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When The World Shook
By
H. Rider Haggard
Ditchingham, 1918.
MY DEAR CURZON,
More than thirty years ago you tried to protect
me, then a stranger toyou, from one of the falsest and most malignant
accusations ever madeagainst a writer.
So complete was your exposure of the methods of
those at work to blackena person whom they knew to be innocent, that, as you
will remember,they refused to publish your analysis which destroyed their
charges and,incidentally, revealed their motives.
Although for this reason vindication came
otherwise, your kindness isone that I have never forgotten, since, whatever=
the
immediate issue ofany effort, in the end it is the intention that avails.
Therefore in gratitude and memory I ask you to
accept this romance, asI know that you do not disdain the study of romance =
in
the intervals ofyour Imperial work.
The application of its parable to our state and
possibilities--beneathor beyond these glimpses of the moon--I leave to your
discernment.
Believe me,
Ever sincerely yours,
H. RIDER HAGGARD.
To The Earl Curzon =
of
Kedleston, K.G.
Contents
Chapter
I - Arbuthnot Describes Himself
Chapter
II - Bastin and Bickley
Chapter
IV - Death and Departure
Chapter
VIII - Bastin Attempts the Martyr's Crown.
Chapter
IX - The Island in the Lake
Chapter
X - The Dwellers in the Tomb
Chapter
XII - Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Years!.
Chapter
XIII - Oro Speaks and Bastin Argues.
Chapter
XVI - Visions of the Past
Chapter
XIX - The Proposals of Bastin and Bickley.
Chapter
XX - Oro and Arbuthnot Travel by Night.
Chapter
XXI - Love's Eternal Altar
Chapter
XXIII - In the Temple of Fate
Chapter
XXIV - The Chariot of the Pit
Chapter
XXVII - Bastin Discovers a Resemblance.
WHEN THE WORLD SHOOK
I suppose that I, Humphrey Arbuthnot, should b=
egin
this history inwhich Destiny has caused me to play so prominent a part, with
some shortaccount of myself and of my circumstances.
I was born forty years ago in this very Devons=
hire
village in which Iwrite, but not in the same house. Now I live in the Prior=
y,
an ancientplace and a fine one in its way, with its panelled rooms, its
beautifulgardens where, in this mild climate, in addition to our own,
flourishso many plants which one would only expect to find in countries tha=
tlie
nearer to the sun, and its green, undulating park studded with greattimber
trees. The view, too, is perfect; behind and around the richDevonshire
landscape with its hills and valleys and its scarped facesof red sandstone,=
and
at a distance in front, the sea. There are littletowns quite near too, that
live for the most part on visitors, but theseare so hidden away by the cont=
ours
of the ground that from the Prioryone cannot see them. Such is Fulcombe whe=
re I
live, though for obviousreasons I do not give it its real name.
Many years ago my father, the Rev. Humphrey
Arbuthnot, whose only childI am, after whom also I am named Humphrey, was t=
he
vicar of this placewith which our family is said to have some rather vague =
hereditaryconnection.
If so, it was severed in the Carolian times because myancestors fought on t=
he
side of Parliament.
My father was a recluse, and a widower, for my
mother, a Scotswoman,died at or shortly after my birth. Being very High Chu=
rch
for thosedays he was not popular with the family that owned the Priory befo=
re
me.Indeed its head, a somewhat vulgar person of the name of Enfield who had=
made
money in trade, almost persecuted him, as he was in a position todo, being =
the
local magnate and the owner of the rectorial tithes.
I mention this fact because owing to it as a b= oy I made up my mind thatone day I would buy that place and sit in his seat, a w= ild enough ideaat the time. Yet it became engrained in me, as do such aspiratio= ns ofour youth, and when the opportunity arose in after years I carriedit out. Poor old Enfield! He fell on evil fortunes, for in trying tobolster up a favourite son who was a gambler, a spendthrift, and anungrateful scamp, in = the end he was practically ruined and when thebad times came, was forced to sell the Fulcombe estate. I think of himkindly now, for after all he was good to= me and gave me many a day'sshooting and leave to fish for trout in the river.<= o:p>
By the poor people, however, of all the distri=
ct
round, for the parishitself is very small, my father was much beloved, alth=
ough
he didpractise confession, wear vestments and set lighted candles on thealt=
ar,
and was even said to have openly expressed the wish, to whichhowever he nev=
er
attained, that he could see a censer swinging in thechancel. Indeed the chu=
rch
which, as monks built it, is very large andfine, was always full on Sundays,
though many of the worshippers camefrom far away, some of them doubtless ou=
t of
curiosity because of itspapistical repute, also because, in a learned fashi=
on,
my father'spreaching was very good indeed.
For my part I feel that I owe much to these
High-Church views. Theyopened certain doors to me and taught me something of
the mysterieswhich lie at the back of all religions and therefore have their
homein the inspired soul of man whence religions are born. Only the pityis =
that
in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred he never discovers, nevereven guesses=
at
that entombed aspiration, never sinks a shaft down on tothis secret but most
precious vein of ore.
I have said that my father was learned; but th=
is
is a mild description,for never did I know anyone quite so learned. He was =
one
of thosemen who is so good all round that he became pre-eminent in nothing.
Aclassic of the first water, a very respectable mathematician, an expertin
theology, a student of sundry foreign languages and literature inhis lighter
moments, an inquirer into sociology, a theoretical musicianthough his playi=
ng
of the organ excruciated most people because it wastoo correct, a really fi=
rst-class
authority upon flint instruments andthe best grower of garden vegetables in=
the
county, also of apples--suchwere some of his attainments. That was what made
his sermons so popular,since at times one or the other of these subjects wo=
uld
break out intothem, his theory being that God spoke to us through all of th=
ese
things.
But if I began to drift into an analysis of my
father's abilities, Ishould never stop. It would take a book to describe th=
em.
And yet markthis, with them all his name is as dead to the world to-day as
though hehad never been. Light reflected from a hundred facets dissipates
itselfin space and is lost; that concentrated in one tremendous ray pierces
tothe stars.
Now I am going to be frank about myself, for
without frankness whatis the value of such a record as this? Then it becomes
simply anotherconvention, or rather conventional method of expressing the
octoroonkind of truths with which the highly civilised races feed themselve=
s,as
fastidious ladies eat cakes and bread from which all but the smallestpartic=
le
of nourishment has been extracted.
The fact is, therefore, that I inherited most =
of
my father's abilities,except his love for flint instruments which always bo=
red
me todistraction, because although they are by association really the mosth=
uman
of things, somehow to me they never convey any idea of humanity.In addition=
I
have a practical side which he lacked; had he possessed itsurely he must ha=
ve
become an archbishop instead of dying the vicar ofan unknown parish. Also I
have a spiritual sense, mayhap mystical wouldbe a better term, which with a=
ll
this religion was missing from myfather's nature.
For I think that notwithstanding his charity a=
nd
devotion he never quitegot away from the shell of things, never cracked it =
and
set his teeth inthe kernel which alone can feed our souls. His keen intelle=
ct,
to takean example, recognised every one of the difficulties of our faith
andflashed hither and thither in the darkness, seeking explanation,
seekinglight, trying to reconcile, to explain. He was not great enough toput
all this aside and go straight to the informing Soul beneath thatstrives to
express itself everywhere, even through those husks which arecalled the Wor=
ld,
the Flesh and the Devil, and as yet does not alwaysquite succeed.
It is this boggling over exteriors, this peeri=
ng
into pitfalls, thisdesire to prove that what such senses as we have tell us=
is
impossible,is in fact possible, which causes the overthrow of many an
earnest,seeking heart and renders its work, conducted on false lines,
quitenugatory. These will trust to themselves and their own intelligence an=
dnot
be content to spring from the cliffs of human experience into theeverlasting
arms of that Infinite which are stretched out to receivethem and to give th=
em
rest and the keys of knowledge. When will manlearn what was taught to him of
old, that faith is the only plankwherewith he can float upon this sea and t=
hat
his miserable works availhim nothing; also that it is a plank made of many
sorts of wood, perhapsto suit our different weights?
So to be honest, in a sense I believe myself t=
o be
my father's superior,and I know that he agreed with me. Perhaps this is owi=
ng
to the bloodof my Scotch mother which mixed well with his own; perhaps beca=
use
theessential spirit given to me, though cast in his mould, was in factquite
different--or of another alloy. Do we, I wonder, really understandthat there
are millions and billions of these alloys, so many indeedthat Nature, or
whatever is behind Nature, never uses the same twiceover? That is why no two
human beings are or ever will be quiteidentical. Their flesh, the body of t=
heir
humiliation, is identical inall, any chemist will prove it to you, but that
which animates theflesh is distinct and different because it comes from the=
home
of thatinfinite variety which is necessary to the ultimate evolution of the=
good
and bad that we symbolise as heaven and hell.
Further, I had and to a certain extent still h=
ave
another advantageover my father, which certainly came to me from my mother,=
who
was, asI judge from all descriptions and such likenesses as remain of her,
anextremely handsome woman. I was born much better looking. He was smalland
dark, a little man with deep-set eyes and beetling brows. I am alsodark, but
tall above the average, and well made. I do not know that Ineed say more ab=
out
my personal appearance, to me not a very attractivesubject, but the fact
remains that they called me "handsome Humphrey"at the University,=
and
I was the captain of my college boat and won manyprizes at athletic sports =
when
I had time to train for them.
Until I went up to Oxford my father educated m=
e,
partly because he knewthat he could do it better than anyone else, and part=
ly
to save schoolexpenses. The experiment was very successful, as my love of a=
ll
outdoorsports and of any small hazardous adventure that came to my hand, al=
soof
associating with fisherfolk whom the dangers of the deep make menamong men,
saved me from becoming a milksop. For the rest I learned morefrom my father,
whom I always desired to please because I loved him,than I should have done=
at
the best and most costly of schools. This wasshown when at last I went to
college with a scholarship, for there I didvery well indeed, as search would
still reveal.
Here I had better set out some of my shortcomi=
ngs,
which in their sumhave made a failure of me. Yes, a failure in the highest
sense, thoughI trust what Stevenson calls "a faithful failure." T=
hese
have their rootin fastidiousness and that lack of perseverance, which really
means alack of faith, again using the word in its higher and wider sense. F=
orif
one had real faith one would always persevere, knowing that in everywork
undertaken with high aim, there is an element of nobility, howeverhumble and
unrecognised that work may seem to be. God after all is theGod of Work, it =
is
written large upon the face of the Universe. I willnot expand upon the thou=
ght;
it would lead me too far afield, but thosewho have understanding will know =
what
I mean.
As regards what I interpret as fastidiousness,
this is not very easyto express. Perhaps a definition will help. I am like a
man with anover-developed sense of smell, who when walking through a foreign
city,however clean and well kept, can always catch the evil savours thatare
inseparable from such cities. More, his keen perception of theminterferes w=
ith
all other perceptions and spoils his walks. The resultis that in after year=
s,
whenever he thinks of that beautiful city,he remembers, not its historic
buildings or its wide boulevards, orwhatever it has to boast, but rather its
ancient, fish-like smell. Atleast he remembers that first owing to this def=
ect
in his temperament.
So it is with everything. A lovely woman is
spoiled for such a onebecause she eats too much or has too high a voice; he
does not care forhis shooting because the scenery is flat, or for his fishi=
ng
becausethe gnats bite as well as the trout. In short he is out of tune with=
the
world as it is. Moreover, this is a quality which, where it exists,cannot be
overcome; it affects day-labourers as well as gentlemen atlarge. It is bred=
in
the bone.
Probably the second failure-breeding fault, la=
ck
of perseverance, hasits roots in the first, at any rate in my case. At leas=
t on
leavingcollege with some reputation, I was called to the Bar where, owing t=
ocertain
solicitor and other connections, I had a good opening. Also,owing to the
excellence of my memory and powers of work, I began verywell, making money =
even
during my first year. Then, as it happened, acertain case came my way and, =
my
leader falling ill suddenly after itwas opened, was left in my hands. The m=
an
whose cause I was pleadingwas, I think, one of the biggest scoundrels it is
possible to conceive.It was a will case and if he won, the effect would be =
to
beggar two mostestimable middle-aged women who were justly entitled to the
property,to which end personally I am convinced he had committed forgery;
theperjury that accompanied it I do not even mention.
Well, he did win, thanks to me, and the estima=
ble
middle-aged ladieswere beggared, and as I heard afterwards, driven to such
extremitiesthat one of them died of her misery and the other became a
lodging-housekeeper. The details do not matter, but I may explain that these
ladieswere unattractive in appearance and manner and broke down beneath myc=
ross-examination
which made them appear to be telling falsehoods,whereas they were only
completely confused. Further, I invented aningenious theory of the facts wh=
ich,
although the judge regarded it withsuspicion, convinced an unusually stupid
jury who gave me their verdict.
Everybody congratulated me and at the time I w=
as
triumphant, especiallyas my leader had declared that our case was impossibl=
e.
Afterwards,however, my conscience smote me sorely, so much so that arguing
fromthe false premise of this business, I came to the conclusion that
thepractice of the Law was not suited to an honest man. I did not take thel=
arge
view that such matters average themselves up and that if I haddone harm in =
this
instance, I might live to do good in many others, andperhaps become a just
judge, even a great judge. Here I may mention thatin after years, when I gr=
ew
rich, I rescued that surviving old lady fromher lodging-house, although to =
this
day she does not know the name ofher anonymous friend. So by degrees, witho=
ut
saying anything, for I kepton my chambers, I slipped out of practice, to the
great disappointmentof everybody connected with me, and took to authorship.=
A marvel came to pass, my first book was an enormous success. The wholeworld talked of it. A leading journal, delighted= to have discoveredsomeone, wrote it up; other journals followed suit to be in themovement. One of them, I remember, which had already dismissed it withth= ree or four sneering lines, came out with a second and two-columnnotice. It sold like wildfire and I suppose had some merits, for it isstill read, though few know that I wrote it, since fortunately it waspublished under a pseudonym.<= o:p>
Again I was much elated and set to work to wri=
te
another and, as Ibelieve, a much better book. But jealousies had been excit=
ed
by thisleaping into fame of a totally unknown person, which were,
moreover,accentuated through a foolish article that I published in answer to
somecriticisms, wherein I spoke my mind with an insane freedom and
bitingsarcasm. Indeed I was even mad enough to quote names and to give
theexample of the very powerful journal which at first carped at my workand
then gushed over it when it became the fashion. All of this made memany bit=
ter
enemies, as I found out when my next book appeared.
It was torn to shreds, it was reviled as
subversive of moralityand religion, good arrows in those days. It was called
puerile,half-educated stuff--I half-educated! More, an utterly false charge
ofplagiarism was cooked up against me and so well and venomously run thatva=
st
numbers of people concluded that I was a thief of the lowest order.Lastly, =
my
father, from whom the secret could no longer be kept, sternlydisapproved of
both these books which I admit were written from a veryradical and somewhat
anti-church point of view. The result was our firstquarrel and before it was
made up, he died suddenly.
Now again fastidiousness and my lack of
perseverance did their work, andsolemnly I swore that I would never write
another book, an oath which Ihave kept till this moment, at least so far as
publication is concerned,and now break only because I consider it my duty s=
o to
do and am notanimated by any pecuniary object.
Thus came to an end my second attempt at carvi=
ng
out a career. By nowI had grown savage and cynical, rather revengeful also,=
I
fear. Knowingmyself to possess considerable abilities in sundry directions,=
I
satdown, as it were, to think things over and digest my past experiences.Th=
en
it was that the truth of a very ancient adage struck upon my mind,namely, t=
hat money
is power. Had I sufficient money I could laugh atunjust critics for example;
indeed they or their papers would scarcelydare to criticise me for fear les=
t it
should be in my power to do thema bad turn. Again I could follow my own ide=
as
in life and perhaps workgood in the world, and live in such surroundings as
commended themselvesto me. It was as clear as daylight, but--how to make the
money?
I had some capital as the result of my father's
death, about £8,000 inall, plus a little more that my two books had brought=
in.
In what waycould I employ it to the best advantage? I remembered that a cou=
sin
ofmy father and therefore my own, was a successful stock-broker, alsothat t=
here
had been some affection between them. I went to him, he wasa good, easy-nat=
ured
man who was frankly glad to see me, and offered toput £5,000 into his busin=
ess,
for I was not minded to risk every thing Ihad, if he would give me a share =
in
the profits. He laughed heartily atmy audacity.
"Why, my boy," he said, "being
totally inexperienced at this game, youmight lose us more than that in a mo=
nth.
But I like your courage, I likeyour courage, and the truth is that I do want
help. I will think it overand write to you."
He thought it over and in the end offered to t=
ry
me for a year at afixed salary with a promise of some kind of a partnership=
if
I suitedhim. Meanwhile my £5,000 remained in my pocket.
I accepted, not without reluctance since with =
the
impatience of youthI wanted everything at once. I worked hard in that office
and soonmastered the business, for my knowledge of figures--I had taken
afirst-class mathematical degree at college--came to my aid, as in a waydid=
my
acquaintance with Law and Literature. Moreover I had a certainaptitude for =
what
is called high finance. Further, Fortune, as usual,showed me a favourable f=
ace.
In one year I got the partnership with a small
share in the largeprofits of the business. In two the partner above me reti=
red,
and I tookhis place with a third share of the firm. In three my cousin,
satisfiedthat it was in able hands, began to cease his attendance at the
officeand betook himself to gardening which was his hobby. In four I paid
himout altogether, although to do this I had to borrow money on our credit,=
for
by agreement the title of the firm was continued. Then came thatextraordina=
ry
time of boom which many will remember to their cost. Imade a bold stroke and
won. On a certain Saturday when the books weremade up, I found that after
discharging all liabilities, I should notbe worth more than £20,000. On the
following Saturday but two when thebooks were made up, I was worth £153,000!
L'appetit vient en mangeant.It seemed nothing to me when so many were worth
millions.
For the next year I worked as few have done, a=
nd
when I struck a balanceat the end of it, I found that on the most conservat=
ive
estimate I wasthe owner of a million and a half in hard cash, or its
equivalent. I wasso tired out that I remember this discovery did not excite=
me
at all. Ifelt utterly weary of all wealth-hunting and of the City and its
ways.Moreover my old fastidiousness and lack of perseverance
re-assertedthemselves. I reflected, rather late in the day perhaps, on ther=
uin
that this speculation was bringing to thousands, of which somelamentable
instances had recently come to my notice, and once moreconsidered whether it
were a suitable career for an upright man. I hadwealth; why should I not ta=
ke
it and enjoy life?
Also--and here my business acumen came in, I w=
as
sure that these timescould not last. It is easy to make money on a rising
market, but whenit is falling the matter is very different. In five minutes=
I
made upmy mind. I sent for my junior partners, for I had taken in two, and
toldthem that I intended to retire at once. They were dismayed both at mylo=
ss,
for really I was the firm, and because, as they pointed out, ifI withdrew a=
ll
my capital, there would not be sufficient left to enablethem to carry on.
One of them, a blunt and honest man, said to my
face that it would bedishonourable of me to do so. I was inclined to answer=
him
sharply, thenremembered that his words were true.
"Very well," I said, "I will le=
ave
you £600,000 on which you shall payme five per cent interest, but no share =
of
the profits."
On these terms we dissolved the partnership an=
d in
a year they hadlost the £600,000, for the slump came with a vengeance. It s=
aved
them,however, and to-day they are earning a reasonable income. But I havene=
ver
asked them for that £600,000.
Behold me once more a man without an occupatio=
n,
but now the possessorof about £900,000. It was a very considerable fortune,=
if
not a largeone in England; nothing like the millions of which I had dreamed,
butstill enough. To make the most of it and to be sure that it remained,
Iinvested it very well, mostly in large mortgages at four per cent which,if=
the
security is good, do not depreciate in capital value. Never againdid I touc=
h a
single speculative stock, who desired to think no moreabout money. It was at
this time that I bought the Fulcombe property.It cost me about £120,000 of =
my
capital, or with alterations, repairs,etc., say £150,000, on which sum it m=
ay
pay a net two and a half percent, not more.
This £3,700 odd I have always devoted to the
upkeep of the place, whichis therefore in first-rate order. The rest I live=
on,
or save.
These arrangements, with the beautifying and
furnishing of the houseand the restoration of the church in memory of my
father, occupied andamused me for a year or so, but when they were finished
time began tohang heavy on my hands. What was the use of possessing about
£20,000 ayear when there was nothing upon which it could be spent? For afte=
rall
my own wants were few and simple and the acquisition of valuablepictures and
costly furniture is limited by space. Oh! in my small wayI was like the wea=
ry
King Ecclesiast. For I too made me great worksand had possessions of great =
and
small cattle (I tried farming andlost money over it!) and gathered me silver
and gold and the peculiartreasure of kings, which I presume means whatever =
a man
in authoritychiefly desires, and so forth. But "behold all was vanity =
and
vexationof spirit, and there was no profit under the sun."
So, notwithstanding my wealth and health and t=
he
deference which isthe rich man's portion, especially when the limit of his
riches is notknown, it came about that I too "hated life," and th=
is
when I was notmuch over thirty. I did not know what to do; for Society as t=
he
wordis generally understood, I had no taste; it bored me; horse-racing andc=
ards
I loathed, who had already gambled too much on a big scale. Thekilling of
creatures under the name of sport palled upon me, indeed Ibegan to doubt if=
it
were right, while the office of a junior countymagistrate in a place where
there was no crime, only occupied me an houror two a month.
Lastly my neighbours were few and with all due
deference to them,extremely dull. At least I could not understand them beca=
use
in themthere did not seem to be anything to understand, and I am quite
certainthat they did not understand me. More, when they came to learn that =
Iwas
radical in my views and had written certain "dreadful" andsomewhat
socialistic books in the form of fiction, they both feared andmistrusted me=
as
an enemy to their particular section of the race. AsI had not married and
showed no inclination to do so, their womenkindalso, out of their intimate
knowledge, proclaimed that I led an immorallife, though a little reflection
would have shown them that there wasno one in the neighbourhood which for a
time I seldom left, who couldpossibly have tempted an educated creature to =
such
courses.
Terrible is the lot of a man who, while still
young and possessing theintellect necessary to achievement, is deprived of =
all
ambition. AndI had none at all. I did not even wish to purchase a peerage o=
r abaronetcy
in this fashion or in that, and, as in my father's case, mytastes were so m=
any
and so catholic that I could not lose myself in anyone of them. They never
became more than diversions to me. A hobby isonly really amusing when it
becomes an obsession.
At length my lonesome friendlessness oppressed=
me
so much that I tooksteps to mitigate it. In my college life I had two
particular friendswhom I think I must have selected because they were so
absolutelydifferent from myself.
They were named Bastin and Bickley. Bastin--Ba=
sil
was his Christianname--was an uncouth, shock-headed, flat-footed person of
large, ruggedframe and equally rugged honesty, with a mind almost incredibly
simple.Nothing surprised him because he lacked the faculty of surprise. He =
waslike
that kind of fish which lies at the bottom of the sea and takesevery kind of
food into its great maw without distinguishing itsflavour. Metaphorically
speaking, heavenly manna and decayed cabbagewere just the same to Bastin. He
was not fastidious and both were mentalpabulum--of a sort--together with
whatever lay between these extremes.Yet he was good, so painfully good that=
one
felt that without exertionto himself he had booked a first-class ticket
straight to Heaven; indeedthat his guardian angel had tied it round his nec=
k at
birth lest heshould lose it, already numbered and dated like an identificat=
ion
disc.
I am bound to add that Bastin never went wrong
because he never felt theslightest temptation to do so. This I suppose
constitutes real virtue,since, in view of certain Bible sayings, the person=
who
is tempted andwould like to yield to the temptation, is equally a sinner wi=
th
theperson who does yield. To be truly good one should be too good to betemp=
ted,
or too weak to make the effort worth the tempter's while--inshort not deser=
ving
of his powder and shot.
I need hardly add that Bastin went into the
Church; indeed, he could nothave gone anywhere else; it absorbed him natura=
lly,
as doubtless Heavenwill do in due course. Only I think it likely that until
they get toknow him he will bore the angels so much that they will continua=
lly
movehim up higher. Also if they have any susceptibilities left, probablyhe =
will
tread upon their toes--an art in which I never knew his equal.However, I al=
ways
loved Bastin, perhaps because no one else did, a factof which he remained
totally unconscious, or perhaps because of hisbrutal way of telling one wha=
t he
conceived to be the truth, which, ashe had less imagination than a dormouse,
generally it was not. For ifthe truth is a jewel, it is one coloured and ve=
iled
by many differentlights and atmospheres.
It only remains to add that he was learned in =
his
theological fashionand that among his further peculiarities were the slow,
monotonousvoice in which he uttered his views in long sentences, and his
totalindifference to adverse argument however sound and convincing.
My other friend, Bickley, was a person of a qu=
ite
different character.Like Bastin, he was learned, but his tendencies faced
another way.If Bastin's omnivorous throat could swallow a camel, especiallya
theological camel, Bickley's would strain at the smallest gnat,especially a
theological gnat. The very best and most upright of men,yet he believed in
nothing that he could not taste, see or handle. Hewas convinced, for instan=
ce,
that man is a brute-descended accident andno more, that what we call the so=
ul
or the mind is produced by a certainaction of the grey matter of the brain;
that everything apparentlyinexplicable has a perfectly mundane explanation,=
if
only one could findit; that miracles certainly never did happen, and never
will; that allreligions are the fruit of human hopes and fears and the most
convincingproof of human weakness; that notwithstanding our infinite variat=
ions
weare the subjects of Nature's single law and the victims of blind, blackand
brutal chance.
Such was Bickley with his clever, well-cut face
that always remindedme of a cameo, and thoughtful brow; his strong, capable
hands and hisrather steely mouth, the mere set of which suggested controver=
sy
ofan uncompromising kind. Naturally as the Church had claimed Bastin,
somedicine claimed Bickley.
Now as it happened the man who succeeded my fa=
ther
as vicar of Fulcombewas given a better living and went away shortly after I=
had
purchasedthe place and with it the advowson. Just at this time also I recei=
veda
letter written in the large, sprawling hand of Bastin from whom Ihad not he=
ard
for years. It went straight to the point, saying that he,Bastin, had seen i=
n a
Church paper that the last incumbent had resignedthe living of Fulcombe whi=
ch
was in my gift. He would therefore beobliged if I would give it to him as t=
he
place he was at in Yorkshiredid not suit his wife's health.
Here I may state that afterwards I learned that
what did not suit Mrs.Bastin was the organist, who was pretty. She was by
nature a womanwith a temperament so insanely jealous that actually she mana=
ged
to besuspicious of Bastin, whom she had captured in an unguarded moment whe=
nhe
was thinking of something else and who would as soon have thought ofeven
looking at any woman as he would of worshipping Baal. As a matterof fact it
took him months to know one female from another. Except aspossible provider=
s of
subscriptions and props of Mothers' Meetings,women had no interest for him.=
To return--with that engaging honesty which I =
have
mentioned--Bastin'sletter went on to set out all his own disabilities, whic=
h,
he added,would probably render him unsuitable for the place he desired to
fill.He was a High Churchman, a fact which would certainly offend many; heh=
ad
no claims to being a preacher although he was extraordinarily wellacquainted
with the writings of the Early Fathers. (What on earth hadthat to do with t=
he
question, I wondered.) On the other hand he hadgenerally been considered a =
good
visitor and was fond of walking (hemeant to call on distant parishioners, b=
ut
did not say so).
Then followed a page and a half on the evils of
the existing systemof the presentation to livings by private persons, ending
with thesuggestion that I had probably committed a sin in buying this
particularadvowson in order to increase my local authority, that is, if I
hadbought it, a point on which he was ignorant. Finally he informed me that=
as
he had to christen a sick baby five miles away on a certain moorand it was =
too
wet for him to ride his bicycle, he must stop. And hestopped.
There was, however, a P.S. to the letter, which
ran as follows:
"Someone told me that you were dead a few
years ago, and of course itmay be another man of the same name who owns Ful=
combe.
If so, no doubtthe Post Office will send back this letter."
That was his only allusion to my humble self in
all those diffuse pages.It was a long while since I had received an epistle
which made me laughso much, and of course I gave him the living by return of
post, andeven informed him that I would increase its stipend to a sum which
Iconsidered suitable to the position.
About ten days later I received another letter
from Bastin which, asa scrawl on the flap of the envelope informed me, he h=
ad
carried fora week in his pocket and forgotten to post. Except by inference
itreturned no thanks for my intended benefits. What it did say, however,was
that he thought it wrong of me to have settled a matter of suchspiritual
importance in so great a hurry, though he had observed thatrich men were ne=
arly
always selfish where their time was concerned.Moreover, he considered that I
ought first to have made inquiries as tohis present character and attainmen=
ts,
etc., etc.
To this epistle I replied by telegraph to the effect that I should assoon think of making inquiries about the character o= f an archangel,or that of one of his High Church saints. This telegram, he told meafterwards, he considered unseemly and even ribald, especially as it hadg= iven great offence to the postmaster, who was one of the sidesmen inhis church.<= o:p>
Thus it came about that I appointed the Rev. B=
asil
Bastin to theliving of Fulcombe, feeling sure that he would provide me with
endlessamusement and act as a moral tonic and discipline. Also I appreciate=
dthe
man's blunt candour. In due course he arrived, and I confess thatafter a few
Sundays of experience I began to have doubts as to thewisdom of my choice, =
glad
as I was to see him personally. His sermons atonce bored me, and, when they=
did
not send me to sleep, excited in mea desire for debate. How could he be so
profoundly acquainted withmysteries before which the world had stood amazed=
for
ages? Was therenothing too hot or too heavy in the spiritual way for him to
dismiss ina few blundering and casual words, as he might any ordinary incid=
ent
ofevery-day life, I wondered? Also his idea of High Church observances wasn=
ot
mine, or, I imagine, that of anybody else. But I will not attempt toset it =
out.
His peculiarities, however, were easy to excuse
and entirely swallowedup by the innate goodness of his nature which soon ma=
de
him beloved ofeveryone in the place, for although he thought that probably =
most
thingswere sins, I never knew him to discover a sin which he considered to
bebeyond the reach of forgiveness. Bastin was indeed a most charitable mana=
nd
in his way wide-minded.
The person whom I could not tolerate, however,=
was
his wife, who, tomy fancy, more resembled a vessel, a very unattractive ves=
sel,
full ofvinegar than a woman. Her name was Sarah and she was small, plain,
flat,sandy-haired and odious, quite obsessed, moreover, with her jealousies=
of
the Rev. Basil, at whom it pleased her to suppose that every woman inthe
countryside under fifty was throwing herself.
Here I will confess that to the best of my abi=
lity
I took care that theydid in outward seeming, that is, whenever she was pres=
ent,
instructingthem to sit aside with him in darkened corners, to present him
withflowers, and so forth. Several of them easily fell into the humour ofthe
thing, and I have seen him depart from a dinner-party followed bythat glowe=
ring
Sarah, with a handful of rosebuds and violets, to saynothing of the traditi=
onal
offerings of slippers, embroidered markersand the like. Well, it was my only
way of coming even with her, which Ithink she knew, for she hated me
poisonously.
So much for Basil Bastin. Now for Bickley. Him=
I
had met on severaloccasions since our college days, and after I was settled=
at
the Prioryfrom time to time I asked him to stay with me. At length he came,
andI found out that he was not at all comfortable in his London practicewhi=
ch
was of a nature uncongenial to him; further, that he did not geton with his
partners. Then, after reflection, I made a suggestionto him. I pointed out
that, owing to its popularity amongst seasidevisitors, the neighbourhood of
Fulcombe was a rising one, and thatalthough there were doctors in it, there=
was
no really first-classsurgeon for miles.
Now Bickley was a first-class surgeon, having =
held
very high hospitalappointments, and indeed still holding them. Why, I asked,
should henot come and set up here on his own? I would appoint him doctor to=
the
estate and also give him charge of a cottage hospital which I wasendowing, =
with
liberty to build and arrange it as he liked. Further, asI considered that it
would be of great advantage to me to have a man ofreal ability within reach=
, I
would guarantee for three years whateverincome he was earning in London.
He thanked me warmly and in the end acted on t=
he
idea, with startlingresults so far as his prospects were concerned. Very so=
on
his reallyremarkable skill became known and he was earning more money than =
as
anunmarried man he could possibly want. Indeed, scarcely a big operationtook
place at any town within twenty miles, and even much farther away,at which =
he
was not called in to assist.
Needless to say his advent was a great boon to=
me,
for as he lived in ahouse I let him quite near by, whenever he had a spare
evening he woulddrop in to dinner, and from our absolutely opposite standpo=
ints
wediscussed all things human and divine. Thus I was enabled to sharpenmy wi=
ts
upon the hard steel of his clear intellect which was yet, in asense, so
limited.
I must add that I never converted him to my wa=
y of
thinking and henever converted me to his, any more than he converted Bastin,
forwhom, queerly enough, he had a liking. They pounded away at each
other,Bickley frequently getting the best of it in the argument, and when
atlast Bastin rose to go, he generally made the same remark. It was:
"It really is sad, my dear Bickley, to fi=
nd a
man of your intellectso utterly wrongheaded and misguided. I have convicted=
you
of error atleast half a dozen times, and not to confess it is mere
pigheadedness.Good night. I am sure that Sarah will be sitting up for me.&q=
uot;
"Silly old idiot!" Bickley would say,
shaking his fist after him. "Theonly way to get him to see the truth w=
ould
be to saw his head open andpour it in."
Then we would both laugh.
Such were my two most intimate friends, althou=
gh I
admit it was ratherlike the equator cultivating close relationships with the
north andsouth poles. Certainly Bastin was as far from Bickley as those
pointsof the earth are apart, while I. as it were, sat equally distant
betweenthe two. However, we were all very happy together, since in
certaincharacters, there are few things that bind men more closely thanprof=
ound
differences of opinion.
Now I must turn to my more personal affairs. A=
fter
all, it is impossiblefor a man to satisfy his soul, if he has anything of t=
he
sort about himwhich in the remotest degree answers to that description, with
the husksof wealth, luxury and indolence, supplemented by occasional
theologicaland other arguments between his friends; Becoming profoundly
convincedof this truth, I searched round for something to do and, like
Noah'sdove on the waste of waters, found nothing. Then I asked Bickley
andBastin for their opinions as to my best future course. Bickley proved
abarren draw. He rubbed his nose and feebly suggested that I might goin for
"research work," which, of course, only represented his ownambiti=
ons.
I asked him indignantly how I could do such a thing withoutany scientific
qualifications whatever. He admitted the difficulty, butreplied that I might
endow others who had the qualifications.
"In short, become a mulch cow for sucking
scientists," I replied, andbroke off the conversation.
Bastin's idea was, first, that I should teach =
in a
Sunday School;secondly, that if this career did not satisfy all my aspirati=
ons,
Imight be ordained and become a missionary.
On my rejection of this brilliant advice, he
remarked that the onlyother thing he could think of was that I should get
married and have alarge family, which might possibly advantage the nation a=
nd
ultimatelyenrich the Kingdom of Heaven, though of such things no one couldbe
quite sure. At any rate, he was certain that at present I was inpractice
neglecting my duty, whatever it might be, and in fact one ofthose cumberers=
of
the earth who, he observed in the newspaper he tookin and read when he had
time, were "very happily named--the idle rich."
"Which reminds me," he added, "= that the clothing-club finances are ina perfectly scandalous condition; in fact,= it is £25 in debt, an amountthat as the squire of the parish I consider it incumbent on you to makegood, not as a charity but as an obligation."<= o:p>
"Look here, my friend," I said, igno=
ring
all the rest, "will you answerme a plain question? Have you found marr=
iage
such a success that youconsider it your duty to recommend it to others? And=
if
you have, whyhave you not got the large family of which you speak?"
"Of course not," he replied with his
usual frankness. "Indeed, it is inmany ways so disagreeable that I am
convinced it must be right and forthe good of all concerned. As regards the
family I am sure I do notknow, but Sarah never liked babies, which perhaps =
has
something to dowith it."
Then he sighed, adding, "You see, Arbuthn=
ot,
we have to take things aswe find them in this world and hope for a
better."
"Which is just what I am trying to do, you
unilluminating old donkey!" Iexclaimed, and left him there shaking his
head over matters in general,but I think principally over Sarah.
By the way, I think that the villagers recogni=
sed
this good lady'svinegary nature. At least, they used to call her "Sour
Sal."
Now what Bastin had said about marriage stuck =
in
my mind as hisblundering remarks had a way of doing, perhaps because of the
grainof honest truth with which they were often permeated. Probably in
myposition it was more or less my duty to marry. But here came the rub;I had
never experienced any leanings that way. I was as much a man asothers, more=
so
than many are, perhaps, and I liked women, but at thesame time they repelled
me.
My old fastidiousness came in; to my taste the=
re
was always somethingwrong about them. While they attracted one part of my
nature theyrevolted another part, and on the whole I preferred to do without
theirintimate society, rather than work violence to this second and higherp=
art
of me. Moreover, quite at the beginning of my career I hadconcluded from
observation that a man gets on better in life alone,rather than with anothe=
r to
drag at his side, or by whom perhaps he mustbe dragged. Still true marriage,
such as most men and some women havedreamed of in their youth, had always b=
een
one of my ideals; indeed itwas on and around this vision that I wrote that
first book of mine whichwas so successful. Since I knew this to be unattain=
able
in our imperfectconditions, however, notwithstanding Bastin's strictures, a=
gain
Idismissed the whole matter from my mind as a vain imagination.
As an alternative I reflected upon a parliamen=
tary
career which I wasnot too old to begin, and even toyed with one or two
opportunities thatoffered themselves, as these do to men of wealth and adva=
nced
views.They never came to anything, for in the end I decided that Partypolit=
ics
were so hateful and so dishonest, that I could not bring myselfto put my ne=
ck
beneath their yoke. I was sure that if I tried to doso, I should fail more =
completely
than I had done at the Bar and inLiterature. Here, too, I am quite certain =
that
I was right.
The upshot of it all was that I sought refuge =
in
that last expedient ofweary Englishmen, travel, not as a globe-trotter, but
leisurely and withan inquiring mind, learning much but again finding, like =
the
ancientwriter whom I have quoted already, that there is no new thing under
thesun; that with certain variations it is the same thing over and overagai=
n.
No, I will make an exception, the East did int=
erest
me enormously. Thereit was, at Benares, that I came into touch with certain
thinkers whoopened my eyes to a great deal. They released some hidden spring
inmy nature which hitherto had always been striving to break through thecru=
st
of our conventions and inherited ideas. I know now that what Iwas seeking w=
as
nothing less than the Infinite; that I had "immortallongings in me.&qu=
ot;
I listened to all their solemn talk of epochs and yearsmeasureless to man, =
and
reflected with a thrill that after all man mighthave his part in every one =
of
them. Yes, that bird of passage as heseemed to be, flying out of darkness i=
nto
darkness, still he might havespread his wings in the light of other suns
millions upon millions ofyears ago, and might still spread them, grown radi=
ant
and glorious,millions upon millions of years hence in a time unborn.
If only I could know the truth. Was Life
(according to Bickley) merelya short activity bounded by nothingness before=
and
behind; or (accordingto Bastin) a conventional golden-harped and haloed
immortality, a wordof which he did not in the least understand the meaning?=
Or was it something quite different from eithe=
r of
these, something vastand splendid beyond the reach of vision, something
God-sent, beginningand ending in the Eternal Absolute and at last partaking=
of
Hisattributes and nature and from aeon to aeon shot through with His light?=
And
how was the truth to be learned? I asked my Eastern friends, andthey talked
vaguely of long ascetic preparation, of years upon years oflearning, from w=
hom
I could not quite discover. I was sure it could notbe from them, because
clearly they did not know; they only passed onwhat they had heard elsewhere,
when or how they either could not orwould not explain. So at length I gave =
it
up, having satisfied myselfthat all this was but an effort of Oriental
imagination called into lifeby the sweet influences of the Eastern stars.
I gave it up and went away, thinking that I sh=
ould
forget. But I didnot forget. I was quick with a new hope, or at any rate wi=
th a
newaspiration, and that secret child of holy desire grew and grew withinmy
soul, till at length it flashed upon me that this soul of mine wasitself the
hidden Master from which I must learn my lesson. No wonderthat those Eastern
friends could not give his name, seeing that whateverthey really knew, as
distinguished from what they had heard, and it waslittle enough, each of th=
em
had learned from the teaching of his ownsoul.
Thus, then, I too became a dreamer with only o=
ne
longing, the longingfor wisdom, for that spirit touch which should open my =
eyes
and enableme to see.
Yet now it happened strangely enough that when=
I
seemed within myselfto have little further interest in the things of the wo=
rld,
and leastof all in women, I, who had taken another guest to dwell with me,t=
hose
things of the world came back to me and in the shape of Woman theInevitable.
Probably it was so decreed since is it not written that noman can live to
himself alone, or lose himself in watching and nurturingthe growth of his o=
wn
soul?
It happened thus. I went to Rome on my way home
from India, and stayedthere a while. On the day after my arrival I wrote my
name in the bookof our Minister to Italy at that time, Sir Alfred Upton, not
because Iwished him to ask me to dinner, but for the reason that I had heard
ofhim as a man of archeological tastes and thought that he might enable meto
see things which otherwise I should not see.
As it chanced he knew about me through some of=
my
Devonshire neighbourswho were friends of his, and did ask me to dinner on t=
he
followingnight. I accepted and found myself one of a considerable party, so=
me
ofthem distinguished English people who wore Orders, as is customary whenone
dines with the representative of our Sovereign. Seeing these, andthis shows
that in the best of us vanity is only latent, for the firsttime in my life I
was sorry that I had none and was only plain Mr.Arbuthnot who, as Sir Alfred
explained to me politely, must go in todinner last, because all the rest had
titles, and without even a lady asthere was not one to spare.
Nor was my lot bettered when I got there, as I
found myself seatedbetween an Italian countess and a Russian prince, neithe=
r of
whom couldtalk English, while, alas, I knew no foreign language, not even
Frenchin which they addressed me, seeming surprised that I did not
understandthem. I was humiliated at my own ignorance, although in fact I was
notignorant, only my education had been classical. Indeed I was a goodclass=
ic
and had kept up my knowledge more or less, especially since Ibecame an idle
man. In my confusion it occurred to me that the Italiancountess might know
Latin from which her own language was derived, andaddressed her in that ton=
gue.
She stared, and Sir Alfred, who was notfar off and overheard me (he also kn=
ew
Latin), burst into laughter andproceeded to explain the joke in a loud voic=
e,
first in French andthen in English, to the assembled company, who all became
infected withmerriment and also stared at me as a curiosity.
Then it was that for the first time I saw Nata=
lie,
for owing toa mistake of my driver I had arrived rather late and had not
beenintroduced to her. As her father's only daughter, her mother being dead=
,she
was seated at the end of the table behind a fan-like arrangement ofwhite
Madonna lilies, and she had bent forward and, like the others, waslooking at
me, but in such a fashion that her head from that distanceseemed as though =
it
were surrounded and crowned with lilies. Indeed thegreatest art could not h=
ave
produced a more beautiful effect which was,however, really one of naked
accident.
An angel looking down upon earth through the
lilies of Heaven--that wasthe rather absurd thought which flashed into my m=
ind.
I did not quiterealise her face at first except that it seemed to be both d=
ark
andfair; as a fact her waving hair which grew rather low upon her forehead,=
was
dark, and her large, soft eyes were grey. I did not know, and tothis moment=
I
do not know if she was really beautiful, but certainly thelight that shone
through those eyes of hers and seemed to be reflectedupon her delicate
features, was beauty itself. It was like that glowingthrough a thin vase of=
the
purest alabaster within which a lamp isplaced, and I felt this effect to ar=
ise
from no chance, like that of thelily-setting, but, as it were, from the lam=
p of
the spirit within.
Our eyes met, and I suppose that she saw the
wonder and admirationin mine. At any rate her amused smile faded, leaving t=
he
face ratherserious, though still sweetly serious, and a tinge of colour cre=
pt
overit as the first hue of dawn creeps into a pearly sky. Then she
withdrewherself behind the screen of lilies and for the rest of that
dinnerwhich I thought was never coming to an end, practically I saw her nom=
ore.
Only I noted as she passed out that although not tall, shewas rounded and
graceful in shape and that her hands were peculiarlydelicate.
Afterwards in the drawing-room her father, with
whom I had talked at thetable, introduced me to her, saying:
"My daughter is the real archaeologist, M=
r.
Arbuthnot, and I think ifyou ask her, she may be able to help you."
Then he bustled away to speak to some of his
important guests, from whomI think he was seeking political information.
"My father exaggerates," she said in=
a
soft and very sympathetic voice,"but perhaps"--and she motioned m=
e to
a seat at her side.
Then we talked of the places and things that I
more particularly desiredto see and, well, the end of it was that I went ba=
ck
to my hotel in lovewith Natalie; and as she afterwards confessed, she went =
to
bed in lovewith me.
It was a curious business, more like meeting a
very old friend from whomone had been separated by circumstances for a scor=
e of
years or so thananything else. We were, so to speak, intimate from the firs=
t;
weknew all about each other, although here and there was something
new,something different which we could not remember, lines of thought,veins=
of
memory which we did not possess in common. On one point I amabsolutely clea=
r:
it was not solely the everyday and ancient appeal ofwoman to man and man to=
woman
which drew us together, though doubtlessthis had its part in our attachment=
as
under our human conditions itmust do, seeing that it is Nature's bait to en=
sure
the continuance ofthe race. It was something more, something quite beyond t=
hat
elementaryimpulse.
At any rate we loved, and one evening in the
shelter of the solemnwalls of the great Coliseum at Rome, which at that hour
were shut toall except ourselves, we confessed our love. I really think we =
must
havechosen the spot by tacit but mutual consent because we felt it to
befitting. It was so old, so impregnated with every human experience,from t=
he
direst crime of the tyrant who thought himself a god, to thesublimest sacri=
fice
of the martyr who already was half a god; with everyvice and virtue also wh=
ich
lies between these extremes, that it seemedto be the most fitting altar whe=
reon
to offer our hearts and all thatcaused them to beat, each to the other.
So Natalie and I were betrothed within a month=
of
our first meeting.Within three we were married, for what was there to preve=
nt
or delay?Naturally Sir Alfred was delighted, seeing that he possessed butsm=
all
private resources and I was able to make ample provision forhis daughter who
had hitherto shown herself somewhat difficult in thisbusiness of matrimony =
and
now was bordering on her twenty-seventh year.Everybody was delighted,
everything went smoothly as a sledge slidingdown a slope of frozen snow and=
the
mists of time hid whatever might beat the end of that slope. Probably a pla=
in;
at the worst the upward riseof ordinary life.
That is what we thought, if we thought at all.
Certainly we neverdreamed of a precipice. Why should we, who were young, by
comparison,quite healthy and very rich? Who thinks of precipices under
suchcircumstances, when disaster seems to be eliminated and death is yet al=
ong
way off?
And yet we ought to have done so, because we
should have known thatsmooth surfaces without impediment to the runners oft=
en
end in somethingof the kind.
I am bound to say that when we returned home to
Fulcombe, where ofcourse we met with a great reception, including the ringi=
ng
(out oftune) of the new peal of bells that I had given to the church,
Bastinmade haste to point this out.
"Your wife seems a very nice and beautiful
lady, Arbuthnot," hereflected aloud after dinner, when Mrs. Bastin,
glowering as usual,though what at I do not know, had been escorted from the
room byNatalie, "and really, when I come to think of it, you are an
unusuallyfortunate person. You possess a great deal of money, much more than
youhave any right to; which you seem to have done very little to earn anddo=
not
spend quite as I should like you to do, and this nice property,that ought t=
o be
owned by a great number of people, as, according tothe views you express, I
should have thought you would acknowledge, andeverything else that a man can
want. It is very strange that you shouldbe so favoured and not because of a=
ny
particular merits of your ownwhich one can see. However, I have no doubt it
will all come even in theend and you will get your share of troubles, like
others. Perhaps Mrs.Arbuthnot will have no children as there is so much for
them to take. Orperhaps you will lose all your money and have to work for y=
our
living,which might be good for you. Or," he added, still thinking aloud
afterhis fashion, "perhaps she will die young--she has that kind of
face,although, of course, I hope she won't," he added, waking up.
I do not know why, but his wandering words str=
uck
me cold; theproverbial funeral bell at the marriage feast was nothing to th=
em.
Isuppose it was because in a flash of intuition I knew that they wouldcome =
true
and that he was an appointed Cassandra. Perhaps this uncannyknowledge overc=
ame
my natural indignation at such super-gaucherie ofwhich no one but Bastin co=
uld
have been capable, and even prevented mefrom replying at all, so that I mer=
ely
sat still and looked at him.
But Bickley did reply with some vigour.
"Forgive me for saying so, Bastin," =
he
said, bristling all over as itwere, "but your remarks, which may or may
not be in accordance with theprinciples of your religion, seem to me to be =
in
singularly bad taste.They would have turned the stomachs of a gathering of
early Christians,who appear to have been the worst mannered people in the
world, and atany decent heathen feast your neck would have been wrung as th=
at
of abird of ill omen."
"Why?" asked Bastin blankly. "I
only said what I thought to be thetruth. The truth is better than what you =
call
good taste."
"Then I will say what I think also to be =
the
truth," replied Bickley,growing furious. "It is that you use your
Christianity as a cloak forbad manners. It teaches consideration and sympat=
hy
for others of whichyou seem to have none. Moreover, since you talk of the d=
eath
of people'swives, I will tell you something about your own, as a doctor, wh=
ich
Ican do as I never attended her. It is highly probable, in my opinion,that =
she
will die before Mrs. Arbuthnot, who is quite a healthy personwith a good
prospect of life."
"Perhaps," said Bastin. "If so,=
it
will be God's will and I shall notcomplain" (here Bickley snorted),
"though I do not see what you can knowabout it. But why should you cast
reflections on the early Christianswho were people of strong principle livi=
ng
in rough times, and had towage war against an established devil-worship? I =
know
you are angrybecause they smashed up the statues of Venus and so forth, but=
had
Ibeen in their place I should have done the same."
"Of course you would, who doubts it? But =
as
for the early Christians andtheir iconoclastic performances--well, curse th=
em,
that's all!" and hesprang up and left the room.
I followed him.
Let it not be supposed from the above scene th=
at
there was anyill-feeling between Bastin and Bickley. On the contrary they w=
ere
muchattached to each other, and this kind of quarrel meant no more thanthe
strong expression of their individual views to which they wereaccustomed fr=
om
their college days. For instance Bastin was alwaystalking about the early
Christians and missionaries, while Bickleyloathed both, the early Christians
because of the destruction whichthey had wrought in Egypt, Italy, Greece and
elsewhere, of all that wasbeautiful; and the missionaries because, as he sa=
id,
they were degradingand spoiling the native races and by inducing them to we=
ar
clothes,rendering them liable to disease. Bastin would answer that their
soulswere more important than their bodies, to which Bickley replied that
asthere was no such thing as a soul except in the stupid imagination ofprie=
sts,
he differed entirely on the point. As it was quite impossiblefor either to
convince the other, there the conversation would end, ordrift into somethin=
g in
which they were mutually interested, such asnatural history and the hygiene=
of
the neighbourhood.
Here I may state that Bickley's keen professio=
nal
eye was not mistakenwhen he diagnosed Mrs. Bastin's state of health as
dangerous. As amatter of fact she was suffering from heart disease that a
doctor canoften recognise by the colour of the lips, etc., which brought ab=
out
herdeath under the following circumstances:
Her husband attended some ecclesiastical funct=
ion
at a town over twentymiles away and was to have returned by a train which w=
ould
have broughthim home about five o'clock. As he did not arrive she waited at=
the
station for him until the last train came in about seveno'clock--without the
beloved Basil. Then, on a winter's night she toreup to the Priory and begge=
d me
to lend her a dog-cart in which to driveto the said town to look for him. I
expostulated against the folly ofsuch a proceeding, saying that no doubt Ba=
sil
was safe enough but hadforgotten to telegraph, or thought that he would save
the sixpence whichthe wire cost.
Then it came out, to Natalie's and my intense
amusement, that all thiswas the result of her jealous nature of which I have
spoken. She saidshe had never slept a night away from her husband since they
weremarried and with so many "designing persons" about she could =
not
saywhat might happen if she did so, especially as he was "such a
favouriteand so handsome." (Bastin was a fine looking man in his rugged
way.)
I suggested that she might have a little
confidence in him, to which shereplied darkly that she had no confidence in
anybody.
The end of it was that I lent her the cart wit=
h a
fast horse and a gooddriver, and off she went. Reaching the town in question
some two and ahalf hours later, she searched high and low through wind and
sleet, butfound no Basil. He, it appeared, had gone on to Exeter, to look at
thecathedral where some building was being done, and missing the last train=
had
there slept the night.
About one in the morning, after being nearly
locked up as a mad woman,she drove back to the Vicarage, again to find no
Basil. Even then shedid not go to bed but raged about the house in her wet
clothes, untilshe fell down utterly exhausted. When her husband did return =
on
thefollowing morning, full of information about the cathedral, she
wasdangerously ill, and actually passed away while uttering a violenttirade
against him for his supposed suspicious proceedings.
That was the end of this truly odious British
matron.
In after days Bastin, by some peculiar mental
process, canonised her inhis imagination as a kind of saint. "So
loving," he would say, "such adevoted wife! Why, my dear Humphrey=
, I
can assure you that even in themidst of her death-struggle her last thoughts
were of me," words thatcaused Bickley to snort with more than usual
vigour, until I kicked himto silence beneath the table.
Now I must tell of my own terrible sorrow, whi=
ch
turned my life tobitterness and my hopes to ashes.
Never were a man and a woman happier together =
than
I and Natalie.Mentally, physically, spiritually we were perfectly mated, an=
d we
lovedeach other dearly. Truly we were as one. Yet there was something about=
her
which filled me with vague fears, especially after she found thatshe was to
become a mother. I would talk to her of the child, but shewould sigh and sh=
ake
her head, her eyes filling with tears, and say thatwe must not count on the
continuance of such happiness as ours, for itwas too great.
I tried to laugh away her doubts, though whene=
ver
I did so I seemed tohear Bastin's slow voice remarking casually that she mi=
ght
die, as hemight have commented on the quality of the claret. At last, howev=
er,
Igrew terrified and asked her bluntly what she meant.
"I don't quite know, dearest," she
replied, "especially as I amwonderfully well. But--but--"
"But what?" I asked.
"But I think that our companionship is go=
ing
to be broken for a littlewhile."
"For a little while!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, Humphrey. I think that I shall be t=
aken
away from you--you knowwhat I mean," and she nodded towards the
churchyard.
"Oh, my God!" I groaned.
"I want to say this," she added quic=
kly,
"that if such a thing shouldhappen, as it happens every day, I implore
you, dearest Humphrey, not tobe too much distressed, since I am sure that y=
ou
will find me again.No, I can't explain how or when or where, because I do n=
ot
know. I haveprayed for light, but it has not come to me. All I know is that=
I
am nottalking of reunion in Mr. Bastin's kind of conventional heaven, which
hespeaks about as though to reach it one stumbled through darkness fora min=
ute
into a fine new house next door, where excellent servants hadmade everything
ready for your arrival and all the lights were turnedup. It is something qu=
ite
different from that and very much more real."
Then she bent down ostensibly to pat the head =
of a
little black cockerspaniel called Tommy which had been given to her as a pu=
ppy,
a highlyintelligent and affectionate animal that we both adored and that
lovedher as only a dog can love. Really, I knew, it was to hide her tears,a=
nd
fled from the room lest she should see mine.
As I went I heard the dog whimpering in a pecu=
liar
way, as though somesympathetic knowledge had been communicated to its wonde=
rful
animalintelligence.
That night I spoke to Bickley about the matter,
repeating exactly whathad passed. As I expected, he smiled in his grave, ra=
ther
sarcastic way,and made light of it.
"My dear Humphrey," he said, "d=
on't
torment yourself about such fancies.They are of everyday occurrence among w=
omen
in your wife's condition.Sometimes they take one form, sometimes another. W=
hen
she has got herbaby you will hear no more of them."
I tried to be comforted but in vain.
The days and weeks went by like a long nightma=
re
and in due course theevent happened. Bickley was not attending the case; it=
was
not inhis line, he said, and he preferred that where a friend's wife
wasconcerned, somebody else should be called in. So it was put in charge ofa
very good local man with a large experience in such domestic matters.
How am I to tell of it? Everything went wrong;=
as
for the details, letthem be. Ultimately Bickley did operate, and if surpass=
ing
skill couldhave saved her, it would have been done. But the other man had
misjudgedthe conditions; it was too late, nothing could help either mother
orchild, a little girl who died shortly after she was born but not beforeshe
had been christened, also by the name of Natalie.
I was called in to say farewell to my wife and
found her radiant,triumphant even in her weakness.
"I know now," she whispered in a fai=
nt
voice. "I understood as thechloroform passed away, but I cannot tell y=
ou.
Everything is quite well,my darling. Go where you seem called to go, far aw=
ay.
Oh! the wonderfulplace 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!"
Then she died. And for a time I too seemed to =
die,
but could not. Iburied her and the child here at Fulcombe; or rather I buri=
ed
theirashes since I could not endure that her beloved body should seecorrupt=
ion.
Afterwards, when all was over, I spoke of these
last words of Natalie'swith both Bickley and Bastin, for somehow I seemed to
wish to learntheir separate views.
The latter I may explain, had been present at =
the
end in his spiritualcapacity, but I do not think that he in the least
understood the natureof the drama which was passing before his eyes. His pr=
ayers
and thechristening absorbed all his attention, and he never was a man who
couldthink of more than one thing at a time.
When I told him exactly what had happened and
repeated the words thatNatalie spoke, he was much interested in his own
nebulous way, and saidthat it was delightful to meet with an example of a g=
ood
Christian, suchas my wife had been, who actually saw something of Heaven be=
fore
she hadgone there. His own faith was, he thanked God, fairly robust, but
stillan undoubted occurrence of the sort acted as a refreshment, "like
rainon a pasture when it is rather dry, you know," he added, breaking
intosimile.
I remarked that she had not seemed to speak in=
the
sense he indicated,but appeared to allude to something quite near at hand a=
nd
more or lessimmediate.
"I don't know that there is anything near=
er
at hand than the Hereafter,"he answered. "I expect she meant that=
you
will probably soon die andjoin her in Paradise, if you are worthy to do so.=
But
of course it isnot wise to put too much reliance upon words spoken by peopl=
e at
thelast, because often they don't quite know what they are saying.
Indeedsometimes I think this was so in the case of my own wife, who
reallyseemed to me to talk a good deal of rubbish. Good-bye, I promised to
seeWidow Jenkins this afternoon about having her varicose veins cut out,and=
I
mustn't stop here wasting time in pleasant conversation. Shethinks just as =
much
of her varicose veins as we do of the loss of ourwives."
I wonder what Bastin's ideas of unpleasant
conversation may be, thoughtI to myself, as I watched him depart already
wool-gathering on someother subject, probably the heresy of one of those
"early fathers" whooccupied most of his thoughts.
Bickley listened to my tale in sympathetic
silence, as a doctor does toa patient. When he was obliged to speak, he said
that it was interestingas an example of a tendency of certain minds towards
romantic visionwhich sometimes asserts itself, even in the throes of death.=
"You know," he added, "that I p=
ut
faith in none of these things. Iwish that I could, but reason and science b=
oth
show me that they lackfoundation. The world on the whole is a sad place, wh=
ere
we arrivethrough the passions of others implanted in them by Nature,
which,although it cares nothing for individual death, is tender towards
theimpulse of races of every sort to preserve their collective life.Indeed =
the
impulse is Nature, or at least its chief manifestation.Consequently, whethe=
r we
be gnats or elephants, or anything between andbeyond, even stars for aught I
know, we must make the best of things asthey are, taking the good and the e=
vil
as they come and getting all wecan out of life until it leaves us, after wh=
ich
we need not trouble.You had a good time for a little while and were happy in
it; now youare having a bad time and are wretched. Perhaps in the future, w=
hen
yourmental balance has re-asserted itself, you will have other good times i=
nthe
afternoon of your days, and then follow twilight and the dark. Thatis all t=
here
is to hope for, and we may as well look the thing in theface. Only I confes=
s,
my dear fellow, that your experience convinces methat marriage should be
avoided at whatever inconvenience. Indeed Ihave long wondered that anyone c=
an
take the responsibility of bringinga child into the world. But probably nob=
ody
does in cold blood, exceptmisguided idiots like Bastin," he added.
"He would have twenty, had nothis luck intervened."
"Then you believe in nothing, Friend,&quo=
t; I
said.
"Nothing, I am sorry to say, except what I
see and my five sensesappreciate."
"You reject all possibility of miracle, f=
or
instance?"
"That depends on what you mean by miracle.
Science shows us all kindsof wonders which our great grandfathers would have
called miracles, butthese are nothing but laws that we are beginning to
understand. Give mean instance."
"Well," I replied at hazard, "if
you were assured by someone that a mancould live for a thousand years?"=
;
"I should tell him that he was a fool or a
liar, that is all. It isimpossible."
"Or that the same identity, spirit, anima=
ting
principle--call it whatyou will--can flit from body to body, say in success=
ive
ages? Or thatthe dead can communicate with the living?"
"Convince me of any of these things,
Arbuthnot, and mind you I desireto be convinced, and I will take back every
word I have said and walkthrough Fulcombe in a white sheet proclaiming myse=
lf
the fool. Now, Imust get off to the Cottage Hospital to cut out Widow Jenki=
ns's
varicoseveins. They are tangible and real at any rate; about the largest I
eversaw, indeed. Give up dreams, old boy, and take to something useful.
Youmight go back to your fiction writing; you seem to have leanings thatway,
and you know you need not publish the stories, except privately forthe
edification of your friends."
With this Parthian shaft Bickley took his
departure to make a job ofWidow Jenkins's legs.
I took his advice. During the next few months I
did write somethingwhich occupied my thoughts for a while, more or less. It
lies in my safeto this minute, for somehow I have never been able to make u=
p my
mind toburn what cost me so much physical and mental toil.
When it was finished my melancholy returned to=
me
with added force.Everything in the house took a tongue and cried to me of p=
ast
days.Its walls echoed a voice that I could never hear again; in the
verylooking-glasses I saw the reflection of a lost presence. Although I
hadmoved myself for the purposes of sleep to a little room at the furtheren=
d of
the building, footsteps seemed to creep about my bed at nightand I heard the
rustle of a remembered dress without the door. The placegrew hateful to me.=
I
felt that I must get away from it or I should gomad.
One afternoon Bastin arrived carrying a book a=
nd
in a state of highindignation. This work, written, as he said, by some riba=
ld
traveller,grossly traduced the character of missionaries to the South Sea
Islands,especially of those of the Society to which he subscribed, and he
threwit on the table in his righteous wrath. Bickley picked it up and opene=
dit
at a photograph of a very pretty South Sea Island girl clad in a fewflowers=
and
nothing else, which he held towards Bastin, saying:
"Is it to this child of Nature that you
object? I call her distinctlyattractive, though perhaps she does wear her
hibiscus blooms with adifference to our women--a little lower down."
"The devil is always attractive,"
replied Bastin gloomily. "Child ofNature indeed! I call her Child of S=
in.
That photograph is enough tomake my poor Sarah turn in her grave."
"Why?" asked Bickley; "seeing t=
hat
wide seas roll between you and thisdusky Venus. Also I thought that accordi=
ng
to your Hebrew legend sincame in with bark garments."
"You should search the Scriptures,
Bickley," I broke in, "and cultivateaccuracy. It was fig-leaves t=
hat
symbolised its arrival. The garments,which I think were of skin, developed
later."
"Perhaps," went on Bickley, who had
turned the page, "she" (he referredto the late Mrs. Bastin)
"would have preferred her thus," and he held upanother illustrati=
on
of the same woman.
In this the native belle appeared after
conversion, clad in broken-downstays--I suppose they were stays--out of whi=
ch
she seemed to bulge andflow in every direction, a dirty white dress several
sizes too small,a kind of Salvation Army bonnet without a crown and a
prayer-book whichshe held pressed to her middle; the general effect being
hideous, and insome curious way, improper.
"Certainly," said Bastin, "thou=
gh I
admit her clothes do not seem tofit and she has not buttoned them up as she
ought. But it is not of thepictures so much as of the letterpress with its
false and scandalousaccusations, that I complain."
"Why do you complain?" asked Bickley.
"Probably it is quite true, thoughthat we could never ascertain without
visiting the lady's home."
"If I could afford it," exclaimed Ba=
stin
with rising anger, "I shouldlike to go there and expose this vile trad=
ucer
of my cloth."
"So should I," answered Bickley,
"and expose these introducers ofconsumption, measles and other European
diseases, to say nothing of gin,among an innocent and Arcadian people."=
;
"How can you call them innocent, Bickley,
when they murder and eatmissionaries?"
"I dare say we should all eat a missionar=
y,
Bastin, if we were hungryenough," was the answer, after which something
occurred to change theconversation.
But I kept the book and read it as a neutral
observer, and came to theconclusion that these South Sea Islands, a land wh=
ere
it was alwaysafternoon, must be a charming place, in which perhaps the stars
ofthe Tropics and the scent of the flowers might enable one to forget alitt=
le,
or at least take the edge off memory. Why should I not visitthem and escape
another long and dreary English winter? No, I could notdo so alone. If Bast=
in
and Bickley were there, their eternal argumentsmight amuse me. Well, why sh=
ould
they not come also? When one has moneythings can always be arranged.
The idea, which had its root in this absurd
conversation, took a curioushold on me. I thought of it all the evening, be=
ing
alone, and that nightit re-arose in my dreams. I dreamed that my lost Natal=
ie
appeared to meand showed me a picture. It was of a long, low land, a curving
shoreof which the ends were out of the picture, whereon grew tall palms,
andwhere great combers broke upon gleaming sand.
Then the picture seemed to become a reality an=
d I
saw Natalie herself,strangely changeful in her aspect, strangely varying in
face and figure,strangely bright, standing in the mouth of a pass whereof t=
he
littlebordering cliffs were covered with bushes and low trees, whose greenw=
as
almost hid in lovely flowers. There in my dream she stood, smilingmysteriou=
sly,
and stretched out her arms towards me.
As I awoke I seemed to hear her voice, repeati=
ng
her dying words: "Gowhere you seem called to go, far away. Oh! the
wonderful place in whichyou will find me, not knowing that you have found
me."
With some variations this dream visited me twi=
ce
that night. In themorning I woke up quite determined that I would go to the
South SeaIslands, even if I must do so alone. On that same evening Bastin
andBickley dined with me. I said nothing to them about my dream, for
Bastinnever dreamed and Bickley would have set it down to indigestion. Butw=
hen
the cloth had been cleared away and we were drinking our glassof port--both
Bastin and Bickley only took one, the former because heconsidered port a si=
nful
indulgence of the flesh, the latter because hefeared it would give him gout=
--I
remarked casually that they both lookedvery run down and as though they wan=
ted
a rest. They agreed, at leasteach of them said he had noticed it in the oth=
er.
Indeed Bastin addedthat the damp and the cold in the church, in which he he=
ld
dailyservices to no congregation except the old woman who cleaned it, hadgi=
ven
him rheumatism, which prevented him from sleeping.
"Do call things by their proper names,&qu=
ot;
interrupted Bickley. "I toldyou yesterday that what you are suffering =
from
is neuritis in your rightarm, which will become chronic if you neglect it m=
uch
longer. I have thesame thing myself, so I ought to know, and unless I can s=
top
operatingfor a while I believe my fingers will become useless. Also somethi=
ng
isaffecting my sight, overstrain, I suppose, so that I am obliged to
wearstronger and stronger glasses. I think I shall have to leave Ogden"
(hispartner) "in charge for a while, and get away into the sun. There
isnone here before June."
"I would if I could pay a locum tenens and
were quite sure it isn'twrong," said Bastin.
"I am glad you both think like that,"=
; I
remarked, "as I have asuggestion to make to you. I want to go to the S=
outh
Seas about which wewere talking yesterday, to get the thorough change that
Bickley has beenadvising for me, and I should be very grateful if you would
both come asmy guests. You, Bickley, make so much money out of cutting peop=
le
about,that you can arrange your own affairs during your absence. But as for=
you,
Bastin, I will see to the wherewithal for the locum tenens, andeverything
else."
"You are very kind," said Bastin,
"and certainly I should like to exposethat misguided author, who proba=
bly
published his offensive work withoutthinking that what he wrote might affect
the subscriptions to themissionary societies, also to show Bickley that he =
is
not always right,as he seems to think. But I could never dream of accepting
without thefull approval of the Bishop."
"You might get that of your nurse also, if
she happens to be stillalive," mocked Bickley. "As for his Lordsh=
ip,
I don't think he willraise any objection when he sees the certificate I will
give you aboutthe state of your health. He is a great believer in me ever s=
ince
Itook that carbuncle out of his neck which he got because he will not
eatenough. As for me, I mean to come if only to show you how continuallyand
persistently you are wrong. But, Arbuthnot, how do you mean to go?"
"I don't know. In a mail steamer, I
suppose."
"If you can run to it, a yacht would be m=
uch
better."
"That's a good idea, for one could get ou=
t of
the beaten tracks andsee the places that are never, or seldom, visited. I w=
ill
make someinquiries. And now, to celebrate the occasion, let us all have
anotherglass of port and drink a toast."
They hesitated and were lost, Bastin murmuring
something about doingwithout his stout next day as a penance. Then they both
asked what wasthe toast, each of them, after thought, suggesting that it sh=
ould
be theutter confusion of the other.
I shook my head, whereon as a result of further
cogitation, Bastinsubmitted that the Unknown would be suitable. Bickley said
that hethought this a foolish idea as everything worth knowing was
alreadyknown, and what was the good of drinking to the rest? A toast to
theTruth would be better.
A notion came to me.
"Let us combine them," I said, "=
;and
drink to the Unknown Truth."
So we did, though Bastin grumbled that the
performance made him feellike Pilate.
"We are all Pilates in our way," I
replied with a sigh.
"That is what I think every time I diagno=
se a
case," exclaimed Bickley.
As for me I laughed and for some unknown reason
felt happier than Ihad done for months. Oh! if only the writer of that tour=
ist
tale of theSouth Sea Islands could have guessed what fruit his light-thrown
seedwould yield to us and to the world!
I made my inquiries through a London agency wh=
ich
hired out yachts orsold them to the idle rich. As I expected, there were pl=
enty
to be had,at a price, but wealthy as I was, the figure asked of the buyer of
anysuitable craft, staggered me. In the end, however, I chartered onefor six
months certain and at so much per month for as long as I likedafterwards. T=
he
owners paid insurance and everything else on conditionthat they appointed t=
he
captain and first mate, also the engineer, forthis yacht, which was named S=
tar
of the South, could steam at about tenknots as well as sail.
I know nothing about yachts, and therefore sha=
ll
not attempt to describeher, further than to say that she was of five hundred
and fifty tonsburden, very well constructed, and smart to look at, as well =
she
mightbe, seeing that a deceased millionaire from whose executors I hired he=
rhad
spent a fortune in building and equipping her in the best possiblestyle. In
all, her crew consisted of thirty-two hands. A peculiarity ofthe vessel was
that owing to some fancy of the late owner, the passengeraccommodation, whi=
ch
was splendid, lay forward of the bridge, this withthe ship's store-rooms, r=
efrigerating
chamber, etc., being almost in thebows. It was owing to these arrangements,
which were unusual, that theexecutors found it impossible to sell, and were
therefore glad to acceptsuch an offer as mine in order to save expenses.
Perhaps they hoped thatshe might go to the bottom, being heavily insured. If
so, the Fates didnot disappoint them.
The captain, named Astley, was a jovial person=
who
held every kind ofcertificate. He seemed so extraordinarily able at his
business thatpersonally I suspected him of having made mistakes in the cour=
se
of hiscareer, not unconnected with the worship of Bacchus. In this I believ=
eI
was right; otherwise a man of such attainments would have beencommanding
something bigger than a private yacht. The first mate,Jacobsen, was a
melancholy Dane, a spiritualist who played theconcertina, and seemed to be =
able
to do without sleep. The crew were amixed lot, good men for the most part a=
nd
quite unobjectionable, morethan half of them being Scandinavian. I think th=
at
is all I need sayabout the Star of the South.
The arrangement was that the Star of the South
should proceed throughthe Straits of Gibraltar to Marseilles, where we would
join her, andthence travel via the Suez Canal, to Australia and on to the S=
outh
Seas,returning home as our fancy or convenience might dictate.
All the first part of the plan we carried out =
to
the letter. Of theremainder I say nothing at present.
The Star of the South was amply provided with
every kind of store. Amongthem were medicines and surgical instruments,
selected by Bickley, anda case of Bibles and other religious works in sundry
languages of theSouth Seas, selected by Bastin, whose bishop, when he
understood thepious objects of his journey, had rather encouraged than
hinderedhis departure on sick leave, and a large number of novels, books
ofreference, etc., laid in by myself. She duly sailed from the Thames
andreached Marseilles after a safe and easy passage, where all three of
usboarded her.
I forgot to add that she had another passenger,
the little spaniel,Tommy. I had intended to leave him behind, but while I w=
as
packing up hefollowed me about with such evident understanding of my purpose
that myheart was touched. When I entered the motor to drive to the station
heescaped from the hands of the servant, whimpering, and took refuge on myk=
nee.
After this I felt that Destiny intended him to be our companion.Moreover, w=
as
he not linked with my dead past, and, had I but known it,with my living fut=
ure
also?
We enjoyed our voyage exceedingly. In Egypt, a
land I was glad torevisit, we only stopped a week while the Star of the Sou=
th,
which werejoined at Suez, coaled and went through the Canal. This, however,
gaveus time to spend a few days in Cairo, visit the Pyramids and Sakkarawhi=
ch
Bastin and Bickley had never seen before, and inspect the greatMuseum. The
journey up the Nile was postponed until our return. It wasa pleasant break =
and
gave Bickley, a most omnivorous reader who was wellacquainted with Egyptian
history and theology, the opportunity of tryingto prove to Bastin that
Christianity was a mere development of theancient Egyptian faith. The argum=
ents
that ensued may be imagined.It never seemed to occur to either of them that=
all
faiths may be andindeed probably are progressive; in short, different rays =
of
lightthrown from the various facets of the same crystal, as in turn these
areshone upon by the sun of Truth.
Our passage down the Red Sea was cool and
agreeable. Thence we shapedour course for Ceylon. Here again we stopped a
little while to run upto Kandy and to visit the ruined city of Anarajapura =
with
its greatBuddhist topes that once again gave rise to religious argument
betweenmy two friends. Leaving Ceylon we struck across the Indian Ocean
forPerth in Western Australia.
It was a long voyage, since to save our coal we
made most of itunder canvas. However, we were not dull as Captain Astley wa=
s a
goodcompanion, and even out of the melancholy Dane, Jacobsen, we
hadentertainment. He insisted on holding seances in the cabin, at which
theusual phenomena occurred. The table twisted about, voices were heard
andJacobsen's accordion wailed out tunes above our heads. These happeningsd=
rove
Bickley to a kind of madness, for here were events which he couldnot explai=
n.
He was convinced that someone was playing tricks upon him,and devised the m=
ost
elaborate snares to detect the rogue, entirelywithout result.
First he accused Jacobsen, who was very indign=
ant,
and then me, wholaughed. In the end Jacobsen and I left the "circle&qu=
ot;
and the cabin,which was locked behind us; only Bastin and Bickley remaining
there inthe dark. Presently we heard sounds of altercation, and Bickley
emergedlooking very red in the face, followed by Bastin, who was saying:
"Can I help it if something pulled your n=
ose
and snatched off youreyeglasses, which anyhow are quite useless to you when
there is nolight? Again, is it possible for me, sitting on the other side of
thattable, to have placed the concertina on your head and made it play
theNational Anthem, a thing that I have not the slightest idea how to do?&q=
uot;
"Please do not try to explain," snap=
ped
Bickley. "I am perfectly awarethat you deceived me somehow, which no d=
oubt
you think a good joke."
"My dear fellow," I interrupted,
"is it possible to imagine old Basildeceiving anyone?"
"Why not," snorted Bickley, "se=
eing
that he deceives himself from oneyear's end to the other?"
"I think," said Bastin, "that t=
his
is an unholy business and that we areboth deceived by the devil. I will hav=
e no
more to do with it," and hedeparted to his cabin, probably to say some
appropriate prayers.
After this the seances were given up but Jacob=
sen
produced an instrumentcalled a planchette and with difficulty persuaded Bic=
kley
to try it,which he did after many precautions. The thing, a heart-shaped
pieceof wood mounted on wheels and with a pencil stuck at its narrow
end,cantered about the sheet of paper on which it was placed, Bickley,
whosehands rested upon it, staring at the roof of the cabin. Then it began
toscribble and after a while stopped still.
"Will the Doctor look?" said Jacobse=
n.
"Perhaps the spirits have toldhim something."
"Oh! curse all this silly talk about
spirits," exclaimed Bickley, as hearranged his eyeglasses and held up =
the
paper to the light, for it wasafter dinner.
He stared, then with an exclamation which I wi=
ll
not repeat, and aglance of savage suspicion at the poor Dane and the rest of
us, threwit down and left the cabin. I picked it up and next moment was
screamingwith laughter. There on the top of the sheet was a rough but
entirelyrecognizable portrait of Bickley with the accordion on his head,
andunderneath, written in a delicate, Italian female hand, absolutelydiffer=
ent
from his own, were these words taken from one of St.
Paul'sEpistles--"Oppositions of science falsely so called."
Underneath themagain in a scrawling, schoolboy fist, very like Bastin's, was
inscribed,"Tell us how this is done, you silly doctor, who think yours=
elf
soclever."
"It seems that the devil really can quote
Scripture," was Bastin's onlycomment, while Jacobsen stared before him=
and
smiled.
Bickley never alluded to the matter, but for d=
ays
afterwards I saw himexperimenting with paper and chemicals, evidently tryin=
g to
discovera form of invisible ink which would appear upon the application of
thehand. As he never said anything about it, I fear that he failed.
This planchette business had a somewhat curious
ending. A few nightslater Jacobsen was working it and asked me to put a
question. To obligehim I inquired on what day we should reach Fremantle, the
port of Perth.It wrote an answer which, I may remark, subsequently proved t=
o be
quitecorrect.
"That is not a good question," said
Jacobsen, "since as a sailor I mightguess the reply. Try again, Mr.
Arbuthnot."
"Will anything remarkable happen on our
voyage to the South Seas?" Iinquired casually.
The planchette hesitated a while then wrote
rapidly and stopped.Jacobsen took up the paper and began to read the answer
aloud--"To A,B the D, and B the C, the most remarkable things will hap=
pen that
havehappened to men living in the world."
"That must mean me, Bickley the doctor and
Bastin the clergyman," Isaid, laughing.
Jacobsen paid no attention, for he was reading
what followed. As he didso I saw his face turn white and his eyes begin to =
start
from his head.Then suddenly he tore the paper in pieces which he thrust into
hispocket. Lifting his great fist he uttered some Danish oath and with asin=
gle
blow smashed the planchette to fragments, after which he strodeaway, leavin=
g me
astonished and somewhat disturbed. When I met him thenext morning I asked h=
im
what was on the paper.
"Oh!" he said quietly, "somethi=
ng I
should not like you too-properEnglish gentlemens to see. Something not nice.
You understand. Thosespirits not always good; they do that kind of thing
sometimes. That'swhy I broke up this planchette."
Then he began to talk of something else and th=
ere
the matter ended.
I should have said that, principally with a vi=
ew
to putting themselvesin a position to confute each other, ever since we had
started fromMarseilles both Bastin and Bickley spent a number of hours each=
day
inassiduous study of the language of the South Sea Islands. It became akind=
of
competition between them as to which could learn the most.Now Bastin, altho=
ugh
simple and even stupid in some ways, was a goodscholar, and as I knew at
college, had quite a faculty for acquiringlanguages in which he had taken h=
igh
marks at examinations. Bickley,too, was an extraordinarily able person with=
an
excellent memory,especially when he was on his mettle. The result was that
before weever reached a South Sea island they had a good working knowledge =
of
thelocal tongues.
As it chanced, too, at Perth we picked up a Sa=
moan
and his wife who,under some of the "white Australia" regulations,
were not allowed toremain in the country and offered to work as servants in
return for apassage to Apia where we proposed to call some time or other. W=
ith
thesepeople Bastin and Bickley talked all day long till really they
becamefairly proficient in their soft and beautiful dialect. They wished me
tolearn also, but I said that with two such excellent interpreters and
thenatives while they remained with us, it seemed quite unnecessary. Still,I
picked up a good deal in a quiet way, as much as they did perhaps.
At length, travelling on and on as a voyager to
the planet Mars mightdo, we sighted the low shores of Australia and that sa=
me
evening weretowed, for our coal was quite exhausted, to the wharf at
Fremantle.Here we spent a few days exploring the beautiful town of Perth and
itsneighbourhood where it was very hot just then, and eating peachesand gra=
pes
till we made ourselves ill, as a visitor often does who isunaware that fruit
should not be taken in quantity in Australia whilethe sun is high. Then we
departed for Melbourne almost before ourarrival was generally known, since I
did not wish to advertise ourpresence or the object of our journey.
We crossed the Great Australian Bight, of evil
reputation, in the mostperfect weather; indeed it might have been a mill po=
nd,
and after ashort stay at Melbourne, went on to Sydney, where we coaled again
andlaid in supplies.
Then our real journey began. The plan we laid =
out
was to sail to Suvain Fiji, about 1,700 miles away, and after a stay there,=
on
to Hawaiior the Sandwich Islands, stopping perhaps at the Phoenix Islands a=
nd
theCentral Polynesian Sporades, such as Christmas and Fanning Isles. Thenwe
proposed to turn south again through the Marshall Archipelago andthe Caroli=
ne
Islands, and so on to New Guinea and the Coral Sea.Particularly did we wish=
to
visit Easter Island on account ofits marvelous sculptures that are supposed=
to
be the relics of apre-historic race. In truth, however, we had no fixed plan
except to gowherever circumstance and chance might take us. Chance, I may a=
dd,
orsomething else, took full advantage of its opportunities.
We came to Suva in safety and spent a while in
exploring the beautifulFiji Isles where both Bastin and Bickley made full
inquiries aboutthe work of the missionaries, each of them drawing exactly
oppositeconclusions from the same set of admitted facts. Thence we steamed
toSamoa and put our two natives ashore at Apia, where we procured somecoal.=
We
did not stay long enough in these islands to investigate them,however, beca=
use
persons of experience there assured us from certainfamiliar signs that one =
of
the terrible hurricanes with which they areafflicted, was due to arrive sho=
rtly
and that we should do well to putourselves beyond its reach. So having coal=
ed
and watered we departed ina hurry.
Up to this time I should state we had met with=
the
most wonderful goodfortune in the matter of weather, so good indeed that ne=
ver
on oneoccasion since we left Marseilles, had we been obliged to put thefidd=
les
on the tables. With the superstition of a sailor Captain Astley,when I allu=
ded
to the matter, shook his head saying that doubtless weshould pay for it lat=
er
on, since "luck never goes all the way" andcyclones were reported=
to
be about.
Here I must tell that after we were clear of A=
pia,
it was discoveredthat the Danish mate who was believed to be in his cabin
unwell fromsomething he had eaten, was missing. The question arose whether
weshould put back to find him, as we supposed that he had made a tripinland=
and
met with an accident, or been otherwise delayed. I wasin favour of doing so
though the captain, thinking of the threatenedhurricane, shook his head and
said that Jacobsen was a queer fellow whomight just as well have gone overb=
oard
as anywhere else, if he thoughthe heard "the spirits, of whom he was so
fond," calling him. While thematter was still in suspense I happened t=
o go
into my own stateroomand there, stuck in the looking-glass, saw an envelope=
in
the Dane'shandwriting addressed to myself. On opening it I found another
sealedletter, unaddressed, also a note that ran as follows:
"Honoured Sir,
"You will think very badly of me for leav=
ing
you, but the enclosed whichI implore you not to open until you have seen the
last of the Star ofthe South, will explain my reason and I hope clear my re=
putation.I
thank you again and again for all your kindness and pray that theSpirits who
rule the world may bless and preserve you, also the Doctorand Mr. Bastin.&q=
uot;
This letter, which left the fate of Jacobsen q=
uite
unsolved, for itmight mean either that he had deserted or drowned himself, I
put awaywith the enclosure in my pocket. Of course there was no obligation =
on
meto refrain from opening the letter, but I shrank from doing so both froms=
ome
kind of sense of honour and, to tell the truth, for fear of whatit might
contain. I felt that this would be disagreeable; also, althoughthere was
nothing to connect them together, I bethought me of the scenewhen Jacobsen =
had
smashed the planchette.
On my return to the deck I said nothing whatso=
ever
about the discoveryof the letter, but only remarked that on reflection I had
changed mymind and agreed with the captain that it would be unwise to attem=
ptto
return in order to look for Jacobsen. So the boatswain, a capableindividual=
who
had seen better days, was promoted to take his watchesand we went on as bef=
ore.
How curiously things come about in the world!For nautical reasons that were
explained to me, but which I will nottrouble to set down, if indeed I could
remember them, I believe thatif we had returned to Apia we should have miss=
ed
the great gale andsubsequent cyclone, and with these much else. But it was =
not
so fated.
It was on the fourth day, when we were roughly
seven hundred miles ormore north of Samoa, that we met the edge of this gale
about sundown.The captain put on steam in the hope of pushing through it, b=
ut
thatnight we dined for the first time with the fiddles on, and by eleveno'c=
lock
it was as much as one could do to stand in the cabin, while thewater was
washing freely over the deck. Fortunately, however, thewind veered more aft=
of
us, so that by putting about her head a little(seamen must forgive me if I =
talk
of these matters as a landlubber) weran almost before the wind, though not
quite in the direction that wewished to go.
When the light came it was blowing very hard
indeed, and the sky wasutterly overcast, so that we got no glimpse of the s=
un,
or of thestars on the following night. Unfortunately, there was no moon
visible;indeed, if there had been I do not suppose that it would have helped
usbecause of the thick pall of clouds. For quite seventy-two hours weran on
beneath bare poles before that gale. The little vessel behavedsplendidly,
riding the seas like a duck, but I could see that CaptainAstley was growing
alarmed. When I said something complimentary to himabout the conduct of the
Star of the South, he replied that she wasforging ahead all right, but the
question was--where to? He had beenunable to take an observation of any sort
since we left Samoa; bothhis patent logs had been carried away, so that now
only the compassremained, and he had not the slightest idea where we were in
that greatocean studded with atolls and islands.
I asked him whether we could not steam back to=
our
proper course, buthe answered that to do so he would have to travel dead in=
the
eye of thegale, and he doubted whether the engines would stand it. Also the=
re
wasthe question of coal to be considered. However, he had kept the firesgoi=
ng
and would do what he could if the weather moderated.
That night during dinner which now consisted of
tinned foods and whiskyand water, for the seas had got to the galley fire,
suddenly the galedropped, whereat we rejoiced exceedingly. The captain came
down into thesaloon very white and shaken, I thought, and I asked him to ha=
ve a
nipof whisky to warm him up, and to celebrate our good fortune in havingrun=
out
of the wind. He took the bottle and, to my alarm, poured outa full half tum=
bler
of spirit, which he swallowed undiluted in two orthree gulps.
"That's better!" he said with a hoar=
se
laugh. "But man, what is it youare saying about having run out of the
wind? Look at the glass!"
"We have," said Bastin, "and it=
is
wonderfully steady. About 29 degreesor a little over, which it has been for=
the
last three days."
Again Astley laughed in a mirthless fashion, a=
s he
answered:
"Oh, that thing! That's the passengers'
glass. I told the steward to putit out of gear so that you might not be
frightened; it is an old trick.Look at this," and he produced one of t=
he
portable variety out of hispocket.
We looked, and it stood somewhere between 27
degrees and 28 degrees.
"That's the lowest glass I ever saw in the
Polynesian or any other seasduring thirty years. It's right, too, for I have
tested it by threeothers," he said.
"What does it mean?" I asked rather
anxiously.
"South Sea cyclone of the worst breed,&qu=
ot;
he replied. "That cursed Daneknew it was coming and that's why he left=
the
ship. Pray as you neverprayed before," and again he stretched out his =
hand
towards the whiskybottle. But I stepped between him and it, shaking my head.
Thereon helaughed for the third time and left the cabin. Though I saw him
onceor twice afterwards, these were really the last words of
intelligibleconversation that I ever had with Captain Astley.
"It seems that we are in some danger,&quo=
t;
said Bastin, in an unmoved kindof way. "I think that was a good idea of
the captain's, to put up apetition, I mean, but as Bickley will scarcely ca=
re
to join in it I willgo into the cabin and do so myself."
Bickley snorted, then said:
"Confound that captain! Why did he play s=
uch
a trick upon us about thebarometer? Humphrey, I believe he had been
drinking."
"So do I," I said, looking at the wh=
isky
bottle. "Otherwise, aftertaking those precautions to keep us in the da=
rk,
he would not have leton like that."
"Well," said Bickley, "he can't=
get
to the liquor, except through thissaloon, as it is locked up forward with t=
he
other stores."
"That's nothing," I replied, "as
doubtless he has a supply of his own;rum, I expect. We must take our
chance."
Bickley nodded, and suggested that we should g=
o on
deck to see what washappening. So we went. Not a breath of wind was stirrin=
g,
and even thesea seemed to be settling down a little. At least, so we judged
fromthe motion, for we could not see either it or the sky; everything was
asblack as pitch. We heard the sailors, however, engaged in rigging guidero=
pes
fore and aft, and battening down the hatches with extra tarpaulinsby the li=
ght
of lanterns. Also they were putting ropes round the boatsand doing somethin=
g to
the spars and topmasts.
Presently Bastin joined us, having, I suppose,
finished his devotions.
"Really, it is quite pleasant here,"=
he
said. "One never knows howdisagreeable so much wind is until it
stops."
I lit my pipe, making no answer, and the match=
burned
quite steadilythere in the open air.
"What is that?" exclaimed Bickley,
staring at something which now I sawfor the first time. It looked like a li=
ne
of white approaching throughthe gloom. With it came a hissing sound, and
although there was still nowind, the rigging began to moan mysteriously lik=
e a
thing in pain. A bigdrop of water also fell from the sides into my pipe and=
put
it out. Thenone of the sailors cried in a hoarse voice:
"Get down below, governors, unless you wa=
nt
to go out to sea!"
"Why?" inquired Bastin.
"Why? Becos the 'urricane is coming, that=
's
all. Coming as though thedevil had kicked it out of 'ell."
Bastin seemed inclined to remonstrate at this =
sort
of language, but wepushed him down the companion and followed, propelling t=
he spaniel
Tommyin front of us. Next moment I heard the sailors battening the hatch
withhurried blows, and when this was done to their satisfaction, heard
theirfeet also as they ran into shelter.
Another instant and we were all lying in a hea=
p on
the cabin floor withpoor Tommy on top of us. The cyclone had struck the shi=
p!
Above the washof water and the screaming of the gale we heard other mysteri=
ous
sounds,which doubtless were caused by the yards hitting the seas, for the
yachtwas lying on her side. I thought that all was over, but presently
therecame a rending, crashing noise. The masts, or one of them, had gone, a=
ndby
degrees we righted.
"Near thing!" said Bickley. "Go=
od
heavens, what's that?"
I listened, for the electric light had tempora=
rily
gone out, owing, Isuppose, to the dynamo having stopped for a moment. A most
unholy andhollow sound was rising from the cabin floor. It might have
beencaused by a bullock with its windpipe cut, trying to get its breath
andgroaning. Then the light came on again and we saw Bastin lying at fullle=
ngth
on the carpet.
"He's broken his neck or something,"=
I
said.
Bickley crept to him and having looked, sang o=
ut:
"It's all right! He's only sea-sick. I
thought it would come to that ifhe drank so much tea."
"Sea-sick," I said
faintly--"sea-sick?"
"That's all," said Bickley. "The
nerves of the stomach acting on thebrain or vice-versa--that is, if Bastin =
has
a brain," he added sottovoce.
"Oh!" groaned the prostrate clergyma=
n.
"I wish that I were dead!"
"Don't trouble about that," answered
Bickley. "I expect you soon willbe. Here, drink some whisky, you
donkey."
Bastin sat up and obeyed, out of the bottle, f=
or
it was impossible topour anything into a glass, with results too dreadful to
narrate.
"I call that a dirty trick," he said
presently, in a feeble voice,glowering at Bickley.
"I expect I shall have to play you a dirt=
ier
before long, for you are apretty bad case, old fellow."
As a matter of fact he had, for once Bastin had
begun really we thoughtthat he was going to die. Somehow we got him into his
cabin, whichopened off the saloon, and as he could drink nothing more,
Bickleymanaged to inject morphia or some other compound into him, which mad=
ehim
insensible for a long while.
"He must be in a poor way," he said,
"for the needle went more than aquarter of an inch into him, and he ne=
ver
cried out or stirred. Couldn'thelp it in that rolling."
But now I could hear the engines working, and I
think that the bowof the vessel was got head on to the seas, for instead of
rolling wepitched, or rather the ship stood first upon one end and then upon
theother. This continued for a while until the first burst of the cyclonehad
gone by. Then suddenly the engines stopped; I suppose that they hadbroken d=
own,
but I never learned, and we seemed to veer about, nearlysinking in the proc=
ess,
and to run before the hurricane at terrificspeed.
"I wonder where we are going to?" I =
said
to Bickley. "To the land ofsleep, Humphrey, I imagine," he replie=
d in
a more gentle voice than Ihad often heard him use, adding: "Good-bye, =
old
boy, we have been realfriends, haven't we, notwithstanding my peculiarities=
? I
only wish thatI could think that there was anything in Bastin's views. But I
can't, Ican't. It's good night for us poor creatures!"
At last the electric light really went out. I =
had
looked at my watchjust before this happened and wound it up, which, Bickley
remarked, wassuperfluous and a waste of energy. It then marked 3.20 in the
morning.We had wedged Bastin, who was now snoring comfortably, into his
berth,with pillows, and managed to tie a cord over him--no, it was a largeb=
ath
towel, fixing one end of it to the little rack over his bed andthe other to=
its
framework. As for ourselves, we lay down on the floorbetween the table legs,
which, of course, were screwed, and the settee,protecting ourselves as best=
we
were able by help of the cushions, etc.,between two of which we thrust the
terrified Tommy who had been slidingup and down the cabin floor. Thus we
remained, expecting death everymoment till the light of day, a very dim lig=
ht,
struggling through aport-hole of which the iron cover had somehow been wren=
ched
off. Orperhaps it was never shut, I do not remember.
About this time there came a lull in the helli=
sh,
howling hurricane; thefact being, I suppose, that we had reached the centre=
of
the cyclone. Isuggested that we should try to go on deck and see what was
happening.So we started, only to find the entrance to the companion so
faithfullysecured that we could not by any means get out. We knocked and
shouted,but no one answered. My belief is that at this time everyone on
theyacht except ourselves had been washed away and drowned.
Then we returned to the saloon, which, except =
for
a little watertrickling about the floor, was marvelously dry, and, being
hungry,retrieved some bits of food and biscuit from its corners and ate. At=
this
moment the cyclone began to blow again worse than ever, but itseemed to us,
from another direction, and before it sped our poorderelict barque. It blew=
all
day till for my part I grew utterly wearyand even longed for the inevitable
end. If my views were not quite thoseof Bastin, certainly they were not tho=
se
of Bickley. I had believed frommy youth up that the individuality of man, t=
he
ego, so to speak, doesnot die when life goes out of his poor body, and this
faith did notdesert me then. Therefore, I wished to have it over and learn =
what
theremight be upon the other side.
We could not speak much because of the howling=
of
the wind, but Bickleydid manage to shout to me something to the effect that=
his
partnerswould, in his opinion, make an end of their great practice withintwo
years, which, he added, was a pity. I nodded my head, not caringtwopence wh=
at
happened to Bickley's partners or their business, or to myown property, or =
to
anything else. When death is at hand most of us donot think much of such th=
ings
because then we realise how small theyare. Indeed I was wondering whether
within a few minutes or hours Ishould or should not see Natalie again, and =
if this
were the end towhich she had seemed to beckon me in that dream.
On we sped, and on. About four in the afternoo=
n we
heard sounds fromBastin's cabin which faintly reminded me of some tune. I c=
rept
to thedoor and listened. Evidently he had awakened and was singing or tryin=
gto
sing, for music was not one of his strong points, "For those in perilon
the sea." Devoutly did I wish that it might be heard. Presently itceas=
ed,
so I suppose he went to sleep again.
The darkness gathered once more. Then of a sud=
den
something fearfulhappened. There were stupendous noises of a kind I had nev=
er
heard;there were convulsions. It seemed to us that the ship was flung right
upinto the air a hundred feet or more.
"Tidal wave, I expect," shouted Bick=
ley.
Almost as he spoke she came down with the most
appalling crash on tosomething hard and nearly jarred the senses out of us.
Next the saloonwas whirling round and round and yet being carried forward, =
and
we feltair blowing upon us. Then our senses left us. As I clasped Tommy to =
myside,
whimpering and licking my face, my last thought was that all wasover, and t=
hat
presently I should learn everything or nothing.
I woke up feeling very bruised and sore and
perceived that light wasflowing into the saloon. The door was still shut, b=
ut
it had beenwrenched off its hinges, and that was where the light came in; a=
lso
someof the teak planks of the decking, jagged and splintered, were sticking=
up
through the carpet. The table had broken from its fastenings and layupon its
side. Everything else was one confusion. I looked at Bickley.Apparently he =
had
not awakened. He was stretched out still wedged inwith his cushions and
bleeding from a wound in his head. I crept to himin terror and listened. He=
was
not dead, for his breathing was regularand natural. The whisky bottle which=
had
been corked was upon the floorunbroken and about a third full. I took a good
pull at the spirit; tome it tasted like nectar from the gods. Then I tried =
to
force some downBickley's throat but could not, so I poured a little upon the
cut on hishead. The smart of it woke him in a hurry.
"Where are we now?" he exclaimed.
"You don't mean to tell me that Bastinis right after all and that we l=
ive
again somewhere else? Oh! I couldnever bear that ignominy."
"I don't know about living somewhere
else," I said, "although myopinions on that matter differ from yo=
urs.
But I do know that you andI are still on earth in what remains of the saloo=
n of
the Star of theSouth."
"Thank God for that! Let's go and look for
old Bastin," said Bickley. "Ido pray that he is all right also.&q=
uot;
"It is most illogical of you, Bickley, and
indeed wrong," groaned a deepvoice from the other side of the cabin do=
or,
"to thank a God in Whomyou do not believe, and to talk of praying for =
one
of the worst and mostinefficient of His servants when you have no faith in
prayer."
"Got you there, my friend," I said.<= o:p>
Bickley murmured something about force of habi=
t,
and looked smaller thanI had ever seen him do before.
Somehow we forced that door open; it was not e=
asy
because it had jammed.Within the cabin, hanging on either side of the bath
towel which hadstood the strain nobly, something like a damp garment over a
linen line,was Bastin most of whose bunk seemed to have disappeared.
Yes--Bastin,pale and dishevelled and looking shrunk, with his hair touzled =
and
hisbeard apparently growing all ways, but still Bastin alive, if very weak.=
Bickley ran at him and made a cursory examinat=
ion
with his fingers.
"Nothing broken," he said triumphant=
ly.
"He's all right."
"If you had hung over a towel for many ho=
urs
in most violent weather youwould not say that," groaned Bastin. "=
My
inside is a pulp. But perhapsyou would be kind enough to untie me."
"Bosh!" said Bickley as he obeyed.
"All you want is something to eat.Meanwhile, drink this," and he
handed him the remains of the whisky.
Bastin swallowed it every drop, murmuring
something about taking alittle wine for his stomach's sake, "one of the
Pauline injunctions, youknow," after which he was much more cheerful. =
Then
we hunted about andfound some more of the biscuits and other food with whic=
h we
filledourselves after a fashion.
"I wonder what has happened," said
Bastin. "I suppose that, thanks tothe skill of the captain, we have af=
ter
all reached the haven where wewould be."
Here he stopped, rubbed his eyes and looked
towards the saloon doorwhich, as I have said, had been wrenched off its hin=
ges,
but appearedto have opened wider than when I observed it last. Also Tommy, =
who
wasrecovering his spirits, uttered a series of low growls.
"It is a most curious thing," he went
on, "and I suppose I must besuffering from hallucinations, but I could
swear that just now I sawlooking through that door the same improper young
woman clothed in afew flowers and nothing else, whose photograph in that
abominable andlibellous book was indirectly the cause of our tempestuous
voyage."
"Indeed!" replied Bickley. "Wel=
l,
so long as she has not got on thebroken-down stays and the Salvation Army
bonnet without a crown, whichyou may remember she wore after she had fallen
into the hands of yourfraternity, I am sure I do not mind. In fact I should=
be
delighted tosee anything so pleasant."
At this moment a distinct sound of female
tittering arose from beyondthe door. Tommy barked and Bickley stepped towar=
ds
it, but I called tohim.
"Look out! Where there are women there are
sure to be men. Let us beready against accidents."
So we armed ourselves with pistols, that is
Bickley and I did, Bastinbeing fortified solely with a Bible.
Then we advanced, a remarkable and dilapidated
trio, and dragged thedoor wide. Instantly there was a scurry and we caught
sight of women'sforms wearing only flowers, and but few of these, running o=
ver
whitesand towards groups of men armed with odd-looking clubs, some of which=
were
fashioned to the shapes of swords and spears. To make an impressionI fired =
two
shots with my revolver into the air, whereupon both men andwomen fled into
groves of trees and vanished.
"They don't seem to be accustomed to white
people," said Bickley. "Is itpossible that we have found a shore =
upon
which no missionary has set afoot?"
"I hope so," said Bastin, "seei=
ng
that unworthy as I am, then theopportunities for me would be very great.&qu=
ot;
We stood still and looked about us. This was w= hat we saw. All the afterpart of the ship from forward of the bridge had vanish= ed utterly; therewas not a trace of it; she had as it were been cut in two. Mo= re, we weresome considerable distance from the sea which was still raging over aquarter of a mile away where great white combers struck upon a reefand spo= uted into the air. Behind us was a cliff, apparently of rock butcovered with ear= th and vegetation, and against this cliff, in which theprow of the ship was buried, she, or what remained of her, had come toanchor for the last time.<= o:p>
"You see what has happened," I said.
"A great tidal wave has carried usup here and retreated."
"That's it," exclaimed Bickley.
"Look at the debris," and he pointed totorn-up palms, bushes and
seaweed piled into heaps which still ran saltwater; also to a number of dead
fish that lay about among them, adding,"Well, we are saved anyhow.&quo=
t;
"And yet there are people like you who say
that there is no Providence!"ejaculated Bastin.
"I wonder what the views of Captain Astley
and the crew are, or ratherwere, upon that matter," interrupted Bickle=
y.
"I don't know," answered Bastin, loo=
king
about him vaguely. "It is truethat I can't see any of them, but if they
are drowned no doubt it isbecause their period of usefulness in this world =
had
ended."
"Let's get down and look about us," I
remarked, being anxious to avoidfurther argument.
So we scrambled from the remnant of the ship, =
like
Noah descending outof the ark, as Bastin said, on to the beach beneath, whe=
re
Tommy rushedto and fro, gambolling for joy. Here we discovered a path which
randiagonally up the side of a cliff which was nowhere more than fifty orsi=
xty
feet in height, and possibly had once formed the shore of thisland, or perh=
aps
that of a lake. Up this path we went, following thetracks of many human fee=
t,
and reaching the crest of the cliff, lookedabout us, basking as we did so in
the beautiful morning sun, for the skywas now clear of clouds and with that
last awful effort, which destroyedour ship, the cyclone had passed away.
We were standing on a plain down which ran a
little stream of good waterwhereof Tommy drank greedily, we following his
example. To the right andleft of this plain, further than we could see,
stretched bushland overwhich towered many palms, rather ragged now because =
of
the lashing ofthe gale. Looking inland we perceived that the ground sloped
gentlydownwards, ending at a distance of some miles in a large lake. Far ou=
tin
this lake something like the top of a mountain of a brown colourrose above =
the
water, and on the edge of it was what from that distanceappeared to be a
tumbled ruin.
"This is all very interesting," I sa=
id
to Bickley. "What do you make ofit?"
"I don't quite know. At first sight I sho=
uld
say that we are standing onthe lip of a crater of some vast extinct volcano.
Look how it curves tonorth and south and at the slope running down to the
lake."
I nodded.
"Lucky that the tidal wave did not get ov=
er
the cliff," I said. "If ithad the people here would have all been
drowned out. I wonder where theyhave gone?"
As I spoke Bastin pointed to the edge of the b=
ush
some hundreds of yardsaway, where we perceived brown figures slipping about
among the trees. Isuggested that we should go back to the mouth of our path=
, so
as to havea line of retreat open in case of necessity, and await events. So=
we
didand there stood still. By degrees the brown figures emerged on to thepla=
in
to the number of some hundreds, and we saw that they were bothmale and fema=
le.
The women were clothed in nothing except flowers and alittle girdle; the men
were all armed with wooden weapons and also worea girdle but no flowers. The
children, of whom there were many, werequite naked.
Among these people we observed a tall person
clothed in what seemed tobe a magnificent feather cloak, and, walking around
and about him, anumber of grotesque forms adorned with hideous masks and
basket-likehead-dresses that were surmounted by plumes.
"The king or chief and his priests or
medicine-men! This is splendid,"said Bickley triumphantly.
Bastin also contemplated them with enthusiasm =
as
raw material upon whichhe hoped to get to work.
By degrees and very cautiously they approached=
us.
To our joy, weperceived that behind them walked several young women who bore
woodentrays of food or fruit.
"That looks well," I said. "They
would not make offerings unless theywere friendly."
"The food may be poisoned," remarked
Bickley suspiciously.
The crowd advanced, we standing quite still
looking as dignified as wecould, I as the tallest in the middle, with Tommy
sitting at my feet.When they were about five and twenty yards away, however,
that wretchedlittle dog caught sight of the masked priests. He growled and
thenrushed at them barking, his long black ears flapping as he went.
The effect was instantaneous. One and all they
turned and fledprecipitately, who evidently had never before seen a dog and
lookedupon it as a deadly creature. Yes, even the tall chief and his
maskedmedicine-men fled like hares pursued by Tommy, who bit one of them in=
the
leg, evoking a terrific howl. I called him back and took him intomy arms.
Seeing that he was safe for a while the crowd reformed and onceagain advanc=
ed.
As they came we noted that they were a wonderf=
ully
handsome people, talland straight with regularly shaped features and nothin=
g of
the negroabout them. Some of the young women might even be called
beautiful,though those who were elderly had become corpulent. The
feather-clothedchief, however, was much disfigured by a huge growth with a
narrow stalkto it that hung from his neck and rested on his shoulder.
"I'll have that off him before he is a we=
ek
older," said Bickley,surveying this deformity with great professional
interest.
On they came, the girls with the platters walk=
ing
ahead. On one of thesewere what looked like joints of baked pork, on anothe=
r some
plantainsand pear-shaped fruits. They knelt down and offered these to us.
Wecontemplated them for a while. Then Bickley shook his head and beganto rub
his stomach with appropriate contortions. Clearly they werequick-minded eno=
ugh
for they saw the point. At some words the girlsbrought the platters to the
chief and others, who took from themportions of the food at hazard and ate =
them
to show that it was notpoisoned, we watching their throats the while to make
sure that it wasswallowed. Then they returned again and we took some of the
food thoughonly Bickley ate, because, as I pointed out to him, being a doct=
or
whounderstood the use of antidotes; clearly he should make the
experiment.However, nothing happened; indeed he said that it was very good.=
After this there came a pause. Then suddenly
Bastin took up his parablein the Polynesian tongue which--to a certain
extent--he had acquiredwith so much pains.
"What is this place called?" he asked
slowly and distinctly, pausingbetween each word.
His audience shook their heads and he tried ag=
ain,
putting the accentson different syllables. Behold! some bright spirit
understood him andanswered:
"Orofena."
"That means a hill, or an island, or a hi=
ll
in an island," whisperedBickley to me.
"Who is your God?" asked Bastin agai=
n.
The point seemed one upon which they were a li=
ttle
doubtful, but at lastthe chief answered, "Oro. He who fights."
"In other words, Mars," said Bickley=
.
"I will give you a better one," said
Bastin in the same slow fashion.
Thinking that he referred to himself these
children of Naturecontemplated his angular form doubtfully and shook their
heads. Then forthe first time one of the men who was wearing a mask and a
wicker crateon his head, spoke in a hollow voice, saying:
"If you try Oro will eat you up."
"Head priest!" said Bickley, nudging=
me.
"Old Bastin had better becareful or he will get his teeth into him and
call them Oro's."
Another pause, after which the man in a feather
cloak with the growth onhis neck that a servant was supporting, said:
"I am Marama, the chief of Orofena. We ha=
ve
never seen men like youbefore, if you are men. What brought you here and wi=
th
you that fierceand terrible animal, or evil spirit which makes a noise and
bites?"
Now Bickley pretended to consult me who stood
brooding and majestic,that is if I can be majestic. I whispered something a=
nd
he answered:
"The gods of the wind and the sea."<= o:p>
"What nonsense," ejaculated Bastin,
"there are no such things."
"Shut up," I said, "we must use
similes here," to which he replied:
"I don't like similes that tamper with the
truth."
"Remember Neptune and Aeolus," I
suggested, and he lapsed intoconsideration of the point.
"We knew that you were coming," said
Marama. "Our doctors told us allabout you a moon ago. But we wish that=
you
would come more gently, asyou nearly washed away our country."
After looking at me Bickley replied:
"How thankful should you be that in our
kindness we have spared you."
"What do you come to do?" inquired
Marama again. After the usual formulaof consulting me Bickley answered:
"We come to take that mountain (he meant
lump) off your neck and makeyou beautiful; also to cure all the sickness am=
ong
your people."
"And I come," broke in Bastin, "=
;to
give you new hearts."
These announcements evidently caused great
excitement. Afterconsultation Marama answered:
"We do not want new hearts as the old ones
are good, but we wish to berid of lumps and sicknesses. If you can do this =
we
will make you godsand worship you and give you many wives." (Here Bast=
in
held up his handsin horror.) "When will you begin to take away the
lumps?"
"To-morrow," said Bickley. "But
learn that if you try to harm us we willbring another wave which will drown=
all
your country."
Nobody seemed to doubt our capacities in this
direction, but oneinquiring spirit in a wicker crate did ask how it came ab=
out
that if wecontrolled the ocean we had arrived in half a canoe instead of a
wholeone.
Bickley replied to the effect that it was beca=
use
the gods alwaystravelled in half-canoes to show their higher nature, which
seemed tosatisfy everyone. Then we announced that we had seen enough of them
forthat day and would retire to think. Meanwhile we should be obliged ifthey
would build us a house and keep us supplied with whatever food theyhad.
"Do the gods eat?" asked the sceptic
again.
"That fellow is a confounded radical,&quo=
t; I
whispered to Bickley. "Tell himthat they do when they come to
Orofena."
He did so, whereon the chief said:
"Would the gods like a nice young girl
cooked?"
At this point Bastin retired down the path,
realising that he had to dowith cannibals. We said that we preferred to loo=
k at
the girls alive andwould meet them again to-morrow morning, when we hoped t=
hat
the housewould be ready.
So our first interview with the inhabitants of
Orofena came to an end,on which we congratulated ourselves.
On reaching the remains of the Star of the Sou=
th
we set to work to takestock of what was left to us. Fortunately it proved t=
o be
a very greatdeal. As I think I mentioned, all the passenger part of the yac=
ht
layforward of the bridge, just in front of which the vessel had been broken=
in
two, almost as cleanly as though she were severed by a giganticknife. Furth=
er
our stores were forward and practically everything elsethat belonged to us,=
even
down to Bickley's instruments and medicinesand Bastin's religious works, to=
say
nothing of a great quantity oftinned food and groceries. Lastly on the deck
above the saloon hadstood two large lifeboats. Although these were amply
secured at thecommencement of the gale one of them, that on the port side, =
was
smashedto smithers; probably some spar had fallen upon it. The starboardboa=
t,
however, remained intact and so far as we could judge, seaworthy,although t=
he
bulwarks were broken by the waves.
"There's something we can get away in if
necessary," I said.
"Where to?" remarked Bastin. "We
don't know where we are or if there isany other land within a thousand mile=
s. I
think we had better stop hereas Providence seems to have intended, especial=
ly
when there is so muchwork to my hand."
"Be careful," answered Bickley,
"that the work to your hand does not endin the cutting of all our thro=
ats.
It is an awkward thing interferingwith the religion of savages, and I belie=
ve
that these untutoredchildren of Nature sometimes eat missionaries."
"Yes, I have heard that," said Basti=
n;
"they bake them first as they dopigs. But I don't know that they would
care to eat me," and he glancedat his bony limbs, "especially when
you are much plumper. Anyhow onecan't stop for a risk of that sort."
Deigning no reply, Bickley walked away to fetch
some fine fish whichhad been washed up by the tidal wave and were still
flapping about ina little pool of salt water. Then we took counsel as to ho=
w to
make thebest of our circumstances, and as a result set to work to tidy up
thesaloon and cabins, which was not difficult as what remained of the shipl=
ay
on an even keel. Also we got out some necessary stores, includingparaffin f=
or
the swinging lamps with which the ship was fitted in caseof accident to the
electric light, candles, and the guns we had broughtwith us so that they mi=
ght
be handy in the event of attack. This done,by the aid of the tools that wer=
e in
the storerooms, Bickley, who was anexcellent carpenter, repaired the saloon
door, all that was necessary tokeep us private, as the bulkhead still remai=
ned.
"Now," he said triumphantly when he =
had
finished and got the lock andbolts to work to his satisfaction, "we can
stand a siege if needed, foras the ship is iron built they can't even burn =
us
out and that teak doorwould take some forcing. Also we can shore it up.&quo=
t;
"How about something to eat? I want my
tea," said Bastin.
"Then, my reverend friend," replied
Bickley, "take a couple of the firebuckets and fetch some water from t=
he
stream. Also collect driftwood ofwhich there is plenty about, clean those f=
ish
and grill them over thesaloon stove."
"I'll try," said Bastin, "but I
never did any cooking before."
"No," replied Bickley, "on seco=
nd
thoughts I will see to that myself,but you can get the fish ready."
So, with due precautions, Bastin and I fetched
water from the streamwhich we found flowed over the edge of the cliff quite
close at handinto a beautiful coral basin that might have been designed for=
a
bath ofthe nymphs. Indeed one at a time, while the other watched, we
undressedand plunged into it, and never was a tub more welcome than after
ourlong days of tempest. Then we returned to find that Bickley had alreadys=
et
the table and was engaged in frying the fish very skilfully on thesaloon st=
ove,
which proved to be well adapted to the purpose. He wascross, however, when =
he
found that we had bathed and that it was now toolate for him to do likewise=
.
While he was cleaning himself as well as he co=
uld
in his cabin basin andBastin was boiling water for tea, suddenly I remember=
ed
the letter fromthe Danish mate Jacobsen. Concluding that it might now be op=
ened
as wehad certainly parted with most of the Star of the South for the lastti=
me,
I read it. It was as follows:
"The reason, honoured Sir, that I am leav=
ing
the ship is that on thenight I tore up the paper, the spirit controlling the
planchette wrotethese words: 'After leaving Samoa the Star of the South wil=
l be
wreckedin a hurricane and everybody on board drowned except A. B. and B. Ge=
tout
of her! Get out of her! Don't be a fool, Jacob, unless you want tocome over
here at once. Take our advice and get out of her and you willlive to be
old.--SKOLL."
"Sir, I am not a coward but I know that t=
his
will happen, for thatspirit which signs itself Skoll never tells a lie. I d=
id
try to givethe captain a hint to stop at Apia, but he had been drinking and
openlycursed me and called me a sneaking cheat. So I am going to run away,of
which I am very much ashamed. But I do not wish to be drowned yet asthere i=
s a
girl whom I want to marry, and my mother I support. You willbe safe and I h=
ope
you will not think too badly of me.--JACOB JACOBSEN.
"P.S.--It is an awful thing to know the
future. Never try to learnthat."
I gave this letter to Bastin and Bickley to re=
ad
and asked them whatthey thought of it.
"Coincidence," said Bickley. "T=
he
man is a weak-minded idiot and heardin Samoa that they expected a
hurricane."
"I think," chimed in Bastin, "t=
hat
the devil knows how to look after hisown at any rate for a little while. I =
dare
say it would have been muchbetter for him to be drowned."
"At least he is a deserter and failed in =
his
duty. I never wish to hearof him again," I said.
As a matter of fact I never have. But the inci=
dent
remains quiteunexplained either by Bickley or Bastin.
To our shame we had a very pleasant supper that
night off the grilledfish, which was excellent, and some tinned meat. I say=
to
our shame, ina sense, for on our companions the sharks were supping and by
rights weshould have been sunk in woe. I suppose that the sense of our own
escapeintoxicated us. Also, notwithstanding his joviality, none of us hadca=
red
much for the captain, and his policy had been to keep us somewhatapart from=
the
crew, of whom therefore we knew but little. It is truethat Bastin held serv=
ices
on Sundays, for such as would attend, andBickley had doctored a few of them=
for
minor ailments, but there, exceptfor a little casual conversation, our
intercourse began and ended.
Now the sad fact is that it is hard to be
overwhelmed with grief forthose with whom we are not intimate. We were very
sorry and that is allthat can be said, except that Bastin, being High Churc=
h,
announced ina matter-of-fact way that he meant to put up some petitions for
thewelfare of their souls. To this Bickley retorted that from what he hadse=
en
of their bodies he was sure they needed them.
Yes, it was a pleasant supper, not made less s=
o by
a bottle of champagnewhich Bickley and I shared. Bastin stuck to his tea, n=
ot
because he didnot like champagne, but because, as he explained, having now
comein contact with the heathen it would never do for him to set them anexa=
mple
in the use of spirituous liquors.
"However much we may differ, Bastin, I
respect you for that sentiment,"commented Bickley.
"I don't know why you should," answe=
red
Bastin; "but if so, you mightfollow my example."
That night we slept like logs, trusting to our
teak door which webarricaded, and to Tommy, who was a most excellent watch-=
dog,
to guardus against surprise. At any rate we took the risk. As a matter of
fact,nothing happened, though before dawn Tommy did growl a good deal, forI
heard him, but as he sank into slumber again on my bed, I did not getup. In=
the
morning I found from fresh footprints that two or three menhad been prowling
about the ship, though at a little distance.
We rose early, and taking the necessary
precautions, bathed in the pool.Then we breakfasted, and having filled every
available receptacle withwater, which took us a long time as these included=
a
large tank thatsupplied the bath, so that we might have at least a week's
supply incase of siege, we went on deck and debated what we should do. In
theend we determined to stop where we were and await events, because, asI
pointed out, it was necessary that we should discover whether thesenatives =
were
hostile or friendly. In the former event we could hold ourown on the ship,
whereas away from it we must be overwhelmed; in thelatter there was always =
time
to move inland.
About ten o'clock when we were seated on stools
smoking, with our gunsby our side--for here, owing to the overhanging cliff=
in
which it willbe remembered the prow of the ship was buried, we could not be
reachedby missiles thrown from above--we saw numbers of the islanders advan=
cingupon
us along the beach on either side. They were preceded as beforeby women who
bore food on platters and in baskets. These people,all talking excitedly and
laughing after their fashion, stopped at adistance, so we took no notice of
them. Presently Marama, clad inhis feather cloak, and again accompanied by
priests or medicine-men,appeared walking down the path on the cliff face, a=
nd,
standing below,made salutations and entered into a conversation with us of
which I givethe substance--that is, so far as we could understand it.
He reproached us for not having come to him as=
he
expected we would do.We replied that we preferred to remain where we were u=
ntil
we were sureof our greeting and asked him what was the position. He explain=
ed
thatonly once before, in the time of his grandfather, had any people
reachedtheir shores, also during a great storm as we had done. They
weredark-skinned men like themselves, three of them, but whence they camewas
never known, since they were at once seized and sacrificed to thegod Oro, w=
hich
was the right thing to do in such a case.
We asked whether he would consider it right to
sacrifice us. He replied:
Certainly, unless we were too strong, being go=
ds
ourselves, or unless anarrangement could be concluded. We asked--what arran=
gement?
He repliedthat we must make them gifts; also that we must do what we had
promisedand cure him--the chief--of the disease which had tormented him
foryears. In that event everything would be at our disposal and we, withall=
our
belongings, should become taboo, holy, not to be touched. Nonewould attempt=
to
harm us, nothing should be stolen under penalty ofdeath.
We asked him to come up on the deck with only =
one
companion that hissickness might be ascertained, and after much hesitation =
he
consented todo so. Bickley made an examination of the growth and announced =
that
hebelieved it could be removed with perfect safety as the attachment tothe =
neck
was very slight, but of course there was always a risk. Thiswas explained to
him with difficulty, and much talk followed betweenhim and his followers who
gathered on the beach beneath the ship. Theyseemed adverse to the experimen=
t,
till Marama grew furious with themand at last burst into tears saying that =
he
could no longer drag thisterrible burden about with him, and he touched the
growth. He wouldrather die. Then they gave way.
I will tell the rest as shortly as I can.
A hideous wooden idol was brought on board,
wrapped in leaves andfeathers, and upon it the chief and his head people sw=
ore
safety tous whether he lived or died, making us the guests of their land.
Therewere, however, two provisos made, or as such we understood them.
Theseseemed to be that we should offer no insult or injury to their god,
andsecondly, that we should not set foot on the island in the lake. It wasn=
ot
till afterwards that it occurred to me that this must refer tothe mountain =
top
which appeared in the inland sheet of water. To thosestipulations we made no
answer. Indeed, the Orofenans did all thetalking. Finally, they ratified th=
eir
oaths by a man who, I suppose, wasa head priest, cutting his arm and rubbing
the blood from it on the lipsof the idol; also upon those of the chief. I
should add that Bastin hadretired as soon as he saw that false god appear, =
of
which I was glad,since I felt sure that he would make a scene.
The operation took place that afternoon and on=
the
ship, for when onceMarama had made up his mind to trust us he did so very
thoroughly. Itwas performed on deck in the presence of an awed multitude who
watchedfrom the shore, and when they saw Bickley appear in a clean
nightshirtand wash his hands, uttered a groan of wonder. Evidently they
consideredit a magical and religious ceremony; indeed ever afterwards they
calledBickley the Great Priest, or sometimes the Great Healer in later
days.This was a grievance to Bastin who considered that he had been robbedof
his proper title, especially when he learned that among themselves hewas on=
ly
known as "the Bellower," because of the loud voice in which
headdressed them. Nor did Bickley particularly appreciate the compliment.
With my help he administered the chloroform, w=
hich
was done undershelter of a sail for fear lest the people should think that =
we
weresmothering their chief. Then the operation went on to a
satisfactoryconclusion. I omit the details, but an electric battery and a
red-hotwire came into play.
"There," said Bickley triumphantly w=
hen
he had finished tying thevessels and made everything neat and tidy with
bandages, "I was afraidhe might bleed to death, but I don't think ther=
e is
any fear of thatnow, for I have made a real job of it." Then advancing
with the horridtumour in his hands he showed it in triumph to the crowd
beneath, whogroaned again and threw themselves on to their faces. Doubtless=
now
itis the most sacred relic of Orofena.
When Marama came out of the anesthetic, Bickley
gave him something whichsent him to sleep for twelve hours, during all which
time his peoplewaited beneath. This was our dangerous period, for our
difficulty wasto persuade them that he was not dead, although Bickley had
assured themthat he would sleep for a time while the magic worked. Still, I=
was
veryglad when he woke up on the following morning, and two or three ofhis
leading men could see that he was alive. The rest was lengthy butsimple, co=
nsisting
merely in keeping him quiet and on a suitable dietuntil there was no fear of
the wound opening. We achieved it somehowwith the help of an intelligent na=
tive
woman who, I suppose, was oneof his wives, and five days later were enabled=
to
present him healed,though rather tottery, to his affectionate subjects.
It was a great scene, which may be imagined. T=
hey
bore him away in alitter with the native woman to watch him and another to
carry the relicpreserved in a basket, and us they acclaimed as gods.
Thenceforward wehad nothing to fear in Orofena--except Bastin, though this =
we
did notknow at the time.
All this while we had been living on our ship =
and
growing very boredthere, although we employed the empty hours in conversati=
on
withselected natives, thereby improving our knowledge of the language.Bickl=
ey
had the best of it, since already patients began to arrive whichoccupied hi=
m.
One of the first was that man whom Tommy had bitten. Hewas carried to us in=
an
almost comatose state, suffering apparently fromthe symptoms of snake
poisoning.
Afterward it turned out that he conceived Tomm=
y to
be a divine but mostvenomous lizard that could make a very horrible noise, =
and
began tosuffer as one might do from the bite of such a creature. Nothing
thatBickley could do was enough to save him and ultimately he died
inconvulsions, a circumstance that enormously enhanced Tommy's reputation.To
tell the truth, we took advantage of it to explain that Tommy wasin fact a
supernatural animal, a sort of tame demon which only harmedpeople who had
malevolent intentions towards those he served or whotried to steal any of t=
heir
possessions or to intrude upon them atinconvenient hours, especially in the
dark. So terrible was he, indeed,that even the skill of the Great Priest, i=
.e.,
Bickley, could not availto save any whom once he had bitten in his rage. Ev=
en
to be barked at byhim was dangerous and conveyed a curse that might last for
generations.
All this we set out when Bastin was not there.=
He
had wandered off,as he said, to look for shells, but as we knew, to practise
religiousorations in the Polynesian tongue with the waves for audience,
asDemosthenes is said to have done to perfect himself as a politicalorator.
Personally I admit that I relied more on the terrors of Tommy tosafeguard us
from theft and other troubles than I did upon those of thenative taboo and =
the
priestly oaths.
The end of it all was that we left our ship,
having padlocked up thedoor (the padlock, we explained, was a magical
instrument that bit worsethan Tommy), and moved inland in a kind of triumph=
al
procession,priests and singers going before (the Orofenans sang extremely w=
ell)
andminstrels following after playing upon instruments like flutes, whilebeh=
ind
came the bearers carrying such goods as we needed. They tookus to a beautif=
ul
place in a grove of palms on a ridge where grew manybreadfruit trees, that
commanded a view of the ocean upon one side andof the lake with the strange
brown mountain top on the other. Here inthe midst of the native gardens we =
found
that a fine house had beenbuilt for us of a kind of mud brick and thatched =
with
palm leaves,surrounded by a fenced courtyard of beaten earth and having
wideoverhanging verandahs; a very comfortable place indeed in that
deliciousclimate. In it we took up our abode, visiting the ship occasionally
tosee that all was well there, and awaiting events.
For Bickley these soon began to happen in the
shape of anever-increasing stream of patients. The population of the island
wasconsiderable, anything between five and ten thousand, so far as wecould
judge, and among these of course there were a number of sick.Ophthalmia, for
instance, was a prevalent disease, as were the growthssuch as Marama had
suffered from, to say nothing of surgical cases andthose resulting from
accident or from nervous ailments. With all ofthese Bickley was called upon=
to
deal, which he did with remarkablesuccess by help of his books on Tropical
Diseases and his ample suppliesof medical necessaries.
At first he enjoyed it very much, but when we =
had
been established inthe house for about three weeks he remarked, after putti=
ng
in a solidten hours of work, that for all the holiday he was getting he mig=
ht
aswell be back at his old practice, with the difference that there he
wasearning several thousands a year. Just then a poor woman arrived with ab=
aby
in convulsions to whose necessities he was obliged to sacrificehis supper,
after which came a man who had fallen from a palm tree andbroken his leg.
Nor did I escape, since having somehow or other
established a reputationfor wisdom, as soon as I had mastered sufficient of=
the
language, everykind of knotty case was laid before me for decision. In shor=
t,
Ibecame a sort of Chief Justice--not an easy office as it involvedthe
acquirement of the native law which was intricate and peculiar,especially in
matrimonial cases.
At these oppressive activities Bastin looked on
with a gloomy eye.
"You fellows seem very busy," he said
one evening; "but I can findnothing to do. They don't seem to want me,=
and
merely to set a goodexample by drinking water or tea while you swallow whis=
ky
and their palmwine, or whatever it is, is very negative kind of work,
especially as Iam getting tired of planting things in the garden and playing
policemanround the wreck which nobody goes near. Even Tommy is better off, =
for
atleast he can bark and hunt rats."
"You see," said Bickley, "we are
following our trades. Arbuthnot is alawyer and acts as a judge. I am a surg=
eon
and I may add a general--avery general--practitioner and work at medicine i=
n an
enormous andmuch-neglected practice. Therefore, you, being a clergyman, sho=
uld
goand do likewise. There are some ten thousand people here, but I do notobs=
erve
that as yet you have converted a single one."
Thus spoke Bickley in a light and unguarded mo=
ment
with his usual objectof what is known as "getting a rise" out of
Bastin. Little did he guesswhat he was doing.
Bastin thought a while ponderously, then said:=
"It is very strange from what peculiar
sources Providence sometimessends inspirations. If wisdom flows from babes =
and
sucklings, why shouldit not do so from the well of agnostics and mockers?&q=
uot;
"There is no reason which I can see,"
scoffed Bickley, "except that as arule wells do not flow."
"Your jest is ill-timed and I may add
foolish," continued Bastin. "WhatI was about to add was that you =
have
given me an idea, as it was nodoubt intended that you should do. I will,
metaphorically speaking, girdup my loins and try to bear the light into all
this heathen blackness."
"Then it is one of the first you ever had,
old fellow. But what's theneed of girding up your loins in this hot
climate?" inquired Bickleywith innocence. "Pyjamas and that white=
and
green umbrella of yourswould do just as well."
Bastin vouchsafed no reply and sat for the res=
t of
that evening plungedin deep thought.
On the following morning he approached Marama =
and
asked his leaveto teach the people about the gods. The chief readily granted
this,thinking, I believe, that he alluded to ourselves, and orders wereissu=
ed
accordingly. They were to the effect that Bastin was to beallowed to go
everywhere unmolested and to talk to whom he would aboutwhat he would, to w=
hich
all must listen with respect.
Thus he began his missionary career in Orofena,
working at it, good andearnest man that he was, in a way that excited even =
the
admiration ofBickley. He started a school for children, which was held unde=
r a
fine,spreading tree. These listened well, and being of exceedingly
quickintellect soon began to pick up the elements of knowledge. But when
hetried to persuade them to clothe their little naked bodies his failurewas
complete, although after much supplication some of the bigger girlsdid arri=
ve
with a chaplet of flowers--round their necks!
Also he preached to the adults, and here again=
was
very successful ina way, especially after he became more familiar with the
language. Theylistened; to a certain extent they understood; they argued and
put topoor Bastin the most awful questions such as the whole Bench of
Bishopscould not have answered. Still he did answer them somehow, and
theypolitely accepted his interpretation of their theological riddles.
Iobserved that he got on best when he was telling them stories out of theOld
Testament, such as the account of the creation of the world andof human bei=
ngs,
also of the Deluge, etc. Indeed one of their elderssaid--Yes, this was quite
true. They had heard it all before fromtheir fathers, and that once the Del=
uge
had taken place round Orofena,swallowing up great countries, but sparing th=
em
because they were sogood.
Bastin, surprised, asked them who had caused t=
he
deluge. They replied,Oro which was the name of their god, Oro who dwelt yon=
der
on themountain in the lake, and whose representation they worshipped inidol=
s.
He said that God dwelt in Heaven, to which they replied with calmcertainty:=
"No, no, he dwells on the mountain in the
lake," which was why theynever dared to approach that mountain.
Indeed it was only by giving the name Oro to t=
he
Divinity and admittingthat He might dwell in the mountain as well as everyw=
here
else, thatBastin was able to make progress. Having conceded this, not
withoutscruples, however, he did make considerable progress, so much, in
fact,that I perceived that the priests of Oro were beginning to grow
veryjealous of him and of his increasing authority with the people. Bastinw=
as
naturally triumphant, and even exclaimed exultingly that within ayear he wo=
uld
have half of the population baptised.
"Within a year, my dear fellow," said
Bickley, "you will have yourthroat cut as a sacrifice, and probably ou=
rs
also. It is a pity, too,as within that time I should have stamped out
ophthalmia and some otherdiseases in the island."
Here, leaving Bastin and his good work aside f=
or a
while, I will saya little about the country. From information which I gathe=
red
on somejourneys that I made and by inquiries from the chief Marama, who
hadbecome devoted to us, I found that Orofena was quite a large place. Insh=
ape
the island was circular, a broad band of territory surrounding thegreat lak=
e of
which I have spoken, that in its turn surrounded a smallerisland from which
rose the mountain top. No other land was known tobe near the shores of Orof=
ena,
which had never been visited by anyoneexcept the strangers a hundred years =
ago
or so, who were sacrificed andeaten. Most of the island was covered with fo=
rest
which the inhabitantslacked the energy, and indeed had no tools, to fell. T=
hey
were anextremely lazy people and would only cultivate enough bananas and
otherfood to satisfy their immediate needs. In truth they lived mostly
uponbreadfruit and other products of the wild trees.
Thus it came about that in years of scarcity
through drought or climaticcauses, which prevented the forest trees from
bearing, they sufferedvery much from hunger. In such years hundreds of them
would perishand the remainder resorted to the dreadful expedient of
cannibalism.Sometimes, too, the shoals of fish avoided their shores, reduci=
ng
themto great misery. Their only domestic animal was the pig which roamedabo=
ut
half wild and in no great numbers, for they had never taken thetrouble to b=
reed
it in captivity. Their resources, therefore,were limited, which accounted f=
or
the comparative smallness of thepopulation, further reduced as it was by a
wicked habit of infanticidepractised in order to lighten the burden of brin=
ging
up children.
They had no traditions as to how they reached =
this
land, their beliefbeing that they had always been there but that their
forefathers weremuch greater than they. They were poetical, and sang songs =
in a
languagewhich themselves they could not understand; they said that it was
thetongue their forefathers had spoken. Also they had several strangecustom=
s of
which they did not know the origin. My own opinion, whichBickley shared, was
that they were in fact a shrunken and deterioratedremnant of some high race=
now
coming to its end through age andinter-breeding. About them indeed,
notwithstanding their primitivesavagery which in its qualities much resembl=
ed
that of otherPolynesians, there was a very curious air of antiquity. One fe=
lt
thatthey had known the older world and its mysteries, though now bothwere
forgotten. Also their language, which in time we came to speakperfectly, was
copious, musical, and expressive in its idioms.
One circumstance I must mention. In walking ab=
out
the country I observedall over it enormous holes, some of them measuring as
much as a hundredyards across, with a depth of fifty feet or more, and this=
not
onalluvial lands although there traces of them existed also, but in solidro=
ck.
What this rock was I do not know as none of us were geologists,but it seeme=
d to
me to partake of the nature of granite. Certainlyit was not coral like that=
on
and about the coast, but of a primevalformation.
When I asked Marama what caused these holes, h=
e only
shrugged hisshoulders and said he did not know, but their fathers had decla=
red
thatthey were made by stones falling from heaven. This, of course,
suggestedmeteorites to my mind. I submitted the idea to Bickley, who, in one
ofhis rare intervals of leisure, came with me to make an examination.
"If they were meteorites," he said,
"of which a shower struck the earthin some past geological age, all li=
fe
must have been destroyed by themand their remains ought to exist at the bot=
tom
of the holes. To me theylook more like the effect of high explosives, but t=
hat,
of course,is impossible, though I don't know what else could have caused
suchcraters."
Then he went back to his work, for nothing that
had to do with antiquityinterested Bickley very much. The present and its
problems were enoughfor him, he would say, who neither had lived in the past
nor expected tohave any share in the future.
As I remained curious I made an opportunity to
scramble to the bottomof one of these craters, taking with me some of the n=
atives
with theirwooden tools. Here I found a good deal of soil either washed down
fromthe surface or resulting from the decomposition of the rock, thoughoddly
enough in it nothing grew. I directed them to dig. After a whileto my
astonishment there appeared a corner of a great worked stonequite unlike th=
at
of the crater, indeed it seemed to me to be a marble.Further examination sh=
owed
that this block was most beautifully carvedin bas-relief, apparently with a
design of leaves and flowers. In thedisturbed soil also I picked up a
life-sized marble hand of a womanexquisitely finished and apparently broken
from a statue that mighthave been the work of one of the great Greek sculpt=
ors.
Moreover, onthe third finger of this hand was a representation of a ring wh=
ereof,unfortunately,
the bezel had been destroyed.
I put the hand in my pocket, but as darkness w=
as
coming on, I could notpursue the research and disinter the block. When I wi=
shed
to return thenext day, I was informed politely by Marama that it would not =
be
safefor me to do so as the priests of Oro declared that if I sought tomeddle
with the "buried things the god would grow angry and bringdisaster on
me."
When I persisted he said that at least I must =
go
alone since no nativewould accompany me, and added earnestly that he prayed=
me
not to go. Soto my great regret and disappointment I was obliged to give up=
the
idea.
That carved stone and the marble hand took a g=
reat
hold of myimagination. What did they mean? How could they have come to the
bottomof that hole, unless indeed they were part of some building and
itsornaments which had been destroyed in the neighbourhood? The stone ofwhi=
ch
we had only uncovered a corner seemed far too big to have beencarried there=
from
any ship; it must have weighed several tons. Besides,ships do not carry such
things about the world, and none had visitedthis island during the last two
centuries at any rate, or localtradition would have recorded so wonderful a
fact. Were there, then,once edifices covered with elegant carving standing =
on
this place, andwere they adorned with lovely statues that would not have
disgracedthe best period of Greek art? The thing was incredible except on
thesupposition that these were relics of an utterly lost civilisation.
Bickley was as much puzzled as myself. All he
could say was that theworld was infinitely old and many things might have
happened in itwhereof we had no record. Even Bastin was excited for a little
while,but as his imagination was represented by zero, all he could say was:=
"I suppose someone left them there, and
anyhow it doesn't matter much,does it?"
But I, who have certain leanings towards the
ancient and mysterious,could not be put off in this fashion. I remembered t=
hat
unapproachablemountain in the midst of the lake and that on it appeared to
besomething which looked like ruins as seen from the top of the cliffthrough
glasses. At any rate this was a point, that I might clear up.
Saying nothing to anybody, one morning I slipp=
ed
away and walked to theedge of the lake, a distance of five or six miles over
rough country.Having arrived there I perceived that the cone-shaped mountai=
n in
thecentre, which was about a mile from the lake shore, was much larger thanI
had thought, quite three hundred feet high indeed, and with avery large
circumference. Further, its sides evidently once had beenterraced, and it w=
as
on one of these broad terraces, half-way up andfacing towards the rising su=
n,
that the ruin-like remains were heaped.I examined them through my glasses.
Undoubtedly it was a cyclopeanruin built of great blocks of coloured stone
which seemed to have beenshattered by earthquake or explosion. There were t=
he
pillars of a mightygateway and the remains of walls.
I trembled with excitement as I stared and sta=
red.
Could I not get tothe place and see for myself? I observed that from the fl=
at
bush-cladland at the foot of the mountain, ran out what seemed to be the
residueof a stone pier which ended in a large table-topped rock between two=
and
three hundred feet across. But even this was too far to reach byswimming,
besides for aught I knew there might be alligators in thatlake. I walked up=
and
down its borders, till presently I came to a pathwhich led into a patch of =
some
variety of cotton palm.
Following this path I discovered a boat-house
thatched over with palmleaves. Inside it were two good canoes with their
paddles, floating andtied to the stumps of trees by fibre ropes. Instantly I
made up my mindthat I would paddle to the island and investigate. Just as I=
was
aboutto step into one of the canoes the light was cut off. Looking up I saw=
that
a man was crouching in the door-place of the boat-house in order toenter, a=
nd
paused guiltily.
"Friend-from-the-Sea" (that was the =
name
that these islanders had givento me), said the voice of Marama, "say--=
what
are you doing here?"
"I am about to take a row on the lake,
Chief," I answered carelessly.
"Indeed, Friend. Have we then treated you=
so
badly that you are tired oflife?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Come out into the sunlight, Friend, and I
will explain to you."
I hesitated till I saw Marama lifting the heavy wooden spear he carriedand remembered that I was unarmed. Then I came out.<= o:p>
"What does all this mean, Chief?" I
asked angrily when we were clear ofthe patch of cotton palm.
"I mean, Friend, that you have been very =
near
to making a longer journeythan you thought. Have patience now and listen to=
me.
I saw you leavingthe village this morning and followed, suspecting your
purpose. Yes,I followed alone, saying nothing to the priests of Oro who
fortunatelywere away watching the Bellower for their own reasons. I saw
yousearching out the secrets of the mountain with those magic tubes thatmake
things big that are small, and things that are far off come near,and I foll=
owed
you to the canoes."
"All that is plain enough, Marama. But
why?"
"Have I not told you, Friend-from-the-Sea,
that yonder hill which iscalled Orofena, whence this island takes its name,=
is
sacred?"
"You said so, but what of it?"
"This: to set foot thereon is to die and,=
I
suppose, great as you are,you, too, can die like others. At least, although=
I
love you, had younot come away from that canoe I was about to discover whet=
her
this isso."
"Then for what are the canoes used?"=
I
asked with irritation.
"You see that flat rock, Friend, with the
hole beyond, which is themouth of a cave that appeared only in the great st=
orm
that brought youto our land? They are used to convey offerings which are la=
id
upon therock. Beyond it no man may go, and since the beginning no man has
evergone."
"Offerings to whom?"
"To the Oromatuas, the spirits of the gre=
at
dead who live there."
"Oromatuas? Oro! It is always something t=
o do
with Oro. Who and what isOro?"
"Oro is a god, Friend, though it is true =
that
the priests say that abovehim there is a greater god called Degai, the Crea=
tor,
the Fate who madeall things and directs all things."
"Very well, but why do you suppose that O=
ro,
the servant of Degai, livesin that mountain? I thought that he lived in a g=
rove
yonder where yourpriests, as I am told, have an image of him."
"I do not know, Friend-from-the-Sea, but =
so
it has been held from thebeginning. The image in the grove is only visited =
by
his spirit fromtime to time. Now, I pray you, come back and before the prie=
sts
discoverthat you have been here, and forget that there are any canoes upon
thislake."
So, thinking it wisest, I turned the matter wi=
th a
laugh and walkedaway with him to the village. On our road I tried to extract
some moreinformation but without success. He did not know who built the ruin
uponthe mountain, or who destroyed it. He did not know how the terracescame
there. All he knew was that during the convulsion of Nature whichresulted in
the tidal wave that had thrown our ship upon the island,the mountain had be=
en
seen to quiver like a tree in the wind as thoughwithin it great forces were=
at
work. Then it was observed to have risena good many more feet above the sur=
face
of the lake, as might be notedby the water mark upon the shore, and then al=
so
the mouth of the cavehad appeared. The priests said that all this was becau=
se
the Oromatuaswho dwelt there were stirring, which portended great things.
Indeedgreat things had happened--for had we not arrived in their land?
I thanked him for what he had told me, and, as
there was nothing moreto be learned, dropped the subject which was never
mentioned between usagain, at least not for a long while. But in my heart I
determined thatI would reach that mountain even though to do so I must risk=
my
life.Something seemed to call me to the place; it was as though I were
beingdrawn by a magnet.
As it happened, before so very long I did go to
the mountain, not ofmy own will but because I was obliged. It came about th=
us.
One night Iasked Bastin how he was getting on with his missionary work. He
replied:Very well indeed, but there was one great obstacle in his path, the
idolin the Grove. Were it not for this accursed image he believed that thew=
hole
island would become Christian. I asked him to be more plain.He explained th=
at
all his work was thwarted by this idol, since hisconverts declared that they
did not dare to be baptised while it satthere in the Grove. If they did, the
spirit that was in it would bewitchthem and perhaps steal out at night and
murder them.
"The spirit being our friends the
sorcerers," I suggested.
"That's it, Arbuthnot. Do you know, I bel=
ieve
those devilish mensometimes offer human sacrifices to this satanic fetish, =
when
there is adrought or anything of that sort."
"I can quite believe it," I answered,
"but as they will scarcely removetheir god and with it their own
livelihood and authority, I am afraidthat as we don't want to be sacrificed,
there is nothing to be done."
At this moment I was called away. As I went I
heard Bastin mutteringsomething about martyrs, but paid no attention. Little
did I guesswhat was going on in his pious but obstinate mind. In effect it
wasthis--that if no one else would remove that idol he was quite ready todo=
it
himself.
However, he was very cunning over that busines=
s,
almost Jesuiticalindeed. Not one word did he breathe of his dark plans to m=
e,
and stillless to Bickley. He just went on with his teaching, lamenting from
timeto time the stumbling-block of the idol and expressing wonder as to how=
it
might be circumvented by a change in the hearts of the islanders, orotherwi=
se.
Sad as it is to record, in fact, dear old Bastin went as nearto telling a f=
ib
in connection with this matter as I suppose he had everdone in his life. It
happened thus. One day Bickley's sharp eye caughtsight of Bastin walking ab=
out
with what looked like a bottle of whiskyin his pocket.
"Hallo, old fellow," he said, "=
has
the self-denying ordinance brokendown? I didn't know that you took pegs on =
the
sly," and he pointed tothe bottle.
"If you are insinuating, Bickley, that I
absorb spirits surreptitiously,you are more mistaken than usual, which is
saying a good deal. Thisbottle contains, not Scotch whisky but paraffin,
although I admitthat its label may have misled you, unintentionally, so far=
as
I amconcerned."
"What are you going to do with the
paraffin?" asked Bickley.
Bastin coloured through his tan and replied
awkwardly:
"Paraffin is very good to keep away
mosquitoes if one can stand thesmell of it upon one's skin. Not that I have
brought it here with thatsole object. The truth is that I am anxious to
experiment with a lamp ofmy own design made--um--of native wood," and =
he
departed in a hurry.
"When next old Bastin wants to tell a
lie," commented Bickley, "heshould make up his mind as to what it=
is
to be, and stick to it. Iwonder what he is after with that paraffin? Not go=
ing
to dose any ofmy patients with it, I hope. He was arguing the other day tha=
t it
is agreat remedy taken internally, being quite unaware that the lamp variet=
yis
not used for that purpose."
"Perhaps he means to swallow some himself,
just to show that he isright," I suggested.
"The stomach-pump is at hand," said
Bickley, and the matter dropped.
Next morning I got up before it was light. Hav=
ing
some elementaryknowledge of the main facts of astronomy, which remained wit=
h me
fromboyhood when I had attended lectures on the subject, which I had triedto
refresh by help of an encyclopedia I had brought from the ship,I wished to
attempt to obtain an idea of our position by help of thestars. In this
endeavour, I may say, I failed absolutely, as I did notknow how to take a
stellar or any other observation.
On my way out of our native house I observed, =
by
the lantern I carried,that the compartment of it occupied by Bastin was emp=
ty,
and wonderedwhither he had gone at that hour. On arriving at my
observation-post, arocky eminence on open ground, where, with Tommy at my s=
ide,
I took myseat with a telescope, I was astonished to see or rather to hear a
greatnumber of the natives walking past the base of the mound towards thebu=
sh.
Then I remembered that some one, Marama, I think, had informed methat there=
was
to be a great sacrifice to Oro at dawn on that day. Afterthis I thought no =
more
of the matter but occupied myself in a futilestudy of the heavenly bodies. =
At
length the dawn broke and put a periodto my labours.
Glancing round me before I descended from the
little hill, I saw a flameof light appear suddenly about half a mile or more
away among thosetrees which I knew concealed the image of Oro. On this
personally I hadnever had the curiosity to look, as I knew that it was only=
a
hideousidol stuck over with feathers and other bedizenments. The flame
shotsuddenly straight into the still air and was followed a few secondslate=
r by
the sound of a dull explosion, after which it went out. Also itwas followed=
by
something else--a scream of rage from an infuriated mob.
At the foot of the hill I stopped to wonder wh=
at
these sounds mightmean. Then of a sudden appeared Bickley, who had been att=
ending
someurgent case, and asked me who was exploding gunpowder. I told him that =
Ihad
no idea.
"Then I have," he answered. "It=
is
that ass Bastin up to some game. NowI guess why he wanted that paraffin. Li=
sten
to the row. What are theyafter?"
"Sacrificing Bastin, perhaps," I
replied, half in jest. "Have you yourrevolver?"
He nodded. We always wore our pistols if we we=
nt
out during the darkhours.
"Then perhaps we had better go to see.&qu=
ot;
We started, and had not covered a hundred yards
before a girl, whomI recognised as one of Bastin's converts, came flying
towards us andscreaming out, "Help! Help! They kill the Bellower with
fire! They cookhim like a pig!"
"Just what I expected," said Bickley=
.
Then we ran hard, as evidently there was no ti=
me
to lose. While we wentI extracted from the terrified girl, whom we forced to
show us the way,that as the sacrifice was about to be offered Bastin had
appeared,and, "making fire," applied it to the god Oro, who insta=
ntly
burst intoflame. Then he ran back, calling out that the devil was dead. As =
he
didso there was a loud explosion and Oro flew into pieces. His burninghead =
went
a long way into the air and, falling on to one of the priests,killed him.
Thereon the other priests and the people seized the Bellowerand made him fa=
st.
Now they were engaged in heating an oven in which toput him to cook. When it
was ready they would eat him in honour of Oro.
"And serve him right too!" gasped
Bickley, who, being stout, was not agood runner. "Why can't he leave o=
ther
people's gods alone instead ofblowing them up with gunpowder?"
"Don't know," I answered. "Hope=
we
shall get there in time!"
"To be cooked and eaten with Bastin!"
wheezed Bickley, after which hisbreath gave out.
As it chanced we did, for these stone ovens ta=
ke a
long time to heat.There by the edge of his fiery grave with his hands and l=
egs
bound inpalm-fibre shackles, stood Bastin, quite unmoved, smiling indeed, in
asort of seraphic way which irritated us both extremely. Round him dancedthe
infuriated priests of Oro, and round them, shrieking and howlingwith rage, =
was
most of the population of Orofena. We rushed up sosuddenly that none tried =
to
stop us, and took our stand on either sideof him, producing our pistols as =
we
did so.
"Thank you for coming," said Bastin =
in
the silence which followed;"though I don't think it is the least use. I
cannot recall that anyof the early martyrs were ever roasted and eaten, tho=
ugh,
of course,throwing them into boiling oil or water was fairly common. I take
itthat the rite is sacrificial and even in a low sense, sacramental, notmer=
ely
one of common cannibalism."
I stared at him, and Bickley gasped out:
"If you are to be eaten, what does it mat=
ter
why you are eaten?"
"Oh!" replied Bastin; "there is=
all
the difference in the world, thoughit is one that I cannot expect you to
appreciate. And now please bequiet as I wish to say my prayers. I imagine t=
hat
those stones will behot enough to do their office within twenty minutes or =
so,
which is notvery long."
At that moment Marama appeared, evidently in a
state of greatperturbation. With him were some of the priests or sorcerers =
who
weredancing about as I imagine the priests of Baal must have done, andfilled
with fury. They rolled their eyes, they stuck out their tongues,they uttered
weird cries and shook their wooden knives at the placidBastin.
"What is the matter?" I asked sternl=
y of
the chief.
"This, Friend-from-the-Sea. The Bellower
there, when the sacrificewas about to be offered to Oro at the dawn, rushed
forward, and havingthrust something between the legs of the image of the go=
d,
poured yellowwater over it, and with fire caused it to burst into fierce fl=
ame.
Thenhe ran away and mocked the god who presently, with a loud report,flew i=
nto
pieces and killed that man. Therefore the Bellower must besacrificed."=
"What to?" I asked. "The image =
has
gone and the piece of it thatascended fell not upon the Bellower, as would =
have
happened if the godhad been angry with him, but on one of its own priests, =
whom
it killed.Therefore, having been sacrificed by the god itself, he it is
thatshould be eaten, not the Bellower, who merely did what his Spirit
badehim."
This ingenious argument seemed to produce some
effect upon Marama, butto the priests it did not at all appeal.
"Eat them all!" these cried. "T=
hey
are the enemies of Oro and haveworked sacrilege!"
Moreover, to judge from their demeanour, the b= ulk of the people seemedto agree with them. Things began to look very ugly. The priests rushedforward, threatening us with their wooden weapons, and one of them evenaimed a blow at Bickley, which only missed him by an inch or two.<= o:p>
"Look here, my friend," called the
doctor whose temper was rising, "youname me the Great Priest or Great
Healer, do you not? Well, be careful,lest I should show you that I can kill=
as
well as heal!"
Not in the least intimidated by this threat the
man, a great bedizenedfellow who literally was foaming at the mouth with ra=
ge,
rushed forwardagain, his club raised, apparently with the object of dashing
outBickley's brains.
Suddenly Bickley lifted his revolver and fired.
The man, shot throughthe heart, sprang into the air and fell upon his
face--stone dead. Therewas consternation, for these people had never seen us
shoot anythingbefore, and were quite unacquainted with the properties of
firearms,which they supposed to be merely instruments for making a noise.
Theystared, they gasped in fear and astonishment, and then they fled,pursue=
d by
Tommy, barking, leaving us alone with the two dead men.
"It was time to teach them a lesson,"
said Bickley as he replaced theempty cartridge, and, seizing the dead man,
rolled him into the burningpit.
"Yes," I answered; "but present=
ly,
when they have got over their fright,they will come back to teach us one.&q=
uot;
Bastin said nothing; he seemed too dazed at the
turn events had taken.
"What do you suggest?" asked Bickley=
.
"Flight," I answered.
"Where to--the ship? We might hold
that."
"No; that is what they expect. Look! They=
are
cutting off our roadthere. To the island in the lake where they dare not fo=
llow
us, for itis holy ground."
"How are we going to live on the
island?" asked Bickley.
"I don't know," I replied; "but=
I
am quite certain that if we stay herewe shall die."
"Very well," he said; "let us t=
ry
it."
While we were speaking I was cutting Bastin's
bonds. "Thank you," hesaid. "It is a great relief to stretch
one's arms after they have beencompressed with cords. But at the same time,=
I
do not know that I amreally grateful. The martyr's crown was hanging above =
me,
so to speak,and now it has vanished into the pit, like that man whom
Bickleymurdered."
"Look here," exclaimed the exasperat=
ed
Bickley, "if you say much more,Bastin, I'll chuck you into the pit too=
, to
look for your martyr'scrown, for I think you have done enough mischief for =
one
morning."
"If you are trying to shift the
responsibility for that unfortunateman's destruction on to me--"
"Oh! shut it and trot," broke in
Bickley. "Those infernal savages arecoming with your blessed converts
leading the van."
So we "trotted" at no mean pace. As =
we
passed it, Bastin stooped downand picked up the head of the image of Oro, m=
uch
as Atalanta in Academypictures is represented as doing to the apples, and b=
ore
it away intriumph.
"I know it is scorched," he ejaculat=
ed
at intervals, "but they mighttrim it up and stick it on to a new body =
as
the original false god. Nowthey can't, for there's nothing left."
As a matter of fact, we were never in any real
danger, for our pursuitwas very half-hearted indeed. To begin with, now that
their first ragewas over, the Orofenans who were fond of us had no particul=
ar
wish to dous to death, while the ardour of their sorcerers, who wished this
verymuch, had been greatly cooled by the mysterious annihilation of theirid=
ol
and the violent deaths of two of their companions, which theythought might =
be
reduplicated in their own persons. So it came aboutthat the chase, if noisy,
was neither close nor eager.
We reached the edge of the lake where was the
boat-house of which Ihave spoken already, travelling at little more than a
walk. Here wemade Bastin unfasten the better of the two canoes that by good
luck wasalmost filled with offerings, which doubtless, according to custom,=
must
be made upon the day of this feast to Oro, while we watched againstsurprise=
at
the boat-house door. When he was ready we slipped in andtook our seats, Tom=
my
jumping in after us, and pushed the canoe, nowvery heavily laden, out into =
the
lake.
Here, at a distance of about forty paces, whic=
h we
judged to be beyondwooden spear-throw, we rested upon our paddles to see wh=
at
would happen.All the crowd of islanders had rushed to the lake edge where t=
hey
stoodstaring at us stupidly. Bastin, thinking the occasion opportune, lifte=
dthe
hideous head of the idol which he had carefully washed, and began topreach =
on
the downfall of "the god of the Grove."
This action of his appeared to awake memories =
or
forebodings inthe minds of his congregation. Perhaps some ancient prophecy
wasconcerned--I do not know. At any rate, one of the priests shoutedsomethi=
ng,
whereon everybody began to talk at once. Then, stooping down,they threw wat=
er
from the lake over themselves and rubbed its sandand mud into their hair, a=
ll
the while making genuflexions toward themountain in the middle, after which
they turned and departed.
"Don't you think we had better go back?&q=
uot;
asked Bastin. "Evidently mywords have touched them and their minds are
melting beneath the light ofTruth."
"Oh! by all means," replied Bickley =
with
sarcasm; "for then their spearswill touch us, and our bodies will soon=
be melting
above the fires ofthat pit."
"Perhaps you are right," said Bastin;
"at least, I admit that you havemade matters very difficult by your
unjustifiable homicide of thatpriest who I do not think meant to injure you
seriously, and really wasnot at all a bad fellow, though opinionated in some
ways. Also, I do notsuppose that anybody is expected, as it were, to run his
head into themartyr's crown. When it settles there of itself it is another
matter."
"Like a butterfly!" exclaimed the
enraged Bickley.
"Yes, if you like to put it that way, tho=
ugh
the simile seems a verypoor one; like a sunbeam would be better."
Here Bickley gave way with his paddle so
vigorously that the canoe wasas nearly as possible upset into the lake.
In due course we reached the flat Rock of
Offerings, which proved to bequite as wide as a double croquet lawn and much
longer.
"What are those?" I asked, pointing =
to
certain knobs on the edge of therock at a spot where a curved projecting po=
int
made a little harbour.
Bickley examined them, and answered:
"I should say that they are the remains of
stone mooring-posts worn downby many thousands of years of weather. Yes, lo=
ok,
there is the cut ofthe cables upon the base of that one, and very big cables
they must havebeen."
We stared at one another--that is, Bickley and=
I
did, for Bastin wasstill engaged in contemplating the blackened head of the=
god
which hehad overthrown.
We made the canoe fast and landed on the great
rock, to perceive that itwas really a peninsula. That is to say, it was joi=
ned
to the main landof the lake island by a broad roadway quite fifty yards acr=
oss,
whichappeared to end in the mouth of the cave. On this causeway we noteda v=
ery
remarkable thing, namely, two grooves separated by an exactdistance of nine
feet which ran into the mouth of the cave and vanishedthere.
"Explain!" said Bickley.
"Paths," I said, "worn by count=
less
feet walking on them for thousandsof years."
"You should cultivate the art of observat=
ion,
Arbuthnot. What do yousay, Bastin?"
He stared at the grooves through his spectacle=
s,
and replied:
"I don't say anything, except that I can't
see anybody to make pathshere. Indeed, the place seems quite unpopulated, a=
nd
all the Orofenanstold me that they never landed on it because if they did t=
hey
would die.It is a part of their superstitious nonsense. If you have any idea
inyour head you had better tell us quickly before we breakfast. I am
veryhungry."
"You always are," remarked Bickley;
"even when most people's appetitesmight have been affected. Well, I th=
ink
that this great plateau was oncea landing-place for flying machines, and th=
at
there is the air-shed orgarage."
Bastin stared at him.
"Don't you think we had better
breakfast?" he said. "There are two roastpigs in that canoe, and =
lots
of other food, enough to last us a week,I should say. Of course, I understa=
nd
that the blood you have shed hasthrown you off your balance. I believe it h=
as
that effect, except on themost hardened. Flying machines were only invented=
a
few years ago by thebrothers Wright in America."
"Bastin," said Bickley, "I begi=
n to
regret that I did not leave you totake part in another breakfast yonder--I =
mean
as the principal dish."
"It was Providence, not you, who prevented
it, Bickley, doubtlessbecause I am unworthy of such a glorious end."
"Then it is lucky that Providence is a go=
od
shot with a pistol. Stoptalking nonsense and listen. If those were paths wo=
rn
by feet theywould run to the edge of the rock. They do not. They begin ther=
e in
thatgentle depression and slope upwards somewhat steeply. The air
machines,which were evidently large, lit in the depression, possibly as a
birddoes, and then ran on wheels or sledge skids along the grooves to
theair-shed in the mountain. Come to the cave and you will see."
"Not till we have breakfast," said
Bastin. "I will get out a pig. As amatter of fact, I had no supper last
night, as I was taking a class ofnative boys and making some arrangements o=
f my
own."
As for me, I only whistled. It all seemed very
feasible. And yet howcould such things be?
We unloaded the canoe and ate. Bastin's appeti=
te
was splendid. Indeed, Ihad to ask him to remember that when this supply was
done I did not knowwhere we should find any more.
"Take no thought for the morrow," he
replied. "I have no doubt it willcome from somewhere," and he hel=
ped
himself to another chop.
Never had I admired him so much. Not a couple =
of
hours before he wasabout to be cruelly murdered and eaten. But this did not
seem to affecthim in the least. Bastin was the only man I have ever known w=
ith
areally perfect faith. It is a quality worth having and one thatmakes for
happiness. What a great thing not to care whether you arebreakfasted on, or
breakfast!
"I see that there is lots of driftwood ab=
out
here," he remarked, "butunfortunately we have no tea, so in this
climate it is of little use,unless indeed we can catch some fish and cook
them."
"Stop talking about eating and help us to
haul up the canoe," saidBickley.
Between the three of us we dragged and carried=
the
canoe a long way fromthe lake, fearing lest the natives should come and bea=
r it
off with ourprovisions. Then, having given Tommy his breakfast off the
scraps,we walked to the cave. I glanced at my companions. Bickley's face
wasalight with scientific eagerness. Here are not dreams or speculations,but
facts to be learned, it seemed to say, and I will learn them. Thepast is go=
ing
to show me some of its secrets, to tell me how men of longago lived and died
and how far they had advanced to that point on theroad of civilisation at w=
hich
I stand in my little hour of existence.
That of Bastin was mildly interested, no more.
Obviously, with half hismind he was thinking of something else, probably of=
his
converts onthe main island and of the school class fixed for this hour
whichcircumstances prevented him from attending. Indeed, like Lot's wife he=
was
casting glances behind him towards the wicked place from which hehad been
forced to flee.
Neither the past nor the future had much real
interest for Bastin; anymore than they had for Bickley, though for different
reasons. The formerwas done with; the latter he was quite content to leave =
in
other hands.If he had any clear idea thereof, probably that undiscovered
landappeared to him as a big, pleasant place where are no unbelievers
orerroneous doctrines, and all sinners will be sternly repressed,in which, =
clad
in a white surplice with all proper ecclesiasticaltrappings, he would argue
eternally with the Early Fathers and in duecourse utterly annihilate Bickle=
y,
that is in a moral sense. Personallyand as a man he was extremely attached =
to
Bickley as a necessary andwrong-headed nuisance to which he had become
accustomed.
And I! What did I feel? I do not know; I cannot
describe. Anextraordinary attraction, a semi-spiritual exaltation, I think.
Thatcave mouth might have been a magnet drawing my soul. With my body Ishou=
ld
have been afraid, as I daresay I was, for our circumstances weresufficiently
desperate. Here we were, castaways upon an island, probablyuncharted, one of
thousands in the recesses of a vast ocean, from whichwe had little chance of
escape. More, having offended the religiousinstincts of the primeval
inhabitants of that island, we had been forcedto flee to a rocky mountain in
the centre of a lake, where, after thefood we had brought with us by accide=
nt
was consumed, we should no doubtbe forced to choose between death by
starvation, or, if we attempted toretreat, at the hands of justly infuriated
savages. Yet these facts didnot oppress me, for I was being drawn, drawn to=
I
knew not what, and ifit were to doom--well, no matter.
Therefore, none of us cared: Bastin because his
faith was equal to anyemergency and there was always that white-robed heaven
waiting for himbeyond which his imagination did not go (I often wondered
whether hepictured Mrs. Bastin as also waiting; if so, he never said
anythingabout her); Bickley because as a child of the Present and a servant
ofknowledge he feared no future, believing it to be for him non-existent,and
was careless as to when his strenuous hour of life should end; andI because=
I
felt that yonder lay my true future; yes, and my true past,even though to
discover them I must pass through that portal which weknow as Death.
We reached the mouth of the cave. It was a vas=
t place;
perhaps the archof it was a hundred feet high, and I could see that once all
thisarch had been adorned with sculptures. Protected as these were by
theoverhanging rock, for the sculptured mouth of the cave was cut deep into=
the
mountain face, they were still so worn that it was impossible todiscern the=
ir
details. Time had eaten them away like an acid. But whatlength of time? I c=
ould
not guess, but it must have been stupendous tohave worked thus upon that ha=
rd
and sheltered rock.
This came home to me with added force when, fr=
om
subsequent examination,we learned that the entire mouth of this cave had be=
en
sealed up forunnumbered ages. It will be remembered that Marama told me the
mountainin the lake had risen much during the frightful cyclone in which we
werewrecked and with it the cave mouth which previously had been invisible.=
From
the markings on the mountain side it was obvious that something ofthe sort =
had
happened very recently, at any rate on this eastern face.That is, either the
flat rock had sunk or the volcano had been thrownupwards.
Once in the far past the cave had been as it w=
as
when we found it. Thenit had gone down in such a way that the table-rock
entirely sealed theentrance. Now this entrance was once more open, and alth=
ough
of coursethere was a break in them, the grooves of which I have spoken ran
oninto the cave at only a slightly different level from that at which theyl=
ay
upon the flat rock. And yet, although they had been thus shelteredby a great
stone curtain in front of them, still these sculptureswere worn away by the
tooth of Time. Of course, however, this may havehappened to them before they
were buried in some ancient cataclysm, tobe thus resurrected at the hour of=
our
arrival upon the island.
Without pausing to make any closer examination=
of
these crumbledcarvings, we entered the yawning mouth of that great place,
followingand indeed walking in the deep grooves that I have mentioned.
Presentlyit seemed to open out as a courtyard might at the end of a passage;
yes,to open on to some vast place whereof in that gloom we could not see
theroof or the limits. All we knew was that it must be enormous--the echoes=
of
our voices and footsteps told us as much, for these seemed to comeback to us
from high, high above and from far, far away. Bickley and Isaid nothing; we
were too overcome. But Bastin remarked:
"Did you ever go to Olympia? I did once to
see a kind of play wherethe people said nothing, only ran about dressed up.
They told me it wasreligious, the sort of thing a clergyman should study. I
didn't think itreligious at all. It was all about a nun who had a baby.&quo=
t;
"Well, what of it?" snapped Bickley.=
"Nothing particular, except that nuns don=
't
have babies, or if they dothe fact should not be advertised. But I wasn't
thinking of that. I wasthinking that this place is like an underground
Olympia."
"Oh, be quiet!" I said, for though
Bastin's description was not bad, hismonotonous, drawling voice jarred on m=
e in
that solemnity.
"Be careful where you walk," whisper=
ed
Bickley, for even he seemed awed,"there may be pits in this floor.&quo=
t;
"I wish we had a light," I said,
halting.
"If candles are of any use," broke in
Bastin, "as it happens I havea packet in my pocket. I took them with me
this morning for a certainpurpose."
"Not unconnected with the paraffin and the
burning of the idol, Isuppose?" said Bickley. "Hand them over.&qu=
ot;
"Yes; if I had been allowed a little more
time I intended--"
"Never mind what you intended; we know wh=
at
you did and that's enough,"said Bickley as he snatched the packet from
Bastin's hand and proceededto undo it, adding, "By heaven! I have no
matches, nor have you,Arbuthnot!"
"I have a dozen boxes of wax vestas in my
other pocket," said Bastin."You see, they burn so well when you w=
ant
to get up a fire on a dampidol. As you may have noticed, the dew is very he=
avy
here."
In due course these too were produced. I took
possession of them as theywere too valuable to be left in the charge of Bas=
tin,
and, extractinga box from the packet, lit two of the candles which were of =
the
shortthick variety, like those used in carriage-lamps.
Presently they burned up, making two faint sta=
rs
of light which,however, were not strong enough to show us either the roof or
the sidesof that vast place. By their aid we pursued our path, still follow=
ingthe
grooves till suddenly these came to an end. Now all around us was aflat flo=
or
of rock which, as we perceived clearly when we pushedaside the dust that had
gathered thickly on it in the course of ages,doubtless from the gradual
disintegration of the stony walls, had oncebeen polished till it resembled
black marble. Indeed, certain cracksin the floor appeared to have been fill=
ed
in with some dark-colouredcement. I stood looking at them while Bickley
wandered off to the rightand a little forward, and presently called to me. I
walked to him,Bastin sticking close to me as I had the other candle, as did=
the
littledog, Tommy, who did not like these new surroundings and would not lea=
vemy
heels.
"Look," said Bickley, holding up his
candle, "and tell me--what's that?"
Before me, faintly shown, was some curious
structure of gleaming rodsmade of yellowish metal, which rods appeared to be
connected by wires.The structure might have been forty feet high and perhap=
s a
hundredlong. Its bottom part was buried in dust.
"What is that?" asked Bickley again.=
I made no answer, for I was thinking. Bastin,
however, replied:
"It's difficult to be sure in this light,=
but
I should think that itmay be the remains of a cage in which some people who
lived here keptmonkeys, or perhaps it was an aviary. Look at those little
ladders forthe monkeys to climb by, or possibly for the birds to sit on.&qu=
ot;
"Are you sure it wasn't tame angels?"
asked Bickley.
"What a ridiculous remark! How can you ke=
ep
an angel in a cage? I--"
"Aeroplane!" I almost whispered to
Bickley.
"You've got it!" he answered. "=
The
framework of an aeroplane and a jollylarge one, too. Only why hasn't it
oxidised?"
"Some indestructible metal," I
suggested. "Gold, for instance, does notoxidise."
He nodded and said:
"We shall have to dig it out. The dust is
feet thick about it; we can donothing without spades. Come on."
We went round to the end of the structure,
whatever it might be, andpresently came to another. Again we went on and ca=
me
to another, all ofthem being berthed exactly in line.
"What did I tell you?" said Bickley =
in a
voice of triumph. "A wholegarage full, a regular fleet of
aeroplanes!"
"That must be nonsense," said Bastin,
"for I am quite sure that theseOrofenans cannot make such things. Inde=
ed
they have no metal, and evencut the throats of pigs with wooden knives.&quo=
t;
Now I began to walk forward, bearing to the le=
ft
so as to regain ourformer line. We could do nothing with these metal skelet=
ons,
and Ifelt that there must be more to find beyond. Presently I saw
somethinglooming ahead of me and quickened my pace, only to recoil. For
there,not thirty feet away and perhaps three hundred yards from the mouth o=
fthe
cave, suddenly appeared what looked like a gigantic man. Tommy sawit also a=
nd
barked as dogs do when they are frightened, and the soundof his yaps echoed
endlessly from every quarter, which scared him tosilence. Recovering myself=
I
went forward, for now I guessed the truth.It was not a man but a statue.
The thing stood upon a huge base which lessene=
d by
successive steps,eight of them, I think, to its summit. The foot of this ba=
se
may havebeen a square of fifty feet or rather more; the real support or
pedestalof the statue, however, was only a square of about six feet. The
figureitself was little above life-size, or at any rate above our life-size=
,say
seven feet in height. It was very peculiar in sundry ways.
To begin with, nothing of the body was visible,
for it was swathed likea corpse. From these wrappings projected one arm, the
right, in the handof which was the likeness of a lighted torch. The head was
not veiled.It was that of a man, long-nosed, thin-lipped, stern-visaged;
thecountenance pervaded by an awful and unutterable calm, as deep as thatof
Buddha only less benign. On the brow was a wreathed head-dress, notunlike an
Eastern turban, from which sprang two little wings resemblingin some degree
those on the famous Greek head of Hypnos, lord of Sleep.Between the folds of
the wrappings on the back sprang two other wings,enormous wings bent like t=
hose
of a bird about to take flight. Indeedthe whole attitude of the figure
suggested that it was springing fromearth to air. It was executed in black
basalt or some stone of the sort,and very highly finished. For instance, on=
the
bare feet and the armwhich held the torch could be felt every muscle and ev=
en
some ofthe veins. In the same way the details of the skull were
perfectlyperceptible to the touch, although at first sight not visible on
themarble surface. This was ascertained by climbing on the pedestal andfeel=
ing
the face with our hands.
Here I may say that its modelling as well as t=
hat
of the feet and thearm filled Bickley, who, of course, was a highly trained
anatomist, withabsolute amazement. He said that he would never have thought=
it
possiblethat such accuracy could have been reached by an artist working in
sohard a material.
When the others had arrived we studied this re=
lic
as closely as ourtwo candles would allow, and in turn expressed our opinion=
s of
itssignificance. Bastin thought that if those things down there were really=
the
remains of aeroplanes, which he did not believe, the statue hadsomething to=
do
with flying, as was shown by the fact that it had wingson its head and
shoulders. Also, he added, after examining the face, thehead was uncommonly
like that of the idol that he had blown up. It hadthe same long nose and se=
vere
shut mouth. If he was right, this wasprobably another effigy of Oro which we
should do well to destroy atonce before the islanders came to worship it.
Bickley ground his teeth as he listened to him=
.
"Destroy that!" he gasped.
"Destroy! Oh! you, you--early Christian."
Here I may state that Bastin was quite right, =
as
we proved subsequentlywhen we compared the head of the fetish, which, as it
will beremembered, he had brought away with him, with that of the
statue.Allowing for an enormous debasement of art, they were
essentiallyidentical in the facial characteristics. This would suggest the
descentof a tradition through countless generations. Or of course it may ha=
vebeen
accidental. I am sure I do not know, but I think it possible thatfor unknown
centuries other old statues may have existed in Orofena fromwhich the idol =
was
copied. Or some daring and impious spirit may havefound his way to the cave=
in
past ages and fashioned the local god uponthis ancient model.
Bickley was struck at once, as I had been, with
the resemblance of thefigure to that of the Egyptian Osiris. Of course there
were differences.For instance, instead of the crook and the scourge, this
divinity helda torch. Again, in place of the crown of Egypt it wore a
wingedhead-dress, though it is true this was not very far removed from
thewinged disc of that country. The wings that sprang from its
shoulders,however, suggested Babylonia rather than Egypt, or the Assyrian
bullsthat are similarly adorned. All of these symbolical ideas might havebe=
en
taken from that figure. But what was it? What was it?
In a flash the answer came to me. A representa=
tion
of the spirit ofDeath! Neither more nor less. There was the shroud; there t=
he
cold,inscrutable countenance suggesting mysteries that it hid. But the torc=
hand
the wings? Well, the torch was that which lighted souls to the otherworld, =
and
on the wings they flew thither. Whoever fashioned that statuehoped for anot=
her life,
or so I was convinced.
I explained my ideas. Bastin thought them fanc=
iful
and preferred hisnotion of a flying man, since by constitution he was unabl=
e to
discoveranything spiritual in any religion except his own. Bickley agreed
thatit was probably an allegorical representation of death but sniffed atmy
interpretation of the wings and the torch, since by constitution hecould not
believe that the folly of a belief in immortality could havedeveloped so ea=
rly
in the world, that is, among a highly civilisedpeople such as must have
produced this statue.
What we could none of us understand was why th=
is
ominous image with itsdead, cold face should have been placed in an aerodro=
me,
nor in fact didwe ever discover. Possibly it was there long before the cave=
was
put tothis use. At first the place may have been a temple and have so
remaineduntil circumstances forced the worshippers to change their habits,
oreven their Faith.
We examined this wondrous work and the pedesta=
l on
which it stood asclosely as we were able by the dim light of our candles. I=
was
anxiousto go further and see what lay beyond it; indeed we did walk a fewpa=
ces,
twenty perhaps, onward into the recesses of the cave.
Then Bickley discovered something that looked =
like
the mouth of a welldown which he nearly tumbled, and Bastin began to compla=
in
that he washot and very thirsty; also to point out that he wished for no mo=
re
cavesand idols at present.
"Look here, Arbuthnot," said Bickley,
"these candles are burning low andwe don't want to use up more if we c=
an
prevent it, for we may need whatwe have got very badly later on. Now, accor=
ding
to my pocket compassthe mouth of this cave points due east; probably at the
beginning it wasorientated to the rising sun for purposes of astronomical
observation orof worship at certain periods of the year. From the position =
of
the sunwhen we landed on the rock this morning I imagine that just now itri=
ses
almost exactly opposite to the mouth of the cave. If this is so,to-morrow at
dawn, for a time at least, the light should penetrate asfar as the statue, =
and
perhaps further. What I suggest is that we shouldwait till then to
explore."
I agreed with him, especially as I was feeling
tired, being exhaustedby wonder, and wanted time to think. So we turned bac=
k.
As we did so Imissed Tommy and inquired anxiously where he was, being afraid
lest hemight have tumbled down the well-like hole.
"He's all right," said Bastin. "=
;I
saw him sniffing at the base of thatstatue. I expect there is a rat in ther=
e,
or perhaps a snake."
Sure enough when we reached it there was Tommy
with his black nosepressed against the lowest of the tiers that formed the =
base
of thestatue, and sniffing loudly. Also he was scratching in the dust as a
dogdoes when he has winded a rabbit in a hole. So engrossed was he in
thisoccupation that it was with difficulty that I coaxed him to leave thepl=
ace.
I did not think much of the incident at that t=
ime,
but afterwards itcame back to me, and I determined to investigate those sto=
nes
at thefirst opportunity.
Passing the wrecks of the machines, we emerged=
on
to the causewaywithout accident. After we had rested and washed we set to w=
ork
to drawour canoe with its precious burden of food right into the mouth of
thecave, where we hid it as well as we could.
This done we went for a walk round the base of=
the
peak. This provedto be a great deal larger than we had imagined, over two m=
iles
incircumference indeed. All about it was a belt of fertile land, as Isuppose
deposited there by the waters of the great lake and resultingfrom the decay=
of
vegetation. Much of this belt was covered withancient forest ending in mud
flats that appeared to have been thrownup recently, perhaps at the time of =
the
tidal wave which bore us toOrofena. On the higher part of the belt were man=
y of
the extraordinarycrater-like holes that I have mentioned as being prevalent=
on
the mainisland; indeed the place had all the appearance of having been
subjectedto a terrific and continuous bombardment.
When we had completed its circuit we set to wo=
rk
to climb the peak inorder to explore the terraces of which I have spoken and
the ruinswhich I had seen through my field-glasses. It was quite true; they
wereterraces cut with infinite labour out of the solid rock, and on themhad
once stood a city, now pounded into dust and fragments. We struggledover the
broken blocks of stone to what we had taken for a temple, whichstood near t=
he
lip of the crater, for without doubt this mound was anextinct volcano, or
rather its crest. All we could make out when wearrived was that here had on=
ce
stood some great building, for its courtscould still be traced; also there =
lay
about fragments of steps andpillars.
Apparently the latter had once been carved, but
the passage ofinnumerable ages had obliterated the work and we could not tu=
rn
thesegreat blocks over to discover if any remained beneath. It was as thoug=
hthe
god Thor had broken up the edifice with his hammer, or Jove hadshattered it
with his thunderbolts; nothing else would account for thatutter wreck, exce=
pt,
as Bickley remarked significantly, the scientificuse of high explosives.
Following the line of what seemed to have been=
a
road, we came to theedge of the volcano and found, as we expected, the usual
depression outof which fire and lava had once been cast, as from Hecla or V=
esuvius.
Itwas now a lake more than a quarter of a mile across. Indeed it had beenth=
us
in the ancient days when the buildings stood upon the terraces, forwe saw t=
he
remains of steps leading down to the water. Perhaps it hadserved as the sac=
red
lake of the temple.
We gazed with wonderment and then, wearied out,
scrambled back throughthe ruins, which, by the way, were of a different sto=
ne
from the lava ofthe mountain, to the mouth of the great cave.
By now it was drawing towards sunset, so we ma=
de
such preparations as wecould for the night. One of these was to collect dry
driftwood, ofwhich an abundance lay upon the shore, to serve us for firing,
thoughunfortunately we had nothing that we could cook for our meal.
While we were thus engaged we saw a canoe
approaching the table-rock andperceived that in it were the chief Marama an=
d a
priest. After hoveringabout for a while they paddled the canoe near enough =
to
allow ofconversation which, taking no notice of their presence, we left it
tothem to begin.
"O, Friend-from-the-Sea," called Mar=
ama,
addressing myself, "we cometo pray you and the Great Healer to return =
to
us to be our guests asbefore. The people are covered with darkness because =
of
the loss of yourwisdom, and the sick cry aloud for the Healer; indeed two of
those whomhe has cut with knives are dying."
"And what of the Bellower?" I asked,
indicating Bastin.
"We should like to see him back also,
Friend-from-the-Sea, that we maysacrifice and eat him, who destroyed our god
with fire and caused theHealer to kill his priest."
"That is most unjust," exclaimed Bas=
tin.
"I deeply regret the blood thatwas shed on the occasion, unnecessarily=
as
I think."
"Then go and atone for it with your
own," said Bickley, "and everybodywill be pleased."
Waving to them to be silent, I said:
"Are you mad, Marama, that you should ask=
us
to return to sojourn amongpeople who tried to kill us, merely because the
Bellower caused fire toburn an image of wood and its head to fly from its
shoulders, just toshow you that it had no power to hold itself together,
although you callit a god? Not so, we wash our hands of you; we leave you t=
o go
yourown way while we go ours, till perchance in a day to come, after
manymisfortunes have overtaken you, you creep about our feet and withprayers
and offerings beg us to return."
I paused to observe the effect of my words. It=
was
excellent, for bothMarama and the priest wrung their hands and groaned. The=
n I
went on:
"Meanwhile we have something to tell you.=
We have
entered the cave whereyou said no man might set a foot, and have seen him w=
ho
sits within,the true god." (Here Bastin tried to interrupt, but was
suppressed byBickley.)
They looked at each other in a frightened way =
and
groaned more loudlythan before.
"He sends you a message, which, as he tol=
d us
of your approach, we cameto the shore to deliver to you."
"How can you say that?" began Bastin,
but was again violently suppressedby Bickley.
"It is that he, the real Oro, rejoices th=
at
the false Oro, whose face iscopied from his face, has been destroyed. It is
that he commands you dayby day to bring food in plenty and lay it upon the =
Rock
of Offerings,not forgetting a supply of fresh fish from the sea, and with it
allthose things that are stored in the house wherein we, the strangersfrom =
the
sea, deigned to dwell awhile until we left you because in yourwickedness you
wished to murder us."
"And if we refuse--what then?" asked=
the
priest, speaking for the firsttime.
"Then Oro will send death and destruction=
upon
you. Then your food shallfail and you shall perish of sickness and want, and
the Oromatuas, thespirits of the great dead, shall haunt you in your sleep,=
and
Oro shalleat up your souls."
At these horrible threats both of them uttered=
a
kind of wail, afterwhich, Marama asked:
"And if we consent, what then,
Friend-from-the-Sea?"
"Then, perchance," I answered, "=
;in
some day to come we may return toyou, that I may give you of my wisdom and =
the
Great Healer may cure yoursick and the Bellower may lead you through his ga=
te,
and in his kindnessmake you to see with his eyes."
This last clause of my ultimatum did not seem =
to
appeal to the priest,who argued a while with Marama, though what he said we
could not hear.In the end he appeared to give way. At any rate Marama called
out thatall should be done as we wished, and that meanwhile they prayed usto
intercede with Oro in the cave, and to keep back the ghosts fromhaunting th=
em,
and to protect them from misfortune. I replied that wewould do our best, but
could guarantee nothing since their offence wasvery great.
Then, to show that the conversation was at an =
end,
we walked away withdignity, pushing Bastin in front of us, lest he should s=
poil
the effectby some of his ill-timed and often over-true remarks.
"That's capital," said Bickley, when=
we
were out of hearing. "The enemyhas capitulated. We can stop here as lo=
ng
as we like, provisioned fromthe mainland, and if for any reason we wish to
leave, be sure of ourline of retreat."
"I don't know what you call capital,"
exclaimed Bastin. "It seems to methat all the lies which Arbuthnot has
just told are sufficient to bringa judgment upon us. Indeed, I think that I
will go back with Marama andexplain the truth."
"I never before knew anybody who was so
anxious to be cooked and eaten,"remarked Bickley. "Moreover, you =
are
too late, for the canoe is ahundred yards away by now, and you shan't have
ours. Remember thePauline maxims, old fellow, which you are so fond of quot=
ing,
and be allthings to all men, and another that is more modern, that when you=
are
atRome, you must do as the Romans do; also a third, that necessity has nola=
w,
and for the matter of that, a fourth, that all is fair in love andwar."=
;
"I am sure, Bickley, that Paul never meant
his words to bear the debasedsense which you attribute to them--" began
Bastin, but at this point Ihustled him off to light a fire--a process at wh=
ich
I pointed out he hadshown himself an expert.
We slept that night under the overhanging rock
just to one side of thecave, not in the mouth, because of the draught which
drew in and outof the great place. In that soft and balmy clime this was no
hardship,although we lacked blankets. And yet, tired though I was, I couldn=
ot
rest as I should have done. Bastin snored away contentedly, quiteunaffected=
by
his escape which to him was merely an incident in theday's work; and so, to=
o,
slumbered Bickley, except that he did notsnore. But the amazement and the
mystery of all that we had discoveredand of all that might be left for us to
discover, held me back fromsleep.
What did it mean? What could it mean? My nerves
were taut as harpstrings and seemed to vibrate to the touch of invisible
fingers,although I could not interpret the music that they made. Once or
twicealso I thought I heard actual music with my physical ears, and that of
astrange quality. Soft and low and dreamful, it appeared to well from
therecesses of the vast cave, a wailing song in an unknown tongue from thel=
ips
of women, or of a woman, multiplied mysteriously by echoes. This,however, m=
ust
have been pure fancy, since there was no singer there.
Presently I dozed off, to be awakened by the
sudden sound of a greatfish leaping in the lake. I sat up and stared, feari=
ng
lest it might bethe splash of a paddle, for I could not put from my mind the
possibilityof attack. All I saw, however, was the low line of the distant
shore,and above it the bright and setting stars that heralded the coming of=
the
sun. Then I woke the others, and we washed and ate, since once thesun rose =
time
would be precious.
At length it appeared, splendid in a cloudless
sky, and, as I had hoped,directly opposite to the mouth of the cave. Taking=
our
candles and somestout pieces of driftwood which, with our knives, we had sh=
aped
on theprevious evening to serve us as levers and rough shovels, we entered
thecave. Bickley and I were filled with excitement and hope of what we knew=
not,
but Bastin showed little enthusiasm for our quest. His heart waswith his
half-converted savages beyond the lake, and of them, quiterightly I have no=
doubt,
he thought more than he did of all thearchaeological treasures in the whole
earth. Still, he came, bearing theblackened head of Oro with him which, with
unconscious humour, he hadused as a pillow through the night because, as he
said, "it was afterall softer than stone." Also, I believe that in
his heart he hopedthat he might find an opportunity of destroying the bigger
and earlieredition of Oro in the cave, before it was discovered by the
nativeswho might wish to make it an object of worship. Tommy came also,
withgreater alacrity than I expected, since dogs do not as a rule like
darkplaces. When we reached the statue I learned the reason; he rememberedt=
he
smell he had detected at its base on the previous day, whichBastin supposed=
to
proceed from a rat, and was anxious to continue hisinvestigations.
We went straight to the statue, although Bickl=
ey
passed the half-buriedmachines with evident regret. As we had hoped, the st=
rong
light ofthe rising sun fell upon it in a vivid ray, revealing all its wondr=
ousworkmanship
and the majesty--for no other word describes it--of thesomewhat terrifying
countenance that appeared above the wrappings of theshroud. Indeed, I was
convinced that originally this monument had beenplaced here in order that on
certain days of the year the sun mightfall upon it thus, when probably
worshippers assembled to adore theirhallowed symbol. After all, this was co=
mmon
in ancient days: witnessthe instance of the awful Three who sit in the deep=
est
recesses of thetemple of Abu Simbel, on the Nile.
We gazed and gazed our fill, at least Bickley =
and
I did, for Bastin wasoccupied in making a careful comparison between the he=
ad
of his woodenOro and that of the statue.
"There is no doubt that they are very much
alike," he said. "Why,whatever is that dog doing? I think it is g=
oing
mad," and he pointed toTommy who was digging furiously at the base of =
the
lowest step, as athome I have seen him do at roots that sheltered a rabbit.=
Tommy's energy was so remarkable that at lengt=
h it
seriously attractedour attention. Evidently he meant that it should do so, =
for
occasionallyhe sprang back to me barking, then returned and sniffed and
scratched.Bickley knelt down and smelt at the stone.
"It is an odd thing, Humphrey," he s=
aid,
"but there is a strange odourhere, a very pleasant odour like that of
sandal-wood or attar of roses."
"I never heard of a rat that smelt like
sandal-wood or attar of roses,"said Bastin. "Look out that it isn=
't a
snake."
I knelt down beside Bickley, and in clearing a=
way
the deep dust fromwhat seemed to be the bottom of the step, which was perha=
ps
four feetin height, by accident thrust my amateur spade somewhat strongly
againstits base where it rested upon the rocky floor.
Next moment a wonder came to pass. The whole
massive rock began to turnoutwards as though upon a pivot! I saw it coming =
and
grabbed Bickley bythe collar, dragging him back so that we just rolled clear
before thegreat block, which must have weighed several tons, fell down and
crushedus. Tommy saw it too, and fled, though a little late, for the edgeof=
the
block caught the tip of his tail and caused him to emit a mostpiercing howl.
But we did not think of Tommy and his woes; we did notthink of our own esca=
pe
or of anything else because of the marvel thatappeared to us. Seated there =
upon
the ground, after our backward tumble,we could see into the space which lay
behind the fallen step, for therethe light of the sun penetrated.
The first idea it gave me was that of the jewe=
lled
shrine of somemediaeval saint which, by good fortune, had escaped the
plunderers;there are still such existing in the world. It shone and
glittered,apparently with gold and diamonds, although, as a matter of fact,
therewere no diamonds, nor was it gold which gleamed, but some ancient meta=
l,or
rather amalgam, which is now lost to the world, the same that wasused in the
tubes of the air-machines. I think that it contained gold,but I do not know=
. At
any rate, it was equally lasting and even morebeautiful, though lighter in
colour.
For the rest this adorned recess which resembl=
ed
that of a large funeralvault, occupying the whole space beneath the base of=
the
statue that wassupported on its arch, was empty save for two flashing objec=
ts
that layside by side but with nearly the whole width of the vault between t=
hem.
I pointed at them to Bickley with my finger, f=
or
really I could notspeak.
"Coffins, by Jove!" he whispered.
"Glass or crystal coffins and peoplein them. Come on!"
A few seconds later we were crawling into that
vault while Bastin, stillnursing the head of Oro as though it were a baby,
stood confused outsidemuttering something about desecrating hallowed graves=
.
Just as we reached the interior, owing to the
heightening of thesun, the light passed away, leaving us in a kind of twili=
ght.
Bickleyproduced carriage candles from his pocket and fumbled for matches.
Whilehe was doing so I noticed two things--firstly, that the place really
didsmell like a scent-shop, and, secondly, that the coffins seemed to gloww=
ith
a kind of phosphorescent light of their own, not very strong, butsufficient=
to
reveal their outlines in the gloom. Then the candles burntup and we saw.
Within the coffin that stood on our left hand =
as
we entered, for thiscrystal was as transparent as plate glass, lay a most
wonderful old man,clad in a gleaming, embroidered robe. His long hair, which
was partedin the middle, as we could see beneath the edge of the pearl-sewn
andbroidered cap he wore, also his beard were snowy white. The man wastall,=
at
least six feet four inches in height, and rather spare. Hishands were long =
and
thin, very delicately made, as were his sandalledfeet.
But it was his face that fixed our gaze, for it
was marvelous, like theface of a god, and, as we noticed at once, with some
resemblance tothat of the statue above. Thus the brow was broad and massive,
the nosestraight and long, the mouth stern and clear-cut, while the
cheekboneswere rather high, and the eyebrows arched. Such are the
characteristicsof many handsome old men of good blood, and as the mummies of
Seti andothers show us, such they have been for thousands of years. Only
thisman differed from all others because of the fearful dignity stamped upo=
nhis
features. Looking at him I began to think at once of the prophetElijah as he
must have appeared rising to heaven, enhanced by themore earthly glory of
Solomon, for although the appearance of thesepatriarchs is unknown, of them=
one
conceives ideas. Only it seemedprobable that Elijah may have looked more
benign. Here there was nobenignity, only terrible force and infinite wisdom=
.
Contemplating him I shivered a little and felt
thankful that he wasdead. For to tell the truth I was afraid of that awesome
countenancewhich, I should add, was of the whiteness of paper, although the
cheeksstill showed tinges of colour, so perfect was the preservation of
thecorpse.
I was still gazing at it when Bickley said in a
voice of amazement:
"I say, look here, in the other coffin.&q=
uot;
I turned, looked, and nearly collapsed on the
floor of the vault, sincebeauty can sometimes strike us like a blow. Oh! th=
ere
before me lay allloveliness, such loveliness that there burst from my lips =
an
involuntarycry:
"Alas! that she should be dead!"
A young woman, I supposed, at least she looked
young, perhaps five orsix and twenty years of age, or so I judged. There she
lay, her tall anddelicate shape half hidden in masses of rich-hued hair in
colour of aruddy blackness. I know not how else to describe it, since never
have Iseen any of the same tint. Moreover, it shone with a life of its ownas
though it had been dusted with gold. From between the masses ofthis hair
appeared a face which I can only call divine. There was everybeauty that wo=
man
can boast, from the curving eyelashes of extraordinarylength to the sweet a=
nd
human mouth. To these charms also were addeda wondrous smile and an air of =
kind
dignity, very different from thefierce pride stamped upon the countenance of
the old man who was hercompanion in death.
She was clothed in some close-fitting robe of
white broidered with gold;pearls were about her neck, lying far down upon t=
he
perfect bosom, agirdle of gold and shining gems encircled her slender waist,
and on herlittle feet were sandals fastened with red stones like rubies.
Intruth, she was a splendid creature, and yet, I know not how, her beautysu=
ggested
more of the spirit than of the flesh. Indeed, in a way, it wasunearthly. My
senses were smitten, it pulled at my heart-strings, andyet its unutterable
strangeness seemed to awake memories within me,though of what I could not t=
ell.
A wild fancy came to me that I musthave known this heavenly creature in some
past life.
By now Bastin had joined us, and, attracted by=
my
exclamation and bythe attitude of Bickley, who was staring down at the coff=
in
with a fixedlook upon his face, not unlike that of a pointer when he scents
game, hebegan to contemplate the wonder within it in his slow way.
"Well, I never!" he said. "Do y=
ou
think the Glittering Lady in there ishuman?"
"The Glittering Lady is dead, but I suppo=
se
that she was human in herlife," I answered in an awed whisper.
"Of course she is dead, otherwise she wou=
ld
not be in that glass coffin.I think I should like to read the Burial Service
over her, which Idaresay was never done when she was put in there."
"How do you know she is dead?" asked
Bickley in a sharp voice andspeaking for the first time. "I have seen
hundreds of corpses, andmummies too, but never any that looked like
these."
I stared at him. It was strange to hear Bickle=
y,
the scoffer atmiracles, suggesting that this greatest of all miracles might
bepossible.
"They must have been here a long time,&qu=
ot;
I said, "for although human,they are not, I think, of any people known=
to
the world to-day; theirdress, everything, shows it, though perhaps thousand=
s of
years ago--"and I stopped.
"Quite so," answered Bickley; "I
agree. That is why I suggest that theymay have belonged to a race who knew =
what
we do not, namely, how tosuspend animation for great periods of time."=
I said no more, nor did Bastin, who was now
engaged in studying the oldman, and for once, wonderstruck and overcome.
Bickley, however, took oneof the candles and began to make a close examinat=
ion
of the coffins.So did Tommy, who sniffed along the join of that of the
Glittering Ladyuntil his nose reached a certain spot, where it remained, wh=
ile
hisblack tail began to wag in a delighted fashion. Bickley pushed him awaya=
nd
investigated.
"As I thought," he
said--"air-holes. See!"
I looked, and there, bored through the crystal=
of
the coffin in a linewith the face of its occupant, were a number of little
holes that eitherby accident or design outlined the shape of a human mouth.=
"They are not airtight," murmured
Bickley; "and if air can enter, howcan dead flesh remain like that for
ages?"
Then he continued his search upon the other si=
de.
"The lid of this coffin works on
hinges," he said. "Here they are,fashioned of the crystal itself.=
A
living person within could havepulled it down before the senses departed.&q=
uot;
"No," I answered; "for look, he=
re
is a crystal bolt at the end and it isshot from without."
This puzzled him; then as though struck by an
idea, he began to examinethe other coffin.
"I've got it!" he exclaimed presentl=
y.
"The old god in here" (somehowwe all thought of this old man as n=
ot
quite normal) "shut down theGlittering Lady's coffin and bolted it. His
own is not bolted, althoughthe bolt exists in the same place. He just got in
and pulled down thelid. Oh! what nonsense I am talking--for how can such th=
ings
be? Let usget out and think."
So we crept from the sepulchre in which the
perfumed air had begun tooppress us and sat ourselves down upon the floor of
the cave, where fora while we remained silent.
"I am very thirsty," said Bastin
presently. "Those smells seem to havedried me up. I am going to get so=
me
tea--I mean water, as unfortunatelythere is no tea," and he set off
towards the mouth of the cave.
We followed him, I don't quite know why, except
that we wished tobreathe freely outside, also we knew that the sepulchre and
its contentswould be as safe as they had been for--well, how long?
It proved to be a beautiful morning outside. We
walked up and downenjoying it sub-consciously, for really our--that is
Bickley's and myown--intelligences were concentrated on that sepulchre and =
its
contents.Where Bastin's may have been I do not know, perhaps in a
visionaryteapot, since I was sure that it would take him a day or two
toappreciate the significance of our discoveries. At any rate, he wanderedo=
ff,
making no remarks about them, to drink water, I suppose.
Presently he began to shout to us from the end=
of
the table-rock and wewent to see the reason of his noise. It proved to be v=
ery
satisfactory,for while we were in the cave the Orofenans had brought
absolutelyeverything belonging to us, together with a large supply of food
fromthe main island. Not a single article was missing; even our books, a
canwith the bottom out, and the broken pieces of a little pocket mirrorhad =
been
religiously transported, and with these a few articles that hadbeen stolen =
from
us, notably my pocket-knife. Evidently a great taboohad been laid upon all =
our
possessions. They were now carefully arrangedin one of the grooves of the r=
ock
that Bickley supposed had been made bythe wheels of aeroplanes, which was w=
hy
we had not seen them at once.
Each of us rushed for what we desired most--Ba=
stin
for one of thecanisters of tea, I for my diaries, and Bickley for his chest
ofinstruments and medicines. These were removed to the mouth of the cave,and
after them the other things and the food; also a bell tent and somecamp fur=
niture
that we had brought from the ship. Then Bastin made sometea of which he dra=
nk
four large pannikins, having first said grace overit with unwonted fervour.=
Nor
did we disdain our share of the beverage,although Bickley preferred cocoa a=
nd I
coffee. Cocoa and coffee we hadno time to make then, and in view of that
sepulchre in the cave, whathad we to do with cocoa and coffee?
So Bickley and I said to each other, and yet
presently he changed hismind and in a special metal machine carefully made =
some
extremely strongblack coffee which he poured into a thermos flask, previous=
ly
warmedwith hot water, adding thereto about a claret glass of brandy. Also
heextracted certain drugs from his medicine-chest, and with them, as Inoted=
, a
hypodermic syringe, which he first boiled in a kettle and thenshut up in a
little tube with a glass stopper.
These preparations finished, he called to Tomm=
y to
give him the scrapsof our meal. But there was no Tommy. The dog was missing,
and though wehunted everywhere we could not find him. Finally we concluded =
that
hehad wandered off down the beach on business of his own and would returnin=
due
course. We could not bother about Tommy just then.
After making some further preparations and
fidgeting about a little,Bickley announced that as we had now some proper
paraffin lamps of thepowerful sort which are known as "hurricane,"=
; he
proposed by their aidto carry out further examinations in the cave.
"I think I shall stop where I am," s=
aid
Bastin, helping himself from thekettle to a fifth pannikin of tea. "Th=
ose
corpses are very interesting,but I don't see any use in staring at them aga=
in
at present. One canalways do that at any time. I have missed Marama once
already by beingaway in that cave, and I have a lot to say to him about my =
people;
Idon't want to be absent in case he should return."
"To wash up the things, I suppose," =
said
Bickley with a sniff; "orperhaps to eat the tea-leaves."
"Well, as a matter of fact, I have noticed
that these natives havea peculiar taste for tea-leaves. I think they believe
them to be amedicine, but I don't suppose they would come so far for them,
thoughperhaps they might in the hope of getting the head of Oro. Anyhow, I
amgoing to stop here."
"Pray do," said Bickley. "Are y=
ou
ready, Humphrey?"
I nodded, and he handed to me a felt-covered f=
lask
of the non-conductingkind, filled with boiling water, a tin of preserved mi=
lk,
and a littlebottle of meat extract of a most concentrated sort. Then, having
lit twoof the hurricane lamps and seen that they were full of oil, we
startedback up the cave.
We reached the sepulchre without stopping to l=
ook
at the parked machinesor even the marvelous statue that stood above it, for
what did we careabout machines or statues now? As we approached we were
astonished tohear low and cavernous growlings.
"There is some wild beast in there,"
said Bickley, halting. "No, byGeorge! it's Tommy. What can the dog be
after?"
We peeped in, and there sure enough was Tommy
lying on the top ofthe Glittering Lady's coffin and growling his very best =
with
the hairstanding up upon his back. When he saw who it was, however, he
jumpedoff and frisked round, licking my hand.
"That's very strange," I exclaimed.<= o:p>
"Not stranger than everything else,"
said Bickley.
"What are you going to do?" I asked.=
"Open these coffins," he answered,
"beginning with that of the old god,since I would rather experiment on
him. I expect he will crumble intodust. But if by chance he doesn't I'll ja=
m a
little strychnine, mixedwith some other drugs, of which you don't know the
names, into one ofhis veins and see if anything happens. If it doesn't, it
won't hurt him,and if it does--well, who knows? Now give me a hand."
We went to the left-hand coffin and by inserti=
ng
the hook on the back ofmy knife, of which the real use is to pick stones ou=
t of
horses' hoofs,into one of the little air-holes I have described, managed to
raise theheavy crystal lid sufficiently to enable us to force a piece of
woodbetween it and the top. The rest was easy, for the hinges being ofcryst=
al
had not corroded. In two minutes it was open.
From the chest came an overpowering spicy odou=
r,
and with it a veritablebreath of warm air before which we recoiled a little.
Bickley took apocket thermometer which he had at hand and glanced at it. It
marked atemperature of 82 degrees in the sepulchre. Having noted this, he
thrustit into the coffin between the crystal wall and its occupant. Then we=
went
out and waited a little while to give the odours time to dissipate,for they
made the head reel.
After five minutes or so we returned and exami=
ned
the thermometer. Ithad risen to 98 degrees, the natural temperature of the
human body.
"What do you make of that if the man is
dead?" he whispered.
I shook my head, and as we had agreed, set to =
helping
him to lift thebody from the coffin. It was a good weight, quite eleven sto=
ne I
shouldsay; moreover, it was not stiff, for the hip joints bent. We got it
outand laid it on a blanket we had spread on the floor of the sepulchre.Whi=
lst
I was thus engaged I saw something that nearly caused me to loosemy hold fr=
om
astonishment. Beneath the head, the centre of the back andthe feet were cry=
stal
boxes about eight inches square, or rather crystalblocks, for in them I cou=
ld
see no opening, and these boxes emitted afaint phosphorescent light. I touc=
hed
one of them and found that it wasquite warm.
"Great heavens!" I exclaimed,
"here's magic."
"There's no such thing," answered
Bickley in his usual formula. Then anexplanation seemed to strike him and he
added, "Not magic but radiumor something of the sort. That's how the
temperature was kept up. Insufficient quantity it is practically
indestructible, you see. My word!this old gentleman knew a thing or two.&qu=
ot;
Again we waited a little while to see if the b=
ody
begun to crumble onexposure to the air, I taking the opportunity to make a
rough sketch ofit in my pocket-book in anticipation of that event. But it d=
id
not; itremained quite sound.
"Here goes," said Bickley. "If =
he
should be alive, he will catch cold inhis lungs after lying for ages in that
baby incubator, as I suppose hehas done. So it is now or never."
Then bidding me hold the man's right arm, he t=
ook
the sterilized syringewhich he had prepared, and thrusting the needle into a
vein he selectedjust above the wrist, injected the contents.
"It would have been better over the
heart," he whispered, "but I thoughtI would try the arm first. I
don't like risking chills by uncoveringhim."
I made no answer and again we waited and watch=
ed.
"Great heavens, he's stirring!" I ga=
sped
presently.
Stirring he was, for his fingers began to move=
.
Bickley bent down and placed his ear to the
heart--I forgot to say thathe had tested this before with a stethoscope, but
had been unable todetect any movement.
"I believe it is beginning to beat,"=
he
said in an awed voice.
Then he applied the stethoscope, and added,
"It is, it is!"
Next he took a filament of cotton wool and lai=
d it
on the man's lips.Presently it moved; he was breathing, though very faintly.
Bickley tookmore cotton wool and having poured something from his
medicine-chest onto it, placed it over the mouth beneath the man's nostrils=
--I
believe itwas sal volatile.
Nothing further happened for a little while, a=
nd
to relieve the strainon my mind I stared absently into the empty coffin. He=
re I
saw what hadescaped our notice, two small plates of white metal and cut upon
themwhat I took to be star maps. Beyond these and the glowing boxes which I=
have
mentioned, there was nothing else in the coffin. I had no time toexamine th=
em,
for at that moment the old man opened his mouth and beganto breathe, eviden=
tly
with some discomfort and effort, as his emptylungs filled themselves with a=
ir.
Then his eyelids lifted, revealing awonderful pair of dark glowing eyes
beneath. Next he tried to sit up butwould have fallen, had not Bickley
supported him with his arm.
I do not think he saw Bickley, indeed he shut =
his
eyes again as thoughthe light hurt them, and went into a kind of faint. The=
n it
was thatTommy, who all this while had been watching the proceedings with
graveinterest, came forward, wagging his tail, and licked the man's face.At=
the
touch of the dog's red tongue, he opened his eyes for the secondtime. Now he
saw--not us but Tommy, for after contemplating him for afew seconds, someth=
ing
like a smile appeared upon his fierce but nobleface. More, he lifted his ha=
nd
and laid it on the dog's head, asthough to pat it kindly. Half a minute or =
so
later his awakening sensesappreciated our presence. The incipient smile
vanished and was replacedby a somewhat terrible frown.
Meanwhile Bickley had poured out some of the h=
ot
coffee laced withbrandy into the cup that was screwed on the top of the the=
rmos
flask.Advancing to the man whom I supported, he put it to his lips. He
tastedand made a wry face, but presently he began to sip, and
ultimatelyswallowed it all. The effect of the stimulant was wonderful, for =
ina
few minutes he came to life completely and was even able to sit upwithout
support.
For quite a long while he gazed at us gravely,
talking us in andeverything connected with us. For instance, Bickley's
medicine-casewhich lay open showing the little vulcanite tubes, a few
instruments andother outfit, engaged his particular attention, and I saw at
once thathe understood what it was. Thus his arm still smarted where the
needlehad been driven in and on the blanket lay the syringe. He looked athis
arm, then looked at the syringe, and nodded. The paraffin hurricanelamps al=
so
seemed to interest and win his approval. We two men, asI thought, attracted=
him
least of all; he just summed us up and ourgarments, more especially the
garments, with a few shrewd glances, andthen seemed to turn his thoughts to
Tommy, who had seated himself quitecontentedly at his side, evidently accep=
ting
him as a new addition toour party.
I confess that this behaviour on Tommy's part
reassured me not a little.I am a great believer in the instincts of animals,
especially of dogs,and I felt certain that if this man had not been in all
essentials humanlike ourselves, Tommy would not have tolerated him. In the =
same
way thesleeper's clear liking for Tommy, at whom he looked much oftener and=
with
greater kindness than he did at us, suggested that there wasgoodness in him
somewhere, since although a dog in its wonderfultolerance may love a bad pe=
rson
in whom it smells out hidden virtue, noreally bad person ever loved a dog, =
or,
I may add, a child or a flower.
As a matter of fact, the "old god," =
as
we had christened him while hewas in his coffin, during all our association
with him, cared infinitelymore for Tommy than he did for any of us, a
circumstance that ultimatelywas not without its influence upon our fortunes.
But for this there wasa reason as we learned afterwards, also he was not re=
ally
so amiable asI hoped.
When we had looked at each other for a long wh=
ile
the sleeper beganto arrange his beard, of which the length seemed to surpri=
se
him,especially as Tommy was seated on one end of it. Finding this out
andapparently not wishing to disturb Tommy, he gave up the occupation, anda=
fter
one or two attempts, for his tongue and lips still seemed to bestiff, addre=
ssed
us in some sonorous and musical language, unlike anythat we had ever heard.=
We
shook our heads. Then by an afterthought Isaid "Good day" to him =
in
the language of the Orofenans. He puzzledover the word as though it were mo=
re
or less familiar to him, and whenI repeated it, gave it back to me with a
difference indeed, but in away which convinced us that he quite understood =
what
I meant. Theconversation went no further at the moment because just then so=
me
memoryseemed to strike him.
He was sitting with his back against the coffi=
n of
the Glittering Lady,whom therefore he had not seen. Now he began to turn ro=
und,
and beingtoo weak to do so, motioned me to help him. I obeyed, while
Bickley,guessing his purpose, held up one of the hurricane lamps that he
mightsee better. With a kind of fierce eagerness he surveyed her who laywit=
hin
the coffin, and after he had done so, uttered a sigh as ofintense relief.
Next he pointed to the metal cup out of which =
he
had drunk. Bickleyfilled it again from the thermos flask, which I observed
excited hiskeen interest, for, having touched the flask with his hand and
foundthat it was cool, he appeared to marvel that the fluid coming from
itshould be hot and steaming. Presently he smiled as though he had gotthe c=
lue
to the mystery, and swallowed his second drink of coffee andspirit. This do=
ne,
he motioned to us to lift the lid of the lady'scoffin, pointing out a certa=
in
catch in the bolts which at first wecould not master, for it will be rememb=
ered
that on this coffin thesewere shot.
In the end, by pursuing the same methods that =
we
had used in theinstance of his own, we raised the coffin lid and once more =
were
drivento retreat from the sepulchre for a while by the overpowering odour
liketo that of a whole greenhouse full of tuberoses, that flowed out of
it,inducing a kind of stupefaction from which even Tommy fled.
When we returned it was to find the man kneeli=
ng
by the side of thecoffin, for as yet he could not stand, with his glowing e=
yes
fixed uponthe face of her who slept therein and waving his long arms above =
her.
"Hypnotic business! Wonder if it will
work," whispered Bickley. Thenhe lifted the syringe and looked inquiri=
ngly
at the man, who shook hishead, and went on with his mesmeric passes.
I crept round him and took my stand by the
sleeper's head, that I mightwatch her face, which was well worth watching,
while Bickley, withhis medicine at hand, remained near her feet, I think
engaged indisinfecting the syringe in some spirit or acid. I believe he
wasabout to make an attempt to use it when suddenly, as though beneath
theinfluence of the hypnotic passes, a change appeared on the GlitteringLad=
y's
face. Hitherto, beautiful as it was, it had been a dead facethough one of a
person who had suddenly been cut off while in fullhealth and vigour a few
hours, or at the most a day or so before. Nowit began to live again; it was=
as
though the spirit were returning fromafar, and not without toil and tribula=
tion.
Expression after expression flitted across the
features; indeed theseseemed to change so much from moment to moment that t=
hey
might havebelonged to several different individuals, though each was
beautiful.The fact of these remarkable changes with the suggestion of
multiformpersonalities which they conveyed impressed both Bickley and myself
verymuch indeed. Then the breast heaved tumultuously; it even appeared
tostruggle. Next the eyes opened. They were full of wonder, even of fear,but
oh! what marvelous eyes. I do not know how to describe them, Icannot even s=
tate
their exact colour, except that it was dark, somethinglike the blue of
sapphires of the deepest tint, and yet not black;large, too, and soft as a
deer's. They shut again as though the lighthurt them, then once more opened=
and
wandered about, apparently withoutseeing.
At length they found my face, for I was still
bending over her, and,resting there, appeared to take it in by degrees. Mor=
e,
it seemed totouch and stir some human spring in the still-sleeping heart. At
leastthe fear passed from her features and was replaced by a faint smile,su=
ch
as a patient sometimes gives to one known and well loved, as theeffects of
chloroform pass away. For a while she looked at me with anearnest, searching
gaze, then suddenly, for the first time moving herarms, lifted them and thr=
ew
them round my neck.
The old man stared, bending his imperial brows
into a little frown,but did nothing. Bickley stared also through his glasses
and sniffedas though in disapproval, while I remained quite still, fighting
witha wild impulse to kiss her on the lips as one would an awakening andbel=
oved
child. I doubt if I could have done so, however, for reallyI was immovable;=
my
heart seemed to stop and all my muscles to beparalysed.
I do not know for how long this endured, but I=
do
know how it ended.Presently in the intense silence I heard Bastin's heavy v=
oice
andlooking round, saw his big head projecting into the sepulchre.
"Well, I never!" he said, "you =
seem
to have woke them up with avengeance. If you begin like that with the lady,
there will becomplications before you have done, Arbuthnot."
Talk of being brought back to earth with a rus=
h! I
could have killedBastin, and Bickley, turning on him like a tiger, told him=
to
be off,find wood and light a large fire in front of the statue. I think he
wasabout to argue when the Ancient gave him a glance of his fierce eyes,whi=
ch
alarmed him, and he departed, bewildered, to return presently withthe wood.=
But the sound of his voice had broken the spel=
l.
The Lady let her armsfall with a start, and shut her eyes again, seeming to
faint. Bickleysprang forward with his sal volatile and applied it to her
nostrils, theAncient not interfering, for he seemed to recognise that he ha=
d to
dealwith a man of skill and one who meant well by them.
In the end we brought her round again and, to =
omit
details, Bickley gaveher, not coffee and brandy, but a mixture he compounde=
d of
hot water,preserved milk and meat essence. The effect of it on her was
wonderful,since a few minutes after swallowing it she sat up in the coffin.
Thenwe lifted her from that narrow bed in which she had slept for--ah! howl=
ong?
and perceived that beneath her also were crystal boxes ofthe radiant,
heat-giving substance. We sat her on the floor of thesepulchre, wrapping her
also in a blanket.
Now it was that Tommy, after frisking round he=
r as
though in welcome ofan old friend, calmly established himself beside her and
laid hisblack head upon her knee. She noted it and smiled for the first tim=
e,a
marvelously sweet and gentle smile. More, she placed her slender handupon t=
he
dog and stroked him feebly.
Bickley tried to make her drink some more of h=
is
mixture, but sherefused, motioning him to give it to Tommy. This, however, =
he
would notdo because there was but one cup. Presently both of the sleepers
beganto shiver, which caused Bickley anxiety. Abusing Bastin beneath hisbre=
ath
for being so long with the fire, he drew the blankets closerabout them.
Then an idea came to him and he examined the
glowing boxes in thecoffin. They were loose, being merely set in prepared
cavities in thecrystal. Wrapping our handkerchiefs about his hand, he took =
them
outand placed them around the wakened patients, a proceeding of which
theAncient nodded approval. Just then, too, Bastin returned with his firstl=
oad
of firewood, and soon we had a merry blaze going just outside thesepulchre.=
I
saw that they observed the lighting of this fire by meansof a match with mu=
ch
interest.
Now they grew warm again, as indeed we did als=
o--too
warm. Then in myturn I had an idea. I knew that by now the sun would be bea=
ting
hotlyagainst the rock of the mount, and suggested to Bickley, that, ifpossi=
ble,
the best thing we could do would be to get them into itslife-giving rays. He
agreed, if we could make them understand and theywere able to walk. So I tr=
ied.
First I directed the Ancient's attentionto the mouth of the cave which at t=
his
distance showed as a white circleof light. He looked at it and then at me w=
ith
grave inquiry. I mademotions to suggest that he should proceed there, repea=
ting
the word"Sun" in the Orofenan tongue. He understood at once, thou=
gh
whetherhe read my mind rather than what I said I am not sure. Apparently
theGlittering Lady understood also and seemed to be most anxious to go.Only=
she
looked rather pitifully at her feet and shook her head. Thisdecided me.
I do not know if I have mentioned anywhere tha= t I am a tall man and verymuscular. She was tall, also, but as I judged not so = very heavy afterher long fast. At any rate I felt quite certain that I could car= ry herfor that distance. Stooping down, I lifted her up, signing to her toput = her arms round my neck, which she did. Then calling to Bickley andBastin to bri= ng along the Ancient between them, with some difficulty Istruggled out of the sepulchre, and started down the cave. She was moreheavy than I thought, and= yet I could have wished the journey longer. Tobegin with she seemed quite trust= ful and happy in my arms, where she laywith her head against my shoulder, smili= ng a little as a child might do,especially when I had to stop and throw her long hair round my neck likea muffler, to prevent it from trailing in the dust.<= o:p>
A bundle of lavender, or a truss of new-mown h=
ay,
could not have beenmore sweet to carry and there was something electric abo=
ut
the touch ofher, which went through and through me. Very soon it was over, =
and
wewere out of the cave into the full glory of the tropical sun. At first,th=
at
her eyes might become accustomed to its light and her awakened bodyto its h=
eat,
I set her down where shadow fell from the overhanging rock,in a canvas deck
chair that had been brought by Marama with the otherthings, throwing the rug
about her to protect her from such wind asthere was. She nestled gratefully
into the soft seat and shut her eyes,for the motion had tired her. I noted,
however, that she drew in thesweet air with long breaths.
Then I turned to observe the arrival of the
Ancient, who was being bornebetween Bickley and Bastin in what children kno=
w as
a dandy-chair, whichis formed by two people crossing their hands in a pecul=
iar
fashion. Itsays much for the tremendous dignity of his presence that even
thus,with one arm round the neck of Bickley and the other round that ofBast=
in,
and his long white beard falling almost to the ground, he stilllooked most
imposing.
Unfortunately, however, just as they were emer=
ging
from the cave,Bastin, always the most awkward of creatures, managed to leave
hold withone hand, so that his passenger nearly came to the ground. Never s=
hall
Iforget the look that he gave him. Indeed, I think that from this momenthe
hated Bastin. Bickley he respected as a man of intelligence andlearning,
although in comparison with his own, the latter was infantileand crude; me =
he
tolerated and even liked; but Bastin he detested.The only one of our party =
for
whom he felt anything approaching realaffection was the spaniel Tommy.
We set him down, fortunately uninjured, on some
rugs, and also in theshadow. Then, after a little while, we moved both of t=
hem
into the sun.It was quite curious to see them expand there. As Bickley
said,what happened to them might well be compared to the development of
abutterfly which has just broken from the living grave of its chrysalisand
crept into the full, hot radiance of the light. Its crinkled wingsunfold, t=
heir
brilliant tints develop; in an hour or two it is perfect,glorious, prepared=
for
life and flight, a new creature.
So it was with this pair, from moment to moment
they gathered strengthand vigour. Near-by to them, as it happened, stood a
large basket ofthe luscious native fruits brought that morning by the
Orofenans, and atthese the Lady looked with longing. With Bickley's permiss=
ion,
I offeredthem to her and to the Ancient, first peeling them with my fingers.
Theyate of them greedily, a full meal, and would have gone on had not thest=
ern
Bickley, fearing untoward consequences, removed the basket. Againthe results
were wonderful, for half an hour afterwards they seemed tobe quite strong. =
With
my assistance the Glittering Lady, as I still callher, for at that time I d=
id
not know her name, rose from the chair, and,leaning on me, tottered a few s=
teps
forward. Then she stood looking atthe sky and all the lovely panorama of na=
ture
beneath, and stretchingout her arms as though in worship. Oh! how beautiful=
she
seemed with thesunlight shining on her heavenly face!
Now for the first time I heard her voice. It w=
as
soft and deep, yet init was a curious bell-like tone that seemed to vibrate
like the sound ofchimes heard from far away. Never have I listened to such
another voice.She pointed to the sun whereof the light turned her radiant h=
air
andgarments to a kind of golden glory, and called it by some name that Icou=
ld
not understand. I shook my head, whereon she gave it a differentname taken,=
I suppose,
from another language. Again I shook my head andshe tried a third time. To =
my
delight this word was practically the samethat the Orofenans used for
"sun."
"Yes," I said, speaking very slowly,
"so it is called by the people ofthis land."
She understood, for she answered in much the s=
ame
language:
"What, then, do you call it?"
"Sun in the English tongue," I repli=
ed.
"Sun. English," she repeated after m=
e,
then added, "How are you named,Wanderer?"
"Humphrey," I answered.
"Hum-fe-ry!" she said as though she =
were
learning the word, "and those?"
"Bastin and Bickley," I replied.
Over these patronymics she shook her head; as =
yet
they were too much forher.
"How are you named, Sleeper?" I aske=
d.
"Yva," she answered.
"A beautiful name for one who is beautifu=
l,"
I declared with enthusiasm,of course always in the rich Orofenan dialect wh=
ich
by now I could talkwell enough.
She repeated the words once or twice, then of a
sudden caught theirmeaning, for she smiled and even coloured, saying hastily
with a wave ofher hand towards the Ancient who stood at a distance between
Bastin andBickley, "My father, Oro; great man; great king; great
god!"
At this information I started, for it was
startling to learn thathere was the original Oro, who was still worshipped =
by
the Orofenans,although of his actual existence they had known nothing for
uncountedtime. Also I was glad to learn that he was her father and not her
oldhusband, for to me that would have been horrible, a desecration too deep=
for
words.
"How long did you sleep, Yva?" I ask=
ed,
pointing towards the sepulchrein the cave.
After a little thought she understood and shook
her head hopelessly,then by an afterthought, she said,
"Stars tell Oro to-night."
So Oro was an astronomer as well as a king and=
a
god. I had guessed asmuch from those plates in the coffin which seemed to h=
ave
stars engravedon them.
At this point our conversation came to an end,=
for
the Ancient himselfapproached, leaning on the arm of Bickley who was engage=
d in
an animatedargument with Bastin.
"For Heaven's sake!" said Bickley,
"keep your theology to yourself atpresent. If you upset the old fellow=
and
put him in a temper he maydie."
"If a man tells me that he is a god it is=
my
duty to tell him that he isa liar," replied Bastin obstinately.
"Which you did, Bastin, only fortunately =
he
did not understand you. Butfor your own sake I advise you not to take
liberties. He is not one, Ithink, with whom it is wise to trifle. I think he
seems thirsty. Go andget some water from the rain pool, not from the
lake."
Bastin departed and presently returned with an
aluminum jug full of purewater and a glass. Bickley poured some of it into a
glass and handed itto Yva who bent her head in thanks. Then she did a curio=
us
thing. Havingfirst lifted the glass with both hands to the sky and held it =
so
for afew seconds, she turned and with an obeisance poured a little of it on=
the
ground before her father's feet.
A libation, thought I to myself, and evidently
Bastin agreed with me,for I heard him mutter,
"I believe she is making a heathen
offering."
Doubtless we were right, for Oro accepted the
homage by a little motionof the head. After this, at a sign from him she dr=
ank
the water. Thenthe glass was refilled and handed to Oro who also held it
towards thesky. He, however, made no libation but drank at once, two tumble=
rs
of itin rapid succession.
By now the direct sunlight was passing from the
mouth of the cave, andthough it was hot enough, both of them shivered a lit=
tle.
They spoketogether in some language of which we could not understand a word,
asthough they were debating what their course of action should be. Thedispu=
te
was long and earnest. Had we known what was passing, which Ilearned afterwa=
rds,
it would have made us sufficiently anxious, for thepoint at issue was nothi=
ng
less than whether we should or should not beforthwith destroyed--an end, it
appears, that Oro was quite capable ofbringing about if he so pleased. Yva,
however, had very clear views ofher own on the matter and, as I gather, even
dared to threaten that shewould protect us by the use of certain powers at =
her
command, thoughwhat these were I do not know.
While the event hung doubtful Tommy, who was
growing bored with theselong proceedings, picked up a bough still covered w=
ith
flowers which,after their pretty fashion, the Orofenans had placed on the t=
op
of oneof the baskets of food. This small bough he brought and laid at the
feetof Oro, no doubt in the hope that he would throw it for him to fetch, a=
game
in which the dog delighted. For some reason Oro saw an omen inthis simple
canine performance, or he may have thought that the dogwas making an offeri=
ng
to him, for he put his thin hand to his brow andthought a while, then motio=
ned
to Bastin to pick up the bough and giveit to him.
Next he spoke to his daughter as though assent=
ing
to something, for Isaw her sigh in relief. No wonder, for he was conveying =
his
decision tospare our lives and admit us to their fellowship.
After this again they talked, but in quite a
different tone and manner.Then the Glittering Lady said to me in her slow a=
nd
archaic Orofenan:
"We go to rest. You must not follow. We c=
ome
back perhaps tonight,perhaps next night. We are quite safe. You are quite s=
afe
under thebeard of Oro. Spirit of Oro watch you. You understand?"
I said I understood, whereon she answered:
"Good-bye, O Humfe-ry."
"Good-bye, O Yva," I replied, bowing=
.
Thereon they turned and refusing all assistance
from us, vanished intothe darkness of the cave leaning upon each other and
walking slowly.
"You seem to have made the best of your t=
ime,
old fellow," said Bickleyin rather a sour voice.
"I never knew people begin to call each o=
ther
by their Christian namesso soon," added Bastin, looking at me with a
suspicious eye.
"I know no other," I said.
"Perhaps not, but at any rate you have
another, though you don't seem tohave told it to her. Anyway, I am glad they
are gone, for I was gettingtired of being ordered by everybody to carry abo=
ut
wood and water forthem. Also I am terribly hungry as I can't eat before it =
is
light. Theyhave taken most of the best fruit to which I was looking forward,
butthank goodness they do not seem to care for pork."
"So am I," said Bickley, who really
looked exhausted. "Get the food,there's a good fellow. We'll talk
afterwards."
When we had eaten, somewhat silently, I asked
Bickley what he made ofthe business; also whither he thought the sleepers h=
ad
gone.
"I think I can answer the last
question," interrupted Bastin. "I expectit is to a place well kno=
wn
to students of the Bible which even Bickleymentions sometimes when he is an=
gry.
At any rate, they seem to be veryfond of heat, for they wouldn't part from =
it
even in their coffins, andyou will admit that they are not quite natural, a=
lthough
that GlitteringLady is so attractive as regards her exterior."
Bickley waved these remarks aside and addressed
himself to me.
"I don't know what to think of it," =
he
said; "but as the experience isnot natural and everything in the Unive=
rse,
so far as we know it, has anatural explanation, I am inclined to the belief
that we are sufferingfrom hallucinations, which in their way are also quite
natural. It doesnot seem possible that two people can really have been asle=
ep
for anunknown length of time enclosed in vessels of glass or crystal, keptw=
arm
by radium or some such substance, and then emerge from themcomparatively st=
rong
and well. It is contrary to natural law."
"How about microbes?" I asked.
"They are said to last practically forever, and they are living things=
. So
in their case your natural lawbreaks down."
"That is true," he answered. "S=
ome
microbes in a sealed tube and undercertain conditions do appear to possess
indefinite powers of life. Alsoradium has an indefinite life, but that is a
mineral. Only these peopleare not microbes nor are they minerals. Also,
experience tells us thatthey could not have lived for more than a few month=
s at
the outside insuch circumstances as we seemed to find them."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"I suggest that we did not really find th=
em
at all; that we have allbeen dreaming. You know that there are certain gases
which produceillusions, laughing gas is one of them, and that these gases
aresometimes met with in caves. Now there were very peculiar odours in
thatplace under the statue, which may have worked upon our imaginations ins=
ome
such way. Otherwise we are up against a miracle, and, as you know,I do not
believe in miracles."
"I do," said Bastin calmly. "Yo=
u'll
find all about it in the Bible ifyou will only take the trouble to read. Wh=
y do
you talk such rubbishabout gases?"
"Because only gas, or something of the so=
rt,
could have made us imaginethem."
"Nonsense, Bickley! Those people were here
right enough. Didn't they eatour fruit and drink the water I brought them
without ever saying thankyou? Only, they are not human. They are evil spiri=
ts,
and for my partI don't want to see any more of them, though I have no doubt
Arbuthnotdoes, as that Glittering Lady threw her arms round his neck when
shewoke up, and already he is calling her by her Christian name, if theword
Christian can be used in connection with her. The old fellow hadthe impuden=
ce
to tell us that he was a god, and it is remarkable thathe should have called
himself Oro, seeing that the devil they worship onthe island is also called=
Oro
and the place itself is named Orofena."
"As to where they have gone," contin=
ued
Bickley, taking no notice ofBastin, "I really don't know. My expectati=
on
is, however, that whenwe go to look tomorrow morning--and I suggest that we
should not do sobefore then in order that we may give our minds time to
clear--we shallfind that sepulchre place quite empty, even perhaps without =
the
crystalcoffins we have imagined to stand there."
"Perhaps we shall find that there isn't a
cave at all and that we arenot sitting on a flat rock outside of it,"
suggested Bastin with heavysarcasm, adding, "You are clever in your wa=
y,
Bickley, but you can talkmore rubbish than any man I ever knew."
"They told us they would come back tonigh=
t or
tomorrow," I said. "Ifthey do, what will you say then, Bickley?&q=
uot;
"I will wait till they come to answer that
question. Now let us go fora walk and try to change our thoughts. We are all
over-strained andscarcely know what we are saying."
"One more question," I said as we ro=
se
to start. "Did Tommy suffer fromhallucinations as well as ourselves?&q=
uot;
"Why not?" answered Bickley. "H=
e is
an animal just as we are, or perhapswe thought we saw Tommy do the things he
did."
"When you found that basket of fruit, Bas=
tin,
which the natives broughtover in the canoe, was there a bough covered with =
red
flowers lying onthe top of it?"
"Yes, Arbuthnot, one bough only; I threw = it down on the rock as it gotin the way when I was carrying the basket."<= o:p>
"Which flowering bough we all thought we =
saw
the Sleeper Oro carry awayafter Tommy had brought it to him."
"Yes; he made me pick it up and give it to
him," said Bastin.
"Well, if we did not see this it should s=
till
be lying on the rock, asthere has been no wind and there are no animals her=
e to
carry it away.You will admit that, Bickley?"
He nodded.
"Then if it has gone you will admit also =
that
the presumption is that wesaw what we thought we did see?"
"I do not know how that conclusion can be
avoided, at any rate so far asthe incident of the bough is concerned,"
replied Bickley with caution.
Then, without more words, we started to look. =
At
the spot where thebough should have been, there was no bough, but on the ro=
ck
lay severalof the red flowers, bitten off, I suppose, by Tommy while he was=
carrying
it. Nor was this all. I think I have mentioned that theGlittering Lady wore
sandals which were fastened with red studs thatlooked like rubies or
carbuncles. On the rock lay one of these studs.I picked it up and we examin=
ed
it. It had been sewn to the sandal-strapwith golden thread or silk. Some of
this substance hung from the holedrilled in the stone which served for an e=
ye.
It was as rotten astinder, apparently with extreme age. Moreover, the hard =
gem
itself waspitted as though the passage of time had taken effect upon it,
thoughthis may have been caused by other agencies, such as the action of
theradium rays. I smiled at Bickley who looked disconcerted and even sad.In=
a
way it is painful to see the effect upon an able and earnest man ofthe upse=
tting
of his lifelong theories.
We went for our walk, keeping to the flat land=
s at
the foot of thevolcano cone, for we seemed to have had enough of wonders an=
d to
desireto reassure ourselves, as it were, by the study of natural andfamiliar
things. As it chanced, too, we were rewarded by sundry usefuldiscoveries. T=
hus
we found a place where the bread-tree and otherfruits, most of them now rip=
e,
grew in abundance, as did the yam. Also,we came to an inlet that we noticed=
was
crowded with large and beautifulfish from the lake, which seemed to find it=
a
favourite spot. Perhapsthis was because a little stream of excellent water =
ran
in here,overflowing from the great pool or mere which filled the crater abo=
ve.
At these finds we rejoiced greatly, for now we
knew that we need notfear starvation even should our supply of food from the
main island becut off. Indeed, by help of some palm-leaf stalks which we wo=
ve
togetherroughly, Bastin, who was rather clever at this kind of thing, manag=
edto
trap four fish weighing two or three pounds apiece, wading into thewater to=
do
so. It was curious to observe with what ease he adaptedhimself to the manne=
rs
and customs of primeval man, so much so, indeed,that Bickley remarked that =
if
he could believe in re-incarnation, hewould be absolutely certain that Bast=
in
was a troglodyte in his lastsojourn on the earth.
However this might be, Bastin's primeval insti=
ncts
and abilities were ofthe utmost service to us. Before we had been many days=
on
that islandhe had built us a kind of native hut or house roofed with palm
leaves inwhich, until provided with a better, as happened afterwards, we ate
andhe and Bickley slept, leaving the tent to me. Moreover, he wove a netof =
palm
fibre with which he caught abundance of fish, and madefishing-lines of the =
same
material (fortunately we had some hooks) whichhe baited with freshwater mus=
sels
and the insides of fish. By means ofthese he secured some veritable monster=
s of
the carp species that provedmost excellent eating. His greatest triumph,
however, was a decoy whichhe constructed of boughs, wherein he trapped a nu=
mber
of waterfowl. Sothat soon we kept a very good table of a sort, especially a=
fter
hehad learned how to cook our food upon the native plan by means of hotston=
es.
This suited us admirably, as it enabled Bickley and myself todevote all our
time to archaeological and other studies which did notgreatly interest Bast=
in.
By the time that we got back to camp it was
drawing towards evening,so we cooked our food and ate, and then, thoroughly
exhausted, madeourselves as comfortable as we could and went to sleep. Even
ourmarvelous experiences could not keep Bickley and myself from sleeping,an=
d on
Bastin such things had no effect. He accepted them and that wasall, much mo=
re
readily than we did, indeed. Triple-armed as he was inthe mail of a child-l=
ike
faith, he snapped his fingers at evil spiritswhich he supposed the Sleepers=
to
be, and at everything else that othermen might dread.
Now, as I have mentioned, after our talk with
Marama, although we didnot think it wise to adventure ourselves among them
again at present, wehad lost all fear of the Orofenans. In this attitude, so
far as Maramahimself and the majority of his people were concerned, we were
quitejustified, for they were our warm friends. But in the case of
thesorcerers, the priests and all their rascally and superstitiousbrotherho=
od,
we were by no means justified. They had not forgiven Bastinhis sacrilege or=
for
his undermining of their authority by the preachingof new doctrines which, =
if
adopted, would destroy them as a hierarchy.Nor had they forgiven Bickley for
shooting one of their number, or anyof us for our escape from the vengeance=
of
their god.
So it came about that they made a plot to seiz=
e us
all and hale us offto be sacrificed to a substituted image of Oro, which by=
now
they hadset up. They knew exactly where we slept upon the rock; indeed, our
fireshowed it to them and so far they were not afraid to venture, since
herethey had been accustomed for generations to lay their offerings tothe g=
od
of the Mountain. Secretly on the previous night, without theknowledge of
Marama, they had carried two more canoes to the borders ofthe lake. Now on =
this
night, just as the moon was setting about threein the morning, they made th=
eir
attack, twenty-one men in all, for thethree canoes were large, relying on t=
he
following darkness to get usaway and convey us to the place of sacrifice to=
be
offered up at dawnand before Marama could interfere.
The first we knew of the matter, for most
foolishly we had neglected tokeep a watch, was the unpleasant sensation of
brawny savages kneeling onus and trussing us up with palm-fibre ropes. Also
they thrust handfulsof dry grass into our mouths to prevent us from calling
out, although asair came through the interstices of the grass, we did not
suffocate. Thething was so well done that we never struck a blow in
self-defence, andalthough we had our pistols at hand, much less could we fi=
re a
shot. Ofcourse, we struggled as well as we were able, but it was quite
useless;in three minutes we were as helpless as calves in a net and like
calveswere being conveyed to the butcher. Bastin managed to get the gag out=
of
his mouth for a few seconds, and I heard him say in his slow, heavyvoice:
"This, Bickley, is what comes of traffick=
ing
with evil spirits in museumcases--" There his speech stopped, for the
grass wad was jammed down histhroat again, but distinctly I heard the
inarticulate Bickley snortas he conceived the repartee he was unable to utt=
er.
As for myself, Ireflected that the business served us right for not keeping=
a
watch, andabandoned the issue to fate.
Still, to confess the truth, I was infinitely =
more
sorry to die than Ishould have been forty-eight hours earlier. This is a du=
ll
and in mostways a dreadful world, one, if we could only summon the courage,
thatsome of us would be glad to leave in search of new adventures. But herea
great and unprecedented adventure had begun to befall me, andbefore its mys=
tery
was solved, before even I could formulate a theoryconcerning it, my body mu=
st
be destroyed, and my intelligence that wascaged therein, sent far afield; o=
r,
if Bickley were right, eclipsed.It seemed so sad just when the impossible, =
like
an unguessed wanderingmoon, had risen over the grey flats of the ascertained
and made themshine with hope and wonder.
They carried us off to the canoes, not too gen=
tly;
indeed, I heard thebony frame of Bastin bump into the bottom of one of them=
and
reflected,not without venom, that it served him right as he was the fount
andorigin of our woes. Two stinking magicians, wearing on their headsundress
editions of their court cages, since these were too cumbersomefor active wo=
rk
of the sort, and painted all over with various pigments,were just about to
swing me after him into the same, or another canoe,when something happened.=
I
did not know what it was, but as a result, mycaptors left hold of me so tha=
t I
fell to the rock, lying upon my back.
Then, within my line of vision, which, it must=
be
remembered, waslimited because I could not lift my head, appeared the upper
part of thetall person of the Ancient who said that he was named Oro. I cou=
ld
onlysee him down to his middle, but I noted vaguely that he seemed to bemuch
changed. For instance, he wore a different coloured dress, orrather robe; t=
his
time it was dark blue, which caused me to wonder whereon earth it came from.
Also, his tremendous beard had been trimmedand dressed, and on his head the=
re
was a simple black cap, strangelyquilted, which looked as though it were ma=
de
of velvet. Moreover,his face had plumped out. He still looked ancient, it is
true, andunutterably wise, but now he resembled an antique youth, so great
werehis energy and vigour. Also, his dark and glowing eyes shone with afear=
ful
intensity. In short, he seemed impressive and terrible almostbeyond imagini=
ng.
He looked about him slowly, then asked in a de=
ep,
cold voice, speakingin the Orofenan tongue:
"What do you, slaves?"
No one seemed able to answer, they were too
horror-stricken at thissudden vision of their fabled god, whose fierce feat=
ures
of wood hadbecome flesh; they only turned to fly. He waved his thin hand and
theycame to a standstill, like animals which have reached the end of
theirtether and are checked by the chains that bind them. There they stoodin
all sorts of postures, immovable and looking extremely ridiculous intheir p=
aint
and feathers, with dread unutterable stamped upon their evilfaces.
The Sleeper spoke again:
"You would murder as did your forefathers=
, O
children of snakes and hogsfashioned in the shape of men. You would sacrifi=
ce
those who dwell in myshadow to satisfy your hate because they are wiser than
you. Come hitherthou," and he beckoned with a bony finger to the chief
magician.
The man advanced towards him in short jumps, a=
s a
mechanical toy mightdo, and stood before him, his miniature crate and feath=
ers
all awry andthe sweat of terror melting the paint in streaks upon his face.=
"Look into the eyes of Oro, O worshipper =
of
Oro," said the Sleeper, andhe obeyed, his own eyes starting out of his
head.
"Receive the curse of Oro," said the
Ancient again. Then followed aterrible spectacle. The man went raving mad. =
He
bounded into the air toa height inconceivable. He threw himself upon the gr=
ound
and rolled uponthe rock. He rose again and staggered round and round, teari=
ng
piecesout of his arms with his teeth. He yelled hideously like one possesse=
d.He
grovelled, beating his forehead against the rock. Then he sat up,slowly cho=
ked
and--died.
His companions seemed to catch the infection of
death as terrifiedsavages often do. They too performed dreadful antics, all
except threeof them who stood paralysed. They rushed about battering each o=
ther
withtheir fists and wooden weapons, looking like devils from hell intheir
hideous painted attire. They grappled and fought furiously. Theyseparated a=
nd
plunged into the lake, where with a last grimace they sanklike stones.
It seemed to last a long while, but I think th=
at
as a matter of factwithin five minutes it was over; they were all dead. Only
the threeparalysed ones remained standing and rolling their eyes.
The Sleeper beckoned to them with his thin fin=
ger,
and they walkedforward in step like soldiers.
"Lift that man from the boat," he sa=
id,
pointing to Bastin, "cut hisbonds and those of the others."
They obeyed with a wonderful alacrity. In a mi=
nute
we stood at libertyand were pulling the grass gags from our mouths. The Anc=
ient
pointedto the head magician who lay dead upon the rock, his hideous,
contortedcountenance staring open-eyed at heaven.
"Take that sorcerer and show him to the o=
ther
sorcerers yonder," hesaid, "and tell them where your fellows are =
if
they would find them.Know by these signs that the Oro, god of the Mountain,=
who
has slept awhile, is awake, and ill will it go with them who question his p=
ower
ordare to try to harm those who dwell in his house. Bring food day by dayand
await commands. Begone!"
The dreadful-looking body was bundled into one=
of
the canoes, thatout of which Bastin had emerged. A rower sprang into each of
them andpresently was paddling as he had never done before. As the settingm=
oon
vanished, they vanished with it, and once more there was a greatsilence.
"I am going to find my boots," said
Bastin. "This rock is hard and Ihurt my feet kicking at those poor fel=
lows
who appear to have come to abad end, how, I do not exactly understand.
Personally, I think that moreallowances should have been made for them, as I
hope will be the caseelsewhere, since after all they only acted according to
their lights."
"Curse their lights!" ejaculated Bic=
kley,
feeling his throat which wasbruised. "I'm glad they are out."
Bastin limped away in search of his boots, but
Bickley and I stood wherewe were contemplating the awakened Sleeper. All
recollection of therecent tumultuous scene seemed to have passed from his m=
ind,
for he wasengaged in a study of the heavens. They were wonderfully brilliant
nowthat the moon was down, brilliant as they only can be in the tropicswhen=
the
sky is clear.
Something caused me to look round, and there,
coming towards us, was shewho said her name was Yva. Evidently all her weak=
ness
had departed also,for now she needed no support, but walked with a peculiar
gliding motionthat reminded me of a swan floating forward on the water. Well
had wenamed her the Glittering Lady, for in the starlight literally she
seemedto glitter. I suppose the effect came from her golden raiment,
which,however, I noticed, as in her father's case, was not the same that sh=
ehad
worn in the coffin; also from her hair that seemed to give out alight of its
own. At least, she shimmered as she came, her tall shapeswaying at every st=
ep
like a willow in the wind. She drew near, andI saw that her face, too, had
filled out and now was that of one inperfect health and vigour, while her e=
yes
shone softly and seemedwondrous large.
In her hands she carried those two plates of m=
etal
which I had seenlying in the coffin of the Sleeper Oro. These she gave to h=
im,
then fellback out of his hearing--if it were ever possible to do this, a
pointon which I am not sure--and began to talk to me. I noted at once that
inthe few hours during which she was absent, her knowledge of the
Orofenantongue seemed to have improved greatly as though she had drunk
deeplyfrom some hidden fount of memory. Now she spoke it with readiness, as=
Oro
had done when he addressed the sorcerers, although many of the wordsshe used
were not known to me, and the general form of her languageappeared archaic,=
as
for instance that of Spenser is compared withmodern English. When she saw I=
did
not comprehend her, however, shewould stop and cast her sentences in a
different shape, till at length Icaught her meaning. Now I give the substan=
ce
of what she said.
"You are safe," she began, glancing
first at the palm ropes that layupon the rock and then at my wrists, one of
which was cut.
"Yes, Lady Yva, thanks to your father.&qu=
ot;
"You should say thanks to me. My father w=
as
thinking of other things,but I was thinking of you strangers, and from wher=
e I
was I saw thosewicked ones coming to kill you."
"Oh! from the top of the mountain, I
suppose."
She shook her head and smiled but vouchsafed no
further explanation,unless her following words can be so called. These were=
:
"I can see otherwise than with my eyes, i=
f I
choose." A statement thatcaused Bickley, who was listening, to mutter:=
"Impossible! What the deuce can she mean?
Telepathy, perhaps."
"I saw," she continued, "and to=
ld
the Lord, my father. He came forth.Did he kill them? I did not look to
learn."
"Yes. They lie in the lake, all except th=
ree
whom he sent away asmessengers."
"I thought so. Death is terrible, O Humph=
rey,
but it is a sword whichthose who rule must use to smite the wicked and the
savage."
Not wishing to pursue this subject, I asked her
what her father wasdoing with the metal plates.
"He reads the stars," she answered,
"to learn how long we have beenasleep. Before we went to sleep he made=
two
pictures of them, asthey were then and as they should be at the time he had=
set
for ourawakening."
"We set that time," interrupted Bick=
ley.
"Not so, O Bickley," she answered,
smiling again. "In the divine Oro'shead was the time set. You were the
hand that executed his decree."
When Bickley heard this I really thought he wo=
uld
have burst. However,he controlled himself nobly, being anxious to hear the =
end
of thismysterious fib.
"How long was the time that the lord Oro =
set
apart for sleep?" I asked.
She paused as though puzzled to find words to
express her meaning, thenheld up her hands and said:
"Ten," nodding at her fingers. By se=
cond
thoughts she took Bickley'shands, not mine, and counted his ten fingers.
"Ten years," said Bickley. "Wel=
l,
of course, it is impossible, butperhaps--" and he paused.
"Ten tens," she went on with a deepe=
ning
smile, "one hundred."
"O!" said Bickley.
"Ten hundreds, one thousand."
"I say!" said Bickley.
"Ten times ten thousand, one hundred
thousand."
Bickley became silent.
"Twice one hundred thousand and half a
hundred thousand, two hundred andfifty thousand years. That was the space of
time which the lord Oro, myfather, set for our sleep. Whether it has been
fulfilled he will knowpresently when he has read the book of the stars and =
made
comparison ofit with what he wrote before we laid us down to rest," and
she pointedto the metal plates which the Ancient was studying.
Bickley walked away, making sounds as though he
were going to be ill andlooking so absurd in his indignation that I nearly
laughed. The Lady Yvaactually did laugh, and very musical was that laugh.
"He does not believe," she said.
"He is so clever he knows everything.But two hundred and fifty thousand
years ago we should have thought himquite stupid. Then we could read the st=
ars
and calculate their movementsfor ever."
"So can we," I answered, rather nett=
led.
"I am glad, O Humphrey, since you will be
able to show my father if inone of them he is wrong."
Secretly I hoped that this task would not be l=
aid
on me. Indeed, Ithought it well to change the subject for the edification of
Bickley whohad recovered and was drawn back by his eager curiosity. Just th=
en,
too,Bastin joined us, happy in his regained boots.
"You tell us, Lady Yva," I said,
"that you slept, or should have sleptfor two hundred and fifty thousand
years." Here Bastin opened his eyes."If that was so, where was yo=
ur
mind all this time?"
"If by my mind you mean spirit, O Humphre=
y, I
have to answer that atpresent I do not know for certain. I think, however, =
that
it dweltelsewhere, perhaps in other bodies on the earth, or some
differentearth. At least, I know that my heart is very full of memories whi=
ch
asyet I cannot unroll and read."
"Great heavens, this is madness!" sa=
id
Bickley.
"In the great heavens," she answered
slowly, "there are many thingswhich you, poor man, would think to be
madness, but yet are truth andperfect wisdom. These things, or some of them,
soon I shall hope to showyou."
"Do if you can," said Bickley.
"Why not?" interrupted Bastin. "=
;I
think the lady's remarks quitereasonable. It seems to me highly improbable =
if
really she has slept fortwo hundred and fifty thousand years, which, of cou=
rse,
I can't decide,that an immortal spirit would be allowed to remain idle for =
so
long.That would be wallowing in a bed of idleness and shirking its duty whi=
chis
to do its work. Also, as she tells you, Bickley, you are not halfso clever =
as
you think you are in your silly scepticism, and I have nodoubt that there a=
re
many things in other worlds which would expose yourignorance, if only you c=
ould
see them."
At this moment Oro turned and called his daugh=
ter.
She went at once,saying:
"Come, strangers, and you shall learn.&qu=
ot;
So we followed her.
"Daughter," he said, speaking in
Orofenan, I think that we mightunderstand, "ask these strangers to bri=
ng
one of those lamps of theirsthat by the light of it I may study these
writings."
"Perhaps this may serve," said Bickl=
ey,
suddenly producing an electrictorch from his pocket and flashing it into his
face. It was his form ofrepartee for all he had suffered at the hands of th=
is
incomprehensiblepair. Let me say at once that it was singularly successful.
Perhaps thewisdom of the ages in which Oro flourished had overlooked so sma=
ll
amatter as electric torches, or perhaps he did not expect to meet withthem =
in
these degenerate days. At any rate for the first and last timein my interco=
urse
with him I saw the god, or lord--the native word bearseither meaning--Oro
genuinely astonished. He started and stepped back,and for a moment or two
seemed a little frightened. Then mutteringsomething as to the cleverness of
this light-producing instrument,he motioned to his daughter to take it from
Bickley and hold it in acertain position. She obeyed, and in its illuminati=
on
he began to studythe engraved plates, holding one of them in either hand.
After a while he gave me one of the plates to
hold, and with hisdisengaged hand pointed successively to the constellation=
of
Orion, tothe stars Castor, Pollux, Aldebaran, Rigel, the Pleiades, Sirius
andothers which with my very limited knowledge I could not recogniseoffhand.
Then on the plate which I held, he showed us those same starsand
constellations, checking them one by one.
Then he remarked very quietly that all was in
order, and handing theplate he held to Yva, said:
"The calculations made so long ago are
correct, nor have the starsvaried in their proper motions during what is af=
ter
all but an hour oftime. If you, Stranger, who, I understand, are named
Humphrey, shouldbe, as I gather, a heaven-master, naturally you will ask me=
how
I couldfix an exact date by the stars without an error of, let us say, from=
five
to ten thousand years. I answer you that by the proper motion ofthe stars a=
lone
it would have been difficult. Therefore I remember thatin order to be exact=
, I
calculated the future conjunctions of those twoplanets," and he pointe=
d to
Saturn and Jupiter. "Finding that one ofthese occurred near yonder
star," and he indicated the bright orb,Spica, "at a certain time,=
I
determined that then I would awake. Behold!There are the stars as I engraved
them from my foreknowledge, upon thischart, and there those two great plane=
ts
hang in conjunction. DaughterYva, my wisdom has not failed me. This world of
ours has travelled roundthe sun neither less nor more than two hundred and
fifty thousand timessince we laid ourselves down to sleep. It is written he=
re,
and yonder,"and he pointed, first to the engraved plates and then to t=
he
vastexpanse of the starlit heavens.
Awe fell on me; I think that even Bickley and
Bastin were awed, at anyrate for the moment. It was a terrible thing to loo=
k on
a being, to allappearance more or less human, who alleged that he had been
asleepfor two hundred and fifty thousand years, and proceeded to prove it
bycertain ancient star charts. Of course at the time I could not checkthose
charts, lacking the necessary knowledge, but I have done so sinceand found =
that
they are quite accurate. However this made no difference,since the
circumstances and something in his manner convinced me that hespoke the
absolute truth.
He and his daughter had been asleep for two
hundred and fifty thousandyears. Oh! Heavens, for two hundred and fifty
thousand years!
The reader of what I have written, should there
ever be such a person,may find the record marvelous, and therefore rashly
conclude thatbecause it is beyond experience, it could not be. It is not a =
wisededuction,
as I think Bickley would admit today, because without doubtmany things are
which surpass our extremely limited experience. However,those who draw the =
veil
from the Unknown and reveal the New, must expectincredulity, and accept it
without grumbling. Was that not the fate,for instance, of those who in the
Middle Ages, a few hundred yearsago, discovered, or rather rediscovered the
mighty movements of thoseconstellations which served Oro for an almanac?
But the point I want to make is that if the sc=
eptic
plays a Bickleyanpart as regards what has been written, it seems probable t=
hat
hisattitude will be accentuated as regards that which it still remains form=
e to
write. If so, I cannot help it, and must decline entirely to waterdown or
doctor facts and thus pander to his prejudice and ignorance. Formy part I
cannot attempt to explain these occurrences; I only know thatthey happened =
and
that I set down what I saw, heard and felt, neithermore nor less.
Immediately after Oro had triumphantly vindica=
ted
his stellarcalculations he turned and departed into the cave, followed by
hisdaughter, waving to us to remain where we were. As she passed us,however,
the Glittering Lady whispered--this time to Bastin--that hewould see them a=
gain
in a few hours, adding:
"We have much to learn and I hope that th=
en
you who, I understand, are apriest, will begin to teach us of your religion=
and
other matters."
Bastin was so astonished that he could make no
reply, but when they hadgone he said:
"Which of you told her that I was a
priest?"
We shook our heads for neither of us could
remember having done so.
"Well, I did not," continued Bastin,
"since at present I have foundno opportunity of saying a word in seaso=
n.
So I suppose she must havegathered it from my attire, though as a matter of
fact I haven't beenwearing a collar, and those men who wanted to cook me,
pulled off mywhite tie and I didn't think it worth while dirtying a clean
one."
"If," said Bickley, "you imagine
that you look like the minister ofany religion ancient or modern in a grubby
flannel shirt, a batteredsun-helmet, a torn green and white umbrella and a =
pair
of ragged ducktrousers, you are mistaken, Bastin, that is all."
"I admit that the costume is not appropri=
ate,
Bickley, but how otherwisecould she have learned the truth?"
"These people seem to have ways of learni=
ng a
good many things. Butin your case, Bastin, the cause is clear enough. You h=
ave
been walkingabout with the head of that idol and always keep it close to yo=
u.
Nodoubt they believe that you are a priest of the worship of the god ofthe
Grove--Baal, you know, or something of that sort."
When he heard this Bastin's face became a perf=
ect
picture. Never beforedid I see it so full of horror struggling with
indignation.
"I must undeceive them without a moment's
delay," he said, and wasstarting for the cave when we caught his arms =
and
held him.
"Better wait till they come back, old
fellow," I said, laughing. "Ifyou disobey that Lord Oro you may m=
eet
with another experience in thesacrifice line."
"Perhaps you are right, Arbuthnot. I will
occupy the interval inpreparing a suitable address."
"Much better occupy it in preparing
breakfast," said Bickley. "I havealways noticed that you are at y=
our
best extempore."
In the end he did prepare breakfast though in a
distrait fashion; indeedI found him beginning to make tea in the frying-pan.
Bastin feltthat his opportunity had arrived, and was making ready to rise to
theoccasion.
Also we felt, all three of us, that we were
extremely shabby-lookingobjects, and though none of us said so, each did his
best to improvehis personal appearance. First of all Bickley cut Bastin's a=
nd
my hair,after which I did him the same service. Then Bickley who was
normallyclean shaven, set to work to remove a beard of about a week's growt=
h,and
I who wore one of the pointed variety, trimmed up mine as best Icould with =
the
help of a hand-glass. Bastin, too, performed on his whichwas of the square =
and
rather ragged type, wisely rejecting Bickley'sadvice to shave it off
altogether, offered, I felt convinced, becausehe felt that the result on Ba=
stin
would be too hideous for words. Afterthis we cut our nails, cleaned our tee=
th
and bathed; I even caughtBickley applying hair tonic from his dressing case=
in
secret, behind aprojecting rock, and borrowed some myself. He gave it me on
conditionthat I did not mention its existence to Bastin who, he remarked,
wouldcertainly use the lot and make himself smell horrible.
Next we found clean ducks among our store of s=
pare
clothes, for theOrofenans had brought these with our other possessions, and=
put
them on,even adding silk cumberbunds and neckties. My tie I fastened with a
pinthat I had obtained in Egypt. It was a tiny gold statuette of very finea=
nd
early workmanship, of the god Osiris, wearing the crown of the UpperLand wi=
th
the uraeus crest, and holding in his hands, which projectedfrom the mummy
wrappings, the emblems of the crook, the scourge and thecrux ansata, or Sig=
n of
Life.
Bastin, for his part, arrayed himself in full
clerical costume, blackcoat and trousers, white tie and stick-up clergyman's
collar which,as he remarked, made him feel extremely hot in that climate, a=
nd
wereunsuitable to domestic duties, such as washing-up. I offered to hold
hiscoat while he did this office and told him he looked very nice indeed.
"Beautiful!" remarked Bickley, "=
;but
why don't you put on your surpliceand biretta?" (Being very High-Church
Bastin did wear a biretta onfestival Sundays at home.) "There would be=
no
mistake about you then."
"I do not think it would be suitable,&quo=
t;
replied Bastin whose sense ofhumour was undeveloped. "There is no serv=
ice
to be performed at presentand no church, though perhaps that cave--" a=
nd
he stopped.
When we had finished these vain adornments and
Bastin had put away thethings and tidied up, we sat down, rather at a loose
end. We should haveliked to walk but refrained from doing so for fear lest =
we
might dirtyour clean clothes. So we just sat and thought. At least Bickley
thought,and so did I for a while until I gave it up. What was the use
ofthinking, seeing that we were face to face with circumstances whichbaffled
reason and beggared all recorded human experience? What Bastindid I am sure=
I
do not know, but I think from the expression of hiscountenance that he was
engaged in composing sermons for the benefit ofOro and the Glittering Lady.=
One diversion we did have. About eleven o'cloc=
k a
canoe came from themain island laden with provisions and paddled by Marama =
and
two of hispeople. We seized our weapons, remembering our experiences of the
night,but Marama waved a bough in token of peace. So, carrying our revolver=
s,we
went to the rock edge to meet him. He crept ashore and, chief thoughhe was,
prostrated himself upon his face before us, which told me thathe had heard =
of
the fate of the sorcerers. His apologies were abject. Heexplained that he h=
ad
no part in the outrage of the attack, and besoughtus to intercede on behalf=
of
him and his people with the awakened god ofthe Mountain whom he looked for =
with
a terrified air.
We consoled him as well as we could, and told =
him
that he had best begone before the god of the Mountain appeared, and perhaps
treated him ashe had done the sorcerers. In his name, however, we commanded
Marama tobring materials and build us a proper house upon the rock, also to
besure to keep up a regular and ample supply of provisions. If he didthese
things, and anything else we might from time to time command,we said that
perhaps his life and those of his people would be spared.This, however, aft=
er
the evil behaviour of some of them of course wecould not guarantee.
Marama departed so thoroughly frightened that =
he
even forgot to make anyinquiries as to who this god of the Mountain might b=
e,
or where he camefrom, or whither he was going. Of course, the place had been
sacredamong his people from the beginning, whenever that may have been, but=
that
its sacredness should materialise into an active god who broughtsorcerers of
the highest reputation to a most unpleasant end, justbecause they wished to
translate their preaching into practice, wasanother matter. It was not to be
explained even by the fact of which hehimself had informed me, that during =
the
dreadful storm of some monthsbefore, the cave mouth which previously was not
visible on the volcano,had suddenly been lifted up above the level of the R=
ock
of Offerings,although, of course, all religious and instructed persons would
haveexpected something peculiar to happen after this event.
Such I knew were his thoughts, but, as I have
said, he was toofrightened and too hurried to express them in questions tha=
t I
shouldhave found it extremely difficult to answer. As it was he departedqui=
te
uncertain as to whether one of us was not the real "god of
theMountain," who had power to bring hideous death upon his molesters.=
After
all, what had he to go on to the contrary, except the word ofthree priests =
who
were so terrified that they could give no coherentaccount of what had happe=
ned?
Of these events, it was true, there wasevidence in the twisted carcass of t=
heir
lamented high sorcerer, and,for the matter of that, of certain corpses whic=
h he
had seen, that layin shallow water at the bottom of the lake. Beyond all was
vague, and inhis heart I am sure that Marama believed that Bastin was the r=
eal
"godof the Mountain." Naturally, he would desire to work vengeanc=
e on
thosewho tried to sacrifice and eat him. Moreover, had he not destroyed
theimage of the god of the Grove and borne away its head whence he hadsucked
magic and power?
Thus argued Marama, disbelieving the tale of t=
he
frightened sorcerers,for he admitted as much to me in after days.
Marama departed in a great hurry, fearing lest=
the
"god of theMountain," or Bastin, whose new and splendid garb he
regarded with muchsuspicion, might develop some evil energy against him. Th=
en
we went backto our camp, leaving the industrious Bastin, animated by a
suggestionfrom Bickley that the fruit and food might spoil if left in the
sun,to carry it into the shade of the cave. Owing to the terrors of
theOrofenans the supply was so large that to do this he must make no fewert=
han
seven journeys, which he did with great good will since Bastinloved physical
exercise. The result on his clerical garments, however,was disastrous. His
white tie went awry, squashed fruit and roast piggravy ran down his waistco=
at and
trousers, and his high collar meltedinto limp crinkles in the moisture
engendered by the tropical heat. Onlyhis long coat escaped, since that Bick=
ley
kindly carried for him.
It was just as he arrived with the seventh loa=
d in
this extremelydishevelled condition that Oro and his daughter emerged from =
the
cave.Indeed Bastin, who, being shortsighted, always wore spectacles that,ow=
ing
to his heated state were covered with mist, not seeing thatdignitary, dumped
down the last basket on to his toes, exclaiming:
"There, you lazy beggar, I told you I wou=
ld
bring it all, and I have."
In fact he thought he was addressing Bickley a=
nd
playing off on him atroglodytic practical joke.
Oro, however, who at his age did not appreciate
jokes, resented it andwas about to do something unpleasant when with
extraordinary tact hisdaughter remarked:
"Bastin the priest makes you offerings. T=
hank
him, O Lord my father."
So Oro thanked him, not too cordially for
evidently he still had feelingin his toes, and once more Bastin escaped.
Becoming aware of his error,he began to apologise profusely in English, whi=
le
the lady Yva studiedhim carefully.
"Is that the costume of the priests of yo=
ur
religion, O Bastin?" sheasked, surveying his dishevelled form. "If
so, you were better withoutit."
Then Bastin retired to straighten his tie, and
grabbing his coatfrom Bickley, who handed it to him with a malicious smile,
forced hisperspiring arms into it in a peculiarly awkward and elephantine
fashion.
Meanwhile Bickley and I produced two camp chai=
rs
which we had madeready, and on these the wondrous pair seated themselves si=
de
by side.
"We have come to learn," said Oro.
"Teach!"
"Not so, Father," interrupted Yva, w=
ho,
I noted, was clothed in yet athird costume, though whence these came I could
not imagine. "First Iwould ask a question. Whence are you, Strangers, =
and
how came you here?"
"We are from the country called England a=
nd a
great storm shipwrecked ushere; that, I think, which raised the mouth of the
cave above the levelof this rock," I answered.
"The time appointed having come when it
should be raised," said Oro asthough to himself.
"Where is England?" asked Yva.
Now among the books we had with us was a pocket
atlas, quite a good oneof its sort. By way of answer I opened it at the map=
of
the world andshowed her England. Also I showed, to within a thousand miles =
or
so,that spot on the earth's surface where we spoke together.
The sight of this atlas excited the pair great=
ly.
They had not theslightest difficulty in understanding everything about it a=
nd
the shapeof the world with its division into hemispheres seemed to be
quitefamiliar to them. What appeared chiefly to interest them, and
especiallyOro, were the relative areas and positions of land and sea.
"Of this, Strangers," he said, point=
ing
to the map, "I shall have muchto say to you when I have studied the
pictures of your book and comparedthem with others of my own."
"So he has got maps," said Bickley in
English, "as well as star charts.I wonder where he keeps them."
"With his clothes, I expect," sugges=
ted
Bastin.
Meanwhile Oro had hidden the atlas in his ample
robe and motioned to hisdaughter to proceed.
"Why do you come here from England so far
away?" the Lady Yva asked, aquestion to which each of us had an answer=
.
"To see new countries," I said.
"Because the cyclone brought us," sa=
id
Bickley.
"To convert the heathen to my own Christi=
an
religion," said Bastin,which was not strictly true.
It was on this last reply that she fixed.
"What does your religion teach?" she
asked.
"It teaches that those who accept it and =
obey
its commands will liveagain after death for ever in a better world where is
neither sorrow norsin," he answered.
When he heard this saying I saw Oro start as
though struck by a newthought and look at Bastin with a curious intentness.=
"Who are the heathen?" Yva asked aga=
in
after a pause, for she alsoseemed to be impressed.
"All who do not agree with Bastin's spiri=
tual
views," answered Bickley.
"Those who, whether from lack of instruct=
ion
or from hardness of heart,do not follow the true faith. For instance, I sup=
pose
that your fatherand you are heathen," replied Bastin stoutly.
This seemed to astonish them, but presently Yva
caught his meaning andsmiled, while Oro said:
"Of this great matter of faith we will ta=
lk
later. It is an old questionin the world."
"Why," went on Yva, "if you wis=
hed
to travel so far did you come in aship that so easily is wrecked? Why did y=
ou
not journey through the air,or better still, pass through space, leaving yo=
ur
bodies asleep, as,being instructed, doubtless you can do?"
"As regards your first question," I
answered, "there are no aircraftknown that can make so long a
journey."
"And as regards the second," broke in
Bickley, "we did not do so becauseit is impossible for men to transfer
themselves to other places throughspace either with or without their
bodies."
At this information the Glittering Lady lifted=
her
arched eyebrows andsmiled a little, while Oro said:
"I perceive that the new world has advanc=
ed
but a little way on the roadof knowledge."
Fearing that Bastin was about to commence an
argument, I began to askquestions in my turn.
"Lord Oro and Lady Yva," I said,
"we have told you something ofourselves and will tell you more when you
desire it. But pardon us iffirst we pray you to tell us what we burn to kno=
w.
Who are you? Of whatrace and country? And how came it that we found you
sleeping yonder?"
"If it be your pleasure, answer, my
Father," said Yva.
Oro thought a moment, then replied in a calm
voice:
"I am a king who once ruled most of the w=
orld
as it was in my day,though it is true that much of it rebelled against me, =
my
councillorsand servants. Therefore I destroyed the world as it was then, sa=
ve
onlycertain portions whence life might spread to the new countries that Ira=
ised
up. Having done this I put myself and my daughter to sleep for aspace of two
hundred and fifty thousand years, that there might be timefor fresh
civilisations to arise. Now I begin to think that I did notallot a sufficie=
ncy
of ages, since I perceive from what you tell me,that the learning of the new
races is as yet but small."
Bickley and I looked at each other and were
silent. Mentally we hadcollapsed. Who could begin to discuss statements bui=
lt
upon such afoundation of gigantic and paralysing falsehoods?
Well, Bastin could for one. With no more surpr=
ise
in his voice than ifhe were talking about last night's dinner, he said:
"There must be a mistake somewhere, or
perhaps I misunderstand you. Itis obvious that you, being a man, could not =
have
destroyed the world.That could only be done by the Power which made it and
you."
I trembled for the results of Bastin's methods=
of
setting out the truth.To my astonishment, however, Oro replied:
"You speak wisely, Priest, but the Power =
you
name may use instruments toaccomplish its decrees. I am such an
instrument."
"Quite so," said Bastin, "just =
like
anybody else. You have moreknowledge of the truth than I thought. But pray,=
how
did you destroy theworld?"
"Using my wisdom to direct the forces that
are at work in the heart ofthis great globe, I drowned it with a deluge,
causing one part to sinkand another to rise, also changes of climate which
completed the work."
"That's quite right," exclaimed Bast=
in
delightedly. "We know all aboutthe Deluge, only you are not mentioned =
in
connection with the matter. Aman, Noah, had to do with it when he was six
hundred years old."
"Six hundred?" said Oro. "That =
is
not very old. I myself had seen morethan a thousand years when I lay down to
sleep."
"A thousand!" remarked Bastin, mildly
interested. "That is unusual,though some of these mighty men of renown=
we
know lived over ninehundred."
Here Bickley snorted and exclaimed:
"Nine hundred moons, he means."
"I did not know Noah," went on Oro.
"Perhaps he lived after my time andcaused some other local deluge. Is
there anything else you wish to askme before I leave you that I may study t=
his
map writing?"
"Yes," said Bastin. "Why were y=
ou
allowed to drown your world?"
"Because it was evil, Priest, and disobey=
ed
me and the Power I serve."
"Oh! thank you," said Bastin, "=
that
fits in exactly. It was just thesame in Noah's time."
"I pray that it is not just the same
now," said Oro, rising. "To-morrowwe will return, or if I do not =
who
have much that I must do, the lady mydaughter will return and speak with you
further."
He departed into the cave, Yva following at a
little distance.
I accompanied her as far as the mouth of the c=
ave,
as did Tommy, whoall this time had been sitting contentedly upon the hem of=
her
gorgeousrobe, quite careless of its immemorial age, if it was immemorial and
notwoven yesterday, a point on which I had no information.
"Lady Yva," I said, "did I righ=
tly
understand the Lord Oro to say thathe was a thousand years old?"
"Yes, O Humphrey, and really he is more, =
or
so I think."
"Then are you a thousand years old
also?" I asked, aghast.
"No, no," she replied, shaking her h=
ead,
"I am young, quite young, for Ido not count my time of sleep."
"Certainly you look it," I said.
"But what, Lady Yva, do you mean byyoung?"
She answered my question by another.
"What age are your women when they are as=
I
am?"
"None of our women were ever quite like y=
ou,
Lady Yva. Yet, say fromtwenty-five to thirty years of age."
"Ah! I have been counting and now I remem=
ber.
When my father sent me tosleep I was twenty-seven years old. No, I will not
deceive you, I wastwenty-seven years and three moons." Then, saying
something to theeffect that she would return, she departed, laughing a litt=
le
in amischievous way, and, although I did not observe this till afterwards,T=
ommy
departed with her.
When I repeated what she had said to Bastin and
Bickley, who werestanding at a distance straining their ears and somewhat
aggrieved, theformer remarked:
"If she is twenty-seven her father must h=
ave
married late in life,though of course it may have been a long while before =
he
had children."
Then Bickley, who had been suppressing himself=
all
this while, went offlike a bomb.
"Do you tell us, Bastin," he asked,
"that you believe one word ofall this ghastly rubbish? I mean as to th=
at
antique charlatan being athousand years old and having caused the Flood and=
the
rest?"
"If you ask me, Bickley, I see no particu=
lar
reason to doubt it atpresent. A person who can go to sleep in a glass coffin
kept warm bya pocketful of radium together with very accurate maps of
theconstellations at the time he wakes up, can, I imagine, do most
things."
"Even cause the Deluge," jeered Bick=
ley.
"I don't know about the Deluge, but perha=
ps
he may have been permittedto cause a deluge. Why not? You can't look at thi=
ngs
from far enoughoff, Bickley. And if something seems big to you, you conclude
thattherefore it is impossible. The same Power which gives you skill tosucc=
eed
in an operation, that hitherto was held impracticable, as I knowyou have do=
ne
once or twice, may have given that old fellow power tocause a deluge. You
should measure the universe and its possibilities byworlds and not by acres,
Bickley."
"And believe, I suppose, that a man can l=
ive
a thousand years, whereaswe know well that he cannot live more than about a
hundred."
"You don't know anything of the sort,
Bickley. All you know is thatover the brief period of history with which we=
are
acquainted, say tenthousand years at most, men have only lived to about a h=
undred.
But thevery rocks which you are so fond of talking about, tell us that even=
this
planet is millions upon millions of years of age. Who knows thenbut that at
some time in its history, men did not live for a thousandyears, and that lo=
st
civilisations did not exist of which this Oro andhis daughter may be two
survivors?"
"There is no proof of anything of the
sort," said Bickley.
"I don't know about proof, as you underst=
and
it, though I have read inPlato of a continent called Atlantis that was
submerged, according tothe story of old Egyptian priests. But personally I =
have
every proof,for it is all written down in the Bible at which you turn tip y=
our
nose,and I am very glad that I have been lucky enough to come across
thisunexpected confirmation of the story. Not that it matters much, since
Ishould have learned all about it when it pleases Providence to remove meto=
a
better world, which in our circumstances may happen any day. Now Imust chan=
ge
my clothes before I see to the cooking and other things."
"I am bound to admit," said Bickley,
looking after him, "that old Bastinis not so stupid as he seems. From =
his
point of view the arguments headvances are quite logical. Moreover I think =
he
is right when he saysthat we look at things through the wrong end of the
telescope. After allthe universe is very big and who knows what may happen
there? Who knowseven what may have happened on this little earth during the
aeons of itsexistence, whenever its balance chanced to shift, as the Ice Ag=
es
showus it has often done? Still I believe that old Oro to be a Prince
ofLiars."
"That remains to be proved," I answe=
red
cautiously. "All I know is thathe is a wonderfully learned person of m=
ost
remarkable appearance, andthat his daughter is the loveliest creature I ever
saw."
"There I agree," said Bickley decide=
dly,
"and as brilliant as she islovely. If she belongs to a past civilisati=
on,
it is a pity that it everbecame extinct. Now let's go and have a nap. Bastin
will call us whensupper is ready."
That night we slept well and without fear, bei=
ng
quite certain thatafter their previous experience the Orofenans would make =
no
furtherattempts upon us. Indeed our only anxiety was for Tommy, whom we
couldnot find when the time came to give him his supper. Bastin, however,se=
emed
to remember having seen him following the Glittering Lady intothe cave. Thi=
s,
of course, was possible, as certainly he had taken anenormous fancy to her =
and
sat himself down as close to her as he couldon every occasion. He even seem=
ed
to like the ancient Oro, and was notafraid to jump up and plant his dirty p=
aws
upon that terrific person'sgorgeous robe. Moreover Oro liked him, for sever=
al
times I observed himpat the dog upon the head; as I think I have said, the =
only
human touchthat I had perceived about him. So we gave up searching and call=
ing
inthe hope that he was safe with our supernatural friends.
The next morning quite early the Lady Yva appe=
ared
alone; no, not alone,for with her came our lost Tommy looking extremely spry
and well atease. The faithless little wretch just greeted us in a casual
fashionand then went and sat by Yva. In fact when the awkward Bastin manage=
dto
stumble over the end of her dress Tommy growled at him and showed histeeth.
Moreover the dog was changed. He was blessed with a shiny blackcoat, but now
this coat sparkled in the sunlight, like the Lady Yva'shair.
"The Glittering Lady is all very well, but
I'm not sure that I carefor a glittering dog. It doesn't look quite
natural," said Bastin,contemplating him.
"Why does Tommy shine, Lady?" I aske=
d.
"Because I washed him in certain waters t=
hat
we have, so that now helooks beautiful and smells sweet," she answered,
laughing.
It was true, the dog did smell sweet, which I =
may
add had not alwaysbeen the case with him, especially when there were dead f=
ish
about. Alsohe appeared to have been fed, for he turned up his nose at the b=
its
wehad saved for his breakfast.
"He has drunk of the Life-water,"
explained Yva, "and will want no foodfor two days."
Bickley pricked up his ears at this statement =
and
looked incredulous.
"You do not believe, O Bickley," she
said, studying him gravely."Indeed, you believe nothing. You think my
father and I tell you manylies. Bastin there, he believes all. Humphrey? He=
is
not sure; he thinksto himself, I will wait and find out whether or no these
funny peoplecheat me."
Bickley coloured and made some remark about th=
ings
which were contraryto experience, also that Tommy in a general way was rath=
er a
greedylittle dog.
"You, too, like to eat, Bickley" (th=
is
was true, he had an excellentappetite), "but when you have drunk the
Life-water you will care muchless."
"I am glad to hear it," interrupted
Bastin, "for Bickley wants a lot ofcooking done, and I find it
tedious."
"You eat also, Lady," said Bickley.<= o:p>
"Yes, I eat sometimes because I like it, =
but
I can go weeks and noteat, when I have the Life-water. Just now, after so l=
ong
a sleep, I amhungry. Please give me some of that fruit. No, not the flesh,
flesh Ihate."
We handed it to her. She took two plantains,
peeled and ate them withextraordinary grace. Indeed she reminded me, I do n=
ot
know why, of somelovely butterfly drawing its food from a flower.
While she ate she observed us closely; nothing
seemed to escape thequick glances of those beautiful eyes. Presently she sa=
id:
"What, O Humphrey, is that with which you
fasten your neckdress?" andshe pointed to the little gold statue of Os=
iris
that I used as a pin.
I told her that it was a statuette of a god na=
med
Osiris and very, veryancient, probably quite five thousand years old, a
statement at whichshe smiled a little; also that it came from Egypt.
"Ah!" she answered, "is it so? I
asked because we have figures thatare very like to that one, and they also =
hold
in their hands a staffsurmounted by a loop. They are figures of Sleep's
brother--Death."
"So is this," I said. "Among the
Egyptians Osiris was the god of Death."
She nodded and replied that doubtless the symb=
ol
had come down to them.
"One day you shall take me to see this la=
nd
which you call so very old.Or I will take you, which would be quicker,"
she added.
We all bowed and said we should be delighted. =
Even
Bastin appearedanxious to revisit Egypt in such company, though when he was
thereit seemed to bore him. But what she meant about taking us I could
notguess. Nor had we time to ask her, for she went on, watching our facesas=
she
spoke.
"The Lord Oro sends you a message, Strang=
ers.
He asks whether it is yourwish to see where we dwell. He adds that you are =
not
to come if you donot desire, or if you fear danger."
We all answered that there was nothing we shou=
ld
like better, but Bastinadded that he had already seen the tomb.
"Do you think, Bastin, that we live in a =
tomb
because we slept there fora while, awaiting the advent of you wanderers at =
the
appointed hour?"
"I don't see where else it could be, unle=
ss
it is further down thatcave," said Bastin. "The top of the mounta=
in
would not be convenient asa residence."
"It has not been convenient for many an a=
ge,
for reasons that I willshow you. Think now, before you come. You have naugh=
t to
fear from us,and I believe that no harm will happen to you. But you will see
manystrange things that will anger Bickley because he cannot understandthem,
and perhaps will weary Bastin because his heart turns from whatis wondrous =
and
ancient. Only Humphrey will rejoice in them becausethe doors of his soul are
open and he longs--what do you long for,Humphrey?"
"That which I have lost and fear I shall
never find again," I answeredboldly.
"I know that you have lost many things--l=
ast
night, for instance,you lost Tommy, and when he slept with me he told me mu=
ch
about youand--others."
"This is ridiculous," broke in Basti=
n.
"Can a dog talk?"
"Everything can talk, if you understand i=
ts
language, Bastin. But keep agood heart, Humphrey, for the bold seeker finds=
in
the end. Oh! foolishman, do you not understand that all is yours if you have
but the soul toconceive and the will to grasp? All, all, below, between, ab=
ove!
Even Iknow that, I who have so much to learn."
So she spoke and became suddenly magnificent. =
Her
face which had beenbut that of a super-lovely woman, took on grandeur. Her
bosom swelled;her presence radiated some subtle power, much as her hair
radiatedlight.
In a moment it was gone and she was smiling and
jesting.
"Will you come, Strangers, where Tommy was
not afraid to go, down tothe Under-world? Or will you stay here in the sun?
Perhaps you will dobetter to stay here in the sun, for the Under-world has
terrors for weakhearts that were born but yesterday, and feeble feet may
stumble in thedark."
"I shall take my electric torch," sa=
id
Bastin with decision, "and Iadvise you fellows to do the same. I always
hated cellars, and thecatacombs at Rome are worse, though full of sacred
interest."
Then we started, Tommy frisking on ahead in a =
most
provoking way asthough he were bored by a visit to a strange house and going
home, andYva gliding forward with a smile upon her face that was half mystic
andhalf mischievous. We passed the remains of the machines, and Bickleyasked
her what they were.
"Carriages in which once we travelled thr=
ough
the skies, until we founda better way, and that the uninstructed used till =
the
end," she answeredcarelessly, leaving me wondering what on earth she
meant.
We came to the statue and the sepulchre beneath
without trouble, for theglint of her hair, and I may add of Tommy's back, w=
ere
quite sufficientto guide us through the gloom. The crystal coffins were sti=
ll
there, forBastin flashed his torch and we saw them, but the boxes of radium
hadgone.
"Let that light die," she said to
Bastin. "Humphrey, give me your righthand and give your left to Bickle=
y.
Let Bastin cling to him and fearnothing."
We passed to the end of the tomb and stood aga=
inst
what appeared to be arock wall, all close together, as she directed.
"Fear nothing," she said again, but =
next
second I was never more fullof fear in my life, for we were whirling downwa=
rds
at a speed that wouldhave made an American elevator attendant turn pale.
"Don't choke me," I heard Bickley sa=
y to
Bastin, and the latter'smurmured reply of:
"I never could bear these moving staircas=
es
and tubelifts. They alwaysmake me feel sick."
I admit that for my part I also felt rather si=
ck
and clung tightly tothe hand of the Glittering Lady. She, however, placed h=
er
other handupon my shoulder, saying in a low voice:
"Did I not tell you to have no fear?"=
;
Then I felt comforted, for somehow I knew that=
it
was not her desireto harm and much less to destroy me. Also Tommy was seated
quite at hisease with his head resting against my leg, and his absence of a=
larm
wasreassuring. The only stoic of the party was Bickley. I have no doubtthat=
he
was quite as frightened as we were, but rather than show it hewould have di=
ed.
"I presume this machinery is pneumatic,&q=
uot;
he began when suddenly andwithout shock, we arrived at the end of our journ=
ey.
How far we hadfallen I am sure I do not know, but I should judge from the a=
wful
speedat which we travelled, that it must have been several thousand
feet,probably four or five.
"Everything seems steady now," remar=
ked
Bastin, "so I suppose thisluggage lift has stopped. The odd thing is t=
hat
I can't see anythingof it. There ought to be a shaft, but we seem to be
standing on a levelfloor."
"The odd thing is," said Bickley, &q=
uot;that
we can see at all. Where thedevil does the light come from thousands of feet
underground?"
"I don't know," answered Bastin,
"unless there is natural gas here, as Iam told there is at a town call=
ed
Medicine Hat in Canada."
"Natural gas be blowed," said Bickle=
y.
"It is more like moonlightmagnified ten times."
So it was. The whole place was filled with a s=
oft
radiance, equal tothat of the sun at noon, but gentler and without heat.
"Where does it come from?" I whisper=
ed
to Yva.
"Oh!" she replied, as I thought
evasively. "It is the light of theUnder-world which we know how to use.
The earth is full of light, whichis not wonderful, is it, seeing that its h=
eart
is fire? Now look aboutyou."
I looked and leant on her harder than ever, si=
nce
amazement made meweak. We were in some vast place whereof the roof seemed
almost as faroff as the sky at night. At least all that I could make out wa=
s a
dimand distant arch which might have been one of cloud. For the rest, ineve=
ry
direction stretched vastness, illuminated far as the eye couldreach by the =
soft
light of which I have spoken, that is, probably forseveral miles. But this
vastness was not empty. On the contrary it wasoccupied by a great city. The=
re
were streets much wider than Piccadilly,all bordered by houses, though thes=
e, I
observed, were roofless, veryfine houses, some of them, built of white ston=
e or
marble. There wereroadways and pavements worn by the passage of feet. There,
farther on,were market-places or public squares, and there, lastly, was a
hugecentral enclosure one or two hundred acres in extent, which was filledw=
ith
majestic buildings that looked like palaces, or town-halls; and, inthe mids=
t of
them all, a vast temple with courts and a central dome. Forhere,
notwithstanding the lack of necessity, its builders seemed to haveadhered to
the Over-world tradition, and had roofed their fane.
And now came the terror. All of this enormous =
city
was dead. Had itstood upon the moon it could not have been more dead. None
paced itsstreets; none looked from its window-places. None trafficked in
itsmarkets, none worshipped in its temple. Swept, garnished,
lighted,practically untouched by the hand of Time, here where no rains fell
andno winds blew, it was yet a howling wilderness. For what wilderness isth=
ere
to equal that which once has been the busy haunt of men? Letthose who have
stood among the buried cities of Central Asia, or ofAnarajapura in Ceylon, =
or
even amid the ruins of Salamis on the coastof Cyprus, answer the question. =
But
here was something infinitely moreawful. A huge human haunt in the bowels of
the earth utterly devoid ofhuman beings, and yet as perfect as on the day w=
hen
these ceased to be.
"I do not care for underground
localities," remarked Bastin, his gruffvoice echoing strangely in that
terrible silence, "but it does seem apity that all these fine buildings
should be wasted. I suppose theirinhabitants left them in search of fresh
air."
"Why did they leave them?" I asked of
Yva.
"Because death took them," she answe=
red
solemnly. "Even those who live athousand years die at last, and if they
have no children, with them diesthe race."
"Then were you the last of your people?&q=
uot;
I asked.
"Inquire of my father," she replied,=
and
led the way through the massivearch of a great building.
It led into a walled courtyard in the centre of
which was a plain cupolaof marble with a gate of some pale metal that looked
like platinum mixedwith gold. This gate stood open. Within it was the statu=
e of
a womanbeautifully executed in white marble and set in a niche of some
blackstone. The figure was draped as though to conceal the shape, and thefa=
ce
was stern and majestic rather than beautiful. The eyes of thestatue were
cunningly made of some enamel which gave them a strange andlifelike appeara=
nce.
They stared upwards as though looking away from theearth and its concerns. =
The
arms were outstretched. In the right handwas a cup of black marble, in the =
left
a similar cup of white marble.From each of these cups trickled a thin strea=
m of
sparkling water, whichtwo streams met and mingled at a distance of about th=
ree
feet beneaththe cups. Then they fell into a metal basin which, although it =
must
havebeen quite a foot thick, was cut right through by their constant impact=
,and
apparently vanished down some pipe beneath. Out of this metal basinTommy, w=
ho
gambolled into the place ahead of us, began to drink in agreedy and
demonstrative fashion.
"The Life-water?" I said, looking at=
our
guide.
She nodded and asked in her turn:
"What is the statue and what does it sign=
ify,
Humphrey?"
I hesitated, but Bastin answered:
"Just a rather ugly woman who hid up her
figure because it was bad.Probably she was a relation of the artist who wis=
hed
to have herlikeness done and sat for nothing."
"The goddess of Health," suggested
Bickley. "Her proportions areperfect; a robust, a thoroughly normal
woman."
"Now, Humphrey," said Yva.
I stared at the work and had not an idea. Then=
it
flashed on me withsuch suddenness and certainty that I am convinced the ans=
wer
to theriddle was passed to me from her and did not originate in my own mind=
.
"It seems quite easy," I said in a
superior tone. "The figure symbolisesLife and is draped because we only
see the face of Life, the rest ishidden. The arms are bare because Life is =
real
and active. One cup isblack and one is white because Life brings both good =
and
evil gifts;that is why the streams mingle, to be lost beneath in the darkne=
ss
ofdeath. The features are stern and even terrifying rather than lovely,beca=
use
such is the aspect of Life. The eyes look upward and far awayfrom present
things, because the real life is not here."
"Of course one may say anything," sa=
id
Bastin, "but I don't understandall that."
"Imagination goes a long way," broke=
in
Bickley, who was vexed that hehad not thought of this interpretation himsel=
f.
But Yva said:
"I begin to think that you are quite clev=
er,
Humphrey. I wonder whencethe truth came to you, for such is the meaning of =
the
figure and thecups. Had I told it to you myself, it could not have been bet=
ter
said,"and she glanced at me out of the corners of her eyes. "Now,
Strangers,will you drink? Once that gate was guarded, and only at a great p=
rice
oras a great reward were certain of the Highest Blood given the freedom oft=
his
fountain which might touch no common lips. Indeed it was one of thecauses of
our last war, for all the world which was, desired this waterwhich now is
lapped by a stranger's hound."
"I suppose there is nothing medicinal in
it?" said Bastin. "Once when Iwas very thirsty, I made a mistake =
and
drank three tumblers of somethingof the sort in the dark, thinking that it =
was
Apollinaris, and I don'twant to do it again."
"Just the sort of thing you would do,&quo=
t;
said Bickley. "But, Lady Yva,what are the properties of this water?&qu=
ot;
"It is very health-giving," she answ=
ered,
"and if drunk continually, notless than once each thirty days, it wards
off sickness, lessens hungerand postpones death for many, many years. That =
is
why those of the HighBlood endured so long and became the rulers of the wor=
ld,
and that, asI have said, is the greatest of the reasons why the peoples who
dwelt inthe ancient outer countries and never wished to die, made war upon
them,to win this secret fountain. Have no fear, O Bastin, for see, I willpl=
edge
you in this water."
Then she lifted a strange-looking, shallow, me=
tal
cup whereof thehandles were formed of twisted serpents, that lay in the bas=
in,
filledit from the trickling stream, bowed to us and drank. But as she drank
Inoted with a thrill of joy that her eyes were fixed on mine as thoughit we=
re me
she pledged and me alone. Again she filled the cup with thesparkling water,=
for
it did sparkle, like that French liqueur in whichare mingled little flakes =
of
gold, and handed it to me.
I bowed to her and drank. I suppose the fluid =
was
water, but to me ittasted more like strong champagne, dashed with Chateau
Yquem. It wasdelicious. More, its effects were distinctly peculiar. Somethi=
ng
quickand subtle ran through my veins; something that for a few momentsseeme=
d to
burn away the obscureness which blurs our thought. I beganto understand sev=
eral
problems that had puzzled me, and then lost theirexplanations in the midst =
of
light, inner light, I mean. Moreover, of asudden it seemed to me as though a
window had been opened in the heartof that Glittering Lady who stood beside=
me.
At least I knew that it wasfull of wonderful knowledge, wonderful memories =
and
wonderful hopes, andthat in the latter two of these I had some part; what p=
art
I could nottell. Also I knew that my heart was open to her and that she saw=
in
itsomething which caused her to marvel and to sigh.
In a few seconds, thirty perhaps, all this was
gone. Nothing remainedexcept that I felt extremely strong and well, happier,
too, than I hadbeen for years. Mutely I asked her for more of the water, but
she shookher head and, taking the cup from me, filled it again and gave it
toBickley, who drank. He flushed, seemed to lose the self-control whichwas =
his
very strong characteristic, and said in a rather thick voice:
"Curious! but I do not think at this mome=
nt there
is any operation thathas ever been attempted which I could not tackle
single-handed and withsuccess."
Then he was silent, and Bastin's turn came. He
drank rather noisily,after his fashion, and began:
"My dear young lady, I think the time has
come when I should expound toyou--" Here he broke off and commenced
singing very badly, for his voicewas somewhat raucous:
F=
rom
Greenland's icy mountains, Fr=
om
India's coral strand, Where Afr=
ic's
sunny fountains Roll down the=
ir
golden sand.
Ceasing from melody, he added:
"I determined that I would drink nothing
intoxicating while I was onthis island that I might be a shining light in a
dark place, and nowI fear that quite unwittingly I have broken what I look =
upon
as apromise."
Then he, too, grew silent.
"Come," said Yva, "my father, t=
he
Lord Oro, awaits you."
We crossed the court of the Water of Life and
mounted steps that ledto a wide and impressive portico, Tommy frisking ahea=
d of
us in amost excited way for a dog of his experience. Evidently the water
hadproduced its effect upon him as well as upon his masters. This porticowa=
s in
a solemn style of architecture which I cannot describe, becauseit differed =
from
any other that I know. It was not Egyptian and notGreek, although its solid=
ity
reminded me of the former, and the beautyand grace of some of the columns, =
of
the latter. The profuseness andrather grotesque character of the carvings
suggested the ruins of Mexicoand Yucatan, and the enormous size of the bloc=
ks
of stone, those of Peruand Baalbec. In short, all the known forms of ancient
architecturemight have found their inspiration here, and the general effect
wastremendous.
"The palace of the King," said Yva,
"whereof we approach the greathall."
We entered through mighty metal doors, one of
which stood ajar, intoa vestibule which from certain indications I gathered=
had
once been aguard, or perhaps an assembly-room. It was about forty feet deep=
by
ahundred wide. Thence she led us through a smaller door into the hallitself=
. It
was a vast place without columns, for there was no roof tosupport. The wall=
s of
marble or limestone were sculptured like those ofEgyptian temples, apparent=
ly
with battle scenes, though of this I am notsure for I did not go near to th=
em.
Except for a broad avenue along themiddle, up which we walked, the area was
filled with marble benches thatwould, I presume, have accommodated several
thousand people. But theywere empty--empty, and oh! the loneliness of it al=
l.
Far away at the head of the hall was a dais
enclosed, and, as it were,roofed in by a towering structure that mingled gr=
ace
and majesty to awonderful degree. It was modelled on the pattern of a huge
shell. Thebase of the shell was the platform; behind were the ribs, and abo=
ve,
theoverhanging lip of the shell. On this platform was a throne of silveryme=
tal.
It was supported on the arched coils of snakes, whereof the tailsformed the
back and the heads the arms of the throne.
On this throne, arrayed in gorgeous robes, sat=
the
Lord Oro, his whitebeard flowing over them, and a jewelled cap upon his hea=
d.
In front ofhim was a low table on which lay graven sheets of metal, and amo=
ng
thema large ball of crystal.
There he sat, solemn and silent in the midst of
this awful solitude,looking in very truth like a god, as we conceive such a
being to appear.Small as he was in that huge expanse of buildings, he seemed
yet todominate it, in a sense to fill the emptiness which was accentuatedby=
his
presence. I know that the sight of him filled me with true fearwhich it had
never done in the light of day, not even when he arosefrom his crystal coff=
in.
Now for the first time I felt as though Iwere really in the presence of a B=
eing
Supernatural. Doubtless thesurroundings heightened this impression. What we=
re
these mighty edificesin the bowels of the world? Whence came this wondrous,
all-pervading andtranslucent light, whereof we could see no origin? Whither=
had
vanishedthose who had reared and inhabited them? How did it happen that of
themall, this man, if he were a man; and this lovely woman at my side, who,=
if I
might trust my senses and instincts, was certainly a woman, alonesurvived of
their departed multitudes?
The thing was crushing. I looked at Bickley for
encouragement, butgot none, for he only shook his head. Even Bastin, now th=
at
the firsteffects of the Life-water had departed, seemed overwhelmed, and
mutteredsomething about the halls of Hades.
Only the little dog Tommy remained quite cheer=
ful.
He trotted down thehall, jumped on to the dais and sat himself comfortably =
at
the feet ofits occupant.
"I greet you," Oro said in his slow,
resonant voice. "Daughter, leadthese strangers to me; I would speak wi=
th
them."
We climbed on to the dais by some marble steps, and sat ourselves downin four curious chairs of metal that were more or less copied from thatwhich served Oro as a throne; at least the arms ended in gr= aven heads ofsnakes. These chairs were so comfortable that I concluded the seats werefixed on springs, also we noticed that they were beautifully polished.<= o:p>
"I wonder how they keep everything so
clean," said Bastin as we mountedthe dais. "In this big place it =
must
take a lot of housemaids, though Idon't see any. But perhaps there is no du=
st
here."
I shrugged my shoulders while we seated oursel=
ves,
the Lady Yva and I onOro's right, Bickley and Bastin on his left, as he
indicated by pointingwith his finger.
"What say you of this city?" Oro ask=
ed
after a while of me.
"We do not know what to say," I repl=
ied.
"It amazes us. In our worldthere is nothing like to it."
"Perchance there will be in the future wh=
en
the nations grow moreskilled in the arts of war," said Oro darkly.
"Be pleased, Lord Oro," I went on,
"if it is your will, to tell us whythe people who built this place cho=
se
to live in the bowels of the earthinstead of upon its surface."
"They did not choose; it was forced upon
them," was the answer. "Thisis a city of refuge that they occupie=
d in
time of war, not becausethey hated the sun. In time of peace and before the
Barbarians dared toattack them, they dwelt in the city Pani which signifies
Above. You mayhave noted some of its remaining ruins on the mount and
throughout theisland. The rest of them are now beneath the sea. But when
trouble cameand the foe rained fire on them from the air, they retreated to
thistown, Nyo, which signifies Beneath."
"And then?"
"And then they died. The Water of Life may
prolong life, but it cannotmake women bear children. That they will only do
beneath the blue ofheaven, not deep in the belly of the world where Nature
never designedthat they should dwell. How would the voices of children soun=
d in
suchhalls as these? Tell me, you, Bickley, who are a physician."
"I cannot. I cannot imagine children in s=
uch
a place, and if born herethey would die," said Bickley.
Oro nodded.
"They did die, and if they went above to =
Pani
they were murdered. Sosoon the habit of birth was lost and the Sons of Wisd=
om
perished one byone. Yes, they who ruled the world and by tens of thousands =
of
yearsof toil had gathered into their bosoms all the secrets of the
world,perished, till only a few, and among them I and this daughter of
mine,were left."
"And then?"
"Then, Humphrey, having power so to do, I=
did
what long I hadthreatened, and unchained the forces that work at the world'=
s heart,
anddestroyed them who were my enemies and evil, so that they perished
bymillions, and with them all their works. Afterwards we slept, leavingthe
others, our subjects who had not the secret of this Sleep, to die,as doubtl=
ess
they did in the course of Nature or by the hand of the foe.The rest you
know."
"Can such a thing happen again?" ask=
ed
Bickley in a voice that did nothide his disbelief.
"Why do you question me, Bickley, you who
believe nothing of what I tellyou, and therefore make wrath? Still I will s=
ay
this, that what I causedto happen I can cause once more--only once, I think=
--as
perchance youshall learn before all is done. Now, since you do not believe,=
I
willtell you no more of our mysteries, no, not whence this light comes norw=
hat
are the properties of the Water of Life, both of which you longto know, nor=
how
to preserve the vital spark of Being in the grave ofdreamless sleep, like a
live jewel in a casket of dead stone, nor aughtelse. As to these matters,
Daughter, I bid you also to be silent, sinceBickley mocks at us. Yes, with =
all
this around him, he who saw us risefrom the coffins, still mocks at us in h=
is
heart. Therefore let him,this little man of a little day, when his few years
are done go to thetomb in ignorance, and his companions with him, they who
might have beenas wise as I am."
Thus Oro spoke in a voice of icy rage, his deep
eyes glowing likecoals. Hearing him I cursed Bickley in my heart for I was =
sure
that oncespoken, his decree was like to that of the Medes and Persians and =
couldnot
be altered. Bickley, however, was not in the least dismayed. Indeedhe argued
the point. He told Oro straight out that he would not believein the impossi=
ble
until it had been shown to him to be possible, andthat the law of Nature ne=
ver
had been and never could be violated. Itwas no answer, he said, to show him
wonders without explaining theircause, since all that he seemed to see migh=
t be
but mental illusionsproduced he knew not how.
Oro listened patiently, then answered:
"Good. So be it, they are illusions. I am=
an
illusion; those savages whodied upon the rock will tell you so. This fair w=
oman
before you is anillusion; Humphrey, I am sure, knows it as you will also be=
fore
you havedone with her. These halls are illusions. Live on in your illusions=
,O
little man of science, who because you see the face of things, thinkthat you
know the body and the heart, and can read the soul at workwithin. You are a
worthy child of tens of thousands of your breed whowere before you and are =
now
forgotten."
Bickley looked up to answer, then changed his =
mind
and was silent,thinking further argument dangerous, and Oro went on:
"Now I differ from you, Bickley, in this =
way.
I who have more wisdom inmy finger-point than you with all the physicians of
your world added toyou, have in your brains and bodies, yet desire to learn
from those whocan give me knowledge. I understand from your words to my
daughter thatyou, Bastin, teach a faith that is new to me, and that this fa=
ith
tellsof life eternal for the children of earth. Is it so?"
"It is," said Bastin eagerly. "I
will set out--"
Oro cut him short with a wave of the hand.
"Not now in the presence of Bickley who
doubtless disbelieves yourfaith, as he does all else, holding it with justi=
ce
or without, to bebut another illusion. Yet you shall teach me and on it I w=
ill
form myown judgment."
"I shall be delighted," said Bastin.
Then a doubt struck him, and headded: "But why do you wish to learn? N=
ot
that you may make a mock of myreligion, is it?"
"I mock at no man's belief, because I thi=
nk
that what men believe istrue--for them. I will tell you why I wish to hear =
of
yours, since Inever hide the truth. I who am so wise and old, yet must die;
thoughthat time may be far away, still I must die, for such is the lot of
manborn of woman. And I do not desire to die. Therefore I shall rejoice tol=
earn
of any faith that promises to the children of earth a life eternalbeyond the
earth. Tomorrow you shall begin to teach me. Now leave me,Strangers, for I =
have
much to do," and he waved his hand towards thetable.
We rose and bowed, wondering what he could hav=
e to
do down in thisluminous hole, he who had been for so many thousands of years
out oftouch with the world. It occurred to me, however, that during this
longperiod he might have got in touch with other worlds, indeed he lookedli=
ke
it.
"Wait," he said, "I have someth=
ing
to tell you. I have been studyingthis book of writings, or world
pictures," and he pointed to my atlaswhich, as I now observed for the
first time, was also lying upon thetable. "It interests me much. Your
country is small, very small. WhenI caused it to be raised up I think that =
it
was larger, but since thenthat seas have flowed in."
Here Bickley groaned aloud.
"This one is much greater," went on =
Oro,
casting a glance at Bickleythat must have penetrated him like a searchlight.
Then he opened the mapof Europe and with his finger indicated Germany and
Austria-Hungary."I know nothing of the peoples of these lands," he
added, "but as youbelong to one of them and are my guests, I trust that
yours may succeedin the war."
"What war?" we asked with one voice.=
"Since Bickley is so clever, surely he sh= ould know better than anillusion such as I. All I can tell you is that I have learned that thereis war between this country and that," and he pointe= d to Great Britainand to Germany upon the map; "also between others."<= o:p>
"It is quite possible," I said,
remembering many things. "But how do youknow?"
"If I told you, Humphrey, Bickley would n=
ot
believe, so I will not tell.Perhaps I saw it in that crystal, as did the
necromancers of the earlyworld. Or perhaps the crystal serves some different
purpose and I saw itotherwise--with my soul. At least what I say is true.&q=
uot;
"Then who will win?" asked Bastin.
"I cannot read the future, Preacher. If I
could, should I ask you toexpound to me your religion which probably is of =
no
more worth than ascore of others I have studied, just because it tells of t=
he
future?If I could read the future I should be a god instead of only
anearth-lord."
"Your daughter called you a god and you s=
aid
that you knew we werecoming to wake you up, which is reading the future,&qu=
ot;
answered Bastin.
"Every father is a god to his daughter, or
should be; also in my daymillions named me a god because I saw further and
struck harder thanthey could. As for the rest, it came to me in a vision. O=
h!
Bickley, ifyou were wiser than you think you are, you would know that all
thingsto come are born elsewhere and travel hither like the light from
stars.Sometimes they come faster before their day into a single mind, and
thatis what men call prophecy. But this is a gift which cannot be
commanded,even by me. Also I did not know that you would come. I knew only
thatwe should awaken and by the help of men, for if none had been present
atthat destined hour we must have died for lack of warmth and sustenance.&q=
uot;
"I deny your hypothesis in toto,"
exclaimed Bickley, but nobody paid anyattention to him.
"My father," said Yva, rising and bo=
wing
before him with her swan-likegrace, "I have noted your commands. But do
you permit that I show thetemple to these strangers, also something of our
past?"
"Yes, yes," he said. "It will s=
ave
much talk in a savage tongue that isdifficult to me. But bring them here no
more without my command, saveBastin only. When the sun is four hours high in
the upper world, lethim come tomorrow to teach me, and afterwards if so I
desire. Or if hewills, he can sleep here."
"I think I would rather not," said
Bastin hurriedly. "I make no pretenseto being particular, but this pla=
ce
does not appeal to me as a bedroom.There are degrees in the pleasures of
solitude and, in short, I will notdisturb your privacy at night."
Oro waved his hand and we departed down that a=
wful
and most dreary hall.
"I hope you will spend a pleasant time he=
re,
Bastin," I said, lookingback from the doorway at its cold, illuminated
vastness.
"I don't expect to," he answered,
"but duty is duty, and if I can dragthat old sinner back from the pit =
that
awaits him, it will be worthdoing. Only I have my doubts about him. To me he
seems to bear a strongfamily resemblance to Beelzebub, and he's a bad compa=
nion
week in andweek out."
We went through the portico, Yva leading us, a=
nd
passed the fountain ofLife-water, of which she cautioned us to drink no mor=
e at
present,and to prevent him from doing so, dragged Tommy past it by his
collar.Bickley, however, lingered under the pretence of making a
furtherexamination of the statue. As I had seen him emptying into his pocke=
tthe
contents of a corked bottle of quinine tabloids which he alwayscarried with
him, I guessed very well that his object was to procure asample of this wat=
er
for future analysis. Of course I said nothing, andYva and Bastin took no no=
te
of what he was doing.
When we were clear of the palace, of which we =
had
only seen one hall,we walked across an open space made unutterably dreary by
the absenceof any vegetation or other sign of life, towards a huge building
ofglorious proportions that was constructed of black stone or marble. Itis
impossible for me to give any idea of the frightful solemnity ofthis doomed
edifice, for as I think I have said, it alone had a roof,standing there in =
the
midst of that brilliant, unvarying and mostunnatural illumination which came
from nowhere and yet was everywhere.Thus, when one lifted a foot, there it =
was
between the sole of the bootand the floor, or to express it better, the boot
threw no shadow.I think this absence of shadows was perhaps the most
terrifyingcircumstance connected with that universal and pervading light.
Throughit we walked on to the temple. We passed three courts, pillared allof
them, and came to the building which was larger than St. Paul'sin London. We
entered through huge doors which still stood open, andpresently found ourse=
lves
beneath the towering dome. There were nowindows, why should there be in a p=
lace
that was full of light? Therewas no ornamentation, there was nothing except
black walls. And yet thegeneral effect was magnificent in its majestic grac=
e.
"In this place," said Yva, and her s=
weet
voice went whispering roundthe walls and the arching dome, "were buried
the Kings of the Sonsof Wisdom. They lie beneath, each in his sepulchre. Its
entrance isyonder," and she pointed to what seemed to be a chapel on t=
he
right."Would you wish to see them?"
"Somehow I don't care to," said Bast=
in.
"The place is dreary enough asit is without the company of a lot of de=
ad
kings."
"I should like to dissect one of them, bu=
t I
suppose that would not beallowed," said Bickley.
"No," she answered. "I think th=
at
the Lord Oro would not wish you to cutup his forefathers."
"When you and he went to sleep, why did y=
ou
not choose the familyvault?" asked Bastin.
"Would you have found us there?" she
queried by way of answer. Then,understanding that the invitation was refuse=
d by
general consent, thoughpersonally I should have liked to accept it, and have
never ceasedregretting that I did not, she moved towards a colossal object
whichstood beneath the centre of the dome.
On a stepped base, not very different from tha=
t in
the cave but muchlarger, sat a figure, draped in a cloak on which was grave=
d a
number ofstars, doubtless to symbolise the heavens. The fastening of the
cloakwas shaped like the crescent moon, and the foot-stool on which restedt=
he
figure's feet was fashioned to suggest the orb of the sun. Thiswas of gold =
or
some such metal, the only spot of brightness in all thattemple. It was
impossible to say whether the figure were male or female,for the cloak fall=
ing
in long, straight folds hid its outlines. Nor didthe head tell us, for the =
hair
also was hidden beneath the mantle andthe face might have been that of eith=
er
man or woman. It was terrible inits solemnity and calm, and its expression =
was
as remote and mystic asthat of Buddha, only more stern. Also without doubt =
it
was blind; it wasimpossible to mistake the sightlessness of those staring o=
rbs.
Acrossthe knees lay a naked sword and beneath the cloak the arms were hidde=
n.In
its complete simplicity the thing was marvelous.
On either side upon the pedestal knelt a figur=
e of
the size of life. Onewas an old and withered man with death stamped upon his
face; the otherwas a beautiful, naked woman, her hands clasped in the attit=
ude
ofprayer and with vague terror written on her vivid features.
Such was this glorious group of which the mean=
ing
could not be mistaken.It was Fate throned upon the sun, wearing the
constellations as hisgarment, armed with the sword of Destiny and worshippe=
d by
Life andDeath. This interpretation I set out to the others.
Yva knelt before the statue for a little while,
bowing her head inprayer, and really I felt inclined to follow her example,
though in theend I compromised, as did Bickley, by taking off my hat, which,
like theothers, I still wore from force of habit, though in this place none
wereneeded. Only Bastin remained covered.
"Behold the god of my people," said =
Yva.
"Have you no reverence for it,O Bastin?"
"Not much," he answered, "excep= t as a work of art. You see I worshipFate's Master. I might add that your god doesn't seem to have done muchfor you, Lady Yva, as out of all your greatne= ss there's nothing left buttwo people and a lot of old walls and caves."<= o:p>
At first she was inclined to be angry, for I s=
aw
her start. Then hermood changed, and she said with a sigh:
"Fate's Master! Where does He dwell?"=
;
"Here amongst other places," said
Bastin. "I'll soon explain that toyou."
"I thank you," she replied gravely.
"But why have you not explained itto Bickley?" Then waving her ha=
nd
to show that she wished for no answer,she went on:
"Friends, would you wish to learn somethi=
ng
of the history of mypeople?"
"Very much," said the irrepressible
Bastin, "but I would rather thelecture took place in the open air.&quo=
t;
"That is not possible," she answered.
"It must be here and now, or notat all. Come, stand by me. Be silent a=
nd
do not move. I am about to setloose forces that are dangerous if
disturbed."
She led us to the back of the statue and point=
ed
to each of us wherewe should remain. Then she took her place at right angle=
s to
us, as ashowman might do, and for a while stood immovable. Watching her
face,once more I saw it, and indeed all her body, informed with that strang=
eair
of power, and noted that her eyes flashed and that her hair greweven more
brilliant than was common, as though some abnormal strengthwere flowing thr=
ough
it and her. Presently she spoke, saying:
"I shall show you first our people in the=
day
of their glory. Look infront of you."
We looked and by degrees the vast space of the
apse before us becamealive with forms. At first these were vague and shadow=
y,
not to beseparated or distinguished. Then they became so real that until he
wasreproved by a kick, Tommy growled at them and threatened to break outinto
one of his peals of barking.
A wonderful scene appeared. There was a palace=
of
white marble and infront of it a great courtyard upon which the sun beat
vividly. At thefoot of the steps of the palace, beneath a silken awning, sa=
t a
kingenthroned, a crown upon his head and wearing glorious robes. In his han=
dwas
a jewelled sceptre. He was a noble-looking man of middle age andabout him w=
ere
gathered the glittering officers of his court. Fair womenfanned him and to
right and left, but a little behind, sat other fairand jewelled women who, I
suppose, were his wives or daughters.
"One of the Kings of the Children of Wisd=
om
new-crowned, receives thehomage of the world," said Yva.
As she spoke there appeared, walking in front =
of
the throne one by one,other kings, for all were crowned and bore sceptres. =
At
the foot of thethrone each of them kneeled and kissed the foot of him who s=
at
thereon,as he did so laying down his sceptre which at a sign he lifted again
andpassed away. Of these kings there must have been quite fifty, men of
allcolours and of various types, white men, black men, yellow men, red men.=
Then came their ministers bearing gifts,
apparently of gold and jewels,which were piled on trays in front of the thr=
one.
I remember noting anincident. An old fellow with a lame leg stumbled and up=
set
his tray,so that the contents rolled hither and thither. His attempts to
recoverthem were ludicrous and caused the monarch on the throne to relax
fromhis dignity and smile. I mention this to show that what we witnessed wa=
sno
set scene but apparently a living piece of the past. Had it been sothe
absurdity of the bedizened old man tumbling down in the midst of thegorgeous
pageant would certainly have been omitted.
No, it must be life, real life, something that=
had
happened, and thesame may be said of what followed. For instance, there was
what we calla review. Infantry marched, some of them armed with swords and
spears,though these I took to be an ornamental bodyguard, and others with
tubeslike savage blowpipes of which I could not guess the use. There were
nocannon, but carriages came by loaded with bags that had spouts tothem.
Probably these were charged with poisonous gases. There were somecavalry al=
so,
mounted on a different stamp of horse from ours, thickerset and nearer the
ground, but with arched necks and fiery eyes and, Ishould say, very strong.
These again, I take it, were ornamental. Thencame other men upon a long
machine, slung in pairs in armoured sacks,out of which only their heads and
arms projected. This machine, whichresembled an elongated bicycle, went by =
at a
tremendous rate, thoughwhence its motive power came did not appear. It carr=
ied
twenty pairsof men, each of whom held in his hand some small but doubtless
deadlyweapon, that in appearance resembled an orange. Other similar
machineswhich followed carried from forty to a hundred pairs of men.
The marvel of the piece, however, were the
aircraft. These came by ingreat numbers. Sometimes they flew in flocks like
wild geese, sometimessingly, sometimes in line and sometimes in ordered
squadrons, withoutpost and officer ships and an exact distance kept between
craft andcraft. None of them seemed to be very large or to carry more thanf=
our
or five men, but they were extraordinarily swift and as agile asswallows.
Moreover they flew as birds do by beating their wings, butagain we could not
guess whence came their motive power.
The review vanished, and next appeared a scene=
of
festivity in a huge,illuminated hall. The Great King sat upon a dais and be=
hind
him was thatstatue of Fate, or one very similar to it, beneath which we sto=
od.
Belowhim in the hall were the feasters seated at long tables, clad in
thevarious costumes of their countries. He rose and, turning, knelt beforet=
he
statue of Fate. Indeed he prostrated himself thrice in prayer. Thentaking h=
is
seat again, he lifted a cup of wine and pledged that vastcompany. They drank
back to him and prostrated themselves before him ashe had done before the i=
mage
of Fate. Only I noted that certain men cladin sacerdotal garments not at all
unlike those which are worn in theGreek Church to-day, remained standing.
Now all this exhibition of terrestrial pomp fa=
ded.
The next scene wassimple, that of the death-bed of this same king--we knew =
him
by hiswizened features. There he lay, terribly old and dying. Physicians,wo=
men,
courtiers, all were there watching the end. The tableau vanishedand in plac=
e of
it appeared that of the youthful successor amidstcheering crowds, with joy
breaking through the clouds of simulated griefupon his face. It vanished al=
so.
"Thus did great king succeed great king f=
or
ages upon ages," said Yva."There were eighty of them and the aver=
age
of their reigns was 700years. They ruled the earth as it was in those days.
They gathered uplearning, they wielded power, their wealth was boundless. T=
hey
nurturedthe arts, they discovered secrets. They had intercourse with the
stars;they were as gods. But like the gods they grew jealous. They and
theircouncillors became a race apart who alone had the secret of long life.=
The
rest of the world and the commonplace people about them suffered anddied. T=
hey
of the Household of Wisdom lived on in pomp for generationstill the earth w=
as
mad with envy of them.
"Fewer and fewer grew the divine race of =
the
Sons of Wisdom sincechildren are not given to the aged and to those of an
ancient, outwornblood. Then the World said:
"'They are great but they are not many; l=
et
us make an end of them bynumbers and take their place and power and drink of
their Life-water,that they will not give to us. If myriads of us perish by
their arts,what does it matter, since we are countless?' So the World made =
war
uponthe Sons of Wisdom. See!"
Again a picture formed. The sky was full of
aircraft which rained downfire like flashes of lightning upon cities beneat=
h.
From these citiesleapt up other fires that destroyed the swift-travelling
things above,so that they fell in numbers like gnats burned by a lamp. Still
moreand more of them came till the cities crumbled away and the flashes
thatdarted from them ceased to rush upwards. The Sons of Wisdom were driven=
from
the face of the earth.
Again the scene changed. Now it showed this
subterranean hall in whichwe stood. There was pomp here, yet it was but a
shadow of that whichhad been in the earlier days upon the face of the earth.
Courtiers movedabout the palace and there were people in the radiant streets
and thehouses, for most of them were occupied, but rarely did the vision
showchildren coming through their gates.
Of a sudden this scene shifted. Now we saw that
same hall in which wehad visited Oro not an hour before. There he sat, yes,=
Oro
himself,upon the dais beneath the overhanging marble shell. Round him were
someancient councillors. In the body of the hall on either side of thedais =
were
men in military array, guards without doubt though their onlyweapon was a b=
lack
rod not unlike a ruler, if indeed it were a weaponand not a badge of office=
.
Yva, whose face had suddenly grown strange and
fixed, began to detailto us what was passing in this scene, in a curious
monotone such as aperson might use who was repeating something learned by
heart. This wasthe substance of what she said:
"The case of the Sons of Wisdom is desper=
ate.
But few of them are left.Like other men they need food which is hard to come
by, since the foeholds the upper earth and that which their doctors can make
here in theShades does not satisfy them, even though they drink the
Life-water.They die and die. There comes an embassy from the High King of
theconfederated Nations to talk of terms of peace. See, it enters."
As she spoke, up the hall advanced the embassy=
. At
the head of it walkeda young man, tall, dark, handsome and commanding, whose
aspect seemed insome way to be familiar to me. He was richly clothed in a
purple cloakand wore upon his head a golden circlet that suggested royal
rank.Those who followed him were mostly old men who had the astute facesof
diplomatists, but a few seemed to be generals. Yva continued in hermonotono=
us
voice:
"Comes the son of the King of the
confederated Nations, the Prince whowill be king. He bows before the Lord O=
ro.
He says 'Great and AncientMonarch of the divine blood, Heaven-born One, your
strait, and that ofthose who remain to you, is sore. Yet on behalf of the
Nations I am sentto offer terms of peace, but this I may only do in the
presence of yourchild who is your heiress and the Queen-to-be of the Sons of
Wisdom.'"
Here, in the picture, Oro waved his hand and f=
rom
behind the marbleshell appeared Yva herself, gloriously apparelled, wearing
royalornaments and with her train held by waiting ladies. She bowed to theP=
rince
and his company and they bowed back to her. More, we saw a glanceof recogni=
tion
pass between her and the Prince.
Now the real Yva by our side pointed to the sh=
adow
Yva of the vision orthe picture, whichever it might be called, a strange th=
ing
to see herdo, and went on:
"The daughter of the Lord Oro comes. The
Prince of the Nations salutesher. He says that the great war has endured for
hundreds of yearsbetween the Children of Wisdom fighting for absolute rule =
and
the commonpeople of the earth fighting for liberty. In that war many millio=
ns
ofthe Sons of the Nations had perished, brought to their death by fearfular=
ts,
by wizardries and by plagues sown among them by the Sons ofWisdom. Yet they
were winning, for the glorious cities of the Sons ofWisdom were destroyed a=
nd
those who remained of them were driven todwell in the caves of the earth wh=
ere
with all their strength and magicthey could not increase, but faded like
flowers in the dark.
"The Lord Oro asks what are the terms of
peace proposed by the Nations.The Prince answers that they are these: That =
the
Sons of Wisdom shallteach all their wisdom to the wise men among the Nation=
s.
That theyshall give them to drink of the Life-water, so that their length of
daysalso may be increased. That they shall cease to destroy them by sicknes=
sand
their mastery of the forces which are hid in the womb of the world.If they =
will
do these things, then the Nations on their part will ceasefrom war, will
rebuild the cities they have destroyed by means of theirflying ships that r=
ain
down death, and will agree that the Lord Oro andhis seed shall rule them for
ever as the King of kings.
"The Lord Oro asks if that be all. The Pr=
ince
answers that it is notall. He says that when he dwelt a hostage at the cour=
t of
the Sons ofWisdom he and the divine Lady, the daughter of the Lord Oro, and
hisonly living child, learned to love each other. He demands, and theNations
demand, that she shall be given to him to wife, that in a day tocome he may
rule with her and their children after them.
"See!" went on Yva in her chanting,
dreamy voice, "the Lord Oro asks hisdaughter if this be true. She
says," here the real Yva at my side turnedand looked me straight in the
eyes, "that it is true; that she loves thePrince of the Nations and th=
at
if she lives a million years she will wedno other man, since she who is her
father's slave in all else isstill the mistress of herself, as has ever been
the right of her royalmothers.
"See again! The Lord Oro, the divine King,
the Ancient, grows wroth. Hesays that it is enough and more than enough that
the Barbariansshould ask to eat of the bread of hidden learning and to drin=
k of
theLife-water of the Sons of Wisdom, gifts that were given to them of oldby
Heaven whence they sprang in the beginning. But that one of them,however hi=
ghly
placed, should dare to ask to mix his blood with that ofthe divine Lady, the
Heiress, the Queen of the Earth to be, and claim toshare her imperial throne
that had been held by her pure race from ageto age, was an insult that coul=
d only
be purged by death. Sooner wouldhe give his daughter in marriage to an ape =
than
to a child of theBarbarians who had worked on them so many woes and striven=
to
break thegolden fetters of their rule.
"Look again!" continued Yva. "T=
he
Lord Oro, the divine, grows angrierstill" (which in truth he did, for
never did I see such dreadful rageas that which the picture revealed in him=
).
"He warns, he threatens.He says that hitherto out of gentle love and p=
ity
he has held hishand; that he has strength at his command which will slay th=
em,
not bymillions in slow war, but by tens of millions at one blow; that willb=
lot
them and their peoples from the face of earth and that will causethe deep s=
eas
to roll where now their pleasant lands are fruitful in thesun. They shrink =
before
his fury; behold, their knees tremble becausethey know that he has this pow=
er.
He mocks them, does the Lord Oro.He asks for their submission here and now,=
and
that in the name ofthe Nations they should take the great oath which may no=
t be
broken,swearing to cease from war upon the Sons of Wisdom and to obey themin
all things to the ends of the earth. Some of the ambassadors wouldyield. Th=
ey
look about them like wild things that are trapped. Butmadness takes the Pri=
nce.
He cries that the oath of an ape is of noaccount, but that he will tear up =
the
Children of Wisdom as an ape tearsleaves, and afterwards take the divine La=
dy
to be his wife.
"Look on the Lord Oro!" continued the
living Yva, "his wrath leaves him.He grows cold and smiles. His daught=
er
throws herself upon her knees andpleads with him. He thrusts her away. She
would spring to the side ofthe Prince; he commands his councillors to hold =
her.
She cries to thePrince that she loves him and him only, and that in a day to
come himshe will wed and no other. He thanks her, saying that as it is with
her,so it is with him, and that because of his love he fears nothing.
Sheswoons. The Lord Oro motions with his hand to the guard. They lift
theirdeath-rods. Fire leaps from them. The Prince and his companions, allsa=
ve
those who were afraid and would have sworn the oath, twist andwrithe. They =
turn
black; they die. The Lord Oro commands those who areleft to enter their fly=
ing
ships and bear to the Nations of the Earthtidings of what befalls those who
dare to defy and insult him; to warnthem also to eat and drink and be merry
while they may, since for theirwickedness they are about to perish."
The scene faded and there followed another whi=
ch
really I cannotdescribe. It represented some vast underground place and what
appearedto be a huge mountain of iron clothed in light, literally a thingli=
ke
an alp, rocking and spinning down a declivity, which farther onseparated in=
to
two branches because of a huge razor-edge precipice thatrose between. There=
in
the middle of this vast space with the dazzlingmountain whirling towards hi=
m,
stood Oro encased in some transparentarmour, as though to keep off heat, and
with him his daughter who underhis direction was handling something in the =
rock
behind her. Then therewas a blinding flash and everything vanished. All of =
this
picturepassed so swiftly that we could not grasp its details; only a
generalimpression remained.
"The Lord Oro, using the strength that is=
in
the world whereof he alonehas the secret, changes the world's balance causi=
ng
that which was landto become sea and that which was sea to become land,&quo=
t;
said Yva in herchanting, unnatural voice.
Another scene of stupendous and changing
awfulness. Countries weresinking, cities crashing down, volcanoes were spou=
ting
fire; the end ofthe earth seemed to be at hand. We could see human beings
running to andfro in thousands like ants. Then in huge waves hundreds and
hundreds offeet high, the ocean flowed in and all was troubled, yeasty sea.=
"Oro carries out his threat to destroy the
Nations who had rebelledagainst him," said Yva. "Much of the world
sinks beneath the waves, butin place of it other lands arise above the wave=
s,
to be inhabited by theseed of those who remain living in those portions of =
the
Earth that thedeluge spared."
This horrible vision passed and was succeeded =
by
one more, that of Orostanding in the sepulchre of the cave by the side of t=
he
crystal coffinwhich contained what appeared to be the body of his daughter.=
He
gazedat her, then drank some potion and laid himself down in the
companioncoffin, that in which we had found him.
All vanished away and Yva, appearing to wake f=
rom
some kind of trance,smiled, and in her natural voice asked if we had seen
enough.
"Quite," I answered in a tone that
caused her to say:
"I wonder what you have seen, Humphrey.
Myself I do not know, since itis through me that you see at all and when you
see I am in you who see."
"Indeed," I replied. "Well, I w=
ill
tell you about it later."
"Thank you so much," exclaimed Basti=
n,
recovering suddenly from hisamazement. "I have heard a great deal of t=
hese
moving-picture showswhich are becoming so popular, but have always avoided
attending thembecause their influence on the young is supposed to be doubtf=
ul,
and apriest must set a good example to his congregation. Now I see that the=
ycan
have a distinct educational value, even if it is presented in theform of
romance."
"How is it done?" asked Bickley, alm=
ost
fiercely.
"I do not altogether know," she
answered. "This I do know, however, thateverything which has happened =
on
this world can be seen from moment tomoment at some point in the depths of
space, for thither the sun's lighttakes it. There, too, it can be caught and
thence in an instant returnedto earth again, to be reflected in the mirror =
of the
present by thosewho know how that mirror should be held. Ask me no more; on=
e so
wise asyou, O Bickley, can solve such problems for himself."
"If you don't mind, Lady Yva," said
Bastin, "I think I should like toget out of this place, interesting as=
it
is. I have food to cook upabove and lots of things to attend to, especially=
as
I understand I amto come back here tomorrow. Would you mind showing me the =
way
to thatlift or moving staircase?"
"Come," she said, smiling.
So we went past the image of Fate, out of the
temple, down the vast andlonely streets so unnaturally illuminated, to the
place where we hadfirst found ourselves on arrival in the depths. There we
stood.
A moment later and we were whirling up as we h=
ad
whirled down. I supposethat Yva came with us though I never saw her do so, =
and
the odd thingwas that when we arrived in the sepulchre, she seemed already =
to
bestanding there waiting to direct us.
"Really," remarked Bastin, "thi=
s is
exactly like Maskelyne and Cook. Didyou ever see their performance, Bickley=
? If
so, it must have given youlots to explain for quite a long while."
"Jugglery never appealed to me, whether in
London or in Orofena,"replied Bickley in a sour voice as he extracted =
from
his pocket an endof candle to which he set light.
"What is jugglery?" asked Bastin, and
they departed arguing, leaving mealone with Yva in the sepulchre.
"What have I seen?" I asked her.
"I do not know, Humphrey. Everyone sees
different things, but perhapssomething of the truth."
"I hope not, Yva, for amongst other thing=
s I
seemed to see you swearyourself to a man for ever."
"Yes, and this I did. What of it?"
"Only that it might be hard for another
man."
"Yes, for another man it might be hard. Y=
ou
were once married, were younot, Humphrey, to a wife who died?"
"Yes, I was married."
"And did you not swear to that wife that =
you
would never look in loveupon another woman?"
"I did," I answered in a shamed voic=
e.
"But how do you know? I nevertold you so."
"Oh! I know you and therefore guessed.&qu=
ot;
"Well, what of it, Yva?"
"Nothing, except that you must find your =
wife
before you love again, andbefore I love again I must find him whom I wish t=
o be
my husband."
"How can that happen," I asked,
"when both are dead?"
"How did all that you have seen to-day in=
Nyo
happen?" she replied,laughing softly. "Perhaps you are very blind,
Humphrey, or perhaps weboth are blind. If so, mayhap light will come to us.
Meanwhile do notbe sad. Tomorrow I will meet you and you shall teach me--yo=
ur
Englishtongue, Humphrey, and other things."
"Then let it be in the sunlight, Yva. I do
not love those darksome hallsof Nyo that glow like something dead."
"It is fitting, for are they not dead?&qu=
ot;
she answered, with a littlelaugh. "So be it. Bastin shall teach my fat=
her
down below, since sun andshade are the same to him who only thinks of his
religion, and you shallteach me up above."
"I am not so certain about Bastin and of =
what
he thinks," I saiddoubtfully. "Also will the Lord Oro permit you =
to
come?"
"Yes, for in such matters I rule myself.
Also," she added meaningly,"he remembers my oath that I will wed =
no
man--save one who is dead.Now farewell a while and bid Bastin be here when =
the
sun is three hourshigh, not before or after."
Then I left her.
When I reached the rock I was pleased to find
Marama and about twentyof his people engaged in erecting the house that we =
had
ordered themto build for our accommodation. Indeed, it was nearly finished,
sincehouse-building in Orofena is a simple business. The framework of poles=
let
into palm trunks, since they could not be driven into the rock, hadbeen put
together on the further shore and towed over bodily by canoes.The overhangi=
ng
rock formed one side of the house; the ends were of palmleaves tied to the
poles, and the roof was of the same material. Theother side was left open f=
or
the present, which in that equable andbalmy clime was no disadvantage. The
whole edifice was about thirty feetlong by fifteen deep and divided into two
portions, one for sleepingand one for living, by a palm leaf partition. Rea=
lly,
it was quite acomfortable abode, cool and rainproof, especially after Bastin
had builthis hut in which to cook.
Marama and his people were very humble in their
demeanour and imploredus to visit them on the main island. I answered that
perhaps we wouldlater on, as we wished to procure certain things from the
wreck. Also,he requested Bastin to continue his ministrations as the latter
greatlydesired to do. But to this proposal I would not allow him to give an=
ydirect
answer at the moment. Indeed, I dared not do so until I was sureof Oro's
approval.
Towards evening they departed in their canoes,
leaving behind them theusual ample store of provisions.
We cooked our meal as usual, only to discover =
that
what Yva had saidabout the Life-water was quite true, since we had but litt=
le
appetitefor solid food, though this returned upon the following day. The
samething happened upon every occasion after drinking of that water
whichcertainly was a most invigorating fluid. Never for years had any of us=
felt
so well as it caused us to do.
So we lit our pipes and talked about our experiences though of these,indeed, we scarcely knew what to say. Bastin accepted them as somethingout of the common, of course, but as facts which admitted of nodiscussion. After all, he said, the Old Testament told much t= he samestory of people called the Sons of God who lived very long lives and ranafter the daughters of men whom they should have left alone, and thusbec= ame the progenitors of a remarkable race. Of this race, he presumedthat Oro and= his daughter were survivors, especially as they spoke oftheir family as "Heaven born." How they came to survive was more than hecould understand and really scarcely worth bothering over, since therethey were.<= o:p>
It was the same about the Deluge, continued
Bastin, although naturallyOro spoke falsely, or, at any rate, grossly
exaggerated, when hedeclared that he had caused this catastrophe, unless in=
deed
he wastalking about a totally different deluge, though even then he could
nothave brought it about. It was curious, however, that the people drownedw=
ere
said to have been wicked, and Oro had the same opinion about thosewhom he
claimed to have drowned, though for the matter of that, he couldnot conceive
anyone more wicked than Oro himself. On his own showing hewas a most reveng=
eful
person and one who declined to agree to a quitesuitable alliance, apparently
desired by both parties, merely because itoffended his family pride. No, on
reflection he might be unjust to Oroin this particular, since he never told
that story; it was only shownin some pictures which very likely were just m=
ade
up to astonish us.Meanwhile, it was his business to preach to this old sinn=
er
down in thathole, and he confessed honestly that he did not like the job.
Still, itmust be done, so with our leave he would go apart and seek
inspiration,which at present seemed to be quite lacking.
Thus declaimed Bastin and departed.
"Don't you tell your opinion about the De=
luge
or he may cause anotherjust to show that you are wrong," called Bickley
after him.
"I can't help that," answered Bastin.
"Certainly I shall not hide thetruth to save Oro's feelings, if he has=
got
any. If he revenges himselfupon us in any way, we must just put up with it =
like
other martyrs."
"I haven't the slightest ambition to be a
martyr," said Bickley.
"No," shouted Bastin from a little
distance, "I am quite aware of that,as you have often said so before.
Therefore, if you become one, I amsorry to say that I do not see how you can
expect any benefit. Youwould only be like a man who puts a sovereign into t=
he
offertory bag inmistake for a shilling. The extra nineteen shillings will do
him no goodat all, since in his heart he regrets the error and wishes that =
he
couldhave them back."
Then he departed, leaving me laughing. But Bic=
kley
did not laugh.
"Arbuthnot," he said, "I have c=
ome
to the conclusion that I have gonequite mad. I beg you if I should show sig=
ns
of homicidal mania, whichI feel developing in me where Bastin is concerned,=
or
of other abnormalviolence, that you will take whatever steps you consider
necessary, evento putting me out of the way if that is imperative."
"What do you mean?" I asked. "Y=
ou
seem sane enough."
"Sane, when I believe that I have seen and
experienced a great number ofthings which I know it to be quite impossible =
that
I should have seenor experienced. The only explanation is that I am sufferi=
ng
fromdelusions."
"Then is Bastin suffering from delusions,
too?"
"Certainly, but that is nothing new in his
case."
"I don't agree with you, Bickley--about
Bastin, I mean. I am by no meanscertain that he is not the wisest of the th=
ree
of us. He has a faith andhe sticks to it, as millions have done before him,=
and
that is betterthan making spiritual experiments, as I am sorry to say I do,
orrejecting things because one cannot understand them, as you do, which iso=
nly
a form of intellectual vanity."
"I won't argue the matter, Arbuthnot; it =
is
of no use. I repeat that Iam mad, and Bastin is mad."
"How about me? I also saw and experienced
these things. Am I mad, too?"
"You ought to be, Arbuthnot. If it isn't
enough to drive a man madwhen he sees himself exactly reproduced in an utte=
rly
impossiblemoving-picture show exhibited by an utterly impossible young woma=
n in
anutterly impossible underground city, then I don't know what is."
"What do you mean?" I asked, startin=
g.
"Mean? Well, if you didn't notice it, the=
re's
hope for you."
"Notice what?"
"All that envoy scene. There, as I though=
t,
appeared Yva. Do you admitthat?"
"Of course; there could be no mistake on =
that
point."
"Very well. Then according to my version
there came a man, still young,dressed in outlandish clothes, who made
propositions of peace and wantedto marry Yva, who wanted to marry him. Is t=
hat
right?"
"Absolutely."
"Well, and didn't you recognise the
man?"
"No; I only noticed that he was a
fine-looking fellow whose appearancereminded me of someone."
"I suppose it must be true," mused
Bickley, "that we do not knowourselves."
"So the old Greek thought, since he urged
that this should be ourspecial study. 'Know thyself,' you remember."
"I meant physically, not intellectually.
Arbuthnot, do you mean to tellme that you did not recognise your own double=
in
that man? Shave offyour beard and put on his clothes and no one could
distinguish youapart."
I sprang up, dropping my pipe.
"Now you mention it," I said slowly,
"I suppose there was a resemblance.I didn't look at him very much; I w=
as
studying the simulacrum of Yva.Also, you know it is some time since--I mean,
there are no pier-glassesin Orofena."
"The man was you," went on Bickley w=
ith
conviction. "If I weresuperstitious I should think it a queer sort of
omen. But as I am not, Iknow that I must be mad."
"Why? After all, an ancient man and a mod=
ern
man might resemble eachother."
"There are degrees in resemblance," =
said
Bickley with one of hiscontemptuous snorts. "It won't do, Humphrey, my
boy," he added. "I canonly think of one possible explanation--out=
side
of the obvious one ofmadness."
"What is that?"
"The Glittering Lady produced what Bastin
called that cinematograph showin some way or other, did she not? She said t=
hat
in order to do this sheloosed some hidden forces. I suggest that she did
nothing of the sort."
"Then whence did the pictures come and
why?"
"From her own brain, in order to impress =
us
with a cock-and-bull,fairy-book story. If this were so she would quite
naturally fill therole of the lover of the piece with the last man who had
happened toimpress her. Hence the resemblance."
"You presuppose a great deal, Bickley,
including supernatural cunningand unexampled hypnotic influence. I don't kn=
ow,
first, why she shouldbe so anxious to add another impression to the many we
have receivedin this place; and, secondly, if she was, how she managed to
mesmerisethree average but totally different men into seeing the same thing=
s.
Myexplanation is that you were deceived as to the likeness, which, mindyou,=
I
did not recognise; nor, apparently, did Bastin."
"Bastin never recognises anything. But if=
you
are in doubt, askYva herself. She ought to know. Now I'm off to try to anal=
yse
thatconfounded Life-water, which I suspect is of the ordinary springvariety,
lightened up with natural carbonic acid gas and possibly notuninfluenced by
radium. The trouble is that here I can only apply somevery elementary
tests."
So he went also, in an opposite direction to
Bastin, and I was leftalone with Tommy, who annoyed me much by attempting
continually towander off into the cave, whence I must recall him. I suppose
that myexperiences of the day, reviewed beneath the sweet influences of
thewonderful tropical night, affected me. At any rate, that mysticalside of=
my
nature, to which I think I alluded at the beginning of thisrecord, sprang i=
nto
active and, in a sense, unholy life. The normalvanished, the abnormal took
possession, and that is unholy to most of uscreatures of habit and traditio=
n,
at any rate, if we are British. I lostmy footing on the world; my spirit be=
gan
to wander in strange places;of course, always supposing that we have a spir=
it,
which Bickley woulddeny.
I gave up reason; I surrendered myself to
unreason; it is a notunpleasant process, occasionally. Supposing now that a=
ll
we see andaccept is but the merest fragment of the truth, or perhaps only
arefraction thereof? Supposing that we do live again and again, and thatour
animating principle, whatever it might be, does inhabit variousbodies, whic=
h,
naturally enough, it would shape to its own taste andlikeness? Would that t=
aste
and likeness vary so very much over, letus say, a million years or so, whic=
h,
after all, is but an hour, or aminute, in the aeons of Eternity?
On this hypothesis, which is so wild that one
begins to suspect that itmay be true, was it impossible that I and that
murdered man of thefar past were in fact identical? If the woman were the s=
ame,
preservedacross the gulf in some unknown fashion, why should not her lover =
be
thesame? What did I say--her lover? Was I her lover? No, I was the lover of=
one
who had died--my lost wife. Well, if I had died and lived again,why should
not--why should not that Sleeper--have lived again during herlong sleep?
Through all those years the spirit must have had some home,and, if so, in w=
hat
shapes did it live? There were points, similarities,which rushed in upon me=
--oh!
it was ridiculous. Bickley was right. Wewere all mad!
There was another thing. Oro had declared that=
we
were at war withGermany. If this were so, how could he know it? Such knowle=
dge
wouldpresume powers of telepathy or vision beyond those given to man. I
couldnot believe that he possessed these; as Bickley said, it would be
pastexperience. Yet it was most strange that he who was uninformed as to
ournational history and dangers, should have hit upon a country with whichwe
might well have been plunged into sudden struggle. Here again I wasbewilder=
ed
and overcome. My brain rocked. I would seek sleep, and in itescape, or at a=
ny
rate rest from all these mysteries.
On the following morning we despatched Bastin =
to
keep his rendezvous inthe sepulchre at the proper time. Had we not done so I
felt sure thathe would have forgotten it, for on this occasion he was for
oncean unwilling missioner. He tried to persuade one of us to come
withhim--even Bickley would have been welcome; but we both declared that
wecould not dream of interfering in such a professional matter; also thatour
presence was forbidden, and would certainly distract the attentionof his pu=
pil.
"What you mean," said the gloomy Bas=
tin,
"is that you intend to enjoyyourselves up here in the female companion=
ship
of the Glittering Ladywhilst I sit thousands of feet underground attempting=
to
lighten thedarkness of a violent old sinner whom I suspect of being in leag=
ue
withSatan."
"With whom you should be proud to break a
lance," said Bickley.
"So I am, in the daylight. For instance, =
when
he uses your mouth toadvance his arguments. Bickley, but this is another
matter. However, ifI do not appear again you will know that I died in a good
cause, and, Ihope, try to recover my remains and give them decent burial. A=
lso,
youmight inform the Bishop of how I came to my end, that is, if you everget=
an
opportunity, which is more than doubtful."
"Hurry up, Bastin, hurry up!" said t=
he
unfeeling Bickley, "or you willbe late for your appointment and put yo=
ur
would-be neophyte into a badtemper."
Then Bastin went, carrying under his arm a lar=
ge
Bible printed in thelanguage of the South Sea Islands.
A little while later Yva appeared, arrayed in =
her
wondrous robes which,being a man, it is quite impossible for me to describe=
. She
saw uslooking at these, and, after greeting us both, also Tommy, who
wasenraptured at her coming, asked us how the ladies of our country
attiredthemselves.
We tried to explain, with no striking success.=
"You are as stupid about such matters as =
were
the men of the Old World,"she said, shaking her head and laughing. &qu=
ot;I
thought that you had withyou pictures of ladies you have known which would =
show
me."
Now, in fact, I had in a pocket-book a photogr=
aph
of my wife inevening-dress, also a miniature of her head and bust painted on
ivory,a beautiful piece of work done by a master hand, which I always
wore.These, after a moment's hesitation, I produced and showed to her,Bickl=
ey
having gone away for a little while to see about somethingconnected with his
attempted analysis of the Life-water. She examinedthem with great eagerness,
and as she did so I noted that her face grewtender and troubled.
"This was your wife," she said as one
who states what she knows to be afact. I nodded, and she went on:
"She was sweet and beautiful as a flower,=
but
not so tall as I am, Ithink."
"No," I answered, "she lacked
height; given that she would have been alovely woman."
"I am glad you think that women should be
tall," she said, glancing ather shadow. "The eyes were such as mi=
ne,
were they not--in colour, Imean?"
"Yes, very like yours, only yours are
larger."
"That is a beautiful way of wearing the h=
air.
Would you be angry if Itried it? I weary of this old fashion."
"Why should I be angry?" I asked.
At this moment Bickley reappeared and she bega=
n to
talk of the detailsof the dress, saying that it showed more of the neck than
had been thecustom among the women of her people, but was very pretty.
"That is because we are still
barbarians," said Bickley; "at least, ourwomen are, and therefore
rely upon primitive methods of attraction, likethe savages yonder."
She smiled, and, after a last, long glance, ga=
ve
me back the photographand the miniature, saying as she delivered the latter=
:
"I rejoice to see that you are faithful, =
Humphrey,
and wear this pictureon your heart, as well as in it."
"Then you must be a very remarkable
woman," said Bickley. "Neverbefore did I hear one of your sex rej=
oice
because a man was faithful tosomebody else."
"Has Bickley been disappointed in his lov=
e-heart,
that he is so angryto us women?" asked Yva innocently of me. Then, wit=
hout
waiting foran answer, she inquired of him whether he had been successful in
hisanalysis of the Life-water.
"How do you know what I was doing with the
Life-water? Did Bastin tellyou?" exclaimed Bickley.
"Bastin told me nothing, except that he w=
as
afraid of the descent toNyo; that he hated Nyo when he reached it, as indee=
d I
do, and that hethought that my father, the Lord Oro, was a devil or evil sp=
irit
fromsome Under-world which he called hell."
"Bastin has an open heart and an open
mouth," said Bickley, "for whichI respect him. Follow his example=
if
you will, Lady Yva, and tell us whoand what is the Lord Oro, and who and wh=
at
are you."
"Have we not done so already? If not, I w=
ill
repeat. The Lord Oro andI are two who have lived on from the old time when =
the
world wasdifferent, and yet, I think, the same. He is a man and not a god, =
and
Iam a woman. His powers are great because of his knowledge, which he
hasgathered from his forefathers and in a life of a thousand years beforehe
went to sleep. He can do things you cannot do. Thus, he can passthrough spa=
ce
and take others with him, and return again. He can learnwhat is happening in
far-off parts of the world, as he did when hetold you of the war in which y=
our
country is concerned. He has terriblepowers; for instance, he can kill, as =
he
killed those savages. Also, heknows the secrets of the earth, and, if it
pleases him, can change itsturning so that earthquakes happen and sea becom=
es
land, and land sea,and the places that were hot grow cold, and those that w=
ere
cold growhot."
"All of which things have happened many t=
imes
in the history of theglobe," said Bickley, "without the help of t=
he
Lord Oro."
"Others had knowledge before my father, a=
nd
others doubtless will haveknowledge after him. Even I, Yva, have some
knowledge, and knowledge isstrength."
"Yes," I interposed, "but such
powers as you attribute to your fatherare not given to man."
"You mean to man as you know him, man like
Bickley, who thinks that hehas learned everything that was ever learned. Bu=
t it
is not so. Hundredsof thousands of years ago men knew more than it seems th=
ey
do today, tentimes more, as they lived ten times longer, or so you tell
me."
"Men?" I said.
"Yes, men, not gods or spirits, as the
uninstructed nations supposedthem to be. My father is a man subject to the
hopes and terrors of man.He desires power which is ambition, and when the w=
orld
refused his rule,he destroyed that part of it which rebelled, which is reve=
nge.
Moreover,above all things he dreads death, which is fear. That is why
hesuspended life in himself and me for two hundred and fifty thousandyears,=
as
his knowledge gave him strength to do, because death was nearand he thought
that sleep was better than death."
"Why should he dread to die," asked
Bickley, "seeing that sleep anddeath are the same?"
"Because his knowledge tells him that Sle=
ep
and Death are not the same,as you, in your foolishness, believe, for there
Bastin is wiser thanyou. Because for all his wisdom he remains ignorant of =
what
happens toman when the Light of Life is blown out by the breath of Fate. Th=
at
iswhy he fears to die and why he talks with Bastin the Preacher, who sayshe=
has
the secret of the future."
"And do you fear to die?" I asked.
"No, Humphrey," she answered gently.
"Because I think that there is nodeath, and, having done no wrong, I d=
read
no evil. I had dreams while Iwas asleep, O Humphrey, and it seemed to me
that--"
Here she ceased and glanced at where she knew =
the
miniature was hangingupon my breast.
"Now," she continued, after a little
pause, "tell me of your world,of its history, of its languages, of what
happens there, for I long toknow."
So then and there, assisted by Bickley, I began
the education of theLady Yva. I do not suppose that there was ever a more a=
pt
pupil in thewhole earth. To begin with, she was better acquainted with every
subjecton which I touched than I was myself; all she lacked was information
asto its modern aspect. Her knowledge ended two hundred and fifty thousandy=
ears
ago, at which date, however, it would seem that civilisation hadalready tou=
ched
a higher water-mark than it has ever since attained.Thus, this vanished peo=
ple
understood astronomy, natural magnetism, theforce of gravity, steam, also
electricity to some subtle use of which,I gathered, the lighting of their
underground city was to be attributed.They had mastered architecture and the
arts, as their buildings andstatues showed; they could fly through the air
better than we havelearned to do within the last few years.
More, they, or some of them, had learned the u=
se
of the FourthDimension, that is their most instructed individuals, could mo=
ve
throughopposing things, as well as over them, up into them and across them.=
This
power these possessed in a two-fold form. I mean, that they couldeither
disintegrate their bodies at one spot and cause them to integrateagain at
another, or they could project what the old Egyptians calledthe Ka or Doubl=
e,
and modern Theosophists name the Astral Shape, toany distance. Moreover, th=
is
Double, or Astral Shape, while itselfinvisible, still, so to speak, had the=
use
of its senses. It could see,it could hear, and it could remember, and, on
returning to the body, itcould avail itself of the experience thus acquired=
.
Thus, at least, said Yva, while Bickley contemplated her with a coldand unbelieving eye. She even went further and alleged that in certaininstances, individuals of her extinct race had been = able to pass throughthe ether and to visit other worlds in the depths of space.<= o:p>
"Have you ever done that?" asked
Bickley.
"Once or twice I dreamed that I did,"
she replied quietly.
"We can all dream," he answered.
As it was my lot to make acquaintance with this
strange and uncannypower at a later date, I will say no more of it now.
Telepathy, she declared, was also a developed =
gift
among the Sons ofWisdom; indeed, they seem to have used it as we use wirele=
ss
messages.Only, in their case, the sending and receiving stations were skill=
ed
andsusceptible human beings who went on duty for so many hours at a time.Th=
us
intelligence was transmitted with accuracy and despatch. Those whohad this
faculty were, she said, also very apt at reading the minds ofothers and
therefore not easy to deceive.
"Is that how you know that I had been try=
ing
to analyse yourLife-water?" asked Bickley.
"Yes," she answered, with her unvary=
ing
smile. "At the moment I spokethereof you were wondering whether my fat=
her
would be angry if he knewthat you had taken the water in a little flask.&qu=
ot;
She studied him for amoment, then added: "Now you are wondering, first,
whether I did notsee you take the water from the fountain and guess the
purpose, and,secondly, whether perhaps Bastin did not tell me what you were
doingwith it when we met in the sepulchre."
"Look here," said the exasperated
Bickley, "I admit that telepathy andthought-reading are possible to a
certain limited extent. But supposingthat you possess those powers, as I th=
ink
in English, and you do notknow English, how can you interpret what is passi=
ng
in my mind?"
"Perhaps you have been teaching me English
all this while withoutknowing it, Bickley. In any case, it matters little,
seeing that whatI read is the thought, not the language with which it is
clothed. Thethought comes from your mind to mine--that is, if I wish it, wh=
ich
isnot often--and I interpret it in my own or other tongues."
"I am glad to hear it is not often, Lady =
Yva,
since thoughts aregenerally considered private."
"Yes, and therefore I will read yours no =
more.
Why should I, when theyare so full of disbelief of all I tell you, and
sometimes of otherthings about myself which I do not seek to know?"
"No wonder that, according to the story in
the pictures, those Nations,whom you named Barbarians, made an end of your
people, Lady Yva."
"You are mistaken, Bickley; the Lord Oro =
made
an end of the Nations,though against my prayer," she added with a sigh=
.
Then Bickley departed in a rage, and did not
appear again for an hour.
"He is angry," she said, looking aft=
er
him; "nor do I wonder. It is hardfor the very clever like Bickley, who
think that they have mastered allthings, to find that after all they are qu=
ite
ignorant. I am sorry forhim, and I like him very much."
"Then you would be sorry for me also, Lady
Yva?"
"Why?" she asked with a dazzling smi=
le,
"when your heart is athirst forknowledge, gaping for it like a fledgli=
ng's
mouth for food, and, asit chances, though I am not very wise, I can satisfy
something of yoursoul-hunger."
"Not very wise!" I repeated.
"No, Humphrey. I think that Bastin, who in
many ways is so stupid, hasmore true wisdom than I have, because he can bel=
ieve
and accept withoutquestion. After all, the wisdom of my people is all of the
universeand its wonders. What you think magic is not magic; it is only
gatheredknowledge and the finding out of secrets. Bickley will tell you
thesame, although as yet he does not believe that the mind of man canstretc=
h so
far."
"You mean that your wisdom has in it noth=
ing
of the spirit?"
"Yes, Humphrey, that is what I mean. I do=
not
even know if there is sucha thing as spirit. Our god was Fate; Bastin's god=
is
a spirit, and Ithink yours also."
"Yes."
"Therefore, I wish you and Bastin to teac=
h me
of your god, as does Oro,my father. I want--oh! so much, Humphrey, to learn
whether we live afterdeath."
"You!" I exclaimed. "You who,
according to the story, have slept fortwo hundred and fifty thousand years!
You, who have, unless I mistake,hinted that during that sleep you may have
lived in other shapes! Do youdoubt whether we can live after death?"
"Yes. Sleep induced by secret arts is not
death, and during that sleepthe I within might wander and inhabit other sha=
pes,
because it isforbidden to be idle. Moreover, what seems to be death may not=
be
death,only another form of sleep from which the I awakes again upon the
world.But at last comes the real death, when the I is extinguished to thewo=
rld.
That much I know, because my people learned it."
"You mean, you know that men and women may
live again and again upon theworld?"
"Yes, Humphrey, I do. For in the world th=
ere
is only a certain store oflife which in many forms travels on and on, till =
the
lot of each I isfulfilled. Then comes the real death, and after that--what,
oh!--what?"
"You must ask Bastin," I said humbly.
"I cannot dare to teach of suchmatters."
"No, but you can and do believe, and that
helps me, Humphrey, who amin tune with you. Yes, it helps me much more than=
do
Bastin and his newreligion, because such is woman's way. Now, I think Bickl=
ey
will soonreturn, so let us talk of other matters. Tell me of the history of
yourpeople, Humphrey, that my father says are now at war."
Bickley did return, having recovered his tempe=
r,
since after all it wasimpossible for anyone to remain angry with the Lady Y=
va
for long, and wespent a very happy time together. We instructed and she was=
the
humblepupil.
How swift and nimble was her intelligence! In =
that
one morning shelearned all our alphabet and how to write our letters. It
appeared thatamong her people, at any rate in their later periods, the only
form ofwriting that was used was a highly concentrated shorthand which
savedlabour. They had no journals, since news which arrived telepathicallyo=
r by
some form of wireless was proclaimed to those who cared to listen,and on it=
all
formed their own judgments. In the same way poems and evenromances were
repeated, as in Homer's day or in the time of the Norsesagas, by word of mo=
uth.
None of their secret knowledge was writtendown. Like the ritual of Freemaso=
nry
it was considered too sacred.
Moreover, when men lived for hundreds of years
this was not sonecessary, especially as their great fear was lest it should
fall intothe hands of the outside nations, whom they called Barbarians. For,
beit remembered, these Sons of Wisdom were always a very small peoplewho ru=
led
by the weight of their intelligence and the strength of theiraccumulated lo=
re.
Indeed, they could scarcely be called a people; ratherwere they a few famil=
ies,
all of them more or less connected with theoriginal ruling Dynasty which
considered itself half divine. Thesefamilies were waited upon by a multitud=
e of
servants or slaves drawnfrom the subject nations, for the most part skilled=
in
one art oranother, or perhaps, remarkable for their personal beauty. Still
theyremained outside the pale.
The Sons of Wisdom did not intermarry with the=
m or
teach them theirlearning, or even allow them to drink of their Life-water. =
They
ruledthem as men rule dogs, treating them with kindness, but no more, and
asmany dogs run their course and die in the lifetime of one master, so didm=
any
of these slaves in that of one of the Sons of Wisdom. Therefore,the slaves =
came
to regard their lords not as men, but gods. They livedbut three score years=
and
ten like the rest of us, and went their way,they, whose
great-great-grandfathers had served the same master andwhose
great-great-great-grandchildren would still serve him. What shouldwe think =
of a
lord who we knew was already adult in the time of Williamthe Conqueror, and=
who
remained still vigorous and all-powerful in thatof George V? One, moreover,=
who
commanded almost infinite knowledge towhich we were denied the key? We might
tremble before him and look uponhim as half-divine, but should we not long =
to
kill him and possess hisknowledge and thereby prolong our own existence to =
his
wondrous measure?
Such, said Yva, was the case with their slaves=
and
the peoples fromwhence these sprang. They grew mad with jealous hate, till =
at
lengthcame the end we knew.
Thus we talked on for hours till the time came=
for
us to eat. As beforeYva partook of fruit and we of such meats as we had at
hand. These,we noticed, disgusted her, because, as she explained, the Child=
ren
ofWisdom, unless driven thereto by necessity, touched no flesh, but livedon=
the
fruits of the earth and wine alone. Only the slaves and theBarbarians ate
flesh. In these views Bickley for once agreed withher, that is, except as
regards the wine, for in theory, if not inpractice--he was a vegetarian.
"I will bring you more of the Life-water," she said, "and then you willgrow to hate these dead things, as I do. And now farewell. My fathercalls me. I hear him though you= do not. To-morrow I cannot come, but theday after I will come and bring you the Life-water. Nay, accompany menot, but as I see he wishes it, let Tommy go w= ith me. I will care forhim, and he is a friend in all that lonely place."<= o:p>
So she went, and with her Tommy, rejoicing.
"Ungrateful little devil!" said Bick=
ley.
"Here we've fed and pettedhim from puppyhood, or at least you have, and
yet he skips off with thefirst stranger. I never saw him behave like that to
any woman, exceptyour poor wife."
"I know," I answered. "I cannot
understand it. Hullo! here comesBastin."
Bastin it was, dishevelled and looking much the
worse for wear, alsominus his Bible in the native tongue.
"Well, how have you been getting on?"
said Bickley.
"I should like some tea, also anything th=
ere
is to eat."
We supplied him with these necessaries, and af=
ter
a while he said slowlyand solemnly:
"I cannot help thinking of a childish sto=
ry
which Bickley told orinvented one night at your house at home. I remember he
had an argumentwith my wife, which he said put him in mind of it, I am sure=
I
don'tknow why. It was about a monkey and a parrot that were left togetherun=
der
a sofa for a long while, where they were so quiet that everybodyforgot them.
Then the parrot came out with only one feather left in itstail and none at =
all
on its body, saying, 'I've had no end of a time!'after which it dropped down
and died. Do you know, I feel just like thatparrot, only I don't mean to di=
e,
and I think I gave the monkey quite asgood as he gave me!"
"What happened?" I asked, intensely
interested.
"Oh! the Glittering Lady took me into that
palace hall where Oro wassitting like a spider in a web, and left me there.=
I
got to work atonce. He was much interested in the Old Testament stories and
said therewere points of truth about them, although they had evidently come
downto the modern writer--he called him a modern writer--in a legendaryform=
. I
thought his remarks impertinent and with difficulty refrainedfrom saying so.
Leaving the story of the Deluge and all that, I spoke ofother matters, tell=
ing
him of eternal life and Heaven and Hell, of whichthe poor benighted man had
never heard. I pointed out especially thatunless he repented, his life, by =
all
accounts, had been so wicked, thathe was certainly destined to the latter
place."
"What did he say to that?" I asked.<= o:p>
"Do you know, I think it frightened him, =
if
one could imagine Oro beingfrightened. At any rate he remarked that the tru=
th
or falsity of what Isaid was an urgent matter for him, as he could not expe=
ct
to live morethan a few hundred years longer, though perhaps he might prolong
theperiod by another spell of sleep. Then he asked me why I thought him
sowicked. I replied because he himself said that he had drowned millionsof
people, which showed an evil heart and intention even if it werenot a fact.=
He
thought a long while and asked what could be done in thecircumstances. I
replied that repentance and reparation were the onlycourses open to him.&qu=
ot;
"Reparation!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, reparation was what I said, though I
think I made a mistake there,as you will see. As nearly as I can remember, =
he
answered that he wasbeginning to repent, as from all he had learned from us=
, he
gatheredthat the races which had arisen as a consequence of his action,
wereworse than those which he had destroyed. As regards reparation, whathe =
had
done once he could do again. He would think the matter overseriously, and s=
ee
if it were possible and advisable to raise thoseparts of the world which had
been sunk, and sink those which had beenraised. If so, he thought that would
make very handsome amends to thedeparted nations and set him quite right wi=
th
any superior Power, ifsuch a thing existed. What are you laughing at, Bickl=
ey?
I don't thinkit a laughing matter, since such remarks do not seem to me to
indicateany real change in Oro's heart, which is what I was trying to
effect."
Bickley, who was convulsed with merriment, wip=
ed
his eyes and said:
"You dear old donkey, don't you see what =
you
have done, or rather wouldhave done if there were a word of truth in all th=
is
ridiculous storyabout a deluge? You would be in the way of making your prec=
ious
pupil,who certainly is the most masterly old liar in the world, repeat
hisoffence and send Europe to the bottom of the sea."
"That did occur to me, but it doesn't much
matter as I am quite certainthat such a thing would never be allowed. Of co=
urse
there was a realdeluge once, but Oro had no more to do with it than I had.
Don't youagree, Arbuthnot?"
"I think so," I answered cautiously,
"but really in this place I ambeginning to lose count of what is or is=
not
possible. Also, of course,there may have been many deluges; indeed the hist=
ory
of the world showsthat this was so; it is written in its geological strata.
What was theend of it?"
"The end was that he took the South Sea B=
ible
and, after I had explaineda little about our letters, seemed to be able to =
read
it at once. Isuppose he was acquainted with the art of printing in his yout=
h.
At anyrate he said that he would study it, I don't know how, unless he canr=
ead,
and that in two days' time he would let me know what he thoughtabout the ma=
tter
of my religion. Then he told me to go. I said that Idid not know the way and
was afraid of losing myself. Thereupon he wavedhis hand, and I really can't=
say
what happened."
"Did you levitate up here," asked
Bickley, "like the late lamented Mr.Home at the spiritualistic
seances?"
"No, I did not exactly levitate, but
something or someone seemed to geta hold of me, and I was just rushed along=
in
a most tumultuous fashion.The next thing I knew was that I was standing at =
the
door of thatsepulchre, though I have no recollection of going up in the lif=
t,
orwhatever it is. I believe those beastly caves are full of ghosts, ordevil=
s,
and the worst of it is that they have kept my solar-tope, whichI put on this
morning forgetting that it would be useless there."
"The Lady Yva's Fourth Dimension in
action," I suggested, "only itwouldn't work on solar-topes."=
"I don't know what you are talking
about," said Bastin, "but if my hathad to be left, why not my boo=
ts
and other garments? Please stop yournonsense and pass the tea. Thank goodne=
ss I
haven't got to go down theretomorrow, as he seems to have had enough of me =
for
the present, so Ivote we all pay a visit to the ship. It will be a very
pleasant change.I couldn't stand two days running with that old fiend, and =
his
ghosts ordevils in the cave."
Next morning accordingly, fearing no harm from=
the
Orofenans, we tookthe canoe and rowed to the main island. Marama had eviden=
tly
seenus coming, for he and a number of his people met us with everydemonstra=
tion
of delight, and escorted us to the ship. Here we foundthings just as we had
left them, for there had been no attempt at theftor other mischief.
While we were in the cabin a fit of moral weak=
ness
seemed to overcomeBickley, the first and I may add the last from which I ev=
er
saw himsuffer.
"Do you know," he said, addressing u=
s,
"I think that we should dowell to try to get out of this place.
Eliminating a great deal of themarvelous with which we seem to have come in
touch here, it isstill obvious that we find ourselves in very peculiar and
unhealthysurroundings. I mean mentally unhealthy, indeed I think that if we
stayhere much longer we shall probably go off our heads. Now that boat onthe
deck remains sound and seaworthy. Why should not we provision herand take o=
ur
chance? We know more or less which way to steer."
Bastin and I looked at each other. It was he w=
ho
spoke first.
"Wouldn't it be rather a risky job in an =
open
boat?" he asked. "However,that doesn't matter much because I don't
take any account of risks,knowing that I am of more value than a sparrow and
that the hairs of myhead are all numbered."
"They might be numbered under water as we=
ll
as above it," mutteredBickley, "and I feel sure that on your own
showing, you would be asvaluable dead as alive."
"What I seem to feel," went on Basti=
n,
"is that I have work to my handhere. Also, the locum tenens at Fulcomb=
e no
doubt runs the parish aswell as I could. Indeed I consider him a better man=
for
the place thanI am. That old Oro is a tough proposition, but I do not despa=
ir
of himyet, and besides him there is the Glittering Lady, a most
open-mindedperson, whom I have not yet had any real opportunity of approach=
ing
ina spiritual sense. Then there are all these natives who cannot learnwitho=
ut a
teacher. So on the whole I think I would rather stay where Iam until Provid=
ence
points out some other path."
"I am of the same opinion, if for somewhat
different reasons," I said."I do not suppose that it has often be=
en
the fortune of men to come intouch with such things as we have found upon t=
his island.
They may beillusions, but at least they are very interesting illusions. One
mightlive ten lifetimes and find nothing else of the sort. Therefore I
shouldlike to see the end of the dream."
Bickley reflected a little, then said:
"On the whole I agree with you. Only my b=
rain
totters and I am terriblyafraid of madness. I cannot believe what I seem to
hear and see, andthat way madness lies. It is better to die than to go
mad."
"You'll do that anyway when your time com=
es,
Bickley, I mean decease,of course," interrupted Bastin. "And who
knows, perhaps all this is anopportunity given by Providence to open your e=
yes,
which, I must say,are singularly blind. You think you know everything there=
is
to learn,but the fact is that like the rest of us, you know nothing at all,
andgood man though you are, obstinately refuse to admit the truth and toseek
support elsewhere. For my part I believe that you are afraid offalling in l=
ove
with that Glittering Lady and of being convinced by herthat you are wrong in
your most unsatisfactory conclusions."
"I am out-voted anyway," said Bickle=
y,
"and for the rest, Bastin, lookafter yourself and leave me alone. I wi=
ll
add that on the whole I thinkyou are both right, and that it is wisest for =
us
to stop where we are,for after all we can only die once."
"I am not so sure, Bickley. There is a th=
ing
called the second death,which is what is troubling that old scoundrel, Oro.=
Now
I will go andlook for those books."
So the idea of flight was abandoned, although I
admit that even tomyself it had attractions. For I felt that I was being
wrapped in anet of mysteries from which I saw no escape. Yes, and of more
thanmysteries; I who had sworn that I would never look upon another woman,w=
as
learning to love this sweet and wondrous Yva, and of that what couldbe the =
end?
We collected all we had come to seek, and star=
ted
homewards escortedby Marama and his people, including a number of young wom=
en
who dancedbefore us in a light array of flowers.
Passing our old house, we came to the grove wh=
ere the
idol Oro had stoodand Bastin was so nearly sacrificed. There was another id=
ol
there nowwhich he wished to examine, but in the end did not as the natives
soobviously objected. Indeed Marama told me that notwithstanding themysteri=
ous
death of the sorcerers on the Rock of Offerings, there wasstill a strong pa=
rty
in the island who would be glad to do us a mischiefif any further affront w=
ere
offered to their hereditary god.
He questioned us also tentatively about the
apparition, for such heconceived it to be, which had appeared upon the rock=
and
killed thesorcerers, and I answered him as I thought wisest, telling him th=
at
aterrible Power was afoot in the land, which he would do well to obey.
"Yes," he said; "the God of the
Mountain of whom the tradition has comedown to us from our forefathers. He =
is
awake again; he sees, he hearsand we are afraid. Plead with him for us, O
Friend-from-the-Sea."
As he spoke we were passing through a little p=
atch
of thick bush.Suddenly from out of this bush, I saw a lad appear. He wore a
mask uponhis face, but from his shape could not have been more than thirteen
orfourteen years of age. In his hand was a wooden club. He ran forward,stop=
ped,
and with a yell of hate hurled it, I think at Bastin, but ithit me. At any =
rate
I felt a shock and remembered no more.
Dreams. Dreams. Endless dreams! What were they=
all
about? I do not know.It seemed to me that through them continually I saw the
stately figureof old Oro contemplating me gravely, as though he were making=
up
hismind about something in which I must play a part. Then there was
anotherfigure, that of the gracious but imperial Yva, who from time to time=
,as
I thought, leant over me and whispered in my ear words of restand comfort. =
Nor
was this all, since her shape had a way of changingsuddenly into that of my
lost wife who would speak with her voice. Orperhaps my wife would speak with
Yva's voice. To my disordered sense itwas as though they were one personali=
ty,
having two shapes, either ofwhich could be assumed at will. It was most str=
ange
and yet to me mostblessed, since in the living I seemed to have found the d=
ead,
and in thedead the living. More, I took journeys, or rather some unknown pa=
rt
ofme seemed to do so. One of these I remember, for its majestic
characterstamped itself upon my mind in such a fashion that all the waters
ofdelirium could not wash it out nor all its winds blow away that memory.
I was travelling through space with Yva a thou=
sand
times faster thanlight can flash. We passed sun after sun. They drew near, =
they
grew intoenormous, flaming Glories round which circled world upon world.
Theybecame small, dwindled to points of light and disappeared.
We found footing upon some far land and passed=
a
marvelous white citywherein were buildings with domes of crystal and alabas=
ter,
in thelatter of which were set windows made of great jewels; sapphires orru=
bies
they seemed to me. We went on up a lovely valley. To the leftwere hills, do=
wn
which tumbled waterfalls; to the right was a riverbroad and deep that seeme=
d to
overflow its banks as does the Nile.Behind were high mountains on the slope=
s of
which grew forests ofglorious trees, some of them aflame with bloom, while =
far
away up theircrests stood colossal golden statues set wide apart. They look=
ed
likeguardian angels watching that city and that vale. The land was lit witha
light such as that of the moon, only intensified and of many colours.Indeed
looking up, I saw that above us floated three moons, each of thembigger than
our own at the full, and gathered that here it was night.
We came to a house set amid scented gardens and
having in front of itterraces of flowers. It seemed not unlike my own house=
at
home, but Itook little note of it, because of a woman who sat upon the
verandah, ifI may call it so. She was clad in garments of white silk fasten=
ed
abouther middle with a jewelled girdle. On her neck also was a collar ofjew=
els.
I forget the colour; indeed this seemed to change continuallyas the light f=
rom
the different moons struck when she moved, but Ithink its prevailing tinge =
was
blue. In her arms this woman nursed abeauteous, sleeping child, singing hap=
pily
as she rocked it to andfro. Yva went towards the woman who looked up at her
step and uttered alittle cry. Then for the first time I saw the woman's fac=
e.
It was thatof my dead wife!
As I followed in my dream, a little cloud of m=
ist
seemed to cover bothmy wife and Yva, and when I reached the place Yva was g=
one.
Only my wiferemained, she and the child. There she stood, solemn and sweet.
While Idrew near she laid down the child upon the cushioned seat from which=
she
had risen. She stretched out her arms and flung them about me. Sheembraced =
me
and I embraced her in a rapture of reunion. Then turning shelifted up the
child, it was a girl, for me to kiss.
"See your daughter," she said, "=
;and
behold all that I am making readyfor you where we shall dwell in a day to
come."
I grew confused.
"Yva," I said. "Where is Yva who
brought me here? Did she go into thehouse?"
"Yes," she answered happily. "Y=
va
went into the house. Look again!"
I looked and it was Yva's face that was pressed
against my own, andYva's eyes that gazed into mine. Only she was garbed as =
my
wife hadbeen, and on her bosom hung the changeful necklace.
"You may not stay," she whispered, a=
nd
lo! it was my wife that spoke,not Yva.
"Tell me what it means?" I implored.=
"I cannot," she answered. "There
are mysteries that you may not know asyet. Love Yva if you will and I shall=
not
be jealous, for in loving Yvayou love me. You cannot understand? Then know
this, that the spirit hasmany shapes, and yet is the same spirit--sometimes.
Now I who am far,yet near, bid you farewell a while."
Then all passed in a flash and the dream ended=
.
Such was the only one of those visions which I=
can
recall.
I seemed to wake up as from a long and tumultu=
ous
sleep. The first thingI saw was the palm roof of our house upon the rock. I
knew it was ourhouse, for just above me was a palm leaf of which I had myse=
lf
tied thestalk to the framework with a bit of coloured ribbon that I had cha=
ncedto
find in my pocket. It came originally from the programme card ofa dance tha=
t I
had attended at Honolulu and I had kept it because Ithought it might be use=
ful.
Finally I used it to secure that loose leaf.I stared at the ribbon which
brought back a flood of memories, and as Iwas thus engaged I heard voices
talking, and listened--Bickley's voice,and the Lady Yva's.
"Yes," Bickley was saying, "he =
will
do well now, but he went near, verynear."
"I knew he would not die," she answe=
red,
"because my father said so."
"There are two sorts of deaths," rep=
lied
Bickley, "that of the body andthat of the mind. I was afraid that even=
if
he lived, his reason wouldgo, but from certain indications I do not think t=
hat
will happen now. Hewill get quite well again--though--" and he stopped=
.
"I am very glad to hear you say so,"
chimed in Bastin. "For weeksI thought that I should have to read the
Burial Service over poorArbuthnot. Indeed I was much puzzled as to the best
place to bury him.Finally I found a very suitable spot round the corner the=
re,
where itisn't rock, in which one can't dig and the soil is not liable to
beflooded. In fact I went so far as to clear away the bush and to mark outt=
he
grave with its foot to the east. In this climate one can't delay,you
know."
Weak as I was, I smiled. This practical procee=
ding
was so exactly likeBastin.
"Well, you wasted your labour,"
exclaimed Bickley.
"Yes, I am glad to say I did. But I don't
think it was your operationsand the rest that cured him, Bickley, although =
you
take all the credit.I believe it was the Life-water that the Lady Yva made =
him
drink and thestuff that Oro sent which we gave him when you weren't
looking."
"Then I hope that in the future you will =
not
interfere with my cases,"said the indignant Bickley, and either the vo=
ices
passed away or I wentto sleep.
When I woke up again it was to find the Lady Y=
va
seated at my sidewatching me.
"Forgive me, Humphrey, because I here; ot=
hers
gone out walking," shesaid slowly in English.
"Who taught you my language?" I aske=
d, astonished.
"Bastin and Bickley,while you ill, they teach; they teach me much. Man
just same now as hewas hundred thousand years ago," she added
enigmatically. "All think onewoman beautiful when no other woman
there."
"Indeed," I replied, wondering to wh=
at
proceedings on the part ofBastin and Bickley she alluded. Could that
self-centred pair--oh! it wasimpossible.
"How long have I been ill?" I asked =
to
escape the subject which I feltto be uncomfortable.
She lifted her beautiful eyes in search of wor=
ds
and began to count uponher fingers.
"Two moon, one half moon, yes, ten week,
counting Sabbath," she answeredtriumphantly.
"Ten weeks!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, Humphrey, ten whole weeks and three
days you first bad, then mad.Oh!" she went on, breaking into the Orofe=
nan
tongue which she spoke soperfectly, although it was not her own. That langu=
age
of hers I neverlearned, but I know she thought in it and only translated in=
to
Orofenan,because of the great difficulty which she had in rendering her high
andrefined ideas into its simpler metaphor, and the strange words whichoften
she introduced. "Oh! you have been very ill, friend of my heart.At tim=
es I
thought that you were going to die, and wept and wept.Bickley thinks that he
saved you and he is very clever. But he could nothave saved you; that wanted
more knowledge than any of your people have;only I pray you, do not tell hi=
m so
because it would hurt his pride."
"What was the matter with me then, Yva?&q=
uot;
"All was the matter. First, the weapon wh=
ich
that youth threw--he wasthe son of the sorcerer whom my father
destroyed--crushed in the boneof your head. He is dead for his crime and ma=
y he
be accursed for ever,"she added in the only outbreak of rage and
vindictiveness in which Iever saw her indulge.
"One must make excuses for him; his father
had been killed," I said.
"Yes, that is what Bastin tells me, and i=
t is
true. Still, for thatyoung man I can make no excuse; it was cowardly and
wicked. Well,Bickley performed what he calls operation, and the Lord Oro, he
came upfrom his house and helped him, because Bastin is no good in such
things.Then he can only turn away his head and pray. I, too, helped, holdin=
ghot
water and linen and jar of the stuff that made you feel likenothing, althou=
gh
the sight made me feel more sick than anything since Isaw one I loved kille=
d,
oh, long, long ago."
"Was the operation successful?" I as=
ked,
for I did not dare to begin tothank her.
"Yes, that clever man, Bickley, lifted the
bone which had been crushedin. Only then something broke in your head and y=
ou
began to bleed here,"and she touched what I believe is called the temp=
oral
artery. "The veinhad been crushed by the blow, and gave way. Bickley
worked and worked,and just in time he tied it up before you died. Oh! then I
felt asthough I loved Bickley, though afterwards Bastin said that I ought
tohave loved him, since it was not Bickley who stopped the bleeding, buthis
prayer."
"Perhaps it was both," I suggested.<= o:p>
"Perhaps, Humphrey, at least you were sav=
ed.
Then came another trouble.You took fever. Bickley said that it was because a
certain gnat hadbitten you when you went down to the ship, and my father, t=
he
Lord Oro,told me that this was right. At the least you grew very weak and
lostyour mind, and it seemed as though you must die. Then, Humphrey, I went=
to
the Lord Oro and kneeled before him and prayed for your life, for Iknew tha=
t he
could cure you if he would, though Bickley's skill was atan end.
"'Daughter,' he said to me, 'not once but
again and again you have setup your will against mine in the past. Why then
should I trouble myselfto grant this desire of yours in the present, and sa=
ve a
man who isnothing to me?'
"I rose to my feet and answered, 'I do not
know, my Father, yet I amcertain that for your own sake it will be well to =
do
so. I am sure thatof everything even you must give an account at last, great
though yoube, and who knows, perhaps one life which you have saved may turn
thebalance in your favour.'
"'Surely the priest Bastin has been talki=
ng
to you,' he said.
"'He has,' I answered, 'and not he alone.
Many voices have been talkingto me.'"
"What did you mean by that?" I asked=
.
"It matters nothing what I meant, Humphre=
y.
Be still and listen to mystory. My father thought a while and answered:
"'I am jealous of this stranger. What is =
he
but a short-livedhalf-barbarian such as we knew in the old days? And yet
already youthink more of him than you do of me, your father, the divine Oro=
who
haslived a thousand years. At first I helped that physician to save him,but=
now
I think I wish him dead.'
"'If you let this man die, my Father,' I
answered, 'then we part.Remember that I also have of the wisdom of our peop=
le,
and can use it ifI will.'
"'Then save him yourself,' he said.
"'Perhaps I shall, my Father,' I answered,
'but if so it will not behere. I say that if so we part and you shall be le=
ft
to rule in yourmajesty alone.'
"Now this frightened the Lord Oro, for he=
has
the weakness that he hatesto be alone.
"'If I do what you will, do you swear nev=
er
to leave me, Yva?' he asked.'Know that if you will not swear, the man dies.=
'
"'I swear,' I answered--for your sake,
Humphrey--though I did not lovethe oath.
"Then he gave me a certain medicine to mix
with the Life-water, and whenyou were almost gone that medicine cured you,
though Bickley does notknow it, as nothing else could have done. Now I have
told you the truth,for your own ear only, Humphrey."
"Yva," I asked, "why did you do=
all
this for me?"
"Humphrey, I do not know," she answe=
red,
"but I think because I must.Now sleep a while."
So far as my body was concerned I grew well wi=
th
great rapidity, thoughit was long before I got back my strength. Thus I cou=
ld
not walk far orendure any sustained exertion. With my mind it was otherwise=
. I
can notexplain what had happened to it; indeed I do not know, but in a sense
itseemed to have become detached and to have assumed a kind of personalityof
its own. At times it felt as though it were no longer an inhabitantof the b=
ody,
but rather its more or less independent partner. I wasperfectly clear-headed
and of insanity I experienced no symptoms. Yet mymind, I use that term from
lack of a better, was not entirely under mycontrol. For one thing, at night=
it
appeared to wander far away, thoughwhither it went and what it saw there I
could never remember.
I record this because possibly it explains cer=
tain
mysterious events, ifthey were events and not dreams, which shortly I must =
set
out. I spoketo Bickley about the matter. He put it by lightly, saying that =
it
wasonly a result of my long and most severe illness and that I shouldsteady
down in time, especially if we could escape from that island andits unnatur=
al
atmosphere. Yet as he spoke he glanced at me shrewdlywith his quick eyes, a=
nd
when he turned to go away I heard him muttersomething to himself about
"unholy influences" and "that confounded oldOro."
The words were spoken to himself and quite ben=
eath
his breath, and ofcourse not meant to reach me. But one of the curious
concomitants of mystate was that all my senses, and especially my hearing, =
had
become mostabnormally acute. A whisper far away was now to me like a loud
remarkmade in a room.
Bickley's reflection, for I can scarcely call =
it
more, set me thinking.Yva had said that Oro sent me medicine which was
administered to mewithout Bickley's knowledge, and as she believed, saved my
life, orcertainly my reason. What was in it? I wondered. Then there was
thatLife-water which Yva brought and insisted upon my drinking every
day.Undoubtedly it was a marvelous tonic and did me good. But it had
othereffects also. Thus, as she said would be the case, after a course ofit=
I
conceived the greatest dislike, which I may add has never entirelyleft me, =
of
any form of meat, also of alcohol. All I seemed to want wasthis water with
fruit, or such native vegetables as there were. Bickleydisapproved and made=
me
eat fish occasionally, but even this revoltedme, and since I gained steadil=
y in
weight, as we found out by a simplecontrivance, and remained healthy in eve=
ry
other way, soon he allowed meto choose my own diet.
About this time Oro began to pay me frequent
visits. He always came atnight, and what is more I knew when he was coming,
although he nevergave me warning. Here I should explain that during my illn=
ess Bastin,who
was so ingenious in such matters, had built another hut in which heand Bick=
ley
slept, of course when they were not watching me, leaving ourold bed-chamber=
to
myself.
Well, I would wake up and be aware that Oro was
coming. Then he appearedin a silent and mysterious way, as though he had
materialised in theroom, for I never saw him pass the doorway. In the
moonlight, or thestarlight, which flowed through the entrance and the side =
of
the hutthat was only enclosed with latticework, I perceived him seat
himselfupon a certain stool, looking like a most majestic ghost with hisflo=
wing
robes, long white beard, hooked nose and hawk eyes. In theday-time he much
resembled the late General Booth whom I had oftenseen, except for certain a=
dded
qualities of height and classic beauty ofcountenance. At night, however, he
resembled no one but himself, indeedthere was something mighty and godlike =
in
his appearance, something thatmade one feel that he was not as are other me=
n.
For a while he would sit and look at me. Then =
he
began to speak in alow, vibrant voice. What did he speak of? Well, many
matters. It was asthough he were unburdening that hoary soul of his because=
it
could nolonger endure the grandeur of its own loneliness. Amongst sundry
secretthings, he told me of the past history of this world of ours, and of
themighty civilisations which for uncounted ages he and his forefathers
hadruled by the strength of their will and knowledge, of the dwindlingof th=
eir
race and of the final destruction of its enemies, although Inoticed that no=
w he
no longer said that this was his work alone. Onenight I asked him if he did=
not
miss all such pomp and power.
Then suddenly he broke out, and for the first =
time
I really learned whatambition can be when it utterly possesses the soul of =
man.
"Are you mad," he asked, "that =
you
suppose that I, Oro, the King ofkings, can be content to dwell solitary in a
great cave with none butthe shadows of the dead to serve me? Nay, I must ru=
le
again and be evengreater than before, or else I too will die. Better to face
the future,even if it means oblivion, than to remain thus a relic of a
gloriouspast, still living and yet dead, like that statue of the great god
Fatewhich you saw in the temple of my worship."
"Bastin does not think that the future me=
ans
oblivion," I remarked.
"I know it. I have studied his faith and =
find
it too humble for mytaste, also too new. Shall I, Oro, creep a suppliant be=
fore
any Power,and confess what Bastin is pleased to call my sins? Nay, I who am
greatwill be the equal of all greatness, or nothing."
He paused a while, then went on:
"Bastin speaks of 'eternity.' Where and w=
hat
then is this eternity whichif it has no end can have had no beginning? I kn=
ow
the secret of thesuns and their attendant worlds, and they are no more eter=
nal
than theinsect which glitters for an hour. Out of shapeless, rushing gases
theygathered to live their day, and into gases at last they dissolve againw=
ith
all they bore."
"Yes," I answered, "but they re=
form
into new worlds."
"That have no part with the old. This wor=
ld,
too, will melt, departingto whence it came, as your sacred writings say, and
what then of thosewho dwelt and dwell thereon? No, Man of today, give me Ti=
me
in which Irule and keep your dreams of an Eternity that is not, and in which
youmust still crawl and serve, even if it were. Yet, if I might, I confessi=
t, 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 ofgreatness in you, Humphrey," he said,
"and it comes into my heart thatyou, too, might learn to rule. With Yv=
a,
the last of my blood, it isotherwise. She is the child of my age and of a r=
ace
outworn; too gentle,too much all womanly. The soul that triumphs must shine
like steel inthe sun, and cut if need be; not merely be beauteous and shed
perfumelike a lily in the shade. Yet she is very wise and fair," here
helooked at me, "perchance of her might come children such as were
theirforefathers, who again would wield the sceptre of the dominion of
theearth."
I made no answer, wondering what he meant exac=
tly
and thinking it wisestto be silent.
"You are of the short-lived races," =
he
went on, "yet very much a man,not without intelligence, and by the art=
s I
have I can so strengthenyour frame that it will endure the shocks of time f=
or
three such livesas 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 baseblood 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 thereinyou may help me. Perhaps afterwards I will tell you how. Now
sleep."
In another moment he was gone, but notwithstan=
ding
his powerful command,for a while I could not sleep. I understood that he was
offering Yva tome, but upon what terms? That was the question. With her was=
to
go greatdominion over the kingdoms of the earth. I could not help
rememberingthat always this has been and still is Satan's favourite bait. T=
o me
itdid not particularly appeal. I had been ambitious in my time--who isnot t=
hat
is worth his salt? I could have wished to excel in something,literature or =
art,
or whatever it might be, and thus to ensure thememory of my name in the wor=
ld.
Of course this is a most futile desire, seeing
that soon or late everyname must fade out of the world like an unfixed
photograph which isexposed to the sun. Even if it could endure, as the old
demigod, ordemidevil, Oro, had pointed out, very shortly, by comparison with
Time'sunmeasured vastness, the whole solar system will also fade. So of wha=
tuse
is this feeble love of fame and this vain attempt to be rememberedthat anim=
ates
us so strongly? Moreover, the idea of enjoying meretemporal 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 andthe evil that, often enough, they wo=
rk
in their little day.
Also if I needed any further example, there was
that of Oro himself. Hehad 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 quitea=
lone
in the world, save for a daughter with whom he did not agree orsympathise. =
In
short, he was but a kind of animated mummy inspired byone idea which I felt
quite sure would be disappointed, namely, to renewhis former greatness. To =
me
he seemed as miserable a figure as one couldimagine, brooding and plotting =
in
his illuminated cave, at the end of anextended but misspent life.
Also I wondered what he, or rather his ego, had
been doing during allthose two hundred and fifty thousand years of sleep.
Possibly if Yva'stheory, as I understood it, were correct, he had reincarna=
ted
as Attila,or Tamerlane, or Napoleon, or even as Chaka the terrible Zulu kin=
g.At
any rate there he was still in the world, filled with the dreadof death, but
consumed now as ever by his insatiable and most uselessfinite ambitions.
Yva, also! Her case was his, but yet how
different. In all this longnight of Time she had but ripened into one of the
sweetest and mostgentle 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 feroci=
tyof
her father? Where his desire to reach to splendour by treading on
ablood-stained road paved with broken human hearts? It did not exist.Her na=
ture
was different although her body came of a long line of thesepower-loving ki=
ngs.
Why this profound difference of the spirit? Likeeverything else it was a
mystery. The two were as far apart as thePoles. Everyone must have hated Or=
o,
from the beginning, however much hefeared him, but everyone who came in tou=
ch
with her must have loved Yva.
Here I may break into my personal narrative to=
say
that this, by theirown confession, proved to be true of two such various
persons as Bastinand Bickley.
"The truth, which I am sure it would be w=
rong
to hide from you,Arbuthnot," said the former to me one day, "is t=
hat
during your longillness I fell in love, I suppose that is the right word, w=
ith
theGlittering Lady. After thinking the matter over also, I conceived thatit
would be proper to tell her so if only to clear the air and preventfuture
misunderstandings. As I remarked to her on that occasion, I hadhesitated lo=
ng,
as I was not certain how she would fill the place of thewife of the incumbe=
nt
of an English parish."
"Mothers' Meetings, and the rest," I
suggested.
"Exactly so, Arbuthnot. Also there were t=
he
views of the Bishop to beconsidered, who might have objected to the
introduction into the dioceseof a striking person who so recently had been a
heathen, and to one insuch strong contrast to my late beloved wife."
"I suppose you didn't consider the late M=
rs.
Bastin's views on thesubject of re-marriage. I remember that they were
strong," I remarkedrather maliciously.
"No, I did not think it necessary, since =
the
Scriptural instructions onthe matter are very clear, and in another world no
doubt all jealousies,even Sarah's, will be obliterated. Upon that point my
conscience wasquite easy. So when I found that, unlike her parent, the Lady=
Yva
wasmuch inclined to accept the principles of the faith in which it is
myprivilege to instruct her, I thought it proper to say to her that
ifultimately she made up her mind to do so--of course this was a sine quano=
n--I
should be much honoured, and as a man, not as a priest, itwould make me most
happy if she would take me as a husband. Of courseI explained to her that I=
considered,
under the circumstances, I couldquite lawfully perform the marriage ceremony
myself with you and Bickleyas witnesses, even should Oro refuse to give her
away. Also I toldher that although after her varied experiences in the past,
life atFulcombe, if we could ever get there, might be a little monotonous,s=
till
it would not be entirely devoid of interest."
"You mean Christmas decorations and that =
sort
of thing?"
"Yes, and choir treats and entertaining
Deputations and attending otherChurch activities."
"Well, and what did she say, Bastin?"=
;
"Oh! she was most kind and flattering. In=
deed
that hour will alwaysremain the pleasantest of my life. I don't know how it
happened, butwhen it was over I felt quite delighted that she had refused m=
e.
Indeedon second thoughts, I am not certain but that I shall be much happier
inthe capacities of a brother and teacher which she asked me to fill, thanI
should have been as her husband. To tell you the truth, Arbuthnot,there are
moments when I am not sure whether I entirely understand theLady Yva. It was
rather like proposing to one's guardian angel."
"Yes," I said, "that's about it,
old fellow. 'Guardian Angel' is not abad name for her."
Afterwards I received the confidence of Bickle=
y.
"Look here, Arbuthnot," he said. &qu= ot;I want to own up to something. Ithink I ought to, because of certain things I have observed, in order toprevent possible future misunderstandings."<= o:p>
"What's that?" I asked innocently.
"Only this. As you know, I have always be=
en a
confirmed bacheloron principle. Women introduce too many complications into
life, andalthough it involves some sacrifice, on the whole, I have thoughtit
best to do without them and leave the carrying on of the world toothers.&qu=
ot;
"Well, what of it? Your views are not
singular, Bickley."
"Only this. While you were ill the sweetn=
ess
of that Lady Yva and herwonderful qualities as a nurse overcame me. I went =
to
pieces all of asudden. I saw in her a realisation of every ideal I had ever
entertainedof perfect womanhood. So to speak, my resolves of a lifetime mel=
ted
likewax in the sun. Notwithstanding her queer history and the marvels withw=
hich
she is mixed up, I wished to marry her. No doubt her physicalloveliness was=
at
the bottom of it, but, however that may be, there itwas."
"She is beautiful," I commented;
"though I daresay older than shelooks."
"That is a point on which I made no
inquiries, and I should advise you,when your turn comes, as no doubt it wil=
l,
to follow my example. Youknow, Arbuthnot," he mused, "however lov=
ely
a woman may be, it would putone off if suddenly she announced that she was-=
-let
us say--a hundredand fifty years old."
"Yes," I admitted, "for nobody
wants to marry the contemporary of hisgreat-grandmother. However, she gave =
her
age as twenty-seven years andthree moons."
"And doubtless for once did not tell the
truth. But, as she does notlook more than twenty-five, I think that we may =
all
agree to let itstand at that, namely, twenty-seven, plus an indefinite peri=
od
of sleep.At any rate, she is a sweet and most gracious woman, apparently in
thebloom of youth, and, to cut it short, I fell in love with her."
"Like Bastin," I said.
"Bastin!" exclaimed Bickley indignan=
tly.
"You don't mean to say thatclerical oaf presumed--well, well, after al=
l, I
suppose that he is aman, so one mustn't be hard on him. But who could have
thought that hewould run so cunning, even when he knew my sentiments towards
the lady?I hope she told him her mind."
"The point is, what did she tell you,
Bickley?"
"Me? Oh, she was perfectly charming! It
really was a pleasure to berefused by her, she puts one so thoroughly at on=
e's
ease." (Here,remembering Bastin and his story, I turned away my face to
hide asmile.) "She said--what did she say exactly? Such a lot that it
isdifficult to remember. Oh! that she was not thinking of marriage. Also,th=
at
she had not yet recovered from some recent love affair which lefther heart
sore, since the time of her sleep did not count. Also, thather father would
never consent, and that the mere idea of such a thingwould excite his animo=
sity
against all of us."
"Is that all?" I asked.
"Not quite. She added that she felt
wonderfully flattered and extremelyhonoured by what I had been so good as to
say to her. She hoped,however, that I should never repeat it or even allude=
to
the matteragain, as her dearest wish was to be able to look upon me as her
mostintimate friend to whom she could always come for sympathy and
counsel."
"What happened then?"
"Nothing, of course, except that I promis=
ed
everything that she wished,and mean to stick to it, too. Naturally, I was v=
ery
sore and upset, butI am getting over it, having always practised
self-control."
"I am sorry for you, old fellow."
"Are you?" he asked suspiciously.
"Then perhaps you have tried yourluck, too?"
"No, Bickley."
His face fell a little at this denial, and he
answered:
"Well, it would have been scarcely decent=
if
you had, seeing how latelyyou were married. But then, so was that artful
Bastin. Perhaps you willget over it--recent marriage, I mean--as he has.&qu=
ot;
He hesitated a while,then went on: "Of course you will, old fellow; I =
know
it, and, what ismore, I seem to know that when your turn comes you will get=
a
differentanswer. If so, it will keep her in the family as it were--and good
luckto you. Only--"
"Only what?" I asked anxiously.
"To be honest, Arbuthnot, I don't think t=
hat
there will be real goodluck for any one of us over this woman--not in the
ordinary sense, Imean. The whole business is too strange and superhuman. Is=
she
quite awoman, and could she really marry a man as others do?"
"It is curious that you should talk like
that," I said uneasily. "Ithought that you had made up your mind =
that
the whole business waseither illusion or trickery--I mean, the odd side of
it."
"If it is illusion, Arbuthnot, then a man
cannot marry an illusion. Andif it is trickery, then he will certainly be
tricked. But, supposingthat I am wrong, what then?"
"You mean, supposing things are as they s=
eem
to be?"
"Yes. In that event, Arbuthnot, I am sure
that something will occur toprevent your being united to a woman who lived
thousands of years ago. Iam sorry to say it, but Fate will intervene. Remem=
ber,
it is the godof her people that I suppose she worships, and, I may add, to
which thewhole world bows."
At his words a kind of chill fell upon me. I t=
hink
he saw or divined it,for after a few remarks upon some indifferent matter, =
he
turned and wentaway.
Shortly after this Yva came to sit with me. She
studied me for a whileand I studied her. I had reason to do so, for I obser=
ved
that of lateher dress had become much more modern, and on the present
occasionthis struck me forcibly. I do not know exactly in what the change,
orchanges, consisted, because I am not skilled in such matters and canonly
judge of a woman's garments by their general effect. At any rate,the gorgeo=
us
sweeping robes were gone, and though her attire stilllooked foreign and
somewhat oriental, with a touch of barbaric splendourabout it--it was simpl=
er
than it had been and showed more of her figure,which was delicate, yet
gracious.
"You have changed your robes, Lady,"=
I
said. "Yes, Humphrey. Bastin gaveme pictures of those your women
wear." (On further investigation I foundthat this referred to an old c=
opy
of the Queen newspaper, which, somehowor other, had been brought with the b=
ooks
from the ship.) "I have triedto copy them a little," she added
doubtfully.
"How do you do it? Where do you get the
material?" I asked.
"Oh!" she answered with an airy wave=
of
her hand, "I make it--it isthere."
"I don't understand," I said, but she
only smiled radiantly, offering nofurther explanation. Then, before I could
pursue the subject, she askedme suddenly:
"What has Bickley been saying to you about
me?" I fenced, answering:"I don't know. Bastin and Bickley talk of
little else. You seem to havebeen a great deal with them while I was ill.&q=
uot;
"Yes, a great deal. They are the nearest =
to
you who were so sick. Is itnot so?"
"I don't know," I answered again.
"In my illness it seemed to me thatyou were the nearest."
"About Bastin's words I can guess," =
she
went on. "But I ask again--whathas Bickley been saying to you about me=
? Of
the first part, let it be;tell me the rest."
I intended to evade her question, but she fixed
those violet, compellingeyes upon me and I was obliged to answer.
"I believe you know as well as I do,"=
; I
said; "but if you will have it,it was that you are not as other human
women are, and that he who wouldtreat you as such, must suffer; that was the
gist of it."
"Some might be content to suffer for such=
as
I," she answered with quietsweetness. "Even Bastin and Bickley ma=
y be
content to suffer in theirown little ways."
"You know that is not what I meant,"=
I
interrupted angrily, for I feltthat she was throwing reflections on me.
"No; you meant that you agreed with Bickl=
ey
that I am not quite a woman,as you know women."
I was silent, for her words were true.
Then she blazed out into one of her flashes of splendour, like somethingthat takes fire on an instant; like the faint and distant star whichflames into sudden glory before the watcher's telescope.<= o:p>
"It is true that I am not as your women
are--your poor, pale women,the shadows of an hour with night behind them and
before. Because I amhumble and patient, do you therefore suppose that I am =
not
great? Manfrom the little country across the sea, I lived when the world
wasyoung, and gathered up the ancient wisdom of a greater race than yours,a=
nd
when the world is old I think that I still shall live, though not inthis sh=
ape
or here, with all that wisdom's essence burning in my breast,and with all
beauty in my eyes. Bickley does not believe although heworships. You only h=
alf
believe and do not worship, because memory holdsyou back, and I myself do n=
ot
understand. I only know though knowingso much, still I seek roads to learni=
ng,
even the humble road calledBastin, that yet may lead my feet to the gate of=
an
immortal city."
"Nor do I understand how all this can be,
Yva," I said feebly, for shedazzled and overwhelmed me with her blaze =
of
power.
"No, you do not understand. How can you, =
when
even I cannot? Thus fortwo hundred and fifty thousand years I slept, and th=
ey
went by as alightning flash. One moment my father gave me the draught and I
laid medown, the next I awoke with you bending over me, or so it seemed.
Yetwhere was I through all those centuries when for me time had ceased?Tell=
me,
Humphrey, did you dream at all while you were ill? I askbecause down in that
lonely cavern where I sleep a strange dream came tome one night. It was of a
journey which, as I thought, you and I seemedto make together, past suns and
universes to a very distant earth. Itmeant nothing, Humphrey. If you and I
chanced to have dreamed the samething, it was only because my dream travell=
ed
to you. It is most common,or used to be. Humphrey, Bickley is quite right, =
I am
not altogetheras your women are, and I can bring no happiness to any man, o=
r at
theleast, to one who cannot wait. Therefore, perhaps you would do well toth=
ink
less of me, as I have counselled Bastin and Bickley."
Then again she gazed at me with her wonderful,
great eyes, and, shakingher glittering head a little, smiled and went.
But oh! that smile drew my heart after her.
As time went on, Oro began to visit me more and
more frequently, till atlast scarcely a night went by that he did not appear
mysteriously in mysleeping-place. The odd thing was that neither Bickley nor
Bastin seemedto be aware of these nocturnal calls. Indeed, when I mentioned
them onone or two occasions, they stared at me and said it was strange that
heshould have come and gone as they saw nothing of him.
On my speaking again of the matter, Bickley at
once turned theconversation, from which I gathered that he believed me to be
sufferingfrom delusions consequent on my illness, or perhaps to have takento
dreaming. This was not wonderful since, as I learned afterwards,Bickley, af=
ter
he was sure that I was asleep, made a practice of tyinga thread across my
doorway and of ascertaining at the dawn that itremained unbroken. But Oro w=
as
not to be caught in that way. I suppose,as it was impossible for him to pass
through the latticework of the openside of the house, that he undid the thr=
ead
and fastened it again whenhe left; at least, that was Bastin's explanation,=
or,
rather, one ofthem. Another was that he crawled beneath it, but this I could
notbelieve. I am quite certain that during all his prolonged existence Oron=
ever
crawled.
At any rate, he came, or seemed to come, and
pumped me--I can use noother word--most energetically as to existing condit=
ions
in theworld, especially those of the civilised countries, their methods
ofgovernment, their social state, the physical characteristics of thevarious
races, their religions, the exact degrees of civilisation thatthey had deve=
loped,
their attainments in art, science and literature,their martial capacities,
their laws, and I know not what besides.
I told him all I could, but did not in the lea=
st
seem to satisfy hisperennial thirst for information.
"I should prefer to judge for myself,&quo=
t;
he said at last. "Why are you soanxious to learn about all these natio=
ns,
Oro?" I asked, exhausted.
"Because the knowledge I gather may affec=
t my
plans for the future," hereplied darkly.
"I am told, Oro, that your people acquired
the power of transportingthemselves from place to place."
"It is true that the lords of the Sons of
Wisdom had such power, andthat I have it still, O Humphrey."
"Then why do you not go to look with your=
own
eyes?" I suggested.
"Because I should need a guide; one who c=
ould
explain much in a shorttime," he said, contemplating me with his burni=
ng
glance until I beganto feel uncomfortable.
To change the subject I asked him whether he h=
ad
any further informationabout the war, which he had told me was raging in
Europe.
He answered: "Not much; only that it was
going on with varying success,and would continue to do so until the nations
involved therein wereexhausted," or so he believed. The war did not se=
em
greatly to interestOro. It was, he remarked, but a small affair compared to
those which hehad known in the old days. Then he departed, and I went to sl=
eep.
Next night he appeared again, and, after talki=
ng a
little on differentsubjects, remarked quietly that he had been thinking over
what I hadsaid as to his visiting the modern world, and intended to act upon
thesuggestion.
"When?" I asked.
"Now," he said. "I am going to
visit this England of yours and the townyou call London, and you will accom=
pany
me."
"It is not possible!" I exclaimed.
"We have no ship."
"We can travel without a ship," said
Oro.
I grew alarmed, and suggested that Bastin or
Bickley would be a muchbetter companion than I should in my present weak st=
ate.
"An empty-headed man, or one who always
doubts and argues, would beuseless," he replied sharply. "You sha=
ll
come and you only."
I expostulated; I tried to get up and fly--whi=
ch,
indeed, I did do, inanother sense.
But Oro fixed his eyes upon me and slowly waved
his thin hand to and froabove my head.
My senses reeled. Then came a great darkness.<= o:p>
They returned again. Now I was standing in an =
icy,
reeking fog, which Iknew could belong to one place only--London, in Decembe=
r,
and at my sidewas Oro.
"Is this the climate of your wonderful
city?" he asked, or seemed toask, in an aggrieved tone.
I replied that it was, for about three months =
in
the year, and began tolook about me.
Soon I found my bearings. In front of me were
great piles of buildings,looking dim and mysterious in the fog, in which I
recognised the Housesof Parliament and Westminster Abbey, for both could be
seen from wherewe stood in front of the Westminster Bridge Station. I expla=
ined
theiridentity to Oro.
"Good," he said. "Let us enter =
your
Place of Talk."
"But I am not a member, and we have no pa=
sses
for the Strangers'Gallery," I expostulated.
"We shall not need any," he replied
contemptuously. "Lead on."
Thus adjured, I crossed the road, Oro following
me. Looking round, tomy horror I saw him right in the path of a motor-bus w=
hich
seemed to goover him.
"There's an end to Oro," thought I to
myself. "Well, at any rate, I havegot home."
Next instant he was at my side quite undisturb=
ed
by the incident of thebus. We came to a policeman at the door and I hesitat=
ed,
expecting tobe challenged. But the policeman seemed absolutely indifferent =
to
ourpresence, even when Oro marched past him in his flowing robes. SoI follo=
wed
with a like success. Then I understood that we must beinvisible.
We passed to the lobby, where members were
hurrying to and fro, andconstituents and pressmen were gathered, and so on =
into
the House. Orowalked up its floor and took his stand by the table, in front=
of
theSpeaker. I followed him, none saying us No.
As it chanced there was what is called a scene=
in
progress--I think itwas over Irish matters; the details are of no account.
Members shouted,Ministers prevaricated and grew angry, the Speaker interven=
ed.
On thewhole, it was rather a degrading spectacle. I stood, or seemed tostan=
d,
and watched it all. Oro, in his sweeping robes, which lookedso incongruous =
in
that place, stepped, or seemed to step, up to theprincipal personages of the
Government and Opposition, whom I indicatedto him, and inspected them one by
one, as a naturalist might examinestrange insects. Then, returning to me, he
said:
"Come away; I have seen and heard enough.=
Who
would have thought thatthis nation of yours was struggling for its life in
war?"
We passed out of the House and somehow came to
Trafalgar Square. Ameeting was in progress there, convened, apparently, to
advocate therights of Labour, also those of women, also to protest against
thingsin general, especially the threat of Conscription in the service of
thecountry.
Here the noise was tremendous, and, the fog ha=
ving
lifted somewhat, wecould see everything. Speakers bawled from the base of
Nelson's column.Their supporters cheered, their adversaries rushed at them,=
and
in oneor two instances succeeded in pulling them down. A woman climbed upand
began to scream out something which could only be heard by a fewreporters
gathered round her. I thought her an unpleasant-lookingperson, and evidently
her remarks were not palatable to the majority ofher auditors. There was a
rush, and she was dragged from the base of oneof Landseer's lions on which =
she
stood. Her skirt was half rent offher and her bodice split down the back.
Finally, she was conveyedaway, kicking, biting, and scratching, by a number=
of
police. It was adisgusting sight, and tumult ensued.
"Let us go," said Oro. "Your
officers of order are good; the rest is notgood."
Later we found ourselves opposite to the doors=
of
a famous restaurantwhere a magnificent and gigantic commissionaire helped
ladies frommotor-cars, receiving in return money from the men who attended =
on
them.We entered; it was the hour of dinner. The place sparkled with gems,and
the naked backs of the women gleamed in the electric light. Coursefollowed =
upon
course; champagne flowed, a fine band played, everythingwas costly; everyth=
ing
was, in a sense, repellent.
"These are the wealthy citizens of a nati=
on
engaged in fighting for itslife," remarked Oro to me, stroking his long
beard. "It is interesting,very interesting. Let us go."
We went out and on, passing a public-house cro=
wded
with women who hadleft their babies in charge of children in the icy street=
. It
was aday of Intercession for the success of England in the war. This
wasplacarded everywhere. We entered, or, rather, Oro did, I followinghim, o=
ne
of the churches in the Strand where an evening service was inprogress. The
preacher in the pulpit, a very able man, was holding forthupon the necessity
for national repentance and self-denial; also ofprayer. In the body of the
church exactly thirty-two people, mostof them elderly women, were listening=
to
him with an air of placidacceptance.
"The priest talks well, but his hearers a=
re
not many," said Oro. "Let usgo."
We came to the flaunting doors of a great
music-hall and passed throughthem, though to others this would have been
impossible, for the placewas filled from floor to roof. In its promenades m=
en
were drinking andsmoking, while gaudy women, painted and low-robed, leered =
at
them. Onthe stage girls danced, throwing their legs above their heads. Then
theyvanished amidst applause, and a woman in a yellow robe, who pretendedto=
be
tipsy, sang a horrible and vulgar song full of topical allusions,which was
received with screams of delight by the enormous audience.
"Here the hearers are very many, but thos=
e to
whom they listen do nottalk well. Let us go," said Oro, and we went.
At a recruiting station we paused a moment to
consider posters supposedto be attractive, the very sight of which sent a
thrill of shame throughme. I remember that the inscription under one of them
was: "What willyour best girl say?"
"Is that how you gather your soldiers? La=
ter
it will be otherwise," saidOro, and passed on.
We reached Blackfriars and entered a hall at t=
he
doors of which stoodwomen in poke-bonnets, very sweet-faced, earnest-looking
women. Theircountenances seemed to strike Oro, and he motioned me to follow
himinto the hall. It was quite full of a miserable-looking congregationof
perhaps a thousand people. A man in the blue and red uniform of theSalvation
Army was preaching of duty to God and country, of self-denial,hope and
forgiveness. He seemed a humble person, but his words wereearnest, and love=
flowed
from him. Some of his miserable congregationwept, others stared at him
open-mouthed, a few, who were very weary,slept. He called them up to receive
pardon, and a number, led by thesweet-faced women, came and knelt before hi=
m.
He and others whispered tothem, then seemed to bless them, and they rose wi=
th
their faces changed.
"Let us go," said Oro. "I do not
understand these rites, but at lastin your great and wonderful city I have =
seen
something that is pure andnoble."
We went out. In the streets there was great
excitement. People ran toand fro pointing upwards. Searchlights, like huge
fingers of flame,stole across the sky; guns boomed. At last, in the glare of
asearchlight, we saw a long and sinister object floating high above usand
gleaming as though it were made of silver. Flashes came from itfollowed by
terrible booming reports that grew nearer and nearer. Ahouse collapsed with=
a
crash just behind us.
"Ah!" said Oro, with a smile. "I
know this--it is war, war as it waswhen the world was different and yet the
same."
As he spoke, a motor-bus rumbled past. Another
flash and explosion. Aman, walking with his arms round the waist of a girl =
just
ahead ofus; seemed to be tossed up and to melt. The girl fell in a heap on
thepavement; somehow her head and her feet had come quite close togetherand=
yet
she appeared to be sitting down. The motor-bus burst intofragments and its
passengers hurtled through the air, mere hideous lumpsthat had been men and
women. The head of one of them came dancing downthe pavement towards us, a
cigar still stuck in the corner of its mouth.
"Yes, this is war," said Oro. "=
It
makes me young again to see it. Butdoes this city of yours understand?"=
;
We watched a while. A crowd gathered. Policemen
ran up, ambulances came.The place was cleared, and all that was left they
carried away. A fewminutes later another man passed by with his arm round t=
he
waist ofanother girl. Another motor-bus rumbled up, and, avoiding the hole
inthe roadway, travelled on, its conductor keeping a keen look-out forfares=
.
The street was cleared by the police; the airs=
hip
continued its course,spawning bombs in the distance, and vanished. The inci=
dent
was closed.
"Let us go home," said Oro. "I =
have
seen enough of your great andwonderful city. I would rest in the quiet of N=
yo
and think."
The next thing that I remember was the voice of
Bastin, saying:
"If you don't mind, Arbuthnot, I wish that
you would get up. TheGlittering Lady (he still called her that) is coming h=
ere
to have a talkwith me which I should prefer to be private. Excuse me for
disturbingyou, but you have overslept yourself; indeed, I think it must be
nineo'clock, so far as I can judge by the sun, for my watch is very erratic=
now,
ever since Bickley tried to clean it."
"I am sorry, my dear fellow," I said
sleepily, "but do you know Ithought I was in London--in fact, I could
swear that I have been there."
"Then," interrupted Bickley, who had
followed Bastin into the hut,giving me that doubtful glance with which I was
now familiar, "I wish togoodness that you had brought back an evening
paper with you."
A night or two later I was again suddenly awak=
ened
to feel that Oro wasapproaching. He appeared like a ghost in the bright
moonlight, greetedme, and said:
"Tonight, Humphrey, we must make another
journey. I would visit the seatof the war."
"I do not wish to go," I said feebly=
.
"What you wish does not matter," he
replied. "I wish that you should go,and therefore you must."
"Listen, Oro," I exclaimed. "I =
do
not like this business; it seemsdangerous to me."
"There is no danger if you are obedient,
Humphrey."
"I think there is. I do not understand wh=
at
happens. Do you make use ofwhat the Lady Yva called the Fourth Dimension, so
that our bodiespass over the seas and through mountains, like the vibration=
s of
ourWireless, of which I was speaking to you?"
"No, Humphrey. That method is good and ea=
sy,
but I do not use it becauseif I did we should be visible in the places whic=
h we
visit, since thereall the atoms that make a man would collect together again
and be aman."
"What, then, do you do?" I asked,
exasperated.
"Man, Humphrey, is not one; he is many. T=
hus,
amongst other things hehas a Double, which can see and hear, as he can in t=
he
flesh, if it isseparated from the flesh."
"The old Egyptians believed that," I
said.
"Did they? Doubtless they inherited the
knowledge from us, the Sons ofWisdom. The cup of our learning was so full t=
hat,
keep it secret as wewould, from time to time some of it overflowed among the
vulgar, anddoubtless thus the light of our knowledge still burns feebly in
theworld."
I reflected to myself that whatever might be t=
heir
othercharacteristics, the Sons of Wisdom had lost that of modesty, but I
onlyasked how he used his Double, supposing that it existed.
"Very easily," he answered. "In
sleep it can be drawn from the body andsent upon its mission by one that is=
its
master."
"Then while you were asleep for all those
thousands of years your Doublemust have made many journeys."
"Perhaps," he replied quietly, "=
;and
my spirit also, which is anotherpart of me that may have dwelt in the bodie=
s of
other men. Butunhappily, if so I forget, and that is why I have so much to
learn andmust even make use of such poor instruments as you, Humphrey."=
;
"Then if I sleep and you distil my Double=
out
of me, I suppose that yousleep too. In that case who distils your Double ou=
t of
you, Lord Oro?"
He grew angry and answered:
"Ask no more questions, blind and ignoran=
t as
you are. It is your partnot to examine, but to obey. Sleep now," and a=
gain
he waved his handover me.
In an instant, as it seemed, we were standing =
in a
grey old town that Ijudged from its appearance must be either in northern
France or Belgium.It was much shattered by bombardment; the church, for
instance, was aruin; also many of the houses had been burnt. Now, however, =
no
firingwas going on for the town had been taken. The streets were full of
armedmen wearing the German uniform and helmet. We passed down them andwere
able to see into the houses. In some of these were German soldiersengaged in
looting and in other things so horrible that even the unmovedOro turned away
his head.
We came to the market-place. It was crowded wi=
th
German troops, alsowith a great number of the inhabitants of the town, most=
of
them elderlymen and women with children, who had fallen into their power.
TheGermans, under the command of officers, were dragging the men fromthe ar=
ms
of their wives and children to one side, and with rifle-buttsbeating back t=
he
screaming women. Among the men I noticed two or threepriests who were doing
their best to soothe their companions and evengiving them absolution in hur=
ried
whispers.
At length the separation was effected, whereon=
at
a hoarse word ofcommand, a company of soldiers began to fire at the men and
continueddoing so until all had fallen. Then petty officers went among
theslaughtered and with pistols blew out the brains of any who still moved.=
"These butchers, you say, are Germans?&qu=
ot;
asked Oro of me.
"Yes," I answered, sick with horror,=
for
though I was in the mind andnot in the body, I could feel as the mind does.=
Had
I been in the bodyalso, I should have fainted.
"Then we need not waste time in visiting
their country. It is enough;let us go on."
We passed out into the open land and came to a village. It was in theoccupation of German cavalry. Two of them held a litt= le girl of nineor ten, one by her body, the other by her right hand. An officer stoodbetween them with a drawn sword fronting the terrified child. He wasa horrible, coarse-faced man who looked to me as though he had beendrinking.<= o:p>
"I'll teach the young devil to show us the
wrong road and let thoseFrench swine escape," he shouted, and struck w=
ith
the sword. The girl'sright hand fell to the ground.
"War as practised by the Germans!"
remarked Oro. Then he stepped, orseemed to step up to the man and whispered=
, or
seemed to whisper, in hisear.
I do not know what tongue or what spirit speec=
h he
used, or what hesaid, but the bloated-faced brute turned pale. Yes, he drew
sick withfear.
"I think there are spirits in this
place," he said with a German oath."I could have sworn that somet=
hing
told me that I was going to die.Mount!"
The Uhlans mounted and began to ride away.
"Watch," said Oro.
As he spoke out of a dark cloud appeared an
aeroplane. Its pilot saw theband of Germans beneath and dropped a bomb. The=
aim
was good, for themissile exploded in the midst of them, causing a great clo=
ud
of dustfrom which arose the screams of men and horses.
"Come and see," said Oro.
We were there. Out of the cloud of dust appear=
ed
one man gallopingfuriously. He was a young fellow who, as I noted, had turn=
ed
his headaway and hidden his eyes with his hand when the horror was done
yonder.All the others were dead except the officer who had worked the deed.
Hewas still living, but both his hands and one of his feet had been blownaw=
ay.
Presently he died, screaming to God for mercy.
We passed on and came to a barn with wide doors
that swung a little inthe wind, causing the rusted hinges to scream like a
creature in pain.On each of these doors hung a dead man crucified. The hat =
of
one ofthem lay upon the ground, and I knew from the shape of it that he was
aColonial soldier.
"Did you not tell me," said Oro after surveying them, "that theseGermans are of your Christian faith?"<= o:p>
"Yes; and the Name of God is always on th=
eir
ruler's lips."
"Ah!" he said, "I am glad that I
worship Fate. Bastin the priest needtrouble me no more."
"There is something behind Fate," I
said, quoting Bastin himself.
"Perhaps. So indeed I have always held, b=
ut
after much study I cannotunderstand the manner of its working. Fate is enou=
gh
for me."
We went on and came to a flat country that was
lined with ditches, allof them full of men, Germans on one side, English and
French upon theother. A terrible bombardment shook the earth, the shells
raining uponthe ditches. Presently that from the English guns ceased and ou=
t of
thetrenches in front of them thousands of men were vomited, who ran
forwardthrough a hail of fire in which scores and hundreds fell, across an
openpiece of ground that was pitted with shell craters. They came to barbed=
wire
defenses, or what remained of them, cut the wire with nippers andpulled up =
the
posts. Then through the gaps they surged in, shouting andhurling hand grena=
des.
They reached the German trenches, they leapt intothem and from those holes
arose a hellish din. Pistols were fired andeverywhere bayonets flashed.
Behind them rushed a horde of little, dark-ski=
nned
men, Indians whocarried great knives in their hands. Those leapt over the f=
irst
trenchand running on with wild yells, dived into the second, those who were=
left
of them, and there began hacking with their knives at the defendersand the
soldiers who worked the spitting maxim guns. In twenty minutesit was over;
those lines of trenches were taken, and once more fromeither side the guns
began to boom.
"War again," said Oro, "clean,
honest war, such as the god I call Fatedecrees for man. I have seen enough.=
Now
I would visit those whom youcall Turks. I understand they have another wors=
hip
and perhaps they arenobler than these Christians."
We came to a hilly country which I recognised =
as
Armenia, for once Itravelled there, and stopped on an seashore. Here were t=
he
Turks inthousands. They were engaged in driving before them mobs of men,
womenand children in countless numbers. On and on they drove them tillthey
reached the shore. There they massacred them with bayonets, withbullets, or=
by
drowning. I remember a dreadful scene of a poor womanstanding up to her wai=
st
in the water. Three children were clinging toher--but I cannot go on, reall=
y I
cannot go on. In the end a Turk wadedout and bayoneted her while she strove=
to
protect the last living childwith her poor body whence it sprang.
"These, I understand," said Oro,
pointing to the Turkish soldiers,"worship a prophet who they say is the
voice of God."
"Yes," I answered, "and therefo=
re
they massacre these who are Christiansbecause they worship God without a
prophet."
"And what do the Christians massacre each
other for?"
"Power and the wealth and territories that
are power. That is, the Kingof the Germans wishes to rule the world, but the
other Nations do notdesire his dominion. Therefore they fight for Liberty a=
nd
Justice."
"As it was, so it is and shall be,"
remarked Oro, "only with thisdifference. In the old world some were wi=
se,
but here--" and he stopped,his eyes fixed upon the Armenian woman
struggling in her death agonywhile the murderer drowned her child, then add=
ed:
"Let us go."
Our road ran across the sea. On it we saw a sh=
ip
so large that itattracted Oro's attention, and for once he expressed
astonishment.
"In my day," he said, "we had no
vessels of this greatness in the world.I wish to look upon it."
We landed on the deck of the ship, or rather t=
he
floating palace, andexamined her. She carried many passengers, some English,
some American,and I pointed out to Oro the differences between the two peop=
les.
Thesewere not, he remarked, very wide except that the American women woremo=
re
jewels, also that some of the American men, to whom we listenedas they
conversed, spoke of the greatness of their country, whereasthe Englishmen, =
if
they said anything concerning it, belittled theircountry.
Presently, on the surface of the sea at a litt=
le
distance appearedsomething strange, a small and ominous object like a can on
the top of apole. A voice cried out "Submarine!" and everyone near
rushed to look.
"If those Germans try any of their monkey
tricks on us, I guess theUnited States will give them hell," said anot=
her
voice near by.
Then from the direction of the pole with the t=
in
can on the top ofit, came something which caused a disturbance in the smooth
water andbubbles to rise in its wake.
"A torpedo!" cried some.
"Shut your mouth," said the voice.
"Who dare torpedo a vessel full ofthe citizens of the United States?&q=
uot;
Next came a booming crash and a flood of upthr=
own
water, in the wash ofwhich that speaker was carried away into the deep. Then
horror! horror!horror! indescribable, as the mighty vessel went wallowing to
her doom.Boats launched; boats overset; boats dragged under by her rush
throughthe water which could not be stayed. Maddened men and women runningto
and fro, their eyes starting from their heads, clasping children,fastening
lifebelts over their costly gowns, or appearing from theircabins, their han=
ds
filled with jewels that they sought to save. Orderscried from high places by
stern-faced officers doing their duty to thelast. And a little way off that
thin pole with a tin can on the top ofit watching its work.
Then the plunge of the enormous ship into the
deep, its huge screwsstill whirling in the air and the boom of the bursting
boilers. Lastlyeverything gone save a few boats floating on the quiet sea a=
nd
aroundthem dots that were the heads of struggling human beings.
"Let us go home," said Oro. "I =
grow
tired of this war of your Christianpeoples. It is no better than that of the
barbarian nations of the earlyworld. Indeed it is worse, since then we
worshipped Fate and but a fewof us had wisdom. Now you all claim wisdom and
declare that you worshipa God of Mercy."
With these words still ringing in my ears I wo=
ke
up upon the Island ofOrofena, filled with terror at the horrible possibilit=
ies
of nightmare.
What else could it be? There was the brown and
ancient cone of theextinct volcano. There were the tall palms of the main
island and thelake glittering in the sunlight between. There was Bastin
conductinga kind of Sunday school of Orofenans upon the point of the Rock
ofOfferings, as now he had obtained the leave of Oro to do. There was themo=
uth
of the cave, and issuing from it Bickley, who by help of one ofthe hurricane
lamps had been making an examination of the buriedremains of what he suppos=
ed
to be flying machines. Without doubt it wasnightmare, and I would say nothi=
ng
to them about it for fear of mockery.
Yet two nights later Oro came again and after =
the
usual preliminaries,said:
"Humphrey, this night we will visit that
mighty American nation, ofwhich you have told me so much, and the other Neu=
tral
Countries."
[At this point there is a gap in Mr. Arbuthnot=
's
M.S., so Oro'sreflections on the Neutral Nations, if any, remain unrecorded.
Itcontinues:]
On our homeward way we passed over Australia,
making a detour to do so.Of the cities Oro took no account. He said that th=
ey
were too large andtoo many, but the country interested him so much that I
gathered he musthave given great attention to agriculture at some time in t=
he
past. Hepointed out to me that the climate was fine, and the land so
fertilethat with a proper system of irrigation and water-storage it
couldsupport tens of millions and feed not only itself but a great part oft=
he
outlying world.
"But where are the people?" he asked.
"Outside of those huge hives," andhe indicated the great cities,
"I see few of them, though doubtless someof the men are fighting in th=
is
war. Well, in the days to come this mustbe remedied."
Over New Zealand, which he found beautiful, he
shook his head for thesame reason.
On another night we visited the East. China wi=
th
its teeming millionsinterested him extremely, partly because he declared th=
ese
to be thedescendants of one of the barbarian nations of his own day. He mad=
ea
remark to the effect that this race had always possessed pointsand capaciti=
es,
and that he thought that with proper government andinstruction their Chinese
offspring would be of use in a regeneratedworld.
For the Japanese and all that they had done in=
two
short generations, hewent so far as to express real admiration, a very rare
thing with Oro,who was by nature critical. I could see that mentally he put=
a
whitemark against their name.
India, too, really moved him. He admired the
ancient buildings at Delhiand Agra, especially the Taj Mahal. This, he
declared, was reminiscentof some of the palaces that stood at Pani, the cap=
ital
city of the Sonsof Wisdom, before it was destroyed by the Barbarians.
The English administration of the country also
attracted a word ofpraise from him, I think because of its rather autocratic
character.Indeed he went so far as to declare that, with certain modificati=
ons,it
should be continued in the future, and even to intimate that he wouldbear t=
he
matter in mind. Democratic forms of government had no charmsfor Oro.
Amongst other places, we stopped at Benares and
watched the funeralrites in progress upon the banks of the holy Ganges. The
bearers of thedead brought the body of a woman wrapped in a red shroud that
glitteredwith tinsel ornaments. Coming forward at a run and chanting as they
ran,they placed it upon the stones for a little while, then lifted it upaga=
in
and carried it down the steps to the edge of the river. Here theytook water=
and
poured it over the corpse, thus performing the rite ofthe baptism of death.
This done, they placed its feet in the waterand left it looking very small =
and
lonely. Presently appeared a tall,white-draped woman who took her stand by =
the
body and wailed. It was thedead one's mother. Again the bearers approached =
and
laid the corpse uponthe flaming pyre.
"These rites are ancient," said Oro.
"When I ruled as King of the Worldthey were practised in this very pla=
ce.
It is pleasant to me to findsomething that has survived the changefulness of
Time. Let it continuetill the end."
Here I will cease. These experiences that I ha=
ve
recorded are butsamples, for also we visited Russia and other countries.
Perhaps, too,they were not experiences at all, but only dreams consequent o=
n my
stateof health. I cannot say for certain, though much of what I seemed tosee
fitted in very well indeed with what I learned in after days, andcertainly =
at
the time they appeared as real as though Oro and I hadstood together upon t=
hose
various shores.
Now of all these happenings I said very little=
to
Bastin and Bickley.The former would not have understood them, and the latter
attributedwhat I did tell him to mental delusions following on my illness. =
To
YvaI did speak about them, however, imploring her to explain their originan=
d to
tell me whether or not they were but visions of the night.
She listened to me, as I thought not without
anxiety, from which Igathered that she too feared for my mind. It was not s=
o,
however, forshe said:
"I am glad, O Humphrey, that your journey=
ings
are done, since suchthings are not without danger. He who travels far out of
the body maychance to return there no more."
"But were they journeyings, or dreams?&qu=
ot;
I asked.
She evaded a direct answer.
"I cannot say. My father has great powers=
. I
do not know them all. It ispossible that they were neither journeyings nor
dreams. Mayhap he usedyou as the sorcerers in the old days used the magic
glass, and afterhe had put his spell upon you, read in your mind that which
passeselsewhere."
I understood her to refer to what we call
clairvoyance, when the personentranced reveals secret or distant things to =
the
entrancer. This isa more or less established phenomenon and much less marve=
lous
than theactual transportation of the spiritual self through space. Only I
neverknew of an instance in which the seer, on awaking, remembered the
thingsthat he had seen, as in my case. There, however, the matter rested,
orrests, for I could extract nothing more from Yva, who appeared to me toha=
ve
her orders on the point.
Nor did Oro ever talk of what I had seemed to =
see
in his company,although he continued from time to time to visit me at night.
But nowour conversation was of other matters. As Bastin had discovered, by
someextraordinary gift he had soon learned how to read the English
language,although he never spoke a single word in that tongue. Among
ourreference books that we brought from the yacht, was a thin paper edition=
of
the Encyclopedia Britannica, which he borrowed when he discoveredthat it
contained compressed information about the various countries ofthe world, a=
lso
concerning almost every other matter. My belief isthat within a month or so
that marvelous old man not only read thisstupendous work from end to end, b=
ut
that he remembered everything ofinterest which it contained. At least, he w=
ould
appear and show thefullest acquaintance with certain subjects or places, se=
eking
furtherlight from me concerning them, which very often I was quite unable
togive him.
An accident, as it chanced, whereof I need not=
set
out the details,caused me to discover that his remarkable knowledge was
limited. Thus,at one period, he knew little about any modern topic which be=
gan
with aletter later in the alphabet than, let us say, C. A few days afterwar=
dshe
was acquainted with those up to F, or G; and so on till he reached Z,when he
appeared to me to know everything, and returned the book. Now,indeed, he wa=
s a
monument of learning, very ancient and very new, andwith some
Encyclopedia-garnered facts or deductions of what had happenedbetween.
Moreover, he took to astronomical research, for
more than once we sawhim standing on the rock at night studying the heavens=
. On
one of theseoccasions, when he had the two metal plates, of which I have
spoken, inhis hands, I ventured to approach and ask what he did. He replied
thathe was checking his calculations that he found to be quite correct,an e=
xact
period of two hundred and fifty thousand years having goneby since he laid
himself down to sleep. Then, by aid of the plates,he pointed out to me cert=
ain
alterations that had happened during thatperiod in the positions of some of=
the
stars.
For instance, he showed me one which, by help =
of
my glasses, Irecognised as Sirius, and remarked that two hundred and fifty
thousandyears ago it was further away and much smaller. Now it was precisely
inthe place and of the size which he had predicted, and he pointed to iton =
his
prophetic map. Again he indicated a star that the night-glasstold me was
Capella, which, I suppose, is one of the most brilliantstars in the sky, and
showed me that on the map he had made two hundredand fifty thousand years a=
go,
it did not exist, as then it was too farnorth to appear thereon. Still, he
observed, the passage of this vastperiod of time had produced but little ef=
fect
upon the face of theheavens. To the human eye the majority of the stars had=
not
moved sovery far.
"And yet they travel fast, O Humphrey,&qu=
ot;
he said. "Consider then howgreat is their journey between the time they
gather and that day when,worn-out, once more they melt to vaporous gas. You
think me long-livedwho compared to them exist but a tiny fraction of a seco=
nd,
nearly allof which I have been doomed to pass in sleep. And, Humphrey, I
desireto live--I, who have great plans and would shake the world. But myday
draws in; a few brief centuries and I shall be gone,
and--whither,whither?"
"If you lived as long as those stars, the=
end
would be the same, Oro."
"Yes, but the life of the stars is very l=
ong,
millions of millionsof years; also, after death, they reform, as other star=
s.
But shall Ireform as another Oro? With all my wisdom, I do not know. It is
knownto Fate only--Fate-the master of worlds and men and the gods
theyworship--Fate, whom it may please to spill my gathered knowledge, to be=
lost
in the sands of Time."
"It seems that you are great," I sai=
d,
"and have lived long and learnedmuch. Yet the end of it is that your l=
ot
is neither worse nor betterthan that of us creatures of an hour."
"It is so, Humphrey. Presently you will d=
ie,
and within a few centuriesI shall die also and be as you are. You believe t=
hat
you will live againeternally. It may be so because you do believe, since Fa=
te
allows Faithto shape the future, if only for a little while. But in me Wisd=
om
hasdestroyed Faith and therefore I must die. Even if I sleep again fortens =
of
thousands of years, what will it help me, seeing that sleep isunconsciousne=
ss
and that I shall only wake again to die, since sleepdoes not restore to us =
our
youth?"
He ceased, and walked up and down the rock wit= h a troubled mien. Then hestood in front of me and said in a triumphant voice:<= o:p>
"At least, while I live I will rule, and =
then
let come what may come. Iknow that you do not believe, and the first victor=
y of
this new day ofmine shall be to make you believe. I have great powers and y=
ou
shallsee them at work, and afterwards, if things go right, rule with me for
alittle while, perhaps, as the first of my subjects. Hearken now; in onesma=
ll
matter my calculations, made so long ago, have gone wrong. Theyshowed me th=
at
at this time a day of earthquakes, such as those thatagain and again have
rocked and split the world, would recur. But nowit seems that there is an
error, a tiny error of eleven hundred years,which must go by before those
earthquakes come."
"Are you sure," I suggested humbly,
"that there is not also an error inthose star-maps you hold?"
"I am sure, Humphrey. Some day, who knows?
You may return to your worldof modern men who, I gather, have knowledge of =
the
great science ofastronomy. Take now these maps with which I have done, and
submit themto the most learned of those men, and let them tell you whether I
wasright or wrong in what I wrote upon this metal two hundred and fiftythou=
sand
years ago. Whatever else is false, at least the stars in theirmotions can n=
ever
die."
Then he handed me the maps and was gone. I have
them today, and if everthis book is published, they will appear with it, th=
at
those who arequalified may judge of them and of the truth or otherwise of
Oro'swords.
From that night forward for quite a long time I
saw Oro no more. Norindeed did any of us, since for some reason of his own =
he
forbade us tovisit the under ground city of Nyo. Oddly enough, however, he
commandedYva to bring down the spaniel, Tommy, to be with him from time to
time.When I asked her why, she said it was because he was lonely anddesired=
the
dog's companionship. It seemed to us very strange that thissuper-man, who h=
ad
the wisdom of ten Solomons gathered in one within hisbreast, should yet des=
ire
the company of a little dog. What then was theworth of learning and long li=
fe,
or, indeed, of anything? Well, Solomonhimself asked the question ages since=
, and
could give no answer savethat all is vanity.
I noted about this time that Yva began to grow
very sad and troubled;indeed, looking at her suddenly on two or three
occasions, I saw thather beautiful eyes were aswim with tears. Also, I noted
that always asshe grew sadder she became, in a sense, more human. In the
beginning shewas, as it were, far away. One could never forget that she was
thechild of some alien race whose eyes had looked upon the world when,
bycomparison, humanity was young; at times, indeed, she might have beenthe
denizen of another planet, strayed to earth. Although she neverflaunted it,=
one
felt that her simplest word hid secret wisdom; thatto her books were open in
which we could not read. Moreover, as I havesaid, occasionally power flamed=
out
of her, power that was beyond ourken and understanding.
Yet with all this there was nothing elfish abo=
ut
her, nothinguncanny. She was always kind, and, as we could feel, innately g=
ood
andgentle-hearted, just a woman made half-divine by gifts and experiencethat
others lack. She did not even make use of her wondrous beauty tomadden men,=
as
she might well have done had she been so minded. It istrue that both Bastin=
and
Bickley fell in love with her, but that wasonly because all with whom she h=
ad
to do must love her, and then, whenshe told them that it might not be, it w=
as
in such a fashion that nosoreness was left behind. They went on loving her,
that was all, but asmen love their sisters or their daughters; as we concei=
ve
that they maylove in that land where there is no marrying or giving in
marriage.
But now, in her sadness, she drew ever nearer =
to
us, and especially tomyself, more in tune with our age and thought. In trut=
h,
save for herroyal and glittering loveliness in which there was some quality
whichproclaimed her of another blood, and for that reserve of hidden powerw=
hich
at times would look out of her eyes or break through her words,she might in
most ways have been some singularly gifted and beautifulmodern woman.
The time has come when I must speak of my
relations with Yva and oftheir climax. As may have been guessed, from the f=
irst
I began to loveher. While the weeks went on that love grew and grew, until =
it
utterlypossessed me, although for a certain reason connected with one dead,
atfirst I fought against it. Yet it did not develop quite in the fashionthat
might have been expected. There was no blazing up of passion'sfire; rather =
was
there an ever-increasing glow of the holiest affection,till at last it beca=
me a
lamp by which I must guide my feet through lifeand death. This love of mine
seemed not of earth but from the stars. Asyet I had said nothing to her of =
it
because in some way I felt that shedid not wish me to do so, felt also that=
she
was well aware of all thatpassed within my heart, and desired, as it were, =
to
give it time toripen there. Then one day there came a change, and though no
glance ortouch of Yva's told me so, I knew that the bars were taken down and
thatI might speak.
It was a night of full moon. All that afternoon
she had been talking toBastin apart, I suppose about religion, for I saw th=
at
he had some booksin his hand from which he was expounding something to her =
in
his slow,earnest way. Then she came and sat with us while we took our
eveningmeal. I remember that mine consisted of some of the Life-water which=
she
had brought with her and fruit, for, as I think I have said, I hadacquired =
her
dislike to meat, also that she ate some plantains, throwingthe skins for To=
mmy
to fetch and laughing at his play. When it was over,Bastin and Bickley went
away together, whether by chance or design I donot know, and she said to me
suddenly:
"Humphrey, you have often asked me about =
the
city Pani, of which alittle portion of the ruins remains upon this island, =
the
rest beingburied beneath the waters. If you wish I will show you where our
royalpalace was before the barbarians destroyed it with their airships. The=
moon
is very bright, and by it we can see."
I nodded, for, knowing what she meant, somehow=
I
could not answer her,and we began the ascent of the hill. She explained to =
me
the plan of thepalace when we reached the ruins, showing me where her own
apartmentshad been, and the rest. It was very strange to hear her quietly
tellingof buildings which had stood and of things that had happened over
twohundred and fifty thousand years before, much as any modern lady mightdo=
of
a house that had been destroyed a month ago by an earthquake or aZeppelin b=
omb,
while she described the details of a disaster which nowfrightened her no mo=
re.
I think it was then that for the first time Ireally began to believe that in
fact Yva had lived all those aeons sinceand been as she still appeared.
We passed from the palace to the ruins of the
temple, through what,as she said, had been a pleasure-garden, pointing out =
where
a certainavenue of rare palms had grown, down which once it was her habit to
walkin the cool of the day. Or, rather, there were two terraced temples,one
dedicated to Fate like that in the underground city of Nyo, and theother to
Love. Of the temple to Fate she told me her father had been theHigh Priest,=
and
of the temple to Love she was the High Priestess.
Then it was that I understood why she had brou=
ght
me here.
She led the way to a marble block covered with
worn-out carvings andalmost buried in the debris. This, she said, was the a=
ltar
of offerings.I asked her what offerings, and she replied with a smile:
"Only wine, to signify the spirit of life,
and flowers to symboliseits fragrance," and she laid her finger on a
cup-like depression, stillapparent in the marble, into which the wine was
poured.
Indeed, I gathered that there was nothing coar=
se
or bacchanalian aboutthis worship of a prototype of Aphrodite; on the contr=
ary,
that it wasmore or less spiritual and ethereal. We sat down on the altar st=
one.
Iwondered a little that she should have done so, but she read my thought,and
answered:
"Sometimes we change our faiths, Humphrey=
, or
perhaps they grow. Also,have I not told you that sacrifices were offered on
this altar?" and shesighed and smiled.
I do not know which was the sweeter, the smile=
or
the sigh.
We looked at the water glimmering in the crater
beneath us on the edgeof which we sat. We looked at heaven above in which t=
he
great moonsailed royally. Then we looked into each other's eyes.
"I love you," I said.
"I know it," she answered gently.
"You have loved me from the first,have you not? Even when I lay asleep=
in
the coffin you began to love me,but until you dreamed a certain dream you w=
ould
not admit it."
"Yva, what was the meaning of that dream?=
"
"I cannot say, Humphrey. But I tell you t=
his.
As you will learn in time,one spirit may be clothed in different garments of
the flesh."
I did not understand her, but, in some strange
way, her words brought tomy mind those that Natalie spoke at the last, and I
answered:
"Yva, when my wife lay dying she bade me =
seek
her elsewhere, forcertainly I should find her. Doubtless she meant beyond t=
he
shores ofdeath--or perhaps she also dreamed."
She bent her head, looking at me very strangel=
y.
"Your wife, too, may have had the gift of
dreams, Humphrey. As you dreamand I dream, so mayhap she dreamed. Of dreams,
then, let us say no more,since I think that they have served their purpose,=
and
all three of usunderstand."
Then I stretched out my arms, and next instant=
my
head lay upon herperfumed breast. She lifted it and kissed me on the lips,
saying:
"With this kiss again I give myself to yo=
u.
But oh! Humphrey, do not asktoo much of the god of my people, Fate," a=
nd
she looked me in the eyesand sighed.
"What do you mean?" I asked, trembli=
ng.
"Many, many things. Among them, that
happiness is not for mortals, andremember that though my life began long ag=
o, I
am mortal as you are, andthat in eternity time makes no difference."
"And if so, Yva, what then? Do we meet bu=
t to
part?"
"Who said it? Not I. Humphrey, I tell you
this. Nor earth, nor heaven,nor hell have any bars through which love cannot
burst its way towardsreunion and completeness. Only there must be love,
manifested in manyshapes and at many times, but ever striving to its end, w=
hich
is not ofthe flesh. Aye, love that has lost itself, love scorned, love
defeated,love that seems false, love betrayed, love gone astray, love
wanderingthrough the worlds, love asleep and living in its sleep, love awak=
e andyet
sleeping; all love that has in it the germ of life. It matters notwhat form
love takes. If it be true I tell you that it will win itsway, and in the ma=
ny
that it has seemed to worship, still find the one,though perchance not
here."
At her words a numb fear gripped my heart.
"Not here? Then where?" I said.
"Ask your dead wife, Humphrey. Ask the du=
mb
stars. Ask the God youworship, for I cannot answer, save in one
word--Somewhere! Man, be notafraid. Do you think that such as you and I can=
be
lost in the achingabysms of space? I know but little, yet I tell you that we
are itsrulers. I tell you that we, too, are gods, if only we can aspire
andbelieve. For the doubting and timid there is naught. For those who seewi=
th
the eyes of the soul and stretch out their hands to grasp there isall. Even
Bastin will tell you this."
"But," I said, "life is short.
Those worlds are far away, and you arenear."
She became wonderful, mysterious.
"Near I am far," she said; "and=
far
I am near, if only this love ofyours is strong enough to follow and to clas=
p.
And, Humphrey, it needsstrength, for here I am afraid that it will bear lit=
tle
of such fruit asmen desire to pluck."
Again terror took hold of me, and I looked at =
her,
for I did not knowwhat to say or ask.
"Listen," she went on. "Already=
my
father has offered me to you inmarriage, has he not, but at a price which y=
ou
do not understand?Believe me, it is one that you should never pay, since the
rule of theworld can be too dearly bought by the slaughter of half the worl=
d. Andif
you would pay it, I cannot."
"But this is madness!" I exclaimed.
"Your father has no powers over ourearth."
"I would that I could think so, Humphrey.=
I
tell you that he has powersand that it is his purpose to use them as he has
done before. You, too,he would use, and me."
"And, if so, Yva, we are lords of ourselv=
es.
Let us take each otherwhile we may. Bastin is a priest."
"Lords of ourselves! Why, for ought I kno=
w,
at this very moment Orowatches us in his thought and laughs. Only in death,
Humphrey, shall wepass beyond his reach and become lords of ourselves."=
;
"It is monstrous!" I cried. "Th=
ere
is the boat, let us fly away."
"What boat can bear us out of stretch of =
the
arm of the old god of mypeople, Fate, whereof Oro is the high priest? Nay, =
here
we must wait ourdoom."
"Doom," I said--"doom? What the=
n is
about to happen?"
"A terrible thing, as I think, Humphrey. =
Or,
rather, it will nothappen."
"Why not, if it must?"
"Beloved," she whispered, "Bast=
in
has expounded to me a new faithwhereof the master-word is Sacrifice. The
terrible thing will not happenbecause of sacrifice! Ask me no more."
She mused a while, seated there in the moonlig=
ht
upon the ancient altarof sacrifice, the veil she wore falling about her face
and makingher mysterious. Then she threw it back, showing her lovely eyes
andglittering hair, and laughed.
"We have still an earthly hour," she
said; "therefore let us forget thefar, dead past and the eternities to
come and be joyful in that hour.Now throw your arms about me and I will tell
you strange stories of lostdays, and you shall look into my eyes and learn
wisdom, and you shallkiss my lips and taste of bliss--you, who were and are=
and
shallbe--you, the beloved of Yva from the beginning to the end of Time.&quo=
t;
I think that both Bastin and Bickley, by insti=
nct
as it were, knew whathad passed between Yva and myself and that she had
promised herself tome. They showed this by the way in which they avoided any
mention ofher name. Also they began to talk of their own plans for the futu=
reas
matters in which I had no part. Thus I heard them discussing thepossibility=
of
escape from the island whereof suddenly they seemed tohave grown weary, and
whether by any means two men (two, not three)could manage to sail and steer=
the
lifeboat that remained upon thewreck. In short, as in all such cases, the w=
oman
had come between; alsothe pressure of a common loss caused them to forget t=
heir
differencesand to draw closer together. I who had succeeded where they both
hadfailed, was, they seemed to think, out of their lives, so much that
ourancient intimacy had ended.
This attitude hurt me, perhaps because in many
respects the situationwas awkward. They had, it is true, taken their failur=
es
extremely well,still the fact remained that both of them had fallen in love
with thewonderful creature, woman and yet more than woman, who had boundher=
self
to me. How then could we go on living together, I in prospectivepossession =
of
the object that all had desired, and they without thepale?
Moreover, they were jealous in another and qui=
te a
different fashionbecause they both loved me in their own ways and were
convinced that Iwho had hitherto loved them, henceforward should have no
affection leftto spare, since surely this Glittering Lady, this marvel of
wisdom andphysical perfections would take it all. Of course they were in
error,since even if I could have been so base and selfish, this was no
conductthat Yva would have wished or even suffered. Still that was
theirthought.
Mastering the situation I reflected a little w=
hile
and then spokestraight out to them.
"My friends," I said, "as I see
that you have guessed, Yva and I areaffianced to each other and love each o=
ther
perfectly."
"Yes, Arbuthnot," said Bastin, "=
;we
saw that in your face, and in hersas she bade us good night before she went
into the cave, and wecongratulate you and wish you every happiness."
"We wish you every happiness, old
fellow," chimed in Bickley. Hepaused a while, then added, "But to=
be
honest, I am not sure that Icongratulate you."
"Why not, Bickley?"
"Not for the reason that you may suspect,
Arbuthnot, I mean not becauseyou have won where we have lost, as it was onl=
y to
be expected that youwould do, but on account of something totally different=
. I
told youa while ago and repetition is useless and painful. I need only
addtherefore that since then my conviction has strengthened and I amsure, s=
orry
as I am to say it, that in this matter you must prepare fordisappointment a=
nd
calamity. That woman, if woman she really is, willnever be the wife of mort=
al
man. Now be angry with me if you like, orlaugh as you have the right to do,
seeing that like Bastin and yourself,I also asked her to marry me, but
something makes me speak what Ibelieve to be the truth."
"Like Cassandra," I suggested.
"Yes, like Cassandra who was not a popular
person." At first I wasinclined to resent Bickley's words--who would n=
ot
have been in thecircumstances? Then of a sudden there rushed in upon my mind
theconviction that he spoke the truth. In this world Yva was not for me ora=
ny
man. Moreover she knew it, the knowledge peeped out of every wordshe spoke =
in
our passionate love scene by the lake. She was aware, andsubconsciously I w=
as
aware, that we were plighting our troth, not fortime but for eternity. With
time we had little left to do; not for longwould she wear the ring I gave h=
er
on that holy night.
Even Bastin, whose perceptions normally were n=
ot
acute, felt that thesituation was strained and awkward and broke in with a
curious air offorced satisfaction:
"It's uncommonly lucky for you, old boy, =
that
you happen to havea clergyman in your party, as I shall be able to marry yo=
u in
arespectable fashion. Of course I can't say that the Glittering Lady isas y=
et
absolutely converted to our faith, but I am certain that shehas absorbed en=
ough
of its principles to justify me in uniting her inChristian wedlock."
"Yes," I answered, "she has
absorbed its principles; she told me asmuch herself. Sacrifice, for
instance," and as I spoke the word my eyesfilled with tears.
"Sacrifice!" broke in Bickley with an
angry snort, for he needed a ventto his mental disturbance. "Rubbish. =
Why
should every religion demandsacrifice as savages do? By it alone they stand
condemned."
"Because as I think, sacrifice is the law=
of
life, at least of all lifethat is worth the living," I answered sadly
enough. "Anyhow I believeyou are right, Bickley, and that Bastin will =
not
be troubled to marryus."
"You don't mean," broke in Bastin wi=
th a
horrified air, "that youpropose to dispense--"
"No, Bastin, I don't mean that. What I me=
an
is that it comes upon methat something will prevent this marriage. Sacrific=
e,
perhaps, though inwhat shape I do not know. And now good night. I am
tired."
That night in the chill dead hour before the d=
awn
Oro came again. Iwoke up to see him seated by my bed, majestic, and, as it
seemed to me,lambent, though this may have been my imagination.
"You take strange liberties with my daugh=
ter,
Barbarian, or shetakes strange liberties with you, it does not matter which=
,"
he said,regarding me with his calm and terrible eyes.
"Why do you presume to call me
Barbarian?" I asked, avoiding the mainissue.
"For this reason, Humphrey. All men are t=
he
same. They have the sameorgans, the same instincts, the same desires, which=
in
essence arebut two, food and rebirth that Nature commands; though it is true
thatmillions of years before I was born, as I have learned from the records=
of
the Sons of Wisdom, it was said that they were half ape. Yet beingthe same
there is between them a whole sea of difference, since somehave knowledge a=
nd
others none, or little. Those who have none orlittle, among whom you must be
numbered, are Barbarians. Those whohave much, among whom my daughter and I =
are
the sole survivors, are theInstructed."
"There are nearly two thousand millions of
living people in this world,"I said, "and you name all of them
Barbarians?"
"All, Humphrey, excepting, of course, mys=
elf
and my daughter who arenot known to be alive. You think that you have learn=
ed
much, whereas intruth you are most ignorant. The commonest of the outer
nations, when Idestroyed them, knew more than your wisest know today."=
"You are mistaken, Oro; since then we have
learned something of thesoul."
"Ah!" he exclaimed, "that inter=
ests
me and perhaps it is true. Also, iftrue it is very important, as I have told
you before--or was it Bastin?If a man has a soul, he lives, whereas even we
Sons of Wisdom die, andin Death what is the use of Wisdom? Because you can
believe, you havesouls and are therefore, perhaps, heirs to life, foolish a=
nd
ignorant asyou are today. Therefore I admit you and Bastin to be my equals,
thoughBickley, who like myself believes nothing, is but a common chemist
anddoctor of disease."
"Then you bow to Faith, Oro?"
"Yes, and I think that my god Fate also b=
ows
to Faith. Perhaps, indeed,Faith shapes Fate, not Fate, Faith. But whence co=
mes
that faith whicheven I with all my learning cannot command? Why is it denie=
d to
me andgiven to you and Bastin?"
"Because as Bastin would tell you, it is a
gift, though one that isnever granted to the proud and self-sufficient. Bec=
ome
humble as achild, Oro, and perchance you too may acquire faith."
"And how shall I become humble?"
"By putting away all dreams of power and =
its
exercise, if such you have,and in repentance walking quietly to the Gates of
Death," I replied.
"For you, Humphrey, who have little or no=
ne
of these things, that may beeasy. But for me who have much, if not all, it =
is
otherwise. You ask meto abandon the certain for the uncertain, the known for
the unknown,and from a half-god communing with the stars, to become an
earthwormcrawling in mud and lifting blind eyes towards the darkness
ofeverlasting night."
"A god who must die is no god, half or wh=
ole,
Oro; the earthworm thatlives on is greater than he."
"Mayhap. Yet while I endure I will be as a
god, so that when nightcomes, if come it must, I shall have played my part =
and
left my markupon this little world of ours. Have done!" he added with a
burst ofimpatience. "What will you of my daughter?"
"What man has always willed of
woman--herself, body and soul."
"Her soul perchance is yours, if she has =
one,
but her body is mine togive or withhold. Yet it can be bought at a price,&q=
uot;
he added slowly.
"So she told me, Oro."
"I can guess what she told you. Did I not
watch you yonder by thelake when you gave her a ring graved with the signs =
of
Life andEverlastingness? The question is, will you pay the price?"
"Not so; the question is--what is the
price?"
"This; to enter my service and henceforth=
do
my will--without debate orcavil."
"For what reward, Oro?"
"Yva and the dominion of the earth while =
you
shall live, neither morenor less."
"And what is your will?"
"That you shall learn in due course. On t=
he
second night from this Icommand the three of you to wait upon me at sundown=
in
the buried hallsof Nyo. Till then you see no more of Yva, for I do not trust
her. She,too, has powers, though as yet she does not use them, and perchanc=
eshe
would forget her oaths, and following some new star of love, for alittle wh=
ile
vanish with you out of my reach. Be in the sepulchre at thehour of sundown =
on
the second day from this, all three of you, if youwould continue to live up=
on
the earth. Afterwards you shall learn mywill and make your choice between Y=
va
with majesty and her loss withdeath."
Then suddenly he was gone.
Next morning I told the others what had passed,
and we talked the matterover. The trouble was, of course, that Bickley did =
not
believe me. Hehad no faith in my alleged interviews with Oro, which he set =
down
todelusions of a semi-mesmeric character. This was not strange, sinceit
appeared that on the previous night he had watched the door ofmy sleeping-p=
lace
until dawn broke, which it did long after Oro haddeparted, and he had not s=
een
him either come or go, although the moonwas shining brightly.
When he told me this I could only answer that =
all
the same he had beenthere as, if he could speak, Tommy would have been able=
to
certify. Asit chanced the dog was sleeping with me and at the first sound of
theapproach of someone, woke up and growled. Then recognising Oro, he wentto
him, wagged his tail and curled himself up at his feet.
Bastin believed my story readily enough, saying
that Oro was a peculiarperson who no doubt had ways of coming and going whi=
ch
we did notunderstand. His point was, however, that he did not in the least =
wish
tovisit Nyo any more. The wonders of its underground palaces and templeshad=
no
charms for him. Also he did not think he could do any good bygoing, since a=
fter
"sucking him as dry as an orange" with reference toreligious matt=
ers
"that old vampire-bat Oro had just thrown him awaylike the rind,"
and, he might add, "seemed no better for the juice hehad absorbed.&quo=
t;
"I doubt," continued Bastin,
"whether St. Paul himself could haveconverted Oro, even if he performed
miracles before him. What is theuse of showing miracles to a man who could
always work a bigger onehimself?"
In short, Bastin's one idea, and Bickley's also
for the matter of that,was to get away to the main island and thence escape=
by
means of theboat, or in some other fashion.
I pointed out that Oro had said we must obey at
the peril of our lives;indeed that he had put it even more strongly, using
words to the effectthat if we did not he would kill us.
"I'd take the risk," said Bickley,
"since I believe that you dreamt itall, Arbuthnot. However, putting th=
at
aside, there is a natural reasonwhy you should wish to go, and for my own p=
art,
so do I in a way. I wantto see what that old fellow has up his extremely lo=
ng
sleeve, if thereis anything there at all."
"Well, if you ask me, Bickley," I
answered, "I believe it is thedestruction of half the earth, or some
little matter of that sort."
At this suggestion Bickley only snorted, but
Bastin said cheerfully:
"I dare say. He is bad enough even for th=
at.
But as I am quite convincedthat it will never be allowed, his intentions do=
not
trouble me."
I remarked that he seemed to have carried them=
out
once before.
"Oh! you mean the Deluge. Well, no doubt
there was a deluge, but I amsure that Oro had no more to do with it than yo=
u or
I, as I think I havesaid already. Anyhow it is impossible to leave you to
descend into thathole alone. I suggest, therefore, that we should go into t=
he
sepulchreat the time which you believe Oro appointed, and see what happens.
Ifyou are not mistaken, the Glittering Lady will come there to fetch us,sin=
ce
it is quite certain that we cannot work the lift or whatever itis, alone. If
you are mistaken we can just go back to bed as usual."
"Yes, that's the best plan," said
Bickley, shortly, after which theconversation came to an end.
All that day and the next I watched and waited=
in
vain for the comingof Yva, but no Yva appeared. I even went as far as the
sepulchre, but itwas as empty as were the two crystal coffins, and after
waiting a whileI returned. Although I did not say so to Bickley, to me it w=
as
evidentthat Oro, as he had said, was determined to cut off all
communicationbetween us.
The second day drew to its close. Our simple
preparations were complete.They consisted mainly in making ready our hurric=
ane
lamps and packingup a little food, enough to keep us for three or four days=
if
necessary,together with some matches and a good supply of oil, since, as
Bastinput it, he was determined not to be caught like the foolish virgins i=
nthe
parable.
"You see," he added, "one never
knows when it might please that oldwretch to turn off the incandescent gas =
or
electric light, or whateverit is he uses to illumine his family catacombs, =
and
then it would beawkward if we had no oil."
"For the matter of that he might steal our
lamps," suggested Bickley,"in which case we should be where Moses=
was
when the light went out."
"I have considered that possibility,"
answered Bastin, "and therefore,although it is a dangerous weapon to c=
arry
loaded, I am determined totake my revolver. If necessary I shall consider
myself quite justifiedin shooting him to save our lives and those of thousa=
nds
of others."
At this we both laughed; somehow the idea of
Bastin trying to shoot Orostruck us as intensely ludicrous. Yet that very t=
hing
was to happen.
It was a peculiarly beautiful sunset over the
southern seas. To thewest the great flaming orb sank into the ocean, to the
east appearedthe silver circle of the full moon. To my excited fancy they w=
ere
likescales hanging from the hand of a materialised spirit of calm. Over
thevolcano and the lake, over the island with its palm trees, over the
seasbeyond, this calm brooded. Save for a few travelling birds the skywas
empty; no cloud disturbed its peace; the world seemed steeped ininnocence a=
nd
quiet.
All these things struck me, as I think they did
the others, because bythe action of some simultaneous thought it came to our
minds that veryprobably we were looking on them for the last time. It is all
very wellto talk of the Unknown and the Infinite whereof we are assured we
arethe heirs, but that does not make it any easier for us to part with theK=
nown
and the Finite. The contemplation of the wonders of Eternity doesnot conceal
the advantages of actual and existent Time. In short thereis no one of us, =
from
a sainted archbishop down to a sinful suicide, whodoes not regret the neces=
sity
of farewell to the pleasant light and thekindly race of men wherewith we are
acquainted.
For after all, who can be quite certain of the
Beyond? It may besplendid, but it will probably be strange, and from
strangeness, after acertain age, we shrink. We know that all things will be
different there;that our human relationships will be utterly changed, that
perhaps sexwhich shapes so many of them, will vanish to be replaced by
somethingunknown, that ambitions will lose their hold of us, and that, at
thebest, the mere loss of hopes and fears will leave us empty. So at leastwe
think, who seek not variation but continuance, since the spirit mustdiffer =
from
the body and that thought alarms our intelligence.
At least some of us think so; others, like
Bickley, write downthe future as a black and endless night, which after all=
has
itsconsolations since, as has been wisely suggested, perhaps oblivion isbet=
ter
than any memories. Others again, like Bastin, would say ofit with the
Frenchman, plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. Yetothers, like Oro,
consider it as a realm of possibilities, probablyunpleasant and perhaps non=
-existent;
just this and nothing more. Onlyone thing is certain, that no creature which
has life desires to leapinto the fire and from the dross of doubts, to reso=
lve
the gold--or thelead--of certainty.
"It is time to be going," said Basti=
n.
"In these skies the sun seems totumble down, not to set decently as it
does in England, and if we waitany longer we shall be late for our appointm=
ent
in the sepulchre. I amsorry because although I don't often notice scenery,
everything looksrather beautiful this evening. That star, for instance, I t=
hink
it iscalled Venus."
"And therefore one that Arbuthnot should
admire," broke in Bickley,attempting to lighten matters with a joke.
"But come on and let us berid of this fool's errand. Certainly the wor=
ld
is a lovely place afterall, and for my part I hope that we haven't seen the
last of it," headded with a sigh.
"So do I," said Bastin, "though=
of
course, Faith teaches us that thereare much better ones beyond. It is no use
bothering about what they arelike, but I hope that the road to them doesn't=
run
through the hole thatthe old reprobate, Oro, calls Nyo."
A few minutes later we started, each of us
carrying his share of theimpedimenta. I think that Tommy was the only really
cheerful memberof the party, for he skipped about and barked, running backw=
ards
andforwards into the mouth of the cave, as though to hurry our movements.
"Really," said Bastin, "it is q=
uite
unholy to see an animal going on inthat way when it knows that it is about =
to
descend into the bowels ofthe earth. I suppose it must like them."
"Oh! no," commented Bickley, "it
only likes what is in them--likeArbuthnot. Since that little beast came in
contact with the Lady Yva, ithas never been happy out of her company."=
"I think that is so," said Bastin.
"At any rate I have noticed that ithas been moping for the last two da=
ys,
as it always does when she isnot present. It even seems to like Oro who giv=
es
me the creeps, perhapsbecause he is her father. Dogs must be very charitable
animals."
By now we were in the cave marching past the
wrecks of the half-buriedflying-machines, which Bickley, as he remarked
regretfully, had neverfound time thoroughly to examine. Indeed, to do so wo=
uld
have neededmore digging than we could do without proper instruments, since
themachines were big and deeply entombed in dust.
We came to the sepulchre and entered.
"Well," said Bickley, seating himsel=
f on
the edge of one of the coffinsand holding up his lamp to look about him,
"this place seems fairlyempty. No one is keeping the assignation,
Arbuthnot, although the sun iswell down."
As he spoke the words Yva stood before us. Whe=
nce
she came we did notsee, for all our backs were turned at the moment of her
arrival. Butthere she was, calm, beautiful, radiating light.
Yva glanced at me, and in her eyes I read
tenderness and solicitude,also something of inquiry. It seemed to me as tho=
ugh
she were wonderingwhat I should do under circumstances that might, or would,
arise, and insome secret fashion of which I was but half conscious, drawing=
an
answerfrom my soul. Then she turned, and, smiling in her dazzling way, said=
:
"So, Bickley, as usual, you did not belie=
ve?
Because you did not seehim, therefore the Lord Oro, my father, never spoke =
with
Humphrey.As though the Lord Oro could not pass you without your knowledge,
or,perchance, send thoughts clothed in his own shape to work his errand.&qu=
ot;
"How do you know that I did not believe
Arbuthnot's story?" Bickleyasked in a rather cross voice and avoiding =
the
direct issue. "Do youalso send thoughts to work your errands clothed in
your own shape, LadyYva?"
"Alas! not so, though perhaps I could if I
might. It is very simple,Bickley. Standing here, I heard you say that altho=
ugh
the sun was welldown there was no one to meet you as Humphrey had expected,=
and
fromthose words and your voice I guessed the rest."
"Your knowledge of the English language is
improving fast, Lady Yva.Also, when I spoke, you were not here."
"At least I was very near, Bickley, and t=
hese
walls are thinner than youthink," she answered, contemplating what see=
med
to be solid rock witheyes that were full of innocence. "Oh! friend,&qu=
ot;
she went on suddenly,"I wonder what there is which will cause you to
believe that you do notknow all; that there exist many things beyond the re=
ach
of your learningand imagination? Well, in a day or two, perhaps, even you w=
ill
admit asmuch, and confess it to me--elsewhere," and she sighed.
"I am ready to confess now that much happ=
ens
which I do not understandat present, because I have not the key to the
trick," he replied.
Yva shook her head at him and smiled again. Th=
en
she motioned to all ofus to stand close to her, and, stooping, lifted Tommy=
in
her arms. Nextmoment that marvel happened which I have described already, a=
nd
we werewhirling downwards through space, to find ourselves in a very little=
time
standing safe in the caves of Nyo, breathless with the swiftness ofour desc=
ent.
How and on what we descended neither I nor the others everlearned. It was a=
nd
must remain one of the unexplained mysteries of ourgreat experience.
"Whither now, Yva?" I asked, staring
about me at the radiant vastness.
"The Lord Oro would speak with you, Humph=
rey.
Follow. And I pray you alldo not make him wrath, for his mood is not
gentle."
So once more we proceeded down the empty stree=
ts
of that undergroundabode which, except that it was better illuminated, remi=
nded
me of theGreek conception of Hades. We came to the sacred fountain over
whichstood the guardian statue of Life, pouring from the cups she held
thewaters of Good and Ill that mingled into one health-giving wine.
"Drink, all of you," she said; "=
;for
I think before the sun sets againupon the earth we shall need strength, eve=
ry
one of us."
So we drank, and she drank herself, and once m=
ore
felt the blood godancing through our veins as though the draught had been s=
ome
nectar ofthe gods. Then, having extinguished the lanterns which we still
carried,for here they were needless, and we wished to save our oil, we
followedher through the great doors into the vast hall of audience and
advancedup it between the endless, empty seats. At its head, on the daisben=
eath
the arching shell, sat Oro on his throne. As before, he wore thejewelled cap
and the gorgeous, flowing robes, while the table in frontof him was still
strewn with sheets of metal on which he wrote with apen, or stylus, that
glittered like a diamond or his own fierce eyes.Then he lifted his head and
beckoned to us to ascend the dais.
"You are here. It is well," he said,
which was all his greeting. Onlywhen Tommy ran up to him he bent down and
patted the dog's head with hislong, thin hand, and, as he did so, his face
softened. It was evident tome that Tommy was more welcome to him than were =
the
rest of us.
There was a long silence while, one by one, he
searched us with hispiercing glance. It rested on me, the last of the three=
of
us, and fromme travelled to Yva.
"I wonder why I have sent for you?" =
he
said at length, with a mirthlesslaugh. "I think it must be that I may
convince Bickley, the sceptic,that there are powers which he does not
understand, but that I have thestrength to move. Also, perhaps, that your l=
ives
may be spared for myown purposes in that which is about to happen. Hearken!=
My
labours arefinished; my calculations are complete," and he pointed to =
the
sheets ofmetal before him that were covered with cabalistic signs.
"Tomorrow I amabout to do what once before I did and to plunge half the
world in thedeeps of ocean and lift again from the depths that which has be=
en
buriedfor a quarter of a million years."
"Which half?" asked Bickley.
"That is my secret, Physician, and the an=
swer
to it lies written herein signs you cannot read. Certain countries will van=
ish,
others will bespared. I say that it is my secret."
"Then, Oro, if you could do what you
threaten, you would drown hundredsof millions of people."
"If I could do! If I could do!" he exclaimed, glaring at Bickley. "Well,tomorrow you shall see what I can= do. Oh! why do I grow angry with thisfool? For the rest, yes, they must drown. = What does it matter? Their endwill be swift; some few minutes of terror, that is all, and in one shortcentury every one of them would have been dead."<= o:p>
An expression of horror gathered on Bastin's f=
ace.
"Do you really mean to murder hundreds of
millions of people?" he asked,in a thick, slow voice.
"I have said that I intend to send them to
that heaven or that hell ofwhich you are so fond of talking, Preacher, some=
what
more quicklythan otherwise they would have found their way thither. They
havedisappointed me, they have failed; therefore, let them go and make room=
for
others who will succeed."
"Then you are a greater assassin than any
that the world has bred, orthan all of them put together. There is nobody as
bad, even in the Bookof Revelation!" shouted Bastin, in a kind of fury.
"Moreover, I am notlike Bickley. I know enough of you and your hellish
powers to believethat what you plan, that you can do."
"I believe it also," sneered Oro.
"But how comes it that the Great Onewhom you worship does not prevent =
the
deed, if He exists, and it beevil?"
"He will prevent it!" raved Bastin.
"Even now He commands me to preventit, and I obey!" Then, drawing=
the
revolver from his pocket, he pointedit at Oro's breast, adding: "Swear=
not
to commit this crime, or I willkill you!"
"So the man of peace would become a man of
blood," mused Oro, "and killthat I may not kill for the good of t=
he
world? Why, what is the matterwith that toy of yours, Preacher?" and he
pointed to the pistol.
Well might he ask, for as he spoke the revolver
flew out of Bastin'shand. High into the air it flew, and as it went dischar=
ged
itself, allthe six chambers of it, in rapid succession, while Bastin stood
staringat his arm and hand which he seemed unable to withdraw.
"Do you still threaten me with that
outstretched hand, Preacher?" mockedOro.
"I can't move it," said Bastin; &quo=
t;it
seems turned to stone."
"Be thankful that you also are not turned=
to
stone. But, because yourcourage pleases me, I will spare you, yes, and will
advance you in myNew Kingdom. What shall you be? Controller of Religions, I
think, sinceall the qualities that a high priest should have are
yours--faith,fanaticism and folly."
"It is very strange," said Bastin,
"but all of a sudden my arm and handare quite well again. I suppose it
must have been 'pins and needles' orsomething of that sort which made me th=
row
away the pistol and pull thetrigger when I didn't mean to do so."
Then he went to fetch that article which had
fallen beyond the dais, andquite forgot his intention of executing Oro in t=
he
interest of testingits mechanism, which proved to be destroyed. To his prop=
osed
appointmenthe made no illusion. If he comprehended what was meant, which I
doubt,he took it as a joke.
"Hearken all of you," said Oro, lift=
ing
his head suddenly, for whileBastin recovered the revolver he had been brood=
ing.
"The great thingwhich I shall do tomorrow must be witnessed by you bec=
ause
thereby onlycan you come to understand my powers. Also yonder where I bring=
it
aboutin the bowels of the earth, you will be safer than elsewhere, since
whenand perhaps before it happens, the whole world will heave and shake
andtremble, and I know not what may chance, even in these caves. For thisre=
ason
also, do not forget to bring the little hound with you, sincehim least of a=
ll
of you would I see come to harm, perhaps because once,hundreds of generatio=
ns
ago as you reckon time, I had a dog very like tohim. Your mother loved him
much, Yva, and when she died, this dog diedalso. He lies embalmed with her =
on
her coffin yonder in the temple, andyesterday I went to look at both of the=
m.
The beasts are wonderfullyalike, which shows the everlastingness of
blood."
He paused a while, lost in thought, then
continued: "After the deed isdone I'll speak with you and you shall
choose, Strangers, whether youwill die your own masters, or live on to serve
me. Now there is oneproblem that is left to me to solve--whether I can save=
a
certainland--do not ask which it is, Humphrey, though I see the question in=
your
eyes--or must let it go with the rest. I only answer you thatI will do my b=
est
because you love it. So farewell for a while, and,Preacher, be advised by me
and do not aim too high again."
"It doesn't matter where I aim,"
answered Bastin sturdily, "or whetherI hit or miss, since there is
something much bigger than me waiting todeal with you. The countries that y=
ou
think you are going to destroywill sleep quite as well tomorrow as they do
tonight, Oro."
"Much better, I think, Preacher, since by
then they will have leftsorrow and pain and wickedness and war far behind
them."
"Where are we to go?" I asked.
"The Lady Yva will show you," he
answered, waving his hand, and oncemore bent over his endless calculations.=
Yva beckoned to us and we turned and followed =
her
down the hall. She ledus to a street near the gateway of the temple and the=
nce
into one of thehouses. There was a portico to it leading to a court out of
which openedrooms somewhat in the Pompeian fashion. We did not enter the ro=
oms,
forat the end of the court were a metal table and three couches also ofmeta=
l,
on which were spread rich-looking rugs. Whence these came I donot know and
never asked, but I remember that they were very beautifuland soft as velvet=
.
"Here you may sleep," she said, &quo=
t;if
sleep you can, and eat of the foodthat you have brought with you. Tomorrow
early I will call you when itis time for us to start upon our journey into =
the
bowels of the earth."
"I don't want to go any deeper than we
are," said Bastin doubtfully.
"I think that none of us want to go, Bast=
in,"
she answered with a sigh."Yet go we must. I pray of you, anger the Lord
Oro no more on this orany other matter. In your folly you tried to kill him,
and as it chancedhe bore it well because he loves courage. But another time=
he
may strikeback, and then, Bastin--"
"I am not afraid of him," he answere=
d,
"but I do not like tunnels.Still, perhaps it would be better to accomp=
any
you than to be left inthis place alone. Now I will unpack the food."
Yva turned to go.
"I must leave you," she said,
"since my father needs my help. The matterhas to do with the Force tha=
t he
would let loose tomorrow, and itsmeasurements; also with the preparation of=
the
robes that we must wearlest it should harm us in its leap."
Something in her eyes told me that she wished =
me
to follow her, andI did so. Outside the portico where we stood in the desol=
ate,
lightedstreet, she halted.
"If you are not afraid," she said,
"meet me at midnight by the statue ofFate in the great temple, for I w=
ould
speak with you, Humphrey, where,if anywhere, we may be alone."
"I will come, Yva."
"You know the road, and the gates are ope=
n,
Humphrey."
Then she gave me her hand to kiss and glided a=
way.
I returned to theothers and we ate, somewhat sparingly, for we wished to sa=
ve
our food incase of need, and having drunk of the Life-water, were not hungr=
y.
Alsowe talked a little, but by common consent avoided the subject of themor=
row
and what it might bring forth.
We knew that terrible things were afoot, but
lacking any knowledge ofwhat these might be, thought it useless to discuss
them. Indeed wewere too depressed, so much so that even Bastin and Bickley
ceased fromarguing. The latter was so overcome by the exhibition of Oro's
powerswhen he caused the pistol to leap into the air and discharge itself,t=
hat
he could not even pluck up courage to laugh at the failure ofBastin's effor=
ts
to do justice on the old Super-man, or rather toprevent him from attempting=
a
colossal crime.
At length we lay down on the couches to rest,
Bastin remarking that hewished he could turn off the light, also that he did
not in the leastregret having tried to kill Oro. Sleep seemed to come to the
othersquickly, but I could only doze, to wake up from time to time. Of this
Iwas not sorry, since whenever I dropped off dreams seemed to pursue me.For=
the
most part they were of my dead wife. She appeared to be tryingto console me=
for
some loss, but the strange thing was that sometimesshe spoke with her own v=
oice
and sometimes with Yva's, and sometimeslooked at me with her own eyes and s=
ometimes
with those of Yva. Iremember nothing else about these dreams, which were ve=
ry
confused.
After one of them, the most vivid of all, I aw=
oke
and looked at mywatch. It was half-past eleven, almost time for me to be
starting. Theother two seemed to be fast asleep. Presently I rose and crept
down thecourt without waking them. Outside the portico, which by the way was
acurious example of the survival of custom in architecture, since nonewas
needed in that weatherless place, I turned to the right and followedthe wide
street to the temple enclosure. Through the pillared courtsI went, my
footsteps, although I walked as softly as I could, echoingloudly in that
intense silence, through the great doors into the uttersolitude of the vast=
and
perfect fane.
Words can not tell the loneliness of that plac=
e.
It flowed over me likea sea and seemed to swallow up my being, so that even=
the
wildest andmost dangerous beast would have been welcome as a companion. I w=
as
asterrified as a child that wakes to find itself deserted in the dark.Also =
an
uncanny sense of terrors to come oppressed me, till I could havecried aloud=
if
only to hear the sound of a mortal voice. Yonder wasthe grim statue of Fate,
the Oracle of the Kings of the Sons of Wisdom,which was believed to bow its=
stony
head in answer to their prayers. Iran to it, eager for its terrible shelter,
for on either side of it werefigures of human beings. Even their cold marble
was company of a sort,though alas! over all frowned Fate.
Let anyone imagine himself standing alone bene=
ath
the dome of St.Paul's; in the centre of that cathedral brilliant with
mysterious light,and stretched all about it a London that had been dead and
absolutelyunpeopled for tens of thousands of years. If he can do this he
willgather some idea of my physical state. Let him add to his mind-picturea
knowledge that on the following day something was to happen not unlikethe e=
nd
of the world, as prognosticated by the Book of Revelation and bymost
astronomers, and he will have some idea of my mental perturbations.Add to t=
he
mixture a most mystic yet very real love affair and anassignation before th=
at
symbol of the cold fate which seems to sway theuniverses down to the tiniest
detail of individual lives, and he maybegin to understand what I, Humphrey
Arbuthnot, experienced during myvigil in this sanctuary of a vanished race.=
It seemed long before Yva came, but at last she
did come. I caught sightof her far away beyond the temple gate, flitting
through the unholybrightness of the pillared courts like a white moth at ni=
ght
and seemingquite as small. She approached; now she was as a ghost, and then
drawingnear, changed into a living, breathing, lovely woman. I opened myarm=
s,
and with something like a sob she sank into them and we kissed asmortals do=
.
"I could not come more quickly," she
said. "The Lord Oro needed me, andthose calculations were long and
difficult. Also twice he must visit theplace whither we shall go tomorrow, =
and
that took time."
"Then it is close at hand?" I said.<= o:p>
"Humphrey, be not foolish. Do you not
remember, who have travelled withhim, that Oro can throw his soul afar and
bring it back again laden withknowledge, as the feet of a bee are laden with
golden dust? Well, hewent and went again, and I must wait. And then the rob=
es
and shields;they must be prepared by his arts and mine. Oh! ask not what th=
ey
are,there is no time to tell, and it matters nothing. Some folk are wise
andsome are foolish, but all which matters is that within them flows theblo=
od
of life and that life breeds love, and that love, as I believe,although Oro
does not, breeds immortality. And if so, what is Time butas a grain of sand
upon the shore?"
"This, Yva; it is ours, who can count on
nothing else."
"Oh! Humphrey, if I thought that, no more
wretched creature wouldbreathe tonight upon this great world."
"What do you mean?" I asked, growing
fearful, more at her manner and herlook 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 Orowho has lived a thousand years and slept for tens of
thousands, as Ihave, and he will say the same. It is against Time that he
fights; hewho, believing in nothing beyond, will inherit nothing, as
Bastinsays; he to whom Time has brought nothing save a passing,
blood-stainedgreatness, and triumph ending in darkness and disaster, and ho=
pe
thatwill surely suffer hope's eclipse, and power that must lay down itscoro=
net
in dust."
"And what has it brought to you, Yva, bey=
ond
a fair body and a soul ofstrength?"
"It has brought a spirit, Humphrey. Betwe= en them the body and the soulhave bred a spirit, and in the fires of tribulati= on from that spirit hasbeen distilled the essence of eternal love. That is Tim= e's gift to me,and therefore, although still he rules me here, I mock at Fate," and shewaved her hand with a gesture of defiance at the stern-faced, sexlesseffigy which sat above us, the sword across its knees.<= o:p>
"Look! Look!" she went on in a swell=
ing
voice of music, pointing to thestatues of the dotard and the beauteous woma=
n.
"They implore Fate, theyworship Fate. I do not implore, I do not worsh=
ip
or ask a sign as evenOro 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 uponFate, and thence, like a swimmer from a rock, leap into the waters
ofImmortality."
I looked at her whose presence, as happened fr=
om
time to time, had grownmajestic beyond that of woman; I studied her deep ey=
es
which were fullof lights, not of this world, and I grew afraid.
"What do you mean?" I asked. "Y=
va,
you talk like one who has finishedwith life."
"It passes," she answered quickly.
"Life passes like breath fading froma mirror. So should all talk who
breathe beneath the sun."
"Yes, Yva, but if you went and left me st=
ill
breathing on that mockingglass--"
"If so, what of it? Will not your breath =
fade
also and join mine whereall vapours go? Or if it were yours that faded and =
mine
that remainedfor some few hours, is it not the same? I think, Humphrey, that
alreadyyou 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 thattwo breaths may yet be one breath? How do you know that
there is adifference between them?"
"You drive me mad, Yva. I cannot
understand."
"Nor can I altogether, Humphrey. Why shou=
ld
I, seeing that I am nomore than woman, as you are no more than man? I would
always haveyou remember, Humphrey, that I am no spirit or sorceress, but ju=
st
awoman--like her you lost."
I looked at her doubtfully and answered:
"Women do not sleep for two hundred thous=
and
years. Women do not takedream journeys to the stars. Women do not make the =
dead
past live againbefore the watcher's eyes. Their hair does not glimmer in the
dusk nordo their bodies gleam, nor have they such strength of soul or eyes
sowonderful, or loveliness so great."
These words appeared to distress her who, as it
seemed to me, was aboveall things anxious to prove herself woman and no mor=
e.
"All these qualities are nothing,
Humphrey," she cried. "As for thebeauty, such as it is, it comes =
to
me with my blood, and with it theglitter of my hair which is the heritage o=
f those
who for generationshave drunk of the Life-water. My mother was lovelier tha=
n I,
as was hermother, or so I have heard, since only the fairest were the wives
ofthe Kings of the Children of Wisdom. For the rest, such arts as I havespr=
ing
not from magic, but from knowledge which your people will acquirein days to
come, that is, if Oro spares them. Surely you above allshould know that I am
only woman," she added very slowly and searchingmy face with her eyes.=
"Why, Yva? During the little while that we
have been together I haveseen much which makes me doubt. Even Bickley the
sceptic doubts also."
"I will tell you, though I am not sure th=
at
you will believe me." Sheglanced about her as though she were frighten=
ed
lest someone shouldoverhear her words or read her thoughts. Then she stretc=
hed
out herhands and drawing my head towards her, put her lips to my ear
andwhispered:
"Because once you saw me die, as women of=
ten
die--giving life for life."
"I saw you die?" I gasped.
She nodded, then continued to whisper in my ea=
r,
not in her own voice,but another's:
"Go where you seem called to go, far away.
Oh! the wonderful place inwhich you will find me, not knowing that you have
found me. Good-bye fora little while; only for a little while, my own, my
own!"
I knew the voice as I knew the words, and know=
ing,
I think that I shouldhave fallen to the ground, had she not supported me wi=
th
her strongarms.
"Who told you?" I stammered. "W=
as
it Bickley or Bastin? They knew,though neither of them heard those holy
words."
"Not Bickley nor Bastin," she answer=
ed,
shaking her head, "no, nor youyourself, awake or sleeping, though once=
, by
the lake yonder, yousaid to me that when a certain one lay dying, she bade =
you
seek herelsewhere, for certainly you would find her. Humphrey, I cannot say
whotold me those words because I do not know. I think they are a
memory,Humphrey!"
"That would mean that you, Yva, are the s=
ame
as one who was--not calledYva."
"The same as one who was called Natalie,
Humphrey," she replied insolemn accents. "One whom you loved and =
whom
you lost."
"Then you think that we live again upon t=
his
earth?"
"Again and yet again, until the time comes
for us to leave the earthfor ever. Of this, indeed, I am sure, for that
knowledge was part of thesecret wisdom of my people."
"But you were not dead. You only slept.&q=
uot;
"The sleep was a death-sleep which went by
like a flash, yes, in aninstant, or so it seemed. Only the shell of the body
remained preservedby mortal arts, and when the returning spirit and the lig=
ht
of life werepoured into it again, it awoke. But during this long death-slee=
p,
thatspirit may have spoken through other lips and that light may have
shonethrough 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 tho=
ught
as much."
"In a way, yes, Yva. But I could not beli=
eve
and turned from what I heldto be a phantasy."
"It was natural, Humphrey, that you should
not believe. Hearken! In thistemple a while ago I showed you a picture of
myself and of a man wholoved me and whom I loved, and of his death at Oro's
hands. Did you noteanything about that man?"
"Bickley did," I answered. "Was=
he
right?"
"I think that he was right, since otherwi=
se I
should not have loved you,Humphrey."
"I remember nothing of that man, Yva.&quo=
t;
"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 setislands of life; perhaps many of them. But I remember much w=
ho
seem tohave left him but a very little while ago."
"When you awoke in your coffin and threw =
your
arms about me, what didyou think, Yva?"
"I thought you were that man, Humphrey.&q=
uot;
There was silence between us and in that silen=
ce
the truth came home tome. Then there before the effigy of Fate and in the
desolate, glowingtemple we plighted anew our troth made holy by a past that
thus sowonderfully lived again.
Of this consecrated hour I say no more. Let ea=
ch
picture it as he will.A glory as of heaven fell upon us and in it we dwelt a
space.
"Beloved," she whispered at length i= n a voice that was choked as thoughwith tears, "if it chances that we shou= ld be separated again for alittle while, you will not grieve over much?"<= o:p>
"Knowing all I should try not to grieve, =
Yva,
seeing that in truth wenever can be parted. But do you mean that I shall
die?"
"Being mortal either of us might seem to =
die,
Humphrey," and she benther head as though to hide her face. "You =
know
we go into dangers thisday."
"Does Oro really purpose to destroy much =
of
the world and has he intruth the power, Yva?"
"He does so purpose and most certainly he=
has
the power, unless--unlesssome other Power should stay his hand."
"What other power, Yva?"
"Oh! perhaps that which you worship, that=
which
is called Love. The loveof man may avert the massacre of men. I hope so with
all my heart. Hist!Oro comes. I feel, I know that he comes, though not in
search of us whoare very far from his thought tonight. Follow me.
Swiftly."
She sped across the temple to where a chapel
opened out of it, which wasfull of the statues of dead kings, for here was =
the
entrance to theirburial vault. We reached it and hid behind the base of one=
of
thesestatues. By standing to our full height, without being seen we stillco=
uld
see between the feet of the statue that stood upon a pedestal.
Then Oro came.
Oro came and of necessity alone. Yet there was
that in his air as headvanced into the temple, which suggested a monarch
surrounded by thepomp and panoply of a great court. He marched, his head he=
ld
high, asthough heralds and pursuivants went in front of him, as though
noblessurrounded him and guards or regiments followed after him. Let it
beadmitted that he was a great figure in his gorgeous robes, with his longw=
hite
beard, his hawk-like features, his tall shape and his glitteringeyes, which
even at that distance I could see. Indeed once or twice Ithought that he
glanced out of the corners of them towards the chapelwhere we were hid. But=
this
I think was fancy. For as Yva said, histhoughts were set elsewhere.
He reached the statue of Fate and stood for a
while contemplating it andthe suppliant figures on either side, as though he
were waiting for hisinvisible court to arrange itself. Then he doffed his
jewelled cap tothe effigy, and knelt before it. Yes, Oro the Ancient, the
Super-man,the God, as the early peoples of the earth fancied such a being,
namely,one full of wrath, revenge, jealousy, caprice and power, knelt
insupplication to this image of stone which he believed to be the homeof a
spirit, thereby showing himself to be after all not so far removedfrom the
savages whose idol Bastin had destroyed. More, in a clear andresonant voice
which reached us even across that great space, he putup his prayer. It ran
something as follows, for although I did notunderstand the language in whic=
h he
spoke Yva translated it to me in awhisper:
"God of the Sons of Wisdom, God of the wh=
ole
earth, only God to whommust bow every other Power and Dominion, to thee I, =
Oro
the Great King,make prayer and offer sacrifice. Twenty times ten thousand y=
ears
andmore have gone by since I, Oro, visited this, thy temple and kneltbefore
this, thy living effigy, yet thou, ruler of the world, dostremember the pra=
yer
I made and the sacrifice I offered. The prayer wasfor triumph over my enemi=
es
and the sacrifice a promise of the lives ofhalf of those who in that day dw=
elt
upon the earth. Thou heardest theprayer, thou didst bow thy head and accept=
the
sacrifice. Yea, theprayer was granted and the sacrifice was made, and in it
were countedthe number of my foes.
"Then I slept. Through countless generati=
ons
I slept on and at my sidewas the one child of my body that was left to me. =
What
chanced to myspirit and to hers during that sleep, thou knowest alone, but
doubtlessthey went forth to work thy ends.
"At the appointed time which thou didst
decree, I awoke again and foundin my house strangers from another land. In =
the
company of one of thosewhose spirit I drew forth, I visited the peoples of =
the
new earth,and found them even baser and more evil than those whom I had
known.Therefore, since they cannot be bettered. I purpose to destroy themal=
so,
and on their wreck to rebuild a glorious empire, such as was thatof the Son=
s of
Wisdom at its prime.
"A sign! O Fate, ruler of the world, give=
me
a sign that my desire shallbe fulfilled."
He paused, stretching out his arms and staring
upwards. While he waitedI felt the solid rock on which I stood quiver and s=
way
beneath my feetso that Yva and I clung to each other lest we should fall. T=
his
chancedalso. The shock of the earth tremor, for such without doubt it was,t=
hrew
down the figures of the ancient man and the lovely woman whichknelt as thou=
gh
making prayers to Fate, and shook the marble sword fromoff its knees. As it
fell Oro caught it by the hilt, and, rising, wavedit in triumph.
"I thank thee, God of my people from the
beginning," he cried. "Thouhast given to me, thy last servant, th=
ine
own sword and I will use itwell. For these worshippers of thine who have
fallen, thou shalt haveothers, yes, all those who dwell in the new world th=
at
is to be. Mydaughter and the man whom she has chosen to be the father of the
kingsof the earth, and with him his companions, shall be the first of thehu=
ndreds
of millions that are to follow, for they shall kiss thy feet orperish. Thou
shalt set thy foot upon the necks of all other gods; thoushalt rule and thou
alone, and, as of old, Oro be thy minister."
Still holding the sword, he flung himself down=
as
though in an ecstasy,and was silent.
"I read the omen otherwise," whisper=
ed
Yva. "The worshippers of Fate areoverthrown. His sword of power is fal=
len,
but not into the hands thatclasped it, and he totters on his throne. A grea=
ter
God asserts dominionof the world and this Fate is but his instrument."=
Oro rose again.
"One prayer more," he cried. "G=
ive
me life, long life, that I mayexecute thy decrees. By word or gesture show =
me a
sign that I shall besatisfied with life, a year for every year that I have
lived, or twain!"
He waited, staring about him, but no token cam=
e;
the idol did notspeak or bow its head, as Yva had told me it was wont to do=
in
sign ofaccepted prayer, how, she knew not. Only I thought I heard the echo
ofOro's cries run in a whisper of mockery round the soaring dome.
Once more Oro flung himself upon his knees and
began to pray in averitable agony.
"God of my forefathers, God of my lost
people, I will hide naught fromthee," he said. "I who fear nothing
else, fear death. The priest-foolyonder with his new faith, has spoken
blundering words of judgment anddamnation which, though I do not believe th=
em,
yet stick in my heartlike arrows. I will stamp out his faith, and with this
ancient sword ofthine drive back the new gods into the darkness whence they
came. Yetwhat if some water of Truth flows through the channel of his
leadenlips, and what if because I have ruled and will rule as thou didstdec=
ree,
therefore, in some dim place of souls, I must bear these burdensof terror a=
nd
of doom which I have bound upon the backs of others! Nay,it cannot be, for =
what
power is there in all the universe that dares tomake a slave of Oro and to
afflict him with stripes?
"Yet this can be and mayhap will be, that
presently I lose my path inthe ways of everlasting darkness, and become
strengthless and forgottenas are those who went before me, while my crown of
Power shines onyounger brows. Alas! I grow old, since aeons of sleep have n=
ot
renewedmy strength. My time is short and yet I would not die as mortals
must.Oh! God of my people, whom I have served so well, save me from thedeat=
h I
dread. For I would not die. Give me a sign; give me the ancient,sacred
sign!"
So he spoke, lifting his proud and splendid he=
ad
and watching the statuewith wide, expectant eyes.
"Thou dost not answer," he cried aga=
in.
"Wouldst thou desert me, Fate?Then beware lest I set up some new god
against thee and hurl thee fromthine immemorial throne. While I live I still
have powers, I who am thelast of thy worshippers, since it seems that my da=
ughter
turns her backon thee. I will get me to the sepulchre of the kings and take
counselwith the dust of that wizard who first taught me wisdom. Even from
thedepths of death he must come to my call clad in a mockery of life,
andcomfort me. A little while yet I will wait, and if thou answer not,
thenFate, soon I'll tear the sceptre from thy hand, and thou shalt join
thecompany of dead gods." And throwing aside the sword, again Oro laid=
down
his head upon the ground and stretched out his arms in the lastabasement of
supplication.
"Come," whispered Yva, "while t=
here
is yet time. Presently he will seekthis place to descend to the sepulchre, =
and
if he learns that we haveread his heart and know him for a coward deserted =
of
his outworn god,surely he will blot us out. Come, and be swift and
silent."
We crept out of the chapel, Yva leading, and a=
long
the circle of thegreat dome till we reached the gates. Here I glanced back =
and
perceivedthat Oro, looking unutterably small in that vastness, looking like
adead man, still lay outstretched before the stern-faced, unansweringEffigy
which, with all his wisdom, he believed to be living and divine.Perhaps onc=
e it
was, but if so its star had set for ever, like those ofAmon, Jupiter and Ba=
al,
and he was its last worshipper.
Now we were safe, but still we sped on till we
reached the portico ofour sleeping place. Then Yva turned and spoke.
"It is horrible," she said, "an=
d my
soul sickens. Oh, I thank theStrength which made it that I have no desire to
rule the earth, and,being innocent of death, do not fear to die and cross h=
is
threshold."
"Yes, it is horrible," I answered.
"Yet all men fear death."
"Not when they have found love, Humphrey,=
for
that I think is his truename, and, with it written on his brow, he stands u=
pon
the neck of Fatewho is still my father's god."
"Then he is not yours, Yva?"
"Nay. Once it was so, but now I reject hi=
m;
he is no longer mine. As Orothreatens, and perchance dare do in his rage, I
have broken his chain,though in another fashion. Ask me no more; perhaps one
day you willlearn the path I trod to freedom."
Then before I could speak, she went off:
"Rest now, for within a few hours I must =
come
to lead you and yourcompanions to a terrible place. Yet whatever you may se=
e or
hear, benot afraid, Humphrey, for I think that Oro's god has no power over
you,strong though he was, and that Oro's plans will fail, while I, who tooh=
ave
knowledge, shall find strength to save the world."
Then of a sudden, once again she grew splendid,
almost divine; no more awoman but as it were an angel. Some fire of pure
purpose seemed to burnup in her and to shine out of her eyes. Yet she said
little. Only thisindeed:
"To everyone, I think, there comes the mo=
ment
of opportunity when choicemust be made between what is great and what is sm=
all,
between self andits desires and the good of other wanderers in the way. This
day thatmoment may draw near to you or me, and if so, surely we shall greet
itwell. Such is Bastin's lesson, which I have striven to learn."
Then she flung her arms about me and kissed me=
on
the brow as a mothermight, and was gone.
Strangely enough, perhaps because of my mental
exhaustion, for what Ihad passed through seemed to overwhelm me so that I c=
ould
no longer somuch as think with clearness, even after all that I have descri=
bed
Islept like a child and awoke refreshed and well.
I looked at my watch to find that it was now e=
ight
o'clock in themorning in this horrible place where there was neither morn, =
nor
noon,nor night, but only an eternal brightness that came I knew not whence,=
and
never learned.
I found that I was alone, since Bickley and Ba=
stin
had gone to fillour bottles with the Life-water. Presently they returned an=
d we
ate alittle; with that water to drink one did not need much food. It wasa
somewhat silent meal, for our circumstances were a check on talk;moreover, I
thought that the others looked at me rather oddly. Perhapsthey guessed
something of my midnight visit to the temple, but if sothey thought it wise=
st
to say nothing. Nor did I enlighten them.
Shortly after we had finished Yva appeared. She
was wonderfully quietand gentle in her manner, calm also, and greeted all o=
f us
with muchsweetness. Of our experiences during the night she said no word to
me,even when we were alone. One difference I noticed about her, however;that
she was clothed in garments such as I had never seen her wearbefore. They w=
ere
close fitting, save for a flowing cape, and made ofsome grey material, not
unlike a coarse homespun or even asbestos cloth.Still they became her very =
well,
and when I remarked upon them, all sheanswered was that part of our road wo=
uld
be rough. Even her feet wereshod with high buskins of this grey stuff.
Presently she touched Bastin on the shoulder a=
nd
said that she wouldspeak with him apart. They went together into one of the
chambers ofthat dwelling and there remained for perhaps the half of an hour=
. It
wastowards the end of this time that in the intense silence I heard a crash=
from
the direction of the temple, as though something heavy hadfallen to the roc=
ky
floor. Bickley also heard this sound. When the tworeappeared I noticed that
though still quite calm, Yva looked radiant,and, if I may say so, even more
human and womanly than I had ever seenher, while Bastin also seemed very ha=
ppy.
"One has strange experiences in life, yes,
very strange," he remarked,apparently addressing the air, which left me
wondering to whatparticular experience he might refer. Well, I thought that=
I
couldguess.
"Friends," said Yva, "it is time
for us to be going and I am your guide.You will meet the Lord Oro at the en=
d of
your journey. I pray you tobring those lamps of yours with you, since all t=
he
road is not lightenedlike this place."
"I should like to ask," said Bickley,
"whither we go and for whatobject, points on which up to the present we
have had no definiteinformation."
"We go, friend Bickley, deep into the bow=
els
of the world, far deeper, Ithink, than any mortal men have gone hitherto, t=
hat
is, of your race."
"Then we shall perish of heat," said
Bickley, "for with every thousandfeet the temperature rises many
degrees."
"Not so. You will pass through a zone of
heat, but so swiftly that ifyou hold your breath you will not suffer overmu=
ch.
Then you will come toa place where a great draught blows which will keep you
cool, and thencetravel on to the end."
"Yes, but to what end, Lady Yva?"
"That you will see for yourselves, and wi=
th
it other wondrous things."
Here some new idea seemed to strike her, and a=
fter
a little hesitationshe added:
"Yet why should you go? Oro has commanded=
it,
it is true, but I thinkthat at the last he will forget. It must be decided
swiftly. There isyet time. I can place you in safety in the sepulchre of Sl=
eep
where youfound us. Thence cross to the main island and sail away quickly in
yourboat out into the great sea, where I believe you will find succour.
Knowthat after disobeying him, you must meet Oro no more lest it should bet=
he
worse for you. If that be your will, let us start. What say you?"
She looked at me.
"I say, Yva, that I am willing to go if y=
ou
come with us. Nototherwise."
"I say," said Bickley, "that I =
want
to see all this supernatural rubbishthoroughly exploded, and that therefore=
I
should prefer to go on withthe business."
"And I say," said Bastin, "that=
my
most earnest desire is to be clearof the whole thing, which wearies and
perplexes me more than I can tell.Only I am not going to run away, unless y=
ou
think it desirable to doso too, Lady Yva. I want you to understand that I am
not in the leastafraid of the Lord Oro, and do not for one moment believe t=
hat
he willbe allowed to bring about disaster to the world, as I understand ish=
is
wicked object. Therefore on the whole I am indifferent and quiteprepared to
accept any decision at which the rest of you may arrive."
"Be it understood," said Yva with a
little smile when Bastin hadfinished his sermonette, "that I must join=
my
father in the bowels ofthe earth for a reason which will be made plain
afterwards. Therefore,if you go we part, as I think to meet no more. Still =
my advice
is thatyou should go." [*]
[=
* It
is fortunate that we did not accept Yva's offer. Had we done so we should have found ours=
elves
shut in, and perished, as shall=
be
told.--H. A. ]
To this our only answer was to attend to the
lighting of our lamps andthe disposal of our small impedimenta, such as our
tins of oil and waterbottles. Yva noted this and laughed outright.
"Courage did not die with the Sons of
Wisdom," she said.
Then we set out, Yva walking ahead of us and T=
ommy
frisking at her side.
Our road led us through the temple. As we pass=
ed
the great gates Istarted, for there, in the centre of that glorious buildin=
g, I
perceiveda change. The statue of Fate was no more! It lay broken upon
thepavement among those fragments of its two worshippers which I had seensh=
aken
down some hours before.
"What does this mean?" I whispered to
Yva. "I have felt no otherearthquake."
"I do not know," she answered, "=
;or
if I know I may not say. Yet learnthat no god can live on without a single
worshipper, and, in a fashion,that idol was alive, though this you will not
believe."
"How very remarkable," said Bastin,
contemplating the ruin. "If I weresuperstitious, which I am not, I sho=
uld
say that this occurrence was anomen indicating the final fall of a false go=
d.
At any rate it is deadnow, and I wonder what caused it?"
"I felt an earth tremor last night,"
said Bickley, "though it is oddthat it should only have affected this
particular statue. A thousandpities, for it was a wonderful work of art.&qu=
ot;
Then I remembered and reminded Bickley of the
crash which we had heardwhile Yva and Bastin were absent on some secret
business in the chamber.
Walking the length of the great church, if so =
it
could be called, wecame to an apse at the head of it where, had it been
Christian, thealtar would have stood. In this apse was a little open door
throughwhich we passed. Beyond it lay a space of rough rock that looked
asthough it had been partially prepared for the erection of buildings andth=
en
abandoned. All this space was lighted, however, like the rest ofthe City of
Nyo, and in the same mysterious way. Led by Yva, we threadedour path between
the rough stones, following a steep downward slope.Thus we walked for perha=
ps
half a mile, till at length we came to themouth of a huge pit that must, I
imagine, have lain quite a thousandfeet below the level of the temple.
I looked over the edge of this pit and shrank =
back
terrified. It seemedto be bottomless. Moreover, a great wind rushed up it w=
ith
a roaringsound like to that of an angry sea. Or rather there were two
winds,perhaps draughts would be a better term, if I may apply it to an
airmovement of so fierce and terrible a nature. One of these rushed upthe p=
it,
and one rushed down. Or it may have been that the up rushalternated with the
down rush. Really it is impossible to say.
"What is this place?" I asked, cling=
ing
to the others and shrinking backin alarm from its sheer edge and bottomless
depth, for that this wasenormous we could see by the shaft of light which
flowed downwardsfarther than the eye could follow.
"It is a vent up and down which air passes
from and to the centralhollows of the earth," Yva answered.
"Doubtless in the beginning throughit travelled that mighty force which
blew out these caves in the heatedrocks, as the craftsman blows out
glass."
"I understand," said Bastin. "J=
ust
like one blows out a bubble on apipe, only on a larger scale. Well, it is v=
ery
interesting, but I haveseen enough of it. Also I am afraid of being blown
away."
"I fear that you must see more," ans=
wered
Yva with a smile, "since weare about to descend this pit."
"Do you mean that we are to go down that
hole, and if so, how? I don'tsee any lift, or moving staircase, or anything=
of
that sort."
"Easily and safely enough, Bastin. See.&q=
uot;
As she spoke a great flat rock of the size of a
small room appeared,borne upwards, as I suppose, by the terrific draught wh=
ich
roared pastus on its upward course. When it reached the lip of the shaft, it
hunga little while, then moved across and began to descend with suchincredi=
ble
swiftness that in a few seconds it had vanished from view.
"Oh!" said Bastin, with his eyes alm=
ost
starting out of his head,"that's the lift, is it? Well, I tell you at =
once
I don't like the lookof the thing. It gives me the creeps. Suppose it tilte=
d."
"It does not tilt," answered Yva, st=
ill
smiling. "I tell you, Bastin,that there is naught to fear. Only yester=
day,
I rode this rock andreturned unharmed."
"That is all very well, Lady Yva, but you=
may
know how to balance it;also when to get on and off."
"If you are afraid, Bastin, remain here u=
ntil
your companions return.They, I think, will make the journey."
Bickley and I intimated that we would, though =
to
tell the truth, if lessfrank we were quite as alarmed as Bastin.
"No, I'll come too. I suppose one may as =
well
die this way as any other,and if anything were to happen to them and I were
left alone, it wouldbe worse still."
"Then be prepared," said Yva, "=
for
presently this air-chariot of ourswill return. When it appears and hangs up=
on
the edge, step on to it andthrow yourselves upon your faces and all will be
well. At the foot ofthe shaft the motion lessens till it almost stops, and =
it
is easy tospring, or even crawl to the firm earth."
Then she stooped down and lifted Tommy who was
sniffing suspiciouslyat the edge of the pit, his long ears blown straight a=
bove
his head,holding him beneath her left arm and under her cloak, that he might
notsee and be frightened.
We waited a while in silence, perhaps for five=
or
six minutes, amongthe most disagreeable, I think, that I ever passed. Then =
far
down in thebrightness below appeared a black speck that seemed to grow in s=
ize
asit rushed upwards.
"It comes," said Yva. "Prepare =
and
do as I do. Do not spring, or run,lest you should go too far. Step gently o=
n to
the rock and to itscentre, and there lie down. Trust in me, all of you.&quo=
t;
"There's nothing else to do," groaned
Bastin.
The great stone appeared and, as before, hung =
at
the edge of the pit.Yva stepped on to it quietly, as she did so, catching h=
old
of my wristwith her disengaged hand. I followed her feeling very sick, and
promptlysat down. Then came Bickley with the air of the virtuous hero ofa
romance walking a pirate's plank, and also sat down. Only Bastinhesitated u=
ntil
the stone began to move away. Then with an ejaculationof "Here goes!&q=
uot;
he jumped over the intervening crack of space and landedin the middle of us
like a sack of coal. Had I not been seated really Ithink he would have knoc=
ked
me off the rock. As it was, with one handhe gripped me by the beard and with
the other grasped Yva's robe, ofneither of which would he leave go for quit=
e a
long time, although weforced him on to his face. The lantern which he held =
flew
from his graspand descended the shaft on its own account.
"You silly fool!" exclaimed Bickley
whose perturbation showed itself inanger. "There goes one of our
lamps."
"Hang the lamp!" muttered the prostr= ate Bastin. "We shan't want it inHeaven, or the other place either."<= o:p>
Now the stone which had quivered a little bene=
ath
the impact of Bastin,steadied itself again and with a slow and majestic
movement sailedto the other side of the gulf. There it felt the force of
gravity, orperhaps the weight of the returning air pressed on it, which I do
notknow. At any rate it began to fall, slowly at first, then more swiftly,a=
nd
afterwards at an incredible pace, so that in a few seconds the mouthof the =
pit
above us grew small and presently vanished quite away.I looked up at Yva who
was standing composedly in the midst of ourprostrate shapes. She bent down =
and
called in my ear:
"All is well. The heat begins, but it will
not endure for long."
I nodded and glanced over the edge of the ston=
e at
Bastin's lanternwhich was sailing alongside of us, till presently we passed=
it.
Bastinhad lit it before we started, I think in a moment of aberration, and
itburned for quite a long while, showing like a star when the shaftgrew dar=
ker
as it did by degrees, a circumstance that testifies to theexcellence of the
make, which is one advertised not to go out in anywind. Not that we felt wi=
nd,
or even draught, perhaps because we weretravelling with it.
Then we entered the heat zone. About this there
was no doubt, for theperspiration burst out all over me and the burning air
scorched mylungs. Also Tommy thrust his head from beneath the cloak with his
tonguehanging out and his mouth wide open.
"Hold your breaths!" cried Yva, and =
we
obeyed until we nearly burst. Atleast I did, but what happened to the other=
s I
do not know.
Fortunately it was soon over and the air began=
to
grow cool again. Bynow we had travelled an enormous distance, it seemed to =
be
miles onmiles, and I noticed that our terrific speed was slackening, also
thatthe shaft grew more narrow, till at length there were only a few
feetbetween the edge of the stone and its walls. The result of this, or soI
supposed, was that the compressed air acted as a buffer, lessening ourmomen=
tum,
till at length the huge stone moved but very slowly.
"Be ready to follow me," cried Yva
again, and we rose to our feet, thatis, Bickley and I did, but poor Bastin =
was
semi-comatose. The stonestopped and Yva sprang from it to a rock platform l=
evel
with which itlay. We followed, dragging Bastin between us. As we did so
something hitme gently on the head. It was Bastin's lamp, which I seized.
"We are safe. Sit down and rest," sa=
id
Yva, leading us a few paces away.
We obeyed and presently by the dim light saw t=
he
stone begin to stiragain, this time upwards. In another twenty seconds it w=
as
away on itsnever-ending journey.
"Does it always go on like that?" sa=
id
Bastin, sitting up and staringafter it.
"Tens of thousands of years ago it was
journeying thus, and tens ofthousands of years hence it will still be
journeying, or so I think,"she replied. "Why not, since the stren=
gth
of the draught never changesand there is nothing to wear it except the
air?"
Somehow the vision of this huge stone, first
loosed and set in motion byheaven knows what agency, travelling from aeon to
aeon up and downthat shaft in obedience to some law I did not understand,
impressed myimagination like a nightmare. Indeed I often dream of it to this
day.
I looked about me. We were in some cavernous p=
lace
that could be butdimly seen, for here the light that flowed down the shaft =
from
theupper caves where it was mysteriously created, scarcely shone, and
oftenindeed was entirely cut off, when the ever-journeying stone was in
thenarrowest parts of the passage. I could see, however, that this
cavernstretched away both to right and left of us, while I felt that fromthe
left, as we sat facing the shaft, there drew down a strong blast offresh air
which suggested that somewhere, however far away, it must openon to the upp=
er
world. For the rest its bottom and walls seemed to besmooth as though they =
had
been planed in the past ages by the action ofcosmic forces. Bickley noticed
this the first and pointed it out to me.We had little time to observe, howe=
ver,
for presently Yva said:
"If you are rested, friends, I pray you l=
ight
those lamps of yours,since we must walk a while in darkness."
We did and started, still travelling downhill.=
Yva
walked ahead with meand Tommy who seemed somewhat depressed and clung close=
to
our heels.The other two followed, arguing strenuously about I know not what.
Itwas their way of working off irritation and alarms.
I asked Yva what was about to happen, for a gr=
eat
fear oppressed me.
"I am not sure, Beloved," she answer=
ed
in a sweet and gentle voice, "whodo not know all Oro's secrets, but as=
I
think, great things. We are nowdeep in the bowels of the world, and present=
ly,
perhaps, you will seesome of its mighty forces whereof your ignorant races =
have
no knowledge,doing their everlasting work."
"Then how is it that we can breathe
here?" I asked. "Because this roadthat we are following connects =
with
the upper air or used to do so,since once I followed it. It is a long road =
and
the climb is steep,but at last it leads to the light of the blessed sun, nor
are there anypitfalls in the path. Would that we might tread it together,
Humphrey,"she added with passion, "and be rid of mysteries and the
gloom, or thatlight which is worse than gloom."
"Why not?" I asked eagerly. "Why
should we not turn and flee?"
"Who can flee from my father, the Lord
Oro?" she replied. "He wouldsnare us before we had gone a mile.
Moreover, if we fled, by tomorrowhalf the world must perish."
"And how can we save it by not flying,
Yva?"
"I do not know, Humphrey, yet I think it =
will
be saved, perchance bysacrifice. That is the keystone of your faith, is it =
not?
Therefore ifit is asked of you to save the world, you will not shrink from =
it,
willyou, Humphrey?"
"I hope not," I replied, without
enthusiasm, I admit. Indeed it struckme that a business of this sort was be=
tter
fitted to Bastin thanto myself, or at any rate to his profession. I think s=
he
guessed mythoughts, for by the light of the lamp I saw her smile in her
dazzlingway. Then after a swift glance behind her, she turned and
suddenlykissed me, as she did so calling down everlasting blessings on myhe=
ad
and on my spirit. There was something very wonderful about thisbenediction =
of
Yva's and it thrilled me through and through, so that toit I could make no
answer.
Next moment it was too late to retreat, for our
narrowing passage turnedand we found ourselves in a wondrous place. I call =
it wondrous
becauseof it we could see neither the beginning nor the end, nor the roof,
noraught else save the rock on which we walked, and the side or wall thatour
hands touched. Nor was this because of darkness, since although itwas not
illuminated like the upper caverns, light of a sort was present.It was a ve=
ry
strange light, consisting of brilliant and intermittentflashes, or globes of
blue and lambent flame which seemed to leap fromnowhere into nowhere, or
sometimes to hang poised in mid air.
"How odd they are," said the voice of
Bastin behind me. "They remindme of those blue sparks which jump up fr=
om
the wires of the tramways inLondon on a dark night. You know, don't you,
Bickley? I mean when theconductor pulls round that long stick with an iron
wheel on the top ofit."
"Nobody but you could have thought of suc=
h a
comparison, Bastin,"answered Bickley. "Still, multiplied a
thousandfold they are notunlike."
Nor indeed were they, except that each blue fl= ash was as big as the fullmoon and in one place or another they were so continu= ous that one couldhave read a letter by their light. Also the effect of them was ghastlyand most unnatural, terrifying, too, since even their brilliance couldnot reveal the extent of that gigantic hollow in the bowels of theworl= d wherein they leapt to and fro like lightnings, or hung like huge,uncanny lanterns.<= o:p>
"The air in this place must be charged wi=
th
some form of electricity,but the odd thing is that it does not seem to harm
us," said Bickleyin a matter-of-fact fashion as though he were determi=
ned
not to beastonished.
"To me it looks more like marsh fires or =
St.
Elmo lights, though howthese can be where there is no vapour, I do not
know," I answered.
As I spoke a particularly large ball of flame =
fell
from above. Itresembled a shooting star or a meteor more than anything else
that Ihad ever seen, and made me wonder whether we were not perhaps
standingbeneath some inky, unseen sky.
Next moment I forgot such speculations, for in=
its
blue light, whichmade him terrible and ghastly, I perceived Oro standing in
front of usclad in a long cloak.
"Dear me!" said Bastin, "he loo=
ks
just like the devil, doesn't he, andnow I come to think of it, this isn't at
all a bad imitation of hell."
"How do you know it is an imitation?"
asked Bickley.
"Because whatever might be the case with =
you,
Bickley, if it were, theLady Yva and I should not be here."
Even then I could not help smiling at this
repartee, but the argumentwent no further for Oro held up his hand and Yva =
bent
the knee ingreeting to him.
"So you have come, all of you," he s= aid. "I thought that perhaps therewere one or two who would not find courag= e to ride the flying stone. Iam glad that it is not so, since otherwise he who h= ad shown himself acoward should have had no share in the rule of that new world which isto be. Therefore I chose yonder road that it might test you."<= o:p>
"Then if you will be so good as to choose
another for us to return by, Ishall be much obliged to you, Oro," said
Bastin.
"How do you know that if I did it would n=
ot
be more terrible, Preacher?How do you know indeed that this is not your last
journey from whichthere is no return?"
"Of course I can't be sure of anything, O=
ro,
but I think the questionis one which you might more appropriately put to
yourself. Accordingto your own showing you are now extremely old and theref=
ore
your end islikely to come at any moment. Of course, however, if it did you
wouldhave one more journey to make, but it wouldn't be polite for me to say=
in
what direction."
Oro heard, and his splendid, icy face was twis=
ted
with sudden rage.Remembering the scene in the temple where he had grovelled
before hisgod, uttering agonised, unanswered prayers for added days, I
understoodthe reason of his wrath. It was so great that I feared lest he
shouldkill Bastin (who only a few hours before, be it remembered, had tried
tokill him) then and there, as doubtless he could have done if he
wished.Fortunately, if he felt it; the impulse passed.
"Miserable fool!" he said. "I w=
arn
you to keep a watch upon your words.Yesterday you would have slain me with =
your
toy. Today you stab me withyour ill-omened tongue. Be fearful lest I silenc=
e it
for ever."
"I am not in the least fearful, Oro, sinc=
e I
am sure that you can't hurtme at all any more than I could hurt you last ni=
ght
because, you see, itwasn't permitted. When the time comes for me to die, I
shall go, but youwill have nothing to do with that. To tell the truth, I am
very sorryfor you, as with all your greatness, your soul is of the earth,
earthy,also sensual and devilish, as the Apostle said, and, I am afraid,
verymalignant, and you will have a great deal to answer for shortly. Yoursw=
on't
be a happy deathbed, Oro, because, you see, you glory in your sinsand don't
know what repentance means."
I must add that when I heard these words I was
filled with the mostunbounded admiration for Bastin's fearless courage which
enabled himthus to beard this super-tyrant in his den. So indeed were we al=
l,
for Iread it in Yva's face and heard Bickley mutter:
"Bravo! Splendid! After all there is
something in faith!"
Even Oro appreciated it with his intellect, if=
not
with his heart, forhe stared at the man and made no answer. In the language=
of
the ring, hewas quite "knocked out" and, almost humbly, changed t=
he
subject.
"We have yet a little while," he sai=
d,
"before that happens which I havedecreed. Come, Humphrey, that I may s=
how
you some of the marvels of thisbubble blown in the bowels of the world,&quo=
t;
and he motioned to us to pickup the lanterns.
Then he led us away from the wall of the caver=
n,
if such it was, for adistance of perhaps six or seven hundred paces. Here
suddenly we came toa great groove in the rocky floor, as broad as a very wi=
de
roadway, andmayhap four feet in depth. The bottom of this groove was polish=
ed
andglittered; indeed it gave us the impression of being iron, or other orew=
hich
had been welded together beneath the grinding of some immeasurableweight. J=
ust
at the spot where we struck the groove, it divided intotwo, for this reason=
.
In its centre the floor of iron, or whatever it
may have been, rose, thefraction of an inch at first, but afterwards more
sharply, and this ata spot where the groove had a somewhat steep downward d=
ip
which appearedto extend onwards I know not how far.
Following along this central rise for a great =
way,
nearly a mile, Ishould think, we observed that it became ever more pronounc=
ed,
till atlength it ended in a razor-edge cliff which stretched up higher than=
we
could see, even by the light of the electrical discharges. Standingagainst =
the
edge of this cliff, we perceived that at a distance from itthere were now t=
wo
grooves of about equal width. One of these ran awayinto the darkness on our
right as we faced the sharp edge, and at anever-widening angle, while the o=
ther,
at a similar angle, ran into thedarkness to the left of the knife of cliff.
That was all.
No, there were two more notable things. Neithe=
r of
the grooves now laywithin hundreds of yards of the cliff, perhaps a quarter=
of
a mile, forbe it remembered we had followed the rising rock between them. To
put itquite clearly, it was exactly as though one line of rails had
separatedinto two lines of rails, as often enough they do, and an
observerstanding on high ground between could see them both vanishing intot=
unnels
to the right and left, but far apart.
The second notable thing was that the right-ha=
nd
groove, where first wesaw it at the point of separation, was not polished l=
ike
the left-handgroove, although at some time or other it seemed to have been
subjectedto the pressure of the same terrific weight which cut its fellow o=
ut
ofthe bed of rock or iron, as the sharp wheels of a heavily laden wagonsink
ruts into a roadway.
"What does it all mean, Lord Oro?" I
asked when he had led us back tothe spot where the one groove began to be t=
wo
grooves, that is, a mileor so away from the razor-edged cliff.
"This, Humphrey," he answered.
"That which travels along yonder road,when it reaches this spot on whi=
ch
we stand, follows the left-hand pathwhich is made bright with its passage. =
Yet,
could a giant at that momentof its touching this exact spot on which I lay =
my
hand, thrust it withsufficient strength, it would leave the left-hand road =
and
take theright-hand road."
"And if it did, what then; Lord Oro?"=
;
"Then within an hour or so, when it had
travelled far enough upon itsway, the balance of the earth would be changed,
and great things wouldhappen in the world above, as once they happened in
bygone days. Now doyou understand, Humphrey?"
"Good Heavens! Yes, I understand now,&quo=
t; I
answered. "But fortunatelythere is no such giant."
Oro broke into a mocking laugh and his grey old
face lit up with afiendish exultation, as he cried:
"Fool! I, Oro, am that giant. Once in the
dead days I turned the balanceof the world from the right-hand road which n=
ow
is dull with disuse, tothe left-hand road which glitters so brightly to your
eyes, and the faceof the earth was changed. Now again I will turn it from t=
he
left-handroad to the right-hand road in which for millions of years it was =
wontto
run, and once more the face of the earth shall change, and those whoare left
living upon the earth, or who in the course of ages shall cometo live upon =
the
new earth, must bow down to Oro and take him and hisseed to be their gods a=
nd
kings."
When I heard this I was overwhelmed and could =
not
answer. Also Iremembered a certain confused picture which Yva had shown to =
us
in theTemple of Nyo. But supported by his disbelief, Bickley asked:
"And how often does the balance of which =
you
speak come this way, LordOro?"
"Once only in many years; the number is my
secret, Bickley," he replied.
"Then there is every reason to hope that =
it
will not trouble us,"remarked Bickley with a suspicion of mockery in h=
is
voice.
"Do you think so, you learned Bickley?&qu=
ot;
asked Oro. "If so, I do not.Unless my skill has failed me and my
calculations have gone awry, thatTraveller of which I tell should presently=
be
with us. Hearken now! Whatis that sound we hear?"
As he spoke there reached our ears the first,
far-off murmurs ofa dreadful music. I cannot describe it in words because t=
hat
isimpossible, but it was something like to the buzz of a thousandhumming-to=
ps
such as are loved by children because of their weird song.
"Back to the wall!" cried Oro
triumphantly. "The time is short!"
So back we went, Oro pausing a while behind and
overtaking us with long,determined strides. Yva led us, gliding at my side =
and,
as I thought,now and again glanced at my face with a look that was half anx=
ious
andhalf pitiful. Also twice she stooped and patted Tommy.
We reached the wall, though not quite at the s=
pot
whence we had startedto examine the grooved roads. At least I think this was
so, since nowfor the first time I observed a kind of little window in its
rockyface. It stood about five feet from its floor level, and was perhaps
teninches square, not more. In short, except for its shape it resembled ash=
ip's
porthole rather than a window. Its substance appeared to be talc,or some su=
ch
material, and inches thick, yet through it, after Orohad cast aside some so=
rt
of covering, came a glare like that of asearch-light. In fact it was a
search-light so far as concerned one ofits purposes.
By this window or porthole lay a pile of cloak=
s,
also four objects whichlooked like Zulu battle shields cut in some unknown
metal or material.Very deftly, very quietly, Yva lifted these cloaks and
wrapped one ofthem about each of us, and while she was thus employed I noti=
ced
thatthey were of a substance very similar to that of the gown she wore,whic=
h I
have described, but harder. Next she gave one of the metal-likeshields to e=
ach
of us, bidding us hold them in front of our bodies andheads, and only to lo=
ok
through certain slits in them in which wereeyepieces that appeared to be of=
the
same horny stuff as the searchlightwindow. Further, she commanded us to sta=
nd
in a row with our backsagainst the rock wall, at certain spots which she
indicated with greatprecision, and whatever we saw or heard on no account to
move.
So there we stood, Bickley next to me, and bey=
ond
him Bastin. Then Yvatook the fourth shield, as I noted a much larger one th=
an
ours, andplaced herself between me and the search-light or porthole. On the
otherside of this was Oro who had no shield.
These arrangements took some minutes and during
that time occupied allour attention. When they were completed, however, our
curiosity and fearbegan to reassert themselves. I looked about me and perce=
ived
that Orohad his right hand upon what seemed to be a rough stone rod, in
shapenot unlike that with which railway points are moved. He shouted to usto
stand still and keep the shields over our faces. Then very gently hepressed
upon the lever. The porthole sank the fraction of an inch, andinstantly the=
re
leapt from it a most terrific blaze of lightning, whichshot across the
blackness in front and, as lightning does, revealedfar, far away another wa=
ll,
or rather cliff, like that against which weleant.
"All works well," exclaimed Oro in a
satisfied voice, lifting his handfrom the rod, "and the strength which=
I
have stored will be more thanenough."
Meanwhile the humming noise came nearer and gr=
ew
in volume.
"I say," said Bickley, "as you
know, I have been sceptical, but I don'tlike this business. Oro, what are y=
ou
going to do?"
"Sink half the world beneath the seas,&qu=
ot;
said Oro, "and raise up thatwhich I drowned more than two thousand
centuries ago. But as you do notbelieve that I have this power, Bickley, wh=
y do
you ask such questions?"
"I believe that you have it, which was wh=
y I
tried to shoot youyesterday," said Bastin. "For your soul's sake I
beg you to desist froman attempt which I am sure will not succeed, but which
will certainlyinvolve your eternal damnation, since the failure will be no
fault ofyours."
Then I spoke also, saying:
"I implore you, Lord Oro, to let this
business be. I do not know exactlyhow much or how little you can do, but I
understand that your object isto slay men by millions in order to raise up
another world of which youwill be the absolute king, as you were of some pa=
st
empire that has beendestroyed, either through your agency or otherwise. No =
good
can come ofsuch ambitions. Like Bastin, for your soul's sake I pray you to =
let
thembe."
"What Humphrey says I repeat," said =
Yva.
"My Father, although you knowit not, you seek great evil, and from the=
se
hopes you sow you willharvest nothing save a loss of which you do not dream.
Moreover, yourplans will fail. Now I who am, like yourself, of the Children=
of
Wisdom,have spoken, for the first and last time, and my words are true. I
prayyou give them weight, my Father."
Oro heard, and grew furious.
"What!" he said. "Are you again=
st
me, every one, and my own daughteralso? I would lift you up, I would make y=
ou
rulers of a new world; Iwould destroy your vile civilisations which I have
studied with my eyes,that I may build better! To you, Humphrey, I would giv=
e my
only childin marriage that from you may spring a divine race of kings! And =
yet
youare against me and set up your puny scruples as a barrier across my path=
of
wisdom. Well, I tread them down, I go on my appointed way. But bewarehow you
try to hold me back. If any one of you should attempt to comebetween me and=
my
ends, know that I will destroy you all. Obey or die."
"Well, he has had his chance and he won't
take it," said Bastin in thesilence that followed. "The man must =
go
to the devil his own way andthere is nothing more to be said."
I say the silence, but it was no more silent. =
The
distant humming grewto a roar, the roar to a hellish hurricane of sound whi=
ch
presentlydrowned all attempts at ordinary speech.
Then bellowing like ten millions of bulls, at
length far away thereappeared something terrible. I can only describe its
appearance as thatof an attenuated mountain on fire. When it drew nearer I
perceived thatit was more like a ballet-dancer whirling round and round upon
her toes,or rather all the ballet-dancers in the world rolled into one and
thenmultiplied a million times in size. No, it was like a mushroom with
twostalks, one above and one below, or a huge top with a point on which its=
pun,
a swelling belly and another point above. But what a top! Itmust have been =
two
thousand feet high, if it was an inch, and itscircumference who could measu=
re?
On it came, dancing, swaying and spinning at a
rate inconceivable, sothat it looked like a gigantic wheel of fire. Yet it =
was
not fire thatclothed it but rather some phosphorescence, since from it came=
no
heat.Yes, a phosphorescence arranged in bands of ghastly blue and lurid
red,with streaks of other colours running up between, and a kind of wavingf=
ringe
of purple.
The fire-mountain thundered on with a voice li=
ke
to that of avalanchesor of icebergs crashing from their parent glaciers to =
the
sea. Itsterrific aspect was appalling, and its weight caused the solid rock=
to
quiver like a leaf. Watching it, we felt as ants might feel at theadvent of=
the
crack of doom, for its mere height and girth and sizeoverwhelmed us. We cou=
ld
not even speak. The last words I heard werefrom the mouth of Oro who scream=
ed
out:
"Behold the balance of the World, you
miserable, doubting men, andbehold me change its path--turning it as the
steersman turns a ship!"
Then he made certain signs to Yva, who in
obedience to them approachedthe porthole or search-light to which she did
something that I could notdistinguish. The effect was to make the beam of l=
ight
much strongerand sharper, also to shift it on to the point or foot of the
spinningmountain and, by an aiming of the lens from time to time, to keep
itthere.
This went on for a while, since the dreadful t=
hing
did not travel fastnotwithstanding the frightful speed of its revolutions. I
should doubtindeed if it advanced more quickly than a man could walk; at any
rateso it seemed to us. But we had no means of judging its real rate ofprog=
ress
whereof we knew as little as we did of the course it followedin the bowels =
of
the earth. Perhaps that was spiral, from the world'sdeep heart upwards, and
this was the highest point it reached. Orperhaps it remained stationary, but
still spinning, for scores orhundreds of years in some central powerhouse of
its own, whence, inobedience to unknown laws, from time to time it made the=
se
terrificjourneys.
No one knows, unless perhaps Oro did, in which
case he kept theinformation to himself, and no one will ever know. At any r=
ate
there itwas, travelling towards us on its giant butt, the peg of the top as
itwere, which, hidden in a cloud of friction-born sparks that enveloped itl=
ike
the cup of a curving flower of fire, whirled round and round atan infinite
speed. It was on this flaming flower that the search-lightplayed steadily,
doubtless that Oro might mark and measure its monstrousprogress.
"He is going to try to send the thing down
the right-hand path," Ishouted into Bickley's ear.
"Can't be done! Nothing can shift a
travelling weight of tens ofmillions of tons one inch," Bickley roared
back, trying to lookconfident.
Clearly, however, Yva thought that it could be
done, for of a sudden shecast down her shield and, throwing herself upon her
knees, stretched outher hands in supplication to her father. I understood, =
as
did we all,that she was imploring him to abandon his hellish purpose. He gl=
ared
ather and shook his head. Then, as she still went on praying, he struckher
across the face with his hand and pushed her to her feet again. Myblood boi=
led
as I saw it and I think I should have sprung at him, hadnot Bickley caught =
hold
of me, shouting, "Don't, or he will kill her andus too."
Yva lifted her shield and returned to her stat=
ion,
and in the bluedischarges which now flashed almost continuously, and the ph=
osphorescentglare
of the advancing mountain, I saw that though her beautiful faceworked benea=
th
the pain of the blow, her eyes remained serene andpurposeful. Even then I
wondered--what was the purpose shining throughthem. Also I wondered if I was
about to be called upon to make thatsacrifice of which she had spoken, and =
if
so, how. Of one thing I wasdetermined--that if the call came it should not =
find
me deaf. Yet allthe while I was horribly afraid.
At another sign from Oro, Yva did something mo=
re
to the lens--again,being alongside of her, I could not see what it was. The
beam of lightshifted and wandered till, far away, it fell exactly upon that
spotwhere the rock began to rise into the ridge which separated the twogroo=
ves
or roads and ended in the razor-edged cliff. Moreover I observedthat Oro, w=
ho
left it the last of us, had either placed something whiteto mark this first
infinitesimal bulging of the floor of the groove, orhad smeared it with cha=
lk
or shining pigment. I observed also what Ihad not been able to see before, =
that
a thin white line ran across thefloor, no doubt to give the precise directi=
on
of this painted rise ofrock, and that the glare of the search-light now lay
exactly over thatline.
The monstrous, flaming gyroscope fashioned in
Nature's workshop, forsuch without doubt it was, was drawing near, emitting=
as
it camea tumult of sounds which, with the echoes that they caused,
almostover-whelmed our senses. Poor little Tommy, already cowed, although h=
ewas
a bold-natured beast, broke down entirely, and I could see from hisopen mou=
th
that he was howling with terror. He stared about him, thenran to Yva and pa=
wed
at her, evidently asking to be taken into her arms.She thrust him away, alm=
ost
fiercely, and made signs to me to lift himup and hold him beneath my shield.
This I did, reflecting sadly thatif I was to be sacrificed, Tommy must shar=
e my
fate. I even thought ofpassing him on to Bickley, but had no time. Indeed I
could not attracthis attention, for Bickley was staring with all his eyes a=
t thenightmare-like
spectacle which was in progress about us. Indeed nonightmare, no wild
imagination of which the mind of man is capable,could rival the aspect of i=
ts
stupendous facts.
Think of them! The unmeasured space of blackne=
ss
threaded by thoseglobes of ghastly incandescence that now hung a while and =
now
shotupwards, downwards, across, apparently without origin or end, like astr=
eam
of meteors that had gone mad. Then the travelling mountain, twothousand fee=
t in
height, or more, with its enormous saucer-like rimpainted round with bands =
of
lurid red and blue, and about its grindingfoot the tulip bloom of emitted
flame. Then the fierce-faced Oro at hispost, his hand upon the rod, waiting,
remorseless, to drown half of thisgreat world, with the lovely Yva standing
calm-eyed like a saint in helland watching me above the edge of the shield
which such a saint mightbear to turn aside the fiery darts of the wicked. A=
nd
lastly we threemen flattened terror-stricken, against the wall.
Nightmare! Imagination! No, these pale before =
that
scene which it wasgiven to our human eyes to witness.
And all the while, bending, bowing towards
us--away from us--makingobeisance to the path in front as though in greetin=
g,
to the path behindas though in farewell; instinct with a horrible life, wit=
h a
hideous andgigantic grace, that titanic Terror whirled onwards to the mark =
of
fate.
At the moment nothing could persuade me that it
was not alive and didnot know its awful mission. Visions flashed across my
mind. I thoughtof the peoples of the world sleeping in their beds, or going
about theirbusiness, or engaged even in the work of war. I thought of the
shipsupon the seas steaming steadily towards their far-off ports. Then Itho=
ught
of what presently might happen to them, of the tremors followedby convulsio=
ns,
of the sudden crashing down of cities, such as we hadseen in the picture Yva
showed us in the Temple, of the inflow of thewaters of the deep piled up in
mighty waves, of the woe and desolationas of the end of the world, and of t=
he quiet,
following death. SoI thought and in my heart prayed to the great Arch-Archi=
tect
of theUniverse to stretch out His Arm to avert this fearsome ruin of
Hishandiwork.
Oro glared, his thin fingers tightened their g=
rip
upon the rod, his hairand long beard seemed to bristle with furious and
delighted excitement.The purple-fringed rim of the Monster had long
overshadowed the whitedpatch of rock; its grinding foot was scarce ten yards
away. Oro mademore signs to Yva who, beneath the shelter of her shield, aga=
in
bentdown and did something that I could not see. Then, as though her partwe=
re
played, she rose, drew the grey hood of her cloak all about herface so that=
her
eyes alone remained visible, took one step towards meand in the broken Engl=
ish
we had taught her, called into my ear.
"Humphrey, God you bless! Humphrey, we me=
et
soon. Forget not me!"
She stepped back again before I could attempt =
to
answer, and nextinstant with a hideous, concentrated effort, Oro bending
himself double,thrust upon the rod, as I could see from his open mouth,
shouting whilehe thrust.
At the same moment, with a swift spring, Yva l=
eapt
immediately infront of the lens or window, so that the metallic shield with
which shecovered herself pressed against its substance.
Simultaneously Oro flung up his arms as though=
in
horror.
Too late! The shutter fell and from behind it
there sprang out a rush ofliving flame. It struck on Yva's shield and expan=
ded
to right and left.The insulated shield and garments that she wore seemed to
resist it.For a fraction of time she stood there like a glowing angel, wrap=
ped
infire.
Then she was swept outwards and upwards and at=
a
little distancedissolved like a ghost and vanished from our sight.
Yva was ashes! Yva was gone! The sacrifice was
consummated!
And not in vain! Not in vain! On her poor brea=
st
she had received thefull blast of that hellish lightning flash. Yet whilst
destroying, itturned away from her, seeking the free paths of the air. So it
cameabout that its obstructed strength struck the foot of the
travellinggyroscope, diffused and did not suffice to thrust it that one
necessaryinch on which depended the fate of half the world, or missing
italtogether, passed away on either side. Even so the huge, gleamingmountain
rocked and trembled. Once, twice, thrice, it bowed itselftowards us as thou=
gh
in majestic homage to greatness passed away. For asecond, too, its course w=
as
checked, and at the check the earth quakedand trembled. Yes, then the world
shook, and the blue globes of firewent out, while I was thrown to the groun=
d.
When they returned again, the flaming monster =
was
once more sailingmajestically upon its way and down the accustomed left-hand
path!
Indeed the sacrifice was not in vain. The world
shook--but Yva had savedthe world!
<=
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reast-font-family:
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reast-font-family:
Calibri'>
I lay still a while, on my back as I had falle=
n,
and beneath theshield-like defence which Yva had given to me. Notwithstandi=
ng
thefire-resisting, metalised stuff of which it was made, I noted thatit was
twisted and almost burnt through. Doubtless the stored-upelectricity or ear=
th
magnetism, or whatever it may have been that hadleapt out of that hole, bei=
ng
diffused by the resistance with which itwas met, had grazed me with its out=
er
edge, and had it not been for theshield and cloak, I also should have been
burned up. I wished, oh! howI wished that it had been so. Then, by now all =
must
have finished andI should have known the truth as to what awaits us beyond =
the
change:sleep, or dreams, or perchance the fullest life. Also I should not
havelearned alone.
Lying there thus, idly, as though in a half-sl=
eep,
I felt Tommy lickingmy face, and throwing my arm about the poor little
frightened beast, Iwatched the great world-balance as it retreated on its
eternal journey.At one time its vast projecting rim had overshadowed us and
almostseemed to touch the cliff of rock against which we leant. I remembert=
hat
the effect of that shining arch a thousand feet or so above ourheads was
wonderful. It reminded me of a canopy of blackest thunderclouds supported u=
pon
a framework of wheeling rainbows, while beneathit all the children of the d=
evil
shouted together in joy. I noted thiseffect only a few seconds before Yva s=
poke
to me and leapt into the pathof the flash.
Now, however, it was far away, a mere flaming
wheel that becamegradually smaller, and its Satanic voices were growing fai=
nt.
As I havesaid, I watched its disappearance idly, reflecting that I should
neverlook upon its like again; also that it was something well worth goingf=
orth
to see. Then I became aware that the humming, howling din haddecreased
sufficiently to enable me to hear human voices without effort.Bastin was
addressing Bickley--like myself they were both upon theground.
"Her translation, as you may have noticed,
Bickley, if you were not toofrightened, was really very remarkable. No doub=
t it
will have remindedyou, as it did me, of that of Elijah. She had exactly the
appearance ofa person going up to Heaven in a vehicle of fire. The destinat=
ion
wascertainly the same, and even the cloak she wore added a familiar touchand
increased the similarity."
"At any rate it did not fall upon you,&qu=
ot;
answered Bickley with somethinglike a sob, in a voice of mingled awe and
exasperation. "For goodness'sake! Bastin, stop your Biblical parallels=
and
let us adore, yes, let usadore the divinest creature that the earth has
borne!"
Never have I loved Bickley more than when I he=
ard
him utter those words.
"'Divinest' is a large term, Bickley, and=
one
to which I hesitate tosubscribe, remembering as I do certain of the prophet=
s and
the EarlyFathers with all their faults, not of course to mention the
Apostles.But--" here he paused, for suddenly all three of us became aw=
are
of Oro.
He also has been thrown to the ground by the
strength of the prisonedforces which he gathered and loosed upon their unho=
ly
errand, but, asI rejoiced to observe, had suffered from them much more than
ourselves.Doubtless this was owing to the fact that he had sprung forward i=
na
last wild effort to save his daughter, or to prevent her frominterfering wi=
th his
experiment, I know not which. As a result his rightcheek was much scorched,=
his
right arm was withered and helpless, andhis magnificent beard was half burnt
off him. Further, very evidently hewas suffering from severe shock, for he
rocked upon his feet and shooklike an aspen leaf. All this, however, did not
interfere with theliveliness of his grief and rage.
There he stood, a towering shape, like a
lightning-smitten statue, andcursed us, especially Bastin.
"My daughter has gone!" he cried,
"burned up by the fiery power that ismy servant. Nothing remains of her
but dust, and, Priest, this is yourdoing. You poisoned her heart with your
childish doctrines of mercy andsacrifice, and the rest, so that she threw
herself into the path of theflash to save some miserable races that she had
never even known."
He paused exhausted, whereon Bastin answered h=
im
with spirit:
"Yes, Oro, she being a holy woman, has go=
ne
where you will never followher. Also it is your own fault since you should =
have
listened to herentreaties instead of boxing her ears like the brute you
are."
"My daughter is gone," went on Oro,
recovering his strength, "and mygreat designs are ruined. Yet only for=
a
while," he added, "for theworld-balance will return again, if not
till long after your life-spansare done."
"If you don't doctor yourself, Lord
Oro," said Bickley, also rising,"I may tell you as one who
understands such things, that most likely itwill be after your life-span is
done also. Although their effect may bedelayed, severe shocks from burns and
over-excitement are apt to provefatal to the aged."
Oro snarled at him; no other word describes it=
.
"And there are other things, Physician,&q=
uot;
he said, "which are apt toprove fatal to the young. At least now you w=
ill
no longer deny mypower."
"I am not so sure," answered Bickley,
"since it seems that there is agreater Power, namely that of a woman's
love and sacrifice."
"And a greater still," interrupted
Bastin, "Which put those ideas intoher head."
"As for you, Humphrey," went on Oro,
"I rejoice to think that you atleast have lost two things that man des=
ires
above all other things--thewoman you sought and the future kingship of the
world."
I stood up and faced him.
"The first I have gained, although how, y=
ou
do not understand, Oro,"I answered. "And of the second, seeing th=
at
it would have come throughyou, on your conditions, I am indeed glad to be r=
id.
I wish no powerthat springs from murder, and no gifts from one who answered
hisdaughter's prayer with blows."
For a moment he seemed remorseful.
"She vexed me with her foolishness,"=
he
said. Then his rage blazed upagain:
"And it was you who taught it to her,&quo=
t;
he went on. "You are guilty, allthree of you, and therefore I am left =
with
none to serve me in my age;therefore also my mighty schemes are
overthrown."
"Also, Oro, if you speak truth, therefore
half the world is saved," Iadded quietly, "and one has left it of
whom it was unworthy."
"You think that these civilisations of yo=
urs,
as you are pleased to callthem, are saved, do you?" he sneered. "=
Yet,
even if Bickley were rightand I should die and become powerless, I tell you
that they are alreadydamned. I have studied them in your books and seen them
with my eyes,and I say that they are rotten before ever they are ripe, and =
that
theirend shall be the end of the Sons of Wisdom, to die for lack of
increase.That is why I would have saved the East, because in it alone there
isincrease, and thence alone can rise the great last race of man which Iwou=
ld
have given to your children for an heritage. Moreover, think notthat you
Westerners have done with wars. I tell you that they are butbegun and that =
the
sword shall eat you up, and what the sword sparesclass shall snatch from cl=
ass
in the struggle for supremacy and ease."
Thus he spoke with extraordinary and concentra=
ted
bitterness that Iconfess would have frightened me, had I been capable of fe=
ar,
which atthe moment I was not. Who is afraid when he has lost all?
Nor was Bastin alarmed, if for other reasons.<= o:p>
"I think it right to tell you, Oro,"=
he
said, "that the only future youneed trouble about is your own. God
Almighty will look after the westerncivilisations in whatever way He may th=
ink
best, as you may remember Hedid just now. Only I am sure you won't be here =
to
see how it is done."
Again fury blazed in Oro's eyes.
"At least I will look after you, you
half-bred dogs, who yap outill-omened prophecies of death into my face. Sin=
ce
the three of youloved my daughter whom you brought to her doom, and were by=
her
beloved,if differently, I think it best that you should follow on her road.=
How?
That is the question? Shall I leave you to starve in these greatcaves?--Nay,
look not towards the road of escape which doubtless shepointed out to you, =
for,
as Humphrey knows, I can travel swiftly and Iwill make sure that you find it
blocked. Or shall I--" and he glancedupwards at the great globes of
wandering fire, as though he purposed tosummon them to be our death, as
doubtless he could have done.
"I do not care what you do," I answe=
red
wearily. "Only I would beg youto strike quickly. Yet for my friends I =
am
sorry, since it was I who ledthem on this quest, and for you, too, Tommy,&q=
uot;
I added, looking at thepoor little hound. "You were foolish, Tommy,&qu=
ot;
I went on, "when youscented out that old tyrant in his coffin, at least
for our own sake."
Indeed the dog was terribly scared. He whined
continually and from timeto time ran a little way and then returned to us,
suggesting that weshould go from this horror-haunted spot. Lastly, as thoug=
h he
understoodthat it was Oro who kept us there, he went to him and jumping up,
lickedhis hand in a beseeching fashion.
The super-man looked at the dog and as he look=
ed
the rage went out ofhis face and was replaced by something resembling pity.=
"I do not wish the beast to die," he
muttered to himself in lowreflective tones, as though he thought aloud,
"for of them all it aloneliked and did not fear me. I might take it wi=
th
me but still it wouldperish of grief in the loneliness of the caves. Moreov=
er,
she loved itwhom I shall see no more; yes, Yva--" as he spoke the name=
his
voicebroke a little. "Yet if I suffer them to escape they will tell my
storyto the world and make me a laughingstock. Well, if they do, what does
itmatter? None of those Western fools would believe it; thinking that theyk=
new
all; like Bickley they would mock and say that they were mad, orliars."=
;
Again Tommy licked his hand, but more confiden=
tly,
as though instincttold him something of what was passing in Oro's mind. I
watched withan idle wonder, marvelling whether it were possible that this
mercilessbeing would after all spare us for the sake of the dog.
So, strange to say, it came about, for suddenly
Oro looked up and said:
"Get you gone, and quickly, before my mood
changes. The hound has savedyou. For its sake I give you your lives, who
otherwise should certainlyhave died. She who has gone pointed out to you, I
doubt not, a road thatruns to the upper air. I think that it is still open.
Indeed," he added,closing his eyes for a moment, "I see that it is
still open, if longand difficult. Follow it, and should you win through, ta=
ke
your boat andsail away as swiftly as you can. Whether you die or live I care
nothing,but my hands will be clean of your blood, although yours are
stainedwith Yva's. Begone! and my curse go with you."
Without waiting for further words we went to f=
etch
our lanterns,water-bottles and bag of food which we had laid down at a
littledistance. As we approached them I looked up and saw Oro standing some=
way
off. The light from one of the blue globes of fire which passedclose above =
his
head, shone upon him and made him ghastly. Moreover, itseemed to me as thou=
gh
approaching death had written its name upon hismalevolent countenance.
I turned my head away, for about his aspect in
those sinistersurroundings there was something horrible, something menacing
andrepellent to man and of him I wished to see no more. Nor indeed did I,for
when I glanced in that direction again Oro was gone. I suppose thathe had
retreated into the shadows where no light played.
We gathered up our gear, and while the others =
were
relighting thelanterns, I walked a few paces forward to the spot where Yva =
had
beendissolved in the devouring fire. Something caught my eye upon the
rockyfloor. I picked it up. It was the ring, or rather the remains of theri=
ng
that I had given her on that night when we declared our love amidstthe ruin=
s by
the crater lake. She had never worn it on her hand but forher own reasons, =
as
she told me, suspended it upon her breast beneathher robe. It was an ancien=
t ring
that I had bought in Egypt, fashionedof gold in which was set a very hard
basalt or other black stone. Onthis was engraved the ank or looped cross, w=
hich
was the Egyptian symbolof Life, and round it a snake, the symbol of Eternit=
y.
The gold was forthe most part melted, but the stone, being so hard and
protected by theshield and asbestos cloak, for such I suppose it was, had
resisted thefury of the flash. Only now it was white instead of black, like=
a
burntonyx that had known the funeral pyre. Indeed, perhaps it was an onyx.
Ikissed it and hid it away, for it seemed to me to convey a greeting andwit=
h it
a promise.
Then we started, a very sad and dejected trio.
Leaving with a shudderthat vast place where the blue lights played eternall=
y,
we came to theshaft up and down which the travelling stone pursued its endl=
ess
path,and saw it arrive and depart again.
"I wonder he did not send us that way,&qu=
ot;
said Bickley, pointing to it.
"I am sure I am very glad it never occurr=
ed
to him," answered Bastin,"for I am certain that we could not have
made the journey again withoutour guide, Yva."
I looked at him and he ceased. Somehow I could=
not
bear, as yet, to hearher beloved name spoken by other lips.
Then we entered the passage that she pointed o=
ut
to us, and began a mostterrible journey which, so far as we could judge, fo=
r we
lost any exactcount of time, took us about sixty hours. The road, it is tru=
e,
wassmooth and unblocked, but the ascent was fearfully steep and slippery;so
much so that often we were obliged to pull each other up it and liedown to
rest.
Had it not been for those large, felt-covered
bottles of Life-water,I am sure we should never have won through. But this
marvelous elixir,drunk a little at a time, always re-invigorated us and gav=
e us
strengthto push on. Also we had some food, and fortunately our spare oil
heldout, for the darkness in that tunnel was complete. Tommy became soexhau=
sted
that at length we must carry him by turns. He would have diedhad it not been
for the water; indeed I thought that he was going todie.
After our last rest and a short sleep, however=
, he
seemed to begin torecover, and generally there was something in his manner
which suggestedto us that he knew himself to be not far from the surface of=
the
earthtowards which we had crawled upwards for thousands upon thousands offe=
et,
fortunately without meeting with any zone of heat which was notbearable.
We were right, for when we had staggered forwa=
rd a
little further,suddenly Tommy ran ahead of us and vanished. Then we heard h=
im
barkingbut where we could not see, since the tunnel appeared to take a turn=
and
continue, but this time on a downward course, while the sound of thebarks c=
ame
from our right. We searched with the lanterns which werenow beginning to die
and found a little hole almost filled with fallenpieces of rock. We scooped
these away with our hands, making an aperturelarge enough to creep through.=
A
few more yards and we saw light, theblessed light of the moon, and in it st=
ood
Tommy barking hoarsely. Nextwe heard the sound of the sea. We struggled on
desperately and presentlypushed our way through bushes and vegetation on to=
a
steep declivity.Down this we rolled and scrambled, to find ourselves at last
lying upona sandy beach, whilst above us the full moon shone in the heavens=
.
Here, with a prayer of thankfulness, we flung
ourselves down and slept.
If it had not been for Tommy and we had gone
further along the tunnel,which I have little doubt stretched on beneath the
sea, where, I wonder,should we have slept that night?
When we woke the sun was shining high in the
heavens. Evidently therehad been rain towards the dawn, though as we were l=
ying
beneath theshelter of some broad-leaved tree, from it we had suffered
littleinconvenience. Oh! how beautiful, after our sojourn in those unholyca=
ves,
were the sun and the sea and the sweet air and the raindropshanging on the
leaves.
We did not wake of ourselves; indeed if we had
been left alone I amsure that we should have slept the clock round, for we =
were
terriblyexhausted. What woke us was the chatter of a crowd of Orofenans who
weregathered at a distance from the tree and engaged in staring at us in
afrightened way, also the barks of Tommy who objected to their intrusion.Am=
ong
the people I recognised our old friend the chief Marama by hisfeather cloak,
and sitting up, beckoned to him to approach. After a gooddeal of hesitation=
he
came, walking delicately like Agag, and stoppingfrom time to time to study =
us,
as though he were not sure that we werereal.
"What frightens you, Marama?" I asked
him.
"You frighten us, O Friend-from-the-Sea.
Whence did you and the Healerand the Bellower come and why do your faces lo=
ok
like those of ghostsand why is the little black beast so large-eyed and so
thin? Overthe lake we know you did not come, for we have watched day and
night;moreover there is no canoe upon the shore. Also it would not have
beenpossible."
"Why not?" I asked idly.
"Come and see," he answered.
Rising stiffly we emerged from beneath the tree
and perceived that wewere at the foot of the cliff against which the remain=
s of
the yacht hadbeen borne by the great tempest. Indeed there it was within a
couple ofhundred yards of us.
Following Marama we climbed the sloping path w=
hich
ran up the cliffand ascended a knoll whence we could see the lake and the c=
one
of thevolcano in its centre. At least we used to be able to see this cone,
butnow, at any rate with the naked eye, we could make out nothing, except
asmall brown spot in the midst of the waters of the lake.
"The mountain which rose up many feet in =
that
storm which brought you toOrofena, Friend-from-the-Sea, has now sunk till o=
nly
the very top of itis to be seen," said Marama solemnly. "Even the
Rock of Offerings hasvanished beneath the water, and with it the house that=
we
built foryou."
"Yes," I said, affecting no surprise.
"But when did that happen?"
"Five nights ago the world shook,
Friend-from-the-Sea, and when the sunrose we saw that the mouth of the cave
which appeared on the day of yourcoming, had vanished, and that the holy
mountain itself had sunk deep,so that now only the crest of it is left above
the water."
"Such things happen," I replied
carelessly.
"Yes, Friend-from-the-Sea. Like many other
marvels they happen where youand your companions are. Therefore we beg you =
who
can arise out of theearth like spirits, to leave us at once before our isla=
nd
and all of uswho dwell thereon are drowned beneath the ocean. Leave us befo=
re
we killyou, if indeed you be men, or die at your hands if, as we think, you
beevil spirits who can throw up mountains and drag them down, and creategods
that slay, and move about in the bowels of the world."
"That is our intention, for our business =
here
is done," I answeredcalmly. "Come now and help us to depart. But
first bring us food. Bringit in plenty, for we must victual our boat."=
Marama bowed and issued the necessary orders.
Indeed food sufficient forour immediate needs was already there as an offer=
ing,
and of it we atewith thankfulness.
Then we boarded the ship and examined the
lifeboat. Thanks to ourprecautions it was still in very fair order and only
needed some littlecaulking which we did with grass fibre and pitch from the
stores. Afterthis with the help of the Orofenans who worked hard in their
desperatedesire to be rid of us, we drew the boat into the sea, and
provisionedher with stores from the ship, and with an ample supply of
water.Everything being ready at last, we waited for the evening wind
whichalways blew off shore, to start. As it was not due for half an hour
ormore, I walked back to the tree under which we had slept and tried tofind=
the
hole whence we had emerged from the tunnel on to the face ofthe cliff.
My hurried search proved useless. The declivit=
y of
the cliff was coveredwith tropical growth, and the heavy rain had washed aw=
ay
every trace ofour descent, and very likely filled the hole itself with eart=
h.
At anyrate, of it I could discover nothing. Then as the breeze began to blo=
wI
returned to the boat and here bade adieu to Marama, who gave me hisfeather
cloak as a farewell gift.
"Good-bye, Friend-from-the-Sea," he =
said
to me. "We are glad to haveseen you and thank you for many things. But=
we
do not wish to see youany more."
"Good-bye, Marama," I answered.
"What you say, we echo. At least youhave now no great lump upon your n=
eck
and we have rid you of yourwizards. But beware of the god Oro who dwells in=
the
mountain, for ifyou anger him he will sink your island beneath the sea.&quo=
t;
"And remember all that I have taught
you," shouted Bastin.
Marama shivered, though whether at the mention=
of
the god Oro, of whosepowers the Orofenans had so painful a recollection, or=
at
the result ofBastin's teachings, I do not know. And that was the last we sh=
all
eversee of each other in this world.
The island faded behind us and, sore at heart
because of all that we hadfound and lost again, for three days we sailed
northward with a fairand steady wind. On the fourth evening by an extraordi=
nary
stroke offortune, we fell in with an American tramp steamer, trading from
theSouth Sea Islands to San Francisco. To the captain, who treated us
verykindly, we said simply that we were a party of Englishmen whose yachthad
been wrecked on a small island several hundreds of miles away, ofwhich we k=
new
neither the name, if it had one, nor the position.
This story was accepted without question, for =
such
things often happenin those latitudes, and in due course we were landed at =
San
Francisco,where we made certain depositions before the British Consul as to
theloss of the yacht Star of the South. Then we crossed America, havingobta=
ined
funds by cable, and sailed for England in a steamer flying theflag of the
United States.
Of the great war which made this desirable I do
not speak since ithas nothing, or rather little, to do with this history. In
the endwe arrived safely at Liverpool, and thence travelled to our homes
inDevonshire.
Thus ended the history of our dealings with Or=
o,
the super-man who beganhis life more than two hundred and fifty thousand ye=
ars
ago, and withhis daughter, Yva, whom Bastin still often calls the Glittering
Lady.
There is little more to tell.
Shortly after our return Bickley, like a patri=
otic
Englishman,volunteered for service at the front and departed in the uniform=
of
theR.A.M.C. Before he left he took the opportunity of explaining to Bastinh=
ow
much better it was in such a national emergency as existed, tobelong to a
profession in which a man could do something to help thebodies of his
countrymen that had been broken in the common cause, thanto one like his in
which it was only possible to pelt them with vainwords.
"You think that, do you, Bickley?"
answered Bastin. "Well, I hold thatit is better to heal souls than bod=
ies,
because, as even you will havelearned out there in Orofena, they last so mu=
ch
longer."
"I am not certain that I learned anything=
of
the sort," said Bickley,"or even that Oro was more than an ordina=
ry
old man. He said that hehad lived a thousand years, but what was there to p=
rove
this except hisword, which is worth nothing?"
"There was the Lady Yva's word also, whic=
h is
worth a great deal,Bickley."
"Yes, but she may have meant a thousand
moons. Further, as accordingto her own showing she was still quite young, h=
ow
could she know herfather's age?"
"Quite so, Bickley. But all she actually =
said
was that she was of thesame age as one of our women of twenty-seven, which =
may
have meant twohundred and seventy for all I know. However, putting that asi=
de
youwill admit that they had both slept for two hundred and fifty thousandye=
ars."
"I admit that they slept, Bastin, because=
I
helped to awaken them, butfor how long there is nothing to show, except tho=
se
star maps which areprobably quite inaccurate."
"They are not inaccurate," I broke i=
n,
"for I have had them checked byleading astronomers who say that they s=
how
a marvelous knowledge of theheavens as these were two hundred and fifty
thousand years ago, and aretoday."
Here I should state that those two metal maps =
and
the ring which I gaveto Yva and found again after the catastrophe, were abs=
olutely
the onlythings connected with her or with Oro that we brought away with us.=
The
former I would never part with, feeling their value as evidence.Therefore, =
when
we descended to the city Nyo and the depths beneath,I took them with me wra=
pped
in cloth in my pocket. Thus they werepreserved. Everything else went when t=
he
Rock of Offerings and the cavemouth sank beneath the waters of the lake.
This may have happened either in the earth tre=
mor,
which no doubtwas caused by the advance of the terrific world-balance, or w=
hen
theelectric power, though diffused and turned by Yva's insulated body,struck
the great gyroscope's travelling foot with sufficient strength,not to shift=
it
indeed on to the right-hand path as Oro had designed,but still to cause it =
to
stagger and even perhaps to halt for thefraction of a second. Even this pau=
se
may have been enough to causeconvulsions of the earth above; indeed, I gath=
ered
from Marama and otherOrofenans that such convulsions had occurred on and ar=
ound
the islandat what must have corresponded with that moment of the loosing of
theforce.
This loss of our belongings in the house of the
Rock of Offerings wasthe more grievous because among them were some Kodak
photographs whichI had taken, including portraits of Oro and one of Yva that
was reallyexcellent, to say nothing of pictures of the mouth of the cave and
ofthe ruins and crater lake above. How bitterly I regret that I did notkeep
these photographs in my pocket with the map-plates.
"Even if the star-maps are correct, still=
it
proves nothing," saidBickley, "since possibly Oro's astronomical
skill might have enabledhim to draw that of the sky at any period, though I
allow this isimpossible."
"I doubt his taking so much trouble merel=
y to
deceive three wandererswho lacked the knowledge even to check them," I
said. "But all thismisses the point, Bickley. However long they had sl=
ept,
that man andwoman did arise from seeming death. They did dwell in those
marvelouscaves with their evidences of departed civilisations, and they did=
showus
that fearful, world-wandering gyroscope. These things we saw."
"I admit that we saw them, Arbuthnot, and=
I
admit that they are one andall beyond human comprehension. To that extent I=
am
converted, and, Imay add, humbled," said Bickley.
"So you ought to be," exclaimed Bast=
in,
"seeing that you always sworethat there was nothing in the world that =
is
not capable of a perfectlynatural explanation."
"Of which all these things may be capable,
Bastin, if only we held thekey."
"Very well, Bickley, but how do you expla=
in
what the Lady Yva did? I maytell you now what she commanded me to conceal at
the time, namely, thatshe became a Christian; so much so that by her own wi=
ll,
I baptised andconfirmed her on the very morning of her sacrifice. Doubtless=
it
wasthis that changed her heart so much that she became willing, of
coursewithout my knowledge, to leave everything she cared for," here he
lookedhard at me, "and lay down her life to save the world, half of wh=
ich
shebelieved was about to be drowned by Oro. Now, considering her historyand
upbringing, I call this a spiritual marvel, much greater than anyyou now ad=
mit,
and one you can't explain, Bickley."
"No, I cannot explain, or, at any rate, I
will not try," he answered,also staring hard at me. "Whatever she
believed, or did not believe, andwhatever would or would not have happened,=
she
was a great and wonderfulwoman whose memory I worship."
"Quite so, Bickley, and now perhaps you s=
ee
my point, that what youdescribe as mere vain words may also be helpful to m=
ankind;
more so,indeed, than your surgical instruments and pills."
"You couldn't convert Oro, anyway,"
exclaimed Bickley, with irritation.
"No, Bickley; but then I have always
understood that the devil is beyondconversion because he is beyond repentan=
ce.
You see, I think that ifthat old scoundrel was not the devil himself, at any
rate he was abit of him, and, if I am right, I am not ashamed to have faile=
d in
hiscase."
"Even Oro was not utterly bad, Bastin,&qu=
ot;
I said, reflecting on certaintraits of mercy that he had shown, or that I
dreamed him to have shownin the course of our mysterious midnight journeys =
to
various parts ofthe earth. Also I remembered that he had loved Tommy and for
his sakehad spared our lives. Lastly, I do not altogether wonder that he ca=
me tocertain
hasty conclusions as to the value of our modern civilisations.
"I am very glad to hear it, Humphrey, sin=
ce
while there is a spark leftthe whole fire may burn up again, and I believe =
that
to the Divine mercythere are no limits, though Oro will have a long road to
travel beforehe finds it. And now I have something to say. It has troubled =
me
verymuch that I was obliged to leave those Orofenans wandering in a kind
ofreligious twilight."
"You couldn't help that," said Bickl=
ey,
"seeing that if you had stopped,by now you would have been wandering in
religious light."
"Still, I am not sure that I ought not to
have stopped. I seem to havedeserted a field that was open to me. However, =
it
can't be helped, sinceit is certain that we could never find that island ag=
ain,
even if Orohas not sunk it beneath the sea, as he is quite capable of doing,
tocover his tracks, so to speak. So I mean to do my best in another fieldby=
way
of atonement."
"You are not going to become a
missionary?" I said.
"No, but with the consent of the Bishop, =
who,
I think, believes that mylocum got on better in the parish than I do, as no
doubt was the case,I, too, have volunteered for the Front, and been accepte=
d as
a chaplainof the 201st Division."
"Why, that's mine!" said Bickley.
"Is it? I am very glad, since now we shal=
l be
able to pursue ourpleasant arguments and to do our best to open each other's
minds."
"You fellows are more fortunate than I
am," I remarked. "I alsovolunteered, but they wouldn't take me, e=
ven
as a Tommy, although Imisstated my age. They told me, or at least a special=
ist
whom I saw didafterwards, that the blow I got on the head from that sorcere=
r's
boy--"
"I know, I know!" broke in Bickley
almost roughly. "Of course, thingsmight go wrong at any time. But with=
care
you may live to old age."
"I am sorry to hear it," I said with=
a
sigh, "at least I think I am.Meanwhile, fortunately there is much that=
I
can do at home; indeed acourse of action has been suggested to me by an old
friend who is now inauthority."
Once more Bickley and Bastin in their war-stai=
ned
uniforms were diningat my table and on the very night of their return from =
the
Front, whichwas unexpected. Indeed Tommy nearly died of joy on hearing their
voicesin the hall. They, who played a worthy part in the great struggle,had
much to tell me, and naturally their more recent experiences hadoverlaid to
some extent those which we shared in the mysterious islandof Orofena. Indee=
d we
did not speak of these until, just as they weregoing away, Bastin paused be=
neath
a very beautiful portrait of my latewife, the work of an artist famous for =
his
power of bringing out theinner character, or what some might call the soul,=
of
the sitter. Hestared at it for a while in his short-sighted way, then said:
"Do youknow, Arbuthnot, it has sometimes occurred to me, and never more
thanat this moment, that although they were different in height and so on,t=
here
was a really curious physical resemblance between your late wifeand the Lady
Yva."
"Yes," I answered. "I think so
too."
Bickley also examined the portrait very carefu=
lly,
and as he did so Isaw him start. Then he turned away, saying nothing.
Such is the summary of all that has been impor= tant in my life. It is, Iadmit, an odd story and one which suggests problems tha= t I cannot solve.Bastin deals with such things by that acceptance which is the privilegeand hall-mark of faith; Bickley disposes, or used to dispose, of t= hem bya blank denial which carries no conviction, and least of all to himself.<= o:p>
What is life to most of us who, like Bickley,
think ourselves learned?A round, short but still with time and to spare whe=
rein
to be dull andlonesome; a fateful treadmill to which we were condemned we k=
now
nothow, but apparently through the casual passions of those who went before=
us
and are now forgotten, causing us, as the Bible says, to be born insin; up
which we walk wearily we know not why, seeming never to makeprogress; off w=
hich
we fall outworn we know not when or whither.
Such upon the surface it appears to be, nor in
fact does our ascertainedknowledge, as Bickley would sum it up, take us much
further. No prophethas yet arisen who attempted to define either the origin=
or
the reasonsof life. Even the very Greatest of them Himself is quite silent =
on
thismatter. We are tempted to wonder why. Is it because life as expressed i=
nthe
higher of human beings, is, or will be too vast, too multiform andtoo glori=
ous
for any definition which we could understand? Is itbecause in the end it wi=
ll
involve for some, if not for all, majesty onunfathomed majesty, and glory u=
pon
unimaginable glory such as at presentfar outpass the limits of our thought?=
The experiences which I have recorded in these
pages awake in my heart ahope that this may be so. Bastin is wont, like many
others, to talk ina light fashion of Eternity without in the least
comprehending what hemeans by that gigantic term. It is not too much to say
that Eternity,something without beginning and without end, and involving,
itwould appear, an everlasting changelessness, is a state beyondhuman
comprehension. As a matter of fact we mortals do not think inconstellations=
, so
to speak, or in aeons, but by the measures of our ownsmall earth and of our=
few
days thereon. We cannot really conceive ofan existence stretching over even=
one
thousand years, such as thatwhich Oro claimed and the Bible accords to a
certain early race of men,omitting of course his two thousand five hundred
centuries of sleep. Andyet what is this but one grain in the hourglass of t=
ime,
one day in thelost record of our earth, of its sisters the planets and its
father thesun, to say nothing of the universes beyond?
It is because I have come in touch with a
prolonged though perfectlyfinite existence of the sort, that I try to pass =
on
the reflectionswhich the fact of it awoke in me. There are other reflections
connectedwith Yva and the marvel of her love and its various
manifestationswhich arise also. But these I keep to myself. They concern the
wonder ofwoman's heart, which is a microcosm of the hopes and fears and
desiresand despairs of this humanity of ours whereof from age to age she is
themother.
HUMPHREY ARBUTHNOT.
NOTE By J. R. Bickley, M.R.C.S.
Within about six months of the date on which he
wrote the last wordsof this history of our joint adventures, my dear friend,
HumphreyArbuthnot, died suddenly, as I had foreseen that probably he would
do,from the results of the injury he received in the island of Orofena.
He left me the sole executor to his will, under
which he divided hisproperty into three parts. One third he bequeathed to m=
e,
one third(which is strictly tied up) to Bastin, and one third to be
devoted,under my direction, to the advancement of Science.
His end appears to have been instantaneous,
resulting from an effusionof blood upon the brain. When I was summoned I fo=
und
him lying dead bythe writing desk in his library at Fulcombe Priory. He had
been writingat the desk, for on it was a piece of paper on which appear the=
se
words:"I have seen her. I--" There the writing ends, not stating =
whom
hethought he had seen in the moments of mental disturbance or delusionwhich
preceded his decease.
Save for certain verbal corrections, I publish
this manuscript withoutcomment as the will directs, only adding that it sets
out our mutualexperiences very faithfully, though Arbuthnot's deductions fr=
om
them arenot always my own.
I would say also that I am contemplating anoth=
er
visit to the South SeaIslands, where I wish to make some further
investigations. I daresay, however, that these will be barren of results, as
the fountain ofLife-water is buried for ever, nor, as I think, will any hum=
an
beingstand again in the Hades-like halls of Nyo. It is probable also that
itwould prove impossible to rediscover the island of Orofena, if indeedthat
volcanic land still remains above the waters of the deep.
Now that he is a very wealthy man, Bastin talk=
s of
accompanying me forpurposes quite different from my own, but on the whole I
hope he willabandon this idea. I may add that when he learned of his
unexpectedinheritance he talked much of the "deceitfulness of
riches," but that hehas not as yet taken any steps to escape their gol=
den
snare. Indeed henow converses of his added "opportunities of
usefulness," I gather inconnection with missionary enterprise.
J. R. BICKLEY.
P.S.--I forgot to state that the spaniel Tommy
died within three days ofhis owner. The poor little beast was present in the
room at the timeof Arbuthnot's passing away, and when found seemed to be
suffering fromshock. From that moment Tommy refused food and finally was
discoveredquite dead and lying by the body on Marama's feather cloak,
whichArbuthnot often used as a dressing-gown. As Bastin raised some
religiousobjections, I arranged without his knowledge that the dog's ashes
shouldrest not far from those of the master and mistress whom it loved sowe=
ll.
J.R.B.