line,
“ And all went merry as a marriage bell .”
The Regent understood her embarrassment and said quickly,
“I can see you are very well read.”
“I wish that were true,” Zosina replied, “but, because I have always had to choose my own literature, I often feel there are enormous gaps in my education which a real scholar would find lamentable.”
“I think the education we give ourselves, because we want to know is more important than anything a teacher could suggest.”
“That is a very comforting thought,” Zosina said, “but to me the real joy is knowing that knowledge is boundless and it would be impossible ever to come to the end of it.” “So you intend to study for the rest of your life?”
“As I am sure you intend to do.”
“Why should you think that?”
Zosina paused for words. Then she said,
“I have a feeling that you are always looking towards the horizon and you know that, when you get there, you will find there are more horizons further and further still. You remind me somehow of Tennyson’s Ulysses , who longed for,
“ that untravelled world, whose margin fades For ever and for ever when I move .”
As she spoke, she was not even certain how or why the words came to her and yet they were suddenly there in her mind and she spoke without considering whether or not she should say what she thought.
“What you have said is true,” the Regent said, after a moment’s silence. “But no one has ever realised it before.” “I am glad I am the first,” Zosina replied lightly.
Then, as her eyes met his, she had the strange feeling that there was so much more to know about him, so much that she could see and feel, that it was like opening an exciting new book.
And yet once opened it was so familiar that she already knew a good deal of what she would find there.
It suddenly struck her that, if she could talk and go on talking to the Regent, he could tell her so many things not only that she longed to know, but explain those that puzzled her.
‘He is full of wisdom,’ she thought to herself.
But she knew it was not only that, it was almost as if they thought along the same lines and she too looked towards the horizon as he was doing.
Then, as she felt they had so much more to say, she heard the King on her other side remark,
“It’s time you talked to me again.”
“I am sorry, Sire,” she said hastily. “I thought you were engaged with Grandmama.”
“She has been busy telling me what I should do and not do,” the King replied, pulling a grimace.
Zosina wanted to laugh.
Once again he was behaving like a naughty little boy.
As if there was no time to be lost, the King said in a low voice,
“I have worked it all out. When you say goodnight, go to your room, but don’t undress.”
“What shall I say to my maid?”
“Get rid of her somehow or else – ”
He paused and looked down at her gown.
“Perhaps you had better change into something not so elaborate and certainly without a train. If you are going to dance, somebody might tread on it.”
“I will do that.”
“Then wait until there is a knock on the door.”
“Do I open it?”
“Yes, you will find one of my aides-de-camp outside. We can trust him. He is a jolly good chap who would never betray me. I am going to give him a very important position at Court, once I have the authority.”
Zosina nodded and the King went on,
“He will bring you to me and then we will get out of the Palace without anybody being aware that we have left.”
“How can we do that?” Zosina enquired.
She remembered the sentries who were posted at every door through which she had entered the Palace so far.
“You will see,” the King replied.
There was a note of satisfaction in his voice that told Zosina he was really quite pleased that she was going with him.
‘That will be my only excuse if I get into trouble,’ she thought.
It struck her that however plausible was the excuse of doing what
“ And all went merry as a marriage bell .”
The Regent understood her embarrassment and said quickly,
“I can see you are very well read.”
“I wish that were true,” Zosina replied, “but, because I have always had to choose my own literature, I often feel there are enormous gaps in my education which a real scholar would find lamentable.”
“I think the education we give ourselves, because we want to know is more important than anything a teacher could suggest.”
“That is a very comforting thought,” Zosina said, “but to me the real joy is knowing that knowledge is boundless and it would be impossible ever to come to the end of it.” “So you intend to study for the rest of your life?”
“As I am sure you intend to do.”
“Why should you think that?”
Zosina paused for words. Then she said,
“I have a feeling that you are always looking towards the horizon and you know that, when you get there, you will find there are more horizons further and further still. You remind me somehow of Tennyson’s Ulysses , who longed for,
“ that untravelled world, whose margin fades For ever and for ever when I move .”
As she spoke, she was not even certain how or why the words came to her and yet they were suddenly there in her mind and she spoke without considering whether or not she should say what she thought.
“What you have said is true,” the Regent said, after a moment’s silence. “But no one has ever realised it before.” “I am glad I am the first,” Zosina replied lightly.
Then, as her eyes met his, she had the strange feeling that there was so much more to know about him, so much that she could see and feel, that it was like opening an exciting new book.
And yet once opened it was so familiar that she already knew a good deal of what she would find there.
It suddenly struck her that, if she could talk and go on talking to the Regent, he could tell her so many things not only that she longed to know, but explain those that puzzled her.
‘He is full of wisdom,’ she thought to herself.
But she knew it was not only that, it was almost as if they thought along the same lines and she too looked towards the horizon as he was doing.
Then, as she felt they had so much more to say, she heard the King on her other side remark,
“It’s time you talked to me again.”
“I am sorry, Sire,” she said hastily. “I thought you were engaged with Grandmama.”
“She has been busy telling me what I should do and not do,” the King replied, pulling a grimace.
Zosina wanted to laugh.
Once again he was behaving like a naughty little boy.
As if there was no time to be lost, the King said in a low voice,
“I have worked it all out. When you say goodnight, go to your room, but don’t undress.”
“What shall I say to my maid?”
“Get rid of her somehow or else – ”
He paused and looked down at her gown.
“Perhaps you had better change into something not so elaborate and certainly without a train. If you are going to dance, somebody might tread on it.”
“I will do that.”
“Then wait until there is a knock on the door.”
“Do I open it?”
“Yes, you will find one of my aides-de-camp outside. We can trust him. He is a jolly good chap who would never betray me. I am going to give him a very important position at Court, once I have the authority.”
Zosina nodded and the King went on,
“He will bring you to me and then we will get out of the Palace without anybody being aware that we have left.”
“How can we do that?” Zosina enquired.
She remembered the sentries who were posted at every door through which she had entered the Palace so far.
“You will see,” the King replied.
There was a note of satisfaction in his voice that told Zosina he was really quite pleased that she was going with him.
‘That will be my only excuse if I get into trouble,’ she thought.
It struck her that however plausible was the excuse of doing what
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