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12 - Baron Trump's Marvellous Underground Journey · Classic Adventure Books Library

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  Chapter twelve, The sad, sad Tale of the Sorrowing Princess with a speck
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  in her heart, and what all happened when she had ended it, which
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  the reader must read for himself. Little Baron and dear Lord Bulgar began the
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  crystal eyed Damosel, after she had eased her soul of its load of woe
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  by three long and deep, deep sighs. Know then, that I am
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  not that Damosel Glowstone, but none other than the Royal Princess Cristelina herself.
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  That she whose hair I comb should comb, mine, that she whom I
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  have served for ten long years, should have served me. And to think,
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  o, Princess, I burst out joyfully, that my beloved Bulgar should
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  have been the first to discover that she, who was seated on the steps
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  of the crystal throne, was not entitled to the seat. To think that
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  his subtle intellect should have been the first to scent out the wrong that had
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  been done, thee his keen eye, the first to go to the bottom
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  of the truth. Well, but, fair Princess, I am bursting with
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  impatience to know how thou thyself did ever discover the wrong that has been done
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  thee that thou shalt speedily know, little Baron, answered Cristelina, And that
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  thou mayest know all that I know. I'll begin at the very beginning.
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  The day I was born. There was great rejoicing in the land of the
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  Micamenkes, and the people gathered in front of the royal palace and laughed and
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  cried by turns. So happy were they to think they were to be governed
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  by another princess, after Queen Galaxi's heart should run down. For many years
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  ago, a bad king had made them very unhappy, and they had hoped
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  and prayed that no more such would come to reign over them. And pretty
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  soon one of them began to tell the others what he thought the little princess
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  would be like. She will be the fairest that ever sat upon the crystal
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  throne. Her hands and feet will be like pearls tipped with coral, her
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  hair whiter than the river's foam. And from her beautiful eyes will burst the
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  radiance of her pure soul. And her heart, Oh, her heart will
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  be like a little lump of frozen water, So clear and so transparent.
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  Will it be so like a bit of purest crystal, bright and flawless as
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  a diamond of the first water. And therefore let her be called the Princess
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  Cristellina, or the maid with the crystal heart. Forthwith the cry went up,
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  I let her be called Cristellina, or the Maid with the crystal heart.
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  And Queen Galaxa heard the cry of her people and sent them word that
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  it should be as they wished, that I should be the Princess Cristallina,
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  but ah me that I should have lived to tell it. After a few
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  days, the nurse came to my royal mother, wringing her hands and pouring
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  down a flood of tears. Throwing herself on her knee, she whispered to
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  the Queen Royal Mistress, bid me die rather than tell thee what I know.
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  Being ordered to speak, the nurse informed Queen Galaxa that she had that
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  day, for the first time, held me up to the light, and
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  had discovered that there was a spet in my heart. The Queen uttered a
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  cry of horror and swoon. When she came to herself. She directed that
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  I should be brought to her and held up to the light, so that
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  she might see for herself. Alas too true. There was a speck in
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  my heart. Sure enough I was not worthy of the sweet name which her
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  loving people had bestowed upon me. They would turn from me with horror.
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  They would never consent to have me for their queen when the truth should become
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  known. They would not be moved by a mother's prayers. They would turn
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  a deaf ear to every one who should be bold enough to advise them to
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  accept a princess with a speck in her heart when they had thought they were
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  getting one well deserving of the title they had bestowed upon her. Queen Glaxa
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  knew that something must be done at once, that it would be time and
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  labor lost to attempt to reason with the disappointed people, So she said to
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  work thinking up some way out of her trouble. Now, it so happened
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  little Baron that the very day I had come into the world, a babe
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  had been born to one of Queen Galax's serving women, And so hastily summing
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  the woman, she ordered her to bring her babe into the royal bedchamber and
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  leave it there, promising that it should be brought up as my foster sister.
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  But no sooner had the serving woman gone her way, rejoicing, than
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  the nurse was ordered to change the children in the cradle, and in a
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  few moments Glowstone was wrapped in my richly embroidered blanket, and eyes swathed up
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  in her plain coverlets. How things went for several years I know not,
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  But one day a how well I recollect it, my little mind was puzzled
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  by hearing Cristelina cry out, nay, nay, der Mamma, tis not
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  fair. I like it not each day when thou comest to us, thou
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  givest clothes on ten kisses and me but sing. Then would Queen Galaxa smile
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  a sad smile, and bestow some bubble upon Christelina to coax her back to
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  contentment again. And so we went on, Cristelina and I, from one
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  year to another, until we were little maids well grown, and she sat
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  on the throne and wore royal purple stitched with gold, and I plain white.
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  But still most of the kisses fell to my share, and I marveled
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  not a little at it, but dared not ask why it was. However,
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  once when I was alone with Queen Galaxa, seated on my cushion,
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  in the corner, plying my needle and thinking of the sail we were to
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  have on the river that day. Suddenly I was startled to see the Queen
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  throw herself on her knees in front of me, and to feel her clasp
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  me in her arms and cover my face and head with tears and kisses,
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  as she sobbed and moaned, Oh, my babe, my lost babe,
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  my blessing and my joy wilt never never never come back to me, art
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  gone forever? Must I give THEE up? Or must I nay? Royal
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  Lady? I stammered in my more than wonder at her words and actions.
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  Thou art in a dream? Awake, and see clearly I am not crystalline.
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  I am glosstone, thy foster child. I'll hie me straight and bring
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  my royal sister to THEE. But she would not let me loose, and
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  for all answer showered more kisses on me till I was well nigh smothered,
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  so tight she held me pressed against her bosom, while around and o'er me,
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  her long thick tresses fell like a woven mantle. And then she told
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  me all all that I have told THEE little Marin, and charged me never
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  to impart it unto any soul in Goggleland. And I made a solemn promise
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  unto her that I never would, And thou hast kept thy word like a
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  true princess, as thou art said I cheerily, for I am not of
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  thy world, Fair Cristellina. Now that I have told these a sad tale
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  of the sorrowing princess with a speck in her heart, little Perrin, murmured
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  Cristelina, fixing her large and radiant eyes upon me. There is but one
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  thing more for me to do, and it is to let thee look through
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  me, so that thou mayest know exactly what counsel to give. And so
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  saying, the fair princess rose from her seat, and, having placed herself
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  in front of me, with a flood of white light falling full upon her
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  back, she lowered her black fan and bade me gaze upon the heavy heart
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  which she had carried about with her all those years, and tell her exactly
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  how large the speck was, and where it lay, and what color it
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  was. I was overjoyed to get an opportunity at last to look through one
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  of the Micaminky's and my own heart bounded with satisfaction as I looked and looked
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  upon that mysterious little thing, nay, rather a tiny bean, live breathing,
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  palpitating within her breast, now slow and measured as she dwelt in thought
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  upon her sad fate, now beating faster and faster, as the hope bubbled
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  up in her mind, that possibly I might be able to counsel her so
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  wisely that an end would come to all her sorrow. Well, wise,
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  little Baron, she murmured, anxiously, what seest thou? Is it very
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  large? In what part is it? Is it black as night? Or
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  some color less fatal Take courage, fair, Princess, said I, it
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  is very small, and lies just beneath the bow on the left side.
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  Nor is it black but reddish? Rather, And if a single drop of
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  blood from the veins of thy far distant ancestors had outlived them these thousands of
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  years and hardened there to tell whence thy people came, the princess wept tears
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  of joy upon hearing these comforting words. If it had been black, she
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  whispered, I would have laid me down in this bed of violets and never
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  risen more. Till my people had come to bear me to my grave in
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  the silent burial chamber, unvisited by the river of light. At this sad
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  outbreak, Bulgar whined piteously and licked the Princess's hands as he looked up at
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  her with his dark eyes radiant with sympathy. She was greatly cheered by this
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  message of comfort, and it moved me too by its heartiness. List fair
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  Princess, said I gravely, I own the task is not a little one,
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  but hope for the best. I would that we had more time,
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  But as thou knowest, Queen Galaxi's heart will soon run down. Therefore must
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  we act with despatch as well as wisdom. But first of all, must
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  I speak with the Queen and gain her consent to act for THEE in this
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  matter that I fear she will never grant, moaned Cristelina. However, thou
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  art so much wiser than I do, as best seems to THEE. The
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  next thing to be done, fair Princess, I added, solemnly, is
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  to show thy heart boldly and fearlessly to thy people. Nay, little baron,
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  she exclaimed, rising to your feet, that may not be, that
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  may not be for know that our law doth make it trees in itself for
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  one of our people to look through a person of royal blood. Oh no,
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  oh, no, little baron, that may never be. Stay,
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  sweet Princess, I urged in gentlest tones. Not so fast thou dost not
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  know what I mean by showing the heart boldly to thy people. Never fear,
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  I will not break the law of the land. And yet they shall
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  look upon the speck within thy heart and see how small it is, and
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  hear what I have to say about it, and thou shalt not even be
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  visible to them, Oh, little baron, murmured Cristelina. If this may
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  only be, I feel they will forgive me. Thou art so wise,
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  and thy words carry such strong hope to my poor heavy heart, that I
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  almost nay, Fair Princess, I interrupted hope for the best. No more.
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  I am not wise enough to read the future, and from what I
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  know of thy people they seem but little different from mine own. Perchance I
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  may be able to sway them towards by views and make them cry long Live
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  Princess Cristallina. But I can only promise THEE to do my best. Betake
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  THEE now to the palace, and scorn not for yet a day or so
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  to take up the golden comb and play the damosel glowstone in all humility.
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  End of Chapter twelve.