“Toyourroom,girl!”hecriedinahoarse,harshvoice,steppinginbetweenusandpointingauthoritativelytowardsthehouse. HewaiteduntilGabriel,withalastfrightenedglanceatme,hadpassedthroughthegap,andthenheturneduponmewithanexpressionsomurderousthatIsteppedbackapaceortwo,andtightenedmygraspuponmyoakstick. “You-you—”hespluttered,withhishandtwitchingathisthroat,asthoughhisfurywerechokinghim. “Youhavedaredtointrudeuponmyprivacy! DoyouthinkIbuiltthisfencethatallthevermininthecountrymightcongregateroundit? Oh,youhavebeenverynearyourdeath,myfinefellow! Youwillneverbeneareruntilyourtimecomes.Lookatthis!” hepulledasquat,thickpistoloutofhisbosom. “IfyouhadpassedthroughthatgapandsetfootonmylandI’dhaveletdaylightintoyou.I’llhavenovagabondshere. Iknowhowtotreatgentryofthatsort,whethertheirfacesareblackorwhite.” “Sir,”saidI,“Imeantnoharmbycominghere,andIdonotknowhowIhavedeservedthisextraordinaryoutburst. Allowmetoobserve,however,thatyouarestillcoveringmewithyourpistol,andthat,asyourhandisrathertremulous,itismorethanpossiblethatitmaygooff. Ifyoudon’tturnthemuzzledownIshallbecompelledinself-defensetostrikeyouoverthewristwithmystick.” “Whatthedeucebroughtyouhere,then?” heasked,inamorecomposedvoice,puttinghisweaponbackintohisbosom. “Can’tagentlemanlivequietlywithoutyourcomingtopeepandpry? Haveyounobusinessofyourowntolookafter,eh?Andmydaughter?Howcameyoutoknowanythingofher? Andwhathaveyoubeentryingtosqueezeoutofher? Itwasn’tchancethatbroughtyouhere.” “No,”saidIboldly,“itwasnotchancewhichbroughtmehere. Ihavehadseveralopportunitiesofseeingyourdaughterandofappreciatinghermanynoblequalities. Weareengagedtobemarriedtoeachother,andIcameupwiththeexpressintentionofseeingher.” Insteadofblazingintoafury,asIhadexpected,thegeneralgavealongwhistleofastonishment,andthenleantupagainsttherailings,laughingsoftlytohimself. “Englishterriersarefondofnosingworms,”heremarkedatlast. “WhenwebroughtthemouttoIndiatheyusedtotrotoffintothejungleandbeginsniffingatwhat,theyimaginedtobewormsthere. Butthewormturnedouttobeavenomoussnake,andsopoordoggyplayednomore. Ithinkyou’llfindyourselfinasomewhatanalogouspositionifyoudon’tlookout.” “Yousurelydon’tmeantocastanaspersionuponyourowndaughter?”Isaid,flushingwithindignation. “Oh,Gabrielisallright,”heansweredcarelessly. “Ourfamilyisnotexactlyone,however,whichIshouldrecommendayoungfellowtomarryinto. AndprayhowisitthatIwasnotinformedofthissnuglittlearrangementofyours?” “Wewereafraid,sir,thatyoumightseparateus,”Ireplied,feelingthatperfectcandourwasthebestpolicyunderthecircumstances.“Itispossiblethatweweremistaken. Beforecomingtoanyfinaldecision,Iimploreyoutorememberthatthehappinessofbothofusisatstake. Itisinyourpowertodivideourbodies,butoursoulsshallbeforeverunited.” “Mygoodfellow,”saidthegeneral,inanotunkindlytone,“youdon’tknowwhatyouareaskingfor. ThereisagulfbetweenyouandanyoneofthebloodofHeatherstonewhichcanneverbebridgedover.” portraitofSirArthurConanDoyle Alltraceofangerhadvanishednowfromhismanner,andgivenplacetoanairofsomewhatcontemptuousamusement. Myfamilypridetookfireathiswords.“Thegulfmaybelessthanyouimagine,”Isaidcoldly. “Wearenotclodhoppersbecauseweliveinthisout-of-the-wayplace. Iamofnobledescentononeside,andmymotherwasaBuchanofBuchan,Iassureyouthatthereisnosuchdisparitybetweenusasyouseemtoimagine.” “Youmisunderstandme,”thegeneralanswered. “Itisonoursidethatthedisparitylies. TherearereasonswhymydaughterGabrielshouldliveanddiesingle. Itwouldnotbetoyouradvantagetomarryher.” “Butsurely,sir,”Ipersisted,“Iamthebestjudgeofmyowninterestsandadvantages. Sinceyoutakethisgroundallbecomeseasy,forIdoassureyouthattheoneinterestwhichoverridesallothersisthatIshouldhavethewomanIloveformywife. Ifthisisyouronlyobjectiontoourmatchyoumaysurelygiveusyourconsent,foranydangerortrialwhichImayincurinmarryingGabrielwillnotweighwithmeonefeatherweight.” “Here’sayoungbantam!”exclaimedtheoldsoldier,smilingatmywarmth.“It’seasytodefydangerwhenyoudon’tknowwhatthedangeris.” “Whatisit,then?”Iasked,hotly.“ThereisnoearthlyperilwhichwilldrivemefromGabriel’sside.Letmeknowwhatitisandtestme.” “No,no.Thatwouldneverdo,”heansweredwithasigh,andthen,thoughtfully,asifspeakinghismindaloud:“Hehasplentyofpluckandisawell-grownlad,too. Wemightdoworsethanmakeuseofhim.” Hewentonmumblingtohimselfwithavacantstareinhiseyesasifhehadforgottenmypresence. “Lookhere,West,”hesaidpresently.“You’llexcusemeifIspokehastilyalittletimeago. ItisthesecondtimethatIhavehadoccasiontoapologizetoyouforthesameoffence.Itshan’toccuragain. Iamratherover-particular,nodoubt,inmydesireforcompleteisolation,butIhavegoodreasonsforinsistingonthepoint. Rightlyorwrongly,Ihavegotitintomyheadthatsomedaytheremightbeanorganizedraiduponmygrounds. IfanythingofthesortshouldoccurIsupposeImightreckonuponyourassistance?” “Sothatifeveryougotamessagesuchas‘Comeup,’oreven‘Cloomber,’youwouldknowthatitwasanappealforhelp,andwouldhurryupimmediately,evenifitwereinthedeadofthenight?” “MostcertainlyIshould,”Ianswered.“ButmightIaskyouwhatthenatureofthedangeriswhichyouapprehend?” “Therewouldbenothinggainedbyyourknowing. Indeed,youwouldhardlyunderstanditifItoldyou. Imustbidyougooddaynow,forIhavestayedwithyoutoolong. Remember,IcountuponyouasoneoftheCloombergarrisonnow.” “Oneotherthing,sir,”Isaidhurriedly,forhewasturningaway,”IhopethatyouwillnotbeangrywithyourdaughterforanythingwhichIhavetoldyou. Itwasformysakethatshekeptitallsecretfromyou.” “Allright,”hesaid,withhiscold,inscrutablesmile. “Iamnotsuchanogreinthebosomofmyfamilyasyouseemtothink. Astothismarriagequestion,Ishouldadviseyouasafriendtoletitdropaltogether,butifthatisimpossibleImustinsistthatitstandovercompletelyforthepresent. Itisimpossibletosaywhatunexpectedturneventsmaytake.Good-bye.” Heplungedintothewoodandwasquicklyoutofsightamongthedenseplantation. Thusendedthisextraordinaryinterview,inwhichthisstrangemanhadbegunbypointingaloadedpistolatmybreastandhadended,bypartiallyacknowledgingthepossibilityofmybecominghisfutureson-in-law. Ihardlyknewwhethertobecastdownorelatedoverit. Ontheonehandhewaslikely,bykeepingacloserwatchoverhisdaughter,topreventusfromcommunicatingasfreelyaswehaddonehitherto. Againstthistherewastheadvantageofhavingobtainedanimpliedconsenttotherenewalofmysuitatsomefuturedate. Onthewhole,IcametotheconclusionasIwalkedthoughtfullyhomethatIhadimprovedmypositionbytheincident. Butthisdanger—thisshadowy,unspeakabledanger—whichappearedtoriseupateveryturn,andtohangdayandnightoverthetowersofCloomber! RackmybrainasIwould,Icouldnotconjureupanysolutiontotheproblemwhichwasnotpuerileandinadequate. Onefactstruckmeasbeingsignificant. Boththefatherandthesonhadassuredme,independentlyofeachother,thatifIweretoldwhattheperilwas,Iwouldhardlyrealizeitssignificance. Howstrangeandbizarremustthefearbewhichcanscarcelybeexpressedinintelligiblelanguage! IheldupmyhandinthedarknessbeforeIturnedtosleepthatnight,andIsworethatnopowerofmanordevilshouldeverweakenmyloveforthewomanwhosepureheartIhadhadthegoodfortunetowin. 
