IF Dr. Herschel’s courage weakened as he looked into Hernando’s face his expression did not show it. Duty, once plain, had but one road for him, and he had the happy faculty of doing a disagreeable one gracefully. Hernando’s case was simply and truthfully stated to him. He then related his discovery of “Old Ninety-Nine’s” will in the stove at Kingston. In the will, no mention was made of gold, money or jewels, but he bequeathed to his brothers a proven cure for leprosy; as, in his younger days, he had contracted the disease in the West Indies. “Extremely chronic as it is,” said the doctor, “he was not aware of its true nature until in an advanced stage. He speaks of his body as contorted by dry rot, but painless. This is why he kept hidden from sight, believing the Great Spirit angry with him. In a dream his guardian spirit guided him to Shushan to be bitten by a poisonous snake whose venom was an antidote; but, to perfect a cure, he must take vapor baths from the boiling waters of ‘Stinking Spring.’[B] He went to Shushan, allowed himself to be bitten repeatedly by the venomous serpents there, carried out the directions of his guardian spirit, and in less than a year, his body became strong. One foot and three fingers had dropped off.”
For the first time Hernando became interested, but only for an instant. “What does it matter now?” he said with dull apathy. “I have ruined this entire family and God knows how many others! all because I was a blind fool. Venomous snakes and ‘stinking springs’ cure a disease that has baffled science since creation? A bullet through the heart is the best antidote for me!”
“Will you put yourself in my hands?”
“Would a post mortem on my carcass further the cause of science?” said Hernando bitterly.
“Tell me one thing,” Dr. Herschel asked, “have you ever suspected this?”
“Great God, no! Not this. Don’t think me worse than I am. Had I, my body would have followed ‘Old Ninety-Nine’s’ rather than bring destruction on these dear friends.”
“Listen, young man; on my professional word you have infected no one. Faith on your part is unnecessary; all I ask of you is to go to Shushan, take vapor baths, and allow me to inject the prepared venom until you understand doing these things yourself according to my directions. Do you consent?”
“There is but one other alternative.”
“And that would make you a murderer and me a felon. Do you hope to pervert Justice or trick her of her dues! Is not one lesson sufficient?”
Hernando’s brain reeled. His agonized soul cried out in anguish against the stern Power demanding years of torment in payment for one mistake. His nervous tension was tremendous, and the swaying power almost beyond control.
The doctor left him undisturbed to think it over for a few seconds and then said kindly:
“It is quite impossible for our finite minds to comprehend a plan of which we form an infinitely small part; but the slight glimpse we can get of the universe, wonderful beyond comprehension, ought to make us accept our fate gladly—as we must, blindly.”
After the doctor left, Hernando remained standing, the picture of abject misery. Leaning his head against the window he said bitterly,—“And for this I have striven! I, a leper, condemned to cry ‘Unclean, unclean!’”
A black hand fell lightly on Hernando’s arm and Reuben’s low voice said: “God am a bery present frien’ in time ob need.”
“Oh, for your faith!” Hernando moaned. “Religion is a cold word and means nothing to me.”
“An’ what am ’ligion, Massa?”
“I don’t know.”
“Den let me tell yo’, Massa: ‘Puah ’ligion an’ undefiled befo’ God an’ de fatha am dis,—to visit de fathaless an’ wida’s in de—in de’s ’fliction an’ to keep hisse’f unspotted f’um de wo’l.’”
Tears, welcome tears, at last. “Oh, Granny, Granny!” Hernando sobbed. “Was that night prophetic? Did you foresee this, and can you help me now as you did then? Intercede with your God for me, for my punishment is greater than I can bear!” He threw himself on the bed and buried his face in the pillows.
Reuben waited until the force of his emotion had spent itself, and then, taking one of Hernando’s hands in both his own, he repeated the Lord’s Prayer.
It may have been the effect of warm human sympathy, or the rich, sweet cadences of Reuben’s voice that soothed and quieted Hernando; but is it not reasonable to believe that Reuben, in his absolute self-abnegation, at-one-ment with his Maker, “transmitted a wireless message” direct to the Source of all being, and became a perfect “receiver” for the “wireless current of God’s dynamics,”—received a direct answer to that prayer? He arose from his knees and returned to complete the preparations for Hernando’s departure.
How the weary hours dragged on no one could tell. Sounds of merriment about the house were hushed and a blight seemed to have fallen on everything; but like everything else, the day had an end,—sunset, twilight, darkness; ten o’clock and Dr. Herschel; and the door closed on Hernando, as all but Dr. Herschel and Reuben believed—forever.
All thought of the wedding had been abandoned by Elisha and Celeste; but, on the morning after Hernando’s departure, Mr. De Vere received a note from Dr. Herschel telling that Hernando hoped his absence would make no difference in their arrangements for the wedding, and that they would accept his congratulations. So the simple ceremony that made Elisha Vedder and Celeste De Vere husband and wife was performed at the appointed time and Celeste did not feel disappointed in deferring her trip to Vicksburg, as Elisha filled the vacancy left by Hernando.
Though the miners marvelled, not one dared question the grave new superintendent. It was generally supposed that Hernando and Mr. De Vere had had some difference which resulted in the former’s dismissal and the fact of his having gone to live at Shushan made the odds against him. As he was no more seen, gradually he became in a measure forgotten, and work at the mine went as usual.