classic mystery and detective stories-第25章

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She　spoke　no　more　in　the　tongue　that　I　could　interpret。　　She　spoke；

in　the　language　unknown；　a　few　murmured　words　to　her　swarthy

attendants；　then　the　armed　men；　still　weeping；　rose；　and　made　a

dumb　sign　to　me　to　go　with　them。　　I　understood　by　the　sign　that

Ayesha　had　told　them　to　guard　me　on　my　way；　but　she　gave　no　reply

to　my　parting　thanks。





XI





I　descended　into　the　valley；　the　armed　men　followed。　　The　path；　on

that　side　of　the　water　course　not　reached　by　the　flames；　wound

through　meadows　still　green；　or　amidst　groves　still　unscathed。　　As

a　turning　in　the　way　brought　in　front　of　my　sight　the　place　I　had

left　behind；　I　beheld　the　black　litter　creeping　down　the　descent；

with　its　curtains　closed；　and　the　Veiled　Woman　walking　by　its　side。

But　soon　the　funeral　procession　was　lost　to　my　eyes；　and　the

thoughts　that　it　roused　were　erased。　　The　waves　in　man's　brain　are

like　those　of　the　sea；　rushing　on；　rushing　over　the　wrecks　of　the

vessels　that　rode　on　their　surface；　to　sink；　after　storm；　in　their

deeps。　　One　thought　cast　forth　into　the　future　now　mastered　all　in

the　past：　〃Was　Lilian　living　still？〃　　Absorbed　in　the　gloom　of　that

thought；　hurried　on　by　the　goad　that　my　heart；　in　its　tortured

impatience；　gave　to　my　footstep；　I　outstripped　the　slow　stride　of

the　armed　men；　and；　midway　between　the　place　I　had　left　and　the

home　which　I　sped　to；　came；　far　in　advance　of　my　guards；　into　the

thicket　in　which　the　Bushmen　had　started　up　in　my　path　on　the　night

that　Lilian　had　watched　for　my　coming。　　The　earth　at　my　feet　was

rife　with　creeping　plants　and　many…colored　flowers；　the　sky

overhead　was　half　hid　by　motionless　pines。　　Suddenly；　whether

crawling　out　from　the　herbage　or　dropping　down　from　the　trees；　by

my　side　stood　the　white…robed　and　skeleton　formAyesha's　attendant

the　Strangler。



I　sprang　from　him　shuddering；　then　halted　and　faced　him。　　The

hideous　creature　crept　toward　me；　cringing　and　fawning；　making

signs　of　humble　goodwill　and　servile　obeisance。　　Again　I　recoiled

wrathfully；　loathingly；　turned　my　face　homeward；　and　fled　on。　　I

thought　I　had　baffled　his　chase；　when；　just　at　the　mouth　of　the

thicket；　he　dropped　from　a　bough　in　my　path　close　behind　me。

Before　I　could　turn；　some　dark　muffling　substance　fell　between　my

sight　and　the　sun；　and　I　felt　a　fierce　strain　at　my　throat。　　But

the　words　of　Ayesha　had　warned　me；　with　one　rapid　hand　I　seized　the

noose　before　it　could　tighten　too　closely；　with　the　other　I　tore

the　bandage　away　from　my　eyes；　and；　wheeling　round　on　the　dastardly

foe；　struck　him　down　with　one　spurn　of　my　foot。　　His　hand；　as　he

fell；　relaxed　its　hold　on　the　noose；　I　freed　my　throat　from　the

knot；　and　sprang　from　the　copse　into　the　broad　sunlit　plain。　　I　saw

no　more　of　the　armed　men　or　the　Strangler。　　Panting　and　breathless；

I　paused　at　last　before　the　fence；　fragrant　with　blossoms；　that

divided　my　home　from　the　solitude。



The　windows　of　Lilian's　room　were　darkened；　all　within　the　house

seemed　still。



Darkened　and　silenced　home；　with　the　light　and　sounds　of　the　jocund

day　all　around　it。　　Was　there　yet　hope　in　the　Universe　for　me？　　All

to　which　I　had　trusted　Hope　had　broken　down；　the　anchors　I　had

forged　for　her　hold　in　the　beds　of　the　ocean；　her　stay　from　the

drifts　of　the　storm；　had　snapped　like　the　reeds　which　pierce　the

side　that　leans　on　the　barb　of　their　points；　and　confides　in　the

strength　of　their　stems。　　No　hope　in　the　baffled　resources　of

recognized　knowledge！　　No　hope　in　the　daring　adventures　of　Mind

into　regions　unknown；　vain　alike　the　calm　lore　of　the　practiced

physician；　and　the　magical　arts　of　the　fated　Enchanter！　　I　had　fled

from　the　commonplace　teachings　of　Nature；　to　explore　in　her

Shadowland　marvels　at　variance　with　reason。　　Made　brave　by　the

grandeur　of　love；　I　had　opposed　without　quailing　the　stride　of　the

Demon；　and　my　hope；　when　fruition　seemed　nearest；　had　been　trodden

into　dust　by　the　hoofs　of　the　beast！　　And　yet；　all　the　while；　I　had

scorned；　as　a　dream；　more　wild　than　the　word　of　a　sorcerer；　the

hope　that　the　old　man　and　the　child；　the　wise　and　the　ignorant；

took　from　their　souls　as　inborn。　　Man　and　fiend　had　alike　failed　a

mind；　not　ignoble；　not　skill…less；　not　abjectly　craven；　alike

failed　a　heart　not　feeble　and　selfish；　not　dead　to　the　hero's

devotion；　willing　to　shed　every　drop　of　its　blood　for　a　something

more　dear　than　an　animal's　life　for　itself！　　What　remainedwhat

remained　for　man's　hope？man's　mind　and　man's　heart　thus

exhausting　their　all　with　no　other　result　but　despair！　　What

remained　but　the　mystery　of　mysteries；　so　clear　to　the　sunrise　of

childhood；　the　sunset　of　age；　only　dimmed　by　the　clouds　which

collect　round　the　noon　of　our　manhood？　　Where　yet　was　Hope　found？

In　the　soul；　in　its　every…day　impulse　to　supplicate　comfort　and

light；　from　the　Giver　of　soul；　wherever　the　heart　is　afflicted；　the

mind　is　obscured。



Then　the　words　of　Ayesha　rushed　over　me：　〃What　mourner　can　be

consoled；　if　the　dead　die　forever？〃　　Through　every　pulse　of　my

frame　throbbed　that　dread　question；　all　Nature　around　seemed　to

murmur　it。　　And　suddenly；　as　by　a　flash　from　heaven；　the　grand

truth　in　Faber's　grand　reasoning　shone　on　me；　and　lighted　up　all；

within　and　without。　　Man　alone；　of　all　earthly　creatures；　asks；

〃Can　the　dead　die　forever？〃　and　the　instinct　that　urges　the

question　is　God's　answer　to　man。　　No　instinct　is　given　in　vain。



And　born　with　the　instinct　of　soul　is　the　instinct　that　leads　the

soul　from　the　seen　to　the　unseen；　from　time　to　eternity；　from　the

torrent　that　foams　toward　the　Ocean　of　Death；　to　the　source　of　its

stream；　far　aloft　from　the　Ocean。



〃Know　thyself；〃　said　the　Pythian　of　old。　　〃That　precept　descended

from　Heaven。〃　　Know　thyself！　　Is　that　maxim　wise？　　If　so；　know　thy

soul。　　But　never　yet　did　man　come　to　the　thorough　conviction　of

soul　but　what　he　acknowledged　the　sovereign　necessity　of　prayer。

In　my　awe；　in　my　rapture；　all　my　thoughts　seemed　enlarged　and

illumed　and　exalted。　　I　prayedall　my　soul　seemed　one　prayer。　　All

my　past；　with　its　pride　and　presumption　and　folly；　grew　distinct　as

the　form　of　a　penitent；　kneeling　for　pardon　before　setting　forth　on

the　pilgrimage　vowed　to　a　shrine。　　And；　sure　now；　in　the　deeps　of　a

soul　first　revealed　to　myself；　that　the　Dead　do　not　die　forever；　my

human　love　soared　beyond　its　brief　trial　of　terror　and　sorrow。

Daring　not　to　ask　from　Heaven's　wisdom　that　Lilian；　for　my　sake；

might　not　yet　pass　away　from　the　earth；　I　prayed　that　my　soul　might

be　fitted　to　bear　with　submission　whatever　my　Maker　might　ordain。

And　if　surviving　herwithout　whom　no　beam　from　yon　material　sun

could　ever　warm　into　joy　a　morrow　in　human　lifeso　to　guide　my

steps　that　they　might　rejoin　her　at　last；　and　in　rejoining；　regain

forever！



How　trivial　now　became　the　weird　riddle；　that；　a　little　while

before；　had　been　clothed　in　so　solemn　an　awe！　　What　mattered　it　to

the　vast　interests　involved　in　the　clear　recognition　of　Soul　and

Hereafter；　whether　or　not　my　bodily　sense；　for　a　moment；　obscured

the　face　of　the　Nature　I　should　one　day　behold　as　a　spirit？

Doubtless　the　sights　and　the　sounds　which　had　haunted　the　last

gloomy　night；　the　calm　reason　of　Faber　would　strip　of　their　magical

seemings；　the　Eyes　in　the　space　and　the　Foot　in　the　circle　might　be

those　of　no　terrible　Demons；　but　of　the　wild's　savage　children　whom

I　had　seen；　halting；　curious　and　mute；　in　the　light　of　the　morning。

The　tremor　of　the　ground　（if　not；　as　heretofore；　explicable　by　the

illusory　impression　of　my　own　treacherous　senses）　might　be　but　the

natural　effect　of　elements　struggling　yet　under　a　soil　unmistakably

charred　by　volcanoes。　　The　luminous　atoms　dissolved　in　the　caldron

might　as　little　be　fraught　with　a　vital　elixir　as　are　the　splendors

of　naphtha　or　phosphor。　　As　it　was；　the　weird　rite　had　no　magic

result。　　The　magician　was　not　rent　limb　from　limb　by　the　fiends。

By　causes　as　natural　as　ever　extingu