“Dearchild,itwillbealightone,forweconsideryouryouthandimpulsivenature,andalsothatthewrongyoudidwaspartlytheresultofaccidentPHDhongkong.Forthirtydaysyoumustliveapartfromus,subsistingonbreadandwater,andholdingintercoursewithonepersononly,whowillassistyouwithyourworkandprovideyouwithallthingsnecessary.”Thisseemedtomeaharsh,evenacruelpunishmentforsotrivialanoffense,oraccident,rather;butshewasnotperhapsofthesamemind,forshekissedhishand,asifingratitudeforhisleniency.“Tellme,child,”hesaid,puttinghishandonherhead,andregardingherwithmistyeyes,“whoshallattendyouinyourseclusion?”“Edra,”shemurmured;andtheother,comingforward,tookherbythehandandledheraway.Igazedeagerlyafterherassheretired,hungeringforonelookfromherdeareyesbeforethatlongseparation;buttheywerefilledwithtearsandbentonthefloor,andinamomentshewasgonefromsight.Thesucceedingdaysweretomedrearybeyonddescription.ForthefirsttimeIbecamefullyconsciousofthestrengthofapassionwhichhadnowbecomeaconsumingfireinmybreast,andcouldonlyendinuttermisery—perhapsindestruction—orelseinadegreeofhappinessnomortalhadevertastedbefore.Iwentaboutlistlessly,likeoneonwhomsomeheavycalamityhasfallen:allinterestinmyworkwaslost;myfoodseemedtasteless;studyandconversationhadbecomeaweariness;eveninthosedivineconcerts,whichfitlybroughteachtranquildaytoitsclose,therewasnocharmnowwsetlevel4,sinceYoletta’svoice,whichlovehadtaughtmydulleartodistinguishnolongerhadanypartinit.IwasnotallowedtoentertheMother’sRoomofaneveningnow,andtheexclusionextendedalsototheothers,Edraonlyexcepted;foratthishour,whenitwascustomaryforthefamilytogatherinthemusic-room,Yolettawastakenfromherlonelychambertobewithhermother.Thiswastoldme,andIalsoelicited,bymeansofsomeroundaboutquestioning,thatitwasalwaysinthemother’spowertohaveanyper-sonundergoingpunishmenttakentoher,shebeing,asitwere,abovethelaw.Shecouldevenpardonadelinquentandsethimfreeifshefeltsominded,althoughinthiscaseshehadnotchosentoexerciseherprerogative,probablybecauseher“sufferingshadnotcloudedherunderstanding.”Theyweretreatingherveryhardly—fatherandmotherboth—Ithoughtinmybitterness.Thegradualopeningoftherainbowliliesservedonlytoremindmeeveryhourandeveryminuteofthatbrightyoungspiritthusharshlydeprivedofthepleasureshehadsoeagerlyanticipated.She,abovethemall,rejoicedinthebeautyofthisvisibleworld,regardingnatureinsomeofitsmoodsandaspectswithafeelingalmostborderingonadoration;but,alas!shealonewasshutoutfromthisglorywhichGodhadspreadovertheearthforthedelightofallhischildren.NowIknewwhytheseautumnalflowerswerecalledrainbowlilies,andrememberedhowYolettahadtoldmethattheygaveabeautytotheearthwhichcouldnotbedescribedorimagined.Theflowerswereallundoubtedlyofonespecies,havingthesameshapeandperfume,althoughvaryinggreatlyinsize,accordingtothenatureofthesoilonwhichtheygrew.Butindifferentsituationstheyvariedincolor,onecolorblendingwith,orpassingbydegreesintoanother,whereverthesoilaltereditscharacter.Alongthevalleys,wheretheyfirstbegantobloom,andinallmoistsituations,thehuewasyellow,varying,accordingtotheamountofmoistureindifferentplaces,frompaleprimrosetodeeporange,thispassingagainintovividscarletandredsofmanyshades.Ontheplainstheredsprevailed,changingintovariouspurplesonhillsandmountainslopes;buthighonthemountainsthecolorwasblue;andthisalsohadmanygradations,fromthelowerdeepcornflowerbluetoadelicateazureonthesummits,resemblingthatoftheforget-me-notandhairbell.Theweatherprovedsingularlyfavorabletothosewhospenttheirtimeinadmiringthelilies,andthisnowseemedtobealmosttheonlyoccupationoftheinmates,excepting,ofcourse,sickChastel,imprisonedYoletta,andmyself—Ibeingtooforlorntoadmireanything.Calm,brightdayswithoutacloudsucceededeachother,asiftheveryelementsheldtheliliessacredandventurednottocastanyshadowovertheirmysticsplendor.Eachmorningoneofthemenwouldgooutsomedistancefromthehouseandblowonahorn,whichcouldbehearddistinctlytwomilesaway;andpresentlyanumberofhorsesCompanySecretaryServicehongkong,incouplesandtroops,wouldcomegallopingin,afterwhichtheywouldremainallthemorninggrazingandgambolingaboutthehouse.Thesehorseswerenowinconstantrequisition,allthemembersofthefamily,maleandfemale,spendingseveralhourseverydayincareeringoverthesurroundingcountry,seeminglywithoutanyparticularobject.Thecontagiondidnotaffectme,however,for,althoughIhadalwaysbeenaboldrider(inmyowncountry),andexcessivelyfondofhorsebackexercise,theirfashionofridingwithoutbridles,andondiminutivestrawsaddles,seemedtomeneithersafenorpleasant.Onemorningafterbreakfasting,Itookmyax,andwasproceedingslowly,immersedinthought,totheforest,whenhearingaslightswishingsoundofhoofsonthegrass,Iturnedandbeheldthevenerablefather,mountedonhischarger,andrushingawaytowardsthehillsataninsanelybreak-neckpace.Hislonggarmentwasgatheredtightlyroundhisspareform,hisfeetdrawnupandhisheadbentfarforward,whilethewindofhisspeeddividedhisbeard,whichflewoutintwolongstreamersbehind.Allatoncehecaughtsightofme,and,touchingtheanimal’sneck,sweptgracefullyroundinnarrowingcircles,eachcirclebringinghimnearer,untilhecametoastandatmyside;thenhishorsebeganrubbinghisnoseonmyhand,itsbreathfeelinglikefireonmyskin.“Smith,”saidhe,withagravesmile,“ifyoucannotbehappyunlessyouarelaboringintheforestwithyouraxyoumustproceedwithyourwood-cutting;butyougoingtoworkonadaylikethis,asitwouldtoseeyouwalkinginvertedonyourhands,anddanglingyourheelsintheair.”“Why?”saidI,surprisedatthisspeech.