when the world shook-第60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！



I　are　affianced　to　each　other　and　love　each　other　perfectly。〃



〃Yes；　Arbuthnot；〃　said　Bastin；　〃we　saw　that　in　your　face；　and

in　hers　as　she　bade　us　good　night　before　she　went　into　the　cave；

and　we　congratulate　you　and　wish　you　every　happiness。〃



〃We　wish　you　every　happiness；　old　fellow；〃　chimed　in　Bickley。

He　paused　a　while；　then　added；　〃But　to　be　honest；　I　am　not　sure

that　I　congratulate　you。〃



〃Why　not；　Bickley？〃



〃Not　for　the　reason　that　you　may　suspect；　Arbuthnot；　I　mean　not

because　you　have　won　where　we　have　lost；　as　it　was　only　to　be

expected　that　you　would　do；　but　on　account　of　something　totally

different。　I　told　you　a　while　ago　and　repetition　is　useless　and

painful。　I　need　only　add　therefore　that　since　then　my　conviction

has　strengthened　and　I　am　sure；　sorry　as　I　am　to　say　it；　that　in

this　matter　you　must　prepare　for　disappointment　and　calamity。

That　woman；　if　woman　she　really　is；　will　never　be　the　wife　of

mortal　man。　Now　be　angry　with　me　if　you　like；　or　laugh　as　you

have　the　right　to　do；　seeing　that　like　Bastin　and　yourself；　I

also　asked　her　to　marry　me；　but　something　makes　me　speak　what　I

believe　to　be　the　truth。〃



〃Like　Cassandra；〃　I　suggested。



〃Yes；　like　Cassandra　who　was　not　a　popular　person。〃　At　first　I

was　inclined　to　resent　Bickley's　wordswho　would　not　have　been

in　the　circumstances？　Then　of　a　sudden　there　rushed　in　upon　my

mind　the　conviction　that　he　spoke　the　truth。　In　this　world　Yva

was　not　for　me　or　any　man。　Moreover　she　knew　it；　the　knowledge

peeped　out　of　every　word　she　spoke　in　our　passionate　love　scene

by　the　lake。　She　was　aware；　and　subconsciously　I　was　aware；　that

we　were　plighting　our　troth；　not　for　time　but　for　eternity。　With

time　we　had　little　left　to　do；　not　for　long　would　she　wear　the

ring　I　gave　her　on　that　holy　night。



Even　Bastin；　whose　perceptions　normally　were　not　acute；　felt

that　the　situation　was　strained　and　awkward　and　broke　in　with　a

curious　air　of　forced　satisfaction：



〃It's　uncommonly　lucky　for　you；　old　boy；　that　you　happen　to

have　a　clergyman　in　your　party；　as　I　shall　be　able　to　marry　you

in　a　respectable　fashion。　Of　course　I　can't　say　that　the

Glittering　Lady　is　as　yet　absolutely　converted　to　our　faith；　but

I　am　certain　that　she　has　absorbed　enough　of　its　principles　to

justify　me　in　uniting　her　in　Christian　wedlock。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃she　has　absorbed　its　principles；

she　told　me　as　much　herself。　Sacrifice；　for　instance；〃

and　as　I　spoke　the　word　my　eyes　filled　with　tears。



〃Sacrifice！〃　broke　in　Bickley　with　an　angry　snort；　for　he

needed　a　vent　to　his　mental　disturbance。　〃Rubbish。　Why　should

every　religion　demand　sacrifice　as　savages　do？　By　it　alone　they

stand　condemned。〃



〃Because　as　I　think；　sacrifice　is　the　law　of　life；　at　least　of

all　life　that　is　worth　the　living；〃　I　answered　sadly　enough。

〃Anyhow　I　believe　you　are　right；　Bickley；　and　that　Bastin　will

not　be　troubled　to　marry　us。〃



〃You　don't　mean；〃　broke　in　Bastin　with　a　horrified　air；　〃that

you　propose　to　dispense〃



〃No；　Bastin；　I　don't　mean　that。　What　I　mean　is　that　it　comes

upon　me　that　something　will　prevent　this　marriage。　Sacrifice；

perhaps；　though　in　what　shape　I　do　not　know。　And　now　good　night。

I　am　tired。〃





That　night　in　the　chill　dead　hour　before　the　dawn　Oro　came

again。　I　woke　up　to　see　him　seated　by　my　bed；　majestic；　and；　as

it　seemed　to　me；　lambent；　though　this　may　have　been　my

imagination。



〃You　take　strange　liberties　with　my　daughter；　Barbarian；　or　she

takes　strange　liberties　with　you；　it　does　not　matter　which；〃　he

said；　regarding　me　with　his　calm　and　terrible　eyes。



〃Why　do　you　presume　to　call　me　Barbarian？〃　I　asked；　avoiding

the　main　issue。



〃For　this　reason；　Humphrey。　All　men　are　the　same。　They　have　the

same　organs；　the　same　instincts；　the　same　desires；　which　in

essence　are　but　two；　food　and　rebirth　that　Nature　commands；

though　it　is　true　that　millions　of　years　before　I　was　born；　as　I

have　learned　from　the　records　of　the　Sons　of　Wisdom；　it　was　said

that　they　were　half　ape。　Yet　being　the　same　there　is　between　them

a　whole　sea　of　difference；　since　some　have　knowledge　and　others

none；　or　little。　Those　who　have　none　or　little；　among　whom　you

must　be　numbered；　are　Barbarians。　Those　who　have　much；　among　whom

my　daughter　and　I　are　the　sole　survivors；　are　the　Instructed。〃



〃There　are　nearly　two　thousand　millions　of　living　people　in

this　world；〃　I　said；　〃and　you　name　all　of　them　Barbarians？〃



〃All；　Humphrey；　excepting；　of　course；　myself　and　my　daughter

who　are　not　known　to　be　alive。　You　think　that　you　have　learned

much；　whereas　in　truth　you　are　most　ignorant。　The　commonest　of

the　outer　nations；　when　I　destroyed　them；　knew　more　than　your

wisest　know　today。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；　Oro；　since　then　we　have　learned　something　of

the　soul。〃



〃Ah！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃that　interests　me　and　perhaps　it　is　true。

Also；　if　true　it　is　very　important；　as　I　have　told　you　beforeor

was　it　Bastin？　If　a　man　has　a　soul；　he　lives；　whereas　even　we

Sons　of　Wisdom　die；　and　in　Death　what　is　the　use　of　Wisdom？

Because　you　can　believe；　you　have　souls　and　are　therefore；

perhaps；　heirs　to　life；　foolish　and　ignorant　as　you　are　today。

Therefore　I　admit　you　and　Bastin　to　be　my　equals；　though　Bickley；

who　like　myself　believes　nothing；　is　but　a　common　chemist　and

doctor　of　disease。〃



〃Then　you　bow　to　Faith；　Oro？〃



〃Yes；　and　I　think　that　my　god　Fate　also　bows　to　Faith。　Perhaps；

indeed；　Faith　shapes　Fate；　not　Fate。　Faith。　But　whence　comes　that

faith　which　even　I　with　all　my　learning　cannot　command？　Why　is　it

denied　to　me　and　given　to　you　and　Bastin？〃



〃Because　as　Bastin　would　tell　you；　it　is　a　gift；　though　one

that　is　never　granted　to　the　proud　and　self…sufficient。　Become

humble　as　a　child；　Oro；　and　perchance　you　too　may　acquire　faith。〃



〃And　how　shall　I　become　humble？〃



〃By　putting　away　all　dreams　of　power　and　its　exercise；　if　such

you　have；　and　in　repentance　walking　quietly　to　the　Gates　of

Death；〃　I　replied。



〃For　you；　Humphrey；　who　have　little　or　none　of　these　things；

that　may　be　easy。　But　for　me　who　have　much；　if　not　all；　it　is

otherwise。　You　ask　me　to　abandon　the　certain　for　the　uncertain；

the　known　for　the　unknown；　and　from　a　half…god　communing　with　the

stars；　to　become　an　earthworm　crawling　in　mud　and　lifting　blind

eyes　towards　the　darkness　of　everlasting　night。〃



〃A　god　who　must　die　is　no　god；　half　or　whole；　Oro；　the

earthworm　that　lives　on　is　greater　than　he。〃



〃Mayhap。　Yet　while　I　endure　I　will　be　as　a　god；　so　that　when

night　comes；　if　come　it　must；　I　shall　have　played　my　part　and

left　my　mark　upon　this　little　world　of　ours。　Have　done！〃　he　added

with　a　burst　of　impatience。　〃What　will　you　of　my　daughter？〃



〃What　man　has　always　willed　of　womanherself；　body　and　soul。〃



〃Her　soul　perchance　is　yours；　if　she　has　one；　but　her　body　is

mine　to　give　or　withhold。　Yet　it　can　be　bought　at　a　price；〃　he

added　slowly。



〃So　she　told　me；　Oro。〃



〃I　can　guess　what　she　told　you。　Did　I　not　watch　you　yonder　by

the　lake　when　you　gave　her　a　ring　graved　with　the　signs　of　Life

and　Everlastingness？　The　question　is；　will　you　pay　the　price？〃



〃Not　so；　the　question　iswhat　is　the　price？〃



〃This；　to　enter　my　service　and　henceforth　do　my　willwithout

debate　or　cavil。〃



〃For　what　reward；　Oro？〃



〃Yva　and　the　dominion　of　the　earth　while　you　shall　live；

neither　more　nor　less。〃



〃And　what　is　your　will？〃



〃That　you　shall　learn　in　due　course。　On　the　second　night　from

this　I　command　the　three　of　you　to　wait　upon　me　at　sundown　in　the

buried　halls　of　Nyo。　Till　then　you　see　no　more　of　Yva；　for　I　do

not　trust　her。　She；　too；　has　powers；　though　as　yet　she　does　not

use　them；　and　perchance　she　would　forget　her　oaths；　and　following

some　new　star　of　love；　for　a　little　while　vanish　with　you　out　of

my　reach。　Be　in　the　sepulchre　at　the　hour　of　sundown　on　the

second　day　from　this；　all　three　of　you；　if　you　would　continue　to

live　upon　the　earth。　Afterwards　you　shall　learn　my　will　and　make

your　choice　between　Yva　with　majesty　and　her　loss　with　death。〃



Then　suddenly　he　was　gone。





Next　morning　I　told　the　others　what　had　passed；　and　we　talked

the　matter　over。　The　trouble　was；　of　course；　that　Bickley　did　not

believe　me。　He　had　no　faith　in　my　alleged　interviews　with　Oro；

which　he　set　down　to　delusions　of　a　semi…mesmeric　character。　This

was　not　strange；　since　it　appeared　that　on　the　previous　night　he

had　watched　the　door　of　my　sleeping…place　until　dawn　broke；　which

it　did　long　after　Oro　had　departed；　and　he　had　not　seen　him

either　come　or　go；　although　the　moon　was　shining　brightly。



When　he　told　me　this　I　could　only　answer　that　all　the　same　he

had　been　there　as；　if　he　could　speak；　Tommy　would　have　been　able

to　certify。　As　it　chanced　the　dog　was　sleeping　with　me　and　at　the

first　sound　of　the　approach　of　someone；　woke　up　and　growled。　Then