第3章

Returningthusfromhissoul-devastatingexperienceofwartofindhislifedesolateandmaimedinallthatgaveitvalue，hemadetheappallingdiscoverythathewasleftalmostaloneofallwhomhehadknownandlovedinpastdays。Forofhisclosefriendsnonewereleftasbefore。Forthemostparttheywerelyingononeorotherofthefivebattlefrontsofthewar。Othershadfoundserviceinotherspheres。Onlyonewasstillinhishometown，pooroldPhilAmory，Frances’brother，half-blindinhisdarkenedroom，buttobringanythingofhisownheartburdentothatbravesoulseemedsacrilegeorworse。Trueenough，hewaspassingthroughthenewandthrillingexperienceofmakingacquaintancewithhisfather。ButoldGrantMaitlandwasahardmantoknow，andtheyweretoomuchalikeintheirreserveandintheirpovertyofself-expressiontomakemutualacquaintanceanythingbutaslowandinsomewaysapainfulprocess。

HenceinMaitland’shearttherewasanalmostextravagantgratitudetowardthisyounggenerous-heartedgirlwhosetouchhadthrilledhisheartandwhosevoicewithitspassionatenoteofloyalandunderstandingcomradeshipstillsanglikemusicinhissoul，“Alwaysandalways，CaptainJack，andevermore。“

“ByJove，Ihavegottofindsomewayofplayinguptothat，“hesaidaloud，asheturnedfromthegravelleddrivewayintothestreet。Andinthemonthsthatfollowedhewastofindthatthesearchtowhichhethencommittedhimselfwastocallfortheutmostofthepowersofsoulwhichwerehis。

Perrottewasbyalloddsthebestall-roundmanintheplaningmill，andforthesimplereasonthatforfifteenyearshehadfollowedthelumberfromtherawwoodthroughthevariousmachinestillheknewwoodsandmachinesandtheirwaysasnootherinthemillunlessitwasoldGrantMaitlandhimself。FifteenyearsagoPerrottehaddrifteddownfromthewoods，beatinghiswayonalumbertrain，havinglefthiswinter’spaybehindhimatthevergeofcivilisation，witholdJoeBarbeauandJoe’s“chuckerout。“Itwasthe“chuckerout“thatdraggedhimoutofthe“snakeroom“and，allunwitting，hadgivenhimaflyingstarttowardabetterlife。

PerrottecametoMaitlandwhentheseason’sworkwasatitsheightandeverysawandplanerwereroaringnightandday。

“Wantajob？“Maitlandhadshoutedoverthetearingsawathim。

“Whatcanyoudo？“

“(H)axe-manme，“growledPerrotte，lookingupathim，halfwistful，halfsullen。

“Seethatslab？Grabit，pileityonder。Theboards，slideovertheshoot。“Forthesewerestillprimitivedaysforlabor-savingdevices，andmenwerestillthecheapestthingaboutamill。

Perrottegrabbedtheslab，heaveditdowntoitspileofwaste，thenextboardheslidintotheshoot，andsocontinuedtillnoonfoundhimpaleandstaggering。

“What’sthematterwithyou？“saidMaitland。

“Notting——mebon，“saidPerrotte，and，clutchingatthedoorjamb，hungtheregasping。

Maitland’skeenblueeyessearchedhisface。“Huh！Whendidyoulasteat？Come！Nolying！“

“Twoday，“saidPerrotte，fightingforbreathandnerve。

“Here，boy，“shoutedMaitlandtoachoreladslouchingby，“jumpforthatcookhouseandfetchacupofcoffee，andbequick。“

Theboss’toneinjectedenergyintothegawkylad。InthreeminutesPerrottewasseatedonapileofslabs，drinkingacupofcoffee；infiveminutesmorehestoodup，readyfor“(h)annyman，(h)annyting。“ButMaitlandtookhimtothecook。

“Fillthismanup，“hesaid，“andthenshowhimwheretosleep。

And，Perrotte，to-morrowmorningatsevenyoubeatthetailofthesaw。“

“Oui，bygar！Perrottebedere。AndyougotonegoodmanTOO-day，forsure。“

Thatwasfifteenyearsago，and，barringcertain“jubilations，“

Perrottemadegoodhisprophecy。HebroughtupfromtheOttawahisIrishwife，acleverwomanwithhertonguebutahousekeeperthatscandalisedherthrifty，tidy，French-Canadianmother-in-law，andhistwochildren，aboyandagirl。UnderthesupervisionofhisbosshemadeforhisfamilyahomeandforhimselfanassuredplaceintheBlackwaterMills。Hischildrenfellintothehandsofateacherwithatruevocationforhisgreatworkandapassionforyounglife。Underhishandtheyouthoftherapidlygrowingmillvillageweresavedfromthesordidandsoul-debasinginfluencesoftheirenvironment，wereledoutofthemuddystreetsandcan-strewnbackyardstothosefarheightswheredwellthehighgodsofpoesyandromance。Fromthemaster，too，theylearnedtoknowtheirownwonderfulwoodsoutofwhichthenear-byfarmshadbeenhewn。Manyahome，too，oweditsbookshelftoAlexDay’sunobtrusivesuggestions。

ThePerrottechildrenwerepreparedforHighSchoolbythemaster’squietbutdeterminedpersistence。Tothefatherhehelduptheutilitarianadvantagesofaneducation。

“Yourboyisquick——whyshouldnotTonybeamasterofmensomeday？Givehimachancetoclimb。“

“Oui，bygar！Antoinehe’ssmartlee’lefeller。Imakhimsteeckonhisbook，youmakhimonebigbossonsomemill。“

Tothemotherthemasterspokeofsocialadvantages。Theempty-

headedIrishwomanwhohadallthequickwitandclevernessoftonguecharacteristicofherracewasdeterminedthathergirlAnnetteshouldlearntobeasstylishas“themthattho’tthemselvesherbetters。“Sothechildrenwerekeptatschoolbytheirfondlyambitiousparents，andthemasterdidtherest。

AtthePublicSchool，thatgreatestofalldemocraticinstitutions，thePerrottechildrenmetthetownyouthoftheirownage，givingandtakingonequalterms，sharingcommonprivilegesandadvantagesandgrowingintoacommunitysolidarityalltheirown，whichinlateryearsbroughtitsownharvestofminglingjoyandbitterness，butwhichonthewholemadeforsoundmanhoodandwomanhood。

WiththegirlAnnetteoneeffectofthePublicSchoolanditsinfluences，educationalandsocial，wastorevealtoherthedepthoftheeducationalandsocialpitfromwhichshehadbeentaken。

HerHighSchooltrainingmighthavefittedherfortheteachingprofessionandcompletedhersocialemancipationbutforhervainandthriftlessmother，who，sociallyambitiousforherselfbutmoreforherhandsome，cleverchildren，foundherselfincreasinglyembarrassedforfunds。Shelackedthemeanswithwhichtosuitablyadornherselfandherchildrenforthestationinlifetowhichsheaspiredandforwhichgoodclothesweretheprimeequipmentandto“eddicate“Tonyashedeserved。HencewhenAnnettehadcompletedhersecondyearattheHighSchoolhermotherwithdrewherfromtheschoolanditsassociationsandfoundheraplaceinthenewFancyBoxFactory，wheregirlscouldobtain“anilligantandrefoinedjobwithgoodpayaswell。“

ThischangeinAnnette’soutlookbroughtwrathfuldisappointmenttotheheadmaster，AlexDay，whohadtakenaveryspecialprideinAnnette’sbrilliantschoolcareerandwhohadoutlinedforheraUniversitycourse。ToAnnetteherselftheendingofherschooldayswasabittergrief，thebitternessofwhichwouldhavebeengreatlyintensifiedhadshebeenabletomeasurethemagnitudeofthechangetobewroughtinherlifebyhermother’sfoolishvanityandunwisepreferenceofherson’stoherdaughter’sfuture。

ThedeterminingfactorinAnnette’ssubmissiontohermother’swillwasconsiderationforherbrotherandhiscareer。Forwhileforherfathershecherishedanaffectionateprideandforhermotheranamusedandprotectivepity，hergreatpassionwasforherbrother——herhandsome，vivacious，audaciousandmercurialbrother，Tony。Withhimshecounteditonlyjoytoshareheralltoomeagrewageswheneverhefoundhimselfinfinancialstraits。AndanotinfrequentsituationthiswaswithTony，who，whileheseemedtohaveinheritedfromhismotherthevivacity，quickwitandgeneralempty-headedness，fromhisfathergotnothingofthethriftandpatientenduranceofgrindingtoilcharacteristicoftheFrench-

Canadianhabitant。Buthedidgetfromhisfatheracapacityfortheknowingandhandlingofmachinery，whichamountedalmosttogenius。Ofthefather’ssteadinessunderthegrindofdailyworkwhichhadmadehimtheheadmechanicintheMill，Tonypossessednotatittle。Whathecouldgeteasilyhegot，andgettingthisfanciedhimselfrichlyendowed，knowingnothowslightandsuperficialistheequipmentforlife’ssternfightthatcomeswithoutsweatofbrainandbody。Hisclevernessdeceivedfirsthimselfandthenhisfamily，whounitedinbelievinghimtobedestinedforhighplaceandgreatthings。Onlytwoofthosewhohadtodowithhiminhisboyhoodweighedhiminthebalanceoftruth。OnewashisPublicSchoolmaster，wholaboredwithincessantandpainfulcaretoawakeninhimsomeglimmeroftheneedofpreparationforthatbitterfighttowhicheverymanisappointed。TheotherwasGrantMaitland，whoseknowledgeofmenandoflife，gainedatcostofdesperateconflict，madetheyouth’ssoulanopenbooktohim。Recognisingtheboy’saptitude，hehadinholidayseasonssetTonybehindthemachinesinhisplaningmill，determinedforhisfather’ssaketomakeofhimamechanicalengineer。ToTonyeachnewmachinewasatoytobeplayedwith；inaweekortwohehadmastereditandgrownwearyofit。Thenceforthheslackedathisworkandbecameademoralizinginfluenceinhisdepartment，asourceofanxietytohissteady-goingfather，aplaguetohisemployer，tilltheholidaytimewasdone。

“Wereyoumyson，mylad，I’dsoonsettleyou，“GrantMaitlandwouldsay，whentheboywasreadytogobacktohisschool。“Youwillmakeamessofyourlifeunlessyoucanlearntostickatyourjob。Theroadsarefullofclevertramps，rememberthat，myboy。“

ButTonyonlysmiledhisbrilliantsmileathim，ashetookhispayenvelope，whichburnedaholeinhispockettillhehaddonewithit。WhenthenextholidaycameroundTonywouldpresenthimselfforajobwithJackMaitlandtopleadforhim。FortoTonyJackwasasking，towhomhegavepassionateloyaltywithoutstintormeasure。AndthusforhissonJack’ssake，Jack’sfathertookTonyonagain，resolvedtomakeanotherefforttomakesomethingoutofhim。

Thebondbetweenthetwoboyswashardtoanalyse。IngamesatPublicandHighSchoolJackwasalwaysCaptainandTonyhisright-

handman，heldtohisplaceandhistrainingpartlybyhisadmiringdevotiontohisCaptainbutmorebyawholesomedreadoftheinexorabledisciplinarymeasureswhichslacknessortriflingwiththerulesofthegamewouldinevitablybringhim。JackMaitlandwastheonebeinginTony’sworldwhocouldputlastingfearintohissoulorsteadinessintohispractice。ButevenJackattimesfailed。

ThenwhenbothwereeighteentheywenttotheWar，JackasanOfficer，TonyasaNon-CommissionedOfficerinthesameBattalion，Jackhatingthebloodybusinessbutresolutetoplaythisgreatgameofdutyasheplayedallgamesforallthatwasinhim，TonyaglowatfirstwiththemovementandglitterandlatermadwiththelustfordeadlydaringthatwasnativetohisKelticGallicsoul。

TheyreturnedwiththeirrespectivedecorationsofD。S。O。andMilitaryMedalandeachwiththestampofwarcutdeepuponhim，inkeepingwiththequalityofhissoul。

Thereturntopeacewastothem，astothethousandsoftheircomradestowhomitwasgiventoreturn，ashockalmostasgreatashadbeentheadventureofwar。Inasingledaywhilestillamidthescenesandwithalltheparaphernaliaofwaraboutthemanunrealandbewilderingsilencehadfallenonthem。Likemenintheunearthlyrealitiesofadreamtheymovedthroughtheirroutineduties，waitingfortheordersthatwouldbringthatwell-known，sickening，savagetighteningoftheircourageandsendthem，ladenlikebeastsofburden，uponcemoretothathellofbloodandmud，ofnerve-shatteringshell，ofblindingglareandear-burstingroarofgunfire，and，worsethanall，totheplacewhere，crouchinginthefarcicaldeceptiveshelterofthesandbaggedtrench，theirfingersgrippingintothesteeloftheirriflehands，theywouldwaitforthezerohour。Butastheweekspassedandtheordersfailedtocometheypassedfromthatbewilderingandsubconsciousanxiouswaiting，toanexperienceofwildlyexultant，hystericalabandonment。Theyweredonewithallthatlonghorrorandterror；

theywerenevertogobackintoitagain；theyweregoingbackhome；theNewDayhaddawned；warwasnomore，noreverwouldbeagain。Backtohome，towaitinghearts，toshiningeyes，towelcomingarms，topeace，theyweregoing。

Thereafter，whensomeweeksofpeacehadpassedandthedrumsofpeacehadfallenquietandtherushing，crowding，hurrahingpeoplehadmeltedaway，andthestreetsandroadswerefilledagainwithmenandwomenbentonbusiness，withengagementstokeep，thereturnedmenfoundthemselveswithdazed，listlessmindwaitingforordersfromsomeone，somewhere，orforthenextmovieshowtoopen。