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'Cf)e3f0lanli of Jfanta©^ 
 
 a ISomancc 
 
 By FERGUS HUME 
 
 Author of **When I Lived In Bohemia'* *'The Mystery 
 of a Hansom Cab,** **The Man Who Vanished,** etc. 
 
 Sorrow ind weariness, 
 Heartache and dreariness. 
 
 None should endure ; 
 Scale ye the mountain peak. 
 Vale 'o the fountain seek. 
 
 There is the cure. 
 
 R. F. FENNO & COMPANY 
 
 9 and ii East Sixteenth Street, New York 
 
 1905 
 
Copyright, 1892, 
 
 BY 
 
 UNITED STATES BOOK COMPANY 
 \^A I! rights reservedl 
 
 { 
 
 •t 
 

 mf^ 
 
 H^l 
 
 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A MIND DISEASED. 
 
 Your Eastern drugs, your spices, your perfumes, 
 
 Are all in vain ; 
 
 They cannot snatch my soul from out its glooms, 
 
 Nor soothe the brain. 
 
 My mind is dark as cycle-sealed tombs, 
 
 And must remain 
 
 In darkness till the light of God illumes 
 
 Its black inane. 
 
 It was eight o'clock on a still summer evening, and, the 
 ladies having retired, two men were lingering in a pleasant, 
 indolent fashion over their wine in the dining-room of Roy- 
 lands Grange. To be exact, onlj^ the elder gentleman was 
 paying any attention to his port, for the young man who sat 
 at the head of the table stared vaguely on his empty glass, 
 and at his equally empty plate, as if his thoughts were miles 
 away, which was precisely the case. Youth was moody, age 
 was cheerful, for, while the former indulged in a brown study, 
 the latter cracked nuts and sipped wine, with a just appreci- 
 ation of the excellence of both. Judging from this outward 
 aspect of things, there was something wrong with Maurice 
 Roylands, for if reverend age in the presentable person of 
 Rector Carriston could be merry, there appeared to be no 
 very feasible reason why unthinking youth should be so in- 
 effably dreary. Yet woe was writ largely on the comely 
 face of the moody young man, and he joined but listlessly in 
 the jocund conversation of his companion, which was punc- 
 tuated in a very marked manner by the cracking of filberts. 
 
 Outside, a magical twilight brooded over the landscape, 
 and the chill odors of eve floated from a thousand sleeping 
 
 9 
 
10 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 flowers into the mellow atmosphere of the room, which was 
 irradiated by the soft gleam of many wax candles rising 
 white and slender from amid the pale roses adorning the 
 dinner-table. All was pleasant, peaceful, and infinitely 
 charming ; yet Maurice Roylands, aged thirty, healthy, 
 wealthy, and not at all bad-looking, sat moodily frowning 
 at his untasted dessert, as though he bore the weight of the 
 world on his shoulders. 
 
 In truth, jVIr. Roylands, with the usual self-worship of 
 latter-day youth, thought he was being very hardly treated 
 by Destiny, as that all-powerful goddess had given him 
 everything calculated to make a mortal happy, save the capa- 
 bility of being happy. This was undeniably hard, and might 
 be called the very irony of fate, for one might as well offer 
 a sumptuous banquet to a dj^speptic, as give a man all the 
 means of enjoyment, without the faculty of taking advantage 
 of such good fortune. Roylands had considerable artistic 
 power, an income of nearly six thousand a year, a fine house, 
 friends innumerable — of the summer season sort ; yet he 
 neither cared about nor valued these blessings, for the simple 
 reason that he was heartily sick of them, one and all. He 
 would have been happier digging a patch of ground for his 
 daily bread, than thus idling through life on an independent 
 income, for Ennui, twin sister of Care, had taken possession 
 of his soul, and in the midst of all his comforts he was thor- 
 oughly unhappy. 
 
 The proverb that " The rich are more miserable than the 
 poor," is but a trite one on which to preach a sermon, for did 
 not Solomon say all that there was to be said in the matter ? 
 It was an easier task to write a new play on the theme of 
 Hamlet, than to compose a novel discourse on the " All is van- 
 ity " text ; for on some subjects the final word has been said, 
 and he who preaches thereon says nothing new, but only re- 
 peats the ideas of former orators, who in their turn doubtless 
 reiterated the sayings of still earlier preachers, and so on 
 back to Father Adam, to whom the wily serpent possibly 
 delivered a sermon on the cynically wise saying illustrated so 
 exhaustively by Solomon ben David. Therefore, to remark 
 that Maurice was miserable amid all his splendors is a pla- 
 giarism, and they who desire to study the original version 
 for themselves must read Ecclesiastes, which gives a minute 
 analysis of the whole question, with cruelly true comments 
 thereon. 
 
 When Roylands ten years before had gone to London, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 11 
 
 against the desire of his father, to take up the profession — 
 if it can be called so — of a sculptor, he was full of energy 
 and ambition. He had fully determined to set the Thames 
 on fire by the creation of statues worthy of Canova, to make 
 a great name in the artistic world, to become a member of 
 the Academy, to inaugurate a new era in the history of 
 English sculpture ; so, with all this glory before him, he 
 turned his back on the flesh-pots of Egypt and went to dwell 
 in the land of Bohemia. In order to bring the lad to his 
 senses, Roylands senior refused to aid him with a shilling 
 until he gave up the pitiful trade — in this country squire's 
 opinion — of chipping figures out of marble. Supplies being 
 thus stopped, Maurice suffered greatly in those artistic days 
 for lack of an assured income ; yet in spite of all his depri- 
 vations, he was very happy in Bohemia until he lived down 
 his enthusiasms. When matters came to that pass, the 
 wine of life lost its zest for this young man, and he became 
 a victim to melancholia, that terrible disease for which 
 there is rarely — if any cure. He lived because he did not 
 agree with Addison's Cato regarding the virtues of self- 
 destruction, but as far as actual dying went it mattered to 
 him neither one way nor the other. If he had done but 
 little good during his life, at least he had done but little 
 harm, so, thinking he could scarcely be punished severely 
 for such a negative existence, he was quite willing to leave 
 this world he found so dreary, provided the entrance into 
 the next one was not of too painful a nature. 
 
 It is a bad thing for a young man to thus take to the pessi- 
 mistic school of philosophy as exemplified by Schopenhauer, 
 as, having nothing to look back at, nothing to look forward 
 to, and nothing to hold on by, the scheme of his life falls 
 into a ruinous condition, so, being without the safety anchor 
 of Hope, he drifts aimlessly through existence, a nuisance to 
 himself and to every one around him. Maurice, listless and 
 despairing, did no more work than was absolutely necessary 
 to earn a bare subsistence, and lived his life in a semi- 
 dreamy, semi-lethargic condition, with no very distinct idea 
 as to what was to be the ultimate end of all this dreariness. 
 When night fell he was then more at rest, for in sleep he 
 found a certain amount of compensation for the woes of his 
 waking hours. As to his modelling, he took a positive dis- 
 like to it, and for this reason improved but little in liis work 
 during the last years of his Bohemian existence. Profoundly 
 disgusted, without any positive reason, with himself, his art, 
 
12 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 the world, and his fellow-men, heaven only knows what 
 would have become of him, had not an event happened 
 which, by placing him in a new position, seemed to promise 
 his redemption from the gloomy prison of melancholia. 
 
 The event in question was none other than the death of 
 his father, and Maurice, as in duty bound, came down to the 
 funeral. When the will of the late Squire was read, it was 
 discovered that, with the exception of one or two trifling 
 bequests, all the real and personal property -was left to his 
 only son ; thus this fortunate young man at the age of thirty 
 found himself independent of the world for the rest of his 
 days, provided always he did not squander his paternal acres, 
 a thing he had not the slightest intention of doing. Maurice 
 had no leanings towards what is vulgarly termed a '-fast 
 life," for he detested horse-racing, cared but little for wine, 
 and neither cards nor women possessed any fascination for 
 him. Not that he was a model young man by any means, 
 but his tastes were too refined, his nature too intellectual, to 
 admit of his finding pleasure in drinking, gaming, and their 
 concomitants. As to love, he did not know the meaning of 
 the word, — at least not the real meaning, — which was 
 rather a mistake, as it would certainly have given him an 
 interest in life, and perhaps have prevented him yielding 
 so readily to the influence of "black care," which even the 
 genial Venusian knew something about, seeing he made her 
 an equestrian. 
 
 Of course, he was sorry for the death of his father, but 
 there had been so little real sympathy between them, that 
 he could not absolutely look upon the event as an irrepa- 
 rable calamity. Maurice had always loved his mother more 
 than his father, and when she died as he was leaving home 
 for college he was indeed inconsolable ; but he saw the 
 remains of the late Mr. Roylands duly committed to the 
 family vault without any violent display of grief, after 
 which he returned to live the life of a country gentleman at 
 the Grange, and wonder what would be the upshot of this 
 new phase of his existence. 
 
 Solitude was abhorrent to him, as his thoughts were so 
 miserable ; therefore, for the sake of having some one to 
 drive away the evil spirit, he invited his aunt, the Hon. Mrs. 
 Dengelton, to stay at the Grange for a week or so. She 
 came without hesitation, and brought her daughter Eunice 
 also, upon which Maurice, finding two women more than an 
 unhappy bachelor could put up with, asked the new poet 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 13 
 
 Crispin, for wlioin he had a great liking, to come down to 
 Roylands, which that young man did very willingly, as he 
 was in love with Eunice, a state of things half guessed and 
 wholly hated by Mrs. Dengelton, who much desired her 
 daughter to marry the new Squire. 
 
 On this special evening, the Rev. Stephen Carriston, Rec- 
 tor of Roylands, had come to dinner, and, Crispin having 
 retired to the drawing-room with the ladies, he found himself 
 alone with his former pupil, much to his satisfaction, as he 
 wished greatly to have a quiet talk with Maurice. Mr. Car- 
 riston was the oldest friend the young man had, having been 
 his tutor in the long ago, and prepared him for college. 
 Whatever success Maurice gained at Oxford — and such 
 success was not inconsiderable — was due to the admirable 
 way in which he had been coached by the rubicund divine. 
 
 Certainly the Rector loved the good things of this life, 
 and looked as if he did, which is surely pardonable enough, 
 especially in a bachelor ; for at sixty-five years of age the 
 Rector was still single, and much beloved by his parishion- 
 ers, to whom he preached short, pithy sermons on the actions 
 of their daily lives, which was assuredly much better than 
 muddling their dull brains with theological hair-splitting. 
 Being very fond of Maurice, he was greatly concerned to 
 see the marked change which six years of London life had 
 made in the young fellow. The merry, ambitious lad, who 
 had departed so full of resolution to succeed, had now re- 
 turned a weary-looking, worn-out man ; and as the Rector, 
 during the intervals of his nut-cracking, glanced at his for- 
 mer pupil, he was struck by the extreme melancholy which 
 pervaded the whole face. Comely it was certainly, of the 
 fresh-colored Saxon type, but the color had long since left 
 those haggard cheeks, there were deep lines in the high fore- 
 head, the mouth was drawn downward in a dismal fashion 
 under the trim mustache, and from the eyes looked forth 
 an unhappy soul. 
 
 Yes, the Rector was considerably puzzled to account for 
 this change, and resolved to find out what ailed the lad, but 
 he hardly knew how to set about this delicate task, th(^ 
 more so, as he feared the consolations of religion would do 
 but little good in this case ; for Maurice, without being abso- 
 lutely a sceptic, yet held opinions of a heterodox type, quite 
 at variance with the declarations of the Thirty-Nine Articles 
 in which the good Rector so firmly believed. 
 
 At length Mr. Carriston grew weary of cracking nuts and 
 
14 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 sipping port wine without the digestive aid of pleasant con- 
 versation, and therefore began to talk to his quondam pupil, 
 with the firm determination to keep on talking until he dis- 
 covered the secret of the young man's melancholy. 
 
 "Are you not going to fill your glass, Maurice ? " 
 
 "No, thank you, sir. I am rather tired of port." 
 
 " Inexplicable creature ! " said the Rector, holding up his 
 glass to the light. "Ah, well, ^ De r/ustibus,' my dear lad. 
 I have no doubt you can finish the quotation. Why not 
 try claret ? " 
 
 " I'm tired of claret." 
 
 " It seems to me, sir," observed Mr. Carriston leisurel}', 
 " that you are tired of all things." 
 
 "I am — including myself." 
 
 " Strange ! A j^oung man of thirty years of age, sound of 
 mind and body, who is fortunate enough to inherit six thou- 
 sand a year, ought to be happy." 
 
 " Money does not bring happiness." 
 
 "Ah, that proverb is quite worn out," replied the Rector 
 cheerily; "try another, my boy, try another." 
 
 Maurice, leaning forward with a sigh, took a handful of 
 nuts, which he proceeded to crack in a listless fashion. The 
 Rector said nothing, but waited for Maurice to speak, which 
 he was obliged to do out of courtesy, although much disin- 
 clined to resume the argument. 
 
 "I've tried everything, and I'm tired of everything." 
 
 " Even of that marble-chipping you call art ? " 
 
 " I am more tired of that than of anything else," said 
 Maurice emphatically. 
 
 "' A bad case," murmured the Rector, shaking his gray head ; 
 "a very bad case, which needs curing. 'Nothing's new! 
 nothing's true ! and no matter,' says my Oxford fine gentle- 
 man. Maurice, I must assert my privilege as an old friend, 
 and reason with you in this matter. I am sadly afraid, my 
 dear lad, that you need whipping." 
 
 The ghost of a smile played over the tired face of the 
 young man, and he assented heartily to the observation of 
 his old tutor — nay, even added an amendment thereto. 
 
 " I do, sir, I do ! " he said sombrely ; " we all need whip- 
 ping more or less — men, women, and children." 
 
 " I am afraid the last-named get the most of it," replied 
 Carriston, with dry humor. 
 
 " With the birch, yes. But 'tis not so pleasant to be 
 whipped by Fate." 
 
THE ISLAND OF ^FANTASY. 15 
 
 " My dear lad, you cannot say she has whipped you." 
 
 " To continue your illustration, Rector, there are several 
 modes of whipping, — the birch which pains the skin, pov- 
 erty which pains the body, and despair which pains the soul. 
 The latter is my case. I have health, wealth, and youth ; 
 but I feel the stings of the rod all the same." 
 
 " Yes ? " queried Carriston interrogatively ; " in what 
 way ? " 
 
 "I have not the capability of enjoying the blessings I 
 possess." 
 
 " How so ? Explain this riddle." 
 
 " I cannot explain it. I simply take no pleasure in life. 
 Eich or poor, old or young, well or ill, I would still be as 
 miserable as I am now." 
 
 " Hum ! Let us look at the question from three points of 
 view — comprehensive points. The legal, the medicinal, the 
 religious. One of these, if properly applied, will surely 
 solve the enigma." 
 
 " I doubt it." 
 
 " Ah, that is because you have made up your mind to 
 doubt. ' None so blind as those who won't see.' " 
 
 " Who is quoting proverbs now, Mr. Carriston ? " 
 
 " I am, sir, even I who dislike such arid chips of widsom ; 
 but 'tis an excellent proverb, which has borne the wear and 
 tear of centuries. Come now, Maurice, are you in any 
 trouble connected with money ? are you involved in any 
 law-suit, or — or — well," said the Rector, delicately eying 
 his glass, "I hardly know how to put it, — er — er — are 
 you involved in any love affair ? " 
 
 " No ; my worldly position is all right, and I am not 
 mixed up in any feminine trouble." 
 
 " Good ! that settles the legal point. Now for the medi- 
 cal. Your liver must be out of order." 
 
 " I assure you, sir, I never felt better in my life." 
 
 Mr. Carriston's face now assumed a grave expression as 
 he put the last question to his host. 
 
 " And the religious point ? " 
 
 " I am not troubled on that score, sir." 
 
 The Rev. Stephen looked doubtful. 
 
 ^'Whatever my religious views may be," resumed Maurice, 
 seeing the Rector was but half convinced, " and I am afraid 
 they can hardly be called orthodox, I at least can safely say 
 that my past life is not open to misconstruction." 
 
 " Good ! good ! I always had confidence in you, Maurice. 
 
16 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 Yours is not the nature to find pleasure in gutter-raking. 
 AVell, it seems that none of those three points meet the case. 
 Can you not give me some understandable reason for this 
 melancholy which renders your life so bitter." 
 
 "No. I went to London full of joy, energy, and ambi- 
 tion ; but in some way — I cannot tell you how — 1 lost all 
 those feelings. First joy departed, then ambition fled away, 
 and with these two feelings absent I felt no further energy 
 to do anything. It may be satiety, certainly. I have ex- 
 plored the heights and depths of London life, I have read 
 books new and old, I have studied as far as in me lay my 
 fellow-men, I have tried to fall in love with my fellow- 
 women — and failed dismally. In fact, Mr. Carriston, I 
 have exhausted the world, and find it as empty as this." 
 
 He held up a nut which he had just cracked, and it con- 
 tained no kernel — an apt illustration of his wasted life. 
 
 The rector shook his head again in some perplexity, and 
 filled himself another glass of port, while Maurice, rising 
 from his seat, sauntered to the window, and looked absently 
 at the peaceful scene before him. The moon, rising slowly 
 over the tree-tops, flooded the landscape with her pale gleam, 
 so that the gazer could see the glimmer of the white marble 
 statues far down in the dewy darkness of the lawn, the som- 
 bre woods black against the clear sky, and away in the dis- 
 tance the thin streak of silver, which told of the restless 
 ocean. A salt wind was blowing overland from thence, and, 
 dilating his nostrils, opening his mouth, he inhaled the vivi- 
 fying breeze in long breaths, while dully in his ears sounded 
 the sullen thunder of the far-away billows rolling backward 
 in sheets of shattered foam. 
 
 *' Oh, Mother ISTature ! Demeter ! Tellus ! Isis ! " he mur- 
 mured, half closing his eyes ; '•' tis only from thee T can hope 
 to gain a panacea for this gnawing pain of life. I am weary 
 of the world, tired of this aimless existence, but to thee will 
 I fly to seek solace in thine healing balms." 
 
 " Maurice ! " 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 It was the rector who spoke, and the sound of his mellow 
 voice roused the young man from his dreaming ; therefore, 
 resuming his normal manner, he lighted a cigarette and pre- 
 pared to listen to the conversation of his old tutor, 
 
 "Are you still as good a German scholar as you used to 
 be ? " asked the rector deliberately. 
 
 " Not quite. My German, like myself, has grown some- 
 what rusty." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 17 
 
 " Can you translate the word Selbstschmerz ? '^ 
 
 " Self-sickness." 
 
 " Yes ; that is about as good an English equivalent as can 
 be found. Well, that is what you are suffering from." 
 
 " Oh, wise physician," retorted Roylands, with irony. " I 
 know the cause of the disease myself, but what of the 
 cure ? " 
 
 "You must fall in love." 
 
 " No one can fall in love to order." 
 
 " Well, you must make the attempt at all events," said 
 Carriston, with a genial laugh ; " it is the only cure for your 
 disease." 
 
 " Why do you think so ? " 
 
 " Because it is your egotism makes you miserable. You 
 care for no one but yourself, and are therefore bound to suf- 
 fer from such selfishness. True happiness lies in self-abne- 
 gation, a virtue which all men preach, but few men practise. 
 ' Every man/ says Goethe, ' thinks himself the centre of the 
 universe.' This is true — particularly true in your case. 
 You have been so much taken up with your own woes and 
 troubles that you have had no time to see those of your fel- 
 low-creatures, and such exclusive analysis of one's inner life 
 leads naturally to self-sickness. You are torturing yourself 
 by yourself ; you have destroyed the sense of pleasure, and 
 can therefore see nothing good on God's earth. You would 
 like to cut the Gordian knot by death, but have neither the 
 courage nor resolution to make away with yourself. Oh, I 
 know the reason of such hesitation. 
 
 * 'Tis better to endure the ills we have, 
 Than fly to others that we know not of.' 
 
 I have no doubt that is your feeling about the hereafter. 
 Well, with all this you feel you are in prison and cannot 
 escape, because a last remnant of manliness forbids you open- 
 ing the only door by which you can go hence. Therefore you 
 are forced to remain on earth, and condemned yourself to 
 supply the tortures from which you suffer. Have I not de- 
 scribed your condition accurately ? " 
 
 " You have," replied Maurice, rather astonished at the rec- 
 tor's penetration. "I do torture myself, I know, but that is 
 because I cannot escape from my own thoughts. Pin-pricks 
 hurt more than cannon balls, and incessant worries are far 
 more painful than great calamities. But all you have said 
 touches on the disease only, it does not say how the cure 
 you propose will benefit me." 
 
18 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 He had come back to his seat, and was now leaning for- 
 ward with folded arms, looking at the benevolent face of his 
 friend. The discussion, having roused his interest, made him 
 forget himself for the moment, and with such forgetfulness 
 the moody look passed away from his face. The rector 
 saw this, and immediately made use of it as a point in his 
 favor. 
 
 '' Ah, if you could but behold yourself in the glass at this 
 moment," he said approvingly, " you would see the point I 
 am aiming at without need of further discussion. I have 
 interested you, and consequently you have forgotten for the 
 moment your self-torture. That is what love will do. If 
 you love a woman, she will fill your whole soul, your whole 
 being, and give you an interest in life. What she admires 
 you will admire, what she takes an interest in you will take 
 an interest in ; and thus, being busy with other things, you 
 will forget to worry your brains about your own perfections 
 or imperfections. And if you are happy enough to become a 
 father, children will give you a great interest in life, and you 
 will find that God has appointed you work to do which is 
 ready to your hand. When you discover the work, aided by 
 wife and children, you will do it, and thus be happy. Re- 
 member those fine words of Burns, — 
 
 * To make a happy fireside clime 
 
 For weans and wife, 
 That's the true pathos and sublime 
 Of human Hfe.' " 
 
 " What you say sounds fine but dull. I don't care about 
 such wearisome domesticity." 
 
 " What you call wearisome domesticity," said the Rector 
 in a voice of emotion, " is the happiest state in which a man 
 can find himself. Home, wife, children, domestic love, do- 
 mestic consolations — what more can the heart of man desire ? 
 Laurel crowns cure no aching head, but the gentle kiss of a 
 loved wife in time of trouble is indeed balm in Gilead." 
 
 Maurice looked at the old man in amazement, for never 
 had he seen him so moved. 
 
 "You speak feelingly, Rector," he said at length, with a 
 certain hesitation. 
 
 " I speak as I feel," replied Carriston with a sigh. " I 
 also have my story, old and unromantic-looking as I am. 
 Come over to the Rectory to-morrow, my dear lad, and I will 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 19 
 
 tell you something which will make you see how foolish it is 
 to be miserable in God's beautiful world." 
 
 " I am afraid it will give you pain." 
 
 " No ; it will not give me pain. What was my gr-eatest 
 sorrow is now my greatest consolation. You will come and 
 see me to-morrow ? " 
 
 " If you wish it." 
 
 '• I do wish it." 
 
 " Then I will come." 
 
 There was silence for a few moments, each of them being 
 occupied with his own thoughts. The Rector was evidently 
 thinking of that old romance which had stirred him to such 
 an unwonted display of emotion ; and JVraurice saw for the 
 first time in his selfish life that other men had sorrows as 
 well as he, and that he was not the only person in the 
 world who suffered from Selbstschmerz. 
 
 " But come, Maurice," said the Rector, after a pause, " I 
 was talking about curing you by marriage." 
 
 " Love ! " 
 
 " Well, marriage in your case, I hope, will be love," ob- 
 served Carriston, a trifle reproachfully. " I would be sorry 
 indeed to see you make any woman your wife unless it was 
 for true love's sake." 
 
 " Well, whom do you want me to love ? " 
 
 "Ah, that is for you to decide. But, if I may make a 
 suggestion, I should say, Eunice." 
 
 "Eunice!" 
 
 "She is a charming girl. Highly educated, good-look- 
 ing " — 
 
 "But so prim." 
 
 " Oh, that is but a suspicion of old maidism, which will 
 wear off after a month or two of married life." 
 
 " Do you think she would make me a good wife ? " 
 
 " I am sure of it." 
 
 " So am I," said Maurice, with a faint sneer. " She would 
 look well at the head of my table ; she would always be 
 dressed to perfection ; she would doubtless be an excellent 
 mother ; but there is one great bar to our union." 
 
 " And that is ? " 
 
 "' We only love each other as cousins." 
 
 " It may grow into a warmer feeling." 
 
 " I'm certain it won't ; and. Rector," continued Maurice, 
 laying his hand on the old man's arm, " could you advise me 
 to have a mother-in-law like Mrs. Dengelton ? " 
 
20 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 The Kector laughed heartily, and Maurice joined in his 
 mirth, much to Carriston's delight. 
 
 " Ah, now you are more like the boy I knew ! " he said, 
 slipping his arm into that of Roylands, and leading him to 
 the door ; " did I not tell you I would cure you ? I will 
 complete the cure to-morrow." 
 
 '' But it might give you pain." 
 
 " No, no ; don't think about that," said Carriston hastily. 
 " If I can do you a service, I don't mind a passing twinge of 
 regret. But here we are at the drawing-room door. Let us 
 join the ladies." 
 
 " And Crispin." 
 
 " By the way," said the Rector, placing his hand on Roy- 
 lands as he was about to open the door, '^ who is Crispin ? " 
 
 "Every one in London has been trying to find that out for 
 the last two years." 
 
 "What is he?" 
 
 " The new poet ; the coming Tennyson, the future Brown- 
 ing. No one knows who he is, or where he comes from. 
 He is called Crispin tout court.^^ 
 
 " A most perplexing person. Are you quite sure " — 
 
 " If he is fit for respectable society ? Oh yes. He goes 
 everywhere in London. Like Disraeli, he stands on his head, 
 for his genius — and he has great genius — has opened all 
 the drawing-rooms of Belgravia to him. Oh, he is quite 
 proper." 
 
 " Still, still ! " objected the Rector. 
 
 "Well, what objection have you yet to him, my dear sir ?" 
 
 "I'm afraid, I'm afraid," whispered Carriston, looking 
 apprehensively at Maurice, " that he loves Eunice." 
 
 " Impossible ! " 
 
 " Oh, I'm not so old but what I can see the signs and 
 tokens of love ; and, placed on my guard by a casual glance, 
 I noticed Eunice and your poet particularly at dinner." 
 
 " In that case," said Maurice coolly, " I'm afraid Crispin 
 will have to put up with Mrs. Dengelton as a mother-in-law." 
 
 The Rector laughed again, and they entered the drawing- 
 room. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 21 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 DE RERUM PARVULA. 
 
 The smallest actions in a life 
 Betray the calm or inward strife : 
 From idle straws, as persons know, 
 One learns the way the breezes blow; 
 You love those Florentine mosaics, 
 Yet tiny stones tlie picture makes. 
 Complying with this rule's demand, 
 Whate'er is meant you'll understand, 
 So follow carefully this chatter, 
 And you'll discover what's the matter. 
 
 The three persons who occupied the drawing-room were 
 all employed according to their different natures, for Crispin, 
 being an ardent musician, was seated at the piano, playing 
 softly. Eunice, who rarely spoke, was listening, and the 
 Hon. Mrs. Dengelton was talking as usual. She was always 
 talking, but never by any chance said anything worth listen- 
 ing to. With her it was all quantity and no quality. For, 
 wherever she was, in drawing-room, theatre, or park, her 
 sharp strident voice could be heard all over the place. Cer- 
 tainly she was silent in church, but it must have been an 
 effort for her to hold her tongue, and she fully made up for 
 it when she was outside the door, by chattering all the way 
 home. Scandal said she had talked her husband dead and 
 her daughter silent ; and certainly the Hon. Guy Dengelton 
 was safe in the family vault, while Eunice, as a rule, said 
 very little. Mrs. Dengelton knew every one and everything, 
 and, were it the fashion to write memoirs, after the 
 mode of the eighteenth century, she could have produced a 
 book which would have made a sensation, and been sup- 
 pressed—after the first edition. Owing to her incessant 
 stream of small talk, she was known in society as "The 
 Parrot," a name which exactly fitted her, as she had a hook 
 nose, beady eyes, and always dressed in gay colors. Add 
 to this description her esprit, as she called it, but which 
 scandal said was French for the vulgar American word 
 " jaw," and you have a faithful portrait of the most dreaded 
 woman in London. 
 
 Reasons ? two ! She knew stories about every one, which 
 she retailed to their friends at the pitch of her voice ; and 
 she was always hunting for a husband for Eunice. Eldest 
 
22 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 sons had a horror of her, and the announcement that Mrs. 
 Dengelton was to be at any special ball was sufficient to keep 
 all the eligible young men away. Consequently, no one asked 
 ^' The Parrot " to a dance unless the invitation was dragged 
 out of them ; but Mrs. Dengelton was skilful at such work, 
 and went out a good deal during the season. Hitherto she 
 had not been successful in her husband-hunting, as no one 
 would marry Eunice, with the chance of having Mrs. Dengel- 
 ton as mother-in-law. Crispin certainly was daring enough 
 to pay his addresses, but Crispin had neither name, title, 
 nor family, nothing but his genius, and Mrs. Dengelton 
 therefore frowned on his suit. When Maurice came in for 
 the Roylands estate, his aunt thought it would be splendid 
 for Eunice to marry her first cousin, " just to keep the 
 property in the family," as Mrs. Dengelton put it, though 
 how such a saying applied in this case it is rather difficult 
 to see. However, The Parrot gladly accepted her nephew's 
 invitation, — when she arrived, he regretted having asked 
 her — and came down with Eunice, with the firm determina- 
 tion to talk Maurice into matrimony. 
 
 She was very angry when Crispin arrived, and forbade 
 Eunice to encourage the young man, but she could scarcely 
 turn him out of the house, as she would have liked to do, 
 so put up with his presence as best she could, and never 
 lost an opportunity of saying disagreeable things to him in 
 a covert fashion. 
 
 Eunice herself was a charmingly pretty girl, who very 
 much resented the way in which her mother put her up to 
 auction, but, being rather weak-willed, could not combat 
 Mrs. Dengelton's determination, and submitted quietly to be 
 dragged about all over the place, with the hope that some 
 day a modern St. George would deliver her from this dragon. 
 
 St. George, long looked for, unexpectedly appeared one 
 day in the person of Crispin, and, though Mrs. Dengelton 
 laughed at the idea of her daughter throwing herself away 
 on a pauper, Eunice, nevertheless, fell in love with the 
 poet. Crispin would have married her at once, but, in spite 
 of her anxiety to get beyond the clack of Mrs. Dengelton's 
 tongue, she was too much afraid of that strong-willed lady 
 to break out into open mutiny, so poor St. George had to 
 adore her in secret, lest the dragon should pounce down on 
 him. 
 
 Crispin ! who ever heard of such a name ? being the 
 more singular as it had neither head nor tail. If he had 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 23 
 
 been Henry Crispin, or Crispin Jones, people could have 
 put up with the oddness of the sound ; but Crispin, all alone 
 by itself, sounded heathenish, to say the least of it. No one 
 knew who Crispin was, or where he came from, for he had 
 suddenly flashed like a meteor into literary London, two 
 years previous, with a book of brilliant poems, which made 
 a great success. For once the critics were unanimous in 
 praising good work, and pronounced " The Roses of Shiraz, 
 and Other Poems " to be the finest series of poetical Eastern 
 tales since Lord Byron had enchanted the world with " The 
 G-iaour " and " The"^ Bride of Abydos." For the critics' praise 
 or blame Crispin seemed to care but little, nor did he satisfy 
 the curiosity of those up to date people who desired to meet 
 him. Sometimes he would appear in a Belgravian drawing- 
 room, but only for a moment, and would then leave England 
 for a tour in his beloved East. Just when the w^orld would 
 begin to forget him, he would suddenly reappear in society, 
 and fascinate one and all by his charming manners. Hand- 
 some he was not, being small and dark, but he was as lithe 
 as a serpent, and his dark eyes flashed with the fierce fire of 
 genius. All sorts of stories were told about him, and none 
 of them were correct, though Mrs. Dengelton was ready to 
 swear to the truth of at least half a dozen. In fact, he 
 puzzled society very much, and, as society always takes to 
 that which is not understandable, Crispin was quite the lion 
 of the season. 
 
 An article called " The Lord Byron of our days " appeared 
 in a leading society paper, which retailed wonders about 
 this unknown poet; but Crispin neither contradicted nor 
 affirmed the truth of these statements, therefore became 
 more of a puzzle than ever. He was a brilliant musician ; 
 he talked several languages, and seemed to have been all 
 over the world ; but beyond this he was a mystery. To no 
 one, not even to Maurice, who was his closest friend, did he 
 tell the story of his life, and even Mrs. Dengelton, who was 
 an adept at finding out things people did not want known, 
 could make nothing of him. 
 
 Then Crispin met Eunice, and all his heart went out to 
 this dainty, dark-haired girl, who spoke so seldom, but whose 
 eyes and gestures were so eloquent. "The Fairy of Mid- 
 night," he called her, and often wondered how such a 
 woman as Mrs. Dengelton ever came to have so silent and 
 lovely a daughter. To Crispin, steeped in the lore of the 
 East, she was like a Peri, and her love inspired him with 
 
24 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 wondrous love poems, some of which appeared in The Nine- 
 teenth Century and The Fortnightly Review. Whether he 
 told her who he was is doubtful — if he did, Eunice never 
 betrayed his confidence, for she was a woman who could 
 keep a secret, which was a miracle, seeing her mother was 
 such a gossip. They loved and suffered in silence with such 
 discretion, that even keen-eyed Mrs. Dengelton did not guess 
 the understanding which existed between them, and was 
 hard at work trying to arrange a marriage with Maurice, 
 quite unaware that her meek daughter had made up her 
 mind to marry no one but this mysterious Crispin. 
 
 Sitting at the piano, Crispin was playing a wild Eastern 
 air with the soft pedal down, and looking at Eunice, whose 
 eyes responded eloquently to his glances. Neither of them 
 paid much attention to the chatter of The Parrot, who was 
 quite ignorant of the love-making going on under her nose, 
 for both Eunice and Crispiu had arrived at the stage of com- 
 plete union of souls which renders words superfluous while 
 eyes can talk. 
 
 Mrs. Dengelton was doing a parrot in beadwork for a 
 screen, and the gaudy bird might have passed for her por- 
 trait, so like her did it seem. Luckily, the beadwork parrot 
 could not talk, but its creator could, and did, with as few 
 pauses as possible. 
 
 " As I was saying, my dear Eunice, there is something 
 very strange about this silence of my dear nephew. I've no 
 doubt it is smoking too much, — so many young men smoke 
 in that dreadful place, Bloomsbury, where he lived, — or per- 
 haps he feels a little out of society after living so long away 
 from it. Oh, I know Bloomsbury ! yes ! I sometimes visit 
 the poor there. How strange I never came across poor dear 
 Maurice ! He is so sadly altered, not gay like he used to be. 
 I do not really think he knows how to laugh, and " — 
 
 At this moment, as if to give the lie to Mrs. Dengelton 's 
 assertion, her nephew entered the room, laughing, in com- 
 pany with the Rector; but the good lady did not know that 
 she was the cause of this hilarity, and at once began to deluge 
 the new-comers with the fountain of her small talk. 
 
 "Now, my dear Rector and my dear ^laurice, what are you 
 laughing at ? Is it some amusing joke ? Oh, I am sure it 
 is ! Eunice, Mr. Crispin, we are going to be told something 
 funny " — 
 
 " But really, my dear lady," began the Rector, with uplifted 
 hand, "I" — 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 25 
 
 " Kow you need not tell me it is not funny, because it has 
 made Maurice laugh, and he has been as grave as a judge 
 since we came down. I was just saying to Eunice when you 
 came in " — 
 
 " ^[y dear aunt, the joke is not worth telling you," said 
 Maurice, in desperation cutting her short. 
 
 " Ah, I knew there was a joke ! Do tell it to Eunice ! she 
 is so fond of amusing stories, especially from you." 
 
 ^Maurice flushed angrily. 
 
 " I don't tell amusing stories," he said curtly, and walked 
 across to the piano. 
 
 " Such a bad temper ! " sighed the Parrot, shaking her head ; 
 '- so like his poor dear father, who foamed at the mouth when 
 in a rage." 
 
 "Oh, come, not so bad as that," said the Eector good- 
 naturedly. 
 
 " My dear Rector, I assure you I have seen Austin " — And 
 then Mrs. Dengelton began a long, rambling story, which 
 had no beginning and certainly did not appear to have an 
 end, for she droned on until the poor Rector was quite weary, 
 and was much put to to conceal his yawns. 
 
 Meanwhile, Maurice, remembering what the Rector had 
 told him about the young couple, looked keenly at the poet 
 and then at his cousin, at which inspection they naturally 
 felt somewhat embarrassed. 
 
 " Yes ? " said Eunice at length, in an interrogative fashion. 
 
 " Oh, nothing, nothing ! " he responded hastily ; " I was 
 only wondering what you were talking about," 
 
 "We were not talking at all," said Crispin, running his 
 fingers over the keys ; " on the contrary, we were listening to 
 Mrs. Dengelton." 
 
 Maurice smiled absently, and tagged moodily at his mus- 
 tache. 
 
 " You have a charming place here, Roylands," remarked 
 Crispin, more for the sake of saying something than for the 
 importance of the remark ; " I would like to settle down in 
 this quiet village." 
 
 " You ! " said Maurice in astonishment ; " the bird of pas- 
 sage who is never off the wing ! Why, you would die of ennui 
 in a week." 
 
 '•Ah, that depends on the company," answered Crispin, 
 stealing a glance at Eunice, who sat silently playing with her 
 fan. 
 
 " I am afraid I am not very lively company," observed 
 
26 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 Maurice, with a sigh, not noticing the glance ; " there is so 
 little to talk about nowadays." 
 
 " Poetry." 
 
 "I'm tired of poetry." 
 
 " Music." 
 
 " Too much music is dreary. I heard such a lot in London." 
 
 " Then jow must love scandal." 
 
 " Ah, that is a hint that my dear aunt can amuse me." 
 
 " Maurice ! " said Eunice, with a frown. 
 
 " Now don't be angry, my dear cousin. Talking scandal 
 is a very harmless occupation, and, as the Rector seems 
 interested, I think I will go and hear the latest story of Bel- 
 gravia. But, Crispin, I wish you would take my cousin on 
 to the terrace — the sky is worth looking at with moon and 
 clouds." 
 
 Crispin darted a look of gratitude at him, and Maurice, 
 delighted at thus foiling his aunt's schemes, went off to hear 
 that lady's conversation. 
 
 The two lovers at the piano were afraid to move for a time, 
 lest they should attract Mrs. Dengelton's attention, and thus 
 be stopped from leaving the room ; but when they saw her 
 deep in conversation v/ith the two gentlemen, they stole 
 quietly to the French window at the end of the room, through 
 which they speedily gained the terrace. 
 
 " Do you feel cold, Eunice ? " asked Crispin, noticing his 
 companion shiver. 
 
 "A little." 
 
 " Wait a moment, then. Your mother left a shawl near 
 the window, I'll fetch it to you at once." 
 
 " Take care she does not see you." 
 
 " Not much fear of that ; she has an audience, and is 
 happy." 
 
 He went off laughing quietly ; and Eunice, leaning on the 
 balustrade of the terrace, stared at the wonderful beauty of 
 the sky. Away in the west shone the silver round of the 
 moon, and below her were gigantic black clouds, the edges 
 of which were tipped with lig-lit. They looked like gigantic 
 rocks piled up from earth to heaven, and above them shone 
 the serene planet in an expanse of blue, as if she scorned 
 their efforts to veil her face. Far below Eunice heard the 
 musical splash of the fountains, and the chill odors of 
 flowers floated upward, as though drawn by the spell of her 
 beauty. She looked wonderfully lovely with her delicate 
 face turned upward to the moon, and so thought Crispin, as 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 27 
 
 he came lightly along the terrace with the fleecy shawl over 
 his arm. 
 
 "I shall no longer call you the Fairy of Midnight," he 
 whispered, wrapping the shawl round her shoulders ; " your 
 name will be the ' Moon Elf.' " 
 
 " Ah, what a charming title for a fairy story ! " said 
 Eunice, who was anything but silent when away from her 
 mother. " Why do you not write a fairy story ? " 
 
 " Because I am living one now." 
 
 " Flatterer ! " 
 
 " No ; I am speaking the truth. I adore a lovely princess, 
 who is guarded by an elderly dragon breathing the fire of 
 scandal " — 
 
 " You must not talk of my mother like that." 
 
 " Then I will not. She is the most charming lady I 
 know." 
 
 " Oh ! " 
 
 " What ! you are not pleased at that ? My dearest 
 Eunice, how cruel you are ! But indeed I do not love your 
 mother. She will not let me marry you." 
 
 "No ; she wants me to marry Maurice," said Eunice, with 
 a sigh. 
 
 " I am afraid that ambition will never be gratified. 
 Maurice is our friend." 
 
 "Do you think he knows we love one another ? " 
 
 " I am sure he does. But he knows to-night for the first 
 time ; I saw it in his eyes when he looked at us." 
 
 " How can he have guessed ? " 
 
 "He did not guess. No; Roylands has never been in 
 love, and only a lover can recognize the silent eloquence of 
 love. But I think that keen-eyed old Rector " — 
 
 " W^hat ! Mr. Carriston ? Impossible ! How could he 
 tell we loved one another ? " 
 
 " Well, going by the theory I have propounded, he must 
 have at one time of his life been in love himself, and there- 
 fore intuitively guessed our hidden romance." 
 
 " But he is a bachelor." 
 
 "Ah, then he has had a romance also! An extinct volcano 
 perhaps." 
 
 " And Maurice ? " 
 
 " Is not a volcano at all — at least, not so far as I know. 
 He has never been in love yet, but he will be some day." 
 
 " When ? " 
 
 " Pardon me, I cannot lift the veil of the future. But I 
 admit Maurice with his melancholia puzzles me." 
 
28 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Well, you puzzle every one yourself. They call you the 
 riddle of London." 
 
 " I will explain my riddle self to you when we marry." 
 
 " I am afraid that will never be." 
 
 " Indeed it will," he said gayly. " But you need not be 
 afraid of my mystery ; I have no Bluebeard chamber to keep 
 locked, I assure you. Do you hesitate to marry me on 
 account of my so-called mystery ? " 
 
 " No ; I trust you too much for that." 
 
 "My dearest!" 
 
 At this moment the moon veiled her face discreetly behind 
 a wandering cloud, and their lips met in a kiss — a kiss of 
 pure and enduring love. Then Crispin tenderly wrapped the 
 shawl closer round the shoulders of Eunice, and arm in arm 
 they strolled up and down the terrace, talking of their pres- 
 ent despairs, their future hopes, and their possible marriage. 
 
 Meanwhile, Mrs. Dengelton, quite unaware of the way in 
 which all her matrimonial schemes were being baffled by this 
 audacious poet, was holding forth to Maurice and the Rector 
 on the subject of a family romance. For once in her life she 
 proved interesting, for IVIaurice only knew the skeleton of 
 Koylands by name, and was quite unaware of the reason it 
 was locked up in the cupboard. It was wonderful what a 
 lot of good the conversation of the Rector had done him, and 
 now, having been once roused out of his melancholia, he was 
 quite interested by the story which his aunt was telling. 
 The Rev. Stephen Carriston noticed the bright look on his 
 usually sad face, and was delighted thereat. 
 
 " I will complete the cure to-morrow," he repeated to him- 
 self ; and then prepared to listen to Mrs. Dengelton's story, 
 which interested him very much, the more so as he knew the 
 principal actor concerned therein. 
 
 " Of course I only speak from hearsay, my dear Rector," 
 she said, laying aside her beadwork so as to give her elo- 
 quence every chance ; " at the time these events took place 
 I was just a baby in long clothes. You, Rector, perhaps 
 know the story better than I do." 
 
 "No; I had just left college when Rudolph Roylands ran 
 away, but I knew him at the university." 
 
 " Ah yes ; of course. You were very friendly with both 
 my brothers, I believe, so it is curious they never told you of 
 their love for Rose Silverton." 
 
 " Well — I heard something about it," said the Rector, 
 with a hesitating glance at Maurice. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 29 
 
 " Oh, my dear Eector, I am going to say nothing against 
 my sister-in-law. She was a very charming woman." 
 
 '^ She was all that was good and pure," remarked Maurice 
 abruptly ; annoyed, he knew not why, at the tone adopted 
 by Mrs. DengeUon in speaking of his dead mother. 
 
 " Yes, I know she was. Still, my dear Maurice, you must 
 pardon my plain speech, but she did flirt terribly with Ru- 
 dolph." 
 
 " My lost uncle ? Ridiculous ! " 
 
 " It is not ridiculous at all," said the lady, drawing herself 
 up ; " it was on your mother's account Rudolph left Eng- 
 land." 
 
 " Who said so ? " demanded Maurice indignantly. 
 
 " Every one ; even your father." 
 
 Maurice was about to make some remark, when he caught 
 sight of a warning look on Carriston's face, therefore held 
 his peace. 
 
 '' What I was about to remark," pursued Mrs. Dengelton, 
 choosing her words carefully, " was that, when my brothers, 
 Rudolph and Austin, came home, — the first from his regi- 
 ment, the second from college, — they both fell in love with 
 Rose Silverton, whose father was a retired captain in the 
 army. Rudolph, as you know. Rector, was the heir to Roy- 
 lands, and Captain Silverton naturally wanted Rose to marry 
 him, as the match was such a good one. She, however, pre- 
 ferred Austin." 
 
 "Love versus Money, and Love was triumphant," said 
 Maurice, smiling. 
 
 " If you put it like that, I suppose it was," replied his 
 aunt frigidly. " Well, Rose, as I have said, flirted consider- 
 ably with Rudolph, though she loved my brother Austin 
 best. Oh, you need not shake your head, Rector — Rose did 
 flirt ! " 
 
 " My dear aunt, spare the dead," observed Maurice, with a 
 groan, for this old lady was really terrible with her malig- 
 nant tongue. 
 
 " I hope I am too good a churchwoman to speak evil of 
 any one, dead or alive," said Mrs. Dengelton, with dignity. 
 " But I will make no further remarks if they are so displeas- 
 ing to you, though why they should be displeasing I cannot 
 conceive. Well, to gratify her father. Rose appeared to fa- 
 vor Rudolph, but in secret she met Austin. Such dupli- 
 city ! I beg your pardon, Maurice, but it was duplicity." 
 
 The Rector sighed, and Mrs. Dengelton looked curiously at 
 
30 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 him, as if she guessed the meaning of the sigh, then re- 
 sumed her story without commenting thereon, to Carris- 
 tou's evident relief. 
 
 " Rudolph in some way came to hear of these stolen meet- 
 ings, and surprised Austin walking with Rose one June 
 evening. The brothers came, I regret to say, to blows, 
 while Rose looked on in horror. Austin, being the 3'ounger 
 and weaker, could not stand against the furious onslaught of 
 Rudolph, who stunned him with a blow, then, thinking he 
 had killed him, kissed Rose, who had fainted, and disap- 
 peared forever. He returned to London, left the army, and 
 went away to the East, with* a considerable sum of money 
 which he inherited from his mother.'' 
 
 " And my father and mother ? " asked ^Maurice breath- 
 lessly. 
 
 " Were found by some laborers insensible ; the one from 
 fear, the other from the blow given to him by his brother. 
 They were taken to their respective homes, and when Austin 
 got well again, he married Rose in due course. I believe 
 your father and mother were very happy in their married 
 life, Maurice, but they were singularly unfortunate in the 
 fate of their children. Your brothers and sisters, four of 
 them born during the early period of the marriage, all died ; 
 and you, who came into the world nearly twenty years after 
 the marriage, were the only child who lived." 
 
 "And how long ago did all this happen, aunt ? " 
 
 " Cannot you think it out for yourself ? " said Mrs. Denegel- 
 ton tartly. "You are now thirty -five; you were born — let 
 me see — about fifteen years after the marriage, so altogether 
 Rudolph disappeared fifty years ago." 
 
 " And has not been heard of since ? " 
 
 "No; all inquiries were made, but nothing came of tliem," 
 replied the lady, shaking her head. " I suppose Rudolph 
 thought he had killed Austin, and left England to avoid ar- 
 rest. At all events, not a soul has heard of him since. 
 Where he went, no one knows ; but by this time, I have no 
 doubt he is dead." 
 
 " Poor Uncle Rudolph, what an unhappy fate ! " said 
 Maurice thoughtfully. 
 
 "Ah, I always did blame Rose for that quarrel!" cried 
 Mrs. Dengelton sourly. 
 
 "My mother" — began Maurice indignantly, when the Rec- 
 tor stopped him. 
 
 " Your mother was not to blame, my dear Maurice," he 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 31 
 
 said, rising to his feet. " I know more about this story than 
 Mrs. Dengelton thinks." 
 
 A sniff was the Hon. Mrs. Dengelton's only reply, which 
 was vulgar, but eloquent of disbelief. 
 
 Carriston's face, generally ruddy, looked somewhat pale, 
 and Maurice wondered what could be the reason for such a 
 loss of color. The old man saw his inquiring look, and arose 
 to take his leave. 
 
 "I must say good-night, my dear Maurice," he said, giv- 
 ing his hand to Mrs. Dengelton. '' I am not so young as I 
 once was, and keep early hours." 
 
 At this moment, as if guided by some happy fate, Eunice, 
 in company with Crispin, entered the room at the back of 
 Mrs. Dengelton, and returned to their seats without her hav- 
 ing noticed their absence. 
 
 " Good-night, sir," said Crispin, coming forward to shake 
 hands with the Rector. 
 
 " How quiet you have been ! " remarked Mrs. Dengelton 
 suspiciously. '•' Where is my daughter ? " 
 
 ^' Here, mamma ; " and Eunice came forward in the demur- 
 est manner. 
 
 " Were you listening to my story ? " asked her mother in- 
 quiringly, — '' my story about your Uncle Rudolph leaving 
 England ? " 
 
 "No," interposed Crispin quickly, before Eunice could 
 speak ; " we were discussing photographs on yonder sofa." 
 
 "Photographs, eh?" said Mrs. Dengelton, with a frown, 
 for she knew what looking over a photograph album meant 
 in this case, but did not see her way to make further remark. 
 
 The Rector said good-night to every one, and then de- 
 parted, accompanied by Maurice, who walked with him as 
 far as the park gates. Here they separated, after Maurice 
 had promised faithfully to call at the Rectory the next day, 
 and the old clergyman went home, while his pupil returned 
 to the Grange in a thoughtful manner. 
 
 " I wonder," he said to himself, pausing for a moment in 
 the shadowy avenue, — "I wonder if my uncle is still alive. 
 If he is, I am wrongfully in possession of Roylands. Sup- 
 pose he came back and claimed it, I would once more be 
 penniless. Well," he sighed, resuming his walk, "perhaps 
 that would be the best thing that could happen, for work 
 means happiness, and earning one's bread forces a man to 
 take a deep interest in life whether he will or no." 
 
32 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE RECTOR S ROMANCE. 
 
 In pity for our painful strife 
 
 God aids us from above, 
 And every mortal in his life 
 
 Plucks once the rose of love. 
 
 The flower may bloom, the flower may fade, 
 
 As love brings joys or woes, 
 Still in the heart of youth and maid 
 
 That sacred blossom grows. 
 
 'Tis cherished through declining years, 
 
 Amid death's coming glooms, 
 And watered by regretful tears, 
 
 The flower eternal blooms. 
 
 Nor death that rose from us can part, 
 
 For when the body dies. 
 All broken on the broken heart. 
 
 That bud of heaven lies. 
 
 KoYLANDS Kectory was a comfortable-looking house, dis- 
 tant about a mile from the Grange, and near the village, 
 which was an extremely small one. Indeed, although the 
 parish was large, the Rector's congregation was not, and his 
 clerical occupation did not entail much work. Nevertheless, 
 Stephen Carriston did his best to attend to the spiritual wel- 
 fare of the souls under his charge ; and if the hardest day's 
 work still left him with plenty of spare time on his hands, 
 that could hardly be called his fault. The Rector abhorred 
 idleness, which is said to be the mother of all the vices, and 
 managed to fill up his unoccupied hours in a sufficiently 
 pleasant manner by indulging in occupations congenial to 
 his tastes. He was now engaged in translating the comedies 
 of Aristophanes into English verse, and found the biting 
 wit of the great Athenian playwright very delightful after 
 the dull brains of his parishioners. For the rest, he pottered 
 about his garden and attended to his roses, which were the 
 pride of his heart, as well they might be, seeing that his 
 small plot of ground was a perfect bower of loveliness. 
 
 It is at this point that the pen fails and the brush should 
 come in ; for it would be simply impossible to give in bald 
 prose an adequate description of the paradise of flowers con- 
 tained within the red brick walls which enclosed the garden 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 33 
 
 on three sides. The fourth side was the house, a quaint, low- 
 roofed, old-fashioned place, with deep diamond-paned lat- 
 tices, and stacks of curiously-twisted chimneys. Built in 
 the reign of the Second Charles, it yet bore the date of its 
 erection, 1666, the annus mirahllls of Dryden, when half 
 London was swept away by the fire, and half its inhabitants 
 by the plague. Rector Carriston liked this house, — nay, 
 like is too weak a word, he loved it, — as its antiquity, match- 
 ing with his own, pleased him ; and besides, having resided 
 within its red-tiled roof for over thirty years, it was natural 
 that he should be deeply attached to its quaint walls and 
 still quainter rooms. 
 
 But the garden ! oh, the garden was a miracle of beauty ! 
 and only Crispin, who deals in such lovelinesses, could 
 describe its perfections, as he did indeed long afterwards, 
 when the good Rector was dead, and could not read the 
 glowing verse which eulogized his roses. Three moderately 
 high brick walls, one running parallel to the high road, so 
 that the Rector could keep a vigilant eye on the incomings 
 and outgoings of his villagers, fenced in this modern garden 
 of Alcinous, and these three walls were almost hidden by 
 the foliage of peach and apricot and nectarine, for it was 
 now midsummer, and nature was decked out in her gayest 
 robes. A dial in the middle of the smooth lawn, with 
 its warning motto, which the Rector did not believe, as 
 Time only sauntered with him; a noble elm, wherein 
 the thrush fluted daily, and a bower of greenery, in which 
 the nightingale piped nightly : it was truly an ideal re- 
 treat, rendered still more perfect by the roses. The roses ! 
 oh, the red, white, and yellow roses ! how they bloomed in 
 profusion under the old red wall, which drew the heat of the 
 sun into its breast, and then showered it second-hand on the 
 delicate, warmth-loving flowers. Great creamy buds, trem- 
 bling amid their green leaves at the caress of the wind, 
 gorgeously crimson blossoms burning incense to the hot sun, 
 pale-tinted flowers, which flushed delicately at the dawn 
 hour, and bright yellow orbs, which looked as though the touch 
 of Midas had turned them into gold. All the bees for miles 
 around knew that garden, and the finest honey in the neigh- 
 borhood owed its existence to the constant visits they paid 
 to that wilderness of sweets. 
 
 Such a bright morning as it was ! Above, the blue sky, 
 in which the sun burned lustily, below, the green earth, 
 pranked with flowers, and betwcan these two splendors, the 
 
34 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 Rector, armed with a pair of scissors, strolling contentedly 
 about his small domain. From the adjacent fields, where 
 the corn was yet young, sprang a brown-feathered lark, 
 which arose higher and higher in spiral circles, singing as 
 though his throat would burst with melody, until, the high- 
 est point attained, he ceased his liquid warblings, and fell 
 earthward like a stone. Indeed, the Rector had no lack of 
 music, for the larks awoke him in the morning, the thrushes 
 piped to him at noon, and when night fell the divine niglitin- 
 gale pouring forth her impassioned strains wooed him from 
 his study, where he was reading the Aristophanic rendering 
 of her song, to listen to the reality, before which even the 
 magical Greek verse seemed harsh. 'Twas an ideal place, 
 and in it the Rector lived an ideal existence, far away from 
 the noise and restlessness of our modern civilization. In his 
 study he had the books of genius, which he greatly loved, 
 but in his garden he possessed the book of God, which he 
 loved still more ; and even had not he been a devout believer 
 in the goodness of the Almighty, surely that garden would 
 have converted him with its dewy splendors. 
 
 An odd figure looked Mr. Carriston, shuffling about in a 
 pair of comfortable old slippers, a very raven in blackness, 
 save for the wide-brimmed straw hat shading his gray hairs, 
 his benevolent-looking face. With a green watering-pan in 
 one hand, and the scissors in the other, he pried and peered 
 among his beloved flowers, with his two pets — a cat and a 
 magpie — at his heels, and clipped off a dead leaf here, 
 plucked a withered blossom there, with the tenderest anxiety 
 for the well-being of the roses. 
 
 " Dear, dear ! " sighed the Rector, pausing before a droop- 
 ing-looking Gloire de Dijon ; " this does not seem at all 
 healthy. It needs rain — in fact, I think the flowers would 
 be none the worse of a shower or so ; but there's no sign of 
 rain," looking anxiously up to the cloudless sky. " I wonder 
 if a little manure " — 
 
 Down went the Rector on his knees, and began grubbing 
 about the roots of the plant, much to the discomfort of the 
 magpie, who hopped about near him in an agitated manner. 
 
 "A brass thimble," said Mr. Carriston, making a dis- 
 covery, " a copper, and three blue beads. The roots of the 
 plant wounded, too, with scratching. This is your work, 
 Simon. I wish you would hide your rubbish somewhere 
 else." 
 
 The magpie, otherwise Simon, made a vicious peck at th© 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 35 
 
 Rector's hand, to revenge himself for the discovery of his 
 treasure ; then, anxious to save something, snatched up the 
 thimble and made off hastily. 
 
 "Too bad of Simon," murmured Mr. Carriston, rubbing his 
 nose in a vexed manner. " I will have to ask Mukle to keep 
 him in the back yard. Ah, Mukle ! what is it ? " 
 
 Mukle — to the rector, Mrs. Mukle to her friends — was a 
 hard-featured, bony woman, who looked as if she had been 
 cut out of a deal board. Her cooking was much more agree- 
 able than her appearance, and, having been with the rector 
 — whom she adored — for many years, she knew to a turn 
 what he liked and what he did not like, therefore suited him 
 admirably in her double capacity of cook and housekeeper. 
 
 " Mr. Roylands, sir ! " announced Mukle grimly. 
 
 " Oh, where is he ? " 
 
 "Study, sir," responded Mukle, who was a lady with a 
 firm belief in the golden rule of silence. 
 
 " Ask him to come here." 
 
 An assenting sniff was Mukle's only reply, and, turning on 
 her heel in a military fashion, — the late Mr. Mukle had been 
 a soldier, — she strode back to the house like a grenadier. 
 
 Meanwhile, Mr. Carriston, having risen to his feet, was 
 dusting his knees, and, while thus engaged, saw Maurice 
 coming towards him. Assuredly the master of the Grange 
 was a tine specimen of humanity, for he was over six feet in 
 height, and, being arrayed in shooting-coat, knickerbockers, 
 and deerstalker's hat, looked a remarkably striking figure. 
 He would have looked better had his face borne a smile, but, 
 as it was, he came solemnly forward and took the rector's 
 outstretched hand as if he was chief mourner at a funeral. 
 
 "You shouldn't be a country gentleman, Maurice," said 
 Mr. Carriston, after the usual greetings had been exchanged. 
 "The occupation of a monk would suit you better." 
 
 Maurice said nothing, but sighed wearily. 
 
 " Come now, my dear lad ; if you sigh in that fashion, I 
 shall suspect you of being a lover, in spite of your assevera- 
 tion to the contrary." 
 
 "A man can't marry his aunt, and as Crispin wants to 
 marry Eunice, no one is left for me but my honorable rela- 
 tion." 
 
 " Try Mukle." 
 
 " Too much of a grenadier." 
 
 " I think you are the same — in height," said the Rector, 
 looking approvingly at his tall friend. " If old Father Fritz 
 
36 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 had seen the pair of ye, I think he would have insisted upon 
 the marriage, so as to breed a race of giants. But, dear, 
 dear ! what nonsense we talk ! Come and sit down, my lad. 
 Will you smoke ? " 
 
 " No, thank you, sir. I'm tired of smoking." 
 " Maurice, if you go on in this fashion, I will be angry 
 with you. It's a beautiful day, so you ought to have a beau- 
 tiful smile on your face. Listen to that lark ! Does not its 
 gush of song thrill your heart ? Admire my roses ! Where, 
 even in the gorgeous East, will you see such splendor ? The 
 birds sing, the sun shines, the flowers bloom, and yet you are 
 as discontented as if you were shut up between four bare 
 walls. Maurice, I'm really and truly ashamed of your ingrat- 
 itude to God for His many gifts." Maurice made no reply, 
 but punched holes in the gravel with his walking-stick. 
 ^' Now you wait here, my lad," said the Eector, recovering 
 breath after his little lecture, "and see if yon lark will sing 
 you into a better frame of mind. It may be the David to 
 your Saul, and drive the evil spirit out of you. I am going 
 away to wash my hands, which are somewhat grubby with 
 my gardening, and will return in a few moments." 
 
 Off went the Kector with a light step, as springy as that 
 of a young man, and Maurice looked after him in sheer envy 
 of such light-heartedness. 
 
 " Why cannot I be happy like that ? " he sighed, baring 
 his head to the cool breeze. 
 
 Did ever a man ask himself so ridiculous a question? 
 Here was a healthy young man, of good personal appearance, 
 with a superfluity of the gifts of fortune, yet he commiser- 
 ated himself for nothing at all, and propounded riddles to 
 himself which he was unable to answer. But all such mis- 
 ery came from incessant brooding and self-analysis, which is 
 bound to make even the most complacent person dissatisfied 
 with his advantages in the long-run. If Maurice, throwing 
 aside his books, art, broodings, and everything else, had gone 
 in for fishing, hunting, dancing, rowing, as he did in his 
 earlier youth, his mind would soon have resumed its normal 
 healthiness. Unluckily, the ten years' life in Bohemia, 
 where he had no money nor time to indulge in such sports, 
 had weakened his interest in them, and he by no means 
 seemed inclined to take up the broken thread of his life. 
 This Avas a great mistake, as, had he reverted to his earlier 
 mode of living, he would in a short time have come to look 
 upon that weary decade as but a bad dream, and ultimately 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 37 
 
 have recovered this mens sana in corpore sano condition, 
 which is so essential to the happiness of one's existence. If 
 there is a person to be envied, 'tis a healthy man with an 
 average stock of brains, for he does not live with shadows, 
 he has no torturing dreams, he does not rack his soul with 
 thinking out the problems of life; but simply takes the 
 goods the gods provide, enjoys them to the full measure of 
 his capacity, and throws all disturbing influences to the 
 winds. INIaurice Eoylands was a man of this sort in many 
 respects, but he had a trifle too much brain power, and there- 
 fore, in accordance with the great law of compensation, suf- 
 fered from the excess, by using it to torture his otherwise 
 healthy mind. Unfortunately, he did not reason in this way, 
 but, feeling that he was miserable, hastily decided that such 
 misery was incurable. Not a wise way of looking at the 
 matter certainly, but then Maurice, though no fool in many 
 ways, was not a Solomon for wisdom ; and besides, Melan- 
 cholia, who places all things in a dull light, had him in her 
 grip, which prevented him from giving his diseased mind 
 the medicine it required. 
 
 However, in accordance with his old tutor's instructions, 
 he sat there in silence, drinking in the odors of the flow- 
 ers, and listening to the music of the lark. Kot only that, 
 but a thrush in the tree above him began to pour forth his 
 mellow notes ; and though it was nigh mid-June, he heard 
 the quaint call of the cuckoo sound in the distance. Nature 
 and Nature's voices exercised their benign influence on his 
 restless spirit, and even in that short space of time soothed 
 him so much that, when Mr. Carriston returned, he missed 
 the frowning face with which Maurice had greeted him. 
 
 " Ah," said the Kector, with a nod of satisfaction, '- you 
 have benefited by the music of the birds already. I would 
 undertake to cure you, if you would only let me be your 
 physician. Now your soul is more at rest, but I have no 
 doubt your nerves need soothing, so try this churchwarden 
 and this excellent tobacco." 
 
 Maurice burst out laughing at this odd cure for melan- 
 choly, but did not refuse the Eector's hospitality; and 
 any one who entered the garden a few minutes afterwards, 
 would have discovered the venerable Kector and the youth- 
 ful Squire puffing gravely at long clays, like two cronies in 
 a village taproom. 
 
 They chatted in a desultory manner of little things, such 
 as Mrs. Dengelton, — who would have been very angry to 
 
38 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 find herself placed in such a category, — Eunice, love-mak- 
 ing, Crispin, the home farm, and such like trifles, when, after 
 a short pause, Maurice abruptly turned to the Rector, who, 
 lying back in luxurious ease, was watching the trembling of 
 the leaves above his head. 
 
 " And the story. Rector ? " 
 
 This question brought Mr. Carriston from heaven to earth, 
 and he looked at the young man with a grave smile on his 
 face. 
 
 " Ah, the story," he repeated, laying aside his pipe. " Yes, 
 I promised to tell you the one romance of my life. I am 
 afraid it is a very prosaic romance, still it may show you 
 how a man can find life endurable even after his heart is 
 broken." 
 
 " Why, Rector, is your heart broken ? " 
 
 " I thought it was once, but I'm afraid 'twas mended long 
 ago. Et ego in Arcadia fui, Maurice, although you would 
 never think so to look at me. Tush ! what has an old man 
 pottering about among his flowers in common with Cupid, 
 god of love ? Yet I, too, have sported with Amaryllis in 
 the shade, and piped love-songs to the careless ear of 
 Neaera." 
 
 He sighed a trifle sadly, very probably somewhat regret- 
 ful of that dead and gone romance which still looked bright 
 through the mists of forty years, and glanced sorrowfully at 
 the wrinkled hands which had once played with the golden 
 tresses of Chloe. Ah, Chloe was old now, and her famous 
 golden locks were white with the snows of many winters ; 
 or perchance she was dead, with the gentle winds blowing 
 across her daisied grave, and piping songs as beautiful as 
 those of her faithful shepherd. Is it not a painful thing to 
 be old and gray and full of sad memories of our fine days ? 
 yet, mingled with such melancholies, we recall many bright 
 dreams which then haunted our youthful brains. Alas, 
 Arcady ! why are we not permitted to dwell forever in thy 
 flowery meadows, beneath thy blue sky, instead of being 
 driven forth by the whip of Fate to crowded cities and 
 desolate wastes, wherein sound no gleeful melodies. 
 
 " It was at Oxford that I first met her," said the Rector in 
 his mellow voice, which was touched with vague regret ; 
 '' for she, too, dwelt in that grave scholastic city. I was not 
 in holy orders then ! No ; my ambition was to be a soldier, 
 and win the V.C. ; but, alas ! such dreams came to naught. 
 You may not believe it, Maurice, but I was wild and light- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 39 
 
 hearted in those days — to be sure, it was Consula Planco, 
 and youth is ever foolish. Her name was Miriam, and she 
 was a dressmaker. Ah, you are astonished that I, Stephen 
 Carriston, fixed my eyes on such a lowly damsel ; but then, 
 you see, I loved her dearly, and that, I think, is a sufficient 
 answer to your unspoken objection. Love knows nothing of 
 rank or position, and sees beauty in the wayside daisy as 
 well as in the costly hothouse plant. I need not tell you 
 she was very beautiful, for that is the common saying of 
 lovers, who see no loveliness save in the nymph of their 
 affections. What is it the poet says about a lover seeing 
 Helen's beauty in the brow of Egypt? Sure, my memory 
 is weak with age, and I misquote. Still, the saying is true. 
 Miriam was very beautiful, and I think must have had some 
 Jewish blood in her veins, for her dark, imperial beauty was 
 that of the East. Her hair was as dark as the wing of a 
 raven, her eyes liquid wells of light, and her mouth was as 
 the thread of scarlet spoken of in the song of the wise king. 
 You see, Maurice, old as I am, I can still rhapsodize on 
 Chloe's perfections, though she basely deceived me. Alas, 
 Strephon ! how the years have destroyed thy goddess ! — 
 nay, she destroyed herself by her own act." 
 " I did not know you were a poet. Rector." 
 Mr. Carriston, whose brow was dark with bitter memories, 
 aroused himself with a forced laugh, and strove to speak 
 lightly of the past. 
 
 "Live and learn, Maurice. I no poet? Why, my dear 
 lad, I am even now courting the Nine, and turning Aris- 
 tophanes into good English verse. No poet ? Why, every 
 man is a poet when in love ; and if he does not write a poem, 
 he at least lives a poem. I, alas, have been in love these 
 many years with a shadow — the shadow of Miriam before 
 she left me ! " 
 '• Left you ? " 
 
 " Yes. I call it my romance, but it is a painful story. A 
 deceitful woman, a wronged man, a treacherous friend — a 
 common enough tale, I think. Though, indeed, I need not 
 include ' friend,' for to this day I know not for whom she 
 left me." 
 
 " She was your wife ? " 
 
 " Yes. Wild as I was in those days, I was too honorable 
 to deceive a woman. In spite of the difference of our posi- 
 tion, I married her, and we were happy together for ten 
 years." 
 
40 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Ten years ! " replied Maurice in surprise. " Surely she 
 did not leave you after all that time of married happiness." 
 
 "Who knows the ways of women?" said the Rector bit- 
 terly. " Yes, she left me — took from me all I loved in the 
 world, herself and her child." 
 
 " Was there a child ? " 
 
 "Yes. He was born in the tenth year of our marriage, 
 just when I had given up all hope of being a father. If he 
 is still alive, Maurice, he will be just five years younger than 
 you, — thirty years old, — and for that I love you, my dear 
 lad ; you stand to me in the place of the son I have lost." 
 
 " Did you not suspect any one of taking her away ? " 
 
 "Yes; one man," answered the Rector gloomily. "He 
 was a tall, black-bearded fellow, who had just come back 
 from the East; but I only saw him once. I was a hard- 
 worked London curate in those days, and had but little time 
 to spare. My wife met him — I think his name was Captain 
 Malcolm — at the house of a mutual friend; but perhaps I 
 am wrong, and it was not he who destroyed my happiness. 
 She had so many friends. I can hardly wonder at that, for 
 she was then in the full pride of her womanly beauty. There 
 was a Frenchman, the Count de la Tour, I also suspected, 
 but I was sure of no one. I suppose she grew tired of our 
 poor life ; for, in spite of the way in which she went into so- 
 ciety, we were poor — that is, comfortable for a quiet life, 
 but too poor for a social one. I, never suspecting any evil, 
 was only too glad that she should go out and enjoy herself, 
 although at times I remonstrated with her, saying that such 
 gayety was not suited for the wife of a poor clergyman. She 
 said she would give up such frivolities shortly, and I, like a 
 fool, believed her. Then I was called down to see my father, 
 who was very ill. At length he died, and I remained to at- 
 tend to the funeral ; but when I came back to London after 
 a three weeks' absence, I found she had gone with the child. 
 She left no letter behind her to palliate her guilt ; all I knew 
 was that she had gone with some gentleman who had called 
 for her in a brougham. The servants could not describe the 
 man, as he did not enter the house, but remained in the car- 
 riage. My false wife told the servants she was called away 
 by me, as her father-in-law was dying; and it was only when 
 I returned that they learned the truth." 
 
 "Did you ever see this Captain Malcolm again ? " 
 
 " No, nor the Count de la Tour ; so that is why I suspect 
 one of those men as being the ruin of my life. Besides, I 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 41 
 
 heard afterwards that she went a great deal about with 
 them, sometimes with one, soinetimes with the other. One 
 of them I am sure it was, but I know not which. So you 
 see, at one blow, Maurice, I was bereft of wife, child, home, 
 and happiness. Afterwards I was offered this living, and, 
 wishing to leave the scene of my former happiness, my 
 former sorrow, my former disgrace, I accei3ted it, and came 
 down here, where I have lived in peace for thirty years." 
 
 "Did you get a divorce ? " 
 
 " Yes ; for the sake of my guilty wife. I did not wish to 
 marry again myself, but I desired to leave her free, so that 
 she might marry the partner of her guilt. I hope he behaved 
 honorably to her and did so ; but, alas ! I know not." 
 
 " And the boy ? " 
 
 " I have never heard of him since. I was left rich by the 
 death of my father, and all that money could do was done, 
 but I heard nothing of either wife or child. Is it not a sad 
 story, Maurice ? " 
 
 " Yes, very sad ! You must have suffered terribly." 
 
 "I did suffer terribly; but I tell you this, dear lad, to 
 show you how a man can force himself to be cheerful, even 
 when he thinks life has no further joys for him. Look at 
 me ! When my wife left me, I thought that the sun of my 
 life had set forever. I looked forward to jenrs of misery ; 
 and probably my existence would have been miserable, had 
 I not, with the aid of God, resisted the evil one. I did resist 
 him, by accustoming myself to take an interest in all things; 
 and, by schooling myself into patience, I found life, if not 
 blissful, at least endurable. I now love my work among my 
 parishioners, I enjoy my Greek studies, I interest myself in 
 my garden, and am thus able to live a comparatively happy 
 life. Had I given way weakly to my misery, I would have 
 been an unhappy man all my life, and have done no good in 
 my generation ; but I fought against the evil spirit, with the 
 aid of God I conquered him, and now can look back with 
 thankfulness to the calamity which tried and chastened my 
 soul." 
 
 "And you are happy now ? " 
 
 " Yes," said the Rector firmly. " I am as happy as any 
 mortal can hope to be. 'Man is born to trouble as the 
 sparks fly upward,' says Job ; but if we did not fight against 
 these troubles they would overwhelm us. So, my dear lad, 
 do as I have done, fight against the evil spirit, and, with 
 God's grace, you will be victorious." 
 
42 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " I thank you for your advice, sir, and I will try and fol- 
 low it." 
 
 "My story is but a dull one, I am afraid," resumed the 
 Rector, after a pause, — " dull and prosaic, with no romance 
 to render it captivating ; but I only told it to show to you 
 what a man can do if he fights against his troubles, and does 
 not yield weakly at the first attack of the enemy. You have 
 no unhappy love, you have no regrets ; therefore, my dear 
 lad, show yourself to be a man, and do not thus weakly yield 
 to a phantom of your own creation. Try to be interested in 
 life, fall in love and marry if you can, and I promise you all 
 will yet be well with you. Your troubles are but dreams of 
 a disordered brain, which can be banished by an effort of 
 will ; so rouse yourself, JMaurice, conquer your weak spirit, 
 and with God's help you will be a happy man." 
 
 "Thank you, sir," said Maurice, grasping the Kector's 
 hand; "I will do what you say. I have been weak, but I 
 will be so no longer. I will take up the duties of life, and 
 do my best to perform them well. Your sermon, your story, 
 has done me good, Mr. Carriston ; and I feel that I would be 
 indeed a coward to flinch from the fray in which you have 
 so bravely fought and conquered." 
 
 " Good lad ! good lad ! " replied the delighted Eector. " I 
 knew you would see things in their right light. But come, 
 the lesson is over, and now is the time for play. You must 
 look round at my roses, and the finest bud of the garden will 
 adorn your buttonhole as ' a reward for your determination.' " 
 
 Maurice gladly fell in with the Rector's humor, and 
 together they strolled round the garden to examine and 
 admire his floral treasures. Carriston was like a child in his 
 garden, and his bursts of delight at this or that particular 
 rose tree would have made many a person smile. But 
 Maurice did not smile ; he loved his old tutor too well to 
 smile at his simple pleasures, and took scarcely less interest 
 than the Rector himself in the momentous question of trans- 
 ferring this tree over there, or ingrafting a hardy shoot in 
 this sickly-looking plant. Suddenly the Rector stopped, and 
 began to rummage in the pockets of his long black coat. 
 
 " Dear dear ! " he said in a vexed tone ; " it is not liere, and 
 yet I am sure I placed it in this pocket." 
 
 " Placed what, sir ? " 
 
 " A letter ! a letter ! No, I can't find it. Maurice, I wish 
 you to stay to luncheon. I have a friend coming.'^ 
 
 " Indeed ? " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 43 
 
 " Well, not exactly a friend ; but, the fact is, a young man 
 has arrived in the village with a letter of introduction to me 
 from a mutual friend in London. He is at present staying 
 at the Royland Arms, and sent his letter this morning, so I 
 wrote back and asked him to come to luncheon. You must 
 stay and meet him, Maurice, for I hear he is a most delight- 
 ful man." 
 
 " What is his name ? " 
 
 " I cannot remember. He is a Greek. The letter must 
 
 be in my study, so we will go and look for it. This young 
 
 Greek is a great traveller, and is now on a visit to England. 
 
 He had a letter of introduction to my friend, the Arch- 
 
 ■ deacon of Eastminster, who gave him one to me." 
 
 " But what does he come to this out-of-the-way place for ? " 
 asked Maurice, with that inherent suspicion he had acquired 
 in Bohemia. 
 
 " I don't know. I expect he will answer that question for 
 himself at luncheon. Ah, here is the letter — I left it on the 
 table." 
 
 " Well, what is his name ? " asked Maurice again. 
 
 The rector adjusted his pmce-Jiez, and, smoothing open the 
 letter, read the name aloud : — 
 
 " Count Constantine Caliphronas." 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A MASTERPIECE OF NATURE. 
 
 The pride of the human 
 
 Does nature diminish, 
 "With spiteful acumen, 
 
 She roughly will finish 
 A man or a woman, 
 
 He stout and she thinnish, 
 Till one is not fair, nor the other a true man. 
 
 But Nature's conception 
 
 May not be pernicious, 
 For know her perception 
 
 At times is capricious; 
 Her work bears inspection. 
 
 In manner judicious. 
 For sometimes she turns out a man near perfection. 
 
 The above jingle of verses may sound somewhat abstruse, 
 but he who has the patience to search until he discovers the 
 kernel of this rhyming nut, will certainly find it to be a 
 
44 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 truism. Nature does finish the mass of humanity in a some- 
 what rough and ready fashion ; true, she may equip them 
 with all the necessary limbs and organs necessary to the enjoy- 
 ment of life, but she does not trouble herself to put in those 
 delicate touches which go to the making of a perfectly hand- 
 some man, or a faultlessly beautiful woman. At times, how- 
 ever, just to show what she can do in the way of creative 
 beauty, she gives her whole mind to the task, and lo ! Achilles, 
 and Helen of Troy. But such perfect specimens of human- 
 ity are few and far between ; therefore when JMaurice, who 
 had an artistic eye, met Count Constantine Caliphronas for 
 the first time, he recognized with delight that he saw before 
 him one of Nature's masterpieces. 
 
 There is nothing more detestable than that society horror, 
 ^' a beauty man," who resembles a wax figure in his unnatural 
 perfectibility of face and form. Flawless he may be in 
 every part, but the ensemble is nevertheless unpleasing both 
 to eye and mind, for, in aiding Nature to show herself at her 
 best, he soon becomes a mere artificial figure, which ought to 
 be placed in a glass case for the edification of school misses 
 and gushing society ladies. This man, however, did not 
 belong to that over-civilized class, as at a glance one could 
 see he was a child of Nature, a nursling of the winds and 
 waves, whose physical perfections were kept in their pris- 
 tine beauty by the constant care of the great mother herself. 
 Caliphronas had all the grace and untamed beauty of a wild 
 animal, looking as if he claimed kinship with the salt sea, 
 the fresh woods, the strong sunlight, and the bracing air of 
 snow-clad mountain-tops. His physical beauty was truly 
 wonderful, and was as much the outcome of perfect health, 
 as of perfect creation. He lacked that self-restrained air 
 which is stamped on the face of every civilized man, and in 
 the modest little dining-room of the Rectory looked like some 
 graceful panther caged against its will. Nature's child was 
 only in his right place with Nature herself, and in our dull 
 respectable England he seemed an exile from the healthful 
 solitudes which had given him birth. 
 
 " It is impossible to describe Caliphronas," said Maurice 
 many years afterwards, in speaking of this man. " I can tell 
 you that his figure was as perfect as the Apollo Belvedere, 
 and say that his face was as flawless in its virile beauty as 
 the Antinous of the Vatican, but this will give you no idea 
 of his physical perfection. His body seemed to be instinct 
 with the lawless fierceness of wind and wave; he moved 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 45 
 
 with the stately grace of a nude savage unaccustomed to 
 the restraint of clothing. I never understood the phrase 
 ' child of Nature ' until I saw Caliphronas, and it is the only 
 way in which he can be explained. I believe his mother 
 was a Nereid and his father a hunter, for he was the off- 
 spring of earth and ocean — the consummate flower of both. 
 Yet I do not think he had what we call brains — true, he 
 possessed the cunning and instinct of a wild animal, but that 
 was all. I think, myself, brains and culture would have 
 spoiled him ; he was born to be a wild, free thing, happy 
 only on the hills, a type, a visible incarnation of Nature in a 
 male form. If you ask me whom he resembled in real life, 
 I cannot tell you, as I never saw any one in the least like 
 him. But in fiction — well, study the character of Margrave 
 m 'A Strange Story,' and Donatello in Hawthorne's 'Mar- 
 ble Faun,' and by blending the two you may arrive at some 
 conception of Count Caliphronas." 
 
 Such was the man who now sat at the table of the Eector, 
 chatting gayly with his host and Maurice Eoylands. Being 
 a hot day, the Rector had wisely provided a cold luncheon, 
 and himself presided over a noble piece of beef, which looked 
 as though it had been taken from one of Apollo's oxen. 
 There was also a capital salad,— the Rector was famous 
 for his salads, — fruit, wine, cheese, and bread. A simple 
 repast, truly, but then the Rector was simple in his tastes, 
 and detested those highly-spiced dishes, which but create 
 thirst, and whose chief merit seems to be that the diner 
 cannot tell of what they are composed. An artificial life 
 creates artificial tastes, and the principal mission of cookery 
 now seems to lie in the direction of tickling the palate, not 
 of satisfying the stomach, with the result that gout and 
 dyspepsia have it all their own way. If half, nay, if the 
 whole of the French cooks now engaged in ruining the 
 healths of Englishmen and Englishwomen were bundled 
 back to their beloved Paris, the income of every doctor in 
 London would decrease with the rapidity of lightning. As 
 before mentioned, the Rector liked the good things of this 
 life, but he thought the simplest food the most enjoyable, 
 m which he was right, though epicures may doubt the truth 
 of such an opinion. Yet, after all, do not epicures hold the 
 simplicity of a well-roasted leg of mutton to be a dish fit for 
 a king. 
 
 If the Rector was simple in his eating, however, Count 
 Constantine was still simpler, for he hardly touched his 
 
46 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 meat, and confined his attention to bread, cheese, salad, and 
 wine — the latter being some excellent claret, on which the 
 Rector prided himself. 
 
 "My dear sir," he said in agony, as he saw Caliphronas 
 about to mingle water with his wine, "you will spoil the 
 flavor of the claret." 
 
 "Pardon me, sir," replied the Count, who spoke English 
 admirably, " but we Greeks are partial to such mingling. 
 We worship the Naiad with her urn as well as Bacchus with 
 his flask, and the union of both produces a drink fit for 
 Father Zeus." 
 
 " You don't seem to care much for meat," said the Rector, 
 relinquishing the point about the wine, though it went to 
 his soul to see such a spoiling of the finest qualities of his 
 claret. 
 
 "No," answered Caliphronas carelessly; "oddly enough, I 
 do not care much for flesh. I live so much in the open air 
 that, like Nature, I live on the simplest things. Bread, 
 cheese, and wine I love ; add honey, and I want nothing 
 better to satisfy my appetite. Country fare for a country 
 man, you know." 
 
 "You are a shepherd of Theocritus," said Maurice, with a 
 smile. 
 
 " No ; save in such tastes perhaps ; otherwise I am no 
 Sicilian of the Idylles." 
 
 "You speak English wonderfully well. Count," remarked 
 the Rector politely. 
 
 " Thank you for the compliment, sir ; yet it is the first 
 time I have been in England." 
 
 " What ! do they teach English in the schools of Athens ? " 
 
 " Alas, no. The schools of modern Athens are not those 
 of the old Greek days. Socrates, Plato, Pythagoras, have 
 gone to the blessed isles in company with the heroes of 
 Salamis, and our Greek culture of to-day is primitive in the 
 extreme. No; I learned Greek from a roving Englishman 
 — a scholar and a gentleman who grew weary of this respect- 
 able England of yours, and came back to the freer life of 
 the Greek islands." 
 
 "He taught you admirably," said Roy lands, wondering 
 why the Greek eyed him so keenly while making this speech. 
 " Do you come from Athens ? " 
 
 "I have been there," answered Caliphronas, pushing away 
 his plate, " but I am an islander. Yes, I was born in Ithaca, 
 therefore am I a countryman of Ulysses." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 47 
 
 "Achilles, perhaps," observed the Rector, fascinated by 
 the clear-cut features of the young man, — " the godlike 
 Achilles." 
 
 " Ah no," replied the Greek, with a shade of melancholy 
 in his tone ; " I am like no hero of those times. Our ances- 
 tors have transmitted to us their physical forms, but not 
 their brains, not their heroism." 
 
 "Come now," remonstrated Maurice. "I am sure your 
 countrymen behaved bravely in the War of Independence." 
 
 " Yes, I agree with you there. Canaris, Mavrocordato, 
 Botzaris, were all brave men. I accept the rebuke, for I have 
 no right to run down my own countrymen. Perhaps in Eng- 
 land I may learn the meaning of the word patriotism." 
 
 " Or Jingoism." 
 
 " Your pardon ? " queried the Count, a trifled puzzled. 
 
 "Jingoism," explained Maurice gravely, "is a spurious 
 patriotism, composed of music-hall songs, the Union Jack, 
 and gallons of beer — it begins with a chorus and ends with 
 a riot. Tom, Dick, and Harry are very fond of it, as it ex- 
 pands their lungs and quenches their thirst. But there, I am 
 only jesting. Do you stay long in England ? " 
 
 Again the Greek eyed Maurice keenly, and hesitated a 
 moment before replying. 
 
 "I can hardly tell yet," he said, with emphasis. "Mr. 
 Carriston, will you show me your garden ? " he added, turn- 
 ing to the Rector. 
 
 "I will be delighted," said Carriston eagerly; "we will 
 stroll round it. Do you smoke ? " 
 
 " No, thank you," returned the count, waving away with a 
 gesture of repugnance the cigarette Maurice held out to 
 him. "I never smoke." 
 
 " That is strange." 
 
 Caliphronas shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 "Perhaps so, sir. For myself, I do not care about it." 
 
 " Curious creature," murmured Maurice reflectively, as he 
 followed the Rector and his guest into the garden. " I 
 wonder why he looks at me so keenly, and what he is doing 
 down here. Humph ! I would like to find out your little 
 game, my friend." 
 
 Ten years of fighting. with the world had turned Maurice 
 from a frank, open-hearted fellow into a cold, suspicious 
 man, and he always doubted the motives of every one. 
 This is a disagreeable way of looking at things, but in many 
 cases it is a very necessary one, owing to the double lives 
 
48 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 which most people seem nowadays to live. Social inter- 
 course, whether for pleasure or business, is no longer as 
 simple as it used to be in the old days, and our complex civil- 
 ization has introduced into every action we perform that 
 element of distrust which is at once disagreeable and neces- 
 sary. Maurice knew nothing about Caliphroiias, and had he 
 met him in London would doubtless have accepted him for 
 what he appeared to be — a foreign nobleman on his travels ; 
 but for this man to visit a quiet village like Roylands was 
 peculiar, and there must be some motive for his doing so. 
 
 " I'll ask him how he likes England, and lead up to his 
 unexpected arrival here," thought Maurice, as he walked 
 along smoking his cigarette. " He seems sharp, but I think 
 I'm able to distinguish between the real and the false." 
 
 Caliphronas was loud in his expressions of admiration for 
 the Kector's roses, and his delight seemed genuine enough 
 even to Maurice, who stood listening to his raptures with a 
 grim smile, as if he would like to cast over this bright being 
 the shadow of his own melancholy nature. 
 
 " I have a perfect passion for flowers," said the Count, with 
 a gay smile, as he placed a red bud in his coat, " and roses 
 are my favorites. Were they not the flowers of pleasure 
 in classical times ? did they not wreathe the brows of rev- 
 ellers at festivals ? — the flowers of love and of silence ! " 
 
 "I am pleased you like flowers," observed the Rector, 
 looking at the joyous figure before him, which was bathed 
 in sunshine; "'tis an innocent pleasure." 
 
 "I love all that is of Nature," cried Caliphronas, throwing 
 himself on the smooth sward ; " Nature is my mother — my 
 true mother. Yes, I am a man born of woman, but such 
 maternity does not appeal to me. Nature is at once my 
 mother, my nurse, my goddess." 
 
 " You were born in Ithaca," said Maurice quietly. 
 
 "Was I born at all?" replied Caliphronas, throwing him- 
 self back with a joyous laugh and letting the sun blaze on 
 his uncovered head. " I do not know ! I cannot tell. Per- 
 chance some nymph bore me to one of the old gods, who 
 Heine says yet walk the earth in other forms." 
 
 "What do you know of Heine ? " asked the Rector in some 
 surprise. 
 
 " Nothing ! — absolutely nothing. I never heard his name 
 till the other day, when some one told me a story of the 
 Gods in Exile, and said one Heine had written it." 
 
 " Are you fond of reading ? " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 49 
 
 "I never read. I care not for books — all my knowledge 
 comes from the mouth of my fellow-men and from Nature. 
 Such culture is enough for me." 
 
 "You will get a sunstroke if you don't cover your head," 
 said Maurice, somewhat tired of this pseudo-classicism. 
 
 " No ! I am a friend of Apollo's. He will hurl no darts at 
 me, and your pale sun in England is but a shadow of the 
 glorious Helios of our Greek skies." 
 
 And, lying on his back, he began to sing a strange, wan- 
 dering melody, of which the words (roughly translated) were 
 as follows : — 
 
 " The sun is my father : 
 He kissed my mother the sea, 
 And of their wooing the fruit am I." 
 
 Both the Englishmen were strangely fascinated bythis 
 stranger. He conducted himself in quite an unconventional 
 fashion, and seemed to follow the last thought that suggested 
 itself to his capricious brain. 
 
 " Come ! " he cried, springing to his feet with a bound like 
 a deer. "Come, Mr. Maurice — are you a runner? I will 
 race you round this garden." 
 
 " Really, Count," said the Rector, somewhat startled. 
 
 "Eh! Am I wrong, sir?" replied Caliphronas apologeti- 
 cally. "I ask your pardon! I do not know your English 
 ways ; you must teach me. I act as I feel. Is it wrong to 
 do so ? " 
 
 " Well, we English like to see a little more self-restraint," 
 said Maurice, looking at the graceful figure of the young 
 man. " By the way, are you going to stay here long ? " 
 
 The smile faded from the bright face of the Count, and he 
 turned half away with an abrupt movement. 
 
 " Who can tell ? " he said lightly. "I am a bird of pas- 
 sage. I alight here and there, but fly when I am weary of 
 the bough. You wonder at my coming down here, do you 
 not, Mr. ]\Iaurice ? " 
 
 Thus addressed directly, Roylands was rather taken aback, 
 and reddened perceptibly through the tan of his skin. 
 
 "Well, for a gay young man like you, Count, I thought 
 London would have pleased you better." 
 
 Caliphronas burst out laughing, and, putting his hands 
 behind his head, leant back against the trunk of tlie elm. 
 
 " Do you hear your friend, sir ? " he said to the Rector. 
 "He thinks that I prefer that dull, smoky town to the coun- 
 
60 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 try. Why, Athens is too narrow for me ! I love the open 
 lands, the plains, the mountains, the seas. Up in that city 
 of yours I was weary, and I spoke to the priest of my friend. 
 ' Oh,' I cried, ' I will die of want of air in this place. Take 
 me to the woods, where I can breathe and see the sun.' So 
 he gave me that letter to you," addressing the Rector, '^and 
 I came here at once." 
 
 So this was the explanation of his presence in the little 
 village — a very natural one surely, and Maurice felt some- 
 what ashamed of his late suspicions ; but a new thought had 
 entered his head, suggested by the statuesque pose of the 
 Greek leaning against the tree, and he came forward eagerly. 
 
 " Count Caliphronas," he said quickly, " I am a sculptor, 
 and I have the idea for a statue of Endymion — would you 
 — would you " — 
 
 "Ah, you want me to be a model, sir?" said the Count, 
 laughing. " Eh, well, I do not mind in the least — you may 
 command me." 
 
 " Thank you very much, if I " — 
 
 " If you could only introduce me to a Diana, that would 
 indeed be perfect." 
 
 " I suppose you are a kind of general lover. Count," said 
 the rector, turning round from a rose-tree with a smile. 
 
 " I am not as bad as that, sir. No ! I love ! I love ! " He 
 stopped abruptly, and a shade came over his face. " Yes, I 
 love," he resumed quickly ; " but my love is unfortunate." 
 
 " What ! is any woman cold-hearted enough to refuse 
 you ? " observed Maurice, looking at him in amazement ; for 
 indeed a woman would be hard to please were she not satis- 
 fied with this splendid-looking youth. 
 
 ''There are women and women," said Caliphronas enig- 
 matically. " This one does not love me yet, but she will." 
 
 '' When ? " 
 
 The Greek shot a keen glance at Maurice, and then ob- 
 served, in an indifferent voice, — 
 
 " When I do what I am requested to do." 
 
 Both men looked steadily at one another, and it seemed to 
 Maurice as though there were a certain amount of menace 
 visible on the face of Caliphronas, but such look speedily 
 passed away, and he bounded lightly across the turf to where 
 the cat was sitting. 
 
 To the surprise of both the Rector and Maurice, she let 
 this stranger take her up in his arms and smooth her fur. 
 
 " Dear, dear ! " said the Rector in an astonished tone j 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. W 
 
 "what power do you possess over the animal world, Count? 
 Tliat cat will not let any one touch her as a rule." 
 
 " Oh, all animals take to me," replied Caliphronas lightly, 
 letting the cat down gently on the ground. " I can do any- 
 thing with horses and dogs." 
 
 '' Donatello ! " whispered Maurice to himself. " He looks 
 innocent enough, and yet that look — I must speak to Crispin, 
 and ask his opinion of this man." 
 
 Meanwhile the Count was giving Carriston a description 
 of his miseries at the Royland Arms. 
 
 " Such a small room to sleep in," he said in a disgusted 
 tone. " I know I will be smothered if I stay in it. No ; I 
 shall wrap myself up in a blanket and sleep under the moon 
 like Endymion, which will be training for your friend's 
 statue." 
 
 "That will be dangerous," objected the Eector. 
 
 " Not at all ! In Greece — I mean my native islands — I 
 sleep out very often. Oh, there is nothing more beautiful 
 than slumber in the open air. I cannot bear houses ; they 
 stifle me ; they crush me. I love no roof lower than the sky. 
 And then to wake at dawn, to see the east glow with rosy 
 tints, to watch the dew moisten every blade of grass, the 
 awakening of the animals, the first songs of the birds, and 
 the rising of the sun. Oh, I worship the sun ! I worship 
 him!" 
 
 The Rector was a trifle shocked at this peroration, as he 
 was not quite sure whether this fantastic being was not a 
 sun-worshipper in downright earnest ; the more so as in a sud- 
 den freak he flung himself down on his knees and held out 
 his arms to the glorious luminary. 
 
 "You are joking," he said gravely. 
 
 "Not I," replied Caliphronas, springing to his feet. " You 
 are not angry, are you, sir ? Eh ! I forgot myself you were 
 a priest in this country. I must explain. I am of the Greek 
 Church — yes! oh, I have been baptized." 
 
 The Rector smiled, and said no more, for it was impossible 
 to talk seriously with a man who possessed so childish a soul. 
 Meanwhile, Maurice, who had been thinking over matters, 
 came to the conclusion that he would ask Caliphronas to stay 
 at the Grange for a few days. At first sight this seemed 
 rather injudicious, but when he remembered the high char- 
 acter of the man who vouched for the respectability of the 
 Greek, all his scruples vanished. Besides, Caliphronas was 
 such a peculiar character that he desired a closer acquaint- 
 
52 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 ance with him ; and, above all, he could not hope anywhere 
 to find such a perfect model for his Endymion. Taking, 
 then, all these facts into consideration, he speedily made up 
 his mind to ask the Count to be his guest, and did so with- 
 out delay. 
 
 " Count," he said politely, " I am afraid you will find that 
 inn very uncomfortable, so I would be glad to see you at the 
 Grange for a week or so, where I think you will find your- 
 self in more civilized quarters." 
 
 The Count's eyes flashed with what looked uncommonly 
 like triumph, but he dropped the lids over them rapidly for 
 the moment, so as to prevent this look being seen, and shook 
 Maurice heartily by the hand. 
 
 " Thank you very much ! oh, very much indeed ! " he said 
 effusively. " I hope I will not trouble you. I will be glad 
 to come — yes, that place in the village would kill me." 
 
 " That's all right," replied Maurice, who had an English- 
 man's horror of a scene. " I will send over for your traps, 
 and you can come to the Grange in time for dinner. We 
 dine at seven o'clock." • 
 
 " Thank you, sir. I will be at your home to-night." 
 
 The Eector, who had fully intended to ask Caliphronas to 
 be his guest, was rather startled by Maurice's precipitancy, 
 but, on the whole, was not ill-pleased, for two reasons : the 
 first being that he did not much care about burdening him- 
 self with this eccentric foreigner ; and the second, that he 
 was delighted that, during the stay of the Count at the 
 Grange, Maurice would take to his modelling again. 
 
 "By the way," said Maurice, turning suddenly to the 
 Count, " do you know any one called Crispin ? "' 
 
 ^'Creespeen ! " repeated Caliphronas, with his foreign 
 accent; "no, I do not know that name." 
 
 "He is a gentleman who is staying with me," replied 
 Roylands carelessly ; " and, as he is pretty well acquainted 
 with your part of the world, I thought you might have met 
 him." 
 
 The Greek smilingly denied that he had the honor of 
 Crispin's acquaintance, but it seemed to Maurice as though 
 there was a shade of apprehension on his face which some- 
 what puzzled the young man. 
 
 "Can't make this fellow out," was his mental comment. 
 "Hope I'm not making a mistake in asking him to the 
 Grange. Still, the Archdeacon's letter to Carriston is a 
 sufficient guarantee that he is not a swindler, so I will 
 chance it." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 63 
 
 " I must now say good-by," said Caliphronas to the Eector, 
 " and thank you for your kindness. Of course I will see you 
 soon again." 
 
 "Oh yes. You must come here as often as you can." 
 
 "That will not be much if I am to sit for this artist," 
 laughed Caliphronas, turning to Maurice. "Good-by, sir; I 
 will see you to-night at six o'clock." 
 
 He turned away gayly and left the garden, followed by the 
 admiring eyes of the two men, especially of Maurice, who 
 congratulated himself on his good fortune in obtaining such 
 a perfect model. 
 
 Meanwhile Caliphronas was walking swiftly in the direc- 
 tion of the Royland Arms. 
 
 " Good ! " he muttered to himself in Greek. " The first 
 step is taken, so I have no fear now." 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 CRISPIN IS PUZZLED. 
 
 I've seen you before 
 But where I forget, 
 Yet somewhere of yore 
 I've seen you before ; 
 You meet me once more, 
 A stranger — and yet 
 I've seen you before, 
 But where I forget. 
 
 Up and down the long terrace in front of the Grange 
 walked Crispin, and, from the rapt expression of his face, 
 it would seem as though he were composing poetry ; but, as 
 a matter of fact, he was thinking about Eunice. The course 
 of their true love did not run smooth by any means, for Mrs. 
 Dengelton, having found her daughter in the company of the 
 poet, had marched off the former in order to lecture her 
 about the latter. The substance, therefore, having been 
 taken away, Crispin was left with only the shadow; in 
 other words, from speaking to Eunice, he was reduced to 
 thinking of Eunice, which was not by any means so pleasant 
 a position of affairs. 
 
 This uncomfortable state of things was due to the dis- 
 covery made by Mrs. Dengelton, that her daughter had the 
 
54 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 previous evening been engaged in moongazing with the poet, 
 a fact which the astute Parrot extracted with wonderful dex- 
 terity from her reluctant daughter. Mrs. Dengelton had 
 talked a good deal about the family romance, as related to 
 the Eector and Maurice, whereupon Eunice, having been 
 asked questions concerning the same, was forced to admit 
 that she had been absent during the recital. Her mother at 
 once pounced down on this dainaging admission like a hawk, 
 and pressed the poor girl so mercilessly with questions, that 
 she was obliged to tell of that pleasant half-hour on the 
 terrace in company with Crispin. 
 
 On making this discovery, Mrs. Dengelton was too wise to 
 reproach her daughter, and thereby run the risk of making 
 her deaf to the voice of the charmer, i.e., resist her mother's 
 desires in connection with matrimony. No, the elder lady 
 said nothing about what she considered to be an act of mad- 
 ness, but privately determined to keep Crispin and Eunice 
 apart by every means in her power. She was on the watch 
 this morning, and, having finished the daily papers, — for 
 Mrs. Dengelton prided herself on her universal knowledge 
 of what was going on in the world, — went out to look for 
 Eunice, who had disappeared. As she expected, she found 
 her in the company of the poet, whereupon she made some 
 ladylike excuse, — Mrs. Dengelton was an adept at telling 
 white lies, — and took Eunice away to her room, where she 
 kept her busy with letter-writing. 
 
 Crispin, therefore, deprived of the company of his inam- 
 orata, was by no means in a cheerful mood, and regretted 
 that Eunice had not sufficient strength of mind to defy her 
 mother, and end all his trouble by marrying him witliout 
 delay. He had a very impulsive nature, and would have 
 liked to sweep away these obstacles by sheer force of insist- 
 ence that the marriage should take place at once ; but his 
 impulses were in a great measure restrained by experience 
 in the school of the world, and he saw that it would be wiser 
 to watch and wait. Already he was seriously thinking of end- 
 ing his visit, and returning to town, in order^to enlist his great 
 friend. Lady Bentwitch, on his side, as such a fashionable 
 personage might be able to talk Mrs. Dengelton into assent- 
 ing to the marriage ; but in spite of his strength of character 
 he was reluctant to leave Eunice even for the short space of 
 a week. So, like the ass between two bundles of hay, he 
 could not quite make up his mind which course to take, 
 when he saw Maurice coming leisurely along the terrace, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 65 
 
 and the conversation which ensued between them enabled 
 him to at once settle his future movements. 
 
 When the master of Roylands reached his side, Crispin 
 was struck with the unusual vivacity of his face. The 
 gloomy look which it generally wore had quite disappeared, 
 and in its place was an alert, eager expression, which showed 
 that Maurice was deeply interested in some important matter. 
 
 " My dear Roylands," cried Crispin in astonishment, '• why 
 this transformation ? Yesterday you were plunged in gloom, 
 to-day Romeo on his way to Juliet looked not so happy. 
 Who is the enchanter — or shall I say enchantress — who 
 has worked this miracle ? " 
 
 " The Rector has been giving me a lecture," said Maurice 
 gayly, lighting a cigarette; "a terrible lecture, which re- 
 minded me of the days when I made false quantities in Latin 
 verse, and translated good Greek into bad English." 
 
 '' Ah, you ought to have a lecture every day if it benefits 
 you in this way. You are much pleasanter as Sancho Panza 
 than as Don Quixote." 
 
 '' Explain ! " 
 
 " Well, the squire was always merry, and the knight dole- 
 ful ; so I like you as the former more than the latter." 
 
 " I am afraid we have changed characters, Crispin. You 
 are the Knight of the Rueful Countenance now." 
 
 " Eunice " — 
 
 " Cela va sans dire,^^ said Maurice, leaning his elbows on 
 the balustrade. " Oh, do not look so astonished, Monsieur 
 Cupid ! I am not so blind but what I can see how things 
 stand between you and Psyche." 
 
 " You take credit to yourself when none is due," replied 
 Crispin significantly. " Mr. Carriston drew your attention 
 to our position. You did not see it for yourself." 
 
 " That is true enough ; but how did you guess that the 
 Rector told me ? " 
 
 ''Because you were too much wrapped up in yourself to 
 notice unhappy lovers." 
 
 '' Unhappy lovers ? " 
 
 " Yes. I love Eunice, and my affection is returned ; but 
 there is an obstacle which prevents our marriage." 
 
 " And this obstacle ? " 
 
 " Is yourself." 
 
 " I ? " 
 
 " You ! Mrs. Dengelton wants Eunice to marry you." 
 
 " There's always two to a bargain," said Maurice grimly. 
 *' I don't want to marry Eunice." 
 
56 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Oh, you don't love her ? " 
 
 "As a cousin, yes ; as a possible wife, no." 
 
 " Then there is some chance for me ? " 
 
 " I should say there was every chance for you," remarked 
 Roy lands in a friendly manner. ^' You are young and 
 famous, you know every one, you go everywhere, you are the 
 adored of the gentle sex ; so what more can Eunice or her 
 mother desire." 
 
 " Eunice desires nothing — except myself j but as for Mrs. 
 Dengelton, she thinks I am poor." 
 
 " Oh ! and are you poor ? " 
 
 "No ; on the contrary, I am very well off." 
 
 " Then why don't you place all your perfections before my 
 dear aunt, and persuade her into consenting to the match." 
 
 ^'I don't want to do so — yet," said Crispin, with some 
 hesitation. 
 
 '■ Why all this mystery ? " 
 
 "I cannot tell jon just now, but you may be certain there 
 is nothing wrong about the mystery. I will satisfy Mrs. 
 Dengelton on all points shortly, and then, perhaps, I will 
 have the felicity of being your cousin-in-law." 
 
 " I wish you good luck." 
 
 "You would not object to my marrying your cousin?" 
 asked Crispin timidly. 
 
 "I?" said Maurice in amazement. "Certainly not! I 
 believe in love matches ; but, of course, — though I have but 
 little to say in the matter, — I would like to know who you 
 are, where you come from, and all that, before you become 
 the husband of Eunice." 
 
 "I will explain everything to your satisfaction — shortly." 
 
 "The sooner the better for your own sake." 
 
 " I don't understand you," said Crispin, with some hauteur. 
 
 " I mean as regards Eunice," explained Maurice quickly. 
 "If you don't tell my aunt of your intentions, and put your- 
 self right as regards money and position in her eyes, she will 
 marry Eunice to some one else. Failing me, — audi have 
 not the slightest intention of marrying my dear cousin, — 
 she will angle for another rich man, who will probably not 
 be so blind to the charms of Eunice as I am. -In that case, 
 my poor Crispin, I am afraid it will be all up with you." 
 
 " What you say is very true," replied Crispin reflectively. 
 " I will speak to Mrs. Dengelton before I leave the Grange." 
 
 " I cannot understand what you are making all this 
 mystery about.'^ 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 57 
 
 " Because I am proud," rejoined the poet, with a flush on 
 his dark cheek. "I cannot explain myself now, but I will 
 some day, and then you will see I have a good reason for my 
 reticence." 
 
 " So be it. But at present you are a riddle." 
 
 " Well, I suppose I am," said Crispin smilingly; "but one 
 which will shortly be explained, and, like all riddles, turn 
 out to be very disappointing. By the way, you might offer 
 me one of those excellent cigarettes." 
 
 '• Certainly," answered Maurice, holding out his open case. 
 " Unlike Caliphronas, you are fond of smoking." 
 
 " Caliphronas ! Who is he ? what is it ? man, woman, or 
 child, or something to eat ? " 
 
 " The first — a Greek. Count Constantine Caliphronas." 
 
 " Phoebus ! what a name !" ejaculated Crispin, lighting his 
 cigarette. " Who is he ? " 
 
 " A Greek nobleman." 
 
 " Humph ! I mistrust Greek noblemen." 
 
 "Well, they have got a bad name," said Maurice quite 
 apologetically ; " but I don't think this one is a chevalier 
 dHndustrie.^^ 
 
 " The exception which proves the rule, perhaps," replied 
 Crispin idly ; " but really I have no right to call the Greeks 
 names, as on the whole they are not bad. I have a good 
 many friends among the countrymen of Plato." 
 
 " Do you know Caliphronas ? " 
 
 "Ah, that I cannot tell until I see him." 
 
 " Well, you will see him soon, as he is coming to stay here 
 for a few days." 
 
 " Stay here ! " said Crispin in some surprise. " My dear 
 Roylands, is not this a very sudden friendship ? " 
 
 " It is not a friendship at all." 
 
 " Well, when a man asks another to his house to stay — 
 to be introduced to his relatives — it is uncommonly like 
 friendship." 
 
 " I am not so conventional as most Englishmen," said 
 Maurice impatiently, " and therefore do not act by rule. I 
 daresay I should have made inquiries about the past of this 
 Greek before asking him to my house ; but, as far as that 
 goes, you are a riddle yourself." 
 
 Crispin's sallow cheek flushed at this home thrust, but he 
 had great self-command, and replied quietly enough, — 
 
 " That is rather a hard thing to say of me. I thought you 
 were my friend.'^ 
 
58 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Pardon me, old fellow," said Eoylands penitently. " T 
 did not mean to be so rude.. I have an abominable temper, 
 and should be kicked for saying such a thing in my own 
 house." 
 
 "I will let you off the kicking," replied Crispin, recovering 
 his good-humor. " As you very truly say, I am a riddle ; 
 but 1 will explain myself soon. Still, this Count Caliph- 
 ronas " — 
 
 " Do you know the name ? " 
 
 " I have a faint idea I have heard it before." 
 
 " In Greece ? " 
 
 " Most probably. I know the isles of Greece very well." 
 
 " Ah, is that a quotation from Byron, or a pointed remark ? 
 In other words, is it serious or a chance shot ? " 
 
 " The latter — I only quoted from ' Don Juan.' Why do 
 you ask ? " 
 
 " Because this Count does come from the isles of Greece. 
 He says he was born in Ithaca." 
 
 " Ah, he is not reticent about himself," said Crispin dryly. 
 " I will tell you what I think of him when I see him. At 
 present I cannot recall the name precisely, though I fancy I 
 have heard it before. Meanwhile, tell me all you know 
 about him." 
 
 " I am afraid that is but little. He arrived this morning 
 at Eoylands, with a letter of introduction to the Rector from 
 the Archdeacon of Eastminster, and came to luncheon at the 
 Rectory. During our conversation, he complained of how 
 badly he was put up at the Royland Arms, and as I knew 
 Carriston would ask him to stay at the Rectory, a thing I 
 know he dislikes doing, as he hates strangers in his house, 
 I took the bull by the horns, and asked Caliphronas to come 
 here for a time. He accepted, and is coming with his traps 
 tliis evening." 
 
 " Was it only for the sake of taking the burden off Mr. 
 Carriston's shoulders that you gave your invitation ? " 
 
 "Not exactly. This Caliphronas is a splendid-looking 
 fellow, and I asked him to sit to me for my statue of 
 Endymion." 
 
 " Oh ! is he worthy to be a model ? " 
 
 " My dear Crispin, he has the most perfect figure for a 
 man I ever saw in my life; wonderfully handsome, and with 
 a wild, untamed air about him that is quite unique." 
 
 Crispin listened to this speech without moving a muscle, 
 but a strange look came into his eyes. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 59 
 
 "Have you ever read ^A Strange Story/ by Lytton?" he 
 asked abruptly. 
 
 " Yes, several times," replied Maurice, somewhat aston- 
 ished at the irrelevancy of the question. 
 
 " Then does this man resemble Margrave, the hero of the 
 book ? " 
 
 " In what way ? " 
 
 "In every way except the mysticism. Is he an ardent 
 lover of Nature ? Does he talk a lot about classical times ? 
 Is he impulsive and utterly selfish ? " 
 
 " As to the last quality, I have not yet had an opportunity 
 of judging, but for the rest, you have described him ex- 
 actly." 
 
 " Caliphronas ! " murmured Crispin in a pondering man- 
 ner. 
 
 " Do you know him ? " 
 
 Crispin did not answer at once, and seemed to be making 
 up his mind as to w^hat he would say. At last he turned to 
 Maurice with an enigmatic smile on his face, and shrugged 
 his shoulders. 
 
 " Not as far as I can recollect. That description I have 
 given as applied to Margrave would suit a good many 
 Greeks. They are mostly handsome, and, especially among 
 the islands, from living so much in the open air, imbibe a 
 great love for Nature. Naturally, as they have no modern 
 glories to talk about, they boast of ancient times and ancient 
 heroism. They are all impulsive, so you see I simply de- 
 scribed the Greek at large, not this one in particular." 
 
 " But you have described him exactly." 
 
 " I tell you the description suits any Greek, as I have 
 explained." 
 
 " Then you don't know this man ? " 
 
 "No ; I know no one of the name of Caliphronas," replied 
 Crispin, with a slight emphasis on the last word. 
 
 Maurice did not notice the quibble, and with cheerful 
 good-humor dismissed the subject from his mind, as, after 
 all, this mystery, with which he enveloped the Count, might 
 turn out to be but an unworthy suspicion. Plenty of Greeks 
 come to England, and one more or less did not matter. He 
 would trouble his head no more about this man who had 
 dropped from the clouds into this dull little village, but 
 make use of him as a model, and then say good-by to him 
 with the best grace in the world. Once he left the Grange, 
 it was unlikely he would ever cross his path again, as Mau- 
 
60 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 rice had not the slightest intention of going to Greece, and 
 looked forward to a humdrum life at E-oylands for the next 
 few years. How little did he know what w^as in store for 
 him, and that from this appearance of Count Caliphronas 
 dated a new era in his life. 
 
 Meanwhile, Crispin, who in reality knew a good deal more 
 than he chose to tell, was watching him keenly. " You 
 must not relapse into your gloomy fits again," he said, laying 
 his hand lightly on his friend's arm. 
 
 "I do not intend to," replied Maurice cheerfully. '-ISTo ; 
 I now see the excellence of the Kector's advice. Take an 
 interest in life, and you w^ill be happy. I am taking an in- 
 terest in life — in your wooing of Eunice, and in Cali- 
 phronas." 
 
 '' Why Caliphronas ? " 
 
 " Because he is my Endymion in the flesh, I am going to 
 create a wonderful statue, Crispin, the like of which has not 
 been seen since the days of Canova. As to this riddle of 
 Caliphronas, we will solve him together." 
 
 " Perhaps the solution may be easier than j^ou think." 
 
 " Crispin, you know something about this man ! " 
 
 " Nonsense ! I tell you I know no one called Caliphro- 
 nas." 
 
 "Names maybe assumed," said Maurice shrewdly, '-'and 
 I am sure you have met the owner of this one before." 
 
 " I meet so many people," replied Crispin carelessly, " it 
 is probable I may have seen him ; but really I can tell you 
 nothing about him — yet." 
 
 " Ah ! then j^ou will some day ? " 
 
 ^' My dear Koylands," said Crispin impatiently, "Caliphro- 
 nas and his past life is becoming quite a mania with 
 you. I don't know the man, but from your description, I 
 fancy I have met him, though, as I said before, such de- 
 scription would apply to dozens of other Levantine Greeks. 
 When I see him I will tell you if I recognize him ; but what 
 then ? he may be only a casual acquaintance, and therefore 
 I will not know his history. If you mistrusted his looks, 
 you should not have asked him to the Grange." 
 
 "My dear fellow, it was on account of his looks I did ask 
 him. He is my Endymion, remember. But you are right ; 
 I am making a mountain out of a molehill, still, there is 
 some excuse for me. A unique specimen of humanity like 
 Caliphronas does not appear every day in a village like Koy- 
 lands, so it is natural I should be curious about him. But 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 61 
 
 there, we will say no more about your brother mystery. 
 I am going to have an interview with my bailiff, and you 
 may thank your stars, my friend, you are a poet, and not a 
 landed proprietor." 
 
 Maurice sauntered away laughing, looking by no means the 
 kind of man to overburden himself with work ; but Crispin 
 remained leaning over the balustrade of the terrace, gazing 
 absently at the silver spray of the fountain glittering in the 
 sunlight, and thinking deeply. 
 
 " I wonder what he wants here," thought the poet, with a 
 frown on his expressive face. " A man like that does not 
 come down to a quiet village for nothing. Can it be to see 
 me ? No ! that is impossible, as he could not know I was 
 here. Curious I never saw him in London, for he must have 
 been there at the same time as myself, unless, indeed, he has 
 just arrived in England. He has some scheme in his head, 
 I am certain — if I could only see him alone and fathom his 
 motives ! Oh, you fox you ! Cunning as you are, I will foil 
 you. It is no good. You are after my friend, I'm sure of 
 that." 
 
 He walked forward a few paces, still pondering, then re- 
 sumed his soliloquizing in a muttered tone. 
 
 " Eoylands said this Caliphronas was coming over about 
 six o'clock. He is staying at the Koyland Arms, so I think 
 I will walk over there and see him ; but no, that will attract 
 attention, and I wish to tell Roylands nothing yet. I will 
 send a note ; no, that will not do. Ah ! I have it. I will wait 
 at the park gates and speak to him before he comes up 
 to the house. No one will know, and I can find out the 
 reason of his presence here." 
 
 Decidedly this poet was a remarkably mysterious person, 
 not only as concerned his own personality, but also as regarded 
 this brilliant stranger who was so equally enigmatic. If 
 Maurice found his life dull now, it evidently was not going 
 to be so for any length of time ; and, although he knew it 
 not, the elements of romance had come into it in the most 
 unexpected way in the persons of Crispin and Constantine 
 Caliphronas. 
 
 Having made up his mind, the poet thought no more 
 about the Greek, but strolled round the side of the house 
 to see if Eunice was at her window. He knew that Mrs. 
 Dengelton especially affected a small boudoir in the left 
 wing of the Grange, the window of which was only slightly 
 raised above the terrace, and at this window Crispin felt sure 
 
62 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 Eunice would be. Fortunately for himself, lie was right in 
 his conjecture, for on arriving in sight of the casement, he 
 saw Eunice sitting at it in a dejected attitude, evidently 
 expectant of a visit from her lover. 
 
 ''Miss Dengelton !" he said cautiously, not knowing but 
 that the dragon might be within hearing, and therefore 
 adopting society manners. 
 
 '' She has gone out of the room for a few minutes," said 
 his lady in a frightened whisper. '• Do go away." 
 
 " What ! when the coast is clear ! Not if I know it." 
 
 " I expect her back every minute." 
 
 " Very well ; till she arrives we can talk about ourselves, 
 and even when she does we can surely chat about the 
 weather." 
 
 " I heard you laughing with Maurice." 
 
 " Yes ; he is quite gay to-day. He has found a model for 
 his statue of Endymion." 
 
 '^ Some village bumpkin? " 
 
 " No, a Greek gentleman." 
 
 " A Greek ! and pray what is a Greek doing down here ? '^ 
 
 Crispin shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 " I'm sure I don't know. You will see him to-night, so 
 don't fall in love with him." 
 
 "Why should I?" 
 
 " He is very handsome." 
 
 " I don't care for handsome men, they are so conceited." 
 
 " Humph ! that is not a compliment to me." 
 
 " Well, you are not conceited, are you ? " 
 
 "Nor handsome." 
 
 " You are handsome enough for me, at all events," said 
 Eunice coquettishly. 
 
 " What a charming compliment ! " replied Crispin gayly ; 
 " for that I will give you a rose." 
 
 " Hush ! here comes my mother." 
 
 But Crispin, alas ! had not heard the warning, and, having 
 plucked the finest rose he could see, returned to the window, 
 to find himself confronted by the gaudy figure of The 
 Parrot, whose beady eyes sparkled maliciously as he 
 approached. 
 
 " What ! a rose for me, dear Mr. Crispin ? " she said, 
 stretching out her hand, in which Crispin was unwillingly 
 compelled to place his flower ; " how kind of you ! The 
 young men of to-day are gallant after all. Look, Eunice, is 
 not this flower charming ? almost as charming as you are, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 63 
 
 Mr. Crispin. The Rose of Sharon — oh, Shiraz — you see 
 I've read your book. Now, I have no time to talk, my dear 
 Mr. Crispin, so you must go away for the present at all 
 events. We will meet at luncheon, and if you are very good 
 you may bring me in another rose." 
 
 ISIrs. Dengelton, having thus vanquished the enemy, dis- 
 appeared with her daughter and shut the window, upon which 
 poor Crispin walked away in a rage. 
 
 '' Old cat ! " he said, which was certainly neither polite nor 
 poetical. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 SUB ROSA. 
 
 Secrets absurd 
 Leading to woes, 
 Only are heard 
 Under the rose. 
 
 Maidens refuse, 
 Lovers propose, 
 Just as they choose, 
 Under the rose. 
 
 How scandals spread 
 Nobody knows. 
 For they are said 
 Under the rose. 
 
 When anything marvellous occurs in real life, wiseacres 
 shake their heads, and say, " Wonderful ! extraordinary ! 
 Truth is stranger than fiction." But when a novel contains 
 any incident out of the common, these same inconsistent 
 people refuse to believe it on the plea that " Fiction is not 
 stranger than truth." They entirely forget that fiction is 
 but a reflection of real life, and that man can imagine noth- 
 ing, but merely reproduces what he sees around him. The 
 sceptic will object, — "Fairy tales!" Well, my dear 
 doubter, how do you know that fairy tales do not contain a 
 germ of truth ? there may have been fairies in the earlier 
 ages of the world, and if so, the chronicles of Fairyland are 
 as authentic as those of England — perhaps more so, seeing all 
 histories are tinctured more or less with partisanship. Who 
 would have believed in the mammoth, had not the huge beast 
 been reconstructed by Cuvier ? or in , the moa, had not the 
 
64 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 skeleton of that gigantic bird been discovered in iS'ew Zea- 
 land ? Nay, there is doubtless much truth in those extrava- 
 gant travels of Marco Polo, Sir John Mandeville, and such- 
 like wanderers. The middle ages were times of improbability, 
 not of impossibility, for but little was known of the geo- 
 graphical world. Well, we of this nineteenth century have 
 discovered all possible continents, and assume that we 
 know everything ; but such is not the case, for, though we 
 may have exhausted the geographical world, we know 
 comparatively few of the secrets of Nature. The pebble 
 parable of Sir Isaac Newton will here occur to many minds, 
 and it applies as truly to our times as to his own. Earth, 
 sky, and water are full of secrets, many of which yet defy 
 our efforts to learn and catalogue them. This century has 
 been prolific of discoveries, but even add another hundred 
 years of fresh revelations, and Nature will still give us 
 riddles to solve out of her exhaustless store. 
 
 Therefore, when a coincidence occurs in a fiction, though 
 it may be improbable, it is not impossible, and he who takes 
 the trouble to keep his eyes open, his mental as well as his 
 physical eyes, will, in nearly every case, find the counter- 
 part of the ideal in the real. Here, then, are two mysteri- 
 ous individuals, who, masquerading under the names of 
 Crispin and Caliphronas, meet one another in the most 
 unexpected manner in the most unexpected place. Wise- 
 acres will at once say "Impossible ! " but, going on the theory 
 set forth as before, such a meeting is not impossible, but 
 probable. Fate, Destiny, Fortune, — whatever be the name 
 of the power which guides our circumstances, — delights in 
 surprises quite as much as does the novelist ; therefore, why 
 should we believe the first and doubt the second ? This is 
 inconsistent ! Therefore, if you who read are wise in your 
 generation, and broad in your views of probability, you will 
 see nothing impossible in this unexpected meeting of poet 
 and adventurer. 
 
 Caliphronas was an adventurer pure and simple, of course, 
 as regards his vocation as free lance, but not as touching his 
 moral or physical qualities. He had come to England with 
 a distinct end in view, and already had made the first step 
 to the accomplishment of that end. Whether his intentions 
 were good or bad remains to be seen, and if, my dear reader, 
 you cannot tell the quality of his designs from the character 
 of the man as before described, you must perforce remain in 
 ignorance, even as Crispin remained, for, truth to tell, that 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 65 
 
 astute individual was for once in his life really and truly 
 puzzled. He knew Caliphronas in Greek waters, under 
 another name, and, having had considerable experience of 
 his character, was quite confident that he had some object in 
 view for thus making his appearance at Roylands. With 
 the determination of finding out that object, and thwarting 
 it if he could, — for Crispin had no very great love for the 
 Qreek, — our poet walked down to the park gates between 
 the hours of five and six, with the intention of having an 
 interview with this mysterious stranger. 
 
 In his own mind he was by no means certain of the iden- 
 tity of this Caliphronas with the person he thought he was, 
 and such a doubt could only be solved by a personal view of 
 the Greek himself ; but the description given by ]\Iaurice so 
 tallied with the image of a certain individual, that Crispin 
 felt sure that the conclusion he had arrived at was a correct 
 one. In order, however, to end all doubt on the subject, he 
 wanted to personally interview the Count before he set foot 
 in Roylands Grange, and had with considerable dexterity 
 carried out his plan without exciting suspicion, a thing 
 which he was anxious to avoid if possible. 
 
 Pleading a headache, — that convenient excuse, — he had 
 managed to give his friend the slip, though, truth to tell, he 
 took more trouble over securing such secrecy than was abso- 
 lutely necessary, for Maurice, fired by the idea of recom- 
 mencing work, had retreated to his studio, and remained 
 there all the afternoon. Mrs. Dengelton still kept a watch- 
 ful eye upon her daughter, and, on one plea or another, kept 
 her away from the too-fascinating poet : so, in reality, Crispin 
 was left entirely to his own devices, therefore utilized such 
 good fortune by seeking this important interview with the 
 unknown Greek. 
 
 So hot had been the day, that Crispin felt a certain sense 
 of relief when the coolness of night approached, and, linger- 
 ing under the mighty oaks which bordered the avenue, 
 luxuriated in that delightful twilight, which is neither 
 wholly of night nor day, but partakes equally of both. The 
 air was still warm, and there was a pleasant shade over the 
 sky, as Night gradually drew her dusky veil across the glar- 
 ing blue from east to west. Shafts of crimson light shot 
 through the wood and through the dense foliage. Crispin 
 could see at times the rosy flames of the setting sun. Still 
 vocal were the birds, for they were now singing their good- 
 night to day, and in a short time nothing would be heard 
 
66 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 but occasional chirps from some belated thrush, until with 
 the moon came the divine nightingale to flood the thickets 
 with song. Restless gnats were dancing in front of his face 
 as he strolled down the avenue, and at times a bat would flit 
 noiselessly through the warm air, while, mellowed by dis- 
 tance, the chimes of Roylands church rang musically on his 
 ear. 
 
 " Six o'clock," said the poet to himself, glancing at his 
 watch. "I suppose this Caliphronas will be here shortly. 
 Roylands sent the dog-cart, but if this is the man I imagine, 
 he will send on his traps in charge of the groom, and walk 
 over to the Grange on such a perfect evening." 
 
 At this moment he heard the noise of approaching wheels, 
 and shortly afterwards the dogcart, drawn by a fast-trotting 
 mare, flashed past him, containing only the groom and some 
 luggage. Finding his conjecture thus prove correct, Crispin 
 did not trouble himself to go farther on his way to seek 
 Caliphronas, as that gentleman was bound to meet him in 
 the avenue ; so, lounging against the mighty trunk of an oak, 
 he lazily waited the approach of the individual concerning 
 whose intentions he entertained such doubts. 
 
 " I will crown myself with roses 
 To meet thee, beloved. 
 
 Why dost thou fly at the sight of my wreath ? 
 The hot sun hath withered it truly. 
 And my heart is burnt up by thine eyes. 
 Dead heart ! dead roses! but love undying." 
 
 Caliphronas was singing these words in Greek, and Crispin 
 at once recognized the voice of the singer, a recognition 
 which immediately confirmed his suspicions as to the iden- 
 tity of this gentleman. 
 
 " We will live in the woods, my beloved, 
 And berries will be our food ; 
 On berries and kisses could I live always. 
 Till Fate destroyed us, 
 And robbed us of berries, and kisses, and life forever." 
 
 "I've heard him singing that song at Melnos," muttered 
 Crispin quietly to himself. " It is he ! What can he be 
 doing here ? " 
 
 At this moment the singer came in sight, walking rapidly 
 up the avenue with a springy step, swinging his stick to and 
 fro as he sang. He was indeed a sight worth looking at, as 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 67 
 
 he bounded lightly over the earth, Antseus-like, drawing 
 fresh vigor at every pressure of his foot on the ground ; yet 
 his undeniable beauty but excited a feeling of repulsion in 
 the breast of Crispin, who now knew him only too well. 
 They were a strange contrast, these two men : the poet small, 
 dark, and unhandsome, but the fire of intellect in his eyes ; 
 the adventurer a splendid animal, with nothing but his 
 physical perfections to recommend him. 
 
 Caliphronas did not notice the poet leaning against the 
 tree, and came on, carelessly singing as he walked, — 
 
 "What will I do for thee, beloved ? 
 Oh, I will do many deeds of daring ! 
 I will slay the Turk in his pride. 
 And his head will be my wedding gift. 
 Behold I" — 
 
 Here he stopped suddenly, catching sight of Crispin, but, 
 instead of being astonished at the unexpected meeting, as the 
 poet expected, he simply stood still, leaning on his stick, and 
 laughing at the look on the other's face. 
 
 ^' Ah, ah, Creespeen ! " he said in Greek, with a smile ; 
 "you did not expect to see me in this place." 
 
 " Certainly I did not," retorted Crispin in the same lan- 
 guage, marvelling at the self-possession of the man ; " and 
 I've no doubt the meeting is unexpected on both sides." 
 
 " Not with me ; oh no ! That priest — the Papa I saw this 
 morning told me you were here, and your friend also in- 
 formed me of your presence." 
 
 " What are you doing here ? " 
 
 "Ah, that is a long story, my good Creespeen," replied 
 Caliphronas coolly, " and one I do not choose to tell." 
 
 " You have some design in your head." 
 
 " Assuredly," said the Count mockingly ; " I would not 
 come to this cold island for pleasure." 
 
 " Ah, I see you are as great a scoundrel as ever ! " 
 
 Caliphronas laughed, and seemed in no wise offended at the 
 scornful tone of the other. For such an epithet an English- 
 man would have struck its utterer, but Caliphronas did not 
 even frown. The only notice he took of Crispin's rudeness 
 was to raise his eyebrows in mocking surprise. 
 
 " You have still a bad opinion of me, I see." 
 
 " The very worst ! " 
 
 " What a truly good young man you are ! " said the Count 
 sardonically. " I regret that you should be forced to keep 
 
68 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 company with such a scamp as I am ; but I am afraid you 
 will have to make up your mind to that or — go away." 
 
 " I shall certainly not do the latter until I find out the 
 reason of your presence in this place." 
 
 "Then, my dear friend, you will have to stay here for- 
 ever," 
 
 " Are you going to stay here forever ? " 
 
 " 1 1 no. I am down here on business." 
 
 " With the liector ? — with Eoylands ? with whom ? " 
 
 The Count looked at him with a provoking smile, and 
 flung himself on the grass at the foot of the oak against 
 which Crispin was leaning. 
 
 " Perhaps with both ; perhaps with neither." 
 
 "Now you listen to me, Caliphronas, — as that is the name 
 you choose to go by ; both Mr. Carriston and Mr. Roylands 
 are friends of mine, and if you have come down here with 
 any bad design in your head against either of them, I will 
 make it my business to thwart you." 
 
 " Do so by all means, if you can." 
 
 " I can do so by a very simple means, though you seem to 
 doubt it," said Crispin quietly. " You brought an excel- 
 lent letter of introduction to Mr. Carriston, though how you 
 came by it I do not know. You have made friends with 
 Roylands, who is a simple fellow, by consenting to be his 
 model for End^nnion" — 
 
 " And a very good model too," interrupted Caliphronas, 
 looking at himself complacently. 
 
 " I don't deny your outward goodliness ; — it is a pity your 
 mind is not in keeping. But to come back to what I was 
 saying. You have made friends with both the gentlemen I 
 speak of, and perhaps such friendship is necessary to your 
 plans ; if so, I will end it." 
 
 " How will you manage that ? " said the Count coolly, but 
 with a nasty glitter in his eyes. 
 
 " Simply by telling them who you are and what you are." 
 
 " You will not do that ! " 
 
 " I will, if your designs are bad." 
 
 " How do you know my designs are bad ? " 
 
 " Because to a man of your nature goodness is impossible." 
 
 " I would not go so far as to say it is impossible," said 
 Caliphronas, with a sneer, " but I agree with you that it is 
 improbable. To my mind, goodness is a weakness." 
 
 " One you don't possess, I'm afraid." 
 
 " I do not ; nor do I wish to possess it," replied the Count 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 69 
 
 insolently, " But may I not draw your attention to the fact 
 that it is long past six, that Koylands dines at seven, and 
 that I am terribly hungry ? " 
 
 " You can call my attention to all these facts," retorted 
 Crispin promptly, " but you don't enter that house until I 
 know what you are going to do." 
 
 " Pay a visit. Sit for the Endymion." 
 
 '- 1 am tired of this fencing. Don't go on like this with 
 me. An " — 
 
 " Caliphronas," said the other quickly. 
 
 " Well, one name is as good as another ; but you needn't 
 waste all this diplomacy on me, my friend. I know you 
 too well to believe you would waste your time in coming 
 here for nothing. Now tell me what your schemes are, or I 
 will reveal all I know of you to Maurice Roylands." 
 
 The Count was thus driven into a corner, and all his suave 
 manner vanished as he sat up on the turf with a scowl on 
 his handsome face, and a significant movement of his right 
 hand toward his waist. 
 
 " Oh, I'm not afraid of that, you scamp," said Crispin 
 quickly ; " you wear not the fusanella here, nor have you 
 knife or pistol with you. You are in a civilized country, my 
 noble Count, so must act in a civilized manner." 
 
 The Greek, recovering his temper, burst out laughing, and 
 beckoned Crispin to sit down beside him on the soft green 
 turf. 
 
 _ "You have the whip-hand of me, Creespeen," he said 
 lightly ; " and I am too wise a man to waste time in argu- 
 ment, so I will tell you the reason of my presence here. 
 You were quite right in thinking I did not come for pleas- 
 ure ; on the contrary, I wish to carry out a very delicate 
 affair, and perhaps it is as well you should know, as I may 
 want your assistance in the matter." 
 
 " I will help you in none of your villanies." 
 
 " By St. Theodore, how pious you have become ! Oh, I 
 forgot ! you are Misterr Creespeen, the famous poet, the new 
 Chrysostom of the Golden Mouth. Eh yes ; I heard all about 
 you in London. No one would think this great poet was 
 ever " — 
 
 " Hold your tongue ! " said Crispin, roughly grasping the 
 Greek by the wrist ; " whatever I have been, whatever I am, 
 I have done nothing to be ashamed of." 
 
 "Indeed! would you like them to know all?" retorted 
 the Count, jerking his hand in the direction of the house. 
 
70 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " I intend to tell them all when I choose ; but not before." 
 
 " Suppose I anticipate you ? " 
 
 " Do so, by all means. You will relate the story of my 
 life, and I will relate the story of your life. I wonder which 
 will prove the more interesting." 
 
 " Oh, I wonder,'' rejoined Caliphronas, with consummate 
 impudence ; " but do not let us quarrel, as I may want your 
 assistance. Oh, you need not frown ; I have no ill inten- 
 tions towards your precious friends. In fact, to put you 
 completely at your ease, I may as well tell you Justinian 
 sent me to England." 
 
 " Justinian ! " repeated Crispin, with a start. ^' Well, 
 what of that ? " he resumed carelessly. '' You know I am 
 not now friends with Justinian, — I have not seen him for 
 nearly " — 
 
 " Three years, eh ? " said Caliphronas quickly ; " of 
 course, that is just about the time you came here. Oh, I 
 heard all about you in London ; and Justinian will have 
 heard also by this time, for I wrote and told him all." 
 
 " I trust he is pleased," said Crispin grimly. 
 
 "As to that, I don't know. True, his goose has turned out 
 a swan, and now, unlike a swan, sings songs the world listens 
 to ; but such glory can hardly compensate him for the un- 
 grateful manner in which you treated him." 
 
 " Enough !" cried Crispin hotly, his dark face flushing with 
 anger; "lean justify my conduct amply, but I do not choose 
 to do so to you. Leave Justinian, and Melnos, and all the 
 old life alone. I want to know the reason of your presence 
 in Roylands." 
 
 "Well, you shall know. But do not get furious over 
 nothing," said Caliphronas mockingly. "I am afraid you 
 have lost all your old Hellenic calm, and now resemble one 
 of these bad-tempered Englishmen, devoured with the spleen, 
 and greedy of money." 
 
 "I am not greedy of money." 
 
 "Eh? oh, I see! you sing j^our songs for the smiles of 
 women, not for the gold of their husbands, fathers, and 
 brothers. Well, I agree with you ; the smiles of women are 
 very delightful, but one cannot live on them, so I would like 
 to know how you exist." 
 
 " Would you, indeed ? " 
 
 "Yes; and so would Justinian." 
 
 "Well, you will neither of you be told. Come, now, it is 
 growing late, and I wait for your confession." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 71 
 
 " No one will hear us ? " 
 
 " Of course not ; besides, we speak in Greek, which is not 
 so common in England as in Hellas." 
 
 Caliphronas let the smile die away from his lips, and looked 
 keenly at Crispin. 
 
 '' You will not reveal what I have now to tell you ? " 
 
 '' Not unless it is some villany." 
 
 " It is no villany. It is an act of justice. Listen." 
 
 The story, which did not take long to tell, drew forth many 
 exclamations of surprise from Crispin, who for once in his 
 life was astonished at the revelations of Caliphronas, and 
 believed he was speaking the truth. Indeed, he could hardly 
 help believing it, as many points of the story coincided with 
 what he himself knew in connection with the Koylands 
 family. When Caliphronas finished his recital, he flung him- 
 self back on the turf, and waited for Crispin to speak, which 
 the young man did after a long pause. 
 
 " What you have stated astonishes me very much," he said 
 deliberately ; " but, as far as I can see, there does not seem 
 to be any harm intended to my friend." 
 
 "None in the least," said the Count eagerly. "You do 
 not like Justinian now, for some mysterious reason, but I 
 think you know enough about him to trust him." 
 
 " I know enough about him not to trust him overmuch," 
 replied Crispin coolly ; " but with regard to your scheme and 
 his scheme " — 
 
 " Yes ? " cried the Count breathlessly. 
 
 "I will remain neutral." 
 
 Caliphronas drew a long breath of relief, and sprang to his 
 feet. 
 
 " That is better than nothing ; but I wish you would help 
 me." 
 
 " No ; I will remain neutral." 
 
 " You can see for yourself there is no harm intended." 
 
 "I tell you I will remain neutral," said Crispin for the 
 third time, also rising from his recumbent attitude. " I will 
 neither help you nor thwart you ; so you can do as you please, 
 but I don't think you'll succeed in your schemes." 
 
 " Don't you ? " replied Caliphronas provokingly, as they 
 walked up to the house together. " Well, that remains to be 
 seen. If a man of my capacity " — 
 
 "Cunning." 
 
 "Well, cunning if you like. If a man of my cunning can- 
 not circumvent this dull-headed " — 
 
72 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 "Cautious." 
 
 "Oh, is he cautious? Well, T will make this cautious 
 Englishman do as I wish. But here we are nearly at the 
 house, and I wait to know on what footing we stand." 
 
 '"'You are an acquaintance of mine. I met you at Athens. 
 Talk of the best-known Athenians as our mutual friends." 
 
 "And you will say nothing about Melnos ?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 " Nor about Justinian ? " 
 
 "No." 
 
 "Nor Alcibiades?" 
 
 " I tell you I won't say a word about any one or anything,^' 
 said Crispin impatiently. " You can carry out your plan if 
 you like. It does no harm to Roj'lands as far as I can see ; 
 but if I find you playing double, my friend, I'll put an end 
 to your games." 
 
 " I always play fair when it is to my benefit to do so," 
 retorted the Greek, with an unpleasant smile. 
 
 " What a pity it is not always to your benefit to do so ! " 
 said the poet cruelly; "j-ou would then be an honest man." 
 
 " I am what I am," answered Caliphronas sullenly ; " had I 
 created myself, I might have made an improvement." 
 
 " Not in your appearance," observed Crispin, looking at the 
 splendid beauty of the man beside him. " I suppose you are 
 as vain as ever ? " 
 
 " Possibly ; but I never let my vanity interfere with my 
 business." 
 
 " Ah, there is some sense in that splendid head of yours, 
 but precious little." 
 
 "' Quite enough to accomplish my wishes." 
 
 " I doubt it. However, here we are, and here is Mr. 
 Roylands." 
 
 It was indeed Maurice, who, arrayed in evening dress, 
 advanced to meet them, and greeted Caliphronas with a 
 smile. 
 
 "I had quite given you up. Count," he said, shaking hands 
 with the Greek ; " your luggage arrived, but not you, and 
 the dinner is now due. However, as neither of you gentle- 
 men is ready, I have just put it off for half an hour, so 
 you will just have time to dress. You know Mr. Crispin, 
 Count ? " 
 
 "Yes; you must blame him for my unpunctuality," said 
 Caliphronas gracefully. "I walked over here, and sent on 
 my luggage by your groom. In the avenue I met Mr. Crees- 
 peen, and we talked of old times." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 73 
 
 "Ah, you know one another!" cried Maurice, flashing a 
 keen glance at Crispin, which that gentleman sustained 
 without blenching. .-, t tj 
 
 " Oh yes," answered the poet calmly ; " I was afraid I did 
 not know the name of Count Caliphronas, but my memory 
 played me false. I know it and him very well. We met 
 at A.thens." 
 
 " Three'years ago," continued the Count, laughing. " You 
 have no idea, Mr. Maurice, how astonished I was to meet my 
 friend here. By the way, you must allow me to call you 
 Mr. Maurice ; I make such a mess of your English names." 
 "I think you speak English wonderfully well, Count. 
 Where did you learn, may I ask, if it is not a rude ques- 
 tion ? " 
 
 " I had an English tutor," replied Caliphronas, stealing a 
 glance at Crispin ; '' and I have been accustomed to your 
 tongue since a lad." 
 
 "Ah, that accounts for it. AVell, come with me. Count, 
 and I will show you your room. Crispin, Mrs. Dengelton 
 and her daughter are already in the drawing-room, so you 
 had better make haste." 
 
 Crispin went off as quickly as possible, and Maurice hospi- 
 tably conducted his guest to the room prepared for him, 
 where Roylands' valet was already spreading out the Count's 
 evening dress. This duty having been performed, Mr. 
 Eoylands hurried away to his guests in the drawing-room, 
 and the Count was left alone with the valet, whom he 
 speedily dismissed. 
 
 "Thank you; I won't require anything else, he said, 
 when the servant had arranged all his clothes. "I am 
 accustomed to wait on myself. Dinner is in half an hour ? " 
 " Yes, sir," replied the valet, and retired quietly. 
 The fact is, Caliphronas had a habit of thinking aloud, 
 and, as he had a good many matters to consider, he was 
 afraid of committing himself if a second person were m the 
 room ; therefore, having got rid of the .servant, he began to 
 dress slowly for dinner, thinking deeply all the time. 
 
 "I do not think Creespeen will say anything," he said 
 aloud in Greek, as he arranged his white tie; "very likely 
 he will help me, if I can manage him. How upright he is 
 now — how very upright, and to think " — 
 
 Here the Count went into a fit of silent laughter, which 
 lasted until he arrived at the door of the drawing-room, 
 when he controlled his risible muscles, and went ia gravely 
 to be introduced to the ladies. 
 
74 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 SOUVENT FEMME VARIE. 
 
 Woman's a weathercock, 
 Full of frivolity. 
 Men may together mock 
 At her heart's quality. 
 But if a heart she steals, 
 Worth all the smart she feels, 
 There then her place is ; 
 Lo, then the nether rock 
 Less firm of base is. 
 
 Needless to say, Count Constantine Caliphronas was 
 much admired by the two ladies, which was scarcely to be 
 wondered at, seeing his charm of manner was almost as 
 great as his physical perfection. Attracted in the first 
 instance by his good looks, they were quite prepared to find 
 the kernel of such a handsome nut somewhat disappointing ; 
 in other words, they fancied that Nature could scarcely be 
 so profuse in her gifts, as to give this man great mental 
 powers in addition to his comely exterior. To their surprise, 
 they found the Greek to be a charming conversationalist, 
 and were much astonished at the purity with which he spoke 
 the English tongue. 
 
 It would be ridiculous to say that Caliphronas was a man 
 of any great intellectual powers ; for, as before stated, he 
 was gifted with more cunning than brains, still, such cun- 
 ning enabled him to conceal his educational deficiencies, and 
 by a dexterous use of the little knowledge he possessed, he 
 managed to pass for a very intelligent man. Shallow Cali- 
 phronas was, without doubt, and his education in many ways 
 had been wofully neglected ; but he had travelled a great 
 deal, he was acute enough in picking up unconsidered trifles 
 of general information, he had plenty of small talk, so all 
 these advantages, in conjunction with his undeniable good 
 looks and ready wit, enabled him to fascinate the ordinary 
 run of people. A clever man or a brilliant woman would 
 have discovered the smallness of his intellectual powers at 
 once ; but every-day folk are not so difficult to please, and 
 both Mrs. Dengelton and her daughter, being ordinary folk, 
 gifted with ordinary brains, found the flashy, frivolous chat- 
 ter of the Count infinitely charming. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. T5 
 
 Maurice, having got over his first suspicions of the Greek, 
 soon liked him extremely, as he was a pleasant companion, 
 and always in a good humor. On the other hand, Crispin, 
 who knew what Caliphronas really was, and how mean and 
 vile a soul inhabited that splendid body, was much put to in 
 order to conceal his distaste for the society of this brilliant 
 stranger. He saw through the thin veneer of good manners 
 and facile accomplishments, into the true nature of the man, 
 and was well aware that this apparently charming child of 
 Nature, all impulse and simplicity, was in reality a crafty, 
 selfish, sensual scoundrel, whose only aim in life was to 
 benefit himself at the expense of others. 
 
 " If we were only in the Palace of Truth now ! " thought 
 the poet, as he sat silently watching the dexterous way m 
 which Caliphronas was using his small stock of accomplish- 
 ments. " I wonder what they would say were that man com- 
 pelled to give utterance to his real thoughts. They would 
 fly in horror from him as a vile thing, a beautiful flower, 
 whose appearance is exquisite, yet whose odor is death. 
 Still, he has improved wonderfully since the old days. I 
 w^onder where he picked up these good manners — not from 
 Justinian or Alcibiades, I'll be bound; but perhaps he has 
 been learning the art of pleasing from Helena." 
 
 As this thought came into his mind, and he remembered 
 the charming woman who bore that name, knowing w^hat 
 Caliphronas was, he could not restrain a shudder, which 
 immediately drew the eyes of the Greek towards him. 
 
 "Eh, my friend, Mr. Creespeen," he said slowly; for Cali- 
 phronas, in spite of his intimate acquaintance with the Eng- 
 lish tongue, picked up, heaven only knows where, could 
 never pronounce proper names without a strong foreign 
 accent, — " eh, my friend, you shudder. Some one is walk- 
 ing over your grave." 
 
 "Oh, what a horrible idea!" cried Mrs. Dengelton in her 
 liveliest manner, for the Count's good looks had made a deep 
 impression on her elderly heart. " I declare, my dear Count, 
 you make me shudder also. It is exactly the kind of thing 
 my brother Rudolph would say. Ghouls, vampires, omens, 
 dreams, and all those grewsome things, he used to revel in. 
 Yes, positively revel in. Never shall I forget being told 
 how he brought some lady friend a book to read, called ' Foot- 
 prints on the Borders of Another World.' ,It nearly fright- 
 ened her into convulsions, and she threw it out of the 
 window." 
 
76 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 "My Uncle Eudolpli must have been an interesting kind 
 of person," said Maurice dryly. 
 
 " Oh, my dear Maurice, he was so terribly wild ! Yes ! 
 Why, in the old days, he would have been a buccaneer or a 
 pirate — it is just the kind of thing he would have liked to 
 be." 
 
 At this last remark, Crispin looked straight at the Count, 
 who met his gaze with an uneasy laugh, and tried to turn the ^ 
 conversation. 
 
 " This gentleman, madam ? He was very adventurous, I 
 presume ? " 
 
 " Oh dear me, yes ! Your uncle, Eunice, I am speaking 
 of — your uncle, Maurice." 
 
 "Yes, mamma — yes, aunt," said both the cousins to- 
 gether. 
 
 "He had a fiery eye, and was over six feet in height. I 
 always thought him the image of the Templar in ' Ivanhoe ; ' 
 but, of course, I speak from hearsay, as I was a babe when 
 he left England. Is there not a portrait of him somewhere, 
 Maurice ? " 
 
 "It is just behind you, aunt, over the piano." 
 
 Both Caliphronas and Crispin arose with a simultaneous 
 movement, and strolled across the room to look at this 
 modern Captain Kidd, for that style of man he appeared to 
 have been, judging from Mrs. Dengelton's highly-colored 
 description. 
 
 The portrait was a full-length one of a handsome young 
 man in the old-fashioned costume a la d'Orsaij of the early 
 Victorian age, and assuredly he appeared to be a dandy of 
 the first water. But his strong commanding face, his eagle 
 glance, firm mouth, and prominent nose marked him at once 
 as a born leader of men. A man who, in Elizabethan times, 
 would have sailed the Spanish main and thrashed the Dons ; 
 who, in later years, would have delighted in Jacobite con- 
 spiracies ; who would have fought his way to a marshal's 
 baton when Napoleon led the armies of France : in fact, one 
 of those men who find no outlet for their energies in the 
 leading-strings of civilization, but who, in a lawless life, 
 develop those qualities whereof heroes are made. Maurice 
 was good-looking enough in an ordinary fashion, but he had 
 none of the power and daring in his face, such as showed so 
 conspicuously in his uncle's countenance. 
 
 The Count and Crispin remained looking at the portrait 
 an unconscionably long time, considering the original was 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 77 
 
 unknown to them, and glanced meaningly at one another as 
 they went back to their seats. 
 
 " Your description is an admirable one, Mrs. Dengelton," 
 said Crispin, as that lady evidently desired his opinion of 
 the portrait ; " the face is that of a man who would be either 
 a hero or a scoundrel according to circumstances, but always 
 brave." 
 
 " My dear Mr. Crispin ! " cried the lady, somewhat scan- 
 dalized at the epithet applied to a Roylands. 
 
 " I beg your pardon, Mrs. Dengelton ; I am speaking of 
 the type more than the man. Rudolph Roy lands has the 
 bearing of a born leader of men, and I do not wonder he 
 left England for wider fields. He must have been stilled 
 in this narrow island." 
 
 " How do you know he left England ? " asked the lady 
 sharply. 
 
 " Why, your story of last night " — 
 
 " But you were not here when I told it. Ah, my dear Mr. 
 Crispin, I am indeed very angry at you for taking my 
 daughter out onto the terrace. She might have caught her 
 death of cold — but we will not speak of that. At all 
 events, you could not have heard my story." 
 
 Crispin looked rather uncomfortable, as if he feared he 
 had committed himself ; but, as Mrs. Dengelton's beady eyes 
 were fastened shrewdly on his face, he had to make some 
 answer, though, truth to tell, he did not know what to say. 
 
 "Well, really, Mrs. Dengelton, I hardly know how to 
 reply," he said, coloring. " I did not hear all your story ; 
 but, if you remember, just before the Rector said good-night, 
 you talked about your brother leaving England." 
 
 "Dear me, yes, so I did!" said Mrs. Dengelton, and 
 would have liked to add something anent the story of the 
 photographs, the falsehood of which she had discovered. 
 Maurice, however, guessed how the land lay, and feeling 
 sorry for Crispin, who was really very uncomfortable, made 
 the first remark that came into his head. Caliphronas, tired 
 of the conversation, had gone to the piano, where Eunice 
 was playing softly, and talked to her in an undertone. This 
 attention, however, was not noticed by Crispin, who was too 
 busy trying to extricate himself from his dilemma with Mrs. 
 Dengelton, to think about anything else. How he would 
 have managed to evade the photograph question, which Mrs. 
 Dengelton was bent on asking, it is difficult to say, but that 
 Maurice came to his aid with the apparently irrelevant 
 remark, — 
 
78 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " My dear Crispin, you say that, judging from his face, my 
 uncle would either be a hero or a scoundrel. Now what do 
 you mean by that remark ? " 
 
 "Oh, I hope I haven't offended you by making it," said 
 Crispin, with a grateful smile, for he saw through Roylands' 
 stratagem ; " but if a man like your uncle has such qualities 
 as he seems to possess, strongly developed, they are bound 
 to break out in some direction. Place him in the array, and 
 he will be a hero in time of war, but supposing he was born 
 in Whitechapel, I am afraid his heroic qualities would be 
 dangerous to society." 
 
 " Then you think a hero and a thief are composed of the 
 same qualities ? " 
 
 "I will not say a thief, but use the milder term, 'adven- 
 turer.' If the great Napoleon had not been an adventurer 
 of that quality, he would never have mounted the throne 
 of France. Sforza, the Duke of Milan, was of the same 
 species ; so was William the Conqueror, and Roger de 
 Hauteville, King of Sicily. All these men, through force 
 of circumstances which aided the development of their 
 commanding qualities, obtained thrones — they were adven- 
 turers who became kings. On the other hand, look at 
 Benvenuto Cellini. He had the same instincts for fighting, 
 commanding, and daring, the same longing for fame, riches, 
 adventures ; yet, to the end of his life, he was but a quarrel- 
 some swashbuckler, simply because his circumstances did 
 not permit his qualities developing in the right direction. 
 Cromwell had these qualities and mounted a throne, Rienzi 
 had them and died on the scaffold — all through circum- 
 stances. Believe me, my dear Maurice, whatever qualities a 
 man may possess, the development of them in the right or 
 the wrong direction depends on his surroundings. It is a 
 common saying that genius can override all obstacles — a 
 mistake which anyone who reads history can perceive. Cir- 
 cumstances are sometimes too strong for the greatest soul, 
 and that genius which should have created empires dies in 
 obscurity." 
 
 " Quite a historical lecture, I declare," tittered Mrs. Den- 
 gelton, who found this long speech a trifle wearisome; "but, 
 how does all this apply to my brother ? " 
 
 " If your brother, Mrs. Dengelton, went to South America, 
 he probably rose to be president of one of those petty rei)ub- 
 lics ; if he went as a free lance into the service of some 
 Eastern potentate, he very likely ended his life as a pasha of 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 79 
 
 three tails ; but if he stayed in England, I feel certain that 
 his violent temperament, his adventurous longings, must 
 have brought him into trouble." 
 
 " I don't think he stayed in England/"' replied Mrs. Dengel- 
 ton, shaking her head, "or we certainly would have heard 
 of his death. Probably he is a president, or a pasha, or some 
 of those dreadful things you speak of." 
 
 " Do you think he is dead, aunt ? " asked Maurice, who 
 had been listening quietly to this argument. 
 
 " I'm sure I don't know. I haven't heard of him for years 
 and years ; but the Roylands are always long-living people, 
 so perhaps he is still alive. It is now fifty years since he 
 went away, at the age of twenty-five, so if he is still alive 
 he must be quite seventy-five years of age." 
 
 '' Seventy-five years of age," repeated Crispin, and relapsed 
 into silence. 
 
 ^' Who is seventy-five years of age ? " asked Caliphronas, 
 overhearing the remark. 
 
 " My Uncle Rudolph, if alive," said Maurice lazily. 
 
 " Oh, indeed ! '^ replied Caliphronas carelessly, but his 
 words conve^^ed volumes as he tried to catch the eye of 
 Crispin. In this, however, he was not successful, as Crispin 
 was wrapt up in a brown study, so the Greek turned towards 
 Eunice and asked her to sing something. 
 
 "I am passionately fond of music," he said, turning over 
 some songs, " and nothing so delights me as to hear a 
 woman's voice." 
 
 Eunice blushed at this compliment to her sex, and, not 
 knowing how to answer it, — for she was still afflicted with 
 the shyness of the bread-and-butter age, — took up the first 
 song that came to hand. 
 
 " Do you know this song ? " she said, placing the music 
 before her — " ' The Star Sirius ; ' it is the new scientific style 
 of song, now all the rage." 
 
 " A scientific song," repeated Caliphronas, rather puzzled. 
 
 "Yes, blending instruction with pleasure," said Crispin, 
 rousing himself out of his revery and walking over to the 
 piano. " The public are tired of love-songs, sea-songs, sacred 
 songs, comic songs, and sentimentalities of all kinds ; so 
 some ingenious person has invented the scientific song. In 
 this song astronomy is brought to the aid of eroticism, and 
 the result is peculiar, to say the least of it. I presume such 
 ditties are written for musically-inclined Girton girls. Shall 
 I play your accompaniment, Miss Dengelton ? " 
 
80 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " If you would be so kind," said Eunice, vacating her seat 
 at the piano, which action brought a frown to the face of 
 her watchful mother. "I can sing better standing up." 
 
 Crispin played the prelude in sufficiently good style, and 
 Caliphronas, sinking into a chair near the singer, looked up 
 into her face in a somewhat bold fashion, as she sang the 
 latest up-to-date song of the day. 
 
 THE STAR SIRIUS. 
 
 A glowing star of ardent ray 
 In midnight skies we trace, 
 It is a central sun, they say, 
 
 Enshrined in distant space. 
 Around it giant planets turn, 
 
 In motion constant roll, 
 With fiery force its splendors bum, 
 As for thee burns my soul. 
 Oh, star ascendant at my birth ! 
 For tears, for sadness, or for mirth, 
 You rule my destiny on earth. 
 
 n. 
 
 Oh, star of stars! in thee no flaw 
 
 The telescopes reveal; 
 .Thine orbs obey attraction's law, 
 
 And round thy centre wheel. 
 Beloved, thou and I are one, 
 
 Nor parted e'er can be; 
 I am thy planet, thou my sun, 
 For all eternity. 
 Oh, star ascendant at my birth ! 
 For tears, for sadness, or for mirth, 
 You rule my destiny on earth. 
 
 "Thank you, Miss Dengelton," said Caliphronas, when 
 the song ended ; " I like your singing much better than the 
 words. They are somewhat perplexing." 
 
 "They are up-to-date words," remarked Crispin calmly; 
 "the music is also up to date, of the most advanced school, 
 a blending of Dvorak and Eubinstein." 
 
 "What awful names!" cried Caliphronas, with a shudder; 
 " they grate on the ear." 
 
 "So does their music in some cases; there is nothing like 
 consistency. Still, some of the advanced school of music's 
 efforts are delightfuL This dance of Dvorak's, for in- 
 stance." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 81 
 
 Bringing down Lis hands on the keys with a crash, he 
 played one of those weird gypsy dances of the Bohemian 
 musician, which thrill the listener with their wild capricious- 
 ness, and conjure up pictures of a mode of life quite alien 
 to our prosaic respectability. That strange chord resounds 
 loudly through the room, and at once we see the wild horses 
 flying across the illimitable gray plain, the fierce voices of 
 their gypsy riders pealing up to the sombre sky of midnight. 
 That rapid medley of sounds, and lo ! the tires burn redly 
 under the trees, while round them bound tawny women with 
 flashing eyes, tossing their arms and clashing their tam- 
 bourines to the wild rhythm of the music. Death on the 
 cards, love in the stars, and the muttered prophecies of 
 crouching hags, terrified at the omen of flying bat, of shriek- 
 ing night-bird. Another whirl of glittering notes scatter 
 themselves through the air, crash, crash, crash, chord upon 
 chord sounds fiercely, wdth intervals of sparkling chromatic 
 runs like the falling of broken spray, and then one final 
 chord, bringing the red of the dawn, the chill winds of morn- 
 ing, and the uprising of the cheerful sun. 
 
 " Wonderful ! " cried INIrs. Dengelton, who knew nothing 
 about music, but admired Dvorak because he was the fashion, 
 and not intelligil)le to the ordinary mind. 
 
 " So fantastic," added Eunice, whose accomplishments did 
 not soar above the mild singing of a mild drawing-room 
 ballad, such as " Daddy's Dancing," or " Oh, if to thee my 
 heart is Welcome ! " 
 
 "Well, for my part," said the Count, shrugging his shoul- 
 ders, "I think your new music is horrible." 
 
 " Ah, it does not appeal to your Hellenic spirit," replied 
 Crispin carelessly. " Mephistopheles felt out of place at the 
 classical Walpurgis Night, so you, my dear Caliphronas, feel 
 equally at sea among this diablerie of a Northern composer, 
 so suggestive of the festival on the Brocken." 
 
 "I don't know what you are taking about," said the Count 
 uneasily, having a vague idea he was being laughed at. 
 
 " Of course you don't," replied Crispin coolly. " You 
 have never read ' Faust,' either the first or the second 
 part." 
 
 Caliphronas knew that Crispin did not like him, and, think- 
 ing he wanted to ridicule him in the presence of the ladies, 
 would have made some angry answer, but that Eunice, quite 
 unaware of this storm in a teacup, asked him to sing a Greek 
 song. 
 
82 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Yes, do, dear Count ! '' said Mrs. Dengelton gushingly. 
 " I do so love foreign songs ! They go to the soul." 
 
 '^ And the soul — at least the English soul — does not 
 understand them," observed Maurice, with a yawn, for he 
 was growing somewhat tired of this musical discussion. 
 
 '• If the song is in Italian, French, or German, I can cer- 
 tainly understand it," said the lad}^, with dignity ; " but 
 Greek I can hardly be expected to know." 
 
 " I do not think 3'ou would care much for the words if you 
 did understand modern Greek," remarked Crispin with a 
 smile. "The sonorous tongue of Hellas invests the most 
 commonplace poems with a dignity and a charm which they 
 would lose if translated. Come, Count, and sing that love- 
 song you used to be so fond of in Athens." 
 
 " Athens ! " repeated the Count, with a significant smile, as 
 he rose to comply with this request. 
 
 " Yes, Athens !" repeated Crispin, with emphasis. " I was 
 accustomed to play your accompaniment. How does it 
 go?" 
 
 He began playing a simple melody, which, wild though it 
 was, sounded quite poverty-stricken after the wealth of har- 
 monies which had so distinguished the music of Dvorak. 
 Caliphronas watched the player's fingers for a little time, 
 and then began to sing in an uncommonly fine tenor voice, 
 though of course somewhat rough for want of training. 
 What he lacked in delicacy, however, he made up in force 
 and fire ; and the wonderful language he sang in also assisted 
 him greatly, though, as regards the song itself, neither mel- 
 ody nor words were particularly striking. 
 
 Daphne, this summer night is full of singing; 
 
 I hear my comrades sigh at the windows of those they worship; 
 
 The windows are open, but thy lattice is closed. 
 
 " Love!" calls the lover to his beloved. 
 
 *' Love! " answers the beloved with smiling lip. 
 
 But from your window you call not " Love!" 
 
 Wherefore the night is empty of singing to me: 
 
 Lean from your lattice, capricious one. 
 
 And I will sing the strain of the nightingale to the rose. 
 
 Yes! you have heard me: you open your window, 
 
 I can see the silver daggers gleam in your hair; 
 
 And you throw me a rose, which sighs " I love thee." 
 
 Ah, you have spoken to the rose, and the message is told. 
 
 Good-night, my Daphne, sleep with the sound of my voice in thine 
 
 ears; 
 But for me there is no slumber, 
 
 For all night will I demand of the rose your message, 
 And the rose will reply, " I love thee! I love thee!" 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 83 
 
 "Thank you so much," said Eunice, coming over to the 
 piano. " I do not know what it means, but it sounds won- 
 derfully charming." 
 
 " It is a love-song." 
 
 " I wish I had a translation of it." 
 
 ''I will translate it if you wish, Miss Dengelton," said 
 Crispin, by no means relishing the attention which Eunice 
 was paying to the Greek. 
 
 '•' What ! do you know Greek ? " 
 
 " ^lodern Greek ; yes. I have been in Greece a great 
 deal." 
 
 " A great deal," echoed Caliphronas, with an evil smile. 
 
 Crispin faced round abruptly, and was about to say some- 
 thing in an undertone, but, after a moment's deliberation, 
 turned slowly away. The Count looked after him with a 
 smiling face, and then devoted himself to Eunice, who was 
 by no means averse to receiving his attentions. 
 
 Now, Eunice must not be misjudged. It is true that she 
 felt flattered by the attentions of such a strikingly hand- 
 some man as Caliphronas ; but she was not, as Crispin in his 
 jealousy thought, attracted in any marked degree by this 
 stranger. In fact, she w^as playing a little comedy for the 
 blinding of her lynx-eyed mother ; for, afraid lest that lady 
 should discover that she was secretly engaged to Crispin, 
 with the instinctive craft of womankind, Eunice pretended 
 to be more taken up with the Greek than with the poet. 
 By following this course, she thought her mother's mind 
 would be set at rest concerning the rivalry of Crispin with 
 Maurice. Alas ! the plan was a good one, and excellently 
 well carried out ; but such diplomacy met with but an ill 
 reward, as in avoiding Charybdis she fell into the clutches 
 of Scylla ; for, in place of an angry mother, she had to put 
 up with an angry lover. 
 
 Crispin was puzzled to account for her sudden desertion 
 ^^f him and this marked attention to Caliphronas, so at once 
 with masculine stupidity, deemed that the outward graces of 
 the Count had rendered her false to him. Had Crispin been 
 fortunate enough to possess a female friend to whom he 
 could have talked on such a serious matter, his suspicions 
 would speedily have been lulled to rest ; for no one but a 
 woman can understand a woman, and, as Crispin was of the 
 masculine gender, he therefore failed to grasp the situation. 
 Eunice chatted gayly with Caliphronas, smiled on him, sang 
 songs to him, and quite neglected poor Crispin, who grew 
 
84 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 towards the end of the night almost as melancholy as 
 Maurice, in his despair at such unlooked-for behavior on 
 the part of the girl he loved. 
 
 As to Caliphronas, that gentleman, who possessed a con- 
 siderable amount of vanity, and an overweening sense of his 
 own perfections, saw nothing in the conduct of Miss Dengel- 
 ton otherwise than what should be. He was so accustomed 
 to be petted and made much of by women, that it became a 
 matter of habit with him, and he would have been consider- 
 ably astonished had Eunice acted otherwise than she, did. 
 At the same time, he was secretly very pleased at making 
 an impression in this quarter, as he saw at once from inter- 
 cepted glances that the poet was violently enamoured of 
 this fair English maiden. Caliphronas hated Crispin with 
 all the strong venomosity of a little soul, and if he could do 
 him an ill turn would certainly take advantage of the oppor- 
 tunity. Thinking Eunice had succumbed to his fascina- 
 tions, he was quite prepared to take advantage of his con- 
 quest, and deprive the poet of his ewe lamb, the more so as 
 Crispin's ill-concealed jealousy added considerably to the 
 charm of the flirtation. Poor Eunice, who never thought her 
 motives would be misconstrued by her jealous lover, was 
 quite astonished when he permitted Caliphronas to present 
 her with her bedroom candle, and wished her a frosty good- 
 night. She would have liked to obtain an ex})lanation, 
 but Mrs. Dengelton was at her heels, so she was obliged 
 to retire to bed, considerably disconcerted over the strange 
 behavior of this stupidly -jealous poet. 
 
 Caliphronas also went to bed very shortly, as he did not 
 smoke, and, alleging that it was his custom to retire early 
 and rise early, went off to his room, leaving Crispin alone 
 with Maurice. As soon as they were by themselves, Crispin 
 turned at once to his friend. 
 
 " Did you see Eunice to-night ? '^ 
 
 Maurice leisurely filled his pipe. 
 
 " Yes ; I saw her. You are jealous of our friend Cali- 
 phronas." 
 
 " Well, I certainly think Eunice gave me good cause to be. 
 What is the reason of this sudden change ? " 
 
 E-oylands shrugged his shoulders and lighted his pipe. 
 
 " I don't know ; unless Francis I. was right," he said 
 calmly, — " ' Souvent femme varied " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 85 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 EXDYMION. 
 
 Oh, goddess wise, 
 
 Disdainful of the sultry sun, 
 
 Thou waitest till his course is run 
 
 Then stealing where Endymion 
 
 In sluuiher lies, 
 
 With am'rous sighs 
 
 Awake him in that secret nest, 
 
 All drowsy with enchanted rest, 
 
 To lie upon thy silver breast ; 
 
 While daylight dies. 
 
 In western skies. 
 
 And shyly peering one by one. 
 
 The stars gaze on that meeting blest. 
 
 For the next week or so life passed very agreeably at the 
 Grange, and its inmates, becoming habituated to one an- 
 other's society, settled down into a lotus-eating existence, 
 which, if not a useful one, was at least infinitely charming. 
 Caliphronas played his part in this country house comedy in 
 the most admirable manner, and, owing to his good looks, his 
 good manners, and his good temper, soon established himself 
 as a universal favorite. This splendid flower of humanity 
 which had bloomed to such beauty under the serene skies of 
 the East fascinated Maurice greatly, and he took a genuine 
 pleasure in modelling the End^anion from the Count; though 
 at times, in spite of his. artistic capabilities, he almost de- 
 spaired of being able to mould the soft clay into a perfect 
 representation of this virile perfection. At the same time 
 the intercourse between the sculptor and his model was very 
 pleasant, as Caliphronas was a most delightful companion, 
 and told stories of his adventures in a manner worthy of 
 Ulysses or Munchausen. Yet, though he seemed to grow 
 quite confidential over his past life, he nevertheless withheld 
 many episodes which might have prejudiced his host against 
 him. Maurice, w^ho was simple in many ways, despite his 
 ten years' experience of Bohemia, thought Caliphronas was 
 laying bare his whole soul, whereas the wily Greek only re- 
 vealed the best side of that very complex article. This set- 
 ting forth of his moral excellences was of course in keeping 
 with the impression he was anxious to produce, and he thus 
 made himself very agreeable to Maurice, who took the Count 
 
86 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 for what he represented himself to be, not for what he 
 really was. 
 
 Caliphronas was an excellent conversationalist, and dur- 
 ing the sittings beguiled the time with many stories of his 
 countrymen, and not infrequently of his countrywomen, for 
 this Apollo had achieved many conquests in the fields of 
 Venus, and seemed very proud of his prowess during some 
 charming campaigns. Probably most of his stories were ex- 
 aggerations, and at times even simple Maurice doubted their 
 truth, but so gracefully were these lies told that they sounded 
 as delightful as the tales of Boccaccio. The Count, with 
 considerable imaginative power, supplied to his host a charm- 
 ing history of himself and his early life, which was more or 
 less fictitious ; but, of course, his listener never dreamed 
 that a man could string together such a quantity of consist- 
 ent lies, and therefore believed those romances worthy of 
 Dumas the Elder. Maurice was no fool, but his own nature 
 was so simple and honorable, that he thought every one else 
 was like himself, and at the worst only deemed that these 
 histories were perhaps highly colored, but true in the main. 
 
 Meanwhile, Eunice had demanded at the most convenient 
 opportunity an explanation from Crispin, regarding his in- 
 explicable behavior on that first night of the Greek's visit, 
 and had received one which considerably startled her, as it 
 plainly showed that Crispin was disposed to be jealous. This 
 rather pleased Eunice, as no woman cares about a meek lover, 
 and the more jealousy a man displays, the more his beloved 
 feels complimented at the power she exercises over his 
 affections. However, the situation between her and Crispin 
 being somewhat strained, Eunice, deeming honesty to be the 
 best policy, confessed all about her little scheme of mislead- 
 ing Mrs. Dengelton regarding the true position of affairs. 
 On learning the truth, Crispin felt very much ashamed of his 
 groundless suspicions, and apologized profusely for having 
 doubted his intended, whereat, being satisfied with this hum- 
 bling of the proud, she took him into favor again, so the 
 course of true love once more ran smooth. 
 
 Notwithstanding the unpleasantness of such a thing, 
 Crispin rather approved of Eunice treating him with cold- 
 ness in the presence of Mrs. Dengelton, as it would probably 
 lull the suspicions of that lady, but he was not so sure about 
 his intended accepting the very pointed attentions of Cali- 
 phronas. Crispin knew the Greek thoroughly. Eunice was 
 absolutely ignorant of his real character ; but as, owing to 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 87 
 
 his being behind the scenes, he could make Caliphronas to a 
 certain extent do what he desired, he hinted very plainly to 
 this Hellenic Don Juan that his attentions were unwelcome 
 to Miss Dengelton, and that he was to give up the role he 
 had elected to play. At first the Count was disposed to 
 rebel against this fiat, which put an end to a very pleasant 
 flirtation, but as he really did not care about Eunice, and 
 moreover Crispin was too dangerous to be provoked lightly, 
 he made a virtue of necessity, and ceased to overwlielm the 
 shy English girl with his florid compliments. At the same 
 time he promised himself to be revenged on Crispin at the 
 first opportunity, and Crispin, knowing this, could not help 
 feeling a trifle uneasy, for it was a difficult matter to fight 
 with an absolutely unscrupulous scoundrel like the Count, 
 whose laws were neither those of God nor man, but of his 
 own making. However, Crispin's knowledge of his errand 
 to Roylands proved an effective weapon, and he was satis- 
 fied that the Greek would do nothing to jeopardize the suc- 
 cess of his mission, even though his vanity demanded some 
 revenge for being thus slighted. 
 
 Of course, Mrs. Dengelton still contemplated a match 
 between her daughter and nephew, but Maurice evaded her 
 hints with great dexterity, yet at the same time, to protect 
 Crispin from a less complaisant rival, made such pointed 
 remarks about the necessity of marriage as led Mrs. Dengel- 
 ton to believe that he seriously contemplated entering into 
 the matrimonial state. Never was the good lady so puzzled 
 in her life, for she could not make up her mind as to what 
 Maurice really meant, with his blowing hot one day and cold 
 the next, but, being a great believer in the efficacy of time, 
 deemed it the wisest plan to wait the development of events, 
 and in order to watch the same kept her beady eyes wide 
 open. Owing to the neglectful manner in which Eunice had 
 lately treated Crispin, she apprehended no danger from that 
 quarter, and, as Maurice was very attentive to his cousin, 
 the Hon. Mrs. Dengelton felt sure that in the end she would 
 obtain her heart's desire, and install Eunice as mistress of 
 Roylands Grange. 
 
 The Rector sometimes came over to the Grange, and was 
 friendly with every one saving Caliphronas, as for some inex- 
 plicable reason he professed to heartily dislike that brilliant 
 gentleman. It was certainly a kind of Dr. Fell-ish aversion, 
 of which Mr. Carriston felt rather ashamed, as he could give 
 no plausible reason for such distrust. In reply to a question 
 
88 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 of Maurice's he simply said that, much as he admired the 
 physical beauty of the Greek, he was by no means sure that 
 his soul corresponded to the perfection of the body. Indeed, 
 on one occasion, while Mrs. Dengelton was eulogizing the 
 charms of Caliphronas from a feminine point of view, the 
 Kector pointedly quoted that line from the Odyssey which 
 says, — " Faultlessly fair bodies are not always the temples 
 of a godlike soul ; " but as this remark was made in Homeric 
 Greek, the significance of it was lost upon the lady. It may 
 be that some subtle instinct warned him against this man, 
 whose evil nature was concealed under the semblance of 
 good ; but at all events the Kector was always on his guard 
 against the Count, and delicately warned Maurice against 
 trusting him too far. Evidently Mr. Carriston had studied 
 the character of Ulysses to no small purpose, and found in 
 Caliphronas a reproduction, body, brain, and soul, of the most 
 crafty of the Greeks. 
 
 Kegarding the outward appearance of Caliphronas, the 
 Kector was too deeply steeped in the serene literature of 
 Hellas to be unimpressed with the physical splendor of the 
 man. Making allowances for the subduing influence of 
 modern clothing, which detracts from the most perfect 
 beauty either in man or woman, Mr. Carriston at times, see- 
 ing Caliphronas in the dazzling sunlight, thought he beheld, 
 as in a vision, the phantom of some joyous Hellenic divinity 
 untouched by sorrow or care. This man, gifted with excep- 
 tional beauty, might have been Hylas, Hyacinth, or Theoxe- 
 nos, and strayed by chance from some unknown Arcadian 
 vale into the rush and turmoil of the modern world, with its 
 worship of money and position, so pJien to the adoration of 
 Beauty and Genius which formed the cult of antique Hellas. 
 In truth, Caliphronas was out of place in England ; — our 
 gray rainy skies, smoky air, stifling cities, and domesticated 
 Nature, formed but a dark background for this strongly 
 vitalized being, tingling from head to foot with the health- 
 fulness of wild life. He should have dwelt in the burning 
 south, beside the tideless ripples of serene seas, under the 
 cloudless blue of Attic skies, with the silver-gray olives, the 
 shining temples of the gods, and headland, mountain peak, 
 and island melting into phantom forms of aerial grace far 
 beyond the expanse of the laughing ocean. He was an 
 anachronism in this nineteenth century, the physical survivor 
 of Hellas as Keats was the mental survivor — one had the 
 body of Alcibiades, the other the brain of Theocritus, and 
 both were equally alien to the modern world. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 89 
 
 Well was it for the Rector that he could see only the splen- 
 did casket, and not the soul contained therein, for, in spite of 
 his instinctive distrust, the fancy he had that this Count was 
 not to be trusted fell far below the actual moral degradation 
 of the man. Caliphronas was as vain as a peacock, absolutely 
 ignorant of the morality of right or wrong, lazy in every 
 way save what touched his own desires, and crafty as a 
 fox. Crispin could have pointed out to the Rector all these 
 flaws, but Crispin had promised to hold his peace so long as 
 Caliphronas abstained from actual harm ; therefore he re- 
 mained quiescent, and only reminded the Greek now and 
 then that there was a watchful eye on his doings. 
 
 Maurice believed in the Greek, the Rector doubted him, 
 and Crispin knew his worthlessness thoroughly, so among 
 the three of them the character of Caliphronas was pretty 
 well analyzed. From Maurice, the steady, respectable Eng- 
 lishman, with occasional lapses of artistic wildness, to Cali- 
 phronas, the brilliant cosmopolitan adventurer, was a long 
 step. Crispin stood midway between the two, as he had a 
 certain amount of British phlegmatism, with at times those 
 wild impulses which come from a wandering life and an in- 
 tellectual nature. Still, he could control his spontaneity, 
 while Caliphronas, obeying his own undisciplined mind, did 
 whatever came into his head ; yet, if any one was scandalized 
 by such unconventionality, he would at once obtain forgive- 
 ness by the graceful way in which he apologized. 
 
 " It is impossible to be angry with you," said Maurice to 
 him one day, when the Count had been guilty of some ridicu- 
 lous escapade, " and yet you deserve to be sharply spoken to. 
 But you are a child in many ways, and we cannot be angry 
 with a child." 
 
 "There you are right, my dear Mr. Maurice," replied 
 Caliphronas, smiling. " I am a child, but that is as much as 
 to say, I am a Greek. You remember what the Egyptian 
 priest said to Solon, — ' You Greeks are always children.' 
 Therefore, if I am a child, and act impulsively like a child, 
 blame my nationality, not myself." 
 
 " I expect you could be a very bad child if you wanted 
 to ! " said Crispin, overhearing this defence. 
 
 Caliphronas darted a spiteful look at the speaker. 
 
 " Very likely," he replied in a meaning tone ; " but those 
 who dread stings should not disturb the wasps' nest." 
 
 There was a distinct menace in his tone, but Crispin felt 
 too confident of having the upper hand to take much notice 
 
90 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 of this venom, and merely laughed, much to the wrath of the 
 Greek. However, as the time was not yet ripe for action, 
 he restrained his anger, and behaved so amiably to Crispin 
 tliat it was only the knowledge the poet possessed of his true 
 character that made him mistrust the suave smiles and kindly 
 actions of this Greek Machiavelli. 
 
 Caliphronas was an amphibious creature, and lived quite 
 as much in the water as on the shore. Whenever he had the 
 time to spare, he went off to Brasdimir for a dip in the sea, 
 and would plunge and wallow in the water like a dolphin. 
 Fortunately that summer at Eoylands was unusually hot, 
 and what with the cloudless skies, the burning sun, and the 
 delicate emerald tints of foliage, grass, and herb, Caliphronas 
 might well have imagined that he was still in his beloved 
 Greece, bathing off some pebbly beach of the ^gean. 
 
 Brasdimir was a somewhat peculiar place, and was in 
 reality an arm of the sea {bras cle mer) which ran up like a 
 long tongue into the land, where it met the waters of the 
 E,oy river. In olden times, Eoylands, which was its Norman- 
 French name, had been the property of the crown, and had 
 been used by the Plantagenets for their favorite pastime of 
 hunting. Henry II. bestowed it on one of his barons who was 
 strongly suspected of being a son of the king, but who on 
 receiving this royal gift dropped his former name of Fitzroy 
 and took that of Roylands. It was certainly a splendid prop- 
 erty, and through all the turbulence of succeeding reigns 
 the descendants of the first Eoylands had succeeded in keep- 
 ing their hold on these rich acres ; so it was very little dimin- 
 ished in size from the time of its bestowal on Fitzroy. 
 Brasdimir, which was a kind of estuary, ran about half a 
 mile up into the estate, and into it flowed the little river 
 Eoy, which was a placid stream of no great beauty. All 
 round Brasdimir lay fat meadows containing some of the 
 finest land in the country, and clumps of beech and elm and 
 oak, remnants of the old hunting-forest of Plantagenet kings, 
 dotted their broad expanse of daisied sward. 
 
 Near the upper part of Brasdimir, where it met the waters 
 of the Eoy and blended salt with fresh, stood a quincunx of 
 noble oaks which grew close to the bank. From thence the 
 smooth turf of the meadow sloped down to the turbulent 
 waters, and it was here that Caliphronas came to bathe, not 
 only every morning, but often three times a day. Being in 
 the middle of the estate, Brasdimir was far away from all 
 human habitation, and might have been the navel of some 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 91 
 
 great wilderness, so lonely it was. The Greek loved this 
 blending of fresh and salt water, as the softness of the one 
 assuaged the harshness of the other, and under the hot sun 
 would frequently cool himself in this unique pool, which was 
 neitlier river nor stream, but a mixture of both. 
 
 Very often Crispin and Maurice would come with him for 
 a morning dip just before sunrise, and then walk back to the 
 Grange with a tremendous appetite for breakfast. 
 
 One morning they set out for their usual walk, just as the 
 east was flushing redly with the dawn, and the chill morning 
 air nipped them keenly as they strolled along in the direc- 
 tion of Brasdimir. That is to say, the poet and the sculptor 
 strolled, for Caliphronas simply danced along, as if to rid 
 himself of his superabundant energy. Across the dewy 
 meadows he bounded fawn-like, singing as gayly as the lark 
 already saluting the sun in the fresh blue sky. Like some 
 wild being of the woods, he leaped here and there from very 
 light-hearted ness, with his head bare and his arms tossing in 
 the air. A number of horses pasturing in the held rushed 
 away at his approach, nor, though he called them loudly, 
 did they pause in their wild career. 
 
 " What a child he is ! " said Maurice, watching the grace- 
 ful figure of the Greek bounding lightly towards the water. 
 
 "Yes, a nice child truly," sneered Crispin, w^ith strong 
 disfavor. 
 
 " You don't seem to like Caliphronas ? " 
 
 " Well, no, I cannot say I do. As an acquaintance he is 
 all very well, but as a friend " — Here Crispin shrugged his 
 shoulders in lieu of words. 
 
 " I suppose all he says about himself is true ? " 
 
 "1 suppose so," replied the poet curtly. 
 
 " Do you think he will stay long down here ? I hope he 
 will not go away before I finish modelling my Endymion." 
 
 " I think you can safely depend on his staying till then," 
 rejoined Crispin significantly, and the conversation ended — 
 a conversation which left an odd feeling of discomfort in the 
 mind of Maurice, which — why he could not tell — seemed to 
 revive his old distrust of this fascinating Greek. He would 
 have questioned Crispin further, but as they were now on the 
 edge of the bank, and Caliphronas was within hearing, he 
 had no opportunity of so doing, therefore put off such ex- 
 amination till a more convenient season. 
 
 Caliphronas was already in the water, swimming like a 
 fish, and indeed he was as much at home there as on the land. 
 
92 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 The two gentlemen undressed leisurely on the bank, Maurice 
 making fun of the Greek as he revelled in his favorite 
 element. 
 
 " You had better beware, Caliphronas, as the nymphs 
 might take a fancy to you as they did to Hylas." 
 
 "Kiver nymphs, sea nymphs, I do not mind in the least ! " 
 cried the Greek gayly ; " ladies are always charming, whether 
 they have tails or limbs." 
 
 At this moment he reached the opposite bank and climbed 
 on the fallen trunk of a tree. As he stood there with his 
 arms raised above his head, the first yellow ray of the sun 
 flashed on his white body and enveloped him in glory, as 
 though he were indeed a stray Olympian. Then, with a 
 shout of glee, he shot downward like an arrow, cleaving the 
 blue water with a dash of snowy spray, which sprang up- 
 wards glittering like diamonds in the yellow sunlight. By 
 this time Maurice and his friend were also enjoying their 
 bath in the cool element, and the three rollicked about like 
 schoolboys. Crispin swam down the estuary in the direction 
 of the sea with Maurice, and soon the surface of the water 
 roughened by the wind began to dash salt spray in their 
 faces. Caliphronas stayed where he was, amusing himself 
 with fancy strokes, but after a time he became tired, and 
 when the others came back, breathless with their long swim, 
 they found the Count standing on the bank drying himself. 
 
 As they also were tired, they also sought the bank, but at 
 this moment one of the horses, a powerful black one, came 
 timidly near them. Caliphronas, with that wonderful power 
 he had over all animals, advanced, nude as he was, up the 
 bank, and called to the horse in a coaxing tone. The animal 
 let him get quite close to it and lay his hand on the mane, 
 when with a sudden spring the Greek leaped on its back, 
 and the horse, startled by the action and by his shout, gal- 
 loped away at full speed. E-ound and round the meadow 
 went horse and man, forming so striking a sight that Maurice 
 and Crispin paused in their dressing to look at it. As the 
 horse at full gallop came sweeping past, with Caliphronas 
 laughing and holding on by the mane, Maurice involuntarily 
 thought of the frieze of the Parthenon, where nude youths 
 ride fiery steeds in a long serene procession of marble figures. 
 The Greek rode like a Red Indian, with the most consum- 
 mate ease, and as the horse for the third time darted past 
 the quincunx of oaks, he dropped lightl}^ oif, by some trick 
 known only to himself, and the steed galloped wildly away, 
 while the Greek came back laughing to his friends. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 93 
 
 "What a child you are, Caliphronas ! " said Maurice in a 
 vexed tone; "riding a bare-backed steed in that reckless 
 manner. You might have broken your neck." 
 
 " Small loss if he had," muttered Crispin under his breath. 
 
 "Oh, I can stick on anything," answered Caliphronas care- 
 lessly, taking no notice of Crispin's remark, which his keen 
 ears immediately heard ; " besides, that gallop has done me 
 good. See, I am quite dry." 
 
 When they were dressed, the three of them walked quickly 
 back to breakfast, for the morning air had developed their 
 appetites enormously. Mrs. Dengelton and Eunice awaited 
 them on the terrace, and they were soon seated round the 
 well-spread table. Caliphronas, touching neither coffee nor 
 tea, drank water only, and confined his eating to bread, 
 honey, and eggs. His w^ere the tastes of primeval man, and 
 he strongly disliked elaborate dishes which were pleasing to 
 the cultured palates of his more civilized neighbors. 
 
 " I do not know how you can eat such things," he said in 
 some disgust, as Eunice took some curry. "Does it not 
 make you ill ? " 
 
 "Not in the least. Count," she replied, laughing. "It is a 
 very depraved taste, I suppose, but I am very fond of curry." 
 
 "And tea — hot tea," retorted Caliphronas quickly. "I 
 have heard it said that tea is bad for the nerves. Ladies 
 always complain of nerves, yet they drink tea." 
 
 "I could not do without my tea," said Mrs. Dengelton, 
 who was given to surreptitious cups of tea at odd hours of 
 the day, "and yet I have nerves. Oh, those dreadful nerves ! 
 You don't know what it is to be so afflicted. Count." 
 
 " No, I do not. I never had an illness in my life, but then 
 that is because I live a natural life, whereas all you highly 
 civilized people live an artificial existence. If you gave up 
 your highly-spiced dishes, your strong wines, your late hours, 
 your breathing of poisonous air, you would be as healthy as 
 I am." 
 
 " Well, you can hardly call the air of Roylands poisonous," 
 said Maurice indolently. 
 
 "No, the air here is delightful because you live near the 
 sea. I could not dwell inland myself. I would die. I must 
 breathe the sea air, see the wide waste of waters, hear the 
 thunder of waves on the beach. That is the only life for a 
 healthy man." 
 
 "You could not live in London, I suppose," said Mrs. 
 Dengelton, frowning on Eunice, who was talking in a quiet 
 tone to Crispin, 
 
94 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " London ! " cried the Count, with scorn. " I would as 
 soon live at the bottom of the sea. Indeed, I believe it 
 would be healthier there. London, that crushed-up mass of 
 houses inhabited by pale-faced people — I wonder they can 
 exist. Oh, I saw and heard a good deal of London when T 
 was there. Your people in the East End never leave those 
 narrow streets from one year to the other. They know noth- 
 ing of sunrise or sunset, for they only see those marvels 
 through a smoky veil. They cannot tell a bird by its song 
 — they know nothing of animals or their habits. Of the 
 wonderful life of Nature which is born and lives and dies in 
 the woods, in the seas, in the mountains, they are ignorant. 
 They are born blind, they live blind, they die blind, and call 
 such blindness life." 
 
 " But what about the people in the West End ? " asked 
 Mrs. Dengelton, with the air of making a crushing remark. 
 
 " They are scarcely better," retorted Caliphronas promptly ; 
 ^' they sit half the night in theatres breathing hot air, they 
 go to balls where there is such a crowd of people that no one 
 can dance, they walk for an hour in the Park and call it 
 exercise, they poison themselves at the clubs with cigarettes, 
 and in the boudoirs with tea — and all this feverish, unreal 
 life is called ' the season.' When they go abroad it is to 
 Monte Carlo and those sorts of places, where they lead the 
 same life on a smaller scale. No, the West End is no better 
 than the East End ! " 
 
 "But you forget," said Crispin, more from a desire to con- 
 tradict the Count than because he disagreed with him, 
 " plenty of people go mountaineering, game-shooting, yacht- 
 ing, exploring." 
 
 " I know all that, my dear friend, but the number of 
 people who do those things is very small. I am talking of 
 the great mass of the English people, and as far as I can see, 
 whether they are rich or poor, the life they lead is in both 
 cases equally opposed to health and enjoyment." 
 
 " Here endeth the first reading," said Maurice, rising from 
 the table, his example being followed by all his guests. 
 ''Caliphronas, you are quite eloquent on the subject." 
 
 " Yes ! I am not usually so eloquent," replied the Count, 
 going out on to the terrace, " but on all sides I hear from 
 your people complaints of being ill. Well, the remedy is in 
 tlieir own hands. Why don't they use it ? " 
 
 " My good sir," remarked Crispin, who had lighted a ciga- 
 rette, "you cannot overturn the whole complex civilization 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 95 
 
 of the West in that manner. Man can no more go back to 
 the simplicity of the existence you eulogize, than you could 
 settle down to a fashionable life in London and enjoy it." 
 
 '' Well, you at least can be cured easily," said the Count, 
 with emphasis, for, as they were now beyond earshot of the 
 rest of the party, he could talk freely ; " you all your lite have 
 lived the life of a natural man, but now you smoke that horri- 
 ble tobacco, drink all kinds of wines, eat all kinds of dishes, 
 and will soon become as artificial as those people around you. 
 
 " Perhaps I will come back to the primeval existence you 
 praise." 
 
 " With that young lady, I suppose ? 
 " Perhaps." 
 
 "Ah, she is very charming! She is" — _ 
 
 " Thank you, I don't want to hear your opinion of Miss 
 Dengelton," said Crispin haughtily; "your primeval sim- 
 plicity at times verges on rudeness. How long are you 
 going to stay here ? " , n j. 
 
 "I can't tell you that; but I am going to take my hrst 
 step to-day." 
 
 " In order to get Eoylands to Melnos ? 
 " Yes. Oh, I have a lure, my friend. Yes ; I have de- 
 scribed the fairyland of the islands, and that it is fairyland 
 you must admit. He is even now seized with a desire of 
 going there, so to-day I will get him to make up his mind to 
 go to the Levant with me." 
 " How ? " 
 
 " I will show him this." 
 
 Crispin looked at the portrait the Count held out, which 
 was that of a marvellously beautiful woman in a Greek 
 dress. 
 
 " Helena ! " cried the poet, recognizing the face. " When 
 did she get this taken ? Has she been to Athens ? " 
 
 " No. I took it myself. Oh, I am not absolutely the bar- 
 barian you think me. I have gone in for photography. 
 Yes ; this is one of my best efforts." 
 
 " And do you think that face will lure Maurice to the 
 East?" ^ . .- 
 
 " It ought to," said Caliphronas, gazing at the picture with 
 a burning light in his eyes ; " she is as lovely as her name- 
 sake of Troy, and I love her, oh, how I love her ! " ^^ 
 " Is it wdse, do you think, to introduce a possible rival ? 
 " That does not matter to me," replied the Count, slipping 
 the picture into his pocket. " I have Justinian's promise." 
 
96 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 ^' Yes, but you have not got Helena's." 
 
 " Oh, she won't refuse to marry me." 
 
 " For the sake of her happiness, I hope she will." 
 
 " You are very complimentary," retorted the Greek iron- 
 ically, turning away. " Well, I must leave your delightful 
 society, my friend. It is time for me to go to the studio." 
 
 " Wait a minute ! I have not thwarted your plans, be- 
 cause, as far as I can see, they are innocent, but if you induce 
 Maurice to go to the Levant " — 
 
 " Well ? " demanded Caliphrouas insolently. 
 
 "I will go also." 
 
 " And your reason ? " 
 
 "A very simple one. I do not trust the scamp called 
 Andros." 
 
 "Better known, at least in England, as Constantine Cali- 
 phrouas," replied the Count coolly. " Well, come if you like, 
 to watch over your precious friend. I do not wish him 
 harm, but he, and you also, had better beware of Justinian." 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE PORTRAIT. 
 
 Dreary life, 
 
 Aching fears, 
 
 Endless strife, 
 
 Bitter tears, , 
 
 Lo, a lovely face I see, 
 Changing all the world to me. 
 
 Love's delight. 
 
 Beauty's face, 
 
 Smilings bright. 
 
 Woman's grace. 
 Thus beholding these i& thee, 
 Thou hast changed the world to me. 
 
 The studio which Maurice had fitted up for himself at the 
 Grange was a very workmanlike apartment, as it was quite 
 barren of the artistic frippery with which painters love to 
 decorate their rooms. Sculpture is a much more virile art 
 than painting, and, scorning frivolous adornments of all kinds, 
 the artist of the chisel devotes himself to the severest and 
 highest forms of beauty, so thtit he finds quite enough love- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 97 
 
 liness in his coldly perfect marble figures, without furnishing 
 his studio like a Wardour Street toy-shop. Of course, he 
 who works in colors loves to gaze on colors ; and therefore 
 a fantastic Eastern carpet, a quaint figured tapestry, a gold- 
 broidered curtain of Indian silk, a yellow shield of antique 
 workmanship, a porous red jar from Egypt, and such like 
 brilliances, are pleasing to the artistic eye, and the constant 
 sight of their blended hues keeps the sense of color, so to 
 speak, up to the mark. The sculptor, however, has but one 
 color, white, which is not a color ; and the less luxurious his 
 studio, the more likely is he to concentrate his attention on 
 the statue growing to perfection under his busy chisel. 
 
 These sentiments, which would seem to narrow down a 
 sculptor to the severest and least graceful form of art, were 
 uttered by Crispin in approval of that bare barn attached 
 to the Grange which Maurice called his studio. But then 
 Crispin knew nothing about art, and a painter or a sculptor 
 reading the above views of their profession will probably 
 laugh to scorn such fanciful notions. Yet it is true that the 
 sculptor by his art is shut off from the world of color, unless, 
 like the old Greeks, — according to some critics, — he tints 
 his statues, and thereby turns them into wax figures. But 
 doubtless those Hellenic sculptors who wrought nude gods 
 and draped goddesses from the marbles of Paros and Pentel- 
 icus, did not fail to notice how the background of the blue 
 Attic sky enhanced the beauty of their creations, and there- 
 fore must have concluded that the world of color, to which 
 they were strangers, could accentuate the fairness and beauty 
 of their statues. Again these are the artistic sentiments of 
 Crispin the poet, delivered to Maurice with much daring, 
 seeing the speaker was ignorant of the world of art, and but 
 promulgated his ideas in a purely poetical fashion. But 
 Crispin's crude view of art and artists may doubtless fail to 
 interest many people ; therefore, to come back in a circle 
 to the starting-point of the disquisition, Maurice's studio was 
 a very workmanlike apartment. 
 
 The floor consisted merely of bare boards, although at one 
 end, in front of the fireplace, there was an oasis of carpet, 
 on which rested a table for pipes and tobacco, together with 
 two comfortable arm-chairs. Scattered here and there were 
 statues finished and unfinished, some completed in marble, 
 others incomplete in clay. Maurice had gratified his artis- 
 tic desires for the perfection of sculpture by surrounding 
 himself with copies in marble of some famous statues, for 
 
98 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 now, as he was wealthy, he could afford to do so. Here 
 danced the Faun with his grotesque visage and lissome pose ; 
 there smiled Plebe, holding her cup for the banquet of the 
 gods ; Bacchus with his crown of vine-leaves gazed serenely 
 on the sad face of the draped Ariadne in the distance ; 
 Apollo watched the lizard crawling up the tree-trunk ; and 
 Hermes, ^vith winged feet, poised himself on his pedestal as 
 if for flight. The whole studio was filled with the fair and 
 gracious forms of Greek art, and no wonder at times jNIaurice 
 despaired of producing anything worth looking at beside 
 these immortal productions of the Hellenic brain and hands. 
 The great necessity now is, not to know what one can do, 
 but what one cannot do ; and if these complacent artists, 
 poets, sculptors, novelists, only abode by this rule, the world 
 would be spared the perpetration of many an atrocity in 
 marble, verse, or on canvas, which the conceited creators 
 think perfection. Maurice Roylands had a pretty taste for 
 chipping marble, but he was by no means a genius, and his 
 statues, while perfectly wrought in accordance with the 
 canons of art, yet lacked that soul which only the true sculp- 
 tor can give to his creations. It was a fortunate thing for 
 him that he was a rich man, for assuredly he would never 
 have become a great sculptor. His ideas were excellent, but 
 he could not carry them out in accordance with the figment 
 of his brain, as he lacked the divine spark of genius which 
 alone can fully accomplish what it conceives. 
 
 At present, clad in a blouse, he was standing in front of a 
 mass of wet clay, manipulating the soft material with dex- 
 terous fingers into a semblance of the fanciful Endymion 
 of his brain and the real Endymion of Caliphronas. That 
 gentleman was posed on the model's platform in the distance, 
 and was beguiling the time by incessant chattering of this, 
 that, and the other thing. 
 
 The artist had based his conception of this statue of Endym- 
 ion on these lines of Keats, poet laureate to Dian herself, — 
 
 "What is there in the Moon tliat thou shouldst move 
 My heart so potently ? " 
 
 He intended to represent the shepherd sitting on Latmos 
 top, chin on liand, gazing at the moon with dreamy e3^es, his 
 mortal lieart thrilling at the thought that he would see the 
 inviolate Artemis incarnate in the flesh. In accordance with 
 the Greek ideas of nudity, Maurice did not drape his statue ; 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 99 
 
 but the shepherd sat on his chlamys, which was lightly 
 thrown over a rock, while beside him lay scrip, and flask, 
 and pastoral crook. Caliphronas was seated thus, — with his 
 elbow resting on his knee and his chin on his hand, gazing 
 presumably at the moon, in reality at Maurice, while the 
 other hand lightly hung down by his side, and his riglit leg 
 was drawn back so that the foot bent in a delicate curve 
 calculated to show its full beauty. This pose showed all the 
 perfect lines of his figure, and with his nude body, his clean- 
 shaven face, and dreaming eyes, he looked the veritable En- 
 dymion who was waiting the descent of the goddess from high 
 Olympus. Though it was a warm day, a fire burned in the 
 grate, for the Greek was very susceptible to cold, and after 
 working for some time Maurice was fain to rest, so great 
 was the heat ; whereupon Caliphronas flung himself back on 
 the chlamys, placed his hands behind his head, and began to 
 talk. 
 
 " Will you be long at your work to-day, Mr. Maurice ? " 
 he asked with a yawn. 
 
 " No, not if you are tired," replied Roy lands, throwing a 
 cloak over the Count. " You had better wrap yourself up, 
 or you will catch cold. If you don't care to sit any more 
 to-day, we can leave off now." 
 
 "Well, I have some letters to write, but I will wait 
 another half-hour." 
 
 "All right!" 
 
 Maurice lighted his favorite pipe and established himself 
 in a comfortable chair, upon which the Count, finding the 
 rock of Endymion somewhat hard, forsook the platform, and, 
 wrapping the cloak closely round him, sat down opposite the 
 sculptor. 
 
 " I wonder you don't smoke, Caliphronas," said Maurice, 
 idly watching the Greek with half-closed eyes. " You will 
 find it an excellent way of passing the time." 
 
 " Of killing time, I suppose you mean ; but I have no need 
 to do that. At least, not when I am at home in Greece. 
 Here, yes, it is rather difficult to get through the day com- 
 fortably ; if it were not for these sittings, I really do not 
 know what I would do with myself." 
 
 " I am afraid I will never be able to carry out my concep- 
 tion of Endymion," said Maurice, paying no attention to this 
 remark. 
 
 Caliphronas shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 " Oh, your work is very good," he said politely, " very 
 good indeed J but of course it is not perfect." 
 
100 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " I know that, but practice makes perfect." 
 
 "Not in the world of art. You may learn to paint in 
 strict accordance with the rules of art. You may sculpture 
 to the inch every portion of the human body, but that is only 
 the outward semblance of the picture or the statue. The 
 great thing which makes a great work is the soul." 
 
 "Quite true. And you think I cannot create the soul of 
 my statues ? " said Maurice, rather nettled at the outspoken 
 criticism. 
 
 " I say nothing, my friend. I know but little of art, so it 
 would be an impertinence of me to talk about that of which 
 I am ignorant." 
 
 " The longer we live the less we discover we know," said 
 E-oylands sententious^. 
 
 " I suppose that is true," replied Caliphronas indolently ; 
 " but, thank heaven, I have not the soul of an artist, for it 
 seems to cause its owner perpetual anxiety. Ko ; I live 
 healthy, joyous, and free, like the other animals of Nature, 
 and I am quite satisfied." 
 
 " Is that not rather ignoble ? " 
 
 " Perhaps ; but that is nothing to me. I am happy, which 
 is, to my mind, the main aim of life. Why should I slave 
 for money ? I do not wish it. Why should I toil for years 
 at art, and gain at the end but ephemeral fame ? Besides, 
 when one dies, what good does fame do ? A large marble 
 tomb would not please me." 
 
 " Still, the fame of being spoken of by succeeding gen- 
 erations." 
 
 " Who would do nothing but wrangle over their different 
 opinions regarding one's work. Present happiness is what 
 I wish, not future praise ; but in this narrow island of yours 
 you cannot understand the joy of life. Come with me to the 
 isles of Greece, and you will be so fascinated with the free, 
 wild life that you will never return to your prison-house." 
 
 " If all men thought like you, the world would not pro- 
 gress." 
 
 " I don't want all men to think the same as I do," replied 
 the Count selfishly. " I suppose there must be slaves as 
 well as freemen. I prefer to be the last." 
 
 " Slaves ! " 
 
 " Yes. I do not mean the genuine article, but all men are 
 slaves more or less, if they don't follow my mode of life. 
 Slaves to gain, slaves to art, slaves to conventionality, slaves 
 to everything ; and what do they gain by such slavery ? 
 Nothing but what I do — a tomb — annihilation." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 101 
 
 " Well, you are a slave to your passions." 
 " You mean I obey my impulses. Well, I do ; but it is a 
 very pleasant kind of slavery." 
 
 " And you believe in that horrible theory of annihilation ? 
 " Well, I don't know what I believe. I trouble myself in 
 no-wise about the hereafter. I am alive, I am strong, I am 
 happy. The sun is bright, the winds are inspiriting, — ! 
 draw delight from mountain and plain, — so why should 
 1 trouble mvself about what I know nothing ? The present is 
 just enough for me. Let the future take care of itself." 
 " A seltish philosophy." 
 
 "A very enjoyable one. Come with me to the East, and 
 you will adopt my creed. Are you happy here ? " 
 " No." 
 
 " I can see that. You are melancholy at times, you are 
 devoured with spleen, you find the life you lead too dreary 
 for your soul. If you let me be your physician, I will cure 
 you." 
 
 ''And how?" 
 
 " By a very simple means. I will make you lead the same 
 life as I do myself, — open-air life, — and in a few months 
 you will find these nightmares of the soul completely disap- 
 pear. No prisoner can be happy ; and as you are a prisoner 
 in this dungeon of conventionality, and are swathed in the 
 mummy cloths of civilization, you cannot hope to be happy 
 unless you go out into the wilderness." 
 
 ''The life you describe is purely an animal one. What 
 about the intellect ? " 
 
 '- Intellect ! pshaw ! I know more about Nature than half 
 your scientific idiots with their books." 
 
 '•' What an inconsistent being you are, Caliphronas ! " said 
 :\raurice in an amused tone. " You say you love art, admire 
 pictures, adore statues ; yet, if every man followed the life 
 you eulogize, such things would not be in existence." 
 
 "I tell you, I don't want all the world to follow my ex- 
 ample. I would be very sorry to lose all these delights of 
 the senses, so I am glad there are men sufficiently self-deny- 
 ing to slave at such things for my delight ; but as regards 
 myself, I desire to live as a natural man — an animal, as you 
 say. It is ignoble — yes; but it is pleasant." 
 
 This speech somewhat opened the eyes of Maurice to the 
 kind of soul which was enshrined in the splendid body of 
 this man ; and he saw plainly that the sensual part of Cali- 
 phronas had completely conquered the spiritual. But with 
 
102 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 what result ? — that this ignoble being was happy. What an 
 ironical comment of Fate on the strivings of great beings to 
 subordinate the senses to the soul. The soul agitated by a 
 thousand fears, the brain striving ever after the impossible 
 — what do these give their possessor, but a feeling of unrest, 
 of unsatisfied hunger ; whereas the body, untortured by an 
 inquiring spirit, brought contentment, happiness — ignoble 
 though they were — to the animal man. 
 
 By this time, Caliphronas, having made up his mind to sit 
 no more that day, was slowly dressing himself, singing a 
 Greek song in his usual gay manner. 
 
 " Three girls crossed my path in the twilight; 
 One did I love, but the others were nothing to me: 
 She frowned at my greeting, but her friends smiled sweetly, 
 Yet was she the loveliest of them all, 
 And I loved her frown more than their smiles inviting." 
 
 " How happy you are, Caliphronas ! " 
 
 "Thoroughly. I have not a care in the world. Come with 
 me to the Island of Fantasy, and you also will be happy." 
 
 " The Island of Fantasy ! " 
 
 " Yes ; that is what Justinian calls it." 
 
 " Who is Justinian ? anything to do with the Pandects ? " 
 
 " Pandects ? " reiterated Caliphronas, puzzled by the word. 
 
 ^•' Yes. Is he a ruler — a law-giver ? " 
 
 " Oh yes ; he is the king of the Island of Fantasy." 
 
 " Which, I presume, exists only in your brain," said Roy- 
 lands jestingly. 
 
 "Pardon me, no," replied the Count seriously, resuming 
 his seat. " The Island of Fantasy, or, to call it by its real 
 name, Melnos, does exist in the ^gean Sea. It is a but little 
 known island, and Justinian, who is my very good friend, 
 rules over it as a kind of Homeric king. Ulysses was just 
 such another ; and there you will find the calm, patriarchal 
 life of those antique times, which you of the modern world 
 think has vanished forever. My friend, the Golden Age 
 still exists in Melnos, and if you come with me, you will 
 dwell in Arcady." 
 
 " My dear Count," said Maurice, much impressed by the 
 fluency of the man's speech, '• I have never yet heard a for- 
 eigner speak our tongue with such ease as you do. Where 
 did you learn such fluenc}^ — such a good accent ? " 
 
 " Ah, I will tell you that when we arrive at Melnos." 
 
 "You are almost as much a riddle as is Crispin," said 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 103 
 
 Maurice, chafing at this secrecy, which seemed to be so 
 senseless. 
 
 " Doubtless ; but if you are curious to know about us both, 
 come to the ^gean with me." 
 
 " About you both ? " repeated the Englishman : " why, do 
 you know anything of Crispin ? " 
 
 Caliphronas knew a good deal about Crispin, but he was 
 too wise to say that he did. Silence regarding the past on 
 his part was the only way to secure silence on the part of 
 Crispin ; and much as Caliphronas, in his enmity to the 
 poet, would have liked to reveal what Crispin desired to be 
 kept secret, he had too much at stake to risk such a grati- 
 fication of his spite, and therefore passed off the question 
 with a laugh. 
 
 "Know anything about Creespeen ? " he reiterated, smil- 
 ing. " I'm afraid I know nothing more than you do. I met 
 him at Athens, truly, but we were but acquaintances, so I never 
 made any inquiries about him. He was as much a riddle 
 there as here. Oh yes, I heard all the romances about him 
 in London ; and no doubt one story is as true as another. 
 The reason I made such a remark as I did, was that, as 
 Crispin says himself, he came from the East like a wise man 
 of to-day ; you will probably learn his past history in those 
 parts." 
 
 "And as to yourself ? " 
 
 " Eh ! I have told you all my past life, with the exception 
 of Melnos, and that I did not think worth while relating. 
 But it is a charming place, I assure you ; and if you come 
 with me, I am sure you will find a community under the rule 
 of Justinian, which is quite foreign to this century." 
 
 "I have a good mind to accept j^our offer," said Maurice 
 musingly ; " there is nothing to keep me in England, and a 
 glimpse of new lands would do me good. Besides, Count, 
 one does not get such an excellent guide as you every day." 
 
 "Oh, I know every island in the ^gean," replied Cali- 
 phronas, smiling his thanks for the compliment. " I have 
 sailed all over the Archipelago, and am quite a sailor in a 
 small way. Lesbos, Cythera, Samos, Rhodes, — I know 
 them all intimately ; so if you are fond of ruins, and the 
 remains of old Greece, I can show you plenty, tell you the 
 legends, arrange about the inns, and, in fact, act as a drago- 
 man ; but, of course, without his greed for money." 
 
 " It seems worth considering." 
 
 "It will be a visit to paradise," cried Caliphronas enthusi- 
 
104 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 astically, springing to his feet. " Here you do not know the 
 true meaning of the word beauty. Only under the blue sky, 
 above the blue waves of the ^gean, is it to be seen. Aphro- 
 dite arose from those waters, and she was but an incarnation 
 of the beauty which meets the eye on all sides. You have 
 been my host in England. I will be your host in Greece, 
 and will entertain you in my ruined abode, — misnamed a 
 palace, — which is all that remains to me of my forefathers. 
 Together we will sail over those laughing waters, and see the 
 sun-kissed islands bloom on the wave. Paradise ! It is the 
 Elysian fields of foam where rest the spirits of wearied 
 mariners. What says the song of the Greek sailors ? 
 
 'I will die! but the earth will not hold me in her breast, 
 For the blue sea will clasp me in its arms. 
 I will die! but let my soul not find the heaven of the orthodox. 
 Nay, let it wander among the flowery islands, 
 Where I can see my home and the girl who mourns me. 
 That only is the paradise I long for.' " 
 
 " You forget I do not know modern Greek," said Maurice, 
 smiling at the enthusiasm of the Count ; " nor indeed much 
 ancient Greek, for the matter of that. But see. Count, you 
 have dropped a photograph." 
 
 " You can look at it," said the Count, who had let it fall 
 purposely ; '' I have no secrets." 
 
 " Oh I " 
 
 " Ah, you think it a charming face ? " 
 
 "Charming is too weak a word. It is Aphrodite herself." 
 
 " Alas ! " cried Caliphronas, with a merry laugh ; " that god- 
 dess lived before the days of sun-pictures, else Apollo might 
 have photographed her. Xo ; that is no deity, but a mortal 
 maiden whom I saw at Melnos. It is not bad for an ama- 
 teur effort, is it ? " 
 
 " Oh, very good, very good ! " replied Maurice hurriedly ; 
 " but the face — what a heavenly face ! " 
 
 " Ah, you see my paradise has got its Eve." 
 
 " And its Adam, doubtless ? " 
 
 "No, there is no Adam to that Eve," said Caliphronas, 
 shaking his head ; " at least, there was not when I was in 
 Melnos six months ago. Why should there be ? You will 
 find plenty of women as beautiful as Helena." 
 
 " Helena — is that her name ? Yes, I have no doubt you 
 will find beautiful women in Greece, — 'tis their heritage 
 from Phryne, Lais, and Aspasia ; but none can be as beautiful 
 as Helen of Troy." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 105 
 
 " Possibly not ; but that woman is Helena of Melnos, not 
 of Troy." 
 
 " I'll swear she is as beautiful as the wife of Menelaus, 
 whom Paris loved." 
 
 " You seem quite in raptures over this face," said Cali- 
 phronas, with but ill-concealed anger. " Pray, do you propose 
 to be Menelaus or Paris ! " 
 
 " Why, are you in love with her yourself ? '' asked Maurice, 
 looking at the Greek in some surprise. 
 
 This question touched Caliphronas more nearly than Mau- 
 rice guessed, but, whatever passion he may have felt for the 
 lady of the picture, he said nothing about it, but laughed in 
 a somewhat artificial manner. 
 
 " I in love with her, my friend ? No ; she is beautiful, I 
 grant you, but I look upon her as I would an exquisite pic- 
 ture. She is nothing to me. Did I not tell you I have a 
 future bride in the East ? Yes — in Constantinople ; a daugh- 
 ter of the old Byzantine nobles, a Fanariot beautiful as the 
 dawn, who dwells at Phanar." 
 
 " Then I need fear no rivalry from you, Caliphronas ? " 
 
 '^ Certainly not. But you seem to have fallen in love with 
 this pictured Helena." 
 
 " I will not go so far as to say that ; but you know I 
 have the artistic temperament, and therefore admire beauty 
 always." 
 
 " Of course — the artistic sense," sneered Caliphronas in 
 such a disagreeable way, that Maurice again looked at him 
 in astonishment. 
 
 The fact is, that Eoylands' admiration of the portrait 
 seemed to ruffle Caliphronas very much, and quite altered 
 his usual nonchalance of manner. Never before had Maurice 
 seen his joyous nature so changed, for he had now a frown on 
 his usually smiling face, and appeared to be on the verge of 
 an angry outbreak. All the wild beast in his nature, which 
 was so carefully hidden by the civilized mask, seemed to 
 show in the most unexpected manner, and with flashing eyes, 
 tightly drawn lips, and scowling countenance, ^he looked 
 anything but the serene Greek with whom Roylands was 
 acquainted. Maurice was astonished and rather annoyed at 
 this exhibition of temper, so, rising from his seat, he gave 
 the picture back to his guest with a dignified gesture. 
 
 " I have no wish to pry into your secrets. Count," he said 
 quietly, walking towards the door; "you showed me that 
 portrait of your own free will, and if I admire it somewhat 
 
106 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 warmly, surely the beauty of the face is my excuse. At 
 present I will say au revoir, as I have some business to do, 
 and will be in my study till luncheon." 
 
 When Maurice disappeared, the Greek stamped about the 
 room in sheer vexation at having betrayed himself, for he 
 could not but see that for once this simple Englishman had 
 caught a glimpse of his real nature, hitherto so carefully 
 concealed. 
 
 " I am a fool, a fool ! " he said savagely in Greek ; " every- 
 thing was going well, and I spoil all by letting my temper 
 get the better of me. Why did I not let him admire Helena 
 and say nothing ? When we get to Melnos, that will be a 
 different thing, for Justinian cannot go back from his word ; 
 and if I perform my part of the bargain, and bring this fool 
 to Melnos, he must perform his, and give nie his daughter. 
 I must recover my lost ground if possible, — bah ! it will not 
 be difficult. I can see he is in love with Helena, so that will 
 smooth everything. In love with my goddess ! " he said 
 ardently, gazing at the lovely face. " Ah, how can he help 
 being so ? — there is much excuse ; but he can only worship 
 you at a distance, my Venus, for you are mine — mine — 
 
 mine 
 
 ?" 
 
 He thrust the picture into his pocket, and, recovering his 
 serene joyousness of mood, pondered for a few moments as 
 to what was the best course to pursue. At last he decided, 
 and walked towards the door of the studio with the air of a 
 man who had made up his mind. 
 
 " I will give him the picture," he said, with a great effort, 
 " and I feel sure he will make peace on those terms." 
 
 Maurice was sitting at his desk, wondering why the even- 
 tempered Greek had thus given way to anger over the 
 picture. 
 
 " If he is engaged to a lady of Stamboul, he cannot be in 
 love with this Helena," he said to himself. " Perhaps he 
 was jealous of my admiring the beauty of a woman more 
 than his own. All Greeks are vain, but, as far as I can see, 
 Caliphronas is simply mad with vanity. Come in." 
 
 In answer to his invitation, the Count entered smiling, 
 and laid the picture on the desk before Maurice. 
 
 "You must not be angry with me, my friend," he said 
 volubly ; " I am like a child, and grow bad-tempered over 
 nothing. This Helena is nothing to me, and, to prove this, 
 I give you her portrait, which I do not care to keep. Come, 
 am I forgiven?" 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 107 
 
 " Of course you are," said Roylands hastily ; " and I will 
 not deprive you of your picture." 
 
 "No, no, I do not want it back," replied Caliphronas, 
 spreading out his hands in token of refusal ; " you love the 
 face, so keep it by all means." 
 
 " She is very beautiful," said Maurice, gazing longingly at 
 this modern Helen. 
 
 " Is she worth a journey to the East ? " asked Caliphronas 
 in a soft voice, like the sibilant hiss of a serpent. 
 
 Maurice made no reply ; he was looking at the portrait. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 A MODERN IXION. 
 
 Oh, beware 
 
 Of a snare ! 
 
 'Tis a phantom fair 
 
 Who will tangle your heart in her golden hair. 
 
 Tho' he vowed 
 Would be bowed 
 Heaven's Hera proud, 
 Ixion was duped by a treacherous cloud- 
 But in sooth, 
 Fate hath ruth, 
 And this dream of youth 
 May change from a dream to immutable truth. 
 
 "What is truth?" asked Pilate, but to this perplexing 
 question received no answer, not even from the Divine Man, 
 who was best able to give a satisfactory reply. In the same 
 way we may ask, " What is love ? " and receive many 
 answers, not one of which will be correct. The reason is 
 simply, no one knows what love is, though every one has 
 felt it. The commonest things are generally the most per- 
 plexing, and surely love is common enough, seeing it is the 
 thing upon which the welfare, the pleasure, nay, the con- 
 tinuity, of the human race depends. Yet no one can define 
 this every-day passion, because it is undefinable. " 'Tis the 
 mutual feeling which draws man and maid together." True, 
 but that may be affection, which is a lesser passion than love. 
 " 'Tis the admiration of a man or a woman for each other's 
 
108 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 beauty." Nay, that is but sensuality. " 'Tis the longing of 
 two people of the opposite sexes to dwell together all their 
 life." Why, that is only companionship. Affection, sensu- 
 ality, companionship, all three very pleasant, very comfort- 
 ing, but Love is greater than such a trinity. He may not 
 give pleasure, he may not bring comfort, but, on the con- 
 trary, may make those to whose hearts he comes very 
 unhappy. Love is no mischievous urchin, who plays with 
 his arrows ; no, he is a great and terrible divinity, who 
 comes to every mortal but once in life. We desire him, we 
 name him, we delight in him ; but we know not what he is, 
 where he comes from, or when he will leave us. 
 
 These reflections were suggested to Maurice by the ex- 
 traordinary feelings with which this dream-face of Helena 
 inspired him. Never before had he felt the sensation of 
 love — not affection, not admiration, not desire, but strong, 
 passionate love, which pervaded his whole being, yet which 
 he could not describe. He had not seen this woman in the 
 flesh, he was hardl}^ certain if she existed, for all the evi- 
 dences he had to assure him that there was such a being 
 were the portrait and the name, yet he felt, by some subtle, 
 indescribable instinct, that this was the one woman in the 
 world for him. Maurice, who had hitherto doubted the 
 existence of love, was now being punished for such scepti- 
 cism and was as love-sick as ever was some green lad fasci- 
 nated by a pretty face. '•' He jests at scars who never felt a 
 wound;" but Maurice did not jest at scars now, for the 
 arrow of Cupid, shot from some viewless height, had made a 
 wound in his heart which would heal not till he died ; or, 
 even granting it would heal, would leave a scar to be seen of 
 all men. 
 
 It was the old story of Ixion over again. Here was a man 
 embracing a cloudy phantom of his own imagination, for, 
 granting that this beautiful face belonged to a real woman, 
 Maurice knew nothing about her, yet dowered her with all 
 the exquisite perfections of feminality. He dreamed she 
 would be loving, tender, and womanly, yet, for aught he 
 knew, the owner of that lovely face might be a very Peu- 
 thesilea for daring and masculine emulation. But no; he 
 could not believe that she would unsex herself by taking 
 upon her nature the rival attributes of manly strength, for 
 the whole face breathed nothing but feminine delicacy. 
 That broad white brow, above which the hair was smoothed 
 in the antique fashion ; those grave, earnest eyes, so full of 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 109 
 
 sympathy and purity ; that beautifully shaped mouth, like a 
 scarlet flower, speaking of reticence and womanly shrinking. 
 No; he was quite sure that she was an ideal woman, so 
 therefore worshipped her — unseen, unheard — with all the 
 chivalrous affection of a mediaeval knight. 
 
 Day and night that faultless face haunted his brain like 
 some*^ perfect poem, and, waking or sleeping, he seemed to 
 hear her voice, full and rich as an organ-note, calling on him 
 to seek her in that Island of Fantasy whereof the Greek 
 had spoken. Was she indeed some fairy princess, detained 
 in an enchanted castle against her will ? was this mysterious 
 Justinian, whose personality seemed so vague, indeed her 
 jailer, guarding her as the dragon did the golden fruit of 
 the Hesperides ? and was Caliphronas a messenger sent to 
 tell him of the reward awaiting him should he take upon 
 him vows of releasing her from such thraldom, and accom- 
 plish his quest successfully ? Curious how the classic legends 
 and the mediaeval romances mixed together in his brain, yet 
 one and all, however diverse in thought, pointed ever to 
 that beautiful woman dwelling in an enchanted island sea- 
 encircled by the murmurous waves of the blue ^gean. 
 
 True, he had fallen in love, and thus regained in one 
 instant the interest in life which he had lost erstwhile ; but 
 the object of his adoration seemed so far away, her per- 
 sonality, about which he could only obscurely conjecture, 
 was so lost in dream-mists, that the cure of his melancholia 
 seemed worse than the disease itself. He again became sad 
 and absent-minded, grieving — not, as formerly, for a vague 
 abstraction, for something, he knew not what — but for an 
 actual being, for an unfulfilled passion which seemed in 
 itself as elusive a thing as had tormented him formerly. 
 The indistinct phantom which had engendered melancholia 
 had taken shape — the shape of a beautiful, smiling face, 
 which mocked him with the promise of delight probably 
 never destined to be fulfilled. 
 
 All his guests noticed this lapse into his former melancholy, 
 but none of them guessed the reason save Caliphronas, who 
 was beside himself with rage at the discovery. The strata- 
 gem with which he proposed to draw Maurice to Melnos had 
 succeeded beyond his highest expectations, but he was very 
 dissatisfied with his success, and began to wonder if Crispin 
 was not right after all concerning the folly of presenting a 
 possible rival to the woman he desired for himself. The 
 woman was to be the reward of his success : he had made 
 
110 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 use of that woman's pictured loveliness to achieve that 
 success, and by so doing had complicated the simplicity of 
 the affair by introducing a third element, that of a rival's 
 love, which might place an obstacle in the way of his receiv- 
 ing the reward. It was Mephistopheles showing Faust the 
 phantom of Gretchen, and the same result of love for an 
 unseen woman had ensued ; but then, Mephistopheles was 
 not enamoured of the loveliness he used as a bait to catch 
 his victim, whereas Caliphronas was. However, it was too 
 late now to alter the matter, for the Greek could see that 
 Maurice had almost made up his mind to go in search of this 
 new Helen of Troy, and if he succeeded in gaining her 
 heart, circumstances might arise with which it would be 
 difficult to grapple. 
 
 After all, when Caliphronas compared the Englishman's 
 every-day comeliness with his own glorious beauty, he felt 
 that no woman would refuse him for such a commonplace 
 individual as his possible rival. But, again, Caliphronas was 
 aware that Helena valued the inward more than the outward 
 man, in which case he suspected he had but little chance in 
 coming off best. Pose as he might to the world, Cali- 
 phronas knew the degradation of his own soul, and when this 
 was contrasted with the honest, proud, straightforward nature 
 of Maurice Koylands, it could be easily seen which of them 
 the woman would choose as best calculated to insure her 
 happiness. Besides, the love which had been newly born in 
 Maurice's heart was a highly spiritual passion, with no touch 
 of grossness, whereas the desires of Caliphronas were purely 
 animal ones for physical beauty. In point of outward sem- 
 blance, he would have been a titter husband for the exquisite 
 beauty of this woman, but as to a marriage of souls, which 
 after all is the only true marriage, the one was as different 
 from the other as is day from night. 
 
 Maurice said nothing to Crispin about the portrait, and 
 though the latter guessed from his abstraction that Caliphro- 
 nas had played his last card with that hidden loveliness, he 
 made no remark, for the time was not yet ripe to unfold the 
 past. If, however, Maurice went to Melnos, Crispin, as he 
 had told Caliphronas, determined to accompany him, as much 
 on his own account as on that of his friend. Truly this poet 
 was a riddle, and so also was the Greek ; but it is question- 
 able if Maurice, with his open and above-board English life, 
 was not a greater riddle than either of these mysterious men, 
 seeing that his perplexity was a thing of the soul, vague and 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. Ill 
 
 intangible, the solving of which meant the settling of his 
 whole spiritual life; whereas the lighting of the darkness 
 with which Caliphronas and Crispin chose to enshroud them- 
 selves was simply a question of material existence. The 
 Parcse held the three tangled skeins in their hands : Clotho 
 now grasped the intricate threads; Lachesis was spinning 
 the actions which were to lead to the unravelling of these 
 riddles of spiritual and material things; and Atropos was 
 waiting grimly with her fatal scissors to clip the life-thread 
 of one of the three. But the question was, which ? Ah, 
 that was yet to be seen ! for the middle Destiny was yet 
 weaving woof and warp of words, actions, and desires, the 
 outcome of which would determine the judgment of the 
 Destroying Fate. 
 
 Of all this intrigue, in which he was soon to be involved, 
 Roylands was quite ignorant, as he already had his plan of 
 action sketched out. He would go to Melnos with Constan- 
 tine Caliphronas, he would see this dream-woman in the 
 flesh, and if she came up to his ideal, he would marry her, at 
 whatever cost. Alas for the schemes of clever Mrs. Dengel- 
 ton ! they were all at an end, simply because a man had seen 
 a pretty face, which he elevated into the regions of romance, 
 and made attractive with strange mysteries of fanciful attri- 
 butes. But Mrs. Dengelton did not know this, and, igno- 
 rance being bliss, still hinted to Maurice of matrimony, still 
 threw him into the company of Eunice ; while, as a check- 
 mate to her plans, and to aid Crispin, Maurice still puzzled 
 the good lady with hints of marriage one day, and neglect of 
 Eunice the next. Eunice herself saw^ through it all, and 
 was duly grateful to Maurice ; so the only blind person was 
 Mrs. Dengelton, who but perceived the delightful future 
 which might be, not the disturbing present that was ; if she 
 had, her lamentations would have surpassed those of Jere- 
 miah in bitterness and violence. 
 
 On such an important matter as going to the East in search 
 of a mistress for Roylands Grange, Maurice felt naturally 
 anxious to consult his old tutor, and accordingly one morn- 
 ing walked over to the Rectory, where he found Mr. Carris- 
 ton as usual pottering about among his rose-trees. The hot 
 sun of July blazed down on that garden of loveliness, and 
 the sweet-smelling roses burned like constellations of red 
 stars amid the cool green of their surrounding leaves. 
 
 " This is decidedly a rose-year," said the good Rector ap- 
 provingly, as he looked at the brilliance around him j " I 
 
112 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 have never seen such a fine show of flowers. My nightin- 
 gales should sing their sweetest here, if the tale of their 
 love for the rose be true. Did you ever see such a glow of 
 color, Maurice ? 
 
 * Vidi Paestano candere rosaria cultu 
 Exoriente novo roscida Lucifero.' 
 
 But I don't think the poet saw finer roses than mine, even 
 in Southern Italy." 
 
 " ' Hosa regina Jlorum,^ " remarked Maurice, smiling. 
 
 " Eh ! you match my quotation from Ausonius with a 
 wretched little saying culled from your first Latin reading- 
 book. My dear lad, I am afraid my labor has been in vain, 
 for your Latin is primitive." 
 
 " No doubt it is," assented Maurice cordially, " but I have 
 not the gift of tongues. I would that I had, as it will be 
 necessary in the East." 
 
 " The East I " repeated Carriston, sitting down under his 
 favorite elm-tree. " What is this ? Are you thinking of 
 visiting the cradle of humanity ? " 
 
 " Yes ; the summer is nearly over, so like a swallow I wish 
 to fly south to the blue seas of Greece." 
 
 " ' Tous les ans j'y vais et je niche 
 Aux metopes du Parthenon,' " 
 
 quoted the Rector genially. " Do you know Gautier's charm- 
 ing poem ? I wish I could go with you to see the land of 
 Aristophanes." 
 
 "Why not come ?" 
 
 " Nay, I am too old a tree to be transplanted. The come- 
 dies alone must take me on the wings of fancy to Athens. 
 What would my parishioners do without me ? or my roses, 
 for the matter of that ? Still, I would like to be your trav- 
 elling companion, and we could visit together those places 
 which we read of in your days of pupilage. You will see 
 Colonos, where the Sophoclean nightingales still sing; and 
 the Acropolis of Athena Glaucopis, the ringing plains of 
 windy Troy, and the birthplace of the Delian Apollo. Truly 
 the youth of to-day are to be envied, seeing how easy travel 
 has been made by steam. Happy Maurice ! the Iron Age 
 will enable you to view the Golden Age with but small 
 difficulty." 
 
 " Yes, I will be delighted to see all those famous places 
 you have mentioned, sirj but I have a stronger reason." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 113 
 
 " Indeed ! And that reason ? " 
 
 " Is this." 
 
 Maurice placed tlie portrait of Helena in the hands of his 
 old tutor, and awaited in silence his next remark. Mr. 
 Carriston adjusted his pince-nez, and gazed long and earnestly 
 at the perfect beauty of the woman's countenance. 
 
 " • Is this the face that launched a thousand ships ? ' " he 
 quoted from Marlowe ; "upon my word, I would not be sur- 
 prised to hear it was. A beautiful woman, Maurice ; she has 
 the loveliness of the Argive Helen." 
 
 " And the name also ; she is called Helena." 
 
 " Ah ! then I understand she is a real w^oman ? " 
 
 " Flesh and blood, according to Caliphronas." 
 
 The Eector put down the picture with a sudden movement 
 of irritation quite foreign to his usual courtly manner. 
 
 "I do not like Count Caliphronas," he said abruptly. 
 " Did he give you this portrait ? " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " Humph ! And may I ask whom it is intended to repre- 
 sent ? " 
 
 " A Greek girl, called Helena, who lives in the Island of 
 Fantasy." 
 
 " The Island of Fantasy ? " repeated the Rector in a puz- 
 zled tone. 
 
 " I mean the Island of Melnos, in the southern archipelago 
 of Greece." 
 
 "How did it come by the extraordinary name of Fan- 
 tasy ? " 
 
 " Caliphronas called it so," said Maurice carelessly. 
 
 There was silence for a few moments, and the Rector 
 rubbed his nose in a vexed manner, as he by no means ap- 
 proved of the frequent introduction of the Greek's name 
 into the conversation, but hardly saw his way how to prevent 
 it. At length he determined to leave the matter in abeyance 
 for the present, and reverted to the question of Helena. 
 
 " Is it for the sake of this woman you are going to the 
 Levant ? " he asked, picking up the picture and tapping it 
 with his pince-nez. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " Is this not rather a mad freak ? " 
 
 Maurice did not answer for a moment, but moved uneasily 
 in his seat ; for, although he was quite prepared to be dis- 
 couraged in his project by the Rector, he by no means liked 
 the displeased tone in which he spoke. Mr. Carriston waited 
 
114 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 for an answer to his question, so Maurice was at length 
 forced to give him one, and burst out into a long speech, so 
 as to give his tutor no opportunity of making any remark 
 until he had heard all the views in favor of such Quixotism. 
 
 " I daresay it is a mad freak, sir, but not so very insane if 
 3^ou look upon it from my point of view. You know I have 
 never been in love — true, I have always been fond of women 
 and delighted in their society, but I have never had what 
 you would call a passionate attachment in my life, nor did I 
 think, until a few days ago, I was capable of such a thing. 
 But when Caliphronas was sitting to me for Endymion, he 
 happened to let fall that portrait, and told me it was one he 
 had taken of a Greek girl at Melnos. As I admired the 
 beauty of the face, he made me a present of the picture, 
 and my admiration has merged itself in a deeper feeling, 
 that of love. Oh, I know, sir, what you will say, that such 
 a passion is chimerical, seeing I have never beheld this 
 woman in the flesh, but I feel too strongly on the subject to 
 think I am the victim of a heated imagination. I love this 
 woman — I adore her ! she is present with me day and night. 
 Not only her face — no ! It is very beautiful, but I can see 
 below that beauty. She has a soul, a lovely pure soul, which 
 I worship, and I am anxious to see the actual living, breath- 
 ing woman, so as to make her my wife." 
 
 " Your wife ! Are you mad, boy ? " 
 
 '^ No, I am not mad, unless you call love a madness. Oh, 
 I know it is easy for one to advise calmly on the woes of 
 others. But can you not feel for me ? You have been in 
 love, Mr. Carriston, and you know how such a passion over- 
 whelms the strongest man. Caution, thought, restraint, 
 prudence, are all swept away by the torrent. It is no use 
 saying that this passion I feel will pass, for I know it will 
 not ; it is part of my life. Till I die I will see that face 
 before me, sleeping or waking. Why, then, should I pass 
 the rest of my days in torture when I can alleviate such 
 mental suffering ? I am going to this unknown island, I will 
 see this unknown woman, and if she comes up to the ideal 
 being I have created from the picture in my mind, I will 
 marry her. It may not be wise, it may not be suitable ; but 
 it is, and will be inevitable." 
 
 The old man listened in astonishment to this lava-torrent 
 of words which swept everything before it. He could hardly 
 recognize his former calm-tempered pupil in this young man, 
 whose flashing eyes, eloquent gestures, and rapid speech 
 betrayed the strength of the passion which consumed him. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 115 
 
 « ^ Ira hrevis est/ " quoth the Rector wisely ; " I think love 
 
 '' ^^MyTadness of love will last all my life -yes, forever ! " 
 '' Forever is a long time." -, • ojj 
 
 " Rector," said Maurice entreatingly, " what do you advise? 
 -I advise nothing, dear lad," replied Carriston quietly; 
 '' what is the use of my giving advice which is opposed to 
 your own desires, and therefore will be rejected ^ 
 ^ '' True ' true ! " muttered Maurice, frowning. "I must go 
 to Melnos and convince myself of the truth of t^e master 
 See here, sir, at present I am worshipping a creature of iny 
 own creation, with the face of that picture, but with the 
 attributes of fancy. This chimera of the brain, as you wil 
 doubtless term her, haunts me night and day, so the only way 
 to lay this feminine ghost is to see her incarnate m the flesh 
 She may be quite different from what I conceive m which case 
 I will be cured of my fancy; on the other hand, she may 
 realize entirely my conception of beauty, purity, and woman- 
 liness: if she does, I will make her my wife, that is, of 
 course, if she will have me for her husband. 
 
 "As you put the matter in that light," said Mr. Carriston, 
 after a pause, " I advise you to go to Melnos.' 
 
 a You do '^ " . • 
 
 " Decidedly ! It is best to end this torture of the imagina- 
 tion, which I also know only too well. See this woman, if 
 you like, but be sure she is all you desire her to be before 
 making her your wife." . 
 
 " There is no fear that I will let my heart govern my bram 
 in such an important matter." 
 
 " There is a great fear," replied the Rector gravely, glan- 
 cing at the picture ; " a young man's heart is not always under 
 his control; and this woman has the beauty which inspires 
 madness. Helen of Troy, Cleopatra of Egypt, Mary of Scot- 
 land, Ninon de I'Enclos of France, they were all Lamise, ana 
 their beauty was ever fatal to their victims." 
 "Lovers," corrected Maurice quickly. 
 
 " Victims," reiterated Carriston firmly •, " or, if you wiii, 
 lovers, for the terms are synonymous." . -n. 4- • 
 
 " Well, I will take your advice, sir, and go to the iLast m 
 search of this lovely Helena of Melnos, but I promise you i 
 will not be a victim." 
 
 " I hope not, but I fear so." -, ^ v 
 
 « You need not," said Roylands gayly, delighted to have 
 won over the Rector to his side. " I will come back alone, 
 cured, or with a wife, and more in love than ever. 
 
116 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 " How will you find this island .^ " 
 
 " Oh, Caliphronas " — 
 
 "As beautiful and as false as Paris of Troy," interrupted 
 the Rector quickly, whereat Maurice shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 " Possibly he is, but I do not think I have anything to 
 fear from him." 
 
 "There is certainly no reason why he should be your 
 enemy, yet I feel convinced he is so." 
 
 " Why ? " 
 
 " I cannot tell you unless I advance the Dr. Fell theory as 
 an argument ; but, to speak openly, my dear Maurice, this 
 Greek seems to me to be like a sleek, soft-footed panther, 
 beautiful to look on, but dangerous to meddle with." 
 
 " I am not going to meddle with him. He is simply return- 
 ing to his home in Greek waters, and I will go with him. 
 After we reach Melnos, very likely he will return to Ithaca." 
 
 " Perhaps." 
 
 " My dear old tutor," cried the young man, laughing, " you 
 are full of fears, first of this Helena, again of this Greek. 
 Ten to one I will find both equally harmless." 
 
 " I trust so ; but I do not like your travelling alone with 
 this Count Constantine." 
 
 " I am not going to do so. Crispin is coming also." 
 
 " Ah ! " said Carriston in a satisfied tone ; " I am glad of 
 that, for I like that young man very much. I am sure he is 
 an honorable, straightforward fellow." 
 
 "You are inconsistent. His life is as mysterious as that 
 of Caliphronas, yet you trust the one and mistrust the other." 
 
 "I do ; it is a matter of instinct. Well, here is your 
 Helena ; I hope you will find the original as beautiful as the 
 picture." 
 
 " I hope so too," answered Maurice, restoring the photo- 
 graph to his pocket. 
 
 " By the way," observed the Rector abruptly, " what about 
 Eunice ? " 
 
 "Oh, she will not mourn me, for she has already consoled 
 herself with Crispin." 
 
 "Humph! I thought as much; and what does your mint 
 say ? " 
 
 " She says nothing because she knows nothing." 
 
 " Do you think that is wise ? " 
 
 " No, I do not ; so I am going to ask Crispin to exphiin 
 who he is, what he is, and all about himself, before he leaves 
 with me for the East. If his replies are satisfactory, I will 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 117 
 
 try and persuade my dear aunt to consent to the match ; but 
 you may depend upon it, my dear Kector, if I find anything 
 wrong with our poet, I will do my best to prevent his marriage 
 with my cousin." 
 
 " That is as it should be, but T fancy you will find Crispin 
 an honest man." 
 
 " You seem quite taken with him.'' 
 
 " Yes ; I am curiously drawn to that young man. Why, I 
 do not know ; but, from the frequent conversations I have 
 had with him, he seems very honest and good-hearted, 
 whereas your handsome Greek is, I am convinced, a worth- 
 less scamp." 
 
 " Well, we will see how your predictions are fulfilled. But 
 I must be off," continued Maurice, glancing at his watch, 
 " it is past one o'clock. Will you not come over to luncheon 
 with me ? " 
 
 " What ! and leave my roses, which need water in this hot 
 sun ! Go away, sir, and don't ask impossibilities." 
 
 Maurice laughed and went away, while the Rector returned 
 to his roses, and thought over the interview. He was doubt- 
 ful as to the result of Maurice's quest for a wife, but, know- 
 ing the sterling good sense and honorable nature of his pupil, 
 judged it best to let him take his own way. 
 
 " Everyman must dree his weird," said Carriston, watering- 
 pot in hand. " However this journey turns out, it will do 
 Maurice good, for if it does not gain him a wife, it will at 
 least banish the evil spirit which is spoiling his youth." 
 
 Meanwhile the object of this soliloquy was striding up the 
 avenue of the Grange at a rapid pace, and whistling gayly, 
 out of sheer light-heartedness. Never before had he felt so 
 happy, a circumstance which suddenly made him pause in 
 his lilting, as he thought of the saying of an old Scotch 
 nurse. 
 
 " I hope I am not fey," he said to himself ; " surely this 
 joy does not prognosticate sorrow. No ; I will not look on it 
 in that gloomy light. I am going in search of Helen, — 
 Coelebs in search of a wife, — and if I find her as lovely as 
 she seems to be, why, then " — 
 
 And he began whistling again, from sheer inability to 
 express his feelings in cold, measured words. As he neared 
 the house, the rich tenor voice of Caliphronas rang vibrating 
 through the still air. His song was, as usual, one of those 
 Greek fragments he was so fend of singing, and even the 
 modern Greek tongue, debased as it w^as by centuries of for- 
 
118 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 eigu influences, sounded pliable and liquid as the vowelled 
 words soared upward like swift-darting swallows. How 
 bare and bleak seems the translation, bereft of its Hellenic 
 sonorousness of speech ! — 
 
 " I will sail in a beaked ship, impelled by rowers, 
 Over the waters to westward, where Helios sinks nightly in splendor, 
 And there in a hidden island of dreams 
 Will I see my beloved smiling with starry eyes. 
 Her arms will enfold me — oh, they will clasp me so closely, 
 I will kiss her lips which burn like scarlet of sunset, 
 Till the nest of our love will flow over — flow over, 
 With delicate singing, and sighings of lover to lover." 
 
 Caliphronas was standing on the steps of the terrace, with 
 his classic face uplifted to the serene sky, and, as he sang the 
 song, with his hand resting lightly on the white marble vase 
 near him, he looked the incarnation of blooming adolescence. 
 
 " Ha ! " he cried, as Roylands nimbly mounted the steps ; 
 " I was just wondering where you were. What have you 
 been doing, Mr. Maurice ? " 
 
 '' I have been talking to the Rector, and for the last few 
 moments I have been watching you, my Attic nightingale. 
 Modern costume spoils you, Caliphronas, as it would spoil 
 any one, so hideous is it. You should be draped in white 
 robes, bear an ivory lyre, and minister to Apollo the Far- 
 Darter." 
 
 " Alas ! " sighed the Greek, with sudden sadness in his 
 eyes ; " Pan is dead, and with him Apollo. I have been born 
 too late, for my soul is Athenian, and longs for the plane- 
 trees of Ilissus. But enough of this classicism, and tell me 
 why you look so merry." 
 
 "Because I have made up my mind to go with you to 
 Melnos." 
 
 Caliphronas smiled in an enigmatic manner, and sang two 
 lines from his song, — 
 
 '* And there in a hidden island of dreams 
 Will I see my beloved smiling with starry eyes." 
 
 " What do those words mean ? " asked Maurice abruptly^ 
 " Ah, that you will discover when we reach Melnos ! " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 119 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE CREED OF A MOTHER-IN-LAW. 
 
 In all good faith I do believe 
 That sons-in-law their wives deceive ; 
 So, seeing marriage is a snare, 
 My daughter needs her mother's care ; 
 And if tliis couple young be wise, 
 Their life tliey'll let nie supervise. 
 For I can show the wife the way 
 To make the servants her obey, 
 Nor fail the husband's acts to see, 
 And rob him of his midnight key, 
 Improve his faults with frown and snub, 
 Insist he should give up his •lub ; 
 And if he's an obedient boy, 
 His home will be a place of joy. 
 Thus ruling husband, home, and wife, 
 I will secure a home for life. 
 
 " So you have decided upon Eastward Ho ? " said Crispin, 
 as Maurice enveloped himself in clouds of smoke. 
 
 They were seated in the smoking-room by themselves, for 
 the ladies had long since retired; and Caliphronas, unable 
 to bear the fumes of nicotine, which, he averred, made his 
 eyes sore and his head swim, had just gone off to bed. Thus, 
 left to that sweetest hour of the night which is somewhere 
 about the stroke of twelve p.m., the poet and his host had 
 established themselves in two comfortable arm-chairs, and, 
 each armed with a pipe, were incensing the Muse of Fancy, 
 who is frequently invoked by such worship. But the talk 
 of the two was anything but fanciful, as they were engaged 
 in discussing their projected tour in Levantine waters. 
 Maurice was rather glad Caliphronas retired so early, as he was 
 anxious to have a quiet conversation with Crispin, and what 
 better time or place could he have, than nearly midnight in 
 the smoking-room, with the soothing weed, and the exhila- 
 rating whiskey diluted with soda, to stimulate tho drowsy 
 brain. 
 
 It is wonderful how men at this mystic hour unbosom 
 themselves the one to the other, and tell secrets which they 
 certainly would not reveal in the daytime. Maurice knew 
 this peculiarity of midnight confabulations, and perhaps 
 thought that Crispin would take him into his conhdence ; 
 but if he did think so he was disappointed, for Crispin kept 
 
120 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 his own counsel and held his tongue, save indeed to talk 
 generally about things Maurice was well acquainted with. 
 
 '" So 3^ou have decided upon Eastward Ho ? " said Crispin 
 for the second time, finding that Maurice did not reply im- 
 mediately, which negligence was due to the fact that he 
 wished to speak to the poet about Eunice, and was doubtful 
 of the wisdom of such a step. The second time of asking 
 this question, however, aroused him from his musings, and 
 he answered at once. 
 
 *' Yes. I had a conversation with the Rector this morning, 
 and I have decided to travel abroad for a year or so." 
 
 " Do you mean a general tour of the world, or a special 
 part ? • ' 
 
 " A special part. I am going to Greece." 
 
 ^' Oh ! The mainlands or the islands ? " 
 
 " The latter." 
 
 " In that case, I know where you are going," said Crispin, 
 carefully shaking the ashes out of his pipe ; " your destina- 
 tion is the Island of Melnos." 
 
 " It is," replied Maurice in some surprise. " Do you know 
 Melnos ? " 
 
 " Very well. I also know the woman you are going to 
 see." 
 
 '^ Helena ? How do you know that ? I have told you 
 nothing about it." 
 
 " No ; but Caliphronas mentioned something .about your 
 spiritual passion for that picture." 
 
 This was mere guess-work, as Caliphronas had mentioned 
 nothing of the sort ; but Crispin was so well aware of the 
 deep game which the Greek was playing, that he had no 
 difficulty in arriving at a fair conclusion concerning his 
 tactics. Maurice was, however, ignorant of Crispin's knowl- 
 edge, and at once assumed that Caliphronas had been dis- 
 cussing his passion for this pictured Helena with the poet, 
 perhaps laughing at it, and his pride was up in arms at once. 
 
 " Caliphronas has no right to speak to you about my 
 private affairs," he said angrily. " I intended to tell you 
 myself, but now he has forestalled me. I did not know he 
 was such a gossip." 
 
 "Nor is he. I said he told me, and so he did, indirectly ; 
 but if I did not know Caliphronas, Helena, and Melnos, I 
 would still be in the dark concerning your projected jour- 
 ney." 
 
 " Where is this Island of Fantasy ? " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 121 
 
 Crispin looked up with a quick smile. 
 
 " Oh, he told you the name Justinian calls it ! The Island 
 of Fantasy in imagination, and Molnos in reality, is situated 
 in the southern portion of the ^gean Sea, beyond Paros, 
 beyond Amorgos, nay, even beyond Anapli. As a matter of 
 fact, it is a little-known island, hidden, to speak exactly, in 
 the Cretan Sea, between Telos and Crete." 
 
 " I thought I was rather good at geography, but I never 
 heard of the Island of Melnos before. Has it anything to 
 do with the Island of Melos ? " 
 
 '- No ; that is more to the north. But I do not wonder at 
 your ignorance, as Melnos is known only to the sailors and 
 shepherds who are thoroughly acquainted with that portion 
 of the Archipelago." 
 
 " What kind of an island is it ? " 
 
 " A mountain — a volcanic mountain, extinct of course for 
 the present, though I would not be surprised if it blew up 
 one day and sent Justinian flying in the air with all his 
 subjects." 
 
 '' Is this Justinian a king, that you talk about his sub- 
 jects ? " 
 
 " Well, a kind of minor king, such as Odysseus might have 
 been. I know him very well." 
 
 " And Helena ? " 
 
 "Is his daughter." 
 
 " His daughter ! " repeated Maurice gravely. *^ Is she as 
 beautiful as this portrait shows her to be ? " 
 
 " I should say more so," replied Crispin, taking the pho- 
 tograph. " Here you only get absolute stillness ; the great 
 charm of Helena lies in the changeful expression of her face, 
 and in her bright manner. Yes, she is altogether charming, 
 and I do not wonder you have fallen in love with her face, 
 even though this photograph fails to do justice to the 
 original." 
 
 In spite of his passion for Helena, which should have made 
 him delight in these praises of her beauty, Maurice did not 
 pay much attention to Crispin's speech, as he was thinking 
 deeply, and the current of his thoughts was indicated by his 
 next remark. 
 
 "Crispin, you said Caliphronas was merely a chance ac- 
 quaintance you met at Athens ; but, as far as I can judge 
 from the hints you drop, I believe you know him very well." 
 
 " That is the real truth," replied Crispin, without flinching. 
 " I did meet this Greek at Athens, but I knew him before 
 
122 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 that — in Melnos. Oh, I can tell you many things which 
 would astonish you, but I cannot do so yet." 
 
 '- Why not ? " 
 
 "Because I have strong reasons for such reticence," said 
 the poet coldly ; " either trust me in all or not at all. 
 This journey you are undertaking means more than you 
 think, but I will not fail you, and as long as I am by your 
 side you will take no hurt." 
 
 " Are we in the Middle Ages ? Is Caliphronas a free- 
 booter, that you talk as if I were in danger ? " 
 
 '^ I will explain all some day, and you will be rather aston- 
 ished at my story." 
 
 " I suppose there is nothing wrong in your story ? " 
 
 " No. When I tell all about myself and my past life, I 
 think it will satisf}^ not only you — but Mrs. Dengelton." 
 
 " It is on her account that 1 made that rather rude remark, 
 for, unless you can prove your name, your position, and your 
 income to be satisfactory, she will never consent to your 
 marriage with Eunice." 
 
 " As to my name," said Crispin, coloring a little at such 
 plain speaking, " I hope to prove that spotless, my position 
 will be beyond reproach, and my income is larger than your 
 own." 
 
 " You are wealthy, then ? " 
 
 " I am certainly well off, and I will give you my story at 
 some later date, but at present I will answer no more of your 
 questions.'* 
 
 "And Mrs. Dengelton?" 
 
 " I am going to speak to her to-morrow morning, so as to 
 put things right before I leave England. Oh, I am not afraid 
 of being absent. Eunice loves me, and will l3e true, while as 
 to her mother, I can win that lady on to my side, and will do 
 so to-morrow." 
 
 " You are an enigma, Crispin." 
 
 " I am ; but, as I said before, I can explain myself to your 
 satisfaction, and intend doing so when I consider it wise. 
 But you must trust me." 
 
 "I do trust you." 
 
 " I am afraid you ask too many questions for absolute 
 trust," said the poet dryly, relighting his pipe. 
 
 " I will ask you no more — save one." 
 
 " Well ? " 
 
 " Is Caliphronas to be trusted ? " 
 
 " As long as I am with you, yes." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 123 
 
 " Ah, you have some power over him ? " 
 
 <' Now you are asking questions again." 
 
 '' I beg your pardon ; but do tell me about Caliphronas ! " 
 
 Crispin paused for a moment, as if to consider how he 
 would reply to this remark. 
 
 •• Caliphronas," he said at length slowly, " is a man who is 
 a slave to his own vices, and gratifies himself at all costs. 
 He lets no one stand in the way of such self-gratification ; 
 but whether you are an obstacle or not remains to be seen. 
 At all events, you have elected k) trust me, mysterious as I 
 am, and I promise you on my word of honor that you shall 
 have no reason to regret that trust. I foresee difficulties 
 ahead, but these you need not be afraid of as long as I am 
 by your side. You will leave Koylands Avith me, and you 
 will return with me, and I give you my word you will not be 
 a bit the worst for your journey, nay, I hope you will be 
 the better." 
 
 " One would think we were going to Timbuctoo, the way 
 you talk," said Maurice crossly. " You have no idea how 
 these enigmatic speeches pique my curiosity." 
 
 " Well, such curiosity I will gratify — shortly." 
 
 "But" — 
 
 "You said you would trust me, and ask no more ques- 
 tions." 
 
 " I do trust you, and I will not." 
 
 Certainly he could not complain of a lack of interest in 
 life now: this mysterious woman Helena, these equally mys- 
 terious individuals, Crispin and Caliphronas, — all three 
 riddles. Surely the son of Laius was never so bothered by 
 enigmas as was this young country squire. However, it 
 added new zest to the wine of life, and gave him something 
 to look forward to, so on the whole Maurice was enjoying 
 himself. 
 
 " By the way," said Crispin lazily, after a pause, " how are 
 you going to Melnos ? " 
 
 " Oh, I don't know exactly. Go by train to Venice, I sup- 
 pose, and take an Austrian Lloyd steamer from there, or 
 leave Marseilles by the French packet which goes to Athens. 
 Once at the Piraeus, and there won't be much difficulty in 
 exploring the Archipelago in search of your Island of Fan- 
 tasy. To tell you the truth, however, as I only made up my 
 mind this morning, I have not yet looked up routes, steamers, 
 and all that sort of thing, but intend to go to town next 
 week and find out all about them." 
 
124 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " There will be no need," said Crispin quietly ; " you can 
 come to Greece in my yacht." 
 
 ^' Your yacht! Wh}^, I did not know you had one." 
 
 " I know you didn't. Because I am a poet, you necessarily 
 think I am poor, which is a mistake. I am sufficiently well 
 off to keep a hundred and fifty ton steam yacht, which is at 
 present 13'ing at Southampton, ready to start when I wish. 
 A poet and a yacht sound incongruous, I admit ; and I sup- 
 pose I am the first rhyme-stringer who ever possessed such 
 an article, unless you except Shelley's boat partnership with 
 Trelawny. But that was a small boat ; my craft is a genuine 
 steam yacht, and in it I explore unknown seas. You look 
 astonished." 
 
 "I am astonished. You are a poet-millionnaire." 
 
 " Not quite as wealthy as that, and I need hardly tell you 
 I did not pay for the yacht out of my poems. But, of course, 
 you will come with me to Greece in The Eunice." 
 
 " Eunice ? " 
 
 " Yes ; she was called The Aphrodite, but I rechristened 
 her The Eunice out of compliment to you know whom." 
 
 " Have you any more surprises in store ? " 
 
 " Plenty," replied Crispin, rising with a yawn ; " but this 
 one is quite enough to keep you awake for a night. Oh 
 dear, I am so sleepy ! " 
 
 " Wait a minute. Does Caliphronas know you are a yacht- 
 owner ?" 
 
 "No; I expect he will be surprised and confoundedly 
 jealous." 
 
 "Jealous! Why?" 
 
 " Because he thinks all the good things of this life should 
 go his way. But you have not yet given me your answer." 
 
 " Oh, I will come by all means." 
 
 "And so will our mutual friend, the Greek. What a 
 happy family we will be ! Well, good-night. I wish Eunice 
 was coming in her namesake." 
 
 " And Mrs. Dengelton," said Maurice mischievously, light- 
 ing his candle. 
 
 "No; in my wildest dreams I never wished that. She 
 would want to be captain of the ship. However, I am going 
 to astonish my future mother-in-law to-morrow ; so I must 
 take a good night's rest, and husband my strength for the 
 encounter. Good-night, once more." 
 
 " Good-night, Crispin." 
 
 They both retired to their respective rooms, and Maurice 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 125 
 
 fell asleep wondering who Crispin was, from what source he 
 derived wealth enough to keep a yacht, and what connection 
 he had with Caliphronas. All these things mixed together 
 in his drowsy brain until the real world faded away, and he 
 dreamed he was at Melnos, trying, like another Paris, to 
 carry off Helena, while Caliphronas, in the guise of Mene- 
 laus, prevented such elopement. 
 
 Next day the brilliant sun had disappeared, and there was 
 a gray veil of clouds drawn across the sky, which neutralized 
 the brilliant tints of the summer's luxuriance of foliage and 
 flowers. Caliphronas, ever impressionable to atmospheric 
 changes, shivered at the dreary look which now spread over 
 the earth, and it needed all his animal spirits to sustain his 
 normal condition of careless joy. Even then he lacked his 
 ordinary exuberance of life, and it appeared as if a great 
 portion of his vitality disappeared with the sun. 
 
 " St. Theodore ! -' he said to Mrs. Dengelton, as they looked 
 out of the window at the gray landscape ; ^^do you often have 
 this weather here ? " 
 
 " No, not often," she replied, in a tone of regret ; " I wish 
 we did." 
 
 " What ! this dulness, this melancholy, this want of 
 color ! " 
 
 " Why, my dear Count, it is a most beautiful day ! " cried 
 the lady, with great vivacity ; " what have you to complain 
 of?" 
 
 " Complain of ? " The Greek's face was a study as he 
 repeated her words, and he stared at her in surprise. " W^hy, 
 I complain of this want of sunlight ; it is not like yesterday, 
 which was passable." 
 
 " Passable ! " echoed Mrs. Dengelton, surprised in her turn. 
 " Why, Count, since you have come to Roylands, the weather 
 has been simply perfection. How long have you been in 
 England ? " 
 
 " Two months." 
 
 '' Then you must have had this lovely weather all along. 
 You are an exceptionally lucky man, Count Constantine, for 
 you have seen England at her best." 
 
 " Why, have you worse days than this ? " asked Caliphronas, 
 with a shudder. 
 
 '' Infinitely worse," said Eunice, who at this moment joined 
 them with Crispin: "fog, snow, rain, hail, mist — oh, you 
 don't know the capabilities of the English climate ! " 
 
 '^I am glad I am going away," observed Caliphronas, with 
 
126 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 a sigh of relief ; ^' this place would kill me. Gray skies, 
 small cultivated landscapes, ugly cities, sad-looking men and 
 women. Oh, great saints ! what do you know of life or 
 pleasure ? " 
 
 *'I assure you, my dear Count," began Mrs. Dengelton 
 sweetly, " that in the season " — 
 
 " What is the season ? " 
 
 " The London season, which begins in May." 
 
 " Oh, that is what I have seen. Up all night, tired all 
 day, crowded rooms, unhealthy dinners, plenty of talk about 
 nothing, and no rest — is that what you call the season ? is 
 that what you term life ? St. Theodore ! let me go back to 
 Greece, there at least I can live." 
 
 '^But Greece is not like Loudon," said Crispin, with the 
 intention of provoking the Greek. 
 
 '' No, thank the saints, it is not, as you know well, Mr. 
 Crispin ; there, at least, are fresh air, laughing seas, wide 
 plains, lofty mountains — one can breathe there — one can 
 live and delight in living, but here — oh, pardon me, I can- 
 not talk of it. I must go to Mr. Maurice for the Endymion, 
 and I am glad I leave your dull grayness soon." 
 
 When Caliphronas with this parting shot had vanished, 
 jMrs. Dengelton turned to Crispin with a pitying smile. 
 
 " What an impulsive creature, is he not, Mr. Crispin ? To 
 talk about such barbaric lands, and call existence there life ! 
 Ah, he does not know what enjoyment is." 
 
 " I think he does in his own way," replied Crispin dryly, 
 thinking of the difference between the free, open-air exist- 
 ence of the one, and the narrow, petty life of the other. 
 
 '•' Well, of course, you know a blind man never misses 
 color because he does not know what he loses," said the lady 
 apologetically. "That poor dear Count is in exactl}" the 
 same plight. Eunice, my dear, I wish you would go and 
 write that letter to Lady Danvers at once. I want it to catch 
 the noonday post. We go to Lady Danvers when we leave 
 here," she added, as Eunice left the room. " For my part, I 
 would have been glad to stay here till the autumn, but 
 dear Maurice has been ordered abroad for his health." 
 
 " Yes, I know he is going," said Crispin coolly ; " he is 
 coming witli me." 
 
 " Coming with you ? " repeated Mrs. Dengelton, indig- 
 nantly, wondering at the presumption of this, as she thought, 
 poor poet. 
 
 " Yes," replied Crispin equably, as he prepared to startle 
 the lady j " he is going to the East in my yacht." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 127 
 
 " Your yacht ! " gasped Mrs. Dengelton, in the same tones 
 in which she would have said, " Your throne ! " "I did not 
 
 know you — you" — • -, r^ • • i i 
 
 •' Were rich enough to possess one," said Crispin ar} ]} , 
 seeing the lady hesitated. "Oh, I have had a yacht lor 
 many years. 1 hope you and Miss Dengelton will do me the 
 iavor of coming a cruise in her some day." 
 
 '• Oh I should be delighted ! " cried Mrs. Dengelton, with 
 a shudder, for she was a very bad sailor ; " but does it not 
 take a great deal of money to keep up such an expensive 
 
 luxury ? " ■ -1 
 
 '^ A great deal," assented the poet, suppressing a smile as 
 he saw the dexterous way in which Mrs. Dengelton was 
 trying to find out the extent of his income ; " but, fortu- 
 nately, I can afford it." 
 
 "How lucky you are!" sighed the lady, now adopting a 
 more polite tone towards this wealthy young man. "Ah, it 
 is a splendid thing to be rich. My late husband was ot good 
 birth, but poor, and he did not leave me very well off. How- 
 ever, I have a sufficiently good income to live comfortably, 
 and of course my dear daughter for a companion." 
 
 " What will you do when Miss Dengelton marries ? " 
 
 "Oh, I will live with her still. You see, young wives are 
 inexperieiiced, and I could take all that sort of thing on my 
 shoulders." . 
 
 Crispin shuddered, for the prospect of living under the 
 same roof with this lady was anything but an inviting one. 
 
 " Of course, I do not mind speaking freely to you, dear 
 Mr. Crispin," pursued Mrs. Dengelton, determined to crush 
 all thoughts Crispin might have regarding Eunice, " because 
 you are such a friend of dear Maurice. You know^I wish 
 him to marry his cousin, it would be a perfect match." 
 
 '' Would it ? " said Crispin grimly. 
 
 " Yes ; it would keep the property in the family," said 
 Mrs. Dengelton, who had arrived at this remarkable conclu- 
 sion by some means known only to herself; "and then, of 
 course, this would be my home, and I could live here with 
 my dear children. You see, I speak openly to you, because 
 I know you would like to see dear Maurice happily married." 
 
 "I would indeed, Mrs. Dengelton, but not to yom' 
 daughter." 
 
 " Indeed, Mr. Crispin ! and why not ? " 
 
 " Because I want to marry her myself." 
 
 " Mr. Crispin ! " 
 
128 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 If a bombshell liad dropped through the roof, Mrs. Den- 
 gelton could not have been more astonished. She half 
 guessed that this audacious poet admired Eunice, but to 
 speak thus so boldly, and after she had given her views as to 
 the future settlement of her daughter in matrimony — it was 
 too horrible ! Who was this man ? Nobody knew. He had 
 not even two names like respectable people, and to propose 
 to bestow the only one he possessed on her daughter, was 
 too much for Mrs. Dengelton's powers of endurance. She 
 was actually dumb with astonishment, and those w^ho had 
 once heard this lady's tongue could have seen from that 
 alone how she was thunderstruck. For a minute she gazed 
 at Crispin with horror-struck eyes, but as he did not turn 
 into stone before that Medusa gaze, or even have the grace 
 to blush, Mrs. Dengelton recovered her powers of speech 
 with a weak laugh. 
 
 " Oh, of course you are jesting ! " 
 
 "I am not jesting. I wish to marry your daughter." 
 
 " Impossible ! " 
 
 "Why is it impossible ? " 
 
 "Oh, because — because'' — Mrs. Dengelton could not 
 really bring herself to give the real reasons, so fenced dex- 
 terously, — "Because you see, I wish her to marry her 
 cousin, and keep the property in the family." 
 
 " The property will remain in the family without such a 
 marriage," said Crispin provokingl}^ ; " and as for your 
 daughter, she does not love Maurice." 
 
 " Not love Maurice ! " screamed Mrs. Dengelton wrath- 
 fully. 
 
 "No, she loves me." 
 
 " Loves you ! " gasped the good lady faintly, feeling for 
 her smelling-salts. " Oh, this is some horrible dream ! " 
 
 "By no means," replied Crispin quietly ; "I really do not 
 see why you should make such an uncomplimentary remark. 
 I love your daughter, and I wish to marry her. Is there 
 anything extraordinary in that ? " 
 
 " Eunice could marry any one." 
 
 "No doubt, but she will not. I am the only man she will 
 marry." 
 
 " Indeed ! You forget her mother's consent is neces- 
 sary." 
 
 " At present, yes, because she is under age — but after- 
 wards " — 
 
 " Eunice Dengelton will obey me all her life," said the lady 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 129 
 
 furiously ; "and I will never, never consent to her marriage 
 
 with you, sir ! " 
 " Why not ? " 
 " Because I do not know who you are," retorted Mrs. 
 
 Dengelton tartly. 
 
 " I will satisfy you on that point before the marriage." 
 
 " Then I do not know if you can support a wife." 
 
 '' If I can support a yacht, I can certainly support a wife," 
 
 said Crispin ironically ; " but if you want me to be exact as 
 
 00 figures, my income is twelve thousand a year." 
 
 " Twelve thousand a year ! " gasped Mrs. Dengelton in 
 amazement ; " why, you are richer than Maurice ! " 
 
 " Yes, twice as rich. Is there any other question you 
 would like to ask ? " 
 
 " Well, I would like to know about your parents." 
 
 " I have no parents. I am an orphan." 
 
 "And where do you come from, Mr. Crispin?" 
 
 " From the East."" 
 
 " Heavens ! " cried Mrs. Dengelton, as a dreadful thought 
 struck her ; "you are not a Hindoo, or a negro, or a 
 Hottentot ? " 
 
 " Well, I am certainly dark," replied the poet, laughing. 
 " but I am, as it happens, a pure-blooded Englishman. But 
 come now, Mrs. Dengelton, I have answered your questions, 
 so in common fairness you must answer mine. Will you let 
 me marry your daughter ? " 
 
 "I — I — really I don't know what to say," said Mrs. 
 Dengelton, unwilling to let the chance of such a wealthy 
 match slip, and yet doubtful as to the position of the suitor. 
 
 1 must think it over. Tell me who you are." 
 
 " Not now. I will satisfy you fully concerning my family 
 when I return from Greece." 
 
 '♦ Ah ! am I right in saying you are going to the East to 
 see your relatives about this marriage ? " said Mrs. Dengel- 
 ton archly. 
 
 "Partly right. I am going as much on your nephew's 
 account as my own." 
 
 " And what is he going for ? " 
 
 " That I cannot tell you, Mrs. Dengelton," replied Crispin 
 mendaciously, "you must ask him that yourself. But as to 
 this marriage " — 
 
 "I cannot give you an answer now — really I cannot." 
 
 "Will you give me an answer when I return from the 
 East ? " 
 
130 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 " When will you return ? '^ 
 
 " In three months.'' 
 
 " Yes, I will give you an answer then," said Mrs. Den gel- 
 ton glibly, having quite determined to throw Crispin over, 
 should she meet with a more desirable match for her daughter. 
 Crispin guessed this double dealing, and at once met the 
 feminine plot by a masculine counterplot. 
 
 " Mrs. Dengelton," he said solemnly, " I love your daughter, 
 and she loves me. When I return in three months from the 
 East, I will satisfy you on all points you desire to know. If 
 those questions you ask are answered to your complete satis- 
 faction, will you agree to our marriage ? " 
 
 " Yes," replied Mrs. Dengelton, all the volubility fright- 
 ened out of her, " I will." 
 
 " Then give me your word that during my absence you 
 will not try to induce your daughter to marry any one 
 else." 
 
 " I hardly think it is necessary to ask that," said the lady, 
 wdth dignity, though in her heart of hearts she knew it was 
 very necessary, as also did Crispin, who still pressed his 
 request. 
 
 " Perhaps it is not necessary ; still I would like your word 
 for it that such a thing will not occur." 
 
 " Well, well, I promise," remarked Mrs. Dengelton pee- 
 vishly, rising to her feet. " What a pertinacious man you are, 
 Mr. Crispin ! Mind, I will not consent to this marriage 
 unless I am thoroughly satisfied about your position, income, 
 and family." 
 
 " I will satisfy you on all those points," rejoined Crispin, 
 with a bow, as he held the door open for her to pass through. 
 
 " I feel quite upset," said the good lady, as she hastily 
 departed. " I am sure I don't know what ^laurice will say." 
 
 " I do," thought Crispin, as he closed the door ; " he will 
 be delighted. " I talk very confidently, but I am doubtful. 
 Position — yes, that is all right, I am a poet ; money — well, 
 she can hardly complain of twelve thousand a year, safely 
 invested; family — ah, that is the difficulty ! I wonder if I 
 can get the truth out of Justinian, he alone knows. I can- 
 not marry with only one name, but I will have two before I 
 return from Melnos, or else " — 
 
 He paused, and struck his fist hard against his open hand. 
 
 " I will force Justinian to tell me," he muttered between 
 his clinched teeth. " I also hold cards in this game he is 
 playing, and even with him and Caliphronas as adversaries 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 131 
 
 I will win. Maurice Ko34ands is Justinian's stake, Helena 
 is the stake of Caliphronas, as he chooses to call himself, but 
 Eunice is mine, and with such a prize to gain I am desperate." 
 
 His eyes fell on an open volume of Thomas a Kempis, 
 which Mrs. Dengelton, in strange contrast to her usual 
 worldliness, was fond of reading, and he saw the following 
 sentence : — 
 
 •' Love desires to be aloft, and will not be kept back by 
 Anything low and mean." 
 
 "I accept the omen," he said, closing the book slowly. 
 " I desire Eunice, and no lowness or meanness of Justinian 
 and Andros will keep me back. I accept the omen." 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE NEW ARGONAUTS. 
 
 From distant isles of tropic blooms, 
 
 Enthroned on seas of hyaline, 
 
 Across the waters smaragdine, 
 
 The weak winds waft us faint perfumes 
 
 Of incense, musk, and fragrant balms, 
 
 That shed their scents 'mid lasting calms, 
 
 Beneath the shade of bending palms. 
 
 These perfumes rouse lethargic brains 
 From idle dreams and visions pale. 
 As modern Argonauts we sail 
 Far o'er the vast mysterious main; 
 We wish no golden fleeces sleek. 
 But in these islands of the Greek, 
 A woman's lovely face we seek. 
 
 All preparations having been made, it was decided to 
 start for Greece about the end of July ; and these modern 
 Argonauts were in the highest spirits at the prospect of the 
 coming voyage, — Caliphronas because his object was gained, 
 and Roylands would soon be on his way to the island of 
 Melnos ; Crispin because he had come to a comfortable un- 
 derstanding with Mrs. Dengelton ; and Maurice for the sim- 
 ple reason that he was going to see in the flesh this beautiful 
 vision of fancy which haunted his brain. The Grange was 
 to be left to the guardianship of the housekeeper, and its 
 master, giving up, at least for the present, a life of ease, was 
 
132 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 about to embark on one of those adventurous expeditions so 
 dear to the hearts of our restless young Englishmen. Mrs. 
 Dengelton and Eunice had arranged to stay with Lady Dan- 
 vers in London, and the good old Rector still remained in 
 his sleepy village, looking after his parishioners, his Aristo- 
 phanic translation, and his beloved roses. 
 
 In company with Maurice, the poet had taken a journey 
 to Southampton to see if the yacht was all in order for the 
 projected voyage, and had stayed there three days to attend 
 to all necessary matters. The Eunice was a beautiful little 
 craft, schooner-rigged fore and aft, and was manned by an 
 excellent crew ; so with all this luxury the three adventur- 
 ers looked forward to having a very pleasant time. It was 
 now the season when the halcyon broods on the waves, so 
 they expected a smooth passage to Melnos, and as all three 
 were capital sailors, even if they did have stormy weather 
 they cared very little for such a possibility. Caliphrouas, 
 delighted at leaving this dull island for his own brilliant 
 skies, was beside himself with delight, and talked inces- 
 santly of the pleasures in store for them on the Island of 
 Melnos. 
 
 On the evening before they left England, Maurice invited 
 the Rector to a farewell dinner ; and the company assembled 
 round the hospitable table of the Grange were very merry 
 indeed, perhaps with the exception of Eunice, who was some- 
 what sad at the prospect of parting from her poet. The 
 weather was still dull and gray, and it was only the prospect 
 of a speedy departure that kept Caliphronas bright ; but as 
 that departure took place next day, he was in the gayest 
 spirits. 
 
 " We are the New Argonauts," he said merrily, with the 
 affectation of classicism which distinguished him ; " we sail 
 for the Colchian strand." 
 
 "It is to be hoped we find no Medea there," observed 
 Crispin with a smile. 
 
 " No ; our Medea is no sorceress, but a daughter of Venus, 
 the modern Helen of Troy. Mr. Maurice is her Jason. You, 
 Crispin, are Orpheus." 
 
 "And you, Count ? " asked Maurice, amused at this fancy. 
 
 "I?" said Caliphronas lightly. "Well, I hardly know. 
 Shall I say Hercules ? " 
 
 " Or Hylas," suggested the Rector idly. 
 
 " Neither ! " interposed Crispin pointedly. " We will take 
 a passenger from another famous ship, and call him Ulysses, 
 the craftiest of the Greeks." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 133 
 
 Caliphronas frowned at this somewhat uncomplimentary 
 remark, but immediately recovered his gayety, and burst out 
 laughing. 
 
 " Oh, I do not mind in the least. Ulysses, by all means. 
 After all, he had some very pleasant times with Circe, 
 Calypso, and such-like ladies." 
 
 " You seem to know your Homer, Count," said the Rector, 
 rather surprised at the classical knowledge of this ignorant 
 young man. 
 
 " Or his Lempriere," muttered Crispin significantly. 
 
 Decidedly Crispin was not polite ; but, truth to tell, the 
 prospect of a voyage in company with a man he disliked was 
 almost too much for him, and it took all his self-restraint 
 to prevent him breaking out into open war against the Greek. 
 Caliphronas knew this, but, appearing to take no notice of 
 such a hostile attitude, resolved to bide his time, and make 
 Crispin suffer for such insolence at the first opportunity. It 
 seemed as though poor Maurice would not have a very pleas- 
 ant time of it, cooped up in a vessel with these two enemies ; 
 but, doubtless, when Crispin played host in his own yacht, 
 he would treat the Count in a more courteous fashion. This 
 was exactly the view Crispin took of the matter; and as he 
 knew, according to the laws of hospitality, he would have to 
 be scrupulously polite to Caliphronas on board The Eunice, 
 he was taking advantage of the present time, and giving his 
 humor full rein in the direction of his real feelings. If he 
 could only have prevented Caliphronas coming by such a 
 display of hostility, he would have been very glad, as he 
 mistrusted the Greek very much ; but Caliphronas was imper- 
 vious to the shafts of irony, and, as long as he gained his 
 ends, did not care what was said to him or of him. This 
 brilliant stranger was a man entirely without pride, and 
 would put up with any insults rather than jeopardize his 
 plans by resenting such discourtesy. It was the last oppor- 
 tunity Crispin would have of showing his real feelings, so he 
 took advantage of it ; and though it was scarcely gentlemanly 
 of him to do so, the Count was such an unmitigated scoun- 
 drel that honorable and courteous treatment was entirely 
 lost on him. 
 
 However, Eunice overheard his ironical remarks, and 
 looked reproachfully at him, whereon Crispin restrained his 
 temper, and strove to be delightfully amiable, no very easy 
 task in his present frame of mind. With this good resolve 
 he talked as pleasantly as he was able, and heard Caliphronas 
 
134 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 romance about his fictitious life without contradicting him, 
 which he felt sorely inclined to do. It must not be forgotten 
 that Crispin had hitherto led a semi-civilized life, and had 
 not acquired that knack of concealing his likes or dislikes so 
 necessary in our artificial society ; besides which he was a 
 very honest-minded man, and, knowing the true story of 
 Caliphronas, the deliberate lies, flashy manner, and snake- 
 like subtlety of the Greek annoyed him. 
 
 Maurice also distrusted the Count, especially after his 
 conversation with Crispin regarding the real name, career, 
 and character of the man; but, being more versed in the 
 science of deception, behaved admirably towards his guest in 
 every way, thereby deceiving Caliphronas to take all this 
 enforced suavity for actual good-fellowship. As to the Hec- 
 tor, he was extremely punctilious in his behavior, and neither 
 by word nor deed showed his dislike of this sleek-footed 
 panther, who was about to bear away his favorite Maurice 
 into unknown dangers. 
 
 " You must bring us all kinds of things from Greece, 
 Maurice," said Mrs. Dengelton in her usual gushing manner. 
 " I adore foreign ornaments — those silver pins, you know, 
 like Italian women wear, and Moorish veils, and Algerian 
 lamps — so delightful — the}^ fill up a room wonderfully." 
 
 " Yes, and make it look like a curiosity-shop," replied 
 Maurice, laughing. " Oh, my dear aunt, you may depend I 
 will bring you all kinds of outlandish things ; but as to Italian 
 pins, Moorish veils, Algerian lamps, I don't suppose I will 
 find any of those sort of things in Greece." 
 
 " What will I bring jom ? " asked Crispin, as he held open 
 the door for Eunice to pass through. 
 
 They were beyond the hearing of the table, Mrs. Dengel- 
 ton had sailed on ahead to the drawing-room, so they were 
 virtually alone. 
 
 '' What will I bring you ? " he asked in a whisper. 
 
 " Yourself," she replied in the same tone. And Crispin 
 returned to his seat with the delightful conviction that 
 Eunice was the most charming girl in the world, and he 
 was certainly the most fortunate of poets. 
 
 The Rector poured himself out a glass of his favorite port, 
 and began to converse with Caliphronas ; while Maurice and 
 Crispin, lighting their cigarettes, chatted about the yacht, 
 her sea-going powers, the question of stores, the anticipated 
 time she would take to run down to the ^gean, and such- 
 like marine matters. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 135 
 
 " Will you pay us another visit, Count ? " asked the 
 Kector, inore for the sake of starting a conversation than 
 because he really cared about such a possibility. 
 
 "No, I do not think so. I am going to be married and 
 settle down in my own island." 
 
 "Ithaca^" 
 
 Caliphronas laughed a little on hearing the name. 
 
 " Yes ; on Ithaca." 
 
 " Are you a politician ? " 
 
 " ^^ ^^- I care not two straws for the reconstruction of 
 the Greek Empire, the recovery of Byzantium from the 
 1 urks or any of those things whicli agitate my countrymen 
 iSo. i am a terribly selfish man, sir, as you will doubtless 
 tiiink I only want to live in happiness, and for the good of 
 my tellow-creatures I care nothing." 
 
 life?"^^^* ""^^ ''^*^^'' ^^ egotistical way of looking at 
 "Doubtless, sir, from your point of view, but not from 
 mine. You are a priest of your Church, what we call a 
 Papa m my country, and live the life of the soul, while I 
 live the life of the body. You believe in self-abnegation — I 
 m self-satisfaction. With this beautiful world I am content 
 but you rack your soul with longings for the life beyond the 
 
 hr^'Test" ^ ^"^^^^ ^ ^"^ '*'^^^' ^^"""^ ^""^ ''^^^^' ^""^ ^ ^^ *^^ 
 
 "The happiness of the beasts which perish!" said the 
 Rector emphatically. 
 
 "Well, the beasts, as a rule, have a very good time of it 
 
 ^nl ."i ^''^^^' ^^ *^ *^^ ^^^s*^ ^^'6 all Pei-ish at last." 
 |; Ihe body, but not the soul." 
 
 "Ah, that I do not know. I may have a soul, but I am not 
 certain ; but I have a body, and as long as that is at ease, 
 why should I trouble about things in the next life ^ " 
 
 " Do you ever think of the hereafter ^ " 
 
 " Xever ! If I die, I die ! While I live, I live ! I prefer 
 present certainty to future doubt." 
 
 ^Ir. Carriston was silent, as he did not care about ar^uinc^ 
 theology with this subtle Greek, whose religion, whose phi° 
 losophy, assumed Protean forms to meet every objection. 
 He was full of sophistry and double dealing, an unfair 
 adversary m every sense of the word, and was so encased in 
 ^is armor of self-complacency and egotism, that he could 
 never be brought to look at things either spiritual or mate- 
 rial in any light than that which satisfied the selfishness of 
 
136 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 his own soul. The Hector, therefore, avoided the threatened 
 argument, and applied himself to his wine, which was a 
 much more agreeable task than attempting to convince this 
 egoist that the supreme aim of life w^as not the pampering 
 of the passions of the individual man. 
 
 ''Apart from the theological aspect of the case," said 
 Carriston good-humoredly, " it is rather a mistaken thing to 
 live only for one's self. Where ignorance is *bliss, I grant ; 
 but, because you know no higher life than that of the body, 
 you at once assume that there can be no happier existence." 
 
 " Oh, I do not say that," answered Caliphronas lightly. 
 " No doubt you people who mortify the flesh, who listen to 
 the voice of conscience, who consider the soul more than the 
 body, and who look upon this life as a preparation for a 
 future existence, are happy in your self-torturings. All 
 that sort of thing came in with Anno Domini, and made the 
 mediseval ages a hell of anguish ; but I — I am a Greek — a 
 pagan, if it pleases you — who looks on this world not as a 
 prison, but as a garden wherein to live happily. Your 
 mourning Man of Sorrows is entirely opposed to our joyous 
 Apollo, your gloomy views of life to our serenity of tempera- 
 ment. The difference is plain : for you, a Christian, cannot 
 understand the joyous songs of Paganism ; I, a pagan, 
 shudder at your penitential psalms of Christianity. We 
 would neither of us ever convince the other, therefore an 
 argument which has not a common basis from which to start 
 is unprofitable." 
 
 " I am not going to argue," replied Carriston, smiling, 
 "and I agree with you that arguments are unprofitable. 
 Unless the change takes place in your own breast, it would 
 be worse than useless for me to attempt to reason with you. 
 But you are evidently not of the opinion of an Elizabethan 
 ancestor of mine, among whose papers I discovered the fol- 
 lowing lyric : — 
 
 " Oh, shall we pass contented days, 
 Unheeding Fortune's crown of bays, 
 Which decks the brows 
 Of those whose vows 
 Compel them to incessant strife 
 And restless life? 
 
 Ah no; tho' pleasing to the sense, 
 
 This cloying Hfe of indolence 
 
 But fills the soul 
 
 With weary dole, 
 
 And turns the sweet, which doth us bless, 
 
 To bitterness.' " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 137 
 
 " Your Elizabethan ancestor was not healthy-minded/' said 
 Caliphronas coolly ; " if he had been he would never have 
 written such silly verses. It is your unhealthy life, your un- 
 healthy bodies, which breed such restlessness in you.^^ 
 
 ''•At all events, that restlessness has made England what 
 she is," replied the Rector, rather nettled at the rudeness of 
 the Greek. 
 
 " A land of money-worship, a land of noisy steam-engines, a 
 land of poverty and wealth — extremes in both cases. Yes, 
 I quite believe your restless spirit has brought you to this 
 satisfactory state of things. Come, sir," added the Count, 
 with a charming smile, seeing the Rector was rather annoyed, 
 " let us agree to differ. For me, Greece — for you, England ; 
 for me, Nature — for you. Art. Two parallel straight lines 
 cannot meet," 
 
 Carriston laughed at this way of settling the question, but 
 made no further remarks, and after a desultory conversation 
 between all four gentlemen had ensued, they went into the 
 drawing-room to join the ladies. 
 
 Mrs. Dengelton was engaged on her everlasting fancy- 
 work ; and Eunice, with a rather disconsolate look on her 
 face, was idly turning over the pages of a book. Crispin 
 stole quietly behind her and glanced over her shoulder. It 
 was a volume of his poems, and he felt flattered. 
 
 "And to think," said Mrs. Dengelton, without further 
 prelude, " that you will be so far away from home to-mor- 
 row." 
 
 " The world is my home," cried Caliphronas gayly. 
 
 "We Englishmen are narrower in our ideas," observed 
 Maurice dryly; "we look on England as our home." 
 
 "Ah, there's no place like home," sighed the Honorable 
 Mrs. Dengelton sentimentally. 
 
 "If by home you mean England, I am very glad of it," 
 retorted the Count audaciously ; " I would rather live in 
 exile in Greece. But come, I will say no more evil things 
 about your beloved island of fogs." 
 
 " If you do, I will sing ' Rule Britannia,' " said Maurice, 
 laughing. 
 
 "What is that?" 
 
 " Our national song. Do you know any national songs of 
 your country. 
 
 Caliphronas smiled with an expression of supreme indif- 
 ference, 
 
 " No ; I know nothing of patriotism. I have never given 
 it a thought. All my songs are of love and wine." 
 
138 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 "Oh!" said Mrs. Dengelton in a shocked tone ; "realh^, 
 Count, you say the most dreadful things ! " 
 
 *' Other times other manners/' observed the Rector humor- 
 ously. " Horace, for instance, said things which would shock 
 you, my dear Mrs. Dengelton." 
 
 "■ I've no doubt about it," retorted the lady viciously ; 
 "but, thank heaven, I do not know Latin."* 
 
 " But you know French, aunt," said Maurice wickedly ; 
 '' and I am afraid Gyp, George Sand, and Belot, are quite as 
 bad, if not worse, than the Latin poet." 
 
 "Maurice," replied Mrs. Dengelton severely, unable to 
 parry this attack, "remember jomv cousin is in the room." 
 
 "I beg your pardon, aunt." 
 
 " And now, Count Caliphronas," said the good lady, thus 
 appeased, " suppose you sing us one of your songs." 
 
 " I am afraid it will shock you," replied the Count slyly. 
 
 " Oh dear no ! none of us know Greek." 
 
 "That is hardly complimentary to me, who have given up 
 all my life to the study of the Greek poets." 
 
 "I don't mean you. Rector, but the young people." 
 
 " Oh, I do not mind singing," said Caliphronas, going to 
 the piano ; " if the words of my songs were translated, you 
 would find them very harmless. They only contain the lan- 
 guage of love known to all the world." 
 
 " Will I play for you ? " asked Crispin, looking up from 
 the poem he was reading to Eunice. 
 
 " If you would be so kind." 
 
 " What will you sing ? " said the poet, sitting down at the 
 piano. " iSTo love, no wine to-night. It is our last meeting 
 in England, so sing some song of farewell." 
 
 "Will I sing ' The Call to Arms '? " 
 
 "Yes, that will be stirring enough." 
 
 Whereupon Caliphronas sang that patriotic song, which 
 was written by some modern Hellenic Tyrtaeus during the 
 War of Independence. Crispin afterwards translated it into 
 the metre of Byron's famous " Isles of Greece " for the bene- 
 fit of Eunice, who was anxious to know the words which, 
 clothed in their Greek garb, rang through the room like the 
 inspiriting blare of a trumpet. 
 
 " Thermopylae ! Theraiopylae ! 
 
 Give back your Spartan sons of yore, 
 To raise the flas; of liberty, 
 
 And dye its folds in Tmkish gore; 
 Then will the crimson banner wave 
 Above the freeman, not the slave. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 139 
 
 Arise, ye Greeks, and break your chains! 
 
 By daring hearts is freedom won. 
 Behold, the Moslem crescent wanes 
 
 Before the rising Attic sun; 
 Oh, let its golden beams be shed 
 On chainless Greeks, and tyrants dead ! 
 
 Your fathers' swords were laurel-wreathed, 
 
 And wielded well by freemen brave; 
 Why are your swords so idly sheathed, 
 
 While Greece is still a Turkish slave ? 
 Shall Hellas, Mother of the West, 
 In servitude ignoble rest ? 
 
 Oh, shame! that it should come to this, 
 
 When by your side hang idle swords ; 
 Arise, ye sons of ISalamis, 
 
 Whose fathers quelled the Persian hordes, 
 And drive the Moslem to the sea, 
 Till Hellas and her sons be free." 
 
 When the song was finished, Caliphronas turned away 
 silently, and Carriston, who was seated near, saw to his 
 astonishment that the eyes of the emotional Greek were suf- 
 fused with tears. 
 
 '•That man has some noble traits/' he said to himself 
 as he noticed this ; " he is moved by the wrongs of his 
 country." 
 
 " What a fine ringing melody ! " cried Eunice, whose eyes 
 were flashing with excitement. 
 
 "It is like 'Chevy Chase,'" said Maurice quickly, "and 
 stirs the heart like the sound of a trumpet." 
 
 "The poet was evidently inspired by Byron," remarked 
 Crispin, idly fingering the piano keys ; " I expect he wrote 
 it after the 'Isles of Greece/ song. Ah, a Greisk should 
 have written that." 
 
 '•I am afraid the days of Alcseus are past." replied the 
 Rector, who had understood a considerable portion of the 
 song, owing to his acquaintance with the ancient Attic 
 tongue ; " Greece prefers Anacreon. Still she won her free- 
 dom bravely." 
 
 " And to what gain ? " said Caliphronas bitterly ; " to be 
 ruled by a Danish prince. Better the republics of Athens, 
 Sparta, and Thebes, than such playing at monarchy." 
 
 "To revive the ancient government you must have the 
 ancient patriots, poets, and scholars." 
 
 " That I am afraid is impossible. No, the glory has de- 
 
140 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 parted from Greece. Centuries of oppression have crushed 
 the creative faculty out of her." 
 
 " Oh, let us hope, when the Greek Empire is reconstructed, 
 we will have a new Pindar, a new Sophocles, a new Plato." 
 
 " That is a dream of the lyre, not of the sword," replied 
 Caliphronas, carelessly glancing at his watch. '' By the way, 
 it is very late, and, as we have to be up early, I suppose we 
 ought to retire early." 
 
 " 1 am quite with you. Count," said Mrs. I^engelton, roll- 
 ing up her work. '' Come, Eunice, we must get our beauty 
 sleep." 
 
 '• Humph ! the mother needs it more than the daughter," 
 thought Crispin, but did not give vent to this very uncom- 
 plimentary remark, and hastened to give the ladies their 
 candles. 
 
 "Are you going to bed, Caliphronas?" asked Maurice, 
 when the ladies had gone. " We intend to smoke." 
 
 '' Going to shorten j^our lives," replied the Count, smiling. 
 ''No ; I am like Mrs. Dengelton, I require my beauty sleep ; " 
 and at that he also departed. 
 
 The Rector, in company with his two young friends, went 
 to the smoking-room, and had a pleasant conversation, but it 
 was noticeable that all three gentlemen carefully avoided 
 mentioning the name of Caliphronas. Decidedly the Greek 
 was not in favor, and, in spite of the good impression he had 
 created in the Rector's mind by his patriotic emotion, that 
 gentleman showed how deeply rooted was his distrust by his 
 parting words to Crispin. 
 
 '• Remember, I leave Maurice in your hands, Mr. Crispin," 
 he said in a faltering voice ; '' he is very dear to me, and you 
 must protect him from all danger." 
 
 " My dear Rector, I am not a child," interposed Maurice, 
 rather nettled; "nor are we going to the wilds of Africa." 
 
 " You may meet with worse enemies than the savage 
 beasts of Africa," replied the Rector obstinately. " I do not 
 trust your friend Caliphronas." 
 
 " Be content," said Crispin, shaking the Rector warmly by 
 the hand, " I will watch over Maurice ; and as to Caliphronas 
 you need not be afraid of him. I know the man." 
 
 "And know any good of him ? " 
 
 " Ah, that is a secret at present ; but you may be sure he 
 will not harm Maurice while I am near." 
 
 " One would think we were going into danger, the way you 
 talk," said Roylands impatiently, "instead of a pleasant 
 cruise in Greek waters." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 141 
 
 "The New Argonauts," observed the Rector, laughing. 
 "Good-night, Mr. Crispin. Good-night, my dear lad ; come 
 over and say good-by to-morrow." 
 
 The Argonauts promised, and the Rector, quite at peace 
 concerning his dear pupil, departed. 
 
 " You doubt Caliphronas ; the Rector doubts Caliphronas," 
 said Maurice, when the old man had gone. " I am getting 
 rather wearied of such doubts." 
 
 "Well, I will set your doubts at rest in — say a week's 
 time." 
 
 " And are your revelations startling ? " 
 
 Crispin shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 " Not very ; it all depends upon what you call startling. 
 Really I have made by my talk this molehill of a Caliphro- 
 nas into a mountain of dissimulation and deceit. He is not 
 a good man, but I have no doubt he is as good as his neigh- 
 bors." 
 
 " The mystery which environs him fascinates me." 
 
 "No doubt; the unknown is always attractive," replied 
 Crispin sententiously. "But after all, when I ' tell you 
 everything, you may be disappointed. The mountain may 
 only bring forth a mouse, you know. But, at all events, I 
 look forward to some pretty lively times." 
 
 " Where ? " 
 
 "In the Island of Melnos. My dear innocent Englishman, 
 you are being drawn into a network of intrigue and duplicity, 
 but, as I hold all the threads in my hand, you will come out 
 all right in the end." 
 
 "You puzzle me ! I hope I will come all right out of this 
 mystery." 
 
 " I heard a vulgar saying at a music hall which applies to 
 this case and to you," said Crispin gayly ; " it was, ' Keep 
 your eye on your father, and your father will pull you 
 through.' " 
 
142 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE PAST OF A POET. 
 
 "We all have histories. The meanest hind 
 Who turns the steaming furrow can unfold 
 Some story in his uneventful life, 
 Which stirs the wonderment of him who hoars, 
 To thoughts bewildered, how so small a stage 
 Can thus contain so great a tragedy. 
 
 The Eunice left Southampton on an unpleasantly wet 
 day, and standing on the deck, under a dull gray sky, the 
 three adventurers felt quite dispirited as they watched the 
 receding shores of England veil themselves in chilly mists. 
 Going down the Channel they had moderately fair weather, 
 but no sunlight, and Caliphronas, who was a wretchedl}^ bad 
 sailor, in spite of his Levantine cruisings, retreated to his 
 cabin in a very miserable frame of mind. Both Crisj)in and 
 Maurice, however, were in good health and spirits, mostly 
 remaining on deck to watch the gray sea heaving dully under 
 the gray sky. In the Bay of Biscay bad weather prevailed 
 as a matter of course, and the yacht tossed about a good 
 deal in the choppy waters. Not until they passed the 
 Straits did they have fine weather, for the first burst of sun- 
 light showed them the giant rock of Gibraltar frowning on 
 the left as they steamed rapidly into the blue waters of the 
 Mediterranean. 
 
 Had Maurice so desired, Crispin was quite willing to put 
 in for a day, but the young man was anxious to proceed to 
 Melnos, and the yacht soon left the picturesque sentinel of 
 the Mediterranean behind. The weather now became warm 
 and briglit, bringing Caliphronas out of his cabin again, like a 
 brilliant butterfly, to bask in the sunshine. The arid island 
 of Malta came in sight, and they saw its precipitous shores 
 rising sternly from the tideless waters. For a few hours 
 they cast anchor in the Grand Harbor, and went on shore 
 to explore Valetta, with its steep streets, quaint houses, and 
 mongrel population. An afternoon spent in leisurely stroll- 
 ing along the Strada Reale, and looking at the bizarre 
 mixture of Turks, Jews, Arabs, Italians, and red-coated 
 English soldiers, proved an agreeable change after their nine 
 days' run from Southampton, and they re-embarked in much 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 143 
 
 better spirits than when they left England. Now they were 
 in tropical heat, with a cloudless sky above, and the brave 
 little yacht steamed merril}^ across the glittering waters, 
 leaving a trail of white foam behind her. Nearer and nearer 
 they drew to the enchanted shores of Greece, and to glowing 
 days succeeded warm nights lighted by mellow constellations 
 and delicately silver moons. 
 
 It was when they were in Adria, the ancient name of the 
 sea between Sicily and Greece, that Crispin told Maurice the 
 story of his life. Dinner was long since over, and the three 
 gentlemen lounged on deck smoking the pipes of peace — 
 that is, Crispin and Maurice smoked and lounged, for Cal- 
 iphronas did neither the one thing nor the other, but paced 
 restlessly about the deck, looking up into the darkly blue 
 sky, and singing snatches of Greek songs. 
 
 " Do you see Taygetus, Mr. Maurice ? " he said, pointing 
 to the lofty snow-crowned range of mountains in the distance. 
 " This is your first glimpse of Greece, is it not ? Yes, of 
 course it is. I am sorry you do not find our shores bathed 
 in sunlight to greet you ; still yonder snowy mountain, this 
 calm sea, that serene sky, is beautiful, is it not ? " 
 
 *' Very beautiful." 
 
 Whereat Caliphronas, leaning over the taffrail and looking 
 dreamily at the shores of his native land, broke out into song. 
 
 " I would I were hunting on rocky Taygetus, 
 Which kisses the starry sky with snows of chastity, 
 Then might I meet the lost nymph 
 Who beloved by a god was set as a star on high, 
 But fell from thence, and was lost in the snowy wilderness." 
 
 " Taygeta ! " said Crispin, who knew the song well. " Yes ; 
 she was one of the Pleiades, certainly ; but I don't think she 
 was the lost Pleiad, nor do I think she had anything to do 
 with yonder mountain. If you hunted there, Caliphronas, 
 you would meet Bacchus and his crew, but no nymph." 
 
 " I sing the song as 'twas sung to me," said the Count 
 blithely, balancing himself on one foot. " This is a land of 
 fancy, not of fact; so why bring in your hard truths to 
 destroy the glory of tradition ? No ; Taygeta haunts those 
 hills, and if I wandered upward to the snows I would meet 
 her." 
 
 "If you saw a nymph you would go mad," remarked 
 Maurice, alluding to the old Greek superstition. 
 
 " I am mad now, Mr. Maurice, — mad with the scent of wind 
 
144 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 and wave and shore. Can you not smell the perfumes blow- 
 ing from the land ? " 
 
 '^No ; I'm sure I cannot, nor you either." 
 
 " You are no believer. See, from the moonlit waters arise 
 the Nereides to welcome us to the seas of Poseidon. Are- 
 thusa, Asia, and Leucothoe are all waving their white arms, 
 and singing songs of the wondrous caves beneath the 
 waves." 
 
 '• Ridiculous ! " retorted Maurice stolidly. 
 
 '- You are no idealist," said Caliphronas petulantly. 
 " Dull Englishman as you are, the land of romance spreads 
 her wonders in vain for you. Creespeen, you are a poet; 
 behold the daughters of the sea ! " 
 
 Crispin smiled absently, and tossed his cigarette into the 
 waters which rushed past, glittering in the moonlight with 
 the grayish glint of steel. 
 
 " You forget that this is no galley of Ulysses, my friend. 
 A modern steamer, with a noisy screw beating the waters, is 
 enough to scare away all the nymphs in the vicinity." 
 
 '' And this is a poet ! " cried the Greek indignantly, ad- 
 dressing the stars; '-'this dull-eyed being who can see no 
 Avonders in the seas ! Oh, shade of Homer, conjure up for 
 him the island nymph. Calypso, and her lovely train ; con- 
 jure " — 
 
 "I think Homer will have to conjure up himself first," 
 said Crispin flippantly. 
 
 "Which he certainly will not do on the ocean," added 
 Maurice lazily ; " 3'our mighty poet was a land-lubber." 
 
 Caliphronas looked indignantly at them both, then went 
 off in a rage. 
 
 " I will go and have a talk to the sailors." 
 
 " Don't addle their English brains with your classical rub- 
 bish," shouted Crispin satirically ; " if you do, they may 
 wreck us." 
 
 " Wreck you ! " said the Greek to himself, with a start. 
 "There is many a true word spoken in jest, my friend; per- 
 haps you will be wrecked before we reach Melnos." 
 
 When Caliphronas had gone, Maurice relighted his pipe, 
 which had gone out ; and, freed from the chattering of the 
 Count, enjoyed the quiet beauty of the night, while Crispin 
 hummed softly a ballad which Eunice used to sing, — 
 
 " Oh, winds and waves, oli. stars and sea, 
 I would 1 were as blithe and free." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 145 
 
 Above, the sky was almost of a purple color in the sultry 
 night, and the stars, brilliant and large, burned like lamps in 
 the still air. A serene moon, half veiled in fleecy clouds, 
 arose above the chill snows of Taygetus, and a long glitter- 
 ing bridge of light extended from the land to the yacht. 
 The steady beat of the screw, which impelled the vessel 
 through the silent waters, sounded in their ears, blending 
 with the rich voice of Caliphronas, who had climbed up the 
 mast, and was clinging to the weather rigging like a spectral 
 figure in the shadowy glimmer of moon and star. 
 
 " The eartli breathes fragrant breaths to-night, 
 And the perfume blows from the land. 
 Oh, I can see the waters kissing her shores, 
 Even as I would kiss thee, my beloved, 
 With thy breath more fragrant than these languid scents, 
 Floating from the distant isles of rose-filled gardens." 
 
 " I wish I knew Greek," said Maurice, as the Count paused 
 for a moment ; '' those snatches of song sound so beautiful." 
 
 "They are beautiful," replied Crispin idly; "I have often 
 thought of translating some of them into English. Listen ! " 
 
 "I see Dione rising from the waters, 
 A Yenus of the moonlight night. 
 Why wavest thou thy arms as ivory gleaming ? 
 Why do I see thine eyes flash as the evening star ? 
 Thy voice is as the murmur of breathing waves 
 In twilight on a sandy beach. 
 Callestthou me to thy home below ? 
 Ah, I will come, and beneath the placid waters 
 Coldly white will I lie on thy cold white breast. 
 But thro' the door of death must I pass to gain such blisses." 
 
 "'Tis like the lyrics of Callicles in Arnold's poem," said 
 Crispin, taking off his cap; "stray fragments of song scat- 
 tered by the winds." 
 
 " Or like the songs in ^ Pippa Passes,' " suggested Maurice 
 speculatively ; " but I am afraid the singing of Caliphronas 
 will not do so much good as Pippa's." 
 
 A long sigh floated past them on the still waters, like the 
 melancholy cry of a bird, and died away sadly in the distance. 
 
 " Calypso sighing for Ulysses," observed Crispin, without 
 altering his position ; " though I dare say it is only the wind 
 moaning through the ropes." 
 
 "Let us think it is the voice calling, Pan is dead ! " 
 
 " We are classical to-night. Caliphronas has inoculated us 
 
146 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 with his antique dreams. Well, when one is in fairyland, 
 one must dream romances." 
 
 "Suppose you tell me your romance," said ^Maurice 
 abruptly. 
 
 " Of my past life ? Yes ; I will do so ; but you must prom- 
 ise to keep it secret." 
 
 "I promise." 
 
 " I am afraid you will think but little of it when you know 
 all ; but I promised to tell you, so I will now,fullil my prom- 
 ise. In the first place, you know my name is Crispin." 
 
 " Yes ; and have often wondered at its terseness. Have 
 you no surname ? " 
 
 " No legal surname." 
 
 " Why not ? " 
 
 " Because I am a natural son." 
 
 " Illegitimate ! " said Maurice, startled. 
 
 " Yes. Kow you see the reason for my returning to 
 Melnos." 
 
 " You wish to find out who you really are." 
 
 "I do ; from Justinian." 
 
 " But who is this mysterious Justinian ? " 
 
 " And this equally mysterious Caliphronas, and Alcibiades, 
 and Crispin. You are in a world of mystery here, and will 
 see many things on Melnos which will excite your wonder- 
 ment. But come, I will lift a portion of the veil, and place 
 you in possession of facts which may be of use to you in the 
 future." 
 
 " I am all attention." 
 
 Crispin settled himself more comfortably, and, fixing his 
 earnest eyes upon Maurice, began his story without further 
 remark. 
 
 "My first memories are of the Island of Melnos, where I 
 was not born. No ; I was taken there with my mother when 
 I was an infant ; but the land of my birth I do not know. 
 English I am, certainly ; but for all I know, ocean may have 
 witnessed my coming into the world. As I grew up, I 
 thought Justinian was my father, for my mother always led 
 me to believe such was the case, and certainly he was very 
 kind to me. This Justinian, of whom you have often heard 
 me speak, is not a Greek, but an Englishman ; but of his real 
 name I am ignorant, nor do I know the reason that he lives 
 in this island exile. Now you can see the reason I speak 
 English so well, for from my earliest years I was brought up 
 with the sound of it in my ears j so also was Caliphronas." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 147 
 
 " Is he related to Justinian ? " 
 
 "No; nor was he born in Ithaca; nor is he a count; nor 
 is his name Caliphronas. Count Constantine Caliphronas, 
 better known in these waters as Andros, comes from the 
 island of the name ; and Justinian, struck by his beauty as 
 a child, adopted him as a son, and brought him up with me. 
 The English tongue we were both taught from our cradles ; 
 so you now know the reason we both speak it so well. In those 
 early days I always thought Justinian was my father, and 
 Caliphronas was my brother ; but as I grew up I was un- 
 deceived on these points. My mother died when I was still 
 a child, and I was therefore left to the sole guardianship of 
 this pseudo-Englishman. As I told you, he rules over a 
 kind of patriarchal community in this little-known island; 
 and the life seems to suit him, for he is a kind of freebooter 
 in his way, fierce and lawless, though years have now tamed 
 his spirit to a considerable extent. Caliphronas, or rather 
 Andros, and myself were brought up in a wild sort of fashion, 
 — always in the open air, on the waters, fishing, riding, 
 sailing, fighting " — 
 
 " Fighting ! " cried Maurice in surprise. 
 
 " Yes. Oh, there are strange things in these Greek waters, 
 I assure you ! On an adjacent island lived a kind of semi- 
 pirate called Alcibiades, who was, and is, a thorough black- 
 guard. He used to cruise about in a small craft in order to 
 levy blackmail on the inhabitants of the other islands, and 
 in these cruises Andros and myself very often joined. There 
 was no killing, you understand ; but sometimes the peasants 
 objected to be robbed, so there was often a fight, ending in 
 broken heads." 
 
 '' But the law ? " 
 
 " Oh, there is precious little law in these parts. Brigandism 
 is not yet extinct, whatever you English may think. Besides, 
 Alcibiades was a moderate sort of pirate, and was cunning 
 enough not to go too far. He would rob a poor man of his 
 last drachma, but he would not cut his throat. I don't think 
 Justinian blamed him for this piratical existence ; indeed, I 
 think he rather envied his wild life, and, had he been young 
 enough, would certainly have joined him in partnership. 
 As it was, he allowed Andros and myself to form part of the 
 band of Alcibiades, which we, wild, uncultured scamps as we 
 were, regarded as a great privilege." 
 
 " And how long did this buccaneering go on ? '^ 
 
 " As far as I am concerned, for some years ; but as regards 
 CaliphronaS; I dare say he is at it yet/' 
 
148 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " What ! is he a thief ? " 
 
 " Oh, no ; a thief is a vulgar thing. Caliphronas is a pic- 
 turesque freebooter, and simply plunders on a large scale. 
 I've no doubt his visit to England was paid for out of his 
 ill-gotten gains." 
 
 " And is this Alcibiades still living ? " 
 
 " Oh yes ; you will see him, I have no doubt, for he is a 
 great friend oi Justinian's." 
 
 "But who is this Justiniau ? " 
 
 Crispin paused for a moment and seemed to consider, then 
 replied with great deliberation, — 
 
 " I can hardly tell you. He is an Englishman, so you 
 must be content with knowing only that. Later on I may 
 tell you something about him, but not now." 
 
 " Well, and how did you escape from this piratical exist- 
 ence ? " 
 
 '' Oh, Caliphronas was the main cause of my leaving Mel- 
 nos. After my mother died, I made several discoveries — 
 one, that Andros was not my brother, as I had hitherto 
 supposed; and another, that Justinian was not my father. 
 Being a comparative child, I did not pay much attention to 
 these facts ; but when I was about eighteen years of age, I 
 began to ask Justinian questions as to who I really was, 
 but he refused to tell me." 
 
 " Were you always called Crispin ? " 
 
 " Yes, always. Justinian, in spite of his fierce, wild 
 nature, has a vein of romance in him, and, as he arrived at 
 Melnos with myself and my mother on St. Crispin's day, 
 called me after that saint. My mother fell in with his 
 humor, and from the time I landed at Melnos I was called 
 nothing else but Crispin." 
 
 " Or Creespeen, as the Count calls you." 
 
 ''Yes; Caliphronas is a good English speaker, but he 
 makes mistakes in proper names. You observe he never 
 risks saying Eoylands, but always addresses you as Mr. 
 Maurice — Maurice is of course a Greek name." 
 
 " And how w^as Caliphronas responsible for your leaving 
 Melnos ? " 
 
 " Oh, it was a kind of Esau and Jacob business. I was 
 Esau, and Andros Jacob, the favored one. Justinian thought 
 me rather a milksop, because I did not care about our pirati- 
 cal excursions with Alcibiades, in which Caliphronas, born 
 scamp as he was, delighted. At all events, Caliphronas, in 
 order to curry favor with Justinian, and secure his own well- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 149 
 
 being, did his best to estrange us still further, and very soon 
 my adopted father broke out into open hatred of me. One 
 day, when I refused to join in one of Alcibiades' little trips 
 in search of plunder, he taunted me with being a man of 
 peace, like my father ; and, when I demanded who my 
 lather was, refused to tell me anything more than that I was 
 illegitimate. From words we came to blows, for both of us 
 were very hot-tempered, and the end of it was that Justinian 
 ordered me to leave the island, much to the delight of Cal- 
 iphronas, who wanted to secure it to himself." 
 
 " And you left Melnos ? " 
 
 " Yes ; I could not help myself, as Justinian had plenty of 
 scoundrels to do his bidding ; and, had he given the word, I 
 have no doubt Alcibiades would have put a stone round my 
 neck, and dropped me into the sea." 
 
 " But, my dear Crispin, all this lawlessness nowadays ! " 
 
 Crispin shrugged his shoulders with a smile. 
 
 '•' My dear fellow, you gentlemen of England, who live at 
 home in ease, do not know what lawlessness still exists in 
 the East. To be sure, I speak of over ten years ago, and 
 things are better now ; still, I think a good many things go 
 on in the vicinity of Melnos which Justice would scarcely 
 approve of ; but, as long as nothing very bad happens, why, 
 she winks at small crimes. If I had been dropped into the 
 sea, who would have been a bit the wiser ? no one except 
 the islanders, and they would not have troubled themselves 
 over such a trifle, especially as I was not popular among 
 them. Caliphronas, Justinian, and Alcibiades are all their 
 divinities, not a poor poet like me, who shrinks from their 
 scampish ways." 
 
 " So you left Melnos in the end ? " 
 
 "Yes; like the boy in the fairy tale, I went out into the 
 wide, wide world to seek my fortune. I managed to work 
 my passage to Athens, and arrived there without even the 
 traditional penny. Fortunately, I knew modern Greek and 
 English thoroughly well, so was fortunate enough to obtain 
 a situation as a corresponding clerk in a firm of merchants 
 who traded with England, but I did not remain there long." 
 
 " Where did you make all your money ? " 
 
 " Ah, that is what I am now going to tell you. Fortune 
 evidently wished to make reparation for having brought me 
 into the world with a stigma on my name, so threw me into 
 the way of a rich Englishman, whom I met at the house of 
 my employer* He heard my story, and was much impressed 
 
150 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 with it ; and then discovered that I had the talent to string 
 verses together, and also a faculty for music. Being pas- 
 sionately fond of such things he made up his mind that he 
 had discovered a genius ; and, being without a relative in 
 the world, he adopted me as his son and made me his heir." 
 
 "You seem to have passed your life in being adopted,"' 
 said Maurice, who was deeply interested in this romantic 
 history. 
 
 *'Only twice. First Justinian, then my English father. 
 I need not tell you his name, as I did not take it, preferring 
 to be called Crispin until such time as I discovered my real 
 parent. Well, my benefactor, who was very learned, began 
 to educate me, and also placed me at school. I suppose I 
 made good use of my time, as I soon became sufficiently 
 accomplished to win his approval. We travelled all over 
 the Continent — a great deal in the East — until I was about 
 twenty -seven years of age, when he died at Damascus, and 
 left me heir to all his property, amounting to about twelve 
 thousand a year." 
 
 " Fortunate man ! " 
 
 " Yes ; I thought I was too fortunate, and had some com- 
 punction in taking so large an income, fearing lest I might 
 be robbing some relative of my benefactor more entitled to 
 it. When I buried my adopted father at Damascus, I came 
 to England and saw his lawyers, who were quite satisfied 
 with my identity, owing to the papers which I produced. The 
 will, of course, was in their possession, as my benefactor had 
 returned to England when I was at school, and made his will 
 in my favor. The lawyers told me that there were no rela- 
 tives alive, and that I was justly entitled to spend the 
 money, so that is how I became rich. The rest of my life 
 you know." 
 
 " You published a volume of poems, became the mystery 
 of London, saw Eunice, fell in love with her, and came down 
 to the Grange — yes, I know all that; but have you made 
 no effort to discover who you are ? " 
 
 "Yes. I went toMelnos three years ago and saw Justin- 
 ian, but he refused to help me in any way ; so I returned to 
 England in despair. Now, however, I am going back with 
 certain knowledge of Justinian's past life, which I will 
 make use of to force him to tell me what I wish to know." 
 
 " You don't believe his story about your illegitimacy ? " 
 
 "No. If I can get the truth out of him I believe I will find 
 I have a right to a legal surname, and I am anxious to estab- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 151 
 
 lish this fact in order to marry Eunice. As it is, I cannot 
 marry her without inflicting on her the disgrace I feel my- 
 self ; besides, her motlier would not consent to the marriage, 
 nor would you." 
 
 " My dear fellow, I am not so narrow-minded as all that." 
 
 "Still, I know your English prejudices. You say that 
 out of kindness, but if your cousin marries, you would pre- 
 fer her husband to have a spotless name." 
 
 "Certainly." 
 
 "Then I am going to make Justinian give me one. I 
 know, if he tells the truth, I will discover I have been born 
 in wedlock. Of his own free will he refuses to tell me ; now, 
 however, owing to my knowledge of his past, I can force his 
 confidence." 
 
 " And what about Helena ? " 
 
 " She is Justinian's daughter. There is no stain on her 
 birth ; so if you love her, as I am sure you will, you can 
 marry her without fear." 
 
 " Her father seems rather a terrible old person." 
 
 " He is a scamp, I am afraid. Still, he is a man of good 
 family." 
 
 " How do you know ? " 
 
 " I have made certain discoveries while in England, and 
 now know more about Justinian than he thinks." 
 
 " Is Helena as charming as she looks ? " asked Maurice 
 anxiously. 
 
 " Yes," replied Crispin emphatically. " She is a pure, 
 good woman, and will make you an excellent wife ; but you 
 have a rival." 
 
 " Alcibiades ? " 
 
 " No ; Caliphronas." 
 
 "I thought as much," said Maurice, with a start, remem- 
 bering the Greek's jealousy concerning the portrait. ^* But 
 if he loves Helena, why did he show me her picture, which 
 has been my sole reason for this journey ? " 
 
 " Wheels within wheels ! " replied Crispin significantly. 
 
 " More mystery ? " 
 
 " Yes ; there are still some things for you to learn, but I 
 cannot tell you of them now, as I have made a promise." 
 
 " To whom ? " 
 
 " Caliphronas." 
 
 " Caliphronas ! " cried that gentleman, who had approached 
 them quietly 5 " and what are you saying about Caliphro- 
 nas ? " 
 
152 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 "A good many things," said Crispin rapidly, in Greek. 
 " I have been telling him who I am." 
 
 The Greek flushed with rage, and then he laughed. 
 
 "That is your business, but I trust you did not break 
 faith ? " 
 
 "About Justinian, no; about Helena, no; but I have told 
 him all your early life." 
 
 Caliphronas made a dart at Crispin with uplifted hand, but 
 Maurice sprang up and caught him in his arms, where he 
 writhed like an eel. 
 
 " Traitor ! " he hissed in Greek ; " traitor ! " 
 
 CHAPTEE XIV. 
 
 THE devil's philosophy. 
 
 . Why should I call mankind my brothers, 
 Or live but for the good of others ? 
 'Twould bring me neither pain nor pleasure, 
 Nor give me comfort, joy, or treasure. 
 Myself by Nature's law I cherish ; 
 If I am saved, let others perish ; 
 For if ill luck Dame Fortune gave me, 
 None v^ould stretch out a hand to save me. 
 "While life to me means w^ealth or laughter, 
 Themselves all paupers can look after; 
 Than me for hardships they are fitter, 
 I taste the sweet and they the bitter. 
 But if such selfish maxims hurt you, 
 Then live your life of silly virtue. 
 Let men defraud you in life's barter, 
 And you will be — a social martyr. 
 
 The two men stood looking at one another in silence for 
 quite a minute, Crispin cool and com.posed, the Greek fuming 
 with anger. At length Caliphronas burst out laughing, and 
 Maurice, seeing he was now master of his actions, let him go, 
 whereon he flung himself into a chair, with a cynical smile 
 on his handsome face. 
 
 " So this dear Creespeen has told you who I am, and what 
 I am," he said, looking insolently at Maurice. "' Well, and 
 what do you think of me ? " 
 
 " You would hardly feel flattered if I told you," retorted 
 Roylands, lighting his cigarette once more. 
 
 " Ah, bah ! Praise or blame is all the same to me. Oh, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 158 
 
 I know your dull English respectability which shudders at 
 the truth. Yet I dare say, with my little excursions with 
 Alcibiades, my assuming of a false name, my philosophy of 
 enjoying myself at the expense of others, I am no worse than 
 many of your holy people, who go to church, and, under the 
 guise of self-denial, enjoy all that life can give. I may be 
 what you call bad, but I am at least not a hypocrite." 
 " By which remark I presume you infer I am one." 
 " No, I do not. You have not enough character to make 
 you either bad or good. You lead a dull, respectable life, 
 because you like dull respectability. If you had leanings in 
 the other direction, I will do you the justice to say that I 
 have no doubt you would not have concealed them from the 
 world." 
 
 "Thank you," replied Maurice dryly; "your opinion of 
 my character is most gratifying." 
 
 "As to you, Creespeen," said Caliphronas, turning to the 
 poet with an evil smile, " I knew you were prudish in many 
 ways, a milksop as Justinian called you, and a man afraid 
 of going against the opinion of the world, but I did not 
 know you were an oath-breaker nor a tale-bearer." 
 
 " Nor am I," answered Crispin, keeping his temper won- 
 derfully under the insults of the Greek, for, after all, it 
 would have been worse than useless to quarrel with him. 
 
 " I did not tell about Justinian, or of anything connected 
 with your visit to England. All I revealed was my own life 
 and your real character, which it is only right my friend 
 should know." 
 
 " As for that," retorted Caliphronas carelessly, " I do not 
 mmd. Mask on, mask off, it is all the same to me; but, as 
 regards what I told you in confidence, I am glad you were 
 wise enough not to reveal it, as you would have to settle 
 accounts with Justinian, not with me." 
 
 "I am not afraid of Justinian," said Crispin, with su- 
 preme contempt. 
 
 "What is this secret?" asked Maurice quickly; "if it 
 refers to me, I have a right to know it." 
 
 " It does not refer to you," replied Caliphronas menda- 
 ciously ; "it concerns Justinian, and what it is you will learn 
 before you are many days on Melnos." 
 
 "I do not generally boast about myself," said Maurice 
 quickly, "but if you and your precious Justinian are up to 
 any tricks, you will find me an awkward customer to deal 
 with." 
 
154 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " No harm is intended, Mr. Maurice.'' 
 
 " Upon my word, sir, your insolence is unbounded," said 
 Roylands, sitting upright in his indignation. " I am going 
 to make a tour of the Greek islands, yet you talk as if I were 
 coming on a visit to 3-ou — being decoyed, as it were, into a 
 robber's cave. I don't care two straws about your • no harm 
 is intended,' and you may be certain if there is any trouble 
 it will be for you, not for me. Really," continued Maurice, 
 laughing at the comicality of the situation, " one would think 
 we lived in the days of filibusters and buccaneers the way you 
 talk." 
 
 Caliphronas was not put out in the least by this speech, 
 and, leaning back in his chair, looked at Maurice with a lazy 
 smile. 
 
 '• There is no pleasure without an element of danger," he 
 said coolly, placing his hands behind his head, "and you 
 may have adventures before you leave Melnos." 
 
 Struck by the significance of his tone, Maurice looked 
 keenly at him, and then turned to Crispin with a puzzled 
 air. 
 
 " My dear fellow, will you explain this riddle ? " 
 
 "There is nothing to explain," said Crispin, with a yawn; 
 " you know the way Caliphronas exaggerates. I suppose he 
 wants to make out that Melnos is a barbaric place, and that 
 this cruise partakes of the nature of a journey into Darkest 
 Africa." 
 
 "I have heard more nonsense to-night than I ever heard 
 before in my life," said Maurice, still rufiled. "Pseudo- 
 counts, patriarchal knights, islands of fantasy, hintings of 
 dangers. It is like a novel of adventure." 
 
 Caliphronas laughed, but said nothing, while Crispin 
 knocked the ashes out of his pipe and refilled it finally for a 
 hist smoke before turning in. 
 
 " I suppose you are very shocked at Creespeen's flattering 
 description of me," remarked the Count calmly. 
 
 "' Hm ! I hardly know. You are a picturesque scamp, but 
 only a soamp for all that." 
 
 " This candor is delightful." 
 
 " Caliphronas," observed Crispin, settling himself into a 
 more comfortable attitude, " is a gentleman who believes 
 that Number One is the greatest number." 
 
 " Every one in the world does that, my dear Creespeen." 
 
 " Probably, but they don't show it so openly as you do." 
 
 " Hypocrites ! " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 155 
 
 ^I dare say, but a certain amount of hypocrisy is necessary 
 in this world of shams." 
 
 Maurice looked at Count Constantine with an amused 
 smile. 
 
 " Caliphronas, you are a most unique person, and I would 
 like to know your views of life." 
 
 "Make money honestly if you can — but make money." 
 
 " I thought you were a child of Nature, who cared nothing 
 for money." 
 
 " You are right in one way, Mr. Maurice. For money as 
 money I care nothing, but I like luxuries which only money 
 can buy, and therefore desire money." 
 
 " Epigrammatic, decidedly ! but your free, open-ai" life — 
 your love of mountains, waves, winds, skies ? " 
 
 " Certainly I love all those things very much. Still, I go 
 to Athens sometimes for amusement, and amusement requires 
 money." 
 
 " You are certainly candid." 
 
 " I am ; when I have nothing to gain, I am always 
 candid." 
 
 " And you have nothing to gain now ? " 
 
 "No. I paid a visit to England — out of curiosity," said 
 Caliphronas, hesitating over the last words. " I met there 
 my dear old friend Creespeen, and also yourself. Both of 
 you are returning with me to the land I love — so, what with 
 your company and my home-coming, I have absolutely noth- 
 ing to wish for." 
 
 " So you are that vara avis, a thoroughly satisfied man ? " 
 
 " I suppose so," replied Caliphronas coolly. " No — stay 
 — I do desire one thing which I hope to obtain." 
 
 " I can guess what that one thing is." 
 
 " Indeed I pray tell me." 
 
 "Well, it is not your mythical Fanariot at Constanti- 
 nople." 
 
 " Mythical ? " 
 
 "Yes. Oh, don't be angry, Count Caliphronas! I now 
 know *he reason you were so angry over that photograph." 
 
 " If you do," said the Greek, restraining himself with dif- 
 ficulty, "you will know how to act wisely." 
 
 " Possibly ; I have already arranged my plan of action." 
 
 "Keally?" 
 
 Caliphronas had a fleeting smile on his lips as he said this, 
 but looked so dangerous that Crispin touched Maurice on the 
 arm. 
 
156 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Do not irritate him any more ; remember lie is my guest, 
 and I cannot be impolite." 
 
 Maurice took the hint, and addressed himself to the Count 
 with an air of elaborate politeness. 
 
 '' Don't let us talk any more about possibilities, Count," 
 he said, laughing. " After all, I have some right to be angry, 
 considering how you masqueraded as a count in England." 
 
 "And now I am a wolf, eh ?" said Caliphronas, showing 
 his white teeth ; " bah ! a wolf may be a very pleasant 
 animal." 
 
 " Maybe, but from all accounts he is not." 
 
 " That is as you take him ; but then I know Creespeen has 
 prejudiced you against me." 
 
 "I have done nothing of the sort," protested the poet 
 quietly ; " I only told him how you were accustomed to 
 associate with Alcibiades." 
 
 " Eh, and why not ? My friend Alcibiades is not a bad 
 man, — a good honest trader who sails about among the 
 islands of the ^gean. I will introduce you to him, Mr. 
 Maurice, and I am sure you will like him. After all, our 
 little piratical excursions are very innocent — no bloodshed 
 — no violence — no burning of houses ; we — we only levy 
 toll, so to speak." 
 
 " What a pleasant way of putting it ! " 
 
 " What does it matter if you take openly or take secretly ? 
 the thing is the same, but only the mode of doing it is dif- 
 ferent. What we do in Greece, you do in England, but, 
 simply because the latter is done under the rose and the 
 former is not, your robbers of London are good, honest men, 
 whereas we poor Greeks of the islands are scamps. Xever 
 mind, when we become as civilized as you, we also will mask 
 our wickedness under the cloak of sanctity." 
 
 "Oh," cried Crispin, suddenly rising to his feet, "I am 
 tired of this discussion ! it is all aimless — about no one and 
 no thing. I am going to turn in." 
 
 "And I — am not," added Caliphronas, springing to his 
 feet; "fancy going down to a close cabin with such glories 
 as this outside ! " 
 
 He waved his arms aloft, where the brilliant sky smiled 
 down on the still waters. Indeed, so placid was the sea that 
 the stars, moon, and clouds were all reflected therein as in a 
 mirror, and the yacht seemed to hang passive in the centre 
 of a scintillating, hollow ball. 
 
 "When do we reach Melnos ? " asked Maurice abruptly, 
 as Caliphronas strolled away to the other end of the ship. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 15T 
 
 " To-morrow evening," replied Crispin, pausing at the door 
 of the cabin. " We will sleep on board, and visit Justinian 
 in the morning." 
 
 "Crispin, is there anything in those veiled threats ot 
 Caliphronas ? " 
 
 "Perhaps," replied the poet vaguely. "Caliphronas is a 
 dangerous man, and is, as I have told you, a favorite of 
 Justinian's. Howev.er, I would not be surprised if Justinian 
 dismissed Andros and put you in his place." 
 
 "Thank you," said Maurice in haughty surprise, "but I 
 have no ambition to occupy such a position." 
 
 "Maurice," said Crispin suddenly, "I wish I could tell you 
 all I know, but, unfortunately, I gave my word to Caliphronas 
 not to do so as long as you were not harmed in any way." 
 
 " What do you mean ? " 
 
 " I cannot tell you, but only this, which may perhaps serve 
 as a warning, — Caliphronas came to Roylands on purpose to 
 get you to journey to Melnos." 
 
 " And his reason ? " 
 
 " I know it, but I cannot tell you. However, if you should 
 be in any danger, — and I will not conceal from you that 
 there may be danger, — I will consider my promise void and 
 tell you all." 
 
 " All what ? " 
 
 " All about Caliphronas, Justinian, and Helena." 
 
 " Is she in this plot also ? " 
 
 " Plot ! yes, it is a plot, the reason of which I know not. 
 Helena is to a certain extent mixed up in it, but innocently, 
 you may be sure." 
 
 " I cannot understand all this." 
 
 " Never mind, as long as I understand it you will not suffer. 
 Caliphronas, as I have told you, is a scamp, and will pause 
 at nothing to gratify his own desire. He lured you to Mel- 
 nos for a purpose, but he did not count on my presence. 
 Listen ! he thinks we have gone below, and is telling his 
 secrets to the stars." 
 
 And at this moment, as if Caliphronas knew the subject- 
 matter of their conversation, in the far distance he broke out 
 into a rich burst of song, the gist of which Crispin rapidly 
 translated to Maurice. 
 
 " The net is spread and the prey is near, 
 Drive him into the entanglement. 
 Ho! my noble stag of Olympus, you are helpless, 
 And the spear of the hunter will drink your blood 
 Before the dawn sets rosy foot on blushing mountain-top." 
 
158 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 "You see," said Crispin significantly, after translating 
 this, " he talks in parables, but you can guess his meaning ; 
 but do not be afraid. You trust me, do you not ? " 
 
 "Yes, I trust you," replied Maurice, grasping the hand 
 held out to him. 
 
 " That is right, my friend — good-night." 
 
 When Crispin disappeared, Maurice went to the stern of 
 the ship, and, leaning over the talfrail, fell into deep medita- 
 tion over the strange circumstances in which he was envi- 
 roned. Caliphronas, sitting by the bowsprit, was swaying 
 up and down with the pitching of the yacht, singing songs, 
 now soft, now loud, but this was the only sound of humanity 
 heard. The sough of the wind through the rigging, the 
 dreary wash of the sea, as the ship cut her way tlirough the 
 glittering plain ; the rustle of the cordage, the beating of 
 the screw, — he could hear all these blending with the fitful 
 voice of the Greek. The moon had retired behind a thick 
 bank of black clouds, which foreboded storm, and the moonlit 
 world was now shadowy, vast, vague, and strange, — a world 
 of shadows and ghosts, with the swift steamer gliding 
 onward into the unknown seas — into the unknown future. 
 
 Maurice Roy lands was not what one might call a strong- 
 minded man, for, as a matter of fact, he had that subtle touch 
 of indecision which is often found in artktic natures. He 
 was very impressionable, and surrounding circumstances had 
 a great effect on his temperament — still, when he saw his 
 way clearly before him, he was quite capable of making up 
 his mind, and carrying out his determination to the end. 
 But he could never make up his mind prompth^, as he 
 wavered this way, that way, according as he was biassed by 
 circumstances. Had he been of a firm, decisive nature, he 
 would never have yielded to that pitiable melancholia which 
 seized him in London, and would thus have been spared much 
 suffering. Still, in spite of this latent weakness of charac- 
 ter, which always developed itself in time of trouble, he was 
 a brave man, with plenty of pluck. In England, notwith- 
 standing his Bohemian existence, his life had gone on too 
 smoothly to call his moral characteristics into any special 
 prominence, but now, surrounded as he was by vague mys- 
 teries, he felt doubtful. 
 
 Hitherto his existence had been but prosaic, but now the 
 element of romance had entered into it, and he felt that he 
 was being passively drawn into a series of strange adven- 
 tureSj the subsequent termination of which, either for good 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 159 
 
 or evil, lay not in his own hands. Caliphronas had come to 
 England with the deliberate intention of luring him to 
 Melnos ; but what was his reason for this strange conduct ? 
 Certainly Crispin knew, but Crispin, fettered by his promise 
 of secrecy, was unable to solve the problem. The strangest 
 thing of all was that Caliphronas had made use of the pic- 
 ture of a girl he loved, to decoy Maurice to the East, which 
 line of conduct struck the young man as most unaccountable. 
 
 If Caliphronas was in love with Helena, it was foolish of 
 him to encourage, as he had undoubtedly done, the love of a 
 rival ; and the result of two men loving one woman must be 
 unsatisfactory to one of them. Of course, Maurice saw that 
 Caliphronas, confident in his beauty of person and powers of 
 fascination, never for a moment doubted the final result ; 
 still, what was the reason of his taking a trip to England 
 especially to bring a rival into the presence of the woman ? 
 The more Maurice thought about this, the more extraordinary 
 did it seem, and, as the whole was a decided enigma, his 
 doubts arose as to what was the best course to pursue under 
 these very extraordinary circumstances. 
 
 True, Crispin, being in possession of the true facts of the 
 case, would help him, for the poet was an honest man, 
 and would not stand idly by in time of trouble ; still, 
 there was something in the affair of which even Crispin 
 was ignorant, as he had confessed, and this mysterious 
 something was connected in some way with Justinian. Mau- 
 rice, after long pondering, came to the conclusion that with 
 Justinian lay the whole solution of the matter, and, as he 
 could decide on no course of action until he had seen Jus- 
 tinian himself, all he could do was to remain passive and 
 trust to Providence. 
 
 '• One thing is certain," he said to himself, as he watched 
 the gray waters swirling past, " I can depend on Crispin, and 
 as he knows Caliphronas thoroughly, that consummate scamp 
 will hesitate before he takes any action adverse to ray inter- 
 ests. But Justinian seems so mixed up in the affair, and ap- 
 parently without any reason whatsoever. He has lived in 
 this Greek island all his life. Englishman though he is, so 
 why he should desire to see a complete stranger like myself 
 I do not know. Well, the only thing I can do is to trust 
 blindly in Crispin, for I am sure he will not fail me. Apart 
 from his friendship for me, it would be against his own in- 
 terests to play false, as he would then never be able to marry 
 Eunice. Time alone will unravel all this perplexity, so to 
 
160 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 time will I trust. After all, I am young and strong, so can 
 defend myself if necessary. And then there is Helena; 
 whatever happens I shall see her — I will see Helena, 
 and" — 
 
 " Eh, Mr. Maurice," said the voice of Caliphronas behind 
 him, "you have not gone to bed." 
 
 " No, I am thinking." 
 
 " I can guess your thoughts." 
 
 Maurice made no reply to this invitation to argue, but, 
 with a curt " Good-night," went below, while in his ears rang 
 the cruel, mocking laugh of the Greek, as he repeated rapidly 
 in a singing tone the name of his mistress, — 
 
 " Helena, Helena, Helena ! " 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE STORM. 
 
 Dark storm-clouds spread from pole to pole, 
 The lightnings flash, the thunders roll, 
 And lo, the sea, in mountains high, 
 With giant billows storms the sky, 
 While all the vast disturbed main 
 Is veiled in whirling mist and rain. 
 Betwixt the flying scud and spume, 
 A ship drifts onward to her doom; 
 She flies before the raging gale, 
 With broken mast and tattered sail; 
 While up through pitchy darkness rolls 
 Despairing cries of drowning souls. 
 
 Having passed the Island of Cythera during the night, by 
 next morning the yacht was ploughing the placid waters of 
 the Cretan Sea. Placid waters these generally are, especially 
 during the months of the halcyon, but now a stiff breeze was 
 blowing steadily from the north, which by noon increased to 
 a fierce gale. As far as the eye could see, there appeared 
 nothing but a vast expanse of tumbling waves, their white- 
 ness above accentuated by the green blackness below, as they 
 flung their shattered spray as in derision against the grim 
 sky. Threatening masses of gloomy clouds Idij along the 
 northern horizon, fronted by the bleak island of Santorin, 
 which scowled in savage grandeur in the cloudy distance. 
 Gray sky, gray sea, driving rain^ and sudden gusts of wind, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 161 
 
 making the streaming sails crack like pistol-shots with the 
 violent lurching of the vessel ; — it was like a North Sea pic- 
 ture; nor would any one surveying the dreary scene have be- 
 lieved the boat was sailing over the enchanting waters of the 
 Mediterranean. 
 
 The three gentlemen, after an uncomfortable breakfast, 
 owing to the rolling of the yacht, which upset everything on 
 the table in spite of the fiddles, were now on deck, holding 
 on to whatever they could support themselves by, for The 
 Eunice tossing about like a cork in the yeasty surge, made it 
 no small difficulty for those on board to retain their equili- 
 brium. Wrapped up in oilskins, they were sufficiently dry 
 and warm, for, in spite of the mist and drenching rain, the 
 weather was not in the least chilly — a thing to be thankful 
 for in such a predicament. The yacht schooner, rigged fore 
 and aft, was a capital sea boat ; so, apprehending no danger, 
 they joked and laughed during the lulls of the gale at their 
 hardships, and gazed with interest on the wild spectacle 
 afforded by the seething waters. Maurice and the poet were 
 comforting themselves with tobacco, while Caliphronas, ex- 
 cited by the wildness of the scene, was clinging to the 
 w^eather rigging, and facing the keen whips of wind, rain, 
 and spray like some antique sea-god. Occasionally he would 
 shout out a few sentences to his companions, but, owing to 
 the tumult around, they could only catch his meaning every 
 now and then. 
 
 " Often like this — ^gean ! — sudden gales — have no 
 fear." 
 
 "Confound that man!" growled Maurice, who was stand- 
 ing shoulder to shoulder with Crispin; "he thinks no one 
 has any pluck but himself." 
 
 " On the contrary, he is trying to keep up his spirits," 
 replied Crispin, steadying himself with difficulty as the 
 yacht took a big dip into the trough of the sea ; " there is a 
 good deal of brag about Caliphronas, but if we were in any 
 real danger he would not crow so loudly. These Greeks are 
 all afraid of the sea; and if the colonization of the world 
 had been left to them, I am afraid America would never 
 have been discovered." 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 "Because they are always afraid of venturing out of sight 
 of the land. "They slip about boldly enough among these 
 isles of Elishah, as Ezekiel calls them, but if they lose sight 
 of Mother Earth, all their courage leaves them. Their Hel- 
 
162 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 lenic ancestors were just the same, for all their poets call 
 Ocean names, such as 'a hungry beast,' 'a ravenous mon- 
 ster, and similar pleasant titles. I think Homer, with his 
 ' multitudinous laughter of the sea,' is the only poet Avho 
 pays Ocean a compliment." 
 
 " Yet the Greek genius has produced a great sea drama in 
 the ' Odyssey.' " 
 
 "A voyage of necessity, not pleasure — Man the sport of 
 the unjust gods; but I fancy Ulysses had a touch of the ad- 
 venturous Phoenician in his blood. Besides, Greek bravery 
 produced a great sea drama at Salamis ; yet, withal, I de- 
 cline to believe the Hellenes, ancient or modern, were 
 sailors." 
 
 " Yet Arnold calls them • The young, light-hearted mas- 
 ters of the wave.' " 
 
 "A charming line, which applies but to ^gean waters. 
 Masters of the wave, forsooth ! Why, they were never mas- 
 ters of anything liquid larger than a puddle. The Greeks 
 never loved Nature in her grandest moods, and — saving 
 ^schylus — both shaggy mountain and roaring waters were 
 alien to their genius." 
 
 " Yet they loved Nature." 
 
 "Nature the Mother, not Nature the Enemy. Hill, 
 meadow, wood, fountain, river, they loved ; but mountain 
 and ocean they feared." 
 
 " Would a Greek Wordsworth have been possible ? " 
 
 " Ah, now you open up a large field of inquiry ! No; I do 
 not think the actual spirituality of Wordsworth would have 
 appealed to a Greek. The Hellenic poet of that class would 
 have been like Keats — he would have sung exquisitely of vital- 
 ized Nature, of her incarnate forces, Pan and Demeter, nymphs 
 and satyrs ; but none but a modern poet, conversant with 
 the haggardness of modern life, with his soul steeped in the 
 religion of the unseen, could have produced those ' thouglits 
 too deep for tears ' such as we find in Wordsworth. The- 
 ocritus and Bion are your Nature poets of external loveli- 
 ness, but Arnold and Wordsworth sang deeper strains, and 
 sought the naked soul of Nature, which was but a veiled Isis 
 to the Greek." 
 
 "Hallo! what island is that?" cried Maurice, who had 
 been idly listening to such fragments of this discourse as he 
 had caught. " Look to your left." 
 
 In the misty distance a great black mass loomed vague 
 and indistinct on the lee side of the vessel, apparently about 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 163 
 
 seven miles off, though the magnifying vapor seemed to 
 bring it nearer. 
 
 "I am not sure," replied Crispin, straining his eyes; "we 
 are in the middle of a number of islets." 
 " The deuce ! isn't that rather dangerous ? " 
 ''It would be to any one who did not know these waters ; 
 but Martin has been here with me often before, and knows 
 every rock in the vicinity. Besides, we are comparatively 
 safe, as the engines are of large horse-power compared with 
 the size of the boat." 
 
 Martin was the captain of the yacht, and at present was 
 personally attending to the wheel, with an anxious expres- 
 sion on his weather-beaten face, for it was no light task to 
 steer the boat safely through these clusters of islands, espe- 
 cially when the magnifying properties of the mist cause 
 them to appear in dangerous proximity to the ship, thus de- 
 ceiving the eye into thinking she was entangled among hid- 
 den reefs. Luckily Captain IMartin had a clear head, and, 
 being a splendid seaman, knew the capabilities of The Eunice 
 thoroughly ; so Crispin felt quite content to leave affairs m 
 his hands, so long as he was at the helm. 
 
 "Kamila!" shouted Caliphronas, alluding to the misty 
 island. 
 
 " No," shouted back Crispin ; " Kamila too far oft.' 
 "Kamila!" cried the Greek for the second time, where- 
 upon Crispin was much impressed with his insistence. 
 
 "Caliphronas knows these seas thoroughly," he said to 
 Maurice quietlv ; "he has sailed all over them with his ras- 
 cal friend ; so if this is Kamila, we must be nearer Melnos 
 than I thought." 
 
 " Had you not better see Martin ? " suggested Maurice, 
 shaking himself like a huge water-dog, as a shower of spray 
 flew over him. 
 
 Crispin nodded an assent, and began to struggle towards 
 the wheel, where Martin was standing. It was rather diffi- 
 cult, owing to the slipperiness of the wet deck and the toss- 
 ing of the yacht, which one moment would be poised on the 
 crest of a wave, and the next ingulfed in a foam-streaked 
 valley of green water, which threatened to swamp her. 
 However, by holding on to anything he could seize, Crispin 
 managed to get close to the captain, who, in his efforts to 
 keep the ship's head right, was straining every muscle to 
 hold the wheel, which was almost torn out of his grasp in a 
 retrograde direction, every time a wave smashed against her 
 helm. 
 
164 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Kamila ! " screamed Crispin in Martin's ear, as he pointed 
 to the dim mass. 
 
 Martin shook his head doubtfully. 
 
 *' Too far south'ard. We're nigher Anapli, I reckon." 
 
 " And Melnos ? " 
 
 " Straight ahead. Who says 'tis Kamila ? " 
 
 " Count Caliphronas ! " 
 
 "Hum! he knows these parts too. I'll go and have an- 
 other look at the chart." 
 
 " If it's Kamila, Melnos is just round the shoulder." 
 
 " Can't believe we've got so far out of the course. Why, 
 if" — 
 
 At this moment a tremendous wave struck the yacht mid- 
 ships, making her reel and strain under the irresistible 
 blows of the sea, and the jolly-boat on the port side was 
 smashed up like matchwood, the iron davits being twisted 
 out of all shape in the giant grip of the water. The Eunice 
 shuddered under the stroke, paused almost imperceptibly, 
 then sprung forward like a spur-touched horse, and in an- 
 other second was out of danger, riding lightly on the froth- 
 ing crest of a huge wave, from whence she slid down 
 smoothly into the smaragdine hollow beyond. 
 
 " Boat gone ! " quoth the captain, regaining his breath ; 
 "bad loss." 
 
 Crispin thought so too, but had no time to reply, for at 
 this moment the raucous voice of the captain was heard 
 shouting to the second officer as he passed by, — 
 
 " Send Gurt here ! look sharp ! " 
 
 Gurt was a grizzled old salt with one eye, and an unlim- 
 ited capacity for rum, who, having knocked about in these 
 latitudes all his sinful life, knew the Archipelago like a 
 book. When he arrived, the captain put him in charge of 
 the wheel, and went off, not to his cabin to look at the chart, 
 but down to the engine-room, as he feared for the safety of 
 the propeller. Crispin followed him, and they staggered 
 like drunken men along the streaming decks towards the 
 hatch. Down the iron ladder leading to the engine-room 
 they scrambled, holding on like grim death, for the yacht 
 was now rolling at an angle of twenty-five degrees, an un- 
 comfortable motion which she occasionally varied by dip- 
 ping her bows so deeply into the water that her stern was 
 sticking nearly straight up in the air ; in fact, to use a nauti- 
 cal expression, she stood on her head. 
 
 The screw beat the waves regularly enough when in its 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 165 
 
 normal position, but the moment the yacht lifted, it was out 
 of the water, whirling round and round with tremendous 
 velocity, coming down again with a resonant smash, which 
 threatened to snap off short the huge fans of the propeller. 
 To obviate this danger, Martin spoke to the chief engineer, 
 who, at once recognizing the perilous position, took his station 
 beside the throttle-valve, and immediately the yacht dipped 
 her nose, shut off steam, so that, when she plunged her stern 
 again into the waters, the down-stroke was not so dangerous 
 to the motionless blades. 
 
 The enormous steel bars of the cranks, shining with oil in 
 the dim lamplight, arose and fell irregularly, owing to the 
 pitching of the vessel, one moment slowing down to half 
 speed, the next beating the air as rapidly as the wings of a 
 swallow. Eound and round swept the giant wheels with 
 noiseless speed, and nothing could be heard but the lash of 
 the waves thrashing the sides of the yacht, the intermittent 
 throbbing of the machinery, and the sharp hiss of escaping 
 steam, but the moment the engineer put his hand to the 
 throttle-valve, in an instant the screw, already spinning like 
 a top, hung motionless, until, with the recurring lurch, the 
 great pistons again began to slide smoothly in and out of the 
 cylinders. It was wonderful to see the absolute command 
 this one man had over the colossal mass of machinery, which 
 worked or rested as he let on or shut off steam at every 
 plunge of the ship. 
 
 As Martin and the poet returned to the deck, they heard 
 the smashing of dishes in the pantry, the subsequent bad 
 language of the stewards, and The Eunice groaned, creaked, 
 strained, and shrieked like a living being as she strove to 
 make headway against the furious blast. 
 
 " All right ! " yelled Crispin when they were once more 
 on the streaming decks. 
 
 " Right enough, as long as we're in the open sea," retorted 
 Martin gloomily, " but Lord help us if we touch any of them 
 darned reefs." 
 
 The islands of the ^gean are very dangerous to ships, as 
 their ragged reefs, running out to sea like roots, can scarcely 
 be noticed save in calm weather, when the thin line of white 
 breaking on the smooth surface of the water betrays the hid- 
 den teeth below. It was of these treacherous reefs the cap- 
 tain was afraid, as in such a furious gale there was every 
 chance of the ship striking, in spite of the utmost care being 
 taken to navigate her properly. Fortunately, with her helm 
 
166 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 and screw, which were to her as a bridle is to a horse, The 
 Eunice could skirt these perils with the greatest dexterity, 
 and the real danger lay in the chance of her running on some 
 sunken rock not set down in the chart. Martin, doubtful as 
 to the island on the lee side, went off to his cabin for the 
 chart, knowing he could safely leave the steering to Gurt, 
 who indeed was better than any chart, and knew more of 
 these seas than all the Admiralty put together. 
 
 Crispin returned to Maurice, and reported all that had 
 been done, much to Koylands' satisfaction, for, however 
 brave a man may be, it is not pleasant to think that every 
 moment he may be hurled into eternity. Caliphronas was 
 still clinging to the weather rigging, but his face was graver 
 than of yore, for he too knew the dangers of these waters, 
 and good ship though The Eunice was, an unknown rock 
 piercing her bottom would sink her rapidly, while the furi- 
 ous waves dashing against her, thus firmly held, would not 
 leave enough of her stout timbers to make a cigar-box. 
 
 All that afternoon they continued beating about in that 
 weary sea near the Island of Kamila, for Kamila it proved 
 to be on examination of the chart, much to the vexation of 
 Captain Martin, who was considerably startled to find he was 
 out of his course. However, such ignorance was not unpar- 
 donable, as the divergence from the course arose from the fact 
 that, owing to the captain being constantly at the wheel, 
 and only hastily glancing at the chart when he was able, he 
 did not notice sufficiently the constant sagging of the ves- 
 sel, and she had therefore, unknown to him, drifted more to 
 the south than he fancied. 
 
 Contrary to his expectation, the gale, instead of abating, 
 increased in fury, and great masses of blinding rain came 
 sweeping down in torrents on the sliip, while the gusty wind, 
 straining the wet sails to their utmost tension, tautened the 
 weather rigging like bars of steel. The crew were all picked 
 men, forty in number, the captain was a first-class sailor, the 
 engines powerful, the boat stanch, yet all these could avail 
 but little against the colossal force of wind and wave, which 
 seemed resolved to conquer this brave little craft struggling 
 so gallantly against their Titanic forces. 
 
 Meals that day they had none, for it was impossible to sit 
 at the table, but the steward cut some sandwiches, with 
 which, in conjunction with brandy and water, they were 
 able to sustain themselves. Even Caliphronas, quite con- 
 trary to his usual custom, was so overwhelmed by the peril 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 167 
 
 of their position, that he took some spirits, which brought 
 the color back to his pale cheeks. Maurice was not at all 
 afraid, having plenty of British pluck, and, but for Helena, 
 would have cared but little if his unhappy life was ended by 
 the seething mass of waters raging on all sides. 
 
 Owing to the cloudy sky, the incessant rain, and the 
 absence of sunlight, the darkness fell sooner than usual, with 
 sudden transition from day to night. No more the en- 
 chanted twilight of the previous evening, the calm sea, sil- 
 ver moon, and glittering stars ; nothing but pitchy gloom, 
 with roaring waves rising in liquid masses to the black sky, 
 and black sky raining down torrents on roaring waves, while 
 between the welkin and the spume flew The Eunice like a 
 stormy petrel, keeping afloat only through the dexterity with 
 which she was managed. At times a jagged flash of light- 
 ning gleaming blue as steel divided the solid blackness with 
 sabre-like stroke, but the succeeding thunder, loud as it was, 
 hardly added to the deafening clamor of the storm, which 
 stunned the ears of those human beings, fighting so deter- 
 minedly for their lives against the appalling forces of Na- 
 ture. 
 
 '^ 'Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre 
 of barren ground,' '' quoted Crispin grimly, as he clung to a 
 stout rope. "My faith, I don't think we are born to be 
 hanged, Maurice ! " 
 
 '•' Do you think there is danger, Creespeen ? '' cried Cali- 
 phronas, whose teeth were chattering in his head. 
 
 " Rather ; we might go to the bottom any moment," replied 
 Maurice, who, despite the peril of the position, could not 
 help smiling at the cowardice of the Greek. " Be a man, 
 Caliphronas! —you aren't afraid of death, I suppose?'^ 
 
 "Oh, but I am! — I am!" shivered the Count in abject 
 fear. "To leave this world I love for I know not what. 
 Oh, what comes after ? " 
 
 '• God ! " said Crispin solemnly. 
 
 " God ! " echoed the Greek in a tone of despairing convic- 
 tion. " What is God ? I know nothing beyond this world — 
 what I see ! — what I feel ! — nothing else. But you say 
 there is a God ! — there is a God ! Oh, what will He say to 
 me ? " 
 
 '^ Ask your own conscience." 
 
 " Conscience ! " cried Caliphronas, with a sneer, which but 
 ill became his ghastly face ; " what do I know of conscience ? 
 I have been wicked, but no worse than my neighbors. After 
 
168 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 all, it is death and then — annihilation. It is that I fear — 
 to no longer see the sun, nor feel the wind, nor life in the 
 veins. Life is so glad, death so terrible ! But I will undo 
 some of my work that you saints call wicked. Yes, I will 
 tell you, Mr. Maurice, the reason I brought you to Melnos." 
 
 " Oh, tell me, tell me ! " cried Maurice eagerly ; " jo\x 
 brought me here to " — 
 
 He did not finish the sentence, for at this moment a gust 
 of unexampled strength tore past them with a shriek, and 
 snapped the mainmast by the board, crashing it downward 
 with tremendous force. Falling over the side, it impeded 
 the yacht's course, and brought her gunwale dangerously 
 near the water. The black smoke poured in volumes from 
 her funnel, the screw beat the water with enormous power, 
 but the heavy mass, the huge canvas, the entanglement of 
 ropes, all held her back, and down on one side, to the great 
 imperilling of her safety. 
 
 " Axes ! " roared Martin, in a voice of thunder ; " cut away 
 the ropes ! Look smart, my lads, for your lives ! If she 
 pitches to wind'ard, and brings the mast against the bilge, 
 it's all Davy Jones for sure I " 
 
 The sailors flew to do his bidding, and though, owing to 
 the perpetual pitching of the vessel, they could not work 
 continuously, yet in the space of half an hour they managed 
 to clear away the wreckage, which fell over into the boiling 
 waters, while the yacht righted herself like a trembling deer. 
 The man at the wheel of course kept the set course indicated 
 by the captain, but, the engines being slowed down during 
 the clearance episode, the ship sagged gradually to leeward, 
 until she drifted dangerousl}' near to the rocks of Kamila. 
 
 All were so busily engaged clearing away the wreckage, 
 that this new peril was unnoticed, until the moon, half-ob- 
 scured by the flying scud, shone out palely on the wild scene. 
 Attracted by the glimmer of the planet, Martin looked up 
 suddenly from his work, only to see the towering cliffs of 
 the island near at hand, and the caps of the sea rising like 
 fountains of spouting foam over the cruel-looking rocks. 
 
 Roaring to pass the word to the engineer to give her every 
 inch of steam she was worth, in order to shoot her far enough 
 ahead to clear the rocks, Martin sprang with one bound to 
 the wheel, wrenched it out of the sailor's hands, and put the 
 helm hard down, so that the yacht's head flew up in the wind 
 just in time to avert a frightful catastrophe. Immediately on 
 the increased speed of the vessel, she plunged forward into 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 169 
 
 every wave, and all on board feared that each new dive into 
 the rough sea would be the last, for she shipped seas freely and 
 tons of water swept her deck fore and aft At the last fear 
 ful dive, there was the sound of a sudden snap, as if the boat 
 had touched a rook ; she shuddered through her whole len'th 
 and after the engines had whirled for a minute with inconl 
 ceivable velocity, they suddenly stopped 
 
 J'J^l ?^°^ ■ " °'^f ¥'''■""' g'^^ssing the reason of the stop- 
 page ; the propeller has gone ! God help us now ' " 
 
 her tnT.*"'^' f'' ^^P' *« '^'^ '^" "'™"Sh *1^« ^™ter shot 
 her to the windward sufficiently to clear the Kamila reef 
 but as she could not be kept ahead to sea, owing to the fur^ 
 of the gale, she had again to be kept off, so that the remain- 
 ing sails would tend to steady her Lm the violent lurching 
 AH this tune the steam was blowing off; and then, the fires 
 being drawn all the sooty inhabitants of the engine-room 
 
 n It "fv.^ ^^'"'T'' P^^'''^'' °" '^^''^' *° d° ^»^at they couTd 
 m saving the vessel. *^ wuiu. 
 
 wifh"^™"^ ^\^ time she was clearing the reef, the moon had 
 withdrawn her light, but now she shone forth in her full 
 splendor through a rent in a cloud, whereupon a si^t was 
 
 "MeS J, P^ ''Tn '^"""^ '"'" '^^ 1^^^^'^ of all on board 
 
 Melnos ! " cried Crispin and the Greek in one breath. 
 
 Its all over!" said Martin gloomily. " Ko screw — 
 
 only one mast- we'll never clear that island " ^«'^«^- 
 
 Mauriee, straining his eyes through the glimmer of moon 
 
 and star half-obscured by flying clouds, saw a hith coi^cal 
 
 shaped mountain, r sing sheer out of the sea, at a'dis ance 
 
 of about three miles. The snows of the summit "earned 
 
 pale in the moonlight, below was darkness, but at theTase 
 
 of the peak spouted fountains of white surf on the Lged 
 
 rocks running seaward. J'^ogea 
 
 '/ It's kingdom come, gentlemen/' said the cantain wifh a 
 fu^lyt tCvltirSt^^ -- sky-piercingTaTlori^^g^ 
 
 fiv; Hves'"' "'' °"ly t'^^ gig and the lif'eboaf to save forty 
 
 CrisS'Juick^-.*' ''""•''^ '''' '°^*^' ^' -" --'='" -i<i 
 "Oh yes! all that can be done will be done you can 
 depend, sir; but it's a poor look-out." ' ^ 
 
170 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 With these dispiriting words, the captain went away to 
 see after the life-belts, and served out one to each man, 
 which gave them at least some chance of floating to land. 
 Martin neglected no chance of saving the ship, and put the 
 helm up, whereon the fierce wind filled the remaining canvas, 
 and drove The Eunice slowly ahead. For fully an hour she 
 drifted to leeward, now being quite unmanageable, owing to 
 the loss of screw and mast. Straight ahead lay Melnos, 
 with the fierce surf thundering at its base, and the ship, 
 unable to be guided, was drifting slowly but surely on to the 
 rocks. Maurice, with considerable forethought, took Crispin 
 with him below, and they filled their travelling-flasks with 
 brandy. Meanwhile, the crew, utterly demoralized by the 
 hopelessness of the situation, made for the spirit-room ; but 
 the captain placed himself in front of it with a revolver, and 
 swore to shoot the first man who came forward. Still, as the 
 men were weary from work, and wet and cold with long 
 exposure, he ordered rum to be served out, which reconciled 
 them somewhat to his prohibition of too much drinking. 
 
 "Die like men, not beasts," said Martin, thrusting the 
 revolver back again when the crew were more manageable ; 
 *' there is still a chance of saving our lives by the boats, and 
 that will be gone if drink is in you." 
 
 By this time the yacht was so near the island that they 
 could hear the roar of the surf, and see the white tongues of 
 the waves running up the black rocks. Overhead heavy 
 masses of clouds were moving like battalions across the sky, 
 but the rain had ceased, and at intervals the moon shone out, 
 which gave them but small comfort, as it enabled them to 
 see only too clearly the perils which awaited them. The 
 wind was still furious, and the sea rolling mountains high ; 
 its huge billows, topped with ragged fringes of foam glimmer- 
 ing in the fitful light, kept sweeping over the deck. Several 
 men were swept overboard into the trough of the sea, but no 
 assistance could be rendered by those on board, and with 
 despairing cries they sank in the furious waters. 
 
 Crispin, pitying the terror of Caliphronas, in spite of his 
 dislike for the wily Greek, took him below and gave him 
 some brandy. The Count was just raising the glass to his 
 lips, when they were both levelled by a tremendous shock, 
 which made the ship tremble from stem to stern. 
 
 " God ! she has struck ! " cried Crispin, and tore up the 
 stairs as hard as he was able, followed by Caliphronas, who 
 was now nerved by despair. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 171 
 
 The Eunice had struck about a quarter of a mile from the 
 shore, but so fierce were the -waves between her and the land, 
 that it seemed as though no boat could live in that hell of 
 waters. However, as a last hope, the captain ordered the 
 lifeboat to be lowered, which was accordingly done ; but the 
 moment it touched the water all discipline was at an end, 
 for the men, seeing the means of safety, rushed in a tumul- 
 tuous crowd to take advantage of it. In a few minutes the 
 lifebo'at was tilled with a black mass of human beings, in 
 spite of the captain's efforts to maintain order, and cutting 
 the ropes they made for the shore. Hardly had the boat 
 left the ship, when, caught by a huge wave, she capsized, 
 and the waves were black with shrieking masses of humanity. 
 
 " O God ! God ! " groaned Crispin, hiding his face ; 
 "they will all be drowned." 
 
 And so they were, for, in spite of their life-belts, the waves 
 griped the drowning men with irresistible force, and dashed 
 them mangled corpses against the rocks. Of the crowd of 
 living, breathing creatures that had gone off a few minutes 
 before, not one remained alive, and the survivors felt that 
 their fate would be the same. 
 
 '< Lower away the gig ! " shouted Martin, going up to 
 where the boa.t was hanging ; " and if you cowards rush her, 
 I'll shoot freely." 
 
 Cowed by his revolver, which was covering them with its 
 six deadly cartridges, the men did as they were ordered, 
 and, placing the boat in charge of the mate, the captain 
 made them all get in in orderly fashion. 
 
 ''Now, gentlemen," said Martin to tlie three who stood 
 near him, "get in quick — the yacht will soon be under 
 water." 
 
 " But yourself ? " 
 
 "It's my duty to stick to the ship," said the brave old 
 man ; " if she goes down, I go down — if she doesn't, there 
 will be hope of safety ; but I will be the last to leave her." 
 
 "There's room in the boat," called the mate ; "quick, for 
 your lives." 
 
 Caliphronas needed no urging, but sprang into the boat, 
 then, either from treachery or terror, cut the rope which 
 held her to the yacht with a knife he had in his hand. 
 There was a shout of execration from the crew, but the act 
 was irremediable, and the gig plunged away into the dark- 
 ness ; the last seen by the four survivors on deck being 
 Caliphronas, furiously fighting with two of the men, who 
 were trying to hurl him overboard. 
 
172 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 The yacht was now nearly under water, and on her deck 
 stood Martin, Maurice, Crispin, and Gurt. 
 
 " Only one hope," cried Martin, furiously shaking his fist 
 at the retreating boat ; " climb up the mast ! " 
 
 They flew to the weather rigging, and Maurice, Crispin, 
 and Gurt managed to climb up, but just as Martin was 
 springing for the rope, a heavy sea swept the yacht fore and 
 aft, and he was carried overboard. They heard his despair- 
 ing cry as he went down into the trough of the sea, but 
 there was no time to say anything, for with one final plunge 
 the yacht went down, and the three human beings scrambled 
 up the rigging as fast as they could, followed by the water, 
 which seemed loath to surrender its prey. Fortunately The 
 Eunice had sunk near the shore, so, when she finally settled 
 down, about thirty feet of the remaining mast was sticking 
 up out of the water, and to this clung the three survivors in 
 desperate anxiety, expecting every moment to be shaken off 
 into the depths below. At any moment the mast might 
 break off, or a roll of the submerged yacht send it into the 
 water ; so, with this terrible dread in their hearts, these 
 three human beings clung madly to their only refuge. 
 
 Below raged the fierce waters, around was the darkness, 
 above the clouded sky and the veiled moon, while amid all 
 this horror hung those three unfortunates to their slender 
 ipar, waiting with dread and hope for the morning's light. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 MELNOS. 
 
 Magic isles of beauty glowing 
 
 Far in tideless sapphire seas ; 
 Wanton winds, low breathing, blowing 
 
 Perfumes from balsamic trees. 
 
 Here no wintry waters freeze ; 
 But the streamlets ever flowing, 
 
 Murmur drow.sy lullabies, 
 Which the eyelids close unknowing. 
 
 Till the soul in slumber lies. 
 
 Peaceful under peaceful skies. 
 
 Nature is fond of contrasts, and delights in the unex- 
 pected ; therefore, after the gloom and tumult of the pre- 
 yious night, the morning showed the three castaways a scene 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 173 
 
 of peaceful beauty so enchanting, that they thought they 
 were in fairyland. The sea had gone down after midnight, 
 and only a heavy ground-swell remained to tell of the fury 
 of the storm which had wrecked The Eunice. All around 
 lay an expanse of sapphire sea, touched here and there with 
 white foam, which turned to crimson as the morn dawned 
 redly in the gray eastern skies. Far into the cloudless blue 
 arose the giant peak of Melnos, its lofty summit swathed in 
 snows already bathed in the heavy yellow beams of the ris- 
 ing sun. Below its white cap appeared a green mantle of 
 foliage, which quite hid the bare rock with a profusion of 
 myrtles, plane-trees, arbutus, ilex, and branching heather ; 
 and lower still the red tint of rugged cliffs, the black 
 chaotic bowlders of the beach scattered in huge* masses, and 
 in and out of these the white threads of the surf like fairy 
 lacework. Far away to the north arose the Island of Kamila, 
 faint and cloud-like in the midst of the blue seas, and on the 
 murmuring waters played gentle breezes, breathing fragrant 
 balms robbed from aromatic trees. It was a scene of unex- 
 ampled beauty, and even the three unfortunates clinging to 
 the mast could not withhold their admiration, in spite of the 
 discomforts from which they were suffering. 
 
 " Once we are on shore," said Crispin, with confidence, 
 " I will take you into the interior of the island, where we 
 will be well looked after by Justinian." 
 
 " Has the island an interior ? " asked Maurice sceptically, 
 for he saw nothing but a huge mountain resting on the azure 
 sea. 
 
 " Of course ! Did I not tell you it was the Island of 
 Fantasy, and therefore full of wonders ? But the first thing 
 is to get to land. What do you say, Gurt ? " 
 
 " Swim, sir." 
 
 " I feel too stiff," said Crispin, shaking his head. ^'' I 
 could not swim a yard — and you, Maurice ? " 
 
 " I am in the same plight," replied Koylands, whose joints 
 were aching with the exposure to the night. " If it's a ques- 
 tion of swimming, I will have to remain here till doomsday." 
 
 "I kin swim, gentlemen," said Gurt stoutly. "Bless ye, 
 this ain't nothin', this ain't. Why, I've bin wrecked in the 
 nor'ard, and precious cold it were. I kin get ashore all safe, 
 but I dunno 'bout you, sirs." 
 
 Gurt's face assumed the rapt expression of one who was 
 thinking out a deep problem, and Maurice, knowing the 
 inventiveness of sailors, did not interrupt him, having every 
 
174 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 confidence that this mariner would hit upon some plan of 
 extricating them from this dilemma. 
 
 "There are plenty of ropes," suggested Crispin hopefully, 
 " and if" — 
 
 " Right y'are, sir," said Gurt energetically, his one eye 
 flashing with satisfaction. " I'll tie 'em together and swim 
 ashore. Fust I'll tie the rope t' th' mast an' then t' th' 
 beach, an' you two kin skip along like monkeys. D'ye see, 
 
 sirs 
 
 9 J? 
 
 No sooner was the plan thought of than the energetic Gurt 
 proceeded to put it into practice, and spliced all the ropes 
 he could get hold of, being armed with that useful implement, 
 a jack-knife, which no sailor is ever without. 
 
 "It's 'bout quart'r mile fro' shore," said Gurt, fastening 
 one end of the rope to the mast and the other round his waist ; 
 " but if rope ain't long 'nough, you gents tie on more, an' 
 pay out. Here's knife." 
 
 Crispin took the knife, so as to be ready for such emer- 
 gency, and then gave Gurt his spirit-flask, from which the 
 mariner drew new life, although he was pleased to regret 
 that the contents were not rum, instead of brandy. Having 
 thus revivified himself, Gurt, with the rope round his waist, 
 scrambled down into the calm water, and was soon striking 
 out boldly for the shore. Maurice and the poet watched his 
 black head bobbing up and down in the blue, and kept pay- 
 ing out the rope carefully, lest any entanglement should 
 hamper the swimmer. 
 
 " Thank Heaven, he's all right ! " cried Crispin in a tone 
 of relief, as they saw the white figure of the sailor clamber- 
 ing over the black rocks. " Now it's our turn." 
 
 In order to swim freely, Gurt had stripped naked, so the 
 two left on the mast had to carry his clothes to shore, a thing 
 easy enough, as all Gurt wore was a shirt and a pair of blue 
 serge trousers. Crispin took one article, Maurice the other, 
 and waited for Gurt to signal from the shore that the rope 
 was made fast. Soon they saw him waving his hand and 
 shouting to intimate all was right ; whereupon they exam- 
 ined the knot of the rope to see that it was fast to the mast, 
 and then slid down into the sea. 
 
 The rope was pretty well taut, as it ran from the mast to 
 the shore, so Crispin and Maurice, holding on to it, struggled 
 along towards the land. Their limbs ached with pain, owing 
 to their long exposure to the night-air, but a drink of spirits 
 each put new vigor into their wearied frames, and, after a 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 175 
 
 toilsome journey, aided by the rope, they managed to reach 
 the beach, up which they scrambled with thankful hearts. 
 
 " All right, sirs ? " asked Gurt, dressing himself rapidly. 
 
 " Stiff," replied Crispin ruefully. " I feel as creaky as an 
 old door ! " 
 
 " Ain't used t' it," grinned Gurt, shifting his quid ; for, 
 during all the trouble and danger, he had retained that as 
 his only solace. " Well, I guess, sirs, we'd best take more 
 rum, an' then explore this here island." 
 
 '' Oh, I know all about it," said Crispin cheerfully. " But 
 see, the sun is up, so, as it is no use trudging about in wet 
 clothes, we had better dry them." 
 
 The two gentlemen stripped at once, and spread their 
 clothing out to dry on the black rocks ; but Gurt, disdaining 
 such luxury, perched himself in a sunny place, and watched 
 them swimming in the shallow waters near shore to refresh 
 their weary limbs. The sun was now considerably above the 
 horizon, burning hotly in a cloudless blue sky, and the sultry 
 rays soon dried the clothes spread out on the rocks, so in a 
 short time they were soon dressed again, and ready to start 
 out in search of Justinian. 
 
 True, they were very hungry, but Crispin had some bis- 
 cuits in his pocket, which appeased their appetites in some 
 measure, and, after a good drink of brandy each, they began 
 to trudge along the stony beach, guided by the poet, to whom 
 every inch of the island was as familiar as his own face. 
 The reddish cliffs and white sand of the beach, catching the 
 hot sunlight, threw out intense heat, and, from being cold, 
 the three adventurers soon became uncomfortably warm. 
 
 " Do you think Caliphronas is safe ? " asked Maurice hesi- 
 tatingly, as they walked along. 
 
 " Caliphronas has nine lives, like a cat," retorted Crispin 
 savagely ; " but, after his treachery of last night, I hope he 
 will meet the doom he deserves. If it had not been for his 
 cutting that rope, Martin would have been alive now." 
 
 "That is, if the gig reached shore safely." 
 
 " Of course ! The sea was wild, and she might have been 
 swamped, like the lifeboat ; still, we must hope for the best." 
 
 " I seed Bulk a-chuckin' of that 'ere gent inter the water," 
 said Gurt, addressing the air with elaborate indifference. 
 
 "I hope Bulk succeeded," replied Crispin grimly; "but 
 what's that ? " 
 
 A dark object was lying on the white beach, and, as they 
 raced up to it, Crispin gave a cry of anguish. 
 
176 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 "Why, it's poor Stokins!" he said, recognizing the fea- 
 tures of the mate. " He was in charge of the boat. I'm 
 afraid she was smashed up like the other." 
 
 •' And 'ere's Jimson and Bildge," cried Gurt, from a dis- 
 tance, where he had discovered two corpses. " They've all 
 gone t' kingdom come, gents ! " 
 
 " Caliphronas also, I suppose ! " said Maurice sadly ; for, 
 in spite of his dislike to the wily Greek, it seemed terrible 
 that his joyous j^outh should be ended so suddenly by the 
 cruel sea. 
 
 '' It looks as if we were the only survivors," remarked 
 Crispin moodily, as they resumed their journey. " We must 
 have those poor fellows buried. I will speak to Justinian." 
 
 " Where is Justinian ? " asked Maurice a little irritably. 
 " Does he live on this arid peak ? " 
 
 "Yes; but do not judge by external appearances. This 
 rocky mountain, so sparsely clothed with trees, is only the 
 uninviting shell of a very line kernel." 
 
 '• You speak in riddles." 
 
 " I seem to have been doing that ever since I knew you, 
 judging from your frequent mention of the fact. However, 
 w^e will soon come to the tunnel, and then you will see." 
 
 "What tunnel?" 
 
 " Oh, a wonderful piece of engineering skill carried out 
 by Justinian thirty years ago. — a tunnel which pierces the 
 side of this mountain, and will admit us into its interior." 
 
 " Where we will find — what ? " 
 
 "The patriarchal community of which Justinian is king!" 
 
 " What ! does he rule over Troglodytes, like a Norwegian 
 gnome ? " 
 
 " Gnomes have nothing to do with the south," said Crispin 
 provokingly. " I tell you this is the Island of Fantasy — 
 the only fairyland yet remaining on earth. You anticipate 
 the realms of Pluto, but you will find Arcadia." 
 
 "I'm hanged if I understand you ! " 
 
 " Well, your curiosity will soon be satisfied. En avant, 
 messieurs, for I am hungry, and wish to be seated at the 
 hospitable board of Justinian." 
 
 High above, over the terra-cotta-colored cliffs, hung the 
 fresh green foliage which clothed the slopes of the mountain 
 high up to the verge of the eternal snows ; — tall, dark 
 cypresses, funereal-looking even in the bright sunshine, the 
 silver-gray glimmer of olive trees, chestnuts, beeches, plane- 
 trees, and, nearest to the summit, gloomy pines accentuating 
 
THE ISLAND OP FANTASY, 177 
 
 the whiteness of the snows, which, clinging to the rocky- 
 peak, stood out in cold relief against the warm blue sky. 
 Ahead of them was a reddish promontory running out into 
 the calm waters, the trees fringing its crest like the mane of 
 some wild animal. Turning round the shoulder of this, they 
 saw in the distance a similar promontory, and between these 
 two headlands a range of reddish cliffs topped by vegetation, 
 a white sandy beach scattered over with bowlders, and a huge 
 arch in the middle of the cliff, which apparently led into 
 the bowels of the mountain. 
 
 '• Here we are at the palace gate," said Crispin gayly, as he 
 led the way towards the subterranean entrance. "We will 
 soon be in safety." 
 
 Standing in front of this mighty arch, they saw a broad 
 flight of steps leading up into the darkness, so that it looked 
 like the entrance into the hall of Eblis. Outside, the bril- 
 liant sunshine, the many-colored land, the sparkling sea ; 
 but within, darkness, dank and unwholesome, which inspired 
 the two strangers with anything but hope. Crispin, however, 
 knowing the place well, sprang lightly up the steps, followed 
 hesitatingly by his companions, but suddenly he stopped and 
 held up his finger, the action being visible in the bright light 
 pouring in through the arch into this artificial cave. 
 
 " Listen ! Maurice, do you recognize that voice ? " 
 
 It was a man singing, and his clear high tones echoed in 
 the dark vault overhead, coming nearer and nearer as the 
 vocalist slowly descended the steps. 
 
 " Blow, wind, and swell the sail, 
 So that my boat may fly — may fly 
 As a swallow to its nest across the foam. 
 I am a swallow, and so am flying 
 To that dear nest of love, which is her heart. 
 Blow, wind ! for I am filled with longing. 
 Her heart is empty till me she kisses." 
 
 " Caliphronas ! " cried Maurice and Crispin in one breath. 
 
 It was indeed Caliphronas who came slowly down the steps 
 and paused in alarm just where the light began to mingle 
 with the darkness ; — a new and brilliant Caliphronas, ar- 
 rayed in all the bravery of the Greek national garb, with 
 gold-broidered leggings, snowy fustanella, gaudy jacket, and 
 red skull-cap. In this picturesque dress he looked handsomer 
 than ever, and had quite recovered his bombastic air, which 
 terror had deprived him of during the storm. 
 
178 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 "Creespeen! Mr. Maurice !" he cried in a startled voice, 
 placing his hand on one of the pistols stuck in his belt, for he 
 was quite aware that his treachery deserved a warm recep- 
 tion from those whom he had doomed to death. 
 
 "You needn't do that," said Crispin, curling his lip as he 
 observed the action ; " we are not going to punish you." 
 
 " Punish me ! " jeered the Greek, recovering his insolent 
 manner. " Oh, never fear, I can defend myself. Punish me ! 
 and for why ? Because I chose to save my own life ! " 
 
 " Yes, and nearly caused us to lose ours ! " said Maurice 
 grimly. 
 
 " You know my philosophy, Mr. Maurice ; so why expect 
 me to be false to it ? " 
 
 " You are an infernal scoundrel, Caliphronas ! " 
 
 The Greek smilingly showed his white teeth, as if a com- 
 pliment had been paid to him. 
 
 " We are all scoundrels more or less, only some are cleverer 
 at concealing it than other people," he said carelessly. '"' So 
 you are all safe ? I made sure you were drowned." 
 
 " And wished too, I dare say," replied Crispin dryly. 
 "Well, you see we have survived your amiable intention 
 of leaving us to die. What about the boat ? " 
 
 " The boat ! oh, that was swamped," said Caliphronas in 
 a satisfied tone. " Two of your infernal sailors threw me 
 overboard." 
 
 "I seed 'em a-chuckin' of yer," remarked Gurt in a pleas- 
 ant tone. 
 
 " Did you, indeed ? Well, they were very soon chucked 
 themselves, and of the whole twenty in the boat, only half a 
 dozen are alive now." 
 
 " Where are they ? " 
 
 " With Justinian. He sent me to look for your corpses, 
 but I suppose he will be rather astonished when he finds you 
 can still use your own legs." 
 
 " How did you escape ? " 
 
 "I was tossed into the sea near the shore, and, buoyed 
 up by my life-belt, I managed to keep myself afloat till the 
 waves landed me on the beach." 
 
 "Naught was never in danger," quoth Crispin coolly. "I 
 suppose all your repentance of yesterday has passed." 
 
 " Gone to the winds, my friend," replied Caliphronas airily. 
 " Poof ! what would you ? There is a time for all things. 
 Yesterday I was nearly dead, and talked nonsense ; to-day 
 I am dry and well, so it is evident I am not born to be 
 drowned." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 179 
 
 "Born to be hanged, more like," said Maurice viciously, 
 hardly able to conceal his dislike of this heartless, cowardly, 
 beautiful animal before him. " Well, it is cold here, and we 
 are hungry, so 1 think you had better conduct us to Justinian.'^ 
 
 "Come, then," answered Caliphronas, leading the way. 
 " But tell me, how did you escape ? " 
 
 " With the help of God ! " said Crispin, resolved not to 
 gratify th^ Greek's curiosity. 
 
 " Ah, He helps the sinner as well as the saint ; for you see 
 I also am alive and well." 
 
 " You deserved death for your treachery ! " 
 
 The mocking laughter of the Count rang through the 
 darkness. 
 
 "Neither virtue nor vice is rewarded in every case ! I see 
 you are safe, and the poor good captain is dead." 
 
 " He is ; and you are to blame." 
 
 " No doubt I will survive that accusation. Well, you have 
 lost your beautiful ship, Crispin." 
 
 "It's my loss, not yours." 
 
 " Hark to this philosopher ! Ha ! how can you leave this 
 island again ? " 
 
 " What ! does Justinian intend to keep us prisoners ? " 
 
 " Justinian will do what he thinks fit," replied Caliphronas 
 significantly. "You are both rich, and can pay large ran- 
 soms." 
 
 "You scoundrel, you have been putting these brigand 
 ideas into the old man's head." 
 
 Caliphronas laughed disagreeably. 
 
 " Perhaps I have. At all events, if you escape Justinian, 
 you won't get away so easily from Alcibiades." 
 
 " You forget six sailors still survive," said Maurice sternly, 
 " and we are three, so I think nine Englishmen can hold their 
 own against a hundred cowards like yourself." 
 
 The Count made a clutch at his pistol, and muttered an 
 execration, but, thinking better of it, recovered his temper, 
 and burst out laughing. 
 
 " Well, well, we will see ! I regret, Mr. Maurice, I did not 
 bring a torch for this darkness, but you see I know this pas- 
 sage well, and do not require it. Had I known you three 
 were coming, I would have brought men, torches, food, wine, 
 and all the rest of it, to make you comfortable.'^ 
 
 " Thank you for your hospitality," retorted Maurice angrily, 
 for the mocking tone of this scamp was intolerable j "but 
 *■ Timeo DanaosJ " 
 
180 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " I don't understand Latin," said Caliphronas coldly ; " but 
 I've no doubt you've said something uncomplimentary. How- 
 ever, we need not wrangle any more, for here we are at the 
 gate of Melnos." 
 
 The gate was a huge structure of wood, formed by inter- 
 lacing beams into a kind of barred defence, which completely 
 closed up the tunnel, and in the centre of this was a small 
 heavy iron door. Through the interstices they could see the 
 faint glimmer of daylight, a still ascending staircase, the red 
 flare of burning torches, and in the doubtful lights three or 
 four men moving about. 
 
 " This is to guard against people like my friend Alcibiades," 
 said Caliphronas, seeing the amazement of Maurice and Gurt 
 at this mediaeval entrance. " Like the Pass of Thermopylae, 
 this tunnel could be defended by four against many, so 
 Melnos is thus a city of refuge." 
 
 "Ay, if treachery does not gain an entrance," retorted 
 Crispin significantly ; " and that is always possible when 
 there is a traitor within the walls." 
 
 " Meaning myself ? " rejoined Caliphronas tranquilly. 
 " There you are wrong, and I think, my dear Crispin, you 
 must have forgotten that, in or out, I can do nothing, as Jus- 
 tinian alone possesses the key of this door. We must send 
 Alexandres for it. Oh la there, Alexandres ! " 
 
 One of the men, bearing a burning torch, came to the bars 
 of the framework, and Caliphronas spoke to him in Greek, 
 while Crispin, understanding the language thoroughly, lis- 
 tened attentively, as, after the Count's conduct of last night, 
 he was quite prepared for further treachery, and desired to 
 guard against it. As soon as Caliphronas finished, the man 
 went oif up the staircase, and the Count turned round to his 
 companions with a reassuring smile. 
 
 " He has gone to get the key from Justinian," he explained 
 courteously. "This key, you must know, Mr. Maurice, is 
 the emblem of sovereignty in Melnos — the sceptre of the 
 island ! " 
 
 "But it must be rather a trouble going to Justinian for the 
 key every time you want to go in or out ! " 
 
 "There is not much of that," said Crispin quickly; "the 
 people of Melnos stay at home in the heart of the mountain. 
 'Tis only wanderers like myself and the Count who are rest- 
 less." 
 
 " The heart of the mountain ! " echoed Maurice, in a 
 puzzled tone j " is it a cavern ? " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 181 
 
 "Ko ; fresh air and blue skies." 
 
 " I cannot understand your Island of Fantasy. It is most 
 perplexing, and well deserves its name." 
 
 " So Justinian thought, and that is why he called it so." 
 
 " Who made this 'ere, gents all ? " asked Gurt, who had 
 been surveying his nether world surroundings with much awe. 
 
 "Justinian." 
 
 "AVell, sir, arskin' yer pardin, but I niver thought a lazy 
 Greek 'ud have had it in him to do sich a thing." 
 
 Caliphronas laughed at the indolent character ascribed to 
 his countrymen, which, however, he could not deny with any 
 great show of reason. 
 
 '• Justinian is not a Greek, but an Englishman." 
 
 "I thought so, sir," said Gurt triumphantly; "but 'eavms, 
 sir ! wot's he a-doin' of in this 'ere lay ? " 
 
 "Ah, that is a mystery ! " replied the Count, smiling. 
 
 "Blest if 'tain't all queer," muttered Gurt in bewilder- 
 ment, and thereupon relapsed into silence. 
 
 The house of Justinian was evidently some distance away, 
 as they had to wait a considerable time before Alexandros 
 returned, much to the discomfort of the three shipwrecked 
 men, who were beginning to feel their privations keenly. 
 Maurice would have liked to ask after Helena, but the 
 knowledge that Caliphronas was his rival forbade hini to 
 risk an inquiry. He now began to see that the anticipa- 
 tions of Crispin regarding possible dangers were not with- 
 out some foundation, for, trapped in this mountain heart, 
 which appeared to his fancy to be a most extraordinary 
 place, he saw that Justinian could hold them prisoners as 
 long as he pleased. Besides, this scamp of a Caliphronas, 
 who hated both himself and Crispin thoroughly, was evi- 
 dently the right hand of Justinian, and thoughts of the 
 cruelties of Greek brigands began to pass unpleasantly 
 through his mind. Here, towards the end of the. civilized 
 nineteenth century, was a genuine robber's cave, into which 
 he was blindlv walking, and, despite the presence of Crispin, 
 who stood beside him, Maurice did not feel quite at his ease 
 regarding their reception by this renegade Englishman who 
 was called Justinian. 
 
 At length rapid steps were heard descending the staircase, 
 and Alexandros came in sight, holding his torch in one hand 
 and the wished-for key in the other. Having unlocked the 
 door, he held it open for them to enter, and, when the four 
 men were inside, locked it carefully again, and thrust the key 
 
182 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 I 
 
 into his belt in order to take it back to his master. As he 
 did so, he spoke to Caliphronas in Greek, upon which the 
 Count translated the speech for the benefit of Maurice and 
 the seaman. 
 
 "Justinian will see you at the Acropolis.'' 
 
 " The Acropolis ? " 
 
 " Yes ! it is a fancy he has for calling his house so. 'Tis 
 too small for a palace, and too large for an ordinary house, 
 so the intermediate term Acropolis fits it exactly. Come, 
 Mr. Maurice. Crispin, you know the way, don't you ?" 
 
 " Considering I have lived all my life in ^lelnos, I should 
 think it highly probable," retorted the poet in an annoyed 
 tone, for the patronage of Caliphronas was insufferable. 
 
 Conducted by Caliphronas and Alexandros, they walked 
 slowly up the giant staircase, and in a short time arrived 
 at a huge archway similar to the one into which they had 
 entered. Through this Maurice, to his astonishment, saw a 
 smiling landscape, and paused thunderstruck under the great 
 arch. 
 
 " Why, Melnos is in the cup of the mountain." 
 
 "Exactly," replied Crispin, who was enjoying his aston- 
 ishment. "Melnos is an extinct volcano, and this is the 
 crater. You see we have plenty of room for buildings, fields, 
 cultivation, and all such desirable things. We are two hun- 
 dred feet above the sea-level here." 
 
 Maurice did not reply, being too much amazed for speech, 
 and standing there feasted his eyes on the beautiful picture 
 framed by the archway, of which he was onl}^ able to gain a 
 general idea. It was a vision of snowy hills, miniature for- 
 ests, yellow fields of corn, terraced vineyards, and a mass of 
 white houses in the hollow, while clinging to the mountain 
 side were other buildings showing white against the pale 
 green of the foliage. High above, encircled by the top rim 
 of the crater, which was broken into a dazzling circle of 
 snow-white peaks, was the blue sky, with the burning sun 
 blazing down into the hollow, wherein, like a mirror, flashed 
 a small lake, encircled by trees. Below, palms waved their 
 feathery fans, above, the light green of the pine trees burned 
 like emeralds in the hot sunshine, and over all this enchanted 
 scene brooded an intense rest, an air of serene calm, which 
 made it seem to Maurice like that sleepy land of the lotus- 
 eaters. 
 
 And this was Melnos. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 183 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 AN ISLAND KING. 
 
 Oh, I know naught of the work-a-day world I 
 
 This is the land of eternal quiet, 
 "Where I can nestle in indolence curled, 
 
 Far from the clamor of modern riot. 
 Here are my wings of ambition close furled, 
 For I know naught of the work-a-day world. 
 
 I am the king of an indolent race, 
 
 Working with pleasure, and not with regret; 
 
 Never the phantom of Money they chase, 
 Never they feel in their bosoms a fretj 
 
 Notliing to alter, for all is in place. 
 
 I am the king of an indolent race. 
 
 From the archway of the tunnel stretched two roads, one 
 to the left, leading down to the valley below by easy grada- 
 tions, the other to the right, running round the cup of the 
 mountain on a level with the place where they were now 
 standing. Along this latter road they walked, the three 
 gentlemen abreast, and Gurt, considerably bewildered, rolling 
 behind in his nautical way. Maurice's admiration was 
 strongly excited by the perfection of this road, which was 
 level and broad, being apparently hewn out of the living 
 rock, while the side nearest the valley was bordered by Cyclo- 
 pean masses of dressed stone, and a long line of mulberry 
 trees, now heavily foliaged. On the other side also, where 
 the rocks arose steep and smooth, was a corresponding line 
 of trees, so that they walked through a leafy arcade, formed 
 by the meeting of the branches overhead, and their path was 
 checkered with sunlight shadows moving restlessly under 
 their feet, as the wind rustled the leaves above. Through the 
 slim trunks of the trees, set some little distance apart, they 
 caught glimpses of the town below on the verge of the blue 
 lake, its white houses embosomed in trees, and straight 
 streets intersecting each other at right angles, so that it 
 looked like a miniature chess-board. Maurice was in ecsta- 
 sies over this Eden of the South, and could not express his 
 delight in high enough terms to his companions. 
 
 " It is a place to dream in ! " he said enthusiastically ; " a 
 land of the lotos ! I don't wonder Justinian desires to keep 
 all outside influences away from this paradise. Upon my 
 
184 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 word, Caliphronas, with, such a beautiful spot as this to dwell 
 in, I do not wonder you were discontented with our gray 
 island of the West. My only astonishment is that you 
 should ever wish to go beyond this enchanted circle of 
 mountains." 
 
 '^Oh, it's pretty enough," said Caliphronas carelessly, cast- 
 ing a glance at the lovely valley below : " but one grows tired 
 of lovely places, the same as one wearies of the most beauti- 
 ful woman." 
 
 "Every one is not so fickle as you are," cried Crispin 
 sharply. 
 
 " Well, you did not stay in this paradise yourself, Crees- 
 peen." 
 
 " I was banished from it, and you were the serpent who 
 caused my banishment." 
 
 " Bah ! do not lay the blame on me. You ate of the Tree 
 of Knowledge, and wanted to know too much ; so Justinian 
 got rid of you." 
 
 " I only wanted to know about myself." 
 
 " Then you never will." 
 
 " Won't I ? You forget that I am equal with Justinian 
 now." 
 
 "Are you really?" said Caliphronas mockingly. "I 
 think not. Justinian has the wisdom of sixty years against 
 your thirty. The half is not equal to the whole." 
 
 " Well, you have something to gain as well as I," flashed 
 out Crispin fiercely ; " so if I am beaten, you will not be in 
 a much better condition." 
 
 " Eh ! you think so ? I have Justinian's promise, remem- 
 ber." 
 
 " You have ; and if I know anything of Justinian he'll 
 break it." 
 
 " He dare not ! Melnos is not impregnable." 
 
 " Probably not ; but you cannot storm it single-handed." 
 
 " What about my dear Alcibiades ? " sneered the Greek 
 significantly. 
 
 Crispin stopped, and looked Caliphronas up and down with 
 scorn. 
 
 " You had better not say any more, Andros, or I may be 
 tempted to tell Justinian of j-our intention." 
 
 " All I say is not meant," cried Caliphronas in evident 
 alarm ; " but Justinian cannot go back from his word about 
 Helena." 
 
 " Helena ! " said Maurice, who had hitherto kept silence. 
 " What about Helena ? " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 185 
 
 "Nothing to do with you, sir," retorted Caliphronas rudely, 
 and walked on quickly. 
 
 " What does he mean? " asked Maurice, turning to Crispin 
 with a frown. 
 
 "Nothing more than what I told you on The Eunice, when 
 we were off Taygetus." 
 
 " You told me Caliphronas loved Helena ; but this 
 promise " — 
 
 *' That has to do with Justinian," said Crispin hastily ; 
 ''you must ask him for information. After all, Maurice, 
 you had better wait and see how things turn out before you 
 cross swords with Caliphronas." 
 
 " Ah ! you think, then, we will cross swords ? " 
 
 " I fancy it is extremely probable. This Helena will be 
 an apple of discord, as was her predecessor of Troy. But, 
 however much you two men fight for her, remember it is the 
 lady herself who decides whom she will take." 
 
 " If she is the woman I judge her to be from her pure 
 face, she will never take that scamp of a Greek." 
 
 " Oh ho ! that is as much as to say she will take you, my 
 Lord Conceit ; but never mind Helena just now. We have 
 to get into the good graces of Justinian, or else " — 
 
 " Well ? " asked Maurice, seeing Crispin paused signifi- 
 cantly ; " what will happen ? " 
 
 "I can't tell yet ; but, after all, why anticipate evil ? " 
 
 " Crispin, you are as ambiguous as a Delphic oracle." 
 
 "And about as doubtful," retorted the poet, laughing. 
 "But here we are at the Acropolis." 
 
 " Well, I'm darned ! " observed Gurt in astonishment ; 
 and his exclamation of surprise was certainly pardonable, 
 for no one would have expected to find so splendid a build- 
 ing in this lonely island of the ^gean Sea. 
 
 A broad flight of fine-grained red limestone stairs led up 
 to a lofty platform of the same material, this splendid ascent 
 being bordered on both sides by masses of dark green laurel 
 trees, which accentuated the roseate tint of the staircase. 
 On the platform, some distance back, arose a large edifice, 
 somewhat after the model of the Parthenon at Athens, with 
 graceful slender pillars of white marble supporting the 
 weighty entablature, the frieze of which was delicately 
 carved with god-like forms of nude youths, white-draped 
 maidens, severe-faced old men, rearing horses, and seated 
 deities. Above this the pediment, in the centre of which 
 was sculptured a life-sized figure of HephaistoS; with his 
 
186 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 anvil and raised hammer, while the bas-reliefs on either side 
 represented long trains of unclothed men, with their faces 
 turned to the god, coming towards him with supplicating 
 hands, as if for the gift of fire. The Pentelican marble of 
 this temple was now toned down by the weather to a delicate 
 gray hue, which contrasted charmingly with the red stair- 
 case, the dark laurels, and the faint green of the foliage 
 which clothed the mountain at the back of the building. 
 
 '•' Justinian never built this ! " cried Maurice, transfixed 
 in amazement at the suave beauty of the whole building ; 
 "no architects of to-day could have designed such perfec- 
 tion." 
 
 " No," replied Crispin, as they ascended the steps ; " only 
 this staircase and the platform are modern, for the temple is 
 an old Greek one, built in Heaven knows what year of Hel- 
 lenic art, and Justinian, finding it in a ruinous condition, 
 restored it as you see. The front was fortunately intact, but 
 he has arranged the interior as a dwelling-house. It is a 
 shrine to Vulcan, and, I presume, was built here because this 
 island is volcanic in character, though indeed it is far away 
 from the Hephsestiades." 
 
 "I do not wonder Justinian calls it the Acropolis, for it is 
 a magnificent building, and worthy of the name. Oh, Crispin, 
 look at that nude youth struggling with the rearing horse ! " 
 
 " You can look at all that another time," replied the poet, 
 laughing at the sculptor's enthusiasm; "meanwhile, Jus- 
 tinian is waiting us." 
 
 They entered the great door of the building, followed by 
 the awestruck Gurt, who was too much astonished to speak, 
 and advanced along a lofty hall towards an archway draped 
 with heavy blue curtains. Drawing these aside, they entered 
 into an open court, bordered by ranges of white marble col- 
 umns, for the temple was hypaethral in character, and the 
 sun shone brightly through the opening of the roof. Between 
 these snow-white pillars hung heavy curtains of azure tint, 
 embroidered with bizarre figures in yellow silk. The pave- 
 ment was of smooth white marble, and there was a small 
 fountain in the middle, splashing musically into a broad pool 
 which brimmed nearly to the verge of its marble marge. A 
 number of Turkish mats, comfortable-looking cane chairs, 
 silk-covered cushions, and dainty bamboo tables were scat- 
 tered about, and finally, the whole court was one mass of 
 flowers. 
 
 Slender palms, bowing their feathery fronds, stood in huge 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 187 
 
 red jars, which added a bright touch of color to the general 
 whiteness ; while there were oblong boxes filled with hetero- 
 geneous masses of violets, pansies, golden crocus, anemones, 
 gladioli, and cyclamen, all glowing in one dazzling blaze of 
 color. There were also cytisus trees with their bright yellow 
 blossoms, great bushes of roses red with flowers, delicate 
 white lilies springing virgin-like from amid their green 
 leaves, and the pink buds of the gum cistus with its aromatic 
 odors, while between stood the myrtles, sacred to love. All 
 this gorgeous mass of colors was blended skilfully with a 
 prevailing tint of green foliage, and what with the blue cur- 
 tains, the dazzling white of the pillars and pavement, even 
 under the hot southern sun it did not pain the artistic eye 
 with a sense of incongruous hues, but rather pleased and 
 satisfied it by its bright beauty and variety of hue. 
 
 " What flowers ! what flowers ! " cried Maurice, with genuine 
 admiration. "Why, this is finer even than the Eector's 
 rose-garden." 
 
 " These are Helena's flowers," said Crispin, smiling ; " she 
 is so fond of them that she ought to be called Chloris. 
 Hush ! here is Justinian." 
 
 There was a grating sound of rings being drawn along a 
 rod, and Maurice turned to the left, to see the blue draperies 
 held to one side by an exceptionally tall man, with a long 
 gray beard and keen black eyes, who was dressed in a grace- 
 ful robe of soft white wool, falling in classic folds to his 
 feet. Maurice himself was over the ordinary height, but this 
 ancient, holding himself erect as a dart, seemed to tower 
 above him, and, as he moved towards Maurice with out- 
 stretched hand, the Englishman involuntarily thought of 
 the Homeric description of Nestor. 
 
 " Mr. Eoylands," said Justinian, taking the young man's 
 hand, and looking keenly at him, "you are welcome to my 
 island. I am the Demarch of Melnos." 
 
 Behind Justinian came Caliphronas, who looked rather 
 dismayed when he saw the courtesy with which the island 
 king received his guest ; and even Crispin made a gesture of 
 surprise, which movement at once drew the old man's eyes 
 towards him. 
 
 "You also, truant !" he said, taking the poet's hand, but 
 without releasing his hold of Maurice ; " you have come back 
 to Melnos ? " 
 
 "Yes, for a purpose," said Crispin boldly, evidently not to 
 be duped by the suave greeting of Justinian. 
 
188 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 As a flash of lightning leaps from the heart of a dark 
 cloud, so gleamed a glance from Justinian's dark eyes, and 
 he was evidently about to make some fierce retort to the 
 bold poet, when he restrained himself with wonderful self- 
 command, and released the hands of both the young men. 
 
 " Before I ask you any questions, gentlemen," he said, 
 striking a silver bell that stood on one of the small tables 
 near, '• I must attend to the rites of hospitality." 
 
 A man made his appearance, and bowed submissively to 
 Justinian. 
 
 " The bath ! the meal ! for these guests," said the old man 
 in tones of command, speaking in Greek. " You can attend 
 to Mr. Crispin — tell Georgios to see to the other gentleman. 
 When you are quite refreshed," he added in English, turning 
 to his guests, " I will speak to you here." 
 
 " But Gurt ? " said Maurice, pausing a moment. 
 
 " Oh, the sailor ! " observed Justinian, carelessl}^ looking 
 at him ; " let him follow you, and Anasthasius can look after 
 him. Go now ! I will await your return here." 
 
 The young men, astonished at the courtesy of their recep- 
 tion, Crispin being not less so than Maurice, went out with 
 Gurt after the man ; and Justinian, flinging himself into a 
 chair, with a deep sigh, covered his face with his hands. 
 Caliphronas, leaning gracefully against one of the pillars, 
 looked at this exhibition of what he considered weakness 
 with disdain, but did not dare to break upon the revery of 
 Justinian, of whom he had a wholesome dread. He picked 
 a pink oleander blossom and placed it in his belt, then, after 
 walking about for a few minutes with a frown on his face, 
 sat down on a stone margin of the fountain and began to 
 dabble in the water with his hands. After a time, Justinian 
 looked up with a second sigh. 
 
 " Well, what do you think of him ? " asked the Count in 
 Greek, at the sound of which the old man made a gesture of 
 annoyance. 
 
 " Speak English, you fool ! I love to hear my own lan- 
 guage." 
 
 " You will get plenty of it shortly, then," said Caliphronas 
 coolly. "Nine Englishmen already on the island, — bah ! it 
 is a British possession." 
 
 " You are right, Andros. I am British, and as this island 
 is mine, it is a British possession." 
 
 Caliphronas frowned, as if this way of looking at things 
 was distasteful to him, but, not caring to argue about sucli a 
 delicate matter, repeated his first remark. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 189 
 
 " Well, what do you think of him ? " 
 
 " Maurice Roylands ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 Justinian pondered a moment, and was about to reply, 
 when, catching sight of the eager gleam in the Greek's eyes, 
 he altered his mind at once. 
 
 " I will tell you when I know him better ; I never make 
 up my mind in a hurry. You ought to be aware of that by 
 this time." 
 
 The other, ill-contented with this reticence, would have 
 persisted in his questioning, but the old man, seeing this, 
 shut him up sharply. 
 
 " Be silent, Andros ! I will give you my opinion in my 
 own good time. Meanwhile, mind you treat my guests with 
 all courtesy." 
 
 " Even Creespeen ? " said Caliphronas, with a sneer. 
 
 " Yes, even Crispin," reiterated Justinian in a fiery tone. 
 <' I have my reasons for acting as I do now. If you dare to 
 disobey my orders, I have a way to silence you." 
 
 Caliphronas turned pale, for he knew that Justinian was 
 absolute ruler of Melnos, while he was thoroughly well 
 hated by the inhabitants, one and all. 
 
 " I have no intention of acting contrary to your desires," 
 he replied sulkily, rising to his feet; "but I cannot under- 
 stand the meaning of your actions. However, I have done 
 what you desired, and Mr. Maurice is in Melnos. Now, I 
 presume, you will fulfil your part of the bargain." 
 
 "Certainly; you have my permission to pay your addresses 
 to my daughter." 
 
 " And you will make her marry me ? " asked Caliphronas 
 eagerly. 
 
 The King sprang from his seat with a gesture of anger. 
 
 " I will force my daughter in no way ! " he roared fiercely. 
 " I forbade you to think of Helena as a bride, but, provided 
 you brought Roylands here, I gave you permission to woo 
 her. As to forcing her into a marriage with you, there was 
 no question of such a thing." 
 
 " I thought there was," retorted the Greek, who was white 
 with rage. 
 
 " You put your own base construction on my motives. 
 How dare you question me, Andros ! Am I master here, or 
 are you ? Helena is free to marry you if she wishes ; but, 
 as far as I am concerned, I would rather you were drowned 
 in the sea than become my son-in-law." 
 
190 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 The Count went alternately red and white as Justinian 
 spoke, and when the speech was ended tried to answer, but 
 his rage was such that he could sa}^ nothing, so, with a 
 choking cry of anger, he turned on his heel and darted out 
 of the court ; while the King, much agitated, walked up and 
 down hurriedly, his white robe sweeping the pavement. 
 
 " What does the boy mean ? " he muttered angrily. " I 
 do not like these veiled threats. Melnos is well defended, 
 but I mistrust Andros — he is too much a friend of that 
 rascal Alcibiades. Bah ! I have no fear — treachery for 
 treachery ! — and if Andros dares " — 
 
 He paused abruptly, and, raising his hands, shook them 
 impotently at the sky, then resumed his seat with a frown, 
 which boded ill for Caliphrouas in the event of anj" double 
 dealing on his part being discovered. A peacock came walk- 
 ing proudly along the court, with his splendid tail erect, 
 shining like some rich product of the Eastern loom, with 
 its manifold colors, fantastic moons, and iridescent sheen, 
 which flashed gloriously in the sunshine. Evidently irri- 
 tated at not being noticed, the vain bird uttered a discordant 
 shriek, which had the effect of making his master look up 
 suddenly. 
 
 " Ha, Argos ! " he said, with a sardonic smile ; " you are 
 like Andros, my friend, fine to look at and nothing else. 
 But it would be as easy to wring your neck, with all your 
 bravery, as it would that of my handsome scamp j^onder." 
 
 The bird strutted proudly along, the feathers of its neck 
 glistening with every movement of its head. 
 
 "You have many eyes, my Argos," resumed Justinian, 
 after a pause, " but your human prototype has none at all. 
 He sees no farther than his own straight nose, else he would 
 be more cautious in his deeds, and less daring in his words. 
 It looks as if he were going to dispute my will ; well, he 
 can do so, and we will see who will come off best — Andros 
 or Justinian." 
 
 At this moment Maurice and the poet entered the court, 
 whereupon Argos fled in dismay. 
 
 " An omen ! " thought Justinian, as he arose to receive 
 them; "with these I need not fear the machinations of Pea- 
 cock Andros." 
 
 The two gentlemen, refreshed by their bath and a hearty 
 meal, were now arrayed in loose, flowing robes of white 
 wool, similar to that of Justinian. Crispin wore this antique 
 garb gracefully enough, very evidently used to managing 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 191 
 
 such draperies ; but Maurice found them awkward, and as 
 he sat down seemed rather ashamed of the effeminacy of 
 the dress. The King noticed this, and smiled broadly at the 
 Englishman's want of dexterity. 
 
 " You do not like these ? " he said, touching his own robe 
 lightly; ''but, believe me, they are very comfortable within 
 doors in this climate. When you go out to look at my island, 
 1 will supply you with a less embarrassing dress — more 
 adapted for walking and climbing." 
 
 "I like my legs to be free, sir," observed Maurice, striv- 
 ing to look at his ease in these long white draperies, whereon 
 Justinian laughed again at this naive confession. 
 
 " Yes ; we English are an active race," he said, leaning 
 back in his chair, "and like all clothing to be tight and trig; 
 but indoors you will find these flowing robes more adaptable 
 than a shooting suit would be. When one is in the East, 
 one should adopt Eastern customs. For myself, I have be- 
 come a Sybarite in luxury since dwelling in Melnos." 
 
 " Where is Caliphronas ? " asked Crispin, looking about 
 him for the Greek. 
 
 " Caliphronas ? Oh yes ; I forgot his travelling-name. A 
 count, is he not, of the Greek Empire ? He took a fine name 
 to match his fine feathers. Well, Andros has just left me in 
 a fit of bad temper." 
 
 " You do not appear to like Andros so much as you did, 
 Justinian." 
 
 The Greco-Englishman smiled significantly. 
 
 "Andros is — Andros," he replied dryly, "and is anything 
 but relial)le. What do you think of my handsome Greek, 
 ]\rr. Eoylands ? " 
 
 " I think he is a scamp," retorted Maurice briefly. 
 
 " How long did it take you to find that out ? " asked Jus- 
 tinian, without showing any sign of surprise. 
 
 " I did not find it out at all. He confessed his scampish- 
 ness himself with the most appalling cynicism. 
 
 " Oh, as far as cynicism goes, Andros might be a boule- 
 vardier soaked in absinthe. It is the soul makes the man, 
 not the surroundings. But never mind this scamp ; I wish 
 to hear all about your cruise." 
 
 " Hasn't Caliphronas told you ? " 
 
 " Caliphronas has told me his version of the story, which 
 is all to his own credit ; but those six sailors who are at 
 present in Melnos seemed to disagree with his praises of 
 himself, so I would like to hear what you two gentlemen 
 have to say." 
 
192 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 Whereupon Crispin, being the more fluent of speech, told 
 the whole story, from the time of the Greek's arrival at Roy- 
 lauds, — narrated the beginning of the voyage, the arrival in 
 Greek waters, the storm, the loss of the yacht, and the sub- 
 sequent treachery of Caliphronas. During the recital, Jus- 
 tinian, with compressed lips, listened to it in silence, only 
 uttering a smothered exclamation of rage when he heard how 
 Caliphronas had cut the rope, and left those on board the 
 yacht to perish. 
 
 '• Thank you, Crispin," he said, when the poet brought his 
 narrative to a close ; " your story is worthy of being told by 
 Ulysses at the court of Alcinous. I am glad you escaped 
 the fate intended you by Andros ; but if he had succeeded, 
 I don't think he would have dared to show his face here." 
 
 Crispin glanced at Maurice significantly, and Justinian 
 caught the look with his accustomed keen-sightedness. 
 
 " I speak for you as well as Mr. Roylands," he said quickly. 
 "We did not get on well in the past, Crispin, but let us hope 
 we will be more friendly in the future." 
 
 The poet, considerably astonished at this unwonted emo- 
 tion of Justinian, accepted the proffered hand of the old 
 man, — although he did so with a somewhat doubtful air. 
 
 " I cannot forget you were kind to me in my youth, Jus- 
 tinian, and brought me up ; but I cannot understand these 
 sentiments, now so different from those you expressed when 
 we last met." 
 
 "You were yourself to blame in the matter, Crispin. 
 Force is of no avail with me, and you came in a rage to 
 demand what I refused to tell you. I have been a wild man 
 in my day, but I am not so absolutely bad as you think me, 
 and it depends upon yourself as to whether I tell you what 
 you wish to learn." 
 
 " I have a right to know ! " cried the poet impetuously. 
 
 " That I question," retorted Justinian, with a flash of his 
 keen eyes. " I will tell you or not entirely at my own pleas- 
 ure ; but the tone you adopt will not make me answer your 
 questions. The storm cannot bend the oak, but the gentlest 
 breeze will make its branches quiver. Lay that parable to 
 heart in your demeanor towards me, Crispin, and all will yet 
 be well ; otherwise — well, you know how you left last time." 
 
 The young man made no reply, but relapsed into moody 
 silence, whereupon Justinian turned to Maurice with a 
 winning smile. 
 
 " You must bring this obstinate boy to reason, Mr. Roy- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 193 
 
 lands. Believe me, it is as well we should be all firm friends 
 and allies, as I have reason to believe there will be trouble." 
 
 " From Caliphronas ? " 
 
 "Exactly. He has made a demand of me which I refuse 
 to grant." 
 
 " About Helena ? " said Crispin, suddenly looking up. 
 
 " Yes ; did he tell you ? " 
 
 " He said you had made him a promise to give him Helena 
 for his wife, if he carried out your plans." 
 
 " That's a lie ! " cried Justinian impetuously. " I said he 
 could pay his addresses to Helena, but the question of mar- 
 riage I left entirely in her own hands." 
 
 "Oh," said Crispin quickly, "that puts quite a different 
 face on the affair." 
 
 " At all events, Helena will never marry him," said Maurice 
 abruptly, w^hereon the King turned on him in surprise. 
 
 " What do you know of Helena ? " 
 
 "' Only this," replied Maurice, handing the portrait of the 
 girl to her father. " Caliphronas showed me that face, and 
 I fell in love with it." 
 
 " Oh, you fell in love with it ! " remarked Justinian in a 
 tone of satisfaction. 
 
 " Yes ; in fact, it was that which brought me to Melnos." 
 
 Justinian smiled in a satisfied way, but suddenly frowned. 
 
 " So Andros dared to use this as a lure ! " he muttered in 
 Greek ; " well, he has succeeded to his own undoing." 
 
 " I thought you would think so," said Crispin, who over- 
 heard the speech ; " as soon as I heard the reason of Andros' 
 coming to Koylands, I guessed your intentioti." 
 
 " How could you do that ? " asked the old man quickly ; 
 " you knew nothing." 
 
 " I know all — Andros told me." 
 
 "Traitor!" said Justinian fiercely. "Well, Crispin, if 
 you do know, keep your own counsel until such time as I 
 choose to tell my own story." 
 
 "I promise you." 
 
 " And in return I will, at my own convenience, tell you 
 what you desire to know about your parentage." 
 
 " Do this," cried Crispin, springing up and clasping Jus- 
 tinian by the hand, " and I will be your friend for life ! " 
 
 " You had better be my friend for your own sake," retorted 
 the King angrily ; " united we stand, divided we fall. Re- 
 member, Andros is vour and my enemy." 
 
 "And Alcibiades?" 
 
194 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Alcibiades would like nothing better than an excuse to 
 plunder Melnos. However, we are nine Englishmen, not 
 counting my Greeks, and I think with all we will be a match 
 for Andros, Alcibiades, and their brother blackguards." 
 
 This conversation took place in Greek, so was therefore 
 quite unintelligible to Maurice, who looked from the one to 
 the other in astonishment. On seeing this, Justinian turned 
 towards him with a courteous apology, and restored the 
 portrait. 
 
 " As Andros gave you this, I will not deprive you of it, 
 Mr. Roylands," he said politely ; " but shortly I hope to pre- 
 sent you to the original." 
 
 " Now ? " asked Maurice eagerly. 
 
 " No ; you must go and sleep this afternoon," replied Jus- 
 tinian authoritatively ; "' and you also, Crispin. After your 
 dangers of last night, you must be quite worn out." 
 
 " Well, the bath and a meal have done wonders," said 
 Crispin, yawning ; " but I must say a few hours' sleep would 
 complete the cure." 
 
 " And when will we see Helena ? " demanded Roylands 
 persistently. 
 
 "This evening," answered Justinian, taking him by the 
 hand. " We must be good friends, jNIr. Roylands, for I like 
 your face. Tell me, do you resemble your father or your 
 mother most ? " 
 
 "My mother," said Maurice, rather astonished at this 
 strange question. 
 
 Justinian looked at him steadily, then, dropping his hand 
 with a sigh, turned away, as if to conceal some sudden emo- 
 tion. After a time he recovered himself, and spoke sharply, 
 as if to atone for his faint-heartedness. 
 
 " Come, come, gentlemen, be off to your rooms ! " he said 
 testily ; " sleep is what you need." 
 
 " And Helena ! " said Crispin, as he and Maurice left the 
 court. 
 
 " And Helena ! " repeated Justinian in a satisfied tone ; 
 "yes, this is her husband, not Andros." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 195 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 VENUS URANIA. 
 
 To rose-red sky, from rose-red sea, 
 
 At rose-red dawn she came, 
 A fiery rose of earth to he, 
 
 And light the dark with flame ; 
 Then earth and sky triumphantly 
 
 Rang loud with men's acclaim. 
 
 A rose art thou, O goddess fair, 
 
 And bloom as men aspire, — 
 Red rose to those whom passions snare. 
 
 White rose to chaste desire ; 
 Yet red rose wanes with pale despair, 
 
 And white rose burns as fire. 
 
 After all that he had come through, Maurice found no 
 diflS.culty in inducing sleep to come to his pillow. The room 
 he occupied was one of those built by Justinian when he 
 renovated this antique fane, and the walls, floor, and ceiling 
 were of that fine-grained red sandstone of which the stair- 
 case was built. The pavement was bare, save for Turkish 
 rugs scattered here and there, which lack of carpeting made 
 the apartment wonderfully cool and pleasant, but the walls 
 were draped with a heavy kind of woollen tapestry similar 
 to those in the court, saving that the color was a pale gray, 
 and the embroideries terra-cotta color to match the floor. 
 A wide window, shaded by Indian beadworked blinds, looked 
 out on to a pleasant prospect of forest which clothed the 
 side of the mountain, and the cool wind, heavy with aroma- 
 tic scents, stole into the room. It was also furnished in a 
 somewhat antique fashion, though here and there an anach- 
 ronism betrayed the nineteenth century, but the couch 
 whereon Maurice rested was purely Greek in design, and 
 lying on this in his white robe, with a purple coverlet flung 
 carelessly over his feet, he might have been taken for some 
 dweller in ancient Athens. True, the mustache on his lip 
 savored somewhat of the barbarian, but in all other respects 
 the comparison was close enough, for if his features were 
 not quite so classic in outline as those of Caliphronas, they 
 were sufficiently so to pass muster in the carrying out of 
 such fancy. 
 
 Lying there with his eyes half closed, the young English- 
 
196 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 man in a drowsy fashion felt the baliu}^ odors permeating 
 the warm air, and saw as in a dream the antique room, the 
 pleasant prospect beyond, which was but mistil}^ seen 
 through the veiling beadwork blind. He was puzzled over 
 the kind reception accorded to him by this strange Jus- 
 tinian, who he had been led to believe was a kind of modern 
 freebooter. No swarthy, fantasticallj'-dressed, savage ma- 
 rauder was this island king, but a gracious, courteous gentle- 
 man, arrayed in the white robe of Socrates, with a winning 
 smile on his face, and polite words on his lips. Crispin 
 seemed to mistrust him indeed, but even Crispin seemed 
 somewhat astonished at the suavity of his greeting, and now 
 appeared inclined to recant his former dislike of the old 
 man. Maurice longed to have a confidential chat with 
 Crispin, and find out his feelings on the subject, as it was 
 evident that, far from inclining to Caliphronas, their host 
 seemed more disposed to side with them. 
 
 Again, Maurice found it difficult to account for the old 
 man's sudden liking for himself, for the satisfaction with 
 which he had received the information that his daughter's 
 face had lured the young Englishman to his island retreat, 
 and for many other things. 
 
 '' Mystery, mystery, nothing but mystery ! " said Mau- 
 rice to himself, as he closed his aching eyes. " I cannot 
 make these folks out ; but, at all events. King Justinian 
 does not seem to disapprove of my passion, and is inclined 
 to give Crispin the information he desires, so I trust all will 
 go well. Sooner or later I will solve all these problems 
 which are now so tantalizing ; but, come what may, one 
 good thing is in store for me. I shall see Helena to-night ! " 
 
 A wave of sleep seemed to roll over his weary brain, now 
 relaxed from the terrible tension of the previous night, and 
 he gradually sank into a deep slumber, with the name of his 
 unseen goddess still on his lips. 
 
 Then he dreamed strange dreams of romance, filled with 
 the serenity of Hellenic calm, which floated magically 
 through his brain, and made his slumber delightful with 
 forms of exquisite beauty. He was standing with Helena 
 in the temple of Athena, and together they touched the 
 knees of the undying goddess ; but the face of Helena was 
 veiled, and he could see but vaguely the perfect features 
 which had hitherto been so clear in his dreams. Again, they 
 were wandering like lovers beneath the serene Attic sky, 
 beside the bright, gushing Ilissus, and he strove to kiss 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 197 
 
 her, the kiss of betrothal, but she faded away as did the 
 cloiid-Jiino ill the arms of Ixion, and a voice blown by some 
 faint winds cried, " Love, but win." Then he was on board 
 a galley, putting off from the green shore towards the purple 
 mists of sea, and Helena was lying in his arms, while the 
 Greek Caliphronas strove fiercely to snatch her from him. 
 Arrows rattled on the shields of his men, the watch-fires 
 blazed on the high mountain tops, and the air was hot with 
 the flame of battle. In his dream he saw the phantom of 
 himself lay down the cloudy Helena, and dash on the phan- 
 tom Greek with a mighty sword. A strident cry, a flash as 
 of flame dividing the night, then the phantom Caliphronas 
 vanished, and the galley was sailing, sailing far into the pur- 
 ple night, while, clasped in each other's arms, Helena and 
 himself murmured the songs of love, until they melted 
 ghost-like into the misty splendor of the sinking sun. 
 
 When he awoke, it was quite dark, and, springing from 
 his couch, he hastily took his watch to the window, and found 
 it was nearly eight o'clock, so his sleep had lasted over six 
 hours. Feeling greatly refreshed by this rest, he bathed his 
 face and hands in cold water, with the intention of going 
 outside into the delicious night air. That the moon was up 
 he could see by the doubtful glimmer of her pale light, but, 
 the shadow of the house being in front of her, she could not 
 be seen in her full splendor. 
 
 Wondering where he would find Crispin, and whether that 
 gentleman was yet awake, Maurice stole quietly from his 
 room, and, drawing aside the curtains, looked out into the 
 middle court, where he saw a sight which chained him to the 
 earth. Not Paris sitting in judgment on Mount Ida saw 
 such a vision of loveliness as now appeared to the enraptured 
 eyes of Roylands. The picture — ah, that was but a pale 
 reflection of this rich, ripe, glowing beauty ! Venus, the 
 goddess of love herself, yet with a touch of the chaste 
 purity of Artemis — not Venus Pandemos, with flushed face 
 and wanton glance, but Venus Urania, chaste, cold, pure, and 
 serene as the moon-huntress herself. 
 
 The moon, hanging like a great silver sphere in the darkly 
 blue sky, shone serenely through the hypsethral opening of 
 the court, and in her pale light the ranges of white columns 
 glimmered like faint ghosts in the doubtful gloom. 
 
 Like a silver rod the fountain's jet shot up to meet her 
 kiss, and the splashed waters of the pool trembled restlessly 
 with faint flashes within the marble marge. The cold, sweet 
 
198 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 odors of the flowers made the night air drowsy with their 
 perfumes, and a distant nightingale began to trill deliciously 
 in the still beauty of the evening. But the onlooker saw 
 not the moon, the fountain, or the solemn range of pillars ; 
 he had no ears for the liquid notes of the unseen bird ; for 
 his eyes were fixed in an enamoured gaze on a tall, beautiful 
 woman, who stood with upturned face gazing at the sky. 
 
 In that tremulous light she looked more than mortal in 
 her spiritual loveliness — some goddess of ancient Hellas 
 once more visiting the dear-loved islands of the ^gean — 
 perchance Aphrodite herself, haunting the fane of her hus- 
 band Hephaistos. To add to the plausibility of this fantas- 
 tic idea, this girl was draped in the long white chiton of 
 antique times, and her golden hair, dressed after the fashion 
 of the Venus of Cnidos, was bound with triple bands of sil- 
 ver, while her slender arms, bare to the shoulder, were devoid 
 of any ornament. So fair, so pure, so ethereal she appeared, 
 that Maurice might well be pardoned for deeming her some 
 pale sweet spirit of classic times, haunting the scenes of her 
 former life, and listening, as she had done in the past, to the 
 golden notes of the divine nightingale, thrilling to ecstasy 
 the heart of the dusk. 
 
 For a few minutes Maurice stood spellbound in the con- 
 templation of this lovely incarnation of Venus Urania, then 
 inadvertently made a movement which made the girl start 
 from her rapt attitude, and look in his direction. Being thus 
 discovered, he came forward to meet the awakened divinity, 
 looking himself, in his sweeping robe, like some young 
 disciple of Plato or Parmenides. To his surprise and de- 
 light, this beautiful woman, with a smile on her exquisite 
 face, came forward to meet him half-way with outstretched 
 hands. 
 
 '• You are Mr. Eoylands," she said in English, with a deli- 
 cate sweetness in her voice that seemed to shame the notes 
 of the nightingale, at least, Maurice thought so ; but then, 
 in his amazement, he was scarcely capable of cool reflection. 
 
 "Yes, I am Maurice Eoylands," he replied, taking both 
 her outstretched hands within his own; "and you are 
 Helena." 
 
 " I am Helena," she repeated gravely, drawing him a little 
 to the left, so that the moonlight fell on his face. " You 
 can have no idea how anxious I was to see you, Mr. Eoy- 
 lands. I do so love to see one of my countrymen." 
 
 " Are you English ? " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 199 
 
 " Yes/' said Helena proudly, dropping his hands, much to 
 his regret ; " my father is English, so I am also, although 
 my mother was a Greek. Still, I liave spoken your language 
 all my life, and have been brought up like an English girl, 
 so I must be English." 
 
 She spoke in a tone of such conviction that Maurice 
 began to laugh, in which merriment she joined freely. 
 
 " My father would not tell me anything about you," she 
 resumed gayly ; "and as you are the first Englishman that 
 has come to Melnos, I was anxious to see what you were 
 like." 
 
 " I hope 3^our anxiety has been repaid," observed Maurice, 
 with a smile. 
 
 " Oh, indeed it has. You are very good-looking, especially 
 when you smile." 
 
 Eoy lands was rather taken aback by this naivete, and, 
 being unaccustomed to such direct compliments, blushed like 
 a girl, much to the amusement of Helena, who stood looking 
 at him with clear, truthful eyes. 
 
 " Do you not like me saying that ? " she observed inno- 
 cently. " Andros always likes to be told he's good-looking." 
 " Well, I am not so conceited as Andros — at least, I trust 
 I am not," answered Maurice, quite touched by her rustic 
 innocence; "but, you know, ladies in England do not speak 
 so — so — very plainly." 
 
 "' Do they not ? Why, do they tell their friends they are 
 ugly?"_ 
 
 Maurice roared in spite of her presence, upon which she 
 looked at him rather reproachfully. 
 
 " It is too bad of you to laugh at me, Mr. Eoylands," she 
 said pettishly ; " you can't expect me to be like an English 
 lady after living all my life at Melnos." 
 
 " You are much more charming than any English lady I 
 know." 
 
 A charming smile dimpled the corners of her mouth. 
 " Really ! Ah, I see it is the custom for the gentlemen to 
 pay compliments to the ladies, not the other way about. I 
 must not tell you you are good-looking, but it is quite proper 
 for you to say I am charming." 
 
 " Well — that is — really, you know, I hardly know what 
 to say," said Maurice, finding himself somewhat in a dilemma. 
 " The fact is, neither English men nor women pay each other 
 compliments at all — at least, it's not supposed to be good 
 form." 
 
200 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " What is good form ? " asked Helena innocently. 
 
 " I must undertake your education, Miss Justinian." 
 
 " I am not Miss Justinian. You must call me Helena." 
 
 " Oh, is that so ? then you must know, Helena, I am not 
 Mr. Eoy lands — you must call me Maurice." 
 
 '' Maurice ! ]\Iaurice ! Ah, that is much nicer to say than 
 Mr. Roylands. Yes, I will call you Maurice. I like Mau- 
 rice," she continued reflectively ; " yes, I like Maurice." 
 
 " I am very glad you like me," he said artfully. 
 
 " Oh, I mean the name," replied Helena, laughing at what 
 she thought was his mistake. "But tell me, Maurice, do 
 you now feel quite well ? " 
 
 "Yes, thank you. The sleep of this afternoon has quite 
 cured my fatigues of last night.'^ 
 
 " Oh, it must have been terrible ! " said Helena, with a 
 shudder ; " papa told me all about it. I was so glad when 
 Andros told us of 3-our safety." 
 
 " My safety, or that of Crispin ? " 
 
 " I was glad for both your sakes, and indeed I am very 
 fond of Crispin. Y^ou know, we are just like brother and 
 sister." 
 
 " Are you ? Well, will we be brother and sister ? " 
 
 "Oh yes," she answered, frankly putting her hand into 
 his ; " I will be very glad to have another brother." 
 
 Maurice felt a trifle disappointed at this calm acquiescence 
 in his audacious proposal, but, finding her little hand within 
 his own, clasped it warmly ; whereupon she suddenly seemed 
 to feel a touch of maiden modesty, and withdrew her hand, 
 blushing shyly. Certainly she was the most ingenuous, 
 delightful woman in the world, and Maurice was quite fas- 
 cinated by this timid audacity, which was so different from 
 the artificial modesty of many girls he had met. She was 
 Undine without a soul, she did not know the meaning of life 
 in any way whatsoever, yet, like some gentle wild thing, she 
 started back with an instinct of caution when his touch thrilled 
 her virgin soul with a deeper feeling than friendship. Both of 
 them felt tongue-tied and awkward, Helena at the strange, 
 unexpected feeling which made her heart beat and her 
 cheek burn, Maurice with regret for having even uncon- 
 sciously permitted his touch to convey anything further than 
 the brotherly friendship of a man for a pure young woman. 
 
 Fortunately for them both, Crispin, alert and cheery, 
 entered the court with Justinian, and they came towards the 
 couple with careless unconsciousness. Justinian, indeed, did 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 201 
 
 cast a rapid glance at the flushed faces of the pair, which 
 betrayed their late emotion, but, far from being angry, an 
 imperceptible smile passed over his lips, as if he were quite 
 satisfied that this should be so. 
 
 " Helena ! " said Crispin, coming forward and kissing her 
 hand ; " I am so delighted to see you again ! You are more 
 lovely than ever." 
 
 " Maurice says English gentlemen do not pay ladies compli- 
 ments." 
 
 '' Don't they ? " answered Crispin humorously. " My dear 
 Maurice, that storm last night must have destroyed your 
 memory. So you two have met ? " 
 
 '- Quite unexpectedly," declared Maurice hastily. " I came 
 to look for you, Crispin, and, glancing into this court, I saw 
 Helena, so we have been talking ever since." 
 
 " And Maurice has been telling me about England,"_ said 
 Helena, clapping her hands together with a burst of girlish 
 laughter, delicious as the carol of a thrush. 
 
 " Maurice ! Helena ! " repeated Justinian, smiling. 
 "Eeally, you young people are getting on very well to- 
 gether." . T^ , , „ 
 
 " Your daughter had some difficulty in saying Roylands," 
 said Maurice apologetically. 
 
 " And you do not know Helena's other name, eh ? " 
 
 " What is her other name, sir ? If you don't like me to 
 call her Helena, shall I say Miss" — 
 
 " You can say Helena," answered Justinian shortly ; " she 
 has no other name." 
 
 "No; we are simple people here," observed Crispin mis- 
 chievously, " and dispense with such cumbersomeness as two 
 names ; — Justinian, Helena, Crispin, Andros ; so you, Roy- 
 lands, will drop your harsh English surname, and be hence- 
 forth known as Maurice." 
 
 " I am quite content to be so as long as Helena speaks the 
 name ! " 
 
 "Another compliment!" laughed Crispin gayly ; ['I 
 thought, according to you, gentlemen never paid ladies 
 compliments ? " 
 
 " This is the exception to prove the rule." 
 
 " Helena," said her father suddenly, " where is Andros ? " 
 
 " I do not know. He was here an hour ago, and said he 
 would be back to supper." 
 
 " It is supper-time now," said Justinian, moving towards 
 the side entrance. "You must be hungry, gentlemen. I 
 trust you feel quite recovered ? '^ 
 
202 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Speaking for myself, I do," answered Maurice briglitly •, 
 " that sleep has quite set me up. And Crispin " — 
 
 " Subscribes to all you have said, and feels as hungry as a 
 hunter." 
 
 " Hark ! there is Andros," observed Helena, placing one 
 white linger on her lips, in which attitude she looked like 
 some exquisite statue of Silence ; " do you hear him sing- 
 ing?" 
 
 " The rose is shedding its crimson leaves, 
 Sadly they fall at the caress of Zephyrus; 
 And I, O beloved, shed tears in plenty, 
 Feeling thy kiss on my mouth; 
 For I must lose thee — ah, I must lose thee ! 
 Another richer than I desires to wed thee, 
 Therefore do I shed tears, as the rose sheds her crimson petals." 
 
 " An omen ! " breathed Justinian under his breath, as the 
 Greek drew aside the curtain of the main entrance ; ''he will 
 not marry Helena ! " 
 
 Against the dark draperies veiling the archway the slender 
 figure of the handsome Greek stood out in bold relief. He 
 also had assumed a robe of white, and, with his clear-cut 
 features and graceful pose, looked the incarnation of that 
 delicate Greek adolescence whereof Pindar sings in his 
 Olympian Odes. As he caught sight of Maurice standing 
 near Helena, he frowned perceptibly, and advanced hastily, 
 as if to come between them, but, meeting the keen, significant 
 look of Justinian, he faltered in his hasty step, and broke 
 into a charming smile. 
 
 " Are you waiting for me ? " he said cheerfully, as they all 
 went to have supper. "I have been down in the valley 
 speaking to your sailors." 
 
 " Are they all right ? " asked Crispin anxiously, for care- 
 lessly gay though he seemed to be, he was terribly dis- 
 turbed at the loss of so many lives in the storm. 
 
 " Oh, they are quite happy. All your subjects, Justinian, 
 are making heroes of them, especially the women, much to 
 the dismay of the men of Melnos." 
 
 "I hope they won't be getting into trouble," said Jus- 
 tinian, with a frown. " I want no quarrels here." 
 
 " Then you had better go and see about them to-morrow, 
 for if this hero-worship goes on, trouble there certainly will 
 be." 
 
 "And doubtless you would be very glad to see such 
 trouble," thought Justinian to himself, as he eyed Call- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 203 
 
 phronas with a doubtful face. ^' I must lose no time in put- 
 ting things to rights. Trouble at this juncture would play 
 into your hands, my friend." 
 
 There was a very merry party that night, as even Oaii- 
 phronas seemed to forget all his jealous feelings with regard 
 to Maurice, and lay himself out to be entertaining. _ ihe stern 
 face of Justinian relaxed, and Helena, full of girlish glee, • 
 was evidently quite charmed with this handsome Englishman 
 who had arrived so unexpectedly in Melnos. As for Crispin, 
 he was very happy, for he now began to hope that Justinian 
 would tell him all he wanted to know, and thus sweep away 
 all obstacles to his union with Eunice. In fact, one and aii 
 laid aside their secret cares and plans to indulge m light- 
 hearted merriment at the simple meal. Simple it was in 
 every way, and yet infinitely charming, consisting as it did 
 of goat's flesh, white bread, golden honey, fresh cheese ; and 
 for drink, that strong resinous Greek wme, which Maurice 
 found so rich for his i^alate, that he was fam to follow the 
 temperate example of Caliphronas, and mingle it with water. 
 After supper thev all went out into the court, and with 
 the exception of Caliphronas, began to smoke Turkish tobacco 
 provided by Justinian, who was rather proud of his Latakia, 
 while Helena, seating herself on the marge of the fountain, 
 joined gayly in the trifling conversation in which all indulged 
 out of sheer light-heartedness. ^ - a f 
 
 At the end of the court a charcoal fire burned ma kind ot 
 tripod, and, perfumes being cast thereon, a thick white 
 smoke ascended like incense to the clear sky. Near this 
 stood Caliphronas, and the red light streaming on his statu- 
 esque face, his white garb, made him a very striking figure. 
 The other gentlemen were seated decorously m chairs, and 
 the moon streaming down on their snowy robes, on the 
 exquisite upturned face of Helena, produced an effect quite 
 antipathetical to their excessively modern conversation. 
 Pale moon, glittering stars, solemn court, soaring incense ; — 
 they should have been a company of philosophers talking of 
 the destiny of the soul, of the sacred festivals, and unseen 
 deities ; but, by the law of contrast, they talked nothing but 
 frivolity, and laughed at their own light badinage ; Helena s 
 j^irlish laugh ringing clear above the deep tones of the men. 
 "^ " I was wrong," said Maurice to himself, as he watched 
 this perfect girlish picture ; " she is not Venus, but Nausicaa, 
 and I am a modern Ulysses at the court of Alcinous." _ 
 " Are you worshipping at the altar of Vulcan, Caliphro- 
 
204 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 nas ? ^' called out Crispin to the Greek, who stood almost 
 veiled in the clouds of incense. 
 
 " No," said Caliphronas, walking forward in his stately- 
 fashion ; '• I have no love for the swarthy god of the Cyclops. 
 For me, Venus." 
 
 " Pandemos ! " 
 
 " Or Urania, I care not which, provided the goddess is 
 herself," replied the Greek coolly. "Ah, we all worship v 
 those old pagan gods, who were but the incarnation of our 
 own desires. You, Crispin, bow to Apollo ; Mr. ^Maurice, 
 you adore the Muse of Sculpture, of whose name I am igno- 
 rant ; and Justinian loves the supreme Zeus, who gives power 
 and dominion." 
 
 "' And I ? " asked Helena gayly ; " whom do I worship, 
 Andros ? " 
 
 " The inviolate Artemis ! " 
 
 " There's a good deal of truth in what you say," observed 
 Justinian serenely ; " but I should have thought your deity- 
 was Hermes." 
 
 The remark was so pointed that Caliphronas winced, but 
 at once smiled gayly and replied in the same vein, — 
 
 " Venus and Hermes — Love and Trickery ! Well, doubt- 
 less the one helps the other." 
 
 " Such aid is not always effectual," said Justinian signifi- 
 cantly, whereat the Greek shrugged his shoulders, but made 
 no reply. 
 
 "' Well, for my part," observed Helena reflectively, " I do 
 not worship Artemis so much as I do Demeter. There is 
 something grand about the earth goddess who causes the 
 earth to break into the glory of flowers." 
 
 " I think she must have been here," said Maurice, looking 
 round at the profusion of flowers. 
 
 " Ah, these are all my treasures, Maurice. I adore flowers, 
 and there is not a nook in Melnos where I have not hunted 
 for blossoms. Yes, even up to the verge of the snows, 
 where grow tiny saxifragas. Wait till you see our harvest 
 — our vintage — then you will see Mother Demeter in her 
 glory." 
 
 " Do you celebrate those festivals? " 
 
 " Yes," said Justinian quickly ; " I keep up all the old 
 Greek customs, though, of course, I adapt them to the needs 
 of my people. The Bacchanalia of Melnos do not include 
 the debauchery of Athens, nor are the Anthesphoria any- 
 thing more than innocent flower festivals," 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 206 
 
 "In honor of Proserpina," exclaimed Helena gayly. 
 "Crispin, do you remember the Flower Hymn to Demeter 
 you wrote long ago ? " 
 
 " Yes, very well ; but I'm afraid my poems were very bad 
 in those days. Can you remember it ? " 
 
 " Of course; but not in Greek, in English, I translated it 
 myself." 
 
 "Sing it, Helena," said her father, and his request was 
 eagerly seconded by the whole company, especially by 
 Maurice, who was anxious to hear a voice which he was sure 
 would outvie the nightingale. 
 
 Helena clasped her hands round her knees, and, lifting up 
 her face to the stars, began to sing in a clear, sweet voice, 
 which, though entirely untrained, had a trill in it like the 
 liquid notes of a bird. 
 
 " Wild roses red as dawn 
 
 When nymphs awaken, 
 Frail lilies white and wan 
 
 As love forsaken. 
 With primrose pale and daffodil, 
 Forget-me-nots from hidden rill, 
 
 And blossoms shaken 
 By wintry breezes thin and chill, 
 From orchards on the distant hill, 
 With flowerets richer, rarer still, 
 
 From thy breast taken, — 
 
 II. 
 
 " Brave marigolds who in the fields 
 
 Outstay the swallow, 
 Sunflowers whose burning shields 
 
 Do eye Apollo, 
 With pansies dark as honeyed wine, 
 And reeds beloved by Pan divine 
 
 For pipings hollow; 
 Wild olive, laurel, scented pine, 
 All these I offer at thy shrine, 
 If thou wilt smile on me and mine, 
 
 And blessings follow." 
 
 When her sweet voice died away, an emulous nightingale 
 began to sing as if in rivalry, and Helena burst out into girl- 
 ish laughter. 
 
 " Do you like my translation, Crispin ? " 
 
 " It is charming — much better than the words," 
 
206 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 ^- No, indeed ! " said Maurice, who was enchanted with the 
 song and the singer ; " as Wordsworth would say, it is a very 
 pretty piece of paganism." 
 
 " Oh, that faint praise is worse than blame." 
 
 "Well, gentlemen," said Justinian, rising from his seat, " I 
 am going to retire to rest, as I cannot do without my sleep. 
 Old age is not like youth, you know. Helena ! " 
 
 "I am going, father," she cried, springing to her feet. 
 " Good-night, Andros — Crispin ! good-night, Maurice ! " 
 
 " ' Good-night, and sweet dreams be thine/ " murmured 
 Maurice from some poet. 
 
 Their departure was a sign of breaking up, for Caliphronas, 
 not feeling inclined for a conversation with two men he dis- 
 liked so much, went off immediately ; and after they had 
 finished a last pipe, Maurice and Crispin sought their repose. 
 
 " Well," said Crispin, as they parted, " what do you think 
 of Helena?" 
 
 " Think of her ! " echoed Maurice in an indescribable tone. 
 " That she is simply perfection, far above what you told me. 
 If your poetry is not better than your description, Crispin, it 
 must be poor stuff." 
 
 "You are bewitched, Maurice. Beware the spells of 
 Circe." 
 
 " Circe ! No ! she is no malignant enchantress, but a beau- 
 tiful girlish angel." 
 
 " Nausicaa ! " said Crispin gayly, and went off to bed. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 207 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 A MODERN ARCADIA. 
 
 Courage, my poet! 
 
 The age of iron is not yet supreme, 
 
 For youth still throbs in the old veins of Mother Earth, wan and weary 
 with sorrowful centuries. 
 
 Tho' girdled our world by wires multitudinous transmitting the swift mes- 
 sage of electricity ; 
 
 Tho' the straight and curved lines of the railway run parallel along the 
 immensity of continents for the advancement of culture ; 
 
 Tho' ships, steam-driven, even against storms, plough the waters of perilous 
 oceans; — 
 
 Yet somewhere beyond the confines of our selfish civilization 
 
 There lies an Arcadia among the lone mountains, or perchance encircled 
 by tideless seas, 
 
 "Wherein dwell delicate beings who know not ambition or avarice, 
 
 And work but for bread — for bread alone, tempering such toil with singing 
 melodious, and merry pipings at sundown. 
 
 Therefore, courage, my poet ! 
 
 They were early risers in Melnos, for in that invigorating 
 climate it was impossible, even for the most indolent, to lie 
 sluggishly in bed, and the sun was hardly above the eastern 
 horizon before Justinian, his household and guests, were 
 seated at breakfast. Helena was not present, having already 
 gone out in the deliciously fresh morning air on some expe- 
 dition connected with flowers ; so the meal was a strictly 
 masculine one, and the four men made their plans for the 
 day. Crispin and Caliphronas decided to remain at the 
 Acropolis, as they were already well acquainted with the lions 
 of the island, the one to write letters, the other to await 
 the return of Helena, over whose movements he kept watch 
 with all the jealous solicitude of a doubtful lover; and Mau- 
 rice, in company of Justinian, went down to the valley, in 
 order that the Englishman might be shown all the wonders 
 of this unique place. 
 
 The white indoor robes of the previous evening were now 
 discarded in favor of a serviceable costume similar to that 
 worn by the rough Cretan mountaineers, — long boots of 
 brown leather, loose blue trousers thrust therein at the 
 knees, a red sash, white shirt of wool, and blue jackets, 
 together with a flowing capote and hood to cover the head 
 when the sun grew unpleasantly strong. Justinian wore a 
 red fisherman's cap with a gold tassel on his white locks, but 
 Maurice was supplied with a large gray felt sombrero, the 
 
208 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 shade of which was very grateful. The island king looked 
 truly regal in this picturesque dress, with his long gray 
 beard, his sun-tanned skin, tierce black eyes, and reverend 
 locks ; lithe and active as a young man, he carried his burden 
 of sixty-live years with the greatest of ease, and as he walked 
 beside Maurice, with a light springy step, the sculptor began 
 to think that his companion must have discovered the secret 
 of perpetual youth. 
 
 They walked leisurely along the mulberry avenue, in the 
 direction of the entrance to the tunnel, and enjoyed the ex- 
 quisite coolness of the morning, for the sun was not yet over 
 the shoulder of the mountain, and the cup was still in com- 
 parative shadow. Notwithstanding this, however, the air 
 was warm, and balmy with the scent of aromatic herbs, 
 which delightful temperature rather puzzled Maurice, as it 
 did not agree with the marked absence of sunlight for a 
 greater part of the morning, and he mentioned this to 
 Justinian. 
 
 ''Certainly we do not get much of the sun in the morning 
 owing to the mountain," answered the old man, stroking his 
 silver beard ; " but in the middle of the day, and most of the 
 afternoon, his beams are very powerful, for at noon he is 
 right above our heads, and the western side of the Melnos 
 Peak is so low, that until near sunset his rays stream on the 
 valley." 
 
 He pointed to the west, and Maurice saw that the high 
 peaks fell away into a kind of low semicircle, which enabled 
 them, from their position, to catch a glimpse of blue sea and 
 distant island. On each side of this gap, however, the jag- 
 ged summits stood up stern, rigid, and snow-clad against the 
 delicately blue sky, girding the valley at the same height all 
 round, save at the western side before mentioned. 
 
 "Still," said Maurice pertinenth^, ••the sun is still below 
 the eastern side of the mountain, yet the air is quite warm." 
 
 " Cannot the temple to Hephaistos solve the riddle ? " 
 
 "Oh, you mean that the island is volcanic ! " 
 
 " Yes ; this is the crater of an extinct volcano, extinct for 
 thousands of years, for even when the temple was built, the 
 fires must have died out, or its builders could hardl}^ have 
 placed it on the inner side of the crater. It is the volcanic 
 character of Melnos that makes it so warm and fertile. You 
 see the slopes are covered with corn, vine, olive, in profusion, 
 while dates, lemons, orange-trees, citrons, and all such deli- 
 cate plants grow wild without cultivation. This valley is the 
 veritable Horn of Plenty so lauded by the Hellenes." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 209 
 
 "If we are to believe the ancient historians," said Maurice 
 gravely, as he looked at the fertile sides of the mountain so 
 admirably cultivated, "this was also the case with the crater 
 of Vesuvius, yet it proved to be still active." 
 
 " What ! do you think Melnos will break out again ? " 
 observed Justinian, with a shade of thought on his fine face. 
 " Indeed we have earthquakes occasionally, but not much to 
 speak of. I fancy the islands of the north are more of a 
 volcanic centre than these ; still the volcano may break out 
 again — in that case I am afraid all my work will go for 
 nothing." 
 
 " Is this island entirely your work ? " 
 
 "Every bit of it," answered the old man emphatically. 
 " Forty years ago, I came into these waters to look for this 
 extinct volcanic island, of which I had received full informa- 
 tion from a wandering Greek, who knew Melnos well. I 
 duly sighted it, and, having landed, I climbed up to the sum- 
 mit, when I discovered this enchanting valley, also the 
 Temple of Hephaistos still in a tolerably good state of j^res- 
 ervation. I had left England smarting under a sense of 
 injury, from — from — well, it was about a woman; and I 
 swore never to return to it. Always of an uncivilized dispo- 
 sition, I determined to fix my home here, and, being pos- 
 sessed of plenty of money, I bought this island of the 
 Turkish Government at a pretty heavy price. They were 
 anxious for money, especially as it was after the Greek War 
 of Independence, which had emptied the coffers of the Sub- 
 lime Porte ; besides which, the Ottomans did not care about 
 this barren rock, which was of no use to them in any way ; 
 so I bought it, and settled in the old temple, where I have 
 now dwelt for forty long years." 
 
 " But this community — the tunnel ? " 
 
 " All my works ! I have, so to speak, carried out the pro- 
 jects of Goethe's Faust. Ah, you are astonished at ray re- 
 ferring to that, but I am a University man, Mr. Roylands, 
 and have not yet forgotten my learning. Et ego in Arcadia 
 fui, and know the ancient colleges of Cambridge, the oozy 
 Cam, and the delights of a town and gown row." 
 
 " You have had a strange career." 
 
 " A very happy one at all events. It was fortunate my 
 superabundant energy found vent in the direction of making 
 this island blossom like a rose, otherwise I would have re- 
 mained a restless adventurer to the end of my days. I could 
 not settle down to the placid life of an English gentleman ; 
 
210 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 I wanted room to breathe, opportunities for daring, work — 
 gigantic work — to do; and I found them all in Melnos." 
 
 '• You have carried out your self-imposed task nobly," 
 
 "■ I am glad you think so. Yes ; I trust I have been of 
 some use in my generation. And, at all events, I have 
 erected one thoroughly happy, peaceful spot, — a modern 
 Eden, — and that is no easy thing to do in this riotous 
 century." 
 
 '' It is a modern miracle ! " 
 
 And it was little else, seeing that all these gigantic works 
 had been planned and carried out by a solitary human being; 
 for by this time they were at the entrance to the tunnel, and 
 as Maurice looked down the enormous flights of red lime- 
 stone steps, which led to the valley below, he was truly 
 amazed at the engineering science displayed by the man 
 beside him. Flight after flight, now to right, now to left, 
 stretched down the gentle slope of the mountain, and these 
 mighty stairs were all carefully finished with heavy balus- 
 trades of the same material, neatly joined together. At cer- 
 tain platforms, statues of white marble, pedestalled on red 
 blocks, stood up in proud beauty, and, seeing his guest's eyes 
 fixed on these heroic forms, Justinian laughed. 
 
 " I am a bit of an antiquarian, Mr. Roylands," he explained 
 as they descended, " and all over these islands I pay men 
 to dig among ancient ruins for statues, which I do my best to 
 restore, and then place here. This Apollo, for instance," he 
 said, as they paused before a life-sized nude figure holding a 
 lyre, '-was found at Delos and brought to me. True, the 
 Greek Government claim all these things, but I do not see 
 why I should not secure them if possible, and I am sure they 
 look better in this enchanted valley than in some stuffy 
 museum." 
 
 ^[aurice, with sculptor-like enthusiasm, would fain have 
 lingered before this masterpiece of Greek art, but Justinian 
 hurried him impatiently away. 
 
 " You will have plenty of time to look at them again," he 
 said as they resumed their descent, " but at present I have 
 plenty to show you. I am glad you like my staircase." 
 
 "It is wonderful, but I think the tunnel is still more 
 so." 
 
 "Yes; it is a fine piece of engineering," said Justinian 
 complacently. "You see it was impossible to constantly 
 climb up over the peaks, which involved waste of time, and 
 a weary ascent, so I got an engineer from England, supplied 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 211 
 
 kirn with plenty of Greeks, and they finished that tunnel in 
 live years. I am very proud of it, I assure you." 
 " What about the gate in the middle of it ? " 
 '• That is absolutely necessary, not so much now as 
 formerly, but forty years ago the .Egean was very law- 
 less, and the government could not put down the pirates. 
 Of course, hearing a rich Englishman had bought Melnos, 
 these rascals thought it contained all kinds of treasures, and 
 have made frequent assaults on it. Fortunately I have 
 always managed to beat them off. I think the rascals have 
 a wholesome dread of me now," finished the old man grimly. 
 " Now I suppose there is no danger of any attack being 
 
 ITI n n P 
 
 " lam not so sure about that. King George's Government 
 is more feared by these scamps than was King Otho's ; but, 
 though the majority of them have disappeared, there are 
 still some left who would like to storm Melnos." 
 
 " Alcibiades ? " 
 
 " What do you know of Alcibiades ? " asked Justinian 
 sharply. 
 
 " Nothing more than that he is an equivocal character. 
 Caliphronas told me so much." 
 
 " Andros ! Yes, he is far too friendly with that scamp of 
 an Alcibiades, who is an excessively dangerous man. I do 
 not trust Andros, and he knows it ; so, out of sheer anger, 
 he may urge Alcibiades to assault the island. An enemy 
 without, a traitor within — it is very dangerous." 
 
 '^ If you distrust Caliphronas, why don't you turn him 
 out ? " 
 
 " I have no proof against him yet, but I fancy he has 
 some scheme in his mind. Believe me, Mr. Roylands, if you 
 have a stomach for fighting, I fancy there will be plenty of 
 opportunity for you to indulge in it shortly." 
 
 " Oh, as for that, I should like nothing better ? " 
 
 " I like that," said Justinian decisively ; " you are a true 
 Roylands ! " 
 
 '' I trust so. But how do you know the Eoylands are a 
 fighting family ? " 
 
 " All Englishmen fight, more or less," answered Justinian 
 carelessly ; " besides your name is a Norman one, and 
 descendants of William the Conqueror's vassals are always 
 soldiers. Hitherto you have led a quiet and peaceful life, 
 but if we do have an island war, I don't think you will be 
 the last to help me defend my kingdom." 
 
212 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " You can rely on that — nor Crispin either ! '' 
 
 " Oh, Crispin ! " replied Justinian, a trifle disdainfully ; 
 '' he is too much a man of peace to suit my fancy. But here 
 we are at the village." 
 
 ^•By the way, how did you populate this new Eome of 
 yours?" 
 
 " Oh, in the old days I was rather a celebrity in the islands, 
 — a kind of insular Lord Byron, — and of course had my 
 followers. When I settled here, I made all my followers 
 come also, and admitted none but young men. They brought 
 their sweethearts and wives, so gradually the community 
 grew up here. Recruits come from time to time, but I 
 admit none but those who are physically perfect and passably 
 moral. We now number, with women and children, two 
 hundred souls, and you will not find a deformed or lame per- 
 son among the lot." 
 
 " Then you have no old people ? " 
 
 " Oh yes. I am old myself, and many of my followers are 
 of the same age. We were all young men in those days of 
 colonization, but now age has come upon us, as you see. 
 Some of my old comrades have died, but many are well and 
 hearty, thanks to the salubrity of this climate. They are the 
 sages of the village." 
 
 " Local rulers, I suppose ? " 
 
 " No," retorted Justinian, with fiery earnestness ; " there 
 is only one ruler in Melnos — myself." 
 
 They were now walking down the principal street of the 
 village, a broad thoroughfare, running between two rows of 
 red limestone houses, from the foot of the grand staircase to 
 the blue lake, the distance in all being about a quarter of a 
 mile. On each side, between the pathways and the road itself, 
 ran two lines of elm trees, the foliage of which formed a 
 pleasant shade, while the houses, built in a tropical fashion, 
 with wide verandas, were gay with flowers. Helena had evi- 
 dently inoculated her father's subjects with a love for flowers, 
 as on every side the eye was dazzled with a profusion of bright 
 tints. At the lower end of the street was a wide semicircle, 
 facing the lake, and planted with lines of beech, elm, and 
 plane trees, while in the middle of this pleasantness stood a 
 tall pedestal of white marble, bearing a huge bronze Zeus, 
 seated half-draped, with thunderbolt and eagle beside him. 
 Indeed, the statues of gods and goddesses were so frequent, 
 that Maurice began to think his eccentric host, in order to 
 complete his revival of ancient Athens^ had re-established 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 213 
 
 the hierarchy of Olympus, with himself as Pontifex Maximus. 
 
 Evidently his face betrayed his thoughts, for, seeing his eyes 
 ftced on the garlands decorating the base of the statue, the 
 I^ing laughed in an amused manner. 
 
 -' No, no, Mr. Roylands, we are not pagans, in spite of the 
 presence of the gods," he said, with a smile. "Allmy 
 people belong to the Orthodox Church, and we have a priest, 
 a sacred building, and everything necessary for such religion." 
 
 ^' Are you also of the Greek Church ? " 
 
 "No, I am no renegade," replied Justinian haughtily; 
 "but, at the same time, I am not what you would call a 
 Christian." 
 
 •'But I trust your religious principles are not those of 
 Caliphronas ? " 
 
 " No ; I believe in working for the good of others, as you 
 can see. Morally speaking, I am what you call an agnostic, 
 though truly I believe in a supreme power. I erect my altar 
 to TO*' uyvuaiov Geop, Mr. Eoylands, and strive to propitiate 
 him by helping my fellow-creatures." 
 
 The conversation now becoming rather delicate in its 
 trenching on religious beliefs, Maurice turned it dexterously 
 by remarking on the number of mulberry trees. 
 
 " Those are for the silkworms," explained Justinian, strik- 
 ing the trunk of one of these trees with his staff; "we export 
 a great number of cocoons, and do a large trade with the 
 mainland. We also weave silks for ourselves ; the factory is 
 to the right." 
 
 There were a great number of people in the streets, all in 
 a similar dress to their own — that is, the men, for the 
 women were mostly arrayed in the graceful Greek dress of 
 the Cretans, which consisted of full white trousers reaching 
 to the ankle, brightly colored tunics, embroidered jackets, 
 gaudy handkerchiefs twisted round the head, and long white 
 veils, though the latter were but assumed for festive occa- 
 sions. Both men and women were very fine-looking, with 
 oval faces, olive skins, somewhat pointed chins, and aquiline 
 noses, and their gait was remarkably graceful, with the 
 stately bearing of a free race. The adults all saluted Jus- 
 tinian respectfully, and he acknowledged their greetings 
 with haughty condescension, although he unbent somewhat 
 towards the children, who crowded round him with cries of 
 " Kalli imera Kyrion ! " 
 
 " You are as populous as a hive of bees," said Maurice, as 
 they walked down to the lake ; " soon the island will be too 
 small." 
 
214 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 "Not for many years I hope and trust," answered Jus- 
 tinian, casting a look round at the now sunny sides of thi 
 mountain, which encircled them like a cup. " There is 
 plenty of room 3"et; for my colony, in spite of its forty years, 
 is only yet in its infancy. Lots of room yonder for dwell- 
 ings ; the soil is fertile, and affords plenty of food, and as :o 
 necessaries from the outside world, we export olives, cocoons, 
 silks, wine, and dittany, receiving in return what we require 
 from more advanced civilization." 
 
 " Dittany ! what is that ? " 
 
 " I am afraid you don't know your Virgil, Mr. Roylar.ds. 
 Dittany is an herb of rare medicinal power, which is found 
 in Crete, and also in Melnos. It is excellent for illness of 
 all kinds, especially fevers, and is as valued now as it was in 
 the days of Pliny. Plenty of it up in the mountain yonder, 
 as the goats are very fond of it." 
 
 " Have you goats ? " 
 
 " Of course ! and also sheep, though I am afraid the goats 
 are the more numerous. Indeed, I have imported here some 
 of the rare Cretan breed — a kind of ibex, which grows to a 
 great size. These, of course, I will not allow to be killed ; 
 but for food we have plenty of the smaller wild goats, such 
 as exist in many places in Greece, particularly on the sum- 
 mits of Olympus. You probably forget we had goat's flesh 
 for supper last night." 
 
 "And the lake, sir?" 
 
 "Artificial purely." 
 
 " Sea-water ? " 
 
 " Oh dear no. The level of this valley is considerably 
 above that of the sea. I should be sorry were it otherwise, 
 as, were it lower, we might run a chance of being swamped 
 by the influx of waters. I am sure Alcibiades and his friends 
 would be delighted to drown us like rats if they could. This 
 lake comes from the snows yonder." 
 
 " The snows ? " 
 
 " Precisely. I have had a reservoir constructed far below 
 the snow-line, and a shoot into it from the summit of the 
 mountain. At certain intervals I send men up, who detach 
 great masses of snow and send them down the shoot into the 
 reservoir. Tliere the heat of the sun soon melts them to 
 water, and from thence the water is taken down to the 
 lake." 
 
 "But water always rises to its own level." 
 
 " Hence you think my valley should be an entire lake ; but 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 215 
 
 there is no danger of such a catastrophe happening, as my 
 reservoir is filled in a purely artificial manner, and I take 
 ca.re to keep it within bounds. The pipes also down to this 
 lale are contrived so as to regulate the influx of water, there- 
 fore there is no fear of a flood. Now you must come and 
 see the theatre." 
 
 " The theatre ! Have you playwrights and actors here ? " 
 
 ''Our playwrights date from old Hellenic days, and are 
 called ^schylus, Sophocles, and Euripides; the actors are 
 my Greeks. " Sometimes Crispin writes us a play bearing on 
 local events, which he satirizes after the style of Aristo- 
 phanic comedy — at least he did so when he lived here, but 
 since his departure we have fallen back on Hellas for our 
 plays.'' 
 
 " How often do you give performances ? " 
 
 " Only once a year, at the vintage feast. Oh, we follow 
 old customs closely here, and I hope to show you a veritable 
 Dionysiade before you leave us. We have a three days' fes- 
 tival of simple mirth, without any of the coarse elements 
 which were introduced by the later Hellenes. The first day 
 we have the vintage festival, the second our plays, and on 
 the third there are Olympian games." 
 
 " With what prizes ? " 
 
 " As of yore, the laurel wreath. I am particularly anx- 
 ious to keep up these games, as it makes my Greeks athletes, 
 and hardens them by muscular exercises, else in this lotus- 
 eating valley they would be apt to become indolent, and 
 then where would Melnos be without brave men to defend 
 her ? " 
 
 " You are a perfect Spartan ! " 
 
 " I believe in the Spartan training to a great extent, but I 
 do not think the body should be trained exclusively and the 
 mind neglected; therefore I have the tragedies performed 
 which were unknown to Sparta. The Spartans were a fine 
 nation of materialists." 
 
 " You are right ! " said Maurice earnestly ; " one should 
 never let the material nature overpower the spiritual." 
 
 " You speak warmly." 
 
 "As I was taught. My mother was a religious woman, 
 and trained me carefully. One cannot rid one's self of 
 youthful teachings; we may forget them for a time, but 
 they always force themselves before the mind sooner or 
 later." 
 
 '^ Kot always. I also was taught as you, but forty years 
 
216 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 of solitude — comparative solitude — and pondering have 
 turned me into what I am — an agnostic. So your mother 
 was a good woman ? is she alive ? " 
 
 " No ; she died many years ago." 
 
 " And your father ? " 
 
 " Is also dead. I am an orphan. No relations in the world 
 — at least, none I care about." 
 
 Justinian gazed at the young man as if he would read his 
 very soul, then, turning away with a half-suppressed sigh, 
 entered the theatre. 
 
 It was modelled on that of Athens, — a large semicircle 
 hewn out of the volcanic rock, with seats of the red lime- 
 stone so frequent in Melnos. The stage faced the mountain, 
 and had an altar beautifully sculptured in front of it, and 
 life-sized statues of Dionysius and Phoebus on either side. 
 
 " This is our Temple of Thespis," said Justinian, as they 
 stood in the centre of the semicircle, which was at a moderate 
 distance from the stage. " You see it is not very large, and 
 suitable to the size of the island and the number of popula- 
 tion ; so, as the actors can easily be seen, we need neither 
 cothurnus nor mask. Our plays, I am afraid, are not so 
 gigantic as those of ancient Hellas ; but there is one advan- 
 tage, the face is seen, and the Greeks are wonderfully expres- 
 sive in revealing their feelings by the countenance." 
 
 <'A11 Melnos seems to be built of this red stone." 
 
 " Yes ; I get it from the cliffs of the island. The tint is 
 pleasing, and warms up the landscape. I am sorry we can- 
 not see the ocean from the theatre, as I am very fond of the 
 sea ; but, shut in by this circle of mountains, of course that 
 is impossible. Now we must go and see the silk factory." 
 
 After they had gone through this thoroughly, — for Jus- 
 tinian insisted upon Maurice taking notice of every detail, — 
 the King showed him some hot springs just outside the vil- 
 lage, which bubbled up from the earth, amid rugged blocks 
 of black lava, streaked fantastically with sulphur. 
 
 " These springs are full of medicinal properties, which are 
 useful for the cure of many diseases," he said, as they 
 watched the light clouds of steam rising ; " but we of Melnos 
 are so healthy, that we rarely use them. Plenty of work, 
 plenty of physical exercise, careful attention to births, and 
 fresh air and water in abundance, keep the whole population 
 in splendid health. It is a case of quality, not quantity." 
 
 ^' Have you any poets, painters, sculptors ? " 
 
 "Not yet. True, sometimes rude songs are made, and 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 217 
 
 rude pictures painted, but I am afraid centuries of slavery 
 have crushed all the creative power out of the Hellenic race. 
 However, they are free here, and have a city of refuge in this 
 island; so, in the future, who knows but what Melnos may 
 become a second Attica, and have her Plato, her Sophocles, 
 her Phidias!" 
 
 " It will take years to develop all that genius," said Mau- 
 rice, as they once more began to climb up the staircase. 
 
 " I am afraid so. And I dread who may come after me. 
 I am old, and cannot live long ; so when I die, unless my suc- 
 cessor is actuated by the same desire to found a miniature 
 Attica, as I have been, he may turn this place into a nest of 
 robbers, in which case, I am afraid, King George's Govern- 
 ment would interfere, and the aspirations of Melnos to revive 
 Hellenic culture would be at an end." 
 
 " Who is to be your successor ? " 
 
 " Tlmt I do not know. True, I have a daughter, but it 
 needs a man to manage my Greeks. I took Crispin and 
 Andros, in order to train them up as my heirs, but Crispin 
 has become wealthy, and prefers to live in England ; while 
 Andros, or, as he now calls himself, Caliphronas, is nothing 
 but a scamp. If he succeeded me, all my work would go for 
 nothing. He would be a tyrant, a robber, a selfish seeker 
 after pleasure, who would destroy the simplicity of Melnos, 
 break all my laws, and transform it into a nest of crim- 
 inals." 
 
 " Surely you have some clever men among your people ? " 
 
 " Clever to serve, but bad to rule. None of them have the 
 administrative power required for even so small a community 
 as this. No ; to succeed me, I must have an Englishman. 
 We are a dominating race, fit to rule ; and a glance round 
 the world will show you our colonizing capabilities. By a 
 cool head and a firm hand, I have transformed a barren island 
 into a centre of prosperity ; and if my successors only follow 
 my policy, in a few hundred years, this little unknown island 
 may become the centre of a great intellectual power. The 
 Athenians, you know, were small in number, yet see the intel- 
 lectual effect they produced in the world's history. These 
 Greeks of mine are descendants of the ancient Hellenes, and 
 the spark of genius, nearly trampled out by centuries of 
 Turkish misrule, is still within them. Place a plant in the 
 dark, and it grows not ; give it plenty of air and sunlight, 
 and first the green leaves appear, then the bud, lastly the 
 flower. These are my green leaves, which I have placed in 
 
218 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 the light; and let them be tended and looked after, who 
 knows but what a glorious flower may be produced." 
 
 " It is a splendid — dream ! " 
 
 " A dream which may yet turn out truth," answered Jus- 
 tinian, with energy. " See how well I have prepared the 
 ground. My people here are physically perfect ; their moral- 
 ity is much above what is to be found in the islands of the 
 ^gean. I have taught them to love work and loathe idle- 
 ness. The island they dwell in contains all the beauties of 
 nature in a small space. ' Infinite riches in a little room,' 
 to quote Marlowe. They are starting fairly under my guid- 
 ance, and they will develop, as their prototypes of Athens, 
 into a keen, cultured, intellectual race, who may give this 
 modern world as splendid gifts of genius as did their fathers 
 of old. But the plant needs fostering, and I, the gardener, 
 alas ! am growing old ; so when I die, who will attend to this 
 delicate flower of artificiality. What I want is to find a suc- 
 cessor who will do as I have done." 
 
 "He will be difficult to find." 
 
 " I fear so ; unless " — 
 
 Here Justinian paused abruptly, and walked rapidly along 
 the mulberry avenue, in which they were now. Maurice 
 waited to hear him speak, but he said nothing until he stood 
 under the graceful Corinthian capitals of the temple pillars, 
 when he suddenly came to a full stop, and looked at Maurice 
 keenly. 
 
 " Mr. Kovlands, do you know what I think ? " 
 
 "No, sir." 
 
 " That it would be an excellent thing for you to give up 
 your country-gentleman life in England, and come here." 
 
 " But for what reason ? " 
 
 "To be my successor." 
 
 Maurice stared at him in open-mouthed astonishment, but 
 in another moment Justinian vanished. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 219 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 A DIFFICULT QUESTION. 
 
 If you this question strange decide, 
 
 This way, that way, at your pleasure, 
 
 It surely cannot be denied, 
 
 If you this question strange decide, 
 
 That Fate's prerogative's defied, 
 
 And thus may grudge your self-won treasure. 
 
 If you this question strange decide. 
 
 This way, that way, at your pleasure. 
 
 Certainly Maurice felt in a somewhat embarrassing posi- 
 tion, on hearing of Justinian's offer to instal him as future 
 King of Melnos, and he hardly knew what decision to make 
 in the matter. At present the affair was so unexpected and 
 bewildering that he hardly grasped the fact of its reality, 
 and remained where he was, leaning against a pillar, won- 
 dering if he was asleep or awake. He had come to an un- 
 known island of the ^gean Sea, and therein had beheld a 
 miniature civilization of a most unique character, which in 
 itself by its very fancifulness was enough to unsettle his 
 calm reasoning powers, wlien lo ! the man who had created 
 this vision of dead classicism proposed to bestow it on him 
 as a gift. There was something singularly tempting in this 
 offer, especially to a man of Roylands' artistic temperament ; 
 for here, in this sea-girt island, he could lead a life of dreamy 
 seclusion, and work at his art amid these rejuvenated Hel- 
 lenic times, which breathed all the serenity and calm neces- 
 sary to foster the craving soul of genius. In the riotous 
 modern world of England he had often felt like an alien, 
 and his work, imbued with modernisms, seemed feeble and 
 meretricious after those masterpieces of Greek art which 
 still remain to remind us of the supremacy of Attic sculptors 
 in delineating the human figure. Devoted to his art, had 
 Maurice been asked by some fairy to name his desire, he 
 would certainly have demanded to be placed in kindred cir- 
 cumstances, calm, untroubled, serene, to those masterly 
 Athenian creators who adorned the Parthenon with god-like 
 forms. Lo! without the intervention of an unseen power, 
 his wish had been unexpectedly gratified, yet, now that the 
 boon long dreamed of was gratified, he hesitated as to the 
 advisability of accepting it. 
 
220 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 It was difficult for him to make up his mind, from the 
 very contrast of the two existences which lay before him, 
 either of which he could begin from that moment, by a mere 
 acceptance of the one or the other. On the one hand was the 
 turbulent nineteenth century, full of invention, discovery, 
 feverishness, anguish, ambition, like a terrible yet fascinating 
 dream, which involved the straining of every nerve to attain 
 a thankless end; and on the other hand were years of quiet- 
 ness, of dwelling in a modern paradise under a serene sky, 
 with all the incentives to awaken and foster his artistic soul, 
 a reconstruction of that calm Attic existence which seemed 
 so far off and mist-like beyond the stormy waters of mediseval- 
 ism and modern restlessness. Maurice, always impression- 
 able to his surroundings, felt as did the Ulyssean sailors in 
 the lotus-land, when they were loath to leave the drowsy 
 island for fruitless toilings on the main ; he thought this 
 serene existence of Melnos, unvexed by the tumults of nations, 
 was perfect : yet the ambitious spirit of the nineteenth-cen- 
 tury interest in his being called out to him to come forward 
 and take his place in the fierce fight for fame, for gold, for 
 bread, which vexed the world of to-day. Peace or war — for 
 social war it was in this modern struggle for existence — he 
 did not know which to choose, and, leaning against that relic 
 of the old classic times, when earth was young, fresh, and 
 joyous, he dreamily pondered over the choice offered to him. 
 
 Had Keats, that born Greek, been offered the chance of 
 dwelling in this Hellenic Elysium, how eagerly would lie 
 have accepted, and revelled in the serenity of the life, like 
 one of his own young deities, who live so joyously in his 
 delicate verse. Perhaps Heine, longing for the infinite 
 charm of the antique on his mattress-grave in the Rue 
 d' Amsterdam, might have accepted with joy this opportu- 
 nity to dwell in the placid Greek world he loved so well, and 
 of which he sang so mournfully, so exquisitely. But no ! — 
 Heine, bitter, dual soul as he was, had too much of Judaism 
 in his soul to accept gladly a serene existence, unflavored by 
 that bitter irony, those pen and ink wars, those modern 
 sophistries in v/hich his spirit deliglited. Keats — yes ! for 
 he was a born Hellene. Heine — no ! for the genius of the 
 Jew fought ever with the genius of the Greek to master his 
 soul, and his irony, his orientalism, his Shiraz roses, and 
 blue Ganges, would have rendered him restless even under 
 the changeless blue of the Attic skies, amid the divine 
 beauty of serene Hellenic art. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 221 
 
 Maurice was neither Keats nor Heine, yet partook of the 
 nature of both. He was not a genius, having just escaped 
 the fatal gift of artistic supremacy, still, he had a strong 
 craving for the beautiful, a wish to create, a desire to know ; 
 but in his soul the blind craving of Keats for Beauty and 
 Truth was marred by that fatal scepticism which blighted 
 the genius of Heine. He had the faith of the one, the doubt 
 of the other, and, drawn strongly either way by these oppos- 
 ing forces, paused irresolutely between the two. First he 
 would accept and live the old Hellenic life, then he would 
 refuse, lest such life should lack the sharp, salt flavor of 
 modern existence. An ass between two bundles of hay was 
 Maurice, but, unlike that animal, he knew that each bundle 
 contained what the other lacked, and, greedy of both, doubt- 
 ful of both, afraid of both, he was quite unable to make up 
 his extremely unstable mind. 
 
 A man in such an embarrassing position always makes up 
 his otherwise wavering mind to one thing, and that is, to 
 ask advice, though in nine cases out of ten he never means 
 to take it when given. Maurice was not sure if he would 
 accept advice, yet nevertheless went to seek Crispin, in 
 order to lay the matter before him, and ask what he thought 
 was the best course for him to pursue. Crispin was wise, 
 Crispin was friendly, and, moreover, had tried both the an- 
 cient and the modern modes of existence, as his youth had 
 been spent in Melnos, his early manhood in civilized Europe ; 
 so surely Crispin, with a knowledge of both sides of the 
 question, was the best to decide for the one or the other. 
 
 All the morning Crispin had been hard at work on a for- 
 midable-looking epistle to Eunice, in which he told all his 
 perils and adventures, the departure from Southampton, the 
 voyage down the Mediterranean, the wreck of The Eunice, 
 and their safe arrival at Melnos. In addition to this narra- 
 tive, worthy of Marco Polo at his best, he related the com- 
 forts in which he and Maurice were now dwelling, in order 
 to set the mind of that gentleman's friends at rest : but, with 
 considerable craft, the wily poet did not put in any words of 
 loverly affection, as he knew well the Hon. Mrs. Dengelton 
 would read the letter before giving it to her submissive 
 daughter. 
 
 In order to circumvent his future mother-in-law, Crispin 
 intended to Avrite a separate letter to Eunice, full of his pas- 
 sion, and then slip it into an epistle by Maurice, whom he 
 intended to get to write to the Kector. Mr. Carriston was a 
 
222 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 friend to the lovers, and would doubtless be able to deliver 
 the letter unseen by the dragon ; thus Mrs. Dengelton would 
 be thwarted should she try to destroy Eunice's affection 
 for the poet by keeping back his letters. 
 
 Near Crispin sat Gurt, at the open window, chewing the 
 quid of reflection, and looking excessively dismal, as he 
 found this semi-classical existence somewhat dull, and more- 
 over, true seaman as he was, viewed a prolonged sojourn on 
 land with much disgust. He brightened up, however, wlien 
 Maurice came in, and twisted his forelock in approved fore- 
 castle fashion with a scrape of his foot. 
 
 '' Which I ses t' this 'ere gent," growled Gurt in his rau- 
 cous voice, " ' w'ere is he ? ' meanin' you, sir, and Mr. Cris- 
 pin ses he, 'Oh, he's gone down t' valley,' so ses I, 'He'll 
 see the crew,' and ses he, ' It's werry likely.' " 
 
 ''I'm very sorry, Gurt," said Maurice in some dismay, 
 "but the fact is, I've been exploring the village with Justin- 
 ian, and quite forgot to see after our mariners." 
 
 "I wish you had done so, Maurice," said Crispin in a 
 vexed tone, looking up from his writing ; " the poor fellows 
 will think we have forgotten all about them." 
 
 "Oh, we will go down this afternoon," replied Maurice 
 hastily. " I've no doubt they are all right down there. Lots 
 of food and liquor and pretty girls ! eh, Gurt ? " 
 
 Crispin laughed and stroked his chin thoughtfully, while a 
 gleam of humor shone in the solitary eye of the mariner. 
 
 " I seed," said Gurt, addressing no one in particular, " as 
 light a little craft as I ever clapped eyes on, gents. Her 
 deck lights raked me fore and aft, they did." 
 
 " Justinian will rake you fore and aft," observed Crispin 
 dryly, " especially if you make eyes at his womankind. 
 This is a virtuous island, Gurt." 
 
 " Well, sir, I ain't a-goin' agin' it, sir," growled Gurt 
 reproachfully. "I care nothin' for the petticoats, I don't. 
 Now if it was Dick, now " — here the old sinner cast up his 
 eyes, as if unable to guess at Dick's enormities. 
 
 " Oh, that is the smart young boatswain," said Maurice 
 quickly. " I'm glad he is all right. Why don't you go 
 down and see him, Gurt ? " 
 
 "Beggin' your pardon, gents both, but I dunno the bearin's 
 of this 'ere island." 
 
 " Go along the mulberry avenue," said Crispin, as Gurt 
 waited for an explanation, " and when you come to a flight 
 of steps near the tunnel, go down them. When you're 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 22o 
 
 in the village, you'll soon find out your comrades, and tell 
 them Mr. Roy lands and myself will come down to see them 
 this afternoon." 
 
 '•Right y' are, sir," answered the seaman, going to the 
 door with another nautical salutation. " I don't want Dick 
 a.-comin' up here to cast anchor aside my little craft." 
 
 " You've begun early, Gurt," observed Maurice, taking a 
 seat. '-' What is the name of your little craft ? " 
 
 " Zoe, sir ; she's maid to Miss Helena." 
 
 " Well, you can go away with a contented heart, Gurt," 
 said Crispin, laughing. " Dick won't see her if he comes here 
 in your absence. She's gone up the mountain with her 
 mistress." 
 
 " Right y' are, sir," said Gurt again, all of him except his 
 head behind the curtains of the doorway. " I don't trust 
 Dick. He's a fly-away chap, gents both, and a deal sight too 
 handsome for my idea, sirs." 
 
 The head vanished, and Crispin laughed uproariously. 
 
 " That mahogany image is jealous, Maurice," he said, throw- 
 ing himself back in his chair. " Behold the power of love ! 
 Why, Zoe wouldn't look at him ; and if that good-looking 
 young bo'swain comes on the scene, I'm afraid old Cyclops' 
 chance will be but a poor one." 
 
 " Zoe's gone up the mountain with Helena ? " 
 
 " Yes ; on some llower-gathering expedition. They have 
 been absent some hours, so Caliphronas has gone to look for 
 them." 
 
 " Confound his impudence ! " 
 
 " Why, you are as jealous of the mistress as Cyclops is of 
 the maid ! However, you need not be afraid, for Helena 
 hates our Greek friend, and I shrewdly suspect she has taken 
 an uncommon liking to you." 
 
 ''Nonsense!" 
 
 " It's a fact, I assure you. Love in her eyes sits playing, 
 so if you love her, and she loves you, no power can cut your 
 love in two." 
 
 '^ Except Caliphronas." 
 
 " Yes, he is rather in the way ; but I've no doubt Justinian 
 will settle him. By the way, where is Justinian ? " 
 
 " He left me at the steps, after making me a most extraor- 
 dinary proposal." 
 
 " Indeed ! and this proposal ? " 
 
 " I'll tell you all about it shortly. What are you doing ? " 
 
 " Writing to Eunice. This/^ laying his hand on the letter, 
 
224 THE ISLAND OF FANTASV. 
 
 " is a proper epistle which might be' published to all the 
 world, and is prepared especially for the pacification of my 
 dear mother-in-law that is to be. I, however, want you to 
 write to our mutual friend, Mr. Carriston, and enclose a note 
 of mine meant for the eyes of Eunice alone. The Rector is 
 our friend, and will manage to give it to her unknown to 
 Mrs. Dengelton." 
 
 " Oh, I will write with the greatest of pleasure, and en- 
 close your letter. Besides, I wish to ask the Rector's advice 
 on a very important matter." 
 
 *' I can guess what that important matter is," said Crispin 
 gayly ; " but why not ask my advice ? " 
 
 " I am going to, in a few minutes. By the way, to revert 
 to the letters, how are you going to gQt them posted ? " 
 
 "Oh, Justinian has a felucca laden with currants, silks, 
 and what not, going to Syra to-morrow, — Syra, you know, 
 is the great mercantile station of the Cyclades, — and these 
 letters will go in charge of the skipper. From S3'ra they will 
 easily go to England by the French packet, via Marseilles." 
 
 " Have you any other letters to write — I mean about the 
 shipwreck ? " 
 
 " Of course ; I have written to my solicitors, telling them 
 all about the wreck, and instructing them to see the insur- 
 ance people; but I suppose nothing can be done till I go 
 back to town myself, and take all the survivors with me. 
 They, I suppose, will have to give all kinds of evidence 
 about the smash-up of The Eunice before the insurance 
 money will be paid." 
 
 "What about Martin's relations and the dead sailors' ? " 
 
 " I am writing about that also. By the way, Maurice, we 
 must get Justinian this afternoon to take his men and go 
 down to the sea-shore to look after the bodies of those poor 
 fellows. It seems horribly heartless of us talking and laugh- 
 ing like we did last night, when so many human beings ha\ne 
 lost their lives." 
 
 " It does rather, Crispin ; but if we had mourned it would 
 not have made much difference. Hang it ! that sounds 
 rather cruel. Crispin, I am afraid a semi-barbaric life is 
 making me heartless." 
 
 The poet said nothing, but, with a sad expression on his 
 face, stared at the table. It did seem heartless for them 
 both to be light-hearted and merry when Martin and the ma- 
 jority of his brave crew had gone to the bottom ; but there 
 was some excuse, for they themselves had narrowly escaped 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 225 
 
 a similar fate, and that in itself was enough to make them 
 buoyant. After all, the dead are dead, and crying will not 
 bring them back ; but both the Englishmen determined to 
 search for the bodies that very afternoon, and give them 
 Christian burial, which was the only thing they could really 
 do for their lost comrades. 
 
 " What about those sailors ? " asked Maurice, suddenly 
 looking up. 
 
 " Oh, they must remain here until we can find some chance 
 of sending them to Syra. In fact, I'm not sure if I won't 
 tell my agents to send me out another yacht to replace The 
 Eunice, and then they can all ship on board of her." 
 
 " You extravagant fellow ; another yacht ! Even twelve 
 thousand a year will not stand such reckless use of money." 
 
 " Oh, I won't lose anything," replied Crispin cheerfully. 
 " I am not too much of a poet to neglect business, and The 
 Eunice was heavily insured. When the money is paid by 
 the underwriters, as it must be on my return to England, it 
 will go a long way towards the purchase of another boat." 
 
 " So much for the buying ; but can you trust your agents 
 to get you a yacht as good as the one you have lost ? " 
 
 " Perhaps not in an ordinary case, but fortunately the twin 
 ship to The Eunice is in the market, and resembles her in all 
 respects. That was a few months ago, so if she is still to be 
 had, I will instruct Danton & Slabe to purchase her on my 
 behalf, and send her to the Piraeus. Then, when we are tired 
 of Melnos, we can cross over to the mainland, and have a 
 cruise up the Black Sea before returning to England." 
 
 "That does not sound as if you were anxious to see 
 Eunice," said Maurice dryly. 
 
 " I will be very glad to see Eunice again," answered Cris- 
 pin, reddening slightly ; " but the fact is, I have a small 
 scheme in my head to get Eunice and her mother, in com- 
 pany with Mr. Carriston, to come out to Athens in my new 
 yacht." 
 
 " But with what idea ? " 
 
 " Well," said Crispin, looking down, " the fact is, Maurice, 
 I do not trust your aunt." 
 
 " As to that, I don^t blame you," answered that lady's affec- 
 tionate nephew quietly. 
 
 " If she sees a better match for Eunice than I am," re- 
 sumed Crispin calmly, "she will force the poor child into a 
 marriage, and give me the go-by. Mind you, Maurice, I love 
 Eunice dearly, and in my eyes she is nearly perfect, but I 
 
226 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 cannot conceal from myself that she has a somewhat weak 
 nature, and is dominated by her terrible mother. Once she 
 is my wife, and away from that influence, she will learn to 
 be more self-reliant, and less biassed by other people. Now, 
 I see perfectly well that there is going to be trouble here 
 about Caliphronas." 
 
 '' I agree with you there. Caliphronas evidently wants to 
 marry Helena, who does not like him ; and, moreover, Jus- 
 tinian refuses to favor the marriage in any marked degree, 
 so Caliphronas is just the kind of sneaking scamp to go 
 over to Alcibiades, and, if possible, make trouble." 
 
 " If that is the case, we are here for some time, and as I 
 see you take the same view of it as I do, you must per- 
 ceive that we are here for some months. If, then, I am 
 away from England all that time, Mrs. Dengelton will cer- 
 tainly try to persuade Eunice that I will not come back, and 
 marry her to some one else. However, if I can get Eunice 
 out here, I think I can trump Mrs. Dengelton's best trick. 
 Do you think, if I instruct my agents about the yacht, and 
 write to Mrs. Dengelton and the Rector, that the}' will come 
 out to Athens ? " 
 
 '' As to that, I am not sure," replied Maurice slowly, " but 
 I trust so, with all my heart, as I wish to ask the Rector's 
 advice." 
 
 " So you mentioned before, and promised to ask mine. I 
 will be delighted to give it to you, so tell me what is the 
 matter. Helena ? " 
 
 '' Partly." 
 
 " Hum ! Caliphronas ? " 
 
 " Partly." 
 
 " Ho, ho ! and Justinian ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 "A very pretty trinitv," said Crispin, lighting a cigarette. 
 " Well, what's to do ? " " 
 
 Maurice tilted his chair back against the wall, and followed 
 Crispin's example with regard to tobacco, and prepared for 
 a long talk on — to him — a serious subject, viz. the settle- 
 ment of his future life in one way or the other. 
 
 " First of all," said Maurice slowly, " I have been all over 
 the village with Justinian, and I cannot tell you how amazed 
 I am. That such a community, that such great works, should 
 owe their origin to one man, is, I think, a miracle. This 
 dream of Justinian's regarding a new Hellas may or may not 
 come to pass, but he has certainly laid the foundations of a 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 227 
 
 small independent state in a wonderfully judicious manner. 
 What his real name is, I, of course, do not know, but the one 
 he has taken certainly suits him admirably ; he is a Justinian 
 — a born law-giver, and his system meets all the require- 
 ments of this simple community. As he says himself, so 
 long as he is at the helm, things will go on all right, but 
 should he die — which at his age is not unlikely — the success 
 or failure of this infant intellectual state depends on his 
 successor. A wise, clear-headed man will carry out the 
 scheme to a successful issue; but a hot-tempered, selfish 
 ruler would doom the whole thing to destruction. Justinian 
 told me that he had brought up both you and Caliphronas as 
 his successors ; but as to yourself, you went in search of fame 
 and love in England, and severed yourself entirely from his 
 island community." 
 
 " I did not know Justinian desired me to succeed him," 
 said Crispin in a tone of wonderment ; " but even had I 
 known, I hardly think things would have gone differently. I 
 am a poet, not a ruler ; and Napoleons are made of stronger 
 stuff than mere bards piping their idle song, and letting the 
 world go by. No ; Justinian never hinted at such a thing ; 
 and I always thought that he favored Caliphronas as the heir 
 to his island throne." 
 
 " Caliphronas ! " echoed Maurice in a tone of deep disdain. 
 " No ; Justinian is too keen a judge of character to mis- 
 take our Greek goose for a swan. He told me himself that 
 he does not trust Caliphronas, and more than suspects him 
 of having an understanding with that rascal Alcibiades 
 regarding the capture of Melnos." 
 
 " The deuce ! " 
 
 " Yes ; you may well be astonished ; but, from what I 
 have seen of Caliphronas, I believe it is quite likely to hap- 
 pen, the more so as this handsome Greek's vanity will receive 
 a severe blow when he is refused — as he certainly will be — 
 by Helena. Well, you can see that Justinian will not have 
 Caliphronas to succeed him on his island throne, so, you two 
 candidates for the purple being thus disposed of " — 
 
 " Yes ? " asked Crispin curiously, as Roylands hesitated. 
 
 " He wants me to ascend the throne when vacant." 
 
 " You ? " 
 
 " Myself ! Are you not astonished ? " 
 
 Crispin twirled his cigarette in his fingers, looked thought- 
 fully at the red tip as if consulting it as an oracle, and then 
 made slow reply. 
 
228 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 '• Yes, and no. Justinian evidently sees in you a clear- 
 headed man, who would carry out his scheme if you honor- 
 ably promised to do so. He is English, you are English, and 
 he trusts none but his own countrymen, so I cannot say that 
 his offer to make you his successor startles me very much." 
 
 " But, my dear Crispin, granted I have these capabilities 
 you so kindly gift me with, of which I am doubtful, Justin- 
 ian has only known me two days, and a clever man as he is 
 could scarcely come to a conclusion so quickly." 
 
 "Justinian is a good judge of character, and can tell the 
 nature of a man in five minutes, where you or I would take 
 five years in the search. Besides," added the poet, with 
 an imperceptible smile, " he may have another and stronger 
 reason." 
 
 " You mean Helena, I suppose ? " 
 
 Now^ Crispin did not mean Helena at all ; but as what he 
 did allude to was not his own secret, he let Maurice believe 
 that his supposition regarding Helena was the right one. 
 
 " Well, yes ; I suppose Helena is a reason." 
 
 " Do you think he would let me marry her ? " asked Maurice 
 breathlessly. 
 
 " I am certain he would," answered Crispin, looking straight 
 at his companion ; " quite positive. But you — what about 
 yourself ? " 
 
 " I love her dearly." 
 
 " Two days' acquaintance — you love her dearly ! Is that 
 not rather sharp work ? " 
 
 '• Two days ! " echoed Maurice contemptuously. " I have 
 known her longer than that. I fell in love with her por- 
 trait, as you know, and resolved, if she had the qualities I 
 thought she had from her face, I would marry her. From 
 what I have seen of her, I am certain she has those qualities, 
 and would make me a good wife, provided always she con- 
 sents to marry me. Beautiful, pure, charming, simplicity 
 itself; oh, my friend, she is indeed a prize I may think 
 myself lucky in winning ! " 
 
 " When a man is in love," said Crispin intensively, "it is 
 no use reasoning with him ; and, as regards Helena, I quite 
 approve of all you say. She will make j'OU an admirable 
 wife ; but, think to yourself, how will this uncultured, simple 
 girl look beside the cultured ladies of England ? " 
 
 " That is the very point about which I desire to ask your 
 and the Rector's advice," said Maurice eagerly. " Will I 
 marry Helena, and accept the post of governing this island ? 
 or will I marry Helena, and go back to Roylands ? " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 229 
 
 " In any case, I see it is ' marry Helena,' " rejoined his 
 companion dryly ; " but really 1 hardly know what to say. 
 Life here is charming and indolent. You like charm and 
 indolence, so why not stay here ? On the other hand, you 
 have your ancestral acres, your position in the world, to think 
 of, and if you value these more than a life in this delightful 
 Castle of Indolence — well, go back." 
 
 '•' I don't know what to do." 
 
 "Well, I have given you my advice, and, as is usual in 
 such cases, you will not take it." 
 
 •^ It is such a difficult question." 
 
 " Granted ! but you will have to decide one way or the 
 other shortly. One thing is certain, that it would be benefi- 
 cial to your art." 
 
 " That is true enough." 
 
 " After all," said Crispin seductively, " what better life 
 can you desire ? A ready-made kingdom, small and com- 
 pact — a delightful climate — obedient subjects — a lotus- 
 eating existence — and Helena ! " 
 
 " It is delightful — but duty ? " 
 
 " Oh ! " cried Crispin, shrugging his shoulders, " of course, 
 if you are going to invoke that bogie, I have nothing further 
 to say. Ask the Eector." 
 
 " What do you think he will say ? " 
 
 Crispin burst out laughing, and, sauntering to the window, 
 threw his burnt-out cigarette into the green grass beyond. 
 
 " Did ever any one hear such a man ? My dear fellow, I 
 cannot tell you what the Rector will say. He is an ardent 
 Hellenist, with his Aristophanic studies, and may say, ' Stay, 
 by all means ! ' On the other hand, he is an English Church 
 clergyman, with strong opinions as to the absenteeism of 
 landlords, and the duties they owe their tenants, in which 
 case he will certainly make you come back. But in either 
 event you will have your dear Helena." 
 
 " I'm not so sure of that, Crispin. If I refuse Justinian's 
 request, he may refuse me Helena." 
 
 " Certainly ; that is not impossible," replied Crispin, re- 
 turning to his writing. "However, I will write to my agents 
 about the yacht, to Mrs. Dengelton and the Rector about 
 their joining us at Athens. At my invitation the Rector 
 may not come, at yours he will." 
 
 u Why ? " 
 
 ^* Because you, my dear, simple old Maurice, are the apple 
 of his eye; and if you write him on the question of your 
 
230 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 staying here, he will certainly hurry out at once, so as to see 
 for himself how matters stand, and advise you for the best." 
 
 " Will you write as you intend ? and I will also send a 
 letter to Carriston." 
 
 "Don't forget to enclose mine," said Crispin warningly. 
 " Remember you are to that extent responsible for my wooing 
 with Eunice. Will j^ou write your letter now ? " 
 
 A delicious burst of girlish laughter sounded from the 
 court. 
 
 '^ Helena ! " cried Maurice, rising up so quickly as to upset 
 his chair. 
 
 " Go away ! go away ! " said Crispin resignedly ; " no chance 
 of your writing now with that sound in your ears. But, as 
 the boat does not go till to-morrow, you can have a holiday 
 with Helena this afternoon ; therefore, go away." 
 
 '•' Caliphronas is with her," said Maurice, hesitating. 
 
 " And has been all the morning. Faint heart never won 
 fair lady, so if you don't oust your rival, I am afraid she will 
 be married by him under your nose." 
 
 " I'm hanged if she will ! " cried Maurice angrily. 
 
 There was a second burst of laughter, upon which Crispin, 
 with raised eyebrows, shrugged his shoulders, pointed to the 
 door, and resumed his writing. 
 
 Maurice paused irresolutely, looked at the poet, and then 
 darted out of the door like a swallow, to find Helena stand- 
 ing alone in the court, with her arms full of flowers. 
 
 " I have been flower-hunting on the mountains," said 
 Helena graciously ; " and this wild rose is for you." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 231 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 CAPTAIN ALCIBIADES. 
 
 Sir! there are three degrees of robbery, 
 
 With different names, but meanings similar: 
 
 For he who does his thievish work liimself 
 
 Is but a common foot-pad! quite unfit 
 
 To mix in gentlemen's society. 
 
 A bandit, brigand, robber chief, is he 
 
 Who has a dozen men or so to rule, 
 
 And steals your daughter, burns your tenement, 
 
 Or holds you prisoner till a ransom's paid. 
 
 But he who, having armies at command, 
 
 Robs brother monarchs of their territories, 
 
 Is called a conqueror, because he thieves 
 
 Upon a large and comprehensive scale. 
 
 Thief, brigand, conqueror! believe me, sir, 
 
 The size o' the theft is all the difference ; 
 
 For, call them what you please, they're criminals. 
 
 Justinian, having ascertained all particulars about the 
 wreck of The Eunice the previous day, had sent a number 
 of men to look after the bodies of those unfortunates who 
 had been cast up on the beach of Melnos, and now, in com- 
 pany with the three young men, and the surviving sailors, 
 went to the sea-shore in order to give the corpses decent 
 burial. Conducted by a body of his Greeks, bearing torches, 
 he went down through the tunnel, and speedily arrived at the 
 outer entrance, from which a sandy beach sloped down to 
 the harbor. Not that it was exactly a harbor, but Justinian 
 had aided Nature to form one, by erecting a breakwater 
 from the end of a jutting promontory, which breakwater, 
 built of huge undressed stones, ran out in a curve into the 
 tideless sea, and thus embraced a calm pool of water, which 
 sufficiently protected ships at anchorage. Beyond, the ocean 
 at times was rough enough, and at stormy seasons dashed its 
 white waves over the rocky mole, but within that charmed 
 circle there was no danger, and the smallest boat was as safe 
 there as it would have been on the serene waters of a moun- 
 tain lake. This was the work of the English engineer who 
 had planned and carried out the piercing of the tunnel, and 
 Maurice could not withhold his admiration at the perfection 
 of the whole scheme, for without this breakwater it would 
 have been impossible for any sized craft to cast anchor off 
 the craggy coast of the island. 
 
232 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 '•'■ I have two harbors of this kind," said Justinian, as they 
 looked at the small boats, feluccas, and caiques which filled 
 the pool ; " one you see, the other is on the opposite side of 
 the island. As it faces to the west, of course it suffers more 
 from storms than this one, but I built it in order to facilitate 
 escape in time of trouble should the tunnel be taken by 
 assault." 
 
 "I hardly understand." 
 
 "There are only two ways of getting into the interior of 
 Melnos. The one is by this tunnel, the other is a pass which 
 cuts through the western side of the mountain where it falls 
 away in a semicircle, as I showed you. Owing to the height 
 of the peaks around, their ruggedness, their being covered 
 all the year round with snow, it is impossible for any out- 
 side enemy to climb over them. This tunnel and the west- 
 ern pass are the only modes of ingress and egress, as I have 
 explained. Should this tunnel therefore be forced, and we 
 find ourselves unable to defend the island, all we have to do 
 is to retreat through the pass I told you of, down to the har- 
 bor on the other side, where there are plenty of boats ready 
 to take us to a place of safety. Of course I trust in the 
 courage of my Greeks, and the difficulties an enemy would 
 encounter in capturing the tunnel, so I hardly exj)ect such a 
 contingency as flight by the western pass would occur ; still, 
 it is always as well to be prepared for emergencies." 
 
 "You have thought of everything," said Maurice admir- 
 ingly. 
 
 " Danger sharpens a man's wits," replied Justinian coolly ; 
 " and when I first came to Melnos, I was surrounded on all 
 sides b}^ rascals of the Alcibiades type." 
 
 "Alcibiades is only a smuggler," observed Caliphronas, 
 who was listening to this discourse. 
 
 " Alcibiades is whatever pays him best," retorted the king 
 in great ire ; " it is only fear of King George's Government 
 that keeps him from hoisting the black flag, and making 
 these islands of the ..^gean a nest of iniquity. I believe you 
 are a filibuster at heart yourself, Andros." 
 
 The Greek laughed consciously, but did not contradict the 
 old man. 
 
 " I am like Alcibiades, sir," he said at length, " and go in 
 for what pays me best — Mr. Maurice there knows my senti- 
 ments regarding life:" 
 
 "I do ; and very bad sentiments they are ! " 
 
 " I wonder what you would say to the views of Alcibia- 
 des!" 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 233 
 
 " He may carry his views more into practice than you do/' 
 retorted Maurice warmly, '' but I defy them to be worse." 
 
 Justinian laughed at the blunt way in which Maurice 
 spoke, so Caliphronas, having his own reasons for keeping a 
 fair face to the old man, discreetly held his peace, and they 
 all trudged along the beach, towards the place where the 
 bodies of the ill-fated sailors lay. 
 
 The mast of The Eunice was still above water, but the 
 yacht herself lay far below the blue sea, where she would 
 probably remain until there remained nothing of her save the 
 engines, which would of course defy time and the ocean, 
 until between them these mighty destroyers rusted them 
 to nothing. From the position in which she lay, and the 
 general calmness of the water, it is probable the yacht 
 could have been set afloat again ; but the Greeks of the 
 Cyclades have not sufficient energy for such a task, and the 
 underwriters would no doubt rather pay the insurance money 
 than waste more in an attempt to raise the wreck from the 
 depths below. 
 
 Twelve bodies had been thrown up by the sea, but the 
 rest of the crew — with the exception of the ten sailors, in- 
 cluding Gurt — were buried deep in the ocean. Far up in 
 a sheltered nook, under the red cliffs, twelve graves had been 
 dug in the soft sand, and in these were the ill-fated seamen 
 laid.^ Martin's body was not among them, and it doubtless 
 lay in a sailor's grave nigh the island, encircled by sand, 
 seaweed, and many-colored shells. The funeral ceremony 
 did not take long, but, as Justinian refused the office, 
 Maurice undertook the task of chaplain, and, with a voice 
 full of emotion, read the beautiful burial service of the 
 Church of England over the remains of the dead sailors, 
 which were then covered up, and roughly-made wooden 
 crosses placed at the head of each humble grave, with the 
 name of each and date of death carved thereon. All those 
 present stood bareheaded during the ceremony, even the 
 Melnosians, who were gentlemen enough not to offend the 
 prejudices of the strangers wrecked on their rugged shores. 
 Everything having thus been done, in order to show 
 respect to the dead, Justinian and his party returned to the 
 entrance of the tunnel, and Dick, the smart young boatswain 
 before mentioned, attached himself to Maurice, for whom he 
 had a great admiration. Dick had received an education 
 much above that of the average British tar, and Maurice 
 found him a very companionable fellow, but one who bore a 
 
234 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 great hatred for Caliplironas, as he seemed to think the 
 lively Greek was the cause of all the misfortunes Avhich had 
 overtaken The Eunice. 
 
 " A kind of Jonah, sir ! " said Dick in a whisper, for Cal- 
 iphronas was walking just ahead of them with Justinian ; 
 " if we'd a-chucked him overboard, I don't believe the boat 
 would have gone ashore." 
 
 " Come, Dick, you cannot say the Count had anything to 
 do with the storm." 
 
 " Well, I don't know, sir," replied Dick doubtfully, " but 
 I don't believe in him one bit. Why, sir, he cut that rope 
 on purpose ! " 
 
 " I know he did ! " 
 
 " D — n him ! " muttered the boatswain in a tone of sup- 
 pressed rage ; " why don't you have it out with him, sir ? " 
 
 " I can't very well, Dick. Doubtless he cut that rope, as 
 you say, on purpose ; but he was so overcome by terror that 
 he might not have known what he was doing." 
 
 " He's a coward, sir — a miserable cowara ! and he wasn't 
 overcome so much by terror, as not to save his own life. 
 How long do we stop here, sir ? " 
 
 " I can hardly tell you. Mr. Crispin has sent to England 
 for a new yacht, which will proceed to Athens, I expect 
 we will be here at least a month." 
 
 " Lord bless you, sir, I don't mind ! It's a jolly sort of 
 place, though I can't say I like their sour wine, but the girls 
 are pretty." 
 
 " Dick, Dick, you are too inflammable ! Take care you 
 don't get into trouble over these women. Greeks are jealous, 
 you know ! " 
 
 Dick grinned, as much as to say he considered jealousy of 
 little moment where a pretty woman was concerned, and 
 then asked Maurice a question which made that gentleman 
 laugh heartily. 
 
 '' You don't happen to know a girl here called Zoe, sir ? " 
 
 " Oh, Gurt has been speaking about her," said Roylands 
 with a smile; "she is Miss Helena's maid, and Gurt has laid 
 his heart at her feet." 
 
 " She won't have anything to say to a battered old hulk 
 like that, sir." 
 
 "Perhaps you think a tight young craft like you would 
 succeed better. Now, Dick, you behave yourself. I've no 
 doubt all the girls in the island are in love with you, so leave 
 Gurt's ewe lamb alone." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 235 
 
 "Oh, I'm not going to poach on Gurt's preserves, sir," 
 said Dick apologetically ; " but the way lie brags about Zoe 
 is sickening, and I want to have a look at her. She must be 
 the beauty of the island." 
 
 Maurice had his own opinion as to who was the beauty of 
 the island, but, of course, did not impart such information to 
 Dick, who, after respectfully saluting, fell back among his 
 brother sailors, and began to tease the one-eyed Gurt about 
 Zoe, a proceeding which had but little effect on that hardened 
 mariner. 
 
 The boat which was going to Syra that day was now lying 
 in the harbor ready to start, and Justinian went on board to 
 give some final orders to her captain, while Crispin also 
 accompanied him, in order to place his bundle of letters in 
 charge of the skipper. He had told Justinian about his pro- 
 posed purchase of another yacht, a proceeding of which the 
 astute ancient much approved, as, if any of the anticipated 
 troubles came to pass, the yacht would be useful to bring 
 soldiers from Syra to aid him in defending the island. 
 
 ''Your sailors can stay here until the new boat comes out," 
 said Justinian thoughtfully; "for if Caliphrouas, as you call 
 him, plays the traitor, we will require as many men as we 
 can to defend ourselves." 
 
 " But Alcibiades has not an army." 
 
 " Alcibiades knows all the scum of the Levant, and I have 
 no doubt can get a few hundred scamps together. They have 
 no fear of the Government, for if they stormed and took 
 Melnos, after plundering the island, they would only have to 
 dissolve again among the population in order to escape. No 
 one could accuse them of their teacup war." 
 
 " But have we weapons for our men ? " asked Crispin, 
 with considerable trepidation. 
 
 Justinian smiled grimly. 
 
 " When we go back to the Acropolis, I will show you my 
 armory. I have plenty of guns and pistols of the most modern 
 construction, and many of my Greeks are good shots too. 
 Oh, I haven't neglected the useful for the ornamental, I 
 assure you. What are you looking at ? " 
 
 "Alcibiades." 
 
 " Alcibiades ! " cried Justinian, with a roar like a lion, 
 looking towards the shore, where a number of men were 
 standing, among them a heavy-looking fellow talking eagerly 
 to Caliphronas. "So it is. I wonder what brings the rascal 
 here ! I must get him away from Melnos at once. Crispin, 
 Boy lands, get into the boat — there is no time to lose ! " 
 
236 THE ISLAND OF FAXTASY. 
 
 The active old man rapidly delivered his final orders to 
 Captain Georgios, and then hastily scrambled down to the 
 boat, followed by the two young men. They were speedily 
 pulled ashore, and Justinian, springing on to the rocks, strode 
 up with a frowning face to the group surrounding Alcibiades 
 and Caliphronas, pushing the men on either side with haughty 
 roughness. 
 
 "Xow, then, Captain Alcibiades, what do you want at 
 Melnos ? " 
 
 Maurice looked curiously at this celebrated individual, of 
 whom he had heard so much, and beheld a squat, heavily- 
 built man, with fiery eyes, an evil countenance, and a long 
 black beard. He was clad in the usual dress of Greek sailors, 
 consisting of rough blue trousers and jacket, boots of un- 
 tanned leather, a red shirt, and a tasselled cap of the same 
 color. To mark his rank, however, he wore a handsome 
 gold-embroidered belt round his waist, in which were placed 
 a rusty-looking knife and a brace of pistols. This, then, was 
 the renowned Captain Kidd of these waters, who, had he 
 lived fifty years earlier, would have been a declared pirate, 
 but who now, owing to the establishment of Xew Hellas, 
 had to carry on his rascally calling under the pious guise of 
 smuggling and peaceful trading. With his rough dress, his 
 squat figure, his tangled black beard, he formed a great con- 
 trast to the slender form of Caliphronas, with his clean- 
 shaven face and dandy costume of an Albanian Palikar. Yet, 
 in spite of the difference in good looks, the two men had the 
 same cunning expression in their shifty eyes, and there was 
 but little doubt that the rough blackguardism of the one was 
 only refined into the astute scoundrelism of the other. 
 
 '^ Well, Alcibiades ! " demanded Justinian, imperiously 
 stamping his foot ; " what do you want with me ? " 
 
 "Kyrion Justinian," said the smuggler in a cringing man- 
 ner, " I but landed here to see you and the Kyrion Andros 
 about a cargo of wine I wish to obtain for Crete. I will 
 pay you a good price for it, as the grapes of Melnos are 
 much thought of at Khanea." 
 
 Justinian, on receiving this diplomatic answer, ran his 
 fingers thoughtfully through his silver beard, and pondered 
 as to what answer to give. He was never averse to turning 
 an honest penny by trading, and he knew Alcibiades would 
 pay a good price, as the wine of Melnos was much liked by 
 the Cretans on account of its resinous taste, for the insular 
 Greeks do not as a rule preserve their vintage in this way, 
 which is peculiar to the mainland. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 237 
 
 " How much do you want ? " he said abruptly. 
 
 "Two hundred skins," replied Alcibiades glibly; and 
 named what he considered a fair price. 
 
 "Do you think I desire to make you a present of the 
 wine ? " retorted Justinian scornfully. " Double your offer." 
 
 " Kyrion ! impossible ! " cried Alcibiades, throwing up his 
 hands with a look of dismay on his crafty-looking face. 
 
 " You won't get it for less." 
 
 Alcibiades cast a stealthy look at Caliphronas, and consid- 
 ered a few moments. 
 
 " Etfendi, I will do it," he replied, with the air of one 
 who has made a great sacrifice ; " but I will be ruined — yes, 
 ruined ! " 
 
 Justinian nodded curtly, and, turning on his heel, went 
 towards the tunnel, followed by all. Maurice, of course, had 
 not understood a word of the preceding conversation, con- 
 ducted as it was in Greek ; and even Crispin found the 
 speech of Alcibiades a little difficult at times, as that pirati- 
 cal individual was in the habit of mixing up his own tongue 
 with Turkish, French, Italian, and sometimes a scrap of 
 English. 
 
 "Crispin, walk with me — I wish to speak to you," said 
 Justinian ; and, the poet having obeyed this command, 
 Maurice was left in the congenial company of Alcibiades and 
 the Count. 
 
 Captain Alcibiades kept casting curious glances at Mau- 
 rice, for Caliphronas had told him about this rich Englishman, 
 and the agreeable old pirate was wondering, in his guileless 
 way, if it would not be possible to kidnap this wealthy for- 
 eigner, and hold him in his own little rocky island until 
 such time as his relatives paid a good ransom. Alcibiades 
 was a genuine brigand of the t3"pe described by M. About, 
 and, but that he had fallen on evil times of peace and quiet- 
 ness, would doubtless have risen to high rank in his adored 
 profession. With a view to satisfying himself personally as 
 to the wealth of this traveller, Alcibiades, guessing Maurice 
 did not know Greek, spoke to him in French, with which 
 Maurice was sufficiently well acquainted to enable him to 
 hold an interesting conversation with this accomplished 
 cut-throat." 
 
 " Monsieur is staying here ? " asked Alcibiades, blinking 
 his little eyes. 
 
 " For a time — yes \ " 
 
 "Aha ! Monsieur is the friend of my dear Andros, so to 
 
238 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 myself he is also a dear friend. I lay myself at your feet, 
 monsieur." 
 
 "Very kind of you," retorted Maurice, who was not at all 
 pleased by the implied friendship. 
 
 " Monsieur is rich ?" 
 
 " Wliat's that to do with you ? " 
 
 "Eh, my faith I do not be angry, monsieur. All English- 
 men are rich." 
 
 " That is a common delusion with you foreigners. All 
 Englishmen are not rich." 
 
 Alcibiades shrugged his shoulders and spread out his hands 
 in the French fashion. 
 
 " Monsieur is disposed to be witty." 
 
 By this time they had arrived at the entrance to the tun- 
 nel, and Justinian who had been in earnest conversation with 
 Crispin, turned round sharply to Alcibiades. 
 
 " You will wait here," he said imperiously. 
 
 " Will not my men come up in order to carry down the 
 wine ? " said Alcibiades, looking as black as thunder at this 
 peremptory order. 
 
 " No. I will send my men down with it, and you can pay 
 the money to Andros here." 
 
 "But, Effendi" — 
 
 " Enough ! I have spoken ! " 
 
 " Holy St. Elmo ! you will not let me visit your island ? " 
 
 "No farther than this," retorted Justinian significantly. 
 " You know the proverb, Captain Alcibiades, — ^ 111 to him 
 who shows his treasure freely.' " 
 
 He turned his back on the baffled cut-throat, and ascended 
 the stairs, followed by his own men, while Alcibiades and 
 his ruffians remained below, evidently mad with anger at 
 having admittance refused them. Rumor said Melnos was 
 full of treasure, and the crafty smuggler wanted to convince 
 himself of the truth of this with his own eyes, so the prohi- 
 bition against passing the palisade made him very wrathful. 
 The king, however, paid no attention to his black looks, but 
 resumed his journey, with Crispin and Maurice on either 
 side of him. Caliphronas, on the weak pretext of asking 
 Alcibiades some question about the wine, remained behind, 
 a fact which was at once noted by the lynx-eyed Justinian. 
 
 " Traitor ! " he growled in his deep voice, stroking his 
 beard, as was his habit when angered ; "the fox to the fox. 
 Ah, well I know those two rascals are hatching plots against 
 me." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 239 
 
 "If you think so, why do you want Caliphronas to ffo with 
 Alcibiades ? " x- & 
 
 "Cannot you see, Crispin. You will never make a diplo- 
 matist. I will tell Koylaiids here, and I am sure he will 
 discover my reason. Roylands, I am going to deliver this 
 wine to Alcibiades, although I know he does not want it " 
 
 " Why does he buy it then ? " 
 _ "Because he thought it would be a good pretext to get 
 into Melnos and spy out the weak points of our defence. 
 Oh, i know this is so, else he would not have given me my 
 price so freely. I knew his plan the moment he agreed to 
 give me what I asked, which was a very large price, and one 
 wiiich no honest trader could afford to give. Andros also 
 knows of this scheme. Can you guess how I found that 
 out I 
 
 " Yes ; because Alcibiades, looked at Caliphronas before 
 agreeing to your price.'' 
 
 "Exactly ! " said Justinian, with great satisfaction. " Roy- 
 lands is quicker than you, my dear Crispin. When I refused 
 to sell him the wme unless at my own price, that look to 
 Andros was one of inquiry, and the answer was, ' Give him 
 what he asks, or you will not see the interior of Melnos ' 
 Ihe rascals ! I know their scheme, and will baffle them " 
 
 "let with all this, you propose to send Caliphronas on a 
 trip with Alcibiades, when they will be able to brino- their 
 plot to a head," said Crispin impatiently. '^ 
 
 "Blind, blind, my poet! You forget" Andros has not yet 
 made up his mind on which side to be. If I give him 
 Helena, and make him my successor, he will betray Alcibi- 
 ades as readily as he would betray me if I refused Well 
 the only way to meet treachery is ''by treachery, so I intend 
 to lead Andros to believe that I will do what he wishes, and 
 yill then send him to cruise about with Alcibiades, quite 
 devoted to my interest. Alcibiades, thinking Andros is on 
 his side, will tell him all about his plans, the number of his 
 army and when he proposes to assault the island, all of 
 which my good Andros will repeat to me. Once I have that 
 information, Andros will find out that I neither trust nor like 
 him, and that he will have neither my child nor my island " 
 On hearing this treacherous scheme, Justinian fell in the 
 estimation of Maurice, who, true Englishman as he was, 
 hked everything to be done openly; whereas this Greco- 
 Briton partook more of Ulyssean craft than honest, fair 
 nghting. ' 
 
240 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 " Punic faith," he said at length, not knowing quite what 
 remark to make. 
 
 "Punic faith with Punic neighbors," retorted Justinian as 
 they paused at the gate. " If I don't baffle Andros by turn- 
 ing his own weapons against him, the chances are that he 
 will side with Alcibiades, and one fine day Melnos will be 
 attacked unawares, and we will all have our throats cut." 
 
 " Still, your mode of defeating Caliphronas is hardly Eng- 
 lish." 
 
 '' My good sir," said the old man, with quiet irony, 
 "Englishmen in their time have had to do just such under- 
 hand work. You forget Lord Clive and his false treaty with 
 the Hindoo Omichund, which bound that slippery rascal to 
 the British interest at the time of the battle of Plassy. It 
 promised him everything before the battle, and gave him 
 nothing after it. That is Punic faith, and is necessary in 
 such cases. Straightforward honesty doesn't pay in these 
 waters." 
 
 '' Well, do what you think best, sir," replied Maurice, who 
 saw Justinian was right. '• It's a case of ' When Greek meets 
 Greek," I suppose." . 
 
 " ' Then comes the tug of war,' " finished Crispin gayly. 
 " My dear Maurice, you will be happier in the actual battle 
 than in all the statecraft which leads to it." 
 
 "I hope my statecraft will avert the struggle," said 
 Justinian sombrely ; " but with an enemy like Andros to 
 deal with, I fear for the worst." 
 
 '• What are you waiting for here ?•" asked Maurice, seeing 
 they still lingered at the gate. 
 
 "For Andros," replied Justinian quietly. "I alone pos- 
 sess the key, and the gate is never left unlocked. Ah, here 
 is my Carthaginian. Now, you two gentlemen, go on, and 
 leave me to Andros and my Punic faith." 
 
 Maurice and the poet, followed by all the English sailors, 
 entered the gate and resumed their ascent, while the wily 
 Justinian waited with an inscrutable face to entrap the 
 equally wily Caliphronas, who this time, however, had found 
 his master in treachery. 
 
 " What do you think of Justinian, Maurice ? " asked 
 Crispin, when they were once more in the open air, stand- 
 ing at the head of the staircase, and watching the sailors 
 descending to the village below. 
 
 " To speak frankly, I like Justinian." 
 
 " In spite of his Punic faith ? " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 241 
 
 " As for that," replied Maurice, coloring a little, " neces- 
 sity knows no law ; and Caliphronas is such a consummate 
 scoundrel, that I can hardly blame Justinian for trying to 
 beat him with his own weapons." 
 
 "Justinian is a serpent of wisdom," said the poet reflect- 
 ively, taking off his sombrero. " You can have no idea how 
 dexterously he manages these slippery Greeks. They have 
 a wholesome respect for him, as they well may have, seeing 
 that not one of them has ever yet had the better of the King 
 of ]\Ielnos." 
 
 " You used to speak bitterly of Justinian yourself, Crispin. 
 Are your opinions changed ? " 
 
 " Yes ; I must admit they have changed, and for the bet- 
 ter. What you told me the other day about Justinian de- 
 siring me for his successor has opened my eyes. It was a 
 fear of losing me that made him refuse to tell me my real 
 name, for he thought I would forsake him and go back to 
 my kinsfolk." 
 
 " Well, you have certainly forsaken him." 
 
 " Yes ; but I don't think he regrets it, as he sees I am not 
 made of the stuff necessary to rule this colony of serpents ; 
 so now he has no further reason to keep me in the dark, and 
 will, I feel sure, tell me what I wish to know before we 
 leave Melnos." 
 
 "But you said Justinian thought you were not brave 
 enough." 
 
 " So he did ! so he does ! But I fancy I am indebted to 
 my dear friend the Count for that. In all our expeditions 
 with Alcibiades, Justinian was absent, so he could not have 
 personally seen me fighting, and I can only think that Cal- 
 iphronas, to oust me out of the possible throne, told this 
 about me." 
 
 " I am sure you are not a coward," said Maurice warmly. 
 
 "No, I don't think I am," replied Crispin equably. "I 
 fancy if Justinian had seen the storm he would have changed 
 his opinion about Caliphronas ; but, as to myself, I hope yet 
 to right myself in the eyes of the old man. I am glad you 
 have such a good opinion of me, Maurice." 
 
 " My dear fellow," cried Koylands, grasping him by the 
 hand, " I have the best possible opinion of you in every way, 
 and always had ! " 
 
 "Even when I was a mystery ? " 
 
 " Yes ; though I own you were puzzling at times. But 
 you are a coward in one way, Crispin." 
 
242 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 The poet flashed redly, and Maurice hastened to finish his 
 sentence. 
 
 " In the presence of Mrs. Dengelton." 
 
 ^' He would be a bold man who felt no fear in the presence 
 of that lady," answered Crispin, liis face clearing again. " But 
 here comes Caliphronas with a smiling face." 
 
 '' A sign that Justinian has succeeded." 
 
 The Greek advanced towards them with a merry laugh, 
 and looked triumphantly at Maurice, who bore his insolent 
 self-complacency with wonderful composure. 
 
 " I will not see you two gentlemen for a few days," he 
 said gayly. " I am going on a cruise with Alcibiades." 
 
 " More piracy ? " 
 
 '' Perhaps," answered Caliphronas mysteriously. " Good- 
 by for the present. I must go down to look after the wine, 
 and if you go back to the Acropolis, tell Helena I will see 
 her before 1 go." 
 
 With a jeering look at Maurice the duped scoundrel sprang 
 down the steps, his snowy fustanella fluttering in the breeze, 
 and he glittered down the descent like a brilliant falling 
 star. 
 
 " You fool I " said a voice behind them, and they turned to 
 behold Justinian with a complacent smile on his face. 
 
 '' Well, you hav^e succeeded, sir," observed Maurice 
 doubtfully. 
 
 " I have. Caliphronas thinks he has it all his own way. 
 I see you don't yet like my tactics." 
 
 " Well, sir "— 
 
 " Tush ! " replied Justinian coolly. " Punic foes — Punic 
 faith!" 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 243 
 
 \ ' 
 \ 
 
 CHAPTEK XXII. 
 
 THE APPLE OF DISCORD. 
 
 A woman caused the fall of man, 
 
 A woman caused the fall of Troy ; 
 
 An apple both these woes began, 
 
 Which brought beneath pale Sorrow's ban 
 
 All earthly joy. 
 
 For Eve was fair, and Helen fair. 
 Each wrought destruction by her face ; 
 They captured hearts in beauty's snare, 
 And made mankind the burden bear 
 Of their disgrace. 
 
 To-day the story we repeat : 
 
 A woman wins or loses all ; 
 
 She plucks the fruit for us to eat, 
 
 We taste and find the apples sweet, 
 
 And then we fall. 
 
 The ill-fated Eunice had been wrecked about the middle 
 of August, and it was now nearly the end of September, 
 close on the celebration of the vintage feast, which Justinian 
 determined to celebrate with great splendor, so as to gratify 
 Maurice with an accurate representation of the ancient 
 Dionysia of Athens. 
 
 Crispin for the moment had resumed his old occupation of 
 playwright, and had furbished up one of his old dramas, not 
 having the time to write an absolutely new one. In this 
 play both Caliphronas and Helena were to take part, and the 
 author himself, like a modern ^schylus, acted as stage 
 manager, drilling the chorus, arranging the scenery, attend- 
 ing to the music, and coaching the principal actors in their 
 parts. The people of Melnos were also busily preparing for 
 the vintage feast of the first day, and for the Olympian 
 games of the third ; but amid all these peaceful occupations 
 Justinian kept a watchful eye on Caliphronas, and neglected 
 nothing that might guard the island against a sudden assault 
 
 erans:. 
 
 by Captain Alcibiades and his 5c..xg,. 
 
 Completely deceived by the manner of the Demarch, which 
 was Justinian's local title among his people, Caliphronas, 
 now assured both of Helena and Melnos, eagerly entered into 
 the plans of the cunning old man, and, on returning from 
 a week's cruise with Alcibiades, revealed a wide-stretching 
 
244 THE ISLAND OF FANTAST. 
 
 conspiracy among the Levantine Greeks for the capture of 
 Melnos. Far and wide Alcibiades with great art had in- 
 stilled a belief into the minds of all the idlers, vagabonds, 
 and scamps of the ^-Egean, that jNlelnos contained immense 
 treasures, and weekly, leaders of bands of men repaired to 
 Alcibiades' rocky little island to receive instructions as to 
 how their plans were to be carried out. Of course, the wily 
 old pirate was the leader, and arranged all his schemes in the 
 most dexterous manner, for he gave his commands to those 
 chief men ^vho came to see him, and they, returning to their 
 own islands, communicated such orders to their own follow- 
 ers. By this means Alcibiades had collected quite an army, 
 all eager for plunder, and they had arranged among them- 
 selves to attack Melnos, either by the tunnel or the western 
 pass, at the first convenient opportunity. 
 
 It may seem strange in the eyes of civilized people that 
 such a conspiracy should be planned and carried out under 
 the very nose of the Greek Government, but all the opera- 
 tions were conducted with great caution ; the different por- 
 tions of the proposed army were scattered piecemeal over 
 the islands of the ^gean, so there was really nothing to 
 arouse the suspicion of the authorities that any revolutionary 
 movement w^as in course of formation. Besides, Melnos 
 being in the extreme south of the Archipelago and close to 
 Crete, that home of Turkish misrule, any local disturbance 
 would be taken comparatively little notice of, as such distur- 
 bances were quite common ; so it seemed as though Alcibiades 
 and his brother scamps were going to have things all their 
 own way. Once they captured and plundered Melnos, they 
 had no fear of the future, as, once they dissolved into small 
 companies and returned to their own islands, it would be 
 quite impossible for the Greek Government, even if they did 
 interfere, to punish a body of men which to all appearances 
 had no existence. 
 
 The plans of Alcibiades were very simple, for, having 
 arranged with the leaders of the several bodies of men that 
 they would join in his schemes, he commanded that they 
 should all meet on his own island on a certain day, — as yet 
 unfixed, — when in the aggregate they would number quite 
 three hundred men, and could thus storm ]Melnos, which 
 could only be defended, as they knew, by two hundred, 
 inclusive of women. In fact, the population of Justinian's 
 island capable of bearing arms, even including the English 
 sailors and his guests, scarcely numbered more than one 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 245 
 
 hundred and twenty men ; so when the fiery old Englishman 
 heard from Caliphronas of the strength of the enemy, he saw 
 t^at the danger was indeed serious. _ 
 
 Melnos, however, was strongly fortified against the inroads 
 of these ill-armed pirates, for the tunnel, defended by its 
 palisade, could hardly be forced if held by a small body of 
 resolute men, and the western pass was commanded by two 
 pieces of ordnance, one on either side, which would sweep 
 down the stormers by the score should they attempt to carry 
 this natural entrance by assault. As to the rest of the 
 island, it was quite impossible for the marauders to climb 
 over the rugged, snow-clad peaks ; so what with his cannon, 
 defences, arms of the most modern construction, and his 
 resolute men, Justinian felt that he could defy Captain 
 Alcibiades and his ill-armed crew. ^ ^ 
 
 The old Demarch still permitted Caliphronas to remain m 
 his fool's paradise, as matters were in a delicate position, 
 and he resolved to wait until after the three days' festival 
 before coming to a perfect understanding with the treacher- 
 ous Greek. Caliphronas, therefore, regarding himself as en- 
 tirely favored by fortune, became almost unbearable in his 
 insolence, and had not Maurice known the real facts of the 
 case, a serious quarrel would certainly have taken place be- 
 tween them. As it was, however, the young Englishman 
 saw that the Greek was completely duped by his false pros- 
 perity, and would almost have pitied his blind confidence _m 
 his good fortunes, had not the arrogance, insolence, and spite 
 of the Count inspired him with the utmost contempt. 
 
 Caliphronas, indeed, was hated by every one in the island : 
 by the common people, owing to the haughtiness and scorn 
 he invariably displayed towards them ; by the English sailors, 
 who thought him a coward, and had never forgiven his 
 treachery on the night of the wreck, which had cost their 
 captain his life ; and by all the inmates of the Acropolis, 
 who despised this brilliant butterfly heartily. Quite un- 
 aware of the delicate ground on which he was treading, Cal- 
 iphronas, in his gorgeous Albanian costume, swaggered about 
 the place in a most offensive manner, and quite assumed the 
 demeanor of a despot, much to the amusement of Justinian, 
 who chuckled grimly as he saw the blind confidence of the 
 Greek. However, it was the calm before the storm, and 
 everything went along smoothly enough, save for an occa- 
 sional outbreak between Maurice and the Count about 
 Helena, who was a veritable apple of discord between these 
 fiery young men. 
 
246 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 Helena herself disliked Caliphronas intensely, as she was 
 only too well aware of the mean, petty soul contained m 
 that splendid body, and his outward beauty had no effect 
 upon her, knowing as she did what a truly despicable wretch 
 the man was. His admiration for her was purely a sensual 
 one, for he knew nothing about true, pure love, and all he 
 wanted was to have this lovely woman to himself, to be his 
 mistress and slave. Doubtless this was the same animal 
 passion as was cherished by Paris, son of Priam, for that 
 other Helen, whose beauty could scarcely have been greater 
 than that of her namesake of Melnos ; and Caliphronas as 
 his Trojan prototype was inspired by no purer deity than 
 Venus Pandemos. When the Count paid her compliments, 
 Helena shuddered, so instinctively did her virginal soul feel 
 the impurity of this persistent suitor, and treated him with 
 marked coldness, much to the anger of Caliphronas, who com- 
 plained bitterly to Justinian of the scorn with which his 
 advances were met. 
 
 " My good Andros," said Justinian one day, when he had 
 been inveighing against the caprices of women, "why do 
 you come to me for assistance ? If that handsome face, that 
 fine figure, that smooth tongue, cannot win the affections of 
 a woman, nothing else will." 
 
 " I believe she likes that Englishman," muttered the 
 Greek, in no wise pleased at the ironical tone of the 
 Demarch. 
 
 " I am not responsible for her likes and dislikes," retorted 
 Justinian coldly, although he heard this remark with much 
 inward satisfaction. " However, you have my promise." 
 
 " And you will keep it ? " 
 
 " Only on condition that you keep me informed of the 
 schemes of Alcibiades." 
 
 " Oh, I will do that. I will do anything to win Helena, 
 but if you deceive me, it will be the worst day's work you 
 ever did." 
 
 " There is no necessity to threaten without cause," replied 
 Justinian, bridling his anger at the insolence of the Count ; 
 "you will have both Helena and Melnos, but before announ- 
 cing this publicly, I wish to wait until after the Dionysia." 
 
 " Very well," answered Caliphronas, turning on his heel ; 
 "a week or so will make no difference to me. But when I 
 am publicly acknowledged as your son-in-law and successor, 
 the first thing I will do will be to turn Crispin and this inso- 
 lent Englishman out of the island." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 247 
 
 " Well, well, we'll see about that," said Justinian, with 
 great indifference ; "wait till after the Dionysia." 
 
 After this conversation, Caliphronas went away perfectly 
 satisfied that everything was going in his favor, which was 
 extremely foolish, as he might have guessed something was 
 wrong from the unnatural calmness of Justinian. Formerly 
 the old Demarch had been given to outbursts of fiery wrath 
 when his will was crossed, however slightly ; but now he 
 bore the insolence of the Greek so quietly, that a less astute 
 man than Caliphronas would have been placed on his guard 
 by this unusual suavity. The Count, however, blinded by 
 his good fortune, rushed madly forward, unseeing the abyss 
 yawning before him, and deemed that the self-restraint of 
 his proposed father-in-law arose from the feebleness of age. 
 If he could have seen the passion of Justinian when he was 
 once more alone, he would have changed his mind ; but this 
 he was unaware of, and his self-conceit and egotistical blind- 
 ness kept him in perfect ignorance of the approaching storm. 
 
 It was with great satisfaction that Justinian saw the great 
 admiration Maurice Koylands had for Helena, and with still 
 greater, when he noticed that his daughter was disposed to 
 look favorably on the suit of the handsome young English- 
 man. Helena, indeed, in spite of her real simplicity, was a 
 born reader of character, which happy trait she inherited 
 from her father, as she inherited the fair beauty of her 
 Greek mother ; and the more she saw of Maurice, the more 
 she lov^ed him for his kindly heart, his honorable nature, and 
 the delicacy with which he treated her. Caliphronas, confi- 
 dent in his manly beauty, paid his addresses with the air 
 of a conqueror, — a mode of wooing which no woman likes, 
 and Helena least of all, as it fired her proud soul with indig- 
 nation ; and when she saw how deferential was Maurice in 
 his courting, she naturally enough preferred the dilfident 
 Englishman to the over-confident Greek. True daughter of 
 Eve, however, she was, for, in spite of her dislike to Cal- 
 iphronas, she could not resist at times the temptation of 
 speaking kindly to him, in order to arouse the jealousy of 
 Maurice. In this she was quite successful ; and though 
 Eoy lands could not but deem her wise to lull Caliphronas 
 into a false security at the present crisis, still he was madly 
 jealous of every look she bestowed on the Greek, and the 
 two suitors were always on terms of ill-concealed enmity 
 with one another. 
 
 Of course Helena was quite ignorant of all her father's 
 
248 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 plans, and merely treated Caliphronas with unexpected kir.d- 
 ness out of pure coquetry, being quite delighted when she 
 saw how such caprice annoyed the man she truly loved. 
 A woman may worship a man, and look upon him as the 
 sole object of her adoration, yet even the wisest, the purest, 
 the kindest woman cannot help teasing her god a little, out 
 of sheer capriciousness. It is playing with fire, certainly, 
 and many women burn their fingers at this perilous game 
 of " I-love-you-to-day-and-you-to-morrow," yet they will in- 
 dulge in such coquettish triflings, either to make the man 
 they love value them the more, or out of pure malicious 
 desire to see his anger. Women instinctively know that 
 what is won with difficulty is more valued than that which 
 is gained with ease ; and besides, it flatters a man into think- 
 ing he is superior to his fellow-creatures in fascinations, when 
 he secures an affection which has fluttered doubtfully here 
 and there before centring finally in his precious self. Think 
 you Cleopatra would have kept Antony so long her slave, 
 had she not stimulated his love occasionally by giving him 
 cause for jealousy ? By no means. Octavia was humble, 
 faithful, true, and loving, so Marcus Antonius grew weary 
 of such domestic virtues, and turned to Cleopatra, who kept 
 him in a constant state of alarm lest her fickle nature should 
 choose another lover. Helena knew nothing of Cleopatra's 
 wiles, but she instinctively knew that the way to win a man 
 is to place a prize almost, but not quite within his reach ; 
 so she flirted with Caliphronas, and would have flirted with 
 Crispin, had he given her a chance, yet cared more for Mau- 
 rice, whom she thus tortured, than for all the rest put to- 
 gether. 
 
 To-day she was on her best behavior, however, and was 
 seated with Maurice in the court, weaving a coronal of flowers 
 for her adornment at dinner. Helena was fond of wreaths, 
 and rarely made her appearance at any meal without a chap- 
 let of roses, or ivy and violets, or delicate white lilies adorn- 
 ing her golden tresses. Crispin was in his room, engaged 
 in writing his drama. Caliphronas was holding the above- 
 mentioned conversation with Justinian ; and the two young 
 people sat lazily in the sunshine, Maurice smoking cigarettes, 
 and Helena weaving her wreath witli myrtle and roses and 
 sweet-smelling violets. 
 
 The sun shone brightly on the white marble court, with 
 its treasures of many-colored blossoms, the fountain flashed 
 like lire in the lustrous light, and the white pigeons whirl- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 249 
 
 in^ aloft in the cloudless brilliance of the sky, at times 
 settled down on the roof in milky lines with gentle cooings. 
 Helena, with her hands buried in flowers and many-colored 
 ribbons, was humming a quaint little song of the madrigal 
 type, set to a simple, sweet melody, which rendered it very 
 charmins:. 
 
 ■&• 
 
 *' Chloe, take you rose and myrtle, 
 Weave them in a dainty fashion, 
 Deck with such your rustic kirtle, 
 They are type of Colin's passion. 
 For with roses do I woo thee, 
 Sue thee ! woo thee ! woo thee ! sue thee I 
 Hey, pretty maiden, I come a-courting, 
 Join me, I pray, in such merry, merry sporting. 
 With a fa-la-la-la, pretty maiden. 
 
 Colin, take you pansies only. 
 
 From your dream of love awaken, 
 
 Deck with such your cottage lonely, 
 
 They are type of love forsaken. 
 
 For with pansies do I flout thee, 
 
 Doubt thee ! flout thee ! flout thc^. ! doubt thee ! 
 
 Hey, jolly shepherd, come not a-courting, 
 
 Joiu will I not in such silly, silly sporting, 
 
 With a fa-la-la-la, jolly shepherd." 
 
 "Where did you learn that pretty song ? " asked Maurice, 
 whom the air struck as familiar. 
 
 " My father taught it to me," replied Helena, putting her 
 head on one side to observe the effect of a newly added rose. 
 " Is it not dainty ? Kibbons, and silks, and flowers, and 
 pipings ; quite unlike the real shepherds and shepherdesses 
 of Melnos, but deliciously delicate for all that." 
 
 " I wonder where your father picked it up ? " 
 
 " Oh, father knows plenty of old tunes, and I am so fond 
 of them. Why do you ask ? " 
 
 "Because, curiously enough, that song was written by a, 
 Carolean ancestor of mine, and I cannot think how Justiniaa 
 came to know it." 
 
 " It is strange, certainly," said Helena thoughtfully. 
 
 " Helena, who is your father ? " asked Maurice impul-- 
 sively. 
 
 " Demarch of Melnos." 
 
 " Yes, I know that ; but what is his English name ? " 
 
 " That I cannot tell you," replied Helena, shaking her 
 pretty head. " I know nothing beyond that he is Justinian, 
 that I am his daughter, and that this is our island." 
 
250 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " It's like ' The Tempest/ is it not ? You are Miranda, 
 Justinian Prospero, and I " — 
 
 " And 3'ou ? ". queried Helena, with a slight blush. 
 
 " Cannot you guess ? " asked Maurice significantly. 
 
 The girl laughed, and looked down at her flowers. 
 
 " I suppose Ferdinand." 
 
 " Oh, you know ' The Tempest ! ' " said the young man, 
 with some surprise. 
 
 " I know all Shakespeare's plays. Do you think I am so 
 very ignorant ? " 
 
 " I think you are very delightful." 
 
 " Maurice ! I thought English gentlemen did not pay com- 
 pliments." 
 
 "I am the exception that proves the rule," he replied 
 audaciously. " However, I might have guessed Justinian 
 would have an odd volume of Shakespeare about with him. 
 The Englishman believes in the Bible and Shakespeare, the 
 Englishwoman in the Bible and Burke." 
 
 "Who is Burke?" 
 
 " The man that wrote the ' English Peerage.' " 
 
 " What is a peerage ? " 
 
 "You have read Shakespeare, and do not know what a 
 peerage is ! Helena, I'm ashamed of you ! " 
 
 " If you talk like that, Maurice, I will certainly not give 
 you this rose." 
 
 " Then I won't talk like that ; so give me the rose." 
 
 " Not yet ; you must win it first." 
 
 " Helena ! you are as hard-hearted as the Chloe of your 
 song." 
 
 " Am I ? but if I don't give pansies " — 
 
 " Helena ! " 
 
 He made a sudden movement towards her of ill-suppressed 
 eagerness, whereupon she, having betrayed herself more 
 than she wished to do, feigned anger to escape from 
 the declaration which she saw was trembling on his lips. 
 Why she did this, it was hard to say, as she loved Maurice 
 very much, and longed to hear him tell of his passion, yet 
 she nipped his declaration in the bud. Why ? Ask a 
 woman to solve the mystery ; for it is beyond the power of 
 any man to unravel. 
 
 " See ! " she said playfully ; "' you have upset all my flowers. 
 Pick them up at once." 
 
 The obedient Maurice went down on his knees before this 
 pretty tyrant and began to collect the flowers. The position 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 251 
 
 was worse than the words, so Helena, seeing the danger, 
 hastily began to talk of the first thing that came into her 
 
 head. . a -, o „ 
 
 " Talking about ' The Tempest ' — who is Andros ? 
 
 '' Ariel for looks, Caliban for wickedness." 
 
 "And Crispin?" 
 
 " Crispin is Gonzalo, the honest old counsellor. 
 
 Helena made a pretty grimace, and ordered Maurice back 
 to his chair, which was at a safe distance, and did not admit 
 of anv embarrassing endearments. 
 
 " :M^iranda was very fond of Ariel, wasn't she ? " 
 
 " Yes, I suppose so, but she hated Caliban. Do you like 
 Caliban ? " 
 
 " Well, I like Ariel." 
 
 " Then what about Ariel-Caliban — Caliphronas ? " asked 
 Maurice, vexed at her fencing. 
 
 " I can't bear him — and yet," continued Helena reflect- 
 ively, with a certain spice of malice, "there is something 
 nice about him." 
 
 "You can't bear him, and yet there is something nice 
 about him ! " echoed Maurice bitterly. " I don't understand 
 you." 
 
 " I don't understand myself." 
 
 " Can I explain you ? " asked Koylands eagerly, drawing 
 his chair a little nearer." 
 
 Helena hesitated, blushed, then made a very irrelevant 
 remark. 
 
 " Tell me about Koylands." 
 
 Maurice very nearly uttered a bad word, he was so angered 
 at her coquetry, but, thinking the best way to pique her was 
 to meet her with the same weapons as she used, at once 
 acceded to her request, much to her secret dismay. 
 
 " Stupid ! " thought the lady. 
 
 " Flirt ! " thought the gentleman. 
 
 Decidely these two young people were at cross-purposes. 
 " Roy lands," said Maurice, pushing back his chair into its 
 former place, " is a large park formerly owned by one of the 
 Plantagenet kings." 
 
 " What is a Plantagenet king ? " 
 
 " I shall have to give you a book of Mangnall's Questions 
 to learn," said Roylands in despair. " Planta genista is the 
 Latin name for broom. Do you know what broom is ? " 
 
 " Yes ; the mountains are sometimes quite yellow with it. 
 Father told me it was called broom." 
 
252 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Well, some of the English kings used to wear it in their 
 helmets as a badge, so that is how they got the name of 
 Plantagenet." 
 
 "You are quite a dictionary." 
 
 " I am glad to be so when my pages are turned by so fair 
 a hand." 
 
 This answer nonplussed Helena, and for once she was fain 
 to hold her peace. 
 
 "The park," resumed Maurice, observing this with inward 
 satisfaction, "' was given to one of my ancestors by the then 
 sovereign of England, and has been in our family ever since." 
 
 " Is it a pretty place ? " 
 
 " Well, it has not the exquisite beauty of Melnos, but it is 
 very lovely in my eyes." 
 
 " Is the house like this ? " 
 
 "No; quite different. Such magnificence would not do 
 for a poor country gentleman like myself. It is an old 
 Tudor house, built in the reign of Henry VIII." 
 
 " I know Henry VIII. , " said Helena vivaciously. 
 
 " Shakespeare, I suppose ? What a charming way of 
 learning history ! Yes, Roylands Grange is a Henry VIII. 
 house of red brick, and is covered with iv}-. Green lawns 
 with flower-beds are before the terrace, and the whole is 
 encircled by the park." 
 
 " How lovely it must be, Maurice ! And is it all your 
 own ? " 
 
 "Yes ; at least, it is unless my uncle Rudolph turns up." 
 
 " Your Uncle Rudolph ! " 
 
 "Oh, that is our one family romance. Rudolph Roylands 
 -was my father's elder brother, and they were both in love 
 with my mother. She favored my father, Austin, and the 
 brothers had a quarrel which ended in blo^vs. Austin got 
 the worst of it, and Rudolph, thinking he had killed him, 
 fled. Since then, nothing has been heard of him, and that 
 is quite forty years ago." 
 
 " But how does this affect your owning the Grange ? " 
 
 " Because I am only the second branch. Uncle Rudolph 
 was the heir to the Grange, not my father ; so if he turns up 
 alive, or if he has left heirs, I will have to give up all my 
 property to them." 
 
 " Would you mind very much ? " asked Helena in a pity- 
 ing manner. 
 
 "Not at all. I would have once, but now I have a chance 
 of staying in this delightful island, I don't think it would be 
 such a great loss after alL" 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 253 
 
 Maurice had hardly said these words when he heard a 
 grunt of satisfaction behind him, and on turning his head 
 saw Justinian standing beside liim, in company with Cali- 
 phronas. 
 
 " So you don't mind if you lose your English property," 
 said the Demarch in a peculiar tone. 
 
 "No; not when I can stay here. Did you hear the story 
 I was telling to Helena ? " 
 
 "Some of it. Do you think your Uncle Kudolph is 
 alive?" 
 
 " Hardly, after forty years." 
 
 '- What is forty years to a long-living race like the Eoy- 
 lands ? " 
 
 " How do you know we are long living ? " 
 
 " Why, you told me so yourself," said Justinian hastily ; 
 " but, after all, your uncle may be alive, and claim the prop- 
 erty, in which case you will be penniless." 
 
 " Oh, then, I shall stay here as sculptor to your public 
 works." 
 
 The old man laughed approvingly, and nodded his head. 
 
 " I will be glad of that. None of my Greeks can sculp- 
 ture. It is a lost art with the Hellenes since the days of 
 Praxiteles." 
 
 " I will make a statue of Helena here as Venus Urania." 
 
 " Better as Chloris," remarked Caliphronas, with a forced 
 smile, coming forward ; " Chloris, the goddess of flowers." 
 
 " For that charming suggestion," cried Helena, rising to 
 her feet, " I will give you a rose, Andros ! " 
 
 " I will treasure it as my life," he replied in a low, pas- 
 sionate voice, as she fastened the flower in his embroidered 
 jacket. 
 
 " What about my rose, Helena ? " asked Maurice, who 
 viewed this proceeding with silent rage. 
 
 " Here is one for you," answered Helena quickly ; " both 
 roses are red, so you can't complain I don't treat you fairly." 
 
 " Perhaps you had better make the roses white, in order 
 to mean silence," said Caliphronas, pale with anger as he 
 saw IMaurice receive a flower ; " the red rose means love, 
 you know." 
 
 '' Sisterly love," retorted Helena, looking at him with an 
 undeniable frown. 
 
 Caliphronas, with a sudden outburst of rage, tore the flower 
 from his breast, flung it on the pavement, and walked out of 
 the court without a word. Helena in astonishment turned 
 
254 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 to Maurice, only to find that he also had vanished, but, with 
 more self-restraint than the Greek, had taken his rose with 
 him. Only Justinian was left, and he, looking sadly at his 
 daughter, placed his hand reproachfully on her shoulder. 
 
 " My child," he said reprovingly, '' do not make ill blood 
 between these two men by your woman's wiles. Ate flung 
 the apple of discord on the table of the gods, but it would 
 have done no harm but for woman's jealousy. Your name 
 is Helena: you are, I doubt not, as fair as she of Troy, so 
 beware lest your beauty be as fatal to Melnos as it was to 
 Ilium." 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 BACCHANALIA. 
 
 Clash of cymbals, beat of drum, 
 O'er the mountain peaks we come, 
 Far from parched Hindostan 
 To these laughing realms of Pan. 
 Nymphs and satyrs reel about, 
 Frenzied in the frenzied rout, 
 Crowned with ivy, fir, and vine, 
 Leading on the god of wine. 
 Far and near, and near and far, 
 Flock ye to his conquering car; 
 Lo! he comes in merry mood. 
 O'er the hills and thro' the wood, 
 "While the startled Dryads see 
 From their trees our revelry ; 
 As we shout so loud and free, 
 lo Bacche ! Evohe ! 
 
 " We celebrate the fete of St. Dionysius to-day," said Jus- 
 tinian, as they stood, in the early morning, on the platform 
 of the Acropolis, awaiting the arrival of the Bacchanalian 
 band from below. 
 
 " St. Dionysius ! " repeated Maurice, with emphasis. " I 
 thought the gentleman of that name was an Olympian ! " 
 
 " He was," interposed Crispin before Justinian could 
 speak ; "but have you forgotten Heine's account of how the 
 heathen divinities were transformed into mediaeval saints. 
 St. Dionysius is our old friend Bacchus in a new guise ; 
 Athena has given place to the Virgin Mary — the Panagia, 
 as they call her in Attica ; — Zeus is still the Supreme 
 Being, with awful locks and thunderbolt, while Apollo th^- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 255 
 
 Far-Darter masquerades in classical adolescence as St. 
 Sebastian." 
 
 " And Venus, Mr. Professor ? " asked Helena, with a gay 
 smile. 
 
 " Venus," answered Crispin, with a })rofound bow, " still 
 lives in the iEgean Seas as Helena of Melnos." 
 
 " What a charming compliment ! " cried the girl, who, 
 in her plain white chiton, purple-edged peplum, and sil- 
 ver-banded hair, looked indeed like Aphrodite incarnate. 
 " What about Andros here ? " 
 
 " Hermes ! " 
 
 Caliphronas, poising himself lightly on the verge of the 
 staircase, certainly was the herald of Olympus, the divinized 
 athlete, the more so, as, instead of his voluminous fustanella, 
 he wore a simple tunic of fine white wool, which displayed 
 his line figure to the greatest advantage. His curls, yellow 
 as those of Achilles, a true Achaian color, were bare, as he 
 never wore a head covering unless forced to do so, and thus, 
 stripped of all artificial aids to beauty, he looked the incar- 
 nation of Hellenism, the genius of Greece, ever fair and 
 blooming in eternal adolescence. Even Justinian was struck 
 with the manly grace and perfect vitality of the young man, 
 yet, after an admiring glance at this physical perfection, 
 turned to Maurice, and quoted a line of Homer, — 
 
 " • Faultlessly fair bodies are not always the temples of a 
 godlike soul.' " 
 
 " It is curious you should say that, sir," observed Maurice ; 
 " for my old tutor, Mr. Carriston, said the same thing about 
 the same man." 
 
 " Carriston ! " echoed Justinian hoarsely. 
 
 "The Rev. Stephen Carriston, Rector of Roylands," 
 replied Maurice, amazed at this emotion; "did you know 
 him ? " 
 
 " Know him ? " said the Demarch, with a forced smile ; 
 "'no. I have been absent from England these many years. 
 Rector of Roylands ! " he muttered in an undertone ; " strange, 
 strange ! " 
 
 " What is strange ? " asked Roylands curiously. 
 
 "Nothing, nothing!" answered Justinian, turning away 
 with a frown. "I was thinking of something which you 
 would not understand. But here come our Bacchanalians, 
 Maurice. Now you will see a glimpse of ancient Hellas." 
 
 Maurice pondered over the strange emotion of Justinian, 
 which he found himself quite unable to explain, and, coming 
 
256 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 to the conclusion that the Demarch must have met some one 
 of the same name under unpleasant circumstances, he dis- 
 missed the subject from his mind as trivial, and concentrated 
 his attention on the rapidly approaching procession. 
 
 Justinian had closely followed the old lines of the 
 Dionysian ceremonies, saving that he expurgated all the 
 coarser elements of drinking and debauchery, and during 
 the whole three days' festival, modelled on the ancient feasts 
 of Hellas, Maurice did not espy one offensive thing, which 
 Eould bring a blush to the cheek of modesty. Indeed, 
 Helena and all the women of the island were present, so 
 their mingling in the ceremonies would alone have prevented 
 any coarseness, even without the stern interdiction of the 
 Demarch; for the Greeks have a great sense of delicacy, 
 being especially careful not to offend the delicacy of women 
 in any way whatsoever. This modern Bacchanalia, then, 
 represented the antique solemnity, as it was in the earlier 
 Attic days, before later worshippers defiled the rites of the 
 god with their vile orgies. 
 
 It was a perfect day, but, as there had been a slight rain- 
 fall in the morning, in the east loomed a sombre cloud, 
 which, however, foreboded nothing, as across its darkness, 
 like a many-hued scarf, was flung a splendid rainbow. 
 Helena caught sight of this first, and clapped her hands 
 merrily. 
 
 " Oh, father, see how red is the rainbow ! — that is a good 
 sign for the vintage." 
 
 " How so ? " asked Eoylands, somewhat puzzled at this 
 Iris prophecy. 
 
 " It is an old Greek superstition," answered Justinian, 
 smiling at his daughter's glee ; " if red prevails in the rain- 
 bow, there will be plenty of grapes ; if yellow, a tine harvest ; 
 and when green it will be a year for olives. This one is 
 reddish, as you see, so our Bacchanalia will turn out success- 
 fully." 
 
 In front of the procession marched the musicians, men 
 playing on pipes, flutes, drums, and goat-skin sabounas, a 
 kind of bagpipe, while beside them danced young ivy- 
 crowned girls, clashing cymbals together. All the men were 
 dressed in their dancing costumes, similar to that of Cali- 
 phronas, save that all the colors of the rainbow were repre- 
 sented, though the women, still in their loose white chitons, 
 neutralized to some extent the vivid tints of the male dresses. 
 Behind the musicians came lads garlanded with wreaths of 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 257 
 
 intermingled violets and ivy, bearing thyrsi. Afterwards a 
 number of maidens, with vine-leaf-decorated amphoras of 
 wine, baskets of iigs, and bunches of grapes. A goat, with 
 a child on its back, was led by two elderly women waving 
 pine branches. Then came the elders of the village, in white 
 robes, with tall linen mitres, followed by a joyous band of 
 young men, profusely bedecked with flowers, who capered 
 round a sedate ass, on which rode the wit of the village, 
 representing Silenus. An empty chariot, drawn by goats as 
 a substitute for panthers, then appeared, and m this was to 
 be installed the Count, who undertook the role of Bacchus. 
 The procession finally closed with the ten sailors walking 
 two abreast, their stiff march contrasting strangely with the 
 acrobatic dancing and careless grace of their fellow revellers. 
 
 Arriving at the foot of the steps, the chief elder made a 
 speech in sonorous Greek, in which he invited Justinian and 
 his friends to come down to the village festival, and bring 
 good fortune to the vintage. Justinian graciously accepted 
 the invitation, and, in company with his guests, placed him- 
 self in the rear of the procession ; while Caliphronas, who 
 had been crowned with vine leaves, arrayed in a leopard skin, 
 and bearing a pine-cone tipped sceptre, sprang into his chariot 
 with a laughing glance, as the revellers saluted him — 
 " Evohe Bacche ! " 
 
 Back to the head of the grand staircase returned the pro- 
 cession, with its wild music and merry dancers, while the 
 god, lightly brandishing his sceptre, looked benignly on his 
 motley crew. Some had fawn skins, all were crowned, and 
 before the procession ran children strewing the road with 
 flowers, while the company sang songs in praise of St. 
 Dionysius, whom Caliphronas was supposed to represent, 
 rather than the genuine son of Semele. Silenus, by his 
 drunken gestures, and difficulty in keeping his seat, evoked 
 roars of laughter, and was quite the hero of the hour. 
 
 " I never did see sich tomfoolery," growled Gurt, who was 
 enjoying himself hugely; "this Baccus is all tommy rot. 
 Like a Lor' Mayor's show it is." 
 
 "Oh, it's a great spree," said Dick cheerfully, who was 
 Gurt's companion in the march. " Ain't these girls like the 
 ballet at the Alhambra ? " 
 
 " Never was there," growled Gurt, who, when not absent 
 from England, generally remained in the neighborhood of 
 the docks ; " but I'm blessed if I ever did hear sich music, 
 with their Hi ho Baccus ! Who's Baccus ? " 
 
258 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " The god of wine." 
 
 " I wish he was the god of rum," said the old toper ; " for 
 this 'ere sour stuff as th' give us is 'nough to give us all cold 
 in our insides. Lor', wot music ! Let's give 'em a shanty." 
 
 " The skippers might not like it," objected Dick anxiously. 
 
 "Oh, they don't mind. I ain't going to let these coves 
 have it all their own way." Whereupon Gurt, in a raucous 
 voice, struck up, " Kule, Britannia," much to the amusement 
 of Justinian. His messmates joined in the chorus, and 
 though the wild orgiastic music still continued, it was almost 
 drowned in the lusty chorus of "Britons never shall be 
 slaves," roared out by ten pairs of lusty lungs. 
 
 The chariot of the god had perforce to be left at the head 
 of the staircase, and Caliphronas, descending, led the way 
 down to the valley, followed by all his barbaric crew. Shrill 
 sounded the pipes, loud clashed the cymbals, and the bright 
 sunshine shone on as merry a company of wine-worshippers 
 as ever it did in the Athens of ^-Eschylus. 
 
 The vineyards of Melnos were planted on the sides of the 
 mountain, where they rose terrace by terrace nearly up to 
 the dark pine woods, which divided the vegetation from the 
 snow with a broad green band. A wine-press was placed in 
 nearly every one of these vinej^ards, but the place where the 
 ceremonies were to take place lay near to the theatre, and 
 was a particularly large enclosure, filled with long straggling 
 vines, in the centre of which a huge whitewashed tank, piled 
 with purple grapes, stood ready to be tramped out to the 
 lower tank into which the juice flowed. 
 
 Justinian and his guests were conducted to a kind of raised 
 dais, on which were placed seats tastefully wreathed Avith 
 flowers, the most elaborate of all being reserved for Cali- 
 phronas, who, as the presiding deity of the feast, ranked for 
 the day higher than the lord of .the island. The scene was 
 singularly picturesque : far above, piercing the blue sky, 
 arose the snowy peaks, lower down the pine forests, then 
 fields of yellow corn, divided by belts of gray olive trees and 
 grape-laden vineyards, while the near slopes near the scene 
 of the festival were covered with red-berried mastic bushes, 
 delicate white cyclamens, rose-blossomed oleanders, pome- 
 granate trees, and beds of strongly-scented thyme, filling the 
 still warm air with aromatic odors. Amid all this beauly 
 were the Bacchanalians with their many-colored garbs, the 
 whiteness of the women's dresses predominating, and the 
 whole laughing throng swaying, leaping, whirling, bounding, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 259 
 
 gyrating to the wild music, shrill and plaintive as the wind, 
 of their rude instruments. In such a vineyard might Diony- 
 sius appear to some modern ^schylus, and command him to 
 kindle anew, with the breath of genius, the fire of the ancient 
 goat-song, with its solemn splendors, gigantic scenes, and 
 majestic figures of god, goddess, and hero. 
 
 As a rule, the vintage of the insular Greeks begins early 
 in August, but this year, for some unexplained reason, the 
 grapes had ripened slowly, hence the Melnosians feared a 
 bad year of the vine, and were much delighted to find that 
 it was one of the most prolific ever known, a fact which was 
 further confirmed in their eyes by the prophetic red of the 
 rainbow. 
 
 Papa Athanasius, the priest of the island, arrayed in the 
 gorgeous sacerdotal vestments of his Church, now came for- 
 ward, surrounded by a number of acolytes, bearing censers 
 and sacred ichons, in order to pronounce a blessing on the 
 first-fruits of the vine year. The ceremony did not last long, 
 and at its conclusion the Papa retired, while, amid cries of 
 rejoicing and noisy music, a dozen men with bare feet sprang 
 into the vat and began to tread the grapes. Their white 
 tunics and naked feet were soon stained red with the juice 
 of the vine, which shortly afterwards began to gush freely 
 into the lower vat, amid the songs of the onlookers. Soon 
 afterwards cups of last year's wine were passed round to all 
 present, and, though the Greeks as a rule are a very temper- 
 ate people, yet the thin, sour liquor speedily rendered them 
 slightly intoxicated, and the singing became more vociferous 
 than ever. 
 
 " I hope they will give us some national dances," said 
 Maurice to Plelena, who sat beside him — who looked lovely 
 as the Queen of Love herself. 
 
 "Indeed they will!" she answered vivaciously: "you 
 will see the syrtos, which has a good deal of the Pyrrhic dance 
 in its steps ; the moloritis, in which Zoe, Andros, Crispin, 
 and myself will take part. Then there is the dancing on the 
 slippery wine-skin, which is very amusing. See, this is the 
 syrtos ! " 
 
 A party of young men in their tight-fitting white dancing- 
 costumes now came forward, saluted Caliphronas as the 
 master of the revels, and, placing their arms round one an- 
 other's necks, began to sway slowly backward and forward, 
 with a kind of mazourka step, to the inspiriting music of 
 tabor and pipe. These evolutions increased in rapidity, and 
 
260 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 were interspersed with wild acrobatic boundings by single 
 dancers, until Maurice became quite giddy watching their 
 whirlings. 
 
 Afterwards the women, linked together with handker- 
 chiefs, in order to make the line more flexible, danced grace- 
 fully to a slow melody, with frequent genuflexions of the 
 body and bendings of the head. 
 
 " Greek dances are rather monotonous, I am afraid," said 
 Roylands, who found this incessant swaying a trifle weari- 
 some. "Why don't the men and women dance with one 
 another ? " 
 
 " They do sometimes, as in the moloritis," replied Helena, 
 rising from her seat. " We will dance it now, and I think 
 you will like it better than the syrtos." 
 
 It was a graceful dance, and the music was more melo- 
 dious. First, the four people danced together, then sepa- 
 rateh^, and finally Crispin and Caliphronas indulged in wild 
 saltatory leapings, while Helena and Zoe stood still, swaying 
 from side to side, like nautch dancers. 
 
 " I think a waltz would be jollier than that," said Maurice, 
 when she returned to her seat. 
 
 " A waltz ! what is that ? " asked Helena innocently. 
 
 " I will show you some time during the day — that is, if 
 we can get any one to play us the music." 
 
 " Oh, Andronico, that old man with the violin, can pick up 
 anything by ear. But see, we are now going to have some 
 singing! " 
 
 A handsome young fellow stepped forward, escorted by a 
 number of women, who joined in the chorus of the song, 
 which was in praise of Dionysius and the vineyards. Maurice, 
 owing to the skilful tuition of Helena, now knew enough 
 Greek to understand the words, which, irregularly translated, 
 were as follows : — 
 
 Solo. 
 
 Oh, my love, we went to the vineyards, 
 
 And there beheld bunches of purple wine fruit, 
 
 Full of the milk of earth our mother. 
 
 Women, 
 Wine, like thee, is my heart-gladdener. 
 
 Solo. 
 
 Thro' the vine leaves peeped St. Dionysius, 
 
 Who laughed when he heard the sound of our kisses: 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 261 
 
 "These are not mad with wine," 
 
 So cried St, Dionysius; 
 
 '* Not with wine are they mad, but with love and kisses." 
 
 Women. 
 Wine, like thee, is my heart-gladdener. 
 
 There were about twenty verses of this delectable song, 
 interlarded at times with the rude music of the sabouna. 
 Maurice grew tired of this dreariness, and went off, in com- 
 pany with Helena, to where the feasting was going on. 
 Tables were spread out in the open air with cheeses, bread, 
 honey, goats' flesh, piles of grapes, and other rustic dainties, 
 to which the hungry revellers were doing full justice. Some 
 of them were dancing the Smyriote, others singing intermi- 
 nable songs ; but Roy lands by this time had quite enough of 
 Greek dance and song, so asked Helena to show him the hot 
 springs, which were near at hand. 
 
 They were at the base of a little cliff, volcanic in character, 
 with curiously-twisted streaks of red, green, and black lava, 
 which presented a bizarre appearance. The water, owing to 
 the presence of oxide of iron, was of a yellow tint and boil- 
 ing hot, while occasional puffs of steam rising skyward veiled 
 the variegated tints of the rock behind, so that it looked 
 strangely weird and horrible. 
 
 " I wonder you are not afraid to live here, Helena ! " said 
 the Englishman, going down on his knees to examine these 
 ^gean geysers. " I don't believe this crater is an extinct 
 one." 
 
 "It has been quiet enough for over a thousand years," 
 replied the girl carelessly, "so I don't see why it should 
 break out now." 
 
 " If it did, the loss of life would be terrible." 
 
 " Oh, don't, Maurice ! The idea is too frightful. Why, not 
 one of us would escape alive, and then good-by to father's 
 idea of a new Athens." 
 
 " Your new Athens has other things to fear besides volca- 
 noes." 
 
 " What do you mean ? " 
 
 "That if Caliphronas is appointed your father's heir, it 
 were better for this crater to become full of seething lava 
 once more, than the hot-bed of scoundrels such as that scamp 
 will surely make it." 
 
 " I don't think you need be afraid of that," replied Helena, 
 with great scorD ; " Andros is not likely to rule Melnos." 
 
262 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " You don't like him ? " 
 
 " I hate him ! " 
 
 " And why ? He is very handsome." 
 
 " Do you think I am a woman likely to be taken with mere 
 good looks in a man?" she answered, with an angry light 
 in her eyes. " I thought you knew me better than that, 
 Maurice." 
 
 '' Forgive me, Helena ; but indeed I am glad you do not 
 like Caliphronas." 
 
 Helena knew the reason of this pointed remark, and, look- 
 ing down with a blush, was about to reply, when the man 
 they were talking about came quickly along the narrow path, 
 with a savage scowl on his handsome face. 
 
 " Helena, your father is asking for you," he said abruptly. 
 
 " Oh, I will go at once," replied the girl lightly, in order 
 to conceal her confusion; and rapidly left the spot, where 
 Caliphronas still remained looking angrily at Maurice. 
 
 The Englishman saw that the Count was in a terrible rage, 
 and ready to overwhelm him with invective, but, neverthe- 
 less, was not sorry to come to a complete understanding with 
 this treacherous scamp, who had no regard for truth, honor, 
 or daring. Caliphronas was a thorough bully by nature ; 
 and, having succeeded in browbeating his own countrymen 
 by arrogance, thought he would try the same plan with 
 Maurice, quite unaware that the seemingly easy-going young 
 man was made of sterner stuff than yielding Hellenes, and 
 would hold his own against all odds with true British dogged- 
 ness. 
 
 " Well, Bacchus," said Maurice, trying to pass the matter 
 off lightly at first, ^' why have you deserted your revellers ? " 
 
 "To punish a scoundrel," burst out the furious Greek, 
 stamping his foot. 
 
 i\Iaurice looked around serenely ; and then, sitting down 
 on a block of black lava, streaked with sulphur, began to roll 
 a cigarette, which innocent proceeding irritated Caliphronas 
 beyond all powers of self-control. 
 
 "• Do you hear me?" he cried, mad with rage. "I came 
 here to punish a scoundrel ! " 
 
 In a quarrel the victory is generally to him who keeps his 
 temper, as Maurice knew very well; so, in this case, the 
 more enraged grew the Greek, the calmer became the Eng- 
 lishman. 
 
 " So I see," he replied phlegmatically ; " but, as I see no 
 scoundrel here but yourself, I hardly understand you." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 263 
 
 "Understand this, Mr. Maurice — you are the scoundrel ! " 
 
 "Really!" said Roylands, lighting his cigarette with pro- 
 voking coolness ; " and your reason for applying such a name 
 to me ? " 
 
 ''You make love to the lady who is to be my wife." 
 
 " I was not aware your offer of marriage had been accepted." 
 
 '' I have her father's consent." 
 
 " True ; but you have not the lady's consent." 
 
 " Bah ! what of that ? Women and dogs are born to 
 obey." 
 
 '' My dear Count Constantine Caliphronas," said Maurice 
 deliberately, "you have called me a scoundrel, for which 
 epithet, coming from a despicable wretch like yourself, I care 
 nothing. But if you dare to speak disrespectfully of Miss 
 Helena, I will certainly throw you into that boiling spring 
 over there." 
 
 The Greek was young, strong, and athletic, and could 
 doubtless have held his own against the Englishman to a 
 considerable extent, — although he would have been beaten in 
 the end, owing to his ignorance of boxing, an art in which 
 Maurice excelled, — but so craven was his soul that he did 
 not dare to resent this calmly insulting speech, but merely 
 stood his ground, quivering with fury. 
 
 " Va!^^ he hissed through his clinched teeth, and shaking 
 five fingers at Maurice, which is about the strongest impreca- 
 tion a Greek can use. " I wall be even with you, pig, English 
 as you are ! " 
 
 "I see you want pitching into that stream," replied 
 Maurice, rising. " You dare to apply such another epithet 
 to me, and, as sure as I stand here, in you go." 
 
 Caliphronas trembled with mingled fear and rage, for he 
 had seen the man before him box with Boatswain Dick, and 
 knew he had but small chance against such pugilistic science. 
 He was as careful of his beauty as a lady, and dreaded lest 
 some sledge-hammer blow should mar his perfect features, 
 therefore he deemed it wise to restrain his temper, and 
 laughed derisively. 
 
 "Bah! to-day for you, to-morrow for me," he said jeer- 
 ingly. " You cannot hold yourself against the future ruler 
 of Melnos. I will have the island and Helena ! You will 
 have nothing." 
 
 " Don't be too sure of that, Caliphronas ! I don't want 
 Melnos, but I certainly do want Helena, and shall certainly 
 refuse to give her up without a struggle." 
 
264 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 ^^Try!" sneered the Greek, snapping his fingers under 
 Eoyland'S nose ; " try ! " 
 
 Hitherto Maurice had kept his temper well under con- 
 trol ; but this last insult was too much, so, lifting up the 
 light frame of the Greek in his athletic grasp, in spite of his 
 struggles, he calmly sent him splash into the nearest pool, 
 which was fortunately but tepid in character, otherwise the 
 Count might have run a chance of being parboiled. 
 
 " Next time you dare to use your vile tongue on me, I will 
 sling you down the grand staircase," said Maurice quietly ; 
 then, without waiting to hear the bad language of his enemy, 
 calmly strolled away towards the scene of the festival, 
 smoking with great enjoyment. 
 
 Caliphronas, considerably cowed, crawled out of the pool, 
 looking like a drowned rat ; and few would have recognized 
 in this despicable object the daring, handsome Hermes of 
 the morning. Had he possessed a knife, he would certainly 
 have pursued Maurice, and done his best to kill him ; but, 
 being without a weapon, he had a wholesome dread of the 
 Englishman's fists, so, swallowing his rage for the time 
 being, went off in search of dry garments. 
 
 As Maurice approached the vineyard, he heard shouts of 
 laughter, and found it was owing to the latest amusement, 
 that of dancing on the slippery surface of a skin of wine, — 
 a pastime as old as the days of the Dionysia itself. Many 
 skilful dancers fell off; and it was long before any one 
 succeeded in carrying off the prize, which was the skin of 
 wine itself ; but ultimately it fell to the lot of the handsome 
 young Palikar who had sung the song about St. Dionysius. 
 
 Helena looked apprehensively at him when he appeared, 
 as she was afraid there had been a quarrel between her two 
 suitors ; but Maurice calmed her fears by a smile, and 
 together they watched a sailor's hornpipe danced by Dick to 
 the music supplied by old Andronico, who had picked up the 
 air from Gurt's whistling. 
 
 Justinian was in ecstasies over the dance, and made Dick 
 sing some sea-songs, which, with the rude but tuneful chorus 
 of his messmates, made the old man's eyes flash with patri- 
 otic fire. 
 
 "I'm only Greek on the surface, you see," he said to 
 Crispin, with a somewhat sad smile ; " but my heart is Eng- 
 lish still." 
 
 " Hearts of oak ! " re})lied Crispin gayly. " After all, 
 there is no place like England ; for you see Melnos, with all 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 265 
 
 its tropical loveliness, is still unsatisfying when memories of 
 white-cliffed Albion awaken in your heart." 
 
 " Bravo, Crispin ! " cried Maurice, who had heard this 
 speech ; " you are a trne patriot, and must confirm your 
 views by singing ' Home, sweet Home.' " 
 
 Crispin, nothing loath, did so ; and the Greeks, attracted 
 by the beautiful air, crowded round to listen. The darkness 
 was falling fast, for the long day was nearly at an end, and 
 through the still night sounded the liquid notes of a cock 
 nightingale calling to his mate ; but higher than the voice 
 of the bird arose that tender old melody, which brings tears 
 to the eyes of those absent from their own fireside. Justin- 
 ian, leaning his white head on his hand, listened intently ; 
 and when the song was ended, Maurice could have sworn in 
 the dim light that a sudden tear flashed like a jewel down 
 his withered cheek. It was extraordinary to see this man 
 of iron, astute, keen ruler as he was, so touched by the 
 simple little song, which he had heard perchance at his 
 mother's knee ; and from that moment Maurice always 
 believed in Justinian, whom he was certain must have a 
 good heart, when so affected by that pleading air. 
 
 Torches were now brought, the wild music burst out anew, 
 and the revellers prepared to escort their Demarch back to 
 the Acropolis. Caliphronas, apparently as merry as ever, 
 made his appearance in new clothes, and resumed his sceptre 
 and vineleaf crown. Along the street danced the procession, 
 with clash of cymbal and throb of drum ; torches flaring in 
 the windless air on the excited faces of their bearers ; and it 
 was like a confused dream, with the flash of white robes, 
 the tossing red lights, the barbaric pomp, and the swaying, 
 restless, dancing crowd. 
 
 At the foot of the grand staircase Maurice burst out 
 laughing. 
 
 " What is the matter ? " asked Crispin, who walked near him. 
 
 " I am thinking of Caliphronas, whom I flung into one of 
 the hot springs." 
 
 '' The deuce you did ! It's a pity he was not drowned." 
 
 " He is not born to be drowned," retorted Roylands sar- 
 donically ; "he is born to be hanged." 
 
 At the Acropolis the Bacchanalians left them ; and they 
 saw the long procession stream like a serpent of light along 
 the road, down the staircase, with glimmer of white robes 
 and distant sounds of mirth. A last flash of innumerable 
 torches, a last burst of frenzied mirth, then darkness and 
 q^uiet — the Dionysia was ended. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THESPIAN. 
 
 The silver}' smoothness of sweet Sophocles, 
 The rolling thunder of ^schylean verse, 
 The subtle twistiugs of Euripides 
 
 To prove the better reason by the worse; — 
 Such poets gained the light Athenian's praise 
 By daring dealings with the universe, 
 
 And yearly won the envied crown of bays ; 
 
 But not on Attic shores alone, — for we 
 
 Yet know their greatness in these modern days, 
 
 In alien lands across the stormy sea, 
 
 Where with much painful learning do we dare 
 
 In pristine splendor to revive the three. 
 
 Till, foiled by antique genius high and rare, 
 We quit the task with unalloyed despair. 
 
 The theatre of ^lelnos was crowded the next day to wit- 
 ness the one performance of the year, and the whole semi- 
 circle of seats was occupied by a chattering throng, resembling, 
 doubtless, the gossip-loving Athenians of old. All were in 
 gala dresses, the men brilliant in Albanian costumes of 
 fustanelli, embroidered jackets, gaudy gaiters, and vivid red 
 silk sashes ; while the women, in accordance with the edict 
 of the Demarch, still wore their graceful, antique robes of 
 white ; indeed, the male bird here had the more splendid 
 plumage of the two, but what the female lacked in color, she 
 made up for in grace. The population of ]\relnos were, 
 indeed, fine specimens of humanity, as, owing to the selective 
 genius of Justinian, none but the physically perfect were 
 admitted to the privileges of the island, and in the case of 
 births he exercised an almost Spartan rigor. Certainly he 
 departed so far from the laws of Lycurgus as to permit any 
 child born with a blemish to live, but it was sent away from 
 Melnos at the moment of its birth, and provided for else- 
 where. In consequence, therefore, of this untiring care in 
 such matters, the Melnosians were all strong, healthy, and 
 beautiful ; while their constant out-door life and con<j^enial 
 occu})ations kept them in a wonderfully vitalized condition, 
 which was eminently calculated to form a race as i)hysically 
 perfect in form and health as is possible on this earth. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 267 
 
 "I am a great believer in the mens sana in corpore sano 
 theory," said the Demarch to Maurice, who sat beside him. 
 " The first law of this new Athens is, that all the citizens 
 shall be healthy in every way ; and the body being thus per- 
 fected by degrees, who knows but what the intellect may 
 not ripen the sooner to the first-fruits of genius ? " 
 
 " Is that not rather against the Homeric line you quoted 
 the other day, sir ? " observed Maurice thoughtfully. •• I 
 mean as regarding Caliphronas ; he is physically perfect, 
 thoroughly healthful, and yet you can hardly call him intel- 
 lectual.'' 
 
 "Andros," said Justinian emphatically, ^'is not a true 
 Greek, but a mongrel from the island of that name, where I 
 found him a shepherd lad. I have no faith in mixed races, 
 as their genius, if they have any, is apt to be confusing. We 
 English are essentially a mixed race, therefore our literature, 
 although marked by great versatilit}^, lacks that dominant 
 note which denotes the special characteristic of a pure- 
 blooded race. Look at the Jew and the Hellene, which are, 
 perhaps, the sole examples of unmixed blood w^e have, — at 
 least in the West, — and you will see that their works of 
 genius, however different in outward form, are still instinct 
 with the individuality of their particular race-nature. The 
 Psalms of David, the tragedies of the Greek dramatists, could 
 only have been written by men of unmixed blood, steeped in 
 the color of their peculiar branch of the human family." 
 
 " What about Shakespeare .? " 
 
 " None but a mixed race could have produced an all-com- 
 prehensive mind like his ; and though you may perhaps 
 think me narrow in desiring the formation of pure-blooded 
 nations, which may be barren of such versatile genius, yet, 
 believe me, Maurice, every plant should bear its own natural 
 flowers. Now, my Melnosians have been carefully selected 
 from the most untainted blood of the insular Greeks, who 
 are the real survivors of the old Attic stock. I allow no 
 mixed marriages — I protect them from all outward influ- 
 ence — I encourage them to develop their inherent charac- 
 teristics of race, so, in all human probability, they, in years 
 to come, will produce a blossom of genius entirely their 
 own." 
 
 " Is that not rather a hot-house forcing style ? " 
 
 "Well, yes ; but such artificiality is needed in these days 
 of easy communication and cosmopolitan races. The tribes 
 of mankind are not uow isolated each from each as in former 
 
268 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 times, when that very isolation forced them, uninfluenced by 
 contact with alien tribes, to develop their own special race- 
 nature in literature, music, and art. Mixed races produce 
 mixed results, splendid, I own, in many cases, but not so 
 severely unique and classic as would be the case with un- 
 tamed tribes." 
 
 "Did not Disraeli discuss this question in 'Coningsby' ?" 
 
 "Touching the Semitic race, — yes, I think so; but it is so 
 long since I have read the book that I almost forget his line 
 of argument. But we have strayed from our subject, which 
 was physical and not intellectual perfection ; and I verily be- 
 lieve that if as much attention were given to the breeding of 
 humanity as is given to the rearing of race-horses, the race of 
 mankind would be much benefited thereby." 
 
 Justinian had quite a mania regarding this question of 
 race, and Maurice would gladly have continued the interesting 
 argument, but the play was shortly about to begin, so he 
 deferred the discussion until a more fitting occasion, and 
 meanwhile examined the theatre with careful attention. 
 
 The stage facing the semicircle was long and narrow, with 
 slender columns on either side supporting the pediment, 
 which, unfortunately, was quite plain, as Justinian's theories 
 had not yet developed a Pheidias to sculpture the red lime- 
 stone into god-like forms of hero and deity. A broad flight 
 of steps led downward to the orchestra, which had entrances 
 to the right and left for the convenience of the chorus ; while 
 a veritable altar of Dionysius, wreathed with sculptured 
 grapes and nude figures of dancing faun and nymph, taken, 
 doubtless, from some ruined temple, stood on a raised plat- 
 form fronting the stage, and on it burned a small fire, where- 
 on incense was occasionally flung. 
 
 " Is that not rather pagan ? " asked Maurice, referring to 
 the altar. 
 
 " Everything herein is ideal, not real," replied the Demarch 
 wisely. "When you see the chorus throw incense on the 
 altar, think not that they are sacrificing to the wine-god of 
 their ancestors. No, they are all of the Orthodox Church, 
 and obey devoutly the precepts of Papa Athanasius ; but I 
 like to carry out the old ceremonies, even to this altar, which 
 means nothing, and is highly characteristic of the antique 
 festival." 
 
 As Crispin, Helena, and Caliphronas were all actors for the 
 day, the Demarch and Maurice sat alone in the centre of the 
 semicircle; surrounded by the sailors, who were much puzzled 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 269 
 
 at the strangeness of this stately, open-air theatre, so different 
 from the air-tight boxes to which they had been accustomed 
 in London. 
 
 '' If it was only an Adelphi melodrama I " said Dick, whose 
 inclinations leaned to the bloodthirsty play ; "but I suppose 
 it will be something like that squalling they called singing 
 yesterday." 
 
 " Or a moosic 'all," observed Gurt, chewing his quid re- 
 flectively. " I seed a gal in one of 'em down Wappin' way 
 as guv a song called, ' Tap me on the shoulder, Bill.' My 
 eyes, but it were a good un, that 'ere." 
 
 Decidedly this unique dramatic representation, which 
 many English scholars would have beheld with delight, was 
 quite thrown away on these conservative tars, who preferred 
 melodrama and comic songs to the solemn splendors of an- 
 cient tragedy, which was, naturally enough, Greek to them 
 in more senses than one. 
 
 In accordance with the instructions of Justinian, the poet 
 had composed a play embodying an allegory of the aims of 
 this island colony of Melnos, and, forsaking to a great extent 
 the severe classicism of ^schylean tragedy, had modelled 
 his drama on the loose-fiying splendors of Shelley's Hellas. 
 This piece, entitled ' The Phoenix,' was intended to represent 
 the degradation of Greece under the Turkish yoke, her escape 
 from such bondage, her material civilization, and her subse- 
 quent rise to intellectual supremacy, which end the formation 
 of the colony of Melnos was supposed to foster. Crispin had 
 no fear of his allegorical drama not being understood by his 
 audience, for the Greeks are a singularly keen-witted people, 
 and, besides, Justinian had so imbued the whole population 
 with his hopes of reviving the ancient glories of the Athe- 
 nian genius, that all present were quite able to comprehend 
 the hidden meaning of the play. The Phoenix was to occupy 
 the whole morning, and, after an interval of two hours for 
 rest and refreshment, the satiric pendant to the more solemn 
 piece was to be represented in the afternoon, consisting, in 
 this instance, of a local incident, developed and expanded by 
 Crispin into a wild Aristophanic farce, blending wit with 
 irony, laughter with tears, and stately chorus with clownish 
 play of rustic actors. 
 
 Crispin, moreover, was not only author, actor, and stage 
 manager, but also an accomplished musician, therefore had 
 made use of his Western training in this respect, to get 
 together an orchestra, and, with the aid of Andronico, had 
 
270 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 adapted the plaintive music of the Hellenic folk-songs to his 
 choruses. The quick-eared Greeks speedily picked up the 
 airs, many of which they already knew, and thus the drama 
 followed closely in the footsteps of its Athenian prototype ; 
 and the wild, rude music, sounding at intervals between 
 the long speeches of the principal characters, prevented the 
 monotony which otherwise would have certainly prevailed. 
 With violin, flute, pipe, drum, symbols, and sabouna, the 
 musicians therefore took their places unseen by the audi- 
 ence ; for Crispin, adopting Wagner's theory, did not want 
 the attention of his audience distracted in any way by the 
 presence of the orchestra between stage and auditorium. 
 
 The back of the stage represented a smooth, white marble 
 wall, fronted by a range of Corinthian pillars wreathed with 
 milky blossoms, and in the centre, great folding doors ready 
 to be flung open when required by the exigencies of the 
 play. Against this absolutely colorless background moved 
 the brilliant flgures of the performers in measured fashion, 
 with stately gestures, as moved those serene, side-faced 
 figures on tlie marble urn dreamed of by Keats. The clear 
 light of the sun burned on the great half-circle of eager faces 
 with steady effulgence, and left in delicate shadow that wide 
 white stage, whereon was to be enacted a drama such as we 
 in England, lacking all things necessary to such colossal 
 majesty, can never hope to see. 
 
 All being ready, the curtain arose, or rather fell, for Cris- 
 pin, with strict fidelity to Athenian usages, had adopted this 
 curious mode of withdrawing the veil between audience and 
 performers. 
 
 The stage is empty, but a wild chant sounds in the dis- 
 tance, and a long train of Moslems, headed by their Sultan, 
 sweeps in, bearing with them Hellas, a captive in her own 
 land to the barbaric power. Helena, draped in black and 
 manacled with chains, represented Hellas, who stands with 
 melancholy mien amid the gaudily dressed chorus of Mos- 
 lems, listening to their songs of triumph over her downfall. 
 " We have chained you to our chariot," they sing tauntingly, 
 " yet thou need'st not look so downcast, for a slave hast thou 
 been before, and a slave thou wilt be hereafter. Thy 
 shrines, thy palaces, thy city walls have fallen, and fallen 
 too art thou." 
 
 The chorus having ended their exalting strains, the Sultan 
 addresses Hellas, and offers to make her his wife, thus incor- 
 porating the ancient land of loveliness with the newly con- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 271 
 
 structed power of the Turk ; but Hellas, who is Athena 
 incarnate, scorns his offer to make her anodalisque of the 
 harem. " Virgin I was, virgin I am, virgin 1 remain," says 
 the fallen queen, with haughty grace ; " my body you may 
 chain with iron, but the soul is under the protection of Zeus, 
 the Supreme ; therefore will I sit here in desolation rather 
 than partake of the splendors you offer me." Furious with 
 rage, the barbarian smites her, but she, still smiling, repeats 
 constantly, " The body is thine, but the soul is mine ; " so in 
 wrath he leaves her, with a promise that her woes shall 
 never end, and the Moslem chorus follow him from the 
 stage, with triumphant shouts of joy at the success of their 
 arms. 
 
 Left alone, chained and desolate, amid the ruins of her 
 temples, Hellas bewails her downfall, which contrasts so 
 darkly with her former brilliance in classic times. Crispin 
 afterwards translated the play into blank verse for the bene- 
 fit of Maurice, but the English verse gives but a poor idea 
 of the fire and majesty of the sonorous Greek original. 
 " Woe is me ! " cries the fallen queen — 
 
 For I am but the sport of jealous gods, 
 Who, envious of Athenian gloriousness, 
 Have crushed the city of the Violet Crown 
 Beneath the force of overwhelming hordes; 
 Thus blotting out my heaven-aspiring sons, 
 Who, burning with a new Promethean fire, 
 Would fain have scaled god-crowned Olympus high 
 To match themselves 'gainst gods in equal strife. 
 
 Then, with the sudden energy of despair, she calls upon 
 the heroes of Salamis, of Thermopylae, of Marathon, to aid 
 their mother in the time of need. Alas ! no voice answers 
 to her cry of anguish, and, overcome with a sense of hope- 
 lessness, Hellas, discrowned and chained, sinks weeping on 
 the broken column of her fallen shrine. 
 
 Now enters the chorus proper of young Greek maidens, 
 dressed in black stoles, to denote the sorrowful condition of 
 their country. They sweep into the orchestra, and, having 
 sprinkled the altar with incense, begin to question their 
 fallen queen, as though they were ignorant of the cause of 
 her grief. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 Wliat madness drives thee, queen, to rend thine hair ? 
 
 HELLAS. 
 
 Curst Ate bides upon the threshold stone. 
 
272 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 Now see I plainly thou art bound with chains. 
 
 HELLAS. 
 
 In this no fatal blindness dims thine eyes. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 Say whence these chains which check free-moving limbs ? 
 
 HELLAS. 
 
 The Eastern hordes have bound me helpless thus. 
 
 Question and answer thus goes on for some time, and then 
 the chorus break out into a wailing song, in w^hich they 
 remind Helhis that, having forsaken the old gods who helped 
 her in her need, she is now reaping the reward of such folly. 
 " The curse of Ate is on thee," they cry pitifully, " nor will 
 the goddess be satisfied until she has exacted her due penalty 
 for neglect of the Olympians." They relate the former woes 
 of Hellas, how she first was slave to the Macedonians, then 
 to the Roman power ; how the Latins set their mailed feet 
 on her neck ; and now the Moslems have again reduced her 
 to the position of bondswoman. Ever a slave, ever desired, 
 she is thrown from the one to the other, as it pleases them, 
 unable to free herself from such degradation. When this 
 chorus of reproach is ended, Hellas calls upon the tutelar 
 genius of Greece to help her ere she perish. 
 
 In answer to her cry, Apollo (represented by Caliphronas) 
 appears, and blames her for foolishly forsaking the old gods 
 for the new, and thus falling into the hands of Nemesis. 
 His power, which was engendered and kept alive solely by 
 belief, has departed, and he cannot help her, much as he 
 desires to do so. ''I myself," he says — 
 
 E'en I whose fanes were ever reverenced, 
 
 Am now bereft of shrine and oracle ; 
 
 No longer do I hear tlie Delian hymn, 
 
 Nor taste the savors of the sacrifice, 
 
 But, lyre in hand, go wandering through the night, 
 
 Lamenting for ray skyey chariot, 
 
 Wlierein I bore the fierceness of the sun 
 
 Up eastern hills and down to western seas. 
 
 Finally, Apollo tells his renegade worshipper that she 
 must sing the battle-songs of Tyrtseus, wiiich may perhaps 
 awaken thouglits of freedom in the breasts of her degener- 
 ated sons, and then departs, promising to return again w^hen 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 273 
 
 slie is once more the stainless Hellas of old. Fired by the 
 speech of the god, Hellas rises, and, assisted by the chorus, 
 begins to sing tierce battle-songs, and call upon her sons to 
 remember the heroes of the past. A clamor is heard with- 
 out as of men fighting, then the chains of Hellas fall off, 
 and with them her dark robe. Now she is free once more, 
 and clad in purest white, so, while rejoicing in her liberty, 
 a herald (Crispin) appears, and tells how well the Greeks 
 have fought for their independence. This gave the poet an 
 opportunity for a stirring speech, descriptive of the modern 
 Greek heroes, Canaris, Botzaris, and Conduriottis, which 
 names were received with shouts by the audience, fired with 
 patriotic fervor. 
 
 Once more Apollo, the genius of Greece, appears, and 
 declares that no longer can Hellas dwell in desecrated 
 Athens, but that, even as his mother Latona, she must seek 
 shelter in an ^gean isle, and there, after long years, give 
 birth to a supreme race, who will revive the ancient glories 
 of violet-crowned Athens. Leading her by the hand, the god 
 then conducts the newly liberated Hellas up the steps of the 
 temple. The great doors are flung open to the sound of 
 trumpets ! and lo ! appears the Acropolis of Melnos in all its 
 beauty. Here is Hellas to dwell in seclusion, until her 
 antique glory is revived by a new race of her sons, instinct 
 with genius ; and down the steps come strings of white-robed 
 youths and girls, bearing fruits, to welcome this Phoenix of 
 Greece, new risen from the ashes of the past. Then the 
 chorus, wreathing in a mystic dance round the altar of Bac- 
 chus, sing the coming glories of New Hellas, which are soon 
 to be realized in the Island of Melnos. 
 
 Long, long hast thou lain as in prison, our mother, our goddess, our 
 
 queen, 
 But lo ! to the eastward hath risen a splendor serene. 
 And glorious day follows darkness, the darkness of hundreds of years, 
 Reviving thy corpse from its starkness, with laughter and tears, 
 Ay, tears for the past and its anijuish, and laughter for glories to come, 
 For never again wilt thou languish, a bondswoman dumb. 
 The trumpets of triumph are blowing, their clangor swells north from 
 
 thy south. 
 And jubilant music is flowing anew from thy mouth. 
 Man, dazzled, obedient shall render his homage to thee as of yore, 
 And thou wilt stand forth in thy splendor, a goddess once more. 
 
 After this introductory chant in unison, the chorus di- 
 vided in twain, and semi-chorus replied to semi-chorus, in 
 fiery speech and jubilant music, that rang like a paean through 
 
^74 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 the wide thecatre. Ever moving figures, kneeling youths and 
 maidens, soft radiance of sunlight, and triumphant bursts of 
 choral song, while Hellas, serene in her freedom, stands be- 
 side tutelary genius, with the light of the glorious future on 
 her face, listening to the eagle flight of liquid words, greet- 
 ing her as queen of the world. 
 
 The play being ended, all the lively Greeks streamed out 
 of the theatre, loudly praising the entertainment, and, having 
 had an iutellectual feast, now proceeded to the tables set in 
 the open air, which were covered with all kinds of food to 
 satisfy their physical wants. IVIaurice and the Demarch 
 v/a.ited in the theatre alone for the actors, and very shortly 
 Crispin came to see how they liked his play. He received 
 warm congratulations of his success from the two men, while 
 Helena and Caliphronas also received their due meed of 
 praise. The Greek was radiant with self-complacent delight, 
 for his vanity had been much gratified by the approval of 
 the audience, and for the rest of the day he regarded himself 
 as the hero of the hour, quite forgetting both Crispin and 
 Helena in his serene egotism. 
 
 " I hope I have succeeded in showing your aims clearly, 
 Justinian ? " said the poet, as they sat down to a comfortable 
 meal. 
 
 " You have succeeded admirably, especially in that last 
 chorus. I only hope that all will see the piece is meant for 
 more than the amusement of an hour." 
 
 "If you heard how the villagers are talking," remarked 
 Caliphronas, with a laugh, " I do not think you would have 
 any doubt on that score, for they already regard themselves 
 as the saviours of Hellas, intellectually, physically, and 
 politically." 
 
 " Did you intend your genius of Greece for Lord Byron, 
 Crispin ? " asked Maurice, who had understood and admired 
 the allegory. 
 
 " Well, the character was supposed to blend both the god 
 and the poet," replied Crispin, after a pause ; " let us say it 
 was the Olympian incarnate in the body of the Englishman." 
 
 "And both the Olympian and Englishman incarnate in a 
 Greek," said the Demarch graciously. 
 
 Caliphronas smiled at receiving this compliment, which 
 was intended to further blind him to the reality of Justin- 
 ian's feelings towards him. 
 
 "There is nothing I should like better than to become a 
 leader in reality," he said gayly ; " to inspire my countrymen 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 275 
 
 with the desire of once more making Hellas supreme queen 
 
 of the world." 
 
 " Of the intellectual world ? " 
 
 " Or the material — it matters not which." 
 
 "Pardon me, but it matters a great deal," replied Justinian 
 quickly. "Politically, Greece has a place among the Powers 
 — she has a constitution and a king. So, as far as mate- 
 rial prosperity goes, I wish not to meddle with her, but my 
 aim is to revive her intellectuality, and Crispin's play was 
 entirely written to illustrate that point. Hellas will never 
 be a modern Roman empire — she never was an all-conquer- 
 ing power, and her strength lay in the brains, not in the 
 hands of her sons. After all, is it not greater to control 
 the minds than the bodies of men ? " 
 
 " You want to turn Hellas into a school." 
 
 " The pen is mightier than the sword," rejoined Justinian 
 sententiously. " Let other nations be merchants and warriors, 
 while Greece reasserts her ancient vocation of teacher. 
 An aptitude for a special line is as true of the many as of the 
 one. You would not give the lyre to the soldier nor the 
 sword to the poet, so every race should exercise the talents 
 with which it is especially gifted ; not, of course, to the 
 exclusion of others, but make its peculiar gift its greatest 
 aim. At present, the great human family of Europe is in a 
 state of transition, and, unaware of each other's aims, are 
 watchfully in arms the one against the other. Let us hope 
 that before the end of the twentieth century they will recog- 
 nize that one special faculty predominates in every nation, 
 and permit each other to cultivate that special faculty." 
 
 " What ! " exclaimed Maurice, somewhat astonished, 
 "would you have the English nothing but shopkeepers 
 and colonizers — the French, a nation of warriors — the Ger- 
 mans, philosophers only, and the Italians, musicians ? That, 
 indeed, would narrow down the talents of the world to one 
 special field each." 
 
 " You do not understand me, Maurice," said Justinian 
 impatiently. " I quite agree that every nation should have 
 its own literature, art, music, philosophy, and drama, but the 
 one special gift of the race should be cultivated more than 
 the others ; it should be made a state law — a political 
 necessity. However, this question admits of much argu- 
 ment, and we have no time to argue now, but, in illustration 
 that I am not so narrow-minded as you think, I will merely 
 point out, that I educate my Greeks in military and civil 
 
276 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 occupations quite as much as T attend to their intellectu- 
 ality." 
 
 " After all," said Caliphronas pointedly, " only civil occu- 
 pations, such as touch agriculture, are necessary, for intel- 
 lectuality is yet in the future with us, and it is not likely 
 Melnos will ever require to resort to arms." 
 
 " I trust not," replied Justinian, looking steadily at the 
 Count. " But if she does, I am quite sure you will find her 
 sons able to defend their island, even against enmity and 
 treachery." 
 
 Caliphronas smiled uneasily, and held his peace, upon 
 which there ensued a rather embarrassing pause, which was 
 only ended by the departure of Crispin to look after the 
 afternoon's entertainment. Maurice strolled off in the 
 pleasant company of Helen, much to the disgust of Cali- 
 phronas, who now pointedly avoided the company of the 
 Englishman, owing to the fracas which had occurred during 
 the previous day. Truth to tell, Eoylands was pleased with 
 such avoidance, as, now that open war was declared between 
 himself and the Greek, he had no need to cloak his distaste 
 for the society of this precious scamp. 
 
 The satiric comedy of " The Honey Bees," was a fantastic 
 piece based upon an incident which had lately occurred in 
 Melnos. Justinian had lately imported a potter to teach his 
 people the ceramic art, but this new acquisition turned out 
 to be but an idle scoundrel, who spent his time in drinking 
 and making love to his neighbors' wives. On this basis the 
 poet had worked out an amusing plot, not devoid of point, 
 in which Aristides, an idle scamp, forces himself into an 
 industrious hive of honey bees, whose queen he desires to 
 marry, in order to be independent for the rest of his life. 
 Unfortunately, he falls a victim to a counter-plot of the bees 
 themselves, who, in order to disillusionize the queen, get a 
 pretty young girl called Myrtis to pay court to the adven- 
 turer. He makes love to Myrtis, and is discovered by the 
 enraged queen, who orders her bees to drive him forth from 
 the hive. 
 
 This slight framework was filled with pointed allusions to 
 passing events, and the weaknesses of many of the Melno- 
 sians were slyly pointed out, so that the gossip-loving audi- 
 ence enjoyed every stinging remark to the full, nor, indeed, 
 failed to laugh when the irony was directed at themselves. 
 The scene was the public square of the village, with the lake 
 and the bronze statue of Jupiter, so that, with such a well- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 277 
 
 known setting, every local point was understood and ap- 
 plauded. The chorus consisted of the " Honey Bees," 
 dressed somewhat after the fashion of Aristophanic Wasps, 
 with pinched waists, yellow black-banded bodies, and spears 
 for stings. Alternating with the rude buffoonery of the play, 
 were bursts of choric song lauding the community of Melnos 
 and the industry of its inhabitants, with many sly hits at 
 the idle lives of the adjacent islanders. In fact, with great 
 judgment the poet had constructed the whole comedy to 
 glorify the Melnosians at the expense of their labors, and 
 thus render them the more resolved to work hard at their 
 appointed tasks, and thus fulfil the aims of their De- 
 march. 
 
 The following scene of the arrival of Aristides and the 
 entrance of the chorus will give, some idea of the play, 
 though, of course, what with local allusions and the flexi- 
 bility of the Greek language, the comedy is more amusing in 
 the original. 
 
 Aristides. O Pan, to what land of honey have I come ! 
 Truly, I see naught but wild thjme and yellow comb. 
 Poseidon, has thou then girdled Hymettus with the azure 
 scarf of ocean ? 
 
 Queen. No hill of Attic fame do you here behold, but the 
 skj^-piercing Melnos, beloved of the gods. 
 
 4-ristides. Jupiter ! I behold a graceful creature. Have 
 I then been thrown on the alluring coast of fatal 
 Circe ? 
 
 Queen. Sun-god's daughter I am not, but one who rules 
 over honey-seeking bees in this hollow island. Cleverly do 
 they extract the sweet juices of flowers to fill the emptiness 
 of many-celled combs. 
 
 Aristides {running away). Ah me, I fear the sharpness of 
 their stings. 
 
 Quee7i. In no wise will they hurt thee save at my behest. 
 Be still, handsome stranger, and I will invoke for thee 
 the industrious tribe, whose ambrosia is sweeter than the 
 food of undying gods. 
 
 Aristides. Already I shake in my cowardly knees. 
 
 Queen. O Pan, inspirer of vague fears, do I call on thee 
 to send hither the swift-flying bees. Whether ye lurk in 
 lioney-throated flowers industrious, or speed lightly through 
 the measureless sky, do I summon ye hither, sting- 
 bearers. 
 
278 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 ENTER CHORUS OF BEES. 
 
 Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! 
 Indeed I heard thy cry, O queen, 
 When seeking on a mount serene 
 Sweet-tasting honey for our store, 
 Drawn from the core 
 Of rose and daisy, violet, 
 In sparkling dews of meadows set, 
 With patient labor do I strive / 
 
 To fill the hive, 
 
 Alas! too often plundered, when 1 
 
 Espied by all-devouring men. / 
 
 Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! 
 But lo ! whom see I lurking here ? 
 The form of man, whom much I fear. , 
 
 Buz — z — z — z — z! 
 Let me prepare my angry sting 
 To slay this greedy-passioned thing, 
 Who would devour 
 Our honey in a single hour. 
 Buz — z — z — z — z. 
 
 The audience, lovers of laughter as they were, much pre- 
 ferred this amusing play to the solemn teachings of the 
 morning, and yet from both they learned something neces- 
 sary to their well-being. From the one, how Justinian 
 wished to make them the centre of a new intellectual force ; 
 and from the other, how his aim could be achieved by indus- 
 try and perseverance : so, grave or gay, the performance 
 instilled the policy of the Demarch into their minds. 
 
 On the conclusion of the comedy, the rest of the evening 
 was devoted to feasting, while Justinian and his guests 
 returned to the Acropolis, well pleased with the success of 
 the performances. 
 
 "Well, what do you think of my sermons from the 
 stage ? " asked Crispin, as he strolled along beside Maurice. 
 
 " I think very highly of them," answered the Englishman. 
 " It is a pity we dare not be so out-spoken in our own land. 
 But if you set forth the foibles of Londoners as plainly as 
 you did in 'The Honey Bees,^ I am afraid you would have 
 half a dozen libel cases." 
 
 " It would be impossible to transplant the Aristophanic 
 comedy to England, for modern civilization is too compli- 
 cated to admit of such free speaking. Besides, the average 
 Briton is too serious and too practical to relish the truth, even 
 when uttered by the comic muse, and only the light-hearted 
 Athenians could have appreciated and enjoyed such plain 
 speaking. The French are more given to open criticism, and 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 270 
 
 I daresay a political comedy constructed on these lines 
 would appeal greatly to their sense of humor." 
 
 " When one is in Kome one must not speak evil of the 
 Pope ! " 
 
 '' And every nation has its pope of conventionality. I 
 agree with you there. After all, it is impossible to revive 
 the past, and even a new Shakespeare would be as out of 
 place in these post-revoluntionary days as a new Aristo- 
 phanes. The modern world deals with the drama of little 
 things, and the individual idiosyncrasy is caricatured instead 
 of the national policy. We have only one plain-speaking 
 Aristophanes nowadays, and his name is FunchP 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 OLYMPIAN. 
 
 Like statues fair the naked runners stand, 
 
 Poised for the start on Elis' sacred plain, 
 
 Their limbs resplendent shine with fragrant oil, 
 
 And every eager athlete is fain 
 
 To win the wreath of olives for his toil, 
 
 In honor of his land. 
 
 Like flying arrows from a stretched bow, 
 
 They onward speed with every muscle strained. 
 
 A breathless pause — then shouts to heaven go 
 
 In token of the victory hardly won. 
 
 A triple cry of "Hail, Victorious! " sounds; 
 
 With dance and choral song the victor goes 
 
 To bend before the statue of the god. 
 
 Then one with glad rejoicing proudly throws 
 
 A robe of triumph o'er his shoulders broad, 
 
 And with wild olives crowned, 
 
 The athlete unconquered, in his state 
 
 Waits silent in the awful god's abode 
 
 To hear, with pride of victory elate, 
 
 The rushing splendor of Pindaric ode. 
 
 Owing to the comparatively small size of the valley, 
 which was much taken up with the dwelling-houses, manu- 
 factories, and public buildings, the place wherein the yearly 
 games took place was not very large. Still, with a sparse 
 population, the arena was large enough, and when all were 
 assembled it was comfortably filled, leaving a large open 
 space in the centre for the runners, leapers, boxers, and 
 
280 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 other athletes who took part in the sports. Despite his dis- 
 like to anachronisms, Justinian was obliged to deviate from 
 the special sports of Elis, and introduce a number of modern 
 pastimes, in order to keep his men in an efficient state of 
 training for the defence of the island. To this end, shoot- 
 ing matches were arranged, and the Demarch supplied the 
 Melnosians with guns for the day, which were afterwards 
 returned to the armory of the Acropolis, and many of the 
 villagers were excellent marksmen. Justinian also, who 
 appeared to know something of military tactics, drilled and 
 manoeuvred his men in fine style ; and last, but not least, 
 Gurt, who was an old man-of-war's man, had taught a special 
 number the cutlass drill of the British navy. 
 
 The arena was a large open space near the grand staircase, 
 surrounded with many trees of the beech, elm, pine, and 
 plane sort ; and thus, to some extent, shaded the ground 
 agreeably from the sun, which beat fiercely down at noon- 
 day. There was no amphitheatre, but rows of stone benches 
 on which the women could seat themselves, while their hus- 
 bands, fathers, sons, and brothers stood around, or lay luxuri- 
 ously on the grass. Justinian himself, however, had a kind 
 of stone throne, rudely carved, and all his guests were sup- 
 plied with seats adjacent, so that the}^ could view the games 
 quite comfortably. The athletes were clothed m their tight- 
 fitting dancing costumes, which gave free play to their 
 bodies, and were comfortably cool, while their feet only were 
 bare, so as not to impede their speed in the racing. On this 
 final day of the festival, the colors changed sexes, for most 
 of the men were garbed in white for the sports, while the 
 women had decked their snowy chitons with brilliant rib- 
 bons and gold coins, while they wreathed their dark locks 
 with fragrant chaplets of flowers. Only Helena was in pure 
 white — Helena, who sat near her father like a queen, and 
 wore a robe the hue of milk, a snowy wreath of delicate 
 cyclamen, yet who looked the fairest of all the fair women 
 assembled. In spite of the attractions, vine-feast and goat- 
 song, which had occupied the two previous days, these 
 Olympian games were the favorites with the lively Melno- 
 sians, as all could take part in them, and win the praises of 
 the Demarch, and the smiles of the women, which was 
 greatly flattering to the harmless vanity of the Greek 
 nature. 
 
 Maurice, in common with Crispin, was arrayed in the 
 white wool athletic dress, as Caliphronas had challenged 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 281 
 
 him to compete in jumping, and for the honor of his coun- 
 try he accepted the glove so insultiugly thrown down. In- 
 sultingly, because Caliphronas, confident of his superb 
 physical perfection, had taunted the Englishman with not 
 being able to hold his own in athletic sports, save in boxing, 
 which taunt had stung Maurice so much, that he had 
 wagered himself against Caliphronas in the running jump. 
 At college, Maurice had been a famous athlete, and though 
 six years of idleness in London had impaired his powers, 
 yet the pure atmosphere of Melnos, the constant open-air 
 life of mountain-climbing and swimming had completely 
 reinvigorated him ; and what he lacked of his former skill 
 was counterbalanced by the endurance of his spare frame, 
 the hardness of his muscles, and his general feeling of 
 exuberant vitality. He was all in white, save for the colors 
 of his college, and a wreath of red roses, which Helena had 
 woven round his gray sombrero, in which headgear he looked 
 like the Sicilian shepherd, Acis, when he went a-courting 
 Galatea by the sea. 
 
 Seated by Justinian, they all watched the progress of the 
 games with great interest, which was fully shared by their 
 surrounding guard of sailors, who thought this festival the 
 most sensible of the three. All the ambitious mariners had 
 entered themselves for every game, running, wrestling, leap- 
 ing, boxing, and shooting ; nor did they fail to uphold the 
 honor of England, for if the Greeks had the speed, the 
 Britons had the strength, and, in their dogged determination 
 that an Englishman could not be beaten, managed to secure a 
 respectable number of victories over the nimble-stepping 
 islanders. 
 
 " I think I like the games best myself," said Justinian, as 
 lie surveyed the races from his throne, like one of the old 
 Olympian Hellanodikai ; " for I know that strength is what 
 Melnos now requires from her sons. Amusement and intel- 
 lectuality are in the future, but, with the chances of a prob- 
 able war, we need as many skilled athletes and trained 
 soldiers as possible." 
 
 "I notice you make everything subservient to your 
 schemes," observed Maurice, who every day was more and 
 more impressed with the administrative capabilities of the 
 Demarch. 
 
 '• Of course. I think the entire life of a people should be 
 the means to an end, and thus they will be able to live health- 
 fully, mirthfully, and intellectually, yet be able to guard 
 themselves in time of dangers." 
 
282 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Quite like Sparta ! " 
 
 " No ; I have told you I never did approve of Sparta, which 
 destroyed the individuality of every man, and turned her 
 nation into nothing but a warlike machine. A plant will not 
 grow in a pot too small for it, nor will a child constantly con- 
 fined in swaddling clothes develop its physical nature freely. 
 Mankind requires four things, — amusement, education, work, 
 and physical exercise ; and on these requirements I base my 
 system of rule. All the year round, my people work for the 
 well-being of the community, and these festivals, although 
 they please them, are not without their objects. The first 
 day is the pure amusement only of the vintage feast ; during 
 the second day, I educate their minds to understand the 
 reason of their existence ; and now, on this third day, they 
 indulge in physical exercises, which keep them healthy, and 
 also train them to defend their land from outside dangers.'^ 
 
 " You are a modern Solon ! " 
 
 '' The Solon of an unnoticed island," replied Justinian, 
 with a smile. "Well, you see, owing to the exigencies of 
 modern life, I am forced to go in for quality rather than 
 quantity — to rule a tribe instead of a nation — to govern an 
 island rather than a continent. Nevertheless, you know the 
 saying, ' From small events, what mighty causes spring ; ' 
 so, perchance, my miniature government, when it develops 
 into a larger one, may not be without some influence in this 
 often misgoverned world." 
 
 "Justinian," said Maurice, with irrepressible curiosity, 
 who are you ? " 
 
 " Demarch of Melnos." 
 
 " Forgive me ! " replied Maurice, flushing, as he noticed 
 the pointed rebuke. " I know the question I have asked is 
 a breach of good-breeding ; but you are such a wonderful 
 man, that I must be excused for wondering where you came 
 from." 
 
 " I am not angry at your question," returned Justinian, 
 touched by the frankness of the young man ; " the spectacle 
 of an old Englishman with such projects is, perhaps, calcu- 
 lated to arouse curiosity. However, I will promise to tell 
 you all about myself when a certain event, which I dearly 
 desire, comes to pass." 
 
 " And that event ? " 
 
 Justinian smiled meaningly, and let his eyes fall upon 
 Helena, upon which Maurice flushed red with delight, and 
 would have spoken, but that the wary old man shook his 
 head, as a sign that he was to keep silence. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 283 
 
 ^' Andros ! " he whispered significantly ; "another time." 
 
 Maurice saw that Caliphronas was walking towards them, 
 and wisely held his peace, althougli it was difficult for hiui 
 to repress the delight which the hint of Justinian had 
 awakened in his breast. To have this queen among women 
 as his own, to pass his life by her side, to always have her 
 beautiful face before his eyes, — it was too good to be true. 
 Yet true it was, for Justinian had unmistakably shown his 
 approbation of the match. As to Caliphronas, the young 
 Englishman had no fear ; he had given his rival plainly to 
 understand that he would strive his hardest to win Helena, 
 and the Greek could not say that he was involved in any way 
 in Justinian's crafty diplomacy. Maurice Koylands was 
 essentially an honorable man, and, despite the necessity for 
 such treachery, the underhanded dealings of the Demarch 
 were revolting to his sense of honesty, and he was glad he 
 had come to a complete understanding with the Count, so 
 that, when Justinian showed his hand in the deep game he 
 was playing, Caliphronas could not accuse his rival of under- 
 hand dealings in any way. As to Helena, this straightfor- 
 ward lover was not so ignorant of the ways of women as not 
 to know she liked him best, in spite of her coquettings with 
 Caliphronas ; therefore he felt quite confident that Helena 
 would not be cruel enough to refuse him. 
 
 His meditations were put an end to by Crispin, who ap- 
 proached with Dick, on whose behalf he proffered a challenge 
 to Mr. E/Oylands. 
 
 " Here you are, Maurice," said the poet cheerily. " Dick 
 wishes to know if you will be his antagonist in a boxing con- 
 test." 
 
 " Certainly, I will be delighted ; but I am afraid, Dick, 
 you will have the best of it, as I haven't touched the gloves 
 for the last six months." 
 
 " I'm not in good training myself, sir," replied Dick mod- 
 estly ; " but I'd dearly love to have a turn with you, sir, if I 
 may make so bold, just to show these darned Greeks how to 
 use their fists." 
 
 *' Don't you speak contemptuously of these darned Greeks, 
 my friend," said Crispin dryly ; " some of Justinian's men 
 have no small skill in boxing, I can tell you." 
 
 " Not Caliphronas," remarked IMaurice, recalling his con- 
 test with the Count on the first day of the feast. 
 
 " Caliphronas ! " echoed Crispin scornfully. " No ; he is 
 too much afraid of his beauty being spoiled to go in for hard 
 
284 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 knocks ; but he is a good leaper, Maurice, so you will have to 
 look to your University laurels.'^ 
 
 '' ' And can I fail before my lady's eyes ? ' " quoted Mau- 
 rice jestingly. 
 
 " Perhaps not ; but remember Caliphronas is also exhibit- 
 ing his prowess in his lady's eyes : so you are like two 
 knights of the Middle Ages tilting before the Queen of 
 Beauty. If you fail, my poor Maurice " — 
 
 " Vce victis,'' retorted Eoy lands, with a laugh ; " keep your 
 lamentations till after the contest, Mr. Aristophanes. Jove ! 
 how that fellow scuds ! " 
 
 A one-mile race was going on, four times round the arena, 
 which was a quarter of a mile in circumference, and about 
 half a dozen men had started, among whom was Temistocles, 
 the young Greek who had won the wine-skin dance on the 
 first day of the festival. He had shot slightly ahead of his 
 competitors, who were making great efforts to catch him up, 
 but Maurice, an adept in such things, saw that he was ex- 
 hausting himself in the effort to keep the lead, and, as it was 
 only the first lap, would not be able to hold out to the end 
 going at such a pace. 
 
 "Crispin, tell that fellow leading to reserve himself for 
 the last round." 
 
 "What for?" 
 
 "Because he's taking too much out of himself, stupid. 
 Quick, shout as he passes." 
 
 The runners were now flying past the winning-post, which 
 was directly in front of Justinian's throne, so Crispin sang 
 out loudly in G-reek to Temistocles as Maurice had instructed 
 him. The young Palikar was no fool, and saw that the ad- 
 vice was good, so he let the two behind him gain his side, 
 and took a second place between them and the ruck. Only 
 these three men were in the race, for the remaining three 
 were already well blown, and Temistocles, acting on the wary 
 advice given, wanted his two most dangerous opponents to 
 exhaust themselves. During the second lap, one of the last 
 three men threw up the sponge, as also did another at the 
 third round, and as the hinder man was completely out of it, 
 the interest in the race centred in the two leading runners 
 and Temistocles, who followed closely behind. Neck and 
 neck ran the first two, making violent efforts to pass one 
 another, quite unaware of the danger behind them, so that at 
 the final lap they were getting somewhat stale. Half-way 
 round the arena, one gained slightly on the other, and, think- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 285 
 
 ing he was now pretty certain of the victory, ran home at 
 full speed, but Temistocles, who had been mustering his 
 strength, saw that the decisive moment had come, and, shoot- 
 ing past him like an arrow, gained the goal four lengths 
 ahead. The applause during this exciting race was tremen- 
 dous, and the onlookers cheered themselves hoarse when 
 Temistocles won ; while that grateful young man came to 
 thank Crispin for the hint which had gained him the victory. 
 
 "Do not thank me," said Crispin, smiling, as he drew Roy- 
 lands forward ; " Kyrios ^laurice told me what to say." 
 
 Temistocles expressed himself much beholden to the lord, 
 and went off to receive the congratulations of his friends, 
 while the next item on the programme, which was a boxing 
 contest, began. Both Maurice and Dick watched this exhi- 
 bition of pugilistic science critically, and came to the conclu- 
 sion that while the islanders were active enough in dodging 
 and hitting, they had not sufficient strength to make their 
 blows effective enough when they hit home. It was all dex- 
 terity and avoidance with them, which made the fight pretty 
 enough to look on, but scarcely exciting from an English 
 point of view. Still, one of these light-weight Greeks was 
 enough to tire out any ordinary boxer, and, once having ex- 
 hausted his antagonist, could hope to tap him pretty freely, 
 and thus come off victor. 
 
 At last, after several contests, Maurice and Dick put on 
 the gloves and stepped into the arena, and, after shaking 
 hands in time-honored fashion, began to spar warily at 
 one another. Both were heavier-built men than the spare- 
 framed Greeks, but were pretty equally matched in point of 
 weight and science. If anything, Dick had the quicker eye 
 of the two, while Eoylands possessed the longer reach. 
 Justinian, an old boxing man himself, was as keen as a 
 needle over this glove match, and came down from his seat, 
 in order to get a closer view of the battle, while the Melno- 
 sians, equally interested, crowded round eagerly to watch 
 the contest. 
 
 After sparring lightly for a time, Maurice made a feint, 
 and led out straight home, but Dick was on his guard, and 
 parried the blow with his right, catching his antagonist a 
 lifter on the jaw with his left. Secretly annoj^ed at this, 
 Roylands made rapid play, and succeeded in landing a stun- 
 ner on Dick's eye before the active sailor could dodge. 
 Maurice got the worst of the first round, Dick of the second, 
 so it seemed difficult to foresee who would finally triumph. 
 
286 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 In the third Maurice got a nasty one in the ribs, but, feint- 
 ing with his left, extended his right rapidly in that dexter- 
 ous blow known as " the policeman's knock," which, catching 
 Dick full on the face, had the effect of tumbling him over 
 on the grass. In the fourth round, however, Dick recovered 
 his lost ground by blowing his antagonist first, then coming 
 home with a tremendous rap on the left ear which made 
 Maurice see stars. The Greeks were frenzied with excite- 
 ment, and even Justinian, Caliphronas, and Crispin caught 
 the contagion, and yelled as loudly as the rest at every suc- 
 cessful blow. Not so active as the cat-like sailor, Maurice 
 was getting a trifle blown, and thought he was going to dis- 
 grace himself in Helena's eyes, and, what was worse, in Cal- 
 iphronas', by being beaten, so, when the fifth round began, 
 made up his mind to come off best. By this time he was 
 pretty well versed in Dick's tatics, and when the sailor closed 
 in with a right-hand feint, in order to come home with his 
 left, Maurice dodged like lightning, and, breaking down 
 Dick's guard, punished him severely on the nose. Both 
 men's blood was up now, and indeed Dick's was showing, as 
 it streamed from what is called, in the graceful language of 
 the prize ring, "his smeller," and at the sixth round the on- 
 lookers saw that the final bout would be severe. 
 
 All the women were rather nervous at this savage contest, 
 and Helena, pale as a lily at the sight of blood, was clinging 
 to her father's arm, inwardly breathing prayers for the suc- 
 cess of her hero, for so she now regarded Maurice. Dick had 
 now quite lost his head, and was quite reckless, while 
 Maurice was as cool and calm as ever, his self-control stand- 
 ing him in good stead in parrying Dick's furious onslaughts. 
 Still the sailor managed to draw blood freely, much to the 
 secret joy of Caliphronas, who would have liked notliing 
 better than to see Maurice's handsome face spoiled, when 
 Roylands, setting his teeth like a vise, tried to close in with 
 his opponent for the final tussle. For a minute the two men 
 dodged rapidly, feinted, parried, sparred, and did their best 
 to break down one another's guard, when Dick, losing his 
 self-control, hit out recklessly in a wild fashion, upon which 
 Maurice sent one blow after another home like a sledge-ham- 
 mer, and ended the fight with a tremendous left-hander, 
 which levelled Dick almost insensible on the ground. 
 
 Every man on the ground, aroused by the sight of blood, 
 fairly went mad, and when Dick went off, supported by two 
 of his messmates, wanted to carry the victor in schoolboy 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 287 
 
 fashion round the ground on their shoulders, a triumph 
 which Maurice declined, and retired to cleanse himself of 
 blood. Long after was that tight remembered, and the local 
 poet made a kind of Iliad out of the struggle, which was one 
 compared to the triumph of Achilles over Hector, Maurice 
 of course being the son of silver-footed Thetis. 
 
 The sports went on during the whole of the long day, as 
 if the competitors would never tire, and there were flat-racing 
 hurdle-racing, jumping, wrestling, and further boxing, until 
 late in the afternoon. Then Gurt put his men through then- 
 cutlass drill, and Justinian manoeuvred the whole male popu- 
 lation of the island, much to his own satisfaction and that 
 of Maurice, who saw that the Melnosians were capitally 
 
 drilled. . 
 
 " Where did you learn all your military science ? he asked 
 Justinian when the drill was over. 
 
 " I was in the army once," replied the old Demarch, with 
 great pride. 
 
 " What regiment, may I ask ?" 
 
 "I cannot tell you that yet." 
 
 "You are as mysterious as Crispin." 
 
 "There are a good many mysteries in this Island of Fan- 
 tasy, Mr. Pvoylands," retorted Justinian good-humoredly, 
 " and when they are all solved, you will be surprised in more 
 ways than one. Have you been a soldier yourself ? " 
 
 " No ! I am a man of peace, but my Uncle Rudolph was 
 a lieutenant in a line regiment, the — th." 
 
 " Ah, your lost uncle ! " said the Demarch, with an ambig- 
 uous smile. "You must tell me your family history some 
 
 day." 
 
 " I am afraid it will be necessary soon," replied Maurice, 
 
 glancing at Helena. 
 
 " Ah, you think so ? Well, remember my desire about 
 you being my successor, Maurice. I wish your answer 
 shortly." 
 
 " You will have it as soon as I hear from England. 
 
 " Well, that will be soon. I have a boat waiting at Syra 
 for your letters, so I trust you will get your reply, and Crispin 
 his yacht, shortly." 
 
 " Then you still anticipate trouble ? " 
 
 " I do ! Remember we have one possessing the fatal name 
 of Helena here. She is the firebrand, as you well know ; 
 but we will talk of these things another time, my son. 
 Meanwhile, let us come and look at the shooting." 
 
288 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 As Maurice turned to accompany the old man, he felt a 
 soft touch on his arm, and, on looking down, saw that Helena, 
 with an expression of pity on her beautiful face, was look- 
 ing at him. 
 
 " Are you hurt, Maurice ? " she said anxiously. 
 
 *'No, not at all ! " he replied, laughing. "Dick gave me 
 a nasty one on the nose, which is rather painful, but nothing 
 to speak of. But to-morrow, I will be such a sight, as you 
 will shudder to look on me." 
 
 " I would rather see a brave man disfigured, than a hand- 
 some coward," retorted Helena, with disdain, casting a side 
 look at the distant form of Caliphronas. 
 
 " Oh, and you think Caliphronas is " — 
 
 " Very nice," interrupted Helena cruelly. " Yes, he is de- 
 lightful ! " 
 
 "I believe you are very fond of Caliphronas," said Mau- 
 rice, displeased at this speech. 
 
 " I don't think you are, Maurice," pouted the girl, looking 
 down. 
 
 " Assuredly I'm not, and to prove this, I will do my best 
 to beat him at the high jump ! " 
 
 " If you do," said Helena gayly, " I will give you a rose." 
 
 " Of what color, you coquette, — red for love, or white for 
 silence ? " 
 
 " Neither ! Yellow for jealousy ! " 
 
 She ran away after her father with a silvery laugh, in 
 which Maurice, in spite of his vexation, could not help join- 
 ing, as the charming coquetry of this young girl was delight- 
 ful enough to fascinate him, and annoying enough to pique 
 his pride, of which Mr. Roylands had no small share. 
 
 " She is the loveliest woman in the world," he said to him- 
 self, sauntering towards the shooting part}^, " and if I win 
 her I will be the most fortunate of beings. But I am afraid 
 she is a coquette, or else it is a woman's way of provoking 
 love. Hullo, Dick ! is this you ? " he added aloud, as the 
 boatswain, considerably battered, approached him. "I'm 
 afraid I've knocked you up a bit." 
 
 ^' Not a bit of it, sir," replied Dick, heartily grasping tJic 
 young Englishman's extended hand. " I'll be as right as a 
 trivet to-morrow ; but, my word, sir, I shouldn't like to meet 
 you without the gloves ! " 
 
 " I don't know so much about that, Dick. You were a 
 pretty tough antagonist, I can tell you ! " 
 
 " So Zoe thought, sir, when she saw me," grinned Dick, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 289 
 
 displaying his white teeth; she thought it was Gurt, 
 sir ! " 
 
 " And was sorry it wasn't, perhaps ? " 
 
 "I'm blest if she was, Mr. Roylands ! I'm the white- 
 haired boy in that quarter, sir." 
 
 "And Gurt?" 
 
 " Oh, he don't mind, sir. He's not a marrying man — I 
 am." 
 
 " And you intend to marry Zoe ? " 
 
 " If she'll have me, sir." 
 
 "I don't think there's much fear of that, Dick," replied 
 Maurice genially. 
 
 " I hope not, sir, but women are queer creatures." 
 
 " They are, indeed, Dick," answered Maurice, with a sigh, 
 thinking of Helena and her dexterity in avoiding his wooing, 
 yet keeping him a fast captive in her chains. 
 
 " What I'd like you to do, sir," said Dick reflectively, " is 
 to have the gloves on with Mr. Caliphronas." 
 
 " Why so ? " 
 
 For answer Dick pointed to his own swollen face, and 
 grinned meaningly, whereupon Maurice walked away, laugh- 
 ing to think of the Count's handsome countenance in such a 
 scarred condition. 
 
 The shooting was going on splendidly, and all the Mel- 
 nosians proved themselves good marksmen, more or less, 
 while Justinian himself was a crack shot, and made one 
 centre after the other in a most surprising manner. 
 
 " Will you have a try, Maurice ? " he said, when the young 
 man reached him. 
 
 " Not to-day, sir. I'm too shaky after that fight, and wish 
 to keep up all my strength for the high jump." 
 
 " You have a tough antagonist in Caliphronas." 
 
 " I know that," rejoined Maurice uneasily, " but I'm 
 hanged if I'll let him beat me. His bragging would never 
 cease. Bravo, Crispin ! " 
 
 Crispin had just made a bull's eye, and was rejoicing in a 
 modest way over his success, so Maurice, to encourage him, 
 patted his shoulder. 
 
 "'What a pity Eunice is not here to see !" said Boy lands, 
 laughing. 
 
 " I'm afraid Eunice would not appreciate my skill ! " 
 
 " My dear lad, she would appreciate anything you did." 
 
 " I don't think her mother would ! " 
 
 "As long as you have twelve thousand a year, Mrs. Den- 
 gelton will think you an Admirable Crichton," 
 
290 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Not without a name ! " 
 
 " You have a name as good as any in England," said Jus- 
 tinian, touching the poet on the shoukler, "and what it is I 
 will tell you, when all these troubles are over." 
 
 This was the first time the Demarch had spoken so plainly, 
 and Crispin was much rejoiced thereat. 
 
 "I am quite content, for I know you will keep your 
 promise." 
 
 " You are right ! " rejoined Justinian proudly. "I never 
 break a promise, unless with regard to Punic faith." 
 
 Caliphronas heard this saying, but of course did not un- 
 derstand the significance of the remark, and strolled away 
 in order to look at the high jump, which was being put up 
 near the throne of Justinian. The shooting being at an 
 end, the rest of the party followed, and took their seats for 
 the final contest of the day, which was to be the competition 
 of the Greek and the Englishman in the high jump. 
 
 The two competitors came forward, as lightly clad as pos- 
 sible, in order to give themselves every advantage in the 
 contest, and two finer specimens of manly grace it would 
 have been hard to find. Caliphronas was as lithe and sin- 
 ewy as a panther, with a sinuous grace in every movement ; 
 while Maurice, who was the heavier-built of the two, had 
 not a spare ounce of flesh on his body, thanks to his active 
 athletic training during his residence in Melnos. Both 
 were fair-haired and handsome, but the delicately moulded 
 face of the graceful Greek had a cunning expression which 
 was quite absent from the more manly looks of the English- 
 man. With supreme conceit Caliphronas quite expected to 
 gain the victory, while Maurice in spite of his University 
 record, could not help feeling a trifle uneasy as he looked at 
 the springy grace of his antagonist, besides which he still 
 felt a trifle shaken by the glove-fight, even though it had 
 taken place during the earlier part of the day. 
 
 Caliphronas jumped first, and, poising himself on the ball 
 of his foot about ten yards off, made for the ta})e, which was 
 extended between two upright poles, with the speed of a 
 deer. It was four feet ten high, and, presenting no obstacle 
 to an accomplished leaper like himself, he cleared it easily 
 with the lightness of a flying bird. ^laurice followed, and 
 also went over without the least difficult}^, amid the applause 
 of the spectators, much to the Greek's secret vexation, as he 
 saw his antagonist was fresher than he thought, and no mean 
 athlete to be scorned. Four eleven was also cleared cleanly 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 291 
 
 by both, though in the air Maurice's feet were perilously 
 near the tape, a fact which Caliphronas, who was eagerly 
 watching, noted with delight. The height was now five feet, 
 at which Caliphronas, unfortunately for himself, went with 
 over-confidence, so that he touched the tape lightly. In- 
 tensely vexed at his failure, he could only hope that Maurice 
 also would touch, but the Englishman set his teeth deter- 
 minedly, and cleared the five feet with the bound of a deer. 
 The Greek, mad with anger at thus being beaten, and furious 
 at the applause of the spectators, loudly swore that the jump 
 was a chance one, whereupon Maurice walked straight up to 
 him, with an angry face. 
 
 " Count Caliphronas, you forget yourself, and you forget 
 me, to make such a statement. There was no fluke about the 
 matter, and, to prove it to you, we will both jump the five 
 over again." 
 
 Justinian disapproved of this, but Maurice was firm, and 
 Caliphronas was only too delighted to have another chance 
 of beating his hated enemy ; so, once more going to the start, 
 he made a rapid run, and cleared the jump, by a hair's 
 breadth, it is true — still he cleared it. 
 
 "]S"ow, Mr. Maurice," he said ungenerously, forgetting the 
 noble way in which the Englishman had acted. " Let us 
 see if you can do that twice." 
 
 " I will not do it twice, sir." 
 
 " I thought not ! " retorted the Greek exultantly ; " so I 
 have won." 
 
 "Not yet ! you forget I also have cleared the five ; but, to 
 prove to you that my jump was no fluke, I challenge you to 
 five one." 
 
 " You'll never do it, Maurice," whispered Crispin in alarm. 
 "Jump the five again, and let the match be a tie." 
 
 " I'm hanged if I will ! " retorted the Englishman fiercely ; 
 " I have done better than five one at Oxford, and if it had 
 not been for the gloves, I'd do it again. At all events, I'll 
 try this jump. Count Caliphronas." 
 
 In fair play the Count could not refuse the challenge, 
 although he was pale with anger, so, knowing he would 
 never clear that extra inch, went half-heartedly towards the 
 start. Such a faint spirit is not conducive to victory, and 
 Caliphronas not only touched, but fell heavily on the ground, 
 much to his chagrin. Then it was Maurice's turn, and, 
 measuring the distance with his eye, he placed himself a 
 little more than ten ^'ards from the tape. Helena clasped 
 
292 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 her hands with nervous fear, the spectators held their breath, 
 as Maurice, pale in face, but stout in heart, came flying for- 
 ward, and, soaring upward like a bird, cleared the five one 
 with consummate ease. There was a wild cheer from the 
 crowd, especially from the British tars, who rejoiced greatly 
 at the way in which Maurice was upholding the honor of 
 England, and the victor found his two hands nearly shaken 
 off by Crispin and Justinian. As soon as he could get free, 
 he looked for Caliphronas, but the Greek, too petty-souled 
 to bear his defeat, had vanished, nor was he seen in the 
 arena for the rest of the afternoon. 
 
 The games being concluded, Helena distributed the prizes, 
 which were useful articles, especially selected by Justinian 
 for these occasions. Caliphronas had won several races, and 
 also the wrestling contest, but could not receive his prize, 
 owing to his non-appearance, concerning which no one seemed 
 sorry, so universally was he hated for his arrogance. Temis- 
 tocles, Dick, Gurt, and others were duly rewarded for their 
 prowess in the athletic field, and then Maurice knelt before 
 Helena to receive his prize. Justinian had been somewhat 
 puzzled what to give his guest, as the simple articles loved 
 by the villagers were hardly acceptable to the travelled 
 Englishman. Helena, however, solved the problem, and 
 hastily twisted together a wreath of wild olives, which she 
 placed lightly on his bent head. 
 
 " For you," said Justinian, as he arose a crowned victor, 
 and kissed the hand of Helena, "we can have no fairer 
 prize than the Olympian wreath of old." 
 
 " You should now have a Pindaric ode," exclaimed Crispin 
 gayly ; '' but alas ! I am not Pindar, and you must be con- 
 tent with the old Archilochian shout, ' Hail, Victorious ! ' " 
 
 The valley rang with the cries of the delighted Greeks ; 
 and Caliphronas, seated on a summit of the grand staircase, 
 heard the triumphal shouts with wrath in his heart. 
 
 '•' He has beaten me in the games," he hissed between his 
 clinched teeth, " but he shall not beat me in love. I will 
 ask Helena to be my wife, and then, my Englishman ! " 
 
 A third shout came from the valley below, but Caliphronas 
 only laughed scornfully. 
 
 " And then, my Englishman ! " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 293 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 BEAUTIFUL PARIS, EVIL-HEAKTED PARIS. 
 
 What! wouldst thou force me to thine evil will, 
 
 And bear me far away in benched ships, 
 
 A second Helen to a second Troy, 
 
 Whose flight would raise a second ten years' war ? 
 
 Nay, sir ! the gods are dead ! and not in me 
 
 Beholdest thou proud Aphrodite's slave. 
 
 My judgment's as I will, and uncontrolled 
 
 By Venus, who would fain bestow on thee 
 
 The fairest woman, so that thou proclaim 
 
 Her fairest of Olympian goddesses. 
 
 Go hence alone! I'll none of thee or thine. 
 
 Troy's fallen, and Helen dead, — so Paris loses 
 
 The game which Ate's cursed fruit began. 
 
 " You beat me fairly/' said Caliphronas frankly to Maurice 
 that night. " It was foolish of me to be angry, but you 
 must admit defeat is hard to bear." 
 
 The Greek did not mean a word of this very pretty speech, 
 as Maurice was well aware ; still he could not but accept it 
 as meant in good faith, and thus a hollow truce was made 
 between the two young men which either was ready to 
 break on the slightest provocation. However, it was a pity 
 to mar the pleasantness of the evening by continuous bick- 
 ering ; so, with smiles on their faces and distrust in their 
 hearts, Caliphronas and his declared enemy sat down to 
 table on apparently the best of terms with one another. 
 
 On their return from the games, all had enjoyed the 
 delights of the bath, no small pleasure after a fatiguing day, 
 and now, in their loose indoor robes, were partaking of 
 refreshment. All was going merril}', and, from an outside 
 point of view, a more united party could scarcely be found ; 
 yet one and all felt that this was but the ominous calm be- 
 fore the breaking of the storm. The Demarch, astute in the 
 interpreting of signs, saw that matters were approaching a 
 crisis which could not be averted, and that the disaffection 
 of Caliphronas, consequent on his refusal by Helena, would 
 take place sooner than had been anticipated. That the Count 
 would propose to his daughter that evening he had but little 
 doubt, as he saw that, smarting under his defeat in the games, 
 Caliphronas was determined to equalize himself in the eyes 
 of all by gaining Helena's consent to the marriage, as a 
 
294 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 set-off against the Englishman's triumph. This being the 
 case, Justinian was equally sure that Helena would promptly 
 refuse the Greek, whom she so much disliked ; in which case 
 Caliphronas would call upon him to enforce the marriage, and 
 then the whole truth would have to be revealed, after which 
 the Demarch had little doubt but that the Count's next step 
 would be to leave the island and range himself openly on 
 the side of Alcibiades. 
 
 Truth to tell, the old man was rather anxious for the storm 
 to burst, as the suspense was rapidly becoming unbearable ; 
 and as, judging from the review that day, all the Melnosians 
 were well prepared for war, he did not mind if Caliphronas, 
 out of wounded vanity, precipitated the affair quicker than 
 was expected. Again, as the Greek had told him all the 
 plans of Alcibiades, he had no further use for him ; so, 
 being prepared in every way for trouble, Justinian was in 
 no wise sorry that affairs should come to a head, and that 
 Alcibiades and his threatened invasion should be crushed at 
 once. The insolence of Caliphronas also was becoming un- 
 bearable to the proud old Demarch, therefore he desired to 
 hasten rather than retard the explosion ; and, had he not 
 seen that Caliphronas was bent upon bringing matters to a 
 crisis himself, would have doubtless hinted the necessity of 
 a marriage proposal being made at once. 
 
 With Maurice and Caliphronas veiling their hatred of each 
 other under artificial smiles, witli Justinian watchful for the 
 expected catastrophe, with Helena anxious, she knew not 
 why, at the Greek's burning glances, it will be easily seen that 
 the merriment over the supper-table was rather forced. The 
 only truly happy member of the party was Crispin, who, 
 unsuspicious of ill, and rejoicing in having the promise of 
 the Demarch to reveal all about his parentage, was laughing 
 and jesting gayly in the highest of spirits. 
 
 " i think you can congratulate yourself on the three days 
 of the festival being a perfect success," he said to Justinian, 
 who sat veiling his real feelings under a quiet smile. 
 
 "Yes; everything went off very well. Andros, you, as 
 the god of wine, were the hero of the first day." 
 
 "And Crispin, as J^schylus- Aristophanes, of the second," 
 cried Maurice brightly. 
 
 " Not forgetting Maurice, as the athlete Milo of the third," 
 replied the poet, raising his glass. 
 
 " Oh dear, dear ! " said Helena, with a merry smile ; " I 
 am afraid this is a mutual admiration society. God, poet, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 295 
 
 athlete ; you are all flattering yourselves, but no one says a 
 good word for me." 
 
 "It is impossible to flatter perfection," remarked Cali- 
 phronas with one of his burning glances ; "besides, you have 
 been the queen of the three days, and we are all secondary 
 cliaracters. The stars are not the rivals of the sun." 
 
 " Why did you not say the moon ? " said Helena, fastening 
 a red rose in the breast of her robe. "I love the moon 
 better than the sun." 
 
 " You are the inviolate Artemis ! " 
 
 " Without an Endymion." 
 
 It was an unlucky remark, and Helena regretted having 
 made it when she saw how fiercely her two lovers glanced at 
 one another. 
 
 "Artemis waited a long time for her shepherd, but he 
 came at last," said the Greek significantly. 
 
 "And did nothing but sleep when he did come," cried 
 Maurice angrily ; " a pretty lover truly ! Helena, you are no 
 moon-goddess, but your namesake of Troy — the world's 
 desire." 
 
 " Yet even Helen had her Paris," interposed Caliphronas 
 quickly. 
 
 " Every woman has her Paris nowadays," said Crispin 
 quickly, to forestall the angry reply of the rival lover; 
 " only it is a city instead of a man, which is just as charm- 
 ing and more manageable. If Menelaus had been ruler of 
 Lutetia, Helen would never have been persuaded to leave it 
 for a dull provincial town like Troy." 
 
 " ' Beautiful Paris, evil-hearted Paris ! ' " observed Jus- 
 tinian quietly. "Tennyson's line would apply equally to 
 the son of Priam or the city of pleasure. There, Crispin, is 
 the subject for a song, which idea I will make you a present 
 of for nothing." 
 
 " Sing of Paris the city," cried Helena vivaciously. 
 
 "No, Paris the man," said Maurice, with a glance at 
 Caliphronas. 
 
 " Sing of both," rejoined that gentleman quickly, out of 
 sheer contradiction. 
 
 "It is a hard task to improvise on so difficult a subject as 
 'the Paris of Paris,'" remarked Crispin jestingly; "how- 
 ever, I will try, although I have no lyre." 
 
 "Take this myrtle," said Helena, tossing him a twig across 
 the table, " and sing to it in the Greek fashion." 
 
 " Maurice, you ought to give me your crown, so that myrtle 
 and olive inspire me with the breath of the god." 
 
296 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 ^•'King Pandion he is dead,' " rejoined Maurice lightly. 
 "The gods inspire no songs to-day, nor would they be 
 answerable for a mixture of the classic and romantic, such 
 as your ' Paris of Paris ' is bound to be." 
 
 "Judge for yourself, Thersites," retorted the poet; and, 
 holding the sprig of myrtle in his hand, after a few moments' 
 thought, he began to sing in his pleasant voice the following 
 words to a lively French air. 
 
 "Paris came to Helen when 
 Earth was younger; 
 He was handsomest of men, 
 She was fairest woman then; 
 
 And love's hunger 
 Made them long to run away, 
 Which they did one pleasant day — 
 So, at least, does Homer say — 
 Scandal-monger ! 
 
 Helen comes to Paris now 
 
 Earth is older. 
 But no love shines on her brow, 
 Nor breaks she a marriage-vow, 
 
 Love is colder. 
 She but comes for triumphs here, 
 Dressed by Worth in costumes dear, 
 Lets existence gay pour rire 
 
 Lightly mould her. 
 
 Yet if Paris, town of joy, 
 
 Holds a Paris, 
 Charming as the Trojan boy. 
 Life is bliss without alloy ; 
 
 There no bar is 
 To indulge in love once more ; 
 So with Paris, as of yore, 
 Flies she as she fled before, 
 
 But she marries." 
 
 " Oh, ' Eoses of Shiraz ! ' " sighed Maurice comically, 
 " what would your admirers say if they heard such vers de 
 societe ? " 
 
 " Improvisation is hardly serious work ! " retorted Crispin 
 coolly, drinking his wine. 
 
 " And your sentiments ! " cried Caliphronas in mock horror. 
 " You have made Helen prim." 
 
 "'Tis in keeping with this virtuous century." 
 
 " For my part," said Helena of Melnos playfully, " I think 
 your modern reading of the story is charming. Crispin, I 
 appoint you my poet laureate." 
 
 " And my wages ? " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 297 
 
 "A wreath of artificial laurels, for, indeed, your song is but 
 worthy of such." 
 
 ''Cruel ! And I always thought you so soft-hearted." 
 
 "Never judge by outward appearances," said Helena, 
 rising from her seat. " I am as hard-hearted as papa — on 
 occasions." 
 
 " I hope not on all occasions ? " observed Caliphronas, with 
 emphasis. 
 
 "Entirely depends upon the situation. To you, now, I 
 could refuse nothing — if I were inclined to grant your 
 request." 
 
 She vanished, laughing, through the curtains, and Maurice 
 looked at Justinian, to see if he had espied any hidden 
 meaning in his daughter's words ; but the face of the old 
 Demarch was as expressionless as a mask, while the Count's, 
 bright with joy, betrayed the certainty he felt of receiving 
 an answer in the affirmative to his proposal of marriage. 
 Truly, women are queer creatures, as Dick had observed the 
 previous day. And if Helena did not intend to marry 
 Caliphronas, it was curious that she should thus raise up his 
 hopes, only to dash them down again. Juliet, with her 
 simile of a silk-gyved bird, trying to fly away, yet ever 
 drawn back again by the detaining thread, is a typical 
 woman, who scorns her lover, so that he departs angrily, yet, 
 when she sees him leaving her, woos him back with tender 
 words, only to repeat her former cruelty. Helena, in spite 
 of her girlish simplicity, yet knew these two men were in 
 love with her, and tortured the one and was kind to the 
 other, turn and turn about, just as it suited her humor — 
 why, it is impossible to say, unless the legend that every 
 woman was once a cat be true, and they yet retain a suffi- 
 ciency of the feline nature to make them love such cruel 
 mouse play. Yesterday Helena said she disliked the Greek, 
 now she roundly asserted she could refuse him nothing; and, 
 whether she was in earnest or fun, there was no doubt that 
 the Count was about to take her at her word, and ask her to 
 become his wife. 
 
 In spite of Crispin's valiant efforts, the conversation Ir.n- 
 guished after the departure of Helena, the Demarch being 
 somewhat preoccupied, and Maurice too cross to talk ; 
 while Caliphronas, after replying mechanically for a time, 
 finally went off in search of the lady he had made up his 
 mind to marry. All the three men left at the table looked 
 meaningly at one another, for they guessed the reason of his 
 
298 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 sudden exit, yet none of them made any reference to the 
 affair, as it would be quite time enough to discuss it when 
 Caliphronas was refused. 
 
 Meanwliile, Caliphronas rushed onward to his fate, in 
 utter ignorance of the real feelings which Helena enter- 
 tained towards him, and found her leaning against one of 
 the pillars in the court, listening to the singing of a night- 
 ingale, much in the same position she had occupied when 
 first seen by Maurice, two months previous. She turned 
 with a smile when the Greek entered the court, but he held 
 up his hand for her to keep silence, and both of them for 
 some time continued to listen to the delicious music. The 
 passionate song of the distant bird flooding the warm night 
 with melody, the thin, pale light of the moon pouring in 
 white radiance on the white marble court, the intoxicating 
 perfume of the flowers around, and the delicate noise of the 
 falling fountain, all thrilled the heart of the impressionable 
 Greek with a sensuous feeling of delight, and stretching out 
 his hand gently, he laid it lightly on the bare arm of the 
 girl he loved. 
 
 Startled by the touch, Helena rather indignantly turned 
 round to reprove him for taking such a liberty, but the 
 words died on her lips, as she saw the handsome face of this 
 man, irradiated with passionate love, bending towards her. 
 Tall and straight as a cypress, his lithe figure gracefully 
 draped in a white robe, he looked like some gracious deity 
 of the past, wooing a mortal maiden, while the burning gaze 
 of his eyes seemed to scorch her with its ardor. It was 
 the animal look in them that thus made her flush hotly, and, 
 with a sudden movement of outraged virginal dignity, she 
 retreated slowly towards the silver pool of the fountain. 
 
 " Do not shrink from me like that, Helena ! " murmured 
 Caliphronas in Greek, as he came towards her lightly as a 
 fawn. " I wish to tell you the meaning of the bird's song." 
 
 " What do you mean, Andros ? " she asked uneasily. 
 
 '' Do you think Aristophanes understood it ? " pursued the 
 Greek, taking no notice of her question ; " he put it into 
 words, you know. Tio ! tio ! tio-tiolix — No, that is not the 
 song, but a mere assemblage of words. What is the divine 
 nightingale now singing ? Can you not guess ? It is of 
 love — of love — of love ! My love for you — your love for 
 me, my queen. Hark ! out the strains gush rapturously 
 through the night — it is speaking of love eternal — my love 
 for thee, joy of my heart ! " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 299 
 
 ^•' You jest, Andros ! " said Helena faintly, not at all liking 
 the tone of this poetical rhapsody. 
 
 "Jest!" cried Caliphronas, ardently seizing her hand; 
 " no, I speak true to you, rose of this isle ! I love you ! I 
 worship you ! I desire you for my wife ! " 
 
 " Your wife ! " she echoed, snatching her hand away. 
 " Are you mad ? " 
 
 " With love of thee — yes ! " 
 
 " Do not touch me, sir. How dare you insult me ! " 
 
 » Insult ! " said Caliphronas, starting as if he were stung. 
 " What do you mean, girl ? Is the offer of a man's heart an 
 
 insult ? " ..... T. 
 
 " You are surely not in earnest," said the girl, much per- 
 plexed what to say. " I had no idea you loved me ! " 
 
 "I am in earnest, and I do love you," declared Caliphronas 
 with fiery energy, coming so close to her that she could feel 
 his hot breath on her cheek. " You must have seen my pas- 
 sion long since. I want you to be my wife — your father 
 and I have settled it between us." 
 
 It was the worst speech that he could have made, for Hel- 
 ena, with a cry of rage, pushed him fiercely back, and stood 
 before him with clinched hands, her eyes bright with indig- 
 nation. 
 
 " How dare you ! how dare you ! Am I not to be con- 
 sulted in the matter — do you think I will allow myself to 
 be handed over to you like a slave? Never! I would 
 rather die ! I will not be your wife ! I refuse to listen to 
 you ! " 
 
 "But you do not understand," said Caliphronas, rather 
 crestfallen at this sudden outburst of anger. 
 
 " I do understand. You have spoken to my father, and 
 he has permitted you to ask me to be your wife, but, as to 
 its being settled —how dare you ! I will not be your wife ! 
 Don't you dare to suggest such a thing to me ! " 
 
 "'I mean to be heard," began the Greek, but she cut him 
 short with a sudden stamp of her foot. 
 
 " You can mean what you like," she said imperiously, 
 " but heard you will not be ! " 
 
 " You beautiful fury ! " 
 
 " Go away and leave me ! " 
 
 " Helena," cried the Count, falling on his knees, " I love 
 you ! I adore vou ! Do not refuse to be my wife." 
 
 " I do refuse"! " 
 
 "But your father?" 
 
300 THE ISLAND OF FAXTASY. 
 
 " Leave ray father out of the question, Andros. You have 
 asked me to be your wife, and I tell you plainly, No. Per- 
 haps I have been rather angry, but when you ask a woman 
 to honor you by becoming your wife, you should not treat 
 her as if she were a bundle of goods to be handed from one 
 man to another." 
 
 " You refuse me ? " asked Caliphronas, hardly able to 
 believe his own ears. 
 
 " I do, once and for all ! Come, Andros, stop talking such 
 nonsense, and forget all this scene." 
 
 " Why will you not be my wife ? " asked the Count dog- 
 gedly, rising from his knees. 
 
 " Because I do not love you." 
 
 " Kot love me ! " 
 
 " No, my sultan. Do you think I am a woman to fall at 
 your feet when you thus throw the handkerchief ? " 
 
 Caliphronas, who had suppressed his rage with difficulty, 
 now burst out in a passion of furious anger, hardly knowing 
 what he was saying. 
 
 " I know the reason you refuse me. Yes, you do well to 
 turn away your head. You love this cursed Englishman. 
 Ah, you cannot deny it ! you are afraid to look me in the 
 face." 
 
 " I am not afraid — there ! " 
 
 She faced him boldly, and the Greek, maddened beyond 
 control, seized her by the wrist with a grasp like iron, yet 
 she neither winced nor cried. 
 
 " Is it thus a woman should proffer her love ? " hissed 
 Caliphronas, white with passion ; " this Englishman loves 
 you not, and yet you throw yourself at his feet." 
 
 " I do not. Let go my hand ! " she cried, wincing with 
 pain, yet keeping a bold front, upon which he flung her from 
 him with a furious oath. 
 
 " I will marry you, in spite of your refusal." 
 
 "Never ! I will die rather than be your wife." 
 
 The young man tried to speak, but, choking with passion, 
 could say nothing, so, stamping with impotent fury, he 
 rushed to the principal entrance of the court and tore aside 
 the curtains. 
 
 " You have refused to marry me," he cried in a strangled 
 voice. '• I accept your refusal, but you will be mine soon. 
 I will storm the island, I will drag you in chains away, and 
 when I tire of you then will I sell you as a slave to the 
 Turk ! " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 301 
 
 He dashed out of the court with a scream of rage, leaving 
 Helena standing white as a marble statue, with her hands 
 across her breast, which was heaving tempestuously with 
 rage at the Greek's insolence. If she had, girl as she was, 
 refused the offer of Caliphronas in a somewhat undignified 
 manner, she was now every inch a woman, who, not knowing 
 the meaning of the word " fear," was fiercely angered at the 
 insult to her womanly pride. The soft, graceful girl had 
 disappeared, and in her place stood Clytemnestra, fearlessly 
 daring the dagger of Orestes. Suddenly she felt a touch on 
 her arm. 
 
 " Father ! " 
 
 "I know what has occurred. You are worn out with 
 excitement, so go at once to bed." 
 
 " But Andros " — 
 
 "I will deal with him." 
 
 " You know I refused him." 
 
 ^' Yes, I heard you say so." 
 
 " Was it your wish I should marry him, as he said ? " 
 
 " Girl, I would rather see you dead than the wife of that 
 despicable coward," retorted the Demarch fiercely. " Now 
 retire at once, and leave me to settle the matter. Good- 
 night." 
 
 " Good-night, father." 
 
 She turned to go with an air of utter lassitude, but the 
 strain of the last half hour had completely broken her down, 
 and suddenly, with a low cry, she burst into tears. Justin- 
 ian caught her in his arms, and began to soothe her tenderly 
 with endearing words, which moved the girl strangely, for 
 she was quite unused to such caresses from her iron-natured 
 father. 
 
 '• My girl, my little child, you must not weep ! " whispered 
 the old man, kissing her white face. " All will yet be well, 
 and never shall you see this vile Andros again. He shall 
 leave the island at once. You did well to refuse him, and I 
 am proud of the spirit you displayed. Come, come ! you 
 must weep no more. I know all." 
 
 " You know ? " she faltered, looking at him in astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 " Yes, I know, and I approve. Now, good-night, my dar- 
 ling, and sleep well." 
 
 He led her slowly to the door, and, having summoned Zoe, 
 sent the girl to bed at once in charge of her maid, then 
 returned to the centre of the court and looked froAvningly 
 
302 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 at the entrance through which Caliphronas had disap 
 peared. 
 
 " You dared to speak like that to my child ! " he murmured 
 fiercely. " It is well you fled, or, old as I am, you would not 
 have left this court alive. It is war between us now, Andros, 
 and if I gain the victory, you had better have died than 
 spoken as you have done to-night." 
 
 Maurice, whistling gayly, came into the court, having left 
 Crispin behind at the table, but, when he caught sight of 
 Justinian's face, stopped short in dismay. 
 
 " What is the matter, Justinian ? " 
 
 " Nothing more than what I expected." 
 
 "About Caliphronas?" 
 
 " Yes ; he has proposed to Helena, and she has refused 
 him." 
 
 Maurice drew a long breath of relief. 
 
 " I am glad of that ; now there will be a chance for me." 
 
 " You love my daughter ? " asked the Demarch suddenly. 
 
 "Yes, I love her," replied Roy lands simply; "I have 
 always loved her." 
 
 " I am glad of that, Maurice." 
 
 " You will permit me to ask Helena to be my wife ? " 
 
 "Willingly. It is my dearest wish; in fact, it was for 
 that reason I brought you here." 
 
 "Brought me here, sir!" said E-oylands in amazement. 
 " Why, did you know I was coming ? " 
 
 " Yes ; I sent Caliphronas to England to persuade you if 
 possible to pay me a visit." 
 
 " But how did you know such a person as I was in exist- 
 
 ence 
 
 9" 
 
 The old Demarch took Maurice by the hand and spoke 
 solemnly. 
 
 " When you propose to and are accepted by my daughter, 
 I will tell you all, and the mysteries which have so perplexed 
 you shall do so no longer." 
 
 "I will speak to Helena to-morrow." 
 
 " Good. Then to-morrow I will tell you who I am, and 
 how I was able to know all about you." 
 
 " But suppose Helena refuses me ? " 
 
 Justinian smiled slightly. 
 
 " She has refused Andros, but you — ah, that is quite a 
 different thing." 
 
 "Still" — 
 
 " Tush, my son, you are too modest ! In my days young 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 303 
 
 men were not so faint-hearted. Helena's a woman, therefore 
 may be wooed." 
 
 '• True, but the question is, may she be won ? '' 
 
 " uVIy good Mr. Roy lands, did I not promise to tell you all 
 about myself when you presented yourself as my future son- 
 in-law ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 '• Well, by this time to-morrow you will know all, so as to 
 what will occur in the mean time, I will leave to your ima- 
 gination." 
 
 " And Caliphronas ? " 
 
 " Caliphronas," repeated the Demarch slowly, " means 
 mischief, so, like the knights of old, you will win your bride 
 at the point of the sword." 
 
 " Oh, Justinian, if 3'ou only knew how I love her ! " 
 
 The nightingale, hitherto silent, now began its song, upon 
 which the old man good-humoredly pushed Maurice to the 
 door. 
 
 " Go to bed, my son ; that bird will tell me the tale of love 
 much better than you wilL" 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 THE ALTAR INSCRIBED ©EON. 
 
 By this altar stone I swear 
 
 Never more to part from thee ; 
 
 Thine in life and death to be, 
 And thy future fortunes share 
 
 Be the weather wild or fair, 
 
 Dry on land or wet at sea, 
 
 This vow shall be kept by me, 
 By this altar stone I swear. 
 
 The next morning neither Helena nor Caliphronas was 
 present at breakfast, as the girl, in company with Zoe, had 
 gone up the mountain shortly after sunrise in quest of 
 flowers, and the Greek had not been near the Acropolis since 
 he had left it the previous niglit. 
 
 '• Can he have left the island ? " said Maurice anxiously to 
 the Demarch. 
 
 " Hardly/' replied the old man grimly j " unless he has 
 
304 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 borrowed the wings of Icarus, for I alone have the key of the 
 tunnel." 
 
 " There is the western pass," suggested Crispin thought- 
 fully. 
 
 ""True ; but even supposing he did get to the sea-beach, 
 he will find it ditficult to obtain a boat," said Justinian calmly. 
 '' All the boats are fast chained and padlocked to the rocks ; 
 so, unless his friend Alcibiades finds him waiting, like a sec- 
 ond Ulysses, on the beach, I hardly see how he can take 
 French leave." 
 
 " What are you going to do about him, Justinian ? " asked 
 Maurice curiously. 
 
 '' I am waiting until you and Helena come to an under- 
 standing, and then I will tell Caliphronas that he has been 
 beaten with his own weapons of treachery." 
 
 '' Helena has gone up the mountain. Will I await her re- 
 turn ? " 
 
 " By no means. Follow her at once to her favorite haunt- 
 There is a narrow path leading to it — a glade near the west- 
 ern pass, in the centre of which is an altar inscribed BtdvP 
 
 " Oh, I know it ! Helena showed it to me some time ago. 
 Crispin, I am going a-wooing ! " 
 
 "I wish you every success." 
 
 " Do you think my fortunate star is in the ascendant ? " 
 
 "You are as faint-hearted as you were last night," said 
 the Demarch, laughing. " Do you think, if I were not sure 
 of Helena's answer, I would send you on a fruitless errand ? 
 Go, my son; and when you and Helena come to ask my 
 blessing, I will deal with Andros." 
 
 " Punic faith ! " remarked Crispin a trifle sadly. 
 
 " Well ! what would you ? " demanded the Demarch with 
 energy. " Had I not made use of Andros. he would have 
 made use of me. It is a mistake in being too honest when 
 dealing with a scoundrel. One cannot go straight on a 
 crooked road. If I were dealing with you, or with Maurice, 
 I might not stoop to diplomatic lies ; but as to that serpent 
 of an Andros — pah! — the end justifies the means." 
 
 "Do you think he will come and see you again ?" 
 
 "Of course! He will come to demand the fulfilment of 
 my promise, and ask me to force Helena into this distasteful 
 marriage. Then I will reveal all, and drive him from the 
 island." 
 
 " But is it wise to let him go free, seeing he is our declared 
 enemy ? " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 305 
 
 "What! you wish me to keep him as a hostage?" said 
 Justinian good-humoredly. "Notliing would be gained by 
 such an act. Alcibiades intends to attack the island, with 
 or without Andros ; and the only thing this scamp can do is 
 to urge his friend to assault Meliios at once. Everything is 
 ready: the men are in splendid training; I have arms in 
 plenty ; and we are thirteen Englishmen, so the sooner the 
 strife is decided the more satisfied I will be." 
 
 "Well, I will leave you to talk over your military schemes 
 with Crispin," said IVIaurice, as he arose to go, " and mean- 
 while will go in search of Helena." 
 
 " Good luck go with you ! " cried Crispin, as he left the 
 room ; and Maurice heartily seconded the kindly wish. 
 
 It was an exquisite morning, and the sun was just below 
 the eastern peaks of the island; but as Maurice lightly 
 climbed up the slopes behind the Acropolis, the lummary 
 came into view, and flooded the high elevation of snowy pine 
 forest, and olive trees, with yellow radiance. The cup of the 
 valley lay in shadow ; but amid these lofty solitudes all was 
 luminous light and brilliant sunshine. The little path which 
 led to the glade had been worn into a narrow earthen track 
 by the light feet of Helena; but on either side grew the loner 
 lush grass, starred with primrose, violet, anemone, and cycla'- 
 men — all delicately blooming in the warm atmosphere. 
 From this floral carpet arose stately plane-trees, arbutus, and 
 here and there lance-shaped cypresses; while, between the 
 luxuriant foliage, Maurice could catch glimpses at intervals 
 of the terraced vineyards, yellowish-green with the autumnal 
 tints of the vine-leaves, and purple with bunches of grapes • 
 sometimes the white gleam of a winepress, from whence 
 arose the merry song of peasants treading the ripe clusters ; 
 and far overhead, seen like a vision through the ragged frame- 
 work of leaves, the serrated peaks of milkv hue cutting'- the 
 intense azure of the sky. All this loveliness was irradiated 
 with the strong sunlight, and steeped in the luminositv of 
 the atmosphere, so that the variety of tints, the infinite deli- 
 cacy of the colors, the almost imperceptible blendin^s of the 
 one into the other, made a picture enchanting to the most 
 careless observer. Added to this, the air, risinc,- warm from 
 the valley below, yet coolly tempered by the higher snows, 
 produced an atmosphere exhilarating in the extreme ; and a 
 pleasant murmur of song of bird and peasant sounded on all 
 sides, blending with the rustle of the boughs, and the gentle 
 sigh of the wind moving innumerable leaves to airy whis- 
 perings. 
 
306 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 It was truly wonderful how rapidly Maurice had adapted 
 himself to the mountaineering life of Melnos ; and he breasted 
 the steep path with a vigor which had been quite foreign to 
 him, when listless, enervated, and melancholic, in England. 
 The artificial life of six years in London, amid a deleterious 
 atmosphere, surrounded by ugly houses and stony streets, 
 had saddened and depressed his spirits ; but now that he had 
 returned to Nature for cure, her calm and soothing medicines 
 had stilled his fretful spirit, had smoothed the wrinkles from 
 his brow, removed the haggard anguish of his heart; and 
 now, reinvigorated and vitalized, he felt that it was good to 
 live. Doctors can do much, but Nature can do more ; for, 
 while physical ills are to a certain extent under the control 
 of the former, only the latter can minister to the mind ; and 
 the intangible influence of landscape, mountain air, rustic 
 quiet, and woodland music, on the diseased mental faculties, 
 cannot be over-estimated in their curative powers. Wise, 
 indeed, were the Greeks to fable how the giant Antaeus drew 
 fresh vigor for his frame from his mother Tellus ; and if we 
 in modern days did but apply this parable of nature-cure to 
 our crowded city populations, how infinitely less would be 
 the physical and mental ills to be endured by our worn-out, 
 exhausted toilers of this over-anxious age ! 
 
 What wonder if the Hellenes were a joyous race, dwelling 
 as they did in a radiant climate, amid scenes of undying 
 beauty, in healthful communion with the Earth-spirit ! They 
 exercised the body in the palaestra, the mind in the portico, 
 and, ever drinking in health, beauty, and the music of leaves, 
 winds, and waves, were therefore easily able to attain and 
 preserve that serene calm of existence, which we see stamped 
 in vivid beauty on the faces of their marble masterpieces. 
 The countenances of Egyptian sphinx and granite king ex- 
 press the awful solemnity of communion with the unseen ; 
 the rapt faces of mediaeval saints a spiritual unrest to escape 
 from the world they despised ; but in the frieze of the Par- 
 thenon, in the statues of god, goddess, hero, and nymph, we 
 but see the calm of contentment, of serene satisfaction, 
 arising from the healthful minds and bodies of the race, 
 whose joyous tranquillity was the gift of Nature to her 
 believing children. Yet we, while envying their beatitude, 
 and desirous of emulating their intense calm, make no effort 
 to do so ; for we leave the country, and rush to the already 
 overcrowded cities, wrangling, toiling, worrying, striving to 
 attain an unsatisfying end. Wiseacres talk of the complex- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 307 
 
 ity of modern civilization, of the over-population of the 
 world, of the survival of the fittest ; but this is, so to speak, 
 merely laying the blame of our own mistakes on the stars, 
 for we ourselves have produced this age of unrest, which we 
 profess to loathe. When the humors of the body run to one 
 spot, a tumor ensues, which tlirows the whole system out of 
 order; and it is the same with the misdirected way in which 
 we govern our modern nations. If, instead of rushing to 
 cities, and thus begetting what may be called geographical 
 tumors, our rustics and wearied toilers stayed in the open 
 country, then would our civilization become less restless, 
 and more akin to the envied calm of Hellenic life. Food 
 would be more plentiful, minds would be more at peace, 
 bodies would be more healthy, and the world happier. But 
 we will not do this ; — fired by ambition, by desire for gold, 
 by longings for luxury, we crowd together in noisy multi- 
 tudes, and turn away from the calm serenity of Nature, who 
 would take us to her breast and make us happy, even as she 
 did those wiser children of old. Nature sent her herald, 
 Wordsworth, to proclaim this truth, but alas ! he piped in 
 vain ; and his songs of purity were drowned in the jingle of 
 gold and the shouts of ambition. 
 
 These were Maurice's thoughts as he clambered up the 
 mountain-path; and so rapt was he in his dreamings of 
 Nature-worship, that, all unconsciously, he emerged into the 
 glade near the western pass. 
 
 It was encircled by ilex, tamarisk, beech, and elm, woven 
 together as in brotherhood by straggling creepers, festooned 
 gracefully from bough to bough, from branch to branch ; and in 
 the centre, amid the flowing grass, was placed a small marble 
 altar, on a low flight of steps. In front the trees had been 
 cut down, and there was a glimpse of the white houses in 
 the valley, the waving red line of the grand staircase ; and, 
 high above, the bizzarre colors of the volcanic rocks, fringed 
 by a dark green belt of forest, from which luxuriance the 
 arid peaks shot up into the blue sky like white marble 
 cones. But not at valley, nor forest, nor aerial peaks looked 
 Maurice, for his eyes were fixed on Helena, who, robed in 
 her favorite white, crowned with a wreath of roses, stood by 
 the altar with a mass of brilliant flowers thereon, looking 
 like the nymph of the place. 
 
 She flushed red with delight as Maurice drew near, and 
 paused in her dainty task of arranging the blossoms with 
 the air of some startled shy thing of the woodlands. Like 
 
308 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 stars her eyes, like sunshine her glinting hair, and as for her 
 face, the roses in her wreath were scarce so delicate in hue. 
 The lovely glade, the solemn, flower-piled altar, the beauti- 
 ful priestess — it was not Melnos. it was not the nineteenth 
 century, for this was Arcadia; and in this bird-haunted dell 
 was Flora discovered, weaving flowers for future summer's 
 adornment. 
 
 " Are you Nymph, Dryad, or Oread ? " he asked, pausing 
 with one foot on the lowest step. 
 
 " No ; I am Chloris, the goddess of flowers," she answered, 
 entering into the spirit of his jesting speech. 
 
 " Give me, then, goddess, of your treasures ! " 
 
 " Violet, rose, and cyclamen ! take them all," she cried 
 merrily, and threw a rain of many-colored flowers on the 
 laughing, upturned face of the young man. Then, while he 
 bent to pick up one crimson bud which had fallen at his feet, 
 she burst out into one of those old English songs her father 
 had taught her : — 
 
 " Rose and myrtle all are twining, 
 In their beauty thus combining, 
 To become a chaplet fair 
 For my shepherd's golden hair. 
 Fa la! la! la! 
 My Colin dear." 
 
 " Clearly," quoth Maurice, with a smile, " this wreath is 
 meant for me, for I have golden hair." 
 
 Helena smiled, and continued both her garland-weaving 
 and her song. 
 
 " If you ask who is my dearest, 
 It is he who loiters nearest; 
 And for him this chaplet fair 
 Do I weave with flowerets rare. 
 Fa la! la! la! 
 My Colin dear." 
 
 " Better and better ! " said the lover, mounting the steps. 
 " I am nearest ! I have yellow locks, so I decidedly am Colin 
 dear ! " 
 
 They were now standing on either side of the altar, with 
 the rainbow heap of flowers between them ; and, despite 
 Maurice's boldness in thus coming so close to his goddess, 
 he was now seized with a fit of shyness, which communi- 
 cated itself to the sympathetic Helena, so they gazed with 
 embarrassment at one another, tongue-tied, with burning 
 cheeks. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 309 
 
 "Where is Zoe ? " asked Maurice, breaking the awkward 
 silence. 
 
 "Zoe," replied Helena demurely, "is assisting Dick to 
 find more flowers." 
 
 " And, pray, what is Dick doing here ? " 
 
 " Aha ! you must ask Zoe." 
 
 "' I would rather ask you." 
 
 Helena glanced at him with a laugh, then suddenly flushed 
 crimson, and sat down on the steps, with the white lap of 
 her gown full of flowers. 
 
 "I am no oracle to give answers," she replied, carefully 
 selecting some buds. 
 
 "That means you are no goddess," said Maurice, sitting 
 down a step lower, and looking up into her charming face. 
 "Well, I prefer you as a mortal maiden. But what about 
 Colin's wreath ? " 
 
 " I am weaving it now." 
 
 "Roses for love, myrtle for joy, violets for modesty. 
 What a charming wreath ! " 
 
 " Ah, you know the language of flowers ! " 
 
 "I know what this wreath means — 'Modest love is a 
 joy.' Am I right ? " 
 
 " Yes — no — yes — that is — Oh dear me ! Is it not a 
 lovely day ? " 
 
 " Is it not a lovely face ? Very lovely." 
 
 " I speak of the day." 
 
 "And I of you." 
 
 Decidedly Maurice was getting on capitally in the art of 
 saying nothings which mean somethings, and Helena was 
 woman enough to know what he was hinting at, yet also 
 woman enough to indulge in a little coquetry. She had 
 burnt her fingers with Caliphronas; yet, quite forgetful of 
 the warning, began to tease Maurice with charming persist- 
 ence. 
 
 " Am I very lovely ? " 
 
 " You are as beautiful as Helen," replied Maurice, rather 
 taken aback at the directness of this question. 
 
 " I am as beautiful as Helen ! Well, I am Helen ; so you 
 mean I am as beautiful as myself. That is not a compli- 
 ment." 
 
 " What a vain child you are ! I am speaking of the Tro- 
 jan Helen." 
 
 " I am not a child. I am nineteen years of age — and a 
 woman." 
 
310 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 "I believe that, for you possess all the art of a woman iu 
 tormenting a man. Where did you learn it ? " 
 
 " Learn what ? " 
 
 " The art of being cruel, kind, merry, sad, delightful, yet 
 tormenting." 
 
 '•Do you mean to say I possess all these contradictory 
 qualities at one and the same time ? " 
 
 " Well, you are capricious at times." 
 
 " Oh, indeed ! " said Helena pettishly, resuming her task. 
 " Then I must be full of faults." 
 
 "They are very charming faults, at all events." 
 
 " I am not listening, Maurice. I am too busy with this 
 wreath." 
 
 " My wreath." 
 
 "■' I did not say it was yours." 
 
 " Not in words, perhaps ; but then, you see, I can read the 
 language of the eyes." 
 
 Helena blushed at this, but, purposely misunderstanding 
 the hint, made demure reply. 
 
 '' Ah, you see my education has been neglected in that par- 
 ticular branch." 
 
 " Shall I teach you ? " 
 
 " I am afraid you will find me a bad pupil." 
 
 " I don't mind taking that risk, Helena." 
 
 He laid his hand on one of hers with a caressing gesture, 
 upon which she le* it remain, but snatched up a cornflower 
 with the other. 
 
 " Look what a beautiful blossom ! " 
 
 " It is the color of your eyes." 
 
 "No, no ; I mean this red rose." 
 
 " The tint of your cheeks." 
 
 " I hate compliments," said Helena in a dignified way, try- 
 ing to release her hand from his warm grasp. 
 
 " Always ? " 
 
 " Yes, always ; unless I like the person who pays them." 
 
 " And in this case ? " 
 
 "I — I — don't know." 
 
 " Let me read the truth in your eyes." 
 
 She looked up with a pretty gesture of mock despair, but, 
 meeting the tenderness of his look, dropped her eyes in con- 
 fusion, while Maurice, shifting his seat, slipped his left arm 
 round her slender waist, still holding her hand gently. 
 
 " Helena ! " 
 
 No answer. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 311 
 
 " Helena, do you know what your eyes tell me ? " 
 
 No answer. 
 
 " They say that you will not be cruel enough to refuse me 
 your love." 
 
 '' JVIy love ! " she murmured confusedly. 
 
 " Yes," he whispered passionately. " I said you were 
 capricious. You are not capricious, but true, loving, and 
 charming beyond expression — a very woman, whom 1 love, 
 and who loves me in return. Helena ! " 
 
 All the virginal passion of this island maiden burned like 
 red roses in her cheeks, as Maurice drew her slender form 
 closer to his breast, and murmured broken sentences of love 
 in her ear. 
 
 "I love, you ! I love you, Helena ! I saw your face in a 
 picture, and I loved the face ; now I see the woman, and I 
 love the woman. My dearest ! my darling ! say you love 
 me just a little ! " 
 
 " I cannot say that," she whispered, hiding her face on 
 his shoulder. 
 
 " Oh, Helena ! " 
 
 " Because I love you a great deal." 
 
 " My darling ! " 
 
 She lay in his strong arms, with her head on his shoulder, 
 blushing with maidenly fear at the ardor of his passion; 
 then Maurice, bending down his comely head, pressed a kiss 
 on her lips. 
 
 " My dearest ! my own ! " he murmured rapturously ; " how 
 I love you ! love you ! love jow ! " 
 
 Lost in the overwhelming deeps of each other's affection, 
 they remained silent, filled with feelings too deep for words, 
 too inexplicable to be translated otherwise than by sighs and 
 glances. The delicate voices of the woodlands sounded in 
 their ears, the brilliant colors blazed in the luminous light, 
 the sun shone, the birds sang, but they heard nothing, saw 
 nothing ; for, with their hearts beating, their souls blending, 
 their lips meeting, they were far away from this earth in the 
 heaven of love. 
 
 There was something sacred about this outburst of pas- 
 sion, which sent a thrill of fear through their breasts ; for 
 this was no vulgar affection, no sensual desire, no mere 
 adoration of outward beauty, but a chaste union of two 
 souls, in which the woman's melted into the man's as a 
 dream into a dream. The virginal purity of the young girl 
 experienced no repulsion in this case, as it had felt when 
 
312 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 near to the frank animal passion of the handsome Greek ; 
 and Helena, exquisite blossom of maidenhood, lay in her 
 lover's arms without shame or dread, for she knew that this 
 clinging clasp, these broken sighs, this vivid ardor, were the 
 outcome of a love as pure and chaste as was her own ; so 
 there she lay, cradled on his beating heart, and the birds 
 around sang their betrothal song, as doubtless they carolled 
 to our first parents in the garden of Eden. Time was not, 
 earth had vanished, humanity was but an empty name, for, 
 clinging together with passionate ardor, they were all in all 
 to one another, and the divinity which clothed them with 
 his splendors was no rosy, mischievous urchin, with his 
 bundle of arrows, but a terrible, unseen, unknown, unfelt 
 deity, who now, for the first time, had permitted them to 
 enter into his Holy of holies, and touched with their lips 
 the burning coals of his sacred altar. 
 
 Alas ! mighty as are the pinions of Love, they weary in 
 that divine atmosphere of transcendentalism ; so, folding his 
 wings, he ceased his song of bliss, and dropped like a tired 
 lark to the earth. The lovers awoke from their mystic 
 trance, and looked at one another with wide-eyed rapture ; 
 then Helena, with a happy sigh, once more laid her head on 
 her lover's shoulder, and began to talk of earthly matters. 
 
 " My father ! " 
 
 " Your father will be delighted, my dearest. He told me 
 that this was the dearest wish of his heart." 
 
 '• Ah ! is he so anxious, then, to lose me ? " 
 
 " No, he will not lose you, my sweet queen. For when we 
 are married we will still dwell in Melnos, and reign over it 
 through years of happiness." 
 
 " My father wants you to be his successor ? " 
 
 " Yes ; and to marry you. So if you fulfil the first, I will 
 accept the second." 
 
 "I will marry you whenever you like," said beautiful 
 Helena, smiling through her tears. "But will you not weary 
 of staying here ? " 
 
 " With you ? never ! " 
 
 " Ah, it is I who am the attraction — not Melnos ! " 
 
 " It is both ; but in my eyes you are before everything 
 else in the world." 
 
 " And if you grow tired of me ? " 
 
 " I will never grow tired of you ! " 
 
 Helena picked up a rose from her lap and held it up to 
 him. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 813 
 
 " This rose is very beautiful, but it fades. Is your love 
 like the rose ? " 
 
 " Yes ; but uot because the rose fades. My love is like 
 the rose-plant itself, which renews itself afresh with every 
 coming of summer. In this island it blooms all the year 
 round ; and my love will be the same." 
 
 " Will you not regret your home, your money, your 
 position ? " 
 
 "My dearest, none of those "things brought me happiness. 
 I was a weary, mournful man, tired of life, tired of myself, 
 tired of all around me ; then by chance I saw your face, and 
 it was as a star in the darkness of my night. I followed 
 that star, and it led me to happiness, and to you ! '^ 
 
 " So we will live here ? " 
 
 " Till our days be ended. You will be queen, and I your 
 very humble slave and lover. No ; I do not desire to return 
 to the world, with all its tumult, ambitions, and fret. I am 
 weary of the crowded cities, the haggard faces, the gray 
 skies of England. I only care to live in this lotus-land with 
 you, my angel, to wander with you amid the fair flowers, 
 yourself the fairest of all ; to sleep at dusk with your loving 
 arms around me, to awake at dawn under your caress ; and 
 thus to live in paradise until we meet in a still brighter 
 paradise beyond the grave." 
 
 " Will we meet beyond the grave ? " 
 
 "Helena!" 
 
 "I know nothing of religion, my dearest. Indeed, it is 
 not my fault, for my father has always refused to answer 
 my questions. He would not allow old Athanasius to speak 
 to me of sacred things, and I know nothing, save that there 
 is an Almighty Being called God." 
 
 " And your father ? " 
 
 " Believes the same. Look ! " 
 
 She pointed to the majestic block of white marble behind 
 her, and there was deeply sculptured the one word " 066^.'^ 
 
 " So of old the Athenians erected an altar to ngdg Toy 
 ciyvaaiov Geov,'' said Maurice sadly, rather puzzled to know 
 what to do. " My dearest, I am no saint, to be able to instruct 
 you in such things ; and I am afraid my views are not what the 
 Church would approve of. However, my dear old friend and 
 tutor, Mr. Carriston, is, I trust, coming out here to see me ; 
 and he will marry us, and tell you all you wish to know of 
 sacred things." 
 
 They had risen to their feet, and were standing looking at 
 
314 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 that solemn altar, so noble in its hugeness amid the encir- 
 cling green. No relic of paganism sculptured with nude 
 figures, with wreathes and nymphs and long-drawn pomp of 
 Panhellenic festival, but a severely plain mass of stainless 
 stone, with no other indication of its meaning than the 
 mystic word " Qeov " cut thereon. After looking at it in 
 silence for a few minutes, Helena gathered up her flowers in 
 order to return home, for the sun was now at his zenith, and 
 the heat intolerable. 
 
 " Oh, not yet ! " entreated Maurice, anxious to prolong the 
 sweet communion ; " you must make me my wreath." 
 
 "Are you Colin ?" 
 
 " I think so," he said, kissing her fondly. 
 
 "So do I," she replied demurely; "therefore, Colin, I will 
 finish your garland." 
 
 Once more she sat down on the steps and began busily 
 wreathing the flowers together in long fragrant strings, 
 while Maurice, lying lover-like at her feet on the flowery 
 turf, looked ever up into the delicate beauty of her face, 
 and wondered at his good fortune in being loved by such an 
 enchanting divinity. 
 
 Zoe and Dick came back armed with flowers, and Dick 
 grinned somewhat sheepishly as he saw Maurice smile. A 
 fellow-feeling, however, makes us wondrous kind, so Maurice 
 made no remark, but sent Zoe and her swain with their 
 newly gathered flowers down to the Acropolis. 
 
 " Do you think Dick is in love with Zoe ? " asked Helena, 
 when the laughter of the sailor and his companion had died 
 away. 
 
 " Do I think you are in love with me ? " retorted Maurice 
 lazily. "My dearest, Dick is as much in love with that 
 wicked little brunette, as I am with a certain charming 
 blonde." 
 
 " I'm glad of that," said Helena complacently. " I do not 
 wish to lose Zoe." 
 
 " You must when she marries." 
 
 " Oh no ! If Dick becomes her husband, he will stay here. 
 I'm sure he would not mind, as he is very fond of you." 
 
 "That's very kind of him, considering the battering I 
 gave him yesterday." 
 
 " Oh, Maurice, it was terrible ! " 
 
 " For Dick ? " 
 
 " Ko ; for you." 
 
 " Poor Dick ! he got the worst of it, yet you pity me." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 315 
 
 " Ah, but you see I'm not engaged to Dick," said Helena 
 gravely, holding out a wreath to him. 
 
 "No; but Zoe is. At least, if she is not now, she soon 
 will be. But come, Helena, fasten this wreath round my 
 hat." 
 
 Helena obediently did so, and then placed it on her lover's 
 head, upon which he gave her a kiss, and insisted that she 
 should deck herself with the remaining flowers. Nothing 
 loath, Helena did so, and was shortly one mass of delicious 
 bloom, from which her face peered out like some laughing 
 Dryad. Rose-wreath on her golden head, green myrtle gird- 
 ing her slender waist, and flowers of m3'riad hues bedecking 
 her dress, she looked indeed like Chloris, the goddess of 
 flowers, to whom Maurice had so often compared her. 
 
 " Come, my dearest," he said, taking her hand, " and I 
 will lead the Spring down to the valley. We are not 
 Maurice and Helena, but Florizel and Perdita, shepherd and 
 shepherdess ; so come, my dearest, adown the mountain." 
 
 They walked slowly along, talking all kinds of charming 
 nonsense, and laughing merrily, he rose-wreathed like an 
 ancient Hellene, she decked, like a goddess of the spring, 
 with delicate blossoms, and both full of mirth and joy and 
 happiness, which bubbled from their lips in gushes of liquid 
 song. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 PUNIC FAITH. 
 
 'Tis difficult, when dealing with a knave, 
 To know what course of conduct to pursue, 
 
 Yet if to win the victory you crave, 
 
 Strict honesty you must perforce eschew; 
 
 Like him, all craftily you must behave. 
 Or else he certainly will conquer you. 
 
 This golden rule remember when you meet him, 
 
 A scoundrel's weapons must be used to beat him. 
 
 It took Caliphronas some considerable time to recover his 
 usual serenity of temper, as never during his whole life had 
 his vanity received such a blow as this refusal of Helena's to 
 marry him. Hitherto the Greek had been so much petted 
 by all on account of his beauty, especially by women, that 
 he had become quite a spoiled child, and looked upon it as 
 
31 G THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 his right that every whim he took into his handsome head 
 should be gratified. To express a wish, and have it at once 
 fulfilled, appeared to him to be the proper mode of behaving 
 towards him, and it was a severe wound to his arrogant self- 
 complacency to find that the only woman he cared about 
 should refuse to yield to the dearest wish of his heart. 
 
 His love for Helena was purely a sensual feeling, based on 
 the feminine beauty of the girl, so, when he found himself 
 scorned in such a way, this animal affection speedily merged 
 in the stronger feeling of intense hatred. Formerly he had 
 regarded Helena as a charming toy, who would do him 
 credit as his wife, and satisfy his artistic requirements by 
 her womanly grace ; but now he regarded her in the light 
 of a bitter enemy, one who deserved to be punished for the 
 infamous way in which she had slighted his addresses. 
 Nothing would have given Galiphronas greater gratification 
 than to mar that lovely face he had so much admired, and 
 he would have liked to drag Helena through the gutter, and 
 render her an object of pity and derision to all the world, 
 in order to satiate his vengeance against her. 
 
 Had he been a Turkish Bashaw, he would doubtless have 
 tied the offending beauty up in a sack and dropped her into 
 the Bosphorus; had he been a Russian boyar, he would 
 have done his best to get her exiled to Siberia; but, as he 
 was neither the one nor the other, and was in his present 
 position quite unable to treat her as cruelly as he wished, 
 with devilish ingenuity he hit upon the only mode in which 
 he could hope to gratify his petty spite against a woman, 
 whose only crime was that she did not admire him as much 
 as he admired himself. 
 
 The Count's little scheme of revenge was not complex, as 
 he merely intended to call upon Justinian to keep his word, 
 and force his daughter into the marriage, and, once she was 
 his wife, punish her in a way of which he felt himself thor- 
 oughly capable, that is, by worrying her to death. A petty, 
 spiteful, narrow-minded man like the Greek had quite a gift in 
 annoying those people whom he disliked, and by assiduously 
 exercising this ignoble talent, could hope to render unbearable 
 the life of even the happiest and most long-suffering person. 
 Besides, if he grew tired of Helena, he could easily force her 
 to leave Melnos, for her father was so old that he would soon 
 be in his dotage, and thus could not protect the girl, in which 
 case Galiphronas would be free to act as his spiteful nature 
 dictated. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 817 
 
 "As to Justinian's breaking faith with him, such a thing 
 never entered into the Count's mind for a moment, and, 
 scoundrel as he was himself, he hardly dreamed that any one 
 would be astute enough to beat him with his own weapons, 
 least of all the Demarch, who had hitherto acted towards him 
 in a strictly honorable way. Strong diseases, however, re- 
 quire strong remedies, and, had the deceiving of Caliphronas 
 not been imperative for the salvation of the island, Jus- 
 tinian would certainly not have stooped to such duplicity. 
 Caliphronas, therefore, ready to betray the Demarch if the 
 fancy took him, never thought the Demarch would betray 
 him, and thus relied blindly on the promise of the forced 
 marriage being fulfilled, in which case this consummate 
 scamp decided to sacrifice Helena in the most painful man- 
 ner which he could devise, for the gratification of his 
 wounded pride. 
 
 That Maurice loved Helena he knew well enough, for had 
 not the mere sight of that lovely face brought the young man 
 from England to this semi-civilized island of the ^Egean ; 
 but as to whether the passion was reciprocal, Caliphronas 
 felt doubtful, as he had never espied anything in the girl's 
 demeanor towards his rival to inspire him with such a belief. 
 But whether she loved this young Englishman or not, the 
 Count was quite indifferent, as he had Justinian's promise 
 that, with her consent or without it, Helena should be his. 
 As it turned out, the marriage, if it took place, would be 
 without her consent, but this the Greek deemed a small mat- 
 ter, and therefore repaired to the Acropolis with the full de- 
 termination to force the Demarch to keep his word. It was 
 in this rosy light that Caliphronas looked at the circum- 
 stances of the case, and he never thought of what he should 
 do in the event of things turning out otherwise, for the 
 simple reason that, in his blind arrogance, he deemed himself 
 too powerful to be thwarted in any way; so, disguising his 
 chagrin under an air of triumph, he went in the u,fternoon to 
 meet Justinian, and his fate. 
 
 Strolling along the mulberry-tree avenue, Caliphronas, an- 
 ticipating quite a brilliant career of scoundrelism, began to 
 build castles in the air, which were all inhabited by one per- 
 son — himself. Justinian was old, and would soon die, or, 
 at all events, putting his much-desired death out of the ques- 
 tion, would shortly become incapable of managing the affairs 
 of the island, therefore this goodly heritage would soon revert 
 to Count Constantine Caliphronas, better known as Andros, 
 
318 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 the shepherd boy. This humble birth, however, he would 
 sink in oblivion, and become widely known as Prince Cali- 
 phronas, the sole survivor of a famous Fanariot family. 
 Helena, of course, he would marry, in order to revenge him- 
 self, and when he grew weary of her beauty and his revenge, 
 there were plenty of ways of getting her shipped off to Stam- 
 boul, where she could be finally disposed of in some jeal- 
 ously guarded harem. Then he would be sole ruler of the 
 Isle of Melnos, and make it a dwelling after his own heart, 
 for, after turning both Crispin and the Englishman off the 
 island, he would set up a princely establishment in this 
 ^gean paradise. 
 
 What with the exports of wines, silks, pottery, olives, and 
 grapes, he would be able to realize a magnificent income, 
 which he would apply, not to the aid and assistance of the 
 Melnosians, but to his own enjoyment. He would build a 
 palace, have troops of servants, a pleasure yacht, and could 
 also give rein to his sensuality in the matter of the most 
 beautiful women. As to carrying out Justinian's foolish 
 dream of a new Hellas, of course that was ridiculous, and his 
 first act on becoming Demarch of Melnos would be to abolish 
 the three days' festival, so that the Melnosians could live like 
 other insular Greeks, on such amusements as they could pro- 
 vide for themselves. Besides, the title Demarch only meant 
 Mayor, and was hardly lordly enough for such a magnificent 
 person as he intended to be. He would call himself Prince 
 of Melnos, and who knows but w^hat, with the assistance of 
 Alcibiades and a few other scoundrels of the same kidney 
 with whom he was acquainted, he would not be able to ex- 
 tend his principality so as to include all the surrounding 
 islands. Then Crete, under Turkish misrule, would be glad 
 to come under his protection, and Rhodes also — in fact, a 
 few years might see the whole Cyclades acknowledging him 
 as their sovereign. In that case, he would be powerful 
 enough to measure himself against the Greek Government, 
 who, perhaps, weary of a foreign king, might be persuaded or 
 forced to drive away King George, and place the Prince of 
 Melnos on the vacant throne. 
 
 In fact, while indulging in these Alnaschar-like visions, 
 Caliphronas was rapidly foreseeing the conquest of Constan- 
 tinople, and himself seated on the golden throne of the 
 Palseologi, as Emperor of the East, when the sight of the 
 Acropolis, directly in front of him, dispelled these glowing 
 dreamS; and he ascended the steps rather dolefully, with the 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 319 
 
 conviction that, as yet, all his fine schemes were in the 
 clouds. 
 
 Pausing a moment on the threshold, in order to quite recover 
 his usual jaunty manner, the future Emperor, but x^resent 
 adventurer, drew aside the curtain and entered the court, to 
 hud himself confronted by Justinian, his daughter, and then- 
 two guests. The old Demarch reclined in a capacious chair 
 beside the fountain, smoothing the golden hair of Helena, 
 who was seated at his feet. On the back of the chair leaned 
 Maurice, laughing at some trivial remark, and Crispin, bal- 
 anced perilously on the marble rim of the pool, was irritating 
 Argos, who strutted near with his gorgeous tail spread out 
 to fts fullest extent. All of them looked remarkably happy, 
 especially Justinian, whose stern face was glowing with 
 pleasure, and in Helena's eyes shone the light of undying 
 love as she glanced shyly, from time to time, at her joyous 
 lover, so strong, so handsome, and so noble. 
 
 When Caliphronas appeared at the entrance, however, all 
 this merriment vanished; for Helena, mindful of the pre- 
 vious night, sprang to her feet, with an indignant look at the 
 advancing Greek, and the faces of Maurice and the poet 
 assumed a cold expression of keen disapproval. Not so Jus- 
 tinian, who, quite enjoying the situation, received his enemy 
 with a bland smile, which, had Caliphronas but known it, 
 boded ill for the success of his mission. 
 
 " Helena, my child," said the Demarch quietly, " will you 
 leave us for a little while. I have some business with Count 
 Caliphronas." 
 
 Helena needed no second bidding, but, with an angry 
 glance at her rejected lover, walked quickly to the curtains, 
 through which she vanished, but not before sending a sweet 
 smile in the direction of Maurice. Caliphronas saw that 
 smile, and felt uneasy as to the meaning of it, but he became 
 still more uneasy, when the Demarch, without asking him to 
 be seated, addressed him formally as Count Caliphronas. 
 
 "Why do you not call me Andros ? " asked the Greek 
 apprehensively. 
 
 "I understood you called yourself Count Caliphronas," 
 replied Justinian smoothly, " and, naturally, I give you that 
 title. Of course, I thought you were but a shepherd boy, 
 who, in default of god-parents, had to be called by the name 
 of your birthplace. However, I am wrong, as it seems you 
 are the offspring of a noble family, and have a title." 
 
 " I don't know what you mean by talking to me like this !" 
 
320 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 said the Count in rather a cowed manner, feeling that the 
 speech of the Demarch was decidedly hostile in tone. " I 
 wish to speak to you alone." 
 
 "You can speak to me in the presence of these gentlemen," 
 retorted the old man coolly ; " they know all my secrets." 
 
 " All ? " said Caliphronas in a meaning tone. 
 
 " As far as you are concerned — yes ! " 
 
 "Beware, Justinian!" cried the Count in Greek, where- 
 upon the Demarch ruthlessly interrupted him. 
 
 " You had better speak English. I prefer it." 
 
 This was quite the dictatorial Demarch of old, strangely 
 unlike the yielding Justinian of the last few weeks, so 
 Caliphronas, feeling more and more uneasy, burst out into a 
 torrent of rapid English. 
 
 " What do you mean ? Why do you talk like this ? Have 
 you forgotten your promise to me ? " 
 
 " What promise ? " 
 
 " Your promise that I should marry Helena ! " 
 
 " Oh yes, yes ! I remember something about that. Well, 
 have you asked her to marry you ? " 
 
 " I have, and she has refused me," said Caliphronas sul- 
 lenly. 
 
 " In that case, I am afraid you cannot marry her." 
 
 " Cannot marry her ! " stammered Caliphronas, the rich 
 color of his face fading to a dull gray ; " but you promised 
 to make her marry me." 
 
 " Did I ? then I break that promise ! " 
 
 " You break it ! And what about my succeeding you as 
 Demarch of Melnos." 
 
 " I break that also ! " 
 
 Caliphronas, too startled to speak, stood looking blankly 
 at the Demarch, pale as the marble pillar against which he 
 leaned. Much as he disliked him, Maurice could not but 
 feel sorry for the shame and agony felt by the baffled schemer. 
 Twice, thrice, he tried to answer Justinian, but the words 
 died away feebly on his parched lips, while the Demarch, 
 relentless in his anger, spoke cruelly and deliberately, as if 
 to torture still further the wretched man before him. 
 
 " You are astonished at my thus acting so dishonorably. 
 I am astonished myself, as never before have I broken a 
 promise once made, even to the meanest person. However, 
 in this case, necessity demanded that I should make use of 
 you as a tool, in order to gain my own ends, and I have done 
 so, with the fullest intention of defeating your schemes. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 321 
 
 Ah yes, my dear friend, I know perfectly well that you 
 would have betrayed me to Alcibiades, had I not, by a stroke 
 of "diplomacy, secured you to my interests, by promising to 
 give you my daughter and make you my successor. Had I 
 not done so, you would have joined the ranks of my enemies, 
 and I, being ignorant of their schemes, would have been at a 
 disadvantage in defending my property. Therefore, know- 
 ing you were ready to play the traitor, unless bribed to 
 remain true to your benefactor, you can hardly wonder that 
 I made use of you, to learn the plans of those who were dan- 
 gerous to me in every way. A man cannot serve two mas- 
 ters, and as the question of whose side you would embrace 
 was simply one of bribery, I took advantage of your base- 
 ness. I bribed you ! I promised you all you wished, with- 
 out the slightest intention of fulfilling such promise. From 
 you I have learned all I wish to know, and am now in a 
 position to baffle both your ambition and that of Alcibiades. 
 Between two stools you have fallen ignominiously to the 
 ground ; and now, having no further use for you, traitor and 
 ingrate as you are, I command you to leave my island this 
 very day." 
 
 During this long speech the Greek made neither sound nor 
 movement, but, like a beaten hound, cowered before the lash 
 of Justinian's scornful words. When the Demarch ended, 
 he raised his head with a bitter smile on his pallid face, and 
 flung out his hand threateningly towards the speaker. 
 
 "You do well, Justinian, to say you are prepared," he said 
 in a hoarse voice ; '*' you do well to be on your guard ; for I 
 swear by the Panagia herself to ruin you and your schemes 
 before the end of another month. Had you been true to me, 
 I would have remained true to you ; but now " — 
 
 " Most virtuous scoundrel ! " cried Justinian scornfully ; 
 " you were anxious to guard what you thought was already 
 your own, and now make a boast of doing that which you 
 were bribed to do. As to your threat to ruin me, go and do 
 your worst ! I defy both you and your precious friend 
 Alcibiades ! " 
 
 '' You have every reason to be grateful to me. I have told 
 you all the schemes of your enennes." 
 
 " Yes ; you betrayed them as you would have betrayed me, 
 had their bribe been the larger. Gratitude ! gratitude ! you 
 dare to speak of that to me, to whom you owe everything ! 
 Who were you ? Nobody ! What were you ? Nothing ! I 
 found you a poor rustic in the Island of Andros, and trained 
 
322 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 you up to be my successor — which you would have been, 
 had I not discovered in time your heartless, fickle, scoun- 
 drelly nature. Gratitude, forsooth ! and you, ingrate, turn- 
 ing to bite the hand that has fed you all these years. You 
 owe me everything, I owe you nothing, save the contempt 
 that an ungrateful hound like 3^ou deserves for such treachery 
 as you meditated. You would have sold me, you Judas I yon 
 would have betrayed a man who has been a father to you ! 
 But I have baffled you ! I have tricked you ! and you are 
 now reaping the reward of your own vile actions. Go ! quit 
 my sight, ungrateful wretch ! lest I pass from words to 
 actions, and spurn you from the threshold which your very 
 presence pollutes." 
 
 " I w411 go," cried the Greek, with venomous spitefulness ; 
 " but I will return, with an army at my back, to ruin you and 
 yours. I will wreck your island, I will make of you a slave ; 
 and as for your daughter " — 
 
 '• Not a word about that lady," said Maurice firmly, step- 
 ping forward and taking part in the conversation for the first 
 time ; " she is to be my wife ! " 
 
 ''' Your wife ! " hissed the Greek furiously. " Never ! 
 never ! I will drag that fine piece of purity from your arms 
 to the gutter. I will " — 
 
 " You d — d reptile I " cried the Englishman, white with 
 passion ; '•' say another word, and I'll break your neck ! " 
 
 Caliphronas, having had some experience of Royland's 
 strength, judged it wise not to say another word ; but, turn- 
 ing on his benefactor, poured out the vials of his wrath on 
 the old man's head. 
 
 " So this is why you brought him from England ! " he said 
 fiercely ; " to marry Helena ! You promised that if I ful- 
 filled your desire, and lured him to Melnos, I w^ould be your 
 daughter's husband " — 
 
 " If she accepted you, yes — if she refused you, no !" 
 
 " So you say now. Oh, I have been your tool and slave all 
 along ! " 
 
 '' You have. I have met treachery with treachery, and baf- 
 fled you." 
 
 " I have obeyed your wishes," hissed the Greek venom- 
 ously ; " I have kept your secrets, but I will do so no 
 longer. Whom you are, and what you are, I will tell this 
 man." 
 
 " Be silent, wretch ! " 
 
 " I will not be silent ; I have been silent too long. You 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 323 
 
 have betrayed me, so now I will betray you. Maurice Koy- 
 lands, look at this so-called Justinian. Do you know whom 
 he is? An outcast Englishman, a renegade adventurer — 
 your uncle Eudolph ! " 
 
 " My uncle Rudolph ! " replied Maurice, aghast. 
 
 " Yes. It was he who sent me to England for you ; it is 
 he who is heir to your fine estate ; and you — you are nothing 
 but a pauper ! " , -r^ u 
 
 '• Crispin, turn that man out ! " commanded the Demarch, 
 rising. '"Go to the western pass. Count Caliphronas, and 
 there you will find a boat in charge of Alexandros. Leave 
 this island before nightfall, or, by heaven, I will have you 
 drowned like the rat you are ! " 
 
 " I go," retorted the Greek fiercely, retreating before Cris- 
 pin, and clutching the curtains. " I go ; but when I return, 
 I swear by all the saints that you shall suffer agonies for 
 every word you have uttered to-day. Scoundrel ! wretch ! 
 renegade ! outcast ! Vava/^' 
 
 . And, uttering the bitterest malediction he could think of, 
 the beaten schemer vanished from the Acropolis, and later 
 on from the island itself ; from whence he doubtless went to 
 Kamila, in search of Alcibiades, to assist him in his plans of 
 revenge. 
 
 " Thank heaven, that is all over ! " said Justinian, when 
 they were once more alone. " Now, at least, it will be open 
 war, and not hidden treachery, Maurice ! " 
 
 " And you are really my uncle Eudolph ? " said Roylands, 
 grasping the outstretched hand of the Demarch. 
 
 " Really and truly ! Now you know the meaning of so 
 many things which have so often puzzled you. Did you never 
 suspect the truth ? " 
 
 " Never ! " answered his nephew emphatically ; " but Cris- 
 pin"— 
 
 " Crispin knew it all along," said the poet quickly ; '• but, 
 as I had given my sacred word to keep silence, of course I 
 could say nothing." 
 
 " I am glad you are my uncle, Justinian." 
 
 " Oh, I am still Justinian, then ! " said Rudolph, with a 
 smile, as he shook liis nephew heartily by the hand. " Well, 
 it is better so ; I am too old to learn new tricks, and, after 
 forty years of Greek life, I cannot turn Englishman in one 
 moment." 
 
 " Of course Roylands Grange is now yours." 
 
 "Boy, boy," observed the old Demarch, laying his hand on 
 
324 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 the young man's shoulder, '-do you think so meanly of me as 
 that ? Were I a pauper, I would not deprive you of a single 
 acre ; but, being as I am, rich and happy, I would indeed be 
 base to take your estate when I have all this." 
 
 " Still, you are the head of our house." 
 
 '•A head that will soon be in the grave. No, no, my son, 
 the property is yours ; and if you have any scruples, why, 
 then, are you not going to marry your cousin ? so the Grange 
 will still belong to you, and yet remain with the elder branch 
 of the family." 
 
 '' Why, Helena is my first cousin ! " 
 
 " Of course she is ! " 
 
 "A second Eunice," said Crispin, smiling, "only not so 
 charming." 
 
 " Crispin ! Helena is the most beautiful woman in the 
 world." 
 
 " So is Eunice." 
 
 '•'Come, that's nonsense, you know!" objected Maurice 
 warmly ; " there can't be two most beautiful women in the 
 world." 
 
 Justinian settled the matter by bursting out laughing. 
 
 "Every one thinks his own crow the whitest," he said 
 gayly ; " but come, leave off arguing about the merits of your 
 respective lady-loves. We have other things to think of." 
 
 " The coming war, eh ? " 
 
 " Yes. Andros will do as he says, and bring Alcibiades 
 here with his band of scoundrels. Well," added the De- 
 march, with a grim smile, "they will get a rather warm 
 reception when they do come. The Roylands are a fighting 
 family." 
 
 " Ah, now I understand how you made that allusion before," 
 said Maurice quickly ; " and now I come to think of it, what 
 with the many hints you dropped, I must have been blind not 
 to guess the truth." 
 
 "When a man has been numbered with the dead forty 
 years, it is hard to believe that he is alive," said the Demarch 
 philosophically. 
 
 " You must have had a strange life, uncle." 
 
 "Very," replied Justinian, gratified by the title. "To- 
 night, when Helena has retired to bed, I will tell you all my 
 adventures since leaving the Grange." 
 
 " Does Helena know I am her cousin ? " 
 
 " She knows nothing beyond the fact that I am Demarch 
 of Melnos. No, my son, you have wooed and won your bride 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 325 
 
 entirely on your merits, so now you can understand how de- 
 delighted I am at the prospect of this marriage, which will 
 blend both the elder and younger branch of the family in 
 one common line." 
 
 " Can I tell Helena ? " 
 
 "Certainly, whenever you please." 
 
 " Here is Helena now," sai<J Crispin, as the girl, looking 
 rather pale, entered the court. '' Come here, sister Helena ; 
 Maurice has something to tell you." 
 
 '• About Caliphronas ? " asked Helena, coming up close to 
 her father. 
 
 " No, my dear," said her father, kissing her fondly. " Cali- 
 phronas has received the reward of his treachery, and has 
 left Melnos forever." 
 
 "I am glad of that, father," said the girl, with a sigh of 
 relief. " You can have no idea how I disliked him. But has 
 he been treacherous ? " 
 
 " Very ; he wanted to give up Melnos to Alcibiades." 
 
 "Did he dare?" 
 
 " Yes ; and was only deterred from doing so by being 
 promised both yourself and the island." 
 
 "But, father," cried Helena in great distress, "you did not 
 want me to marry Caliphronas ? " 
 
 " Never ! I wished you to marry Maurice." 
 
 " Well, your wishes are going to be fulfilled," said Helena, 
 with a lovely smile, turning to her lover. 
 
 "Helena," remarked Maurice, with mock solemnity, taking 
 her hands, " look at me carefully." 
 
 " I am doing so with both eyes." 
 
 " Do you know who I am ? " 
 
 " Of course — Maurice Roylands." 
 
 " And what else ? " 
 
 " My — my future husband," said the girl, with an amused 
 smile. 
 
 " Still, I am something even more." 
 
 "I don't understand," began Helena in bewilderment, 
 when Justinian interposed. 
 
 " Do not tease the child so, Maurice. Helena, this is your 
 future husband and your first cousin." 
 
 " My cousin ! " 
 
 '' By all the laws of the Medes and Persians," said Mau- 
 rice, kissing her. " Your father is my long-lost uncle 
 Rudolph, of whom I have spoken, and you, my sweet bride 
 to be, are my dear coz Helena." 
 
326 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 A ROLLING STONE. 
 
 In olden days folks mostly stayed at home, 
 Nor e'er in quest of unknown lands departed, 
 And tho' some ne'er-do-weels at times would roam, 
 They came back poorer than the day they started: 
 From which disastrous lives tliere comes alone 
 That foolish proverb of a rolling stone. 
 
 If such advice in earnest we obeyed, 
 
 Its narrow views would certainly benumb us ; 
 
 The progress of the world would be delayed, 
 
 For lack of Marco Polo and Columbus ! 
 
 They tore aside the veil which hid our eyes, 
 
 And showed us unknown worlds and unknown skies. 
 
 So now that proverb trite is obsolete ; 
 Our enterprise has made far lands alluring, 
 And north and south our fellow-men we meet, 
 With Cook and Gaze in restless parties touring, 
 A rolling stone gains something for its loss, 
 And polish is more valuable than moss. 
 
 In due time Alexandros came back to the Acropolis, and 
 reported that Caliphronas had left the island in a small boat, 
 and when last seen his craft was running before the wind in 
 the direction of Kamila. On hearing this, Justinian had no 
 doubt but that the Greek was on his way to stir up Alcibia- 
 des to immediate action ; therefore resolved to lose no time 
 in putting Melnos in a thorough state of defence. In the 
 meantime, he placed a strong guard at the gate of the tunnel 
 and in the western pass, so as to prevent the island being 
 taken by surprise. At all events, there was no special ne- 
 cessity for prompt action, as Caliphronas had only departed 
 that day, and in all probability Alcibiades would not attack 
 Melnos for at least one week. 
 
 Privately, Maurice wondered if the Greek, adrift in a small 
 boat, would succeed in reaching land safely, as, judging from 
 his terror on the night of the shipwreck, he had not much 
 pluck in foul weather. The sky, however, was perfectly clear, 
 and there was no chance of tlie castaway being caught in a 
 storm, so Justinian laughed at the fears of his nephew, and 
 bade him set his mind at peace. Caliphronas, he said, knew 
 the waters of the ^gean Sea well, he had but a few miles to 
 sail before reaching Kamila, and once there he would doubt- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 327 
 
 less meet with some of Alcibiades' followers to guide him to 
 their chief. In his innermost heart, the old Deiuarch rather 
 regretted that Caliph ronas should thus escape safely, and 
 would not have grieved much had the treacherous scamp 
 been drowned in the sea, instead of reaching Alcibiades with- 
 out harm, and stirring up that accomplished cut-throat to 
 immediate war. There was no chance, however, of such an 
 event happening, and Justinian quite expected within the 
 week to see the Melnosian waters covered with the boats of 
 his bitter enemies. 
 
 Helena was much astonished and delighted to find that 
 Maurice was her cousin, and though she could scarcely be 
 more m love with him than she already was, yet felt that 
 this bond of blood-relationship bound him to her by a nearer 
 and dearer tie than even that of her future husband. They 
 talked of a thousand things in connection with their future 
 lite, but neither of them dreamed of returning to the family 
 seat m England, but hoped, when this war-cloud had blown 
 over, to pass the rest of their lives untouched by sorrow in 
 this lotus-land of the East. Maurice, in common with Cris- 
 pin, was anxiously expecting letters from home, but as yet 
 none had reached them ; so to all appearances it looked as 
 though they would be blockaded in the island by the pirates 
 before any communication arrived at Syra. 
 
 On the day of Caliphronas' departure, however, they were 
 thinking but little of these things, as Maurice was anxious 
 to learn the history of his uncle ; while Rudolph Roy lands 
 on his part — now being able to talk feely of himself, owing 
 to the revelation of his identity — was desirous of hearino- 
 all about his late brother, the ancestral estate, and the pres"! 
 ent position of the Roylands family. He did not want to 
 s]:>eak of these things before Helena, as he judged the girl 
 had undergone quite enough excitement for the present, and 
 besides, there were many things in his own career which he 
 did not care about speaking of before this innocent child. 
 
 Justinian was not a bad man; but, having one of those 
 restless, adventurous spirits, whose impulsiveness leads them 
 into strange scrapes, had during his sojourn in the Levant 
 indulged m many escapades, which, if not exactly criminal 
 were yet daring and lawless enough to startle a sober-minded 
 person. The serious Justinian of the present was very dif- 
 ferent from the dashing Rudolph of the past ; and as his 
 daughter knew him only in his reverend old age, and re- 
 spected him as the wisest, kindest, and best of men, he 
 
328 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 naturally did not want to disturb that feeling by a narration 
 of the wild adventures of his somewhat scampish youth. 
 
 Therefore it was not until Helena had retired to rest that 
 he told Maurice his story ; and the three men sat up till 
 nearly morning; the eldest talking in the Arabian Nights vein, 
 and the two younger listening with rapt attention to the 
 fascinating career of this free-lance of the Middle Ages, born 
 by some strange chance among the respectabilities of the 
 nineteenth century. Passionate as Benvenuto Cellini, am- 
 bitious as the first Napoleon, reckless as Caesar Borgia, and 
 fascinating as Lord Byron, this extraordinary being pos- 
 sessed all those vices, virtues, charm, and astuteness, we find, 
 not in our military machines of to-day, but in those brilliant 
 adventurers of the Renaissance, who burned fiercely over 
 the troubled world of those days like wandering stars ; terri- 
 bly grand to look upon, but carrying destruction and dread 
 everywhere as they swept onward in their fatal path. 
 
 After supper Helena retired, and Justinian went with his 
 guests into the cool court, where they comfortably seated 
 themselves under the star-strewn sky with coffee and tobacco. 
 But the coffee grew cold and the tobacco burned untasted to 
 ashes, as Maurice and Crispin, with their elbows on their 
 knees, leaned forward to listen to the wondrous story of 
 this modern Ulysses, who had seen many lands, knew many 
 people, and had done many reckless, wild deeds during his 
 stormy career. 
 
 Justinian himself grew excited like an old war-horse, as 
 he told of his early life ; and it was easily seen that his 
 spirit was as dauntless as ever, that a thirst for adventure 
 still possessed his soul, and that he chafed bitterly at the in- 
 glorious ease to which his frail body condemned him. His 
 bright eyes flashed at the memories of his hot youth, and his 
 grand voice pealed trumpet-like through the still air, as he 
 strode up and down before his enthralled listeners, reciting 
 deeds of derring-do done in the times that had been. 
 
 " Yes, those were grand days in Bolivia," he said, resum- 
 ing his seat, after an outburst of stormy passion, as old 
 memories awoke in his brain. " I feel carried away to the 
 past when I talk of them. If Jumez had only brought his 
 troops np in time, I might have been President of a South 
 American Republic instead of Demarch of Melnos. Well, 
 at all events, my late years have been peaceful enough ; and 
 as President 1 would have had but a stormy time, ending, 
 very likely, in a violent death." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 329 
 
 "And alter you left South America, uncle ?" 
 
 " I came back to England in a sailing vessel. There was 
 a mutiny on board of her, which I and three other fellows 
 managed to quell ; but we held our lives in our hands all 
 the way until we got to England. When I left the ship, I 
 went down to Koylands in disguise, to look after my people, 
 and found them all happy. I had not killed your father, as 
 I had feared; and he was now married to Rose. They 
 seemed happy enough, so I had not the heart to disturb them. 
 It would have been no pleasure to me to take the estate 
 from Austin, as I had plenty of that treasure I found 
 in Bolivia, and the life of a country gentleman was irksome 
 to me. Besides, the woman I had loved so fondly was now 
 my brother's wife ; so I had nothing to gain by revealing my- 
 self. I strayed about the old place for a time, and then 
 returned to London, in order to think of my future. I was 
 very wealthy, in the prime of life, and anxious for adventure, 
 so at first I thought of returning to the army, but on reflec- 
 tion I decided that my first experience of soldiering had 
 been quite enough, so turned my attention to travelling, and 
 went all over Europe, which tour I found but tame work. 
 Asia was more exciting, however ; and I had some good tiger- 
 hunting in India. When I left that place, I went down 
 Cape Town way, and explored the southern wilds of Africa, 
 which were even more savage than they are now. I got this 
 wound there in a row with the niggers." 
 
 He drew up his sleeve, and showed a white cicatrice on 
 his arm, which must have been a dangerous wound; and 
 then began to tell of his African adventures, of battles with 
 savage tribes, of explorings in unknown wilds, fights with 
 wild beasts, elephant hunts, witchcraft ceremonies of the Obi 
 kind, until the listeners did not know at which to marvel 
 most, his memory or the bizarre existence he had led. 
 
 " I had five years of that sort of thing," he went on, after 
 a pause, " and it became rather tiresome. Besides, I was 
 now thirty-five years of age, and thought it was best to set- 
 tle down, but where I could not make up my mind. He who 
 has prairie fever once always gets it again, and it sends him 
 off on his travels into the wilds as if he were stung by the 
 gadfly of lo. What I wanted was some big work to keep 
 my mind and body busy ; but, with all ray wealth, I really 
 did not see where I could find such occupation. True, I 
 might have remained in Africa, and become a kind of savage 
 king; but, with all my buccaneering leanings, I had intellect 
 
330 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 enough to despise such rusting away in tropical forests 
 beyond the reach of civilization. I wished to exercise my 
 brain as well as my body ; yet, in spite of all my bard think- 
 ing, no scheme appeared feasible enough to give me work, 
 interest, and pleasure when I ha,d passed the meridian of 
 life. England I disliked returning to, as a cramped exist- 
 ence in that gray little island would have sent me mad ; and 
 unless I had asserted my right to E-oylands, and entered 
 Parliament, I did not see how I could employ my time. Be- 
 sides, I was averse to disturbing Austin ; and the prejudices 
 I would meet with on all sides from narrow-minded stay-at- 
 homes would have sent me back again to a savage life. Un- 
 like the Genii in the "Arabian Nights," I could not go back 
 to my jar after once being released therefrom. 
 
 '• England, therefore, being out of the question, I had seri- 
 ous thoughts of returning to South America, and exploring 
 up the Orinoco river, where they say all sorts of buried 
 cities, civilized Indians, and golden temples are to be found. 
 Then, changing my mind, I almost decided to go to San 
 Francisco, and have a try at gold-digging. Feeling doubtful 
 of this being worth undertaking, I fancied Australia, where 
 fortunes were being made up Ballarat way, would suit me ; 
 but this idea I also abandoned. I did not wish to make my 
 fortune, as I already had more money than I knew what to 
 do with ; and it was all safely invested in England. You see, 
 Maurice, I had the price of my army commission, which was 
 no great sum, my mother's fcrtune, which was considerable, 
 and also that enormous Incas treasure I dug up near Lake 
 Titicaco, which nearly cost me my life, as I told you ; so you 
 can fancy I was quite a millionnaire long before the days of 
 Chicago pig-sticking and Pennsylvanian oil wells." 
 " How did you decide to come to the ^gean ? " 
 " Well, that came about in a queer sort of way," said the 
 Demarch, lighting his pipe. " When I was up at Zanzibar, 
 which was about as far north as I had then got, I met a poor 
 devil of a Greek who was starving, so took him about with 
 me as a kind of companion. He had been mixed up in the 
 AVar of Independence, and got on the bad side of King 
 Otho, who was, at that time, ruling Greece about as badly as 
 it could be ruled. My Greek had a dream of reviving the old 
 Hellenic learning ; but with the country under a Bavarian 
 king, and overrun with brigands, he did not see how this 
 could be done. I told him of my desire to find something to 
 occupy my mind and body 5 so he suggested, as I had such a 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 331 
 
 lot of money, I ought to try to start a little kingdom of my 
 own on an intellectual basis. The idea took my fancy 
 greatly, as I was always of an administrative turn of mind ; 
 and then he told me about this island of Melnos, and how it 
 could be cultivated, fortified, and made into a kind of El}' slum 
 by a man with capital. After some deliberation 1 decided 
 to do this, and pose as a second Lord Byron ; therefore, with 
 my Greek, I went up the coast in a trading vessel, and into 
 the Red Sea. It was very uncivilized in those days, and we 
 had all kinds of adventures, in one of which my poor Hellene 
 was knocked on the head; so I was left to battle my 
 way on alone over the isthmus to the Mediterranean." 
 '• I wonder you were not killed." 
 
 " I was pretty nearly," rejoined Justinian grimly ; ^' espe- 
 cially up Suez way. Of course, at that time, there was no 
 canal, and no Suez ; but I managed somehow to get across 
 the isthmus to Alexandria. I need not tell you all my ad- 
 ventures from the time I left Zanzibar, as it would take too 
 long; but they were just as exciting as the Bolivian esca- 
 pades, if not quite as bloodthirsty." 
 
 " You ought to publish a book of your career." 
 "My dear Crispin, they would call me a second Baron 
 Munchausen, for many of my adventures would seem im- 
 possible in these tame days of Cook's tourist parties. The 
 thirties were a great falling off from the buccaneering times, 
 but in these da}- s the thirties seem quite bloodthirsty ; and 
 where the next generation of born adventurers, such as I was, 
 will find scope for the exercise of their talents, I am sure I 
 do not know." 
 
 " Well, uncle, and what did you do after Alexandria ? " 
 " I came on to Athens to see about my new Hellas. There 
 I hired a kind of small schooner, and, with picked men, went 
 down among the islands, until I came across Melnos. I rec- 
 ognized it from the description of the Greek at Zanzibar; 
 and, having lauded, climbed up over the peaks. When I saw 
 this valley, I w^as enchanted, for it was indeed a fortress, 
 formed by the hand of Nature herself. True, at first, I hes- 
 itated about establishing a colony in the crater of an extinct 
 volcano, for one would never know when it would break out 
 again. However, when I saw this Temple of Hephaistos, I 
 felt pretty safe, as the crater must have been extinct wlien 
 it was built by the old Hellenes, thousands of years before. 
 So I thought, if the volcano had kept quiet since the days 
 of Pericles, it would surely keep quiet for the next thousand 
 years." 
 
332 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " And probably will ! " 
 
 "I hope so ; at least I have seen no signs of eruption ; besides, 
 there is a vent for the volcanic forces at Santorin, so that 
 ought to preserve Melnos intact forever. Well, as I said, 
 I saw this island, found it suitable for my proposed scheme, 
 and went back to Athens, to buy it of the Greek Govern- 
 ment. There I was told the island belonged to Turkey, 
 as the Greek tributary islands only extend as far down as 
 Santorin. Nothing daunted, I went to Stamboul, and, after 
 about a year's hard work, managed to buy Melnos for a good 
 round sum — it was a pretty stiff price, I can tell you, but 
 my Incas treasure proved equal to it, and even when I had 
 paid down the money, I still found myself with plenty in 
 hand with which to start my colony." 
 
 " So INIelnos is absolutely your own ? " 
 
 " Absolutely ! I can leave it to whom I please. It is my 
 private estate, and, as I have always kept friends with the 
 Sublime Porte, there is no chance of it being taken from me. 
 When you succeed me here, Maurice, you will find every- 
 thing drawn out, fair and square, with my lawyers in 
 London." 
 
 " What ! have you not the Sultan's firman here ? " 
 
 " ISTo. London is safer ; for even if Alcibiades were to 
 take the island, I can still prove my right to it by my papers 
 in London. I paid too sweetly for it to those greedy Turks, 
 not to take all precautions to keep my title safely stowed 
 away, where it would meet with no accidents. London is 
 the safest city in the world for the preservation of such 
 things ; so in London I placed all papers recognizing my 
 right to the ownership of this island." 
 
 " Well, uncle, now you had your new Kome, but what about 
 the citizens ? " 
 
 " Oh, as to that, I did not find any difficulty in obtaining 
 plenty of men eager to settle down under my protection. In 
 those days, what with Turkish misrule, pirates at sea, and bri- 
 gands on land, the islanders fared badly enough, and when I 
 promised such as became my subjects absolute immunit}^ from 
 such ills, the difficulty I found was as to quality, not quantity. 
 It v/as the pure Hellenic stock I wanted, from which to 
 develop my new learning, and there is a good deal of mixed 
 blood, even among these insular Greeks. However, by care- 
 ful selection, I managed to get together a goodly number of 
 jmre-blooded males, and these brought their wives and sweet- 
 hearts to my island colony. Children and old men I would 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 333 
 
 not have, as the latter were useless for my purpose ; and 
 with regard to children, I wanted to regulate the births 
 myself, so as to keep the new race up to my standard. In 
 time, I populated Melnos accorded to my mind, and then set 
 my new subjects to work on dwellings and industries. First, 
 I repaired this temple for my own accommodation, and 
 arranged my system of government ; planted mulberry trees, 
 obtained silkworms, built factories, and so on. Olives, vine- 
 yards, and currant vines, I also planted, and after a few 
 years they began to flourish greatly, so gradually I estab- 
 lished a commerce with the surrounding islands, and thus 
 Melnos, by its exports, was able to earn an income for itself. 
 What with keeping the island going in its infancy, buying 
 what was required for my people, and carrying out engineer- 
 ing occupations, my capital, large as it was, had dwindled 
 considerably, and I was delighted when I found that from all 
 my outlay I was now realizing an income sufficient not only 
 to carry out further works, but also to leave a surplus, which 
 I saved up against bad seasons. Every year I devote part of 
 the income derived from my industries to public works in 
 connection with the place and the people, and the balance I 
 place out at interest in London." 
 
 " Still London ! " 
 
 " Well, you would not have me risk all my hard earnings 
 in Athens, would you ? A commercial crisis, a revolution, a 
 war, and where would my money be ; while London, though 
 liable to social depression, is at least safe as regards the 
 other two contingencies. No ! year after j^ear, I have sent 
 my money to England, and now Melnos has an assured 
 income which would keep her going, even though she earned 
 nothing for many years." 
 
 " And have you been to England since you settled here ? " 
 
 " Yes," replied the Demarch, with a half sigh. " I went 
 once, in order to arrange about the safe investment of my 
 Melnosian moneys, and remained in London some months. 
 When I returned, I brought back your mother, Crispin, and 
 you." 
 
 " My mother ! " echoed Crispin, with a deep flush ; " and 
 her name ? " 
 
 "I cannot tell you that now," answered Justinian, a trifle 
 sadly ; " but when all these troubles are over, I will do so." 
 
 " Why not now ? " 
 
 " I have a reason for not doing so." 
 
 Crispin did not like this further putting off, but he knew 
 
834 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 Justinian was iron when once lie had made up his mind, so sub- 
 mitted to the further procrastination of the important secret 
 with a sufficiently good grace, although he made one objection. 
 
 " You might be killed in the mean time." 
 
 " If that happens, you will find all papers necessary to 
 establish your legitimacy with my London solicitors. You 
 think I am harsh and unkind, Crispin, in not telling you 
 what you wish to know now, but, when I reveal all, you will 
 see I have a good reason for my not doing so. One thing I 
 can comfort you with, however, — your father is alive, and I 
 will restore you to his arms." 
 
 " And my mother ? " 
 
 "She is dead. You know she died here, my boy. It is a 
 sad story I will have to tell you, but, at all events, you will 
 have a father, and a name as good as any in England." 
 
 " With that promise I am content," said Crispin gladly ; 
 " as you have brought me up from infancy, I would be indeed 
 ungrateful if I did not trust you to the end." 
 
 " Yet you left me in anger ! " 
 
 " I think 3^ou must blame Caliphronas for that. It was 
 his machinations that caused you to misjudge me, as I mis- 
 judged you." 
 
 " Caliphronas has been the bad genius of us all," said Jus- 
 tinian decisively ; " but now, thank heaven, he is gone, and 
 will trouble us no more." 
 
 "My faith!" cried Maurice lightly, "he will trouble us a 
 good deal, if he brings Alcibiades here." 
 
 "Ah, that is open war! I do not mind that. It was his 
 hidden treachery to which I referred." 
 
 " By the way," said Roylands meditatively, " I suppose 
 that Caliphronas thinks you have untold treasures in this 
 Acropolis ? " 
 
 " He does ; and that is one of the reasons he desires to 
 plunder Melnos. Fortunately, all my money derived from 
 the island is in London." 
 
 " What a disappointment for Alcibiades & Company when 
 they find no treasure here ! " cried Crispin, laughing. 
 
 " They must never get here ! " said the Demarch resolutely ; 
 " I will defend the island to the bitter end, and, in spite of 
 their strength, I fancy they will find it difficult to force 
 either the western pass or the tunnel." 
 
 " If you had the western pass as an entrance to Melnos, 
 why did you pierce the tunnel ? " asked Maurice curiously ; 
 " would it not have been better to have only one entrance ? " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 335 
 
 " Decidedly. But you see the western side of Melnos is 
 exposed to the gales ; and, in spite of the harbor, its an- 
 chorage is hardly safe ; so I was forced to build a breakwater 
 on the eastern side of the island. Of course, this being the 
 case, when ships were loaded or unloaded there, the goods 
 could not be taken round to the western pass, — hence the 
 tunnel." 
 
 ''I think your scheme is a wonderful one," said Maurice, 
 with great admiration 5 " and wonderfully carried out." 
 
 " It is yet only in its infancy, and needs a wise ruler to 
 carry it on to ripe fruition. That ruler, Maurice, I expect 
 to find in you." 
 
 ''I trust you will not be disappointed in my administra- 
 tive ability." 
 
 " Well, I am satisfied so far. You have courage, judgment, 
 and self-control, which are the main things needed to con- 
 trol these excitable Greeks. But let us not go too fast, for 
 I know not yet if you intend to stay in Melnos." 
 
 •' Assuredly I do ; especially now I have discovered you 
 are my uncle. Why did you not tell me of our relationship 
 before ? " ^ 
 
 " Because I wished you to fall in love with your cousin on 
 your own account. Had I revealed myself, and suggested 
 the marriage, with the natural dislike of a young man to be 
 forced into matrimony, you might have objected. Oh, my 
 dear nephew, I have had these plans in my head for a long 
 time. Long ago I saw that neither Crispin nor Andros"! 
 whom I had trained as my successors, would suit the post. 
 You, Crispin, are a poet, and not a ruler, while as for Andros, 
 whom you know better as Caliphronas, he is but an idle 
 scamp, who would undo all my forty years' work. When I 
 saw my failure in this respect, I married a Greek girl, more 
 from policy than love, in order to beget an heir, but she died 
 when Helena was born, and thus I was disappointed of a 
 son." 
 
 "But you surely do not regret it, uncle, when you have 
 Helena." 
 
 " No ; I do not now, as I love my child dearly, but I did 
 then, as I was at my wits' end whom to select as a successor. 
 Then I heard all about you, Maurice, from my agents in Eng- 
 land, and resolved to send for you here, and, before reveal- 
 ing myself, ascertain for myself whether you were fit for 
 such a responsible post as ruler of Melnos. The task of 
 bringing you in ignorance here was a delicate one, and I en- 
 
336 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 trusted it to Andros. who promised to fulfil it on the ground 
 that I would permit him to pay his addresses to Helena. I 
 agreed to this, and the result you see ; but there was no 
 question of a forced marriage until lately, when it was ren- 
 dered necessary to mislead Caliphronas, out of policy. He 
 brought you here, Maurice, and the rest you know, as every- 
 thing has turned out better than I expected. You are go- 
 ing to marry Helena, and succeed me here, — that is, if you 
 have quite decided to stay." 
 
 '•'I have decided," replied Maurice, grasping his uncle's 
 hand warmly. " I hesitated at first, but now do so no 
 longer. There is nothing to keep me in England, and when 
 Crispin marries Eunice, they can stay at the Grange and 
 look after the estate, while Helena and m3^self stay 
 here." 
 
 " But your old tutor ? " 
 
 " If my old tutor comes out, I am sure he will be delighted 
 for me to stay here and forward j^our plans of a new Hellas. 
 He is an ardent Greek scholar, and will approve thoroughly 
 of my undertaking a good work like the revival of learning, 
 rather than idling away a discontented existence in Eng- 
 land." 
 
 " Good ! " said Justinian, with great satisfaction ; " all this 
 sets my mind at rest. Never fear about this Alcibiades 
 trouble, ]\Iaurice, for Melnos is strong, and I think we can 
 defend her stanchly. When all these storms are at an end, 
 I will devote the remainder of my days to teaching you all 
 the necessary rules of my polic}^, so that you can carry it out 
 completely when I die. You, as my heir, Maurice, will in- 
 herit this island, and all the invested moneys in London ; so 
 you will find everything smooth before you to carry on the 
 work which I have begun." 
 
 " Well, after all this conversation, I think we had bettc r 
 go to bed," said Crispin, rising with a yawn. 
 
 "I am afraid it will be morning soon," replied Justinian, 
 with a smile, as he followed his example, " so you will not 
 get much sleep ; but I am glad I have told you all my his- 
 tory." 
 
 " It is wonderful ! " cried Maurice enthusiastically ; " and 
 quite gives the lie to the proverb, that ' A rolling stone 
 gathers no moss.' " 
 
 "Stones that rest in inglorious ease ixain moss," said Jus- 
 tinian wisely ; '' but rolling stones which circle the world 
 gather polish. Marco Polo, Columbus, Drake, Napoleon, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 337 
 
 Caesar, were all rolling stones, and I think have been of more 
 benefit to the world than those wiseacres who remain gather- 
 ing moss in the dulness of their homes, in the belief that 
 such veiretating is the true aim of existence." 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 KEEPING VIGIL. 
 
 All day, all night, with anxious eyes, 
 
 I vigil keep, 
 To watch the ever-changing skies, 
 
 The changeless deep ; 
 Yet though for rest the spirit sighs, 
 
 I dare not sleep. 
 
 For in the skies will comets pale 
 
 Burn warningly, 
 When filled with foes black vessels sail 
 
 Across the sea. 
 To wake upon our shores the wail 
 
 Of misery. 
 
 Yet though such ships and stars appear 
 
 As portents vile. 
 Our faces will devoid of fear 
 
 With courage smile, 
 For Greek and Englishman will here 
 
 Defend the isle. 
 
 Two weeks passed since the departure of Caliphronas to stir 
 up war against Melnos. Yet Alcibiades made no sign of 
 attacking the island, so doubtless his plans had not yet ma- 
 tured sufficiently to permit of the assault, or else he was try- 
 ing to lull the Melnosians into a false security, so as to storm 
 them unawares. Justinian himself thought this latter supposi- 
 tion the more likely, but was too old a campaigner to be thus 
 caught napping, and day and night had sentinels posted on 
 the highest peaks of the island to give notice of the approach 
 of the enemy by lighting watch-fires which were all ready 
 prepared. 
 
 As before st^ated, the defenders of IMelnos, inclusive of 
 the Englishmen, numbered about a hundred and twenty; 
 certainly a small force to hold the island against three hun- 
 dred enemies, which, as Caliphronas had told Justinian, was 
 the strength of Alcibiades' army. Melnos, however, strongly 
 
338 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 fortified by nature, was quite the Gibraltar of the ^gean, 
 and, owing to the ruggedness and height of the surrounding 
 peaks, no enem}^ could gain the crater of the volcano save 
 by the western pass or the tunnel, both of which were skil- 
 fully defended by wooden palisades. ISIaurice himself 
 thought it a mistake that these barriers were not constructed 
 of stone, but Justinian explained that they were thus built 
 so as to admit of the approach of the enemy being seen, when 
 a few determined men intrenched behind could keep at bay 
 a large force in the narrowness of the tunnel or of the pass, 
 whereas, if a stone wall intervened, an outside foe could 
 perhaps batter it down without hurt from the defenders. 
 
 Another advantage which Justinian had over a hostile 
 force was the fact of the tunnel being a staircase, as his men 
 posted on the heights could sweep down the enemy climb- 
 ing slowly upward. In order to do away with the necessity 
 of fighting in the dark, or by the feeble glare of torches, Jus- 
 tinian had a powerful electric search light placed at the 
 inner entrance of the tunnel, so as to command the palisade. 
 Indeed, the Demarch, having unlimited money at his dis- 
 posal, had the latest European inventions obtainable for the 
 defence of his island, and much regretted that he had been 
 unable to obtain the new magazine rifle which had lately 
 been served out to the English army. This rifle holds six 
 cartridges, which can be fired one after the other, and, unlike 
 the revolver, has no barrel, as the cartridges lie in a line one 
 at the back of the other ; but as Justinian was not able to 
 obtain this efficient weapon, he was obliged to put up with 
 the Martini-Henry rifle, which was a deadly enough weapon 
 in the hands of his excellent marksmen. 
 
 The western pass was a narrow, winding gorge, created by 
 some primeval convulsion of the volcano, which severed the 
 low semicircle of mountains in a deep cleft ; and at the inner 
 entrance was commanded by two old brass cannon which the 
 Demarch had found in some dismantled tower of the Vene- 
 tians. These cannon, however, in spite of their age, were 
 in an excellent state of preservation, and could do a deal of 
 damage when sweeping down the narrow pass. The middle 
 of the cleft was fortified by a strong wooden palisade, and 
 at the outer entrance was another of similar construction; 
 thus the defenders, intrenched behind these barriers, held 
 the invading enemy at considerable disadvantage. Justinian 
 had also another search light sweeping the pass in the event 
 of a night surprise, and thus, the two entrances being so 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 339 
 
 well defended by nature and art, it was feasible enough that 
 the little band could keep at bay even a larger host than 
 that which Alcibiades was bringing against them. 
 
 Even if the beleaguerment of the island lasted for months, 
 there was no danger as long as the pass and tunnel were 
 defended, for there was plenty of provision, and all food 
 eaten by the inhabitants was grown on the fertile sides of 
 the crater ; so it was likely Alcibiades, despairing of taking 
 the place bv storm, would retire his men after a few weeks. 
 The Demarch was perfectly satisfied that he occupied too 
 strong a position to be dislodged, and the only chance of 
 capture lay in inside treachery, or the enemy scaling the 
 peaks and coming down unawares in the rear. Neither of 
 these things was likely to happen, as there was no chance 
 of treachery from the Melnosians, who were all devoted to 
 Justinian ; and the enemy, consisting of all the scum of the 
 Levant, had neither the engineering skill nor the courage to 
 climb over the forbidding-looking mountains which enclosed 
 the central crater of the volcano. 
 
 During the two weeks the watchmen on the heights kept 
 a constant watch for the foe, and Justinian, assisted by 
 Maurice and Dick, looked after the military preparations 
 with right good will. The rifles were duly served out to 
 the men, who practised shooting daily, also swords and cut- 
 lasses, in the use of which Dick instructed them ; yet all 
 this time they went on with their work, and only after it 
 was over did they attend to their military duties. There 
 was no fear of the ammunition giving out, as the Demarch 
 had constructed a magazine in a lonely part of the valley, 
 which was filled with cartridges, cannon balls, and plenty of 
 powder. 
 
 All this elaborate military preparation to defend a rocky 
 little island may sound childish enough in Western ears 
 accustomed to the gigantic military powers of Europe ; but 
 the coming assault on Melnos was no holiday battle, but 
 would probably involve a good deal of hard fighting, as the 
 desperadoes of Alcibiades were by no means to be despised. 
 They thought that Melnos was full of treasure, quite un- 
 aware of Justinian's wise precaution of sending the public 
 revenue of Melnos to London to be in safety ; and, lusting 
 for gold, they were ready to fight like demons in order to 
 plunder the island. The defenders, on their side, valued 
 their homes, wives, and children too much to permit a loose 
 band of absolute wretches to gain entrance into their strong- 
 
340 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 hold ; so it seemed as though the fight on both sides would 
 be fought with dogged determination to the bitter end. 
 
 ^laurice and Dick were the principal assistants of Jus- 
 tinian at this juncture, as Crispin knew nothing about mil- 
 itary matters, and the testy old De march said he was more 
 trouble than use ; so he wandered about a good deal with 
 Helena, quite the idler of the community. In spite of this, 
 however, all knew that Crispin was as keen as any one on 
 figliting, and would defend the island with the best of them; 
 besides which, being the minstrel of the party, he wrote 
 war-songs after the mode of Tyrtseus, to fire the Melnosiaus 
 with martial enthusiasm. 
 
 The old fighting blood of the Roylands showed itself 
 plainly in the Demarch and his nephew, for they both looked 
 anxiously forward to the anticipated invasion, and would 
 have been seriously annoyed had it not come off. Justinian 
 himself quite renewed his youth at the idea of once more 
 smelling powder, and his fiery energy, overriding all obsta- 
 cles, occupying itself ceaselessly with all military matters, at 
 times even tired out his muscular nephew. Yet Maurice 
 worked bravely, and showed himself to be made of the 
 stuff required for leaders of men, and, despite his ignorance 
 of matters military, made several valuable suggestions from 
 a common-sense point of view, which were greatly approved 
 of by the De march. 
 
 " Egad, Maurice ! " he said, grimly surveying his nephew, 
 "if I had only had you instead of Caliphronas, I would 
 have made a man of you." 
 
 " Meaning I'm not a man now,'' said Maurice, rather 
 nettled. 
 
 '• By no means. You've got the Eoylands spirit, my boy, 
 and will fight like the devil himself when needs be ; but 
 when I think of all those years of idleness in England, it 
 makes me angry. Such a loss of good material which could 
 be made use of, and I dare say there are hundreds of fellows 
 of your physique and stamina, who write their lives away 
 in offices instead of going in for an adventurous career and 
 dying rich. What I mean is that you are made of the same 
 stuff as I, and had I possessed you as my right hand when 
 I started this scheme, egad, I'd have had a kingdom instead 
 of an island ! " 
 
 " You forget, I was not born forty years ago." 
 
 " No more you were — more's the pity ! Those were glori- 
 ous times, and, in spite of my years, I do not regret having 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 341 
 
 been born early in the century. Life is too tame now, all 
 bread and butter and explosive machines. Give me the 
 good old days of hand-to-haiul combat, lots of adventure, 
 rows galore, and the devil take the hindmost." 
 
 " I never met such a man as you, uncle." 
 
 "Then you never met yourself. I don't mean your doppel- 
 ganger, but your inner self, for you are exactly what I was, 
 though how the deuce your father ever came to have such a 
 son, I do not know. He was as mild as milk, my brother 
 Austin." 
 
 " Was he ? " said Maurice grimly, thinking of the many 
 family rows that had taken place. 
 
 '• Oh, I doirt deny he had a spice of the Roylands temper, 
 but as to ambition and enterprise, he might as well have 
 been born a carrot. Why, h< nearly ruined you, my boy, 
 with neglecting to put you on the right track — no wonder 
 you got melancholia and all that rubbish. You are a worker, 
 not a dreamer." 
 
 " I have brains, I suppose ? " 
 
 " Yes, and so has Crispin ; but he uses his brains in the 
 right way, you don't. Crispin is born to sit down and tinkle 
 a lute, you are born to handle a sword and lead an exciting 
 career. Why didn't you go into the army ? " 
 
 " My father wouldn't let me." 
 
 " Of course ! " said Justinian, with a snort of disdain ; 
 " he wanted to make you a mollycoddle like himself. I 
 wonder you did not go out of your mind in that smoky Lon- 
 don, chipping away at marble and cutting it out. Why, you 
 have been here only a couple of months, and already you 
 are in your right mind. Go back to England indeed! — 
 you are a fool if you do. Like myself, you are born to be 
 a ruler, not a unit in English civilization. I'm glad I got 
 you to myself before it was too late." 
 
 " Well, if my career has begun late, I am at least young, 
 and have a long life before me." 
 
 " Yes ; I envy you that, Maurice. Look at me ! youthful 
 in spirit, old in years. I shall die in the prime of my spir- 
 itual strength, just because my wretched body is of an 
 inferior quality to my soul." 
 
 " Still you are good for a few years yet. And, uncle, 
 don't you think it would be wise of you not to expose your- 
 self in battle ? " 
 
 " What ! " roared the old Demarch in a voice of thunder ; 
 " stay in the background ! Never while I can handle a 
 
342 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 sword. I'm not going to let every one else have the fun, 
 and leave myself out of it. Why, this coming war in a tea- 
 cup is the first bit of amusement I liave had for years, aud 
 yet you grudge it to me." 
 
 " I don't want you to be killed, uncle." 
 
 " Oh, I'll look after myself, never you be afraid I I won't 
 live any the longer for wrapping myself up in cotton wool, 
 and if I die, why, like Tennyson's farmer, I die, but Til 
 have one stirring light before I give up the ghost." 
 
 "■ You have the Baresark fury in you, uncle." 
 
 "An inheritance from our Norman ancestors, my boy. 
 You are more of courtly old Sir Guy on, who went to the 
 Crusades, but I resemble Jarl Hagon, who came sailing to 
 :Normandy with Eollo. Indeed, if the theory of transmi- 
 gration be true, I believe the spirit of that old Norse savage 
 is incarnate in my body. I am born too late ! I am an 
 anachronism in this dull, peaceful century, all gas and 
 steam engines. I ought to have fought with Drake and 
 Frobisher. However, I have done my best to make my sur- 
 roundings agree with my nature, and the result is — 
 Melnos." 
 
 " Which is the result, not of war, but of peace ! " 
 
 " Eh ! — oh, I daresay — it is a toy with which I can 
 amuse myself ; but you forget that before I colonized Mel- 
 nos, I had battled all over the world, and thus expended a 
 good deal of my Baresark fit." 
 
 " And now it comes again ! " 
 
 " The last upleaping of the flame, my boy," said Justinian 
 sadly ; " and then death. But there, I talk so much about 
 myself, that you must think me egotistical. What about 
 that electric light I wish to tr}^ ? " 
 
 " Alexandros and Gurt are fitting it up on the platform." 
 
 " Good ! but say Gurt and Alexandres in future. An Eng- 
 lishman goes before every one else." 
 
 " How patriotic you are, uncle ! Yet you have forsaken 
 England." 
 
 '• England was an unjust stepmother to me, but absence 
 makes the heart grow fonder, and, in spite of my residence 
 here, I have as patriotic a spirit as any of your jingoists, 
 who shout War ! war ! war ! on the least provocation. Come, 
 let us go and look at this search light on the terrace." 
 
 Justinian, during the last few years, had dabbled con- 
 siderably in electric matters, and had sent Alexandres to 
 England in order to learn all about the science. Alexandres, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 343 
 
 keen-witted in all things, had soon picked up all that was 
 necessary, and was quite an accomplished electrician ; so 
 when he returned to Melnos, he brought with him, by Jus- 
 tinian's instructions, all machines necessary for the produc- 
 tion of the light. The powerful engine for working the 
 dynamo was placed at the back of the Acropolis, under the 
 eye of the Demarch himself, and from this centre the wires 
 were laid to the tunnel and the western pass. Thus the 
 machine, being, so to speak, in the heart of the island, was 
 safe from being captured by enemies, and the lighting of 
 both places was quite under the control of Alexaudros. The 
 Demarch had also a third apparatus rigged up on the terrace, 
 in order to make a trial of the power of the light, which was 
 to be tried that night ; for Justinian wished everything to 
 be in thorough working order against the arrival of Alci- 
 biades and his army. 
 
 While they were examining the electric apparatus on the 
 terrace in front of the Acropolis, Helena, in company with 
 Dick and Zoe, came to them in a great state of excitement. 
 
 " Papa, give me the key of the tunnel, for Crispin says the 
 boat has arrived from Syra with letters ! " 
 
 " By Jove, that's good news ! " cried Maurice, as the De- 
 march handed the key to his daughter. " ISTow we will know 
 all about tlie new yacht, uncle, and if Melnos is taken, we 
 can go to Syra, and escape on board of her." 
 
 " Melnos won't be taken," said Justinian with a frown. 
 " I am quite astonished at your suggesting such a thing, 
 Maurice. Besides, the yacht is going to Athens." 
 
 " Yes, but Crispin sent a letter to the telegraph office 
 there, telling them to wire to the agents that the yacht was 
 to stop at Syra." 
 
 "■ Humph ! well, that is not bad news. As you say, it is 
 as well to be prepared for emergencies. Here is the key, 
 Helena. Where is Crispin ? " 
 
 " Waiting at the tunnel entrance ! " replied Helena 
 brightly, and went away with the key of the island, guarded 
 by Dick and Zoe. 
 
 There was every sign that these two were following in the 
 footsteps of their master and mistress, for as Zoe, tutored by 
 Helena, could speak English very well, there was no obstacle 
 to Dick's wooing. The bos'n was a handsome young fellow, 
 with a masterful manner about him, which tlie Greek maiden 
 found very pleasant, so she was not at all indisposed to yield 
 to his solicitations, and become Mrs. Dick, the more so, as 
 
344 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 she thought this marriage would not part her from Helena, 
 whom she loved dearly. Her early flame, Gurt, had quite 
 vacated the field in favor of his handsome young rival, and 
 now took a paternal interest in the match. As yet, Zoe, 
 with innate coquetry, had not given Dick a direct answer, 
 but there was little doubt, in the end, she would accept ;:his 
 assiduous lover who worshipped her very shadow. 
 
 While the three had departed to take Crispin the key of 
 the gate, Justinian continued examining the electric appa- 
 ratus, and questioning Alexandros concerning the mode of 
 working. 
 
 " The moon is not up till late to-night," said the Demarch, 
 looking at the sky, " so in the darkness we will be able to 
 test it splendidly. Are the lights at the tunnel and the 
 western pass in order, Alexandros ? " he added in Greek. 
 
 '•Yes, Kyrion. I attended to them to-day, myself." 
 
 "And the engine ? " 
 
 "Works perfectly, Kyrion," 
 
 " Capital ! " said Justinian in English, turning to Maurice. 
 " I think our electric powers will rather startle Alcibiades ! " 
 
 " No doubt ; but do you know, uncle, I think it is a pity 
 you did not place a search light on one of those peaks, so as 
 to sweep the ocean, and thus reveal their approach if they 
 try to steal in to the beach under the cover of darkness." 
 
 " True, true ! " said the Demarch thoughtfully, nursing his 
 chin, "we will think of that, but meanwhile try this light 
 to-night. As to the watchmen on the peaks, ]\Iaurice, you 
 know there are also two on the beach, one on each side of 
 the island, so if they see Alcibiades' approach first, they will 
 light their fires to signal to the peaks, and those above will 
 fire theirs to warn us. It is easier to see from the beach 
 than from above, where everything looks flat. Besides, the 
 nights are so still, that the sound of oars can easily be heard 
 a long way off, especially by men trained to hear like my 
 Greeks." 
 
 "But suppose Alcibiades uses no oars ?" 
 
 "Oh, well, in any case we will be warned in time. But in 
 case of a night attack, the men can muster rapidly, I sup- 
 pose ? " 
 
 " In a few minutes." 
 
 "And the guard?" 
 
 " There is a strong one in the tunnel, under the command 
 of Gurt, and another in the pass, commanded by Temis- 
 tocles." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 345 
 
 "Good! With such precautions we cannot very well be 
 surprised. But here is Crispin." 
 
 " In a state of great excitement, too/' said Maurice, laugh- 
 ing. " He has got a satisfactory answer to his letter." 
 
 '' It/s all right ! " called out Crispin, mounting the steps, 
 waving an open letter in his hand ; " the yacht has left Eng- 
 land for Syra, with Mrs. Dengelton, the Rector, and Eunice !" 
 
 " Is there a letter for me ? " asked Maurice, nodding his 
 satisfaction at this intelligence. 
 
 '' Yes, one from the Rector. See if it encloses one from 
 Eunice to me." 
 
 Maurice tore open the letter of his old tutor, and out 
 dropped an envelope, directed to "Crispin," in dainty fem- 
 inine handwriting, of which the poet at once took greedy 
 possession. On the balustrade of the terrace, Maurice sat 
 down to read his letter, and Crispin, after glancing at 
 Eunice's private note, rattled on to Justinian about the 
 contents of his own correspondence, which he had read on 
 the way hither from the tunnel. 
 
 " The agents got my letter all right, sir," he said gayly, 
 " and had no difficulty in securing the yacht I wanted, which, 
 was still in the market. She left England a week ago." 
 
 '- For Athens ? " 
 
 " Why, no. As there was danger of a row, I thought it 
 best she should be near at hand, so wired to the agents that 
 she was to stop at Syra, where she ought to arrive shortly." 
 
 " She left Southampton after your letters, I presume ? " 
 
 " Yes, a day or so after. Of course they came overland to 
 Brindisi, which gained them five days, or thereabouts, and 
 then caught the boat to Syra, and came straight on here with 
 Georgios. The Eunice ! " 
 
 " Oh, is that the name of the yacht ? " cried Helena 
 roguishly. 
 
 " Yes ; the old Eunice is under water, but I call the new 
 boat by the old name." 
 
 " So The Eunice is carrying her namesake ? " 
 
 '• Exactly. Well, The Eunice will run down to Syra in 
 about twelve days ; a week has already gone by, so we may 
 expect her there in a few days." 
 
 " When she arrives, what do you propose to do ? " 
 
 " With your permission, go over to Syra and bring her 
 here." 
 
 " By all means, if we are not blockaded in the mean time ; 
 but if we are, you will have to stay here." 
 
346 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 "And The Eunice at Syra !" rejoined Crispin in a vexed 
 tone. " Well, perhaps it will be for the best, as your sister, 
 niece, and Mr. Carriston are on board, and won't care about 
 being mixed up in a battle." 
 
 " My sister ! " repeated Justinian thoughtfully ; " she was 
 born after I left England, and I only caught a glimpse of 
 her when I went back, so she is quite a stranger to me. Is 
 she a — a pleasant sort of person ? " 
 
 "Well, she talks a good deal," said Crispin, with some 
 hesitation. 
 
 " Then I am afraid she will tire me dreadfully," said the 
 Demarch dryly, " for I do not like chatterboxes. However, 
 Helena will be glad to see her aunt. Will you not, child ? " 
 
 " Of course, papa. I will be glad to see all my relations 
 if they are as charming as Cousin Maurice." 
 
 "Eunice is an angel." 
 
 "Of course," said Helena mockingly; "that is because 
 you love her. Why, Maurice says the same thing about 
 me." 
 
 " What does Maurice say ? " asked that gentleman, look- 
 ing up from his letter. 
 
 " That I am the dearest girl in the world," laughed 
 Helena, going up to him. 
 
 "I will find that out when your milliner's bills come in." 
 
 " Milliner ! " said the child of Nature ; " what is a milli- 
 ner?" 
 
 They all laughed at this, particularly Justinian, who 
 pinched his daughter's ear gently. 
 
 " Ah, a milliner is a very important person, my child. 
 She makes gowns." 
 
 " Like this white one of mine ? " 
 
 " No, more's the pity," said Crispin, with a laughing 
 glance at the simple white garment ; " if all gowns were of 
 that style, the bills would not be so large, and husbands 
 would frown less. Well, Maurice, and what says the 
 Rector ? " 
 
 " He declines to commit himself to an opinion until he 
 sees Melnos with his own eyes," said Maurice, putting the 
 letter in his pocket, " and is coming out especially to see the 
 new Hellas. There, uncle, is that not a compliment ? " 
 
 " I will be glad to see Mr. Carriston," observed Justinian 
 a little stiffly, as JVIaurice thought. "Crispin, did Georgios 
 see anything of Alcibiades ? " 
 
 "No, nothing." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 347 
 
 " Or hear anything ? " 
 
 " Not a word." 
 
 " They must be keeping all their preparations very quiet," 
 muttered the Demarch to himself as he went inside ; " but, 
 for all that, I believe an attack will take place within the 
 week." 
 
 The party on the terrace broke up after his withdrawal, 
 leaving Alexandros still busy at his electric apparatus, which 
 was in complete order by night-time. After a merry supper, 
 every one came out again on to the terrace to make experi- 
 ments with the light, and Alexandros went away to look after 
 his dynamo. 
 
 Such a still night as it was, with not a breath of air to 
 cool the hot atmosphere, and the sky in the shimmering heat 
 seemed closer to the earth than usual. No moon was yet in 
 the heavens, but the dark blue vault was bright with innu- 
 merable stars, large and mellow, like tropical constellations. 
 The valley below was in complete shadow, not the glimmer 
 of a white-walled house being visible, and the sides of the 
 gigantic cup which formed the crater of the volcano were 
 veiled in diaphanous darkness. So intensely quiet was 
 everything, that even the nightingales were silent, and there 
 seemed something awesome in this breathless stillness of 
 Nature, as though the whole earth were dead, and only the 
 handful of people assembled there alive. 
 
 "I don't like this sultry night," whispered Helena to 
 Maurice uneasily, as he stood by one of the pillars with his 
 arm round her waist. " I hope nothing is wrong with the 
 volcano ! " 
 
 " What ! after thousands of years' quiet ? " laughed Mau- 
 rice gently. " My dear child, the volcano is as extinct as the 
 dodo." 
 
 "1 don't know what a dodo is," replied Helena, panting; 
 "but the whole place seems so unnaturally still that it gives 
 me the idea of some coming trouble." 
 
 " Perhaps Alcibiades ! " 
 
 " Oh, we can fight against him, but we can't fight against 
 an eruption." 
 
 " Who is talking about an eruption ? " said Justinian, turn- 
 ing round from the electric apparatus he was examining. 
 
 " Helena. She is afraid there will be one soon." 
 
 "Nonsense, nonsense ! " said the old man testily, yet with 
 an anxious frown on his face. " If there was danger of an 
 upheaval, we would be warned by the hot springs, but they 
 
348 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 arc just bubbling as usual. Besides, Georgois tells me there 
 is an eruption at Santorin, so with that vent for the volcanic 
 forces we are quite safe. Why, I have lived here for forty 
 years in safety, and the crater has been extinct for thou- 
 sands of years, so we need not be afraid of anything going 
 wrong now." 
 
 Thus pacified, Helena, in common with the rest, turned 
 her attention to the electric light, which at this moment 
 flashed out from the carbon points in terrible splendor. 
 Alexandros began to move it about, and like the flaming 
 sword of St. Michael, or the tail of a comet, it swept in a 
 tremendous arc across the dark sky. Turned down on the 
 valley, it revealed everything as if it were day, the lake, 
 the houses, the trees, the streets — all sprang out of the 
 darkness with the minuteness of a photograph. Then the 
 intolerable brilliance began to move slowly round the sides 
 of the crater, the black pine forests, the arid rocks, and then 
 the rugged peaks, white with chill snows. But, lo ! as it 
 travelled eastward along the jagged heights, on one burned 
 a huge red star. 
 
 " The watchfire ! " cried IVIaurice, springing to his feet. 
 
 "Turn off the light!" commanded Justinian hastily. 
 
 Alexandros did so, and there on the cold peak, amid the 
 luminous twilight, flamed the bonfire of the watch like a 
 baneful star, telling of destruction, war, and death. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 349 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 THE BATTLE OF TROGLODYTES. 
 
 I hear tlie noise of battle tumultuous! 
 
 It is not on the earth, nor do spectral hosts contend in the cloudy sky ; 
 
 Under my feet it is raging, in the heart of the globe skirmish the struggling 
 
 armies. 
 The cries of horror, the clash of weapons, the sharp crack of the deadly 
 
 rifie. 
 Strike dully on my ear, as though the crust of the earth intervened between 
 
 them fighting, and I listening. 
 Yes, the battle is subterranean! Do the gnomes assault one another 
 Over some new vein of gold but lately discovered ? 
 Or do the dead, not rising from stone-sealed sepulchres, 
 Renew those quarrels below, which on earth ended their existence? 
 I know not indeed whether it be the dead or the gnomes, 
 But I hear the noise of battle tumultuous ! 
 
 There was no doubt that a night attack was intended, and 
 that Alcibiades, hoping to take Justinian by surprise, trusted 
 he would be able to break in through the tunnel before his 
 secret arrival was discovered. Unfortunately for himself, 
 he did not know the military alertness of the Demarch, who, 
 Avarned by the watchtires, marshalled his men with the great- 
 est rapidity, and in the space of half an hour every man on 
 the island was drawn up, under arms, in the space before the 
 Acropolis. The powerful electric light flooded the whole 
 crater, so that the little army manoeuvred as though it were 
 day, and in profound silence every man took his place in the 
 ranks, ready to march to the front. 
 
 Justinian held a hurried council of war with Maurice, 
 Crispin, and Dick, as to the disposal of the troops, for the 
 question was whether Alcibiades would concentrate his forces 
 in the tunnel, and make one bold dash for the island, or, 
 dividing his men into two bodies, attack both entrances simul- 
 taneously. Messengers had now arrived from the watchmen 
 on the heights and on the beach, from whose report it ap- 
 peared that the advancing enemy were all making in a body 
 lor the eastern side of the island, therefore the Demarch 
 came to the conclusion that for the present only the tunnel 
 was threatened by the invader. However, to obviate any 
 chance of the western pass being taken by surprise, about 
 thirty men, under the command of Crispin and Dick, marched 
 in that direction, and the remaining eighty-six, with Justin- 
 
350 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 ian and his nephew as leaders, took up their station inside 
 the tunnel palisade. Alexandros, of course, remained behind 
 at the Acropolis to attend to the working of the electric 
 lights, which were burning witli full power at the western 
 pass and in the tunnel, the middle apparatus being turned off 
 after the departure of the men, so as to increase the brilliance 
 of the otlier two. Temistocles was employed as a messenger 
 between the two forces, so as to keep the four leaders thor- 
 oughly cognizant of what occurred either on the western or 
 eastern side of the island. 
 
 The watchmen on the beach had waited until the boats of 
 Alcibiades were near shore, then rapidly fled up the tunnel 
 to the palisade, through the door of which they were admit- 
 ted by Justinian, who listened to their excited report con- 
 cerning the number of the enemy with the greatest calmness. 
 Indeed, the Koylands capability for command showed itself 
 in both the Demarch and his nephew, for the more perilous 
 did the situation become, the cooler they were, and never for 
 a moment lost their heads in giving orders to their men. 
 This self-control had a wonderful effect on the nerve of the 
 Melnosians, who, thoroughly efficient as regards drill, and 
 absolutely blind in their implicit obedience to their leaders, 
 carried out all commands with the utmost skill and prompti- 
 tude. 
 
 At the entrance of the tunnel burned the great round of 
 the electric light, like a full moon, illuminating the neigh- 
 borhood of the palisade with steady splendor, so that the 
 defensive operations could be carried out to the minutest 
 detail without the slightest difficulty. Earthen works had 
 been built half-way up the wooden structure to the height of 
 a man's shoulders, and now on top of this the Melnosians 
 laid bags of sand diagonally, the one overlapping the other, 
 to either side of the tunnel, with interstices between them at 
 intervals for the barrels of the rifles. All this was arranged 
 so as to afford those inside a good view of the attack, while 
 protecting them in a great measure from the fire of the 
 stormers. The electric light also gained them a considerable 
 advantage, as, being at their backs, they could carry on their 
 operations with ease, while it dazzled the eyes of the enemy, 
 who in front of them would see but the black mass of the 
 palisade, and at intervals catch a glimpse of the defenders 
 like silhouettes against the bright glare, which would have a 
 considerable influence on the fire of the attacking party. 
 
 Both Maurice and the Demarch were armed with revolvers 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 351 
 
 and sabres, while the sailors had their cutlasses, and the Mel- 
 nosians their Martini-Henry rilles ; thus, what with these and 
 the protecting ])alisade, everytliing was in their favor, espe- 
 cially as the steepness of the ascent hampered the enemy 
 considerably in their dash to carry the barrier by storm. 
 Thus intrenched, they waited in absolute silence, with calm 
 courage, for the onslaught, and shortly heard the tramp of 
 approaching feet, the ring of guns and swords, and the excla- 
 mations of astonishment uttered by the invaders, when the 
 powerful rays of the electric light flashed on their advancing 
 mass. 
 
 Alcibiades might be a good commander, but he was a con- 
 foundedly bad drill-sergeant, for his men came up the stair- 
 case in a singularly disorderly fashion, rushing forward 
 pell-mell, as though they anticipated an easy victory. How- 
 ever, at the sight of the electric light, and the barricade, 
 from which protruded the deadly barrels of the rifles, their 
 impetus received a decided check, and the foremost, recoiling 
 on those in the rear, threw the whole body into confusion. 
 Hesitating thus for a second in bewilderment, they offered a 
 fair mark to the defenders, who, at a given signal by Justin- 
 ian, poured a heavy fire into the huddled mass of human 
 beings. Some fell dead, many wounded, and the yells of the 
 discomfited assailants vibrated under the vaulted roof of the 
 tunnel, as they retired in disorder. 
 
 Then the stentorian voice of Alcibiades was heard urging 
 them forward, and with sudden resolution they dashed forward 
 like a wave on a rock, only to retire again before the deadly 
 volley of the Melnosians. The ground was cumbered with 
 the dead and dying, while the air was so thick with gun- 
 powder smoke that it hung like a veil between the contend- 
 ing parties, and not even the powerful rays of the electric 
 light could break through the opaque cloud. As yet, protected 
 by their earthworks, the Melnosians had not lost one man. for 
 the bullets of the enemy passed harmlessly over their heads 
 or buried themselves in the sand and turf. Justinian ordered 
 his men to reserve their fire, as the attacking party were now 
 retreating for the third time in confusion, and therefore, 
 being considerably scattered, did not offer so good a mark as 
 when they rushed forward in a dense mass. 
 
 Evidently they were holding a consultation, for when they 
 again assaulted the barricade, one party dashed forward 
 under a heavy fire, with hatchets to cut away the timbers, 
 while the others remained behind and kept up a fusillade at 
 
852 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 a safe distance. In order to avert this danger, and save the 
 palisade from being cut down, the marksmen returned the 
 fire of the rear rank, while, using the bayonets at close 
 quarters, their comrades stabbed the stormers whenever 
 they could get a chance. Notwithstanding this warm recep- 
 tion, the assaulting party still stuck to their work, and amid 
 the infernal din of yells from wounded and fighters, could be 
 heard the steady blows of the hatchets, the sharp crack of the 
 guns, and the ping, ping, ping of the bullets whizzing through 
 the smoky air. At last, in spite of their valor, the stormers 
 were forced to retire, but not without doing considerable 
 damage, for they had cut through a considerable number of 
 the barrier posts, so that the palisade was now in a some- 
 what shaky condition. 
 
 " Egad ! they'll have this down in no time, Maurice," said 
 Justinian to his nephew, with a grim smile, ''and then it 
 will be hand-to-hand fighting." 
 
 " All the better ! " replied Maurice, coolly examining the 
 edge of his sword. "I fancy they will find it hard to drive 
 us back from this position. Here they come again. The 
 devil ! " 
 
 " What's the matter ? " 
 
 '• They are spoing to fire the barricade ! that is Caliphronas' 
 idea, I'll bet!" 
 
 A party of men now surged forward, bearing huge bundles 
 of brushwood, smeared with tar and inflammable oils, which 
 they threw at the foot of the barrier, and ignited without a 
 moment's delay. The Melnosians, adopting their former 
 tactics, shot and stabbed with right good will, but the advan- 
 tage was with the enemy, for, in the space of a few minutes, 
 the wooden poles and crossbars of the barricade were in 
 flames. Against this new peril nothing could be done, as, 
 not anticipating this stratagem, Justinian had not provided 
 himself with water ; so the flames, leaping redly out of the 
 thick smoke, roared upward to the roof of the tunnel, while 
 the little band, some with bayonets fixed, others with guns 
 loaded, awaited the assault which would follow the downfall 
 of the protective palisade. 
 
 As if to hasten this catastrophe, the enemy, with infinite 
 labor, dragged a small cannon up the steep stairs, and, hav- 
 ing placed it in position, fired recklessly into the centre of 
 the blazing mass, with the hope of the ball cutting a lane 
 through the Melnosians. Luckily, owing to the irregularity 
 of the ground, they were unable to depress the muzzle of the 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 353 
 
 gun sufficiently, and the shot passed innocuously overhead, 
 having no other effect than to bring down a small shower of 
 stones from the roof of the tunnel. Justinian was rather 
 dismayed when he found they had succeeded in bringing up 
 a gun, but when he saw the effect of the shot, he smiled 
 contemptuously. 
 
 •• That's no good," he said confidently ; " they can't get the 
 muzzle low enough to be effective." 
 
 •' Nevertheless, if the roof " — 
 
 The end of his sentence was lost in a tremendous explosion, 
 which nearly stunned them all, for, in their eagerness to fire, 
 Alcibiades' men had overloaded their cannon, with the result 
 that it burst at the application of the light, and killed five 
 men. 
 
 " Glory ! glory ! " yelled Gurt, when he heard the row ; 
 •' they can't do much now, d — n them ! " 
 
 '• No ! " cried Maurice rapidly ; " the barricade will soon 
 be down, and it will be a hand-to-hand fight. If they bring 
 up another gun, we'll take it by storm." 
 
 The heat by this time was something intense, owing to 
 the near neighborhood of the fierce flames, while the thick 
 white smoke, rolling upward in clouds, nearly choked them 
 with its pungent odor. The Melnosians were getting the 
 worst of it in this case, as the draught blowing upward from 
 the sea drove the eddying wreaths of acrid vapor full against 
 their faces, while the enemy was quite free from such 
 annoyance. Headed by Alcibiades and Caliphronas, who, 
 for a wonder, had pluck enough to place himself in front of 
 his men, they awaited with impatience the fall of the barri- 
 cade, and, quite anticipating that the Melnosians would be 
 choked by the pungent smoke, were prepared to dash for- 
 ward and carry the earthworks by storm while the defenders 
 were yet stupefied. Justinian saw this danger, made up his 
 mind, and acted thereon with promptitude and decision. 
 
 '^ Maurice, we must make a sally, and get into the clear 
 air beyond, else this smoke will suffocate us, and thus give 
 them the advantage." 
 
 "Kiglit!" replied his nephew, recognizing the necessity 
 for immediate action. ''The flames are now pretty low, so 
 let us dash through at once and take them by surprise. I 
 will lead. You stay here, sir." 
 
 "I'm hanged if I Avill ! " 
 
 ''You must, uncle, so as to help me if I need it. Tell the 
 men to follow me, as I am not well enough up in Greek." 
 
354 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 At this moment, the barricade fell down with a crash, amid 
 a sudden shower of sparks and rolling vapors. They could 
 hear the triumphant shouts of Alcibiades at the achievement 
 of this result, and ]\Iaurice ground his teeth with anger, as 
 he caught the taunting tones of Caliphrouas' voice, rejoicing 
 over this catastrophe. 
 
 "You wait here with some men, uncle, and build up the 
 earthwork higher, while I make a dash with a handful, and 
 see if I cannot drive them down the staircase." 
 
 This suggestion was more palatable to Justinian than the 
 former one, as it gave him something to do, so he hastily 
 told the men of Maurice's suggestion. A number of the 
 Melnosians, who were lying on the ground with their heads 
 wrapped in their cloaks to escape the stifling smoke, sprang 
 up, on hearing this, with a joyous shout ; so, hastily selecting 
 his men, Maurice unsheathed his sword, grasped his revolver, 
 and made ready for a dash. Owing to the fall of the pali- 
 sade, the flames were now very low, but the smoke still 
 rolled upward in blinding clouds, thus effectively concealing 
 their movements from the enemy. 
 
 " Good-by, my lad ! God bless you ! " said the old lion, 
 grasping his nephew's hand. " Drive them down as far as 
 you can, and, while you keep them at bay, I will have the 
 barricade built up again, with sand-bags and turf." 
 
 Followed by Gurt and about twenty men, Maurice leaped 
 up on the earthwork, and dashed downward through the 
 smouldering ruins of the beams with a fierce cry. In a mo- 
 ment they were out of the smoke and into the clear atmos- 
 phere, while the enemy, thrown into confusion by their 
 unexpected sally, recoiled in confusion. Alcibiades, however, 
 seeing the smallness of the party, soon rallied them with 
 (uirses and prayers, so the next instant Maurice and his men 
 were in the thick of the fight. 
 
 It was now a hand-to-hand struggle, maintained with equal 
 fierceness on either side, but, fortunately, the narrowness of 
 the tunnel prevented the small band of the Melnosians being 
 overwhelmed by their enemies, while the fact that they were 
 on the higher ground gave them a decided advantage, which 
 made up somewhat for lack of numbers. The electric light 
 again pierced the now thin veil of smoke, so that they 
 could see what they were doing, and the Melnosians used 
 their cutlasses with deadly effect, while those who had bay- 
 onets fixed to their guns stabbed the enemy relentlessly, as 
 they dashed forward again and again. Gurt kept close beside 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 355 
 
 Maurice, fighting like the old sea-dog he was, and got a nasty- 
 stab in the thigh, which brought him to the ground. Alci- 
 biades saw this, and sprang forward to finish the unfortunate 
 sailor, when Maurice, having cut down a wiry Greek, who was 
 pressing him closely, turned just in time to see Alcibiades 
 lift his sword for the blow. As quickly as possible, he raised 
 his revolver to firing level, and broke the captain's arm near 
 the elbow, causing him to drop his weapon with a yell of 
 pain. 
 
 Hitherto the fighting had all been in one place, as neither 
 party would give way an inch ; but now, disturbed by the 
 reverse of their leader, the enemy began to fall slowly back. 
 Caliphronas indeed tried to rally them, but, on seeing this, 
 Maurice sprang forward to encounter him, clearing a space 
 for the fight by whirling his sabre round and round his head ; 
 but the Greek, seized with sudden panic, flung himself into 
 the centre of his men, so that Roylands' efforts to reach him 
 were futile. 
 
 Maurice's band was now much diminished, and he had 
 serious thoughts of retreating back to the barricade, which 
 Justiniau by this time must have almost rebuilt, but seeing 
 that the advantage was now on his side, he was unwilling to 
 lose it ; so, with his men stretched out into a single line from 
 side to side, he continued advancing, driving the enemy step 
 by step down the staircase. Alcibiades, who was a brave 
 man in spite of his villany, had now shifted his sword to 
 his left hand, as his right arm hung useless at his side, and 
 with many prayers, curses, entreaties, and taunts, strove to 
 rally his forces, but all to no purpose, for slowly but surely 
 they retreated before that devoted little band, who, with 
 flashing eyes and clinched teeth, pressed them steadily 
 downward. Gurt, having bound up his thigh with a piece 
 torn from his shirt, was again by Maurice's side, fighting 
 with a dogged determination, in spite of all entreaties to 
 retreat back to the barricade. 
 
 "Go back, Gurt! go back and tell Justinian to send more 
 men." 
 
 " What ! and leave you with these devils ? Not if I know 
 it, sir. Hurrah ! England for ever ! " 
 
 " But you are wounded." 
 
 '•' Only a prod in the thigh. Look out, sir, for that black 
 wretch ! " 
 
 Maurice sprang aside, just in time to avoid a slashing- 
 down blow, and, turning on his foe, made a dash at him with 
 
356 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 his sabre. He managed to run him through the left shoul- 
 der, but the Greek like lightning cut at his defenceless head, 
 and. but for Gurt, who intervened with his cutlass, Maurice's 
 career would have been ended. As it was, the Greek's 
 weapon smashed against the sailor's sword, and before he 
 could recover himself for another blow, Maurice had slashed 
 him through the neck, so that he fell dead at once. 
 
 The enemy were fighting like demons, and, the electric 
 light having been shut off by the angle of the tunnel, the 
 battle was raging in complete darkness, save for the fitful 
 glare of the torches held by Alcibiades' men, and the pale 
 glimmer of daylight forcing itself in at the clitf entrance 
 of the tunnel. As long as ^Maurice could keep his enemies 
 in front, and his line steadily advancing, he had no fear, 
 while, owing to the confusion of the retreat, the foe kept 
 fighting the one with the other in the semi-darkness. Step 
 by step they fell backward, until nearly the lowest platform 
 of the staircase, when Maurice, having thus accomplished 
 his object, began to think of turning back, especially as he 
 had now but ten men left. 
 
 At the entrance of the tunnel, however, he saw the cow- 
 ardly Caliphronas in the rear, keeping out of harm's way, 
 and, forgetting his caution of keeping the enemy in front, 
 sprang forward to battle with the Greek. Alcibiades saw 
 the false move, and, when Maurice's men followed him rashly 
 forward, dashed back with a handful of his troops, and 
 in a moment the little band was surrounded by a horde of 
 howling savages. This was immediately under the entrance 
 of the tunnel, on level ground, so, the advantage being with 
 the enemy in every way, it seemed as though the Englishman 
 and his handful would be cut to pieces. Seeing his mistake, 
 Maurice, with his devoted followers, strove to fight his way 
 back up the stair, but, environed on all sides by a tumultu- 
 ous crowd, gave himself up for lost. 
 
 " ]\Iy God ! if Justinian would onl}^ come ! " he prayed, as 
 he fought back to back with Gurt and surrounded by his 
 band. " Will nothing save us ? " 
 
 At that moment, as if in answer to his prayer, a low moan- 
 ing sound came sweeping over the ocean, making every heart 
 sink with fear. The island began to tremble, and for the 
 moment so terrible was the suspense, that the fighting 
 ceased. Friend and foe stood alike pallid with fear, as the 
 ground began to shake convulsively, and the whole host 
 looked as though turned into stone. The ground, heaving 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 357 
 
 convulsively, hurled every one to the ground, including 
 Maurice and his band, who were just beyond the entrance 
 of the tunnel. Suddenly there was a sound like thunder, 
 and on the prostrate mass of humanity lying on the quiver- 
 ing earth, a great mass of rock fell from above. What with 
 the dust, the noise, the yells of fear, and the imprecations, 
 Maurice was almost stunned, and when he arose to his feet, 
 he saw that the enormous slip caused by the earthquake 
 had not only killed a number of the enemy, but had also 
 blocked up the entrance to the tunnel. 
 
 Seeing that there was no hope to return that way, and well 
 aware that Alcibiades and those of his men who still sur- 
 vived would kill him as soon as they recovered from their 
 fright, Maurice sprang to his feet and seized Gurt by the 
 arm. 
 
 " To the boats ! the boats ! " he gasped, hurrying the 
 astonished sailor down to the water's edge. "Tunnel 
 closed. We must try the western pass," 
 
 About four Melnosians had followed him, and these, with 
 superhuman strength, pushed off a boat from shore. When 
 all six were afloat, the islanders took the oars and commenced 
 to pull outward, so as to skirt the breakwater. By this time 
 the enemy had recovered from their first terror, and, seeing 
 the escape of the fugitives, came rushing down to the sea. 
 There seemed to be about two hundred of them left, and 
 being pretty well used to such trifles as earthquakes, espe- 
 cially those who came from Santorin, now that the danger 
 was past, they were determined to follow and kill the little 
 band. 
 
 Luckily, Maurice, by his prompt action, had gained a good 
 start, and was already outside the breakwater, making for 
 the western side of the island, where he hoped to re-enter 
 through the western pass. He could see Alcibiades and 
 Caliphronas gesticulating fiercely on the beach and urging 
 their companions to follow, so, just as the fugitives came in 
 sight of the wreck of The Eunice, their enemies started in 
 pursuit. 
 
 " Thank God for that earthquake ! " said Maurice thank- 
 fully, taking off his cap. " It saved our lives." 
 
 '• Don't holler till you're out of the wood, sir," said Gurt 
 dryly, pointing to the sea. " I've seed that sort o' thing at 
 Thera, and it ain't no child's play." 
 
 The waters around them were boiling like a furnace, and 
 had changed from their normal blue tint to the color of 
 
358 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 milk. Maurice, in astonishment, dipped his hand over the 
 side of the boat into this opalescent sea, but withdrew it 
 immediately with a cry of pain. 
 
 The water was boiling hot ! 
 
 "Bless you, sir, there's lots of that sort of thing about 
 here," said Gurt in a philosophical tone. "I've seed it 
 a-bilin' round Santorin like a kittle. These Greeks don't 
 mind it much." 
 
 " Don't they ? " replied Maurice in a disbelieving tone. 
 "Well, Alcibiades and his lot seemed pretty sick." 
 
 " While it lasts they're frightened enough, but they soon 
 get over it, sir. Look at 'em follering." 
 
 By this time they were rounding the angle of Melnos, and 
 the breakwater of the western harbor was in sight ; but the 
 boat containing Alcibiades, manned by able rowers, was 
 gradually gaining on them. Two of the Melnosians, though 
 they tugged away pluckily, were yet in great pain from 
 wounds, while Gurt, feeble from loss of blood, could hardly 
 rise to his feet. 
 
 " Give way, men ! " cried ^Maurice in Greek, as he exam- 
 ined his revolver. "I've got two shots left, Gurt, so, if that 
 boat comes too near, I'll try to pick off one of the rowers." 
 
 " We're not far from home now, sir," said Gurt hopefully ; 
 "and Mr. Crispin will be at the gate." 
 
 " I hope he will, Gurt ; but this earthquake must have 
 demoralized everything, and perhaps Mr. Crispin went back 
 to see Justinian." 
 
 "Not he, sir; he'd send Temistocles. But Mr. Justinian 
 must think us dead." 
 
 " It's not improbable. However, we will soon show him 
 we're alive, though the tunnel is closed up forever." 
 
 "Good job too, sir," replied Gurt cheerfully; "there's no 
 getting in that wa}^ now ; so if these villains want to take 
 Melnos, they'll only have the western pass to enter by. I 
 guess that there rock, sir, killed a few." 
 
 " What with the battle and the earthquake, they must 
 have lost at least a hundred men, while our deaths are com- 
 paratively small." 
 
 " We've got nigh on a hundred left, I think, sir ; but if it 
 weren't fur you, sir, gittin' that idear of the boat, we'd be 
 all dead men, for sure." 
 
 " Egad, we'll be dead men now, if we don't look out ! " 
 said Maurice, as the foremost boat of their pursuers came 
 within pistol shot. " Look out, Gurt ; I'm going to pick off 
 that fellow standing up in the prow." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 359 
 
 The Melnosians, in their sudden rush for the boat, had 
 naturally enough dropped their guns ; but Maurice, with an 
 Englishman's determination to stick to anything he has once 
 got a grip of, had carried off his sword, and still possessed 
 liis revolver. Gurt also had his cutlass, so, in the event of 
 tlieir foes catching them on land before they could gain the 
 shelter of the stockade, Maurice and one of the Melnosians 
 would have to defend the three wounded men and the 
 remaining one, who had no weapon. Meanwhile, their boat, 
 impelled by the rowers with the energy of despair, had 
 rounded the breakwater, and was rapidly sweeping inward to 
 the land. Some little distance above they could see the nar- 
 row entrance of the pass, but, as Crispin and his men were 
 intrenched behind the palisade, farther up the gorge, of 
 course the fugitives could not hope for their help. Maurice, 
 however, thought that the pistol-shots might attract atten- 
 tion, as the sound carries far in that rarefied atmosphere, and 
 he also told his Melnosians to shout loudly, so as to let their 
 friends know they were in peril. 
 
 Just as the boat was nearly touching the land, a bullet 
 from the rifle of the man standing up in the prow whizzed 
 past Maurice's ear; but, fortunately, being widely aimed, 
 did not touch him. The Englishman, resting his revolver 
 muzzle on his left arm, fired carefullj^, and, luckily, hit his 
 enemy full in the chest; whereupon the man flung up his 
 hands and fell splash into the water. The rowers, startled 
 at this, paused for a moment ; and in that time Maurice ran 
 his boat ashore, and giving Gurt, who could not walk, into 
 the care of the two Melnosians, one of whom was unhurt, 
 and the other only wounded in the arm, thrust Gurt's cutlass 
 into the hand of the remaining one, and began to retreat 
 slowly up the hill. 
 
 Alcibiades' boat was yet far distant, but the one near 
 shore, its rowers having recovered from their surprise at the 
 loss of their leader, landed as quickly as possible, and began 
 to run as fast as possible after the fugitives. The Melno- 
 sians shouted with right good will for help, and, while 
 retreating slowly, Maurice managed to drop one of his pur- 
 suers with his remaining cartridge. They had now nothing 
 left to fight with but a sword and cutlass, both of which were 
 useless against the rifles carried by their pursuers, and the 
 look-out was all the worse, as Captain Alcibiades, with a new 
 crew of cut-throats, had now landed on the beach. 
 
 The two Melnosians hurried Gurt along as quickly as possi- 
 
360 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 ble, the other wounded man ran ahead, shouting for help, and 
 Maurice, with the remaining islander, covered the retreat 
 with stern determination. Several shots sung past them, but 
 their pursuers were evidently bad marksmen, and they gained 
 the entrance of the gorge without being hurt. 
 
 The palisade now could be seen some little distance away, 
 and the foremost fugitive had nearly reached it, so ^Maurice 
 took heart, in spite of the near proximity of Alcibiades and 
 his men. In his heart, however, he was praying that Crispin 
 might be still at his post, as, if he were not, the whole four 
 of them would certainly be murdered on the spot. 
 
 One of his pursuers was now close at hand, and raised his 
 rifle to the shoulder ; but Maurice, with sudden inspiration, 
 threw himself flat on his face, and the ball passed over his 
 head. Then, springing to his feet, he commenced to run 
 rapidly after his companions, followed by the baffl.ed marks- 
 man, who did not wait to reload. 
 
 Maurice heard a shout of joy from the palisade, so knew 
 that Crispin was at his post, and would bring him help ; but 
 at this moment the foremost man caught up with him. The 
 Englishman slashed at his neck with his sabre, but the wily 
 Greek dodged lightly, and, clubbing his musket, brought it 
 down on Roylands' head with tremendous force. Instinc- 
 tively Maurice put up his sword to guard himself, but the 
 weapon shivered to pieces under the blow, and, stunned by 
 the stroke, he fell insensible to the ground. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 361 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 THE WARNING OF HEPHAISTOS. 
 
 Hence, ye mortals ! hence away! 
 Dare not on this isle to stay ; 
 For in grim seclusion here 
 I a mighty forge would rear, 
 So that in this sea-girt grove 
 I can work for mighty Jove. 
 Thunder-bolts doth he require, 
 Swift to follow lightning's fire, 
 When his wrath he would assuage, 
 And on mortals M'reak his rage. 
 Never more will Melnos isle 
 With the corn of Ceres smile; 
 From its crater flames will rise. 
 Roaring to the frighted skies ; 
 Bubbling from the depths below, 
 In its cup will lava glow ; 
 And the sea around will boil 
 At my never-ceasing toil : 
 Therefore, mortals, haste away ! 
 Dare not on this isle to stay. 
 
 When Maurice came to himself, he was lying on the grass 
 inside the palisade, and Crispin was bending over him with 
 the greatest solicitude. His head ached dully with the 
 effects of the blow, and the blood was clotted in a nasty 
 scalp-wound on the right side of his skull, where the butt of 
 the musket had struck him. Dizzy as he was, yet by a 
 violent effort he managed to sit up and inquire in a feeble 
 voice what had become of the companions of his flight. 
 
 " Oh, they are all right, Maurice ! " said Crispin, holding 
 out his brandy-flask, " Take a drink of this, and lie down 
 again for a time." 
 
 Maurice did as he was told, and resumed his recumbent 
 attitude on the grass ; but, anxious to know everything, 
 looked inquiringly at Crispin, who at once replied to his mute 
 questioning. 
 
 " I have been here ever since you left for the tunnel this 
 morning," explained the poet quickly, "as Justinian sent 
 word by Temistocles that I was on no account to forsake my 
 post. We heard your pistol-shots and cries for help, but 
 thought it was some stratagem on the part of the enemy. 
 Then Theodore, whom you sent on for aid, made his appear- 
 ance at the barricade, and gasped out some incoherent story. 
 
362 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 As soon as I ascertained it was you, I sallied out with some 
 men, and saw Gurt being helped up the hill, and yourself, 
 with Basil, protecting the rear. Alcibiades and some others 
 were scrambling up after you 5 and then we saw you engage 
 with that foremost blackguard. He knocked you over, and 
 would have finished you, but for Dick, who took a pot shot, 
 and bowled him over like a ninepin. Then we rushed up, 
 and brought you here, with Alcibiades and his friends yelling 
 like fiends at the escape of their prey." 
 
 "And Alcibiades?'' 
 
 "Oh, he and the other fellows have gone back in the boats 
 to the eastern harbor, I suppose. Jove ! I was never so 
 surprised in my life as when I saw you scudding up that hill, 
 for both Justinian and myself thought you were dead ! " 
 
 " Does Justinian know I am alive ? " 
 
 "Yes. I sent Temistocles off to tell him as soon as you 
 were in safety ; I expect he'll be here every minute." 
 
 "What about the earthquake ? " 
 
 "Oh, we felt it, I can tell you. It was a tremendous 
 shock, and has filled up the tunnel completely." 
 
 " At which, I suppose, my uncle is heart-broken ? " 
 
 " No fear. He never thought about the tunnel while you 
 were in danger. But how did you manage to escape ? " 
 
 " That is a long story," said Maurice faintly, for he felt 
 sick with fatigue. " Give me some more brandy." 
 
 "Here you are. Don't talk any more till Justinian 
 comes." 
 
 "But tell me, where is Gurt?" 
 
 " Oh, he and the rest have gone off to the Acropolis to 
 be looked after. Now, do be quiet, Maurice, or you'll be 
 fainting again." 
 
 Eoylands closed his eyes, and obeyed ; while Crispin, with 
 a sponge and water, brought by the swift-footed Temistocles, 
 carefully bathed the wound, and dexterously bound it up 
 with lint and linen, so that Maurice felt more comfortable. 
 
 " It's only a flesh wound," he said in a satisfied tone ; " but 
 it is a mercy you did not get your head smashed." 
 
 "What is the time?" 
 
 " Nearly ten o'clock in the morning. You've been figlit- 
 ing all night, so I don't wonder you are dead beat. Tlie sun 
 will be up over the eastern peaks soon." 
 
 It was indeed long after dawn, for in the darkness of the 
 tunnel no one had taken any count of the hours ; and when 
 the earthquake had occurred it was just that time between 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 363 
 
 the fading night and the coming day. So upset and excited 
 had Maurice been with the fight, the earthquake, and the es- 
 cape, that neither he nor any one else remembered that the 
 fighting had begun at midnight, and lasted till sunrise. And 
 now he remembered that the sun had risen while they were 
 rounding the angle of the island ; but, having forgotten the 
 flight of time, he had not thought this strange. It was a 
 great blessing that they had escaped in the boat at daylight; 
 else even in the luminous night it would have been difiicult, 
 with the sea in such a perturbed condition, to have made the 
 voyage safely. 
 
 Very shortly Justinian arrived, full of thankfulness for 
 Maurice's escape, and fear concerning his wound ; but by this 
 time the young man, though much shaken, was quite himself 
 again ; and, leaning on the Demarch's arm, with occasional 
 assistance from Crispin, managed to crawl along as far as the 
 Acropolis, where they were joyously received by Helena. 
 
 As the tunnel was now completely closed up, there was no 
 chance of the pirates getting in that way ; so Justinian sent 
 all his men over to the western pass, where, under the com- 
 mand of Dick, they remained on guard. The women from 
 the village came up the first thing in the morning with pro- 
 visions and wine to minister to their wants ; so, thus, every- 
 thing being in order for the present, the Demarch was anxious 
 to hear all the details of his nephew's miraculous escape. 
 
 He told them the whole story over the breakfast table, 
 with occasional help from Gurt, who was admitted to the 
 symposium on account of his bravery during the battle. 
 The old Demarch, self-contained both by nature and training, 
 did not say much during the recital, beyond expressing his 
 heartfelt joy at the escape of his nephew, but it could easily 
 be seen that he was inordinately proud of Maurice's prowess 
 and promptitude of action ; for, though the hero himself 
 modestly suppressed such details as tended to self-glorifica- 
 tion, Gurt, in his blunt sailor way, came out with the true 
 unvarnished facts of the case, which caused Maurice to blush, 
 and his audience to exclaim admiringly. 
 
 "By Jove, Maurice, you ought to be a V.C. ! " cried Crispin, 
 when the story came to an end. " If you hadn't had your 
 wits about you, and seized that boat, you would have been a 
 dead man to a certainty ! " 
 
 " It is the Roylands' blood ! " said Justinian proudly. " I 
 knew I was not mistaken in my estimate of your character, 
 Maurice. You will make an admirable ruler of Melnos ! " 
 
364 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " That is, if there is any Melnos to rule over," replied 
 Maurice, with an uneasy laugh ; '• for, by Jove, uncle, when 
 that earthquake came, I thought everything had gone to 
 kingdom come." 
 
 " Ah, you see, father, I was right about the earthquake 
 last night!" said Helena in triumph; ''I felt that something 
 was going to happen ! " 
 
 " Yes, but you thought it would be an eruption," answered 
 Justinian, with apparent indifference, though there was an 
 anxious look on his face ; '' as to an earthquake, why, these 
 Greek islands are all volcanic, so that means nothing." 
 
 " How did you get on after I left you, uncle ? " 
 
 " Why, I set my men to work, to build up the barricade 
 again, with turf and bags of sand. You were a long time 
 gone, my son, and I became afraid that you had been cut to 
 pieces, so, when the work was done, I intended taking some 
 men and going after you. Then the earthquake occurred, 
 and we heard the fall of the roof at the cliff entrance. I 
 thought you were dead for sure, and cannot tell you of the 
 anguish I felt at your loss. However, Temistocles brought 
 me the news of your safe arrival at the western pass, and I 
 breathed freely again. Oh, my dear Maurice," continued 
 the Demarch, taking his nephew's hand, " how fervently do 
 I thank God that you are alive ! for if those scoundrels had 
 killed you, indeed I do not think I would have had the heart 
 to continue living in Melnos." 
 
 Maurice was greatly touched with his uncle's emotion, 
 which was a rare thing for the iron old Demarch to display, 
 for as a rule he took both good and bad fortune with the 
 utmost equanimity, and seldom gave any outward signs of 
 his feelings on such occasions. His nephew, however, was 
 very dear to his heart, and he looked upon him with great 
 pride, both as his future son-in-law and successor, so it had 
 been a terrible blow to him, to think he had lost a young 
 man on whom all his future hopes depended. 
 
 As for Helena, she said nothing, but, genuine offspring of 
 her father as she was, bore up pluckil}^, though it could be 
 plainly seen that she had suffered much during the absence 
 of her lover. Fortunately, the time which had elapsed be- 
 tween Maurice's supposed death and subsequent reappear- 
 ance had been too short to permit of her knowing of the 
 calamity, else, brave as she was, she would certainly have 
 given way under such a cruel misfortune. As it was, how- 
 ever, he now sat beside her safe and sound, so all the terrible 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 365 
 
 events which he detailed with such coolness only seemed to 
 be some hideous nightmare which had vanished at the coming 
 of morning. 
 
 She insisted upon Maurice's going to bed for a good sleep 
 after breakfast, in which insistence she was supported by 
 her father, who saw that Maurice was more shaken by his 
 late fatigue than lie chose to acknowledge. 
 
 " You can sleep for a few hours at all events, my son," he 
 said affectionately, " for Alcibiades has lost too many men 
 to think about making another attack, at least for some 
 time." 
 
 '' Are you not going to sleep yourself ? " 
 
 "No, I am going down to the valley to look at those hot 
 springs. This earthquake has rather unnerved me, and I 
 wish to see for myself if there is any probability of an erup- 
 tion. Crispin, will you come with me ? " 
 
 " If you desire it ; but, to tell you the truth, I also am 
 rather tired." 
 
 "Pshaw!'" said the man of iron, with good-humored scorn; 
 "you have no stamina, Crispin. If you had been through 
 all that Maurice has undergone, you might talk. However, 
 take 3^our sleep for an hour or so." 
 
 Crispin really was very delicately constituted, and could 
 not do without that sleep which Justinian despised, but, in 
 order to be ready for any emergency, he curled himself up 
 on a divan in the court, and rested there without removing 
 his clothes. Maurice, on the contrary, completely worn out 
 with fatigue and anxiety, to say nothing of his scalp wound, 
 went straight to bed, and slept soundly most of the day, 
 while Helena, tenderly solicitous of his comfort, watched 
 beside him the whole time, with her little hand lying in his 
 warm grasp. 
 
 Meanwhile, Justinian, who, in spite of his age, scarcely 
 seemed to feel the effect of the previous night's vigil, took a 
 cold bath to freshen himself up, and then started on a journey 
 of inspection round the island. Like a careful general, his 
 first visit was to the outposts at the western pass, where he 
 found everything in an extremely satisfactory condition. 
 Part of the men were sleeping, while the others kept guard, 
 waiting to take their turn of rest when their comrades awoke. 
 Notwithstanding the hard fighting, all those who had been 
 engaged in the defence of the tunnel seemed in a wonderfully 
 good condition, while Dick and his nine sailors, hardened by 
 a seafaring life, seemed to feel no fatigue whatsoever, in spite 
 of constant watchfulness and anxiety. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 With a view to seeing the position of the enemy, Jus- 
 tinian climbed up a small path which led to the hills from 
 the inner side of the outward palisade, and, using his field- 
 glass, soon discovered that Alcibiades was concentrating his 
 forces below in order to storm the pass. Boat after boat 
 filled with desperadoes came sweeping round the breakwater 
 into the smooth sea of the harbor, and tents were being 
 erected on the beach by the besiegers. Evidently they had 
 discovered that there was no chance of entering by the 
 tunnel, which was completely blocked up by the fallen rocks, 
 so were determined to effect an entrance by the western 
 pass, where at least they would have the advantage of light- 
 ing in daylight. Carefully surveying the disorderly host, 
 Justinian calculated that there still remained about two 
 hundred men, against which he could only bring ninety-five 
 or thereabouts. Still, intrenched behind his barricades, and 
 having the pass swept by two cannon, he thought the invaders 
 would find it somewhat difficult to dislodge him from such a 
 strong position, the more so as they lacked discipline, and 
 their leaders were quite ignorant of military tactics. 
 
 Having ascertained all this, Justinian descended into the 
 gorge again, where he gave Dick his final instructions, which 
 were simply to keep a sharp lookout on the enemy, and, in 
 the event of seeing any movement uphill towards the mouth 
 of the pass, to at once send off Temistocles to the Acropolis 
 with the information. 
 
 Dick having promised faithfully to obey these instructions, 
 the Demarch, escorted by a couple of his men, went along 
 the mulberry avenue, in order to survey the tunnel, which he 
 had not entered since driven from thence by the eartliquake 
 some hours previous. The electric light was turned off, as 
 the Demarch, now that the danger lay more in the west than 
 the east, judged it advisable to reserve all the power of the 
 dynamo for the one light which swept the western pass, and 
 therefore, bidding his men take torches, went downward into 
 the darkness of the tunnel with such illumination only. 
 
 Passing down to the ruins of the palisade, where so fierce 
 a fight had taken place, he crossed that boundary, and, turn- 
 ing the angle of the staircase, came in sight of the landslip 
 caused by the earthquake. The red flare of the torches but 
 feebly showed the amount of damage done, but Justinian saw 
 sufficient to assure him that there was no chance of the tun- 
 nel being made use of again for at least some months. 
 Extending: from the cliff entrance to some considerable dis- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 367 
 
 tance back, the whole roof had collapsed, and tons of debris 
 piled upward from floor to vault completely sealed up the 
 mouth of the passage. It would take a goodly amount of 
 dynamite and blasting powder to remove those massive 
 blocks; and, now that he knew Maurice was safe, the 
 Demarch had time to grieve over the damage done to his 
 beloved tunnel. Justinian, however, was too practical a man 
 to waste time in useless lamentation, and promptly decided 
 that, as soon as Alcibiades was beaten back, — an event 
 which he was assured would come off without much diffi- 
 culty, — he would set gangs of men to clear away the obstruc- 
 tion, and restore, with as little delay as possible, the tunnel 
 to its pristine excellence. The burning of the palisade also 
 had taught him a lesson, and, to obviate the chances of such 
 defence being destroyed by fire, he decided to build a kind 
 of stone bastion in the same place, with loopholes for guns, 
 and also to fortify it with two field-pieces, which would 
 simply mow down an enemy advancing up the staircase like 
 ripe corn. 
 
 The inspection of the tunnel being concluded, Justinian 
 returned upward to the light of day, and descended the grand 
 staircase in order to pay a visit to the springs. He looked 
 upon these as a kind of thermometer, useful in warning him 
 of seismic disturbances, for, in spite of the long silence of 
 the volcano, Justinian knew that the subterranean forces 
 were still at work under the crust which covered the crater ; 
 and Avith the remembrance of the great eruption of Vesuvius, 
 in the year 79, constantly in his mind, was not without cer- 
 tain fears that this long-slumbering monster might reawaken 
 from the sleep of centuries. The volcanic forces, however, 
 having a vent in the adjacent island of Santorin, he had 
 hitherto calculated that Melnos would remain quiescent, but 
 the terrible earthquake which had so unexpectedly occurred 
 inspired him with great uneasiness, and he was in deadly 
 fear lest it should prelude the renewed activity of the moun- 
 tain. 
 
 As before described, the hot springs of Melnos somewhat 
 resembled the geysers of Iceland, save that they were less 
 active, and did not send up jets of water to any great height 
 from their uncanny mouths. On this day, however, when 
 the Demarch approached the desolate gorge where they had 
 hitherto rested as slightly bubbling pools of water, he was 
 astonished and dismayed to find tliem in full activity. 
 Clouds of thin steam almost obscured the yellow, red, and 
 
368 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 green lava of the rocks behind, and amid this ominous vapor 
 the springs were spouting furiously at intervals. Thick jets 
 of boiling water would gush up from the ragged clefts in the 
 sulphur-streaked blocks to a considerable height, and, after 
 expending their fury, would sink down again into the bowels 
 of the earth. After a time the muttered bellowing of the 
 monsters would be heard, and amid groanings and gurglings, 
 w^hich told of the colossal forces at work beneath, the great 
 columns of water would again shoot skyward with hideous 
 roars. 
 
 The Demarch noticed this unusual disturbance of the 
 springs with great uneasiness, as during his whole forty 
 years' residence on the island never had there been such 
 signs of danger. Even where he stood, the earth was 
 cracked in many places, and little jets of steam escaped with 
 a whistling noise, which could be heard shrilly when the bel- 
 lowing of the geysers ceased. All the Melnosians were in a 
 terrible state of alarm, and it took all Justinian's eloquence 
 to persuade them that this was simply a local disturbance 
 caused by the earthquake, and that there was no danger of 
 an outbreak on the part of the long-sleeping volcano. 
 
 Truth to tell, in spite of his speech, he was not at all easy 
 in his mind as he climbed up the staircase to the Acropolis, 
 for these ominous signs boded but ill for the safety of the 
 island, and he dreaded lest w^ithout further warning the cra- 
 ter should burst out into full fury, in which case every being 
 therein would certainly be killed. He was unwilling, how- 
 ever, to communicate his fears to Helena or to Maurice, and 
 thus disturb their minds at this critical period of the siege ; 
 but, feeling that he must have some one with whom to talk, 
 awoke Crispin from his siesta, and, taking him into his own 
 room, gave him a description of the geysers' activity. 
 
 '• The deuce ! " said Crispin in dismay, when he heard this 
 unpleasant recital. " I hope we are not going to have the 
 destruction of Pompeii over again ; but I must say it looks 
 uncommonly like it ! " 
 
 '• Do you think Melnos will break out again ? " 
 
 " Those spouting geysers certainly don't bode any good, 
 sir, nor that earthquake either. Perhaps it is a warn- 
 ing from Hephaistos that we had better leave the island." 
 
 *' I won't leave the island," said Justinian obstinately, 
 drawing his iron-gray brows together ; '' after forty years of 
 incessant toil, I would indeed be a coward to leave Melnos 
 simply because things look a trifle ominous." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 369 
 
 " Yes ; but volcanoes are delicate things to deal with. 
 These signs are slight ; but who knows but what they may 
 be followed by a blowing up of the crater's crust, in which 
 case I am afraid everything in connection with Melnos will 
 be at an end." 
 
 " But the volcano has been extinct for thousands of 
 years ! " 
 
 "So was Vesuvius," replied Crispin coolly, "and that 
 mountain in New Zealand — Tarawera, was it not ? — that 
 awoke to activity after centuries of quiescence. You can't 
 trust volcanoes, sir. They are most treacherous monsters, 
 and when least expected break out in full fury." 
 
 " An eruption is going on at Thera." 
 
 " All the more reason that the volcanic action will extend 
 to Melnos." 
 
 "There I don't agree with you. If the subterranean 
 forces find vent in one place, there is less chance of them 
 breaking out in another. Besides, Thera has always been 
 active. Herodotus, Appollonius, and Plutarch all speak of 
 previous^ eruptions. Then there was one in 1457, when the 
 Venetians occupied the island ; another in 1707 ; and I 
 think the last outburst took place in 1866." 
 
 " Well, according to Georgios, there is one going on now, 
 which is a bad sign for us." 
 
 " On the contrary, a very good sign. Don't you see, Cris- 
 pin, that, whereas Thera has burst out every hundred years 
 or so for many centuries, there is no record of Melnos being 
 active. This temple of Hephaistos was built long before 
 Christ, during the supremacy of Hellas in these seas, and 
 had the crater not been extinct then, it could not have been 
 built on the inner cup, nor could any eruption have taken 
 place since, as it would have been destroyed ; so as the 
 mountain, to all appearances, has been extinct for thousands 
 of years, and the volcanic forces find vent at Thera, I really 
 do not see why, because of an earthquake and a spouting 
 geyser, we should think it likely the crater will break out 
 again." 
 
 " Still, you see the Hellenes must have known this was a 
 volcanic island, and, perhaps, put up this temple to the god 
 of fire in memory of an eruption. If I remember rightly, 
 the Rhodians built a temple to Poseidon Asphalios after 
 some early eruption, in order to propitiate the gods ; so 
 this shrine may have been erected for a similar reason," 
 
 " Scarcely, if the volcano was active then. I don't think 
 
370 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 even the pious Hellenes would have risked their lives in 
 building a temple under the very nose of Vulcan in full 
 work. But what do you think is best to be done ? " 
 
 "Well, certainly it would be foolish to leave Melnos, 
 after all the work you have expended upon it, without very 
 good reason, and, until something more serious occurs, I 
 should be inclined to remain. In spite of these signs, the 
 volcano has been as quiet as a lamb for thousands of years ; 
 so I do not see why it should break out now, save out of 
 sheer contrariness. We had better go on defending Melnos 
 from Alcibiades, and take no notice of the volcano ; but if 
 anything serious occurs, we must get away as quickly as 
 possible." 
 
 " But how ? Alcibiades has destroyed all our boats." 
 
 '' Well, we will seize his ; or else, as soon as I can guess 
 The Eunice is at Syra, I will go over and bring her to Mel- 
 nos ; so that in case of danger I can save every one." 
 
 " Over a hundred and fifty people ! Impossible ! " 
 
 " There won't be a hundred and fifty people by the time 
 Alcibiades is beaten," replied Crispin dryly. " It is not that 
 I am afraid of; but if such a contingency as the volcano 
 becoming active does arise, my difficulty will be to get 
 through the besieging army out into the open sea." 
 
 "I'm afraid there's no chance of that," replied the 
 Demarch gloomily. 
 
 " Well, it certainly looks impossible, but there's nothing 
 like trying. However, there may be no necessity for such 
 daring. Don't trouble about the volcano, Justinian ; I've no 
 doubt Hephaistos will warn us again before proceeding to 
 extremities." 
 
 " I am of the same opinion myself. Still, your words 
 have given no great comfort, Crispin ; for, after all the 
 money and labor expended on this island, it would indeed be 
 a terrible thing if it became nothing but a smoking mass of 
 black lava, to say nothing of the destruction of my schemes." 
 
 " You won't tell Maurice or Helena of this ? " 
 
 "Ko. Maurice has quite enough on his mind already, and 
 it would only frighten Helena to death. She is brave 
 enough at most dangers, but I think a volcanic eruption 
 would frighten the most stout-hearted. I have to a great 
 extent calmed the feelings of those in the village, so it will 
 be best for you and I to keep our own counsel, and not use- 
 lessly alarm our friends." 
 
 "I hope it is a useless alarm," said Crispin uneasily. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 371 
 
 "But it is a very unpleasant idea to think that one is living 
 on top of a powder-magazine which may explode at any 
 moment." 
 
 " As far at that goes," answered the Demarch dryly, " the 
 whole globe is nothing but an Qg^ full of fire, and we all live 
 on the surface of an explosive bombshell whirling through 
 space, which may burst at any moment. My island is only 
 a sample of the whole earth." 
 
 " I wish you wouldn't look at things in such an unpleasant 
 light," cried Crispin, laughing. " My nerves will be destroyed 
 before I leave this island. However, I am going to finish 
 my sleep." 
 
 " And Maurice ? " 
 
 "He also is asleep, and Fve no doubt will wake up quite 
 fit for another midnight attack." 
 
 " Egad, and he'll get it ! " said the Demarch grimly. 
 "That villain Alcibiades is getting ready for another 
 assault." 
 
 " Well, in spite of the benefits conferred, it is to be hoped 
 Hephaistos won't interfere this time with his earthquakes." 
 
 " He has warned us twice," replied Justinian, as he 
 walked out into the court with the poet ; " once by the 
 earthquake, again by the springs. Heaven help us when the 
 third warning comes ! " 
 
 " Oh, there's luck in odd numbers," said Crispin flip- 
 pantly. " And, in any case, if we come to grief, our enemies 
 will be in the same plight as ourselves." 
 
372 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 THE INVOCATION OF ARTEMIS. 
 
 O Moon ! thou risest from the western seas, 
 
 A virgin Aphrodite fair and chaste, 
 
 And by thy votaress on bended knees 
 
 These stainless tlowers are on thine altar placed: 
 
 Pale lilies, roses wan, and cyclamen, 
 
 Whose petals have ensnared thy pallid rays ; 
 
 Frail hyacinth as chill as mountain snows 
 
 Beneath thy wintry ken ; 
 
 With many blossoms plucked in dewy ways, 
 
 For thee, O goddess ! who canst end my woes. 
 
 O Moon ! I pray thee in thy tenderness, 
 Watch with thy silver eye my lover gone. 
 And soothe him with thy virginal caress, 
 For thou hadst also an Endymion. 
 Astarte! Dian! Tanith! Artemis! 
 Whate'er men name thee in thy mystic might, 
 With sacrifice and songs I worship thee : 
 So grant, O Moon! the bliss 
 Of feeling in my heart the pure delight, 
 Which tells my love is coming back to me. 
 
 Evidently Alcibiades had but little stomach for mid- 
 night fighting, for he made no attempt to storm the pass 
 under the cover of darkness, and was apparently making 
 preparations to begin the fight at the first flush of the dawn. 
 In thus deciding, he was wiser than he knew, for many of 
 his men had been killed in the tunnel by their own friends, 
 owing to the confusion which prevailed during the retreat 
 down the staircase. Moreover, with the electric light show- 
 ing the position of the enemy to the defenders, and dazzling 
 their eyesight when they advanced to the attack, there was 
 nothing to be gained by a night sortie, and Alcibiades 
 thought it best to storm the pass by day, so that he, at least 
 in the matter of light, might have the same advantage as 
 Justinian. 
 
 All day long, the Demarch and his nephew posted them- 
 selves on the heights above the gorge, and from their van- 
 tage, with the aid of strong field-glasses, saw the prepa- 
 rations which were being made for the final attack. Alci- 
 biades, with more military precision than of yore, had 
 divided his two hundred men into two bodies, one of which 
 was commanded by himself and the other by Count Cali- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 373 
 
 phronas. Under these two leaders were four other com- 
 manders responsible for fifty troops each, but these deferred 
 to Caliphronas and Alcibiades, while the Count in his turn 
 took his orders from the old pirate as the supreme head of 
 the whole army. 
 
 Without doubt, Alcibiades desired to attack the island in 
 two separate places, for he knew, thanks to the treachery ot 
 Caliphronas, that Justinian's force was too few in numbers 
 to admit of division, and thus, while the one body was at- 
 tacking the palisade in the gorge, the other could get at the 
 rear of the Melnosians by another way. Unfortunately for 
 this daring scheme, the cliffs on either side of the pass were 
 perfectly inaccessible, as they arose smooth and arid from 
 the beach to the height of two hundred feet, and as the be- 
 siegers had not wings, they could scarcely hope to climb up 
 these sterile steeps, which would not have afforded foothold 
 even for a goat. The only path available for this plan was 
 perfectly well known to Caliphronas, but, unluckily for the 
 besiegers, was inside the outer palisade, from whence it 
 wound up to the heights where the Demarch and his nephew 
 were seated, and from thence went through the altar glade, 
 down to the back of the Acropolis. 
 
 Once the outer defence was taken, Caliphronas intended to 
 lead his century of men up this secret way, which he knew 
 thoroughly, and thus gain the heart of the islaod as exempli- 
 fied by the Acropolis, while the Demarch was keeping back 
 the feigned attack at the stockade. This stratagem was 
 very clever and very feasible, but the difficulty in carrying it 
 out consisted in the fact that, before the path could be 
 ascended, the outer defence would have to be taken, which 
 was no easy task, when defended by such determined men as 
 the Melnosians. However, it was to to all appearances the 
 only chance of gaining speedy possession of the island, with- 
 out risking prolonged fighting ; so Alcibiades adopted the 
 plan without hesitation, and arranged with his subordinates 
 to assault the palisade at early dawn, carry it with a dash, 
 and then, while he made a feigned attack at_ the inner de- 
 fence, Caliphronas and his men, gaining the interior of the 
 island by this path, could attack the defending party in the 
 rear. 
 
 It never for a moment struck Messrs. Alcibiades & Com- 
 pany that Justinian was far too wide awake not to have 
 thought of this contingency, and had made his preparations 
 in consequence. The entrance of the path from the gorge 
 
374 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 was up a narrow, winding staircase, cut in the live rock, 
 which could only hold two men abreast, so, in the event of 
 the outer defence being beaten down, this staircase could be 
 easily defended by a dozen or so of men. Added to this, an 
 iron gate closely locked was placed at the entrance ; there- 
 fore, even if the enemy did gain an entrance into the pass, 
 they had considerable difficulties to overcome before march- 
 ing in triumph into the Acropolis. Justinian would, indeed, 
 have been a bad general had he not foreseen this danger, but 
 even though he thus guarded against it to the best of his 
 ability, he trusted that his men would be able to hold the 
 outer defence until Alcibiades retired in discomfiture. 
 
 As a matter-of-fact, the liery old adventurer would have 
 liked nothing better than to sally forth at the head of his 
 handful of men and drive his enem}^ into the sea, but he was 
 no longer the reckless Kudolph Roylands of the past, and 
 judged it best to be cautious, nor risk the chance of a pitched 
 battle in the open with unequal numbers. Intrenched in 
 the strong outworks of the pass, his little band could hope 
 to face their enemies with more than a fair chance of victory, 
 but if he was foolish enough to make a sally, his ninety-five 
 men would, in spite of their bravery, be quickl}^ cut to pieces 
 by more than double the number. Of course their military 
 precision would doubtless tell against the undisciplined hordes 
 of Alcibiades ; still the risk was too great, and Justinian, 
 much as he desired to make a bold dash for victory, deemed 
 it best to take advantage of all the shelter and advantage 
 his fortification? afforded. 
 
 The western pass was not unlike the tunnel in conforma- 
 tion, for, extending from inside to outside, a distance of a 
 quarter of a mile, it ran upward from the cliffs of the beach 
 for some little way, then, turning in an abrupt angle, pur- 
 sued a straight way into the interior of the crater. Evi- 
 dently created by a volcanic eruption for the outlet of lava, 
 the sides, rent apart by some convulsion, arose precipitous 
 and sterile to the height of over two hundred feet. No vege- 
 tation softened the nakedness of these rugged rocks, which, 
 streaked with green, yellow, and red, presented a singularly 
 forbidding appearance. On the top grew ancient pines, 
 whose sombre branches, nearly touching one another as they 
 stretched across the gulf, only permitted a thin streak of sky 
 to be seen ; so that the depths below were singularly gloomy, 
 and to the imaginative Hellenes might well have suggested 
 the thought that it was the Gate of Hades, by which name it 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 375 
 
 was traditionally known. Justinian, however, abandoned 
 such cognomen as of evil omen, and called it " The Western 
 Pass," by which title it was generally called by the Melno- 
 sians. It was indeed a remarkably eerie place even on the 
 brightest day, and the light which filtered downward from 
 between the branches of the pines but half revealed, in a 
 glimmering gloom, the horrent rocks, the lack of flowers and 
 grasses, and the chill, vault-like seeming of the whole tre- 
 mendous cleft. 
 
 jVIaurice, having slept all day, felt wonderfully refreshed 
 when he awoke, just as the sun set, and, though his head was 
 still painful with the wound, yet his brain was perfectly 
 bright and clear ; so, after making a hearty meal, he started 
 with his uncle and Crispin for the western pass, where he 
 was to remain all night. The enemy might, or might not, 
 make a night attack, and Justinian rather inclined to the 
 belief that they would wait till daylight. Nevertheless, to 
 guard against any chance of such a thing occurring, he 
 resolved that every one, both leaders and men, should remain 
 in the pass during the hours of darkness. 
 
 The men thus being at the front, a number of the women 
 were sleeping up at the Acropolis with Helena, so as to be 
 near their relations, and the interior of the island was thus 
 given ov^er entirely to feminine influence ; while the extreme 
 end of the pass, near to the outer palisade, was occupied by 
 the male defenders. At times the sunlight came into this 
 cliff entrance, so there was a scanty vegetation for some dis- 
 tance inward, so on this sparse grass Justinian and his men 
 made themselves comfortable. Many of the soldiers, wearied 
 out with watching, were sleeping around, but there was a 
 strong guard at the barricade, under the command of Gurt, 
 who was much better, and had insisted upon coming to the 
 front. 
 
 Round a fire sat the Demarch, his nephew, Crispin, and 
 Dick, all talking earnestly about the coming struggle, for the 
 bos'n, having snatched a few hours of sleep during the after- 
 noon, was now quite alert and active. The fire was lighted 
 more for the sake of comfort than because of cold, though, 
 indeed, the bottom of this abyss was chilly enough, and the 
 cheerful flames flickered redly in the intense darkness, while 
 high above glimmered the pale stars, and to the right arose 
 the frowning mass of the palisade black against the faint 
 gleam of the luminous night. To their nostrils came the salt 
 savor of the sea, and at intervals they could hear the songs 
 
376 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 and revelry of their foes on the beach below. What with the 
 recumbent forms of the sleeping men, the firelight hollow- 
 ing out a space for itself in the blackness, and the intense 
 stillness of the night, broken only by the pacing of the sen- 
 tries, and the fitful snatches of song from the near distance, 
 the whole scene was extraordinarily weird, so much so, that 
 Crispin, with his impressionable poet's nature, soon relapsed 
 into silence. ^ 
 
 " Crispin, why don't you think of business ? " said Maurice 
 mischievously, as he noticed the poet's abstraction. 
 
 "I was thinking of — of — other things." 
 
 " My niece for instance," observed the Demarch, with a 
 grave smile. 
 
 "It's not improbable," replied Crispin, reddening a trifle ; 
 " but, after all, I am in good company, for Maurice is doubt- 
 less thinking of Helena." 
 
 Maurice, smiling, did not deny this remarkably accurate 
 guess, and his uncle, smoothing his silver beard, laughed 
 silently. 
 
 " I'm afraid Dick and myself are the only persons who are 
 thinking of war." 
 
 " I'm certain of it as far as you are concerned, but I will 
 not answer for Dick there." 
 
 "Dick, Dick!" said Justinian, shaking his head gravely; 
 " what is this I hear ? " 
 
 " About Zoe, sir," answered the bos'n innocently. 
 
 " Oh, it is my daughter's maid ! " 
 
 " Well, you see, sir," said Dick bashfully, " it was like this, 
 sir. Zoe, you see, gentlemen, likes me, and I like Zoe ; so, 
 with your permission, Mr. Justinian, we were thinking of 
 marriage." 
 
 " My permission ! " echoed the Demarch, with a lurking 
 smile ; " as far as that goes, it doesn't seem to be needed. 
 This is surely pairing time, for you three young men seem to 
 be all choosing mates. Eunice, Helena, Zoe ! Maurice, when 
 your old tutor arrives, we must have a triple marriage." 
 
 "We've got to drive away Alcibiades first, uncle." 
 
 "No doubt; but that, though difficult, is not impossible." 
 
 " I hope not. Crispin, wake up, sir ! You are thinking 
 about Eunice again." 
 
 " Indeed I am not," answered Crispin, with some dismay. 
 " I am thinking of my revolver, which I have left behind at 
 the Acropolis." 
 
 "There's a warrior for you," said the Demarch, with a 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 377 
 
 hearty laugh ; " he forgets the moderD substitute for a shield. 
 Well, m}'- lad, as your revolver is an important matter, you 
 had better go back and get it." 
 
 Crispin jumped gayly to his feet. 
 
 '' I'll go at once,'^ he said, putting on his sombrero ; " but 
 I hope the battle will not begin without me." 
 
 " I think you may make up your mind there will be no 
 row till dawn, sir," said Dick, who was peering between the 
 bars of the palisade ; " there would not be all that kick-up 
 going on down there if they meant business." 
 
 " In that case," observed Maurice, rising slowly, " I think 
 I'll go back for your revolver, Crispin." 
 
 " Or for your heart," replied the poet, laughing. 
 
 "Oh, I don't wish to bring that back, especially in war- 
 time. It is safer with Helena. Uncle, can I go ? " 
 
 "By all means. I agree with Dick, and do not think 
 there is any chance of a night attack. However, you had 
 better make haste to come back to your post." 
 
 " So Paris flies harsh war's alarms 
 For dalliance in fair Helen's arms." 
 
 " Crispin, keep your rude couplets to yourself, or I'll for- 
 get to bring back your revolver. Adieu, gentlemen. I will 
 return anon." 
 
 Maurice stalked away up the gorge, like a tragedy actor, 
 much to the amusement of Justinian. Indeed, this light- 
 hearted, desultory conversation did a good deal to keep up 
 their spirits, and, in spite of the serious danger at their 
 gates, all the Englishmen were wonderfully merry. It is 
 characteristic of the British, that, if they take their pleas- 
 ures solemnly, they keep the balance even by being gay in 
 the presence of danger, and he who doubts the truth of this 
 statement has only to read Kinglake's account of the battle 
 of the Alma, in order to assure himself of its truth. 
 
 As before mentioned, the gorge was very dark, but Mau- 
 rice knew every inch of the way, and, being sure-footed as a 
 goat, never stumbled in his step, but strode merrily along in 
 the darkness, whistling " Garryowen." It was curious, amid 
 all this Greek life, revival of paganism, and piratical inva- 
 sion, to hear the quaint Irish air, but Maurice found it an 
 admirable melody to which to march, and moved his legs so 
 rapidly to the tune, that in a very short space of time he 
 emerged from the pass into the moonlit road skirting the 
 crater. 
 
378 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 It was only about ten o'clock in the evening, and the 
 moon, full and round, burned like a lamp in the sky near the 
 Milky Way, which she Avas slowly drawing near. Brightly 
 gleamed Sirius amid the feebler twinkle of minor stars, and 
 eastward like a ruby glittered ]\[ars, the planet of the soldier, 
 foreboding war and blood. The wind gently moved the 
 branches of the mulberry-trees above the head of the pe- 
 destrian, and, moderating his pace, he strolled lazily along the 
 shadow-strewn road, while the nightingales sang in every 
 thicket, thrilling his heart with their delicious notes. 
 
 Soon, however, another song mingled with theirs, a strange, 
 wild melody, which, chanted in a clear, high voice, arose and 
 fell sadly in the chill moonlight ; then an imploring chorus 
 of voices sounded in unison. Again the one singer cried in 
 an appealing manner ; then silence and the hurried notes of 
 the hidden birds. 
 
 Curious to know the meaning of this strange singing, 
 Maurice walked rapidly onward, bounded up the steps of the 
 Acropolis, and entered into the vestibule. The music, shrill 
 and fitful, sounded close at hand, so, stealthily approaching 
 the curtains hanging before the entrance of the court, Koy- 
 lands peered in, to discover the reason of such fantastic mel- 
 odies. He was evidently disturbing the mysteries of the 
 Bona Dea, for the court was thronged with women, and they 
 seemed to be engaged in the performance of some rite — a 
 kind of invocation to the moon, which appeared shining 
 brilliantly in the sky through the hypaethral opening of the 
 building. 
 
 A small brazier filled with burning coals, and elevated on 
 a tripod, stood near the fountain, before which stood Helena, 
 in her long white robe, with loosely flowing hair and slender 
 arms outstretched towards the serene planet above. Around 
 the court knelt a number of Melnosian women in their long 
 chitons ; but Maurice's eyes were fastened on that beautiful 
 central figure which stood so motionless before the tripod. 
 The moonlight softly fell on her lovely upturned face, on 
 her snowy robe, her milky arms, and touched with chilly 
 beam the disordered gold of her hair. Maurice, who felt 
 that he was looking on at some ceremony not meant for mas- 
 culine eyes, would have stepped forward and announced his 
 presence, but at that moment, Helena broke out into a song 
 so wild and thrilling, that he involuntarily paused in amaze- 
 ment. The words were in Greek, but he was now sufficiently 
 master of the language to understand them. They were 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 379 
 
 evidently some antique invocation to the inviolate Artemis, 
 and he wondered where she could have discovered thera, 
 as they rippled from her lips, rising and falling with fitful 
 sobbings, like the voice of some complaining wind on a lonely 
 beach. 
 
 HELENA. 
 
 Oh, waning moon! why hidest thou thy face? 
 Fair is the night, but less fair than my lover absent; 
 Unveil thyself from the jealous cloud-woof, 
 And thou wilt see how fair is he I worship. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 O Dian! sun of the lovers' night,I call thee. 
 
 HELENA. 
 
 Thou canst control the tides of ocean, 
 The tides obedient, who are slaves to thee, 
 Surely then thou canst control the heart of my lover, 
 And make him long to return to my arms so loving. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 O Baalit ! mistress of the tides, I call thee. 
 
 HELENA. 
 
 Save him from danger, for he is daring, my lover, 
 
 He rides the surges of battle as thou ridest the flying clouds. 
 
 Save him, Tanith! 
 
 And bring him safely to the arms of her who calleth. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 O Ashtoreth ! thou also hast loved ! I call thee. 
 
 At this moment, Helena took something from her bosorn, 
 and, throwing a few grains of incense on the coals, held it 
 in the thick white smoke which arose. Afterwards she ad- 
 vanced to the fountain and dipped it thrice, singing all the 
 time that strange melody. 
 
 HELENA. 
 
 This amber heart I place in the rising odors, 
 So that thy virtues may pass into it; 
 
 Thrice do I dip it in lustrous water in which thou hast beheld 
 thine image; 
 
380 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 For thus will it draw the magic from thy breast, 
 
 On my lover's neck will I place it — on his beating heart will it rest, 
 
 And it will save him when red rmis the blood of battle. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 Hecate ! controller of spells, I call thee. 
 
 When slie ended, ttie chorus of women arose to their feet, 
 and slowly filed out of one of the side doors, leaving the 
 court empty, and Helena still standing by the brazier, 
 from whence the burning incense still rolled skyward. 
 Maurice, quite astonished at this strange scene of magical 
 incantation, stole quietly forward, and, looking over her 
 shoulder, saw that 'she was gazing at the amber heart, which 
 she had converted into an amulet by her moon spells. 
 
 " Helena ! " 
 
 She turned with a cry of astonishment, and then fell into 
 his arms with a joyous laugh. 
 
 " Oh, Maurice ! my dearest ! my darling ! Are the old 
 stories true, and have my spells drawn you back to my 
 side ? " 
 
 She was much excited, so Maurice drew her gently to one 
 of the chairs near the fountain, and, placing her therein, 
 knelt at her feet, smoothing her two hands, which he held 
 between his own, to quieten her alarm at his sudden appear- 
 anjce. 
 
 " My dearest Helena, I came back to fetch Crispin's re- 
 volver, which he has left behind. Hearing you singing, I 
 looked in." 
 
 " Oh ! " cried Helena, with a blush ; " and what did you 
 see ? " 
 
 "Nothing very dreadful," he replied, laughing, "I only 
 saw a symposium of women, and felt like Clodius surveying 
 the mysteries of the Bona Dea. What on earth were you 
 doing ? " 
 
 " Oh, it was only a game, Maurice," she replied, burying 
 her head on his shoulder. " I am ashamed you should have 
 seen me acting so childishly, but, the fact is, there is a 
 woman here who told me about it." 
 
 " About what ? " 
 
 "This incantation to the moon. In spite of father's being 
 so particular about purity of blood, some of the women are 
 of Arab descent. This one who told me how to make a tal- 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 381 
 
 isman, comes from Africa, and, I believe, is a descendant of 
 the old Carthaginians." 
 
 " Nonsense I they were all stamped out by the Romans. 
 Well, what about this modern Dido ? " 
 
 " Well, she saw how anxious I was about you, and told me 
 if I invoked the moon, and bathed some small article in 
 moon-water and incense, it would become endowed with 
 powerful virtues, and protect its wearer from danger." 
 
 " You foolish child ! " said Maurice, tenderly stroking her 
 loose hair ; " and was all this mummery on my account ? " 
 
 "Yes; but if you laugh at it, the talisman will lose its 
 power." 
 
 '• Then I'll be as grave as a judge. Where is this wonder- 
 ful amulet?" 
 
 Helena held out the amber heart which lay in the centre 
 of her little white palm, from which Maurice lifted it dain- 
 tily, and pressed his mustache against her hand. 
 
 " And am I to wear this ? " 
 
 " Round your neck." 
 
 " But there is nothing to fasten it there." 
 
 "Oh dear me, I must get some string, or silk, or — Oh," 
 she cried, struck with a sudden thought, "have you a 
 knife ? " 
 
 "No." 
 
 " Then lend me your sword." 
 
 "' What ! are you going to cut my head off for overlooking 
 your Bona Dea ceremonies ? " he said laughingly, drawing 
 the keen weapon from its sheath. 
 
 For answer, she arose to her feet, and shook the loose gold 
 of her hair over her shoulders. Carefully selecting one long 
 tress, she smoothed it down with her hands, and held it out 
 towards her lover. 
 
 '•' Cut it off." 
 
 " What ! your beautiful hair ! " cried Maurice, who stood 
 before her with his sword gleaming in the moonlight. " Oh, 
 Helena, I could not do that." 
 
 " Then give me your sword, and I'll do it myself." 
 
 " My dearest, you would hurt yourself. Why do you want 
 to cut this lock ? " 
 
 " To make a chain for the heart." 
 
 "There's a chain round my heart already," said her lover, 
 still hesitating. " Won't it spoil your hair ? " 
 
 " Maurice ! how tiresome you are ! Cut it off at once." 
 
 She stamped her foot with pretty petulance, so, seeing she 
 
382 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 was obstinate, he carefully sheared off the tress close to her 
 head. This being done, she shook her locks over the shorn 
 place, and, sitting down in her chair once more, began to 
 weave the shining hair into a delicate chain. 
 
 " You silly child, making me despoil you of your glory ! " 
 said ]\raurice, touched by her action. ''There, let me put 
 my sword up again, and I will help you." 
 
 " Hold the end of the chain then, and do not talk, or you 
 will break the charm." 
 
 Maurice, sheathing his sword, knelt down before her. and, 
 taking one end of the glittering coil daintily between finger 
 and thumb, watched her weaving the threads rapidly together, 
 crooning the while a strange old song in a low voice. 
 
 "Weave the threads of golden hair, 
 
 Golden future also weaving. 
 Happy be thy fortunes fair. 
 
 Plenteous joy but scanty grieving. 
 In and out, and out and in, 
 Thus thy coming life I spin. 
 
 Bind the chain to golden heart, 
 
 Golden heart to thee be binding, 
 Meet together ne'er to part. 
 
 Love will come with little finding. 
 In and out and out and in, 
 Thus thy future life I spin." 
 
 " There ! " said Helena, having finished the chain ; " now let 
 me tie up the ends — give me the heart." 
 
 " My heart ? " 
 
 " 1 have that already," she answered mischievously. '- The 
 amber heart, please ; I must bind it to the chain." 
 
 " Where did you learn that song ? " 
 
 ^' I made it up all by myself," said Helena triumphantly, 
 dangling the chain before him. '' Do you think that only 
 Crispin is a poet ? " 
 
 "^o, my Sappho." 
 
 " There is a chain of my hair and a talisman attached to 
 keep you from harm, so bend your head, my knight, and I 
 will give it to you." 
 
 Maurice, entering into tlie spirit of her charming humor, 
 bowed his head, over which she flung the slender chain of 
 hair, then, kissing him on the forehead, leaned back and 
 clapped her hands gayly. 
 
 " There ! now you are safe. Nothing can harm you while 
 you wear that." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 383 
 
 " Nothing can harm me while I think of you/^ he whis- 
 pered tenderly, taking her in his arms ; " your love is my 
 safeguard both in peace and war." 
 
 "Oh dear me!" sighed Helena, as she pillowed her head 
 on his shoulder ; " what nonsense it is, Maurice ! Still, it's 
 very pleasant nonsense." 
 
 '' Very pleasant." 
 
 " And I am very nice ? " 
 
 "You are very vain," he said, kissing her and rising to his 
 feet. " There, you charming sorceress ! " 
 
 " A new Circe." 
 
 "Precisely; but I must not stay with Circe any longer. 
 Let me go to Crispin's room for his revolver, and then good- 
 by.'^ 
 
 As quickly as possible he ran into the poet's bedroom, and 
 found the weapon on the bed, where the neglectful poet had 
 left it. Slipping it into his belt, he came back to say good- 
 by to Helena. 
 
 " Now mind you go to bed, dear," he said, kissing her 
 tenderly ; " no more magical ceremonies to-night." 
 
 "No, I will go to bed. Oh, do take care of yourself, 
 Maurice ! " 
 
 " I will, both for your sake and my own. Besides, your 
 talisman." 
 
 Helena threw her arms impulsively round his neck. 
 
 " I give you the talisman, and I give you my love." 
 
 He bent down and kissed her, then without a word went 
 away into the moonlit night on his way to battle, and perhaps 
 — death. 
 
384 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 A MODERN THERMOPYLiE. 
 
 In the gap say fifty fighters waiting for the coming shock, 
 Guns and sabres, pikes and bayonets holding tight, 
 And two hundred stormers dashing up, like surges on a rock, 
 With a grim determination for their foes' extermination 
 In the fight. 
 
 Clash of weapons, cannon's thunder, and the rifle's deadly crack, 
 
 Mingle fiercely with the shrieking of the wounded in their pain, 
 
 Till, in spite of all their toiling. 
 
 Valor stanch their efforts foiling, 
 
 Down the slope again recoiling, 
 
 Reels the shattered column back, 
 
 All their dauntlessness in vain, 
 
 And the battle-ground is cumbered with a multitude unnumbered 
 
 Of the slain. 
 
 At the first flush of dawn in the gray eastern skies, the 
 Melnosians were on the alert and ready for the fight. Owing 
 to the early hour, and the fact of their having passed the 
 night in the open air, many of the men were shivering with 
 cold, on noticing which, Justinian ordered hot coffee to be 
 served out all round. They also took a light meal, then 
 went through a few evolutions on the narrow space of their 
 bivouac ground, which suppled their limbs, and sent the 
 lethargic blood once more speeding rapidly through their 
 veius. Both Crispin and ]\[aurice felt somewhat stiff, espe- 
 cially the latter, owing to his wound, but the hot coffee, the 
 food, and an indulgence in a few gymnastic exercises soon 
 brought them back to their normal condition of physical 
 fitness. Unlike their less seasoned frames, Justinian's iron 
 constitution never seemed to feel the strain to which it was 
 subjected, and, in spite of his years, he was as brisk and 
 active as the youngest member of his band. 
 
 As it was imperative that this outer defence should be 
 held against all odds, owing to the proximity of the side 
 path, the Demarch had the two cannons which were planted 
 inside the second barricade brought down as rapidly as pos- 
 sible, and placed them on either side of the entrance to the 
 gorge, in order to sweep down the enemy as they dashed up 
 the sloping ground from the beach. Their muzzles, protrud- 
 ing from the earthworks, could pour confusion into the ranks 
 of the stormers in a most effective fashion, especially as they 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 385 
 
 were loaded with grape-shot, which woukl scatter widely in 
 the discharge. As in the tunnel palisade, a thick wall of turf 
 was built half-way up against the beams, while on this sand- 
 bags and gabions, with loopholes for the rifle barrels, were 
 also laid. The whole front of the battery was therefore 
 bristling with danger to the besiegers, while the garrison, 
 intrenched behind their outworks, were in comparative 
 safety. The inner palisade farther up the pass was defended 
 in a similar manner, saving in the matter of cannon ; but 
 Justinian determined to use his best endeavors finally to 
 crush the enemy in his present position, so as to do away 
 with the danger of their gaining possession of the side path 
 which led into the heart of the island. 
 
 Directly in front of the battery, the ground sloped away 
 down to the beach in a gentle declivity, and up this a wind- 
 ing road was cut by slight gradations which afforded a suffi- 
 ciently easy approach. Still, so undisciplined were the troops 
 of Alcibiades, that the Demarch thought, instead of march- 
 ing along the road in a regular line, they would scramble 
 confusedly upward either by the path or by the slope, so that 
 his guns could play on their scattered ranks with deadly 
 effect. 
 
 Maurice and his uncle took their field-glasses up to the 
 point of vantage above the side path, from whence they 
 could survey the preparations of the enemy, who were now 
 deploying in irregular lines under the amateur leadership of 
 Alcibiades and the traitor Greek. Justinian laughed con- 
 temptuously as he saw the confusion into which Caliphronas 
 was throwing his men, and, without removing the glass from 
 his eyes, remarked on this bad generalship to Maurice. 
 
 " I always thought Andros had a certain amount of brains, 
 but, seeing what a mess he is making of things after all my 
 training, I am wrong in believing him capable of anything 
 except grinning in the mirror." 
 
 " Well, he has very bad soldiers, uncle. They seem to be 
 ignorant of the simplest rules of discipline." 
 
 "And no wonder! The very scum of the Levant. Peas- 
 ants, sailors, Turkish scamps, and stupid islanders. Still, 
 even out of the most hopeless materials a good commander 
 can form a disciplined corps, and I am sure they have had 
 plenty of time to drill their men ; but Andros has not the 
 slightest capability for military matters. As for Alci- 
 biades " — 
 
 The Demarch's opinion of Alcibiades' generalship was so 
 
386 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 bad that he could not find words sufficiently contemptuous 
 to express his scorn ; but as at this moment the enemy began 
 to move irregularly towards the road which led to the mouth 
 of the pass, he shut up his glass and went down to his men, 
 followed by Maurice. 
 
 "The dance is about to begin," said Crispin, when the 
 garrison were all in order at their several posts. *' I expect 
 it will be a merry one." 
 
 " Faith ! we will be the pipers," replied Justinian grimly, 
 pointing to his cannon ; " they will caper gayly enough when 
 these play the tune." 
 
 "We had better lose no time in beginning then," said 
 Maurice, who was looking at the approaching enemy, " for 
 here come the dancers." 
 
 As Justinian had foreseen, the stormers, instead of ad- 
 vancing by the road in a compact body, and thus neutraliz- 
 ing the danger of the opening fire, rushed irregularly up the 
 slope in hopeless confusion, yelling wildly in order to keep 
 up their courage. 
 
 " Scum ! " cried Justinian scornfully, as he saw the motley 
 crowd climbing upward. " Give it 'em, lads ! " 
 
 Dick presided over one of the guns, Gurt at the other, as 
 both of them, having been in the English navy, knew all the 
 necessary business for loading, adjusting the sight, and firing 
 the cannon. The Demarch's finances had not run to the 
 expense of importing cannon of the new type, so these brass 
 guns were somewhat old-fashioned; still, loaded with grape- 
 shot, they were very effective when fired, especially when 
 sighted with considerable science by the old men-of-war's-men. 
 
 Up came the enemy, shrieking like fiends, and broken 
 into irregular bands, dotting the green slope with patches of 
 blue topped by the red of their Turkish headgear. Dick, 
 who was to fire first, waited till they were within an easy dis- 
 tance, and then put the lighted match to the touch-hole of 
 his cannon. There was a roar as the deadly grape-shot 
 splashed among the advancing crowd, and then a shriek of 
 rage as the column reeled, wavered, and for the moment 
 paused. Encouraged by Alcibiades, they still advanced, 
 only to be mown down by the dozen with the discharge of 
 Gurt's cannon, upon which, dismayed at the carnage, they 
 retreated down the hill in confusion, leaving the ground 
 thick with the slain. 
 
 On seeing this, the sailors set up a hearty British cheer, 
 in which all joined but Justinian, who smiled grimly at the 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 387 
 
 effective work done by his guns. Alcibiades was stamping 
 with rage, for his little scheme of firing the barricade, as 
 on the previous occasion, was quite impracticable, owing to 
 those deadly muzzles which gaped through the palisade. 
 
 With considerable caution, however, he scattered his men 
 so as to avert the danger of huddled masses being cut down 
 by the grape-shot, and kept up a continuous fire at the frown- 
 ing front of the battery. The Melnosians returned the fire 
 with their Martini-Henry rifles, and managed to pick off a 
 few of the sharp-shooters, while, protected by their gabions, 
 they managed to escape without the loss of a single man ; 
 for the bullets either buried themselves with a dull thud in 
 the sand-bags or else went ripping above their heads to 
 flatten themselves harmlessly against the lava walls of the 
 pass. 
 
 "They can't last long against our cannon, uncle," said 
 Maurice, who was watching Dick reloading his gun ; " that 
 first dash has lost them nearly twenty men." 
 
 "It will take some time to polish off two hundred," re- 
 plied Justinian, who had his glass to his eyes ; "' besides, 
 Alcibiades has some scheme in his head. All this sharp- 
 shooting is done to divert our attention. I thought so ! " 
 
 " What's up now ? " 
 
 " He's bringing up a field-piece to that hill." 
 
 " The deuce ! " cried Maurice, hastily focussing his glasses. 
 " We must silence that. Dick, do you think you could bring 
 one of the guns to bear on that hill to the right ? " 
 
 Dick, after some consideration, thought he could, and did ; 
 for, with the assistance of his sailors, he wheeled round the 
 gun-carriage to an angle of thirty-five degrees, so as to bring 
 the muzzle of his piece in a direct line with the conical- 
 shaped mound up which the enemy were dragging their bat- 
 tery. This hill, which was slightly to the right of the pass, 
 would have been utilized long before for his guns by any 
 able commander ; but not until the loss of twenty men had 
 taught Alcibiades experience, did he think of making use of 
 the position. The crest of the mound was slightly lower 
 than the palisade ; but, by depressing the muzzle of his gun, 
 Dick got a fair opportunity of disabling the battery of the 
 enemy. Owing to their numbers, they soon succeeded in 
 dragging the field-piece up to the top, and, placing it in posi- 
 tion, raised the mouth slightly, so as to aim at the upper part 
 of the barricade. Just as they were preparing to fire, Dick, 
 who had loaded with round shot, discharged his cannon, and 
 
888 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 the great mass of iron went hurtling viciously through the 
 air. 
 
 "Badly aimed, Dick/' said Maurice, who had his glasses 
 up. " Your eye is not quite in. Look out, they are return- 
 ing the compliment." 
 
 There was a puff of smoke, a sudden flash, an infinitesimal 
 pause, and a ball came ripping along at tremendous speed, 
 only to strike the ground in front of the battery, and ricochet 
 harmlessly down the hill. 
 
 " Their gunner isn't much better than myself, sir," cried 
 Dick, carefully training the sight of his piece ; " but I won't 
 miss this time." 
 
 His aim was much better, for the second shot, while not 
 touching the cannon, knocked over two men standing near, 
 who dropped down quickly over the brow of the hill. 
 
 " Egad ! I wish those two had been the leaders," said Jus- 
 tinian cheerfully ; " both the scamps are there. Here's the 
 return fire." 
 
 This time the ball struck the palisade fair in the top cen- 
 tre, and smashed down several of the cross-beams. The 
 sharp-shooters, seeing this, gave a cry of triumph, which was 
 echoed by those on the hill, and the gunner rapidly loaded 
 again, so as to follow up the advantage gained. Dick, how- 
 ever, was already prepared, and before the cannon of the 
 enemy could be fired again, a shot from his gun struck it on 
 the carriage, causing it to fall out of position. The besiegers 
 set at once to work about restoring it to its former level ; but 
 by this time Gurt also had directed his gun towards the bat- 
 tery, and shot after shot from the two cannon followed so 
 rapidly that in a short time the enemy had to vacate their 
 position. 
 
 "I wish I could make a dash, and spike that gun," said 
 Maurice, as the Melnosians cheered loudly. 
 
 " You'll do nothing of the sort, sir," replied Justinian 
 sharply. " I don't want to run the chance of losing you 
 again. Besides, Alcibiades is going to make a dash for the 
 gate." 
 
 " Old fool ! " said Crispin scornfully. " He can't bring his 
 men up against our guns." 
 
 " He's going to try, at all events, as he evidently thinks 
 his shot has told heavily on our defences." . 
 
 All this time there was a constant flash, flash, flash along 
 the line of sharp-shooters, as they kept up a continuous fire ; 
 and, in spite of all precautions, two Melnosians were killed. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 389 
 
 Under cover of this musketry it was apparent that Alcibiades 
 was about to make a dash ; but, having learned a lesson from 
 the previous advance, he led his men along the right side, 
 close under the cliffs, where the cannon could not reach them. 
 fUistinian saw this manoeuvre, and, rapidly serving out fresh 
 ammunition, told his men to be in readiness. 
 
 Kound the right corner of the battery came a furious 
 crowd, headed by a huge negro, for Alcibiades had no liking 
 for heading such a forlorn hope. The attack was received 
 by the garrison with a volley from their muskets ; but, in 
 spite of many dropping off dead and wounded, the besiegers 
 still continued to struggle fiercely up the outward beams, in 
 order to reach the upper gap made by the cannon. The 
 sharp- shooters had, of course, to cease fire, lest they should 
 hit their comrades ; and, seeing that they had swarmed up 
 nearly to the top of the barrier, ran forward to help them. 
 The Melnosians, in two lines, one kneeling, the other stand- 
 ing at the back, fired continuously at the writhing mass, 
 while those behind the gabions stabbed with bayonet and 
 cutlass with right good will. Both cannon were discharged, 
 cutting two lanes of blood through the furious throng ; yet, 
 notwithstanding their losses, the stormers still stuck to their 
 intention, and it became evident that nothing now remained 
 to the garrison but to beat them back in a hand-to-hand fight. 
 
 One pirate leaped from the parapet through the gap, but 
 was speedily despatched by a bayonet-thrust in the chest. 
 Others, however, followed like a flock of sheep, and there 
 was little doubt but that the Melnosians would have been 
 driven back had they not been so expert in the use of the 
 bayonet. Justinian, an old army man, had taught them the 
 exercise splendidly, and, raising the bayonets first high, 
 and then back over the right shoulder, their weapons told in 
 every thrust ; so they were thus enabled to keep the foe at 
 bay. 
 
 While the top of the barrier was thus being assaulted, a 
 number of men, under Caliphronas, were hacking away at 
 the lower beams ; for, unwilling to harm his men, Alcibiades 
 refrained from setting fire to the palisade as he had done 
 before. The weight of the stormers on the top made the 
 now weakened lower portion rock ominously, and it was evi- 
 dent the whole structure would soon be in ruins. When this 
 happened, the danger would be imminent, as Justinian knew 
 that the enemy far exceeded in numbers his own little band, 
 and, even with the advantage of the narrow gorge, it was 
 
390 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 doubtful if lie could hold his ground. Giving way, however, 
 meant that the side path would be left to Alcibiades, and, 
 however bravely defended, would be certain to be captured 
 at once. Besides, he dared not leave the guns in possession 
 of the enemy, as they would at once use them with deadly 
 effect against his own men. 
 
 Kendered reckless by despair, the Melnosians fought like 
 demons against the enemy, and, though Alcibiades hurled 
 body after body of men against them, they stood their 
 ground, and did not give way one inch. At any moment, 
 however, the barrier might fall, and Justinian lost no time 
 in rendering the guns innocuous, if he were forced to retreat 
 up the gorge, 
 
 " Dick I Gurt ! spike the guns ! spike the guns ! " he roared 
 in English, and the Greeks, not understanding the language, 
 did not guess how important was the order. Caliphronas, 
 however, heard it on the other side of the barrier, and made 
 immediate report to Alcibiades, who grasped the idea at 
 once. 
 
 " Make for the guns ! capture the guns ! " he yelled in 
 Greek ; " they will spike them ! " 
 
 A body of men leaped down from the parapet and made 
 for the gun held by Dick, but Maurice sprang in front of it, 
 and, while the bos'n was busy putting in the spike, kept the 
 enemy at bay. He soon emptied his revolver, and thus had 
 to fight solely with the sword, but the Demarch, seeing his 
 danger, re-enforced him with four Melnosians, who speedily 
 beat back the assailants. However, Dick's task was accom- 
 plished, and, Gurt having also obeyed orders, both guns were 
 now spiked and perfectly useless, should the enemy gain 
 possession of them. The only danger remaining was the 
 side path, which, in spite of its iron door, might be forced ; 
 so the Demarch and his men stanchly held their ground, in 
 spite of the havoc which was being made in their ranks by 
 the overwhelming force of the enemy. 
 
 Fighting fiercely, with obstinate determination not to give 
 way one inch, slowly but surely the Melnosians drove back 
 the stormers to the barrier, clambering up over the heaps of 
 slain in their efforts to force the enemy to vacate their posi- 
 tion. The air was blinding with gunpowder smoke ; the 
 clash of the swords, the fierce shouts of the besiegers, and 
 the cheers of the Melnosians created a most infernal din ; 
 but high above this was heard the crash of the palisade, as, 
 yielding to the axes of the enemy, it fell outward. Many 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 391 
 
 were unable to retreat in time, owing to the crush behind, — 
 for Alcibiades had long ago given up every attempt to keep 
 order, — and in its fall a great number were crushed to death, 
 while their comrades, not heeding their death agonies, 
 rushed forward across the platform thus formed, in order to 
 follow up their advantage as s];)eedily as possible. 
 
 At this critical juncture Justinian bethought himself of 
 the stratagem of scaring the enemy by a fictitious force, and 
 hastily bade Temistocles to run to the Acropolis and tell all 
 the women to come down the gorge with drums beating and 
 colors flying. There were plenty of kettledrums and flags at 
 tlie Acropolis, which Justinian had not cared to use, so these, 
 used by the women advancing down the pass, might inspire 
 the enemy with fear that re-enforcements had arrived. The 
 onl}^ proviso that Justinian made was that the women, on 
 their arrival, should keep out of musket-shot and not risk 
 their lives. 
 
 Temistocles sped away like a deer, and Justinian hastily 
 advanced to the front, in order to assist Maurice and Crispin, 
 who were both fighting with the desperation of despair. 
 The Melnosians, two deep, extending right across the gorge, 
 and, being at close quarters, were using their bayonets for 
 stabbing, and their clubbed muskets for dealing blows. The 
 sailors were almost in a ring round Maurice and Crispin, 
 slashing away vigorously with their cutlasses, cutting princi- 
 pally at the faces and necks of their assailants, so as not to 
 transhx their blades in the bodies, and thus render them- 
 selves defenceless. 
 
 Maurice, whose stature gave him considerable advantage 
 over his opponents, was sweeping his sword as rapidly as 
 possible among the enemy, cutting, thrusting, slashing, and 
 stabbing ; but he was much encumbered by one of the 
 wounded enemy, who was clutching his leg, and thus imped- 
 ing his movements. Justinian saw this, and, firing at the 
 wretch, knocked his brains out ; while Maurice, thus freed, 
 sprang resolutely forward, followed by his sailors, in order 
 to get at Alcibiades, who was urging on his men to the attack 
 from the vantage-ground of the fallen palisade. Justinian 
 and Crispin, thus left alone in front of their line, fought 
 vigorously to keep back the enemy, while the old Demarch, 
 seeing his nephew's aim, shouted out words of encourage- 
 ment. 
 
 " Cut off the head and the body will follow ! " he cried in 
 English, then rapidly added in Greek, "Close up, men! close 
 up ! give them no chance of getting to the rear." 
 
392 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 In obedience to this command, as soon as a man in the 
 front rank fell, another stepped in from the rear to fill up a 
 gap, or else the foremost soldiers closed up shoulder to 
 shoulder so as to preserve an unbroken front. By this 
 means they kept the enemy in front, and, notwithstanding 
 the fierceness of the fight, held their ground stanchly, wait- 
 ing the signal to advance. Between them and the fallen 
 palisade was a furious crowd heaving like a stormy sea, and 
 at the back Alcibiades giving his orders, which, however, 
 were not heeded. Justinian was waiting until Maurice killed 
 Alcibiades, when he determined to advance with all his force, 
 and thus drive the disheartened enemy over the verge of the 
 barrier. 
 
 It was with some difficulty that Maurice managed to fight 
 his way through the crowd, but, protected in the rear by 
 Dick and his sailors, he at length managed to get clear, and, 
 leaping on the parapet, confronted Alcibiades, bare-headed, 
 but weaving his sword with a stern resolve to kill the pirate. 
 Alcibiades was no coward, but had kept in the background, 
 as he deemed his life too valuable to risk, as indeed it was, 
 for lacking a head the invading army would be worse than 
 useless. Face to face with the Englishman, however, he did 
 not shirk the combat, but, whirling his sword with a fierce 
 cry, dashed boldly at his enemy. He could not call upon his 
 followers to aid him, as the sailors with their cutlasses kept 
 a clear ring for the combat ; so he saw plainly it was a duel 
 to the death, and one upon which depended the whole issue 
 of the battle. 
 
 Not having the reach of arm or the stature of the English- 
 man, he found himself at considerable disadvantage, but 
 nevertheless fought on bravely, and, adopting stabbing 
 tactics more than slashing, tried his best to give his oppo- 
 nent a mortal wound. Maurice, however, having a quick 
 eye, was enabled to ward off his blows by a dexterous use of 
 his now emptied revolver, and made rapid play with his 
 sword firmly grasped in his right hand. The pirate captain 
 managed to wound him in the left arm just below the elbow, 
 but at that moment Maurice passed his sword through his 
 chest. Alcibiades, though not fatally wounded, gasped out 
 " Christos ! " and fell back over the palisade into the outward 
 mass of his men, who would have carried him off, but Jus- 
 tinian, hearing the distant roll of a drum, and seeing that 
 Maurice was alone on the parapet, gave the order to advance. 
 
 On observing his uncle's action, Maurice cried out in 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 393 
 
 Greek, " Alcibiades is dead ! " whereupon the intervening 
 enemy were filled with alarm, and began to retreat before 
 the advancing Melnosians. Dick, the sailors, and Maurice 
 leaped down to take Alcibiades prisoner, and, while busily 
 engaged in fighting, the whole inward crowd, driven forward, 
 came rolling pell-mell over the fallen barrier, carrying those 
 who would have fain stayed with them. Maurice had enough 
 to do to keep his feet against the torreut, but managed to 
 divide it into two streams with the use of his sword and the 
 aid of his sailors. 
 
 In another moment Justinian and Crispin were by his side, 
 and down the slope fled the foe in headlong confusion, with 
 the Melnosians in full chase. 
 
 " Keep together, men ! keep together ! " yelled the De- 
 march, as he raced down the slope like a school-boy ; but the 
 Melnosians had been too long held back to pay any attention 
 to his orders. Eight and left fled the enemy, making for 
 the boats, but Gurt, seeing this, tried to intercept them with 
 a few sailors. Unfortunately he could not run, owing to his 
 wound, so he had to abandon the pursuit, and the foremost 
 fugitives managed to get afloat. Justinian had forbidden all 
 useless killing, but his islanders, frenzied at the loss of their 
 comrades, and elated by their victory, were quite beyond 
 control. Those who could not reach the boats were slaugh- 
 tered on the spot, and the Demarch, in despair of saving the 
 lives of any, could do nothing but stand on the beach with 
 Maurice and Crispin beside him. A goodly number of the 
 fugitives, however, were now pulling for the open sea, among 
 them Caliphronas, who, standing up in the boat, shook his 
 two hands with despair on beholding the rout. In a short 
 space of time, what with the fierceness of the Melnosians, 
 who gave no quarter, and the flight of the fugitives, there 
 remained not a single enemy on the island, except the wounded 
 men who had been unable to fly. 
 
 There was a roll of many drums, a shrill cry of delight, 
 and, turning their faces landward, the three men saw Helena, 
 with a company of women, standing on the ruins of the pali- 
 sade. The setting sun illumined the group, and, grasping 
 the staff whence floated the victorious folds of the Union 
 Jack, she seemed to be the Goddess of Victory come down 
 to sanctify with her presence the triumph of the Melnosians. 
 Her women behind her, the blackened ruins of the barrier 
 beneath her feet, and the Englishmen below on the beach, 
 she lifted up the staff proudly, and the great flag flung out 
 
894 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 its miglity folds to the breeze, as if it too rejoiced in the 
 triumph of success. The three Englishmen's hearts thrilled 
 with patriotic pride as they saw the symbol of victory flaunt- 
 ing in the wind, and the British sailors, uncovering their 
 heads, saluted the invincible flag with three ringing cheers. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 A COUNCIL OF WAR. 
 
 The snake is scotched, but is not dead, 
 
 Beware ! the snare ! 
 Soon will it lift again its head, 
 
 Beware ! nor dare ! 
 The fangs contain their poison still, 
 The wounded creature yet may kill, 
 
 Beware ! take care ! 
 
 With cautious speech, good council take, 
 
 Beware ! the snare ! 
 Nor trust the seeming lifeless snake, 
 
 Beware! nor dare! 
 For unexpected it may spring, 
 And slay thee with its venomed sting, 
 
 Beware! take care! 
 
 The immediate danger w^as over, but Justinian was by no 
 means inclined to think that, even with the death of Alci- 
 biades, the island would be left in peace, particularly as Cali- 
 phronas was still alive. That the foiled Greek would tamely 
 submit to be beaten thus, was out of the question, and the 
 Demarch was quite certain that he would again gather an 
 army to assault Melnos. If such an event took place, mat- 
 t<jrs would become very serious, as, notwithstanding their 
 loss was less than that of the enemy, scarcely fifty ^lelno- 
 sians survived, and many of these were severely hurt. Four 
 sailors had also been killed, so the total of able men left to 
 defend the island, making allowance for those incapable 
 through wounds, amounted to scarcely forty souls, or there- 
 abouts. Even with the carnage which had ensued during the 
 battle, Justinian felt sure that nearly a hundred men had 
 escaped in boats, and, as Caliphronas must know that the 
 garrison was considerably w^eakened by loss of men, the De- 
 march feared lest he should return almost immediately with 
 added numbers and risk another battle, in which case it 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 395 
 
 seemed impossible for the Melnosians escaping total exter- 
 mination. 
 
 This belief was confirmed in a strange way on his return 
 to the palisade, for Alcibiades was found under a heap of 
 corpses, apparently lifeless, and though for a short time he 
 was revived with brandy, had died immediately afterwards, 
 assuring Justinian that re-enforcements were on their way to 
 avenge his death. Whether this was mere bravado or not, 
 Justinian was not quite sure, yet, in spite of his intimate 
 knowledge of the dead smuggler's rascality, he hardly thought 
 even such a scamp would die with a deliberate falsehood on 
 his lips, therefore at once hastened to rebuild the barrier, in 
 case of invasion by possible foes. Some of the women went 
 back to the village for provisions, while others remained 
 behind to look after the wounded. There was no time to 
 bury the dead, present safety being the great question of the 
 hour, so the bodies of friend and foe were laid gently down 
 on the beach under the cliffs, to be buried as soon as possible, 
 when all danger was past. The gorge thus being cleared of 
 the slain, Justinian made his men sit down to refresh them- 
 selves with wine and food, after which, wearied as they 
 were, all hands went bravely forward to rebuild the barrier. 
 Even the women helped in this important task, and by the 
 time it was ten o'clock in the evening, a goodly portion of the 
 desired barricade was erected. 
 
 As soon as he heard about the approaching re-enforcements 
 from the dying Alcibiades, the Demarch foresaw that, to be 
 prepared for such an emergency as a fresh attack, his men 
 would have to work all night, therefore desired Alexandros 
 to bring down the electric light, so as to permit the toil to 
 be carried on continuously until the battery was finished. 
 This was easily done, by the electrician joining other wires 
 on to those already at the head of the pass, and then fixing 
 the apparatus near the outer entrance. So speedily did he 
 perform this difiB.cult task, that in a few hours all was in 
 order, and the powerful rays flooded not only the immediate 
 neighborhood of the works, but even the beach and a portion 
 of the harbor inside the breakwater. 
 
 Helena had obstinately refused to go back to the Acropolis, 
 and, as the other women remained to help, her father did 
 not insist on her return, so she attended to Maurice's wound, 
 which, after all, was a mere scratch. In common with the 
 rest, she also took her turn at nursing, and aided to carry the 
 wounded into the interior of the island, for so busy were 
 
396 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 the men at the repairing of the barrier, that none could be 
 spared, so the women, proving themselves thorough heroines, 
 took all the hospital work on their shoulders. 
 
 " I wonder, in your scheme, you did not include a doctor, 
 uncle,'' said Maurice, as he stood by the Demarch, superin- 
 tending the rebuilding of the palisade. "A medical man 
 would have come in handy now." 
 
 <' That is true ! Had Crispin not left me as he did, I '^ 
 would have sent him to study medicine, but, as it is, I put 
 off the affair from time to time, and now, when I most need 
 one, I find myself without a surgeon." 
 
 "I could never have been a surgeon, Justinian," said 
 Crispin, with a shudder ; " cutting up people makes me feel 
 quite ill." 
 
 " You cut up a good many to-day without being much dis- 
 turbed," said the Demarch, with a laugh ; " but, of course, I 
 know that was in hot blood. However, it is no use longing 
 for the impossible, so it is to be hoped my Melnosians will 
 recover without the aid of medical science." 
 
 '' Is your wound hurting 3'ou, Maurice ? " asked Helena, 
 who, though tender-hearted as a rule, seemed on this occa- 
 sion to think solely of her lover, despite the fact that so 
 many men had been killed. 
 
 " Pooh ! not a bit — a mere scratch ! " 
 
 '' You've got to thank my amber heart for your safety." 
 
 "Or your golden hair," he retorted, smiling; "but, in 
 faith, Helena, I fancy my good luck has had most to do with 
 my safety." 
 
 "Don't undervalue your fighting powers, Maurice," said 
 the Demarch, who overheard this remark ; " your tussle with 
 Alcibiades was no light one." 
 
 " Well, I certainly got the better of him, but his wound 
 was only a trifle, and, had he not tumbled over the parapet, 
 the fight would have lasted much longer. As it was, the 
 poor devil was really trampled to death during the retreat 
 of the enemy. Still, if you like, Helena, we will put it all 
 down to your amber heart." 
 
 " What amber heart are you talking about ? " asked Jus- 
 tinian inquiringly. 
 
 " Ah, that is a secret between Helena and myself," said 
 Maurice, with a meaning look at the blushing girl, — "a very 
 charming secret indeed. Well, Gurt, and how do you find 
 yourself ? " 
 
 The sailor, who had been working outside the palisade, 
 gave his trousers a hitch and pulled his forelock. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 397 
 
 "I'm as right as a trivet, sir. I hop a little with that 
 there dig I got yesterday, but Lor' bless you, sir I 'tain't 
 nothin'. But if I may make so bold, Mr. Justinian, I wants 
 to speak, sir/' 
 
 " What is it, Gurt ? " 
 
 " Growin' tired of bricklayin', sir, I goes down a bit for a 
 breath of air, and there, sir, as Vm a sinner, I hears the dip 
 of oars." 
 
 " Boats coming ! " cried the Demarch and Maurice in one 
 breath. 
 
 " Yes, sir. I jest came up like a shot. Turn on the light, 
 sir, t' th' north, an' if you don't see them lubbers comin' 
 back, I'm a Dutchman ! " 
 
 Maurice ran off to tell Alexandros, who at once sent the 
 white glare across the sea, and there, pulling straight for the 
 breakwater, they saw a long string of boats. The men therein 
 guessed by the sudden flash of the light that they were dis- 
 covered, and gave a yell of anger, for they had hoped to pull 
 in under cover of darkness, and take the Melnosians by sur- 
 prise. Thanks, however, to Gurt's quick ear, and the ser- 
 viceable electric light, their little scheme was frustrated at 
 nearly the moment of its fulfilment. 
 
 " Ten boats ! " cried Justinian, counting them rapidly. 
 "Push on the work, my men. Here, some of you, take up 
 your guns. What about those cannon, Dick ? " 
 
 " All right now, sir,'' said the sailor, saluting ; " got the 
 spikes out." 
 
 " See if you can knock a few of those boats to splinters. 
 Helena, you and the women go back to the Acropolis." 
 
 " Oh no, no, father ! let me remain here. And see ! all the 
 women are helping to build the wall." 
 
 " Well, well, we need all hands ; but, for God's sake, my 
 child, keep in a place of safety ! " 
 
 " Do you think they will attack to-night ? " asked Crispin, 
 who had raced full speed down the gorge, and was out of 
 breath. 
 
 "No. In the first place, they have had a good thrashing 
 to-day, and in the second, Caliphronas is too much of a 
 coward to lead them on until he has recovered his nerve. 
 They've got re-enforcements, however. I expect those flying 
 met the new men coming, and persuaded them to come back. 
 Is that gun ready, Dick ? " 
 
 " In a minute, sir. Just turn the light on the water so as 
 I can train the gun." 
 
398 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 Alexandres did so, and Dick carefully sighted the piece, so 
 as to allow for the way the boats were making through the 
 water. Evidently unaware of their danger, instead of keep- 
 ing widely apart, and thus neutralizing the chance of the 
 shot hitting them, they all made for the beach in a dense 
 bunch. The electric light showed their position as clearly 
 as if it were day, and the round shot went with a roar right 
 into the conglomerate mass, doing considerable damage. The 
 advancing Greeks yelled with fear, but, seeing their only 
 chance of safety was to get under the level of the guns, 
 pulled in like madmen to the beach. Then by the white 
 radiance of the light, it was seen that two boats had been 
 sunk, and many of their occupants killed, but the survivors, 
 fish in the water, like all insular Greeks, were swimming 
 rapidly to land. 
 
 Caliphronas, foolish though he w^as in military matters, 
 yet knew sufficient of the formation of the ground and the 
 nature of cannon to be aware that it was impossible the 
 muzzles of the guns could be depressed sufficiently to do 
 damage to his men on the beach, therefore, feeling themselves 
 comparatively safe, the newly -landed pirates hastened to put 
 up tents, evidently intending to rest that night and continue 
 the assault in the morning. Knowing that the little gar- 
 rison must be worn out with the long fight during the day, 
 they did not trouble themselves in any way to guard against 
 an attack, not even placing sentries at the outposts. 
 
 As all their movements were revealed by the glare of the 
 search light, Justinian noted this fact, and regretted bitterly 
 that he had not a sufficient force at his command to sally 
 forth against this ill-guarded camp. 
 
 " Egad, Maurice ! " he said in vexation ; " with fifty men 
 at our backs we could sweep them off the island before dawn. 
 The rascals evidently know how weak we are in numbers, 
 else they would not be so careless of their camp. How is 
 that work going on ? " 
 
 "Nearly finished, sir," reported Dick, who was overseer. 
 "They won't get over that wall in a hurry, I'll bet." 
 
 " Transfer your command to one of your men and come 
 here ; I wish to hold a council of war." 
 
 Dick saluted, and having instructed one of his messmates 
 to attend to the final details of the parapet, came forward as 
 Justinian desired. Helena, in company with some of the 
 women, had gone up the gorge, in order to attend to the 
 wounded, so tlie five men, for Gurt was also included in 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 399 
 
 the council, sat down on the grass some little distance away 
 from the workers, and began to discuss the situation in low 
 tones. Sentries had been posted at the barrier, and the 
 electric light was full on the camp of the enemy, so in the 
 event of any movement being made for an assault, which was 
 not likely, Justinian knew he would be informed at once. 
 After all, with the barrier, the heavy guns, and their mus- 
 kets, they could hope to hold the pass for some time, but in 
 the end it was doubtful if they would not have to give in, 
 which catastrophe would mean death to every soul on the 
 island. 
 
 " You can see for yourselves, gentlemen, that the danger 
 is very grave," said the Demarch anxiously; "we are only 
 forty in number, and with these re-enforcements the enemy 
 must be at least one hundred and fifty. It took us all our 
 time to beat them off to-day when we were stronger and not 
 fatigued, but to-morrow, with such a small force, all worn 
 out with fighting and want of sleep, I dread the worst." 
 
 "There is one thing in our favor," observed Maurice in a 
 satisfied tone ; " bad leader as Alcibiades was, he had more 
 pluck than Caliphronas ; and, as he is the general now, he 
 will not inspire his men with confidence. However brave 
 the followers are, unless the leader is equally so, their valor is 
 not of much use, as it lacks discipline and trust in the 
 general." 
 ^ " There's one thing, sir," remarked Dick, addressing Jus- 
 tinian, — "there is one thing I'd like to say. All these 
 Greeks have bare feet, so I think it 'ud be a good plan to 
 strew the front of the palisade with broken glass, which 
 would cut them up a bit." 
 
 "That's a good idea, Dick; and then, when they are in 
 confusion, we can do some damage with our cannon. By the 
 way, what about that gun ? we should have brought that in." 
 
 "' It's a pity we didn't, sir ; but it ain't much good to them, 
 for I've spiked it proper." 
 
 "Ypu've got dynamite, Justinian, have you not?" said 
 Crispin, who had been thinking. 
 
 "Yes; plenty." 
 
 "Then why not make a mine on the slope of the hill, and 
 blow it up with electricity when the enemy are coming 
 
 "Egad ! I'll do that at once. The dynamite can be brought 
 down in about half an hour; it won't take long to dig a 
 trench and lay a wire : so we ought to have the whole thing 
 
400 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 ready by the time they assault the battery at dawn. Dick, 
 take Temistocles and some other men up to the magazine." 
 
 Dick went off to obey this order with alacrity ; and Jus- 
 tinian, whose spirits were rising at the feasibility of these 
 schemes to conquer his enemies, went on talking hopefully 
 of the future. 
 
 " What with cannon, dynamite, and broken bottles to cut 
 their bare feet, I fancy those scoundrels will get a warm 
 reception. Ah, if I only had the full strength of my 
 Melnosians again, I would soon drive these scoundrels back 
 to the ocean ! " 
 
 " If we smash them up to-morrow with dynamite, they 
 won't come again, uncle." 
 
 " I trust not ; but Alcibiades seems to have made exten- 
 sive preparations in the way of re-enforcements, and for all I 
 know, a fresh batch may arrive to-morrow ; while at every 
 assault our numbers diminish. If we only could get more 
 men ! but I fear that is impossible." 
 
 "Not so impossible as you think," said Crispin deliber- 
 ately. " Suppose I go to Syra, and get the Eparch there to 
 send you re-enforcements ? " 
 
 " True ; he's a friend of mine ; and if he did not send regu- 
 lar soldiers, he could at least let me have some men of the 
 same fighting powers as these scoundrels. But how are you 
 to get to Syra? and how are you going to bring the troops 
 back ? " 
 
 " As to bringing them back, by this time my yacht must 
 be there, so it would not take long for me to steam here with 
 a good number of men." 
 
 " Well, but you can't go. We are beleaguered." 
 
 " All tlie enemy are asleep ; so if Gurt here, who knows 
 these waters thoroughly, will come with me, I think we could 
 steal down to the breakwater and obtain one of their boats. 
 A good breeze is blowing ; so, if we put up the sail, we couUl 
 soon cut across the course of one of those Cretan steamers 
 which sail to Syra from Khanea, in which case it would take 
 but a little time to reach the yacht. Once at Syra, I would 
 get as many men as possible, and come back at once." 
 
 " It is a wild scheme, but not impossible," said Justinian 
 thoughtfully. "You'd have to sail about thirty miles ; and 
 then there is the chance of your getting picked up by a 
 steamer." 
 
 " With this 'ere breeze, sir," remarked Gurt, who was not 
 averse to the adventure, " I guess we'd get in the track of 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 401 
 
 one of them Cretans in about twelve hours, more or less. 
 Once in the line, and there's lots of 'em plying to and fro, so 
 the chances are we'd soon be picked up. I'm game for it, if 
 Mr. Crispin is, sir." 
 
 " But are you not too tired ? " 
 
 " I am not," said the poet, stretching himself ; " besides 
 anything is better than this suspense. The only thing I'm 
 afraid of is Gurt's wound." 
 
 •' Don't you be afeared o' that, sir," replied Gurt bluntly. 
 " I've lost some blood, but 'tain't nothin'. I ain't no babby to 
 squake fur nothin'. If we kin git a boat, I'm ready to start 
 this minit." 
 
 " What do you say, Maurice ? " 
 
 Roylands had been listening to these propositions not 
 without a certain amount of approval, which was, however, 
 mingled with a feeling that such a scheme was somewhat 
 foolhardy. 
 
 " I hardly know what to say," he observed at length. 
 " There is one thing certain, if we wish to hold the island, 
 we must have more men ; and, as far as I can see, Crispin's 
 scheme is the only way of getting them. The mere sight of 
 the yacht filled with troops would frighten the life out of 
 these scoundrels, and cause them to clear out ; but the diffi- 
 culty is how to get a boat without being seen by the 
 enemy." 
 
 "I think we can manage that," said Justinian, indicating 
 points with his finger ; for, of course, with the electric light, 
 there was no difficulty in following his actions. " You see, 
 the camp of the enemy is here, to the right of the harbor. 
 I noticed that several of the larger boats were tied to the 
 breakwater ; so if Crispin and Gurt get down there, and 
 walk along the breakwater itself, they can loosen one of the 
 boats and tow it outward to the mouth of the harbor. 
 There they can get in, and row off to the west, without any 
 chance of the dip of their oars being heard by the enemy." 
 
 " That is all very well, uncle ; but how are they to get 
 down to the beach ? No doubt the enemy are all asleep, 
 and, as we know, have not posted sentries ; still, if Crispin 
 goes out by the palisade, he might be seen, in spite of all 
 precautions. Caliphronas is sure to be on the alert." 
 
 " I expect Caliphronas is too weary with his day's work to 
 keep awake," replied the Demarch dryly ; " and he is not the 
 man to deny himself rest, let the consequences be what they 
 may. However, if you don't object to a little danger, Cris- 
 pin, I think we can get you out by another way." 
 
402 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 " In any case there is danger, so a little more makes no 
 difference." 
 
 " Then we will go up to the point above the side path ; and, 
 from there, you know, the cliff slopes down sheer two hun- 
 dred feet. We can let you and Gurt down there by ropes, 
 and you can steal along in the darkness down to the break- 
 water. Once there, and the rest will be easy." 
 
 " It's a risk." 
 
 " Certainly ; the whole enterprise is risky ; but we will 
 keep the electric light full on the camp, so, while you can 
 see all the movements of the enemy, they can see nothing of 
 you in the darkness. To tell you the truth, however, they 
 have such a belief that we can do nothing, that they are all 
 sound asleep; so I don't think you will run much risk. 
 Well, what do you say ? " 
 
 " I'll do it." 
 
 " So will I, sir." 
 
 " Good ! We will trust to Providence for the rest. Let 
 me see, Crispin. It is now past midnight ; so, if you can catch 
 one of those steamers before to-morrow night, you will be in 
 Syra by the next day. In twenty-four hours, I have no 
 doubt, the Eparch will give you plenty of men ; and it will 
 not take a very long time for a steamer to reach here. Alto- 
 gether, if all goes well, you ought to be back in four or five 
 days. The question is, can we hold the island till then ? " 
 
 '' AVe must ! " said Maurice decisively. " If the 'worst comes 
 to the worst, we can blast those overhanging rocks yonder 
 with dynamite, and thus close up the pass entirely. True, 
 we will shut ourselves up as in a prison ; still, we will be 
 safe until aid arrives; for, once the gorge is closed up, no 
 enemy can possibly get into the interior Avithout almost 
 sujjerhuman exertions." 
 
 " We must hope for the best," answered Justinian, rising 
 to his feet. " Well, Crispin, I thank you for your offer, and 
 will accept it. When will you start ? " 
 
 "At once. There is nothing to be gained by waiting. 
 We will take enough of these provisions to last us for three 
 days, in case we miss the steamer ; and, for the rest, trust to 
 Providence." 
 
 " There is a good deal of trusting in Providence about the 
 whole scheme," said Justinian, with a sigh. "You may run 
 the gantlet to the breakwater success full}^, you may get 
 safely off in a boat without being seen by the enemy, you 
 may be picked up by a Cretan steamer, and you may find 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 403 
 
 your yacht lying at Syra. It's all chance, my boy ; and 
 really I think it would be better for us to adopt Maurice's 
 plan in closing up the pass, so as the enemy can't possibly 
 get in." 
 
 '•And we can't possibly get out," replied Crispin signifi- 
 cantly ; it is too dangerous. Remember our conversation 
 the other day about the volcano : if you blow up the pass, all 
 means of exit will be cut off ; and, should the crater burst 
 out, no one of us would be left alive." 
 
 " Then go, and God speed you ! " cried the Demarch, who 
 saw plainly that it was a case of Scylla and Charybdis. 
 
 Maurice had not heard this conversation about the volcano, 
 much to his uncle's satisfaction, having gone forward to 
 meet Dick, who had just come back from the magazine with 
 the dynamite. The bos'n expressed great satisfaction when 
 he heard of the proposed scheme, and would dearly have 
 liked to go himself in place of Gurt, onl}' he knew Justinian 
 could not spare him. However, he was well aware that 
 Crispin could not have a better companion than Gurt, for the 
 old sailor was well acquainted with the course they would 
 have to take towards the west; and, moreover, having had 
 something to do wdth the line of steamers between Khanea 
 and Syra, knew better than any one as to the possibility of 
 being picked up by one of them without loss of time. 
 
 The scheme was put into working order at once, and a 
 sufficiency of provisions was made ready for the adven- 
 turers. Crispin filled his brandy-flask and took his revolver, 
 in case he might be stopped on the beach by the enemy ; 
 and both himself and Gurt took heavy woollen cloaks to 
 protect them from the chill sea-breeze. It was agreed that 
 Justinian and Maurice only should go up with the rope to 
 let down their companions to the beach below, as it was 
 necessary for Dick to remain, in order to attend to the 
 dynamite mine. Nothing was told to the Melnosians about 
 the proposed scheme, lest they, seeing how desperate affairs 
 were, should lose heart ; and, beyond the four leaders, Gurt, 
 and Helena, every one was in ignorance of the daring attempt 
 about to be made. 
 
 After Helena, who was deeply affected by Crispin's 
 bravery, had said good-by to him and Gurt, she went back 
 to the Acropolis with a number of women to obtain some 
 rest, having arranged with her father to come down at early 
 morning with plenty of broken glass, in order to protect the 
 front of the palisade. Dick and his men were already hard 
 
404 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 at work just on the brow of the slope, about one hundred 
 yards away, digging the mine for the dynamite ; so, all 
 things going on thus fairly well, and there being no sign of 
 movement in the camp of the enemy, the Demarch, with his 
 nephew and the two adventurers, unlocked the iron gate, in 
 order to ascend to the top of the cliff, from whence Crispin 
 and Gurt were to be lowered to the beach below. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 THE FORLORN HOPE. 
 
 The night is dark, 
 
 The cliff is high, 
 
 No moon illumes 
 
 The cloudy sky; 
 
 Below we mark 
 
 The fearful glooms 
 
 "Which in their night 
 
 Hide sombrely the way of flight. 
 
 To slender rope 
 
 We cling with dread, 
 
 And hanging there 
 
 As by a thread, 
 
 With fearful hope 
 
 We downward fare, 
 
 Till on the strand 
 
 In safety for a time we land. 
 
 Fortunately for the success of the enterprise, the sky 
 was cloudy, so that the moon, thickly veiled by vapors, was 
 unable to betray the adventurers by her tell-tale light. A 
 strong breeze was blowing seaward from the land and ruf- 
 fling the surface of the black water to ragged caps of white, 
 which promised anything but a pleasant journey to Crispin 
 and his companion. 
 
 They were warmly clothed in thick garments of blue-dyed 
 wool, consisting of tight-fitting jackets and loose trousers, 
 tucked into high boots of untanned leather. In his belt 
 Crispin carried a dagger and his revolver, while Gurt's cut- 
 lass dangled by his side, and both men also wore those red 
 fishermen's caps common to the ^gean, with ample woollen 
 capotes to protect them from the keen winds. Standing on 
 the height of the lofty cliff, they could not see the beach for 
 the profound gloom below, but to the left saw the camp of 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 405 
 
 the enemy clearly defined in the fierce rays of the electric 
 light. Everything there seemed to be as still as the grave, 
 and the pirates were evidently sound asleep under canvas, 
 for not a sound broke the stillness, save the whistle of the 
 breeze and the sullen rolling of the waves on the sands 
 below. 
 
 Maurice and the poet had brought up two coils of strong 
 rope, each over a hundred feet in length ; so, as the cliff meas- 
 ured but two hundred, there would be no difficulty about 
 the ropes being too short. They tied these firmly together, 
 then, making one end fast to a strong pine tree which grew 
 some distance back from the verge, flung the other into the 
 abyss below. The rope paid itself out rapidly, until, when 
 only a few coils were left, it ceased running, which showed 
 that it had touched bottom. Now the two adventurers pre- 
 pared to descend, and shook hands with the Demarch and 
 his nephew, both of whom were much affected. Xone of 
 the four knew if they would meet again, for two were bound 
 on a perilous voyage, and the others were beleaguered in a 
 dangerous volcanic island by bloodthirsty enemies. If they 
 reached the boat safely, and managed to push off into the 
 open sea unseen by their enemies, they were to send up a 
 rocket as a signal of success to the watchers on land. Gurt 
 carried this useful article, and was the first to descend the 
 slender rope, to which he clung like a spider to its thread, 
 and dropped swiftly down until the thickening gloom hid 
 him from their anxious eyes. After a time the rope slacked, 
 and a gentle vibration stealing up it showed that Gurt had 
 landed safely. 
 
 " Good-by, my dear lad," said Justinian, as he embraced 
 the brave poet. " You are sure you have everything ? " 
 
 ''My revolver, cartridges, cloak, a satchel filled with food, 
 your letter to the Eparch. Yes, I think that is all. Gurt 
 has the water-bottles and the rocket. Good-by, Maurice." 
 
 "Good-by, old fellow," replied Maurice, and then they 
 grasped each other's hand in token of farewell, with that 
 stolid composure with which Englishmen in trying circum- 
 stances conceal their emotion. "Take care of yourself for 
 the sake of Eunice." 
 
 " Certainly I will, and for yours also. If all goes well, 
 you will see the white wings of The Eunice off this coast in 
 a few days. But don't surrender the island before then." 
 
 "Not much," retorted Maurice grimly. "I'll blow up all 
 the rocks in the pass first; and if the enemy want to get in, 
 
406 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 they will have to fly over such a barrier. Good-by once 
 more, my boy. Over you go ! " 
 
 Crispin, even at this supreme moment of parting, could 
 not restrain a merry laugh at his friend's coolness, and, lay- 
 ing himself down on the brow of the cliff, grasped the rope, 
 and prepared to descend. As soon as Gurt, below, felt from 
 the quiver that his master was fairly on his way down, he 
 pulled the rope taut with all his strength, so as to render the 
 descent easier. 
 
 " Look out for the rocket," cried Crispin, as he dropped 
 slowly downward into the blackness ; " and keep the light 
 turned on the camp, so that we can see what those wretches 
 are up to." 
 
 "All right," shouted Maurice, who, lying flat on his 
 stomach, was peering over. " Good-by." 
 
 A faint farewell floated up through the intense gloom, as 
 Crispin, with his hands tightly grasping the rope, and his 
 legs twisted round it, went sliding down like a spider on his 
 self-spun thread. Thanks to Gurt. w^ho was holding out the 
 cord widely from the rugged face of the cliff, he found no 
 difiiculty in descending, and soon landed safely beside the 
 sailor on the damp sand. 
 
 Shaking the rope vigorously as a sign to those on top that 
 they were now on terra firma, they walked carefully forward 
 in the darkness towards the land end of the breakwater. 
 Gradually their eyes, now relieved from the dazzle of the 
 electric light, became accustomed to the gloom, and they 
 could see to some extent a good distance ahead. Stealing 
 along silently, their boots made no sound in the dead sand, 
 and they arrived without mischance at the rocky wall of the 
 harbor. Against this several boats were floating, tied to iron 
 rings welded into the masonry, but rejecting the first three 
 or four, which were too cumbersome for two people to man- 
 age, they selected a small light caique, with masts, sail, and 
 oars, which lay nearest to the sea. 
 
 Gurt pulled this in easily by the painter, and then bade 
 Crispin get into it, so as to keep it off from the wall as it 
 was towed along. As the sailor was the more powerful of 
 the two, Crispin obeyed without hesitation, and, with the 
 aid of an oar, kept the craft out from the masonry, while 
 Gurt, with the rope over his shoulder and bent form, ])ulled 
 it with some difficulty towards the entrance. All this time 
 things had gone smoothly with them, for the electric light 
 kept up a steady glare on the camp of their sleeping enemies, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 407 
 
 and they could see no movement to lead them to suspect that 
 the pirates were aware of their daring attempt. 
 
 At the end of the breakwater they placed their provisions, 
 water-bottles, and cloaks in the boat, and after making fast 
 the boat to an iron ring, proceeded to let off the rocket in 
 token of their success. Crispin placed it in position, applied 
 the match, then hastily got into the boat with Gurt and 
 pushed off to sea. Just as they were a few yards from the 
 shore, the rocket flashed skyward with a sharp whizz, scat- 
 tering trains of sparks in its ascent. Alarmed by the unex- 
 pected sound, the pirates rushed out of their tents to 
 ascertain the cause, but the rocket, having expended its 
 fire, had fallen back into the water, so they could see noth- 
 ing to account for the explosion. 
 
 After rowing out a little way, Gurt shipped the oars, and 
 with the assistance of Crispin, hoisted the sail, which bellied 
 out with a groan to the wind and made them glide rapidly 
 forward. Then the sailor took the helm. Crispin, wrapped 
 in his cloak, laid himself down to sleep for a few hours, and 
 the little craft sped away lightly over the white-crested 
 waves into the profound darkness. When they were out 
 some considerable distance, the electric light suddenly flashed 
 out a long ray into the sea, in token of farewell, then re- 
 verted to its original position, and the boat with its two 
 brave occupants was swallowed up in the night. 
 
 On the cliff those left behind waited and watched until 
 the welcome rocket shot its long trail of golden fire through 
 the darkness, then both simultaneously heaved a sigh of 
 relief. 
 
 " Well, they are safe so far," said the Demarch thankfully ; 
 " but, by Jupiter, Maurice, those rascals have heard the 
 rocket go ! " 
 
 "Oh, they've seen nothing," replied his nephew indiffer- 
 ently, as the few men who had rushed out retired again to 
 their tents; "the fire died out before they caught even a 
 glimpse of it. I'm glad Crispin is safely away ; his boat will 
 be flying like a storm}^ petrel before this stiff breeze. Let 
 us go down, uncle, and send them a farewell flash of the 
 light." 
 
 " But it might reveal the boat to those scamps," said Jus- 
 tinian, as they rapidly descended the narrow staircase. 
 
 " Oh, they've all gone inside again ; besides, Crispin has 
 got; too much of a start by this time. I'll go and see 
 Alexandros." 
 
408 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 Which he accordingly did, and the light, after flashing for 
 a second on the flying boat, was again turned on the camp, 
 after which Maurice and his uncle went to see how Dick and 
 his dynamite mine were getting on. Without doubt these 
 amateur sappers had been working hard, for the trench was 
 dug, the dynamite cartridges placed therein, and the hole 
 filled up. Wires attached to each cartridge ran underground 
 through the palisade to the interior of the battery, and none 
 of the enemy would have suspected that the whole of that 
 broad space in front was one deadly mine, which, when ex- 
 ploded, would blow them to pieces by the dozen. 
 
 " There, sir," said Dick, wiping his heated brow ; '• now 
 when Miss Helena brings those broken bottles, we'll smash 
 'em up on this ground between the mine and the palisade, so 
 if any of those beggars escape being cut to pieces or blown 
 to atoms it'll be a miracle." 
 
 "It's splendid, Dick," answered Justinian, clapping him 
 on the shoulder. " And now, my lad, you had better go and 
 have some sleep." 
 
 " D'ye think it 'ull be safe, sir ? " 
 
 " Quite safe ! All those scamps are sound asleep, and will 
 not attack before dawn. The barrier is built up as strongly 
 as we can do it, your cannon are all right, and, what with the 
 mine and the broken glass, I think they'll find it pretty hard 
 to get even as far as they did to-day." 
 
 " Is Mr. Crispin all right, sir ? " 
 
 " Yes ; he got safely into the boat, sent up a rocket to tell 
 us of his success, and by this time is on his way to Syra for 
 help." 
 
 " I saw the rocket, sir, so I guessed it 'ud be all right. 
 D'ye think, sir, we'll hold out till he brings the yacht here ? " 
 
 "Of course we will," said Maurice, who had joined the 
 pair ; " our defence here, even with our small numbers, is 
 quite strong enough to stand one storming. If some of them 
 get their feet cut to pieces by the glass, and others blown up 
 sky-high by the mine, I wouldn't be surprised if they gave 
 up the attempt and sailed away." 
 
 " Suppose they don't, sir ? " questioned Dick dubiously. 
 
 "Then, my Kichard, I have a plan for closing up this 
 pass." 
 
 " How, sir ? " 
 
 " You see those overhanging rocks up there ? Well, as 
 they are just over the entrance of the pass, to-morrow, so 
 soon as we have beaten back those wretches, we'll go up 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 409 
 
 and bore holes along the narrowest part for dynamite cart- 
 ridges. Then we'll attach wires as in the mine, and if we 
 find that we can't stand against a second assault, all we 
 have to do is to inveigle our friends under those rocks, ex- 
 plode the charge, and then, my Richard — oh, what a time 
 they will have ! " 
 
 " But that 'ull shut us up in the island, sir." 
 
 " Well, what of that ? It's a pleasant place to dwell in. 
 But you needn't be afraid, Dick ; it's easier to get out than 
 get in, and when the yacht arrives we'll not have much diffi- 
 culty in getting on board." 
 
 " Leave Melnos, sir ! " 
 
 "No ! " said Justinian angrily. "I've no doubt, if we are 
 forced to fill up the pass, those scoundrels will leave us. If 
 they don't, the arrival of the yacht with fresh troops will 
 drive them away. Then, we'll go to work to open up both 
 the pass and tunnel." 
 
 "Not enough men, Mr. Justinian." 
 
 " Ah, my poor Melnosians ! Well, we'll have to get more 
 settlers, that's all. The difficulty is not in getting men and 
 women, but in getting pure-blooded Greeks." 
 
 Dick did not understand this latter remark, so wisely left 
 it unanswered, and, touching his cap, went off with his mess- 
 mates to snatch a few hours' sleep before the grand assault 
 which all anticipated would take place at dawn. Justinian 
 and his nephew made an inspection of all the defences, saw 
 that the sentries were posted, and then went to talk to Alex- 
 andros about the small battery he was rigging up for the 
 purpose of exploding the mine when necessary. 
 
 " There will be no difficulty about this affair, Alexan- 
 dros ? " 
 
 "No, Kyrion. I have attached the wires leading to the 
 cartridges to this battery, and will have it under my charge 
 to-morrow behind this rock, which will protect me from the 
 fire of the enemy. You wave your hand as a signal, and I 
 touch this button, when the mine will explode in a second." 
 
 " Excellent ! " said Justinian, with great satisfaction. 
 " And if we wanted to close up the pass by bringing down 
 those rocks above you ? " 
 
 " In the same way, Kyrion. Make holes above for your 
 cartridges and attach wires of any length. With my battery 
 at one end of those wires, and the dynamite at the other, I 
 could blow up the whole of this gorge from the Acropolis." 
 
 " You can trust your man in charge of the engine ? '^ 
 
410 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Yes, Kyrion. That is all he has to do, for the dynamo 
 works by itself without my being present." 
 
 " All seems going smoothly/' said the Demarch to Maurice, 
 as they turned away. " That mine ought to do considerable 
 damage." 
 
 " I'm certain it will. But, uncle, you must be quite worn 
 out for want of rest ; so you go to sleep, and I will watch." 
 
 '• I will sleep later on ; but meanwhile I am going up to 
 the Acropolis to tell Helena that Crispin and Gurt have left 
 the island safely. She will be very anxious." 
 
 " Give her a kiss for me," cried Maurice, as his uncle 
 walked away up the pass. 
 
 " I am afraid it will be horribly damaged on the transit," 
 replied the Demarch, smiling. ""Good-by, my lad. Keep 
 a sharp look-out, and if anything goes wrong, send Temis- 
 tocles to the Acropolis. I will be back in an hour." 
 
 He went away slowly ; for, in spite of his iron spirit and 
 determination to keep up, the incessant fatigue was begin- 
 ning to tell on his frame. At seventy-five, one cannot play 
 with a constitution ; and hardened as was the body of Jus- 
 tinian by temperate living and constant exercise, he yet felt 
 that he was not the man he was. Another thing which wor- 
 ried him mentally, and thus acted on him physically, was 
 the thought of the volcano ; for, in spite of the way in 
 which he reassured Crispin, he felt by no means easy in his 
 mind regarding the safety of the island. Not until he was 
 absolutely forced to, would he close up the pass, and thus 
 shut himself up in a crater apparently on the verge of erup- 
 tion. True, if the worst came, he could escape with his peo- 
 ple over the cliff, but such a method would take some time ; 
 and, with the volcano spouting fire, there would be but a 
 small chance of any one escaping alive. Full of these 
 thoughts, he walked leisurely along, pondering over matters 
 volcanic and matters military ; for with the treacherous cra- 
 ter on one side, and the cruel enemy on the other, he could 
 not but see that matters were approaching a crisis. 
 
 Even if the volcano remained quiescent, and the enemy 
 were beaten back, still things were in anything but a satis- 
 factory position ; for he had lost many of his men, and he 
 knew how difficult it would be to supply their places with 
 Greeks of the old Hellenic stock. Those who were dead 
 had been trained up under his eye ; they knew his aims and 
 aspirations, and were already developing greatly : but now 
 all that was at an end ; they had been cut off by death, and 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 411 
 
 even if he got new blood, it would mean that the whole task 
 of training up a new generation would have to begin all over 
 again. Justinian was a man of great self-control, but when 
 he thought of all he had lost, in the darkness of night he 
 gave free vent to his emotion, and wept bitterly at the down- 
 fall of his hopes. Still all was not yet lost, for the island 
 still remained, and many of the old inhabitants ; so he dried 
 his eyes when he left the gorge, and determined, notwith- 
 standing his bad fortune, still to bear up bravely in his 
 efforts to reconstruct the old Hellenic civilization. 
 
 As he neared the Acropolis, he was astonished to see 
 Helena, attended by Zoe, come hastily along the road, with 
 a face expressive of great fear. 
 
 '' What is the matter ? " he asked hurriedly, as she fell 
 into his arms. " Are you ill ? — is the " — 
 
 "The lake! the lake, father!" 
 
 A terrible fear seized Justinian's heart, but he neverthe- 
 less controlled his feelings and spoke calmly. 
 
 " What do you mean, Helena ? " 
 
 " The lake ! it is dried up." 
 
 In the dark Justinian could not see the lake at the bot- 
 tom of the valley, but he guessed what had happened. The 
 lake's bottom, shattered b}^ the subterranean convulsions, 
 had been unable to hold the w^ater in its cup, and the whole 
 body had been drained off into the bowels of the earth. 
 This, then, was the third warning of Hephaistos, and a 
 very terrible one it was, for if the crust of the crater was so 
 convulsed, the next thing that would happen would be an 
 outburst of fire. 
 
 Justinian foresaw all this in a moment, but, without say- 
 ing a word, led his terrified daughter back to the Acropolis, 
 where they sat down on the steps. The moon, lately ob- 
 scured by cirrus-shaped clouds, now burst out in full splen- 
 dor through the thin woof, and the Demarch with a pang 
 saw that his beautiful valley was bereft of its gleaming sil- 
 ver eye. Where the calm expanse of water had been was 
 now an ugly black gulf of rugged rock, and Justinian half 
 expected to see fire burst fiercely from those black depths. 
 
 " It is nothing, it is nothing, my child," he said, with a 
 confidence he was far from feeling; "the earthquake has 
 shattered the lake, and of course the water has drained off. 
 Silly child, of what are you afraid ?" 
 
 " I dread lest the crater should burst into fire." 
 
 '' There is no sign of that ; we would have had warnings 
 long ago." 
 
412 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " But, father, the earthquake ! the lake ! " 
 
 " Those mean nothing. Look hoAV frequent are earth- 
 quakes at Santorin, yet people continue to live there. As to 
 the lake, as soon as this war is over, I will stop up the cracks 
 at the bottom, and it will soon be filled again. Are the 
 women afraid ? " 
 
 " Some of them ; still they are all sleeping down below 
 with the children, so I don't think they attach much impor- 
 tance to the disappearance of the lake." 
 
 " And are you less brave than these poor things ? Helena, 
 I thought you were braver." 
 
 " I told Miss Helena there was no danger," said Zoe in 
 English, with her pretty foreign accent. 
 
 " There, you see, Helena ! Zoe is not afraid." 
 
 " Oh, I am better now you are with me," said Helena, 
 smiling through her tears ; " but it is so lonely here with no 
 one but Zoe and that man who drives the engine." 
 
 " Where are the servants ? " 
 
 " I sent them down to look after the wounded who are in 
 the village. But, papa — Maurice ? " 
 
 " He is all right, and sends you this kiss — there ! " 
 
 " Dear Maurice, he never forgets me ! — and Crispin ? " 
 
 " Has safely left the island with Gurt, so, you see, help 
 will soon arrive. You must be brave, Helena; things are 
 not so bad as you think." 
 
 " I am glad to hear you say so, father." 
 
 " I do say so. You have not spoken of this volcano busi- 
 ness to any one — and you, Zoe ? " 
 
 " No, no ! " cried both the girls in chorus ; " not a word." 
 
 " That is right ; I do not wish any one to be frightened 
 unnecessarily, and you will think of neither war nor volcanoes 
 in a few days. But come, Helena, give me something to 
 eat." 
 
 " Will you stay here, father ? " asked the girl, as she led 
 the way into the Acropolis. 
 
 " No, I am a soldier, and must live as the other soldiers. 
 Let me have a meal here, and then you can go to bed, while I 
 return to the front." 
 
 " Can I come down to-morrow ? " 
 
 " No, you have acted the heroine quite enough. There 
 will be some tough work to-morrow, and I don't want to risk 
 losing you, my treasure." 
 
 " I may lose Maurice." 
 
 " Don't think of such a thing. He is a true Roylands, and 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 413 
 
 bears a charmed life ; something to do with that amber heart, 
 I suppose." 
 
 " Did Maurice tell you, father ? " 
 
 "No ; some magical nonsense, I suppose. Well, well, come 
 and give your poor father something to eat, for, war or no war, 
 I must have supper." 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 UNDER THE UNION JACK. 
 
 The cross of St. Andrew, the cross of St. George, 
 Are blent in the folds which are flung to the air, 
 
 And proud floats the flag at the head of the gorge, 
 Proclaiming the presence of Englishmen there. 
 
 Red tint for the blood which is shed for the brave, 
 "White, symbol of honor no cowardice taints, 
 
 With blue as a sign of the circling wave, 
 And crosses that witness our faith and our saints. 
 
 It streams o'er the battle, forbidding retreat, 
 
 Reminding us ever of Albion's name ; 
 Brave banner of England, unsoiled by defeat, 
 
 The token of victory, valor, and fame. 
 
 Shot-ragged with bullets on numberless plains. 
 It's folds with the hearts' blood of Englishmen red, 
 
 Unbeaten, undaunted it ever remains, 
 A sign for the living, a shroud for the dead. 
 
 " It must remain here," said Justinian proudly ; " once 
 the English flag has been brought to the front, it cannot 
 retreat." 
 
 " Let us hoist it by all means," replied Maurice cheerfully ; 
 " but, remember, only seven Englishmen fight under its 
 folds." 
 
 " Well, I guess, Mr. Roylands, half a dozen Englishmen 
 are worth fifty Greeks ! " cried Dick, with great confidence. 
 " Once we get that Union Jack up, and I'd like to see who'd 
 pull it down." 
 
 It was early morning, and they were talking about the 
 flag which Helena had brought down on the previous day. 
 As the bulk of their army consisted of Melnosians, who did 
 not understand the sacred feeling with which it was re- 
 garded by the English, Maurice thought it hardly worth 
 while to plant it on the palisade ; but the Demarch, iu spite 
 
414 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 of his independent sovereignty, was patriotic to the core of 
 his brave old heart, and, with a touch of sentiment, insisted 
 that the attack should be repelled under the unconquered 
 banner. Maurice therefore humored his uncle, and agreed 
 to his wish, so the live sailors planted a stout pole just in- 
 side the barricade, and in a few minutes the flag of England 
 was floating proudly at the mouth of the gorge. 
 
 As yet the enemy had made no move, so Justinian had 
 plenty of time to complete his defensive preparations. In 
 spite of her father's veto, Helena, mindful of Maurice's in- 
 structions regarding broken glass, had come down at dawn 
 with her women, all bearing bottles, crockery, and earthen 
 jars, which were speedily smashed to atoms and strewn 
 plentifully on the ground between the mine and the barrier. 
 Alexandros had his battery in good working order, and had 
 ensconced himself behind a rock some little distance away, 
 from which, on being signalled to by the Demarch, he could 
 explode the mine at the proper time. The Melnosians had 
 managed to snatch a few hours' sleep, and, encouraged by 
 their victory of the previous day, were ready for the fight, 
 so a sense of great hopefulness was diffused among the val- 
 iant little garrison. What with the mine to blow up the 
 enemy, the broken glass to cut their bare feet, — no inef- 
 fective defence, — the guns ready loaded to sweep them down 
 as they swarmed up, and the stern determination of the de- 
 fenders to fight to the bitter end, Justinian felt that, in spite 
 of being outnumbered, he would be able to hold the island 
 until the return of Crispin with re-enforcements. The more 
 perilous became the position, the higher arose the spirits of 
 the defenders, especially those of the sailors, on whose 
 patriotic feelings the presence of their country's flag had a 
 wonderfully inspiring effect. 
 
 '•'Now then, Helena," said her father, when all prepara- 
 tions were complete, " you had better return to the Acropolis 
 with the women." 
 
 "Very well, father; but I will be very anxious for your 
 safety." 
 
 " What about me ? " asked Maurice reproachfully. 
 
 " Oh, you've got your talisman," she replied, with an at- 
 tempt at lightness, "so you will be quite safe ; but I am not 
 so sure about father." 
 
 " Don't trouble your head about me," said the Demarch, 
 kissing her; "if I die I die, and if I live I live — it's the 
 fortune of war. The best thing you can do, Helena; is to go 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 415 
 
 down to the valley and attend to those poor fellows who are 
 wounded. I know you will be very anxious, my dear, so I 
 will send Teraistocles to you every now and then witli in- 
 formation as to how tlie fight is getting on. Now, good-by, 
 my dear chikl, and keep up your spirits." 
 
 "I will walk up witli you to the head of the pass," said 
 Maurice, turning away from the palisade ; '' there is no sign 
 of the enemy getting under arms yet, so I can easily spare a 
 few minutes." 
 
 Helena of course was delighted at thus having her lover 
 all to herself for even a quarter of an hour, and walked 
 beside him up the gorge, followed by the women, who had 
 taken an affectionate farewell of their sons, husbands, and 
 brothers. Zoe also was weeping bitterly, as she had just 
 parted from Dick, and dreaded lest she should never see 
 him again. Indeed, despite the danger, the men at the front 
 were less to be pitied than those women remaining behind in 
 the interior of the island, for while the former were at least 
 too occupied to fret over their troubles, the latter, with noth- 
 ing to take their minds off the disasters surrounding them, 
 were in a state of suspense pitiable to behold. 
 
 "Do you think Crispin will come back within the week, 
 Maurice ? " asked Helena, as she walked arm in arm with 
 her lover. 
 
 " I hope so ! If he is picked up by the Cretan steamer, 
 and his yacht is now lying at Syra, I have no doubt he will; 
 but it is all the merest chance. However, come what may, I 
 think we can defend the island to the end." 
 
 " It is not of the danger without, but of the danger within 
 I am thinking." 
 
 " Why, what do you mean ? " 
 
 " This volcano " — began Helena, upon which Maurice in- 
 terrupted her with a merry laugh of scorn. 
 
 " My dear one, do not fright yourself with false fire. I 
 suppose you are thinking of the earthquake ? " 
 
 " Yes ; and of the lake and the springs." 
 
 " What is the matter with them ? " 
 
 "The springs are spouting furiously, and the lake has dis- 
 appeared." 
 
 " Great heavens ! that does sound ominous," said Maurice 
 anxiously. " Does your father know ? " 
 
 " Of course he does, but he told me not to speak of it, lest 
 the people should become panic-stricken, but of course such 
 prohibition does not extend to you." 
 
416 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 ^' The lake gone ! the springs active ! " repeated Roylands 
 in a musing tone. " I am afraid there is danger of the vol- 
 cano breaking out again." 
 
 " So I think ; but fatlier laughs at all my fears." 
 
 " It would be a terrible catastrophe should such a thing 
 happen, for not one of us could hope to escape. Besides, if 
 Melnos became an active volcano, all your father's forty years 
 of hard work would go for nothing." 
 
 " Do you think it is likely an eruption will take place, 
 Maurice ? " asked Helena in a tremulous voice. " You have 
 no idea how afraid I am." 
 
 " Egad ! it is enough to make any one afraid ; however, I 
 think you can set your mind at rest, Helena. The eruption, 
 if there is to be one, cannot possibly take place for a week, 
 and by that time Crispin's yacht will have arrived ; so if 
 there are any signs of an outbreak, we can escape at 
 once." 
 
 " Oh, I hope so ! I trust so ! " 
 
 "What does worry me," pursued Maurice meditatively, 
 " is all this war going on for what may turn out to be noth- 
 ing but a heap of cinders. It would be the very irony of 
 fate, if, after beating back the foe, this volcano should start, 
 and drive us away from the very place we have defended." 
 
 " If such a thing happened, I do not think my father 
 would survive." 
 
 "It would be a blow, certainly," replied Roylands, affect- 
 ing a cheerfulness he was far from feeling; "but one can do 
 nothing against the giant forces of nature. However, He- 
 lena, remember all the wealth of Melnos is safe in London, 
 thanks to the wisdom of my uncle ; so if Hephaistos did 
 start a forge here, which he seems inclined to do, we would 
 simply have to abandon this island, and start our scheme of 
 a new Hellas on another ; but this time we would select one 
 less dangerous from a volcanic point of view." 
 
 " But think of forty years' work thrown away ! " 
 
 " And think of leaving this paradise ! However, if the 
 archangel waves his flaming sword, we must ; still, if I go, 
 my Eve will be with me, and that will comfort me greatly." 
 
 " Ah, my dear, dear Maurice ! — Oh, what is that ? " 
 
 " The roll of a drum," cried Roylands, stopping abruptly. 
 " The enemy must have begun the attack, so I will have to 
 return to my post. Good-by, my dearest, and don't trouble 
 yourself. Remember, I have your amber heart.'' 
 
 " And my real heart also." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 417 
 
 "Well, I leave mine with you for safety; so I can't be 
 shot through the heart, can I ? Jove ! there's the drum again. 
 Give me a kiss. There, good-by, my dear one." 
 
 Down the gorge he tore at full speed, for he already heard 
 the sharp crack of a musket-shot ; and Helena, remaining 
 where she was, sank on her knees, which example was fol- 
 lowed by all her women ; and the whole company, with up- 
 lifted hands, implored the protection of Heaven for their 
 dear ones at the front. 
 
 Maurice arrived at the barrier just in time, for the enemy 
 were already scrambling up the slope ; and Justinian, catch- 
 ing sight of his nephew, shouted out to him to redouble his 
 speed. 
 
 " Quick, quick, Maurice ! Confound it, sir ! they'll be on 
 us in a few minutes ! " 
 
 " Well, that will be just time for me to recover my breath," 
 said the young man good-humoredly. " All in order, uncle ? " 
 " Yes. We'll meet them with rifle-shots first, and give 
 them a chance of cutting their feet to pieces." 
 
 "But if we let them get so near, they will assault the 
 barrier." 
 
 " What ! after crossing those broken bottles barefooted ? 
 Don't you believe it, my lad. They will be jumping about 
 like cats on hot bricks shortly ! 
 
 All the Melnosians were in a high state of glee over this 
 snare for the enemy, which was so simple, yet dangerous, 
 and yelled with laughter as the foremost stormers dashed 
 with their bare feet right into the centre of the sharp points. 
 Of course, the vigor with which they rushed forward ren- 
 dered the glass all the more effective; and, after receiving 
 them with a volley of musket-shot, the garrison paused to 
 roar with laughter at the sight of the bare-legged islanders 
 hopping in agony over the broken points. Is was not dig- 
 nified, it was not particularly dangerous, and could hardly be 
 called legitimate war; yet, by this simple means, the first 
 rush was effectually checked ; and streaming with blood, the 
 enraged stormers retired, leaving a few of their dead, who had 
 been killed and wounded by the volley, lying on the field. 
 
 The information concerning this stratagem soon passed 
 from mouth to mouth, and those of the enemy who were not 
 yet climbing up the hill, dashed back to their tents, from 
 whence, after a time, they emerged, wearing tough leathern 
 sandals, with the hair still on, bound round their feet by 
 strong thongs. Those who had been wounded in this novel 
 
418 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 manner had, regardless of safety, sat down within rifle range 
 to tie up their bleeding feet ; and Justinian, with more gene- 
 rosity than they would have displayed in like circumstances, 
 refrained from firing on them thus defenceless. 
 
 Caliphronas, who, since the death of Alcibiades, now held 
 supreme command of this irregular army, saw his forbear- 
 ance, and, sneering at Justinian for a soft-hearted fool, with, 
 for him, exceptional courage, led those of his men who were 
 booted across the dangerous ground. Apparently he had 
 quite forgotten how Alcibiades had carried forward his storm- 
 ers the previous day under the shelter of the cliff, for, ad- 
 vancing thus in a compact body full in front of the palisade, 
 they were exposed to a raking fire from the muskets of the 
 garrison. 
 
 " Lions led by a deer are not dangerous," quoth Justinian 
 grimly, on seeing this bad generalship. " I don't think we'll 
 have such a bad time of it as we did yesterday." 
 
 " Certainly not, while Caliphronas is general of the enemy," 
 replied Maurice, laughing ; " but he has some courage, I see, 
 for he leads the stormers." 
 
 " I'll soon frighten him back, sir," said Dick, who hated 
 Caliphronas for his treachery on the night of the wreck; 
 " will I fire ? " 
 
 " Wait a minute, till they are more conglomerate. Now ! " 
 
 The gun roared, and a shower of grape-shot splashed over 
 the advancing body, which did considerable damage in their 
 ranks, that is, if such disorderlv huddling could be dignified 
 by such a name. They still continued to come on, however, 
 on noting which, Justinian, who, in default of Gurt, had 
 charge of the other gun, sent another shower of grape among 
 them. 
 
 They wavered for a moment, but, as their leader still urged 
 them to come on, Maurice snatched a rifle from the man 
 nearest him, and aimed deliberately at Caliphronas, not with 
 the intention of killing him, but merely forcing him to retire 
 wounded. The ball struck Caliphronas on the elbow of his 
 sword-arm, and with a yell of pain he dropped his weapon 
 and ran away, followed as a matter of course, by his soldiers. 
 
 " At this rate, Maurice, we can hold the island for a year," 
 said the Demarch, with a jeering laugh ; " it's child's play 
 compared with yesterday." 
 
 "If we can get them on that mine, and explode it in good 
 time, the siege will be over," replied his nephew decisively. 
 
 " I am averse to useless massacre." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 419 
 
 " So am I, but if we don't put the fear of God into their 
 souls, they will wear us out by these puny attacks. One 
 bold stroke, and they will fly." 
 
 " Well, do what you will. I have every confidence in your 
 generalship." 
 
 The enemy again charged up the hill, but this time Cali- 
 phronas was conspicuous by his absence, as he was evidently 
 in the camp attending to his wound. A huge man in an 
 Albanian dress was leading this time, and had at least the 
 virtue of brute courage, for, in spite of the musket-shots and 
 double discharge of the cannon, which killed many, he still 
 advanced with his men right up to the palisade. 
 
 '• Hand-to-hand again," said Dick, as the Melnosians began 
 to use their bayonets, " but they won't get over the barricade 
 this time." 
 
 As the barrier was now built of nothing but turf overlaid 
 with sank-bags and gabions, the besiegers found their axes of 
 no use, and were reduced to try to swarm up to the top of 
 the parapet in overwhelming numbers. The garrison, how- 
 ever, shot freely into the struggling mass, but in doing this 
 had to expose themselves greatly, and in consequence lost 
 many men. Still, they managed to drive back the besiegers, 
 and the two cannon belched forth grape-shot alternately, so 
 that at length the enemy were forced to retreat over the 
 brow of the hill. Thus relieved from immediate danger, 
 the Melnosians busied themselves with their dead and 
 wounded, carrying both to the rear, so that their fighting 
 might not be hampered by the cumbering of the ground 
 with bodies. In front of the barrier, the ground right over 
 the brow of the hill was thick with the fallen of the enemy, 
 and some of the wounded were trying to crawl to a place of 
 safety, while others, lifting up their hands, cried out on 
 "Christos." 
 
 In a remarkably short space of time, the pirates re-formed 
 into something like order, and, still led by the Albanian, 
 came once more to the point of attack. This time, however, 
 instead of assaulting the barricade, they lay down on the 
 crest of the hill, and began to pick off the garrison with 
 their rifles, while every now and then a small body would 
 make a sally forward, only to be beaten back with bayonet 
 and cutlass. Quite unaware of the danger they were in, the 
 whole of the firing party were camped right on top of the 
 mine, and Justinian, wishing to end this desultory warfare, 
 waited until they were pretty well massed before giving the 
 signal to explode. 
 
420 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 
 
 Twice he raised his hand to give the sign, and twice he 
 dropped it again, from a sentiment of regret, for, scum 
 though the besiegers were, it yet seemed a terrible thing to 
 hurl into fragments the fifty or sixty men who were so calmy 
 seated over the mine. Still it was a case of necessity, for 
 the garrison, worn out with incessant fighting, were not fit 
 to stand another assault such as had taken place the day 
 before, and, if the pirates captured the island, every living 
 person would be ruthlessly put to death. 
 
 Justinian was not a uselessly cruel man, and would fain 
 have been spared the necessity of such a wholesale massacre, 
 but when he thought of his child, and the defenceless women 
 who would be left to the mercy of these savages in case of 
 capture, all feelings of pity died in his breast, so when the 
 enemy were massed in a great number above the mine, he 
 gave the signal. 
 
 Alexandros at once sent the electric spark along the buried 
 wires, the ground in front of the barrier heaved like a con- 
 vulsed serpent, and in the concussion which followed the 
 roar of the explosion, every one of the garrison was thrown 
 to the ground. When they arose to their feet, the sight 
 which met their eyes was frightful, for the ground was 
 strewn with fragments of human bodies, legs, arms, trunks, 
 heads, all lying about in ghastly confusion. The sky seenied 
 to have rained blood, for their garments were splashed with 
 the crimson fluid; and the whole space of ground on the 
 crest of the hill was rent and riven into huge holes. Of all 
 the human beings resting there a few minutes before, hardly 
 one was left alive, and down the hill fled the frightened 
 survivors, yelling out that an earthquake had taken place. 
 Those still in the camp caught the alarm, and ran for the 
 boats, so in a few minutes the harbor was dotted with craft 
 pulling hard for the entrance. Not one pirate, save those 
 who were wounded, remained on the beach, for this frightful 
 catastrophe, which they ascribed to natural causes, had com- 
 pletely routed the whole host which had stormed the pali- 
 sade so confidently a few hours before. 
 
 " The war is over," said Maurice, who was very pale, for 
 the shocking sight of the bodies in fragments was enough to 
 make the bravest shudder; "they have had a lesson, and 
 won't come back again." 
 
 " I trust not," said Justinian, who stood sternly under the 
 drooping folds of the Union Jack, "but I doubt it while 
 Oaliphronas is alive. Still, we have gained the victory this 
 
TUB ISLAND OF FANTASY. 421 
 
 time, and, though I am ashamed of having perpetrated such 
 a wholesale massacre under this flag, yet necessity knows no 
 law or mercy either." 
 
 "If we had not beaten them by that time, they would have 
 beaten us," said Maurice, taking a pull at his brandy-flask, 
 " for all our men are about worn out, and could not have 
 stood another assault. We have lost a good few too, and I 
 doubt, uncle, if, out of your hundred and twenty subjects, 
 you have more than thirty left." 
 
 " It has indeed been a severe struggle," replied Justinian 
 sadly, " but now, thank God, it is over — at least, for a time ; 
 but, as sure as you stand there, Maurice, Caliphronas will 
 come back with a fresh set of blackguards." 
 
 " By that time, Crispin and his re-enforcements will have 
 arrived, so we will soon be able to drive them back. Dick ! " 
 
 "Yes, sir?" 
 
 "We must repair damages, and bury the dead." 
 
 " Right, sir ! " 
 
 It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they began 
 this task, and not until nightfall were the dead buried 
 decently in shallow graves dug in the sea-shore sand. Papa 
 Athanasius came down with all the women from the village, 
 and read the service of the Greek Church over the remains 
 of friend and foe alike, so that when the moon arose above 
 the peaks of Melnos, there was no sign of a struggle having 
 taken place, save in the battered barricade and the rent 
 ground. 
 
 When all was completed, Justinian held a consultation 
 with his nephew and Dick as to the probability of the foe 
 returning soon, as, if there was a possibility of such an event 
 happening, it would be unwise to leave the barrier unguarded. 
 Ultimately, it was decided to leave sentries on guard, with 
 cannon and muskets loaded, and Alexandros directed the 
 search light full on the entrance of the harbor, so that in the 
 event of the enemy returning, they could be seen before 
 reaching shore, and the alarm given at once. Temistocles, 
 who was still in good condition, as he had done no fighting, 
 was left behind also, in order that if an attack were made, 
 he might run to the Acropolis to alarm Justinian. 
 
 These arrangements having been made, the survivors of 
 the fierce fighting returned to the village, in order to take 
 the rest they so much needed. Loud were the wailings for 
 the dead from the Melnosian women, many of whom were 
 now alone in the world, and all that night, those sleeping in 
 
422 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 the Acropolis heard the sounds of bitter sorrow rising from 
 the valley below. It had been a tough fight, many had been 
 lost, and much damage had been done ; still, the foe had been 
 forced to retreat, and Melnos was still under the rule of the 
 Demarch. 
 
 That night the leaders were all gathered round the supper- 
 table, to make the first good meal they had tasted for days, 
 and Helena and Zoe waited on them, for all the rest of the 
 servants were down in the village looking after the wounded 
 men. All of them looked worn out and haggard, for the 
 strain, both physical and mental, had been something terri- 
 ble ; and even now, like Justinian, Maurice and Dick, gifted 
 as they were with iron constitutions, were nearly broken 
 down by the terrible experiences they had undergone. 
 
 *' My poor Helena, you look fit to drop," said Maurice ten- 
 derly, drawing her down beside him. " Rest yourself for a 
 time, and do not be so afraid. All danger is now past." 
 
 "But think of the many lives that have been lost." 
 
 "I do, and regret them; still, selfish as it may sound, 
 remember we are all safe, and, after all, that is a great 
 thing." 
 
 "I am sure I don't know how long we will be safe with 
 this volcano." 
 
 '' Nonsense, Helena ! " said her father in a vexed tone ; " I 
 tell 3'ou there is no danger there. Nothing new has hap- 
 pened that I know of. The island is quite safe, but if there 
 are any chances of an outburst, we will get awa}^ in Crispin's 
 yacht." 
 
 " That is what I was saying to Helena this morning. But 
 will you abandon the new Hellas ? " 
 
 "I must if Hephaistos bids me. The bravest man can do 
 nothing against a burning mountain. No, Maurice, if I am 
 driven from Melnos, I will no longer fight against fate ; al- 
 ready, by the death of so many, a great deal of my forty 
 years' labor has proved futile, so if the crowning touch is 
 put to it by the outbreak of the volcano, I will throw up the 
 game," 
 
 " And return to England ? " 
 
 "Yes. lam old now, and want rest, so I have no doubt 
 you and Helena will give me a corner at the Grange. It 
 will be a great blow to me should things turn out in this 
 way ; still, I may be too pessimistic, and all may yet be 
 well." 
 
 "If I may make so bold, sir," said Dick, who had been 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 423 
 
 talking in a whisper to Zoe, "what, may I ask, is to become 
 of me ? Zoe, here, says, if Miss Helena goes to England, 
 she will go too." 
 
 '' Well, you will accompany her, Dick," said Maurice ge- 
 nially ; "and I have no doubt that, when you are married, I 
 will be able to give you a billet at the Grange." 
 
 " Buy a yacht, sir ? " 
 
 " :N'o, I leave that to Mr. Crispin, so you can still take ser- 
 vice under him, and make Zoe stewardess. But we are all 
 looking at the black side of things ; the mountain may re- 
 main quiet, in which case I will still stay here and carry out 
 Justinian's scheme of the new Hellas." 
 
 '•Hear! hear!" cried Dick, lifting his glass. "Beggin' 
 pardon, sir, but here's to the health of Mr. Justinian ! " 
 
 " Coupled with the name of Mr. Roylands, who is a hero," 
 said Justinian, bowing his thanks for the compliment. 
 
 " And add Helena's name also, for she is a heroine," cried 
 Maurice gayly. "Now then, uncle, Dick, Helena, Zoe ! three 
 cheers for our noble selves ! " 
 
 These were given, and after that, quite worn out, all 
 retired to rest. 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXVIII. 
 
 THE PREY OF THE GODS. 
 
 Far down the valley the altars are reared, 
 The off'ring no power can delay ; 
 For gods never honored, yet gods ever feared, 
 Claim their prey. 
 
 The fire that springs from the womh of the earth 
 Will flame on these altars of fear; 
 The songs of the living, the laughter and mirth, 
 None will hear. 
 
 For weepings and wailings of hundreds afraid 
 Roll up 'neath the sting of the rods; 
 The worship is ended, the sacrifice made 
 To the gods. 
 
 Things went along very smoothly for the next two days, 
 as there was no sign of the pirates returning, nor did the 
 volcano hint at any near outbreak of fire. Gradually the 
 diminished population settled down to their old occupations, 
 
424 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 for Justinian, in spite of the terrible events which had lately- 
 taken up the attention of every one, judged it wisest to pre- 
 vent any disorganization of his social system. The few 
 men surviving returned to their work, and did their best by- 
 constant industry to make up for their lack of numbers, 
 though, indeed, a dismal silence had settled down on this 
 rural population, once so gay and mirthful. Later on, when 
 all fear of an invasion had passed away, Justinian intended 
 to make an excursion round the Archipelago in search of 
 new colonists, and had but little fear that he would be able 
 to obtain as many as he wished, for many islanders would 
 be only too glad to place themselves under the protection of 
 the wealthy, eccentric Englishman. 
 
 Thanks to the Demarch's wisdom in placing his money 
 with his London solicitors, he had plenty of capital on 
 which to draw, and when things were once more quiet, and 
 Melnos repopulated from the adjacent islands, he made up 
 his mind at once to restore the tunnel to its former perfec- 
 tion. Certainly it would take some time to gather a number 
 of pure-blooded Hellenes for his colony, but with plenty of 
 capital at his back, and the productions of the island in a 
 flourishing condition, he could afford to wait. Besides, he 
 had Maurice now beside him, and the young fellow was a 
 man after his own heart, for, in contrast to his former list- 
 lessness when in England, he flung himself into Justinian's 
 schemes with an ardor which delighted the old man. With 
 himself to conceive, and his nephew to carry out, the 
 Demarch was quite jubilant in spite of his late reverses, for 
 he foresaw that in such capable hands Melnos would soon be 
 restored to its pristine glory. 
 
 The only thing, therefore, which agitated his mind, was the 
 dread he felt lest Caliphronas should again assault Melnos with 
 another army of cut-throats. Calmly as Justinian had taken 
 the treachery of the Greek, yet in his own soul he felt deeply 
 hurt that his years of kindness had met with so base a 
 return. He had found Caliphronas a poor shepherd lad on 
 the island of Andros, he had educated, clothed, and fed him 
 for many years, and now, when perilous times came, not 
 only was the ungrateful scamp absent from his side, but 
 actually arrayed against him, being in every way an active 
 agent in bringing ruin on his benefactor. However, if the 
 pirates, headed by this accomplished villain, did appear 
 again, the Demarch knew well that he could not hope to 
 hold out against them for any lengthy period, as, owing to 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 425 
 
 the smallness of his garrison, incessant watching, fighting, 
 and suspense would wear out even the bravest among them. 
 
 In this dilemma there was only one thing left to do, should 
 the pirates reappear, and that was to close up the pass by 
 means of the overhanging rocks at the cliff entrance. True, 
 it would shut all within the island up in a crater which 
 threatened to break out ; still, from all appearances, such a 
 volcanic outburst did not seem likely to take place, there- 
 fore, if the pass were firmly sealed, they would at least be 
 free from their dangerous enemies without, until such time 
 as Meluos could be repeopled, and thus defend itself. Not- 
 withstanding the earthquake, the disappearance of the lake, 
 the activity of the hot springs, the Demarch could not believe 
 that this crater, extinct for so many thousands of years, 
 would break out in eruption without giving, at least, some 
 serious warning; therefore, with this idea, he determined, if 
 the worst came to the worst, to shut himself and his people 
 in, by closing up the gorge, rather than abandon his forty 
 years of work to the mercy of a band of Levantine black- 
 guards. 
 
 As to Helena and Maurice, they were perfectly happy in 
 making love to each other ; and, in the intervals of such a 
 delightful occupation, the young Englishman looked after 
 the palisade, at which two sentries were constantly posted, 
 wandered about the village with his uncle, attending to local 
 matters, and twice or thrice a day went to the vantage-point 
 above the side staircase, in order to watch for the appearance 
 of Crispin and his yacht. Daily both Maurice and his uncle 
 swept the offing with their glasses, but no thin line of smoke 
 or glancing white sail showed that The Eunice was on her 
 way to aid these unfortunates. 
 
 Nor during all this time was Dick idle, for, with a small 
 body of men, he had posted himself above the overhanging 
 rocks at the entrance of the pass, and there they drilled holes 
 in the soft volcanic soil for the reception of dynamite cart- 
 ridges. When these were placed sufficiently deep, Alexan- 
 dros attached his wires to them, and then threw these 
 thread-like conductors across the abyss to the opposite side 
 of the pass. At the point where Crispin had gone over the 
 cliff a few nights previously, he established a small battery 
 and fixed the wires thereto, so, in the event of the pirates 
 approaching the island, the man who was on the look-out at 
 the vantage-point had simply to touch the button of the bat- 
 tery, when the enormous rocks on the other side of the gorge 
 
426 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 would crash down in Titanic fragments, closing up the nar- 
 row way irretrievably. Still, as before stated, the Demarch, 
 on account of a lurking suspicion of the extinct volcano, was 
 unwilling to avail himself of this aid until the last moment, 
 but in any event, if that last moment did come, the rocks 
 could be exploded from the vantage-point with the greatest 
 ease. The ropes which had been used to let down Crispin 
 and Gurt were still attached to the trunk of the pine tree, 
 but had been carefully drawn up, lest by chance, if the pirates 
 arrived, the}^ could enter the island by ascending such a con- 
 venient ladder, notwithstanding the closing of the pass. 
 
 On the early morning of the fourth day after Crispin had 
 departed, Justinian and his nephew, ascending the path at 
 the back of the Acropolis, went down to the vantage-point 
 through the altar glade, according to custom, in order to look 
 for signs of the poet's return. The east was yet rosy with 
 the dawn, and the great expanse of ocean slept below them 
 in serene calm. The long white waves broke gently on the 
 sandy beach, there was not a breath of wind, and when the 
 sun arose suddenly out of the sea, his long yellow rays shot 
 like bridges of gold across the water, while his orb, invisible 
 to the watchers, projected the shadow of the island on the 
 liquid plain in front. 
 
 Temistocles had been on the watch for some considerable 
 time, and as the electric light was kept all night constantly 
 sweeping the surface of the sea in search of strange boats, 
 Justinian asked the runner if there had been any indications 
 of approaching danger. Receiving a reply in the negative, 
 he put up his glass in hopes of discovering some signs of the 
 long-expected and much-desired yacht, but not a speck could 
 he behold, in spite of the power of his glasses and the keen- 
 ness of his eyesight. 
 
 " It's four days since he went away," said the Demarch to 
 Maurice, with a sigh, as he put down his glass ; " yet he does 
 not seem to be coming back." 
 
 " You must allow him more time, uncle," replied Maurice 
 comfortingly ; " you know everything may not have gone 
 exactly as we thought. He may have cruised about some 
 time before being picked up by the Cretan steamer, and even 
 if he were fortunate in meeting a boat at once on his arrival 
 at Syra, the yacht may not have been lying there." 
 
 " The yacht has had plenty of time to get to Syra, Maurice; 
 but either he has missed the steamer, or else he finds some 
 difficulty in obtaining men from the Eparch of Syra." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 427 
 
 *^But surely in an urgent case like this the Eparch will 
 send you help at once. You say he is your friend." 
 
 " Certainly he says he is, but my belief is that he is jeal- 
 ous of my independent sovereignty, and would not be sorry 
 to see my little government come to an end." 
 
 " What a nice old gentleman he must be ! But tell me, 
 uncle, what is the difference between a Demarch and an 
 Eparch ? " 
 
 " One rules over one island, the other over many. As a 
 matter of fact, a Demarch is a kind of mayor, and really it is 
 too small a title for me, seeing I have a whole island to my- 
 self. Still, I am quite satisfied with it, as King of Melnos 
 is out of the question, and Prince of Melnos sounds like the 
 hero of a penny novelette." 
 
 ''■ And what islands does the Eparch of Syra rule over ? " 
 
 " Well, really, I quite forget ; but the Eparch of Santorin 
 rules over Amorgos, Anapli, Santorin, and los." 
 
 " Of course all these Epachs — or what is it ? — Eparchs — 
 are subject to the government of King George ? " 
 
 " Certainly." 
 
 " Then I don't wonder they envy you this island. I sup- 
 pose you are the only independent prince in the ^gean ? " 
 
 ^' I am now, but in former times there were many. An 
 Italian family ruled as Dukes of Naxos, another line gov- 
 erned Seriphos, but those potentates were somewhere about 
 the fifteenth century. I think the ruler likest to myself was 
 one Capsi, a kind of ancient pirate, of the Alcibiades type, 
 who became ruler of Melos." 
 
 '' Melnos ? " 
 
 " No ; the island of Melos, without the ^ n.' It is a curious 
 coincidence, is it not, the similarity of name and rule ? " 
 
 " Very ; but what became of King Capsi ? " 
 
 "Oh, the Turks invited him to Stamboul, and then cut off 
 his head for presuming to set himself up as a rival to the 
 Sultan. But such a fate is not likely to happen to me, as I 
 am very good friends with Abdul Hamid." 
 
 "I think we had better establish aline of princes, uncle," 
 said Maurice in a joking tone. "You will take the title of 
 Justinian I. ; when I succeed to the throne, I will be Justin- 
 ian II. ; and if Helena and myself are fortunate enough to 
 present you with a grandson, he will be Justinian III. So, 
 you see, we have an excellent beginning for a royal family." 
 
 "I do not see why it should not be so," replied the 
 Demarch seriously; "look at the Brookes, who became 
 
428 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 Rajahs of Sarawak, and the Bernadottes, now Kings of 
 Sweden, and then again the Bonaparte family. My dear 
 Maurice, believe me, there are still kingdoms to be gained, if 
 he who seeks has the nerve, judgment, and fortune of a born 
 adventurer.'' 
 
 " Such as yourself." 
 
 " Exactly ; and you are of the same type. Oh, that I were 
 younger, Maurice, and with you by my side, we would go to 
 South America and carve out a kingdom. You smile, but I 
 tell you it can be done." 
 
 " It has been done in Melnos." 
 
 " Oh, that is nothing ! an intellectual training school only ; 
 but I mean a real large kingdom on a continent." 
 
 "I may be like you in some things, uncle, but I do not 
 think I have your ambition, as I will be quite content with 
 my island sovereignty of Melnos." 
 
 " I daresay you are wise. But, Maurice, what a story all 
 your and my adventures would make — the way you were 
 brought here by Andros — the description of the crater — 
 the attack on the island — why, it would make a capital 
 
 romance 
 
 f " 
 
 " Which nobody would believe. They would look upon it 
 as an embroidered lie of the '■ Alroy ' species." 
 
 " Ah, the author of that book — Disraeli — what a man !" 
 
 " ' The wondrous boy wot wrote " Alroy,"' " said ^laurice. 
 " Yes, he certainly was clever ; a little too fond in his books 
 of Oriental splendor perhaps, but a genius as a statesman." 
 
 " If Disraeli had been an Eastern vizier, he would have 
 become a king." 
 
 "What a desultory conversation ! " said his nephew, laugh- 
 ing ; " we began with Eparchs and end with possible sov- 
 ereigns. Well, as far as I am concerned, this island is big 
 enough for me and the Princess Helena." 
 
 " Who is talking of the Princess Helena ? " cried a gay 
 voice behind them, and, on turning, they saw the princess 
 herself, w^ith her arms as usual full of flowers, looking at 
 them both with a smile in her eyes. 
 
 " I am the culprit, your highness," said Maurice, bowing. 
 " When did you arrive ? " 
 
 "This very moment; so if you have been saying nice 
 things about me, you may as well repeat them." 
 
 " Vanity ! vanity ! " 
 
 " All is vanity ! If that is the only thing you have to say 
 to me, I will go." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 429 
 
 "I think we had better all go," said Justinian, turning 
 away from the cliff. " I am anxious for breakfast, but you 
 young people, I suppose, are content to live on love." 
 
 "Not in this keen morning air, father. But have you 
 seen any sign of the yacht ? " 
 
 "Not the slighest.'" 
 
 " What a bad thing ! and the pirates ? " 
 
 "No appearance of those gentlemen either." 
 
 "What a good thing! I wonder who will arrive first 
 Crispin or Caliphronas ! " ' 
 
 "I trust the former," answered her father hopefuUv • 
 "but I dread the latter." ^ ' 
 
 " Oh dear me ! " said Helena, with a sigh ; " I do wish he 
 would leave us alone. Why cannot he get an island of his 
 own ? " 
 
 ^ "Ah, that's just it, my child! He does not desire an 
 island so much as you." 
 
 " He will never get me," she answered resolutely. " Sooner 
 than become the wife of that traitor, I would throw myself 
 over the cliff." 
 
 " You can rest quite content, Helena," said Maurice, with 
 quiet determination; "if Caliphronas overwhelms Melnos 
 with his forces, he shall not obtain the prize he desires. K 
 he captures you, it will be over my dead body." 
 
 "Then he'll never capture me, for you can easily conquer 
 such a coward," retorted the girl, with great spirit; "and, 
 after all, I don't believe he'll have the courage to come 
 back." 
 
 " Uncle," exclaimed Roylands suddenly, as he saw Justin- 
 ian stumble, " what is the matter ? Do you feel ill ? " 
 
 "Not exactly ill," replied the Demarch, taking his neph- 
 ew's arm ; "but, to tell you the truth, I awoke this morning 
 feeling very sick and faint." 
 
 " Why, papa, so did I ! " exclaimed Helena in surprise ; 
 " that IS why I came down to the cliffs to obtain a breath of 
 fresh air." 
 
 "I also had a headache when I awoke," said Maurice, after 
 a pause; "so, as we have all felt the same thing, there must 
 be some malaria in the air." 
 
 Justinian gave a cry of alarm, and his face blanched white 
 under its bronze. 
 
 " Oh, Maurice ! I dread to think what it may be ! " 
 
 " Why, uncle, what do you mean ? " 
 
 " The vapors of the volcano ! " 
 
430 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 Both Helena and her lover grew pale at these ominous 
 words. 
 
 "Still," said the latter anxiously, "if they do nothing but 
 give headaches " — 
 
 " You forget," replied Justinian in a sombre tone, as they 
 entered the Acropolis; "we are half-way up the crater, but 
 if the vapors are rising from the volcano, think of all my 
 people in the valley." 
 
 Without waiting a moment, the three, in a state of great 
 alarm, hurried to the platform in front of the temple, and 
 looked anxiously down to the village. Although it was now 
 seven o'clock, and the Melnosians were early risers, there 
 was no appearance of life in the valley below, no sound of 
 labor or voices ascended, no smoke curled upward from the 
 chimneys ; but in the still morning the cup of the crater 
 lay spread out before them, a scene of exquisite beauty, yet 
 terribly, ominously calm. 
 
 " Great God ! " cried Justinian, with a strangled sob ; 
 ^' can it be as I feared ? " 
 
 A man came staggering along the mulberry avenue, wav- 
 ing his arms wildly, and when he came sufficiently near, they 
 saw it was the bos'n Dick, pale and haggard, reeling in 
 his gait like a drunken man. 
 
 Maurice ran forward to help him as he advanced, and 
 ultimately had to carry him to the steps of the Acropolis, 
 while Helena, by her father's direction, ran inside for 
 brandy and smelling-salts. With these they revived the 
 almost insensible sailor, who opened his eyes with a shud- 
 der, only to find three faces scarcely less haggard than his 
 own bending over him. None of them asked what had hap- 
 pened, for the intense quiet of that valley told its own ter- 
 rible story, and Justinian knew that in one night he had lost 
 the whole of his subjects through the deadly vapors breathed 
 by the awakening volcano. 
 
 " Oh, Mr. Justinian ! Mr. Roylands ! it is horrible — hor- 
 rible!" said Dick, sitting up w4th difficulty. "They are all 
 dead ! — not one left alive ; and my poor messmates are gone 
 also. Let us leave this cursed place, sir, or we will die also." 
 
 Dick had fought bravely all through the campaign, and 
 was a man but little given to emotion, yet so unnerved was 
 he by the fearful catastrophe that had happened, that he bur- 
 ied his face in his hands and almost wept in the intensity of 
 his agony. Maurice and Helena also were paralyzed with 
 dread, for, however daring human beings may be, the most 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. ^31 
 
 resolute quail before the gigantic powers of nature, and, 
 high-spirited as they all were, their hearts thrilled with, 
 fear as they recognized in what a deatli-trap they were 
 snared. 
 
 Only Justinian preserved a certain amount of calmness, — 
 Justinian, who suffered more than the others, for this was 
 the crowning blow, and his whole untiring labor of forty 
 years had been swept away as naught in a single hour. 
 
 " It is not a valley," he cried, looking downward in 
 despair ; '• it is a tomb enclosing many dead. Oh, my poor 
 Melnosians ! " 
 
 " How did you discover it, Dick ? " asked Maurice in an 
 awed tone. 
 
 "After you went away this morning, sir, I walked down 
 to the valle}^, in order to get ray messmates to go on with 
 that mining work in the pass ; but I felt a bit headachy and 
 queer. However, I did not think about it, and went down 
 the stair. Just as I got down half-way, I felt a poisonous 
 breath of air wafted up from below, wliich seized me by the 
 throat, and made me fall down insensible by that statue of 
 Apollo. I don't know how long I lay ; but it was lucky I 
 was not farther down, or else 1 would have been stifled ; as 
 it was, little breaths of the gases floated up, but the cool air 
 above revived me somewhat, and I managed to crawl up 
 higher. Then I came along, sir ; and you helped me here." 
 
 " And are they all dead ? " 
 
 '- They must be," said Justinian in a tone of despair. " I 
 see how it is we escaped. You know the Grotto del Cane 
 at Naples, Maurice, where a man can enter freely, but a 
 dog dies ? that is because the vapors only rise a certain 
 height. Down below there, when all were sleeping, the 
 gases must have been breathed slowly from the mouth of 
 the volcano, and stifled every soul. They could not rise 
 higher on account of their weight, so we managed to escape 
 death. Look at that valley!" cried the De march, with a 
 passionate gesture ; '' it is a smiling death-trap. We can see 
 nothing; but half-way up the cup it is fllled with deadly 
 poison, which would kill us were we to descend. Oh, my 
 poor people ! dead ! dead ! all dead ! " 
 
 He hid his face in his hands, overcome with horror at the 
 sight ; and Dick, somewhat cured of the poisonous vapors he 
 had inhaled, arose to his feet with an effort. 
 
 "We must get away from here, Mr. Maurice. We dare 
 not stay another night, for even if that volcano does not 
 
432 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 burst out, the gases will rise and rise until the Acropolis 
 will be below their level. We must fly." 
 
 " And how can we fly ? " asked Justinian abruptly. " We 
 have no boats — those scoundrels of Caliphronas' have 
 destroyed them all. The only thing we can do is to abandon 
 the Acropolis, and go to the sea-shore, in order to wait the 
 arrival of Crispin to save us." 
 
 " But if the volcano breaks out, uncle ? " 
 
 " In that case we must die. The island is so small, that, 
 with this crater in full fury, we would be crushed under the 
 weight of the stones thrown out, or burned to death by the 
 streams of lava. Our only hope is Crispin ; and as to this 
 death-trap we must leave it at once. Helena ! " 
 
 Helena did not answer. She was crouching down with 
 her head on the lap of Zoe, who had joined the group ; and 
 the two girls were too terrified to speak, but lay silent with 
 horror, a mere huddled mass of humanity. 
 
 " How many of us are left alive ? " asked Maurice, raising 
 the girl to her feet. 
 
 " About ten, sir," replied Dick, making a rapid calculation. 
 " Those two who are on the sentry-go at the palisade, Alex- 
 andros, who is down there attending to the mine. Temistocles, 
 who is on the look-out, the man here who drives the engine, 
 myself, Zoe, Miss Helena, yourself, and Mr. Justinian." 
 
 The Demarch flung up his hands with a cry of horror. 
 
 " Ten survivors out of nearly two hundred people ! Oh, 
 there is a curse on me and mine ! It is useless to fight 
 against fate, Maurice. We must fly this very minute, and 
 trust to Providence to be spared until the arrival of the 
 yacht. Hark! what is that?" 
 
 There was a low moan, which seemed to come from the 
 lips of the crater, and a moment afterwards the earth 
 trembled slightly. It was the dreaded voice of the earth- 
 quake, as they knew only too well ; and, with a sudden im- 
 pulse, all turned to fly. The valley smiled peaceful and 
 serene in the brilliant sunshine, the white peaks glittered 
 like Pentelican marble against the sky, the delicate green 
 of the foliage, the myriad hues of the flowers met their eyes 
 on all sides; yet under this mask of smiling loveliness raged 
 fierce subterranean fires, which were already pressing furi- 
 ously upward to shatter the whole beautiful scene into 
 Titantic fragments of stone., 
 
 "Let us take provisions, water, wine — what we can," said 
 Justinian rapidly, as he led the way into the Acropolis. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 433 
 
 " There is not a momeut to be lost. We must fly without 
 delay.'' 
 
 The unfortunates made as much speed as they could, and 
 collected all the food they could find, assisted by Argyro- 
 poulos, who had been called by the Demarch from his engine. 
 Fortunately there were but few valuables to take away, as 
 Justinian had always lived with great simplicity, and all his 
 money was safe in London. The Demarch hastily gathered 
 up a few of his papers, some money, and a little jewelry 
 which belonged to Helena ; while the others loaded them- 
 selves only with necessaries, such as provisions, wine, water, 
 and cloaks to protect them should they have to pass the 
 night on the beach. Helena, weeping bitterly, took leave of 
 all her beloved flowers ; and never had the court, with its 
 snowy pillars, sporting fountain, and mass of blossoms, 
 looked so beautiful as it did on this fatal morning. Argos, 
 poor bird, was strutting proudly about, quite unaware of his 
 danger; and Helena, touched by a feeling of compassion, 
 impulsively spoke to Maurice. 
 
 " Shall we take Argos with us ? " 
 
 "I am afraid we cannot, my dear girl. See, we are all 
 heavily laden. Where is my uncle ? " 
 
 "He has gone to take a last look at the valley," said 
 Helena, bursting into tears. 
 
 " Poor uncle ! " , . 
 
 At that moment Justinian reappeared in the court, with a 
 haggard face, his shoulders bent with the weight of his 
 grief. In a few hours he had aged years, and now this ter- 
 rible blow had broken him down completely. He had taken 
 one last farewell of the valley he loved so much, of his dead 
 people who were there sleeping in their terrible tomb, of all 
 his schemes for reviving the old Hellas of the past ; and now 
 took up his burden, in common with the rest, to abandon the 
 Acropolis forever. 
 
 The little band sadly left the beautiful home in which 
 they could no longer hope to dwell, and took their melan- 
 choly way up the Avinding path which led up to the altar 
 glade. Argyropoulos went flrst, then Dick came, supporting 
 the weeping Zoe, and finally Justinian, wdth his nephew on 
 one side and his daughter on the other, came slowly walking 
 along, overcome with grief. All his schemes, all his expen- 
 diture, all his w^orks were now at an end; and, as far as 
 results went, the last forty years of his busy life had been 
 absolutely wasted. 
 
434 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 Just as they reached the altar inscribed Oeof, which had 
 witnessed of late the birth of young love, Temistocles, in a 
 state of great excitement, came running up the path which 
 led from the cliffs. 
 
 '' Kyrion ! Kyrion ! the pirates ! pirates ! " he cried in 
 Greek. 
 
 '' Another blow ! " said Justinian, with a harsh cry. " Are 
 we not to escape with our lives ? How many boats ? " 
 
 '' Eight, Kyrion, crowded with men." 
 
 ^' What misfortune ! " muttered the Demarch, letting his 
 chin sink on his breast. " Pirates without — fire within. 
 We are lost ! " 
 
 '' On the contrary, we are saved," cried Maurice, with a 
 sudden inspiration. ''Don't give way, uncle. Caliphronas 
 has arrived at a most opportune moment, for we will use 
 their boats in order to escape." 
 
 '' Impossible !" 
 
 " Not at all. I will explain my scheme when we get down 
 to the verge of the cliff. Come, Temistocles, Dick, Argyro- 
 poulos. Forward all. We will hoist those scoundrels on their 
 own petard." 
 
 "If I can," cried Justinian in a rage, raising his hands to 
 heaven, " I will make a holocaust of them to the infernal 
 gods ! " 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 Justinian's revenge. 
 
 The past is shattered, 
 
 The future lost. 
 
 Now tempest-battered, 
 
 My soul is tossed 
 
 From billow to billow on life's wild sea, 
 
 With nothing but sorrow and care for me. 
 
 The gods have spoken, 
 
 My prayers they spurn, 
 
 Yet tho' thiis broken, 
 
 I make return 
 
 Of holocausts high on their altars bare, 
 
 An offering bitter of my despair. 
 
 The saying, " It never rains but it pours," was fully exem- 
 plified by the series of calamities which had befallen the 
 once peaceful Isle of Fantasy and its inhabitants. First the 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 435 
 
 treachery of Caliphronas, then the war which had killed so 
 many people, now a threatened eruption of an apparently 
 excinct volcano, and, to crown all, a band of pirates waiting 
 at the only outlet of escape, to massacre the survivors as 
 they fled from the perils within. Evidently the sms of 
 Rudolph Roy lands' youth were now bearing fruit, and his 
 ancestral Ate was now exacting her full penalty for those 
 half-forgotten episodes of his early life, by depriving him 
 of all he valued most in the world. One thing after another 
 had been torn from his reluctant grasp, and now it seemed 
 as if his life itself was to crown the measure of repayment. 
 Standing on the lofty cliff, with his nephew, daughter, and 
 dependants beside him, Justinian watched the pirates land- 
 ing from their boats with cynical despair, feeling that the 
 end of all things had come as far as he was concerned. 
 
 Owing to the mental and physical trials of the last few 
 weeks, the Demarch had lost to a great extent his iron nerve, 
 and could no longer conceive, decide, and execute his pro- 
 jects with his former promptitude. The loss of his island 
 had turned him from a vigorous, determined leader into a 
 feeble old man, and although now and then his spirits did 
 flash up with a gleam of brilliancy, it was apparent to every 
 eye that he was no longer fitted either to lead or control 
 matters at this final crisis of affairs. It was then that 
 Maurice showed himself a capable commander, and, leaving 
 his worn-out uncle to the care of the women, instinctively 
 took affairs into his own hands without further loss of time. 
 Of course he still deferred to Justinian as ostensible head 
 of all things, but it was he who made all suggestions, and 
 the Demarch did little else than agree to all his propositions. 
 First of all, Maurice, getting from Justinian the key of the 
 iron gate, sent Temistocles down the staircase to call up 
 Alexandros and the two Melnosians, in order to concentrate 
 in one spot all the survivors of the island, and decide upon a 
 course of action. When they came up to the vantage-point, 
 Temistocles locked the iron gate again, and restored the key 
 to his master, after which all the men sat down to consider 
 the position of affairs. 
 
 It was now noon, and the sun at his zenith was blazing 
 hotly down on the lava rocks of Melnos, which, flinging back 
 the glare, rendered the heat almost intolerable. The pi- 
 rates, having drawn up their boats on the beach inside the 
 harbor, had retreated to their old camp, the tents of which, 
 untouched by the Melnosians, were still standing. There they 
 
436 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 evidently intended to remain until it grew cooler, in order 
 to assault the palisade, quite ignorant that the inhabitants 
 of Melnos were all dead, and that the volcano was on the 
 point of bursting out in eruption. Had they known this 
 latter fact, they would speedily have fled away from the ill- 
 omened spot ; but Maurice was glad they were thus ignorant, 
 as he wished to use one of their boats, in order that himself 
 and his party might escape from the coming explosion of the 
 mountain. 
 
 " Do you think the pirates will assault the palisade this 
 afternoon, uncle ? " asked Maurice, anxious for the old war- 
 rior's opinion. 
 
 "No, I don't think so," replied Justinian, shaking his 
 head. '• They have evidently been rowing here all the 
 morning, and are tired out. It is probable they will sleep 
 all the afternoon, and attack us just when it grows dusk. 
 What do you propose to do, Maurice ? " 
 
 " First, pull down the palisade." 
 
 " What ! and thus lose our only defence ! You are mad !" 
 
 "There is some method in my madness, as you will see, 
 uncle. I wish to pull down the barrier, so that when the pi- 
 rates come up to assault, they will find no difficulty in pass- 
 ing up the gorge. Of course, suspecting nothing, they will 
 make their way right into the interior of the island, while 
 we, who are in their rear, can go down the side staircase, on 
 to the beach, and then push off in a boat before they return.'' 
 
 " It's a good idea, sir," said Dick, scratching his head ; 
 " but suppose, when they get inside the palisade, they should 
 come up the stair and find us here." 
 
 " They won't do that, Dick, for we will lock the gate ; and 
 you can depend upon it, when they find the pass open, they 
 will not waste their time in trying to force this side path. 
 If they can gain the interior of the island by an open way, 
 they certainly won't try to pass in by a blocked one." 
 
 " Don't you think they will suspect treachery, Maurice ? " 
 
 " No, uncle. In the first place, most of these are new ar- 
 rivals, and, in spite of what their comrades have told them, 
 won't believe we are — or rather were — so strong. And in 
 the second place, they will think we have retreated up to the 
 second palisade, so even if they stop there, we will have 
 time to get to sea." 
 
 "What about this, Kyrion ? " said Alexandros, pointing to 
 the battery, which stood near ; " will we not wait till the 
 enemy are under the rocks, and then bring them down to 
 crush all ? " 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 437 
 
 " By no means, Alexandres ; for by so doing we would 
 close up the only avenue of escape left to us. It will not 
 be much gratitication crushing the enemy, if we only attain 
 that by letting ourselves be blown up by the volcano." 
 
 Alexandres looked rather unhappy at this, as he was proud 
 of his work, and would have liked to show how skilfully 
 his battery worked ; but he recognized the force of Ro}^- 
 lands' reasoning, so said no more about it. Justinian was 
 also silent, but simply because he had conceived a plan for 
 punishing his enemies ; and looking at the battery, the rocks 
 frowning over the pass, and the coils of rope near the pine 
 tree, he glanced suddenly at Alexandres with a significant 
 smile, whereupon the quick-witted Greek saw that the 
 Demarch had some scheme in his head, and that his battery 
 would yet be utilized. Accordingly, when all the men de- 
 scended to the gorge for the purpose of levelling the pali- 
 sade, Alexandres lingered behind with Justinian to receive 
 his orders. 
 
 " What is it, Kyrion ? " he asked in Greek. 
 
 " Alexandres," replied the Demarch fiercely, " I am leaving 
 this island forever, for, as you knew, all our friends are 
 dead ; but I will leave behind me an offering to their manes 
 of all those scoundrels who have given me such trouble. 
 You must carry out my wish." 
 
 " I will, Kyrion." 
 
 " By those ceils of rope up there you can escape down the 
 face of the cliff ? " 
 
 " Easily, Kyrion ; I am a monkey in climbing." 
 
 " Good ! Well, when the pirates have gene up the pass, 
 and we have gained the boat on the beach, you remain 
 behind, and, when T give the signal, explode the mine. Thus 
 the pass will be closed up, sealing the pirates up in the 
 crater, so if the volcano does burst out, they will be blown 
 to pieces." 
 
 " I will do it, Kyrion," said Alexandres, who liked this 
 scheme immensely ; "and then I can escape down the cliff." 
 
 " Keep it to yourself," said the Demarch in a whisper, as 
 they went out of the iron gate ; " Mr. Maurice is toe tender- 
 hearted, and might net like it." 
 
 Hew Justinian could reconcile this proposed massacre with 
 the aversion he had felt the previous day in exploding his 
 mine, it is hard to say, but the fact is, with all his troubles, 
 his brain was becoming slightly affected, and he now deemed 
 it a point of honor to sacrifice his enemies to the manes of 
 
438 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 his dead subjects. After all, as he considered, and very 
 truly, these pirates were but dangerous desperadoes, which 
 the ^gean could v^y well spare, so the sooner they were 
 cut short in their nefarious careers the better for the island- 
 ers of the Cyclades. Besides, Rudolph Roylands had, even 
 in his old age, a wild and lawless spirit, only curbed by his 
 wonderful powers of self-control, and in thus avenging him- 
 self on the enemies who had destroyed his cherished schemes, 
 he was indulging in a burst of that Baresark fury which he 
 inherited from his Norse ancestors. 
 
 With hard work the eight men managed to make a breach 
 in the earthworks through which the enemr could pass, and 
 all the carefully-built fortifications were levelled to the 
 ground. It was growing dusk when they finished, and 
 already they could hear a stir in the camp of the enemy, so, 
 rapidly completing their work of devastation, they returned 
 to the vantage-point, where they had left the women. Only 
 the Demarch and his nephew lingered behind, the one to 
 lock the iron gate, and the other to carry away the Union 
 Jack, which still floated proudly over the ruined barricade. 
 
 -' They won't get this, at all events, uncle," said Maurice 
 gleefully, as he hauled down the flag ; " I wouldn't have it 
 fall into their hands for a thousand pounds." 
 
 " Sooner burn it," retorted the Demarch fiercely ; " but 
 hurry up, Maurice, for, judging from the noise they are mak- 
 ing, I suspect their forces are being drawn up." 
 
 Roy lands, with the folds of the flag wrapped round his 
 body, ran through the iron gate with his uncle, and the latter 
 having locked it carefully, they ascended the staircase in 
 order to wait events. 
 
 It was just at that hour after sunset, when the day blend- 
 ing with the night produces that luminous twilight so 
 noticeable in the Mediterranean. The little band, concealed 
 from sight on the high cliff, could easily see in the warm 
 glow how rapidly the enemy were gathering their forces 
 together, but, in spite of all endeavors, none of them could 
 see Caliphronas. 
 
 " I don't expect he has come back, uncle." 
 " Oh yes, he has," replied the Demarch grimly ; " but, on 
 the plea of his wound, he will remain behind in the camp, 
 and let his army do the work. Once they conquer, he will 
 come out and crow. That is Andros all over ; he likes to be 
 the monkey, and use others as cats to pull the chestnuts out 
 of the fire," 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY, 439 
 
 " I am very glad he is not leading them," said Maurice 
 thoughtfully, " for he would be keen enough to mistrust ap- 
 pearances, and refrain from entering the pass in case of 
 treachery, in which case we would be kept prisoners up 
 here." 
 
 Helena uttered a low cry of fright, and hid her tace on 
 Maurice's shoulder, for at this moment the earth began to 
 tremble slightly. The shock, however, was not a severe one, 
 and did no damage, still it made the whole party feel uneasy, 
 and wish they were relieved from their perilous position. 
 The four Melnosians, who had lost all their friends and rela- 
 tives, looked like statues of despair ; still, so selfish is man 
 for himself, that, though all their pleasure in life was gone, 
 they were as uneasy and anxious to be saved as the rest of 
 the party. 
 
 Luckily, owing to the ardor with which the enemy were 
 forming their lines, they had not noticed the ominous warn- 
 ing of the earthquake, and were evidently about to make a 
 grand assault on the barrier. At a given signal, they rushed 
 wildly up the hill, shrieking like fiends, but recoiled in dis- 
 may as they saw the ruins of the palisade. Evidently sus- 
 pecting treachery, they consulted together for a moment, 
 then cautiously went forward into the pass. Finding no foe 
 there to confront them, they became more confident, and as 
 Caliphronas, who could have shown them the way, was not 
 present, they took no notice of the iron gate, but marched 
 boldly up the gorge, firing their rifles at intervals, until 
 there was not a single man left either at the palisade or on 
 the beach. 
 
 There was not a moment to be lost, so, Justinian leading, 
 with Maurice and Dick following with the women and the 
 Melnosians, they went down to the foot of the stair, un- 
 locked the door, and as rapidly as possible ran down the hill 
 to the beach. Placing Helena, Zoe, and all their bundles m 
 the best boat they could select in their hurry, Dick and Ar- 
 gyropoulos pushed it off into deep water. 
 
 "Where is Alexandros ? " asked Maurice, noticing the 
 absence of the electrician for the first time. 
 
 Justinian, with a grim smile, turned his face towards the 
 cliffs and raised his hand, both to point out Alexandros to 
 Maurice, and to give the signal for the exploding of the 
 mine. Maurice stared aghast for a moment, and would have 
 spoken, but before he could open his mouth there was a tre- 
 mendous roar^ and the great rocks at the mouth of the pass 
 
440 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 crashed down with a noise like thunder, blocking up the en- 
 trance for ever. 
 
 " You have shut the pirates in, uncle ! " 
 
 " Yes," said the Demarch fiercely ; " I have triumphed 
 over my enemies." 
 
 " But Alexandros ? " 
 
 " Is safe. See ! he is sliding down the rope." 
 
 " And the volcano ! " 
 
 Even while the words were on his lips, the ground began 
 to shake convulsively, and with a cry, Helena fell back 
 in the boat in a dead faint. Maurice and Justinian were 
 thrown to the ground, and high above, amid the encircling 
 peaks, shot up a mighty column of smoke, streaked with 
 red fire. 
 
 " The volcano ! " cried Maurice, dragging his uncle to his 
 feet. " Quick ! quick ! get into the boat. Dick ! Alexan- 
 dros ! " 
 
 They were both beside him, and assisted to take the 
 Demarch towards the boat, but, to their dismay, found it had 
 been left high and dry by the receding waters, which were 
 curling backward from the land in streaks of livid white. 
 The volcano now began to cast out great stones, and at inter- 
 vals showers of boiling water, while lurid flames flashed 
 fiercely through the gigantic column of smoke which loomed 
 terrible and vague above the fatal island. 
 
 " God ! we will be killed ! " cried Maurice, as, with the aid 
 of Dick and Alexandros, he began to push the boat slowly 
 towards the sea. " Helena ! Helena ! lie down at the bot- 
 tom of the boat." 
 
 In order to push the craft to sea, Maurice had been forced 
 to leave his uncle, but the old man was now on his feet run- 
 ning towards him. Suddenly there was a shriek of agony, 
 and through the falling stones, through the blinding dust, 
 through the rain of fire, rushed Caliphronas, making for the 
 boat. 
 
 " Save me, save me, Justinian ! Maurice, help ! " 
 
 " Traitor ! " cried Justinian, turning fiercely on the Greek ; 
 " now you shall reap the reward of your treachery." 
 
 A thick, sulphurous smoke was spread around, and in this 
 the two men were struggling, locked in a deathly grip. 
 Temistocles and his three countrymen were already afloat, 
 pulling away as hard as they could ; but Maurice gave him- 
 self up for lost, as, in spite of all his efforts and those of 
 Dick, the boat was too firmly imbedded in the sand to be 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 441 
 
 moved. Great bombs came shooting up into the sky from 
 the heart of the volcano, and, bursting in the lurid air, huge 
 rocks and showers of stones came crashing down on all sides ; 
 and, to add to the horror of the night, Maurice, with a cry of 
 despair, saw the sea rushing violently up to the land. 
 
 " Uncle ! uncle ! the boat ! the boat ! " 
 
 Dick and Alexandres scrambled in, while Maurice ran to 
 help Justinian ; but, before he could reach him, he was 
 ingulfed in the waves of the sea, and half blindly saw a huge 
 stone fall from heaven on his uncle and the struggling Greek. 
 The waves foamed around the pair, but, without a cry, Cali- 
 phronas had been struck down, a bleeding, smashed-up mass, 
 under the cruel rock ; while Justinian, also struck on the 
 chest, could make no effort to save himself. Borne up by 
 the force of the sea, Maurice felt rather than saw the boat 
 rush past him towards the beach, but with an almost super- 
 human effort he managed to clutch his insensible uncle and 
 keep afloat. The waters around were seething furiously, 
 great stones kept splashing down on all sides, and above he 
 could but see a sky of intense black smoke, through which 
 played forked flashes of red fire. 
 
 The sea, having dashed right up to the cliffs, began to 
 retire, upon which Dick and Alexandres leaped out of the 
 boat to lighten her, and thus try to float her back into deep 
 water. Maurice staggered to his feet, with his uncle in his 
 arms, and strove to reach the boat. Borne outward by the 
 retreating waters, the light craft swept past him, but he 
 also, abandoning himself to the waves, was carried seaward. 
 In another second the boat was in deep water, and Dick, who 
 had never let go the gunwale, leaped in with Alexandres. 
 They looked anxiously through the gloom for Maurice and 
 the Demarch, and as at this moment a flash of scarlet fire 
 lighted up the furious sea, they caught a glimpse of them, 
 and, in spite of the still outward-rushing water, tried to row 
 obliquely towards the pair. For a moment it looked as if 
 they could not be saved, but fortunately, Maurice, though 
 half stunned, still retained his senses, and was able to clutch 
 the oar which Dick held out towards him. By this he was 
 drawn gradually to the boat, which was rocking violently in 
 the disturbed sea. 
 
 " Take — uncle ! — uncle first ! " 
 
 Dick, with the assistance of Alexandres, managed to pull 
 the insensible man on board, after which, Maurice, half dead 
 
442 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 with exhaustion, also scrambled into the boat, and, the sea 
 now being calmer, they rowed rapidly out to sea. 
 
 The volcano was now spouting fire furiously, and by the 
 glare they were able to see the entrance of the breakwater. 
 By a miracle, they escaped the falling stones, but, just as 
 they were gliding past the massive masonry, they saw the 
 boat of Temistocles dashed to pieces, and all on board go 
 down in the crimson flood. INIuch as tliey wished to save the 
 unfortunate men, they were unable to do so, for every second 
 they expected to be dashed to pieces, so, with the strength 
 of despair, they shot out of the harbor far into the sea 
 beyond. Justinian, Helena, and Zoe were all lying insensible 
 at the bottom of the boat, Maurice was at the helm, and 
 Alexandros, with Dick, was pulling for dear life, so as to get 
 beyond the range of the projectiles shot from the volcano. 
 
 Alas, the beautiful Island of Fantasy ! it was now nothing 
 but a pillar of fire, and all the dead Melnosians, the living 
 pirates, had been reduced to ashes in that terrible furnace. 
 Already streaks of glowing lava began to move slowly down 
 the sides of the mountain, colossal tongues of fire shot up- 
 ward to the silent stars, and explosions, like distant can- 
 nonading, shook the mountain to its base. The noise was 
 something deafening, but, luckily for the fugitives, they were 
 now beyond the rain of stones, rocks, and bombs, while the 
 sea, though still disturbed, was comparatively quiet. 
 
 They were floating on an ocean of blood, for the crimson 
 glare of the spouting fire smote sky and sea alike with its 
 fiery blaze, and away in the distance arose the deserted Mel- 
 nos, with its peaks crowned with thick vapors, from whence 
 flashed streaks of fire. 
 
 The ever-turning wheel of time had come full circle, and 
 the long extinct volcano was once more a burning mountain, 
 vomiting death and destruction on all sides ; while far 
 beyond, on the scarlet waters, floated the little boat contain- 
 ing five human beings, all that remained of the inhabitants 
 who had dwelt in the beautiful valley of Melnos. 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 443 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 DEATH PAYS ALL DEBTS. 
 
 The day is ended, the night is near — 
 
 That's how I look at my end. 
 The night is over, the day breaks clear — 
 
 Such is your creed, my friend. 
 But, yours or mine, does it matter much 
 
 Which of our faiths is the true one — 
 Mine, with its failure a future to touch, 
 
 Or yours, so sure of a new one ? 
 
 We both know nothing of what comes next, 
 
 For that is my firm belief ; 
 'Tis waste to preach on an unproved text, 
 
 And harrow our souls with grief. 
 My life has not been what you call pure, 
 
 Yet when drops this vexed life's curtain, 
 I think my future is quite as sure 
 
 As yours with its heaven certain. 
 
 Without doubt Crispin's star was in the ascendant when 
 he left Melnos on that perilous voyage to Syra, for in a very 
 short space of time he was picked up by a Cretan steamer, 
 and, on his arrival at his destination, found the yacht lying 
 in the harbor. Owing to her likeness to the unfortunate 
 Eunice which had been wrecked, he had no difficulty in 
 recognizing her among the gay-colored caiques and steamers 
 from all countries which thronged in the bay below the 
 white town of Syra. Hurrying at once on board, he was met 
 by the Rector, Mrs. Dengelton, and Eunice, who were both 
 surprised and delighted to see him so soon after their arrival 
 in the ^gean. A long conversation at once ensued between 
 the four, and Crispin described the perilous position in which 
 he had left Justinian, much to the astonishment of the 
 Rector, who could not understand that pirates still existed. 
 As for Mrs. Dengelton, she asserted that no power on earth 
 would induce her to go to Melnos, where there were so many 
 dangers ; but in this selfish determination she was overruled 
 by her daughter and Mr. Carriston. 
 
 It having been settled that all on board would remain, 
 Crispin, in company with Gurt, hurried off to see the Eparch, 
 and, on explaining the state of Melnos to him, managed to 
 obtain about fifty men in order to assist the besieged. They 
 were marched on board at once ; and late next day the yacht 
 
444 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 set sail for the Island of Fantasy, with every one in a fearful 
 state of excitement at the prospect of coming adventures. 
 
 During the voyage they met with a head wind, but this 
 made but little difference to The Eunice, which, beating the 
 water with her powerful screw, forged steadily ahead in spite 
 of wind and wave. The Hon, Mrs. Dengelton had long since 
 recovered from sea-sickness, and was now as lively as ever, 
 chatting gayly with Mr. Carriston, while Crispin, now being 
 for the time at leisure, made love to Eunice. Both the 
 lovers were in the seventh heaven of happiness at thus being 
 reunited, and, had it not been for the state of uncertainty he 
 felt about Melnos, Crispin would have been perfectly happy. 
 For a wonder, Mrs. Dengelton had kept her promise, and not 
 persuaded Eunice to marry any one else ; for which honor- 
 able conduct she deserved no praise, for as yet Crispin was 
 the wealthiest suitor The Parrot had secured for her daugh- 
 ter. The lady, however, made a virtue of necessity, and fre- 
 quently pointed out to Crispin how straightforwardly she 
 had behaved, for which meritorious conduct the poet was 
 duly thankful. 
 
 " Yes," said Mrs. Dengelton, recovering her breath after a 
 long harangue ; " when I make a promise I keep it. I said, 
 Find out whom you are, and you shall have my daughter. 
 Well, here is Eunice, and here am I, both waiting for the 
 promised explanation. Now, then, Mr. Crispin, who are 
 you ? " 
 
 " I don't know yet." 
 
 "Do you mean to say you cannot find out?" screamed the 
 lady. 
 
 "No, I don't say so, Mrs. Dengelton. As soon as we arrive 
 at Melnos, Justinian will tell me everything I and you desire 
 to know." 
 
 " Justinian ! " echoed Mrs. Dengelton crossly, determined 
 not to be satisfied. " Oh, dear ]\Ir. Crispin, do not call my 
 brother by that heathenish name ! " 
 
 " It is an honorable name ! " said the Kector good-naturedly. 
 " You know it was Justinian, the Emperor of the East, who 
 built St. Sophia, and was the author of the Pandects. My 
 old friend Rudolph could scarcely have chosen a more suit- 
 able name for a lawgiver." 
 
 "It is really wonderful to think of Rudolph still being 
 alive," mused Mrs. Dengelton, taking no notice of the Rec- 
 tor's historical explanation. " It will be like meeting a 
 stranger, for I was a child in long clothes when he left 
 England." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 445 
 
 " Yes ; fifty years does make a difference." 
 
 " Fifty years ! " shrieked Mrs. Dengelton, seeing he had 
 made a mistake. " Oh, quite impossible, my dear Kector ! — 
 why, I am only forty-five, and as I was born when Rudolph 
 left, it really cannot — it cannot " — 
 
 She was unable to utter that nauseous statement of fifty 
 years, so the Eector good-humoredly came to her relief. 
 
 ''Of course not — of course not, my dear lady. Time flies 
 so quickly that we are apt to make mistakes. Your age, of 
 
 course, is — is 
 
 9" 
 
 " Forty-five," murmured the lady bashfully. " Ah, I am 
 indeed growing old. But I will be glad to see Kudolph 
 again, and my niece. You say she is beautiful, Mr. 
 Crispin ? " 
 
 "■ Lovely ! — as lovely as Eunice here." 
 
 " Good looks run in our family," said Mrs. Dengelton com- 
 placently. "I myself — well, there, I was just like Eunice 
 at her age. Yes, I will be glad to see Helena ! " 
 
 -'And I will be glad to see Melnos !" interposed the Rec- 
 tor. " You can have no idea, my dear Crispin, how interested 
 I was in Maurice's letter concerning this scheme of reconsti- 
 tuting Hellas. It is a noble dream, which may turn out into 
 a reality." 
 
 " Always provided there is no trouble from the pirates or 
 the volcano, Mr. Carriston." 
 
 " Oh, I trust that the volcano is quiescent ; and as for the 
 pirates, I judge, from your description of the defences, that 
 Maurice will be able to keep them at bay until we arrive." 
 
 " Certainly as a last resource they can close up the pass," 
 said Crispin thoughtfully ; " but that would leave them at the 
 mercy of the volcano." 
 
 " The}^ may be all burnt up," observed Mrs. Dengelton in 
 a sepulchral tone ; "and instead of Rudolph I may meet a 
 cinder." 
 
 " I don't think so, Mrs. Dengelton. Whatever happens, 
 I have full faith in Justinian's powers of extricating himself 
 from any dilemma; besides, Maurice also is ingenious in 
 ideas." 
 
 "My dear lad ! " said the Rector, with emotion. "I am so 
 anxious to see him. This siege seems to have made a new 
 man of him." 
 
 " I don't think you would recognize him, Rector. He is 
 not listless now, but full of life and spirits. Love, open-air 
 life, and responsibility have wrought wonders." 
 
446 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 "And when do you think we will be in sight of Melnos ? '^ 
 
 "To-morrow morning, I think, but Gurt will know." 
 
 Leaving Mrs. Dengelton and Eunice in the cabin, the two 
 gentlemen went on deck to see Gurt, who gave it as his 
 opinion that they certainly would sight Melnos at dawn. 
 
 '• I hope we will find them alive, Gurt." 
 
 " Don't you fear, ]Mr. Crispin, sir. Why, I'd back Mr. Roy- 
 lands against the Dook of Wellingtin himself for fightin'." 
 
 The Rector was much delighted with Gurt, especially 
 when he saw how the sailor worshipped INIaurice ; and the 
 tale of the siege of the island, as told by Gurt, with Maurice 
 as the hero, was as brilliant and unreliable as " The Arabian 
 Xights Entertainments." Xever being able to hear enough 
 about his dear lad, Mr. Carriston asked Gurt to once more 
 recite his Iliad, which the sailor was nothing loath to do, 
 and the story lasted until all retired to rest. 
 
 The next morning at dawn they Avere in Cretan waters, 
 and the Rector, Crispin, and Gurt were all on the lookout 
 for the island. Just about sunrise they saw its conical 
 shape dimly on the horizon, and Crispin, who had his glasses 
 up, uttered a cry of dismay. 
 
 " Why, there's smoke ! " he said anxiously. " Can the vol- 
 cano have broken out ? " 
 
 " I hope not ! I trust not ! " cried Carriston, turning pale. 
 " Let me look, Crispin. You surely must be mistaken." 
 
 Alas ! there was no mistake, for, as they drew nearer, even 
 without the aid of the lengthy tube of the binocle, the crest 
 of the island appeared to be topped by a dark cloud of 
 smoke, and they could hear at intervals the muffled roar of 
 the volcano breathing fire and fury. 
 
 " God ! God ! my poor friends ! " groaned Crispin, 
 sinking down in deep despair; while the Rector, stunned 
 with the magnitude of the calamity, could say nothing — 
 not even a word of comfort. Both Mrs. Dengelton and 
 Eunice were weeping bitterly at the thought of their terri- 
 ble loss ; but Gurt, in spite of the smoking volcano before 
 his eyes, sturdily refused to believe that Justinian and his 
 company were dead. 
 
 " Don't 'ee believe it, Mr. Crispin ! Mr. Maurice knows a 
 thing or two. If any one's frizzled, I guess it'll be them 
 pirates ; but Mr. Justinian and Miss Helena ! — Lor', sir, 
 Mr. Maurice 'uU see to 'em ! " 
 
 At this moment the man on the lookout cried out that 
 there was a boat in sight to the eastward, on which cheering 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 447 
 
 intelligence the hearts of all revived, in the hope that it 
 would prove to be their friends escaped from the fatal 
 island. The yacht's head was turned towards the speck m 
 the distance, and she steamed ahead at full speed, so as to 
 put an end to all suspense, while every one crowded to tlie 
 taffrail, in order to catch the first glimpse of the occupants. 
 
 " Glory ! glory ! " yelled Gurt, dancing about in a state of 
 great excitement. "There's Mr. Maurice, sir! and Dick! 
 What did I tell 'ee, Mr. Crispin ! Glory ! glory ! " 
 
 "I don't see Justinian," said Crispin anxiously; "but see, 
 there are two women. Those will be Helena and Zoe ! " 
 
 " Sum'at lyin' in the boat," cried Gurt, who had climbed 
 up the weather rigging ; " maybe it's Mr. Justinian. Get 
 her ahead, sir, an' we'll soon have 'em on board." 
 
 The Eunice slowed down her engines when she approached 
 the caique, and the anxious faces bending over the side saw 
 that it contained Maurice, Dick, Helena, and Zoe, all fright- 
 fully haggard-looking objects, and that at the bottom of the 
 boat lay the form of a man covered with the folds of the 
 Union Jack. The two young men, who seemed quite worn 
 out with fatigue, brought the caique alongside the yacht, 
 and, having passed up the women and the insensible Justin- 
 ian,' climbe'd on board themselves. Then ensued a scene of 
 heartfelt welcome and congratulations, in which Maurice 
 especially was nearly overwhelmed by the embraces of Cris- 
 pin and the Hector. 
 
 " Is Justinian dead ? " asked Crispin, when the first excite- 
 ment had somewhat subsided. 
 
 " No ; but I am afraid he is dying ! " 
 
 "My poor lad!" said the Kector pityingly; "you are 
 quite worn out. Crispin, are you still going on to Mel- 
 
 nos ? " 
 
 " What is the use, sir ? " said Dick bitterly ; " it's nothing 
 but a heap o' cinders." 
 
 " Any one still left on the island ? " 
 
 " Crispin," said Maurice solemnly, " with the exception of 
 those you see, every soul on the island is dead. I will tell 
 you all soon, but meanwhile I must have something to eat, a 
 bath, and a sleep." 
 
 The women had already carried off Helena and Zoe, to 
 attend to them in their cabin, Justinian was taken down and 
 put to bed, and the yacht's head was turned back to Syra 
 without delay, in order to obtain a doctor for the dying 
 Demarch. 
 
448 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " Where is Alexandres, Dick ? " asked Gurt, as he at- 
 tended to the wants of the boatswain. 
 
 " Fell overboard ! " replied Dick sadly ; " he got away 
 with us from that cursed island, but, being weak with all his 
 work, tumbled into the water. We tried to save him, but 
 he was so weak that before we could reach him he went 
 down." 
 
 " And that *ere Count ? " 
 
 " Oh, a stone from the volcano smashed him up.'^ 
 
 "Served him jolly well right !" said Gurt cruelly. "My 
 eye, Dick, *ow glad I am t' see ye, and Zoe too ! " 
 
 " If it hadn't been for Mr. Roylands, we'd all have been 
 lost, Gurt ! " 
 
 "Didn't I say so ! " cried Gurt, bringing his fist down on 
 the table with a mighty thump. " Wot a man he is ! Lord 
 Nelsing and the Dook of Wellingtin were nothin' to him — 
 nothin' ! " 
 
 In spite of the speed of the yacht, she was unable to reach 
 Syra in time to save the life of the Demarch, for the stone 
 from the volcano had so crushed in his chest, that internal 
 hemorrhage had taken place, and there was no hope of saving 
 his life. He revived, however, shortly after being taken on 
 board, and was conscious to the last, not without some 
 gleams of his former grim humor at the cause of his death. 
 
 " That ungrateful Melnos ! " he said feebly, as he lay back 
 in his berth, clasping his daughter's hand ; "' I gave it bread, 
 and it returns me a stone — a stone to crush me to death. 
 Well, at all events it killed Andros, and of that I am glad." 
 
 "Hush, hush, my dear friend!" said the Kector gently; 
 "you must not talk like that. Forgive your enemies." 
 
 " What ! forgive that monster of ingratitude, who brought 
 so many troubles on me, and ruined my schemes." 
 
 " Yes," said Carriston firmly ; " the greater the sinner, the 
 more need has he of forgiveness. If you forgive not your 
 enemies their sins, how can you expect God to forgive 
 you ? " 
 
 " What about yourself, Rector ? " 
 
 " I have no enemies," replied Carriston, with great dig- 
 nity ; "but even if I had, I would forgive them freely." 
 
 "Very well," said the Demarch, with a cynical smile, 
 which but ill became his pallid face ; " I will put you to the 
 test. Call in every one." 
 
 Considerably puzzled at this remark, the Rector did as he 
 was bidden, and in a short space of time, Maurice, Crispin, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 449 
 
 Mrs. Dengelton, and Eunice were gathered round the bed of 
 the dying man. Helena still sat near him, holding his hot 
 hand; and the Demarch, thus having got his audience to- 
 gether, began to make his last confession. 
 
 '' You say, Eector, you have no enemies." 
 
 " No, not that I know of ! " 
 
 " Think a little, Mr. Carriston. What about thirty years 
 back ? " 
 
 " Thirty years back ! " repeated Carriston, growing pale. 
 
 " And Captain Malcolm, who ran off with your wife and 
 child ! " 
 
 " How do you know that ? " asked the Eector, with a re- 
 proachful glance at Roylands. " Has Maurice " — 
 
 " I have said nothing, sir," cried Maurice, flushing deeply ; 
 " how can you suspect me of such a thing ? " 
 
 " I beg your pardon, my dear lad," replied the Rector pen- 
 itently ; " I was wrong to do so. Still, how does Mr. Justin- 
 ian know " — 
 
 "For the very simple reason that he was Captain Mal- 
 colm," said the Demarch faintly. 
 
 " You ! " cried Carriston, recoiling with a shudder, — " you ! 
 Are you the man who wrecked my life, and stole my dear 
 ones from me ? " 
 
 " I am that man ! " said Justinian, looking at him with 
 weak defiance. '• Come now, where is your forgiveness ? " 
 
 The Rector was deeply moved, and sat on the edge of the 
 berth, with his hands clasped, and great drops of perspira- 
 tion rolling down his pale face. A terrible struggle was 
 going on in his mind, for it appeared to him almost impossi- 
 ble to forgive this man, who had wronged him so bitterly. 
 Justinian, observer of human nature to the last, looked at 
 him with a faint sneer on his dying lips. 
 
 " I thought you would not practise what you preached." 
 
 " You are wrong ! you are wrong ! " cried the Rector, 
 springing to his feet. " God forgive me ! I should not have 
 hesitated a moment. I do forgive you! I forgive you freely." 
 
 Justinian Avas so moved to sudden emotion at this noble 
 behavior on the part of the man he had wronged, that for 
 the moment he was deprived of speech. 
 
 " I see there are some good men still on earth," he said at 
 length in a faltering voice. " Mr. Carriston, I thank you for 
 your noble conduct, which has taken me quite by surprise. 
 I acknowledge I have wronged you deeply, and cannot palli- 
 ate my conduct, but I can and will make reparation." 
 
450 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 " My wife ? " groaned the Rector bitterly. 
 
 " Is dead ; but your son is by your side." 
 
 The Rector turned suddenly round and found himself face 
 to face with Crispin, whose countenance was as pallid as his 
 own. They gazed for a moment at one another, suffocated 
 with emotion, then, casting all restraint to the winds, fell 
 into one another's arms. 
 
 " You will find all the necessary papers to convince you of 
 this truth with my lawyers in London," said the Demar(;h, 
 with evident pleasure at this meeting of long parted father 
 and son. 
 
 "I am convinced now," replied Carriston, as he stood with 
 his hand on Crispin's shoulder. " Yes ! this is indeed my 
 son." 
 
 " Still, you had better see the papers," said Justinian 
 faintly. " There is a letter for you from your wife, which 
 will tell you all you wish to know. Rector, I have been a 
 great sinner, I know, still I don't think there are many 
 actions I regret so much as robbing you of your wife. How- 
 ever, I have done my best to make amends, and you have for- 
 given me. But Crispin?" 
 
 " I also forgive 3- on freely," said Crispin, clasping the hand 
 of the dying man ; " for by this confession you have not only 
 given me a father, but a wife." 
 
 "Yes, take her!" sobbed Mrs. Dengelton, pushing her 
 daughter towards the poet. " I always liked you, Crispin, — 
 or shall I say Mr. Carriston ? " 
 
 " I think it must be Crispin Carriston," said the Rector, 
 drawing Eunice towards him, " for I love the name of Cris- 
 pin too well to part with it." 
 
 " My dear father ! " 
 
 " Maurice ! " said Justinian, who was getting weaker. 
 
 " Yes, uncle ? " 
 
 " You will find my will at my lawyer's ; it leaves all the 
 money to you and Helena, who is to be your wife." 
 
 "My dear wife!" repeated Maurice, kissing the weeping 
 girl. " As to your money, uncle, I do not require it." 
 
 "You must take it, my son, Helena is my heiress, and 
 alas ! now Melnos has vanished in smoke and fire, there is no 
 use for it there. You will return to England, IVIaurice, and, 
 with all this wealth, do what good you can in the world. 
 Crispin is already rich, so it would be useless to leave him 
 anything. " 
 
 " I have Eunice, and that is enough for me." 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 451 
 
 "Well, now all is arranged, we must drop the curtain on 
 this comedy of life," said Justinian, with a flash of his old 
 cynicism. '' After all, I have played my part to the best of 
 my ability on this life's stage, but Fate has been too strong 
 for me." 
 
 " It is the will of God," observed the Rector solemnly. 
 
 Justinian said nothing, as he did not wish to offend the 
 firm faith of the old clergyman, but he could not, for the life 
 of him, think that it was the will of God that forty years of 
 hard work to raise up a new civilization should be blotted 
 out for no reason whatsoever. 
 
 " Life's a problem ! " he said, with a faint sigh ; " we do 
 our best, and remain poor, we do our worst, and become rich. 
 However, it is all over now, and of all my schemes nothing 
 remains. Dust, ashes, smoke, fire, have they all come to, and 
 I, after seventy-five years of life, die foiled and beaten by 
 Fate." 
 
 '' Oh, father, do not talk so ! You will not die ! you will 
 live ! " 
 
 " I am afraid not, my child ! " replied the dying man 
 faintly ; " the parting gift of Melnos has crushed the life out 
 of me. Oh, my island, my beautiful island ! that bloomed 
 like a rose on the waters ! how your glory has departed ! 
 The forge of Hephaistos hath supplanted the garden of 
 Cytherea." 
 
 " Will I not pray for you ? " asked the Rector gently. 
 
 "To whom? God? Well, a good man's prayers can do 
 no harm, and, if there is truth in your belief, may do some 
 good. But we are all in the dark, you with your Christianity, 
 I with my paganism. The comedy is ended, drop the cur- 
 tain." 
 
 " Oh, father, father ! do not talk so ! " sobbed Helena, bury- 
 ing her face in her hands. 
 
 " Hush, my child ! I am not afraid. Rector, you can pray 
 for me, but, now all is told and done, leave me with my 
 child. Good-by, my sister ; I never knew you, so we are 
 almost strangers — good-by. Kiss me, Eunice, and be a 
 good wife to Crispin, who loves you so dearly. Crispin, I 
 have wronged you, but made reparation. Dick ! Gurt ! you 
 have been true men, and Maurice will look after your future. 
 Maurice, my dear son, good-by. Be a kind husband to my 
 child, and comfort her in her sorrow. Bury me at sea, for I 
 will have no meaner grave than the mighty ocean. Good- 
 by, one and all — good-by ! " 
 
452 THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 
 
 They took leave of him in silence, one by one, and then 
 left the cabin quietly, leaving him alone with Helena and 
 the Rector, who was already on his knees reciting the ser- 
 vice for the dying. On deck, the sun was setting in splen- 
 dor, leaving trails of glory in the heavens, and sadly they 
 remained there, waiting for the end. In about half an hour, 
 the Rector, pale and sad, appeared on the deck. 
 
 "It is all over!" 
 
 The next day, the yacht arrived at Syra, with her ensign 
 half-mast, as a token of the dead on board. Here the men 
 whom Crispin had recruited for the defence of Melnos were 
 paid off and dismissed. No one on board cared to remain 
 longer in the Archipelago, now so fraught with sad associa- 
 tions, so, after a few hours' stay, The Eunice steamed out of 
 the harbor on her way to old England once more. 
 
 Off the island of Cerigo, to the extreme south of the 
 Peloponnesus, Justinian's body was committed to the deep, 
 wrapped in no meaner shroud than that ragged Union Jack, 
 shot nearly into tatters, wdiich had floated so proudly over 
 the well-defended stockade. The Rector, in a voice broken 
 by emotion, read the burial service over the body of the dead 
 Demarch, who, whatever his faults might have been, was a 
 great man. The engines were slowed down, the body, 
 wrapped in its glorious pall, shot with a sullen splash into 
 the sea, and then the yacht, with set sails and beating 
 screw, plunged on, through the purple seas, towards Eng- 
 land. 
 
 Helena was almost broken-hearted with her loss, and shut 
 herself up in her cabin to lament in solitude. This, however, 
 Maurice would not allow, as he was afraid of her becoming 
 ill, and one evening, when all were at dinner, he persuaded 
 her to come up on deck, where the glery of the sunset was 
 burning with splendor in the far west. 
 
 ^' My dearest," he said tenderly, taking, her in his arms, as 
 they stood facing the keen sea breeze, "you must not break 
 your heart like this. Your father would never have survived 
 the loss of Melnos, so he had his wish, and died when all his 
 hopes of a new Hellas were at an end. I must be your com- 
 forter now, Helena, and when you are my dear wife, I trust 
 to make you so happy, that you will be able to look back 
 with calmness on this loss, which you now think — and justly 
 — so bitter. Hush, hush, my dear love! We will face the 
 future together, and live down our past sorrows." 
 
 Helena, drying her eyes, put her cold little hand into his, 
 
THE ISLAND OF FANTASY. 453 
 
 and looked trustfully up into his face, but was too overcome 
 by her feelings to trust herself to speech. 
 
 The sun, dying in the west, was flooding the heavens with 
 gold, and just above the intolerable brilliance on the horizon 
 appeared a fantastically shaped cloud, like an isle all broken 
 into bays, capes, peaks, and plains. In the glowing splendor 
 it looked so frail and ethereal, that, even as they gazed, it 
 melted away before their eyes like a fairy vision. 
 
 "The Island of Fantasy ! " murmured Helena. 
 
 " My love ! The real Island of Fantasy has vanished ; the 
 cloud Island of Fantasy has disappeared ; but in our hearts, 
 my Helena, there is a land of fairy loveliness, which will 
 endure forever, and some day, m}^ child, when we leave this 
 world, we will find our beautiful island once again, more 
 glorious than of yore, with your father to welcome us 
 there." 
 
 Fiiris. 
 

 "Down where the living: waters flow/' 
 
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 The best patronized Winter 
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