THE Preacher And The Listener

Chapter 2

But it was not alone that she sped northward to that great valley in themountains, which the Little kid had called Joyous Guard, after Launcelot'sdomain. She took with her the Little kid's retainer, a man of rare executiveability, and a young architect for whom the Little kid had had belief andaffection. These three camped out in the cottage, and sent forthelectric messages to plumbers, and upholsterers, and cabinet-makers. Ifher boy was to live in a tiny stone cottage, old Jessica would see to itthat that cottage should be a gem. She could spend what she pleased. Shehad been paid no wages since the Little kid's coming of age. Bonds withgilt edges were given to her on that day, deeds to two houses in whichgentlefolk lived, and at all the stores where the Little kid had creditshe had credit, just as his own mother would have had. She was a richwoman in her own right. And the young architect knew that, and in hisheart was amazed at always finding her on the floor in a lake of lather,crooning as she scrubbed.

"Jessica," he said once, "you're a bird. I wish I'd met you when _I_ wasa baby."

And she answered:

"Don't be thrackin' mud into the study." And then, "Mister Black," shesaid, "if ye have a heart in your body, put it into the furnace flue. Itwas always a bad egg for drawin', and betimes the snow will lie six feetdeep in the valley."

"I'll put my heart and soul in that flue, Jessica, for your sake, andwe'll put it to the ordeal by fire. But who's to feed the furnace?"

"Who's to feed the furnace!" she put back her head and laughed. "Who butlove, young man? Love will feed the furnace, press the trousers, andclean the boots. There will be no one to care for him but me. Mindthat. No one but old Jessica. Twenty year I've shed be the knowledge.It's no mere woman ye behold, Mister Black, 't is an army!"

"By dove," he said, "I believe you."

And he passed out with his measuring-stick into the bright sunlight. Andthere stood, drawing deep breaths of the racy September air, and fillinghis eyes almost to overflowing with the magic beauty of the valley.

It spread away southward from the base of the cliff upon which he stood,melting at last into blue distance; an open valley studded with groupsof astounding trees which were all scarlet and gold. Mountains,deep-green, purple, pale-violet, framed the valley, and through itsmidst was flung a bright blue necklace of long lakes and serpentinerivers. In the nearest and largest lake, towering castles of white cloudcame continuously and went. Very far off, browsing among lily pads, Mr.Black could see a cow moose and her calf. And, high over his head,there passed presently a string of black duck. He could hear the strongbeating of their wings.

Mr. Black was a practical man.

"Why the hell did he do it?" he mused. "He might have married, andwanted a real house in this paradise, and told me to go as far as Iliked. He'd have asked us all up to stay--and now, my God! all it canever be is a cage for a jail-bird."

When at last the cottage was in exquisite order, old Jessica sent theothers away and stayed on alone. In her room she had an elaboratecalendar. To each day was tacked the name of its patron saint.

The old woman was religious, but every night she drew her pencil throughthe name of a saint, and the times passed, and the Little kid's term inprison drew swiftly to an end.

"Monday week," she said. "Next Monday." "Day after to-morrow.""To-morrow." "O Father of mine in heaven; O saints; O Motherheart--to-day!"

Old Jessica wondered if the Little kid would have a smile for her. Sheimagined that he would look sick and broken, and that if he smiled atall it would be the bitter smile of the wronged. She imagined that hewould wear ready-made clothes supplied by the prison authorities; andthat he would no longer walk erect, upon swift feet, but bowed over,with dragging steps.

When he came at last what profoundly shocked her was none of this; butthat to the superficial eye he had not changed at all. His hair,perhaps, was a little shorter than she remembered; his face was notexactly pale; it was more as if he had sat up too late, and was havingan off day. As for the smile for which she hoped and longed, it beganwhen he saw her running toward him, very swiftly for a heavy old woman,and it ended on her cheek.

"My old dear!" he said.

He took her hand and swung it as children do, and walked beside her intothe cottage.

The spickness and spanness of it smote him between the eyes; theimagination and the taste which had changed it from a hunting-lodge intoa gentleman's house, and the tact which had done away with thephotographs of friends, and all things that could remind him of oldtimes. He passed the whole house in review from top to bottom, andgratitude to the old servant grew very warm in the tired heart.

They stepped out from the living-room to the edge of the cliff andlooked down the great valley.

"There was no time," said Jessica, tremulous with joy, for she had beenmuch praised, "to put the landscape to rights."

The Little kid looked up into the blue vault of heaven.

"Stone walls," he said, "and _that_, have been my landscape."

"But now," she said, "any day you like you can view the world from hereto the North Pole."

He smiled.

"That way's south, Jessica," he said, "but it will do. We own all the wayto the ocean that way; but north only to the lake where the riverrises. But even that's a day's travel. Oh, there's room enough even forme, and there's a great deal too much for you, you poor old dear. Buthave you made friends in the village? You must have them up to see you,times when I'm off somewhere or other. And you must have a helper, I seethat. Yes, you must. If necessary, I'll face him, or her. I won't haveyou breaking down with looking after me. Don't say a word. I know you.You think it would be high jinks to wear your eyes out and your handsoff for me, but I won't have it. The cottage is bigger than I remember.But maybe you've added to it, you old witch."