she-第38部分

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



〃Nay；　he　lives；〃　I　answered。　〃　_i_　She　_i_　hath　saved　
him。　Enter。〃

She　sighed　deeply；　entered；　and　fell　upon　her　hands　
and　knees；　after　the　custom　of　the　Amahagger　people；　
in　the　presence　of　the　dread　_i_　She　_i_。

〃Stand；〃　said　Ayesha；　in　her　coldest　voice；　〃and　come　
hither。〃

Ustane　obeyed；　standing　before　her　with　bowed　head。

Then　came　a　pause；　which　Ayesha　broke。

〃Who　is　this　man？〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　sleeping　
form　of　Leo。

〃The　man　is　my　husband；〃　she　answered　in　a　low　voice。

〃Who　gave　him　to　thee　for　a　husband？〃

〃I　took　him　according　to　the　custom　of　our　country；　O　
_i_　She　_i_　。〃

〃Thou　hast　done　evil；　woman；　in　taking　this　man；　who　
is　a　stranger。　He　is　not　a　man　of　thine　own　race；　and　
the　custom　fails。　Listen：　perchance　thou　didst　this　
thing　through　ignorance；　therefore；　woman；　do　I　spare　
thee；　otherwise　hadst　thou　died。　Listen　again。　Go　from　
hence　back　to　thine　own　place；　and　never　dare　to　speak　
to　or　set　thine　eyes　upon　this　man　again。　He　is　not　
for　thee。　Listen　a　third　time。　If　thou　breakest　this　
my　law；　that　moment　thou　diest。　Go。〃　

But　Ustane　did　not　move。　

〃Go；　woman！〃

Then　she　looked　up；　and　I　saw　that　her　face　was　torn　
with　passion。

〃Nay；　O　_i_　She　_i_　；　I　will　not　go；〃　she　answered；　in　
a　choked　voice：　〃the　man　is　my　husband；　and　I　love　
himI　love　him；　and　I　will　not　leave　him。　What　right　
hast　thou　to　command　me　to　leave　my　husband？〃

I　saw　a　little　quiver　pass　down　Ayesha's　frame；　and　
shuddered　myself；　fearing　the　worst。

〃Be　pitiful；〃　I　said　in　Latin；　〃it　is　but　Nature　
working。〃

〃I　am　pitiful；〃　she　answered；　coldly；　in　the　same　
language；　〃had　I　not　been　pitiful　she　had　been　dead　
even　now。〃　Then　addressing　Ustane：　〃Woman；　I　say　to　
thee；　go　before　I　destroy　thee　where　thou　art！〃

〃I　will　not　go！　He　is　minemine！〃　she　cried；　in　
anguish。　〃I　took　him；　and　I　saved　his　life！　Destroy　
me；　then；　if　thou　hast　the　power！　I　will　not　give　thee　
my　husbandnevernever！〃

Ayesha　made　a　movement　so　swift　that　I　could　scarcely　
follow　it；　but　it　seemed　to　me　that　she　lightly　struck　
the　poor　girl　upon　the　head　with　her　hand。　I　looked　at　
Ustane；　and　then　staggered　back　in　horror；　for　there　
upon　her　hair；　right　across　her　bronze…like　tresses；　
were　three　finger…marks　white　as　snow。　As　for　the　girl　
herself；　she　had　put　her　hands　to　her　head；　and　was　
looking　dazed。

〃Great　heavens！〃　I　said；　perfectly　aghast　at　this　
dreadful　manifestation　of　inhuman　power；　but　_i_　She　
_i_　did　but　laugh　a　little。

〃Thou　thinkest；　poor；　ignorant　fool；〃　she　said　to　the　
bewildered　woman；　〃that　I　have　not　power　to　slay。　
Stay；　there　lies　a　mirror；〃　and　she　pointed　to　Leo's　
round　shaving…glass　that　had　been　arranged　by　Job　with　
other　things　upon　his　portmanteau；　〃give　it　to　this　
woman；　my　Holly；　and　let　her　see　that　which　lies　
across　her　hair；　and　whether　or　not　I　have　power　to　
slay。〃

I　picked　up　the　glass；　and　held　it　before　Ustane's　
eyes。　She　gazed；　then　felt　at　her　hair；　then　gazed　
again；　and　then　sank　upon　the　ground　with　a　sort　of　
sob。

〃Now；　wilt　thou　go；　or　must　I　strike　a　second　time？〃　
asked　Ayesha；　in　mockery。　〃Look；　I　have　set　my　seal　
upon　thee　so　that　I　may　know　thee　till　thy　hair　is　all　
as　white　as　it。　If　I　see　thy　face　here　again；　be　sure　
too；　that　thy　bones　shall　soon　be　whiter　than　my　mark　
upon　thy　hair。〃

Utterly　awed　and　broken　down；　the　poor　creature　rose　
and；　marked　with　that　awful　mark；　crept　from　the　room　
sobbing　bitterly。

〃Look　not　so　frighted；　my　Holly；〃　said　Ayesha；　when　
She　had　gone。　〃I　tell　thee　I　deal　not　in　magicthere　
is　no　such　thing。　'Tis　only　a　force　that　thou　dost　not　
understand。　I　marked　her　to　strike　terror　to　her　
heart；　else　must　I　have　slain　her。　And　now　I　will　bid　
my　servants　bear　my　Lord　Kallikrates　to　a　chamber　near　
mine　own；　that　I　may　watch　over　him；　and　be　ready　to　
greet　him　when　he　wakes；　and　thither；　too；　shalt　thou　
come；　my　Holly；　and　the　white　man；　thy　servant。　But　
one　thing　remember　at　thy　peril。　Naught　shalt　thou　say　
to　Kallikrates　as　to　how　this　woman　went；　and　as　
little　as　may　be　of　me。　Now；　I　have　warned　thee！〃　and　
she　slid　away　to　give　her　orders；　leaving　me　more　
absolutely　confounded　than　ever。　Indeed；　so　bewildered　
was　I；　and　racked　and　torn　with　such　a　succession　of　
various　emotions；　that　I　began　to　think　that　I　must　be　
going　mad。　However；　perhaps　fortunately；　I　had　but　
little　time　to　reflect；　for　presently　the　mutes　
arrived　to　carry　the　sleeping　Leo　and　our　possessions　
across　the　central　cave；　so　for　a　while　all　was　
bustle。　Our　new　rooms　were　situated　immediately　behind　
what　we　used　to　call　Ayesha's　boudoirthe　curtained　
space　where　I　had　first　seen　her。　Where　she　herself　
slept　I　did　not　then　know；　but　it　was　somewhere　quite　
close。

That　night　I　passed　in　Leo's　room；　but　he　slept　
through　it　like　the　dead；　never　once　stirring。　I　also　
slept　fairly　well；　as；　indeed；　I　needed　to　do；　but　my　
sleep　was　full　of　dreams　of　all　the　horrors　and　
wonders　I　had　undergone。　Chiefly；　however；　I　was　
haunted　by　that　frightful　piece　of　_i_　diablerie　_i_　
by　which　Ayesha　left　her　finger…marks　upon　her　rival's　
hair。　There　was　something　so　terrible　about　the　swift；　
snakelike　movement；　and　the　instantaneous　blanching　of　
that　threefold　line；　that；　if　the　results　to　Ustane　
had　been　much　more　tremendous；　I　doubt　if　they　would　
have　impressed　me　so　deeply。　To　this　day　I　often　dream　
of　that　awful　scene；　and　see　the　weeping　woman；　
bereaved；　and　marked　like　Cain；　cast　a　last　look　at　
her　lover；　and　creep　from　the　presence　of　her　dread　
queen。

Another　dream　that　troubled　me　originated　in　the　huge　
pyramid　of　bones。　I　dreamed　that　they　all　stood　up　and　
marched　past　me　in　thousands　and　tens　of　thousandsin　
squadrons；　companies；　and　armieswith　the　sunlight　
shining　through　their　hollow　ribs。　On　they　rushed　
across　the　plain　to　Ko^r；　their　imperial　home；　I　saw　
the　drawbridges　fall　before　them；　and　heard　their　
bones　clank　through　the　brazen　gates。　On　they　went；　up　
the　splendid　streets；　on　past　fountains；　palaces；　and　
temples　such　as　the　eye　of　man　never　saw。　But　there　
was　no　man　to　greet　them　in　the　market…place；　and　no　
woman's　face　appeared　at　the　windowsonly　a　bodiless　
voice　went　before　them；　calling：　〃Fallen　is　Imperial　
Ko^rfallen！fallen！fallen！〃　On；　right　through　the　
city；　marched　those　gleaming　phalanxes；　and　the　rattle　
of　their　bony　tread　echoed　through　the　silent　air　as　
they　pressed　grimly　on。　They　passed　through　the　city　
and　climbed　the　wall；　and　marched　along　the　great　
roadway　that　was　made　upon　the　wall；　till　at　length　
they　once　more　reached　the　drawbridge。　Then；　as　the　
sun　was　sinking；　they　returned　again　towards　their　
sepulchre；　and　luridly　his　light　shone　in　the　sockets　
of　their　empty　eyes；　throwing　gigantic　shadows　of　
their　bones；　that　stretched　away；　and　crept　and　crept　
like　huge　spider's　legs　as　their　armies　wound　across　
the　plain。　Then　they　came　to　the　cave；　and　once　more　
one　by　one　flung　themselves　in　unending　files　through　
the　hole　into　the　pit　of　bones；　and　I　awoke；　
shuddering；　to　see　_i_　She　_i_　；　who　had　evidently　
been　standing　between　my　couch　and　Leo's；　glide　like　a　
shadow　from　the　room。

After　this　I　slept　again；　soundly　this　time；　till　
morning；　when　I　awoke　much　refreshed；　and　got　up。　At　
last　the　hour　drew　near　at　which；　according　to　Ayesha；　
Leo　was　to　awake；　and　with　it　came　_i_　She　_i_　
herself；　as　usual；　veiled。

〃Thou　shalt　see；　O　Holly；〃　she　said；　〃presently　shall　
he　awake　in　his　right　mind；　the　fever　having　left　
him。〃

Hardly　were　the　words　out　of　her　mouth；　when　Leo　
turned　round　and　stretched　out　his　arms；　yawned；　
opened　his　eyes；　and；　perceiving　a　female　form　bending　
over　him；　threw　his　arms　round　her　and　kissed　her；　
mistaking　her；　perhaps；　for　Ustane。　At　any　rate；　he　
said；　in　Arabic；　〃Hullo！　Ustane；　why　have　you　tied　
your　head　up　like　that？　Have　you　got　the　toothache？〃　
and　then；　in　English；　〃I　say；　I'm　awfully　hungry。　Why；　
Job；　you　old　son…of…a…gun；　where　the　deuce　have　we　got　
to　noweh？〃

〃I　am　sure　I　wish　I　knew；　Mr。　Leo；〃　said　Job；　edging　
suspiciously　past　Ayesha；　whom　he　still　regarded　with　
the　utmost　disgust　and　horror；　being　by　no　means　sure　
that　she　was　not　an　animated　corpse；　〃but　you　mustn't　
talk；　Mr。　Leo；　you've　been　very　ill；　and　given　us　a　
great　deal　of　hanxiety；　and；　if　this　lady；〃　looking　at　
Ayesha；　〃would　be　so　kind　as　to　move；　I'll　bring　you　
your　soup。〃

This　turned　Leo's　attention　to　the　〃lady；〃　who　was　
standing　by　in　perfect　silence。　〃Hullo！〃　he　said；　
〃that　is　not　Ustanewhere　is　Ustane？〃

Then；　for　the　first　time；　Ayesha　spoke　to　him；　and　her　
first　words　were　a　lie。　〃She　has　gone　from　hence　upon　
a　visit；〃　she　said；　〃and；　behold；　in　her　place　am　I　
here　as　thine　handmaid。〃

Ayesha's　silver　notes　seemed　to　puzzle　Leo's　half…
awakened　intellect；　as　also　I　did　her　corpselike　
wrappings。　However；　he　said　nothing　at　the　time；　but　
drank　off　his　soup　greedily　enough；　and　then　turned　
over　and　slept　again　till　the　evening。　When　he　woke　
for　the　second　time　he　saw　me；　and　began　to　question　
me　as　to　what　had　happened；　but　I　had　to　put　him　off　
as　best　I　could　till　the　morrow；　when　he　awoke　almost　
miraculously　better。　Then　I　told　him　something　of　his　
illness　and　of　my　doings；　but　as　Ayesha　was　present　I　
could　not　tell　him　much　except　that　she　was　the　queen　
of　the　country；　and　well　disposed　towards　us；　and　that　
it　was　her　pleasure　to　go　veiled；　for；　though　of　
course　I　spoke　in　English；　I　was　afraid　that　she　might　
understand　what　we　were　saying　from　the　expression　of　
our　faces；　and；　besides；　I　remembered　her　warning。

On　the　following　day　Leo　got　up　almost　entirely　
recovered。　The　flesh　wound　in　his　side　was　healed；　and　
his　constitution；　naturally　a　vigorous　one；　had　shaken　
off　the　exhaustion　consequent　on　his　terrible　fever　
with　a　rapidity　that　I　can　only　attribute　to　the　
effects　of　the　wonderful　drug　which　Ayesha　had　given　
to　him；　and　also　to　the　fact　that　his　illness　had　been　
too　short　to　reduce　him　very　much。　With　his　returning　
health　came　back　full　recollection　of　all　his　
adventures　up　to　the　time　when　he　had　lo