Mrs. Falchion, Volume 2_

of the affairs of Viking and Sunburst, and spoke of business which called him to Mr. Devlin's great saw mi

uld be to the summer hotel or the great mill. My duty lay in the direction of the hotel. When we

unlight filtering through the transparent leaves. Bowers of delicate ferns and vines flan

yesterday's misadventure. She appeared superbly well. And yet, when I looked again, when I had time to think upon and observe detail, I saw signs of change. There was excitement in the eyes, and a slight nervous da

I said a little priggishly (for I was young), still not too solemnly: "I cannot allow

though, speaking professionally, her temperature was higher than the normal. But that

she said: "You remember one day on the 'Fulvia' when I told you that mone

e-ah, you see I cannot quite think of him as a clergyman. I wonder if I ever shall!" She grew suddenly silent and abstracted, and, in the moment's pause, some ironical words in Mrs. Falchion's voice floated across the room to me: "It is so strange to see you so. And you preach, and bapti

ally sure that, to her last question, he would make no reply. Though I was now speaking to Justine Caron, I heard h

d not like her tone.-"One would almost think you had founded a new dispensation. And if I had drowned yesterday, you would, I suppose, have buried

, almost a bitter, p

nd that is all we have to consider, except to be grateful to Provide

would torture her. She continued: "And the flesh-pots-you have

d," he answered, "to

etimes in London last year, that you had not

d in the pause Justine and I

hion intend remaining he

g: "I do not quite know

place; it seem

does it a

m madame's servant; but, indeed,

like the

urried, and she glanced

said, "I like

the door and said, "Mr

n's mills, Marmion.

ful. It was hard to trace the new characteristic. But at last I thought I saw it in a decrease of that cold composure, that impassiveness, so fascinating in the past. In its place had come an allusive, restless something, to be found in words of troublesom

a time. Then, with that old delightful egotism and selfishn

d of your existence," I

e to do?" she repl

tance; to regard human beings a

ou a preaching curate?

nk

that. Yet you pushed

e black coward? Then, I nurse

efore

o years of knowledge, and learned what fools we mortal

ne, rising in steppes till they seemed to touch white plateaus of snow, which again billowed to glacier fields whose austere bosoms man's hand had never touched; and these suddenly lifted up huge,

idled the generous Chinook winds-the soothing breath of the friendly Pacific. Between these shores the Long Cloud River ran; now boisterous, now soft, now wallowing away through long channels, washing gorges always dark as though shaded by winter, and valleys always gree

dark cavity was a hut-a mere playhouse, it seemed, so small was it, viewed from where we stood. From the edge of a cliff just in front of this hut, there swung a long cable, which reached almost to the base of the shore beneath us; and

hat does it mean? I never saw anything l

It was too tame for him. He conceived the idea of supplying the valley with certain necessaries, by intercepting the mule trains as they passed across the hills, and getting them down to Viking by means of that cable. The valley laughed at him; men said it was impossible. He went to Mr. Devlin, and Mr. Devlin came to me. I have, as you know, some knowledge of machi

ld like to see him. Come, sit down here and t

arranged a seat for

rs. Falchion said, "Wait a minute

turned to Mrs. Falchion, and sa

d up, and she said, with a strange abandon

and pleasure. The heat drained through the valley back and forth in visible palpitations upon the roofs of the houses, the mills, and the vast piles of lumber: all these se

eriences of that day, I am astonished by the running f

hrough which men passed and repassed at their work. Life was busy all about it. Yet the picture was bold, open, and strong. Great iron hands reached down into the water, clamped a massive log or huge timber, lightly drew it up the slide from the water, where, guided by the hand- spikes of the men, it was laid upon its cradle and carried slowly to

nks, lifting their huge red canoes high up on the platforms, the spring's and summer's work of river-driving done; while others lounged upon the grass, or wandered lazily through the village, sporting with the Chinamen, or chaffing the Indian idling in the sun-a garish figure s

themselves up before her as though a man were as great as a mountain and as good a thing to see. It was of such a man that Galt Rosc

rs might lay up treasures, not he; others lose money at gambling, not he-he never had much to lose. But yet he did all things magniloquently. The wave of his hand was expansive, his stride was swaying and decisive, his over-ruling, f

other had an eccentricity, and was of a deep and meditative grey. It was a wise and knowing eye. It was trained to many things-like one servant in a large family. One side of his face was solemn, because of the gay but unchanging blue eye, the other was gravely humourous, s

; if justice was to be meted out, Phil's opinion had considerable weight-for he had much greater leisure than other more prosperous

a gift of civic virtue-important in a wicked world, and of unusual importance in Viking. He had neither self-consciousness nor fear; and while not possessed of absolute tact in a social way, he had a knack of doing the right thi

en a great traveller, as had many who settled at last in these valleys to the exciting life of the river: salmon-catching or driving logs. He had lived for a time in Lower California and Mexico, and

deference by his rough parishioners and others who were such only in the broadest sense. Perhaps he would not have succeeded so well if he had worn clerical clothes. As it was, of a week day, he could not be distinguished from any respectable layman. The clerical uniform attracts women more than men, who, if they spoke truly, would resent it. Roscoe did not wear it, b

yes wandered up to the great hole in the mountain-side, and lingered there. "As I said, I must meet him," she a

ems to have made it for Boldri

way?" she said. "There is no

l up here: that is the unpardonable crime; an

ers. You can-as you know, Mr. Roscoe,"-her voice had a subterranean meaning,-" travel from end to end of those places, and, until the white man corrupts them, nev

yes had a peculiar glance, which was presently turned on Roscoe, then withdrawn again. On him the effect was so far disturbing that he became a little pale, but I not

d, I fancy, scarcely heard half that had been said. R

. "I never saw anyt

an-Phil Boldrick and Company in the foreground. Nature is not happy by itself: it is only brooding and sorrowful. You remember the mountain of Talili in Samoa, Mr. Roscoe, and the valley about it: how entrancing yet how melancholy it is. It always se

some way-innocently I dared hope-connected with it; and that Mrs. Falchion held the key to the mystery, I was certain. That it was in her mind to use the mystery, I was also certain. But for what end I could not tell. What had passed between them in London the p

nd it stops sulking: which goes to show that fa

erself, even when it was greatest. It was this characteristic which made her conversation very striking, it was so sharply contrasted in its parts; a heart

, as it were; too much earnestness in the thing. Either there should be some side-action of mirth to make it less intense, or of tragedy to render it less photographic; and unless, Dr. Marmion, you would consent to be solemn, which would indeed

autiful and honest that it thrills you, and you're itching to write poetry, look out. There's trouble ahead. It's only the pretty pause in the happy scene of the play before the villain comes in and tumbles things about. When I've been on the bridge," he continued, "of a night that set my heart thumping, I knew, by Jingo! it was the devil playing his si

now my words have come true; the scene can be made perfect. Pray step down to the valley, Dr. Marmion, and complete the situation, for you are try

to go and complete that situation, if you will go with me; for you would provide the tragedy-plenty

a doctor to speak truth and a professor to be under stood is a matter for angels. And I actually believe that, in time, you will be free from priggishness, and