will be no vexing noises, no dull silence, no shade but the shadows of bright blossomed trees with sunshine all round about them. But sleep, now" "O, sleep is scared away for ever," sighed Albinet; "never, never to come nigh these walls again!" A few moments afterwards Phantasmion heard the soft, regular breathing, which told that his fearful spirit had ceased to strive with itself; then, having laid himself down beside that chamber-door, he too fell asleep, and dreamed right pleasantly. CHAPTER XX. GLANDRETH QUITS THE ISLAND, AND PHANTASMION OBTAINS AN INTERVIEW WITH IARINE. WHEN Phantasmion awoke in the dim passage, he heard the inmates of the chamber greeting the dawn with this song :— How high yon lark is heavenward borne ! A waveless flood, supremely bright, In this day's light what flowers will bloom, Then come, while yet we linger here, : "Now for fresh thoughts and fresh deeds!" cried the youth, starting up, when the strain ceased, and doffing his withered chaplet; but ere these glowing resolves had taken any fixed shape, forth came Iarine, hand in hand with Albinet, throwing light from the chamber full in his face then starting at the sight of him, she hurried away, and soon had entered Maudra's apartment. Phantasmion stood in a recess, and in a little time, the young boy, going out on some errand, left the door ajar, so that he now beheld the interior of the apartment, where Iarine was dressing the queen's hair, and beheld her lovely form as she bent over the task, and her face reflected in the mirror above that of Maudra. The step-dame surveyed her own too faithful portrait, and the more she gazed, the more she was dissatisfied with those bleak remains of pristine splendour. A deeper shade seemed to fall over her sunken eyes, and the hollows that lay beneath them, so that the reflection, and that which was reflected, mutually increased each other's gloom; while the soft image of Iarine's unconscious face beamed on in pensive beauty. Maudra pulled away her dishevelled locks from the lily hand that held them, and, scowling upon the maiden, said, "Thy tresses are too thick, Iarine: no wonder my work stands still, when thou hast such a multitude of gadding tendrils to cultivate: if thou wert a child of mine I should have them pruned much closer.” The damsel understood this hint, and, while her tears fell fast, cut one after another of her sunny ringlets, and let them fall upon the ground, while Maudra looked sternly on, and never seemed to think that she had done enough. Phantasmion's blood was rising. Albinet, at this moment ran back into his mother's room, and seeing what Iarine was about, stopped short in his career. Then, looking greatly astonished, he held her hand, and plaintively inquired, "What! art thou shearing away all thy locks which our poor father loves to play with?" Iarine whispered, "Hush! it is by the queen's command." Upon which Albinet looked full in Maudra's face, and exclaimed, "O, mother? what harm can Iarine's ringlets do to thee?” The haughty woman turned away from her child's inquiring gaze, and muttered in a low tone to the damsel, 66 Have a care that no one else plays with them, but thy doting father, or this poor fool." Albinet began to gather up the scattered tresses, while Iarine hastened to close the door, having caught a glimpse of Phantasmion's eager face in the mirror. Afterwards the prince went forth, and saw Glandreth at a little distance, hurrying to the lake, with pale disordered looks, and still the chart of the realm he meant to conquer, was in his hand. "Terrified yet unsubdued!" exclaimed the youth; and when his enemy's boat was midway between the island and the opposite bank, he knelt upon the ground, and drew forth from his body a hollow noise, which was conveyed over the water with great force, to the chieftain's ear; then he saw Glandreth drop the oar, and let the vessel drift at random. But Phantasmion arose. "I will not break the calm of this sunshiny hour," he cried, "with more loud peals. O that these gentle-trilling birds, and that soft breeze, could plead for me with my coy mistress!" Possessed by such thoughts, he wandered about the flower-beds, and through many a pleasant copse, in hopes that he might find her, but still disappointed, he sadly cried, "O, harsh step-dame, to keep Iarine out of the sunshine on such a day as this!" At length he approached that ancient tower, detached from the main building, whither he had seen the maiden ascend, the night she caught the poisonous fish. Now it cast a black shadow in the midst of the sunny garden: a thousand bees were busy there, but not one murmured over the flowers which lay in that shade; no butterfly flitted across to reach the golden blossoms that basked in the warm rays beyond. The entrance to the tower was open; he went in, and, going up the dark winding stairs, he heard the voice of Albinet "I dare not play in the garden," the boy was saying, "for fear of the stranger youth." A soft reply which followed was not audible, and Phantasmion mounted a little higher. "Indeed now, sister, I did see his wings," rejoined Albinet; "he hides them by day under his cloak. O, sister, sister, perhaps it was he that flew away with our baby brother." Dear child, I cannot let thee in," replied the soft voice of Iarine; "the door is locked, and thy mother has the key." "Alas! alas!" cried the child; "it is so dark here if I had wings I would fly in at the window which opens upon the lawn." Phantasmion descended. the stairs, and soon discovered the window spoken of by Albinet, then loosing his wings, he flew up to it, : |