California Regional facility THE KING S PALACE "Written by ANNA LOUISE STRONG Author of " The Song of the City," etc. Illustrated by MARGARET JOSENHANS Copyright 1908 by Oak Leaves Company Oak Leaves Company Oak Park, Illinois A Dedicated To My Grandmother 2046781 THE KING S PALACE CHARACTERS HENRY RAYMOND MRS. RAYMOND ELISE RAYMOND PHILIP DARRELL, a young man of twenty-three MR. GARDINER, a man of somewhat over thirty V THE KING S PALACE -T*~i -^.- i- - \ SCENE ONE w ; : (Mrs. Raymond s sitting-room; Mrs. Ray mond is seated at a table pouring coffee; Mr. Gardiner lounges near by, comfortably smok ing; Philip Darrell is rising to go. A sunset is visible through the western windows.) MRS. RAYMOND You are going, are you? Elise will be down in a moment. PHILIP (awkwardly and nervously) Yes well if you would be so good. I did want to see Elise for a moment. (He sits down nervously on the edge of a chair. Mrs. Raymond speaks with an obvious attempt to put him at his ease.) MRS. RAYMOND Elise will be very sorry not to have you at her little party. THE KING S PALACE GARDINER It must be a pleasure to be missed by Miss Raymond, a pleasure only to be balanced by the unhappiness of not attending her first affair. MRS. RAYMOND Oh, Philip will come to all the others. They are old friends, childhood playmates. ///M GARDINER Ah, a favored friend ! How fortunate ! PHILIP I have to go west on business. Oh (He rises as Elise enters.) ELISE How are you, Phil? Good afternoon, Mr. Gardiner. (Philip sinks back into his seat) I GARDINER We were hoping for a glimpse of you, in spite of the preparations for your festivities. (Elise smiles rather vaguely, then she catches sight of the sunset.) THE KING S PALACE 4 ELISE Oh! (She goes to the window and sits down where she can see the sunset without too much impoliteness to the guests. Philip rises hesitatingly and goes to sit by her. Gardiner chats with Mrs. Raymond.) ELISE Look at that gold! And that oh, that wonderful dark, dark is it purple or almost a green? PHILIP (in a matter of fact tone) Yes, it s a lovely sunset. ELISE (disappointedly) Oh! PHILIP (miserably) Now, I have displeased you. I wish oh, how do you expect me to think of sunsets? ELISE But see the clouds! Those high, shining banks with the black between. It s like a gateway to a King s Palace. THE KING S PALACE MRS. RAYMOND (turning) Are you two off on that silly old game again ? ELISE No, Mother. jj m * 1 ^^V%* ^^jf J PHILIP What game? (Gardiner begins to look in terested.) MRS. RAYMOND The King s Palace. ELISE I merely said that the sunset looked like a gateway, a palace gateway. GARDINER (feeling his way) And of course every palace is a king s palace? ELISE (surprised and pleased) Why, yes. GARDINER And every palace gateway is an opening into into THE KING S PALACE ELISE Oh, did you ever play it? MRS. RAYMOND You funny child ! Of course not. GARDINER I have played at many things. MRS. RAYMOND (laughingly to Gardiner) And always. Did you ever do anything else? GARDINER Why should I? I get all I want without. MRS. RAYMOND Always ? GARDINER Provided the others are serious. MRS. RAYMOND Poor others ! GARDINER Oh! no! Why? PHILIP (to Elise) Elise, I want to see you before I go. THE KING S PALACE ELISE How serious you are. You ll see me often enough. You always have and I suppose you always will, from this time forth and even GARDINER (catching the last words) Lucky young man! Forevermore is a long time, and under the circumstances a most pleasant one. And how often am I to see you, Miss Raymond? ELISE (embarrassed) I don t know. I suppose it depends. GARDINER On you. ELISE GARDINER Am I to have a dance at the great event? Or were they all promised years and years ago? ELISE Of course you may ; I should be very much honored. (Then as Gardiner scrutinizes her with an amused smile, she proceeds with some 10 THE KING S PALACE embarrassment.) Years and years ago? How funny! One doesn t GARDINER Knowing your mother, I do not think your first birthday would have been too soon to have engaged the dance. MRS. RAYMOND (smiling acknowledgement) You improve daily. GARDINER (to Elist But how about the King s Palace? ELISE Oh, that was a game I used to play. MRS. RAYMOND A very childish game. GARDINER With Philip? PHILIP Yes. ELISE Sometimes. ii I fl THE KING S PALACE PHILIP (with a sudden fierceness) Whom else? ELISE h, you weren t always in it, Philip. Some times I was quite, quite alone. GARDINER In the palace? ELISE No, in playing. It was never lonely in the palace. GARDINER Of course not. Palaces are always all that one desires. ELISE (with interest) How do you know? Do you own one, too? GARDINER (with a smile) Ah, that would be telling. PHILIP (pleading) But it was best when we played together, wasn t it? 12 THE KING S PALACE ELISE (weighing the matter) In some ways. And in some ways it was nicer alone. Sf" GARDINER Didn t Philip play well? You should try me. I am very good at playing. ELISE Oh, Philip was very, very obliging. But I don t think he always saw much sense in the game. MRS. RAYMOND (apologetically) Philip was older than you, my dear, and much more sensible. ELISE It began with fairy-tales, I think. And with dadda s music. MRS. RAYMOND Elise is JJQ imaginative. She used to make me read fairy-tales by the hour. ELISE Poor mamma. I know you hated them. THE KING S PALACE MRS. RAYMOND (with a virtuous air of motherly sacrifice) She gets it from poor dear Henry. GARDINER Oh, I intended to ask you. How is Mr. Ray mond s new departure coming on? A sym phony, wasn t it? MRS. RAYMOND Quite well, musically, that is. He gets long letters of compliments, and from really good people. But financially Oh, imagination is interesting, but not paying. If it weren t that I have some money of my own (She sighs.) GARDINER (to Elise) And to continue ELISE Oh, the King s Palace. There isn t much more to tell. It was simply a wonderful place, where everything happened exactly right. GARDINER As one wished? Or as one thought one ought to wish? THE KING S PALACE ELISE (with pleased surprise) Both. For in the King s Palace one always wishes the things one ought. GARDINER Of course ! How stupid of me ! ELISE And the people you love always love you. GARDINER But for that you would not need the palace. ELISE (smiling but a little impatient) I am talking in general. In the world outside oh, sometimes I think love doesn t go right more than once in a thousand times. You adore one person and that person adores another, and that one still another, and so it goes. Perhaps it s because it s hard to have very much respect, still less adoration, for the opinion of a person who thinks too highly of you. GARDINER u . How wise we are ! THE KING S PALACE MRS. RAYMOND Why, Elise, dear, what dreadful ideas you have! ELISE (to Gardiner) Now you are laughing at me. GARDINER I! Never! ELISE (conclusively, with a touch of defiance) So every time things didn t go right in the world outside, I mean I played King s Palace. GARDINER How charming! ELISE (seriously) Yes, it was very lovely. PHILIP (who has been trying for some time to get in a word) I suppose if I am to take the night train (He rises and looks miserably at Elise.) GARDINER (to Mrs. Raymond) And really, I have imposed quite too long 16 THE KING S PALACE upon your patience. But the temptation! There are some people one dislikes to leave, even at the risk of boring them. MRS. RAYMOND Better and better! As if I didn t know the real attraction. GARDINER The two attractions. (To Elise) I have a dance, then, tomorrow night. (Elise nods.) Good afternoon. (Exit Gardiner) MRS. RAYMOND (to Philip, who still stands undetermined) Don t go yet. You must have time enough before the train, unless you have other engage ments? PHILIP Well, perhaps (He sits down.) MRS. RAYMOND I am sorry about tomorrow night. PHILIP So am I. THE KING S PALACE MRS. RAYMOND Especially since the labor of preparation will deprive me of your company now. (Philip starts to rise. She waves him back.) Oh, Elise will take care of you, won t you? ELISE Of course. MRS. RAYMOND Then allow me to wish you a pleasant jour ney and a quick return. (She gives him her hand. Exit) (Elise wanders slowly around the table and then goes over to the window.) ELISE The sunset is faded and the golden gateway is closed. PHILIP Elise? ELISE Yes? (She walks across the room and stops to fuss with the cups.) >HILIP 1 1 Vk Elise? 18 THE KING S PALACE ELISE (with a little impatience) Well? (Suddenly she catches sight of his eyes gazing intently at her and starts.) Oh! (She begins to talk rapidly and nervously, fighting against expression on his part.) Why, I am very sorry you are going west, Philip, very sorry. What business did you say? But never mind, I am sure you wouldn t go unless it was important. The west is a lovely place. I should like to go west some time. PHILIP (interrupting) Elise, did you mean what you said just now? ELISE (still rapidly) I suppose so. But I said so many things. Don t you think Mr. Gardiner is an interesting man? I think he s a little bit like father. And then he understands everything so well, about palaces, I mean. PHILIP (doggedly) I mean what you said about love, in the world outside, and its not coming right but once in a thousand times. THE KING S PALACE ELISE (slowly) Well, I suppose that s true, usually. (Again she catches sight of his face and hurries on.) Of course I don t know that it s mathematically correct. I was never any good at mathematics. Perhaps (seeking relief in flippancy) ten thousand would be nearer. What do you think? PHILIP I hope not. Now now I love you, Elise. (despairingly) You love me, don t you? ELISE Don t, don t, Philip. Oh dear, oh dear, I m so sorry. PHILIP . <B^3&Sk (coming irresolutely nearer after a pause) Don t be sorry, Elise. It s not your fault. ELISE Oh, Philip, I like you ever so much, you know. PHILIP I know. And you have never you have never given me any reason to It s not your fault, 20 T HE KING S PALACE Elise. You have always done everything you should. ELISE Thank you, Philip. PHILIP But, you see, I couldn t help hoping, and I can t help it now. ELISE Don t hope, Philip. It s no use. Never. PHILIP I know I m not nearly good enough, Elise. I always knew that. ELISE Oh, hush, you are very good, Philip. PHILIP I know I don t understand things about palaces. And I can t talk the way Gardiner does. But, Elise, I really think I feel the things he says as much as he does. Perhaps even more. Now tonight when you talked of the gold and the purple -green and all I could say was "It s a lovely sunset," I know you were 21 THE KING S PALACE disappointed, Elise. And all the time I thought oh, what does it matter what I thought? " ELISE Don t hope, Philip. It s no use. Never. PHILIP I would try to play, you know I would. ELISE You would always be obliging, Philip. PHILIP Well, and shall I tell you what I thought? That you belonged in the sunset, and that I did not know how to go there. And meantime the world was turning, turning, and would shut the sunset out of my sight so soon. (A pause.) PHILIP I think I had better go now. ELISE I m I m so very sorry (Then as he still sits there in utter dejection she bends over him with a semi-maternal sympathy.) If you want 22 THE KING S PALACE would you like just this once, to kiss good-bye ? PHILIP (seizing her hands) Oh, Elise (she shrinks back involuntaril He looks at her steadily for a moment) Thank you. No. Good-bye. (Exit quickly.) ELISE (sinking into a seat near the table Oh, Philip, Philip, why did you? You were so nice and I liked you so much. (She fusses with the coffee cups and looks into the pitcher.) The coffee s all gone and the cakes, too. There isn t anything left but some of Mr. Gardiner s old ashes. (She brushes them nervously to the floor. Enter Mr. Raymond. Elise throws herself into his arms.) Dadda! MR. RAYMOND (holding her off at arms length and looking at her affectionately) Baby, baby, you surprise me. I thought I was to have a young lady daughter tomorrow night? ELISE But it isn t tomorrow night yet. THE KING S PALACE MR. RAYMOND No, too bad, isn t it? Still another day before we are quite grown up. ELISE Oh, you don t know, dadda, you don t know how grown up I am. I don t like it to be grown up. MR. RAYMOND What s worrying the baby now? Can t it get the moon? ELISE Father! (Mr. Raymond looks at her seri ously.) MR. RAYMOND Oh, it isn t dadda any more. Well, Elsie? ELISE Oh, dadda (she stops) no! Why, why I ve a conundrum for you. MR. RAYMOND Yes? ELISE Some of the girls were discussing it the other day. 24 THE KING S PALACE [D MR. RAYMOND Ah, purely impersonal problem? ELISE T Of course. MR. RAYMOND Oh! ELISE (gaily) Which would you choose, a man who was good but not interesting, or a man who was interesting but not well, not good? MR. RAYMOND Impossible conditions, my dear ! A man who was good couldn t help being interesting as a specimen. Rare extinct genus and all that sort of thing. ELISE Don t be funny. I mean it. MR. RAYMOND Choose? For what? Matrimony? ELISE Of course. 25 THE KING S PALACE MR. RAYMOND Neither, my dear. I d choose the lake, or a pistol, or carbolic acid at a pinch. ELISE But if you married a man who was good but not interesting, you would want to kill him in a week, wouldn t you, dadda? MR. RAYMOND I! Far be it from me, baby. And besides, I wouldn t marry a man. ELISE \Do be sensible. A girl would. MR. RAYMOND What? Marry him? ELISE No, want to kill him. MR. RAYMOND But if you married a man who was interest ing but not good, he might kill you instead. ELISE (with a mock-virtuous air) I would rather be killed than be a murderess. 26 THE KING S PALACE MR. RAYMOND That s because you are good. ELISE And not interesting. MR. RAYMOND Oh, some people are both. And when they happen to be pretty as well you just wait till tomorrow night. ELISE Will it be very beautiful, like a dream come true? MR. RAYMOND No, like an awakening. I think I hope you will like it. (Elise goes to the window and looks out, then turns suddenly.) \w ELISE Father, is it wicked of me to feel so ex cited and happy? MR. RAYMOND Wicked? Why? 27 I THE KING S PALACE ELISE (seriously) Because I think it is. MR. RAYMOND What s the matter, Elise? ELISE Because just five minutes ago I felt very miserable. MR. RAYMOND Well? ELISE And tonight, when I think things over, I am sure, (with determination) quite sure, that I shall feel miserable again. I ought to feel miserable, but I don t. Only excited. MR. RAYMOND (quickly) Who s been here? Gardiner? ELISE And Philip. MR. RAYMOND Oh, Philip s not exciting. Why, Elsie, what s the matter? 28 THE KING S PALACE ELISE (dropping her head on his shoulder) Nothing. MR. RAYMOND (patting her head) There, there, Elsie. (He holds her face away from him and looks at her questioningly. She nods.) Poor baby. It was too sudden, baby. I thought it would come tomorrow night the awakening. (She releases herself slowly.) So you have grown up (she nods) ; you have left your dolls, (she nods) your palaces ELISE Have I? Oh, must I? MR. RAYMOND Haven t you, haven t you? Well, we ll see what your mother can do for it tomorrow night. We ll see if the glory and glamor of a ball are not a fit substitute for palaces. ELISE And are they? MR. RAYMOND Ah, who knows, who knows? 29 THE KING S PALACE MRS. RAYMOND (calling from without) - Elsie, Henry, dinner. MR. RAYMOND (laughingly) That at least is the call of reality. (Exeunt.) End of Scene I. THE KING S PALACE SCENE T I r wV-- -Jr*- S, * /h-h ;\Vry* m (A large veranda, partly shut in by trees and vines. Behind are windows through which come the light and music of a dance. A door opens from the room behind and Elise comes out, followed by Gardiner.) ELISE (drawing a long breath and holding out her arms) How good this is! (Gardiner looks at her with a swift, scrutinizing smile.) Why do you suppose they think they are having a good time back in there? Don t they know this? (vaguely indicating the night, everything included) GARDINER Would you want them to? If they knew, we could not have the veranda alone. THE KING S PALACE ELISE Of course I should want them to be happy as happy as I am. (From time to time Gardiner continues to smile at her with amused scrutiny, but it makes little difference, as she seldom looks directly at him.) GARDINER But as long as they enjoy it, why not? It was a pleasant party. ELISE Oh, it was beautiful. The lights and the music and the red roses. I am so glad mother wouldn t let me see it till it was all ready. And the dancing and the people; it was very exciting. I thought at first I should never have enough of it. GARDINER Yet you let me bring you away for our dance. Thank you for the sacrifice. ELISE Sacrifice, oh no! Do you know, I thought I enjoyed it in there, but as soon as I stepped THE KING S PALACE into the darkness I knew that the whole even ing had been one long restlessness and that this (She draws a long breath and indicates by a slight, swaying movement the night and the trees.) was what I wanted. GARDINER And shall I tell you what else you thought? ELISE Yes. GARDINER That this was much more like the King s Palace. ELISE (with a low cry of joy) Oh, you know it, you know it. How do you know? Philip never could guess. GARDINER Perhaps he didn t care to as much as I? ELISE (with serious justice) Oh, yes, he did. Philip was very nice. He always tried. GARDINER Perhaps then it s because I ve I ve 33 THE KING S PALACE ELISE You ve been in the King s Palace. Oh, I thought you had. Jj& \ f\ GARDINER Who knows? ELISE How lovely! Then you must tell me all about it. Was your palace in a deep, deep valley where the trees grew so close that when you once got in you never could get out again, or was it on the shore of a wild sea where the waves beat under the palace walls all night long? GARDINER For me there were many places and many, many palaces, yet they all belonged to the same king. I Sfj > 1 ELISE Why, that s the loveliest of all! And where was the last one? GARDINER The last one was in a girl s eyes. 34 THE KING S PALACE "On the shore of a wild sea where the waves beat under the palace walls all night long." 35 THE KING S PALACE ELISE (puzzled) Why, that s pretty. But it doesn t seem like the same game. (She laughs.) Oh, now it s I that do not understand, and it used to be Philip. But never mind ; we shall manage beau tifully. For do you know (She leans over the railing and takes a long look at the stars, draws a deep breath, and whispers laughingly and confidentially.) we are in the King s Palace tonight. GARDINER What a beautiful roof! ELISE A roof of light and darkness! GARDINER And where are the walls? ELISE There are no walls. There used to be, but they grew and they grew and they grew till they took in all the earth and the sun and the moon and the stars, and now they re so far away that you can t even think the distance. THE KING S PALACE GARDINER I think the walls are very narrow and shut us in all by ourselves, so that the people there can t even see inside. ELISE Oh, but everyone could get into the King s Palace, if they only wanted to. The King s Palace must be big. GARDINER No, it is small, very small. This palace is. ELISE (sighing) All right, if you want it that way. But next time I m going to have it big. GARDINER And may I play king in the palace? ELISE (doubtfully) Why why nobody was ever king! GARDINER So you were a maiden queen, the only ruler. ELISE (surprised) Why, no, I wasn t queen, I just went there. 37 THE KING S PALACE There was no king that is, no king you could ever see. There was only the King s Palace. GARDINER Ah, but you must have a king, you know. I ll play king. ELISE (troubled) Very well. But it doesn t seem quite right to have any one be king. It will have to be another game altogether. GARDINER Isn t it a nice game? I think it will be. We ll try. GARDINER (slowly) Then I ll be king, and I have many palaces. But this is the most beautiful of all. For in it lives a maiden with deep, deep eyes and lovely hair and a wonderful smile. And she is the queen of the palace and of all the palaces if she will. And every evening we wander to gether over the dark earth and under the dark trees, till we come to an open space by a little THE KING S PALACE lake, where the long thick grass grows down to the water s edge. (A pause.) ELISE (with a satisfied sigh) That s lovely! GARDINER (slowly and significantly) And we sit down on the grass by the lake. And at first we talk, and then for a while the night birds sing and the crickets chirp an then there is silence. (A pause. Elise a deep breath. Gardiner goes on more rapid ly. ) For my queen knows, as I know, too, that there is but one thing worth while in life, but one use for the King s Palace, and that is this! (He embraces her passionately, kissin her on the mouth.) ELISE (struggling) No oh no. GARDINER (kissing her face and throat) And this and this (Elise succeeds in freeing herself and leans weakly against a pillar for support.) 39 THE KING S PALACE ELISE (angrily and miserably) No oh, no. GARDINER Elise, I am mad. Elise, Elise, I adore you! ELISE (gasping) I must go in I must go in (She starts to the door.) GARDINER Elise, listen, hear me. ELISE I must go in, I must Oh, I can t go in, not yet. (She leans against the house near the door.) GARDINER (approaching) Elise. ELISE Don t touch me! GARDINER (appealing) Elise ! ELISE I ll listen, I ll listen. Only don t come any nearer. THE KING S PALACE GARDINER But don t you see, Elise, don t you see? This is really the end, the height, the climax of all those dreams, those dreams of the King s Pal ace. ELISE Oh, you have spoiled it. It was never that way at all. GARDINER You did not know? I thought you knew, but I believe now that you didn t. But whether you knew or not, it is true. ELISE (still dazed) What is true? GARDINER That there is but one thing worth while in life, but one use for the King s Palace. ELISE No, oh no. There were others. GARDINER Elise, listen. Your dreams, your King s Palace, that is play. This is real. And this THE KING S PALACE is the fulfilment of the dream. It is what you want without knowing that you want it. Ro mance did you not dream of it in the palace? Why else the lonely valley and the wild sea? What is all your dreaming but a longing for romance? And did you never, in the very midst of the dream, in the very heart of the palace, did you never feel a sudden restlessness, a sudden dissatisfaction, a sudden craving for the touch of the real? Did you never ques- ELISE (unwillingly) GARDINER And this is the answer. This is the romance which is also real. This is what you have dreamed and more. Do not hold back from the completion of the vision. Give yourself up to it entirely, gloriously. Come now, it is reasonable, is it not? You have dreamed; accept the answer. (He comes nearer.) ELISE Don t touch me! I wish I knew; I wish I knew. THE KING S PALACE GARDINER I_ know. Take my word for it. I have lived somewhat longer than you and I have known life. And I bring you word that the one thing worth while in it is romance, romance of dream, romance of adventure, romance of mad ness, romance of love. (He comes slowly nearer.) ELISE (gasping for breath) Don t. Oh, I wish I knew! I wonder (As he is about to reach her and is standing in front of the door to the room, it opens and Mrs. Raymond appears in a blaze of light. Elise and Gardiner start back.) MRS. RAYMOND Where have you been, Elise? They have been asking for you. You missed two dances. GARDINER (recovering himself) How the light startled us ! We were just at the door on our way in. I am sorry to have detained Miss Raymond. The night was so beautiful and we have been discussing the King s Palace. 43 THE KING S PALACE MRS. RAYMOND So you are going to humor that pretense too? GARDINER It is a beautiful pretense. (To Elise, as she enters.) And consider my views, Miss Ray mond, on the King s Palace. They are the true ones. ELISE (in a choked voice) I shall have to consider them. (Exit with Mrs. Raymond.) GARDINER So? (He looks at the sky, whistles a low tune and goes into the room.) End of Scene Two. THE KING S PALACE SCENE THREE (Mrs. Raymond s sitting room, after the dance. Mrs. Raymond busy looking over some of the details that need clearing up be fore retiring. Enter Elise. She lays her hand wearily on her mother s shoulder.) ELISE I am so tired, mother, so tired. MRS. RAYMOND Yes, it is later than you are used to. You must go to bed. ELISE But, mother, it is not that kind of tired. MRS. RAYMOND There is only one kind of tired, my dear. ELISE (making a movement of protest) No 45 THE KING S PALACE MRS. RAYMOND You will be all right in the morning. Come. ELISE on t want to be alone just now. Please. Just for a little while. ;| I I MRS. RAYMOND (impatiently) What do you want? jt ELISE Please be good, mother. Now sit here. ( She puts a cushion on a low chair, makes her mother sit down, then throws herself on the floor with her head against her mother s knees. She takes her mother s hands and places them on her forehead.) Now dear, you can do whatever you want, but don t speak to me, for I m going to pretend. MRS. RAYMOND What are you going to pretend? \~ 111 ELISE fcat you are my mother. My really, truly mother, the mother I had in the King s Pal ace. 46 THE KING S PALAC E MRS. RAYMOND That game! But you are too old for that now. ELISE Let me. Just for a little while. (A pause. Mrs. Raymond looks uneasily toward the other rooms of the house.) MRS. RAYMOND I am needed. I ll be back sooft. (Exit.) ELISE (After a pause, raising her head drearily.) I wonder if the chair would do. (She pulls the cushion to the chair edge, and leans her cheek against it After a moment she raises herself and begins to speak dreamily, straight in front of her, growing more and more ani mated.) Oh, mother dear, oh mother dear, is it true, is it true? Be good to me, mother dear. I don t know I don t know anything at all. If you would only tell me so that I could be sure. (She drops back, then rises suddenly.) Oh, where are you? where are you? it is all so 47 THE KING S PALACE far away tonight. Oh, you have left me alone. You don t care. (She rises, saying slowly:) "Oh, one to the King s high throne might win, Worthily rule in the palace halls, But never dream that he dwelt therein. And one would play with the coronals, Count them all in a night and a day Heigho, heigho, and away, away." The first is true, so true. I wonder about the second. The second oh! (She stops with a long shudder of recollection, throws herself into a chair by the table and hides her face. At last she rises, goes wearily to the window, and looks out.) % *v^t- 3 Orion, and Sirius, and oh, there are the Pleiades! And what a dear little cloud! (A pause, then passionately.) You, you beautiful, you wonderful, you! (Slowly and passionately she throws a kiss out of the window.) I love you, you. (She drops into a low chair beside the window, still gazing out. At last she lays her arm on the sill and drops her head on her arm. A long pause. Enter Mr. Raymond.) 48 THE KING S PALACE "Orion and Sirius, and oh, there are the Pleiades!" 49 THE KING S PALACE MR. RAYMOND WeD, baby! (Ehse starts and rises,) Sleepy? Did you have a ood time? ELISE (glancing at the chair by the window) I have had a beautiful time. MR. RAYMOND (teasmgly) I saw yon go oat on die porch with Gardiner. Yes? MR, RAYMOND Wen? ELISE It was a beautiful night. JIR. RAYMOND And Gardiner knows how to make the most of a beautiful night, eh ? EL1SE (shrinking.) Don t, father. MR. RAYMOND (Kissing her forehead suddenly.) Forgive me, dear. But you like him? THE KING S PALACE NO. W r /O v MR. RAYMOND Oh! (A pause.) ELISE Father, he s the most fascinating man I ever met. MR. RAYMOND Ah, so? ELISE But I don t like him. He he spoils my world. MR. RAYMOND Elise, dear, I think I am rather glad. You prefer Philip, then? KB ELISE Father, if I had to be married tomorrow, I d take Philip. But MR. RAYMOND Well? ELISE (gaily) I don t have to be married tomorrow. THE KING S PALACE MR. RAYMOND But sometime? ELISE No, never. MR. RAYMOND (lightly) He s an estimable young man. ELISE Father, he is good. He is very, very good. He is kind, and generous, and he has rever ence. Oh, I almost think that the one thing needful, the one thing that is best, is reverence. For yourself, you know, and for other people, and for everything you hold beautiful and good, yes, and for everything anyone holds beautiful and good, because it is sacred to someone. But, but (She hums lightly.) "Oh, one to the king s high throne might win, Worthily rule in the palace halls, And never dream that he dwelt therein." He would never know, father. MR. RAYMOND About what? THE KING S PALACE ELISE Oh, about everything. MR. RAYMOND I see. He has reverence without understand ing, while Gardiner understands (Elise nods.) and does not reverence. ELISE Does one understand, really, truly, without reverence? MR. RAYMOND Some people would say one doesn t under stand with it. There, there, baby, I didn t mean it that way. I think, I rather think you may be right. And yet Gardiner spoils Philip for you (Elsie starts and acquiesces.) even as Philip spoils Gardiner. And neither of them would do for the King s Palace. ELISE Father! MR. RAYMOND Oh, baby, baby, do you think I ve never been there in the King s Palace? 53 T HE KING S PALACE ELISE I didn t know. I always thought Have you? MR. RAYMOND We are most of us there some time. Most of us, not all. ELISE And isn t it beautiful? MR. RAYMOND It was heaven. ELISE )h why did you ever come away? MR. RAYMOND Once upon a time once upon a time, when the prince had wandered a long way from the palace, he met a beautiful maiden. ELISE (breathlessly) Yes, mother go on. MR. RAYMOND And she would not believe what he told her about the palace and she didn t much care for palaces anyway, and so 54 MR. RAYMOND (lightly) And so he never wanted to come back to the palace again. ELISE (incredulously) He never wanted to? MR. RAYMOND At any rate he never came. (A pause.) MR. RAYMOND i^S Well, are you going to come out of ace, Elise? ELISE Is it nicer outside? MR. RAYMOND Of course that is, it s much more comfort able. At least oh, at any rate one succeeds better. Your mother now, she s a success. And I well, I don t suppose most people think I am. The little time I lived in the palace it spoiled me for other things. 55 THE KING S PALACE ELISE But that was because you left. Suppose you had stayed? MR. RAYMOND I don t know, dear. But I should have needed ELISE What? MR. RAYMOND A different world. ~*rS^W-^^fc -St.^>\Jit ELISE Oh, but the world js different in the King s Palace. MR. RAYMOND (wearily) Is it, dear? I had almost forgotten. ELISE You worry me a little. I wish I knew. (She moves irresolutely to the window.) Oh, the stars know everything. MR. RAYMOND In the King s Palace. (Enter Mrs. Ray mond.) THE KING S PALACE MRS. RAYMOND (without seeing Elise) Well, it s over. Went off rather well, don t you think? MR. RAYMOND A most unusual evening. MRS. RAYMOND What do you suppose Gardiner means? I must speak to (Mr. Raymond indicates Elise with a warning glance.) Elise! You here! I thought you had gone to bed. (Elise comes forward with a light step.) ELISE I am going, mother. MR. RAYMOND And Elise, Mr. Gardiner, you know it s all right this time, but you really shouldn t again at the beginning of your season, too. ELISE I do not think I care to see Mr. Gardiner again. MRS. RAYMOND Oh, I do not mean it that way. Just be 57 well, there are plenty of other people, you know. Don t let him monopolize you. Not but what he s an interesting young man. ELISE I do not think I care to see Mr. Gardiner again. LJoBB^ MRS. RAYMOND What s got into you now? Is it Philip? V _ ELISE No, mother. MRS. RAYMOND What do you expect to do then? ELISE I am going back (with a radiant glance at her fajtlajer) to the King s Palace. MRS. RAYMOND (contemptuously) The King s Palace? Oh, you mean your dolls. ELISE (stops, struck by the word) Dolls, do I? (She lets her hands fall with a despairing gesture.) Oh, I don t know. But I THE KING S PALACE am going, I am going, whether I know or not. (Exit. As she passes the window she sways toward it lightly, draws a deep breath, looking up at the stars, smiles, and goes out.) THE END. 59 University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. A 000028819 <i Univers Soutl Libi