the underground city-第28章

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〃The　hand　which　traced　these　lines；〃　said　he　at　length；　〃is　the　same　which　wrote　me　the　letter　contradicting　yours；　Simon。　　The　man　calls　himself　Silfax。　　I　see　by　your　troubled　manner　that　you　know　him。　Who　is　this　Silfax？〃


CHAPTER　XVII　THE　〃MONK〃


THIS　name　revealed　everything　to　the　old　overman。　It　was　that　of　the　last　〃monk〃　of　the　Dochart　pit。

In　former　days；　before　the　invention　of　the　safety…lamp；　Simon　had　known　this　fierce　man；　whose　business　it　was　to　go　daily；　at　the　risk　of　his　life；　to　produce　partial　explosions　of　fire…damp　in　the　passages。　He　used　to　see　this　strange　solitary　being；　prowling　about　the　mine；　always　accompanied　by　a　monstrous　owl；　which　he　called　Harfang；　who　assisted　him　in　his　perilous　occupation；　by　soaring　with　a　lighted　match　to　places　Silfax　was　unable　to　reach。

One　day　this　old　man　disappeared；　and　at　the　same　time　also；　a　little　orphan　girl　born　in　the　mine；　who　had　no　relation　but　himself；　her　great…grandfather。　It　was　perfectly　evident　now　that　this　child　was　Nell。　　During　the　fifteen　years；　up　to　the　time　when　she　was　saved　by　Harry；　they　must　have　lived　in　some　secret　abyss　of　the　mine。

The　old　overman；　full　of　mingled　compassion　and　anger；　made　known　to　the　engineer　and　Harry　all　that　the　name　of　Silfax　had　revealed　to　him。　It　explained　the　whole　mystery。　　Silfax　was　the　mysterious　being　so　long　vainly　sought　for　in　the　depths　of　New　Aberfoyle。

〃So　you　knew　him；　Simon？〃　demanded　Mr。　Starr。

〃Yes；　that　I　did；〃　replied　the　overman。　　〃The　Harfang　man；　we　used　to　call　him。　　Why；　he　was　old　then！　　He　must　be　fifteen　or　twenty　years　older　than　I　am。　　A　wild；

savage　sort　of　fellow；　who　held　aloof　from　everyone　and　was　known　to　fear　nothingneither　fire　nor　water。　　It　was　his　own　fancy　to　follow　the　trade　of　'monk；'　which　few　would　have　liked。　The　constant　danger　of　the　business　had　unsettled　his　brain。　He　was　prodigiously　strong；　and　he　knew　the　mine　as　no　one　else　at　any　rate；　as　well　as　I　did。　　He　lived　on　a　small　allowance。　In　faith；　I　believed　him　dead　years　ago。〃

〃But；〃　resumed　James　Starr；　〃what　does　he　mean　by　those　words；　'You　have　robbed　me　of　the　last　vein　of　our　old　mine'？〃

〃Ah！　there　it　is；〃　replied　Simon；　〃for　a　long　time　it　had　been　a　fancy　of　hisI　told　you　his　mind　was　deranged　that　he　had　a　right　to　the　mine　of　Aberfoyle；　so　he　became　more　and　more　savage　in　temper　the　deeper　the　Dochart　pit　his　pit！was　worked　out。　　It　just　seemed　as　if　it　was　his　own　body　that　suffered　from　every　blow　of　the　pickax。　You　must　remember　that；　Madge？〃

〃Ay；　that　I　do；　Simon；〃　replied　she。

〃I　can　recollect　all　this；〃　resumed　Simon；　〃since　I　have　seen　the　name　of　Silfax　on　the　door。　　But　I　tell　you；　I　thought　the　man　was　dead；　and　never　imagined　that　the　spiteful　being　we　have　so　long　sought　for　could　be　the　old　fireman　of　the　Dochart　pit。〃

〃Well；　now；　then；〃　said　Starr；　〃it　is　all　quite　plain。　Chance　made　known　to　Silfax　the　new　vein　of　coal。　With　the　egotism　of　madness；　he　believed　himself　the　owner　of　a　treasure　he　must　conceal　and　defend。　　Living　in　the　mine；　and　wandering　about　day　and　night；　he　perceived　that　you　had　discovered　the　secret；　and　had　written　in　all　haste　to　beg　me　to　come。　Hence　the　letter　contradicting　yours；　hence；　after　my　arrival；　all　the　accidents　that　occurred；　such　as　the　block　of　stone　thrown　at　Harry；　the　broken　ladder　at　the　Yarrow　shaft；　the　obstruction　of　the　openings　into　the　wall　of　the　new　cutting；　hence；　in　short；　our　imprisonment；　and　then　our　deliverance；　brought　about　by　the　kind　assistance　of　Nell；　who　acted　of　course　without　the　knowledge　of　this　man　Silfax；　and　contrary　to　his　intentions。〃

〃You　describe　everything　exactly　as　it　must　have　happened；　Mr。　Starr；〃　returned　old　Simon。　　〃The　old　'Monk'　is　mad　enough　now；　at　any　rate！〃

〃All　the　better；〃　quoth　Madge。


〃I　don't　know　that；〃　said　Starr；　shaking　his　head；　〃it　is　a　terrible　sort　of　madness　this。〃

〃Ah！　now　I　understand　that　the　very　thought　of　him　must　have　terrified　poor　little　Nell；　and　also　I　see　that　she　could　not　bear　to　denounce　her　grandfather。　　What　a　miserable　time　she　must　have　had　of　it　with　the　old　man！〃

〃Miserable　with　a　vengeance；〃　replied　Simon；　〃between　that　savage　and　his　owl；　as　savage　as　himself。　　Depend　upon　it；　that　bird　isn't　dead。　That　was　what　put　our　lamp　out；　and　also　so　nearly　cut　the　rope　by　which　Harry　and　Nell　were　suspended。〃

〃And　then；　you　see；〃　said　Madge；　〃this　news　of　the　marriage　of　our　son　with　his　granddaughter　added　to　his　rancor　and　ill…will。〃

〃To　be　sure；〃　said　Simon。　　〃To　think　that　his　Nell　should　marry　one　of　the　robbers　of　his　own　coal　mine　would　just　drive　him　wild　altogether。〃

〃He　will　have　to　make　up　his　mind　to　it；　however；〃　cried　Harry。　　〃Mad　as　he　is；　we　shall　manage　to　convince　him　that　Nell　is　better　off　with　us　here　than　ever　she　was　in　the　caverns　of　the　pit。　I　am　sure；　Mr。　Starr；　if　we　could　only　catch　him；　we　should　be　able　to　make　him　listen　to　reason。〃

〃My　poor　Harry！　there　is　no　reasoning　with　a　madman；〃　replied　the　engineer。　　〃Of　course　it　is　better　to　know　your　enemy　than　not；　but　you　must　not　fancy　all　is　right　because　we　have　found　out　who　he　is。　　We　must　be　on　our　guard；　my　friends；　and　to　begin　with；　Harry；　you　positively　must　question　Nell。　She　will　perceive　that　her　silence　is　no　longer　reasonable。　Even　for　her　grandfather's　own　interest；　she　ought　to　speak　now。　For　his　own　sake；　as　well　as　for　ours；　these　insane　plots　must　be　put　a　stop　to。〃

〃I　feel　sure；　Mr。　Starr；〃　answered　Harry；　〃that　Nell　will　of　herself　propose　to　tell　you　what　she　knows。　　You　see　it　was　from　a　sense　of　duty　that　she　has　been　silent　hitherto。　My　mother　was　very　right　to　take　her　to　her　room　just　now。　She　much　needed　time　to　recover　her　spirits；　but　now　I　will　go　for　her。〃

〃You　need　not　do　so；　Harry；〃　said　the　maiden　in　a　clear　and　firm　voice；　as　she　entered　at　that　moment　the　room　in　which　they　were。　Nell　was　very　pale；　traces　of　tears　were　in　her　eyes；　but　her　whole　manner　showed　that　she　had　nerved　herself　to　act　as　her　loyal　heart　dictated　as　her　duty。


〃Nell！〃　cried　Harry；　springing　towards　her。

The　girl　arrested　her　lover　by　a　gesture；　and　continued；　〃Your　father　and　mother；　and　you；　Harry；　must　now　know　all。　And　you　too；　Mr。　Starr；　must　remain　ignorant　of　nothing　that　concerns　the　child　you　have　received；　and　whom　Harry　unfortunately　for　him；　alas！drew　from　the　abyss。〃

〃Oh；　Nell！　what　are　you　saying？〃　cried　Harry。

〃Allow　her　to　speak；〃　said　James　Starr　in　a　decided　tone。

〃I　am　the　granddaughter　of　old　Silfax；〃　resumed　Nell。　　〃I　never　knew　a　mother　till　the　day　I　came　here；〃　added　she；　looking　at　Madge。

〃Blessed　be　that　day；　my　daughter！〃　said　the　old　woman。

〃I　knew　no　father　till　I　saw　Simon　Ford；〃　continued　Nell；　〃nor　friend　till　the　day　when　Harry's　hand　touched　mine。　Alone　with　my　grandfather　I　have　lived　during　fifteen　years　in　the　remote　and　most　solitary　depths　of　the　mine。　I　say　WITH　my　grandfather；　but　I　can　scarcely　use　the　expression；　for　I　seldom　saw　him。　　When　he　disappeared　from　Old　Aberfoyle；　he　concealed　himself　in　caverns　known　only　to　himself。　In　his　way　he　was　kind　to　me；　dreadful　as　he　was；　he　fed　me　with　whatever　he　could　procure　from　outside　the　mine；　but　I　can　dimly　recollect　that　in　my　earliest　years　I　was　the　nursling　of　a　goat；　the　death　of　which　was　a　bitter　grief　to　me。　My　grandfather；　seeing　my　distress；　brought　me　another　animal　a　dog　he　said　it　was。　　But；　unluckily；　this　dog　was　lively；　and　barked。　　Grandfather　did　not　like　anything　cheerful。　He　had　a　horror　of　noise；　and　had　taught　me　to　be　silent；　the　dog　he　could　not　teach　to　be　quiet；　so　the　poor　animal　very　soon　disappeared。　　My　grandfather's　companion　was　a　ferocious　bird；　Harfang；　of　which；　at　first；　I　had　a　perfect　horror；　but　this　creature；　in　spite　of　my　dislike　to　it；　took　such　a　strong　affection　for　me；　that　I　could　not　help　returning　it。　It　even　obeyed　me　better　than　its　master；　which　used　to　make　me　quite　uneasy；　for　my　grandfather　was　jealous。　　Harfang　and　I　did　not　dare　to　let　him　see　us　much　together；　we　both　knew　it　would　be　dangerous。　　But　I　am　talking　too　much　about　myself：　the　great　thing　is　about　you。〃

〃No；　my　child；〃　said　James　Starr；　〃tell　us　everything　that　comes