the days of my life

第64部分 (第1/7頁)

such　folk　were　supposed　to　haunt　this　very　desert　of　which　I　was　writing。

Imagine；　therefore；　my　astonishment　when；　in　a　copy　of　his　“Notes　de　Voyage”　for　1909　which　Sir　Gaston　Maspero　kindly　sent　me　—　“The　Way　of　the　Spirit”　was　written　in　1905　—　I　found　the　following　passage：

Ces　quatre…la　sont…ils　allies　aux　quatre　afrites　musiciens；　deux　joueurs　de　flute　et　deux　joueurs　de　tambourin　ou　de　darabouka；　qui　hantent　le　desert　dans　les　memes　parages？　Ils　jouent　sur　le　passage　des　voyageurs　et　c’est　toujours　un　mauvais　presage　que　de　les　rencontrer：　si　on　s’eloigne　vite　sans　leur　adresser　la　parole　et；　autant　que　possible；　sans　les　regarder；　on　a　quelque　chance　d’echapper　au　mauvais　sort；　sinon　l’on　est　perdu。

It　will　be　observed　that　here　everything　is　the　same；　mise　en　scene；　misfortune；　all。　There　is　but　one　difference。　Of　Sir　Gaston’s　afrites；　or　musical　ghosts；　there　were　four；　of　my　wandering　players；　five。　I　have　added　a　third　flutist　by　way　of　interest　on　the　capital　of　the　true　legend。

Perhaps　these　examples　of　literary　coincidence　in　my　own　books　may　suffice；　though　I　think　there　are　more。　Indeed　I　recall　two　in　connection　with　“Heart　of　the　World”　and　“Ayesha”　respectively；　which　are　curious　enough　in　their　way。　Also　as　I　write　it　es　back　to　me　that　there　are　yet　two　others　which；　as　I　am　on　the　subject；　I　may　as　well　state　quite　briefly。

The　first　of　these　is　to　be　found　in　“Montezuma’s　Daughter。”　Here　the　hero；　a　certain　Thomas　Wingfield；　is　stated　to　have　lived　near　Bungay　in　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　and　to　have　been　a　doctor　by　trade；　having　learned　his　business　from　another　leech　in　this　immediate　neighbourhood。　After　many　adventures　he　dies　here　a　rich　man　and　leaves　charities　to　the　poor。　Certainly　I　did　think　it　stra