A Dreamers Tales | Page 4

of marble. And the moon was rising
huge and round and holy over dark woods, and all the fountains were
singing to the night. And the moon touched the marble palace gables,
and they glowed in the land. And the moon touched the heads of all the
fountains, and the grey columns broke into fairy lights. And the moon
left the dark ways of the forest and lit the whole white palace and its
fountains and shone on the forehead of the Princess, and the palace of
Arizim glowed afar, and the fountains became columns of gleaming
jewels and song. And the moon made a music at its rising, but it fell a
little short of mortal ears. And Hilnaric stood there wondering, clad in
white, with the moonlight shining on her forehead; and watching her
from the shadows on the terrace stood the kings of Mondath and
Toldees. They said:
"She is more beautiful than the moonrise." And on another day the
King of Arizim bade his daughter forth at dawn, and they stood again

upon the balcony. And the sun came up over a world of orchards, and
the sea-mists went back over Poltarnees to the Sea; little wild voices
arose in all the thickets, the voices of the fountains began to die, and
the song arose, in all the marble temples, of the birds that are sacred to
the Sea. And Hilnaric stood there, still glowing with dreams of heaven.
"She is more beautiful," said the kings, "than morning."
Yet one more trial they made of Hilnaric's beauty, for they watched her
on the terraces at sunset ere yet the petals of the orchards had fallen,
and all along the edge of neighbouring woods the rhododendron was
blooming with the azalea. And the sun went down under craggy
Poltarnees, and the sea-mist poured over his summit inland. And the
marble temples stood up clear in the evening, but films of twilight were
drawn between the mountain and the city. Then from the Temple
ledges and eaves of palaces the bats fell headlong downwards, then
spread their wings and floated up and down through darkening ways;
lights came blinking out in golden windows, men cloaked themselves
against the grey sea-mist, the sound of small songs arose, and the face
of Hilnaric became a resting-place for mysteries and dreams.
"Than all these things," said the kings, "she is more lovely: but who can
say whether she is lovelier than the Sea?"
Prone in a rhododendron thicket at the edge of the palace lawns a
hunter had waited since the sun went down. Near to him was a deep
pool where the hyacinths grew and strange flowers floated upon it with
broad leaves; and there the great bull gariachs came down to drink by
starlight; and, waiting there for the gariachs to come, he saw the white
form of the Princess leaning on her balcony. Before the stars shone out
or the bulls came down to drink he left his lurking-place and moved
closer to the palace to see more nearly the Princess. The palace lawns
were full of untrodden dew, and everything was still when he came
across them, holding his great spear. In the farthest corner of the
terraces the three old kings were discussing the beauty of Hilnaric and
the destiny of the Inner Lands. Moving lightly, with a hunter's tread,
the watcher by the pool came very near, even in the still evening,
before the Princess saw him. When he saw her closely he exclaimed
suddenly:
"She must be more beautiful than the Sea."
When the Princess turned and saw his garb and his great spear she

knew that he was a hunter of gariachs.
When the three kings heard the young man exclaim they said softly to
one another:
"This must be the man."
Then they revealed themselves to him, and spoke to him to try him.
They said:
"Sir, you have spoken blasphemy against the Sea."
And the young man muttered:
"She is more beautiful than the Sea."
And the kings said:
"We are older than you and wiser, and know that nothing is more
beautiful than the Sea."
And the young man took off the gear of his head, and became downcast,
and he knew that he spake with kings, yet he answered:
"By this spear, she is more beautiful than the Sea."
And all the while the Princess stared at him, knowing him to be a
hunter of gariachs.
Then the king of Arizim said to the watcher by the pool:
"If thou wilt go up Poltarnees and come back, as none have come, and
report to us what lure or magic is in the Sea, we will pardon thy
blasphemy, and thou shalt have the Princess to wife and sit among the
Council