Page:Doughty--Mirrikh or A woman from Mars.djvu/235

 he spoke in English, the next and he seemed to answer himself in an unknown tongue; and the faint glow of the lamp striking full upon his face I saw those same wondrous  changes come and go. When he spoke in English it was Maurice's face which was turned toward me, his deep voice  which uttered the words; but when he suddenly broke out  in what Walla called gibberish, the face grew almost feminine in its beauty and the voice changed to that of a woman. It is so! I swear it! It was a most marvelous thing to watch those transformations come and go.

“But what was he saying?

The first I heard was:

“For God’s sake tell me the worst. Can there never be a change?”

Strange words in that other voice followed.

“But what am I to do?”

Again the answer. Let me give something of this most peculiar conversation. The words spoken in the unknown tongue I must represent by dashes. I can do nothing else.

“I can never live so. I feel a sense of suffocation as though I was going to burst.”

“  ”

“Will time make it easier?”

“  ”

“No; I cannot rise. The weight holds me down.”

“  ”

“I will try to walk if you insist upon it; but I know I shall fall.”

He tottered to his feet, and staggered a few steps, precisely as a man might walk who was bearing a heavy burden. It was painful to watch him. I should have spoken now but something appeared to restrain me. In a moment he seemed to give it up, and retreating to the stone bench, sank down  panting.

“It is no use. I can’t do it. I can never walk this way!”

“  ”

“Can we not return?”

“  ”

“But what about my friends? I can never control myself. If I escape from this place and return to my own country they will put me into a lunatic asylum, for I cannot hope to  make them understand.”

“  ”