At last the cursed Indian, who still preserved his rotundity of figure,
after passing through all the streets and public places, and leaving them
empty, rolled onwards to the plain of Catoul, and traversed the valley at
the foot of the mountain of the Four Fountains.
As a continual fall of water had excavated an immense gulf in the valley,
whose opposite side was closed in by a steep acclivity, the Caliph and
his attendants were apprehensive lest the ball should bound into the
chasm, and, to prevent it, redoubled their efforts, but in vain. The
Indian persevered in his onward direction, and, as had been apprehended,
glancing from the precipice with the rapidity of lightning, was lost in
the gulf below.
Vathek would have followed the perfidious Giaour, had not an invisible
agency arrested his progress. The multitude that pressed after him were
at once checked in the same manner, and a calm instantaneously ensued.
They all gazed at each other with an air of astonishment; and,
notwithstanding that the loss of veils and turbans, together with torn
habits and dust blended with sweat, presented a most laughable spectacle,
there was not one smile to be seen; on the contrary, all, with looks of
confusion and sadness, returned in silence to Samarah, and retired to
their inmost apartments, without ever reflecting that they had been
impelled by an invisible power into the extravagance for which they
reproached themselves; for it is but just that men, who so often arrogate
to their own merit the good of which they are but instruments, should
attribute to themselves the absurdities which they could not prevent.
Pages:
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46