THE private theatre in the palace was a room of very moderate size, for the audience was necessarily very small; in fact, the stage was larger than the auditorium. The play took place in the afternoon, and there was no artificial light; many of the operatic performances in Italy, indeed, took place in the open air.

Yet, though the time of day and the natural light deprived the theatre of much of the strangeness and glamour with which it is usually associated, and which so much impress a youth who sees it for the first time, the effect of the first performance upon Mark was very remarkable. He was seated immediately behind the Prince. Far from being delighted with the play, he was overpowered as it went on by an intense melancholy horror. When the violins, the flutes, and the fifes began the overture, a new sense seemed given to him, which was not pleasure but the intensest dread. If the singing of the Signorina had been a shock to him, accustomed as he was only to the solemn singing of his childhood, what must this elfish, weird, melodious music have seemed, full of gay and careless life, and of artless unconscious airs which yet were miracles of art? He sat, terrified at these delicious sounds, as though this world of music without thought or conscience were a wicked thing. The shrill notes of the fifes, the long tremulous vibration of the strings, seemed to draw his heart after them. Wherever this wizard call might lead him it seemed he would have to follow the alluring chords.

But when the acting began his terror became more intense. The grotesque figures seemed to him those of devils, or at the best of fantastic imps or gnomes. He could understand nothing of the dialogue, but the gestures, the laughter, the wild singing, were shocking to him. When the Signorina appeared, the strange intensity of her colour, the brilliancy of her eyes, and what seemed to him the freedom of her gestures and the boldness of her bewitching glances, far from delighting, as they seemed to do all the others, made him ready to weep with shame and grief. He sank back in his seat to avoid the notice of the Prince, who, indeed, was too much absorbed in the music and the acting to remember him.

The beauty of the music only added to his despair; had it been less lovely, had the acting not forced now and then a glance of admiring wonder or struck a note of high-toned touching pathos even, it would not all have seemed so much the work of evil. When the comedy was over he crept silently away to his room; and in the excitement of congratulation and praise, as actors and audience mingled together, and the Signorina was receiving the commendations of the Prince, he was not missed.

He could not stay in this place that at least was clear to him. He must escape. He must return to nature, to the woods and birds, to children and to children’s sports. These gibing grimaces, these endless bowings and scrapings and false compliments, known of all to be false, would choke him if he stayed. He must escape from the house of frivolity into the soft, gracious outer air of sincerity and truth.

He cried himself to sleep: all through the night, amid fitful slumber, the crowd of masques jostled and mocked at him; the weird strains of unknown instruments reached his half-conscious bewildered sense. Early in the morning he awoke. There had been rain in the night, and the smiling morning beckoned him out.

He stole down some back stairs, and found a door which opened on gardens and walks at the back of the palace. This he managed to open, and went out.

The path on which the door opened led him through rows of fruit-trees and young plantations. A little forest of delicate boughs and young leaves lifted itself up against the blue sky, and a myriad drops sparkled in the morning sun. The fresh cool air, the blue sky, the singing of the birds, restored Mark to himself. He seemed to see again the possibility of escape from evil, and the hope of righteousness and peace. His whole spirit went out in prayer and love to the Almighty, who had made these lovely things. He felt as he had been wont to do when, on a fine Sunday, he had walked home with his children in order, relating to them the most beautiful tales of God. He wandered slowly down the narrow paths. The fresh-turned earth between the rows of saplings, the beds of herbs, the moist grass, gave forth a scent at once delicate and searching. The boy’s cheerfulness began to return. The past seemed to fade. He almost thought himself the little schoolmaster again.

After wandering for some time through this delicious land of perfume, of light, and sweet sound, he came to a very long but narrow avenue of old elm trees that led down a gradual slope, as it seemed, into the heart of the forest. Beneath the avenue a well-kept path seemed to point with a guiding hand.

He followed the path for some distance, and had just perceived what seemed to be an old manor-house, standing in a courtyard at the farther end, when he was conscious of a figure advancing along the path to meet him: as it approached he saw that it was that of a lady of tall and commanding appearance, and apparently of great beauty; she wore the dress of some sisterhood. When he was near enough to see her face he found that it was indeed beautiful, with an expression of the purest sincerity and benevolence. The lady stopped and spoke to Mark at once.

“You must be the new tutor to their Highnesses,” she said; “I have heard of you.”

Mark said that he was.

“You do not look well,” said the lady, very kindly; “are you happy at the palace?”

“Are you the Princess Isoline?” said Mark, not answering the question; “I think you must be, you are so beautiful.”

“I am the Princess Isoline,” said the lady; “walk a little way with me.”

Mark turned with the lady and walked back towards the palace. After a moment or two he said: “I am not happy at Joyeuse, I am very miserable, I want to run away.”

“What makes you so unhappy? Are they not kind to you? The Prince is very kind, and the children are good children I have always thought.”

“They are all very kind, too kind to me,” said the boy. “I cannot make you understand why I am so miserable, I cannot tell myself the Prince is worse than all ”

“Why is the Prince the worst of all?” said the lady, in a very gentle voice.

“All the rest I know are wrong,” replied the boy, passionately “the actors, the Signorina, the pages, and all; but when the Prince looks at me with his quiet smile when the look comes into his eyes as though he could see through time even into eternity when he looks at me in his kindly, pitying way I begin to doubt. Oh, Highness, it is terrible to doubt! Do you think that the Prince is right?”

The Princess was silent for a moment or two; it was not that she did not understand the boy, for she understood him very well.

“No, I think you are right and not the Prince,” she said at length, in her quiet voice.

There was a pause: neither seemed to know what to say next. They had now nearly reached the end of the avenue next the palace; the Princess stopped.

“Come back with me,” she said, “I will show you my house.”

They walked slowly along the narrow pathway towards the old house at the farther end. The Princess was evidently considering what to say.

“Why do you know that they are all wrong?” she said at last.

“Highness,” said the boy after a pause, “I have never lived amongst, or seen anything, since I was born, but what was natural and real the forest, the fruit-trees in blossom, the gardens, and the flowers. I have never heard anything except of God of the wretchedness of sin of beautiful stories of good people. My grandfather, when he was alive, used to talk to me, as I sat with him at his charcoal-burning in the forest, of my forefathers who were all honest and pious people. There are not many Princes who can say that.”

The Princess did not seem to notice this last uncourtly speech.

“‘I shall then find all my forefathers in Heaven,’ I would say to him,” continued Mark. “’Yes, that thou wilt! we shall then be of high nobility. Do not lose this privilege.’ If I lose this privilege, how sad that will be! But here, in the palace, they think nothing of these things instead of hymns they sing the strangest, wildest songs, so strange and beautiful that I fear and tremble at them as if the sounds were wicked sounds.”

So talking, the Princess and the boy went on through the lovely wood; at last they left the avenue and passed into the courtyard of a stately but decayed house. The walls of the courtyard were overgrown with ivy, and trees were growing up against the house and shading some of the windows. The Princess passed on without speaking, and entered the hall by an open door. As they entered, Mark could hear the sound of looms, and inside were several men and women at different machines employed in weaving cloth. The Princess spoke to several, and leading Mark onward she ascended a wide staircase, and reached at last a long gallery at the back of the house. Here were many looms, and girls and men employed in weaving. The long range of lofty windows faced the north, and over the nearer woods could be seen the vast sweep of the great Thuringian Forest, where Martin Luther had lived and walked. The risen sun was gilding the distant woods. A sense of indescribable loveliness and peace seemed to Mark to pervade the place.

“How happy you must be here, gracious Highness!” he exclaimed.

They were standing apart in one of the windows towards the end of the long room, and the noise of the looms made a continuous murmur that prevented their voices being heard by the others who were near.

The Princess looked at Mark for some moments without reply.

“I must speak the truth always,” she said at last, “but more than ever to such as thou art. I am not happy.”

The boy looked at her as though his heart would break.

“Not happy,” he said in a low voice, “and you so good.”

“The good are not happy,” said the Princess, “and the happy are not good.”

There was a pause; then the Princess went on:

“The people who are with me are good, but they are not happy. They have left the world and its pleasures, but they regret them; they live in the perpetual consciousness of this self-denial this fancy that they are serving God better than others are; they are in danger of becoming jealous and hypocritical. I warn you never to join a particular society which proposes, as its object, to serve God better than others. You are safer, more in the way of serving God in the palace, even amid the singing and the music which seems to you so wicked. They are happy; they are thoughtless, gay, like the birds. They have at least no dark gloomy thoughts of God, even if they have no thoughts of Him at all. They may be won to Him, nay, they may be nearer to Him now than some who think themselves so good. Since I began this way of life I have heard of many such societies, which have crumbled into the dust with derision, and are remembered only with reproach.”

Mark stood gazing at the distant forest without seeing it. He did not know what to think.

“I do not know why I have told you this,” said the Princess; “I had no thought of saying such words when I brought you here. I seem to have spoken them without willing it. Perhaps it was the will of God.”

“Why do you go on with this life,” said Mark sadly, “if it be not good? The Prince would be glad if you would come back to the palace. He has told me so.”

It seemed to the boy that life grew more and more sad. It seemed that, baffled and turned back at every turn, there was no reality, no sincere walk anywhere possible. The worse seemed everywhere the better, the children of this world everywhere wiser than the children of light.

“I cannot go back now,” said the Princess. “When you are gone I shall forget this; I shall think otherwise. There is something in your look that has made me speak like this.”

“Then are these people really not happy?” said Mark again.

“Why should they be happy?” said the Princess, with some bitterness in her voice. “They have given up all that makes life pleasant fine clothes, delicate food, cunning harmonies, love, gay devices, and sports. Why should they be happy? They have dull work, none to amuse or enliven the long days.”

“I was very happy in my village outside the palace gates,” said Mark quietly; “I had none of these things; I only taught the little peasants, yet I was happy. From morning to night the path was straight before me, a bright and easy path; and the end was always light. Now all is difficult and strange. Since I passed through the gates with the golden scrolls, which I thought were like the heavenly Jerusalem, all goes crooked and awry; nothing seems plain and righteous as in the pleasant old days. I have come into an enchanted palace, the air of which I cannot breathe and live; I must go back.”

“No, not so,” said the Princess, “you are wanted here. Where you were you were of little good. There were at least others who could do your work. Here none can do it but you. They never saw any one like you before. They know it and speak of it. All are changed somewhat since you came; you might, it is true, come to me, but I should not wish it. The air of this house would be worse for you even than that of the palace which you fear so much. Besides, the Prince would not be pleased with me.”

Mark looked sadly before him for some moments before he said:

“Even if it be true what you say, still I must go. It is killing me. I wish to do right and good to all; but what good shall I do if it takes all my strength and life? I shall ask the Prince to let me go back.”

“No,” said the Princess, “not that never that. It is impossible, you cannot go back!”

“Cannot go back!” cried Mark. “Why? The Prince is very kind. He will not keep me here to die.”

“Yes, the Prince is very kind, but he cannot do that; what is passed can never happen again. It is the children’s phrase, ‘Do it again.’ It can never be done again. You have passed, as you say, the golden gates into an enchanted world; you have known good and evil; you have tasted of the fruit of the so-called Tree of Life; you cannot go back to the village. Think.”

Mark was silent for a longer space this time. His eyes were dim, but he seemed to see afar off.

“No,” he said at last, “it is true, I cannot go back. The village, and the school, and the children have passed away. I should not find them there, as they were before. If I cannot come to you, there is nothing for me but to die.”

“The Pagans,” said the Princess, “the old Pagans, that knew their gods but dimly, used to say “The God-beloved die young.” It has been said since by Christian men. Do not be afraid to die. Instead of your form and voice there will be remembrance and remorse; instead of indifference and sarcasm there will be contrition; in place of thoughtless kindliness a tender love. Do not be afraid to die. The charm is working now; it will increase when sight is changed for memory, and the changeful irritation of time for changeless recollection and regret. The body of the sown grain is transfigured into the flower of a spiritual life, and from the dust is raised a mystic presence which can never fade. Do not be afraid to die.”

Mark walked slowly back to the palace. He could not think; he was stunned and bewildered. He wished the Princess Isoline would have let him come to her. Then he thought all might yet be well. When he reached the palace he found everything in confusion. The Princess and her friend the servente had suddenly arrived.