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Beauty and The Beast-Part2_Bayard Taylor(1825-1878)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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spectacle, though not exactly what Prince Alexis wished, was

comical enough to divert the company immensely.



But the close of the performance was not upon the programme. The

impatient bear, getting no nearer his goblet, hugged the man



violently with the other paw, striking his claws through the thin

shirt. The dance-measure was lost; the legs of the two tangled,



and they fell to the floor, the bear undermost. With a growl of

rage and disappointment, he brought his teeth together through the



man's arm, and it might have fared badly with the latter, had not

the goblet been refilled by some one and held to the animal's nose.



Then, releasing his hold, he sat up again, drank another bottle,

and staggered out of the hall.



Now the health of Prince Alexis was drunk,--by the guests on the

floor of the hall in Champagne, by those in the galleries in



kislischi and hydromel. The orchestra played; a choir of

serfs sang an ode by Simon Petrovitch, in which the departure of



Prince Boris was mentioned; the tumblers began to posture; the

jugglers came forth and played their tricks; and the cannon on the



ramparts announced to all Kinesma, and far up and down the Volga,

that the company were rising from the table.



Half an hour later, the great red slumber-flag floated over the

castle. All slept,--except the serf with the wounded arm, the



nervous Grand Marshal, and Simon Petrovich with his band of

dramatists, guarded by the indefatigable Sasha. All others



slept,--and the curious crowd outside, listening to the music,

stole silently away; down in Kinesma, the mothers ceased to scold



their children, and the merchants whispered to each other in the

bazaar; the captains of vessels floating on the Volga directed



their men by gestures; the mechanics laid aside hammer and axe, and

lighted their pipes. Great silence fell upon the land, and



continued unbroken so long as Prince Alexis and his guests slept

the sleep of the just and the tipsy.



By night, however, they were all awake and busily preparing for the

diversions of the evening. The ball-room was illuminated by



thousands of wax-lights, so connected with inflammable threads,

that the wicks could all be kindled in a moment. A pyramid of tar-



barrels had been erected on each side of the castle-gate, and every

hill or mound on the opposite bank of the Volga was similarly



crowned. When, to a stately march,--the musicians blowing their

loudest,--Prince Alexis and Princess Martha led the way to the



ball-room, the signal was given: candles and tar-barre]s burst

into flame, and not only within the castle, but over the landscape



for five or six versts, around everything was bright and clear in

the fiery day. Then the noises of Kinesma were not only permitted,



but encouraged. Mead and qvass flowed in the very streets, and

the castle trumpets could not be heard for the sound of troikas



and balalaikas.

After the Polonaise, and a few stately minuets, (copied from the



court of Elizabeth), the company were ushered into the theatre.

The hour of Simon Petrovitch had struck: with the inspiration



smuggled to him by Prince Boris, he had arranged a performance

which he felt to be his masterpiece. Anxiety as to its reception



kept him sober. The overture had ceased, the spectators were all

in their seats, and now the curtain rose. The background was a



growth of enormous, sickly toad-stools, supposed to be clouds. On

the stage stood a girl of eighteen, (the handsomest in Kinesma), in



hoops and satin petticoat, powdered hair, patches, and high-heeled

shoes. She held a fan in one hand, and a bunch of marigolds in the



other. After a deep and graceful curtsy to the company, she came

forward and said,--



"I am the goddess Venus. I have come to Olympus to ask some

questions of Jupiter."



Thunder was heard, and a car rolled upon the stage. Jupiter sat

therein, in a blue coat, yellow vest, ruffled shirt and three-



cornered hat. One hand held a bunch of thunderbolts, which he

occasionally lifted and shook; the other, a gold-headed cane.



"Here am, I Jupiter," said he; "what does Venus desire?"




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