THE STARS IN THE POOL
The
Stars In
The Pool
A Prose Poem for Lovers
By
Edna Kingsley Wallace
Author of "Feelings and Things,"
"Wonderings and other Things"
New York
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY
681 Fifth Avenue
Copyright 1920
By E. P. DUTTON & CO.
All Rights Reserved
Printed in the United States of America
The Stars in the Pool
I.
MIDMOSTThe Castleof a forest ofweaving lights andshadows, of dreamingwinds, and fragrance wandering,there stood a great whitecastle, fair, and gleaming inthe sun. Massive it was, yethigh as well, so that it caughtall colours of the dawn andsunset, like unto some peak ofsnow, remote from men.
Within the castle dwelt thegood King Telwyn, lord of all[2]that forest realm, wherein atGoodKingTelwynwhiles were clearings, withorchards and vineyards, andfields of all manner of graingood for man and beast. Andwith the King was Ellaline, theQueen, beloved and beautiful,and mother of Roseheart, whomTelwyn her father, old andwise, knew for the tenderestthought of God in woman form.
Fair as the dawn was Roseheart,and about her a freshnesslike that of babes. Therewas in her hair the ruddinessof tried gold, spun into a webto catch the sun. Like the skyin the East at twilight were hereyes, and the dark brows thereofas a flight of bird's wings. The[3]mouth of her was crimson, andTheBeautyofRoseheartfresh, and young, and curvedso tenderly withal, that nonelooking upon her might fail tolove her with the love that leapsinto the heart for all youngthings of fair seeming andpromise.
Now upon a day came overseasto Telwyn's realm one like ayoung god invincible, Flame,son of Lokus, lord of a farisland, wherein were fiery mountainshaving their roots in the sea.It was a land of wondrous beauty,but they that dwelt therein,rich though they were, for thatthe land was exceeding fertile,yielding in fullest measurethe fruits of the earth, yetdwelt ever in danger betwixt[4]TheIsle ofLokusthe mountains and the sea.For there had been times whenliving fire had rolled down themountains, and the earth hadbeen shaken mightily, and thesea, in a huge wall of emerald,had fallen upon the land andoverwhelmed it. And Lokus,giving thought to these things,had deep desire that the son ofhis heart should escape thesedangers, and live out his yearsin peace and happiness. Andfor that the youth was ever ofthe mind to fashion of the clayof the earth whatsoever thingshe saw, and might in nowisebe withheld from the cunningof his hands, it came into themind of Lokus that it werepoor kindness to the child of[5]LokusRememberethhisYouthhis love to c