The
wise and learned men of the present time would understand your
explanation much better, and would give the subject far more serious
consideration than if I, a poor ignorant fellow with neither education
nor standing, undertook to instruct them. The whole world would stop and
listen to you. The inhabitants would set you up as a goddess, and rally
to your standard as mistress of the earth. Besides, the power your
apparently unlimited intelligence would create, your wonderful beauty
would immediately charm every mortal who once set eyes on you. Kings,
emperors and potentates of all kinds would fall madly in love with you
at first sight, and you would have but to command to bring them to your
feet as slaves ready to do your slightest bidding. To further your own
purposes you could"-but here I stopped short in my recital, shocked by a
thousand little demons of jealousy entering my brain as it occurred to
me that perhaps Arletta would forget me entirely if all the great
persons of the earth showered honors and favors upon her. I felt
intensely miserable at the very idea of such a thing.
"Do not allow silly thoughts to enter your head," said she
compassionately, "I shall never leave this place. This room has been the
scene of the happiest hours of my life in which my coeternal companion,
incased in the flesh of a real man, plighted his everlasting love and
devotion to me. And by a simple and intelligent law of nature I have
been held a captive in this room through countless generations to
witness the transformation and return of that faithful comrade to
release my soul from captivity.
Pages:
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119