the underground city-第22部分

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〃So　be　it；　then；　Harry；〃　answered　the　engineer；　〃and　yet　I　must　say　Nell's　silence；　if　she　knows　anything；　is　to　me　perfectly　inexplicable。〃

Harry　would　have　continued　her　defense；　but　the　engineer　stopped　him；　saying；　〃All　right；　Harry；　we　promise　to　say　no　more　about　it　to　your　future　wife。〃

〃With　my　father's　consent　she　shall　be　my　wife　without　further　delay。〃

〃My　boy；〃　said　old　Simon；　〃your　marriage　shall　take　place　this　very　day　month。　　Mr。　Starr；　will　you　undertake　the　part　of　Nell's　father？〃

〃You　may　reckon　upon　me　for　that；　Simon；〃　answered　the　engineer。

They　then　returned　to　the　cottage；　but　said　not　a　word　of　the　result　of　their　examinations　in　the　mine；　so　that　to　the　rest　of　its　inhabitants；　the　bursting　in　of　the　vaulted　roof　of　the　caverns　continued　to　be　regarded　as　a　mere　accident。　There　was　but　a　loch　the　less　in　Scotland。

Nell　gradually　resumed　her　customary　duties；　and　Harry　made　good　use　of　her　little　visit　to　the　upper　air；　in　the　instructions　he　gave　her。　She　enjoyed　the　recollections　of　life　above　ground；　yet　without　regretting　it。　　The　somber　region　she　had　loved　as　a　child；　and　in　which　her　wedded　life　would　be　spent；　was　as　dear　to　her　as　ever。

The　approaching　marriage　created　great　excitement　in　New　Aberfoyle。　　Good　wishes　poured　in　on　all　sides；　and　foremost　among　them　were　Jack　Ryan's。　He　was　detected　busily　practicing　his　best　songs　in　preparation　for　the　great

day；　which　was　to　be　celebrated　by　the　whole　population　of　Coal　Town。

During　the　month　preceding　the　wedding…day；　there　were　more　accidents　occurring　in　New　Aberfoyle　than　had　ever　been　known　in　the　place。　One　would　have　thought　the　approaching　union　of　Harry　and　Nell　actually　provoked　one　catastrophe　after　another。　　These　misfortunes　happened　chiefly　at　the　further　and　lowest　extremity　of　the　works；　and　the　cause　of　them　was　always　in　some　way　mysterious。

Thus；　for　instance；　the　wood…work　of　a　distant　gallery　was　discovered　to　be　in　flames；　which　were　extinguished　by　Harry　and　his　companions　at　the　risk　of　their　lives；　by　employing　engines　filled　with　water　and　carbonic　acid；　always　kept　ready　in　case　of　necessity。　The　lamp　used　by　the　incendiary　was　found；　but　no　clew　whatever　as　to　who　he　could　be。

Another　time　an　inundation　took　place　in　consequence　of　the　stanchions　of　a　water…tank　giving　way；　and　Mr。　Starr　ascertained　beyond　a　doubt　that　these　supports　had　first　of　all　been　partially　sawn　through。　Harry；　who　had　been　overseeing　the　works　near　the　place　at　the　time；　was　buried　in　the　falling　rubbish；　and　narrowly　escaped　death。

A　few　days　afterwards；　on　the　steam　tramway；　a　train　of　trucks；　which　Harry　was　passing　along；　met　with　an　obstacle　on　the　rails；　and　was　overturned。　　It　was　then　discovered　that　a　beam　had　been　laid　across　the　line。　　In　short；　events　of　this　description　became　so　numerous　that　the　miners　were　seized　with　a　kind　of　panic；　and　it　required　all　the　influence　of　their　chiefs　to　keep　them　on　the　works。

〃You　would　think　that　there　was　a　whole　band　of　these　ruffians；〃　Simon　kept　saying；　〃and　we　can't　lay　hands　on　a　single　one　of　them。〃

Search　was　made　in　all　directions。　　The　county　police　were　on　the　alert　night　and　day；　yet　discovered　nothing。　　The　evil　intentions　seeming　specially　designed　to　injure　Harry。　　Starr　forbade　him　to　venture　alone　beyond　the　ordinary　limits　of　the　works。

They　were　equally　careful　of　Nell；　although；　at　Harry's　entreaty；　these　malicious　attempts　to　do　harm　were　concealed　from　her；　because　they　might　remind　her　painfully

of　former　times。　　Simon　and　Madge　watched　over　her　by　day　and　by　night　with　a　sort　of　stern　solicitude。　　The　poor　child　yielded　to　their　wishes；　without　a　remark　or　a　complaint。　Did　she　perceive　that　they　acted　with　a　view　to　her　interest？　Probably　she　did。　　And　on　her　part；　she　seemed　to　watch　over　others；　and　was　never　easy　unless　all　whom　she　loved　were　together　in　the　cottage。

When　Harry　came　home　in　the　evening；　she　could　not　restrain　expressions　of　child…like　joy；　very　unlike　her　usual　manner；　which　was　rather　reserved　than　demonstrative。　　As　soon　as　day　broke；　she　was　astir　before　anyone　else；　and　her　constant　uneasiness　lasted　all　day　until　the　hour　of　return　home　from　work。

Harry　became　very　anxious　that　their　marriage　should　take　place。　He　thought　that；　when　the　irrevocable　step　was　taken；　malevolence　would　be　disarmed；　and　that　Nell　would　never　feel　safe　until　she　was　his　wife。　James　Starr；　Simon；　and　Madge；　were　all　of　the　same　opinion；　and　everyone　counted　the　intervening　days；　for　everyone　suffered　from　the　most　uncomfortable　forebodings。

It　was　perfectly　evident　that　nothing　relating　to　Nell　was　indifferent　to　this　hidden　foe；　whom　it　was　impossible　to　meet　or　to　avoid。　Therefore　it　seemed　quite　possible　that　the　solemn　act　of　her　marriage　with　Harry　might　be　the　occasion　of　some　new　and　dreadful　outbreak　of　his　hatred。

One　morning；　a　week　before　the　day　appointed　for　the　ceremony；　Nell；　rising　early；　went　out　of　the　cottage　before　anyone　else。　No　sooner　had　she　crossed　the　threshold　than　a　cry　of　indescribable　anguish　escaped　her　lips。

Her　voice　was　heard　throughout　the　dwelling；　in　a　moment；　Madge；　Harry；　and　Simon　were　at　her　side。　　Nell　was　pale　as　death；　her　countenance　agitated；　her　features　expressing　the　utmost　horror。　Unable　to　speak；　her　eyes　were　riveted　on　the　door　of　the　cottage；　which　she　had　just　opened。

With　rigid　fingers　she　pointed　to　the　following　words　traced　upon　it　during　the　night：　　〃Simon　Ford；　you　have　robbed　me　of　the　last　vein　in　our　old　pit。　　Harry；　your　son；　has　robbed　me　of　Nell。　　Woe　betide　you！　Woe　betide　you　all！　　Woe　betide　New　Aberfoyle！SILFAX。〃

〃Silfax！〃　exclaimed　Simon　and　Madge　together。


〃Who　is　this　man？〃　demanded　Harry；　looking　alternately　at　his　father　and　at　the　maiden。

〃Silfax！〃　repeated　Nell　in　tones　of　despair；　〃Silfax！〃and；　murmuring　this　name；　her　whole　frame　shuddering　with　fear　and　agitation；　she　was　borne　away　to　her　chamber　by　old　Madge。

James　Starr；　hastening　to　the　spot；　read　the　threatening　sentences　again　and　again。

〃The　hand　which　traced　these　lines；〃　said　he　at　length；　〃is　the　same　which　wrote　me　the　letter　contradicting　yours；　Simon。　　The　man　calls　himself　Silfax。　　I　see　by　your　troubled　manner　that　you　know　him。　Who　is　this　Silfax？〃


CHAPTER　XVII　THE　〃MONK〃


THIS　name　revealed　everything　to　the　old　overman。　It　was　that　of　the　last　〃monk〃　of　the　Dochart　pit。

In　former　days；　before　the　invention　of　the　safety…lamp；　Simon　had　known　this　fierce　man；　whose　business　it　was　to　go　daily；　at　the　risk　of　his　life；　to　produce　partial　explosions　of　fire…damp　in　the　passages。　He　used　to　see　this　strange　solitary　being；　prowling　about　the　mine；　always　accompanied　by　a　monstrous　owl；　which　he　called　Harfang；　who　assisted　him　in　his　perilous　occupation；　by　soaring　with　a　lighted　match　to　places　Silfax　was　unable　to　reach。

One　day　this　old　man　disappeared；　and　at　the　same　time　also；　a　little　orphan　girl　born　in　the　mine；　who　had　no　relation　but　himself；　her　great…grandfather。　It　was　perfectly　evident　now　that　this　child　was　Nell。　　During　the　fifteen　years；　up　to　the　time　when　she　was　saved　by　Harry；　they　must　have　lived　in　some　secret　abyss　of　the　mine。

The　old　overman；　full　of　mingled　compassion　and　anger；　made　known　to　the　engineer　and　Harry　all　that　the　name　of　Silfax　had　revealed　to　him。　It　explained　the　whole　mystery。　　Silfax　was　the　mysterious　being　so　long　vainly　sought　for　in　the　depths　of　New　Aberfoyle。

〃So　you　knew　him；　Simon？〃　demanded　Mr。　Starr。

〃Yes；　that　I　did；〃　replied　the　overman。　　〃The　Harfang　man；　we　used　to　call　him。　　Why；　he　was　old　then！　　He　must　be　fifteen　or　twenty　years　older　than　I　am。　　A　wild；

savage　sort　of　fellow；　who　held　aloof　from　everyone　and　was　known　to　fear　nothingneither　fire　nor　water。　　It　was　his　own　fancy　to　follow　the　trade　of　'monk；'　which　few　would　have　liked。　The　constant　danger　of　the　business　had　unsettled　his　brain。　He　was　prodigiously　strong；　and　he　knew　the　mine　as　no　one　else　at　any　rate；　as　well　as　I　did。　　He　lived　on　a　small　allowance。　In　faith；　I　believed　him　dead　years　ago。〃

〃But；〃　resumed　James　Starr；　〃what　does　he　mean　by　those　words；　'You　have　robbed　me　of　the　last　vein　of　our　old　mine'？〃

〃Ah！　there　it　is；〃　replied　Simon；　〃for　a　long　time　it　had　been　a　fancy　of　hisI　told　you　his　mind　was　deranged　that　he　had　a　right　to　the　mine　of　Aberfoyle；　so　he　became　more　and　more　savage　in　temper　the　deeper　the　Dochart　pit　his　pit！was　worked　out。　　It　just　seemed　as　if　it　was　his　own　body　that　suffered　from　every　blow　of　the　pickax。　You　must　remember　that；　Madge？〃

〃Ay；　that　I　do；　Simon；〃　replied　she。

〃I　can　recollect　all　this；〃　resumed　Simon；　〃since　I　have　seen　the　name　of　Silfax　on　the　door。　　But　I　tell　you；　I　thought　the　man　was　dead；　and　never　imagined　that　the　spiteful　being　we　have　so　long　sought　for　could　be　the　old　fireman　of　the　Dochart　pit。〃

〃Well；　now；　then；〃　said　Starr；　〃it　is　all　quite　plain。　Chance　made　known　to　Silfax　the　new　vein　of　coal。　With　the　egotism　of　madness；　he　believed　himself　the　owner　of　a　treasure　he　must　conceal　and　defend。　　Living　in　the　mine；　and　wandering　about　day　and　night；　he　perceived　that　you　had　discovered　the　secret；　and　had　written　in　all　haste　to　beg　me　to　come。　Hence　the　letter　contradicting　yours；　hence；　after　my　arrival；　all　the　accidents　that　occurred；　such　as　the　block　of　stone　thrown　at　Harry；　the　broken　ladder　at　the　Yarrow　shaft；　the　obstruction　of　the　openings　into　the　wall　of　the　new　cutting；　hence；　in　short；　our　imprisonment；　and　then　our　deliverance；　brought　about　by　the　kind　assistance　of　Nell；　who　acted　of　course　without　the　knowledge　of　this　man　Silfax；　and　contrary　to　his　intentions。〃

〃You　describe　everything　exactly　as　it　must　have　happened；　Mr。　Starr；〃　returned　old　Simon。　　〃The　old　'Monk'　is　mad　enough　now；　at　any　rate！〃

〃All　the　better；〃　quoth　Madge。


〃I　don't　know　that；〃　said　Starr；　shaking　his　head；　〃it　is　a　terrible　sort　of　madness　this。〃

〃Ah！　now　I　understand　that　the　very　thought　of　him　must　have　terrified　poor　little　Nell；　and　also　I　see　that　she　could　not　bear　to　denounce　her　grandfather。　　What　a　miserable　time　she　must　have　had　of　it　with　the　old　man！〃

〃Miserable　with　a　vengeance；〃　repli