第 3 节
作者:一米八      更新:2021-02-25 00:01      字数:9322
  meet another as miserable as themselves。  Then the cord is pulled
  and they lie where they fall; till they are buried by the first
  passer by。  Terrible as this death would be;' added the Prince;
  'it would be sweeter than life if I had lost your love。'
  The sight of all these happy lovers only made the Prince grieve
  the more; and he wandered along the seashore spending his days;
  but one day he was sitting on a rock bewailing his fate; and the
  impossibility of leaving the island; when all in a moment the sea
  appeared to raise itself nearly to the skies; and the caves
  echoed with hideous screams。  As he looked a woman rose from the
  depths of the sea; flying madly before a furious giant。  The
  cries she uttered softened the heart of the Prince; he took the
  stone from his mouth; and drawing his sword he rushed after the
  giant; so as to give the lady time to escape。  But hardly had he
  come within reach of the enemy; than the giant touched him with a
  ring that he held in his hand; and the Prince remained immovable
  where he stood。  The giant then hastily rejoined his prey; and;
  seizing her in his arms; he plunged her into the sea。  Then he
  sent some tritons to bind chains about the Prince of the Golden
  Isle; and he too felt himself borne to the depths of the ocean;
  and without the hope of ever again seeing the Princess。
  Now the giant whom the invisible had so rashly attacked was the
  Lord of the Sea; and the third son of the Queen of the Elements;
  and he had touched the youth with a magic ring which enabled a
  mortal to live under water。  So the Prince of the Golden Isle
  found; when bound in chains by the tritons; he was carried
  through the homes of strange monsters and past immense seaweed
  forests; till he reached a vast sandy space; surrounded by huge
  rocks。  On the tallest of the rocks sat the giant as on a throne。
  'Rash mortal;' said he; when the Prince was dragged before him;
  'you have deserved death; but you shall live only to suffer more
  cruelly。  Go; and add to the number of those whom it is my
  pleasure to torture。'
  At these words the unhappy Prince found himself tied to a rock;
  but he was not alone in his misfortunes; for all round him were
  chained Princes and Princesses; whom the giant had led captive。
  Indeed; it was his chief delight to create a storm; in order to
  add to the list of his prisoners。
  As his hands were fastened; it was impossible for the Prince of
  the Golden Isle to make use of his magic stone; and he passed his
  nights and days dreaming of Rosalie。  But at last the time came
  when the giant took it into his head to amuse himself by
  arranging fights between some of his captives。  Lots were drawn;
  and one fell upon our Prince; whose chains were immediately
  loosened。  The moment he was set free; he snatched up his stone;
  and became invisible。
  The astonishment of the giant at the sudden disappearance of the
  Prince may well be imagined。  He ordered all the passages to be
  watched; but it was too late; for the Prince had already glided
  between two rocks。  He wandered for a long while through the
  forests; where he met nothing but fearful monsters; he climbed
  rock after rock; steered his way from tree to tree; till at
  length he arrived at the edge of the sea; at the foot of a
  mountain that he remembered to have seen in the cabinet of the
  present; where Rosalie was held captive。
  Filled with joy; he made his way to the top of the mountain which
  pierced the clouds; and there he found a palace。  He entered; and
  in the middle of a long gallery he discovered a crystal room; in
  the midst of which sat Rosalie; guarded night and day by genii。
  There was no door anywhere; nor any window。  At this sight the
  Prince became more puzzled than ever; for he did not know how he
  was to warn Rosalie of his return。  Yet it broke his heart to see
  her weeping from dawn till dark。
  One day; as Rosalie was walking up and down her room; she was
  surprised to see that the crystal which served for a wall had
  grown cloudy; as if some one had breathed on it; and; what was
  more; wherever she moved the brightness of the crystal always
  became clouded。  This was enough to cause the Princess to suspect
  that her lover had returned。  In order to set the Prince of the
  Air's mind at rest she began by being very gracious to him; so
  that when she begged that her captivity might be a little
  lightened she should not be refused。  At first the only favour
  she asked was to be allowed to walk for one hour every day up and
  down the long gallery。  This was granted; and the Invisible
  Prince speedily took the opportunity of handing her the stone;
  which she at once slipped into her mouth。  No words can paint the
  fury of her captor at her disappearance。  He ordered the spirits
  of the air to fly through all space; and to bring back Rosalie
  wherever she might be。  They instantly flew off to obey his
  commands; and spread themselves over the whole earth。
  Meantime Rosalie and the Invisible Prince had reached; hand in
  hand; a door of the gallery which led through a terrace into the
  gardens。  In silence they glided along; and thought themselves
  already safe; when a furious monster dashed itself by accident
  against Rosalie and the Invisible Prince; and in her fright she
  let go his hand。  No one can speak as long as he is invisible;
  and besides; they knew that the spirits were all around them; and
  at the slightest sound they would be recognised; so all they
  could do was to feel about in the hope that their hands might
  once more meet。
  But; alas!  the joy of liberty lasted but a short time。  The
  Princess; having wandered in vain up and down the forest; stopped
  at last on the edge of a fountain。  As she walked she wrote on
  the trees: 'If ever the Prince; my lover; comes this way; let him
  know that it is here I dwell; and that I sit daily on the edge of
  this fountain; mingling my tears with its waters。'
  These words were read by one of the genii; who repeated them to
  his master。  The Prince of the Air; in his turn making himself
  invisible; was led to the fountain; and waited for Rosalie。  When
  she drew near he held out his hand; which she grasped eagerly;
  taking it for that of her lover; and; seizing his opportunity;
  the Prince passed a cord round her arms; and throwing off his
  invisibility cried to his spirits to drag her into the lowest
  pit。
  It was at this moment that the Invisible Prince appeared; and at
  the sight of the Prince of the Genii mounting into the air;
  holding a silken cord; he guessed instantly that he was carrying
  off Rosalie。
  He felt so overwhelmed by despair that he thought for an instant
  of putting an end to his life。  'Can I survive my misfortunes?'
  he cried。  'I fancied I had come to an end of my troubles; and
  now they are worse than ever。  What will become of me?  Never can
  I discover the place where this monster will hide Rosalie。'
  The unhappy youth had determined to let himself die; and indeed
  his sorrow alone was enough to kill him; when the thought that by
  means of the cabinets of the years he might find out where the
  Princess was imprisoned; gave him a little ray of comfort。  So he
  continued to walk on through the forest; and after some hours he
  arrived at the gate of a temple; guarded by two huge lions。
  Being invisible; he was able to enter unharmed。  In the middle of
  the temple was an altar; on which lay a book; and behind the
  altar hung a great curtain。  The Prince approached the altar and
  opened the book; which contained the names of all the lovers in
  the world: and in it he read that Rosalie had been carried off by
  the Prince of the Air to an abyss which had no entrance except
  the one that lay by way of the Fountain of Gold。
  Now; as the Prince had not the smallest idea where this fountain
  was to be found; it might be thought that he was not much nearer
  Rosalie than before。  This was not; however; the view taken by
  the Prince。
  'Though every step that I take may perhaps lead me further from
  her;' he said to himself; 'I am still thankful to know that she
  is alive somewhere。'
  On leaving the temple the Invisible Prince saw six paths lying
  before him; each of which led through the wood。  He was
  hesitating which to choose; when he suddenly beheld two people
  coming towards him; down the track which lay most to his right。
  They turned out to be the Prince Gnome and his friend; and the
  sudden desire to get some news of his sister; Princess Argentine;
  caused the Invisible Prince to follow them and to listen to their
  conversation。
  'Do you think;' the Prince Gnome was saying; 'do you think that I
  would not break my chains if I could?  I know that the Princess
  Argentine will never love me; yet each day I feel her dearer
  still。  And as if this were not enough; I have the horror of
  feeling that she probably loves another。  So I have resolved to
  put myself out of my pain by means of the G