Leander

“ Leander admitted, as politely as his terror would allow, "you certingly have the advantage of me for the moment, mum."
"I am Aphrodite the foam-born, the matchless seed of Ægis-bearing Zeus. Many names have I amongst the sons of men, and many temples, and I sway the hearts of all lovers; and gods—yea, and mortals—have burned for me, a goddess, with an unconsuming, unquenchable fire!"
"Lor!" said Leander. If he had not been so much flurried, he might have found a remark worthier of the occasion, but the announcement that she was a goddess took his breath away. ”

“ This news she sent Leander in a letter all blotted with tears, which made him for sometime like a man beside himself, but resolving to hazard all for his mistress, he concluded to appear like himself, and so in the most rich attire, which he sent for out of Greece, he appeared one of the most goodly persons that had ever been seen at the court; so that all admired who this stranger should be, till Hero’s father one day casting his eyes upon him as he passed by, ran to him with tears in his eyes, crying out, O my deliverer and good angel, have I found you again! ”

“ Till love is quench’d in Neptune’s waves.
Having thus said, Leander seemed to embrace her and she him, very tenderly and with ardent affection, when a great sea of water seemed to flow into the place on a sudden, and parted them; at which she started, between sleep and wake cried at in a fright, O my Leander! my love, how or where have I lost you? and so awoke with rosy blushes on her cheeks, and tears in her eyes, and being told of this by Amorissa, she could no longer deny her love, whereupon she promised her best assistance, which she faithfully performed, as will hereafter appear. ”

“ All things grow only from cultivation and desire.”
Leander paced the room with intense agitation, as if impelled by some evil spirit, but at length, by great effort, stopped before Marcius, and kneeled with bowed head.
“Bless thee once more for thy hearty forgiveness! My distress is a little lessened because I behold something of the light of the future which thou hast pointed out! Oh, how I bless thee for thy words—love—love—LOVE! Only love can give me peace! I will grasp it, cling to it, and think of nothing else! I will love both gods and men—everything!” ”

“ He killed a Rebel. After that everything was quiet. The man who relieved him toward dawn said that Hilary could not be found.
Leander as a man of forty, sleepless in his empty house, repeated that night in his imagination. The dawn when it appeared was greenish and sluggish—so had that other dawn been. They had not been able to find Hilary among the bodies which lay in the bushes. Leander felt sick at dawn, but he was a strong man; so he would get up, harness the mare, go on his mail route, and work in the garden; he could do what had to be done. ”

“ Leander, then leaving the chamber, went into the garden, and there, assuming his own shape, he boldly began to pluck the queen's cherries, apricots, strawberries, and flowers, though he knew she set such a high value on them that it was as much as a man's life was worth to touch one. The gardeners, all amazed, came and told their majesties that Prince Leander was making havoc of all the fruits and flowers in the queen's gardens. ”

“ So now they are married and settled, and time passes, and time flies, and all is well—and time slackened its speed, and time crawled; for it is true, alas! that when Leander and Leonora have lived together for half a year, the glory is often departed from Leander’s love, though Leonora usually loves him much more tenderly than in the days of their betrothal. ”

“ The deacon Leander was some forty years of age, stoutish, a trifle asthmatic, with a long visage expressive of much shrewdness, and bushy eyebrows, which lent themselves at will to a look of genial condescension, of pious austerity, or of stern command. His dark hair and reddish beard were carefully trimmed; so were the nails of his shapely, delicate hands. His voice, now subject to huskiness, had until a few years ago been remarkably powerful and melodious; no deacon in Rome was wont to excite more admiration by his chanting of the Gradual ”

“ Hérode, the tragic tyrant; Matamore, the bully; and Scapin, the intriguing valet.
Leander, the romantic, irresistible, young lover—darling of the ladies—was a tall, fine-looking fellow of about thirty, though apparently much more youthful, thanks to the assiduous care he bestowed on his handsome person. His slightly curly, black hair was worn long, so that he might often have occasion to push it back from his forehead, with a hand as white and delicate as a woman’s, upon one of whose taper fingers sparkled an enormous diamond—a great deal too big to be real. ”

“ Abricotine returned, and was asked if she had removed it. She assured her she had not, and this last adventure completely terrified them.
As soon as Leander had hidden the portrait he returned to the cabinet. It was exceeding pleasure to him so frequently to hear and see his lovely princess. He dined every day at her table with the blue cat, who was certainly not the gainer by it; there was, however, much still wanting to Leander's happiness, as he dared neither speak in his own voice, nor make himself visible. It is rarely that we love those we have never seen. ”

“ For when its flame expires, I breathe my last.
What more?———Leander is the name I bear,
And only to be thy Leander swear.
Thus did the youthful pair resolve to know
From mutual love what mighty pleasures flow;
Secret they fix'd the place, the time to meet;
(For sweetest joys, if stoll'n, are doubly sweet)
When ebbing darkness seem'd to bid adieu,
And both unwilling by constraint withdrew.
She to her tow'r fled swifter than the wind,
The careful lover wisely stay'd behind ”

“ If I haven't got it to show in a day or two, I shall be ruined!"
"Should any mortal require the ring of you, you have but to reply, 'I have placed it upon the finger of Aphrodite, whose spouse I am!' Thus will you have honour amongst mortals, being held blameless!"
"Blameless!" cried Leander, in pardonable exasperation. "That's all you know about it! And what am I to say to the lady it lawfully belongs to?" ”

“ You say Leander is intelligent, clever, and witty. Very well; so he is--all that and more. Everything he writes has a roundness and a finish which evinces soundness of criticism and clearness of judgment; but, in the first place, I don't believe there is a man on this earth who is so absolutely devoid of any trace of the Serapiontic principle. Everything he writes he has most maturely thought out, weighed, and considered in all its aspects, but never really seen. His reasoning faculty does not control his imagination; it puts itself in its place. ”

“ Then is Aphrodite fallen indeed; deserted of the gods, her kinsmen; forgotten of mortals; braved and mocked by such as these! Woe! woe! for Olympus in ruins, and Time the dethroner of deities!"
Leander would hardly have been himself if he had forborne to take advantage of her discomfiture. "You see, mum," he said, "you're not everybody. You mustn't expect to have everything your own way down here. We're in the nineteenth century nowadays, mum, and there's another religion come in since you were the fashion!"
"Don't, Leander!" said Matilda, in an undertone; "let her alone, the poor thing!" ”

“ Silas had given him those touching lines.
When the train finally hurried in and stopped it landed a drummer, the road-master, and a woman holding a girl of perhaps twelve years of age by the hand. Leander felt a wave of disappointment surge through his breast and muttered mournfully: “Them men ain't her, an' that there woman's got a incumbrance hangin' onto her.” ”

“ Leander began to feel uncomfortable again. "If I've said anything you object to," he said hastily, "I'll apologise. I will—and so will Matilda—freely and full; in writing, if that will satisfy you!"
"Tremble not for your worthless bodies," she said; "had you been slain, as I purposed, you would but have escaped me, after all! Now a vengeance keener and more enduring shall be mine! In your gross blindness, you have dared to turn from divine Aphrodite to such a thing as this, and for your impiety you shall suffer! ”

“ Leander's reply was a vigorous negative.
"Not a bit," he declared. "He hates the cap'n worse than ever, if that's possible, and he'll do him some bad turn some day, if he can, I'm afraid. You must think it's queer my speaking this way of my own father," he added. "Well, I don't to any one else. Somehow a fellow always feels as if he could say just what he thinks to you, Jed Winslow. I feel that way, anyhow."
He and Jed shook hands at the door in the early November twilight. Leander was to eat his Thanksgiving dinner at home and then leave for camp on the afternoon train. ”

“ Therefore, unhampered by music or literature, Leander addressed himself to the plough-handles, and together that season he and “Neighbor” made the best crop of their lives.
Laurelia sighed for the violin and Leander's music, though, as she always made haste to say, some pious people misdoubted whether it were not a sinful pastime. On such occasions it went hard with Leander not to divulge his late experiences and the connection of the pious Uncle Nehemiah therewith. ”

“ Leander heard her, though she saw him not: he rode up to her; Gris-de-line stopped, and when Abricotina mounted him, Leander clasped her in his arms, and placed her gently before him. Oh, how great was Abricotina's fear to feel herself fast embraced, and yet see nobody! She durst not stir, and shut her eyes for fear of seeing a spirit. But Leander took off his little cap: "How comes it, fair Abricotina," said he, "that you are afraid of me, who delivered you out of the hands of the ruffians?" ”

“ Suddenly perceiving that Pandolphe is here, where he only expected to find Isabelle, Leander stops and throws himself into an attitude, which he has frequently practised before the mirror, and which, he flatters himself, shows his handsome person to great advantage; standing with his weight thrown upon the left leg, the right one advanced and slightly bent at the knee; one hand on the hilt of his sword, the other stroking his chin, so as to make the big diamond on his finger flash in the light, and a slight smile playing about his lips. ”

“ Leander did not want to know. But the boy continued: "I'm a man now. You take things too hard. You love me too much. I'm too young." He spoke very gently. "I feel like a brute. I don't feel easy here. Things like this'll keep happening. I want to do what I feel like and like other fellows do. I can't stand it.”
"All right," Leander said. Each time there was a silence of the same size as the words which had been spoken. "I'm going to bed now. Get some supper for yourself. I'm not hungry."
He came back to the door. Timothy had not moved. "What do you want to do? Where do you want to go?" ”

“ Worne by the surge has drag'd his willing bark,
And flies the faithless deep; far other cares
O'errule Leander's soul, Love boldly spurns
Discretion's softer voice, the Tow'r displays
Its evening-star accustom'd, light to joys,
The lover ne'er can quit; in vain the wave
Dashing the face of Heav'n forbids the youth
To trust its madden'd horrors; cruel Torch,
Thy beam malignant lights him to his fate.
⁠Yet could not Hero, fear'd by Winter's frown,
Waste a few solitary, tedious nights?
Oh! call the Torch, for one short period call
From its aërial office! ”

“ A brow for love to banquet royally;
And such as knew he was a man, would say,
“Leander, thou art made for amorous play.
Why art thou not in love, and loved of all?
Though thou be fair, yet be not thine own thrall.” ”

“ Pause, ere you rouse the implacable ire of Aphrodite!"
"Thank you," said Leander; "if you'll allow me, I will. I don't want any ill-feeling, I'm sure. It's my wish to live peaceable with all men."
"I leave you, then. Use the time before you till I come again in thinking well whether he acts wisely who spurns the proffered hand of Idalian Aphrodite. For the present, farewell, Leander!"
He was overjoyed at his coming deliverance. "Good evening, mum," he said, as he ran to the door and held it open. "If you'll allow me, I'll light you down the staircase—it's rather dark, I'm afraid." ”

“ But it is not family genealogy we are here to discuss,” replied Leo Leander.
“You are right, Señor Leander; yet it fills one’s bosom with pride to be able to trace blood.” Getting very close to him, he continued: “I’m sure your 136sympathies are with my friend in the uprising in which he is about to be the instigator. Can I trust you? You seem to be such a royal fellow.”
“I do not quite comprehend you, my friend; but if you or your friend are in trouble, command me. I am your most obedient servant,” said the pretender, Leo Leander. ”

“ He pulled a scrap of a newspaper from his pocket and carefully laid it on the pine table between the offending bean-kettle and the baking-powder can.
“I knocked off a leetle sooner, Leander, because I found this where them feller's that was a-huntin' left it last week, an' thought I'd bring it to you.”
He passed out on the trail and Leander looked regretfully after him. He felt that he had been unduly harsh in asking his “hired hand” to work more than four hours a day. ”

“ This very day my beloved is to be sacrificed to a jealous old wretch, who is very wealthy, but who will make her the most miserable person in the world." "She loves you, then?" said Leander. "I may flatter myself she does," replied he. "And where is she?" continued the prince. "In a castle at the further end of this forest," answered the lover. "Well," said Leander, "wait here for me; I will shortly bring you some good news." So saying, he put on the little red hat, and wished himself in the castle. ”