when the world shook-第58章

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

any　Power；　and　confess　what　Bastin　is　pleased　to　call　my　sins？

Nay；　I　who　am　great　will　be　the　equal　of　all　greatness；　or

nothing。〃



He　paused　a　while；　then　went　on：



〃Bastin　speaks　of　'eternity。'　Where　and　what　then　is　this

eternity　which　if　it　has　no　end　can　have　had　no　beginning？　I　know

the　secret　of　the　suns　and　their　attendant　worlds；　and　they　are

no　more　eternal　than　the　insect　which　glitters　for　an　hour。　Out

of　shapeless；　rushing　gases　they　gathered　to　live　their　day；　and

into　gases　at　last　they　dissolve　again　with　all　they　bore。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃but　they　reform　into　new　worlds。〃



〃That　have　no　part　with　the　old。　This　world；　too；　will　melt；

departing　to　whence　it　came；　as　your　sacred　writings　say；　and

what　then　of　those　who　dwelt　and　dwell　thereon？　No；　Man　of

today；　give　me　Time　in　which　I　rule　and　keep　your　dreams　of　an

Eternity　that　is　not；　and　in　which　you　must　still　crawl　and

serve；　even　if　it　were。　Yet；　if　I　might；　I　confess　it；　I　would

live　on　for　ever；　but　as　Master　not　as　Slave。〃





On　another　night　he　began　to　tempt　me；　very　subtly。　〃I　see　a

spark　of　greatness　in　you；　Humphrey；〃　he　said；　〃and　it　comes　into

my　heart　that　you；　too；　might　learn　to　rule。　With　Yva；　the　last

of　my　blood；　it　is　otherwise。　She　is　the　child　of　my　age　and　of　a

race　outworn；　too　gentle；　too　much　all　womanly。　The　soul　that

triumphs　must　shine　like　steel　in　the　sun；　and　cut　if　need　be；

not　merely　be　beauteous　and　shed　perfume　like　a　lily　in　the

shade。　Yet　she　is　very　wise　and　fair；〃　here　he　looked　at　me；

〃perchance　of　her　might　come　children　such　as　were　their

forefathers；　who　again　would　wield　the　sceptre　of　the　dominion　of

the　earth。〃



I　made　no　answer；　wondering　what　he　meant　exactly　and　thinking

it　wisest　to　be　silent。



〃You　are　of　the　short…lived　races；〃　he　went　on；　〃yet　very　much

a　man；　not　without　intelligence；　and　by　the　arts　I　have　I　can　so

strengthen　your　frame　that　it　will　endure　the　shocks　of　time　for

three　such　lives　as　yours；　or　perchance　for　more；　and　then〃



Again　he　paused　and　went　on：



〃The　Daughter　of　kings　likes　you　also；　perhaps　because　you

resemble〃　here　he　fixed　me　with　his　piercing　eyes；　〃a　certain

kinglet　of　base　blood　whom　once　she　also　liked；　but　whom　it　was

my　duty　to　destroy。　Well；　I　must　think。　I　must　study　this　world

of　yours　also　and　therein　you　may　help　me。　Perhaps　afterwards　I

will　tell　you　how。　Now　sleep。〃



In　another　moment　he　was　gone；　but　notwithstanding　his　powerful

command；　for　a　while　I　could　not　sleep。　I　understood　that　he　was

offering　Yva　to　me；　but　upon　what　terms？　That　was　the　question。

With　her　was　to　go　great　dominion　over　the　kingdoms　of　the　earth。

I　could　not　help　remembering　that　always　this　has　been　and　still

is　Satan's　favourite　bait。　To　me　it　did　not　particularly　appeal。

I　had　been　ambitious　in　my　timewho　is　not　that　is　worth　his

salt？　I　could　have　wished　to　excel　in　something；　literature　or

art；　or　whatever　it　might　be；　and　thus　to　ensure　the　memory　of　my

name　in　the　world。



Of　course　this　is　a　most　futile　desire；　seeing　that　soon　or

late　every　name　must　fade　out　of　the　world　like　an　unfixed

photograph　which　is　exposed　to　the　sun。　Even　if　it　could　endure；

as　the　old　demigod；　or　demidevil；　Oro；　had　pointed　out；　very

shortly；　by　comparison　with　Time's　unmeasured　vastness；　the　whole

solar　system　will　also　fade。　So　of　what　use　is　this　feeble　love

of　fame　and　this　vain　attempt　to　be　remembered　that　animates　us

so　strongly？　Moreover；　the　idea　of　enjoying　mere　temporal　as

opposed　to　intellectual　power；　appealed　to　me　not　at　all。　I　am　a

student　of　history　and　I　know　what　has　been　the　lot　of　kings　and

the　evil　that；　often　enough；　they　work　in　their　little　day。



Also　if　I　needed　any　further　example；　there　was　that　of　Oro

himself。　He　had　outlived　the　greatness　of　his　House；　as　a　royal

family　is　called；　and　after　some　gigantic　murder；　if　his　own

story　was　to　be　believed；　indulged　in　a　prolonged　sleep。　Now　he

awoke　to　find　himself　quite　alone　in　the　world；　save　for　a

daughter　with　whom　he　did　not　agree　or　sympathise。　In　short；　he

was　but　a　kind　of　animated　mummy　inspired　by　one　idea　which　I

felt　quite　sure　would　be　disappointed；　namely；　to　renew　his

former　greatness。　To　me　he　seemed　as　miserable　a　figure　as　one

could　imagine；　brooding　and　plotting　in　his　illuminated　cave；　at

the　end　of　an　extended　but　misspent　life。



Also　I　wondered　what　he；　or　rather　his　ego；　had　been　doing

during　all　those　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years　of　sleep。

Possibly　if　Yva's　theory；　as　I　understood　it；　were　correct；　he

had　reincarnated　as　Attila；　or　Tamerlane；　or　Napoleon；　or　even　as

Chaka　the　terrible　Zulu　king。　At　any　rate　there　he　was　still　in

the　world；　filled　with　the　dread　of　death；　but　consumed　now　as

ever　by　his　insatiable　and　most　useless　finite　ambitions。



Yva；　also！　Her　case　was　his；　but　yet　how　different。　In　all　this

long　night　of　Time　she　had　but　ripened　into　one　of　the　sweetest

and　most　gentle　women　that　ever　the　world　bore。　She；　too；　was

great　in　her　way；　it　appeared　in　her　every　word　and　gesture；　but

where　was　the　ferocity　of　her　father？　Where　his　desire　to　reach

to　splendour　by　treading　on　a　blood…stained　road　paved　with

broken　human　hearts？　It　did　not　exist。　Her　nature　was　different

although　her　body　came　of　a　long　line　of　these　power…loving

kings。　Why　this　profound　difference　of　the　spirit？　Like

everything　else　it　was　a　mystery。　The　two　were　as　far　apart　as

the　Poles。　Everyone　must　have　hated　Oro；　from　the　beginning；

however　much　he　feared　him；　but　everyone　who　came　in　touch　with

her　must　have　loved　Yva。





Here　I　may　break　into　my　personal　narrative　to　say　that　this；

by　their　own　confession；　proved　to　be　true　of　two　such　various

persons　as　Bastin　and　Bickley。



〃The　truth；　which　I　am　sure　it　would　be　wrong　to　hide　from　you；

Arbuthnot；〃　said　the　former　to　me　one　day；　〃is　that　during　your

long　illness　I　fell　in　love；　I　suppose　that　is　the　right　word；

with　the　Glittering　Lady。　After　thinking　the　matter　over　also；　I

conceived　that　it　would　be　proper　to　tell　her　so　if　only　to　clear

the　air　and　prevent　future　misunderstandings。　As　I　remarked　to

her　on　that　occasion；　I　had　hesitated　long；　as　I　was　not　certain

how　she　would　fill　the　place　of　the　wife　of　the　incumbent　of　an

English　parish。〃



〃Mothers'　Meetings；　and　the　rest；〃　I　suggested。



〃Exactly　so；　Arbuthnot。　Also　there　were　the　views　of　the　Bishop

to　be　considered；　who　might　have　objected　to　the　introduction

into　the　diocese　of　a　striking　person　who　so　recently　had　been　a

heathen；　and　to　one　in　such　strong　contrast　to　my　late　beloved

wife。〃



〃I　suppose　you　didn't　consider　the　late　Mrs。　Bastin's　views　on

the　subject　of　re…marriage。　I　remember　that　they　were　strong；〃　I

remarked　rather　maliciously。



〃No；　I　did　not　think　it　necessary；　since　the　Scriptural

instructions　on　the　matter　are　very　clear；　and　in　another　world

no　doubt　all　jealousies；　even　Sarah's；　will　be　obliterated。　Upon

that　point　my　conscience　was　quite　easy。　So　when　I　found　that；

unlike　her　parent；　the　Lady　Yva　was　much　inclined　to　accept　the

principles　of　the　faith　in　which　it　is　my　privilege　to　instruct

her；　I　thought　it　proper　to　say　to　her　that　if　ultimately　she

made　up　her　mind　to　do　soof　course　this　was　a　sine　qua　nonI

should　be　much　honoured；　and　as　a　man；　not　as　a　priest；　it　would

make　me　most　happy　if　she　would　take　me　as　a　husband。　Of　course　I

explained　to　her　that　I　considered；　under　the　circumstances；　I

could　quite　lawfully　perform　the　marriage　ceremony　myself　with

you　and　Bickley　as　witnesses；　even　should　Oro　refuse　to　give　her

away。　Also　I　told　her　that　although　after　her　varied　experiences

in　the　past；　life　at　Fulcombe；　if　we　could　ever　get　there；　might

be　a　little　monotonous；　still　it　would　not　be　entirely　devoid　of

interest。〃



〃You　mean　Christmas　decorations　and