by Guy Boothby
CHAPTER VI.
A TRIP INTO THE COUNTRY.
Sixty-four days exactly after my taking charge of the health of thesettlement, the last patient was discharged from the hospital, cured.Out of one hundred and ninety-five cases treated, one hundred andthirty-three had recovered; the rest lay in the little graveyard onthe hillside to the eastward of the town. It had been a weary,harassing time from beginning to end, and the strain andresponsibility had had a more severe effect upon me than I should haveanticipated. Alie alone, of all the workers, seemed untouched. Herindomitable will would not permit her body to know such a thing asfatigue, and for this reason the last day of our work found her powersas keen and her energy as unabated as they had been on the first.
On the afternoon of the day following the discharge of my lastpatient, she came into the surgery, and, seating herself in myarmchair, looked about her with that interest my medical affairsalways seemed to inspire in her.
"Dr. De Normanville," she began, clasping her little white handstogether on the arm of the chair; "I have been watching you lately,and I have come to the conclusion that you are thoroughly tired out.There is but one cure for that--rest and complete change of air andscene."
"And pray what makes you suppose I am worn out?" I asked, wiping apair of forceps that I had been using on a native boy five minutesbefore, and putting them back into their case.
"The colour of your face for one thing," she answered, "and the wayyou move about for another. Your appetite, I have also noticed, hasbeen gradually falling off of late. No, it won't do! My friend, youhave been so good to us that we should be worse than ungrateful if weallowed you to get ill. So, without consulting you, I have arranged alittle holiday for you!"
"That is very kind of you," I said; "and pray what is it to be?"
"I will tell you. You are an enthusiastic botanist and entomologist,are you not? Very well, then. This island abounds with unclassifiedflora and fauna. I will have an expedition fitted out to-day, andto-morrow morning we will leave the settlement and plunge into theinterior. I expect a week's absence from worry will work a wonderfulchange in you. At any rate, we'll try it. What have you to say to myproposition?"
"I should like it above all things," I answered eagerly. And, indeed,apart from the scientific chances it would afford me, a trip anywherein her company could not be anything else than delightful.
Having gained her point, she rose to go.
"I may consider it settled, I suppose?" she said. "At daybreakto-morrow morning we are to mount our ponies in the square downyonder, and set off. You need not bother about rifles or anyimpedimenta of that kind. I will see that you are well provided."
So saying she withdrew, and I saw no more of her that day. The restof the afternoon I spent in preparing my specimen boxes for the trip,and when I sought my couch at night it was to dream of birds andbeetles of the most glorious colouring, size, and variety.
True to our arrangement, daybreak next morning found me, booted andspurred, striding towards the village square. Early as I was at therendezvous, Alie was there before me, mounted on a neat bay pony, andevidently awaiting my coming. She wished me "good morning," and thenpointed to the group of pack-horses standing at a little distance incharge of half a dozen men.
"We shall not want for provisions during our travels," she said, witha happy laugh; and as she did so she signed to one of her attendantsto lead up a pony she had reserved for my use. "The cook and hisstaff," she continued, "have gone on ahead of us to prepare ourbreakfast, so now if you are ready we'll start."
The order to march was thereupon given, and we immediately set off upthe mountain track. Within five minutes of starting the settlement layhidden behind the hill, with all its painful memories and anxieties,and we found ourselves surrounded by the primeval forest. Themysterious silence of the dawn still held the landscape, and allnature seemed waiting for the sun to make his appearance beforebeginning the business of the day. Here and there in the dips, andupon the pools, heavy mists wreathed and curled themselves, suggestiveof malaria and a hundred other unpleasantnesses. Before we have beenriding an hour, however, the sun rose in all his majesty; in a tricethe forest woke to life and activity; hordes of monkeys leaped frombranch to branch above our heads, in many cases racing us nearly ahundred yards before they left us; gigantic swine crashed through theundergrowth, almost under our ponies' noses; while birds of everyplumage flew, from tree to tree, across our path. A moment before theworld had seemed dead, now it was full and brimming over withvitality.
When the first half-dozen miles were overcome the aspect of thecountry began to change; it became more open, and we continuallyemerged from timber on to highly-grassed plains, where pig and deer ofmany kinds were to be seen feeding placidly. Towards eight o'clock thetrend of the country lay upward, and continued so until we had mountedto a considerable elevation, when an extensive panorama was unfoldedbefore us. The island must indeed have been a large one if it could bejudged by the extensive views we had presented to us of it; only onthe settlement side could I see the sea, while on the other the forestrolled away as far as the eye could reach.
At half-past eight, or between that and nine o'clock, we commenced todescend again, following the course of a pretty stream, until ourguides came back to tell us that we were approaching the spot where ithad been arranged we should partake of breakfast.
And surely enough, as we reached the bottom of the valley, the smokeof a fire rose above the palms before us, and, a few seconds later, wewere permitted a view of an impromptu camp, with a blazing fire, and awhite man actively engaged beside it, frying-pan in hand. As I lookedat the little scene I could not help thinking of the many picnics Ihad assisted at in dear old England, and I naturally fell tocomparing them with this one, at which I was the guest of soextraordinary a woman, under such novel and exciting circumstances.
Had I been told only half a year before that I should be picnicking onan island in the North Pacific, of which I knew neither the locationnor the name, with a woman who had a reputation such as Alieunfortunately possessed, I should certainly have refused to believeit. Yet it was so, and, what was more to the point, I was not onlypicnicking, but was head over ears in love with that self-same woman,and, what was perhaps still more extraordinary, gloried in the fact.
As soon as breakfast was over we remounted our ponies and pushed on inthe same fashion, through the same sort of country, with a brief haltat midday, until nightfall. Towards the middle of the afternoon theview once more began to change; craggy uplands rose on our right,while the same wonderful forest still continued on our left. Whatstruck me as remarkable was the fact that so far we had seen novillages and encountered no natives. Could the island--if island itreally were, and of that I was beginning to have my doubts--beinhabited only by the people of our settlement? It seemed scarcelyprobable, but if not, where were the rest of its aboriginalpopulation?
A little before sundown, Alie informed me that we were close upon ourdestination. And surely enough, just as the orb of day disappearedbehind the tree tops, we saw before us, on a small plateau, four orfive large and exceedingly comfortable huts, which the men who hadpreceded us that morning had erected for our accommodation. They facedtowards the east, and the view from the little terrace on which theystood was beautiful in the extreme. Across it, and for a shortdistance below, the land was open, then the undergrowth began again,gradually rising from small bushes to great trees, and afterwardscontinuing in one unbroken sea of green, away to where the faintoutline of a mountain range peered up, upon the southeastern horizon.It was a picture to see and remember for ever.
Having dismounted from our ponies, we prepared to make ourselvescomfortable. The distribution of huts was as follows: Alie took thatto the right, I had a large one on the left, while that in the centrewas set apart for our dining-room and sitting-room (if we wanted to beindoors, which was unlikely); the fourth was destined for theaccommodation of the cook, and from it already resounded the clatterof pots and pans.
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br /> Full of curiosity to see in what sort of comfort Alie travelled, Ientered my own hut, and was amazed at the completeness of thearrangements. A comfortable bed-place, with mosquito curtains,occupied one side; a square of matting covered the floor, a portablewash-hand stand stood near the bed; while against the opposite wall,neatly arranged in a rack, were my guns and specimen cases. By thetime I had washed off the stains of travel, and exchanged my ridingcostume for a lounge suit, the native gong had summoned us to dinner,and Alie and I, meeting on the terrace, entered the centre huttogether.
If I had been surprised at the completeness of the arrangements of myown hut, how much more astonished was I now. Indeed, had it not beenfor the walls, which were covered, with some peculiar sort oftapestry, and the different ceiling, I should hardly have known thatwe were not in the bungalow at the settlement. The white cloth, theglittering glass and silver, the costly ornaments and the profusion ofdishes, were the same; and when the same impassive servant entered towait upon us, clad in his usual white livery, my astonishment wascomplete. Alie was in exceptionally good spirits and for this reasonthe meal proceeded in a most delightful fashion.
When it was over we drew our chairs outside into the gathering gloom,and sat watching the fire-flies dashing in and out amid the tangle ofdark forest across the plateau. It was indeed a night to beremembered. Overhead the tropic stars shone in all their beauty;around us were the unfathomable depths of the forest; from the rightsounded the tinkling music of a stream; while now and again out of thedarkness would come the deep note of some forest animal, or themelancholy hoot of an owl or other night bird.
Later on, by Alie's orders, enormous fires were lit at intervals allround the circle of the camp, and these not only failed to detractfrom, but succeeded in adding to, the weird picturesqueness of thescene. From the darkness behind us we could catch the subdued voicesof our followers, varied now and again by the occasional snorting andstamping of the picketed ponies.
"How beautiful it all is!" said Alie, looking up at the winking stars.Then, as if to herself, "If only we could always be as peaceable asthis, how much happier we should be!"
"Do you really think we should?" I answered. "Don't you think it isthe wild unrest and turmoil of the world, to say nothing of thatconstant struggling, which makes existence so sweet to us?"
"Ah! You speak of your own world," she said sadly. "Think what _my_world is? Continual plotting, endless striving, with always the onegreat dread of capture hanging over me. Oh! Dr. De Normanville, youlittle know the sort of life I lead!"
"Then why do you go on with it? If only I might----"
I checked myself suddenly. Another moment and the fatal words wouldhave passed my lips. But to see her thus and not to tell her of mylove was almost more than I could bear. I kept a tight rein uponmyself, however, and crammed the words back into my heart. She hadpaused, and was looking away towards the dark forest.
"Why do I go on with it?" she answered, a few moments later. "BecauseI must! Because there is no one else to guide and care for them butme."
"But supposing you were caught? They would have to shift forthemselves then."
"I shall never be taken alive. That is, except by treachery. No, Dr.De Normanville, come what may, I can never forsake them. My duty liesbefore me, and as I have endeavoured to do it in the past, so I muststrive to do it in the future. But it is getting late, and we havetravelled a long distance to-day. Don't you think we had better bideach other good-night?"
As she spoke she rose, and I followed her example. Then she shookhands, wished me good-night, and disappeared into her own hut, her dogat her heels. When she had gone I reseated myself, lit another cigar,and fell to work upon my thoughts. Away in the darkness beyond theleaping fires, a Sambhur deer, probably disturbed by our lights, wasbarking to his mate, and in a tree near at hand a night bird hooteddolefully. The first sweetness of the evening had passed, and now anunutterable melancholy seemed to have laid its hand upon it. When mycigar was finished I passed into my hut, glanced at my rifles to seethat they were ready to my hand in case of need, and, having disrobedmyself, went to bed. Tired as I was, my slumbers were almostdreamless, and it seemed but a few minutes from the time I laid myhead upon my pillow before my servant was waking me to the new-bornday.
Immediately breakfast was over I took my specimen cases and a lightrifle, and, accompanied by Alie and two of our native servants, divedinto the forest on collecting thoughts intent. But the profusion ofsubjects was so vast that it was difficult to know quite where tobegin. At every turn some peculiar grass, some plant, some shrub wouldarrest my attention, while in the air butterflies, beetles, and birdsinnumerable seemed to call upon me to catch and catalogue them withoutdelay. Alie had quite recovered her good spirits by this time, andhaving once grasped the general idea, followed her new hobby with thesame impassioned ardour that was noticeable in everything sheundertook. By midday our cases were full to bursting, so we returnedto the camp to lunch. In the afternoon we continued our work, but thistime without our native followers, who, when all was said and done,preferred chattering to working, and in more ways than one were in theway.
Leaving the camp, we struck into the forest in a southeasterlydirection, following the course of a tiny stream that evidently hadits origin in the mountain range elsewhere described. Game of allsorts abounded; twice I saw herds of small deer alongside the riverbank; wild swine we continually met with, and once I felt certain thespoor we saw round a big pool was that of an elephant. Indeed, Alieinformed me that the natives had often informed her that in theirhunting expeditions they had met with these gigantic beasts. Thiscircumstance, perhaps more than anything else, set me wondering whereAlie's marvellous island could be located.
By the time the sun declined upon the mountain our boxes were oncemore full, and we turned our heads campwards, following on ourhomeward route the course of the same stream we had pursued on ouroutward journey. It was warm work, and when about half our walk wasdone we stopped on a little rise to look about us.
Alie seated herself on a fallen tree, and I put down my boxes and tookmy place beside her. Throughout the afternoon she had been a littlequiet, and I must own that my own spirits were none too lively.Enjoyable as our excursion had proved, it was nevertheless a fact thatevery day was bringing my stay in the island nearer to its close, and,under the circumstances, I could not help feeling that, my duty done,it behoved me to be moving on as soon as possible. And yet the thoughtof leaving this woman, into whose life I had flashed like a meteor,and whom I had come so desperately to love, was agonising to me.
Alie rolled a small stone into the foaming torrent below us and thenturned to me.
"Dr. De Normanville," she began,--and it struck me that she hesitateda good deal over what she had to say,--"when my agent visited you inHong Kong and induced you to come to our assistance, he promised that,as soon as your work was completed, you should be returned safe andsound to the place whence you started. Your work is completed, and nowit only remains for you to say--well, to say when you wish to leaveus."
This speech, following on top of what I had been thinking myself, putme in a strange position, and for a minute I did not know how toanswer. Then a torrent of words and protestations rose upon my lips,but I pressed them back, and to gain time for reflection asked aquestion.
"I hope that I have done my work to your satisfaction?"
"How can you ask such a thing?" she answered promptly. "You haveworked for us as few other men would ever have done. I cannot,"--hereher voice trembled a little, and her beautiful eyes filled withtears,--"I cannot ever thank you as I would wish to do."
Either her tear-laden eyes or this expression of her gratitude musthave deprived me of my self-control, for when she had finishedspeaking, my presence of mind completely deserted me, and without moreado I drew closer to her on the tree, and, taking her hand in mine,said, almost without thinking of my words:
"Alie, cannot you see that there can be no question of thanks between_us_? Canno
t you see why I have worked so hard for you? Cannot you seethat I would give my own existence to save for you even the life ofthe dog you loved? Have my actions not spoken for themselves?"
She rose to her feet, but I noticed that she turned her face away andwould not look at me. I could feel that she was trembling violently.In spite of this I continued:
"Alie! You must see that I love you with my whole heart and soul. Fromthe moment I first saw you on your yacht's deck I have been yourslave. I know it is madness for a man like me to hope to win such aqueen among women as yourself; but I cannot help it. Send me away fromyou if you will, but there is one thing beyond your power to do, andthat is to take away from me my love."
"Hush, hush! for pity's sake!"
"No, Alie; I cannot stop. I have gone too far now to draw back. Day byday I have hidden away in my heart--I have tried to crush down andstifle, this love of mine; but it will not be hidden, it will not becrushed, it will not be stifled. Now the flood has risen, it has burstits bonds and washed away all thought of prudence. You have learned mysecret. Alie, is there no hope at all for me? I know I am not worthyof you, but I am an honest man, and I love you with my whole heart andsoul."
"Dr. De Normanville," she said slowly, turning her tear-stained facetowards me, "I am sorry, more sorry than you will ever guess, that youshould have told me this. Many men have let me know their love beforenow, and I was able to tell them without pain to myself that it couldnot be. Now, you love me, you who have been so true and so brave, andI have to make you see that what you wish can never be possible. Donot think I am insensible of the honour you have done me, for it wouldhonour any woman to be asked to be your wife. Do not think that itdoes not pain me to hurt you so. But, oh, Dr. De Normanville, cannotyou see that I can be no man's wife, much less yours?"
"And why, in Heaven's name, not?"
All this time she had not attempted to withdraw her hand from mine.
"Because, according to your lights, I am not worthy. You have thismoment called yourself an honest man. Well, then, judged by your ideasof honesty, I am not an honest woman. Look at your own career; look atthe name you have already created for yourself; think of your future;then how can I--a woman, hunted by every nation, a woman on whose heada price is set, who dares not show her face in a civilisedcountry--allow herself to share that name and that future with you.Ask yourself that question, and answer it before you think of makingme your wife."
"I can have no future without you!"
"That is no answer to my question. No, Dr. De Normanville, I am sorry,more sorry than you will ever know, that this trouble should have comeupon you. But when you have time to reflect, you will see, as clearlyas I do, that what you ask is impossible. It can never be!"
"One question before you say it cannot be!" I cried. "I will notinsult you by imploring you to tell me the truth. You will do thatwithout my asking. But we will suppose for the moment that you werenot the outlaw you declare yourself to be, and I asked you the samequestion, will you tell me if you would give me the same answer,then?"
"It is unfair of you to put it in that way," she said, toying with aleaf. "But since you _do_ ask, I will tell you truthfully. If I werein the position you describe, and you asked me to share your life withyou, I would give you this answer, that I would be your wife or thewife of no other man."
"You love me then, Alie?"
My heart seemed to stop beating while I waited for her answer. When itdid pass her lips, it was so soft that I could hardly hear it.
"Yes, I do love you."
Before she could prevent me I had taken her in my arms, and rainedkisses upon her beautiful face. For a moment she did not resist. Thenshe withdrew herself, panting, from my arms.
"Let me go," she gasped; "you must not do this. No, no, no! What am Itelling you. Oh, why cannot you see that what you wish is impossible?"
"As I live," I cried in return, "it is not impossible, and it nevershall be! Since you own yourself that you love me, I will not livewithout you. I love you as I verily believe man never loved womanbefore. If I were a poet instead of a prosaic doctor, I should tellyou, Alie, that to me your smile is like God's sunshine; I would tellyou that the wind only blows to carry to the world the story of mylove for you; I would tell you all this and more--yes, a thousandtimes more. But I am no poet, I am only a man who loves you for yourown beautiful self, for your sweetness, your loneliness, yourtenderness to those about you. What does fame mean for me! I wantonly you. Let me have you for my companion through life, and I will gowith you where you wish, stay here with you, if you please, or goaway, just as you may decide; I have but one ambition, and that is tobe worthy of you, to help you to do good. All I ask is to be allowedto live the life you live yourself!"
"And you think that I would let you make this sacrifice for me? No!no! Oh, why cannot you see that it is impossible?"
Again I attempted to take her in my arms. But this time she eluded me,and with a choking sob fled through the scrub towards the camp. Seeingthat it was useless to attempt to reason with her in her presentstate, I followed more leisurely, reaching the huts just as the gongwas sounding for dinner. As soon as my ablutions were performed, Isought the dining hut, but my hostess was not there. I waited, andpresently the servant arrived to inform me that she was not well, andwould dine in her own apartment.
I was not prepared for this, and my thoughts during my solitary meal,and when I was smoking on the plateau before the huts afterwards, wereby no means pleasant. Glad though I was that I had made her aware ofmy sentiments towards her, I almost began to wish, if she were goingto avoid me, that I had deferred my explanation until we had reachedthe settlement again. But I was destined to see her that night afterall.
About ten o'clock, just as I was thinking of retiring to my own hut, Iheard a footstep behind my chair, and a moment later Alie, accompaniedby her dog, stood before me.
"Dr. De Normanville," she said softly, "I cannot imagine what you mustthink of me? I have come to tell you that I felt I could not sleepuntil I had apologised to you."
Her penitence sat so prettily upon her that it was as much as I coulddo to prevent myself taking her in my arms and telling her so. But Imanaged somehow to keep myself within bounds, and only said in reply:
"You must not say a word about it. I was equally to blame. Great as ismy love for you, I should not have forced it upon you in that unseemlyfashion."
"No! No! Don't say that. I want you really to understand my gratitude.That I love you, I have said. Perhaps I ought not to have confessedit. But seeing that I have done so, and have told you exactly what myposition in the world is, you must see that it is that very love whichkeeps me from giving myself to you as I should like to do. I don'tmake my meaning very clear, but can you understand that?"
"I think I do," I said. "But it does not alter my position. I love youas I shall never love any other woman. As I told you this afternoon,my whole life is bound up in you. It remains for you to say whether Ishall be the happiest or the most miserable of men. Remember, save formy sister, I am alone in the world. Therefore, as she is amplyprovided for, I have only myself to think of. If you will have me, Iwill give my life to you to do as you please with."
"This generosity is like yourself. Will you let me make a bargain withyou?"
"What is it?"
"It is this. First, you shall promise not to speak of this to me againuntil I give you permission."
"I will promise that. And on your part?"
"I will promise to give you my answer at the end of twelve months. Inthe meantime, you will go back to England, live your own life, and onthe first day of May next year, if you still love me, and are asanxious then to make your sacrifice as you are now, I will meet youagain and be your wife as soon as you please. What do you say?"
For a few moments I could answer nothing; then, though I am nottheatrically inclined as a general rule, I fell on my knee, and takingher hand kissed it, saying in a voice I hardly recognised as my own:
"My queen
and my wife!"
"You are content to abide by that?"
"Since you wish it, I am _more_ than content," I answered, my heartoverflowing with happiness.
"Then let us say no more on the subject. Good-night! and may God blessyou!"
She turned and left me without another word, and when I had seen herdisappear into her hut, I too sought my couch, to dream, as I hoped,of the happiness that the future had in store for me.
