She
  by　H。　Ryder　Haggard
  CHAPTER　I
  MY　VISITOR
  THERE　are　some　events　of　which　each　circumstance　and
  surrounding　detail　seems　to　be　graven　on　the　memory　in
  such　fashion　that　we　cannot　forget　it；　and　so　it　is
  with　the　scene　that　I　am　about　to　describe。　It　rises
  as　clearly　before　my　mind　at　this　moment　as　though　it
  had　happened　yesterday。
  It　was　in　this　very　month　something　over　twenty　years
  ago　that　I；　Ludwig　Horace　Holly；　was　sitting　one　night
  in　my　rooms　at　Cambridge；　grinding　away　at　some
  mathematical　work；　I　forget　what。　I　was　to　go　up　for
  my　fellowship　within　a　week；　and　was　expected　by　my
  tutor　and　my　college　generally　to　distinguish　myself。
  At　last；　wearied　out；　I　flung　my　book　down；　and；　going
  to　the　mantelpiece；　took　down　a　pipe　and　filled　it。
  There　was　a　candle　burning　on　the　mantelpiece；　and　a
  long；　narrow　glass　at　the　back　of　it；　and　as　I　was　in
  the　act　of　lighting　the　pipe　I　caught　sight　of　my　own
  countenance　in　the　glass　and　paused　to　reflect。　The
  lighted　match　burned　away　till　it　scorched　my　fingers
  forcing　me　to　drop　it；　but　still　stood　and　I　stared　at
  myself　in　the　and　reflected。
  〃Well；〃　I　said　aloud；　at　last；　〃it　is　to　be　hoped　that
  I　shall　be　able　to　do　something　with　the　inside　of　my
  head；　for　I　shall　certainly　never　do　anything　by　the
  help　of　the　outside。〃
  This　remark　will　doubtless　strike　anybody　who　reads　it
  as　being　slightly　obscure；　but　I　was　in　reality
  alluding　to　my　physical　deficiencies。　Most　men　of
  twenty…two　are　endowed　at　any　rate　with　some　share　of
  the　comeliness　of　youth；　but　to　me　even　this　was
  denied。　Short；　thick…set；　and　deep…chested　almost　to
  deformity；　with　long；　sinewy　arms；　heavy　features；
  deep…set　gray　eyes；　a　low　brow　half　overgrown　with　a
  mop　of　thick　black　hair；　like　a　deserted　clearing　on
  which　the　forest　had　once　more　begun　to　encroach；　such
  was　my　appearance　nearly　a　quarter　of　a　century　ago；
  and　such；　with　some　modification；　is　it　to　this　day。
  Like　Cain；　I　was　brandedbranded　by　nature　with　the
  stamp　of　abnormal　ugliness；　as　I　was　gifted　by　nature
  with　iron　and　abnormal　strength　and　considerable
  intellectual　powers。　So　ugly　was　I　that　the　spruce
  young　men　of　my　college；　though　they　were　proud　enough
  of　my　feats　of　endurance　and　physical　prowess；　did　not
  even　care　to　be　seen　walking　with　me。　Was　it　wonderful
  that　I　was　misanthropic　and　sullen？　Was　it　wonderful
  that　I　brooded　and　worked　alone；　and　had　no　friends
  at　least；　only　one？　I　was　set　apart　by　Nature　to　live
  alone；　and　draw　comfort　from　her　breast；　and　hers
  only。　Women　hated　the　sight　of　me。　Only　a　week　before
  I　had　heard　one　call　me　a　〃monster〃　when　she　thought　I
  was　out　of　hearing；　and　say　that　I　had　converted　her
  to　the　monkey　theory。　Once；　indeed；　a　woman　pretended
  to　care　for　me；　and　I　lavished　all　the　pent…up
  affection　of　my　nature　upon　her。　Then　money　that　was
  to　have　come　to　me　went　elsewhere；　and　she　discarded
  me。　I　pleaded　with　her　as　I　have　never　pleaded　with
  any　living　creature　before　or　since；　for　I　was　caught
  by　her　sweet　face；　and　loved　her；　and　in　the　end　by
  way　of　answer　she　took　me　to　the　glass；　and　stood　side
  by　side　with　me；　and　looked　into　it。
  〃Now；〃　she　said；　〃if　I　am　Beauty；　who　are　you？〃　That
  was　when　I　was　only　twenty。
  And　so　I　stood　and　stared；　and　felt　a　sort　of　grim
  satisfaction　in　the　sense　of　my　own　loneliness；　for　I
  had　neither　father；　nor　mother；　nor　brother；　and　as　I
  did　so　there　came　a　knock　at　my　door。
  I　listened　before　I　went　to　open　it；　for　it　was　nearly
  twelve　o'clock　at　night；　and　I　was　in　no　mood　to　admit
  any　stranger。　I　had　but　one　friend　in　the　college；　or；
  indeed；　in　the　world…perhaps　it　was　he。
  Just　then　the　person　outside　the　door　coughed；　and　I
  hastened　to　open　it；　for　I　knew　the　cough。
  A　tall　man　of　about　thirty；　with　the　remains　of　great
  personal　beauty；　came　hurrying　in；　staggering　beneath
  the　weight　of　a　massive　iron　box　which　he　carried　by　a
  handle　with　his　right　hand。　He　placed　the　box　upon　the
  table；　and　then　fell　into　an　awful　fit。　of　coughing。
  He　coughed　and　coughed　till　his　face　became　quite
  purple；　and　at　last　he　sank　into　a　chair　and　began　to
  spit　up　blood。　I　poured　out　some　whiskey　into　a
  tumbler；　and　gave　it　to　him。　He　drank　it；　and　seemed
  better；　though　his　better　was　very　bad　indeed。
  〃Why　did　you　keep　me　standing　there　in　the　cold？〃　he
  asked；　pettishly。　〃You　know　the　draughts　are　death　to
  me。〃
  〃I　did　not　know　who　it　was；〃　I　answered。　〃You　are　a
  late　visitor。〃
  〃Yes；　and　I　verily　believe　it　is　my　last　visit；〃　he
  answered；　with　a　ghastly　attempt　at　a　smile。　〃I　am
  done　for；　Holly；　I　am　done　for。　I　do　not　believe　that
  I　shall　see　to…morrow！〃
  〃Nonsense！〃　I　said。　〃Let　me　go　for　a　doctor。〃
  He　waved　me　back　imperiously　with　his　hand。　〃It　is
  sober　sense；　but　I　want　no　doctors。　I　have　studied
  medicine；　and　I　know　all　about　it。　No　doctors　can　help
  me。　My　last　hour　has　come！　For　a　year　past　I　have　only
  lived　by　a　miracle。　Now　listen　to　me　as　you　never
  listened　to　anybody　before；　for　you　will　not　have　the
  opportunity　of　getting　me　to　repeat　my　words。　We　have
  been　friends　for　two　years；　now　tell　me　how　much　do
  you　know　about　me？〃
  〃I　know　that　you　are　rich；　and　have　had　a　fancy　to
  come　to　college　long　after　the　age　that　most　men　leave
  it。　I　know　that　you　have　been　married；　and　that　your
  wife　died；　and　that　you　have　been　the　best；　indeed
  almost　the　only　friend　I　ever　had。〃
  〃Did　you　know　that　I　have　a　son？〃
  〃No。〃
  〃I　have。　He　is　five　years　old。　He　cost　me　his　mother's
  life；　and　I　have　never　been　able　to　bear　to　look　upon
  his　face　in　consequence。　Holly；　if　you　will　accept　the
  trust；　I　am　going　to　leave　you　that　boy's　sole
  guardian。〃
  I　sprang　almost　out　of　my　chair。
  〃Me！〃　I　said。
  〃Yes；　you。　I　have　not　studied　you　for　two　years　for
  nothing。　I　have　known　for　some　time　that　I　could　not
  last；　and　since　I　realized　the　fact　I　have　been
  searching　for　some　one　to　whom　I　could　confide　the　boy
  and　this；〃　and　he　tapped　the　iron　box。　〃You　are　the
  man；　Holly；　for；　like　a　rugged　tree；　you　are　hard　and
  sound　at　core。　Listen；　the　boy　will　be　the　only
  representative　of　one　of　the　most　ancient　families　in
  the　world；　that　is；　so　far　as　families　can　be　traced。
  You　will　laugh　at　me　when　I　say　it；　but　one　day　it
  will　be　proved　to　you　beyond　a　doubt；　that　my　sixty…
  fifth　or　sixty…sixth　lineal　ancestor　was　an　Egyptian
  priest　of　Isis；　though　he　was　himself　of　Grecian
  extraction；　and　was　called　Kallikrates。　His　father　was
  one　of　the　Greek　mercenaries　raised　by　Hak…Hor；　a
  Mendesian　Pharaoh　of　the　twenty…ninth　dynasty；　and　his
  grandfather；　I　believe；　was　that　very　Kallikrates
  mentioned　by　Herodotus。　In　or　about　the　year　339
  before　Christ；　just　at　the　time　of　the　final　fall　of
  the　Pharaohs；　this　Kallikrates　（the　priest）　broke　his
  vows　of　celibacy　and　fled　from　Egypt　with　a　princess
  of　royal　blood　who　had　fallen　in　love　with　him；　and
  was　finally　wrecked　upon　the　coast　of　Africa；
  somewhere；　as　I　believe；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　where
  Delagoa　Bay　now　is；　or　rather　to　the　north　of　it；　he
  and　his　wife　being　saved；　and　all　the　remainder　of
  their　company　destroyed　in　one　way　or　another。　Here
  they　endured　great　hardships；　but　were　at　last
  entertained　by　the　mighty　queen　of　a　savage　people；　a
  white　woman　of　peculiar　loveliness；　who；　under
  circumstances　which　I　cannot　enter　into；　but　which　you
  will　one　day　learnt　if　you　live；　from　the　contents　of
  the　box；　finally　murdered　my　ancestor；　Kallikrates。
  His　wife；　however；　escaped；　how　I　know　not；　to　Athens；
  bearing　a　child　with　her；　whom　she　named　Tisisthenes；
  or　the　Mighty　Avenger。　Five　hundred　years　or　more
  afterwards　the　family　migrated　to　Rome　under
  circumstances　of　which　no　trace　remains；　and　here；
  probably　with　the　idea　of　preserving　the　idea　of
  vengeance　which　we　find　set　out　in　the　name　of
  Tisisthenes；　they　appear　to　have　pretty　regularly
  assumed　the　cognomen　of　Vindex；　or　Avenger。　Here；　too；
  they　remained　for　another　five　centuries　or　more；　till
  about　770　A。D。；　when　Charlemagne　invaded　Lombardy；
  where　they　were　then　settled；　whereon　the　head　of　the
  family　seems　to　have　attached　himself　to　the　great
  Emperor；　and　to　have　returned　with　him　across　the
  Alps；　and　finally　to　have　settled　in　Brittany。　Eight
  generations　later　his　lineal　representative　crossed　to
  England　in　the　reign　of　Edward　the　Confessor；　and　in
  the　time　of　William　the　Conqueror　was　advanced　to
  great　honor　and　power。　From　that　time　till　the　present
  day　I　can　trace　my　descent　without　a　break。　Not　that
  the　Vinceysfor　that　was　the　final　corruption　of　the
  name　after　its　bearers　took　root　in　English　soilhave
  been　particularly　distinguishedthey　never　came　much
  to　the　fore。　Sometimes　they　were　soldiers；　sometimes
  merchants；　but　on　the　whole　they　have　preserved　a　dead
  level　of　respectability；　and　a　still　deader　level　of
  mediocrity。　From　the　time　of　Charles　II。　till　the
  beginning　of　the　present　century　they　were　merchants。
  About　1790　my　grandfather　made　a　considerable　fortune
  out　of　brewing；　and　ret