when the world shook-第46节

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bewildered　and　overcome。　My　brain　rocked。　I　would　seek　sleep；　and

in　it　escape；　or　at　any　rate　rest　from　all　these　mysteries。





On　the　following　morning　we　despatched　Bastin　to　keep　his

rendezvous　in　the　sepulchre　at　the　proper　time。　Had　we　not　done

so　I　felt　sure　that　he　would　have　forgotten　it；　for　on　this

occasion　he　was　for　once　an　unwilling　missioner。　He　tried　to

persuade　one　of　us　to　come　with　himeven　Bickley　would　have　been

welcome；　but　we　both　declared　that　we　could　not　dream　of

interfering　in　such　a　professional　matter；　also　that　our　presence

was　forbidden；　and　would　certainly　distract　the　attention　of　his

pupil。



〃What　you　mean；〃　said　the　gloomy　Bastin；　〃is　that　you　intend　to

enjoy　yourselves　up　here　in　the　female　companionship　of　the

Glittering　Lady　whilst　I　sit　thousands　of　feet　underground

attempting　to　lighten　the　darkness　of　a　violent　old　sinner　whom　I

suspect　of　being　in　league　with　Satan。〃



〃With　whom　you　should　be　proud　to　break　a　lance；〃　said　Bickley。



〃So　I　am；　in　the　daylight。　For　instance；　when　he　uses　your

mouth　to　advance　his　arguments。　Bickley；　but　this　is　another

matter。　However；　if　I　do　not　appear　again　you　will　know　that　I

died　in　a　good　cause；　and；　I　hope；　try　to　recover　my　remains　and

give　them　decent　burial。　Also；　you　might　inform　the　Bishop　of　how

I　came　to　my　end；　this　is；　if　you　ever　get　an　opportunity；　which

is　more　than　doubtful。〃



〃Hurry　up；　Bastin；　hurry　up！〃　said　the　unfeeling　Bickley；　〃or

you　will　be　late　for　your　appointment　and　put　your　would…be

neophyte　into　a　bad　temper。〃



Then　Bastin　went；　carrying　under　his　arm　a　large　Bible　printed

in　the　language　of　the　South　Sea　Islands。



A　little　while　later　Yva　appeared；　arrayed　in　her　wondrous

robes　which；　being　a　man；　it　is　quite　impossible　for　me　to

describe。　She　saw　us　looking　at　these；　and；　after　greeting　us

both；　also　Tommy；　who　was　enraptured　at　her　coming；　asked　us　how

the　ladies　of　our　country　attired　themselves。



We　tried　to　explain；　with　no　striking　success。



〃You　are　as　stupid　about　such　matters　as　were　the　men　of　the

Old　World；〃　she　said；　shaking　her　head　and　laughing。　〃I　thought

that　you　had　with　you　pictures　of　ladies　you　have　known　which

would　show　me。〃



Now；　in　fact；　I　had　in　a　pocket…book　a　photograph　of　my　wife　in

evening…dress；　also　a　miniature　of　her　head　and　bust　painted　on

ivory；　a　beautiful　piece　of　work　done　by　a　master　hand；　which　I

always　wore。　These；　after　a　moment's　hesitation；　I　produced　and

showed　to　her；　Bickley　having　gone　away　for　a　little　while　to　see

about　something　connected　with　his　attempted　analysis　of　the

Life…water。　She　examined　them　with　great　eagerness；　and　as　she

did　so　I　noted　that　her　face　grew　tender　and　troubled。



〃This　was　your　wife；〃　she　said　as　one　who　states　what　she　knows

to　be　a　fact。　I　nodded；　and　she　went　on：



〃She　was　sweet　and　beautiful　as　a　flower；　but　not　so　tall　as　I

am；　I　think。〃



〃No；〃　I　answered；　〃she　lacked　height；　given　that　she　would　have

been　a　lovely　woman。〃



〃I　am　glad　you　think　that　women　should　be　tall；〃　she　said；

glancing　at　her　shadow。　〃The　eyes　were　such　as　mine；　were　they

notin　colour；　I　mean？〃



〃Yes；　very　like　yours；　only　yours　are　larger。〃



〃That　is　a　beautiful　way　of　wearing　the　hair。　Would　you　be

angry　if　I　tried　it？　I　weary　of　this　old　fashion。〃



〃Why　should　I　be　angry？〃　I　asked。



At　this　moment　Bickley　reappeared　and　she　began　to　talk　of　the

details　of　the　dress；　saying　that　it　showed　more　of　the　neck　than

had　been　the　custom　among　the　women　of　her　people；　but　was　very

pretty。



〃That　is　because　we　are　still　barbarians；〃　said　Bickley；　〃at

least；　our　women　are；　and　therefore　rely　upon　primitive　methods

of　attraction；　like　the　savages　yonder。〃



She　smiled；　and；　after　a　last；　long　glance；　gave　me　back　the

photograph　and　the　miniature；　saying　as　she　delivered　the　latter：



〃I　rejoice　to　see　that　you　are　faithful；　Humphrey；　and　wear

this　picture　on　your　heart；　as　well　as　in　it。〃



〃Then　you　must　be　a　very　remarkable　woman；〃　said　Bickley。

〃Never　before　did　I　hear　one　of　your　sex　rejoice　because　a　man

was　faithful　to　somebody　else。〃



〃Has　Bickley　been　disappointed　in　his　love…heart；　that　he　is　so

angry　to　us　women？〃　asked　Yva　innocently　of　me。　Then；　without

waiting　for　an　answer；　she　inquired　of　him　whether　he　had　been

successful　in　his　analysis　of　the　Life…water。



〃How　do　you　know　what　I　was　doing　with　the　Life…water？　Did

Bastin　tell　you？〃　exclaimed　Bickley。



〃Bastin　told　me　nothing；　except　that　he　was　afraid　of　the

descent　to　Nyo；　that　he　hated　Nyo　when　he　reached　it；　as　indeed　I

do；　and　that　he　thought　that　my　father；　the　Lord　Oro；　was　a　devil

or　evil　spirit　from　some　Under…world　which　he　called　hell。〃



〃Bastin　has　an　open　heart　and　an　open　mouth；〃　said　Bickley；

〃for　which　I　respect　him。　Follow　his　example　if　you　will；　Lady

Yva；　and　tell　us　who　and　what　is　the　Lord　Oro；　and　who　and　what

are　you。〃



〃Have　we　not　done　so　already？　If　not；　I　will　repeat。　The　Lord

Oro　and　I　are　two　who　have　lived　on　from　the　old　time　when　the

world　was　different；　and　yet；　I　think；　the　same。　He　is　a　man　and

not　a　god；　and　I　am　a　woman。　His　powers　are　great　because　of　his

knowledge；　which　he　has　gathered　from　his　forefathers　and　in　a

life　of　a　thousand　years　before　he　went　to　sleep。　He　can　do

things　you　cannot　do。　Thus；　he　can　pass　through　space　and　take

others　with　him；　and　return　again。　He　can　learn　what　is　happening

in　far…off　parts　of　the　world；　as　he　did　when　he　told　you　of　the

war　in　which　your　country　is　concerned。　He　has　terrible　powers；

for　instance；　he　can　kill；　as　he　killed　those　savages。　Also；　he

knows　the　secrets　of　the　earth；　and；　if　it　pleases　him；　can

change　its　turning　so　that　earthquakes　happen　and　sea　becomes

land；　and　land　sea；　and　the　places　that　were　hot　grow　cold；　and

those　that　were　cold　grow　hot。〃



〃All　of　which　things　have　happened　many　time　in　the　history　of

the　globe；〃　said　Bickley；　〃without　the　help　of　the　Lord　Oro。〃



〃Others　had　knowledge　before　my　father；　and　others　doubtless

will　have　knowledge　after　him。　Even　I；　Yva；　have　some　knowledge；

and　knowledge　is　strength。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　interposed；　〃but　such　powers　as　you　attribute　to　your

father　are　not　given　to　man。〃



〃You　mean　to　man　as　you　know　him；　man　like　Bickley；　who　thinks

that　he　has　learned　everything　that　was　ever　learned。　But　it　is

not　so。　Hundreds　of　thousands　of　years　ago　men　knew　more　than　it

seems　they　do　today；　ten　times　more；　as　they　lived　ten　times

longer；　or　so　you　tell　me。〃



〃Men？〃　I　said。



〃Yes；　men；　not　gods　or　spirits；　as　the　uninstructed　nations

supposed　them　to　be。　My　father　is　a　man　subject　to　the　hopes　and

terrors　of　man。　He　desires　power　which　is　ambition；　and　when　the

world　refused　his　rule；　he　destroyed　that　part　of　it　which

rebelled；　which　is　revenge。　Moreover；　above　all　things　he　dreads

death；　which　is　fear。　That　is　why　he　suspended　life　in　himself

and　me　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years；　as　his　knowledge

gave　him　strength　to　do；　because　death　was　near　and　he　thought

that　sleep　was　better　than　death。〃



〃Why　should　he　dread　to　die；〃　asked　Bickley；　〃seeing　that　sleep

and　death　are　the　same？〃



〃Because　his　knowledge　tells　him　that　Sleep　and　Death　are　not

the　same；　as　you；　in　your　foolishness；　believe；　for　there　Bastin

is　wiser　than　you。　Because　for　all　his　wisdom　he　remains　ignorant

of　what　happens　to　man　when　the　Light　of　Life　is　blown　out　by　the

breath　of　Fate。　That　is　why　he　fears　to　die　and　why　he　talks　with

Bastin　the　Preacher；　who　says　he　has　the　secret　of　the　future。〃



〃And　do　you　fear　to　die？〃　I　asked。



〃No；　Humphrey；〃　she　answered　gently。　〃Because　I　think　that

there　is　no　death；　and；　having　done　no　wrong；　I　dread　no　evil。　I

had　dreams　while　I　was　asleep；　O　Humphrey；　and　it　seemed　to　me

that〃



Here　she　ceased　and　glanced　at　where　she　knew　the　miniature　was

hanging　upon　my　breast。



〃Now；〃　she　continued；　after　a　little　pause；　〃tell　me　of　your

world；　of　its　history；　of　its　languages；　of　what　happens　there；

for　I　long　to　know。〃



So　then　and　there；　assisted　by　Bickley；　I　began　the　education

of　the　Lady　Yva。　I　do　not　suppose　that　there　was　ever　a　more　apt

pupil　in　the　whole　earth。　To　begin　with；　she　was　better

acquainted　with　every　subject　on　which　I　touched　than　I　was

myself；　all　she　lacked　was　information　as　to　its　modern　aspect。

Her　knowledge　ended　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years　ago；　at

which　date；　however；　it　would　seem　that　civilisation　had　already

touched　a　higher　water…mark　than　it　has　ever　since　attained。

Thus；　this　vanished　people　understood　astronomy；　natural

magnetism；　the　force　of　gravity；　steam；　also　electricity　to　some

subtle　use　of　which；　I　gathered；　the　lighting　of　their

underground　city　was　to　be　attributed。　They　had　mastered

architecture　and　the　arts；　as　their　buildings　and　statues　showed；