allan quatermain-第32部分

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she　took　the　pencil　from　me；　and　after　examining　it　with　curiosity　

proceeded　to　make　a　series　of　delightful　little　sketches；　the　

first　representing　herself　holding　out　both　hands　in　welcome；　

and　a　man　uncommonly　like　Sir　Henry　taking　them。　　Next　she　drew　

a　lovely　little　picture　of　a　hippopotamus　rolling　about　dying　

in　the　water；　and　of　an　individual；　in　whom　we　had　no　difficulty　

in　recognizing　Agon　the　High　Priest；　holding　up　his　hands　in　

horror　on　the　bank。　　Then　followed　a　most　alarming　picture　of　

a　dreadful　fiery　furnace　and　of　the　same　figure；　Agon；　poking　

us　into　it　with　a　forked　stick。　　This　picture　perfectly　horrified　

me；　but　I　was　a　little　reassured　when　she　nodded　sweetly　and　

proceeded　to　make　a　fourth　drawing　　a　man　again　uncommonly　

like　Sir　Henry；　and　of　two　women；　in　whom　I　recognized　Sorais　

and　herself；　each　with　one　arm　around　him；　and　holding　a　sword　

in　protection　over　him。　　To　all　of　these　Sorais；　who　I　saw　was　

employed　in　carefully　taking　us　all　in　　especially　Curtis　　

signified　her　approval　by　nodding。



At　last　Nyleptha　drew　a　final　sketch　of　a　rising　sun；　indicating　

that　she　must　go；　and　that　we　should　meet　on　the　following　morning；　

whereat　Sir　Henry　looked　so　disappointed　that　she　saw　it；　and；　

I　suppose　by　way　of　consolation；　extended　her　hand　to　him　to　

kiss；　which　he　did　with　pious　fervour。　　At　the　same　time　Sorais；　

off　whom　Good　had　never　taken　his　eyeglass　during　the　whole　indaba　

＇interview＇；　rewarded　him　by　giving　him　her　hand　to　kiss；　though；　

while　she　did　so；　her　eyes　were　fixed　upon　Sir　Henry。　　I　am　glad　

to　say　that　I　was　not　implicated　in　these　proceedings；　neither　

of　them　gave　me　her　hand　to　kiss。



Then　Nyleptha　turned　and　addressed　the　man　who　appeared　to　be　

in　command　of　the　bodyguard；　apparently　from　her　manner　and　his　

frequent　obeisances；　giving　him　very　stringent　and　careful　orders；　

after　which；　with　a　somewhat　coquettish　nod　and　smile；　she　left　

the　hall；　followed　by　Sorais　and　most　of　the　guards。



When　the　Queens　had　gone；　the　officer　whom　Nyleptha　had　addressed　

came　forward　and　with　many　tokens　of　deep　respect　led　us　from　

the　hall　through　various　passages　to　a　sumptuous　set　of　apartments　

opening　out　of　a　large　central　room　lighted　with　brazen　swinging　

lamps　（for　it　was　now　dusk）　and　richly　carpeted　and　strewn　with　

couches。　　On　a　table　in　the　centre　of　the　room　was　set　a　profusion　

of　food　and　fruit；　and；　what　is　more；　flowers。　　There　was　a　delicious　

wine　also　in　ancient…looking　sealed　earthenware　flagons；　and　

beautifully　chased　golden　and　ivory　cups　to　drink　it　from。　　Servants；　

male　and　female；　also　were　there　to　minister　to　us；　and　whilst　

we　ate；　from　some　recess　outside　the　apartment



　

'The　silver　lute　did　speak　between　

The　trumpet's　lordly　blowing；'





and　altogether　we　found　ourselves　in　a　sort　of　earthly　paradise　

which　was　only　disturbed　by　the　vision　of　that　disgusting　High　

Priest　who　intended　to　commit　us　to　the　flames。　　But　so　very　

weary　were　we　with　our　labours　that　we　could　scarcely　keep　ourselves　

awake　through　the　sumptuous　meal；　and　as　soon　as　it　was　over　

we　indicated　that　we　desired　to　sleep。　　As　a　further　precaution　

against　surprise　we　left　Umslopogaas　with　his　axe　to　sleep　in　

the　main　chamber　near　the　curtained　doorways　leading　to　the　apartments　

which　we　occupied　respectively；　Good　and　I　in　the　one；　and　Sir　

Henry　and　Alphonse　in　the　other。　　Then　throwing　off　our　clothes；　

with　the　exception　of　the　mail　shirts；　which　we　considered　it　

safer　to　keep　on；　we　flung　ourselves　down　upon　the　low　and　luxurious　

couches；　and　drew　the　silk…embroidered　coverlids　over　us。



In　two　minutes　I　was　just　dropping　off　when　I　was　aroused　by　

Good's　voice。



'I　say；　Quatermain；'　he　said；　'did　you　ever　see　such　eyes？'



'Eyes！'　I　said；　crossly；　'what　eyes？'



'Why；　the　Queen's；　of　course！　　Sorais；　I　mean　　at　least　

I　think　that　is　her　name。'



'Oh；　I　don't　know；'　I　yawned；　'I　didn't　notice　them　much：　

I　suppose　they　are　good　eyes；'　and　again　I　dropped　off。



Five　minutes　or　so　elapsed；　and　I　was　once　more　awakened。



'I　say；　Quatermain；'　said　the　voice。



'Well；'　I　answered　testily；　'what　is　it　now？'



'Did　you　notice　her　ankle？　　The　shape　'



This　was　more　than　I　could　stand。　　By　my　bed　stood　the　veldtschoons　

I　had　been　wearing。　　Moved　quite　beyond　myself；　I　took　them　up　

and　threw　them　straight　at　Good's　head　　and　hit　it。



Afterwards　I　slept　the　sleep　of　the　just；　and　a　very　heavy　sleep　

it　must　be。　　As　for　Good；　I　don't　know　if　he　went　to　sleep　or　

if　he　continued　to　pass　Sorais'　beauties　in　mental　review；　and；　

what　is　more；　I　don't　care。









CHAPTER　XIII

ABOUT　THE　ZU…VENDI　PEOPLE







And　now　the　curtain　is　down　for　a　few　hours；　and　the　actors　in　

this　novel　drama　are　plunged　in　dewy　sleep。　　Perhaps　we　should　

except　Nyleptha；　whom　the　reader　may；　if　poetically　inclined；　

imagine　lying　in　her　bed　of　state　encompassed　by　her　maidens；　

tiring　women；　guards；　and　all　the　other　people　and　appurtenances　

that　surround　a　throne；　and　yet　not　able　to　slumber　for　thinking　

of　the　strangers　who　had　visited　a　country　where　no　such　strangers　

had　ever　come　before；　and　wondering；　as　she　lay　awake；　who　they　

were　and　what　their　past　has　been；　and　if　she　was　ugly　compared　

to　the　women　of　their　native　place。　　I；　however；　not　being　poetically　

inclined；　will　take　advantage　of　the　lull　to　give　some　account　

of　the　people　among　whom　we　found　ourselves；　compiled；　needless　

to　state；　from　information　which　we　subsequently　collected。



The　name　of　this　country；　to　begin　at　the　beginning；　is　Zu…Vendis；　

from　Zu；　'yellow'；　and　Vendis；　'place　or　country'。　　Why　it　is　

called　the　Yellow　Country　I　have　never　been　able　to　ascertain　

accurately；　nor　do　the　inhabitants　themselves　know。　　Three　reasons　

are；　however；　given；　each　of　which　would　suffice　to　account　for　

it。　　The　first　is　that　the　name　owes　its　origin　to　the　great　

quantity　of　gold　that　is　found　in　the　land。　　Indeed；　in　this　

respect　Zu…Vendis　is　a　veritable　Eldorado；　the　precious　metal　

being　extraordinarily　plentiful。　　At　present　it　is　collected　

from　purely　alluvial　diggings；　which　we　subsequently　inspected；　

and　which　are　situated　within　a　day's　journey　from　Milosis；　being　

mostly　found　in　pockets　and　in　nuggets　weighing　from　an　ounce　

up　to　six　or　seven　pounds　in　weight。　　But　other　diggings　of　a　

similar　nature　are　known　to　exist；　and　I　have　besides　seen　great　

veins　of　gold…bearing　quartz。　　In　Zu…Vendis　gold　is　a　much　commoner　

metal　than　silver；　and　thus　it　has　curiously　enough　come　to　pass　

that　silver　is　the　legal　tender　of　the　country。



The　second　reason　given　is；　that　at　certain　times　of　the　year　

the　native　grasses　of　the　country；　which　are　very　sweet　and　good；　

turn　as　yellow　as　ripe　corn；　and　the　third　arises　from　a　tradition　

that　the　people　were　originally　yellow　skinned；　but　grew　white　

after　living　for　many　generations　upon　these　high　lands。　　Zu…Vendis　

is　a　country　about　the　size　of　France；　is；　roughly　speaking；　

oval　in　shape；　and　on　every　side　cut　off　from　the　surrounding　

territory　by　illimitable　forests　of　impenetrable　thorn；　beyond　

which　are　said　to　be　hundreds　of　miles　of　morasses；　deserts；　

and　great　mountains。　　It　is；　in　short；　a　huge；　high　tableland　

rising　up　in　the　centre　of　the　dark　continent；　much　as　in　southern　

Africa　flat…topped　mountains　rise　from　the　level　of　the　surrounding　

veldt。　　Milosis　itself　lies；　according　to　my　aneroid；　at　a　level　

of　about　nine　thousand　feet　above　the　sea；　but　most　of　the　land　

is　even　higher；　the　greatest　elevation　of　the　open　country　being；　

I　believe；　about　eleven　thousand　feet。　　As　a　consequence　the　

climate　is；　comparatively　speaking；　a　cold　one；　being　very　similar　

to　that　of　southern　England；　only　brighter　and　not　so　rainy。　　

The　land　is；　however；　exceedingly　fertile；　and　grows　all　cereals　

and　temperate　fruits　and　timber　to　perfection；　and　in　the　lower…lying　

parts　even　produces　a　hardy　variety　of　sugar…cane。　　Coal　is　found　

in　great　abundance；　and　in　many　places　crops　out　from　the　surface；　

and　so　is　pure　marble；　both　black　and　white。　　The　same　may　be　

said　of　almost　every　metal　except　silver；　which　is　scarce；　and　

only　to　be　obtained　from　a　range　of　mountains　in　the　north。



Zu…Vendis　comprises　in　her　boundaries　a　great　variety　of　scenery；　

including　two　ranges　of　snow…clad　mountains；　one　on　the　western　

boundary　beyond　the　impenetrable　belt　of　thorn　forest；　and　the　

other　piercing　the　country　from　north　to　south；　and　passing　at　

a　distance　of　about　eighty　miles　from　Milosis；　from　which　town　

its　higher　peaks　are　distinctly　visible。　　This　range　forms　the　

chief　watershed　of　the　land。　　There　are　also　three　large　lakes　

　the　biggest；　namely　that　whereon　we　emerged；　and　which　is　

named　Milosis　after　the　city；　covering　some　two　hundred　square　

miles　of　country　　and　numerous　small　ones；　some　of　them　salt。



The　population　of　this　favoured　land　is；　comparatively　speaking；　

dense；　numbering　at　a　rough　estimate　from　ten　to　twelve　millions。　　

It　is　almost　purely　agricultural　in　its　habits；　and　divided　

into　great　classes　as　in　civilized　countries。　　There　is　a　territorial　

nobility；　a　considerable　middle　class；　formed　principally　of　

merchants；　officers　of　the　army；　etc。；　but　the　great　bulk　of　

the　people　are　well…to…do　peasants　who　live　upon　the　lands　of　

the　lords；　from　whom　they　hold　under　a　species　of　feudal　tenure。　　

The　best　bred　people　in　the　country　are；　as　I　think　I　have　said；　

pure　whites　with　a　somewhat　southern　cast　of　countenance；　but　

the　common　herd　are　much　darker；　though　they　do　not　show　any　

negro　or　other　African　characteristics。　　As　to　their　descent　

I　can　give　no　certain　information。　　Their　written　records；　which　

extend　back　for　about　a　thousand　years；　give　no　hint　of　it。　　

One　very　ancient　chronicler　does　in