st. ives-第49章
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A little wet snow kept sleepily falling; pausing; and falling
again; it seemed perpetually beginning to snow and perpetually
leaving off; and the darkness was intense。 Time and again we
walked into trees; time and again found ourselves adrift among
garden borders or stuck like a ram in the thicket。 Rowley had
possessed himself of the matches; and he was neither to be
terrified nor softened。 'No; I will not; Mr。 Anne; sir;' he would
reply。 'You know he tell me to wait till we were over the 'ill。
It's only a little way now。 Why; and I thought you was a soldier;
too!' I was at least a very glad soldier when my valet consented
at last to kindle a thieves' match。 From this; we easily lit the
lantern; and thenceforward; through a labyrinth of woodland paths;
were conducted by its uneasy glimmer。 Both booted and great…
coated; with tall hats much of a shape; and laden with booty in the
form of a despatch…box; a case of pistols; and two plump valises; I
thought we had very much the look of a pair of brothers returning
from the sack of Amersham Place。
We issued at last upon a country by…road where we might walk
abreast and without precaution。 It was nine miles to Aylesbury;
our immediate destination; by a watch; which formed part of my new
outfit; it should be about half…past three in the morning; and as
we did not choose to arrive before daylight; time could not be said
to press。 I gave the order to march at ease。
'Now; Rowley;' said I; 'so far so good。 You have come; in the most
obliging manner in the world; to carry these valises。 The question
is; what next? What are we to do at Aylesbury? or; more
particularly; what are you? Thence; I go on a journey。 Are you to
accompany me?'
He gave a little chuckle。 'That's all settled already; Mr。 Anne;
sir;' he replied。 'Why; I've got my things here in the valise … a
half a dozen shirts and what not; I'm all ready; sir: just you lead
on: YOU'LL see。'
'The devil you have!' said I。 'You made pretty sure of your
welcome。'
'If you please; sir;' said Rowley。
He looked up at me; in the light of the lantern; with a boyish
shyness and triumph that awoke my conscience。 I could never let
this innocent involve himself in the perils and difficulties that
beset my course; without some hint of warning; which it was a
matter of extreme delicacy to make plain enough and not too plain。
'No; no;' said I; 'you may think you have made a choice; but it was
blindfold; and you must make it over again。 The Count's service is
a good one; what are you leaving it for? Are you not throwing away
the substance for the shadow? No; do not answer me yet。 You
imagine that I am a prosperous nobleman; just declared my uncle's
heir; on the threshold of the best of good fortune; and; from the
point of view of a judicious servant; a jewel of a master to serve
and stick to? Well; my boy; I am nothing of the kind; nothing of
the kind。'
As I said the words; I came to a full stop and held up the lantern
to his face。 He stood before me; brilliantly illuminated on the
background of impenetrable night and falling snow; stricken to
stone between his double burden like an ass between two panniers;
and gaping at me like a blunderbuss。 I had never seen a face so
predestined to be astonished; or so susceptible of rendering the
emotion of surprise; and it tempted me as an open piano tempts the
musician。
'Nothing of the sort; Rowley;' I continued; in a churchyard voice。
'These are appearances; petty appearances。 I am in peril;
homeless; hunted。 I count scarce any one in England who is not my
enemy。 From this hour I drop my name; my title; I become nameless;
my name is proscribed。 My liberty; my life; hang by a hair。 The
destiny which you will accept; if you go forth with me; is to be
tracked by spies; to hide yourself under a false name; to follow
the desperate pretences and perhaps share the fate of a murderer
with a price upon his head。'
His face had been hitherto beyond expectation; passing from one
depth to another of tragic astonishment; and really worth paying to
see; but at this it suddenly cleared。 'Oh; I ain't afraid!' he
said; and then; choking into laughter; 'why; I see it from the
first!'
I could have beaten him。 But I had so grossly overshot the mark
that I suppose it took me two good miles of road and half an hour
of elocution to persuade him I had been in earnest。 In the course
of which I became so interested in demonstrating my present danger
that I forgot all about my future safety; and not only told him the
story of Goguelat; but threw in the business of the drovers as
well; and ended by blurting out that I was a soldier of Napoleon's
and a prisoner of war。
This was far from my views when I began; and it is a common
complaint of me that I have a long tongue。 I believe it is a fault
beloved by fortune。 Which of you considerate fellows would have
done a thing at once so foolhardy and so wise as to make a
confidant of a boy in his teens; and positively smelling of the
nursery? And when had I cause to repent it? There is none so apt
as a boy to be the adviser of any man in difficulties such as mine。
To the beginnings of virile common sense he adds the last lights of
the child's imagination; and he can fling himself into business
with that superior earnestness that properly belongs to play。 And
Rowley was a boy made to my hand。 He had a high sense of romance;
and a secret cultus for all soldiers and criminals。 His travelling
library consisted of a chap…book life of Wallace and some sixpenny
parts of the 'Old Bailey Sessions Papers' by Gurney the shorthand
writer; and the choice depicts his character to a hair。 You can
imagine how his new prospects brightened on a boy of this
disposition。 To be the servant and companion of a fugitive; a
soldier; and a murderer; rolled in one … to live by stratagems;
disguises; and false names; in an atmosphere of midnight and
mystery so thick that you could cut it with a knife … was really; I
believe; more dear to him than his meals; though he was a great
trencherman; and something of a glutton besides。 For myself; as
the peg by which all this romantic business hung; I was simply
idolised from that moment; and he would rather have sacrificed his
hand than surrendered the privilege of serving me。
We arranged the terms of our campaign; trudging amicably in the
snow; which now; with the approach of morning; began to fall to
purpose。 I chose the name of Ramornie; I imagine from its likeness
to Romaine; Rowley; from an irresistible conversion of ideas; I
dubbed Gammon。 His distress was laughable to witness: his own
choice of an unassuming nickname had been Claude Duval! We settled
our procedure at the various inns where we should alight; rehearsed
our little manners like a piece of drill until it seemed impossible
we should ever be taken unprepared; and in all these dispositions;
you maybe sure the despatch…box was not forgotten。 Who was to pick
it up; who was to set it down; who was to remain beside it; who was
to sleep with it … there was no contingency omitted; all was gone
into with the thoroughness of a drill…sergeant on the one hand and
a child with a new plaything on the other。
'I say; wouldn't it look queer if you and me was to come to the
post…house with all this luggage?' said Rowley。
'I dare say;' I replied。 'But what else is to be done?'
'Well; now; sir … you hear me;' says Rowley。 'I think it would
look more natural…like if you was to come to the post…house alone;
and with nothing in your 'ands … more like a gentleman; you know。
And you might say that your servant and baggage was a…waiting for
you up the road。 I think I could manage; somehow; to make a shift
with all them dratted things … leastways i