小说园

第83部分（第1页）

darkness　that　wheeled　round　about；　with　half…revealed　shapes

lurking　on　the　edge。

Yea；　and　no　man　dared　even　throw　a　firebrand　into　the

darkness。　For　if　he　did　he　was　jeered　to　death　by　the　others；

who　cried　〃Fool；　anti…social　knave；　why　would　you　disturb　us

with　bogeys？　There　is　no　darkness。　We　move　and　live　and

have　our　being　within　the　light；　and　unto　us　is　given　the

eternal　light　of　knowledge；　we　prise　and　prehend　the

innermost　core　and　issue　of　knowledge。　Fool　and　knave；　how　dare

you　belittle　us　with　the　darkness？〃

Nevertheless　the　darkness　wheeled　round　about；　with　grey

shadow…shapes　of　wild　beasts；　and　also　with　dark　shadow…shapes

of　the　angels；　whom　the　light　fenced　out；　as　it　fenced　out　the

more　familiar　beasts　of　darkness。　And　some；　having　for　a　moment

seen　the　darkness；　saw　it　bristling　with　the　tufts　of　the　hyena

and　the　wolf；　and　some　having　given　up　their　vanity　of　the

light；　having　died　in　their　own　conceit；　saw　the　gleam　in　the

eyes　of　the　wolf　and　the　hyena；　that　it　was　the　flash　of　the

sword　of　angels；　flashing　at　the　door　to　e　in；　that　the

angels　in　the　darkness　were　lordly　and　terrible　and　not　to　be

denied；　like　the　flash　of　fangs。

It　was　a　little　while　before　Easter；　in　her　last　year　of

college；　when　Ursula　was　twenty…two　years　old；　that　she　heard

again　from　Skrebensky。　He　had　written　to　her　once　or　twice　from

South　Africa；　during　the　first　months　of　his　service　out　there

in　the　war；　and　since　had　sent　her　a　post…card　every　now　and

then；　at　ever　longer　intervals。　He　had　bee　a　first

lieutenant；　and　had　stayed　out　in　Africa。　She　had　not　heard　of

him　now　for　more　than　two　years。

Often　her　thoughts　returned　to　him。　He　seemed　like　the

gleaming　dawn；　yellow；　radiant；　of　a　long；　grey；　ashy　day。　The

memory　of　him　was　like　the　thought　of　the　first　radiant　hours　of

morning。　And　here　was　the　blank　grey　ashiness　of　later　daytime。

Ah；　if　he　had　only　remained　true　to　her；　she　might　have　known