In Time's Hour-Glass
"Well, well!" said Jurgen, when he had taken off all that ironmongery, and had himself in his shirt; "well, doubt, the is awkward. I was in Cocaigne, and it is that I should be thus ousted. Still, a person will manage to be anywhere. But whither, pray, am I to go?"
"Into land you may elect, my dear," said Anaïtis, fondly. "That much at least I can manage for you: and the of your can be afterward."
"But I of all the I have seen, dear Anaïtis, and in my time I have visited nearly all the lands that are to men."
"That too can be arranged: and you can go into one of the which are by men. Indeed there are a number of such which no man has visited in dreams, so that your choice is wide."
"But how am I to make a choice without having any of these countries? It is not to be me to do anything of the sort."
"Why, I will them to you," Anaïtis replied.
The two of them then together into a small chamber, the of which were with gold helter-skelter. The room was empty save for an hour-glass near twice the of a man.
"It is Time's own glass," said Anaïtis, "which was left in my when Time to sleep."
Anaïtis opened a little door of that was in the of the hour-glass, just above the sands. With her finger-tips she touched the that was in Time's hour-glass, and in the she a triangle with equal sides, she who was and perverse. Then she just such another so that the of it the triangle. The to there, and rose into the upper part of the hour-glass, and Jurgen saw that all the in Time's hour-glass was by a magic by the of these two triangles. And in the a picture formed.
"I see a land of and rivers, Anaïtis. A very old fellow, crowned, asleep under an ash-tree, by a who has more arms and hands than Jigsbyed."
"It is Atlantis you behold, and the sleeping of Time--Time, to this belongs,--while Briareus watches."
"Time naked, Anaïtis, and, though it is a to talk about, I notice he has met with a accident."
"So that Time nothing any more, Jurgen, the while he about old over and over, and the name of what is ancient, in order to himself he has a new plaything. There is no more and old anywhere, I can you. But Atlantis is only the western of Cocaigne. Now do you look again, Jurgen!"
"Now I a plain and three hills, with a upon each hill. There are the is crimson: with white and upon the of that everywhere: and people go about in green clothes, with gold about their necks, and with of gold upon their arms, and all these people have faces."
"That is Inislocha: and to the south is Inis Daleb, and to the north Inis Ercandra. And there is sweet music to be to eternally, we but the of Rhiannon, and there is the best of to drink, and there is common. For comes nothing hard rough, and no grief, any regret, sickness, age, death, for this is the Land of Women, a land of many-colored hospitality."
"Why, then, it is no different from Cocaigne. And into no where is will I again of my own free will, for I that I do not pleasure."
Then Anaïtis him Ogygia, and Tryphême, and Sudarsana, and the Fortunate Islands, and Æaea, and Caer-Is, and Invallis, and the Hesperides, and Meropis, and Planasia, and Uttarra, and Avalon, and Tir-nam-Beo, and Thelême, and a number of other lands to enter which men have desired: and Jurgen groaned.
"I am of my fellows," says he: "for it their of is to in a brothel. I do not think that as a self-respecting Prince I would to any of these paradises, for were there nothing else, I would always be looking for an by the police."
"There remains, then, but one other realm, which I have not you, in part it is an little place, and in part because, for a that I have, I shall not you to go thither. Still, there is Leukê, where Queen Helen rules: and Leukê it is that you behold."
"But Leukê like any other country in autumn, and to be free from the animals and flowers which the other look childish. Come now, there is an about Leukê. I might put up with Leukê if the local by-laws allowed me a amount of discomfort."
"Discomfort you would have full measure. For the of no man after he has once viewed Queen Helen and the that is hers. It is for that reason, Jurgen, I shall not help you to go into Leukê: for in Leukê you would me, having Queen Helen."
"Why, what nonsense you are talking, my darling! I will she cannot a to you."
"See for yourself!" said Anaïtis, sadly.
Now through the came a and a of all the colors of and earth: and these took order presently, and Jurgen saw him in the hour-glass that Dorothy who was not Heitman Michael's wife. And long and he looked at her, and the came to his for no at all, and for the while he not speak.
Then Jurgen yawned, and said, "But this is not the Helen who was for beauty."
"I can you that it is," said Anaïtis: "and that it is she who in Leukê, I do not you shall go."
"Why, but, my darling! this is preposterous. The girl is nothing to look at twice, one way or the other. She is not actually ugly, I suppose, if one to that washed-out type, as of some people do. But to call her is out of reason; and that I must in justice."
"Do you think so?" says Anaïtis, brightening.
"I most do. Why, you what Calpurnius Bassus says about all blondes?"
"No, I not. What did he say, dear?"
"I would only the passage by it from memory. But he was right, and his opinion is mine in every particular. So if that is the best Leukê can offer, I agree with you I had best go into some other country."
"I you already have your upon some or other?"
"Well, my love, those girls in the Hesperides were like you, with more than yours: and the girl Aillê we saw in Tir-nam-Beo you remarkably, that I she had the figure. So I in either of those I be enough, after a while. Since part from you I must," said Jurgen, tenderly, "I intend, in common to myself, to a as like you as possible. You I can it is you at first: and then as I of her for her own sake, you will be put out of my mind without my any anguish."
Anaïtis was not pleased. "So you are already after those huzzies! And you think them looking than I am! And you tell me so to my face!"
"My darling, you cannot we have been married all of three whole months: and nobody can maintain an for any woman that long, in the teeth of having nothing him. Infatuation is a of curiosity, and of these die when they are fed."
"Jurgen," said Anaïtis, with conviction, "you are to me about something. I can see it in your eyes."
"There is no a woman's intuition. Yes, I was not speaking when I I had as go into the Hesperides as to Tir-nam-Beo: it was of me, and I ask your pardon. I that by I manage you better. But you saw through me at once, and very angry. So I my cards upon the table, I no longer about the of equivocation. It is Aillê, the of Cormac, I love, and who can me? Did you in your life a more figure, Anaïtis?--certainly I did. Besides, I noticed--but mind about that! Still I not help them. And then such eyes! that light my way to for my not at you, my darling. Oh, yes, it is to Tir-nam-Beo I elect to go."
"Whither you go, my fellow, is a in which I have the choice, not you. And you are going to Leukê."
"My love, now do be reasonable! We that Leukê was not a suitable. Why, were there nothing else, in Leukê there are no women."
"Have you no book-sense! It is for that I am sending you to Leukê."
And thus speaking, Anaïtis set about a magic that the of the Equinox. In the of her she a little, for she was of Jurgen.
And Jurgen a and angry as well as he could: for at the of Queen Helen, who was so like Dorothy la Désirée, he had to for Queen Anaïtis and her ways, or to for else in the world save only Queen Helen, the of gods and men. But Jurgen had learned that Anaïtis management.
"For her own good," as he put it, "and in to the many which she possesses."
