Onrai

“ The zebras were already grazing, or half buried in the long grass, were rolling and kicking, happy to be free from bridle and saddle.
Onrai alone, of all the party, after going onto the terrace, seemed to be worried over the storm. He had gone to one end of the terrace, and now stood looking intently at the black mass of clouds which were rolling on, coming nearer and nearer, and reaching out huge, dark arms toward the earth. He was muttering in the strange tongue of his people:
“An omen. Is our great God angry? Have my people failed in their duties? Have we neglected our work? ”

“ Walking straight to the fountain, Onrai mounted the dais and glancing about him for a moment at the hushed, bewildered Onians, said:
“It has pleased our great God to give us a warning; this warning admonishes us to be careful, watchful and diligent. If any among you have sinned or are sinning, this fearful storm tells you to turn from the evil of your ways; if you have intentions of sinning, it speaks to you a warning, but I cannot believe that my people are sinning. I look among you to-day and see not one guilty face. You are bewildered, in wonderment, 146but this is not guilt. ”

“ But they come nearer, and now we can distinguish the different sounds; yes, it is a body of riders, but where they are bound I cannot say,” and as Onrai finished 163speaking, a hundred flickering lights could be seen far down the avenue toward the town.
“Yes, it is a large body of men,” said Mr. Graham, as the riders came in sight, “and they are riding fast, as if their mission, whatever it may be, was important.”
“Yes, they seem in earnest,” said Onrai, “and they are turning toward the villa. They are coming here. I cannot understand,” and Onrai looked puzzled. ”

“ Bruce.
“Stealing, murder?” asked Onrai.
“Yes, taking from another that which belongs to him, either property or life.”
“These are unknown to us,” said Onrai. “We are all equal; we have the same duties to perform, the same garments to wear, the same things to eat and drink. Why should we take from another that which we have ourselves?” ”

“ The men did not move, but when Onrai ceased speaking the leader walked up, and again bowing to the King, that King, whom he still respected, but did not obey, said:
“King, we know of the great goodness of your heart; we know that that great goodness of heart would still be influenced by the love; no, not love, but unholy infatuation, which this woman has thrown about you, and we know that because of this, you will forget yourself, your future, your people, the holy laws and all, and would plead for the lives of these people. ”

“ Have we treated lightly our teachings? No; but our God is great. He sees all things, and goes deep into the hearts of his people, and he knows even if they contemplate doing wrong. Oh!——” Onrai raises his hand to his forehead, and pressing it tightly against his throbbing temples, he staggers and almost falls.
“Can this thing be?” he gasped. “Is this a warning to me, the King of the Land of On? Is this to show me that God knows my sinful thoughts and would check them before it is forever too late? Oh, 109my God, spare me!” he cries, and sinks into one of the onyx chairs near him. ”

“ Do you think them human?”
“Human, yes,” said Mr. Bruce, “but of a very low order of humanity. The race has so long inhabited these underground dwellings that they have become wild and barbarous.”
“They must be,” said Onrai, “for they are so unlike your race. But do you suppose that they have always lived here or have they come from another world like yourselves? I cannot believe that they have been here, right under our fair Land of On, for long, for if they had we would have known it.”
“But how would you have known it, Onrai?” asked Mr. Graham. ”

“ They walked to a point well up toward the cliff, and seating themselves on a large rock, Onrai again told Enola of his great love and of his intention of making her his wife on the Day of Resis. But when she asked him why he had chosen the Day of Resis for their wedding day, he made her no answer.
Onrai sent messengers throughout the country and to the city, for men to build this wall across the crevice. He sent for all of the available men in On, ordering all other branches of work to stop for the time being.
“It will take a considerable body of men to do the work,” said Mr. Bruce. ”

“ They stood stolidly silent, not a muscle moving, leaning against their zebras. They made a grand sight, these thousand men in their beautiful tunics, holding their bright helmets. A body of men which would make the armies of the civilized world look like pigmies and which would make the eyes of a general open wide with admiration. But that stolidity; not one among them betrayed an emotion in the face. As Onrai finished they did not 176even change the position which they had held while he was speaking. ”

“ That evening Onrai took the evening meal with them as usual and after this was over, and they had repaired to the large court, Enola said:
“Onrai, you promised to tell us of your laws to-night and we are waiting patiently to learn the government of such a happy people.”
“Our laws are simply nature’s law,” said Onrai. “In the first place, the laws governing our physical welfare are very strict, for we believe that happiness springs from a strong constitution and a healthy body. Our tables are spread with an abundance of viands, but just so much must be eaten and no more. ”

“ Now, you follow me but a short time after, at the dead 165of night, and here where a fair life hangs by a thread; you come a thousand strong and voice your miserable suspicions. Our life has been so quietly peaceful that this trait has never before shown itself. A word which has almost passed from our vocabulary alone can fit the act, and that is cowardice,” and as Onrai ceased speaking he drew himself up grandly and faced them with such a haughty bearing and scornful look that the leader drew back involuntarily. ”

“ Onrai, although he carried the wounded native, was the first in the tunnel and was now some feet ahead of his companions, but was being borne on just as fast as the others. 249The native had fallen behind him and his wounded body was suffering fearful tortures in this violent exercise; each time the wounded side would strike the rock a cry of pain would escape him. Mr. Bruce was right back of the native, and after a while managed to call to Onrai to work himself toward the wall, if possible, and get head on to the wind and thus offer less resistance to the awful gale. ”

“ Men do your duty.” Again the men placed their hands on the shoulders of the three men and two again entered the villa for the women. Onrai stood motionless as if turned to stone. The men came from the house, one leading Mrs. Graham and Nellie, and the other with the still sleeping figure of Enola in his arms.
A zebra’s gallop was heard on the hard pavement of the avenue. Whoever it was, was keeping up a most fearful pace, for the sound of falling hoofs came and quick. The men turned to see who this rapid rider could be and just then Sedai hove in sight, his zebra fairly flying over the ground. ”

“ Graham. “But Mr. Bruce thinks that we ought to look over the ground where so many of the Onians have fallen.”
“I will find no pleasure in thus going,” said Mr. Bruce, “but we should know the exact state of things here before returning to the city. The relatives and friends of all these buried thousands, will want to know if it will be possible to recover their bodies. And then it would be well to see the crevice. I think Onrai still holds the idea that this should be closed.”
“Yes, it will be one of my first duties, now,” said Onrai. “But what a task it will be for the men who do the work. ”

“ But he made no move to stop the men, who were now entering the villa to take the women. But the thought of these men, laying their hands on Enola, on that poor bruised body, finally overcame Onrai, and rushing madly into the villa, he grabbed the two men who were about to enter the sick chamber and pushed them forcibly from the house.
“What would you do?” said he, beside himself with anguish. “Would you war against poor defenseless women, or worse, sick women? Men, have you forgotten your manhood; have you no longer any self-respect? ”

“ They turned pale, and thoughts of dungeon cells and murder came into their minds, which were probably not far from the truth, if they but knew it. But the men stopped as Sedai rode furiously up, flourishing a piece of parchment in his hand. Onrai stepped forward hurriedly, and taking the parchment into his hand, read the hieroglyphics inscribed on it. His face at first wore a puzzled look, then became brighter, and finally broke into a smile, as he handed the parchment to the leader, saying:
“There, man, read that to your followers. ”

“ Onrai ceased speaking and descending to the pavement took the message from the courier. It read as follows:
“Enola lives, but her reason is dead.” His face 147turned ashen and he jumped on to the zebra held for him by an attendant, and dashed off madly down the avenue. The populace watched his retreating figure in still greater wonderment, and the attendants who followed him were soon left far in the rear, as the zebra which he rode was fleeter than any other in the land. ”

“ They will not fully know these until they have seen the ceremony of the Day of Resis. And, am I still weak? May be so; but I cannot now see Enola leave me. I will be strong, I will bury the love, which, if mentioned, will ruin my whole life and that life to come. But I must see her; I must have her with me yet awhile. Ah, I am approaching the appointed place. Now for the struggle.”
The party had seen him coming and were now drawn up before a large rock, which was intended for 174a platform, from which Onrai was to speak; Onrai approached and took his stand on the rock ”

“ How should men know her, this Fair One of Oleron's, until Oleron himself knew her? Lovely radiant creations are not thrown off like How-d'ye-do's. The men to whom it is committed to father them must weep wretched tears, as Oleron did, must swell with vain presumptuous hopes, as Oleron did, must pursue, as Oleron pursued, the capricious, fair, mocking, slippery, eager Spirit that, ever eluding, ever sees to it that the chase does not slacken. ”

“ All the time, he thought how exceedingly lucky he was to get the place. He put up a hat-rack in the little square hall, and hung up his hats and caps and coats; and passers through the small triangular square late at night, looking up over the little serried row of wooden "To Let" hatchets, could see the light within Oleron's red blinds, or else the sudden darkening of one blind and the illumination of another, as Oleron, candlestick in hand, passed from room to room, making final settlings of his furniture, or preparing to resume the work that his removal had interrupted. ”

“ Beams settled with a tired sigh into their old mortices; creatures ticked in the walls; joints cracked, boards complained; with no palpable stirring of the air window-sashes changed their positions with a soft knock in their frames. And whether the place had life in this sense or not, it had at all events a winsome personality. It needed but an hour of musing for Oleron to conceive the idea that, as his own body stood in friendly relation to his soul, so, by an extension and an attenuation, his habitation might fantastically be supposed to stand in some relation to himself. ”

“ The square outside had its own noises, frequent and new, and Oleron could only hope that he would speedily become accustomed to these. First came hawkers, with their carts and cries; at midday the children, returning from school, trooped into the square and swung on Oleron's gate; and when the children had departed again for afternoon school, an itinerant musician with a mandolin posted himself beneath Oleron's window and began to strum. This was a not unpleasant distraction, and Oleron, pushing up his window, threw the man a penny. ”

“ The gossips at the corners nod knowingly this morning, and Orrin, whose brow is moodier than the Colonel's, walks fiercely amongst them without word and without look. He is on his way to Juliet's house, and if there is enchantment left in smiles, I bid her to use it, for her fate is trembling in the balance, and may tip in a direction of which she little recks.
Orrin has come back. Striding impetuously into the room where I sat at work, he drew [77] himself up till his figure showed itself in all its full and graceful proportions.
"Am I a man?" ”

“ He had the little sawdusted bar to himself; what company there was—carters and labourers and the small tradesmen of the neighbourhood—was gathered in the farther compartment, beyond the space where the white-haired landlady moved among her taps and bottles. Oleron sat down on a hardwood settee with a perforated seat, drank half his brandy, and then, thinking he might as well drink it as spill it, finished it.
Then he fell to wondering which of the men whose voices he heard across the public-house would undertake the removal of his effects on the morrow. ”

“ I wonder if she too saw him, from behind her lattice. I [21] thought I detected the curtain move as he thundered by her gate, but I am so filled with thoughts of her just now that I cannot always trust my judgment. I am, however, sure of one thing, and that is that if Colonel Schuyler and Orrin meet, there will be trouble.
I never thought Orrin handsome till to-day. He is fair, and I like dark men; and he is small, and I admire men of stature. ”