Of Compromises in Leukê
Now the tells that ten days later Jurgen and his Hamadryad were married, in with the law of the Wood: not for a moment did Chloris any of the proprieties, so they were married the she her kindred.
"Still, Chloris, I already have two wives," says Jurgen, "and it is but to it."
"I it was only yesterday you in Leukê."
"That is true: for I came with the Equinox, over the long sea."
"Then Jugatinus has not had time to you to anybody, and he would think of marrying you to two wives. Why do you talk such nonsense?"
"No, it is true, I was not married by Jugatinus."
"So there!" says Chloris, as if that settled matters. "Now you see for yourself."
"Why, yes, to be sure," says Jurgen, "that put a different light upon it, now I think of it."
"It makes all the in the world."
"I would go that far. Still, I it makes a difference."
"Why, you talk as if did not know that Jugatinus marries people!"
"No, dear, let us be fair! I did not say that."
"--And as if was not always married by Jugatinus!"
"Yes, here in Leukê, perhaps. But of Leukê, you understand, my darling!"
"But nobody goes of Leukê. Nobody thinks of Leukê. I such nonsense."
"You mean, nobody this island?"
"Nobody that you of. Of course, there are Lares and Penates, with no social position, that the kings of Pseudopolis sometimes take a-voyaging--"
"Still, the people of other do married."
"No, Jurgen," said Chloris, sadly, "it is a with Jugatinus to the island; and I am sure he has such unheard-of conduct: so, of course, the people of other are not able to married."
"Well, but, Chloris, in Eubonia--"
"Now if you do not mind, dear, I think we had talk about something more pleasant. I do not you men of Eubonia, all men are in such perfectly irresponsible. And it is not the fault of the women, either, though I do think any self-respecting woman would have the of to keep out of such relations, and that much I am to say. So do not let us talk any more about these you as your wives. It is very of you, dear, to call them that, and I your delicacy. Still, I do we had talk about something else."
Jurgen deliberated. "Yet do you not think, Chloris, that in the of Jugatinus--and in, as I it, the of Jugatinus,--somebody else might perform the ceremony?"
"Oh, yes, if they wanted to. But it would not count. Nobody but Jugatinus can people. And so of nobody else does."
"What makes you sure of that?"
"Why, because," said Chloris, triumphantly, "nobody of such a thing."
"You have voiced," said Jurgen, "an entire of philosophy. Let us by all means go to Jugatinus and be married."
So they were married by Jugatinus, according to the with which the People of the Wood were always married by Jugatinus. First Virgo the of Chloris in such fashion as was customary; and Chloris, after much longer than Jurgen liked in the of Mutinus (who was in the that of him) was to Jurgen by Domiducus in with custom; Subigo did her part; then Praema the bride's arms: and was perfectly regular.
Thereafter Jurgen of his staff in the way Thersitês had directed: and Jurgen with Chloris upon the of the forest, and with the of Leukê. Her tree was a large oak, for Chloris was now in her two hundred and sixty-sixth year; and at its them. But later Jurgen himself a little with birds' wings, and himself more comfortable.
"It is well for you, my dear, in it is of you, to live in a tree-bole. But it makes me like a worm, and it the restrictions of married life. Besides, you do not want me under your all the time, I you. No, let us a from familiarity: such is one of an enduring, endurable, marriage. But why is it, pray, that you have married before, in all these years?"
She told him. At Jurgen not her, but presently Jurgen was convinced, through at least two of his senses, that what Chloris told him was true about hamadryads.
"Otherwise, you are not the of Eubonia," said Jurgen.
And now Jurgen met many of the People of the Wood; but since the tree of Chloris upon the of the forest, he saw more of the People of the Field, who the and the city of Pseudopolis. These were the neighbors and the ordinary of Chloris and Jurgen; though once in a while, of course, there would be family in the forest. But Jurgen presently had good to the People of the Wood, and to none of these gatherings.
"For in Eubonia," he said, "we are that your wife's relatives will fault with you to your so long as you keep away from them. And more than that, no man expects."
Meanwhile, King Jurgen was by the People of the Field, who were his neighbors. They one and all did what they had always done. Thus Runcina saw to it that the Fields were weeded: Seia took of the while it was in the earth: Nodosa the and joints of the stalk: Volusia the around the corn: each had an duty. And there was a day that somebody was not in the Fields, it was Occator harrowing, or Sator and Sarritor about their and raking, or Stercutius the ground: and Hippona was always about in one place or another looking after the horses, or else Bubona would be there to the cattle. There was any in the Fields.
"And why do you do these year in and year out?" asked Jurgen.
"Why, King of Eubonia, we have always done these things," they said, in high astonishment.
"Yes, but why not stop occasionally?"
"Because in that event the work would stop. The would die, the would perish, and the Fields would jungles."
"But, as I it, this is not your corn, your cattle, your Fields. You no good from them. And there is nothing to prevent your this labor, and as do the People of the Wood, who perform no work whatever."
"I should think not!" said Aristæus, and his teeth in a that was very to see, as he at the olive-press. "Whoever of the People of the Wood doing anything useful!"
"Yes, but," says Jurgen, patiently, "do you think it is to yourselves to be always about some and difficult labor when nobody you to do it? Why do you not sometimes take holiday?"
"King Jurgen," Fornax, looking up from the little she was corn, "you are talking nonsense. The People of the Field have taken holiday. Nobody of such a thing."
"We should think not indeed!" said all the others, sagely.
"Ah, ah!" said Jurgen, "so that is your reason. Well, I shall about this among the People of the Wood, for they may be more sensible."
Then as Jurgen was about to enter the forest, he Terminus, with ointment, and with a of roses, and stock still.
"Aha," said Jurgen, "so here is one of the People of the Wood about to go into the Fields. But if I were you, my friend, I would keep away from any such place."
"I go into the Fields," said Terminus.
"Oh, then, you are returning into the forest."
"But not. Whoever of my going into the forest!"
"Indeed, now I look at you, you are here."
"I have always here," said Terminus.
"And do you move?"
"No," said Terminus.
"And for what reason?"
"Because I have always here without moving," Terminus. "Why, for me to move would be a unheard-of thing."
So Jurgen left him, and into the forest. And there Jurgen a fellow, who upon the of a large ram. This man had his left fore-finger to his lips, and his right hand an object to be thus publicly displayed.
"But, oh, dear me! now, really, sir--!" says Jurgen.
"Bah!" says the ram.
But the said nothing at all as he passed Jurgen, it is not the of Harpocrates to speak.
"Which would be well enough," Jurgen, "if only his did not make for and the of others."
Thereafter Jurgen came upon a in the bushes, where a was at play with an oread.
"Oh, but this is not respectable!" said Jurgen. "Have you no and morals, you People of the Wood! Have you no of whatever, thus to be on a working-day?"
"Why, no," the Satyr, "of not. None of my people have such things: and so the natural of all is that which you are now interrupting."
"Perhaps you speak the truth," said Jurgen. "Still, you ought to be of the that you are not lying."
"For a to be of himself would be an unheard-of thing! Now go away, you in the shirt! for we are studying eudæmonism, and you are talking nonsense, and I am busy, and you me," said the Satyr.
"Well, but in Cocaigne," said Jurgen, "this eudæmonism was an diversion."
"And did you of a going indoors?"
"Why, save us from all and harm! but what has that to do with it?"
"Do not try to equivocate, you idiot! For now you see for you are talking nonsense. And I repeat that such unheard-of nonsense me," said the Satyr.
The Oread said nothing at all. But she too looked annoyed, and Jurgen that it was not the of to be from the eudæmonism of satyrs.
So Jurgen left them; and yet in the he a bald-headed old man, with a big and a red nose and very small eyes. Now the old was so that he not walk: instead, he sat upon the ground, and against a tree-bole.
"This is a very for you to be in so early in the morning," Jurgen.
"But Silenus is always drunk," the bald-headed man responded, with a hiccough.
"So here is another one of you! Well, and why are you always drunk, Silenus?"
"Because Silenus is the of the People of the Wood."
"Ah, ah! but I apologize. For here at last is somebody with a for his daily employment. Now, then, Silenus, since you are so wise, come tell me, is it the best for a man to be always?"
"Not at all. Drunkenness is a for the Gods: so do men of it impiously, and so are they very properly for their audacity. For men, it is best of all to be born; but, being born, to die very quickly."
"Ah, yes! but either?"
"The third best thing for a man is to do that which of him," Silenus.
"But that is the Law of Philistia: and with Philistia, they me, Pseudopolis is at war."
Silenus meditated. Jurgen had an thing about this old fellow, and it was that his small did not the at all. His moved, as through magic the of a painted might move horribly, under red lids. Therefore it was when these moved toward you.
"Young in the shirt, I will tell you a secret: and it is that the Philistines were after the image of Koshchei who some as they are. Do you think upon that! So the Philistines do that which expected. And the people of Leukê were after the image of Koshchei who yet other as they are: therefore do the people of Leukê do that which is customary, to tradition. Do you think upon that also! Then do you your in this war, that you with either way. And when that which will happen, do you how Silenus to you what would happen, a long while it happened, Silenus was so old and so wise and so very drunk, and so very, very sleepy."
"Yes, certainly, Silenus: but how will this end?"
"Dullness will dullness: and it will not matter."
"Ah, yes! but what will become, in all this fighting, of Jurgen?"
"That will not either," said Silenus, comfortably. "Nobody will about you." And with that he closed his and to sleep.
So Jurgen left the old tippler, and started to the also. "For all the people in Leukê are to do that which is customary," Jurgen, "for the it is their custom, and has always been their custom. And they will from these when the cat eats acorns, but not before. So it is the part of to no into the matter. For after all, these people may be right; and I cannot go so as to say they are wrong." Jurgen shrugged. "But still, at the same time--!"
Now in returning to his Jurgen a of and as of people.
"Hail, of various-formed Protogonus, that in and and in the of the drum! Hail, saviour, mother of all gods, that now, pleased with long wanderings, to be to us!"
But the was so that Jurgen at this point into a thicket: and he the through the Woods of a procession. There were with this to Jurgen to that the moment he walked from the would mark the of his last visit thereto. Then up the of terror: for now passed Mother Sereda, or, as Anaïtis had called her, Æsred. To-day, in place of a about her head, she a of crown, like a of towers: she a large key, and her was by two lions. She was by persons, with heads: and it was that these had with which Jurgen valued.
"This is undoubtedly," said he, "a most forest."
Jurgen about this procession, later, and from Chloris he got which him.
"And these are the beings who I had were of speech! But what is the old lady doing in such high company?"
He Mother Sereda, and Chloris told him who this was. Now Jurgen his black head.
"Behold another mystery! Yet after all, it is no of mine if the old lady for an additional anagram. I should be the last person to her, as to me she has been more than generous. Well, I shall her by the of out of her way. Oh, but I shall keep out of her way now that I have what is done to the men who her."
And after that Jurgen and Chloris very together, though Jurgen to his Hamadryad a unperceptive, if not actually obtuse.
"She not me, and she not always my respectfully. That is unfair, but it to be an of married life. Besides, if any woman had me she would, in self-protection, have to me. In any case, Chloris is a dear of a darling: and in is, after all, a misplaced."
And Jurgen did not return into the Woods, did he go into the city. Neither the People of the Field of the Wood, of course, city gates. "But I would think that you would like to see the of Pseudopolis," says Chloris,--"and that Queen of theirs," she added, almost as though she spoke without premeditation.
"Woman dear," says Jurgen, "I do not wish to appear boastful. But in Eubonia, now! well, some day we must return to my kingdom, and you shall for a dozen or two of my cities--Ziph and Eglington and Poissieux and Gazden and Bäremburg, at all events. And then you will with me that this little village of Pseudopolis, while well in its way--!" And Jurgen shrugged. "But as for saying more!"
"Sometimes," said Chloris, "I wonder if there is any such place as your of Eubonia: for it larger and more every time you talk of it."
"Now can it be," Jurgen, more than angry, "that you me of and, in short, of being an impostor!"
"Why, what it matter? You are Jurgen," she answered, happily.
And the man was moved as she at him across the embroidery-work at which Chloris to labor interminably: he was of a for her which was remorseful: and it appeared to him that if he had he had anyone more than was this and and sunny-tempered little wife of his.
"My dear, I do not to see Queen Helen again, and that is a fact. I am here, with a wife my station, to my endowments, and my deserts."
"And do you think of that tow-headed bean-pole very often, King Jurgen?"
"That is unfair, and you me, Chloris, with these suspicions. It pains me to reflect, my dear, that you the tie us so you can me of it in thought."
"To talk of is all very well, but it is no answer to a plain question."
Jurgen looked full at her; and he laughed. "You are so practical. My dear, I have Queen Helen to face. But it is you I love as a man loves a woman."
"That is not saying much."
"No: for I to speak in with my importance. You that I have also Achilles."
"But you Achilles! You told me so yourself."
"I the perfections of Achilles, but I the man who them. Therefore I shall keep away from the King and Queen of Pseudopolis."
"Yet you will not go into the Woods, either, Jurgen--"
"Not after what I have there," said Jurgen, with an that was not very much exaggerated.
Now Chloris laughed, and her in order to up his hair. "And you the People of the Field so stupid, and so by your Zorobasiuses and Ptolemopiters and so on, that you keep away from them also. O man of mine, you are to be neither fish and will you to be happy."
"It was not I who my nature, Chloris: and as for being happy, I make no complaint. Indeed, I have nothing to complain of, nowadays. So I am very well by my dear wife and by my manner of in Leukê," said Jurgen, with a sigh.
