when the world shook-第7部分

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mannered　people　in　the　world；　and　at　any　decent　heathen　feast

your　neck　would　have　been　wrung　as　that　of　a　bird　of　ill　omen。〃



〃Why？〃　asked　Bastin　blankly。　〃I　only　said　what　I　thought　to　be

the　truth。　The　truth　is　better　than　what　you　call　good　taste。〃



〃Then　I　will　say　what　I　think　also　to　be　the　truth；〃　replied

Bickley；　growing　furious。　〃It　is　that　you　use　your　Christianity

as　a　cloak　for　bad　manners。　It　teaches　consideration　and　sympathy

for　others　of　which　you　seem　to　have　none。　Moreover；　since　you

talk　of　the　death　of　people's　wives；　I　will　tell　you　something

about　your　own；　as　a　doctor；　which　I　can　do　as　I　never　attended

her。　It　is　highly　probable；　in　my　opinion；　that　she　will　die

before　Mrs。　Arbuthnot；　who　is　quite　a　healthy　person　with　a　good

prospect　of　life。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　said　Bastin。　〃If　so；　it　will　be　God's　will　and　I

shall　not　complain〃　（here　Bickley　snorted）；　〃though　I　do　not　see

what　you　can　know　about　it。　But　why　should　you　cast　reflections

on　the　early　Christians　who　were　people　of　strong　principle

living　in　rough　times；　and　had　to　wage　war　against　an　established

devil…worship？　I　know　you　are　angry　because　they　smashed　up　the

statues　of　Venus　and　so　forth；　but　had　I　been　in　their　place　I

should　have　done　the　same。〃



〃Of　course　you　would；　who　doubts　it？　But　as　for　the　early

Christians　and　their　iconoclastic　performanceswell；　curse　them；

that's　all！〃　and　he　sprang　up　and　left　the　room。



I　followed　him。



Let　it　not　be　supposed　from　the　above　scene　that　there　was　any

ill…feeling　between　Bastin　and　Bickley。　On　the　contrary　they　were

much　attached　to　each　other；　and　this　kind　of　quarrel　meant　no

more　than　the　strong　expression　of　their　individual　views　to

which　they　were　accustomed　from　their　college　days。　For　instance

Bastin　was　always　talking　about　the　early　Christians　and

missionaries；　while　Bickley　loathed　both；　the　early　Christians

because　of　the　destruction　which　they　had　wrought　in　Egypt；

Italy；　Greece　and　elsewhere；　of　all　that　was　beautiful；　and　the

missionaries　because；　as　he　said；　they　were　degrading　and

spoiling　the　native　races　and　by　inducing　them　to　wear　clothes；

rendering　them　liable　to　disease。　Bastin　would　answer　that　their

souls　were　more　important　than　their　bodies；　to　which　Bickley

replied　that　as　there　was　no　such　thing　as　a　soul　except　in　the

stupid　imagination　of　priests；　he　differed　entirely　on　the　point。

As　it　was　quite　impossible　for　either　to　convince　the　other；

there　the　conversation　would　end；　or　drift　into　something　in

which　they　were　mutually　interested；　such　as　natural　history　and

the　hygiene　of　the　neighbourhood。



Here　I　may　state　that　Bickley's　keen　professional　eye　was　not

mistaken　when　he　diagnosed　Mrs。　Bastin's　state　of　health　as

dangerous。　As　a　matter　of　fact　she　was　suffering　from　heart

disease　that　a　doctor　can　often　recognise　by　the　colour　of　the

lips；　etc。；　which　brought　about　her　death　under　the　following

circumstances：



Her　husband　attended　some　ecclesiastical　function　at　a　town

over　twenty　miles　away　and　was　to　have　returned　by　a　train　which

would　have　brought　him　home　about　five　o'clock。　As　he　did　not

arrive　she　waited　at　the　station　for　him　until　the　last　train

came　in　about　seven　o'clockwithout　the　beloved　Basil。　Then；　on

a　winter's　night　she　tore　up　to　the　Priory　and　begged　me　to　lend

her　a　dog…cart　in　which　to　drive　to　the　said　town　to　look　for

him。　I　expostulated　against　the　folly　of　such　a　proceeding；

saying　that　no　doubt　Basil　was　safe　enough　but　had　forgotten　to

telegraph；　or　thought　that　he　would　save　the　sixpence　which　the

wire　cost。



Then　it　came　out；　to　Natalie's　and　my　intense　amusement；　that

all　this　was　the　result　of　her　jealous　nature　of　which　I　have

spoken。　She　said　she　had　never　slept　a　night　away　from　her

husband　since　they　were　married　and　with　so　many　〃designing

persons〃　about　she　could　not　say　what　might　happen　if　she　did　so；

especially　as　he　was　〃such　a　favourite　and　so　handsome。〃　（Bastin

was　a　fine　looking　man　in　his　rugged　way。）



I　suggested　that　she　might　have　a　little　confidence　in　him；　to

which　she　replied　darkly　that　she　had　no　confidence　in　anybody。



The　end　of　it　was　that　I　lent　her　the　cart　with　a　fast　horse

and　a　good　driver；　and　off　she　went。　Reaching　the　town　in

question　some　two　and　a　half　hours　later；　she　searched　high　and

low　through　wind　and　sleet；　but　found　no　Basil。　He；　it　appeared；

had　gone　on　to　Exeter；　to　look　at　the　cathedral　where　some

building　was　being　done；　and　missing　the　last　train　had　there

slept　the　night。



About　one　in　the　morning；　after　being　nearly　locked　up　as　a　mad

woman；　she　drove　back　to　the　Vicarage；　again　to　find　no　Basil。

Even　then　she　did　not　go　to　bed　but　raged　about　the　house　in　her

wet　clothes；　until　she　fell　down　utterly　exhausted。　When　her

husband　did　return　on　the　following　morning；　full　of　information

about　the　cathedral；　she　was　dangerously　ill；　and　actually　passed

away　while　uttering　a　violent　tirade　against　him　for　his　supposed

suspicious　proceedings。



That　was　the　end　of　this　truly　odious　British　matron。



In　after　days　Bastin；　by　some　peculiar　mental　process；

canonised　her　in　his　imagination　as　a　kind　of　saint。　〃So　loving；〃

he　would　say；　〃such　a　devoted　wife！　Why；　my　dear　Humphrey；　I　can

assure　you　that　even　in　the　midst　of　her　death…struggle　her　last

thoughts　were　of　me；〃　words　that　caused　Bickley　to　snort　with

more　than　usual　vigour；　until　I　kicked　him　to　silence　beneath　the

table。







Chapter　IV



Death　and　Departure





Now　I　must　tell　of　my　own　terrible　sorrow；　which　turned　my　life

to　bitterness　and　my　hopes　to　ashes。



Never　were　a　man　and　a　woman　happier　together　than　I　and

Natalie。　Mentally；　physically；　spiritually　we　were　perfectly

mated；　and　we　loved　each　other　dearly。　Truly　we　were　as　one。　Yet

there　was　something　about　her　which　filled　me　with　vague　fears；

especially　after　she　found　that　she　was　to　become　a　mother。　I

would　talk　to　her　of　the　child；　but　she　would　sigh　and　shake　her

head；　her　eyes　filling　with　tears；　and　say　that　we　must　not　count

on　the　continuance　of　such　happiness　as　ours；　for　it　was　too

great。



I　tried　to　laugh　away　her　doubts；　though　whenever　I　did　so　I

seemed　to　hear　Bastin's　slow　voice　remarking　casually　that　she

might　die；　as　he　might　have　commented　on　the　quality　of　the

claret。　At　last；　however；　I　grew　terrified　and　asked　her　bluntly

what　she　meant。



〃I　don't　quite　know；　dearest；〃　she　replied；　〃especially　as　I　am

wonderfully　well。　Butbut〃



〃But　what？〃　I　asked。



〃But　I　think　that　our　companionship　is　going　to　be　broken　for　a

little　while。〃



〃For　a　little　while！〃　I　exclaimed。



〃Yes；　Humphrey。　I　think　that　I　shall　be　taken　away　from　you

you　know　what　I　mean；〃　and　she　nodded　towards　the　churchyard。



〃Oh；　my　God！〃　I　groaned。



〃I　want　to　say　this；〃　she　added　quickly；　〃that　if　such'　a　thing

should　happen；　as　it　happens　every　day；　I　implore　you；　dearest

Humphrey；　not　to　be　too　much　distressed；　since　I　am　sure　that　you

will　find　me　again。　No；　I　can't　explain　how　or　when　or　where；

because　I　do　not　know。　I　have　prayed　for　light；　but　it　has　not

come　to　me。　All　I　know　is　that　I　am　not　talking　of　reunion　in　Mr。

Bastin's　kind　of　conventional　heaven；　which　he　speaks　about　as

though　to　reach　it　one　stumbled　through　darkness　for　a　minute

into　a　fine　new　house　next　door；　where　excellent　servants　had

made　everything　ready　for　your　arrival　and　all　the　lights　were

turned　up。　It　is　something　quite　different　from　that　and　very

much　more　real。〃



Then　she　bent　down　ostensibly　to　pat　the　head　of　a　little　black

cocker　spaniel　called　Tommy　which　had　been　given　to　her　as　a

puppy；　a　highly　intelligent　and　affectionate　animal　that　we　both

adored　and　that　loved　her　as　only　a　dog　can　love。　Really；　I　knew；

it　was　to　hide　her　tears；　and　fled　from　the　room　lest　she　should

see　mine。



As　I　went　I　heard　the　dog　whimpering　in　a　peculiar　way；　as

though　some　sympathetic　knowledge　had　been　communicated　to　its

wonderful　animal　intelligence。



That　night　I　spoke　to　Bickley　about　the　matter；　repeating

exactly　what　had　passed。　As　I　expected；　he　smiled　in　his　grave；

rather　sarcastic　way；　and　made　light　of　it。



〃My　dear　Humphrey；〃　he　said；　〃don't　torment　yourself　about　such

fancies。　They　are　of　everyday　occurrence　among　women　in　your

wife's　condition。　Sometimes　they　take　one　form；　sometimes

another。　When　she　has　got　her　baby　you　will　hear　no　more　of

them。〃



I　tried　to　be　comforted　but　in　vain。



The　days　and　weeks　went　by　like　a　long　nightmare　and　in　due

course　the　event　happened。　Bickley　was　not　attending　the　case；　it

was　not　in　his　line；　he　said；　and　he　preferred　that　where　a

friend's　wife　was　concerned；　somebody　else　should　be　called　in。

So　it　was　put　in　charge　of　a　very　good　local　man　with　a　large

experience　in　such　domestic　matters。



How　am　I　to　tell　of　it？　Everything　went　wrong；　as　for　the

details；　let　them　be。　Ultimately　Bickley　did　operate；　and　if

surpassing　skill　could　have　saved　her；　it　would　have　been　done。

But　the　other　man　had　misjudged　the　conditions；　it　was　too　late；

nothing　could　help　either　mother　or　child；　a　little　girl　who　died

shortly　after　she　was　born　but　not　before　she　had　been

christened；　also　by　the　name　of　Natalie。



I　was　called　in　to　say　farewell　to　my　wife　and　found　her

radiant；　triumphant　even　in　her　weakness。



〃I　know　now；〃　she　whispered　in　a　faint　voice。　〃I　understood　as

the　chloroform　passed　away；　but　I　cannot　tell　you。　Everything　is

quite　well；　my　darling。　Go　where　you　seem　called　to　go；　far　away。

Oh！　the　wonderful　place　in　which　you　will　find　me；　not　knowing

that　you　have　found　me。　Good…bye　for　a　little　while；　only　for　a

little　while；　my　own；　my　own！〃



Then　she　died。　And　for　a　time　I　too　seemed　to　die；　but　could

not。　I　buried　her　and　the　child　here　at　Fulcombe；　or　rather　I

bu