the golden fleece-第18节

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er　consciousness　was　that　she　was　held　in　Freeman's　arms；　with　a　feeling　that　she　had　barely　escaped　from　some　great　peril。　　She　could　recall　nothing　of　the　journey　down　the　gorge；　of　the　adventure　at　the　bottom　of　it；　or　of　the　return。　　It　was　only　by　degrees　that　some　partial　light　was　thrown　upon　this　matter。　　Freeman　knew　that　he　was　at　the　entrance　of　the　cave　when　the　earthquake　began；　and　he　remembered　receiving　a　blow　on　the　head。　　Consequently　it　must　have　been　at　that　spot　that　Miriam　and　the　Indian　found　him。　　He　had；　too；　a　vague　impression　of　seeing　Miriam　coming　out　of　the　cave；　dragging　the　chest；　and　there；　sure　enough；　was　a　metal　box；　strapped　to　the　saddle　of　the　pack…mule。　　But　the　mystery　remained　very　dense。　　And　although　the　reader　is　in　a　position　to　analyze　events　more　closely　than　the　actors　themselves　could　do；　it　may　be　doubted　whether　the　essential　mystery　is　much　clearer　to　him　than　it　was　to　them。

〃We　know　that　the　ancient　Aztecan　priests　were　adepts　in　magic；〃　observed　the　professor；　〃and　it's　natural　that　some　of　their　learning　should　have　descended　to　their　posterity。　　We　have　been　clever　in　giving　names　to　such　phenomena；　but　we　know　perhaps　even　less　about　their　esoteric　meaning　than　the　Aztecans　did。　　I　should　judge　that　Miriam　would　be　what　is　called　a　good　'subject。'　　Kamaiakan　discovered　that　fact；　and　as　for　what　followed；　we　can　only　infer　it　from　the　results。　　I　was　always　an　admirer　of　Kamaiakan；　but　I　must　say　I　am　the　better　resigned　to　his　departure；　from　the　reflection　that　Miriam　will　henceforth　be　undisturbed　in　the　possession　of　her　own　individuality。〃

〃As　near　as　I　could　make　out；　she　called　herself　Semitzin；〃　put　in　Freeman。

〃Semitzin？〃　repeated　the　general。　　〃Why；　if　I'm　not　mistaken；　there　are　accounts　of　an　Aztecan　princess　of　that　name；　an　ancestress　of　my　wife's　family；　in　some　old　documents　that　I　have　in　a　box；　at　home。〃

〃That　would　only　add　the　marvel　of　heredity　to　the　other　marvels；〃　said　Meschines。　　〃Suppose　we　leave　the　things　we　can't　understand；　and　come　to　those　we　can？〃

〃I　have　something　to　say；　General　Trednoke；〃　said　Freeman。

〃I　think　I　have　already　guessed　what　it　may　be；　Mr。　Freeman；〃　returned　the　general；　gravely。　　〃Old　people　have　eyes；　and　hearts　too；　as　well　as　young　ones。〃

〃Come；　Trednoke；〃　interposed　the　professor；　with　a　chuckle；　〃your　eyes　might　not　have　seen　so　much；　if　I　hadn't　held　the　lantern。〃

〃I　love　your　daughter；　and　I　told　her　so　yesterday　morning；〃　went　on　Freeman；　after　a　pause。　　〃I　meant　to　tell　you　on　my　return。　　I　know　I　don't　appear　desirable　as　a　son…in…law。　　But　I　came　here　on　a　commission〃

〃Meschines　and　I　have　talked　it　all　over；〃　the　general　said。　　〃When　an　old　West…Pointer　and　a　professor　of　physics　get　together；　they　are　sometimes　able　to　put　two　and　two　together。　　And；　to　tell　the　truth；　I　received　a　letter　from　a　member　of　your　syndicate；　who　is　also　an　acquaintance　of　mine；　which　explained　your　position。　　Under　the　circumstances；　I　consider　your　course　to　have　been　honorable。　　You　and　I　were　both　in　search　of　the　same　thing；　and　now；　as　it　appears；　nature　has　sent　an　earthquake　to　do　our　affair　for　us。　　No　operations　of　ours　could　have　achieved　such　a　result　as　last　night's　disturbance　did；　and　if　that　do　not　prove　effective；　nothing　else　will。〃

〃If　it　turns　out　well；　I　was　promised　a　share　in　the　benefits；〃　said　Freeman；　〃and　that　would　put　me　in　a　rather　better　condition；　from　a　worldly　point　of　view。〃

〃After　all；〃　interrupted　Meschines；　〃you　found　your　way　to　the　spot　from　which　the　waters　broke　forth；　and　may　fairly　be　entitled　to　the　credit　of　the　discovery。Eh；　Trednoke？　　At　any　rate；　we　found　nothing。　　Yes；　I　think　they'll　have　to　admit　you　to　partnership；　Harvey：　and　Miriam　too；　who；　by　the　way；　seems　to　be　the　only　one　who　actually　penetrated　into　this　cave　you　speak　of。　　Maybe　the　removal　of　the　chest　pulled　the　plug　out　of　the　bung…hole；　as　it　were：　the　escape　of　confined　air　through　such　a　vent　would　be　apt　to　draw　water　along　with　it。　　By　the　way；　let's　have　a　look　at　this　same　chest：　it　looks　solid　enough　to　hold　something　valuable。〃

〃I　would　like；　in　the　first　place；　to　hear　what　General　Trednoke　has　to　say　about　what　I　have　told　him；〃　said　Freeman；　clearing　his　throat。

〃Miriam；〃　said　the　general；　〃do　you　wish　to　be　married　to　this　young　man？〃

The　old　soldier　was　sitting　with　her　hand　in　his；　and　he　turned　to　her　as　he　spoke。　　She　threw　her　arms　round　his　neck；　and　pressed　her　face　against　his　shoulder。　　〃He　is　to　me　what　you　were　to　mamma；〃　she　said；　so　that　only　he　could　hear。

〃Then　be　to　him　what　she　was　to　me；〃　answered　the　general；　kissing　her。　　〃Ah　me；　little　girl！　　I　am　old；　but　perhaps　this　is　the　right　way　for　me　to　grow　young　again。　　Well；　if　you　are　of　the　same　mind　six　months　hence〃

〃Worse；　it　will　be　much　worse；　then；〃　murmured　the　professor。　　〃Better　make　it　three。〃

The　chest　was　made　of　some　alloy　of　steel　and　nickel；　impervious　to　rust；　and　very　hard。　　It　resisted　all　gentle　methods　of　attack；　and　it　was　finally　found　necessary　to　force　the　lock　with　a　charge　of　powder。　　Within　was　found　another　case；　which　was　pried　open　with　the　point　of　the　general's　bowie…knife。

It　was　filled　to　the　brim　with　precious　stones；　most　of　them　removed　from　their　settings。　　But　such　of　the　gold…work　as　remained　showed　the　jewels　to　be　of　ancient　Aztecan　origin。　　There　was　value　enough　in　the　box　to　buy　and　stock　a　dozen　ranches　as　big　as　the　general's；　and　leave　heirlooms　enough　to　decorate　a　family　larger　than　that　of　the　most　fruitful　of　the　ancient　patriarchs。

〃I　call　that　quite　a　respectable　dowry；〃　remarked　Meschines。　　〃Upon　my　soul；　Miriam；　if　I　had　known　what　you　had　up　your　sleeve；　I　should　have　thought　twice　before　allowing　a　'civil　engineer'do　you　remember？to　run　off　with　you　so　easily。〃


At　dawn；　they　prepared　the　body　of　old　Kamaiakan　for　its　interment。　　In　doing　this；　the　professor　noted　the　peculiar　appearance　of　the　corpse。

〃The　flesh　is　absolutely　withered；〃　said　he；　〃especially　those　parts　which　were　uncovered。　　It　must　have　been　subjected　to　the　action　of　some　destructive　vapor　or　gas；　fatal　not　only　to　breathe；　but　to　come　in　contact　with。　　I　have　heard　of　poisonous　emanations　proceeding　from　the　ground　in　these　regions；　but　I　never　saw　an　instance　of　their　effects　before。　　That　skull　that　you　say　you　found；　Harvey；　was　probably　that　of　a　victim　of　the　same　cause。　　But　it　is　strange　that　Miriam；　who　must　have　remained　some　time　in　the　very　midst　of　it；　should　have　escaped　without　a　mark；　or　even　any　inconvenience。〃

〃Kamaiakan　ascribed　it　to　the　magic　of　the　Golden　Fleece；〃　said　Freeman。

〃Well；〃　rejoined　the　other；　〃he　may　have　been　right；　but；　for　my　part；　the　only　magic　that　I　can　find　in　it　lies　in　the　fact　that　it　is　made　of　pure　wool；　which　undoubtedly　possesses　remarkable　sanative　properties；　or　maybe　the　fiery　soul　of　Semitzin　was　powerful　enough　to　repel　all　harmful　influences。　　The　poor　old　fellow　himself；　being　clad　in　cotton；　and　with　no　soul　but　his　own；　was　destroyed。　　Let　us　wrap　him　in　his　blanket；　and　bid　him　farewelland　with　him；　I　hope；　to　all　that　is　uncanny　and　abnormal　in　the　lives　of　you　young　folks！〃


The　last　rites　having　been　paid　to　the　dead；　the　party　mounted　their　horses　and　rode　out　of　the　gorge　on　to　the　long　levels　of　the　desert。

〃Who　come　yonder？〃　said　Freeman。

〃A　couple　of　Mexicans；　I　think；〃　said　the　general。

〃One　of　them　is　a　woman；〃　said　Meschines。

〃They　look　very　weary；〃　remarked　Freeman。

Miriam　fixed　her　eyes　on　the　approaching　pair　for　a　moment；　and　then　said；　〃They　are　Senor　de　Mendoza　and　Grace　Parsloe。〃

And　so；　indeed；　they　were；　and　thus；　in　this　lonely　spot；　all　the　dramatis　personae　of　this　history　found　themselves　united。

In　answer　to　the　obvious　question；　how　Grace　and　De　Mendoza　happened　to　be　there；　it　transpired　that；　left　to　their　own　devices；　they　had　undertaken　no　less　an　enterprise　than　to　discover　the　hidden　treasure。　　Grace　had　communicated　to　the　Mexican　such　bits　of　information　as　she　had　picked　up　and　such　surmises　as　she　had　formed；　and　he　had　been　able　to　supplement　her　knowledge　to　an　extent　that　seemed　to　justify　them　in　attempting　the　adventure；　not　to　mention　the　fact　that　Don　Miguel　（such　was　the　ardor　of　his　sentiment　for　Grace）　would；　had　she　desired　it；　have　gone　with　her　into　a　fiery　furnace　or　a　den　of　lions。　　Grace；　who　was　ambitious　as　well　as　romantic；　and　who　longed　for　the　power　and　independence　that　wealth　would　give；　was　all　alight　with　the　idea　of　capturing　the　hoard　of　Montezuma：　her　social　position　would　be　altered　at　a　stroke；　and　the　world　would　be　at　her　feet。　　Whether　she　would　then　have　rewarded　Don　Miguel　for　his　devotion；　is　possibly　open　to　doubt：　the　sudden　acquisition　of　boundless　wealth　has　been　known　to　turn　larger　heads　than　hers。　　Fortunately；　however；　this　temptation　was　withheld　from　her：　so　far　from　finding　the　treasure；　she　and　Don　Miguel　very　soon　lost　themselves　in　the　desert；　and　had　been　wandering　about　ever　since；　dolely　uncomfortable；　and　in　no　small　danger　of　losing　their　lives。　　They　were　already　at　the　end　of　their　last　resource　when　they　happened　to　encounter　the　other　party；　as　we　have　seen；　and　immeasura