robert falconer-第116章

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We　arranged　the　hour　and　parted。　　I　saw　him　walk　into　a　low

public…house；　and　went　home。



At　the　time　appointed；　I　rang　the　bell；　and　was　led　by　an　elderly

woman　up　the　stair；　and　shown　into　a　large　room　on　the

first…floorpoorly　furnished；　and　with　many　signs　of

bachelor…carelessness。　　Mr。　Falconer　rose　from　an　old　hair…covered

sofa　to　meet　me　as　I　entered。　　I　will　first　tell　my　reader　something

of　his　personal　appearance。



He　was　considerably　above　six　feet　in　height；　square…shouldered；

remarkably　long　in　the　arms；　and　his　hands　were　uncommonly　large　and

powerful。　　His　head　was　large；　and　covered　with　dark　wavy　hair；

lightly　streaked　with　gray。　　His　broad　forehead　projected　over

deep…sunk　eyes；　that　shone　like　black　fire。　　His　features；

especially　his　Roman　nose；　were　large；　and　finely；　though　not

delicately；　modelled。　　His　nostrils　were　remarkably　large　and

flexile；　with　a　tendency　to　slight　motion：　I　found　on　further

acquaintance　that　when　he　was　excited；　they　expanded　in　a　wild

equine　manner。　　The　expression　of　his　mouth　was　of　tender　power；

crossed　with　humour。　　He　kept　his　lips　a　little　compressed；　which

gave　a　certain　sternness　to　his　countenance：　but　when　this　sternness

dissolved　in　a　smile；　it　was　something　enchanting。　　He　was　plainly；

rather　shabbily　clothed。　　No　one　could　have　guessed　at　his

profession　or　social　position。　　He　came　forward　and　received　me

cordially。　　After　a　little　indifferent　talk；　he　asked　me　if　I　had

any　other　engagement　for　the　evening。



'I　never　have　any　engagements；'　I　answered'at　least；　of　a　social

kind。　　I　am　burd　alane。　　I　know　next　to　nobody。'



'Then　perhaps　you　would　not　mind　going　out　with　me　for　a　stroll？'



'I　shall　be　most　happy；'　I　answered。



There　was　something　about　the　man　I　found　exceedingly　attractive；　I

had　very　few　friends；　and　there　was　besides　something　odd；　almost

romantic；　in　this　beginning　of　an　intercourse：　I　would　see　what

would　come　of　it。



'Then　we'll　have　some　supper　first；'　said　Mr。　Falconer；　and　rang　the

bell。



While　we　ate　our　chops



'I　dare　say　you　think　it　strange；'　my　host　said；　'that　without　the

least　claim　on　your　acquaintance；　I　should　have　asked　you　to　come

and　see　me；　Mr。'



He　stopped；　smiling。



'My　name　is　GordonArchie　Gordon；'　I　said。



'Well；　then；　Mr。　Gordon；　I　confess　I　have　a　design　upon　you。　　But

you　will　remember　that　you　addressed　me　first。'



'You　spoke　first；'　I　said。



'Did　I？'



'I　did　not　say　you　spoke　to　me；　but　you　spoke。I　should　not　have

ventured　to　make　the　remark　I　did　make；　if　I　had　not　heard　your

voice　first。　　What　design　have　you　on　me？'



'That　will　appear　in　due　course。　　Now　take　a　glass　of　wine；　and

we'll　set　out。'



We　soon　found　ourselves　in　Holborn；　and　my　companion　led　the　way

towards　the　City。　The　evening　was　sultry　and　close。



'Nothing　excites　me　move；'　said　Mr。　Falconer；　'than　a　walk　in　the

twilight　through　a　crowded　street。　　Do　you　find　it　affect　you　so？'



'I　cannot　speak　as　strongly　as　you　do；'　I　replied。　'But　I　perfectly

understand　what　you　mean。　　Why　is　it；　do　you　think？'



'Partly；　I　fancy；　because　it　is　like　the　primordial　chaos；　a

concentrated　tumult　of　undetermined　possibilities。　　The　germs　of

infinite　adventure　and　result　are　floating　around　you　like　a

snow…storm。　　You　do　not　know　what　may　arise　in　a　moment　and　colour

all　your　future。　　Out　of　this　mass　may　suddenly　start　something

marvellous；　or；　it　may　be；　something　you　have　been　looking　for　for

years。'



The　same　moment；　a　fierce　flash　of　lightning；　like　a　blue

sword…blade　a　thousand　times　shattered；　quivered　and　palpitated

about　us；　leaving　a　thick　darkness　on　the　sense。　　I　heard　my

companion　give　a　suppressed　cry；　and　saw　him　run　up　against　a　heavy

drayman　who　was　on　the　edge　of　the　path；　guiding　his　horses　with　his

long　whip。　　He　begged　the　man's　pardon；　put　his　hand　to　his　head；

and　murmured；　'I　shall　know　him　now。'　　I　was　afraid　for　a　moment

that　the　lightning　had　struck　him；　but　he　assured　me　there　was

nothing　amiss。　　He　looked　a　little　excited　and　confused；　however。



I　should　have　forgotten　the　incident；　had　he　not　told　me

afterwardswhen　I　had　come　to　know　him　intimatelythat　in　the

moment　of　that　lightning　flash；　he　had　had　a　strange　experience：　he

had　seen　the　form　of　his　father；　as　he　had　seen　him　that　Sunday

afternoon；　in　the　midst　of　the　surrounding　light。　　He　was　as　certain

of　the　truth　of　the　presentation　as　if　a　gradual　revival　of　memory

had　brought　with　it　the　clear　conviction　of　its　own　accuracy。　　His

explanation　of　the　phenomenon　was；　that；　in　some　cases；　all　that

prevents　a　vivid　conception　from　assuming　objectivity；　is　the

self…assertion　of　external　objects。　　The　gradual　approach　of

darkness　cannot　surprise　and　isolate　the　phantasm；　but　the

suddenness　of　the　lightning　could　and　did；　obliterating　everything

without；　and　leaving　that　over　which　it　had　no　power　standing　alone；

and　therefore　visible。



'But；'　I　ventured　to　ask；　'whence　the　minuteness　of　detail；

surpassing；　you　say；　all　that　your　memory　could　supply？'



'That　I　think　was　a　quickening　of　the　memory　by　the　realism　of　the

presentation。　　Excited　by　the　vision；　it　caught　at　its　own　past；　as

it　were；　and　suddenly　recalled　that　which　it　had　forgotten。　　In　the

rapidity　of　all　pure　mental　action；　this　at　once　took　its　part　in

the　apparent　objectivity。'



To　return　to　the　narrative　of　my　first　evening　in　Falconer's

company。



It　was　strange　how　insensible　the　street　population　was　to　the

grandeur　of　the　storm。　　While　the　thunder　was　billowing　and

bellowing　over　and　around　us



'A　hundred　pins　for　one　ha'penny；'　bawled　a　man　from　the　gutter；

with　the　importance　of　a　Cagliostro。



'Evening　Star！　　Telegrauwff！'　roared　an　ear…splitting　urchin　in　my

very　face。　　I　gave　him　a　shove　off　the　pavement。



'Ah！　don't　do　that；'　said　Falconer。　'It　only　widens　the　crack

between　him　and　his　fellowsnot　much；　but　a　little。'



'You　are　right；'　I　said。　'I　won't　do　it　again。'



The　same　moment　we　heard　a　tumult　in　a　neighbouring　street。　　A　crowd

was　execrating　a　policeman；　who　had　taken　a　woman　into　custody；　and

was　treating　her　with　unnecessary　rudeness。　　Falconer　looked　on　for

a　few　moments。



'Come；　policeman！'　he　said　at　length；　in　a　tone　of　expostulation。

'You're　rather　rough；　are　you　not？　　She's　a　woman；　you　know。'



'Hold　your　blasted　humbug；'　answered　the　man；　an　exceptional

specimen　of　the　force　at　that　time　at　all　events；　and　shook　the

tattered　wretch；　as　if　he　would　shake　her　out　of　her　rags。



Falconer　gently　parted　the　crowd；　and　stood　beside　the　two。



'I　will　help　you；'　he　said；　'to　take　her　to　the　station；　if　you

like；　but　you　must　not　treat　her　that　way。'



'I　don't　want　your　help；'　said　the　policeman；　'I　know　you；　and　all

the　damned　lot　of　you。'



'Then　I　shall　be　compelled　to　give　you　a　lesson；'　said　Falconer。



The　man's　only　answer　was　a　shake　that　made　the　woman　cry　out。



'I　shall　get　into　trouble　if　you　get　off；'　said　Falconer　to　her。

'Will　you　promise　me；　on　your　word；　to　go　with　me　to　the　station；　if

I　rid　you　of　the　fellow？'



'I　will；　I　will；'　said　the　woman。



'Then；　look　out；'　said　Falconer　to　the　policeman；　'for　I'm　going　to

give　you　that　lesson。'



The　officer　let　the　woman　go；　took　his　baton；　and　made　a　blow　at

Falconer。　　In　another　momentI　could　hardly　see　howhe　lay　in　the

street。



'Now；　my　poor　woman；　come　along；'　said　Falconer。



She　obeyed；　crying　gently。　　Two　other　policemen　came　up。



'Do　you　want　to　give　that　woman　in　charge；　Mr。　Falconer？'　asked　one

of　them。



'I　give　that　man　in　charge；'　cried　his　late　antagonist；　who　had　just

scrambled　to　his　feet。　'Assaulting　the　police　in　discharge　of　their

duty。'



'Very　well；'　said　the　other。　'But　you're　in　the　wrong　box；　and　that

you'll　find。　　You　had　better　come　along　to　the　station；　sir。'



'Keep　that　fellow　from　gett