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第8章

st. ives-第8章

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To my great surprise; the doctor appeared very much affected。  He 

nodded his little bob…wigged head at us; and said repeatedly; 'All 

right; Johnny … me comprong。'



Then Goguelat shook hands with me; embraced me again; and I went 

out of the room sobbing like an infant。



How often have I not seen it; that the most unpardonable fellows 

make the happiest exits!  It is a fate we may well envy them。  

Goguelat was detested in life; in the last three days; by his 

admirable staunchness and consideration; he won every heart; and 

when word went about the prison the same evening that he was no 

more; the voice of conversation became hushed as in a house of 

mourning。



For myself I was like a man distracted; I cannot think what ailed 

me: when I awoke the following day; nothing remained of it; but 

that night I was filled with a gloomy fury of the nerves。  I had 

killed him; he had done his utmost to protect me; I had seen him 

with that awful smile。  And so illogical and useless is this 

sentiment of remorse; that I was ready; at a word or a look; to 

quarrel with somebody else。  I presume the disposition of my mind 

was imprinted on my face; and when; a little after; I overtook; 

saluted and addressed the doctor; he looked on me with 

commiseration and surprise。



I had asked him if it was true。



'Yes;' he said; 'the fellow's gone。'



'Did he suffer much?' I asked。



'Devil a bit; passed away like a lamb;' said he。  He looked on me a 

little; and I saw his hand go to his fob。  'Here; take that! no 

sense in fretting;' he said; and; putting a silver two…penny…bit in 

my hand; he left me。



I should have had that twopenny framed to hang upon the wall; for 

it was the man's one act of charity in all my knowledge of him。  

Instead of that; I stood looking at it in my hand and laughed out 

bitterly; as I realised his mistake; then went to the ramparts; and 

flung it far into the air like blood money。  The night was falling; 

through an embrasure and across the gardened valley I saw the 

lamplighters hasting along Princes Street with ladder and lamp; and 

looked on moodily。  As I was so standing a hand was laid upon my 

shoulder; and I turned about。  It was Major Chevenix; dressed for 

the evening; and his neckcloth really admirably folded。  I never 

denied the man could dress。



'Ah!' said he; 'I thought it was you; Champdivers。  So he's gone?'



I nodded。



'Come; come;' said he; 'you must cheer up。  Of course it's very 

distressing; very painful and all that。  But do you know; it ain't 

such a bad thing either for you or me?  What with his death and 

your visit to him I am entirely reassured。'



So I was to owe my life to Goguelat at every point。



'I had rather not discuss it;' said I。



'Well;' said he; 'one word more; and I'll agree to bury the 

subject。  What did you fight about?'



'Oh; what do men ever fight about?' I cried。



'A lady?' said he。



I shrugged my shoulders。



'Deuce you did!' said he。  'I should scarce have thought it of 

him。'



And at this my ill…humour broke fairly out in words。  'He!' I 

cried。  'He never dared to address her … only to look at her and 

vomit his vile insults!  She may have given him sixpence: if she 

did; it may take him to heaven yet!'



At this I became aware of his eyes set upon me with a considering 

look; and brought up sharply。



'Well; well;' said he。  'Good night to you; Champdivers。  Come to 

me at breakfast…time to…morrow; and we'll talk of other subjects。'



I fully admit the man's conduct was not bad: in writing it down so 

long after the events I can even see that it was good。









CHAPTER IV … ST。 IVES GETS A BUNDLE OF BANK NOTES





I WAS surprised one morning; shortly after; to find myself the 

object of marked consideration by a civilian and a stranger。  This 

was a man of the middle age; he had a face of a mulberry colour; 

round black eyes; comical tufted eyebrows; and a protuberant 

forehead; and was dressed in clothes of a Quakerish cut。  In spite 

of his plainness; he had that inscrutable air of a man well…to…do 

in his affairs。  I conceived he had been some while observing me 

from a distance; for a sparrow sat betwixt us quite unalarmed on 

the breech of a piece of cannon。  So soon as our eyes met; he drew 

near and addressed me in the French language; which he spoke with a 

good fluency but an abominable accent。



'I have the pleasure of addressing Monsieur le Vicomte Anne de 

Keroual de Saint…Yves?' said he。



'Well;' said I; 'I do not call myself all that; but I have a right 

to; if I chose。  In the meanwhile I call myself plain Champdivers; 

at your disposal。  It was my mother's name; and good to go 

soldiering with。'



'I think not quite;' said he; 'for if I remember rightly; your 

mother also had the particle。  Her name was Florimonde de 

Champdivers。'



'Right again!' said I; 'and I am extremely pleased to meet a 

gentleman so well informed in my quarterings。  Is monsieur Born 

himself?'  This I said with a great air of assumption; partly to 

conceal the degree of curiosity with which my visitor had inspired 

me; and in part because it struck me as highly incongruous and 

comical in my prison garb and on the lips of a private soldier。



He seemed to think so too; for he laughed。



'No; sir;' he returned; speaking this time in English; 'I am not 

〃BORN;〃 as you call it; and must content myself with DYING; of 

which I am equally susceptible with the best of you。  My name is 

Mr。 Romaine … Daniel Romaine … a solicitor of London City; at your 

service; and; what will perhaps interest you more; I am here at the 

request of your great…uncle; the Count。'



'What!' I cried; 'does M。 de Keroual de St。…Yves remember the 

existence of such a person as myself; and will he deign to count 

kinship with a soldier of Napoleon?'



'You speak English well;' observed my visitor。



'It has been a second language to me from a child;' said I。  'I had 

an English nurse; my father spoke English with me; and I was 

finished by a countryman of yours and a dear friend of mine; a Mr。 

Vicary。'



A strong expression of interest came into the lawyer's face。



'What!' he cried; 'you knew poor Vicary?'



'For more than a year;' said I; 'and shared his hiding…place for 

many months。'



'And I was his clerk; and have succeeded him in business;' said he。  

'Excellent man!  It was on the affairs of M。 de Keroual that he 

went to that accursed country; from which he was never destined to 

return。  Do you chance to know his end; sir?'



'I am sorry;' said I; 'I do。  He perished miserably at the hands of 

a gang of banditti; such as we call CHAUFFEURS。  In a word; he was 

tortured; and died of it。  See;' I added; kicking off one shoe; for 

I had no stockings; 'I was no more than a child; and see how they 

had begun to treat myself。'



He looked at the mark of my old burn with a certain shrinking。  

'Beastly people!' I heard him mutter to himself。



'The English may say so with a good grace;' I observed politely。



Such speeches were the coin in which I paid my way among this 

credulous race。  Ninety per cent。 of our visitors would have 

accepted the remark as natural in itself and creditable to my 

powers of judgment; but it appeared my lawyer was more acute。



'You are not entirely a fool; I perceive;' said he。



'No;' said I; 'not wholly。'



'And yet it is well to beware of the ironical mood;' he continued。  

'It is a dangerous instrument。  Your great…uncle has; I believe; 

practised it very much; until it is now become a problem what he 

means。'



'And that brings me back to what you will admit is a most natural 

inquiry;' said I。  'To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? 

how did you recognise me? and how did you know I was here?'



Carefull separating his coat skirts; the lawyer took a s

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