Andnotonlydidsheknowinwhichroomstoodtheladyreadytoemerge,allblushingandradiant,shouldherdoorbeopened,butsheknewwhotheladywas。Itwasoneofthefairestandloveliestofthedamselsofthecourtwhohadbeenselectedastherewardoftheaccusedyouth,shouldhebeprovedinnocentofthecrimeofaspiringtoonesofarabovehim;andtheprincesshatedher。Oftenhadsheseen,orimaginedthatshehadseen,thisfaircreaturethrowingglancesofadmirationuponthepersonofherlover,andsometimesshethoughttheseglanceswereperceived,andevenreturned。Nowandthenshehadseenthemtalkingtogether;itwasbutforamomentortwo,butmuchcanbesaidinabriefspace;itmayhavebeenonmostunimportanttopics,buthowcouldsheknowthat?Thegirlwaslovely,butshehaddaredtoraisehereyestothelovedoneoftheprincess;and,withalltheintensityofthesavagebloodtransmittedtoherthroughlonglinesofwhollybarbaricancestors,shehatedthewomanwhoblushedandtrembledbehindthatsilentdoor。
Whenherloverturnedandlookedather,andhiseyemethersasshesatthere,palerandwhiterthananyoneinthevastoceanofanxiousfacesabouther,hesaw,bythatpowerofquickperceptionwhichisgiventothosewhosesoulsareone,thatsheknewbehindwhichdoorcrouchedthetiger,andbehindwhichstoodthelady。Hehadexpectedhertoknowit。Heunderstoodhernature,andhissoulwasassuredthatshewouldneverrestuntilshehadmadeplaintoherselfthisthing,hiddentoallotherlookers—on,eventotheking。Theonlyhopefortheyouthinwhichtherewasanyelementofcertaintywasbaseduponthesuccessoftheprincessindiscoveringthismystery;andthemomenthelookeduponher,hesawshehadsucceeded,asinhissoulheknewshewouldsucceed。
Thenitwasthathisquickandanxiousglanceaskedthequestion:
"Which?"Itwasasplaintoherasifheshouteditfromwherehestood。Therewasnotaninstanttobelost。Thequestionwasaskedinaflash;itmustbeansweredinanother。
Herrightarmlayonthecushionedparapetbeforeher。Sheraisedherhand,andmadeaslight,quickmovementtowardtheright。Noonebutherloversawher。Everyeyebuthiswasfixedonthemaninthearena。
Heturned,andwithafirmandrapidstephewalkedacrosstheemptyspace。Everyheartstoppedbeating,everybreathwasheld,everyeyewasfixedimmovablyuponthatman。Withouttheslightesthesitation,hewenttothedoorontheright,andopenedit。
Now,thepointofthestoryisthis:Didthetigercomeoutofthatdoor,ordidthelady?
Themorewereflectuponthisquestion,theharderitistoanswer。Itinvolvesastudyofthehumanheartwhichleadsusthroughdeviousmazesofpassion,outofwhichitisdifficulttofindourway。Thinkofit,fairreader,notasifthedecisionofthequestiondependeduponyourself,butuponthathot—blooded,semi—barbaricprincess,hersoulatawhiteheatbeneaththecombinedfiresofdespairandjealousy。Shehadlosthim,butwhoshouldhavehim?
Howoften,inherwakinghoursandinherdreams,hadshestartedinwildhorror,andcoveredherfacewithherhandsasshethoughtofherloveropeningthedoorontheothersideofwhichwaitedthecruelfangsofthetiger!
Buthowmuchoftenerhadsheseenhimattheotherdoor!Howinhergrievousreverieshadshegnashedherteeth,andtornherhair,whenshesawhisstartofrapturousdelightasheopenedthedoorofthelady!Howhersoulhadburnedinagonywhenshehadseenhimrushtomeetthatwoman,withherflushingcheekandsparklingeyeoftriumph;whenshehadseenhimleadherforth,hiswholeframekindledwiththejoyofrecoveredlife;whenshehadheardthegladshoutsfromthemultitude,andthewildringingofthehappybells;whenshehadseenthepriest,withhisjoyousfollowers,advancetothecouple,andmakethemmanandwifebeforeherveryeyes;andwhenshehadseenthemwalkawaytogetherupontheirpathofflowers,followedbythetremendousshoutsofthehilariousmultitude,inwhichheronedespairingshriekwaslostanddrowned!
Woulditnotbebetterforhimtodieatonce,andgotowaitforherintheblessedregionsofsemi—barbaricfuturity?
Andyet,thatawfultiger,thoseshrieks,thatblood!
Herdecisionhadbeenindicatedinaninstant,butithadbeenmadeafterdaysandnightsofanguisheddeliberation。Shehadknownshewouldbeasked,shehaddecidedwhatshewouldanswer,and,withouttheslightesthesitation,shehadmovedherhandtotheright。
Thequestionofherdecisionisonenottobelightlyconsidered,anditisnotformetopresumetosetmyselfupastheonepersonabletoanswerit。AndsoIleaveitwithallofyou:Whichcameoutoftheopeneddoor,——thelady,orthetiger?