第9章
Jeekie’sbigvoicediedawaytoawhisperandceased。Therewasasilenceintheroom，forevenintheshineoftheelectriclightandthroughthefumesofchampagne，inmorethanoneimaginationthereroseavisionofthathauntedwaterinwhichfloatedthegreatYellowGod，andofsomemadbeingcastinghimselftohisdeathbeneaththemoon，whilehisbeautifulwitchwifewhowas“hungryformorespirits“
satuponitsedgeandlaughed。Althoughhislanguagewasnowcommonplaceenough，evenludicrousattimes，thenegrohadundoubtedlytheartofnarration。Hisauditorsfeltthathespokeofwhatheknew，orhadseen，thattheveryrecollectionofitfrightenedhim，thereforehefrightenedthem。
AgainBarbarabrokethesilencewhichshefelttobeawkward。
“Whydomoreghostscomeverynighttositwiththequeen’shusband，Jeekie？“sheasked。“Wheredotheycomefrom？“
“Outofthedead，miss，deadhusbandsofAsikafrombeginningoftheworld；whattheycallMunganas。AlsoalwaystheymakesacrificetoYellowGod。Fromfar，farawaythempoorniggerssendpeopletobesacrificethattheirhouseortribegetluck。Sometimestheysendkings，sometimesgreatmen，sometimesdoctors，sometimeswomenwhathavetwinbabies。AlsotheAsikibringpeoplewhatiswitches，orhavedrunkpoisonstuffwhichblackscall/muavi/andhavenotbeensick，orperhapssontheylovebesttotakecurseofftheirroof。AllthesecometoYellowGod。ThenAsikidoctor，theyhaveDeath-palaver。Onnightoffullmoontheybeatdrum，anddrumgoWow！Wow！Wow！anddoctorspickoutthosetodiethatmonth。OncetheypickoutJeekie，oh！goodLord，theypickout/me/，“andashesaidthewordshegaspedandwithhisgreathandwipedoffthesweatthatstartedfromhisbrow。“ButYellowGodnotakeJeekiethattime，nowanthimandI
escape。“
“How？“askedSirRobert。
“Withmymaster，Major’suncle，ReverendAustin，hewhocometrytomakeAsikiChristian。Hesnaphisfingers，putonsmallmaskofYellowGodwhichheprig，LittleBonsaherself，thatsamefacewhichsitinyourofficenow，“andhepointedtoSirRobert，“likeonetoaduponastone。Prieststhinkthatgodmakeherselfintoman，wantholiday，takemeoutintoforesttokillmeandeatmylife。Sotheyletusgobyandwegojustasthoughdevilkickus——fast，fast，andneverseetheAsikianymore。ButLittleBonsaIbringwithmeforluck，telltruthInodareleaveherbehind，shenotstandthat；andnowshesitinyourofficeandthinkandthinkandmakemagicthere。Thatwhyyougrowrich，becausesheknowyouworshipher。“
“That’sanicewayforabaptizedChristiantotalk，“saidBarbara，adding，“ButJeekie，whatdoyoumeanwhenyousaythatthegoddidnottakeyou？“
“Imeanthis，miss；whenvictimofferedtoBigYellowGod，priest-menbringhimtoedgeofcanalwherethegreatgodfloat。ThenifYellowGodwanthim，itturnandswimacrosswater。“
“Swimacrosswater！Ithoughtyousaiditwasonlyamaskofgold？“
“Idon’tknow，miss，perhapsmaninsidethemask，perhapsspirit。I
sayitswimacrosswaterinthenight，alwaysinthenight，andliftitselfupandlookinvictim’sface。Thenpriesttakehimandkillhim，sometimesoneway——sometimesanother。Orifheescapeandtheynotkillhim，allsameforthatJohnnie，hedieinaboutoneyear，alwaysdie，nooneeverlivelongifYellowGodswimtohimindarkandriseupandsmileinhisface。NomatterifitBigBonsaorLittleBonsa，fortheymanandwifejoinedinholymatrimonyandeitherdotrick。“
AsthesewordsleftJeekie’slipsAlanbecameawareofsomeunusualmovementonhisleftandlookinground，sawthatMr。Champers-Haswell，whostoodbyhim，haddroppedthecigarwhichheheldand，whiteasasheet，wasswayingtoandfro。IndeedinanotherinstanthewouldhavefallenhadnotAlancaughthiminhisarmsandsupportedhimtillotherscametohisassistance，whenbetweenthemtheycarriedhimtoasofa。Ontheirwaytheypassedatablewherespiritsandsodawaterweresetout，andtohisastonishmentAlannoticedthatSirRobertAylward，lookinglittleifatallbetterthanhispartner，hadhelpedhimselftohalfatumblerofcognac，whichhewasswallowingingreatgulps。Thentherewasconfusionandsomeonewenttotelephonethedoctor，whilethedeepvoiceofJeekiewasheardexclaiming:
“ThatYellowGodatwork——ohyes，LittleBonsaonthejob。JeekieChristianmanbutnodoubtsheverypowerfulfetishandcandoanythingsheliketothemthatworshipher，andyousee，shesitinofficeofthesegentlemen。’SpectshemakeReverendAustinandmebringhertoEnglandbecauseshegoteyeonfirmofMessrs。Aylward&
Haswell，London，E。C。Oh，shouldn’twonderatall，forBonsaknoweverything。“
“Oh，confoundyouandyourfetish！Beoff，youolddonkey，“almostshoutedAlan。
“Major，“repliedtheoffendedJeekie，assuminghisgrandmannerandlanguage，“itwasnotIwhowishedtonarratethishistoryofblood-
stainedsuperstitionsofpoorAfrican。Mustn’tblameoldJeekieiftheymakeChristiangentssickasChannelsteamer。“
“Beoff，“repeatedAlan，stampinghisfoot。
SoJeekiewent，butoutsidethedoor，asitchanced，heencounteredoneoftheJewgentlemenwhoalsoappearedtobealittle“sick。“Anideastrikinghim，hetouchedhiswhitehairwithhisfingerandsaid:
“YoulikeJeekie’sprettystory，sir？Well，Jeekiethinkthatifyoumakelittlepresenttohim，likeyourbrotherinthere，itpleaseYellowGodverymuch，andbringyouplentyluck。“
Thenactinguponsomeunaccustomedimpulse，thatJewbecameexceedinglygenerous。Inhispocketwasahandfulofsovereignswhichhehadbeenpreparedtostakeatbridge。HegraspedthemallandthrustthemintoJeekie’soutstretchedpalm，wheretheyseemedtomelt。
“Thankyou，sir，“saidJeekie。“NowIsureyouhaveplentyluck，justlikeyourgrandpaJacobinBookwhenhedohisbrudderineye。“
CHAPTERIV
ALANANDBARBARA
TherewasnobridgeorbilliardsattheCourtthatnight，whereordinarilytheplayranhighenough。AfterMr。Haswellhadbeencarriedtohisroom，someoftheguests，amongthemSirRobertAylward，wenttobed，remarkingthattheycoulddonogoodbysittingup，whileothers，moreconcerned，waitedtoheartheverdictofthedoctor，whomustdrivefromsixmilesaway。Hecame，andhalfanhourlaterBarbaraenteredthebilliardroomandtoldAlan，whowassittingtheresmoking，thatherunclehadrecoveredfromhisfaint，andthatthedoctor，whowastostayallnight，saidthathewasinnodanger，onlysufferingfromaheartattackbroughtonapparentlybyover-workorexcitement。
WhenAlanwokenextmorningthefirstthingthatheheardthroughhisopenwindowwasthesoundofthedoctor’sdepartingdogcart。ThenJeekieappearedandtoldhimthatMr。Haswellwasallrightagain，butthatallnighthehadshaken“likeonejelly。“Alanaskedwhathadbeenthematterwithhim，butJeekieonlyshruggedhisshouldersandsaidthathedidnotknow——“perhapsYellowGodtouchhimup。“
Atbreakfast，asinhernoteshehadsaidshewould，Barbaraappearedwearingashortskirt。SirRobert，whowasthere，alsolookedextremelypaleevenforhimandwithblackrimsroundhiseyes，askedherifsheweregoingtogolf，towhichsheansweredthatshewouldthinkitover。Itwasasomewhatmelancholymeal，andasthoughbycommonconsentnomentionwasmadeofJeekie’staleoftheYellowGod，andbeyondtheusualpoliteinquiries，verylittleoftheirhost’sseizure。
AsBarbarawentoutshewhisperedtoAlan，whoopenedthedoorforher，“Meetmeathalf-pastteninthekitchengarden。“
Accordingly，havingchangedhisclothessurreptitiously，Alan，avoidingtheothers，madehiswaybyacircuitousroutetothiskitchengarden，whichafterthefashionofmodernplaceswashiddenbehindabeltoftreesnearlyaquarterofamilefromthehouse。HerehewanderedabouttillpresentlyheheardBarbara’spleasantvoicebehindhimsaying:
“Don’tdawdleso，weshallbelateforchurch。“
Sotheystarted，somewhatfurtivelylikerunawaychildren。AstheywentAlanaskedhowherunclewas。
“Allrightnow，“sheanswered，“buthehashadabadshake。ItwasthatYellowGodstorywhichdidit。Iknow，forIwastherewhenhewascomingto，withSirRobert。Hekepttalkingaboutitinaconfusedmanner，sayingthatitwasswimmingtohimacrossthefloor，tillatlastSirRobertbentoverhimandtoldhimtobequietquitesternly。
Doyouknow，Alan，Ibelievethatyourpetfetishhasbeenmanifestingitselfinsomeunpleasantfashionupthereintheoffice？“
“Indeed。Ifso，itmustbesinceIleft，forIneverheardofanythingofthesort，norareAylwardandyourunclelikelypeopletoseeghosts。InfactSirRobertwishedtogivemeabout￡17，000forthethingonlythedaybeforeyesterday，whichdoesn’tlookasthoughithadbeenfrighteninghim。“
“Well，hewon’trepeattheoffer，Alan，forIheardhimpromisemyuncleonlythismorningthatitshouldbesentbacktoYarleysatonce。Butwhydidhewanttobuyitforsuchalotofmoney？Tellmequickly，Alan，Iamdyingtohearthewholestory。“
Sohebeganandtoldher，omittingnothing，whileshelistenedeagerlytoeveryword，hardlyinterruptinghimatall。Ashefinishedhistaletheyreachedthedoorofthequaintoldvillagechurchjustastheclockwasstrikingeleven。
“Comein，Alan，“shesaidgently，“andthankHeavenforallitsmercies，foryoushouldbeagratefulmanto-day。“
ThenwithoutgivinghimtimetoanswersheenteredthechurchandtheytooktheirplacesinthegreatsquarepewthatforgenerationshadbeenoccupiedbytheownersoftheancienthousewhichMr。HaswellpulleddownwhenhebuiltTheCourt。Thereweretheirmonumentsuponthewallandtheirgravestonesinthechancelfloor。ButnownooneexceptBarbaraeversatintheirpew；eventhebenchessetasidefortheservantswereempty，forthosewhofrequentedTheCourtwerenotchurch-goersand“likemaster，likeman。“Indeedthegentle-facedoldclergymanlookedquitepleasedandsurprisedwhenhesawtwoinhabitantsofthatpalatialresidenceamongsthiscongregation，althoughitistruethatBarbarawashisfriendandhelper。