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she-第54部分

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them; and yet I know not how I am to describe what we 
saw; magnificent as it was even in its ruin; almost 
beyond the power of realization。 Court upon dim court; 
row upon row of mighty pillarssome of them 
(especially at the gateways) sculptured from pedestal 
to capitalspace upon space of empty chambers that 
spoke more eloquently to the imagination than any 
crowded streets。 And over all; the dead silence of the 
dead; the sense of utter loneliness; and the brooding 
spirit of the Past! How beautiful it was; and yet how 
drear! We did not dare to speak aloud。 Ayesha herself 
was awed in the presence of an antiquity compared to 
which even her length of days was but a little thing; 
we only whispered; and our whispers seemed to run from 
column to column; till they were lost in the quiet 
air。 Bright fell the moonlight on pillar and court and 
shattered wall; hiding all their rents and 
imperfections in its silver garment; and clothing 
their hoar majesty with the peculiar glory of the 
night。 It was a wonderful sight to see the full moon 
looking down on the ruined fane of Ko^r。 It was a 
wonderful thing to think for how many thousands of 
years the dead orb above and the dead city below had 
gazed thus upon each other; and in the utter solitude 
of space poured forth each to each the tale of their 
lost life and long…departed glory。 The white light 
fell; and minute by minute the quiet shadows crept 
across the grassgrown courts like the spirits of old 
priests haunting the habitations of their worshipthe 
white light fell; and the long shadows grew till the 
beauty and grandeur of the scene and the untamed 
majesty of its present death seemed to sink into our 
very souls; and speak more loudly than the shouts of 
armies concerning the pomp and splendor that the grave 
had swallowed; and even memory had forgotten。

〃Come;〃 said Ayesha; after we had gazed and gazed; I 
know not for how long; 〃and I will show you the stony 
flower of Loveliness and Wonder's very crown; if yet 
it stands to mock time with its beauty and fill the 
heart of man with longing for that which is behind the 
veil;〃 and; without waiting for an answer; she led us 
through two more pillared courts into the inner shrine 
of the old fane。

And there; in the centre of the inmost court; that 
might have been some fifty yards square; or a little 
more; we stood face to face with what is perhaps the 
grandest allegorical work of art that the genius of 
her children has ever given to the world。 For in the 
exact centre of the court; placed upon a thick; square 
slab of rock; was a huge round ball of dark stone; 
some forty feet in diameter; and standing on the ball 
was a colossal winged figure of a beauty so entrancing 
and divine that when I first gazed upon it; 
illuminated and shadowed as it was by the soft light 
of the moon; my breath stood still; and for an instant 
my heart ceased its beating。

The statue was hewn from marble so pure and white that 
even now; after all those ages; it shone as the 
moonbeams danced upon it; and its height was; I should 
say; a trifle under twenty feet。 It was the winged 
figure of a woman of such marvellous loveliness and 
delicacy of。 form that the size seemed rather to add 
to than to detract from its so human and yet more 
spiritual beauty。 She was bending forward and poising 
herself upon her half…spread wings as though to 
preserve her balance as she leaned。 Her arms were 
outstretched like those of some woman about to embrace 
one she dearly loved; while her whole attitude gave an 
impression of the tenderest beseeching。 Her perfect 
and most gracious form was naked; saveand here came 
the extraordinary thingthe face; which was thinly 
veiled; so that we could only trace the marking of her 
features。 A gauzy veil was thrown round and about the 
head; and of its two ends one fell down across her 
left breast; which was outlined beneath it; and one; 
now broken; streamed away upon the air behind her。

〃Who is she?〃 I asked; as soon as I could take my eyes 
off the statue。

〃Canst thou not guess; O Holly?〃 answered Ayesha。 
〃Where then is thy imagination? It is Truth standing 
on the World; and calling to its children to veil her 
face。 See what is writ upon the pedestal。 Without 
doubt it is taken from the book of the Scriptures of 
these men of Ko^r;〃 and she led the way to the foot of 
the statue; where an inscription of the usual Chinese…
looking hieroglyphics was so deeply graven as to be 
still quite legible; at least to Ayesha。 According to 
her translation it ran thus:

〃'Is there no man that will draw my veil and look upon 
my face; lo! it is very fair? Unto him who draws my 
veil shall I be; and peace will I give him; and sweet 
children of knowledge and good works。'

〃And a voice cried; 'Though all those who seek alter 
thee desire thee; behold! Virgin art thou; and Virgin 
shalt thou go till Time be done。 No man is there born 
of woman who may draw thy veil and live; nor shall be。 
By Death only can thy veil be drawn; oh Truth!'

〃And Truth stretched out her arms and wept; because 
those who sought her might not find her; nor look upon 
her face to face。〃

〃Thou seest;〃 said Ayesha; when she had finished 
translating; 〃Truth was the Goddess of the people of 
old Ko^r; and to her they built their shrines; and her 
they sought; knowing that they should never find; 
still sought they。〃

〃And so;〃 I added; sadly; 〃do men seek to this very 
hour; but they find not; and; as this scripture saith; 
nor shall they; for in Death only is Truth found。〃

Then; with one more look at this veiled and 
spiritualized lovelinesswhich was so perfect and so 
pure that one might almost fancy that the light of a 
living spirit shone through the marble prison to lead 
man on to high and ethereal thoughtsthis poet's 
dream of beauty frozen into stone; which I never shall 
forget while I live; though I find myself so helpless 
when I attempt to describe it; we turned and went back 
through the vast moonlit courts to the spot whence we 
had started。 I never saw the statue again; which I the 
more regret; because on the great ball of stone 
representing the World whereon the figure stood; lines 
were drawn; that probably; had there been light 
enough; we should have discovered to be a map of the 
Universe as it was known to the people of Ko^r。 It is; 
at any rate; suggestive of some scientific knowledge 
that these long…dead worshippets of Truth had 
recognized the fact that the globe is round。

CHAPTER XXIV

WALKING THE PLANK

NEXT day the mutes woke us before the dawn; and by the 
time that we had got the sleep out of our eyes; and 
gone through a perfunctory wash at a spring which 
still welled up into the remains of a marble basin in 
the centre of the north quadrangle of the vast outer 
court; we found _i_ She _i_ standing by the litter 
ready to start; while old Billali and the two bearer 
mutes were busy collecting the baggage。 As usual; 
Ayesha was veiled like the marble Truth (by the way; I 
wonder if she originally got the idea of covering up 
her beauty from that statue?)。 I noticed; however; 
that she seemed very depressed; and had none of that 
proud and buoyant bearing which would have betrayed 
her among a thousand women of the same stature; even 
if they had been veiled like herself。 She looked up as 
we camefor her head was bowedand greeted us。 Leo 
asked her how she had slept。

〃Ill; my Kallikrates;〃 she answered; 〃ill。 This night 
have strange and hideous dreams come creeping through 
my brain; and I know not what they may portend。 Almost 
do I feel as though some evil overshadowed me; and yet 
how can evil touch me? I wonder;〃 she went on; with a 
sudden outbreak of womanly tenderness; 〃I wonder if; 
should aught happen to me; so that I slept awhile and 
left thee waking; wouldst thou think gently of me? I 
wonder; my Kallikrates; if thou wouldst tarry till I 
came again; as for so many centuries I have tarried 
for thy coming?〃

Then; without waiting for an answer; she went on: 
〃Come; let us be setting forth; for we have far to go; 
and before another day is born in yonder blue should 
we stand in the Place of Life。〃

In another five minutes we were once more on our way 
through the vast ruined city; which loomed at us on 
either side in the gray dawning in a way that was at 
once grand and oppressive。 Just as the first ray of 
the rising sun shot like a golden arrow athwart this 
storied desolation we gained the farther gateway of 
the outer wall; and having given one more glance at 
the hoar and pillared majesty through which we had 
passed; and (with the exception of Job; for whom ruins 
had no charms) breathed a sigh of regret that we had 
not had more time to explore it; passed through the 
great moat; and on to the plain beyond。

As the sun rose so did Ayesha's spirits; till by 
breakfast…time they had regained their normal level; 
and she laughingly set down her previous depression to 
the associations of the spot where she had slept。

〃These barbarians declare that Ko^r is haunted;〃 she 
said; 〃and of a truth I do believ
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