第19部分(第4/7 頁)

the　cottage；　learned　with　extreme　satisfaction　that　no　serious　damage　was　done　in　New　Aberfoyle。

The　bed　of　Loch　Katrine　had　fairly　given　way。 The　waters　had　suddenly　broken　through　by　an　enormous　fissure　into　the　mine　beneath。　Of　Sir　Walter　Scott's　favorite　loch　there　was　not　left　enough　to　wet　the　pretty　foot　of　the　Lady　of　the　Lake；　all　that　remained　was　a　pond　of　a　few　acres　at　the　further　extremity。

This　singular　event　made　a　profound　sensation　in　the　country。　It　was　a　thing　unheard　of　that　a　lake　should　in　the　space　of　a　few　minutes　empty　itself；　and　disappear　into　the　bowels　of　the　earth。　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　erase　Loch　Katrine　from　the　map　of　Scotland　until　（by　public　subscription）　it　could　be　refilled；　care　being　of　course　taken；　in　the　first　place；　to　stop　the　rent　up　tight。　This　catastrophe　would　have　been　the　death　of　Sir　Walter　Scott；　had　he　still　been　in　the　world。

The　accident　was　explicable　when　it　was　ascertained　that；　between　the　bed　of　the　lake　and　the　vast　cavity　beneath；　the　geological　strata　had　bee　reduced　to　a　thin　layer；　incapable　of　longer　sustaining　the　weight　of　water。

Now；　although　to　most　people　this　event　seemed　plainly　due　to　natural　causes；　yet　to　James　Starr　and　his　friends；　Simon　and　Harry　Ford；　the　question　constantly　recurred；　was　it　not　rather　to　be　attributed　to　malevolence？　Uneasy　suspicions　continually　harassed　their　minds。　Was　their　evil

genius　about　to　renew　his　persecution　of　those　who　ventured　to　work　this　rich　mine？

At　the　cottage；　some　days　later；　James　Starr　thus　discussed　the　matter　with　the　old　man　and　his　son： 〃Well；　Simon；〃　said　he；　〃to　my　thinking　we　must　class　this　circumstance　with　the　others　for　which　we　still　seek　elucidation；　although　it　is　no　doubt　possible