a journey in other worlds-第62部分

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centre　of　the　sun。　　Though　many　of　us　can　already　visit　the
remote　regions　of　space　as　spirits；　none　can　as　yet　see　God；　but
we　know　that　as　the　sight　we　are　to　receive　with　our　new　bodies
sharpens；　the　pure　in　heart　will　see　Him；　though　He　is　still　as
invisible　to　the　eyes　of　the　most　developed　here　as　the　ether　of
space　is　to　yours。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　VIII。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CASSANDRA　AND　COSMOLOGY。

The　water…jug　being　empty；　Ayrault　took　it　up；　and；　crossing　the
ridge　of　a　small　hill；　descended　to　a　running…brook。　　He　had
filled　it；　and　was　straightening　himself；　when　the　stone　on　which
he　stood　turned；　and　he　might　have　fallen；　had　not　the　bishop；　of
whose　presence　he　had　been　unaware；　stretched　out　his　hand　and
upheld　him。
　　　
〃I　thought　you　might　need　a　little　help；〃　he　said　with　a　smile；
〃and　so　walked　beside　you；　though　you　knew　it　not。　　Water　is
heavy；　and　you　may　not　yet　have　become　accustomed　to　its
Saturnian　weight。〃
　　　
〃Many　thanks；　my　master；〃　replied　Ayrault；　retaining　his　hand。　
〃Were　it　not　that　I　am　engaged　to　the　girl　I　love；　and　am
sometimes　haunted　by　the　thought　that　in　my　absence　she　may　be
forgetting　me；　I　should　wish　to　spend　the　rest　of　my　natural　life
here；　unless　I　could　persuade　you　to　go　with　me　to　the　earth。〃
　　　
〃By　remaining　here；〃　replied　the　spirit；　with　a　sad　look；　〃you
would　be　losing　the　most　priceless　opportunities　of　doing　good。　
Neither　will　I　go　with　you；　but；　as　your　distress　is　real；　I　will
tell　you　of　anything　happening　on　earth　that　you　wish　to　know。〃
　　　
〃Tell　me；　then；　what　the　person　now　in　my　thoughts　is　doing。〃
　　　
〃She　is　standing　in　a　window　facing　west；　watering　some
forget…me…nots　with　a　small　silver　sprinkler　which　has　a　ruby　in
the　handle。〃
　　　
〃Can　you　see　anything　else？〃
　　　
〃Beneath　the　jewel　is　an　inscription　that　runs：

　　　　　　　　　　　'By　those　who　in　warm　July　are　born
　　　　　　　　　　　　A　single　ruby　should　be　worn；
　　　　　　　　　　　　Then　will　they　be　exempt　and　free
　　　　　　　　　　　　From　love's　doubts　and　anxiety。'〃

〃Marvellous！　Had　I　any　doubts　as　to　your　prescience　and　power；
they　would　be　dispelled　now。　　One　thing　more　let　me　ask；　however：　
Does　she　still　love　me？〃
　　　
〃In　her　mind　is　but　one　thought；　and　in　her　heart　is　an
imagethat　of　the　man　before　me。　　She　loves　you　with　all　her
soul。〃
　　　
〃My　most　eager　wish　is　satisfied；　and　for　the　moment　my　heart　is
at　rest；〃　replied　Ayrault；　as　they　turned　their　steps　towards
camp。　　〃Yet；　such　is　my　weakness　by　nature；　that；　ere　twenty…four
hours　have　passed　I　shall　long　to　have　you　tell　me　again。〃
　　　
〃I　have　been　in　love　myself；〃　replied　the　spirit；　〃and　know　the
feeling；　yet　to　be　of　the　smallest　service　to　you　gives　me　far
more　happiness　than　it　can　give　you。　　The　mutual　love　in　paradise
exceeds　even　the　lover's　love　on　earth；　for　it　is　only　those　that
loved　and　can　love　that　are　blessed。
　　　
〃You　can　hardly　realize；〃　the　bishop　continued；　as　they　rejoined
Bearwarden　and　Cortlandt；　〃the　joy　that　a　spirit　in　paradise
experiences　when；　on　reopening　his　eyes　after　passing　death；
which　is　but　the　portal；　he　finds　himself　endowed　with　sight　that
enables　him　to　see　such　distances　and　with　such　distinctness。　
The　solar　system；　with　this　ringed　planet；　its　swarm　of
asteroids；　and　its　intra…Mercurial　planetsone　of　which；　Vulcan；
you　have　already　discoveredis　a　beautiful　sight。　　The　planets
nearest　the　sun　receive　such　burning　rays　that　their　surfaces　are
red…hot；　and　at　the　equator　at　perihelion　are　molten。　　These　are
not　seen　from　the　earth；　because；　rising　or　setting　almost
simultaneously　with　the　sun；　they　are　lost　in　its　rays。　　The
great　planet　beyond　Neptune's　orbit　is　perhaps　the　most
interesting。　　This　we　call　Cassandra；　because　it　would　be　a
prophet　of　evil　to　any　visitor　from　the　stars　who　should　judge
the　solar　system　by　it。　　This　planet　is　nearly　as　large　as
Jupiter；　being　80；000　miles　in　diameter；　but　has　a　specific
gravity　lighter　than　Saturn。　　Bode's　law；　you　know；　says；　Write
down　0；　3；　6；　12；　24；　48；　96。　　Add　4　to　each；　and　get　4；　7；　10；
16；　28；　52；　100；　and　this　series　of　numbers　represents　very
nearly　the　relative　distances　of　the　planets　from　the　sun。　
According　to　this　law；　you　would　expect　the　planet　next　beyond
Neptune　to　be　about　5；000；000；000　miles　from　the　sun。　　But　it　is
about　9；500；000；000；　so　that　there　is　a　gap　between　Neptune　and
Cassandra；　as　between　Mars　and　Jupiter；　except　that　in
Cassandra's　case　there　are　no　asteroids　to　show　where　any　planet
was；　we　must；　then；　suppose　it　is　an　exception　to　Bode's　law；　or
that　there　was　a　planet　that　has　completely　disappeared。　　As
Cassandra　would　be　within　the　law　if　there　had　been　an
intermediary　planet；　we　have　good　prima　facie　reason　for
believing　that　it　existed。　　Cassandra　takes；　in　round　numbers；　a
thousand　years　to　complete　its　orbit；　and　from　it　the　sun；　though
brighter；　appears　no　larger　than　the　earth's　evening　or　morning
star。　　Cassandra　has　also　three　large　moons；　but　these；　when
full；　shine　with　a　pale…grey　light；　like　the　old　moon　in　the　new
moon's　arms；　in　that　terrestrial　phenomenon　when　the　earth；　by
reflecting　the　crescent's　light；　and　that　of　the　sun；　makes　the
dark　part　visible。　　The　temperature　at　Cassandra's　surface　is　but
little　above　the　cold　of　space；　and　no　water　exists　in　the　liquid
state；　it　being　as　much　a　solid　as　aluminum　or　glass。　　There　are
rivers　and　lakes；　but　these　consist　of　liquefied　hydrogen　and
other　gases；　the　heavier　liquid　collected　in　deep　Places；　and　the
lighter；　with　less　than　half　the　specific　gravity　of　ether；
floating　upon　it　without　mixing；　as　oil　on　water。　　When　the
heavier　penetrates　to　a　sufficient　depth；　the　interior　being
still　warm；　it　is　converted　into　gas　and　driven　back　to　the
surface；　only　to　be　recondensed　on　reaching　the　upper　air。　　Thus
it　may　happen　that　two　rains　composed　of　separate　liquids　may
fall　together。　　There　being　but　little　of　any　other　atmosphere；
much　of　it　consists　of　what　you　might　call　the　vapour　of
hydrogen；　and　many　of　the　well…known　gases　and　liquids　on　earth
exist　only　as　liquids　and　solids；　so　that；　were　there　mortal
inhabitants　on　Cassandra；　they　might　build　their　houses　of　blocks
of　oxygen　or　chlorine；　as　you　do　of　limestone　or　marble；　and　use
ice　that　never　melts；　in　place　of　glass；　for　transparence。　　They
would　also　use　mercury　for　bullets　in　their　rifles；　just　as
inhabitants　of　the　intra…Vulcan　planets　at　the　other　extreme
might；　if　their　bodies　consisted　of　asbestos；　or　were　in　any
other　way　non…combustibly　constituted；　bathe　in　tin；　lead；　or
even　zinc；　which　ordinarily　exist　in　the　liquid　state；　as　water
and　mercury　do　on　the　earth。
　　　
〃Though　Cassandra's　atmosphere；　such　as　it　is；　is　mostly　clear；
for　the　evaporation　from　the　rivers　and　icy　mediterraneans　is
slight；　the　brightness　of　even　the　highest　noon　is　less　than　an
earthly　twilight；　and　the　stars　never　cease　to　shine。　　The　dark
base　of　the　rocky　cliffs　is　washed　by　the　frigid　tide；　but　there
is　scarcely　a　sound；　for　the　pebbles　cannot　be　moved　by　the
weightless　waves；　and　an　occasional　murmur　is　all　that　is　heard。　
Great　rocks　of　ice　reflect　the　light　of　the　grey　moons；