she-第33章

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！


thou　shalt　not　fear　for　long；　for　I　shall　slay　thee。　
Therefore　let　thy　heart　be　light。〃

I　sat　down　on　the　end　of　the　couch　near　to　the　font　
like　basin　of　water；　and　_i_　She　_i_　sank　down　softly　
on　to　the　other　end。

〃Now；　Holly；〃　she　said；　〃how　comest　thou　to　speak　
Arabic　？　It　is　my　own　dear　tongue；　for　Arabian　am　I　by　
birth；　even　'　_i_　al　Arab　al　Ariba　_i_　'〃　（an　Arab　of　
the　Arabs）；　〃and　of　the　race　of　our　father　Yara‘b；　the　
son　of　Ka^htan；　for　in　that　fair　and　ancient　city　Ozal　
was　I　born；　in　the　province　of　Yaman　the　Happy。　Yet　
dost　thou　not　speak　it　as　we　used　to　speak。　Thy　talk　
doth　lack　the　music　of　the　sweet　tongue　of　the　tribes　
of　Hamyar　which　I　was　wont　to　hear。　Some　of　the　words　
too　seem　changed；　even　as　among　these　Amahagger；　who　
have　debased　and　defiled　its　purity；　so　that　I　must　
speak　with　them　in　what　is　to　to　me　another　tongue。〃

〃I　have　studied　it；〃　I　answered；　〃for　many　years。　Also　
the　language　is　spoken　in　Egypt　and　elsewhere。〃

〃So　it　is　still　spoken；　and　there　is　yet　an　Egypt？　And　
what　Pharaoh　sits　upon　the　throne？　Still　one　of　the　
spawn　of　the　Persian　Ochus；　or　are　the　Achaemenians　
gone；　for　so　far　is　it　to　the　days　of　Ochus？〃

〃The　Persians　have　been　gone　from　Egypt　for　nigh　two　
thousand　years；　and　since　then　the　Ptolemies；　the　
Romans；　and　many　others　have　flourished　and　held　sway　
upon　the　Nile；　and　fallen　when　their　time　was　ripe；〃　I　
said；　aghast。　〃What　canst　thou　know　of　the　Persian　
Artaxerxes？〃
　_i_　She　_i_　laughed；　and　made　no　answer；　and　again　a　
cold　chill　went　through　me。　〃And　Greece；〃　she　said；　
〃is　there　still　a　Greece？　Ah；　I　loved　the　Greeks。　
Beautiful　were　they　as　the　day；　and　clever；　but　fierce　
at　heart　and　fickle；　notwithstanding。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃there　is　a　Greece；　and；　just　now；　it　
is　once　more　a　people。　Yet　the　Greeks　of　to…day　are　
not　what　the　Greeks　of　the　old　time　were；　and　Greece　
herself　is　but　a　mockery　of　the　Greece　that　was。〃

〃So！　The　Hebrews；　are　they　yet　at　Jerusalem？　And　does　
the　Temple　that　the　wise　king　built　stand？　and　if　so；　
what　God　do　they　worship　therein？　Is　their　Messiah　
come；　of　whom　they　preached　so　much　and　prophesied　so　
loudly；　and　doth　he　rule　the　earth？〃

〃The　Jews　are　broken　and　gone；　and　the　fragments　of　
their　people　strew　the　world；　and　Jerusalem　is　no　
more。　As　for　the　temple　that　Herod　built〃

〃Herod！〃　she　said。　〃I　know　not　Herod。　But　go　on。〃

〃The　Romans　burned　it；　and　the　Roman　eagles　flew　
across　its　ruins；　arid　now　Judaea　is　a　desert。〃

〃So；　so！　They　were　a　great　people；　those　Romans；　and　
went　straight　to　their　enday；　they　sped　to　it　like　
Fate；　or　like　their　own　eagles　on　their　prey！and　
left　peace　behind　them。〃

〃Solitudinera　faciunt；　pacem　appellant；〃　I　suggested。

〃Ah；　thou　canst　speak　the　Latin　tongue；　too！〃　she　
said；　in　surprise。　〃It　hath　a　strange　ring　in　my　ears　
after　all　these　days；　and　it　seems　to　me　that　thy　
accent　does　not　fall　as　the　Romans　put　it。　Who　was　it　
wrote　that？　I　know　not　the　saying；　but　it　is　a　true　
one　of　that　great　people。　It　seems　that　I　have　found　a　
learned　manone　whose　hands　have　held　the　water　of　
the　world's　knowledge。　Knowest　thou　Greek　also？〃

〃Yes；　O　queen；　and　something　of　Hebrew；　but　not　to　
speak　them　well。　They　are　all　dead　languages　now。〃
　_i_　She　_i_　clapped　her　hands　in　childish　glee。　〃Of　a　
truth；　ugly　tree　that　thou　art；　thou　growest　the　
fruits　of　wisdom；　O　Holly；〃　she　said；　〃but　of　those　
Jews　whom　I　hatedfor　they　called　me　'heathen'　when　I　
would　have　taught　them　my　philosophydid　their　
Messiah　come；　and　doth　he　rule　the　world？〃

〃Their　Messiah　came；〃　I　answered；　with　reverence；　〃but　
he　came　poor　and　lowly；　and　they　would　have　none　of　
him。　They　scourged　him；　and　crucified　him　upon　a　tree；　
but　yet　his　words　and　his　works　live　on；　for　he　was　
the　Son　of　God；　and　now　of　a　truth　he　doth　rule　half　
the　world；　but　not　with　an　empire　of　the　world。〃

〃Ah；　the　fierce…hearted　wolves；〃　she　said；　〃the　
followers　of　Sense　and　of　many　godsgreedy　of　gain　
and　faction　torn。　I　can　see　their　dark　faces　yet。　So　
they　crucified　their　Messiah？　Well　can　I　believe　it。　
That　he　was　a　Son　of　the　Living　Spirit　would　be　naught　
to　them；　if　indeed　he　was　so；　and　of　that　we　will　talk　
afterwards。　They　would　care　naught　for　any　God　if　he　
came　not　with　pomp　and　power。　They；　a　chosen　people；　a　
vessel　of　him　they　call　Jehovah！　ay；　and　a　vessel　of　
Baal；　and　a　vessel　of　Astoreth；　and　a　vessel　of　the　
gods　of　the　Egyptiansa　high…stomached　people；　greedy　
of　aught　that　brought　them　wealth　and　power。　So　they　
crucified　their　Messiah　because　he　came　in　lowly　
guiseand　now　are　they　scattered　about　the　earth。　
Why；　if　I　remember；　so　said　one　of　their　prophets　that　
it　should　be。　Well；　let　them　go；　they　broke　my　heart；　
those　Jews；　and　made　me　look　with　evil　eyes　across　the　
world；　ay；　and　drove　me　to　this　wilderness；　this　place　
of　a　people　that　was　before　them。　When　I　would　have　
taught　them　wisdom　in　Jerusalem　they　stoned　me；　ay；　at　
the　gate　of　the　Temple　those　white…bearded　hypocrites　
and　rabbis　hounded　the　people　on　to　stone　me！　See；　
here　is　the　mark　of　it　to　this　day！〃　and　with　a　sudden　
move　she　pulled　up　the　gauzy　wrapping　on　her　rounded　
arm；　and　pointed　to　a　little　scar　that　showed　red　
against　its　milky　beauty。　I　shrank　back　horrified。

〃Pardon　me；　O　queen；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　am　bewildered。　
Nigh　upon　two　thousand　years　have　rolled　across　the　
earth　since　the　Jewish　Messiah　hung　upon　his　cross　at　
Golgotha。　How　then　canst　thou　have　taught　thy　
philosophy　to　the　Jews　before　he　was？　Thou　art　a　
woman；　and　no　spirit。　How　can　a　woman　live　two　
thousand　years？　Why　dost　thou　befool　me；　O　queen？〃
　_i_　She　_i_　leaned　back　on　the　couch；　and　once　more　I　
felt　the　hidden　eyes　playing　upon　me　and　searching　out　
my　heart。

〃O　man！〃　she　said　at　last；　speaking　very　slowly　and　
deliberately；　〃it　seems　that　there　are　still　things　
upon　the　earth　of　which　thou　knowest　naught。　Dost　thou　
still　believe　that　all　things　die；　even　as　those　very　
Jews　believed？　I　tell　thee　that　naught　really　dies。　
There　is　no　such　thing　as　Death；　though　there　be　a　
thing　called　Change。　See；〃　and　she　pointed　to　some　
sculptures　on　the　rocky　wall。　〃Three　times　two　
thousand　years　have　passed　since　the　last　of　the　great　
race　that　hewed　those　pictures　fell　before　the　breath　
of　the　pestilence　which　destroyed　them；　yet　they　are　
not　dead。　E'en　now　they　live；　perchance　their　spirits　
are　drawn　towards　us　at　this　very　hour；〃　and　she　
glanced　round。　〃Of　a　surety　it　sometimes　seems　to　me　
that　my　eyes　can　see　them。〃

〃Yes；　but　to　the　world　they　are　dead。〃　

〃Ay；　for　a　time；　but　even　to　the　world　they　are　born　
again　and　again。　I；　yes　I；　Ayeshafor　that　is　my　
name；　strangerI　say　to　thee　that　I　wait　now　for　one　
I　loved　to　be　born　again；　and　here　I　tarry　till　he　
finds　me；　knowing　of　a　surety　that　hither　he　will　
come；　and　that　here；　and　here　only；　shall　he　greet　me。　
Why；　dost　thou　suppose　that　I；　who　am　all　powerful；　I；　
whose　loveliness　is　more　than　the　loveliness　of　the　
Grecian　Helen；　of　whom　they　used　to　sing；　and　whose　
wisdom　is　wider；　ay；　far　more　wide　and　deep　than　the　
wisdom　of　Solomon　the　WiseI；　who　know　the　secrets　of　
the　earth　and　its　riches；　and　can　turn　all　things　to　
my　usesI；　who　have　even　for　a　while　overcome　Change；　
that　ye　call　Deathwhy；　I　say；　O　stranger；　dost　thou　
think　that　I　herd　here　with　barbarians　lower　than　the　
beasts？〃

〃I　know　not；〃　I　said；　humbly。　

〃Because　I　wait　for　him　I　love。　My　life　has　perchance　
been　evil；　I　know　notfor　who　can　say　what　is　evil　
and　what　good？so　I　fear　to　die　even　if　I　could　die；　
which　I　cannot　until　mine　hour　comes；　to　go　and　seek　
him　where　he　is；　for　between　us　there　might　rise　a　
wall　I　could　not　climb；　at　least；　I　dread　it。　Surely　
easy　would　it　be　also　to　lose　the　way　in　seeking　in　
those　great　spaces　wherein　the　planets　wander　on　
forever。　But　the　day　will　come；　it　may　be　when　five　
thousand　more　years　have　passed；　and　are　lost　and　
melted　into　the　vault　of　Time；　even　as　the　little　
clouds　melt　into　the　gloom　of　night；　or　it　may　be　to…
morrow；　when　he；　my　love；　shall　be　born　again；　and　
then；　following　a　l