第94部分(第2/3 頁)

ned　hills　opposite；　the　dark　blotches　of　houses；　slate

roofed　and　amorphous；　the　old　church…tower　standing　up　in

hideous　obsoleteness　above　raw　new　houses　on　the　crest　of　the

hill；　the　amorphous；　brittle；　hard　edged　new　houses　advancing

from　Beldover　to　meet　the　corrupt　new　houses　from　Lethley；　the

houses　of　Lethley　advancing　to　mix　with　the　houses　of　Hainor；　a

dry；　brittle；　terrible　corruption　spreading　over　the　face　of　the

land；　and　she　was　sick　with　a　nausea　so　deep　that　she　perished

as　she　sat。　And　then；　in　the　blowing　clouds；　she　saw　a　band　of

faint　iridescence　colouring　in　faint　colours　a　portion　of　the

hill。　And　forgetting；　startled；　she　looked　for　the　hovering

colour　and　saw　a　rainbow　forming　itself。　In　one　place　it　gleamed

fiercely；　and；　her　heart　anguished　with　hope；　she　sought　the

shadow　of　iris　where　the　bow　should　be。　Steadily　the　colour

gathered；　mysteriously；　from　nowhere；　it　took　presence　upon

itself；　there　was　a　faint；　vast　rainbow。　The　arc　bended　and

strengthened　itself　till　it　arched　indomitable；　making　great

architecture　of　light　and　colour　and　the　space　of　heaven；　its

pedestals　luminous　in　the　corruption　of　new　houses　on　the　low

hill；　its　arch　the　top　of　heaven。

And　the　rainbow　stood　on　the　earth。　She　knew　that　the　sordid

people　who　crept　hard…scaled　and　separate　on　the　face　of　the

world's　corruption　were　living　still；　that　the　rainbow　was

arched　in　their　blood　and　would　quiver　to　life　in　their　spirit；

that　they　would　cast　off　their　horny　covering　of　disintegration；

that　new；　clean；　naked　bodies　would　issue　to　a　new　germination；

to　a　new　growth；　rising　to　the　light　and　t