anner.themummy-第21节

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le；　in　fact；　the　fastidiousness　with　which　he　ate；　not　touching　the　knives　and　forks；　though　he　had　loved　the　ornate　designs　in　the　old　silver。
　
　He　had　been　reading　and　eating　steadily　for　the　last　two　hours。　He　had　devoured　quantities　of　food　beyond　her　wild　imaginings。　It　was　like　fuel　to　him；　it　seemed。　He　had　drunk　four　bottles　of　wine；　two　bottles　of　seltzer；　all　the　milk　in　the　house；　and　now　he　was　taking　occasional　gulps　of　brandy。
　
　He　was　not　drunk；　on　the　contrary；　he　seemed　extraordinarily　sober。　He　had　gone　through　her　English/Egyptian　dictionary　so　rapidly　that　his　scanning　and　turning　the　pages　had　made　her　almost　dizzy。　The　English/Latin　dictionary　had　taken　him　no　more　time。　The　system　of　Arabic　numbers　side　by　side　with　Roman　numerals　he　apparently　absorbed　within　minutes。　The　full　concept　of　zero　she　could　not　explain；　but　she　had　certainly　been　able　to　demonstrate　it。　Then　he'd　gone　through　the　Oxford　English　Dictionary　with　the　same　haste；　turning　back　and　forth；　running　his　finger　down　column　after　column。
　
　Of　course　he　was　not　reading　every　word。　He　was　getting　the　gist；　the　roots；　the　fundamental　scheme　of　the　language；　that　she　understood　as　he　made　her　name　every　object　in　sight　and　repeated　the　words　rapidly　with　perfect　inflection。　He　had　memorized　the　names　of　every　plant　in　the　room…ferns；　banana　trees；　orchids；　begonias；　daisies；　bougainvillea。　It　had　thrilled　her　to　hear　his　rapid　inventories　repeated　moments　later　without　a　mistake：　fountain；　table；　plates；　china　plates；　silver；　floor　tiles；　Rita！
　
　Now　he　was　working　his　way　through　purely　English　texts；　finishing　off　the　Punch　as　he　had　already　finished　two　issues　of　the　Strand　magazine；　the　Harper's　Weekly　from　America；　and　every　issue　of　The　Times　in　the　house；
　
　He　scanned　the　pages　with　great　care；　fingers　touching　words；　pictures；　even　designs　as　if　he　were　a　blind　man　somehow　miraculously　able　to　see　through　touch。　With　the　same　loving　attention；　he　fingered　the　Wedgwood　plates　and　the　Waterford　crystal。
　
　He　looked　up　excitedly　now　as　Rita　brought　him　a　glass　of　beer。
　
　〃I've　got　nothing　else；　miss；〃　　she　said　with　a　little　shrug；　standing　well　back　of　him　as　she　held　out　the　glass。
　
　He　snatched　it　from　her　and　drained　it　immediately。　He　gave　her　a　nod　and　smile。
　
　〃Egyptians　love　beer；　Rita。　Get　some　more；　hurry。〃
　
　Keeping　Rita　on　the　go　was　keeping　Rita　from　losing　her　mind。
　
　Julie　made　her　way　through　the　ferns　and　potted　trees　and　took　her　place　at　the　table　opposite　Ramses。　He　glanced　up；　then　pointed　to　a　picture　of〃　the　Gibson　girl〃　　before　him。　Julie　nodded。
　
　〃American；〃　　she　said。
　
　〃United　States；〃　　he　responded。
　
　She　was　stunned。〃　Yes；〃　　she　said。
　
　He　quickly　devoured　a　sausage　whole；　and　folded　another　thin　slice　of　bread　and　ate　it　in　two　bites；　as　he　turned　the　pages　with　his　left　hand；　scanning　a　picture　of　a　man　on　a　bicycle。　This　made　him　laugh　out　loud。
　
　〃Bicycle；〃　　she　said。
　
　〃Yes！〃　　he　said；　precisely　as　she　had　said　it　a　moment　ago。　Then　he　said　something　softly　in　Latin。
　
　Oh；　she　had　to　take　him　out；　show　him　everything。
　
　The　telephone　sounded　suddenly；　a　shrill　ring　from　Father's　desk　in　the　Egyptian　room。　He　was　immediately　on　his　feet。　He　followed　her　into　the　Egyptian　room　and　stood　quite　close；　looking　down　at　her　as　she　answered　it。
　
　〃Hello？　Yes；　this　is　Julie　Stratford。〃　　She　covered　the　mouthpiece。〃　Telephone；〃　　she　whispered。〃　Talking　machine。〃　　She　held　the　receiver　so　that　he　might　hear　the　voice　on　the　other　end。　Henry's　club　calling；　they　would　e　round　for　Henry's　trunk。　Could　she　have　it　ready？
　
　〃It's　ready　now。　You'll　need　two　men；　I　should　think。　Please　do　hurry。〃
　
　She　clasped　the　wire　and　held　it　up　to　Ramses'　attention。〃　The　voice　goes　through　the　wire；〃　　she　whispered。　She　hung　up　the　telephone；　looked　about。　Taking　his　hand；　she　led　him　back　into　the　conservatory；　and　pointed　to　the　wires　outside；　which　ran　from　the　house　to　the　telegraph　pole　at　the　far　end　of　the　garden。
　
　He　studied　all　this　with　keen　concentration。　Then　she　took　an　empty　glass　from　the　table　and　approached　the　wall　that　divided　the　far　end　of　the　conservatory　from　the　kitchen。　She　placed　the　mouth　of　the　glass　against　the　wall　and　pressed　her　ear　to　the　bottom　of　the　glass；　and　listened。　It　amplified　the　sound　of　Rita　moving　about。　Then　she　invited　him　to　do　it。　He　heard　the　amplification　just　as　she　had　heard　it。
　
　He　stared　at　her；　thoughtful；　dazzled；　excited。
　
　〃The　wire　of　the　telephone　conducts　sound；〃　　she　said。〃　It's　a　mechanical　invention。〃　　That's　what　she　must　do；　show　him　what　machines　were！　Explain　the　great　leap　forward　which　machines　had　acplished；　the　plete　transformation　of　thinking　about　how　to　do　things。
　
　〃Conducts　sound；〃　　he　repeatedly　thoughtfully。　He　moved　to　the　table　and　lifted　the　magazine　he'd　been　reading。　He　made　a　gesture　as　if　to　say　Read　aloud。　Quickly；　she　read　a　paragraph　of　mentary　on　home　affairs。　Too　dense　with　abstractions；　but　he　was　merely　listening　to　the　syllables；　wasn't　he？　Impatiently　he　took　the　magazine　from　her；　and　then　answered：
　
　〃Thank　you。〃
　
　〃Very　good；〃　　she　said。〃　You're　learning　with　amazing　speed。〃
　
　Then；　he　made　a　curious　little　series　of　gestures。　He　touched　his　temple；　his　forehead；　as　though　making　some　reference　to　his　brain。　And　then　he　touched　his　hair；　and　his　skin。　What　was　he　trying　to　tell　her？　That　the　organ　of　thought　responded　as　quickly　as　his　hair　and　body　had　responded　to　the　sunlight？
　
　He　turned　to　the　table。〃　Sausages；〃　　he　said。〃　Beef。　Roast　chicken。　Beer。　Milk。　Wine。　Fork。　Knife。　Napkin。　Beer。　More　beer。〃
　
　〃Yes；〃　　she　said。〃　Rita；　bring　him　some　more　beer。　He　likes　beer。〃　　She　lifted　a　fold　of　her　peignoir。〃　Lace；〃　　she　said。〃　Silk。〃
　
　He　made　a　little　buzzing　noise。
　
　〃Bees！〃　　she　said。〃　Exactly。　Oh；　you　are　so　wonderfully　clever。〃
　
　He　laughed。　〃Say　again；〃　　he　said。
　
　〃Wonderfully　clever。〃　　Now　she　pointed　to　her　head；　tap；　tap；　tap。　The　brain；　thought。
　
　He　nodded。　He　glanced　down　at　the　silver…handled　paring　knife　on　the　table。　He　picked　it　up；　as　if　asking　her　permission；　and　slipped　it　into　his　pocket。　Then　beckoning　for　her　to　follow；　he　went　into　the　Egyptian　room。　He　approached　an　old　dim　map　of　the　world　behind　a　dusty　glass　in　a　heavy　frame　and　he　pointed　carefully　to　England。
　
　〃Yes；　England。　Britannia；〃　　she　said。　She　pointed　to　America。〃　The　United　States；〃　　she　said。　Then　she　identified　continents；　oceans。　Finally　she　identified　Egypt；　and　the　Nile　River；　a　tiny　line　on　this　small　map。　〃Ramses；　King　of　Egypt；〃　　she　said。　She　pointed　to　him。
　
　He　nodded。　But　he　wanted　to　know　something　else。　Very　carefully　he　articulated　the　question：
　
　〃Twentieth　century？　What　means　anno　Domini？〃
　
　She　was　speechless；　looking　at　him。　He　had　slept　through　the　birth　of　Christ！　Of　course　he　had　no　way　to　grasp　how　long　that　sleep　had　lasted。　That　he　was　a　pure　pagan　did　not　disturb　her　so　much　as　it　fascinated　her。　But　she　feared　the　shock　she　would　give　him　now　when　she　answered　his　question。
　
　Roman　numerals；　where　was　that　book？　She　took　down　Plutarch's　Lives　from　her　father's　shelves　and　found　the　date　of　publication　in　Roman　numerals；　only　three　years　before；　perfect。
　
　Taking　a　sheet　of　notepaper　from　her　father's　desk；　and　dipping　his　pen；　she　hastily　wrote　out　the　correct　date。　But　how　to　make　it　known　to　him　the　beginning　of　the　system？
　
　Cleopatra　was　close　enough；　but　she　feared　to　use　Cleopatra's　name；　for　all　the　obvious　reasons。　Then　the　clearest　example　came　to　her。
　
　She　wrote　out　in　hand；　printed　letters　the　name　Octavius　Caesar。　He　nodded。　She　made　a　Roman　numeral　one　beneath　it。　Then　she　drew　a　long　horizontal　line；　moving　to　the　very　right　edge　of　the　page；　and　she　wrote　her　own　name　Julie；　and　the　full　date　in　Roman　numerals。　And　after　that　the　Latin　word：　annum。
　
　He　blanched。　He　looked　at　the　paper　for　a　long　time；　and　then　the　colour　appeared　to　dance　in　his　cheeks。　There　was　no　doubt　he　understood　her。　His　expression　became　grave；　then　curiously　philosophical。　He　seemed　to　be　pondering　rather　than　absorbing　a　shock。　She　wrote　the　word　century；　and　then　the　Roman　numeral　for　one　hundred；　and　the　word　annus。　He　nodded　a　little　impatiently；　yes；　yes；　he　understood。
　
　Then　he　folded　his　arms　and　walked　slowly　around　the　room。　She　could　not　guess　what　he　was　thinking。
　
　〃A　long　time；〃　　she　whispered。〃　Tempus　。。。　tempus　fugit！〃　　She　was　embarrassed　suddenly。　Time　flies？　But　it　was　all　the　Latin　she　could　think　of。　He　was　smiling　at　her。　Was　it　a　clich6　two　thousand　years　ago？
　
　He　approached　the　desk；　and　leaning　over　her　gently；　he　took　the　pen　and　carefully　drew　the　Egyptian　cartouche　which　spelled　his　name　in　hieroglyphs；　Ramses　the　Great。　Then　he　too　drew　a　horizontal　line　stretching　across　the　page　almost　to　the　edge；　where　he　wrote　Cleopatra。　In　the　very　middle　of　that　line　he　wrote　the　Roman　numeral　M　meaning　one　thousand　years；　and　then　the　arabic　numbers　for　it　which　she　had　only　taught　him　an　hour　ago。
　
　He　gave　her　a　moment　to　read　this。　And　then　he　wrote　beneath　his　cartou