All-Story Weekly/Volume 98/Number 3/Fires Rekindled/Chapter 5
CHAPTER V.
THE ENCHANTED NIGHTINGALE.
THE librarian, when I next visited him, handed me a small book with greened edges, bound in brown leather, somewhat defaced by time.
"I won't be positive, but this may be of service to you," he said. "Very few copies are known. The volume contains four numbers of a magazine which was issued about 1818. It follows ostensibly the plan of Addison's Spectator, but it was really a rather bitter political compilation, directed against the prince regent and his party. It was suppressed soon after the appearance of the fourth number. The articles are mostly in the form of fables or fairy tales—a crude symbolism, thinly disguising personal references. The real name of the editor is not known: William Godwin has been suggested, but the evidence is far from convincing. There is a satirical skit, in sonnet form, which has been ascribed to Lord Byron, with small visible justification, except that it's very savage. But such speculations won't interest you; for the rest, you will judge for yourself."
This excellent gentleman always spoke as if he were reading from a book. He now handed me the volume and departed to encourage other students.
I took the book to a desk and opened it without any lively anticipations.
"The Divinator, by Thoth, Jr.," was the announcement on the title-page. I glanced over several articles until I came to one in the form of a story, called "The Enchanted Nightingale," the substance of which I took down.
A daughter of the King of Mesopotamia, Princess Ai-Leen by name, on a visit to Egypt, sang so marvelously that she was summoned before the Pharoah, who, enchanted by her melodies, offered her the position of favorite in the royal palace. She, however, declined his offer, declaring that freedom was more to be desired than riches or titles. The Pharaoh, unaccustomed to rebuffs, meditated how he might be avenged. But because the princess had become greatly loved by the people, and he being a prudent monarch, he did not deem it wise to seize her openly, and therefore bided his time, hoping to ensnare her by guile.
Meanwhile there arrived in his dominions, from the princess's own country, a gallant young nobleman, already renowned for warlike exploits, and accredited with letters from the Mesopotamian monarch to the Pharaoh. His crest bore the device of a lion, and his title among his own people was El-Leon, or, as we should say, Sir Lionel.
The occasion of the knight's advent into Egypt was the crucifixion, at the hands of a Mesopotamian general, of one Am-B'ristah, a citizen of Egypt, and a subject of the Pharaoh, who had thereupon threatened war against Mesopotamia. But Sir Lionel laid proofs before the Pharaoh, showing that this Am-B'ristah was a spy and outlaw, and that his execution was justified according to the law of nations. The Pharaoh, whose army, at this time, was exhausted by long conflicts with the Ethiopians, was secretly glad of a pretext to avoid sending an expedition against Mesopotamia; he therefore accepted the explanations of Sir Lionel and even received him into special favor.
Now it chanced that the young knight, wandering upon a time on the terrace of a certain pavilion on the banks of Nile, heard a sound of singing, passing sweet, so that even the nightingales paused to listen. Concealing himself behind a palm-tree, he presently beheld an exceeding fair princess, with golden hair, and clad in the robes of Mesopotamia, who sang to the moon, with a music that ravished the hearer's very heart! When the song was done, the knight came forward and knelt before her, avowing himself her countryman, and the slave of her beauty, and asking her wherefore she dwelt in this remote spot, instead of delighting the court of the Pharaoh with her divine gift? In reply she related to him the story of the wrath of the monarch of Egypt against her, because she had disdained his offers, and how she remained thus secluded lest he do her some violence.
Upon hearing this the knight laid at her feet his homage and fealty, and swore to protect her against all enemies; he told her, moreover, that he had studied the art of magic and would, if she were willing, transform her into a nightingale, and thus safeguard her against whomsoever went about to bring evil upon her, and withal he right heartily besought her to grant him her love as guerdon. Then the princess, whose eyes had been already filled with the knight's manly beauty, and her heart won by his devotion, yielded him her favor, and the twain exchanged vows of everlasting love, kneeling before the altar of Ashtoreth.
Then, bidding her close her eyes, Sir Lionel wove a spell upon the Princess Ai-Leen, and lo! she was transformed into the form of a nightingale, in whom none save the knight might recognize the Princess Ai-Leen, albeit she sang more sweetly than ever. And he took her to a secret bower that had been made, where he daily visited her in secret, and they loved each the other, and were exceeding happy.
But now the great goddess Isis of the Egyptians, from whom no secrets are hid, was wroth with the lovers, because they had taken their vows on the altar of Ashtoreth instead of on her own; and she compassed their destruction. And first she appeared before Ai-Leen in the guise of an humble emissary of the people, and told her that all danger was passed, because the Pharaoh had forgotten his passion, and had altogether ceased from anger toward her. "Fear not, therefore, O highly gifted one," she said, "to cast aside thy disguise and go forth, and behold! the people await thy coming in the great temple that is built upon the street of the high priest, even Dru-Ri, there to acclaim thee and do thee honor!" So spake Isis; and the Princess Ai-Leen gave ear to her words.
Then did Isis pass straightway into Mesopotamia, to a great magician there, named Asg-Ard, who, before her flight into Egypt, had held Ai-Leen in bondage; but she had escaped from the tower in which he held her prisoner and had fled into Egypt. And Isis said to him, "Know, O Asg-Ard. that thy princess abideth in Egypt with her paramour, the Knight El-Leon, and also singeth before the people in the Temple Dru-Ri. If, therefore, thou wouldst redeem her, gird thyself and depart straightway into Egypt, even to the Pharaoh, for he is covertly at enmity with the princess, because she scorned him ; and he shall aid thee to be revenged upon her. By means of a spell cast upon her by El-Leon, she hath been disguised under the form of a nightingale, but on a certain night she will cast aside her disguise and appear in the temple before the people; and there, in her tiring-room, after the singing, thou mayst come upon her by surprise, and do further as seems good to thee."
Having thus spoken, the Goddess Isis vanished behind her veil, and the magician girded himself and went down into Egypt.
Now, all came to pass according to the word of Isis. For Ai-Leen, trusting in the false emissary, and Sir Lionel agreeing thereto, prepared for her appearance before the people in the temple; but the magician gained audience of the Pharaoh, and, prostrating himself before him, unfolded the word of the goddess. Then Pharaoh mused a space and answered, "The boon is granted thee, but hear the condition. If thou in any manner betrayest my privity in this matter, I will disown and denounce thee, and deliver thee up to the people; for they have taken the princess to their hearts, insomuch that even I, the Pharaoh, dare not have my will of her. But if thou observest this condition and attainest to lay hands upon her, and the matter be brought before me for judgment, I will hold thee blameless, declaring to the people that she was thy slave beforetime, and that thou hast but done what was just with thine own. And against Sir Lionel likewise will I protect thee, saying that he is a robber, coming hither from a far country to spy out our land of Egypt, and doing what was unlawful to her to whom I had shown favor. For he, too, hath the art of magic, and if he discovered! thy purpose will doubtless strive to overcome thee."
Then answered the magician, "Thy counsel, Pharaoh, is written on my heart, and I will in all ways be obedient thereto." So Pharaoh and the magician contrived together how their plot against the Princess Ai-Leen might succeed.
Now Ai-Leen, knowing naught of these things, and believing that the Pharaoh had ceased from anger toward her, put on fitting raiment and went to the temple on the day appointed, where was assembled a great multitude to listen to her singing. So she sang before them, and the multitude praised and extolled her, saying, "There is none in the land of Egypt fit to untie the strings of her sandal." And they rejoiced exceedingly among themselves.
After all was done, and the multitude gone their ways, Ai-Leen went to her tiring-room to disrobe herself. The room was in the top of a high tower, the stairway to which was well guarded. Howbeit, the magician, by his arts, had prevailed to come thither before the princess, and even then lay in wait for her. And when Ai-Leen entered, he sprang upon her, and pinioned her, and would have borne her back to imprisonment. But she struggled strongly against him and sent forth her voice in a piercing call to her lover to come and succor her. And behold! he, her lover, Sir Lionel, was even then ascending the stair, to convey her with him to their bower; and hearing her outcry, he made great haste, and burst open the door of the tiring-room, and saw his beloved in the hands of Asg-Ard. And the wrath of Sir Lionel was kindled exceedingly against the magician, and he put forth his strength and caught him by the throat. So the two wrestled together, with Ai-Leen between them. But Sir Lionel's strength was great, and he began to prevail over the magician.
But when the magician saw that he was overpowered he took from his girdle a dagger, and smote Ai-Leen through the heart, and her spirit left her body, and she died. Then Sir Lionel, in his mighty rage and anguish, grasped the magician in his arms and hurled him through the window of the high tower, and he fell to the stones of the pavement and was dashed to pieces. And Sir Lionel cast himself down beside the body of his beloved and wept in his agony. And the servants of the temple found him there.
And all this while Pharaoh patiently waited in his private chamber, to hear tidings from the magician; and he gnawed the nails of his fingers because the tidings came not.
But at last there was the noise without of one crying and running, even of a«royal messenger, who came into the presence of the Pharaoh and prostrated himself and said: "O king, live forever! I am the bearer of grievous tidings! She whom thou didst honor, the sweet singer, the Princess Ai-Leen, lies slain, and likewise he that was with thee of late is crushed upon the stones at the foot of the tower of the temple; and the valiant warrior, El-Leon, cherisheth her body in his arms, and will not be comforted; and the people are angered because of her death, and say that thou didst conspire with the stranger to destroy her, and they cry for justice against thee, and great multitudes, with spears and swords, are even now on their way hither to demand of thee an accounting."
And as he finished speaking, there came from without the roar of the multitude at the gates of the Pharaoh's palace. And he trembled and was afraid.
And he said in his heart, "Verily, this is an evil happening. For El-Leon, knowing that I desired the princess, will inflame the people against me, saying that I compassed her death by the hand of the magician. What, therefore, shall I do? O Isis, save me!"
And the goddess who heareth all things answered, "Go forth and meet the people, bearing thyself as one without fear. Make oath before them that thou art innocent of this deed, laying all blame thereof upon the magician, who is dead, and cannot deny thee. And to El-Leon say that thou grievest with him in his grief, and but that the magician is already dead his life should be forfeit for the slaying of the Princess Ai-Leen, the sweet singer of Mesopotamia. This do, and fear nothing." Thus spake the goddess from behind her veil, being content with her vengeance.
Then went the Pharaoh forth to the multitude and spake to them according to the word of Isis, and they believed him and departed. But Sir Leon was sore perplexed, and neither believed nor disbelieved, but stood with his hand upon his sword, questioning in his heart, "Shall I leap upon him and slay him, or let him go?"
But as he stood there there was heard a sound as of a bird singing, even a nightingale, though no bird was seen; and to Sir Leon the singing was as that of Ai-Leen, his beloved; and he heard as it were her voice saying, "Be comforted, O my lover; for wrongs are not requited by the sword, and I am free, and will be with thee forever. Return in peace to thine own land; I will abide in thy heart and discourse with thee there, and our spirits shall be united; nor shall aught disturb our happpiness any more." And other things more wonderful than these did the voice of the enchanted nightingale sing or say to him; but of these the chronicler revealeth naught.
And the great Goddess Isis smiled behind her veil.