. The art of Nijinsky . ches by themonarchs side, and to engage his thoughtsthe chief eunuch summons before himthree odalisques, who dance Shahriars mood is sinister, and he 55 NIJINSKY refuses to be diverted. For by his side ishis younger brother, who has hinted thelikelihood of infidelity and wickedness inhis household. The brother has suggestedtheir departure on a make-believe huntingparty, to be followed by an unexpectedreturn to the harem. Shahriar will trythe brothers plan. He calls for armourand weapons, and the two royal brothersceremoniously depart. The sound of thehu
. The art of Nijinsky . ches by themonarchs side, and to engage his thoughtsthe chief eunuch summons before himthree odalisques, who dance Shahriars mood is sinister, and he 55 NIJINSKY refuses to be diverted. For by his side ishis younger brother, who has hinted thelikelihood of infidelity and wickedness inhis household. The brother has suggestedtheir departure on a make-believe huntingparty, to be followed by an unexpectedreturn to the harem. Shahriar will trythe brothers plan. He calls for armourand weapons, and the two royal brothersceremoniously depart. The sound of thehunting-horns dies away. The womenlisten ; the coast is clear ; and they nowassail the chief eunuch in an excited,fluttering crowd. He, doubting and fear-ing, yields to their demands ; and withthe great keys at his belt opens the doorsin the wall, whence emerge, some incopper and some in silver garb, a bandof negro slaves, the harem-ladies* secretlovers. From the central door comes,clad in cloth of gold, the dark youth 56. Ar hrrrriizudi THE BALLETS who is the favourite of the queen her-self. This is Nijinsky, and from the momentof his entrance the drama takes on toitself a new and terrible meaning. Thedark youth flickers here and there amongthe mazy crowd of slaves, hungry for thefaithless wife of the sultan—she whoseflesh also is parched and dry for the touchof his. He finds her soon, and his lecher-ous hands play over and over her bodywith a purpose too subtle, it seems, totake and hold her once and for all. Andpresently he leaves her, threading his wayin and out of the passionate dancers, tolie at last on a soft cushion, like a flameof lust that smoulders and sinks but neverdies. Now he has joined the orgy him leap in the air, no man but adevil, the foul and heady essence that canspur these bodies of men and women to 57 NIJINSKY forget that they are human, and to losethemselves horribly in the last and frenziedabandonment of desire. Round him andaround they swirl
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidcu3192401929, bookyear1913
