CHAPTER XXVI - TROUBLED DREAMS

The awful climax of Glarces' jealousy turned and smote him with a bewildering stupor as the curtain fell between him and the lifeless body of his sister. His fevered, outraged senses rebelled against the iniquitous tyranny to which they had been subjected, and hid themselves in the despairing caverns of oblivion.

The stroke had bereft him alike of memory, passion, reason and recognition. Having crossed the threshold he stood for an instant like one in a confused and distressing dream, neither knowing what to do nor where to go. He was cold, and all around him was a cruel impenetrable darkness, through which he had to find his unknown and lonely way somewhere; but why or where, or for what purpose, he could not tell. There was a vague sense of danger behind him, with a natural desire to escape from it, but his feet were heavy with weights he could not lift, though he feared the retribution which pursued him. His eyes were open, but they were of no service to him, having lost their sight and become balls of torturing fire, and he knew that Vedrona was compelled to watch the agony to which he had been condemned without the power to help him.

In spite of the fetters that bore him down he was thrust away from the door into the darkness, where he soon lost his way, and wandered aimlessly, mechanically around. The palace was now still. All had retired, and there was no one to take charge of or save him from the consequences of his aberration.

On, on, hopelessly forward - now shivering with the cold or writhing in the burnings which consumed him, but he had lost the power to speak or groan or murmur. Occasionally he would pause and search with his hands through the blackness if, perchance, he could reach one hand which waited somewhere, if he could only find it, to lead him into safety.

Again, he thought how Vedrona had induced him to drink something that had turned him to stone so that Lais should not win his love. Then, while Vedrona slept, Lais had carried him away to some horrible place where he would never be found again, but be compelled to live a whole stone life in his fearful prison. He never knew that stones could suffer so much and be tormented by such fears. At this he made desperate efforts to shout for help - to offer some fabulous reward he knew his people would be glad to pay for his restoration. He had forgotten that stones only possess the wish to speak but have not the power.

Oh ! it was horrible to realise that he was for ever beyond the reach of help, with no other power than to fear and suffer until, as a stone, he died. What had he done to deserve such a fate? To this enquiry his nightmare responded with a cruel, mocking, triumphant laugh, goading on his aimless, hopeless way.

In a remote quarter of the palace there was one suite of rooms from which the lights had not yet disappeared, where one watcher - growing more impatient as the night passed away - waited confidently for the coming of Glarces. No one knew him better, and, as a result, placed more reliance in him, than Tasha. The mild rebuke she had felt constrained to administer earlier in the evening might pardonably have passed into forgetfulness with most people, but not so with her. She understood him too well. As soon as the excitement of the revels was over his tender conscience would remind him of the circumstance, and when he left Vedrona he would come to her room, expecting to find her waiting to hear his apology and assure him of forgiveness, without which he would not sleep.

But why did he not come? The last of the guests had long ago departed, and the night was rapidly giving place to morning. He was too thoughtful and considerate to keep Vedrona from her rest, having once assured her of his safe return. It must be that some unforeseen circumstance had intervened; and her timid soul was alarmed at the thought. She would go to Vedrona's room and ascertain if he was still there.

She passed through the ante-chamber, where her two maids were comfortably dozing, and reached the corridor, down which, by the aid of the distant night lamp, she saw him slowly approaching. Perhaps it was the telepathic quiver of his coming to which she responded and hastened to meet him. Who knows! When she saw him, however, she paused, and smiled to see how her confidence was honoured.

So far he had not discovered her. His mind was too full of all the pleasures of the day, and particularly of the final dissipation of Vedrona's fears. It would be time for him to turn his thoughts towards herself when he reached the door; but he should find her waiting for him. Nothing could have happened more fortunate than such a meeting. How surprised, how glad he would be.

He had nearly reached her now, and was still unconscious of her presence. Was it possible he might walk into her extended arms before he knew it? She spread them wide in the hope, but without the slightest sign of recognition he turned aside as if to pass on.

She was just a little disappointed.

“Whither away, my boy; whither away?” she enquired. He did not reply, though she noticed his lips were moving, his eyes were set and wistful, and his face wore a painful but abstracted expression.

“What is the matter, dear? Is it not time to wake from love dreams?”

Still no answer as he made to go forward. There was only one explanation now available. Overcome by fatigue he had somewhere fallen asleep, and his restless, unsatisfied mind was impelling him to carry out his determination. She, therefore, caught his hand, and gently shook him.

“Glarces, my boy, wake up; do you not see where you are?”

The touch had more effect than her voice. He snatched convulsively at her fingers, sighed heavily, and a momentary smile of satisfaction or relief passed across his face.

“Thank the gods, I have found her hand; I shall be safe now” he exclaimed with a strangely unfeeling murmur. “Of course you are safe now; but wake up, and tell me what dreams are troubling you.”

Again she shook him, but he made no intelligent answer. “Are you - are you - No! you are not Vedrona!” and dropping her hand he started back in affright.

“No, dear, I am only Tasha. But why are you so stupid? Wake up, and understand what you are doing.”

By this time she had faintly began to doubt whether her first surmise sufficiently accounted for his lethargic condition, and with the suspicion came that instinctive courage which so widely differentiates the woman from the man, and in the sudden crises of life gives to the former such a tremendous advantage over her lord. In normal conditions of life the feminine is the weaker, more timid and retiring nature, unable to compare with the sterner sex in grappling with the complex difficulties which loom ahead; but let some lightning calamity shatter our prospects, and the natural forces appear to instinctively reverse themselves - the weak become strong, the timid heroic, the nervous calm, and the retiring leaps forward to assume command! The man goes down, stupefied by the blow, but the woman rises superior to the crisis and finds some possible path to freedom. Heaven's omnipotence is thus made perfect in weakness, having discovered that such necessary reserve forces are more safely guarded, even more readily available, and are less liable to deterioration in woman than in man. We know it whether we admit it or not, and there are few indeed who, at some time or other, have not had occasion to be grateful for the provision.

Let me just breathe another thought in this suggestive interlude. Happy, thrice happy, is the man, irrespective of age, who, when face to face with a crisis in his life, can shrink back into the arms of a noble mother and become “her boy” once more. Motherhood is the one human need we can never outgrow. It is earth's grand harmonic response to God, and in its strong, full vibration though the soul indicates the way to eternal peace and rest.

Tasha had only been permitted to fill this office by proxy, but she had done it nobly. She was practically all the mother Glarces and Vedrona knew, and her affection had so intertwined itself around them as to compel the Prince to seek her, even in his delirium. It was really her hand his sense of need hungered for in the darkness. She was his refuge, his great saving power.

Whatever might prove to be the cause of his bewilderment, he certainly needed her affectionate care, and this at once became her first object. With the tender solicitude of a mother for a suffering child she led him into her room, and make him comfortable upon its softest couch, then sat down to console and learn what had disturbed him.

“What is it, dear? Now tell me all about it, then I shall know what to do.”

As she spoke his eyes, for the first time, were turned upon her, with a quick flash of recognition, which, however, immediately died away. She saw it and was relieved. Love was already reaping its reward.

“What can I tell you?” he enquired, with dreamy bewilderment; then a cold shiver passed over him, and he went on: “I dropped it in the darkness somewhere! But never mind - don't go after it!” he cried, as a gleam of wild terror shot from his eyes. “Let it alone - let it alone! It is too horrible, and would drive me mad!”

“What is it, dear?”

“It was - oh, I can't remember,” and he started to his elbow. “Yes! now I know! It was a stone of burning ice! I opened it and hid myself when Vedrona tried to poison Lais - now I can't get out to tell Tasha that her boy is dead.”

“But I am Tasha!” She shook him violently, “Glarces! Wake up, and stop your absurd dreaming.”

Again he roused somewhat.

“I'm not dreaming, because - because I'm not asleep! Stones can't sleep! I shall never sleep again! Why does not Tasha come?”

“I am here! Glarces, my boy, what is the matter that you don't know me?”

The persistence of his bewilderment had by this time changed her curiosity to anxiety, and possessing a temperament characterised by extremes, her alarm speedily became forcible. The intensity of her distress appeared to add a more penetrating power to her affection, piercing his delirium and compelling recognition.

“Yes. Of course I know you,” he replied with vacant indecision. “Why do you ask that?” Then, with some return of his usual depth of feeling, he flung his arm around her, and eagerly enquired, “Oh, my mother, you don't think I could do anything wicked, do you?”

“No, dear; never.”

“Then why am I haunted by these fearful dreams?” He was better - more coherent now, and at once her agitation subsided in a determination to induce him to sleep. “I don't know, my boy, unless it comes from your being over tired. Try to get a little sleep, then you will be better.” He started, gripped her hand, and the wild, vacant stare came back to his eyes.

“Have you seen her?” he asked excitedly. “Who? Lais?”

“No! she poisoned me and died!But Vedrona - where is she?” “In her room.”

“Have you seen her?”

“Not since you returned. I was going to her when Æna came to say you were home.”

“Have I seen her?”

“Yes; she sent for you. Don't you remember?”

“No! I am so cold - everything is so dark. Tasha, do you think it is all a dream?”

“I don't know what to think, you are so strange; I can't understand you. Let me send for Machaon.”

“No - no! Not him - not him! I know all about it now. Listen! Rhea has changed Vedrona into a hound, and she bit me. See! the blood is here!” He showed his wrist, where two or three drops of blood were to be seen. “In my madness from the bite I was changing into a stone, when Lais came to save me. But it was too late. I fell asleep and came here.” Suddenly he leaped from the couch. “I must go back to her now, and let her see that you have saved me - that I found the hand in the darkness in spite of the daggers. I will tell her that your love is stronger than her wine - show her that you have set me free! But I can't go. My legs are stone yet! Poor Lais, it's all so fearful, and I'm not able to help her.”

“I understand all about it now,” she replied, as she gently induced him to lie down again. Why had she not thought before that he was simply under the influence of wine?

“You have had more wine since we left you, and while waiting to see Vedrona you fell asleep and cannot understand yourself now, you are only half awake. Stop your talking and go to sleep again, while I go to her and make some excuse for you.”

“No - no! You must not go there; and as for sleep - Tasha, I shall never dare to sleep again.”

“Nonsense! You will make me quite cross with you if you talk like that! Why need you fear to sleep while I am here?”

“Because – because - don't you know that burning stones can never sleep?” The delirium had again overpowered him, and in its phantasy he murmured to himself, “I wonder where she is now?”

“Who - Vedrona? Why, like a sensible woman, she went to bed long ago, and I am glad to think she did not see you like this.”

“Will she wake again?”