the ivory child-第76章

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few　feet　of　the　body　of　his　slayer　Hans。　I　have　always　regretted　that

I　did　not　take　the　exact　measurements　of　this　brute；　as　I　believe　the

record　elephant　of　the　world；　but　I　had　no　time　to　do　so　and　no　rule

or　tape　at　hand。　I　only　saw　him　for　a　minute　on　the　following　morning；

just　as　he　was　being　tumbled　into　a　huge　hole；　together　with　the

remains　of　his　master；　Simba　the　King。　I　found；　however；　that　the　sole

wounds　upon　him；　save　some　cuts　and　scratches　from　spears；　were　those

inflicted　by　Hansnamely；　the　loss　of　one　eye；　the　puncture　through

the　skin　over　the　heart　made　when　he　shot　at　him　for　the　second　time

with　the　little　rifle　Intombi；　and　two　neat　holes　at　the　back　of　the

mouth　through　which　the　bullets　from　the　elephant　gun　had　driven

upwards　to　the　base　of　the　brain；　causing　his　death　from　h？morrhage　on

that　organ。



I　asked　the　White　Kendah　to　give　me　his　two　enormous　tusks；

unequalled；　I　suppose；　in　size　and　weight　in　Africa；　although　one　was

deformed　and　broken。　But　they　refused。　These；　I　presume；　they　wished

to　keep；　together　with　the　chains　off　his　breast　and　trunk；　as

mementoes　of　their　victory　over　the　god　of　their　foes。　At　any　rate

they　hewed　the　former　out　with　axes　and　removed　the　latter　before

tumbling　the　carcass　into　the　grave。　From　the　worn…down　state　of　the

teeth　I　concluded　that　this　beast　must　have　been　extraordinarily　old；

how　old　it　is　impossible　to　say。



That　is　all　I　have　to　tell　of　Jana。　May　he　rest　in　peace；　which

certainly　he　will　not　do　if　Hans　dwells　anywhere　in　his　neighbourhood；

in　the　region　which　the　old　boy　used　to　call　that　of　the　〃fires　that

do　not　go　out。〃　Because　of　my　horrible　failure　in　connection　with　this

beast；　the　very　memory　of　which　humiliates　me；　I　do　not　like　to　think

of　it　more　than　I　can　help。



For　the　rest　the　White　Kendah　kept　faith　with　us　in　every　particular。

In　a　curious　and　semi…religious　ceremony；　at　which　I　was　not　present；

Lady　Ragnall　was　absolved　from　her　high　office　of　Guardian　or　Nurse　to

a　god　whereof　the　symbol　no　longer　existed；　though　I　believe　that　the

priests　collected　the　tiny　fragments　of　ivory；　or　as　many　of　them　as

could　be　found；　and　preserved　them　in　a　jar　in　the　sanctuary。　After

this　had　been　done　women　stripped　the　Nurse　of　her　hallowed　robes；　of

the　ancient　origin　of　which；　by　the　way；　I　believe　that　none　of　them；

except　perhaps　Har？t；　had　any　idea；　any　more　than　they　knew　that　the

Child　represented　the　Egyptian　Horus　and　his　lady　Guardian　the　moon…

goddess　Isis。　Then；　dressed　in　some　native　garments；　she　was　handed

over　to　Ragnall　and　thenceforth　treated　as　a　stranger…guest；　like

ourselves；　being　allowed；　however；　to　live　with　her　husband　in　the

same　house　that　she　had　occupied　during　all　the　period　of　her　strange

captivity。　Here　they　abode　together；　lost　in　the　mutual　bliss　of　this

wonderful　reunion　to　which　they　had　attained　through　so　much　bodily

and　spiritual　darkness　and　misery；　until　a　month　or　so　later　we

started　upon　our　journey　across　the　mountains　and　the　great　desert

that　lay　beyond　them。



Only　once　did　I　find　any　real　opportunity　of　private　conversation　with

Lady　Ragnall。



This　happened　after　her　husband　had　recovered　from　the　hurts　he

received　in　the　battle；　on　an　occasion　when　he　was　obliged　to　separate

from　her　for　a　day　in　order　to　attend　to　some　matter　in　the　Town　of

the　Child。　I　think　it　had　to　do　with　the　rifles　used　in　the　battle；

which　he　had　presented　to　the　White　Kendah。　So；　leaving　me　to　look

after　her；　he　went；　unwillingly　enough；　who　seemed　to　hate　losing

sight　of　his　wife　even　for　an　hour。



I　took　her　for　a　walk　in　the　wood；　to　that　very　point　indeed　on　the

lip　of　the　crater　whence　we　had　watched　her　play　her　part　as　priestess

at　the　Feast　of　the　First…fruits。　After　we　had　stood　there　a　while　we

went　down　among　the　great　cedars；　trying　to　retrace　the　last　part　of

our　march　through　the　darkness　of　that　anxious　night；　whereof　now　for

the　first　time　I　told　her　all　the　story。



Growing　tired　of　scrambling　among　the　fallen　boughs；　at　length　Lady

Ragnall　sat　down　and　said：



〃Do　you　know；　Mr。　Quatermain；　these　are　the　first　words　we　have　really

had　since　that　party　at　Ragnall　before　I　was　married；　when；　as　you　may

have　forgotten；　you　took　me　in　to　dinner。〃



I　replied　that　there　was　nothing　I　recollected　much　more　clearly；

which　was　both　true　and　the　right　thing　to　say；　or　so　I　supposed。



〃Well；〃　she　said　slowly；　〃you　see　that　after　all　there　was　something

in　those　fancies　of　mine　which　at　the　time　you　thought　would　best　be

dealt　with　by　a　doctorabout　Africa　and　the　rest；　I　mean。〃



〃Yes；　Lady　Ragnall；　though　of　course　we　should　always　remember　that

coincidence　accounts　for　many　things。　In　any　case　they　are　done　with

now。〃



〃Not　quite；　Mr。　Quatermain；　even　as　you　mean；　since　we　have　still　a

long　way　to　go。　Also　in　another　sense　I　believe　that　they　are　but

begun。〃



〃I　do　not　understand；　Lady　Ragnall。〃



〃Nor　do　I；　but　listen。　You　know　that　of　anything　which　happened　during

those　months　I　have　no　memory　at　all；　except　of　that　one　dream　when　I

seemed　to　see　George　and　Savage　in　the　hut。　I　remember　my　baby　being

killed　by　that　horrible　circus　elephant；　just　as　the　Ivory　Child　was

killed　or　rather　destroyed　by　Jana；　which　I　suppose　is　another　of　your

coincidences；　Mr。　Quatermain。　After　that　I　remember　nothing　until　I

woke　up　and　saw　George　standing　in　front　of　me　covered　with　blood；　and

you；　and　Jana　dead；　and　the　rest。〃



〃Because　during　that　time　your　mind　was　gone；　Lady　Ragnall。〃



〃Yes；　but　where　had　it　gone？　I　tell　you；　Mr。　Quatermain；　that　although

I　remember　nothing　of　what　was　passing　about　me　then；　I　do　remember　a

great　deal　of　what　seemed　to　be　passing　either　long　ago　or　in　some

time　to　come；　though　I　have　said　nothing　of　it　to　George；　as　I　hope

you　will　not　either。　It　might　upset　him。〃



〃What　do　you　remember？〃　I　asked。



〃That's　the　trouble；　I　can't　tell　you。　What　was　once　very　clear　to　me

has　for　the　most　part　become　vague　and　formless。　When　my　mind　tries　to

grasp　it；　it　slips　away。　It　was　another　life　to　this；　quite　a

different　life；　and　there　was　a　great　story　in　it　of　which　I　think

what　we　have　been　going　through　is　either　a　sequel　or　a　prologue。　I

see；　or　saw；　cities　and　temples　with　people　moving　about　them；　George

and　you　among　them；　also　that　old　priest；　Har？t。　You　will　laugh；　but

my　recollection　is　that　you　stood　in　some　relationship　to　me；　either

that　of　father　or　brother。〃



〃Or　perhaps　a　cousin；〃　I　suggested。



〃Or　perhaps　a　cousin；〃　she　repeated；　smiling；　〃or　a　great　friend；　at

any　rate　something　very　intimate。　As　for　George；　I　don't　know　what　he

was；　or　Har？t　either。　But　the　odd　thing　is　that　little　yellow　man；

Hans；　whom　I　only　saw　once　living　for　a　few　minutes　that　I　can

remember；　comes　more　clearly　back　to　my　mind　than　any　of　you。　He　was　a

dwarf；　much　stouter　than　when　I　saw　him　the　other　day；　but　very　like。

I　recall　him　curiously　dressed　with　feathers　and　holding　an　ivory　rod；

seated　upon　a　stool　at　the　feet　of　a　great　personagea　king；　I　think。

The　king　asked　him　questions；　and　everyone　listened　to　his　answers。

That　is　all；　except　that　the　scenes　seemed　to　be　flooded　with

sunlight。〃



〃Which　is　more　than　this　place　is。　I　think　we　had　better　be　moving；

Lady　Ragnall；　or　you　will　catch　a　chill　under　these　damp　cedars。〃



I　said　this　because　I　did　not　wish　to　pursue　the　conversation。　I

considered　it　too　exciting　under　all　her　circumstances；　especially　as

I　perceived　that　mystical　look　gathering　on　her　face　and　in　her

beautiful　eyes；　which　I　remembered　noting　before　she　was　married。



She　read　my　thoughts　and　answered　with　a　laugh：



〃Yes；　it　is　damp；　but　you　know　I　am　very　strong　and　damp　will　not　hurt

me。　For　the　rest　you　need　not　be　afraid；　Mr。　Quatermain。　I　did　not

lose　my　mind。　It　was　taken　from　me　by　some　power　and　sent　to　live

elsewhere。　Now　it　has　been　given　back　and　I　do　not