novel notes-第42章

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w　steps　he　broke　into　a　run；　for　the　idea　had　grown　clearer。　　It　continued　to　grow　still　clearer　and　clearer；　and　the　man　ran　faster　and　faster；　until　at　last　he　found　himself　racing　madly　towards　the　lock。　　As　he　approached　it　he　looked　round　for　the　watchman　who　ought　to　have　been　there；　but　the　man　was　gone　from　his　post。　　He　shouted；　but　if　any　answer　was　returned；　it　was　drowned　by　the　roar　of　the　rushing　water。

〃He　reached　the　edge　and　looked　down。　　Fifteen　feet　below　him　was　the　reality　of　the　dim　vision　that　had　come　to　him　a　mile　back　in　the　woods：　　the　woman's　husband　swimming　round　and　round　like　a　rat　in　a　pail。

〃The　river　was　flowing　in　and　out　of　the　lock　at　the　same　rate；　so　that　the　level　of　the　water　remained　constant。　　The　first　thing　the　man　did　was　to　close　the　lower　sluices　and　then　open　those　in　the　upper　gate　to　their　fullest　extent。　　The　water　began　to　rise。

〃'Can　you　hold　out？'　he　cried。

〃The　drowning　man　turned　to　him　a　face　already　contorted　by　the　agony　of　exhaustion；　and　answered　with　a　feeble　'No。'

〃He　looked　around　for　something　to　throw　to　the　man。　　A　plank　had　lain　there　in　the　morning；　he　remembered　stumbling　over　it；　and　complaining　of　its　having　been　left　there；　he　cursed　himself　now　for　his　care。

〃A　hut　used　by　the　navvies　to　keep　their　tools　in　stood　about　two　hundred　yards　away；　perhaps　it　had　been　taken　there；　perhaps　there　he　might　even　find　a　rope。

〃'Just　one　minute；　old　fellow！'　he　shouted　down；　'and　I'll　be　back。'

〃But　the　other　did　not　hear　him。　　The　feeble　struggles　ceased。　　The　face　fell　back　upon　the　water；　the　eyes　half　closed　as　if　with　weary　indifference。　　There　was　no　time　for　him　to　do　more　than　kick　off　his　riding　boots　and　jump　in　and　clutch　the　unconscious　figure　as　it　sank。

〃Down　there；　in　that　walled…in　trap；　he　fought　a　long　fight　with　Death　for　the　life　that　stood　between　him　and　the　woman。　　He　was　not　an　expert　swimmer；　his　clothes　hampered　him；　he　was　already　blown　with　his　long　race；　the　burden　in　his　arms　dragged　him　down；　the　water　rose　slowly　enough　to　make　his　torture　fit　for　Dante's　hell。

〃At　first　he　could　not　understand　why　this　was　so；　but　in　glancing　down　he　saw　to　his　horror　that　he　had　not　properly　closed　the　lower　sluices；　in　each　some　eight　or　ten　inches　remained　open；　so　that　the　stream　was　passing　out　nearly　half　as　fast　as　it　came　in。　　It　would　be　another　five…and…twenty　minutes　before　the　water　would　be　high　enough　for　him　to　grasp　the　top。

〃He　noted　where　the　line　of　wet　had　reached　to；　on　the　smooth　stone　wall；　then　looked　again　after　what　he　thought　must　be　a　lapse　of　ten　minutes；　and　found　it　had　risen　half　an　inch；　if　that。　　Once　or　twice　he　shouted　for　help；　but　the　effort　taxed　severely　his　already　failing　breath；　and　his　voice　only　came　back　to　him　in　a　hundred　echoes　from　his　prison　walls。

〃Inch　by　inch　the　line　of　wet　crept　up；　but　the　spending　of　his　strength　went　on　more　swiftly。　　It　seemed　to　him　as　if　his　inside　were　being　gripped　and　torn　slowly　out：　　his　whole　body　cried　out　to　him　to　let　it　sink　and　lie　in　rest　at　the　bottom。

〃At　length　his　unconscious　burden　opened　its　eyes　and　stared　at　him　stupidly；　then　closed　them　again　with　a　sigh；　a　minute　later　opened　them　once　more；　and　looked　long　and　hard　at　him。

〃'Let　me　go；'　he　said；　'we　shall　both　drown。　　You　can　manage　by　yourself。'

〃He　made　a　feeble　effort　to　release　himself；　but　the　other　held　him。

〃'Keep　still；　you　fool！'　he　hissed；　'you're　going　to　get　out　of　this　with　me；　or　I'm　going　down　with　you。'

〃So　the　grim　struggle　went　on　in　silence；　till　the　man；　looking　up；　saw　the　stone　coping　just　a　little　way　above　his　head；　made　one　mad　leap　and　caught　it　with　his　finger…tips；　held　on　an　instant；　then　fell　back　with　a　'plump'　and　sank；　came　up　and　made　another　dash；　and；　helped　by　the　impetus　of　his　rise；　caught　the　coping　firmly　this　time　with　the　whole　of　his　fingers；　hung　on　till　his　eyes　saw　the　stunted　grass；　till　they　were　both　able　to　scramble　out　upon　the　bank　and　lie　there；　their　breasts　pressed　close　against　the　ground；　their　hands　clutching　the　earth；　while　the　overflowing　water　swirled　softly　round　them。

〃After　a　while；　they　raised　themselves　and　looked　at　one　another。

〃'Tiring　work；'　said　the　other　man；　with　a　nod　towards　the　lock。

〃'Yes；'　answered　the　husband；　'beastly　awkward　not　being　a　good　swimmer。　　How　did　you　know　I　had　fallen　in？　　You　met　my　wife；　I　suppose？'

〃'Yes；'　said　the　other　man。

〃The　husband　sat　staring　at　a　point　in　the　horizon　for　some　minutes。　'Do　you　know　what　I　was　wondering　this　morning？'　said　he。

〃'No；'　said　the　other　man。

〃'Whether　I　should　kill　you　or　not。'

〃'They　told　me；'　he　continued；　after　a　pause；　'a　lot　of　silly　gossip　which　I　was　cad　enough　to　believe。　　I　know　now　it　wasn't　true；　becausewell；　if　it　had　been；　you　would　not　have　done　what　you　have　done。'

〃He　rose　and　came　across。　　'I　beg　your　pardon；'　he　said；　holding　out　his　hand。

〃'I　beg　yours；'　said　the　other　man；　rising　and　taking　it；　'do　you　mind　giving　me　a　hand　with　the　sluices？'

〃They　set　to　work　to　put　the　lock　right。

〃'How　did　you　manage　to　fall　in？'　asked　the　other　man；　who　was　raising　one　of　the　lower　sluices；　without　looking　round。

〃The　husband　hesitated；　as　if　he　found　the　explanation　somewhat　difficult。　　'Oh；'　he　answered　carelessly；　'the　wife　and　I　were　chaffing；　and　she　said　she'd　often　seen　you　jump　it；　and'he　laughed　a　rather　forced　laugh'she　promised　me　aa　kiss　if　I　cleared　it。　　It　was　a　foolish　thing　to　do。'

〃'Yes；　it　was　rather；'　said　the　other　man。

〃A　few　days　afterwards　the　man　and　woman　met　at　a　reception。　　He　found　her　in　a　leafy　corner　of　the　garden　talking　to　some　friends。　She　advanced　to　meet　him；　holding　out　her　hand。　　'What　can　I　say　more　than　thank　you？'　she　murmured　in　a　low　voice。

〃The　others　moved　away；　leaving　them　alone。　　'They　tell　me　you　risked　your　life　to　save　his？'　she　said。

〃'Yes；'　he　answered。

〃She　raised　her　eyes　to　his；　then　struck　him　across　the　face　with　her　ungloved　hand。

〃'You　damned　fool！'　she　whispered。

〃He　seized　her　by　her　white　arms；　and　forced　her　back　behind　the　orange　trees。　　'Do　you　know　why？'　he　said；　speaking　slowly　and　distinctly；　'because　I　feared　that；　with　him　dead；　you　would　want　me　to　marry　you；　and　that；　talked　about　as　we　have　been；　I　might　find　it　awkward　to　avoid　doing　so；　because　I　feared　that；　without　him　to　stand　between　us；　you　might　prove　an　annoyance　to　meperhaps　come　between　me　and　the　woman　I　love；　the　woman　I　am　going　back　to。　　Now　do　you　understand？'

〃'Yes；'　whispered　the　woman；　and　he　left　her。

〃But　there　are　only　two　people；〃　concluded　Jephson；　〃who　do　not　regard　his　saving　of　the　husband's　life　as　a　highly　noble　and　unselfish　action；　and　they　are　the　man　himself　and　the　woman。〃

We　thanked　Jephson　for　his　story；　and　promised　to　profit　by　the　moral；　when　discovered。　　Meanwhile；　MacShaughnassy　said　that　he　knew　a　story　dealing　with　the　same　theme；　namely；　the　too　close　attachment　of　a　woman　to　a　strange　man；　which　really　had　a　moral；　which　moral　was：　　don't　have　anything　to　do　with　inventions。

Brown；　who　had　patented　a　safety　gun；　which　he　had　never　yet　found　a　man　plucky　enough　to　let　off；　said　it　was　a　bad　moral。　　We　agreed　to　hear　the　particulars；　and　judge　for　ourselves。

〃This　story；〃　commenced　MacShaughnassy；　〃comes　from　Furtwangen；　a　small　town　in　the　Black　Forest。　　There　lived　there　a　very　wonderful　old　fellow　named　Nicholaus　Geibel。　　His　business　was　the　making　of　mechanical　toys；　at　which　work　he　had　acquired　an　almost　European　reputation。　　He　made　rabbits　that　would　emerge　from　the　heart　of　a　cabbage；　flap　their　ears；　smooth　their　whiskers；　and　disappear　again；　cats　that　would　wash　their　faces；　and　mew　so　naturally　that　dogs　would　mistake　them　for　real　cats；　and　fly　at　them；　dolls；　with　phonographs　concealed　within　them；　that　would　raise　their　hats　and　say；　'Good　morning；　how　do　you　do？'　and　some　that　would　even　sing　a　song。

〃But　he　was　something　more　than　a　mere　mechanic；　he　was　an　artist。　His　work　was　with　him　a　hobby；　almost　a　passion。　　His　shop　was　filled　with　all　manner　of　strange　things　that　never　would；　or　could；　be　soldthings　he　had　made　for　the　pure　love　of　making　them。　　H