when the world shook-第75节

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loved　Tommy　and　for　his　sake　had　spared　our　lives。　Lastly；　I　do

not　altogether　wonder　that　he　came　to　certain　hasty　conclusions

as　to　the　value　of　our　modern　civilisations。



〃I　am　very　glad　to　hear　it；　Humphrey；　since　while　there　is　a

spark　left　the　whole　fire　may　burn　up　again；　and　I　believe　that

to　the　Divine　mercy　there　are　no　limits；　though　Oro　will　have　a

long　road　to　travel　before　he　finds　it。　And　now　I　have　something

to　say。　It　has　troubled　me　very　much　that　I　was　obliged　to　leave

those　Orofenans　wandering　in　a　kind　of　religious　twilight。〃



〃You　couldn't　help　that；〃　said　Bickley；　〃seeing　that　if　you　had

stopped；　by　now　you　would　have　been　wandering　in　religious

light。〃



〃Still；　I　am　not　sure　that　I　ought　not　to　have　stopped。　I　seem

to　have　deserted　a　field　that　was　open　to　me。　However；　it　can't

be　helped；　since　it　is　certain　that　we　could　never　find　that

island　again；　even　if　Oro　has　not　sunk　it　beneath　the　sea；　as　he

is　quite　capable　of　doing；　to　cover　his　tracks；　so　to　speak。　So　I

mean　to　do　my　best　in　another　field　by　way　of　atonement。〃



〃You　are　not　going　to　become　a　missionary？〃　I　said。



〃No；　but　with　the　consent　of　the　Bishop；　who；　I　think；　believes

that　my　locum　got　on　better　in　the　parish　than　I　do；　as　no　doubt

was　the　case；　I；　too；　have　volunteered　for　the　Front；　and　been

accepted　as　a　chaplain　of　the　201st　Division。〃



〃Why；　that's　mine！〃　said　Bickley。



〃Is　it？　I　am　very　glad；　since　now　we　shall　be　able　to　pursue

our　pleasant　arguments　and　to　do　our　best　to　open　each　other's

minds。〃



〃You　fellows　are　more　fortunate　than　I　am；〃　I　remarked。　〃I　also

volunteered；　but　they　wouldn't　take　me；　even　as　a　Tommy；　although

I　misstated　my　age。　They　told　me；　or　at　least　a　specialist　whom　I

saw　did　afterwards；　that　the　blow　I　got　on　the　head　from　that

sorcerer's　boy〃



〃I　know；　I　know！〃　broke　in　Bickley　almost　roughly。　〃Of　course；

things　might　go　wrong　at　any　time。　But　with　care　you　may　live　to

old　age。〃



〃I　am　sorry　to　hear　it；〃　I　said　with　a　sigh；　〃at　least　I　think

I　am。　Meanwhile；　fortunately　there　is　much　that　I　can　do　at　home；

indeed　a　course　of　action　has　been　suggested　to　me　by　an　old

friend　who　is　now　in　authority。〃





Once　more　Bickley　and　Bastin　in　their　war…stained　uniforms　were

dining　at　my　table　and　on　the　very　night　of　their　return　from　the

Front；　which　was　unexpected。　Indeed　Tommy　nearly　died　of　joy　on

hearing　their　voices　in　the　hall。　They；　who　played　a　worthy　part

in　the　great　struggle；　had　much　to　tell　me；　and　naturally　their

more　recent　experiences　had　overlaid　to　some　extent　those　which

we　shared　in　the　mysterious　island　of　Orofena。　Indeed　we　did　not

speak　of　these　until；　just　as　they　were　going　away；　Bastin　paused

beneath　a　very　beautiful　portrait　of　my　late　wife；　the　work　of　an

artist　famous　for　his　power　of　bringing　out　the　inner　character；

or　what　some　might　call　the　soul；　of　the　sitter。　He　stared　at　it

for　a　while　in　his　short…sighted　way；　then　said：　〃Do　you　know；

Arbuthnot；　it　has　sometimes　occurred　to　me；　and　never　more　than

at　this　moment；　that　although　they　were　different　in　height　and

so　on；　there　was　a　really　curious　physical　resemblance　between

your　late　wife　and　the　Lady　Yva。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered。　〃I　think　so　too。〃



Bickley　also　examined　the　portrait　very　carefully；　and　as　he

did　so　I　saw　him　start。　Then　he　turned　away；　saying　nothing。



Such　is　the　summary　of　all　that　has　been　important　in　my　life。

It　is；　I　admit；　an　odd　story　and　one　which　suggests　problems　that

I　cannot　solve。　Bastin　deals　with　such　things　by　that　acceptance

which　is　the　privilege　and　hall…mark　of　faith；　Bickley　disposes；

or　used　to　dispose；　of　them　by　a　blank　denial　which　carries　no

conviction；　and　least　of　all　to　himself。



What　is　life　to　most　of　us　who；　like　Bickley；　think　ourselves

learned？　A　round；　short　but　still　with　time　and　to　spare　wherein

to　be　dull　and　lonesome；　a　fateful　treadmill　to　which　we　were

condemned　we　know　not　how；　but　apparently　through　the　casual

passions　of　those　who　went　before　us　and　are　now　forgotten；

causing　us；　as　the　Bible　says；　to　be　born　in　sin；　up　which　we

walk　wearily　we　know　not　why；　seeming　never　to　make　progress；　off

which　we　fall　outworn　we　know　not　when　or　whither。



Such　upon　the　surface　it　appears　to　be；　nor　in　fact　does　our

ascertained　knowledge；　as　Bickley　would　sum　it　up；　take　us　much

further。　No　prophet　has　yet　arisen　who　attempted　to　define　either

the　origin　or　the　reasons　of　life。　Even　the　very　Greatest　of　them

Himself　is　quite　silent　on　this　matter。　We　are　tempted　to　wonder

why。　Is　it　because　life　as　expressed　in　the　higher　of　human

beings；　is；　or　will　be　too　vast；　too　multiform　and　too　glorious

for　any　definition　which　we　could　understand？　Is　it　because　in

the　end　it　will　involve　for　some；　if　not　for　all；　majesty　on

unfathomed　majesty；　and　glory　upon　unimaginable　glory　such　as　at

present　far　outpass　the　limits　of　our　thought？



The　experiences　which　I　have　recorded　in　these　pages　awake　in

my　heart　a　hope　that　this　may　be　so。　Bastin　is　wont；　like　many

others；　to　talk　in　a　light　fashion　of　Eternity　without　in　the

least　comprehending　what　he　means　by　that　gigantic　term。　It　is

not　too　much　to　say　that　Eternity；　something　without　beginning

and　without　end；　and　involving；　it　would　appear；　an　everlasting

changelessness；　is　a　state　beyond　human　comprehension。　As　a

matter　of　fact　we　mortals　do　not　think　in　constellations；　so　to

speak；　or　in　aeons；　but　by　the　measures　of　our　own　small　earth　and

of　our　few　days　thereon。　We　cannot　really　conceive　of　an

existence　stretching　over　even　one　thousand　years；　such　as　that

which　Oro　claimed　and　the　Bible　accords　to　a　certain　early　race

of　men；　omitting　of　course　his　two　thousand　five　hundred

centuries　of　sleep。　And　yet　what　is　this　but　one　grain　in　the

hourglass　of　time；　one　day　in　the　lost　record　of　our　earth；　of

its　sisters　the　planets　and　its　father　the　sun；　to　say　nothing　of

the　universes　beyond？



It　is　because　I　have　come　in　touch　with　a　prolonged　though

perfectly　finite　existence　of　the　sort；　that　I　try　to　pass　on　the

reflections　which　the　fact　of　it　awoke　in　me。　There　are　other

reflections　connected　with　Yva　and　the　marvel　of　her　love　and　its

various　manifestations　which　arise　also。　But　these　I　keep　to

myself。　They　concern　the　wonder　of　woman's　heart；　which　is　a

microcosm　of　the　hopes　and　fears　and　desires　and　despairs　of　this

humanity　of　ours　whereof　from　age　to　age　she　is　the　mother。



HUMPHREY　ARBUTHNOT。





NOTE

By　J。　R。　Bickley；　M。R。C。S。





WITHIN　about　six　months　of　the　date　on　which　he　wrote　the　last

words　of　this　history　of　our　joint　adventures；　my　dear　friend；

Humphrey　Arbuthnot；　died　suddenly；　as　I　had　foreseen　that

probably　he　would　do；　from　the　results　of　the　injury　he　received

in　the　island　of　Orofena。



He　left　me　the　sole　executor　to　his　will；　under　which　he

divided　his　property　into　three　parts。　One　third　he　bequeathed　to

me；　one　third　（which　is　strictly　tied　up）　to　Bastin；　and　one

third　to　be　devoted；　under　my　direction；　to　the　advancement　of

Science。



His　end　appears　to　have　been　instantaneous；　resulting　from　an

effusion　of　blood　upon　the　brain。　When　I　was　summoned　I　found　him

lying　dead　by　the　writing　desk　in　his　library　at　Fulcombe　Priory。

He　had　been　writing　at　the　desk；　for　on　it　was　a　piece　of　paper

on　which　appear　these　words：　〃I　have　seen　her。　I〃　There　the

writing　ends；　not　stating　whom　he　thought　he　had　seen　in　the

moments　of　mental　disturbance　or　delusion　which　preceded　his

decease。



Save　for　certain　verbal　corrections；　I　publish　this　manuscript

without　comment　as　the　will　directs；　only　adding　that　it　sets　out

our　mutual　experiences　very　faithfully；　though　Arbuthnot's

deductions　from　them　are　not　always　my　own。



I　would　say　also　that　I　am　contemplating　another　visit　to　the

South　Sea　Islands；　where　I　wish　to　make　some　further

investigations。　I　dare　say；　however；　that　these　will　be　barren　of

results；　as　the　fountain　of　Life…water　is　buried　for　ever；　nor；

as　I　think；　will　any　human　being　stand　again　in　the　Hades…like

halls　of　Nyo。　It　is　probable　also　that　it　would　prove　impossible

to　rediscover　the　island　of　Orofena；　if　indeed　that　volcanic　land

still　remains　above　the　waters　of　the　deep。



Now　that　he　is　a　very　wealthy　man；　Bastin　talks　of　accompanying

me　for　purposes　quite　different　from　my　own；　but　on　the　whole　I

hope　he　will　abandon　this　idea。　I　may　add　that　when　he　learned　of

his　unexpected　inheritance　he　talked　much　of　the　〃deceitfulness

of　riches；〃　but　that　he　has　not　as　yet　taken　any　steps　to　escape

their　golden　snare。　Indeed　he　now　converses　of　his　added

〃opportunities　of　usefulness；〃　I　gather　in　connection　with

missionary　enterprise。





J。　R。　BICKLEY。





P。S。I　forgot　to　state　that　the　spaniel　Tommy　died　within

three　days　of　his　owner。　The　poor　little　beast　was　present　in　the

room　at