she-第61章

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moonbeams　danced　upon　it；　and　its　height　was；　I　should　
say；　a　trifle　under　twenty　feet。　It　was　the　winged　
figure　of　a　woman　of　such　marvellous　loveliness　and　
delicacy　of。　form　that　the　size　seemed　rather　to　add　
to　than　to　detract　from　its　so　human　and　yet　more　
spiritual　beauty。　She　was　bending　forward　and　poising　
herself　upon　her　half…spread　wings　as　though　to　
preserve　her　balance　as　she　leaned。　Her　arms　were　
outstretched　like　those　of　some　woman　about　to　embrace　
one　she　dearly　loved；　while　her　whole　attitude　gave　an　
impression　of　the　tenderest　beseeching。　Her　perfect　
and　most　gracious　form　was　naked；　saveand　here　came　
the　extraordinary　thingthe　face；　which　was　thinly　
veiled；　so　that　we　could　only　trace　the　marking　of　her　
features。　A　gauzy　veil　was　thrown　round　and　about　the　
head；　and　of　its　two　ends　one　fell　down　across　her　
left　breast；　which　was　outlined　beneath　it；　and　one；　
now　broken；　streamed　away　upon　the　air　behind　her。

〃Who　is　she？〃　I　asked；　as　soon　as　I　could　take　my　eyes　
off　the　statue。

〃Canst　thou　not　guess；　O　Holly？〃　answered　Ayesha。　
〃Where　then　is　thy　imagination？　It　is　Truth　standing　
on　the　World；　and　calling　to　its　children　to　veil　her　
face。　See　what　is　writ　upon　the　pedestal。　Without　
doubt　it　is　taken　from　the　book　of　the　Scriptures　of　
these　men　of　Ko^r；〃　and　she　led　the　way　to　the　foot　of　
the　statue；　where　an　inscription　of　the　usual　Chinese…
looking　hieroglyphics　was　so　deeply　graven　as　to　be　
still　quite　legible；　at　least　to　Ayesha。　According　to　
her　translation　it　ran　thus：

〃'Is　there　no　man　that　will　draw　my　veil　and　look　upon　
my　face；　lo！　it　is　very　fair？　Unto　him　who　draws　my　
veil　shall　I　be；　and　peace　will　I　give　him；　and　sweet　
children　of　knowledge　and　good　works。'

〃And　a　voice　cried；　'Though　all　those　who　seek　alter　
thee　desire　thee；　behold！　Virgin　art　thou；　and　Virgin　
shalt　thou　go　till　Time　be　done。　No　man　is　there　born　
of　woman　who　may　draw　thy　veil　and　live；　nor　shall　be。　
By　Death　only　can　thy　veil　be　drawn；　oh　Truth！'

〃And　Truth　stretched　out　her　arms　and　wept；　because　
those　who　sought　her　might　not　find　her；　nor　look　upon　
her　face　to　face。〃

〃Thou　seest；〃　said　Ayesha；　when　she　had　finished　
translating；　〃Truth　was　the　Goddess　of　the　people　of　
old　Ko^r；　and　to　her　they　built　their　shrines；　and　her　
they　sought；　knowing　that　they　should　never　find；　
still　sought　they。〃

〃And　so；〃　I　added；　sadly；　〃do　men　seek　to　this　very　
hour；　but　they　find　not；　and；　as　this　scripture　saith；　
nor　shall　they；　for　in　Death　only　is　Truth　found。〃

Then；　with　one　more　look　at　this　veiled　and　
spiritualized　lovelinesswhich　was　so　perfect　and　so　
pure　that　one　might　almost　fancy　that　the　light　of　a　
living　spirit　shone　through　the　marble　prison　to　lead　
man　on　to　high　and　ethereal　thoughtsthis　poet's　
dream　of　beauty　frozen　into　stone；　which　I　never　shall　
forget　while　I　live；　though　I　find　myself　so　helpless　
when　I　attempt　to　describe　it；　we　turned　and　went　back　
through　the　vast　moonlit　courts　to　the　spot　whence　we　
had　started。　I　never　saw　the　statue　again；　which　I　the　
more　regret；　because　on　the　great　ball　of　stone　
representing　the　World　whereon　the　figure　stood；　lines　
were　drawn；　that　probably；　had　there　been　light　
enough；　we　should　have　discovered　to　be　a　map　of　the　
Universe　as　it　was　known　to　the　people　of　Ko^r。　It　is；　
at　any　rate；　suggestive　of　some　scientific　knowledge　
that　these　long…dead　worshippets　of　Truth　had　
recognized　the　fact　that　the　globe　is　round。

CHAPTER　XXIV

WALKING　THE　PLANK

NEXT　day　the　mutes　woke　us　before　the　dawn；　and　by　the　
time　that　we　had　got　the　sleep　out　of　our　eyes；　and　
gone　through　a　perfunctory　wash　at　a　spring　which　
still　welled　up　into　the　remains　of　a　marble　basin　in　
the　centre　of　the　north　quadrangle　of　the　vast　outer　
court；　we　found　_i_　She　_i_　standing　by　the　litter　
ready　to　start；　while　old　Billali　and　the　two　bearer　
mutes　were　busy　collecting　the　baggage。　As　usual；　
Ayesha　was　veiled　like　the　marble　Truth　（by　the　way；　I　
wonder　if　she　originally　got　the　idea　of　covering　up　
her　beauty　from　that　statue？）。　I　noticed；　however；　
that　she　seemed　very　depressed；　and　had　none　of　that　
proud　and　buoyant　bearing　which　would　have　betrayed　
her　among　a　thousand　women　of　the　same　stature；　even　
if　they　had　been　veiled　like　herself。　She　looked　up　as　
we　camefor　her　head　was　bowedand　greeted　us。　Leo　
asked　her　how　she　had　slept。

〃Ill；　my　Kallikrates；〃　she　answered；　〃ill。　This　night　
have　strange　and　hideous　dreams　come　creeping　through　
my　brain；　and　I　know　not　what　they　may　portend。　Almost　
do　I　feel　as　though　some　evil　overshadowed　me；　and　yet　
how　can　evil　touch　me？　I　wonder；〃　she　went　on；　with　a　
sudden　outbreak　of　womanly　tenderness；　〃I　wonder　if；　
should　aught　happen　to　me；　so　that　I　slept　awhile　and　
left　thee　waking；　wouldst　thou　think　gently　of　me？　I　
wonder；　my　Kallikrates；　if　thou　wouldst　tarry　till　I　
came　again；　as　for　so　many　centuries　I　have　tarried　
for　thy　coming？〃

Then；　without　waiting　for　an　answer；　she　went　on：　
〃Come；　let　us　be　setting　forth；　for　we　have　far　to　go；　
and　before　another　day　is　born　in　yonder　blue　should　
we　stand　in　the　Place　of　Life。〃

In　another　five　minutes　we　were　once　more　on　our　way　
through　the　vast　ruined　city；　which　loomed　at　us　on　
either　side　in　the　gray　dawning　in　a　way　that　was　at　
once　grand　and　oppressive。　Just　as　the　first　ray　of　
the　rising　sun　shot　like　a　golden　arrow　athwart　this　
storied　desolation　we　gained　the　farther　gateway　of　
the　outer　wall；　and　having　given　one　more　glance　at　
the　hoar　and　pillared　majesty　through　which　we　had　
passed；　and　（with　the　exception　of　Job；　for　whom　ruins　
had　no　charms）　breathed　a　sigh　of　regret　that　we　had　
not　had　more　time　to　explore　it；　passed　through　the　
great　moat；　and　on　to　the　plain　beyond。

As　the　sun　rose　so　did　Ayesha's　spirits；　till　by　
breakfast…time　they　had　regained　their　normal　level；　
and　she　laughingly　set　down　her　previous　depression　to　
the　associations　of　the　spot　where　she　had　slept。

〃These　barbarians　declare　that　Ko^r　is　haunted；〃　she　
said；　〃and　of　a　truth　I　do　believe　their　saying；　for　
never　did　I　know　so　ill　a　night　save　once。　I　remember　
it　now。　It　was　on　that　very　spot　when　thou　didst　lie　
dead　at　my　feet；　Kallikrates。　Never　will　I　visit　it　
again；　it　is　a　place　of　evil　omen。〃

After　a　very　brief　halt　for　breakfast　we　pressed　on　
with　such　good　will　that　by　two　o'clock　in　the　
afternoon　we　were　at　the　foot　of　the　vast　wall　of　rock　
that　formed　the　lip　of　the　volcano；　and　which　at　this　
point　towered　up　precipitously　above　us　for　fifteen　
hundred　or　two　thousand　feet。　Here　we　halted；　
certainly　not　to　my　astonishment；　for　I　did　not　see　
how　it　was　possible　that　we　should　go　any　farther。

〃Now；〃　said　Ayesha；　as　she　descended　from　her　litter；　
〃doth　our　labor　but　commence；　for　here　do　we　part　with　
these　men；　and　henceforward　must　we　bear　ourselves；〃　
and　then；　addressing　Billali；　〃do　thou　and　these　
slaves　remain　here；　and　abide　our　coming。　By　to…morrow　
at　the　midday　shall　we　be　with　theeif　not；　wait。〃

Billali　bowed　humbly；　and　said　that　her　august　bidding　
should　be　obeyed　if　they　stopped　there　till　they　grew　
old。

〃And　this　man；　O　Holly；〃　said　_i_　She　_i_　；　pointing　
to　Job；　〃best　is　it　that　he　should　tarry　also；　for　if　
his　heart　be　not　high　and　his　courage　great；　perchance　
some　evil　might　overtake　him。　Also；　the　secrets　of　the　
place　whither　we　go　are　not　fit　for　common　eyes。〃

I　translated　this　to　Job；　who　instantly　and　earnestly　
entreated　me；　almost　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　not　to　
leave　him　behind。　He　said　he　was　sure　that　he　could　
see　nothing　worse　than　he　had　already　seen；　and　that　
he　was　terrified　to　death　at　the　idea　of　being　left　
alone　with　those　〃dumb　folk；〃　who；　he　thought；　would　
probably　take　the　opportunity　to　hot…pot　him。

I　translated　what　he　said　to　Ayesha；　who　shrugged　her　
shoulders；　and　answered；　〃Well；　let　him　come；　it　is　
naught　to　me；　on　his　own　head　be　it；　and　he　will　serve　
to　bear　the　lamp　and　this；〃　and　she　pointed　to　a　
narrow　plank；　some　sixteen　feet　in　length；　which　had　
been　bound　above　the　long　bearing…po