the virgin of the sun-第3章
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〃Yes； sir；〃 he replied with sarcasm； 〃I suppose you'd like to see it
neat and new after four hundred years of wear； and if so； I think I
can tell you where you can get one to your liking。 I made the designs
for it myself five years ago for a fellow who wanted to learn how to
manufacture antiques。 He's in quod now and his antiques are for sale
cheap。 I helped to put him there to get him out of the way as a danger
to Society。〃
〃What's the price？〃 I asked with airy detachment。
〃Haven't I told you it ain't for sale。 Wait till I'm dead and come and
buy it at my auction。 No； you won't； though； for it's going somewhere
else。〃
I made no answer but continued my examination while Potts took his
seat on the prayer…stool and seemed to go off into one of his fits of
abstraction。
〃Well；〃 I said at length when decency told me that I could remain no
longer； 〃if you won't sell it's no use my looking。 No doubt you want
to keep it for a richer man； and of course you are quite right。 Will
you arrange with the carrier about sending the clock； Mr。 Potts； and I
will let you have a cheque。 Now I must be off； as I've ten miles to
ride and it will be dark in an hour。〃
〃Stop where you are；〃 said Potts in a hollow voice。 〃What's a ride in
the dark compared with a matter like this； even if you haven't a lamp
and get hauled before your own bench？ Stop where you are； I'm
listening to something。〃
So I stopped and began to fill my pipe。
〃Put that pipe away；〃 said Potts； coming out of his reverie； 〃pipes
mean matches； no matches here。〃
I obeyed； and he went on thinking till at last what between the chest
and the worm…eaten Jacobean bed and old Potts on the prayer…stool； I
began to feel as if I were being mesmerized。 At length he rose and
said in the same hollow voice：
〃Young man； you may have that chest； and the price is ？0。 Now for
heaven's sake don't offer me ？0； or it will be ？00 before you leave
this room。〃
〃With the contents？〃 I said casually。
〃Yes； with the contents。 It's the contents I'm told you are to have。〃
〃Look here； Potts；〃 I said； exasperated； 〃what the devil do you mean？
There's no one in this room except you and me； so who can have told
you anything unless it was old Tom downstairs。〃
〃Tom；〃 he said with unutterable sarcasm； 〃Tom！ Perhaps you mean the
mawkin that was put up to scare birds from the peas in the garden； for
it has more in its head than Tom。 No one here？ Oh！ what fools some men
are。 Why； the place is thick with them。〃
〃Thick with whom？〃
〃Who？ why； ghosts； of course； as you would call them in your
ignorance。 Spirits of the dead I name them。 Beautiful enough； too；
some of them。 Look at that one there；〃 and he lifted the lantern and
pointed to a pile of old bed posts of Chippendale design。
〃Good day； Potts；〃 I said hastily。
〃Stop where you are；〃 repeated Potts。 〃You don't believe me yet； but
when you are as old as I am you will remember my words and believe
more than I do and seeclearer than I do； because it's in your soul；
yes； the seed is in your soul； though as yet it is choked by the
world； the flesh； and the devil。 Wait till your sins have brought you
trouble； wait till the fires of trouble have burned the flesh away；
wait till you have sought Light and found Light and live in Light；
then you will believe； /then/ you will see。〃
All this he said very solemnly； and standing there in that dusky room
surrounded by the wreck of things that once had been dear to dead men
and women； waving the lantern in his hand and staringat what was he
staring？really old Potts looked most impressive。 His twisted shape
and ugly countenance became spiritual； he was one who had 〃found Light
and lived in Light。〃
〃You won't believe me；〃 he went on； 〃but I pass on to you what a woman
has been telling me。 She's a queer sort of woman； I never saw her like
before； a foreigner and dark…hued with strange rich garments and
something on her head。 There； that； /that/；〃 and he pointed through
the dirty window…place to the crescent of a young moon which appeared
in the sky。 〃A fine figure of a woman；〃 he went on； 〃and oh！ heaven；
what eyesI never saw such eyes before。 Big and tender； something
like those of the deer in the park yonder。 Proud； too； she is； one who
has ruled； and a lady； though foreign。 Well； I never fell in love
before； but I feel like it now； and so would you； young man； if you
could see her； and so I think did someone else in his day。〃
〃What did she say to you？〃 I asked； for by now I was interested
enough。 Who wouldn't be when old Potts took to describing beautiful
women？
〃It's a little difficult to tell you for she spoke in a strange
tongue； and I had to translate it in my head； as it were。 But this is
the gist of it。 That you were to have that chest and what was in it。
There's a writing there； she says； or part of a writing for some has
gonerotted away。 You are to read that writing or to get it read and
to print it so that the world may read it also。 She said that 'Hubert'
wishes you to do so。 I am sure the name was Hubert； though she also
spoke of him with some other title which I do not understand。 That's
all I can remember； except something about a city； yes； a City of Gold
and a last great battle in which Hubert fell； covered with glory and
conquering。 I understood that she wanted to talk about that because it
isn't in the writing； but you interrupted and of course she's gone。
Yes； the price is ？0 and not a farthing less； but you can pay it when
you like for I know you're as honest as most； and whether you pay it
or not； you must have that chest and what's in it and no one else。〃
〃All right；〃 I said； 〃but don't trust it to the carrier。 I'll send a
cart for it to…morrow morning。 Lock it now and give me the key。〃
In due course the chest arrived； and I examined the bundle for the
other contents do not matter； although some of them were interesting。
Pinned inside the shawl I found a paper； undated and unsigned； but
which from the character and style of the writing was； I should say；
penned by a lady about sixty years ago。 It ran thus：
〃My late father； who was such a great traveller in his young days
and so fond of exploring strange places； brought these things home
from one of his journeys before his marriage； I think from South
America。 He told me once that the dress was found upon the body of
a woman in a tomb and that she must have been a great lady； for
she was surrounded by a number of other women； perhaps her
servants who were brought to be buried with her here when they
died。 They were all seated about a stone table at the end of which
were the remains of a man。 My father saw the bodies near the ruins
of some forest city； in the tomb over which was heaped a great
mound of earth。 That of the lady； which had a kind of shroud made
of the skins of long…wooled sheep wrapped about it as though to
preserve the dress beneath； had been embalmed in some way； which
the natives of the place； wherever it was； told him showed that
she was royal。 The others were mere skeletons； held together by
the skin； but the man had a long fair beard and hair still hanging
to his skull； and by his side was a great cross…hilted sword that
crumbled to fragments when it was touched； except the hilt and the
knob of amber upon it which had turned almost black with age。 I
think my father said that the packet of skins or parchment of
which the underside is badly rotted with damp was set under the
feet of the man。 He told me that he gave those who found the tomb
a great deal of money for the dress； gold ornaments； and emerald
necklace； as nothing so perfect had been found before； and the
cloth is all worked with gold thread。 My father told me； too； that
he did not wish the things to be sold。〃
This was the end of the writing。
Having read it I examined the dress。 It was of a sort that I had never
seen before； though experts to whom I have shown it say that it is
certainly South American of a very early date； and like the ornaments；
probably pre…Inca Peruvian。 It is full of rich colours such as I have
seen in old Indian shawls which give a general effe
