hunted down-第2章

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day；　Mr。　Sampson？'



I　was　going　to　give　a　qualified　answer；　but　he　turned　his　smooth；

white　parting　on　me　with　its　'Straight　up　here；　if　you　please！'　and

I　answered　'Yes。'



'I　hear；　Mr。　Sampson；'　he　resumed　presently；　for　our　friend　had　a

new　cook；　and　dinner　was　not　so　punctual　as　usual；　'that　your

profession　has　recently　suffered　a　great　loss。'



'In　money？'　said　I。



He　laughed　at　my　ready　association　of　loss　with　money；　and　replied；

'No；　in　talent　and　vigour。'



Not　at　once　following　out　his　allusion；　I　considered　for　a　moment。

'HAS　it　sustained　a　loss　of　that　kind？'　said　I。　　'I　was　not　aware

of　it。'



'Understand　me；　Mr。　Sampson。　　I　don't　imagine　that　you　have

retired。　　It　is　not　so　bad　as　that。　　But　Mr。　Meltham　…　'



'O；　to　be　sure！'　said　I。　　'Yes！　　Mr。　Meltham；　the　young　actuary　of

the　〃Inestimable。〃'



'Just　so；'　he　returned　in　a　consoling　way。



'He　is　a　great　loss。　　He　was　at　once　the　most　profound；　the　most

original；　and　the　most　energetic　man　I　have　ever　known　connected

with　Life　Assurance。'



I　spoke　strongly；　for　I　had　a　high　esteem　and　admiration　for

Meltham；　and　my　gentleman　had　indefinitely　conveyed　to　me　some

suspicion　that　he　wanted　to　sneer　at　him。　　He　recalled　me　to　my

guard　by　presenting　that　trim　pathway　up　his　head；　with　its

internal　'Not　on　the　grass；　if　you　please　…　the　gravel。'



'You　knew　him；　Mr。　Slinkton。'



'Only　by　reputation。　　To　have　known　him　as　an　acquaintance　or　as　a

friend；　is　an　honour　I　should　have　sought　if　he　had　remained　in

society；　though　I　might　never　have　had　the　good　fortune　to　attain

it；　being　a　man　of　far　inferior　mark。　　He　was　scarcely　above

thirty；　I　suppose？'



'About　thirty。'



'Ah！'　he　sighed　in　his　former　consoling　way。　　'What　creatures　we

are！　　To　break　up；　Mr。　Sampson；　and　become　incapable　of　business　at

that　time　of　life！　…　Any　reason　assigned　for　the　melancholy　fact？'



（'Humph！'　thought　I；　as　I　looked　at　him。　　'But　I　WON'T　go　up　the

track；　and　I　WILL　go　on　the　grass。'）



'What　reason　have　you　heard　assigned；　Mr。　Slinkton？'　I　asked；

point…blank。



'Most　likely　a　false　one。　　You　know　what　Rumour　is；　Mr。　Sampson。　　I

never　repeat　what　I　hear；　it　is　the　only　way　of　paring　the　nails

and　shaving　the　head　of　Rumour。　　But　when　YOU　ask　me　what　reason　I

have　heard　assigned　for　Mr。　Meltham's　passing　away　from　among　men；

it　is　another　thing。　　I　am　not　gratifying　idle　gossip　then。　　I　was

told；　Mr。　Sampson；　that　Mr。　Meltham　had　relinquished　all　his

avocations　and　all　his　prospects；　because　he　was；　in　fact；　broken…

hearted。　　A　disappointed　attachment　I　heard；　…　though　it　hardly

seems　probable；　in　the　case　of　a　man　so　distinguished　and　so

attractive。'



'Attractions　and　distinctions　are　no　armour　against　death；'　said　I。



'O；　she　died？　　Pray　pardon　me。　　I　did　not　hear　that。　　That；　indeed；

makes　it　very；　very　sad。　　Poor　Mr。　Meltham！　　She　died？　　Ah；　dear

me！　　Lamentable；　lamentable！'



I　still　thought　his　pity　was　not　quite　genuine；　and　I　still

suspected　an　unaccountable　sneer　under　all　this；　until　he　said；　as

we　were　parted；　like　the　other　knots　of　talkers；　by　the

announcement　of　dinner：



'Mr。　Sampson；　you　are　surprised　to　see　me　so　moved　on　behalf　of　a

man　whom　I　have　never　known。　　I　am　not　so　disinterested　as　you　may

suppose。　　I　have　suffered；　and　recently　too；　from　death　myself。　　I

have　lost　one　of　two　charming　nieces；　who　were　my　constant

companions。　　She　died　young　…　barely　three…and…twenty；　and　even　her

remaining　sister　is　far　from　strong。　　The　world　is　a　grave！'



He　said　this　with　deep　feeling；　and　I　felt　reproached　for　the

coldness　of　my　manner。　　Coldness　and　distrust　had　been　engendered

in　me；　I　knew；　by　my　bad　experiences；　they　were　not　natural　to　me；

and　I　often　thought　how　much　I　had　lost　in　life；　losing

trustfulness；　and　how　little　I　had　gained；　gaining　hard　caution。

This　state　of　mind　being　habitual　to　me；　I　troubled　myself　more

about　this　conversation　than　I　might　have　troubled　myself　about　a

greater　matter。　　I　listened　to　his　talk　at　dinner；　and　observed　how

readily　other　men　responded　to　it；　and　with　what　a　graceful

instinct　he　adapted　his　subjects　to　the　knowledge　and　habits　of

those　he　talked　with。　　As；　in　talking　with　me；　he　had　easily

started　the　subject　I　might　be　supposed　to　understand　best；　and　to

be　the　most　interested　in；　so；　in　talking　with　others；　he　guided

himself　by　the　same　rule。　　The　company　was　of　a　varied　character；

but　he　was　not　at　fault；　that　I　could　discover；　with　any　member　of

it。　　He　knew　just　as　much　of　each　man's　pursuit　as　made　him

agreeable　to　that　man　in　reference　to　it；　and　just　as　little　as

made　it　natural　in　him　to　seek　modestly　for　information　when　the

theme　was　broached。



As　he　talked　and　talked　…　but　really　not　too　much；　for　the　rest　of

us　seemed　to　force　it　upon　him　…　I　became　quite　angry　with　myself。

I　took　his　face　to　pieces　in　my　mind；　like　a　watch；　and　examined　it

in　detail。　　I　could　not　say　much　against　any　of　his　features

separately；　I　could　say　even　less　against　them　when　they　were　put

together。　　'Then　is　it　not　monstrous；'　I　asked　myself；　'that

because　a　man　happens　to　part　his　hair　straight　up　the　middle　of

his　head；　I　should　permit　myself　to　suspect；　and　even　to　detest

him？'



（I　may　stop　to　remark　that　this　was　no　proof　of　my　sense。　　An

observer　of　men　who　finds　himself　steadily　repelled　by　some

apparently　trifling　thing　in　a　stranger　is　right　to　give　it　great

weight。　　It　may　be　the　clue　to　the　whole　mystery。　　A　hair　or　two

will　show　where　a　lion　is　hidden。　　A　very　little　key　will　open　a

very　heavy　door。）



I　took　my　part　in　the　conversation　with　him　after　a　time；　and　we

got　on　remarkably　well。　　In　the　drawing…room　I　asked　the　host　how

long　he　had　known　Mr。　Slinkton。　　He　answered；　not　many　months；　he

had　met　him　at　the　house　of　a　celebrated　painter　then　present；　who

had　known　him　well　when　he　was　travelling　with　his　nieces　in　Italy

for　their　health。　　His　plans　in　life　being　broken　by　the　death　of

one　of　them；　he　was　reading　with　the　intention　of　going　back　to

college　as　a　matter　of　form；　taking　his　degree；　and　going　into

orders。　　I　could　not　but　argue　with　myself　that　here　was　the　true

explanation　of　his　interest　in　poor　Meltham；　and　that　I　had　been

almost　brutal　in　my　distrust　on　that　simple　head。







III。





On　the　very　next　day　but　one　I　was　sitting　behind　my　glass

partition；　as　before；　when　he　came　into　the　outer　office；　as

before。　　The　moment　I　saw　him　again　without　hearing　him；　I　hated

him　worse　than　ever。



It　was　only　for　a　moment　that　I　had　this　opportunity；　for　he　waved

his　tight…fitting　black　glove　the　instant　I　looked　at　him；　and　came

straight　in。



'Mr。　Sampson；　good…day！　　I　presume；　you　see；　upon　your　kind

permission　to　intrude　upon　you。　　I　don't　keep　my　word　in　being

justified　by　business；　for　my　business　here　…　if　I　may　so　abuse　the

word　…　is　of　the　slightest　nature。'



I　asked；　was　it　anything　I　could　assist　him　in？



'I　thank　you；　no。　　I　merely　called　to　inquire　outside　whether　my

dilatory　friend　had　been　so　false　to　himself　as　to　be　practical　and

sensible。　　But；　of　course；　he　has　done　nothing。　　I　gave　him　your

papers　with　my　own　hand；　and　he　was　hot　upon　the　intention；　but　of

course　he　has　done　nothing。　　Apart　from　the　general　human

disinclination　to　do　anything　that　ought　to　be　done；　I　dare　say

there　is　a　specially　about　assuring　one's　life。　　You　find　it　like

will…making。　　People　are　so　superstitious；　and　take　it　for　granted

they　will　die　soon　afterwards。'



'Up　here；　if　you　please；　straight　up　here；　Mr。　Sampson。　　Neither　to

the　right　nor　to　the　left。'　　I　almost　fancied　I　could　hear　him

breathe　the　words　as　he　sat　smiling　at　me；　with　that　intolerable

parting　exactly　opposite　the　bridge　of　my　nose。



'There　is　such　a　feeling　sometimes；　no　doubt；'　I　replied；　'but　I

don't　think　it　obtains　to　any　great　extent。'



'Well；'　said　he；