By the Waters of Paradise by F. Marion Crawford
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on_the velvet surface of_the moonlit water . just then a great swan floated out silently into_the midst of_the basin, and wreathed his long neck, catching the water in_his broad bill, and scattering showers of diamonds around him .

suddenly, as I gazed, something came between me and_the light .I looked up instantly . between me and_the round disk of_the moon rose a luminous face of a woman, with great strange eyes, and a woman's mouth, full and soft, but not smiling, hooded in black, staring at me as I sat still upon my bench . she was close to_me-- so close that I_could_have touched her with my hand . but i_was transfixed and helpless . she stood still for a moment, but her expression did_not change . then she passed swiftly away, and my hair stood up on my head, while the cold breeze from her white dress was wafted to my temples as she moved . the moonlight, shining through_the tossing spray of_the fountain, made traceries of shadow on_the gleaming folds of her garments . in an instant she was gone and i_was alone .

i_was strangely shaken by_the vision, and some_time passed before I_could rise to my feet, for i_was still weak from my illness, and_the sight I had seen would_have startled anyone . I_did_not reason with myself, for i_was certain that I had looked on_the unearthly, and no argument could_have destroyed that belief . at last I got up and stood unsteadily, gazing in_the direction in_which i_thought the face had gone; but there_was nothing to_be seen-- nothing but the broad paths, the tall, dark evergreen hedges, the tossing water of_the fountains and_the smooth pool below .I fell back upon_the seat and recalled the face I had seen . strange to_say, now that_the first impression had passed, there_was nothing startling in_the recollection; on_the contrary, I_felt that i_was fascinated by_the face, and would give anything to_see it again . I_could retrace the beautiful straight features, the long dark eyes, and_the wonderful mouth most exactly in my mind, and when I had reconstructed every detail from memory I_knew that_the whole was beautiful, and_that i_should love a woman with_such a face .

"I wonder whether she is_the woman of_the water ! " I_said to myself . then rising once more, I wandered down the garden, descending one short flight of steps after another from terrace to terrace by_the edge of_the marble basins, through_the shadow and through_the moonlight; and I crossed the water by_the rustic bridge above the artificial grotto, and climbed slowly up again to_the highest terrace by_the other side . the air seemed sweeter, and i_was very calm, so_that i_think I smiled to myself as I walked, as_though a new happiness had come to_me . the woman's face seemed always before me, and_the thought of it gave_me an unwonted thrill of pleasure, unlike anything I had ever felt before .

I turned as I reached the house, and looked back upon_the scene . it had certainly changed in_the short hour since I had come out, and my mood had changed with it . just like my luck, i_thought, to_fall in love with a ghost ! but in old times i_would_have sighed, and gone to bed more sad than ever, at such a melancholy conclusion . to- night I_felt happy, almost for_the first time in my life . the gloomy old study seemed cheerful when I went in . the old pictures on_the walls smiled at me, and I sat down in my deep chair with a new and delightful sensation that i_was not alone . the idea of having seen a ghost, and of feeling much the better for_it, was so absurd that I laughed softly, as i_took up one_of_the books I had brought with me and began to read .

that impression did_not wear off .I slept peacefully, and in_the morning I threw open my windows to_the summer air and looked down at_the garden, at_the stretches of green and at_the colored flower- beds, at_the circling swallows and at_the bright water .

"A man might make a paradise of_this place," I exclaimed ."A man and a woman together ! "

from_that day the old castle no longer seemed gloomy, and i_think I ceased to_be sad; for some_time, too, I began to_take an interest in_the place, and to_try and make it more alive .I avoided my old Welsh nurse, lest she should damp my humor with some dismal prophecy, and recall my old self by bringing back memories of_my dismal childhood . but what i_thought of most was_the ghostly figure I had seen in_the garden that first night after my arrival .I went out every evening and wandered through_the walks and paths; but, try as I_might, I_did_not see my vision again . at last, after many days, the memory grew more faint, and my old moody nature gradually overcame the temporary sense of lightness I had experienced . the summer turned to autumn, and I grew restless . it began to rain . the dampness pervaded the gardens, and_the outer halls smelled musty, like tombs; the gray sky oppressed me intolerably .I left the place as it_was and went abroad, determined to_try anything which might possibly make a second break in_the monotonous melancholy from_which I suffered .

II

most people would_be struck by_the utter insignificance of_the small events which, after_the death of_my parents, influenced my life and made me unhappy . the grewsome forebodings of aWelsh nurse, which chanced to_be realized by an odd coincidence of events, should_not seem enough to_change the nature of a child and to direct the bent of_his character in after years . the little disappointments of schoolboy life, and_the somewhat less childish ones of an uneventful and undistinguished academic career, should_not have sufficed to_turn me out at one- and-twenty years_of_age a melancholic, listless idler . some weakness of_my own character may_have contributed to_the result, but in a greater degree it_was due to my having a reputation for bad luck . however, i_will_not try to analyze the causes of_my state, for i_should satisfy nobody, least of all myself . still less will I attempt to explain why I_felt a temporary revival of_my spirits after my adventure in_the garden . it_is certain that i_was in love with_the face I had seen, and_that I longed to_see it again; that I_gave up all hope of a second visitation, grew more sad than ever, packed up my traps, and finally went abroad . but in my dreams I went back to my home, and it always appeared to_me sunny and bright, as it had looked on_that summer's morning after I had seen the woman by_the fountain .

I went to Paris .I went farther, and wandered about Germany .I tried to amuse myself, and I failed miserably . with_the aimless whims of an idle and useless man come all sorts of suggestions for good resolutions . one day I_made up my mind that i_would go and bury myself in a German university for a time, and live simply like a poor student .I started with_the intention of going to Leipzig, determined to stay there until some event should direct my life or change my humor, or make an end of me altogether . the express train stopped at some station of_which I_did_not know the name . it_was dusk on a winter's afternoon, and I peered through_the thick glass from my seat . suddenly another train came gliding in from_the opposite direction, and stopped alongside of ours .I looked at_the carriage which chanced to_be abreast of_mine, and idly read the black letters painted on a white board swinging from_the brass handrail: BERLIN-- cologne--PARIS . then I looked up at_the window above .I started violently, and_the cold perspiration broke out upon my forehead . in_the dim light, not six feet from where I sat, I_saw the face of a woman, the face I loved, the straight, fine features, the strange eyes, the wonderful mouth, the pale skin . her head- dress was a dark veil which seemed to_be tied about her head and passed over the shoulders under her chin . as I threw down the window and knelt on_the cushioned seat, leaning far out to_get a better view, a long whistle screamed through_the station, followed by a quick series of dull, clanking sounds; then there_was a slight jerk, and my train moved on . luckily the window was narrow, being the one over the seat, beside the door, or I believe i_would_have jumped out of it then and there . in an instant the speed increased, and i_was being carried swiftly away in_the opposite direction from_the thing I loved .

for a quarter of an hour I lay back in my place, stunned by_the suddenness of_the apparition . at last one_of_the two other passengers, a large and gorgeous captain of_the white Konigsberg Cuirassiers, civilly but firmly suggested that I_might shut my window, as_the evening was cold . I_did so, with an apology, and relapsed into silence . the train ran swiftly on for_a_long_time, and it_was already beginning to slacken speed before entering another station, when I roused myself and made a sudden resolution . as_the carriage stopped before_the brilliantly lighted platform, I seized my belongings, saluted my fellow-passengers, and got out, determined to take_the first express back to Paris .

this_time the circumstances of_the vision had_been so natural that_it did_not strike me that there_was anything unreal about_the face, or about_the woman to_whom it belonged . I_did_not try to explain to myself how the face, and_the woman, could_be traveling by a fast train from Berlin to Paris on a winter's afternoon, when both were in my mind indelibly associated with_the moonlight and_the fountains in my own English home .I certainly would_not have admitted that I had_been mistaken in_the dusk, attributing to what I had seen a resemblance to my former vision which did_not really exist . there_was not the slightest doubt in my mind, and i_was positively sure that I had again seen the face I loved . I_did_not hesitate, and in a few hours i_was on my way back to Paris . I_could_not help reflecting on my ill luck .Wandering as I had_been for many months, it might as easily have chanced that i_should_be traveling in_the same train with_that woman, instead of going the other way . but my luck was destined to_turn for a time .

I searched Paris for several_days .I dined at_the principal hotels; I went to_the theaters; I rode in_the Bois de Boulogne in_the morning, and picked up an acquaintance, whom I forced to drive with me in_the afternoon .I went to mass at_the Madeleine, and I attended the services at_the English church .I hung about_the Louvre and Notre Dame .I went to Versailles .I spent hours in parading the rue de Rivoli, in_the neighborhood of Meurice's corner, where foreigners pass and repass from morning till night . at last I received an invitation to a reception at_the English embassy .I went, and I_found what I had sought so_long .

there she was, sitting by an old lady in gray satin and diamonds, who had a wrinkled but kindly face and keen gray eyes that seemed to_take in everything they saw, with very little inclination to_give much in return . but I_did_not notice the chaperon . I_saw only the face that had haunted me for months, and in_the excitement of_the moment I walked quickly toward the pair, forgetting such a trifle as_the necessity for an introduction .

she was far more beautiful than I had thought, but I never doubted that_it_was she herself and no other . vision or no vision before, this_was the reality, and I_knew it . twice her hair had_been covered, now at last I_saw it, and_the added beauty of_its magnificence glorified the whole woman . it_was rich hair, fine and abundant, golden, with deep ruddy tints in_it like red bronze spun fine . there_was no ornament in_it, not a rose, not a thread of gold, and I_felt that_it needed nothing to enhance its splendor; nothing but her pale face, her dark strange eyes, and her heavy eyebrows .I could_see that she was slender too, but strong withal, as she sat there quietly gazing at_the moving scene in_the midst of_the brilliant lights and_the hum of perpetual conversation .

I recollected the detail of introduction in_time, and turned aside to look for_my host . I_found him at last .I begged him to_present me to_the two ladies, pointing them out to him at_the same time .

" yes--uh-- by all means--uh," replied his excellency with a pleasant smile . he evidently had no idea of_my name, which_was not to_be wondered at .

" I_am lord Cairngorm," I observed .

"Oh-- by all means," answered the ambassador with_the same hospitable smile ." yes--uh-- the fact is, I_must try and find out who they_are; such lots of people, you_know ."

"Oh, if_you_will present me, i_will try and find out for_you," said I, laughing .

"Ah, yes-- so kind of you-- come along," said my host . we threaded the crowd, and in_a_few_minutes we stood before_the two ladies .

"'Lowmintrduce L'd Cairngorm," he_said; then, adding quickly to_me, " come and dine to- morrow, won't you ? " he glided away with_his pleasant smile and disappeared in_the crowd .

I sat down beside the beautiful girl, conscious that_the eyes of_the duenna were upon me .

" i_think we_have_been very near meeting before," I remarked, by way of opening the conversation .

my companion turned her eyes

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