University of Virginia Library

Leaf from "Siope"

forest, and up higher at the rustling Heaven, and into the crimson moon.
And I lay close within shelter of the lilies, and I observed the actions of
the man. And the man trembled in the solitude — but the night wa—
-ned and he sat upon the rock.

And the man turned his attention from the Heaven, and looked
out upon the dreary river Zaire, and upon the yellow ghastly waters,
and upon the pale legions of the water-lilies. And the man listened to
the sighs of the water-lilies, and to the murmur that came up from among
them. And I lay close within my covert, and I observed the actions
of the man. And the man trembled in the solitude — but the night
waned and he sat upon the rock.

Then I went down into the recesses of the morass, and waded far
in among the wilderness of the lilies, and called unto the hippopotami
which dwelt among the fens in the recesses of the morass. And the hip-
-popotami heard my call and came with the behemoth unto the foot of
the rock, and roared loudly and fearfully beneath the moon. And I
lay close within my covert and observed the actions of the man. And
the man trembled in the solitude—but the night waned and he sat
upon the rock.

Then I cursed the elements, and a frightful temptest gathered in the
Heaven where before there had been no wind. And the Heaven became
livid with the violence of the tempest—and the rain beat upon the head
of the man—and the floods of the river came down—and the river
was tormented into foam—and the water-lilies shrieked within their
beds—and the trees crumbled before the wind—and the lightning
flashed—and the thunder fell—and the rock rocked to its foun-
-dation. And I lay close within my covert, and I observed the ac-
-tions of the man. And the man trembled within the solitude
—but the night waned, and he sat upon the rock.

Then I grew angry and cursed with a silent curse the river,
and the lilies, and the wind, and the forest, and the Heaven, and
the thunder, and the sighs of the water-lilies. And they became
accursed—and were still. And the moon ceased to totter in its

pathway up the Heaven—and the thunder died away—and the light-
-ning did not flash—and the clouds hung motionliess—and the waters
sunk to their level and remained—and the trees ceased to rock—and
the water-lilies sighed no more—and the murmur was heard no longer
from among them—nor any shadow of sound throughout the vast illi-
-mitable desert. And I looked upon the characters of the rock, and
they were changed—and the characters were SILENCE.

And mine eyes fell upon the countenance of the man—and his
countenance was was with terror. And he raised his head from his
hand, and stood forth upon the rock—and listened. But there was
no voice throughout the vast illimitable desert, and the characters
upon the rock were SILENCE. And the man shuddered—and
turned his face away—and fled afar off—and I saw him no
more.'

Now there are fine tales in the volumes of the Magi—in the
iron-bound melancholy volumes of the Magi. Therein, I say, are glorious
histories of the Heaven and of the Earth, and of the mighty Sea—and
of the Genii that over-ruled the Sea, and the Earth, and the lofty Hea-
-ven. There was much lore too in the sayings which were said by
the Sybils—and holy, holy things were heard of old by the dim
leaves that trembled around Dodona—but as Allah liveth
that fable which the Demon told me, as he sat by my side in the
shadow of the old tomb at Balbec, I hold to be the most wonder-
-ful of all. And as the Demon made an end of his story he fell
back within the cavity of the tomb and laughed. And I tried,
but could not laugh with the Demon—and he cursed me because
I could not laugh. And the lynx which dwelleth in the cavern
by the tomb came out from his lair, and lying down at the feet
of the demon looked at him steadily in the face.