The Wedge of Gold

by C. C. Goodwin

  CHAPTER XVI.

  A TRIP TO AFRICA.

  Sedgwick and Jordan, with only now and then a few words of conversation,reached the coast and embarked on the channel steamer. A fresh wind wasblowing, and the craft was shamefully unsteady.

  "It must uv been heah, Jim, whar ther original mustang learned hiscussedness," said Jordan. "See how ther steam devil performs, startin' upez tho' it meant to climb a wave and then without er provercation rollin'half way over and all ther time shakin hisself an' makin' things thetuncomfortable thet ther man aboard, while sayin' nothin', wishes all thertime he'd never tackled ther brute. Didn't ther useter call ther sea,'Mare?' I know why, she were a mustang shor."

  Sedgwick's face kindled with the ghost of a laugh, and he agreed thatJordan's theory was not a bad one.

  "But, Jim," said Jordan, "this war er famous old place after all."

  "Yes," said Sedgwick; "history has compiled some of its wonderful pagesright here. We are where the Great Armada sailed, the souls of those onboard believing they were going to make the conquest of England. Here iswhere Howard gave that fleet its first blow; here is where Howard andDrake sent their fire ships to play havoc with the hostile fleet. A greatplace indeed! But it was only 300 years ago that Howard and Drakeperformed their part; before their day many a fleet swept over thiswatery way; the Crusaders crossed here; before them, a thousand years,the great Julius came and invaded England; before him, a hundred savagenations worked their rude boats in these turbulent seas. When the lightof civilization well-nigh went out in the land where it was firstkindled, it was re-lighted on these shores, and though it burned slowlyfor a long time it never quite went out; rather, it grew brighter andbrighter until its sheen began to fill the world. Bright souls havepeopled both sides of this channel; both are lands of fair women andbrave men; their literature has made the world gentler and higher; theirlaws dominate mankind; their power is a controlling force among thenations; they make the center of the world's wealth; they are eachexamples of how much men may accomplish on small areas of land, providedthey possess sovereign hearts and brains and souls."

  The ship scraped against the pier while Sedgwick was talking, and thetravelers hurried on their way. At Paris they were detained severalhours, and Jordan hiring a carriage, they took in as much of thebeautiful city as possible.

  Jordan all the time exerted himself to talk, and by asking questions tocompel Sedgwick to think of something besides the sad-browed bride whomhe had left in London.

  "What war the special charm 'bout Paris, Jim? I feel it, but blamed ef Ican splain it even ter myself," said he.

  "I do not know," replied his friend, "but I suspect, Tom, it is theculmination of something which has for a thousand years been maturing.Long ago, a full thousand years, there was an Emperor here who was inadvance of his generation. He believed that a perfect education meant thefull enlightenment of the mortal, that his hands and eyes as well as hismind must be disciplined, that every useful attribute must be trained. Sohe built cathedrals to improve the taste of the people, established freedrawing schools, had the people taught the secret of fusing worthlessmaterial with acute brains and making something valuable--something whichthe rich are glad to give their gold in exchange for. That emperor died,but his work continued to live and increase until France became a nationof artisans and artists, and that art has now become second nature, andtherein lies the charm. See how yonder lady picks up her drapery to crossthe street; not ten women in England could do that little thing as shedoes. Do you know the reason why? She caught the art originally from oldCharlemagne. That is, thirty generations ago, the old Emperor establishedthe schools which made possible the perfection of the present, and thegraceful art of that lady is in truth a graceful compliment to the oldsoldier-Emperor who more than a thousand years ago fell back to dust."

  "I reckon yo' are right, Jim," said Jordan. "When I was heah afore, I putup at er tavern whar ther war young women as waited on ther table. I jesthad plain food, in course, but when one o' them young women brot me therbill, she would hand et out in sech er way thet tho' I knowed she wara-robbin' me, I never thot o' pertestin'; rather, she war shor ter git ertip in addition. Talk er high art, them girls war daisies, shor. One timethar war a row. A dapper feller disputed er bill. He thumped his heart,waved his arms, and made er speech like er politician. Ther perprietercum in, then both made speeches. I thot ther would be shootin' orcuttin', sartin, but finally one rushed out, and I tho't in course hedgone for a gun. While waitin' ter see ther fun, I seen over at er tablea feller smilin' like, and I tho't by his face he war a Yankee, so I wentover, and sez I: 'parler vouse Fronsa?' Then he laffed and said: 'Yes, alittle, but I understand English better.' Then I shuk his hand 'nd axedhim wot ther row war, an 'nd ef he tho't that thar man hed gone fur awepin. He smiled sort o' quiet-like, and said: 'No, it war jest adifficulty about an overcharge of five sous, and it's all settled.' 'Allthat row for five sous?' I asked. 'Yes,' he answered. Then I said, 'MyGod, suppose it hed a-been five francs, it would uv been ez good ez erplay.' Yo' see, that old trick thet they got from big Charlie, theyoverplay sometimes."

  Sedgwick smiled faintly, and Jordan continued:

  "But are they not er light-hearted, joyus race, tho'? How they can sing'nd dance 'nd play hades! When I war heah they hed a review uv thersoldiers, 'nd how ther hull town turned out 'nd yelled 'nd yelled 'ndsung ther Marseilles, 'nd yet ther scars and humilitation uv ther mightydefeat war still fresh upon them. They'r ez hopeful ez ther Irish, sametime they is a great deal closer traders. Ther stranger pays fur eny bowthey make, for any smile they give. Still, they is country-loving; everyone uv 'em 'r ready ter die fur ther beautiful France, 'nd ther women ezjest ez'thuseastic ez ther men. If I war young 'nd cud round upther language a little, I'd camp heah fur six months."

  "The place is worth a longer visit," said Sedgwick, "just to study itspast, to go over the spots made sacred in history, to study themonuments, to visit galleries; to dream of all the events whichtranspired to round the present city into form; to trace the city'scareer through wars, revolutions, uprisings, victories and defeats; tolearn the processes, and count the throes which were necessary before themanhood of the people asserted its superiority over the manhood of kings.

  "Think! It is but sixty years since the great Corsican led his army outof here to his last campaign. One can picture him now in thought, movingup this very street, the old familiar sovereign face, eyes strainingtowards the star that even then had become a fallen star, his earsthrilled with the plaudits of shouting armies and shouting people, hissoul imperturbable in its dream of conquest. Then the man was everything,the people nothing; now the people are everything, the man--he is asleepand his heart is not colder in the grave than it was in life."