she-第48章

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temples　such　as　the　eye　of　man　never　saw。　But　there　
was　no　man　to　greet　them　in　the　market…place；　and　no　
woman's　face　appeared　at　the　windowsonly　a　bodiless　
voice　went　before　them；　calling：　〃Fallen　is　Imperial　
Ko^rfallen！fallen！fallen！〃　On；　right　through　the　
city；　marched　those　gleaming　phalanxes；　and　the　rattle　
of　their　bony　tread　echoed　through　the　silent　air　as　
they　pressed　grimly　on。　They　passed　through　the　city　
and　climbed　the　wall；　and　marched　along　the　great　
roadway　that　was　made　upon　the　wall；　till　at　length　
they　once　more　reached　the　drawbridge。　Then；　as　the　
sun　was　sinking；　they　returned　again　towards　their　
sepulchre；　and　luridly　his　light　shone　in　the　sockets　
of　their　empty　eyes；　throwing　gigantic　shadows　of　
their　bones；　that　stretched　away；　and　crept　and　crept　
like　huge　spider's　legs　as　their　armies　wound　across　
the　plain。　Then　they　came　to　the　cave；　and　once　more　
one　by　one　flung　themselves　in　unending　files　through　
the　hole　into　the　pit　of　bones；　and　I　awoke；　
shuddering；　to　see　_i_　She　_i_　；　who　had　evidently　
been　standing　between　my　couch　and　Leo's；　glide　like　a　
shadow　from　the　room。

After　this　I　slept　again；　soundly　this　time；　till　
morning；　when　I　awoke　much　refreshed；　and　got　up。　At　
last　the　hour　drew　near　at　which；　according　to　Ayesha；　
Leo　was　to　awake；　and　with　it　came　_i_　She　_i_　
herself；　as　usual；　veiled。

〃Thou　shalt　see；　O　Holly；〃　she　said；　〃presently　shall　
he　awake　in　his　right　mind；　the　fever　having　left　
him。〃

Hardly　were　the　words　out　of　her　mouth；　when　Leo　
turned　round　and　stretched　out　his　arms；　yawned；　
opened　his　eyes；　and；　perceiving　a　female　form　bending　
over　him；　threw　his　arms　round　her　and　kissed　her；　
mistaking　her；　perhaps；　for　Ustane。　At　any　rate；　he　
said；　in　Arabic；　〃Hullo！　Ustane；　why　have　you　tied　
your　head　up　like　that？　Have　you　got　the　toothache？〃　
and　then；　in　English；　〃I　say；　I'm　awfully　hungry。　Why；　
Job；　you　old　son…of…a…gun；　where　the　deuce　have　we　got　
to　noweh？〃

〃I　am　sure　I　wish　I　knew；　Mr。　Leo；〃　said　Job；　edging　
suspiciously　past　Ayesha；　whom　he　still　regarded　with　
the　utmost　disgust　and　horror；　being　by　no　means　sure　
that　she　was　not　an　animated　corpse；　〃but　you　mustn't　
talk；　Mr。　Leo；　you've　been　very　ill；　and　given　us　a　
great　deal　of　hanxiety；　and；　if　this　lady；〃　looking　at　
Ayesha；　〃would　be　so　kind　as　to　move；　I'll　bring　you　
your　soup。〃

This　turned　Leo's　attention　to　the　〃lady；〃　who　was　
standing　by　in　perfect　silence。　〃Hullo！〃　he　said；　
〃that　is　not　Ustanewhere　is　Ustane？〃

Then；　for　the　first　time；　Ayesha　spoke　to　him；　and　her　
first　words　were　a　lie。　〃She　has　gone　from　hence　upon　
a　visit；〃　she　said；　〃and；　behold；　in　her　place　am　I　
here　as　thine　handmaid。〃

Ayesha's　silver　notes　seemed　to　puzzle　Leo's　half…
awakened　intellect；　as　also　I　did　her　corpselike　
wrappings。　However；　he　said　nothing　at　the　time；　but　
drank　off　his　soup　greedily　enough；　and　then　turned　
over　and　slept　again　till　the　evening。　When　he　woke　
for　the　second　time　he　saw　me；　and　began　to　question　
me　as　to　what　had　happened；　but　I　had　to　put　him　off　
as　best　I　could　till　the　morrow；　when　he　awoke　almost　
miraculously　better。　Then　I　told　him　something　of　his　
illness　and　of　my　doings；　but　as　Ayesha　was　present　I　
could　not　tell　him　much　except　that　she　was　the　queen　
of　the　country；　and　well　disposed　towards　us；　and　that　
it　was　her　pleasure　to　go　veiled；　for；　though　of　
course　I　spoke　in　English；　I　was　afraid　that　she　might　
understand　what　we　were　saying　from　the　expression　of　
our　faces；　and；　besides；　I　remembered　her　warning。

On　the　following　day　Leo　got　up　almost　entirely　
recovered。　The　flesh　wound　in　his　side　was　healed；　and　
his　constitution；　naturally　a　vigorous　one；　had　shaken　
off　the　exhaustion　consequent　on　his　terrible　fever　
with　a　rapidity　that　I　can　only　attribute　to　the　
effects　of　the　wonderful　drug　which　Ayesha　had　given　
to　him；　and　also　to　the　fact　that　his　illness　had　been　
too　short　to　reduce　him　very　much。　With　his　returning　
health　came　back　full　recollection　of　all　his　
adventures　up　to　the　time　when　he　had　lost　
consciousness　in　the　marsh；　and　of　course　of　Ustane　
also；　to　whom　I　had　discovered　he　had　grown　
considerably　attached。　Indeed；　he　overwhelmed　me　with　
questions　about　the　poor　girl；　which　I　did　not　dare　to　
answer；　for　after　Leo's　first　wakening　_i_　She　_i_　had　
sent　for　me；　and　again　warned　me　solemnly　that　I　was　
to　reveal　nothing　of　the　story　to　him；　delicately　
hinting　that　if　I　did　it　would　be　the　worse　for　me。　
_i_　She　_i_　also；　for　the　second　time；　cautioned　me　
not　to　tell　Leo　anything　more　than　I　was　obliged　about　
herself；　saying　that　she　would　reveal　herself　to　him　
in　her　own　time。

Indeed；　her　whole　manner　changed。　After　all　that　I　had　
seen　I　had　expected　that　she　would　take　the　earliest　
opportunity　of　claiming　the　man　she　believed　to　be　her　
old…world　lover；　but　this；　for　some　reason　of　her　own；　
which　was　at　the　time　quite　inscrutable　to　me；　she　did　
not　do。　All　that　she　did　was　to　attend　to　his　wants　
quietly；　and　with　a　humility　which　was　in　striking　
contrast　with　her　former　imperious　bearing；　addressing　
him　always　in　a　tone　of　something　very　like　respect；　
and　keeping　him　with　her　as　much　as　possible。　Of　
course　his　curiosity　was　as　much　excited　about　this　
mysterious　woman　as　my　own　had　been；　and　he　was　
particularly　anxious　to　see　her　face；　which　I　had；　
without　entering　into　particulars；　told　him　was　as　
lovely　as　her　form　and　voice。　This　in　itself　was　
enough　to　raise　the　expectations　of　any　young　man　to　a　
dangerous　pitch；　and　had　it　not　been　that　he　had　not　
as　yet　completely　shaken　off　the　effects　of　illness；　
and　was　much　troubled　in　his　mind　about　Ustane；　of　
whose　affection　and　brave　devotion　he　spoke　in　
touching　terms；　I　have　no　doubt　that　he　would　have　
entered　into　her　plans；　and　fallen　in　love　with　her　by　
anticipation。　As　it　was；　however；　he　was　simply　wildly　
curious；　and　also；　like　myself；　considerably　awed；　for　
though　no　hint　had　been　given　to　him　by　Ayesha　of　her　
extraordinary　age；　he　not　unnaturally　came　to　identify　
her　with　the　woman　spoken　of　on　the　potsherd。　At　last；　
quite　driven　into　a　corner　by　his　continual　questions；　
which　he　showered　on　me　while　he　was　dressing　on　this　
third　morning；　I　referred　him　to　Ayesha；　saying；　with　
perfect　truth；　that　I　did　not　know　where　Ustane　was。　
Accordingly；　after　Leo　had　eaten　a　hearty　breakfast；　
we　adjourned　into　_i_　She　_i_　's　presence；　for　her　
mutes　had　orders　to　admit　us　at　all　hours。
　_i_　She　_i_　was；　as　usual；　seated　in　what；　for　want　
of　a　better　term；　we　called　her　boudoir；　and　on　the　
curtains　being　drawn　she　rose　from　her　couch　and；　
stretching　out　both　hands；　came　forward　to　greet　us；　
or　rather　Leo；　for　I；　as　may　be　imagined；　was　now　
quite　left　in　the　cold。　It　was　a　pretty　sight　to　see　
her　veiled　form　gliding　towards　the　sturdy　young　
Englishman；　dressed　in　his　gray…flannel　suit；　for　
though　he　is　half　a　Greek　in　blood；　Leo　is；　with　the　
exception　of　his　hair；　one　of　the　most　English…looking　
men　I　ever　saw。　He　has　nothing　of　the　supple　form　or　
slippery　manner　of　the　modern　Greek　about　him；　though　
I　presume　that　he　got　his　remarkable　personal　beauty　
from　his　foreign　mother；　whose　portrait　he　resembles　
not　a　little。　He　is　very　tall　and　big…chested；　and　yet　
not　awkward；　as　so　many　big　men　are；　and　his　head　is　
set　upon　him　in　such　a　fashion　as　to　give　him　a　proud　
and　vigorous　air；　which　was　well　translated　in　his　
Amahagger　name　of　the　〃Lion。〃

〃Greeting　to　thee；　my　young　stranger　lord；〃　she　said；　
in　her　softest　voice。　〃Right　glad　am　I　to　see　thee　
upon　thy　feet。　Believe　me；　had　I　not　saved　thee　at　the　
last；　never　wouldst　thou　have　stood　upon　those　feet　
again。　But　the　danger　is　done；　and　it　shall　be　my　
care〃and　she　flung　a　world　of　meaning　into　the　
words〃that　it　doth　return　no　more。〃

Leo　bowed　to　her；　and　then；　in　his　best　Arabic；　
thanked　her　for　all　her　kindness　and　courtesy　in　
caring　for　one　unknown　to　her。

〃Nay；〃　she　answered；　softly；　〃ill　could　the　world　
spare　such　a　man。　Beauty　is　too　rare　upon　it。　Give　me　
no　thanks；　who　am　made　happy　by　th