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CHAPTER　XV

AYESHA　GIVES　JUDGMENT

THE　next　thing　that　I　remember　was　opening　my　eyes　and　
perceiving　the　form　of　Job；　who　had　now　practically　
recovered　from　his　attack　of　fever。　He　was　standing　in　
the　ray　of　light　that　pierced　into　the　cave　from　the　
outer　air；　shaking　out　my　clothes　as　a　makeshift　for　
brushing　them；　which　he　could　not　do　because　there　was　
no　brush；　and　then　folding　them　up　neatly　and　laying　
them　on　the　foot　of　the　stone　couch。　This　done；　he　got　
my　travelling　dressing…case　out　of　the　Gladstone　bag；　
and　opened　it　ready　for　my　use。　First；　he　stood　it　on　
the　foot　of　the　couch　also；　then；　being　afraid；　I　
suppose；　that　I　should　kick　it　off；　he　placed　it　on　a　
leopard　skin　on　the　floor；　and　stood　back　a　step　or　
two　to　observe　the　effect。　It　was　not　satisfactory；　so　
he　shut　up　the　bag；　turned　it　on　end；　and；　having　
rested　it　against　the　foot　of　the　conch；　placed　the　
dressing…case　on　it。　Next；　he　looked　at　the　pots　full　
of　water；　which　constituted　our　washing　apparatus。　
〃Ah！〃　I　heard　him　murmur；　〃no　hot　water　in　this　
beastly　place。　I　suppose　these　poor　creatures　only　use　
it　to　boil　each　other　in；〃　and　he　sighed　deeply。

〃What　is　the　matter；　Job？〃　I　said。　

〃Beg　pardon；　sir；〃　he　said；　touching　his　hair。　〃I　
thought　you　were　asleep；　sir；　and　I　am　sure　you　look　
as　though　you　want　it。　One　might　think　from　the　look　
of　you　that　you　had　been　having　a　night　of　it。〃

I　only　groaned　by　way　of　answer。　I　had；　indeed；　been　
having　a　night　of　it；　such　as　I　hope　never　to　have　
again。

〃How　is　Mr。　Leo；　Job？〃

〃Much　the　same；　sir。　If　he　don't　soon　mend；　he'll　end；　
sir；　and　that's　all　about　it；　though　I　must　say　that　
that　there　savage；　Ustane；　do　do　her　best　for　him；　
almost　like　a　baptized　Christian。　She　is　always　
hanging　round　and　looking　after　him；　and　if　I　ventures　
to　interfere；　it's　awful　to　see　her；　her　hair　seems　to　
stand　on　end；　and　she　curses　and　swears　away　in　her　
heathen　talkat　least　I　fancy　she　must　be　cursing　
from　the　look　of　her。〃

〃And　what　do　you　do　then？〃

〃I　make　her　a　perlite　bow；　and　I　say；　'Young　woman；　
your　position　is　one　that　I　don't　quite　understand；　
and　can't　recognize。　Let　me　tell　you　that　I　has　a　duty　
to　perform　to　my　master　as　is　incapacitated　by　
illness；　and　that　I　am　going　to　perform　it　until　I　am　
incapacitated　too　；　but　she　don't　take　no　heed；　not　
sheonly　curses　and　swears　away　worse　than　ever。　Last　
night　she　put　her　hand　under　that　sort　of　nightshirt　
she　wears　and　whips　out　a　knife　with　a　kind　of　a　curl　
in　the　blade；　so　I　whips　out　my　revolver；　and　we　walks　
round　and　round　each　other　till　at　last　she　bursts　out　
laughing。　It　isn't　nice　treatment　for　a　Christian　man　
to　have　to　put　up　with　from　a　savage；　however　handsome　
she　may　be；　but　it　is　what　people　must　expect　as　is　
fools　enough〃　（Job　laid　great　emphasis　on　the　〃fools〃）　
〃to　come　to　such　a　place　to　look　for　things　no　man　is　
meant　to　find。　It's　a　judgment　on　us；　sirthat's　my　
opinion；　and　I；　for　one；　is　of　opinion　that　the　
judgment　isn't　half　done　yet；　and　when　it　is　done；　we　
shall　be　done　too；　and　just　stop　in　these　beastly　
caves　with　the　ghosts　and　the　corpses　for　once　and　
all。　And　now；　sir；　I　must　be　seeing　about　Mr。　Leo's　
broth；　if　that　wild…cat　will　let　me；　and　perhaps　you　
would　like　to　get　up；　sir；　because　it's　past　nine　
o'clock。〃

Job's　remarks　were　not　of　an　exactly　cheering　order　to　
a　man　who　had　passed　such　a　night　as　I　had；　and；　what　
is　more；　they　had　the　weight　of　truth。　Taking　one　
thing　with　another；　it　appeared　to　me　to　be　an　utter　
impossibility　that　we　should　escape　from　the　place　
where　we　were。　Supposing　that　Leo　recovered；　and　
supposing　that　_i_　She　_i_　would　let　us　go；　which　was　
exceedingly　doubtful；　and　that　she　did　not　〃blast〃　us　
in　some　moment　of　vexation；　and　that　we　were　not　hot…
potted　by　the　Amahagger；　it　would　be　quite　impossible　
for　us　to　find　our　way　across　the　network　of　marshes　
which；　stretching　for　scores　and　scores　of　miles；　
formed　a　stronger　and　more　impassable　fortification　
round　the　various　Amahagger　households　than　any　that　
could　be　built　or　designed　by　man。　No；　there　was　but　
one　thing　to　doface　it　out；　and；　speaking　for　my　own　
part；　I　was　so　intensely　interested　in　the　whole　weird　
story　that；　so　far　as　I　was　concerned；　notwithstanding　
the　shattered　state　of　my　nerves；　I　asked　nothing　
better；　even　if　my　life　paid　forfeit　to　my　curiosity。　
What　man　for　whom　psychology　has　charms　could　forbear　
to　study　such　a　character　as　that　of　this　Ayesha　when　
the　opportunity　of　doing　so　presented　itself？　The　very　
terror　of　the　pursuit　added　to　its　fascination；　and　
besides；　as　I　as　forced　to　own　to　myself　even　now　in　
the　sober　light　of　day；　she　herself　had　attractions　
that　I　could　not　forget。　Not　even　the　dreadful　sight　
which　I　had　witnessed　during　the　night　could　drive　the　
folly　from　my　mind；　and　alas！　that　I　should　have　to　
admit　it；　it　has　not　been　driven　thence　to　this　hour。

After　I　had　dressed　myself　I　passed　into　the　eating；　
or；　rather；　embalming　chamber；　and　had　some　food；　
which　was；　as　before；　brought　to　me　by　the　girl　mutes。　
When　I　had　finished。　I　went　and　saw　poor　Leo；　who　was　
quite　off　his　head；　and　did　not　even　know　me。　I　asked　
Ustane　how　she　thought　he　was；　but　she　only　shook　her　
head　and　began　to　cry　a　little。　Evidently　her　hopes　
were　small；　and　I　then　and　there　made　up　my　mind　that；　
if　it　were　in　any　way　possible；　I　would　get　_i_　She　
_i_　to　come　and　see　him。　Surely　she　could　cure　him　if　
she　choseat　any　rate；　she　said　she　could。　While　I　
was　in　the　room；　Billali　entered；　and　also　shook　his　
head。

〃He　will　die　at　night；〃　he　said。

〃God　forbid；　my　father；〃　I　answered；　and　turned　away　
with　a　heavy　heart。

〃　_i_　She…who…must…be…obeyed　_i_　commands　thy　
presence；　my　Baboon；〃　said　the　old　man　as　soon　as　we　
got　to　the　curtain；　〃but；　O　my　dear　son；　be　more　
careful。　Yesterday　I　made　sure　in　my　heart　that　_i_　
She　_i_　would　blast　thee　when　thou　didst　not　crawl　
upon　thy　stomach　before　her。　_i_　She　_i_　is　sitting　in　
the　great　hall　even　now　to　do　justice　upon　those　who　
would　have　smitten　thee　and　the　Lion。　Come　on；　my　son；　
come　swiftly。〃

I　turned；　and　followed　him　down　the　passage；　and　when　
we　reached　the　great　central　cave　saw　that　many　
Amahagger；　some　robed；　and　some　merely　clad　in　the　
sweet　simplicity　of　a　leopard　skin；　were　hurrying　up　
it。　We　mingled　with　the　throng；　and　walked　up　the　
enormous　and；　indeed；　almost　interminable　cave。　All　
the　way　its　walls　were　elaborately　sculptured；　and　
every　twenty　paces　or　so　passages　opened　out　of　it　at　
right　angles；　leading；　Billali　told　me；　to　tombs；　
hollowed　in　the　rock　by　〃the　people　who　were　before。〃　
Nobody　visited　those　tombs　now；　he　said；　and　I　must　
say　that　my　heart　rejoiced　when　I　thought　of　the　
opportunities　of　antiquarian　research　which　opened　out　
before　me。

At　last　we　came　to　the　head　of　the　cave；　where　there　
was　a　rock　dais　almost　exactly　similar　to　the　one　on　
which　we　had　been　so　furiously　attacked；　a　fact　that　
proved　to　me　that　these　daises　must　have　been　used　as　
altars；　probably　for　the　celebration　of　religious　
ceremonies；　and　more　especially　of　rites　connected　
with　the　interment　of　the　dead。　On　either　side　of　this　
dais　were　passages　leading；　Billali　informed　me；　to　
other　caves　full　of　dead　bodies。　〃Indeed；〃　he　added；　
〃the　whole　mountain　is　full　of　dead；　and　nearly　all　of　
them　are　perfect。〃

In　front　of　the　dais　were　gathered　a　great　number　of　
people　of　both　sexes；　who　stood　staring　about　in　their　
peculiar　gloomy　fashion；　which　would　have　reduced　Mark　
Tapley　himself　to　misery　in　about　five　minutes。　On　the　
dais　was　a　rude　chair　of　black　wood　inlaid　with　ivory；　
having　a　seat　made　of　grass　fibre；　and　a　footstool　
formed　of　a　wooden　slab　attached　to　the　framework　of　
the　chair。

Suddenly　there　was　a　cry　of　〃　_i_　Hiya！　Hiya！　_i_　〃　（〃　
_i_　She　_i_　！　_i_　She　_i_　！〃）；　and　thereupon　the　
entire　crowd　of　spectators　instantly　precipitated　
itself　upon　the　ground；　and　lay　still　as　though　it　
were　individually　and　collectively　stricken　dead；　
leaving　me　standing　there　like　some　solitary　survivor　
of　a　massacre。　As　it　did　so　a　long　string　of　guards　
began　to　defile　from　a　passage　to　the　left；　and　ranged　
themselves　on　either　side　of　the　dais。　Then　followed　
about　a　score　of　male　mutes；　then　as　many　women　mutes　
bearing　lamps；　and　then　a　tall；　white　figure；　swatbed　
from　head　to　foot；　in　whom　I　recognized　_i_　She　_i_　
herself。　_i_　She　_i_　mounted　the　dais　and　sat…down　
upon　the　chair；　and　spoke　to　me　in　Greek。　I　suppose　
because　she　did　not　wish　those　present　to　understand　
what　she　said。

〃Come　hither；　O　Holly；〃　she　said；　〃and　sit　thou　at　my　
feet；　and　see　me　do　justice　on　those　who　would　have　
slain　thee。　Forgive　me　if　my　Greek　doth　halt　like　a　
lame　man；　it　is　so　long　since　I　have　heard　the　sound　
of　it　that　my　tongue　is　stiff；　and　will　not　bend　
rightly　to　the　words。〃

I　bowed；　and；　mounting　the　dais；　sat　down　at　her　feet。

〃How　didst　thou　sleep；　my　Holly？〃　she　asked。

〃I　slept　not　well；　O　Ayesha！〃　I　answered　with　perfect　
truth；　and　with　an　inward　fear　that　perhaps　she　knew