登陆注册
5380300000027

第27章

The Irish have a holy salmon of knowledge, just like the Chaldean man-fish.The Druids' tree-worship is identical with that of the Chaldeans--those pagan groves, you know, which the Jews were always being punished for building.

You see, there is nothing new.Everything is built on the ruins of something else.Just as the material earth is made up of countless billions of dead men's bones, so the mental world is all alive with the ghosts of dead men's thoughts and beliefs, the wraiths of dead races'

faiths and imaginings."

Father Forbes paused, then added with a twinkle in his eye:

"That peroration is from an old sermon of mine, in the days when I used to preach.I remember rather liking it, at the time.""But you still preach?" asked the Rev.Mr.Ware, with lifted brows.

"No! no more! I only talk now and again," answered the priest, with what seemed a suggestion of curtness.He made haste to take the conversation back again."The names of these dead-and-gone things are singularly pertinacious, though.

They survive indefinitely.Take the modern name Marmaduke, for example.It strikes one as peculiarly modern, up-to-date, doesn't it? Well, it is the oldest name on earth--thousands of years older than Adam.It is the ancient Chaldean Meridug, or Merodach.He was the young god who interceded continually between the angry, omnipotent Ea, his father, and the humble and unhappy Damkina, or Earth, who was his mother.This is interesting from another point of view, because this Merodach or Marmaduke is, so far as we can see now, the original prototype of our 'divine intermediary' idea.I daresay, though, that if we could go back still other scores of centuries, we should find whole receding series of types of this Christ-myth of ours."Theron Ware sat upright at the fall of these words, and flung a swift, startled look about the room--the instinctive glance of a man unexpectedly confronted with peril, and casting desperately about for means of defence and escape.For the instant his mind was aflame with this vivid impression--that he was among sinister enemies, at the mercy of criminals.He half rose under the impelling stress of this feeling, with the sweat standing on his brow, and his jaw dropped in a scared and bewildered stare.

Then, quite as suddenly, the sense of shock was gone;and it was as if nothing at all had happened.

He drew a long breath, took another sip of his coffee, and found himself all at once reflecting almost pleasurably upon the charm of contact with really educated people.

He leaned back in the big chair again, and smiled to show these men of the world how much at his ease he was.

It required an effort, he discovered, but he made it bravely, and hoped he was succeeding.

"It hasn't been in my power to at all lay hold of what the world keeps on learning nowadays about its babyhood,"he said."All I have done is to try to preserve an open mind, and to maintain my faith that the more we know, the nearer we shall approach the Throne."Dr.Ledsmar abruptly scuffled his feet on the floor, and took out his watch."I'm afraid--" he began.

"No, no! There's plenty of time," remarked the priest, with his soft half-smile and purring tones."You finish your cigar here with Mr.Ware, and excuse me while I run down and get rid of the people in the hall."Father Forbes tossed his cigar-end into the fender.

Then he took from the mantel a strange three-cornered black-velvet cap, with a dangling silk tassel at the side, put it on his head, and went out.

Theron, being left alone with the doctor, hardly knew what to do or say.He took up a paper from the floor beside him, but realized that it would be impolite to go farther, and laid it on his knee.Some trace of that earlier momentary feeling that he was in hostile hands came back, and worried him.He lifted himself upright in the chair, and then became conscious that what really disturbed him was the fact that Dr.Ledsmar had turned in his seat, crossed his legs, and was contemplating him with a gravely concentrated scrutiny through his spectacles.

This uncomfortable gaze kept itself up a long way beyond the point of good manners; but the doctor seemed not to mind that at all.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 钢琴精灵的美好时光

    钢琴精灵的美好时光

    小朋友,你听说过钢琴精灵吗?她热爱音乐,她善良可爱,她最喜欢与小朋友们为伴。她与小朋友们的故事随着美妙的乐曲在人间广为流传。在《钢琴精灵的美好时光》这些故事中,你会看到钢琴精灵那轻盈美丽的身影,她用充满智慧的头脑引领你走进美妙的童话世界,为你的童年增添一分靓丽的色彩;她那颗善良的心会帮助你克服困难,让你学会坚强;她的故事像是一个传奇,又像是发生在你身边。请轻轻地走近她吧,让她陪伴你成长,让她的美好心灵陪你度过美好的每一天!
  • 城市发展学

    城市发展学

    发展问题是当今世界的头等重大问题,也是城市的根本问题。城市的一切问题,既是在发展中产生,又是在发展中求得解决。城市发展学是城市学的核心组成部分,所以,在一定意义上讲,城市学也可以说是城市发展学。因为城市学的本质所在就是研究城市方方面面发展的学问。当然,相对而言,城市学的研究范围应当更加广泛和深入,其内涵和内容也会更加丰富。城市发展学的形成和建立,应当说是为城市学的建立和完善提供了一定的理论基础。
  • 都市超级全职系统

    都市超级全职系统

    他,因体内封印凶兽混沌,被命运抛弃,成为一颗漂泊的种子来到了平凡的星球。偶然获得了他爷爷创造的系统,从此命运的齿轮开始转动!!他,是雇佣兵界的王,亚洲第一杀手!地下皇帝!名侦探!全球最大的企业老板!他独爱一人,可上天却要捉弄他们两人。她嫣然笑着说:万水千山就当作伏笔,我总会等到姗姗来迟你。他霸道笑着说:我站在所有的巅峰,只为告诉全世界的人,你是我的女人!
  • 养女

    养女

    “新绿丛书”是宁夏回族自治区党委宣传部主持策划,于2001年开始出版的以宁夏作家作品为内容的系列文学类图书,截至2005年年底已连续推出三辑。其中《马鸿逵传》已经再版,《花旦》《白衣宰相》《花逝》等作品受到读者的广泛欢迎。丛书的出版,既丰富了本地区的文化生活,又为宁夏的文学创作发掘了很好人才。
  • 美好的一年

    美好的一年

    大家就鱼贯而入,洗洗漱漱,各自睡去。刘虹先躺下,美好进去把药拿给她。刘虹拉住美好的手:“闺女,你别怕。”美好停住,胸中怒海翻江,她太明白这句话的深意了。“我不怕!”美好站住,身体挺得笔直,“我对得起你生下我的每一个日日夜夜,过去,现在,将来,一样!”
  • 赵振业传

    赵振业传

    ???齲?????????????????????????????????????????г??????????????????ó?????·??????????????????????????е????????ɡ??????????????????????????о???????????????????????????????????????????й???????????????????????档
  • 南游记旧

    南游记旧

    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。
  • 玄界旅行社

    玄界旅行社

    找工作失败,通宵狂饮,结果却误入专门服务于修士的玄界旅行社!不过,这位前辈怎么看上去有些怪怪的,你怎么会有猫的耳朵呢?等一下,你为什么还会对猫薄荷这么敏感呢?感谢崔莲支援的后援团:337435371
  • 情迷小妖精

    情迷小妖精

    她本来是个逍遥自在的小妖精,在某天却莫名成了一个小太监;皇帝帅哥总是用怪怪的眼神看着她,恨不得吃了她似的;好不容易活下来,却发现这条命被别人捏在手里;小小妖精,颠倒众生……
  • 猖狂庶女,邪王赖定小医妃

    猖狂庶女,邪王赖定小医妃

    爹不疼,无娘爱,更有贱人嫡姐妹挡道!慕悦音死而复生,这一世再也不是闺阁中的软弱无能三小姐。庶出又如何,逃脱他人摆布,现代医学傍身,做一回猖狂医女!谁来告诉她,赖在她府中的七王爷是怎么回事?人善被人欺,他竟然是废柴一枚,还要由她来保护!可是为何非要她做他的私人医生,更兼贴身丫头!为何总逼她做她不愿意做的事呢……世人唯恐跟七王爷牵连在一起,更别提婚嫁于他,但这不代表慕悦音自己也愿意嫁给他啊!庶女配废柴,岂不是绝世良配?七王爷萧逸勾唇一笑,看上的猎物怎能让她从手中溜走?!且看医女斗废柴王爷,宅斗权谋一起来!