classic mystery and detective stories-第22节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

which　its　material　was　drawn　to　give　bloom；　indeedbut　to　herbs；

joy　indeedbut　to　insects！



And　now；　in　the　flash　of　the　sun；　slowly　wound　up　the　slopes　that

led　to　the　circle；　the　same　barbaric　procession　which　had　sunk　into

the　valley　under　the　ray　of　the　moon。　　The　armed　men　came　first；

stalwart　and　tall；　their　vests　brave　with　crimson　and　golden　lace；

their　weapons　gayly　gleaming　with　holiday　silver。　　After　them；　the

Black　Litter。　　As　they　came　to　the　place；　Ayesha；　not　raising　her

head；　spoke　to　them　in　her　own　Eastern　tongue。　　A　wail　was　her

answer。　　The　armed　men　bounded　forward；　and　the　bearers　left　the

litter。



All　gathered　round　the　dead　form　with　the　face　concealed　under　the

Black　Veil；　all　knelt；　and　all　wept。　　Far　in　the　distance；　at　the

foot　of　the　blue　mountains；　a　crowd　of　the　savage　natives　had　risen

up　as　if　from　the　earth；　they　stood　motionless　leaning　on　their

clubs　and　spears；　and　looking　toward　the　spot　on　which　we　were

strangely　thus　brought　into　the　landscape；　as　if　they　too；　the　wild

dwellers　on　the　verge　which　Humanity　guards　from　the　Brute；　were

among　the　mourners　for　the　mysterious　Child　of　mysterious　Nature！

And　still；　in　the　herbage；　hummed　the　small　insects；　and　still；

from　the　cavern；　laughed　the　great　kingfisher。　　I　said　to　Ayesha；

〃Farewell！　your　love　mourns　the　dead；　mine　calls　me　to　the　living。

You　are　now　with　your　own　people；　they　may　console　yousay　if　I

can　assist。〃



〃There　is　no　consolation　for　me！　　What　mourner　can　be　consoled　if

the　dead　die　forever？　　Nothing　for　him　is　left　but　a　grave；　that

grave　shall　be　in　the　land　where　the　song　of　Ayesha　first　lulled

him　to　sleep。　　Thou　assist　MEthou；　the　wise　man　of　Europe！　　From

me　ask　assistance。　　What　road　wilt　thou　take　to　thy　home？〃



〃There　is　but　one　road　known　to　me　through　the　maze　of　the

solitudethat　which　we　took　to　this　upland。〃



〃On　that　road　Death　lurks；　and　awaits　thee！　　Blind　dupe；　couldst

thou　think　that　if　the　grand　secret　of　life　had　been　won；　he　whose

head　rests　on　my　lap　would　have　yielded　thee　one　petty　drop　of　the

essence　which　had　filched　from　his　store　of　life　but　a　moment？　　Me；

who　so　loved　and　so　cherished　himme　he　would　have　doomed　to　the

pitiless　cord　of　my　servant；　the　Strangler；　if　my　death　could　have

lengthened　a　hairbreadth　the　span　of　his　being。　　But　what　matters

to　me　his　crime　or　his　madness？　　I　loved　him；　I　loved　him！〃



She　bowed　her　veiled　head　lower　and　lower；　perhaps　under　the　veil

her　lips　kissed　the　lips　of　the　dead。　　Then　she　said　whisperingly：



〃Juma　the　Strangler；　whose　word　never　failed　to　his　master；　whose

prey　never　slipped　from　his　snare；　waits　thy　step　on　the　road　to

thy　home！　　But　thy　death　cannot　now　profit　the　dead；　the　beloved。

And　thou　hast　had　pity　for　him　who　took　but　thine　aid　to　design　thy

destruction。　　His　life　is　lost；　thine　is　saved！〃



She　spoke　no　more　in　the　tongue　that　I　could　interpret。　　She　spoke；

in　the　language　unknown；　a　few　murmured　words　to　her　swarthy

attendants；　then　the　armed　men；　still　weeping；　rose；　and　made　a

dumb　sign　to　me　to　go　with　them。　　I　understood　by　the　sign　that

Ayesha　had　told　them　to　guard　me　on　my　way；　but　she　gave　no　reply

to　my　parting　thanks。





XI





I　descended　into　the　valley；　the　armed　men　followed。　　The　path；　on

that　side　of　the　water　course　not　reached　by　the　flames；　wound

through　meadows　still　green；　or　amidst　groves　still　unscathed。　　As

a　turning　in　the　way　brought　in　front　of　my　sight　the　place　I　had

left　behind；　I　beheld　the　black　litter　creeping　down　the　descent；

with　its　curtains　closed；　and　the　Veiled　Woman　walking　by　its　side。

But　soon　the　funeral　procession　was　lost　to　my　eyes；　and　the

thoughts　that　it　roused　were　erased。　　The　waves　in　man's　brain　are

like　those　of　the　sea；　rushing　on；　rushing　over　the　wrecks　of　the

vessels　that　rode　on　their　surface；　to　sink；　after　storm；　in　their

deeps。　　One　thought　cast　forth　into　the　future　now　mastered　all　in

the　past：　〃Was　Lilian　living　still？〃　　Absorbed　in　the　gloom　of　that

thought；　hurried　on　by　the　goad　that　my　heart；　in　its　tortured

impatience；　gave　to　my　footstep；　I　outstripped　the　slow　stride　of

the　armed　men；　and；　midway　between　the　place　I　had　left　and　the

home　which　I　sped　to；　came；　far　in　advance　of　my　guards；　into　the

thicket　in　which　the　Bushmen　had　started　up　in　my　path　on　the　night

that　Lilian　had　watched　for　my　coming。　　The　earth　at　my　feet　was

rife　with　creeping　plants　and　many…colored　flowers；　the　sky

overhead　was　half　hid　by　motionless　pines。　　Suddenly；　whether

crawling　out　from　the　herbage　or　dropping　down　from　the　trees；　by

my　side　stood　the　white…robed　and　skeleton　formAyesha's　attendant

the　Strangler。



I　sprang　from　him　shuddering；　then　halted　and　faced　him。　　The

hideous　creature　crept　toward　me；　cringing　and　fawning；　making

signs　of　humble　goodwill　and　servile　obeisance。　　Again　I　recoiled

wrathfully；　loathingly；　turned　my　face　homeward；　and　fled　on。　　I

thought　I　had　baffled　his　chase；　when；　just　at　the　mouth　of　the

thicket；　he　dropped　from　a　bough　in　my　path　close　behind　me。

Before　I　could　turn；　some　dark　muffling　substance　fell　between　my

sight　and　the　sun；　and　I　felt　a　fierce　strain　at　my　throat。　　But

the　words　of　Ayesha　had　warned　me；　with　one　rapid　hand　I　seized　the

noose　before　it　could　tighten　too　closely；　with　the　other　I　tore

the　bandage　away　from　my　eyes；　and；　wheeling　round　on　the　dastardly

foe；　struck　him　down　with　one　spurn　of　my　foot。　　His　hand；　as　he

fell；　relaxed　its　hold　on　the　noose；　I　freed　my　throat　from　the

knot；　and　sprang　from　the　copse　into　the　broad　sunlit　plain。　　I　saw

no　more　of　the　armed　men　or　the　Strangler。　　Panting　and　breathless；

I　paused　at　last　before　the　fence；　fragrant　with　blossoms；　that

divided　my　home　from　the　solitude。



The　windows　of　Lilian's　room　were　darkened；　all　within　the　house

seemed　still。



Darkened　and　silenced　home；　with　the　light　and　sounds　of　the　jocund

day　all　around　it。　　Was　there　yet　hope　in　the　Universe　for　me？　　All

to　which　I　had　trusted　Hope　had　broken　down；　the　anchors　I　had

forged　for　her　hold　in　the　beds　of　the　ocean；　her　stay　from　the

drifts　of　the　storm；　had　snapped　like　the　reeds　which　pierce　the

side　that　leans　on　the　barb　of　their　points；　and　confides　in　the

strength　of　their　stems。　　No　hope　in　the　baffled　resources　of

recognized　knowledge！　　No　hope　in　the　daring　adventures　of　Mind

into　regions　unknown；　vain　alike　the　calm　lore　of　the　practiced

physician；　and　the　magical　arts　of　the　fated　Enchanter！　　I　had　fled

from　the　commonplace　teachings　of　Nature；　to　explore　in　her

Shadowland　marvels　at　variance　with　reason。　　Made　brave　by　the

grandeur　of　love；　I　had　opposed　without　quailing　the　stride　of　the

Demon；　and　my　hope；　when　fruition　seemed　nearest；　had　been　trodden

into　dust　by　the　hoofs　of　the　beast！　　And　yet；　all　the　while；　I　had

scorned；　as　a　dream；　more　wild　than　the　word　of　a　sorcerer；　the

hope　that　the　old　man　and　the　child；　the　wise　and　the　ignorant；

took　from　their　souls　as　inborn。　　Man　and　fiend　had　alike　failed　a

mind；　not　ignoble；　not　skill…less；　not　abjectly　craven；　alike

failed　a　heart　not　feeble　and　selfish；　not　dead　to　the　hero's

devotion；　willing　to　shed　every　drop　of　its　blood　for　a　something

more　dear　than　an　animal's　life　for　itself！　　What　remainedwhat

remained　for　man's　hope？man's　mind　and　man's　heart　thus

exhausting　their　all　with　no　other　result　but　despair！　　What

remained　but　the　mystery　of　mysteries；　so　clear　to　the　sunrise　of

childhood；　the　sunset　of　age；　only　dimmed　by　the　clouds　which

collect　round　the　noon　of　our　manhood？　　Where　yet　was　Hope　found？

In　the　soul；　in　its　every…day　impulse　to　supplicate　comfort　and

light；　from　the　Giver　of　soul；　wherever　the　heart　is　afflicted；　the

mind　is　obscured。



Then　the　words　of　Ayesha　rushed　over　me：　〃What　mourner　can　be

consoled；　if　the　dead　die　forever？〃　　Through　every　pulse　of　my

frame　throbbed　that　dread　question；　all　Nature　around　seemed　to

murmur　it。　　And　suddenly；　as　by　a　flash　from　heaven；　the　grand

truth　in　Faber's　grand　reasoning　shone　on　me；　and　lighted　up　all；

within　and　without。　　Man　alone；　of　all　earthly　creatures；　asks；

〃Can　the　dead　die　forever？〃　and　the　instinct　that　urges　the

question　is　God's　answer　to　man。　　No　instinct　is　given　in　vain。



And　born　with　the　instinct　of　soul　is　the　instinct　that　leads　the

soul　from　the　seen　to　the　unseen；　from　time　to　eternity；　from　the

torrent　that　foams　toward　the　Ocean　of　Death；　to　the　source　of　its

stream；　far　aloft　from　the　Ocean。



〃Know　thyself；〃　said　the　Pythian　of　old。　　〃That　precept　descended

from　Heaven。〃　　Know　thyself！　　Is　that　maxim　wise？　　If　so；　know　thy

soul。　　But　never　yet　did　man　come　to　the　thorough　conviction　of

soul　but　what　he　acknowledged　the　sovereign　necessity　of　prayer。

In　my　awe；　in　my　rapture；　all　my　thoughts　seemed　enlarged　and

illumed　and　exalted。