The messenger who is to go—and I wish him joy of his journey—is Alphonse. For a long while he has been wearied to death of Zu-Vendis and its inhabitants. ‘Oh, oui, c’est beau,’ he says, with an expressive3 shrug4; ‘mais je m’ennuie; ce n’est pas chic5.’ Again, he complains dreadfully of the absence of cafes and theatres, and moans continually for his lost Annette, of whom he says he dreams three times a week. But I fancy his secret cause of disgust at the country, putting aside the homesickness to which every Frenchman is subject, is that the people here laugh at him so dreadfully about his conduct on the occasion of the great battle of the Pass about eighteen months ago, when he hid beneath a banner in Sorais’s tent in order to avoid being sent forth6 to fight, which he says would have gone against his conscience. Even the little boys call out at him in the streets, thereby7 offending his pride and making his life unbearable8. At any rate, he has determined9 to brave the horrors of a journey of almost unprecedented10 difficulty and danger, and also to run the risk of falling into the hands of the French police to answer for a certain little indiscretion of his own some years old (though I do not consider that a very serious matter), rather than remain in ce triste pays. Poor Alphonse! we shall be very sorry to part with him; but I sincerely trust, for his own sake and also for the sake of this history, which is, I think, worth giving to the world, that he may arrive in safety. If he does, and can carry the treasure we have provided him with in the shape of bars of solid gold, he will be, comparatively speaking, a rich man for life, and well able to marry his Annette, if she is still in the land of the living and willing to marry her Alphonse.
He died at dawn on the day following that on which he wrote the last words of the last chapter. Nyleptha, Good and myself were present, and a most touching12 and yet in its way beautiful scene it was. An hour before the daybreak it became apparent to us that he was sinking, and our distress13 was very keen. Indeed, Good melted into tears at the idea—a fact that called forth a last gentle flicker14 of humour from our dying friend, for even at that hour he could be humorous. Good’s emotion had, by loosening the muscles, naturally caused his eyeglass to fall from its accustomed place, and Quatermain, who always observed everything, observed this also.
After that he said no more till the day broke, when he asked to be lifted up to watch the rising of the sun for the last time.
‘In a very few minutes,’ he said, after gazing earnestly at it, ‘I shall have passed through those golden gates.’
‘I am going a stranger journey than any we have ever taken together. Think of me sometimes,’ he murmured. ‘God bless you all. I shall wait for you.’ And with a sigh he fell back dead.
And so passed away a character that I consider went as near perfection as any it has ever been my lot to encounter.
Tender, constant, humorous, and possessing of many of the qualities that go to make a poet, he was yet almost unrivalled as a man of action and a citizen of the world. I never knew any one so competent to form an accurate judgment17 of men and their motives18. ‘I have studied human nature all my life,’ he would say, ‘and I ought to know something about it,’ and he certainly did. He had but two faults—one was his excessive modesty19, and the other a slight tendency which he had to be jealous of anybody on whom he concentrated his affections. As regards the first of these points, anybody who reads what he has written will be able to form his own opinion; but I will add one last instance of it.
As the reader will doubtless remember, it is a favourite trick of his to talk of himself as a timid man, whereas really, though very cautious, he possessed20 a most intrepid21 spirit, and, what is more, never lost his head. Well, in the great battle of the Pass, where he got the wound that finally killed him, one would imagine from the account which he gives of the occurrence that it was a chance blow that fell on him in the scrimmage. As a matter of fact, however, he was wounded in a most gallant22 and successful attempt to save Good’s life, at the risk and, as it ultimately turned out, at the cost of his own. Good was down on the ground, and one of Nasta’s highlanders was about to dispatch him, when Quatermain threw himself on to his prostrate23 form and received the blow on his own body, and then, rising, killed the soldier.
As regards his jealousy24, a single instance which I give in justice to myself and Nyleptha will suffice. The reader will, perhaps, recollect25 that in one or two places he speaks as though Nyleptha monopolized26 me, and he was left by both of us rather out in the cold. Now Nyleptha is not perfect, any more than any other woman is, and she may be a little exigeante at times, but as regards Quatermain the whole thing is pure imagination. Thus when he complains about my not coming to see him when he is ill, the fact was that, in spite of my entreaties27, the doctors positively28 forbade it. Those little remarks of his pained me very much when I read them, for I loved Quatermain as dearly as though he were my own father, and should never have dreamed of allowing my marriage to interfere29 with that affection. But let it pass; it is, after all, but one little weakness, which makes no great show among so many and such lovable virtues30.
Well, he died, and Good read the Burial Service over him in the presence of Nyleptha and myself; and then his remains31 were, in deference32 to the popular clamour, accorded a great public funeral, or rather cremation33. I could not help thinking, however, as I marched in that long and splendid procession up to the Temple, how he would have hated the whole thing could he have been there to see it, for he had a horror of ostentation34.
And so, a few minutes before sunset, on the third night after his death, they laid him on the brazen35 flooring before the altar, and waited for the last ray of the setting sun to fall upon his face. Presently it came, and struck him like a golden arrow, crowning the pale brows with glory, and then the trumpets36 blew, and the flooring revolved37, and all that remained of our beloved friend fell into the furnace below.
We shall never see his like again if we live a hundred years. He was the ablest man, the truest gentleman, the firmest friend, the finest sportsman, and, I believe, the best shot in all Africa.
Since then things have gone very well with us. Good has been, and still is, busily employed in the construction of a navy on Lake Milosis and another of the large lakes, by means of which we hope to be able to increase trade and commerce, and also to overcome some very troublesome and warlike sections of the population who live upon their borders. Poor fellow! he is beginning to get over the sad death of that misguided but most attractive woman, Sorais, but it is a sad blow to him, for he was really deeply attached to her. I hope, however, that he will in time make a suitable marriage and get that unhappy business out of his head. Nyleptha has one or two young ladies in view, especially a daughter of Nasta’s (who was a widower), a very fine imperial-looking girl, but with too much of her father’s intriguing40, and yet haughty41, spirit to suit my taste.
As for myself, I should scarcely know where to begin if I set to work to describe my doings, so I had best leave them undescribed, and content myself with saying that, on the whole, I am getting on very well in my curious position of King-Consort—better, indeed, than I had any right to expect. But, of course, it is not all plain sailing, and I find the responsibilities very heavy. Still, I hope to be able to do some good in my time, and I intend to devote myself to two great ends—namely, to the consolidation42 of the various clans43 which together make up the Zu-Vendi people, under one strong central government, and to the sapping of the power of the priesthood. The first of these reforms will, if it can be carried out, put an end to the disastrous44 civil wars that have for centuries devastated45 this country; and the second, besides removing a source of political danger, will pave the road for the introduction of true religion in the place of this senseless Sun worship. I yet hope to see the shadow of the Cross of Christ lying on the golden dome46 of the Flower Temple; or, if I do not, that my successors may.
There is one more thing that I intend to devote myself to, and that is the total exclusion47 of all foreigners from Zu-Vendis. Not, indeed, that any more are ever likely to get here, but if they do, I warn them fairly that they will be shown the shortest way out of the country. I do not say this from any sense of inhospitality, but because I am convinced of the sacred duty that rests upon me of preserving to this, on the whole, upright and generous-hearted people the blessings48 of comparative barbarism. Where would all my brave army be if some enterprising rascal49 were to attack us with field-guns and Martini-Henrys? I cannot see that gunpowder50, telegraphs, steam, daily newspapers, universal suffrage51, etc., etc., have made mankind one whit52 the happier than they used to be, and I am certain that they have brought many evils in their train. I have no fancy for handing over this beautiful country to be torn and fought for by speculators, tourists, politicians and teachers, whose voice is as the voice of Babel, just as those horrible creatures in the valley of the underground river tore and fought for the body of the wild swan; nor will I endow it with the greed, drunkenness, new diseases, gunpowder, and general demoralization which chiefly mark the progress of civilization amongst unsophisticated peoples. If in due course it pleases Providence53 to throw Zu-Vendis open to the world, that is another matter; but of myself I will not take the responsibility, and I may add that Good entirely54 approves of my decision. Farewell.
Henry Curtis
December 15, 18—.
PS—I quite forgot to say that about nine months ago Nyleptha (who is very well and, in my eyes at any rate, more beautiful than ever) presented me with a son and heir. He is a regular curly-haired, blue-eyed young Englishman in looks, and, though he is destined55, if he lives, to inherit the throne of Zu-Vendis, I hope I may be able to bring him up to become what an English gentleman should be, and generally is—which is to my mind even a prouder and a finer thing than being born heir apparent to the great House of the Stairway, and, indeed, the highest rank that a man can reach upon this earth.
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1
egress
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| n.出去；出口 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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chic
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| n./adj.别致(的)，时髦(的)，讲究的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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unprecedented
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| adj.无前例的，新奇的 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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intrepid
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| adj.无畏的，刚毅的 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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monopolized
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| v.垄断( monopolize的过去式和过去分词 )；独占；专卖；专营 | |
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entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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cremation
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| n.火葬，火化 | |
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ostentation
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| n.夸耀，卖弄 | |
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brazen
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| adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的 | |
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trumpets
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| 喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花 | |
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revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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intriguing
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| adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心 | |
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41
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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consolidation
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| n.合并,巩固 | |
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clans
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| 宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派 | |
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44
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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45
devastated
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| v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的 | |
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46
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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47
exclusion
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| n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行 | |
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48
blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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49
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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50
gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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51
suffrage
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| n.投票，选举权，参政权 | |
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52
whit
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| n.一点，丝毫 | |
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53
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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54
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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55
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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