_CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE_
"Then John sickened and said: 'Bring me into the room of silence.' Sothey brought him to the place where they sat each day to converse withGod in the holy stillness and hear His voice.
"Then John said: 'I am about to depart from among you, and before mygoing I put this command on you that you find in the world a male infanttoo young to know its father or mother, or without father and motherliving. Rear that child to manhood in the valley, for even as I departso will you all do, and the Garden of Eden will be left tenantless.'
"So when John was dead Matthew went forth and found a male child andbrought him to the valley and the two said: 'Where was the child foundand what is its name?' And Matthew said: 'It was found in the place towhich God led me and its name hereafter shall be David.'
"So peace was on the valley, and David grew tall and strong. Then Lukedied, and Paul died in a drift of snow and Matthew grew very old andwrote these words for the eye of David."
The smooth running, finely made letters come to an end, the narrativewas taken up in fresher ink and in a bold, heavy hand of largecharacters.
"One day Matthew called for David and said: 'My hands are cold, wherebyI know I am about to die. As I lay last night with death for a bedfellowthoughts came to me, which are these: We have been brother and fatherand son to one another. But do not grieve that I am gone. I inherit aplace of peace, but you shall come to torment unless you find a woman inthe world and bring her here to bear children to you and be your wife.'
"Then David groaned in his heart and he said: 'How shall I know her whenI find her?'
"And Matthew said: 'By her simplicity.'
"And David said: 'There may be many who are simple.'
"And Matthew said: 'I have never known such a woman. But when you seeher your heart will rise up and claim her. Therefore, within five years,before you are grown too old, go out and find this woman and wed her.'
"And on that day Matthew died, and a great anguish came to David. Thedays passed heavily. And for five years he has waited."
There was another interval of blank paper, and then the pen had beentaken up anew, hurriedly, and driven with such force and haste that ittore the paper-surface.
"The woman is here!"
Her fingers stiffened about the edges of the book. Raising her head, shelooked out through the little window and saw the tree tops down thehillside brightening against the red of the dawn. But Connor could notsee her face. He only noted the place at which she had stopped, and nowhe began to laugh.
"Can you beat that? That poor dub!"
She turned to him, slowly, a face so full of mute anguish that thegambler stopped his laughter to gape at her. Was she taking thisseriously? Was this the Bluebeard's chamber which was to ruin all hiswork?
Not that he perceived what was going on in her mind, but her expressionmade him aware, all at once, of the morning-quiet. Far down the valley ahorse neighed and a bird swooping past the window cast in on them onethrilling phrase of music. And Connor saw the girl change under his veryeye. She was looking straight at him without seeing his face and intowhatever distance her glance went he felt that he could not follow her.Here at the very threshold of success the old ledger was proving a moredangerous enemy than David himself. Connor fumbled for words, the OpenSesame which would let in the common sense of the everyday world uponthe girl. But the very fear of that crisis kept him dumb. He glancedfrom the pale hand on the ledger to her face, and it seemed to him thatbeauty had fallen upon her out of the book.
"The woman is here! God has sent her!"
At that she cried out faintly, her voice trembling with self-scorn: "Godhas sent me--me!"
"The heart of David stood up and beat in his throat when he saw her,"went on the rough, strong writing. "She passed the gate. Every step shetook was into the soul of David. As I went beside her the trees grewtaller and the sky was more blue.
"She has passed the gate. She is here. She is mine!
"What am I that she should be mine? God has sent her to show me that mystrength is clumsy. I have no words to fit her. When I look into hereyes I see her soul; my vision leaps from star to star, a greatdistance, and I am filled with humility. O Father in Heaven, having ledher to my hand, teach me to give her happiness, to pour her spirit fullof content."
She closed the book reverently and pressed her hands against her face.He heard her murmuring: "What have I done? God forgive me!"
Connor grew angry. It was no time for trifling.
He touched her arm: "Come on out of this, Ruth. If you're going to getreligion, try it later."
At that she flung away and faced him, and what he saw was a revelationof angry scorn.
"Don't touch me," she stammered at him. "You cheat! Is that thebarbarian you were telling me about? Is that the cruel, selfish fool youtried to make me think was David of Eden?"
His own weapons were turning against him, but he retained hisself-control.
"I won't listen to you, Ruth. It's this hush-stuff that's got you. It'sthis infernal room. It makes you feel that the fathead has actually gotthe dope from God."
"How do you know that God hasn't come to him here? At least, he's hadthe courage and the faith to believe it. What faith have we? I know yourheaven, Ben Connor. It's paved with dollar bills. And mine, too. We'vecome sneaking in here like cowardly thieves. Oh, I hate myself, I loathemyself. I've stolen his heart, and what have I to give him in exchange?I'm not even worthy to love him! Barbarian? He's so far greater andfiner than we are that we aren't worthy to look in his face!"
"By the Lord!" groaned Connor. "Are you double-crossing me?"
"Could I do anything better? Who tempted me like a devil and brought mehere? Who taught me to play the miserable game with David? You, you,you!"
Perspiration was streaming down the white face of Connor.
"Try to give me a chance and listen one minute, Ruth. But for God's sakedon't fly off the handle and smash everything when we're next door towinning. Maybe I've done wrong. I don't see how. I've tried to givethis David a chance to be happy the way any other man would want to behappy. Now you turn on me because he's written some high-flying chatterin a book!"
"Because I thought he was a selfish sham, and now I see that he's real.He's humbled himself to me--to me! I'm not worthy to touch his feet! Andyou--"
"Maybe I'm rotten. I don't say I'm all I should be, but half of whatI've done has been for you. The minute I saw you at the key in Lukin Iknew I wanted you. I've gone on wanting you ever since. It's the firsttime in my life--but I love you, Ruth. Give me one more chance. Put thisthing through and I'll turn over the rest of my life to fixing you upso's you'll be happy."
She watched him for a moment incredulously; then she broke intohysterical laughter.
"If you loved me could you have made me do what I've done? Love? You?But I know what real love is. It's written into that book. I've heardhim talk. I'm full of his voice, of his face.
"It's the only fine thing about me. For the rest, we're shams, both ofus--cheats--crooked--small, sneaking cheats!"
She stopped with a cry of alarm; the door behind her stood open and inthe entrance was David of Eden. In the background was the ugly, grinningface of Joseph. This was his revenge.
Connor made one desperate effort to smile, but the effort failedwretchedly. Neither of them could look at David; they could only stealglances at one another and see their guilt.
"David, my brother--" began the gambler heavily.
But the voice of the master broke in: "Oh, Abraham, Abraham, would toGod that I had listened!"
He stood to one side, and made a sweeping gesture.
"Come out, and bring the woman."
They shrank past him and stood blinking in the light of the newly risensun. Joseph was hugging himself with the cold and his mute delight. Themaster closed the door and faced them again.
"Even in the Room of Silence!" he said slowly. "Was it not enough tobring sin into the Garden? But you have carried it even
into the holyplace!"
Connor found his tongue. The fallen head of Ruth told him that there wasno help to be looked for from her, and the crisis forced him into acertain boisterous glibness of speech.
"Sin, Brother David? What sin? To be sure, Ruth was too curious. Shewent into the Room of Silence, but as soon as I knew she was there Iwent to fetch her, when--"
He had even cast out one arm in a gesture of easy persuasion, and now itwas caught at the wrist in a grip that burned through the flesh to thebones. Another hand clutched his coat at the throat. He was lifted andflung back against the wall by a strength like that of a madman, or awild animal. One convulsive effort showed him his helplessness, and hecried out more in horror than fear. Another cry answered him, and Ruthstrove to press in between, tearing futilely at the arms of David.
A moment later Connor was miraculously freed. He found David a long paceaway and Ruth before him, her arms flung out to give him shelter whileshe faced the master of the garden.
"He is saved," said David, "and you are free. Your love has ransomedhim. What price has he paid to win you so that you will even risk deathfor him?"
"Oh, David," sobbed the girl, "don't you see I only came between you tokeep you from murder? Because he isn't worth it!"
But the master of the Garden was laughing in a way that made Connor lookabout for a weapon and shrink because he found none; only the greedyeyes of Joseph, close by. David had come again close to the girl; heeven took both her hands in one of his and slipped his arm about her. ToConnor his self-control now seemed more terrible than that one outbreakof murdering passion.
"Still lies?" said David. "Still lies to me? Beautiful Ruth--never morebeautiful than now, even when you lied to me with your eyes and yoursmiles and your promises! The man is nothing. He came like a snake tome, and his life is worth no more than the life of a snake. Let himlive, let him die; it is no matter. But you, Ruth! I am not evenangered. I see you already from a great distance, a beautiful, evilthing that has been so close to me. For you have been closer to me thanyou are now that my arm is around you, touching you for the last time,holding your warmth and your tender body, keeping both your hands, whichare smaller and softer than the hands of a child. But mighty hands,nevertheless.
"They have held the heart of David, and they have almost thrown his soulinto eternal hellfire. Yet you have been closer to me than you are now.You have been in my heart of hearts. And I take you from it sadly--withregret, for the sin of loving you has been sweet."
She had been sobbing softly all this time, but now she mastered herselflong enough to draw back a little, taking his hands with a desperateeagerness, as though they gave her a hold upon his mind.
"Give me one minute to speak out what I have to say. Will you give meone half minute, David?"
His glance rose past her, higher, until it was fixed on the east, and ashe stood there with his head far back Connor guessed for the first timeat the struggle which was going on within him. The girl pressed closerto him, drawing his hands down as though she would make him stoop toher.
"Look at me, David!"
"I see your face clearly."
"Still, look at me for the one last time."
"I dare not, Ruth!"
"But will you believe me?"
"I shall try. But I am glad to hear your voice, for the last time."
"I've come to you like a cheat, David, and I've tried to win you inorder to steal the horses away, but I've stayed long enough to see thetruth.
"If everything in the valley were offered me--the horses and themen--and everything outside of the valley, without you, I'd throw themaway. I don't want them. Oh, if prayers could make you believe, you'dbelieve me now; because I'm praying to you, David.
"You love me, David. I can feel you trembling, and I love you more thanI ever dreamed it was possible to love. Let me come back to you. I don'twant the world or anything that's in it. I only want you. David--I onlywant you! Will you believe me?"
And Connor saw David of Eden sway with the violence of his struggle.
But he murmured at length, as one in wonder:
"How you are rooted in me, Ruth! How you are wound into my life, so thatit is like tearing out my heart to part from you. But the God of theGarden and John and Matthew has given me strength." He stepped back fromher.
"You are free to go, but if you return the doom against you is deathlike that of any wild beast that steals down the cliffs to kill in myfields. Begone, and let me see your face no more. Joseph, take them tothe gate."
And he turned his back with a slowness which made his resolution themore unmistakable.