when the world shook-第6章

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It　was　a　curious　business；　more　like　meeting　a　very　old　friend

from　whom　one　had　been　separated　by　circumstances　for　a　score　of

years　or　so　than　anything　else。　We　were；　so　to　speak；　intimate

from　the　first；　we　knew　all　about　each　other；　although　here　and

there　was　something　new；　something　different　which　we　could　not

remember；　lines　of　thought；　veins　of　memory　which　we　did　not

possess　in　common。　On　one　point　I　am　absolutely　clear：　it　was　not

solely　the　everyday　and　ancient　appeal　of　woman　to　man　and　man　to

woman　which　drew　us　together；　though　doubtless　this　had　its　part

in　our　attachment　as　under　our　human　conditions　it　must　do；

seeing　that　it　is　Nature's　bait　to　ensure　the　continuance　of　the

race。　It　was　something　more；　something　quite　beyond　that

elementary　impulse。



At　any　rate　we　loved；　and　one　evening　in　the　shelter　of　the

solemn　walls　of　the　great　Coliseum　at　Rome；　which　at　that　hour

were　shut　to　all　except　ourselves；　we　confessed　our　love。　I

really　think　we　must　have　chosen　the　spot　by　tacit　but　mutual

consent　because　we　felt　it　to　be　fitting。　It　was　so　old；　so

impregnated　with　every　human　experience；　from　the　direst　crime　of

the　tyrant　who　thought　himself　a　god；　to　the　sublimest　sacrifice

of　the　martyr　who　already　was　half　a　god；　with　every　vice　and

virtue　also　which　lies　between　these　extremes；　that　it　seemed　to

be　the　most　fitting　altar　whereon　to　offer　our　hearts　and　all

that　caused　them　to　beat；　each　to　the　other。



So　Natalie　and　I　were　betrothed　within　a　month　of　our　first

meeting。　Within　three　we　were　married；　for　what　was　there　to

prevent　or　delay？　Naturally　Sir　Alfred　was　delighted；　seeing　that

he　possessed　but　small　private　resources　and　I　was　able　to　make

ample　provision　for　his　daughter　who　had　hitherto　shown　herself

somewhat　difficult　in　this　business　of　matrimony　and　now　was

bordering　on　her　twenty…seventh　year。　Everybody　was　delighted；

everything　went　smoothly　as　a　sledge　sliding　down　a　slope　of

frozen　snow　and　the　mists　of　time　hid　whatever　might　be　at　the

end　of　that　slope。　Probably　a　plain；　at　the　worst　the　upward　rise

of　ordinary　life。



That　is　what　we　thought；　if　we　thought　at　all。　Certainly　we

never　dreamed　of　a　precipice。　Why　should　we；　who　were　young；　by

comparison；　quite　healthy　and　very　rich？　Who　thinks　of　precipices

under　such　circumstances；　when　disaster　seems　to　be　eliminated

and　death　is　yet　a　long　way　off？



And　yet　we　ought　to　have　done　so；　because　we　should　have　known

that　smooth　surfaces　without　impediment　to　the　runners　often　end

in　something　of　the　kind。



I　am　bound　to　say　that　when　we　returned　home　to　Fulcombe；　where

of　course　we　met　with　a　great　reception；　including　the　ringing

（out　of　tune）　of　the　new　peal　of　bells　that　I　had　given　to　the

church；　Bastin　made　haste　to　point　this　out。



〃Your　wife　seems　a　very　nice　and　beautiful　lady；　Arbuthnot；〃　he

reflected　aloud　after　dinner；　when　Mrs。　Bastin；　glowering　as

usual；　though　what　at　I　do　not　know；　had　been　escorted　from　the

room　by　Natalie；　〃and　really；　when　I　come　to　think　of　it；　you　are

an　unusually　fortunate　person。　You　possess　a　great　deal　of　money；

much　more　than　you　have　any　right　to；　which　you　seem　to　have　done

very　little　to　earn　and　do　not　spend　quite　as　I　should　like　you

to　do；　and　this　nice　property；　that　ought　to　be　owned　by　a　great

number　of　people；　as；　according　to　the　views　you　express；　I

should　have　thought　you　would　acknowledge；　and　everything　else

that　a　man　can　want。　It　is　very　strange　that　you　should　be　so

favoured　and　not　because　of　any　particular　merits　of　your　own

which　one　can　see。　However；　I　have　no　doubt　it　will　all　come　even

in　the　end　and　you　will　get　your　share　of　troubles；　like　others。

Perhaps　Mrs。　Arbuthnot　will　have　no　children　as　there　is　so　much

for　them　to　take。　Or　perhaps　you　will　lose　all　your　money　and

have　to　work　for　your　living；　which　might　be　good　for　you。　Or；〃

he　added；　still　thinking　aloud　after　his　fashion；　〃perhaps　she

will　die　youngshe　has　that　kind　of　face；　although；　of　course；　I

hope　she　won't；〃　he　added；　waking　up。



I　do　not　know　why；　but　his　wandering　words　struck　me　cold；　the

proverbial　funeral　bell　at　the　marriage　feast　was　nothing　to

them。　I　suppose　it　was　because　in　a　flash　of　intuition　I　knew

that　they　would　come　true　and　that　he　was　an　appointed　Cassandra。

Perhaps　this　uncanny　knowledge　overcame　my　natural　indignation　at

such　super…gaucherie　of　which　no　one　but　Bastin　could　have　been

capable；　and　even　prevented　me　from　replying　at　all；　so　that　I

merely　sat　still　and　looked　at　him。



But　Bickley　did　reply　with　some　vigour。



〃Forgive　me　for　saying　so；　Bastin；〃　he　said；　bristling　all　over

as　it　were；　〃but　your　remarks；　which　may　or　may　not　be　in

accordance　with　the　principles　of　your　religion；　seem　to　me　to　be

in　singularly　bad　taste。　They　would　have　turned　the　stomachs　of　a

gathering　of　early　Christians；　who　appear　to　have　been　the　worst

mannered　people　in　the　world；　and　at　any　decent　heathen　feast

your　neck　would　have　been　wrung　as　that　of　a　bird　of　ill　omen。〃



〃Why？〃　asked　Bastin　blankly。　〃I　only　said　what　I　thought　to　be

the　truth。　The　truth　is　better　than　what　you　call　good　taste。〃



〃Then　I　will　say　what　I　think　also　to　be　the　truth；〃　replied

Bickley；　growing　furious。　〃It　is　that　you　use　your　Christianity

as　a　cloak　for　bad　manners。　It　teaches　consideration　and　sympathy

for　others　of　which　you　seem　to　have　none。　Moreover；　since　you

talk　of　the　death　of　people's　wives；　I　will　tell　you　something

about　your　own；　as　a　doctor；　which　I　can　do　as　I　never　attended

her。　It　is　highly　probable；　in　my　opinion；　that　she　will　die

before　Mrs。　Arbuthnot；　who　is　quite　a　healthy　person　with　a　good

prospect　of　life。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　said　Bastin。　〃If　so；　it　will　be　God's　will　and　I

shall　not　complain〃　（here　Bickley　snorted）；　〃though　I　do　not　see

what　you　can　know　about　it。　But　why　should　you　cast　reflections

on　the　early　Christians　who　were　people　of　strong　principle

living　in　rough　times；　and　had　to　wage　war　against　an　established

devil…worship？　I　know　you　are　angry　because　they　smashed　up　the

statues　of　Venus　and　so　forth；　but　had　I　been　in　their　place　I

should　have　done　the　same。〃



〃Of　course　you　would；　who　doubts　it？　But　as　for　the　early

Christians　and　their　iconoclastic　performanceswell；　curse　them；

that's　all！〃　and　he　sprang　up　and　left　the　room。



I　followed　him。



Let　it　not　be　supposed　from　the　above　scene　that　there　was　any

ill…feeling　between　Bastin　and　Bickley。　On　the　contrary　they　were

much　attached　to　each　other；　and　this　kind　of　quarrel　meant　no

more　than　the　strong　expression　of　their　individual　views　to

which　they　were　accustomed　from　their　college　days。　For　instance

Bastin　was　always　talking　about　the　early　Christians　and

missionaries；　while　Bickley　loathed　both；　the　early　Christians

because　of　the　destruction　which　they　had　wrought　in　Egypt；

Italy；　Greece　and　elsewhere；　of　all　that　was　beautiful；　and　the

missionaries　because；　as　he　said；　they　were　degrading　and

spoiling　the　native　races　and　by　inducing　them　to　wear　clothes；

rendering　them　liable　to　disease。　Bastin　would　answer　that　their

souls　were　more　important　than　their　bodies；　to　which　Bickley

replied　that　as　there　was　no　such　thing　as　a　soul　except　in　the

stupid　imagination　of　priests；　he　differed　entirely　on　the　point。

As　it　was　quite　impossible　for　either　to　convince　the　other；

there　the　conversation　would　end；　or　drift　into　something　in

which　they　were　mutually　interested；　such　as　natural　history　and

the　hygiene　of　the　neighbourhood。



Here　I　may　state　that　Bickley's　keen　professional　eye　was　not

mistaken　when　he　diagnosed　Mrs。　Bastin's　state　of　health　as

dangerous。　As　a　matter　of　fact　she　was　suffering　from　heart

disease　that　a　doctor　can　often　recognise　by　the　colour　of　the

lips；　etc。；　which　brought　about　her　death　under　the　following

circumstances：



Her　husband　attended　some　ecclesiastical　function　at　a　town

over　twenty　miles　away　and　was　to　have　returned　by　a　train　which

would　have　brought　him　home　about　five　o'clock。　As　he　did　not

arrive　she　waited　at　the　station　for　him　until　the　last　train

came　in　about　seven　o'clockwithout　the　beloved　Basil。　Then；　on

a　winter's　night　she　tore　up　to　the　Priory　and　begged　me　to　lend

her　a　dog…cart　in　which　to　drive　to　the　said　town　to　look　for

him。　I　expostulated　against　the　folly　of　such　a　proceeding；

saying　that　no　doubt　Basil　was　safe　enough　but　had　forgotten　to

telegraph；　or　thought　that　he　would　save　the　sixpence　which　the

wire　cost。



Then　it　came　out；　to　Natalie's　and　my　intense　amusement；　that

all　this　was　the　result　of　her　jealous　nature　of　which　I　have

spoken。　She　said　she　had　never　slept　a　night　away　from　her

husband　since　they　were　married　and　with　so　many　〃designing

persons〃　about　she　could　not　say　what　might　happen　if　she　did　so；

especially　as　he　was　〃such　a　favourite　and　so　handsome。〃　（Bastin

was　a　fine　looking　man　in　his　rugged　way。）



I　suggested　that　she　might　have　a　little　confidence　in　him；　to

which　she　replied　darkly　that　she　had　no　confidence　in　anybody。



The　end　of　it　was　that　I　lent　her　the　cart　with　a　fast　horse

and　a　good　driver；　and　off　she　went。　Reaching　the　town　in

question　some　two　and　a　half　hours　later；　she　searched　high　and

low　through　wind　and　sleet；　but　found　no　Basil。　He；　it　appeared；

had　gone　on　to　Exeter；　to　look　at　the　cathedral　where　some

building　was　being　done；　and　missing　the　last　train　had　there

slept　the　night。



About　one　in　the　morning；　after　being　nearly　locked　up　as　a　mad

woman；　she　drove　back　to　the　Vicarage；　again　to　find　no　Basil。

Even　then　she　did　not　go　to　bed　but　raged　about　the　house　in　her

wet　clothes；　until　she　fell　down　utterly　exhausted。　When　her

husband　did　return　on　the　following　morning；　full　of　information

about　the　cathedral；　she　was　dangerously　ill；　and　actually　passed

away　while　uttering　a　violent　tirade　against　him　for　his　supposed

suspicious　proceedings。



That　was　the　end　of　this　truly　odious　British　matron。



In　after　days　Bastin；　by　some　peculiar　mental　process；

canonised　her　in　his　imagination　as　a　kind　of　saint。　〃So　loving；〃

he　would　say；　〃such　a　devoted　wife！　Why；　my　dear　Humphrey；　I　can

assure　you　that　even　in　the　midst　of　her　death…struggle　her　last

thoughts　were　of　me；〃　words　that　caused　Bickley　to　snort　with

more　than　usual　vigour；　until　I　kicked　him　to　silence　beneath　the

table。







Chapter　IV



Death　and　Departure





Now　I　must　tell　of　my　own　terrible　sorrow；　which　turned　my　life

to　bitterness　and　my　hopes　to　ashes。



Never　were　a　man　and　a　woman　happier　together　than　I　and

Natalie。　Mentally；　physically；　spiritually　we　were　perfectly

mated；　and　we　loved　each　other　dearly。　Truly　we　were　as　one。　Yet

there　was　something　about　her　which　filled　me　with　vague　fears；

especially　after　she　found　that　she　was　to　become　a