下载辰思小说免费APP
"AndrememberallthatIhavetaughtyou，"shoutedBastin。
Maramashivered，thoughwhetheratthementionofthegodOro，ofwhosepowerstheOrofenanshadsopainfularecollection，orattheresultofBastin’steachings，Idonotknow。Andthatwasthelastweshalleverseeofeachotherinthisworld。
Theislandfadedbehindusand，soreatheartbecauseofallthatwehadfoundandlostagain，forthreedayswesailednorthwardwithafairandsteadywind。Onthefourtheveningbyanextraordinarystrokeoffortune，wefellinwithanAmericantrampsteamer，tradingfromtheSouthSeaIslandstoSanFrancisco。Tothecaptain，whotreatedusverykindly，wesaidsimplythatwewereapartyofEnglishmenwhoseyachthadbeenwreckedonasmallislandseveralhundredsofmilesaway，ofwhichweknewneitherthename，ifithadone，northeposition。
Thisstorywasacceptedwithoutquestion，forsuchthingsoftenhappeninthoselatitudes，andinduecoursewewerelandedatSanFrancisco，wherewemadecertaindepositionsbeforetheBritishConsulastothelossoftheyachtStaroftheSouth。
ThenwecrossedAmerica，havingobtainedfundsbycable，andsailedforEnglandinasteamerflyingtheflagoftheUnitedStates。
OfthegreatwarwhichmadethisdesirableIdonotspeaksinceithasnothing，orratherlittle，todowiththishistory。IntheendwearrivedsafelyatLiverpool，andthencetravelledtoourhomesinDevonshire。
ThusendedthehistoryofourdealingswithOro，thesuper—manwhobeganhislifemorethantwohundredandfiftythousandyearsago，andwithhisdaughter，Yva，whomBastinstilloftencallstheGlitteringLady。
ChapterXXVII
BastinDiscoversaResemblanceThereislittlemoretotell。
ShortlyafterourreturnBickley，likeapatrioticEnglishman，volunteeredforserviceatthefrontanddepartedintheuniformoftheR。A。M。C。BeforehelefthetooktheopportunityofexplainingtoBastinhowmuchbetteritwasinsuchanationalemergencyasexisted，tobelongtoaprofessioninwhichamancoulddosomethingtohelpthebodiesofhiscountrymenthathadbeenbrokeninthecommoncause，thantoonelikehisinwhichitwasonlypossibletopeltthemwithvainwords。
"Youthinkthat，doyou，Bickley？"answeredBastin。"Well，I
holdthatitisbettertohealsoulsthanbodies，because，asevenyouwillhavelearnedoutthereinOrofena，theylastsomuchlonger。"
"IamnotcertainthatIlearnedanythingofthesort，"saidBickley，"oreventhatOrowasmorethananordinaryoldman。Hesaidthathehadlivedathousandyears，butwhatwastheretoprovethisexcepthisword，whichisworthnothing？"
"TherewastheLadyYva’swordalso，whichisworthagreatdeal，Bickley。"
"Yes，butshemayhavemeantathousandmoons。Further，asaccordingtoherownshowingshewasstillquiteyoung，howcouldsheknowherfather’sage？"
"Quiteso，Bickley。Butallsheactuallysaidwasthatshewasofthesameageasoneofourwomenoftwenty—seven，whichmayhavemeanttwohundredandseventyforallIknow。However，puttingthatasideyouwilladmitthattheyhadbothsleptfortwohundredandfiftythousandyears。"
"Iadmitthattheyslept，Bastin，becauseIhelpedtoawakenthem，butforhowlongthereisnothingtoshow，exceptthosestarmapswhichareprobablyquiteinaccurate。"
"Theyarenotinaccurate，"Ibrokein，"forIhavehadthemcheckedbyleadingastronomerswhosaythattheyshowamarvelousknowledgeoftheheavensastheseweretwohundredandfiftythousandyearsago，andaretoday。"
HereIshouldstatethatthosetwometalmapsandtheringwhichIgavetoYvaandfoundagainafterthecatastrophe，wereabsolutelytheonlythingsconnectedwithherorwithOrothatwebroughtawaywithus。TheformerIwouldneverpartwith，feelingtheirvalueasevidence。Therefore，whenwedescendedtothecityNyoandthedepthsbeneath，Itookthemwithmewrappedinclothinmypocket。Thustheywerepreserved。EverythingelsewentwhentheRockofOfferingsandthecavemouthsankbeneaththewatersofthelake。
Thismayhavehappenedeitherintheearthtremor，whichnodoubtwascausedbytheadvanceoftheterrificworld—balance，orwhentheelectricpower，thoughdiffusedandturnedbyYva’sinsulatedbody，struckthegreatgyroscope’stravellingfootwithsufficientstrength，nottoshiftitindeedontotheright—handpathasOrohaddesigned，butstilltocauseittostaggerandevenperhapstohaltforthefractionofasecond。Eventhispausemayhavebeenenoughtocauseconvulsionsoftheearthabove；indeed，IgatheredfromMaramaandotherOrofenansthatsuchconvulsionshadoccurredonandaroundtheislandatwhatmusthavecorrespondedwiththatmomentoftheloosingoftheforce。
ThislossofourbelongingsinthehouseoftheRockofOfferingswasthemoregrievousbecauseamongthemweresomeKodakphotographswhichIhadtaken，includingportraitsofOroandoneofYvathatwasreallyexcellent，tosaynothingofpicturesofthemouthofthecaveandoftheruinsandcraterlakeabove。HowbitterlyIregretthatIdidnotkeepthesephotographsinmypocketwiththemap—plates。
"Evenifthestar—mapsarecorrect，stillitprovesnothing，"
saidBickley，"sincepossiblyOro’sastronomicalskillmighthaveenabledhimtodrawthatoftheskyatanyperiod，thoughIallowthisisimpossible。"
"Idoubthistakingsomuchtroublemerelytodeceivethreewandererswholackedtheknowledgeeventocheckthem，"Isaid。
"Butallthismissesthepoint，Bickley。Howeverlongtheyhadslept，thatmanandwomandidarisefromseemingdeath。Theydiddwellinthosemarvelo
