when the world shook-第30章

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although　the　cheeks　still　showed　tinges　of　colour；　so　perfect　was

the　preservation　of　the　corpse。



I　was　still　gazing　at　it　when　Bickley　said　in　a　voice　of

amazement：



〃I　say；　look　here；　in　the　other　coffin。〃



I　turned；　looked；　and　nearly　collapsed　on　the　floor　of　the

vault；　since　beauty　can　sometimes　strike　us　like　a　blow。　Oh！

there　before　me　lay　all　loveliness；　such　loveliness　that　there

burst　from　my　lips　an　involuntary　cry：



〃Alas！　that　she　should　be　dead！〃



A　young　woman；　I　supposed；　at　least　she　looked　young；　perhaps

five　or　six　and　twenty　years　of　age；　or　so　I　judged。　There　she

lay；　her　tall　and　delicate　shape　half　hidden　in　masses　of

rich…hued　hair　in　colour　of　a　ruddy　blackness。　I　know　not　how

else　to　describe　it；　since　never　have　I　seen　any　of　the　same

tint。　Moreover；　it　shone　with　a　life　of　its　own　as　though　it　had

been　dusted　with　gold。　From　between　the　masses　of　this　hair

appeared　a　face　which　I　can　only　call　divine。　There　was　every

beauty　that　woman　can　boast；　from　the　curving　eyelashes　of

extraordinary　length　to　the　sweet　and　human　mouth。　To　these

charms　also　were　added　a　wondrous　smile　and　an　air　of　kind

dignity；　very　different　from　the　fierce　pride　stamped　upon　the

countenance　of　the　old　man　who　was　her　companion　in　death。



She　was　clothed　in　some　close…fitting　robe　of　white　broidered

with　gold；　pearls　were　about　her　neck；　lying　far　down　upon　the

perfect　bosom；　a　girdle　of　gold　and　shining　gems　encircled　her

slender　waist；　and　on　her　little　feet　were　sandals　fastened　with

red　stones　like　rubies。　In　truth；　she　was　a　splendid　creature；

and　yet；　I　know　not　how；　her　beauty　suggested　more　of　the　spirit

than　of　the　flesh。　Indeed；　in　a　way；　it　was　unearthly。　My　senses

were　smitten；　it　pulled　at　my　heart…strings；　and　yet　its

unutterable　strangeness　seemed　to　awake　memories　within　me；

though　of　what　I　could　not　tell。　A　wild　fancy　came　to　me　that　I

must　have　known　this　heavenly　creature　in　some　past　life。



By　now　Bastin　had　joined　us；　and；　attracted　by　my　exclamation

and　by　the　attitude　of　Bickley；　who　was　staring　down　at　the

coffin　with　a　fixed　look　upon　his　face；　not　unlike　that　of　a

pointer　when　he　scents　game；　he　began　to　contemplate　the　wonder

within　it　in　his　slow　way。



〃Well；　I　never！〃　he　said。　〃Do　you　think　the　Glittering　Lady　in

there　is　human？〃



〃The　Glittering　Lady　is　dead；　but　I　suppose　that　she　was　human

in　her　life；〃　I　answered　in　an　awed　whisper。



〃Of　course　she　is　dead；　otherwise　she　would　not　be　in　that

glass　coffin。　I　think　I　should　like　to　read　the　Burial　Service

over　her；　which　I　daresay　was　never　done　when　she　was　put　in

there。〃



〃How　do　you　know　she　is　dead？〃　asked　Bickley　in　a　sharp　voice

and　speaking　for　the　first　time。　〃I　have　seen　hundreds　of

corpses；　and　mummies　too；　but　never　any　that　looked　like　these。〃



I　stared　at　him。　It　was　strange　to　hear　Bickley；　the　scoffer　at

miracles；　suggesting　that　this　greatest　of　all　miracles　might　be

possible。



〃They　must　have　been　here　a　long　time；〃　I　said；　〃for　although

human；　they　are　not；　I　think；　of　any　people　known　to　the　world

to…day；　their　dress；　everything；　shows　it；　though　perhaps

thousands　of　years　ago〃　and　I　stopped。



〃Quite　so；〃　answered　Bickley；　〃I　agree。　That　is　why　I　suggest

that　they　may　have　belonged　to　a　race　who　knew　what　we　do　not；

namely；　how　to　suspend　animation　for　great　periods　of　time。〃



I　said　no　more；　nor　did　Bastin；　who　was　now　engaged　in　studying

the　old　man；　and　for　once；　wonderstruck　and　overcome。　Bickley；

however；　took　one　of　the　candles　and　began　to　make　a　close

examination　of　the　coffins。　So　did　Tommy；　who　sniffed　along　the

join　of　that　of　the　Glittering　Lady　until　his　nose　reached　a

certain　spot；　where　it　remained；　while　his　black　tail　began　to

wag　in　a　delighted　fashion。　Bickley　pushed　him　away　and

investigated。



〃As　I　thought；〃　he　said〃air…holes。　See！〃



I　looked；　and　there；　bored　through　the　crystal　of　the　coffin　in

a　line　with　the　face　of　its　occupant；　were　a　number　of　little

holes　that　either　by　accident　or　design　outlined　the　shape　of　a

human　mouth。



〃They　are　not　airtight；〃　murmured　Bickley；　〃and　if　air　can

enter；　how　can　dead　flesh　remain　like　that　for　ages？〃



Then　he　continued　his　search　upon　the　other　side。



〃The　lid　of　this　coffin　works　on　hinges；〃　he　said。　〃Here　they

are；　fashioned　of　the　crystal　itself。　A　living　person　within

could　have　pulled　it　down　before　the　senses　departed。〃



〃No；〃　I　answered；　〃for　look；　here　is　a　crystal　bolt　at　the　end

and　it　is　shot　from　without。〃



This　puzzled　him；　then　as　though　struck　by　an　idea；　he　began　to

examine　the　other　coffin。



〃I've　got　it！〃　he　exclaimed　presently。　〃The　old　god　in　here〃

（somehow　we　all　thought　of　this　old　man　as　not　quite　normal）

〃shut　down　the　Glittering　Lady's　coffin　and　bolted　it。　His　own　is

not　bolted；　although　the　bolt　exists　in　the　same　place。　He　just

got　in　and　pulled　down　the　lid。　Oh！　what　nonsense　I　am　talking

for　how　can　such　things　be？　Let　us　get　out　and　think。〃



So　we　crept　from　the　sepulchre　in　which　the　perfumed　air　had

begun　to　oppress　us　and　sat　ourselves。　down　upon　the　floor　of　the

cave；　where　for　a　while　we　remained　silent。



〃I　am　very　thirsty；〃　said　Bastin　presently。　〃Those　smells　seem

to　have　dried　me　up。　I　am　going　to　get　some　teaI　mean　water；　as

unfortunately　there　is　no　tea；〃　and　he　set　off　towards　the　mouth

of　the　cave。



We　followed　him；　I　don't　quite　know　why；　except　that　we　wished

to　breathe　freely　outside；　also　we　knew　that　the　sepulchre　and

its　contents　would　be　as　safe　as　they　had　been　forwell；　how

long？



It　proved　to　be　a　beautiful　morning　outside。　We　walked　up　and

down　enjoying　it　sub…consciously；　for　really　ourthat　is

Bickley's　and　my　ownintelligences　were　concentrated　on　that

sepulchre　and　its　contents。　Where　Bastin's　may　have　been　I　do　not

know；　perhaps　in　a　visionary　teapot；　since　I　was　sure　that　it

would　take　him　a　day　or　two　to　appreciate　the　significance　of　our

discoveries。　At　any　rate；　he　wandered　off；　making　no　remarks

about　them；　to　drink　water；　I　suppose。



Presently　he　began　to　shout　to　us　from　the　end　of　the

table…rock　and　we　went　to　see　the　reason　of　his　noise。　It　proved

to　be　very　satisfactory；　for　while　we　were　in　the　cave　the

Orofenans　had　brought　absolutely　everything　belonging　to　us；

together　with　a　large　supply　of　food　from　the　main　island。　Not　a

single　article　was　missing；　even　our　books；　a　can　with　the　bottom

out；　and　the　broken　pieces　of　a　little　pocket　mirror　had　been

religiously　transported；　and　with　these　a　few　articles　that　had

been　stolen　from　us；　notably　my　pocket…knife。　Evidently　a　great

taboo　had　been　laid　upon　all　our　possessions。　They　were　now

carefully　arranged　in　one　of　the　grooves　of　the　rock　that　Bickley

supposed　had　been　made　by　the　wheels　of　aeroplanes；　which　was　why

we　had　not　seen　them　at　once。



Each　of　us　rushed　for　what　we　desired　mostBastin　for　one　of

the　canisters　of　tea；　I　for　my　diaries；　and　Bickley　for　his　chest

of　instruments　and　medicines。　These　were　removed　to　the　mouth　of

the　cave；　and　after　them　the　other　things　and　the　food；　also　a

bell　tent　and　some　camp　furniture　that　we　had　brought　from　the

ship。　Then　Bastin　made　some　tea　of　which　he　drank　four　large

pannikins；　having　first　said　grace　over　it　with　unwonted　fervour。

Nor　did　we　disdain　our　share　of　the　beverage；　although　Bickley

preferred　cocoa　and　I　coffee。　Cocoa　and　coffee　we　had　no　time　to

make　then；　and　in　view　of　that　sepulchre　in　the　cave；　what　had　we

to　do　with　cocoa　and　coffee？



So　Bickley　and　I　said　to　each　other；　and　yet　presently　he

changed　his　mind　and　in　a　special　metal　machine　carefully　made

some　extremely　strong　black　coffee　which　he　poured　into　a　thermos

flask；　previously　warmed　with　hot　water；　adding　thereto　about　a

claret　glass　of　brandy。　Also　he　extracted　certain　drugs　from　his

medicine…chest；　and　with　them；　as　I　noted；　a　hy