University of Virginia Library

THE MYSTERIE OF LIFE.

He stood in the courtyard of an ancient castle,
with the frown of the old walls towering over
his head, while the blaze of the festal lights
thrown from the lofty windows, gave a ruddy
light to the scene, as the bounding strains of music,
the light-hearted laugh of the reveller, or the
gay carol of the minstrel came echoing to his ear.
He looked around the courtyard, and beheld
ranged under the shadow of the ancient wall the
chariots of the great and proud, extending in long
and brilliant array, as far as eye could see, each
chariot with its panels blazing with heraldic emblazonings
boasting its gallant attendance of four
noble steeds, decorated with gay housings and
waving plumes, red, azure and snow-white in hue,
while numerous servitors, attired in liveries of
every colour and gaudy device, ran to and fro,
their shouts of boisterous merriment, mingling
with the voices of their Lords, joining in the glee
song of the banquet hall.

Ascending a massive stairway, with snow white
marble steps, and rare paintings adorning the wall;
Adrian made his way through the crowds of
feasters, passing to and fro, through the stream of
servitors bearing dainty viands to the revellers
above, and in a single moment stood within the
glare and glitter of the Festival Hall.

It was in sooth, a grand and magnificent scene.
The pillars of a lofty hall swept away from the
spot where he stood, in grand perspective, each
lofty column bearing its burden of wild flowers,
quaintly wreathed around sculptured frieze and
capital, hanging in long festoons to the floor, or
borne to and fro by the summer breeze, while the
glare of ten thousand lamps, arranged amid the
intricate ornaments of the arching ceiling, hung
along the towering columns, or pendant in the
night air, gave a dazzling light to the scene, as the
dancers went merrily over the bounding floor,
each eye gleaming with revelry, each cheek glowing
with the merriment of the hour, and the Spirit
of the Dance giving life to every step, animation
to every motion of the revellers.

Placed on the balcony above his head, the
band of minstrels filled the air with music; pillar
and column, ceiling-arch and obscure nook, gave
back the strains with redoubled echoes, until the
air seemed animated with melody, instinct with
the life of joy, while floating on the waves of
sound, the forms of dame and damsel, lord and
cavalier, seemed swimming in the atmosphere,
their eyes flashing light, their hands gaily upraised,
their voices mingling in a festal song, as they
undulated to and fro, now circling here, now
grouping there, now clustering in a crowd, and
again darting away over the floor, like a flock of
frightened birds scared by the wild swoop of the
falcon.

Adrian gazed over the scene, until his eye grew
sick with loveliness, his ears deafened by the
sounds of mirth, revelry and music, he gazed
around and marked the forms of beauty swaying
in the dance, here the blooming form of mature
womanhood, bounding amid the dancers, there
the blushing cheek of girlhood, receiving the warm
blaze of the festal lights on the velvet skin, here

soft lips and azure eyes, mingling their messages
of love, there delicate hands pressed thrillingly together,
on every side the form of a queenly dame
revealed in the light, or the soft bosom of a princely
damsel, heaving from the folds of her vestment,
on all sides beauty and grace, music and motion,
comingling their fascinations, while the heart filled
with melody, and the pulse throbbed with joy.

And as Adrian looked, with a wild thrill of delight,
he beheld one lovely form, standing apart
from the dancers, while her face of dreamy beauty
was gazing sadly over the scene, the deep blue eye
gleaming with thought, and the swelling cheek
paled by melancholy, as the strains of festival music
came to her ear. It was the Ladye Annabel!

With a wild cry of delight Adrian sprang forward,
and as he spraug, his bride turned, beheld
his face, and came swimming into his arms. Another
moment and they joined the throng of dancers speeding
gayly over the floor, their hands interlocked
while their glances mingled, and the soft whispers
of each voice, spoke of the dear memories of the
olden time.

It was when the dance swelled gayest, when the
minstrels gave forth their most joyous notes, when
all around was life and music and the waters of
joy came bubbling to the brim of every heart, that
a strange voice, deep, and whispering in its tones,
broke over the very heart of Adrain.

And at the very word, Adrian lost his bride in
the throng of dancers, and all grew dark as mid-night.
The music and the dancers, the forms of
beauty and the pillared hall, all, all were gone, and
a strange consciousness was impressed upon the
brain of Adrian, that one hundred years from the
festal night had passed away, that he had been
wrapt in slumber for a long and dreary century of
time.