CHAPTER NINETEEN.
A MALAGASY GARDEN PARTY--THE CLOUD GROWS BLACKER.
The garden party is by no means a novelty of the present day. In theearly part of this century--if not much earlier--Malagasy sovereignsseem to have been wont to treat their Court and friends to this speciesof entertainment.
The order which the Queen had given that her European visitors shouldattend upon her in the garden, was neither more nor less than aninvitation to a garden party, or pic-nic, to be held the following dayat one of her surburban retreats named Anosy, about half-a-mile from thecity. Accordingly, early in the morning--for the Malagasy are earlyrisers--their friend the Interpreter came to conduct them to the spot,with a gift of a striped lamba for each of the white men.
"Why she not send one for _me_?" demanded Ebony, pouting--and Ebony'spout was something to take note of!
"'Cause you're black and don't need no clothing," said Hockins,awkwardly attempting to put the lamba on his broad shoulders.
"Humph! if she knowed what splendid lobscouse an' plum duff I kin make,"returned the negro, "Ranny Valony would hab sent me a silk lamba an'made me her chief cook. Hows'ever, dere's a good time comin'. I s'poseI ain't to go to the party?"
"Yis--you muss go. All of you got to go. Kill-deaded--if you don'tgo."
"I'm your man, den, for I don't want to be deaded yet a while; moreover,I want to see de fun," returned the negro.
Meanwhile the Interpreter showed them how to put on the lamba--with oneend of it thrown over the left shoulder, like the Spaniard's cloak,--andthen conducted them to the palace, where they found three palanquins--orchairs supported by two staves--awaiting them. Getting into them theyset off, preceded by the Interpreter in a similar conveyance. Ebony andhis bearers brought up the rear.
The Queen and her Court had already started some time. Our party soonreached the scene of festivities, at the south-east of the city. It wasa charming spot, having large gardens laid out in the European style,with goodly trees overshadowing the pleasure-house of Anosy, and anextensive lake. The house was on an island in the lake, and was reachedby a narrow causeway.
At the entrance to the place two enormous letters, "R R," formed ingrass borders that surrounded flower-beds, indicated that Radama Rex,the first king of that name, had originated those gardens. And they didhim credit; for he had made great exertions to accumulate therespecimens of the most useful and remarkable trees and plants in thecountry--especially those that were of service in _materia medica_.Some immense camphor-wood trees were among the most conspicuous, andthere were several specimens of a graceful fan-palm, as well as clumpsof the long-leaved Rofia. The lake was covered in part with a profusionof purple waterlilies, and was well stocked with gold-fish. In thegarden and on the upper part of the grounds were luxuriant vines,besides figs, mangoes, pine-apples, and coffee-plants.
Here, to the strains of an excellent band, hundreds of people, in whiteand striped lambas, and various gay costumes, were walking aboutenjoying themselves, conversing with animation, or consuming rice,chickens, and beef, on mats beneath the mango and fig-trees. Elsewherethe more youthful and lively among them engaged in various games, suchas racing, jumping, etcetera.
"Come," said their friend of the previous day--the Secretary--to Markand his comrades, breaking in on their contemplation of the animatedscene, "the Queen wishes to see you."
Her Majesty, who was dressed in a long robe of muslin, embroidered withgold, sat near the door of the garden-house, surrounded by her ladies,who all wore the simple but graceful native dress. A guard of soldiersstood near at hand.
The Queen merely wished to ask a few ceremonial questions of hervisitors. While she was engaged with Hockins and the Secretary, Markventured to glance at the ladies of the Court, among whom he observedone who made a deep impression on him. She wore, if possible, a simplerdress than any of her companions, and no ornaments whatever. Herfeatures were well formed, and her rather pensive countenance was verybeautiful. When they were retiring from the presence of the Queen, Markcould not resist the temptation to ask the Secretary who she was.
"That," said he, "is our self-willed little Christian, Rafaravavy."
"She does not look very self-willed," returned Mark.
"True, and she is not really so--only in the matter of religion. I fearwe shall lose her ere long, for she minds not the Queen, and no one whodefies Ranavalona lives long. But come, let us sit down under thismango tree and eat. You must be hungry."
He led them as he spoke to a sequestered spot near a coppice whichpartially guarded them from public gaze on three sides, and on thefourth side afforded them a charming view of the gardens, the gayassemblage, and the country beyond.
At first both Hockins and Ebony hesitated to sit down to breakfast withso distinguished a person as an Under-Secretary of State.
"We ain't used, you see, doctor," observed the seaman in a low tone, "tofeed wi' the quality."
"Das so, massa," chimed in Ebony in the same tone; "wittles nebber tasteso pleasant in de cabin as in de fo'c's'l."
"Don't object to _anything_," replied Mark, quickly, "just do as I do."
"Hall right, massa. Neck or nuffin--I'm your man!"
As for the seaman, he obeyed without reply, and in a few minutes theywere busy with the Secretary over drumsticks and rice.
The free-and-easy sociability of that individual would have surprisedthem less if they had known that he had been specially commissioned bythe Queen to look well after them, and gather all the information theymight possess about the fugitive Christians who were hiding in theforests.
Fortunately our young student was quick-witted. He soon perceived thedrift of the Secretary's talk, and, without appearing to evade hisquestions, gave him such replies as conveyed to him no informationwhatever of the kind he desired. At the same time, he took occasion,when the Secretary's attention was attracted by something that was goingon, to lay his finger on his lips and bestow a look of solemn warning onhis comrades, the effect of which on their intelligent minds was to makethe negro intensely stupid and the seaman miraculously ignorant!
Now, while our friends are thus pleasantly engaged, we will return toRafaravavy, whom we left standing among the Queen's ladies.
Of all the ladies there that little brunette was not only thebest-looking, the sweetest, the most innocent, but also, strange to say,the funniest; by which we do not mean to say that she tried to befunny--far from it, but that she had the keenest perception of theludicrous, and as her perceptions were quick, and little jokes usuallystruck her, in vulgar parlance, "all of a heap," her little explosionsof laughter were instantaneous and violently short-lived. Yet hernatural temperament was grave and earnest, and her habitual expression,as we have said, pensive.
Indeed it would have been strange had it been otherwise, considering thetimes in which she lived, the many friends whom she had seen sacrificedby the violence of her royal mistress, and the terrible uncertainty thathung over her own fate.
After a time the Queen dismissed some of her attendants to ramble aboutthe grounds,--among them Rafaravavy, who sauntered down one of theside-walks by herself.
She had not gone far when, on reaching a turn of the road where a smallthicket of shrubs concealed her from the more public part of the garden,she heard her own name pronounced.
Stopping abruptly, she listened with intense anxiety expressed on hercountenance.
"Rafaravavy!" repeated the voice again, "fear not!" Next moment thebushes were turned aside, a man stepped on the path, and Ravonino stoodbefore her! He seized her in his arms, and printed a fervent kiss uponher lips.
"Oh! Samuel," she said, using her lover's Christian name, which shenaturally preferred, and speaking, of course, in her native tongue, "whydid you come here? You know that it is death if you are caught."
"I would risk more than death, if that were possible, to see you,Rafaravavy. But I come to ask you to fly with me. Our dear Lord'scounsel is that when we are persecuted
we should flee to a place ofsafety."
"Impossible!" said the girl, in a tone of decision that made her lover'sheart sink. "Besides, I am not persecuted. The Queen is fond of me,and bears much."
"Fond of you she may well be, my loved one, she cannot help that; butshe is fonder of herself, and the moment you go beyond a certain pointshe will order you out to execution. Has she not done the same sort ofthing before? She is capable of doing it again. She will _surely_ doit again. Come, dearest! let us fly now--this moment. I have a lambahere which will conceal most of your dress. Arrangements are made withsome of our friends in the Lord to aid us. Bearers are ready. I willguide you to the caverns in the forest where my sister Ra-Ruth islonging to receive you, where many of your old friends are dwelling insecurity, where we worship God, and pray to Jesus, and sing the sweetold hymns in peace. Come, dear one! will you not come?"
It was evident that the intense earnestness of the lover was exertingpowerful influence over the affectionate maiden, for she began to waver.
"Oh! do not persuade me thus!" she said. "I know not what God wouldhave me do. But the Queen has been _very_ kind to me in spite of myreligion, and sometimes I have thought that she listens to my pleading.Perhaps God may use me as the means of bringing her to Jesus. Thinkwhat that would be--not only to her own soul but to the multitudes whoare now suffering in--"
At that moment footsteps were heard on the gravel walk. They wereevidently approaching the spot where the lovers stood. Before Ravoninocould make up his mind to drag her into the thicket by main force,Rafaravavy had disengaged herself and bounded away. At the same momentRavonino glided into the shrubbery and disappeared.
A few seconds later and Mark Breezy stood on the spot they had quitted.He was alone.
"Strange!" he muttered to himself, "I am almost certain that she tookthis path, and I fancy that the man's voice sounded like that ofRavonino. Nothing more natural than that he should ferret her out. Yetit seems to have been imagination."
"It was not imagination," said a rather stern voice at Mark's elbow. Heturned quickly.
"I was sure of it!" he exclaimed.
"If you were so sure of it," said the guide, with a touch of bitterness,"why did you interrupt us and scare the maiden away?"
"You do me wrong in your thoughts," replied the student, flushing. "Oneof the Queen's secretaries is even at this moment coming along thistrack in company with Hockins and Ebony. While seated at breakfast Isaw Rafaravavy walk in this direction, and somehow I took it into myhead that you would surely meet her here--I know not why I thought so,unless it be that in like circumstances I myself would have acted thesame part--so I hastened on in advance to warn you. Hush! do you nothear their steps?"
"Forgive me," said Ravonino, extending his hand, and grasping that ofhis friend. Then, speaking low and hurriedly, "You are in favour atCourt. Will you befriend her?"
"I will. You may depend on me!"
There was no time for more. Already it was almost too late, for theguide had barely disappeared in the thicket when his comrades and theSecretary appeared.
"Hallo! doctor," exclaimed Hockins, "was ye arter a pretty girl that youbolted so, all of a sudden?"
"Yes, I was," answered Mark promptly. "I saw one of the Queen's ladiescome in this direction and ran after her! I suppose there is no harm inthat, Mr Secretary? You don't forbid men to look at your women, doyou, like the Arabs?"
"Certainly not," replied the Secretary, with a slight smile and aceremonial bow.
"Come, then, let us follow the track, we may yet meet her."
So saying, Mark led the way along the path where Rafaravavy hadvanished, not for the purpose of overtaking her, but in order to givehis friend time and opportunity to get out of the thicket unperceived.
On the evening of that same day, after the garden festivities were over,Queen Ranavalona sat in her palace with a frown on her brow, for,despite her determination and frequent commands, the Christians in thetown still persisted in holding secret meetings for worship. Those whoknew her moods saw plainly that she was fanning the smouldering fires ofanger, and that it needed but a small matter to cause them to burst outinto a devouring flame.
While she was in this critical frame of mind an influential courtierappeared before her. He seemed to be greatly excited.
"Madam," he said, "I request that a bright and sharp spear may bebrought to me!"
Somewhat surprised at the nature of the request, the Queen asked to knowthe reason.
"Madam," continued the courtier, "I cannot but see with grief thedishonour that is done, not only to our idols but to the memory of yourown predecessors, by the doctrines of these foreigners. Our ancientcustoms are being destroyed and the new faith is spreading on everyhand. All this is but preparatory to the invasion of Madagascar byEuropeans; and, as I would rather die than see my Queen and country sodisgraced, I ask for a spear to pierce my heart before the evil dayarrives."
This speech had a powerful effect on the Queen. She began to regardChristianity as not merely a sacrilege, but a political offence; forwere not people learning to despise the idols of their forefathers andto cease praying to the royal ancestors, by whom the kingdom had beenestablished, and under whom the country had become great and powerful?Might they not eventually despise herself and learn to treat theirliving sovereign with contempt?
For some time Ranavalona remained silent, leaning her forehead on herhand. Suddenly she looked up with a flushed countenance.
"It is true--all true," she said. "When I was carried along inprocession to-day did I not hear these Christians singing one of theirhated hymns? They will not cease till some of them lose their heads.Have you got with you the formal accusation that was made before mychief judge yesterday?"
"No, madam, I have not."
"Go. Fetch it and read it to me."
The courtier bowed, left the apartment, and speedily returned with apaper containing the accusations referred to. Unfolding it, he read asfollows:--
"First. The Christians are accused of despising the idols. Second.They are always praying. Third. They will not swear, but merelyaffirm. Fourth. Their women are chaste. Fifth. They are of one mindwith regard to their religion. Sixth. They observe the Sabbath as asacred day."
Strange to say, this catalogue of so-called accusations deeply affectedthe queen with grief and rage.
"I swear," she said, with flashing eyes and clenched hands, "that I willroot out this religion of the Europeans if it should cost the life ofevery Christian in the land! Go. Leave me!"
For a fortnight subsequent to this the palace and Court appeared as ifin mourning for some public calamity. No band played; no amusementswere allowed, and a dread of impending evil seemed to weigh upon thespirits of all classes. During this time, also, measures were taken toeffect the final destruction, as far as possible, of all that had beendone in the country by the teaching of the missionaries and theirconverts.
At last the storm burst. A Kabary, or immense general assembly of thenation, was called by proclamation at the capital. The people were onlytoo well aware of what this signified to doubt that the Queen wasthoroughly in earnest and in one of her worst moods. With tremblinghearts they hastened to obey the summons.