st. ives-第54章
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us: road to Gretna; sir。 And here have these nincompoops spilt us
in the ditch and smashed the chaise!'
'Very provoking;' said I。
'I don't know when I've been so provoked!' cried he; with a glance
down the road; of mortal terror。
'The father is no doubt very much incensed?' I pursued civilly。
'O God!' cried the hawbuck。 'In short; you see; we must get out of
this。 And I'll tell you what … it may seem cool; but necessity has
no law … if you would lend us your chaise to the next post…house;
it would be the very thing; sir。'
'I confess it seems cool;' I replied。
'What's that you say; sir?' he snapped。
'I was agreeing with you;' said I。 'Yes; it does seem cool; and
what is more to the point; it seems unnecessary。 This thing can be
arranged in a more satisfactory manner otherwise; I think。 You can
doubtless ride?'
This opened a door on the matter of their previous dispute; and the
fellow appeared life…sized in his true colours。 'That's what I've
been telling her: that; damn her! she must ride!' he broke out。
'And if the gentleman's of the same mind; why; damme; you shall!'
As he said so; he made a snatch at her wrist; which she evaded with
horror。
I stepped between them。
'No; sir;' said I; 'the lady shall not。'
He turned on me raging。 'And who are you to interfere?' he roared。
'There is here no question of who I am;' I replied。 'I may be the
devil or the Archbishop of Canterbury for what you know; or need
know。 The point is that I can help you … it appears that nobody
else can; and I will tell you how I propose to do it。 I will give
the lady a seat in my chaise; if you will return the compliment by
allowing my servant to ride one of your horses。'
I thought he would have sprung at my throat。
'You have always the alternative before you: to wait here for the
arrival of papa;' I added。
And that settled him。 He cast another haggard look down the road;
and capitulated。
'I am sure; sir; the lady is very much obliged to you;' he said;
with an ill grace。
I gave her my hand; she mounted like a bird into the chaise;
Rowley; grinning from ear to ear; closed the door behind us; the
two impudent rascals of post…boys cheered and laughed aloud as we
drove off; and my own postillion urged his horses at once into a
rattling trot。 It was plain I was supposed by all to have done a
very dashing act; and ravished the bride from the ravisher。
In the meantime I stole a look at the little lady。 She was in a
state of pitiable discomposure; and her arms shook on her lap in
her black lace mittens。
'Madam … ' I began。
And she; in the same moment; finding her voice: 'O; what you must
think of me!'
'Madam;' said I; 'what must any gentleman think when he sees youth;
beauty and innocence in distress? I wish I could tell you that I
was old enough to be your father; I think we must give that up;' I
continued; with a smile。 'But I will tell you something about
myself which ought to do as well; and to set that little heart at
rest in my society。 I am a lover。 May I say it of myself … for I
am not quite used to all the niceties of English … that I am a true
lover? There is one whom I admire; adore; obey; she is no less
good than she is beautiful; if she were here; she would take you to
her arms: conceive that she has sent me … that she has said to me;
〃Go; be her knight!〃'
'O; I know she must be sweet; I know she must be worthy of you!'
cried the little lady。 'She would never forget female decorum …
nor make the terrible ERRATUM I've done!'
And at this she lifted up her voice and wept。
This did not forward matters: it was in vain that I begged her to
be more composed and to tell me a plain; consecutive tale of her
misadventures; but she continued instead to pour forth the most
extraordinary mixture of the correct school miss and the poor
untutored little piece of womanhood in a false position … of
engrafted pedantry and incoherent nature。
'I am certain it must have been judicial blindness;' she sobbed。
'I can't think how I didn't see it; but I didn't; and he isn't; is
he? And then a curtain rose 。 。 。 O; what a moment was that! But
I knew at once that YOU WERE; you had but to appear from your
carriage; and I knew it; O; she must be a fortunate young lady!
And I have no fear with you; none … a perfect confidence。'
'Madam;' said I; 'a gentleman。'
'That's what I mean … a gentleman;' she exclaimed。 'And he … and
that … HE isn't。 O; how shall I dare meet father!' And disclosing
to me her tear…stained face; and opening her arms with a tragic
gesture: 'And I am quite disgraced before all the young ladies; my
school…companions!' she added。
'O; not so bad as that!' I cried。 'Come; come; you exaggerate; my
dear Miss … ? Excuse me if I am too familiar: I have not yet heard
your name。'
'My name is Dorothy Greensleeves; sir: why should I conceal it? I
fear it will only serve to point an adage to future generations;
and I had meant so differently! There was no young female in the
county more emulous to be thought well of than I。 And what a fall
was there! O; dear me; what a wicked; piggish donkey of a girl I
have made of myself; to be sure! And there is no hope! O; Mr。 … '
And at that she paused and asked my name。
I am not writing my eulogium for the Academy; I will admit it was
unpardonably imbecile; but I told it her。 If you had been there …
and seen her; ravishingly pretty and little; a baby in years and
mind … and heard her talking like a book; with so much of
schoolroom propriety in her manner; with such an innocent despair
in the matter … you would probably have told her yours。 She
repeated it after me。
'I shall pray for you all my life;' she said。 'Every night; when I
retire to rest; the last thing I shall do is to remember you by
name。'
Presently I succeeded in winning from her her tale; which was much
what I had anticipated: a tale of a schoolhouse; a walled garden; a
fruit…tree that concealed a bench; an impudent raff posturing in
church; an exchange of flowers and vows over the garden wall; a
silly schoolmate for a confidante; a chaise and four; and the most
immediate and perfect disenchantment on the part of the little
lady。 'And there is nothing to be done!' she wailed in conclusion。
'My error is irretrievable; I am quite forced to that conclusion。
O; Monsieur de Saint…Yves! who would have thought that I could have
been such a blind; wicked donkey!'
I should have said before … only that I really do not know when it
came in … that we had been overtaken by the two post…boys; Rowley
and Mr。 Bellamy; which was the hawbuck's name; bestriding the four
post…horses; and that these formed a sort of cavalry escort; riding
now before; now behind the chaise; and Bellamy occasionally
posturing at the window and obliging us with some of his
conversation。 He was so ill…received that I declare I was tempted
to pity him; remembering from what a height he had fallen; and how
few hours ago it was since the lady had herself fled to his arms;
all blushes and ardour。 Well; these great strokes of fortune
usually befall the unworthy; and Bellamy was now the legitimate
object of my commiseration and the ridicule of his own post…boys!
'Miss Dorothy;' said I; 'you wish to be delivered from this man?'
'O; if it were possible!' she cried。 'But not by violence。'
'Not in the least; ma'am;' I replied。 'The simplest thing in life。
We are in a civilised country; the man's a malefactor … '
'O; never!' she cried。 'Do not even dream it! With all his
faults; I know he is not THAT。'
'Anyway; he's in the wrong in this affair … on the wrong side of
the law; call it what you please;' said I; and with that; our four
horsemen having