when the world shook-第53节

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animosity　against　all　of　us。〃



〃Is　that　all？〃　I　asked。



〃Not　quite。　She　added　that　she　felt　wonderfully　flattered　and

extremely　honoured　by　what　I　had　been　so　good　as　to　say　to　her。

She　hoped；　however；　that　I　should　never　repeat　it　or　even　allude

to　the　matter　again；　as　her　dearest　wish　was　to　be　able　to　look

upon　me　as　her　most　intimate　friend　to　whom　she　could　always　come

for　sympathy　and　counsel。〃



〃What　happened　then？〃



〃Nothing；　of　course；　except　that　I　promised　everything　that　she

wished；　and　mean　to　stick　to　it；　too。　Naturally；　I　was　very　sore

and　upset；　but　I　am　getting　over　it；　having　always　practised

self…control。〃



〃I　am　sorry　for　you；　old　fellow。〃



〃Are　you？〃　he　asked　suspiciously。　〃Then　perhaps　you　have　tried

your　luck；　too？〃



〃No；　Bickley。〃



His　face　fell　a　little　at　this　denial；　and　he　answered：



〃Well；　it　would　have　been　scarcely　decent　if　you　had；　seeing

how　lately　you　were　married。　But　then；　so　was　that　artful　Bastin。

Perhaps　you　will　get　over　itrecent　marriage；　I　meanas　he

has。〃　He　hesitated　a　while；　then　went　on：　〃Of　course　you　will；

old　fellow；　I　know　it；　and；　what　is　more；　I　seem　to　know　that

when　your　turn　comes　you　will　get　a　different　answer。　If　so；　it

will　keep　her　in　the　family　as　it　wereand　good　luck　to　you。

Only〃



〃Only　what？〃　I　asked　anxiously。



〃To　be　honest；　Arbuthnot；　I　don't　think　that　there　will　be　real

good　luck　for　any　one　of　us　over　this　womannot　in　the　ordinary

sense；　I　mean。　The　whole　business　is　too　strange　and　superhuman。

Is　she　quite　a　woman；　and　could　she　really　marry　a　man　as　others

do？〃



〃It　is　curious　that　you　should　talk　like　that；〃　I　said

uneasily。　〃I　thought　that　you　had　made　up　your　mind　that　the

whole　business　was　either　illusion　or　trickeryI　mean；　the　odd

side　of　it。〃



〃If　it　is　illusion；　Arbuthnot；　then　a　man　cannot　marry　an

illusion。　And　if　it　is　trickery；　then　he　will　certainly　be

tricked。　But；　supposing　that　I　am　wrong；　what　then？〃



〃You　mean；　supposing　things　are　as　they　seem　to　be？〃



〃Yes。　In　that　event；　Arbuthnot；　I　am　sure　that　something　will

occur　to　prevent　your　being　united　to　a　woman　who　lived　thousands

of　years　ago。　I　am　sorry　to　say　it；　but　Fate　will　intervene。

Remember；　it　is　the　god　of　her　people　that　I　suppose　she

worships；　and；　I　may　add；　to　which　the　whole　world　bows。〃



At　his　words　a　kind　of　chill　fell　upon　me。　I　think　he　saw　or

divined　it；　for　after　a　few　remarks　upon　some　indifferent　matter；

he　turned　and　went　away。



Shortly　after　this　Yva　came　to　sit　with　me。　She　studied　me　for

a　while　and　I　studied　her。　I　had　reason　to　do　so；　for　I　observed

that　of　late　her　dress　had　become　much　more　modern；　and　on　the

present　occasion　this　struck　me　forcibly。　I　do　not　know　exactly

in　what　the　change；　or　changes；　consisted；　because　I　am　not

skilled　in　such　matters　and　can　only　judge　of　a　woman's　garments

by　their　general　effect。　At　any　rate；　the　gorgeous　sweeping　robes

were　gone；　and　though　her　attire　still　looked　foreign　and

somewhat　oriental；　with　a　touch　of　barbaric　splendour　about　it

it　was　simpler　than　it　had　been　and　showed　more　of　her　figure；

which　was　delicate；　yet　gracious。



〃You　have　changed　your　robes；　Lady；〃　I　said。　〃Yes；　Humphrey。

Bastin　gave　me　pictures　of　those　your　women　wear。〃　（On　further

investigation　I　found　that　this　referred　to　an　old　copy　of　the

Queen　newspaper；　which；　somehow　or　other；　had　been　brought　with

the　books　from　the　ship。）　〃I　have　tried　to　copy　them　a　little；〃

she　added　doubtfully。



〃How　do　you　do　it？　Where　do　you　get　the　material？〃　I　asked。



〃Oh！〃　she　answered　with　an　airy　wave　of　her　hand；　〃I　make　it

it　is　there。〃



〃I　don't　understand；〃　I　said；　but　she　only　smiled　radiantly；

offering　no　further　explanation。　Then；　before　I　could　pursue　the

subject；　she　asked　me　suddenly：



〃What　has　Bickley　been　saying　to　you　about　me？〃　I　fenced；

answering：　〃I　don't　know。　Bastin　and　Bickley　talk　of　little　else。

You　seem　to　have　been　a　great　deal　with　them　while　I　was　ill。〃



〃Yes；　a　great　deal。　They　are　the　nearest　to　you　who　were　so

sick。　Is　it　not　so？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　I　answered　again。　〃In　my　illness　it　seemed　to

me　that　you　were　the　nearest。〃



〃About　Bastin's　words　I　can　guess；〃　she　went　on。　〃But　I　ask

againwhat　has　Bickley　been　saying　to　you　about　me？　Of　the　first

part；　let　it　be；　tell　me　the　rest。〃



I　intended　to　evade　her　question；　but　she　fixed　those　violet；

compelling　eyes　upon　me　and　I　was　obliged　to　answer。



〃I　believe　you　know　as　well　as　I　do；〃　I　said；　〃but　if　you　will

have　it；　it　was　that　you　are　not　as　other　human　women　are；　and

that　he　who　would　treat　you　as　such；　must　suffer；　that　was　the

gist　of　it。〃



〃Some　might　be　content　to　suffer　for　such　as　I；〃　she　answered

with　quiet　sweetness。　〃Even　Bastin　and　Bickley　may　be　content　to

suffer　in　their　own　little　ways。〃



〃You　know　that　is　not　what　I　meant；〃　I　interrupted　angrily；　for

I　felt　that　she　was　throwing　reflections　on　me。



〃No；　you　meant　that　you　agreed　with　Bickley　that　I　am　not　quite

a　woman；　as　you　know　women。〃



I　was　silent；　for　her　words　were　true。



Then　she　blazed　out　into　one　of　her　flashes　of　splendour；　like

something　that　takes　fire　on　an　instant；　like　the　faint　and

distant　star　which　flames　into　sudden　glory　before　the　watcher's

telescope。



〃It　is　true　that　I　am　not　as　your　women　areyour　poor；　pale

women；　the　shadows　of　an　hour　with　night　behind　them　and　before。

Because　I　am　humble　and　patient；　do　you　therefore　suppose　that　I

am　not　great？　Man　from　the　little　country　across　the　sea；　I　lived

when　the　world　was　young；　and　gathered　up　the　ancient　wisdom　of　a

greater　race　than　yours；　and　when　the　world　is　old　I　think　that　I

still　shall　live；　though　not　in　this　shape　or　here；　with　all　that

wisdom's　essence　burning　in　my　breast；　and　with　all　beauty　in　my

eyes。　Bickley　does　not　believe　although　he　worships。　You　only

half　believe　and　do　not　worship；　because　memory　holds　you　back；

and　I　myself　do　not　understand。　I　only　know　though　knowing　so

much；　still　I　seek　roads　to　learning；　even　the　humble　road　called

Bastin；　that　yet　may　lead　my　feet　to　the　gate　of　an　immortal

city。〃



〃Nor　do　I　understand　how　all　this　can　be；　Yva；〃　I　said　feebly；

for　she　dazzled　and　overwhelmed　me　with　her　blaze　of　power。



〃No；　you　do　not　understand。　How　can　you；　when　even　I　cannot？

Thus　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years　I　slept；　and　they

went　by　as　a　lightning　flash。　One　moment　my　father　gave　me　the

draught　and　I　laid　me　down；　the　next　I　awoke　with　you　bending

over　me；　or　so　it　seemed。　Yet　where　was　I　through　all　those

centuries　when　for　me　time　had　ceased？　Tell　me；　Humphrey；　did　you

dream　at　all　while　you　were　ill？　I　ask　because　down　in　that

lonely　cavern　where　I　sleep　a　strange　dream　came　to　me　one　night。

It　was　of　a　journey　which；　as　I　thought；　you　and　I　seemed　to　make

together；　past　suns　and　universes　to　a　very　distant　earth。　It

meant　nothing；　Humphrey。　If　you　and　I　chanced　to　have　dreamed　the

same　thing；　it　was　only　because　my　dream　travelled　to　you。　It　is

most　common；　or　used　to　be。　Humphrey；　Bickley　is　quite　right；　I

am　not　altogether　as　your　women　are；　and　I　can　bring　no　happiness

to　any　man；　or　at　the　least；　to　one　who　cannot　wait。　Therefore；

perhaps　you　would　do　well　to　think　less　of　me；　as　I　have

counselled　Bastin　and　Bickley。〃



Then　again　she　gazed　at　me　with　her　wonderful；　great　eyes；　and；

shaking　her　glittering　head　a　little；　smiled　and　went。



But　oh！　that　smile　drew　my　heart　after　her。







Chapter　XX



Oro　and　Arbuthnot　Travel　by　Night





As　time　went　on；　Oro　began　to　visit　me　more　and　more

frequently；　till　at　last　scarcely　a　night　went　by　that　he　did　not

appear　mysteriously　in　my　sleeping…place。　The　odd　thing　was　that

neither　Bickley　nor　Bastin　seemed　to　be　aware　of　these　nocturnal

calls。　Indeed；　when　I　mentioned　them　on　one　or　two　occasions；

they　stared　at　me　and　said　it　was　strange　that　he　should　have

come　and　gone　as　they　saw　nothing　of　him。



On　my　speaking　again　of　the　matter；　Bickley　at　once　turned　the

conversation；　from　which　I　gathered　that　he　believed　me　to　be

suffering　from　delusions　consequent　on　my　illness；　or　perhaps　to

have　taken　to　dreaming。　This　was　not　wonderful　since；　as　I

learned　afterwards；　Bickley；　after　he　was　sure　that　I　was　asleep；

made　a　practice　of　tying　a　thread　across　my　doorway　and　of

ascertaining　at　the　dawn　that　it　remained　unbroken。　But　Oro　was

not　to　be　caught　in　that　way。　I　suppose；　as　it　was　impossible　for

him　to　pass　through　the　latticework　of　the　open　side　of　the

house；　that　he　undid　the　thread　and　fastened　it　again　when　he

left；　at　least；　that　was　Bastin's　explanation；　or；　rather；　one　of

them。　Another　was　that　he　crawled　beneath　it；　but　this　I　could

not　believe。　I　am　quite　certain　that　during　all　his　prolonged

existence　Oro　never　crawled。



At　any　rate；　he　came；　or　seemed