第21章

India，too，reallymovedhim。HeadmiredtheancientbuildingsatDelhiandAgra，especiallytheTajMahal。This，hedeclared，wasreminiscentofsomeofthepalacesthatstoodatPani，thecapitalcityoftheSonsofWisdom，beforeitwasdestroyedbytheBarbarians。

TheEnglishadministrationofthecountryalsoattractedawordofpraisefromhim，Ithinkbecauseofitsratherautocraticcharacter。Indeedhewentsofarastodeclarethat，withcertainmodifications，itshouldbecontinuedinthefuture，andeventointimatethathewouldbearthematterinmind。DemocraticformsofgovernmenthadnocharmsforOro。

Amongstotherplaces，westoppedatBenaresandwatchedthefuneralritesinprogressuponthebanksoftheholyGanges。Thebearersofthedeadbroughtthebodyofawomanwrappedinaredshroudthatglitteredwithtinselornaments。Comingforwardatarunandchantingastheyran，theyplacedituponthestonesforalittlewhile，thenlifteditupagainandcarrieditdownthestepstotheedgeoftheriver。Heretheytookwaterandpoureditoverthecorpse，thusperformingtheriteofthebaptismofdeath。Thisdone，theyplaceditsfeetinthewaterandleftitlookingverysmallandlonely。Presentlyappearedatall，white—drapedwomanwhotookherstandbythebodyandwailed。Itwasthedeadone’smother。Againthebearersapproachedandlaidthecorpseupontheflamingpyre。

"Theseritesareancient，"saidOro。"WhenIruledasKingoftheWorldtheywerepractisedinthisveryplace。ItispleasanttometofindsomethingthathassurvivedthechangefulnessofTime。Letitcontinuetilltheend。"

HereIwillcease。TheseexperiencesthatIhaverecordedarebutsamples，foralsowevisitedRussiaandothercountries。

Perhaps，too，theywerenotexperiencesatall，butonlydreamsconsequentonmystateofhealth。Icannotsayforcertain，thoughmuchofwhatIseemedtoseefittedinverywellindeedwithwhatIlearnedinafterdays，andcertainlyatthetimetheyappearedasrealasthoughOroandIhadstoodtogetheruponthosevariousshores。

ChapterXXI

Love’sEternalAltarNowofallthesehappeningsIsaidverylittletoBastinandBickley。Theformerwouldnothaveunderstoodthem，andthelatterattributedwhatIdidtellhimtomentaldelusionsfollowingonmyillness。ToYvaIdidspeakaboutthem，however，imploringhertoexplaintheiroriginandtotellmewhetherornottheywerebutvisionsofthenight。

Shelistenedtome，asIthoughtnotwithoutanxiety，fromwhichIgatheredthatshetoofearedformymind。Itwasnotso，however，forshesaid：

"Iamglad，OHumphrey，thatyourjourneyingsaredone，sincesuchthingsarenotwithoutdanger。Hewhotravelsfaroutofthebodymaychancetoreturntherenomore。"

"Butweretheyjourneyings，ordreams？"Iasked。

Sheevadedadirectanswer。

"Icannotsay。Myfatherhasgreatpowers。Idonotknowthemall。Itispossiblethattheywereneitherjourneyingsnordreams。Mayhapheusedyouasthesorcerersintheolddaysusedthemagicglass，andafterhehadputhisspelluponyou，readinyourmindthatwhichpasseselsewhere。"

Iunderstoodhertorefertowhatwecallclairvoyance，whenthepersonentrancedrevealssecretordistantthingstotheentrancer。Thisisamoreorlessestablishedphenomenonandmuchlessmarvelousthantheactualtransportationofthespiritualselfthroughspace。OnlyIneverknewofaninstanceinwhichtheseer，onawaking，rememberedthethingsthathehadseen，asinmycase。There，however，thematterrested，orrests，forIcouldextractnothingmorefromYva，whoappearedtometohaveherordersonthepoint。

NordidOroevertalkofwhatIhadseemedtoseeinhiscompany，althoughhecontinuedfromtimetotimetovisitmeatnight。Butnowourconversationwasofothermatters。AsBastinhaddiscovered，bysomeextraordinarygifthehadsoonlearnedhowtoreadtheEnglishlanguage，althoughheneverspokeasinglewordinthattongue。Amongourreferencebooksthatwebroughtfromtheyacht，wasathinpapereditionoftheEncyclopediaBritannica，whichheborrowedwhenhediscoveredthatitcontainedcompressedinformationaboutthevariouscountriesoftheworld，alsoconcerningalmosteveryothermatter。Mybeliefisthatwithinamonthorsothatmarvelousoldmannotonlyreadthisstupendousworkfromendtoend，butthatherememberedeverythingofinterestwhichitcontained。Atleast，hewouldappearandshowthefullestacquaintancewithcertainsubjectsorplaces，seekingfurtherlightfrommeconcerningthem，whichveryoftenIwasquiteunabletogivehim。

Anaccident，asitchanced，whereofIneednotsetoutthedetails，causedmetodiscoverthathisremarkableknowledgewaslimited。Thus，atoneperiod，heknewlittleaboutanymoderntopicwhichbeganwithaletterlaterinthealphabetthan，letussay，C。AfewdaysafterwardshewasacquaintedwiththoseuptoF，orG；andsoontillhereachedZ，whenheappearedtometoknoweverything，andreturnedthebook。Now，indeed，hewasamonumentoflearning，veryancientandverynew，andwithsomeEncyclopedia—garneredfactsordeductionsofwhathadhappenedbetween。

Moreover，hetooktoastronomicalresearch，formorethanoncewesawhimstandingontherockatnightstudyingtheheavens。Ononeoftheseoccasions，whenhehadthetwometalplates，ofwhichIhavespoken，inhishands，Iventuredtoapproachandaskwhathedid。Herepliedthathewascheckinghiscalculationsthathefoundtobequitecorrect，anexactperiodoftwohundredandfiftythousandyearshavinggonebysincehelaidhimselfdowntosleep。Then，byaidoftheplates，hepointedouttomecertainalterationsthathadhappenedduringthatperiodinthepositionsofsomeofthestars。

Forinstance，heshowedmeonewhich，byhelpofmyglasses，I

recognisedasSirius，andremarkedthattwohundredandfiftythousandyearsagoitwasfurtherawayandmuchsmaller。Nowitwaspreciselyintheplaceandofthesizewhichhehadpredicted，andhepointedtoitonhispropheticmap。Againheindicatedastarthatthenight—glasstoldmewasCapella，which，Isuppose，isoneofthemostbrilliantstarsinthesky，andshowedmethatonthemaphehadmadetwohundredandfiftythousandyearsago，itdidnotexist，asthenitwastoofarnorthtoappearthereon。Still，heobserved，thepassageofthisvastperiodoftimehadproducedbutlittleeffectuponthefaceoftheheavens。Tothehumaneyethemajorityofthestarshadnotmovedsoveryfar。

"Andyettheytravelfast，OHumphrey，"hesaid。"Considerthenhowgreatistheirjourneybetweenthetimetheygatherandthatdaywhen，worn—out，oncemoretheymelttovaporousgas。Youthinkmelong—livedwhocomparedtothemexistbutatinyfractionofasecond，nearlyallofwhichIhavebeendoomedtopassinsleep。And，Humphrey，Idesiretolive——I，whohavegreatplansandwouldshaketheworld。Butmydaydrawsin；afewbriefcenturiesandIshallbegone，and——whither，whither？"

"Ifyoulivedaslongasthosestars，theendwouldbethesame，Oro。"

"Yes，butthelifeofthestarsisverylong，millionsofmillionsofyears；also，afterdeath，theyreform，asotherstars。ButshallIreformasanotherOro？Withallmywisdom，I

donotknow。ItisknowntoFateonly——Fate—themasterofworldsandmenandthegodstheyworship——Fate，whomitmaypleasetospillmygatheredknowledge，tobelostinthesandsofTime。"

"Itseemsthatyouaregreat，"Isaid，"andhavelivedlongandlearnedmuch。Yettheendofitisthatyourlotisneitherworsenorbet