classic mystery and detective stories-第23章

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more　immediately　before　the　wasted　form　of　the　young　magician　（he

still；　bending　over　the　caldron；　and　hearing　me　not　in　the

absorption　and　hope　of　his　watch）placed　herself　before　him；　as

the　bird　whose　first　care　is　her　fledgling。



As　we　two　there　stood；　fronting　the　deluge　of　fire；　we　heard

Margrave　behind　us；　murmuring　low；　〃See　the　bubbles　of　light；　how

they　sparkle　and　danceI　shall　live；　I　shall　live！〃　　And　his　words

scarcely　died　in　our　ears　before；　crash　upon　crash；　came　the　fall

of　the　age…long　trees　in　the　forest；　and　nearer；　all　near　us；

through　the　blazing　grasses；　the　hiss　of　the　serpents；　the　scream

of　the　birds；　and　the　bellow　and　tramp　of　the　herds　plunging　wild

through　the　billowy　red　of　their　pastures。



Ayesha　now　wound　her　arms　around　Margrave；　and　wrenched　him；

reluctant　and　struggling；　from　his　watch　over　the　seething　caldron。

In　rebuke　of　his　angry　exclamations；　she　pointed　to　the　march　of

the　fire；　spoke　in　sorrowful　tones　a　few　words　in　her　own　language；

and　then；　appealing　to　me　in　English；　said：



〃I　tell　him　that；　here；　the　Spirits　who　oppose　us　have　summoned　a

foe　that　is　deaf　to　my　voice；　and〃



〃And；〃　exclaimed　Margrave；　no　longer　with　gasp　and　effort；　but　with

the　swell　of　a　voice　which　drowned　all　the　discords　of　terror　and

of　agony　sent　forth　from　the　Phlegethon　burning　below〃and　this

witch；　whom　I　trusted；　is　a　vile　slave　and　impostor；　more　desiring

my　death　than　my　life。　　She　thinks　that　in　life　I　should　scorn　and

forsake　her；　that　in　death　I　should　die　in　her　arms！　　Sorceress；

avaunt！　　Art　thou　useless　and　powerless　now　when　I　need　thee　most？

Go！　　Let　the　world　be　one　funeral　pyre！　　What　to　ME　is　the　world？

My　world　is　my　life！　　Thou　knowest　that　my　last　hope　is　herethat

all　the　strength　left　me　this　night　will　die　down；　like　the　lamps

in　the　circle；　unless　the　elixir　restore　it。　　Bold　friend；　spurn

that　sorceress　away。　　Hours　yet　ere　those　flames　can　assail　us！　　A

few　minutes　more；　and　life　to　your　Lilian　and　me！〃



Thus　having　said；　Margrave　turned　from　us；　and　cast　into　the

caldron　the　last　essence　yet　left　in　his　empty　coffer。



Ayesha　silently　drew　her　black　veil　over　her　face；　and　turned；　with

the　being　she　loved；　from　the　terror　he　scorned；　to　share　in　the

hope　that　he　cherished。



Thus　left　alone；　with　my　reason　disinthralled；　disenchanted；　I

surveyed　more　calmly　the　extent　of　the　actual　peril　with　which　we

were　threatened；　and　the　peril　seemed　less；　so　surveyed。



It　is　true　all　the　Bush…land　behind；　almost　up　to　the　bed　of　the

creek；　was　on　fire；　but　the　grasses；　through　which　the　flame　spread

so　rapidly；　ceased　at　the　opposite　marge　of　the　creek。　　Watery

pools　were　still；　at　intervals；　left　in　the　bed　of　the　creek；

shining　tremulous；　like　waves　of　fire；　in　the　glare　reflected　from

the　burning　land；　and　even　where　the　water　failed；　the　stony　course

of　the　exhausted　rivulet　was　a　barrier　against　the　march　of　the

conflagration。　　Thus；　unless　the　wind；　now　still；　should　rise；　and

waft　some　sparks　to　the　parched　combustible　herbage　immediately

around　us；　we　were　saved　from　the　fire；　and　our　work　might　yet　be

achieved。



I　whispered　to　Ayesha　the　conclusion　to　which　I　came。



〃Thinkest　thou；〃　she　answered　without　raising　her　mournful　head；

〃that　the　Agencies　of　Nature　are　the　movements　of　chance？　　The

Spirits　I　invoked　to　his　aid　are　leagued　with　the　hosts　that

assail。　　A　mightier　than　I　am　has　doomed　him！〃



Scarcely　had　she　uttered　these　words　before　Margrave　exclaimed；

〃Behold　how　the　Rose　of　the　alchemist's　dream　enlarges　its　blooms

from　the　folds　of　its　petals！　　I　shall　live；　I　shall　live！〃



I　looked；　and　the　liquid　which　glowed　in　the　caldron　had　now　taken

a　splendor　that　mocked　all　comparisons　borrowed　from　the　luster　of

gems。　　In　its　prevalent　color　it　had；　indeed；　the　dazzle　and　flash

of　the　ruby；　but　out　from　the　mass　of　the　molten　red；　broke

coruscations　of　all　prismal　hues；　shooting；　shifting；　in　a　play

that　made　the　wavelets　themselves　seem　living　things；　sensible　of

their　joy。　　No　longer　was　there　scum　or　film　upon　the　surface；　only

ever　and　anon　a　light；　rosy　vapor　floating　up；　and　quick　lost　in

the　haggard；　heavy；　sulphurous　air；　hot　with　the　conflagration

rushing　toward　us　from　behind。　　And　these　coruscations　formed；　on

the　surface　of　the　molten　ruby；　literally　the　shape　of　a　rose；　its

leaves　made　distinct　in　their　outlines　by　sparks　of　emerald　and

diamond　and　sapphire。



Even　while　gazing　on　this　animated　liquid　luster；　a　buoyant　delight

seemed　infused　into　my　senses；　all　terrors　conceived　before　were

annulled；　the　phantoms；　whose　armies　had　filled　the　wide　spaces　in

front；　were　forgotten；　the　crash　of　the　forest　behind　was　unheard。

In　the　reflection　of　that　glory；　Margrave's　wan　cheek　seemed

already　restored　to　the　radiance　it　wore　when　I　saw　it　first　in　the

framework　of　blooms。



As　I　gazed；　thus　enchanted；　a　cold　hand　touched　my　own。



〃Hush！〃　whispered　Ayesha；　from　the　black　veil；　against　which　the

rays　of　the　caldron　fell　blunt；　and　absorbed　into　Dark。　　〃Behind

us；　the　light　of　the　circle　is　extinct；　but　there；　we　are　guarded

from　all　save　the　brutal　and　soulless　destroyers。　　But；　before！

but；　before！see；　two　of　the　lamps　have　died　out！see　the　blank

of　the　gap　in　the　ring！　　Guard　that　breachthere　the　demons　will

enter。〃



〃Not　a　drop　is　there　left　in　this　vessel　by　which　to　replenish　the

lamps　on　the　ring。〃



〃Advance；　then；　thou　hast　still　the　light　of　the　soul；　and　the

demons　may　recoil　before　a　soul　that　is　dauntless　and　guiltless。

If　not；　Three　are　lost！as　it　is；　One　is　doomed。〃



Thus　adjured；　silently；　involuntarily；　I　passed　from　the　Veiled

Woman's　side；　over　the　sear　lines　on　the　turf　which　had　been　traced

by　the　triangles　of　light　long　since　extinguished；　and　toward　the

verge　of　the　circle。　　As　I　advanced；　overhead　rushed　a　dark　cloud

of　wingsbirds　dislodged　from　the　forest　on　fire；　and　screaming；

in　dissonant　terror；　as　they　flew　toward　the　farthermost　mountains；

close　by　my　feet　hissed　and　glided　the　snakes；　driven　forth　from

their　blazing　coverts；　and　glancing　through　the　ring；　unscared　by

its　waning　lamps；　all　undulating　by　me；　bright…eyed；　and　hissing；

all　made　innocuous　by　feareven　the　terrible　Death…adder；　which　I

trampled　on　as　I　halted　at　the　verge　of　the　circle；　did　not　turn　to

bite；　but　crept　harmless　away。　　I　halted　at　the　gap　between　the　two

dead　lamps；　and　bowed　my　head　to　look　again　into　the　crystal

vessel。　　Were　there；　indeed；　no　lingering　drops　yet　left；　if　but　to

recruit　the　lamps　for　some　priceless　minutes　more？　　As　I　thus

stood；　right　into　the　gap　between　the　two　dead　lamps　strode　a

gigantic　Foot。　　All　the　rest　of　the　form　was　unseen；　only；　as

volume　after　volume　of　smoke　poured　on　from　the　burning　land

behind；　it　seemed　as　if　one　great　column　of　vapor；　eddying　round；

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