when the world shook-第48节

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their　lords　not　as　men；　but　gods。　They　lived　but　three　score

years　and　ten　like　the　rest　of　us；　and　went　their　way；　they；

whose　great…great…grandfathers　had　served　the　same　master　and

whose　great…great…great…grandchildren　would　still　serve　him。　What

should　we　think　of　a　lord　who　we　knew　was　already　adult　in　the

time　of　William　the　Conqueror；　and　who　remained　still　vigorous

and　all…powerful　in　that　of　George　V？　One；　moreover；　who

commanded　almost　infinite　knowledge　to　which　we　were　denied　the

key？　We　might　tremble　before　him　and　look　upon　him　as　half…

divine；　but　should　we　not　long　to　kill　him　and　possess　his

knowledge　and　thereby　prolong　our　own　existence　to　his　wondrous

measure？



Such；　said　Yva；　was　the　case　with　their　slaves　and　the　peoples

from　whence　these　sprang。　They　grew　mad　with　jealous　hate；　till

at　length　came　the　end　we　knew。



Thus　we　talked　on　for　hours　till　the　time　came　for　us　to　eat。

As　before　Yva　partook　of　fruit　and　we　of　such　meats　as　we　had　at

hand。　These；　we　noticed；　disgusted　her；　because；　as　she

explained；　the　Children　of　Wisdom；　unless　driven　thereto　by

necessity；　touched　no　flesh；　but　lived　on　the　fruits　of　the　earth

and　wine　alone。　Only　the　slaves　and　the　Barbarians　ate　flesh。　In

these　views　Bickley　for　once　agreed　with　her；　that　is；　except　as

regards　the　wine；　for　in　theory；　if　not　in　practicehe　was　a

vegetarian。



〃I　will　bring　you　more　of　the　Life…water；〃　she　said；　〃and　then

you　will　grow　to　hate　these　dead　things；　as　I　do。　And　now

farewell。　My　father　calls　me。　I　hear　him　though　you　do　not。　To…

morrow　I　cannot　come；　but　the　day　after　I　will　come　and　bring　you

the　Life…water。　Nay；　accompany　me　not；　but　as　I　see　he　wishes　it；

let　Tommy　go　with　me。　I　will　care　for　him；　and　he　is　a　friend　in

all　that　lonely　place。〃



So　she　went；　and　with　her　Tommy；　rejoicing。



〃Ungrateful　little　devil！〃　said　Bickley。　〃Here　we've　fed　and

petted　him　from　puppyhood；　or　at　least　you　have；　and　yet　he　skips

off　with　the　first　stranger。　I　never　saw　him　behave　like　that　to

any　woman；　except　your　poor　wife。〃



〃I　know；〃　I　answered。　〃I　cannot　understand　it。　Hullo！　here

comes　Bastin。〃



Bastin　it　was；　dishevelled　and　looking　much　the　worse　for　wear；

also　minus　his　Bible　in　the　native　tongue。



〃Well；　how　have　you　been　getting　on？〃　said　Bickley。



〃I　should　like　some　tea；　also　anything　there　is　to　eat。〃



We　supplied　him　with　these　necessaries；　and　after　a　while　he

said　slowly　and　solemnly：



〃I　cannot　help　thinking　of　a　childish　story　which　Bickley　told

or　invented　one　night　at　your　house　at　home。　I　remember　he　had　an

argument　with　my　wife；　which　he　said　put　him　in　mind　of　it；　I　am

sure　I　don't　know　why。　It　was　about　a　monkey　and　a　parrot　that

were　left　together　under　a　sofa　for　a　long　while；　where　they　were

so　quiet　that　everybody　forgot　them。　Then　the　parrot　came　out

with　only　one　feather　left　in　its　tail　and　none　at　all　on　its

body；　saying；　'I've　had　no　end　of　a　time！'　after　which　it　dropped

down　and　died。　Do　you　know；　I　feel　just　like　that　parrot；　only　I

don't　mean　to　die；　and　I　think　I　gave　the　monkey　quite　as　good　as

he　gave　me！〃



〃What　happened？〃　I　asked；　intensely　interested。



〃Oh！　the　Glittering　Lady　took　me　into　that　palace　hall　where

Oro　was　sitting　like　a　spider　in　a　web；　and　left　me　there。　I　got

to　work　at　once。　He　was　much　interested　in　the　Old　Testament

stories　and　said　there　were　points　of　truth　about　them；　although

they　had　evidently　come　down　to　the　modern　writerhe　called　him

a　modern　writerin　a　legendary　form。　I　thought　his　remarks

impertinent　and　with　difficulty　refrained　from　saying　so。　Leaving

the　story　of　the　Deluge　and　all　that；　I　spoke　of　other　matters；

telling　him　of　eternal　life　and　Heaven　and　Hell；　of　which　the

poor　benighted　man　had　never　heard。　I　pointed　out　especially　that

unless　he　repented；　his　life；　by　all　accounts；　had　been　so

wicked；　that　he　was　certainly　destined　to　the　latter　place。〃



〃What　did　he　say　to　that？〃　I　asked。



〃Do　you　know；　I　think　it　frightened　him；　if　one　could　imagine

Oro　being　frightened。　At　any　rate　he　remarked　that　the　truth　or

falsity　of　what　I　said　was　an　urgent　matter　for　him；　as　he　could

not　expect　to　live　more　than　a　few　hundred　years　longer；　though

perhaps　he　might　prolong　the　period　by　another　spell　of　sleep。

Then　he　asked　me　why　I　thought　him　so　wicked。　I　replied　because

he　himself　said　that　he　had　drowned　millions　of　people；　which

showed　an　evil　heart　and　intention　even　if　it　were　not　a　fact。　He

thought　a　long　while　and　asked　what　could　be　done　in　the

circumstances。　I　replied　that　repentance　and　reparation　were　the

only　courses　open　to　him。〃



〃Reparation！〃　I　exclaimed。



〃Yes；　reparation　was　what　I　said；　though　I　think　I　made　a

mistake　there；　as　you　will　see。　As　nearly　as　I　can　remember；　he

answered　that　he　was　beginning　to　repent；　as　from　all　he　had

learned　from　us；　he　gathered　that　the　races　which　had　arisen　as　a

consequence　of　his　action；　were　worse　than　those　which　he　had

destroyed。　As　regards　reparation；　what　he　had　done　once　he　could

do　again。　He　would　think　the　matter　over　seriously；　and　see　if　it

were　possible　and　advisable　to　raise　those　parts　of　the　world

which　had　been　sunk；　and　sink　those　which　had　been　raised。　If　so；

he　thought　that　would　make　very　handsome　amends　to　the　departed

nations　and　set　him　quite　right　with　any　superior　Power；　if　such

a　thing　existed。　What　are　you　laughing　at；　Bickley？　I　don't　think

it　a　laughing　matter；　since　such　remarks　do　not　seem　to　me　to

indicate　any　real　change　in　Oro's　heart；　which　is　what　I　was

trying　to　effect。〃



Bickley；　who　was　convulsed　with　merriment；　wiped　his　eyes　and

said：



〃You　dear　old　donkey；　don't　you　see　what　you　have　done；　or

rather　would　have　done　if　there　were　a　word　of　truth　in　all　this

ridiculous　story　about　a　deluge？　You　would　be　in　the　way　of

making　your　precious　pupil；　who　certainly　is　the　most　masterly

old　liar　in　the　world；　repeat　his　offence　and　send　Europe　to　the

bottom　of　the　sea。〃



〃That　did　occur　to　me；　but　it　doesn't　much　matter　as　I　am　quite

certain　that　such　a　thing　would　never　be　allowed。　Of　course　there

was　a　real　deluge　once；　but　Oro　had　no　more　to　do　with　it　than　I

had。　Don't　you　agree；　Arbuthnot？〃



〃I　think　so；〃　I　answered　cautiously；　〃but　really　in　this　place

I　am　beginning　to　lose　count　of　what　is　or　is　not　possible。　Also；

of　course；　there　may　have　been　many　deluges；　indeed　the　history

of　the　world　shows　that　this　was　so；　it　is　written　in　its

geological　strata。　What　was　the　end　of　it？〃



〃The　end　was　that　he　took　the　South　Sea　Bible　and；　after　I　had

explained　a　little　about　our　letters；　seemed　to　be　able　to　read

it　at　once。　I　suppose　he　was　acquainted　with　the　art　of　printing

in　his　youth。　At　any　rate　he　said　that　he　would　study　it；　I　don't

know　how；　unless　he　can　read；　and　that　in　two　days'　time　he　would

let　me　know　what　he　thought　about　the　matter　of　my　religion。　Then

he　told　me　to　go。　I　said　that　I　did　not　know　the　way　and　was

afraid　of　losing　myself。　Thereupon　he　waved　his　hand；　and　I

really　can't　say　what　happened。〃



〃Did　you　levitate　up　here；〃　asked　Bickley；　〃like　the　late

lamented　Mr。　Home　at　the　spiritualistic　seances？〃



〃No；　I　did　not　exactly　levitate；　but　something　or　someone

seemed　to　get　a　hold　of　me；　and　I　was　just　rushed　along　in　a　most

tumultuous　fashion。　The　next　thing　I　knew　was　that　I　was　standing

at　the　door　of　that　sepulchre；　though　I　have　no　recollection　of

going　up　in　the　lift；　or　whatever　it　is。　I　believe　those　beastly

caves　are　full　of　ghosts；　or　devils；　and　the　worst　of　it　is　that

they　have　kept　my　solar…tope；　which　I　put　on　this　morning

forgetting　that　it　would　be　useless　there。〃



〃The　Lady　Yva's　Fourth　Dimension　in　action；〃　I　suggested；　〃only

it　wouldn't　work　on　solar…topes。〃



〃I　don't　know　what　you　are　talking　about；〃　said　Bastin；　〃but　if

my　hat　had　to　be　left；　why　not　my　boots　and　other　garments？

Please　stop　your　nonsense　and　pass　the　tea。　Thank　goodness　I

haven't　got　to　go　down　there　tomorrow；　as　he　seems　to　have　had

enough　of　me　for　the　present；　so　I　vote　we　all　pay　a　visit　to　the

ship。　It　will　be　a　very　pleasant　change。　I　couldn't　stand　two

days　running　with　that　old　fiend；　and　his　ghosts　or　devils　in　the

cave。〃





Next　morning　accordingly；　fearing　no　harm　from　the　Orofenans；

we　took　the　canoe　and　rowed　to　the　main　island。　Marama　had

evidently　seen　us　coming；　for　he　and　a　number　of　his　people　met

us　with　every　demonstration　of　delight；　and　escorted　us　to　the

ship。　Here　we　found　things　just　as　we　had　left　them；　for　there

had　been　no　attempt　at　theft　or　other　mischief。



While　we　were　in　the　cabin　a　fit　of　moral　weakness　seemed　to

overcome　Bickley；　the　first　and　I　may　add　the　last　from　which　I

ever　saw　him　suffer。



〃Do　you　know；〃　he　said；　addressing　us；　〃I　think　that　we　should

do　well　to　try　to　get　out　of　this　place。　Eliminating　a　great　de