第4章

Nearer and nearer it came, borne on the sparkling waves, and ever thinner shrank the protecting wall of shadow be-tween it and us.Within the mistiness was a core, a nucleus of intenser light--veined, opaline, effulgent, intensely alive.

And above it, tangled in the plumes and spirals that throbbed and whirled were seven glowing lights.

Through all the incessant but strangely ordered move-ment of the--THING--these lights held firm and steady.They were seven--like seven little moons.One was of a pearly pink, one of a delicate nacreous blue, one of lambent saffron, one of the emerald you see in the shallow waters of tropic isles; a deathly white; a ghostly amethyst; and one of the silver that is seen only when the flying fish leap beneath the moon.

The tinkling music was louder still.It pierced the ears with a shower of tiny lances; it made the heart beat jubi-lantly--and checked it dolorously.It closed the throat with a throb of rapture and gripped it tight with the hand of infinite sorrow!

Came to me now a murmuring cry, stilling the crystal notes.It was articulate--but as though from something utterly foreign to this world.The ear took the cry and trans-lated with conscious labour into the sounds of earth.And even as it compassed, the brain shrank from it irresistibly, and simultaneously it seemed reached toward it with irre-sistible eagerness.

Throckmartin strode toward the front of the deck, straight toward the vision, now but a few yards away from the stern.His face had lost all human semblance.Utter agony and utter ecstasy--there they were side by side, not resisting each other; unholy inhuman companions blending into a look that none of God's creatures should wear--and deep, deep as his soul! A devil and a God dwelling harmoniously side by side! So must Satan, newly fallen, still divine, seeing heaven and contemplating hell, have appeared.

And then--swiftly the moon path faded! The clouds swept over the sky as though a hand had drawn them to-gether.Up from the south came a roaring squall.As the moon vanished what I had seen vanished with it--blotted out as an image on a magic lantern; the tinkling ceased abruptly--leaving a silence like that which follows an abrupt thunder clap.There was nothing about us but silence and blackness!

Through me passed a trembling as one who has stood on the very verge of the gulf wherein the men of the Louisades says lurks the fisher of the souls of men, and has been plucked back by sheerest chance.

Throckmartin passed an arm around me.

"It is as I thought," he said.In his voice was a new note;the calm certainty that has swept aside a waiting terror of the unknown."Now I know! Come with me to my cabin, old friend.For now that you too have seen I can tell you"--he hesitated--"what it was you saw," he ended.

As we passed through the door we met the ship's first officer.Throckmartin composed his face into at least a sem-blance of normality.

"Going to have much of a storm?" he asked.

"Yes," said the mate."Probably all the way to Mel-bourne."

Throckmartin straightened as though with a new thought.

He gripped the officer's sleeve eagerly.

"You mean at least cloudy weather--for"--he hesitated --"for the next three nights, say?""And for three more," replied the mate.

"Thank God!" cried Throckmartin, and I think I never heard such relief and hope as was in his voice.

The sailor stood amazed."Thank God?" he repeated.

"Thank--what d'ye mean?"

But Throckmartin was moving onward to his cabin.Istarted to follow.The first officer stopped me.

"Your friend," he said, "is he ill?"

"The sea!" I answered hurriedly."He's not used to it.Iam going to look after him."

Doubt and disbelief were plain in the seaman's eyes but I hurried on.For I knew now that Throckmartin was ill indeed--but with a sickness the ship's doctor nor any other could heal.