the notch on the ax and on being found out-第23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！


settled　itself　aloft　from　the　circle；　and　that　out　from　that　column
strode　the　giant　Foot。　　And；　as　strode　the　Foot；　so　with　it　came；
like　the　sound　of　its　tread；　a　roll　of　muttered　thunder。

I　recoiled；　with　a　cry　that　rang　loud　through　the　lurid　air。

〃Courage！〃　said　the　voice　of　Ayesha。　　〃Trembling　soul；　yield　not　an
inch　to　the　demon！〃

At　the　charm；　the　wonderful　charm；　in　the　tone　of　the　Veiled
Woman's　voice；　my　will　seemed　to　take　a　force　more　sublime　than　its
own。　　I　folded　my　arms　on　my　breast；　and　stood　as　if　rooted　to　the
spot；　confronting　the　column　of　smoke　and　the　stride　of　the　giant
Foot。　　And　the　Foot　halted；　mute。

Again；　in　the　momentary　hush　of　that　suspense；　I　heard　a　voiceit
was　Margrave's。

〃The　last　hour　expiresthe　work　is　accomplished！　　Come！　come！　　Aid
me　to　take　the　caldron　from　the　fire；　and；　quick！or　a　drop　may　be
wasted　in　vaporthe　Elixir　of　Life　from　the　caldron！〃

At　that　cry　I　receded；　and　the　Foot　advanced。

And　at　that　moment；　suddenly；　unawares；　from　behind；　I　was　stricken
down。　　Over　me；　as　I　lay；　swept　a　whirlwind　of　trampling　hoofs　and
glancing　horns。　　The　herds；　in　their　flight　from　the　burning
pastures；　had　rushed　over　the　bed　of　the　water　course；　scaled　the
slopes　of　the　banks。　　Snorting　and　bellowing；　they　plunged　their
blind　way　to　the　mountains。　　One　cry　alone；　more　wild　than　their
own　savage　blare；　pierced　the　reek　through　which　the　Brute
Hurricane　swept。　　At　that　cry　of　wrath　and　despair　I　struggled　to
rise；　again　dashed　to　earth　by　the　hoofs　and　the　horns。　　But　was　it
the　dreamlike　deceit　of　my　reeling　senses；　or　did　I　see　that　giant
Foot　stride　past　through　the　close…serried　ranks　of　the　maddening
herds？　　Did　I　hear；　distinct　through　all　the　huge　uproar　of　animal
terror；　the　roll　of　low　thunder　which　followed　the　stride　of　that
Foot？


X


When　my　sense　had　recovered　its　shock；　and　my　eyes　looked　dizzily
round；　the　charge　of　the　beasts　had　swept　by；　and　of　all　the　wild
tribes　which　had　invaded　the　magical　circle；　the　only　lingerer　was
the　brown　Death…adder；　coiled　close　by　the　spot　where　my　head　had
rested。　　Beside　the　extinguished　lamps　which　the　hoofs　had
confusedly　scattered；　the　fire；　arrested　by　the　water　course；　had
consumed　the　grasses　that　fed　it；　and　there　the　plains　stretched
black　and　desert　as　the　Phlegraean　Field　of　the　Poet's　Hell。　　But
the　fire　still　raged　in　the　forest　beyondwhite　flames；　soaring　up
from　the　trunks　of　the　tallest　trees；　and　forming；　through　the
sullen　dark　of　the　smoke　reck；　innumerable　pillars　of　fire；　like
the　halls　in　the　city　of　fiends。

Gathering　myself　up；　I　turned　my　eyes　from　the　terrible　pomp　of　the
lurid　forest；　and　looked　fearfully　down　on　the　hoof…trampled　sward
for　my　two　companions。

I　saw　the　dark　image　of　Ayesha　still　seated；　still　bending；　as　I
had　seen　it　last。　　I　saw　a　pale　hand　feebly　grasping　the　rim　of　the
magical　caldron；　which　lay；　hurled　down　from　its　tripod　by　the　rush
of　the　beasts；　yards　away　from　the　dim；　fading　embers　of　the
scattered　wood　pyre。　　I　saw　the　faint　writhings　of　a　frail；　wasted
frame；　over　which　the　Veiled　Woman　was　bending。　　I　saw；　as　I　moved
with　bruised　limbs　to　the　place；　close　by　the　lips　of　the　dying
magician；　the　flash　of　the　rubylike　essence　spilled　on　the　sward；
and；　meteor…like；　sparkling　up　from　the　torn　tufts　of　herbage。

I　now　reached　Margrave's　side。　　Bending　over　him　as　the　Veiled
Woman　bent；　and　as　I　sought　gently　to　raise　him；　he　turned　his
face；　fiercely　faltering　out；　〃Touch　me　not；　rob　me　not！　　YOU　share
with　me！　　Never；　never！　　These　glorious　drops　are　all　mine！　　Die
all　else！　　I　will　live；　I　will　live！〃　　Writhing　himself　from　my
pitying　arms；　he　plunged　his　face　amidst　the　beautiful；　playful
flame　of　the　essence；　as　if　to　lap　the　elixir　with　lips　scorched
away　from　its　intolerable　burning。　　Suddenly；　with　a　low　shriek；　he
fell　back；　his　face　upturned　to　mine；　and　on　that　face　unmistakably
reigned　Death。

Then　Ayesha　tenderly；　silently；　drew　the　young　head　to　her　lap；　and
it　vanished　from　my　sight　behind　her　black　veil。

I　knelt　beside　her；　murmuring　some　trite　words　of　comfort；　but　she
heeded　me　not；　rocking　herself　to　and　fro　as　the　mother　who　cradles
a　child　to　sleep。　　Soon　the　fast…flickering　sparkles　of　the　lost
elixir　died　out　on　the　grass；　and　with　their　last　sportive　diamond…
like　tremble　of　light；　up；　in　all　the　suddenness　of　Australian　day；
rose　the　sun；　lifting　himself　royally　above　the　mountain　tops；　and
fronting　the　meaner　blaze　of　the　forest　as　a　young　king　fronts　his
rebels。　　And　as　there；　where　the　bush　fires　had　ravaged；　all　was　a
desert；　so　there；　where　their　fury　had　not　spread；　all　was　a
garden。　　Afar；　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains；　the　fugitive　herds
were　grazing；　the　cranes；　flocking　back　to　the　pools；　renewed　the
strange　grace　of　their　gambols；　and　the　great　kingfisher；　whose
laugh；　half　in　mirth；　half　in　mockery；　leads　the　choir　that　welcome
the　mornwhich　in　Europe　is　nightalighted　bold　on　the　roof　of
the　cavern；　whose　floors　were　still　white　with　the　bones　of　races；
extinct　beforeso　helpless　through　instincts；　so　royal　through
Soulrose　MAN！

But　there；　on　the　ground　where　the　dazzling　elixir　had　wasted　its
virtuesthere　the　herbage　already　had　a　freshness　of　verdure
which；　amid　the　duller　sward　round　it；　was　like　an　oasis　of　green
in　a　desert。　　And；　there；　wild　flowers；　whose　chill　hues　the　eye
would　have　scarcely　distinguished　the　day　before；　now　glittered
forth　in　blooms　of　unfamiliar　beauty。　　Toward　that　spot　were
attracted　myriads　of　happy　insects；　whose　hum　of　intense　joy　was
musically　loud。　　But　the　form　of　the　life…seeking　sorcerer　lay
rigid　and　stark；　blind　to　the　bloom　of　the　wild　flowers；　deaf　to
the　glee　of　the　insectsone　hand　still　resting　heavily　on　the　rim
of　the　emptied　caldron；　and　the　face　still　hid　behind　the　Black
Veil。　　What！　the　wondrous　elixir；　sought　with　such　hope　and　well…
nigh　achieved　through　such　dread；　fleeting　back　to　the　earth　from
which　its　material　was　drawn　to　give　bloom；　indeedbut　to　herbs；
joy　indeedbut　to　insects！

And　now；　in　the　flash　of　the　sun；　slowly　wound　up　the　slopes　that
led　to　the　circle；　the　same　barbaric　procession　which　had　sunk　into
the　valley　under　the　ray　of　the　moon。　　The　armed　men　came　first；
stalwart　and　tall；　their　vests　brave　with　crimson　and　golden　lace；
their　weapons　gayly　gleaming　with　holiday　silver。　　After　them；　the
Black　Litter。　　As　they　came　to　the　place；　Ayesha；　not　raising　her
head；　spoke　to　them　in　her　own　Eastern　tongue。　　A　wail　was　her
answer。　　The　armed　men　bounded　forward；　and　the　bearers　left　the
litter。

All　gathered　round　the　dead　form　with　the　face　concealed　under　the
Black　Veil；　all　knelt；　and　all　wept。　　Far　in　the　distance；　at　the
foot　of　the　blue　mountains；　a　crowd　of　the　savage　natives　had　risen
up　as　if　from　the　earth；　they　stood　motionless　leaning　on　their
clubs　and　spears；　and　looking　toward　the　spot　on　which　we　were
strangely　thus　brought　into　the　landscape；　as　if　they　too；　the　wild
dwellers　on　the　verge　which　Humanity　guards　from　the　Brute；　were
among　the　mourners　for　the　mysterious　Child　of　mysterious　Nature！
And　still；　in　the　herbage；　hummed　the　small　insects；　and　still；
from　the　cavern；　laughed　the　great　kingfisher。　　I　said　to　Ayesha；
〃Farewell！　your　love　mourns　the　dead；　mine　calls　me　to　the　living。
You　are　now　with　your　own　people；　they　may　console　yousay　if　I
can　assist。〃

〃There　is　no　consolation　for　me！　　What　mourner　can　be　consoled　if
the　dead　die　forever？　　Nothing　for　him　is　left　but　a　grave；　that
grave　shall　be　in　the　land　where　the　song　of　Ayesha　first　lulled
him　to　sleep。　　Thou　assist　MEthou；　the　wise　man　of　Europe！　　From
me　ask　assistance。　　What　road　wilt　thou　take　to　thy　home？〃

〃There　is　but　one　road　known　to　me　through　the　maze　of　the
solitudethat　which　we　took　to　this　upland。〃

〃On　that　road　Death　lurks；　and　awaits　thee！　　Blind　dupe；　couldst
thou　think　that　if　the　grand　secret　of　life　had　been　won；　he　whose
head　rests　on　my　lap　would　have　yielded　thee　one　petty　drop　of　the
essence　which　had　filched　from　his　store　of　life　but　a　moment？　　Me；
who　so　loved　and　so　cherished　himme　he　would　have　doomed　to　the
pitiless　cord