the golden fleece-第2章

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　arched　foot　in　an　open…work　silk　stocking　and　sandal…slipper；　and　at　the　other　end　a　dark；　youthful；　oval　face；　with　glorious　eyes　and　dull　black　hair。　　A　voice　of　music　asked；

〃What　is　lacustrine；　papa？〃

〃Oh；　so　you　are　awake　again；　Senorita　Miriam？〃

〃I　haven't　been　asleep。　　What　is　lacustrine？〃

〃Ask　the　professor。〃

〃Lacus；　you　know；　my　dear；〃　said　the　latter；　〃means　fresh…water　indications　as　against　salt。〃

〃Then　how　does　Great　Salt　Lake〃

〃Oh；　for　that　matter；　the　whole　ocean　was　fresh　originally。　　Moisture；　evaporation；　precipitation。　　Water　is　a　great　solvent：　earthquakes　break　the　crust；　and　there　you　are！〃

〃Then；　before　the　earthquakes；　the　Salt　Lakes　were　fresh？〃　rejoined　the　hammock。

〃There　was　fresh　water　west　of　the　Rockies　and　south　of　　Why；〃　cried　the　professor；　interrupting　himself；　〃when　I　was　in　Wyoming　and　around　there；　this　spring；　in　what　they　call　the　Bad　Lands；　cliffs　and　buttes　of　indurated　yellow　clay　and　sandstone；　worn　and　carved　out　by　floods　long　before　the　Aztecs　started　to　move　out　of　Canada；I　saw　fossil　bones　sticking　out　of　the　cliffs；　the　least　of　which　would　make　the　fortune　of　a　museum。　　That　was　between　the　Rockies　and　the　Wahsatch。〃

〃People's　bones？〃　asked　the　hammock；　agitating　itself　again；　and　showing　a　glimpse　of　a　smooth　throat　and　a　slender　ankle。

〃Bless　my　soul！　　If　there　were　people　in　those　days　they　must　have　had　an　anxious　time　of　it！〃　returned　the　sage。　　　〃No；　no；　my　dear。　　There　was　brontosaurus；　and　atlantosaurus；　and　hydrosaurus；　and　iguanodon；　lizards；　you　know；　not　like　these　little　black　fellows　that　run　about　in　the　pulverized　feldspar　here；　but　chaps　eighty　or　a　hundred　feet　long；　and　twenty　or　thirty　high；　and　turtles；　as　big　as　a　house。〃

〃How　did　they　get　there？〃

〃Got　mired　while　they　were　feeding；　perhaps；　or　the　water　drained　off　and　left　them　high　and　dry。〃

〃But　where　did　the　water　go　to？〃

The　general　chuckled　at　this　juncture；　and　lit　another　cigar。　　〃She　knows　more　questions　than　you　do　the　answers　to　them；〃　quoth　he。　　〃But　I　wouldn't　mind　hearing　where　the　water　went　to；　myself。　　I　should　like　to　see　some　of　it　back　again。〃

〃Ask　the　earthquakes；　and　the　sun。　　There's　a　hundred　and　thirty　degrees　of　heat　in　some　of　these　valleys；abysses；　rather；　three　or　four　hundred　feet　below　sea…　level。　　The　earth　is　very　thin…skinned　in　this　region；　too；　and　whatever　water　wasn't　evaporated　from　above　would　be　likely　to　come　to　grief　underneath。〃

〃But；　professor；〃　said　the　musical　voice；　〃I　thought　there　was　a　law　that　water　always　seeks　its　own　level。　　So　how　can　there　be　empty　places　below　sea…level？〃

〃It's　the　fault　of　the　aneroid　barometer；　my　dear。　　We　were　very　comfortable　and　commonplace　until　that　came　along　and　revealed　anomalies。　　The　secret　lies；　I　suppose；　in　the　trend　of　the　strata；　which　is　generally　north　and　south。　　You　see　the　ridges　cropping　out　all　through　the　desert；　and　there's　a　good　deal　of　lava　oozing　over　them；　too。　　They　probably　act　as　walls；　to　prevent　the　sea　getting　in　from　the　west；　or　the　Colorado　leaking　in　from　the　east。〃

〃In　that　case；〃　remarked　the　general；　〃a　little　more　seismic　disturbance　might　produce　a　change。〃

〃It　would　have　to　be　more　than　a　little；　I　suspect；〃　returned　Meschines。

〃Kamaiakan　told　me　that　the　Indians　have　a　prophecy　that　a　great　lake　will　come　back　and　make　the　desert　fruitful；　and　that　there　are　some　who　know　the　very　place　where　the　water　will　begin　to　flow。〃　　And　here　the　hammock；　with　a　final　convulsion；　gave　birth　to　a　beautiful　young　woman；　in　a　diaphanous　silk　dress　and　a　white　lace　mantilla。　　She　crossed　the　veranda；　and　seated　herself　on　the　broad　arm　of　her　father's　chair。

〃Why；　that's　important！〃　said　the　general；　arching　his　brows。　　〃I　wonder　if　Kamaiakan　is　one　of　those　who　know　the　place？　　If　so；　it　might　be　worth　his　while　to　let　me　into　the　secret。〃

〃Oh；　you　couldn't　go　there！　　It's　enchanted；　and　people　who　go　near　it　die。　　There　are　bones　all　about　there；　now。〃

〃This　Kamaiakan　appears　to　be　a　remarkable　personage：　where　did　you　pick　him　up？〃　inquired　the　professor。

〃It　was　rather　the　other　way；〃　Trednoke　replied；　taking　one　of　his　daughter's　hands　in　his；　and　caressing　it。　　〃We　are　appendages　to　Kamaiakan。　　You　look　so　natural；　sitting　there；　Meschines；　that　I　forget　it's　thirty　years　since　we　met；　and　that　all　the　significant　events　of　my　life　have　happened　in　that　time；the　Mexican　war；　my　marriage；　and　the　rest　of　it！　　I　have　been　a　widower　ten　years。〃

〃And　I've　been　a　bachelor　for　over　sixty！〃　said　Meschines；　with　a　queer　expression。　　〃Your　wife　was　Spanish；　was　she　not？〃

〃Her　father　was　a　Mexican　of　Andalusian　descent。　　But　her　mother　was　descended　from　the　race　of　Azatlan：　there　are　records　and　relics　indicating　that　her　ancestors　were　princes　in　Tenochtitlan　before　Cortez　made　trouble　there。〃

〃And　I've　been　losing　my　heart　to　a　princess；　and　never　realized　my　audacity！〃　exclaimed　the　professor；　laying　his　hand　on　his　waistcoat　and　making　an　obeisance　to　Miriam。

She　tossed　her　free　foot；　and　played　with　the　fringe　of　her　reboso。

〃I　will　tell　my　maid　to　look　for　it；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　think　you　must　have　left　it　in　papa's　curiosity…room。〃

〃No：　I'm　an　Aztec　sacrifice！〃　cried　the　professor；　and　they　all　laughed。　　〃One　would　hardly　have　anticipated；〃　he　resumed　after　a　pause；　addressing　Trednoke；　〃that　you　would　have　made　a　double　conquest；　first　of　the　men；　and　then　of　the　woman！〃

〃The　woman　conquered　me；　without　trying　or　wishing　to；　and　then；　because　she　was　a　woman；　took　compassion　on　me。　　Whether　my　country　has　benefited　much　by　the　Mexican　annexation；　I　can't　say；　but　I　know　Inezmade　a　heaven　on　earth　for　me；〃　concluded　the　general；　in　a　low　voice。　　His　countenance；　at　this　moment；　wore　a　solemn　and　humble　expression；　beautiful　to　see；　and　Miriam　bent　and　laid　her　cheek　against　his。　　Meschines　knocked　the　ashes　out　of　his　pipe；　and　sighed。

〃No　woman　ever　took　compassion　on　me；〃　he　remarked；　〃and　you　see　the　result；　ashes！〃

〃Ashes；with　their　wonted　fires　living　in　them；〃　said　Trednoke。

〃We　were　talking　about　this　Indian　of　yours；〃　said　Meschines。

〃Ay；　to　be　sure。　　Well；　he　was　attached　to　Inez's　family　when　I　first　knew　them。　　It　was　a　peculiar　relation；　not　like　that　of　a　servant。　　One　finds　such　things　in　Mexico。　　The　conquered　race　were　of　as　good　strain　as　their　conquerors；　the　blood　of　Montezuma　was　as　blue　as　the　best　of　the　Castilian。　　There　were　many　intermarriages；　and　there　are　many　instances　of　the　survival　of　traditions　and　records；　though　the　records　are　often　symbolic；　and　would　have　no　meaning　to　persons　not　initiated。　　But　they　have　been　sufficient　to　perpetuate　ties　of　a　personal　nature　through　generation　after　generation；　and　the　alliance　between　Kamaiakan　and　Inez　was　of　this　kind。　　His　forefathers；　I　imagine；　were　priests；　and　priests　were　a　mighty　power　in　Tenochtitlan。　　For　aught　I　know；　indeed　Kamaiakan　may　be　an　original　priest　of　Montezuma's；　no　one　knows　his　age；　but　he　does　not　look　an　hour　older；　to…day；　than　when　I　first　saw　him；　over　twenty　years　ago。〃

〃He　must　be！〃　said　Miriam；　with　some　positiveness。　　〃He　has　told　me　of　seeing　and　doing　things　hundreds　of　years　ago。　　And　he　says〃　　She　paused。

〃What　does　he　say；　Nina　adorada？〃　asked　her　father。

〃It　was　about　the　treasure；　you　know。〃

〃Let　us　hear。　　The　professor　is　one　of　us。〃

〃It's　one　of　our　traditions　that　my　mother's　ancestors；　at　the　time　of　Cortez；　were　very　rich　people；〃　continued　Miriam；　glancing　at　Meschines；　and　then　letting　her　eyes　wander　across　the　garden；　blooming　with　roses　and　fragrant　with　orange…trees；　and　so　across　the　trellised　vines　towards　the　soft　outline　of　the　mountains　eastward。　　〃A　great　part　of　their　wealth　was　in　the　form　of　jewels　and　precious　stones。　　When　Cortez　took　the　city；　one　of　the　priests；　who　was　a　relative　of　our　family；　put　the　jewels　in　a　box；　and　hid　them　in　a　certain　place　in　the　desert。〃

〃And　does　Kamaiakan　know　where　the　place　is？〃　asked　the　general。

〃He　can　know；　when　the　time　comes。〃

〃Which　will　be；　perhaps；　when　you　are　ready　for　your　dowry；〃　observed　the　professor；　genially。

〃A　spell　was　put　upon　the　spot；〃　Miriam　went　on；　with　a　certain　imagi