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第20节

classic mystery and detective stories-第20节

小说: classic mystery and detective stories 字数: 每页4000字

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pledged among the roses; recall the dread bond by which we united

our sway over hosts that yet own thee as queen; though my scepter

is broken; my diadem reft from my brows!〃



The Veiled Woman rose at this adjuration。  Her veil now was

withdrawn; and the blaze of the fire between Margrave and herself

flushed; as with the rosy bloom of youth; the grand beauty of her

softened face。  It was seen; detached; as it were; from her dark…

mantled form; seen through the mist of the vapors which rose from

the caldron; framing it round like the clouds that are yieldingly

pierced by the light of the evening star。



Through the haze of the vapor came her voice; more musical; more

plaintive than I had heard it before; but far softer; more tender:

still in her foreign tongue; the words unknown to me; and yet their

sense; perhaps; made intelligible by the love; which has one common

language and one common look to all who have lovedthe love

unmistakably heard in the loving tone; unmistakably seen in the

loving face。



A moment or so more and she had come round from the opposite side

of the fire pile; and bending over Margrave's upturned brow; kissed

it quietly; solemnly; and then her countenance grew fierce; her

crest rose erect: it was the lioness protecting her young。  She

stretched forth her arm from the black mantle; athwart the pale

front that now again bent over the caldronstretched it toward the

haunted and hollow…sounding space beyond; in the gesture of one

whose right hand has the sway of the scepter。  And then her voice

stole on the air in the music of a chant; not loud yet far…

reaching; so thrilling; so sweet and yet so solemn that I could at

once comprehend how legend united of old the spell of enchantment

with the power of song。  All that I recalled of the effects which;

in the former time; Margrave's strange chants had produced on the

ear that they ravished and the thoughts they confused; was but as

the wild bird's imitative carol; compared to the depth and the art

and the soul of the singer; whose voice seemed endowed with a charm

to inthrall all the tribes of creation; though the language it used

for that charm might to them; as to me; be unknown。  As the song

ceased; I heard from behind sounds like those I had heard in the

spaces before methe tramp of invisible feet; the whir of

invisible wings; as if armies were marching to aid against armies

in march to destroy。



〃Look not in front nor around;〃 said Ayesha。  〃Look; like him; on

the caldron below。  The circle and the lamps are yet bright; I will

tell you when the light again fails。〃



I dropped my eyes on the caldron。



〃See;〃 whispered Margrave; 〃the sparkles at last begin to arise;

and the rose hues to deepensigns that we near the last process。〃





IX





The fifth hour had passed away; when Ayesha said to me; 〃Lo! the

circle is fading; the lamps grow dim。  Look now without fear on the

space beyond; the eyes that appalled thee are again lost in air; as

lightnings that fleet back into cloud。〃



I looked up; and the specters had vanished。  The sky was tinged

with sulphurous hues; the red and the black intermixed。  I

replenished the lamps and the ring in front; thriftily; heedfully;

but when I came to the sixth lamp; not a drop in the vessel that

fed them was left。  In a vague dismay; I now looked round the half

of the wide circle in rear of the two bended figures intent on the

caldron。  All along that disk the light was already broken; here

and there flickering up; here and there dying down; the six lamps

in that half of the circle still twinkled; but faintly; as stars

shrinking fast from the dawn of day。  But it was not the fading

shine in that half of the magical ring which daunted my eye and

quickened with terror the pulse of my heart; the Bush…land beyond

was on fire。  From the background of the forest rose the flame and

the smokethe smoke; there; still half smothering the flame。  But

along the width of the grasses and herbage; between the verge of

the forest and the bed of the water creek just below the raised

platform from which I beheld the dread conflagration; the fire was

advancingwave upon wave; clear and red against the columns of

rock behind; as the rush of a flood through the mists of some Alp

crowned with lightnings。



Roused from my stun at the first sight of a danger not foreseen by

the mind I had steeled against far rarer portents of Nature; I

cared no more for the lamps and the circle。  Hurrying hack to

Ayesha I exclaimed: 〃The phantoms have gone from the spaces in

front; but what incantation or spell can arrest the red march of

the foe speeding on in the rear!  While we gazed on the caldron of

life; behind us; unheeded; behold the Destroyer!〃



Ayesha looked and made no reply; but; as by involuntary instinct;

bowed her majestic head; then rearing it erect; placed herself yet

more immediately before the wasted form of the young magician (he

still; bending over the caldron; and hearing me not in the

absorption and hope of his watch)placed herself before him; as

the bird whose first care is her fledgling。



As we two there stood; fronting the deluge of fire; we heard

Margrave behind us; murmuring low; 〃See the bubbles of light; how

they sparkle and danceI shall live; I shall live!〃  And his words

scarcely died in our ears before; crash upon crash; came the fall

of the age…long trees in the forest; and nearer; all near us;

through the blazing grasses; the hiss of the serpents; the scream

of the birds; and the bellow and tramp of the herds plunging wild

through the billowy red of their pastures。



Ayesha now wound her arms around Margrave; and wrenched him;

reluctant and struggling; from his watch over the seething caldron。

In rebuke of his angry exclamations; she pointed to the march of

the fire; spoke in sorrowful tones a few words in her own language;

and then; appealing to me in English; said:



〃I tell him that; here; the Spirits who oppose us have summoned a

foe that is deaf to my voice; and〃



〃And;〃 exclaimed Margrave; no longer with gasp and effort; but with

the swell of a voice which drowned all the discords of terror and

of agony sent forth from the Phlegethon burning below〃and this

witch; whom I trusted; is a vile slave and impostor; more desiring

my death than my life。  She thinks that in life I should scorn and

forsake her; that in death I should die in her arms!  Sorceress;

avaunt!  Art thou useless and powerless now when I need thee most?

Go!  Let the world be one funeral pyre!  What to ME is the world?

My world is my life!  Thou knowest that my last hope is herethat

all the strength left me this night will die down; like the lamps

in the circle; unless the elixir restore it。  Bold friend; spurn

that sorceress away。  Hours yet ere those flames can assail us!  A

few minutes more; and life to your Lilian and me!〃



Thus having said; Margrave turned from us; and cast into the

caldron the last essence yet left in his empty coffer。



Ayesha silently drew her black veil over her face; and turned; with

the being she loved; from the terror he scorned; to share in the

hope that he cherished。



Thus left alone; with my reason disinthralled; disenchanted; I

surveyed more calmly the extent of the actual peril with which we

were threatened; and the peril seemed less; so surveyed。



It is true all the Bush…land behind; almost up to the bed of the

creek; was on fire; but the grasses; through which the flame spread

so rapidly; ceased at the opposite marge of the creek。  Watery

pools were still; at intervals; left in the bed of the creek;

shining tremulous; like waves of fire; in the glare reflected from

the burning land; and even where the water failed; the stony course

of the exhausted rivulet was a barrier against the march of the

conflagration。  Thus; unless the wind; now still; should rise; and

waft some sparks to the parched combustible herbage immediately

around us; we were saved from the fire; and our work might yet be

achieved。



I whispered to Ayesha the conclusion to which I came。



〃Thinkest thou;〃 she answered without raising her mournful head;

〃that the Agencies of Nature are the movements of chance?  The

Spirits I invoked to his aid are leagued with the hosts that

assail。  A mightier than I am has doomed him!〃



Scarcely had she uttered these words before Margrave exclaimed;

〃Behold how the Rose of the alchemist's dream enlarges its blooms

from the folds of its petals!  I shall live; I shall live!〃



I looked; and the liquid which glowed in the caldron had now taken

a splendor that mocked all comparisons borrowed from the luster of

gems。  In its prevalent color it had; indeed; the dazzle and flash

of the ruby; but out from the mass of the molten red; broke

coruscations of all prismal hues; shooting; shifting; in a play

that made the wavelets themselves seem living things; sensible of


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