villa rubein and other stories-第66章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



wore　no　smileseemed　grieving　that　duty　had　deprived　it　of　that　last

luxury。　　With　wide　eyes　and　drawn　lips　he　had　died　protesting。



Late　in　the　afternoon　the　old　miner　touched　Scorrier's　arm；　and　said：

〃There　he　isthere's　my　boy！〃　　And　he　departed　slowly；　wheeling　the

body　on　a　trolley。



As　the　sun　set；　the　gang　below　came　up。　　No　further　search　was

possible　till　the　fumes　had　cleared。　　Scorrier　heard　one　man　say：

〃There's　some　we'll　never　get；　they've　had　sure　burial〃



Another　answered　him：　〃'Tis　a　gude　enough　bag　for　me！〃　　They　passed

him；　the　whites　of　their　eyes　gleaming　out　of　faces　black　as　ink。



Pippin　drove　him　home　at　a　furious　pace；　not　uttering　a　single　word。

As　they　turned　into　the　main　street；　a　young　woman　starting　out

before　the　horses　obliged　Pippin　to　pull　up。　　The　glance　he　bent　on

Scorrier　was　ludicrously　prescient　of　suffering。　　The　woman　asked　for

her　husband。　　Several　times　they　were　stopped　thus　by　women　asking

for　their　husbands　or　sons。　　〃This　is　what　I　have　to　go　through；〃

Pippin　whispered。



When　they　had　eaten；　he　said　to　Scorrier：　〃It　was　kind　of　you　to　come

and　stand　by　me！　　They　take　me　for　a　god；　poor　creature　that　I　am。

But　shall　I　ever　get　the　men　down　again？　　Their　nerve's　shaken。　　I

wish　I　were　one　of　those　poor　lads；　to　die　with　a　smile　like　that！〃



Scorrier　felt　the　futility　of　his　presence。　　On　Pippin　alone　must　be

the　heat　and　burden。　　Would　he　stand　under　it；　or　would　the　whole

thing　come　crashing　to　the　ground？　　He　urged　him　again　and　again　to

rest；　but　Pippin　only　gave　him　one　of　his　queer　smiles。　　〃You　don't

know　how　strong　I　am！〃　he　said。









IV



He　himself　slept　heavily；　and；　waking　at　dawn；　went　down。　　Pippin　was

still　at　his　desk；　his　pen　had　dropped；　he　was　asleep。　　The　ink　was

wet；　Scorrier's　eye　caught　the　opening　words：



〃GENTLEMEN；Since　this　happened　I　have　not　slept。。。。〃



He　stole　away　again　with　a　sense　of　indignation　that　no　one　could　be

dragged　in　to　share　that　fight。　　The　London　Board…room　rose　before

his　mind。　　He　imagined　the　portentous　gravity　of　Hemmings；　his　face

and　voice　and　manner　conveying　the　impression　that　he　alone　could

save　the　situation；　the　six　directors；　all　men　of　commonsense　and

certainly　humane；　seated　behind　large　turret…shaped　inkpots；　the

concern　and　irritation　in　their　voices；　asking　how　it　could　have

happened；　their　comments：　〃An　awful　thing！〃　　〃I　suppose　Pippin　is

doing　the　best　he　can！〃　　〃Wire　him　on　no　account　to　leave　the　mine

idle！〃　　〃Poor　devils！〃　　〃A　fund？　　Of　course；　what　ought　we　to　give？〃

He　had　a　strong　conviction　that　nothing　of　all　this　would　disturb　the

commonsense　with　which　they　would　go　home　and　eat　their　mutton。　　A

good　thing　too；　the　less　it　was　taken　to　heart　the　better！　　But

Scorrier　felt　angry。　　The　fight　was　so　unfair！　　A　fellow　all　nerves

with　not　a　soul　to　help　him！　　Well；　it　was　his　own　lookout！　　He　had

chosen　to　centre　it　all　in　himself；　to　make　himself　its　very　soul。

If　he　gave　way　now；　the　ship　must　go　down！　　By　a　thin　thread；

Scorrier's　hero…worship　still　held。　　'Man　against　nature；'　he

thought；　'I　back　the　man。'　　The　struggle　in　which　he　was　so　powerless

to　give　aid；　became　intensely　personal　to　him；　as　if　he　had　engaged

his　own　good　faith　therein。



The　next　day　they　went　down　again　to　the　pit…head；　and　Scorrier

himself　descended。　　The　fumes　had　almost　cleared；　but　there　were　some

places　which　would　never　be　reached。　　At　the　end　of　the　day　all　but

four　bodies　had　been　recovered。　　〃In　the　day　o'　judgment；〃　a　miner

said；　〃they　four'll　come　out　of　here。〃　　Those　unclaimed　bodies

haunted　Scorrier。　　He　came　on　sentences　of　writing；　where　men　waiting

to　be　suffocated　had　written　down　their　feelings。　　In　one　place；　the

hour；　the　word　〃Sleepy；〃　and　a　signature。　　In　another；　〃A。　F。done

for。〃　　When　he　came　up　at　last　Pippin　was　still　waiting；　pocket…book

in　hand；　they　again　departed　at　a　furious　pace。



Two　days　later　Scorrier；　visiting　the　shaft；　found　its　neighbourhood

desertednot　a　living　thing　of　any　sort　was　there　except　one

Chinaman　poking　his　stick　into　the　rubbish。　　Pippin　was　away　down　the

coast　engaging　an　engineer；　and　on　his　return；　Scorrier　had　not　the

heart　to　tell　him　of　the　desertion。　　He　was　spared　the　effort；　for

Pippin　said：　〃Don't　be　afraidyou've　got　bad　news？　　The　men　have

gone　on　strike。〃



Scorrier　sighed。　　〃Lock；　stock；　and　barrel〃



〃I　thought　sosee　what　I　have　here！〃　He　put　before　Scorrier　a

telegram：



〃At　all　costs　keep　workingfatal　to　stopmanage　this　somehow。

HEMMINGS。〃



Breathing　quickly；　he　added：　〃As　if　I　didn't　know！　'Manage　this

somehow'a　little　hard！〃



〃What's　to　be　done？〃　asked　Scorrier。



〃You　see　I　am　commanded！〃　Pippin　answered　bitterly。　　〃And　they're

quite　right；　we　must　keep　workingour　contracts！　　Now　I'm　downnot

a　soul　will　spare　me！〃



The　miners'　meeting　was　held　the　following　day　on　the　outskirts　of

the　town。　　Pippin　had　cleared　the　place　to　make　a　public　recreation…

grounda　sort　of　feather　in　the　company's　cap；　it　was　now　to　be　the

spot　whereon　should　be　decided　the　question　of　the　company's　life　or

death。



The　sky　to　the　west　was　crossed　by　a　single　line　of　cloud　like　a　bar

of　beaten　gold；　tree　shadows　crept　towards　the　groups　of　men；　the

evening　savour；　that　strong　fragrance　of　the　forest；　sweetened　the

air。　　The　miners　stood　all　round　amongst　the　burnt　tree…stumps；　cowed

and　sullen。　　They　looked　incapable　of　movement　or　expression。　　It　was

this　dumb　paralysis　that　frightened　Scorrier。　　He　watched　Pippin

speaking　from　his　phaeton；　the　butt　of　all　those　sullen；　restless

eyes。　　Would　he　last　out？　　Would　the　wires　hold？　　It　was　like　the

finish　of　a　race。　　He　caught　a　baffled　look　on　Pippin's　face；　as　if

he　despaired　of　piercing　that　terrible　paralysis。　　The　men's　eyes　had

begun　to　wander。　　'He's　lost　his　hold；'　thought　Scorrier；　'it's　all

up！'



A　miner　close　beside　him　muttered：　〃Look　out！〃



Pippin　was　leaning　forward；　his　voice　had　risen；　the　words　fell　like

a　whiplash　on　the　faces　of　the　crowd：　〃You　shan't　throw　me　over；　do

you　think　I'll　give　up　all　I've　done　for　you？　　I'll　make　you　the

first　power　in　the　colony！　　Are　you　turning　tail　at　the　first　shot？

You're　a　set　of　cowards；　my　lads！〃



Each　man　round　Scorrier　was　listening　with　a　different　motion　of　the

handsone　rubbed　them；　one　clenched　them；　another　moved　his　closed

fist；　as　if　stabbing　some　one　in　the　back。　　A　grisly…bearded；　beetle…

browed；　twinkling…eyed　old　Cornishman　muttered：　〃A'hm　not　troublin'

about　that。〃　　It　seemed　almost　as　if　Pippin's　object　was　to　get　the

men　to　kill　him；　they　had　gathered　closer；　crouching　for　a　rush。

Suddenly　Pippin's　voice　dropped　to　a　whisper：　〃I'm　disgraced

Men；　are　you　going　back　on　me？〃



The　old　miner　next　Scorrier　called　out　suddenly：　〃Anny　that's

Cornishmen　here　to　stand　by　the　superintendent？〃　　A　group　drew

together；　and　with　murmurs　and　gesticulation　the　meeting　broke　up。



In　the　evening　a　deputation　came　to　visit　Pippin；　and　all　night　long

their　voices　and　the　superintendent's　footsteps　could　be　heard。　　In

the　morning；　Pippin　went　early　to　the　mine。　　Before　supper　the

deputation　came　again；　and　again　Scorrier　had　to　listen　hour　after

hour　to　the　sound　of　voices　and　footsteps　till　he　fell　asleep。　　Just

before　dawn　he　was　awakened　by　a　light。　　Pippin　stood　at　his　bedside。

〃The　men　go　down　to…morrow；〃　he　said：　〃What　did　I　tell　you？　　Carry　me

home　on　my　shield；　eh？〃



In　a　week　the　mine　was　in　full　work。









V



Two　years　later；　Scorrier　heard　once　more　of　Pippin。　　A　note　from

Hemmings　reached　him　asking　if　he　could　make　it　convenient　to　attend

their　Board　meeting　the　following　Thursday。　　He　arrived　rather　before

the　appointed　time。　　The　secretary　received　him；　and；　in　answer　to

inquiry；　said：　〃Thank　you；　we　are　doing　wellbetween　ourselves；　we

are　doing　very　well。〃



〃And　Pippin？〃



The　secretary　frowned。　　〃Ah；