solely from the state of mental elevation in which I found myself. Only
because uplifted in song, was I able to endure the blaze of the dawn.
But I cannot tell whether she looked more of statue or more of woman;
she seemed removed into that region of phantasy where all is intensely
vivid, but nothing clearly defined. At last, as I sang of her descending
hair, the glow of soul faded away, like a dying sunset. A lamp within
had been extinguished, and the house of life shone blank in a winter
morn. She was a statue once more--but visible, and that was much gained.
Yet the revulsion from hope and fruition was such, that, unable to
restrain myself, I sprang to her, and, in defiance of the law of the
place, flung my arms around her, as if I would tear her from the grasp
of a visible Death, and lifted her from the pedestal down to my heart.
But no sooner had her feet ceased to be in contact with the black
pedestal, than she shuddered and trembled all over; then, writhing
from my arms, before I could tighten their hold, she sprang into the
corridor, with the reproachful cry, "You should not have touched
me!" darted behind one of the exterior pillars of the circle, and
disappeared. I followed almost as fast; but ere I could reach the
pillar, the sound of a closing door, the saddest of all sounds
sometimes, fell on my ear; and, arriving at the spot where she had
vanished, I saw, lighted by a pale yellow lamp which hung above it,
a heavy, rough door, altogether unlike any others I had seen in
the palace; for they were all of ebony, or ivory, or covered with
silver-plates, or of some odorous wood, and very ornate; whereas this
seemed of old oak, with heavy nails and iron studs. Notwithstanding the
precipitation of my pursuit, I could not help reading, in silver letters
beneath the lamp: "NO ONE ENTERS HERE WITHOUT THE LEAVE OF THE QUEEN."
But what was the Queen to me, when I followed my white lady? I dashed
the door to the wall and sprang through. Lo! I stood on a waste windy
hill. Great stones like tombstones stood all about me. No door, no
palace was to be seen. A white figure gleamed past me, wringing her
hands, and crying, "Ah! you should have sung to me; you should have sung
to me!" and disappeared behind one of the stones. I followed. A cold
gust of wind met me from behind the stone; and when I looked, I saw
nothing but a great hole in the earth, into which I could find no way
of entering. Had she fallen in? I could not tell.