the foreigner-第59章

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　　But　to　her；〃　his　voice　sank　to　a　hoarse　whisper；　〃he　was　a　murderer！　　No；　Jack；　it　may　not　be。〃

〃But；　Kalman；　my　boy；〃　remonstrated　Jack；　〃think　of　all〃

〃Think？　　For　these　five　years　I　have　thought　till　my　heart　is　sore　with　thinking！　　No；　Jack；　don't　fret。　　I　don't。　　Thank　God　there　are　other　things。　　There　is　work；　a　people　to　help；　a　country　to　serve。〃

〃Other　things！〃　said　French　bitterly。　　〃True；　there　are；　and　great　things；　but；　Kalman；　boy；　I　have　tried　them；　and　to…night　after　thirty　years；　as　I　speak　to　youmy　God！my　heart　is　sick　of　hunger　for　something　better　than　things！　　Love！　my　boy；　love　is　the　best！〃

〃Poor　Jack！〃　said　Kalman　softly；　〃dear　old　boy！〃　and　went　out。　　But　of　that　hunger　of　the　heart　they　never　spoke　again。

And　now　at　the　end　of　five　years'　absence　she　was　coming　again。　How　vivid　to　Kalman　was　his　remembrance　of　the　last　sight　he　had　of　her。　　It　was　at　the　Night　Hawk　ranch；　and　on　the　night　succeeding　that　of　the　tragedy　at　the　mine。　　In　the　inner　room；　beside　his　father's　body；　he　was　sitting；　his　mind　busy　with　the　tragic　pathos　of　that　grief…tortured；　storm…beaten　life。　　Step　by　step；　as　far　as　he　knew　it；　he　was　tracing　the　tear…wet；　blood…stained　path　that　life　had　taken；　its　dreadful　scenes　of　blood　and　heart　agony　were　passing　before　his　mind；　when　gradually　he　became　aware　that　in　the　next　room　the　Sergeant；　with　bluff　and　almost　brutal　straightforwardness；　was　telling　her　the　story　of　Rosenblatt's　dreadful　end。　　〃And　then；　begad！　after　grilling　the　wretch　for　all　that　time；　didn't　the　infernal；　bloodthirsty　fiend　in　the　most　cheerful　manner　touch　off　the　powder　and　blow　the　man　into　eternity。〃　　Then　through　the　thin　partition　he　heard　her　faint　cry　of　horror。　　He　remembered　how；　at　the　Sergeant's　description　of　his　father；　something　seemed　to　go　wrong　in　his　brain。　　He　had　a　dim　remembrance　of　how；　dazed　with　rage；　he　had　felt　his　way　out　to　the　next　room；　and　cried；　〃You　defamer　of　the　dead！　you　will　lie　no　more！〃　　He　had　a　vivid　picture　of　how　in　horror　she　had　fled　from　him　while　he　dragged　out　the　Sergeant　by　the　throat　into　the　night；　and　how　he　had　been　torn　from　him　by　the　united　efforts　of　Brown　and　French　together。　　He　remembered　how；　after　the　funeral　service；　when　he　had　grown　master　of　himself　again；　he　had　offered　the　Sergeant　his　humble　apology　before　them　all。　　But　most　vivid　of　all　was　his　memory　of　the　look　of　fear　and　repulsion　in　her　eyes　when　he　came　near　her。　　And　that　was　the　last　look　he　had　had　of　her。　Gladly　would　he　have　run　away　from　meeting　her　again；　but　this　he　could　not　do；　for　Jack's　sake　and　for　his　own。　　Carefully　he　rehearsed　the　scene；　what　he　would　say；　and　how　he　would　carry　himself　with　what　rigid　self…control　and　with　what　easy　indifference　he　would　greet　her。

But　the　meeting　was　quite　other　than　he　had　planned。　　It　was　at　the　mine。　　One　shiny　September　morning　the　heavy　cars　were　just　starting　down　the　incline　to　the　mine　below；　when　through　the　carelessness　of　the　operator　the　brake　of　the　great　drum　slipped；　and　on　being　applied　again　with　reckless　force；　broke；　and　the　car　was　off；　bringing　destruction　to　half　a　dozen　men　at　the　bottom　of　the　shaft。　　Quick　as　a　flash　of　light；　Kalman　sprang　to　the　racing　cog　wheels；　threw　in　a　heavy　coat　that　happened　to　be　lying　near；　and　then；　as　the　machinery　slowed；　thrust　in　a　handspike　and　checked　the　descent　of　the　runaway　car。　　It　took　less　than　two　seconds　to　see；　to　plan；　to　execute。

〃Great　work！〃　exclaimed　a　voice　behind　him。

He　turned　and　saw　Sir　Robert　Menzies；　and　between　him　and　French；　his　daughter　Marjorie。

〃Glad　to　see　you；　Sir　Robert；〃　he　exclaimed　heartily。

〃That　was　splendid！〃　said　his　daughter；　pale　and　shaken　by　what　she　had　seen。

One　keen　searching　look　he　thrust　in　through　her　eyes；　scanning　her　soul。　　Bravely；　frankly；　she　gave　him　back　his　look。　　Kalman　drew　a　deep　breath。　　It　was　as　if　he　had　been　on　a　long　voyage　of　discovery；　how　long　he　could　not　tell。　　But　what　he　had　seen　brought　comfort　to　his　heart。　　She　had　not　shrunk　from　him。

〃That　was　fine！〃　cried　Marjorie　again；　offering　him　her　hand。

〃I　am　afraid；〃　he　said；　holding　back　his；　〃that　my　hand　is　not　clean　enough　to　shake　with　you。〃

〃Give　it　to　me；〃　she　said　almost　imperiously。　　〃It　is　the　hand　of　a　brave　man　and　good。〃

Her　tone　was　one　of　warm　and　genuine　admiration。　　All　Kalman's　practised　self…control　deserted　him。　　He　felt　the　hot　blood　rising　in　his　face。　　With　a　great　effort　he　regained　command　of　himself　and　began　pointing　out　the　features　of　interest　in　the　mine。

〃Great　changes　have　taken　place　in　the　last　five　years；〃　she　said；　looking　down　the　ravine；　disfigured　by　all　the　sordid　accompaniments　of　a　coal　mine。

〃Yes；　great　changes；〃　said　Kalman。

〃At　Wakota；　too；　there　are　great　changes；〃　she　said；　walking　a　little　apart　from　the　others。　　〃That　Mr。　Brown　has　done　wonderful　things　for　those　foreigners。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Kalman　proudly；　〃he　has　done　great　things　for　my　people。〃

〃They　are　becoming　good　Canadians；〃　replied　Marjorie；　her　colour　showing　that　she　had　noted　his　tone　and　meaning。

〃Yes；　they　will　be　good　Canadians；〃　said　Kalman。　　〃They　are　good　Canadians　now。　　They　are　my　best　men。　　None　can　touch　them　in　the　mine；　and　they　are　good　farmers　too。〃

〃I　am　sure　they　are；〃　cried　Marjorie　heartily。　　〃How　wonderful　the　power　of　this　country　of　yours　to　transform　men！　　It　is　a　wonderful　country　Canada。〃

〃That　it　is；〃　cried　Kalman　with　enthusiasm。　　〃No　man　can　tell；　for　no　man　knows　the　magnificence　of　its　possibilities。　　We　have　only　skirted　round　the　edge　and　scratched　its　surface。〃

〃It　is　a　fine　thing；〃　said　Marjorie；　〃to　have　a　country　to　be　made；　and　it　is　fine　to　be　a　man　and　have　a　part　in　the　making　of　it。〃

〃Yes；〃　agreed　Kalman；　〃it　is　fine。〃

〃I　envy　you；〃　cried　Marjorie　with　enthusiasm。

A　shadow　fell　on　Kalman's　face。　　〃I　don't　know　that　you　need　to；　after　all。〃

Then　she　said　good…by；　leaving　him　with　heart　throbbing　and　nerves　tingling　to　his　finger　tips。　　Ah；　how　dear　she　was！　　What　mad　folly　to　think　he　could　forget　her！　　Every　glance　of　her　eye；　every　tone　in　her　soft　Scotch　voice；　every　motion　of　hand　and　body；　how　familiar　they　all　were！　　Like　the　faint　elusive　perfume　from　the　clover　fields　of　childhood；　they　smote　upon　his　senses　with　intoxicating　power。　　Standing　there　tingling　and　trembling；　he　made　one　firm　resolve。　　Never　would　he　see　her　again。　　Tomorrow　he　would　make　a　long…planned　trip　to　the　city。　　He　dared　not　wait　another　day。　　To…morrow？　　No；　that　was　Sunday。　　He　would　spend　one　full　happy　day　in　that　ravine　seeking　to　recatch　the　emotions　that　had　thrilled　his　boy's　heart　on　that　great　night　five　years　ago；　and　having　thus　filled　his　heart；　he　would　take　his　departure　without　seeing　her　again。

It　was　the　custom　of　the　people　of　the　ranch　to　spend　Sunday　afternoon　at　the　Mission。　　So　without　a　word　even　to　French；　calling　his　dogs；　Captain　and　Queen；　Kalman　rode　down　the　trail　that　led　past　the　lake　and　toward　the　Night　Hawk　ravine。　　By　that　same　trail　he　had　gone　on　that　memorable　afternoon；　and　though　five　years　had　passed；　the　thoughts；　the　imaginings　of　that　day；　were　as　freshly　present　with　him　as　if　it　had　been　but　yesterday。　　And　though　they　were　the　thoughts　and　imaginings　of　a　mere　boy；　yet　to…day　they　seemed　to　him　good　and　worthy　of　his　manhood。

Down　the　trail；　well　beaten　now；　through　the　golden　poplars　he　rode；　his　dogs　behind　him；　till　he　reached　the　pitch　of　the　ravine。　There；　where　he　had　scrambled　down；　a　bridle　path　led　now。　　It　was　very　different；　and　yet　how　much　remained　unchanged。　　There　was　the　same　glorious　sun　raining　down　his　golden　beams　upon　the　yellow　poplar　leaves；　the　same　air；　sweet　and　genial；　in　him　the　same　heart；　and　before　him　the　same　face；　but　sweeter　it　seemed；　and　eyes　the　same　that　danced　with　every　sunbeam　and　lured　him　on。　　He　was　living　again　the　rapture　of　his　boyhood's　first　great　passion。

At　the　mine's　mouth　he　paused。　　Not　a　feature　remained　of　the　cave　that　he　had　discovered　five　years　ago；　but　sitting　there　upon　his　horse；　how　readily　he　reconstructed　the　scene！　　Ah；　how　easy　it　was！　　Every　line　of　that　cave；　the　new　fresh　earth；　the　gleaming　black　seam；　the　very　ston