in thebest of humours.
Between the strains of the orchestra and the rattling volleys ofapplause, I heard the faint stamping and trampling from the stables,and, a sound that struck a chill to my heart--the prolonged roar ofexasperation and _ennui_ which could only proceed from a bored lion.
Then there was a rap at the door, which made me start, and Niono burstin.
"So you've found your way here," he said. "Feeling pretty fit? That'sthe ticket! The bride ain't arrived yet, so you've lots of time."
"You've heard nothing from the Home Office yet, I suppose?" I asked.
"Not a word--and, between you and me, I made sure they meant to crabthe show. You've the devil's own luck!"
"I have, indeed," I said, with feeling. "Still, we mustn't be toosure--they may stop us yet!"
"They may try it on--but our men have got their instructions. If they_did_ come now, they wouldn't get near the ring till it was all over,so don't you worry yourself about that."
I said everything seemed to have been admirably arranged. "By theway," I added, "where have you put the tiger?"
"Do you mean old Rajah?" he said;
and I replied that I _did_ mean oldRajah.
"Why, _he's_ all right--in the cage along with the others--where didyou _suppose_ he'd be--loose?"
"I particularly requested," I explained, "that he might be putsomewhere else during the wedding. Mademoiselle promised that itshould be seen to."
"It's nothing to do with Ma'amsell," he said, huffily; "_she_ don'tgive orders here, Ma'amsell don't."
"I mean, she promised to mention the matter to you," I said, morediplomatically.
"She never said nothing about it to _me_," he replied; "I expect sheforgot."
"I can only say it was extremely careless of her," I said. "The factis, I have my doubts whether that tiger is to be trusted."
"Well, you never can trust a tiger same as you can a lion," hereplied, candidly, "so I won't deceive you. But old Rajah ain't soparticular nasty--as tigers go."
"He may not be," I said, "but, in Miss de Castro's interests, I mustbeg you to shift him into some other cage till this affair is over. Ican't allow her to run any unnecessary risk."
"I don't say you're wrong," he answered, "I wish I'd known before, I'dhave asked the gov'nor."
"If them two got together, there'd be the doose'sdelight."]
"Ask him now," I urged, "surely you can put the tiger back in thehospital cage for an hour or two."
"The Jaguar's in there," he said; "he