A. Garland Mears

“ Sadbag, smiling good-humouredly, ‘pray don’t applaud any more; I can’t get along with my talking-machine; and until I finish the Court is unable to arrive at a decision. ’Tis a pity to hinder the Emperor’s pretty speeches, just listen to this, and see how poetical he is: the tender passion makes even kings grow quite tragical.’
‘Mercia, Mercia, give me thy love! Take me, my beloved, spurn me no longer, for without thee I am as one dead. As a world without sun, without life, without warmth I shall go on my way darkened for ever. ”

“ As a world without sun, having no life, nor warmth, I shall go on my way darkened for ever. Take me into the sunshine of thy love; give me new life, dearest. Resuscitate and refresh me with the joy of thy beauty; and let us drink of the wine of love’s pleasures for ever. Then shall we two learn how good it is to love; how sweet it is to be together; how delightful the blending of two souls made satisfied with their own companionship.’
As one in a dream Mercia listened to his passionate outpourings ”

“ Let thine heart melt to its influence, and all will go well with thee. Thy melancholies will disappear; thy solitude lightened; for thou wilt have a new theory to analyse—a new and a better one.’
110‘Yes, thou canst love, dear Mercia, I know it; for thine eyes were made for the conquest of man’s heart, rather than star-gazing. Cease to disregard the designs of Nature when she formed thee, and yield thyself to the pleasure of love.’
Mercia essayed to answer him, but her tongue refused her utterance, so great was her confusion. ”

“ As his gaze dwelt upon her sweet face, he looked into her eyes with rapturous emotion, and clasping his hands together, knelt before this lovely delineation of his secret adoration, uttering in tenderest accents a passionate apostrophe.
‘O, divine Mercia, I love thee! Thou hast brought into my life a new element—a new force, as mysterious, as it is powerful. A new joy has come into my heart hitherto unknown. A new hope is imparted to my lonely life, irradiating its darkness, and giving the sweetest comfort known to the human soul. ”

“ This, indeed, is the true millennium for which all may ardently pray; for it is the earth-glory awaiting the planet-dwellers of our sun’s system, yea, of every star system throughout the whole of the vast universe.’
Mercia paused, and looked at her friends, as if inquiring if she might proceed.
168‘Go on,’ said Sadbag, ‘we delight to listen to thee.’
‘Ah, it is all very wonderful! The field of science possesses still untrodden paths: mystery upon mystery are yet to be made clear; the hidden secrets of psychology are still in darkness; we know not of what stuff we are made. ”

“ Princes shall pay thee homage: the great ones of the earth shall be proud of thy friendship. All nations shall vie with each other in showing thee honour; and thine own people shall love and adore thee.’
The Soul-reader uttered his prophecy as one in a dream. With his hands clasped together, and quivering with the violence of his emotion, he seemed insensible to his surroundings. His great dark eyes were filled with a wonderful light, whose luminous rays seemed to possess the power of reaching into futurity. ”

“ Felicitas gazed with feelings of wonder and envy, intermingled with regret, upon the picture which glowed with resplendent colouring; every figure in which presented such an apparent natural roundness that it was difficult to imagine they were not endowed with life and motion. The lineaments of those with whom he was acquainted were so exactly delineated, and the natural pose and bearing of each individual so vividly represented that he was impelled to put out his hand to touch one of them.
‘Hold!’ exclaimed Swami quickly, ‘touch it not, or thou art a dead man! ”

“ Is it well that one so ignorant of State affairs as I should be advanced to such immense responsibility—such power—such glory? Thou hast indeed painted a picture glowing with bright colour. Should not thy psychic power point to some experienced potentate, more worthy than I? Is not this a word-blunder—some curious coincidence of name that hath upset thy calculations? It is not I, Mercia, the astronomer, who is destined for this brilliant future ”

“ In less than ten minutes, Felicitas was summoned into the dark room, and on the wonderful crystal there appeared the most beautiful vision of womanly loveliness that art had ever created. Mercia looking radiant with happiness, whose beauty was heightened and enhanced by the most costly draperies and diamonds that wealth could produce, was seated on a throne, surrounded by the imposing pageantry of a coronation ceremony. ”

“ Look at the centuries of oppression that Russia has gone through! The country knew no real freedom until she shook off the thraldom of despotism and all its concomitant tyrannies.’
‘Yes,’ replied Mercia earnestly, ‘Russia has attained the joys of a Constitutional Monarchy through rivers of human blood; devastating floods of fire, and seas of darkest misery: is it indeed worth the cost of such terrible sacrifices?’
‘No great victory has ever been achieved save at infinite sacrifice. ”

“ In him the people of this great Empire will have a kind Father, a wise Teacher, a just Ruler, and a lover and promoter of learning.
‘By the union of Mercia and Dayanand we shall have restored to us the lost Royal Line: in beauteous Mercia, perfect in face, and form, in soul and mind, we have found the true representative of what a monarch ought to be.
‘Herein is crystallised the talent, wisdom, and virtue of all generations. In her person we shall have the embodiment of our country’s dignity and honour. She shall become the Great Mother of India. ”

“ Moreover, he had never met with the woman who could hold empire over him; whose soul-energy, could mingle with his, and fill his whole being with rapturous emotion, giving his life new charms, new hopes, and new aspirations. Until that being came into his life he was determined to live secluded and solitary, for, making no intimates of his customers, the pleasures of friendship were unknown to him. ”

“ Hurrah!’ nine times in succession, and women wept for joy, and wreaths were showered upon her, and all the homage due to a great hero was rendered her, just as Felicitas had seen pictured in the psycho-development the day before.
Swami had prepared the carriage and horses for her use, which now stood in readiness. But the climax of the ovation was reached when the people, not knowing what to do to show her honour, removed the prancing steeds, which were startled by the clamour, and drew the chariot themselves. ”

“ If society should get hold of this precious piece of scandal thy prestige will be ruined! An Emperor is a god, or at least, a demigod, who should appear perfect before his people, whether he be or no. But, now, he must step down from his pedestal, and apologise, just to straighten things comfortably. Nay, it cannot be hard to kneel to a deity, for Mercia is no less! ”

“ However, I am aware that Mercia is in love already. That fellow Geometrus desires her, and she loves him: at all events she told me as much. I suppose thy prophecy refers to him; for he is one also who troubles little about the affairs of women; for he slaves all day making astronomical instruments for Mercia to do her star-gazing with. He is her devoted servant, and she appreciates him accordingly,’ observed Felicitas cynically.
‘But will she marry him?’ remarked Swami musingly.
‘Exercise thy soul-reading powers and discover for thyself,’ answered the Emperor lightly. ”

“ An Emperor on his knees to a subject was not an every day situation, while the scene where she threatens his life was quite too tragical to be neglected. It gave the libretto to the composer, great and small, of comic opera, and in serious opera it was thrilling. Mercia in a state of ecstatic bliss warbling sweetest love songs to the enchanted Emperor, formed a delicious scene that was irresistibly charming to all beholders. When the proper time arrived the fearless Sadbag sent a full description of the affair to every journal throughout the world. ”

“ I will never forget the scene if I live to the age of Methuselah!’
‘My stars, but Kate will make it hot for thee! She will have good cause for her jealousy this time, old man! I wouldn’t be in thy shoes for a kingdom; fancy, the virtuous Felicitas caught corrupting his astronomer! Oh, my, this is funny!’ cried the light-minded prince, who laughed heartily, at the thought of the scrape his cousin had got into.
‘Funny isn’t the word for it—it is atrocious—abominable! It hath been ever the custom of idle monarchs to fill up their time with seducing good women. ”

“ Felicitas gazed in amazement at the immense group photographed there; ejaculating from time to time, as he recognised each member of the nobility with whom he was acquainted, pictured before him.
‘By Jove!’ he exclaimed, ‘there is Nicholas of Russia, and his fat Empress! How interested she looks—see she has got her ear-trumpet in use, endeavouring to miss nothing. And Louis of France, forsooth; the new Louis Twentieth, not at all a bad looking fellow! And Osbert my cousin, who averred he’d be dumb, but evidently intends to be neither blind, nor deaf. ”

“ Now, I pray, let us talk of Mercia; would she marry me if I were free?’
‘She is destined for another, far beneath thy Majesty in social position; but who can give her a heart wholly devoted to her: one who has never desired the love of woman till his eyes gazed upon her beauty—the beauty 249of her soul,’ replied Swami, with a countenance irradiated with his own emotions.
‘To look at thee, Swami, and to hear thy speech,’ cried the Emperor excitedly, ‘one could only conclude that thou wert in love with her thyself! Her beauty of person is good enough for me: I know naught of soul-beauty! ”

“ He could conjure up pictures of the workmen dropping down dead from hunger and exhaustion who were engaged upon the erection of the loveliest mausoleum that the world has ever seen; more like an exquisite marble palace of fairy land than a resting place for the dead. Art had indeed attained its highest perfection in those far off days, the monuments of which the Eastern still gazes upon with pride and affection. ”

“ It is the subtle fluid that is unconsciously emanating from her. This secret, unseen energy profoundly stirs every nerve within you, sending thrills of pleasure through your frame, and imparting warmth and life, and love to all who come within its influence.
Little children love her, and nestle in her skirts; not only the animals of her own household, but the strange dog and cat look at her with longing eyes, wishful for the pat, and kind word that will certainly be granted. Each living thing feels the subtle influence and acknowledges it unhesitatingly. ”

“ How many mighty minds hast thou set daily and nightly throbbing with pain by reason of thine unreasonable attraction? Thou seekest thine affinity where it is forbidden thee to enter, ever regardless of the restrictions and barriers invented by mankind for their protection.
Thou only dost behold the object of thy search; invisible to thine eyes the barricades of worldly conventions.
Quite alone, and unattended by any member of his suite, Felicitas set off to pay Mercia his promised visit ”

“ The rains it is true now water the earth at our desire, but soon the winds shall be dispersed by our art, and the heaving waves of the ocean shall be made subservient to our will; not by the wand of the sorcerer, but by the hand of that more wonderful magician—Science. When man has made Nature to obey his behests then that extraordinary time shall have arrived that the prophets dreamed of in the far off ages, which they symbolised by the metaphor of the lion and the lamb lying side by side. ”

“ The same might have happened with a variation, had the Astronomer Royal been of the male sex,’ returned his neighbour.
‘It is a love-intrigue, ending with the usual quarrel,’ whispered an elderly Solomon, wise in the knowledge of the world’s weakness.
‘I thought Mercia incapable of love-intrigues, or any other, being a perfect model of all the virtues,’ answered his neighbour.
‘All women are “perfect” till they’re tried,’ uttered the same cynic dryly. ”

“ To look into the future is but to anticipate life’s troubles.
‘What earthly use to learn the issue of the trial to-day, to-morrow would have been soon enough to know my ill-fortune.’
‘Balak-like thou wouldst have me curse, when I can only bless,’ returned Swami. ‘It is true that thy Majesty must reap as thou hast sown. We all live under this unalterable law. As the husbandman sows seed expecting its like to be reproduced, so we must be satisfied to gather the fruit of our own actions. ”

“ Take thy due, my friend, and be not over modest; some base imitator may some day defraud thee of thine invention, unless thou wilt consent to acknowledge it openly.’
‘I would that I might acknowledge openly the one deep thought of my heart,’ he answered with a sigh as he turned to leave the apartment.
‘Stay a little while, Geometrus, I would have some converse with thee. I am buried so deeply in my work that I know not how the world is wagging. What about the great dispute that is coming before the World’s Tribunal? ”

“ To-morrow the whole world will ring of his doings. His hypocrisy, his deceit, and his cowardice will make him the object of detestation to all. The four quarters of the earth have got the story word for word, and we shall see what comes of it.’
‘Sadbag, what hast thou done?’ demanded Mercia with eyes of fire and cheek of flame. ”

“ The orator holds his audience spell bound apparently, by his splendid eloquence; the whole audience which may consist of several thousands are moved by one great emotion. Every pulse beats as one; only one feeling pervades that vast assembly—perfect union of thought with the speaker. He is exercising a spell over the multitude powerful as that of the magician. ”