she-第49节

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coming。　And　thou　hast　come；　and　none　can　stand　between　
thee　and　me；　and　of　a　truth　now　for　death　I　will　give　
thee　lifenot　life　eternal；　for　that　none　can　give；　
but　life　and　youth　that　shall　endure　for　thousands　
upon　thousands　of　years；　and　with　it　pomp　and　power　
and　wealth；　and　all　things　that　are　good　and　
beautiful；　such　as　have　been　to　no　man　before　thee；　
nor　shall　be　to　any　man　who　comes　after。　And　now　one　
thing　more；　and　thou　shalt　rest　and　make　ready　for　the　
day　of　thy　new　birth。　Thou　seest　this　body；　which　was　
thine　own。　For　all　these　centuries　it　hath　been　my　
cold　comfort　and　my　companion；　but　now　I　need　it　no　
more；　for　I　have　thy　living　presence；　and　it　can　but　
serve　to　stir　up　memories　of　that　which　I　would　fain　
forget。　Let　it　therefore　go　back　to　the　dust　from　
which　I　held　it。

〃Behold！　I　have　prepared　against　this　happy　hour！〃　and　
going　to　the　other　shelf　or　stone　ledge；　which；　she　
said；　had　served　her　for　a　bed；　she　took　from　it　a　
large　vitrified　double…handed　vase；　the　mouth　of　which　
was　tied　up　with　a　bladder。　This　she　loosed；　and　then；　
having　bent　down　and　gently　kissed　the　white　forehead　
of　the　dead　man；　she　undid　the　vase；　and　sprinkled　its　
contents　carefully　over　the　form；　taking；　I　observed；　
the　greatest　precautions　against　any　drop　of　it　
touching　us　or　herself；　and　then　poured　out　what　
remained　of　the　liquid　upon　the　chest　and　head。　
Instantly　a　dense　vapor　arose；　and　the　cave　was　filled　
with　choking　fumes　that　prevented　us　from　seeing　
anything　while　the　deadly　acid　（for　I　presume　it　was　
some　tremendous　preparation　of　that　sort）　did　its　
work。　From　the　spot　where　the　body　lay　came　a　fierce　
fizzing　and　cracking　sound；　which　ceased；　however；　
before　the　fumes　had　cleared　away。　At　last　they　were　
all　gone；　except　a　little　cloud　that　still　hung　over　
the　corpse。　In　a　couple　of　minutes　more　this　too　had　
vanished；　and；　wonderful　as　it　may　seem；　it　is　a　fact　
that　on　the　stone　bench　that　had　supported　the　mortal　
remains　of　the　ancient　Kallikrates　for　so　many　
centuries　there　was　now　nothing　to　be　seen　but　a　few　
handfuls　of　smoking　white　powder。　The　acid　had　utterly　
destroyed　the　body；　and　even　in　places　eaten　into　the　
stone。　Ayesha　stooped　down；　and；　taking　a　handful　of　
this　powder　in　her　grasp；　threw　it　into　the　air；　
saying　at　the　same　time；　in　a　voice　of　calm　solemnity…
…

〃Dust　to　dust！　the　past　to　the　past！　the　dead　to　the　
dead！　Kallikrates　is　dead；　and　is　born　again！〃

The　ashes　floated　noiselessly　to　the　rocky　floor；　and　
we　stood　in　awed　silence　and　watched　them　fall；　too　
overcome　for　words。

〃Now　leave　me；〃　she　said；　〃and　sleep　if　ye　may。　I　must　
watch　and　think；　for　to…morrow　night　we　go　hence；　and　
the　time　is　long　since　I　trod　the　path　that　we　must　
follow。〃

Accordingly　we　bowed；　and　left　her。　As　we　passed　to　
our　own　apartment　I　peeped　into　Job's　sleeping…place　
to　see　how　he　fared；　for　he　had　gone　away　just　before　
our　interview　with　the　murdered　Ustane；　quite　
prostrated　by　the　terrors　of　the　Amahagger　festivity。　
He　as　sleeping　soundly；　good　honest　fellow　that　he　
was；　and　I　rejoiced　to　think　that　his　nerves；　which；　
like　those　of　most　uneducated　people；　were　far　from　
strong；　had　been　spared　the　closing　scenes　of　this　
dreadful　day。　Then。　we　entered　our　own　chamber；　and　
here　at　last　poor　Leo；　who；　ever　since　he　had　looked　
upon　that　frozen　image　of　his　living　self；　had　been　in　
a　state　not　far　removed　from　stupefaction；　burst　out　
into　a　torrent　of　grief。　Now　that　he　was　no　longer　in　
the　presence　of　the　dread　_i_　She　_i_　；　his　sense　of　
the　awfulness　of　all　that　had　happened；　and　more　
especially　of　the　wicked　murder　of　Ustane；　who　was　
bound　to　him　by　ties　so　close；　broke　upon　him　like　a　
storm；　and　lashed　him　into　an　agony　of　remorse　and　
terror　which　was　painful　to　witness。　He　cursed　
himselfhe　cursed　the　hour　when　we　had　first　seen　the　
writing　on　the　sherd；　which　was　being　so　mysteriously　
verified；　and　bitterly　he　cursed　his　own　weakness。　
Ayesha　he　dared　not　cursewho　dared　speak　evil　of　
such　a　woman；　whose　consciousness；　for　aught　we　knew；　
was　watching　us　at　the　very　moment？

〃What　am　I　to　do；　old　fellow？〃　he　groaned；　resting　his　
head　against　my　shoulder　in　the　extremity　of　his　
grief。　〃I　let　her　be　killednot　that　I　could　help　
that；　but　within　five　minutes　I　was　kissing　her　
murderess　over　her　body。　I　am　a　degraded　brute；　but　I　
cannot　resist　that〃　（and　here　his　voice　sank）〃that　
awful　sorceress。　I　know　I　shall　do　it　again　to…morrow；　
I　know　that　I　am　in　her　power　for　always；　if　I　never　
saw　her　again　I　should　never　think　of　anybody　else　
during　all　my　life；　I　must　follow　her　as　a　needle　
follows　a　magnet；　I　would　not　go　away　now　if　I　could；　
I　could　not　leave　her；　my　legs　would　not　carry　me；　but　
my　mind　is　still　clear　enough；　and　in　my　mind　I　hate　
herat　least；　I　think　so。　It　is　all　so　horrible；　and　
thatthat　body！　What　can　I　make　of　it？　It　was　me！　I　
am　sold　into　bondage；　old　fellow；　and　she　will　take　my　
soul　as　the　price　of　herself。〃

Then；　for　the　first　time；　I　told　him　that　I　was　in　a　
but　very　little　better　position；　and　I　am　bound　to　say　
that；　notwithstanding　his　own　infatuation；　he　had　the　
decency　to　sympathize　with　me。　Perhaps　he　did　not　
think　it　worth　while　being　jealous；　realizing　that　he　
had　no　cause　so　far　as　the　lady　was　concerned。　I　went　
on　to　suggest　that　we　should　try　to　run　away；　but　we　
soon　rejected　the　project　as　futile；　and；　to　be　
perfectly　honest；　I　do　not　believe　that　either　of　us　
would　really　have　left　Ayesha　even　if　some　superior　
power　had　suddenly　offered　to　convey　us　from　these　
gloomy　caves　and　set　us　down　in　Cambridge。　We　could　no　
more　have　left　her　than　a　moth　can　leave　the　light　
that　destroys　it。　We　were　like　confirmed　opium　eaters；　
in　our　moments　of　reason　we　well　knew　the　deadly　
nature　of　our　pursuit；　but　we　certainly　were　not　
prepared　to　abandon　its　terrible　delights。

No　man　who　once　had　seen　_i_　She　_i_　unveiled；　and　
heard　the　music　of　her　voice；　and　drunk　in　the　bitter　
wisdom　of　her　words；　would　willingly　give　up　the　sight　
for　a　whole　sea　of　placid　joys。　How　much　more　then　was　
this　likely　to　be　so　when；　as　in　Leo's　case；　to　put　
myself　out　of　the　question；　this　extraordinary　
creature　declared　her　utter　and　absolute　devotion；　and　
gave　what　appeared　to　be　proofs　of　its　having　lasted　
for　some　two　thousand　years？

No　doubt　she　was　a　wicked　person；　and　no　doubt　she　had　
murdered　Ustane　when　she　stood　in　her　path；　but　then　
she　was　very　faithful；　and　by　a　law　of　nature　man　is　
apt　to　think　but　lightly　of　a　woman's　crimes；　
especially　if　that　woman　be　beautiful；　and　the　crime　
be　committed　for　the　love　of　him。

And　then　for　the　rest；　when　had　such　a　chance　ever　
come　to　a　man　before　as　that　which　now　lay　in　Leo's　
hand？　True；　in　uniting　himself　to　this　dread　woman；　he　
would　place　his　life　under　the　influence　of　a　
mysterious　creature　of　evil　tendencies；　but　then　that　
would　be　likely　enough　to　happen　to　him　in　any　
ordinary　marriage。　On　the　other　hand；　however；　no　
ordinary　marriage　could　bring　him　such　awful　beauty
for　awful　is　the　only　word　that　can　describe　itsuch　
divine　devotion；　such　wisdom；　and　command　over　the　
secrets　of　nature；　and　the　place　and　power　that　they　
must　win；　or；　lastly；　the　royal　crown　of　unending　
youth；　if　indeed　she　could　give　that。　No；　on　the　
whole；　it　is　not　wonderful　that　though　Leo　was　plunged　
in　bitter　shame　and　grief；　such　as　any　gentleman　would　
have　felt　under　the　circumstances；　he　was　not　ready　to　
entertain　the　idea　of　running　away　from　his　
extraordinary　fortune。

My　own　opinion　is　that　he　would　have　been　mad　if　he　
had　done　so。　But　then　I　confess　that　my　statement　on　
the　matter　must　be　accepted　with　qualifications。　I　am　
in　love　with　Ayesha　myself　to　this　day；　and　I　would　
rather　have　been　the　object　of　her　affection　for　one　
short　week　than　that　of　any　other　woman　in　the　world　
for　a　whole　lifetime。　And　let　me　add　that　if　anybody　
who　doubts　this　statement；　and　thinks　me　foolish　for　
making　it；　could　have　seen　Ayesha　draw　her　veil　and　
flash　out　in　beauty　on　his　gaze；　his　view　would　
exactly　coincide　with　my　own。　Of　course　I　am　speaking　
of　any　man。　We　never　had　the　advantage　of　a　lady's　
opinion　of　Ayesha；　but　I　think　it　quite　possible　that　
she　would　have　regarded　the　queen　with　dislike；　would　
have　expressed　her　disapproval　in　some　more　or　less　
pointed　manner；　and　ultimately　have　got　herself　
blasted。

For　two　hours　or　more　Leo　and　I　sat　with　shaken　nerves　
and　frightened　eyes；　and　talked　over　the　miraculous　
events　through　which　we　were　passing。　It　seemed　like　a　
dream　or　a　fairy　tale；　instead　of　the　solemn；　sober　
fact。　Who　would　have　believed　that　the　writing　on　the　
potsherd　was　not　only　true；　but　that　we　should　live　to　
verify　its　truth；　and　that　we　two　seekers　should　find　
her　who　was　sought；　patiently　awaiting　our　coming　in　
the　tombs　of　Ko^r？　Who　would　have　thought　that　in　the　
person　of　Leo　this　mysterious　woman　should；　as　she　
believed；　discover　the　being　whom　she　awaited　from　
century　to　century；　and　whose　former　earthly　
habitation　she　had　till　this　very　night　pr