按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Long have I loved thee； O my love； yet has my love
not lessened。
Long have I waited for thee； and behold my reward is
at handis here！
Far away I saw thee once； and thou wast taken from me。
Then in a grave sowed I the seed of patience； and
shone upon it with the sun of hope； and watered it
with tears of repentance； and breathed on it with the
breath of my knowledge。 And now lo！ it hath sprung up；
and borne fruit。 Lo！ out of the grave hath it sprung。
Yea； from among the dry bones and ashes of the dead。
I have waited and my reward is with me。
I have overcome Death； and Death brought back to me
him that was dead。
Therefore do I rejoice； for fair is the future。
Green are the paths that we shall tread across the
everlasting meadows。
The hour is at hand。 Night hath fled away into the
valleys。
The dawn kisseth the mountain…tops。
Soft shall we lie； my love； and easy shall we go。
Crowned shall we be with the diadem of Kings。
Worshipping and wonderstruck all peoples of the world；
Blinded； shall fall before our beauty and our might。
From time unto times shall our greatness thunder on；
Rolling like a chariot through the dust of endless
days。
Laughing shall we speed in our victory and pomp；
Laughing like the Daylight as he leaps along the
hills。
Onward； still triumphant to a triumph ever new！
Onward； in our power to a power unattained！
Onward； never weary； clad with splendor for a robe！
Till accomplished be our late； and the night is
rushing down。〃
_i_ She _i_ paused in her strange and most thrilling
allegorical chant； of which I am； unfortunately； only
able to give the burden； and that feebly enough； and
then said；
〃Perchance thou dost not believe my word； Kallikrates…
…perchance thou thinkest that I do delude thee； and
that I have not lived these many years； and that thou
hast not been born again to me。 Nay； look not soput
away that pale cast of doubt； for oh； be sure herein
can error find no foothold！ Sooner shall the suns
forget their course and the swallow miss her nest；
than my soul shall swear a lie and be led astray from
thee； Kallikrates。 Blind me； take away mine eyes； and
let the darkness utterly fence me in； and still mine
ears would catch the tone of thine unforgotten voice；
striking more loud against the portals of my sense
than can the call of brazen…throated clarionsstop up
mine hearing also； and let a thousand touch me on the
brow； and I would name thee out of allyea； rob me of
every sense； and see me stand deaf and blind and dumb；
and with nerves that cannot weigh the value of a
touch； yet would my spirit leap within me like a
quickening child and cry unto my heart； behold
Kallikrates！ behold； thou watcher； the watches of thy
night are ended！ behold； thou who seekest in the night
season； thy morning Star ariseth。〃
_i_ She _i_ paused awhile and then continued；
〃But stay； if thy heart is yet hardened against the
mighty truth and thou dost require a further pledge of
that which thou dost find too deep to understand；
even： now shall it be given to thee； and to thee also；
O my Holly。 Bear each one of you a lamp； and follow
after me whither I shall lead you。〃
Without stopping to thinkindeed； speaking for
myself； I had almost abandoned the function in
circumstances under which to think seemed to be
absolutely useless； since thought fell； hourly；
helpless against a black wall of wonderwe took the
lamps and followed her。 Going to the end of her
〃boudoir；〃 she raised a curtain and revealed a little
stair of the sort that was so common in these dim
caves of Ko^r。 As we hurried down the stair I observed
that the steps were worn in the centre to such an
extent that some of them had been reduced from seven
and a half inches； at which I guessed their original
height； to about three and a halt。 Now； all the other
steps that I had seen in the caves had been
practically unworn； as was to be expected； seeing that
the only traffic which ever passed upon them was that
of those who bore a fresh burden to the tomb。
Therefore this fact struck my notice with that curious
force with which little things do strike us when our
minds are absolutely overwhelmed by a sudden rush of
powerful sensations； beaten flat； as it were； like a
sea beneath the first burst of a hurricane； so that
every little object on the surface starts into an
unnatural prominence。
At the bottom of the staircase I stood and stared at
the worn steps； and Ayesha； turning； saw me。
〃Wonders thou whose are the feet that have worn away
the rock； my Holly？〃 she asked。 〃They are mineeven
mine own light feet！ I can remember when these stairs
were fresh and level； but for two thousand years and
more have I gone down hither day by day； and see； my
sandals have worn out the solid rock！〃
I made no answer； but I do not think that anything
that I had heard or seen brought home to my limited
understanding so clear a sense of this being's
overwhelming antiquity as that hard rock hollowed out
by her soft； white feet。 How many millions of times
must she have passed up and down that stair to bring
about such a result？
The stair led to a tunnel； and a few paces down the
tunnel was one of the usual curtain…hung doorways； a
glance at which told me that it was the same where I
had been a witness of that terrible scene by the
leaping flame。 I recognized the pattern of the
curtain； and the sight of it brought the whole event
vividly before my eyes； and made me tremble even at
its memory。 Ayesha entered the tomb （for it was a
tomb）； and we followed herI； for one； rejoicing that
the mystery of the place was about to be cleared up；
and yet afraid to face its solution。
CHAPTER XXI
THE DEAD AND LIVING MEET
〃SEE now the place where I have slept for these two
thousand years；〃 said Ayesha； taking the lamp from
Leo's hand and holding it above her head。 Its rays
fell upon a little hollow in the floor； where I had
seen the leaping flame； but the fire was out now。 They
fell upon the white form stretched there beneath its
wrappings upon its bed of stone； upon the fretted
carving of the tomb； and upon another shelf of stone
opposite the one on which the body lay； and separated
from it by the breadth of the cave。
〃Here；〃 went on Ayesha； laying her hand upon the rock…
…〃here have I slept night by night for all these
generations； with but a cloak to cover me。 It did not
become me that I should lie soft when my spouse
yonder；〃 and she pointed to the rigid form； 〃lay stiff
in death。 Here night by night have I slept in his cold
companytill； thou seest； this thick slab； like the
stairs down which we passed； has worn thin with the
tossing of my formso faithful have I been to thee
even in thy space of sleep； Kallikrates。 And now； mine
own； thou shalt see a wonderful thingliving； thou
shalt behold thyself deadfor well have I tended thee
during all these years； Kallikrates。 Art thou
prepared？〃
We made no answer； but gazed at each other with
frightened eyes； the whole scene was so dreadful and
so solem