the ninth vibration-第10节

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I　stretched　an　eager　hand　but　she　repelled　it　gently；　drawing　back　a　little。　〃Not　love　of　each　other　though　we　are　friends　and　in　the　future　may　be　infinitely　more。　But　…　have　you　ever　seen　a　drawing　of　Blake's　…　a　young　man　stretching　his　arms　to　a　white　swan　which　flies　from　him　on　wings　he　cannot　stay？　That　is　the　story　of　both　our　lives。　We　long　to　be　joined　in　this　life；　here　and　now；　to　an　unspeakable　beauty　and　power　whose　true　believers　we　are　because　we　have　seen　and　known。　There　is　no　love　so　binding　as　the　same　purpose。　Perhaps　that　is　the　only　true　love。　And　so　we　shall　never　be　apart　though　we　may　never　in　this　world　be　together　again　in　what　is　called　companionship。〃

〃We　shall　meet；〃　I　said　confidently。　She　smiled　and　was　silent。

〃Do　we　follow　a　will…o'…the　wisp　in　parting？　Do　we　give　up　the　substance　for　the　shadow？　Shall　I　stay？〃

She　laughed　joyously；

〃We　give　a　single　rose　for　a　rose…tree　that　bears　seven　times　seven。　Daily　I　see　more；　and　you　are　going　where　you　will　be　instructed。　As　you　know　my　mother　prefers　for　a　time　to　have　my　cousin　with　her　to　help　her　with　the　book　she　means　to　write。　So　I　shall　have　time　to　myself。　What　do　you　think　I　shall　do？〃

〃Blow　away　on　a　great　wind。　Ride　on　the　crests　of　tossing　waves。　Catch　a　star　to　light　the　fireflies！〃

She　laughed　like　a　bird's　song。

〃Wrong　…　wrong！　I　shall　be　a　student。　All　I　know　as　yet　has　come　to　me　by　intuition；　but　there　is　Law　as　well　as　Love　and　I　will　learn。　I　have　drifted　like　a　happy　cloud　before　the　wind。　Now　I　will　learn　to　be　the　wind　that　blows　the　clouds。〃

I　looked　at　her　in　astonishment。　If　a　flower　had　desired　the　same　thing　it　could　scarcely　have　seemed　more　incredible；　for　I　had　thought　her　whole　life　and　nature　instinctive　not　intellective。　She　smiled　as　one　who　has　a　beloved　secret　to　keep。

〃When　you　have　gained　what　in　this　country　they　call　The　Knowledge　of　Regeneration；　come　back　and　ask　me　what　I　have　learnt。〃

She　would　say　no　more　of　that　and　turned　to　another　matter；　speaking　with　earnestness；

〃Before　you　came　here　I　had　a　message　for　you；　and　Stephen　Clifden　will　tell　you　the　same　thing　when　you　meet。　Believe　it　for　it　is　true。　Remember　always　that　the　psychical　is　not　the　mystical　and　that　what　we　seek　is　not　marvel　but　vision。　These　two　things　are　very　far　apart；　so　let　the　first　with　all　its　dangers　pass　you　by；　for　our　way　lies　to　the　heights；　and　for　us　there　is　only　one　danger　…　that　of　turning　back　and　losing　what　the　whole　world　cannot　give　in　exchange。　I　have　never　seen　Stephen　Clifden　but　I　know　much　of　him。　He　is　a　safe　guide　…　a　man　who　has　had　much　and　strange　sorrow　which　has　brought　him　joy　that　cannot　be　told。　He　will　take　you　to　those　who　know　the　things　that　you　desire。　I　wish　I　might　have　gone　too。〃

Something　in　the　sweetness　of　her　voice；　its　high　passion；　the　strong　beauty　of　her　presence　woke　a　poignant　longing　in　my　heart。　I　said；

〃I　cannot　leave　you。　You　are　the　only　guide　I　can　follow。　Let　us　search　together　…　you　always　on　before。〃

〃Your　way　lies　there；〃　she　pointed　to　the　high　mountains。　〃And　mine　to　the　plains；　and　if　we　chose　our　own　we　should　wander。　But　we　shall　meet　again　in　the　way　and　time　that　will　be　best　and　with　knowledge　so　enlarged　that　what　we　have　seen　already　will　be　like　an　empty　dream　compared　to　daylight　truth。　If　you　knew　what　waits　for　you　you　would　not　delay　one　moment。〃

She　stood　radiant　beneath　the　deodars；　a　figure　of　Hope；　pointing　steadily　to　the　heights。　I　knew　her　words　were　true　though　as　yet　I　could　not　tell　how。　I　knew　that　whereas　we　had　seen　the　Wonderful　in　beautiful　though　local　forms　there　is　a　plane　where　the　Formless　may　be　apprehended　in　clear　dream　and　solemn　vision…the　meeting　of　spirit　with　Spirit。　What　that　revelation　would　mean　I　could　not　guess　…　how　should　I？　…　but　I　knew　the　illusion　we　call　death　and　decay　would　wither　before　it。　There　is　a　music　above　and　beyond　the　Ninth　Vibration　though　I　must　love　those　words　for　ever　for　what　their　hidden　meaning　gave　me。

I　took　her　hand　and　held　it。　Strange　…　beyond　all　strangeness　that　that　story　of　an　ancient　sorrow　should　have　made　us　what　we　were　to　each　other　…　should　have　opened　to　me　the　gates　of　that　Country　where　she　wandered　content。　For　the　first　time　I　had　realized　in　its　fulness　the　loveliness　of　this　crystal　nature；　clear　as　flowing　water　to　receive　and　transmit　the　light　…　itself　a　prophecy　and　fulfilment　of　some　higher　race　which　will　one　day　inhabit　our　world　when　it　has　learnt　the　true　values。　She　drew　a　flower　from　her　breast　and　gave　it　to　me。　It　lies　before　me　white　and　living　as　I　write　these　words。

I　sprang　down　the　road　and　mounted；　giving　the　word　to　march。　The　men　shouted　and　strode　on　…　our　faces　to　the　Shipki　Pass　and　what　lay　beyond。

We　had　parted。

Once；　twice；　I　looked　back；　and　standing　in　full　sunlight；　she　waved　her　hand。

We　turned　the　angle　of　the　rocks。

What　I　found　…　what　she　found　is　a　story　strange　and　beautiful　which　I　may　tell　one　day　to　those　who　care　to　hear。　That　for　me　there　were　pauses；　hesitancies；　dreads；　on　the　way　I　am　not　concerned　to　deny；　for　so　it　must　always　be　with　the　roots　of　the　old　beliefs　of　fear　and　ignorance　buried　in　the　soil　of　our　hearts　and　ready　to　throw　out　their　poisonous　fibres。　But　there　was　never　doubt。　For　myself　I　have　long　forgotten　the　meaning　of　that　word　in　anything　that　is　of　real　value。

Do　not　let　it　be　thought　that　the　treasure　is　reserved　for　the　few　or　those　of　special　gifts。　And　it　is　as　free　to　the　West　as　to　the　East　though　I　own　it　lies　nearer　to　the　surface　in　the　Orient　where　the　spiritual　genius　of　the　people　makes　it　possible　and　the　greater　and　more　faithful　teachers　are　found。　It　is　not　without　meaning　that　all　the　faiths　of　the　world　have　dawned　in　those　sunrise　skies。　Yet　it　is　within　reach　of　all　and　asks　only　recognition；　for　the　universe　has　been　the　mine　of　its　jewels…

　　〃Median　gold　it　holds；　and　silver　from　Atropatene；　Ruby　and　emerald　from　Hindustan；　and　Bactrian　agate；　Bright　with　beryl　and　pearl；　sardonyx　and　sapphire。〃…

…and　more　that　cannot　be　uttered　…　the　Lights　and　Perfections。

So　for　all　seekers　I　pray　this　prayer　…　beautiful　in　its　sonorous　Latin；　but　noble　in　all　the　tongues；

〃Supplico　tibi；　Pater　et　Dux　…　I　pray　Thee；　Guide　of　our　vision；　that　we　may　remember　the　nobleness　with　which　Thou　hast　endowed　us；　and　that　Thou　wouldest　be　always　on　our　right　and　on　our　left　in　the　motion　of　our　wills；　that　we　may　be　purged　from　the　contagion　of　the　body　and　the　affections　of　the　brute　and　overcome　and　rule　them。　And　I　pray　also　that　Thou　wouldest　drive　away　the　blinding　darkness　from　the　eyes　of　our　souls　that　we　may　know　well　what　is　to　be　held　for　divine　and　what　for　mortal。〃

〃The　nobleness　with　which　Thou　hast　endowed　us…〃　this；　and　not　the　cry　of　the　miserable　sinner　whose　very　repentance　is　no　virtue　but　the　consequence　of　failure　and　weakness　is　the　strong　music　to　which　we　must　march。

And　the　way　is　open　to　the　mountains。



THE　INTERPRETER　　A　ROMANCE　OF　THE　EAST

I　

There　are　strange　things　in　this　story；　but；　so　far　as　I　understand　them；　I　tell　the　truth。　If　you　measure　the　East　with　a　Western　foot…rule　you　will　say；　〃Impossible。〃　I　should　have　said　it　myself。

Of　myself　I　will　say　as　little　as　I　can；　for　this　story　is　of　Vanna　Loring。　I　am　an　incident　only；　though　I　did　not　know　that　at　first。

My　name　is　Stephen　Clifden；　and　I　was　eight…and…thirty；　plenty　of　money；　sound　in　wind　and　limb。　I　had　been　by　way　of　being　a　writer　before　the　war；　the　hobby　of　a　rich　man；　but　if　I　picked　up　anything　in　the　welter　in　France；　it　was　that　real　work　is　the　only　salvation　this　mad　world　has　to　offer；　so　I　meant　to　begin　at　the　beginning；　and　learn　my　trade　like　a　journeyman　labourer。　I　had　come　to　the　right　place。　A　very　wonderful　city　is　Peshawar　…　rather　let　us　say；　two　cities　…　the　compounds；　the　fortifications　where　Europeans　dwell　in　such　peace　as　their　strong　right　arms　can　secure　them；　and　the　native　city　and　bazaar　humming　and　buzzing　like　a　hive　of　angry　bees　with　the　rumours　that　come　up　from　Lower　India　or　down　the　Khyber　Pass　with　the　camel　caravans　loaded　with　merchandise　from　Afghanistan；　Bokhara；　and　farther。　And　it　is　because　of　this　that　Peshawar　is　the　Key　of　India；　and　a　city　of　Romance　that　stands　at　every　corner；　and　cries　aloud　in　the　market　…　place。　For　at　Peshawar　every　able…bodied　man　sleeps　with　his　revolver　under　his　pillow；　and　the　old　Fort　is　always　ready　in　case　it　should　be　necessary　at　brief　and　sharp　notice　to　hurry　the　women　and　children　into　it；　and　possibly；　to　die　in　their　defense。　So　enlivening　is　the　neighbourhood　of　the　frontier　tribes　that　haunt　the　famous　Khyber　Pass　and　the　menacing　hills　where　danger　is　always　lurking。

But　there　was　society　here；　and　I　was　swept　into　it　…　there　was　chatter；　and　it　galled　me。

I　was　beginning　to　feel　that　I　had　missed　my　mark；　and　must　go　farther　afield；　perhaps　up　into　Central　Asia；　when　I　met　Vanna　Loring。　If　I　say　that　her　hair　was　soft　and　dark；　that　she　had　the　deepest　hazel　eyes　I　have　ever　seen；　and　a　sensitive；　tender　mouth；　that　she　moved　with　a　flowing　grace　like　〃a　wave　of　the　sea　…　it　sounds　like　the　portrait　of　a　beauty；　and　she　was