a journey in other worlds-第44节

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of　a　trombone：
　　　
〃Thy　thoughts　and　acts　are　a　pleasure　to　me。　　Thou　hast　raised　no
idols　within　thy　heart；　and　thy　faith　is　as　incense　before　me。　
Thy　name　is　now　in　the　Book　of　Life。　　Continue　as　thou　hast
begun；　and　thou　shalt　live　and　reign　forever。〃
　　　
Hereupon　the　earth　shook；　and　Ayrault　was　awakened。　　Great
boulders　were　rolling　and　crashing　down　the　slope　about　him；
while　the　dawn　was　already　in　the　east。
　　　
〃My　mortal　eyes　and　senses　are　keener　here　while　I　sleep　than
when　I　wake；〃　he　thought；　as　he　looked　about　him；　〃for　spirits；
unable　to　affect　me　while　waking；　have　made　themselves　felt　in　my
more　sensitive　state　while　I　was　asleep。　　Nevertheless；　this　is
none　other　but　the　house　of　God；　and　this　is　the　gate　of　heaven。
　　　
〃The　boulders　were　still　in　motion　when　I　opened　my　eyes；〃　he
mused；　〃can　it　be　that　there　is　hereabouts　such　a　flower　as　in　my
dreams　I　seemed　to　see？〃　and　looking　beyond　where　his　head　had
lain；　he　beheld　the　identical　lily　surrounded　by　the　group　that
his　closed　eyes　had　already　seen。　　Thereupon　he　uncovered　his
head　and　departed　quickly。　　Crossing　the　divide；　he　descended　to
camp；　where　he　found　Cortlandt　in　deep　thought。
　　　
〃I　cannot　get　over　the　dreams；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃I　had　in　the
first　part　of　the　night。　　Notwithstanding　yesterday's　excitement
and　fatigue；　my　sleep　was　most　disturbed；　and　I　was　visited　by
visions　of　my　wife；　who　died　long　ago。　　She　warned　me　against
skepticism；　and　seemed　much　distressed　at　my　present　spiritual
state。〃
　　　
〃I；〃　said　Bearwarden；　who　had　been　out　early；　and　had　succeeded
in　bringing　in　half　a　dozen　birds；　〃was　so　disturbed　I　could　not
sleep。　　It　seemed　to　me　as　though　half　the　men　I　have　ever　known
came　and　warned　me　against　agnosticism　and　my　materialistic
tendencies。　　They　kept　repeating；　'You　are　losing　the　reality　for
the　shadow。'〃
　　　
〃I　am　convinced；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃that　they　were　not　altogether
dreams；　or；　if　dreams　indeed；　that　they　were　superinduced　by　a
higher　will。　　We　know　that　angels　have　often　appeared　to　men　in
the　past。　　May　it　not　be　that；　as　our　appreciativeness　increases；
these　communications　will　recur？〃　　Thereupon　he　related　his　own
experiences。
　　　
〃The　thing　that　surprised　me；〃　said　Cortlandt；　as　they　finished
breakfast；　〃was　the　extraordinary　realism　of　the　scene。　　We　must
see　if　our　visions　return　on　anything　but　an　empty　stomach。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　VI。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　GREAT　VOID　AND　A　GREAT　LONGING。

Resuming　their　march；　the　travellers　proceeded　along　the
circumference　of　a　circle　having　a　radius　of　about　three　miles；
with　the　Callisto　in　the　centre。　　In　crossing　soft　places　they
observed　foot…prints　forming　in　the　earth　all　around　them。　　The
impressions　were　of　all　sizes；　and　ceased　when　they　reached
rising　or　hard　ground；　only　to　reappear　in　the　swamps；　regulating
their　speed　by　that　of　the　travellers。　The　three　men　were　greatly
surprised　at　this。
　　　
〃You　may　observe；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃that　the　surface　of　the
impression　is　depressed　as　you　watch　it；　as　though　by　a　weight；
and　you　can　see；　and　even　hear；　the　water　being　squeezed　out；
though　whatever　is　doing　it　is　entirely　invisible。　　They　must　be
made　by　spirits　sufficiently　advanced　to　have　weight；　but　not
advanced　enough　to　make　themselves　visible。〃
　　　
Moved　by　a　species　of　vandalism；　Bearwarden　raised　his
twelve…bore；　and　fired　an　ordinary　cartridge　that　he　had　not
prepared　for　the　dragons；　at　the　space　directly　over　the　nearest
forming　prints。　　There　was　a　brilliant　display　of　prismatic
colours；　as　in　a　rainbow；　and　though　the　impressions　already　made
remained；　no　new　ones　were　formed。
　　　
〃Now　you　have　done　it！〃　said　Cortlandt。　　〃I　hoped　to　be　able　to
investigate　this　further。〃
　　　
〃We　shall　doubtless　see　other　and　perhaps　more　wonderful　things；〃
replied　Bearwarden。　　〃I　must　say　this　gives　me　an　uncanny
feeling。〃

When　they　had　completed　a　little　over　half　their　circle；　they
came　upon　another　of　the　groves　with　which　Saturn　seemed　to
abound；　at　the　edge　of　which；　in　a　side…hill；　was　a　cave；　the
entrance　of　which　was　composed　of　rocky　masses　that　had
apparently　fallen　together；　the　floor　being　but　little　higher
than　the　surface　outside。　　The　arched　roof　of　the　vestibule　was
rendered　watertight　by　the　soil　that　had　formed　upon　it；　which
again　was　overgrown　by　vines　and　bushes。
　　　
〃This；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃will　be　a　good　place　to　camp；　for　the
cave　will　protect　us　from　dragons；　unless　they　should　take　a
notion　to　breathe　at　us　from　the　outside；　and　it　will　keep　us　dry
in　case　of　rain。　　To…morrow　we　can　start　with　this　as　a　centre；
and　make　another　circuit。〃
　　　
〃We　can　explore　Saturn　on　foot；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃and　far　more
thoroughly　than　Jupiter；　on　account　of　its　comparative　freedom
from　monsters。　　Not　even　the　dragons　can　trouble　us；　unless　we
meet　them　in　large　numbers。〃
　　　
Thereupon　they　set　about　getting　fuel　for　their　fire。　　Besides
collecting　some　of　the　dead　wood　that　was　lying　all　about；　they
split　up　a　number　of　resinous　pine　and　fir　trees　with　explosive
bullets　from　their　revolvers；　so　that　soon　they　not　only　had　a
roaring　fire；　but　filled　the　back　part　of　the　cave　with　logs　to
dry；　in　case　they　should　camp　there　again　at　some　later　day。　
Neither　Cortlandt　nor　Bearwarden　felt　much　like　sleeping；　and　so；
after　finishing　the　birds　the　president　had　brought　down　that
morning；　they　persuaded　Ayrault　to　sit　up　and　smoke　with　them。　
Wrapping　themselves　in　their　blanketsfor　there　was　a　chill　in
the　airthey　sat　about　the　camp…fire　they　had　built　in　the　mouth
of　the　cave。　　Two　moons　that　were　at　the　full　rose　rapidly　in　the
clear；　cold　sky。　　On　account　of　their　distance　from　the　sun；　they
were　less　bright　than　the　terrestrial　moon；　but　they　shone　with　a
marvellously　pure　pale　light。　　The　larger　contained　the　exact
features　of　a　man。　　There　was　the　somewhat　aquiline　nose；　a
clear…cut　and　expressive　mouth；　and　large；　handsome　eyes；　which
were　shaded　by　well…　marked　eyebrows。　　The　whole　face　was　very
striking；　but　was　a　personification　of　the　most　intense　grief。　
The　expression　was　indeed　sadder　than　that　of　any　face　they　had
ever　seen。　　The　other　contained　the　profile　of　a　surpassingly
beautiful　young　woman。　　The　handsome　eyes；　shaded　by　lashes；
looked　straight　ahead。　　The　nose　was　perfect；　and　the　ear　small；
while　the　hair　was　artistically　arranged　at　the　top　and　back　of
the　head。　　This　moon　also　reflected　a　pure　white　ray。　　The　former
appeared　about　once　and　a　quarter；　the　latter　but　three　quarters；
the　size　of　the　terrestrial　moon；　and　the　travellers　immediately
recognized　them　by　their　sizes　and　relative　positions　as　Tethys
and　Dione；　discovered　by　J。　D。　Cassini　in　March；　1684。　　The　sad
face　was　turned　slightly　towards　that　of　its　companion；　and　it
looked　as　if　some　tale　of　the　human　heart；　some　romance；　had　been
engraved　and　preserved　for　all　time　on　the　features　of　these　dead
bodies；　as　they　silently　swung　in　their　orbits　forever　and　anon
were　side　by　side。
　　　
〃In　all　the　ages；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃that　these　moons　have
wandered　with　Saturn　about　the　sun；　and　with　the　solar　system　in
its　journey　through　space；　they　can　never　have　gazed　upon　the
scene　they　now　behold；　for　we　may　be　convinced　that　no　mortal　man
has　been　here　before。〃
　　　
〃We　may　say；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃that　they　see　in　our　bodies　a　type
of　the　source　from　which　come　all　the　spiritual　beings　that　are
here。〃
　　　
〃If；　as　the　writers　of　mythology　supposed；〃　replied　Cortlandt；
〃inanimate　objects　were　endowed　with　senses；　these　moons　would
doubtless　be　unable　to　perceive　the　spiritual　beings　here；　for
the　satellites；　being　material；　should；　to　be　consistent；　have
only　those　senses　possessed　by　ourselves；　so　that　to　them　this
planet　would　ordinarily　appear　deserted。〃
　　　
〃I　shall　be　glad；〃　said　Bearwarden；　gloomily；　〃when　those　moons
wane　and　are　succeeded　by　their　fellows；　for　one　would　give　me　an
attack　of　the　blues；　while　the　other　would　subject　me　to　the
inconvenience　of　falling　in　love。〃
　　　
As　he　spoke；　the　upper　branches　of　the　trees　in　the　grove　began
to　sway　as　a　cold　gust　from　the　north　sighed　among　them。　　〃Lose
no　more　opportunities；〃　it　seemed　to　cry；　〃for　life　is　short　and
uncertain。　　Soon　you　will　all　be　colder　than　I；　and　your　future；
still　as　easily　moulded　as　clay；　will　be　set　as　Marpesian　marble；
more　fixed　than　the　hardest　rock。〃
　　　　
〃Paradise；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃contains　sights　and　sounds　that
might；　I　should　think；　arouse　sad　reminiscences　without　the　aid
of　the　waters　of　Lethe；　unless　the　joy　of　its　souls　in　their　new
resources　and　the　sense　of　forgiveness　outweigh　all　else。〃
　　　
With　a　parting　look　at　the　refined；　silvery　moon；　and　its
sorrow…laden　companion；　they　retired　to　the　sheltering　cave；
piled　up　the　fire；　and　talked　on　for　an　hour。
　　　
〃I　do　not　see　how　it　is；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃that　these　moons；
considering　their　distance　from　the　sun；　and　the　consequently
small　amount　of　light　they　receive；　are　so　bright。〃
　　　
〃A　body's　brightness　in　reflecting　light；〃　replied　Cortlandt；
〃depends　as　much　on　the　colour　and　composition　of　its　own　surface
as　on　the　amount　it　receives。　　It　is　conceiv