Gale4, it seems, had risen early, upturned some insects and worms from under the violet sod, and found splendid fishing but a step away. Mr. Sturritt had promptly5 joined him, and now there was ready a breakfast that made up for many days of fasting and tablets.
“I don’t know what kind of fish they are,” explained Gale, “but they seemed as hungry as we were, so we formed a sort of mutual6 benefit association. Sort of a first aid to the famished7.”
The morning was still and beautiful. We had rested on violet beds, and after our bounteous8 229breakfast we set out southward again, in the joyous9 expectation of further discovery. We were in excellent spirits; the air was balm and the dangers of cold and hunger were behind us. It is true that the Billowcrest was also there, and between, a wide desolation which we could hardly hope to surmount10 with our present resources. But this fact we kept in the background. It was not an immediate11 concern, and we were willing to believe that to-morrow, and the day after, and the month following would in some manner provide ways and develop means.
Chauncey Gale became particularly jubilant as we ascended12.
“If all the people are like that girl we saw last night,” he said at last,—“I don’t mean of course if they are all dead, but if they all look like that,—it seems to me that this is about the best addition the Lord has yet laid out. Maybe this is His own little pet corner down here, and He didn’t think anybody else would find it. You know I felt a good deal that way when I laid out Tangleside. It was a little shut-in neck of woods, and some of Johnnie’s friends liked it, so we just bought it and let ’em have it. I didn’t suppose anybody else would ever think of wanting to live there, but they did. People found out that we didn’t want them, and you couldn’t keep them away with clubs. They overrun 230the place and ruined it. Johnnie couldn’t do a thing with them. They cut out the trees and bushes that grew there, and set out a lot of nursery stuff that broke Johnnie’s heart in six months. If this place should turn out to be a sort of Tangleside of the Lord’s, I suppose He’d like it just as well if we kept out. But if the people are all like that girl——”
“You shall know presently,” interrupted Ferratoni. “They are just ahead.”
He had scarcely spoken before during the morning, and there was now a quality in his voice that made us all look first at him, and then in the direction his eyes followed. We thought he might have received some mental impression, but saw now that just beyond a little knoll14 on the shore, and coming down to the marge to meet us, were the figures of men. It did not surprise us; we had expected them even sooner. During our approach they regarded us, as we them, in silence.
They were very fair—almost pallid15 of countenance—graceful16 rather than robust17. Their dress was quite simple in form. Something akin18 to both the early Syrian and Japanese it seemed, and appeared to have grown for them, rather than to have been constructed by artificial devices. Their faces were smooth, and their hair long—parted on top and gathered loosely at the back with a sort of circlet 231or band. To me they seemed as a part with the fields and sky behind them—some new flowering of our enchanted19 land.
All were young, but one younger and handsomer than the others advanced as our boat grounded. His wide-sleeved coat, or tunic20, of soft glistening21 white was embroidered22 over with the flower of the plains above us. That he was of rank seemed evident. Gale, who was in the bow, stepped ashore23 and held out his hand to this fair youth, who laid his own in it, unhesitatingly.
“How are you?” greeted Gale, heartily24. “Glad to see you. We’ve had all kinds of a time getting here, and it’s good to find somebody at home. My name is Gale, Chauncey Gale, and these are my friends. We’re from New York City, United States of America—best town and biggest country on earth. We’ve come down here to discover you, and take a look at your country to see whether we want to annex25 it or not. Up till yesterday we didn’t think we did, but the farther we get into your proposition the better we like it. Now, tell us who you are.”
During this rather characteristic greeting the youth had been regarding Gale with puzzled inquiry26. He answered now with a gentle flow of aspirate syllables—a little address it seemed. The sounds were pleasant to the ear, but often barely 232audible. As he spoke13, he pointed27 now and then to the half-dozen others about him.
We followed Gale ashore, and something like a general hand-shaking took place. The youth’s followers28, however, showed no disposition29 to do more than lay their palms to ours for a brief instant, and then retire. But when the youth himself came to Ferratoni, their hands lingered together, and the puzzled look that had been on the face of each melted away. Then the youth spoke again, still holding Ferratoni’s hand. When he had finished, the latter, turning to us, said:
“He is the Prince of the Purple Fields. We are in the borders of his domain30. With his followers he escorted until yesterday a young lady of his court for a distance on her journey to the Land of the Silent Cold. It was she we passed. Two days ago something which must have been our balloon bag was blown to them, and it was thought we were not far distant. They have dimly known of our coming, somewhat as I had received an impression of their existence.”
We regarded our companion with increasing wonder and amazement31.
“But, Ferratoni,” I said, “you do not mean to say that you understand their language.”
“Not the words. The language of thought is the same to all men. The vibration32 between us is 233by no means perfect, but when timed to the slow measure of speech, the mental echo is sufficiently33 good to follow his meaning.”
“Look here,” asked Gale, “can’t you twist up my strings34 a little? I’d like to get in key and know what’s going on, too.”
“And does he also follow your thought?” I put in.
But the youth was speaking again and Ferratoni gave him close attention. Then he interpreted.
“The conscious exchange of thought without words, he tells me, marks their advancement35 in communication—perhaps somewhat as the wireless36 interchange of words marks ours. Their progress has been along different lines it seems. The Prince and his sister, the Princess of the Lilied Hills, whose domain lies beyond this, bid us welcome. Your thought, however, he does not reach as yet, except through me, and this requires a double or repeated process, somewhat like translation.”
“Well,” muttered Gale, “I’m rather glad of that. I want to have a few thinks all to myself when I’m in a new place and seeing things.”
The Prince now said something further to Ferratoni, and then with his suite37 set off up the bank.
“Their boats are just above,” the latter explained. “We are to overtake them, and all proceed up the river together.”
234Around a little bend we found them waiting for us. They had two barges38, long, graceful and beautiful, similar to the canoe of the American Indian in shape, but propelled by slender oars39 in the hands of tall, youthful oarsmen of bare arms and heads, and fair, smooth faces. Near the center of each craft there was a sail of the simplest banner form, white but embroidered with the blue flower of the Prince’s domain. Truly they seemed to us as an integral part of the world about them.
Mr. Sturritt, who had hitherto remained silent, leaned over to me and murmured:
“Look—er—at them, and—and then at us. We’re not very—that is—attractive, while they—why it’s just as if they were condensed—I should say—er—materialized, as it were, from the elements.”
And Chauncey Gale:
“Better food than tablets, just to look at them, eh, Bill?”
“Sustenance for the soul,” said Ferratoni.
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1
pervading
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的现在分词 ) | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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sputter
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| n.喷溅声；v.喷溅 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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famished
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| adj.饥饿的 | |
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bounteous
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| adj.丰富的 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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surmount
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| vt.克服；置于…顶上 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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knoll
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| n.小山，小丘 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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tunic
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| n.束腰外衣 | |
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glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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annex
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| vt.兼并，吞并；n.附属建筑物 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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advancement
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| n.前进，促进，提升 | |
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wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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barges
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| 驳船( barge的名词复数 ) | |
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oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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