the ivory child-第17章

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Quatermain；　this　would　never　have　happened。　Listen：　About　eighteen

months　ago　she　had　a　son；　a　very　beautiful　child。　She　recovered　well

from　the　business　and　we　were　as　happy　as　two　mortals　could　be；　for　we

loved　each　other；　Quatermain；　and　God　has　blessed　us　in　every　way；　we

were　so　happy　that　I　remember　her　telling　me　that　our　great　good

fortune　made　her　feel　afraid。　One　day　last　September　when　I　was　out

shooting；　she　drove　in　a　little　pony　cart　we　had；　with　the　nurse；　and

the　child　but　no　man；　to　call　on　Mrs。　Scroope　who　also　had　been

recently　confined。　She　often　went　out　thus；　for　the　pony　was　an　old

animal　and　quiet　as　a　sheep。



〃By　some　cursed　trick　of　fate　it　chanced　that　when　they　were　passing

through　the　little　town　which　you　may　remember　near　Ragnall；　they　met

a　travelling　menagerie　that　was　going　to　some　new　encampment。　At　the

head　of　the　procession　marched　a　large　bull　elephant；　which　I

discovered　afterwards　was　an　ill…tempered　brute　that　had　already

killed　a　man　and　should　never　have　been　allowed　upon　the　roads。　The

sight　of　the　pony　cart；　or　perhaps　a　red　cloak　which　my　wife　was

wearing；　as　she　always　liked　bright　colours；　for　some　unknown　reason

seems　to　have　infuriated　this　beast；　which　trumpeted。　The　pony

becoming　frightened　wheeled　round　and　overturned　the　cart　right　in

front　of　the　animal；　but　apparently　without　hurting　anybody。　Then〃

here　he　paused　a　moment　and　with　an　effort　continued〃that　devil　in

beast's　shape　cocked　its　ears；　stretched　out　its　long　trunk；　dragged

the　baby　from　the　nurse's　arms；　whirled　it　round　and　threw　it　high

into　the　air；　to　fall　crushed　upon　the　kerb。　It　sniffed　at　the　body　of

the　child；　feeling　it　over　with　the　tip　of　its　trunk；　as　though　to

make　sure　that　it　was　dead。　Next；　once　more　it　trumpeted　triumphantly；

and　without　attempting　to　harm　my　wife　or　anybody　else；　walked　quietly

past　the　broken　cart　and　continued　its　journey；　until　outside　the　town

it　was　made　fast　and　shot。〃



〃What　an　awful　story！〃　I　said　with　a　gasp。



〃Yes；　but　there　is　worse　to　follow。　My　poor　wife　went　off　her　head；

with　the　shock　I　suppose；　for　no　physical　injury　could　be　found　upon

her。　She　did　not　suffer　in　health　or　become　violent；　quite　the　reverse

indeed　for　her　gentleness　increased。　She　just　went　off　her　head。　For

hours　at　a　time　she　would　sit　silent　and　smiling；　playing　with　the

stones　of　that　red　necklace　which　those　conjurers　gave　her；　or　rather

counting　them；　as　a　nun　might　do　with　the　beads　of　her　rosary。　At

times；　however；　she　would　talk；　but　always　to　the　baby；　as　though　it

lay　before　her　or　she　were　nursing　it。　Oh！　Quatermain；　it　was　pitiful；

pitiful！



〃I　did　everything　I　could。　She　was　seen　by　three　of　the　greatest

brain…doctors　in　England；　but　none　of　them　was　able　to　help。　The　only

hope　they　gave　was　that　the　fit　might　pass　off　as　suddenly　as　it　had

come。　They　said　too　that　a　thorough　change　of　scene　would　perhaps　be

beneficial；　and　suggested　Egypt；　that　was　in　October。　I　did　not　take

much　to　the　idea；　I　don't　know　why；　and　personally　should　not　have

acceded　to　it　had　it　not　been　for　a　curious　circumstance。　The　last

consultation　took　place　in　the　big　drawing…room　at　Ragnall。　When　it

was　over　my　wife　remained　with　her　mother　at　one　end　of　the　room　while

I　and　the　doctors　talked　together　at　the　other；　as　I　thought　quite　out

of　her　earshot。　Presently；　however；　she　called　to　me；　saying　in　a

perfectly　clear　and　natural　voice：



〃'Yes；　George；　I　will　go　to　Egypt。　I　should　like　to　go　to　Egypt。'　Then

she　went　on　playing　with　the　necklace　and　talking　to　the　imaginary

child。



〃Again　on　the　following　morning　as　I　came　into　her　room　to　kiss　her；

she　exclaimed；



〃'When　do　we　start　for　Egypt？　Let　it　be　soon。'



〃With　these　sayings　the　doctors　were　very　pleased；　declaring　that　they

showed　signs　of　a　returning　interest　in　life　and　begging　me　not　to

thwart　her　wish。



〃So　I　gave　way　and　in　the　end　we　went　to　Egypt　together　with　Lady

Longden；　who　insisted　upon　accompanying　us　although　she　is　a　wretched

sailor。　At　Cairo　a　large　dahabeeyah　that　I　had　hired　in　advance；

manned　by　an　excellent　crew　and　a　guard　of　four　soldiers；　was　awaiting

us。　In　it　we　started　up　the　Nile。　For　a　month　or　more　all　went　well；

also　to　my　delight　my　wife　seemed　now　and　again　to　show　signs　of

returning　intelligence。　Thus　she　took　some　interest　in　the　sculptures

on　the　walls　of　the　temples；　about　which　she　had　been　very　fond　of

reading　when　in　health。　I　remember　that　only　a　few　days　before　the

the　catastrophe；　she　pointed　out　one　of　them　to　me；　it　was　of　Isis　and

the　infant　Horus；　saying；　'Look；　George；　the　holy　Mother　and　the　holy

Child；'　and　then　bowed　to　it　reverently　as　she　might　have　done　to　an

altar。　At　length　after　passing　the　First　Cataract　and　the　Island　of

Phil？　we　came　to　the　temple　of　Abu　Simbel；　opposite　to　which　our　boat

was　moored。　On　the　following　morning　we　explored　the　temple　at

daybreak　and　saw　the　sun　strike　upon　the　four　statues　which　sit　at　its

farther　end；　spending　the　rest　of　that　day　studying　the　colossal

figures　of　Rameses　that　are　carved　upon　its　face　and　watching　some

cavalcades　of　Arabs　mounted　upon　camels　travelling　along　the　banks　of

the　Nile。



〃My　wife　was　unusually　quiet　that　afternoon。　For　hour　after　hour　she

sat　still　upon　the　deck；　gazing　first　at　the　mouth　of　the　rock…hewn

temple　and　the　mighty　figures　which　guard　it　and　then　at　the

surrounding　desert。　Only　once　did　I　hear　her　speak　and　then　she　said；

'Beautiful；　beautiful！　Now　I　am　at　home。'　We　dined　and　as　there　was　no

moon；　went　to　bed　rather　early　after　listening　to　the　Sudanese　singers

as　they　sang　one　of　their　weird　chanties。



〃My　wife　and　her　mother　slept　together　in　the　state　cabin　of　the

dahabeeyah；　which　was　at　the　stern　of　the　boat。　My　cabin；　a　small　one；

was　on　one　side　of　this；　and　that　of　the　trained　nurse　on　the　other。

The　crew　and　the　guard　were　forward　of　the　saloon。　A　gangway　was　fixed

from　the　side　to　the　shore　and　over　it　a　sentry　stood；　or　was　supposed

to　stand。　During　the　night　a　Khamsin　wind　began　to　blow；　though

lightly　as　was　to　be　expected　at　this　season　of　the　year。　I　did　not

hear　it　for；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　I　slept　very　soundly；　as　it　appears

did　everyone　else　upon　the　dahabeeyah；　including　the　sentry　as　I

suspect。



〃The　first　thing　I　remember　was　the　appearance　of　Lady　Longden　just　at

daybreak　at　the　doorway　of　my　cabin　and　the　frightened　sound　of　her

voice　asking　if　Luna；　that　is　my　wife；　was　with　me。　Then　it　transpired

that　she　had　left　her　cabin　clad　in　a　fur　cloak；　evidently　some　time

before；　as　the　bed　in　which　she　had　been　lying　was　quite　cold。

Quatermain；　we　searched　everywhere；　we　searched　for　four　days；　but

from　that　hour　to　this　no　trace　whatever　of　her　has　been　found。〃



〃Have　you　any　theory？〃　I　asked。



〃Yes；　or　at　least　all　the　experts　whom　we　consulted　have　a　theory。　It

is　that　she　slipped　down　the　saloon　in　the　dark；　gained　the　deck　and

thence　fell　or　threw　herself　into　the　Nile；　which　of　course　would　have

carried　her　body　away。　As　you　may　have　heard；　the　Nile　is　full　of

bodies。　I　myself　saw　two　of　them　during　that　journey。　The　Egyptian

police　and　others　were　so　convinced　that　this　was　what　had　happened

that；　notwithstanding　the　reward　of　a　thousand　pounds　which　I　offered

for　any　valuable　information；　they　could　scarcely　be　persuaded　to

continue　the　search。〃



〃You　said　that　a　wind　was　blowing　and　I　understand　that　the　shores　are

sandy；　so　I　suppose　that　all　footprints　would　have　been　filled　in？〃



He　nodded　and　I　went　on。　〃What　is　your　own　belief？　Do　you　think　she

was　drowned？〃



He　countered　my　query　with　another　of：



〃What　do　/you/　think？〃



〃I？　Oh！　although　I　have　no　right　to　say　so；　I　don't　think　at　all。　I　am

quite　sure　that　she　was　/not/　drowned；　that　she　is　living　at　this

moment。〃



〃Where？〃



〃As　to　that　you　had　better　inquire　of　our　friends；　Har？t　and　Mar？t；〃　I

answered　dryly。



〃What　have　you　to　go　on；　Quatermain？　There　is　no　clue。〃



〃On　the　contrary　I　hold　that　there　are　a　good　many　clues。　The　whole

English　part　of　the　story　in　which　we　were　concerned；　and　the　threats

those　mysterious　persons　uttered　are　the　first　and　greatest　of　these

clues。　The　second　is　the　fact　that　your　hiring　of　the　dahabeeyah

regardless　of　expense　was　known　a　long　time　before　your　arrival　in

Egypt；　for　I　suppose　you　did　so　in　your　own　name；　which　is　not　exactly

that　of　Smith　or　Brown。　The　third　is　your　wife's　sleep…walking

propensities；　which　would　have　made　it　quite　easy　for　her　to　be　drawn

ashore　under　some　kind　of　mesmeric　influence。　The　fourth　is　that　you

had　seen　Arabs　mounted　on　camels　upon　the　banks　of　the　Nile。　The　fifth

is　the　heavy　sleep　you　say　held　everybody　on　board　that　particular

night；　which　suggests　to　me　that　your　food　may　have　been　drugged。　The

sixth　is　the　apathy　displayed　by　those　employed　in　the　search；　which

suggests　to　me　that　some　person　or　persons　in　authority　may　have　been

bribed；　as　is　common　in　the　East；　or　perhaps　frightened　with　threats

of　bewitchment。　The　seventh　is　that　a　night　was　chosen　when　a　wind

blew　which　would　obliterate　all　spoor　whether　of　men　or　of　swiftly

travelling　camels。　These　are　enough　to　begin　with；　though　doubtless　if

I　had　time　to　think　I　could　find　others。　You　must　remember　too　that

although　the　journey　would　be　long；　this　country　of　the　Kendah　can

doubtless　be　reached　from　the　Sudan　by　those　who　know　the　road；　as

well　as　from　southern　or　eastern　Africa。〃



〃Then　you　think　that　my　wife　has　been　kidnapped　by　those　villains；

Har？t　and　Mar？t？〃



〃Of　course；　though　villains　is　a　strong　term　to　apply　to　them。　They

might　be　quite　honest　men　according　to　their　peculiar　lights；　as

indeed　I　expect　they　are。　Remember　that　they　serve　a　god　or　a　fetish；

or　rather；　as　they　believe；　a　god　/in/　a　fetish；　who　to　them　doubtless

is　a　very　terrible　master；　especially　when；　as　I　understand；　that　god

is　threatened　by　a　rival　god。〃



〃Why　do　you　say　that；　Quatermain？〃



By　way　of　answer　I　repeated　to　him　the　story　which　Hans　said　he　had

heard　from　the　old　woman　at　Beza；　the　town　of　the　Mazitu。　Lord　Ragnall

listened　with　the　deepest　interest；　then　said　in　an　agitated　voice：



〃That　is　a　very　strange　tale；　but　has　it　struck　you；　Quatermain；　that

if　your　suppositions　are　correct；　one　of　the　most　terrible

circumstances　connected　with　my　case　is　that　our　child　should　have

chanced　to　come　to　its　dreadful　death　through　the　wickedness　of　an

elephant？〃



〃That　curious　coincidence　has　struck　me　most　forcibly；　Lord　Ragnall。

At　the　same　time　I　do　not　see　how　it　can　be　set　down　as　more　than　a

coincidence；　since　the　elephant　which　slaughtered　your　child　was

certainly　not　that　called　Jana。　To　suppose　because　there　is　a　war

between　an　elephant…god　and　a　child…god　somewhere　in　the　heart　of

Africa；　that　therefore　another　elephant　can　be　so　influenc