when the world shook-第59节

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temple　to　Love　she　was　the　High　Priestess。



Then　it　was　that　I　understood　why　she　had　brought　me　here。



She　led　the　way　to　a　marble　block　covered　with　worn…out　carvings

and　almost　buried　in　the　debris。　This；　she　said；　was　the　altar　of

offerings。　I　asked　her　what　offerings；　and　she　replied　with　a

smile：



〃Only　wine；　to　signify　the　spirit　of　life；　and　flowers　to

symbolise　its　fragrance；〃　and　she　laid　her　finger　on　a　cup…like

depression；　still　apparent　in　the　marble；　into　which　the　wine　was

poured。



Indeed；　I　gathered　that　there　was　nothing　coarse　or

bacchanalian　about　this　worship　of　a　prototype　of　Aphrodite；　on

the　contrary；　that　it　was　more　or　less　spiritual　and　ethereal。　We

sat　down　on　the　altar　stone。　I　wondered　a　little　that　she　should

have　done　so；　but　she　read　my　thought；　and　answered：



〃Sometimes　we　change　our　faiths；　Humphrey；　or　perhaps　they

grow。　Also；　have　I　not　told　you　that　sacrifices　were　offered　on

this　altar？〃　and　she　sighed　and　smiled。



I　do　not　know　which　was　the　sweeter；　the　smile　or　the　sigh。



We　looked　at　the　water　glimmering　in　the　crater　beneath　us　on

the　edge　of　which　we　sat。　We　looked　at　heaven　above　in　which　the

great　moon　sailed　royally。　Then　we　looked　into　each　other's　eyes。



〃I　love　you；〃　I　said。



〃I　know　it；〃　she　answered　gently。　〃You　have　loved　me　from　the

first；　have　you　not？　Even　when　I　lay　asleep　in　the　coffin　you

began　to　love　me；　but　until　you　dreamed　a　certain　dream　you　would

not　admit　it。〃



〃Yva；　what　was　the　meaning　of　that　dream？〃



〃I　cannot　say；　Humphrey。　But　I　tell　you　this。　As　you　will　learn

in　time；　one　spirit　may　be　clothed　in　different　garments　of　the

flesh。〃



I　did　not　understand　her；　but；　in　some　strange　way；　her　words

brought　to　my　mind　those　that　Natalie　spoke　at　the　last；　and　I

answered：



〃Yva；　when　my　wife　lay　dying　she　bade　me　seek　her　elsewhere；

for　certainly　I　should　find　her。　Doubtless　she　meant　beyond　the

shores　of　deathor　perhaps　she　also　dreamed。〃



She　bent　her　head；　looking　at　me　very　strangely。



〃Your　wife；　too；　may　have　had　the　gift　of　dreams；　Humphrey。　As

you　dream　and　I　dream；　so　mayhap　she　dreamed。　Of　dreams；　then；

let　us　say　no　more；　since　I　think　that　they　have　served　their

purpose；　and　all　three　of　us　understand。〃



Then　I　stretched　out　my　arms；　and　next　instant　my　head　lay　upon

her　perfumed　breast。　She　lifted　it　and　kissed　me　on　the　lips；

saying：



〃With　this　kiss　again　I　give　myself　to　you。　But　oh！　Humphrey；

do　not　ask　too　much　of　the　god　of　my　people；　Fate；〃　and　she

looked　me　in　the　eyes　and　sighed。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　I　asked；　trembling。



〃Many；　many　things。　Among　them；　that　happiness　is　not　for

mortals；　and　remember　that　though　my　life　began　long　ago；　I　am

mortal　as　you　are；　and　that　in　eternity　time　makes　no

difference。〃



〃And　if　so；　Yva；　what　then？　Do　we　meet　but　to　part？〃



〃Who　said　it？　Not　I。　Humphrey；　I　tell　you　this。　Nor　earth；　nor

heaven；　nor　hell　have　any　bars　through　which　love　cannot　burst

its　way　towards　reunion　and　completeness。　Only　there　must　be

love；　manifested　in　many　shapes　and　at　many　times；　but　ever

striving　to　its　end；　which　is　not　of　the　flesh。　Aye；　love　that

has　lost　itself；　love　scorned；　love　defeated；　love　that　seems

false；　love　betrayed；　love　gone　astray；　love　wandering　through

the　worlds；　love　asleep　and　living　in　its　sleep；　love　awake　and

yet　sleeping；　all　love　that　has　in　it　the　germ　of　life。　It

matters　not　what　form　love　takes。　If　it　be　true　I　tell　you　that

it　will　win　its　way；　and　in　the　many　that　it　has　seemed　to

worship；　still　find　the　one；　though　perchance　not　here。



At　her　words　a　numb　fear　gripped　my　heart。



〃Not　here？　Then　where？〃　I　said。



〃Ask　your　dead　wife；　Humphrey。　Ask　the　dumb　stars。　Ask　the　God

you　worship；　for　I　cannot　answer；　save　in　one　wordSomewhere！

Man；　be　not　afraid。　Do　you　think　that　such　as　you　and　I　can　be

lost　in　the　aching　abysms　of　space？　I　know　but　little；　yet　I　tell

you　that　we　are　its　rulers。　I　tell　you　that　we；　too；　are　gods；　if

only　we　can　aspire　and　believe。　For　the　doubting　and　timid　there

is　naught。　For　those　who　see　with　the　eyes　of　the　soul　and

stretch　out　their　hands　to　grasp　there　is　all。　Even　Bastin　will

tell　you　this。〃



〃But；〃　I　said；　〃life　is　short。　Those　worlds　are　far　away；　and

you　are　near。〃



She　became　wonderful；　mysterious。



〃Near　I　am　far；〃　she　said；　〃and　far　I　am　near；　if　only　this

love　of　yours　is　strong　enough　to　follow　and　to　clasp。　And；

Humphrey；　it　needs　strength；　for　here　I　am　afraid　that　it　will

bear　little　of　such　fruit　as　men　desire　to　pluck。〃



Again　terror　took　hold　of　me；　and　I　looked　at　her；　for

I　did　not　know　what　to　say　or　ask。



〃Listen；〃　she　went　on。　〃Already　my　father　has　offered　me　to　you

in　marriage；　has　he　not；　but　at　a　price　which　you　do　not

understand？　Believe　me；　it　is　one　that　you　should　never　pay；

since　the　rule　of　the　world　can　be　too　dearly　bought　by　the

slaughter　of　half　the　world。　And　if　you　would　pay　it；　I　cannot。〃



〃But　this　is　madness！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃Your　father　has　no　powers

over　our　earth。〃



〃I　would　that　I　could　think　so；　Humphrey。　I　tell　you　that　he

has　powers　and　that　it　is　his　purpose　to　use　them　as　he　has　done

before。　You；　too；　he　would　use；　and　me。〃



〃And；　if　so；　Yva；　we　are　lords　of　ourselves。　Let　us　take　each

other　while　we　may。　Bastin　is　a　priest。〃



〃Lords　of　ourselves！　Why；　for　ought　I　know；　at　this　very　moment

Oro　watches　us　in　his　thought　and　laughs。　Only　in　death；

Humphrey；　shall　we　pass　beyond　his　reach　and　become　lords　of

ourselves。〃



〃It　is　monstrous！〃　I　cried。　〃There　is　the　boat；　let　us　fly

away。〃



〃What　boat　can　bear　us　out　of　stretch　of　the　arm　of　the　old　god

of　my　people；　Fate；　whereof　Oro　is　the　high　priest？　Nay；　here　we

must　wait　our　doom。〃



〃Doom；〃　I　said〃doom？　What　then　is　about　to　happen？〃



〃A　terrible　thing；　as　I　think；　Humphrey。　Or；　rather；　it　will

not　happen。〃



〃Why　not；　if　it　must？〃



〃Beloved；〃　she　whispered；　〃Bastin　has　expounded　to　me　a　new

faith　whereof　the　master…word　is　Sacrifice。　The　terrible　thing

will　not　happen　because　of　sacrifice！　Ask　me　no　more。〃



She　mused　a　while；　seated　there　in　the　moonlight　upon　the

ancient　altar　of　sacrifice；　the　veil　she　wore　falling　about　her

face　and　making　her　mysterious。　Then　she　threw　it　back；　showing

her　lovely　eyes　and　glittering　hair；　and　laughed。



〃We　have　still　an　earthly　hour；〃　she　said；　〃therefore　let　us

forget　the　far；　dead　past　and　the　eternities　to　come　and　be

joyful　in　that　hour。　Now　throw　your　arms　about　me　and　I　will　tell

you　strange　stories　of　lost　days；　and　you　shall　look　into　my　eyes

and　learn　wisdom；　and　you　shall　kiss　my　lips　and　taste　of　bliss

you；　who　were　and　are　and　shall　beyou；　the　beloved　of　Yva　from

the　beginning　to　the　end　of　Time。〃







Chapter　XXII



The　Command





I　think　that　both　Bastin　and　Bickley；　by　instinct　as　it　were；

knew　what　had　passed　between　Yva　and　myself　and　that　she　had

promised　herself　to　me。　They　showed　this　by　the　way　in　which　they

avoided　any　mention　of　her　name。　Also　they　began　to　talk　of　their

own　plans　for　the　future　as　matters　in　which　I　had　no　part。　Thus

I　heard　them　discussing　the　possibility　of　escape　from　the　island

whereof　suddenly　they　seemed　to　have　grown　weary；　and　whether　by

any　means　two　men　（two；　not　three）　could　manage　to　sail　and　steer

the　lifeboat　that　remained　upon　the　wreck。　In　short；　as　in　all

such　cases；　the　woman　had　come　between；　also　the　pressure　of　a

common　loss　caused　them　to　forget　their　differences　and　to　draw

closer　together。　I　who　had　succeeded　where　they　both　had　failed；

was；　they　seemed　to　think；　out　of　their　lives；　so　much　that　our

ancient　intimacy　had　ended。



This　attitude　hurt　me；　perhaps　because　in　many　respects　the

situation　was　awkward。　They　had；　it　is　true；　taken　their　failures

extremely　well；　still　the　fact　remained　that　both　of　them　had

fallen　in　love　with　the　wonderful　creature；　woman　and　yet　more

than　woman；　who　had　bound　herself　to　me。　How　then　could　we　go　on

living　together；　I　in　prospective　possession　of　the　object　that

all　had　desired；　and　they　without　the　pale？



Moreover；　they　were　jealous　in　another　and　quite　a　different

fashion　because　they　both　loved　me　in　their　own　ways　and　were

convinced　that　I　who　had　hitherto　loved　them；　henceforward　should

have　no　affection　left　to　spare；　since　surely　this　Glittering

Lady；　this　marvel　of　wisdom　and　physical　perfections　would　take

it　all。　Of　course　they　were　in　error；　since　even　if　I　could　have

been　so　base　and　selfish；　this　was　no　conduct　that　Yva　would　have

wished　or　even　suffered。　Still　that　was　their　thought。



Mastering　the　situation　I　reflected　a　little　while　and　then

spoke　straight　out　to　them。



〃My　friends；〃　I　said；　〃as　I　see　that　you　have　guessed；　Yva　and

I　are　affianced　to　each　other　and　love　each　other　perfectly。〃



〃Yes；　Arb