第19部分(第5/7 頁)

to　explain　it　by　natural　causes。〃

〃I　am　quite　of　your　mind；　Mr。　James；〃　replied　Simon；　〃but　take　my　advice；　and　say　nothing　about　it；　let　us　make　all　researches　ourselves。〃

〃Oh；　I　know　the　result　of　such　research　beforehand！〃　cried　the　engineer。

〃And　what　will　it　be；　then？〃

〃We　shall　find　proofs　of　malevolence；　but　not　the　malefactor。〃

〃But　he　exists！　he　is　there！ Where　can　he　lie　concealed？　Is　it　possible　to　conceive　that　the　most　depraved　human　being　could；　single…handed；　carry　out　an　idea　so　infernal　as　that　of　bursting　through　the　bed　of　a　lake？ I　believe　I　shall　end　by　thinking；　like　Jack　Ryan；　that　the　evil　demon　of　the　mine　revenges　himself　on　us　for　having　invaded　his　domain。〃

Nell　was　allowed　to　hear　as　little　as　possible　of　these　discussions。　Indeed；　she　showed　no　desire　to　enter　into　them；　although　it　was　very　evident　that　she　shared　in　the　anxieties　of　her　adopted　parents。　The　melancholy　in　her　countenance　bore　witness　to　much　mental　agitation。

It　was　at　length　resolved　that　James　Starr；　together　with　Simon　and　Harry；　should　return　to　the　scene　of　the　disaster；　and　endeavor　to　satisfy　themselves　as　to　the　cause　of　it。　They　mentioned　their　project　to　no　one。 To　those　unacquainted　with　the　group　of　facts　on　which　it　was　based；　the　opinion　of　Starr　and　his　friends　could　not　fail　to　appear　wholly　inadmissible。

A　few　days　later；　the　three　friends　proceeded　in　a　small　boat　to　examine　the　natural　pillars　on　which　had　rested　the　solid　earth　forming　the　basin　of　Loch　Katrine。 They　discovered　that　they　had　been　right　in　suspecting　that　the　massive　columns　had　been　undermined　by　blasting。　The　blackened　traces　of　explosion　were　to　be　seen；　the　waters　having　subsided　below　the　level　of　these　mysterious　operation