The Infanta!It was a monster,the most grotesque monster he had ever beheld.Not properly shaped,as all other people were,but hunchbacked,and crooked-limbed,with huge lolling head and mane of black hair.The little Dwarf frowned,and the monster frowned also.He laughed,and it laughed with him,and held its hands to its sides,just as he himself was doing.He made it a mocking bow,and it returned him a low reverence.He went towards it,and it came to meet him,copying each step that he made,and stopping when he stopped himself.He shouted with amusement,and ran forward,and reached out his hand,and the hand of the monster touched his,and it was as cold as ice.He grew afraid,and moved his hand across,and the monster's hand followed it quickly.He tried to press on,but something smooth and hard stopped him.The face of the monster was now close to his own,and seemed full of terror.
He brushed his hair off his eyes.It imitated him.He struck at it,and it returned blow for blow.He loathed it,and it made hideous faces at him.He drew back,and it retreated.
What is it?He thought for a moment,and looked round at the rest of the room.It was strange,but everything seemed to have its double in this invisible wall of clear water.Yes,picture for picture was repeated,and couch for couch.The sleeping Faun that lay in the alcove by the doorway had its twin brother that slumbered,and the silver Venus that stood in the sunlight held out her arms to a Venus as lovely as herself.
Was it Echo?He had called to her once in the valley,and she had answered him word for word.Could she mock the eye,as she mocked the voice?Could she make a mimic world just like the real world?
Could the shadows of things have colour and life and movement?
Could it be that -?
He started,and taking from his breast the beautiful white rose,he turned round,and kissed it.The monster had a rose of its own,petal for petal the same!It kissed it with like kisses,and pressed it to its heart with horrible gestures.
When the truth dawned upon him,he gave a wild cry of despair,and fell sobbing to the ground.So it was he who was misshapen and hunchbacked,foul to look at and grotesque.He himself was the monster,and it was at him that all the children had been laughing,and the little Princess who he had thought loved him -she too had been merely mocking at his ugliness,and making merry over his twisted limbs.Why had they not left him in the forest,where there was no mirror to tell him how loathsome he was?Why had his father not killed him,rather than sell him to his shame?The hot tears poured down his cheeks,and he tore the white rose to pieces.
The sprawling monster did the same,and scattered the faint petals in the air.It grovelled on the ground,and,when he looked at it,it watched him with a face drawn with pain.He crept away,lest he should see it,and covered his eyes with his hands.He crawled,like some wounded thing,into the shadow,and lay there moaning.
And at that moment the Infanta herself came in with her companions through the open window,and when they saw the ugly little dwarf lying on the ground and beating the floor with his clenched hands,in the most fantastic and exaggerated manner,they went off into shouts of happy laughter,and stood all round him and watched him.
'His dancing was funny,'said the Infanta;'but his acting is funnier still.Indeed he is almost as good as the puppets,only of course not quite so natural.'And she fluttered her big fan,and applauded.
But the little Dwarf never looked up,and his sobs grew fainter and fainter,and suddenly he gave a curious gasp,and clutched his side.And then he fell back again,and lay quite still.
'That is capital,'said the Infanta,after a pause;'but now you must dance for me.'
'Yes,'cried all the children,'you must get up and dance,for you are as clever as the Barbary apes,and much more ridiculous.'But the little Dwarf made no answer.
And the Infanta stamped her foot,and called out to her uncle,who was walking on the terrace with the Chamberlain,reading some despatches that had just arrived from Mexico,where the Holy Office had recently been established.'My funny little dwarf is sulking,'
she cried,'you must wake him up,and tell him to dance for me.'
They smiled at each other,and sauntered in,and Don Pedro stooped down,and slapped the Dwarf on the cheek with his embroidered glove.'You must dance,'he said,'PETIT MONSIRE.You must dance.
The Infanta of Spain and the Indies wishes to be amused.'
But the little Dwarf never moved.
'A whipping master should be sent for,'said Don Pedro wearily,and he went back to the terrace.But the Chamberlain looked grave,and he knelt beside the little dwarf,and put his hand upon his heart.
And after a few moments he shrugged his shoulders,and rose up,and having made a low bow to the Infanta,he said -'MI BELLA PRINCESA,your funny little dwarf will never dance again.
It is a pity,for he is so ugly that he might have made the King smile.'
'But why will he not dance again?'asked the Infanta,laughing.
'Because his heart is broken,'answered the Chamberlain.
And the Infanta frowned,and her dainty rose-leaf lips curled in pretty disdain.'For the future let those who come to play with me have no hearts,'she cried,and she ran out into the garden.
