"NOT FINISHED."
The next morning he went upon his journey, and a few days later the son
came. He was a tall young fellow, with a dark, strongly cut face,
deep-set black eyes and an unconventional air. Those who had been wont
to watch his father, watched him in his turn with quite as much
interest. He seemed to apply himself to the task of exploring the place
at once. He went out a great deal and in all sorts of weather. He even
presented himself at "Haworth's," and making friends with Floxham got
permission to go through the place and look at the machinery. His simple
directness of speech at once baffled and softened Floxham.
"My name's Murdoch," he said. "I'm an American and I'm interested in
mechanics. If it isn't against your rules I should like to see your
machinery."
Floxham pushed his cap off his forehead and looked him over.
"Well, I'm dom'd," he remarked.
It had struck him at first that this might be "cheek." And then he
recognized that it was not.
Murdoch looked slightly bewildered.
"If there is any objection----" he began.
"Well, there is na," said Floxham. "Coom on in." And he cut the matter
short by turning into the door.
"Did any 'o yo' chaps see that felly as coom to look at th' machinery?"
he said afterward to his comrades. "He's fro' 'Merica, an' danged if he
has na more head-fillin' than yo'd think fur. He goes round wi' his
hands i' his pockits lookin' loike a foo', an' axin' questions as ud
stump an owd un. He's th' inventin' chap's lad. I dunnot go much wi'
inventions mysen, but th' young chap's noan sich a foo' as he looks."
Between mother and son but little had been said on the subject which
reigned supreme in the mind of each. It had never been their habit to
speak freely on the matter. On the night of Hilary's arrival, as they
sat together, the woman said:
"He went away three days ago. He will be back at the end of the week. He
hoped to have good news for you."
They said little beyond this, but both sat silent for some time
afterward, and the conversation became desultory and lagged somewhat
until they separated for the night.
The week ended with fresh gusts of wind and heavy rains. Stephen Murdoch
came home in a storm. On the day fixed for his return, his wife scarcely
left her seat at the window for an hour. She sat looking out at the
driving rain with a pale and rigid face; when the night fell and she
rose to close the shutters, Hilary saw that her hands shook.
She made the small room as bright as possible, and set the evening meal
upon the table, and then sat down and waited again by the fire, cowering
a little over it, but not speaking.
"His being detained is not a bad sign," said Hilary.
Half an hour later they both started from their seats at once. There
was a loud summons at the door. It was Hilary who opened it, his mother
following closely.
A great gust of wind blew the rain in upon them, and Stephen Murdoch,
wet and storm-beaten, stepped in from the outer darkness, carrying the
wooden case in his hands.
He seemed scarcely to see them. He made his way past them and into the
lighted room with an uncertain step. The light appeared to dazzle him.
He went to the sofa weakly and threw himself upon it; he was trembling
like a leaf; he had aged ten years.
"I--I----" And then he looked up at them as they stood before him
waiting. "There is naught to say," he cried out, and burst into wild,
hysterical weeping, like that of a woman.
In obedience to a sign from his mother, Hilary left the room. When,
after the lapse of half an hour, he returned, all was quiet. His father
lay upon the sofa with closed eyes, his mother sat near him. He did not
rise nor touch food, and only spoke once during the evening. Then he
opened his eyes and turned them upon the case which still stood where he
had placed it.
"Take it away," he said in a whisper. "Take it away."
The next morning Hilary went to Floxham.
"I want work," he said. "Do you think I can get it here?"
"What soart does tha want?" asked the engineer, not too encouragingly.
"Th' gentlemanly soart as tha con do wi' kid-gloves an' a eye-glass on?"
"No," answered Murdoch, "not that sort."
Floxham eyed him keenly.
"Would tha tak' owt as was offert thee?" he demanded.
"I think I would."
"Aw reet, then! I'll gie thee a chance. Coom tha wi' me to th'
engine-room, an' see how long tha'lt stick to it."
It was very ordinary work he was given to do, but he seemed to take
quite kindly to it; in fact, the manner in which he applied himself to
the rough tasks which fell to his lot gave rise to no slight
dissatisfaction among his fellow-workmen, and caused him to be regarded
with small respect. He was usually a little ahead of the stipulated
time, he had an equable temper, and yet despite this and his civility,
he seemed often more than half oblivious of the existence of those
around him. A highly flavored joke did not awaken him to enthusiasm, and
perhaps chiefest among his failings was noted the fact that he had no
predilection for "sixpenny," and at his midday meal, which he frequently
brought with him and ate in any convenient corner, he sat drinking cold
water and eating his simple fare over a book.
"Th' chap is na more than haaf theer," was the opinion generally
expressed.
Since the night of his return from his journey, Stephen Murdoch had been
out no more. The neighbors watched for him in vain. The wooden case
stood unopened in his room,--he had never spoken of it. Through the long
hours of the day he lay upon the sofa, either dozing or in silent
wakefulness, and at length instead of upon the sofa he lay upon the bed,
not having strength to rise.
About three months after he had taken his place at Haworth's, Hilary
came home one evening to find his mother waiting for him at the door.
She shed no tears, there was in her face only a hopeless terror.
"He has sent me out of the room," she said. "He has been restless all
day. He said he must be alone."
Hilary went upstairs. Opening the door he fell back a step. The model
was in its old place on the work-table and near it stood a tall, gaunt,
white figure.
His father turned toward him. He touched himself upon the breast. "I
always told myself," he said, incoherently and hoarsely, "that there was
a flaw in it--that something was lacking. I have said that for thirty
years, and believed the day would come when I should remedy the wrong.
To-night I _know_. The truth has come to me at last. There was no
remedy. The flaw was in me," touching his hollow chest,--"in _me_. As I
lay there I thought once that perhaps it was not real--that I had
dreamed it all and might awake. I got up to see--to touch it. It is
there! Good God!" as if a sudden terror grasped him. "Not finished!--and
I----"
He fell into a chair and sank forward, his hand falling upon the model
helplessly and unmeaningly.
Hilary raised him and laid his head upon his shoulder. He heard his
mother at the door and cried out loudly to her.
"Go back!" he said. "Go back! You must not come in."