I turn to the rough path. What is that under that chair? I do believe it is a paper. Charley has dropped some of his notes. I am so tired. I will sit down while I pick them up. Why don’t they come out? I get up and perceive the chair is an open work door, solid built.
“O,” says Serpenta, trembling, as I hurry to undo the bar. She is paralyzed. As I open the door a little way, I see in the jar a Blue Beard. I said the lions are pink, this one is blue. His paw on the paper, his breath on me. No art manufacture now.
I dream in shadow. I see Show Off, who has followed his girl, with one tremendous blow put us two around an archway. The lions are in the room. They mind him not. When did a king mind? They see me not. I see them from reflections on the ice mirror walls.
He leans against a column and plays. (He has in his mouth a harmonica, Saucy’s property.) Plaintive at first, then shrill, one note touches a chord in the lions’ ears. They shake their heads. It comes again. They snort. A mother back of them calls to a lost babe; three heroes go to her aid flying. The door is shut. Tableau.
The lecture is very good. When it comes to lions I am surprised to see in the archway behind Charley, no less than Show Off astride his young thoroughbred, who, when lions are said to dance and play music in America, this one dances and plays behind the speaker, who looks back wild-eyed. The harmonica in its mouth, Show Off chokes out the strains with his hands. So apt and comical is it, the speaker himself breaks out laughing. Show Off has learned to read Unit writing. He got the paper under the door. Did not get left by a Unit scion.
I am sitting by the girl, who says:
“I could listen all day about the marvelous people when Aunt Robet takes you home I will go along.”
“O say no more, I implore. I feel so lost when I think of home.”
“To-morrow,” I see she is going to make me happy again, “I will take you over the city. It is one of many that occur every ten miles. This side the river is our summer home, the other is our winter.”
The next morning I take to the tower top and delight myself by discovering another motion still of the chairs. It is a circle whirl which I practice until I feel I am seasoned to any mode of motion sprung on me.