登陆注册
5242100000051

第51章 CHAPTER VIII(7)

Night, without poppies, leading the stars and moon and all the vigorous dreams that must come true: Love of woman that cannot be set aside, but will govern the world from Eden to the abyss into which the nations fall to the outstretched hands of God: Death as Life's leader, with a staff from which sprang blossoms red as the western sky: Savage Fecundity that crushes all barren things into the silent dust: and then the Desert.

That came in a pale cloud of sand, with a pale crowd of worshippers, those who had received gifts from the Desert's hands and sought for more: white-robed Marabouts who had found Allah in his garden and become a guide to the faithful through all the circling years: murderers who had gained sanctuary with barbaric jewels in their blood-stained hands: once tortured men and women who had cast away terrible recollections in the wastes among the dunes and in the treeless purple distances, and who had been granted the sweet oases of forgetfulness to dwell in: ardent beings who had striven vainly to rest content with the world of hills and valleys, of sea-swept verges and murmuring rivers, and who had been driven, by the labouring soul, on and on towards the flat plains where roll for ever the golden wheels of the chariot of the sun. She saw, too, the winds that are the Desert's best-loved children: Health with shining eyes and a skin of bronze: Passion, half faun, half black-browed Hercules: and Liberty with upraised arms, beating cymbals like monstrous spheres of fire.

And she saw palm trees waving, immense palm trees in the south. It seemed to her that she travelled as far away from Beni-Mora as she had travelled from England in coming to Beni-Mora. She made her way towards the sun, joining the pale crowd of the Desert's worshippers.

And always, as she travelled, she heard the clashing of the cymbals of Liberty. A conviction was born in her that Fate meant her to know the Desert well, strangely well; that the Desert was waiting calmly for her to come to it and receive that which it had to give to her; that in the Desert she would learn more of the meaning of life than she could ever learn elsewhere. It seemed to her suddenly that she understood more clearly than hitherto in what lay the intense, the over-mastering and hypnotic attraction exercised already by the Desert over her nature. In the Desert there must be, there was--she felt it-- not only light to warm the body, but light to illuminate the dark places of the soul. An almost fatalistic idea possessed her. She saw a figure--one of the Messengers--standing with her beside the corpse of her father and whispering in her ear "Beni-Mora"; taking her to the map and pointing to the word there, filling her brain and heart with suggestions, till--as she had thought almost without reason, and at haphazard--she chose Beni-Mora as the place to which she would go in search of recovery, of self-knowledge. It had been pre-ordained. The Messenger had been sent. The Messenger had guided her. And he would come again, when the time was ripe, and lead her on into the Desert.

She felt it. She knew it.

She looked round at the Arabs. She was as much a fatalist as any one of them. She looked at the stranger. What was he?

Abruptly in her imagination a vision rose. She gazed once more into the crowd that thronged about the Desert having received gifts at the Desert's hands, and in it she saw the stranger.

He was kneeling, his hands were stretched out, his head was bowed, and he was praying. And, while he prayed, Liberty stood by him smiling, and her fiery cymbals were like the aureoles that illumine the beautiful faces of the saints.

For some reason that she could not understand her heart began to beat fast, and she felt a burning sensation behind her eyes.

She thought that this extraordinary music, that this amazing dance, excited her too much.

The white bundle at Suzanne's side stirred. Irena, holding the daggers above her head, had sprung from the little platform and was dancing on the earthen floor in the midst of the Arabs.

Her thin body shook convulsively in time to the music. She marked the accents with her shudders. Excitement had grown in her till she seemed to be in a feverish passion that was half exultant, half despairing.

In her expression, in her movements, in the way she held herself, leaning backwards with her face looking up, her breast and neck exposed as if she offered her life, her love and all the mysteries in her, to an imagined being who dominated her savage and ecstatic soul, there was a vivid suggestion of the two elements in Passion--rapture and melancholy. In her dance she incarnated passion whole by conveying the two halves that compose it. Her eyes were nearly closed, as a woman closes them when she has seen the lips of her lover descending upon hers. And her mouth seemed to be receiving the fiery touch of another mouth. In this moment she was a beautiful woman because she looked like womanhood. And Domini understood why the Arabs thought her more beautiful than the other dancers. She had what they had not-- genius. And genius, under whatever form, shows to the world at moments the face of Aphrodite.

同类推荐
  • 佛说银色女经

    佛说银色女经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说三十五佛名礼忏文

    佛说三十五佛名礼忏文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 萨婆多部毗尼摩得勒伽

    萨婆多部毗尼摩得勒伽

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 庸吏庸言

    庸吏庸言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 仲秋纪

    仲秋纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 远古修真者在现代

    远古修真者在现代

    他们曾经是远古时代一群法力无边的神,他们也有战乱纷争,他们以拯救天地劫难为己任,因为“天心”和“天魔之心”的缘故,他们穿越了过去未来和异世空间,他们和今天的人间僵尸之间产生了穿越时空的爱情,他们在我们今天的生活中找不到工作,远古的神,他们就在我们身边,在我们的身边,时时都在发生着许多穿越的事,只是,我们都未曾发觉,面对使命与离奇的爱情,远古之神又将如何抉择?
  • 第一祸妃

    第一祸妃

    她是名动天下的红颜祸水,让所有皇室子弟、贵族公子莫不对她退避三尺;但她又是艳名远播的宰相千金,令所有男子纷纷对她趋之若鹜、众星拱月…当一个全新的灵魂附注在这个矛盾的身体上时,那些曾经拒绝过、嘲笑过、讽刺过、伤害过她的男人才真正明白,能与他们比肩站在巅峰的女子却是他们之前费劲心思推至门外的那个她…奈何,此刻的她已不是当初的闺阁小姐,对于那些伤害过她的人,她能不去报复他们,已是对他们最大的仁慈…本文女主腹黑,在一定范围内强大,必要的时候会扮猪吃老虎;男主个个是精英,一定不会让亲们失望!简介无能,会再次修改,宁儿新文,希望大家多多支持,谢谢!推荐自己新文《楚王妃》:云府千金胆小懦弱,金銮殿上的一场退婚,让她撞柱身亡……再次睁眸,眼底怯懦褪去,寒光乍现,让人望而生畏,缓步踏进血迹斑斑的大殿,清冷微寒的嗓音缓缓响起“那就随了辰王的愿!”人人都道是,云府千金历经坎坷性情大变,殊不知,这同一具身体内住着的是不同的灵魂……陌生的环境、各怀鬼胎的众人、阴谋不断的家事、纷争连起的政事,通通状似无意的袭向养在深闺的她……奈何,她已不是以前的软柿子,轻笑间却已是掀起了血雨腥风……推荐自己的旧文:《总裁的古代小娇妻》:《霸上儿子的总裁爸》:《晚夏》:特别推荐好友蔓妙滴新文:《罂粟妃》推荐好友文文:亲亲夏天的新文:《掠心女法医》亲亲果冻滴新文:《第一庶女》果冻滴新文:《呆子王妃》果冻滴新文:《无价贵妻》亲亲幽幽滴文文:《特工弃妇》亲亲小菟滴新文:《魅妾》
  • 红楼别梦之水木缘

    红楼别梦之水木缘

    无材可去补苍天,枉入红尘若许年。此系身前身后事,倩谁记去做奇传?红楼一梦,道不尽人间悲欢离合事,搵不尽世人悲金悼玉泪。前世的她是灵河岸边,三生石畔的绛珠仙草,袅娜娉婷,一腔缠绵,还泪、报恩。今生的她是姑苏城中晶莹剔透的女子,风流灵巧,却命途多舛,泪恩既尽,此生何去何从?前世的他,是龙王三太子,千年苦修,百世寂寞,却甘愿为了她,削去仙籍,重堕轮回。今世的他,是尊荣的王爷,俊逸倜傥,不拘一格,却执着的为她披荆斩棘、遮风挡雨。似此深情厚恩,妾将何以还?一曲凄绝的葬花吟,柔肠百折,前世注定的缘,今生如何再续?水木相融,痴痴缠缠,如何执手相伴,笑看红尘?大厦将倾,红楼诸芳,又各自有着怎样的命运?机关算尽的宝钗能否如愿以偿成为贾府的宝二奶奶?探春远嫁番邦的又是因为怎样的阴谋?妙玉到底有着怎样的身世、又为何会遁迹空门?"不在梅边在柳边,个中谁拾画婵娟“到底是怎样的故事?凤姐被休,垂死托孤。因父母作孽身堕烟花的巧姐儿如何脱身?覆巢之下,面对亲人的哀哀哭诉,独善其身的李纨能否仗义施援?伪善如袭人、刚烈似晴雯又会面对怎样的未来?续貂之作,还原心中的红楼。诗不成诗,词难为词,只抒胸臆尔。…读罢红楼泪阑干,孰解多情?罥烟眉、含露目,花若怜人花亦愁,徒叹息,痴心一片付谁家?潇湘月冷泪恩断,花明柳暗。别过往,续红丝,莫道流水苦无情,从头看,尘埃落定水木缘。————————————————————————————————————推荐竹子的新文~红楼续梦l之水黛情这里的水溶,不是生于优裕环境的天之骄子,而是木秀于林,历经磨难,啖尽人情冷暖,肩负重任的冷情皇子。逆境,绝望、世态炎凉,没有让他倒下,而是让他一次次的浴血重生,让他傲立不倒,更加强大。这里的黛玉,没有异能,没有强大的背景,她只是生于江南水乡,书香世家走出来的清灵脱俗女子。外柔而内刚,聪颖慧黠,坚强独立,走出木石前盟的重重阴霾,更加清晰的看待世态人心,于泥淖中卓然,不染俗尘。三生三世的等待,茫茫人海中相遇,凝眸时,情归处。他是冷傲的王,无情无爱,等待的只是能够点燃他眼眸的清灵。她是世外仙姝,孤芳自赏,希冀的只是一生一世一双人的承诺。何须后宫三千,今生有你,足矣。前路多艰,惟愿与你携手,不离不弃。
  • 公主今天登基了吗

    公主今天登基了吗

    死于亲弟弟和丈夫一碗牵机药的赵盈,重生回到了十四岁这一年……这一年弟弟还在努力扮演人畜无害小绵羊,渣男还在拼命凹深情人设想要做驸马,只有大公主不一样了——她想当皇帝!
  • 找寻蔚县古堡

    找寻蔚县古堡

    翻过北京西面的山,那里不只是塞北的雪、塞上的风。那里有一座明代的古城,这古城和我45年前玩耍过的北京古城一样迷人。那里有近200座古堡,这古堡和我15年前走过的闽南土楼一样震撼。那里还有谜一样的文化、风俗、观念。在一些偏僻的堡子里,我看到现代化与现实生活之间的距离是那样的遥远,仿佛相隔三十年。面对塞北大地,我追问:是谁在这里留下了蔚州独特的地域文化?面对蔚县古城堡,我深思:这里发生过什么,这里的人膜拜着什么?
  • 黑狱高校

    黑狱高校

    黑狱高校:“高级学员李星云,任务完成,请说出你的愿望”李星云:“余生只愿能与挚友把酒言欢,能与至亲一日三餐,能与挚爱幕霞朝阳,你能实现吗”黑狱高校:“学分不足愿望无法达成,请高级学员李星云,完成任务获取更多学分”黑狱高校:“新世界已发现,传送通道建立中…”“传送成功”“身份载入中...载入成功”“祝诸君武运昌隆”
  • 超级玩家II

    超级玩家II

    这是一个把电影和游戏相结合的游戏……和欧阳峰癫狂东成西就……与周淮安闯新龙门客栈……和令狐冲演绎笑傲江湖……陪小马哥展现英雄本色……相约华弟交织天若有情……和陈家驹打造警察故事……与朱华标联袂怒火街头……跟周星星玩转逃学威龙……陪程蝶衣伤怀霸王别姬……催促阿甘奔跑阿甘正传……助辛德勒完善救赎名单……陪安妮公主游罗马假日……与擎天柱怒战变形金刚……携手麦考利激斗盗火线……和麦卡伦上演虎胆龙威……
  • 神奇宝贝精灵纪元

    神奇宝贝精灵纪元

    来回穿梭,但无奈还是回不去,回不去那熟悉的地方,却遇到熟悉,但又不熟悉的人……新书已经开始,明天应该就可以看了,名《神奇宝贝精灵纪元前篇》
  • 陈立农你是我最甜的浓糖

    陈立农你是我最甜的浓糖

    许芊晚第一次粉上陈立农是因为陪闺蜜看综艺。陈立农第一次见许芊晚是因为粉丝见面会上的乌龙。一次一次的相遇,让他慢慢了解她慢慢喜欢她……(纯属虚构,请勿上真人)【宝贝们支持一下新书呗~《范丞丞:余生你别想逃了》】
  • 狂女重生:妖孽王爷我要了

    狂女重生:妖孽王爷我要了

    惨遭未婚夫退婚,依旧面不改色,却对绑架自己的丑男露出小女儿神态!面对他人刁难,一鸣惊人英姿展,反倒被个“轮椅男”耍的团团转?李宛如是谁,和硕公主又是谁,自己的身体,却隐藏着自己都不知道的秘密!这个世界太危险,被扔下井,被绑上山,只是我自有福星照耀,纵有千难万险,也有我牢靠的独木桥。只是独木桥也有靠不住的时候,且看我“临时”公主如何在异国他乡横冲直撞,过五关,斩六将。情节虚构,请勿模仿