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she-第30部分

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and rabbis hounded the people on to stone me! See; 
here is the mark of it to this day!〃 and with a sudden 
move she pulled up the gauzy wrapping on her rounded 
arm; and pointed to a little scar that showed red 
against its milky beauty。 I shrank back horrified。

〃Pardon me; O queen;〃 I said; 〃but I am bewildered。 
Nigh upon two thousand years have rolled across the 
earth since the Jewish Messiah hung upon his cross at 
Golgotha。 How then canst thou have taught thy 
philosophy to the Jews before he was? Thou art a 
woman; and no spirit。 How can a woman live two 
thousand years? Why dost thou befool me; O queen?〃
 _i_ She _i_ leaned back on the couch; and once more I 
felt the hidden eyes playing upon me and searching out 
my heart。

〃O man!〃 she said at last; speaking very slowly and 
deliberately; 〃it seems that there are still things 
upon the earth of which thou knowest naught。 Dost thou 
still believe that all things die; even as those very 
Jews believed? I tell thee that naught really dies。 
There is no such thing as Death; though there be a 
thing called Change。 See;〃 and she pointed to some 
sculptures on the rocky wall。 〃Three times two 
thousand years have passed since the last of the great 
race that hewed those pictures fell before the breath 
of the pestilence which destroyed them; yet they are 
not dead。 E'en now they live; perchance their spirits 
are drawn towards us at this very hour;〃 and she 
glanced round。 〃Of a surety it sometimes seems to me 
that my eyes can see them。〃

〃Yes; but to the world they are dead。〃 

〃Ay; for a time; but even to the world they are born 
again and again。 I; yes I; Ayeshafor that is my 
name; strangerI say to thee that I wait now for one 
I loved to be born again; and here I tarry till he 
finds me; knowing of a surety that hither he will 
come; and that here; and here only; shall he greet me。 
Why; dost thou suppose that I; who am all powerful; I; 
whose loveliness is more than the loveliness of the 
Grecian Helen; of whom they used to sing; and whose 
wisdom is wider; ay; far more wide and deep than the 
wisdom of Solomon the WiseI; who know the secrets of 
the earth and its riches; and can turn all things to 
my usesI; who have even for a while overcome Change; 
that ye call Deathwhy; I say; O stranger; dost thou 
think that I herd here with barbarians lower than the 
beasts?〃

〃I know not;〃 I said; humbly。 

〃Because I wait for him I love。 My life has perchance 
been evil; I know notfor who can say what is evil 
and what good?so I fear to die even if I could die; 
which I cannot until mine hour comes; to go and seek 
him where he is; for between us there might rise a 
wall I could not climb; at least; I dread it。 Surely 
easy would it be also to lose the way in seeking in 
those great spaces wherein the planets wander on 
forever。 But the day will come; it may be when five 
thousand more years have passed; and are lost and 
melted into the vault of Time; even as the little 
clouds melt into the gloom of night; or it may be to…
morrow; when he; my love; shall be born again; and 
then; following a law that is stronger than any human 
plan; he shall find me here; where once he knew me; 
and of a surety his heart will soften towards me 
though I sinned against him; ay; even though he know 
me not again; yet will he love me; if only for my 
beauty's sake。〃

For a moment I was dumbfounded; and could not answer。 
The matter。 was too overpowering for my intellect to 
grasp。

〃But even so; O queen;〃 I said at last; 〃even if we 
men be born again and again; that is not so with thee; 
if thou speakest truly。〃 Here she looked up sharply; 
and once more I caught the flash of those hidden eyes; 
〃thou;〃 I went on; hurriedly; 〃who hast never died?〃

〃That is so;〃 she said; 〃and it is so because I have; 
half by chance and half by learning; solved one of the 
great secrets of the world。 Tell me; stranger: life 
iswhy therefore should not life be lengthened for a 
while? What are ten or twenty or fifty thousand years 
in the history of life? Why in ten thousand years 
scarce will the rain and storms lessen a mountain…top 
by a span in thickness? In two thousand years these 
caves have not changed; nothing has changed; but the 
beasts and man; who is as the beasts。 There is naught 
that is wonderful about the matter; couldst thou but 
understand。 Life is wonderful; ay; but that it should 
be a little lengthened is not wonderful。 Nature hath 
her animating spirit as well as man; who is Nature's 
child; and he who can find that spirit; and let it 
breathe upon him; shall live with her life。 He shall 
not live eternally; for Nature is not eternal; and she 
herself must die; even as the nature of the moon hath 
died。 _i_ She _i_ herself must die; I say; or rather 
change and sleep till it be time for her to live 
again。 But when shall she die? Not yet; I ween; and 
while she lives; so shall he who hath all her secret 
live with her。 All I have it not; yet have I some; 
more perchance than any who were before me。 Now; to 
thee I doubt not that this thing is a great mystery; 
therefore I will not overcome thee with it now。 
Another time will I tell thee more if the mood be on 
me; though perchance I shall never speak thereof 
again。 Dost thou wonder how I knew that ye were coming 
to this land; and so saved your heads from the hot 
pot?〃

〃Ay; O queen;〃 I answered; feebly。 

〃Then gaze upon that water;〃 and she pointed to the 
font like vessel; and then; bending forward; held her 
hand over it。

I rose and gazed; and instantly the water darkened。 
Then it cleared and I saw as distinctly as I ever saw 
anything in my lifeI saw; I say; our boat upon that 
horrible canal。 There was Leo lying at the bottom 
asleep in it; with a coat thrown over him to keep off 
the mosquitoes; in such a fashion as to hide his face; 
and myself; Job; and Mahomed towing on the bank。

I stared back aghast; and cried out that it was magic; 
for I recognized the whole scene; it was one which had 
actually occurred;

〃Nay; nay; O Holly;〃 she answered; 〃it is no magic; 
that is a fiction of ignorance。 There is no such thing 
as magic; though there is such a thing as knowledge of 
the secrets of Nature。 That water is my glass; in it I 
see what passes if I care to summon up the pictures; 
which is not often。 Therein I can show thee what thou 
wilt of the past; if it be anything to do with this 
country and with what I have known; or anything that 
thou; the gazer; hast known。 Think of a face if thou 
wilt; and it shall be reflected from thy mind upon the 
water。 I know not all the secret yetI can read 
nothing in the future。 But it is an old secret; I did 
not find it。 In Arabia and in Egypt the sorcerers knew 
it centuries ago。 So one day I chanced to bethink me 
of that old canalsome twenty centuries ago I sailed 
upon it; and I was minded to look thereon again。 And 
so I looked; and there I saw the boat and three men 
walking; and one; whose face I could not see; but a 
youth of a noble form; sleeping in the boat; and so I 
sent and saved ye。 And now; farewell。 But stay; tell 
me of this youththe Lion; as the old man calls him。 
I would look upon him; but he is sick; thou sayest
sick with the fever; and also wounded in the fray。〃

〃He is very sick;〃 I answered; sadly; 〃canst thou do 
nothing for him; O queen! who knowest so much?〃

〃Of a surety I can。 I can cure him; but why speakest 
thou so sadly? Doth thou love the youth? Is he 
perchance thy son?〃

〃He is my adopted son; O queen! Shall he be brought in 
before thee?〃 

〃Nay。 How long hath the fever taken him?〃

〃This is the third day。〃

〃Good; then let him lie another day。 Then will he 
perchance throw it off by his own strength; and that 
is better than that I should cure him; for my medicine 
is of a sort to shake the life in its very citadel。 
If; however; by tomorrow night; at that hour when the 
fever first took him; he doth not begin to mend; then 
will I come to him and cure him。 Stay; who nurses 
him?〃

〃Our white servant; him whom Billali names the Pig; 
also;〃 and here I spoke with some little hesitation; 
〃a woman named Ustane; a very handsome woman of this 
country; who came and embraced him when first she saw 
him; and hath stayed by him ever since; as I 
understand is the fashion of thy people; O queen。〃

〃My people! speak not to me of my people;〃 she 
answered; hastily;…〃these slaves are no people of 
mine; they are but dogs to do my bidding till the day 
of my deliverance comes; and; as for their customs; 
naught have I to do with them。 Also; call me not 
queenI am sick of flattery and titlescall me 
Ayesha; the name hath a sweet sound in mine ears; it 
is an echo from the past。 As for this Ustane; I know 
not。 I wonder if it be she against whom I was warned; 
and whom I in turn did warn? Hath shestay; I will 
see〃; and; bending forward; she passed her hand over 
the font of water and gazed intently into it。 〃See;〃 
she said; quietly; 〃is that the woman?〃

I looked into the water; and there; mirrored upon its 
placid surface; was the silhouette of Ustane's stately 
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