the lion and the unicorn-第23章

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hidden　himself　from　all　of　us。　　Even　if　he　could　not　stand　being
near　you；　caring　as　he　did；　he　need　not　have　treated　me　so。　
We　have　done　all　we　can　do；　and　Robert　has　been　more　than　fine
about　it。　　He　and　his　agents　have　written　to　every　consul　and
business　house　in　Central　America；　and　I　don't　believe　there　is　a
city　that　he　hasn't　visited。　　He　has　sent　him　money　and　letters
to　every　bank　and　to　every　post…office〃

The　girl　raised　her　head　quickly。

〃but　he　never　calls　for　either；〃　Mrs。　Collier　continued；　〃for　I
know　that　if　he　had　read　my　letters　he　would　have　come　home。〃

The　girl　lifted　her　head　as　though　she　were　about　to　speak；　and
then　turned　and　walked　slowly　away。　　After　a　few　moments　she
returned；　and　stood；　with　her　hands　resting　on　the　rail；　looking
down　into　the　water。　　〃I　wrote　him　two　letters；〃　she　said。　　In
the　silence　of　the　night　her　voice　was　unusually　clear　and
distinct。　　〃Iyou　make　me　wonderif　they　ever　reached　him。〃

Mrs。　Collier；　with　her　eyes　fixed　upon　the　girl；　rose　slowly　from
her　chair　and　came　towards　her。　　She　reached　out　her　hand　and
touched　Miss　Cameron　on　the　arm。

〃Florence；〃　she　said；　in　a　whisper；　〃have　you〃

The　girl　raised　her　head　slowly；　and　lowered　it　again。　　〃Yes；〃
she　answered；　〃I　told　him　to　come　backto　come　back　to　me。　
Alice；〃　she　cried；　〃II　begged　him　to　come　back！〃　　She　tossed
her　hands　apart　and　again　walked　rapidly　away；　leaving　the　older
woman　standing　motionless。

A　moment　later；　when　Sir　Charles　and　Mr。　Collier　stepped　out　upon
the　deck；　they　discovered　the　two　women　standing　close　together；
two　white；　ghostly　figures　in　the　moonlight；　and　as　they　advanced
towards　them　they　saw　Mrs。　Collier　take　the　girl　for　an　instant
in　her　arms。

Sir　Charles　was　asking　Miss　Cameron　how　long　she　thought　an
immigrant　should　be　made　to　work　for　his　freehold　allotment；　when
Mr。　Collier　and　his　wife　rose　at　the　same　moment　and　departed　on
separate　errands。　　They　met　most　mysteriously　in　the　shadow　of
the　wheel…house。

〃What　is　it？　　Is　anything　wrong　with　Florence？〃　Collier　asked；
anxiously。　　〃Not　homesick；　is　she？〃

Mrs。　Collier　put　her　hands　on　her　husband's　shoulders　and　shook
her　head。

〃Wrong？　　No；　thank　Heaven！　it's　as　right　as　right　can　be！〃　she
cried。　　〃She's　written　to　him　to　come　back；　but　he's　never
answered；　and　soand　now　it's　all　right。〃

Mr。　Collier　gazed　blankly　at　his　wife's　upturned　face。　　〃Well；　I
don't　see　that；〃　he　remonstrated。　　〃What's　the　use　of　her　being
in　love　with　him　now　when　he　can't　be　found？　　What？　　Why　didn't
she　love　him　two　years　ago　when　he　was　where　you　could　get　at
himat　her　house；　for　instance。　　He　was　there　most　of　his　time。　
She　would　have　saved　a　lot　of　trouble。　　However；〃　he　added；
energetically；　〃this　makes　it　absolutely　necessary　to　find　that
young　man　and　bring　him　to　his　senses。　　We'll　search　this　place
for　the　next　few　days；　and　then　we'll　try　the　mainland　again。　　I
think　I'll　offer　a　reward　for　him；　and　have　it　printed　in
Spanish；　and　paste　it　up　in　all　the　plazas。　　We　might　add　a　line
in　English；　'She　has　changed　her　mind。'　　That　would　bring　him
home；　wouldn't　it？〃

〃Don't　be　unfeeling；　Robert；〃　said　Mrs。　Collier。

Her　husband　raised　his　eyes　appealingly；　and　addressed　himself　to
the　moon。　　〃I　ask　you　now；〃　he　complained；　〃is　that　fair　to　a　man
who　has　spent　six　months　on　muleback　trying　to　round　up　a
prodigal　brother…in…law？〃

That　same　evening；　after　the　ladies　had　gone　below；　Mr。　Collier
asked　Sir　Charles　to　assist　him　in　his　search　for　his　wife's
brother；　and　Sir　Charles　heartily　promised　his　most　active　co…
operation。　　There　were　several　Americans　at　work　in　the　interior；
he　said；　as　overseers　on　the　coffee…plantations。　　It　was　possible
that　the　runaway　might　be　among　them。　　It　was　only　that　morning；
Sir　Charles　remembered；　that　an　American　had　been　at　work
〃repairing　his　lawn…mower；〃　as　he　considerately　expressed　it。　　He
would　send　for　him　on　the　morrow。

But　on　the　morrow　the　slave　of　the　lawn…mower　was　reported　on　the
list　of　prisoners　as　〃missing；〃　and　Corporal　Mallon　was　grieved；
but　refused　to　consider　himself　responsible。　　Sir　Charles　himself
had　allowed　the　vagrant　unusual　freedom；　and　the　vagrant　had
taken　advantage　of　it；　and　probably　escaped　to　the　hills；　or　up
the　river　to　the　logwood　camp。

〃Telegraph　a　description　of　him　to　Inspector　Garrett；〃　Sir
Charles　directed；　〃and　to　the　heads　of　all　up　stations。　　And　when
he　returns；　bring　him　to　me。〃

So　great　was　his　zeal　that　Sir　Charles　further　offered　to　join
Mr。　Collier　in　his　search　among　the　outlying　plantations；　but　Mr。
Collier　preferred　to　work　alone。　　He　accordingly　set　out　at　once；
armed　with　letters　to　the　different　district　inspectors；　and　in
his　absence　delegated　to　Sir　Charles　the　pleasant　duty　of　caring
for　the　wants　of　Miss　Cameron　and　his　wife。　　Sir　Charles　regarded
the　latter　as　deserving　of　all　sympathy；　for　Mr。　Collier；　in　his
efforts　to　conceal　the　fact　from　the　Governor　that　Florence
Cameron　was　responsible；　or　in　any　way　concerned；　in　the
disappearance　of　the　missing　man；　had　been　too　mysterious。　　Sir
Charles　was　convinced　that　the　fugitive　had　swindled　his　brother…
in…law　and　stolen　his　sister's　jewels。

The　days　which　followed　were　to　the　Governor　days　and　nights　of
strange　discoveries。　　He　recognized　that　the　missionaries
from　the　great　outside　world　had　invaded　his　shores　and　disturbed
his　gods　and　temples。　　Their　religion　of　progress　and　activity
filled　him　with　doubt　and　unrest。

〃In　this　century；〃　Mr。　Collier　had　declared；　〃nothing　can　stand
still。　　It's　the　same　with　a　corporation；　or　a　country；　or　a　man。

We　must　either　march　ahead　or　fall　out。　　We　can't　mark　time。　
What？〃

〃Exactlycertainly　not；〃　Sir　Charles　had　answered。　　But　in　his
heart　he　knew　that　he　himself　had　been　marking　time　under　these
soft　tropical　skies　while　the　world　was　pushing　forward。　　The
thought　had　not　disturbed　him　before。　　Now　he　felt　guilty。　　He
conceived　a　sudden　intolerance；　if　not　contempt；　for　the　little
village　of　whitewashed　houses；　for　the　rafts　of　mahogany　and　of
logwood　that　bumped　against　the　pier…heads；　for　the　sacks　of
coffee　piled　high　like　barricades　under　the　corrugated　zinc　sheds
along　the　wharf。　　Each　season　it　had　been　his　pride　to　note　the
increase　in　these　exports。　　The　development　of　the　resources　of
his　colony　had　been　a　work　in　which　he　had　felt　that　the
Colonial　Secretary　took　an　immediate　interest。　　He　had　believed
that　he　was　one　of　the　important　wheels　of　the　machinery　which
moved　the　British　Empire：　and　now；　in　a　day；　he　was　undeceived。　
It　was　forced　upon　him　that　to　the　eyes　of　the　outside　world　he
was　only　a　greengrocer　operating　on　a　large　scale；　he　provided
the　British　public　with　coffee　for　its　breakfast；　with　drugs　for
its　stomach；　and　with　strange　woods　for　its　dining…room　furniture
and　walking…sticks。　　He　combated　this　ignominious
characterization　of　his　position　indignantly。　　The　new　arrivals
certainly　gave　him　no　hint　that　they　considered　him　so　lightly。　
This　thought　greatly　comforted　him；　for　he　felt　that　in　some　way
he　was　summoning　to　his　aid　all　of　his　assets　and　resources　to
meet　an　expert　and　final　valuation。　　As　he　ranged　them　before　him
he　was　disturbed　and　happy　to　find　that　the　value　he　placed　upon
them　was　the　value　they　would　have　in　the　eyes　of　a　young　girl
not　a　girl　of　the　shy；　mother…obeying；　man…worshipping　English
type；　but　a　girl　such　as　Miss　Cameron　seemed　to　be；　a　girl　who
could　understand　what　you　were　trying　to　say　before　you　said
it；　who　could　take　an　interest　in　rates　of　exchange　and　preside
at　a　dinner　table；　who　was　charmingly　feminine　and　clever；　and
who　was　respectful　of　herself　and　of　others。　　In　fact；　he
decided；　with　a　flush；　that　Miss　Cameron　herself　was　the　young
girl　he　had　in　his　mind。

〃Why　not？〃　he　asked。

The　question　came　to　him　in　his　room；　the　sixth　night　of　their
visit；　and　he　strode　over　to　the　long　pier…glass　and　stood
studying　himself　critically　for　the　first　time　in　years。　　He　was
still　a　fine…looking；　well…kept　man。　　His　hair　was　thin；　but　that
fact　did　not　show；　and　his　waist　was　lost；　but　riding　and　tennis
would　set　that　right。　　He　had　m