the coming race- 第26部分

〃Pardon　me；　if　I　interrupt　you　for　a　moment。　　You　allow　that　some；　even　of　the　Vril…ya；　know　want；　and　need　relief。〃

〃If　by　want　you　mean　the　destitution　that　prevails　in　a　Koom…Posh；　THAT　is　impossible　with　us；　unless　an　An　has；　by　some　extraordinary　process；　got　rid　of　all　his　means；　cannot　or　will　not　emigrate；　and　has　either　tired　out　the　affectionate　aid　of　this　relations　or　personal　friends；　or　refuses　to　accept　it。〃

〃Well；　then；　does　he　not　supply　the　place　of　an　infant　or　automaton；　and　become　a　labourer…　a　servant？〃

〃No；　then　we　regard　him　as　an　unfortunate　person　of　unsound　reason；　and　place　him；　at　the　expense　of　the　State；　in　a　public　building；　where　every　comfort　and　every　luxury　that　can　mitigate　his　affliction　are　lavished　upon　him。　　But　an　An　does　not　like　to　be　considered　out　of　his　mind；　and　therefore　such　cases　occur　so　seldom　that　the　public　building　I　speak　of　is　now　a　deserted　ruin；　and　the　last　inmate　of　it　was　an　An　whom　I　recollect　to　have　seen　in　my　childhood。　　He　did　not　seem　conscious　of　loss　of　reason；　and　wrote　glaubs　（poetry）。　　When　I　spoke　of　wants；　I　meant　such　wants　as　an　An　with　desires　larger　than　his　means　sometimes　entertains…　for　expensive　singing…birds；　or　bigger　houses；　or　country…gardens；　and　the　obvious　way　to　satisfy　such　wants　is　to　buy　of　him　something　that　he　sells。　　Hence　Ana　like　myself；　who　are　very　rich；　are　121obliged　to　buy　a　great　many　things　they　do　not　require；　and　live　on　a　very　large　scale　where　they　might　prefer　to　live　on　a　small　one。　　For　instance；　the　great　size　of　my　house　in　the　town　is　a　source　of　much　trouble　to　my　wife；　and　even　to　myself；　but　I　am　compelled　to　have　it　thus　incommodiously　large；　because；　as　the　richest　An　of　the　community；　I　am　appointed　to　entertain　the　strangers　from　the　other　communities　when　they　visit　us；　which　they　do　in　great　crowds　twice…a…year；　when　certain　periodical　entertainments　are　held；　and　when　relations　scattered　throughout　all　the　realms　of　the　Vril…ya　joyfully　reunite　for　a　time。　　This　hospitality；　on　a　scale　so　extensive；　is　not　to　my　taste；　and　therefore　I　should　have　been　happier　had　I　been　less　rich。　　But　we　must　all　bear　the　lot　assigned　to　us　in　this　short　passage　through　time　that　we　call　life。　　After　all；　what　are　a　hundred　years；　more　or　less；　to　the　ages　through　which　we　must　pass　hereafter？　Luckily；　I　have　one　son　who　likes　great　wealth。　　It　is　a　rare　exception　to　the　general　rule；　and　I　own　I　cannot　myself　understand　it。〃

After　this　conversation　I　sought　to　return　to　the　subject　which　continued　to　weigh　on　my　heart…　viz。；　the　chances　of　escape　from　Zee。　　But　my　host　politely　declined　to　renew　that　topic；　and　summoned　our　air…boat。　　On　our　way　back　we　were　met　by　Zee；　who；　having　found　us　gone；　on　her　return　from　the　College　of　Sages；　had　unfurled　her　wings　and　flown　in　search　of　us。

Her　grand；　but　to　me　unalluring；　countenance　brightened　as　she　beheld　me；　and；　poising　herself　beside　the　boat　on　her　large　outspread　plumes；　she　said　reproachfully　to　Aph…Lin…　〃Oh；　father；　was　it　right　in　you　to　hazard　the　life　of　your　guest　in　a　vehicle　to　which　he　is　so　unaccustomed？　　He　might；　by　an　incautious　movement；　fall　over　the　side；　and　alas；　he　is　not　like　us；　he　has　no　wings。　　It　were　death　to　him　to　fall。　　Dear　one！〃　（she　added；　accosting　my　shrinking　self　in　a　softer　voice）；　〃have　you　no　thought　of　me；　that　you　should　thus　hazard　122a　life　which　has　become　almost　a　part　of　mine？　　Never　again　be　thus　rash；　unless　I　am　thy　companion。　　What　terror　thou　hast　stricken　into　me！〃

I　glanced　furtively　at　Aph…Lin；　expecting；　at　least；　that　he　would　indignantly　reprove　his　daughter　for　expressions　of　anxiety　and　affection；　which；　under　all　the　circumstances；　would；　in　the　world　above　ground；　be　considered　immodest　in　the　lips　of　a　young　female；　addressed　to　a　male　not　affianced　to　her；　even　if　of　the　same　rank　as　herself。

But　so　confirmed　are　the　rights　of　females　in　that　region；　and　so　absolutely　foremost　among　those　rights　do　females　claim　the　privilege　of　courtship；　that　Aph…Lin　would　no　more　have　thought　of　reproving　his　virgin　daughter　than　he　would　have　thought　of　disobeying　the　orders　of　the　Tur。　　In　that　country；　custom；　as　he　implied；　is　all　in　all。

He　answered　mildly；　〃Zee；　the　Tish　is　in　no　danger　and　it　is　my　belief　the　he　can　take　very　good　care　of　himself。〃

〃I　would　rather　that　he　let　me　charge　myself　with　his　care。　　Oh；　heart　of　my　heart；　it　was　in　the　thought　of　thy　danger　that　I　first　felt　how　much　I　loved　thee！〃

Never　did　man　feel　in　such　a　false　position　as　I　did。　　These　words　were　spoken　loud　in　the　hearing　of　Zee's　father…　in　the　hearing　of　the　child　who　steered。　　I　blushed　with　shame　for　them；　and　for　her；　and　could　not　help　replying　angrily：　〃Zee；　either　you　mock　me；　which；　as　your　father's　guest；　misbecomes　you；　or　the　words　you　utter　are　improper　for　a　maiden　Gy　to　address　even　to　an　An　of　her　own　race；　if　he　has　not　wooed　her　with　the　consent　of　her　parents。　　How　much　more　improper　to　address　them　to　a　Tish；　who　has　never　presumed　to　solicit　your　affections；　and　who　can　never　regard　you　with　other　sentiments　than　those　of　reverence　and　awe！〃

Aph…Lin　made　me　a　covert　sing　of　approbation；　but　said　nothing。

123〃Be　not　so　cruel！〃　exclaimed　Zee；　still　in　sonorous　accents。　　〃Can　love　command　itself　where　it　is　truly　felt？　　Do　you　suppose　that　a　maiden　Gy　will　conceal　a　sentiment　that　it　elevates　her　to　feel？　　What　a　country　you　must　have　come　from！〃

Here　Aph…Lin　gently　interposed；　saying；　〃Among　the　Tish…a　the　rights　of　your　sex　do　not　appear　to　be　established；　and　at　all　events　my　guest　may　converse　with　you　more　freely　if　unchecked　by　the　presence　of　others。〃

To　this　remark　Zee　made　no　reply；　but；　darting　on　me　a　tender　reproachful　glance；　agitated　her　wings　and　fled　homeward。

〃I　had　counted；　at　least；　on　some　aid　from　my　host；〃　I　said　bitterly；　〃in　the　perils　to　which　his　own　daughter　exposes　me。〃

〃I　gave　you　the　best　aid　I　could。　　To　contradict　a　Gy　in　her　love　affairs　is　to　confirm　her　purpose。　　She　allows　no　counsel　to　come　between　her　and　her　affections。〃


Chapter　XXIV。


On　alighting　from　the　air…boat；　a　child　accosted　Aph…Lin　in　the　hall　with　a　request　that　he　would　be　present　at　the　funeral　obsequies　of　a　relation　who　had　recently　departed　from　that　nether　world。

Now；　I　had　never　seen　a　burial…place　or　cemetery　amongst　this　people；　and；　glad　to　seize　even　so　melancholy　an　occasion　to　defer　an　encounter　with　Zee；　I　asked　Aph…Lin　if　I　might　be　permitted　to　witness　with　him　the　interment　of　his　relation；　unless；　indeed；　it　were　regarded　as　one　of　those　sacred　ceremonies　to　which　a　stranger　to　their　race　might　not　be　admitted。

〃The　departure　of　an　An　to　a　happier　world；〃　answered　my　host；　〃when；　as　in　the　case　of　my　kinsman；　he　has　lived　so　long　in　124this　as　to　have　lost　pleasure　in　it；　is　rather　a　cheerful　though　quiet　festival　than　a　sacred　ceremony；　and　you　may　accompany　me　if　you　will。〃

Preceded　by　the　child…messenger；　we　walked　up　the　main　street　to　a　house　at　some　little　distance；　and；　entering　the　hall；　were　conducted　to　a　room　on　the　ground　floor；　where　we　found　several　persons　assembled　round　a　couch　on　which　was　laid　the　deceased。　　It　was　an　old　man；　who　had；　as　I　was　told；　lived　beyond　his　130th　year。　　To　judge　by　the　calm　smile　on　his　countenance；　he　had　passed　away　without　suffering。　　One　of　the　sons；　who　was　now　the　head　of　the　family；　and　who　seemed　in　vigorous　middle　life；　though　he　was　considerably　more　than　seventy；　stepped　forward　with　a　cheerful　face　and　told　Aph…Lin　〃that　the　day　before　he　died　his　father　had　seen　in　a　dream　his　departed　Gy；　and　was　eager　to　be　reunited　to　her；　and　restored　to　youth　beneath　the　nearer　smile　of　the　All…Good。〃

While　these　two　were　talking；　my　attention　was　drawn　to　a　dark　metallic　substance　at　the　farther　end　of　the　room。　　It　was　about　twenty　feet　in　length；　narrow　in　proportion；　and　all　closed　round；　save；　near　the　roof；　there　were　small　round　holes　through　which　might　be　seen　a　red　light。　　From　the　interior　emanated　a　rich　and　sweet　perfume；　and　while　I　was　conjecturing　what　purpose　this　machine　was　to　serve；　all　the　time…pieces　in　the　town　struck　the　hour　with　their　solemn　musical　chime；　and　as　that　sound　ceased；　music　of　a　more　joyous　character；　but　still　of　a　joy　subdued　and　tranquil；　rang　throughout　the　chamber；　and　from　the　walls　beyond；　in　a　choral　peal。　　Symphonious　with　the　melody；　those　in　the　room　lifted　their　voices　in　chant。　　The　words　of　this　hymn　were　simple。　　They　expressed　no　regret；　no　farewell；　but　rather　a　greeting　to　the　new　world　whither　the　deceased　had　preceded　the　living。　　Indeed；　in　their　language；　the　funeral　hymn　is　called　the　'Birth　Song。'　Then　the　corpse；　covered　by　a　long　cerement；　was　tenderly　lifted　up　by　six　of　the　nearest　kinfolk　and　borne　towards　the　dark　thing　I　have　described。　　I　pressed　forward　to　125see　what　happened。　　A　sliding　door　or　panel　at　one　end　was　lifted　up…　the　body　deposited　within；　on　a　shelf…　the　door　reclosed…　a　spring　a　the　side　touched…　a　sudden　'whishing；'　sighing　sound　heard　from　within；　and　lo！　at　the　other　end　of　the　machine　the　lid　fell　down；　and　a　small　handful　of　smouldering　dust　dropped　into　a　'patera'　placed　to　receive　it。　　The　son