The World's Greatest Books — Volume 01 — Fiction eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 410 pages of information about The World's Greatest Books — Volume 01 — Fiction.

The World's Greatest Books — Volume 01 — Fiction eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 410 pages of information about The World's Greatest Books — Volume 01 — Fiction.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she said.  “Please go away.  You frighten me!”

“I will not go away,” he answered; “I cannot!”

And though she was afraid of him, he would not leave her until he had led her to her own house.  He then went to his father and said he wanted to live like a gentleman, and not like a slave.  His father was surprised to find that his voice had grown soft and musical, and his manners winning and courteous.  So he dressed him in clothes suitable to his high station, and let him go to school.  Four years after he had fallen in love, Cymon became the most accomplished young gentleman in Cyprus.  He then went to the father of Iphigenia, for such was her name, and asked for her in marriage.  But her father replied that she was already promised to Pasimondas, a young nobleman of Rhodes, and that their nuptials were about to be celebrated.

“O Iphigenia,” said Cymon to himself, on hearing the unhappy news, “it is now time for me to show you how I love you!  Love for you has made a man of me, and marriage with you would make me as happy and as glorious as a god!  Have you I will, or else I will die!”

He at once prevailed upon some young noblemen, who were his friends, to help him in fitting out a ship of war.  With this he waylaid the vessel in which Iphigenia embarked for Rhodes.  Throwing a grappling iron upon this ship, Cymon drew it close to his own.  Then, without waiting for anyone to second him, he jumped among his enemies, and drove them like sheep before him, till they threw down their arms.

“I have not come to plunder you,” said Cymon, “but to win the noble maiden, Iphigenia, whom I love more than aught else in the world.  Resign her to me, and I will do you no harm!”

Iphigenia came to him all in tears.

“Do not weep, my sweet lady,” he said to her tenderly.  “I am your Cymon, and my long and constant love is worth more than all Pasimondas’s promises.”

She smiled at him through her tears, and he led her on board his ship, and sailed away to Crete, where he and his friends had relations and acquaintances.  But in the night a violent tempest arose, and blotted out all the stars of heaven, and whirled the ship about, and drove it into a little bay upon the island of Rhodes, a bow-shot from the place where the Rhodian ship had just arrived.

Before they could put out to sea again, Pasimondas came with an armed host and took Cymon a prisoner, and led him to the chief magistrate of the Rhodians for that year, Lysimachus, who sentenced him and his friends to perpetual imprisonment, on the charge of piracy and abduction.

While Cymon was languishing in prison, with no hope of ever obtaining his liberty, Pasimondas prepared for his nuptials with Iphigenia.  Now Pasimondas had a younger brother called Hormisdas, who wanted to marry a beautiful lady, Cassandra, with whom the chief magistrate Lysimachus was also in love.  Pasimondas thought it would save a good deal of trouble and expense if he and his brother were to marry at the same time.  So he arranged that this should be done.  Thereupon Lysimachus was greatly angered.  After a long debate with himself, honour gave way to love, and he resolved at all hazards to carry off Cassandra.

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The World's Greatest Books — Volume 01 — Fiction from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.