Phantastes, A Faerie Romance - Page 74/147

But when the first pangs of his disappointment had passed, Cosmo began

to comfort himself with the hope that she might return, perhaps the next

evening, at the same hour. Resolving that if she did, she should not

at least be scared by the hateful skeleton, he removed that and several

other articles of questionable appearance into a recess by the side of

the hearth, whence they could not possibly cast any reflection into the

mirror; and having made his poor room as tidy as he could, sought the

solace of the open sky and of a night wind that had begun to blow, for

he could not rest where he was. When he returned, somewhat composed, he

could hardly prevail with himself to lie down on his bed; for he could

not help feeling as if she had lain upon it; and for him to lie there

now would be something like sacrilege. However, weariness prevailed; and

laying himself on the couch, dressed as he was, he slept till day.

With a beating heart, beating till he could hardly breathe, he stood

in dumb hope before the mirror, on the following evening. Again the

reflected room shone as through a purple vapour in the gathering

twilight. Everything seemed waiting like himself for a coming splendour

to glorify its poor earthliness with the presence of a heavenly joy. And

just as the room vibrated with the strokes of the neighbouring church

bell, announcing the hour of six, in glided the pale beauty, and again

laid herself on the couch. Poor Cosmo nearly lost his senses with

delight. She was there once more! Her eyes sought the corner where the

skeleton had stood, and a faint gleam of satisfaction crossed her face,

apparently at seeing it empty. She looked suffering still, but there was

less of discomfort expressed in her countenance than there had been the

night before. She took more notice of the things about her, and seemed

to gaze with some curiosity on the strange apparatus standing here and

there in her room. At length, however, drowsiness seemed to overtake

her, and again she fell asleep. Resolved not to lose sight of her this

time, Cosmo watched the sleeping form. Her slumber was so deep and

absorbing that a fascinating repose seemed to pass contagiously from her

to him as he gazed upon her; and he started as if from a dream, when

the lady moved, and, without opening her eyes, rose, and passed from the

room with the gait of a somnambulist.

Cosmo was now in a state of extravagant delight. Most men have a secret

treasure somewhere. The miser has his golden hoard; the virtuoso his pet

ring; the student his rare book; the poet his favourite haunt; the lover

his secret drawer; but Cosmo had a mirror with a lovely lady in it. And

now that he knew by the skeleton, that she was affected by the things

around her, he had a new object in life: he would turn the bare chamber

in the mirror into a room such as no lady need disdain to call her own.

This he could effect only by furnishing and adorning his. And Cosmo was

poor. Yet he possessed accomplishments that could be turned to account;

although, hitherto, he had preferred living on his slender allowance, to

increasing his means by what his pride considered unworthy of his rank.

He was the best swordsman in the University; and now he offered to give

lessons in fencing and similar exercises, to such as chose to pay

him well for the trouble. His proposal was heard with surprise by the

students; but it was eagerly accepted by many; and soon his instructions

were not confined to the richer students, but were anxiously sought by

many of the young nobility of Prague and its neighbourhood. So that very

soon he had a good deal of money at his command. The first thing he did

was to remove his apparatus and oddities into a closet in the room.

Then he placed his bed and a few other necessaries on each side of the

hearth, and parted them from the rest of the room by two screens of

Indian fabric. Then he put an elegant couch for the lady to lie upon, in

the corner where his bed had formerly stood; and, by degrees, every

day adding some article of luxury, converted it, at length, into a rich

boudoir.