when the world shook-第41章

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of　white　silk　fastened　about　her　middle　with　a　jewelled　girdle。

On　her　neck　also　was　a　collar　of　jewels。　I　forget　the　colour；

indeed　this　seemed　to　change　continually　as　the　light　from　the

different　moons　struck　when　she　moved；　but　I　think　its　prevailing

tinge　was　blue。　In　her　arms　this　woman　nursed　a　beauteous；

sleeping　child；　singing　happily　as　she　rocked　it　to　and　fro。　Yva

went　towards　the　woman　who　looked　up　at　her　step　and　uttered　a

little　cry。　Then　for　the　first　time　I　saw　the　woman's　face。　It

was　that　of　my　dead　wife！



As　I　followed　in　my　dream；　a　little　cloud　of　mist　seemed　to

cover　both　my　wife　and　Yva；　and　when　I　reached　the　place　Yva　was

gone。　Only　my　wife　remained；　she　and　the　child。　There　she　stood；

solemn　and　sweet。　While　I　drew　near　she　laid　down　the　child　upon

the　cushioned　seat　from　which　she　had　risen。　She　stretched　out

her　arms　and　flung　them　about　me。　She　embraced　me　and　I　embraced

her　in　a　rapture　of　reunion。　Then　turning　she　lifted　up　the

child；　it　was　a　girl；　for　me　to　kiss。



〃See　your　daughter；〃　she　said；　〃and　behold　all　that　I　am　making

ready　for　you　where　we　shall　dwell　in　a　day　to　come。〃



I　grew　confused。



〃Yva；〃　I　said。　〃Where　is　Yva　who　brought　me　here？　Did　she　go

into　the　house？〃



〃Yes；〃　she　answered　happily。　〃Yva　went　into　the　house。　Look

again！〃



I　looked　and　it　was　Yva's　face　that　was　pressed　against　my　own；

and　Yva's　eyes　that　gazed　into　mine。　Only　she　was　garbed　as　my

wife　had　been；　and　on　her　bosom　hung　the　changeful　necklace。



〃You　may　not　stay；〃　she　whispered；　and　lo！　it　was　my　wife　that

spoke；　not　Yva。



〃Tell　me　what　it　means？〃　I　implored。



〃I　cannot；〃　she　answered。　〃There　are　mysteries　that　you　may　not

know　as　yet。　Love　Yva　if　you　will　and　I　shall　not　be　jealous；　for

in　loving　Yva　you　love　me。　You　cannot　understand？　Then　know　this；

that　the　spirit　has　many　shapes；　and　yet　is　the　same　spirit

sometimes。　Now　I　who　am　far；　yet　near；　bid　you　farewell　a　while。〃



Then　all　passed　in　a　flash　and　the　dream　ended。



Such　was　the　only　one　of　those　visions　which　I　can　recall。





I　seemed　to　wake　up　as　from　a　long　and　tumultuous　sleep。　The

first　thing　I　saw　was　the　palm　roof　of　our　house　upon　the　rock。　I

knew　it　was　our　house；　for　just　above　me　was　a　palm　leaf　of　which

I　had　myself　tied　the　stalk　to　the　framework　with　a　bit　of

coloured　ribbon　i　had　I　had　chanced　to　find　in　my　pocket。　It　came

originally　from　the　programme　card　of　a　dance　that　I　had　attended

at　Honolulu　and　I　had　kept　it　because　I　thought　it　might　be

useful。　Finally　I　used　it　to　secure　that　loose　leaf。　I　stared　at

the　ribbon　which　brought　back　a　flood　of　memories；　and　as　I　was

thus　engaged　I　heard　voices　talking；　and　listenedBickley's

voice；　and　the　Lady　Yva's。



〃Yes；〃　Bickley　was　saying；　〃he　will　do　well　now；　but　he　went

near；　very　near。〃



〃I　knew　he　would　not　die；〃　she　answered；　〃because　my　father

said　so。〃



〃There　are　two　sorts　of　deaths；〃　replied　Bickley；　〃that　of　the

body　and　that　of　the　mind。　I　was　afraid　that　even　if　he　lived；

his　reason　would　go；　but　from　certain　indications　I　do　not　think

that　will　happen　now。　He　will　get　quite　well　againthough〃　and

he　stopped。



〃I　am　very　glad　to　hear　you　say　so；〃　chimed　in　Bastin。　〃For

weeks　I　thought　that　I　should　have　to　read　the　Burial　Service

over　poor　Arbuthnot。　Indeed　I　was　much　puzzled　as　to　the　best

place　to　bury　him。　Finally　I　found　a　very　suitable　spot　round　the

corner　there；　where　it　isn't　rock；　in　which　one　can't　dig　and　the

soil　is　not　liable　to　be　flooded。　In　fact　I　went　so　far　as　to

clear　away　the　bush　and　to　mark　out　the　grave　with　its　foot　to

the　east。　In　this　climate　one　can't　delay；　you　know。〃



Weak　as　I　was；　I　smiled。　This　practical　proceeding　was　so

exactly　like　Bastin。



〃Well；　you　wasted　your　labour；〃　exclaimed　Bickley。



〃Yes；　I　am　glad　to　say　I　did。　But　I　don't　think　it　was　your

operations　and　the　rest　that　cured　him；　Bickley；　although　you

take　all　the　credit。　I　believe　it　was　the　Life…water　that　the

Lady　Yva　made　him　drink　and　the　stuff　that　Oro　sent　which　we　gave

him　when　you　weren't　looking。〃



〃Then　I　hope　that　in　the　future　you　will　not　interfere　with　my

cases；〃　said　the　indignant　Bickley；　and　either　the　voices　passed

away　or　I　went　to　sleep。



When　I　woke　up　again　it　was　to　find　the　Lady　Yva　seated　at　my

side　watching　me。



〃Forgive　me；　Humphrey；　because　I　here；　others　gone　out

walking；〃　she　said　slowly　in　English。



〃Who　taught　you　my　language？〃　I　asked；　astonished。　〃Bastin　and

Bickley；　while　you　ill；　they　teach；　they　teach　me　much。　Man　just

same　now　as　he　was　hundred　thousand　years　ago；〃　she　added

enigmatically。　〃All　think　one　woman　beautiful　when　no　other　woman

there。〃



〃Indeed；〃　I　replied；　wondering　to　what　proceedings　on　the　part

of　Bastin　and　Bickley　she　alluded。　Could　that　self…centred　pair

oh！　it　was　impossible。



〃How　long　have　I　been　ill？〃　I　asked　to　escape　the　subject　which

I　felt　to　be　uncomfortable。



She　lifted　her　beautiful　eyes　in　search　of　words　and　began　to

count　upon　her　fingers。



〃Two　moon；　one　half　moon；　yes；　ten　week；　counting　Sabbath；〃　she

answered　triumphantly。



〃Ten　weeks！〃　I　exclaimed。



〃Yes；　Humphrey；　ten　whole　weeks　and　three　days　you　first　bad；

then　mad。　Oh！〃　she　went　on；　breaking　into　the　Orofenan　tongue

which　she　spoke　so　perfectly；　although　it　was　not　her　own。　That

language　of　hers　I　never　learned；　but　I　know　she　thought　in　it

and　only　translated　into　Orofenan；　because　of　the　great

difficulty　which　she　had　in　rendering　her　high　and　refined　ideas

into　its　simpler　metaphor；　and　the　strange　words　which　often　she

introduced。　〃Oh！　you　have　been　very　ill；　friend　of　my　heart。　At

times　I　thought　that　you　were　going　to　die；　and　wept　and　wept。

Bickley　thinks　that　he　saved　you　and　he　is　very　clever。　But　he

could　not　have　saved　you；　that　wanted　more　knowledge　than　any　of

your　people　have；　only　I　pray　you；　do　not　tell　him　so　because　it

would　hurt　his　pride。〃



〃What　was　the　matter　with　me　then；　Yva？〃



〃All　was　the　matter。　First；　the　weapon　which　that　youth　threw

he　was　the　son　of　the　sorcerer　whom　my　father　destroyedcrushed

in　the　bone　of　your　head。　He　is　dead　for　his　crime　and　may　he　be

accursed　for　ever；〃　she　added　in　the　only　outbreak　of　rage　and

vindictiveness　in　which　I　ever　saw　her　indulge。



〃One　must　make　excuses　for　him；　his　father　had　been　killed；〃　I

said。



〃Yes；　that　is　what　Bastin　tells　me；　and　it　is　true。　Still；　for

that　young　man　I　can　make　no　excuse；　it　was　cowardly　and　wicked。

Well；　Bickley　performed　what　he　calls　operation；　and　the　Lord

Oro；　he　came　up　from　his　house　and　helped　him；　because　Bastin　is

no　good　in　such　things。　Then　he　can　only　turn　away　his　head　and

pray。　I；　too；　helped；　holding　hot　water　and　linen　and　jar　of　the

stuff　that　made　you　feel　like　nothing；　although　the　sight　made　me

feel　more　sick　than　anything　since　I　saw　one　I　loved　killed；　oh；

long；　long　ago。〃



〃Was　the　operation　successful？〃　I　asked；　for　I　did　not　dare　to

begin　to　thank　her。



〃Yes；　that　clever　man；　Bickley；　lifted　the　bone　which　had　been

crushed　in。　Only　then　something　broke　in　your　head　and　you　began

to　bleed　here；〃　and　she　touched　what　I　believe　is　called　the

temporal　artery。　〃The　vein　had　been　crushed　by　the　blow；　and　gave

way。　Bickley　worked　and　worked；　and　just　in　time　he　tied　it　up

before　you　died。　Oh！　then　I　felt　as　though　I　loved　Bickley；

though　afterwards　Bastin　said　that　I　ought　to　have　loved　him；

since　it　was　not　Bickley　who　stopped　the　bleeding；　but　his

prayer。〃



〃Perhaps　it　was　both；〃　I　suggested。



〃Perhaps；　Humphrey；　at　least　you　were　saved。　Then　came　another

trouble。　You　took　fever。　Bickley　said　that　it　was　because　a

certain　gnat　had　bitten　you　when　you　went　down　to　the　ship；　and

my　father；　the　Lord　Oro；　told　me　that　this　was　right。　At　the

least　you　grew　very　weak　and　lost　your　mind；　and　it　seemed　as

though　you　must　die。　Then；　Humphrey；　I　went　to　the　Lord　Oro　and

kneeled　before　him　and　prayed　you　life；　for　I　knew　that　he　could

cure　you　if　he　would；　though　Bickley's　skill　was　at　an　end。



〃'Daughter；'　he　said　to　me；　'not　once　but　again　and　again　you

have　set　up　your　will　against　mine　in　the　past。　Why　then　should　I

trouble　myself　to　grant　this　desire　of　yours　in　the　present；　and

save　a　man　who　is　nothing　to　me？'



〃I　rose　to　my　feet　and　answered；　'I　do　not　know；　my　Father；　yet

I　am　certain　that　for　your　own　sake　it　will　be　well　to　do　so。　I

am　sure　that　of　everything　even　you　must　give　an　account　at　last；

great　though　you　be；　and　who　knows；　perhaps　one　life　which　you

have　saved　may　turn　the　balance　in　your　favour。'



〃'Surely　the　priest　Bastin　has　been　talking　to　you；'　he　said。



〃'He　has；'　I　answered；　'and　not　he　alone。　Many　voices　have　been

talking　to　me。'〃



〃What　did　you　mean　by　that？〃　I　asked。



〃It　matters　nothing　what　I　meant；　Humphrey。　Be　still　and　listen

to　my　story。　My　father　thought　a　while　and　answered：



〃'I　am　jealous　of　this　stranger。　What　is　he　but　a　short…lived

half…barbarian　such　as　we　knew　in　the　old　days？　And　yet　already

you　think　more　of　him　than　you　do　of　me；　your　father；　the　divine

Oro　who　has　lived　a　thousand　years。　At　first　I　helped　that

physician　to　save　him；　but　now　I　think　I　wish　him　dead。'



〃'If　you　let　this　man　die；　my　Father；'　I　answered；　'then　we

part。　Remember　that　I　also　have　of　the　wisdom　of　our　people；　and

can　use　it　if　I　will。'



〃'Then　save　him　yourself；'　he　said。



〃'Perhaps　I　shall；　my　Father；'　I　answered；　'but　if　so　it　will

not　be　here。　I　say　that　if　so　we　part　and　you　shall　be　left　to

rule　in　your　majesty　alone。'



〃Now　this　frightened　the　Lord　Oro；　for　he　has　the　weakness　that

he　hates　to　be　alone。



〃'If　I　do　what　you　will；　do　you　swear　never　to　leave　me；　Yva？'

he　asked。　'Know　that　if　you　will　not　swear；　the　man　dies。'



〃'I　swear；'　I　answeredfor　your　sake；　Humphreythough　I　did

not　love　the　oath。



〃Then　he　gave　me　a　certain　medicine　to　mix　with　the　Life…water；

and　when　you　were　almost　gone　that　medicine　cured　you；　though

Bickley　does　not　know　it；　as　nothing　else　could　have　done。　Now　I

have　told　you　the　truth；　for　your　own　ear　only；　Humphrey。〃



〃Yva；〃　I　asked；　〃why　did　you　do　all　this　for　me？〃



〃Humphrey；　I　do　not　know；〃　she　answered；　〃but　I　think　because　I

must。　Now　sleep　a　while。〃







Chapter　XIX



The　Proposals　of　Bastin　and　Bickley





So　far　as　my　body　was　concerned　I　grew　well　with　great

rapidity；　though　it　was　long　before　I　got　back　my　strength。　Thus

I　could　not　walk　far　or　endure　any　sustained　exertion。　With　my

mind　it　was　otherwise。　I　can　not　explain　what　had　happened　to　it；

indeed　I　do　not　know；　but　in　a　sense　it　seemed　to　have　become

detached　and　to　have　assumed　a　kind　of　personality　of　its　own。　At

times　it　felt　as　though　it　were　no　longer　an　inhabitant　of　the

body；　but　rather　its