she-第5部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

reed　pen；　such　as　the　ancients　often　used。　I　must　not　
forget　to　mention　that　in　some　remote　age　this　
wonderful　fragment　had　been　broken　in　two；　and　
rejoined　by　means　of　cement　and　eight　long　rivets。　
Also　there　were　numerous　inscriptions　on　the　inner　
side；　but　these　were　of　the　most　erratic　character；　
and　had　clearly　been　made　by　different　hands　and　in　
many　different　ages；　and　of　them；　together　with　the　
writings　on　the　parchments；　I　shall　have　to　speak　
presently。

〃Is　there　anything　more？〃　asked　Leo；　in　a　kind　of　
excited　whisper。

I　groped　about；　and　produced　something　hard；　done　up　
in　a　little　linen　bag。　Out　of　the　bag　we　took　first　a　
very　beautiful　miniature　done　upon　ivory；　and；　
secondly；　a　small　chocolate　colored　composition　
scarabaeus；　marked　thus：

＇graphic　omitted＇

symbols　which；　we　have　since　ascertained；　mean　〃Suten　
se　Ra^；〃　which　is；　being　translated；　the　〃Royal　Son　of　
Ra^　or　the　Sun。〃　The　miniature　was　a　picture　of　Leo's　
Greek　mother；　a　lovely；　dark…eyed　creature。　On　the　
back　of　it　was　written　in　poor　Vincey's　handwriting；　
〃My　beloved　wife。〃　

〃That　is　all；〃　I　said。

〃Very　well；〃　answered　Leo；　putting　down　the　miniature；　
at　which　he　had　been　gazing　affectionately；　〃and　now　
let　us　read　the　letter；〃　and　without　further　ado　he　
broke　the　seal；　and　read　aloud　as　follows：

〃MY　SON　LEOWhen　you　open　this；　if　you　ever　live　to　
do　so；　you　will　have　attained　to　manhood；　and　I　shall　
have　been　long　enough　dead　to　be　absolutely　forgotten　
by　nearly　all　who　knew　me。　Yet　in　reading　it　remember　
that　I　have　been；　and　for　anything　you　know　may　still　
be；　and　that　in　it；　through　this　link　of　pen　and　
paper；　I　stretch　out　my　hand　to　you　across　the　gulf　of　
death；　and　my　voice　speaks　to　you　from　the　unutterable　
silence　of　the　grave。　Though　I　am　dead；　and　no　memory　
of　me　remains　in　your　mind；　yet　am　I　with　you　in　this　
hour　that　you　read。　Since　your　birth　to　this　day　I　
have　scarcely　seen　your　face。　Forgive　me　this。　Your　
life　supplanted　the　life　of　one　whom　I　loved　better　
than　women　are　often　loved；　and　the　bitterness　of　it　
endureth　yet。　Had　I　lived　I　should　in　time　have　
conquered　this　foolish　feeling；　but　I　am　not　destined　
to　live。　My　sufferings；　physical　and　mental；　are　more　
than　I　can　bear；　and　when　such　small　arrangements　as　I　
have　to　make　for　your　future　well…being　are　completed　
it　is　my　intention　to　put　a　period　to　them。　May　God　
forgive　me　if　I　do　wrong。　At　the　best　I　could　not　live　
more　than　another　year。〃

〃So　he　killed　himself；〃　I　exclaimed。　〃I　thought　so。〃

〃And　now；〃　Leo　went　on；　without　replying；　〃enough　of　
myself。　What　has　to　be　said　belongs　to　you　who　live；　
not　to　me；　who　am　dead；　and　almost　as　much　forgotten　
as　though　I　had　never　been。　Holly；　my　friend　（to　whom；　
if　he　will　accept　the　trust；　it　is　my　intention　to　
confide　you）；　will　have　told　you　something　of　the　
extraordinary　antiquity　of　your　race。　In　the　contents　
of　this　casket　you　will　find　sufficient　to　prove　it。　
The　strange　legend　that　you　will　find　inscribed　by　
your　remote　ancestress　upon　the　potsherd　was　
communicated　to　me　by　my　father　on　his　deathbed；　and　
took　a　strong　hold　upon…my　imagination。　When　I　was　
only　nineteen　years　of　age　I　determined；　as；　to　his　
misfortune；　did　one　of　ancestors　about　the　time　of　
Elizabeth；　to　investigate　its　truth。　Into　all　that　
befell　me　I　cannot　enter　now。

But　this　I　saw　with　my　own　eyes。　On　the　coast　of　
Africa；　in　a　hitherto　unexplored　region；　some　distance　
to　the　north　of　where　the　Zambesi　falls　into　the　sea；　
there　is　a　headland；　at　the　extremity　of　which　a　peak　
towers　up；　shaped　like　the　head　of　a　negro；　similar　to　
that　of　which　the　writing　speaks。　I　landed　there；　and　
learned　from　a　wandering　native；　who　had　been　cast　out　
by　his　people　because　of　some　crime　which　he　had　
committed；　that　far　inland　are　great　mountains；　shaped　
like　cups；　and　caves　surrounded　by　measureless　swamps。　
I　learned　also　that　the　people　there　speak　a　dialect　
of　Arabic；　and　are　ruled　over　by　a　_i_　beautiful　white　
woman　_i_　who　is　seldom　seen　by　them；　but　who　is　
reported　to　have　power　over　all　things　living　and　
dead。　Two　days　after　I　had　ascertained　this　the　man　
died　of　fever　contracted　in　crossing　the　swamps；　and　I　
was　forced；　by　want　of　provisions　and　by　symptoms　of　
an　illness　which　afterwards　prostrated　me；　to　take　to　
my　dhow　again。

〃Of　the　adventures　that　befell　me　after　this　I　need　
not　now　speak。　I　was　wrecked　upon　the　coast　of　
Madagascar；　and　rescued　some　months　afterwards　by　an　
English　ship　that　brought　me　to　Aden；　whence　I　started　
for　England；　intending　to　prosecute　my　search　us　soon　
as　I　had　made　sufficient　preparations。　On　my　way　I　
stopped　in　Greece；　and　there；　for　'　_i_　Omnia　vincit　
amor　_i_　；'　I　met　your　beloved　mother；　and　married　
her；　and　there　you　were　born　and　she　died。　Then　it　was　
that　my　last　illness　seized　me；　and　I　returned　hither　
to　die。　But　still　I　hoped　against　hope；　and　set　myself　
to　work　to　learn　Arabic；　with　the　intention；　should　I　
ever　get　better；　of　returning　to　the　coast　of　Africa；　
and　solving　the　mystery　of　which　the　tradition　has　
lived　so　many　centuries　in　our　family。　But　I　have　not　
got　better；　and；　so　far　as　I　am　concerned；　the　story　
is　at　an　end。

〃For　you；　however；　my　son；　it　is　not　at　an　end；　and　to　
you　I　hand　on　these　the　results；　of　my　labor；　together　
with　the　hereditary　proofs　of　its　origin。　It　is　my　
intention　to　provide　that　they　shall　not　be　put　into　
your　hands　until　you　have　reached　an　age　when　you　will　
be　able　to　judge　for　yourself　whether　or　not　you　will　
choose　to　investigate　what；　if　it　is　true；　must　be　the　
greatest　mystery　in　the　world；　or　to　put　it　by　as　an　
idle　fable；　originating　in　the　first　place　in　a　
woman's　disordered　brain。

〃I　do　not　believe　that　it　is　a　fable；　I　believe　that　
if　it　can　only　be　rediscovered　there　is　a　spot　where　
the　vital　forces　of　the　world　visibly　exist。　Life　
exists；　why　therefore　should　not　the　means　of　
preserving　it　indefinitely　exist　also？　But　I　have　no　
wish　to　prejudice　your　mind　about　the　matter。　Read　and　
judge　for　yourself。　If　you　are　inclined　to　undertake　
the　search；　I　have　so　provided　that　you　will　not　lack　
for　means。　If；　on　the　other　hand；　you　are　satisfied　
that　the　whole　thing　is　a　chimera；　then；　I　adjure　you；　
destroy　the　potsherd　and　the　writings；　and　let　a　cause　
of　troubling　be　removed　from　our　race　forever。　Perhaps　
that　will　be　wisest。　The　unknown　is　generally　taken　to　
be　terrible；　not　as　the　proverb　would　infer；　from　the　
inherent　superstition　of　man；　but　became　it　so　often　
is　terrible。　He　who　would　tamper　with　the　vast　and　
secret　forces　that　animate　the　world　may　well　fall　a　
victim　to　them。　And　if　the　end　were　attained；　if　at　
last　you　emerged　from　the　trial　ever　beautiful　and　
ever　young；　defying　time　and　evil；　and　lifted　above　
the　natural　decay　of　flesh　and　intellect；　who　shall　
say　that　the　awesome　change　would　prove　a　happy　one？　
Choose；　my　son；　and　may　the　Power　who　rules　all　
things；　and　who　says　'thus　far　shalt　thou　go；　and　thus　
much　shalt　thou　learn'；　direct　the　choice　to　your　own　
happiness　and　the　happiness　of　the　world；　which；　in　
the　event　of　your　success；　you　would　one　day　certainly　
rule　by　the　pure　force　of　accumulated　experience。
Farewell！〃

Thus　the　letter；　which　was　unsigned　and　undated；　
abruptly　ended。

〃What　do　you　make　of　that；　Uncle　Holly？〃　said　Leo；　
with　a　sort　of　gasp；　as　he　replaced　it　on　the　table。　
〃We　have　been　looking　for　a　mystery；　and　we　certainly　
seem　to　have　found　one。〃

〃What　do　I　make　of　it？　Why；　that　your　poor　dear　father　
was　off　his　head；　of　course；〃　I　answered；　testily。　〃I　
guessed　as　much　that　night；　twenty　years　ago；　when　he　
came　into　my　room。　You　see　he　evidently　hurried　his　
own　end；　poor　man。　It　is　absolute　balderdash。〃

〃That's　it；　sir！〃　said　Job；　solemnly。　Job　was　a　most　
matter…of…fact　specimen　of　a　matter…of…fact　class。

〃Well；　let's　see　what　the　potsherd　has　to　say；　at　any　
rate；〃　said　Leo；　taking　up　the　translation　in　his　
father's　writing；　and　commencing　to　read：

'I；　Amenartas；　of　the　Royal　House　of　the　Pharaohs　of　
Egypt；　wife　of　Kallikrates　（the　Beautiful　in　
Strength）；　a　Priest　of　Isis　whom　the　gods　cherish　and　
the　demons　obey；　being　about　to　die；　to　my　little　son　
Tisisthenes　（the　Mighty　Avenger）。　I　fled　with　thy　
father　from　Egypt　in　the　days　of　Nectanebes；　causing　
him　through　love　to　break　the　vows　that　he　had　vowed。　
We　fled　southward；　across　the　waters；　and　we　wandered　
for　twice　twelve　moons　on　the　coast　of　Libya　（Africa）　
that　looks　towards　the　rising　sun；　where　by　a　river　is　
a　great　rock　carven　like　the　head　of　an　Ethiopian。　
Four　days　on　the　water　from　the　mouth　of　a　mighty　
river　were　we　cast　away；　and　some　were　drowned　and　
some　died　of　sickness。　But　us　wild　men　took　through　
wastes　and　marshes；　where　the　sea…fowl　hid　the　sky；　
bearing　us　ten　days'　journey　till　we　came　to　a　hollow　
mountain；　where　a　great　city　had　been　and　fallen；　and　
where　there　are　caves　of　which　no　man　hath　seen　the　
end；　and　they　brought　us　to　the　Queen　of　the　people　
who　place　pots　upon　the　heads　of　strangers；　who　is　a　
magician　having　a　know