the queen of hearts-第85章

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trouble　your　house；　sir；　to　open　an　account　for　such　a　trifle　as
that。〃

〃Stuff　and　nonsense！〃　says　Mr。　Fauntleroy。　〃Are　_you_　a　banker？
What　business　have　you　to　offer　an　opinion　on　the　matter？　Do　as　I
tell　youleave　it　to　mebank　with　usand　draw　for　what　you
like。　Stop！　I　haven't　done　yet。　When　you　open　the　account；　speak
to　the　head　cashier。　Perhaps　you　may　find　he　has　got　something　to
tell　you。　There！　there！　go　awaydon't　interrupt　megood…byGod
bless　you！〃

That　was　his　wayah！　poor　fellow；　that　was　his　way。

I　went　to　the　head　cashier　the　next　morning　when　I　opened　my
little　modicum　of　an　account。　He　had　received　orders　to　pay　my
drafts　without　reference　to　my　balance。　My　checks；　when　I　had
overdrawn；　were　to　be　privately　shown　to　Mr。　Fauntleroy。　Do　many
young　men　who　start　in　business　find　their　prosperous　superiors
ready　to　help　them　in　that　way？

Well；　I　got　ongot　on　very　fairly　and　steadily；　being　careful
not　to　venture　out　of　my　depth；　and　not　to　forget　that　small
beginnings　may　lead　in　time　to　great　ends。　A　prospect　of　one　of
those　great　endsgreat；　I　mean；　to　such　a　small　trader　as　I　was
at　that　periodshowed　itself　to　me　when　I　had　been　some　little
time　in　business。　In　plain　terms；　I　had　a　chance　of　joining　in　a
first…rate　transaction；　which　would　give　me　profit；　and　position；
and　everything　I　wanted；　provided　I　could　qualify　myself　for
engaging　in　it　by　getting　good　security　beforehand　for　a　very
large　amount。

In　this　emergency；　I　thought　of　my　kind　friend；　Mr。　Fauntleroy；
and　went　to　the　bank；　and　saw　him　once　more　in　his　private　room。

There　he　was　at　the　same　table；　with　the　same　heaps　of　papers
about　him；　and　the　same　hearty；　easy　way　of　speaking　his　mind　to
you　at　once；　in　the　fewest　possible　words。　I　explained　the
business　I　came　upon　with　some　little　hesitation　and　nervousness；
for　I　was　afraid　he　might　think　I　was　taking　an　unfair　advantage
of　his　former　kindness　to　me。　When　I　had　done；　he　just　nodded　his
head；　snatched　up　a　blank　sheet　of　paper；　scribbled　a　few　lines
on　it　in　his　rapid　way；　handed　the　writing　to　me；　and　pushed　me
out　of　the　room　by　the　two　shoulders　before　I　could　say　a　single
word。　I　looked　at　the　paper　in　the　outer　office。　It　was　my
security　from　the　great　banking…house　for　the　whole　amount；　and
for　more；　if　more　was　wanted。

I　could　not　express　my　gratitude　then；　and　I　don't　know　that　I
can　describe　it　now。　I　can　only　say　that　it　has　outlived　the
crime；　the　disgrace；　and　the　awful　death　on　the　scaffold。　I　am
grieved　to　speak　of　that　death　at　all；　but　I　have　no　other
alternative。　The　course　of　my　story　must　now　lead　me　straight　on
to　the　later　time；　and　to　the　terrible　discovery　which　exposed　my
benefactor　and　my　friend　to　all　England　as　the　forger　Fauntleroy。

I　must　ask　you　to　suppose　a　lapse　of　some　time　after　the
occurrence　of　the　events　that　I　have　just　been　relating。　During
this　interval；　thanks　to　the　kind　assistance　I　had　received　at
the　outset；　my　position　as　a　man　of　business　had　greatly
improved。　Imagine　me　now；　if　you　please；　on　the　high　road　to
prosperity；　with　good　large　offices　and　a　respectable　staff　of
clerks；　and　picture　me　to　yourselves　sitting　alone　in　my　private
room　between　four　and　five　o'clock　on　a　certain　Saturday
afternoon。

All　my　letters　had　been　written；　all　the　people　who　had
appointments　with　me　had　been　received。　I　was　looking　carelessly
over　the　newspaper；　and　thinking　about　going　home；　when　one　of　my
clerks　came　in；　and　said　that　a　stranger　wished　to　see　me
immediately　on　very　important　business。

〃Did　he　mention　his　name？〃　I　inquired。

〃No；　sir。〃

〃Did　you　not　ask　him　for　it？〃

〃Yes；　sir。　And　he　said　you　would　be　none　the　wiser　if　he　told　me
what　it　was。〃

〃Does　he　look　like　a　begging…letter　writer？〃

〃He　looks　a　little　shabby；　sir；　but　he　doesn't　talk　at　all　like　a
begging…letter　writer。　He　spoke　sharp　and　decided；　sir；　and　said
it　was
　in　your　interests　that　he　came；　and　that　you　would　deeply　regret
it　afterward　if　you　refused　to　see　him。〃

〃He　said　that；　did　he？　Show　him　in　at　once；　then。〃

He　was　shown　in　immediately：　a　middling…sized　man；　with　a　sharp；
unwholesome…looking　face；　and　with　a　flippant；　reckless　manner；
dressed　in　a　style　of　shabby　smartness；　eying　me　with　a　bold
look；　and　not　so　overburdened　with　politeness　as　to　trouble
himself　about　taking　off　his　hat　when　he　came　in。　I　had　never
seen　him　before　in　my　life；　and　I　could　not　form　the　slightest
conjecture　from　his　appearance　to　guide　me　toward　guessing　his
position　in　the　world。　He　was　not　a　gentleman；　evidently；　but　as
to　fixing　his　whereabouts　in　the　infinite　downward　gradations　of
vagabond　existence　in　London；　that　was　a　mystery　which　I　was
totally　incompetent　to　solve。

〃Is　your　name　Trowbridge？〃　he　began。

〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　dryly　enough。

〃Do　you　bank　with　Marsh；　Stracey；　Fauntleroy　&　Graham？〃

〃Why　do　you　ask？〃

〃Answer　my　question；　and　you　will　know。〃

〃Very　well；　I　_do_　bank　with　Marsh；　Stracey；　Fauntleroy　&
Grahamand　what　then？〃

〃Draw　out　every　farthing　of　balance　you　have　got　before　the　bank
closes　at　five　to…day。〃

I　stared　at　him　in　speechless　amazement。　The　words；　for　an
instant；　absolutely　petrified　me。

〃Stare　as　much　as　you　like；〃　he　proceeded；　coolly；　〃I　mean　what　I
say。　Look　at　your　clock　there。　In　twenty　minutes　it　will　strike
five；　and　the　bank　will　be　shut。　Draw　out　every　farthing；　I　tell
you　again；　and　look　sharp　about　it。〃

〃Draw　out　my　money！〃　I　exclaimed；　partially　recovering　myself。
〃Are　you　in　your　right　senses？　Do　you　know　that　the　firm　I　bank
with　represents　one　of　the　first　houses　in　the　world？　What　do　you
meanyou；　who　are　a　total　stranger　to　meby　taking　this
extraordinary　interest　in　my　affairs？　If　you　want　me　to　act　on
your　advice；　why　don't　you　explain　yourself？〃

〃I　have　explained　myself。　Act　on　my　advice　or　not；　just　as　you
like。　It　doesn't　matter　to　me。　I　have　done　what　I　promised；　and
there's　an　end　of　it。〃

He　turned　to　the　door。　The　minute…hand　of　the　clock　was　getting
on　from　the　twenty　minutes　to　the　quarter。

〃Done　what　you　promised？〃　I　repeated；　getting　up　to　stop　him。

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　with　his　hand　on　the　lock。　〃I　have　given　my
message。　Whatever　happens；　remember　that。　Good…afternoon。〃

He　was　gone　before　I　could　speak　again。

I　tried　to　call　after　him；　but　my　speech　suddenly　failed　me。　It
was　very　foolish；　it　was　very　unaccountable；　but　there　was
something　in　the　man's　last　words　which　had　more　than　half
frightened　me。

I　looked　at　the　clock。　The　minute…hand　was　on　the　quarter。

My　office　was　just　far　enough　from　the　bank　to　make　it　necessary
for　me　to　decide　on　the　instant。　If　I　had　had　time　to　think；　I　am
perfectly　certain　that　I　should　not　have　profited　by　the
extraordinary　warning　that　had　just　been　addressed　to　me。　The
suspicious　appearance　and　manners　of　the　stranger；　the　outrageous
improbability　of　the　inference　against　the　credit　of　the　bank
toward　which　his　words　pointed；　the　chance　that　some　underhand
attempt　was　being　made；　by　some　enemy　of　mine；　to　frighten　me
into　embroiling　myself　with　one　of　my　best　friends；　through
showing　an　ignorant　distrust　of　the　firm　with　which　he　was
associated　as　partnerall　these　considerations　would
unquestionably　have　occurred　to　me　if　I　could　have　found　time　for
reflection；　and；　as　a　necessary　consequence；　not　one　farthing　of
my　balance　would　have　been　taken　from　the　keeping　of　the　bank　on
that　memorable　day。

As　it　was；　I　had　just　time　enough　to　act；　and　not　a　spare　moment
for　thinking。　Some　heavy　payments　made　at　the　beginning　of　the
week　had　so　far　decreased　my　balance　that　the　sum　to　my　credit　in
the　banking…book　barely　reached　fifteen　hundred　pounds。　I
snatched　up　my　check…book；　wrote　a　draft　for　the　whole　amount；
and　ordered　one　of　my　clerks　to　run　to　the　bank　and　get　it　cashed
before　the　doors　closed。　What　impulse　urged　me　on；　except　the
blind　impulse　of　hurry　and　bewilderment；　I　can't　say。　I　acted
mechanically；　under　the　influence　of　the　vague　inexplicable　fear
which　the　man's　extraordinary　parting　words　had　aroused　in　me；
without　stopping　to　analyze　my　own　sensationsalmost　without
knowing　what　I　was　about。　In　three　minutes