A DISCOVERY.
"See," I said, "he is looking our way. I should like to speak to him."
"But, dear child, are you strong enough?"
"Yes, yes," I cried, feverishly. "Do ask him, Lilian, to come here."
Lilian beckoned to him, and he came and stood in the doorway--a tall,
imposing-looking figure, with an air of dignity about his dark,
intellectual face.
I had talked to him only a few moments when I uttered an exclamation of
delight.
Lilian looked at me a little apprehensively, and, catching sight of my
face in the mirror opposite, I saw that it was flushed, and that my eyes
burnt like diamonds.
"Darling," Mrs. Ross whispered, soothingly, "I fear this will be too
much for you."
"Oh, no," I cried, excitedly. "It is joy, Lilian, joy. This man comes
straight from Chen-si, from Uncle Paul; he is a convert, and will be
baptized soon."
Lilian looked radiant.
"How wonderful it all is!" she said, softly. "How the Lord has
overshadowed us! I cannot the least grasp it yet, but no doubt you will
find out all about it."
"Yes, just fancy, Lilian; it's Mr. Li. Cicely has so often mentioned
him in her letters, he is such a clever man, and used to come to read
with Uncle Paul; but I did not know that he had become a Christian."
"I arrived in Pekin," Mr. Li was saying to me, "the very day you were
captured. I had some knowledge of the man Wang--indeed, I was able to
benefit him once--and he is attached to me in his way, but we must not
depend upon him. I fear he is wholly influenced by mercenary motives;
it will not be wise to address me when he is here, and I need hardly
tell you that he has not the smallest suspicion that I have any
knowledge of you. He wants the reward which has been offered; he met me
as I was making my way into the city, and, knowing that I had some
influence with the soldiers, he asked me to go with him to see if it
were possible to save you. Thank God, we arrived at the Hall just in
time."
"Thank God," we both said, or, rather, we almost breathed it from the
depths of our being.
A moment's silence followed.
"Does my father know that we are safe?" I asked, anxiously.
"Yes," said Mr. Li, soothingly, "and your husband also," and for the
first time he turned his grave gaze on Lilian. "And there was another,
too, a young man, very young; when he heard that you were prisoners, he
begged the Colonel to let him go at once; he said he had the strength of
ten men, and that he would fight his way to you or die."
I did not say a word. I turned my head and remained silent, but I saw a
young, bronzed face, and a pair of steadfast, blue eyes, that had never
been shadowed by fear or indecision.
"Of course, it would have been madness," Mr. Li went on, calmly, "if
would simply have meant death to everyone concerned. The Colonel saw
that at a glance, as the Legations are fast closed now, and every man is
wanted to defend them. Your only hope of deliverance lies in stratagem.
This man carried news to the Colonel to-day, and will probably bring you
a message, but I have plans," said Mr. Li. "I do not see the least use
in returning to Pekin, there is only danger there; on the contrary, I
should advise escape."
"Yes," we both said, "if only that were possible, but how?"
"I will tell you," he replied, and, as he spoke, the ghost of a smile
lighted up his dark face, "there is a gentleman without the gates whom
you both know; he has been making his way from Wei-hai-wei, whither he
has conducted his wife and children in safety."
"Uncle Paul?" I cried. "Is he here? Why did he come?"
"He came because he knew you were at Pekin, and guessed you might want
him."
"It is just like him; oh, I do hope he is not in danger."
"Rest assured," he replied, gently, "he is in God's hands, and he is
doing what is right. He runs less risk than an ordinary foreigner, as
he is a doctor as well as a missionary. I think the rioters at Chen-si
could hardly have been aware of this fact when they attacked him."
"God keep him safe," we both murmured fervently.
"Amen," said Mr. Li. "How wonderfully God has worked hitherto. I
arrived at Pekin the very day I could be of service to you. I knew that
Mr. St. John was coming on here, and I have held communication with him
already."
"How can he help us?" asked Mrs. Ross.
"In this way," he replied. "You cannot get into the Legation, it is
fast closed, and help cannot come from there, for even if it were
possible for a man to escape, he would be murdered when he set his foot
outside the walls."--Mr. Li little knew of the strength, and courage,
and determination of which Englishmen are capable.--"Hope lies in
another direction altogether; from this house there are secret passages
which lead out of Pekin; the Boxers know nothing of them, for," he
added, with a touch of pardonable pride, "they were devised with great
care, and were the work of many years."
"Does this house belong to you?" I asked.
"Yes," he replied, "the construction of these underground passages was a
source of great interest to me in the past. I do not think that anyone
in Pekin knows of their existence, for, when they were constructed, I
employed Chen-si people. I knew nothing of God then, and yet all the
time He was directing me to build them for your deliverance."
"It is marvellous," said Mrs. Ross, softly. "I suppose our gravest
danger lies in remaining here?"
"That is so," he replied, gravely. "When Miss Nina" (he had caught my
name at once, though he pronounced it in a curious kind of way) "is well
enough, we must start at once."
"I am well now," I cried, and tried to rise, but I sank back trembling.
"No," he replied, "I fear we have been talking too long; the excitement
has been too much for you."
"Yes, Nina darling, do try and rest, or you will be ill again."
I felt that what they said was true; my head swam, my blood seemed to be
on fire; as I became delirious, I thought I heard Lilian say:--
"I wish Mr. St. John could see her," and afar off, it seemed to me,
another voice replied:--
"It might be possible to-night."
After that I heard nothing more. I had, instead, a terrible dream. I
thought there was a fire. It was an awful sight; the flames seemed to
scorch me as they leaped up, ruddy and bright, into the heavens, and
those cruel men who had tried to kill us, armed with pitchforks, forced
me nearer and ever nearer to the flames. I shrieked for mercy, but they
only laughed as they pushed me in. And then I was on fire, I was
burning. Oh, the unutterable agony of that burning! I tried to escape,
but I could not, for they formed a ring round me, and shouted and danced
in horrid glee; and then, all of a sudden I looked up, and beyond the
fire I saw a face that I seemed to know quite well, it had mingled with
my dreams, with my prayers so often lately--the face of the Christ--He
whom I loved, whom I had chosen. I saw His face as I had loved to
picture it, all worn as it were with the sorrows, and pain, and woes of
humanity, and, withal, crowned with ineffable patience and sweetness. I
was falling back into the flames, but He held out His hand, and the
demons gave way and melted into thin air. Oh, that strong right hand of
His! He caught me, and the burning all seemed to go, and the flames
were extinguished. I was floating in some lake of ambrosial coolness, a
delicious kind of languor stole over me, and the face of the Christ bent
over me and smiled. And then, somehow, as in a dream He vanished, and
Uncle Paul was there in His stead. I still lay on the couch, the only
difference being that Uncle Paul was there, his left arm under my head,
and in his right he held a cordial, part of which I had swallowed.
"She will do now," I heard him say, "and if she is left absolutely quiet
we can get away to-morrow." I heard it all as in a dream, nothing
seemed to surprise or trouble me, but as I sank into a delicious sleep I
heard someone say, without taking in the meaning of the words, or being
in the least alarmed by them:--
"It might be fatal to remain here another night."