she-第30节

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and　rabbis　hounded　the　people　on　to　stone　me！　See；　
here　is　the　mark　of　it　to　this　day！〃　and　with　a　sudden　
move　she　pulled　up　the　gauzy　wrapping　on　her　rounded　
arm；　and　pointed　to　a　little　scar　that　showed　red　
against　its　milky　beauty。　I　shrank　back　horrified。

〃Pardon　me；　O　queen；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　am　bewildered。　
Nigh　upon　two　thousand　years　have　rolled　across　the　
earth　since　the　Jewish　Messiah　hung　upon　his　cross　at　
Golgotha。　How　then　canst　thou　have　taught　thy　
philosophy　to　the　Jews　before　he　was？　Thou　art　a　
woman；　and　no　spirit。　How　can　a　woman　live　two　
thousand　years？　Why　dost　thou　befool　me；　O　queen？〃
　_i_　She　_i_　leaned　back　on　the　couch；　and　once　more　I　
felt　the　hidden　eyes　playing　upon　me　and　searching　out　
my　heart。

〃O　man！〃　she　said　at　last；　speaking　very　slowly　and　
deliberately；　〃it　seems　that　there　are　still　things　
upon　the　earth　of　which　thou　knowest　naught。　Dost　thou　
still　believe　that　all　things　die；　even　as　those　very　
Jews　believed？　I　tell　thee　that　naught　really　dies。　
There　is　no　such　thing　as　Death；　though　there　be　a　
thing　called　Change。　See；〃　and　she　pointed　to　some　
sculptures　on　the　rocky　wall。　〃Three　times　two　
thousand　years　have　passed　since　the　last　of　the　great　
race　that　hewed　those　pictures　fell　before　the　breath　
of　the　pestilence　which　destroyed　them；　yet　they　are　
not　dead。　E'en　now　they　live；　perchance　their　spirits　
are　drawn　towards　us　at　this　very　hour；〃　and　she　
glanced　round。　〃Of　a　surety　it　sometimes　seems　to　me　
that　my　eyes　can　see　them。〃

〃Yes；　but　to　the　world　they　are　dead。〃　

〃Ay；　for　a　time；　but　even　to　the　world　they　are　born　
again　and　again。　I；　yes　I；　Ayeshafor　that　is　my　
name；　strangerI　say　to　thee　that　I　wait　now　for　one　
I　loved　to　be　born　again；　and　here　I　tarry　till　he　
finds　me；　knowing　of　a　surety　that　hither　he　will　
come；　and　that　here；　and　here　only；　shall　he　greet　me。　
Why；　dost　thou　suppose　that　I；　who　am　all　powerful；　I；　
whose　loveliness　is　more　than　the　loveliness　of　the　
Grecian　Helen；　of　whom　they　used　to　sing；　and　whose　
wisdom　is　wider；　ay；　far　more　wide　and　deep　than　the　
wisdom　of　Solomon　the　WiseI；　who　know　the　secrets　of　
the　earth　and　its　riches；　and　can　turn　all　things　to　
my　usesI；　who　have　even　for　a　while　overcome　Change；　
that　ye　call　Deathwhy；　I　say；　O　stranger；　dost　thou　
think　that　I　herd　here　with　barbarians　lower　than　the　
beasts？〃

〃I　know　not；〃　I　said；　humbly。　

〃Because　I　wait　for　him　I　love。　My　life　has　perchance　
been　evil；　I　know　notfor　who　can　say　what　is　evil　
and　what　good？so　I　fear　to　die　even　if　I　could　die；　
which　I　cannot　until　mine　hour　comes；　to　go　and　seek　
him　where　he　is；　for　between　us　there　might　rise　a　
wall　I　could　not　climb；　at　least；　I　dread　it。　Surely　
easy　would　it　be　also　to　lose　the　way　in　seeking　in　
those　great　spaces　wherein　the　planets　wander　on　
forever。　But　the　day　will　come；　it　may　be　when　five　
thousand　more　years　have　passed；　and　are　lost　and　
melted　into　the　vault　of　Time；　even　as　the　little　
clouds　melt　into　the　gloom　of　night；　or　it　may　be　to…
morrow；　when　he；　my　love；　shall　be　born　again；　and　
then；　following　a　law　that　is　stronger　than　any　human　
plan；　he　shall　find　me　here；　where　once　he　knew　me；　
and　of　a　surety　his　heart　will　soften　towards　me　
though　I　sinned　against　him；　ay；　even　though　he　know　
me　not　again；　yet　will　he　love　me；　if　only　for　my　
beauty's　sake。〃

For　a　moment　I　was　dumbfounded；　and　could　not　answer。　
The　matter。　was　too　overpowering　for　my　intellect　to　
grasp。

〃But　even　so；　O　queen；〃　I　said　at　last；　〃even　if　we　
men　be　born　again　and　again；　that　is　not　so　with　thee；　
if　thou　speakest　truly。〃　Here　she　looked　up　sharply；　
and　once　more　I　caught　the　flash　of　those　hidden　eyes；　
〃thou；〃　I　went　on；　hurriedly；　〃who　hast　never　died？〃

〃That　is　so；〃　she　said；　〃and　it　is　so　because　I　have；　
half　by　chance　and　half　by　learning；　solved　one　of　the　
great　secrets　of　the　world。　Tell　me；　stranger：　life　
iswhy　therefore　should　not　life　be　lengthened　for　a　
while？　What　are　ten　or　twenty　or　fifty　thousand　years　
in　the　history　of　life？　Why　in　ten　thousand　years　
scarce　will　the　rain　and　storms　lessen　a　mountain…top　
by　a　span　in　thickness？　In　two　thousand　years　these　
caves　have　not　changed；　nothing　has　changed；　but　the　
beasts　and　man；　who　is　as　the　beasts。　There　is　naught　
that　is　wonderful　about　the　matter；　couldst　thou　but　
understand。　Life　is　wonderful；　ay；　but　that　it　should　
be　a　little　lengthened　is　not　wonderful。　Nature　hath　
her　animating　spirit　as　well　as　man；　who　is　Nature's　
child；　and　he　who　can　find　that　spirit；　and　let　it　
breathe　upon　him；　shall　live　with　her　life。　He　shall　
not　live　eternally；　for　Nature　is　not　eternal；　and　she　
herself　must　die；　even　as　the　nature　of　the　moon　hath　
died。　_i_　She　_i_　herself　must　die；　I　say；　or　rather　
change　and　sleep　till　it　be　time　for　her　to　live　
again。　But　when　shall　she　die？　Not　yet；　I　ween；　and　
while　she　lives；　so　shall　he　who　hath　all　her　secret　
live　with　her。　All　I　have　it　not；　yet　have　I　some；　
more　perchance　than　any　who　were　before　me。　Now；　to　
thee　I　doubt　not　that　this　thing　is　a　great　mystery；　
therefore　I　will　not　overcome　thee　with　it　now。　
Another　time　will　I　tell　thee　more　if　the　mood　be　on　
me；　though　perchance　I　shall　never　speak　thereof　
again。　Dost　thou　wonder　how　I　knew　that　ye　were　coming　
to　this　land；　and　so　saved　your　heads　from　the　hot　
pot？〃

〃Ay；　O　queen；〃　I　answered；　feebly。　

〃Then　gaze　upon　that　water；〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　
font　like　vessel；　and　then；　bending　forward；　held　her　
hand　over　it。

I　rose　and　gazed；　and　instantly　the　water　darkened。　
Then　it　cleared　and　I　saw　as　distinctly　as　I　ever　saw　
anything　in　my　lifeI　saw；　I　say；　our　boat　upon　that　
horrible　canal。　There　was　Leo　lying　at　the　bottom　
asleep　in　it；　with　a　coat　thrown　over　him　to　keep　off　
the　mosquitoes；　in　such　a　fashion　as　to　hide　his　face；　
and　myself；　Job；　and　Mahomed　towing　on　the　bank。

I　stared　back　aghast；　and　cried　out　that　it　was　magic；　
for　I　recognized　the　whole　scene；　it　was　one　which　had　
actually　occurred；

〃Nay；　nay；　O　Holly；〃　she　answered；　〃it　is　no　magic；　
that　is　a　fiction　of　ignorance。　There　is　no　such　thing　
as　magic；　though　there　is　such　a　thing　as　knowledge　of　
the　secrets　of　Nature。　That　water　is　my　glass；　in　it　I　
see　what　passes　if　I　care　to　summon　up　the　pictures；　
which　is　not　often。　Therein　I　can　show　thee　what　thou　
wilt　of　the　past；　if　it　be　anything　to　do　with　this　
country　and　with　what　I　have　known；　or　anything　that　
thou；　the　gazer；　hast　known。　Think　of　a　face　if　thou　
wilt；　and　it　shall　be　reflected　from　thy　mind　upon　the　
water。　I　know　not　all　the　secret　yetI　can　read　
nothing　in　the　future。　But　it　is　an　old　secret；　I　did　
not　find　it。　In　Arabia　and　in　Egypt　the　sorcerers　knew　
it　centuries　ago。　So　one　day　I　chanced　to　bethink　me　
of　that　old　canalsome　twenty　centuries　ago　I　sailed　
upon　it；　and　I　was　minded　to　look　thereon　again。　And　
so　I　looked；　and　there　I　saw　the　boat　and　three　men　
walking；　and　one；　whose　face　I　could　not　see；　but　a　
youth　of　a　noble　form；　sleeping　in　the　boat；　and　so　I　
sent　and　saved　ye。　And　now；　farewell。　But　stay；　tell　
me　of　this　youththe　Lion；　as　the　old　man　calls　him。　
I　would　look　upon　him；　but　he　is　sick；　thou　sayest
sick　with　the　fever；　and　also　wounded　in　the　fray。〃

〃He　is　very　sick；〃　I　answered；　sadly；　〃canst　thou　do　
nothing　for　him；　O　queen！　who　knowest　so　much？〃

〃Of　a　surety　I　can。　I　can　cure　him；　but　why　speakest　
thou　so　sadly？　Doth　thou　love　the　youth？　Is　he　
perchance　thy　son？〃

〃He　is　my　adopted　son；　O　queen！　Shall　he　be　brought　in　
before　thee？〃　

〃Nay。　How　long　hath　the　fever　taken　him？〃

〃This　is　the　third　day。〃

〃Good；　then　let　him　lie　another　day。　Then　will　he　
perchance　throw　it　off　by　his　own　strength；　and　that　
is　better　than　that　I　should　cure　him；　for　my　medicine　
is　of　a　sort　to　shake　the　life　in　its　very　citadel。　
If；　however；　by　tomorrow　night；　at　that　hour　when　the　
fever　first　took　him；　he　doth　not　begin　to　mend；　then　
will　I　come　to　him　and　cure　him。　Stay；　who　nurses　
him？〃

〃Our　white　servant；　him　whom　Billali　names　the　Pig；　
also；〃　and　here　I　spoke　with　some　little　hesitation；　
〃a　woman　named　Ustane；　a　very　handsome　woman　of　this　
country；　who　came　and　embraced　him　when　first　she　saw　
him；　and　hath　stayed　by　him　ever　since；　as　I　
understand　is　the　fashion　of　thy　people；　O　queen。〃

〃My　people！　speak　not　to　me　of　my　people；〃　she　
answered；　hastily；…〃these　slaves　are　no　people　of　
mine；　they　are　but　dogs　to　do　my　bidding　till　the　day　
of　my　deliverance　comes；　and；　as　for　their　customs；　
naught　have　I　to　do　with　them。　Also；　call　me　not　
queenI　am　sick　of　flattery　and　titlescall　me　
Ayesha；　the　name　hath　a　sweet　sound　in　mine　ears；　it　
is　an　echo　from　the　past。　As　for　this　Ustane；　I　know　
not。　I　wonder　if　it　be　she　against　whom　I　was　warned；　
and　whom　I　in　turn　did　warn？　Hath　shestay；　I　will　
see〃；　and；　bending　forward；　she　passed　her　hand　over　
the　font　of　water　and　gazed　intently　into　it。　〃See；〃　
she　said；　quietly；　〃is　that　the　woman？〃

I　looked　into　the　water；　and　there；　mirrored　upon　its　
placid　surface；　was　the　silhouette　of　Ustane's　stately