CHAPTER XV
Two or three hours later the "White Eagle" was high in air above thePalazzo d'Oro. Down below Lady Kingswood stood on the seashore by theaerodrome, watching the wonderful ship of the sky with dazzled, scaredeyes--amazed at the lightning speed of its ascent and the steadiness ofits level flight. She had seen it spread its great wings as byself-volition and soar out of the aerodrome with Morgana seated insidelike an elfin queen in a fairy car--she had seen the Marchese GiulioRivardi "take the helm" with the assistant Gaspard, now no longer aprey to fear, beside him. Up, up and away they had flown, waving to hertill she could see their forms no longer--till the "White Eagle" itselflooked no bigger than a dove soaring in the blue. And while she waited,even this faint dove-image vanished! She looked in every direction, butthe skies were empty. To her there was something very terrifying inthis complete disappearance of human beings in the vast stretches ofthe air--they had gone so silently, too, for the "White Eagle's" flightmade no sound, and though the afternoon was warm and balmy she feltchilled with the cold of nervous apprehension. Yet they had all assuredher there was no cause for alarm,--they were only going on a shorttrial trip and would be back to dinner.
"Nothing more than a run in a motor-car!" Morgana said, gaily.
Nothing more,--but to Lady Kingswood it seemed much more. She belongedto simple Victorian days--days of quiet home-life and home affections,now voted "deadly dull!" and all the rushing to and fro and gaddingabout of modern men and women worried and distressed her, for she hadthe plain common sense to perceive that it did no good either to healthor morals, and led nowhere. She looked wistfully out to sea,--the blueSicilian sea so exquisite in tone and play of pure reflections,--andthought how happy a life lived after the old sweet ways might be for abrilliant little creature like Morgana, if she could win "a good man'slove" as Shakespeare puts it. And yet--was not this rather harking backto mere sentiment, often proved delusive? Her own "good man's love" hadbeen very precious to her,--but it had not fulfilled all her heart'slonging, though she considered herself an entirely commonplace woman.And what sort of a man would it be that could hold Morgana? As well tryto control a sunbeam or a lightning flash as the restless vital andintellectual spirit that had, for the time being, entered into feminineform, showing itself nevertheless as something utterly different andsuperior to women as they are generally known. Some thoughts such asthese, though vague and disconnected, passed through Lady Kingswood'smind as she turned away from the sea-shore to re-ascend theflower-bordered terraces of the Palazzo d'Oro,--and it was with realpleasure that she perceived on the summit of the last flight of grassysteps, the figure of Don Aloysius. He was awaiting her approach, andcame down a little way to meet her.
"I saw the air-ship flying over the monastery,"--he explained, greetingher--"And I was anxious to know whether la Signora had gone away intothe skies or was still on earth! She has gone, I suppose?"
"Yes, she has gone!" sighed Lady Kingswood--"and the Marchese with her,and one assistant. Her 'nerve' is simply astonishing!"
"You did not think of venturing on a trip with her yourself?"--and thepriest smiled kindly, as he assisted her to ascend the last flight ofsteps to the loggia.
"No indeed! I really could not! I feel I ought to be braver--but Icannot summon up sufficient courage to leave terra firma. It seemsaltogether unnatural."
"Then what will you do when you are an angel, dear lady?" queriedAloysius, playfully--"You will have to leave terra firma then! Have youever thought of that?"
She smiled.
"I'm afraid I don't think!" she said--"I take my life on trust. Ialways believe that God who brought me HERE will take care of meTHERE!--wherever 'there' is. You understand me, don't you? You speakEnglish so well that I'm sure you do."
"Yes--I understand you perfectly"--he replied--"That I speak English isquite natural, for I was educated at Stonyhurst, in England. I was thenfor a time at Fort Augustus in Scotland, and studied a great many ofthe strange traditions of the Highland Celts, to which mystic peopleMiss Royal by birth belongs. Her ancestry has a good deal to do withher courage and character."
While he spoke Lady Kingswood gazed anxiously into the sky, searchingit north, south, east, west, for the first glimpse of the returning"White Eagle," but there was no sign of it.
"You must not worry yourself,"--went on the priest, putting a chair forher in the loggia, and taking one himself--"If we sit here we shall seethe air-ship returning, I fancy, by the western line,--certainly nearthe sunset. In any case let me assure you there is no danger!" "Nodanger?"
"Absolutely none!"
Lady Kingswood looked at him in bewildered amazement.
"Surely there MUST be danger?" she said--"The terrible accidents thathappen every day to these flying machines--"
"Yes--but you speak of ordinary flying machines," said Aloysius,--"This'White Eagle' is not an ordinary thing. It is the only one of its kindin the world--the only one scientifically devised to work with the lawsof Nature. You saw it ascend?"
"I did."
"It made no sound?"
"None."
"Then how did its engines move, if it HAD engines?" pursuedAloysius--"Had you no curiosity about it?"
"I'm afraid I hadn't--I was really too nervous! Morgana begged me to goinside, but I could not!"
Don Aloysius was silent for a minute or two, out of gentle tolerance.He recognised that Lady Kingswood belonged to the ordinary class ofgood, kindly women not overburdened with brains, to whom thought,particularly of a scientific or reflective nature, would be a kind ofphysical suffering. And how fortunate it is that there are, and alwayswill be such women! Many of them are gifted with the supreme talent ofmaking happiness around themselves,--and in this way they benefithumanity more than the often too self-absorbed student of things whichare frequently "past finding out."
"I understand your feeling";--he said, at last--"And I hardly wonder atyour very natural fears. I must admit that I think human daring isgoing too fast and too far--the science of to-day is not tending tomake men and women happier--and after all, happiness is the great goal."
A slight sigh escaped him, and Lady Kingswood looked at his fine,composed features with deep interest.
"Do you think God meant us to be happy?" she asked, gently.
"It is a dubious question!" he answered--"When we view the majesty andloveliness of nature--we cannot but believe we were intended to enjoythe splendid treasures of beauty freely spread out before us,--thenagain, if we look back thousands of years and consider the greatcivilisations of the past that have withered into dust and are nowforgotten, we cannot help wondering why there should be such a waste oflife for apparently no purpose. I speak in a secular sense,--of coursemy Church has but one reply to doubt, or what we call 'despair of God'smercy'--that it is sin. We are not permitted to criticise or toquestion the Divine."
"And surely that is best!" said Lady Kingswood, "and surely you havefound happiness, or what is nearest to happiness, in your beautifulFaith?"
His eyes were shadowed by deep gravity.
"Miladi, I have never sought happiness," he replied; "From my earliestboyhood I felt it was not for me. Among the comrades of my youth manystarted the race of life with me--happiness was the winning post theyhad in view--and they tried many ways to reach it--some throughambition, some through wealth, some through love--but I have neverchanced to meet one of them who was either happy or satisfied. MY mindwas set on nothing for myself--except this--to grope through thedarkness for the Great Mind behind the Universe--to drop my own 'ego'into it, as a drop of rain into the sea--and so--to be content! And inthis way I have learned much,--more than I consider myself worthy toknow. Modern science of the surface kind--(not the true deepdiscoveries)--has done its best to detach the rain-drop from thesea!--but it has failed. I stay where I have plunged my soul!"
He spoke as it were to himself with the air of one inspired; he hadalmost forgotten the presence of Lady Kingswood, who was gazing at himin a rapture of attention.
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"Oh, if I could only think as you do!" she said, in a low tone--"Is ittruly the Catholic Church that teaches these things?"
"The Catholic Church is the sign and watchword of all these things!" heanswered--"Not only that, but its sacred symbols, though ancient enoughto have been adopted from Babylonia and Chaldea, are actually thesymbols of our most modern science. Catholicism itself does not as yetrecognise this. Like a blind child stumbling towards the light it hasFELT the discoveries of science long before discovery. In oursacraments there are the hints of the transmutation of elements,--the'Sanctus' bell suggests wireless telegraphy or telepathy, that is tosay, communication between ourselves and the divine Unseen,--and if weare permitted to go deeper, we shall unravel the mystery of that'rising from the dead' which means renewed life. I am a 'prejudiced'priest, of course,"--and he smiled, gravely--"but with all itsmistakes, errors, crimes (if you will) that it is answerable for sinceits institution, through the sins of unworthy servants, Catholicism isthe only creed with the true seed of spiritual life within it--the onlycreed left standing on a firm foundation in this shaking world!"
He uttered these words with passionate eloquence and added--
"There are only three things that can make a nation great,--the love ofGod, the truth of man, the purity of woman. Without these three thegreatest civilisation existing must perish,--no matter how wide itspower or how vast its wealth. Ignorant or vulgar persons may sneer atthis as 'the obvious'--but it is the 'obvious' sun alone that rules theday."
Lady Kingswood's lips trembled; there were tears in her eyes.
"How truly you speak!" she murmured--"And yet we live in a time whensuch truths appear to have no influence with people at all. Every oneis bent on pleasure--on self--"
"As every one was in the 'Cities of the Plain,'"--he said, "and we maywell expect another rain of fire!"
Here, lifting his eyes, he saw in the soft blush rose of theapproaching sunset a small object like a white bird flying homewardacross the sea.
"Here it comes!" he exclaimed--"Not the rain of fire, but somethingmore agreeable! I told you, did I not, miladi, that there was nodanger? See!"
Lady Kingswood looked where he pointed.
"Surely that is not the air-ship?" she said--"It is too small!"
"At this distance it is small"--answered Aloysius--"But wait!Watch,--and you will soon perceive Its great wings! What a marvellousthing it is! Marvellous!--and a woman's work!"
They stood together, gazing into the reddening west, thrilled withexpectancy,--while with a steady swiftness and accuracy of movement thebird-like object which at the first glimpse had seemed so smallgradually loomed larger with nearer vision, its enormous wingsspreading wide and beating the air rhythmically as though the truepulsation of life impelled their action. Neither Lady Kingswood nor DonAloysius exchanged a word, so absorbed were they in watching the "WhiteEagle" arrive, and not till it began to descend towards the shore didthey relax their attention and turn to each other with looks ofadmiration and amazement.
"How long have they been gone?" asked Aloysius then.
Lady Kingswood glanced at her watch.
"Barely two hours."
At that moment the "White Eagle" swooped suddenly over the gardens,noiselessly and with an enormous spread of wing that was like a whitecloud in the sky--then gracefully swerved aside towards its "shed" oraerodrome, folding its huge pinions as of its own will and sliding intoits quarters as easily as a hand may slide into a loose-fitting glove.The two interested watchers of its descent and swift "run home" had notime to exchange more than a few words of comment before Morgana ranlightly up the terrace, calling to them with all the gaiety of a childreturning on a holiday.
"It was glorious!" she exclaimed--"Just glorious! We've been toNaples,--crowds gathered in the street to stare at us,--we were ever sohigh above them and they couldn't make us out, as we moved so silently!Then we hovered for a bit over Capri,--the island looked like a lovelyjewel shining with sun and sea,--and now here we are!--home in plentyof time to dress for dinner! You see, dear 'Duchess'--you need not havebeen nervous,--the 'White Eagle' is safer than any railway train, andever so much pleasanter!"
"Well, I'm glad you've come back all right"--said Lady Kingswood--"It'sa great relief! I certainly was afraid---"
"Oh, you must never be afraid of anything!" laughed Morgana--"It doesno good. We are all too much afraid of everything and everybody,--andoften when there's nothing to be afraid of! Am I not right, mostreverend Father Aloysius?" and she turned with a radiant smile to thepriest whose serious dark eyes rested upon her with an expression ofmingled admiration and wonder--"I'm so glad to find you here with LadyKingswood--I'm sure you told her there was no danger for me, didn'tyou? Yes? I thought so! Now do stay and dine with us, please!--I wantyou to talk to the Marchese Rivardi--he's rather cross! He cannot bearme to have my own way!--I suppose all men are like that!--they wantwomen to submit, not to command!" She laughed again. "See!--here hecomes,--with the sulky air of a naughty boy!" this, as Rivardi slowlymounted the terrace steps and approached--"I'm off to dress fordinner--come, 'Duchess!' We'll leave the men to themselves!"
She slipped her arm through Lady Kingswood's and hurried her away. DonAloysius was puzzled by her words,--and, as Rivardi came up to himraised his eyebrows interrogatively. The Marchese answered the unspokenquery by an impatient shrug.
"Altro! She is impossible!" he said irritably--"Wild as thewind!--uncontrollable! She will kill herself!--but she does not care!"
"What has she done?" asked Aloysius, smiling a little--"Has sheinvented something new?--a parachute in which to fall gracefully like afalling star?"
"Nothing of the kind"--retorted Rivardi; vexed beyond all reason at thepriest's tranquil air of good-humored tolerance--"But she insists onsteering the air-ship herself! She took my place to-day."
"Well?"
"Well! You think that nothing? I tell you it is very serious--veryfoolhardy. She knows nothing of aerial navigation--"
"Was her steering faulty?"
Rivardi hesitated.
"No,--it was wonderful"--he admitted, reluctantly; "Especially for afirst attempt. And now she declares she will travel with the 'WhiteEagle' alone! Alone! Think of it! That little creature alone in the airwith a huge air-ship under her sole control! The very idea is madness!"
"Have patience, Giulio!" said Don Aloysius, gently--"I think she cannotmean what she says in this particular instance. She is naturally fullof triumph at the success of her invention,--an amazing invention youmust own!--and her triumph makes her bold. But be quite easy in yourmind!--she will not travel alone!"
"She will--she will!" declared Rivardi, passionately--"She will doanything she has a mind to do! As well try to stop the wind as stopher! She has some scheme in her brain,--so fantastic vision of thatBrazen City you spoke of the other day--"
Don Aloysius gave a sudden start.
"No!--not possible!" he said--"She will not pursue a phantasm,--adream!"
He spoke nervously, and his face paled. Rivardi looked at him curiously.
"There is no such place then?" he asked--"It is only a legend?"
"Only a legend!" replied Aloysius, slowly--"Some travellers say it is amirage of the desert,--others tell stories of having heard the bells inthe brazen towers ring,--but no one--NO ONE," and he repeated the wordswith emphasis--"has ever been able to reach even the traditionalenvirons of the place. Our hostess," and he smiled--"is a verywonderful little person, but even she will hardly be able to discoverthe undiscoverable!"
"Can we say that anything is undiscoverable?" suggested Rivardi.
Don Aloysius thought a moment before replying.
"Perhaps not!"--he said, at last--"Our life all through is a voyage ofdiscovery wherein we have no certainty of the port of arrival. Thepuzzling part of it is that we often 'discover' what has beendiscovered before in past ages where the discoverers seemed to make nouse of their discoveries!--and so we lose ourselves in wonder--andoften in weariness
!" He sighed,--then added--"Had we not better go inand prepare to meet our hostess at dinner? And Giulio!--unbend yourbrows!--you must not get angry with your charming benefactress! If youdo not let her have HER way, she will never let you have YOURS!"
Rivardi gave a resigned gesture.
"Oh, MINE! I must give up all hope--she will never think of me morethan as a workman who has carried out her design. There is somethingvery strange about her--she seems, at certain moments, to withdrawherself from all the interests of mere humanity. To-day, for instance,she looked down from the air-ship on the swarming crowds in the streetsof Naples and said 'Poor little microbes! How sad it is to see themcrawling about and festering down there! What IS the use of them! Iwish I knew!' Then, when I ventured to suggest that possibly they weremore than 'microbes,'--they were human beings that loved and worked andthought and created, she looked at me with those wonderful eyes of hersand answered--'Microbes do the same--only we don't take the trouble tothink about them! But if we knew their lives and intentions, I dare saywe should find they are quite as clever in their own line as we are inours!' What is one to say to a woman who argues in this way?"
Don Aloysius laughed gently.
"But she argues quite correctly after all! My son, you are like themajority of men--they grow impatient with clever women,--they preferstupid ones. In fact they deliberately choose stupid ones to be themothers of their children--hence the ever increasing multitude offools!" He moved towards the open doors of the beautiful lounge-hall ofthe Palazzo, Rivardi walking at his side. "But you will grant me ameasure of wisdom in the advice I gave you the other day-the littlemillionairess is unlike other women--she is not capable of loving,--notin the way loving is understood in this world,--therefore do not seekfrom her what she cannot give!--As for her 'flying alone'--leave thatto the fates!--I do not think she will attempt it."
They entered the Palazzo just as a servant was about to announce tothem that dinner would be served in a quarter of an hour, and theirtalk, for the time being, ended. But the thoughts of both men werebusy; and unknown to each other, centered round the enigmaticalpersonality of one woman who had become more interesting to them thananything else in the world,--so much so indeed that each in his ownprivate mind wondered what life would be worth without her!