贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > st. ives >

第49章

st. ives-第49章

小说: st. ives 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!






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

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的