when the world shook-第72章

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would　breathe　tonight　upon　this　great　world。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　I　asked；　growing　fearful；　more　at　her

manner　and　her　look　than　at　her　words。



〃Nothing；　nothing；　except　that　Time　is　so　very　short。　A　kiss；　a

touch；　a　little　light　and　a　little　darkness；　and　it　is　gone。　Ask

my　father　Oro　who　has　lived　a　thousand　years　and　slept　for　tens

of　thousands；　as　I　have；　and　he　will　say　the　same。　It　is　against

Time　that　he　fights；　he　who；　believing　in　nothing　beyond；　will

inherit　nothing；　as　Bastin　says；　he　to　whom　Time　has　brought

nothing　save　a　passing；　blood…stained　greatness；　and　triumph

ending　in　darkness　and　disaster；　and　hope　that　will　surely　suffer

hope's　eclipse；　and　power　that　must　lay　down　its　coronet　in

dust。〃



〃And　what　has　it　brought　to　you；　Yva；　beyond　a　fair　body　and　a

soul　of　strength？〃



〃It　has　brought　a　spirit；　Humphrey。　Between　them　the　body　and

the　soul　have　bred　a　spirit；　and　in　the　fires　of　tribulation　from

that　spirit　has　been　distilled　the　essence　of　eternal　love。　That

is　Time's　gift　to　me；　and　therefore；　although　still　he　rules　me

here；　I　mock　at　Fate；〃　and　she　waved　her　hand　with　a　gesture　of

defiance　at　the　stern…faced；　sexless　effigy　which　sat　above　us；

the　sword　across　its　knees。



〃Look！　Look！〃　she　went　on　in　a　swelling　voice　of　music；

pointing　to　the　statues　of　the　dotard　and　the　beauteous　woman。

〃They　implore　Fate；　they　worship　Fate。　I　do　not　implore；　I　do　not

worship　or　ask　a　sign　as　even　Oro　does　and　as　did　his

forefathers。　I　rise　above　and　triumph。　As　Fate；　the　god　of　my

people；　sets　his　foot　upon　the　sun；　so　I　set　my　foot　upon　Fate；

and　thence；　like　a　swimmer　from　a　rock；　leap　into　the　waters　of

Immortality。〃



I　looked　at　her　whose　presence；　as　happened　from　time　to　time；

had　grown　majestic　beyond　that　of　woman；　I　studied　her　deep　eyes

which　were　full　of　lights；　not　of　this　world；　and　I　grew　afraid。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　I　asked。　〃Yva；　you　talk　like　one　who　has

finished　with　life。〃



〃It　passes；〃　she　answered　quickly。　〃Life　passes　like　breath

fading　from　a　mirror。　So　should　all　talk　who　breathe　beneath　the

sun。〃



〃Yes；　Yva；　but　if　you　went　and　left　me　still　breathing　on　that

mocking　glass〃



〃If　so；　what　of　it？　Will　not　your　breath　fade　also　and　join

mine　where　all　vapours　go？　Or　if　it　were　yours　that　faded　and

mine　that　remained　for　some　few　hours；　is　it　not　the　same？　I

think；　Humphrey；　that　already　you　have　seen　a　beloved　breath　melt

from　the　glass　of　life；〃　she　added；　looking　at　me　earnestly。



I　bowed　my　head　and　answered：



〃Yes；　and　therefore　I　am　ashamed。〃



〃Oh！　why　should　you　be　ashamed；　Humphrey；　who　are　not　sure　but

that　two　breaths　may　yet　be　one　breath？　How　do　you　know　that

there　is　a　difference　between　them？〃



〃You　drive　me　mad；　Yva。　I　cannot　understand。〃



〃Nor　can　I　altogether；　Humphrey。　Why　should　I；　seeing　that　I　am

no　more　than　woman；　as　you　are　no　more　than　man？　I　would　always

have　you　remember；　Humphrey；　that　I　am　no　spirit　or　sorceress；

but　just　a　womanlike　her　you　lost。〃



I　looked　at　her　doubtfully　and　answered：



〃Women　do　not　sleep　for　two　hundred　thousand　years。　Women　do

not　take　dream　journeys　to　the　stars。　Women　do　not　make　the　dead

past　live　again　before　the　watcher's　eyes。　Their　hair　does　not

glimmer　in　the　dusk　nor　do　their　bodies　gleam；　nor　have　they　such

strength　of　soul　or　eyes　so　wonderful；　or　loveliness　so　great。〃



These　words　appeared　to　distress　her　who；　as　it　seemed　to　me；

was　above　all　things　anxious　to　prove　herself　woman　and　no　more。



〃All　these　qualities　are　nothing；　Humphrey；〃　she　cried。　〃As　for

the　beauty；　such　as　it　is；　it　comes　to　me　with　my　blood；　and　with

it　the　glitter　of　my　hair　which　is　the　heritage　of　those　who　for

generations　have　drunk　of　the　Life…water。　My　mother　was　lovelier

than　I；　as　was　her　mother；　or　so　I　have　heard；　since　only　the

fairest　were　the　wives　of　the　Kings　of　the　Children　of　Wisdom。

For　the　rest；　such　arts　as　I　have　spring　not　from　magic；　but　from

knowledge　which　your　people　will　acquire　in　days　to　come；　that

is；　if　Oro　spares　them。　Surely　you　above　all　should　know　that　I

am　only　woman；〃　she　added　very　slowly　and　searching　my　face　with

her　eyes。



〃Why；　Yva？　During　the　little　while　that　we　have　been　together　I

have　seen　much　which　makes　me　doubt。　Even　Bickley　the　sceptic

doubts　also。〃



〃I　will　tell　you；　though　I　am　not　sure　that　you　will　believe

me。〃　She　glanced　about　her　as　though　she　were　frightened　lest

someone　should　overhear　her　words　or　read　her　thoughts。　Then　she

stretched　out　her　hands　and　drawing　my　head　towards　her；　put　her

lips　to　my　ear　and　whispered：



〃Because　once　you　saw　me　die；　as　women　often　diegiving　life

for　life。〃



〃I　saw　you　die？〃　I　gasped。



She　nodded；　then　continued　to　whisper　in　my　ear；　not　in　her　own

voice；　but　another's：



〃Go　where　you　seem　called　to　go；　far　away。　Oh！　the　wonderful

place　in　which　you　will　find　me；　not　knowing　that　you　have　found

me。　Good…bye　for　a　little　while；　only　for　a　little　while；　my　own；

my　own！〃



I　knew　the　voice　as　I　knew　the　words；　and　knowing；　I　think　that

I　should　have　fallen　to　the　ground；　had　she　not　supported　me　with

her　strong　arms。



〃Who　told　you？〃　I　stammered。　〃Was　it　Bickley　or　Bastin？　They

knew；　though　neither　of　them　heard　those　holy　words。〃



〃Not　Bickley　nor　Bastin；〃　she　answered；　shaking　her　head；　〃no；

nor　you　yourself；　awake　or　sleeping；　though　once；　by　the　lake

yonder；　you　said　to　me　that　when　a　certain　one　lay　dying；　she

bade　you　seek　her　elsewhere；　for　certainly　you　would　find　her。

Humphrey；　I　cannot　say　who　told　me　those　words　because　I　do　not

know。　I　think　they　are　a　memory；　Humphrey！〃



〃That　would　mean　that　you；　Yva；　are　the　same　as　one　who　was

not　called　Yva。〃



〃The　same　as　one　who　was　called　Natalie；　Humphrey；〃　she　replied

in　solemn　accents。　〃One　whom　you　loved　and　whom　you　lost。〃



〃Then　you　think　that　we　live　again　upon　this　earth？〃



〃Again　and　yet　again；　until　the　time　comes　for　us　to　leave　the

earth　for　ever。　Of　this；　indeed；　I　am　sure；　for　that　knowledge

was　part　of　the　secret　wisdom　of　my　people。〃



〃But　you　were　not　dead。　You　only　slept。〃



〃The　sleep　was　a　death…sleep　which　went　by　like　a　flash；　yes；

in　an　instant；　or　so　it　seemed。　Only　the　shell　of　the　body

remained　preserved　by　mortal　arts；　and　when　the　returning　spirit

and　the　light　of　life　were　poured　into　it　again；　it　awoke。　But

during　this　long　death…sleep；　that　spirit　may　have　spoken　through

other　lips　and　that　light　may　have　shone　through　other　eyes；

though　of　these　I　remember　nothing。〃



〃Then　that　dream　of　our　visit　to　a　certain　star　may　be　no

dream？〃



〃I　think　no　dream；　and　you；　too；　have　thought　as　much。〃



〃In　a　way；　yes；　Yva。　But　I　could　not　believe　and　turned　from

what　I　held　to　be　a　phantasy。〃



〃It　was　natural；　Humphrey；　that　you　should　not　believe。

Hearken！　In　this　temple　a　while　ago　I　showed　you　a　picture　of

myself　and　of　a　man　who　loved　me　and　whom　I　loved；　and　of　his

death　at　Oro's　hands。　Did　you　note　anything　about　that　man？〃



〃Bickley　did；〃　I　answered。　〃Was　he　right？〃



〃I　think　that　he　was　right；　since　otherwise　I　should　not　have

loved　you；　Humphrey。〃



〃I　remember　nothing　of　that　man；　Yva。〃



〃It　is　probable　that　you　would　not；　since　you　and　he　are　very

far　apart；　while　between　you　and　him　flow　wide　seas　of　death；

wherein　are　set　islands　of　life；　perhaps　many　of　them。　But　I

remember　much　who　seem　to　have　left　him　but　a　very　little　while

ago。〃



〃When　you　awoke　in　your　coffin　and　threw　your　arms　about　me；

what　did　you　think；　Yva？〃



〃I　thought　you　were　that　man；　Humphrey。〃



There　was　silence　between　us　and　in　that　silence　the　truth　came

home　to　me。　Then　there　before　the　effigy　of　Fate　and　in　the

desolate；　glowing　temple　we　plighted　anew　our　troth　made　holy　by

a　past。　that　thus　so　wonderfully　lived　again。



Of　this　consecrated　hour　I　say　no　more。　Le