Still without hint of the relation in which she stood to the princess, I stated the case to Lona as it appeared to me. At once she agreed to accompany me to the palace.
From the top of one of its great towers, the princess had, in the early morning, while the city yet slept, descried5 the approach of the army of the Little Ones. The sight awoke in her an over-mastering terror: she had failed in her endeavour to destroy them, and they were upon her! The prophecy was about to be fulfilled!
When she came to herself, she descended6 to the black hall, and seated herself in the north focus of the ellipse, under the opening in the roof.
For she must think! Now what she called THINKING required a clear consciousness of herself, not as she was, but as she chose to believe herself; and to aid her in the realisation of this consciousness, she had suspended, a little way from and above her, itself invisible in the darkness of the hall, a mirror to receive the full sunlight reflected from her person. For the resulting vision of herself in the splendour of her beauty, she sat waiting the meridional sun.
Many a shadow moved about her in the darkness, but as often as, with a certain inner eye which she had, she caught sight of one, she refused to regard it. Close under the mirror stood the Shadow which attended her walks, but, self-occupied, him she did not see.
The city was taken; the inhabitants were cowering7 in terror; the Little Ones and their strange cavalry8 were encamped in the square; the sun shone upon the princess, and for a few minutes she saw herself glorious. The vision passed, but she sat on. The night was now come, and darkness clothed and filled the glass, yet she did not move. A gloom that swarmed9 with shadows, wallowed in the palace; the servants shivered and shook, but dared not leave it because of the beasts of the Little Ones; all night long the princess sat motionless: she must see her beauty again! she must try again to think! But courage and will had grown weary of her, and would dwell with her no more!
In the morning we chose twelve of the tallest and bravest of the boys to go with us to the palace. We rode our great horses, and they small horses and elephants.
The princess sat waiting the sun to give her the joy of her own presence. The tide of the light was creeping up the shore of the sky, but until the sun stood overhead, not a ray could enter the black hall.
He rose to our eyes, and swiftly ascended10. As we climbed the steep way to the palace, he climbed the dome11 of its great hall. He looked in at the eye of it—and with sudden radiance the princess flashed upon her own sight. But she sprang to her feet with a cry of despair: alas12 her whiteness! the spot covered half her side, and was black as the marble around her! She clutched her robe, and fell back in her chair. The Shadow glided13 out, and she saw him go.
We found the gate open as usual, passed through the paved grove14 up to the palace door, and entered the vestibule. There in her cage lay the spotted15 leopardess, apparently16 asleep or lifeless. The Little Ones paused a moment to look at her. She leaped up rampant17 against the cage. The horses reared and plunged18; the elephants retreated a step. The next instant she fell supine, writhed19 in quivering spasms20, and lay motionless. We rode into the great hall.
The princess yet leaned back in her chair in the shaft21 of sunlight, when from the stones of the court came to her ears the noise of the horses’ hoofs22. She started, listened, and shook: never had such sound been heard in her palace! She pressed her hand to her side, and gasped23. The trampling24 came nearer and nearer; it entered the hall itself; moving figures that were not shadows approached her through the darkness!
For us, we saw a splendour, a glorious woman centring the dark. Lona sprang from her horse, and bounded to her. I sprang from mine, and followed Lona.
“Mother! mother!” she cried, and her clear, lovely voice echoed in the dome.
The princess shivered; her face grew almost black with hate, her eyebrows25 met on her forehead. She rose to her feet, and stood.
“Mother! mother!” cried Lona again, as she leaped on the daïs, and flung her arms around the princess.
An instant more and I should have reached them!—in that instant I saw Lona lifted high, and dashed on the marble floor. Oh, the horrible sound of her fall! At my feet she fell, and lay still. The princess sat down with the smile of a demoness.
I dropped on my knees beside Lona, raised her from the stones, and pressed her to my bosom26. With indignant hate I glanced at the princess; she answered me with her sweetest smile. I would have sprung upon her, taken her by the throat, and strangled her, but love of the child was stronger than hate of the mother, and I clasped closer my precious burden. Her arms hung helpless; her blood trickled27 over my hands, and fell on the floor with soft, slow little plashes.
The horses scented28 it—mine first, then the small ones. Mine reared, shivering and wild-eyed, went about, and thundered blindly down the dark hall, with the little horses after him. Lona’s stood gazing down at his mistress, and trembling all over. The boys flung themselves from their horses’ backs, and they, not seeing the black wall before them, dashed themselves, with mine, to pieces against it. The elephants came on to the foot of the daïs, and stopped, wildly trumpeting29; the Little Ones sprang upon it, and stood horrified30; the princess lay back in her seat, her face that of a corpse31, her eyes alone alive, wickedly flaming. She was again withered32 and wasted to what I found in the wood, and her side was as if a great branding hand had been laid upon it. But Lona saw nothing, and I saw but Lona.
“Mother! mother!” she sighed, and her breathing ceased.
I carried her into the court: the sun shone upon a white face, and the pitiful shadow of a ghostly smile. Her head hung back. She was “dead as earth.”
I forgot the Little Ones, forgot the murdering princess, forgot the body in my arms, and wandered away, looking for my Lona. The doors and windows were crowded with brute-faces jeering33 at me, but not daring to speak, for they saw the white leopardess behind me, hanging her head close at my heel. I spurned34 her with my foot. She held back a moment, and followed me again.
I reached the square: the little army was gone! Its emptiness roused me. Where were the Little Ones, HER Little Ones? I had lost her children! I stared helpless about me, staggered to the pillar, and sank upon its base.
But as I sat gazing on the still countenance35, it seemed to smile a live momentary36 smile. I never doubted it an illusion, yet believed what it said: I should yet see her alive! It was not she, it was I who was lost, and she would find me!
I rose to go after the Little Ones, and instinctively37 sought the gate by which we had entered. I looked around me, but saw nothing of the leopardess.
The street was rapidly filling with a fierce crowd. They saw me encumbered38 with my dead, but for a time dared not assail2 me. Ere I reached the gate, however, they had gathered courage. The women began to hustle39 me; I held on heedless. A man pushed against my sacred burden: with a kick I sent him away howling. But the crowd pressed upon me, and fearing for the dead that was beyond hurt, I clasped my treasure closer, and freed my right arm. That instant, however, a commotion40 arose in the street behind me; the crowd broke; and through it came the Little Ones I had left in the palace. Ten of them were upon four of the elephants; on the two other elephants lay the princess, bound hand and foot, and quite still, save that her eyes rolled in their ghastly sockets41. The two other Little Ones rode behind her on Lona’s horse. Every now and then the wise creatures that bore her threw their trunks behind and felt her cords.
I walked on in front, and out of the city. What an end to the hopes with which I entered the evil place! We had captured the bad princess, and lost our all-beloved queen! My life was bare! my heart was empty!
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1
wilfully
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| adv.任性固执地；蓄意地 | |
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assail
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| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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7
cowering
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的现在分词 ) | |
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8
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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9
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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10
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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14
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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16
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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rampant
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| adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的 | |
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18
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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19
writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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spasms
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| n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 )；抽搐；（能量、行为等的）突发；发作 | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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23
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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24
trampling
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| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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25
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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26
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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27
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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28
scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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29
trumpeting
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| 大声说出或宣告（trumpet的现在分词形式） | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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32
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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33
jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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34
spurned
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| v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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38
encumbered
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
hustle
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| v.推搡；竭力兜售或获取；催促；n.奔忙(碌) | |
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40
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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41
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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