Foul Play

by Charles Reade

  CHAPTER XLIV.

  HAZEL returned homeward in a glow of triumph, and for once felt disposedto brag to Helen of his victory--a victory by which she was to profit;not he.

  They met in the wood; for she had tracked him by his footsteps. Sheseemed pale and disturbed, and speedily interrupted his exclamations oftriumph by one of delight, which was soon, however, followed by one ofdistress.

  "Oh, look at you!" she said. "You have been in the water. It is wicked;wicked."

  "But I have solved the problem. I caught three ducks one after the otherand tied the intelligence to their legs. They are at this momentcareering over the ocean, with our story and our longitude, and a guessat our latitude. Crown me with bays."

  "With foolscap, more likely," said Helen. "Only just getting well ofrheumatic fever, and to go and stand in water up to the middle."

  "Why, you don't listen to me!" cried Hazel, in amazement. "I tell you Ihave solved the problem."

  "It is you that don't listen to common sense," retorted Helen. "If you goand make yourself ill, all the problems in the world will not compensateme. And I must say I think it was not very kind of you to run off sowithout warning. Why give me hours of anxiety for want of a word? Butthere, it is useless to argue with a boy; yes, sir, a boy. The fact is, Ihave been too easy with you of late. One indulges sick children. But thenthey must not slip away and stand in the water, or there is an end ofindulgence; and one is driven to severity. You must be ruled with a rodof iron. Go home this moment, sir, and change your clothes; and don't youpresume to come into the presence of the nurse you have offended, tillthere's not a wet thread about you."

  And so she ordered him off. The inventor in his moment of victory slunkaway crestfallen to change his clothes.

  So far Helen Rolleston was a type of her sex in its treatment ofinventors. At breakfast she became a brilliant exception. The moment shesaw Hazel seated by her fire in dry clothes she changed her key and madehim relate the whole business, and expressed the warmest admiration, andsympathy.

  "But," said she, "I do ask you not to repeat this exploit too often; nowdon't do it again for a fortnight. The island will not run away. Duckscome and go every day, and your health is very, very precious."

  He colored with pleasure, and made the promise at once. But during thisfortnight events occurred. In the first place, he improved his invention.He remembered how a duck, over-weighted by a crab, which was fast to herleg, had come on board the boat. Memory dwelling on this, and inventiondigesting it, he resolved to weight his next batch of ducks; for heargued thus: "Probably our ducks go straight from this to the greatAmerican Continent. Then it may be long ere one of them falls into thehands of a man; and perhaps that man will not know English. But, if Icould impede the flight of my ducks, they might alight on ships; andthree ships out of four know English."

  Accordingly, he now inserted stones of various sizes into the littlebags. It was a matter of nice calculation. The problem was to weight thebirds just so much that they might be able to fly three or four hundredmiles, or about half as far as their unencumbered companions.

  But in the midst of all this a circumstance occurred that would have madea vain man, or indeed most men, fling the whole thing away. Helen and hecame to a rupture. It began by her fault, and continued by his. She didnot choose to know her own mind, and, in spite of secret warnings fromher better judgment, she was driven by curiosity, or by the unhappyrestlessness to which her sex are peculiarly subject at odd times, tosound Hazel as to the meaning of a certain epigram that rankled in her.And she did it in the most feminine way, that is to say, in the leastdirect; whereas the safest way would have been to grasp the nettle, ifshe could not let it alone.

  Said she one day, quietly, though with a deep blush: "Do you know Mr.Arthur Wardlaw?"

  Hazel gave a shiver, and said, "I do."

  "Do you know anything about him?"

  "I do."

  "Nothing to his discredit, I am sure."

  "If you are sure, why ask me? Do I ever mention his name?"

  "Perhaps you do, sometimes, without intending it."

  "You are mistaken. He is in your thoughts, no doubt; but not in mine."

  "Ought I to forget people entirely, and what I owe them?"

  "That is a question I decline to go into."

  "How harshly you speak to me. Is that fair? You know my engagement, andthat honor and duty draw me to England; yet I am happy here. You, who areso good and strong, might pity me at least; for I am torn this way andthat." And here the voice ceased and the tears began to flow.

  "I do pity you," said Hazel. "I must pity any one who is obliged tomention honor and duty in the same breath as Arthur Wardlaw."

  At this time Helen drew back, offended bitterly. _"That_ pity I rejectand scorn," said she. "No, I plighted my faith with my eyes open, and toa worthy object. I never knew him blacken any person who was not there tospeak for himself, and that is a very worthy trait, in my opinion. Theabsent are like children; they are helpless to defend themselves."

  Hazel racked with jealousy, and irritated at this galling comparison,lost his temper for once, and said those who lay traps must not complainif others fall into them.

  "Traps! Who lay them?"

  "You did, Miss Rolleston. Did I ever condescend to mention that man'sname since we have been on the island? It is you make me talk of him."

  "Condescend?"

  "That is the word. Nor will I ever deign to mention him again. If my lovehad touched your heart, I should have been obliged to mention him, forthen I should have been bound to tell you a story in which he is mixed,my own miserable story--my blood boils against the human race when Ithink of it. But no, I see I am nothing to you; and I will be silent."

  "It is very cruel of you to say that," replied Helen, with tears in hereyes; "tell me your story, and you will see whether you are nothing tome."

  "Not one word of it," said Hazel slowly, "until you have forgotten thatman exists."

  "Oh! thank you, sir, this is plain speaking. I am to forget honor andplighted faith; and then you will trust me with your secrets, when I haveshown myself unworthy to be trusted with anything. Keep your secrets, andI'll try and keep faith; ay, and I shall keep it, too, as long as there'slife in my body."

  "Can't you keep faith without torturing me, who love you?"

  Helen's bosom began to heave at this, but she fought bravely. "Love meless, and respect me more," said she, panting; "you affront me, youfrighten me. I looked on you as a brother, a dear brother. But now I amafraid of you-- I am afraid."

  He was so injudicious as to interrupt her, instead of giving her time tocontradict herself. "You have nothing to fear," said he; "keep this sideof the island, and I'll live on the other, rather than hear the name ofArthur Wardlaw."

  Helen's courage failed her at that spirited proposal, and she made noreply at all, but turned her back haughtily, and went away from him,only, when she had got a little way, her proud head drooped, and she wentcrying.

  A coolness sprang up between them, and neither of them knew how to endit. Hazel saw no way to serve her now, except by flying weighted ducks,and he gave his mind so to this that one day he told her he hadtwenty-seven ducks in the air, all charged, and two-thirds of themweighted. He thought that must please her now. To his surprise andannoyance, she received the intelligence coldly, and asked him whether itwas not cruel to the birds.

  Hazel colored with mortification at his great act of self-denial being soreceived.

  He said, "I don't think my worst enemy can say I am wantonly cruel toGod's creatures."

  Helen threw in, deftly, "And I am not your worst enemy."

  "But what other way is there to liberate you from this island, where youhave nobody to speak to but me? Well, selfishness is the best course.Think only of others, and you are sure not to please them."

  "If you want to please people, you must begin by understanding them,"said the lady, not ill-naturedly.

  "But if they don't understand themselves
?"

  "Then pity them; you can, for you are a man."

  "What hurts me," said Hazel, "is that you really seem to think I flythese ducks for my pleasure. Why, if I had my wish, you and I shouldnever leave this island, nor any other person set a foot on it. I amfrank, you see."

  "Rather too frank."

  "What does it matter, since I do my duty all the same, and fly the ducks?But sometimes I do yearn for a word of praise for it; and that word nevercomes."

  "It is a praiseworthy act," said Helen, but so icily that it is a wonderhe ever flew another duck after that.

  "No matter," said he, and his hand involuntarily sought his heart; "youread me a sharp but wholesome lesson, that we should do our duty for ourduty's sake. And as I am quite sure it is my duty to liberate you andrestore you to those you-- I'll fly three ducks to-morrow morning insteadof two."

  "It is not done by my advice," said Helen. "You will certainly makeyourself ill."

  "Oh, that is all nonsense!" said Hazel.

  "You are rude to me," said Helen, "and I am not aware that I deserve it."

  "Rude, am I? Then I'll say no more," said Hazel, half humbly, halfdoggedly.

  His parchment was exhausted, and he was driven to another expedient. Heobtained alcohol by distillation from rum, and having found dragon'sblood in its pure state, little ruby drops, made a deep red varnish thatdefied water; he got slips of bark, white inside, cut his inscriptiondeep on the inner side, and filled the incised letters with this redvarnish. He had forty-eight ducks in the air, and was rising beforedaybreak to catch another couple, when he was seized with a pain in theright hip and knee, and found he could hardly walk, so he gave in thatmorning, and kept about the premises. But he got worse, and he had hardlyany use in his right side, from the waist downward, and was in greatpain.

  As the day wore on, the pain and loss of power increased, and resistedall his remedies; there was no fever to speak of; but Nature was grimlyrevenging herself for many a gentler warning neglected. When he realizedhis condition, he was terribly cut up, and sat on the sand with his headin his hands for nearly two hours. But, after that period of despondency,he got up, took his boat-hook, and, using it as a staff, hobbled to hisarsenal, and set to work.

  Among his materials was a young tree he had pulled up; the roots ran atright angles to the stem. He just sawed off the ends of the roots, andthen proceeded to shorten the stem.

  But meantime Helen, who had always a secret eye on him and his movements,had seen there was something wrong, and came timidly and asked what wasthe matter.

  "Nothing," said he, doggedly.

  "Then why did you sit so long on the sand? I never saw you like that."

  "I was ruminating."

  "What upon? Not that I have any right to ask."

  "On the arrogance and folly of men; they attempt more than they can do,and despise the petty prudence and common sense of women, and smart forit; as I am smarting now for being wiser than you."

  "Oh," said Helen; "why, what is the matter? and what is that you havemade? It looks like--oh, dear!"

  "It is a crutch," said Hazel, with forced calmness; "and I am a cripple."

  Helen clasped her hands, and stood trembling.

  Hazel lost his self-control for a moment, and cried out in a voice ofagony, "A useless cripple. I wish I was dead and out of the way."

  Then, ashamed of having given way before her, he seized his crutch,placed the crook under his arm, and turned sullenly away from her.

  Four steps he took with his crutch.

  She caught him with two movements of her supple and vigorous frame.

  She just laid her left hand gently on his shoulder, and with her rightshe stole the crutch softly away, and let it fall upon the sand. She tookhis right hand, and put it to her lips like a subject paying homage toher sovereign; and then she put her strong arm under his shoulder, stillholding his right hand in hers, and looked in his face. "No woodencrutches when I am by," said she, in a low voice, full of devotion.

  He stood surprised, and his eyes began to fill.

  "Come," said she, in a voice of music. And, thus aided, he went with herto her cavern. As they went she asked him tenderly where the pain was.

  "It _was_ in my hip and knee," he said. "But now it is nowhere; for joyhas come back to my heart."

  "And to mine, too," said Helen; "except for this."

  The quarrel dispersed like a cloud under this calamity. There was noformal reconciliation; no discussion. And this was the wisest course, forthe unhappy situation remained unchanged; and the friendliest discussioncould only fan the embers of discord and misery gently, instead offiercely.

  The pair so strangely thrown together commenced a new chapter of theirexistence. It was not patient and nurse over again; Hazel, though verylame, had too much spirit left to accept that position. But still thesexes became in a measure reversed-- Helen the fisherman and forager,Hazel the cook and domestic.

  He was as busy as ever, but in a narrow circle; he found pearl oystersnear the sunk galleon, and, ere he had been lame many weeks, he hadentirely lined the sides of the cavern with mother-of-pearl set incement, and close as mosaic.

  Every day he passed an hour in paradise; for his living crutch made himtake a little walk with her; her hand held his; her arm supported hisshoulder; her sweet face was near his, full of tender solicitude; theyseemed to be one; and spoke in whispers to each other, like thinkingaloud. The causes of happiness were ever present; the causes ofunhappiness were out of sight, and showed no signs of approach.

  And, of the two, Helen was the happiest. Before a creature so pure asthis marries and has children, the great maternal instinct is stillthere, but feeds on what it can get--first a doll, and then some helplesscreature or other. Too often she wastes her heart's milk on somethinggrown up, but as selfish as a child. Helen was more fortunate; her childwas her hero, now so lame that he must lean on her to walk. The dayspassed by, and the island was fast becoming the world to those two, andas bright a world as ever shone on two mortal creatures.

  It was a happy dream.

  What a pity that dreams dissolve so soon! This had lasted for nearly twomonths, and Hazel was getting better, though still not well enough, ornot fool enough, to dismiss his live crutch, when one afternoon Helen,who had been up on the heights, observed a dark cloud in the blue skytoward the west. There was not another cloud visible, and the airmarvelously clear; time, about three quarters of an hour before sunset.She told Hazel about this solitary cloud, and asked him, with someanxiety, if it portended another storm. He told her to be under noalarm--there were no tempests in that latitude except at the coming andgoing out of the rains--but he should like to go round the Point and lookat her cloud.

  She lent him her arm, and they went round the Point; and there they saw acloud entirely different from anything they had ever seen since they wereon the island. It was like an enormous dark ribbon stretched along thesky, at some little height above the horizon. Notwithstanding itsprodigious length, it got larger before their very eyes.

  Hazel started.

  Helen felt him start, and asked him, with some surprise, what was thematter.

  "Cloud!" said he; "that is no cloud. That is smoke."

  "Smoke!" echoed Helen, becoming agitated in her turn.

  "Yes; the breeze is northerly, and carries the smoke nearer to us; it isthe smoke of a steamboat."