st. ives-第48章
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servant in Number 4。〃 He will pass; in fact; all round; except
with his personal friends! My dear sir; pray what do you expect?
Of course if we meet my cousin; or if we meet anybody who took part
in the judicious exhibition of this evening; we are lost; and who's
denying it? To every disguise; however good and safe; there is
always the weak point; you must always take (let us say … and to
take a simile from your own waistcoat pocket) a snuff box…full of
risk。 You'll get it just as small with Rowley as with anybody
else。 And the long and short of it is; the lad's honest; he likes
me; I trust him; he is my servant; or nobody。'
'He might not accept;' said Romaine。
'I bet you a thousand pounds he does!' cried I。 'But no matter;
all you have to do is to send him out to…night on this cross…
country business; and leave the thing to me。 I tell you; he will
be my servant; and I tell you; he will do well。'
I had crossed the room; and was already overhauling my wardrobe as
I spoke。
'Well;' concluded the lawyer; with a shrug; 'one risk with another:
A GUERRE COMME A LA GUERRE; as you would say。 Let the brat come
and be useful; at least。' And he was about to ring the bell; when
his eye was caught by my researches in the wardrobe。 'Do not fall
in love with these coats; waistcoats; cravats; and other panoply
and accoutrements by which you are now surrounded。 You must not
run the post as a dandy。 It is not the fashion; even。'
'You are pleased to be facetious; sir;' said I; 'and not according
to knowledge。 These clothes are my life; they are my disguise; and
since I can take but few of them; I were a fool indeed if I
selected hastily! Will you understand; once and for all; what I am
seeking? To be invisible; is the first point; the second; to be
invisible in a post…chaise and with a servant。 Can you not
perceive the delicacy of the quest? Nothing must be too coarse;
nothing too fine; RIEN DE VOYANT; RIEN QUI DELONNE; so that I may
leave everywhere the inconspicuous image of a handsome young man of
a good fortune travelling in proper style; whom the landlord will
forget in twelve hours … and the chambermaid perhaps remember; God
bless her! with a sigh。 This is the very fine art of dress。'
'I have practised it with success for fifty years;' said Romaine;
with a chuckle。 'A black suit and a clean shirt is my infallible
recipe。'
'You surprise me; I did not think you would be shallow!' said I;
lingering between two coats。 'Pray; Mr。 Romaine; have I your head?
or did you travel post and with a smartish servant?'
'Neither; I admit;' said he。
'Which change the whole problem;' I continued。 'I have to dress
for a smartish servant and a Russia leather despatch…box。' That
brought me to a stand。 I came over and looked at the box with a
moment's hesitation。 'Yes;' I resumed。 'Yes; and for the
despatch…box! It looks moneyed and landed; it means I have a
lawyer。 It is an invaluable property。 But I could have wished it
to hold less money。 The responsibility is crushing。 Should I not
do more wisely to take five hundred pounds; and intrust the
remainder with you; Mr。 Romaine?'
'If you are sure you will not want it;' answered Romaine。
'I am far from sure of that;' cried I。 'In the first place; as a
philosopher。 This is the first time I have been at the head of a
large sum; and it is conceivable … who knows himself? … that I may
make it fly。 In the second place; as a fugitive。 Who knows what I
may need? The whole of it may be inadequate。 But I can always
write for more。'
'You do not understand;' he replied。 'I break off all
communication with you here and now。 You must give me a power of
attorney ere you start to…night; and then be done with me
trenchantly until better days。'
I believe I offered some objection。
'Think a little for once of me!' said Romaine。 'I must not have
seen you before to…night。 To…night we are to have had our only
interview; and you are to have given me the power; and to…night I
am to have lost sight of you again … I know not whither; you were
upon business; it was none of my affairs to question you! And
this; you are to remark; in the interests of your own safety much
more than mine。'
'I am not even to write to you?' I said; a little bewildered。
'I believe I am cutting the last strand that connects you with
common sense;' he replied。 'But that is the plain English of it。
You are not even to write; and if you did; I would not answer。'
'A letter; however … ' I began。
'Listen to me;' interrupted Romaine。 'So soon as your cousin reads
the paragraph; what will he do? Put the police upon looking into
my correspondence! So soon as you write to me; in short; you write
to Bow Street; and if you will take my advice; you will date that
letter from France。'
'The devil!' said I; for I began suddenly to see that this might
put me out of the way of my business。
'What is it now?' says he。
'There will be more to be done; then; before we can part;' I
answered。
'I give you the whole night;' said he。 'So long as you are off ere
daybreak; I am content。'
'In short; Mr。 Romaine;' said I; 'I have had so much benefit of
your advice and services that I am loth to sever the connection;
and would even ask a substitute。 I would be obliged for a letter
of introduction to one of your own cloth in Edinburgh … an old man
for choice; very experienced; very respectable; and very secret。
Could you favour me with such a letter?'
'Why; no;' said he。 'Certainly not。 I will do no such thing;
indeed。'
'It would be a great favour; sir;' I pleaded。
'It would be an unpardonable blunder;' he replied。 'What? Give
you a letter of introduction? and when the police come; I suppose;
I must forget the circumstance? No; indeed。 Talk of it no more。'
'You seem to be always in the right;' said I。 'The letter would be
out of the question; I quite see that。 But the lawyer's name might
very well have dropped from you in the way of conversation; having
heard him mentioned; I might profit by the circumstance to
introduce myself; and in this way my business would be the better
done; and you not in the least compromised。'
'What is this business?' said Romaine。
'I have not said that I had any;' I replied。 'It might arise。
This is only a possibility that I must keep in view。'
'Well;' said he; with a gesture of the hands; 'I mention Mr。
Robbie; and let that be an end of it! … Or wait!' he added; 'I have
it。 Here is something that will serve you for an introduction; and
cannot compromise me。' And he wrote his name and the Edinburgh
lawyer's address on a piece of card and tossed it to me。
CHAPTER XXI … I BECOME THE OWNER OF A CLARET…COLOURED CHAISE
WHAT with packing; signing papers; and partaking of an excellent
cold supper in the lawyer's room; it was past two in the morning
before we were ready for the road。 Romaine himself let us out of a
window in a part of the house known to Rowley: it appears it served
as a kind of postern to the servants' hall; by which (when they
were in the mind for a clandestine evening) they would come
regularly in and out; and I remember very well the vinegar aspect
of the lawyer on the receipt of this piece of information … how he
pursed his lips; jutted his eyebrows; and kept repeating; 'This
must be seen to; indeed! this shall be barred to…morrow in the
morning!' In this preoccupation; I believe he took leave of me
without observing it; our things were handed out; we heard the
window shut behind us; and became instantly lost in a horrid
intricacy of blackness and the shadow of woods。
A little wet snow kept sleepily falling; pausing; and falling
again; it seemed perpetually beginning to snow and pe