The Daughters of Danaus

The Daughters of Danaus, by
Mona Caird

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Daughters of Danaus, by Mona
Caird This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: The Daughters of Danaus
Author: Mona Caird
Release Date: June 18, 2007 [EBook #21858]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
DAUGHTERS OF DANAUS ***

Produced by Anne Storer, Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

[Transcriber's Note: This e-book was produced from a reprint of the
edition first published in 1894 in London by Bliss, Sands, and Foster.
Inconsistent spellings and hyphenations have been standardized. There
is one instance each of Cruachmore and Croachmore, so they have been

left as printed.]

The Daughters of Danaus
Mona Caird
1894
* * * * *
CONTENTS
The Daughters of Danaus 1
Appendix: "Does Marriage Hinder a Woman's Self-development?" by
Mona Caird 535
* * * * *

THE DAUGHTERS OF DANAUS
CHAPTER I.
It was only just light enough to discern the five human forms in the
dimness of the garret; the rays of the moon having to find their way
through the deep window-embrasures of the keep. Less illumination
would have sufficed to disclose the ancient character of the garret, with
its low ceiling, and the graduated mouldings of the cornice, giving the
effect of a shallow dome. The house stood obviously very high, for one
could see from the windows for miles over a bleak country, coldly lit
by the rays of the moon, which was almost at the full. Into the half light
stole presently the sound of some lively instrument: a reel tune played,
as it were, beneath one's breath, but with all the revel and rollicking
emphasis of that intoxicating primitive music. And then in
correspondingly low relief, but with no less emphasis, the occupants of

this singular ball-room began to dance. One might have fancied them
some midnight company of the dead, risen from their graves for this
secret revelry, so strange was the appearance of the moving figures,
with the moonlight catching, as they passed, the faces or the hands.
They danced excellently well, as to the manner born, tripping in and
out among the shadows, with occasional stamping, in time to the music,
and now and again that wild Celtic shout or cry that sets the nerves
athrill. In spite of the whole scene's being enacted in a low key, it
seemed only to gain in intensity from that circumstance, and in
fantastic effect.
Among the dancers was one who danced with peculiar spirit and
brilliancy, and her little cry had a ring and a wildness that never failed
to set the others going with new inspiration.
She was a slight, dark-haired girl, with a pale, rather mysterious face,
and large eyes. Not a word was spoken, and the reel went on for nearly
ten minutes. At length the girl with the dark hair gave a final shout, and
broke away from the circle.
With her desertion the dance flagged, and presently came to an end.
The first breaking of the silence gave a slight shock, in spite of the
subdued tones of the speaker.
"It is no use trying to dance a reel without Hadria," said a tall youth,
evidently her brother, if one might judge from his almost southern
colouring and melancholy eyes. In build and feature he resembled the
elder sister, Algitha, who had all the characteristics of a fine northern
race.
"Old Maggie said the other day, that Hadria's dancing of the reel was
no 'right canny,'" Algitha observed, in the same low tone that all the
occupants of the garret instinctively adopted.
"Ah!" cried Fred, "old Maggie has always looked upon Hadria as half
bewitched since that night when she found her here 'a wee bit bairn,' as
she says, at this very window, in her nightshirt, standing on tiptoe to
see the moonlight."

"It frightened the poor old thing out of her wits, of course," said Algitha,
who was leaning with crossed arms, in a corner of the deep-set window.
The fine outlines of face and form were shewn in the strange light, as in
a boldly-executed sketch, without detail. Pride and determination were
the dominant qualities so indicated. Her sister stood opposite, the
moonshine making the smooth pallor of her face more striking, and
emphasizing its mysterious quality.
The whole group of young faces, crowded together by the window, and
lit up by the unsympathetic light, had something characteristic and
unusual in its aspect, that might have excited curiosity.
"Tell