classic mystery and detective stories-第20节

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withdrawn；　and　the　blaze　of　the　fire　between　Margrave　and　herself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