第47章

ButErnestturnedsadlyfromthewrinkledshrewdnessofthatsordid

visage，andgazedupthevalley，where，amidagatheringmist，

gildedbythelastsunbeams，hecouldstilldistinguishthoseglorious

featureswhichhadimpressedthemselvesintohissoul。Theiraspect

cheeredhim。Whatdidthebenignlipsseemtosay？

“Hewillcome！Fearnot，Ernest；themanwillcome！”

Theyearswenton，andErnestceasedtobeaboy。Hehadgrownto

beayoungmannow。Heattractedlittlenoticefromtheother

inhabitantsofthevalley；fortheysawnothingremarkableinhis

wayoflife，savethat，whenthelaborofthedaywasover，hestill

lovedtogoapartandgazeandmeditateupontheGreatStoneFace。

Accordingtotheirideaofthematter，itwasafolly，indeed，but

pardonable，inasmuchasErnestwasindustrious，kind，and

neighborly，andneglectednodutyforthesakeofindulgingthis

idlehabit。TheyknewnotthattheGreatStoneFacehadbecomea

teachertohim，andthatthesentimentwhichwasexpressedinitwould

enlargetheyoungman’sheart，andfillitwithwideranddeeper

sympathiesthanotherhearts。Theyknewnotthatthencewouldcomea

betterwisdomthancouldbelearnedfrombooks，andabetterlifethan

couldbemouldedonthedefacedexampleofotherhumanlives。

NeitherdidErnestknowthatthethoughtsandaffectionswhichcameto

himsonaturally，inthefieldsandatthefireside，andwhereverhe

communedwithhimself，wereofahighertonethanthosewhichall

mensharedwithhim。Asimplesoul-simpleaswhenhismotherfirst

taughthimtheoldprophecy-hebeheldthemarvellousfeaturesbeaming

adownthevalley，andstillwonderedthattheirhumancounterpart

wassolonginmakinghisappearance。

BythistimepoorMr。Gathergoldwasdeadandburied；andthe

oddestpartofthematterwas，thathiswealth，whichwasthebodyand

spiritofhisexistence，haddisappearedbeforehisdeath，leaving

nothingofhimbutalivingskeleton，coveredoverwithawrinkled，

yellowskin。Sincethemeltingawayofhisgold，ithadbeenvery

generallyconcededthattherewasnosuchstrikingresemblance，

afterall，betwixttheignoblefeaturesoftheruinedmerchantand

thatmajesticfaceuponthemountain-side。Sothepeopleceasedto

honorhimduringhislifetime，andquietlyconsignedhimto

forgetfulnessafterhisdecease。Onceinawhile，itistrue，his

memorywasbroughtupinconnectionwiththemagnificentpalace

whichhehadbuilt，andwhichhadlongagobeenturnedintoahotel

fortheaccommodationofstrangers，multitudesofwhomcame，every

summer，tovisitthatfamousnaturalcuriosity，theGreatStone

Face。Thus，Mr。Gathergoldbeingdiscreditedandthrownintothe

shade，themanofprophecywasyettocome。

Itsohappenedthatanative-bornsonofthevalley，manyyears

before，hadenlistedasasoldier，and，afteragreatdealofhard

fighting，hadnowbecomeanillustriouscommander。Whateverhemay

becalledinhistory，hewasknownincampsandonthebattle-field

underthenicknameofOldBlood-and-Thunder。Thiswar-wornveteran，

beingnowinfirmwithageandwounds，andwearyoftheturmoilofa

militarylife，andoftherollofthedrumandtheclangorofthe

trumpet，thathadsolongbeenringinginhisears，hadlately

signifiedapurposeofreturningtohisnativevalley，hopingto

findreposewhereherememberedtohaveleftit。Theinhabitants，

hisoldneighborsandtheirgrown-upchildren，wereresolvedto

welcometherenownedwarriorwithasaluteofcannonandapublic

dinner；andallthemoreenthusiastically，itbeingaffirmedthatnow，

atlast，thelikenessoftheGreatStoneFacehadactuallyappeared。

Anaid-de-campofOldBlood-and-Thunder，travellingthroughthe

valley，wassaidtohavebeenstruckwiththeresemblance。Moreover，

theschoolmatesandearlyacquaintancesofthegeneralwerereadyto

testify，onoath，that，tothebestoftheirrecollection，the

aforesaidgeneralhadbeenexceedinglylikethemajesticimage，even

whenaboy，onlythattheideahadneveroccurredtothemat