第17章
Afterthisentrymanypageswereutterlyeffaced。
Thelastlegiblepassageranasfollows——“SoguidedbytheladJeekie，andwearingthegoldmask，LittleBonsa，onmyhead，Iranthroughthemall，holdinghimbythehandasthoughIweredragginghimaway。
AstrangespectacleImusthavebeenwithmyoldblackclergyman’scoatbuttonedaboutme，mynakedlegsandthegoldmask，aspretendingtobeadevilsuchastheyworship，Irushedthroughtheminthemoonlight，blowingthewhistleinthemaskandbellowinglikeabull……Suchwasthebeginningofmydreadfulsixmonths’journeytothecoast。SettingasidethemercyofProvidencethatpreservedmeforitsownpurposes，IcouldneverhavelivedtoreachithaditnotbeenforLittleBonsa，sincecuriouslyenoughIfoundthisfetishknownanddreadedforhundredsofmiles，andthatbypeoplewhohadneverseenit，yes，evenbythewildcannibals。Wheneveritwasproducedfood，bearers，canoes，orwhateverelseImightwantwereforthcomingasthoughbymagic。GreatisthefameofBigandLittleBonsainallthatpartofWestAfrica，although，strangeasitmayseem，theoutlyingtribesseldommentionthembyname。Iftheymustspeakofeitheroftheseimageswhicharesupposedtobemanandwife，theycallitthe’Yellow-God-who-lives-yonder。’“
NotanotherwordofallthisstrangehistorycouldAlandecipher，sowithachingeyesheshutupthestainedandtatteredvolume，andatlast，justasthedaywasbreaking，fellasleep。
Ateleveno’clockonthatsamemorning，forhehadsleptlate，AlanrosefromhisbreakfastandwenttosmokehispipeattheopendoorofthebeautifuloldhallinYarleysthatwascladwithbrownElizabethanoakforwhichanydealerwouldhavegivenhundredsofpounds。Itwasacharmingmorning，oneofthosethatcomestoussometimesinanEnglishAprilwhentheairissoftlikethatofItalyandthesmelloftheearthriseslikethatofincense，andlittlecloudsfloatidlyacrossaskyoftenderblue。Standingthushelookedoutupontheparkwheretheelmsalreadyshowedatingeofgreenandtheash-budswerecoalblack。Onlythewalnutsandthegreatoaks，someofthempollardsofathousandyearsofage，remainedstarkandsternintheirwinterdress。
AlanwasinareflectivemoodandinvoluntarilybegantowonderhowmanyofhisforefathershadstoodinthatsamespotuponsuchAprilmorningsandlookedoutuponthoseidenticaltreeswakeninginthebreathofspring。Onlythetreesandthelandscapeknew，thosetreeswhichhadseeneveryoneofthembornetobaptism，tobridalandtoburial。Themenandwomenthemselveswereforgotten。Theirportraits，eachinthegarbofhisorhergeneration，hunghereandthereuponthewallsoftheancienthousewhichoncetheyhadownedorinhabited，butwhorememberedanythingofthemto-day？Inmanycasestheirnamesevenwerelost，forbelievingthatthey，soimportantintheirtime，couldneversinkintooblivion，theyhadnotthoughtitnecessarytorecordthemupontheirpictures。
Andnowthethingwascomingtoanend。Unlessinthiswayorinthathecouldsaveit，whatremainedoftheoldplace，fortheoutlyinglandshadlongsincebeensold，mustgotothehammerandbecomethepropertyofsomepushingandsuccessfulpersonwhodesiredtofoundafamily，andperhapsindaystobewouldclaimtheseverypicturesthathunguponthewallsasthoseofhisownancestors，declaringthathehadbroughtintheestatebecausehewasarelativeoftheancientandruinedrace。
Well，itwasthewayoftheworld，andperhapsitmustbeso，butthethoughtofitmadeAlanVernonsad。Ifhecouldhavecontinuedthatbusiness，itmighthavebeenotherwise。Bythishourhislatepartners，SirRobertAylwardandMr。Champers-Haswell，weredoubtlesssittingintheirgraniteofficeintheCity，probablyinconsultationwithLordSpecton，whohadtakenhisplaceupontheBoardofthegreatCompanywhichwasbeingsubscribedthatday。Nodoubtapplicationsforshareswerepouringinbytheearlypostsandbytelegram，andfromtimetotimeMr。Jeffreysrespectfullyreportedtheirnumberandamount，whileSirRobertlookedunconcernedandMr。Haswellrubbedhishandsandwhistledcheerfully。Almosthecouldenvythem，thesemenwhowererealizinggreatfortunesamidstthebustleandexcitementofthatfiercefinanciallife，whilsthestoodpennilessandstaredatthetreesandtheeweswhichwanderedamongthemwiththeirlambs，hewho，afterallhiswork，wasbutafailure。Withasighheturnedawaytofetchhiscapandgooutwalking——therewasatenantwhomhemustsee，ashifty，new-fangledkindofmanwhowasalwaysclamouringforfreshbuildingsandreductionsinhisrent。Howwashetopayformorebuildings？Hemustputhimoff，orlethimgo。
Justthenasharpsoundcaughthisear，thatofanelectricbell。Itcamefromthetelephonewhich，sincehehadbeenamemberofaCityfirm，hehadcausedtobeputintoYarleysatconsiderableexpenseinorderthathemightbeabletocommunicatewiththeofficeinLondon。
“Weretheycallinghimupfromforceofhabit？“hewondered。Hewenttotheinstrumentwhichwasfixedinalittleroomheusedasastudy，andtookdownthereceiver。
“Whoisit？“heasked。“IamYarleys。AlanVernon。“
“AndIamBarbara，“cametheanswer。“Howareyou，dear？Didyousleepwell？“
“No，verybadly。“
“Nerves——Alan，youhavegotnerves。NowalthoughIhadaworsedaythanyoudid，Iwenttobedatnine，andprotectedbyaperfectconscience，slumberedtillninethismorning，exactlytwelvehours。
Isn’titcleverofmetothinkofthistelephone，whichismorethanyouwouldeverhavedone？MyunclehasdepartedtoLondonvowingthatnoletterfromyoushallenterthishouse，butheforgotthatthereisatelephoneineveryroom，andinfactatthismomentIamspeakingroundbyhisofficewithinayardortwoofhishead。However，hecan’thear，sothatdoesn’tmatter。Myblessingbeonthemanwhoinventedtelephones，whichhithertoIhavealwaysthoughtanawfulnuisance。Areyoufeelingcheerful，Alan？“
“Verymuchthereverse，“heanswered；“neverwasmoregloomyinmylife，notevenwhenIthoughtIhadtodiewithinsixhoursofblackwaterfever。AlsoIhavelotsthatIwanttotalktoyouaboutandIcan’tdoitattheendofthisconfoundedwirethatyourunclemaybetapping。“
“Ithoughtitmightbeso，“answeredBarbara，“soIjustrangyouuptowishyougood-morningandtosaythatIamcomingoverinthemotortolunchwithmymaidSnellaschaperone。Allright，don’tremonstrate，I/amcoming/overtolunch——Ican’thearyou——nevermindwhatpeoplewillsay。Iamcomingovertolunchatoneo’clock，mindyouarein。Good-bye，Idon’twantmuchtoeat，buthavesomethingforSnellandthechauffeur。Good-bye。“
Thenthewirewentdead，norcouldallAlan’s“Hello’s“and“Areyouthere’s？“extractanothersyllable。
HavingorderedthebestluncheonthathisoldhousekeepercouldprovideAlanwentoffforhiswalkinmuchbetterspirits，whichwerefurtherimprovedbyhissuccessinpersuadingthetenanttodowithoutthenewbuildingsforanotheryear。Inayear，hereflected，anythingmighthappen。Thenhereturnedbythewoodwhereanumberofnew-
felledoakslayreadyforbarking。Thiswasnotacheerfulsight；itseemedsocrueltokillthegreattreesjustastheywerepushingtheirbudsforanothersummeroflife。Butheconsoledhimselfbyrecallingthattheyhadbeentoocrowdedandthatthetimberwasreallyneededontheestate。AshereachedthehouseagaincarryingabunchofwhitevioletswhichhehadpluckedinashelteredplaceforBarbara，heperceivedamotortravellingatmuchmorethanthelegalspeedupthewalnutavenuewhichwastheprideoftheplace。Initsatthatyoungladyherself，andhermaid，Snell，amiddle-agedwomanwithwhom，asitchanced，hewasonverygoodterms，asonce，atsometroubletohimself，hehadbeenabletodoherakindness。
ThemotorpulledupatthefrontdoorandoutofitsprangBarbara，laughingpleasantlyandlookingfreshandcharmingasthespringitself。
“Therewillbearowoverthis，dear，“saidAlan，shakinghisheaddoubtfullywhenatlasttheywerealonetogetherinthehall。
“Ofcourse，there’llbearow，“sheanswered。“Imeanthatthereshouldbearow。Imeantohavearoweverydayifnecessary，untiltheyleavemealonetofollowmyownroad，andiftheywon’t，asI
said，togototheCourtofChanceryforprotection。Oh！bytheway，I
havebroughtyouacopyof/TheJudge/。There’samostawfularticleinitaboutthatSaharaflotation，andamongotherthingsitannouncesthatyouhaveleftthefirmandcongratulatesyouuponhavingdoneso。“
“They’llthinkIhaveputitin，“groanedAlanasheglancedattheheadlines，whichwerealmostlibellousintheirvigour，andthesummariesofthefinancialcareersofSirRobertAylwardandMr。
Champers-Haswell。“Itwillmakethemhatememorethanever，andI
say，Barbara，wecan’tliveinanatmosphereofperpetualwarfareforthenexttwoyears。“
“Ican，ifneedbe，“answeredthatdeterminedyoungwoman。“ButI
admitthatitwouldbetryingforyou，ifyoustayhere。“
“That’sjustthepoint，Barbara。Imustnotstayhere，Imustgoaway，thefurtherthebetter，untilyouareyourownmistress。“
“Whereto，Alan？“
“ToWestAfrica，Ithink。“
“ToWestAfrica？“repeatedBarbara，hervoicetremblingalittle。
“Afterthattreasure，Alan？“
“Yes，Barbara。Butfirstcomeandhaveyourlunch，thenwewilltalk。
Ihavegotlotstotellandshowyou。“
Sotheylunched，speakingofindifferentthings，fortheservantwastherewaitingonthem。JustastheywerefinishingtheirmealJeekieenteredtheroomcarryingaboxandalargeenvelopeaddressedtohismaster，whichhesaidhadbeensentbyspecialmessengerfromtheofficeinLondon。
“What’sinthebox？“askedAlan，lookingsomewhatnervouslyattheenvelope，whichwasaddressedinawritingthatheknew。
“Don’tknowforcertain，Major，“answeredJeekie，“butthinkLittleBonsa；thinkIsmellherthroughwood。“
“Well，lookandsee，“repliedAlan，whilehebrokethesealoftheenvelopeanddrewoutitscontents。Theyprovedtobesundrydocumentssentbythefirm’slawyers，amongwhichwereanoticeoftheformaldissolutionofpartnershiptobeapprovedbyhimbeforeitappearedinthe/Gazette/，asecondnoticecallinginamortgageforfifteenthousandandoddpoundsonYarleys，whichasamatterofbusinesshadbeentakenoverbythefirmwhilehewasapartner；acashaccountshowingasmallbalanceagainsthim，andfinallyareceiptforhimtosignacknowledgingthereturnofthegoldimagethatwashisproperty。