CHAPTER III

Lêda hoped that the following night the Swan would come back to her, and she waited for it in the reeds by the river-side near the blue egg which was born of their miraculous union.

The Eurotas was covered with swans, but her Swan was not among them. She would have recognized it from a thousand, and even with her eyes shut would have perceived its approach. But it was very certain that the one was no longer there.

Then she took off her garland of water-lily leaves, dropped it into the stream, let down her hair and began to weep.

When after a time she dried her eyes a great Satyr was near her though she had not heard his approach.

Now she was no longer like Phœbe. She had lost her virginity. The satyrs were no longer afraid of her.

She leapt to her feet and drew back in affright.

The Satyr gently said to her: “Who are you?”

“I am Lêda,” she replied.

He was silent for a moment and then went on--

“Why are you different from the other nymphs? Why are you blue like the water and the night?”

“I do not know.”

He looked at her in great astonishment.

“What are you doing here all alone?”

“I am waiting for the Swan.”

She was looking at the river. “What Swan?” he asked.

“The Swan. I did not call it, I did not see it, but it appeared. I was so surprised. I will tell you.”

She told him what had happened and parted the reeds to show him the blue egg.

The Satyr understood. He began to laugh and gave her vulgar explanations, which she stopped by putting her hand over his mouth; then she cried--

“I do not wish to know. I will not know. Oh, you have told me. Oh! it is frightful! Now I shall not be able to love the Swan, and I shall die of unhappiness.”

He seized her by the arm in his passion.

“Do not touch me!” she cried through her tears. “Oh! how happy was I this morning! I did not realize how happy I was! Now if it return I shall not love it. Now you have told me! Ah! how wicked you are!”

He embraced her and caressed her hair.

“Oh, no! no! no!” she cried. “Do not do that! Oh if the Swan were to come back! Alas! alas! all is ended.”

She stood with staring eyes and open mouth without weeping but with hands trembling with fear.

“I would like to die. I do not even know whether I am mortal. I would like to die in the water, but I fear the naiads, lest they make me join them. Oh! what have I done!”

She sobbed bitterly in his arms. But a serious voice spake before her, and when she opened her eyes she saw the river god crowned with green leaves rising half out of the water and leaning upon a staff of light wood.

He said--

“You are quite right. But you have loved the symbol of all that is light and glorious, and you have been united to it.

“Of the symbol is born the symbol, and of the symbol will be born Beauty. It is in the blue egg which you have seen. Since the beginning of the world it has been called Helen; and the last man of all shall know of her existence.

“You were full of love because you were ignorant. For that let the blessed darkness be praised.

“But you are a woman, too, and bear in you the obscure being who would be simply himself, whose father has not foreseen him, and whose son does not know him. I will take the germ in my waters. It shall remain in obscurity.

“You were full of hatred because you learned the truth. I will make you forget it. For that let the blessed darkness be praised.”

She did not understand what the God had said, but she thanked him with tears.

She entered the bed of the river to purify herself from the Satyr, and when she returned to the bank she had lost every remembrance of her sorrow and her joy.

* * * * *

Melandryon spake no more. The women were all silent. But Rhea asked--

“What of Kaftor and Polydeukes? You have told us nothing of them. They were the brothers of Helen.”

“No, that is not true, they are not interesting. Helen alone was a child of the Swan.”

“Why, too, do you say that the Swan wounded her with its beak? That is not in the legend, nor is it likely. Then why do you say that Lêda was blue like water in the night? You have a reason for saying it.”

“Did you not hear the words of the River. Symbols must never be explained. They must not be understood. Have faith. Ah! do not doubt. The maker of the symbol has concealed a truth in it, but he need not explain it or what would be the use of the reader of symbols.

“One must not tear aside ceremonies, for they only conceal the invisible. We know that in these trees adorable nymphs are enclosed, and yet when the wood-cutter fells the trees they are dead. We know that behind us are dancing satyrs and divine nakedness but we need not turn round, for if we do all will have disappeared.

“The undulating reflection of the springs is actually the naiad. The buck standing in the midst of the does is the reality of the Satyr. One or other of you all is Aphrodite in reality. But we must not know it, we must not seek to find it out. Such is the condition of love and joy. Praise be to the blessed darkness for it.”

IMMORTAL LOVE

(_From “Aphrodite”_)