the virgin of the sun-第3部分

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in　the　sky。　〃A　fine　figure　of　a　woman；〃　he　went　on；　〃and　oh！　heaven；
what　eyesI　never　saw　such　eyes　before。　Big　and　tender；　something
like　those　of　the　deer　in　the　park　yonder。　Proud；　too；　she　is；　one　who
has　ruled；　and　a　lady；　though　foreign。　Well；　I　never　fell　in　love
before；　but　I　feel　like　it　now；　and　so　would　you；　young　man；　if　you
could　see　her；　and　so　I　think　did　someone　else　in　his　day。〃

〃What　did　she　say　to　you？〃　I　asked；　for　by　now　I　was　interested
enough。　Who　wouldn't　be　when　old　Potts　took　to　describing　beautiful
women？

〃It's　a　little　difficult　to　tell　you　for　she　spoke　in　a　strange
tongue；　and　I　had　to　translate　it　in　my　head；　as　it　were。　But　this　is
the　gist　of　it。　That　you　were　to　have　that　chest　and　what　was　in　it。
There's　a　writing　there；　she　says；　or　part　of　a　writing　for　some　has
gonerotted　away。　You　are　to　read　that　writing　or　to　get　it　read　and
to　print　it　so　that　the　world　may　read　it　also。　She　said　that　'Hubert'
wishes　you　to　do　so。　I　am　sure　the　name　was　Hubert；　though　she　also
spoke　of　him　with　some　other　title　which　I　do　not　understand。　That's
all　I　can　remember；　except　something　about　a　city；　yes；　a　City　of　Gold
and　a　last　great　battle　in　which　Hubert　fell；　covered　with　glory　and
conquering。　I　understood　that　she　wanted　to　talk　about　that　because　it
isn't　in　the　writing；　but　you　interrupted　and　of　course　she's　gone。
Yes；　the　price　is　？0　and　not　a　farthing　less；　but　you　can　pay　it　when
you　like　for　I　know　you're　as　honest　as　most；　and　whether　you　pay　it
or　not；　you　must　have　that　chest　and　what's　in　it　and　no　one　else。〃

〃All　right；〃　I　said；　〃but　don't　trust　it　to　the　carrier。　I'll　send　a
cart　for　it　to…morrow　morning。　Lock　it　now　and　give　me　the　key。〃



In　due　course　the　chest　arrived；　and　I　examined　the　bundle　for　the
other　contents　do　not　matter；　although　some　of　them　were　interesting。
Pinned　inside　the　shawl　I　found　a　paper；　undated　and　unsigned；　but
which　from　the　character　and　style　of　the　writing　was；　I　should　say；
penned　by　a　lady　about　sixty　years　ago。　It　ran　thus：

　〃My　late　father；　who　was　such　a　great　traveller　in　his　young　days
　　and　so　fond　of　exploring　strange　places；　brought　these　things　home
　　from　one　of　his　journeys　before　his　marriage；　I　think　from　South
　　America。　He　told　me　once　that　the　dress　was　found　upon　the　body　of
　　a　woman　in　a　tomb　and　that　she　must　have　been　a　great　lady；　for
　　she　was　surrounded　by　a　number　of　other　women；　perhaps　her
　　servants　who　were　brought　to　be　buried　with　her　here　when　they
　　died。　They　were　all　seated　about　a　stone　table　at　the　end　of　which
　　were　the　remains　of　a　man。　My　father　saw　the　bodies　near　the　ruins
　　of　some　forest　city；　in　the　tomb　over　which　was　heaped　a　great
　　mound　of　earth。　That　of　the　lady；　which　had　a　kind　of　shroud　made
　　of　the　skins　of　long…wooled　sheep　wrapped　about　it　as　though　to
　　preserve　the　dress　beneath；　had　been　embalmed　in　some　way；　which
　　the　natives　of　the　place；　wherever　it　was；　told　him　showed　that
　　she　was　royal。　The　others　were　mere　skeletons；　held　together　by
　　the　skin；　but　the　man　had　a　long　fair　beard　and　hair　still　hanging
　　to　his　skull；　and　by　his　side　was　a　great　cross…hilted　sword　that
　　crumbled　to　fragments　when　it　was　touched；　except　the　hilt　and　the
　　knob　of　amber　upon　it　which　had　turned　almost　black　with　age。　I
　　think　my　father　said　that　the　packet　of　skins　or　parchment　of
　　which　the　underside　is　badly　rotted　with　damp　was　set　under　the
　　feet　of　the　man。　He　told　me　that　he　gave　those　who　found　the　tomb
　　a　great　deal　of　money　for　the　dress；　gold　ornaments；　and　emerald
　　necklace；　as　nothing　so　perfect　had　been　found　before；　and　the
　　cloth　is　all　worked　with　gold　thread。　My　father　told　me；　too；　that
　　he　did　not　wish　the　things　to　be　sold。〃

This　was　the　end　of　the　writing。

Having　read　it　I　examined　the　dress。　It　was　of　a　sort　that　I　had　never
seen　before；　though　experts　to　whom　I　have　shown　it　say　that　it　is
certainly　South　American　of　a　very　early　date；　and　like　the　ornaments；
probably　pre…Inca　Peruvian。　It　is　full　of　rich　colours　such　as　I　have
seen　in　old　Indian　shawls　which　give　a　general　effect　of　crimson。　This
crimson　robe　clearly　was　worn　over　a　skirt　of　linen　that　had　a　purple
border。　In　the　box　that　I　have　spoken　of　were　the　ornaments；　all　of
plain　dull　gold：　a　waist…band；　a　circlet　of　gold　for　the　head　from
which　rose　the　crescent　of　the　young　moon　and　a　necklace　of　emeralds；
uncut　stones　now　much　flawed；　for　what　reason　I　do　not　know；　but
polished　and　set　rather　roughly　in　red　gold。　Also　there　were　two
rings。　Round　one　of　these　a　bit　of　paper　was　wrapped　upon　which　was
written；　in　another　hand；　probably　that　of　the　father　of　the　writer　of
the　memorandum：

　〃Taken　from　the　first　finger　of　the　right　hand　of　a　lady's　mummy
　　which　I　am　sorry；　in　our　circumstances；　it　was　quite　impossible　to
　　carry　away。〃

This　ring　is　a　broad　band　of　gold　with　a　flat　bezel　upon　which
something　was　once　engraved　that　owing　to　long　and　hard　wear　now
cannot　be　distinguished。　In　short；　it　appears　to　be　a　signet　of　old
European　make　but　of　what　age　and　from　what　country　it　is　impossible
to　determine。　The　other　ring　was　in　a　small　leathery　pouch；
elaborately　embroidered　in　gold　thread　or　very　thin　wire；　which　I
suppose　was　part　of　the　lady's　costume。　It　is　like　a　very　massive
wedding　ring；　but　six　or　eight　times　as　thick；　and　engraved　all　over
with　an　embossed　conventional　design　of　what　look　like　stars　with　rays
round　them；　or　possibly　petalled　flowers。　Lastly　there　was　the　sword…
hilt；　of　which　presently。

Such　were　the　trinkets；　if　so　they　may　be　called。　They　are　of　little
value　intrinsically　except　for　their　weight　in　gold；　because；　as　I
have　said；　the　emeralds　are　flawed　as　though　they　have　been　through　a
fire　or　some　other　unknown　cause。　Moreover；　there　is　about　them
nothing　of　the　grace　and　charm　of　ancient　Egyptian　jewellery；
evidently　they　belonged　to　a　ruder　age　and　civilization。　Yet　they　had；
and　still　have；　to　my　imagining；　a　certain　dignity　of　their　own。

Alsohere　I　became　infected　with　the　spirit　of　the　peculiar　Potts
without　doubt　these　things　were　rich　in　human　associations。　Who　had
worn　that　dress　of　crimson　with　the　crosses　worked　on　it　in　gold　wire
（they　cannot　have　been　Christian　crosses）；　and　the　purple…bordered
skirt　underneath；　and　the　emerald　necklace　and　the　golden　circlet　from
which　rose　the　crescent　of　the　young　moon？　Apparently　a　mummy　in　a
tomb；　the　mummy　of　some　long…dead　lady　of　a　strange　and　alien　race。
Was　she　such　a　one　as　that　old　lunatic　Potts　had　dreamed　he　saw
standing　before　him　in　the　filthy；　cumbered　upper…chamber　of　a　ruinous
house　in　an　England　market　town；　I　wondered；　one　with　great　eyes　like
to　those　of　a　doe　and　a　regal　bearing？

No；　that　was　nonsense。　Potts　had　lived　with　shadows　until　he　believed
in　shadows　that　came　out　of　his　own　imagination　and　into　it　returned
again。　Still；　she　was　a　woman　of　some　sort；　and　apparently　she　had　a
lover　or　a　husband；　a　man　with　a　great　fair　beard。　How　at　this　date；
which　must　have　been　remote；　did　a　golden…bearded　man　come　to
foregather　with　a　woman　who　wore　such　robes　and　ornaments　as　these？
And　that　sword　hilt；　worn　smooth　by　handling　and　with　an　amber　knob？
Whence　came　it？　To　my　mindthis　was　before　expert　examination
confirmed　my　viewit　looked　very　Norse。　I　had　read　the　Sagas　and　I
remembered　a　tale　recovered　in　them　of　some　bold　Norsemen　who　about
the　years　eight　or　nine　hundred　had　wandered　to　the　coast　of　what　is
known　now　to　be　AmericaI　think　a　certain　Eric　was　their　captain。
Could　the　fair…haired　man　in　the　grave　have　been　one　of　these？

Thus　I　speculated　before　I　looked　at　the　pile　of　parchments　so
evidently　prepared　from　sheep　skins　by　one　who　had　only　a　very
rudimentary　knowledge　of　how　to　work　such　stuff；　not　knowing　that　in
those　parchments　was　hid　the　answer　to　many　of　my　questions。　To　these
I　turned　last　of　all；　for　we　all　shrink　from　parchments；　their
contents　are　generally　so　dull。　There　was　a　great　bundle　of　them　that
had　been　lashed　together　with　a　kind　of　straw　rope；　fine　straw　that
reminded　me　of　that　used　to　make　Panama　hats。　But　this　had　rotted
underneath　together　with　all　the　bottom　part　of　the　parchments；　many
sheets　of　them；　of　which　only　fragments　remained；　covered　with　dry
mould　and　crumbling。　Therefore　the　rope　was　easy　to　remove　and　beneath
it；　holding　the　sheets　in　place；　was　only　some　stout　and　comparatively
modern　stringit　had　a　red　thread　in　it　that　marked　it　as　navy　cord
of　an　old　pattern。

I　slipped　these　fastenings　off　and　lifted　a　blank　piece　of　skin　set
upon　the　top。　Beneath　appeared　the　first　sheet　of　parchment；　closely；
very　closely　covered　with　small　〃black…letter〃　writing；　so　faint　and
faded　that　even　if　I　were　able　to　read　black…letter；　which　I　cannot；
of　it　I　could　have　made　nothing　at　all。　The　thing　was　hopeless。
Doubtless　in　that　writing　lay　the　key　to　the　mystery；　but　it　could
never　be　deciphered　by　me　or　any　one　else。　The　lady　with　the　eyes　like
a　deer　had　appeared　to　old　Potts　in　vain；　in　vain　had　she　bidden　him
to　hand　over　this　manuscript　to　me。

So　I　thought　at　the　time；　not　knowing　the　resources　of　science。
Afterwards；　however；　I　took　that　huge　bundle　to　a　friend；　a　learned
friend　whose　business　in　life　it　was　and　is；　to　deal　with　and　to
decipher　old　manuscripts。

〃Looks　pretty　hopeless；〃　he　said；　after　staring　at　these。　〃Still；
let's　have　a　try；　one　never　knows　till　one　tries。〃

Then　he　went　to　a　cupboard　in　his　muniment　room　and　produced　a　bottle
full　of　some　straw…coloured　fluid　into　which　he　dipped　an　ordinary
painting　brush。　This　charged　brush　he　rubbed　backwards　and　forwards
over　the　first　lines　of　the　writing　and　waited。　Within　a　minute；
before　my　astonished　eyes；　that　faint；　indistinguishable　script　turned
coal…black；　as　black　as　though　it　had　been　written　with　the　best
modern　ink　yesterday。

〃It's　all　right；〃　he　said　triumphantly；　〃it's　vegetable　ink；　and　this
stuff　has　the　power　to　bring　it　up　as　it　was　on　the　day　when　it　was
used。　It　will　stay　like　that　for　a　fortnight　and　then　fade　away　again。
Your　manuscript　is　pretty　ancient；　my　friend；　time　of　Richard　II；　I
should　say；　but　I　can　read　it　ea