she-第56节

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was　absolutely　black；　and　at　what　depth　it　ended　is　
more　than　I　can　guess。　Above　were　space　upon　space　of　
giddy　air；　and　far；　far　away　a　line　of　blue　sky。　And　
down　this　vast　gulf　upon　which　we　were　pinnacled　the　
great　draught　dashed　and　roared；　driving　clouds　and　
misty　wreaths　of　vapor　before　it；　till　we　were　nearly　
blinded　and　utterly　confused。

The　whole　position　was　so　tremendous　and　so　absolutely　
unearthly　that　I　believe　it　actually　lulled　our　sense　
of　terror；　but　to　this　hour　I　often　see　it　in　my　
dreams；　and　wake　up　covered　with　cold　perspiration　at　
its　mere　fantasy。

〃On！　on！〃　cried　the　white　form　before　us；　for　now　the　
cloak　had　gone　_i_　She　_i_　was　robed　in　white；　and　
looked　more　like　a　spirit　riding　down　the　gale　than　a　
woman；　〃On；　or　ye　will　fall　and　be　dashed　to　pieces。　
Keep　your　eyes　fixed　upon　the　ground；　and　closely　hug　
the　rock。〃

We　obeyed　her；　and　crept　painfully　along　the　quivering　
path；　against　which　the　wind　shrieked　and　wailed　as　it　
shook　it；　causing　it　to　murmur　like　a　vast　tuning…
fork。　On　we　went；　I　do　not　know　for　how　long；　only　
gazing　round　now　and　again；　when　it　was　absolutely　
necessary；　until　at　last　we　saw　that　we　were　on　the　
very　tip　of　the　spur；　a　slab　of　rock　little　larger　
than　an　ordinary　table；　and　that　throbbed　and　jumped　
like　any　over…engined　steamer。　There　we　lay　on　our　
stomachs；　clinging　to　the　ground；　and　looked　about　us；　
while　Ayesha　stood　leaning　out　against　the　wind；　down　
which　her　long　hair　streamed；　and；　absolutely　heedless　
of　the　hideous　depth　that　yawned　beneath；　pointed　
before　her。　Then　we　saw　why　the　narrow　plank；　which　
Job　and　I　had　painfully　dragged　along　between　us；　had　
been　provided。　Before　us　was　an　empty　space；　on　the　
other　side　of　which　was　something；　as　yet　we　could　not　
see　what；　for　here　either　owing　to　the　shadow　of　the　
opposite　cliff；　or　from　some　other　cause…the　gloom　was　
that　of　night。

〃We　must　wait　awhile；〃　called　Ayesha；　〃soon　there　will　
be　light。〃

At　the　moment　I　could　not　imagine　what　she　meant。　How　
could　more　light　than　there　was　ever　come　to　this　
dreadful　spot？　While　I　was　still　debating　in　my　mind；　
suddenly；　like　a　great　sword　of　flame；　a　beam　from　the　
setting　sun　pierced　the　Stygian　gloom；　and　smote　upon　
the　point　of　rock　whereon　we　lay　illumining　Ayesha's　
lovely　form　with　an　unearthly　splendor。　I　only　wish　
that　I　could　describe　the　wild　and　marvellous　beauty　
of　that　sword　of　fire；　laid　across　the　darkness　and　
rushing　mist…wreaths　of　the　gulf。　How　it　got　there　I　
do　not　to　this　moment　know；　but　I　presume　that　there　
was　some　cleft　or　hole　in　the　opposing　cliff；　through　
which　it。　pierced　when　the　setting　orb　was　in　a　direct　
line　therewith。　All　I　say　is；　that　the　effect　was　the　
most　wonderful　that　I　ever　saw。　Right　through　the　
heart　of　the　darkness　that　flaming　sword　was　stabbed；　
and　where　it　lay　there　was　the　most　surpassingly　vivid　
light；　so　vivid　that　even　at　a　distance　one　could　see　
the　grain　of　the　rock；　while；　outside　of　ityes；　
within　a　few　inches　of　its　keen　edgewas　naught　but　
clustering　shadows。

And　now；　by　this　ray　of　light；　for　which　_i_　She　_i_　
had　been　waiting；　and　timed　our　arrival　to　meet；　
knowing　that　at　this　season　for　thousands　of　years　it　
had　always　struck　thus　at　sunset；　we　saw　what　was　
before　us。　Within　eleven　or　twelve　feet　of　the　very　
tip　of　the　tongue…like　rock　whereon　we　stood　there　
arose；　presumably　from　the　far　bottom　of　the　gulf；　a　
sugar　loaf…shaped　cone；　of　which　the　summit　was　
exactly　opposite　to　us。　But　had　there　been　a　summit　
only　it　would　not　have　helped　us　much；　for　the　nearest　
point　of　its　circumference　was　some　forty　feet　from　
where　we　were。　On　the　lip　of　this　summit；　however；　
which　was　circular　and　hollow；　rested　a　tremendous　
flat　stone；　something　like　a　glacier　stoneperhaps　it　
was　one；　for　all　I　know　to　the　contraryand　the　end　
of　this　stone　approached　to　within　twelve　feet　or　so　
of　us。　This　huge　boulder　was　nothing　more　or　less　than　
a　gigantic　rocking…stone；　accurately　balanced　upon　the　
edge　of　the　cone　or　miniature　crater；　like　a　half　
crown　on　the　rim　of　a　wineglass；　for；　in　the　fierce　
light　that　played　upon　it　and　us；　we　could　see　it　
oscillating　in　the　gusts　of　wind。

〃Quick！〃　said　Ayesha；　〃the　plankwe　must　cross　while　
the　light　endures；　presently　it　will　be　gone。〃

〃Oh；　Lord；　sir！〃　groaned　Job；　〃surely　she　don't　mean　
us　to　walk　across　that　there　place　on　that　there　
thing；〃　as　in　obedience　to　my　direction　he　pushed　the　
long　board　towards　me。

〃That's　it；　Job；〃　I　halloaed；　in　ghastly　merriment；　
though　the　idea　of　walking　the　plank　was　no　pleasanter　
to　me　than　to　him。

I　pushed　the　board　on　to　Ayesha；　who　deftly　ran　it　
across　the　gulf　so　that　one　end　of　it　rested　on　the　
rocking…stone；　the　other　remaining　on　the　extremity　of　
the　trembling　spur。　Then；　placing　her　foot　upon　it　to　
prevent　it　from　being　blown　away；　she　turned　to　me。

〃Since　last　I　was　here；　O　Holly；〃　she　called；　〃the　
support　of　the　moving　stone　hath　lessened　somewhat；　so　
that　I　am　not　sure　if　it　will　bear　our　weight　and　fall　
or　not。　Therefore　will　I　cross　first；　because　no　harm　
will　come　unto　me；〃　and；　without　further　ado；　she　trod　
lightly　but　firmly　across　the　frail　bridge；　and　in　
another　second　was　standing　safe　upon　the　heaving　
stone。

〃It　is　safe；〃　she　called。　〃See；　hold　thou　the　plank！　I　
will　stand　on　the　farther　side　of　the　stone　so　that　it　
may　not　overbalance　with　your　greater　weights。　Now　
come；　O　Holly；　for　presently　the　light　will　fail　us。〃

I　struggled　to　my　knees；　and　if　ever　I　felt　sick　in　my　
life　I　felt　sick　then；　and　I　am　not　ashamed　to　say　
that　I　hesitated　and　hung　back。

〃Surely　thou　art　not　afraid；〃　called　this　strange　
creature　in　a　lull　of　the　gale；　from　where　she　stood；　
poised　like　a　bird　on　the　highest　point　of　the　rocking　
stone。　〃Make　then　way　for　Kallikrates。〃

This　settled　me；　it　is　better　to　fall　down　a　precipice　
and　die　than　to　be　laughed　at　by　such　a　woman；　so　I　
clinched　my　teeth；　and　in　another　instant　I　was　on　
that　horrible；　narrow；　bending　plank；　with　bottomless　
space　beneath　and　around　me。　I　have　always　hated　a　
great　height；　but　never　before　did　I　realize　the　full　
horrors　of　which　such　a　position　is　capable。　Oh；　the　
sickening　sensation　of　that　yielding　board　resting　on　
the　two　moving　supports。　I　grew　dizzy；　and　thought　
that　I　must　fall；　my　spine　crept；　it　seemed　to　me　that　
I　was　falling；　and　my　delight　at　finding　myself　
sprawling　upon　that　stone；　which　rose　and　fell　beneath　
me　like　a　boat　in　a　swell；　cannot　be　expressed　in　
words。　All　I　know　is　that　briefly；　but　earnestly　
enough；　I　thanked　Providence　for　preserving　me　so　far。

Then　came　Leo's　turn；　and；　though　he　looked　rather　
queer；　he　came　across　like　a　rope…dancer。　Ayesha　
stretched　out　her　hand　to　clasp　his　own；　and　I　heard　
her　say；　〃Bravely　done；　my　lovebravely　done！　The　old　
Greek　spirit　lives　in　thee　yet！〃

And　now　only　poor　Job　remained　on　the　farther　side　of　
the　gulf。　He　crept　up　to　the　plank；　and　yelled　out；　〃I　
can't　do　it；　sir。　I　shall　fall　into　that　beastly　
place。〃

〃You　must；〃　I　remember　saying　with　inappropriate　
facetiousness〃you　must；　Job；　it's　as　easy　as　
catching　flies。〃　I　suppose　that　I　said　it　to　satisfy　
my　conscience；　because　although　the　expression　conveys　
a　wonderful　idea　of　facility；　as　a　matter　of　fact　I　
know　no　more　difficult　operation　in　the　whole　world　
than　catching　fliesthat　is；　in　warm　weather；　unless；　
indeed；　it　is　catching　mosquitoes。

〃I　can't；　sirI　can't；　indeed。

〃Let　the　man　come；　or　let　him　stop　and　perish　there。　
See；　the　light　is　dying！　In　a　moment　it　will　be　gone！〃　
said　Ayesha。

I　looked。　_i_　She　_i_　was　right。　The　sun　was　passing　
below　the　level　of　the　hole　or　cleft　in　the　precipice　
through　which　the　ray　reached　us。

〃If　you　stop　there；　Job；　you　will　die　alone；〃　I　
called；　〃the　light　is　going。〃

〃Come；　be　a　man；　Job；〃　roared　Leo；　〃it's　quite　easy。〃

Thus　adjured；　the　miserable　Job；　with　a　most　awful　
yell；　precipitated　himself　face　downwards　on　the　
plankhe　did　not　dare；　small　blame　to　him；　to　try　to　
walk　it；　and　commenced　to　draw　himself　across　in　
little　jerks；　his　poor　legs　hanging　down　on　either　
side　into　the　nothingness　beneath。

His　violent　jerks　at　the　frail　board　made　the　great　
stone；　which　was　only　balanced　on　a　few　inches　of　
rock；　oscillate　in　a　most　sickening　manner；　and；　to　
make　matters　worse；　when　he　was　half…way　across　the　
flying　ray　of　lurid　light　suddenly　went　out；　just　as　
though　a　lamp　had　been　extinguished　in　a　curtained　
room；　leaving　the　whole　howling　wilderness　of　air　
black　with　darkness。

〃Come　on；　Job；　for　God's　sake！〃　I　shouted；　in　an　agony　
of　fear；　while　the　stone；　gathering　motion　with　every　
swing；　rocked　so　violently　that　it　was　difficult　to　
hang　on　to　it。　It　was　a　truly　awful　position。

〃Lord　have　mercy　on　me！〃　cried　poor　Job　from　the　
darkness。　〃Oh；　the　plank's　slipping！〃　and　I　heard　a　
violent　struggle；　and　thought　that　he　was　gone。

But　at　that　moment　his　outstretched　hand；　clasping　in　
agony　at　the　air；　met　my　own；　and　I　hauledah；　how　I　
did　haul；　putting　out　all　the　strength　that　it