第17章
“MayIaskforyourexplanationoryourexcuse？““
“Youcancallitanexplanationoranexcuse，whicheveryoulike，“
Hamelrepliedsteadily，“butthefactisthatthislittlebuilding，whichsomeoneelseseemstohaveappropriated，ismine。IfIhadnotbeenagood-naturedperson，Ishouldbeengaged，atthepresentmoment，inturningoutitsfurnitureontothebeach。“
“Whatisyourname？“Mr。Fentolinaskedsuddenly。
“MynameisHamel-RichardHamel。“
Forseveralmomentstherewassilence。Mr。Fentolinwasstillleaningforwardinhisstrangelittlevehicle。Thecolourseemedtohaveleftevenhislips。Thehardglitterinhiseyeshadgivenplacetoanexpressionalmostlikefear。HelookedatRichardHamelasthoughheweresomestrangesea-monstercomeupfromunderneaththesands。
“RichardHamel，“herepeated。“DoyoumeanthatyouarethesonofHamel，theR。A。，whousedtobeinthesepartssooften？Hewasmybrother’sfriend。“
“Iamhisson。“
“ButhissonwaskilledintheSanFranciscoearthquake。Isawhisnameinallthelists。Itwascopiedintothelocalpapershere。“
Hamelknockedtheashesfromhispipe。
“Itakealotofkilling，“heobserved。“Iwasinthatearthquake，rightenough，andinthehospitalafterwards，butitwasamannamedHamelofPhiladelphiawhodied。“
Mr。Fentolinsatquitemotionlessforseveralmoments。Heseemed，ifpossible，tohaveshrunkenintosomethingsmallerstill。Afewyardsbehind，Meekinshadalightedfromhisbicycleandwasstandingwaiting。
“SoyouareRichardHamel，“Mr。Fentolinsaidatlastverysoftly。
“WelcomebacktoEngland，RichardHamel！Iknewyourfatherslightly，althoughwewereneververyfriendly。“
Hestretchedouthishandfromunderneaththecoverletofhislittlevehicle-ahandwithlong，whitefingers，slimandwhiteandshapelyasawoman’s。Asingleringwithadullgreenstonewasonhisfourthfinger。Hamelshookbandswithhimashewouldhaveshakenhandswithawoman。Afterwardsherubbedhisfingersslowlytogether。Therewassomethingaboutthetouchwhichworriedhim。
“Youhavebeenmakinguseofthislittleshanty，haven’tyou？“heaskedbluntly。
Mr。Fentolinnodded。Hewasapparentlybeginningtorecoverhimself。
“Youmustremember，“heexplainedsuavely，“thatitwasbuiltbymygrandfather，andthatwehavehadrightsoverthewholeoftheforeshoreherefromtimeimmemorial。Iknowquitewellthatmybrothergaveittoyourfather-orratherhesoldittohimforanominalsum。Imusttellyouthatitwasamostcomplicatedtransaction。Hehadthegreatestdifficultyingettinganylawyertodraftthedeedofsale。Thereweresomanyancientrightsandprivilegeswhichitwasimpossibletodealwith。Evennowtherearegravedoubtsastothevalidityofthetransaction。Whennothingwasheardofyou，andweallconcludedthatyouweredead，IventuredtotakebackwhatIhonestlybelievedtobemyown。Owing，“hecontinuedslowly，“tomyunfortunateaffliction，Iamobligedtodependforinterestinmylifeuponvarioushobbies。Thislittleplace，queerlyenough，hasbecomeoneofthem。Ihavefurnishedit，inaway；installedthetelephonetothehouse，connecteditwithmyelectricplant，andIcomedownherewhenIwanttobequitealone，andpaint。Iwatchthesea-suchaseasometimes，suchstorms，suchcolour！Younoticethatridgeofsandoutyonder？Itformsasortofnaturalbreakwater。Evenonthecalmestdayyoucantracethatwhitelineoffoam。“
“Itisastrangecoast，“Hameladmitted。
Mr。Fentolinpointedwithhisforefingernorthwards。
“Somewhereaboutthere，“heindicated，“istheentrancetothetidalriverwhichflowsuptothevillageofSt。David’syonder。
Yousee？“
Hisfingertraceditscourseuntilitcametoacertainpointnearthebeach，whereatallblackpillarstood，surmountedbyaglobe。
“Ihavehadalightfixedthereforthebenefitorthefishermen，“
hesaid，“alightwhichIworkfrommyowndynamo。Betweenwherewearesittingnowandthere-onlyalittlewayouttosea-isajaggedclusterofcruelrocks。Youcanseethemifyoucaretoswimoutincalmweather。Fishermenwhotriedtocomeinbynightwereoftentrappedthereand，inaroughsea，drowned。ThatiswhyI
hadthatpillaroflightbuilt。Onstormynightsitshowstheexactentrancetothewatercauseway。“
“Verykindofyouindeed，“Hamelremarked，“verybenevolent。“
Mr。Fentolinsighed。
“Sofewpeoplehaveanyrealfeelingforsailors，“hecontinued。
“Thefishermenaroundherearecertainlyratheracasualclass。Doyouknowthatthereisscarcelyoneofthemwhocanswim？Thereisn’toneofthemwhoisn’ttoolazytolearneventhesimpleststroke。Mybrotherusedtosay-dearGerald-thatitservedthemrightiftheyweredrowned。Ihaveneverbeenabletofeellikethat，Mr。Hamel。Lifeissuchawonderfulthing。Onenight，“hewenton，droppinghisvoiceandleaningalittleforwardinhiscarriage-“itwasjustbefore，orwasitjustafterIhadfixedthatlight-Iwasdownhereonedarkwinternight。Therewasagreatnorthwindandahugesearunning。Itwasasblackaspitch，butIheardaboatmakingforSt。David’scausewaystrikeonthoserocksjusthiddeninfrontthere。Iheardthosefishermenshriekastheywentunder。Iheardtheirshoutsforhelp，Iheardtheirdeathcries。Veryterrible，Mr。Hamel！Veryterrible！“
Hamellookedatthespeakercuriously。Mr。Fentolinseemedabsorbedinhissubject。Hehadspokenwithrelish，asonewholovesthethingshespeaksabout。Quiteunaccountably，Hamelfoundhimselfshivering。
“Itwastheirmother，“Mr。Fentolincontinued，leaningagainalittleforwardinhischair，“theirmotherwhomIsawpassalongthebeachjustnow-awidow，too，poorthing。Shecomeshereoften-amorbidtaste。Shespoketoyou，Ithink？“
“Shespoketomestrangely，“Hameladmitted。“Shegavemetheimpressionofawomanwhosebrainhadbeenturnedwithgrief。“
“Tootrue，“Mr。Fentolinsighed。“Thepoorcreature！Iofferedherasmallpension，butshewouldhavenoneofit。Asuperiorwomaninherwayonce，fillednowwithqueerfancies，“hewenton，eyeingHamelsteadily，-“theverystrangestfancies。Shespendsherlifeprowlingabouthere。Nooneinthevillageevenknowshowshelives。
Didshespeakofme，by-the-by？“
“Shespokeofyouasbeingaverykind-heartedman。“
Mr。Fentolinsighed。
“Thepoorcreature！Well，well，letusreverttotheobjectofyourcominghere。Doyoureallywishtooccupythislittleshanty，Mr。Hamel？“
“Thatwasmyidea，“Hamelconfessed。“IonlycamebackfromMexicolastmonth，andIverysoongotfedupwithlifeintown。Iamgoingabroadagainnextyear。Tillthen，Iamratheratalooseend。Myfatherwasalwaysverykeenindeedaboutthisplace，andveryanxiousthatIshouldcomeandstayhereforalittletime，soImadeupmymindtorundown。I’vegotsomethingswaitingatNorwich。IthoughtImighthireawomantolookaftermeandspendafewweekshere。Theytellmethattheearlyspringisalmostthebesttimeforthiscoast。“
Mr。Fentolinnoddedslowly。Hemoistenedhislipsforamoment。
Onemighthaveimaginedthathewasanxious。
“Mr。Hamel，“hesaidsoftly，“youarequiteright。Itisthebesttimetovisitthiscoast。Butwhymakeahermitofyourself？Youareafamilyfriend。ComeandstaywithusattheHallforaslongasyoulike。Itwillgivemetheutmostpleasuretowelcomeyouthere，“hewentonearnestly，“andasforthislittleplace，ofwhatuseisittoyou？Letmebuyitfromyou。Youareamanoftheworld，Icansee。Youmayberich，yetmoneyhasadefinitevalue。
Tomeithasnone。Thatlittleplace，asitstands，isprobablyworth-sayahundredpounds。Yourfathergave，ifIrememberrightly，afivepoundnoteforit。Iwillgiveyouathousandforitsoonerthanbedisturbed。“
Hamelfrownedslightly。
“Icouldnotpossiblythink，“hesaid，“ofsellingwhatwaspracticallyagifttomyfather。Youarewelcometooccupytheplaceduringmyabsenceinanywayyouwish。Ontheotherhand，I
donotthinkthatIcaretopartwithitaltogether，andIshouldreallyliketospendjustadayorsohere。Iamusedtoroughingitunderallsortsofconditions-muchmoreusedtoroughingitthanIamtostayingatcountryhouses。“
Mr。Fentolinleanedalittleoutofhiscarriage。Hereachedtheyoungerman’sshoulderwithhishand。
“Ah！Mr。Hamel，“hepleaded，“don’tmakeupyourmindtoosuddenly。
AmIalittlespoilt，Iwonder？Well，youseewhatsortofacreatureIam。IhavetogothroughlifeasbestImay，andpeoplearekindtome。ItisveryseldomIamcrossed。Itisquiteastonishinghowoftenpeopleletmehavemyownway。Donotmakeupyourmindtoosuddenly。Ihaveanieceandanephewwhomyoumustmeet。Therearesometreasures，too，atSt。David’sHall。