the underground city-地下城(英文版)- 第2部分

This　farewell　would　leave　a　lasting　remembrance　in　all　these　honest　hearts。　　Slowly　and　sadly　the　population　quitted　the　yard。　The　black　soil　of　the　roads　leading　to　the　Dochart　pit　resounded　for　the　last　time　to　the　tread　of　miners'　feet；　and　silence　succeeded　to　the　bustling　life　which　had　till　then　filled　the　Aberfoyle　mines。

One　man　alone　remained　by　James　Starr。　　This　was　the　overman；　Simon　Ford。　　Near　him　stood　a　boy；　about　fifteen　years　of　age；　who　for　some　years　already　had　been　employed　down　below。

James　Starr　and　Simon　Ford　knew　and　esteemed　each　other　well。　〃Good…by；　Simon；〃　said　the　engineer。

〃Good…by；　Mr。　Starr；〃　replied　the　overman；　〃let　me　add；　till　we　meet　again！〃

〃Yes；　till　we　meet　again。　　Ford！〃　answered　James　Starr。　　〃You　know　that　I　shall　be　always　glad　to　see　you；　and　talk　over　old　times。〃

〃I　know　that；　Mr。　Starr。〃


〃My　house　in　Edinburgh　is　always　open　to　you。〃

〃It's　a　long　way　off；　is　Edinburgh！〃　answered　the　man　shaking　his　head。　〃Ay；　a　long　way　from　the　Dochart　pit。〃

〃A　long　way；　Simon？　　Where　do　you　mean　to　live？〃

〃Even　here；　Mr。　Starr！　　We're　not　going　to　leave　the　mine；　our　good　old　nurse；　just　because　her　milk　is　dried　up！　My　wife；　my　boy；　and　myself；　we　mean　to　remain　faithful　to　her！〃

〃Good…by　then；　Simon；〃　replied　the　engineer；　whose　voice；　in　spite　of　himself；　betrayed　some　emotion。

〃No；　I　tell　you；　it's　TILL　WE　MEET　AGAIN；　Mr。　Starr；　and　not　Just　'good…by；'〃　returned　the　foreman。　　〃Mark　my　words；　Aberfoyle　will　see　you　again！〃

The　engineer　did　not　try　to　dispel　the　man's　illusion。　　He

patted　Harry's　head；　again　wrung　the　father's　hand；　and　left　the　mine。

All　this　had　taken　place　ten　years　ago；　but；　notwithstanding　the　wish　which　the　overman　had　expressed　to　see　him　again；　during　that　time　Starr　had　heard　nothing　of　him。　　It　was　after　ten　years　of　separation　that　he　got　this　letter　from　Simon　Ford；　requesting　him　to　take　without　delay　the　road　to　the　old　Aberfoyle　colliery。

A　munication　of　an　interesting　nature；　what　could　it　be？　Dochart　pit。　　Yarrow　shaft！　　What　recollections　of　the　past　these　names　brought　back　to　him！　　Yes；　that　was　a　fine　time；　that　of　work；　of　struggle；……the　best　part　of　the　engineer's　life。　Starr　re…read　his　letter。　　He　pondered　over　it　in　all　its　bearings。　He　much　regretted　that　just　a　line　more　had　not　been　added　by　Ford。　　He　wished　he　had　not　been　quite　so　laconic。

Was　it　possible　that　the　old　foreman　had　discovered　some　new　vein？　　No！　　Starr　remembered　with　what　minute　care　the　mines　had　been　explored　before　the　definite　cessation　of　the　works。　He　had　himself　proceeded　to　the　lowest　soundings　without　finding　the　least　trace　in　the　soil；　burrowed　in　every　direction。　They　had　even　attempted　to　find　coal　under　strata　which　are　usually　below　it；　such　as　the　Devonian　red　sandstone；　but　without　result。　James　Starr　had　therefore　abandoned　the　mine　with　the　absolute　conviction　that　it　did　not　contain　another　bit　of　coal。

〃No；〃　he　repeated；　〃no！　　How　is　it　possible　that　anything　which　could　have　escaped　my　researches；　should　be　revealed　to　those　of　Simon　Ford。　　However；　the　old　overman　must　well　know　that　such　a　discovery　would　be　the　one　thing　in　the　world　to　interest　me；　and　this　invitation；　which　I　must　keep　secret；　to　repair　to　the　Dochart　pit！〃　　James　Starr　always　came　back　to　that。

On　the　other　hand；　the　engineer　knew　Ford　to　be　a　clever　miner；　peculiarly　endowed　with　the　instinct　of　his　trade。　He　had　not　seen　him　since　the　time　when　the　Aberfoyle　colliery　was　abandoned；　and　did　not　know　either　what　he　was　doing　or　where　he　was　living；　with　his　wife　and　his　son。　All　that　he　now　knew　was；　that　a　rendezvous　had　been　appointed　him　at　the　Yarrow　shaft；　and　that　Harry；　Simon　Ford's　son；　was　to　wait　for　him　during　the　whole　of　the　next　day　at　the　Callander　station。


〃I　shall　go；　I　shall　go！〃　said　Starr；　his　excitement　increasing　as　the　time　drew　near。

Our　worthy　engineer　belonged　to　that　class　of　men　whose　brain　is　always　on　the　boil；　like　a　kettle　on　a　hot　fire。　　In　some　of　these　brain　kettles　the　ideas　bubble　over；　in　others　they　just　simmer　quietly。　Now　on　this　day；　James　Starr's　ideas　were　boiling　fast。

But　suddenly　an　unexpected　incident　occurred。　　This　was　the　drop　of　cold　water；　which　in　a　moment　was　to　condense　all　the　vapors　of　the　brain。　About　six　in　the　evening；　by　the　third　post；　Starr's　servant　brought　him　a　second　letter。　　This　letter　was　enclosed　in　a　coarse　envelope；　and　evidently　directed　by　a　hand　unaccustomed　to　the　use　of　a　pen。　James　Starr　tore　it　open。　　It　contained　only　a　scrap　of　paper；　yellowed　by　time；　and　apparently　torn　out　of　an　old　copy　book。

On　this　paper　was　written　a　single　sentence；　thus　worded：

〃It　is　useless　for　the　engineer　James　Starr　to　trouble　himself；　Simon　Ford's　letter　being　now　without　object。〃

No　signature。


CHAPTER　II　ON　THE　ROAD


THE　course　of　James　Starr's　ideas　was　abruptly　stopped；　when　he　got　this　second　letter　contradicting　the　first。

〃What　does　this　mean？〃　said　he　to　himself。　　He　took　up　the　torn　envelope；　and　examined　it。　　Like　the　other；　it　bore　the　Aberfoyle　postmark。　It　had　therefore　e　from　the　same　part　of　the　county　of　Stirling。　The　old　miner　had　evidently　not　written　it。　　But；　no　less　evidently；　the　author　of　this　second　letter　knew　the　overman's　secret；　since　it　expressly　contradicted　the　invitation　to　the　engineer　to　go　to　the　Yarrow　shaft。

Was　it　really　true　that　the　first　munication　was　now　without　object？　Did　someone　wish　to　prevent　James　Starr　from　troubling　himself　either　uselessly　or　otherwise？　　Might　there　not　be　rather　a　malevolent　intention　to　thwart　Ford's　plans？

This　was　the　conclusion　at　which　James　Starr　arrived；　after　mature　reflection。　　The　contradiction　which　existed　between　the　two　letters　only　wrought　in　him　a　more　keen

desire　to　visit　the　Dochart　pit。　　And　besides；　if　after　all　it　was　a　hoax；　it　was　well　worth　while　to　prove　it。　　Starr　also　thought　it　wiser　to　give　more　credence　to　the　first　letter　than　to　the　second；　that　is　to　say；　to　the　request　of　such　a　man　as　Simon　Ford；　rather　than　to　the　warning　of　his　anonymous　contradictor。

〃Indeed；〃　said　he；　〃the　fact　of　anyone　endeavoring　to　influence　my　resolution；　shows　that　Ford's　munication　must　be　of　great　importance。　To…morrow；　at　the　appointed　time；　I　shall　be　at　the　rendezvous。〃

In　the　evening；　Starr　made　his　preparations　for　departure。　As　it　might　happen　that　his　absence　would　be　prolonged　for　some　days；　he　wrote　to　Sir　W。　Elphiston；　President　of　the　Royal　Institution；　that　he　should　be　unable　to　be　present　at　the　next　meeting　of　the　Society。　　He　also　wrote　to　excuse　himself　from　two　or　three　engagements　which　he　had　made　for　the　week。　Then；　having　ordered　his　servant　to　pack　a　traveling　bag；　he　went　to　bed；　more　excited　than　the　affair　perhaps　warranted。

The　next　day；　at　five　o'clock；　James　Starr　jumped　out　of　bed；　dressed　himself　warmly；　for　a　cold　rain　was　falling；　and　left　his　house　in　the　Canongate；　to　go　to　Granton　Pier　to　catch　the　steamer；　which　in　three　hours　would　take　him　up　the　Forth　as　far　as　Stirling。

For　the　first　time　in　his　life；　perhaps；　in　passing　along　the　Canongate；　he　did　NOT　TURN　TO　LOOK　AT　HOLYROOD；　the　palace　of　the