[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.There,too, the fire was still burning, so that he was able to see alittle of the state of things in this quarter also.The place was dirty and disorderly.In a recess, on a heap ofbrushwood, lay a kitchen-maid, with a table cover around her, anda skillet in her hand: evidently she too had been drinking.Inanother corner lay a page, and Curdie noted how like his dress wasto his own.in the cinders before the hearth were huddled threedogs and five cats, all fast asleep, while the rats were runningabout the floor.Curdie's heart ached to think of the lovelychild-princess living over such a sty.The mine was a paradise toa palace with such servants in it.Leaving the kitchen, he got into the region of the sculleries.There horrible smells were wandering about, like evil spirits thatcome forth with the darkness.He lighted a candle - but only tosee ugly sights.Everywhere was filth and disorder.Mangyturnspit dogs were lying about, and grey rats were gnawing atrefuse in the sinks.It was like a hideous dream.He felt as ifhe should never get out of it, and longed for one glimpse of hismother's poor little kitchen, so clean and bright and airy.Turning from it at last in miserable disgust, he almost ran backthrough the kitchen, re-entered the hall, and crossed it to anotherdoor.It opened upon a wider passage leading to an arch in a statelycorridor, all its length lighted by lamps in niches.At the end ofit was a large and beautiful hall, with great pillars.There satthree men in the royal livery, fast asleep, each in a greatarmchair, with his feet on a huge footstool.They looked likefools dreaming themselves kings; and Lina looked as if she longedto throttle them.At one side of the hall was the grand staircase,and they went up.Everything that now met Curdie's eyes was rich - not glorious likethe splendours of the mountain cavern, but rich and soft - exceptwhere, now and then, some rough old rib of the ancient fortresscame through, hard and discoloured.Now some dark bare arch ofstone, now some rugged and blackened pillar, now some huge beam,brown with the smoke and dust of centuries, looked like a thistlein the midst of daisies, or a rock in a smooth lawn.They wandered about a good while, again and again findingthemselves where they had been before.Gradually, however, Curdiewas gaining some idea of the place.By and by Lina began to lookfrightened, and as they went on Curdie saw that she looked more andmore frightened.Now, by this time he had come to understand thatwhat made her look frightened was always the fear of frightening,and he therefore concluded they must be drawing nigh to somebody.At last, in a gorgeously painted gallery, he saw a curtain ofcrimson, and on the curtain a royal crown wrought in silks andstones.He felt sure this must be the king's chamber, and it washere he was wanted; or, if it was not the place he was bound for,something would meet him and turn him aside; for he had come tothink that so long as a man wants to do right he may go where hecan: when he can go no farther, then it is not the way.'Only,'said his father, in assenting to the theory, 'he must really wantto do right, and not merely fancy he does.He must want it withhis heart and will, and not with his rag of a tongue.'So he gently lifted the corner of the curtain, and there behind itwas a half-open door.He entered, and the moment he was in, Linastretched herself along the threshold between the curtain and thedoor.CHAPTER 19The King's ChamberHe found himself in a large room, dimly lighted by a silver lampthat hung from the ceiling.Far at the other end was a great bed,surrounded with dark heavy curtains.He went softly toward it, hisheart beating fast.It was a dreadful thing to be alone in theking's chamber at the dead of night.To gain courage he had toremind himself of the beautiful princess who had sent him.But when he was about halfway to the bed, a figure appeared fromthe farther side of it, and came towards him, with a hand raisedwarningly.He stood still.The light was dim, and he coulddistinguish little more than the outline of a young girl.Butthough the form he saw was much taller than the princess heremembered, he never doubted it was she.For one thing, he knewthat most girls would have been frightened to see him there in thedead of the night, but like a true princess, and the princess heused to know, she walked straight on to meet him.As she came shelowered the hand she had lifted, and laid the forefinger of it uponher lips.Nearer and nearer, quite near, close up to him she came,then stopped, and stood a moment looking at him.'You are Curdie,' she said.'And you are the Princess Irene,' he returned.'Then we know each other still,' she said, with a sad smile ofpleasure.'You will help me.''That I will,' answered Curdie.He did not say, 'If I can';for he knew that what he was sent to do, that he could do.'May Ikiss your hand, little Princess?'She was only between nine and ten, though indeed she looked severalyears older, and her eyes almost those of a grown woman, for shehad had terrible trouble of late.She held out her hand.'I am not the little princess any more.I have grown up since Isaw you last, Mr Miner.'The smile which accompanied the words had in it a strange mixtureof playfulness and sadness.'So I see, Miss Princess,' returned Curdie; 'and therefore, beingmore of a princess, you are the more my princess.Here I am, sentby your great-great-grandmother, to be your servant.May I ask whyyou are up so late, Princess?''Because my father wakes so frightened, and I don't know what hewould do if he didn't find me by his bedside.There! he's wakingnow.'She darted off to the side of the bed she had come from.Curdie stood where he was.A voice altogether unlike what he remembered of the mighty, nobleking on his white horse came from the bed, thin, feeble, hollow,and husky, and in tone like that of a petulant child:'I will not, I will not.I am a king, and I will be a king.Ihate you and despise you, and you shall not torture me!''Never mind them, Father dear,' said the princess.'I am here, andthey shan't touch you.They dare not, you know, so long as youdefy them.''They want my crown, darling; and I can't give them my crown, canI? For what is a king without his crown?''They shall never have your crown, my king,' said Irene.'Here itis - all safe.I am watching it for you.'Curdie drew near the bed on the other side.There lay the grandold king - he looked grand still, and twenty years older.His bodywas pillowed high; his beard descended long and white over thecrimson coverlid; and his crown, its diamonds and emeralds gleamingin the twilight of the curtains, lay in front of him, his long thinold hands folded round it, and the ends of his beard straying amongthe lovely stones.His face was like that of a man who had diedfighting nobly; but one thing made it dreadful: his eyes, whilethey moved about as if searching in this direction and in that,looked more dead than his face.He saw neither his daughter norhis crown: it was the voice of the one and the touch of the otherthat comforted him.He kept murmuring what seemed words, but wasunintelligible to Curdie, although, to judge from the look ofIrene's face, she learned and concluded from it
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]