a journey in other worlds-第70部分

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〃Sylvia；　Sylvia！〃　he　suddenly　cried；　rising　to　his　knees　at　her
feet。　　〃I　love；　I　adore　you！　　It　was　my　longing　to　be　with　you
that　brought　me　here。　　I　know　you　can　neither　see　nor　hear　me；
but　cannot　your　soul　commune　with　mine？〃
　　　
〃Is　Dick　here？〃　cried　Sylvia；　becoming　deadly　pale　and　getting
up；　〃or　am　I　losing　my　reason？〃
　　　
Seeing　that　she　was　distressed　by　the　power　of　his　mind；　Ayrault
once　more　sank　to　the　floor；　burying　his　face　in　his　hands。
　　　
Unable　to　endure　this　longer；　and　feeling　as　if　his　heart　must
break；　he　rushed　out　into　the　street；　wishing　he　might　soothe　his
anguish　with　a　hypodermic　injection　of　morphine；　and　that　he　had
a　body　with　which　to　divert　and　suppress　his　soul。
　　　
Night　had　fallen；　and　the　electric　lamps　cast　their　white　rays　on
the　ground；　while　the　stars　overhead　shone　in　their　eternal
serenity　and　calm。　　Then　was　it　once　more　brought　home　to　him
that　he　was　a　spirit；　for　darkness　and　light　were　alike；　and　he
felt　the　beginning　of　that　sense　of　prescience　of　which　the
bishop　had　spoken。　　Passing　through　the　houses　of　some　of　the
clubs　to　which　he　belonged；　he　saw　his　name　still　upon　the　list
of　members；　and　then　he　went　to　the　places　of　amusement　he　knew
so　well。　　On　all　sides　were　familiar　faces；　but　what　interested
him　most　was　the　great　division　incessantly　going　on。　　Here　were
jolly　people　enjoying　life　and　playing　cards；　who；　his　foresight
showed　him；　would　in　less　than　a　year　be　under　ground　like
Mercutio；　in　〃Romeo　and　Juliet；〃　to…day　known　as　merry　fellows；
who　to…morrow　would　be　grave　men。
　　　
While　his　eyes　beheld　the　sun；　he　had　imagined　the　air　felt　warm
and　balmy。　　He　now　saw　that　this　had　been　a　hallucination；　for　he
was　chilled　through　and　through。　　He　also　perceived　that　be　cast
no　shadow；　and　that　no　one　observed　his　presence。　　He；　on　the
other　hand；　saw　not　only　the　air　as　it　entered　and　left　his
friends'　lungs；　but　also　the　substance　of　their　brains；　and　the
seeds　of　disease　and　death；　whose　presence　they　themselves　did
not　even　suspect；　and　the　seventy…five　per　cent　of　water　in　their
bodies；　making　them　appear　like　sacks　of　liquid。　　In　some　he　saw
the　germs　of　consumption；　in　others；　affections　of　the　heart。　　In
all；　he　saw　the　incessant　struggle　between　the　healthy
blood…cells　and　the　malignant；　omnipresent　bacilli　that　the　cells
were　trying　to　overcome。　　Many　men　and　women　he　saw　were　in　love；
and　he　could　tell　what　all　were　about　to　do。　　Oh；　the　secrets
that　were　revealed；　while　the　motives　for　acts　were　now　laid　bare
that　till　then　he　had　misunderstood！　　He　had　often　heard　the　old
saying；　that　if　every　person　in　a　ball…room　could　read　the
thoughts　of　the　rest；　the　ball　would　seem　a　travesty　on
enjoyment；　rather　than　real　pleasure；　and　now　he　perceived　its
force。　　He　also　noticed　that　many　were　better　than　he　had
supposed；　and　were　trying；　in　a　blundering　but　persevering　way；
to　obey　their　consciences。　　He　saw　some　unselfish　thoughts　and
acts。　　Many　things　that　he　had　attributed　to　irresolution　or
inconsistency；　he　perceived　were　in　reality　self…　sacrifice。　　He
went　on　in　frantic　disquiet；　distance　no　longer　being　of
consequence；　and　in　his　roaming　chanced　to　pass　through　the
graveyard　in　which　many　generations　of　his　ancestors　lay　buried。
Within　the　leaden　coffins　he　saw　the　cold　remains；　some　well
preserved；　others　but　handfuls　of　dust。
　　　
〃Tell　me；　O　my　progenitors；〃　he　cried；　〃you　whose　blood　till　this
morning　flowed　in　my　veins；　is　there　not　some　way　by　which　I；　as
a　spirit；　can　commune　with　the　material　world？　　I　have　always
admired　your　judgment　and　wisdom；　and　you　have　all　been　in
Shadowland　longer　than　I。　　Give　me；　I　pray　you；　some　ancestral
advice。〃
　　　
The　only　sound　in　answer　was　the　hum　of　the　insects　that　filled
the　evening　air。　　The　moonlight　shone　softly；　but　in　a　ghastly
way；　on　the　marble　crosses　of　his　vault　and　those　around；　and　he
felt　an　unspeakable　sadness　within　this　abode　of　the　dead。　　〃How
many　unfinished　lives；〃　he　thought；　〃have　ended　beneath　these
sods！　　Unimproved　talents　here　are　buried　in　the　ground。　
Unattained　ambitions；　and　those　who　died　before　their　time；　those
who　tried；　in　a　half…hearted　way；　to　improve　their　opportunities；
and　accomplished　something；　and　those　who　neglected　them；　and　did
still　lessall　are　together　here；　the　just　with　the　unjust；
though　it　be　for　the　last　time。　　The　grave　absorbs　their　bodies
and　ends　their　probationary　record；　from　which　there　is　no
appeal。〃
　　　
Near　by　were　some　open　graves；　ready　to　receive　their　occupants；
while　a　little　farther　on　he　recognized　the　Cortlandt　mausoleum；
looking　exactly　as　when　shown　him；　through　his　second　sight；　by
the　spirit　on　the　previous　day。
　　　
From　the　graves　filled　recently；　and　from　many　others；　rose
threads　of　coloured　matter；　in　the　form　of　gases；　the　forerunners
of　miasma。　　He　now　perceived　shadowy　figures　flitting　about　on
the　ground　and　in　the　air；　from　whose　eyes　poured　streams　of
immaterial　tears。　　Their　brains；　hearts；　and　vertebral　columns
were　the　parts　most　easily　seen；　and　they　were　filled　with　an
inextinguishable　anguish　and　sorrow　that　from　its　very　intensity
made　itself　seen　as　a　blue　flame。　　The　ruffles　and　knickerbockers
in　which　some　of　these　were　attired；　evidently　by　the　effects　of
the　thoughts　in　their　minds；　doubtless　from　force　of　habit　from
what　they　had　worn　on　earth　while　alive；　showed　that　they　had
been　dead　at　least　two　hundred　years。　　Ayrault　also　now　found
himself　in　street　clothes；　although　when　in　his　clubs　he　had　worn
a　dress　suit。
　　　
〃Tell　me；　fellow…spirits；〃　he　said；　addressing　them；　〃how　can　I
communicate　with　one　that　is　still　alive？〃
　　　
They　looked　at　him　with　moist　eyes；　but　answered　not　a　word。
　　　
〃I　attributed　the　misery　in　my　heart；〃　thought　Ayrault；　〃entirely
to　the　distress　at　losing　Sylvia；　which　God　knows　is　enough；　but
though　I　suspected　it　before；　I　now　see；　by　my　companions；　that　I
am　in　the　depths　of　hell。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　XII。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SHEOL。

Failing　to　find　words　to　convey　his　thoughts；　he　threw　himself
into　an　open　grave；　praying　that　the　earth　might　hide　his　soul；
as　he　had　supposed　it　some　day　would　hide　his　body。　　But　the
ground　was　like　crystal；　and　he　saw　the　white　bones　in　the　graves
all　around　him。　　Unable　to　endure　these　surroundings　longer；　he
rushed　back　to　his　old　haunts；　where　he　knew　he　should　find　the
friends　of　his　youth。　　He　did　not　pause　to　go　by　the　usual　way；
but　passed；　without　stopping；　through　walls　and　buildings。　　Soon
he　beheld　the　familiar　scene；　and　heard　his　own　name　mentioned。　
But　there　was　no　comfort　here；　and　what　he　had　seen　of　old　was
but　an　incident　to　what　he　gazed　on　now。　　Praying　with　his　whole
heart　that　he　might　make　himself　heard；　he　stepped　upon　a
foot…stool；　and　cried：
　　　
〃Your　bodies　are　decaying　before　me。　　You　are　burying　your
talents　in　the　ground。　　We　must　all　stand　for　final　sentence　at
the　last　day；　mortals　and　spirits　alike　there　is　not　a　shadow
of　a　shade　of　doubt。　　Your　every　thought　will　be　known；　and　for
every　evil　deed　and　every　idle　word　God　will　bring　us　into
judgment。