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Allan Quatermain-Part38_H.Rider Haggard(1856-1925)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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to wife unless I lay my hand upon her and bid her come?'

'I swear it,' answered Sir Henry; adding in English, 'One is



quite enough for me.'

Then Agon, who had been sulking in a corner near the altar, came



forward and gabbled off something into his beard at such a rate

that I could not follow it, but it appeared to be an invocation



to the Sun to bless the union and make it fruitful. I observed

that Nyleptha listened very closely to every word, and afterwards



discovered that she was afraid lest Agon should play her a trick,

and by going through the invocations backwardsdivorce them instead



of marry them. At the end of the invocations they were asked,

as in our service, if they took each other for husband and wife,



and on their assenting they kissed each other before the altar,

and the service was over, so far as their rites were concerned.



But it seemed to me that there was yet something wanting, and

so I produced a Prayer-Book, which has, together which the 'Ingoldsby



Legends', that I often read when I lie awake at night, accompanied

me in all my later wanderings. I gave it to my poor boy Harry



years ago, and after his death I found it among his things and

took it back again.



'Curtis,' I said, 'I am not a clergyman, and I do not know if

what I am going to propose is allowable -- I know it is not legal



-- but if you and the Queen have no objection I should like to read

the English marriage service over you. It is a solemn step which



you are taking, and I think that you ought, so far as circumstances

will allow, to give it the sanction of your own religion.'



'I have thought of that,' he said, 'and I wish you would.

I do not feel half married yet.'



Nyleptha raised no objection, fully understanding that her husband

wished to celebrate the marriage according to the rites prevailing



in his own country, and so I set to work and read the service,

from 'Dearly beloved' to 'amazement', as well as I could; and



when I came to 'I, Henry, take thee, Nyleptha,' I translated,

and also 'I, Nyleptha, take thee, Henry,' which she repeated



after me very well. Then Sir Henry took a plain gold ring from

his little finger and placed it on hers, and so on to the end.



The ring had been Curtis' mother's wedding-ring, and I could

not help thinking how astonished the dear old Yorkshire lady



would have been if she could have foreseen that her wedding-ring

was to serve a similar purpose for Nyleptha, a Queen of the Zu-Vendi.



As for Agon, he was with difficulty kept calm while this second

ceremony was going on, for he at once understood that it was



religious in its nature, and doubtless bethought him of the ninety-five

new faiths which loomed so ominously in his eyes. Indeed, he



at once set me down as a rival High Priest, and hated me accordingly.

However, in the end off he went, positively bristling with indignation,



and I knew that we might look out for danger from his direction.

And off went Good and I, and old Umslopogaas also, leaving the



happy pair to themselves, and very low we all felt. Marriages

are supposed to be cheerful things, but my experience is that



they are very much the reverse to everybody, except perhaps the

two people chiefly interested. They mean the breaking-up of



so many old ties as well as the undertaking of so many new ones,

and there is always something sad about the passing away of the



old order. Now to take this case for instance: Sir Henry Curtis

is the best and kindest fellow and friend in the world, but he



has never been quite the same since that little scene in the

chapel. It is always Nyleptha this and Nyleptha that -- Nyleptha,



in short, from morning till night in one way or another, either

expressed or understood. And as for the old friends -- well,



of course they have taken the place that old friends ought to

take, and which ladies are as a rule very careful to see they



do take when a man marries, and that is, the second place. Yes,

he would be angry if anybody said so, but it is a fact for all



that. He is not quite the same, and Nyleptha is very sweet and

very charming, but I think that she likes him to understand that



she has married Him, and not Quatermain, Good, and Co. But

there! what is the use of grumbling? It is all very right and



proper, as any married lady would have no difficulty in explaining,

and I am a selfish, jealous old man, though I hope I never show



it.

So Good and I went and ate in silence and then indulged in an



extra fine flagon of old Zu-Vendian to keep our spirits up, and

presently one of our attendants came and told a story that gave



us something to think about.

It may, perhaps, be remembered that, after his quarrel with



Umslopogaas, Alphonse had gone off in an exceedingly ill temper




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