the coming race-第30部分

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ude　and　a　hut　with　thee　would　be　to　me　society　and　the　universe。　　Or　wouldst　thou　return　to　thine　own　world；　above　the　surface　of　this；　exposed　to　the　uncertain　seasons；　and　lit　but　by　the　changeful　orbs　which　constitute　by　thy　description　the　fickle　character　of　those　savage　regions？　I　so；　speak　the　word；　and　I　will　force　the　way　for　thy　return；　so　that　I　am　thy　companion　there；　though；　there　as　here；　but　partner　of　thy　soul；　and　fellow　traveller　with　thee　to　the　world　in　which　there　is　no　parting　and　no　death。〃

I　could　not　but　be　deeply　affected　by　the　tenderness；　at　once　so　pure　and　so　impassioned；　with　which　these　words　were　uttered；　and　in　a　voice　that　would　have　rendered　musical　the　roughest　sounds　in　the　rudest　tongue。　　And　for　a　moment　it　did　occur　to　me　that　I　might　avail　myself　of　Zee's　agency　to　effect　a　safe　and　speedy　return　to　the　upper　world。　　But　a　very　brief　space　for　reflection　sufficed　to　show　me　how　dishonourable　and　base　a　return　for　such　devotion　it　would　be　to　allure　thus　away；　from　her　own　people　and　a　home　in　which　I　had　been　so　hospitably　treated；　a　creature　to　whom　our　world　would　be　so　abhorrent；　and　for　whose　barren；　if　spiritual　love；　I　could　not　reconcile　myself　to　renounce　the　more　human　affection　of　mates　less　exalted　above　my　erring　self。　　With　this　sentiment　of　duty　towards　the　Gy　combined　another　of　duty　towards　the　whole　race　I　belonged　to。　　Could　I　venture　to　introduce　into　the　upper　world　a　being　so　formidably　gifted…　a　being　that　with　a　movement　of　her　staff　could　in　less　than　an　hour　reduce　New　York　and　its　glorious　Koom…Posh　into　a　pinch　of　snuff？　　Rob　her　of　her　staff；　with　her　science　she　could　easily　construct　another；　and　with　the　deadly　lightnings　that　armed　the　slender　engine　her　whole　frame　was　charged。　　If　thus　dangerous　to　the　140cities　and　populations　of　the　whole　upper　earth；　could　she　be　a　safe　companion　to　myself　in　case　her　affection　should　be　subjected　to　change　or　embittered　by　jealousy？　　These　thoughts；　which　it　takes　so　many　words　to　express；　passed　rapidly　through　my　brain　and　decided　my　answer。

〃Zee；〃　I　said；　in　the　softest　tones　I　could　command　and　pressing　respectful　lips　on　the　hand　into　whose　clasp　mine　vanished…　〃Zee；　I　can　find　no　words　to　say　how　deeply　I　am　touched；　and　how　highly　I　am　honoured；　by　a　love　so　disinterested　and　self…immolating。　　My　best　return　to　it　is　perfect　frankness。　　Each　nation　has　its　customs。　　The　customs　of　yours　do　not　allow　you　to　wed　me；　the　customs　of　mine　are　equally　opposed　to　such　a　union　between　those　of　races　so　widely　differing。　　On　the　other　hand；　though　not　deficient　in　courage　among　my　own　people；　or　amid　dangers　with　which　I　am　familiar；　I　cannot；　without　a　shudder　of　horror；　think　of　constructing　a　bridal　home　in　the　heart　of　some　dismal　chaos；　with　all　the　elements　of　nature；　fire　and　water；　and　mephitic　gases；　at　war　with　each　other；　and　with　the　probability　that　at　some　moment；　while　you　were　busied　in　cleaving　rocks　or　conveying　vril　into　lamps；　I　should　be　devoured　by　a　krek　which　your　operations　disturbed　from　its　hiding…place。　　I；　a　mere　　Tish；　do　not　deserve　the　love　of　a　Gy；　so　brilliant；　so　learned；　　so　potent　as　yourself。　　Yes；　I　do　not　deserve　that　love；　for　I　　cannot　return　it。〃　

Zee　released　my　hand；　rose　to　her　feet；　and　turned　her　face　away　to　hide　her　emotions；　then　she　glided　noiselessly　along　the　room；　and　paused　at　the　threshold。　　Suddenly；　impelled　as　by　a　new　thought；　she　returned　to　my　side　and　said；　in　a　whispered　tone；…

〃You　told　me　you　would　speak　with　perfect　frankness。　　With　perfect　frankness；　then；　answer　me　this　question。　　If　you　cannot　love　me；　do　you　love　another？〃

〃Certainly；　I　do　not。〃

〃You　do　not　love　Taee's　sister？〃

〃I　never　saw　her　before　last　night。〃

141〃That　is　no　answer。　　Love　is　swifter　than　vril。　　You　hesitate　to　tell　me。　　Do　not　think　it　is　only　jealousy　that　prompts　me　to　caution　you。　　If　the　Tur's　daughter　should　declare　love　to　you…　if　in　her　ignorance　she　confides　to　her　father　any　preference　that　may　justify　his　belief　that　she　will　woo　you；　he　will　have　no　option　but　to　request　your　immediate　destruction；　as　he　is　specially　charged　with　the　duty　of　consulting　the　good　of　the　community；　which　could　not　allow　the　daughter　of　the　Vril…ya　to　wed　a　son　of　the　Tish…a；　in　that　sense　of　marriage　which　does　not　confine　itself　to　union　of　the　souls。　　Alas！　there　would　then　be　for　you　no　escape。　　She　has　no　strength　of　wing　to　uphold　you　through　the　air；　she　has　no　science　wherewith　to　make　a　home　in　the　wilderness。　　Believe　that　here　my　friendship　speaks；　and　that　my　jealousy　is　silent。〃

With　these　words　Zee　left　me。　　And　recalling　those　words；　I　thought　no　more　of　succeeding　to　the　throne　of　the　Vril…ya；　or　of　the　political；　social；　and　moral　reforms　I　should　institute　in　the　capacity　of　Absolute　Sovereign。


Chapter　XXVI。


After　the　conversation　with　Zee　just　recorded；　I　fell　into　a　profound　melancholy。　　The　curious　interest　with　which　I　had　hitherto　examined　the　life　and　habits　of　this　marvellous　community　was　at　an　end。　　I　could　not　banish　from　my　mind　the　consciousness　that　I　was　among　a　people　who；　however　kind　and　courteous；　could　destroy　me　at　any　moment　without　scruple　or　compunction。　　The　virtuous　and　peaceful　life　of　the　people　which；　while　new　to　me；　had　seemed　so　holy　a　contrast　to　the　contentions；　the　passions；　the　vices　of　the　upper　world；　now　began　to　oppress　me　with　a　sense　of　dulness　and　monotony。　　Even　the　serene　tranquility　of　the　lustrous　air　preyed　on　my　142spirits。　　I　longed　for　a　change；　even　to　winter；　or　storm；　or　darkness。　　I　began　to　feel　that；　whatever　our　dreams　of　perfectibility；　our　restless　aspirations　towards　a　better；　and　higher；　and　calmer；　sphere　of　being；　we；　the　mortals　of　the　upper　world；　are　not　trained　or　fitted　to　enjoy　for　long　the　very　happiness　of　which　we　dream　or　to　which　we　aspire。

Now；　in　this　social　state　of　the　Vril…ya；　it　was　singular　to　mark　how　it　contrived　to　unite　and　to　harmonise　into　one　system　nearly　all　the　objects　which　the　various　philosophers　of　the　upper　world　have　placed　before　human　hopes　as　the　ideals　of　a　Utopian　future。　　It　was　a　state　in　which　war；　with　all　its　calamities；　was　deemed　impossible；…　a　state　in　which　the　freedom　of　all　and　each　was　secured　to　the　uttermost　degree；　without　one　of　those　animosities　which　make　freedom　in　the　upper　world　depend　on　the　perpetual　strife　of　hostile　parties。　　Here　the　corruption　which　debases　democracies　was　as　unknown　as　the　discontents　which　undermine　the　thrones　of　monarchies。　　Equality　here　was　not　a　name；　it　was　a　reality。　　Riches　were　not　persecuted；　because　they　were　not　envied。　　Here　those　problems　connected　with　the　labours　of　a　working　class；　hitherto　insoluble　above　ground；　and　above　ground　conducing　to　such　bitterness　between　classes；　were　solved　by　a　process　the　simplest；…　a　distinct　and　separate　working　class　was　dispensed　with　altogether。　　Mechanical　inventions；　constructed　on　the　principles　that　baffled　my　research　to　ascertain；　worked　by　an　agency　infinitely　more　powerful　and　infinitely　more　easy　of　management　than　aught　we　have　yet　extracted　from　electricity　or　steam；　with　the　aid　of　children　whose　strength　was　never　overtasked；　but　who　loved　their　employment　as　sport　and　pastime；　sufficed　to　create　a　Public…wealth　so　devoted　to　the　general　use　that　not　a　grumbler　was　ever　heard　of。　　The　vices　that　rot　our　cities　here　had　no　footing。　　Amusements　abounded；　but　they　were　all　innocent。　　No　merry…makings　conduced　to　intoxication；　to　riot；　to　disease。　　Love　existed；　and　was　143ardent　in　pursuit；　but　its　object；　once　secured；　was　faithful。　　The　adulterer；　the　profligate；　the　harlot；　were　phenomena　so　unknown　in　this　commonwealth；　that　even　to　find　the　words　by　which　they　were　designated　one　would　have　had　to　search　throughout　an　obsolete　literature　composed　thousands　of　years　before。　　They　who　have　been　students　of　theoretical　philosophies　above　ground；　know　that　all　these　strange　departures　from　civilised　life　do　but　realise　ideas　which　have　been　broached；　canvassed；　ridiculed；　contested　for；　sometimes　partially　tried；　and　still　put　forth　in　fantastic　books；　but　have　never　come　to　practical　result。　　Nor　were　these　all　the　steps　towards　theoretical　perfectibility　which　this　community　had　made。　　It　had　been　the　sober　belief　of　Descartes　that　the　life　of　man　could　be　prolonged；　not；　indeed；　on　this　earth；　to　eternal　duration；　but　to　what　he　called　the　age　of　the　patriarchs；　and　modestly　defined　to　be　from　100　to　150　years　average　length。　　Well；　even　this　dream　of　sages　was　here　fulfilled…　nay；　more　than　fulfilled；　for　the　vigour　of　middle　life　was　preserved　even　after　the　term　of　a　century　was　passed。　　With　this　longevity　was　combined　a　greater　blessing　than　itself…　that　of　continuous　health。　　Such　diseases　as　befell　the　race　were　removed　with　ease　by　scientific　applications　of　that　agency…　life…giving　as　life…destroying…　which　is　inherent　in　vril。　　Even　this　idea　is　not　unknown　above　ground；　though　it　has　generally　been　confined　to　enthusiasts　or　charlatans；　and　emanates　from　confused　notions　about　mesmerism；　odic　force；　&c。　　Passing　by　such　trivial　contrivances　as　wings；　which　every　schoolboy　knows　has　been　tried　and　found　wanting；　from