classic mystery and detective stories-第17节

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pointed　out　to　the　woman　his　coffer；　to　the　men　the　fuel　stowed　in

the　outhouse。　　Both　were　borne　away　and　placed　within　the　litter。

Meanwhile　I　took　from　the　table；　on　which　it　was　carelessly　thrown；

the　light　hatchet　that　I　habitually　carried　with　me　in　my　rambles。



〃Do　you　think　that　you　need　that　idle　weapon？〃　said　Margrave。　　〃Do

you　fear　the　good　faith　of　my　swarthy　attendants？〃



〃Nay；　take　the　hatchet　yourself；　its　use　is　to　sever　the　gold　from

the　quartz　in　which　we　may　find　it　imbedded；　or　to　clear；　as　this

shovel；　which　will　also　be　needed；　from　the　slight　soil　above　it；

the　ore　that　the　mine　in　the　mountain　flings　forth；　as　the　sea

casts　its　waifs　on　the　sands。〃



〃Give　me　your　hand；　fellow　laborer！〃　said　Margrave；　joyfully。　　〃Ah；

there　is　no　faltering　terror　in　this　pulse！　　I　was　not　mistaken　in

the　man。　　What　rests；　but　the　place　and　the　hour？I　shall　live；　I

shall　live！〃





III





Margrave　now　entered　the　litter；　and　the　Veiled　Woman　drew　the

black　curtains　round　him。　　I　walked　on；　as　the　guide；　some　yards　in

advance。　　The　air　was　still；　heavy；　and　parched　with　the　breath　of

the　Australasian　sirocco。



We　passed　through　the　meadow　lands；　studded　with　slumbering　flocks；

we　followed　the　branch　of　the　creek；　which　was　linked　to　its　source

in　the　mountains　by　many　a　trickling　waterfall；　we　threaded　the

gloom　of　stunted；　misshapen　trees；　gnarled　with　the　stringy　bark

which　makes　one　of　the　signs　of　the　strata　that　nourish　gold；　and

at　length　the　moon；　now　in　all　her　pomp　of　light；　mid…heaven　among

her　subject　stars；　gleamed　through　the　fissures　of　the　cave；　on

whose　floor　lay　the　relics　of　antediluvian　races；　and　rested　in　one

flood　of　silvery　splendor　upon　the　hollows　of　the　extinct　volcano；

with　tufts　of　dank　herbage；　and　wide　spaces　of　paler　sward；

covering　the　gold　belowgold；　the　dumb　symbol　of　organized

Matter's　great　mystery；　storing　in　itself；　according　as　Mind；　the

informer　of　Matter；　can　distinguish　its　uses；　evil　and　good；　bane

and　blessing。



Hitherto　the　Veiled　Woman　had　remained　in　the　rear；　with　the　white…

robed；　skeletonlike　image　that　had　crept　to　my　side　unawares　with

its　noiseless　step。　　Thus；　in　each　winding　turn　of　the　difficult

path　at　which　the　convoy　following　behind　me　came　into　sight；　I　had

seen；　first；　the　two　gayly　dressed；　armed　men；　next　the　black；

bierlike　litter；　and　last　the　Black…veiled　Woman　and　the　White…

robed　Skeleton。



But　now；　as　I　halted　on　the　tableland；　backed　by　the　mountain　and

fronting　the　valley；　the　woman　left　her　companion；　passed　by　the

litter　and　the　armed　men；　and　paused　by　my　side；　at　the　mouth　of

the　moonlit　cavern。



There　for　a　moment　she　stood；　silent；　the　procession　below　mounting

upward　laboriously　and　slow；　then　she　turned　to　me；　and　her　veil

was　withdrawn。



The　face　on　which　I　gazed　was　wondrously　beautiful；　and　severely

awful。　　There　was　neither　youth　nor　age；　but　beauty；　mature　and

majestic　as　that　of　a　marble　Demeter。



〃Do　you　believe　in　that　which　you　seek？〃　she　asked　in　her　foreign；

melodious；　melancholy　accents。



〃I　have　no　belief；〃　was　my　answer。　　〃True　science　has　none。　　True

science　questions　all　things；　takes　nothing　upon　credit。　　It　knows

but　three　states　of　the　minddenial；　conviction；　and　that　vast

interval　between　the　two　which　is　not　belief　but　suspense　of

judgment。〃



The　woman　let　fall　her　veil；　moved　from　me；　and　seated　herself　on　a

crag　above　that　cleft　between　mountain　and　creek；　to　which；　when　I

had　first　discovered　the　gold　that　the　land　nourished；　the　rain

from　the　clouds　had　given　the　rushing　life　of　the　cataract；　but

which　now；　in　the　drought　and　the　hush　of　the　skies；　was　but　a　dead

pile　of　stones。



The　litter　now　ascended　the　height：　its　bearers　halted；　a　lean　hand

tore　the　curtains　aside；　and　Margrave　descended　leaning；　this　time；

not　on　the　Black…veiled　Woman；　but　on　the　White…robed　Skeleton。



There；　as　he　stood；　the　moon　shone　full　on　his　wasted　form；　on　his

face；　resolute；　cheerful；　and　proud；　despite　its　hollowed　outlines

and　sicklied　hues。　　He　raised　his　head；　spoke　in　the　language

unknown　to　me；　and　the　armed　men　and　the　litter　bearers　grouped

round　him；　bending　low；　their　eyes　fixed　on　the　ground。　　The　Veiled

Woman　rose　slowly　and　came　to　his　side；　motioning　away；　with　a　mute

sign；　the　ghastly　form　on　which　he　leaned；　and　passing　round　him

silently；　instead；　her　own　sustaining　arm。　　Margrave　spoke　again　a

few　sentences；　of　which　I　could　not　even　guess　the　meaning。　　When

he　had　concluded；　the　armed　men　and　the　litter　bearers　came　nearer

to　his　feet；　knelt　down；　and　kissed　his　hand。　　They　then　rose；　and

took　from　the　bierlike　vehicle　the　coffer　and　the　fuel。　　This　done；

they　lifted　again　the　litter；　and　again；　preceded　by　the　armed　men；

the　procession　descended　down　the　sloping　hillside；　down　into　the

valley　below。



Margrave　now　whispered；　for　some　moments；　into　the　ear　of　the

hideous　creature　who　had　made　way　for　the　Veiled　Woman。　　The　grim

skeleton　bowed　his　head　submissively；　and　strode　noiselessly　away

through　the　long　grassesthe　slender　stems；　trampled　under　his

stealthy　feet；　relifting　themselves　as　after　a　passing　wind。　　And

thus　he；　too；　sank　out　of　sight　down　into　the　valley　below。　　On　the

tableland　of　the　hill　remained　only　we　threeMargrave；　myself；　and

the　Veiled　Woman。



She　had　reseated　herself　apart；　on　the　gray　crag　above　the　dried

torrent。　　He　stood　at　the　entrance　of　the　cavern；　round　the　sides

of　which　clustered　parasital　plants；　with　flowers　of　all　colors；

some　among　them　opening　their　petals　and　exhaling　their　fragrance

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　in