The Fixed Period

  CHAPTER XI.

  FAREWELL!

  I went home to my house in triumph; but I had much to do before noonon the following day, but very little time in which to do it. I hadspent the morning of that day in preparing for my departure, andin so arranging matters with my clerks that the entrance of SirFerdinando on his new duties might be easy. I had said nothing, andhad endeavoured to think as little as possible, of the Fixed Period.An old secretary of mine,--old in years of work, though not as yet inage,--had endeavoured to comfort me by saying that the college up thehill might still be used before long. But I had told him frankly thatwe in Britannula had all been too much in a hurry, and had foolishlyendeavoured to carry out a system in opposition to the world'sprejudices, which system, when successful, must pervade the entireworld. "And is nothing to be done with those beautiful buildings?"said the secretary, putting in the word beautiful by way of flatteryto myself. "The chimneys and the furnaces may perhaps be used,"I replied. "Cremation is no part of the Fixed Period. But as forthe residences, the less we think about them the better." And so Idetermined to trouble my thoughts no further with the college. AndI felt that there might be some consolation to me in going away toEngland, so that I might escape from the great vexation and eyesorewhich the empty college would have produced.

  But I had to bid farewell to my wife and my son, and to Eva andCrasweller. The first task would be the easier, because there wouldbe no necessity for any painful allusion to my own want of success.In what little I might say to Mrs Neverbend on the subject, I couldcontinue that tone of sarcastic triumph in which I had replied toSir Ferdinando. What was pathetic in the matter I might altogetherignore. And Jack was himself so happy in his nature, and so littlelikely to look at anything on its sorrowful side, that all wouldsurely go well with him. But with Eva, and with Eva's father, thingswould be different. Words must be spoken which would be painful inthe speaking, and regrets must be uttered by me which could notcertainly be shared by him. "I am broken down and trampled upon, andall the glory is departed from my name, and I have become a bywordand a reproach rather than a term of honour in which future ages mayrejoice, because I have been unable to carry out my long-cherishedpurpose by--depositing you, and insuring at least your departure!"And then Crasweller would answer me with his general kindly feeling,and I should feel at the moment of my leaving him the hollowness ofhis words. I had loved him the better because I had endeavoured tocommence my experiment on his body. I had felt a vicarious regardfor the honour which would have been done him, almost regarding itas though I myself were to go in his place. All this had received acheck when he in his weakness had pleaded for another year. But hehad yielded; and though he had yielded without fortitude, he had doneso to comply with my wishes, and I could not but feel for the man anextraordinary affection. I was going to England, and might probablynever see him again; and I was going with aspirations in my heart sovery different from those which he entertained!

  From the hours intended for slumber, a few minutes could be taken forsaying adieu to my wife. "My dear," said I, "this is all very sudden.But a man engaged in public life has to fit himself to the publicdemands. Had I not promised to go to-day, I might have been takenaway yesterday or the day before."

  "Oh, John," said she, "I think that everything has been put up tomake you comfortable."

  "Thanks; yes, I'm sure of it. When you hear my name mentioned afterI am gone, I hope that they'll say of me that I did my duty asPresident of the republic."

  "Of course they will. Every day you have been at these nastyexecutive chambers from nine till five, unless when you've beensitting in that wretched Assembly."

  "I shall have a holiday now, at any rate," said I, laughing gentlyunder the bedclothes.

  "Yes; and I am sure it will do you good, if you only take your mealsregular. I sometimes think that you have been encouraged to dwellupon this horrid Fixed Period by the melancholy of an empty stomach."

  It was sad to hear such words from her lips after the two speeches towhich she had listened, and to feel that no trace had been left onher mind of the triumph which I had achieved over Sir Ferdinando; butI put up with that, and determined to answer her after her own heart."You have always provided a sandwich for me to take to the chambers."

  "Sandwiches are nothing. Do remember that. At your time of life youshould always have something warm,--a frizzle or a cutlet, and youshouldn't eat it without thinking of it. What has made me hate theFixed Period worse than anything is, that you have never thought ofyour victuals. You gave more attention to the burning of these pigsthan to the cooking of any food in your own kitchen."

  "Well, my dear, I'm going to England now," said I, beginning to feelweary of her reminiscences.

  "Yes, my dear, I know you are; and do remember that as you get nearerand nearer to that chilly country the weather will always be colderand colder. I have put you up four pairs of flannel drawers, and alittle bag which you must wear upon your chest. I observed that SirFerdinando, when he was preparing himself for his speech, showed thathe had just such a little bag on. And all the time I endeavoured tospy how it was that he wore it. When I came home I immediately wentto work, and I shall insist on your putting it on the first thingin the morning, in order that I may see that it sits flat. SirFerdinando's did not sit flat, and it looked bulgy. I thought tomyself that Lady Brown did not do her duty properly by him. If youwould allow me to come with you, I could see that you always put iton rightly. As it is, I know that people will say that it is all myfault when it hangs out and shows itself." Then I went to sleep, andthe parting words between me and my wife had been spoken.

  Early on the following morning I had Jack into my dressing-room, andsaid good-bye to him. "Jack," said I, "in this little contest whichthere has been between us, you have got the better in everything."

  "Nobody thought so when they heard your answer to Sir Ferdinando lastnight."

  "Well, yes; I think I managed to answer him. But I haven't got thebetter of you."

  "I didn't mean anything," said Jack, in a melancholy tone of voice."It was all Eva's doing. I never cared twopence whether the oldfellows were deposited or not, but I do think that if your own timehad come near, I shouldn't have liked it much."

  "Why not? why not? If you will only think of the matter all round,you will find that it is all a false sentiment."

  "I should not like it," said Jack, with determination.

  "Yes, you would, after you had got used to it." Here he looked veryincredulous. "What I mean is, Jack, that when sons were accustomedto see their fathers deposited at a certain age, and were aware thatthey were treated with every respect, that kind of feeling whichyou describe would wear off. You would have the idea that a kind ofhonour was done to your parents."

  "When I knew that somebody was going to kill him on the next day, howwould it be then?"

  "You might retire for a few hours to your thoughts,--going intomourning, as it were." Jack shook his head. "But, at any rate, inthis matter of Mr Crasweller you have got the better of me."

  "That was for Eva's sake."

  "I suppose so. But I wish to make you understand, now that I am goingto England, and may possibly never return to these shores again--"

  "Don't say that, father."

  "Well, yes; I shall have much to do there, and of course it may bethat I shall not come back, and I wish you to understand that I donot part from you in the least in anger. What you have done shows ahigh spirit, and great devotion to the girl."

  "It was not quite altogether for Eva either."

  "What then?" I demanded.

  "Well, I don't know. The two things went together, as it were. Ifthere had been no question about the Fixed Period, I do think I couldhave cut out Abraham Grundle. And as for Sir Kennington Oval, I ambeginning to believe that that was all Eva's pretence. I like SirKennington, but Eva never cared a button for him. She had taken tome because I had shown myself an anti-Fixed-Period man. I did it atfirst simply because I hated Grundle. Grundle wanted to fix-
periodold Crasweller for the sake of the property; and therefore I belongednaturally to the other side. It wasn't that I liked opposing you. Ifit had been Tallowax that you were to begin with, or Exors, you mighthave burnt 'em up without a word from me."

  "I am gratified at hearing that."

  "Though the Fixed Period does seem to be horrible, I would haveswallowed all that at your bidding. But you can see how I tumbledinto it, and how Eva egged me on, and how the nearer the thing camethe more I was bound to fight. Will you believe it?--Eva swore a mostsolemn oath, that if her father was put into that college she wouldnever marry a human being. And up to that moment when the lieutenantmet us at the top of the hill, she was always as cold as snow."

  "And now the snow is melted?"

  "Yes,--that is to say, it is beginning to thaw!" As he said this Iremembered the kiss behind the parlour-door which had been given toher by another suitor before these troubles began, and my impressionthat Jack had seen it also; but on that subject I said nothing. "Ofcourse it has all been very happy for me," Jack continued; "but Iwish to say to you before you go, how unhappy it makes me to thinkthat I have opposed you."

  "All right, Jack; all right. I will not say that I should not havedone the same at your age, if Eva had asked me. I wish you always toremember that we parted as friends. It will not be long before youare married now."

  "Three months," said Jack, in a melancholy tone.

  "In an affair of importance of this kind, that is the same asto-morrow. I shall not be here to wish you joy at your wedding."

  "Why are you to go if you don't wish it?"

  "I promised that I would go when Captain Battleax talked of carryingme off the day before yesterday. With a hundred soldiers, no doubt hecould get me on board."

  "There are a great many more than a hundred men in Britannula as goodas their soldiers. To take a man away by force, and he the Presidentof the republic! Such a thing was never heard of. I would not stir ifI were you. Say the word to me, and I will undertake that not one ofthese men shall touch you."

  I thought of his proposition; and the more I thought of it, the moreunreasonable it did appear that I, who had committed no offenceagainst any law, should be forced on board the John Bright. And Ihad no doubt that Jack would be as good as his word. But there weretwo causes which persuaded me that I had better go. I had pledgedmy word. When it had been suggested that I should at the moment becarried on board,--which might no doubt then have been done by thesoldiers,--I had said that if a certain time were allowed me I wouldagain be found in the same place. If I were simply there, and weresurrounded by a crowd of Britannulans ready to fight for me, I shouldhardly have kept my promise. But a stronger reason than this perhapsactuated me. It would be better for me for a while to be in Englandthan in Britannula. Here in Britannula I should be the ex-Presidentof an abolished republic, and as such subject to the notice of allmen; whereas in England I should be nobody, and should escape theconstant mortification of seeing Sir Ferdinando Brown. And thenin England I could do more for the Fixed Period than at home inBritannula. Here the battle was over, and I had been beaten. I beganto perceive that the place was too small for making the primaryefforts in so great a cause. The very facility which had existed forthe passing of the law through the Assembly had made it impossiblefor us to carry out the law; and therefore, with the sense offailure strong upon me, I should be better elsewhere than at home.And the desire of publishing a book in which I should declaremy theory,--this very book which I have so nearly brought to aclose,--made me desire to go. What could I do by publishing anythingin Britannula? And though the manuscript might have been sent home,who would see it through the press with any chance of success? NowI have my hopes, which I own seem high, and I shall be able to watchfrom day to day the way in which my arguments in favour of the FixedPeriod are received by the British public. Therefore it was that Irejected Jack's kind offer. "No, my boy," said I, after a pause, "Ido not know but that on the whole I shall prefer to go."

  "Of course if you wish it."

  "I shall be taken there at the expense of the British public, whichis in itself a triumph, and shall, I presume, be sent back in thesame way. If not, I shall have a grievance in their parsimony, whichin itself will be a comfort to me; and I am sure that I shall betreated well on board. Sir Ferdinando with his eloquence will not bethere, and the officers are, all of them, good fellows. I have madeup my mind, and I will go. The next that you will hear of your fatherwill be the publication of a little book that I shall write on thejourney, advocating the Fixed Period. The matter has never beenexplained to them in England, and perhaps my words may prevail."Jack, by shaking his head mournfully, seemed to indicate his ideathat this would not be the case; but Jack is resolute, and will neveryield on any point. Had he been in my place, and had entertained myconvictions, I believe that he would have deposited Crasweller inspite of Sir Ferdinando Brown and Captain Battleax. "You will comeand see me on board, Jack, when I start."

  "They won't take me off, will they?"

  "I should have thought you would have liked to have seen England."

  "And leave Eva! They'd have to look very sharp before they could dothat. But of course I'll come." Then I gave him my blessing, toldhim what arrangements I had made for his income, and went down to mybreakfast, which was to be my last meal in Britannula.

  When that was over, I was told that Eva was in my study waiting tosee me. I had intended to have gone out to Little Christchurch, andshould still do so, to bid farewell to her father. But I was notsorry to have Eva here in my own house, as she was about to become mydaughter-in-law. "Eva has come to bid you good-bye," said Jack, whowas already in the room, as I entered it.

  "Eva, my dear," said I.

  "I'll leave you," said Jack. "But I've told her that she must be veryfond of you. Bygones have to be bygones,--particularly as no harm hasbeen done." Then he left the room.

  She still had on the little round hat, but as Jack went she laid itaside. "Oh, Mr Neverbend," she said, "I hope you do not think that Ihave been unkind."

  "It is I, my dear, who should express that hope."

  "I have always known how well you have loved my dear father. I havebeen quite sure of it. And he has always said so. But--"

  "Well, Eva, it is all over now."

  "Oh yes, and I am so happy! I have got to tell you how happy I am."

  "I hope you love Jack."

  "Oh!" she exclaimed, and in a moment she was in my arms and I waskissing her. "If you knew how I hate that Mr Grundle; and Jack isall,--all that he ought to be. One of the things that makes me likehim best is his great affection for you. There is nothing that hewould not do for you."

  "He is a very good young man," said I, thinking of the manner inwhich he had spoken against me on the Town Flags.

  "Nothing!" said Eva.

  "And nothing that he would not do for you, my dear. But that is allas it should be. He is a high-spirited, good boy; and if he willthink a little more of the business and a little less of cricket, hewill make an excellent husband."

  "Of course he had to think a little of the match when the Englishmenwere here; and he did play well, did he not? He beat them all there."I could perceive that Eva was quite as intent upon cricket as was herlover, and probably thought just as little about the business. "But,Mr Neverbend, must you really go?"

  "I think so. It is not only that they are determined to take me, butthat I am myself anxious to be in England."

  "You wish to--to preach the Fixed Period?"

  "Well, my dear, I have got my own notions, which at my time of life Icannot lay aside. I shall endeavour to ventilate them in England, andsee what the people there may say about them."

  "You are not angry with me?"

  "My child, how could I be angry with you? What you did, you did foryour father's sake."

  "And papa? You will not be angry with papa because he didn't want togive up Little Christchurch, and to leave the pretty place which hehas made himself, and to go into the college,--
and be killed!"

  I could not quite answer her at the moment, because in truth I wassomewhat angry with him. I thought that he should have understoodthat there was something higher to be achieved than an extra year ortwo among the prettinesses of Little Christchurch. I could not butbe grieved because he had proved himself to be less of a man than Ihad expected. But as I remained silent for a few moments, Eva heldmy hand in hers, and looked up into my face with beseeching eyes.Then my anger went, and I remembered that I had no reason to expectheroism from Crasweller, simply because he had been my friend. "No,dear, no; all feeling of anger is at an end. It was natural that heshould wish to remain at Little Christchurch; and it was better thannatural, it was beautiful, that you should wish to save him by theuse of the only feminine weapon at your command."

  "Oh, but I did love Jack," she said.

  "I have still an hour or two before I depart, and I shall run down toLittle Christchurch to take your father by the hand once more. Youmay be sure that what I shall say to him will not be ill-natured. Andnow good-bye, my darling child. My time here in Britannula is butshort, and I cannot give up more of it even to my chosen daughter."Then again she kissed me, and putting on her little hat, went away toMrs Neverbend,--or to Jack.

  It was now nearly ten o'clock, and I had out my tricycle in order togo down as quickly as possible to Little Christchurch. At the door ofmy house I found a dozen of the English soldiers with a sergeant. Hetouched his hat, and asked me very civilly where I was going. When Itold him that it was but five or six miles out of town, he requestedmy permission to accompany me. I told him that he certainly mightif he had a vehicle ready, and was ready to use it. But as at thatmoment my luggage was brought out of the house with the view of beingtaken on board ship, the man thought that it would be as well andmuch easier to follow the luggage; and the twelve soldiers marchedoff to see my portmanteaus put safely on board the John Bright.

  And I was again,--and I could not but say to myself, probably for thelast time,--once again on the road to Little Christchurch. Duringthe twenty minutes which were taken in going down there, I couldnot but think of the walks I had had up and down with Crasweller inold times, talking as we went of the glories of a Fixed Period, andof the absolute need which the human race had for such a step incivilisation. Probably on such occasions the majority of the wordsspoken had come from my own mouth; but it had seemed to me then thatCrasweller had been as energetic as myself. The period which wehad then contemplated at a distance had come round, and Craswellerhad seceded wofully. I could not but feel that had he been stanchto me, and allowed himself to be deposited not only willingly butjoyfully, he would have set an example which could not but have beenefficacious. Barnes and Tallowax would probably have followed as amatter of course, and the thing would have been done. My name wouldhave gone down to posterity with those of Columbus and Galileo,and Britannula would have been noted as the most prominent amongthe nations of the earth, instead of having become a by-word amongcountries as a deprived republic and reannexed Crown colony. But allthat on the present occasion had to be forgotten, and I was to greetmy old friend with true affection, as though I had received from hishands no such ruthless ruin of all my hopes.

  "Oh, Mr President," he said, as he met me coming up the drive towardsthe house, "this is kind of you. And you who must be so busy justbefore your departure!"

  "I could not go without a word of farewell to you." I had not spokenwith him since we had parted on the top of the hill on our way out tothe college, when the horses had been taken from the carriage, and hehad walked back to life and Little Christchurch instead of making hisway to his last home, and to find deposition with all the glory of agreat name.

  "It is very kind of you. Come in. Eva is not at home."

  "I have just parted with her at my own house. So she and Jack are tomake a match of it. I need not tell you how more than contented Ishall be that my son should have such a wife. Eva to me has beenalways dear, almost as a daughter. Now she is like my own child."

  "I am sure that I can say the same of Jack."

  "Yes; Jack is a good lad too. I hope he will stick to the business."

  "He need not trouble himself about that. He will have LittleChristchurch and all that belongs to it as soon as I am gone. I hadmade up my mind only to allow Eva an income out of it while she wasthinking of that fellow Grundle. That man is a knave."

  I could not but remember that Grundle had been a Fixed-Periodist, andthat it would not become me to abuse him; and I was aware that thoughCrasweller was my sincere friend, he had come to entertain of late anabsolute hatred of all those, beyond myself, who had advocated hisown deposition.

  "Jack, at any rate, is happy," said I, "and Eva. You and I,Crasweller have had our little troubles to imbitter the evenings ofour life."

  "You are yet in the full daylight."

  "My ambition has been disappointed. I cannot conceal the fact frommyself,--nor from you. It has come to pass that during the last yearor two we have lived with different hopes. And these hopes have beenfounded altogether on the position which you might occupy."

  "I should have gone mad up in that college, Neverbend."

  "I would have been with you."

  "I should have gone mad all the same. I should have committedsuicide."

  "To save yourself from an honourable--deposition!"

  "The fixed day, coming at a certain known hour; the feeling that itmust come, though it came at the same time so slowly and yet so fast;every day growing shorter day by day, and every season month bymonth; the sight of these chimneys--"

  "That was a mistake, Crasweller; that was a mistake. The cremationshould have been elsewhere."

  "A man should have been an angel to endure it,--or so much less thana man. I struggled,--for your sake. Who else would have struggled asI did to oblige a friend in such a matter?"

  "I know it--I know it."

  "But life under such a weight became impossible to me. You do notknow what I endured even for the last year. Believe me that man isnot so constituted as to be able to make such efforts."

  "He would get used to it. Mankind would get used to it."

  "The first man will never get used to it. That college will becomea madhouse. You must think of some other mode of letting them passtheir last year. Make them drunk, so that they shall not know whatthey are doing. Drug them and make them senseless; or, better still,come down upon them with absolute power, and carry them away toinstant death. Let the veil of annihilation fall upon them beforethey know where they are. The Fixed Period, with all its damnablecertainty, is a mistake. I have tried it and I know it. When I lookback at the last year, which was to be the last, not of my absolutelife but of my true existence, I shudder as I think what I wentthrough. I am astonished at the strength of my own mind in that I didnot go mad. No one would have made such an effort for you as I made.Those other men had determined to rebel since the feeling of theFixed Period came near to them. It is impossible that human natureshould endure such a struggle and not rebel. I have been saved now bythese Englishmen, who have come here in their horror, and have usedtheir strength to prevent the barbarity of your benevolence. But Ican hardly keep myself quiet as I think of the sufferings which Ihave endured during the last month."

  "But, Crasweller, you had assented."

  "True; I did assent. But it was before the feeling of my fate hadcome near to me. You may be strong enough to bear it. There isnothing so hard but that enthusiasm will make it tolerable. But youwill hardly find another who will not succumb. Who would do morefor you than I have done? Who would make a greater struggle? Whathonester man is there whom you know in this community of ours? Andyet even me you drove to be a liar. Think how strong must havebeen the facts against you when they have had this effect. To havedied at your behest at the instant would have been as nothing. Anydanger,--any immediate certainty,--would have been child's-play;but to have gone up into that frightful college, and there to haveremained through that year, which would have wasted itself so sl
owly,and yet so fast,--that would have required a heroism which, as Ithink, no Greek, no Roman, no Englishman ever possessed."

  Then he paused, and I was aware that I had overstayed my time. "Thinkof it," he continued; "think of it on board that vessel, and tryto bring home to yourself what such a phase of living would mean."Then he grasped me by the hand, and taking me out, put me upon mytricycle, and returned into the house.

  As I went back to Gladstonopolis, I did think of it, and for a momentor two my mind wavered. He had convinced me that there was somethingwrong in the details of my system; but not,--when I came to argue thematter with myself,--that the system itself was at fault. But nowat the present moment I had hardly time for meditation. I had beensurprised at Crasweller's earnestness, and also at his eloquence, andI was in truth more full of his words than of his reasons. But thetime would soon come when I should be able to devote tranquil hoursto the consideration of the points which he had raised. The longhours of enforced idleness on board ship would suffice to enableme to sift his objections, which seemed at the spur of the momentto resolve themselves into the impatience necessary to a year'squiescence. Crasweller had declared that human nature couldnot endure it. Was it not the case that human nature had neverendeavoured to train itself? As I got back to Gladstonopolis, I hadalready a glimmering of an idea that we must begin with human naturesomewhat earlier, and teach men from their very infancy to preparethemselves for the undoubted blessings of the Fixed Period. Butcertain aids must be given, and the cremating furnace must beremoved, so as to be seen by no eye and smelt by no nose.

  As I rode up to my house there was that eternal guard of soldiers,--adozen men, with abominable guns and ungainly military hats or helmetson their heads. I was so angered by their watchfulness, that I washalf minded to turn my tricycle, and allow them to pursue me aboutthe island. They could never have caught me had I chosen to avoidthem; but such an escape would have been below my dignity. Andmoreover, I certainly did wish to go. I therefore took no notice ofthem when they shouldered their arms, but went into the house to givemy wife her last kiss. "Now, Neverbend, remember you wear the flanneldrawers I put up for you, as soon as ever you get out of the oppositetropics. Remember it becomes frightfully cold almost at once; andwhatever you do, don't forget the little bag." These were MrsNeverbend's last words to me. I there found Jack waiting for me, andwe together walked down to the quay. "Mother would like to have gonetoo," said Jack.

  "It would not have suited. There are so many things here that willwant her eye."

  "All the same, she would like to have gone." I had felt that it wasso, but yet she had never pressed her request.

  On board I found Sir Ferdinando, and all the ship's officers withhim, in full dress. He had come, as I supposed, to see that I reallywent; but he assured me, taking off his hat as he addressed me, thathis object had been to pay his last respects to the late President ofthe republic. Nothing could now be more courteous than his conduct,or less like the bully that he had appeared to be when he had firstclaimed to represent the British sovereign in Britannula. And I mustconfess that there was absent all that tone of domineering ascendancywhich had marked his speech as to the Fixed Period. The Fixed Periodwas not again mentioned while he was on board; but he devoted himselfto assuring me that I should be received in England with everydistinction, and that I should certainly be invited to WindsorCastle. I did not myself care very much about Windsor Castle; butto such civil speeches I could do no other than make civil replies;and there I stood for half an hour grimacing and paying compliments,anxious for the moment when Sir Ferdinando would get into thesix-oared gig which was waiting for him, and return to the shore.To me it was of all half-hours the weariest, but to him it seemedas though to grimace and to pay compliments were his second nature.At last the moment came when one of the junior officers came up toCaptain Battleax and told him that the vessel was ready to start."Now, Sir Ferdinando," said the captain, "I am afraid that the JohnBright must leave you to the kindness of the Britannulists."

  "I could not be left in more generous hands," said Sir Ferdinando,"nor in those of warmer friends. The Britannulists speak English aswell as I do, and will, I am sure, admit that we boast of a commoncountry."

  "But not a common Government," said I, determined to fire a partingshot. "But Sir Ferdinando is quite right in expecting that hepersonally will receive every courtesy from the Britannulists. Norwill his rule be in any respect disobeyed until the island shall,with the agreement of England, again have resumed its own republicanposition." Here I bowed, and he bowed, and we all bowed. Then hedeparted, taking Jack with him, leaning on whose arm he stepped downinto the boat; and as the men put their oars into the water, I jumpedwith a sudden start at the sudden explosion of a subsidiary cannon,which went on firing some dozens of times till the proper number hadbeen completed supposed to be due to an officer of such magnitude.