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第19章

st. ives-第19章

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in a thrilling voice … 'To whom have I the pleasure?' she said; 

addressing me with a ghost of a bow。



'Madam; I am charmed; I am sure;' said I。  'The story is a little 

long; and our meeting; however welcome; was for the moment entirely 

unexpected by myself。  I am sure … ' but here I found I was quite 

sure of nothing; and tried again。  'I have the honour;' I began; 

and found I had the honour to be only exceedingly confused。  With 

that; I threw myself outright upon her mercy。  'Madam; I must be 

more frank with you;' I resumed。  'You have already proved your 

charity and compassion for the French prisoners; I am one of these; 

and if my appearance be not too much changed; you may even yet 

recognise in me that ODDITY who had the good fortune more than once 

to make you smile。'



Still gazing upon me through her glass; she uttered an 

uncompromising grunt; and then; turning to her niece … 'Flora;' 

said she; 'how comes he here?'



The culprits poured out for a while an antiphony of explanations; 

which died out at last in a miserable silence。



'I think at least you might have told your aunt;' she snorted。



'Madam;' I interposed; 'they were about to do so。  It is my fault 

if it be not done already。  But I made it my prayer that your 

slumbers might be respected; and this necessary formula of my 

presentation should be delayed until to…morrow in the morning。'



The old lady regarded me with undissembled incredulity; to which I 

was able to find no better repartee than a profound and I trust 

graceful reverence。



'French prisoners are very well in their place;' she said; 'but I 

cannot see that their place is in my private dining…room。'



'Madam;' said I; 'I hope it may be said without offence; but 

(except the Castle of Edinburgh) I cannot think upon the spot from 

which I would so readily be absent。'



At this; to my relief; I thought I could perceive a vestige of a 

smile to steal upon that iron countenance and to be bitten 

immediately in。



'And if it is a fair question; what do they call ye?' she asked。



'At your service; the Vicomte Anne de St。…Yves;' said I。



'Mosha the Viscount;' said she; 'I am afraid you do us plain people 

a great deal too much honour。'



'My dear lady;' said I; 'let us be serious for a moment。  What was 

I to do?  Where was I to go?  And how can you be angry with these 

benevolent children who took pity on one so unfortunate as myself?  

Your humble servant is no such terrific adventurer that you should 

come out against him with horse…pistol and' … smiling … 'bedroom 

candlesticks。  It is but a young gentleman in extreme distress; 

hunted upon every side; and asking no more than to escape from his 

pursuers。  I know your character; I read it in your face' … the 

heart trembled in my body as I said these daring words。  'There are 

unhappy English prisoners in France at this day; perhaps at this 

hour。  Perhaps at this hour they kneel as I do; they take the hand 

of her who might conceal and assist them; they press it to their 

lips as I do … '



'Here; here!' cried the old lady; breaking from my solicitations。  

'Behave yourself before folk!  Saw ever anyone the match of that?  

And on earth; my dears; what are we to do with him?'



'Pack him off; my dear lady;' said I: 'pack off the impudent fellow 

double…quick!  And if it may be; and if your good heart allows it; 

help him a little on the way he has to go。'



'What's this pie?' she cried stridently。  'Where is this pie from; 

Flora?'



No answer was vouchsafed by my unfortunate and (I may say) extinct 

accomplices。



'Is that my port?' she pursued。  'Hough!  Will somebody give me a 

glass of my port wine?'




I made haste to serve her。



She looked at me over the rim with an extraordinary expression。  'I 

hope ye liked it?' said she。



'It is even a magnificent wine;' said I。



'Aweel; it was my father laid it down;' said she。  'There were few 

knew more about port wine than my father; God rest him!'  She 

settled herself in a chair with an alarming air of resolution。  

'And so there is some particular direction that you wish to go in?' 

said she。



'O;' said I; following her example; 'I am by no means such a 

vagrant as you suppose。  I have good friends; if I could get to 

them; for which all I want is to be once clear of Scotland; and I 

have money for the road。'  And I produced my bundle。



'English bank…notes?' she said。  'That's not very handy for 

Scotland。  It's been some fool of an Englishman that's given you 

these; I'm thinking。  How much is it?'



'I declare to heaven I never thought to count!' I exclaimed。  'But 

that is soon remedied。'



And I counted out ten notes of ten pound each; all in the name of 

Abraham Newlands; and five bills of country bankers for as many 

guineas。



'One hundred and twenty six pound five;' cried the old lady。  'And 

you carry such a sum about you; and have not so much as counted it!  

If you are not a thief; you must allow you are very thief…like。'



'And yet; madam; the money is legitimately mine;' said I。



She took one of the bills and held it up。  'Is there any 

probability; now; that this could be traced?' she asked。



'None; I should suppose; and if it were; it would be no matter;' 

said I。  'With your usual penetration; you guessed right。  An 

Englishman brought it me。  It reached me; through the hands of his 

English solicitor; from my great…uncle; the Comte de Keroual de 

Saint…Yves; I believe the richest EMIGRE in London。'



'I can do no more than take your word for it;' said she。



'And I trust; madam; not less;' said I。



'Well;' said she; 'at this rate the matter may be feasible。  I will 

cash one of these five…guinea bills; less the exchange; and give 

you silver and Scots notes to bear you as far as the border。  

Beyond that; Mosha the Viscount; you will have to depend upon 

yourself。'



I could not but express a civil hesitation as to whether the amount 

would suffice; in my case; for so long a journey。



'Ay;' said she; 'but you havenae heard me out。  For if you are not 

too fine a gentleman to travel with a pair of drovers; I believe I 

have found the very thing; and the Lord forgive me for a 

treasonable old wife!  There are a couple stopping up by with the 

shepherd…man at the farm; to…morrow they will take the road for 

England; probably by skriegh of day … and in my opinion you had 

best be travelling with the stots;' said she。



'For Heaven's sake do not suppose me to be so effeminate a 

character!' I cried。  'An old soldier of Napoleon is certainly 

beyond suspicion。  But; dear lady; to what end? and how is the 

society of these excellent gentlemen supposed to help me?'



'My dear sir;' said she; 'you do not at all understand your own 

predicament; and must just leave your matters in the hands of those 

who do。  I dare say you have never even heard tell of the drove…

roads or the drovers; and I am certainly not going to sit up all 

night to explain it to you。  Suffice it; that it is me who is 

arranging this affair … the more shame to me! … and that is the way 

ye have to go。  Ronald;' she continued; 'away up…by to the 

shepherds; rowst them out of their beds; and make it perfectly 

distinct that Sim is not to leave till he has seen me。'



Ronald was nothing loath to escape from his aunt's neighbourhood; 

and left the room and the cottage with a silent expedition that was 

more like flight than mere obedience。  Meanwhile the old lady 

turned to her niece。



'And I would like to know what we are to do with him the night!' 

she cried。



'Ronald and I meant to put him in the hen…house;' said the 

encrimsoned Flora。



'And I can tell you he is to go to no such a place;' replied the 

aunt。  'Hen…house; indeed!  If a guest he is to be; he shall sleep 

in no mortal hen…house。  Your room is the most fit; I thin

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