the notch on the ax and on being found out-第17节

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only　in　the　hours　of　night；　so　that；　as　his　form　filled　up　the　jaws
of　the　dull　arch；　obscuring　the　moonbeam　that　strove　to　pierce　the
shadows　that　slept　within；　it　stood　nowwan　and　blightedas　I　had
seen　it　first；　radiant　and　joyous；　literally　〃framed　in　blooms。〃


IV


〃So；〃　said　Margrave；　turning　to　me；　〃under　the　soil　that　spreads
around　us　lies　the　gold　which　to　you　and　to　me　is　at　this　moment　of
no　value；　except　as　a　guide　to　its　twin…bornthe　regenerator　of
life！〃

〃You　have　not　yet　described　to　me　the　nature　of　the　substance　which
we　are　to　explore；　nor　the　process　by　which　the　virtues　you　impute
to　it　are　to　be　extracted。〃

〃Let　us　first　find　the　gold；　and　instead　of　describing　the　life…
amber；　so　let　me　call　it；　I　will　point　it　out　to　your　own　eyes。　　As
to　the　process；　your　share　in　it　is　so　simple　that　you　will　ask　me
why　I　seek　aid　from　a　chemist。　　The　life…amber；　when　found；　has　but
to　be　subjected　to　heat　and　fermentation　for　six　hours；　it　will　be
placed　in　a　small　caldron　which　that　coffer　contains；　over　the　fire
which　that　fuel　will　feed。　　To　give　effect　to　the　process；　certain
alkalies　and　other　ingredients　are　required；　but　these　are
prepared；　and　mine　is　the　task　to　commingle　them。　　From　your
science　as　chemist　I　need　and　ask　naught。　　In　you　I　have　sought
only　the　aid　of　a　man。〃

〃If　that　be　so；　why；　indeed；　seek　me　at　all？　　Why　not　confide　in
those　swarthy　attendants；　who　doubtless　are　slaves　to　your　orders？〃

〃Confide　in　slaves；　when　the　first　task　enjoined　to　them　would　be
to　discover；　and　refrain　from　purloining　gold！　　Seven　such
unscrupulous　knaves；　or　even　one　such；　and　I；　thus　defenseless　and
feeble！　　Such　is　not　the　work　that　wise　masters　confide　to　fierce
slaves。　　But　that　is　the　least　of　the　reasons　which　exclude　them
from　my　choice；　and　fix　my　choice　of　assistant　on　you。　　Do　you
forget　what　I　told　you　of　the　danger　which　the　Dervish　declared　no
bribe　I　could　offer　could　tempt　him　a　second　time　to　brave？〃

〃I　remember　now；　those　words　had　passed　away　from　my　mind。〃

〃And　because　they　had　passed　away　from　your　mind；　I　chose　you　for
my　comrade。　　I　need　a　man　by　whom　danger　is　scorned。〃

〃But　in　the　process　of　which　you　tell　me　I　see　no　possible　danger
unless　the　ingredients　you　mix　in　your　caldron　have　poisonous
fumes。〃

〃It　is　not　that。　　The　ingredients　I　use　are　not　poisons。〃

〃What　other　danger；　except　you　dread　your　own　Eastern　slaves？　　But；
if　so；　why　lead　them　to　these　solitudes；　and；　if　so；　why　not　bid　me
be　armed？〃

〃The　Eastern　slaves；　fulfilling　my　commands；　wait　for　my　summons；
where　their　eyes　cannot　see　what　we　do。　　The　danger　is　of　a　kind　in
which　the　boldest　son　of　the　East　would　be　more　craven；　perhaps；
that　the　daintiest　Sybarite　of　Europe；　who　would　shrink　from　a
panther　and　laugh　at　a　ghost。　　In　the　creed　of　the　Dervish；　and　of
all　who　adventure　into　that　realm　of　Nature　which　is　closed　to
philosophy　and　open　to　magic；　there　are　races　in　the　magnitude　of
space　unseen　as　animalcules　in　the　world　of　a　drop。　　For　the　tribes
of　the　drop　science　has　its　microscope。　　Of　the　host　of　yon　azure
Infinite　magic　gains　sight；　and　through　them　gains　command　over
fluid　conductors　that　link　all　the　parts　of　creation。　　Of　these
races；　some　are　wholly　indifferent　to　man；　some　benign　to　him；　and
some　deadly　hostile。　　In　all　the　regular　and　prescribed　conditions
of　mortal　being；　this　magic　realm　seems　as　blank　and　tenantless　as
yon　vacant　air。　　But　when　a　seeker　of　powers　beyond　the　rude
functions　by　which　man　plies　the　clockwork　that　measures　his　hours；
and　stops　when　its　chain　reaches　the　end　of　its　coil；　strives　to
pass　over　those　boundaries　at　which　philosophy　says；　'Knowledge
ends'then；　he　is　like　all　other　travelers　in　regions　unknown；　he
must　propitiate　or　brave　the　tribes　that　are　hostilemust　depend
for　his　life　on　the　tribes　that　are　friendly。　　Though　your　science
discredits　the　alchemist's　dogmas；　your　learning　informs　you　that
all　alchemists　were　not　ignorant　impostors；　yet　those　whose
discoveries　prove　them　to　have　been　the　nearest　allies　to　your
practical　knowledge；　ever　hint　in　their　mystical　works　at　the
reality　of　that　realm　which　is　open　to　magicever　hint　that　some
means　less　familiar　than　furnace　and　bellows　are　essential　to　him
who　explores　the　elixir　of　life。　　He　who　once　quaffs　that　elixir；
obtains　in　his　very　veins　the　bright　fluid　by　which　he　transmits
the　force　of　his　will　to　agencies　dormant　in　Nature；　to　giants
unseen　in　the　space。　　And　here；　as　he　passes　the　boundary　which
divides　his　allotted　and　normal　mortality　from　the　regions　and
races　that　magic　alone　can　explore；　so；　here；　he　breaks　down　the
safeguard　between　himself　and　the　tribes　that　are　hostile。　　Is　it
not　ever　thus　between　man　and　man？　　Let　a　race　the　most　gentle　and
timid　and　civilized　dwell　on　one　side　a　river　or　mountain；　and
another　have　home　in　the　region　beyond；　each；　if　it　pass　not　the
intervening　barrier；　may　with　each　live　in　peace。　　But　if　ambitious
adventurers　scale　the　mountain；　or　cross　the　river；　with　design　to
subdue　and　enslave　the　population　they　boldly　invade；　then　all　the
invaded　arise　in　wrath　and　defiancethe　neighbors　are　changed　into
foes。　　And　therefore　this　processby　which　a　simple　though　rare
material　of　Nature　is　made　to　yield　to　a　mortal　the　boon　of　a　life
which　brings；　with　its　glorious　resistance　to　Time；　desires　and
faculties　to　subject　to　its　service　beings　that　dwell　in　the　earth
and　the　air　and　the　deephas　ever　been　one　of　the　same　peril　which
an　invader　must　brave　when　he　crosses　the　bounds　of　his　nation。　　By
this　key　alone　you　unlock　all　the　cells　of　the　alchemist's　lore；　by
this　alone　understand　how　a　labor；　which　a　chemist's　crudest
apprentice　could　perform；　has　baffled　the　giant　fathers　of　all　your
dwarfed　children　of　science。　　Nature；　that　stores　this　priceless
boon；　seems　to　shrink　from　conceding　it　to　manthe　invisible
tribes　that　abhor　him　oppose　themselves　to　the　gain　that　might　give
them　a　master。　　The　duller　of　those　who　were　the　life…seekers　of
old　would　have　told　you　how　some　chance；　trivial；　unlooked…for；
foiled　their　grand　hope　at　the　very　point　of　fruition；　some　doltish
mistake；　some　improvident　oversight；　a　defect　in　the　sulphur；　a
wild　overflow　in　the　quicksilver；　or　a　flaw　in　the　bellows；　or　a
pupil　who　failed　to　replenish　the　fuel；　by　falling　asleep　by　the
furnace。　　The　invisible　foes　seldom　vouchsafe　to　make　themselves
visible　where　they　can　frustrate　the　bungler　as　they　mock　at　his
toils　from　their　ambush。　　But　the　mightier　adventurers；　equally
foiled　in　despite　of　their　patience　and　skill；　would　have　said；
'Not　with　us　rests　the　fault；　we　neglected　no　caution；　we　failed
from　no　oversight。　　But　out　from　the　caldron　dread　faces　arose；　and
the　specters　or　demons　dismayed　and　baffled　us。'　　Such；　then；　is
the　danger　which　seems　so　appalling　to　a　son　of　the　East；　as　it
seemed　to　a　seer　in　the　dark　age　of　Europe。　　But　we　can　deride　all
its　threats；　you　and　I。　　For　myself；　I　own　frankly　I　take　all　the
safety　that　the　charms　and　resources　of　magic　bestow。　　You；　for
your　safety；　have　the　cultured　and　disciplined　reason　which　reduces
all　fantasies　to　nervous　impressions；　and　I　rely　on　the　courage　of
one　who　has　questioned；　unquailing；　the　Luminous　Shadow；　and
wrested　from　the　hand　of　the　magician　himself　the　wand　which
concentered　the　wonders　of　will！〃

To　this　strange　and　long　discourse　I　listened　without　interruption；
and　now　quietly　answered：

〃I　do　not　merit　the　trust　you　affect　in　my　courage；　but　I　am　now　on
my　guard　against　the　cheats　of　the　fancy；　and　the　fumes　of　a　vapor
can　scarcely　bewilder　the　brain　in　the　open　air　of　this　mountain
land。　　I　believe　in　no　races　like　those　which　you　tell　me　lie
viewless　in　space；　as　do　gases。　　I　believe　not　in　magic；　I　ask　not
its　aids；　and　I　dread　not　its　terrors。　　For　the　rest；　I　am
confident　of　one　mournful　couragethe　courage　that　comes　from
despair。　　I　submit　to　your　guidance；　whatever　it　be；　as　a　sufferer
whom　colleges　doom　to　the　grave　submits　to　the　quack　who　says；
'Take　my　specific　and　live！'　　My　life　is　naught　in　itself；　my　life
lives　in　another。　　You　and　I　are　both　brave　from　despair；　you　would
turn　death　from　yourselfI　would　turn　death　from　one　I　love　more
than　myself。　　Both　know　how　little　aid　we　can　win　from　the
colleges；　and　both；　therefore；　turn　to　the　promises　most
audaciously　cheering。　　Dervish　or　magician；　alchemist　or　phantom；
what　care　you　and　I？　　And　if　they　fail　us；　what　then？　　They　cannot
fail　us　more　than　the　colleges　do！〃


V


The　gold　has　been　gained　with　an　easy　labor。　　I　knew　where　to　seek
for　it；　whether　under　the　turf　or　in　the　bed　of　the　creek。　　But
Margrave's　eyes；　hungrily　gazing　round　every　spot　from　which　the
ore　was　disburied；　could　not　detect　the　substance　of　which　he　alone
knew　the　outward　appearance。　　I　had　begun　to　believe　that；　even　in
the　description　given　to　him　of　this　material；　he　had　been
credulously　duped；　and　that　no　such　material　existed；　when；　coming
back　from　the　bed　of　the　watercourse；　I　saw　a　faint；　yellow　gleam
amidst　the　roots　of　a　giant　parasite　plant；　the　leaves　and　blossoms
of　which　climbed　up　the　sides　of　the　cave　wit