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Allan Quatermain-Part22_H.Rider Haggard(1856-1925)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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Meanwhile the boats had gathered together at a distance, and

we could see that the occupants, who were evidently much frightened,



were consulting what to do. Without giving them time for further

consideration, which we thought might result unfavourably to



ourselves, we instantly took our paddles and advanced towards

them, Good standing in the bow and taking off his cocked hat



politely in ever direction, his amiable features suffused by

a bland but intelligent smile. Most of the craft retreated as



we advanced, but a few held their ground, while the big row-boat

came on to meet us. Presently we were alongside, and I could



see that our appearance -- and especially Good's and Umslopogaas's

-- filled the venerable-looking commander with astonishment,



not unmixed with awe. He was dressed after the same fashion

as the man we first met, except that his shirt was not made of



brown cloth, but of pure white linen hemmed with purple. The

kilt, however, was identical, and so were the thick rings of



gold around the arm and beneath the left knee. The rowers wore

only a kilt, their bodies being naked to the waist. Good took



off his hat to the old gentleman with an extra flourish, and

inquired after his health in the purest English, to which he



replied by laying the first two fingers of his right hand horizontally

across his lips and holding them there for a moment, which we



took as his method of salutation. Then he also addressed some

remarks to us in the same soft accents that had distinguished



our first interviewer, which we were forced to indicate we did

not understand by shaking our heads and shrugging our shoulders.



This last Alphonse, being to the manner born, did to perfection,

and in so polite a way that nobody could take any offence. Then



we came a standstill, till I, being exceedingly hungry, thought

I might as well call attention to the fact, and did so first



by opening my mouth and pointing down it, and then rubbing my

stomach. These signals the old gentleman clearly understood,



for he nodded his head vigorously, and pointed towards the harbour;

and at the same time one of the men on his boat threw us a line



and motioned to us to make it fast, which we did. The row-boat

then took us in tow, and went with great rapidity towards the



mouth of the river, accompanied by all the other boats. In about

twenty minutes more we reached the entrance to the harbour, which



was crowded with boats full of people who had come out to see

us. We observed that all the occupants were more or less of



the same type, though some were fairer than others. Indeed,

we noticed certain ladies whose skin was of a most dazzling whiteness;



and the darkest shade of colour which we saw was about that of

a rather swarthy Spaniard. Presently the wide river gave a sweep,



and when it did so an exclamation of astonishment and delight

burst from our lips as we caught our first view of the place



that we afterwards knew as Milosis, or the Frowning City (from

mi, which means city, and losis, a frown).



At a distance of some five hundred yards from the river's bank

rose a sheer precipice of granite, two hundred feet or so in



height, which had no doubt once formed the bank itself -- the

intermediate space of land now utilized as docks and roadways



having been gained by draining, and deepening and embanking

the stream.



On the brow of this precipice stood a great building of the same

granite that formed the cliff, built on three sides of a square,



the fourth side being open, save for a kind of battlement pierced

at its base by a little door. This imposing place we afterwards



discovered was the palace of the queen, or rather of the queens.

At the back of the palace the town sloped gentlyupwards to



a flashing building of white marble, crowned by the golden dome

which we had already observed. The city was, with the exception



of this one building, entirely built of red granite, and laid

out in regular blocks with splendid roadways between. So far



as we could see also the houses were all one-storied and detached,

with gardens round them, which gave some relief to the eye wearied



with the vista of red granite. At the back of the palace a road

of extraordinary width stretched away up the hill for a distance



of a mile and a half or so, and appeared to terminate at an open

space surrounding the gleaming building that crowned the hill.



But right in front of us was the wonder and glory of Milosis

-- the great staircase of the palace, the magnificence of which



took our breath away. Let the reader imagine, if he can, a splendid

stairway, sixty-five feet from balustrade to balustrade, consisting



of two vast flights, each of one hundred and twenty-five steps




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