章节正文
mysterious language, and call to me as bird calls to bird. I
knew that she was inviting me to follow her, but I refused to
move.
"Rima," I cried again, "come to me here, for I know not where to
step, and cannot move until you are at my side and I can feel
your hand."
There came no response, and after some moments, becoming alarmed,
I called to her again.
Then close by me, in a low, trembling voice, she returned: "I am
here."
I put out my hand and touched something soft and wet; it was her
breast, and moving my hand higher up, I felt her hair, hanging
now and streaming with water. She was trembling, and I thought
the rain had chilled her.
"Rime--poor child! How wet you are! How strange to meet you in
such a place! Tell me, dear Rima, how did you find me?"
"I was waiting--watching--all day. I saw you coming across the
savannah, and followed at a distance through the wood."
"And I had treated you so unkindly! Ah, my guardian angel, my
light in the darkness, how I hate myself for giving you pain!
Tell me, sweet, did you wish me to come back and live with you
again?" She made no reply. Then, running my fingers down her
arm, I took her hand in mine. It was hot, like the hand of one
in a fever. I raised it to my lips and then attempted to draw
her to me, but she slipped down and out of my arms to my feet. I
felt her there, on her knees, with head bowed low. Stooping and
putting my arm round her body, I drew her up and held her against
my breast, and felt her heart throbbing wildly. With many
endearing words I begged her to speak to me; but her only reply
was: "Come--come," as she slipped again out of my arms and,
holding my hand in hers, guided me through the bushes.
Before long we came to an open path or glade, where the darkness
was not profound; and releasing my hand, she began walking
rapidly before me, always keeping at such a distance as just
enabled me to distinguish her grey, shadowy figure, and with
frequent doublings to follow the natural paths and openings which
she knew so well. In this way we kept on nearly to the end,
without exchanging a word, and hearing no sound except the
continuous rush of rain, which to our accustomed ears had ceased
to have the effect of sound, and the various gurgling noises of
innumerable runners. All at once, as we came to a more open
place, a strip of bright firelight appeared before us, shining
from the half-open door of Nuflo's lodge. She turned round as
much as to say: "Now you know where you are," then hurried on,
leaving me to follow as best I could.
CHAPTER XI
There was a welcome change in the weather when I rose early next
morning; the sky was without cloud and had that purity in its
colour and look of infinite distance seen only when the
atmosphere is free from vapour. The sun had not yet risen, but
old Nuflo was already among the ashes, on his hands and knees,
blowing the embers he had uncovered to a flame.Then Rima appeared
only to pass through the room with quick light tread to go out of
the door without a word or even a glance at my face. The old
man, after watching at the door for a few minutes, turned and
began eagerly questioning me about my adventures on the previous
evening. In reply I related to him how the girl had found me in
the forest lost and unable to extricate myself from the tangled
undergrowth.
He rubbed his hands on his knees and chuckled. "Happy for you,
senor," he said, "that my granddaughter regards you with such
friendly eyes, otherwise you might have perished before morning.
Once she was at your side, no light, whether of sun or moon or
lantern, was needed, nor that small instrument which is said to
guide a man aright in the desert, even in the darkest night--let
him that can believe such a thing!"
"Yes, happy for me," I returned. "I am filled with remorse that
it was all through my fault that the poor child was exposed to
such weather."
"O senor," he cried airily, "let not that distress you! Rain and
wind and hot suns, from which we seek shelter, do not harm her.
She takes no cold, and no fever, with or without ague."
After some further conversation I left him to steal away
unobserved on his own account, and set out for a ramble in the
hope of encountering Rima and winning her to talk to me.
My quest did not succeed: not a glimpse of her delicateshadowy
form did I catch among the trees; and not one note from her
melodious lips came to gladden me. At noon I returned to the
house, where I found food placed ready for me, and knew that she
had come there during my absence and had not been forgetful of my
wants. "Shall I thank you for this?" I said. "I ask you for
heavenly nectar for the sustentation of the higher winged nature
in me, and you give me a boiled sweet potato, toasted strips of
sun-dried pumpkins, and a handful of parched maize! Rima! Rima!
my woodland fairy, my sweet saviour, why do you yet fear me? Is
it that love struggles in you with repugnance? Can you discern
with clear spiritual eyes the grosser elements in me, and hate
them; or has some false imagination made me appear all dark and
evil, but too late for your peace, after the sweet sickness of
love has infected you?"
But she was not there to answer me, and so after a time I went
forth again and seated myself listlessly on the root of an old
tree not far from the house. I had sat there a full hour when
all at once Rima appeared at my side. Bending forward, she
touched my hand, but without glancing at my face; "Come with me,"
she said, and turning, moved swiftly towards the northern
extremity of the forest. She seemed to take it for granted that
I would follow, never casting a look behind nor pausing in her
rapid walk; but I was only too glad to obey and, starting up, was
quickly after her. She led me by easy ways, familiar to her,
with many doublings to escape the undergrowth, never speaking or
pausing until we came out from the thick forest, and I found
myself for the first time at the foot of the great hill or
mountain Ytaioa. Glancing back for a few moments, she waved a
hand towards the summit, and then at once began the ascent. Here
too it seemed all familiar ground to her. From below, the sides
had presented an exceedinglyrugged appearance--a wild confusion
of huge jagged rocks, mixed with a tangled vegetation of trees,
bushes, and vines; but following her in all her doublings, it
became easy enough, although it fatigued me greatly owing to our
rapid pace. The hill was conical, but I found that it had a flat
top--an oblong or pear-shaped area, almost level, of a soft,
crumbly sandstone, with a few blocks and boulders of a harder
stone scattered about--and no vegetation, except the grey
mountain lichen and a few sere-looking dwarf shrubs.
Here Rima, at a distance of a few yards from me, remained
standing still for some minutes, as if to give me time to recover
my breath; and I was right glad to sit down on a stone to rest.
Finally she walked slowly to the centre of the level area, which
was about two acres in extent; rising, I followed her and,
climbing on to a huge block of stone, began gazing at the wide
prospect spread out before me. The day was windless and bright,
with only a few white clouds floating at a great height above and
casting travelling shadows over that wild, broken country, where
forest, marsh, and savannah were only distinguishable by their
different colours, like the greys and greens and yellows on a
map. At a great distance the circle of the horizon was broken
here and there by mountains, but the hills in our neighbourhood
were all beneath our feet.
After gazing all round for some minutes, I jumped down from my
stand and, leaning against the stone, stood watching the girl,
waiting for her to speak. I felt convinced that she had
something of the very highest importance (to herself) to
communicate, and that only the pressing need of a confidant, not
Nuflo, had overcome her shyness of me; and I determined to let
her take her own time to say it in her own way. For a while she
continued silent, her face averted, but her little movements and
the way she clasped and unclasped her fingers showed that she was
anxious and her mind working. Suddenly, half turning to me, she
began speakingeagerly and rapidly.
"Do you see," she said, waving her hand to indicate the whole
circuit of earth, "how large it is? Look!" pointing now to
mountains in the west. "Those are the Vahanas--one, two,
three--the highest--I can tell you their names--Vahana-Chara,
Chumi, Aranoa. Do you see that water? It is a river, called
Guaypero. From the hills it comes down, Inaruna is their name,
and you can see them there in the south--far, far." And in this
way she went on pointing out and naming all the mountains and
rivers within sight. Then she suddenly dropped her hands to her
sides and continued: "That is all. Because we can see no
further. But the world is larger than that! Other mountains,
other rivers. Have I not told you of Voa, on the River Voa,
where I was born, where mother died, where the priest taught me,
years, years ago? All that you cannot see, it is so far away--so
far."
I did not laugh at her simplicity, nor did I smile or feel any
inclination to smile. On the contrary, I only experienced a
sympathy so keen that it was like pain while watching her clouded
face, so changeful in its expression, yet in all changes so
wistful. I could not yet form any idea as to what she wished to
communicate or to discover, but seeing that she paused for a
reply, I answered: "The world is so large, Rima, that we can only
see a very small portion of it from any one spot. Look at this,"
and with a stick I had used to aid me in my ascent I traced a
circle six or seven inches in circumference on the soft stone,
and in its centre placed a small pebble. "This represents the
mountain we are standing on," I continued, touching the pebble;
"and this line encircling it encloses all of the earth we can see
from the mountain-top. Do you understand?--the line I have
traced is the blue line of the horizon beyond which we cannot
see. And outside of this little circle is all the flat top of
Ytaioa representing the world. Consider, then, how small a
portion of the world we can see from this spot!"
"And do you know it all?" she returned excitedly. "All the
world?" waving her hand to indicate the little stone plain.
"All the mountains, and rivers, and forests--all the people in
the world?"
"That would be impossible, Rima; consider how large it is."
"That does not matter. Come, let us go together--we two and
grandfather--and see all the world; all the mountains and
forests, and know all the people."
"You do not know what you are saying, Rima. You might as well
say: 'Come, let us go to the sun and find out everything in it.'"
"It is you who do not know what you are saying," she retorted,
with brightening eyes which for a moment glanced full into mine.
"We have no wings like birds to fly to the sun. Am I not able to
walk on the earth, and run? Can I not swim? Can I not climb
every mountain?"
"No, you cannot. You imagine that all the earth is like this
little portion you see. But it is not all the same. There are
great rivers which you cannot cross by swimming; mountains you
cannot climb; forests you cannot penetrate--dark, and inhabited
by dangerous beasts, and so vast that all this space your eyes
look on is a mere speck of earth in comparison."
She listened excitedly. "Oh, do you know all that?" she cried,
with a strangely brightening look; and then half turning from me,
she added, with sudden petulance: "Yet only a minute ago you knew
nothing of the world--because it is so large! Is anything to be
gained by speaking to one who says such contrary things?"
I explained that I had not contradicted myself, that she had not
rightly interpreted my words. I knew, I said, something about
knew that she was inviting me to follow her, but I refused to
move.
"Rima," I cried again, "come to me here, for I know not where to
step, and cannot move until you are at my side and I can feel
your hand."
There came no response, and after some moments, becoming alarmed,
I called to her again.
Then close by me, in a low, trembling voice, she returned: "I am
here."
I put out my hand and touched something soft and wet; it was her
breast, and moving my hand higher up, I felt her hair, hanging
now and streaming with water. She was trembling, and I thought
the rain had chilled her.
"Rime--poor child! How wet you are! How strange to meet you in
such a place! Tell me, dear Rima, how did you find me?"
"I was waiting--watching--all day. I saw you coming across the
savannah, and followed at a distance through the wood."
"And I had treated you so unkindly! Ah, my guardian angel, my
light in the darkness, how I hate myself for giving you pain!
Tell me, sweet, did you wish me to come back and live with you
again?" She made no reply. Then, running my fingers down her
arm, I took her hand in mine. It was hot, like the hand of one
in a fever. I raised it to my lips and then attempted to draw
her to me, but she slipped down and out of my arms to my feet. I
felt her there, on her knees, with head bowed low. Stooping and
putting my arm round her body, I drew her up and held her against
my breast, and felt her heart throbbing wildly. With many
endearing words I begged her to speak to me; but her only reply
was: "Come--come," as she slipped again out of my arms and,
holding my hand in hers, guided me through the bushes.
Before long we came to an open path or glade, where the darkness
was not profound; and releasing my hand, she began walking
rapidly before me, always keeping at such a distance as just
enabled me to distinguish her grey, shadowy figure, and with
frequent doublings to follow the natural paths and openings which
she knew so well. In this way we kept on nearly to the end,
without exchanging a word, and hearing no sound except the
continuous rush of rain, which to our accustomed ears had ceased
to have the effect of sound, and the various gurgling noises of
innumerable runners. All at once, as we came to a more open
place, a strip of bright firelight appeared before us, shining
from the half-open door of Nuflo's lodge. She turned round as
much as to say: "Now you know where you are," then hurried on,
leaving me to follow as best I could.
CHAPTER XI
There was a welcome change in the weather when I rose early next
morning; the sky was without cloud and had that purity in its
colour and look of infinite distance seen only when the
atmosphere is free from vapour. The sun had not yet risen, but
old Nuflo was already among the ashes, on his hands and knees,
blowing the embers he had uncovered to a flame.Then Rima appeared
only to pass through the room with quick light tread to go out of
the door without a word or even a glance at my face. The old
man, after watching at the door for a few minutes, turned and
began eagerly questioning me about my adventures on the previous
evening. In reply I related to him how the girl had found me in
the forest lost and unable to extricate myself from the tangled
undergrowth.
He rubbed his hands on his knees and chuckled. "Happy for you,
senor," he said, "that my granddaughter regards you with such
friendly eyes, otherwise you might have perished before morning.
Once she was at your side, no light, whether of sun or moon or
lantern, was needed, nor that small instrument which is said to
guide a man aright in the desert, even in the darkest night--let
him that can believe such a thing!"
"Yes, happy for me," I returned. "I am filled with remorse that
it was all through my fault that the poor child was exposed to
such weather."
"O senor," he cried airily, "let not that distress you! Rain and
wind and hot suns, from which we seek shelter, do not harm her.
She takes no cold, and no fever, with or without ague."
After some further conversation I left him to steal away
unobserved on his own account, and set out for a ramble in the
hope of encountering Rima and winning her to talk to me.
My quest did not succeed: not a glimpse of her delicateshadowy
form did I catch among the trees; and not one note from her
melodious lips came to gladden me. At noon I returned to the
house, where I found food placed ready for me, and knew that she
had come there during my absence and had not been forgetful of my
wants. "Shall I thank you for this?" I said. "I ask you for
heavenly nectar for the sustentation of the higher winged nature
in me, and you give me a boiled sweet potato, toasted strips of
sun-dried pumpkins, and a handful of parched maize! Rima! Rima!
my woodland fairy, my sweet saviour, why do you yet fear me? Is
it that love struggles in you with repugnance? Can you discern
with clear spiritual eyes the grosser elements in me, and hate
them; or has some false imagination made me appear all dark and
evil, but too late for your peace, after the sweet sickness of
love has infected you?"
But she was not there to answer me, and so after a time I went
forth again and seated myself listlessly on the root of an old
tree not far from the house. I had sat there a full hour when
all at once Rima appeared at my side. Bending forward, she
touched my hand, but without glancing at my face; "Come with me,"
she said, and turning, moved swiftly towards the northern
extremity of the forest. She seemed to take it for granted that
I would follow, never casting a look behind nor pausing in her
rapid walk; but I was only too glad to obey and, starting up, was
quickly after her. She led me by easy ways, familiar to her,
with many doublings to escape the undergrowth, never speaking or
pausing until we came out from the thick forest, and I found
myself for the first time at the foot of the great hill or
mountain Ytaioa. Glancing back for a few moments, she waved a
hand towards the summit, and then at once began the ascent. Here
too it seemed all familiar ground to her. From below, the sides
had presented an exceedinglyrugged appearance--a wild confusion
of huge jagged rocks, mixed with a tangled vegetation of trees,
bushes, and vines; but following her in all her doublings, it
became easy enough, although it fatigued me greatly owing to our
rapid pace. The hill was conical, but I found that it had a flat
top--an oblong or pear-shaped area, almost level, of a soft,
crumbly sandstone, with a few blocks and boulders of a harder
stone scattered about--and no vegetation, except the grey
mountain lichen and a few sere-looking dwarf shrubs.
Here Rima, at a distance of a few yards from me, remained
standing still for some minutes, as if to give me time to recover
my breath; and I was right glad to sit down on a stone to rest.
Finally she walked slowly to the centre of the level area, which
was about two acres in extent; rising, I followed her and,
climbing on to a huge block of stone, began gazing at the wide
prospect spread out before me. The day was windless and bright,
with only a few white clouds floating at a great height above and
casting travelling shadows over that wild, broken country, where
forest, marsh, and savannah were only distinguishable by their
different colours, like the greys and greens and yellows on a
map. At a great distance the circle of the horizon was broken
here and there by mountains, but the hills in our neighbourhood
were all beneath our feet.
After gazing all round for some minutes, I jumped down from my
stand and, leaning against the stone, stood watching the girl,
waiting for her to speak. I felt convinced that she had
something of the very highest importance (to herself) to
communicate, and that only the pressing need of a confidant, not
Nuflo, had overcome her shyness of me; and I determined to let
her take her own time to say it in her own way. For a while she
continued silent, her face averted, but her little movements and
the way she clasped and unclasped her fingers showed that she was
anxious and her mind working. Suddenly, half turning to me, she
began speakingeagerly and rapidly.
"Do you see," she said, waving her hand to indicate the whole
circuit of earth, "how large it is? Look!" pointing now to
mountains in the west. "Those are the Vahanas--one, two,
three--the highest--I can tell you their names--Vahana-Chara,
Chumi, Aranoa. Do you see that water? It is a river, called
Guaypero. From the hills it comes down, Inaruna is their name,
and you can see them there in the south--far, far." And in this
way she went on pointing out and naming all the mountains and
rivers within sight. Then she suddenly dropped her hands to her
sides and continued: "That is all. Because we can see no
further. But the world is larger than that! Other mountains,
other rivers. Have I not told you of Voa, on the River Voa,
where I was born, where mother died, where the priest taught me,
years, years ago? All that you cannot see, it is so far away--so
far."
I did not laugh at her simplicity, nor did I smile or feel any
inclination to smile. On the contrary, I only experienced a
sympathy so keen that it was like pain while watching her clouded
face, so changeful in its expression, yet in all changes so
wistful. I could not yet form any idea as to what she wished to
communicate or to discover, but seeing that she paused for a
reply, I answered: "The world is so large, Rima, that we can only
see a very small portion of it from any one spot. Look at this,"
and with a stick I had used to aid me in my ascent I traced a
circle six or seven inches in circumference on the soft stone,
and in its centre placed a small pebble. "This represents the
mountain we are standing on," I continued, touching the pebble;
"and this line encircling it encloses all of the earth we can see
from the mountain-top. Do you understand?--the line I have
traced is the blue line of the horizon beyond which we cannot
see. And outside of this little circle is all the flat top of
Ytaioa representing the world. Consider, then, how small a
portion of the world we can see from this spot!"
"And do you know it all?" she returned excitedly. "All the
world?" waving her hand to indicate the little stone plain.
"All the mountains, and rivers, and forests--all the people in
the world?"
"That would be impossible, Rima; consider how large it is."
"That does not matter. Come, let us go together--we two and
grandfather--and see all the world; all the mountains and
forests, and know all the people."
"You do not know what you are saying, Rima. You might as well
say: 'Come, let us go to the sun and find out everything in it.'"
"It is you who do not know what you are saying," she retorted,
with brightening eyes which for a moment glanced full into mine.
"We have no wings like birds to fly to the sun. Am I not able to
walk on the earth, and run? Can I not swim? Can I not climb
every mountain?"
"No, you cannot. You imagine that all the earth is like this
little portion you see. But it is not all the same. There are
great rivers which you cannot cross by swimming; mountains you
cannot climb; forests you cannot penetrate--dark, and inhabited
by dangerous beasts, and so vast that all this space your eyes
look on is a mere speck of earth in comparison."
She listened excitedly. "Oh, do you know all that?" she cried,
with a strangely brightening look; and then half turning from me,
she added, with sudden petulance: "Yet only a minute ago you knew
nothing of the world--because it is so large! Is anything to be
gained by speaking to one who says such contrary things?"
I explained that I had not contradicted myself, that she had not
rightly interpreted my words. I knew, I said, something about
- mysterious [mi´stiəriəs]
a.神秘的；难以理解的 (初中英语单词) - running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)
- distinguish [di´stiŋgwiʃ] v.区分；识别；立功 (初中英语单词)
- welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)
- purity [´pjuəriti] n.纯净；贞洁 (初中英语单词)
- eagerly [´i:gəli] ad.渴望地，急切地 (初中英语单词)
- unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)
- otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)
- instrument [´instrumənt] n.仪器；手段；乐器 (初中英语单词)
- distress [di´stres] n.痛苦 vt.使苦恼 (初中英语单词)
- account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)
- glimpse [glimps] n.&v.瞥见 (初中英语单词)
- delicate [´delikət] a.精美的；微妙的 (初中英语单词)
- absence [´æbsəns] n.不在，缺席；缺乏 (初中英语单词)
- winged [´wiŋd] a.有翼的 (初中英语单词)
- spiritual [´spiritʃuəl] a.精神(上)的；神圣的 (初中英语单词)
- imagination [i,mædʒi´neiʃən] n.想象(力) (初中英语单词)
- sickness [´siknis] n.生病；呕吐，恶心 (初中英语单词)
- swiftly [´swiftli] ad.迅速地，敏捷地 (初中英语单词)
- breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
- extent [ik´stent] n.长度；程度；范围 (初中英语单词)
- height [hait] n.高度；顶点；卓越 (初中英语单词)
- circle [´sə:kəl] n.圆圈 v.环绕；盘旋 (初中英语单词)
- horizon [hə´raizən] n.地平线；范围；视野 (初中英语单词)
- overcome [,əuvə´kʌm] vt.战胜，克服 (初中英语单词)
- working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
- priest [pri:st] n.教士；牧师；神父 (初中英语单词)
- contrary [´kɔntrəri] a.相反的 n.相反 (初中英语单词)
- portion [´pɔ:ʃən] n.嫁妆；命运 vt.分配 (初中英语单词)
- standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
- excitedly [ik´saitidli] ad.兴奋地，激动地 (初中英语单词)
- strangely [´streindʒli] ad.奇怪地；陌生地 (初中英语单词)
- response [ri´spɔns] n.回答；响应 (高中英语单词)
- guardian [´gɑ:diən] n.监护人；保护人 (高中英语单词)
- profound [prə´faund] a.深奥的；渊博的 (高中英语单词)
- shadowy [´ʃædəui] a.有阴影的；模糊的 (高中英语单词)
- hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)
- hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)
- infinite [´infinit] a.无限的，无穷的 (高中英语单词)
- related [ri´leitid] a.叙述的；有联系的 (高中英语单词)
- handful [hændful] n.一把，少数，一小撮 (高中英语单词)
- woodland [´wudlənd] n.树林，林地 (高中英语单词)
- summit [´sʌmit] n.顶(点)；绝顶 (高中英语单词)
- ascent [ə´sent] n.上升；攀登；上坡路 (高中英语单词)
- exceedingly [ik´si:diŋli] ad.非常地，极度地 (高中英语单词)
- rugged [´rʌgid] a.不平的；粗犷的 (高中英语单词)
- simplicity [sim´plisiti] n.简单；朴素 (高中英语单词)
- seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
- pebble [´pebəl] n.卵石 v.(用卵石)铺 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- remorse [ri´mɔ:s] n.懊悔；自责；同情 (英语四级单词)
- ramble [´ræmbl] v.&n.闲逛；漫步 (英语四级单词)
- winning [´winiŋ] n.&a.胜利(的) (英语四级单词)
- saviour [´seiviə] n.救星；救助者 (英语四级单词)
- vegetation [,vedʒi´teiʃən] n.植物；生长 (英语四级单词)
- sandstone [´sændstəun] n.砂岩 (英语四级单词)
- lichen [´laikən] n.地衣，青苔 (英语四级单词)
- experienced [ik´spiəriənst] a.有经验的；熟练的 (英语四级单词)
- circumference [sə´kʌmfərəns] n.圆周；周围；(圆)周线 (英语四级单词)
- touching [´tʌtʃiŋ] a.动人的 prep.提到 (英语四级单词)
- inviting [in´vaitiŋ] a.动人的 (英语六级单词)
- speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:名著
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