the ivory child-第53节

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the　timehalted　hurriedly；　saying：



〃Stop；　Baas；　we　are　on　the　edge　of　a　cliff。　When　I　thrust　my　stick

forward　it　stands　on　nothing。〃



Needless　to　say　we　pulled　up　dead　and　so　remained　without　stirring　an

inch；　for　who　could　say　what　might　be　beyond　us？　Ragnall　wished　to

examine　the　ground　with　the　lantern。　I　was　about　to　consent；　though

doubtfully；　when　suddenly　I　heard　voices　murmuring　and　through　the

screen　of　bushes　saw　lights　moving　at　a　little　distance；　forty　feet　or

more　below　us。　Then　we　gave　up　all　idea　of　making　further　use　of　the

lantern　and　crouched　still　as　mice　in　our　bushes；　waiting　for　the

dawn。



It　came　at　last。　In　the　east　appeared　a　faint　pearly　flush　that　by

degrees　spread　itself　over　the　whole　arch　of　the　sky　and　was　welcomed

by　the　barking　of　monkeys　and　the　call　of　birds　in　the　depths　of　the

dew…steeped　forest。　Next　a　ray　from　the　unrisen　sun；　a　single　spear　of

light　shot　suddenly　across　the　sky；　and　as　it　appeared；　from　the

darkness　below　us　arose　a　sound　of　chanting；　very　low　and　sweet　to

hear。　It　died　away　and　for　a　little　while　there　was　silence　broken

only　by　a　rustling　sound　like　to　that　of　people　taking　their　seats　in

a　dark　theatre。　Then　a　woman　began　to　sing　in　a　beautiful；　contralto

voice；　but　in　what　language　I　do　not　know；　for　I　could　not　catch　the

words；　if　these　were　words　and　not　only　musical　notes。



I　felt　Ragnall　trembling　beside　me　and　in　a　whisper　asked　him　what　was

the　matter。　He　answered；　also　in　a　whisper：



〃I　believe　that　is　my　wife's　voice。〃



〃If　so；　I　beg　you　to　control　yourself；〃　I　replied。



Now　the　skies　began　to　flame　and　the　light　to　pour　itself　into　a　misty

hollow　beneath　us　like　streams　of　many…coloured　gems　into　a　bowl；

driving　away　the　shadows。　By　degrees　these　vanished；　by　degrees　we　saw

everything。　Beneath　us　was　an　amphitheatre；　on　the　southern　wall　of

which　we　were　seated；　though　it　was　not　a　wall　but　a　lava　cliff

between　forty　and　fifty　feet　high　which　served　as　a　wall。　The

amphitheatre　itself；　however；　almost　exactly　resembled　those　of　the

ancients　which　I　had　seen　in　pictures　and　Ragnall　had　visited　in

Italy；　Greece；　and　Southern　France。　It　was　oval　in　shape　and　not　very

large；　perhaps　the　flat　space　at　the　bottom　may　have　covered　something

over　an　acre；　but　all　round　this　oval　ran　tiers　of　seats　cut　in　the

lava　of　the　crater。　For　without　doubt　this　was　the　crater　of　an

extinct　volcano。



Moreover；　in　what　I　will　call　the　arena；　stood　a　temple　that　in　its

main　outlines；　although　small；　exactly　resembled　those　still　to　be

seen　in　Egypt。　There　was　the　gateway　or　pylon；　there　the　open　outer

court　with　columns　round　it　supporting　roofed　cloisters；　which；　as　we

ascertained　afterwards；　were　used　as　dwelling…places　by　the　priests。

There　beyond　and　connected　with　the　first　by　a　short　passage　was　a

second　rather　smaller　court；　also　open　to　the　sky；　and　beyond　this

again；　built　like　all　the　rest　of　the　temple　of　lava　blocks；　a　roofed

erection　measuring　about　twelve　feet　square；　which　I　guessed　at　once

must　be　the　sanctuary。



This　temple　was；　as　I　have　said；　small；　but　extremely　well

proportioned；　every　detail　of　it　being　in　the　most　excellent　taste

though　unornamented　by　sculpture　or　painting。　I　have　to　add　that　in

front　of　the　sanctuary　door　stood　a　large　block　of　lava；　which　I

concluded　was　an　altar；　and　in　front　of　this　a　stone　seat　and　a　basin；

also　of　stone；　supported　upon　a　very　low　tripod。　Further；　behind　the

sanctuary　was　a　square　house　with　window…places。



At　the　moment　of　our　first　sight　of　this　place　the　courts　were　empty；

but　on　the　benches　of　the　amphitheatre　were　seated　about　three　hundred

persons；　male　and　female；　the　men　to　the　north　and　the　women　to　the

south。　They　were　all　clad　in　pure　white　robes；　the　heads　of　the　men

being　shaved　and　those　of　the　women　veiled；　but　leaving　the　face

exposed。　Lastly；　there　were　two　roadways　into　the　amphitheatre；　one

running　east　and　one　west　through　tunnels　hollowed　in　the　encircling

rock　of　the　crater；　both　of　which　roads　were　closed　at　the　mouths　of

the　tunnels　by　massive　wooden　double　doors；　seventeen　or　eighteen　feet

in　height。　From　these　roadways　and　their　doors　we　learned　two　things。

First；　that　the　cave　where　had　lived　the　Father　of　Serpents　was；　as　I

had　suspected；　not　the　real　approach　to　the　shrine　of　the　Child；　but

only　a　blind；　and；　secondly；　that　the　ceremony　we　were　about　to

witness　was　secret　and　might　only　be　attended　by　the　priestly　class　or

families　of　this　strange　tribe。



Scarcely　was　it　full　daylight　when　from　the　cells　of　the　cloisters

round　the　outer　court　issued　twelve　priests　headed　by　Har？t　himself；

who　looked　very　dignified　in　his　white　garment；　each　of　whom　carried

on　a　wooden　platter　ears　of　different　kinds　of　corn。　Then　from　the

cells　of　the　southern　cloister　issued　twelve　women；　or　rather　girls；

for　all　were　young　and　very　comely；　who　ranged　themselves　alongside　of

the　men。　These　also　carried　wooden　platters；　and　on　them　blooming

flowers。



At　a　sign　they　struck　up　a　religious　chant　and　began　to　walk　forward

through　the　passage　that　led　from　the　first　court　to　the　second。

Arriving　in　front　of　the　altar　they　halted　and　one　by　one；　first　a

priest　and　then　a　priestess；　set　down　the　platters　of　offerings；

piling　them　above　each　other　into　a　cone。　Next　the　priests　and　the

priestesses　ranged　themselves　in　lines　on　either　side　of　the　altar；

and　Har？t　took　a　platter　of　corn　and　a　platter　of　flowers　in　his

hands。　These　he　held　first　towards　that　quarter　of　the　sky　in　which

swam　the　invisible　new　moon；　secondly　towards　the　rising　sun；　and

thirdly　towards　the　doors　of　the　sanctuary；　making　genuflexions　and

uttering　some　chanted　prayer；　the　words　of　which　we　could　not　hear。



A　pause　followed；　that　was　succeeded　by　a　sudden　outburst　of　song

wherein　all　the　audience　took　part。　It　was　a　very　sonorous　and

beautiful　song　or　hymn　in　some　language　which　I　did　not　understand；

divided　into　four　verses；　the　end　of　each　verse　being　marked　by　the

bowing　of　every　one　of　those　many　singers　towards　the　east；　towards

the　west；　and　finally　towards　the　altar。



Another　pause　till　suddenly　the　doors　of　the　sanctuary　were　thrown

wide　and　from　between　them　issuedthe　goddess　Isis　of　the　Egyptians

as　I　have　seen　her　in　pictures！　She　was　wrapped　in　closely　clinging

draperies　of　material　so　thin　that　the　whiteness　of　her　body　could　be

seen　beneath。　Her　hair　was　outspread　before　her；　and　she　wore　a　head…

dress　or　bonnet　of　glittering　feathers　from　the　front　of　which　rose　a

little　golden　snake。　In　her　arms　she　bore　what　at　that　distance　seemed

to　be　a　naked　child。　With　her　came　two　women；　walking　a　little　behind

her　and　supporting　her　arms；　who　also　wore　feather　bonnets　but　without

the　golden　snake；　and　were　clad　in　tight…fitting；　transparent

garments。



〃My　God！〃　whispered　Ragnall；　〃it　is　my　wife！〃



〃Then　be　silent　and　thank　Him　that　she　is　alive　and　well；〃　I　answered。



The　goddess　Isis；　or　the　English　ladyin　that　excitement　I　did　not

reck　whichstood　still　while　the　priests　and　priestesses　and　all　the

audience；　who；　gathered　on　the　upper　benches　of　the　amphitheatre；

could　see　her　above　the　wall　of　the　inner　court；　raised　a　thrice…

repeated　and　triumphant　cry　of　welcome。　Then　Har？t　and　the　first

priestess　lifted　respectively　an　ear　of　corn　and　a　flower　from　the　two

topmost　platters　and　held　these　first　to　the　lips　of　the　child　in　her

arms　and　secondly　to　her　lips。



This　ceremony　concluded；　the　two　attendant　women　led　her　round　the

altar　to　the　stone　chair；　upon　which　she　seated　herself。　Next　fire　was

kindled　in　the　bowl　on　the　tripod　in　front　of　the　chair；　how　I　could

not　see；　but　perhaps　it　was　already　smouldering　there。　At　any　rate　it

burnt　up　in　a　thin　blue　flame；　on　to　which　Har？t　and　the　head

priestess　threw　something　that　caused　the　flame　to　turn　to　smoke。　Then

Isis；　for　I　prefer　to　call　her　so　while　describing　this　ceremony；　was

caused　to　bend　her　head　forward；　so　that　it　was　enveloped　in　the　smoke

exactly　as　she　and　I　had　done　some　years　before　in　the　drawing…room　at

Ragnall　Castle。　Presently　the　smoke　died　away　and　the　two　attendants

with　the　feathered　head…dresses　straightened　her　in　the　chair　where

she　sat　still　holding　the　babe　against　her　breast　as　she　might　have

done　to　nurse　it；　but　with　her　head　bent　forward　like　that　of　a　person

in　a　swoon。



Now　Har？t　stepped　forward　and　appeared　to　speak　to　the　goddess　at　some

length；　then　fell　back　again　and　waited；　till　in　the　midst　of　an

intense　silence　she　rose　from　her　seat　and；　fixing　her　wide　eyes　on

the　heavens；　spoke　in　her　turn；　for　although　we　heard　nothing　of　what

she　said；　in　that　clear；　morning　light　we　could　see　her　lips　moving。

For　some　minutes　she　spoke；　then　sat　down　again　upon　the　chair　and

remained　motionless；　staring　straight　in　front　of　her。　Har？t　advanced

again；　this　time　to　the　front　of　the　altar；　and；　taking　h