CHAPTER X
A CLEAR HORIZON
If any ordinary person be afflicted with ennui and want somethingto take his thoughts away from a perpetual consideration of his ownweariness let me recommend him to take up the interpretation of secretwriting. At first, perhaps, he may regard the matter lightly and beinclined to smile at its triviality. But after a little while, if hehave in him at all any of the persistence or doggedness which is, andshould be, a part of a man's nature, he will find the subject takepossession of him to the almost entire exclusion of all else. Turn fromit how he will; make he never so many resolutions to put the matterbehind him; try he never so hard to find some more engrossing topic, hewill still find the evasive mystery ever close before him. For my ownpart I can honestly say that I ate, drank, slept and dreamed secretwriting during the entire of the days and nights which intervenedbetween my taking up the task and the coming of Miss Anita to CrudenBay. All day long the hidden mystery was before me; wherever I was, inmy room, still or contorting myself; walking on the beach; or out on theheadlands, with the breezes singing in my ears, and the waves lappingbelow my feet. Hitherto in my life my only experience of hauntinghad been that of Gormala; but even that experience failed before theever-hopeful, ever-baffling subject of the cryptograms. The worst of myfeeling, and that which made it more poignant, was that I was of thefirm belief not only that there was a cryptogram but that my mind wasalready on the track of it. Every now and again, sometimes when the MS.or its copy was before me and sometimes when I was out in the open,for the moment not thinking of it at all, a sort of inspiration wouldcome to me; some sort of root idea whose full significance I felt itdifficult to grasp.
My first relief came on Tuesday when at noon I saw the high dog-cartdash past the gate and draw up short opposite the post-office.
I did not lose any time in reaching the cart so as to be able to helpthe ladies down. Marjory gave me both her hands and jumped lightly, butthe elder lady required a good deal of help. It is always thus; theexperience of every young man is the same. Every woman, old or young,except the one whom he likes to lift or carry tenderly, is willing to belifted or carried in the most leisurely or self-denying manner.
When Mrs. Jack and 'her friend' had come into the hotel sitting-room thelatter said to me:
"I hope you forgive us for all the trouble we have put you to."
"No trouble at all," I answered--and oh! it sounded so tame--"only apleasure!" "Thank you," she continued gravely, "that is very nice ofyou. Now we want you to add to your kindness and take us out again onthat rock. I have not yet finished my sketch, and I don't like to bebaffled."
"Finished your sketch, my dear," said Mrs. Jack, in a tone whichmanifestly showed that the whole thing was new to her. "Why, Marjory, itwas washed into the sea before Mr. Hunter came to help us!" The slight,quick blush which rose to her face showed that she understood the falseposition in which the maladroit remark placed her; but she went onpluckily:
"Oh, yes, dear, I know! What I mean is, that having set my heart onmaking that sketch, I want to do it; even if my first effort went wrong.That is, dear Mrs. Jack, if you do not mind our going out there again."
"Oh, my dear," said the elder lady, "of course I will do just whateveryou wish. But I suppose it will do if I sit on the rock near at hand?Somehow, since our experience there, I seem to prefer the mainland thanany place where you may have to swim to get away from it." Marjorysmiled at me as she said to her:
"That will do capitally. And you can keep the lunch basket; and haveyour eye on me and the rising of the tide all the time."
So I sent to Whinnyfold to have a boat ready when we should drive over.Whilst the ladies were preparing themselves for the boating trip Iwent to my room and took in my pocket the papers from the chest and myrescripts. I took also the letter which I had not been able to deliver.
At Whinnyfold Miss Anita and I took the steep zigzag to the beach,piloted by one of John Hay's boys whilst the other took Mrs. Jack acrossthe neck of the headland to the Sand Craigs.
As we went down the steep path, the vision of the procession of ghostsmoving steadily up it on Lammas Eve, came back to me; instinctively Ilooked round to see if Gormala was watching. I breathed more freely whenI saw she was not about.
I should dearly have liked to take Miss Anita alone in the boat, but Ifeared that such was not safe. Rowing amongst the rocks of the Skares isat the best of times no child's play, and I was guardian of too great atreasure to be willing to run any risks. Young Hay and I pulled, the boybeing in the bow and doing the steering. This position of affairs suitedme admirably, for it kept me close to my companion and facing her. Itwas at all times a pleasure to me as it would have been to any man, towatch her face; but to-day her eager joy at the beauty of all around hermade me thrill with delight. The day was ideal for the place; a bright,clear day with just a ripple of wind from the water which took the edgefrom the July heat. The sea quivered with points of light, as though itwere strewn with diamonds, and the lines of the racing tide threading away amongst the rocks below were alone an endless source of interest.We rowed slowly which is much the safest way of progression in thesewaters, and especially when, as now, the tide was running towards theend of the ebb. As the boy seemed to know every one of the myriad rockswhich topped the water, and by a sort of instinct even those that laybelow, we steered a devious course. I had told him to take us round bythe outer rocks from which thousands of seabirds rose screaming as weapproached; and as we crept in under the largest of them we felt thatmysterious sense of unworthiness which comes to one in deep water underthe shadow of rocks. I could see that Marjory had the sense of doubt,or of possible danger, which made her clutch hard at each gunwale ofthe boat till her knuckles grew white. As we rounded the Reivie o'Pircappies, and found the tide swirling amongst the pointed rocks,she grew so deadly pale that I felt concerned. I should have liked toquestion her, but as I knew from my experience of her courage that shewould probably prefer that I remained silent, I pretended not to notice.Male pretence does not count for much with women. She saw through meat once, and with a faint smile, which lit the pallor of her face likesunshine on snow, she said in so low a whisper that it did not reach thefisher boy:
"I was thinking what it would have been for us that day--only for you."
"I was glad," I answered in an equally low voice, "to be able to renderany help to--to Mrs. Jack and her friend."
"Mrs. Jack--and her friend--are very much obliged to you," she answeredgaily in her natural voice and tone. I could see that she had fullyregained her courage, as involuntarily she took her hands from the sidesof the boat. We kept now well out from the rocks and in deep water,and shortly sighted the Sand Craigs. As we could see Mrs. Jack and herescort trudging leisurely along the sand, and as we did not wish tohurry her, I asked young Hay with my companion's consent, to keepround the outermost of the Sand Craigs, which was now grey-white withsea-gulls. On our approach the birds all rose and wheeled round withmyriad screaming; the wonder and admiration of the girl's eyes as theyeagerly followed the sweep of the cloud of birds was good to see.
We hung around the great pointed rock till we saw Mrs. Jack making herway cautiously along the rocks. We rowed at once to the inner rock andplaced the luncheon basket in a safe place. We then prepared a littlesheltered nook for Mrs. Jack, with rugs and cushions so that she mightbe quite at ease. Miss Anita chose the place herself. I am bound to sayit was not just as I should have selected; for when she sat down, herback was towards the rock from which she had been rescued. It wasdoubtless the young girl's thoughtfulness in keeping her mind away froma place fraught with such unpleasant memories.
When she was safely installed we dismissed the boys till the half tide.Mrs. Jack was somewhat tired with her trudge over the sand, and evenwhen we left her she was nodding her head with coming sleep. Then MissAnita got out her little easel which I fixed for her as she directed;when her camp stool was rightly placed and her palette prepared I satdown on the rock at her feet and
looked at her whilst she began herwork. For a little while she painted in silence: then turning to me shesaid suddenly:
"What about those papers? Have you found anything yet?" It was only thenI bethought me of the letter in my pocket. Without a word I took it outand handed it to her. There was a slight blush as well as a smile on herface as she took it. When she saw the date she said impulsively:
"Why did I not get it before?"
"Because I had not got your address, and did not know how to reach you."
"I see!" she answered abstractedly as she began to read. When she hadgone right through it she handed it to me and said:
"Now you read it out loud to me whilst I paint; and let me ask questionsso that I may understand." So I read; and now and again she askedme searching questions. Twice or three times I had to read over thememorandum; but each time she began to understand better and better, andat last said eagerly:
"Have you ever worked out such reductions?"
"Not yet, but I could do so. I have been so busy trying to decipher thesecret writing that I have not had time to try any such writing myself."
"Have you succeeded in any way?"
"No!" I answered. "I am sorry to say that as yet I have nothingdefinite; though I am bound to say I am satisfied that there is acipher."
"Have you tried both the numbers and the dots?"
"Both," I answered; "but as yet I want a jumping-off place."
"Do you really think from what you have studied that the cipher is abiliteral one, or on the basis of a biliteral cipher?"
"I do! I can't say exactly how I came to think so; but I certainly do."
"Are there combinations of five?"
"Not that I can see."
"Are there combinations of less than five?"
"There may be. There are certainly."
"Then why on earth don't you begin by reducing the biliteral cipher tothe lowest dimensions you can manage? You may light on something thatway."
A light began to dawn upon me, and I determined that my task--so soon asmy friends had left Cruden--would be to reduce Bacon's biliteral. It waswith genuine admiration for her suggestion that I answered Miss Anita:
"Your woman's intuition is quicker than my man's ratiocination. 'I shallin all my best obey you, Madam!'" She painted away steadily for sometime. I was looking at her, covertly but steadily when an odd flash ofmemory came to me; without thinking I spoke:
"When I first saw you, as you and Mrs. Jack stood on the rock, and awaybeyond you the rocks were all fringed with foam, your head looked asif it was decked with flowers." For a moment or two she paused beforeasking:
"What kind of flowers?"
Once again in our brief acquaintance I stood on guard. There wassomething in her voice which made me pause. It made my brain whirl, too,but there was a note of warning. At this time, God knows, I did not wantany spurring. I was head over heels in love with the girl, and my onlyfear was lest by precipitancy I should spoil it all. Not for the wideworld would I have cancelled the hopes that were dawning in me andfilling me with a feverish anxiety. I could not help a sort of satisfiedfeeling as I answered:
"White flowers!"
"Oh!" she said impulsively, and then with a blush continued, paintinghard as she spoke:
"That is what they put on the dead! I see!" This was a counter-strokewith a vengeance. It would not do to let it pass so I added:
"There is another 'first-column' function also in which white flowersare used. Besides, they don't put flowers on the head of corpses."
"Of whom then?" The note of warning sounded again in the meekness of thevoice. But I did not heed it. I did not want to heed it. I answered:
"Of Brides!" She made no reply--in words. She simply raised her eyes andsent one flashing glance through me, and then went on with her work.That glance was to a certain degree encouragement; but it was to a muchgreater degree dangerous, for it was full of warning. Although my brainwas whirling, I kept my head and let her change the conversation withwhat meekness I could.
We accordingly went back to the cipher. She asked me many questions, andI promised to show her the secret writings when we should go back to thehotel. Here she struck in:
"We have ordered dinner at the hotel; and you are to dine with us." Itried not to tremble as I answered:
"I shall be delighted."
"And now," she said "if we are to have lunch here to-day we had bettergo and wake Mrs. Jack. See! the tide has been rising all the time wehave been talking. It is time to feed the animals."
Mrs. Jack was surprised when we wakened her; but she too was ready forlunch. We enjoyed the meal hugely.
At half-tide the Hay boys came back. Miss Anita thought that there wasenough work for them both in carrying the basket and helping Mrs. Jackback to the carriage. "You will be able to row all right, will you not?"she said, turning to me. "You know the way now and can steer. I shallnot be afraid!"
When we were well out beyond the rock and could see the figures of Mrs.Jack and the boys getting further away each step, I took my courage inboth hands; I was getting reckless now, and said to her:
"When a man is very anxious about a thing, and is afraid that just foromitting to say what he would like to say, he may lose something that hewould give all the rest of the world to have a chance of getting--do--doyou think he should remain silent?" I could see that she, too, couldrealise a note of warning. There was a primness and a want of the usualreality in her voice as she answered me:
"Silence, they say, is golden." I laughed with a dash of bitternesswhich I could not help feeling as I replied:
"Then in this world the gold of true happiness is only for the dumb!"she said nothing but looked out with a sort of steadfast introspectiveeagerness over the million flashing diamonds of the sea; I rowed on withall my strength, glad to let go on something. Presently she turned tome, and with all the lambency of her spirit in her face, said with asweetness which tingled through me:
"Are you not rowing too hard? You seem anxious to get to Whinnyfold. Ifear we shall be there too soon. There is no hurry; we shall meet theothers there in good time. Had you not better keep outside the dangerousrocks. There is not a sail in sight; not one, so far as I know, over thewhole horizon, so you need not fear any collision. Remember, I do notadvise you to cease rowing; for, after all, the current may bear usaway if we are merely passive. But row easily; and we may reach theharbour safely and in good time!"
Her speech filled me with a flood of feeling which has no name. It wasnot love; it was not respect; it was not worship; it was not, gratitude.But it was compounded of them all. I had been of late studying secretwriting so earnestly that there was now a possible secret meaning ineverything I read. But oh! the poverty of written words beside thegracious richness of speech! No man who had a heart to feel or a brainto understand could have mistaken her meaning. She gave warning, andhope, and courage, and advice; all that wife could give husband, orfriend give friend. I only looked at her, and without a word held out myhand. She placed hers in it frankly; for a brief, blissful moment mysoul was at one with the brightness of sea and sky.
There, in the very spot where I had seen Lauchlane Macleod go down intothe deep, my own life took a new being.