black rock-第9节

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will。'

At　this　point　Mrs。　Mavor；　whom　I　had　quite　forgotten；　put　her　hand
on　my　arm。　　'Go　and　tell　him；'　she　panted；　'I　want　them　to　come　on
Thursday　night；　as　they　used　to　in　the　other　daysgoquick；'　and
she　almost　pushed　me　out。　　I　gave　Craig　her　message。　　He　held　up
his　hand　for　silence。

'Mrs。　Mavor　wishes　me　to　say　that　she　will　be　glad　to　see　you　all；
as　in　the　old　days；　on　Thursday　evening；　and　I　can　think　of　no
better　place　to　give　formal　expression　to　our　pledge　of　this　night'

There　was　a　shout　of　acceptance；　and　then；　at　some　one's　call；　the
long　pent…up　feelings　of　the　crowd　found　vent　in　three　mighty
cheers　for　Mrs。　Mavor。

'Now　for　our　old　hymn；'　called　out　Mr。　Craig；　'and　Mrs。　Mavor　will
lead　us。'

He　sat　down　at　the　organ；　played　a　few　bars　of　'The　Sweet　By　and
By；'　and　then　Mrs。　Mavor　began。　　But　not　a　soul　joined　till　the
refrain　was　reached；　and　then　they　sang　as　only　men　with　their
hearts　on　fire　can　sing。　　But　after　the　last　refrain　Mr。　Craig　made
a　sign　to　Mrs。　Mavor；　and　she　sang　alone；　slowly　and　softly；　and
with　eyes　looking　far　away


　　　　　'In　the　sweet　by　and　by；
　　　　　　We　shall　meet　on　that　beautiful　shore。'


There　was　no　benedictionthere　seemed　no　need；　and　the　men　went
quietly　out。　　But　over　and　over　again　the　voice　kept　singing　in　my
ears　and　in　my　heart；　'We　shall　meet　on　that　beautiful　shore。'　　And
after　the　sleigh…loads　of　men　had　gone　and　left　the　street　empty；
as　I　stood　with　Craig　in　the　radiant　moonlight　that　made　the　great
mountains　about　come　near　us；　from　Sandy's　sleigh　we　heard　in　the
distance　Baptiste's　French…English　song；　but　the　song　that　floated
down　with　the　sound　of　the　bells　from　the　miners'　sleigh　was


　　　　　'We　shall　meet　on　that　beautiful　shore。'


'Poor　old　Shaw！'　said　Craig　softly。

When　the　last　sound　had　died　away　I　turned　to　him　and　said

'You　have　won　your　fight。'

'We　have　won　our　fight；　I　was　beaten；'　he　replied　quickly；　offering
me　his　hand。　　Then；　taking　off　his　cap；　and　looking　up　beyond　the
mountain…tops　and　the　silent　stars；　he　added　softly；　'Our　fight；
but　His　victory。'

And；　thinking　it　all　over；　I　could　not　say　but　perhaps　he　was
right。


CHAPTER　IV

MRS。　MAVOR'S　STORY


The　days　that　followed　the　Black　Rock　Christmas　were　anxious　days
and　weary；　but　not　for　the　brightest　of　my　life　would　I　change　them
now；　for；　as　after　the　burning　heat　or　rocking　storm　the　dying　day
lies　beautiful　in　the　tender　glow　of　the　evening；　so　these　days
have　lost　their　weariness　and　lie　bathed　in　a　misty　glory。　The
years　that　bring　us　many　ills；　and　that　pass　so　stormfully　over　us；
bear　away　with　them　the　ugliness；　the　weariness；　the　pain　that　are
theirs；　but　the　beauty；　the　sweetness；　the　rest　they　leave　untouched；
for　these　are　eternal。　　As　the　mountains；　that　near　at　hand　stand
jagged　and　scarred；　in　the　far　distance　repose　in　their　soft　robes
of　purple　haze；　so　the　rough　present　fades　into　the　past；　soft　and
sweet　and　beautiful。

I　have　set　myself　to　recall　the　pain　and　anxiety　of　those　days　and
nights　when　we　waited　in　fear　for　the　turn　of　the　fever；　but　I　can
only　think　of　the　patience　and　gentleness　and　courage　of　her　who
stood　beside　me；　bearing　more　than　half　my　burden。　　And　while　I　can
see　the　face　of　Leslie　Graeme；　ghastly　or　flushed；　and　hear　his　low
moaning　or　the　broken　words　of　his　delirium；　I　think　chiefly　of　the
bright　face　bending　over　him；　and　of　the　cool；　firm；　swift…moving
hands　that　soothed　and　smoothed　and　rested；　and　the　voice；　like　the
soft　song　of　a　bird　in　the　twilight；　that　never　failed　to　bring
peace。

Mrs。　Mavor　and　I　were　much　together　during　those　days。　　I　made　my
home　in　Mr。　Craig's　shack；　but　most　of　my　time　was　spent　beside　my
friend。　　We　did　not　see　much　of　Craig；　for　he　was　heart…deep　with
the　miners；　laying　plans　for　the　making　of　the　League　the　following
Thursday；　and　though　he　shared　our　anxiety　and　was　ever　ready　to
relieve　us；　his　thought　and　his　talk　had　mostly　to　do　with　the
League。

Mrs。　Mavor's　evenings　were　given　to　the　miners；　but　her　afternoons
mostly　to　Graeme　and　to　me；　and　then　it　was　I　saw　another　side　of
her　character。　　We　would　sit　in　her　little　dining…room；　where　the
pictures　on　the　walls；　the　quaint　old　silver；　and　bits　of　curiously
cut　glass；　all　spoke　of　other　and　different　days；　and　thence　we
would　roam　the　world　of　literature　and　art。　　Keenly　sensitive　to
all　the　good　and　beautiful　in　these；　she　had　her　favourites　among
the　masters；　for　whom　she　was　ready　to　do　battle；　and　when　her
argument；　instinct　with　fancy　and　vivid　imagination；　failed；　she
swept　away　all　opposing　opinion　with　the　swift　rush　of　her
enthusiasm；　so　that；　though　I　felt　she　was　beaten；　I　was　left
without　words　to　reply。　　Shakespeare　and　Tennyson　and　Burns　she
loved；　but　not　Shelley；　nor　Byron；　nor　even　Wordsworth。　　Browning
she　knew　not；　and　therefore　could　not　rank　him　with　her　noblest
three；　but　when　I　read　to　her　'A　Death　in　the　Desert；'　and；　came　to
the　noble　words　at　the　end　of　the　tale


　　　　　'For　all　was　as　I　say；　and　now　the　man
　　　　　　Lies　as　he　once　lay；　breast　to　breast　with　God；'


the　light　shone　in　her　eyes；　and　she　said；　'Oh；　that　is　good　and
great；　I　shall　get　much　out　of　him；　I　had　always　feared　he　was
impossible。'　　And　'Paracelsus；'　too；　stirred　her；　but　when　I
recited　the　thrilling　fragment；　'Prospice；'　on　to　that　closing
rapturous　cry


　　　　　'Then　a　light；　then　thy　breast；
　　　　　　O　thou　soul　of　my　soul！　I　shall　clasp　thee　again；
　　　　　　And　with　God　be　the　rest！'


the　red　colour　faded　from　her　cheek；　her　breath　came　in　a　sob；　and
she　rose　quickly　and　passed　out　without　a　word。　　Ever　after；
Browning　was　among　her　gods。　　But　when　we　talked　of　music；　she；
adoring　Wagner；　soared　upon　the　wings　of　the　mighty　Tannhauser；　far
above；　into　regions　unknown；　leaving　me　to　walk　soberly　with
Beethoven　and　Mendelssohn。　　Yet　with　all　our　free；　frank　talk；
there　was　all　the　while　that　in　her　gentle　courtesy　which　kept　me
from　venturing　into　any　chamber　of　her　life　whose　door　she　did　not
set　freely　open　to　me。　　So　I　vexed　myself　about　her；　and　when　Mr。
Craig　returned　the　next　week　from　the　Landing　where　he　had　been　for
some　days；　my　first　question　was

'Who　is　Mrs。　Mavor？　　And　how　in　the　name　of　all　that　is　wonderful
and　unlikely　does　she　come　to　be　here？　　And　why　does　she　stay？'

He　would　not　answer　then；　whether　it　was　that　his　mind　was　full　of
the　coming　struggle；　or　whether　he　shrank　from　the　tale；　I　know
not；　but　that　night；　when　we　sat　together　beside　his　fire；　he　told
me　the　story；　while　I　smoked。　　He　was　worn　with　his　long；　hard
drive；　and　with　the　burden　of　his　work；　but　as　he　went　on　with　his
tale；　looking　into　the　fire　as　he　told　it；　he　forgot　all　his
present　weariness　and　lived　again　the　scenes　he　painted　for　me。
This　was　his　story：

'I　remember　well　my　first　sight　of　her；　as　she　sprang　from　the
front　seat　of　the　stage　to　the　ground；　hardly　touching　her
husband's　hand。　　She　looked　a　mere　girl。　　Let's　seefive　years
agoshe　couldn't　have　been　a　day　over　twenty　three。　　She　looked
barely　twenty。　　Her　swift　glance　swept　over　the　group　of　miners　at
the　hotel　door；　and　then　rested　on　the　mountains　standing　in　all
their　autumn　glory。

'I　was　proud　of　our　mountains　that　evening。　　Turning　to　her
husband；　she　exclaimed：　〃O　Lewis；　are　they　not　grand？　and　lovely；
too？〃　　Every　miner　lost　his　heart　then　and　there；　but　all　waited
for　Abe　the　driver　to　give　his　verdict　before　venturing　an　opinion。
Abe　said　nothing　until　he　had　taken　a　preliminary　drink；　and　then；
calling　all　hands　to　fill　up；　he　lifted　his　glass　high；　and　said
solemnly

'〃Boys；　here's　to　her。〃

'Like　a　flash　every　glass　was　emptied；　and　Abe　called　out；　〃Fill
her　up　again；　boys！　　My　treat！〃

'He　was　evidently　quite　worked　up。　　Then　he　began；　with　solemn
emphasis

'〃Boys；　you　hear　me！　　She's　a　No。　1；　triple　X；　the　pure　quill　with
a　bead　on　it：　she's　a；〃　and　for　the　first　time　in　his　Black　Rock
history　Abe　was　stuck　for　a　word。　　Some　one　suggested　〃angel。〃

'〃Angel！〃　repeated　Abe；　with　infinite　contempt。　　〃Angel　be　blowed；〃
（I　paraphrase　here）；　〃angels　ain't　in　the　same　month　with　her；　I'd
like　to　see　any　blanked　angel　swing　my　team　around　them　curves
without　a　shiver。〃

'〃Held　the　lines　herself；　Abe？〃　asked　a　miner。

'〃That's　what；〃　said　Abe；　and　then　he　went　off　into　a　fusilade　of
scientific　profanity；　expressive　of　his　esteem　for　the　girl　who　had
swung　his　team　round　the　curves；　and　the　miners　nodded　to　each
other；　and　winked　their　entire　approval　of　Abe's　performance；　for
this　was　his　specialty。

'Very　decent　fellow；　Abe；　but　his　talk　wouldn't　print。'

Here　Craig　paused；　as　if　balancing　Abe's　virtues　and　vices。

'Well；'　I　urged；　'who　is　she？'

'Oh　yes；'　he　said；　recalling　himself；　'she　is　an　Edinburgh　young
ladymet　Lewis　Mayor；　a　young　Scotch…English　man；　in　London
wealthy；　good　family；　and　all　that；　but　fast；　and　going　to　pieces
at　home。　　His　people；　who　own　large　shares　in　these　mines　here；　as
a　last　resort　sent　him　out　here　to　reform。　　Curiously　innocent
ideas　those　old　country　people　have　of　the　reforming　properties　of
this　atmosphere！　　They　send　their　young　bloods　here　to　reform。
Here！　in　this　d