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第21节

classic mystery and detective stories-第21节

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

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that made the wavelets themselves seem living things; sensible of

their joy。  No longer was there scum or film upon the surface; only

ever and anon a light; rosy vapor floating up; and quick lost in

the haggard; heavy; sulphurous air; hot with the conflagration

rushing toward us from behind。  And these coruscations formed; on

the surface of the molten ruby; literally the shape of a rose; its

leaves made distinct in their outlines by sparks of emerald and

diamond and sapphire。



Even while gazing on this animated liquid luster; a buoyant delight

seemed infused into my senses; all terrors conceived before were

annulled; the phantoms; whose armies had filled the wide spaces in

front; were forgotten; the crash of the forest behind was unheard。

In the reflection of that glory; Margrave's wan cheek seemed

already restored to the radiance it wore when I saw it first in the

framework of blooms。



As I gazed; thus enchanted; a cold hand touched my own。



〃Hush!〃 whispered Ayesha; from the black veil; against which the

rays of the caldron fell blunt; and absorbed into Dark。  〃Behind

us; the light of the circle is extinct; but there; we are guarded

from all save the brutal and soulless destroyers。  But; before!

but; before!see; two of the lamps have died out!see the blank

of the gap in the ring!  Guard that breachthere the demons will

enter。〃



〃Not a drop is there left in this vessel by which to replenish the

lamps on the ring。〃



〃Advance; then; thou hast still the light of the soul; and the

demons may recoil before a soul that is dauntless and guiltless。

If not; Three are lost!as it is; One is doomed。〃



Thus adjured; silently; involuntarily; I passed from the Veiled

Woman's side; over the sear lines on the turf which had been traced

by the triangles of light long since extinguished; and toward the

verge of the circle。  As I advanced; overhead rushed a dark cloud

of wingsbirds dislodged from the forest on fire; and screaming;

in dissonant terror; as they flew toward the farthermost mountains;

close by my feet hissed and glided the snakes; driven forth from

their blazing coverts; and glancing through the ring; unscared by

its waning lamps; all undulating by me; bright…eyed; and hissing;

all made innocuous by feareven the terrible Death…adder; which I

trampled on as I halted at the verge of the circle; did not turn to

bite; but crept harmless away。  I halted at the gap between the two

dead lamps; and bowed my head to look again into the crystal

vessel。  Were there; indeed; no lingering drops yet left; if but to

recruit the lamps for some priceless minutes more?  As I thus

stood; right into the gap between the two dead lamps strode a

gigantic Foot。  All the rest of the form was unseen; only; as

volume after volume of smoke poured on from the burning land

behind; it seemed as if one great column of vapor; eddying round;

settled itself aloft from the circle; and that out from that column

strode the giant Foot。  And; as strode the Foot; so with it came;

like the sound of its tread; a roll of muttered thunder。



I recoiled; with a cry that rang loud through the lurid air。



〃Courage!〃 said the voice of Ayesha。  〃Trembling soul; yield not an

inch to the demon!〃



At the charm; the wonderful charm; in the tone of the Veiled

Woman's voice; my will seemed to take a force more sublime than its

own。  I folded my arms on my breast; and stood as if rooted to the

spot; confronting the column of smoke and the stride of the giant

Foot。  And the Foot halted; mute。



Again; in the momentary hush of that suspense; I heard a voiceit

was Margrave's。



〃The last hour expiresthe work is accomplished!  Come! come!  Aid

me to take the caldron from the fire; and; quick!or a drop may be

wasted in vaporthe Elixir of Life from the caldron!〃



At that cry I receded; and the Foot advanced。



And at that moment; suddenly; unawares; from behind; I was stricken

down。  Over me; as I lay; swept a whirlwind of trampling hoofs and

glancing horns。  The herds; in their flight from the burning

pastures; had rushed over the bed of the water course; scaled the

slopes of the banks。  Snorting and bellowing; they plunged their

blind way to the mountains。  One cry alone; more wild than their

own savage blare; pierced the reek through which the Brute

Hurricane swept。  At that cry of wrath and despair I struggled to

rise; again dashed to earth by the hoofs and the horns。  But was it

the dreamlike deceit of my reeling senses; or did I see that giant

Foot stride past through the close…serried ranks of the maddening

herds?  Did I hear; distinct through all the huge uproar of animal

terror; the roll of low thunder which followed the stride of that

Foot?





X





When my sense had recovered its shock; and my eyes looked dizzily

round; the charge of the beasts had swept by; and of all the wild

tribes which had invaded the magical circle; the only lingerer was

the brown Death…adder; coiled close by the spot where my head had

rested。  Beside the extinguished lamps which the hoofs had

confusedly scattered; the fire; arrested by the water course; had

consumed the grasses that fed it; and there the plains stretched

black and desert as the Phlegraean Field of the Poet's Hell。  But

the fire still raged in the forest beyondwhite flames; soaring up

from the trunks of the tallest trees; and forming; through the

sullen dark of the smoke reck; innumerable pillars of fire; like

the halls in the city of fiends。



Gathering myself up; I turned my eyes from the terrible pomp of the

lurid forest; and looked fearfully down on the hoof…trampled sward

for my two companions。



I saw the dark image of Ayesha still seated; still bending; as I

had seen it last。  I saw a pale hand feebly grasping the rim of the

magical caldron; which lay; hurled down from its tripod by the rush

of the beasts; yards away from the dim; fading embers of the

scattered wood pyre。  I saw the faint writhings of a frail; wasted

frame; over which the Veiled Woman was bending。  I saw; as I moved

with bruised limbs to the place; close by the lips of the dying

magician; the flash of the rubylike essence spilled on the sward;

and; meteor…like; sparkling up from the torn tufts of herbage。



I now reached Margrave's side。  Bending over him as the Veiled

Woman bent; and as I sought gently to raise him; he turned his

face; fiercely faltering out; 〃Touch me not; rob me not!  YOU share

with me!  Never; never!  These glorious drops are all mine!  Die

all else!  I will live; I will live!〃  Writhing himself from my

pitying arms; he plunged his face amidst the beautiful; playful

flame of the essence; as if to lap the elixir with lips scorched

away from its intolerable burning。  Suddenly; with a low shriek; he

fell back; his face upturned to mine; and on that face unmistakably

reigned Death。



Then Ayesha tenderly; silently; drew the young head to her lap; and

it vanished from my sight behind her black veil。



I knelt beside her; murmuring some trite words of comfort; but she

heeded me not; rocking herself to and fro as the mother who cradles

a child to sleep。  Soon the fast…flickering sparkles of the lost

elixir died out on the grass; and with their last sportive diamond…

like tremble of light; up; in all the suddenness of Australian day;

rose the sun; lifting himself royally above the mountain tops; and

fronting the meaner blaze of the forest as a young king fronts his

rebels。  And as there; where the bush fires had ravaged; all was a

desert; so there; where their fury had not spread; all was a

garden。  Afar; at the foot of the mountains; the fugitive herds

were grazing; the cranes; flocking back to the pools; renewed the

strange grace of their gambols; and the great kingfisher; whose

laugh; half in mirth; half in mockery; leads the choir that welcome

the mornwhich in Europe is nightalighted bold on the roof of

the cavern; whose floors were still white with the bones of races;

extinct beforeso helpless through instincts; so royal through

Soulrose MAN!



But there; on the ground where the dazzling elixir had wasted its

virtuesthere the herbage already had a freshness of verdure

which; amid the duller sward round it; was like an oasis of green

in a desert。  And; there; wild flowers; whose chill hues the eye

would have scarcely distinguished the day before; now glittered

forth in blooms of unfamiliar beauty。  Toward that spot were

attracted myriads of happy insects; whose hum of intense joy was

musically loud。  But the form of the life…seeking sorcerer lay

rigid and stark; blind to the bloom of the wild flowers; deaf to

the glee of the insectsone hand still resting heavily on the rim

of the emptied caldron; and the face still hid behind the Black

Veil。  What! the wondrous elixir; sought with such hope and well…

nigh achieved through such dread; fleeting back to the earth from

which its materia

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