I am assured by Zee that the safe use of wings is a hereditary gift, and it would take generations before one of my race could poise himself in the air like a bird."132"Let not that thought vex you too much," replied this amiable Princess, "for, after all, there must come a day when Zee and myself must resign our wings forever.Perhaps when that day comes we might be glad if the An we chose was also without wings."The Tur had left us, and was lost amongst the crowd.I began to feel at ease with Taee's charming sister, and rather startled her by the boldness of my compliment in replying, "that no An she could choose would ever use his wings to fly away from her." It is so against custom for an An to say such civil things to a Gy till she has declared her passion for him, and been accepted as his betrothed, that the young maiden stood quite dumbfounded for a few moments.Nevertheless she did not seem displeased.At last recovering herself, she invited me to accompany her into one of the less crowded rooms and listen to the songs of the birds.I followed her steps as she glided before me, and she led me into a chamber almost deserted.Afountain of naphtha was playing in the centre of the room;round it were ranged soft divans, and the walls of the room were open on one side to an aviary in which the birds were chanting their artful chorus.The Gy seated herself on one of the divans, and I placed myself at her side."Taee tells me,"she said, "that Aph-Lin has made it the law* of his house that you are not to be questioned as to the country you come from or the reason why you visit us.Is it so?"* Literally "has said, In this house be it requested." Words synonymous with law, as implying forcible obligation, are avoided by this singular people.Even had it been decreed by the Tur that his College of Sages should dissect me, the decree would have ran blandly thus,- "Be it requested that, for the good of the community, the carnivorous Tish be requested to submit himself to dissection.""It is."
"May I, at least, without sinning against that law, ask at least if the Gy-ei in your country are of the same pale colour as yourself, and no taller?""I do not think, O beautiful Gy, that I infringe the law of Aph-Lin, which is more binding on myself than any one, if I133answer questions so innocent.The Gy-ei in my country are much fairer of hue than I am, and their average height is at least a head shorter than mine.""They cannot then be so strong as the Ana amongst you? But Isuppose their superior vril force makes up for such extraordinary disadvantage of size?""They do not profess the vril force as you know it.But still they are very powerful in my country, and an An has small chance of a happy life if he be not more or less governed by his Gy.""You speak feelingly," said Taee's sister, in a tone of voice half sad, half petulant."You are married, of course.""No- certainly not."
"Nor betrothed?"
"Nor betrothed."
"Is it possible that no Gy has proposed to you?""In my country the Gy does not propose; the An speaks first.""What a strange reversal of the laws of nature!" said the maiden, "and what want of modesty in your sex! But have you never proposed, never loved one Gy more than another?"I felt embarrassed by these ingenious questionings, and said, "Pardon me, but I think we are beginning to infringe upon Aph-Lin's injunction.This much only will I answer, and then, I implore you, ask no more.I did once feel the preference you speak of; I did propose, and the Gy would willingly have accepted me, but her parents refused their consent.""Parents! Do you mean seriously to tell me that parents can interfere with the choice of their daughters?""Indeed they can, and do very often."
"I should not like to live in that country, said the Gy simply;"but I hope you will never go back to it."I bowed my head in silence.The Gy gently raised my face with her right hand, and looked into it tenderly."Stay with us,"she said; "stay with us, and be loved."
What I might have answered, what dangers of becoming a cinder Imight have encountered, I still trouble to think, when the light of the naphtha fountain was obscured by the shadow of wings; and Zee, flying though the open roof, alighted beside us.She said not a word, but, taking my arm with her mighty hand, she drew me away, as a mother draws a naughty child, and led me through the apartments to one of the corridors, on which, by the mechanism they generally prefer to stairs, we ascended to my own room.This gained, Zee breathed on my forehead, touched my breast with her staff, and I was instantly plunged into a profound sleep.
When I awoke some hours later, and heard the songs of the birds in the adjoining aviary, the remembrance of Taee's sister, her gentle looks and caressing words, vividly returned to me; and so impossible is it for one born and reared in our upper world's state of society to divest himself of ideas dictated by vanity and ambition, that I found myself instinctively building proud castles in the air.
"Tish though I be," thus ran my meditations- "Tish though I be, it is then clear that Zee is not the only Gy whom my appearance can captivate.Evidently I am loved by A PRINCESS, the first maiden of this land, the daughter of the absolute Monarch whose autocracy they so idly seek to disguise by the republican title of chief magistrate.But for the sudden swoop of that horrible Zee, this Royal Lady would have formally proposed to me; and though it may be very well for Aph-Lin, who is only a subordinate minister, a mere Commissioner of Light, to threaten me with destruction if I accept his daughter's hand, yet a Sovereign, whose word is law, could compel the community to abrogate any custom that forbids intermarriage with one of a strange race, and which in itself is a contradiction to their boasted equality of ranks.
"It is not to be supposed that his daughter, who spoke with such incredulous scorn of the interference of parents, wouldnot have sufficient influence with her Royal Father to save me from the combustion to which Aph-Lin would condemn my form.
