第11章

“Iloveyou，Iloveyou，“hesaidhuskily。

“SoIgather，“sheansweredinafeeblevoice。

“Doyoucareforme？“heasked。

“ItwouldseemthatImust，Alan，otherwiseIshouldscarcely——oh！youfoolishAlan，“andheedlessofherSundayhat，whichneverrecoveredfromthisencounter，butwaskeptasaholyrelic，sheletherheadfalluponhisshoulderandbegantocryagain，thistimeforveryhappiness。

Hekissedhertearsaway，thenashecouldthinkofnothingelsetosay，askedherifshewouldmarryhim。

“Itisthegeneralsequeltothiskindofthing，Ibelieve，“sheanswered；“oratanyrateitoughttobe。Butifyouwantadirectanswer——yes，Iwill，ifmyunclewillletme，whichhewon’t，asyouhavequarrelledwithhim，oratanyratetwoyearshence，whenIamfiveandtwentyandmyownmistress；thatisifwehaveanythingtomarryon，foronemusteat。Atpresentourworldlypossessionsseemtoconsistchieflyofalargestoreofmutualaffection，agoodstockofclothesandoneYellowGod，whichafterwhathappenedlastnight，Idonotthinkyouwillgetanotherchanceofturningintocash。“

“Imustmakemoneysomehow，“hesaid。

“Yes，Alan，butIamafraiditisnoteasytodo——honestly。Nobodywantspeoplewithoutcapitalwhoseonlystockintradeisabriefbutdistinguishedmilitarycareer，andalargeexperienceofAfricanfever。“

Alangroanedatthisveraciousbutdiscouragingremark，andshewentonquickly:

“ImeantospendanotherguineauponmyfriendthelawyeratKingswell。Perhapshecanraisethewind，byapost-obit，orsomething，“sheaddedvaguely，“Imeanapost-uncle-obit。“

“Ifhedoes，Barbara，Ican’tliveonyourmoneyalone，itisn’tright。“

“Oh！don’tyoutroubleaboutthat，Alan。IfonceIcangetholdofthosedimthousandsyouwillsoonbeabletomakemore，foruntohimthathathshallbegiven。Butatpresenttheyareverydim，andforallIknowmayberepresentedbystockindeceasedcompanies。Inshort，thefinancialpositionisextraordinarilydepressed，astheysayintheMarketIntelligencein/TheTimes/。Butthat’snoreasonwhyweshouldbedepressedalso。“

“No，Barbara，foratanyratewehavegoteachother。“

“Yes，“sheanswered，springingup，“wehavegoteachother，dear，untilDeathdouspart，andsomehowIdon’tthinkhe’lldothatyetawhile；itcomesintomyheartthathewon’tdothat，Alan，thatyouandIaregoingtoliveoutourdays。Sowhatdoestherestmatter？IntwoyearsIshallbeafreewoman。Infact，iftheworstcomestotheworst，I’lldefythemall，“andshesetherlittlemouthlikearock，“andmarryyoustraightaway，asbeingoverage，Icando，evenifitcostsmeeveryhalfpennythatI’vegot。“

“No，no，“hesaid，“itwouldbewrong，wrongtoyourselfandwrongtoyourdescendants。“

“Verywell，Alan，then，wewillwait，orperhapsluckwillcomeourway——whyshouldn’tit？AtanyrateformypartIneverfeltsohappyinmylife；for，dearAlan，wehavefoundwhatwewereborntofind，founditonceandforalways，andtherestismereetceteras。WhatwouldbetheuseofallthegoldoftheAsikipeoplethatJeekiewastalkingaboutlastnight，toeitherofus，ifwehadnoteachother？

Wecangetonwithoutthewealth，butwecouldn’tgetonapart，oratleastIcouldn’tandIdon’tmindsayingso。“

“No，mydarling，no，“heanswered，turningwhiteattheverythought，“wecouldn’tgetonapart——now。InfactIdon’tknowhowIhavedonesosolongalready，exceptthatIwasalwayshopingthatatimewouldcomewhenweshouldn’tbeapart。ThatiswhyIwentintothatinfernalbusiness，tomakeenoughmoneytobeabletoaskyoutomarryme。AndnowIhavegoneoutofthebusinessandaskedyoujustwhenI

shouldn’t。“

“Yes，soyouseeyoumightaswellhavedoneitayearortwoagowhenperhapsthingswouldhavebeensimpler。Well，itisafineexampleofthevanityofhumanplans，and，Alan，wemustbegoinghometolunch。

Ifwedon’t，SirRobertwillbeorganizingasearchpartytolookforus；infact，Ishouldn’twonderifheisdoingthatalready，inthewrongdirection。“

ThementionofSirRobertAylward’snamefellonthembothlikeablastofcoldwindinsummer，andforawhiletheywalkedinsilence。

“Youareafraidofthatman，Barbara，“saidAlanpresently，guessingherthoughts。

“Alittle，“sheanswered，“sofarasIcanbeafraidofanythinganymore。Andyou？“

“Alittlealso。Ithinkthathewillgiveustrouble。Hecanbeverymalevolentandresourceful。“

“Resourceful，Alan；well，socanI。I’llbackmywitsagainsthisanyday。Heshan’tseparateusbyanythingshortofmurder，whichhewon’tgoinfor。Menlikethatdon’tliketobreakthelaw；theyhavetoomuchtolose。Butnodoubthewillmakethingsuncomfortableforyou，ifhecan，forseveralreasons。“

Againtheywalkedonlostinreflections，whenBarbarasuddenlysawherlover’sfacebrighten。

“Whatisit，Alan？“sheasked。

“Somethingthatisrareenoughwithme，Barbara——anidea。YourememberspeakingaboutthatAsikigoldjustnow。Well，whyshouldn’tIgoandgetit？“

Shestaredathim。

“Itsoundsalittlespeculative，“shesaid；“somethinglikeoneofmyuncle’scompanies。“

“Nothalfsospeculativeasyouthink。IhavenodoubtitisthereandJeekieknowstheway。AlsoIseemtorememberthatthereisamapandanaccountofthewholethinginUncleAustin’sdiaries，thoughtotellyouthetruththeoldfellowwrotesuchafearfulhand，thatI

havenevertakenthetroubletoreadit。Yousee，“hewentonwithenthusiasm，“itisthekindofbusinessthatIcando。Iamthoroughlysaltedtofever，IknowtheWestCoast，whereIspentthreeyearsonthatBoundaryCommission，Ihavestudiedthenativesandcantalkseveraloftheirdialects。Ofcoursetherewouldbearisk，buttherearerisksineverything，andlikeyouIamnotafraidaboutthat，forIbelievethatwehavegotourlivesbeforeus。“

“Readupthosediaries，Alan，andwewilltalkthethingoveragain。

I’llpumpJeekie，whowilltellmeanythingbycoaxing，andtrytogetatthetruth。Meanwhilewhatareyougoingtodoaboutmyuncle？“

“Speaktohim，ofcourse，andhavetherowover。“

“Yes，“sheanswered，“thatisthebestandthemosthonest。Ofcoursehecanturnyouout，buthecan’tpreventmyseeingyou。Ifhedoes，gohometoYarleysandI’llcomeoverandcall。Hereweare，letusgoinbythebackdoor，“andshepointedtohercrushedhat，andlaughed。

WhileAlanandBarbara，onthemostmomentousoccasionoftheirlives，wereseateduponthefallenoakinthewoodsthatthrilledwiththebreathofspring，anotherinterviewwastakingplaceinMr。Champers-

Haswell’sprivatesuiteatTheCourt，thedecorationsofwhich，ashewaswonttoinformhisvisitors，hadcostnearly￡2000。SirRobert，whosetasteatanyratewasgood，thoughtthemsoappallingthatwhilewaitingforhishostandpartner，whomhehadcometosee，hetookaseatinthebowwindowofthesitting-roomandstudiedtheviewthatnobodyhadbeenabletospoil。PresentlyMr。Haswellemergedfromhisbedroom，wrappedinadressinggownandlookingverypaleandshaky。

“Delightedtoseeyouallrightagain，“saidSirRobertashewheeledupachairintowhichMr。Haswellsank。

“Iamnotallright，Aylward，“heanswered；“Iamnotallrightatall。Neverhadsuchanupsetinmylife；thoughtIwasgoingtodiewhenthataccursedsavagetoldhisbeastlytale。Aylward，youareamanoftheworld，tellme，whatisthemeaningofthething？Yourememberwhatwethoughtwesawintheoffice，andthen——thatstory。“

“Idon’tknow，“heanswered；“franklyIdon’tknow。IamamanwhohasneverbelievedinanythingIcannotseeandtest，onewhoutterlylacksfaith。InmyleisureIhaveexaminedintothevariousreligioussystemsandfoundthemtoberubbish。Iamconvincedthatwearebuthighly-developedmammalsbornbychance，andwhenourdayisdone，departingintotheblacknothingnessoutofwhichwecame。Everythingelse，thatis，whatiscalledthehigherandspiritualpart，I

attributetothesuperstitionsincidenttotheterrorofthehideouspositioninwhichwefindourselves，thatofgodsofasorthemmedinbyafewyearsoffearfulandtormentedlife。Butyouknowtheoldarguments，sowhyshouldIenteronthem？AndnowIamconfrontedwithanexperiencewhichIcannotexplain。IcertainlythoughtthatintheofficeonFridayeveningIsawthatgoldmasktowhichIhadtakensostrangeafancythatIofferedtogiveVernon￡17，000foritbecauseI