the yellow god-第6章

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himself　again　there　was　left　on　his　mind　a　determination　that　not　for
seventeen　or　for　seventy　thousand　pounds　would　he　part　with　his
ownership　in　this　very　unique　fetish。

〃No；　thank　you；〃　he　said　presently。　〃I　don't　think　I　will　sell　the
Yellow　God；　as　Jeekie　calls　it。　Perhaps　you　will　kindly　keep　her　here
for　a　week　or　so；　until　I　make　up　my　mind　where　to　stow　her。〃

Again　Mr。　Champers…Haswell　uttered　his　windy　whistle。　That　a　man
should　refuse　￡17；000　for　a　bit　of　African　gold　worth　￡100　or　so；
struck　him　as　miraculous。　But　Sir　Robert　did　not　seem　in　the　least
surprised；　only　very　disappointed。

〃I　quite　understand　your　dislike　to　selling；〃　he　said。　〃Thank　you　for
leaving　it　here　for　the　present　to　see　us　through　the　flotation；〃　and
he　laughed。

At　that　moment　Jeffreys　entered　the　room　with　the　documents。　Sir
Robert　handed　the　deed　of　partnership　to　Alan；　and　when　he　had
identified　it；　took　it　from　him　again　and　threw　it　on　the　fire；　saying
that　of　course　the　formal　letter　of　release　would　be　posted　and　the
dissolution　notified　in　the　/Gazette/。　Then　the　transfer　was　signed
and　the　cheque　delivered。

〃Well；　good…bye　till　Saturday；〃　said　Alan　when　he　had　received　the
latter；　and　nodding　to　them　both；　he　turned　and　left　the　room。

The　passage　ran　past　the　little　room　in　which　Mr。　Jeffreys；　the　head
clerk；　sat　alone。　Catching　sight　of　him　through　the　open　door；　Alan
entered；　shutting　it　behind　him。　Finding　his　key　ring　he　removed　from
it　the　keys　of　his　desk　and　of　the　office　strongroom；　and　handed　them
to　the　clerk　who；　methodical　in　everything；　proceeded　to　write　a
formal　receipt。

〃You　are　leaving　us；　Major　Vernon？〃　he　said　interrogatively　as　he
signed　the　paper。

〃Yes；　Jeffreys；〃　answered　Alan；　then　prompted　by　some　impulse；　added；
〃Are　you　sorry？〃

Mr。　Jeffreys　looked　up　and　there　were　traces　of　unwonted　emotion　upon
his　hard；　regulated　face。

〃For　myself；　yes；　Majorfor　you；　on　the　whole；　no。〃

〃What　do　you　mean；　Jeffreys？　I　do　not　quite　understand。〃

〃I　mean；　Major；　that　I　am　sorry　because　you　have　never　tried　to
shuffle　off　any　shady　business　on　to　my　back　and　leave　me　to　bear　the
brunt　of　it；　also　because　you　have　always　treated　me　as　a　gentleman
should；　not　as　a　machine　to　be　used　until　a　better　can　be　found；　and
kicked　aside　when　it　goes　out　of　order。〃

〃It　is　very　kind　of　you　to　say　so；　Jeffreys；　but　I　can't　remember
having　done　anything　particular。〃

〃No；　Major；　you　can't　remember　what　comes　natural　to　you。　But　I　and
the　others　remember；　and　that's　why　I　am　sorry。　But　for　yourself　I　am
glad；　since　although　Aylward　and　Haswell　have　put　a　big　thing　through
and　are　going　to　make　a　pot　of　money；　this　is　no　place　for　the　likes
of　you；　and　now　that　you　are　going　I　will　make　bold　to　tell　you　that　I
always　wondered　what　you　were　doing　here。　By　and　by；　Major；　the　row
will　come；　as　it　has　come　more　than　once　in　the　past；　before　your
time。〃

〃And　then？〃　said　Alan；　for　he　was　anxious　to　get　to　the　bottom　of　this
man's　mind；　which　hitherto　he　had　always　found　so　secret。

〃And　then；　Major；　it　won't　matter　much　to　Messrs。　Aylward　and
Champers…Haswell；　who　are　used　to　that　kind　of　thing　and　will　probably
dissolve　partnership　and　lie　quiet　for　a　bit；　and　still　less　to　folk
like　myself；　who　are　only　servants。　But　if　you　were　still　here　it
would　have　mattered　a　great　deal　to　you；　for　it　would　blacken　your
name　and　break　your　heart；　and　then　what's　the　good　of　the　money？　I
tell　you；　Major；〃　the　clerk　went　on　with　quiet　intensity；　〃though　I　am
nobody　and　nothing；　if　I　could　afford　it　I　would　follow　your　example。
But　I　can't；　for　I　have　a　sick　wife　and　a　family　of　delicate　children
who　have　to　live　half　the　year　on　the　south　coast；　to　say　nothing　of
my　old　mother；　andI　was　fool　enough　to　be　taken　in　and　back　Sir
Robert's　last　little　venture；　which　cost　me　all　I　had　saved。　So　you
see　I　must　make　a　bit　before　the　machine　is　scrapped；　Major。　But　I
tell　you　this；　that　if　I　can　get　￡5000　together；　as　I　hope　to　do　out
of　Saharas　before　I　am　a　month　older；　for　they　had　to　give　me　a　look…
in；　as　I　knew　too　much；　I　am　off　to　the　country；　where　I　was　born；　to
take　a　farm　there。　No　more　of　Messrs。　Aylward　and　Haswell　for　Thomas
Jeffreys。　That's　my　bell。　Good…bye；　Major；　I'll　take　the　liberty　to
write　you　a　line　sometimes；　for　I　know　you　won't　give　me　away。　Good…
bye　and　God　bless　you；　as　I　am　sure　He　will　in　the　long　run；〃　and
stretching　out　his　hand；　he　took　that　of　the　astonished　Alan　and　wrung
it　warmly。

When　he　was　gone　Alan　went　also；　noticing　that　the　clerks；　whom　some
rumour　of　these　events　seemed　to　have　reached；　eyed　him　curiously
through　the　glass　screens　behind　which　they　sat　at　their　desks；　as　he
thought　not　without　regret　and　a　kind　of　admiration。　Even　the
magnificent　be…medalled　porter　at　the　door　emerged　from　the　carved
teak　box　where　he　dwelt　and　touching　his　cap　asked　if　he　should　call　a
cab。

〃No；　thank　you；　Sergeant；〃　answered　Alan；　〃I　will　take　a　bus；　and；
Sergeant；　I　think　I　forgot　to　give　you　a　present　last　Xmas。　Will　you
accept　this？I　wish　I　could　make　it　more；〃　and　he　presented　him　with
ten　shillings。

The　Sergeant　drew　himself　up　and　saluted。

〃Thank　you　kindly；　Major；〃　he　said。　〃I'd　rather　take　that　from　you
than　￡10　from　the　other　gentlemen。　But；　Major；　I　wish　we　were　out　on
the　West　Coast　again　together。　It's　a　stinking；　barbarous　hole；　but
not　so　bad　as　this　'ere　city。〃

For　once　these　two　had　served　as　comrades；　and　it　was　through　Alan
that　the　sergeant　obtained　his　present　lucrative　but　somewhat
uncongenial　post。

He　was　outside　at　last。　The　massive　granite　portal　vanished　behind　him
in　the　evening　mists；　much　as　a　nightmare　vanishes。　He；　Alan　Vernon；
who　for　a　year　or　more　had　been　in　bondage；　was　a　free　man　again。　All
his　dreams　of　wealth　had　departed；　indeed　if　anything；　save　in
experience；　he　was　poorer　than　when　first　the　shadow　of　yonder　doorway
fell　upon　him。　But　at　least　he　was　safe；　safe。　The　deed　of　partnership
which　had　been　as　a　chain　about　his　neck；　was　now　white　ashes；　his
name　was　erased　from　that　fearful　prospectus　of　Sahara　Limited；
wherein　millions　which　someone　would　provide　were　spoken　of　like
silver　in　the　days　of　Solomon；　as　things　of　no　account。　The　bitterest
critic　could　not　say　that　he　had　made　a　halfpenny　out　of　the　venture；
in　fact；　if　trouble　came；　his　voluntary　abandonment　of　the　profits　due
to　him　must　go　to　his　credit。　He　had　plunged　into　the　icy　waters　of
renunciation　and　come　up　clean　if　naked。　Never　since　he　was　a　boy
could　Alan　remember　feeling　so　utterly　light…hearted　and　free　from
anxiety。　Not　for　a　million　pounds　would　he　have　returned　to　gather
gold　in　that　mausoleum　of　reputations。　As　for　the　future；　he　did　not
in　the　least　care　what　happened。　There　was　no　one　dependent　on　him；
and　in　this　way　or　in　that　he　could　always　earn　a　crust；　a　nice；
honest　crust。

He　ran　down　the　street　and　danced　for　joy　like　a　child；　yes；　and
presented　a　crossing…sweeper　against　whom　he　butted　with　a　whole
sixpence　in　compensation。　Thus　he　reached　the　Mansion　House；　not
unsuspected　of　inebriety　by　the　police；　and　clambered　to　the　top　of　a
bus　crowded　with　weary　and　anxious…looking　City　clerks　returning　home
after　a　long　day's　labour　at　starvation　wage。　In　that　cold　company　and
a　chilling　atmosphere　some　of　his　enthusiasm　evaporated。　He　remembered
that　this　step　of　his　meant　that　sooner　or　later；　within　a　year　or　two
at　most；　Yarleys；　where　his　family　had　dwelt　for　centuries；　must　go　to
the　hammer。　Why　had　he　not　accepted　Aylward's　offer　and　sold　that　old
fetish　to　him　for　￡17；000？　There　was　no　question　of　share…dealing
there；　and　if　a　very　wealthy　man　chose　to　give　a　fancy　price　for　a
curiosity；　he　could　take　it　without　doubt　or　shame。　At　least　it　would
have　sufficed　to　save　Yarleys；　which　after　all　was　only　mortgaged　for
￡20；000。　For　the　life　of　him　he　could　not　tell。　He　had　acted　on
impulse；　a　very　curious　impulse；　and　there　was　an　end　of　it　perhaps；
it　might　be　because　his　uncle　had　told　him　as　a　boy　that　the　thing　was
unique；　or　perhaps　because　old　Jeekie；　his　negro　servant；　venerated　it
so　much　and　swore　that　it　was　〃lucky。〃　At　any　rate　he　had