she-第56章

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making　it；　could　have　seen　Ayesha　draw　her　veil　and　
flash　out　in　beauty　on　his　gaze；　his　view　would　
exactly　coincide　with　my　own。　Of　course　I　am　speaking　
of　any　man。　We　never　had　the　advantage　of　a　lady's　
opinion　of　Ayesha；　but　I　think　it　quite　possible　that　
she　would　have　regarded　the　queen　with　dislike；　would　
have　expressed　her　disapproval　in　some　more　or　less　
pointed　manner；　and　ultimately　have　got　herself　
blasted。

For　two　hours　or　more　Leo　and　I　sat　with　shaken　nerves　
and　frightened　eyes；　and　talked　over　the　miraculous　
events　through　which　we　were　passing。　It　seemed　like　a　
dream　or　a　fairy　tale；　instead　of　the　solemn；　sober　
fact。　Who　would　have　believed　that　the　writing　on　the　
potsherd　was　not　only　true；　but　that　we　should　live　to　
verify　its　truth；　and　that　we　two　seekers　should　find　
her　who　was　sought；　patiently　awaiting　our　coming　in　
the　tombs　of　Ko^r？　Who　would　have　thought　that　in　the　
person　of　Leo　this　mysterious　woman　should；　as　she　
believed；　discover　the　being　whom　she　awaited　from　
century　to　century；　and　whose　former　earthly　
habitation　she　had　till　this　very　night　preserved？　But　
so　it　was。　In　the　face　of　all　we　had　seen　it　was　
difficult　for　us　as　ordinary　reasoning　men　any　longer　
to　doubt　its　truth；　and　therefore　at　last；　with　humble　
hearts　and　a　deep　sense　of　the　impotence　of　human　
knowledge；　and　the　insolence　of　its　assumption　that　
denies　that　which　it　has　no　experience　of　to　be　
possible；　we　laid　ourselves　down　to　sleep；　leaving　our　
fates　in　the　hands　of　that　watching　Providence　which　
had　thus　chosen　to　allow　us　to　draw　the　veil　of　human　
ignorance；　and　reveal　to　us　for　good　or　evil　some　
glimpse　of　the　possibilities　of　life。

CHAPTER　XXII

JOB　HAS　A　PRESENTIMENT

IT　was　nine　o'clock　on　the　following　morning　when　Job；　
who　still　looked　scared　and　frightened；　came　in　to　
call　me；　and　at　the　same　time　breathe　his　gratitude　at　
finding　us　alive　in　our　beds；　which　it　appeared　was　
more　than　he　had　expected。　When　I　told　him　of　the　
awful　end　of　poor　Ustane　he　was　even　more　grateful　at　
our　survival；　and　much　shocked；　though　Ustane　had　been　
no　favorite　of　his；　or　he　of　hers；　for　the　matter　of　
that。　She　called　him　〃pig〃　in　bastard　Arabic；　and　he　
called　her　〃hussy〃　in　good　English；　but　these　
amenities　were　forgotten　in　the　face　of　the　
catastrophe　that　had　overwhelmed　her　at　the　hands　of　
her　queen。

〃I　don't　want　to　say　anything　as　mayn't　be　agreeable；　
sir；〃　said　Job；　when　he　had　finished　exclaiming　at　my　
tale；　〃but　it's　my　opinion　that　that　there　_i_　She　_i_　
is　the　old　gentleman　himself；　or　perhaps　his　wife；　if　
he　has　one；　which　I　suppose　he　has；　for　he　couldn't　be　
so　wicked　all　by　himself。　The　Witch　of　Endor　was　a　
fool　to　her；　sir；　bless　you；　she　would　make　no　more　of　
raising　every　gentleman　in　the　Bible　out　of　these　here　
beastly　tombs　than　I　should　of　growing　cress　on　an　old　
flannel。　It's　a　country　of　devils；　this　is；　sir；　and　
she's　the　master　one　of　the　lot；　and　if　ever　we　get　
out　of　it　it　will　be　more　than　I　expect　to　do。　I　don't　
see　no　way　out　of　it。　That　witch　isn't　likely　to　let　a　
fine　young　man　like　Mr。　Leo　go。〃

〃Come；〃　I　said；　〃at　any　rate　she　saved　his　life。〃'

〃Yes；　and　she'll　take　his　soul　to　pay　for　it。　_i_　She　
_i_　'll　make　him　a　witch；　like　herself。　I　say　it's　
wicked　to　have　anything　to　do　with　those　sort　of　
people。　Last　night；　sir；　I　lay　awake　and　read　in　my　
little　Bible　that　my　poor　old　mother　gave　me　about　
what　is　going　to　happen　to　sorceresses　and　them　sort　
till　my　hair　stood　on　end。　Lord；　how　the　old　lady　
would　stare　if　she　saw　where　her　Job　had　got　to！〃

〃Yes；　it's　a　queer　country；　and　a　queer　people　too；　
Job；〃　I　answered；　with　a　sigh；　for；　though　I　am　not　
superstitious　like　Job；　I　admit　to　a　natural　shrinking　
（which　will　not　bear　investigation）　from　the　things　
that　are　above　Nature。

〃You　are　right；　sir；〃　he　answered；　〃and　if　you　won't　
think　me　very　foolish；　I　should　like　to　say　something　
to　you　now　that　Mr。　Leo　is　out　of　the　way〃（Leo　had　
got　up　early　and　gone　for　a　stroll）〃and　that　is　that　
I　know　it　is　the　last　country　as　ever　I　shall　see　in　
this　world。　I　had　a　dream　last　night；　and　I　dreamed　
that　I　saw　my　old　father　with　a　kind　of　night…shirt　on　
him；　something　like　these　folks　wear　when　they　want　to　
be　in　particular　full…dress；　and　a　bit　of　that　
feathery　grass　in　his　hand；　which　he　may　have　gathered　
on　the　way；　for　I　saw　lots　of　it　yesterday　about　three　
hundred　yards　from　the　mouth　of　this　beastly　cave。

〃'Job；'　he　said　to　me；　solemn…like；　and　yet　with　a　
kind　of　satisfaction　shining　through　him；　more　like　a　
Methody　parson　when　he　has　sold　a　neighbor　a　marked　
horse　for　a　sound　one　and　cleared　twenty　pounds　by　the　
job　than　anything　I　can　think　on'Job；　time's　up；　
Job；　but　I　never　did　expect　to　have　to　come　and　hunt　
you　out　in　this　'ere　place；　Job。　Such　ado　as　I　have　
had　to　nose　you　up；　it　wasn't　friendly　to　give　your　
poor　old　father　such　a　run；　let　alone　that　a　wonderful　
lot　of　bad　characters　hail　from　this　place　Ko^r。'〃　

〃Regular　cautions；〃　I　suggested。

〃Yes；　sirof　course；　sir；　that's　just　what　he　said　
they　was'cautions；　downright　scorchers'sir；　and　
I'm　sure　I　don't　doubt　it；　seeing　what　I　know　of　them　
and　their　hot…potting　ways；〃　went　on　Job；　sadly。　
〃Anyway；　he　was　sure　that　time　was　up；　and　went　away　
saying　that　we　should　see　more　than　we　cared　for　of　
each　other　soon；　and　I　suppose　he　was　a…thinking　of　
the　fact　that　father　and　I　never　could　hit　it　off　
together　for　longer　nor　three　days；　and　I　dare　say　
that　things　will　be　similar　when　we　meet　again。〃

〃Surely；〃　I　said；　〃you　don't　think　that　you　are　going　
to　die　because　you　dreamed　you　saw　your　old　father；　if　
one　dies　because　one　dreams　of　one's　father；　what　
happens　to　a　man　who　dreams　of　his　mother…in…law？〃

〃Ah；　sir；　you're　laughing　at　me；〃　said　Job；　〃but；　you　
see；　you　didn't　know　my　old　father。　If　it　had　been　
anybody　elsemy　Aunt　Mary；　for　instance；　who　never　
made　much　of　a　jobI　should　not　have　thought　so　much　
of　it；　but　my　father　was　that　idle；　which　he　shouldn't　
have　been　with　seventeen　children；　that　he　would　never　
have　put　himself　out　to　come　here　just　to　see　the　
place。　No；　sir；　I　know　that　he　meant　business。　Well；　
sir；　I　can't　help　it；　I　suppose　every　man　must　go　some　
time　or　other；　though　it　is　a　hard　thing　to　die　in　a　
place　like　this；　where　Christian　burial　isn't　to　be　
had　for　its　weight　in　gold。　I've　tried　to　be　a　good　
man；　sir；　and　do　my　duty　honest；　and　if　it　wasn't　for　
the　supercilus　kind　of　way　in　which　father　carried　on　
last　nighta　sort　of　sniffing　at　me；　as　it　were；　as　
though　he　hadn't　no　opinion　of　my　references　and　
testimonialsI　should　feel　easy　enough　in　my　mind。　
Any　way；　sir；　I've　been　a　good　servant　to　you　and　Mr。　
Leo；　bless　him！　Why；　it　seems　but　the　other　day　that　I　
used　to　lead　him　about　the　streets　with　a　penny　whip；　
and　if　ever　you　get　out　of　this　placewhich；　as　
father　didn't　allude　to　you；　perhaps　you　mayI　hope　
you　will　think　kindly　of　my　whitened　bones；　and　never　
have　anything　more　to　do　with　Greek　writing　on　flower…
pots；　sir；　if　I　may　make　so　bold　as　to　say　so。〃

〃Come；　come；　Job；〃　I　said；　seriously；　〃this　is　all　
nonsense；　you　know。　You　mustn't　be　silly　enough　to　go　
getting　such　ideas　into　your　head。　We've　lived　through　
some　queer　things；　and　I　hope　that　we　may　go　on　doing　
so。〃

〃No；　sir；〃　answered　Job；　in　a　tone　of　conviction　that　
jarred　on　me　unpleasantly；　〃it　isn't　nonsense。　I'm　a　
doomed　man；　and　I　feel　it；　and　a　wonderful　
uncomfortable　feeling　it　is；　sir；　for　one　can't　help　
wondering　how　it's　going　to　come　about。　If　you　are　
eating　your　dinner　you　think　of　poison　and　it　goes　
against　your　stomach；　and　if　you　are　walking　along　
these　dark　rabbit　burrows　you　think　of　knives；　and　
Lord；　don't　you　just　shiver　about　the　back！　I　ain't　
particular；　sir；　provided　it's　sharp；　like　that　poor　
girl；　who；　now　that　she's　gone；　I　am　sorry　to　have　
spoke　hard　on；　though　I　don't　approve　of　her　morals　in　
getting　married；　which　I　consider　too　quick　to　be　
decent。　Still；　sir；〃　and　poor　Job　turned　a　shade　paler　
as　he　said　it；　〃I　do　hope　it　won't　be