The People of the Mist

by H. Rider Haggard

  CHAPTER XV

  DISILLUSION

  Once more it was morning, and the travellers were encamped by that reedypoint where they had left the big boats which they cut loose from theisland. From the earliest dawn Leonard had been superintending thetransport across the river of the hundreds of slaves whom they hadreleased. They there were put on shore by the Settlement men, providedwith a store of meal, and left to shift for themselves, it being foundutterly impossible to take them any further.

  "There, they are gone," said Otter, as the last boat-load set out underthe charge of Peter. "Well, let them go, the silly sheep. So much theless trouble for us, who, although we have a Shepherdess, can scarcelylead so large a flock. Well, we have pulled the Missie yonder out of theSlave Nest, and the Yellow Devil--ah! we have talked with him and allhis crew. And now are we to go on to win the gold--the real YellowDevil, Baas?"

  "I suppose so, Otter," answered Leonard--"that is, if Soa keeps herword. But it isn't gold, it is rubies. At any rate we must make for theSettlement below Sena, to take these men back and see if we can hearanything of Mavoom."

  "So," said Otter after a pause. "Well, the Shepherdess, as theseSettlement people call her, will want to find her father. Say, Baas, sheis proud, is she not? She looks over our heads and speaks little."

  "Yes, Otter, she is proud."

  "And she is beautiful; no woman was ever so beautiful."

  "Yes, Otter, she is beautiful."

  "And she is cold, Baas; she does not say 'thank you' nicely for all thatyou have done."

  "Perhaps she thinks it the more, Otter."

  "Perhaps she thinks it the more. Still, she might say 'thank you' toyou, Baas, who are her--husband."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "I mean, Baas, that you bought her first, according to our custom, andmarried her afterwards according to your own, and if that does not makeher your wife, nothing can."

  "Stop that fool's talk," said Leonard angrily, "and never let me hearyou repeat it. It was only a game that we played."

  "As the Baas desires, so be it. I do but speak from my heart when I saythat she is your wife, and some might think that not so ill, for she isfair and clever. Will the Baas rise and come to the river to bathe, thathis soreness may leave him?"

  Leonard took the suggestion, and came back from his bath a new man, forrest and the cold water had acted on him like magic. He was still stiff,indeed, and remained lame in one leg for ten days or more, but, with theexception of an aching of the throat where Xavier had gripped him, noother ill effects were left. Among the booty of the slave camp wasa good supply of clothing, flannel shirts, corduroy suits, and hats.Casting aside the rags of the Portuguese uniform in which he haddisguised himself, Leonard put on some of these articles and reappearedin the camp dressed like an ordinary English colonist, roughly indeed,but becomingly.

  Meanwhile Juanna had also been making her toilet, with the help ofSoa, who took this opportunity to tell her mistress the history of hermeeting with Leonard Outram. But, either from design or because sheforgot to do so, she did not at this time tell her about the agreementwhich had been entered into between them. As yet Soa had never spokenfully to her mistress of her early life or of the mysterious People ofthe Mist from whom she sprang, though she had taught her the languagethey spoke. Perhaps, for reasons of her own, she did not think this afavourable occasion on which to begin the story.

  When Soa had finished Juanna fell into a reverie. She remembered thatshe had expressed no gratitude to Mr. Outram for his heroic rescue ofher. Yet in her heart she was grateful enough. But for him she must nowhave been dead, and the world of light and love would have closed itsgates upon her for ever. Still, mixed up with her gratitude and earnestadmiration of the deed of heroism which had been wrought for her sake,was another feeling, a feeling of resentment and alarm. This stranger,this dark, keen-eyed, resolute man had bought her as a slave; more, hehad gone through a form of marriage with her that was not all a form,for it had been solemnly celebrated by a priest, and there on her fingerwas the memorial of it. Of course it meant nothing, but the thought ofit angered her and offended her pride.

  Like other women, Juanna Rodd had not come to twenty years of agewithout dreaming of love, and, strange to say, her fancy had alwayschosen some such man as Leonard for the hero of the story. But that thehero should present himself in this ultra-heroic fashion, that he shouldbuy her with gold, that he should go through a form of marriage withher within an hour of their first meeting--for these things she hadnot bargained. It was a fact--that marriage was an accomplished fact,although it might be null and void, and the female mind has a greatrespect for accomplished facts. To a woman of Juanna's somewhat haughtynature this was very galling. Already she felt it to be so, and astime went on the chain of its remembrance irked her more and more, acircumstance which accounts for much of her subsequent conduct.

  Thinking such thoughts as these, Juanna strolled back towards the campalong a little pathway in the reeds, and suddenly came face to face withLeonard. She was clad in a white Arab robe, part of the loot, which shehad adapted cleverly to the purposes of a dress, fastening it round herslender waist with an embroidered scarf. She wore no hat, and her richdark hair was twisted into a great knot that shone in the sunlight. Inher hand she held some crimson lilies which she had gathered, that madea spot of colour on the whiteness of her dress. The look of hauntingterror was gone from her face, whose beauty had come back during hersleep; her changing eyes shone beneath their dark lashes, and she movedwith the grace of a fawn.

  Seen thus in that pure and pearly light against the green backgroundof the feathered reeds, nothing could have seemed more sweet and lovelythan did this girl, this child of the forest and the river, who mingledin herself the different beauty of the Saxon and the Spaniard, ripenedby the African sun and dignified by the long companionship of Nature.There was a grace about her movements, a purity in her face, a mysteryin the wide eyes and curved and smiling lips, such as Leonard had neverseen before, and which overcame him utterly. Alas for the fickleness ofthe human heart! from that moment the adoration of his youth, the dreamof his lonely years of wandering, Jane Beach, began to grow faintand fade away. But though this was so, as yet he did not admit it tohimself; indeed, he scarcely knew it.

  Juanna looked up and saw him standing before her, proud and handsome,an air of command upon his thoughtful face, deep-chested, bearded,vigorous, a man amongst men. She saw the admiration in his eyes andblushed, knowing that, do what she would to prevent it, it was reflectedin her own. She remembered all that this stranger had done for her, howhe had risked his life a hundred times, how she would now have beendead and unlovely were it not for his intrepid deeds, and remembering,something stirred at her heart.

  Was it gratitude that moved her thus? She did not know; but whatever itwas, she turned her head that he might not read it on her face. Anothermoment, and she was holding out her hand to him and smiling pleasantly.

  "Good morning," she said, "I hope that you have slept well, and that youhave no bad news."

  "I spent eight hours in a state of absolute stupor," he answeredlaughing, "and there is no news at all to speak of, except that I havegot rid of those slaves, poor creatures. I fancy that our friends, theslave-dealers yonder, have had enough of our company, and are scarcelylikely to follow us."

  Juanna turned a shade paler, and answered:

  "I trust so. At least I have had enough of them. By the way, Mr. Outram,I--I--have to thank you for a great deal;" here her eyes caught thegleam of the gold circlet on the third finger of her left hand--"thisring belongs to you, I will return it at once."

  "Miss Rodd," said Leonard gravely, "we have passed through a verystrange adventure together; will you not keep the ring in remembrance ofit?"

  Her strong impulse was to refuse. While she wore this ring the thoughtof that hateful scene and still more hateful mockery of marriage wouldbe always with her. And yet, as the words of prompt refusal were onher lips, a feeling, an
instinct, almost a superstition caused themto remain unspoken. "You are very kind," she said, "but this is yoursignet-ring--is not that what you call it? You cannot wish to give it toa chance acquaintance."

  "Yes, it is my signet-ring, and if you will look at the crest and mottoyou will see that they are not inappropriate. And I do wish to give iteven 'to a chance acquaintance,' Miss Rodd, if you will allow me no moreintimate term."

  "I have looked at them," she answered, as she examined the ringcuriously. It was of plain and somewhat massive gold, and deeply cutinto the shield-faced bezel was the Outram crest, a hand holding a drawnsword, beneath which the motto was engraved. "What is the last word ofthe motto?" she went on; "it is so rubbed that I cannot read it--'ForHome, Honour----'"

  "'And Heart,'" said Leonard.

  Juanna blushed, though why the word "heart" should make her blush sheknew not.

  "Well, I will wear the ring, if you wish it, Mr. Outram, in memoryof our adventure--that is, until you ask it back again," she saidconfusedly; then added with a change of tone: "There is one detailof the adventure that I hope you will not allude to more than you canavoid, for the recollection of it is most painful to me, probably moreso even than to you."

  "I suppose you mean the ceremony of marriage, Miss Rodd."

  "I mean the wicked and abominable farce in which we were made to playa part," she answered passionately. "Most of the witnesses of thatshameful scene are dead and cannot speak of it, and if you will keepyour servant the dwarf silent I will do the same by Father Francisco.Let it be forgotten by both of us."

  "Certainly, Miss Rodd," said Leonard, "that is, if anything so strangecan be forgotten. And now, will you come to breakfast?"

  She bowed her head in assent and swept past him, the red lilies in herhand.

  "I wonder what hold she has over that priest," thought Leonard tohimself, "that she talked of being able to keep him silent. By the way,I must find out whether we are to have the pleasure of his company. Iwould rather be without him myself. A strange girl! One can account forher beauty, she inherited that; but it is difficult to understand themanner. By rights she should be a half-wild hoyden, but I never saw anEnglish lady with more grace and dignity. Perhaps I have forgotten;it is so long since I associated with ladies, or perhaps, like beauty,these are natural to her. After all, her father seems to have been agentleman of birth, and people who live with nature may have everyfault in the calendar, but they cannot be vulgar. That is the gift ofcivilisation."

  When he reached the camp, Leonard found the priest talkingconfidentially to Juanna.

  "By the way, Father," he said somewhat brusquely, "as you see, I havegot rid of those slaves. It was impossible to take them with us, and nowthey must shift for themselves: at any rate, they are better off thanthey were yonder. What are your plans? You have behaved well to us, butI cannot forget that we found you in bad company. Perhaps you wish toreturn to it, and in that case your way lies eastward," and he noddedtowards the Nest.

  "I do not wonder that you distrust me, senor," said Francisco, hispale and girlish face colouring as he spoke, "for appearances are muchagainst me. But I assure you that although I came into the company ofAntonio Pereira by my own will, it was for no evil purpose. To be brief,senor, I had a brother who fled hither from Portugal because of a crimethat he had committed, and joined Pereira's band. With much toil Itracked him out, and was welcomed at the Nest because I am a priestwho can comfort the sick and shrive the dying, for wickedness does notconsole men at the last, senor. I persuaded my brother to return withme, and we made a plan to escape. But Pereira's ears were long: we werebetrayed, and my brother was hanged. They did not hang me, because ofmy calling. Afterwards I was kept a prisoner and forced to accompanythe band in their expeditions. That is all the story. Now, with yourpermission, I will follow you, for I have no money and nowhere else togo in this wilderness, though I fear that I am not strong enough to beof much service, and being of another faith you will scarcely need myministrations."

  "Very well, Father," answered Leonard coldly, "but please understandthat we are still surrounded by many dangers, which any treacherymight cause to overwhelm us. Therefore I warn you that should I detectanything of the sort my answer to it will be a quick one."

  "I do not think that you need suspect the Father, Mr. Outram," saidJuanna indignantly. "I owe him a great deal: had it not been for hiskindness and counsel, I should not be alive to-day. I am most deeplygrateful to him."

  "If you vouch for him, Miss Rodd, that is enough. You have had theadvantage of a closer acquaintance than I can boast," Leonardanswered gravely, mentally contrasting the difference of her manner inacknowledging the priest's services and his own.

  From that hour till a certain conversation opened his eyes, struggleas he would against it, Leonard disliked Francisco. He had a foolishBritish aversion to his class, and Juanna's marked partiality towardsthis particular individual did not lessen it in this instance. Prejudiceis a strong thing, and when it is heightened by suspicion and jealousy,especially jealousy of the unacknowledged kind, it becomes formidable,both to him who entertains it and to him against whom it is entertained.

  When their meal was done they proceeded up the river in the boats whichthey had captured from the slavers, each boat being rowed by the bestoarsmen among the Settlement men. Including women and children theirparty numbered some sixty souls. At evening they passed the island wherethey had left the company of slavers, but could see no sign of life uponit, and never learned whether the men perished or escaped.

  An hour later they encamped upon the bank of the river, and it was whilethey were sitting round the fire at night that Juanna told Leonard ofthe horrors which she had undergone during her dreadful sojourn with theslave caravan. She told him also how she had torn leaves from theBible which she chanced to have with her, and fixed them upon the reedswhenever she could find an opportunity of so doing, in the hope thatthey might guide her father, should he return and attempt her rescue.

  "It is all like a nightmare," she said; "and as for that hideous farceof marriage with which it ended, I can scarcely bear to think of it."

  Then Francisco, who had been sitting silent, spoke for the first time.

  "You speak, senora," he said in his subdued voice, "of that 'hideousfarce of marriage,' and I suppose you mean the ceremony which Iperformed between you and the Senor Outram, being forced to the act byPereira. It is my duty to tell you both that, however irregular thismarriage may have been, I do not believe it to be a farce. I believethat you are lawfully man and wife until death shall part you, unlessindeed the Pope should annul the union, as he alone can do."

  "Nonsense, nonsense," broke in Leonard; "you forget that there wasno consent; that we are of another religion, and that the form wasnecessary to our plot."

  "The Church knows nothing of the reasons which lead to the undertakingof wedlock," Francisco answered mildly. "They are various, and many ofthem would not bear investigation. But you were married without any openprotest on your part, on Portuguese territory, according to Portuguesecustom, and by a duly qualified priest. The fact that you are of theProtestant religion, and were united by the Catholic ritual, doesnot matter at all. For the purposes of the ceremony you accepted thatritual, as is customary when a Protestant marries a Catholic. It isdisagreeable for me to have to tell you this, but the truth remains: Ibelieve that you are man and wife before Heaven and the world."[*]

  [*] The Editor does not hold himself responsible for Father Francisco's views on ecclesiastical marriage law.

  Here Juanna jumped to her feet, and even in that light Leonard could seethat her breast was heaving and her eyes shone with anger.

  "It is intolerable that I should be forced to listen to suchfalsehoods," she said, "and if you ever repeat them in my hearing,Father Francisco, I will not speak to you again. I utterly repudiatethis marriage. Before the ceremony began, Mr. Outram whispered to me togo through with the 'farce,' and it was a farce. Had I thought otherwiseI should have ta
ken the poison. If there is any foundation for what theFather says, I have been deceived and entrapped."

  "Pardon, senora," replied the priest; "but you should not speak soangrily. The Senor Outram and I only did what we were forced to do."

  "Supposing that Father Francisco is right, which I do not believe,"said Leonard, with sarcasm, "do you think, Miss Rodd, that such a suddenundertaking would be more to my liking than to yours? Believe me, hadI wished to 'deceive and entrap' you, I could not have done so withoutinvolving myself, since, if the marriage is binding, it is binding onboth parties, and even such a humble individual as I am does not takea wife on the faith of a five minutes' acquaintance. To be frank, Iundertook your rescue for purposes far other than those of matrimony."

  "Might I ask what they were?" replied Juanna, in a tone of equalacerbity.

  "Certainly, Miss Rodd. But first I must explain that I am noknight-errant. I am an almost penniless adventurer, and for urgentreasons of my own I seek to win fortune. Therefore, when the womanyonder," and he pointed to Soa, who was sitting watching them justout of range of the firelight, "came to me with a marvellous tale of acountless treasure of rubies, which she promised to reveal to me if Iwould undertake the little matter of your rescue, and when she even paiddown a specimen stone of considerable value on account, having nothingbetter to do and nowhere to go, being in short desperate, I consented.Indeed, I did more, I took the precaution of reducing the matter towriting, I being one contracting party, and Soa, acting on her ownbehalf and as your attorney, being the other."

  "I have not the least idea to what you allude, nor did I ever giveSoa any authority to sign documents on my behalf. But may I see thiswriting?"

  "Certainly," Leonard answered; and rising he went to the baggage, whencehe returned presently with a lantern and the prayer-book.

  Juanna placed the lantern beside her and opened the book. The firstthing that she saw was a name on the fly-leaf, "Jane Beach," and beneathit this inscription, which evidently had been written by some one in agreat hurry: "To dearest Leonard from Jane. 23 Jan."

  "Turn over," he said hastily; "the document is on the other side."

  She was not slow to note both the writing and the confusion which herperusal of it caused him. Who was Jane Beach, she wondered, and why didshe call Mr. Outram "dearest Leonard"? In a moment, so strange are thehearts of women, Juanna felt herself much prepossessed against her,whoever she might be. But she turned the leaf and read the agreement.It was a pretty sight to see her bending over the cramped writing inthe circle of the lantern light, but when at length she had finishedand looked up, there was a smile upon her lovely face which had more ofscorn in it than was pleasant.

  "Come hither, Soa," she said, "and tell me what all this nonsense meansabout rubies and the People of the Mist."

  "Shepherdess," answered Soa, squatting down on the ground before her,"it is not nonsense. The language which I taught you when you werelittle is that of this people. It is a true tale, though hitherto I havehid it from you and your father, Mavoom, lest Mavoom should seek towin the precious stones and come to his death through them. Listen,Shepherdess," and she repeated the outlines of the story with which shehad already made Leonard acquainted, ending thus:

  "I told this tale to the White Man because I saw that he was greedy,after the fashion of his race, and my strait was desperate. For thisreason I bribed him with the red stone, and with the promise that Iwould lead him to the land of the People of the Mist, for had I not doneso he would never have used his wit or put out his strength to rescueyou from the Yellow Devil. Therefore it was also that I marked thispaper on your behalf and my own, knowing well that I had no right tospeak for you, and that by and by you could refuse to abide by it,though I am bound."

  "Frank, at any rate," said Leonard to himself. "What an attorney the oldlady would have made!"

  "Say, Soa," asked Juanna, "to succeed in the search for these stones isit necessary that I should act a part among your people?"

  "I can see no other way," she answered. "But what of that? You are free,and what I promised on your behalf is nothing. Let the White Man gowithout his reward, it will save him a long journey."

  "Attorney!" murmured Leonard in admiration; "she ought to beAttorney-General."

  "_Wow!_ The wicked old cheat!" put in Otter. "If I had my way I wouldbreak her neck, though she is so clever with the big gun."

  Juanna took no notice of these asides. For the moment she remained inthought, then looked up smiling.

  "Really," she said, "this is a capital legal document. But oh! Mr.Outram, why did you dispel my illusions? You see, I had been making upsuch a romantic story out of this adventure. You were the knight-errant,and I was the Christian maiden in the hands of the ogre, and when youheard of it you buckled on your armour and started to the rescue. Andnow you bring me down to the nineteenth century with a run.

  "It is not knight-errantry, but a commercial transaction: I am indifficulty, but by playing a certain undefined part you believe thatI shall be able to help you to secure treasure; therefore you agree toundertake the risk. I am ignorant of what I am to do, for as yetnobody has explained it to me, but you need have no fear, I shall notrepudiate, as Soa suggests with so much candour. Certainly I shall trymy best to help you in this business, if I can, for you have worked hardand endangered your life, Mr. Outram, and I am sure that you haveearned your money, or rather the prospect of it. Really it is all veryamusing," and she laughed merrily.

  As for Leonard, he sat before her, mad with secret wrath and burningwith shame. What a fool he had been thus to expose himself to the shaftsof this girl's tongue--this girl, whose beauty was only equalled byher malice! He wished that his hand had withered before he wrote thataccursed document. But now the only thing to do was to face it out.

  "I am glad that you see me in my true light at last, Miss Rodd," hesaid. "It simplifies matters. I entered into that agreement because itseemed to give me a remote chance of attaining my end, which is money.It does not quite follow, however, that I should not have attempted yourrescue had there been no agreement; but, of course, I cannot expect youto believe that."

  "I assure you, Mr. Outram, that I am deeply obliged to you for yourcaution. It has lifted a great weight from my mind, for if in any way Ican help you to obtain possession of the valuables of this People of theMist I shall have paid off an obligation which at present crushes me."

  "We shall have to start early to-morrow morning, so with your permissionI think that I will be turning in," said Leonard, springing up withsingular alacrity.

  Juanna watched him go with innocent eyes, and as he passed she saw bythe firelight that his face was like a thunderstorm. "I have made himangry this time," she thought to herself, "and I am glad of it. Whatbusiness had he to rescue _me_ for money? But he is a strange man, andI don't think that I quite understand him. I wonder who Jane Beach is.I suppose that she wants the money. Women generally do, or at least theydid in Durban."

  Then she spoke aloud: "Soa, come here while I undress, and tell me againall about your meeting with Mr. Outram, and what he said, forgettingnothing. You have put me to shame, Soa, with your talk, and I will neverforgive you. Tell me also how I can help to win the treasure of thePeople of the Mist!"