classic mystery and detective stories- 第21部分

that　made　the　wavelets　themselves　seem　living　things；　sensible　of

their　joy。　　No　longer　was　there　scum　or　film　upon　the　surface；　only

ever　and　anon　a　light；　rosy　vapor　floating　up；　and　quick　lost　in

the　haggard；　heavy；　sulphurous　air；　hot　with　the　conflagration

rushing　toward　us　from　behind。　　And　these　coruscations　formed；　on

the　surface　of　the　molten　ruby；　literally　the　shape　of　a　rose；　its

leaves　made　distinct　in　their　outlines　by　sparks　of　emerald　and

diamond　and　sapphire。



Even　while　gazing　on　this　animated　liquid　luster；　a　buoyant　delight

seemed　infused　into　my　senses；　all　terrors　conceived　before　were

annulled；　the　phantoms；　whose　armies　had　filled　the　wide　spaces　in

front；　were　forgotten；　the　crash　of　the　forest　behind　was　unheard。

In　the　reflection　of　that　glory；　Margrave's　wan　cheek　seemed

already　restored　to　the　radiance　it　wore　when　I　saw　it　first　in　the

framework　of　blooms。



As　I　gazed；　thus　enchanted；　a　cold　hand　touched　my　own。



〃Hush！〃　whispered　Ayesha；　from　the　black　veil；　against　which　the

rays　of　the　caldron　fell　blunt；　and　absorbed　into　Dark。　　〃Behind

us；　the　light　of　the　circle　is　extinct；　but　there；　we　are　guarded

from　all　save　the　brutal　and　soulless　destroyers。　　But；　before！

but；　before！see；　two　of　the　lamps　have　died　out！see　the　blank

of　the　gap　in　the　ring！　　Guard　that　breachthere　the　demons　will

enter。〃



〃Not　a　drop　is　there　left　in　this　vessel　by　which　to　replenish　the

lamps　on　the　ring。〃



〃Advance；　then；　thou　hast　still　the　light　of　the　soul；　and　the

demons　may　recoil　before　a　soul　that　is　dauntless　and　guiltless。

If　not；　Three　are　lost！as　it　is；　One　is　doomed。〃



Thus　adjured；　silently；　involuntarily；　I　passed　from　the　Veiled

Woman's　side；　over　the　sear　lines　on　the　turf　which　had　been　traced

by　the　triangles　of　light　long　since　extinguished；　and　toward　the

verge　of　the　circle。　　As　I　advanced；　overhead　rushed　a　dark　cloud

of　wingsbirds　dislodged　from　the　forest　on　fire；　and　screaming；

in　dissonant　terror；　as　they　flew　toward　the　farthermost　mountains；

close　by　my　feet　hissed　and　glided　the　snakes；　driven　forth　from

their　blazing　coverts；　and　glancing　through　the　ring；　unscared　by

its　waning　lamps；　all　undulating　by　me；　bright…eyed；　and　hissing；

all　made　innocuous　by　feareven　the　terrible　Death…adder；　which　I

trampled　on　as　I　halted　at　the　verge　of　the　circle；　did　not　turn　to

bite；　but　crept　harmless　away。　　I　halted　at　the　gap　between　the　two

dead　lamps；　and　bowed　my　head　to　look　again　into　the　crystal

vessel。　　Were　there；　indeed；　no　lingering　drops　yet　left；　if　but　to

recruit　the　lamps　for　some　priceless　minutes　more？　　As　I　thus

stood；　right　into　the　gap　between　the　two　dead　lamps　strode　a

gigantic　Foot。　　All　the　rest　of　the　form　was　unseen；　only；　as

volume　after　volume　of　smoke　poured　on　from　the　burning　land

behind；　it　seemed　as　if　one　great　column　of　vapor；　eddying　round；

settled　itself　aloft　from　the　circle；　and　that　out　from　that　column

strode　the　giant　Foot。　　And；　as　strode　the　Foot；　so　with　it　came；

like　the　sound　of　its　tread；　a　roll　of　muttered　thunder。



I　recoiled；　with　a　cry　that　rang　loud　through　the　lurid　air。



〃Courage！〃　said　the　voice　of　Ayesha。　　〃Trembling　soul；　yield　not　an

inch　to　the　demon！〃



At　the　charm；　the　wonderful　charm；　in　the　tone　of　the　Veiled

Woman's　voice；　my　will　seemed　to　take　a　force　more　sublime　than　its

own。　　I　folded　my　arms　on　my　breast；　and　stood　as　if　rooted　to　the

spot；　confronting　the　column　of　smoke　and　the　stride　of　the　giant

Foot。　　And　the　Foot　halted；　mute。



Again；　in　the　momentary　hush　of　that　suspense；　I　heard　a　voiceit

was　Margrave's。



〃The　last　hour　expiresthe　work　is　accomplished！　　Come！　come！　　Aid

me　to　take　the　caldron　from　the　fire；　and；　quick！or　a　drop　may　be

wasted　in　vaporthe　Elixir　of　Life　from　the　caldron！〃



At　that　cry　I　receded；　and　the　Foot　advanced。



And　at　that　moment；　suddenly；　unawares；　from　behind；　I　was　stricken

down。　　Over　me；　as　I　lay；　swept　a　whirlwind　of　trampling　hoofs　and

glancing　horns。　　The　herds；　in　their　flight　from　the　burning

pastures；　had　rushed　over　the　bed　of　the　water　course；　scaled　the

slopes　of　the　banks。　　Snorting　and　bellowing；　they　plunged　their

blind　way　to　the　mountains。　　One　cry　alone；　more　wild　than　their

own　savage　blare；　pierced　the　reek　through　which　the　Brute

Hurricane　swept。　　At　that　cry　of　wrath　and　despair　I　struggled　to

rise；　again　dashed　to　earth　by　the　hoofs　and　the　horns。　　But　was　it

the　dreamlike　deceit　of　my　reeling　senses；　or　did　I　see　that　giant

Foot　stride　past　through　the　close…serried　ranks　of　the　maddening

herds？　　Did　I　hear；　distinct　through　all　the　huge　uproar　of　animal

terror；　the　roll　of　low　thunder　which　followed　the　stride　of　that

Foot？





X





When　my　sense　had　recovered　its　shock；　and　my　eyes　looked　dizzily

round；　the　charge　of　the　beasts　had　swept　by；　and　of　all　the　wild

tribes　which　had　invaded　the　magical　circle；　the　only　lingerer　was

the　brown　Death…adder；　coiled　close　by　the　spot　where　my　head　had

rested。　　Beside　the　extinguished　lamps　which　the　hoofs　had

confusedly　scattered；　the　fire；　arrested　by　the　water　course；　had

consumed　the　grasses　that　fed　it；　and　there　the　plains　stretched

black　and　desert　as　the　Phlegraean　Field　of　the　Poet's　Hell。　　But

the　fire　still　raged　in　the　forest　beyondwhite　flames；　soaring　up

from　the　trunks　of　the　tallest　trees；　and　forming；　through　the

sullen　dark　of　the　smoke　reck；　innumerable　pillars　of　fire；　like

the　halls　in　the　city　of　fiends。



Gathering　myself　up；　I　turned　my　eyes　from　the　terrible　pomp　of　the

lurid　forest；　and　looked　fearfully　down　on　the　hoof…trampled　sward

for　my　two　companions。



I　saw　the　dark　image　of　Ayesha　still　seated；　still　bending；　as　I

had　seen　it　last。　　I　saw　a　pale　hand　feebly　grasping　the　rim　of　the

magical　caldron；　which　lay；　hurled　down　from　its　tripod　by　the　rush

of　the　beasts；　yards　away　from　the　dim；　fading　embers　of　the

scattered　wood　pyre。　　I　saw　the　faint　writhings　of　a　frail；　wasted

frame；　over　which　the　Veiled　Woman　was　bending。　　I　saw；　as　I　moved

with　bruised　limbs　to　the　place；　close　by　the　lips　of　the　dying

magician；　the　flash　of　the　rubylike　essence　spilled　on　the　sward；

and；　meteor…like；　sparkling　up　from　the　torn　tufts　of　herbage。



I　now　reached　Margrave's　side。　　Bending　over　him　as　the　Veiled

Woman　bent；　and　as　I　sought　gently　to　raise　him；　he　turned　his

face；　fiercely　faltering　out；　〃Touch　me　not；　rob　me　not！　　YOU　share

with　me！　　Never；　never！　　These　glorious　drops　are　all　mine！　　Die

all　else！　　I　will　live；　I　will　live！〃　　Writhing　himself　from　my

pitying　arms；　he　plunged　his　face　amidst　the　beautiful；　playful

flame　of　the　essence；　as　if　to　lap　the　elixir　with　lips　scorched

away　from　its　intolerable　burning。　　Suddenly；　with　a　low　shriek；　he

fell　back；　his　face　upturned　to　mine；　and　on　that　face　unmistakably

reigned　Death。



Then　Ayesha　tenderly；　silently；　drew　the　young　head　to　her　lap；　and

it　vanished　from　my　sight　behind　her　black　veil。



I　knelt　beside　her；　murmuring　some　trite　words　of　comfort；　but　she

heeded　me　not；　rocking　herself　to　and　fro　as　the　mother　who　cradles

a　child　to　sleep。　　Soon　the　fast…flickering　sparkles　of　the　lost

elixir　died　out　on　the　grass；　and　with　their　last　sportive　diamond…

like　tremble　of　light；　up；　in　all　the　suddenness　of　Australian　day；

rose　the　sun；　lifting　himself　royally　above　the　mountain　tops；　and

fronting　the　meaner　blaze　of　the　forest　as　a　young　king　fronts　his

rebels。　　And　as　there；　where　the　bush　fires　had　ravaged；　all　was　a

desert；　so　there；　where　their　fury　had　not　spread；　all　was　a

garden。　　Afar；　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains；　the　fugitive　herds

were　grazing；　the　cranes；　flocking　back　to　the　pools；　renewed　the

strange　grace　of　their　gambols；　and　the　great　kingfisher；　whose

laugh；　half　in　mirth；　half　in　mockery；　leads　the　choir　that　welcome

the　mornwhich　in　Europe　is　nightalighted　bold　on　the　roof　of

the　cavern；　whose　floors　were　still　white　with　the　bones　of　races；

extinct　beforeso　helpless　through　instincts；　so　royal　through

Soulrose　MAN！



But　there；　on　the　ground　where　the　dazzling　elixir　had　wasted　its

virtuesthere　the　herbage　already　had　a　freshness　of　verdure

which；　amid　the　duller　sward　round　it；　was　like　an　oasis　of　green

in　a　desert。　　And；　there；　wild　flowers；　whose　chill　hues　the　eye

would　have　scarcely　distinguished　the　day　before；　now　glittered

forth　in　blooms　of　unfamiliar　beauty。　　Toward　that　spot　were

attracted　myriads　of　happy　insects；　whose　hum　of　intense　joy　was

musically　loud。　　But　the　form　of　the　life…seeking　sorcerer　lay

rigid　and　stark；　blind　to　the　bloom　of　the　wild　flowers；　deaf　to

the　glee　of　the　insectsone　hand　still　resting　heavily　on　the　rim

of　the　emptied　caldron；　and　the　face　still　hid　behind　the　Black

Veil。　　What！　the　wondrous　elixir；　sought　with　such　hope　and　well…

nigh　achieved　through　such　dread；　fleeting　back　to　the　earth　from

which　its　materia