she-第37节

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their　sculptors；　and　their　concubines；　and　traded　and　
quarrelled；　and　ate　and　hunted　and　slept　and　made　
merry　till　their　time　came。　But　come；　I　will　show　thee　
the　great　pit　beneath　the　cave　whereof　the　writing　
speaks。　Never　shall　thine　eyes　witness　such　another　
sight。〃

Accordingly　I　followed　her　to　a　side　passage　opening　
out　of　the　main　cave；　then　down　a　great　number　of　
steps；　and　along　an　underground　shaft　which　cannot　
have　been　less　than　sixty　feet　beneath　the　surface　of　
the　rock；　and　was　ventilated　by　curious　borings　that　
ran　upward；　I　do　not　know　where。　Suddenly　the　passage　
ended；　and　she　halted　and　bade　the　mutes　hold　up　the　
lamps；　and；　as　she　had　prophesied；　I　saw　a　scene　such　
as　I　was　not　likely　to　see　again。　We　were　standing　in　
an　enormous　pit；　or　rather　on　the　edge　of　it；　for　it　
went　down　deeperI　do　not　know　how　muchthan　the　
level　on　which　we　stood；　and　was　edged　in　with　a　low　
wall　of　rock。　So　far　as　I　could　judge；　this　pit　was　
about　the　size　of　the　space　beneath　the　dome　of　St。　
Paul's　in　London；　and　when　the　lamps　were　held　up　I　
saw　that　it　was　nothing　but　one　vast　charnelhouse；　
being　literally　full　of　thousands　of　human　skeletons；　
which　lay　piled　up　in　an　enormous　gleaming　pyramid；　
formed　by　the　slipping　down　of　the　bodies　at　the　apex　
as　fresh　ones　were　dropped　in　from　above。　Anything　
more　appalling　than　this　jumbled　mass　of　the　remains　
of　a　departed　race　I　cannot　imagine；　and　what　made　it　
even　more　dreadful　was　that　in　this　dry　air　a　
considerable　number　of　the　bodies　had　simply　become　
desiccated　with　the　skin　on　them；　and　now；　fixed　in　
every　conceivable　position；　stared　at　us　out　of　the　
mountain　of　white　bones；　grotesquely　horrible　
caricatures　of　humanity。　In　my　astonishment　I　uttered　
an　ejaculation；　and　the　echoes　of　my　voice　ringing　in　
the　vaulted　space　disturbed　a　skull　that　had　been　
accurately　balanced　for　many　thousands　of　years　near　
the　apex　of　the　pile。　Down　it　came　with　a　run；　
hounding　along　merrily　towards　us；　and　of　course　
bringing　an　avalanche　of　other　bones　after　it；　till　at　
last　the　whole　pit　rattled　with　their　movement；　even　
as　though　the　skeletons　were　getting　up　to　greet　us。

〃Come；〃　I　said；　〃I　have　seen　enough。　These　are　the　
bodies　of　those　who　died　of　the　great　sickness；　is　it　
not　so？〃　I　added；　as　we　turned　away。

〃Yes。　The　people　of　Ko^r　ever　embalmed　their　dead；　as　
did　the　Egyptians；　but　their　art　was　greater　than　the　
art　of　the　Egyptians；　for　whereas　the　Egyptians　
disembowelled　and　drew　the　brain；　the　people　of　Ko^r　
injected　fluid　into　the　veins；　and　thus　reached　every　
part。　But　stay；　thou　shalt　see；〃　and　she　halted　at　
haphazard　at　one　of　the　little　doorways　opening　out　of　
the　passage　along　which　we　were　walking；　and　motioned　
to　the　mutes　to　light　us　in。　We　entered　into　a　small　
chamber　similar　to　the　one　in　which　I　had　slept　at　our　
first　stopping…place；　only　instead　of　one　there　were　
two　stone　benches　or　beds　in　it。　On　the　benches　lay　
figures　covered　with　yellow　linen；　on　which　a　fine　and　
impalpable　dust　had　gathered　in　the　course　of　ages；　
but　nothing　like　to　the　extent　that　one　would　have　
anticipated；　for　in　these　deep…hewn　caves　there　is　no　
material　to　turn　to　dust。　About　the　bodies　on　the　
stone　shelves　and　floor　of　the　tomb　were　many　painted　
vases；　but　I　saw　very　few　ornaments　or　weapons　in　any　
of　the　vaults。

〃Uplift　the　cloths；　O　Holly；〃　said　Ayesha；　but　when　I　
put　out　my　hand　to　do　so　I　drew　it　back　again。　It　
seemed　like　sacrilege；　and　to　speak　the　truth　I　was　
awed　by　the　dread　solemnity　of　the　place；　and　of　the　
presences　before　us。　Then；　with　a　little　laugh　at　my　
fears；　she　drew　them　herself；　only　to　discover　other　
and　yet　finer　cloths　lying　over　the　forms　upon　the　
stone　bench。　These　also　she　withdrew；　and　then　for　the　
first　time　for　thousands　upon　thousands　of　years　of　
did　living　eyes　look　upon　the　face　of　that　chilly　
dead。　It　was　a　woman；　she　might　have　been　thirty…five　
years　of　age；　or　perhaps　a　little　less；　and　had　
certainly　been　beautiful。　Even　now　her　calm；　clear…cut　
features；　marked　out　with　delicate　eyebrows　and　long　
eyelashes　which　threw　little　lines　of　the　shadow　of　
the　lamplight　upon　the　ivory　face；　were　wonderfully　
beautiful。　There；　robed　in　white；　down　which　her　blue　
black　hair　was　streaming；　she　slept　her　last　long　
sleep；　and　on　her　arm；　its　face　pressed　against　her　
breast；　there　lay　a　little　babe。　So　sweet　was　the　
sight；　although　so　awful；　thatI　confess　it　without　
shameI　could　scarcely　withhold　my　tears。　It　took　me　
back　across　the　dim　gulf　of　the　ages　to　some　happy　
home　in　dead　Imperial　Ko^r；　where　this　winsome　lady　
girt　about　with　beauty　had　lived　and　died；　and　dying　
taken　her　last…born　with　her　to　the　tomb。　There　they　
were　before　us；　mother　and　babe；　the　white　memories　of　
a　forgotten　human　history　speaking　more　eloquently　to　
the　heart　than　could　any　written　record　of　their　
lives。　Reverently　I　replaced　the　grave…cloths；　and；　
with　a　sigh　that　flowers　so　fair　should；　in　the　
purpose　of　the　Everlasting；　have　only　bloomed　to　be　
gathered　to　the　grave；　I　turned　to　the　body　on　the　
opposite　shelf；　and　gently　unveiled　it。　It　was　that　of　
a　man　in　advanced　life；　with　a　long；　grizzled　beard；　
and　also　robed　in　white；　probably　the　husband　of　the　
lady；　who；　after　surviving　her　many　years；　came　at　
last　to　sleep　once　more　for　good　and　all　beside　her。

We　left　the　place　and　entered　others；　It　would　be　too　
long　to　describe　the　many　things　I　saw　in　them。　Each　
one　had　its　occupants；　for　the　fice　hundred　and　odd　
years　that　elapsed　between　the　completion　of　the　cave　
and　the　destruction　of　the　race　had　evidently　sufficed　
to　fill　these　catacombs；　numberless　as　they　were；　and　
all　appeared　to　have　been　undisturbed　since　the　day　
when　they　were　placed　there。　I　could　fill　a　book　with　
the　description　of　them；　but　to　do　so　would　only　be　to　
repeat　what　I　have　said；　with　variations。

Nearly　all　the　bodies；　so　masterly　was　the　art　with　
which　they　had　been　treated；　were　as　perfect　as　on　the　
day　of　death　thousands　of　years　before。　Nothing　came　
to　injure　them　in　the　deep　silence　of　the　living　rock；　
they　were　beyond　the　reach　of　heat　and　cold　and　damp；　
and　the　aromatic　drugs　with　which　they　had　been　
saturated　were　evidently　practically　everlasting　in　
their　effect。　Here　and　there；　however；　we　saw　an　
exception；　and　in　these　cases；　although　the　flesh　
looked　sound　enough　externally；　if　one　touched　it　it　
fell　in；　and　revealed　the　fact　that　the　figure　was　but　
a　pile　of　dust。　This　arose；　Ayesha　told　me；　from　these　
particular　bodies　having；　either　owing　to　haste　in　the　
burial　or　other　causes；　been　soaked　in　the　
preservative；　instead　of　its　being　injected　into　the　
substance　of　the　flesh。

About　the　last　tomb　we　visited　I　must；　however；　say　
one　word；　for　its　contents　spoke　even　more　eloquently　
to　the　human　sympathies　than　those　of　the　first。　It　
had　but　two　occupants；　and　they　lay　together　on　a　
single　shelf。　I　withdrew　the　grave…cloths；　and　there；　
clasped　heart　to　heart；　were　a　young　man　and　a　
blooming　girl。　Her　head　rested　on　his　arm；　and　his　
lips　were　pressed　against　her　brow。　I　opened　the　man's　
linen　robe；　and　there　over　his　heart　was　a　dagger…
wound；　and　beneath　the　girl's　fair　breast　was　a　like　
cruel　stab；　through　which　her　life　had　ebbed　away。　On　
the　rock　above　was　an　inscription　in　three　words。　
Ayesha　translated　it。　It　was　〃Wedded　in　Death。〃

What　was　the　life…history　of　these　two；　who；　of　a　
truth；　were　beautiful　in　their　lives；　and　in　their　
death　were　not　divided？

I　closed　my　eyelids；　and　imagination　taking　up　the　
thread　of　thought　shot　its　swift　shuttle　back　across　
the　ages；　weaving　a　picture　on　their　blackness　so　real　
and　vivid　in　its　detail　that　I　could　almost　for　a　
moment　think　that　I　had　triumphed　o'er　the　Past；　and　
that　my　spirit's　eyes　had　pierced　the　mystery　of　Time。

I　seemed　to　see　this　fair　girl…formthe　yellow　hair　
streaming　down　her；　glittering　against　her　garments　
snowy…white；　and　the　bosom　that　was　whiter　than　the　
robes；　even　dimming　with　its　lustre　her　ornaments　of　
burnished　gold。　I　seemed　to　see　the　great　cave　filled　
with　warriors；　bearded　and　clad　in　mail；　and；　on　the　
lighted　dais　where　Ayesha　had　given　judgment；　a　man　
standing；　robed；　and　surrounded　by　the　symbols　of　his　
priestly　office。　And　up　the　cave　there　came　one　clad　
in　purple；　and　before　him　and　behind　him　came　
minstrels　and　fait　maidens；　chanting　a　wedding　song。　
White　stood　the　maid　against　the　altar；　fairer　than　
the　fairest　therepurer　than　a　lily；　and　more　cold　
than　the　dew　that　glistens　in　its　heart。　But　as　the　
man　drew　near　she　shuddered。　Then　out　of　the　press　and　
throng　there　sprang　a　dark…haired　youth；　and　put　his　
arm　about　this　long…forgotten　maid；　and　kissed　her　
pale　face　in　which　the　blood　shot　up　like　lights　of　
the　red　dawn　across　the　silent　sky。　And　next　there　was　
turmoil　and　uproar；　and　a　flashing　of　swords；　and　they　
tore　the　youth　from　her　arms；　and　stabbed　him；　but　
with　a　cry　she　snatched　the　dagger　from　his　belt；　and　
drove　it　into　her　snowy　breast；　home　to　the　heart；　and　
down　she　fell；　and　then