Foxholme Hall, and Other Tales
Page 27
main, Nor dare this shape resume again, Till by dark spells of potent might, I summon thee to re-unite."
As he spoke the hideous form began gradually to expand into vastproportions, growing each moment more mist-like and indistinct. Signsof animation now returned to the body of Alonzo, who speedily arose, andwhile he waved his arm, the shape Borasco had lately worn mingled withthe surrounding atmosphere, till it finally disappeared like a mistblown off from the sea.
Alonzo, or rather Alonzo's form animated by Borasco's spirit, walkedslowly on, for he felt weary, as a person does who has long buffetedwith the waves, for with the form so he partook in a measure of thehuman feelings of the pirate. His nature, however, in other respectswas not altered; his love for Serena was rather increased than lost, andhe was still the same bold Spirit he had before been, with the samepower, only softened and refined by the magic influence of love.
He looked into a mirror-like pool of water among the rocks, and there,seeing his new figure reflected, he drew himself up, and stretching outhis arms proudly, he exclaimed, "Ah, I now look like a man indeed; Ifeel the life-blood rush fleetly through my veins, my pulses beatsteadily; methinks when the maiden sees me she will not fly from me asshe did before. Ah, now in truth I have a chance of winning her.Thanks, thanks, mighty Neptune! for the aid you have afforded me. Thedawn approaches; she will soon be here! and then once more, lovelyPrincess! I shall again behold thy matchless beauty." As he spoke afew faint streaks, the harbingers of the rising sun, appeared, in theeastern sky, the wind went down, and the sea grew perfectly smooth.
After wandering along the sea beach for some distance to stretch hislegs, for he naturally felt somewhat strange in his new form, he atlength, overcome with fatigue and a desire for repose, laid himself downon the dry sand under the shade of an overhanging rock. Here, in thecourse of a few minutes, he fell fast asleep; and so sound was his sleepthat he appeared like some shipwrecked mariner who had been drowned andwashed on shore by the stormy waves.
STORY SIX, CHAPTER FIVE.
The bright sun was shedding his beams across the dancing waves, when thelovely Serena and her maidens, tempted by the beauty of the morning,left the palace to enjoy the fresh air on the beach, no longer dreadingto meet the hideous monster who had once so frightened them in the samespot. As they walked on they talked of the storm which had raged duringthe night. "And, my Princess," said Linda, one of the maidens, "theysay that there was seen last night, by those who were on the watch, ahuge black mass driving towards the shore, but that it burst asunder,and only fragments of wood and some extraordinary-shaped things werefound among the rocks. Some people think it was a big canoe, and othersa monster, but no one is certain."
"There are many strange things happening," replied Serena. "Last nightmy father dreamed a dream; he dreamed that one of the sages of ourpeople came to him, and reminded him of a prophecy which was utteredyears ago: it ran thus:--
"`In hour of danger Saved by a stranger, The King and state Give him guerdon great, But a Sea-monster will prey On his reward that day.'
"My sire awoke repeating the words, and the sage was gone, but the stormwas raging with greater fury than before."
"Since the day we saw the dreadful monster, wonders have never ceased,"observed Linda; "now, I should not be surprised if some other wonder wasgoing to happen."
While they were speaking they happened to approach the very spot wherethe form of Alonzo was sleeping. The Princess and her maidens startedwith surprise, and then cautiously drew near, curious to know whatstrange being he was; for, from his dress, which was the costume ofSpain, and from his appearance being so totally different to that of theislanders, they did not at first suppose that he was a human being.
Remembering the fright they had had before, from the strange monsterwhich had appeared so suddenly out of the sea, they approached verycautiously, thinking this might do them some harm if they were notcareful. Hand-in-hand they advanced, treading lightly, and uttering nosound, and ready every instant to run away. At last they all got closeup to him, and began to examine him with curious eyes, their fearsgradually growing less and less. Linda was the first to make thewonderful discovery, that instead of a strange monster, he was a youngand handsome man. "Oh, my dear mistress, I am sure he must be a Prince,for he is so very good-looking and prince-like," she exclaimed, bendingover him; as she did so she uttered an exclamation of sorrow, and wrungher hands; "Alas, alas!" she cried, "but I fear he is dead!"
The maidens now all drew near, and knelt mournfully round him, when atlast the Princess ventured to take his hand. Instead of letting itdrop, she exclaimed joyfully, "Oh, no! he is not dead; his pulse yetbeats with life, and look, the colour mantles on his cheeks."
Her touch, or the voices of her maidens expressing their satisfaction,awoke Alonzo, as Borasco now called himself, out of his deep sleep. Heopened his eyes, and fixing them on her, he said in a low voice,expressive of his surprise, "Do I dream? Are you a mortal? or have theskies sent some being radiant with beauty to dwell on earth?"
The Princess was not insensible to the compliment, though it was ratherhigh-flown; but she was so astonished at hearing him speak, that,instead of answering him, and not knowing what else to say, she asked,"What are you? whence do you come?"
Before Alonzo could answer these questions he had to collect histhoughts sufficiently to frame a story; for he had had till then no ideathat they would naturally be put to him. He therefore rose, and,kneeling at the feet of the Princess, took her hand, and replied, "Icome from the sea, fair Princess! My ship was dashed to pieces lastnight on those pointed rocks, while I, her chief, was cast on shore, andam the sole survivor of her crew. My name is Alonzo, and I am yourhumble slave, fair lady."
The Princess, though she did not comprehend all the stranger said, andcertainly did not understand his compliments, had not the slightestdoubt of the truth of the story. She entreated him to rise, and thenretired with her maidens to consult what should be done; for thereexisted in Gracia a law which condemned to death any stranger who shouldventure to the island, of whose character and history the chiefs andmagistrates were not fully satisfied. Without, therefore, theirpermission, she could not venture to invite him to her father's palace.At this juncture a number of the islanders appeared from the wood closeby, and seeing a strange person standing by himself, for the Princessand her maidens were hid from them by the rocks, they rushed down andseized him, demanding who he was. The Princess heard their voices, butbefore she could interfere, overwhelmed by numbers, the stranger wasborne to the ground. He struggled in vain, and was surprised to findhow easily he was overcome; for he forgot that with a mortal form hepossessed only the strength of a mortal, and had at first supposed thathe could drive them off with as much ease as he would have done had heretained the form of Borasco.
The Princess hurried forward. "Oh, spare him! spare him!" sheexclaimed; "I am certain he will do no harm. See how amiable and gentlehe looks!"
The islanders loved their Princess, and therefore refrained fromoffering further violence to the stranger, but still they held himtight, and insisted on carrying him into the presence of King Zaphor.Now, Serena, as she felt that she might more successfully plead hiscause before her indulgent father than any one else, gladly consented tothis arrangement.
King Zaphor sat in state, with his wise men and councillors around him,when Alonzo was brought bound before him by a large concourse of hissubjects. The Princess, attended by her maidens, also appeared incourt, for there was no one else to plead his cause; and as she had beenthe first to discover him, she considered that she was in duty bound toprotect him. Alonzo stood before the King with a dignified air, and hisarms folded on his bosom, his personal appearance gaining him manyfriends; but when he was questioned as to his occupation and calling, hebegan to reflect whether he had not done an unwise thing in entering theform of so wicked a person as the pirate captain, handsome though hewas; for he feared that should the Princess discover that his form
wasthat of Alonzo, nothing that he could say to the contrary would persuadeher that he was not Alonzo himself. He felt, indeed, the truth thatbeauty, without real goodness and a good character, is worthless indeed.He, however, gave the same account of himself that he had done to thePrincess, in so clear and concise a way, that he gained much in the goodopinion of the wise men. He then vowed so earnestly, that far fromwishing to injure any of the inhabitants of the Island of Gracia, hewould devote himself to their service, that he made a still furtheradvance; and when the Princess spoke in his favour, it was unanimouslydecreed that, not only should his life be spared, but that fullpermission should be given him to remain in the island.
The fair Serena was delighted at her success, and consequently tookgreater interest than before in the stranger. King Zaphor, with greatcourtesy and kindness,