第4章

ThefinalbarrierbetweenEricandhismother’sfaithwashisviolin，andtothatheclungasamansometimeswillclingtohisdearestsin，totheweaknessmoreprecioustohimthanallhisstrength，Inthegreatworldbeautycomestomeninmanyguises，andartinahundredforms，butforErictherewasonlyhisviolin。

Itstood，tohim，forallthemanifestationsofart；itwashisonlybridgeintothekingdomofthesoul。

ItwastoEricHermannsonthattheevangelistdirectedhisimpassionedpleadingthatnight。

“Saul，Saul，whypersecutestthoume？IsthereaSaulheretonightwhohasstoppedhisearstothatgentlepleading，whohasthrustaspearintothatbleedingside？Thinkofit，mybrother；

youareofferedthiswonderfulloveandyoupreferthewormthatdiethnotandthefirewhichwillnotbequenched。WhatrighthaveyoutoloseoneofGod’sprecioussouls？Saul，Saul，whypersecutestthoume？“

AgreatjoydawnedinAsaSkinner’spaleface，forhesawthatEricHermannsonwasswayingtoandfroinhisseat。Theministerfelluponhiskneesandthrewhislongarmsupoverhishead。

“Omybrothers！Ifeelitcoming，theblessingwehaveprayedfor。ItellyoutheSpiritiscoming！justalittlemoreprayer，brothers，alittlemorezeal，andhewillbehere。Icanfeelhiscoolingwinguponmybrow。GlorybetoGodforeverandever，amen！“

Thewholecongregationgroanedunderthepressureofthisspiritualpanic。Shoutsandhallelujahswentupfromeverylip。

Anotherfigurefellprostrateuponthefloor。Fromthemourners’

benchroseachantofterrorandrapture:

“Eatinghoneyanddrinkingwine，GlorytothebleedingLamb！

IammyLord’sandheismine，GlorytothebleedingLamb！“

Thehymnwassunginadozendialectsandvoicedallthevagueyearningofthesehungrylives，ofthesepeoplewhohadstarvedallthepassionssolong，onlytofallvictimstothebarestofthemall，fear。

AgroanofultimateanguishrosefromEricHermannson’sbowedhead，andthesoundwaslikethegroanofagreattreewhenitfallsintheforest。

Theministerrosesuddenlytohisfeetandthrewbackhishead，cryinginaloudvoice:

“Lazarus，comeforth！EricHermannson，youarelost，goingdownatsea。InthenameofGod，andJesusChristhisSon，Ithrowyouthelifeline。Takehold！AlmightyGod，mysoulforhis！“

Theministerthrewhisarmsoutandliftedhisquiveringface。

EricHermannsonrosetohisfeet；hislipsweresetandthelightningwasinhiseyes。Hetookhisviolinbytheneckandcrushedittosplintersacrosshisknee，andtoAsaSkinnerthesoundwasliketheshacklesofsinbrokenaudiblyasunder。

FormorethantwoyearsEricHermannsonkepttheausterefaithtowhichhehadswornhimself，keptituntilagirlfromtheEastcametospendaweekontheNebraskaDivide。Shewasagirlofothermannersandconditions，andthereweregreaterdistancesbetweenherlifeandEric’sthanallthemileswhichseparatedRattlesnakeCreekfromNewYorkCity。Indeed，shehadnobusinesstobeintheWestatall；butah！acrosswhatleaguesoflandandsea，bywhatimprobablechances，dotheunrelentinggodsbringtousourfate！

ItwasinayearoffinancialdepressionthatWyllisElliotcametoNebraskatobuycheaplandandrevisitthecountrywherehehadspentayearofhisyouth。WhenhehadgraduatedfromHarvarditwasstillcustomaryformoneyedgentlementosendtheirscapegracesonstoroughitonranchesinthewildsofNebraskaorDakota，ortoconsignthemtoalivingdeathinthesagebrushoftheBlackHills。Theseyoungmendidnotalwaysreturntothewaysofcivilizedlife。ButWyllisElliothadnotmarriedahalf-breed，norbeenshotinacowpunchers’brawl，norwreckedbybadwhisky，norappropriatedbyasmirchedadventuress。Hehadbeensavedfromthesethingsbyagirl，hissister，whohadbeenveryneartohislifeeversincethedayswhentheyreadfairytalestogetheranddreamedthedreamsthatnevercometrue。Onthis，hisfirstvisittohisfather’sranchsinceheleftitsixyearsbefore，hebroughtherwithhim。Shehadbeenlaiduphalfthewinterfromasprainreceivedwhileskating，andhadhadtoomuchtimeforreflectionduringthosemonths。Shewasrestlessandfilledwithadesiretoseesomethingofthewildcountryofwhichherbrotherhadtoldhersomuch。Shewastobemarriedthenextwinter，andWyllisunderstoodherwhenshebeggedhimtotakeherwithhimonthislong，aimlessjauntacrossthecontinent，totastethelastoftheirfreedomtogether。itcomestoallwomenofhertype——thatdesiretotastetheunknownwhichalluresandterrifies，torunone’swholesoul’slengthouttothewind——justonce。

Ithadbeenaneventfuljourney。Wyllissomehowunderstoodthatstrainofgypsybloodinhissister，andheknewwheretotakeher。

TheyhadsleptinsodhousesonthePlatteRiver，madetheacquaintanceofthepersonnelofathird-rateoperacompanyonthetraintoDeadwood，dinedinacampofrailroadconstructorsattheworld’sendbeyondNewCastle，gonethroughtheBlackHillsonhorseback，fishedfortroutinDomeLake，watchedadanceatCrippleCreek，wherethelostsoulswhohideinthehillsgatheredfortheirbesottedrevelry。Andnow，lastofall，beforethereturntothraldom，therewasthislittleshack，anchoredonthewindycrestoftheDivide，alittleblackdotagainsttheflamingsunsets，ascentedseaofcornlandbathedinopalescentairandblindingsunlight。

MargaretElliotwasoneofthosewomenofwhomtherearesomanyinthisday，whenoldorder，passing，givethplacetonew；

beautiful，talented，critical，unsatisfied，tiredoftheworldattwenty-four。ForthemomentthelifeandpeopleoftheDivideinterestedher。Shewastherebutaweek；perhapshadshestayedlonger，thatinexorableennuiwhichtravelsfastereventhantheVestibuleLimitedwouldhaveovertakenher。TheweekshetarriedtherewastheweekthatEricHermannsonwashelpingJerryLockhartthresh；aweekearlieroraweeklater，andtherewouldhavebeennostorytowrite。

ItwasonThursdayandtheyweretoleaveonSaturday。Wyllisandhissisterweresittingonthewidepiazzaoftheranchhouse，staringoutintotheafternoonsunlightandprotestingagainstthegustsofhotwindthatblewupfromthesandyriverbottomtwentymilestothesouthward。

Theyoungmanpulledhiscaploweroverhiseyesandremarked:

“Thiswindistherealthing；youdon’tstrikeitanywhereelse。YourememberwehadatouchofitinAlgiersandItoldyouitcamefromKansas。It’sthekeynoteofthiscountry。“

Wyllistouchedherhandthatlayonthehammockandcontinuedgently:

“Ihopeit’spaidyou，Sis。Roughingit’sdangerousbusiness；

ittakesthetasteoutofthings。“

Sheshutherfingersfirmlyoverthebrownhandthatwassolikeherown。

“Paid？Why，Wyllis，Ihaven’tbeensohappysincewewerechildrenandweregoingtodiscovertheruinsofTroytogethersomeday。Doyouknow，IbelieveIcouldjuststayonhereforeverandlettheworldgoonitsowngait。Itseemsasthoughthetensionandstrainweusedtotalkoflastwinterweregoneforgood，asthoughonecouldnevergiveone’sstrengthouttosuchpettythingsanymore。“

Wyllisbrushedtheashesofhispipeawayfromthesilkhandkerchiefthatwasknottedabouthisneckandstaredmoodilyoffattheskyline。

“No，you’remistaken。Thiswouldboreyouafterawhile。Youcan’tshakethefeveroftheotherlife。I’vetriedit。TherewasatimewhenthegayfellowsofRomecouldtrotdownintotheThebaidandburrowintothesandhillsandgetridofit。Butit’salltoocomplexnow。Youseewe’vemadeourdissipationssodaintyandrespectablethatthey’vegonefurtherinthantheflesh，andtakenholdoftheegoproper。Youcouldn’trest，evenhere。Thewarcrywouldfollowyou。“

“Youdon’twastewords，Wyllis，butyounevermissfire。I

talkmorethanyoudo，withoutsayinghalfsomuch。YoumusthavelearnedtheartofsilencefromthesetaciturnNorwegians。IthinkIlikesilentmen。“

“Naturally，“saidWyllis，“sinceyouhavedecidedtomarrythemostbrillianttalkeryouknow。“

Bothweresilentforatime，listeningtothesighingofthehotwindthroughtheparchedmorning-gloryvines。Margaretspokefirst。

“Tellme，Wyllis，weremanyoftheNorwegiansyouusedtoknowasinterestingasEricHermannson？“

“Who，Siegfried？Well，no。HeusedtobethefloweroftheNorwegianyouthinmyday，andhe’sratheranexception，evennow。

Hehasretrograded，though。Thebondsofthesoilhavetightenedonhim，Ifancy。“

“Siegfried？Come，that’srathergood，Wyllis。Helookslikeadragon-slayer。Whatisitthatmakeshimsodifferentfromtheothers？Icantalktohim；heseemsquitelikeahumanbeing。“

“Well，“saidWyllis，meditatively，“Idon’treadBourgetasmuchasmyculturedsister，andI’mnotsowellupinanalysis，butIfancyit’sbecauseonekeepscherishingaperfectlyunwarrantedsuspicionthatunderthatbig，hulkinganatomyofhis，hemayconcealasoulsomewhere。Nichtwahr？“

“Somethinglikethat，“saidMargaret，thoughtfully，“exceptthatit’smorethanasuspicion，anditisn’tgroundless。Hehasone，andhemakesitknown，somehow，withoutspeaking。“

“Ialwayshavemydoubtsaboutloquacioussouls，“Wyllisremarked，withtheunbelievingsmilethathadgrownhabitualwithhim。