Jurgen: A Comedy of Justice

by James Branch Cabell

  26.

  In Time's Hour-Glass

  "Well, well!" said Jurgen, when he had taken off all that foolishironmongery, and had made himself comfortable in his shirt; "well,beyond doubt, the situation is awkward. I was content enough inCocaigne, and it is unfair that I should be thus ousted. Still, asensible person will manage to be content anywhere. But whither,pray, am I expected to go?"

  "Into whatever land you may elect, my dear," said Anaitis, fondly."That much at least I can manage for you: and the interpretation ofyour legend can be arranged afterward."

  "But I grow tired of all the countries I have ever seen, dearAnaitis, and in my time I have visited nearly all the lands that areknown to men."

  "That too can be arranged: and you can go instead into one of thecountries which are desired by men. Indeed there are a number ofsuch realms which no man has ever visited except in dreams, so thatyour choice is wide."

  "But how am I to make a choice without having seen any of thesecountries? It is not fair to be expecting me to do anything of thesort."

  "Why, I will show them to you," Anaitis replied.

  The two of them then went together into a small blue chamber, thewalls of which were ornamented with gold stars placed helter-skelter.The room was entirely empty save for an hour-glass near twice theheight of a man.

  "It is Time's own glass," said Anaitis, "which was left in mykeeping when Time went to sleep."

  Anaitis opened a little door of carved crystal that was in the lowerhalf of the hour-glass, just above the fallen sands. With herfinger-tips she touched the sand that was in Time's hour-glass, andin the sand she drew a triangle with equal sides, she who wasstrangely gifted and perverse. Then she drew just such anotherfigure so that the tip of it penetrated the first triangle. The sandbegan to smoulder there, and vapors rose into the upper part of thehour-glass, and Jurgen saw that all the sand in Time's hour-glasswas kindled by a magic generated by the contact of these twotriangles. And in the vapors a picture formed.

  "I see a land of woods and rivers, Anaitis. A very old fellow,regally crowned, lies asleep under an ash-tree, guarded by awatchman who has more arms and hands than Jigsbyed."

  "It is Atlantis you behold, and the sleeping of ancient Time--Time,to whom this glass belongs,--while Briareus watches."

  "Time sleeps quite naked, Anaitis, and, though it is a delicatematter to talk about, I notice he has met with a deplorableaccident."

  "So that Time begets nothing any more, Jurgen, the while he bringsabout old happenings over and over, and changes the name of what isancient, in order to persuade himself he has a new plaything. Thereis really no more tedious and wearing old dotard anywhere, I canassure you. But Atlantis is only the western province of Cocaigne.Now do you look again, Jurgen!"

  "Now I behold a flowering plain and three steep hills, with a castleupon each hill. There are woods wherein the foliage is crimson:shining birds with white bodies and purple heads feed upon theclusters of golden berries that grow everywhere: and people go aboutin green clothes, with gold chains about their necks, and with broadbands of gold upon their arms, and all these people have untroubledfaces."

  "That is Inislocha: and to the south is Inis Daleb, and to the northInis Ercandra. And there is sweet music to be listening toeternally, could we but hear the birds of Rhiannon, and there is thebest of wine to drink, and there delight is common. For thithercomes nothing hard nor rough, and no grief, nor any regret, norsickness, nor age, nor death, for this is the Land of Women, a landof many-colored hospitality."

  "Why, then, it is no different from Cocaigne. And into no realmwhere pleasure is endless will I ever venture again of my own freewill, for I find that I do not enjoy pleasure."

  Then Anaitis showed him Ogygia, and Trypheme, and Sudarsana, and theFortunate Islands, and AEaea, and Caer-Is, and Invallis, and theHesperides, and Meropis, and Planasia, and Uttarra, and Avalon, andTir-nam-Beo, and Theleme, and a number of other lands to enter whichmen have desired: and Jurgen groaned.

  "I am ashamed of my fellows," says he: "for it appears their notionof felicity is to dwell eternally in a glorified brothel. I do notthink that as a self-respecting young Prince I would care to inhabitany of these earthly paradises, for were there nothing else, I wouldalways be looking for an invasion by the police."

  "There remains, then, but one other realm, which I have not shownyou, in part because it is an obscure little place, and in partbecause, for a reason that I have, I shall not assist you to gothither. Still, there is Leuke, where Queen Helen rules: and Leukeit is that you behold."

  "But Leuke seems like any other country in autumn, and appears to bereasonably free from the fantastic animals and overgrown flowerswhich made the other paradises look childish. Come now, there is anattractive simplicity about Leuke. I might put up with Leuke if thelocal by-laws allowed me a rational amount of discomfort."

  "Discomfort you would have full measure. For the heart of no manremains untroubled after he has once viewed Queen Helen and thebeauty that is hers. It is for that reason, Jurgen, I shall not helpyou to go into Leuke: for in Leuke you would forget me, having seenQueen Helen."

  "Why, what nonsense you are talking, my darling! I will wager shecannot hold a candle to you."

  "See for yourself!" said Anaitis, sadly.

  Now through the rolling vapors came confusedly a gleaming and asurging glitter of all the loveliest colors of heaven and earth:and these took order presently, and Jurgen saw before him in thehour-glass that young Dorothy who was not Heitman Michael's wife.And long and wistfully he looked at her, and the blinding tearscame to his eyes for no reason at all, and for the while he couldnot speak.

  Then Jurgen yawned, and said, "But certainly this is not the Helenwho was famed for beauty."

  "I can assure you that it is," said Anaitis: "and that it is she whorules in Leuke, whither I do not intend you shall go."

  "Why, but, my darling! this is preposterous. The girl is nothing tolook at twice, one way or the other. She is not actually ugly, Isuppose, if one happens to admire that washed-out blonde type, as ofcourse some people do. But to call her beautiful is out of reason;and that I must protest in simple justice."

  "Do you really think so?" says Anaitis, brightening.

  "I most assuredly do. Why, you remember what Calpurnius Bassus saysabout all blondes?"

  "No, I believe not. What did he say, dear?"

  "I would only spoil the splendid passage by quoting it inaccuratelyfrom memory. But he was quite right, and his opinion is mine inevery particular. So if that is the best Leuke can offer, I heartilyagree with you I had best go into some other country."

  "I suppose you already have your eyes upon some minx or other?"

  "Well, my love, those girls in the Hesperides were strikingly likeyou, with even more wonderful hair than yours: and the girl Aillewhom we saw in Tir-nam-Beo likewise resembled you remarkably, exceptthat I thought she had the better figure. So I believe in either ofthose countries I could be content enough, after a while. Since partfrom you I must," said Jurgen, tenderly, "I intend, in commonfairness to myself, to find a companion as like you as possible. Youconceive I can pretend it is you at first: and then as I grow fonderof her for her own sake, you will gradually be put out of my mindwithout my incurring any intolerable anguish."

  Anaitis was not pleased. "So you are already hankering after thosehuzzies! And you think them better looking than I am! And you tellme so to my face!"

  "My darling, you cannot deny we have been married all of three wholemonths: and nobody can maintain an infatuation for any woman thatlong, in the teeth of having nothing refused him. Infatuation islargely a matter of curiosity, and both of these emotions die whenthey are fed."

  "Jurgen," said Anaitis, with conviction, "you are lying to me aboutsomething. I can see it in your eyes."

  "There is no deceiving a woman's intuition. Yes, I was not speakingquite honestly when I pretended I had as lief go into the Hesperidesas to Tir-nam-Beo: it was wrong of me, and I ask your pardon
. Ithought that by affecting indifference I could manage you better.But you saw through me at once, and very rightly became angry. So Ifling my cards upon the table, I no longer beat about the bushes ofequivocation. It is Aille, the daughter of Cormac, whom I love, andwho can blame me? Did you ever in your life behold a more enticingfigure, Anaitis?--certainly I never did. Besides, I noticed--butnever mind about that! Still I could not help seeing them. And thensuch eyes! twin beacons that light my way to comfort for my notinconsiderable regret at losing you, my darling. Oh, yes, assuredlyit is to Tir-nam-Beo I elect to go."

  "Whither you go, my fine fellow, is a matter in which I have thechoice, not you. And you are going to Leuke."

  "My love, now do be reasonable! We both agreed that Leuke was not abit suitable. Why, were there nothing else, in Leuke there are noattractive women."

  "Have you no sense except book-sense! It is for that reason I amsending you to Leuke."

  And thus speaking, Anaitis set about a strong magic that hastenedthe coming of the Equinox. In the midst of her charming she wept alittle, for she was fond of Jurgen.

  And Jurgen preserved a hurt and angry face as well as he could: forat the sight of Queen Helen, who was so like young Dorothy laDesiree, he had ceased to care for Queen Anaitis and her divertingways, or to care for aught else in the world save only Queen Helen,the delight of gods and men. But Jurgen had learned that Anaitisrequired management.

  "For her own good," as he put it, "and in simple justice to the manyadmirable qualities which she possesses."