Then he gave a
laugh of singular wildness, his face twitched, tears rushed down his
cheeks, and he threw himself at Valmond's feet, and clasped his knees,
crying:
"Ah-ah, my prince, great brother, thou hast come also! Ah, thou didst
know the way up the long hill Thou hast come to the burial of a fool.
But he had a mother--yes, yes, a mother! All fools have mothers,
and they should be buried well. Come, ah, come, and speak softly
the Act of Contrition, and I will cover him up."
He went to throw in the earth, but Valmond pushed him aside gently.
"No, no," he said, "this is for me." And he began filling the grave.
When they left the place of burial, the fire was burning low, for they
had talked long. At the foot of the hills they looked back. Day was
beginning to break over Dalgrothe Mountain.
CHAPTER X
When, next day, in the bright sunlight, the Little Chemist, the Cure,
and others, opened the door of the shed, taking off their hats in the
presence of the Master Workman, they saw that his seat was empty. The
dead Caliban was gone--who should say how, or where? The lock was still
on the doors, the walls were intact, there was no window for entrance or
escape. He had vanished as weirdly as he came.
All day the people sought the place, viewing with awe and superstition
the shed of death, and the spot in the smithy where, it was said,
Valmond had killed the giant.
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