the return of tarzan-第21章

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might　be　a　message　of　importance　which　some　one　had　dropped。

He　glanced　at　it　hastily；　and　then　suddenly　he　forgot　his

coat；　the　approaching　traineverything　but　that　terrible

little　piece　of　yellow　paper　in　his　hand。　　He　read　it　twice

before　he　could　fully　grasp　the　terrific　weight　of　meaning

that　it　bore　to　him。



When　he　had　picked　it　up　he　had　been　an　English　nobleman；

the　proud　and　wealthy　possessor　of　vast　estatesa　moment

later　he　had　read　it；　and　he　knew　that　he　was　an　untitled

and　penniless　beggar。　　It　was　D'Arnot's　cablegram　to

Tarzan；　and　it　read：





Finger　prints　prove　you　Greystoke。　　Congratulations。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D'ARNOT。





He　staggered　as　though　he　had　received　a　mortal　blow。

Just　then　he　heard　the　others　calling　to　him　to　hurrythe

train　was　coming　to　a　stop　at　the　little　platform。

Like　a　man　dazed　he　gathered　up　his　ulster。　　He　would　tell

them　about　the　cablegram　when　they　were　all　on　board　the　train。

Then　he　ran　out　upon　the　platform　just　as　the　engine　whistled

twice　in　the　final　warning　that　precedes　the　first　rumbling

jerk　of　coupling　pins。　　The　others　were　on　board；　leaning　out

from　the　platform　of　a　Pullman；　crying　to　him　to　hurry。

Quite　five　minutes　elapsed　before　they　were　settled　in　their

seats；　nor　was　it　until　then　that　Clayton　discovered　that

Tarzan　was　not　with　them。



〃Where　is　Tarzan？〃　he　asked　Jane　Porter。　　〃In　another　car？〃



〃No；〃　she　replied；　〃at　the　last　minute　he　determined　to

drive　his　machine　back　to　New　York。　　He　is　anxious　to　see

more　of　America　than　is　possible　from　a　car　window。　　He　is

returning　to　France；　you　know。〃



Clayton　did　not　reply。　　He　was　trying　to　find　the　right　words

to　explain　to　Jane　Porter　the　calamity　that　had　befallen　him

and　her。　　He　wondered　just　what　the　effect　of　his　knowledge

would　be　on　her。　　Would　she　still　wish　to　marry　himto　be

plain　Mrs。　Clayton？　　Suddenly　the　awful　sacrifice　which　one

of　them　must　make　loomed　large　before　his　imagination。

Then　came　the　question：　　Will　Tarzan　claim　his　own？　　The　ape…man

had　known　the　contents　of　the　message　before　he　calmly　denied

knowledge　of　his　parentage！　　He　had　admitted　that　Kala；　the　ape；

was　his　mother！　　Could　it　have　been　for　love　of　Jane　Porter？



There　was　no　other　explanation　which　seemed　reasonable。

Then；　having　ignored　the　evidence　of　the　message；　was　it　not

reasonable　to　assume　that　he　meant　never　to　claim　his　birthright？

If　this　were　so；　what　right　had　he；　William　Cecil　Clayton；　to

thwart　the　wishes；　to　balk　the　self…sacrifice　of　this

strange　man？　　If　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　could　do　this　thing　to

save　Jane　Porter　from　unhappiness；　why　should　he；　to　whose

care　she　was　intrusting　her　whole　future；　do　aught　to

jeopardize　her　interests？



And　so　he　reasoned　until　the　first　generous　impulse　to

proclaim　the　truth　and　relinquish　his　titles　and　his　estates

to　their　rightful　owner　was　forgotten　beneath　the　mass　of

sophistries　which　self…interest　had　advanced。　　But　during　the

balance　of　the　trip；　and　for　many　days　thereafter；　he　was

moody　and　distraught。　　Occasionally　the　thought　obtruded

itself　that　possibly　at　some　later　day　Tarzan　would　regret

his　magnanimity；　and　claim　his　rights。



Several　days　after　they　reached　Baltimore　Clayton

broached　the　subject　of　an　early　marriage　to　Jane。



〃What　do　you　mean　by　early？〃　she　asked。



〃Within　the　next　few　days。　　I　must　return　to　England　at

onceI　want　you　to　return　with　me；　dear。〃



〃I　can't　get　ready　so　soon　as　that；〃　replied　Jane。　　〃It　will

take　a　whole　month；　at　least。〃



She　was　glad；　for　she　hoped　that　whatever　called　him　to

England　might　still　further　delay　the　wedding。　　She　had　made

a　bad　bargain；　but　she　intended　carrying　her　part　loyally

to　the　bitter　endif　she　could　manage　to　secure　a　temporary

reprieve；　though；　she　felt　that　she　was　warranted　in　doing　so。

His　reply　disconcerted　her。



〃Very　well；　Jane；〃　he　said。　　〃I　am　disappointed；　but　I　shall　let

my　trip　to　England　wait　a　month；　then　we　can　go　back　together。〃



But　when　the　month　was　drawing　to　a　close　she　found　still

another　excuse　upon　which　to　hang　a　postponement；　until　at

last；　discouraged　and　doubting；　Clayton　was　forced　to　go

back　to　England　alone。



The　several　letters　that　passed　between　them　brought　Clayton

no　nearer　to　a　consummation　of　his　hopes　than　he　had　been

before；　and　so　it　was　that　he　wrote　directly　to　Professor

Porter；　and　enlisted　his　services。　　The　old　man　had　always

favored　the　match。　　He　liked　Clayton；　and；　being　of　an　old

southern　family；　he　put　rather　an　exaggerated　value　on　the

advantages　of　a　title；　which　meant　little　or　nothing　to

his　daughter。



Clayton　urged　that　the　professor　accept　his　invitation　to

be　his　guest　in　London；　an　invitation　which　included　the

professor's　entire　little　familyMr。　Philander；　Esmeralda；

and　all。　　The　Englishman　argued　that　once　Jane　was　there；　and

home　ties　had　been　broken；　she　would　not　so　dread　the　step

which　she　had　so　long　hesitated　to　take。



So　the　evening　that　he　received　Clayton's　letter　Professor　Porter

announced　that　they　would　leave　for　London　the　following　week。



But　once　in　London　Jane　Porter　was　no　more　tractable　than　she

had　been　in　Baltimore。　　She　found　one　excuse　after　another；

and　when；　finally；　Lord　Tennington　invited　the　party　to　cruise

around　Africa　in　his　yacht；　she　expressed　the　greatest　delight

in　the　idea；　but　absolutely　refused　to　be　married　until　they

had　returned　to　London。　　As　the　cruise　was　to　consume　a　year

at　least；　for　they　were　to　stop　for　indefinite　periods　at

various　points　of　interest；　Clayton　mentally　anathematized

Tennington　for　ever　suggesting　such　a　ridiculous　trip。



It　was　Lord　Tennington's　plan　to　cruise　through　the

Mediterranean；　and　the　Red　Sea　to　the　Indian　Ocean；　and

thus　down　the　East　Coast；　putting　in　at　every　port　that

was　worth　the　seeing。



And　so　it　happened　that　on　a　certain　day　two　vessels　passed

in　the　Strait　of　Gibraltar。　　The　smaller；　a　trim　white

yacht；　was　speeding　toward　the　east；　and　on　her　deck　sat　a

young　woman　who　gazed　with　sad　eyes　upon　a　diamondstudded

locket　which　she　idly　fingered。　　Her　thoughts　were　far

away；　in　the　dim；　leafy　fastness　of　a　tropical　jungleand

her　heart　was　with　her　thoughts。



She　wondered　if　the　man　who　had　given　her　the　beautiful

bauble；　that　had　meant　so　much　more　to　him　than　the

intrinsic　value　which　he　had　not　even　known　could　ever

have　meant　to　him；　was　back　in　his　savage　forest。



And　upon　the　deck　of　the　larger　vessel；　a　passenger　steamer

passing　toward　the　east；　the　man　sat　with　another　young

woman；　and　the　two　idly　speculated　upon　the　identity　of　the

dainty　craft　gliding　so　gracefully　through　the　gentle　swell　of

the　lazy　sea。



When　the　yacht　had　passed　the　man　resumed　the　conversation

that　her　appearance　had　broken　off。



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃I　like　America　very　much；　and　that　means；

of　course；　that　I　like　Americans；　for　a　country　is　only　what

its　people　make　it。　　I　met　some　very　delightful　people　while　I

was　there。　　I　recall　one　family　from　your　own　city；　Miss

Strong；　whom　I　liked　particularlyProfessor　Porter　and

his　daughter。〃



〃Jane　Porter！〃　exclaimed　the　girl。　　〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me

that　you　know　Jane　Porter？　　Why；　she　is　the　very　best　friend

I　have　in　the　world。　　We　were　little　children　togetherwe　have

known　each　other　for　ages。〃



〃Indeed！〃　he　answered；　smiling。　　〃You　would　have　difficulty

in　persuading　any　one　of　the　fact　who　had　seen　either　of　you。〃



〃I'll　qualify　the　statement；　then；〃　she　answered；　with　a　laugh。

〃We　have　known　each　other　for　two　ageshers　and　mine。

But　seriously　we　are　as　dear　to　each　other　as　sisters；

and　now　that　I　am　going　to　lose　her　I　am　almost　heartbroken。〃



〃Going　to　lose　her？〃　exclaimed　Tarzan。　　〃Why；　what　do　you　mean？

Oh；　yes；　I　understand。　　You　mean　that　now　that　she　is　married

and　living　in　England；　you　will　seldom　if　ever　see　her。〃



〃Yes；〃　replied　she；　〃and　the　saddest　part　of　it　all　is　that

she　is　not　marrying　the　man　she　loves。　　Oh；　it　is　terrible。

Marrying　from　a　sense　of　duty！　　I　think　it　is　perfectly　wicked；

and　I　told　her　so。　　I　have　felt　so　strongly　on　the　subject　that

although　I　was　the　only　person　outside　of　blood　relations

who　was　to　have　been　asked　to　the　wedding　I　would　not　let

her　invite　me；　for　I　should　not　have　gone　to　witness　the

terrible　mockery。　　But　Jane　Porter　is　peculiarly　positive。

She　has　convinced　herself　that　she　is　doing　the　only　honorable

thing　that　she　can　do；　and　nothing　in　the　world　will　ever

prevent　her　from　marrying　Lord　Greystoke　except　Greystoke

himself；　or　death。〃



〃I　am　sorry　for　her；〃　said　Tarzan。



〃And　I　am　sorry　for　the　man　she　loves；〃　said　the　girl；　〃for

he　loves　her。　　I　never　met　him；　but　from　what　Jane　tells　me

he　must　be　a　very　wonderful　person。　　It　seems　that　he　was

born　in　an　African　jungle；　and　brought　up　by　fierce；

anthropoid　apes。　　He　had　never　seen　a　white　man　or　woman

until　Professor　Porter　and　his　party　were　marooned　on　the

coast　right　at　the　threshold　of　his　tiny　cabin。　　He　saved　them

from　all　manner　of　terrible　beasts；　and　accomplished　the

most　wonderful　feats　imaginable；　and　then　to　cap　the　climax

he　fell　in　love　with　Jane　and　she　with　him；　though　she　never

really　knew　it　for　sure　until　she　had　promised　herself　to

Lord　Greystoke。〃



〃Most　remarkable；〃　murmured　Tarzan；　cudgeling　his　brain　for

some　pretext　upon　which　to　turn　the　subject。　　He　delighted

in　hearing　Hazel　Strong　talk　of　Jane；　but　when　he　was　the

subject　of　the　conversation　he　was　bored　and　embarrassed。

But　he　was　soon　given　a　respite；　for　the　girl's　mother

joined　them；　and　the　talk　became　general。



The　next　few　days　passed　uneventfully。　　The　sea　was　quiet。

The　sky　was　clear。　　The　steamer　plowed　steadily　on　toward　the

south　without　pause。　　Tarzan　spent　quite　a　little　time　with

Miss　Strong　and　her　mother。　　They　whiled　away　their　hours

on　deck　reading；　talking；　or　taking　pictures　with　Miss

Strong's　camera。　　When　the　sun　had　set　they　walked。



One　day　Tarzan　found　Miss　Strong　in　conversation　with　a

stranger；　a　man　he　had　not　seen　on　board　before。　　As　he

approached　the　couple　the　man　bowed　to　the　girl　and　turned

to　walk　away。



〃Wait；　Monsieur　Thuran；〃　said　Miss　Strong；　〃you　must　meet

Mr。　Caldwell。　　We　are　all　fellow　passengers；　and　should

be　acquainted。〃



The　two　men　shook　hands。　　As　Tarzan　looked　into　the　eyes

of　Monsieur　Thuran　he　was　struck　by　the　strange　familiarity

of　their　expression。



〃I　have　had　the　honor　of　monsieur's　acquaintance　in　the

past；　I　am　sure；〃　said　Tarzan；　〃though　I　cannot　recall　the

circumstances。〃



Monsieur　Thuran　appeared　ill　at　ease。



〃I　cannot　say；　monsieur；〃　he　replied。　　〃It　may　be　so。　　I　have

had　that　identical　sensation　myself　when　meeting　a　stranger。〃



〃Monsieur　Thuran　has　been　explaining　some　of