“Well, this is the Valley of Holiness.”
It didn’t take; I mean, he didn’t start at the name, as I had supposed he would. He merely said:
“I will so report it.”
“Why, the surrounding regions are filled with the noise of late wonders that have happened here! You didn’t hear of them?”
“Ah, ye will remember we move by night, and avoid speech with all. We learn naught but that we get by the telephone from Camelot.”
“Why they know all about this thing. Haven’t they told you anything about the great miracle of the restoration of a holy fountain?”
“Oh, that? Indeed yes. But the name of this valley doth woundily differ from the name of that one; indeed to differ wider were not pos — mdash; ”
“What was that name, then?”
“The Valley of Hellishness.”
“that explains it. Confound a telephone, anyway. ———————————————————————— Page 215
It is the very demon for conveying similarities of sound that are miracles of divergence from similarity of sense. But no matter, you know the name of the place now. Call up Camelot.”
He did it, and had Clarence sent for. It was good to hear my boy’s voice again. It was like being home. After some affectionate interchanges, and some account of my late illness, I said:
“What is new?”
“The king and queen and many of the court do start even in this hour, to go to your valley to pay pious homage to the waters ye have restored, and cleanse themselves of sin, and see the place where the infernal spirit spouted true hell-flames to the clouds — mdash; an ye listen sharply ye may hear me wink and hear me likewise smile a smile, sith ’twas I that made selection of those flames from out our stock and sent them by your order.”
“Does the king know the way to this place?”
“The king? — mdash; no, nor to any other in his realms, mayhap; but the lads that holp you with your miracle will be his guide and lead the way, and appoint the places for rests at noons and sleeps at night.”
“This will bring them here — mdash; when?”
“Mid-afternoon, or later, the third day.”
“Anything else in the way of news?”
“The king hath begun the raising of the standing army ye suggested to him; one regiment is complete and officered.”
“The mischief! I wanted a main hand in that myself. There is only one body of men in the kingdom that are fitted to officer a regular army.” ———————————————————————— Page 216
“Yes — mdash; and now ye will marvel to know there’s not so much as one West Pointer in that regiment.”
“What are you talking about? Are you in earnest?”
“It is truly as I have said.”
“Why, this makes me uneasy. Who were chosen, and what was the method? Competitive examination?”
“Indeed, I know naught of the method. I but know this — mdash; these officers be all of noble family, and are born — mdash; what is it you call it? — mdash; chuckleheads.”
“There’s something wrong, Clarence. ”
“Comfort yourself, then; for two candidates for a lieutenancy do travel hence with the king — mdash; young nobles both — mdash; and if you but wait where you are you will hear them questioned.”
“That is news to the purpose. I will get one West Pointer in, anyway. Mount a man and send him to that school with a message; let him kill horses, if necessary, but he must be there before sunset to-night and say — mdash; ”
“There is no need. I have laid a ground wire to the school. Prithee let me connect you with it.”
It sounded good! In this atmosphere of telephones and lightning communication with distant regions, I was breathing the breath of life again after long suffocation. I realized, then, what a creepy, dull, inanimate horror this land had been to me all these years, and how I had been in such a stifled condition of mind as to have grown used to it almost beyond the power to notice it.
I gave my order to the superintendent of the Academy personally. I also asked him to bring me some ———————————————————————— Page 217