butCharliealludedtoitoneveryoccasion,alwaysasastoryfromwhichmoneywastobemade。
“IthinkIdeservetwenty-fivepercent。,don’tI,atleast。”besaid,withbeautifulfrankness“Isuppliedalltheideas,didn’tI?”
ThisgreedinessforsilverwasanewsideinhisnatureIassumedthatithadbeendevelopedintheCity,whereCharliewaspickingupthecuriousnasaldrawloftheunderbredCityman。
“Whenthething’sdonewe’lltalkaboutitIcan’tmakeanythingofitatpresentRed-hairedorblack-hairedheroareequallydifficult。”
Hewassittingbythefirestaringattheredcoals“Ican’tunderstandwhatyoufindsodifficultIt’sallascleanasmudtome。”herepliedAjetofgaspuffedoutbetweenthebars,tooklightandwhistledsoftly“Supposewetakethered-hairedhero’sadventuresfirst,fromthetimethathecamesouthtomygalleyandcaptureditandsailedtotheBeaches。”
IknewbetternowthantointerruptCharlieIwasoutofreachofpenandpaper,anddarednotmovetogetthemlestIshouldbreakthecurrentThegas-jetpuffedandwhinnied,Charlie’svoicedroppedalmosttoawhisper,andhetoldataleofthesailmgofanopengalleytoFurdurstrandi,ofsunsetsontheopensea,seenunderthecurveoftheonesaileveningafteteveningwhenthegalley’sbeakwasnotchedintothecentreofthesinkingdisc,and“wesailedbythatforwehadnootherguide。”quothCharlieHespokeofalandingonanislandandexplorationsinitswoods,wherethecrewkilledthreemenwhomtheyfoundasleepunderthepinesTheirghosts,Charliesaid,followedthegalley,swimmingandchokinginthewater,andthecrewcastlotsandthrewoneoftheirnumberoverboardasasacrificetothestrangegodswhomtheybadoffendedThentheyatesea-weedwhentheirprovisionsfailed,andtheirlegsswelled,andtheirleader,thered-hairedman,killedtworowerswhomutinied,andafterayearspentamongthewoodstheysetsailfortheirowncountry,andawindthatneverfailedcarriedthembacksosafelythattheyallsleptatnightThisandmuchmoreCharlietoldSometimesthevoicefellsolowthatIcouldnotcatchthewords,thougheverynervewasonthestrainHespokeoftheirleader,thered-hairedman,asapaganspeaksofhisGod;foritwashewhocheeredthemandslewthemimpartiallyashethoughtbestfortheirneeds;anditwashewhosteeredthemforthreedaysamongfloatingice,eachfloecrowdedwithstrangebeaststhat“triedtosailwithus,’saidCharlie,“andwebeatthembackwiththehandlesoftheoars。”
Thegas-jetwentout,aburnedcoalgaveway,andthefiresettleddownwithatinycrashtothebottomofthegrateCharlieceasedspeaking,andIsaidnoword。
“ByJove!”hesaid,atlast,shakinghishead“I’vebeenstaringatthefiretillI’mdizzyWhatwasIgoingtosay。
“Somethingaboutthegalley。”
“IremembernowIt’s25percentoftheprofits,isn’tit?”
“It’sanythingyoulikewhenI’vedonethetale。”
“IwantedtobesureofthatImustgonowI’ve,I’veanappointment。”Andheleftme。
HadmyeyesnotbeenheldImighthaveknowthatthatbrokenmutteringoverthefirewastheswan-songofCharlieMearsButI
thoughtitthepreludetofullerrevelationAtlastandatlastI
shouldcheattheLordsofLifeandDeath!
WhennextCharliecametomeIreceivedhimwithraptureHewasnervousandembarrassed,buthiseyeswereveryfulloflight,andhislipsalittleparted。
“I’vedoneapoem。”hesaid;andthenquickly:“it’sthebestI’veeverdoneReadit。”Hethrustitintomyhandandretreatedtothewindow。
IgroanedinwardlyItwouldbetheworkofhalfanhourtocriticise-thatistosaypraise-thepoemsufficientlytopleaseCharlieThenIhadgoodreasontogroan,forCharlie,discardinghisfavoritecentipedemetres,hadlaunchedintoshorterandchoppierverse,andversewithamotiveatthebackofitThisiswhatIread:
“Thedayismostfair,thecheerywindHalloosbehindthehill,Wherebebendsthewoodasseemethgood,Andthesaplingtohiswill!
RiotOwind;thereisthatinmybloodThatwouldnothavetheestill!
“Shegavemeherself,OEarth,OSky:
Greysea,sheisminealoneI
Letthesullenbouldersbearmycry,Andrejoicetho’theybebutstone!
’Mine!IhavewonherOgoodbrownearth,Makemerry!’TisbardonSpring;
Makemerry;myloveisdoublyworthAllworshipyourfieldscanbring!
LetthebindtbattillsyoufeelmymirthAttheearlyharrowing。”
“Yes,it’stheearlyharrowing,pastadoubt。”Isaid,withadreadatmyheartCharliesmiled,butdidnotanswer。
“Redcloudofthesunset,tellitabroad;
IamvictorGreetmeOSun,DominantmasterandabsolutelordOverthesoulofone!”
“Well?”saidCharlie,lookingovermyshoulder。
Ithoughtitfarfromwell,andveryevilindeed,whenhesilentlylaidaphotographonthepaper-thephotographofagirlwithacurlyhead,andafoolishslackmouth。
“Isn’tit-isn’titwonderful?”hewhispered,pinktothetipsofhisears,wrappedintherosymysteryoffirstlove“Ididn’tknow;I
didn’tthink-itcamelikeathunderclap。”
“YesItcomeslikeathunderclapAreyouveryhappy,Charlie?”
“MyGod-she-shelovesmel“HesatdownrepeatingthelastwordstohimselfIlookedatthehairlessface,thenarrowshouldersalreadybowedbydesk-work,andwonderedwhen,where,andbowhehadlovedinhispastlives。
“Whatwillyourmothersay?”Iasked,cheerfully。
“Idon’tcareadamnwhatshesays。”
Attwentythethingsforwhichonedoesnotcareadamnshould,properly,bemany,butonemustnotincludemothersinthelistI
toldhimthisgently;andhedescribedHer,evenasAdammusthavedescribedtothenewlynamedbeaststhegloryandtendernessandbeautyofEveIncidentallyIlearnedthatShewasatobacconist’sassistantwithaweaknessforprettydress,andhadtoldhimfourorfivetimesalreadythatShehadneverbeenkissedbyamanbefore。
Charliespokeon,andon,andon;whileI,separatedfromhimbythousandsofyears,wasconsideringthebeginningsofthingsNowIunderstoodwhytheLordsofLifeandDeathshutthedoorssocarefullybehindusItisthatwemaynotrememberourfirstwooingsWereitnotso,ourworldwouldbewithoutinhabitantsinahundredyears。
“Now,aboutthatgalley-story。”1said,stillmorecheerfully,inapauseintherushofthespeech。
Charlielookedupasthoughhehadbeenhit“Thegalley-whatgalley?Goodheavens,don’tjoke,man!Thisisserious!Youdon’tknowhowseriousitis!”
GrishChunderwasrightCharliehadtastedtheloveofwomanthatkillsremembrance,andthefineststory’intheworldwouldneverbewritten。
VOLUMEIVUNDERTHEDEODARS
THEEDUCATIONOFOTISYEERE
I
Inthepleasantorchard-closes“Godblessallourgains。”saywe;
Put“~1ayGodblessallourlosses。”
Bettersuitswithourdegree-
TheLostBower。
THISisthehistoryofafailure;butthewomanwhofailedsaidthatitmightbeaninstructivetaletoputintoprintforthebenefitoftheyoungergenerationTheyoungergenerationdoesnotwantinstruction,beingperfectlywillingtoinstructifanyonewilllistentoitNonetheless,herebeginsthestorywhereeveryright-mindedstoryshouldbegin,thatistosayatSimla,whereallthingsbeginandmanycometoanevilend。
ThemistakewasduetoaverycleverwomanmakingablunderandnotretrievingitMenarelicensedtostumble,butacleverwoman’smistakeisoutsidetheregularcourseofNatureandProvidence;sinceallgoodpeopleknowthatawomanistheonlyinfalliblethinginthisworld,exceptGovernmentPaperofthe’70issue,bearinginterestatfourandahalfpercentYet,wehavetorememberthatsixconsecutivedaysofrebearsingtheleadingpartofTheFeilenA’~ge~,attheNewGaietyTheatrewheretheplasterisnotyetproperlydry,mighthavebroughtaboutanunhingementofspiritswhich,again,mighthaveledtoeccentricities。
MrsHauksbeecameto“TheFoundry“totiffinwithMrs。
Mallowe,her13“
onebosomfriend,forshewasinnnsense“awoman’swoman。”
Anditwasawoman’stiffin,thedoorshuttoalltheworld;andtheybothtalkedchiflons,whichisFrenchforMysteries。
“I’veenjoyedanintervalofsanity。”MrsFlauksbeeannounced,aftertiffinwasoverandthetwowerecomfortablysettledinthelittlewriting-roomthatopenedoutofMrsMallowe’sbedroom。
“Mydeargirl,whathashedone?”saidMrsMallowe,sweetlyItisnoticeablethatladiesofacertainagecalleachother“deargirl。”justascommissionersoftwenty-eightyears’standingaddresstheirequalsintheCivilListas“myboy。”
“There’snoheinthecaseWhoamIthatanimaginarymanshouldbealwayscreditedtome?
AmIanApache?’1
“No,dear,butsomebody’sscalpisgenerallydryingatyourwigwam-doorSoaking,rather。”
ThiswasanallusiontotheHawleyBoy,whowasinthehabitofridingallacrossSimlaintheRains,tocallonMrsHauksbeeThatladylaughed。
“Formysins,theAideatTyrconnellastnighttoldmeofftoTheMussuckHsh!Don’tlaugh。
OneofmymostdevotedadmirersWhentheduffcame-someonereallyoughttoteachthemtomakepuddingatTyrconnel-TheMussuckwasatlibertytoattendtome。”
“Sweetsoul!Iknowhisappetite。”saidMrsMallowe“Didhe,ohdidhe,beginhiswooing?”
“ByaspecialmercyofProvidence,noHeexplainedhisimportanceasaPillaroftheEmpireI
didn’tlaugh。”
“Lucy,Idon’tbelieveyou。”
“AskCaptainSangar;hewasontheothersideWell,asIwassaying,TheMussuckdilated。”
“IthinkIcanseehimdoingit。”saidMrsMallowe,pensively,scratchingherfox-terrier’sears。
“IwasproperlyimpressedMostproperlyIyawnedopenly。
’Strictsupervision,andplaythemoffoneagainsttheother,’saidTheMussuck,shovelingdownhisicebytureen/uls,Iassureyou。
’That,MrsHauksbee,isthesecretofourGovernment。’“
MrsMallowelaughedlongandmerrily“Andwhatdidyousay?”
“Didyoueverknowmeatlossforanansweryet?Isaid:’SoIhaveobservedinmydealingswithyou。’TheMussuckswelledwithprideHeiscomingtocallonmeto-morrowTheHawleyBoyiscomingtoo。”
“’StrictsupervisionandplaythemoffoneagainsttheotherThat,MrsHauksbee,isthesecretofourGovernment。’AndIdaresayifwecouldgettoTheMussuck’sheart,weshouldfindthatheconsidershimselfamanoftheworld。”
“AsheisoftheothertwothingsIlikeTheMussuck,andIwon’thaveyoucallhimnamesHeamusesme。”
“Hehasreformedyou,too,bywhatappearsExplaintheintervalofsanity,andhitTimonthenosewiththepaper-cutter,pleaseThatdogistoofondofsugar。
Doyoutakemilkinyours?”
“No,thanksFolly,I’mweariedofthislifeIt’shollow。”
“Turnreligious,thenIalwayssaidthatRomewouldbeyourfate。”
“Onlyexchanginghalfadozenattach~inredforoneandinblack,andifIfasted,thewrinkleswouldcome,andnever,nevergoHasiteverstruckyou,dear,thatI’mgettingold?”
“ThanksforyourcourtesyI’llreturnitYe-eswearebothnotexactly-howshallIputit?”
“Whatwehavebeen’Ifeelitinmyhones,’asMrsCrossleysays。
Polly,I’vewastedmylife。”
“Ashow?”