when the world shook-第68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！



condemned　we　know　not　how；　but　apparently　through　the　casual

passions　of　those　who　went　before　us　and　are　now　forgotten；

causing　us；　as　the　Bible　says；　to　be　born　in　sin；　up　which　we

walk　wearily　we　know　not　why；　seeming　never　to　make　progress；　off

which　we　fall　outworn　we　know　not　when　or　whither。



Such　upon　the　surface　it　appears　to　be；　nor　in　fact　does　our

ascertained　knowledge；　as　Bickley　would　sum　it　up；　take　us　much

further。　No　prophet　has　yet　arisen　who　attempted　to　define　either

the　origin　or　the　reasons　of　life。　Even　the　very　Greatest　of　them

Himself　is　quite　silent　on　this　matter。　We　are　tempted　to　wonder

why。　Is　it　because　life　as　expressed　in　the　higher　of　human

beings；　is；　or　will　be　too　vast；　too　multiform　and　too　glorious

for　any　definition　which　we　could　understand？　Is　it　because　in

the　end　it　will　involve　for　some；　if　not　for　all；　majesty　on

unfathomed　majesty；　and　glory　upon　unimaginable　glory　such　as　at

present　far　outpass　the　limits　of　our　thought？



The　experiences　which　I　have　recorded　in　these　pages　awake　in

my　heart　a　hope　that　this　may　be　so。　Bastin　is　wont；　like　many

others；　to　talk　in　a　light　fashion　of　Eternity　without　in　the

least　comprehending　what　he　means　by　that　gigantic　term。　It　is

not　too　much　to　say　that　Eternity；　something　without　beginning

and　without　end；　and　involving；　it　would　appear；　an　everlasting

changelessness；　is　a　state　beyond　human　comprehension。　As　a

matter　of　fact　we　mortals　do　not　think　in　constellations；　so　to

speak；　or　in　aeons；　but　by　the　measures　of　our　own　small　earth　and

of　our　few　days　thereon。　We　cannot　really　conceive　of　an

existence　stretching　over　even　one　thousand　years；　such　as　that

which　Oro　claimed　and　the　Bible　accords　to　a　certain　early　race

of　men；　omitting　of　course　his　two　thousand　five　hundred

centuries　of　sleep。　And　yet　what　is　this　but　one　grain　in　the

hourglass　of　time；　one　day　in　the　lost　record　of　our　earth；　of

its　sisters　the　planets　and　its　father　the　sun；　to　say　nothing　of

the　universes　beyond？



It　is　because　I　have　come　in　touch　with　a　prolonged　though

perfectly　finite　existence　of　the　sort；　that　I　try　to　pass　on　the

reflections　which　the　fact　of　it　awoke　in　me。　There　are　other

reflections　connected　with　Yva　and　the　marvel　of　her　love　and　its

various　manifestations　which　arise　also。　But　these　I　keep　to

myself。　They　concern　the　wonder　of　woman's　heart；　which　is　a

microcosm　of　the　hopes　and　fears　and　desires　and　despairs　of　this

humanity　of　ours　whereof　from　age　to　age　she　is　the　mother。



HUMPHREY　ARBUTHNOT。





NOTE

By　J。　R。　Bickley；　M。R。C。S。





WITHIN　about　six　months　of　the　date　on　which　he　wrote　the　last

words　of　this　history　of　our　joint　adventures；　my　dear　friend；

Humphrey　Arbuthnot；　died　suddenly；　as　I　had　foreseen　that

probably　he　would　do；　from　the　results　of　the　injury　he　received

in　the　island　of　Orofena。



He　left　me　the　sole　executor　to　his　will；　under　which　he

divided　his　property　into　three　parts。　One　third　he　bequeathed　to

me；　one　third　（which　is　strictly　tied　up）　to　Bastin；　and　one

third　to　be　devoted；　under　my　direction；　to　the　advancement　of

Science。



His　end　appears　to　have　been　instantaneous；　resulting　from　an

effusion　of　blood　upon　the　brain。　When　I　was　summoned　I　found　him

lying　dead　by　the　writing　desk　in　his　library　at　Fulcombe　Priory。

He　had　been　writing　at　the　desk；　for　on　it　was　a　piece　of　paper

on　which　appear　these　words：　〃I　have　seen　her。　I〃　There　the

writing　ends；　not　stating　whom　he　thought　he　had　seen　in　the

moments　of　mental　disturbance　or　delusion　which　preceded　his

decease。



Save　for　certain　verbal　corrections；　I　publish　this　manuscript

without　comment　as　the　will　directs；　only　adding　that　it　sets　out

our　mutual　experiences　very　faithfully；　though　Arbuthnot's

deductions　from　them　are　not　always　my　own。



I　would　say　also　that　I　am　contemplating　another　visit　to　the

South　Sea　Islands；　where　I　wish　to　make　some　further

investigations。　I　dare　say；　however；　that　these　will　be　barren　of

results；　as　the　fountain　of　Life…water　is　buried　for　ever；　nor；

as　I　think；　will　any　human　being　stand　again　in　the　Hades…like

halls　of　Nyo。　It　is　probable　also　that　it　would　prove　impossible

to　rediscover　the　island　of　Orofena；　if　indeed　that　volcanic　land

still　remains　above　the　waters　of　the　deep。



Now　that　he　is　a　very　wealthy　man；　Bastin　talks　of　accompanying

me　for　purposes　quite　different　from　my　own；　but　on　the　whole　I

hope　he　will　abandon　this　idea。　I　may　add　that　when　he　learned　of

his　unexpected　inheritance　he　talked　much　of　the　〃deceitfulness

of　riches；〃　but　that　he　has　not　as　yet　taken　any　steps　to　escape

their　golden　snare。　Indeed　he　now　converses　of　his　added

〃opportunities　of　usefulness；〃　I　gather　in　connection　with

missionary　enterprise。





J。　R。　BICKLEY。





P。S。I　forgot　to　state　that　the　spaniel　Tommy　died　within

three　days　of　his　owner。　The　poor　little　beast　was　present　in　the

room　at　the　time　of　Arbuthnot's　passing　away；　and　when　found

seemed　to　be　suffering　from　shock。　From　that　moment　Tommy　refused

food　and　finally　was　discovered　quite　dead　and　lying　by　the　body

on　Marama's　feather　cloak；　which　Arbuthnot　often　used　as　a

dressing…gown。　As　Bastin　raised　some　religious　objections；　I

arranged　without　his　knowledge　that　the　dog's　ashes　should　rest

not　far　from　those　of　the　master　and　mistress　whom　it　loved　so

well。



J。R。B。











End