a pathless land by robin porecky

7/31/2019 A Pathless Land by Robin Porecky

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R o b i n P o r e c k y

A P a t h l e s s L a n d

Austin Macauley


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Copyright R o b i n P o r e c k y

The right of Robin Porecky to be identified as author of

this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77

and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 188!

A"" rights reser#ed! $o part of this pub"ication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrie#a" system, or transmitted in any

form or by any means, e"ectronic, mechanica", photocopying,

recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the

pub"ishers!

Any person who commits any unauthori%ed act in re"ation to thispub"ication may be "iab"e to crimina" prosecution and ci#i" c"aims

for damages!

This book is a work of fiction! $ames, characters and e#ents are

the product of the author&s imagination! Any resemb"ance to

actua" persons, "i#ing or dead, is pure"y coincidenta"!

A C'P cata"ogue record for this tit"e is

a#ai"ab"e from the (ritish )ibrary!

ISBN 978 1 905609 581

www!austinmacau"ey!com

*irst Pub"ished +--8.

Austin / 0acau"ey Pub"ishers )td!

Canada 23uare

Canary 4harf)ondon

516 )(

Printed / (ound in reat (ritain


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D e d i c a t i o n

To my fami"y, who in their own, #ery specia" ways,ha#e gi#en me the support ' needed so much!


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A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

' wish to acknow"edge my debt of gratitude to

0y friends, (o and uni""a 5ricsson, for drawing myattention to 9Through Arctic )ap"and& by Cutc"iffe

:ines +A/C ("ack! 188., the e;traordinary accountof two 5ng"ishmen who in 187, the year in which myno#e" is set, succeeded in crossing part of )ap"anddespite being "udicrous"y i""okkmokk, on 2ami kni#es!

Patricia A""eridge&s book 9(eth"ehem :ospita" 167iddu @rishnamurti +18


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CHAPTER 1

The snow was "ate that year in )ap"and, but the chi"" wind across

the height was a reminder it wou"d not be "ong de"ayed! The

mountains, from where it came, had ne#er comp"ete"y yie"ded to

the summer, and the white streaks in the protected gu""ies were

conspicuous against the greyness of the bare ridges, as though the

peaks had been c"awed, "ea#ing b"eached scars! (eneath these

agged ramparts which fanned out around the distant hori%on, the

fe""s stretched themse"#es, empty and decepti#e"y f"at! The two

men, diminished by this uninhabited #astness, wa"ked in

procession, the ranking senior first, the younger unior behind,

their paces in#o"untari"y fo""owing the drumbeats which broke a

si"ence that might otherwise ha#e been unbearab"e for them! They

were accustomed to a "ife of cities, bui"dings, roads and carriages,

the noise of socia" intercourse! Their ci#i"i%ed ignorance of thewi"derness made it especia""y threatening, for they preferred

man&s taming fingerprint to be upon the "and, and they were

dressed in b"ack frock coats and pa"er trousers as if they had

ne#er "eft the (ritish 5mbassy in 2tockho"m! Their winged co""ars

stiffened their necks against the unknown, and on"y the awkward

way in which they fumb"ed their top hats re#ea"ed the uncertainty

each tried to concea" from the other! 2hou"d they be on their heads

as some protection against the insects sti"" remaining from the

summer heat, risking the indignity of a chase when, as seemedine#itab"e, the wind wou"d send them bow"ing across the steppeE

=r shou"d they carry them against their breasts as might be more

proper on a so"emn occasionE

0orris, the younger man, fina""y "ooked to the :ead of

Chancery for guidance and 4ainwright did not "et him down!

Combing his white whiskers with the fingers of one hand to

dis"odge something a"i#e which had become entang"ed there, he


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c"asped his hat to his chest with the other and strode forward!

0orris, two steps behind him, admired his reso"ution! :e knew

that 4ainwright, on the brink of his retirement, considered the

who"e e;pedition a "udicrous impropriety and in his heart he

doubt"ess b"amed it a"" on 0orris! (ut the Ambassador had sided

with the unior man and had demanded c"osure of a matter that

had become unfortunateF and when 0orris recei#ed the message

from the )app, 4ainwright agreed to o#ersee a proper reso"ution!

(oth had assumed they wou"d be conducted by a person, but the

message, 9fo""ow the drum,& had pro#ed more "itera" than

e;pected! As soon as they had reached the ochre


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they were there! 5ach stared at the other in momentary

bewi"derment before each face assumed its usua" passi#ity! Then

they stared at the rocks, twice their height, and cautious"y began

to circ"e them!

(efore they reached the edge where the water began its "ong

descent, a sing"e rock had been mo#ed aside and they cou"d see

into the dim interior of what they now rea"ised was a carefu""y

constructed ho""ow cairn of significant si%e! The f"owing water

had scored a channe" through its centre, "ea#ing the areas on either

side dry and forested with pa"e dead birches, wedged upright

between the ape; and the rock f"oor "ike some magica" fairy story

i""ustration! 4here the bark had been pee"ed there were primiti#ei""ustrations of gods, sun symbo"s, hunting and fishing scenes and

other e#ents to be rememberedF and suspended from the branches,

and sometimes from the trunks, there were other obects, possib"y

ritua" or ta"ismanic! (oth saw at once what they were meant to

see!

2acri"ege,B said 4ainwright with weary disgust! 't was, '

suppose, to be e;pected!B

't is certain"y bi%arre,B said 0orris guarded"y, "ooking more

c"ose"y!' suppose there is no doubtEB

$one!B

4ainwright stepped from the entrance and ha"f turned away!

' wonder what rea""y happenedEB he mused!

' doubt if we sha"" e#er know,B said 0orris, oining him!

The ourney must ha#e been horrific, and it may be fortunate for

a"" who knew them that the detai"s wi"" remain obscure!B

' cannot concei#e how anybody in his right mind wou"d

want to come to such a godforsaken "and!B0orris "ooked at him, and 4ainwright nodded s"ow"y! Ges, '

see,B he said! $o one in his right mind wou"d!B There was a

pause and then he added, Gou were in#o"#ed in organising the

rescue, were you notEB

' was,B admitted 0orris, and it sti"" troub"es me! 4e had to

act, the 2wedes were adamant, but he was at schoo" with me and '

regret that ' in#o"#ed him!B


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4ainwright frowned, instincti#e"y disappro#ing of tardy

regret which was of its nature unproducti#e! They were "ost a

"ongish time, and one, as you reminded me, was 3uite unstab"e!

Perhaps both, in #iew of what we now know! (ut that is no e;cuse

for this,B and he gesticu"ated behind him at the rocks!

Their Christianity is sti"" on"y on the surface,B answered

0orris awkward"y! :owe#er we may #iew it, it is possib"e this

was intended as a mark of their respect! 't is e#en possib"eHB :e

paused, uncertain that he shou"d continue!

Gou&d better say it,B 4ainwright muttered, sighing! 4e

ha#e to make our decision on a"" the e#idence!B

This isn&t e#idence,B said 0orris, somewhat embarrassed!The 2wedes wi"" not want to know, and it wou"d need"ess"y upset

the church hierarchy if they were to"d! The )apps, '&m certain,

wi"" ne#er speak of it, at "east not open"y! (ut ' fancy by now that

both, or one at "east, may ha#e become part of their mytho"ogy,

e#en inc"uded in the pantheon of their deities!B

4ainwright stared at him in a"arm, and he added 3uick"y,

They do not "ook for perfection in their gods, they ust accept

that they are there!B

And we are here,B rep"ied 4ainwright with some asperity,brushing aside his unior&s inappropriate de"#ing into paganism!

A decision is re3uired! =ur masters want no comp"ications, so in

my #iew the simp"est way is best! Are we agreed upon the

answerEB

0orris nodded! Agreed,B he said! (ut do you not fee" we

shou"d mark in some way that we were hereEB

That what we represent was here,B corrected 4ainwright,

and 0orris opened his pocket knife and car#ed into a short "ength

of fa""en birch Iictoria Dei ra! (ritt! ReginaB and added 187!4ith 4ainwright&s appro#a" he p"aced it inside the opening, and

both men brief"y bowed their heads to mark it as an officia"

ceremony!

' wonder whether the drummer is sti"" watching usEB 3ueried

4ainwright when they had strugg"ed up the s"ope and begun the

tiring wa"k towards the shimmering ribbon of the recent"y "aid

rai"way "ine!


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' e;pect he wi"" watch us unti" we are safe"y on our way to

2tockho"m!B

Gou knew him, ' supposeEB

:e was he"pfu" to me in bringing them together!B

4e shou"d ne#er ha#e "et ourse"#es become in#o"#ed,B said

4ainwright ref"ecti#e"y! ' can say it now that it is o#er! The

)apps are a 2wedish prob"em and, e#en if an 5ng"ishman

becomes embroi"ed with them, the 2wedes shou"d take

responsibi"ity!B

(ut wou"d it be right for us to turn our backs upon a difficu"t

situationEB

'sn&t that precise"y what we ha#e been doing here, thisafternoonEB answered 4ainwright brus3ue"y, and without a

g"ance behind him he 3uickened his pace towards the sma"" red

f"ag where in an hour the train from @iruna wou"d stop for them,

and start them on their "ong way south to the order"y comforts of

the (ritish 5mbassy!


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CHAPTER 2

There had been so many beginnings, but the one which remained

in 0artin >anow&s mind was 0r 2nowba""&s b"ush! :e was a dry

and dusty man, drooping, "ike his moustache, in a dry and dusty

room tucked to one side of the rand 2taircase in the (ritish

0useum, and b"ushing was un"ike him! =fficia""y he was

Assistant in the Department of (ritish and 0ediae#a" Anti3uities

and 5thnography, but he had been shunted sideways so often he

had become uncoup"ed from that department and e#entua""y, to

e#eryone&s surprise, not "east his own, had himse"f ac3uired an

empire! 't was a sma"" empire, and "itt"e #isited, for some cu"tures

were not popu"ar, and they became the care of 0r 2nowba""! =f

these, (y%antine shou"d ha#e been at "east a "arge co""ection, but

typica""y the finest of the artefacts were spread around! >ewe"s and

go"d went to the Room of o"d =rnaments and ems, i#orycar#ings to the 0edie#a" Room, and the most attracti#e items

bearing symbo"s of Christ found a "egitimate p"ace in the

Christian Room! This encouraged the 5gyptian and Assyrian

Anti3uities to appropriate the many nostic gems, whi"e the

e;tensi#e co""ection of (y%antine "ead sea"s was conured away by

the Department of 0anuscripts! *ina""y, embo"dened by the

success of such ethnographic "ooting, the Department of reek

and Roman Anti3uities c"aimed a"" the mosaic pa#ements! The

"ea#ings, or 0inor Arts as they were ca""ed, inc"uding pottery"amps, bron%e weights and stone sepu"chra" monuments, passed to

0r 2nowba"", housed in a "itt"e room without the new e"ectric

"ighting that had b"a%ed in the 5;hibition a""eries since 18-!

And there for years he tended them, and studied them, and "arge"y

passed from the memory of his co""eagues! Then, to their

consternation, he "aid before them a short paper, inf"uenced by

5uropean thinking, which cha""enged )ecky&s (ritish udgement


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that (y%antium constituted the most thorough"y base and

despicab"e form that ci#i"i%ation has yet assumed!B :e fo""owed

this with a monograph about the pieces in his care, and though it

was read on"y by the @eeper and the Principa" )ibrarian, and was

ne#er pub"ished, it occasioned a faceewish bastard son of a Po"ish count! 0ore difficu"t

sti"", in front of 0r 2nowba"", was his assertion that he was atra#e""er of much e;perience, in contrast to the fact that he had not

once "eft 5ng"and since he had oined his father there at the age of

eight! (ut 0r 2nowba"", in his eagerness to demonstrate the

difference between a 0atabe"e spear and one that wou"d be

carried by a Ju"u, noticed nothing about his #isitor any more than

0artin, obsessi#e"y concerned about himse"f, had scrutinised him!

2o, each b"ind to the rea"ity of the other, a curious bond was

formed! 0r 2nowba"" took the ro"e of earnest deferentia" teacher,

0artin the wea"thy seeker after know"edgeF and each, thinkinghimse"f a fai"ure, was warmed by the esteem the other he"d him

in!

A year "ater, 0artin was #isiting him again! :e had been

se#era" times after his return from Africa to pass on e;aggerated

and occasiona""y not e#en truthfu" accounts of his ourney, but 0r

2nowba"" had recei#ed them a"" with gratitude, together with the

knobkerrie and (antu shie"d which 0artin presented to the


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museum and thus to 0r 2nowba""! (ut now he re3uired

know"edge again, and had chosen one of the 2unday afternoon

openings in 0ay which wou"d a""ow 0r 2nowba"" the time to

prepare a sma"" disp"ay of )app artefacts! *or 0artin had decided

he wou"d #isit northern 2weden ne;t, "ater in the summerF and as

he sprang up the rand 2taircase, forgetting for a moment that he

was o"der than he was, he fe"t an eagerness that was rare for him!

'n genera" he fe"t his "ife was empty, and so a day with a specific

aim in#igorated him! 0r 2nowba"" awaited him with an

enthusiasm that matched his own, though deep inside there was a

fear he might ha#e compromised the re"ationship, and knew that

confession of an o#er


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the "ate se#enteenth century! The drums were an anathema to the

Christians, who fe"t that they were magic, and probab"y b"ack

magic at that!B

4ere they destroyedEB

0any were, not ust by the priests but by the 2hamans

themse"#es in preference to gi#ing them up! (ut others were

mere"y confiscated, and se#era" 2wedes co""ected them, inc"uding

the botanist Car" #on )innaeus!B

2o there are none "eft nowE ' shan&t see anyEB

0r 2nowba"" put his finger beside his bony nose and "owered

his #oice! ' be"ie#e they are made in secret, and used, but the

church is sti"" against them!B:ow were they usedEB

The drumming put the 2haman into a trance which enab"ed

him to tra#e" to the wor"d of the spirits to get he"p for his peop"e,

or information about the weather, sources of food, predators

threatening their herds, the chances of success in the hunt! 't is

e#en said he cou"d #isit the rea"m of the dead!B

Gou don&t disappro#e of heathen be"iefsEB

0r 2nowba"" "ooked at 0artin carefu""y, as though he were

weighing the trust he cou"d put in him!=#er many years of study ' ha#e come to respect be"iefs that

may be contrary to my own,B he answered fina""y!

Did the )apps become ChristianEB

$ot wi""ing"y, but to an e;tent it has been accomp"ished! The

2wedes used an interesting system of con#ersion, taking )app

chi"dren away from their parents, putting them into boarding

schoo"s and bringing them up as )utherans, then sending them

home to con#ert their fami"ies!B

2o ' am un"ike"y to see rea" )app "ife and customsEB'n the far north where you are going their "ife wi"" not ha#e

changed as much as many be"ie#e! 't sti"" is centred round the

reindeer, as it a"ways has been, and gi#en such continuity it&s hard

to ob"iterate a cu"ture!B

'&m g"ad to hear that,B said 0artin more warm"y than he had

intended, for he was thinking of the >ews!


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0r 2nowba""&s face "it up! ', too, am g"ad,B he confided

3uiet"y! Then, as if 0artin&s admission had fina""y gi#en him the

courage to admit his own transgression, he added, ' hope,

sincere"y, that ' ha#e not o#erstepped the mark, but ' had two

#isitors "ast week, interested in 2wedish )ap"and, and ' took the

"iberty, the considerab"e "iberty, ' fear, of mentioning your

forthcoming tra#e"s there! ' did not, of course, gi#e them your

name, ' do assure you of that, but simp"y to"d them you were a

gent"eman of discretion, with much e;perience of the wi"der

regions of our wor"dB

And did they think ' was a madmanEB

$o, no, they were e;treme"y interested! 5specia""y the young"ady!B And it was at this moment 0r 2nowba"" b"ushed a sunset

red!

A young "adyEB 3ueried 0artin de"icate"y, pretending to

study the drum again to a#oid embarrassing him further by

watching his discomfiture!

The daughter of the re#erend gent"eman, whom she was

accompanying!B 0r 2nowba"" e;p"ained! :e reached into his

waistcoat pocket and produced a card! Canon 4armouth asked

that ' shou"d gi#e you this, and hoped, hoped #ery earnest"y, thatyou wou"d #isit him in )inco"n, or a""ow him to come to you in

)ondon!B

Did the Canon a"one hope this, or did the young "ady, his

daughter, hope it tooEB

The young "ady, and ' reca"" it #ery c"ear"y, was e#en more

persistent! ' formed the impression that meeting you was a matter

of great importance to her! ' may, of course, ha#e been mistaken!B

(ut you do not think you wereEB

$o!BAnd this young "ady, was she, perhaps, if ' may put it

de"icate"y, rather un"ike the many worthy daughters of the c"ergy

that one seesEB

'n this du"" room she seemed to me to be a beam of

sunshine,B said 0r 2nowba"", hushing his #oice as he mo#ed onto

the unfami"iar ground of poetry! 2o fu"" of youth and beauty, so

golden!B


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Gou recommend, then, that ' take up their in#itation, and

#isit them in )inco"nEB

=h yes,B said 0r 2nowba"" earnest"y, ' do indeed!B And

then he smi"ed and added, The cathedra" there is of particu"ar

interest!B

Then ' sha"" go there,B answered 0artin, throwing himse"f

into a chair and taking out his notebook and a penci"! And now

you must prepare me for my )ap"and ourney!B


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CHAPTER 3

During his ourney to )inco"n on the second day of 0ay 0artin

was so busy thinking about the Canon&s daughter and imagining

romantic episodes that he did not once consider ways to end his

"ife, his usua" preoccupation when tra#e""ing by coach! :e

enoyed the "urching motion that was often #io"ent, and a

substantia" tip a"ways ensured he had a forward facing corner seat!

There, maintaining the air of coo" dignity he had cu"ti#ated to

keep others at a distance, he wou"d stare at the passing

countryside and "et his mind escape into imaginings! Recent"y he

had obsessi#e"y searched for areas suitab"e for suicide, a

cha""enging task because the ru"es, his own, "aid down that either

his death must be undisco#ered or attributed to natura" causes! A

ri#er bank, deep"y undercut, wou"d suggest the possibi"ity of

forcing his foot between the underwater tree roots and drowning"ike a moored =phe"iaF a particu"ar"y tang"ed thicket wou"d a""ow

him to craw" ginger"y into the centre and there open his wrist

#eins with the pocket knife he kept honed to a ra%or edgeF an

e#ergreen tree with thick and drooping branches wou"d permit a

death by hanging in comp"ete sec"usion! :e cou"d not bear the

thought of peop"e knowing he had ki""ed himse"f, for then a""

those who had derided him, within his fami"y and at schoo",

wou"d fee" entire"y #indicated! A c"iff abo#e the sea, sheer down

into turbu"ent water, might be the best so"ution, especia""y if he"oaded his pockets with hea#y stones, but he was not keen on

heights! $or did he know whether he was serious"y considering

ending his "ife, or p"aying with the thought to gi#e himse"f the

comfort of a possib"e way out from a "ife that was increasing"y

meaning"ess! $othing he was, and nothing he did, was rea"! (ut

since the on"y way he wou"d disco#er whether he were serious

was to undertake the deed, he "eft the uncertainty in his mind


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where it aggra#ated the irreso"ute state that had been growing

since his father&s death! :e had not "o#ed him, or mourned his

passing in any way at a""F but ha#ing "ooked forward to his death

so eager"y, be"ie#ing it wou"d free him, he had been stunned to

disco#er that it made so sma"" a difference! The money he had

inherited ga#e him the socia" esteem he cra#ed, for unti" then he

had a"ways fe"t an outcastF but now that was rep"aced by the

suspicion he was "iked for his wea"th, and sti"" not for himse"f!

The con#iction that he wou"d ne#er be unhappy again was e3ua""y

short


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because of 0r 2nowba"", had brought him some re"ief! (ut there

was sti"" so much of each year to be fi""ed!

>ourneying to )inco"n, therefore, had been a new e;perience,

a ourney with a rea" purpose, to meet someone he did not know,

who wanted to meet him! Two peop"e, in fact, but he thought

more about the daughter than the Canon! The card he had been

gi#en indicated that 4armouth was the Principa" of 2aint

0atthias, a co""ege training Christian teachers, and 0artin cou"d

not concei#e why such a man wou"d wish to meet him, nor why

his daughter wou"d be so insistent that he come! 't suggested more

than a genera" interest in )ap"and, and he contented"y whi"ed

away the ourney time imagining count"ess possibi"ities, eachmore un"ike"y than the one before but a"" romantica""y intriguing!

:e conured up their "ikenesses, sketching them in his mind, then

a"tering, refining, and, a"ways dissatisfied, beginning again! :e

e#en had con#ersations with them in which he was unfai"ing"y

erudite and witty, arousing the Canon&s admiration and his

daughter&s shy and modest adoration! (y the time he saw the

distant si"houette of )inco"n, dominated by its cathedra" g"ittering

in the e#ening dri%%"e he had con#inced himse"f a new and

happier phase of "ife was dawning!:e got down at The 4hite :art, where, by "etter from

)ondon, he had booked the best rooms, and he ce"ebrated his

arri#a" with champagne, a fine dinner and a f"irtation with the

p"ump and cheerfu" chambermaid who seemed to promise more

than he cared to pursue that night, his mind being fu"" of the

daughter he wou"d meet ne;t day!

:e woke to sunshine, the noise of whee"s on the cobb"es, and

the cheerfu" chatter of #oices in the street outside! :e e;ercised

before the mirror, reassuring himse"f that his nose had on"y anaristocratic Po"ish prominence, and that his father&s tendency to

fat was, in his case, he"d in check! :e breakfasted, and pondered

his course of action! :e had not forewarned the Canon of his

arri#a", fearfu" as usua" that a"" might not be as it seemed, and

a""owing himse"f the possibi"ity of a change of mind! (ut now, his

new confidence undimmed, he took one of his cards and wrote

that he had recei#ed the message from 0r 2nowba"" and as he was


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in )inco"n #isiting the cathedra" he wou"d happi"y ca"" upon the

Canon at any time he cared to nominate! The porter to whom he

ga#e it for de"i#ery informed him that the co""ege was on"y up the

road, and he wou"d go at once and bring back a rep"y!

:e&s a fine gent"eman,B he added chatti"y, e#erybody

speaks we"" of him, and there&s not many round here you can say

that about!B

' sha"" #isit the cathedra",B said 0artin! Gou can gi#e me

his rep"y on my return!B

Gou&"" probab"y see his daughter there,B said the porter! 2he

passes the hote" on her way there a"most e#ery morning at this

time, and you can&t he"p noticing her, she&s such a bright andhappy young "ady!B

0artin nodded and went back to his rooms to make sure he

was "ooking as presentab"e as possib"e! :e then wa"ked to 0inster

Gard in some e;citement, "ooking at the bystanders instead of

a#oiding their ga%e, con#incing himse"f that what they saw was an

5ng"ishman, ta"" and strong"y bui"t, and not the frightened

schoo"boy who sti"" "urked within! 'n the fu"" g"are of the sun the

e;terior of the cathedra" seemed careworn, as if it had seen o#er

the centuries too much crue"ty, into"erance and greedF but onceinside he was gratified to find it fu"" of g"ory! There was that

formidab"e sense of god"y 3uietness engendered by eight hundred

years of prayer, the stones themse"#es impregnated with cease"ess

cries for bountifu" grace and abundant mercy, for charity that is

the bond of peace, and for unfai"ing "o#e! 2"ow"y he wa"ked

eastwards to the Ange" Choir and stationed himse"f beneath the

car#ed stone imp, the proper p"ace, he fe"t, for someone who had

so often sinned with chambermaids! The imp was seated at roya"

ease, one ank"e crossed casua""y on the other knee, an attitude hefre3uent"y himse"f assumed! :e fo""owed its "ustfu" ga%e across

the eight


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de"icate ears! 5ntranced, he rested in the serenity of her face, so

open to his ga%e, so pri#ate in her prayer, con#incing himse"f that

this must be the gir" who had occasioned 0r 2nowba""&s b"ush!

As "ong as he dared, he stayed and watched, and then

retreated, tremb"ing, to the Choir! :e kne"t and prayed that this

was true, that this was the daughter who was awaiting him! As if

awaking from a trance he opened his eyes and saw before him the

gir" again, car#ed on a misericord where an aged standing pre"ate

wou"d ha#e propped his posterior to keep him upright when his

"egs began to fai" in an e;tended ser#ice! The car#ing, ne#er a

sacred subect in #iew of the indecorous f"esh which it supported,

depicted her as a #irgin from the (estiary enticing a unicorn to "ayin her "ap his head, and thus his freedom! :e stood and with a

seeming casua"ness turned his eyes towards the chape" again, but

it was empty!

:e fe"t 3uite weak, and began to wa"k about! 5motions had

been stirred in him that he be"ie#ed had died when he betrayed his

mother! :e kept to the dimmer areas as he strugg"ed with this new

being a"most born inside himse"f, someone who cared and

yearned, and ached with oy and misery, and mo#ed between the

two e;tremes ashamed of neither! :e knew one person cou"d notbe mother, father and sweetheart to him, for such an idea" wou"d

a"ways be a #isionF but if he cou"d draw her to him by any

sacrifice at a"", the spark which had gone out of him might reanow,B he added

re"uctant"y, as if he had hoped to speed 0artin on his way without

it but his conscience now forbade such curtnessF and he "ed the

way across the "awn towards the Principa"&s residence! 0artin&s

heart began to beat with uncomfortab"e speed, for here he thought

he wou"d meet the daughter and know the truth! (ut it was the:ousekeeper who ser#ed the tea!

' was not frank with you,B said 4armouth when she had "eft!

' ha#e a friend who is among the )apps, and because ' hoped to

contact him ' rash"y "eft the message for you! (ut ' rea"ise now

the chances of you, or any other tra#e""er, actua""y meeting him,

when ' do not know where at a"" he is, are minima"! ' must

apo"ogise, therefore, for wasting your time so unforgi#eab"y and

hope you wi"" put it down to an o"d man&s foo"ishness!B

' am dismissed, thought 0artin bitter"y! ' was not what hewanted, he cou"d see the f"aws in me as if ' had written them on a

piece of card and pinned them on my acket! :e forced a smi"e,

put down his cup, shook hands whi"e murmuring there was

nothing to forgi#e, turned and saw the i#ory miniature which

seemed to ha#e a "ikeness to the gir" who fi""ed his thoughts! :e

paused by it, staring, forgetting a"" e"se!

0y wife,B said 4armouth gent"y! 2he died two years ago,

and now my daughter 0ary cares for me!B

' think ' may ha#e seen her in the cathedra" this morning,B0artin b"urted out, terrified he was about to b"ush as much as 0r

2nowba""!

2he is often there,B said Canon 4armouth, and then 0artin

was outside and wa"king despondent"y back toward The 4hite

:eart! :e to"d the porter to book him on the )ondon coach

tomorrow morning and, going to his rooms, he threw himse"f

upon the bed and wondered how such a promising start cou"d


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ha#e so miserab"e an ending! And then a rap upon the door roused

him from his thoughts, and he was informed a "ady was awaiting

him downstairs!

a pathless land by robin porecky

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