the coming race-第25章

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r　from　the　ground；　indeed；　when　the　wings　were　spread　it　was　scarcely　possible　not　to　soar；　but　then　came　the　difficulty　and　the　danger。　　I　utterly　failed　in　the　power　to　use　and　direct　the　pinions；　though　I　am　considered　among　my　own　race　unusually　alert　and　ready　in　bodily　exercises；　and　am　a　very　practiced　swimmer。　　I　could　only　make　the　most　confused　and　blundering　efforts　at　flight。　　I　was　the　servant　of　the　wings；　the　wings　were　not　my　servants…　they　were　beyond　my　control；　and　when　by　a　violent　strain　of　muscle；　and；　I　must　fairly　own；　in　that　abnormal　strength　which　is　given　by　excessive　fright；　I　curbed　their　gyrations　and　brought　them　near　to　the　body；　it　seemed　as　if　I　lost　the　sustaining　power　stored　in　them　and　the　connecting　bladders；　as　when　the　air　is　let　out　of　a　balloon；　and　found　myself　precipitated　again　to　the　earth；　saved；　indeed；　by　some　spasmodic　flutterings；　from　being　dashed　to　pieces；　but　not　saved　from　the　bruises　and　the　stun　of　a　heavy　fall。　　I　would；　however；　have　persevered　in　my　attempts；　but　for　the　advice　or　the　commands　of　the　scientific　Zee；　who　had　benevolently　accompanied　my　flutterings；　and；　indeed；　on　the　last　occasion；　flying　just　under　me；　received　my　form　as　it　fell　on　her　own　expanded　wings；　and　preserved　me　from　breaking　my　head　on　the　roof　of　the　pyramid　from　which　we　had　ascended。

〃I　see；〃　she　said；　〃that　your　trials　are　in　vain；　not　from　the　fault　of　the　wings　and　their　appurtenances；　nor　from　any　imperfectness　and　malformation　of　your　own　corpuscular　system；　but　from　irremediable；　because　organic；　defect　in　your　power　of　volition。　　Learn　that　the　connection　between　the　will　and　the　agencies　of　that　fluid　which　has　been　subjected　to　the　control　104of　the　Vril…ya　was　never　established　by　the　first　discoverers；　never　achieved　by　a　single　generation；　it　has　gone　on　increasing；　like　other　properties　of　race；　in　proportion　as　it　has　been　uniformly　transmitted　from　parent　to　child；　so　that；　at　last；　it　has　become　an　instinct；　and　an　infant　An　of　our　race　wills　to　fly　as　intuitively　and　unconsciously　as　he　wills　to　walk。　　He　thus　plies　his　invented　or　artificial　wings　with　as　much　safety　as　a　bird　plies　those　with　which　it　is　born。　　I　did　not　think　sufficiently　of　this　when　I　allowed　you　to　try　an　experiment　which　allured　me；　for　I　have　longed　to　have　in　you　a　companion。　　I　shall　abandon　the　experiment　now。　　Your　life　is　becoming　dear　to　me。〃　Herewith　the　Gy's　voice　and　face　softened；　and　I　felt　more　seriously　alarmed　than　I　had　been　in　my　previous　flights。

Now　that　I　am　on　the　subject　of　wings；　I　ought　not　to　omit　mention　of　a　custom　among　the　Gy…ei　which　seems　to　me　very　pretty　and　tender　in　the　sentiment　it　implies。　　A　Gy　wears　wings　habitually　when　yet　a　virgin…　she　joins　the　Ana　in　their　aerial　sports…　she　adventures　alone　and　afar　into　the　wilder　regions　of　the　sunless　world：　in　the　boldness　and　height　of　her　soarings；　not　less　than　in　the　grace　of　her　movements；　she　excels　the　opposite　sex。　　But；　from　the　day　of　her　marriage　she　wears　wings　no　more；　she　suspends　them　with　her　own　willing　hand　over　the　nuptial　couch；　never　to　be　resumed　unless　the　marriage　tie　be　severed　by　divorce　or　death。

Now　when　Zee's　voice　and　eyes　thus　softened…　and　at　that　softening　I　prophetically　recoiled　and　shuddered…　Taee；　who　had　accompanied　us　in　our　flights；　but　who；　child…like；　had　been　much　more　amused　with　my　awkwardness；　than　sympathising　in　my　fears　or　aware　of　my　danger；　hovered　over　us；　poised　amidst　spread　wings；　and　hearing　the　endearing　words　of　the　young　Gy；　laughed　aloud。　　Said　he；　〃If　the　Tish　cannot　learn　the　use　of　wings；　you　may　still　be　his　companion；　Zee；　for　you　can　suspend　your　own。〃

105　Chapter　XXI。


I　had　for　some　time　observed　in　my　host's　highly　informed　and　powerfully　proportioned　daughter　that　kindly　and　protective　sentiment　which；　whether　above　the　earth　or　below　it；　an　all…wise　Providence　has　bestowed　upon　the　feminine　division　of　the　human　race。　　But　until　very　lately　I　had　ascribed　it　to　that　affection　for　'pets'　which　a　human　female　at　every　age　shares　with　a　human　child。　　I　now　became　painfully　aware　that　the　feeling　with　which　Zee　deigned　to　regard　me　was　different　from　that　which　I　had　inspired　in　Taee。　　But　this　conviction　gave　me　none　of　that　complacent　gratification　which　the　vanity　of　man　ordinarily　conceives　from　a　flattering　appreciation　of　his　personal　merits　on　the　part　of　the　fair　sex；　on　the　contrary；　it　inspired　me　with　fear。　　Yet　of　all　the　Gy…ei　in　the　community；　if　Zee　were　perhaps　the　wisest　and　the　strongest；　she　was；　by　common　repute；　the　gentlest；　and　she　was　certainly　the　most　popularly　beloved。　　The　desire　to　aid；　to　succour；　to　protect；　to　comfort；　to　bless；　seemed　to　pervade　her　whole　being。　　Though　the　complicated　miseries　that　originate　in　penury　and　guilt　are　unknown　to　the　social　system　of　the　Vril…ya；　still；　no　sage　had　yet　discovered　in　vril　an　agency　which　could　banish　sorrow　from　life；　and　wherever　amongst　her　people　sorrow　found　its　way；　there　Zee　followed　in　the　mission　of　comforter。　　Did　some　sister　Gy　fail　to　secure　the　love　she　sighed　for？　Zee　sought　her　out；　and　brought　all　the　resources　of　her　lore；　and　all　the　consolations　of　her　sympathy；　to　bear　upon　a　grief　that　so　needs　the　solace　of　a　confidant。　　In　the　rare　cases；　when　grave　illness　seized　upon　childhood　or　youth；　and　the　cases；　less　rare；　when；　in　the　hardy　and　adventurous　probation　of　infants；　some　accident；　attended　with　pain　and　injury　occurred；　Zee　forsook　her　studies　and　her　sports；　and　became　the　healer　and　nurse。　　Her　favourite　106flights　were　towards　the　extreme　boundaries　of　the　domain　where　children　were　stationed　on　guard　against　outbreaks　of　warring　forces　in　nature；　or　the　invasions　of　devouring　animals；　so　that　she　might　warn　them　of　any　peril　which　her　knowledge　detected　or　foresaw；　or　be　at　hand　if　any　harm　had　befallen。　　Nay；　even　in　the　exercise　of　her　scientific　acquirements　there　was　a　concurrent　benevolence　of　purpose　and　will。　　Did　she　learn　any　novelty　in　invention　that　would　be　useful　to　the　practitioner　of　some　special　art　or　craft？　she　hastened　to　communicate　and　explain　it。　　Was　some　veteran　sage　of　the　College　perplexed　and　wearied　with　the　toil　of　an　abstruse　study？　she　would　patiently　devote　herself　to　his　aid；　work　out　details　for　him；　sustain　his　spirits　with　her　hopeful　smile；　quicken　his　wit　with　her　luminous　suggestion；　be　to　him；　as　it　were；　his　own　good　genius　made　visible　as　the　strengthener　and　inspirer。　　The　same　tenderness　she　exhibited　to　the　inferior　creatures。　　I　have　often　known　her　bring　home　some　sick　and　wounded　animal；　and　tend　and　cherish　it　as　a　mother　would　tend　and　cherish　her　stricken　child。　　Many　a　time　when　I　sat　in　the　balcony；　or　hanging　garden；　on　which　my　window　opened；　I　have　watched　her　rising　in　the　air　on　her　radiant　wings；　and　in　a　few　moments　groups　of　infants　below；　catching　sight　of　her；　would　soar　upward　with　joyous　sounds　of　greeting；　clustering　and　sporting　around　her；　so　that　she　seemed　a　very　centre　of　innocent　delight。　　When　I　have　walked　with　her　amidst　the　rocks　and　valleys　without　the　city；　the　elk…deer　would　scent　or　see　her　from　afar；　come　bounding　up；　eager　for　the　caress　of　her　hand；　or　follow　her　footsteps；　till　dismissed　by　some　musical　whisper　that　the　creature　had　learned　to　comprehend。　　It　is　the　fashion　among　the　virgin　Gy…ei　to　wear　on　their　foreheads　a　circlet；　or　coronet；　with　gems　resembling　opals；　arranged　in　four　points　or　rays　like　stars。　　These　are　lustreless　in　ordinary　use；　but　if　touched　by　the　vril　wand　they　take　a　clear　lambent　flame；　which　illuminates；　yet　not　burns。　　This　serves　as　an　ornament　in　their　festivities；　and　as　a　lamp；　if；　in　107their　wanderings　beyond　their　artificial　lights；　they　have　to　traverse　the　dark。　　There　are　times；　when　I　have　seen　Zee's　thoughtful　majesty　of　face　lighted　up　by　this　crowning　halo；　that　I　could　scarcely　believe　her　to　be　a　creature　of　mortal　birth；　and　bent　my　head　before　her　as　the　vision　of　a　being　among　the　celestial　orders。　　But　never　once　did　my　heart　feel　for　this　lofty　type　of　the　noblest　womanhood　a　sentiment　of　human　love。　Is　it　that；　among　the　race　I　belong　to；　man's　pride　so　far　influences　his　passions　that　woman