The Lair of the White Worm.docx

The Lair of the White Worm.docx

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TheLairoftheWhiteWorm

TheLady,ortheTiger?

byFrankR.StocktonIntheveryoldentimetherelivedasemi-barbaricking,whoseideas,thoughsomewhatpolishedandsharpenedbytheprogressivenessofdistantLatinneighbors,werestilllarge,florid,anduntrammeled,asbecamethehalfofhimwhichwasbarbaric.Hewasamanofexuberantfancy,and,withal,ofanauthoritysoirresistiblethat,athiswill,heturnedhisvariedfanciesintofacts.Hewasgreatlygiventoself-communing,and,whenheandhimselfagreeduponanything,thethingwasdone.

Wheneverymemberofhisdomesticandpoliticalsystemsmovedsmoothlyinitsappointedcourse,hisnaturewasblandandgenial;but,whenevertherewasalittlehitch,andsomeofhisorbsgotoutoftheirorbits,hewasblanderandmoregenialstill,fornothingpleasedhimsomuchastomakethecrookedstraightandcrushdownunevenplaces.

Amongtheborrowednotionsbywhichhisbarbarismhadbecomesemifiedwasthatofthepublicarena,inwhich,byexhibitionsofmanlyandbeastlyvalor,themindsofhissubjectswererefinedandcultured.

ButevenheretheexuberantandbarbaricfancyasserteditselfThearenaofthekingwasbuilt,nottogivethepeopleanopportunityofhearingtherhapsodiesofdyinggladiators,nortoenablethemtoviewtheinevitableconclusionofaconflictbetweenreligiousopinionsandhungryjaws,butforpurposesfarbetteradaptedtowidenanddevelopthementalenergiesofthepeople.Thisvastamphitheater,withitsencirclinggalleries,itsmysteriousvaults,anditsunseenpassages,wasanagentofpoeticjustice,inwhichcrimewaspunished,orvirtuerewarded,bythedecreesofanimpartialandincorruptiblechance.

Whenasubjectwasaccusedofacrimeofsufficientimportancetointeresttheking,publicnoticewasgiventhatonanappointeddaythefateoftheaccusedpersonwouldbedecidedintheking'sarena,astructurewhichwelldeserveditsname,for,althoughitsformandplanwereborrowedfromafar,itspurposeemanatedsolelyfromthebrainofthisman,who,everybarleycornaking,knewnotraditiontowhichheowedmoreallegiancethanpleasedhisfancy,andwhoingraftedoneveryadoptedformofhumanthoughtandactiontherichgrowthofhisbarbaricidealism.

Whenallthepeoplehadassembledinthegalleries,andtheking,surroundedbyhiscourt,sathighuponhisthroneofroyalstateononesideofthearena,hegaveasignal,adoorbeneathhimopened,andtheaccusedsubjectsteppedoutintotheamphitheater.Directlyoppositehim,ontheothersideoftheinclosedspace,weretwodoors,exactlyalikeandsidebyside.Itwasthedutyandtheprivilegeofthepersonontrialtowalkdirectlytothesedoorsandopenoneofthem.Hecouldopeneitherdoorhepleased;hewassubjecttonoguidanceorinfluencebutthatoftheaforementionedimpartialandincorruptiblechance.Ifheopenedtheone,therecameoutofitahungrytiger,thefiercestandmostcruelthatcouldbeprocured,whichimmediatelyspranguponhimandtorehimtopiecesasapunishmentforhisguilt.Themomentthatthecaseofthecriminalwasthusdecided,dolefulironbellswereclanged,greatwailswentupfromthehiredmournerspostedontheouterrimof*thearena,andthevastaudience,withbowedheadsanddowncasthearts,wendedslowlytheirhomewardway,mourninggreatlythatonesoyoungandfair,orsooldandrespected,shouldhavemeritedsodireafate.

But,iftheaccusedpersonopenedtheotherdoor,therecameforthfromitalady,themostsuitabletohisyearsandstationthathismajestycouldselectamonghisfairsubjects,andtothisladyhewasimmediatelymarried,asarewardofhisinnocence.Itmatterednotthathemightalreadypossessawifeandfamily,orthathisaffectionsmightbeengageduponanobjectofhisownselection;thekingallowednosuchsubordinatearrangementstointerferewithhisgreatschemeofretributionandreward.Theexercises,asintheotherinstance,tookplaceimmediately,andinthearena.Anotherdooropenedbeneaththeking,andapriest,followedbyabandofchoristers,anddancingmaidensblowingjoyousairsongoldenhornsandtreadinganepithalamicmeasure,advancedtowherethepairstood,sidebyside,andtheweddingwaspromptlyandcheerilysolemnized.Thenthegaybrassbellsrangforththeirmerrypeals,thepeopleshoutedgladhurrahs,andtheinnocentman,precededbychildrenstrewingflowersonhispath,ledhisbridetohishome.

Thiswastheking'ssemi-barbaricmethodofadministeringjustice.Itsperfectfairnessisobvious.Thecriminalcouldnotknowoutofwhichdoorwouldcomethelady;heopenedeitherhepleased,withouthavingtheslightestideawhether,inthenextinstant,hewastobedevouredormarried.Onsomeoccasionsthetigercameoutofonedoor,andonsomeoutoftheother.Thedecisionsofthistribunalwerenotonlyfair,theywerepositivelydeterminate:

theaccusedpersonwasinstantlypunishedifhefoundhimselfguilty,and,ifinnocent,hewasrewardedonthespot,whetherhelikeditornot.Therewasnoescapefromthejudgmentsoftheking'sarena.

Theinstitutionwasaverypopularone.Whenthepeoplegatheredtogetherononeofthegreattrialdays,theyneverknewwhethertheyweretowitnessabloodyslaughterorahilariouswedding.

Thiselementofuncertaintylentaninteresttotheoccasionwhichitcouldnototherwisehaveattained.Thus,themasseswereentertainedandpleased,andthethinkingpartofthecommunitycouldbringnochargeofunfairnessagainstthisplan,fordidnottheaccusedpersonhavethewholematterinhisownhands?

Thissemi-barbarickinghadadaughterasbloomingashismostfloridfancies,andwithasoulasferventandimperiousashisown.Asisusualinsuchcases,shewastheappleofhiseye,andwaslovedbyhimaboveallhumanity.Amonghiscourtierswasayoungmanofthatfinenessofbloodandlownessofstationcommontotheconventionalheroesofromancewholoveroyalmaidens.Thisroyalmaidenwaswellsatisfiedwithherlover,forhewashandsomeandbravetoadegreeunsurpassedinallthiskingdom,andshelovedhimwithanardorthathadenoughofbarbarisminittomakeitexceedinglywarmandstrong.Thisloveaffairmovedonhappilyformanymonths,untilonedaythekinghappenedtodiscoveritsexistence.Hedidnothesitatenorwaverinregardtohisdutyinthepremises.Theyouthwasimmediatelycastintoprison,andadaywasappointedforhistrialintheking'sarena.This,ofcourse,wasanespeciallyimportantoccasion,andhismajesty,aswellasallthepeople,wasgreatlyinterestedintheworkingsanddevelopmentofthistrial.Neverbeforehadsuchacaseoccurred;neverbeforehadasubjectdaredtolovethedaughteroftheking.Inafteryearssuchthingsbecamecommonplaceenough,butthentheywereinnoslightdegreenovelandstartling.

Thetiger-cagesofthekingdomweresearchedforthemostsavageandrelentlessbeasts,fromwhichthefiercestmonstermightbeselectedforthearena;andtheranksofmaidenyouthandbeautythroughoutthelandwerecarefullysurveyedbycompetentjudgesinorderthattheyoungmanmighthaveafittingbrideincasefatedidnotdetermineforhimadifferentdestiny.Ofcourse,everybodyknewthatthedeedwithwhichtheaccusedwaschargedhadbeendone.Hehadlovedtheprincess,andneitherhe,she,noranyoneelse,thoughtofdenyingthefact;butthekingwouldnotthinkofallowinganyfactofthiskindtointerferewiththeworkingsofthetribunal,inwhichhetooksuchgreatdelightandsatisfaction.Nomatterhowtheaffairturnedout,theyouthwouldbedisposedof,andthekingwouldtakeanaestheticpleasureinwatchingthecourseofevents,whichwoulddeterminewhetherornottheyoungmanhaddonewronginallowinghimselftolovetheprincess.

Theappointeddayarrived.Fromfarandnearthepeoplegathered,andthrongedthegreatgalleriesofthearena,andcrowds,unabletogainadmittance,massedthemselvesagainstitsoutsidewalls.

Thekingandhiscourtwereintheirplaces,oppositethetwindoors,thosefatefulportals,soterribleintheirsimilarity.

Allwasready.Thesignalwasgiven.Adoorbeneaththeroyalpartyopened,andtheloveroftheprincesswalkedintothearena.

Tall,beautiful,fair,hisappearancewasgreetedwithalowhumofadmirationandanxiety.Halftheaudiencehadnotknownsograndayouthhadlivedamongthem.Nowondertheprincesslovedhim!

Whataterriblethingforhimtobethere!

Astheyouthadvancedintothearenaheturned,asthecustomwas,tobowtotheking,buthedidnotthinkatallofthatroyalpersonage.Hiseyeswerefixedupontheprincess,whosattotherightofherfather.Haditnotbeenforthemoietyofbarbarisminhernatureitisprobablethatladywouldnothavebeenthere,butherintenseandfervidsoulwouldnotallowhertobeabsentonanoccasioninwhichshewassoterriblyinterested.Fromthemomentthatthedecreehadgoneforththatherlovershoulddecidehisfateintheking'sarena,shehadthoughtofnothing,nightorday,butthisgreateventandthevarioussubjectsconnectedwithit.Possessedofmorepower,influence,andforceofcharacterthananyonewhohadeverbeforebeeninterestedinsuchacase,shehaddonewhatnootherpersonhaddone,--shehadpossessedherselfofthesecretofthedoors.Sheknewinwhichofthetworooms,thatlaybehindthosedoors,stoodthecageofthetiger,withitsopenfront,andinwhichwaitedthelady.

Throughthesethickdoors,heavilycurtainedwithskinsontheinside,itwasimpossiblethatanynoiseorsuggestionshouldcomefromwithintothepersonwhoshouldapproachtoraisethelatchofoneofthem.Butgold,andthepo