the queen of hearts-第87章

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much　time　as　possible；　and　left　them　at　his　office　to　await　his
return。　He　came　back；　looking　very　much　amazed；　with　the
information　that　the　stock　had　been　sold　out　down　to　the　last
five　hundred　pounds。　The　affair　was　instantly　investigated；　the
document　authorizing　the　selling　out　was　produced；　and　the　two
trustees　saw　on　it；　side　by　side　with　Mr。　Fauntleroy's　signature；
the　forged　signatures　of　their　own　names。　This　happened　on　the
Friday；　and　the　trustees；　without　losing　a　moment；　sent　the
officers　of　justice　in　pursuit　of　Mr。　Fauntleroy。　He　was
arrested；　brought　up　before　the　magistrate；　and　remanded　on　the
Saturday。　On　the　Monday　I　heard　from　my　friends　the　particulars
which　I　have　just　narrated。

But　the　events　of　that　one　morning　were　not　destined　to　end　even
yet。　I　had　discovered　the　failure　of　the　bank　and　the　arrest　of
Mr。　Fauntleroy。　I　was　next　to　be　enlightened；　in　the　strangest
and　the　saddest　manner；　on　the　difficult　question　of　his
innocence　or　his　guilt。

Before　my　friends　had　left　my　officebefore　I　had　exhausted　the
arguments　which　my　gratitude　rather　than　my　reason　suggested　to
me　in　favor　of　the　unhappy　prisonera　note；　marked　immediate；
was　placed　in　my　hands；　which　silenced　me　the　instant　I　looked　at
it。　It　was　written　from　the　prison　by　Mr。　Fauntleroy；　and　it
contained　two　lines　only；　entreating　me　to　apply　for　the
necessary　order；　and　to　go　and　see　him　immediately。

I　shall　not　attempt　to　describe　the　flutter　of　expectation；　the
strange　mixture　of　dread　and　hope　that　agitated　me　when　I
recognized　his　handwriting；　and　discovered　what　it　was　that　he
desired　me　to　do。　I　obtained　the　order　and　went　to　the　prison。
The　authorities；　knowing　the　dreadful　situation　in　which　he
stood；　were　afraid　of　his　attempting　to　destroy　himself；　and　had
set　two　men　to　watch　him。　One　came　out　as　they　opened　his　cell
door。　The　other；　who　was　bound　not　to　leave　him；　very　delicately
and　considerately　affected　to　be　looking　out　of　window　the　moment
I　was　shown　in。

He　was　sitting　on　the　side　of　his　bed；　with　his　head　drooping　and
his　hands　hanging　listlessly　over　his　knees　when　I　first　caught
sight　of　him。　At　the　sound　of　my　approach　he　started　to　his　feet；
and；　without　speaking　a　word；　flung　both　his　arms　round　my　neck

My　heart　swelled　up。

〃Tell　me　it's　not　true；　sir！　For　God's　sake；　tell　me　it's　not
true！〃　was　all　I　could　say　to　him。

He　never　answeredoh　me！　he　never　answered；　and　he　turned　away
his　face。

There　was　one　dreadful　moment　of　silence。　He　still　held　his　arms
round　my　neck；　and　on　a　sudden　he　put　his　lips　close　to　my　ear。

〃Did　you　get　your　money　out？〃　he　whispered。　〃Were　you　in　time　on
Saturday　afternoon？〃

I　broke　free　from　him　in　the　astonishment　of　hearing　those　words。

〃What！〃　I　cried　out　loud；　forgetting　the　third　person　at　the
window。　〃That　man　who　brought　the　message〃

〃Hush！〃　he　said；　putting　his　hand　on　my　lips。　〃There　was　no
better　man　to　be　found；　after　the　officers　had　taken　meI　know
no　more　about　him　than　you　doI　paid　him　well　as　a　chance
messenger；　and　risked　his　cheating　me　of　his　errand。〃

〃_You_　sent　him；　then！〃

〃I　sent　him。〃

My　story　is　over；　gentlemen。　There　is　no　need　for　me　to　tell　you
that　Mr。　Fauntleroy　was　found　guilty；　and　that　he　died　by　the
hangman's　hand。　It　was　in　my　power　to　soothe　his　last　moments　in
this　world　by　taking　on　myself　the　arrangement　of　some　of　his
private　affairs；　which；　while　they　remained　unsettled；　weighed
heavily　on　his　mind。　They　had　no　connection　with　the　crimes　he
had　committed；　so　I　could　do　him　the　last　little　service　he　was
ever　to　accept　at　my　hands　with　a　clear　conscience。

I　say　nothing　in　defense　of　his　characternothing　in　palliation
of　the　offense　for　which　he　suffered。　But　I　cannot　forget　that　in
the　time　of　his　most　fearful　extremity；　when　the　strong　arm　of
the　law　had　already　seized　him；　he　thought　of　the　young　man　whose
humble　fortunes　he　had　helped　to　build；　whose　heartfelt　gratitude
he　had　fairly　won；　whose　simple　faith　he　was　resolved　never　to
betray。　I　leave　it　to　greater　intellects　than　mine　to　reconcile
the　anomaly　of　his　reckless　falsehood　toward　others　and　his
steadfast　truth　toward　me。　It　is　as　certain　as　that　we　sit　here
that　one　of　Fauntleroy's　last　efforts　in　this　world　was　the
effort　he　made　to　preserve　me　from　being　a　loser　by　the　trust
that　I　had　placed　in　him。　There　is　the　secret　of　my　strange
tenderness　for　the　memory　of　a　felon；　that　is　why　the　word
villain　does　somehow　still　grate　on　my　heart　when　I　hear　it
associated　with　the　namethe　disgraced　name；　I　grant　youof　the
forger　Fauntleroy。　Pass　the　bottles；　young　gentlemen；　and　pardon
a　man　of　the　old　school　for　having　so　long　interrupted　your
conversation　with　a　story　of　the　old　time。


THE　TENTH　DAY。


THE　storm　has　burst　on　us　in　its　full　fury。　Last　night　the　stout
old　tower　rocked　on　its　foundations。

I　hardly　ventured　to　hope　that　the　messenger　who　brings　us　our
letters　from　the　villagethe　postman；　as　we　call　himwould　make
his　appearance　this　morning；　but　he　came　bravely　through　rain；
hail　and　wind。　The　old　pony　which　he　usually　rides　had　refused　to
face　the　storm；　and；　sooner　than　disappoint　us；　our　faithful
postman　had　boldly　started　for　The　Glen　Tower　on　foot。　All　his
early　life　had　been　passed　on　board　ship；　and；　at　sixty　years　of
age；　he　had　battled　his　way　that　morning　through　the　storm　on
shore　as　steadily　and　as　resolutely　as　ever　he　had　battled　it　in
his　youth　through　the　storm　at　sea。

I　opened　the　post…bag　eagerly。　There　were　two　letters　for　Jessie
from　young　lady　friends；　a　letter　for　Owen　from　a　charitable
society；　a　letter　to　me　upon　business；　andon　this　last　day；　of
all　othersno　newspaper！

I　sent　directly　to　the　kitchen　（where　the　drenched　and　weary
postman　was　receiving　the　hospitable　attentions　of　the　servants）
to　make　inquiries。　The　disheartening　answer　returned　was　that　the
newspaper　could　not　have　arrived　as　usual　by　the　morning's　post；
or　it　must　have　been　put　into　the　bag　along　with　the　letters。　No
such　accident　as　this　had　occurred；　except　on　one　former
occasion；　since　the　beginning　of　the　year。　And　now；　on　the　very
day　when　I　might　have　looked　confidently　for　news　of　George's
ship；　when　the　state　of　the　weather　made　the　finding　of　that　news
of　the　last　importance　to　my　peace　of　mind；　the　paper；　by　some
inconceivable　fatality；　had　failed　to　reach　me！　If　there　had　been
the　slightest　chance　of　borrowing　a　copy　in　the　village；　I　should
have　gone　there　myself　through　the　tempest　to　get　it。　If　there
had　been　the　faintest　possibility　of　communicating；　in　that
frightful　weather；　with　the　distant　county　town；　I　should　have
sent　there　or　gone　there　myself。　I　even　went　the　length　of
speaking　to　the　groom；　an　old　servant　whom　I　knew　I　could　trust。
The　man　stared　at　me　in　astonishment；　and　then　pointed　through
the　window　to　the　blinding　hail　and　the　writhing　trees。

〃No　horse　that　ever　was　foaled；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃would　face　_that_
for　long。　It's　a'most　a　miracle　that　the　postman　got　here　alive。
He　says　himself　that　he　dursn't　go　back　again。　I'll　try　it；　sir；
if　you　order　me；　but　if　an　accident　happens；　please　to　remember；
whatever　becomes　of　_me；_　that　I　warned　you　beforehand。〃

It　was　only　too　plain　that　the　servant　was　right；　and　I　dismissed
him。　What　I　suffered　from　that　one　accident　of　the　missing
newspaper　I　am　ashamed　to　tell。　No　educated　man　can　conceive　how
little　his　acquired　mental　advantages　will　avail　him　against　his
natural　human　inheritance　of　superstition；　under　certain
circumstances　of　fear　and　suspense；　until　he　has　passed　the
ordeal　in　his　own　proper　person。　We　most　of　us　soon　arrive　at　a
knowledge　of　the　extent　of　our　strength；　but　we　may　pass　a
lifetime　and　be　still　ignorant　of　the　extent　of　our　weakness。

Up　to　this　time　I　had　preserved　self…control　enough　to　hide　the
real　state　of　my　feelings　from　our　guest；　but　the　arrival　of　the
tenth　day；　and　the　unexpected　trial　it　had　brought　with　it；　found
me　at　the　end　of　my　resources。　Jessie's　acute　observation　soon
showed　her　that　something　had　gone　wrong；　and　she　questioned　me
on　the　subject　directly。　My　mind　was　in　such　a　state　of　confusion
that　no