Rohini

“ Joy goes, memory remains. A sore may heal, but the scar remains. Man goes, his name remains.
Finally, foolish Gobind Lâl thought that the best way to forget Bhramar was to think of Rohini. The brilliancy of Rohini's unusual beauty had not for a single day deserted the heart of Gobind Lâl. He forcibly refused it admission, but it never left him. There is a story told of a certain demon who took violent possession of a house. ”

“ People can't get on without water, however well they may manage without everything else. On this day of sorrow also Rohini had come for water. She stepped into the tank, apparently to bathe, and Gobind Lâl, thinking it undesirable to remain in sight, moved away. He wandered long about the garden; at length, concluding that Rohini must be gone, he returned to sit at the feet of the marble beauty that never ceased pouring water from the jar. Again he looked out upon the water. He saw neither Rohini nor any other human being. ”

“ The birds have all flown to the trees. The cows have all turned homewards. The moon rises and sheds her soft light on the darkness. Still Rohini sits weeping on the ghât, her kalsi floating on the water. Then Gobind Lâl turned homewards from the garden. As he went he perceived Rohini still sitting on the steps.
That a woman should sit so long alone, weeping, troubled him. ”

“ Why have you saved my life?" she said.
"God be thanked that you have got back your life," said Gobindalal.
"Why have you saved my life?" she said again. "What enmity is there between you and me that you should stand in the way of my dying? Why should I live to suffer if it could be helped?"
"No one has a right, Rohini, to kill oneself. It is a great sin."
"I do not know what act is sinful and what is not," said Rohini. "No one ever taught me. I doubt there are such things as virtue and vice; or why should I suffer without committing any very great sin in my life? ”

“ Then Rohini descended the steps of the tank, and, reaching the lowest one, floated her kalsi on the water, sat down and wept.
Why she wept I do not know. How can I tell what passes in a woman's mind? But I much suspect it was that wicked cuckoo that caused Rohini to weep. ”

“ And raising the pistol, Gobind Lâl aimed it at Rohini's brow.
"Don't kill me! Don't fire! I am young, and happiness is new to me. I will never come near you, never cross your path. I am going at once. Do not kill me!"
The click of the pistol was heard, then a loud sound, and all became dark. Rohini fell, lifeless, to the ground. Gobind Lâl, flinging down the pistol, fled from the house.
At the sound of the pistol, Rupo and the other servants came to see what had happened. They found the dead body of Rohini cast on the floor like a lotus snapped by the fingers of a boy. ”

“ This was so aggravating and insulting to her that she struck them with her foot in great indignation, and scattered them about on the floor. "Out, you shameless impudent woman, pack out this instant," she cried.
Rohini very quickly picked up the ornaments, put them together and withdrew without uttering another word. ”

“ And he showed him how the arms should be raised slowly and brought slowly down again while he blowed into her mouth. Gobindalal put his mouth to hers to blow. A thrill ran through his frame. But he was awake to nothing—nothing but his sacred duty—the duty to try his utmost to save her life. The operation of moving her arms up and down, and blowing continued for nearly two hours, at the end of which Rohini breathed. She belonged to the world again. ”

“ Do you think your slaps will shut people's mouths? For fear you should be angry we say nothing; but if I don't speak I shall die! Call Pânchi and ask her if Rohini did not come out of the Bâbu's garden that night he was so late. ”

“ You said you would tell me after two years, but my evil destiny has caused me to hear it sooner. Why do I say hear it? I should say I have seen it. The dress and ornaments that you gave to Rohini, she has herself shown to me.
"You suppose, I think, that my devotion to you is immovable, my belief in you boundless. I also thought so. ”

“ Krishnakanta detailed the matter, and concluded by saying that he was determined not to let her go unpunished. But while his uncle was speaking Gobindalal was not listening. He was in brown-study. Evidently he was thinking of Rohini, and the promise he had recently made to her on the landing stairs of the Baruni tank. So he said again, "What has she done, uncle?"
"Ah!" he thought to himself, "I wonder what has come over the boy. The girl, it seems, has cast a spell over him, and he has been thinking of her pretty face." ”

“ That Rohini, who could speak so bitterly to Hara Lâl, stood dumb before Gobind Lâl. Not a word did she speak, but, like a sculptured figure, enhanced the beauty of the steps. Gobind Lâl saw in the clear water the reflections of that radiant statue, of the moon and of the golden flowered trees. All was beautiful; hard-heartedness alone not beautiful. The Creator is merciful, man unmerciful. Gobind Lâl felt the influence of Nature; his thoughts might have been expressed in the words of the poet—
"The book I read is Nature's ”

“ Well," he added, seeing Bernard de Rohan turn from him with a look of impatience, "well, go and help Masseran, if you will! Heaven send the rogues may have cut his throat before you reach them!"
"Your horse, my lord!" cried one of the attendants.
"Your armour, sir!" said another.
"No, no, on foot! on foot!" cried Bernard de Rohan; "on foot as we are! Time is everything. Lead on, fellow! lead on! Send us out torches, mine host!"
The jovial priest had started up almost at the same time as his travelling companion. "By our Lady, I will go with you!" he cried, "to shrive the dying. ”

“ My good friend, my good friend, the mountain is full of eyes; and the Lord of Masseran himself, though he knows it is so, does not know to what extent. There is only one being under the blue eye of heaven that sees it all, and that is the man whom I met with you the other night."
"He is certainly a very extraordinary being," replied Bernard de Rohan, "and I would fain know more of him."
"In all probability you will know more," replied the priest. "But you may meet with thousands like him in various parts of the world. ”

“ Bernard de Rohan sprang forward, passed the small open space in a moment, and, pushing back the door more fully, stood within the garden of the castle of Masseran.
Scarce a step from the gate, with her hand pressed upon her heart, as if to stop the palpitation of fear and agitation, stood a lady, perhaps of twenty years of age. She was certainly not more; and her beauty, like the morning sun, seemed to have the promise of a long, bright race before it. ”

“ The joy of having saved his sons and of having Neroweg in his power seemed to impart new life to him. His eyes sparkled, his cheeks were aflame, he contemplated the count with greedy looks.
"We shall be revenged," said Ronan, "you will be revenged, little Odille."
"Ronan, I ask no vengeance for myself; in our prison I often said to the good hermit-laborer: 'If ever I should be free again, I shall not return evil for evil.' "
"Yes, sweet child—as sweet as pardon. But you need not fear, our father will not kill that man unarmed," answered Loysik. ”

“ I much doubt this Lord of Masseran, and have heard no little evil of him. She may want help in moments of need, and none can give her better aid than yourself; but I fear you have been much hurt," he added, "for you walk feebly even now."
"It will soon pass, my lord," replied the man; "but I see a light at the gate: we had better go on quickly, if, as I judge, you would not be recognised."
Bernard de Rohan took one more embrace, and then parted with her he loved. ”

“ When, at length, they reached the shore, they left the boat, and every man went his way; but the ronin, overjoyed in his heart, took the wandering priest’s luggage, and, putting it with his own, pursued his journey to Kiyoto.
On reaching the capital, the ronin changed his name from Shume to Tokubei, and, giving up his position as a samurai, turned merchant, and traded with the dead man’s money. Fortune favouring his speculations, he began to amass great wealth, and lived at his ease, denying himself nothing; and in course of time he married a wife, who bore him a child. ”

“ He then turned to the king’s aunts, from whom he met with a reception as cordial as the queen’s had been the reverse. The Cardinal Louis de Rohan was a man in the prime of life, and of an imposing figure and noble bearing; his eyes shone with intelligence, his mouth was well cut and handsome, and his hands were beautiful. A premature baldness indicated either a man of pleasure or a studious one—and he was both. ”

“ The countenance of the ronin, which life had furrowed with many wrinkles, was like a forest tarn: calm, but no one could tell what lay concealed on the bottom of his soul. »It is sinful even to entertain evil and hateful thoughts,« he continued in a moment, gazing vacantly ahead of him, »for we never know how far our hatred may reach and of what it is capable. It is not wise to be careless regarding thoughts. If they are thought persistently and strongly, they become embodied; and it takes a long time for any Thought to die. ”

“ Even when Bernard de Rohan advanced with his arms jingling as he trod, and, after a momentary glance at him, laid hold of his arm with a friendly smile, the stranger merely turned round, with a look of perfect unconcern, to see who it was that, either in enmity or good-fellowship, thus called his attention. ”

“ It was but for a moment, but that moment was one by me never to be forgotten."
"I cannot recall it," replied Bernard de Rohan. "It is strange, too, if it was a moment of such importance. But you say that her brother is in Paris: I wrote to Henry to meet me in Grenoble, and I think he must be there by this time."
"Oh! he is in Paris still," replied the other. "He is a good youth; but he is weak and young—ay, younger than his years. He will be easily persuaded to stay in Paris, and flutter in bright silks, and flaunt at tournaments, run at the ring, or fence at Moors' heads upon a turning pole. ”

“ You cannot get it off when his arms are tied. If he resists, pitch him over into the stream. That horse will break away and be lost. Some of you come and untie my Lord of Masseran and his people. Noble signior," he continued, and Bernard de Rohan thought that he heard a good deal of bitter mockery in his tone, "I pray you tell me what is to be done with these insolent villains, who have dared to lay violent hands upon you and your lady wife's fair daughter. ”

“ Though Bernard de Rohan heard nothing of the sounds which his companion's fine ear had discovered, he gladly followed him out to the mountain-road, and walked on with him for some way before the horses appeared. Their feet were soon heard, however; and at length a man, mounted on a charger and leading another, was seen coming rapidly towards them. ”

“ Richelieu sent him neither money nor help, but left him to extricate himself as best he could from his position in that isolated mountain fastness; yet Rohan was the idol of his soldiers and of the people of the Grisons, and was always spoken of by them as the "good duke." In 1635, when France was doing its utmost to oust Austria, open war broke out, and Rohan gained four brilliant victories in succession—Jenatsch serving as local guide and combatant in advance, his superior tactics proving too much for the Austro-Spanish forces. ”

“ The marquis, in delivering this account, had paused and hesitated several times, and Diana of Poitiers had remarked that he avoided carefully all mention of the after-fate of Bernard de Rohan.
"What has become," she asked at length, interrupting him, and fixing her eye full upon his face, "what has become of the young Baron de Rohan, sir?"
The Lord of Masseran turned his look to the Count de Meyrand without answering; but the duchess went on sternly and impetuously, "I insist upon knowing, sir, what was done in regard to Monsieur de Rohan? You surprised him at the very altar, you say! ”

“ It is evident that Rohan had no idea, during all his schemes to supplant the Dauphine by marrying her sister to the King, that the secret hope of Louis XV. had been to divorce the Dauphin and marry the slighted bride himself. Perhaps it is fortunate that Rohan did not know this. A brain so fertile in mischief as his might have converted such a circumstance to baneful uses. ”

“ It was impossible, however, to go on till towards the evening, and even then the young cavalier found that it was in vain to seek Vienne that night, as neither his own horse nor that of his attendant could accomplish the distance. They proceeded as far as possible, however, so as to leave a moderate day's journey between them and Lyons; and on the succeeding evening Bernard de Rohan had the pleasure of seeing the fair city of the Rhone spread out before his eyes, and of knowing that there could not well be more than one day's journey between him and her he loved. ”

“ Both were now radiant in a sky-blue self-colour that transported one to the tropics, and certainly looked better than I thought it would when I had the trouble of procuring it.
In the bedroom the blue was only broken by some simple white furniture, by a row of books over the bed, and by groups of the little eleven in which Ronnie already had a place, and photographs of his father at one or two stages of his great career. I was still exploring when an eager summons brought me to the bedside.
"Let's play cricket!" cried Ronnie—"do you mind? With a pack of cards—my own invention! ”

“ Ronan, the Master of the Hounds, and several other colonists also accompanied Loysik. He made a sign. The heavy gate was unbolted and turned upon its hinges. It exposed to view, brightly lighted by the moon, the archdeacon and Gondowald, the Queen's chamberlain. Behind them the armed men stood ranged in single file, casqued, cuirassed, their bucklers on their arms, lances in hand, and swords by their sides.
"There is some treachery in this," said Loysik in a low voice to Ronan; and turning to one of the monks he asked: "Who is keeping watch to-night at the lodge of the punt?" ”