she-第49章

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〃Nay；〃　she　answered；　softly；　〃ill　could　the　world　
spare　such　a　man。　Beauty　is　too　rare　upon　it。　Give　me　
no　thanks；　who　am　made　happy　by　thy　coming。〃

〃Humph！　old　fellow；〃　said　Leo　aside　to　me；　in　English；　
〃the　lady　is　very　civil。　We　seem　to　have　tumbled　into　
clover。　I　hope　that　you　have　made　the　most　of　your　
opportunities。　By　Jove！　what　a　pair　of　arms　she　has　
got！〃

I　nudged　him　in　the　ribs　to　make　him　keep　quiet；　for　I　
caught　sight　of　a　gleam　from　Ayesha's　veiled　eyes；　
which　were　regarding　me　curiously。

〃I　trust；〃　went　on　Ayesha；　〃that　my　servants　have　
attended　well　upon　thee；　if　there　can　be　comfort　in　
this　poor　place；　be　sure　it　waits　on　thee。　Is　there　
aught　that　I　can　do　for　thee　more？〃

〃Yes；　O　_i_　She　_i_　；〃　answered　Leo；　hastily。　〃I　would　
fain　know　whither　the　young　lady　who　was　looking　after　
me　has　gone　to。〃

〃Ah；〃　said　Ayesha：　〃the　girl…yes；　I　saw　her。　Nay；　I　
know　not；　she　said　that　she　would　go；　I　know　not　
whither。　Perchance　she　will　return；　perchance　not。　It　
is　wearisome　waiting　on　the　sick；　and　these　savage　
women　are　fickle。〃

Leo　looked　both　sulky　and　distressed　at　this　
intelligence。

〃It's　very　odd；〃　he　said　to　me；　in　English；　and　then　
addressing　_i_　She　_i_　；　〃I　cannot　understand；〃　he　
said；　〃the　young　lady　and　Iwell；　in　short；　we　had　a　
regard　for　each　other。〃

Ayesha　laughed　a　little　very　musically；　and　then　
turned　the　subject。

CHAPTER　XIX

〃GIVE　ME　A　BLACK　GOAT！〃

THE；　conversation　after　this　was　of　such　a　desultory　
order　that　I　do　not　quite　recollect　it。　For　some　
reason；　perhaps　from　a　desire　to　keep　her　identity　and　
character　in　reserve；　Ayesha　did　not　talk　freely；　as　
she　usually　did。　Presently；　however；　she　informed　Leo　
that　she　had　arranged　a　dance　that　night　for　our　
amusement。　I　was　astonished　to　hear　this；　as：　I　
fancied　that　the　Amahagger　were　much　too　gloomy　a　folk　
to　indulge　in　any　such　frivolity；　but；　as　will　
presently　more　clearly　appear；　it　turned　out　an　
Amahagger　dance　has　little　in　common　with　such　
fantastic　festivities　in　other　countries；　savage　or　
civilized。　Then；　as　we　were　about　to　withdraw；　she　
suggested　that　Leo　might　like　to　see　some　of　the　
wonders　of　the　caves；　and；　as　he　gladly　assented；　
thither　we　departed；　accompanied　by　Job　and　Billali。　
To　describe　our　visit　would　only　be　to　repeat　a　great　
deal　of　what　I　have　already　said。　The　tombs　we　entered　
were　indeed。　different；　for　the　whole　rock　was　a　
honeycomb　of　sepulchres；　but　the　contents　were　nearly　
always　similar。　Afterwards　we　visited　the　pyramid　of　
bones　that　had　haunted　my　dreams　on　the　previous　
night；　and　from　thence　went　down　a　long　passage　to　one　
of　the　great　vaults　occupied　by　the　bodies　of　the　
poorer　citizens　of　Imperial　Ko^r。　These　bodies　were　
not　nearly　so　well　preserved　as　were　those　of　the　
wealthier　classes。　Many　of　them　had　no　linen　covering　
on　them；　also　they　were　buried　from　five　hundred　to　
one　thousand　in　a　single　large　vault；　the　corpses　in　
some　instances　being　thickly　piled　one　upon　another；　
like　a　heap　of　slain。

Leo　was　of　course　intensely　interested　in　this　
stupendous　and　unequalled　sight；　which　was；　indeed；　
enough　to　awaken　all　the　imagination　a　man　had　in　him　
into　the　most　active　life。　But　to　poor　Job　it　did　not　
prove　attractive。　His　nervesalready　seriously　shaken　
by　what　he　had　undergone　since　we　had　arrived　in　this　
terrible　countrywere；　as　may　be　imagined；　still　
further　disturbed　by　the　spectacle　of　these　masses　of　
departed　humanity；　whereof　the　forms　still　remained　
perfect　before　his　eyes；　though　their　voices　were　
forever　lost　in　the　eternal　silence　of　the　tomb。　Nor　
was　he　comforted　when　old　Billali；　by　way　of　soothing　
his　evident　agitation；　informed　him　that　he　should　not　
be　frightened　at　these　dead　things；　as　he　would　soon　
be　like　them　himself。

〃There's　a　nice　thing　to　say　of　a　man；　sir；〃　he　
ejaculated；　when　I　translated　this　little　remark；　〃but　
there；　what　can　one　expect　of　an　old　man…eating　
savage？　Not　but　what　I　dare　say　he's　right；〃　and　Job　
sighed。

When　we　had　finished　inspecting　the　caves　we　returned　
and　had　our　meal；　for　it　was　now　past　four　in　the　
afternoon；　and　we　allspecially　Leoneeded　some　food　
and　rest。　At　six　o'clock　we；　together　with　Job；　waited　
on　Ayesha；　who　set　to　work　to　terrify　our　poor　servant　
still　further　by　showing　him　pictures　on　the　pool　of　
water　in　the　font　like　vessel。　_i_　She　_i_　learned　
from　me　that　he　was　one　of　seventeen　children；　and　
then　bid　him　think　of　all　his　brothers　and　sisters；　or　
as　many　of　them　as　he　could；　gathered　together　in　his　
father's　cottage。　Then　she　told　him　to　look　in　the　
water；　and　there；　reflected　from　its　stilly　surface；　
was　that　dead　scene　of　many　years　gone　by；　as　it　was　
recalled　to　our　retainer's　brain。　Some　of　the　faces　
were　clear　enough；　but　some　were　mere　blurs　and　
splotches；　or　with　one　feature　grossly　exaggerated；　
the　fact　being　that；　in　these　instances；　Job　had　been　
unable　to　recall　the　exact　appearances　of　the　
individuals；　or　remembered　them　only　by　a　peculiarity　
of　his　tribe；　and　the　water　could　only　reflect　what　he　
saw　with　his　mind's　eye。　For　it　must　be　remembered　
that　_i_　She　_i_　's　power　in　this　matter　was　strictly　
limited；　she　could；　apparently；　except　in　very　rare　
instances；　only　photograph　upon　the　water　what　was　
actually　in　the　mind　of　some　one　present；　and　then　
only　by　his　will。　But　if　she　was　personally　acquainted　
with　a　locality　she　could；　as　in　the　case　of　ourselves　
and　the　whale…boat；　throw　its　reflection　upon　the　
water；　and　also　it　seems　the　reflection　of　anything　
extraneous　that　was　passing　there　at　the　time。　This　
power；　however；　did　not　extend　to　the　minds　of　others。　
For　instance；　she　could　show　me　the　interior　of　my　
college　chapel；　as　I　remembered　it；　but　not　as　it　was　
at　the　moment　of　reflection；　for；　where　other　people　
were　concerned；　her　art　was　strictly　limited　to　the　
facts　or　memories　present　to　their　consciousness　at　
the　moment。　So　much　was　this　so　that；　when　we　tried；　
for　her　amusement；　to　show　her　pictures　of　noted　
buildings；　such　as　St。　Paul's　or　the　Houses　of　
Parliament；　the　result　was　most　imperfect；　for；　of　
course；　though　we　had　a　good　general　idea　of　their　
appearance；　we　could　not　recall　all　the　architectural　
details；　and　therefore　the　minutiae　necessary　to　a　
perfect　reflection　were　wanting。　But　Job　could　not　be　
got　to　understand　this；　and　so　far　from　accepting　a　
natural　explanation　of　the　matter；　which　was；　after　
all；　though　strange　enough　in　all　conscience；　nothing　
more　than　an　instance　of　glorified　and　perfected　
telepathy；　he　set　the　whole　thing　down　as　a　
manifestation　of　the　blackest　magic。　I　shall　never　
forget　the　howl　of　terror　which　he　uttered　when　he　saw　
the　more　or　less　perfect　portraits　of　his　long…
scattered　brethren　staring　at　him　from　the　quiet　
water；　or　the　merry　peal　of　laughter　with　which　Ayesha　
greeted　his　consternation。　As　for　Leo；　he　did　not　
altogether　like　it　either；　but　ran　his　fingers　through　
his　yellow　curls；　and　remarked　that　it　gave　him　the　
creeps。

After　about　an　hour　of　this　amusement；　in　the　latter　
part　of　which　Job　did　not　participate；　the　mutes　by　
signs　indicated　that　Billali　was　waiting　for　an　
audience。　Accordingly　he　was　told　to　〃crawl　up；〃　which　
he　did　as　awkwardly　as　usual；　and　announced　that　the　
dance　was　ready　to　begin　if　She　and　the　white　
strangers　would　be　pleased　to　attend。　Shortly　
afterwards　we　all　rose；　and　Ayesha　having　thrown　a　
dark　cloak　（the　same；　by　the　way；　that　she　had　worn　
when　I　saw　her　cursing　by　the　fire）　over　her　white　
wrappings；　we　started。　The　dance　was　to　be　held　in　the　
open　air；　on　the　smooth　rocky　plateau　in　front　of　the　
great　cave；　and　thither　we　made　our　way。　About　fifteen　
paces　from　the　mouth　of　the　cave　we　found　three　chairs　
placed；　and　here　we　sat　and　waited；　for　as　yet　no　
dancers　were　to　be　seen。　The　night　was　almost；　but　not　
quite；　dark；　the　moon　not　having　risen　as　yet；　which　
made　us　wonder　how　we　should　be　able　to　see　the　
dancing。

〃Thou　wilt　presently　understand；〃　said　Ayesha；　with　a　
little　laugh；　when　Leo　asked　her；　and　we　certainly　
did