登陆注册
5302100000083

第83章 BOOK III.(23)

"They might oppress and distress you,but your faith would protect you wherever you might go.""Can you give us a taste of your sense of prescience?"asked Bearwarden again;"for,since it is not clear in what degree the condemned receive this,and neither is it by any means sure that I shall be saved,I should like for once in my history to experience this sense of divinity,before my entity ends in stone.""I will transfer to you my sense of prescience,"replied the spirit,"that you may foresee as prophets have.In so doing,Ishall but anticipate,since you will yourselves in time obtain this sense in a greater or less degree.Is there any event in the future you would like to see,in order that,when the vision is fulfilled,it may tend to stablish your faith?""Since I am the oldest,"replied the doctor,"and shall probably die before my friends,reveal to us,I pray you,the manner of my death and the events immediately following.This may prove an object-lesson to them,and will greatly interest me.""Your death will be caused by blood-poisoning,brought on by an accident,"began the spirit."Some daybreak will find you weak,after a troubled night,with your bodily resources at a low ebb.

Sunset will see you weaker,with your power of resistance almost gone.Midnight will find you weaker still,and but little removed from the point of death.A few hours later a kind hand will close the lids of your half-shut eyes,which never again will behold the light.The coffin will inclose your body,and the last earthly journey begin.Now,"the spirit continued,"you shall all use my sight instead of your own."The walls of the cave seemed to expand,till they resembled those of a great cathedral,while the stalactites appeared to be metamorphosed into Gothic columns.They found themselves among a large congregation that had come to attend the last sad rites,while the great organ played Chopin's "Funeral March."The high vault and arches received the organ's tone,and a sombre light pervaded the interior.There was a slight flutter and a craning of necks among those in the pews,as the procession began to ascend the aisle.While the slow step of the pallbearers and those carrying the coffin sounded on the stone floor,the clear voice of the clergyman that headed the procession sounded these words through the cathedral:"I know that my Redeemer liveth,and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth."As the bier advanced,Bearwarden and Ayrault recognized themselves among the pallbearers--the former with grey mustache and hair,the latter considerably aged.The hermetically sealed lead coffin was inclosed in a wooden case,and the whole was draped and covered with flowers.

"Oh,my faith!"cried Cortlandt,"I see my face within,yet it is but a decomposing mass that I once described as I."Then again did the minister's voice proclaim,"I am the resurrection and the life,saith the Lord;he that believeth in me,though he were dead,yet shall he live;and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."The bearers gently set down their burden;the minister read the ever-impressive chapter of St.Paul to the Corinthians;a bishop solemnly and silently sprinkled earth on the coffin;and the choir sang the 398th hymn,beginning with the words,"Hark,hark my soul!angelic songs are swelling,"which had always been Cortlandt's favourite and the service was at an end.The bearers again shouldered all that was left of Henry Cortlandt,and his relatives accompanied this to the cemetery.

Then came a sweeping change of scene.A host of monuments and gravestones reflected the sunlight,while a broad river ebbed and flowed between high banks.A sexton and a watchman stood by a granite vault,the heavy door of which they had opened with a large key.Hard by were some gardeners and labourers,and also a crowd of curiosity-seekers who had come to witness the last sad rites.Presently a funeral procession appeared.The hearse stopped near the open vault,over the door of which stood out the name of CORTLANDT,and the accompanying minister said a short prayer,while all present uncovered their heads.After this the coffin was borne within and set at rest upon a slab,among many generations of Cortlandts.In the hearts of the relatives and friends was genuine sorrow,but the curiosity-seekers went their way and gave little thought."To-morrow will be like to-day,"they said,"and more great men will die."Then came another change of scene,though it was comparatively slight.The sun slowly sank beyond the farther bank of the broad river,and the moon and stars shone softly on the gravestones and crosses.Two gardeners smoked their short clay pipes on a bench before the Cortlandt vault,and talked in a slow manner.

"He was a great man,"said one,"and if his soul blooms like the flowers on his grave,he must be in paradise,which we know is a finer park than this.""He was expert for the Government when the earth's axis was set right,"said the second gardener,"and he must have been a scholar,for his calculations have all come true.He was one of the first three men to visit the other planets,while the obituaries in the papers say his history will be read hereafter like the books of Caesar.After burying all these great people,I sometimes wish I could do the same for myself,for the people Ibury seem to be remembered."After this they relapsed into their meditations,the silence being broken only by an occasional murmur from the river's steady flow.

Hereupon the voyagers found they were once more in the cave.The fire had burned low,and the dawn was already in the east.

Cortlandt wiped his forehead,shivered,and looked extremely pale.

同类推荐
  • 祝由十三科

    祝由十三科

    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。
  • 送河中张胄曹往太原

    送河中张胄曹往太原

    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。
  • 甫田之什

    甫田之什

    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。
  • 现在贤劫千佛名经

    现在贤劫千佛名经

    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。
  • 唐书志传

    唐书志传

    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
  • 豪门贵公子

    豪门贵公子

    “给我生个孩子吧。”她红着眼睛,“你是坏人,我不给坏人生孩子。”他俯下身子深深望进她波光潋滟的眸里,笑,“我是坏人,你是坏女人,我们是绝配,所以生出来的孩子绝对不是池中物。”*套用杜程程的话来说,你家顾方泽,就是一容貌万年女王受,气质腹黑兼帝王攻。在他的人生信条里,只有十六个字:人不犯我,我不犯人,人若犯我,斩草除根。【语无伦次版简介】1、强大到变异的女主与腹黑妖孽到变态的男主。(相信我,强大与腹黑,是需要成长的)2、小虐,大部分比较温馨,男女主非善类,腹黑与腹黑的激烈PK,扑倒与反扑倒的誓死决斗。3、前面慢热,到了后头,会渐入佳境哒。4、两只装小绵羊的狼扑倒与反扑倒,再扑倒再反扑倒的故事,故事可能狗血(纯洁友爱的奈奈亲切地微笑:小朋友要记得蒙眼看喏……)情节可能会比较精彩,当然,虽然文案比较小言,但本质上不童话不穷摇~5、此文伪温馨清水,实乃强取豪夺文也。【原创版简介】她是知名电视台金牌主持人,他是伪善的豪门浪荡公子哥。游走于都市钢铁森林中,抛眼一笑,只为放纵自由。所谓欲望,所谓爱情,不过是一场游戏。*【小言版简介】她与他,前一刻还在床上“红帐翻涌春宵无边”,下一秒就能呼吸平稳翻身下床穿衣各自工作,如同陌路。她与他,不相爱,却相守。只因一个无法言说的秘密。【对话版简介】她摇摇头,笑得疲惫的说,“程程,你不明白他。以前我错了,其实他才是最骄傲的,他的爱情很骄傲,骄傲得容不得一点点瑕疵,所以这次,他是真的不要我了。”他道,“因为我爱你,所以我给了你伤害我的权利,你要记住,我不爱你,你什么都不是。”太恨了,所以没有力气再去爱。越得不到,越想要,越想要,就越得不到,所以他宁愿静候于原地,用风筝线将她拉住,让她可以飞,可是永远逃脱不了他的掌控。面对苏唯一,你永远都会自乱阵脚,而面对我,李涟漪,你装傻的功夫是一等一。我无法肯定你是否对我有感情,可是我愿意等,最开始喜欢上你的是我,到了最后,你还是我的。【总结版简介】说白了就是一智商120情商0的落难公主让腹黑英俊的伯爵BOSS拆吞入腹吃干抹净充满奸情狗血天雷的有爱故事~【友情提示版简介】作者是个三观不正的无良人士,恶趣味极多,RP负值,思想也8纯洁,偶尔会在文里埋个小地雷~不过坑品还是不错地,既然开了坑就一定会填完,可以放心跳哈。====
  • 盛宠嫡妃之世子追妻

    盛宠嫡妃之世子追妻

    【互宠,一生一世一双人,欢迎入坑】华宁国京都发生了两件大事,瞬间就轰动了整个京城一是丞相府寻回了沧海遗珠的嫡女可这嫡女却只是混迹街头的一个小痞子,实打实的女混混?二是皇帝将这个嫡女指给了景王府世子为世子妃但关键是景世子竟然答应了?一个是不学无术、不思进取、无才无德,只会插科打诨的小痞子一个是温文尔雅、云端高阳、众星捧月,年少便成名的王府世子世人皆道:云泥之别无人知晓,大婚之夜,她将一张纸递到他的面前,上面洋洋洒洒写着一行字——你走你的阳关道,我走我的独木桥他道:甚好。所有人都在等着这场所谓的闹剧收场,包括她自己只是却不曾想到的是,后来当着所有人的面,他揽着她的肩膀:夫人,昨夜是为夫折腾的厉害了,你莫要生气,对肚子里面的宝宝也不好。众人:战况激烈啊……不对啊,这与传言不符啊?她:我什么时候怀孕的?不对啊,我是怎么怀孕的!——*——*——没有人知道景初迟有多么爱虞笙,只有他自己知道那些没有她的日子里,他用尽所有的力气去活下来光阴辗转变换,只有她,才是他的救赎若无虞笙,景皆为迟余生有她,景未初迟
  • 三个女人一条河

    三个女人一条河

    黄鼠狼下老鼠,一代不如一代了。我母亲坐在灯晕里,唉声叹气地说。灯晕里,还有我和我父亲。我们坐在一盏昏暗的洋油灯下,听我母亲说过去的事情。我母亲是在讲我们何家的历史,主要是讲我爷爷的往事。于是,与我爷爷相关的人,也一一从我母亲嘴里蹦到了灯晕里。按理说,对家史最有发言权的是我父亲。但我父亲是个沉默寡言的人,虽然家史了然于胸,但他却和我一样,默默地做了我母亲的听众。偶尔,也会插上一两句。我母亲不时看我父亲一眼,笑容挂在嘴角。你爷爷浓眉大眼,阔嘴厚唇,一米七八的个子,脊梁直得跟铁板似的。
  • 萌厨嫁到

    萌厨嫁到

    她是悲催的呆萌吃货,穿越到古代居然运气值爆表,连带桃花朵朵开—首席大厨?美男战神?骚包逗比?NONONO!他们哪里比得上风华绝代的柠檬王爷!只可惜,这只柠檬很酸,外表高冷,内心却极度妖魔化!片段A“顾、小、呆!”某王额头青筋爆起,吼道:“谁让你在汤里放这么多醋的!你故意的是不是!”顾小呆小心翼翼地看了一眼慕容柠睿,抖了抖被他的咆哮声吹乱的发型,继续一脸无辜:“我本来就是顾意呀……”
  • 异界刺影之王

    异界刺影之王

    热爱玩游戏的骨灰级玩家赵残阳意外穿越,成为了奇幻世界的刺客。从此开启一个草根穿越玩家,走向顶级高手的一段惊心动魄,精彩纷呈的冒险。在这个变幻莫测的魔法世界,他该如何抉择?他将如何回到现实世界?他又会发生什么样的故事呢?
  • 培养青少年思考人生的故事(青少年健康成长大课堂)

    培养青少年思考人生的故事(青少年健康成长大课堂)

    一滴水可以折射阳光的光辉,一本好书可以滋润美好的心灵。健康的身心、丰富的情感、较强的实践能力、优良的品质、过硬的特殊技能、良好的习惯、深厚的文化底蕴及必要的合作素质等,是青少年朋友在成长道路上顺利前进所需要的最基础、最必要的条件,为青少年朋友们从自身着眼、开创成功指明了方向。社会是一幅斑驳陆离的图画,人生是一条蜿蜒扭动的曲线。知识是智慧和能力的基础。知识能够守护生命,是保护自己的盔甲。成长是一种历程,我们从无知到有知,从天真到深沉,我们用生命书写着成长的哲学,正是这些哲学的智慧丰富了我们的人生。
  • 荒野寻食记

    荒野寻食记

    荒野中,一位魂尊御空而过,看到林烨正在一边解剖星兽尸体,一边对着直播镜头解说着星兽的构造和弱点,不由的停下来,拍了拍林烨的肩膀赞许道:“不错,不错,难得还有年轻人能这么脚踏实际的讲解星兽的弱点,小伙子我看好你哦!”然后御空飞起。林烨一脸懵逼:“我只是想告诉他们这星兽啥部位能吃而已。”刚刚飞起的魂尊一个趔趄差点摔下来,然后一脸尴尬加速离开。
  • 十一面观自在菩萨心密言念诵仪轨经

    十一面观自在菩萨心密言念诵仪轨经

    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。
  • 为了逝去的青春

    为了逝去的青春

    闵凡利著的《为了逝去的青春/中国当代名家精品必读散文》中这些散文作品情感饱满,视角独特,想像开阔,内涵深邃。在这些作品中,对生活的感悟和描述绵细而稠密,对情绪的挥洒和开拓激烈而诗意。每一篇作品不光有着音乐的亲和力,而且还有着文学的高倍纯度。
  • 文摘小说精品:校园卷

    文摘小说精品:校园卷

    本书收录了一些文摘小说中的精品故事。青春是一首歌,演绎着浪漫的童话,这里有我们青涩的成长历程,有我们甘之如饴的美好回忆。任时光流转,最初的亦是最美。