"and when the wedding day was come,
the king commanded strait."
the events of the next few days need not be told at any great length. indeed, they belong more properly to the general history of oneiria than to the foregoing episode, and are certainly a little too tragic to be pleasant reading.
the last day of kophetua's celibate reign began with a formidable riot. m. de tricotrin had put the second string to his bow. he was a true parisian, and for political purposes a mob held the next place in his esteem to a woman. "the two things resemble each other closely," he was fond of saying. "both are impulsive, fickle, and easily cajoled. any one who can manage the one can control the other." he regarded himself as in full enjoyment of this capacity, and on the desertion of his daughter he at once looked out for a mob to fill the gap she had left in his ranks. within the liberties of st. lazarus he found an organised rabble[pg 320] ready to his hand. in his character of intelligent foreigner he had already visited them several times under a safe conduct from the "emperor," and had at once recognised their capabilities as a revolutionary engine.
at the present crisis he lost no time in renewing his previous acquaintances, and found that the jacobin seedlings which, like the laird of dumbiedykes, he was "aye stickin' in," as a matter of habit, wherever he went, had flourished exceedingly. they had been growing while he was sleeping. he found himself in the midst of a vigorous crop of rods for the chastisement of his rival and the cleansing of the precincts which he meant to be sacred to himself. furthermore, he found out penelophon's father, and through his agency was able to redouble the energy of his machinery by stirring up a jehad against kophetua and turbo for their profanation of the liberties.
the result of his diplomacy was that, on the morning upon which the convention parliament was to meet to vote the new constitution, the beggars poured like a flood from the liberties and took possession of the house. under the marquis's direction they speedily set about barricading every approach to it, and when that work was well in hand the frenchman gave the word to march upon the tower and the palace. on the way he was met by turbo at the head of the royal watch; but a vigorous volley of stones and a[pg 321] roaring rush of the beggars put those purely ornamental officials to flight, and it was with difficulty that turbo escaped to the palace.
as it was, he received an ugly wound in the head from some rude missile; yet never for a moment did he lose his presence of mind, and with admirable coolness he set about the defence of his quarters, till the gendarmes, to whom at the first alarm a summons had been sent, should arrive. meanwhile the most determined assaults followed one upon the other from the beggars. showers of missiles crashed through the windows of the palace, and only ceased while ladders were set up for an attempted entry by the unprotected first floor. again and again they were hurled down, and again and again a hail of stones and potsherds drove turbo and his desperate followers from the windows. nothing seemed to daunt the fury of the beggars, or to abate for a moment the awful clamour of the assault. the rioters were long past the marquis's control; and when a number of the wildest were seen dragging straw and faggots to fire the building, he knew it was useless to thwart them; so he rushed into the thickest of the fray to inspire them to new efforts. a pile of inflammable materials soon rose against the palace; torches began to smoke on the outskirts of the howling mob, when suddenly a ringing cheer rose above all. the gendarmes were upon them. a roar from a hundred[pg 322] carbines drowned the yells of the maddened throng. the bullets tore through the swaying masses, and the bright blades of the cavalry glittered and grew red, as time after time they hurled themselves upon the mass, and wheeled and charged again. the beggars were helpless and terrified with the ping and thud of the bullets to which they were entirely unaccustomed. assaulted from two sides, they were crowded into helplessness. the marquis could do nothing. he was squeezed a hopeless prisoner against the faggots. the mob was leaderless, and now carbines began to flash and crack from the upper floors of the palace. window after window was occupied by protruding muzzles, and a rain of bullets fell on the devoted mass below. the slaughter was fearful. the panic-stricken throng screamed for quarter; but turbo looked on grimly with set lips, and would not utter a word to allay the carnage. thinner and more frantic grew the struggling herd, till, in a last despairing frenzy, they hurled themselves upon one detachment of the breathless cavalry, and, with fearful loss, burst through their ranks. a rush for the liberties followed, regardless of the sabres that charged through and through the flying groups. the townsfolk, who had remained secure at home while the danger lasted, now poured out to fall upon the helpless outcasts, and the slaughter never ceased till the last of the bleeding remnant[pg 323] was safe within the narrow tortuous streets behind the beggars' gate.
turbo had triumphed. on a ghastly heap of dead and dying beggars lay the marquis de tricotrin, with a bullet through his head. the chancellor laughed to think what success after all he had reaped from his idea of concentrating the gendarmerie. he had lost his love, but he had gained a crown. after rapidly giving orders for blockading the beggars within the liberties, and furnishing guards for the house, he sat down to consider the speech he would deliver to secure his election as head of the state. but his brain ached and throbbed, his wound seemed on fire, and he could not think. he sent for a surgeon, who insisted on bleeding him, and told him it would be certain death for him to attend the sitting of parliament. he assured the chancellor that his wound had produced concussion of the brain, and that he could not answer for the consequences if he exposed himself to the excitement of the approaching debate. turbo knew the doctor was right, and felt only too acutely that he could not do justice to himself even if he attended the house. so he consented to remain at the palace and leave his cause in the hands of his lieutenants.
in due course the convention met under the presidency of general dolabella. in spite of turbo's enforced absence, the kallists anticipated an easy victory, for the plain[pg 324] reason that there was no candidate but their own in the field. it was then to the surprise of everybody that count kora moved an amendment in favour of the queen-mother. a scene of the wildest confusion ensued. every one spoke at once, while the general exhausted himself in crying for order. before noon it was understood that seventeen challenges had been given, and three of them fought in the courtyard. the mid-day adjournment alone allayed the storm, and the kallikagathists took advantage of it to place a common-sense motion on the paper. common-sense was their rarest treasure. it was their political and social panacea. their faith in it was profound and, indeed, astonishing, as their specific was usually found to be compounded of the weakest elements of the other two parties' prescriptions. in the present crisis they did not belie their reputation. in dignified and well-restrained terms their motion recommended an address to the queen-mother and the chancellor, humbly requesting them to marry and rule the state as king and queen by the advice of the parliament.
more furious than ever raged the storm as this cross-wind burst upon it; and, as from time to time news of the progress of the debate was brought to turbo at the palace, he began to dwell strangely on cromwell and his files of musketeers. but before he could make up his mind to take the violent[pg 325] course on which he was thinking, the door which led from the private garden staircase was suddenly burst open. turbo started to his feet. a wild throb of his heart sent the blood rushing to his reeling head, and, glaring like a madman, he stood transfixed, with the sight of kophetua and penelophon hand in hand.
they, too, were no less astonished. early that morning, together with captain pertinax and mlle de tricotrin, they had secretly reached the old hunting lodge in the park. there the gendarme went out and gathered news of what was passing; on his return the kings resolve was soon taken. mlle de tricotrin was conducted to her own house that she might change her dress for the coming ceremony. pertinax was her escort, as it was considered necessary that the king should not run any risk of his presence being discovered till the last moment. kophetua, therefore, undertook to see penelophon to a place of safety. he could think of no better refuge than his own library, which he could reach by his private way. it was no wonder then that both were thunderstruck at the sight which met their eyes as they emerged from the dark stairway.
the splendid room was literally wrecked. every fragile thing in it was smashed to pieces. the floor was scattered with stones and potsherds. a heavy missile had struck the old knight's trophy, and his arms lay in[pg 326] a heap on the ground. the picture of the king and the beggar-maid was torn and riddled past recognition. but most shocking of all was the glaring, ghastly hideousness of turbo in the midst. his face was pale as death, and rendered horrible beyond expression by the bloodstained cloth that concealed his forehead.
it was not long that they stared at each other thus. turbo's face began to work malignly, and at last he burst out into a demoniac scream, as he saw the sweet fruit of his lifelong scheming about to be snatched from his teeth.
"ah!" he cried, with terrible oaths, "you have her still—my own little love that you stole! you think you will steal the crown from me as well. with my own little love, whom you stole, you will steal it. ha! ha! you think that? but i will tear my little love in shreds first. i will tear her, i will rend her, since my love can do no more. you think you have found a pretty head to wear the 'crown of kisses.' i tell you the people's kiss shall fall on a face that is dead, and you shall have a corpse for a queen!"
with another scream he rushed upon penelophon, who stood rooted to the spot with terror. but in the midst of turbo's frenzied outburst kophetua had snatched up the old knight's rapier which lay at his feet, and as the mad chancellor sprang upon his prey he fell back with an agonised scream.[pg 327] the long glittering blade had pierced him through and through, and he rolled over amongst the stones and potsherds, dead.
the tragedy stirred into a godlike flow all the heroism of kophetua. with the reeking rapier in his hand he felt he could face the whole world; and, striding from the polluted chamber, still holding penelophon by the hand, he descended the great staircase to meet the guard who were timorously approaching to ascertain the meaning of the unearthly sounds in the library.
the authority of kophetua's presence was irresistible. in a very short time penelophon was safe with a guard of the palace watch; and the king, mounted on a fresh horse, and followed by a troop of gendarmes, was on the way to the marquis's house.
mlle de tricotrin's toilette was complete when the king arrived, and she tripped down to him entirely concealed under a splendid mantilla of white lace. a led horse was ready for her. the king lifted her upon it. the cavalcade once more started, and, after threading its way through the corpses and groaning heaps of the wounded beggars, that sometimes almost blocked the way, they reached the courtyard of the house.
two prominent members were fencing furiously before the portico, and it seemed clear the kings approach was unsuspected. one officious chamberlain had hurried off unbidden to announce it; but so wild was[pg 328] the confusion and excitement within that he could get no one to listen to him. no wonder then that the whole throng was struck dumb and the uproar hushed as in a voice of thunder the king was heard demanding in constitutional form admission to the house. without waiting for an answer he pushed his way through the astonished crowd that covered the floor. in his right hand he still held the old knight's rapier, red with turbo's blood; in the other he led the veiled white figure of the woman who accompanied him. awed by the mystery and majesty of the king's entrance, the members all fell back, and kophetua and his companion ascended the dais, where dolabella rose to receive them.
for a little while the king stood, sword in hand, proudly surveying the murmuring throng beneath him, and waiting for complete silence. but the murmurs only increased. a whisper was spreading from member to member that the king had arrived at the palace with a ragged beggar-girl, and meant to insult the nation and deride the constitution by making her his queen at the last moment. some of the members in the back rows began crying, "long live the republic!" and others who were nearer called out, "privilege! privilege!" at last some one dared to shout, "down with the beggar king and his light-o'-love." then a new fire flashed from kophetua's eyes, and, swinging aloft his bloodstained rapier, with a [pg 329]commanding gesture he thundered out, "silence for your king!" in a moment the assembly was hushed, as though the wings of death had passed over it, and the impassioned voice of the angered monarch rose solemnly out of the silence.
"traitors!" he cried. "behold the blood of a traitor. the sword of the old knight has this hour made new its youth with the blood of your leader, and i am strong in its strength. beware how you teach it to thirst again; for if it cries to me for traitors' blood, by the splendour of god i will give it drink! but what is the need? to you, as to me, our ancient laws are sacred. by them i am still your king, and in devout subjection to them i bring you a queen to crown. behold her!"
so saying, he swept the white veil from the figure at his side, and a strange low murmur passed over the throng, as though some witchcraft had struck them dumb. however the more violent members had been tempted to resent the kings threatening speech, the vision which was suddenly flashed upon them paralysed every other thought. mlle de tricotrin's education had not been such as to make her under-estimate the importance of the part she had to play at the supreme moment. it has been said it was the custom of the country for the would-be queen to be presented to the house armed with every device that could enhance her[pg 330] charms. mlle de tricotrin knew the custom well, and took advantage of the opportunity the king had afforded her of doing justice to his forethought. kophetua had had every confidence in the personal impression she would make; but even he started and held his breath to look on the figure he had just unveiled. for a moment he was shocked that his wife should so have made herself an eye-feast for the gaping throng, but his pain gave place immediately to pleasure to see how her beauty triumphed.
indeed, it was dazzling beyond expression. everything about her voluptuous costumes to which the prudes had objected before was this day boldly exaggerated. the family diamonds, to which through all his troubles the marquis had clung, shone upon her white arms and breast, and flashed out from her luxuriant hair. the soft thin robe that wrapped her seemed meant to display rather than to hide. as she raised her beautiful eyes, that they might see her loveliness to the full, a burning flush overspread her face, and seemed to redouble her beauty. it was more than the strength and boldness to which she had trusted could endure. a sudden shame to think how she stood there alone, exposed before that throng of men, overwhelmed her. too late she learned how kophetua's love had changed her. the devouring eyes of the ravished throng were piercing her like knives. she began to[pg 331] tremble violently, and kophetua seized her hand.
"kneel," he whispered, "and be brave a little while longer."
a renewed murmur of admiration arose, as with matchless grace she knelt on the cushion which kophetua had pushed to her feet. the new pose, and the accomplished sweep she gave her drapery as she assumed it, inflamed the assembly anew. a confused murmur arose; and in the midst general dolabella, unable any longer to control himself, sprang from his chair, clasped the kneeling beauty in his arms, and kissed her heartily on the lips.
"rise!" he cried, beside himself with excitement at the prospect of an end to his political anxieties, and the intoxication of the salute. "rise, my dear young lady, crowned with a people's kiss!"
she sprang from his embrace to her lover's arms, and, hiding her face on his breast, burst into tears. in a moment he had veiled his treasure again from further profanation, and even as he did so the assembly found voice. the oneirians, it has been said, were an imaginative people, and the scene they had just witnessed took them by storm. with one accord they shouted, "long live kophetua and his queen of kisses!" nor did they cease till every man of them had filed by to claim his privilege of saluting the new queen's hand. the ceremony was long,[pg 332] but héloise endured it well. for, with kophetua's arm about her, she soon recovered her courage; and, unveiling her blushing face, she looked so radiant with happiness, and smiled with such ravishing sweetness on each member as he came, that there was not one who would not there and then have died for her sake.
in a triumph of loyal enthusiasm, the king and queen-elect rode back to the palace, and there were married in the chapel. the ceremony was necessarily a quiet one. it was attended only by the great officers of state and the personal adherents of the bride and bridegroom. pertinax was there in his new capacity of gentleman of the king's bedchamber, and penelophon radiant and happy to think she was chief bower-lady to the queen.
after the ceremony, when pertinax attended the king to his privy chamber, he announced that he had a report to make. he had taken the liberty, he said, while the king was at the house, of leading his own troop of gendarmes into the precincts of st. lazarus, to complete the work for which he had been originally summoned.
"i discovered the beggar emperor," he said, "on his throne in the guildhall, and hanged him in front of it. i trust your majesty will forgive me. he behaved disgracefully to my wife."
kophetua winced; he felt he had deserved[pg 333] hanging on the same charge, but consoled himself to think how devoted a substitute penelophon had found, and smilingly commended his favourite's zeal.
captain pertinax had not reported the whole of his proceedings; for when penelophon entered her mistress's boudoir, to which héloise had been conducted in state, the queen noticed she wore a strange ornament of gold upon her head, and asked her what it was.
"it is the beggar emperor's crown," she said, looking down and blushing.
"but where did you get it from?" asked the queen.
"my pertinax took it and gave it me," answered penelophon; and then with a shy smile went on, "he said if trecenito's wife were a queen, his bride was worthy to be an empress. so he crowned me with the emperor's crown; and—and he crowned me with kisses too."
"then you love him," cried the queen, looking up fondly at her handmaid.
"he is very kind," said penelophon; "but while you are here for me to love i think i can never love another."
then héloise felt a guilty pang like the king, and resolved to deserve the measureless love of the two hearts she had won.
