Part 3

And upon the sight of Flame was a mist, and when it had passed and he looked again, the little children were not as they were living, but like wraiths of divers colours, making as it were a rainbow in the midst whereof stood one still a maid. And Flame fell upon his knees, and called upon her name. And she set her two hands upon his head, and lifting it gently, looked down into his soul. And when they had come to understanding on this wise, she gave her hands into his, and lifted him up. And he drew her to his heart, and kissed her on the mouth, whereat she was all a woman, and clung to him, saying with little broken cries, "It hath been so lonely without thee--I love thee so!"

[Sidenote: _The Finding_]

Remembering the pain and struggle of his quest, Flame cried out, "Wherefore did I go from thee?" Yet even as he spake, right well he knew how it had been needful that all things should have befallen them as they had done.

Then did the face of Roseheart grow wistful-sweet, and she asked, "The woman of thy dream--didst thou find her?" And Flame answered, "Aye, I have found her. Dost thou not know? Thou thyself art that radiant woman, starry-eyed. I know not what hath befallen thee, save that the starry heavens, that look upon all things, have made thine eyes their dwelling-place."

[Sidenote: _Beyond Self_]

[Sidenote: _The Remembered Vision_]

Whereupon Roseheart, his beloved, chided him on this wise, with a laughter that was of the soul, and naught unkind in it: "My happiness is so deep, I needs must laugh at thee. Meseems the truth is that aforetime thou sawest only thyself in mine eyes, and that now thou hast learned to look beyond thyself. And thus it hath been with me also. Once I saw not anything but myself in thine eyes, but now therein I see ships and far countries, and the forms of beauty that thou hast dreamed, and those which thou shalt create in the years to come. When first I saw in thine eyes that woman of thy dream, of whom thou hadst spoken, sorrow and humility were heavy upon me, for that I understood not why there should be aught in thine eyes but thy love, Roseheart. But there came a time--" She was silent for a moment that she might hear the music of the remembered vision. "Have I grown like her--in good sooth?" she whispered.

"Thou art she," answered Flame, "the soul of my soul."

"And what of thee?" whispered Roseheart. "What hast thou learned of life in thy far countries?"

[Sidenote: _The Feast is Spread_]

Whereupon he answered, as the Voice of Vision had told him, "I have looked upon death for right's sake, and seen therein the life greater than mine own life; and I have looked upon the life which is sin and have seen therein the death of the spirit. I have much to tell thee, for that there must be nought but truth between us."

Then did King Telwyn himself draw the curtains of the tent and look within, smiling. "Flame, son of Lokus, the feast is spread for thee, though well I wot thou knowest not if thou art hungry. But time and enough will there be for talk with thy speech-friend and troth-plight maiden, when thou hast eaten thy meat, and refreshed thee from thy journey. Wherefore come now, the both of you, and shew yourselves unto the people, that all may rejoice."

[Sidenote: _Feasting and Laughter_]

Thereupon did Flame, son of Lokus, lead forth his troth-plight maiden Roseheart, to a great table that had been spread under the trees, with a silken cloth, and great dishes of silver and gold, whereon were roast flesh, and new bread, and green things steaming and savoury, and fruits of divers sorts, good to the taste and beautiful. And there were flagons of wine, crimson, and of the colour of corn, and of brown like the leaves of autumn.

[Sidenote: _Flame Speaketh Modestly_]

Then was there feasting and laughter, and Flame, son of Lokus, told many tales of far countries--of strange customs, and cunning of husbandry and handicraft; of wars and the courts of Kings; of mightily mountains, of great seas and the storms thereof, wherein he himself had laboured mightily with the men of the ship that they should not perish all.

[Sidenote: _The Queen Taketh Note_]

And for that all he spake on these matters was shrewd and well taken, and modest withal, King Telwyn, listening, marked with gladness the manhood that had come to this youth of the isle of sea-surge and fire-bloom. And he was right well pleased, also, that the troth-plight of his daughter was returned with clear eyes and noble bearing, and courtesy and readiness for all that made speech with him.

[Sidenote: _Roseheart Hath Pride_]

And Queen Ellaline, in the wont of elder women, had eyes to the way of Flame with his wine, the which he took gladly, as becomes a man, but not overmuch; and she was content. Roseheart, sitting beside her mother, the Queen, had thought for none but her troth-plight lord whom she loved; yet marked with pride his thought and courtesy for all that sat at meat with them. There was that in her which remembered with joy and tenderness how that he had thought aforetime only of themselves and their love; but now was she proud that her lord was become a man among men, for well she knew that with all he said and did in any wise, there ran always the music of his joy in her, and the love of his soul for hers.

XI.

[Sidenote: _The Shadows Grow Long_]

[Sidenote: _Queen Ellaline Speaketh_]

Now when they had eaten and drunk their fill, and had had much talk withal, the shadows had grown long, and bird-song rippled the air in the wont of sundown. Wherefore King Telwyn bethought him how it would be pleasant that the four of them, the Queen, the Princess Roseheart, and her troth-plight lord, Flame, should walk in the forest for a space, ere yet they returned to the castle.

But Queen Ellaline said to him, "Nay, my lord, shall not thou and I return to the castle alone? Well I wot these twain have much to say, each to the other. Were it not well that they should walk apart in the forest in the cool of the evening, if that be their wish?"

And King Telwyn smiled thereat, saying, "Well, well! Certain it is that I am but a stupid man, and thy woman's wit in the right of it." And therewith he bade the young pair go apart as they wished for the space of an hour or two.

[Sidenote: _Flame Showeth Gratitude_]

But ere they went their ways, Flame raised to his lips the hand of the Queen, and kissed it, forasmuch as he was grateful to her exceedingly that she had had thought and remembrance of the need of young lovers to be alone together.

Whereafter, the King and the Queen having turned their steps to the castle, Flame and the Princess Roseheart wandered in sweet content in the path that led to the Pool, where aforetime they had found their love and their destiny.

[Sidenote: _Roseheart Radiant_]

And when they were come thither, they found there, fluttering like butterflies in a shaft of sunlight that came under the trees and among the stems thereof, children that sported about the Pool. And these, forsaking their play, clamoured about the Princess Roseheart, in sweet rivalry of her love and her touch. And forasmuch as his beloved stood now in the shaft of sunlight, radiant, starry-eyed, with little children about her knees, Flame, the Giver of Dreams, worshiped her in his soul, and stooped him to the earth that he might seize the clay thereof, and mixing it with water from the Pool, fashion the likeness of her. But though mightily he strove, the cunning of his hands was withholden from him, and he might not.

[Sidenote: _The Dusk Cometh_]

Then the children, seeing it was late, flitted away to their homes, and the sunlight grew faint and fainter, until the dusk was come, all suddenly. And as the twain stood a little apart, each from the other, there passed between them, as she had been a night-moth, Wur, the Old Gray Woman of Shadows, whose eyes were as misty pools at twilight, her hair like cobwebs matted, and her garments as the wings of the dusk. And momently there was upon them a chill as of the winter-death.

[Sidenote: _Hand in Hand_]

Then did Flame know in his heart that he must tell his white-souled love, Roseheart, of the moon-woman in the desert. And his heart shook at thought of her grief and trouble thereat. But being a true man, and strong for the more part, he knew that it were an ill thing to set forward the time of saying that which must be said. Therefore he took his love by the hand, and led her to a mossy bank, whereupon they sat them down, hand in hand. After a little he said: "There is a thing that I must tell thee, but because thou art a maid and innocent, I know not if thou wilt understand."

[Sidenote: _Flame Confesseth_]

And seeing his trouble she answered him gently: "Meseems thou couldst not do anything I would not understand."

Drawing her close within the shelter of his arms he said, "Thou believest that I love thee as my heart's blood?"

"Verily," she made answer, "that must I needs believe, else could I not wed thee." Then because he was silent a space, as one thinking, she said, "What is it that thou wouldst say to me?"

[Sidenote: _Speech Faileth Him_]

With quick words then he spake on this wise: "Know then that there was a woman--a witch that made herself as a woman of moonlight, beautiful exceedingly, that I should follow her. And forasmuch as mine eyes and my blood are as the sea, I might not refrain, for my weakness, but followed her as the sea the moon. And we came into the desert, and there remained for a space." Then did the speech of Flame fail him, for that he knew not how to say that which must be said.

[Sidenote: _Life Dishonoured_]

And Roseheart looked upon him shrinkingly, and put away his arms, and rose, and stood away from him. And in her eyes that had held stars, there came a mist, as when the heavens grow dull with that which is not storm, but more like to sickness. "And thou--" she whispered, "didst thou give thyself to this woman?"

"Yea, but in the way of the flesh only," he answered, shamefast. "I know not if a maid can understand."

Then was Roseheart silent a space, whereafter she said slowly, "Meseems that therein lay the sin of what thou didst. Hadst thou given thyself body and soul, thy sin against me had been greater, but methinks then would it have been less against the Lord God, whose gift of life thou hast dishonoured."

[Sidenote: _The Radiant One_]

Then spake Flame eagerly, "But I told thee she was a witch-woman. Thou rememberest the Radiant One?"

"Aye." The Princess Roseheart was grave and sorrowful. "When that I turned me away from the moon-woman I saw the Radiant One, and she came and said naught, but shed her light upon the woman, and I saw that she was not beautiful, like the moon, but a hag, and leprous. Wherefore, looking about me I saw the bones of the dead. And I rose and fled away from that place."

"Thou didst well."

[Sidenote: _Flame Shamefast_]

Then was Flame filled with terror that though she spake in all gentleness, his love Roseheart was become as a stranger to him. Straightway he went to her, saying, "Canst thou not forgive?"

"I know not," she made answer, with the weariness of one in mortal pain.

[Sidenote: _Thoughts of Torment_]

Then he sought to put his arms about her, and draw her to him, but she looked at him as one in surprise, and therewith he feared to touch her. And he fell upon his knees, and buried his face, shamefast, in the hem of her garment, and wept that he had so wounded her whom his soul loved. With all gentleness she put him away from her, and went apart. And her eyes were dry, but her heart bled, so that she was as one sick unto death.

Her thoughts pricked her with torment, that her lord whom she had worshipped kneeling, as is the wont of women, was proven but a weak creature on whom she might not lean for strength, for that he had it not. And it was bitter to her that he whom she had thought to be a man such as the Lord God had meant in the making of the world, had been but as a child, or blind, that he had been deceived by the moon-woman. Wherefore her heart, that had shrined a god, was now empty.

XII.

[Sidenote: _The Need of Flame_]

For some while did Flame lie upon the ground as one dead, but presently his manhood arose and stood before the Princess Roseheart, saying, "Then wilt thou send me from thee?"

[Sidenote: _A New Sweetness_]

[Sidenote: _Roseheart Forgiveth_]

And looking upon his manhood, that would face what must come to it, she saw therewith somewhat that wrung her heart, the look of a little child, with wistful eyes, and mouth that quivered. And she saw that his need of her was greater than it had been aforetime, as of a child for his mother. Wherewith into her heart that had been empty of all things whenas the god might dwell there no longer, there came a new sweetness it could scarce hold, so great was the flood thereof. And through her body and her soul the sweetness surged, so that there remained no bitterness at all, but a great gladness, as of the singing of many waters in spring. In her face was the look as of a young mother looking upon her first man-child that she hath borne in pain with thanksgiving.

Flame, looking upon the glory that was her face, fell at her feet, crying, "Thou wilt forgive?"

And she lifted him up, and drew his head to her breast, saying the while little words of love and comforting. Whereafter, he stood straight before her, and they looked each into the other's eyes as they had been spirits out of the flesh.

[Sidenote: _Somewhat of New Beauty_]

And there came a shining round about them, that was brighter than the noonday sun, for that Senta, the Radiant One, was come and stood near them. And Flame saw that in the face of his love was somewhat that had not been there before, for the beauty whereof his soul sang. As one in a dream he stooped him to the earth once more to take of the clay thereof and fashion her his Mother of Men.

[Sidenote: _The Meaning of Love_]

But ere he might do the thing he would, Senta the Radiant One drew near, and spake unto them, and her voice was as the music of a mighty pine-wood raising to heaven a paean of triumph in a great wind of spring, with the voices of children therethrough, like little singing streams. And the words of Senta were these: "Joy to you that ye have learned somewhat whereof life and love are made! Roseheart, beloved of Flame, son of Lokus, now art thou become in very truth a Mother of Men in thy woman's soul, for that thou hast learned the meaning of love, which is to minister, to suffer, to understand, and to forgive. And thou too, Flame, hast learned of it, insomuch that love constrained thee in the pride of thy manhood to become as a little child that thou mightest be forgiven. But stay thy hand, even yet, until thou hast taken the maid to wife, and made her in good sooth a mother of men according to the flesh. Then only shalt thou be given fullness of vision, and shalt fashion her in pure marble to be as a dream forever in the hearts of men."

[Sidenote: _The Sign and Symbol_]

With the passing of Senta, the Radiant One, was full evening come. And Flame, Fashioner and Giver of Dreams, led the Princess Roseheart, his love and troth-plight maiden, to the brink of the Pool, in wonder beyond speech, and a silence as of music. For the Pool held deep within deep; and far beyond their two faces of love, they beheld as in the night blue of heaven, the stars that the Lord God had set therein to be a sign and symbol unto men of the things beyond the flesh.

* * * * *

And here ends this story of "The Stars in the Pool." Written by Edna Kingsley Wallace. Set in Type by the Odets Printing Company, in the Year of Our Lord One thousand nine hundred and twenty, and Published by E. P. Dutton and Company in the City of New York.

* * * * *

Transcriber's Note.

Title page spelling of "auther" was corrected to "author."

Page 16 "s e -surge" was corrected to "sea-surge."

Page 29 "He He" was corrected to "He."

Archaic spellings, syntax and other anomalies remain as in original.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Stars in the Pool, by Edna Kingsley Wallace