was but a kind of animated mummy inspired by one idea which I

felt quite sure would be disappointed, namely, to renew his



former greatness. To me he seemed as miserable a figure as one

could imagine, brooding and plotting in his illuminated cave, at



the end of an extended but misspent life.

Also I wondered what he, or rather his ego, had been doing



during all those two hundred and fifty thousand years of sleep.

Possibly if Yva's theory, as I understood it, were correct, he



had reincarnated as Attila, or Tamerlane, or Napoleon, or even as

Chaka the terrible Zulu king. At any rate there he was still in



the world, filled with the dread of death, but consumed now as

ever by his insatiable and most useless finite ambitions.



Yva, also! Her case was his, but yet how different. In all this

long night of Time she had but ripened into one of the sweetest



and most gentle women that ever the world bore. She, too, was

great in her way, it appeared in her every word and gesture, but



where was the ferocity of her father? Where his desire to reach

to splendour by treading on a blood-stained road paved with



broken human hearts? It did not exist. Her nature was different

although her body came of a long line of these power-loving



kings. Why this profound difference of the spirit? Like

everything else it was a mystery. The two were as far apart as



the Poles. Everyone must have hated Oro, from the beginning,

however much he feared him, but everyone who came in touch with



her must have loved Yva.

Here I may break into my personal narrative to say that this,



by their own confession, proved to be true of two such various

persons as Bastin and Bickley.



"The truth, which I am sure it would be wrong to hide from you,

Arbuthnot," said the former to me one day, "is that during your



long illness I fell in love, I suppose that is the right word,

with the Glittering Lady. After thinking the matter over also, I



conceived that it would be proper to tell her so if only to clear

the air and prevent future misunderstandings. As I remarked to



her on that occasion, I had hesitated long, as I was not certain

how she would fill the place of the wife of the incumbent of an



English parish."

"Mothers' Meetings, and the rest," I suggested.



"Exactly so, Arbuthnot. Also there were the views of the Bishop

to be considered, who might have objected to the introduction



into the diocese of a striking person who so recently had been a

heathen, and to one in such strong contrast to my late beloved



wife."

"I suppose you didn't consider the late Mrs. Bastin's views on



the subject of re-marriage. I remember that they were strong," I

remarked rather maliciously.



"No, I did not think it necessary, since the Scriptural

instructions on the matter are very clear, and in another world



no doubt all jealousies, even Sarah's, will be obliterated. Upon

that point my conscience was quite easy. So when I found that,



unlike her parent, the Lady Yva was much inclined to accept the

principles of the faith in which it is my privilege to instruct



her, I thought it proper to say to her that if ultimately she

made up her mind to do so--of course this was a sine qua non--I



should be much honoured, and as a man, not as a priest, it would

make me most happy if she would take me as a husband. Of course I



explained to her that I considered, under the circumstances, I

could quite lawfully perform the marriage ceremony myself with



you and Bickley as witnesses, even should Oro refuse to give her

away. Also I told her that although after her varied experiences



in the past, life at Fulcombe, if we could ever get there, might

be a little monotonous, still it would not be entirely devoid of



interest."

"You mean Christmas decorations and that sort of thing?"



"Yes, and choir treats and entertaining Deputations and

attending other Church activities."



"Well, and what did she say, Bastin?"

"Oh! she was most kind and flattering. Indeed that hour will

• whisper [´wispə] v.耳语 n.低语；沙沙声 (初中英语单词)


• reflection [ri´flekʃən] n.反射；映象；想法 (初中英语单词)


• undoubtedly [ʌn´dautidli] ad.无疑地，确实地 (初中英语单词)


• dislike [dis´laik] vt.&n.不喜爱，厌恶 (初中英语单词)


• alcohol [´ælkəhɔl] n.酒精；醇 (初中英语单词)


• occasionally [ə´keiʒənəli] ad.偶然地；非经常地 (初中英语单词)


• healthy [´helθi] a.健康的 (初中英语单词)


• frequent [´fri:kwənt] a.常见的，频繁的 (初中英语单词)


• illness [´ilnis] n.生病，不健康，疾病 (初中英语单词)


• mysterious [mi´stiəriəs] a.神秘的；难以理解的 (初中英语单词)


• moonlight [´mu:nlait] n.&a.月光(的) (初中英语单词)


• hooked [hukt] a.钩状的；上瘾的 (初中英语单词)


• height [hait] n.高度；顶点；卓越 (初中英语单词)


• endure [in´djuə] vt.忍耐，忍受；坚持 (初中英语单词)


• destruction [di´strʌkʃən] n.破坏，毁灭 (初中英语单词)


• ambition [æm´biʃən] n.雄心，野心；企图 (初中英语单词)


• glorious [´glɔ:riəs] a.光荣的；辉煌的 (初中英语单词)


• statue [´stætʃu:] n.塑像，雕像 (初中英语单词)


• humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)


• confess [kən´fes] vt.供认；坦白；承认 (初中英语单词)


• beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)


• attendant [ə´tendənt] n.随员 a.伴随的 (初中英语单词)


• eternal [i´tə:nəl] a.永远的；永恒的 (初中英语单词)


• insect [´insekt] n.昆虫 (初中英语单词)


• dissolve [di´zɔlv] v.(使)溶解；解除 (初中英语单词)


• reform [ri´fɔ:m] v.&n.改革；改良；革除 (初中英语单词)


• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)


• otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)


• perfume [´pə:fju:m, pə´fju:m] n.香味 vt.使发香 (初中英语单词)


• intelligence [in´telidʒəns] n.智力；消息 (初中英语单词)


• ambitious [æm´biʃəs] a.有雄心的；热望的 (初中英语单词)


• literature [´litərətʃə] n.文学；文献；著作 (初中英语单词)


• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)


• pointed [´pɔintid] a.尖(锐)的；中肯的 (初中英语单词)


• comparison [kəm´pærisən] n.比较；对照；比喻 (初中英语单词)


• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)


• feeble [´fi:bəl] a.虚弱的，无力的 (初中英语单词)


• strongly [´strɔŋli] ad.强烈地；强有力地 (初中英语单词)


• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)


• miserable [´mizərəbəl] a.悲惨的；可怜的 (初中英语单词)


• useless [´ju:sləs] a.无用的，无价值的 (初中英语单词)


• gesture [´dʒestʃə] n.手势 v.打手势 (初中英语单词)


• mystery [´mistəri] n.神秘；秘密；故弄玄虚 (初中英语单词)


• everyone [´evriwʌn] pron.=everybody 每人 (初中英语单词)


• striking [´straikiŋ] a.显著的，明显的 (初中英语单词)


• contrast [´kɔntrɑ:st] n.对比 v.使对比(照) (初中英语单词)


• conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)


• privilege [´privilidʒ] n.特权 vt.给….特权 (初中英语单词)


• priest [pri:st] n.教士；牧师；神父 (初中英语单词)


• ceremony [´seriməni] n.典礼；礼仪；客气 (初中英语单词)


• hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)


• ingenious [in´dʒi:niəs] a.富于创新的；巧妙的 (高中英语单词)


• majestic [mə´dʒestik] a.雄伟的；崇高的 (高中英语单词)


• classic [´klæsik] a.第一流的 n.杰作 (高中英语单词)


• mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)


• amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)


• solitary [´sɔlitəri] a.独居的；孤独的 (高中英语单词)


• studied [´stʌdid] a.故意的；有计划的 (高中英语单词)


• greatness [´greitnis] n.巨大；高尚；卓越 (高中英语单词)


• dominion [də´miniən] n.主权；统治权；领地 (高中英语单词)


• therein [ðeə´rin] ad.在那里，在其中 (高中英语单词)


• notwithstanding [,nɔtwiθ´stændiŋ] prep.&conj.虽然；还是 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• intellectual [,inti´lektʃuəl] n.知识分子 (高中英语单词)


• gigantic [dʒai´gæntik] a.巨大的 (高中英语单词)


• namely [´neimli] ad.即，也就是 (高中英语单词)


• napoleon [nə´pəuljən] n.拿破仑 (高中英语单词)


• profound [prə´faund] a.深奥的；渊博的 (高中英语单词)


• narrative [´nærətiv] a.叙述的 n.记事 (高中英语单词)


• confession [kən´feʃən] n.招供；认错；交待 (高中英语单词)


• flattering [´flætəriŋ] a.谄媚的；奉承的 (高中英语单词)


• contrivance [kən´traivəns] n.发明，设计(的才能) (英语四级单词)


• warning [´wɔ:niŋ] n.警告；前兆 a.预告的 (英语四级单词)


• grandeur [´grændʒə] n.伟大；富丽；壮观 (英语四级单词)


• sundry [´sʌndri] a.各式各样的，各式的 (英语四级单词)


• whence [wens] ad.从何处；从那里 (英语四级单词)


• perchance [pə´tʃɑ:ns] ad.偶然；可能 (英语四级单词)


• futile [´fju:tail] a.无用的，无益的 (英语四级单词)


• ultimately [´ʌltimitli] ad.最后，最终 (英语四级单词)


• varied [´veərid] a.各种各样的 (英语四级单词)


• monotonous [mə´nɔtənəs] a.单(音)调的 (英语四级单词)


• starlight [´stɑ:lait] n.星光 (英语六级单词)


• godlike [´gɔdlaik] a.神似的 (英语六级单词)


• oblivion [ə´bliviən] n.(被)忘却；漠视 (英语六级单词)


• shapeless [´ʃeiplis] a.无定形的；不成样的 (英语六级单词)


• beauteous [´bju:tiəs] a.美的，美丽的 (英语六级单词)


• piercing [´piəsiŋ] a.刺(贯)穿的；尖刻的 (英语六级单词)


• animated [´ænimeitid] a.栩栩如生的；活跃的 (英语六级单词)


• extended [iks´tendid] a.伸长的；广大的 (英语六级单词)


• ferocity [fə´rɔsiti] n.凶残，凶猛，暴行 (英语六级单词)


• devoid [di´vɔid] a.无…的，缺…的 (英语六级单词)