she-第47章

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a　cry；　catching　at　my　arm。

〃Perchance　I　dreamed　it；〃　I　answered；　〃strange　dreams　
do　hover　about　these　caves　of　Ko^r。　It　seems　that　the　
dream　was；　indeed；　a　shadow　of　the　truth。　What　came　to　
thee　of　thy　mad　crime？two　thousand　years　of　waiting；　
was　it　not？　And　now　wouldst　thou　repeat　the　history？　
Say　what　thou　wilt；　I　tell　thee　that　evil　will　come　of　
it；　for　to　him　who　doeth；　at　the　least；　good　breeds　
good　and　evil　evil；　even　though　in　after…days　out　of　
evil　cometh　good。　Offences　must　needs　come；　but　woe　to　
him　by　whom　the　offence　cometh。　So　said　that　Messiah　
of　whom　I　spoke　to　thee；　and　it　was　truly　said。　If　
thou　slayest　this　innocent　woman；　I　say　unto　thee　that　
thou　shalt　be　accursed；　and　pluck　no　fruit　from　thine　
ancient　tree　of　love。　Also；　what　thinkest　thou？　How　
will　this　man　take　thee　redhanded　from　the　slaughter　
of　her　who　loved　and　tended　him？''

〃As　to　that；〃　she　answered；　〃I　have　already　answered　
thee。　Had　I　slain　thee　as　well　as　her；　yet　should　he　
love　me；　Holly；　because　he　could　not　save　himself　
therefrom　any　more　than　thou　couldst　save　thyself　from　
dying；　if　by　chance　I　slew　thee；　O　Holly。　And　yet；　
maybe　there　is　truth　in　what　thou　dost　say；　for　in　
some　way　it　presseth　on　my　mind。　If　it　may　be　I　will　
spare　this　woman；　for　have　I　not　told　thee　that　I　am　
not　cruel　for　the　sake　of　cruelty？　I　love　not　to　see　
suffering　or　to　cause　it。　Let　her　come　before　me
quick；　now；　before　my　mood　changes；〃　and　she　hastily　
covered　her　face　with　its　gauzy　wrapping。

Well　pleased　to　have　succeeded　even　to　this　extent；　I　
passed　out　into　the　passage　and　called　to　Ustane；　
whose　white　garment　I　caught　sight　of　some　yards　away；　
huddled　up　against　one　of　the　earthenware　lamps　that　
were　placed　at　intervals　along　the　tunnel。　She　rose；　
and　ran　towards　me。

〃Is　my　lord　dead？　Oh；　say　not　he　is　dead；〃　she　cried；　
lifting　her　noble…looking　face；　all　stained　as　it　was　
with　tears；　up　to　me　with　an　air　of　infinite　
beseeching　that　went　straight　to　my　heart。

〃Nay；　he　lives；〃　I　answered。　〃　_i_　She　_i_　hath　saved　
him。　Enter。〃

She　sighed　deeply；　entered；　and　fell　upon　her　hands　
and　knees；　after　the　custom　of　the　Amahagger　people；　
in　the　presence　of　the　dread　_i_　She　_i_。

〃Stand；〃　said　Ayesha；　in　her　coldest　voice；　〃and　come　
hither。〃

Ustane　obeyed；　standing　before　her　with　bowed　head。

Then　came　a　pause；　which　Ayesha　broke。

〃Who　is　this　man？〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　sleeping　
form　of　Leo。

〃The　man　is　my　husband；〃　she　answered　in　a　low　voice。

〃Who　gave　him　to　thee　for　a　husband？〃

〃I　took　him　according　to　the　custom　of　our　country；　O　
_i_　She　_i_　。〃

〃Thou　hast　done　evil；　woman；　in　taking　this　man；　who　
is　a　stranger。　He　is　not　a　man　of　thine　own　race；　and　
the　custom　fails。　Listen：　perchance　thou　didst　this　
thing　through　ignorance；　therefore；　woman；　do　I　spare　
thee；　otherwise　hadst　thou　died。　Listen　again。　Go　from　
hence　back　to　thine　own　place；　and　never　dare　to　speak　
to　or　set　thine　eyes　upon　this　man　again。　He　is　not　
for　thee。　Listen　a　third　time。　If　thou　breakest　this　
my　law；　that　moment　thou　diest。　Go。〃　

But　Ustane　did　not　move。　

〃Go；　woman！〃

Then　she　looked　up；　and　I　saw　that　her　face　was　torn　
with　passion。

〃Nay；　O　_i_　She　_i_　；　I　will　not　go；〃　she　answered；　in　
a　choked　voice：　〃the　man　is　my　husband；　and　I　love　
himI　love　him；　and　I　will　not　leave　him。　What　right　
hast　thou　to　command　me　to　leave　my　husband？〃

I　saw　a　little　quiver　pass　down　Ayesha's　frame；　and　
shuddered　myself；　fearing　the　worst。

〃Be　pitiful；〃　I　said　in　Latin；　〃it　is　but　Nature　
working。〃

〃I　am　pitiful；〃　she　answered；　coldly；　in　the　same　
language；　〃had　I　not　been　pitiful　she　had　been　dead　
even　now。〃　Then　addressing　Ustane：　〃Woman；　I　say　to　
thee；　go　before　I　destroy　thee　where　thou　art！〃

〃I　will　not　go！　He　is　minemine！〃　she　cried；　in　
anguish。　〃I　took　him；　and　I　saved　his　life！　Destroy　
me；　then；　if　thou　hast　the　power！　I　will　not　give　thee　
my　husbandnevernever！〃

Ayesha　made　a　movement　so　swift　that　I　could　scarcely　
follow　it；　but　it　seemed　to　me　that　she　lightly　struck　
the　poor　girl　upon　the　head　with　her　hand。　I　looked　at　
Ustane；　and　then　staggered　back　in　horror；　for　there　
upon　her　hair；　right　across　her　bronze…like　tresses；　
were　three　finger…marks　white　as　snow。　As　for　the　girl　
herself；　she　had　put　her　hands　to　her　head；　and　was　
looking　dazed。

〃Great　heavens！〃　I　said；　perfectly　aghast　at　this　
dreadful　manifestation　of　inhuman　power；　but　_i_　She　
_i_　did　but　laugh　a　little。

〃Thou　thinkest；　poor；　ignorant　fool；〃　she　said　to　the　
bewildered　woman；　〃that　I　have　not　power　to　slay。　
Stay；　there　lies　a　mirror；〃　and　she　pointed　to　Leo's　
round　shaving…glass　that　had　been　arranged　by　Job　with　
other　things　upon　his　portmanteau；　〃give　it　to　this　
woman；　my　Holly；　and　let　her　see　that　which　lies　
across　her　hair；　and　whether　or　not　I　have　power　to　
slay。〃

I　picked　up　the　glass；　and　held　it　before　Ustane's　
eyes。　She　gazed；　then　felt　at　her　hair；　then　gazed　
again；　and　then　sank　upon　the　ground　with　a　sort　of　
sob。

〃Now；　wilt　thou　go；　or　must　I　strike　a　second　time？〃　
asked　Ayesha；　in　mockery。　〃Look；　I　have　set　my　seal　
upon　thee　so　that　I　may　know　thee　till　thy　hair　is　all　
as　white　as　it。　If　I　see　thy　face　here　again；　be　sure　
too；　that　thy　bones　shall　soon　be　whiter　than　my　mark　
upon　thy　hair。〃

Utterly　awed　and　broken　down；　the　poor　creature　rose　
and；　marked　with　that　awful　mark；　crept　from　the　room　
sobbing　bitterly。

〃Look　not　so　frighted；　my　Holly；〃　said　Ayesha；　when　
She　had　gone。　〃I　tell　thee　I　deal　not　in　magicthere　
is　no　such　thing。　'Tis　only　a　force　that　thou　dost　not　
understand。　I　marked　her　to　strike　terror　to　her　
heart；　else　must　I　have　slain　her。　And　now　I　will　bid　
my　servants　bear　my　Lord　Kallikrates　to　a　chamber　near　
mine　own；　that　I　may　watch　over　him；　and　be　ready　to　
greet　him　when　he　wakes；　and　thither；　too；　shalt　thou　
come；　my　Holly；　and　the　white　man；　thy　servant。　But　
one　thing　remember　at　thy　peril。　Naught　shalt　thou　say　
to　Kallikrates　as　to　how　this　woman　went；　and　as　
little　as　may　be　of　me。　Now；　I　have　warned　thee！〃　and　
she　slid　away　to　give　her　orders；　leaving　me　more　
absolutely　confounded　than　ever。　Indeed；　so　bewildered　
was　I；　and　racked　and　torn　with　such　a　succession　of　
various　emotions；　that　I　began　to　think　that　I　must　be　
going　mad。　However；　perhaps　fortunately；　I　had　but　
little　time　to　reflect；　for　presently　the　mutes　
arrived　to　carry　the　sleeping　Leo　and　our　possessions　
across　the　central　cave；　so　for　a　while　all　was　
bustle。　Our　new　rooms　were　situated　immediately　behind　
what　we　used　to　call　Ayesha's　boudoirthe　curtained　
space　where　I　had　first　seen　her。　Where　she　herself　
slept　I　did　not　then　know；　but　it　was　somewhere　quite　
close。

That　night　I　passed　in　Leo's　room；　but　he　slept　
through　it　like　the　dead；　never　once　stirring。　I　also　
slept　fairly　well；　as；　indeed；　I　needed　to　do；　but　my　
sleep　was　full　of　dreams　of　all　the　horrors　and　
wonders　I　had　undergone。　Chiefly；　however；　I　was　
haunted　by　that　frightful　piece　of　_i_　diablerie　_i_　
by　which　Ayesha　left　her　finger…marks　upon　her　rival's　
hair。　There　was　something　so　terrible　about　the　swift；　
snakelike　movement；　and　the　instantaneous　blanching　of　
that　threefold　line；　that；　if　the　results　to　Ustane　
had　been　much　more　tremendous；　I　doubt　if　they　would　
have　impressed　me　so　deeply。　To　this　day　I　often　dream　
of　that　awful　scene；　and　see　the　weeping　woman；　
bereaved；　and　marked　like　Cain；　cast　a　last　look　at　
her　lover；　and　creep　from　the　presence　of　her　dread　
queen。

Another　dream　that　troubled　me　originated　in　the　huge　
pyramid　of　bones。　I　dreamed　that　they　all　stood　up　and　
marched　past　me　in　thousands　and　tens　of　thousandsin　
squadrons；　companies；　and　armieswith　the　sunlight　
shining　through　their　hollow　ribs。　On　they　rushed　
across　the　plain　to　Ko^r；　their　imperial　home；　I　saw　
the　drawbridges　fall　before　them；　and　heard　their　
bones　clank　through　the　brazen　gates。　On　they　went；　up　
the　splendid　streets；　on　past　fountains；　palaces；　and　
temples　such　as　the　eye　of　man　never　saw。　But　there　
was　no　man　to　greet　them