the return of tarzan-第25节

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becoming　so　civilized　that　presently　I　shall　develop　a　set　of

nerves。　　He　would　give　them　to　me　if　any　one　could；　for　he

does　not　fight　fair。　　One　never　knows　through　what　new

agency　he　is　going　to　strike。　　It　is　as　though　Numa；　the　lion；

had　induced　Tantor；　the　elephant；　and　Histah；　the　snake；　to

join　him　in　attempting　to　kill　me。　　I　would　then　never　have

known　what　minute；　or　by　whom；　I　was　to　be　attacked　next。

But　the　brutes　are　more　chivalrous　than　manthey　do　not

stoop　to　cowardly　intrigue。〃



At　dinner　that　night　Tarzan　sat　next　to　a　young　woman　whose

place　was　at　the　captain's　left。　　The　officer　introduced　them。



Miss　Strong！　　Where　had　he　heard　the　name　before？　　It　was

very　familiar。　　And　then　the　girl's　mother　gave　him　the

clew；　for　when　she　addressed　her　daughter　she　called　her　Hazel。



Hazel　Strong！　　What　memories　the　name　inspired。　　It　had

been　a　letter　to　this　girl；　penned　by　the　fair　hand　of　Jane

Porter；　that　had　carried　to　him　the　first　message　from　the

woman　he　loved。　　How　vividly　he　recalled　the　night　he　had

stolen　it　from　the　desk　in　the　cabin　of　his　long…dead　father；

where　Jane　Porter　had　sat　writing　it　late　into　the　night；

while　he　crouched　in　the　darkness　without。　　How　terror…

stricken　she　would　have　been　that　night　had　she　known　that

the　wild　jungle　beast　squatted　outside　her　window；　watching

her　every　move。



And　this　was　Hazel　StrongJane　Porter's　best　friend！







Chapter　12





Ships　That　Pass





Let　us　go　back　a　few　months　to　the　little；　windswept

platform　of　a　railway　station　in　northern　Wisconsin。

The　smoke　of　forest　fires　hangs　low　over　the　surrounding

landscape；　its　acrid　fumes　smarting　the　eyes　of　a　little

party　of　six　who　stand　waiting　the　coming　of　the　train

that　is　to　bear　them　away　toward　the　south。



Professor　Archimedes　Q。　Porter；　his　hands　clasped　beneath　the　tails

of　his　long　coat；　paces　back　and　forth　under　the　ever…watchful

eye　of　his　faithful　secretary；　Mr。　Samuel　T。　Philander。

Twice　within　the　past　few　minutes　he　has　started　absent…mindedly

across　the　tracks　in　the　direction　of　a　near…by　swamp；　only　to

be　rescued　and　dragged　back　by　the　tireless　Mr。　Philander。



Jane　Porter；　the　professor's　daughter；　is　in　strained　and

lifeless　conversation　with　William　Cecil　Clayton　and　Tarzan

of　the　Apes。　　Within　the　little　waiting　room；　but　a　bare

moment　before；　a　confession　of　love　and　a　renunciation　had

taken　place　that　had　blighted　the　lives　and　happiness　of　two

of　the　party；　but　William　Cecil　Clayton；　Lord　Greystoke；　was

not　one　of　them。



Behind　Miss　Porter　hovered　the　motherly　Esmeralda。　　She；　too；

was　happy；　for　was　she　not　returning　to　her　beloved　Maryland？

Already　she　could　see　dimly　through　the　fog　of　smoke　the　murky

headlight　of　the　oncoming　engine。　　The　men　began　to　gather　up

the　hand　baggage。　　Suddenly　Clayton　exclaimed。



〃By　Jove！　　I've　left　my　ulster　in　the　waiting…room；〃　and

hastened　off　to　fetch　it。



〃Good…bye；　Jane；〃　said　Tarzan；　extending　his　hand。

〃God　bless　you！〃



〃Good…bye；〃　replied　the　girl　faintly。　　〃Try　to　forget　meno；

not　thatI　could　not　bear　to　think　that　you　had　forgotten　me。〃



〃There　is　no　danger　of　that；　dear；〃　he　answered。　　〃I　wish

to　Heaven　that　I　might　forget。　　It　would　be　so　much　easier

than　to　go　through　life　always　remembering　what　might　have　been。

You　will　be　happy；　though；　I　am　sure　you　shallyou　must　be。

You　may　tell　the　others　of　my　decision　to　drive　my　car　on

to　New　YorkI　don't　feel　equal　to　bidding　Clayton　good…bye。

I　want　always　to　remember　him　kindly；　but　I　fear　that　I　am

too　much　of　a　wild　beast　yet　to　be　trusted　too　long　with

the　man　who　stands　between　me　and　the　one　person　in　all

the　world　I　want。〃



As　Clayton　stooped　to　pick　up　his　coat　in　the　waiting

room　his　eyes　fell　on　a　telegraph　blank　lying　face　down

upon　the　floor。　　He　stooped　to　pick　it　up；　thinking　it

might　be　a　message　of　importance　which　some　one　had　dropped。

He　glanced　at　it　hastily；　and　then　suddenly　he　forgot　his

coat；　the　approaching　traineverything　but　that　terrible

little　piece　of　yellow　paper　in　his　hand。　　He　read　it　twice

before　he　could　fully　grasp　the　terrific　weight　of　meaning

that　it　bore　to　him。



When　he　had　picked　it　up　he　had　been　an　English　nobleman；

the　proud　and　wealthy　possessor　of　vast　estatesa　moment

later　he　had　read　it；　and　he　knew　that　he　was　an　untitled

and　penniless　beggar。　　It　was　D'Arnot's　cablegram　to

Tarzan；　and　it　read：





Finger　prints　prove　you　Greystoke。　　Congratulations。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D'ARNOT。





He　staggered　as　though　he　had　received　a　mortal　blow。

Just　then　he　heard　the　others　calling　to　him　to　hurrythe

train　was　coming　to　a　stop　at　the　little　platform。

Like　a　man　dazed　he　gathered　up　his　ulster。　　He　would　tell

them　about　the　cablegram　when　they　were　all　on　board　the　train。

Then　he　ran　out　upon　the　platform　just　as　the　engine　whistled

twice　in　the　final　warning　that　precedes　the　first　rumbling

jerk　of　coupling　pins。　　The　others　were　on　board；　leaning　out

from　the　platform　of　a　Pullman；　crying　to　him　to　hurry。

Quite　five　minutes　elapsed　before　they　were　settled　in　their

seats；　nor　was　it　until　then　that　Clayton　discovered　that

Tarzan　was　not　with　them。



〃Where　is　Tarzan？〃　he　asked　Jane　Porter。　　〃In　another　car？〃



〃No；〃　she　replied；　〃at　the　last　minute　he　determined　to

drive　his　machine　back　to　New　York。　　He　is　anxious　to　see

more　of　America　than　is　possible　from　a　car　window。　　He　is

returning　to　France；　you　know。〃



Clayton　did　not　reply。　　He　was　trying　to　find　the　right　words

to　explain　to　Jane　Porter　the　calamity　that　had　befallen　him

and　her。　　He　wondered　just　what　the　effect　of　his　knowledge

would　be　on　her。　　Would　she　still　wish　to　marry　himto　be

plain　Mrs。　Clayton？　　Suddenly　the　awful　sacrifice　which　one

of　them　must　make　loomed　large　before　his　imagination。

Then　came　the　question：　　Will　Tarzan　claim　his　own？　　The　ape…man

had　known　the　contents　of　the　message　before　he　calmly　denied

knowledge　of　his　parentage！　　He　had　admitted　that　Kala；　the　ape；

was　his　mother！　　Could　it　have　been　for　love　of　Jane　Porter？



There　was　no　other　explanation　which　seemed　reasonable。

Then；　having　ignored　the　evidence　of　the　message；　was　it　not

reasonable　to　assume　that　he　meant　never　to　claim　his　birthright？

If　this　were　so；　what　right　had　he；　William　Cecil　Clayton；　to

thwart　the　wishes；　to　balk　the　self…sacrifice　of　this

strange　man？　　If　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　could　do　this　thing　to

save　Jane　Porter　from　unhappiness；　why　should　he；　to　whose

care　she　was　intrusting　her　whole　future；　do　aught　to

jeopardize　her　interests？



And　so　he　reasoned　until　the　first　generous　impulse　to

proclaim　the　truth　and　relinquish　his　titles　and　his　estates

to　their　rightful　owner　was　forgotten　beneath　the　mass　of

sophistries　which　self…interest　had　advanced。　　But　during　the

balance　of　the　trip；　and　for　many　days　thereafter；　he　was

moody　and　distraught。　　Occasionally　the　thought　obtruded

itself　that　possibly　at　some　later　day　Tarzan　would　regret

his　magnanimity；　and　claim　his　rights。



Several　days　after　they　reached　Baltimore　Clayton

broached　the　subject　of　an　early　marriage　to　Jane。



〃What　do　you　mean　by　early？〃　she　asked。



〃Within　the　next　few　days。　　I　must　return　to　England　at

onceI　want　you　to　return　with　me；　dear。〃



〃I　can't　get　ready　so　soon　as　that；〃　replied　Jane。　　〃It　will

take　a　whole　month；　at　least。〃



She　was　glad；　for　she　hoped　that　whatever　called　him　to

England　might　still　further　delay　the　wedding。　　She　had　made

a　bad　bargain；　but　she　intended　carrying　her　part　loyally

to　the　bitter　endif　she　could　manage　to　secure　a　temporary

reprieve；　though；　she　felt　that　she　was　warranted　in　doing　so。

His　reply　disconcerted　her。



〃Very　well；　Jane；〃　he　said。　　〃I　am　disappointed；　but　I　shall　let

my　trip　to　England　wait　a　month；　then　we　can　go　back　together。〃



But　when　the　month　was　drawing　to　a　close　she　found　still

another　excuse　upon　which　to　hang　a　postponement；　until　at

last；　discouraged　and　doubting；　Clayton　was　forced　to　go

back　to　England　alone。



The　several　letters　that　passed　between　them　brought　Clayton

no　nearer　to　a　consummation　of　his　hopes　than　he　had　been

before；　and　so　it　was　that　he　wrote　directly　to　Professor

Porter；　and　enlisted　his　services。　　The　old　man　had　always

favored　the　match。　　He　liked　Clayton；　and；　being　of　an　old

southern　family；　he　put　rather　an　exaggerated　value　on　the

advantages　of　a　title；　which　meant　little　or　nothing　to

his　daughter。



Clayton　urged　that　the　professor　accept　his　invitation　to

be　his　guest　in　London；　an　invitation　which　included　the

professor's　entire　little　familyMr。　Philander；　Esmeralda；

and　all。　　The　Englishman　argued　that　once　Jane　was　there；　and

home　ties　had　been　broken；　she　would　not　so　dread　the　step

which　she　had　so　long　hesitated　to　take。