the ninth vibration-第4章

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secration　of　the　great　new　Abbey　of　Westminster　celebrated　with　mass　and　chant　and　awful　lights　in　the　dead　mid…noon　of　night　by　that　Apostle　who　is　the　Rock　of　the　Church。　Before　him　who　wanders　in　Thessaly　Pan　will　brush　the　dewy　lawns　and　slim…girt　Artemis　pursue　the　flying　hart。　In　the　pale　gold　of　Egyptian　sands　the　heavy　brows　of　Osiris　crowned　with　the　pshent　will　brood　above　the　seer　and　the　veil　of　Isis　tremble　to　the　lifting。　For　all　this　is　the　rhythm　to　which　the　souls　of　men　are　attuned　and　in　that　vibration　they　will　see；　and　no　other；　since　in　this　the　very　mountains　and　trees　of　the　land　are　rooted。　So　here；　where　our　remote　ancestors　worshipped　the　Gods　of　Nature；　we　must　needs　stand　before　the　Mystic　Mother　of　India；　the　divine　daughter　of　the　Himalaya。

How　shall　I　describe　the　world　we　entered？　The　carvings　upon　the　walls　had　taken　life　…　they　had　descended。　It　was　a　gathering　of　the　dreams　men　have　dreamed　here　of　the　Gods；　yet　most　real　and　actual。　They　watched　in　a　serenity　that　set　them　apart　in　an　atmosphere　of　their　own　…　forms　of　indistinct　majesty　and　august　beauty；　absolute；　simple；　and　everlasting。　I　saw　them　as　one　sees　reflections　in　rippled　water　…　no　more。　But　all　faces　turned　to　the　place　where　now　a　green　and　flowering　leafage　enshrined　and　partly　hid　the　living　Nature　Goddess；　as　she　listened　to　a　voice　that　was　not　dumb　to　me。　I　saw　her　face　only　in　glimpses　of　an　indescribable　sweetness；　but　an　influence　came　from　her　presence　like　the　scent　of　rainy　pine　forests；　the　coolness　that　breathes　from　great　rivers；　the　passion　of　Spring　when　she　breaks　on　the　world　with　a　wave　of　flowers。　Healing　and　life　flowed　from　it。　Understanding　also。　It　seemed　I　could　interpret　the　very　silence　of　the　trees　outside　into　the　expression　of　their　inner　life；　the　running　of　the　green　life…blood　in　their　veins；　the　delicate　trembling　of　their　finger…tips。

My　companion　and　I　were　not　heeded。　We　stood　hand　in　hand　like　children　who　have　innocently　strayed　into　a　palace；　gazing　in　wonderment。　The　august　life　went　its　way　upon　its　own　occasions；　and；　if　we　would；　we　might　watch。　Then　the　voice；　clear　and　cold；　proceeding；　as　it　were；　with　some　story　begun　before　we　had　strayed　into　the　Presence；　the　whole　assembly　listening　in　silence。

〃…　and　as　it　has　been　so　it　will　be；　for　the　Law　will　have　the　blind　soul　carried　into　a　body　which　is　a　record　of　the　sins　it　has　committed；　and　will　not　suffer　that　soul　to　escape　from　rebirth　into　bodies　until　it　has　seen　the　truth　…〃

And　even　as　this　was　said　and　I　listened；　knowing　myself　on　the　verge　of　some　great　knowledge；　I　felt　sleep　beginning　to　weigh　upon　my　eyelids。　The　sound　blurred；　flowed　unsyllabled　as　a　stream；　the　girl's　hand　grew　light　in　mine；　she　was　fading；　becoming　unreal；　I　saw　her　eyes　like　faint　stars　in　a　mist。　They　were　gone。　Arms　seemed　to　receive　me　…　to　lay　me　to　sleep　and　I　sank　below　consciousness；　and　the　night　took　me。

When　I　awoke　the　radiant　arrows　of　the　morning　were　shooting　into　the　long　hall　where　I　lay；　but　as　I　rose　and　looked　about　me；　strange　…　most　strange；　ruin　encircled　me　everywhere。　The　blue　sky　was　the　roof。　What　I　had　thought　a　palace　lost　in　the　jungle；　fit　to　receive　its　King　should　he　enter；　was　now　a　broken　hall　of　State；　the　shattered　pillars　were　festooned　with　waving　weeds；　the　many　coloured　lantana　grew　between　the　fallen　blocks　of　marble。　Even　the　sculptures　on　the　walls　were　difficult　to　decipher。　Faintly　I　could　trace　a　hand；　a　foot；　the　orb　of　a　woman's　bosom；　the　gracious　outline　of　some　young　God；　standing　above　a　crouching　worshipper。　No　more。　Yes；　and　now　I　saw　above　me　as　the　dawn　touched　it　the　form　of　the　Dweller　in　the　Windhya　Hills；　Parvati　the　Beautiful；　leaning　softly　over　something　breathing　music　at　her　feet。　Yet　I　knew　I　could　trace　the　almost　obliterated　sculpture　only　because　I　had　already　seen　it　defined　in　perfect　beauty。　A　deep　crack　ran　across　the　marble；　it　was　weathered　and　stained　by　many　rains；　and　little　ferns　grew　in　the　crevices；　but　I　could　reconstruct　every　line　from　my　own　knowledge。　And　how？　The　Parvati　of　Ranipur　differed　in　many　important　details。　She　stood；　bending　forward；　wheras　this　sweet　Lady　sat。　Her　attendants　were　small　satyr…like　spirits　of　the　wilds；　piping　and　fluting；　in　place　of　the　reclining　maiden。　The　sweeping　scrolls　of　a　great　halo　encircled　her　whole　person。　Then　how　could　I　tell　what　this　neary　obliterated　carving　had　been？　I　groped　for　the　answer　and　could　not　find　it。　I　doubted…

　　〃Were　such　things　here　as　we　do　speak　about？　　　Or　have　we　eaten　of　the　insane　root　　　That　takes　the　reason　captive？〃

Memory　rushed　over　me　like　the　sea　over　dry　sands。　A　girl　…　there　had　been　a　girl　…　we　had　stood　with　clasped　hands　to　hear　a　strange　music；　but　in　spite　of　the　spiritual　intimacy　of　those　moments　I　could　not　recall　her　face。　I　saw　it　cloudy　against　a　background　of　night　and　dream；　the　eyes　remote　as　stars；　and　so　it　eluded　me。　Only　her　presence　and　her　words　sur…　vived；　〃We　meet　in　the　Ninth　Vibration。　All　here　is　true。〃　But　the　Ninth　Vibration　itself　was　dream…land。　I　had　never　heard　the　phrase　…　I　could　not　tell　what　was　meant；　nor　whether　my　apprehension　was　true　or　false。　I　knew　only　that　the　night　had　taken　her　and　the　dawn　denied　her；　and　that；　dream　or　no　dream；　I　stood　there　with　a　pang　of　loss　that　even　now　leaves　me　wordless。

A　bird　sang　outside　in　the　acacias；　clear　and　shrill　for　day；　and　this　awakened　my　senses　and　lowered　me　to　the　plane　where　I　became　aware　of　cold　and　hunger；　and　was　chilled　with　dew。　I　passed　down　the　tumbled　steps　that　had　been　a　stately　ascent　the　night　before　and　made　my　way　into　the　jungle　by　the　trail；　small　and　lost　in　fern；　by　which　we　had　come。　Again　I　wandered；　and　it　was　high　noon　before　I　heard　mule　bells　at　a　distance；　and；　thus　guided；　struck　down　through　the　green　tangle　to　find　myself；　wearied　but　safe；　upon　the　bridle　way　that　leads　to　Fagu　and　the　far　Shipki。　Two　coolies　then　directed　me　to　The　House　in　the　Woods。

All　was　anxiety　there。　Ali　Khan　had　arrived　in　the　night；　having　found　his　way　under　the　guidance　of　blind　flight　and　fear。　He　had　brought　the　news　that　I　was　lost　in　the　jungle　and　amid　the　dwellings　of　demons。　It　was；　of　course；　hopeless　to　search　in　the　dark；　though　the　khansamah　and　his　man　had　gone　as　far　as　they　dared　with　lanterns　and　shouting；　and　with　the　daylight　they　tried　again　and　were　even　now　away。　It　was　useless　to　reproach　the　man　even　if　I　had　cared　to　do　so。　His　ready　plea　was　that　as　far　as　men　were　concerned　he　was　as　brave　as　any　（which　was　true　enough　as　I　had　reason　to　know　later）　but　that　when　it　came　to　devilry　the　Twelve　Imaums　themselves　would　think　twice　before　facing　it。

〃Inshalla　ta…Alla！　（If　the　sublime　God　wills！）　this　unworthy　one　will　one　day　show　the　Protector　of　the　poor；　that　he　is　a　respectable　person　and　no　coward；　but　it　is　only　the　Sahibs　who　laugh　in　the　face　of　devils。〃

He　went　off　to　prepare　me　some　food；　consumed　with　curiosity　as　to　my　adventures；　and　when　I　had　eaten　I　found　my　tiny　whitewashed　cell；　for　the　room　was　little　more；　and　slept　for　hours。

Late　in　the　afternoon　I　waked　and　looked　out。　A；　low　but　glowing　sunlight　suffused　the　wild　garden　reclaimed　from　the　strangle…hold　of　the　jungle　and　hemmed　in　with　rocks　and　forest。　A　few　simple　flowers　had　been　planted　here　and　there；　but　its　chief　beauty　was　a　mountain　stream；　brown　and　clear　as　the　eyes　of　a　dog；　that　fell　from　a　crag　above　into　a　rocky　basin；　maidenhair　ferns　growing　in　such　masses　about　it　that　it　was　henceforward　scarcely　more　than　a　woodland　voice。　Beside　it　two　great　deodars　spread　their　canopies；　and　there　a　woman　sat　in　a　low　chair；　a　girl　beside　her　reading　aloud。　She　had　thrown　her　hat　off　and　the　sunshine　turned　her　massed　dark　hair　to　bronze。　That　was　all　I　could　see。　I　went　out　and　joined　them；　taking　the　note　of　introduction　which　Olesen　had　given　me。

I　pass　over　the　unessentials　of　my　story；　their　friendly　greetings　and　sympathy　for　my　adventure。　It　set　us　at　ease　at　once　and　I　knew　my　stay　would　be　the　happier　for　their　presence　though　it　is　not　every　woman　one　would　choose　as　a　companion　in　the　great　mountain　country。　But　what　is　germane　to　my　purpose　m