the notch on the ax and on being found out-第58章

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〃Now；　my　good　sir；〃　Mr。　Pinto　said；　who　really　began　to　be　affected
by　the　wine；　〃you　understand　the　interest　I　have　taken　in　you。　　I
loved　Eliza　〃　（of　course　I　don't　mention　family　names）。　　〃I
knew　you　had　that　box　which　belonged　to　herI　will　give　you　what
you　like　for　that　box。　　Name　your　price　at　once；　and　I　pay　you　on
the　spot。〃

〃Why；　when　you　came　out；　you　said　you　had　not　six…pence　in　your
pocket。〃

〃Bah！　give　you　anything　you　likefiftya　hundreda　tausend
pound。〃

〃Come；　come；〃　said　I；　〃the　gold　of　the　box　may　be　worth　nine
guineas；　and　the　facon　we　will　put　at　six　more。〃

〃One　tausend　guineas！〃　he　screeched。　　〃One　tausend　and　fifty　pound
dere！〃　and　he　sank　back　in　his　chairno；　by　the　way；　on　his　bench；
for　he　was　sitting　with　his　back　to　one　of　the　partitions　of　the
boxes；　as　I　dare　say　James　remembers。

〃DON'T　go　on　in　this　way；〃　I　continued　rather　weakly；　for　I　did　not
know　whether　I　was　in　a　dream。　　〃If　you　offer　me　a　thousand　guineas
for　this　box　I　MUST　take　it。　　Mustn't　I；　dear　gr…nny？〃

The　table　most　distinctly　said　〃Yes〃；　and　putting　out　his　claws　to
seize　the　box；　Mr。　Pinto　plunged　his　hooked　nose　into　it；　and
eagerly　inhaled　some　of　my　47　with　a　dash　of　Hardman。

〃But　stay；　you　old　harpy！〃　I　exclaimed；　being　now　in　a　sort　of
rage；　and　quite　familiar　with　him。　　〃Where　is　the　money？　　Where　is
the　check？〃

〃James；　a　piece　of　note　paper　and　a　receipt　stamp！〃

〃This　is　all　mighty　well；　sir；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　don't　know　you；　I
never　saw　you　before。　　I　will　trouble　you　to　hand　me　that　box　back
again；　or　give　me　a　check　with　some　known　signature。〃

〃Whose？　　Ha；　Ha；　HA！〃

The　room　happened　to　be　very　dark。　　Indeed　all　the　waiters　were
gone　to　supper；　and　there　were　only　two　gentlemen　snoring　in　their
respective　boxes。　　I　saw　a　hand　come　quivering　down　from　the
ceilinga　very　pretty　hand；　on　which　was　a　ring　with　a　coronet；
with　a　lion　rampant　gules　for　a　crest。　　I　saw　that　hand　take　a　dip
of　ink　and　write　across　the　paper。　　Mr。　Pinto；　then；　taking　a　gray
receipt　stamp　out　of　his　blue　leather　pocketbook；　fastened　it　on　to
the　paper　by　the　usual　process；　and　the　hand　then　wrote　across　the
receipt　stamp；　went　across　the　table　and　shook　hands　with　Pinto；
and　then；　as　if　waving　him　an　adieu；　vanished　in　the　direction　of
the　ceiling。

There　was　the　paper　before　me；　wet　with　the　ink。　　There　was　the　pen
which　THE　HAND　had　used。　　Does　anybody　doubt　me？　　I　have　that　pen
now；a　cedar　stick　of　a　not　uncommon　sort；　and　holding　one　of
Gillott's　pens。　　It　is　in　my　inkstand　now；　I　tell　you。　　Anybody　may
see　it。　　The　handwriting　on　the　check；　for　such　the　document　was；
was　the　writing　of　a　female。　　It　ran　thus：〃London；　midnight；
March　31；　1862。　　Pay　the　bearer　one　thousand　and　fifty　pounds。
Rachel　Sidonia。　　To　Messrs。　Sidonia；　Pozzosanto　and　Co。；　London。〃

〃Noblest　and　best　of　women！〃　said　Pinto；　kissing　the　sheet　of　paper
with　much　reverence。　　〃My　good　Mr。　Roundabout；　I　suppose　you　do　not
question　THAT　signature？〃

Indeed　the　house　of　Sidonia；　Pozzosanto　and　Co。；　is　known　to　be　one
of　the　richest　in　Europe；　and　as　for　the　Countess　Rachel；　she　was
known　to　be　the　chief　manager　of　that　enormously　wealthy
establishment。　　There　was　only　one　little　difficulty；　the　Countess
Rachel　died　last　October。

I　pointed　out　this　circumstance；　and　tossed　over　the　paper　to　Pinto
with　a　sneer。

〃C'est　a　brandre　ou　a　laisser；〃　he　said　with　some　heat。　　〃You
literary　men　are　all　imbrudent；　but　I　did　not　tink　you　such　a　fool
wie　dis。　　Your　box　is　not　worth　twenty　pound；　and　I　offer　you　a
tausend　because　I　know　you　want　money　to　pay　dat　rascal　Tom's
college　bills。〃　　（This　strange　man　actually　knew　that　my　scapegrace
Tom　had　been　a　source　of　great　expense　and　annoyance　to　me。）　　〃You
see　money　costs　me　nothing；　and　you　refuse　to　take　it！　　Once；
twice；　will　you　take　this　check　in　exchange　for　your　trumpery
snuff…box？〃

What　could　I　do？　　My　poor　granny's　legacy　was　valuable　and　dear　to
me；　but　after　all　a　thousand　guineas　are　not　to　be　had　every　day。
〃Be　it　a　bargain；〃　said　I。　　〃Shall　we　have　a　glass　of　wine　on　it？〃
says　Pinto；　and　to　this　proposal　I　also　unwillingly　acceded；
reminding　him；　by　the　way；　that　he　had　not　yet　told　me　the　story　of
the　headless　man。

〃Your　poor　gr…ndm…ther　was　right　just　now；　when　she　said　she　was
not　my　first　love。　　'Twas　one　of　those　banale　expressions〃　（here
Mr。　P。　blushed　once　more）　〃which　we　use　to　women。　　We　tell　each　she
is　our　first　passion。　　They　reply　with　a　similar　illusory　formula。
No　man　is　any　woman's　first　love；　no　woman　any　man's。　　We　are　in
love　in　our　nurse's　arms；　and　women　coquette　with　their　eyes　before
their　tongue　can　form　a　word。　　How　could　your　lovely　relative　love
me？　　I　was　far；　far　too　old　for　her。　　I　am　older　than　I　look。　　I　am
so　old　that　you　would　not　believe　my　age　were　I　to　tell　you。　　I
have　loved　many　and　many　a　woman　before　your　relative。　　It　has　not
always　been　fortunate　for　them　to　love　me。　　Ah；　Sophronia！　　Round
the　dreadful　circus　where　you　fell；　and　whence　I　was　dragged
corpselike　by　the　heels；　there　sat　multitudes　more　savage　than　the
lions　which　mangled　your　sweet　form！　　Ah；　tenez！　when　we　marched　to
the　terrible　stake　together　at　Valladolidthe　Protestant　and　the
J　　But　away　with　memory！　　Boy！　it　was　happy　for　thy　grandam　that
she　loved　me　not。

〃During　that　strange　period；〃　he　went　on；　〃when　the　teeming　Time
was　great　with　the　revolution　that　was　speedily　to　be　born；　I　was
on　a　mission　in　Paris　with　my　excellent；　my　maligned　friend；
Cagliostro。　　Mesmer　was　one　of　our　band。　　I　seemed　to　occupy　but　an
obscure　rank　in　it：　though；　as　you　know；　in　secret　societies　the
humble　man　may　be　a　chief　and　directorthe　ostensible　leader　but　a
puppet　moved　by　unseen　hands。　　Never　mind　who　was　chief；　or　who　was
second。　　Never　mind　my　age。　　It　boots　not　to　tell　it：　why　shall　I
expose　myself　to　your　scornful　incredulityor　reply　to　your
questions　in　words　that　are　familiar　to　you；　but　which　you　cannot
understand？　　Words　are　symbols　of　things　which　you　know；　or　of
things　which　you　don't　know。　　If　you　don't　know　them；　to　speak　is
idle。〃　　（Here　I　confess　Mr。　P。　spoke　for　exactly　thirty…eight
minutes；　about　physics；　metaphysics；　language；　the　origin　and
destiny　of　man；　during　which　time　I　was　rather　bored；　and　to
relieve　my　ennui；　drank　a　half　glass　or　so　of　wine。）　　〃LOVE；
friend；　is　the　fountain　of　youth！　　It　may　not　happen　to　me　once
once　in　an　age：　but　when　I　love　then　I　am　young。　　I　loved　when　I
was　in　Paris。　　Bathilde；　Bathilde；　I　loved　theeah；　how　fondly！
Wine；　I　say；　more　wine！　　Love　is　ever　young。　　I　was　a　boy　at　the
little　feet　of　Bathilde　de　Bechamelthe　fair；　the　fond；　the
fickle；　ah；　the　false！〃　　The　strange　old　man's　agony　was　here
really　terrific；　and　he　showed　himself　much　more　agitated　than　when
he　had　been　speaking　about　my　gr…ndm…th…r。

〃I　thought　Blanche　might　love　me。　　I　could　speak　to　her　in　the
language　of　all　countries；　and　tell　her　the　lore　of　all　ages。　　I
could　trace　the　nursery　legends　which　she　loved　up　to　their
Sanscrit　source；　and　whisper　to　her　the　darkling　mysteries　of　the
Egyptian　Magi。　　I　could　chant　for　her　the　wild　chorus　that　rang　in
the　disheveled　Eleusinian　revel：　I　could　tell　her　and　I　would；　the
watchword　never　known　but　to　one　woman；　the　Saban　Queen；　which
Hiram　breathed　in　the　abysmal　ear　of　SolomonYou　don't　attend。
Psha！　you　have　drunk　too　much　wine！〃　　Perhaps　I　may　as　well　own
that　I　was　NOT　attending；　for　he　had　been　carrying　on　for　about
fifty…seven　minutes；　and　I　don't　like　a　man　to　have　ALL　the　talk　to
himself。

〃Blanche　de　Bechamel　was　wild；　then；　about　this　secret　of　Masonry。
In　early；　early　days　I　loved；　I　married　a　girl　fair　as　Blanche；
who；　too；　was　tormented　by　curiosity；　who；　too；　would　peep　into　my
closet；　into　the　only　secret　guarded　from　her。　　A　dreadful　fate
befell　poor　Fatima。　　An　ACCIDENT　shortened　her　life。　　Poor　thing！
she　had　a　foolish　sister　who　urged　her　on。　　I　always　told　her　to
beware　of　Ann。　　She　died。　　They　said　her　brothers　killed　me。　　A
gross　falsehood。　　AM　I　dead？　　If　I　were；　could　I　pledge　you　in　this
wine？〃

〃Was　your　name；〃　I　asked；　quite　bewildered；　〃was　your　name；　pray；
then；　ever　Blueb？〃

〃H