when the world shook-第57章

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least　you　grew　very　weak　and　lost　your　mind；　and　it　seemed　as

though　you　must　die。　Then；　Humphrey；　I　went　to　the　Lord　Oro　and

kneeled　before　him　and　prayed　you　life；　for　I　knew　that　he　could

cure　you　if　he　would；　though　Bickley's　skill　was　at　an　end。



〃'Daughter；'　he　said　to　me；　'not　once　but　again　and　again　you

have　set　up　your　will　against　mine　in　the　past。　Why　then　should　I

trouble　myself　to　grant　this　desire　of　yours　in　the　present；　and

save　a　man　who　is　nothing　to　me？'



〃I　rose　to　my　feet　and　answered；　'I　do　not　know；　my　Father；　yet

I　am　certain　that　for　your　own　sake　it　will　be　well　to　do　so。　I

am　sure　that　of　everything　even　you　must　give　an　account　at　last；

great　though　you　be；　and　who　knows；　perhaps　one　life　which　you

have　saved　may　turn　the　balance　in　your　favour。'



〃'Surely　the　priest　Bastin　has　been　talking　to　you；'　he　said。



〃'He　has；'　I　answered；　'and　not　he　alone。　Many　voices　have　been

talking　to　me。'〃



〃What　did　you　mean　by　that？〃　I　asked。



〃It　matters　nothing　what　I　meant；　Humphrey。　Be　still　and　listen

to　my　story。　My　father　thought　a　while　and　answered：



〃'I　am　jealous　of　this　stranger。　What　is　he　but　a　short…lived

half…barbarian　such　as　we　knew　in　the　old　days？　And　yet　already

you　think　more　of　him　than　you　do　of　me；　your　father；　the　divine

Oro　who　has　lived　a　thousand　years。　At　first　I　helped　that

physician　to　save　him；　but　now　I　think　I　wish　him　dead。'



〃'If　you　let　this　man　die；　my　Father；'　I　answered；　'then　we

part。　Remember　that　I　also　have　of　the　wisdom　of　our　people；　and

can　use　it　if　I　will。'



〃'Then　save　him　yourself；'　he　said。



〃'Perhaps　I　shall；　my　Father；'　I　answered；　'but　if　so　it　will

not　be　here。　I　say　that　if　so　we　part　and　you　shall　be　left　to

rule　in　your　majesty　alone。'



〃Now　this　frightened　the　Lord　Oro；　for　he　has　the　weakness　that

he　hates　to　be　alone。



〃'If　I　do　what　you　will；　do　you　swear　never　to　leave　me；　Yva？'

he　asked。　'Know　that　if　you　will　not　swear；　the　man　dies。'



〃'I　swear；'　I　answeredfor　your　sake；　Humphreythough　I　did

not　love　the　oath。



〃Then　he　gave　me　a　certain　medicine　to　mix　with　the　Life…water；

and　when　you　were　almost　gone　that　medicine　cured　you；　though

Bickley　does　not　know　it；　as　nothing　else　could　have　done。　Now　I

have　told　you　the　truth；　for　your　own　ear　only；　Humphrey。〃



〃Yva；〃　I　asked；　〃why　did　you　do　all　this　for　me？〃



〃Humphrey；　I　do　not　know；〃　she　answered；　〃but　I　think　because　I

must。　Now　sleep　a　while。〃







Chapter　XIX



The　Proposals　of　Bastin　and　Bickley





So　far　as　my　body　was　concerned　I　grew　well　with　great

rapidity；　though　it　was　long　before　I　got　back　my　strength。　Thus

I　could　not　walk　far　or　endure　any　sustained　exertion。　With　my

mind　it　was　otherwise。　I　can　not　explain　what　had　happened　to　it；

indeed　I　do　not　know；　but　in　a　sense　it　seemed　to　have　become

detached　and　to　have　assumed　a　kind　of　personality　of　its　own。　At

times　it　felt　as　though　it　were　no　longer　an　inhabitant　of　the

body；　but　rather　its　more　or　less　independent　partner。　I　was

perfectly　clear…headed　and　of　insanity　I　experienced　no　symptoms。

Yet　my　mind；　I　use　that　term　from　lack　of　a　better；　was　not

entirely　under　my　control。　For　one　thing；　at　night　it　appeared　to

wander　far　away；　though　whither　it　went　and　what　it　saw　there　I

could　never　remember。



I　record　this　because　possibly　it　explains　certain　mysterious

events；　if　they　were　events　and　not　dreams；　which　shortly　I　must

set　out。　I　spoke　to　Bickley　about　the　matter。　He　put　it　by

lightly；　saying　that　it　was　only　a　result　of　my　long　and　most

severe　illness　and　that　I　should　steady　down　in　time；　especially

if　we　could　escape　from　that　island　and　its　unnatural　atmosphere。

Yet　as　he　spoke　he　glanced　at　me　shrewdly　with　his　quick　eyes；

and　when　he　turned　to　go　away　I　heard　him　mutter　something　to

himself　about　〃unholy　influences〃　and　〃that　confounded　old　Oro。〃



The　words　were　spoken　to　himself　and　quite　beneath　his　breath；

and　of　course　not　meant　to　reach　me。　But　one　of　the　curious

concomitants　of　my　state　was　that　all　my　senses；　and　especially

my　hearing；　had　become　most　abnormally　acute。　A　whisper　far　away

was　now　to　me　like　a　loud　remark　made　in　a　room。



Bickley's　reflection；　for　I　can　scarcely　call　it　more；　set　me

thinking。　Yva　had　said　that　Oro　sent　me　medicine　which　was

administered　to　me　without　Bickley's　knowledge；　and　as　she

believed；　saved　my　life；　or　certainly　my　reason。　What　was　in　it？

I　wondered。　Then　there　was　that　Life…water　which　Yva　brought　and

insisted　upon　my　drinking　every　day。　Undoubtedly　it　was　a

marvelous　tonic　and　did　me　good。　But　it　had　other　effects　also。

Thus；　as　she　said　would　be　the　case；　after　a　course　of　it　I

conceived　the　greatest　dislike；　which　I　may　add　has　never

entirely　left　me；　of　any　form　of　meat；　also　of　alcohol。　All　I

seemed　to　want　was　this　water　with　fruit；　or　such　native

vegetables　as　there　were。　Bickley　disapproved　and　made　me　eat

fish　occasionally；　but　even　this　revolted　me；　and　since　I　gained

steadily　in　weight；　as　we　found　out　by　a　simple　contrivance；　and

remained　healthy　in　every　other　way；　soon　he　allowed　me　to　choose

my　own　diet。



About　this　time　Oro　began　to　pay　me　frequent　visits。　He　always

came　at　night；　and　what　is　more　I　knew　when　he　was　coming；

although　he　never　gave　me　warning。　Here　I　should　explain　that

during　my　illness　Bastin；　who　was　so　ingenious　in　such　matters；

had　built　another　hut　in　which　he　and　Bickley　slept；　of　course

when　they　were　not　watching　me；　leaving　our　old　bed…chamber　to

myself。



Well；　I　would　wake　up　and　be　aware　that　Oro　was　coming。　Then　he

appeared　in　a　silent　and　mysterious　way；　as　though　he　had

materialised　in　the　room；　for　I　never　saw　him　pass　the　doorway。

In　the　moonlight；　or　the　starlight；　which　flowed　through　the

entrance　and　the　side　of　the　hut　that　was　only　enclosed　with

latticework；　I　perceived　him　seat　himself　upon　a　certain　stool；

looking　like　a　most　majestic　ghost　with　his　flowing　robes；　long

white　beard；　hooked　nose　and　hawk　eyes。　In　the　day…time　he　much

resembled　the　late　General　Booth　whom　I　had　often　seen；　except

for　certain　added　qualities　of　height　and　classic　beauty　of

countenance。　At　night；　however；　he　resembled　no　one　but　himself；

indeed　there　was　something　mighty　and　godlike　in　his　appearance；

something　that　made　one　feel　that　he　was　not　as　are　other　men。



For　a　while　he　would　sit　and　look　at　me。　Then　he　began　to　speak

in　a　low；　vibrant　voice。　What　did　he　speak　of？　Well；　many

matters。　It　was　as　though　he　were　unburdening　that　hoary　soul　of

his　because　it　could　no　longer　endure　the　grandeur　of　its　own

loneliness。　Amongst　sundry　secret　things；　he　told　me　of　the　past

history　of　this　world　of　ours；　and　of　the　mighty　civilisations

which　for　uncounted　ages　he　and　his　forefathers　had　ruled　by　the

strength　of　their　will　and　knowledge；　of　the　dwindling　of　their

race　and　of　the　final　destruction　of　its　enemies；　although　I

noticed　that　now　he　no　longer　said　that　this　was　his　work　alone。

One　night　I　asked　him　if　he　did　not　miss　all　such　pomp　and　power。



Then　suddenly　he　broke　out；　and　for　the　first　time　I　really

learned　what　ambition　can　be　when　it　utterly　possesses　the　soul

of　man。



〃Are　you　mad；〃　he　asked；　〃that　you　suppose　that　I；　Oro；　the

King　of　kings；　can　be　content　to　dwell　solitary　in　a　great　cave

with　none　but　the　shadows　of　the　dead　to　serve　me？　Nay；　I　must

rule　again　and　be　even　greater　than　before；　or　else　I　too　will

die。　Better　to　face　the　future；　even　if　it　means　oblivion；　than

to　remain　thus　a　relic　of　a　glorious　past；　still　living　and　yet

dead；　like　that　statue　of　the　great　god　Fate　which　you　saw　in　the

temple　of　my　worship。〃



〃Bastin　does　not　think　that　the　future　means　oblivion；〃　I

remarked。



〃I　know　it。　I　have　studied　his　faith　and　find　it　too　humble　for

my　taste；　also　too　new。　Shall　I；　Oro；　creep　a　suppliant　before

any　Power；　and　confess　what