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!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
But Craig only replied此'All who love Him。'
'Ah察Michael察you must pray le bon Jesu。 He's garde notre mignon。'
And then she bent over the babe察whispering
'Ah察mon cheri察mon amour察adieu adieu mon ange' till Slavin put
his arms about her and took her away察for as she was whispering her
farewells察her baby察with a little answering sigh察passed into the
House with many rooms。
'Whisht察Annette darlin'察don't cry for the baby' said her
husband。 'Shure it's better off than the rest av us察it is。 An'
didn't ye hear what the minister said about the beautiful place it
is拭 An' shure he wouldn't lie to us at all。' But a mother cannot
be comforted for her first´born son。
An hour later Nixon brought Father Goulet。 He was a little
Frenchman with gentle manners and the face of a saint。 Craig
welcomed him warmly察and told him what he had done。
'That is good察my brother' he said察with gentle courtesy察and
turning to the mother察'Your little one is safe。'
Behind Father Goulet came Nixon softly察and gazed down upon the
little quiet face察beautiful with the magic of death。 Slavin came
quietly and stood beside him。 Nixon turned and offered his hand。
But Slavin said察moving slowly back
'I did ye a wrong察Nixon察an' it's a sorry man I am this day for
it。'
'Don't say a word察Slavin' answered Nixon察hurriedly。 'I know how
you feel。 I've got a baby too。 I want to see it again。 That's
why the break hurt me so。'
'As God's above' replied Slavin earnestly察'I'll hinder ye no
more。' They shook hands察and we passed out。
We laid the baby under the pines察not far from Billy Breen察and the
sweet spring wind blew through the Gap察and came softly down the
valley察whispering to the pines and the grass and the hiding
flowers of the New Life coming to the world。 And the mother must
have heard the whisper in her heart察for察as the Priest was saying
the words of the Service察she stood with Mrs。 Mavor's arms about
her察and her eyes were looking far away beyond the purple mountain´
tops察seeing what made her smile。 And Slavin察too察looked
different。 His very features seemed finer。 The coarseness was
gone out of his face。 What had come to him I could not tell。
But when the doctor came into Slavin's house that night it was the
old Slavin I saw察but with a look of such deadly fury on his face
that I tried to get the doctor out at once。 But he was half drunk
and after his manner was hideously humorous。
'How do察ladies How do察gentlemen' was his loud´voiced salutation。
'Quite a professional gathering察clergy predominating。 Lion and Lamb
too察ha ha which is the lamb察eh拭ha ha very good awfully sorry
to hear of your loss察Mrs。 Slavin察did our best you know察can't help
this sort of thing。'
Before any one could move察Craig was at his side察and saying in a
clear察firm voice察'One moment察doctor' caught him by the arm and
had him out of the room before he knew it。 Slavin察who had been
crouching in his chair with hands twitching and eyes glaring察rose
and followed察still crouching as he walked。 I hurried after him
calling him back。 Turning at my voice察the doctor saw Slavin
approaching。 There was something so terrifying in his swift
noiseless crouching motion察that the doctor察crying out in fear
'Keep him off' fairly turned and fled。 He was too late。 Like a
tiger Slavin leaped upon him and without waiting to strike had him
by the throat with both hands察and bearing him to the ground
worried him there as a dog might a cat。
Immediately Craig and I were upon him察but though we lifted him
clear off the ground we could not loosen that two´handed strangling
grip。 At we were struggling there a light hand touched my
shoulder。 It was Father Goulet。
'Please let him go察and stand away from us' he said察waving us
back。 We obeyed。 He leaned over Slavin and spoke a few words to
him。 Slavin started as if struck a heavy blow察looked up at the
priest with fear in his face察but still keeping his grip。
'Let him go' said the priest。 Slavin hesitated。 'Let him go
quick' said the priest again察and Slavin with a snarl let go his
hold and stood sullenly facing the priest。
Father Goulet regarded him steadily for some seconds and then
asked
'What would you do' His voice was gentle enough察even sweet察but
there was something in it that chilled my marrow。 'What would you
do' he repeated。
'He murdered my child' growled Slavin。
'Ah how'
'He was drunk and poisoned him。'
'Ah who gave him drink拭 Who made him a drunkard two years ago
Who has wrecked his life'
There was no answer察and the even´toned voice went relentlessly on
'Who is the murderer of your child now'
Slavin groaned and shuddered。
'Go' and the voice grew stern。 'Repent of your sin and add not
another。'
Slavin turned his eyes upon the motionless figure on the ground and
then upon the priest。 Father Goulet took one step towards him
and察stretching out his hand and pointing with his finger察said
'Go'
And Slavin slowly backed away and went into his house。 It was an
extraordinary scene察and it is often with me now此the dark figure
on the ground察the slight erect form of the priest with
outstretched arm and finger察and Slavin backing away察fear and fury
struggling in his face。
It was a near thing for the doctor察however察and two minutes more
of that grip would have done for him。 As it was察we had the
greatest difficulty in reviving him。
What the priest did with Slavin after getting him inside I know
not察that has always been a mystery to me。 But when we were
passing the saloon that night after taking Mrs。 Mavor home察we saw
a light and heard strange sounds within。 Entering察we found
another whisky raid in progress察Slavin himself being the raider。
We stood some moments watching him knocking in the heads of casks
and emptying bottles。 I thought he had gone mad察and approached
him cautiously。
'Hello察Slavin' I called out察'what does this mean'
He paused in his strange work察and I saw that his face察though
resolute察was quiet enough。
'It means I'm done wid the business察I am' he said察in a
determined voice。 'I'll help no more to kill any man察or' in a
lower tone察'any man's baby。' The priest's words had struck home。
'Thank God察Slavin' said Craig察offering his hand察'you are much
too good a man for the business。'
'Good or bad察I'm done wid it' he replied察going on with his work。
'You are throwing away good money察Slavin' I said察as the head of
a cask crashed in。
'It's meself that knows it察for the price of whisky has riz in town
this week' he answered察giving me a look out of the corner of his
eye。 'Bedad it was a rare clever job' referring to our Black
Rock Hotel affair。
'But won't you be sorry for this' asked Craig。
'Beloike I will察an' that's why I'm doin' it before I'm sorry for
it' he replied察with a delightful bull。
'Look here察Slavin' said Craig earnestly察'if I can be of use to
you in any way察count on me。'
'It's good to me the both of yez have been察an' I'll not forget it
to yez' he replied察with like earnestness。
As we told Mrs。 Mavor that night察for Craig thought it too good to
keep察her eyes seemed to grow deeper and the light in them to glow
more intense as she listened to Craig pouring out his tale。 Then
she gave him her hand and said
'You have your man at last。'
'What man'
'The man you have been waiting for。'
'Slavin'
'Why not'
'I never thought of it。'
'No more did he察nor any of us。' Then察after a pause察she added
gently察'He has been sent to us'
'Do you know察I believe you are right' Craig said slowly察and then
added察'But you always are。'
'I fear not' she answered察but I thought she liked to hear his
words。
The whole town was astounded next morning when Slavin went to work
in the mines察and its astonishment only deepened as the days went
on察and he stuck to his work。 Before three weeks had gone the
League had bought and remodelled the saloon and had secured Slavin
as Resident Manager。
The evening of the reopening of Slavin's saloon察as it was still
called察was long remembered in Black Rock。