Koupriane

“ Possibly the whole Universe could not afford a more tranquil, happy Kingdom than that of the Kofirans, would their Princes equitably sit down contented with the Honours and Prerogatives with which they were invested at their Institution, and not falsly imagine, that their Grandeur and Glory consist in the Oppression of their Subjects ”

“ He followed after her:
“Cornélie,” he began, “isn’t what you are doing rather strange? It’ll mean all sorts of worries for you.”
“If one always objected to being worried, one would never do a good action.”
They walked on in silence, he moving irritably by her side. They did not speak: he thought her intention simply crazy; she thought him wanting in chivalry, not to wish to protect Urania. She was thinking of her pamphlet, of her fellow-women; and she wanted to protect Urania from marriage, from that prince. And they walked through the Corso to the Palazzo Ruspoli. ”

“ How happy is such a King amidst such a People, and how formidable when he heads them against their Enemies! Zeokinizul stayed three Days at Kofir, as a Testimony of his Regard for this cordial People, who also to shew their Sense of so much Condescension, and to celebrate his Return, invented Variety of polite Entertainments. The King and People seemed to strive who should be kindest, for he gave Orders, that all the Inhabitants without Exception, should have Admittance into his Presence, that they might feast themselves with the delightful Sight which they had so affectionately desired. ”

“ She had from the beginning felt a vague liking for Urania; now she felt a fonder affection. She was sorry for this child, the Princess Urania. Gilio behaved to her with careless coolness, the marchesa with patronizing condescension. And then there was that awful loneliness around her, of all that ruined magnificence. She stroked her young brother’s head. She spoilt him, she asked him if his tea was all right and stuffed him with sandwiches, because he was hungry after his bicycle-ride. She had him with her now as a reminder of home, a reminder of Chicago; she almost clung to him. ”

“ When the abbot heard him he said, “I will.” And when the soldiers had returned to their city and Kefrenya (Copronius) was left by himself, he arrayed him in the garb of the monk, and Kefrenya (Copronius) devoted himself to fasting and prayer. And Satan was envious of him, and he stirred up against him the rulers of the city until they wished to attack the monastery, saying, “There is a royal son (i.e. prince) here who hath destroyed our city; if we take him by the help of God we will kill the calumniator.” ”

“ And Cornélie noticed that he was very civil to Urania. But she remembered Gilio’s words:
“Papa nearly had a stroke, because old Hope haggled over Urania’s dowry. Ten millions? Five millions? Not three millions! Dollars? No, lire!”
And the prince suddenly struck her as the grey-haired egoism of San Stefano’s glory and aristocratic pride, struck her as the living shade of the past that loomed behind him, as she had felt it that afternoon, when she stood gazing with Urania into the deep, blue lake: an exacting shade; a shade demanding millions; a shade demanding a new increment of vitality ”

“ And the calmness, the pride, the happiness with which you do, just quietly, as you please! I think it perfectly awful. I stand aghast at it.... And yet ... it's a pity. People in my world are very easy-going. But that sort of thing is not allowed!"
"Prince, once more, I have no world. My world is my own sphere."
"I don't understand that. Tell me, how am I to tell Urania? For I should think it delightful if you would come and stay at San Stefano. Oh, do come, do: come to keep us company! I entreat you. Be charitable, do a good work.... But first tell me, how shall I tell Urania?" ”

“ She got out of bed and stretched herself:
"Go into the sitting-room, Urania dear, and just let me have my bath."
Presently, all fresh and smiling, she joined Urania in the sitting-room. Urania was crying.
"My dear child, why are you upsetting yourself like this? You've achieved your ideal. Your marriage is as good as certain. You're waiting for an answer from Chicago? You're impatient? Then cable out. I should have cabled at once in your place. You don't imagine, do you, that your father has any objection to your becoming Duchess di San Stefano?" ”

“ THE AMOURS OF ZEOKINIZUL, King of the Kofirans.
fter all the Labours and Attention of our best Academicians to form just Plans, and draw complete Maps of the whole Terraqueous Globe, there are many large Empires and powerful Nations, which their Enquiries have not reached; so that they are not only ignorant of their Position, but even of their Existence. Of this Number [Pg 2] are the vast Dominions of the King of the Kofirans, of which hitherto we have had not the least Idea ”

“ This Season of universal Joy, Love chose to captivate again Zeokinizul, after such an Interval of boasted Liberty. The chief Inhabitants of Kofir, who are a distinct Body from the Nobility, the Magistracy, and the Citizens, had decorated in the most superb Manner the Sessions House for a Ball, to which they invited the King and royal Pair. Every one was admitted in their Mask Habits, to give the Citizens an Opportunity of shewing their Wives the Magnificence, Gallantries, and Diversions of the Court, which at other Times is out of their Power. ”

“ She could hardly believe in herself, but she saw herself. Deep down within herself, hidden even from Urania, she concealed her longing, her home-sickness, her stifling discontent. She sometimes felt ready to burst into sobs. But she listened to Urania and joined in her laughter and talk and looked up with a smile at Gilio, who stood in front of her, mincing to and fro on the tips of his shoes and swinging his walking-stick behind his back. Sometimes, suddenly—as a vision whirling through the crowd—she saw Duco, the studio, the happiness of the past fading away for one brief moment. ”

“ This Woman, who lately saw the most illustrious among the Kofirans cringe at her Feet, and practise the basest Submission to obtain only a single Look, now sees herself exposed to the contemptuous Insults of the very Meanest; the whole Nation combining to plant Daggers in her Heart by their Reproaches and Shouts at her Downfal. ”

“ Zeokinizul was soon perfectly recovered, and then his Generals whose Ardour had been restrain'd by Fear and Grief, soon made their Enemies feel, that their King was restored to them, for they forced them to repass the Nhir with considerable Loss; and the most Skilful in Military Affairs do not scruple to affirm, than if the Kofirans had not been headed by a General prudent even to a Fault, not so much as a single Soldier would have been left to have given the Queen of Ghinoer an Account of their Expedition. ”

“ Urania defended her architect. Gilio smoked cigarettes with an air of indifference; he was in a bad temper. The marchesa sat like an idol, with her leonine head and the crystals sparkling in her ears. She was afraid of Cornélie and promised herself to be on her guard. A major-domo came and announced to the princess that dinner was served. And Cornélie recognized old Giuseppe from the Pension Belloni, the old archducal major-domo, who had once dropped a spoon, according to Rudyard’s story. She looked at Urania with a laugh and Urania blushed:
“Poor man!” she said, when Giuseppe was gone. ”

“ I have seen their embrace. She is stronger, he is stronger than I ... because of their happiness. I feel that, because of their happiness, they will always be stronger than I....”
He went to his room, which adjoined Urania’s bedroom. His chest heaved with sobs. Dressed as he was, he flung himself sobbing on his bed, swallowing his sobs in the slumbering night that hung over the castle. Then he got up and looked out of the window. He saw the lake. He saw the pergola, where they had been fighting. The night was sleeping there; the caryatides, sleeping, stood out white against the shadow. ”

“ She had seized Urania by the hand and dragged her away from De Breuil into one of the deserted rooms. The suite of rooms was almost entirely deserted; the dense throng of guests stood packed along the sides of the great ball-room to watch the pavane.
"What is it, Cornélie?"
Cornélie was trembling in every limb and clutching Urania's arm. She drew her to the farthest comer of the room. There was no one there.
"Urania," she entreated, in a supreme crisis of nervousness, "help me! What am I to do? I have met him unexpectedly. Don't you know whom I mean? My husband. My divorced husband. ”

“ Neither of these two, Urania nor he, was ripe for her ideas. She despised them both. Very well, let them get married: he in order to be rich; she to become a princess and duchess.
"Listen to me," she said, bending towards him. "You want to marry her for the sake of her millions. But your marriage will be unhappy from the beginning. She is a frivolous little thing; she will want to cut a dash ... and you belong to the Blacks."
"We can live at Nice: then she can do as she pleases. We will come to Rome now and again, go to San Stefano now and again. ”

“ The joyful Kofirans promised themselves, from the hopeful Inclinations of Zeokinizul, a Reign no less happy than the preceding; but by a Fatality, not uncommon amongst them, the young Monarch was so fond of an old Mollak, formerly his Tutor, of a very insinuating but hypocritical Humility, that he entirely remitted to him the whole Management [Pg 14] of his Kingdom. This old Wretch, whose predominate Passion was Avarice, loaded the People with Taxes. And as a War would not allow him to embezzle at will the public Treasures, he never would enter into one unless utterly impossible to be avoided. ”

“ In the freedom of those mornings, when she felt herself released from the old woman—vain, selfish, insignificant, ridiculous—who was as the caricature of her life, she felt that in Urania's friendship she was finding herself again, she became conscious of being at Nice, she contemplated the garish bustle around her with clearer eyes and she lost the unreality of the first days. At such times it was as though she saw herself again for the first time, in her light serge walking-dress, sitting in the garden, her gloved fingers playing with the tassels of her sunshade. ”

“ Nothing!” Cornélie answered, coolly. “But I have second sight. I sometimes suddenly see a thing. So keep on friendly terms with me and don’t pretend again to forget an old boarder.... Is this the Princess Urania’s room? You go in first, marchesa; after you....”
The marchesa entered all aquiver: she had thoughts of witchcraft. How did that woman know anything of her transactions with the old prince and the monsignori? How did she come to suspect that Urania’s marriage and her conversion had enriched the marchesa to the tune of a few ten thousand lire? ”

“ Urania had looked very handsome, with her clear, fresh complexion, her shining eyes and gleaming teeth, clad in a close-fitting frock in the latest fashion, blue-black spangles on black tulle, as though she were moulded in a cuirass: the prince said, a siren with a mermaid’s tail. And the people at the other tables had stared across at theirs, for everybody knew Virgilio di Forte-Braccio; everybody knew that he was going to marry a rich American heiress; and everybody had noticed that he was paying great attention to the slender, fair-haired woman whom nobody knew. ”

“ I am apt to believe, that when the divine Missionary offered up Paradise to Men, as the Reward of their Belief and Obedience, he drew his Idea from the Country of the Kofirans. The many Rivers which intermix their Streams, maintain a perpetual Verdure in the Meadows; the Soil produces all Sorts of Corn, useful Herbs and Fruits; and is so well cultivated, that there are no more Woods than are necessary for Fewel and other Uses. Its exquisite Wines, are little inferior to those of Ghinoer ”

“ He looked for sympathy from Cornélie and found it in the smiling attention with which she listened to his grievances. She replied that, after all, it showed that Urania had a real feeling for San Stefano.
"Oh, yes!" he admitted, humbly. "She is very good. I should never have thought it. She is every inch a princess and duchess. It's splendid. But the ten millions: gone, an illusion!... But tell me: how well you're looking! Each time I see you, you've grown lovelier and lovelier. Do you know that you're a very lovely woman? You must be very happy, I'm certain! ”

“ A friend of the Princess Urania, I believe? I am glad to see you again, very glad.... And what do you think of your friend's marriage?" she asked, as she went up the stairs beside Cornélie, between Mino da Fiesole's marble candelabra.
Gilio, still angry and flushed and not at all calmed by the kiss, had moved away. Urania had run on ahead. The marchesa knew of Cornélie's original opposition, of her former advice to Urania and she was certain that Cornélie had acted in this way because she herself had had views on Gilio. There was a note of triumphant irony in her question. ”

“ The heat and stench made him feel sick and weak, so that the open grave and the knives, and the brown old Emperor crouching in the gilded throne, seemed to weigh him down like a horrible dream.
"Let Penelophon be brought forth to stand her trial!"
The shrill voice died away again. A door opened by the daïs, there was a movement in the throng, and breathless with dread Kophetua watched to see what would come. The crowd opened, and his life seemed to freeze up with horror. He tried to cry out, but no sound came. He shut his eyes to keep out the sight ”