CHAPTER XXXI.
ENDS WITH A STRUGGLE BETWEEN INCLINATION AND DUTY.
"De cave's blowed away too!" was the first remark of Moses as they rowedinto the little port.
A shock of disappointment was experienced by Winnie, for she fanciedthat the negro had referred to her father's old home, but he only meantthe lower cave in which the canoe had formerly been kept. She was soonrelieved as to this point, however, but, when a landing was effected,difficulties that seemed to her almost insurmountable presentedthemselves, for the ground was covered knee-deep with pumice-dust, andthe road to the upper cave was blocked by rugged masses of lava andashes, all heaped up in indescribable confusion.
On careful investigation, however, it was found that after passing acertain point the footpath was almost unencumbered by volcanic debris.This was owing to the protection afforded to it by the cone of Rakata,and the almost overhanging nature of some of the cliffs on that side ofthe mountain; still the track was bad enough, and in places so rugged,that Winnie, vigorous and agile though she was, found it both difficultand fatiguing to advance. Seeing this, her father proposed to carry her,but she laughingly declined the proposal.
Whereupon Nigel offered to lend her a hand over the rougher places, butthis she also declined.
Then Moses, stepping forward, asserted his rights.
"It's _my_ business," he said, "to carry t'ings w'en dey's got to becarried. M'r'over, as I's bin obleeged to leabe Spinkie in charge ob deboat, I feels okard widout somet'ing to carry, an' you ain't muchheavier dan Spinkie, Miss Winnie--so, come along."
He stooped with the intention of grasping Winnie as if she were a littlechild, but with a light laugh the girl sprang away and left Mosesbehind.
"'S'my opinion," said Moses, looking after her with a grin, "dat if depurfesser was here he 'd net her in mistook for a bufferfly. Dar!--she'sdown!" he shouted, springing forward, but Nigel was before him.
Winnie had tripped and fallen.
"Are you hurt, dear--child?" asked Nigel, raising her gently.
"Oh no! only a little shaken," answered Winnie, with a little laugh thatwas half hysterical. "I am strong enough to go on presently."
"Nay, my child, you _must_ suffer yourself to be carried at this part,"said Van der Kemp. "Take her up, Nigel, you are stronger than I am_now_. I would not have asked you to do it before my accident!"
Our hero did not need a second bidding. Grasping Winnie in his strongarms he raised her as if she had been a feather, and strode away at apace so rapid that he soon left Van der Kemp and Moses far behind.
"Put me down, now," said Winnie, after a little while, in a low voice."I'm quite recovered now and can walk."
"Nay, Winnie, you are mistaken. The path is very rough yet, and the dustgets deeper as we ascend. _Do_ give me the pleasure of helping you alittle longer."
Whatever Winnie may have felt or thought she said nothing, and Nigel,taking silence for consent, bore her swiftly onward and upward,--with an"Excelsior" spirit that would have thrown the Alpine youth with thebanner and the strange device considerably into the shade,--until heplaced her at the yawning black mouth of the hermit's cave.
But what a change was there! The trees and flowering shrubs and fernswere all gone, lava, pumice, and ashes lay thick on everything around,and only a few blackened and twisted stumps of the larger treesremained to tell that an umbrageous forest had once flourished there.The whole scene might be fittingly described in the two words--greydesolation.
"That is the entrance to your father's old home," said Nigel, as he sethis fair burden down and pointed to the entrance.
"What a dreadful place!" said Winnie, peering into the black depths ofthe cavern.
"It was not dreadful when I first saw it, Winnie, with rich verdureeverywhere; and inside you will find it surprisingly comfortable. But wemust not enter until your father arrives to do the honours of the placehimself."
They had not to wait long. First Moses arrived, and, shrewdly suspectingfrom the appearance of the young couple that they were engaged inconversation that would not brook interruption, or, perhaps, judgingfrom what might be his own wishes in similar circumstances, he turnedhis back suddenly on them, and, stooping down, addressed himself to animaginary creature of the animal kingdom.
"What a bootiful bufferfly you is, to be sure! up on sitch a place too,wid nuffin' to eat 'cept Krakatoa dust. I wonder what your moder wouldsay if she know'd you was here. You should be ashamed ob yourself!"
"Hallo! Moses, what are you talking to over there?"
"Nuffin', Massa Nadgel. I was on'y habin' a brief conv'sation wid amember ob de insect wurld in commemoration ob de purfesser. Leastwise,if it warn't a insect it must hab bin suffm' else. Won't you go in, MissWinnie?"
"No, I'd rather wait for father," returned the girl, looking a littleflushed, for some strange and totally unfamiliar ideas had recentlyfloated into her brain and caused some incomprehensible flutterings ofthe heart to which hitherto she had been a stranger.
Mindful of his father's injunctions, however, Nigel had beenparticularly careful to avoid increasing these flutterings.
In a few minutes the hermit came up. "Ah! Winnie," he said, "there hasbeen dire devastation here. Perhaps inside things may look better. Come,take my hand and don't be afraid. The floor is level and your eyes willsoon get accustomed to the dim light."
"I's afeared, massa," remarked Moses, as they entered the cavern, "datyour sun-lights won't be wu'th much now."
"You are right, lad. Go on before us and light the lamps if they are notbroken."
It was found, as they had expected, that, the only light whichpenetrated the cavern was that which entered by the cave's mouth, whichof course was very feeble.
Presently, to Winnie's surprise, Moses was seen issuing from the kitchenwith a petroleum lamp in one hand, the brilliant light of which not onlyglittered on his expressive black visage but sent a ruddy glare all overthe cavern.
Van der Kemp seemed to watch his daughter intently as she gazed in abewildered way around. There was a puzzled look as well as mere surprisein her pretty face.
"Father," she said earnestly, "you have spoken more than once of livingas if in a dream. Perhaps you will wonder when I tell you that Iexperience something of that sort now. Strange though this place seems,I have an unaccountable feeling that it is not absolutely new tome--that I have seen it before."
"I do not wonder, dear one," he replied, "for the drawings that surroundthis chamber were the handiwork of your dear mother, and they decoratedthe walls of your own nursery when you were a little child at yourmother's knee. For over ten long years they have surrounded me and keptyour faces fresh in my memory--though, truth to tell, it needed no suchreminders to do that. Come, let us examine them."
It was pleasant to see the earnest face of Winnie as shehalf-recognised and strove to recall the memories of early childhood inthat singular cavern. It was also a sight worth seeing--the countenanceof Nigel, as well as that of the hermit, while they watched and admiredher eager, puzzled play of feature, and it was the most amazing sight ofall to see the all but superhuman joy of Moses as he held the lamp andlistened to facts regarding the past of his beloved master which werequite new to him--for the hermit spoke as openly about his past domesticaffairs as if he and Winnie had been quite alone.
"He either forgets that we are present, or counts us as part of hisfamily," thought Nigel with a feeling of satisfaction.
"What a dear comoonicative man!" thought Moses, with unconcealedpleasure.
"Come now, let us ascend to the observatory," said the hermit, when allthe things in the library had been examined. "There has been damage donethere, I know; besides, there is a locket there which belonged to yourmother. I left it by mistake one day when I went up to arrange themirrors, and in the hurry of leaving forgot to return for it. Indeed,one of my main objects in re-visiting my old home was to fetch thatlocket away. It contains a lock of hair and one of those miniatureswhich men used to paint before photogr
aphy drove such work off thefield."
Winnie was nothing loth to follow, for she had reached a romantic periodof life, and it seemed to her that to be led through mysterious cavesand dark galleries in the very heart of a still active volcano by herown father--the hermit of Rakata--was the very embodiment of romanceitself.
But a disappointment awaited them, for they had not proceeded halfwaythrough the dark passage when it was found that a large mass of rock hadfallen from the roof and almost blocked it up.
"There is a space big enough for us to creep through at the right-handcorner above, I think," said Nigel, taking the lantern from Moses andexamining the spot.
"Jump up, Moses, and try it," said the hermit. "If your bulky shouldersget through, we can all manage it."
The negro was about to obey the order when Nigel let the lantern falland the shock extinguished it.
"Oh! Massa Nadgel; das a pritty business!"
"Never mind," said Van der Kemp. "I've got matches, I think, in my--no,I haven't. Have you, Moses?"
"No, massa, I forgit to remember him."
"No matter, run back--you know the road well enough to follow it in thedark. We will wait here till you return. Be smart, now!"
Moses started off at once and for some moments the sound of clatteringalong the passage was heard.
"I will try to clamber through in the dark. Look after Winnie,Nigel--and don't leave the spot where you stand, dear one, for there arecracks and holes about that might sprain your little ankles."
"Very well, father."
"All right. I've got through, Nigel; I'll feel my way on for a littlebit. Remain where you are."
"Winnie," said Nigel when they were alone, "doesn't it feel awesome andstrange to be standing here in such intense darkness?"
"It does--I don't quite like it."
"Whereabouts are you?" said Nigel.
He carefully stretched out his hand to feel, as he spoke, and laid afinger on her brow.
"Oh! take care of my eyes!" exclaimed Winnie with a little laugh.
"_I_ wish you would turn your eyes towards me for I'm convinced theywould give some light--? to _me_ at least. Here, do let me hold yourhand It will make you feel more confident."
To one who is at all familiar with the human frame, the way from thebrow to the hand is comparatively simple. Nigel soon possessed himselfof the coveted article. Like other things of great value the possessionturned the poor youth's head! He forgot his father's warnings for themoment, forgot the hermit and Moses and Spinkie, and the thickdarkness--forgot almost everything in the light of that touch!
"Winnie!" he exclaimed in a tone that quite alarmed her; "I--I--" Hehesitated. The solemn embargo of his father recurred to him.
"What is it! Is there danger?" exclaimed the poor girl, clasping hishand tighter and drawing nearer to him.
This was too much! Nigel felt himself to be contemptible. He was takingunfair advantage of her.
"Winnie," he began again, in a voice of forced calmness, "there is nodanger whatever. I'm an ass--a dolt--that's all! The fact is, I made myfather a sort of half promise that I would not ask your opinion on acertain subject until--until I found out exactly what you thought aboutit. Now the thing is ridiculous--impossible--for how can I know youropinion on any subject until I have asked you?"
"Quite true," returned Winnie simply, "so you better ask me."
"Ha! _ha_!" laughed Nigel, in a sort of desperate amusement, "I--I--Yes,I _will_ ask you, Winnie! But first I must explain----"
"Hallo! Nigel!" came at that moment from the other side of theobstruction, "are you there--all right?"
"Yes, yes--I'm here--_not_ all right exactly, but I'll be all right_some day_, you may depend upon that!" shouted the youth, in a tone ofindignant exasperation.
"What said you?" asked Van der Kemp, putting his head through the hole.
"Hi! I's a-comin', look out, dar!" hallooed Moses in the oppositedirection.
"Just so," said Nigel, resuming his quiet tone and demeanour, "we'll beall right when the light comes. Here, give us your hand, Van der Kemp."
The hermit accepted the proffered aid and leaped down amongst hisfriends just as Moses arrived with the lantern.
"It's of no use going further," he said. "The passage is completelyblocked up--so we must go round to where the mountain has been split offand try to clamber up. There will be daylight enough yet if we arequick. Come."