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第65章

st. ives-第65章

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ensconced at a business table; in a room surrounded by several 

tiers of green tin cases。  He greeted me like an old friend。



'Come away; sir; come away!' said he。  'Here is the dentist ready 

for you; and I think I can promise you that the operation will be 

practically painless。'



'I am not so sure of that; Mr。 Robbie;' I replied; as I shook hands 

with him。  'But at least there shall be no time lost with me。'



I had to confess to having gone a…roving with a pair of drovers and 

their cattle; to having used a false name; to having murdered or 

half…murdered a fellow…creature in a scuffle on the moors; and to 

having suffered a couple of quite innocent men to lie some time in 

prison on a charge from which I could have immediately freed them。  

All this I gave him first of all; to be done with the worst of it; 

and all this he took with gravity; but without the least appearance 

of surprise。



'Now; sir;' I continued; 'I expect to have to pay for my unhappy 

frolic; but I would like very well if it could be managed without 

my personal appearance or even the mention of my real name。  I had 

so much wisdom as to sail under false colours in this foolish jaunt 

of mine; my family would be extremely concerned if they had wind of 

it; but at the same time; if the case of this Faa has terminated 

fatally; and there are proceedings against Todd and Candlish; I am 

not going to stand by and see them vexed; far less punished; and I 

authorise you to give me up for trial if you think that best … or; 

if you think it unnecessary; in the meanwhile to make preparations 

for their defence。  I hope; sir; that I am as little anxious to be 

Quixotic; as I am determined to be just。'



'Very fairly spoken;' said Mr。 Robbie。  'It is not much in my line; 

as doubtless your friend; Mr。 Romaine; will have told you。  I 

rarely mix myself up with anything on the criminal side; or 

approaching it。  However; for a young gentleman like you; I may 

stretch a point; and I dare say I may be able to accomplish more 

than perhaps another。  I will go at once to the Procurator Fiscal's 

office and inquire。'



'Wait a moment; Mr。 Robbie;' said I。  'You forget the chapter of 

expenses。  I had thought; for a beginning; of placing a thousand 

pounds in your hands。'



'My dear sir; you will kindly wait until I render you my bill;' 

said Mr。 Robbie severely。'



'It seemed to me;' I protested; 'that coming to you almost as a 

stranger; and placing in your hands a piece of business so contrary 

to your habits; some substantial guarantee of my good faith … '



'Not the way that we do business in Scotland; sir;' he interrupted; 

with an air of closing the dispute。



'And yet; Mr。 Robbie;' I continued; 'I must ask you to allow me to 

proceed。  I do not merely refer to the expenses of the case。  I 

have my eye besides on Todd and Candlish。  They are thoroughly 

deserving fellows; they have been subjected through me to a 

considerable term of imprisonment; and I suggest; sir; that you 

should not spare money for their indemnification。  This will 

explain;' I added smiling; 'my offer of the thousand pounds。  It 

was in the nature of a measure by which you should judge the scale 

on which I can afford to have this business carried through。'



'I take you perfectly; Mr。 Ducie;' said he。  'But the sooner I am 

off; the better this affair is like to be guided。  My clerk will 

show you into the waiting…room and give you the day's CALEDONIAN 

MERCURY and the last REGISTER to amuse yourself with in the 

interval。'



I believe Mr。 Robbie was at least three hours gone。  I saw him 

descend from a cab at the door; and almost immediately after I was 

shown again into his study; where the solemnity of his manner led 

me to augur the worst。  For some time he had the inhumanity to read 

me a lecture as to the incredible silliness; 'not to say 

immorality;' of my behaviour。  'I have the satisfaction in telling 

you my opinion; because it appears that you are going to get off 

scot free;' he continued; where; indeed; I thought he might have 

begun。



'The man; Faa; has been discharged cured; and the two men; Todd and 

Candlish; would have been leeberated lone ago if it had not been 

for their extraordinary loyalty to yourself; Mr。 Ducie … or Mr。 St。 

Ivey; as I believe I should now call you。  Never a word would 

either of the two old fools volunteer that in any manner pointed at 

the existence of such a person; and when they were confronted with 

Faa's version of the affair; they gave accounts so entirely 

discrepant with their own former declarations; as well as with each 

other; that the Fiscal was quite nonplussed; and imaigined there 

was something behind it。  You may believe I soon laughed him out of 

that!  And I had the satisfaction of seeing your two friends set 

free; and very glad to be on the causeway again。'



'Oh; sir;' I cried; 'you should have brought them here。'



'No instructions; Mr。 Ducie!' said he。  'How did I know you wished 

to renew an acquaintance which you had just terminated so 

fortunately?  And; indeed; to be frank with you; I should have set 

my face against it; if you had!  Let them go!  They are paid and 

contented; and have the highest possible opinion of Mr。 St。 Ivey!  

When I gave them fifty pounds apiece … which was rather more than 

enough; Mr。 Ducie; whatever you may think … the man Todd; who has 

the only tongue of the party; struck his staff on the ground。  

〃Weel;〃 says he; 〃I aye said he was a gentleman!〃  〃Man; Todd;〃 

said I; 〃that was just what Mr St。 Ivey said of yourself!〃'



'So it was a case of 〃Compliments fly when gentlefolk meet。〃'



'No; no; Mr。 Ducie; man Todd and man Candlish are gone out of your 

life; and a good riddance!  They are fine fellows in their way; but 

no proper associates for the like of yourself; and do you finally 

agree to be done with all eccentricity … take up with no more 

drovers; or tinkers; but enjoy the naitural pleesures for which 

your age; your wealth; your intelligence; and (if I may be allowed 

to say it) your appearance so completely fit you。  And the first of 

these;' quoth he; looking at his watch; 'will be to step through to 

my dining…room and share a bachelor's luncheon。'



Over the meal; which was good; Mr。 Robbie continued to develop the 

same theme。  'You're; no doubt; what they call a dancing…man?' said 

he。  'Well; on Thursday night there is the Assembly Ball。  You must 

certainly go there; and you must permit me besides to do the 

honours of the ceety and send you a ticket。  I am a thorough 

believer in a young man being a young man … but no more drovers or 

rovers; if you love me!  Talking of which puts me in mind that you 

may be short of partners at the Assembly … oh; I have been young 

myself! … and if ye care to come to anything so portentiously 

tedious as a tea…party at the house of a bachelor lawyer; 

consisting mainly of his nieces and nephews; and his grand…nieces 

and grand…nephews; and his wards; and generally the whole clan of 

the descendants of his clients; you might drop in to…night towards 

seven o'clock。  I think I can show you one or two that are worth 

looking at; and you can dance with them later on at the Assembly。'



He proceeded to give me a sketch of one or two eligible young 

ladies' whom I might expect to meet。  'And then there's my 

parteecular friend; Miss Flora;' said he。  'But I'll make no 

attempt of a description。  You shall see her for yourself。'



It will be readily supposed that I accepted his invitation; and 

returned home to make a toilette worthy of her I was to meet and 

the good news of which I was the bearer。  The toilette; I have 

reason to believe; was a success。  Mr。 Rowley dismissed me with a 

farewell: 'Crikey!  Mr。 Anne; but you do look prime!'  Even the 

stony Bethiah was … how shall I say? … dazzled; but scandalised; by 

my appearance; and whil

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