CHAPTER XXXI
LIGHT RELIEF
"May I come in?" said Capper.
Maud started. She had been sitting huddled over the fire for whatseemed like countless ages, listening with straining nerves to everysound overhead and sometimes shrinking and trembling at what she heard.Jake had gone out long since to the stables, and she had been thankfulto see him go. His very presence was intolerable to her just then.
At the sound of Capper's voice she turned an ashen face. "Say, now," hesaid, in a tone of kindly chiding, "you've been scaring yourself, Mrs.Bolton; and if that's not the silliest game under the sun, you may callme a nigger."
She rose to receive him, trying to force her quivering lips to practicalspeech. But she could only articulate, "I heard him cry out severaltimes. Does he want me?"
"Not yet," said Capper. He laid a very steady hand upon her shoulder."Leave him alone for a little! He'll pull himself together best alone.He's got the spunk all right."
She stood still under his hand, piteously awaiting the information forwhich she could not bring herself to ask. He was looking at her keenly,she knew; but she could not face his look. She could have been stronghad strength been essential, but the need for it seemed to have gone.
Bunny no longer leaned upon her sustaining love.
"Come, now, I want a straight talk with you," the great doctor said. "Iwant to understand your point of view if you will be gracious enough toexpound it to me."
She made a pathetic attempt to laugh. "Do you think you can cure him,Doctor?" she said.
Capper laughed too with a species of grim exultation. "Is that whattroubles you? If that's all, I guess I can soon set your mind at rest.I can cure him absolutely--within three months. But I shall want yourco-operation. Can I count on that?"
His hand pressed upon her with something of insistence. His yellow facelooked searchingly, with an odd elation into hers. She met his lookreluctantly, and became dominated by it.
"Of course you can count upon it," she said.
He nodded, pulling restlessly at his beard with his free hand. "To whatextent, I wonder? Are you keen?"
"Of course I am keen," she said, almost with indignation. He stoodsilent a moment, his hand still upon her shoulder. Then, "Mrs. Bolton,"he said, "do you know your young brother has got a curious notion intohis head that you don't want him to be made sound?"
"Ah, but that is a mistake!" she said quickly.
"Is it a mistake?" said Capper. "No, don't answer! Why should you? Butit's curious that I should have sensed the same myself the moment I sawyou. However, if you tell me it is not so, I shall take your word forit. But at the same time I think I begin to see your point of view.Without the care of him you would feel lost for a bit. Life might berather difficult. Isn't that so?"
She laughed somewhat tremulously. "I think I have always found lifedifficult. But lately--just lately--" She paused in uncertainty.
"Ah!" said Capper. "Maybe you're up against it. But you've got solidground to stand on. You may take my word for that, because I happen toknow."
He spoke with a kindness that went straight to her heart. Almostinvoluntarily she put her hand into his, feeling the long, activefingers close upon it with a sense of security that was infinitelycomforting.
"Did Jake ever tell you the foundation of our friendship?" he asked hersuddenly.
She shook her head.
"It's an interesting story," Capper said. "P'raps you'd like to hearit."
Maud was silent.
He proceeded as if she had answered in the affirmative. "It was on adark night in the Atlantic ten years ago. Do you remember the wreck ofthe _Hyperion_? No, maybe you wouldn't. She ran into a submergediceberg and was nearly torn in two. I was knocked down by the shock andgot jammed against a locker in the saloon. It was a case of every manfor himself, and I was soon left to my fate. But Jake--he was workinghis way across as ship's carpenter--came back on his own to see if therewere anyone left below, and found me, wedged there in the wreckage. Wewere settling down fast, the water was over our knees, and I told him tolook out for himself; but he wouldn't. I cursed him for a fool, Iremember." Capper's yellow face was strangely alight; his fingersgripped hers tensely. "But that didn't make any difference. He had notime to go and get any implements to work with, so he just set to withhis hands and ripped and tore at the wood till at last it splintered andhe got me free. He worked like a Titan. I've never forgotten. He gotme out just in time, Heaven knows how. The water was above his waistbefore he'd done, and I was on the verge of drowning. But he did it, andmore also. He grabbed me up out of that death-trap, as if I had been apriceless possession of his own. He dragged me upon deck and roped meto him because I was too damaged to help myself. And when we went down,as we very soon did, we sank together and we came up together, and hemanaged at last to get me to a boat. Now you'll never get him to speakof that episode, but it's about the finest piece of work I've ever comeacross. The man was utterly unknown to me and I to him. Yet he neverthought of passing me by, but just kept on till he'd saved my life. Nota thought to his own safety, mark you. He wasn't out for that. And hewasn't out for reward either. When I offered him money later he justlaughed in a purring sort of fashion and told me to keep it for somechap who had failed. 'We don't all of us win out on the hundredthchance,' he said. 'Thank the high gods, not me!' I saw he meant it, soof course I let him have his way. But it's been a sort of bond betweenus ever since--a bond that stretches but never breaks."
He ceased to speak, ceased also to hold her hand. Maud's face wasturned towards him, her blue eyes were intently fixed upon his. Shesaid nothing whatever, and there fell a silence that was curiouslyintimate between them.
Capper broke it at length. "He's been a bit of a rover, but I've neverquite lost sight of him since that night. When I make a friend likethat, I can't afford to lose him again. But I've never had a chance ofdoing him a service till now. He's a married man and considerably morecivilized than he was in those days. But I have a notion that there's aleaven of the wild ass still in his composition. That's why I'm afraidyou may not realize that he's gold all through--all through." He pauseda moment, looking at her quizzically; then: "By way of light relief," hesaid, "I guess you know the fascinating story of the princess and thefrog. She had to take the beast as he was, and even give him her pillowo' nights. But only when she struck at last and threw him against thewall did she find out that she'd caught a prince after all. I guess theman who wrote that story was a student of human nature. It's a comicstory anyway."
Maud was laughing. Somehow, inexplicably, the man had eased her burden."I don't think you are presumptuous, Doctor," she said. "I think youare very kind."
"It's mighty fine of you to take that view," said Capper, with a tug athis yellow beard. "I shall do my best to deserve it."