she-第26部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


answered；　humbly；　scarcely　knowing　what　to　say；　and　I　
thought　that　as　I　did　so　I　heard　old　Billali；　who　was　
still　lying　prostrate　on　the　floor；　mutter；　〃Good；　my　
Baboon；　good。〃

〃I　see　that　men　still　know　how　to　beguile　us　women　
with　false　words。　Ah；　stranger；〃　she　answered；　with　a　
laugh　that　sounded　like　distant　silver　bells；　〃thou　
wast　afraid　because　mine　eyes　were　searching　out　thine　
heart；　therefore　wast　thou　afraid。　But；　being　but　a　
woman；　I　forgive　thee　for　the　lie；　for　it　was　
courteously　said。　And　now　tell　me；　how　came　ye　hither　
to　this　land　of　the　dwellers　among　cavesa　land　of　
swamps　and　evil　things　and　dead　old　shadows　of　the　
dead？　What　came　ye　for　to　see？　How　is　it　that　ye　hold　
your　lives　so　cheap　as　to　place　them　in　the　hollow　of　
the　hand　of　_i_　Hiya；　_i_　into　the　hand　of　'　_i_　She…
who…must…be　obeyed　_i_　'？　Tell　me　also　how　come　ye　to　
know　the　tongue　I　talk。　It　is　an　ancient　tongue；　that　
sweet　child　of　the　old　Syriac。　Liveth　it　yet　in　the　
world？　Thou　seest　I　dwell　among　the　caves　and　the　
dead；　and　nought　know　I　of　the　affairs　of　men；　nor　
have　I　cared　to　know。　I　have　lived；　O　stranger；　with　
my　memories；　and　my　memories　are　in　a　grave　that　mine　
own　hands　hollowed；　for　truly　hath　it　been　said　that　
the　child　of　man　maketh　his　own　path　evil〃；　and　her　
beautiful　voice　quivered；　and　broke　in　a　note　as　soft　
as　any　wood…bird's。　Suddenly　her　eye　fell　upon　the　
sprawling　frame　of　Billali；　and　she　seemed　to　
recollect　herself。

〃Ah！　thou　art　there；　old　man。　Tell　me　how　it　is　that　
things　have　gone　wrong　in　thy　household。　Forsooth；　it　
seems　that　these　my　guests　were　set　upon。　Ay；　and　one　
was　nigh　to　being　slain　by　the　hot　pot　to　be　eaten　of　
those　brutes；　thy　children；　and　had　not　the　others　
fought　gallantly　they　too　had　been　slain；　and　not　even　
I　could　have　called　back　the　life　which　had　been　
loosed　from　the　body。　What　means　it；　old　man？　What　
hast　thou　to　say　that　I　should　not　give　thee　over　to　
those　who　execute　my　vengeance？〃

Her　voice　had　risen　in　her　anger；　and　it　rang　clear　
and　cold　against　the　rocky　walls。　Also　I　thought　I　
could　see　her　eyes　flash　through　the　gauze　that　hid　
them。　I　saw　poor　Billali；　whom　I　had　believed　to　be　a　
very　fearless　person；　positively　quiver　with　terror　at　
her　words。

〃O　'Hiya'！　O　_i_　She　_i_　！〃　he　said；　without　lifting　
his　white　head　from　the　floor。　〃O　_i_　She　_i_　；　as　
thou　art　great；　be　merciful；　for　I　am　now　as　ever　thy　
servant　to　obey。　It　was　no　plan　or　fault　of　mine；　O　
_i_　She　_i_　；　it　was　those　wicked　ones　who　are　called　
my　children。　Led　on　by　a　woman　whom　thy　guest　the　Pig　
had　scorned；　they　would　have　followed　the　ancient　
custom　of　the　land；　and　eaten　the　fat　black　stranger　
who　came　hither　with　these　thy　guests　the　Baboon；　and　
the　Lion　who　is　sick；　thinking　that　no　word　had　come　
from　thee　about　the　black　one。　But　when　the　Baboon　and　
the　Lion　saw　what　they　would　do；　they　slew　the　woman；　
and　slew　also　their　servant　to　save　him　from　the　
horror　of　the　pot。　Then　those　evil　ones；　ay；　those　
children　of　the　Wicked　One　who　lives　in　the　Pit；　they　
went　mad　with　the　lust　of　blood；　and　flew　at　the　
throats　of　the　Lion　and　the　Baboon　and　the　Pig。　But　
gallantly　they　fought。　O　_i_　Hiya！　_i_　they　fought　
like　very　men；　and　slew　many；　and　held　their　own；　and　
then　I　came　and　saved　them；　and　the　evil…doers　have　I　
sent　on　hither　to　Ko^r　to　be　judged　of　thy　greatness；　
O　_i_　She！　_i_　and　here　they　are。〃

〃Ay；　old　man；　I　know　it；　and　tomorrow　will　I　sit　in　
the　great　hall　and　do　justice　upon　them；　fear　not。　And　
for　thee；　I　forgive　thee；　though　hardly。　See　that　thou　
dost　keep　thine　household　better。　Go。〃

Billali　rose　upon　his　knees　with　astonishing　alacrity；　
bowed　his　head　thrice；　and　his　white　beard　sweeping　
the　ground；　crawled　down　the　apartment　as　he　had　
crawled　up　it；　till　he　finally　vanished　through　the　
curtains；　leaving　me；　not　a　little　to　my　alarm；　alone　
with　this　terrible　but　most　fascinating　person。

CHAPTER　XIII

AYESHA　UNVEILS

〃There；〃　said　_i_　She　_i_　；　〃he　has　gone；　the　white…
bearded　old　fool！　Ah；　how　little　knowledge　does　a　man　
acquire　in　his　life。　He　gathereth　it　up　like　water；　
but　like　water　it　runneth　through　his　fingers；　and　
yet；　if　his　hands　be　but　wet　as　though　with　dew；　
behold　a　generation　of　fools　call　out；　'See；　he　is　a　
wise　man！'　Is　it　not　so？　But　how　call　they　thee？　
'Baboon；'　he　says；〃　and　she　laughed；　〃but　that　is　the　
fashion　of　these　savages　who　lack　imagination；　and　fly　
to　the　beasts　they　resemble　for　a　name。　How　do　they　
call　thee　in　thine　own　country；　stranger？〃

〃They　call　me　Holly；　O　queen；〃　I　answered。

〃Holly；〃　she　answered；　speaking　the　word　with　
difficulty；　and　yet　with　a　most　charming　accent；　〃and　
what　is　Holly？〃

〃'Holly'　is　a　prickly　tree；〃　I　said。

〃So。　Well；　thou　hast　a　prickly　and　yet　a　treelike　
look。　Strong　art　thou；　and　ugly；　but；　if　my　wisdom　be　
not　at　fault；　honest　at　the　core；　and　a　staff　to　lean　
on。　Also　one　who　thinks。　But　stay；　O　Holly；　stand　not　
there；　enter　with　me　and　be　seated　by　me。　I　would　not　
see　thee　crawl　before　me　like　those　slaves。　I　am　weary　
of　their　worship　and　their　terror；　sometimes　when　they　
vex　me　I　could　blast　them　for　very　sport；　and　to　see　
the　rest　turn　white；　even　to　the　heart。〃　And　she　held　
the　curtain　aside　with　her　ivory　hand　to　let　me　pass　
in。

I　entered；　shuddering。　This　woman　was　very　terrible。　
Within　the　curtains　was　a　recess；　about　twelve　feet　by　
ten；　and　in　the　recess　was　a　couch　and　a　table　whereon　
stood　fruit　and　sparkling　water。　By　it；　at　its　end；　
was　a　vessel　like　a　font　cut　in　carved　stone；　also　
full　of　pure　water。　The　place　was　softly　lit　with　
lamps　formed　out　of　the　beautiful　vessels　of　which　I　
have　spoken；　and　the　air　and　curtains　were　laden　with　
a　subtle　perfume。　Perfume　too　seemed　to　emanate　from　
the　glorious　hair　and　white；　clinging　vestments　of　_i_　
She　_i_　herself。　I　entered　the　little　room；　and　there　
stood　uncertain。

〃Sit；〃　said　_i_　She　_i_　；　pointing　to　the　couch。　〃As　
yet　thou　hast　no　cause　to　fear　me。　If　thou　hast　cause；　
thou　shalt　not　fear　for　long；　for　I　shall　slay　thee。　
Therefore　let　thy　heart　be　light。〃

I　sat　down　on　the　end　of　the　couch　near　to　the　font　
like　basin　of　water；　and　_i_　She　_i_　sank　down　softly　
on　to　the　other　end。

〃Now；　Holly；〃　she　said；　〃how　comest　thou　to　speak　
Arabic　？　It　is　my　own　dear　tongue；　for　Arabian　am　I　by　
birth；　even　'　_i_　al　Arab　al　Ariba　_i_　'〃　（an　Arab　of　
the　Arabs）；　〃and　of　the　race　of　our　father　Yara‘b；　the　
son　of　Ka^htan；　for　in　that　fair　and　ancient　city　Ozal　
was　I　born；　in　the　province　of　Yaman　the　Happy。　Yet　
dost　thou　not　speak　it　as　we　used　to　speak。　Thy　talk　
doth　lack　the　music　of　the　sweet　tongue　of　the　tribes　
of　Hamyar　which　I　was　wont　to　hear。　Some　of　the　words　
too　seem　changed；　even　as　among　these　Amahagger；　who　
have　debased　and　defiled　its　purity；　so　that　I　must　
speak　with　them　in　what　is　to　to　me　another　tongue。〃

〃I　have　studied　it；〃　I　answered；　〃for　many　years。　Also　
the　language　is　spoken　in　Egypt　and　elsewhere。〃

〃So　it　is　still　spoken；　and　there　is　yet　an　Egypt？　And　
what　Pharaoh　sits　upon　the　throne？　Still　one　of　the　
spawn　of　the　Persian　Ochus；　or　are　the　Achaemenians　
gone；　for　so　far　is　it　to　the　days　of　Ochus？〃

〃The　Persians　have　been　gone　from　Egypt　for　nigh　two　
thousand　years；　and　since　then　the　Ptolemies；　the　
Romans；　and　many　others　have　flourished　and　held　sway　
upon　the　Nile；　and　fallen　when　their　time　was　ripe；〃　I　
said；　aghast。　〃What　canst　thou　know　of　the　Persian　
Artaxerxes？〃
　_i_　She　_i_　laughed；　and　made　no　answer；　and　again　a　
cold　chill　went　through　me。　〃And　Greece；〃　she　said；　
〃is　there　still　a　Greece？　Ah；　I　loved　the　Greeks。　
Beautiful　were　they　as　the　day；　and　clever；　but　fierce　
at　heart　and　fickle；　notwithstanding。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃there　is　a　Greece；　and；　just　now；　it　
is　once　more　a　people。　Yet　the　Greeks　of　to…day　are　
not　what　the　Greeks　of　the　old　time　were；　and　Greece　
herself　is　but　a　mockery　of　the　Greece　that　was。〃

〃So！　The　Hebrews；　are　they　yet　at　Jerusalem？　And　does　
the　Temple　that　the　wise　king　built　stand？　and　if　so；　
what　God　do　they　worship　therein？　Is　their　Messiah　
come；　of　whom　they　preached　so　much　and　prophesied　so　
loudly；　and　doth　he　rule　the　earth？〃

〃The　Jews　are　broken　and　gone；　and　the　fragments　of　
their　people　strew　the　world；　and　Jerusalem　is　no　
more。　As　for　the　temple　that　Herod　built〃

〃Herod！〃　she　said。　〃I　know　not　Herod。　But　go　on。〃

〃The　Romans　burned　it；　and　the　Roman　eagles　flew　
across　its　ruins；　arid　now　Judaea　is　a　desert。〃

〃So；　so！　They　were　a　great　people；　those　Romans；　and　
went　straight　to　their　enday；　they　sped　to　it　like　
Fate；　or　like　their　own　eagles　on　their　prey！and　
left　peace　behind　them。〃

〃Solitudinera　faciunt；　pacem　appellant；〃　I　suggested。

〃Ah；　thou　canst　speak　the　Latin　tongue；　too！〃　she　
said；　in　surprise。　〃It　hath　a　strange　ring　in　my　ears　
after　all　these　days；　and　it　seems　to　me　that　thy　
accent　does　not　fall　as　the　Romans　put　it。　Who　was　it　
wrote　that？　I　know　not　the　saying；　but　it　is　a　true　
one　of　that　great　people。　It　seems　that　I　have　found　a　
learned　manone　whose　hands　have　held　the　water　of　
the　world's　knowledge。　Knowest　thou　Greek　also？〃

〃Yes；　O　queen；　and　something　of　Hebrew；　but　not　to　
speak　them　well。　They　are　all　dead　languages　now。〃
　_i_　She　_i_　clapped　her　hands　in　childish　glee。　〃Of　a　
truth；　ugly　tree　that　thou　art；　thou　growest　the　
fruits　of　wisdom；　O　Holly；〃　she　said；　〃but　of　those　
Jews　whom　I　hatedfor　they　called　me　'heathen'　when　I　
would　have　taught　them　my　philosophydid　their　
Messiah　come；　and　doth　he　rule　the　world？〃

〃Their　Messiah　came；〃　I　answered；　with　reverence；　〃but　
he　came　poor　and　lowly；　and　they　would　have　none　of　
him。　They　scourged　him；　and　crucified　him　upon　a　tree；　
but　yet　his　words　and　his　works　live　on；　for　he　was　
the　Son　of　God；　and　now　of　a　truth　he　doth　rule　half　
the　world；　but　not　with　an　empire　of　the　world。〃

〃Ah；　the　fierce…hearted　wolves；〃　she　said；　〃the　
followers　of　Sense　and　of　many　godsgreedy　of　gain　
and　faction　torn。　I　can　see　their　dark　faces　yet。　So　
they　crucified　their　Messiah？　Well　can　I　beli