The King scanned the coast through his gla.s.s with some interest.
"We shall obtain amus.e.m.e.nt from this unprepared trip," he said, addressing the friends who were gathered round him; "We have forbidden any announcement of our visit here, and, therefore, we shall receive no recognition, or welcome. We shall have to take the people as we find them!"
"Let us hope they will prove themselves agreeable, Sir," said one of the suite, the Marquis Montala, a somewhat effeminate elegant-looking man, with small delicate features and lazily amorous eyes,--"And that the women of the place will not be too alarmingly hideous."
"Women are always women." said the King gaily; "And you, Montala, if you cannot find a pretty one, will put up with an ugly one for the moment rather than have none at all! But beauty exists everywhere, and I daresay we shall find it in as good evidence here as in other parts of the kingdom. Our land is famous for its lovely women,"--and turning to Sir Walter Langton he added--"I think, Sir Walter, we can almost beat your England in that one particular!"
"Some years ago, Sir, I should have accepted that challenge," returned Sir Walter, "And with the deepest respect for your Majesty, I should have ventured to deny the a.s.sertion that any country in the world could surpa.s.s England for the beauty of its women. But since the rage for masculine sports and masculine manners has taken hold of English girls, I am not at all disposed to defend them. They have, unhappily, lost all the soft grace and modesty for which their grandmothers were renowned, and one begins to remark that their very shapes are no longer feminine.
The beautiful full bosoms, admired by Gainsborough and Romney, are replaced by an unbecoming flatness--the feet and hands are growing large and awkward, instead of being well-shaped, white and delicate--the skin is becoming coa.r.s.e and rough of texture, and there is very little complexion to boast of, if we except the artificial make-up of the women of the town. Some few pretty and natural women remain in the heart of the forest and the country, but the contamination is spreading, and English women are no longer the models of womanhood for all the world."
"Are you married, Sir Walter?" asked the King with a smile.
"To no woman, Sir! I have married England--I love her and work for her only!"
"You find that love sufficient to fill your heart?"
"Perhaps," returned Sir Walter musingly--"perhaps if I speak personally and selfishly--no! But when I argue the point logically, I find this--that if I had a wife she might probably occupy too much of my time,--certes, if I had children, I should be working for them and their future welfare;--as it is, I give all my life and all my work to my country, and my King!"
"I hope you will meet with the reward you merit," said the Queen gently; "Kings are not always well served!"
"I seek no reward," said Sir Walter simply; "The joy of work is always its own guerdon."
As he spoke the yacht ran into harbour, and with a loud warning cry the sailors flung out the first rope to a man on the pier, who stood gazing in open-mouthed wonder at their arrival. He seemed too stricken with amazement to move, for he failed to seize the rope, whereat, with an angry exclamation as the rope slipped back into the water, and the yacht b.u.mped against the pier, a sailor sprang to land, and as it was thrown a second time, seized it and made it fast to the capstan. A few more moments and the yacht was safely alongside, the native islander remaining still motionless and staring. The captain of the Royal vessel stepped on sh.o.r.e and spoke to him.
"Are there any men about here?"
The individual thus addressed shook his head in the negative.
"Are you alone to keep the pier?"
The head nodded in the affirmative. A voice, emanating from a thickly bearded mouth was understood to growl forth something about "no strange boats being permitted to harbour there." Whereupon the Captain walked up to the uncouth-looking figure, and said briefly.
"We are here by the King"s order! That vessel is the Royal yacht, and their Majesties are on board."
For one instant the islander stared more wildly than ever, then with a cry of amazement and evident alarm, ran away as fast as his legs could carry him and disappeared. The captain returned to the yacht and related his experience to Sir Roger de Launay. The King heard and was amused.
"It seems, Madam," he said, turning to the Queen, "That we shall have The Islands to ourselves; but as our visit will be but brief, we shall no doubt find enough to interest us in the mere contemplation of the scenery without other human company than our own. Will you come?"
He extended his hand courteously to a.s.sist her across the gangway of the vessel, and in a few minutes the Royal party were landed, and the yacht was left to the stewards and servants, who soon had all hands at work preparing the dinner which was to be served during the return sail.
CHAPTER XI
"GLORIA--IN EXCELSIS!"
The King and Queen, followed by their suite and their guests, walked leisurely off the pier, and down a well-made road, sparkling with crushed sea-sh.e.l.ls and powdered coral, towards a group of tall trees and green gra.s.s which they perceived a little way ahead of them. There was a soothing quietness everywhere,--save for the singing of birds and the soft ripple of the waves on the sandy sh.o.r.e, it was a silent land:
"In which it seemed always afternoon-- All round the coast the languid air did swoon-- Breathing like one that hath a weary dream."
The Queen paused once or twice to look around her; she was vaguely touched and charmed by the still beauty of the scene.
"It is very lovely!" she said, more to herself than to any of her companions; "The world must have looked something like this in the first days of creation,--so unspoilt and fresh and simple!"
The Countess Amabil, walking with Sir Walter Langton, glanced coquettishly at her cavalier and smiled.
"It is idyllic!" she said;--"A sort of Arcadia without Corydon or Phyllis! Do all the inhabitants go to sleep or disappear in the daytime, I wonder?"
"Not all, I imagine," replied Sir Walter; "For here comes one, though, judging from the slowness of his walk, he is in no haste to welcome his King!"
The personage he spoke of was indeed approaching, and all the members of the Royal party watched his advance with considerable curiosity. He was tall and upright in bearing, but as he came nearer he was seen to be a man of great age, with a countenance on which sorrow and suffering had left their indelible traces. There were furrows on that face which tears had hollowed out for their swifter flowing, and the high intellectual brow bore lines and wrinkles of anxiety and pain, which were the soul"s pen-marks of a tragic history. He was attired in simple fisherman"s garb of rough blue homespun, and when he was within a few paces of the King, he raised his cap from his curly silver hair with an old-world grace and deferential courtesy. Sir Roger de Launay went forward to meet him and to explain the situation.
"His Majesty the King," he said, "has wished to make a surprise visit to his people of The Islands,--and he is here in person with the Queen. Can you oblige him with an escort to the princ.i.p.al places of interest?"
The old man looked at him with a touch of amus.e.m.e.nt and derision.
"There are no places here of interest to a King," he said; "Unless a poor man"s house may serve for his curious comment! I am not his Majesty"s subject--but I live under his protection and his laws,--and I am willing to offer him a welcome, since there is no one else to do so!"
He spoke with a refined and cultured accent, and in his look and bearing evinced the breeding of a gentleman.
"And your name?" asked Sir Roger courteously.
"My name is Rene Ronsard," he replied. "I was shipwrecked on this coast years ago. Finding myself cast here by the will of G.o.d, here I have remained!"
As he said this, Sir Roger remembered what he had casually heard at times about the "life-philosopher" who had built for himself a dwelling on The Islands out of the timbers of wrecked vessels. This must surely be the man! Delighted at having thus come upon the very person most likely to provide some sort of diversion for their Majesties, and requesting Ronsard to wait at a distance for a moment, he hastened back to the King and explained the position. Whereupon the monarch at once advanced with alacrity, and as he approached the venerable personage who had offered him the only hospitality he was likely to receive in this part of his realm, he extended his hand with a frank and kindly cordiality. Rene Ronsard accepted it with a slight but not over-obsequious salutation.
"We owe you our thanks," said the King, "for receiving us thus readily, and without notice; which is surely the truest form of hospitable kindness! That we are strangers here is entirely our own fault, due to our own neglect of our Island subjects; and it is for this that we have sought to know something of the place privately, before visiting it with such public ceremonial and state as it deserves. We shall be indebted to you greatly if you will lend us your aid in this intention."
"Your Majesty is welcome to my service in whatever way it can be of use to you," replied Ronsard slowly; "As you see, I am an old man and poor--I have lived here for well-nigh thirty years, making as little demand as possible upon the resources of either rough Nature or smooth civilization to provide me with sustenance. There is poor attraction for a king in such a simple home as mine!"
"More than all men living, a king has cause to love simplicity,"
returned the monarch, as with his swift and keen glance he noted the old man"s proud figure, fine worn features, and clear, though deeply-sunken eyes;--"for the glittering shows of ceremony are chiefly irksome to those who have to suffer their daily monotony. Let me present you to the Queen--she will thank you as I do, for your kindly consent to play the part of host to us to-day."
"Nay,"--murmured Ronsard--"No thanks--no thanks!" Then, as the King said a few words to his fair Consort, and she received the old man"s respectful salutation in the cold, grave way which was her custom, he raised his eyes to her face, and started back with an involuntary exclamation.
"By Heaven!" he said suddenly and bluntly, "I never thought to see any woman"s beauty that could compare with that of my Gloria!"
He spoke more to himself than to any listener, but the King hearing his words, was immediately on the alert, and when the whole Royal party moved on again, he, walking in a gracious and kindly way by the old man"s side, and skilfully keeping up the conversation at first on mere generalities, said presently:--
"And that name of Gloria;--may I ask you who it is that bears so strange an appellation?"
Ronsard looked at him somewhat doubtingly.
"Your Majesty considers it strange? Had you ever seen her, you would think it the only fitting name for her," he answered,--"For she is surely the most glorious thing G.o.d ever made!"
"Your wife--or daughter?" gently hinted the King.