INTERNATIONAL ELEMENTS
But, alas, this was easier said than done, like most things in this
world of words. When I had put myself into choice apparel, with hat and
tie exhibiting my College colours--which we should have carried to the
head of the river, if fate had not swept me from the New College
boat--and when I had impeached that fate again, for not affording me my
brother Harold's face, yet resolving to brazen it out, had appeared
inside the lower door of St. Winifred's stronghold (which I knew how to
open by the owner's counsel)--instead of finding things in their wonted
peace, orderly, picturesque, in statuesque repose, at a glance I
descried a very warlike change.
There was Stepan with a long gun, and cartridges enough in the bandoleer
on his braided frock to account for all the civic force, as well as half
of Aldershot; and behind him a score of fellows no less martial. Both
the gigantic dogs were loose, and equally resolute against invasion;
even little Allai was in a clump of trees, with a dagger as long as
himself in both hands, and his white teeth ground against all Albion.
In the name of wonder, what could be in the wind? Just like my luck of
course it was, at a most important moment, to hit upon something far
more momentous to the very people I was come to move.
"Good Stepan, I pray thee to communicate unto me the signification of
the matters I behold." For I knew that this trusty Caucasian had picked
up a bit of our language, and preferred the long bits. He rolled his
fine eyes, which were big enough for mill-stones, and in his still
bigger mind revolved the sounds which had vainly reached his ears. "What
are you up to now?" I amended my enquiry; and having heard the milk-boy
say something to that tune, when they declined so much of heaven in his
cans, he bowed his head magnificently, and said, "All right."
This is the first consolation found by a foreigner in our language. It
is courteous to ourselves as well, and shows confidence in our country.
"What a fool you are!" I cried, with a Briton's low ingratitude; and
then I saw the stately figure of Sûr Imar coming towards me. This king
of the mountains looked as calm as if he had been girded with ancestral
snow. There was no sort of weapon in his broad white belt, and no menace
worse than a hospitable smile upon his large fair countenance. He took
me by both hands, with a tenderness for the left, which proved how kind
his memory was, and led the way to a seat beneath the ivied wall, and
looked at me as if he liked me.
"I have been expecting you for many days," he said; and nothing but a
little turn of voice just here and there could have led one to suppose
that he was not of English birth; "why have you never come to show me
whether I am a good physician?"
I gave him all true reasons, that I had been away, and occupied with a
number of home cares when at home, and I spoke of my parents in a way
which he approved; and then I was led on by his kindness so that I asked
whether he was quite at leisure.
"Even more than usual," he answered with a smile. "We have stopped our
little operations for the afternoon; because we have been admonished by
a kind friend that some little attack upon our place may be expected."
"Well, you are a cool hand!" was almost upon my lips; but a glance at
him prevented any personal remark. He was not the sort of man to be
dealt with thus. But I resolved at least to be straightforward with him.
"Sûr Imar, I must not come here under false pretences. The fact is
simply this, and I wish to tell you first, for no blame can possibly
attach to her, and I have not told her of it. But I love your daughter,
Dariel."
He looked at me with some surprise, but no sign of resentment; and I
met his clear gaze firmly, trying at the same time to look braver than I
felt, for he took a long time before he answered.
"Ah, you little know what you are bringing upon yourself. For the sake
of your friends you must overcome--you must put it down at once; before
it gets stronger, quench it. For the sake of all who love you, and all
your hopes in life, you must conquer it, abolish it, annihilate it. You
are a man of strong will, if I have any knowledge of the English face."
His tone and manner were of friendly advice, rather than of stern
forbiddance.
"I know my own mind on this subject," I replied, "and nothing will alter
it. Whatever the consequence may be to myself, I shall go on unless
there is fear of harming her."
"There is fear of harming her, very great fear of it. Perhaps you have
the right to know. That depends upon yourself. Tell me, for I am at a
loss to understand, how long this has been, and how it can have
happened; for surely it is of short opportunity."
"That is true enough, and too true;" for although it had been going on
with me for months, there had not been half the opportunities I longed
for; "but it has been growing very rapidly, Sûr Imar, although there
have been so few interviews, and the first of them quite a one-sided
one. In fact I have had very little chance as yet--one occasion I lost
altogether, and I did not make the best of another. Oh, no, I have
scarcely had any proper chances yet."
"Be thankful that it is so, my friend. It will be my duty to prevent
their increase." Dariel's father smiled at his own words, with a sense
of humour which I did not share. "But just have the kindness, for I have
the right to know, to tell me how there can have been any interviews at
all. My daughter has been brought up in England mainly, and resembles in
many points an English young lady, rather than a Lesghian; but----"
"It has never been any fault of hers at all. Altogether my fault, what
little fault there has been. But I hope, if you don't encourage me, Sûr
Imar, you will take good care not to let anybody else."
"That is rather a surprising demand;" he spoke so gravely that it was
my turn to smile at the modesty of my own request. "Because you are
prohibited, all the world must be so. But tell me how you fell into this
sad mishap."
"That I shall never consider it, Sûr Imar, however hopeless my prospect
may be. Already I feel that my life has been exalted, my standard
elevated, my character in every way----"
"I am sorry to hurry you, Mr. Cranleigh, in the course of your
self-congratulations; but some invasion of our refuge may be expected
now at almost any moment. And afterwards there may not be good
opportunity of speaking."
Thereupon I told him, as briefly as I could, how my admiration first
began, and how it had become entire devotion, in spite of the niggardly
occasions it had found, and that now I set before me but one object in
the world, and cared not for obstacles, denials, scruples, opinion of
others, or perdition of myself--in for it I was, and go through with it
I would. Then he stopped me, as if I spoke at random.
"Did you begin it, sir, in this lofty manner? Were all these fine
sentiments already in your mind, when you peeped through the hedge at my
daughter?"
"Sir, you exaggerate that small proceeding; and I am not a bit ashamed
of it now," I replied, "because of the glorious results it has
produced."
"I am a little inclined to think that I hear a thumping"--in my heart
there was one of the biggest thumpings ever known, as I defied him thus,
and he disarmed me in that manner. "Is it the arrival of your Civic
Force?"
The Peelers, the Coppers, the Bobbies, there they were, beyond all
doubt; and I believe that I shall pay the Police-rate--our tribute to
the powers invisible--for the rest of my life without a growl, because
of the moment of their knocking at that door.
"Stop, sir," I shouted, as the Prince was marching off, in his leisurely
style--for nothing ever made him hurry--"there is one thing I have
forgotten. Fasten up the dogs. I was ordered especially to tell you
that; otherwise the poor things may be shot."
"Dogs must take their chance in a conflict of mankind. But I leave them
to you, Mr. Cranleigh." I knew not then that the true Caucasian is never
brought up to love animals, and I wondered to find him so unjust. If a
man likes to rush into a conflict, well and good. But to let a dog
sacrifice himself to loyal feeling, appears to me unrighteous on the
master's part. So I ran for my life, and caught _Kuban_ and _Orla_ (who
would have rushed point-blank at the muzzle of a cannon), and with much
difficulty, and some help, thumped them into their kennels.
Meanwhile the kicking at the upper door, and the shouting of hoarse
voices, and the hoisting of coned heads between the ivied battlements,
were waxing every moment; and so was the ferocity of the warriors
inside, who had not enjoyed a fight, perhaps, ever since they came to
England, the country of policemen, who mainly beat white gloves. But the
master of the place ordered all his henchmen back, and made them stand
their murderous guns against the peaceful ivy.
Then he swang on its pivot the bar of the door, which had been
readjusted since Slemmick dashed through, and throwing it wide he stood
among the foes, and spoke.
"This is a very great commotion you are raising. Is there law in this
land, that such things are allowed?"
We beheld a large force of constables outside, as if much resistance had
been expected; and some of the mounted police were present to intercept
any runaway. "Sir, there is law in the land; and under it I hold a
search-warrant of these premises, with orders to arrest all persons
here, in case of certain discoveries. Sergeant, you will see that no one
leaves the place, without my permission. Now, sir."
Exhibiting his warrant, the chief officer fixed keen eyes upon Sûr
Imar's face, and scanned with stern suspicion the tranquil smile and the
very peaceful aspect. "To the mill first! To the mill at once!" he
shouted, with some show of temper, being annoyed, as I could see, by the
calmness of this reception. "Sir, will you have the kindness to inform
me, why the mill is not at work, as usual?"
"It was scarcely worth while, when I expected you, to begin work, and
then be interrupted."
"You expected me, sir? What the devil do you mean?" cried the officer,
as one in a fury.
"For some little time," Sûr Imar answered, with one of his most majestic
bows, "I have looked forward to this pleasure; but until this morning I
could not be sure of the hour most convenient to you. But according to a
proverb of your country, 'better late than never,' sir. The mill is at
your service, and all that it contains. I have also provided some
refreshment for your men. Not such as I could wish, but what you call
'rough and ready.'"
"And you have laid it out in the mill! The very place we were to have
broken up! Of course, you have had time to clear everything away. It is
a farce, sir, a farce, to carry out our orders now."
"It would be that at any time, for you never should have received them.
There is in this country, though the constitution is the noblest in the
world--which generally means the least corrupt--very imperfect
communication between the working departments. Perhaps you will
encourage your men to search; while I am proving it needless. That would
be of a piece with your other arrangements. That is not your style of
business? Nay, but feeding is. I perceive that your men have walked far,
good sir. I entreat you to let them recruit their strength. Stepan,
bring two more chairs this way. Gentlemen, I hope that you can manage
roast-beef cold. If the date had been more definite, we could have shown
more hospitality."
"These things are beyond my understanding," said the officer, gazing at
his men, who stood strictly at attention, with eyes very right for the
great sirloin; "I have never been more astonished in my life. Will you
give me your word, sir, that no one shall leave the place? Then I see no
good reason against a little refreshment, while you are explaining this
strange state of things to me. Members of the Force, all fall to! Ha,
what perfect discipline!"
I scarcely know when I have been more pleased, in my little way of
regarding things, than I was at that moment to see everybody converted
from the track of war, as one might say, to the course, or (as might be
considered even better, when the fork takes its place as the knife's
better half) the chairs--the comfortable dining-chairs of peace. Gallant
as any known soldier on the globe, which can show more varieties of them
than of soil or climate, is the true British Peeler in quest of
promotion; and these were all picked men, as they soon began to prove;
and a warm sense of Providence arose within me, at the privilege of
seeing them pitch into the victuals, instead of storming Caucasus.
"I am not intelligent of British manners," quoth Sûr Imar to the chief
officer, "as if I had the honour, sir, of belonging to your island. But
so far as a foreigner may understand your race, I trust that they will
make progress now."
"Like a house on fire," replied the officer, with a bow, and perhaps
some inclination to do better with his lips, than discipline as yet
encouraged. "Sir, I understood that you were going to show me
something."
"Sir, in my native land we have a manner, suggested perhaps by the
rigour of the climate, of producing a savoury broil at short notice.
Measures to that effect were taken upon your first application at my
door; and if you will do me the honour of coming to my room, I would ask
for the advantage of your opinion on that subject. I trust that Mr.
George Cranleigh will join us."
"Mr. Cranleigh! Is this Sir Harold Cranleigh's son?" the officer
enquired, and a very gentlemanlike expression, which had been dawning on
his austere features, became established there for the rest of the day.
"After you, sir. After you!" with a bow that did credit to the Force, he
protested; and soon he held his own in a spirited discussion upon the
most effective form discovered for a carving-knife.
"Well, sir, what report am I to make?" he asked, in a very proper frame
of mind, when now there was little left, and still less wanted;
"according to instructions, made strict search of suspected premises,
encountered no resistance, found nothing in contravention of the law,
but excellent dinner prepared for us. Embraced the opportunity,
according to precept and example of superior officers; found no
occasion to take any one in charge, and know no more than we knew
before."
"You shall know more than you knew before. You shall not return without
perfect satisfaction as to the question which brought you here. You have
exhibited the common-sense, the self-restraint, and the consideration
which English officials alone display. You perceived that it would be
what you call a farce, to search the suspected premises, when you found
that your visit was expected. But the gendarmery of any other country
would have wreaked their anger and disappointment upon the suspected
objects. They would have shattered my machinery, sir; and that would
have been a heavy blow to me. I have naturally been indignant at the low
suspicions entertained of me. Otherwise I would have routed them, by
referring your chiefs to the Foreign Office. One word there would have
saved all this trouble. But now you shall understand this mighty secret;
and so shall Mr. Cranleigh, if he cares to know it."
With these words our kind host left the table, and crossed the room to a
large cupboard, which he unlocked, and took from it a box containing
things that jingled. This box he placed between us with the cover off,
and we saw a quantity of small metallic objects, of very queer forms and
various construction, like pieces of a Chinese puzzle. Sûr Imar stood
regarding us with a smile; for he saw that neither of us was a whit the
wiser.
"Those are the products of my mill," he said; "no very portentous
secret; but it might be fatal to my object, if my little scheme were to
find its way prematurely into the public Press. Therefore, I will ask
you, Mr. Officer, not to enter this in your report, though you are at
liberty to mention it in confidence to your chief. Mr. Cranleigh, I am
sure, will not speak of it at all, if I put it to him so. Now, what do
you call these little things?"
"Couldn't guess to save my life," the officer replied, as he fingered
one or two; "artificial insects, spiders, tadpoles, shrimps, or
dragon-flies--no, that won't do; I give it up, Sir Imar."
"I know what it is," I said, not by any stroke of genius, but through my
brother's workshop; "it is all of it type, of some queer sort, but what
the metal is I have not the least idea."
"Type it is, as you perceive. But to what language it belongs, I doubt
whether even the British Museum could tell you. For the very simple
reason that nothing has been printed in that language yet. It is type of
the Lesghian alphabet, the first that has ever been cut, or cast, or in
any other manner fashioned. Our language is a very fine one, infinitely
the finest of all the forms of speech in the long tract of mountains.
But nothing in it has been printed yet. We are obliged to have recourse
to Arabic, if we desire to publish anything. And not only that, but the
children even of our noblest families have not the least idea--Officer,
I see that you are pressed for time; but if you had leisure to see me
work this press, not with those castings, but the larger form, the
capitals in fact, the coarse capitals, which we turned out first,--for
we had to feel our way,--I am almost sure that you would agree with
me--"
"I am sure that I should, sir. No doubt about that. I never saw anything
so beautiful in my life. But we have exceeded our time, Sir Imar. Thank
you--well, I will taste a toss of that liqueur. Upon my word, you know
the right thing all round! Sir Imar, your best health! Trappistine is
not a patch on it. Beg pardon, Sir Imar, for having hit your gate so
hard. I am not quite a literary man myself, but am able to allow for all
in that way situated. Good-bye, Sir Imar, and if any one encroaches upon
the freedom of the Press, for the folk about here are not like us, just
one line to Scotland Yard--a cigar, sir? Yes, it will enable me to
think. And I shall take that young fellow's horse back to the station."
Sûr Imar sat down, while I went to see them off; and outside the upper
door they gave three cheers. "Wonderful old chap! Grand old cock!" the
officer said to me as I offered him a light; "English Aristocracy not a
patch upon him for cooking a dinner or for languages. But as mad as a
March hare; what a pity! Don't he know what is good, though? Mr.
Cranleigh, attend to me. A man who can do French things to satisfy an
Englishman--that's what I call international, and no mistake!"