Chapter 20 Chapter 20 The Ascetic Monk

The old foreman never thought of this name. This was the name of the last "friar" of the Dochart Coal Bunker. In the past, before the invention of the security light, Simon Ford knew this rough man who risked his life every day to induce small gas explosions.He had seen the eccentric wandering about the mines, always accompanied by a gigantic snowy owl, a monstrous owl who, in his dangerous profession, The matchlock was out of reach of his hands.One day, the old man disappeared, but when he disappeared, a little orphan was born in the mine, and she only had him, her great-grandfather, as her parents.This child is obviously Nell. For 15 years, these two people may have lived in some secret deep cave, until the day Nell was rescued by Harry.

The old foreman related to the engineer and his son, with a mixture of pity and anger, the things which he did not think of until he saw the name of Sylfax. All the circumstances became clear.Silfax was the mysterious man they had sought in vain in the depths of New-Aberfoyle! "So you know him, Simon?" asked the engineer. "Yes, indeed," replied the foreman. "The one with the snowy owl! He's not getting any younger. He's probably 15 or 20 years older than me. A kind of savage who doesn't mingle with anyone and is seen as a duck to water and fire! He does it out of interest He chose the profession of a friar, which he didn't care much about. The dangerous business messed with his head. He was said to be vicious, but he might just be crazy. He was incredibly strong. No one could be like him. Familiar with mines,--at least as much as I am. People accept him as a sort of convenience. Indeed, I thought he'd been dead for years."

"But," continued James Starr, "what does it mean: 'You stole from me the last vein of our old mine'?" "Ah!," replied Simon Ford, "it has been a long time since I told you, Sylfax, that his mind was always confused, and that he had some power over old Aberfoyle. So , as Dochart's coal bunker—his coal bunker!—was depleted, his temper became more and more violent. Every strike of the pickaxe seemed to pluck his core from him. Guts!—you should remember that, Madge?" "Yes, Simon," answered the old Scotch woman. "I remember all these things now," went on Simon Ford, "since I saw the name Sylfax on this door, but, I repeat, I thought he was dead; and I can't imagine that the gangster we've been looking for so hard is the ascetic monk from the former Dochart coal bunker!"

"Indeed," said James Starr, "everything is explained. An accident revealed the existence of the new deposit to Sylfax. In the self-interest of a madman, he is tempted to call himself the owner of the new deposit. Defender. He lives alone in the coal mines, and walks about day and night. He may have accidentally learned your secret, Simon, and that you asked me to hurry to the cottage. From this, there appeared the letter with you. Contradictory letters; whereupon, after my arrival, the ladders that threw large stones into the Harry and Yale mines were broken; , was released, was released all because of Nell who came to save us, no doubt she was hiding it and disregarding the objections of this Sylfax!"

"The things you have just described are evidently bound to happen, Mr James," replied Simon Ford, "the old penitent must be mad, now!" "It's better this way," Madge said. "I don't think," went on James Starr, shaking his head, "for his madness might be a frightful madness! Ah! I see now that Nell cannot think of him without horror, and I still See she doesn't want to denounce her grandfather! What a miserable time she's had around this old man!" "Very miserable!" replied Simon Ford, "living between his savagery and his snowy owl, who could not have been less savage than he! For, of course, it is not dead, the bird! Only It may have extinguished our light, it was the one who nearly cut the ropes that held Harry and Nell!  …”

"And I understand," Madge said, "the news of his granddaughter's marriage to our son seems to intensify Silfax's hatred and aggravate his rage!" "Indeed, Nell's marriage to the son of the man he accused of stealing his last Aberfoyle lode could only have culminated in his rage!" went on Simon Ford. "But he should have put up with the union!" cried Harry. "No matter how alien he may appear in public life, he will eventually be made to realize that Nell's new life is better than his in the abyss of the coal mines. That kind of life is more worth living! I believe, Mr. Stahl, if we can give him our hand, we can finally make him sane!"

"No reason to talk to a madman, my poor Harry," replied the engineer. "It is certainly better to know the enemy than to know nothing, but it is not over, because we know who he is today. Keep our vigilance , my friends, and to begin, Harry, Nell must be asked! It must be done! She will see that it is time, there is no longer any reason for her silence. It is for her grandfather's good that she speaks out, too. It is as important to us as it is to him that we bring to naught these sinister plans." "I have no doubt, Mr Starr," replied Harry, "that Nell will meet your question with her own actions. You know now that she has kept her silence so far out of conscience, out of duty. Out of duty, out of conscience, she'll talk when you ask her to. My mother did a good job. Take her back to her room. She needs meditation badly, but I'll go to her..."

"No, Harry," said the girl in a firm and clear voice, "she's back in the cottage hall at this very moment." Neil was pale.Her eyes showed how she had cried, but her uprightness made her step out at this moment, making people feel her determination. "Nel," Harry called, walking up to the girl. "Harry," replied Nell, gesturing to stop her betrothed, "your father, your mother and you, you must know everything today. You should not be ignorant, Mr. Starr, about the Didn't know anything about the kid that Harry had unluckily, alas, rescued from the deep."

"Nile!" Harry exclaimed. "Let Nell talk," said James Starr, forcing Harry to silence. "I'm old Sylfax's granddaughter," continued Nell, "and I never knew what a mother was until I came in here," she added, looking at Madge. "May the day be blessed, my daughter!" replied the old Scotch woman. "I never knew what a father was until I saw Simon Ford," Nell went on, "and friends, until the day Harry's hand touched mine! Lived with my grandfather for 15 years in a hidden corner. With him, that's a good thing. Lived through him. I could barely see him. When he disappeared from old Aberfoyle, He hid in those far-reaching places that only he knew. In his way, he treated me well at that time, although it was scary. He gave me to eat what he went to find outside, but I remember I don't know, I just remember at the beginning, when I was very young, I had a goat as a nurse, and its death made me very sad. My grandfather saw me so sad, and first replaced it with another animal-a dog , he said to me. Unfortunately, that dog is a barking dog, and he barks all the time. Grandpa doesn't like dogs. He gets scared when he hears a sound. He taught me to be quiet, but he failed to teach the dog. The poor The animals disappeared almost at once. Grandfather had a vicious bird for companionship, a snowy owl, which at first terrified me, but the bird, though repulsive to me, became so attached to me that I ended up feeling attached to him too. It's even more obedient to me than to its master, and it makes me uneasy about it. Grandfather is so jealous. Snowy Owl and I, we try to keep him from finding us together as much as possible! We know it has to be!  … But I tell you too much! It's you who are involved..."

"No, my daughter," replied James Starr, "say what comes to your mind." "My grandfather," Neil went on, "always had a very nasty look at you living near the coal mines. But there was no shortage of space. The hideout he chose for himself was far, far away from you. He hated feeling There you are. When I asked him about the people up there, his face darkened, and he didn't answer, and stayed silent for a long time like a mute. But when he realized he couldn't keep you any longer In the old place, you seemed to be encroaching on his territory, and he was furious. He swore that if you finally broke into the new coal mine, which until then only he knew, you would be finished! Despite his age, But his strength is superhuman, so his threats make me tremble for you and for him."

"Go on, Nell," said Simon Ford to the girl, who paused for a moment, as if to better focus her memory. "After your first attempt," Nell went on, "as soon as Grandfather caught you breaking into the lane at New-Aberfoyle, he blocked the exit and made the lane your prison. I only recognized your shadows, glimpsed dimly in the darkness of the coal mines, but I could not imagine a few Christians starving to death in this abyss, so, risking being caught red-handed, I finally Some water and bread for you in a few days!  …I would have liked to lead you out, but it was too difficult to escape my grandfather's watch! You are all dying! Here comes Jack Ryan and his friends … ...God made me meet them that day! I led them all the way to you. My grandfather caught me on the way back. His anger at me was terrible. I thought I was going to die at his hands! Since then, life has become too much for me to bear. My grandfather is completely out of his mind. He declares himself to be the king of shadow and fire! When he hears your pickaxe hammering what he thinks is his veins, he will cry. Crazy, hit me in a rage. I wanted to run. It was impossible, he watched me so hard. Finally, three months ago, in a bout of unspeakable insanity, he put me down until you found me and he, after vainly summoning the snowy owl, disappeared, which faithfully accompanied me. Since when have I been there? I do not know! When you come, my Harry , when you're going to get me out, all I know is, I feel like I'm dying! And yet, you see, old Sylfax's granddaughter can't be Harry Ford's wife because of that It's about your life, it's about all of your lives!" "Nile!" Harry cried. "No," went on the maiden, "I have decided to sacrifice. There is only one way to save you from destruction: that is, that I go back to my grandfather. He is threatening all of New-Aberfoyle! . . . A man who will not forgive, and no one can know what the vengeful spirit will incite against him! The responsibility is clear. If I hesitate to realize it, I will be the most despicable person! Farewell, and Thank you! You have taught me happiness in this world! No matter what happens, please consider that my whole heart will remain among you!" Hearing this, Simon Ford, Madge, and Harry in mad pain stood up. "What, Nell!" they cried in despair, "you're leaving us!" James Starr separated them with an authoritative gesture, then went straight up to Nell and took her hands. "It is well, my child," he said to her, "you have said what you ought to have said, but we have something to answer you. We will not let you go, and, if necessary, we will compel you to stay .Do you think we would be so cowardly to accept your valiant offering? Old Sylfax's threat is terrible, all right! But, after all, a man is only a man, and we shall take precautions. Yet , Can you, for the sake of Silfax himself, tell us his habits, and tell us where he hides? We only want to do one thing to make him unable to do more evil, and perhaps to restore him to reason. " "Your hopes are impossible," replied Nell, "my grandfather was everywhere and everywhere. I never knew where he hid. When he found some shelter, he left me alone. And disappeared. When I made up my mind, Mr. Starr, I knew what you would answer me. Believe me! There is only one way to soften my grandfather, and that is if I can find him again. He is Invisible, he, but he can see everything. Just think how he found out about your most secret thoughts. From the letter to Mr. Starr, until Harry and I were going to marry, if He didn't have this inexplicable ability to know everything. My grandfather, I think, was a man of great intellect even in his madness. He used to say something important to me occasionally. He told me that God , but deceived me only on one point: that when he was going to incite my hatred of all mankind, he was going to make me believe that all people are treacherous. When Harry brought me to this cottage, you Thought I was just ignorant! I was stronger than that. I was terrified! Ah! Forgive me! However, for a few days I thought I was in the wrong hands and I wanted to hide from you. It's you, Mad Qi, began to direct my thoughts to the truth, not only in your words, but also in the scenes of your life, when I saw that you were loved and respected by your husband and son! Later, when I saw those happy and kind The laborers revered Mr Starr, and at first I thought they were his slaves, when I first saw all the people of Aberfoyle come to the church, and kneel there, beseeching God and thanking him for his boundless At the time of Enze, I said to myself at that time: 'My grandfather lied to me!' But today, through the things you told me, I think it is he who lied to himself! So I will go on my way again Those secret roads that used to be with him. He'll spy on me! I'll call him...he'll hear me, and who knows if I'll bring him back to the real when I go back to him come?" Everyone let the girl talk.Everyone felt that, in her noble fancy, it might do her good to let her open her whole heart to her friends, when she thought she would leave them forever.But when she was exhausted and her eyes filled with tears, she stopped, and Harry turned to his mother, saying: "My mother, what would you think of a man who would turn his back on the noble girl you just heard?" "I shall think," replied Madge, "that this man is a coward, and if he were my son I shall deny him. I shall curse him!" "You heard my mother, Nell," went on Harry, "I'll follow you wherever you go. If you insist on going, we'll go together..." "Harry! Harry!" cried Nell. She is so excited.The girl's lips turned gray and she fell into Madge's arms, asking the engineer, Simon, and Harry to leave her alone.