Chapter XXVIII. Conclusion

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

　　At the sight of Jane, cries of relief and delight broke fromevery lip, and as Tarzan's car stopped beside the other,Professor Porter caught his daughter in his arms.

　　For a moment no one noticed Tarzan, sitting silently in his seat.

　　Clayton was the first to remember, and, turning, held outhis hand.

　　"How can we ever thank you?" he exclaimed. "You havesaved us all. You called me by name at the cottage, but I donot seem to recall yours, though there is something veryfamiliar about you. It is as though I had known you well undervery different conditions a long time ago."

　　Tarzan smiled as he took the proffered hand.

　　"You are quite right, Monsieur Clayton," he said, in French."You will pardon me if I do not speak to you in English.I am just learning it, and while I understand it fairlywell I speak it very poorly."

　　"But who are you?" insisted Clayton, speaking in Frenchthis time himself.

　　"Tarzan of the Apes."

　　Clayton started back in surprise.

　　"By Jove!" he exclaimed. "It is true."

　　And Professor Porter and Mr. Philander pressed forward to addtheir thanks to Clayton's, and to voice their surprise andpleasure at seeing their jungle friend so far from his savage home.

　　The party now entered the modest little hostelry, whereClayton soon made arrangements for their entertainment.

　　They were sitting in the little, stuffy parlor when the distantchugging of an approaching automobile caught their attention.

　　Mr. Philander, who was sitting near the window, lookedout as the car drew in sight, finally stopping besidethe other automobiles.

　　"Bless me!" said Mr. Philander, a shade of annoyance inhis tone. "It is Mr. Canler. I had hoped, er--I had thoughtor--er--how very happy we should be that he was not caughtin the fire," he ended lamely.

　　"Tut, tut! Mr. Philander," said Professor Porter. "Tut,tut! I have often admonished my pupils to count ten beforespeaking. Were I you, Mr. Philander, I should count at least athousand, and then maintain a discreet silence."

　　"Bless me, yes!" acquiesced Mr. Philander. "But who is theclerical appearing gentleman with him?"

　　Jane blanched.

　　Clayton moved uneasily in his chair.

　　Professor Porter removed his spectacles nervously, and breathedupon them, but replaced them on his nose without wiping.

　　The ubiquitous Esmeralda grunted.

　　Only Tarzan did not comprehend.

　　Presently Robert Canler burst into the room.

　　"Thank God!" he cried. "I feared the worst, until I sawyour car, Clayton. I was cut off on the south road and had togo away back to town, and then strike east to this road. Ithought we'd never reach the cottage."

　　No one seemed to enthuse much. Tarzan eyed Robert Canleras Sabor eyes her prey.

　　Jane glanced at him and coughed nervously.

　　"Mr. Canler," she said, "this is Monsieur Tarzan, an old friend."

　　Canler turned and extended his hand. Tarzan rose andbowed as only D'Arnot could have taught a gentleman to doit, but he did not seem to see Canler's hand.

　　Nor did Canler appear to notice the oversight.

　　"This is the Reverend Mr. Tousley, Jane," said Canler, turningto the clerical party behind him. "Mr. Tousley, Miss Porter."

　　Mr. Tousley bowed and beamed.

　　Canler introduced him to the others.

　　"We can have the ceremony at once, Jane," said Canler."Then you and I can catch the midnight train in town."

　　Tarzan understood the plan instantly. He glanced out ofhalf-closed eyes at Jane, but he did not move.

　　The girl hesitated. The room was tense with the silence oftaut nerves.

　　All eyes turned toward Jane, awaiting her reply.

　　"Can't we wait a few days?" she asked. "I am all unstrung.I have been through so much today."

　　Canler felt the hostility that emanated from each memberof the party. It made him angry.

　　"We have waited as long as I intend to wait," he saidroughly. "You have promised to marry me. I shall be playedwith no longer. I have the license and here is the preacher.Come Mr. Tousley; come Jane. There are plenty of witnesses--more than enough," he added with a disagreeable inflection;and taking Jane Porter by the arm, he started to leadher toward the waiting minister.

　　But scarcely had he taken a single step ere a heavy handclosed upon his arm with a grip of steel.

　　Another hand shot to his throat and in a moment he was beingshaken high above the floor, as a cat might shake a mouse.

　　Jane turned in horrified surprise toward Tarzan.

　　And, as she looked into his face, she saw the crimson bandupon his forehead that she had seen that other day in fardistant Africa, when Tarzan of the Apes had closed in mortalcombat with the great anthropoid--Terkoz.

　　She knew that murder lay in that savage heart, and with a littlecry of horror she sprang forward to plead with the ape-man.But her fears were more for Tarzan than for Canler. Sherealized the stern retribution which justice metes to the murderer.

　　Before she could reach them, however, Clayton hadjumped to Tarzan's side and attempted to drag Canler fromhis grasp.

　　With a single sweep of one mighty arm the Englishmanwas hurled across the room, and then Jane laid a firm whitehand upon Tarzan's wrist, and looked up into his eyes.

　　"For my sake," she said.

　　The grasp upon Canler's throat relaxed.

　　Tarzan looked down into the beautiful face before him.

　　"Do you wish this to live?" he asked in surprise.

　　"I do not wish him to die at your hands, my friend," shereplied. "I do not wish you to become a murderer."

　　Tarzan removed his hand from Canler's throat.

　　"Do you release her from her promise?" he asked. "It isthe price of your life."

　　Canler, gasping for breath, nodded.

　　"Will you go away and never molest her further?"

　　Again the man nodded his head, his face distorted by fearof the death that had been so close.

　　Tarzan released him, and Canler staggered toward thedoor. In another moment he was gone, and the terror-stricken preacher with him.

　　Tarzan turned toward Jane.

　　"May I speak with you for a moment, alone," he asked.

　　The girl nodded and started toward the door leading to thenarrow veranda of the little hotel. She passed out to awaitTarzan and so did not hear the conversation which followed.

　　"Wait," cried Professor Porter, as Tarzan was about to follow.

　　The professor had been stricken dumb with surprise by therapid developments of the past few minutes.

　　"Before we go further, sir, I should like an explanation ofthe events which have just transpired. By what right, sir, didyou interfere between my daughter and Mr. Canler? I hadpromised him her hand, sir, and regardless of our personallikes or dislikes, sir, that promise must be kept."

　　"I interfered, Professor Porter," replied Tarzan, "becauseyour daughter does not love Mr. Canler--she does not wishto marry him. That is enough for me to know."

　　"You do not know what you have done," said ProfessorPorter. "Now he will doubtless refuse to marry her."

　　"He most certainly will," said Tarzan, emphatically.

　　"And further," added Tarzan, "you need not fear that yourpride will suffer, Professor Porter, for you will be able to paythe Canler person what you owe him the moment you reach home."

　　"Tut, tut, sir!" exclaimed Professor Porter. "What do youmean, sir?"

　　"Your treasure has been found," said Tarzan.

　　"What--what is that you are saying?" cried the professor."You are mad, man. It cannot be."

　　"It is, though. It was I who stole it, not knowing either itsvalue or to whom it belonged. I saw the sailors bury it, and,ape-like, I had to dig it up and bury it again elsewhere. WhenD'Arnot told me what it was and what it meant to you I returnedto the jungle and recovered it. It had caused so muchcrime and suffering and sorrow that D'Arnot thought it bestnot to attempt to bring the treasure itself on here, as hadbeen my intention, so I have brought a letter of credit instead.

　　"Here it is, Professor Porter," and Tarzan drew an envelopefrom his pocket and handed it to the astonished professor,"two hundred and forty-one thousand dollars. The treasurewas most carefully appraised by experts, but lest thereshould be any question in your mind, D'Arnot himself boughtit and is holding it for you, should you prefer the treasureto the credit."

　　"To the already great burden of the obligations we owe you,sir," said Professor Porter, with trembling voice, "is nowadded this greatest of all services. You have given me themeans to save my honor."

　　Clayton, who had left the room a moment after Canler,now returned.

　　"Pardon me," he said. "I think we had better try to reachtown before dark and take the first train out of this forest. Anative just rode by from the north, who reports that the fireis moving slowly in this direction."

　　This announcement broke up further conversation, and theentire party went out to the waiting automobiles.

　　Clayton, with Jane, the professor and Esmeralda occupiedClayton's car, while Tarzan took Mr. Philander in with him.

　　"Bless me!" exclaimed Mr. Philander, as the car moved offafter Clayton. "Who would ever have thought it possible! Thelast time I saw you you were a veritable wild man, skippingabout among the branches of a tropical African forest, andnow you are driving me along a Wisconsin road in a Frenchautomobile. Bless me! But it is most remarkable."

　　"Yes," assented Tarzan, and then, after a pause, "Mr. Philander,do you recall any of the details of the finding and burying ofthree skeletons found in my cabin beside that African jungle?"

　　"Very distinctly, sir, very distinctly," replied Mr. Philander.

　　"Was there anything peculiar about any of those skeletons?"

　　Mr. Philander eyed Tarzan narrowly.

　　"Why do you ask?"

　　"It means a great deal to me to know," replied Tarzan."Your answer may clear up a mystery. It can do no worse, atany rate, than to leave it still a mystery. I have beenentertaining a theory concerning those skeletons for the pasttwo months, and I want you to answer my question to the best ofyour knowledge--were the three skeletons you buried allhuman skeletons?"

　　"No," said Mr. Philander, "the smallest one, the one foundin the crib, was the skeleton of an anthropoid ape."

　　"Thank you," said Tarzan.

　　In the car ahead, Jane was thinking fast and furiously. Shehad felt the purpose for which Tarzan had asked a few wordswith her, and she knew that she must be prepared to givehim an answer in the very near future.

　　He was not the sort of person one could put off, and somehowthat very thought made her wonder if she did not reallyfear him.

　　And could she love where she feared?

　　She realized the spell that had been upon her in the depthsof that far-off jungle, but there was no spell of enchantmentnow in prosaic Wisconsin.

　　Nor did the immaculate young Frenchman appeal to theprimal woman in her, as had the stalwart forest god.

　　Did she love him? She did not know--now.

　　She glanced at Clayton out of the corner of her eye. Wasnot here a man trained in the same school of environment inwhich she had been trained--a man with social position andculture such as she had been taught to consider as the primeessentials to congenial association?

　　Did not her best judgment point to this young English nobleman,whose love she knew to be of the sort a civilized womanshould crave, as the logical mate for such as herself?

　　Could she love Clayton? She could see no reason why shecould not. Jane was not coldly calculating by nature, buttraining, environment and heredity had all combined to teachher to reason even in matters of the heart.

　　That she had been carried off her feet by the strength ofthe young giant when his great arms were about her in thedistant African forest, and again today, in the Wisconsinwoods, seemed to her only attributable to a temporary mentalreversion to type on her part--to the psychological appeal ofthe primeval man to the primeval woman in her nature.

　　If he should never touch her again, she reasoned, she wouldnever feel attracted toward him. She had not loved him, then.It had been nothing more than a passing hallucination,super-induced by excitement and by personal contact.

　　Excitement would not always mark their future relations,should she marry him, and the power of personal contacteventually would be dulled by familiarity.

　　Again she glanced at Clayton. He was very handsome and everyinch a gentleman. She should be very proud of such a husband.

　　And then he spoke--a minute sooner or a minute later mighthave made all the difference in the world to three lives--but chance stepped in and pointed out to Clayton thepsychological moment.

　　"You are free now, Jane," he said. "Won't you say yes--Iwill devote my life to making you very happy."

　　"Yes," she whispered.

　　That evening in the little waiting room at the station Tarzancaught Jane alone for a moment.

　　"You are free now, Jane," he said, "and _I_ have comeacross the ages out of the dim and distant past from the lairof the primeval man to claim you--for your sake I have becomea civilized man--for your sake I have crossed oceansand continents--for your sake I will be whatever you will meto be. I can make you happy, Jane, in the life you know andlove best. Will you marry me?"

　　For the first time she realized the depths of the man's love--all that he had accomplished in so short a time solely forlove of her. Turning her head she buried her face in her arms.

　　What had she done? Because she had been afraid shemight succumb to the pleas of this giant, she had burned herbridges behind her--in her groundless apprehension that shemight make a terrible mistake, she had made a worse one.

　　And then she told him all--told him the truth word by word,without attempting to shield herself or condone her error.

　　"What can we do?" he asked. "You have admitted that youlove me. You know that I love you; but I do not know theethics of society by which you are governed. I shall leave thedecision to you, for you know best what will be for youreventual welfare."

　　"I cannot tell him, Tarzan," she said. "He too, loves me,and he is a good man. I could never face you nor any otherhonest person if I repudiated my promise to Mr. Clayton. Ishall have to keep it--and you must help me bear the burden,though we may not see each other again after tonight."

　　The others were entering the room now and Tarzan turnedtoward the little window.

　　But he saw nothing outside--within he saw a patch ofgreensward surrounded by a matted mass of gorgeous tropicalplants and flowers, and, above, the waving foliage ofmighty trees, and, over all, the blue of an equatorial sky.

　　In the center of the greensward a young woman sat upon alittle mound of earth, and beside her sat a young giant.They ate pleasant fruit and looked into each other's eyes andsmiled. They were very happy, and they were all alone.

　　His thoughts were broken in upon by the station agent whoentered asking if there was a gentleman by the name of Tarzanin the party.

　　"I am Monsieur Tarzan," said the ape-man.

　　"Here is a message for you, forwarded from Baltimore; itis a cablegram from Paris."

　　Tarzan took the envelope and tore it open. The messagewas from D'Arnot.

　　It read:

　　Fingerprints prove you Greystoke. Congratulations.D'Arnot.

　　As Tarzan finished reading, Clayton entered and came towardhim with extended hand.

　　Here was the man who had Tarzan's title, and Tarzan's estates,and was going to marry the woman whom Tarzan loved--thewoman who loved Tarzan. A single word from Tarzan wouldmake a great difference in this man's life.

　　It would take away his title and his lands and his castles,and--it would take them away from Jane Porter also."I say, old man," cried Clayton, "I haven't had a chance tothank you for all you've done for us. It seems as though youhad your hands full saving our lives in Africa and here.

　　"I'm awfully glad you came on here. We must get betteracquainted. I often thought about you, you know, and theremarkable circumstances of your environment.

　　"If it's any of my business, how the devil did you ever getinto that bally jungle?"

　　"I was born there," said Tarzan, quietly. "My mother wasan Ape, and of course she couldn't tell me much about it.I never knew who my father was."