st. ives-第70章
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the doors of the bank where Rowley kept his account。
'Rowley;' said I; 'he didn't see you; did he?'
'Never a fear;' quoth Rowley。 'W'y Mr。 Anne; sir; if he 'ad; you
wouldn't have seen ME any more! I ain't a hass; sir!'
'Well; my boy; you can put that receipt in your pocket。 You'll
have no more use for it till you're quite clear of me。 Don't lose
it; though; it's your share of the Christmas…box: fifteen hundred
pounds all for yourself。'
'Begging your pardon; Mr。 Anne; sir; but wot for!' said Rowley。
'To set up a public…house upon;' said I。
'If you'll excuse me; sir; I ain't got any call to set up a public…
house; sir;' he replied stoutly。 'And I tell you wot; sir; it
seems to me I'm reether young for the billet。 I'm your body
servant; Mr。 Anne; or else I'm nothink。'
'Well; Rowley;' I said; 'I'll tell you what it's for。 It's for the
good service you have done me; of which I don't care … and don't
dare … to speak。 It's for your loyalty and cheerfulness; my dear
boy。 I had meant it for you; but to tell you the truth; it's past
mending now … it has to be yours。 Since that man is waiting by the
bank; the money can't be touched until I'm gone。'
'Until you're gone; sir?' re…echoed Rowley。 'You don't go
anywheres without me; I can tell you that; Mr。 Anne; sir!'
'Yes; my boy;' said I; 'we are going to part very soon now;
probably to…morrow。 And it's for my sake; Rowley! Depend upon it;
if there was any reason at all for that Bow Street man being at the
bank; he was not there to look out for you。 How they could have
found out about the account so early is more than I can fathom;
some strange coincidence must have played me false! But there the
fact is; and Rowley; I'll not only have to say farewell to you
presently; I'll have to ask you to stay indoors until I can say it。
Remember; my boy; it's only so that you can serve me now。'
'W'y; sir; you say the word; and of course I'll do it!' he cried。
'〃Nothink by 'alves;〃 is my motto! I'm your man; through thick and
thin; live or die; I am!'
In the meantime there was nothing to be done till towards sunset。
My only chance now was to come again as quickly as possible to
speech of Flora; who was my only practicable banker; and not before
evening was it worth while to think of that。 I might compose
myself as well as I was able over the CALEDONIAN MERCURY; with its
ill news of the campaign of France and belated documents about the
retreat from Russia; and; as I sat there by the fire; I was
sometimes all awake with anger and mortification at what I was
reading; and sometimes again I would be three parts asleep as I
dozed over the barren items of home intelligence。 'Lately arrived'
… this is what I suddenly stumbled on … 'at Dumbreck's Hotel; the
Viscount of Saint…Yves。'
'Rowley;' said I。
'If you please; Mr。 Anne; sir;' answered the obsequious; lowering
his pipe。
'Come and look at this; my boy;' said I; holding out the paper。
'My crikey!' said he。 'That's 'im; sir; sure enough!'
'Sure enough; Rowley;' said I。 'He's on the trail。 He has fairly
caught up with us。 He and this Bow Street man have come together;
I would swear。 And now here is the whole field; quarry; hounds and
hunters; all together in this city of Edinburgh。'
'And wot are you goin' to do now; sir? Tell you wot; let me take
it in 'and; please! Gimme a minute; and I'll disguise myself; and
go out to this Dum … to this hotel; leastways; sir … and see wot
he's up to。 You put your trust in me; Mr。 Anne: I'm fly; don't you
make no mistake about it。 I'm all a…growing and a…blowing; I am。'
'Not one foot of you;' said I。 'You are a prisoner; Rowley; and
make up your mind to that。 So am I; or next door to it。 I showed
it you for a caution; if you go on the streets; it spells death to
me; Rowley。'
'If you please; sir;' says Rowley。
'Come to think of it;' I continued; 'you must take a cold; or
something。 No good of awakening Mrs。 McRankine's suspicions。'
'A cold?' he cried; recovering immediately from his depression。 'I
can do it; Mr。 Anne。'
And he proceeded to sneeze and cough and blow his nose; till I
could not restrain myself from smiling。
'Oh; I tell you; I know a lot of them dodges;' he observed proudly。
'Well; they come in very handy;' said I。
'I'd better go at once and show it to the old gal; 'adn't I?' he
asked。
I told him; by all means; and he was gone upon the instant; gleeful
as though to a game of football。
I took up the paper and read carelessly on; my thoughts engaged
with my immediate danger; till I struck on the next paragraph:…
'In connection with the recent horrid murder in the Castle; we are
desired to make public the following intelligence。 The soldier;
Champdivers; is supposed to be in the neighbourhood of this city。
He is about the middle height or rather under; of a pleasing
appearance and highly genteel address。 When last heard of he wore
a fashionable suit of pearl…grey; and boots with fawn…coloured
tops。 He is accompanied by a servant about sixteen years of age;
speaks English without any accent; and passed under the ALIAS of
Ramornie。 A reward is offered for his apprehension。'
In a moment I was in the next room; stripping from me the pearl…
coloured suit!
I confess I was now a good deal agitated。 It is difficult to watch
the toils closing slowly and surely about you; and to retain your
composure; and I was glad that Rowley was not present to spy on my
confusion。 I was flushed; my breath came thick; I cannot remember
a time when I was more put out。
And yet I must wait and do nothing; and partake of my meals; and
entertain the ever…garrulous Rowley; as though I were entirely my
own man。 And if I did not require to entertain Mrs。 McRankine
also; that was but another drop of bitterness in my cup! For what
ailed my landlady; that she should hold herself so severely aloof;
that she should refuse conversation; that her eyes should be
reddened; that I should so continually hear the voice of her
private supplications sounding through the house? I was much
deceived; or she had read the insidious paragraph and recognised
the comminated pearl…grey suit。 I remember now a certain air with
which she had laid the paper on my table; and a certain sniff;
between sympathy and defiance; with which she had announced it:
'There's your MERCURY for ye!'
In this direction; at least; I saw no pressing danger; her tragic
countenance betokened agitation; it was plain she was wrestling
with her conscience; and the battle still hung dubious。 The
question of what to do troubled me extremely。 I could not venture
to touch such an intricate and mysterious piece of machinery as my
landlady's spiritual nature: it might go off at a word; and in any
direction; like a badly…made firework。 And while I praised myself
extremely for my wisdom in the past; that I had made so much a
friend of her; I was all abroad as to my conduct in the present。
There seemed an equal danger in pressing and in neglecting the
accustomed marks of familiarity。 The one extreme looked like
impudence; and might annoy; the other was a practical confession of
guilt。 Altogether; it was a good hour for me when the dusk began
to fall in earnest on the streets of Edinburgh; and the voice of an
early watchman bade me set forth。
I reached the neighbourhood of the cottage before seven; and as I
breasted the steep ascent which leads to the garden wall; I was
struck with surprise to hear a dog。 Dogs I had heard before; but
only from the hamlet on the hillside above。 Now; this dog was in
the garden itself; where it roared aloud in paroxysms of fury; and
I could hear it leaping and straining on the chain。 I waited some
while; until the brute's f