The Argonauts Part 3

That is exaltation! And you see how destructive it may be! It brought you acute inflammation of the lungs, the traces of which are not gone yet."

"They are!" answered she, in pa.s.sing, and then she spoke seriously. "My father, is it exaltation to wors.h.i.+p something which is very beautiful, or to love some one greatly with all our strength? If it is--then I am given to exaltation, but without exaltation what could we live for?"

An expression of wonder, meditation, thoughtfulness filled her eyes and covered her finely cut face with a freshness like that of a wild rose. With a movement of wonder she opened her arms, and repeated:

"What do we live for?"

Darvid laughed.

"I see that your head is turned a little, but you are a child yet, and your trouble will pa.s.s."

Stroking her pale, golden hair, he continued:

"Homage, love, and like things of the sensational sort, are very nice, very beautiful, but should not occupy the first place."

Cara listened so eagerly that her mouth was open somewhat, and she became motionless as a statue.

"But what should stand in the first place, father?"

Darvid did not answer at once. What? What should stand in the first place?

"Duty," said he.

"What duty, father?"

Again he was silent a while. What duty? Yes, what kind of duty?

"Naturally the duty of labor, hard labor."

The flush on Cara's face increased; she was all curiosity, all eagerness to hear her father's words.

"Labor, for what, father, dear?"

"How? for what?"

"For what purpose? For what purpose? because no one labors for the labor itself. For what purpose?"

For what purpose? How that child pushed him to the wall with her questions! With hesitation in his voice, he answered:

"There are various purposes--"

"But you, father, for what are you working?" continued she, with eager curiosity.

He knew very well for what purpose he wished now to undertake the gigantic labor of erecting a mult.i.tude of buildings for the residence of an army, but could he explain that to this child?

Meanwhile the dark eyes of the child were fastened on his face, urging him to an answer.

"What is it?" said he. "I--labor gives me considerable, sometimes immense profits."

"In money?" asked she.

"In money."

She made a motion with her head, signifying that she knew that this long time.

"But I," began she, "if I wanted to work, should not know what to work for, I should not know for what object I could work."

He laughed.

"You will not need to work; I will work for you, and instead of you."

"Well, father!" exclaimed she, with a resonant laugh, "what can I do? To wors.h.i.+p, to love, is exaltation--duty is labor, but if I may not labor, what am I to do?"

Again she opened her small hands with astonishment and inquiry; her eyes were flas.h.i.+ng, her lips trembling.

Darvid, with marks of disagreeable feeling on his face, reached for his watch.

"I have no time," said he; "I must go to the club."

At that moment the servant announced from the antechamber, through the open door:

"Prince Zeno Skirgello."

Delight burst forth on Darvid's face. Cara sprang up from her knees, and looking around, called:

"Puff! Puff! Come, let us be off! doggy."

"Where is the prince?" asked Darvid, hurriedly. "Is he here, or in the carriage?"

"In the carriage," answered the servant.

"Beg him to come in, beg him to come in!"

In the delight which the unexpected arrival of the prince caused him at that time, he did not notice the expression of regret on Cara's face. Raising the little dog from the floor and holding him in her arms, she whispered:

"This is the third time, or the fourth--it is unknown which time it is!" Darvid sprang toward her.

"You may remain! You know the prince--"

"Oh, no, father, I flee--I am not dressed!"

Her white robe with blue dots had the shape of a wrapper, and her hair was somewhat dishevelled. With the dog on her arm she ran to the door beyond which was darkness.

"Wait!" cried Darvid, and he took one of the candles which were burning on the desk in tall candlesticks. The prince was coming up the stairs slowly. "I will light you through the dark chambers."

Saying this he walked with her to the second chamber, and when pa.s.sing through that, she, while going at his side with the dog on her arm, and with her short step, which gave her tall form the charm of childhood, repeated:

"This is the fourth time, perhaps--it is unknown how many times it will be in this way!"

"What will be in this way?"