green mansions-第30章

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After　gazing　all　round　for　some　minutes；　I　jumped　down　from　my　stand　and；　leaning　against　the　stone；　stood　watching　the　girl；　waiting　for　her　to　speak。　　I　felt　convinced　that　she　had　something　of　the　very　highest　importance　（to　herself）　to　communicate；　and　that　only　the　pressing　need　of　a　confidant；　not　Nuflo；　had　overcome　her　shyness　of　me；　and　I　determined　to　let　her　take　her　own　time　to　say　it　in　her　own　way。　　For　a　while　she　continued　silent；　her　face　averted；　but　her　little　movements　and　the　way　she　clasped　and　unclasped　her　fingers　showed　that　she　was　anxious　and　her　mind　working。　　Suddenly；　half　turning　to　me；　she　began　speaking　eagerly　and　rapidly。

〃Do　you　see；〃　she　said；　waving　her　hand　to　indicate　the　whole　circuit　of　earth；　〃how　large　it　is？　　Look！〃　　pointing　now　to　mountains　in　the　west。　　〃Those　are　the　Vahanasone；　two；　threethe　highestI　can　tell　you　their　namesVahana…Chara；　Chumi；　Aranoa。　　Do　you　see　that　water？　　It　is　a　river；　called　Guaypero。　From　the　hills　it　comes　down；　Inaruna　is　their　name；　and　you　can　see　them　there　in　the　southfar；　far。〃　　And　in　this　way　she　went　on　pointing　out　and　naming　all　the　mountains　and　rivers　within　sight。　　Then　she　suddenly　dropped　her　hands　to　her　sides　and　continued：　〃That　is　all。　　Because　we　can　see　no　further。　　But　the　world　is　larger　than　that！　　Other　mountains；　other　rivers。　　Have　I　not　told　you　of　Voa；　on　the　River　Voa；　where　I　was　born；　where　mother　died；　where　the　priest　taught　me；　years；　years　ago？　　All　that　you　cannot　see；　it　is　so　far　awayso　far。〃

I　did　not　laugh　at　her　simplicity；　nor　did　I　smile　or　feel　any　inclination　to　smile。　　On　the　contrary；　I　only　experienced　a　sympathy　so　keen　that　it　was　like　pain　while　watching　her　clouded　face；　so　changeful　in　its　expression；　yet　in　all　changes　so　wistful。　　I　could　not　yet　form　any　idea　as　to　what　she　wished　to　communicate　or　to　discover；　but　seeing　that　she　paused　for　a　reply；　I　answered：　〃The　world　is　so　large；　Rima；　that　we　can　only　see　a　very　small　portion　of　it　from　any　one　spot。　　Look　at　this；〃　and　with　a　stick　I　had　used　to　aid　me　in　my　ascent　I　traced　a　circle　six　or　seven　inches　in　circumference　on　the　soft　stone；　and　in　its　centre　placed　a　small　pebble。　　〃This　represents　the　mountain　we　are　standing　on；〃　I　continued；　touching　the　pebble；　〃and　this　line　encircling　it　encloses　all　of　the　earth　we　can　see　from　the　mountain…top。　　Do　you　understand？the　line　I　have　traced　is　the　blue　line　of　the　horizon　beyond　which　we　cannot　see。　　And　outside　of　this　little　circle　is　all　the　flat　top　of　Ytaioa　representing　the　world。　　Consider；　then；　how　small　a　portion　of　the　world　we　can　see　from　this　spot！〃

〃And　do　you　know　it　all？〃　　she　returned　excitedly。　　〃All　the　world？〃　　waving　her　hand　to　indicate　the　little　stone　plain。　　〃All　the　mountains；　and　rivers；　and　forestsall　the　people　in　the　world？〃

〃That　would　be　impossible；　Rima；　consider　how　large　it　is。〃

〃That　does　not　matter。　　Come；　let　us　go　togetherwe　two　and　grandfatherand　see　all　the　world；　all　the　mountains　and　forests；　and　know　all　the　people。〃

〃You　do　not　know　what　you　are　saying；　Rima。　　You　might　as　well　say：　'Come；　let　us　go　to　the　sun　and　find　out　everything　in　it。'〃

〃It　is　you　who　do　not　know　what　you　are　saying；〃　she　retorted；　with　brightening　eyes　which　for　a　moment　glanced　full　into　mine。　〃We　have　no　wings　like　birds　to　fly　to　the　sun。　　Am　I　not　able　to　walk　on　the　earth；　and　run？　　Can　I　not　swim？　　Can　I　not　climb　every　mountain？〃

〃No；　you　cannot。　　You　imagine　that　all　the　earth　is　like　this　little　portion　you　see。　　But　it　is　not　all　the　same。　　There　are　great　rivers　which　you　cannot　cross　by　swimming；　mountains　you　cannot　climb；　forests　you　cannot　penetratedark；　and　inhabited　by　dangerous　beasts；　and　so　vast　that　all　this　space　your　eyes　look　on　is　a　mere　speck　of　earth　in　comparison。〃

She　listened　excitedly。　　〃Oh；　do　you　know　all　that？〃　　she　cried；　with　a　strangely　brightening　look；　and　then　half　turning　from　me；　she　added；　with　sudden　petulance：　〃Yet　only　a　minute　ago　you　knew　nothing　of　the　worldbecause　it　is　so　large！　　Is　anything　to　be　gained　by　speaking　to　one　who　says　such　contrary　things？〃

I　explained　that　I　had　not　contradicted　myself；　that　she　had　not　rightly　interpreted　my　words。　　I　knew；　I　said；　something　about　the　principal　features　of　the　different　countries　of　the　world；　as；　for　instance；　the　largest　mountain　ranges；　and　rivers；　and　the　cities。　　Also　something；　but　very　little；　about　the　tribes　of　savage　men。　　She　heard　me　with　impatience；　which　made　me　speak　rapidly；　in　very　general　terms；　and　to　simplify　the　matter　I　made　the　world　stand　for　the　continent　we　were　in。　　It　seemed　idle　to　go　beyond　that；　and　her　eagerness　would　not　have　allowed　it。

〃Tell　me　all　you　know；〃　she　said　the　moment　I　ceased　speaking。　〃What　is　thereand　thereand　there？〃　　pointing　in　various　directions。　　〃Rivers　and　foreststhey　are　nothing　to　me。　　The　villages；　the　tribes；　the　people　everywhere；　tell　me；　for　I　must　know　it　all。〃

〃It　would　take　long　to　tell；　Rima。〃

〃Because　you　are　so　slow。　　Look　how　high　the　sun　is！　　Speak；　speak！　What　is　there？〃　　pointing　to　the　north。

〃All　that　country；〃　I　said；　waving　my　hands　from　east　to　west；　〃is　Guayana；　and　so　large　is　it　that　you　could　go　in　this　direction；　or　in　this；　travelling　for　months；　without　seeing　the　end　of　Guayana。　　Still　it　would　be　Guayana；　rivers；　rivers；　rivers；　with　forests　between；　and　other　forests　and　rivers　beyond。　　And　savage　people；　nations　and　tribesGuahibo；　Aguaricoto；　Ayano；　Maco；　Piaroa；　Quiriquiripo；　Tuparitoshall　I　name　a　hundred　more？　　It　would　be　useless；　Rima；　they　are　all　savages；　and　live　widely　scattered　in　the　forests；　hunting　with　bow　and　arrow　and　the　zabatana。　　Consider；　then；　how　large　Guayana　is！〃

〃GuayanaGuayana！　　Do　I　not　know　all　this　is　Guayana？　　But　beyond；　and　beyond；　and　beyond？　　Is　there　no　end　to　Guayana？〃

〃Yes；　there　northwards　it　ends　at　the　Orinoco；　a　mighty　river；　coming　from　mighty　mountains；　compared　with　which　Ytaioa　is　like　a　stone　on　the　Around　on　which　we　have　sat　down　to　rest。　　You　must　know　that　guayana　is　only　a　portion；　a　half；　of　our　country；　Venezuela。　　Look；〃　I　continued；　putting　my　hand　round　my　shoulder　to　touch　the　middle　of　my　back；　〃there　is　a　groove　running　down　my　spine　dividing　my　body　into　equal　parts。　　Thus　does　the　great　Orinoco　divide　Venezuela；　and　on　one　side　of　it　is　all　Guayana；　and　on　the　other　side　the　countries　or　provinces　of　Cumana；　Maturm；　Barcelona；　Bolivar；　Guarico；　Apure；　and　many　others。〃　　I　then　gave　a　rapid　description　of　the　northern　half　of　the　country；　with　its　vast　llanos　covered　with　herds　in　one　part；　its　plantations　of　coffee；　rice；　and　sugar…cane　in　another；　and　its　chief　towns；　last　of　all　Caracas；　the　gay　and　opulent　little　Paris　in　America。

This　seemed　to　weary　her；　but　the　moment　I　ceased　speaking；　and　before　I　could　well　moisten　my　dry　lips；　she　demanded　to　know　what　came　after　Caracasafter　all　Venezuela。

〃The　oceanwater；　water；　water；〃　I　replied。

〃There　are　no　people　therein　the　water；　only　fishes；〃　she　remarked；　then　suddenly　continued：　〃Why　are　you　silentis　Venezuela；　then；　all　the　world？〃

The　task　I　had　set　myself　to　perform　seemed　only　at　its　commencement　yet。　　Thinking　how　to　proceed　with　it；　my　eyes　roved　over　the　level　area　we　were　standing　on；　and　it　struck　me　that　this　little　irregular　plain；　broad　at　one　end　and　almost　pointed　at　the　other；　roughly　resembled　the　South　American　continent　in　its　form。

〃Look；　Rima；〃　I　began；　〃here　we　are　on　this　small　pebbleYtaioa；　and　this　line　round　it　shuts　us　inwe　cannot　see　beyond。　　Now　let　us　imagine　that　we　can　see　beyondthat　we　can　see　the　whole　flat　mountaintop；　and　that；　you　know；　is　the　whole　world。　　Now　listen　while　I　tell　you　of　all　the　countries；　and　principal　mountains；　and　rivers；　and　cities　of　the　world。〃

The　plan　I　had　now　fixed　on　involved　a　great　deal　of　walking　about　and　some　hard　work　in　moving　and　setting　up　stones　and　tracing　boundary　and　other　lines；　but　it　gave　me　pleasure；　for　Rima　was　close　by　all　the　time；　following　me　from　place　to　place；　listening　to　all　I　said　in　silence　but　with　keen　interest。　　At　the　broad　end　of　the　level　summit　I　marked　out　Venezuela；　showing　by　means　of　a　long　line　how　the　O