I believe he was about to make an attempt to use it when suddenly, as though beneath the influence of the hypnotic passes, a change appeared on the Glittering Lady's face.Hitherto, beautiful as it was, it had been a dead face though one of a person who had suddenly been cut off while in full health and vigour a few hours, or at the most a day or so before.Now it began to live again; it was as though the spirit were returning from afar, and not without toil and tribulation.
Expression after expression flitted across the features; indeed these seemed to change so much from moment to moment that they might have belonged to several different individuals, though each was beautiful.The fact of these remarkable changes with the suggestion of multiform personalities which they conveyed impressed both Bickley and myself very much indeed.Then the breast heaved tumultuously; it even appeared to struggle.Next the eyes opened.They were full of wonder, even of fear, but oh!
what marvelous eyes.I do not know how to describe them, Icannot even state their exact colour, except that it was dark, something like the blue of sapphires of the deepest tint, and yet not black; large, too, and soft as a deer's.They shut again as though the light hurt them, then once more opened and wandered about, apparently without seeing.
At length they found my face, for I was still bending over her, and, resting there, appeared to take it in by degrees.More, it seemed to touch and stir some human spring in the still-sleeping heart.At least the fear passed from her features and was replaced by a faint smile, such as a patient sometimes gives to one known and well loved, as the effects of chloroform pass away.
For a while she looked at me with an earnest, searching gaze, then suddenly, for the first time moving her arms, lifted them and threw them round my neck.
The old man stared, bending his imperial brows into a little frown, but did nothing.Bickley stared also through his glasses and sniffed as though in disapproval, while I remained quite still, fighting with a wild impulse to kiss her on the lips as one would an awakening and beloved child.I doubt if I could have done so, however, for really I was immovable; my heart seemed to stop and all my muscles to be paralysed.
I do not know for how long this endured, but I do know how it ended.Presently in the intense silence I heard Bastin's heavy voice and looking round, saw his big head projecting into the sepulchre.
"Well, I never!" he said, "you seem to have woke them up with a vengeance.If you begin like that with the lady, there will be complications before you have done, Arbuthnot."Talk of being brought back to earth with a rush! I could have killed Bastin, and Bickley, turning on him like a tiger, told him to be off, find wood and light a large fire in front of the statue.I think he was about to argue when the Ancient gave him a glance of his fierce eyes, which alarmed him, and he departed, bewildered, to return presently with the wood.
But the sound of his voice had broken the spell.The Lady let her arms fall with a start, and shut her eyes again, seeming to faint.Bickley sprang forward with his sal volatile and applied it to her nostrils, the Ancient not interfering, for he seemed to recognise that he had to deal with a man of skill and one who meant well by them.
In the end we brought her round again and, to omit details, Bickley gave her, not coffee and brandy, but a mixture he compounded of hot water, preserved milk and meat essence.The effect of it on her was wonderful, since a few minutes after swallowing it she sat up in the coffin.Then we lifted her from that narrow bed in which she had slept for--ah! how long? and perceived that beneath her also were crystal boxes of the radiant, heat-giving substance.We sat her on the floor of the sepulchre, wrapping her also in a blanket.
Now it was that Tommy, after frisking round her as though in welcome of an old friend, calmly established himself beside her and laid his black head upon her knee.She noted it and smiled for the first time, a marvelously sweet and gentle smile.More, she placed her slender hand upon the dog and stroked him feebly.
Bickley tried to make her drink some more of his mixture, but she refused, motioning him to give it to Tommy.This, however, he would not do because there was but one cup.Presently both of the sleepers began to shiver, which caused Bickley anxiety.Abusing Bastin beneath his breath for being so long with the fire, he drew the blankets closer about them.
Then an idea came to him and he examined the glowing boxes in the coffin.They were loose, being merely set in prepared cavities in the crystal.Wrapping our handkerchiefs about his hand, he took them out and placed them around the wakened patients, a proceeding of which the Ancient nodded approval.Just then, too, Bastin returned with his first load of firewood, and soon we had a merry blaze going just outside the sepulchre.I saw that they observed the lighting of this fire by means of a match with much interest.
Now they grew warm again, as indeed we did also--too warm.Then in my turn I had an idea.I knew that by now the sun would be beating hotly against the rock of the mount, and suggested to Bickley, that, if possible, the best thing we could do would be to get them into its life-giving rays.He agreed, if we could make them understand and they were able to walk.So I tried.
First I directed the Ancient's attention to the mouth of the cave which at this distance showed as a white circle of light.He looked at it and then at me with grave inquiry.I made motions to suggest that he should proceed there, repeating the word "Sun" in the Orofenan tongue.He understood at once, though whether he read my mind rather than what I said I am not sure.Apparently the Glittering Lady understood also and seemed to be most anxious to go.Only she looked rather pitifully at her feet and shook her head.This decided me.