Dirk

“ Selina thought constantly of Dirk’s future. A thousand other thoughts might be racing through her mind during the day—plans for the farm, for the house—but always, over and above and through all these, like the steady beat of a drum penetrating sharper and more urgent sounds—was the thought of Dirk. He did well enough at high school. Not a brilliant student, nor even a very good one. ”

“ But Dirk gained courage as he read; he drew himself erect; his eyes flashed, his cheeks burnt crimson; the smoke had cleared from the brazier, the charcoal glowed red and clear; the air grew hotter; it seemed as if a cloak of lead had been flung over their heads. At last Dirk stopped.
"Put out the lantern," he muttered.
Theirry opened it and stifled the flame. There was now only the light of the burning charcoal that threw a ghastly hue over the dark surface of the mirror. Theirry drew a long sighing breath; Dirk, swaying on his feet, began speaking again in a strange and heavy tongue. ”

“ It was a bare room where Dirk's treasure was sleeping,—not a thing in it save the two wooden stools and rough board which upheld their still little burden. Pure and white the child lay,—a fair, delicate flower when compared with the dinginess and squalor of everything about it; and something of this contrast seemed to glimmer upon Dirk's rough perceptions, for he said to Noll,—
"Ye wouldn't think she could be mine, lad! Ye don't wonder the little gal couldn't come up like the rest o' the young uns?" ”

“ Dirk rose from beside him and walked up and down in the dark; the dew was falling, his head uncovered; he stooped, felt for his mantle, found it and wrapped it about him, pacing to and fro with calm eyes defying the dark. Then finally he lay down under the pines and slept, to awake suddenly and find himself in a sitting posture.
Like wine poured into a cup, light began to fill the valley and the hollows in the hills; faint mystic clouds gathered and spread over the horizon. Dirk shudderingly drew his mantle closer; Theirry sighed and woke. ”

“ They entered their plane and Dirk shot it swiftly up into the night, following the red shaft of light that rose almost directly from the point at which they had made their landing.
Then, having reached the eastbound level, he headed straight in the direction of the palace of Fragoni.
Dirk cast a glance at the great city that lay far beneath him. High up into the heavens it tossed the fulgurant fires that betokened its wealth and power. And, down among those myriad lights, millions and millions of people were restless under the danger that menaced them. ”

“ The witch shook her head. "If you are wise, let him go." She fixed her glimmering glance on Dirk's smooth pale face. "He is neither good nor evil; his heart sayeth one thing, his passions another—let him go. His courage is not equal to his desires. He would be great—by any means;—yet he is afraid—let him go. He thinks to serve the Devil while it lurks still in his heart: 'At last I will repent—in time I will repent!'—let him go."
"All this I know," answered Dirk, his fingers clutching the gold cushions. ”

“ Dirk answered. "Being much alone—I have—read them."
In the lantern light, that the air breathed from the garden fanned into a flickering glow, the two young men looked at each other. An extraordinary expression, like a guilty excitement, came into the eyes of each.
"Being much alone," whispered Theirry, "with—a dead maid in the house—how have you spent your time?"
Dirk crouched away against the wall; his hair hung lankly over his pallid face. "You—you—pitied her?" he breathed. "You would have come?" questioned Dirk. ”

“ Their eyes met; Theirry's were the first to falter; he muttered something like a malediction on himself, lifted the latch and strode away. Dirk had not been long alone when the door was pushed open and Nathalie crept in.
The witch came to the table, took up the youth's passive hand and fawned over it. "Let him go," she said in an insinuating voice. "He is a fool."
"Why, I have put no strain on him to stay," Dirk smiled faintly. "But he will return." ”

“ Dirk slowly turned his darkening eyes on Nathalie. "She must not."
The witch fondled her fingers. "We can control many things—not love nor hate."
Dirk pressed a swelling bosom. "Her heart is in the hand of another man—and that man is her steward, ambitious, poor and married." ”

“ I laughed.
"Really, Dirk," put in Mrs. Stroeve, smiling.
"But isn't she wonderful? I tell you, my boy, lose no time; get married as soon as ever you can. I'm the happiest man alive. Look at her sitting there. Doesn't she make a picture? Chardin, eh? I've seen all the most beautiful women in the world; I've never seen anyone more beautiful than Madame Dirk Stroeve."
"If you don't be quiet, Dirk, I shall go away."
"Mon petit chou", he said.
She flushed a little, embarrassed by the passion in his tone. ”

“ And while Dirk roared for help in vain he leapt on mare Swallow and rode off shouting,
“Aha! Dirk Hammerhand! So you thought to knock a hole in my skull, as you have done to many a better man than yourself. He is a lucky man who never meets his match, Dirk. I shall give your love to the Enchanted Prince, my faithful serving-man, whom they call Martin Lightfoot.” ”

“ To the man, dying miserably above, he gave no thought at all; the woman, who waited impatiently for her husband's death to put his friend in his place, he did not consider, nor did the fate of the kingship trouble him; he pictured Dirk as triumphant, potent, the close ally of the wicked Empress, and he shivered for his own treasured soul that he had just snatched from perdition; he knew he could not fight nor face Dirk triumphant, armed with success, and his outlook narrowed to the one idea—"Let me get away." ”

“ Partly by accident, partly by design, he came to the little place of graves in the frozen sand, and there found the funeral party from the fish-huts just gathering about the shallow resting-place which had been scooped for Dirk's treasure. The huddling crowd of poorly-clad men and women respectfully made way for him, and Dirk looked unutterable thanks for what he considered a great honor. Without a prayer, without a word of consolation, the little one was lowered into the earth amid the wailing of the women, and the shrill and lonely screaming of the fierce and bitter wind. ”

“ A minute after, the pursuers bearing lights, and half delirious with wrath and terror, surged out of the college doors. Theirry caught Dirk's arm and they ran; across the thick grass, crashing through the bushes, trampling down the roses, blindly through the dark till the shouts and the lights grew fainter behind them and they could feel the trunks of trees impeding them and so knew that they must have reached the forest. Then Theirry let go of Dirk, who sank down by his side and lay sobbing in the grass. ”

“ Dirk turned in the saddle and faced him.
"Ay, and by Jacobea of Martzburg's commands."
Theirry laughed aloud. "The lie is dead as you give it being," he answered—"nor can all your devilry make it live."
"Sebastian," said Dirk, "has not this woman come to her death by the chatelaine's commands?"
He pointed to Sybilla.
"You know it, since in your presence she bade me hither," answered Sebastian heavily.
Dirk's voice rose clear and musical. "You see your piece of uprightness thought highly of her steward, and that she might endow him with her hand his wife must die——"
"Peace! peace!" ”

“ I looked up at the stars. "It was a beast who killed Ynecita, Dirk. Some vile snake with blood as cold as this lemon ice. Those marks of teeth on her upper arm! Deep in, bringing blood! What madman killed that girl? Mad, I say!"
Dirk twisted. He wiped his brown forehead, on which sweat glistened in little beads like scales. "Too hot a night to talk about such things, Hammer. Let's talk of something else. Tell me about this Bimi Tal."
"You'll see her soon enough," I said, watching him. "A girl of about your own age; you're not more than twenty-four, are you?" ”

“ Dirk stepped forward and caught her drooping shoulders in his firm hands. "Pious fool!" he cried. "How long do you think you can endure this? how long do you think he will remain the servant when he knows he might be the master?"
She averted her agonised face. "Then it was from you he learned it, you——"
Dirk interrupted hotly: "He knows, remember that! he knows and he waits. Already he hates the woman who keeps him dumb; it were very easily done—one look, some few words—ye would not find him slow of understanding." He loosened his grasp on her and Jacobea fell forward and clasped his feet. ”

“ Do you still promise me I shall one day grasp it?"
"Surely—money—and power and pleasure, these things wait you in Rome when Ysabeau shall have placed the imperial diadem on Balthasar's brow. These things—and"—it seemed as if Dirk's voice broke—"even Jacobea of Martzburg," he added slowly.
"Can one win a saint by means of devilry?" cried Theirry.
"She is only a woman," said Dirk wearily. "But, since you hesitate, and falter, I will absolve you from this league with me;—go your way, serve your saint, renounce your sins—and see what God will give you." ”

“ Dirk saw Theirry, and turned his pale face towards him.
"This churl insulted me," he said; "yea, laid hands on me."
A burst of half angry, half good-humoured laughter came from Joris.
"I cannot get the little youth to fight—by Christus his Mother! he is afraid because I could break his neck between my finger and thumb!"
Dirk flashed burning eyes over him. "I am not afraid, never could I fear such as thee; but neither my profession nor my degree permit me to brawl—be silent and begone." ”

“ DIRK, a dagger, particularly the heavy dagger carried by the Highlanders of Scotland. The dirk as worn in full Highland costume is an elaborately ornamented weapon, with cairngorms or other stones set in the head of the handle, which has no guard. Inserted in the sheath there may be two small knives. The dirk, in the shape of a straight blade, with a small guard, some 18 in. long, is worn by midshipmen in the British navy. The origin of the word is doubtful. The earlier forms were dork and durk, and the spelling dirk, adopted by Johnson, represents the pronunciation of the second form. ”

“ Now if there was a people on earth whom Dirk van Goorl hated, the Spaniards were that people, and if there lived a cavalier who he would prefer should not take his cousin Lysbeth for a lonely drive, that cavalier was the Count Juan de Montalvo. But as a young man, Dirk was singularly diffident and so easily confused that on the spur of the moment it was quite possible for a person of address to make him say what he did not mean. ”

“ Theirry turned on his elbow and gazed across the flowering grass. "I am not wrathful," he smiled. "And you have had many whims ... none of them have I opposed."
Dirk answered angrily. "You make me out a fantastical fellow—it is not true."
"It is true you are as nice as a girl," Theirry answered. "Many a time I would have slept by the kitchen hearth—ay, and have done, but you must always lie soft as a prince."
Dirk was scarlet from brow to chin. "Well, if I choose," he said defiantly. "If I choose, as long as I have money in my pocket, to live gently...." ”

“ Dirk leant from the saddle and dashed the parchment into the fellow's face, the horse snorted, and plunging cleared a way and gained the market-place. Here the press was enormous; men, women and children were gathered close round the mounted soldiers who guarded the scaffold; the armour, yellow and blue uniforms and bright feathers of the horsemen showed vividly against the grey houses and greyer sky. On the scaffold were two dark, graceful figures; a man kneeling, with his long throat bare, and a man standing with a double-edged sword in his hands.
"A pardon!" shrieked Dirk. ”

“ It smote heaviest the little ones just toddling about, and who had not enough of strength and endurance in their little bodies to resist the slowly-destroying fever. So Dirk's treasure did not sleep alone in the sand, for many another father's was there to keep it company. Oh! the weariness of the days, the slow dragging of the weeks! ”

“ Paula looked up at Dirk. “You ride, don’t you?”
“I used to ride the old nags, bareback, on the farm.”
“You'll have to learn. We'll teach him, won’t we, Pat?”
Pat surveyed Dirk’s lean, flexible figure. “Easy.”
“Oh, say!” protested Dirk.
“Then I'll have some one to ride with me. Theodore never rides. He never takes any sort of exercise. Sits in that great fat car of his.”
They went into the coach house, a great airy white-washed place with glittering harness and spurs and bridles like jewels in glass cases. ”

“ But Dirk was elate with success. "Ye are mad," he retorted. "The spell works bravely."
On the end of his words came a sound that caused both to wince; even in the lurid light Dirk saw his companion pale. It was the bell of the college chapel ringing the students to the vespers.
"I had forgotten," muttered Dirk. "We must go—it would be noticed."
"We cannot put the fire out," cried Theirry.
"Nay, we must leave it—it must burn out," answered Dirk hurriedly.
The creature, after rushing round the circle in an attempt to escape had fallen, as if exhausted with its agony, and lay quivering. ”

“ Dirk remembered only the spring green of the low, rolling hills around his home; the smell of lilacs battered by April rains; the cry of fledgling birds in the pink-grey of summer dawns; the crisp sound of snow under sled runners; and the gentle caress of water in a blue-green lake. Dirk remembered these things, and abruptly, he changed his course.
"What are you doing?" His father checked him from the audio-visor. "You've changed your course. You're headed for the sun, Dirk!"
"I can't land on Terra, dad. You heard Tabor. I can't destroy Terra to save my own skin." He looked down at his shoes. ”