st. ives-第46章

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Romaine。　　'But　there　are　worse　things　than　even　bankruptcy；　and　

worse　places　than　a　debtors'　jail。'



The　words　were　so　significantly　said　that　there　went　a　visible　

thrill　through　Alain；　sudden　as　a　sword…stroke；　he　fell　pale　again。



'I　do　not　understand　you；'　said　he。



'O　yes；　you　do；'　returned　Romaine。　　'I　believe　you　understand　me　

very　well。　　You　must　not　suppose　that　all　this　time；　while　you　were　

so　very　busy；　others　were　entirely　idle。　　You　must　not　fancy；　

because　I　am　an　Englishman；　that　I　have　not　the　intelligence　to　

pursue　an　inquiry。　　Great　as　is　my　regard　for　the　honour　of　your　

house；　M。　Alain　de　St。…Yves；　if　I　hear　of　you　moving　directly　or　

indirectly　in　this　matter；　I　shall　do　my　duty；　let　it　cost　what　it　

will：　that　is；　I　shall　communicate　the　real　name　of　the　

Buonapartist　spy　who　signs　his　letters　RUE　GREGOIRE　DE　TOURS。'



I　confess　my　heart　was　already　almost　altogether　on　the　side　of　my　

insulted　and　unhappy　cousin；　and　if　it　had　not　been　before；　it　must　

have　been　so　now；　so　horrid　was　the　shock　with　which　he　heard　his　

infamy　exposed。　　Speech　was　denied　him；　he　carried　his　hand　to　his　

neckcloth；　he　staggered；　I　thought　he　must　have　fallen。　　I　ran　to　

help　him；　and　at　that　he　revived；　recoiled　before　me；　and　stood　

there　with　arms　stretched　forth　as　if　to　preserve　himself　from　the　

outrage　of　my　touch。



'Hands　off！'　he　somehow　managed　to　articulate。



'You　will　now；　I　hope；'　pursued　the　lawyer；　without　any　change　of　

voice；　'understand　the　position　in　which　you　are　placed；　and　how　

delicately　it　behoves　you　to　conduct　yourself。　　Your　arrest　hangs；　

if　I　may　so　express　myself；　by　a　hair；　and　as　you　will　be　under　the　

perpetual　vigilance　of　myself　and　my　agents；　you　must　look　to　it　

narrowly　that　you　walk　straight。　　Upon　the　least　dubiety；　I　will　

take　action。'　　He　snuffed；　looking　critically　at　the　tortured　man。　　

'And　now　let　me　remind　you　that　your　chaise　is　at　the　door。　　This　

interview　is　agitating　to　his　lordship　…　it　cannot　be　agreeable　for　

you　…　and　I　suggest　that　it　need　not　be　further　drawn　out。　　It　does　

not　enter　into　the　views　of　your　uncle；　the　Count；　that　you　should　

again　sleep　under　this　roof。'



As　Alain　turned　and　passed　without　a　word　or　a　sign　from　the　

apartment；　I　instantly　followed。　　I　suppose　I　must　be　at　bottom　

possessed　of　some　humanity；　at　least；　this　accumulated　torture；　

this　slow　butchery　of　a　man　as　by　quarters　of　rock；　had　wholly　

changed　my　sympathies。　　At　that　moment　I　loathed　both　my　uncle　and　

the　lawyer　for　their　coldblooded　cruelty。



Leaning　over　the　banisters；　I　was　but　in　time　to　hear　his　hasty　

footsteps　in　that　hall　that　had　been　crowded　with　servants　to　

honour　his　coming；　and　was　now　left　empty　against　his　friendless　

departure。　　A　moment　later；　and　the　echoes　rang；　and　the　air　

whistled　in　my　ears；　as　he　slammed　the　door　on　his　departing　

footsteps。　　The　fury　of　the　concussion　gave　me　（had　one　been　still　

wanted）　a　measure　of　the　turmoil　of　his　passions。　　In　a　sense；　I　

felt　with　him；　I　felt　how　he　would　have　gloried　to　slam　that　door　

on　my　uncle；　the　lawyer；　myself；　and　the　whole　crowd　of　those　who　

had　been　witnesses　to　his　humiliation。









CHAPTER　XX　…　AFTER　THE　STORM





NO　sooner　was　the　house　clear　of　my　cousin　than　I　began　to　reckon　

up；　ruefully　enough；　the　probable　results　of　what　had　passed。　　Here　

were　a　number　of　pots　broken；　and　it　looked　to　me　as　if　I　should　

have　to　pay　for　all！　　Here　had　been　this　proud；　mad　beast　goaded　

and　baited　both　publicly　and　privately；　till　he　could　neither　hear　

nor　see　nor　reason；　whereupon　the　gate　had　been　set　open；　and　he　

had　been　left　free　to　go　and　contrive　whatever　vengeance　he　might　

find　possible。　　I　could　not　help　thinking　it　was　a　pity　that；　

whenever　I　myself　was　inclined　to　be　upon　my　good　behaviour；　some　

friends　of　mine　should　always　determine　to　play　a　piece　of　heroics　

and　cast　me　for　the　hero　…　or　the　victim　…　which　is　very　much　the　

same。　　The　first　duty　of　heroics　is　to　be　of　your　own　choosing。　　

When　they　are　not　that；　they　are　nothing。　　And　I　assure　you；　as　I　

walked　back　to　my　own　room；　I　was　in　no　very　complaisant　humour：　

thought　my　uncle　and　Mr。　Romaine　to　have　played　knuckle…bones　with　

my　life　and　prospects；　cursed　them　for　it　roundly；　had　no　wish　more　

urgent　than　to　avoid　the　pair　of　them；　and　was　quite　knocked　out　of　

time；　as　they　say　in　the　ring；　to　find　myself　confronted　with　the　

lawyer。



He　stood　on　my　hearthrug；　leaning　on　the　chimney…piece；　with　a　

gloomy；　thoughtful　brow；　as　I　was　pleased　to　see；　and　not　in　the　

least　as　though　he　were　vain　of　the　late　proceedings。



'Well？'　said　I。　　'You　have　done　it　now！'



'Is　he　gone？'　he　asked。



'He　is　gone；'　said　I。　　'We　shall　have　the　devil　to　pay　with　him　

when　he　comes　back。'



'You　are　right；'　said　the　lawyer；　'and　very　little　to　pay　him　with　

but　flams　and　fabrications；　like　to…night's。'



'To…night's？'　I　repeated。



'Ay；　to…night's！'　said　he。



'To…night's　WHAT？'　I　cried。



'To…night's　flams　and　fabrications。'



'God　be　good　to　me；　sir；'　said　I；　'have　I　something　more　to　admire　

in　your　conduct　than　ever　I　had　suspected？　　You　cannot　think　how　

you　interest　me！　　That　it　was　severe；　I　knew；　I　had　already　

chuckled　over　that。　　But　that　it　should　be　false　also！　　In　what　

sense；　dear　sir？'



I　believe　I　was　extremely　offensive　as　I　put　the　question；　but　the　

lawyer　paid　no　heed。



'False　in　all　senses　of　the　word；'　he　replied　seriously。　　'False　in　

the　sense　that　they　were　not　true；　and　false　in　the　sense　that　they　

were　not　real；　false　in　the　sense　that　I　boasted；　and　in　the　sense　

that　I　lied。　　How　can　I　arrest　him？　　Your　uncle　burned　the　papers！　　

I　told　you　so　…　but　doubtless　you　have　forgotten　…　the　day　I　first　

saw　you　in　Edinburgh　Castle。　　It　was　an　act　of　generosity；　I　have　

seen　many　of　these　acts；　and　always　regretted　…　always　regretted！　　

〃That　shall　be　his　inheritance；〃　he　said；　as　the　papers　burned；　he　

did　not　mean　that　it　should　have　proved　so　rich　a　one。　　How　rich；　

time　will　tell。'



'I　beg　your　pardon　a　hundred　thousand　times；　my　dear　sir；　but　it　

strikes　me　you　have　the　impudence　…　in　the　circumstances；　I　may　

call　it　the　indecency　…　to　appear　cast　down？'



'It　is　true；'　said　he：　'I　am。　　I　am　cast　down。　　I　am　literally　cast　

down。　　I　feel　myself　quite　helpless　against　your　cousin。'



'Now；　really！'　I　asked。　　'Is　this　serious？　　And　is　it　perhaps　the　

reason　why　you　have　gorged　the　poor　devil　with　every　species　of　

insult？　and　why　you　took　such　surprising　pains　to　supply　me　with　

what　I　had　so　little　need　of　…　another　enemy？　　That　you　were　

helpless　against　them？　　〃Here　is　my　last　missile；〃　say　you；　〃my　

ammunition　is　quite　exhausted：　just　wait　till　I　get　the　last　in　…　

it　will　irritate；　it　cannot　hurt　him。　　There　…　you　see！　…　he　is　

furious　now；　and　I　am　quite　helpless。　　One　more　prod；　another　kick：　

now　he　is　a　mere　lunatic！　　Stand　behind　me；　I　am　quite　helpless！〃　　

Mr。　Romaine；　I　am　asking　myself　as　to　the　background　or　motive　of　

this　singular　jest；　and　whether　the　name　of　it　should　not　be　called　

treachery？'



'I　can　scarce　wonder；'　said　he。　　'In　truth　it　has　been　a　singular　

business；　and　we　are　very　fortunate　to　be　out　of　it　so　well。　　Yet　

it　was　not　treachery：　no；　no；　Mr。　Anne；　it　was　not　treachery；　and　

if　you　will　do　me　the　favour　to　listen　to　me　for　the　inside　of　a　

minute；　I　shall　demonstrate　the　same　to　you　beyond　cavil。'　　He　

seemed　to　wake　up　to　his　ordinary　briskness。　　'You　see　the　point？'　

he　began。　　'He　had　not　yet　read　the　newspaper；　but　who　could　tell　

when　he　might？　　He　might　have　had　that　damned　journal　in　his　

pocket；　and　how　should　we　know？　　We　were　…　I　may　say；　we　are　…　at　

the　mercy　of　the　merest　twopenny　accident。'



'Why；　true；'　said　I：　'I　had　not　thought　of　that。'



'I　warrant　you；'　cried　Romaine；　'you　had　supposed　it　was　nothing　to　

be　t