Chapter 14

‘I heard Elias and Adah abovestairs quarrel, and, knowing the woman was the stronger, I saw that Elias would tell the King of the gold and that the King would continue in his stubbornness. Therefore I saw that the gold must be put away from the reach of any man. Of a sudden, the Word of the Lord came to me saying, “The Morning is come, O thou that dwellest in the land.”’

Kadmiel halted, all black against the pale green sky beyond the wood—a huge robed figure, like the Moses in the picture-Bible.

‘I rose. I went out, and as I shut the door on that House of Foolishness, the woman looked from the window and whispered, “I have prevailed on my husband to tell the King!” I answered, “There is no need. The Lord is with me.”

‘In that hour the Lord gave me full understanding of all that I must do; and His Hand covered me in my ways. First I went to London, to a physician of our people, who sold me certain drugs that I needed. You shall see why. Thence I went swiftly to Pevensey. Men fought all around me, for there were neither rulers nor judges in the abominable land. Yet when I walked by them they cried out that I was one Ahasuerus, a Jew, condemned, as they believe, to live for ever, and they fled from me everyways. Thus the Lord saved me for my work, and at Pevensey I bought me a little boat and moored it on the mud beneath the Marsh-gate of the Castle. That also God showed me.’

He was as calm as though he were speaking of some stranger, and his voice filled the little bare wood with rolling music.

‘I cast’—his hand went to his breast, and again the strange jewel gleamed—‘I cast the drugs which I had prepared into the common well of the Castle. Nay, I did no harm. The more we physicians know, the less do we do. Only the fool says: “I dare.” I caused a blotched and itching rash to break out upon their skins, but I knew it would fade in fifteen days. I did not stretch out my hand against their life. They in the Castle thought it was the Plague, and they ran forth, taking with them their very dogs.

‘A Christian physician, seeing that I was a Jew and a stranger, vowed that I had brought the sickness from London. This is the one time I have ever heard a Christian leech speak truth of any disease. Thereupon the people beat me, but a merciful woman said: “Do not kill him now. Push him into our Castle with his plague, and if, as he says, it will abate on the fifteenth day, we can kill him then.” Why not? They drove me across the drawbridge of the Castle, and fled back to their booths. Thus I came to be alone with the treasure.’

‘But did you know this was all going to happen just right?’ said Una.

‘My Prophecy was that I should be a Lawgiver to a People of a strange land and a hard speech. I knew I should not die. I washed my cuts. I found the tide-well in the wall, and from Sabbath to Sabbath I dove and dug there in that empty, Christian-smelling fortress. Hé! I spoiled the Egyptians! Hé! If they had only known! I drew up many good loads of gold, which I loaded by night into my boat. There had been gold-dust too, but that had been washed away by the tides.’

‘Didn’t you ever wonder who had put it there?’ said Dan, stealing a glance at Puck’s calm, dark face under the hood of his gown. Puck shook his head and pursed his lips.

‘Often; for the gold was new to me,’ Kadmiel replied. ‘I know the Golds. I can judge them in the dark; but this was heavier and redder than any we deal in. Perhaps it was the very gold of Parvaim. Eh, why not? It went to my heart to heave it on to the mud, but I saw well that if the evil thing remained, or if even the hope of finding it remained, the King would not sign the New Laws, and the land would perish.’

‘Oh, Marvel!’ said Puck, beneath his breath, rustling in the dead leaves.

‘When the boat was loaded I washed my hands seven times, and pared beneath my nails, for I would not keep one grain. I went out by the little gate where the Castle’s refuse is thrown. I dared not hoist sail lest men should see me; but the Lord commanded the tide to bear me carefully, and I was far from land before the morning.’

‘Weren’t you afraid?’ said Una.

‘Why? There were no Christians in the boat. At sunrise I made my prayer, and cast the gold—all—all that gold into the deep sea! A King’s ransom—no, the ransom of a People! When I had loosed hold of the last bars, the Lord commanded the tide to return me to a haven at the mouth of a river, and thence I walked across a wilderness to Lewes, where I have brethren. They opened the door to me, and they say—I had not eaten for two days—they say that I fell across the threshold, crying, “I have sunk an army with horsemen in the sea!”’

‘But you hadn’t,’ said Una. ‘Oh, yes! I see! You meant that King John might have spent it on that?’

‘Even so,’ said Kadmiel.

The firing broke out again close behind them. The pheasants poured over the top of a belt of tall firs. They could see young Mr. Meyer, in his new yellow gaiters, very busy and excited at the end of the line, and they could hear the thud of the falling birds.

‘But what did Elias of Bury do?’ Puck demanded. ‘He had promised money to the King.’

Kadmiel smiled grimly. ‘I sent him word from London that the Lord was on my side. When he heard that the Plague had broken out in Pevensey, and that a Jew had been thrust into the Castle to cure it, he understood my word was true. He and Adah hurried to Lewes and asked me for an accounting. He still looked on the gold as his own. I told them where I had laid it, and I gave them full leave to pick it up.... Eh, well! The curses of a fool and the dust of a journey are two things no wise man can escape.... But I pitied Elias! The King was wroth at him because he could not lend; the Barons were wroth at him because they heard that he would have lent to the King; and Adah was wroth at him because she was an odious woman. They took ship from Lewes to Spain. That was wise!’

‘And you? Did you see the signing of the Law at Runnymede?’ said Puck, as Kadmiel laughed noiselessly.

‘Nay. Who am I to meddle with things too high for me? I returned to Bury, and lent money on the autumn crops. Why not?’

There was a crackle overhead. A cock-pheasant that had sheered aside after being hit spattered down almost on top of them, driving up the dry leaves like a shell. _Flora_ and _Folly_ threw themselves at it; the children rushed forward, and when they had beaten them off and smoothed down the plumage Kadmiel had disappeared.

‘Well,’ said Puck, calmly, ‘what did you think of it? Weland gave the Sword. The Sword gave the Treasure, and the Treasure gave the Law. It’s as natural as an oak growing.’

‘I don’t understand. Didn’t he know it was Sir Richard’s old treasure?’ said Dan. ‘And why did Sir Richard and Brother Hugh leave it lying about? And—and——’

‘Never mind,’ said Una, politely. ‘He’ll let us come and go, and look, and know another time. Won’t you, Puck?’

‘Another time maybe,’ Puck answered. ‘Brr! It’s cold—and late. I’ll race you towards home!’

They hurried down into the sheltered valley. The sun had almost sunk behind Cherry Clack, the trodden ground by the cattle-gates was freezing at the edges, and the new-waked north wind blew the night on them from over the hills. They picked up their feet and flew across the browned pastures, and when they halted, panting in the steam of their own breath, the dead leaves whirled up behind them. There was Oak and Ash and Thorn enough in that year-end shower to magic away a thousand memories.

So they trotted to the brook at the bottom of the lawn, wondering why _Flora_ and _Folly_ had missed the quarry-hole fox.

Old Hobden was just finishing some hedge-work. They saw his white smock glimmer in the twilight where he faggoted the rubbish.

‘Winter, he’s come, I rackon, Mus’ Dan,’ he called. ‘Hard times now till Heffle Cuckoo Fair. Yes, we’ll all be glad to see the Old Woman let the Cuckoo out o’ the basket for to start lawful Spring in England.’ They heard a crash, and a stamp and a splash of water as though a heavy old cow were crossing almost under their noses.

Hobden ran forward angrily to the ford.

‘Gleason’s bull again, playin’ Robin all over the Farm! Oh, look, Mus’ Dan—his great footmark as big as a trencher. No bounds to his impidence! He might count himself to be a man—or Somebody.’

A voice the other side of the brook boomed:

‘I marvel who his cloak would turn When Puck had led him round Or where those walking fires would burn——’

Then the children went in singing “Farewell Rewards and Fairies” at the tops of their voices. They had forgotten that they had not even said good-night to Puck.

THE CHILDREN’S SONG

_Land of our Birth, we pledge to thee_ _Our love and toil in the years to be,_ _When we are grown and take our place,_ _As men and women with our race._

Father in Heaven who lovest all, Oh help Thy children when they call; That they may build from age to age, An undefiled heritage!

Teach us to bear the yoke in youth, With steadfastness and careful truth; That, in our time, Thy Grace may give The Truth whereby the Nations live.

Teach us to rule ourselves alway, Controlled and cleanly night and day; That we may bring, if need arise, No maimed or worthless sacrifice.

Teach us to look in all our ends, On Thee for judge, and not our friends; That we, with Thee, may walk uncowed By fear or favour of the crowd.

Teach us the Strength that cannot seek, By deed or thought, to hurt the weak; That, under Thee, we may possess Man’s strength to comfort man’s distress.

Teach us Delight in simple things, And Mirth that has no bitter springs; Forgiveness free of evil done, And Love to all men ’neath the sun!

_Land of our Birth, our Faith our Pride,_ _For whose dear sake our fathers died;_ _O Motherland, we pledge to thee,_ _Head, heart, and hand through the years to be!_

FOOTNOTE

1 Copyright, 1905, by Rudyard Kipling.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

The following typographical errors were corrected:

page 7, “Pyramis” changed to “Pyramus” page 9, quotes added before “couldn’t” and “I” page 13, “draggons” changed to “dragons” page 27, quote added before “Late” page 43, “summons” changed to “summon” page 51, “we” added before “do” page 62, double quote changed to single quote after “pirate-folk?” page 64, semicolon added after “Yes” page 68, double “said” removed, single quote changed to double quote after “kill!” page 69, comma added after “Kitai” page 76, double “where” removed page 85, quote added after “gold!” page 97, quote removed after “Aquila.” page 99, “shouder” changed to “shoulder”, single quote changed to double quote after “Look!” page 102, “learned” changed to “leaned” page 103, “a” added between “is” and “good” page 108, quote removed before “At” page 110, single quote changed to double quote before “But” page 127, quote added after “catapult,”, quote removed after “Una.”, “quicky” changed to “quickly” page 128, comma removed after “bigger” page 135, “hmself” changed to “himself” page 137, “did’nt” changed to “didn’t” page 141, quote added before “But” page 142, single quote changed to double quote after “reason,” page 143, “Cylops” changed to “Cyclops” page 152, “Caesar” changed to “Cæsar” page 153, comma added after “children,” page 156, quote added after “make.” page 160, comma added after “No”, period added after “up” page 166, quote added after “thoughts.” page 170, double quote changed to single quote before “Sorry” page 184, single quote changed to double quote after “Man.” page 188, single quote changed to double quote after “him,”, “to-day?” and “finished!” page 193, quote added after “letter.” page 205, parenthesis added after “complain” page 214, period added after “lime.” page 218, “sepentines” changed to “serpentines” page 224, quote added after “voice.” page 235, apostroph moved after “conjurin’.” page 237, quote added before “Dymchurch” page 239, apostroph and comma changed after “nothin’,“ page 240, “shouder” changed to “shoulder” page 241, apostroph and periodchanged after “bein’.” page 244, apostroph added after “an” page 248, comma removed after “Robin” page 260, “asid” changed to “said” page 269, “stubborness” changed to “stubbornness” page 275, quote added before “I”, “burne” changed to “burn”