st. ives-第42章
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that question by putting you in possession of the facts?'
'I think so; indeed;' said he。
I narrated to him as much as seemed necessary of the quarrel; the
duel; the death of Goguelat; and the character of Clausel。 He
heard me through in a forbidding silence; nor did he at all betray
the nature of his sentiments; except that; at the episode of the
scissors; I could observe his mulberry face to turn three shades
paler。
'I suppose I may believe you?' said he; when I had done。
'Or else conclude this interview;' said I。
'Can you not understand that we are here discussing matters of the
gravest import? Can you not understand that I feel myself weighed
with a load of responsibility on your account … that you should
take this occasion to air your fire…eating manners against your own
attorney? There are serious hours in life; Mr。 Anne;' he said
severely。 'A capital charge; and that of a very brutal character
and with singularly unpleasant details; the presence of the man
Clausel; who (according to your account of it) is actuated by
sentiments of real malignity; and prepared to swear black white;
all the other witnesses scattered and perhaps drowned at sea; the
natural prejudice against a Frenchman and a runaway prisoner: this
makes a serious total for your lawyer to consider; and is by no
means lessened by the incurable folly and levity of your own
disposition。'
'I beg your pardon!' said I。
'Oh; my expressions have been selected with scrupulous accuracy;'
he replied。 'How did I find you; sir; when I came to announce this
catastrophe? You were sitting on the hearthrug playing; like a
silly baby; with a servant; were you not; and the floor all
scattered with gold and bank paper? There was a tableau for you!
It was I who came; and you were lucky in that。 It might have been
any one … your cousin as well as another。'
'You have me there; sir;' I admitted。 'I had neglected all
precautions; and you do right to be angry。 APROPOS; Mr。 Romaine;
how did you come yourself; and how long have you been in the
house?' I added; surprised; on the retrospect; not to have heard
him arrive。
'I drove up in a chaise and pair;' he returned。 'Any one might
have heard me。 But you were not listening; I suppose? being so
extremely at your ease in the very house of your enemy; and under a
capital charge! And I have been long enough here to do your
business for you。 Ah; yes; I did it; God forgive me! … did it
before I so much as asked you the explanation of the paragraph。
For some time back the will has been prepared; now it is signed;
and your uncle has heard nothing of your recent piece of activity。
Why? Well; I had no fancy to bother him on his death…bed: you
might be innocent; and at bottom I preferred the murderer to the
spy。'
No doubt of it but the man played a friendly part; no doubt also
that; in his ill…temper and anxiety; he expressed himself
unpalatably。
'You will perhaps find me over delicate;' said I。 'There is a word
you employed … '
'I employ the words of my brief; sir;' he cried; striking with his
hand on the newspaper。 'It is there in six letters。 And do not be
so certain … you have not stood your trial yet。 It is an ugly
affair; a fishy business。 It is highly disagreeable。 I would give
my hand off … I mean I would give a hundred pound down; to have
nothing to do with it。 And; situated as we are; we must at once
take action。 There is here no choice。 You must at once quit this
country; and get to France; or Holland; or; indeed; to Madagascar。'
'There may be two words to that;' said I。
'Not so much as one syllable!' he retorted。 'Here is no room for
argument。 The case is nakedly plain。 In the disgusting position
in which you have found means to place yourself; all that is to be
hoped for is delay。 A time may come when we shall be able to do
better。 It cannot be now: now it would be the gibbet。'
'You labour under a false impression; Mr。 Romaine;' said I。 'I
have no impatience to figure in the dock。 I am even as anxious as
yourself to postpone my first appearance there。 On the other hand;
I have not the slightest intention of leaving this country; where I
please myself extremely。 I have a good address; a ready tongue; an
English accent that passes; and; thanks to the generosity of my
uncle; as much money as I want。 It would be hard indeed if; with
all these advantages; Mr。 St。 Ives should not be able to live
quietly in a private lodging; while the authorities amuse
themselves by looking for Champdivers。 You forget; there is no
connection between these two personages。'
'And you forget your cousin;' retorted Romaine。 'There is the
link。 There is the tongue of the buckle。 He knows you are
Champdivers。' He put up his hand as if to listen。 'And; for a
wager; here he is himself!' he exclaimed。
As when a tailor takes a piece of goods upon his counter; and rends
it across; there came to our ears from the avenue the long tearing
sound of a chaise and four approaching at the top speed of the
horses。 And; looking out between the curtains; we beheld the lamps
skimming on the smooth ascent。
'Ay;' said Romaine; wiping the window…pane that he might see more
clearly。 'Ay; that is he by the driving! So he squanders money
along the king's highway; the triple idiot! gorging every man he
meets with gold for the pleasure of arriving … where? Ah; yes;
where but a debtor's jail; if not a criminal prison!'
'Is he that kind of a man?' I said; staring on these lamps as
though I could decipher in them the secret of my cousin's
character。
'You will find him a dangerous kind;' answered the lawyer。 'For
you; these are the lights on a lee shore! I find I fall in a muse
when I consider of him; what a formidable being he once was; and
what a personable! and how near he draws to the moment that must
break him utterly! we none of us like him here; we hate him;
rather; and yet I have a sense … I don't think at my time of life
it can be pity … but a reluctance rather; to break anything so big
and figurative; as though he were a big porcelain pot or a big
picture of high price。 Ay; there is what I was waiting for!' he
cried; as the lights of a second chaise swam in sight。 'It is he
beyond a doubt。 The first was the signature and the next the
flourish。 Two chaises; the second following with the baggage;
which is always copious and ponderous; and one of his valets: he
cannot go a step without a valet。'
'I hear you repeat the word big;' said I。 'But it cannot be that
he is anything out of the way in stature。'
'No;' said the attorney。 'About your height; as I guessed for the
tailors; and I see nothing wrong with the result。 But; somehow; he
commands an atmosphere; he has a spacious manner; and he has kept
up; all through life; such a volume of racket about his
personality; with his chaises and his racers and his dicings; and I
know not what … that somehow he imposes! It seems; when the farce
is done; and he locked in Fleet prison … and nobody left but
Buonaparte and Lord Wellington and the Hetman Platoff to make a
work about … the world will be in a comparison quite tranquil。 But
this is beside the mark;' he added; with an effort; turning again
from the window。 'We are now under fire; Mr。 Anne; as you soldiers
would say; and it is high time we should prepare to go into action。
He must not see you; that would be fatal。 All that he knows at
present is that you resemble him; and that is much more than
enough。 If it were possible; it would be well he should not know
you were in the house。'
'Quite impossible; depend upon it;' said I。 'Some of the servants
are directly in his interests; perhaps in his pay: Dawson; for an
example。'
'My own idea!' cried Romaine。 'A