she-第34部分

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day　of　death　thousands　of　years　before。　Nothing　came　
to　injure　them　in　the　deep　silence　of　the　living　rock；　
they　were　beyond　the　reach　of　heat　and　cold　and　damp；　
and　the　aromatic　drugs　with　which　they　had　been　
saturated　were　evidently　practically　everlasting　in　
their　effect。　Here　and　there；　however；　we　saw　an　
exception；　and　in　these　cases；　although　the　flesh　
looked　sound　enough　externally；　if　one　touched　it　it　
fell　in；　and　revealed　the　fact　that　the　figure　was　but　
a　pile　of　dust。　This　arose；　Ayesha　told　me；　from　these　
particular　bodies　having；　either　owing　to　haste　in　the　
burial　or　other　causes；　been　soaked　in　the　
preservative；　instead　of　its　being　injected　into　the　
substance　of　the　flesh。

About　the　last　tomb　we　visited　I　must；　however；　say　
one　word；　for　its　contents　spoke　even　more　eloquently　
to　the　human　sympathies　than　those　of　the　first。　It　
had　but　two　occupants；　and　they　lay　together　on　a　
single　shelf。　I　withdrew　the　grave…cloths；　and　there；　
clasped　heart　to　heart；　were　a　young　man　and　a　
blooming　girl。　Her　head　rested　on　his　arm；　and　his　
lips　were　pressed　against　her　brow。　I　opened　the　man's　
linen　robe；　and　there　over　his　heart　was　a　dagger…
wound；　and　beneath　the　girl's　fair　breast　was　a　like　
cruel　stab；　through　which　her　life　had　ebbed　away。　On　
the　rock　above　was　an　inscription　in　three　words。　
Ayesha　translated　it。　It　was　〃Wedded　in　Death。〃

What　was　the　life…history　of　these　two；　who；　of　a　
truth；　were　beautiful　in　their　lives；　and　in　their　
death　were　not　divided？

I　closed　my　eyelids；　and　imagination　taking　up　the　
thread　of　thought　shot　its　swift　shuttle　back　across　
the　ages；　weaving　a　picture　on　their　blackness　so　real　
and　vivid　in　its　detail　that　I　could　almost　for　a　
moment　think　that　I　had　triumphed　o'er　the　Past；　and　
that　my　spirit's　eyes　had　pierced　the　mystery　of　Time。

I　seemed　to　see　this　fair　girl…formthe　yellow　hair　
streaming　down　her；　glittering　against　her　garments　
snowy…white；　and　the　bosom　that　was　whiter　than　the　
robes；　even　dimming　with　its　lustre　her　ornaments　of　
burnished　gold。　I　seemed　to　see　the　great　cave　filled　
with　warriors；　bearded　and　clad　in　mail；　and；　on　the　
lighted　dais　where　Ayesha　had　given　judgment；　a　man　
standing；　robed；　and　surrounded　by　the　symbols　of　his　
priestly　office。　And　up　the　cave　there　came　one　clad　
in　purple；　and　before　him　and　behind　him　came　
minstrels　and　fait　maidens；　chanting　a　wedding　song。　
White　stood　the　maid　against　the　altar；　fairer　than　
the　fairest　therepurer　than　a　lily；　and　more　cold　
than　the　dew　that　glistens　in　its　heart。　But　as　the　
man　drew　near　she　shuddered。　Then　out　of　the　press　and　
throng　there　sprang　a　dark…haired　youth；　and　put　his　
arm　about　this　long…forgotten　maid；　and　kissed　her　
pale　face　in　which　the　blood　shot　up　like　lights　of　
the　red　dawn　across　the　silent　sky。　And　next　there　was　
turmoil　and　uproar；　and　a　flashing　of　swords；　and　they　
tore　the　youth　from　her　arms；　and　stabbed　him；　but　
with　a　cry　she　snatched　the　dagger　from　his　belt；　and　
drove　it　into　her　snowy　breast；　home　to　the　heart；　and　
down　she　fell；　and　then；　with　cries　and　wailing；　and　
every　sound　of　lamentation；　the　pageant　rolled　away　
from　the　arena　of　my　vision；　and　once　more　the　Past　
shut　to　its　book。

Let　him　who　reads　forgive　the　intrusion　of　a　dream　
into　a　history　of　fact。　But　it　come　so　home　to　meI　
saw　it　all　so　clear　in　a　moment；　as　it　were；　and；　
besides；　who　shall　say　what　proportion　of　factpast；　
present；　or　to　come；　may　lie　in　the　imagination？　What　
is　imagination？　Perhaps　it　is　the　shadow　of　the　
intangible　truth；　perhaps　it　is　the　soul's　thought。

In　an　instant　the　whole　thing　had　passed　through　my　
brain；　and　_i_　She　_i_　was　addressing　me。

〃Behold　the　lot　of　man；〃　said　the　veiled　Ayesha；　as　
she　drew　the　winding　sheets　back　over　the　dead　lovers；　
speaking　in　a　solemn；　thrilling　voice；　which　accorded　
well　with　the　dream　that　I　had　dreamed：　〃to　the　tomb；　
and　to　the　forgetfulness　that　hides　the　tomb；　must　we　
all　come　at　last！　Ay；　even　I　who　live　so　long。　Even　
for　me；　O　Holly；　thousands　upon　thousands　of　years　
hence；　thousands　of　years　after　thou　hast　gone　through　
the　gate　and　been　lost　in　the　mists；　a　day　will　dawn　
whereon　I　shall　die；　and　be　even　as　thou　and　these　
are。　And　then　what　will　avail　that　I　have　lived　a　
little　longer；　holding　off　death　by　the　knowledge　I　
have　wrung　from　nature；　since　at　last　I　too　must　die？　
What　is　a　span　of　ten　thousand　years；　or　ten　times　ten　
thousand　years；　in　the　history　of　time？　It　is　as　
naughtit　is　as　the　mists　that　roll　up　in　the　
sunlight；　it　fleeth　away　like　an　hour　of　sleep　or　a　
breath　of　the　Eternal　Spirit。　Behold　the　lot　of　man！　
Certainly　it　shall　overtake　us；　and　we　shall　sleep。　
Certainly；　too；　we　shall　awake；　and　live　again　and　
again　shall　sleep；　and　so　on　and　on；　through　periods；　
spaces；　and　times；　from　aeon　unto　aeon；　till　the　world　
is　dead；　and　the　worlds　beyond　the　world　are　dead；　and　
naught　liveth　save　the　Spirit　that　is　Life。　But　for　us　
twain　and　for　these　dead　ones　shall　the　end　of　ends　be　
Life；　or　shall　it　be　Death？　As　yet　Death　is　but　Life's　
Night；　but　out　of　the　Night　is　the　Morrow　born　again；　
and　both　again　beget　the　Night。　Only　when　Day　and　
Night；　and　Life　and　Death；　are　ended　and　swallowed　up　
in　that　from　which　they　came；　what　shall　be　our　fate；　
O　Holly？　Who　can　see　so　far？　Not　even　I！〃

And　then；　with　a　sudden　change　of　tone　and　manner

〃Hast　thou　seen　enough；　my　stranger　guest；　or　shall　I　
show　thee　more　of　the　wonders　of　these　tombs　that　are　
my　palace　halls？　If　thou　wilt；　I　can　lead　thee　to　
where　Tisno；　the　mightiest　and　most　valorous　King　of　
Ko^r；　in　whose　day　these　caves　were　ended；　lies　in　a　
pomp　that　seems　to　mock　at　nothingness；　and　bid　the　
empty　shadows　of　the　past　do　homage　to　his　sculptured　
vanity！〃

〃I　have　seen　enough；　O　queen；〃　I　answered。　〃My　heart　
is　overwhelmed　by　the　power　of　the　present　Death。　
Mortality　is　weak；　and　easily　broken　down　by　a　sense　
of　the　companionship　that　waits　upon　its　end。　Take　me　
hence；　O　Ayesha！〃

CHAPTER　XVII

THE　BALANCE　TURNS

IN　a　few　minutes；　following　the　lamps　of　the　mutes；　
which；　held　out　from　the　body　as　a　bearer　holds　water　
in　a　vessel；　had　the　appearance　of　floating　down　the　
darkness　by　themselves；　we　came　to　a　stair　which　led　
us　to　_i_　She　_i_　's　anteroom；　the　same　that　Billali　
had　crept　up　upon　all　fours　on　the　previous　day。　Here　
I　would　have　bid　the　queen　adieu；　but　she　would　not。

〃Nay；〃　she　said；　〃enter　with　me；　O　Holly；　for　of　a　
truth　thy　conversation　pleaseth　me。　Think；　O　Holly：　
for　two　thousand　years　have　I　had　none　to　converse　
with　save　slaves　and　my　own　thoughts；　and　though　of　
all　this　thinking　hath　much　wisdom　come；　and　many　
secrets　been　made　plain；　yet　am　I　weary　of　my　
thoughts；　and　have　come　to　loathe　mine　own　society；　
for　surely　the　food　that　memory　gives　to　eat　is　bitter　
to　the　taste；　and　it　is　only　with　the　teeth　of　hope　
that　we　can　bear　to　bite　it。　Now　though　thy　thoughts　
are　green　and　tender；　as　becometh　one　so　young；　yet　
are　they　those　of　a　thinking　brain；　and　in　truth　thou　
dost　bring　back　to　my　mind　certain　of　those　old　
philosophers　with　whom　in　days　bygone　I　have　disputed　
at　Athens；　and　at　Becca　in　Arabia；　for　thou　hast　the　
same　crabbed　air　and　dusty　look；　as　though　thou　hadst　
passed　thy　days　in　reading　ill…writ　Greek；　and　been　
stained　dark　with　the　grime　of　manuscripts。　So　draw　
the　curtain；　and　sit　here　by　my　side；　and　we　will　eat　
fruit；　and　talk　of　pleasant　things。　See；　I　will　again　
unveil　to　thee。　Thou　hast　brought　it　on　thyself；　O　
Holly；　fairly　have　I　warned　theeand　thou　shalt　call　
me　beautiful　as　even　those　old　philosophers　were　wont　
to　do。　Fie　upon　them；　forgetting　their　philosophy！〃

And　without　more　ado　she　stood　up　and　shook　the　white　
wrappings　from　her；　and　came　forth　shining　and　
splendid　like　some　glittering　snake　when　she　has　cast　
her　slough；　ay；　and　fixed　her　wonderful　eyes　upon　me
more　deadly　than　any　basilisk'sand　pierced　me　
through　and　through　with　their　beauty；　and　sent　her　
light　laugh　ringing　through　the　air　like　chimes　of　
silver　bells。

A　new　mood　was　on　her；　and　the　very　color　of　her　mind　
seemed　to　change　beneath　it。　It　was　no　longer　torture…
torn　and　hateful；　as　I　had　seen　it　when　she　was　
cursing　her　dead　rival　by　the　leaping　flames；　no　
longer　icily　terrible　as　in　the　judgment…hall；　no　
longer　rich　and　sombre　and　splendid；　like　a　Tyrian　
cloth；　as　in　the　dwellings　of　the　dead。　No；　her　mood　
now　was　that　of　Aphrodite　triumphing。　Liferadiant；　
ecstatic；　wonderfulseemed　to　flow　from　her　and　
around　her。　Softly　she　laughed　and　sighed；　and　swift　
her　glances　flew。　_i_　She　_i_　shook　her　heavy　tresses；　
and　their　perfume　filled　the　place；　she　struck　her　
little　sandalled　foot　upon　the　floor；　and　hummed　a　
snatch　of　some　old　Greek　epithalamium。　All　the　majesty　
was　gone；　or　did　but　lurk　and　faintly　flicker　through　
her　laughing　eyes；　like　lightning　seen　through　
sunlight。　_i_　She　_i_　had　cast　off　the　terror　of　the　
leaping　flame；　the　cold　power　of　judgment　that　was　
even　now　being　done；　and　the　wise　sadness　of　the　
tombscast　them　off　and　put　them　behind　her；　like　the　
white　shroud　she　wore；　and　now　stood　out　the　
incarnation　of　lovely；　tempting　womanhood；　made　more　
perfectand　in　a　way　more　spiritualthan　ever　woman　
was　before。

〃There；　my　Holly；　sit　there　where　thou　canst　see　me。　
It　is　by　thine　own　wish；　rememberagain　I　say；　blame　
me　not　if　thou　dost　spend　the　rest　of　thy　little　span　
with　such　a　sick　pain　at　the　heart　that　thou　wouldst　
fain　have　died　before　ever　thy　curious　eyes　were　set　
upon　me。　There；　sit　so；　and　tell　me；　for　in　truth　I　am　
inclined　for　praisestell　me；　am　I　not　beautiful？　
Nay；　speak　not　so　hastily；　consider　well　the　point；　
take　me　feature　by　feature；　forgetting　not　my　form；　
and　my　hands　and　feet；　and　my　hair；　and　the　whiteness　
of　my　skin；　and　then　tell　me　truly　hast　thou　ever　
known　a　woman　who　in　aught；　ay；　in　one　little　portion　
of　her　beauty；　in　the　curve　of　an　eyelash　even；　or　the　
modelling　of　a　shell…Iike　ear；　is　justified　to　hold　a　
light　before　my　loveliness？　Now；　my　waist！　Percha