And now I began to discern faint, gracious forms, here and there
throughout the building. Some walked together in earnest conversation.
Others strayed alone. Some stood in groups, as if looking at and talking
about a picture or a statue. None of them heeded me. Nor were they
plainly visible to my eyes. Sometimes a group, or single individual,
would fade entirely out of the realm of my vision as I gazed. When
evening came, and the moon arose, clear as a round of a horizon-sea when
the sun hangs over it in the west, I began to see them all more
plainly; especially when they came between me and the moon; and yet more
especially, when I myself was in the shade. But, even then, I sometimes
saw only the passing wave of a white robe; or a lovely arm or neck
gleamed by in the moonshine; or white feet went walking alone over the
moony sward. Nor, I grieve to say, did I ever come much nearer to these
glorious beings, or ever look upon the Queen of the Fairies herself. My
destiny ordered otherwise.
In this palace of marble and silver, and fountains and moonshine, I
spent many days; waited upon constantly in my room with everything
desirable, and bathing daily in the fairy bath. All this time I was
little troubled with my demon shadow I had a vague feeling that he was
somewhere about the palace; but it seemed as if the hope that I should
in this place be finally freed from his hated presence, had sufficed to
banish him for a time. How and where I found him, I shall soon have to
relate.
The third day after my arrival, I found the library of the palace; and
here, all the time I remained, I spent most of the middle of the day.
For it was, not to mention far greater attractions, a luxurious retreat
from the noontide sun. During the mornings and afternoons, I wandered
about the lovely neighbourhood, or lay, lost in delicious day-dreams,
beneath some mighty tree on the open lawn. My evenings were by-and-by
spent in a part of the palace, the account of which, and of my
adventures in connection with it, I must yet postpone for a little.
The library was a mighty hall, lighted from the roof, which was formed
of something like glass, vaulted over in a single piece, and stained
throughout with a great mysterious picture in gorgeous colouring.
The walls were lined from floor to roof with books and books: most of
them in ancient bindings, but some in strange new fashions which I had
never seen, and which, were I to make the attempt, I could ill describe.
All around the walls, in front of the books, ran galleries in rows,
communicating by stairs. These galleries were built of all kinds of
coloured stones; all sorts of marble and granite, with porphyry, jasper,
lapis lazuli, agate, and various others, were ranged in wonderful melody
of successive colours. Although the material, then, of which these
galleries and stairs were built, rendered necessary a certain degree
of massiveness in the construction, yet such was the size of the place,
that they seemed to run along the walls like cords.