the white people-第12节

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Angus　stood　still　and　watched　me。　　They　both　stood　still　and　watched　me；　and　even　in　my　excitement　I　saw　that　each　of　them　looked　a　little　pale。

〃You　said　you　did　not　hear　him　at　first；　but　you　surely　saw　him　when　he　passed　so　near；〃　I　protested。　　〃I　called　to　him；　and　he　took　off　his　bonnet；　though　he　did　not　stop。　　He　was　going　so　quickly　that　perhaps　he　did　not　hear　me　call　his　name。〃

What　strange　thing　in　Hector's　look　checked　me？　　Who　knows？

〃You　DID　see　him；　didn't　you？〃　I　asked　of　him。

Then　he　and　Angus　exchanged　glances；　as　if　asking　each　other　to　decide　some　grave　thing。　　It　was　Hector　MacNairn　who　decided　it。

〃No；〃　he　answered；　very　quietly；　〃I　neither　saw　nor　heard　him；　even　when　he　passed。　　But　you　did。〃

〃I　did；　quite　plainly；〃　I　went　on；　more　and　more　bewildered　by　the　way　in　which　they　kept　a　sort　of　tender；　awed　gaze　fixed　on　me。　　〃You　remember　I　even　noticed　that　he　looked　pale。　　I　laughed；　you　know；　when　I　said　he　looked　almost　like　one　of　the　White　People〃

Just　then　my　breath　caught　itself　and　I　stopped。　　I　began　to　remember　thingshundreds　of　things。

Angus　spoke　to　me　again　as　quietly　as　Hector　had　spoken。

〃Neither　Jean　nor　I　ever　saw　Wee　Brown　Elspeth；〃　he　said〃neither　Jean　nor　I。　　But　you　did。　　You　have　always　seen　what　the　rest　of　us　did　not　see；　my　bairnalways。〃

I　stammered　out　a　few　words；　half　in　a　whisper。　　〃I　have　always　seen　what　you　others　could　not　see？　　WHATHAVEISEEN？〃

But　I　was　not　frightened。　　I　suppose　I　could　never　tell　any　one　what　strange；　wide；　bright　places　seemed　suddenly　to　open　and　shine　before　me。　　Not　places　to　shrink　back　fromoh　no！　no！　　One　could　be　sure；　thenSURE！　　Feargus　had　lifted　his　bonnet　with　that　extraordinary　triumph　in　his　lookeven　Feargus；　who　had　been　rather　dour。

〃You　called　them　the　White　People；〃　Hector　MacNairn　said。


Angus　and　Jean　had　known　all　my　life。　　A　very　old　shepherd　who　had　looked　in　my　face　when　I　was　a　baby　had　said　I　had　the　eyes　　which　〃SAW。〃　　It　was　only　the　saying　of　an　old　Highlander；　and　might　not　have　been　remembered。　　Later　the　two　began　to　believe　I　had　a　sight　they　had　not。　　The　night　before　Wee　Brown　Elspeth　had　been　brought　to　me　Angus　had　read　for　the　first　time　the　story　of　Dark　Malcolm；　and　as　they　sat　near　me　on　the　moor　they　had　been　talking　about　it。　　That　was　why　he　forgot　himself　when　I　came　to　ask　them　where　the　child　had　gone；　and　told　him　of　the　big；　dark　man　with　the　scar　on　his　forehead。　　After　that　they　were　sure。

They　had　always　hidden　their　knowledge　from　me　because　they　were　afraid　it　might　frighten　me　to　be　told。　　I　had　not　been　a　strong　child。　　They　kept　the　secret　from　my　relatives　because　they　knew　they　would　dislike　to　hear　it　and　would　not　believe；　and　also　would　dislike　me　as　a　queer；　abnormal　creature。　　Angus　had　fears　of　what　they　might　do　with　doctors　and　severe　efforts　to　obliterate　from　my　mind　my　〃nonsense；〃　as　they　would　have　been　sure　to　call　it。　　The　two　wise　souls　had　shielded　me　on　every　side。

〃It　was　better　that　you　should　go　on　thinking　it　only　a　simple；　natural　thing；〃　Angus　said。　　〃And　as　to　natural；　what　IS　natural　and　what　is　not？　　Man　has　not　learned　all　the　laws　of　nature　yet。　　Nature's　a　grand；　rich；　endless　thing；　always　unrolling　her　scroll　with　writings　that　seem　new　on　it。　　They're　not　new。　　They　were　always　written　there。　　But　they　were　not　unrolled。　　Never　a　law　broken；　never　a　new　law；　only　laws　read　with　stronger　eyes。〃

Angus　and　I　had　always　been　very　fond　of　the　Biblethe　strange　old　temple　of　wonders；　full　of　all　the　poems　and　tragedies　and　histories　of　man；　his　hates　and　battles　and　loves　and　follies；　and　of　the　Wisdom　of　the　universe　and　the　promises　of　the　splendors　of　it；　and　which　even　those　of　us　who　think　ourselves　the　most　believing　neither　wholly　believe　nor　will　understand。　　We　had　pored　over　and　talked　of　it。　　We　had　never　thought　of　it　as　only　a　pious　thing　to　do。　　The　book　was　to　us　one　of　the　mystic；　awe…　inspiring；　prophetic　marvels　of　the　world。

That　was　what　made　me　say；　half　whispering：　　〃I　have　wondered　and　wondered　what　it　meant　that　verse　in　Isaiah：　　‘Behold　the　former　things　are　come　to　pass　and　new　things　do　I　declare；　before　they　spring　forth　I　tell　you　of　them。'　　Perhaps　it　means　only　the　unrolling　of　the　scroll。〃

〃Aye；　aye！〃　said　Angus；　〃it　is　full　of　such　deep　sayings；　and　none　of　us　will　listen　to　them。〃

〃It　has　taken　man　eons　of　time；〃　Hector　MacNairn　said；　thinking　it　out　as　he　spoke　〃eons　of　time　to　reach　the　point　where　he　is　beginning　to　know　that　in　every　stock　and　stone　in　his　path　may　lie　hidden　some　power　he　has　not　yet　dreamed　of。　　He　has　learned　that　lightning　may　be　commanded；　distance　conquered；　motion　chained　and　utilized；　but　he；　the　one　CONSCIOUS　force；　has　never　yet　begun　to　suspect　that　of　all　others　he　may　be　the　one　as　yet　the　least　explored。　　How　do　we　know　that　there　does　not　lie　in　each　of　us　a　wholly　natural　but；　so　far；　dormant　power　of　sighta　power　to　see　what　has　been　called　The　Unseen　through　all　the　Ages　whose　sightlessness　has　made　them　Dark？　　Who　knows　when　the　Shadow　around　us　may　begin　to　clear？　　Oh；　we　are　a　dull　lotwe　human　thingswith　a　queer；　obstinate　conceit　of　ourselves。〃

〃Complete　we　think　we　are；〃　Angus　murmured　half　to　himself　。　　〃Finished　creatures！　　And　look　at　us！　　How　many　of　us　in　a　million　have　beauty　and　health　and　full　power？　　And　believing　that　the　law　is　that　we　must　crumple　and　go　to　pieces　hour　by　hour！　　Who'd　waste　the　time　making　a　clock　that　went　wrong　as　often？　　Nay；　nay！　　We　shall　learn　better　than　this　as　time　goes　on。　　And　we'd　better　be　beginning　and　setting　our　minds　to　work　on　it。　　'Tis　for　us　to　dothe　minds　of　us。　　And　what's　the　mind　of　us　but　the　Mind　that　made　us？　　Simple　and　straight　enough　it　is　when　once　you　begin　to　think　it　out。　　The　spirit　of　you　sees　clearer　than　we　do；　that's　all；〃　he　said　to　me。　　〃When　your　mother　brought　you　into　the　world　she　was　listening　to　one　outside　calling　to　her；　and　it　opened　the　way　for　you。〃

At　night　Hector　MacNairn　and　his　mother　and　I　sat　on　the　terrace　under　stars　which　seemed　listening　things；　and　we　three　drew　nearer　to　one　another；　and　nearer　and　nearer。

〃When　the　poor　mother　stumbled　into　the　train　that　day；〃　was　one　of　the　things　Hector　told　me；　〃I　was　thinking　of　The　Fear　and　of　my　own　mother。　　You　looked　so　slight　and　small　as　you　sat　in　your　corner　that　I　thought　at　first　you　were　almost　a　child。　　Then　a　far　look　in　your　eyes　made　me　begin　to　watch　you。　　You　were　so　sorry　for　the　poor　woman　that　you　could　not　look　away　from　her；　and　something　in　your　face　touched　and　puzzled　me。　　You　leaned　forward　suddenly　and　put　out　your　hand　protectingly　as　she　stepped　down　on　to　the　platform。

〃That　night　when　you　spoke　quite　naturally　of　the　child；　never　doubting　that　I　had　seen　it；　I　suddenly　began　to　suspect。　　Because　of　The　Fear〃he　hesitated〃I　had　been　reading　and　thinking　many　things　new　to　me。　　I　did　not　know　what　I　believed。　　But　you　spoke　so　simply；　and　I　knew　you　were　speaking　the　truth。　　Then　you　spoke　just　as　naturally　of　Wee　Brown　Elspeth。　　That　startled　me　because　not　long　before　I　had　been　told　the　tale　in　the　Highlands　by　a　fine　old　story…teller　who　is　the　head　of　his　clan。　　I　saw　you　had　never　heard　the　story　before。　　And　yet　you　were　telling　me　that　you　had　played　with　the　child。〃

〃He　came　home　and　told　me　about　you；〃　Mrs。　MacNairn　said。　　〃His　fear　of　The　Fear　was　more　for　me　than　for　himself。　　He　knew　that　if　he　brought　you　to　me；　you　who　are　more　complete　than　we　are；　clearer…eyed　and　nearer；　nearer；　I　should　begin　to　feel　that　he　was　not　goingout。　　I　should　begin　to　feel　a　reality　and　nearness　myself。　　Ah；　Ysobel！　　How　we　have　clung　to　you　and　loved　you！　　And　then　that　wonderful　afternoon！　　I　saw　no　girl　with　her　hand　through　Mr。　Le　Breton's　arm；　Hector　saw　none。　　But　you　saw　her。　　She　was　THERE！〃

〃Yes；　she　was　there；〃　I　answered。　　〃She　was　there；　smiling　up　at　him。　　I　wish　he　could　have　known。〃


What　does　it　matter　if　this　seems　a　strange　story？　　To　some　it　will　mean　something；　to　some　it　will　mean　nothing。　　To　those　it　has　a　meaning　for　it　will　open　wide　windows　into　the　light　and　lift　heavy　loads。　　That　would　be　quite　enough；　even　if　the　rest　thought　it　only　the　weird　fancy　of　a　queer　girl　who　had　lived　alone　and　given　rein　to　her　silliest　imaginings。　　I　wanted　to　tell　it；　howsoever　poorly　and　ineffectively　it　was　done。　　Since　I　KNEW　I　have　　dropped　the　load　of　agesthe　black　burden。　　Out　on　the　hillside　my　feet　did　not　even　feel　the　grass；　and　yet　I　was　standing；　not　floating。　　I　had　no　wings　or　crown。　　I　was　only　Ysobel　out　on　the　hillside；　free！


This　is　the　way　it　all　ended。

For　three　weeks　that　were　like　heaven　we　three　lived　together　at　Muircarrie。　　We　saw　every　beauty　and　shared　every　joy　of　sun　and　dew　and　love　and　tender　understanding。

After　one　lovely　day　we　had　spent　on　the　moor　in　a　quiet　dream　of　joy　almost　strange　in　its　perfectness；　we　came　back　to　the　castle；　and；　because　the　sunset　was　of　such　unearthly　radiance　and　changing　wonder　we　sat　on　the　terrace　until　the　last　soft　touch　of　gold　had　died　out　and　left　the　pure；　still；　clear；　long　summer　twilight。

When　Mrs。　MacNairn　and　I　went　in　to　dress　for　dinner；　Hector　lingered　a　little　behind　us