when the world shook-第1章

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When　the　World　Shook



Being　an　Account　of　the　Great　Adventure

of　Bastin；　Bickley　and　Arbuthnot



by　H。　Rider　Haggard











DEDICATION





Ditchingham；　1918。

MY　DEAR　CURZON；



More　than　thirty　years　ago　you　tried　to　protect　me；　then　a

stranger　to　you；　from　one　of　the　falsest　and　most　malignant

accusations　ever　made　against　a　writer。



So　complete　was　your　exposure　of　the　methods　of　those　at　work

to　blacken　a　person　whom　they　knew　to　be　innocent；　that；　as　you

will　remember；　they　refused　to　publish　your　analysis　which

destroyed　their　charges　and；　incidentally；　revealed　their

motives。



Although　for　this　reason　vindication　came　otherwise；　your

kindness　is　one　that　I　have　never　forgotten；　since；　whatever　the

immediate　issue　of　any　effort；　in　the　end　it　is　the　intention

that　avails。



Therefore　in　gratitude　and　memory　I　ask　you　to　accept　this

romance；　as　I　know　that　you　do　not　disdain　the　study　of　romance

in　the　intervals　of　your　Imperial　work。



The　application　of　its　parable　to　our　state　and　possibilities

beneath　or　beyond　these　glimpses　of　the　moonI　leave　to　your

discernment。





Believe　me；

Ever　sincerely　yours；

H。　RIDER　HAGGARD。









To

The　Earl　Curzon　of　Kedleston；　K。G。











CONTENTS



　1。　　ARBUTHNOT　DESCRIBES　HIMSELF



　2。　　BASTIN　AND　BICKLEY



　3。　　NATALIE



　4。　　DEATH　AND　DEPARTURE



　5。　　THE　CYCLONE



　6。　　LAND



　7。　　THE　OROFENANS



　8。　　BASTIN　ATTEMPTS　THE　MARTYR'S　CROWN



　9。　　THE　ISLAND　IN　THE　LAKE



10。　　THE　DWELLERS　IN　THE　TOMB



11。　　RESURRECTION



12。　　TWO　HUNDRED　AND　FIFTY　THOUSAND　YEARS！



13。　　ORO　SPEAKS　AND　BASTIN　ARGUES



14。　　THE　UNDER…WORLD



15。　　ORO　IN　HIS　HOUSE



16。　　VISIONS　OF　THE　PAST



17。　　YVA　EXPLAINS



18。　　THE　ACCIDENT



19。　　THE　PROPOSALS　OF　BASTIN　AND　BICKLEY



20。　　ORO　AND　ARBUTHNOT　TRAVEL　BY　NIGHT



21。　　LOVE'S　ETERNAL　ALTAR



22。　　THE　COMMAND



23。　　IN　THE　TEMPLE　OF　FATE



24。　　THE　CHARIOT　OF　THE　PIT



25。　　SACRIFICE



26。　　TOMMY



27。　　BASTIN　DISCOVERS　A　RESEMBLANCE



28。　　NOTE　BY　J。　R。　BICKLEY；　M。R。C。S。













When　the　World　Shook







Chapter　I



Arbuthnot　Describes　Himself





I　suppose　that　I；　Humphrey　Arbuthnot；　should　begin　this　history

in　which　Destiny　has　caused　me　to　play　so　prominent　a　part；　with

some　short　account　of　myself　and　of　my　circumstances。



I　was　born　forty　years　ago　in　this　very　Devonshire　village　in

which　I　write；　but　not　in　the　same　house。　Now　I　live　in　the

Priory；　an　ancient　place　and　a　fine　one　in　its　way；　with　its

panelled　rooms；　its　beautiful　gardens　where；　in　this　mild

climate；　in　addition　to　our　own；　flourish　so　many　plants　which

one　would　only　expect　to　find　in　countries　that　lie　nearer　to　the

sun；　and　its　green；　undulating　park　studded　with　great　timber

trees。　The　view；　too；　is　perfect；　behind　and　around　the　rich

Devonshire　landscape　with　its　hills　and　valleys　and　its　scarped

faces　of　red　sandstone；　and　at　a　distance　in　front；　the　sea。

There　are　little　towns　quite　near　too；　that　live　for　the　most

part　on　visitors；　but　these　are　so　hidden　away　by　the　contours　of

the　ground　that　from　the　Priory　one　cannot　see　them。　Such　is

Fulcombe　where　I　live；　though　for　obvious　reasons　I　do　not　give

it　its　real　name。



Many　years　ago　my　father；　the　Rev。　Humphrey　Arbuthnot；　whose

only　child　I　am；　after　whom　also　I　am　named　Humphrey；　was　the

vicar　of　this　place　with　which　our　family　is　said　to　have　some

rather　vague　hereditary　connection。　If　so；　it　was　severed　in　the

Carolian　times　because　my　ancestors　fought　on　the　side　of

Parliament。



My　father　was　a　recluse；　and　a　widower；　for　my　mother；　a

Scotswoman；　died　at　or　shortly　after　my　birth。　Being　very　High

Church　for　those　days　he　was　not　popular　with　the　family　that

owned　the　Priory　before　me。　Indeed　its　head；　a　somewhat　vulgar

person　of　the　name　of　Enfield　who　had　made　money　in　trade；　almost

persecuted　him；　as　he　was　in　a　position　to　do；　being　the　local

magnate　and　the　owner　of　the　rectorial　tithes。



I　mention　this　fact　because　owing　to　it　as　a　boy　I　made　up　my

mind　that　one　day　I　would　buy　that　place　and　sit　in　his　seat；　a

wild　enough　idea　at　the　time。　Yet　it　became　engrained　in　me；　as

do　such　aspirations　of　our　youth；　and　when　the　opportunity　arose

in　after　years　I　carried　it　out。　Poor　old　Enfield！　He　fell　on

evil　fortunes；　for　in　trying　to　bolster　up　a　favourite　son　who

was　a　gambler；　a　spendthrift；　and　an　ungrateful　scamp；　in　the　end

he　was　practically　ruined　and　when　the　bad　times　came；　was　forced

to　sell　the　Fulcombe　estate。　I　think　of　him　kindly　now；　for　after

all　he　was　good　to　me　and　gave　me　many　a　day's　shooting　and　leave

to　fish　for　trout　in　the　river。



By　the　poor　people；　however；　of　all　the　district　round；　for　the

parish　itself　is　very　small；　my　father　was　much　beloved；　although

he　did　practise　confession；　wear　vestments　and　set　lighted

candles　on　the　altar；　and　was　even　said　to　have　openly　expressed

the　wish；　to　which　however　he　never　attained；　that　he　could　see　a

censer　swinging　in　the　chancel。　Indeed　the　church　which；　as　monks

built　it；　is　very　large　and　fine；　was　always　full　on　Sundays；

though　many　of　the　worshippers　came　from　far　away；　some　of　them

doubtless　out　of　curiosity　because　of　its　papistical　repute；　also

because；　in　a　learned　fashion；　my　father's　preaching　was　very

good　indeed。



For　my　part　I　feel　that　I　owe　much　to　these　High…Church　views。

They　opened　certain　doors　to　me　and　taught　me　something　of　the

mysteries　which　lie　at　the　back　of　all　religions　and　therefore

have　their　home　in　the　inspired　soul　of　man　whence　religions　are

born。　Only　the　pity　is　that　in　ninety…nine　cases　out　of　a　hundred

he　never　discovers；　never　even　guesses　at　that　entombed

aspiration；　never　sinks　a　shaft　down　on　to　this　secret　but　most

precious　vein　of　ore。



I　have　said　that　my　father　was　learned；　but　this　is　a　mild

description；　for　never　did　I　know　anyone　quite　so　learned。　He　was

one　of　those　men　who　is　so　good　all　round　that　he　became

preeminent…eminent　in　nothing。　A　classic　of　the　first　water；　a　very

respectable　mathematician；　an　expert　in　theology；　a　student　of

sundry　foreign　languages　and　literature　in　his　lighter　moments；

an　inquirer　into　sociology；　a　theoretical　musician　though　his

playing　of　the　organ　excruciated　most　people　because　it　was　too

correct；　a　really　first…class　authority　upon　flint　instruments

and　the　best　grower　of　garden　vegetables　in　the　county；　also　of

applessuch　were　some　of　his　attainments。　That　was　what　made　his

sermons　so　popular；　since　at　times　one　or　the　other　of　these

subjects　would　break　out　into　them；　his　theory　being　that　God

spoke　to　us　through　all　of　these　things。



But　if　I　began　to　drift　into　an　analysis　of　my　father's

abilities；　I　should　never　stop。　It　would　take　a　book　to　describe

them。　And　yet　mark　this；　with　them　all　his　name　is　as　dead　to　the

world　to…day　as　though　he　had　never　been。　Light　reflected　from　a

hundred　facets　dissipates　itself　in　space　and　is　lost；　that

concentrated　in　one　tremendous　ray　pierces　to　the　stars。



Now　I　am　going　to　be　frank　about　myself；　for　without　frankness

what　is　the　value　of　such　a　record　as　this？　Then　it　becomes

simply　another　convention；　or　rather　conventional　method　of

expressing　the　octoroon　kind　of　truths　with　which　the　highly

civilised　races　feed　themselves；　as　fastidious　ladies　eat　cakes

and　bread　from　which　all　but　the　smallest　particle　of　nourishment

has　been　extracted。



The　fact　is；　therefore；　that　I　inherited　most　of　my　father's

abilities；　except　his　love　for　flint　instruments　which　always

bored　me　to　distraction；　because　although　they　are　by　association

really　the　most　human　of　things；　somehow　to　me　they　never　convey

any　idea　of　humanity。　In　addition　I　have　a　practical　side　which

he　lacked；　had　he　possessed　it　sure