the vanished messenger-第51节

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〃Meekins；　stand　by　my　chair；〃　he　ordered　sharply。　　〃Turn　round；　I
wish　to　go　to　the　Hall。　　Drive　this　woman　away。〃

Meekins　came　hurrying　up；　but　almost　at　the　same　moment　half　a　dozen
of　the　brown　jerseyed　fishermen　detached　themselves　from　the　others。
They　formed　a　little　bodyguard　around　the　bath…chair。

〃What　is　the　meaning　of　this？〃　Mr。　　Fentolin　demanded；　his　voice
shrill　with　anger。　　〃Didn't　you　hear　what　I　said？　　This　woman　annoys
me。　　Send　her　away。〃

Not　one　of　the　fishermen　answered　a　word　or　made　the　slightest
movement　to　obey　him。　　One　of　them；　a　grey…bearded　veteran；　drew
the　chair　a　little　further　down　the　planked　way　across　the　pebbles。
Hannah　Cox　kept　close　to　its　side。　　They　came　to　a　standstill　only
a　few　yards　from　where　the　waves　were　breaking。　　She　lifted　her　hand。

〃Listen！〃　she　cried。　　〃Listen！〃

Mr。　Fentolin　turned　helplessly　around。　　The　little　group　of
fishermen　had　closed　in　upon　Sarson　and　Meekins。　　The　woman's　hand
was　upon　his　shoulder；　she　pointed　seaward　to　where　a　hissing　line
of　white　foam　marked　the　spot　where　the　topmost　of　the　rocks　were
visible。

〃You　wondered　why　I　have　spent　so　much　of　my　time　out　here；〃　she
said　quietly。　　〃Now　you　will　know。　　If　you　listen　as　I　am　listening；
as　I　have　listened　for　so　many　weary　hours；　so　many　weary　years；
you　will　hear　them　calling　to　me；　David　and　John　and　Stephen。
'The　light！'　　Do　you　hear　what　they　are　crying？　　'The　light！
Fentolin's　light！'　　Look！〃

She　forced　him　to　look　once　more　at　the　top　of　the　boat…house。

〃They　were　right！〃　she　proclaimed；　her　voice　gaining　in　strength
and　intensity。　　〃They　were　neither　drunk　nor　reckless。　　They
steered　as　straight　as　human　hand　could　guide　a　tiller；　for
Fentolin's　light！　And　there　they　are；　calling　and　calling　at　the
bottom　of　the　sea　…　my　three　boys　and　my　man。　　Do　you　know　for　whom
they　call？〃

Mr。　Fentolin　shrank　back　in　his　chair。

〃Take　this　woman　away！〃　he　ordered　the　fishermen。　　〃Do　you　hear？
Take　her　away；　she　is　mad！〃

They　looked　towards　him；　but　not　one　of　them　moved。　　Mr。　Fentolin
raised　his　whistle　to　his　lips；　and　blew　it。

〃Meekins！〃　he　cried。　　〃Where　are　you；　Meekins？〃

He　turned　his　head　and　saw　at　once　that　Meekins　was　powerless。
Five　or　six　of　the　fishermen　had　gathered　around　him。　　There　were
at　least　thirty　of　them　about；　sinewy；　powerful　men。　　The　only
person　who　moved　towards　Mr。　　Fentolin's　carriage　was　Jacob；　the
coast　guardsman。

〃Mr。　　Fentolin；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃the　lads　have　got　your　bully　safe。
It's　a　year　and　more　that　Hannah　Cox　has　been　about　the　village　with
some　story　about　two　lights　on　a　stormy　night。　　It's　true　what　she
says　…　that　her　man　and　boys　lie　drowned。　　There's　William　Green；
besides；　and　a　nephew　of　my　own　…　John　Kallender。　　And　Philip　Green
…　he　was　saved。　　He　swore　by　all　that　was　holy　that　he　steered
straight　for　the　light　when　his　boat　struck；　and　that　as　he　swam
for　shore；　five　minutes　later；　he　saw　the　light　reappear　in　another
place。　　It's　a　strange　story。　　What　have　you　to　say；　sir；　about
that？〃

He　pointed　straight　to　the　wire…encircled　globe　which　towered　on
its　slender　support　above　the　boat…house。　　Mr。　Fentolin　looked　at
it　and　looked　back　at　the　coast　guardsman。　　The　brain　of　a
Machiavelli　could　scarcely　have　invented　a　plausible　reply。

〃The　light　was　never　lit　there；〃　he　said。　　〃It　was　simply　to　help
me　in　some　electrical　experiments。〃

Then；　for　the　first　time　in　their　lives；　those　who　were　looking　on
saw　Mr。　Fentolin　apart　from　his　carriage。　　Without　any　haste　but
with　amazing　strength；　Hannah　Cox　leaned　over；　and；　with　her　arms
around　his　middle；　lifted　him　sheer　up　into　the　air。　　She　carried
him；　clasped　in　her　arms；　a　weird；　struggling　object；　to　the　clumsy
boat　that　lay　always　at　the　top　of　the　beach。　　She　dropped　him　into
the　bottom；　took　her　seat；　and　unshipped　the　oars。　　For　one　moment
the　coast　guardsman　hesitated；　then　he　obeyed　her　look。　　He　gave
the　boat　a　push　which　sent　it　grinding　down　the　pebbles　into　the
sea。　　The　woman　began　to　work　at　the　oars。　　Every　now　and　then　she
looked　over　her　shoulder　at　that　thin　line　of　white　surf　which　they
were　all　the　time　approaching。

〃What　are　you　doing；　woman？〃　Mr。　Fentolin　demanded　hoarsely。
〃Listen！　　It　was　an　accident　that　your　people　were　drowned。　　I'll
give　you　an　annuity。　　I'll　make　you　rich　for　life　…　rich！　　Do　you
understand　what　that　means？〃

〃Aye！〃　she　answered；　looking　down　upon　him　as　he　lay　doubled　up　at
the　bottom　of　the　boat。　　〃I　know　what　it　means　to　be　rich　…　better
than　you；　maybe。　　Not　to　let　the　gold　and　silver　pieces　fall　through
your　fingers；　or　to　live　in　a　great　house　and　be　waited　upon　by
servants　who　desert　you　in　the　hour　of　need。　　That　isn't　being　rich。
It's　rich　to　feel　the　touch　of　the　one　you　love；　to　see　the　faces
around　of　those　you've　given　birth　to；　to　move　on　through　the　days
and　nights　towards　the　end；　with　them　around；　not　to　know　the　chill
loneliness　of　an　empty　life。　　I　am　a　poor　woman；　Mr。　　Fentolin；　and
it's　your　hand　that　made　me　so；　and　not　all　the　miracles　that　the
Bible　ever　told　of　can　make　me　rich　again。〃

〃You　are　a　fool！〃　he　shrieked。　　〃You　can　buy　forgetfulness！　　The
memory　of　everything　passes。〃

〃I　may　be　a　fool；〃　she　retorted　grimly；　〃and　you　the　wise　man；　but
this　day　we'll　both　know　the　truth。〃

There　was　a　little　murmur　from　the　shore；　where　the　fishermen　stood
in　a　long　line。

〃Bring　him　back；　missus；〃　Jacob　called　out。　　〃You've　scared　him
enough。　　Bring　him　back。　　We'll　leave　him　to　the　law。〃

They　were　close　to　the　line　of　surf　now；　they　had　passed　it；　indeed；
a　little　on　the　left；　and　the　boat　was　drifting。　　She　stood　up；
straight　and　stern；　and　her　face；　as　she　looked　towards　the　land；
was　lit　with　the　fire　of　the　prophetess。

〃Aye；〃　she　cried；　〃we'll　leave　him　to　the　law　…　to　the　law　of　God！〃

Then　they　saw　her　stoop　down；　and　once　more　with　that　almost
superhuman　strength　which　seemed　to　belong　to　her　for　those　few
moments；　she　lifted　the　strange　object　who　lay　cowering　there；
high　above　her　head。　　From　the　shore　they　realised　what　was　going
to　happen；　and　a　great　shout　arose。　　She　stood　on　the　side　of　the
boat　and　jumped；　holding　her　burden　tightly　in　her　arms。　　So　they
went　down　and　disappeared。

Half　a　dozen　of　the　younger　fishermen　were　in　the　water　even　before
the　grim　spectacle　was　ended；　another　ran　for　a　boat　that　was　moored
a　little　way　down　the　beach。　　But　from　the　first　the　search　was
useless。　　Only　Jacob；　who　was　a　person　afflicted　with　many
superstitions；　wiped　the　sweat　from　his　forehead　as　he　leaned　over
the　bow　of　his　boat　and　looked　down　into　that　fathomless　space。

〃I　heard　her　singing；　her　or　her　wraith；〃　he　swore　afterwards。
〃I'll　never　forget　the　moment　I　looked　down　and　down；　and　the　water
seemed　to　grow　clearer；　and　I　saw　her　walking　there　at　the　bottom
among　the　rocks；　with　him　over　her　back；　singing　as　she　went；
looking　everywhere　for　George　and　the　boys！〃

But　if　indeed　his　eyes　were　touched　with　fire　at　that　moment；　no
one　else　in　the　world　saw　anything　more　of　Miles　Fentolin。




CHAPTER　XXXVI

Mr。　John　P。　Dunster　removed　the　cigar　from　his　teeth　and　gazed　at
the　long　white　ash　with　the　air　of　a　connoisseur。　　He　was　stretched
in　a　long　chair；　high　up　in　the　terraced　gardens　behind　the　Hall。
At　his　feet　were　golden　mats　of　yellow　crocuses；　long　borders　of
hyacinths　…　pink　and　purple；　beds　of　violets；　a　great　lilac　tree；
with　patches　of　blossom　here　and　there　forcing　their　way　into　a
sunlit　world。　　The　sea　was　blue；　the　sheltered　air　where　they　sat
was　warm　and　perfumed。　　Mr。　Dunster；　who　was　occupying　the　position
of　a　favoured　guest；　was　feeling　very　much　at　home。

〃There　is　one　thing；〃　he　remarked　meditatively；　〃which　I　can't　help
thinking　about　you　Britishers。　　You　may　deserve　it　or　you　may　not；
but　you　do　have　the　most　almighty　luck。〃

〃Sheer　envy；〃　Hamel　murmured。　　〃We　escape　from　our　tight　corners　by
forethought。〃

〃Not　on　your　life；　sir；〃　Mr。　Dunster　declared　vigorously。　　〃A　year
or　less　ago　you　got　a　North　Sea　scare；　and　on　the　strength　of　a
merely　honourable　understanding　with　your　neighbour；　you　risk　your
country's　very　existence　for　the　sake　of　adding　half　a　dozen
battleships　to　your　North　Sea　Squadron。　　The　day　the　last　of　those
battleships　passed　through　the　Straits　of　Gibraltar；　this　little
Conference　was　plotted。　　I　tell　you　they　meant　to　make　history　there。

There　was　enough　for　everybody　…　India　for　Russia；　a　time…honoured
dream；　but　why　not？　　Alsace…Lorraine　and　perhaps　Egypt；　for　France；
Australia　for　Japan；　China　and　South　Africa　for　Germany。　　Why　not？
You　may　laugh　at　it　on　paper　but　I　say　again　…　why　not？〃

〃It　didn't　quite　come　off；　sir；〃　Gerald　observed。

〃It　didn't；〃　Mr。　　Dunster　admitted；　〃partly　owing　to　you。　　There
were　only　two　things　needed：　France　to　consider　her　own　big　interests
and　to　ignore　an　entente　from　which　she　gains　nothing　that　was　not
assured　to　her　under　the　new　agreement；　and　the　money。　　Strange；〃
Mr。　Dunster　continued；　〃how　people　forget　that　factor；　and　yet　the
man　who　was　responsible　for　The　Hague　Conference　knew　it。　　We　in
the　States　are　right　outside　all　these　little　jealousies