按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
carelessly； and in a moment read the following line： 〃I am dying；
sweetheart； dying。〃 〃Doesn't that sound familiar？ It reminds me at
once of the poetic alarm clock that wakens me every morning； … 'I am
dying； Egypt； dying。' There is no doubt that Higginson's poem suggested
this one。 Here is the whole of the thing as it is printed here；〃 he said； and
read the following：
LOVE'S TWILIGHT
I am dreaming； loved one； dreamingOf the sweet and beauteous
pastWhen the world was as its seeming；Ere the fatal shaft was cast。
I am sobbing； sad…eyed； sobbing；At the darkly sullen west；Of the
smile of ignorance robbingThe pale face against the breast。
I am smiling； tear…stained； smiling；As the sun glints on the
crestOf the troubled wave； beguilingShipwrecked Hope to its long rest。
I am parting； broken； parting；From a soul that I hold dear；And
the music of whose beautyFades a dead strain on my ear。
110
… Page 111…
The Darrow Enigma
I am dying； sweetheart； dying；Drips life's gold through palsied
hands； …=20See； the dead'ning Sun is sighingHis last note in red'ning
bands。
So I'm sighing； sinking； sighing；Flows life's river to the
sea。Death my throbbing heart is tyingWith the strings that ache for thee。
〃Yes；〃 I said； when he had finished。 〃I shall have to admit that
immediately suggests Higginson's poem and Cleopatra's name。 But here；
try this；〃 and I threw an old copy of the Atlantic Monthly upon the table。
Maitland opened it and laughed。 〃This may be mere chance； Doc；〃 he
said； 〃but it is remarkable； none the less。 See here！〃 He held the
magazine toward me； and I read： 〃Cleopatra's Needle。 The Historic
Significance of Central Park's New Monument。 Some of the Difficulties
that Attended its Transportation and Erection。 By James Theodore
Wright； Ph。 D。〃 I was dumfounded。 Things were indeed getting
interesting。
〃Magazines and newspapers；〃 I said； 〃seem to be altogether too much
in your line。 We'll try a book this time。 Here；〃 and I pulled the first one
that came to hand； 〃is a copy of Tennyson's Poems I fancy it will trouble
you to find your reference in that。〃 Maitland took it in silence； and；
opening it at random； began to read。 The result surprised him even more
than it did me。 He had chanced upon these verses from 〃A Dream of Fair
Women〃：
〃'We drank the Libyan Sun to sleep； and litLamps which outburn'd
Canopus。 0 my lifeIn Egypt！ 0 the dalliance and the wit；The flattery
and the strife。
〃'And the wild kiss when fresh from war's alarms；My Hercules； my
Roman Antony；My mailed Bacchus leapt into my arms；Contented there to
die！
〃'And there he died！ And when I heard my nameSigh'd forth with
life； I would not brook my fearOf the other！ With a worm I balked his
fame。What else was left？ look here！'
〃With that she tore her robe apart and halfThe polished argent of
her breast to sightLaid bare。 Thereto she pointed with a laugh；Showing
the aspic's bite。〃
111
… Page 112…
The Darrow Enigma
〃There is no doubt about that；〃 I said； as he laid the book upon the
table。 〃I want to try this thing once more。 Here is Pascal； if you can
find any reference to the 'Serpent of the Nile' in that； you needn't go any
farther； I shall be satisfied；〃 and I passed the book to him。 He turned the
pages over in silence for half a minute； or so； and then said： 〃I guess this
counts as a failure； … no； though； by Jove！ Look here！〃 His face was of
almost deathly pallor； and his finger trembled upon the passage it
indicated as he held the book toward me。 I glanced with some anxiety
from his face to the book； and read； as nearly as I now can remember： 〃If
Cleopatra's nose had been shorter； the entire face of the world would have
been changed。〃
It was some minutes before Maitland fully regained his composure；
and during that time neither of us spoke。 〃Well； Doc；〃 he said at length；
and his manner was decidedly grave； even for him：
〃What do you make of it？〃 I didn't know what to make of it； and I
admitted my ignorance with a frankness at which； considering my
profession； I have often since had occasion to marvel。 I told him that I
could scarcely account for it on the ground of mere coincidence； and I
called his attention to that part of 〃The Mystery of Marie Roget；〃 where
Poe figures out the mathematical likelihood of a certain combination of
peculiarities of clothing being found to obtain in the case of two young
women who were unknown to each other。 If the finding of a single
reference to Cleopatra had been a thing of so infrequent occurrence as to
at once challenge Maitland's attention； what was to be said when； all of a
sudden； her name； or some reference to her； seemed to stare at him from
every page he read？
〃'There is something in this more than natural； If philosophy could
find it out；'〃=20
murmured Maitland； more to himself than to me。 〃Come； what do
you say？〃 and he turned abruptly to me with one of those searching looks
so peculiar to him in moments of excitement。 〃I see；〃 I replied； 〃that you
are determined I shall give my opinion now and here； without a moment's
reflection。 Very well； you have just quoted 'Hamlet'； I will do likewise：
〃'There are more things in Heaven and Earth； Horatio；Than are
112
… Page 113…
The Darrow Enigma
dreamt of in your philosophy I'
〃You seem in some strange way to be dominated by the shade of
Cleopatra。 Now； if I believed in metempsychosis； I should think you
were Mark Antony brought down to date。 There； with that present sober
air of yours； you'd pass anywhere for such an anachronism。 But to be
serious； and to give you advice which is positively bilious with gravity； I
should say； investigate this thing fully； make a study of this ancient
charmer。 By the way； why not begin by going to see Davenport in
Sardou's 'Cleopatra'？ You have never seen her in it； have you？〃
In this way。 I succeeded in getting him out of his depressed state。 We
got into an argument concerning the merits of Miss Davenport's work。 I
know of nothing Maitland would sooner do than argue； and； if attacked on
a subject upon which he feels strongly； he is； for the time being； totally
oblivious of everything else。 For this reason I trapped him into this
argument。 I abominate what is now known as 〃realism〃 just as much as
he does； but you don't have much of an argument without some apparent
difference of opinion； so； for the nonce； I became a realist of whom Zola