小说园

第20部分（第2页）

〃Silfax！〃　exclaimed　Simon　and　Madge　together。

〃Who　is　this　man？〃　demanded　Harry；　looking　alternately　at　his　father　and　at　the　maiden。

〃Silfax！〃　repeated　Nell　in　tones　of　despair；　〃Silfax！〃……and；　murmuring　this　name；　her　whole　frame　shuddering　with　fear　and　agitation；　she　was　borne　away　to　her　chamber　by　old　Madge。

James　Starr；　hastening　to　the　spot；　read　the　threatening　sentences　again　and　again。

〃The　hand　which　traced　these　lines；〃　said　he　at　length；　〃is　the　same　which　wrote　me　the　letter　contradicting　yours；　Simon。　　The　man　calls　himself　Silfax。　　I　see　by　your　troubled　manner　that　you　know　him。　Who　is　this　Silfax？〃

CHAPTER　XVII　THE　〃MONK〃

THIS　name　revealed　everything　to　the　old　overman。　It　was　that　of　the　last　〃monk〃　of　the　Dochart　pit。

In　former　days；　before　the　invention　of　the　safety…lamp；　Simon　had　known　this　fierce　man；　whose　business　it　was　to　go　daily；　at　the　risk　of　his　life；　to　produce　partial　explosions　of　fire…damp　in　the　passages。　He　used　to　see　this　strange　solitary　being；　prowling　about　the　mine；　always　acpanied　by　a　monstrous　owl；　which　he　called　Harfang；　who　assisted　him　in　his　perilous　occupation；　by　soaring　with　a　lighted　match　to　places　Silfax　was　unable　to　reach。

One　day　this　old　man　disappeared；　and　at　the　same　time　also；　a　little　orphan　girl　born　in　the　mine；　who　had　no　relation　but　himself；　her　great…grandfather。　It　was　perfectly　evident　now　that　this　child　was　Nell。　　During　the　fifteen　years；　up　to　the　time　when　she　was　saved　by　Harry；　they　must　have　lived　in　some　secret　abyss　of　the　mine。

The　old　overman；　full　of　mingled　passion　and　anger；　made　known　to　the　engineer　and　Harry　all　that　the　name　of　Silfax　had　revealed　to　him。　It　explained　the　whole　mystery。　　Silfax　was　the　mysterious　being　so　long　vainly　sought　for　in　the　depths　of　New　Aberfoyle。

〃So　you　knew　him；　Simon？〃　demanded　Mr。　Starr。

〃Yes；　that　I　did；〃　replied　the　overman。　　〃The　Harfang　man；　we　used　to　call　him。　　Why；　he　was　old　then！　　He　must　be　fifteen　or　twenty　years　older　than　I　am。　　A　wild；

savage　sort　of　fellow；　who　held　aloof　from　everyone　and　was　known　to　fear　nothing……neither　fire　nor　water。　　It　was　his　own　fancy　to　follow　the　trade　of　monk；　which　few　would　have　liked。　The　constant　danger　of　the　business　had　unsettled　his　brain。　He　was　prodigiously　strong；　and　he　knew　the　mine　as　no　one　else……　at　any　rate；　as　well　as　I　did。　　He　lived　on　a　small　allowance。　In　faith；　I　believed　him　dead　years　ago。〃

〃But；〃　resumed　James　Starr；　〃what　does　he　mean　by　those　words；　You　have　robbed　me　of　the　last　vein　of　our　old　mine？〃

〃Ah！　there　it　is；〃　replied　Simon；　〃for　a　long　time　it　had　been　a　fancy　of　his……I　told　you　his　mind　was　deranged……　that　he　had　a　right　to　the　mine　of　Aberfoyle；　so　he　became　more　and　more　savage　in　temper　the　deeper　the　Dochart　pit……　his　pit！……was　worked　out。　　It　just　seemed　as　if　it　was　his　own　body　that　suffered　from　every　blow　of　the　pickax。　You　must　remember　that；　Madge？〃

〃Ay；　that　I　do；　Simon；〃　replied　she。

〃I　can　recollect　all　this；〃　resumed　Simon；　〃since　I　have　seen　the　name　of　Silfax　on　the　door。　　But　I　tell　you；　I　thought　the　man　was　dead；　and　never　imagined　that　the　spiteful　being　we　have　so　long　sought　for　could　be　the　old　fireman　of　the　Dochart　pit。〃

〃Well；　now；　then；〃　said　Starr；　〃it　is　all　quite　plain。　Chance　made　known　to　Silfax　the　new　vein　of　coal。　With　the　egotism　of　madness；　he　believed　himself　the　owner　of　a　treasure　he　must　conceal　and　defend。　　Living　in　the　mine；　and　wandering　about　day　and　night；　he　perceived　that　you　had　discovered　the　secret；　and　had　written　in　all　haste　to　beg　me　to　e。　Hence　the　letter　contradicting　yours；　hence；　after　my　arrival；　all　the　accidents　that　occurred；　such　as　the　block　of　stone　thrown　at　Harry；　the　broken　ladder　at　the　Yarrow　shaft；　the　obstruction　of　the　openings　into　the　wall　of　the　new　cutting；　hence；　in　short；　our　imprisonment；　and　then　our　deliverance；　brought　about　by　the　kind　assistance　of　Nell；　who　acted　of　course　without　the　knowledge　of　this　man　Silfax；　and　contrary　to　his　intentions。〃

〃You　describe　everything　exactly　as　it　must　have　happened；　Mr。　Starr；〃　returned　old　Simon。　　〃The　old　Monk　is　mad　enough　now；　at　any　rate！〃

〃All　the　better；〃　quoth　Madge。

〃I　dont　know　that；〃　said　Starr；　shaking　his　head；　〃it　is　a　terrible　sort　of　madness　this。〃

〃Ah！　now　I　understand　that　the　very　thought　of　him　must　have　terrified　poor　little　Nell；　and　also　I　see　that　she　could　not　bear　to　denounce　her　grandfather。　　What　a　miserable　time　she　must　have　had　of　it　with　the　old　man！〃

〃Miserable　with　a　vengeance；〃　replied　Simon；　〃between　that　savage　and　his　owl；　as　savage　as　himself。　　Depend　upon　it；　that　bird　isnt　dead。　That　was　what　put　our　lamp　out；　and　also　so　nearly　cut　the　rope　by　which　Harry　and　Nell　were　suspended。〃

〃And　then；　you　see；〃　said　Madge；　〃this　news　of　the　marriage　of　our　son　with　his　granddaughter　added　to　his　rancor　and　ill…will。〃

〃To　be　sure；〃　said　Simon。　　〃To　think　that　his　Nell　should　marry　one　of　the　robbers