for the term of his natural life-第46章

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　God！〃

〃No　blasphemy；　sir；〃　said　Meekin；　solemnly。　　〃No　blasphemy；　wretched　man。　Do　not　add　to　the　sin　of　lying　the　greater　sin　of　taking　the　name　of　the　Lord　thy　God　in　vain。　　He　will　not　hold　him　guiltless；　Dawes。　He　will　not　hold　him　guiltless；　remember。　　No；　there　is　to　be　no　inquiry。〃

〃Are　they　not　going　to　ask　her　for　her　story？〃　asked　Dawes；　with　a　pitiful　change　of　manner。　　〃They　told　me　that　she　was　to　be　asked。　Surely　they　will　ask　her。〃

〃I　am　not；　perhaps；　at　liberty；〃　said　Meekin；　placidly　unconscious　of　the　agony　of　despair　and　rage　that　made　the　voice　of　the　strong　man　before　him　quiver；　〃to　state　the　intentions　of　the　authorities；　but　I　can　tell　you　that　Miss　Vickers　will　not　be　asked　anything　about　you。　You　are　to　go　back　to　Port　Arthur　on　the　24th；　and　to　remain　there。〃

A　groan　burst　from　Rufus　Dawes；　a　groan　so　full　of　torture　that　even　the　comfortable　Meekin　was　thrilled　by　it。

〃It　is　the　Law；　you　know；　my　good　man。　　I　can't　help　it；〃　he　said。　〃You　shouldn't　break　the　Law；　you　know。〃

〃Curse　the　Law！〃　cries　Dawes。　　〃It's　a　Bloody　Law；　it'sthere；　I　beg　your　pardon；〃　and　he　fell　to　cracking　his　stones　again；　with　a　laugh　that　was　more　terrible　in　its　bitter　hopelessness　of　winning　attention　or　sympathy；　than　any　outburst　of　passion　could　have　been。

〃Come；〃　says　Meekin；　feeling　uneasily　constrained　to　bring　forth　some　of　his　London…learnt　platitudes。　　〃You　can't　complain。　You　have　broken　the　Law；　and　you　must　suffer。　　Civilized　Society　says　you　sha'n't　do　certain　things；　and　if　you　do　them　you　must　suffer　the　penalty　Civilized　Society　imposes。　　You　are　not　wanting　in　intelligence；　Dawes；　more's　the　pityand　you　can't　deny　the　justice　of　that。〃

Rufus　Dawes；　as　if　disdaining　to　answer　in　words；　cast　his　eyes　round　the　yard　with　a　glance　that　seemed　to　ask　grimly　if　Civilized　Society　was　progressing　quite　in　accordance　with　justice；　when　its　civilization　created　such　places　as　that　stone…walled；　carbine…guarded　prison…shed；　and　filled　it　with　such　creatures　as　those　forty　human　beasts；　doomed　to　spend　the　best　years　of　their　manhood　cracking　pebbles　in　it。

〃You　don't　deny　that？〃　asked　the　smug　parson；　〃do　you；　Dawes？〃

〃It's　not　my　place　to　argue　with　you；　sir；〃　said　Dawes；　in　a　tone　of　indifference；　born　of　lengthened　suffering；　so　nicely　balanced　between　contempt　and　respect；　that　the　inexperienced　Meekin　could　not　tell　whether　he　had　made　a　convert　or　subjected　himself　to　an　impertinence；　〃but　I'm　a　prisoner　for　life；　and　don't　look　at　it　in　the　same　way　that　you　do。〃

This　view　of　the　question　did　not　seem　to　have　occurred　to　Mr。　Meekin；　for　his　mild　cheek　flushed。　　Certainly；　the　fact　of　being　a　prisoner　for　life　did　make　some　difference。　　The　sound　of　the　noonday　bell；　however；　warned　him　to　cease　argument；　and　to　take　his　consolations　out　of　the　way　of　the　mustering　prisoners。

With　a　great　clanking　and　clashing　of　irons；　the　forty　rose　and　stood　each　by　his　stone…heap。　　The　third　constable　came　round；　rapping　the　leg…irons　of　each　man　with　easy　nonchalance；　and　roughly　pulling　up　the　coarse　trousers　（made　with　buttoned　flaps　at　the　sides；　like　Mexican　calzoneros；　in　order　to　give　free　play　to　the　ankle　fetters）；　so　that　he　might　assure　himself　that　no　tricks　had　been　played　since　his　last　visit。　　As　each　man　passed　this　ordeal　he　saluted；　and　clanked；　with　wide…spread　legs；　to　the　place　in　the　double　line。　Mr。　Meekin；　though　not　a　patron　of　field　sports；　found　something　in　the　scene　that　reminded　him　of　a　blacksmith　picking　up　horses'　feet　to　examine　the　soundness　of　their　shoes。

〃Upon　my　word；〃　he　said　to　himself；　with　a　momentary　pang　of　genuine　compassion；　〃it　is　a　dreadful　way　to　treat　human　beings。　I　don't　wonder　at　that　wretched　creature　groaning　under　it。　But；　bless　me；　it　is　near　one　o'clock；　and　I　promised　to　lunch　with　Major　Vickers　at　two。　　How　time　flies；　to　be　sure！〃




CHAPTER　VII。

RUFUS　DAWES'S　IDYLL。



That　afternoon；　while　Mr。　Meekin　was　digesting　his　lunch；　and　chatting　airily　with　Sylvia；　Rufus　Dawes　began　to　brood　over　a　desperate　scheme。　The　intelligence　that　the　investigation　he　had　hoped　for　was　not　to　be　granted　to　him　had　rendered　doubly　bitter　those　galling　fetters　of　self　restraint　which　he　had　laid　upon　himself。　　For　five　years　of　desolation　he　had　waited　and　hoped　for　a　chance　which　might　bring　him　to　Hobart　Town；　and　enable　him　to　denounce　the　treachery　of　Maurice　Frere。　He　had；　by　an　almost　miraculous　accident；　obtained　that　chance　of　open　speech；　and；　having　obtained　it；　he　found　that　he　was　not　allowed　to　speak。　All　the　hopes　he　had　formed　were　dashed　to　earth。　　All　the　calmness　with　which　he　had　forced　himself　to　bear　his　fate　was　now　turned　into　bitterest　rage　and　fury。　　Instead　of　one　enemy　he　had　twenty。　Alljudge；　jury；　gaoler；　and　parsonwere　banded　together　to　work　him　evil　and　deny　him　right。　　The　whole　world　was　his　foe：　there　was　no　honesty　or　truth　in　any　living　creaturesave　one。

During　the　dull　misery　of　his　convict　life　at　Port　Arthur　one　bright　memory　shone　upon　him　like　a　star。　　In　the　depth　of　his　degradation；　at　the　height　of　his　despair；　he　cherished　one　pure　and　ennobling　thought　the　thought　of　the　child　whom　he　had　saved；　and　who　loved　him。　　When；　on　board　the　whaler　that　had　rescued　him　from　the　burning　boat；　he　had　felt　that　the　sailors；　believing　in　Frere's　bluff　lies；　shrunk　from　the　moody　felon；　he　had　gained　strength　to　be　silent　by　thinking　of　the　suffering　child。　When　poor　Mrs。　Vickers　died；　making　no　sign；　and　thus　the　chief　witness　to　his　heroism　perished　before　his　eyes；　the　thought　that　the　child　was　left　had　restrained　his　selfish　regrets。　　When　Frere；　handing　him　over　to　the　authorities　as　an　absconder；　ingeniously　twisted　the　details　of　the　boat…building　to　his　own　glorification；　the　knowledge　that　Sylvia　would　assign　to　these　pretensions　their　true　value　had　given　him　courage　to　keep　silence。　　So　strong　was　his　belief　in　her　gratitude；　that　he　scorned　to　beg　for　the　pardon　he　had　taught　himself　to　believe　that　she　would　ask　for　him。　　So　utter　was　his　contempt　for　the　coward　and　boaster　who；　dressed　in　brief　authority；　bore　insidious　false　witness　against　him；　that；　when　he　heard　his　sentence　of　life　banishment；　he　disdained　to　make　known　the　true　part　he　had　played　in　the　matter；　preferring　to　wait　for　the　more　exquisite　revenge；　the　more　complete　justification　which　would　follow　upon　the　recovery　of　the　child　from　her　illness。　　But　when；　at　Port　Arthur；　day　after　day　passed　over；　and　brought　no　word　of　pity　or　justification；　he　began；　with　a　sickening　feeling　of　despair；　to　comprehend　that　something　strange　had　happened。　He　was　told　by　newcomers　that　the　child　of　the　Commandant　lay　still　and　near　to　death。　　Then　he　heard　that　she　and　her　father　had　left　the　colony；　and　that　all　prospect　of　her　righting　him　by　her　evidence　was　at　an　end。　This　news　gave　him　a　terrible　pang；　and　at　first　he　was　inclined　to　break　out　into　upbraidings　of　her　selfishness。　　But；　with　that　depth　of　love　which　was　in　him；　albeit　crusted　over　and　concealed　by　the　sullenness　of　speech　and　manner　which　his　sufferings　had　produced；　he　found　excuses　for　her　even　then。　　She　was　ill。　　She　was　in　the　hands　of　friends　who　loved　her；　and　disregarded　him；　perhaps；　even　her　entreaties　and　explanations　were　put　aside　as　childish　babblings。　　She　would　free　him　if　she　had　the　power。　　Then　he　wrote　〃Statements〃；　agonized　to　see　the　Commandant；　pestered　the　gaolers　and　warders　with　the　story　of　his　wrongs；　and　inundated　the　Government　with　letters；　which；　containing；　as　they　did　always；　denunciations　of　Maurice　Frere；　were　never　suffered　to　reach　their　destination。　　The　authorities；　willing　at　the　first　to　look　kindly　upon　him　in　consideration　of　his　strange　experience；　grew　weary　of　this　perpetual　iteration　of　what　they　believed　to　be　malicious　falsehoods；　and　ordered　him　heavier　tasks　and　more　continuous　labour。　They　mistook　his　gloom　for　treachery；　his　impatient　outbursts　of　passion　at　his　fate　for　ferocity；　his　silent　endurance　for　dangerous　cunning。　As　he　had　been　at　Macquarie　Harbour；　so　did　he　become　at　Port　Arthur　a　marked　man。　　Despairing　of　winning　his　coveted　liberty　by　fair　means；　and　horrified　at　the　hideous　prospect　of　a　life　in　chains；　he　twice　attempted　to　escape；　but　escape　was　even　more　hopeless　than　it　had　been　at　Hell's　Gates。　　The　peninsula　of　Port　Arthur　was　admirably　guarded；　signal　stations　drew　a　chain　round　the　prison；　an　armed　boat's　crew　watched　each　bay；　and　across　the　narrow　isthmus　which　connected　it　with　the　mainland　was　a　cordon　of　watch…dogs；　in　addition　to　the　soldier　guard。　　He　was　retaken；　of　course；　flogged；　and　weighted　with　heavier　irons。　　The　second　time；　they　sent　him　to　the　Coal　Mines；　where　the　prisoners　lived　underground；　worked　half…naked；　and　dragged　their　inspecting　gaolers　in　wagons　upon　iron　tramways；　when　such　great　people　condescended　to　visit　them。　　The　day　on　which　he　started　for　this　place　he　heard　that　Sylvia　was　dead；　and　his　last　hope　went　from　him。

Then　began　with　him　a　new　religion。　　He　worshipped　the　dead。　　For　the　living；　he　had　but　hatred　and　evil　words；　for　the　dead；　he　had　love　and　tender　thoughts。　　Instead　of　the　phantoms　of　his　vanished　youth　which　were　wont　to　visit　him；　he　saw　now　but　one　visionthe　vision　of　the　child　who　had　loved　him。　　Instead　of　conjuring　up　for　himself　pictures　of　that　home　circle　in　which　he　had　once　moved；　and　those　creatures　who　in　the　past　years　had　thought　him　worthy　of　esteem　and　affection；　he　placed　before　himself　but　one　idea；　one　embodiment　of　happiness；　one　being　who　was　without　sin　and　without　stain；　among　all　the　monsters　of　that　pit　into　which　he　had　fallen。　　Around　the　figure　of　the　innocent　child　who　had　lain　in　his　breast；　and　laughed　at　him　with　her　red　young　mouth；　he　grouped　every　image　of　happiness　and　love。　　Having　banished　from　his　thoughts　all　hope　of　resuming　his　name　and　place；　he　pictured　to　himself　some　quiet　nook　at　the　world's　end　a　deep…gardened　house　in　a　German　country　town；　or　remote　cottage　by　the　English　seashore；　where　he　and　his　dream…child　might　have　lived　together；　happier　in　a　purer　affection　than　the　love　of　man　for　woman。　He　bethought　him　how　he　could　have　taught　her　out　of　the　strange　store　of　learning　which　his　roving　life　had　won　for　him；　how　he　could　have　confided　to　her　his　real　name；　and　perhaps　purchased　for　her　wealth　and　honour　by　reason　of　it。　　Yet；　he　thought；　she　would　not　care　for　wealth　and　honour；　she　would　prefer　a　quiet　lifea　life　of　unassuming　usefulness；　a　life　devoted　to　good　deeds；　to　charity　and　love。　　He　could　see　herin　his　visionsreading　by　a　cheery　fireside；　wandering　in　summer　woods；　or　lingering　by　the　marge　of　the　slumbering　mid…day　sea。　He　could　feelin　his　dreamsher　soft　arms　about　his　neck；　her　innocent　kisses　on　his　lips；　he　could　hear　her　light　laugh；　and　see　her　sunny　ringlets　float；　back…blown；　as　she　ran　to　meet　him。　　Conscious　that　she　was　dead；　and　that　he　did　to　her　gentle　memory　no　disrespect　by　linking　her　fortunes　to　those　of　a　wretch　who　had　seen　so　much　of　evil　as　himself；　he　loved　to　think　of　her　as　still　living；　and　to　plot　out　for　her　and　for　himself　impossible　plans　for　future　happiness。　　In　the　noisome　darkness　of　the　mine；　in　the　glaring　light　of　the　noondaydragging　at　h