THE OAK EGGAR 205 



The rest of that day and the next went by without 

 any occurrence worthy of notice. Hanging by the 

 feet to the front of the wire cover, on the side nearest 

 to the light, the prisoner was motionless, inert. There 

 was no oscillation of the wings, no tremor of the 

 antennae. The female of the Great Peacock behaved 

 in a similar fashion. 



The female Bombyx gradually matured, her tender 

 tissues gradually becoming firmer. By some process of 

 which our scientists have not the least idea she elaborated 

 a mysterious lure which would bring her lovers from 

 the four corners of the sky. What was happening 

 in this big-bellied body ; what transmutations were 

 accomphshed, thus to affect the whole countryside ? 



On the third day the bride was ready. The festival 

 opened brilliantly. I was in the garden, already despair- 

 ing of success, for the days were passing and nothing 

 had occurred, when towards three in the afternoon, 

 the weather being very hot and the sun radiant, I per- 

 ceived a crowd of butterflies gyrating in the embrasure 

 of the open window. 



The lovers had at last come to visit their lady. 

 Some were emerging from the room, others were enter- 

 ing it ; others, clinging to the wall of the house, were 

 resting as though exhausted by a long journey. I 

 could see others approaching in the distance, flying 

 over the walls, over the screens of cypress. They 

 came from all directions, but at last with decreasing 

 frequency, I had missed the opening of the convo- 

 cation, and now the gathering was almost complete. 



I went indoors and upstairs. This time, in full day- 

 light and without losing a detail, I witnessed once 



