CHAPTER XVIII. NEIL GORDON SOLVES HIS OWN PROBLEM
"It is a miracle!" said Thomas Gordon in an awed tone.
It was the first time he had spoken since Eric and Kilmeny had rushedin, hand in hand, like two children intoxicated with joy and wonder, andgasped out their story together to him and Janet.
"Oh, no, it is very wonderful, but it is not a miracle," said Eric."David told me it might happen. I had no hope that it would. He couldexplain it all to you if he were here."
Thomas Gordon shook his head. "I doubt if he could, Master--he, orany one else. It is near enough to a miracle for me. Let us thank Godreverently and humbly that he has seen fit to remove his curse fromthe innocent. Your doctors may explain it as they like, lad, but I'mthinking they won't get much nearer to it than that. It is awesome, thatis what it is. Janet, woman, I feel as if I were in a dream. Can Kilmenyreally speak?"
"Indeed I can, Uncle," said Kilmeny, with a rapturous glance at Eric."Oh, I don't know how it came to me--I felt that I MUST speak--and Idid. And it is so easy now--it seems to me as if I could always havedone it."
She spoke naturally and easily. The only difficulty which she seemed toexperience was in the proper modulation of her voice. Occasionally shepitched it too high--again, too low. But it was evident that she wouldsoon acquire perfect control of it. It was a beautiful voice--very clearand soft and musical.
"Oh, I am so glad that the first word I said was your name, dearest,"she murmured to Eric.
"What about Neil?" asked Thomas Gordon gravely, rousing himself with aneffort from his abstraction of wonder. "What are we to do with him whenhe returns? In one way this is a sad business."
Eric had almost forgotten about Neil in his overwhelming amazement andjoy. The realization of his escape from sudden and violent death had notyet had any opportunity to take possession of his thoughts.
"We must forgive him, Mr. Gordon. I know how I should feel towards a manwho took Kilmeny from me. It was an evil impulse to which he gave way inhis suffering--and think of the good which has resulted from it."
"That is true, Master, but it does not alter the terrible fact thatthe boy had murder in his heart,--that he would have killed you. Anover-ruling Providence has saved him from the actual commission of thecrime and brought good out of evil; but he is guilty in thought andpurpose. And we have cared for him and instructed him as our own--withall his faults we have loved him! It is a hard thing, and I do not seewhat we are to do. We cannot act as if nothing had happened. We cannever trust him again."
But Neil Gordon solved the problem himself. When Eric returned thatnight he found old Robert Williamson in the pantry regaling himself witha lunch of bread and cheese after a trip to the station. Timothy sat onthe dresser in black velvet state and gravely addressed himself to thedisposal of various tid-bits that came his way.
"Good night, Master. Glad to see you're looking more like yourself.I told the wife it was only a lover's quarrel most like. She's beenworrying about you; but she didn't like to ask you what was the trouble.She ain't one of them unfortunate folks who can't be happy athoutthey're everlasting poking their noses into other people's business.But what kind of a rumpus was kicked up at the Gordon place, to-night,Master?"
Eric looked amazed. What could Robert Williamson have heard so soon?
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Why, us folks at the station knew there must have been a to-do of somekind when Neil Gordon went off on the harvest excursion the way he did."
"Neil gone! On the harvest excursion!" exclaimed Eric.
"Yes, sir. You know this was the night the excursion train left. Theycross on the boat to-night--special trip. There was a dozen or sofellows from hereabouts went. We was all standing around chatting whenLincoln Frame drove up full speed and Neil jumped out of his rig. Justbolted into the office, got his ticket and out again, and on to thetrain without a word to any one, and as black looking as the Old Scratchhimself. We was all too surprised to speak till he was gone. Lincolncouldn't give us much information. He said Neil had rushed up to theirplace about dark, looking as if the constable was after him, and offeredto sell that black filly of his to Lincoln for sixty dollars if Lincolnwould drive him to the station in time to catch the excursion train. Thefilly was Neil's own, and Lincoln had been wanting to buy her but Neilwould never hear to it afore. Lincoln jumped at the chance. Neil hadbrought the filly with him, and Lincoln hitched right up and took himto the station. Neil hadn't no luggage of any kind and wouldn't open hismouth the whole way up, Lincoln says. We concluded him and old Thomasmust have had a row. D'ye know anything about it? Or was you so wrappedup in sweethearting that you didn't hear or see nothing else?"
Eric reflected rapidly. He was greatly relieved to find that Neil hadgone. He would never return and this was best for all concerned. OldRobert must be told a part of the truth at least, since it would soonbecome known that Kilmeny could speak.
"There was some trouble at the Gordon place to-night, Mr. Williamson,"he said quietly. "Neil Gordon behaved rather badly and frightenedKilmeny terribly,--so terribly that a very surprising thing hashappened. She has found herself able to speak, and can speak perfectly."
Old Robert laid down the piece of cheese he was conveying to his mouthon the point of a knife and stared at Eric in blank amazement.
"God bless my soul, Master, what an extraordinary thing!" he ejaculated."Are you in earnest? Or are you trying to see how much of a fool you canmake of the old man?"
"No, Mr. Williamson, I assure you it is no more than the simple truth.Dr. Baker told me that a shock might cure her,--and it has. As for Neil,he has gone, no doubt for good, and I think it well that he has."
Not caring to discuss the matter further, Eric left the kitchen. But ashe mounted the stairs to his room he heard old Robert muttering, like aman in hopeless bewilderment,
"Well, I never heard anything like this in all my borndays--never--never. Timothy, did YOU ever hear the like? Them Gordonsare an unaccountable lot and no mistake. They couldn't act like otherpeople if they tried. I must wake mother up and tell her about this, orI'll never be able to sleep."