第12章

provethatI’malivethecasemustgoononaccountofmyheir，whetherIchoosetocryquitsornot。Andit’sjustTHATthatholdsmyhand。“

Randolphstaredattheextraordinarymanbeforehim。Foramoment，asthestrangestoryofhismiraculousescapeandhisstillmorewonderfulindifferencetoitallrecurredtohismind，hefeltadoubtofthenarrator’struthfulnessorhissanity。Butanotherglanceatthesailor’sfrankeyesdispelledthatmomentarysuspicion。Heheldouthishandasfrankly，andgraspingCaptainDornton’s，said，“Iwillgo。“

V

Randolph’srequestforafourmonths’leaveofabsencewasgrantedwithlittleobjectionandnocuriosity。Hehadacquiredtheconfidenceofhisemployers，andbeyondMr。Revelstoke’scurtsurprisethatayoungfellowontheroadtofortuneshouldsacrificesomuchtimetoirrelevanttravel，andtheremark，“Butyouknowyourownbusinessbest，“therewasnocomment。Itstrucktheyoungman，however，thatMr。Dingwall’sslightcoolnessonreceivingthenewsmightbeattributedtoasuspicionthathewasfollowingMissAvondale，whomhehadfanciedDingwalldisliked，andhequicklymadecertaininquiriesinregardtoMissEversleighandthepossibilityofhismeetingher。As，withoutintendingit，andtohisownsurprise，heachievedablushinsodoing，whichDingwallnoted，hereceivedagraciousreply，andthesuggestionthatitwas“quiteproper“forhim，onarriving，tosendtheyoungladyhiscard。

CaptainDornton，underthealiasof“CaptainJohns，“wasreadytocatchthenextsteamertotheIsthmus，andintwodaystheysailed。

Thevoyagewasuneventful，andifRandolphhadexpectedanyenthusiasmonthepartofthecaptaininthemissiononwhichhewasnowfairlylaunched，hewouldhavebeendisappointed。Althoughhisfranknesswasunchanged，hevolunteerednoconfidences。Itwasevidenthewasfullyacquaintedwiththelegalstrengthofhisclaim，yethe，asevidently，deferredmakinganyplanofredressuntilhereachedEngland。OfMissEversleighhewasmorecommunicative。“Youwouldhavelikedherbetter，mylad，ityouhadn’tbeenbewitchedbytheAvondalewoman，forsheisthewhitestoftheDorntons。“InvainRandolphprotestedtruthfully，yetwithanevenmoreconvincingcolor，thatithadmadenodifference，andheHADlikedher。Thecaptainlaughed。“Ay，lad！Butshe’sapoororphan，withscarcelyahundredpoundsayear，wholiveswithherguardian，anoldclergyman。Andyet，“headdedgrimly，“thereareonlythreelivesbetweenherandtheproperty——mine，Bobby’s，andBill’s——unlessHEshouldmarryandhaveanheir。“

“Themorereasonwhyyoushouldassertyourselfanddowhatyoucanforhernow，“saidRandolpheagerly。

“Ay，“returnedthecaptain，withhisusuallaugh，“whenshewasachildIusedtocallhermylittlesweetheart，andgaveheraring，andIreckonIpromisedtomarryher，too，whenshegrewup。“

ThetruthfulRandolphwouldhavetoldhimofMissEvereleigh’sgift，butunfortunatelyhefelthimselfagainblushing，andfearfullestthecaptainwouldmisconstruehisconfusion，hesaidnothing。

Exceptonthisoccasion，thecaptaintalkedwithRandolphchieflyofhislaterpast，——ofvoyageshehadmade，ofplacestheywerepassing，andportstheyvisited。Hespentmuchofthetimewiththeofficers，andeventhecrew，overwhomheseemedtoexerciseasingularpower，andwithwhomheexhibitedanoddfreemasonry。ToRandolph’seyesheappearedtogrowinstrengthandstatureinthesaltbreathofthesea，andalthoughhewasuniformlykind，evenaffectionate，tohim，hewasbrusquetotheotherpassengers，andattimesevenwithhisfriendsthesailors。Randolphsometimeswonderedhowhewouldtreatacrewofhisown。Hefoundsomeanswertothatquestioninthecaptain’smannertoJackRedhill，theabstractoroftheportmanteau，andhisoldshipmate，whowasaccompanyingthecaptaininsomedependentcapacity，butwhoreceivedhismaster’sconfidencesandorderswithrespectfuldevotion。

Itwasacold，foggymorning，nearlytwomonthslater，thattheylandedatPlymouth。TheEnglishcoasthadbeenavagueblankallnight，onlypierced，longhoursapart，bydimstar-pointsorweirdyellowbeaconflashesagainstthehorizon。Andthisvaguenessandunrealityincreasedonlanding，untilitseemedtoRandolphthattheyhadslippedintoalandofdreams。Theillusionwaskeptupastheywalkedintheweirdshadowsthroughhalf-litstreetsintoamurkyrailwaystationthrobbingwithsteamandsuddenangryflashesinthedarkness，andthendrewawayintowhatoughttohavebeentheopencountry，butwasonlygrayplainsofmistagainstalosthorizon。Sometimeseventhevagueoutlookwasobliteratedbypassingtrainscomingfromnowhereandslippingintonothingness。

Astheycreptalongwiththeday，without，however，anylighteningoftheopaquevaultoverheadtomarkitsmeridian，therecameattimesathinningofthegraywalloneithersideofthetrack，showingthevaguebulkofadistanthill，thebattlementedskylineofanold-timehall，orthespiresofacathedral，butalwaysmeltingbackintothemistagainasinadream。Thenvaguestretchesofgloomagain，foggystationsobscuredbynebulouslightandblurredandmovingfigures，andtheblackreliefofatunnel。

Onlyoncethecaptain，catchingsightofRandolph’sawedfaceunderthelampofthesmokingcarriage，gavewaytohislong，lowlaugh。

“Jollyplace，England——sovery’Merrie。’“Andthentheycametoacomparativelylighter，broader，andmorebrilliantlysignaledtunnelfilledwithpeople，andastheyremainedinit，RandolphwastolditwasLondon。Withthesensationofbeingonlyhalfawake，hewasguidedandputintoacabbyhiscompanion，andseemedtobecompletelyrousedonlyatthehotel。

IthadbeenarrangedthatRandolphshouldfirstgodowntoChillingworthrectoryandcallonMissEversleigh，and，withoutdisclosinghissecret，gatherthelatestnewsfromDorntonHall，onlyafewmilesfromChillingworth。Forthispurposehehadtelegraphedtoherthatevening，andhadreceivedacordialresponse。Thenextmorninghearoseearly，and，inspiteofthegloom，intheglowofhisyouthfuloptimismenteredthebedroomofthesleepingCaptainDornton，andshookhimbytheshoulderinlieuoftheaccolade，saying:“Rise，SirJohnDornton！“

Thecaptain，alightsleeper，awokequickly。“Thankyou，mylad，allthesame，thoughIdon’tknowthatI’mquitereadyyettotumbleuptothatkindofpiping。There’sarottenoldsayinginthefamilythatonlyonceinahundredyearstheeldestsonsucceeds。That’swhyBillwassococksure，Ireckon。Well？“

“InanhourI’mofftoChillingworthtobeginthecampaign，“saidRandolphcheerily。

“Lucktoyou，myboy，whateverhappens。Clapastopperonyourjaws，though，nowandthen。I’mgladyoulikeSybby，butIdon’twantyoutolikehersomuchastoforgetyourselfandgivemeaway。“

HalfanhouroutofLondonthefoggrewthinner，breakingintolace-likeshredsinthewoodsasthetrainspedby，orexpandingintolustroustenuityabovehim。Althoughthetreeswereleafless，therewassomerecompenseintheglimpsestheirbareboughsaffordedofclusteringchimneysandgablesnestlinginivy。Aninfinitereposehadbeenlaiduponthelandscapewiththewithdrawalofthefog，asofaveilliftedfromthefaceofasleeper。Allhisboyishdreamsofthemothercountrycamebacktohiminthebookshehadread，andre-peopledthevastsilence。

Eventherottingleavesthatlaythickinthecrypt-likewoodsseemedtohimthedeadlaurelsofitspastheroesandsages。

Quaintold-timevillages，thatchedroofs，theever-recurringsquaretowersofchurchorhall，thetrim，orderedparks，tinystreamscrossedbyheavystonebridgesmuchtoolargeforthem——allthesewereonlypagesofthosebookswhoseleavesheseemedtobeturningover。Twohoursofthisfancy，andthenthetrainstoppedatastationwithinamileortwoofableakheadland，abeacon，andthegraywashofapewter-coloredsea，whereahillyvillagestreetclimbedtoaNormanchurchtowerandtheiviedgablesofarectory。

MissEversleigh，dignifiedlytall，butyouthfullyfrank，asherememberedher，waswaitingtodrivehiminaponytraptotherectory。Alittlepink，withsuppressedconsciousnessandtheresponsibilitiesofpresentingastrangerguesttoherguardian，sheseemedtoRandolphmorecharmingthanever。

Butherfirstwordofnewsshockedandheldhimbreathless。Bobby，thelittleorphan，afrailexotic，hadsuccumbedtotheNorthernwinter。AcoldcaughtinNewYorkhaddevelopedintopneumonia，andhediedonthepassage。MissAvondale，althoughshehadreceivedmarkedattentionfromSirWilliam，returnedtoAmericainthesameship。

“Ireallydon’tthinkshewasquiteasdevotedtothepoorchildasallthat，youknow，“shecontinuedwithinnocentfrankness，“andCousinBillwascertainlymostkindtothemboth，yettherereallyseemedtobesomecoolnessbetweenthemafterthechild’sdeath。

But，“sheaddedsuddenly，forthefirsttimeobservinghercompanion’sevidentdistress，andcoloringinconfusion，“Ibegyourpardon——I’vebeenhorriblyrudeandheartless。Idaresaythepoorboywasverydeartoyou，andofcourseMissAvondalewasyourfriend。Pleaseforgiveme！“

Randolph，intentonlyonthatcatastrophewhichseemedtowreckallCaptainDornton’shopesandblunthisonlypurposefordeclaringhimself，hurriedlyreassuredher，yetwasnotsorryhisagitationhadbeenmisunderstood。Andwhatwastobedone？TherewasnotrainbacktoLondonforfourhours。Hedarenottelegraph，andifhedid，couldhetrusttohisstrangepatron’swiseconductunderthefirstshockofthisnewstohispresentvacillatingpurpose？

Hecouldonlywait。

Luckilyforhisungallantabstraction，theywerespeedilyattherectory，whereawarmwelcomefromMr。Brunton，Sibyl’sguardian，andhisfamilyforcedhimtorecoverhimself，andshowedhimthatthestoryofhisdevotiontoJohnDorntonhadsufferednothingfromMissEversleigh’srecital。Distraughtandanxiousashewas，hecouldnotresisttheyounggirl’sofferafterluncheontoshowhimthechurchwiththevaultoftheDorntonsandthetableterectedtoJohnDornton，and，later，theHall，onlytwomilesdistant。ButhereRandolphhesitated。

“IwouldrathernotcallonSirWilliamto-day，“hesaid。

“Youneednot。HeisoveratthehorseshowatFernDyke，andwon’tbebacktilllate。Andifhehasbeenforgatheringwithhisbooncompanionshewon’tbeverypleasantcompany。“

“Sibyl！“saidtherectoringood-humoredprotest。

“Oh，Mr。TrenthashadalittleofCousinBill’sconvivialmannersbeforenow，“saidtheyounggirlvivaciously，“andisn’tshocked。

ButwecanseetheHallfromtheparkonourwaytothestation。“