when the world shook-第51章

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to　tell　me　that　you　did　not　recognise　your　own　double　in　that

man？　Shave　off　your　beard　and　put　on　his　clothes　and　no　one　could

distinguish　you　apart。〃



　I　sprang　up；　dropping　my　pipe。



〃Now　you　mention　it；〃　I　said　slowly；　〃I　suppose　there　was　a

resemblance。　I　didn't　look　at　him　very　much；　I　was　studying　the

simulacrum　of　Yva。　Also；　you　know　it　is　some　time　sinceI　mean；

there　are　no　pier…glasses　in　Orofena。〃



〃The　man　was　you；〃　went　on　Bickley　with　conviction。　〃If　I　were

superstitious　I　should　think　it　a　queer　sort　of　omen。　But　as　I　am

not；　I　know　that　I　must　be　mad。〃



〃Why？　After　all；　an　ancient　man　and　a　modern　man　might　resemble

each　other。〃



〃There　are　degrees　in　resemblance；〃　said　Bickley　with　one　of

his　contemptuous　snorts。　〃It　won't　do；　Humphrey；　my　boy；〃　he

added。　〃I　can　only　think　of　one　possible　explanationoutside　of

the　obvious　one　of　madness。〃



〃What　is　that？〃



〃The　Glittering　Lady　produced　what　Bastin　called　that

cinematograph　show　in　some　way　or　other；　did　she　not？　She　said

that　in　order　to　do　this　she　loosed　some　hidden　forces。　I　suggest

that　she　did　nothing　of　the　sort。〃



〃Then　whence　did　the　pictures　come　and　why？〃



〃From　her　own　brain；　in　order　to　impress　us　with　a　cock…and…

bull；　fairy…book　story。　If　this　were　so　she　would　quite　naturally

fill　the　role　of　the　lover　of　the　piece　with　the　last　man　who　had

happened　to　impress　her。　Hence　the　resemblance。〃



〃You　presuppose　a　great　deal；　Bickley；　including　supernatural

cunning　and　unexampled　hypnotic　influence。　I　don't　know；　first；

why　she　should　be　so　anxious　to　add　another　impression　to　the

many　we　have　received　in　this　place；　and；　secondly；　if　she　was；

how　she　managed　to　mesmerise　three　average　but　totally　different

men　into　seeing　the　same　things。　My　explanation　is　that　you　were

deceived　as　to　the　likeness；　which；　mind　you；　I　did　not

recognise；　nor；　apparently；　did　Bastin。〃



〃Bastin　never　recognises　anything。　But　if　you　are　in　doubt；　ask

Yva　herself。　She　ought　to　know。　Now　I'm　off　to　try　to　analyse

that　confounded　Life…water；　which　I　suspect　is　of　the　ordinary

spring　variety；　lightened　up　with　natural　carbonic　acid　gas　and

possibly　not　uninfluenced　by　radium。　The　trouble　is　that　here　I

can　only　apply　some　very　elementary　tests。〃



So　he　went　also；　in　an　opposite　direction　to　Bastin；　and　I　was

left　alone　with　Tommy；　who　annoyed　me　much　by　attempting

continually　to　wander　off　into　the　cave；　whence　I　must　recall

him。　I　suppose　that　my　experiences　of　the　day；　reviewed　beneath

the　sweet　influences　of　the　wonderful　tropical　night；　affected

me。　At　any　rate；　that　mystical　side　of　my　nature；　to　which　I

think　I　alluded　at　the　beginning　of　this　record；　sprang　into

active　and；　in　a　sense；　unholy　life。　The　normal　vanished；　the

abnormal　took　possession；　and　that　is　unholy　to　most　of　us

creatures　of　habit　and　tradition；　at　any　rate；　if　we　are　British。

I　lost　my　footing　on　the　world；　my　spirit　began　to　wander　in

strange　places；　of　course；　always　supposing　that　we　have　a

spirit；　which　Bickley　would　deny。



I　gave　up　reason；　I　surrendered　myself　to　unreason；　it　is　a　not

unpleasant　process；　occasionally。　Supposing　now　that　all　we　see

and　accept　is　but　the　merest　fragment　of　the　truth；　or　perhaps

only　a　refraction　thereof？　Supposing　that　we　do　live　again　and

again；　and　that　our　animating　principle；　whatever　it　might　be；

does　inhabit　various　bodies；　which；　naturally　enough；　it　would

shape　to　its　own　taste　and　likeness？　Would　that　taste　and

likeness　vary　so　very　much　over；　let　us　say；　a　million　years　or

so；　which；　after　all；　is　but　an　hour；　or　a　minute；　in　the　aeons

of　Eternity？



On　this　hypothesis；　which　is　so　wild　that　one　begins　to　suspect

that　it　may　be　true；　was　it　impossible　that　I　and　that　murdered

man　of　the　far　past　were　in　fact　identical？　If　the　woman　were　the

same；　preserved　across　the　gulf　in　some　unknown　fashion；　why

should　not　her　lover　be　the　same？　What　did　I　sayher　lover？　Was

I　her　lover？　No；　I　was　the　lover　of　one　who　had　diedmy　lost

wife。　Well；　if　I　had　died　and　lived　again；　why　should　notwhy

should　not　that　Sleeperhave　lived　again　during　her　long　sleep？

Through　all　those　years　the　spirit　must　have　had　some　home；　and；

if　so；　in　what　shapes　did　it　live？　There　were　points；

similarities；　which　rushed　in　upon　meoh！　it　was　ridiculous。

Bickley　was　right。　We　were　all　mad！



There　was　another　thing。　Oro　had　declared　that　we　were　at　war

with　Germany。　If　this　were　so；　how　could　he　know　it？　Such

knowledge　would　presume　powers　of　telepathy　or　vision　beyond

those　given　to　man。　I　could　not　believe　that　he　possessed　these；

as　Bickley　said；　it　would　be　past　experience。　Yet　it　was　most

strange　that　he　who　was　uninformed　as　to　our　national　history　and

dangers；　should　have　hit　upon　a　country　with　which　we　might　well

have　been　plunged　into　sudden　struggle。　Here　again　I　was

bewildered　and　overcome。　My　brain　rocked。　I　would　seek　sleep；　and

in　it　escape；　or　at　any　rate　rest　from　all　these　mysteries。





On　the　following　morning　we　despatched　Bastin　to　keep　his

rendezvous　in　the　sepulchre　at　the　proper　time。　Had　we　not　done

so　I　felt　sure　that　he　would　have　forgotten　it；　for　on　this

occasion　he　was　for　once　an　unwilling　missioner。　He　tried　to

persuade　one　of　us　to　come　with　himeven　Bickley　would　have　been

welcome；　but　we　both　declared　that　we　could　not　dream　of

interfering　in　such　a　professional　matter；　also　that　our　presence

was　forbidden；　and　would　certainly　distract　the　attention　of　his

pupil。



〃What　you　mean；〃　said　the　gloomy　Bastin；　〃is　that　you　intend　to

enjoy　yourselves　up　here　in　the　female　companionship　of　the

Glittering　Lady　whilst　I　sit　thousands　of　feet　underground

attempting　to　lighten　the　darkness　of　a　violent　old　sinner　whom　I

suspect　of　being　in　league　with　Satan。〃



〃With　whom　you　should　be　proud　to　break　a　lance；〃　said　Bickley。



〃So　I　am；　in　the　daylight。　For　instance；　when　he　uses　your

mouth　to　advance　his　arguments。　Bickley；　but　this　is　another

matter。　However；　if　I　do　not　appear　again　you　will　know　that　I

died　in　a　good　cause；　and；　I　hope；　try　to　recover　my　remains　and

give　them　decent　burial。　Also；　you　might　inform　the　Bishop　of　how

I　came　to　my　end；　this　is；　if　you　ever　get　an　opportunity；　which

is　more　than　doubtful。〃



〃Hurry　up；　Bastin；　hurry　up！〃　said　the　unfeeling　Bickley；　〃or

you　will　be　late　for　your　appointment　and　put　your　would…be

neophyte　into　a　bad　temper。〃



Then　Bastin　went；　carrying　under　his　arm　a　large　Bible　printed

in　the　language　of　the　South　Sea　Islands。



A　little　while　later　Yva　appeared；　arrayed　in　her　wondrous

robes　which；　being　a　man；　it　is　quite　impossible　for　me　to

describe。　She　saw　us　looking　at　these；　and；　after　greeting　us

both；　also　Tommy；　who　was　enraptured　at　her　coming；　asked　us　how

the　ladies　of　our　country　attired　themselves。



We　tried　to　explain；　with　no　striking　success。



〃You　are　as　stupid　about　such　matters　as　were　the　men　of　the

Old　World；〃　she　said；　shaking　her　head　and　laughing。　〃I　thought

that　you　had　with　you　pictures　of　ladies　you　have　known　which

would　show　me。〃



Now；　in　fact；　I　had　in　a　pocket…book　a　photograph　of　my　wife　in

evening…dress；　also　a　miniature　of　her　head　and　bust　painted　on

ivory；　a　beautiful　piece　of　work　done　by　a　master　hand；　which　I

always　wore。　These；　after　a　moment's　hesitation；　I　produced　and

showed　to　her；　Bickley　having　gone　away　for　a　little　while　to　see

about　something　connected　with　his　attempted　analysis　of　the

Life…water。　She　examined　them　with　great　eagerness；　and　as　she

did　so　I　noted　that　her　face　grew　tender　and　troubled。



〃This　was　your　wife；〃　she　said　as　one　who　states　what　she　knows

to　be　a　fact。　I　nodded；　and　she　went　on：



〃She　was　sweet　and　beautiful　as　a　flower；　but　not　so　tall　as　I

am；　I　think。〃



〃No；〃　I　answered；　〃she　lacked　height；　given　that　she　would　have

been　a　lovely　woman。〃



〃I　am　glad　you　think