Two in the Bush, and others elsewhere

Front matter

TWO IN THE BUSH AND OTHERS ELSEWHERE. A TWO IN THE BUSH AND OTHERS ELSEWHERE. EY F. FKANKFOET MOORE, AUTHOR OF "I FORBID THE BANNS," "A GRAY ETE OR SO," ETC. LONDON : A. D. INNES & CO., BEDFORD STREET. 1895. CONTENTS. TAGE TWO IN THE BUSH 7 A COLOURABLE IMITATION 39 UNDER ROYAL PATRONAGE 73 THE CRUISE OF THE "DIANA" 135 SYLVIA THE SORCERESS 189 AT THE KING'S HEAD AND OTHERS ELSEWHERE. TWO IN THE BUSH. " At last, at last," said Chris Stafford, " I begin to perceive a streak of local colour on the horizon — at last 1 begin to realize in a faint and far-off way that we are in the depths of the Australian bush." "Yes," said Eric, once more; "I am going to bake a damper for the new chums." " That's what has set me down with a bang in the middle of Australia," resumed Chris. " Up to the moment that you were good enough to make that promise — or is it a threat ? — about the damper, I felt that I hadn't got anything like the value of my passage money out here — that's what I felt.

I don't know what Phil's exact sentiments on this point may be, nor am I likely to know ; Phil is so absurdly reticent." A fine derision was in his voice as he glanced in my direction. " The time for reticence is over," I remarked. " If hitherto I have laid myself open to the contempt of the Colony in general by my maintenance of silence, it was simply because I felt our grievances too : I could not trust myself to speak of them. A fortnight in Australia without catching a glimpse of a ' billy ' — without drinking a single damper " "Drinking — drinking a damper!" shouted Eric. "Why, you fool of a new chum, a damper isn't something to drink, it's something to eat — you'll find that out presently." " Soon enough, I dare say," said Chris. " Well, though I admit, for the sake of argument, that I had a notion that a damper was not a liquid, yet this fact does not tend to lessen the responsibility that rests upon you and other Australians for the deplorable ignorance of my brother new chum, Philip.

Was he to know by intuition that a damper was solid? " " There you are ! " said I to Eric. " That's a poser for you. I had always a notion that the damper was the thing you drank, and that the ' billy ' was the thing you ate." Eric Macray paused in the act of un loosing the compact bundle which had been strapped to his saddle, and which he termed, with the airy insouciance of the graduated bushman, his "swag." He stared first at me and then at Chris. Then he burst out : "Well, of all the Ah, you're new chums." " There it is again — another endeavour to deprive us of the vivid charm of local colour," said Chris. " You notice that, Phil?" "I grieve to say that I do, indeed," said I. " I knew you would notice it. You see even Phil notices it, Eric ? " " Notices what ? " " Notices what ? Can you ask ?

Chapter II

It was in 1825 that Claire le Maitre made her first appearance at the State Theatre, acting in her native French. She had previously been received with rapture in Paris and Brussels, and already her fame was European, though she was not much over twenty years of age, and had only been on the stage two years. Her debut in a country speaking a different language, and with traditions of acting altogether different, was awaited with anxiety by those who believed in her powers. But the result of the event was beyond what they could ever have hoped for. The conquest made by the girl was complete, even before the curtain had fallen at the conclusion of the first act of the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, whose heroine she represented. By the time the third act was reached, every one knew that the position which would be taken by Mademoiselle le Maitre was at the head of all living ex ponents of the romantic school.

" She has over-intensified the effect," said a well-known critic in the foyer at the end of the third act. " Her resources are now exhausted, and the result will be a chill among her audience during the last act." He was a sage critic, and he spoke sensibly ; but he was wrong, nevertheless : Mademoiselle le Maitre had reserved her grandest powers for the conclusion of the piece. The dying scene was represented in a silence that was terrible in its in tensity, and only broken by the sobs of the audience ; and, strange to say, the occu pants of the royal box were stated to have been as deeply affected as those of the gallery. When the actress was called before the curtain, and faced the enthusi astic multitude, every one could see that, though she seemed to be smiling, she was in reality weeping.

Bouquets were falling around her as thickly as snow-flakes, and in one that came from the royal box she hid her face — her smiles and her tears — and disappeared with a gracious acknow ledgment of the favour. As she was leaving the stage, a heavy bracelet was presented to her by the Chamberlain in the name of the Grand Duchess, and when it became known — as the Chamberlain took care it should be — that her Serene High ness had thought fit to express in such a way her appreciation of the genius of the young artist, there was something akin to a rush to the stage door by ladies of the Court anxious to press their gifts upon Mademoiselle Claire. Those gentlemen of the Court who had attended the performance without their wives displayed their loyalty by following the example set by the Grand Duchess in this respect ; but the younger men, not being stirred with any loyal impulses, considered that duty demanded nothing more of them than to stand in a line on each side of the carriage of the actress, and to raise their hats as she took her seat in that vehicle — a system of paying homage to a favourite which is, of course, quite unknown to the present generation.

For the next week in the capital the only topic of conversation was the success of Claire le Maitre, for she had appeared at the State Theatre on two other nights, and in different characters, and had been received with equal enthusiasm. The favour with which she had been received at the palace was no secret, and it delighted the people to know that their appreciation of the girl was shared by Royalty. The people felt a greater respect for the Grand Duke and Duchess, who had so much in common with their subjects. " How delighted the Prince will be to witness this perfect artiste ! " cried the Grand Duchess, on the occasion of the third representation at the State Theatre. Count von Schwarzbach, to whom the exclamation was addressed, paused before making a reply, and the enthusiasm of the Grand Duchess was somewhat repressed by the manner in which the sagacious Minister remarked — " No doubt, your Serene Highness, no doubt."

"Ah," said the Grand Duchess, with a little laugh, when she recalled the way in which the words had been spoken — " ah ! the good creature had become abstracted in some grave State question, and did not comprehend the import of my exclamation." "Doubtless," said the Grand Duke, "he was considering the effect of the introduc tion of another clause in the Marriage Treaty. Poor Schwarzbach ! he is always thinking of the marriage." The Prince alluded to was the young Alexis, the eldest son of the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess, whose artistic tendencies were well known. He was at this time in Italy, pursuing his studies at the various galleries with a diligence that was equalled by none of the artists whose future was dependent upon the progress they might make. A cultured taste was not the only qualification to be regarded as an artist that was possessed by Prince Alexis.

He was gifted with a splendid imagination ; and as his technical skill was of the highest order, his work com mended itself to even the most exacting of masters, who denounced the cruelty of Fate in decreeing that one who might one day become a greater painter should be forced to live down to the level of a Prince. The Prince himself did not, however, feel that Fate had been unkind to him until a visit was paid to his studio in Rome by the Minister Schwarzbach, who informed him that negotiations for bringing about a marriage between Prince Alexis and the amiable Princess Sophia, the only daughter of the Hereditary Grand Duke of Drachen stadt, were about to be commenced. For the first time the Prince felt that Fate had been unkind to him in making him a Prince. He expressed himself pretty freely on this subject to the Minister ; but, as usual, the fund of tact which Count Schwarzbach had at his command was victorious.

The Minister had set his heart — that is to say, his ambition — upon bringing about a marriage of which the advantages to the State would be felt for generations, and he would not allow his object to be interfered with by the opposi tion of a boy. He knew that the first suggestion of the advisability of this marriage would meet with the opposition of the Prince ; but he also knew that there is nothing in the world that tact cannot accomplish, and the result of his visit to the Prince at Rome fully justified the con fidence he had placed in his own ability to use his invaluable gift. The Prince had at first sworn that he would not get married for ten years at least, and then not to the Princess Sophia. The next day he apologized for his vehemence ; he admired the Princess Sophia, but he could never be brought to think of her as a wife.

On the third day he had upbraided Fate for having made him a Prince, and for having consequently placed him under certain obligations (which the Minister had been careful to suggest) to his country. On the fourth day he had grumbled, but consented to the negotiations for his marriage being entered upon. The Minister had then proceeded, with a smiling face, to the Court of the Heredi tary Grand Duke of Drachenstadt, where he found the question of the alliance most favourably entertained. On his return to his own Court he was embraced by his sovereign. " My friend and Minister," said the latter, "you work on behalf of my house solely because of the love you bear us and your country ; but a sovereign honours himself when he gives some token of his appreciation of such services as yours. Have there not been instances of a Grand Duke bestowing upon his Chief Minister the title of Prince in recognition of an important service ?

" Count Schwarzbach bent low before the Grand Duke. His acquaintance with the chronicles of the State would have enabled him to quote certainly three instances in which the step alluded to by his Serene Highness had been taken by previous sovereigns ; his tact, however, suggested to him the advisability of withholding his instances for the present, so he merely bowed low in silence.

Chapter III

It was a fortnight after this incident that the Grand Duchess made the remark to the Minister as to the probabilities of the Prince's appreciating as they deserved the impersonations of Mademoiselle Claire le Maitre ; and before another week had passed, an opportunity was afforded her Serene Highness of verifying the con clusion she had arrived at on this subject. Prince Alexis returned to his own Court with the intention of remaining a week previous to paying a visit to the home of the lady whom he had agreed to marry. The Minister Schwarzbach was to accompany him to the palace of the Hereditary Grand Duke, where the negotiations were to be concluded, and the date fixed for the ceremony of betrothal. " I am tired hearing of this Mademoiselle Claire and her perfections," said the young Prince on the second day after his return.

" I know already what to expect from her — a French girl attempting to interpret Shakespeare — a Moses of Michelangelo in gingerbread — Haydn's ' Creation ' on a tin trumpet ; " and the young Prince laughed. The Grand Duchess was greatly grieved at the tone adopted by her son in reference to the intended representation of the part of Juliet, which her Serene Highness determined should be the actress's greatest triumph. It seemed to her too bad that the Prince should return from his residence abroad only to criticize, from a cold stand point of art, an impersonation which she thought should be subjected only to a judgment of feeling. She did not, how ever, offer any reproof to the Prince, but turned away without a word. Her son, perceiving that she was hurt, ran to her as she was leaving the apartment, and put his arms about her, kissing her on the forehead.

"Never mind, my mother," he cried; " I shall go to the theatre, and refrain from saying a single word except in praise of the charming Mademoiselle Claire. It is stupid of me to be prejudiced against her. I may be mistaken — this little French girl may be able to hold a mirror up to Shakespeare's self. Yes, I shall accompany you to-night." "You will be surprised," said the Grand Duchess — " you will, if you have anything of a poet — of an artist — in your nature. Such beauty— such grace " " These gifts, madame, appeal more to the feeling," said Prince Alexis, smiling. " Then feel, and refrain from criticizing," said the royal lady. "Be a man, not a critic." The Prince kept his promise. He occupied a place at the back of the royal box at the State Theatre that night. He stood beside the Minister Schwarzbach, talking on some casual topic ; nor did he pay any attention to the dialogue that was spoken on the stage when the curtain was raised.

He knew how feeble was the translation of Shakespeare's verse that was in use, and he thought that he would be able to praise the representation to his mother in pro portion to the amount of inattention he bestowed upon it. When, however, the scene in the loggia in which Juliet first appears was disclosed, the Prince was somewhat more attentive. He heard the cracked voice of the nurse calling for her young mistress — he per ceived the little movement of expectation among the audience in the pause before the Juliet of the piece came on the stage. The Minister addressed some remark to him at this moment, but received no answer ; the Prince had his eyes fixed upon that girlish figure that almost ran forward to clasp the hand of the nurse, with a charming suggestion of humouring the old lady. "Beautiful! is she not?" whispered the Grand Duchess.

The Prince did not reply. He moved forward a step, and stood silently gazing at the actress. His mother looked at him ; so did the Minister ; the former gave a little laugh, the latter was exceedingly grave. By the time the third act was reached, the gravity upon the face of the Minister had increased, for the Prince had seated himself in the front of the box, and was watching the progress of the play with an eagerness that might be called passion. He spoke no word, but continued gazing. Count Schwarzbach became uneasy. " My Prince," he said, gently touching Prince Alexis on the shoulder, " permit me to remind you that you are preventing the Countess from catching the smallest glimpse of the stage." The Countess was the lady in-waiting, and the abstracted young man had inadvertently allowed his head to come between her and the stage.

Chapter IV

The Prince started as if from a dream. He spoke some words in Italian in apparent unconsciousness ; but recalling himself, he made an apology to the Countess, thanked the Minister, and moved silently to a chair in the furthest corner of the box, whence he could have an uninterrupted view of the entire stage. Only when the well-known scene, iu which Juliet drinks the contents of the vial, was concluded did the occupants of the box look toward the Prince, and then they saw that he was standing upright in the dimness, and that his face was very pale. The sigh of relief that broke from every one in the royal box — with the ex ception of the Minister — when the ten sion put upon them was relieved was not shared by the Prince. He stood there, silent, and with his eyes fixed upon the drop scene. "An actress of extraordinary power," said Count Schwarzbach.

"You are our critic, my Prince ; what say you ? " "She is no actress — no actress, by Heaven ! " said the Prince in French. " This is not acting. I have studied the art of acting — I know how its effects are produced; this is an art of which I know nothing — nothing ! It is worth studying." The Grand Duchess did not know whether to be pleased or otherwise. "You will allow, at any rate, that Made moiselle is handsome," she said. a " Handsome! " cried the Prince. "Hand some ! Oh, madame, there are several points upon which I find I must revise my taste from to-night. Handsome ? I cannot tell. Is she not Juliet — a perfect Juliet ? What does Shakespeare's lover say?" The Prince quoted in English — " ' Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear.' This is Juliet," he cried, " and we have seen Juliet to-night."

" An actress's beauty," said Count Schwarzbach, smiling — "an actress's beauty ! Ah, Prince Alexis, you have studied that art, at any rate. When I see a beautiful face on the stage, I wonder why we do not find the initials of the painter in the corner of the picture." The lady-in-waiting whose view of the stage the Prince had interrupted laughed loudly at the Minister's sarcasm ; the Prince looked at her gravely for a few moments, and then, seating himself, gave a laugh also. The Grand Duchess was attempting to assure the ill-natured people around her that without her stage pencil lings Mademoiselle Claire was even more lovely, when the curtain was once again rung up. The Minister yawned: he wondered was the thing never coming to an end. He had not given any attention to the early acts of the play, but now the thought struck him that the representation of Juliet would most likely form the subject of conversation at the Court for the next week : he might as well study a portion of the performance, so that, when asked for his judgment, he might be able to give it without hesitation.

He was, however, rather late in arriving at his determination, for when he drew his chair forward, the last piteous scene of this story " of utter love defeated utterly " had been reached. The Romeo of the piece had entered the tomb, and had thrown himself passionately on his knees by the side of the white-shrouded figure. The words of passionate grief caused all in the royal box to be greatly moved — even the lady-in-waiting whose view had been interrupted held her handkerchief up to her eyes. The Minister was not so completely engrossed in the drama as to be unable to perceive first, that the Countess's lace was imitation, and, secondly, that she was careful not to touch her eyebrows when she raised her handkerchief to her eyes. Then the poison bought at Mantua was drunk by the passionate lover on the stage, and he fell by the side of the bier, his right hand clenched upon one of Juliet's bridal flowers.

The silence which was in the theatre before the awakening of Juliet was almost terrible in its intensity. The little sigh that the actress breathed on recovering consciousness was clearly audible through the great building. Then, blindly stretch ing her hands out, one touched the hand of the dead Romeo — the hand that seemed offering her the bridal rose, round which the white fingers were enwoven. It was a sudden inspiration of the moment that caused the actress of the part of Juliet to take the flower from those fingers and raise it to her lips and fondle it. Then she laid her hand once more upon that of her lover. The touch seemed to restore her to immediate consciousness. She raised herself, caught his hand, and looked into his face without a word. That look told that she knew all : she saw that in the struggle with Fate she had been worsted.

And then the audience saw that she was smiling as her hand felt that his dagger was in its place. Fate had not yet conquered. Only after this long interval of silence were the words of the scene spoken. She had kissed the lips of her lover in search of the poison that should give her the victory over Fate, and then the steel of the dagger glistened as she drew it from its sheath. The audience shuddered as it descended, and a little tremor passed through the actress as she fell forward, and struggled to reach her Romeo. Her hands found him, a smile passed over her face, and a sigh of great relief was in her last breath as her head fell, nestling upon his bosom. The Minister himself had become ab sorbed in watching this scene, and when, after an interval of silence on the fall of the curtain, the people had recovered them selves sufficiently to be able to applaud, the Minister also joined in the demonstration.

The Countess grasped her bouquet in readi ness to throw it when the actress should appear ; but the Prince made no movement either of approval or the contrary. The sympathetic Grand Duchess, when she had wiped her eyes, looked toward her son. She was disappointed at his coldness. "Ah," she said, "your study of art has spoiled you." " True, madame, true," he replied gently. Then Claire le Maitre came before the curtain, and once more the theatre snowed flowers around her. The Prince threw no bouquet ; he only stood up as the actress appeared, and remained unseated until she had completed her acknowledgments of the expression of the approval of the theatre. "We must congratulate her upon her triumph," cried the Grand Duchess. "Let us hasten to her room." " Pardon me, madame," said the Prince ; " I cannot accompany you.

I have got much to think of to-night. I must get into the air. I am overcome — the heat of the theatre — it does not suit me." " Then we shall go alone," said his mother, coldly. The Prince bowed, the Minister smiled, the Countess looked personally piqued. Prince Alexis returned to the palace on foot and alone ; and for hours he walked about the palace gardens lost in thought. More than once he stood whispering through the silence those impassioned words — " Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear." Even when he went to his chamber, long after midnight, he could not sleep. He rose from his bed and, lighting a lamp, took down his Shakespeare. Quickly turning to Romeo and Juliet, he read scene after scene, recalling every movement of the girl he had witnessed in the play at the State Theatre.

The words of the poem, he knew, would for ever live in his memory associated with the bright creature by whom he had heard them spoken. And what words were these ! He had never felt their supreme perfection until now. He wondered how he could so frequently have read the play without feeling how exquisite was its beauty. Everything that makes life beautiful seemed to him to be contained in the poem as he thought over it now, and all his thoughts seemed rounded into the words — " Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear." He fell asleep uttering the words.

Chapter V

It could scarcely be expected that Prince Alexis, after his night's unrest, should be looking as well as usual. He did not leave his room until late in the morning ; and when he came into the presence of the Grand Duchess, his changed appearance was noticed. "I felt the theatre intolerably warm," he said, in reply to his mother's remarks. " Did I not mention this fact to you in explanation of my discourtesy towards your young protegees I was seldom an entire evening at a theatre in Italy." "You must see the physician," cried the Grand Duchess. " Yes, we shall send for him at once. Who can say that you are not in the early stages of a fever ? " The Prince rebelled. He did not feel ill — only a little weary, and he hated all physicians. After a while, however, he effected a compromise with his mother.

He would not have the State physician sent for, but he himself would wait upon that functionary, and accept his advice. The State physician lived in a house in the great square close to the palace, and previous to his residence abroad the Prince had been no stranger to the doctor's family. It was late in the afternoon before he kept the promise he had made to the Grand Duchess, and had left the palace gardens. A strange servant opened the door for him when he arrived at the doctor's mansion. Yes, the doctor was at home, but madame the doctor had guests, the servant said. "Good," said the Prince; "I am a guest." The servant preceded him up the stairs. " The Prince Alexis," said the young man at the reception room door, in reply to the servant's inquiry ; but this so terri fied the strange man that he could utter no word of announcement.

The Prince smiled, entered the room, and found him self face to face with Claire le Maitre. While he was being cordially greeted by his old friend the doctor, and by the doctor's wife, the Prince was conscious only of the fact that he was in the presence of Claire le Maitre. The doctor wanted a great deal of information regarding Rome and Roman life, and while the Prince was gratifying him, the young man was thinking of nothing but that he was in the room with Claire le Maitre. It was some time before he could trust himself to look toward her. When he did so at last, he knew that he had never before seen so lovely a creature. She was stand ing at a small table listening with girlish earnestness to the discourse of one of the doctor's guests, a savant who had just returned from a five years' botanical tour in Central Africa.

When the discourse was ended, the girl's eyes wandered from the brown face of the traveller, and met the gaze of the Prince. In another instant he was by her side. "I feel that we are not strangers," he said. "How can we be ? I was at the theatre last night." " That is the appeal of one artist to another," she replied, with a smile. "I have heard that you are Prince Alexis. Her Serene Highness has spoken to me of you more than once, and I have seen your pictures. Yours is a splendid art, sir. In a hundred years the world will be able to read your thoughts — to know your mind — to understand your aims." The last words sounded like a sigh. The Prince knew what was in the girl's mind. " The world will know the limits of the art of which I am a student," he said. " And how narrow are those limits, made moiselle !

I never felt how narrow, before last night." " Ah, when I am dead, I am indeed dead ! " said the actress. " Our art does not extend beyond the grave : we leave no token of our power behind us." " You are wrong," he cried ; " you produce an effect upon the life of the country where you act, and this effect is felt in the succeeding generations. The life of any period is represented by the course of thought of that period ; and the presence of a great actor has a supreme influence upon the course of thought of the people in whose midst he lives." The girl seemed lost in thought. The Prince kept his eyes upon her face during the long pause that took place before she turned to him, saying — " Your words seem to have lifted a curse from me." " Have they ? " he said. " I know that to an artist the prospect of being forgotten in the grave adds a bitterness to death.