Page:Ten Years Later.djvu/287

Rh the carpets, erected the seats; and, as if at the signal of an enchanter's wand, a thousand arms, aiding, instead of interfering with one another, had constructed the building on this spot amid the sound of music; while, at the same time, other workmen illuminated the theater and the shores of the lake with an incalculable number of lamps. As the heavens, set with stars, were perfectly unclouded, as not even a breath of air could be heard in the woods, and as if Nature itself had yielded complacently to the king's fancies, the back of the theater had been left open; so that behind the foreground of the scenes could be seen as a background the beautiful sky glittering with stars; the sheet of water, illumined by the lights which were reflected in it, and the bluish outline of the grand masses of woods, with their rounded tops. When the king made his appearance the whole theater was full, and presented to the view one vast group dazzling with gold and precious stones; in which, however, at the first glance, no one single face could be distinguished. By degrees, as the sight became accustomed to so much brilliancy, the rarest beauties appeared to the view, as in the evening sky the stars appear one by one to him who closes his eyes and then opens them again.

The theater represented a grove of trees; a few fawns lifting up their cloven feet were jumping about; a dyrad made her appearance on the scene, and was immediately pursued by them; others gathered round her for her defense, and they quarreled as they danced. Suddenly, for the purpose of restoring peace and order. Spring, accompanied by his whole court, made his appearance. The Elements, the subaltern powers of mythology, together with their attributes, precipitated themselves upon the trace of their gracious sovereign. The Seasons, the allies of Spring, followed him closely, to form a quadrille, which, after many words of more or less flattering import, was the commencement of the dance. The music, hautboys, flutes, and viols, were descriptive of the rural delights. The king had already made his appearance, amid thunders of applause. He was dressed in a tunic of flowers, which set off his easy and well-formed figure to advantage. His legs, the best-shaped at the court, were also displayed to great advantage in flesh-colored silken hose, of silk so fine and so transparent that it seemed almost like flesh itelf. The most beautiful pale-lilac satin shoes, with bows of flowers and leaves, imprisoned his small feet. The bust of the figure was in harmonious keeping with the base; the waving hair was