The Faery Tales of Weir | Page 6

so
wonderful to her. She ran her long white fingers through the folds of
silk, and let the laces cascade over her arms; but in the end she changed
only her wooden shoes for little dancing slippers of violet velvet, and
again she put fresh violets in her hair.
When she entered the banquet hall, she found the King on the dais, and
on one side of him stood Prince Hugh in a rose-satin dancing dress; and
on the other Prince Richard in a garb of yellow velvet. Both wore
jeweled girdles to which were attached little shining swords with opals
in the hilts. About the throne were grouped the courtiers; and beyond
the courtiers were the knights and ladies of the frescoed walls which
bore the history of King Cuthbert's ancestors; girls like drifting
blossoms, matrons like sweet fruit, and knights like strong trees.
The white velvet curtains before the tall casements shut out the stars,
but all the heavens seemed recorded by the glowing wax-candles.
Down the center of the room ran the banquet-table with dishes of gold;
and plumage of rare birds nesting strange viands; and the sweet cheeks
of summer fruits showing through the heaped blossoms of rose,
gardenia, and honeysuckle. There were sweetmeats on dishes of pierced
silver and between these played into broad glass bowls jets of scented
water, making a lake where tiny swans swam.
But all this beauty was nothing to Princess Myrtle, because she did not
see Prince Merlin in the room; nor at the banquet did he appear. So she
could eat but a little fruit, and that was without taste to her.

After the banquet the court repaired to the dancing-hall, where already
the musicians were strumming upon their instruments, so that
everyone's feet began to move rhythmically. Then King Cuthbert
beckoned the Princess Myrtle to him and said: "I see that you have put
on dancing-slippers. With whom will you dance?"
"With myself, Sire, should I have no partner," she replied smiling.
At that moment Prince Merlin approached the throne clothed all in
black silk, more appropriate for a scene of mourning than of festivity;
and the King said to him: "Wilt thou lead this beggar-maid in the
dance?"
The Prince's face grew as white for a moment as the lace of his collar,
but he replied proudly, "At a ball a man chooses his own partners."
Then the Princess Myrtle's heart felt as weary as feet on a long road;
but she awaited patiently the King's next word, which was spoken to
Prince Richard and Prince Hugh, inviting them to dance with the
beggar-maid. Each made an excuse. Then King Cuthbert addressed her.
"Dance with yourself, beggar-girl," and he had the heralds proclaim
that this stranger who wore brown wool in court would go on the floor
alone. Everyone laughed and clapped their hands, only Prince Merlin
bit his lip and looked prouder than ever, which, when she saw, the
Princess Myrtle thought, "I will dance so beautifully that he will ask me
to be his partner."
Then she let down her hair from beneath her crown of flowers, and
went into the center of the circle that the court had formed, and began
to sway a little like a flower in the breeze. Soon the court found itself
swaying with her, so that it was like a garden when the wind rises. But
when all were moving, the Princess saw that Prince Merlin stood like a
pine-tree that will not bend its head unless the tempest comes out of the
North. So she changed from a flower to a butterfly and began a
fluttering, glancing motion, and threw back her golden locks like wings.
Everyone watching her became very still, only Prince Merlin moved
restlessly, and once he put his hand across his eyes as if the sun were in
them.

When she had finished the King cried "Bravo," and then the court
crowded about her, and Prince Hugh and Prince Richard asked her to
dance with them; but Prince Merlin did not ask her, though he led out
many ladies; and because of that it was as if she were dancing in the
snow and rain, or on sharp stones.
The pain in her heart grew violent, and drove her at last to the
orange-tree near which he stood. On the edge of its marble tub she sat
down to rest, and all at once a golden orange dropped in her lap. She
held it out to him. "You have drowned your scarlet ball, take this."
"Nay, for it is perishable," he said.
Then tears like pearls came slowly from her eyes and she was driven to
say: "You alone have not asked me to dance. Did not my dancing
please you?"
He replied, "I am not