Part 13 (2/2)

”There, Julia, that will do. Just go downstairs now; it's late, and I want to talk a little business with Arthur. It won't interest you.”

She glanced up at her husband; then back at Arthur, who was silently staring at the floor.

”He seems half stupid,” she whispered.

When she had gathered up her train and left the room, James carefully shut the door and went back to his chair beside the table. Arthur sat as before, perfectly motionless and silent.

”Arthur,” James began in a milder tone, now Julia was not there to hear, ”I am very sorry that this has come out. You might just as well not have known it. However, all that's over; and I am pleased to see that you can behave with such self-control. Julia is a--a little excited; ladies often--anyhow, I don't want to be too hard on you.”

He stopped to see what effect the kindly words had produced; but Arthur was quite motionless.

”Of course, my dear boy,” James went on after a moment, ”this is a distressing story altogether, and the best thing we can do is to hold our tongues about it. My father was generous enough not to divorce your mother when she confessed her fall to him; he only demanded that the man who had led her astray should leave the country at once; and, as you know, he went to China as a missionary. For my part, I was very much against your having anything to do with him when he came back; but my father, just at the last, consented to let him teach you, on condition that he never attempted to see your mother. I must, in justice, acknowledge that I believe they both observed that condition faithfully to the end. It is a very deplorable business; but----”

Arthur looked up. All the life and expression had gone out of his face; it was like a waxen mask.

”D-don't you think,” he said softly, with a curious stammering hesitation on the words, ”th-that--all this--is--v-very--funny?”

”FUNNY?” James pushed his chair away from the table, and sat staring at him, too much petrified for anger. ”Funny! Arthur, are you mad?”

Arthur suddenly threw back his head, and burst into a frantic fit of laughing.

”Arthur!” exclaimed the s.h.i.+powner, rising with dignity, ”I am amazed at your levity!”

There was no answer but peal after peal of laughter, so loud and boisterous that even James began to doubt whether there was not something more the matter here than levity.

”Just like a hysterical woman,” he muttered, turning, with a contemptuous shrug of his shoulders, to tramp impatiently up and down the room. ”Really, Arthur, you're worse than Julia; there, stop laughing! I can't wait about here all night.”

He might as well have asked the crucifix to come down from its pedestal.

Arthur was past caring for remonstrances or exhortations; he only laughed, and laughed, and laughed without end.

”This is absurd!” said James, stopping at last in his irritated pacing to and fro. ”You are evidently too much excited to be reasonable to-night. I can't talk business with you if you're going on that way.

Come to me to-morrow morning after breakfast. And now you had better go to bed. Good-night.”

He went out, slamming the door. ”Now for the hysterics downstairs,” he muttered as he tramped noisily away. ”I suppose it'll be tears there!”

The frenzied laughter died on Arthur's lips. He s.n.a.t.c.hed up the hammer from the table and flung himself upon the crucifix.

With the crash that followed he came suddenly to his senses, standing before the empty pedestal, the hammer still in his hand, and the fragments of the broken image scattered on the floor about his feet.

He threw down the hammer. ”So easy!” he said, and turned away. ”And what an idiot I am!”

He sat down by the table, panting heavily for breath, and rested his forehead on both hands. Presently he rose, and, going to the wash-stand, poured a jugful of cold water over his head and face. He came back quite composed, and sat down to think.

And it was for such things as these--for these false and slavish people, these dumb and soulless G.o.ds--that he had suffered all these tortures of shame and pa.s.sion and despair; had made a rope to hang himself, forsooth, because one priest was a liar. As if they were not all liars!

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