when the world shook-第44章

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〃You　know　that　is　not　what　I　meant；〃　I　interrupted　angrily；　for

I　felt　that　she　was　throwing　reflections　on　me。



〃No；　you　meant　that　you　agreed　with　Bickley　that　I　am　not　quite

a　woman；　as　you　know　women。〃



I　was　silent；　for　her　words　were　true。



Then　she　blazed　out　into　one　of　her　flashes　of　splendour；　like

something　that　takes　fire　on　an　instant；　like　the　faint　and

distant　star　which　flames　into　sudden　glory　before　the　watcher's

telescope。



〃It　is　true　that　I　am　not　as　your　women　areyour　poor；　pale

women；　the　shadows　of　an　hour　with　night　behind　them　and　before。

Because　I　am　humble　and　patient；　do　you　therefore　suppose　that　I

am　not　great？　Man　from　the　little　country　across　the　sea；　I　lived

when　the　world　was　young；　and　gathered　up　the　ancient　wisdom　of　a

greater　race　than　yours；　and　when　the　world　is　old　I　think　that　I

still　shall　live；　though　not　in　this　shape　or　here；　with　all　that

wisdom's　essence　burning　in　my　breast；　and　with　all　beauty　in　my

eyes。　Bickley　does　not　believe　although　he　worships。　You　only

half　believe　and　do　not　worship；　because　memory　holds　you　back；

and　I　myself　do　not　understand。　I　only　know　though　knowing　so

much；　still　I　seek　roads　to　learning；　even　the　humble　road　called

Bastin；　that　yet　may　lead　my　feet　to　the　gate　of　an　immortal

city。〃



〃Nor　do　I　understand　how　all　this　can　be；　Yva；〃　I　said　feebly；

for　she　dazzled　and　overwhelmed　me　with　her　blaze　of　power。



〃No；　you　do　not　understand。　How　can　you；　when　even　I　cannot？

Thus　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　years　I　slept；　and　they

went　by　as　a　lightning　flash。　One　moment　my　father　gave　me　the

draught　and　I　laid　me　down；　the　next　I　awoke　with　you　bending

over　me；　or　so　it　seemed。　Yet　where　was　I　through　all　those

centuries　when　for　me　time　had　ceased？　Tell　me；　Humphrey；　did　you

dream　at　all　while　you　were　ill？　I　ask　because　down　in　that

lonely　cavern　where　I　sleep　a　strange　dream　came　to　me　one　night。

It　was　of　a　journey　which；　as　I　thought；　you　and　I　seemed　to　make

together；　past　suns　and　universes　to　a　very　distant　earth。　It

meant　nothing；　Humphrey。　If　you　and　I　chanced　to　have　dreamed　the

same　thing；　it　was　only　because　my　dream　travelled　to　you。　It　is

most　common；　or　used　to　be。　Humphrey；　Bickley　is　quite　right；　I

am　not　altogether　as　your　women　are；　and　I　can　bring　no　happiness

to　any　man；　or　at　the　least；　to　one　who　cannot　wait。　Therefore；

perhaps　you　would　do　well　to　think　less　of　me；　as　I　have

counselled　Bastin　and　Bickley。〃



Then　again　she　gazed　at　me　with　her　wonderful；　great　eyes；　and；

shaking　her　glittering　head　a　little；　smiled　and　went。



But　oh！　that　smile　drew　my　heart　after　her。







Chapter　XX



Oro　and　Arbuthnot　Travel　by　Night





As　time　went　on；　Oro　began　to　visit　me　more　and　more

frequently；　till　at　last　scarcely　a　night　went　by　that　he　did　not

appear　mysteriously　in　my　sleeping…place。　The　odd　thing　was　that

neither　Bickley　nor　Bastin　seemed　to　be　aware　of　these　nocturnal

calls。　Indeed；　when　I　mentioned　them　on　one　or　two　occasions；

they　stared　at　me　and　said　it　was　strange　that　he　should　have

come　and　gone　as　they　saw　nothing　of　him。



On　my　speaking　again　of　the　matter；　Bickley　at　once　turned　the

conversation；　from　which　I　gathered　that　he　believed　me　to　be

suffering　from　delusions　consequent　on　my　illness；　or　perhaps　to

have　taken　to　dreaming。　This　was　not　wonderful　since；　as　I

learned　afterwards；　Bickley；　after　he　was　sure　that　I　was　asleep；

made　a　practice　of　tying　a　thread　across　my　doorway　and　of

ascertaining　at　the　dawn　that　it　remained　unbroken。　But　Oro　was

not　to　be　caught　in　that　way。　I　suppose；　as　it　was　impossible　for

him　to　pass　through　the　latticework　of　the　open　side　of　the

house；　that　he　undid　the　thread　and　fastened　it　again　when　he

left；　at　least；　that　was　Bastin's　explanation；　or；　rather；　one　of

them。　Another　was　that　he　crawled　beneath　it；　but　this　I　could

not　believe。　I　am　quite　certain　that　during　all　his　prolonged

existence　Oro　never　crawled。



At　any　rate；　he　came；　or　seemed　to　come；　and　pumped　meI　can

use　no　other　wordmost　energetically　as　to　existing　conditions

in　the　world；　especially　those　of　the　civilised　countries；　their

methods　of　government；　their　social　state；　the　physical

characteristics　of　the　various　races；　their　religions；　the　exact

degrees　of　civilisation　that　they　had　developed；　their

attainments　in　art；　science　and　literature；　their　martial

capacities；　their　laws；　and　I　know　not　what　besides。



I　told　him　all　I　could；　but　did　not　in　the　least　seem　to

satisfy　his　perennial　thirst　for　information。



〃I　should　prefer　to　judge　for　myself；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃Why

are　you　so　anxious　to　learn　about　all　these　nations；　Oro？〃　I

asked；　exhausted。



〃Because　the　knowledge　I　gather　may　affect　my　plans　for　the

future；〃　he　replied　darkly。



〃I　am　told；　Oro；　that　your　people　acquired　the　power　of

transporting　themselves　from　place　to　place。〃



〃It　is　true　that　the　lords　of　the　Sons　of　Wisdom　had　such

power；　and　that　I　have　it　still；　O　Humphrey。〃



〃Then　why　do　you　not　go　to　look　with　your　own　eyes？〃　I

suggested。



〃Because　I　should　need　a　guide；　one　who　could　explain　much　in　a

short　time；〃　he　said；　contemplating　me　with　his　burning　glance

until　I　began　to　feel　uncomfortable。



To　change　the　subject　I　asked　him　whether　he　had　any　further

information　about　the　war；　which　he　had　told　me　was　raging　in

Europe。



He　answered：　〃Not　much；　only　that　it　was　going　on　with　varying

success；　and　would　continue　to　do　so　until　the　nations　involved

therein　were　exhausted；〃　or　so　he　believed。　The　war　did　not　seem

greatly　to　interest　Oro。　It　was；　he　remarked；　but　a　small　affair

compared　to　those　which　he　had　known　in　the　old　days。　Then　he

departed；　and　I　went　to　sleep。



Next　night　he　appeared　again；　and；　after　talking　a　little　on

different　subjects；　remarked　quietly　that　he　had　been　thinking

over　what　I　had　said　as　to　his　visiting　the　modern　world；　and

intended　to　act　upon　the　suggestion。



〃When？〃　I　asked。



〃Now；〃　he　said。　〃I　am　going　to　visit　this　England　of　yours　and

the　town　you　call　London；　and　you　will　accompany　me。〃



〃It　is　not　possible！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃We　have　no　ship。〃



〃We　can　travel　without　a　ship；〃　said　Oro。



I　grew　alarmed；　and　suggested　that　Bastin　or　Bickley　would　be　a

much　better　companion　than　I　should　in　my　resent　weak　state。



〃An　empty…headed　man；　or　one　who　always　doubts　and　argues；

would　be　useless；〃　he　replied　sharply。　〃You　shall　come　and　you

only。〃



I　expostulated；　I　tried　to　get　up　and　flywhich；　indeed；　I　did

do；　in　another　sense。



But　Oro　fixed　his　eyes　upon　me　and　slowly　waved　his　thin　hand

to　and　fro　above　my　head。



My　senses　reeled。　Then　came　a　great　darkness。





They　returned　again。　Now　I　was　standing　in　an　icy；　reeking　fog；

which　I　knew　could　belong　to　one　place　onlyLondon；　in　December；

and　at　my　side　was　Oro。



〃Is　this　the　climate　of　your　wonderful　city？〃　he　asked；　or

seemed　to　ask；　in　an　aggrieved　tone。



I　replied　that　it　was；　for　about　three　months　in　the　year；　and

began　to　look　about　me。



Soon　I　found　my　bearings。　In　front　of　me　were　great　piles　of

buildings；　looking　dim　and　mysterious　in　the　fog；　in　which　I

recognised　the　Houses　of　Parliament　and　Westminster　Abbey；　for

both　could　be　seen　from　where　we　stood　in　front　of　the

Westminster　Bridge　Station。　I　explained　their　identity　to　Oro。



〃Good；〃　he　said。　〃Let　us　enter　your　Place　of　Talk。〃



〃But　I　am　not　a　member；　and　we　have　no　passes　for　the

Strangers'　Gallery；〃　I　expostulated。



〃We　shall　not　need　any；〃　he　replied　contemptuously。　〃Lead　on。〃



Thus　adjured；　I　crossed　the　road；　Oro　following　me。　Looking

round；　to　my　horror　I　saw　him　right　in　the　path　of　a　motor…bus

which　seemed　to　go　over　him。



〃There's　an　end　to　Oro；〃　thought　I　to　myself。　〃Well；　at　any

rate；　I　have　got　home。〃



Next　instant　he　was　at　my　side　quite　undisturbed　by　the

incident　of　the　bus。　We　came　to　a　policeman　at　the　door　and　I

hesitated；　expecting　to　be　challenged。　But　the　policeman　seemed

absolutely　indifferent　to　our　presence；　even　when　Oro　marched

past　him　in　his　flowing　robes。　So　I　followed　with　a　like　success。

Then　I　understood　that　we　must　be　invisible。



We　passed　to　the　lobby；　where　members　were　hurrying　to　and　fro；

and　constituents　and　pressmen　were　gathered；　and　so　on　into　the

House。　Oro　walked　up　its　floor　and　took　his　stand　by　the　table；

in　front　of　the　Speaker。　I　followed　him；　none　saying　us　No。



As　it　chanced　there　was　what　is　called　a　scene　in　progressI

think　it　was　over　Irish　matters；　the　details　are　of　no　account。

Members　shouted；　Ministers　prevaricated　and　grew　angry；　the

Speaker　intervened。　On　the　whole；　it　was　rather　a　degrading

spectacle。　I　stood；　or　seemed　to　stand；　and　watched　it　all。　Oro；

in　his　sweeping　robes；　which　looked　so　incongruous　in　that　place；

stepped；　or　seemed　to　step；　up　to　the　principal　personages　of　the

Government　and　Opposition；　whom　I　indicated　to　him；　and　inspected

them　one　by　one；　as　a　naturalist　might　examine　strange　insects。

Then；　returning　to　me；　he　said：



〃Come　away；　I　have　seen　and　heard　enough。　Who　would　have

thought　that　this　nation　of　yours　was　struggling　for　its　life　in

war？〃



We　passed　out　of　the　House　and　somehow　came　to　Trafalgar

Square。　A　meeting　was　in　progress　there；　convened；　apparently；　to

advocate　the　rights　of　Labour；　also　those　of　women；　also　to

protest　against　things　in　general；　especially　the　threat　of

Conscription　in　the　service　of　the　country。



Here　the　noise　was　tremendous；　and；　the　fog　having　lifted

somewhat；　we　could　see　everything。　Speakers　bawled　from　the　base

of　Nelson's　column。　Their　supporters　cheered；　their　adversaries

rushed　at　them；　and　in　one　or　two　instances　succeeded　in　pulling

them　down。　A　woman　climbed　up　and　began　to　scream　out　something

which　could　only　be　heard　by　a　few　reporters　gathered　round　her。

I　thought　her　an　unpleasant…looking　person；　and　evidently　her

remarks　were　not　palatable　to　the　majority　of　her　auditors。　There

was　a　rush；　and　she　was　dragged　from　the　base　of　one　of

Landseer's　lions　on　which　she　stood。　Her　skirt　was　half　rent　off

her　and　her　bodice　split　down　the　back。　Finally；　she　was　conveyed

away；　kicking；　biting；　and　scratching；　by　a　number　of　police。　It

was　a　disgusting　sight；　and　tumult　ensued。



〃Let　us　go；〃　said　Oro。　〃Your　officers　of　order　are　good；　the

rest　is　not　good。〃



Later　we　found　ourselves　opposite　to　the　doors　of　a　famous

restaurant　where　a　magnificent　and　gigantic　commissionaire　helped

ladies　from　motor…cars；　receiving　in　return　money　from　the　men

who　attended　on　them。　We　entered；　it　was　the　hour　of　dinner。　The

place　sparkled　with　gems；　and　the　naked　backs　of　the　women

gleamed　in　the　electric　light。　Course　followed　upon　course；

champagne　flowed；　a　fine　band　played；　everything