The Image of Sesphra by James Branch Cabell Read online

  Romance, October, 1920

  THEY of Poictesme narrate that in the old days Count Manuel married, and so fell into disfavor with King Raymond. They tell how it was Raymond’s daughter, the Princess

  Alianora, whom Manuel had loved and loved no longer, who prompted this disfavor, and thereby set Dom Manuel a problem which

  stays unsolved.

  For Manuel fled oversea with his wife,

  Dame Niafer, and they came in their distress to Sargyll where Freydis, the high sorceress, received them hospitably. Queen Freydis also, they relate, had loved Dom Manuel, in a sped time wherein these two had practised queer necromancies. Now Manuel had long ago

  forsaken these arts, and he had forsaken

  Freydis too; but he remembered very

  pleasantly the fallen old ancient gods and the droll monsters and the instructive ghosts which he and Queen Freydis had been used to evoke; and most pleasurably of all, and with a glow of pride, he remembered the image

  which he had made and to which they had

  given life, because in doing that, Dom Manuel felt, he had really accomplished a masterpiece of artistic conjury.

  He hoped to find Freydis, the gray

  witch, more philosophic than Alianora, the princess: and in this hope he did not err.

  “For all passes in this world,” said

  Freydis, “and the young Manuel whom I loved in a Summer that is gone is nowadays as

  perished as that Summer’s gay leaves. What, grizzled fighting man, have you to do with that young Manuel who had comeliness and

  constant love? And why should I be harboring youth and courage, but no ‘human pity and no his light-hearted mischiefs against you?

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  “Ah, no, gray Manuel, you are quite

  Ferdinand and from King Hoel and from the certain no woman would do that; and people Duke-Regent Sigurd, each proffering this or say that you are shrewd. So I bid you very that alliance, now these princes knew Dom welcome to Sargyll, where my will is the only Manuel was at outs with Raymond Berenger; law.”

  but Manuel considered only Niafer and let

  “You at least have not changed,” Dom

  statecraft bide. Two other ships that were Manuel replied with utter truth, “for you seem laden with King Raymond’s men came also in today as fair and young as you were that first an attempt to capture Manuel: so Freydis

  night upon Morven when you leaned life to dispatched a sending which caused these

  the image I had made. Yet that was a great soldiers to run about the decks howling like while ago, and I make no more images.”

  wolves and to fling away their weapons and to

  “Your wife would be considering it a

  fight one against the other with hands and waste of time,” Queen Freydis estimated.

  teeth until all were slain.

  “No, that is not quite the way it is. For There was never a more decorous

  Niafer is the dearest and most dutiful of hostess than Queen Freydis, and nobody women, and she never crosses my wishes in would have suspected that sorcery underlay anything.”

  the running of her household. It was only Freydis smiled a little, for she saw that through Manuel’s happening to arise very

  Manuel believed he was speaking veraciously.

  early one morning that he chanced to see the

  “Well,” said Freydis, “it is a queer

  night-porter turn into an orange-colored rat thing surely that in the month which is to and creep into the wainscoting when the sun come your wife should be bearing your second rose; and Manuel of course said nothing about child under my roof and in my golden bed.

  this to Niafer.

  Yet it is a queerer thing that your first child, So the month passed prosperously and

  whom no woman bore nor had any say in

  uneventfully, while the servitors of Queen shaping, but whom you made of clay to the Freydis behaved in every respect as if they will of your proud youth and in your proud were human beings; and at the month’s end youth’s likeness, should be limping about the Niafer was duly delivered of a girl child. It world somewhere in the appearance of a was Freydis who tended Niafer and Freydis strapping tall young fellow, and that you who brought the news to Manuel and Freydis should know nothing about his doings.”

  who bade him rejoice now that all peril was

  “And what do you know about him,

  over, if Freydis was to be trusted.

  Freydis?”

  “And we shall celebrate the happy

  “Eh, I suspicion many things, gray event,” said Freydis, “with a gay feast this Manuel, by virtue of my dabblings in that gray night in honor of your child.”

  art, which makes neither for good nor evil.”

  “That is well,” said Manuel. “But I

  “Yes,” said Manuel practically, “but

  suppose you will be wanting me to make a

  what do you know?”

  speech, and I was never a great hand at such

  “I know that in Sargyll where my will

  matters.”

  is the only law you are welcome, false friend

  “No, for your place is with your wife.

  and very faithless lover,” she said. He could No, Manuel, you are not bidden to this feast, get no more out of her.

  for all that it is to do honor to your child. No, So Manuel and Niafer remained at no, gray Manuel, you must remain up-stairs Sargyll until Niafer should be delivered. this evening and throughout the night, because Glittering messengers came from King this feast is for them that serve me; and you do

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  not serve me any longer, and the ways of them control at all.”

  that serve me are not your ways.”

  So Manuel went to where Niafer lay

  “Ah, ah!” says Manuel. “So there is

  pale and glad in the golden bed of Freydis, sorcery afoot! Yes, Freydis, I have quite given and he duly looked at the contents of the small over that sort of thing. And while not for a heaving bundle at Niafer’s side; and whether moment would I seem to be criticizing or no he scaled the traditional peaks of anybody, I hope before long to see you emotion was no one’s concern save Manuel’s.

  settling down with some fine, solid fellow and He began, in any event, to talk in the vein forsaking these empty frivolities for the higher which, he felt, this high occasion demanded.

  and real pleasures of life.”

  But Niafer, who was never romantic

  “And what are these delights, gray nowadays, merely said that, anyhow, it was a Manuel?”

  blessing it was all over, and that she hoped

  “The joy that is in the sight of your

  now they would soon be leaving Sargyll.

  children, playing happily about your hearth

  “But Freydis is so kind; my dear,” said

  and developing into honorable men and Manuel, “and so fond of you.”

  gracious women and bringing their children in

  “I never in my life,” declared Niafer,

  turn to cluster about your tired old knees, as

  “knew anybody to go off so terribly in her the Winter evenings draw in, and in the cosy looks as that two-faced cat has done. As for firelight you smile across the curly heads of being fond of me, I trust her exactly as far as I these children’s children at the dear wrinkled can see her.”

  white-haired face of your beloved and time-

  “Yet, Niafer, I have heard you declare

  tested helpmate and are satisfied, all in all, time and again—
—”

  with your life and know that, by and large,

  “Well, and if you did, Manuel, one has

  Heaven has been rather undeservedly kind to to be civil.”

  you,” said Manuel, sighing.

  “You women!” he observed”

  “Yes, Freydis, you may believe me

  discreetly.

  that such are the real joys of life and that such

  “As if it were not as plain as the nose

  pleasures are more profitably pursued than are on her face—and I do not suppose that even the idle gaieties of sorcery and witchcraft, you, Manuel, will be contending she has a which indeed at our age, if you will permit me really good nose—that the woman is simply to speak thus frankly, dear friend, are hardly itching to make a fool of you again. Manuel, I dignified.”

  declare I have no patience with you when you keep arguing about such unarguable facts.

  FREYDIS shook her proud dark head. Her

  Manuel, exercising augmented

  smiling was grim.

  discretion, said nothing whatever.

  “Decidedly

  I

  shall

  not ever understand

  “And you may talk yourself black in

  you. Doddering patriarch, do you not the face, Manuel, but nevertheless I am going comprehend you are already discoursing about to call the child Melicent, after my own

  a score or two of grandchildren on the ground mother, as soon as a priest can be fetched of having a half-hour-old daughter, whom you from the mainland to christen her. No,

  have not yet seen? Nor is that child’s future, it Manuel, it is all very well for your dear friend may be, yours to settle. Well, go to your wife, to call herself a gray witch, but I do not notice for this is Niafer’s man who is talking, and not any priests coming to this house unless they mine. Go up, Methuselah, and behold the new are especially sent for, and I draw my own life which you have created and can not conclusions.”

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  “Well, well, let us not argue about it,

  there.

  my dear.”

  Then the assembled lights began to

  “Yes, but who started all this arguing

  come toward the house. Manuel could now

  and fault-finding, I would like to know?”

  see that these lights were carried by dwarfs

  “Why, to be sure I did. But I spoke

  who had the eyes of owls and the long beaks without thinking. I was wrong. I admit it. Do of cranes. These dwarfs were jumping and

  do not excite yourself, my darling.”

  dancing about Freydis like an insane body-

  “And as if I could help the child’s not

  guard.

  being a boy.”

  Freydis walked among them very

  “But I never said—”

  remarkably attired. Upon her head shone the

  “No; but you keep thinking it, and

  uraeus crown surmounted by two crested

  sulking is the one thing I can not stand. No, snakes, and she carried a long rod of cedar-Manuel, no, I do not complain; but I do think wood topped with an apple carved in

  that after all I have been through with—”

  bluestone, and at her side came the appearance Niafer whimpered sleepily.

  of a tall young man.

  “Yes, yes,” said Manuel, stroking her

  So they all approached the, house, and

  soft crinkly hair.

  the young man looked up fixedly at the

  “And with that silky hell-cat watching

  unlighted window as if he were looking at me all the time—and looking ten years Manuel. The young man smiled; his teeth younger than I do now—and planning I do not gleamed in the blue glare. Then the whole know what——”

  company entered the house, and Manuel could

  “Yes, to be sure,” said Manuel see no more, but he could hear small prancing soothingly; “you are quite right, my dear.”

  hoof-beats downstairs and the clattering of So a silence fell, and presently Niafer

  plates and much whinnying laughter. Manuel slept. Manuel sat watching her with a was wondering what he must do, for he had perplexed, fond smile. For Niafer was the perfectly recognized the strapping tall young dearest and cleverest woman in the world, of fellow.

  course, but it did not seem to Manuel that she Presently Manuel heard music; it was,

  was rising to properly exalted zones of he knew, the ravishing Nis air, which charms sentiment over the advent of the small heaving the mind into sweet confusion and oblivion, bundle at Niafer’s side.

  and Manuel did not attempt to withstand its Nor did this Niafer appear to be quite

  wooing. He hastily undressed, said a staid the girl he had married a twelvemonth back.

  prayer or two, and he slept dreamlessly,

  But even so, this Niafer was his wife, by his In the morning Dom Manuel arose

  own choice; and whatever else she was, or early and left Niafer still sleeping with the was not, he could not now control at all.

  baby. Manuel came down through the lower

  SOME while after Niafer was asleep, and hall, where the table was as the revelers had when the night was fairly advanced, Manuel left it. In the middle of the disordered room heard a whizzing and snorting in the air. He stood a huge copper vessel half-full of liquor, went to the window and lifted the scarlet and beside it was a drinking-horn of gold.

  curtain figured with ramping gold dragons, Manuel paused here and drank of the

  and he looked out to find a vast number of sweet heather wine to hearten him. Then he tiny bluish lights skipping about confusedly went out into the bright windy morning and to and agilely in the darkness like shining fleas.

  the river-bank, where that which he loved and These approached the river-bank and gathered dreaded awaited Manuel. Manuel knew that he

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  went to meet the image which he had made of for I have my lands and castles to regain, and clay, and to which through unholy arts he had my wife and my new-born child to protect.”

  given life.

  Sesphra began to smile adorably.

  The thing came up out of the glistening

  “What are these things to me-and you,

  ripples of brown water, and the thing or to any one that makes images?”

  embraced Manuel and kissed him.

  Then Sesphra began to speak adorably,

  “I am pagan,” the thing said in a sweet

  as he walked on the river-bank, with one arm mournful voice, “and so I could not come to about Dom Manuel. Always Sesphra limped

  you until your love was given to the as he walked. A stiff and obdurate wind was unchristened. For I was not ever christened, ruffling the broad brown shining water, and as and so my true name is not known to anybody.

  they walked, this wind buffeted them and tore But in the far lands where I am worshiped as a at their clothing. Manuel clung to his hat with god I am called Sesphra of the Dreams.”

  one hand and with the other held to lame

  “That name has the ring of an Sesphra of the Dreams. Sesphra talked of anagram,” said Manuel.

  matters not to be recorded.

  “It is, if you insist, an anagram,” the

  “That is a handsome ring you have

  thing replied.

  there,” said Sesphra, by and by.

  “I did not give you any such name,”

  “It is the ring my wife gave me when

  said Manuel; and then he said, “Sesphra, how we were married,” Manuel replied.

  beautiful you are!”

  “Then you must give it to me, dear

  “Is that why you are trembling, Manuel.”

  Manuel?”

  “No, no. I can not part with it.”

  I tremble because the depths of my

  “But it is
beautiful, and I want it,”

  being have been shaken. I have lived for a Sesphra said.

  great quiet while through days made up of So Manuel gave him the ring.

  small mishaps and little pleasures and only Now Sesphra began again to talk of

  half-earnest desires which moved about upon matters not to be recorded. And Manuel saw the surface of my being like minnows in the that Manuel’s imperiled lands made such a shoals of a still lake.

  part of earth as one grain of sand contributed

  “But now that I have seen and heard

  to the long narrow beach they were treading.

  and touched you, Sesphra of the Dreams, a He saw his wife Niafer as a plain-passion moves in me that possesses all of me, featured and dull woman, not in any way

  and I am frightened.”

  remarkable among the millions of such

  “It is the passion which informs those

  women as were at that moment preparing

  who make images. It is the master you denied, breakfast or fretting over other small tasks. He poor foolish Manuel, and the master who will saw his new-born child as a mewing lump of take no denial.”

  flesh. And he saw Sesphra, whom he had

  “Sesphra, what is your will with me?”

  made so strong and strange and beautiful, and

  “It is my will that you go hence with

  it was as in a half-daze he heard that obdurate me on a long journey into the far lands where wind commingled with the sweet voice of