The pioneer express., 1912-12-13

The glass was framed in colored
oeadwork, to which we're attached
wax figures in high relief at the top,
miniature portrait of Charles II. in
his state robes: at the bottom, one
OF Nell herself. in court dress. The
KING appeared also on the right. in
hunting costume. and on the left was
another figure OF his favorite in less
ornamental garb. According to the
legend which accompanied this in.
teresting antique, it was Nell
Gwynne's own handiwork.
| 1t possessed for me certain fas-
cination due more to its history than
Its beauty. for 1t was not the most
artistic OF creations. and as Cameron
poked about for his Baudelaire,
stood gazing at the glass and think
ing OF all I had ever read of the IL
''terate. but saucy. sprightly actress
whose sole claim to fame hung on her
| winning the favor of that easy.going,
royal hypocrite. Charles II.
Here's the binding!" heard Cam
eron say. and turned from the mirror
TO the table. where he had found his
sought-for treasure beneath a pile of
heavier. grosser works.
You know something of book
binding" he went on, with enthusi-
asm Now examine that carefully,
and tell me if you ever saw anything
more exquisite. had it done in Lon
30
lie Gascon's."
AT first sight it seemed all glitter.
ing gold. but on closer inspection
found that the groundwork was bright
red morocco. inlaid with buff, olive,
and marble leather, the spaces close.
ly filled with very delicate and beau
tiful pointille traceries. 1t was a YER
liable gem in it's way. and l could not
blame Cameron for his raptures.
When l had applauded and be-
praised to his content. he took the lit
tie volume from my hand and open.
Ing it. with sort of slow reverence,
observed with something like patron
ism:
I'm afraid you don't quite under
stand Baudelaire"
Does anybody?" 1 flung back.
| He is not SO obscure as his critics
would have us believe" Cameron as
serted. "Sit down in that lounging
chair a moment, and I'll read you
something" And as obeyed, he
drew up chair for himself, speaking
all the while in denunciation of Tol.
stot and the injustice of his criticism.
One poem after another he read.
while lay back listening. To his
credit he read them we'll, though he
paused often in mid-verse to explain
what he thought l might regard as an
afectation or. as Tolstoi has put It.
"an intentional obscurity."
There was one verse which i'm.
pressed me particularly as he read
1t, and remained with me for a long
while afterward, for, in view of every.
thing, 1T seemed to have a special an.
positiveness. The lines to which I
refer have been translated in this
way:
From Heavens high balconies
See! in their threadbare robes the dead
years cast their eyes.
And from the depths below regret, wan
smile appears.
Cameron sat with his back to the
door leading to the passageway, and
facing, diagonally, across the table.
the Nell Gwynne mirror. My own
gaze was on him as he read.
AS he finished the verse, portion
of which l have quoted, he lifted his
eyes, thought to meet mine, but his
look rose over my head, and clune.
while his lids widened, and into every
line of his face there came a rigid,
startled expression, half amazement.
half horror. And in that instant Of
tense silence the "Fleurs du Nal"
slipped from his nerveless fingers.
struck the table edge. and dropped
with unseemly echo to the floor.
In a breath l was on my feet and
staring where his vision had focused.
l hardly know what expected to see.
am sure nothing would have sur
prised me. And yet l was scarcely
prepared for the inexplicable ruin
which my sight encountered. The
glass Of the Nell Gwynne mirror was
in atoms.
Cameron rose, little unsteadily I
thought, and coming around the table.
Joined me in closer inspection Of his
wrecked hereditament. can find no
word adequate to the description of
what we experienced. Amazement
and all its synonynis ire far too
feeble for the task. We were certain.
~ more than appalled,. What we saw
suggested to me spontaneous disin.
tegration. II such q thing were Dos
sible. which ] believe! 1t iss not, It
might have explained the condition Of |
the mirror, No other ascription
seemed admissible; for, though the
glass remained In its frame not 20
much .as a splinter having nssn
dropped, 1t was fractured into ~
thousand tiny pieces, resembling 1 |
crystal mosaic. incapable Of any but
the most minute reflections. And the
change to this condition from 1 fair.
unmarried panel had been wrought
without sound and seemingly Without |
human agency.