登陆注册
5371300000090

第90章

'But,' continued the witch, 'if instead of that which shall arrest the heart, I give that which shall sear and blast the brain--which shall make him who quaffs it unfit for the uses and career of life--an abject, raving, benighted thing--smiting sense to drivelling youth to dotage--will not thy vengeance be equally sated--thy object equally attained?'

'Oh, witch! no longer the servant, but the sister--the equal of Arbaces--how much brighter is woman's wit, even in vengeance, than ours! how much more exquisite than death is such a doom!'

'And,' continued the hag, gloating over her fell scheme, 'in this is but little danger; for by ten thousand methods, which men forbear to seek, can our victim become mad. He may have been among the vines and seen a nymph--or the vine itself may have had the same effect--ha, ha! they never inquire too scrupulously into these matters in which the gods may be agents.

And let the worst arrive--let it be known that it is a love-charm--why, madness is a common effect of philtres; and even the fair she that gave it finds indulgence in the excuse. Mighty Hermes, have I ministered to thee cunningly?'

'Thou shalt have twenty years' longer date for this,' returned Arbaces. 'Iwill write anew the epoch of thy fate on the face of the pale stars--thou shalt not serve in vain the Master of the Flaming Belt. And here, Saga, carve thee out, by these golden tools, a warmer cell in this dreary cavern--one service to me shall countervail a thousand divinations by sieve and shears to the gaping rustics.' So saying, he cast upon the floor a heavy purse, which clinked not unmusically to the ear of the hag, who loved the consciousness of possessing the means to purchase comforts she disdained.

'Farewell,' said Arbaces, 'fail not--outwatch the stars in concocting thy beverage--thou shalt lord it over thy sisters at the Walnut-tree,' when thou tellest them that thy patron and thy friend is Hermes the Egyptian.

To-morrow night we meet again.'

He stayed not to hear the valediction or the thanks of the witch; with a quick step he passed into the moonlit air, and hastened down the mountain.

The witch, who followed his steps to the threshold, stood at the entrance of the cavern, gazing fixedly on his receding form; and as the sad moonlight streamed over her shadowy form and deathlike face, emerging from the dismal rocks, it seemed as if one gifted, indeed, by supernatural magic had escaped from the dreary Orcus; and, the foremost of its ghostly throng, stood at its black portals--vainly summoning his return, or vainly sighing to rejoin him.

The hag, then slowly re-entering the cave, groaningly picked up the heavy purse, took the lamp from its stand, and, passing to the remotest depth of her cell, a black and abrupt passage, which was not visible, save at a near approach, closed round as it was with jutting and sharp crags, yawned before her: she went several yards along this gloomy path, which sloped gradually downwards, as if towards the bowels of the earth, and, lifting a stone, deposited her treasure in a hole beneath, which, as the lamp pierced its secrets, seemed already to contain coins of various value, wrung from the credulity or gratitude of her visitors.

'I love to look at you,' said she, apostrophising the moneys; 'for when Isee you I feel that I am indeed of power. And I am to have twenty years' longer life to increase your store! O thou great Hermes!'

She replaced the stone, and continued her path onward for some paces, when she stopped before a deep irregular fissure in the earth. Here, as she bent--strange, rumbling, hoarse, and distant sounds might be heard, while ever and anon, with a loud and grating noise which, to use a homely but faithful simile, seemed to resemble the grinding of steel upon wheels, volumes of streaming and dark smoke issued forth, and rushed spirally along the cavern.

'The Shades are noisier than their wont,' said the hag, shaking her grey locks; and, looking into the cavity, she beheld, far down, glimpses of a long streak of light, intensely but darkly red. 'Strange!' she said, shrinking back; 'it is only within the last two days that dull, deep light hath been visible--what can it portend?'

The fox, who had attended the steps of his fell mistress, uttered a dismal howl, and ran cowering back to the inner cave; a cold shuddering seized the hag herself at the cry of the animal, which, causeless as it seemed, the superstitions of the time considered deeply ominous. She muttered her placatory charm, and tottered back into her cavern, where, amidst her herbs and incantations, she prepared to execute the orders of the Egyptian.

'He called me dotard,' said she, as the smoke curled from the hissing cauldron: 'when the jaws drop, and the grinders fall, and the heart scarce beats, it is a pitiable thing to dote; but when,' she added, with a savage and exulting grin, 'the young, and the beautiful, and the strong, are suddenly smitten into idiocy--ah, that is terrible! Burn, flame--simmer herb--swelter toad--I cursed him, and he shall be cursed!'

On that night, and at the same hour which witnessed the dark and unholy interview between Arbaces and the Saga, Apaecides was baptized.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 实战宇宙

    实战宇宙

    新的时代来临,宣告着旧时代的结束,诸多网络游戏也面临淘汰的危机。皇宇科技创造出一款新型实战游戏,其名宇宙战纪。真实的冒险,异次元空间,游戏世界的大门开启,无数玩家纷纷前去冒险。一面之缘定羁绊,少年亚乐,少女彩悦也踏上他们的旅程,虽各有目的,但只为通关。原名《宇宙战纪》
  • 名人传记丛书:亨利·福特

    名人传记丛书:亨利·福特

    名人传记丛书——亨利·福特——让世界跑起来的人:“立足课本,超越课堂”,以提高中小学生的综合素质为目的,让中小学生从课内受益到课外,是一生的良师益友。
  • 带着农场混异界

    带着农场混异界

    他横任他横,我自种我田,若要来惹我,过不了明年。宅男赵海带着QQ农场穿越到了异界,附身到了一个落迫的小贵族身上,他的封地是一片种不出东西的黑土地,而最主要的是,他还有一个无比强势的未婚妻,他的未婚妻竟然是一个公国的继承人,未来的女大公!最最主要的是,他还是一个魔武废材,不能学魔法,不能学武技,废的十分彻底。我不能学魔法,但是我有农场,你敢攻打我?我放虫子吃光你的军粮,吃光你的庄稼,把你们的水源都下上杀虫剂,除草剂,给你的地上都种上杂草,我看你还敢来攻打我。什么?你要请杀手来暗杀我?嘿嘿嘿,我躲在自己农场的小屋里,看你怎么打我,等你走了,我就让你们国家的粮食绝产,到时候所有人都会起来造你的反,看你还敢来杀我。切看一个有点腹黑的宅男,怎么用他的QQ农场,在那个剑与魔法的世界里,成为让天下所有人一听到都会做恶梦的存在。
  • 仙子戏王爷:蔷薇小婢女

    仙子戏王爷:蔷薇小婢女

    天下第一楼主怎么了?飞雪山庄庄主又有什么了不起?!姑娘她可是天上下凡来的仙女来着!居然敢一个压着她做那委委屈屈的小婢女,还想利用她来解他的毒……另一个还想利用她的感情,拿她做踏板找藏宝图……你们不仁别怪我不义,且看本仙子如何翻身做女王,让你们一个个悔不当初……
  • 佛说无二平等最上瑜伽大教王经

    佛说无二平等最上瑜伽大教王经

    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。
  • 未来美食日记

    未来美食日记

    天!作为一个吃货,这里竟然只有营养液,麻辣小龙虾呢?牛排呢?火锅呢?嗯,没有肉,至少来个酸辣土豆丝吧!好吧,都没有,那么只能靠平安自己了,我要自给自足。于是业余厨师平安小姐发挥了百分之一万的专业精神开始了寻找美食的道路,一不小心竟然把全星际的人们带往吃货的方向,这我可不负责。
  • 杀手皇后:皇上随我挑

    杀手皇后:皇上随我挑

    顶级杀手魂穿嫡女,利用自身优势帮助夫君谋得帝王之位,却发现原来自己只是一个炮灰女配,一生辛劳只是为他人做嫁衣。拼死和渣男、渣女同归于尽,以为黄泉路远,孟婆汤苦,生生世世不再相见!命运又和她开了一个玩笑,再次让她回到了穿越的原点。既然上天赐予了一次反悔的机会,踢开渣男、渣女,她势必让那些贱人生不如死。
  • 达紫香花开

    达紫香花开

    残雪挂在石崖子下老松树枝梢头,冷风一吹,簌簌地,像鸟掉着羽毛。凌云裹紧了身上的棉衣,崖上是暖的,阳光照着。凤子又出来走到小河边去打水去了,她蓝底碎花小棉袄的身影隐现在山坡底下那片杂树林子中。凤子是山下成衣匠李宝库的女儿,她是和她父亲李宝库去年秋天上山来的。一只白脑门的山雀从林中无声地飞过来,落在青绿的松针上。老林子里静静的,坐在石砬子上能看到崖下那座木刻楞草屋,有四间房子那么大,大山开门,南面是三个窗洞。春冻骨头秋冻肉,时令虽早已过了立春,可在外面待得久了,这深山密林野谷里的风,还带着一股刮人骨的寒意。
  • 斗罗之异数

    斗罗之异数

    地球青年意外身死,转世投胎又恰逢大神打架,轮回池破碎,自混沌中走一遭后降临斗罗大陆……
  • 曹操:逐鹿天下五十年

    曹操:逐鹿天下五十年

    朝堂之上,大奸大忠者都差不多,唯有曹操大不同!曹操一直是历史上颇有争议的人物。这样一个官宦子弟,却趁着时代之机,于黄巾起义时崭露头角,统一北部中原,成就了不朽的功勋。曹操,一个惯用计谋,权术的人,往往将对手整得焦头烂额,他做事不虚伪,敢作敢为,是一个心怀天下、体恤众生的有情怀的人;同时,曹操也是一个敏感、自卑、内心孤独、猜忌心极重的权臣,也是一个柔情万丈、诗才横溢的普通男人和诗人。