hunted down-第3章

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



'Well；'　said　he；　with　a　shrug　and　a　smile；　'I　wish　some　good　angel

would　influence　my　friend　in　the　right　direction。　　I　rashly

promised　his　mother　and　sister　in　Norfolk　to　see　it　done；　and　he

promised　them　that　he　would　do　it。　　But　I　suppose　he　never　will。'



He　spoke　for　a　minute　or　two　on　indifferent　topics；　and　went　away。



I　had　scarcely　unlocked　the　drawers　of　my　writing…table　next

morning；　when　he　reappeared。　　I　noticed　that　he　came　straight　to

the　door　in　the　glass　partition；　and　did　not　pause　a　single　moment

outside。



'Can　you　spare　me　two　minutes；　my　dear　Mr。　Sampson？'



'By　all　means。'



'Much　obliged；'　laying　his　hat　and　umbrella　on　the　table；　'I　came

early；　not　to　interrupt　you。　　The　fact　is；　I　am　taken　by　surprise

in　reference　to　this　proposal　my　friend　has　made。'



'Has　he　made　one？'　said　I。



'Ye…es；'　he　answered；　deliberately　looking　at　me；　and　then　a　bright

idea　seemed　to　strike　him　…　'or　he　only　tells　me　he　has。　　Perhaps

that　may　be　a　new　way　of　evading　the　matter。　　By　Jupiter；　I　never

thought　of　that！'



Mr。　Adams　was　opening　the　morning's　letters　in　the　outer　office。

'What　is　the　name；　Mr。　Slinkton？'　I　asked。



'Beckwith。'



I　looked　out　at　the　door　and　requested　Mr。　Adams；　if　there　were　a

proposal　in　that　name；　to　bring　it　in。　　He　had　already　laid　it　out

of　his　hand　on　the　counter。　　It　was　easily　selected　from　the　rest；

and　he　gave　it　me。　　Alfred　Beckwith。　　Proposal　to　effect　a　policy

with　us　for　two　thousand　pounds。　　Dated　yesterday。



'From　the　Middle　Temple；　I　see；　Mr。　Slinkton。'



'Yes。　　He　lives　on　the　same　staircase　with　me；　his　door　is

opposite。　　I　never　thought　he　would　make　me　his　reference　though。'



'It　seems　natural　enough　that　he　should。'



'Quite　so；　Mr。　Sampson；　but　I　never　thought　of　it。　　Let　me　see。'

He　took　the　printed　paper　from　his　pocket。　　'How　am　I　to　answer　all

these　questions？'



'According　to　the　truth；　of　course；'　said　I。



'O；　of　course！'　he　answered；　looking　up　from　the　paper　with　a

smile；　'I　meant　they　were　so　many。　　But　you　do　right　to　be

particular。　　It　stands　to　reason　that　you　must　be　particular。　　Will

you　allow　me　to　use　your　pen　and　ink？'



'Certainly。'



'And　your　desk？'



'Certainly。'



He　had　been　hovering　about　between　his　hat　and　his　umbrella　for　a

place　to　write　on。　　He　now　sat　down　in　my　chair；　at　my　blotting…

paper　and　inkstand；　with　the　long　walk　up　his　head　in　accurate

perspective　before　me；　as　I　stood　with　my　back　to　the　fire。



Before　answering　each　question　he　ran　over　it　aloud；　and　discussed

it。　　How　long　had　he　known　Mr。　Alfred　Beckwith？　　That　he　had　to

calculate　by　years　upon　his　fingers。　　What　were　his　habits？　　No

difficulty　about　them；　temperate　in　the　last　degree；　and　took　a

little　too　much　exercise；　if　anything。　　All　the　answers　were

satisfactory。　　When　he　had　written　them　all；　he　looked　them　over；

and　finally　signed　them　in　a　very　pretty　hand。　　He　supposed　he　had

now　done　with　the　business。　　I　told　him　he　was　not　likely　to　be

troubled　any　farther。　　Should　he　leave　the　papers　there？　If　he

pleased。　　Much　obliged。　　Good…morning。



I　had　had　one　other　visitor　before　him；　not　at　the　office；　but　at

my　own　house。　　That　visitor　had　come　to　my　bedside　when　it　was　not

yet　daylight；　and　had　been　seen　by　no　one　else　but　by　my　faithful

confidential　servant。



A　second　reference　paper　（for　we　required　always　two）　was　sent　down

into　Norfolk；　and　was　duly　received　back　by　post。　　This；　likewise；

was　satisfactorily　answered　in　every　respect。　　Our　forms　were　all

complied　with；　we　accepted　the　proposal；　and　the　premium　for　one

year　was　paid。







IV。





For　six　or　seven　months　I　saw　no　more　of　Mr。　Slinkton。　　He　called

once　at　my　house；　but　I　was　not　at　home；　and　he　once　asked　me　to

dine　with　him　in　the　Temple；　but　I　was　engaged。　　His　friend's

assurance　was　effected　in　March。　　Late　in　September　or　early　in

October　I　was　down　at　Scarborough　for　a　breath　of　sea…air；　where　I

met　him　on　the　beach。　　It　was　a　hot　evening；　he　came　toward　me　with

his　hat　in　his　hand；　and　there　was　the　walk　I　had　felt　so　strongly

disinclined　to　take　in　perfect　order　again；　exactly　in　front　of　the

bridge　of　my　nose。



He　was　not　alone；　but　had　a　young　lady　on　his　arm。



She　was　dressed　in　mourning；　and　I　looked　at　her　with　great

interest。　　She　had　the　appearance　of　being　extremely　delicate；　and

her　face　was　remarkably　pale　and　melancholy；　but　she　was　very

pretty。　　He　introduced　her　as　his　niece；　Miss　Niner。



'Are　you　strolling；　Mr。　Sampson？　　Is　it　possible　you　can　be　idle？'



It　WAS　possible；　and　I　WAS　strolling。



'Shall　we　stroll　together？'



'With　pleasure。'



The　young　lady　walked　between　us；　and　we　walked　on　the　cool　sea

sand；　in　the　direction　of　Filey。



'There　have　been　wheels　here；'　said　Mr。　Slinkton。　　'And　now　I　look

again；　the　wheels　of　a　hand…carriage！　　Margaret；　my　love；　your

shadow　without　doubt！'



'Miss　Niner's　shadow？'　I　repeated；　looking　down　at　it　on　the　sand。



'Not　that　one；'　Mr。　Slinkton　returned；　laughing。　　'Margaret；　my

dear；　tell　Mr。　Sampson。'



'Indeed；'　said　the　young　lady；　turning　to　me；　'there　is　nothing　to

tell　…　except　that　I　constantly　see　the　same　invalid　old　gentleman

at　all　times；　wherever　I　go。　　I　have　mentioned　it　to　my　uncle；　and

he　calls　the　gentleman　my　shadow。'



'Does　he　live　in　Scarborough？'　I　asked。



'He　is　staying　here。'



'Do　you　live　in　Scarborough？'



'No；　I　am　staying　here。　　My　uncle　has　placed　me　with　a　family　here；

for　my　health。'



'And　your　shadow？'　said　I；　smiling。



'My　shadow；'　she　answered；　smiling　too；　'is　…　like　myself　…　not

very　robust；　I　fear；　for　I　lose　my　shadow　sometimes；　as　my　shadow

loses　me　at　other　times。　　We　both　seem　liable　to　confinement　to　the

house。　　I　have　not　seen　my　shadow　for　days　and　days；　but　it　does

oddly　happen；　occasionally；　that　wherever　I　go；　for　many　days

together；　this　gentleman　goes。　　We　have　come　together　in　the　most

unfrequented　nooks　on　this　shore。'



'Is　this　he？'　said　I；　pointing　before　us。



The　wheels　had　swept　down　to　the　water's　edge；　and　described　a

great　loop　on　the　sand　in　turning。　　Bringing　the　loop　back　towards

us；　and　spinning　it　out　as　it　came；　was　a　hand…carriage；　drawn　by　a

man。



'Yes；'　said　Miss　Niner；　'this　really　is　my　shadow；　uncle。'



As　the　carriage　approached　us　and　we　approached　the　carriage；　I　saw

within　it　an　old　man；　whose　head　was　sunk　on　his　breast；　and　who

was　enveloped　in　a　variety　of　wrappers。　　He　was　drawn　by　a　very

quiet　but　very　keen…looking　man；　with　iron…gray　hair；　who　was

slightly　lame。　　They　had　passed　us；　when　the　carriage　stopped；　and

the　old　gentleman　within；　putting　out　his　arm；　called　to　me　by　my

name。　　I　went　back；　and　was　absent　from　Mr。　Slinkton　and　his　niece

for　about　five　minutes。



When　I　rejoined　them；　Mr。　Slinkton　was　the　first　to　speak。　　Indeed；

he　said　to　me　in　a　raised　voice　before　I　came　up　with　him：



'It　is　well　you　have　not　been　longer；　or　my　niece　might　have　died

of　curiosity　to　know　who　her　shadow　is；　Mr。　Sampson。'



'An　old　East　India　Director；'　said　I。　　'An　intimate　friend　of　our

friend's；　at　whose　house　I　first　had　the　pleasure　of　meeting　you。

A　certain　Major　Banks。　　You　have　heard　of　him？'



'Never。'



'Very　rich；　Miss　Niner；　but　very　old；　and　very　crippled。　　An

amiable　man；　sensible　…　much　interested　in　you。　　He　has　just　been

expatiating　on　the　affection　that　he　has　observed　to　exist　between

you　and　your　uncle。'



Mr。　Slinkton　was　holding　his　hat　again；　and　he　passed　his　hand　up

the　straight　walk；　as　if　he　himself　went　up　it　serenely；　after　me。



'Mr。　Sampson；'　he　said；　tenderly　pressing　his　niece's　arm　in　his；

'our　affection　was　always　a　strong　one；　for　we　have　had　but　few

near　ties。　　We　have　still　fewer　now。　　We　have　associations　to　bring

us　together；　that　are　not　of　this