hunted down-第5章

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impediments。



The　appointment　took　me　to　some　chambers　in　the　Temple。　　They　were

at　the　top　of　a　lonely　corner　house　overlooking　the　river。　　The

name；　MR。　ALFRED　BECKWITH；　was　painted　on　the　outer　door。　　On　the

door　opposite；　on　the　same　landing；　the　name　MR。　JULIUS　SLINKTON。

The　doors　of　both　sets　of　chambers　stood　open；　so　that　anything

said　aloud　in　one　set　could　be　heard　in　the　other。



I　had　never　been　in　those　chambers　before。　　They　were　dismal；

close；　unwholesome；　and　oppressive；　the　furniture；　originally　good；

and　not　yet　old；　was　faded　and　dirty；　…　the　rooms　were　in　great

disorder；　there　was　a　strong　prevailing　smell　of　opium；　brandy；　and

tobacco；　the　grate　and　fire…irons　were　splashed　all　over　with

unsightly　blotches　of　rust；　and　on　a　sofa　by　the　fire；　in　the　room

where　breakfast　had　been　prepared；　lay　the　host；　Mr。　Beckwith；　a

man　with　all　the　appearances　of　the　worst　kind　of　drunkard；　very

far　advanced　upon　his　shameful　way　to　death。



'Slinkton　is　not　come　yet；'　said　this　creature；　staggering　up　when

I　went　in；　'I'll　call　him。　…　Halloa！　　Julius　Caesar！　　Come　and

drink！'　　As　he　hoarsely　roared　this　out；　he　beat　the　poker　and

tongs　together　in　a　mad　way；　as　if　that　were　his　usual　manner　of

summoning　his　associate。



The　voice　of　Mr。　Slinkton　was　heard　through　the　clatter　from　the

opposite　side　of　the　staircase；　and　he　came　in。　　He　had　not

expected　the　pleasure　of　meeting　me。　　I　have　seen　several　artful

men　brought　to　a　stand；　but　I　never　saw　a　man　so　aghast　as　he　was

when　his　eyes　rested　on　mine。



'Julius　Caesar；'　cried　Beckwith；　staggering　between　us；　'Mist'

Sampson！　　Mist'　Sampson；　Julius　Caesar！　　Julius；　Mist'　Sampson；　is

the　friend　of　my　soul。　　Julius　keeps　me　plied　with　liquor；　morning；

noon；　and　night。　　Julius　is　a　real　benefactor。　Julius　threw　the　tea

and　coffee　out　of　window　when　I　used　to　have　any。　　Julius　empties

all　the　water…jugs　of　their　contents；　and　fills　'em　with　spirits。

Julius　winds　me　up　and　keeps　me　going。　…　Boil　the　brandy；　Julius！'



There　was　a　rusty　and　furred　saucepan　in　the　ashes；　…　the　ashes

looked　like　the　accumulation　of　weeks；　…　and　Beckwith；　rolling　and

staggering　between　us　as　if　he　were　going　to　plunge　headlong　into

the　fire；　got　the　saucepan　out；　and　tried　to　force　it　into

Slinkton's　hand。



'Boil　the　brandy；　Julius　Caesar！　　Come！　　Do　your　usual　office。

Boil　the　brandy！'



He　became　so　fierce　in　his　gesticulations　with　the　saucepan；　that　I

expected　to　see　him　lay　open　Slinkton's　head　with　it。　　I　therefore

put　out　my　hand　to　check　him。　　He　reeled　back　to　the　sofa；　and　sat

there　panting；　shaking；　and　red…eyed；　in　his　rags　of　dressing…gown；

looking　at　us　both。　　I　noticed　then　that　there　was　nothing　to　drink

on　the　table　but　brandy；　and　nothing　to　eat　but　salted　herrings；

and　a　hot；　sickly；　highly…peppered　stew。



'At　all　events；　Mr。　Sampson；'　said　Slinkton；　offering　me　the　smooth

gravel　path　for　the　last　time；　'I　thank　you　for　interfering　between

me　and　this　unfortunate　man's　violence。　　However　you　came　here；　Mr。

Sampson；　or　with　whatever　motive　you　came　here；　at　least　I　thank

you　for　that。'



'Boil　the　brandy；'　muttered　Beckwith。



Without　gratifying　his　desire　to　know　how　I　came　there；　I　said；

quietly；　'How　is　your　niece；　Mr。　Slinkton？'



He　looked　hard　at　me；　and　I　looked　hard　at　him。



'I　am　sorry　to　say；　Mr。　Sampson；　that　my　niece　has　proved

treacherous　and　ungrateful　to　her　best　friend。　　She　left　me　without

a　word　of　notice　or　explanation。　　She　was　misled；　no　doubt；　by　some

designing　rascal。　　Perhaps　you　may　have　heard　of　it。'



'I　did　hear　that　she　was　misled　by　a　designing　rascal。　　In　fact；　I

have　proof　of　it。'



'Are　you　sure　of　that？'　said　he。



'Quite。'



'Boil　the　brandy；'　muttered　Beckwith。　　'Company　to　breakfast；

Julius　Caesar。　　Do　your　usual　office；　…　provide　the　usual

breakfast；　dinner；　tea；　and　supper。　　Boil　the　brandy！'



The　eyes　of　Slinkton　looked　from　him　to　me；　and　he　said；　after　a

moment's　consideration；



'Mr。　Sampson；　you　are　a　man　of　the　world；　and　so　am　I。　　I　will　be

plain　with　you。'



'O　no；　you　won't；'　said　I；　shaking　my　head。



'I　tell　you；　sir；　I　will　be　plain　with　you。'



'And　I　tell　you　you　will　not；'　said　I。　　'I　know　all　about　you。　　YOU

plain　with　any　one？　　Nonsense；　nonsense！'



'I　plainly　tell　you；　Mr。　Sampson；'　he　went　on；　with　a　manner　almost

composed；　'that　I　understand　your　object。　　You　want　to　save　your

funds；　and　escape　from　your　liabilities；　these　are　old　tricks　of

trade　with　you　Office…gentlemen。　　But　you　will　not　do　it；　sir；　you

will　not　succeed。　　You　have　not　an　easy　adversary　to　play　against；

when　you　play　against　me。　　We　shall　have　to　inquire；　in　due　time；

when　and　how　Mr。　Beckwith　fell　into　his　present　habits。　　With　that

remark；　sir；　I　put　this　poor　creature；　and　his　incoherent

wanderings　of　speech；　aside；　and　wish　you　a　good　morning　and　a

better　case　next　time。'



While　he　was　saying　this；　Beckwith　had　filled　a　half…pint　glass

with　brandy。　　At　this　moment；　he　threw　the　brandy　at　his　face；　and

threw　the　glass　after　it。　　Slinkton　put　his　hands　up；　half　blinded

with　the　spirit；　and　cut　with　the　glass　across　the　forehead。　　At

the　sound　of　the　breakage；　a　fourth　person　came　into　the　room；

closed　the　door；　and　stood　at　it；　he　was　a　very　quiet　but　very

keen…looking　man；　with　iron…gray　hair；　and　slightly　lame。



Slinkton　pulled　out　his　handkerchief；　assuaged　the　pain　in　his

smarting　eyes；　and　dabbled　the　blood　on　his　forehead。　　He　was　a

long　time　about　it；　and　I　saw　that　in　the　doing　of　it；　a　tremendous

change　came　over　him；　occasioned　by　the　change　in　Beckwith；　…　who

ceased　to　pant　and　tremble；　sat　upright；　and　never　took　his　eyes

off　him。　　I　never　in　my　life　saw　a　face　in　which　abhorrence　and

determination　were　so　forcibly　painted　as　in　Beckwith's　then。



'Look　at　me；　you　villain；'　said　Beckwith；　'and　see　me　as　I　really

am。　　I　took　these　rooms；　to　make　them　a　trap　for　you。　　I　came　into

them　as　a　drunkard；　to　bait　the　trap　for　you。　　You　fell　into　the

trap；　and　you　will　never　leave　it　alive。　　On　the　morning　when　you

last　went　to　Mr。　Sampson's　office；　I　had　seen　him　first。　　Your　plot

has　been　known　to　both　of　us；　all　along；　and　you　have　been　counter…

plotted　all　along。　　What？　　Having　been　cajoled　into　putting　that

prize　of　two　thousand　pounds　in　your　power；　I　was　to　be　done　to

death　with　brandy；　and；　brandy　not　proving　quick　enough；　with

something　quicker？　　Have　I　never　seen　you；　when　you　thought　my

senses　gone；　pouring　from　your　little　bottle　into　my　glass？　　Why；

you　Murderer　and　Forger；　alone　here　with　you　in　the　dead　of　night；

as　I　have　so　often　been；　I　have　had　my　hand　upon　the　trigger　of　a

pistol；　twenty　times；　to　blow　your　brains　out！'



This　sudden　starting　up　of　the　thing　that　he　had　supposed　to　be　his

imbecile　victim　into　a　determined　man；　with　a　settled　resolution　to

hunt　him　down　and　be　the　death　of　him；　mercilessly　expressed　from

head　to　foot；　was；　in　the　first　shock；　too　much　for　him。　　Without

any　figure　of　speech；　he　staggered　under　it。　　But　there　is　no

greater　mistake　than　to　suppose　that　a　man　who　is　a　calculating

criminal；　is；　in　any　phase　of　his　guilt；　otherwise　than　true　to

himself；　and　perfectly　consistent　with　his　whole　character。　　Such　a

man　commits　murder；　and　murder　is　the　natural　culmination　of　his

course；　such　a　man　has　to　outface　murder；　and　will　do　it　with

hardihood　and　effrontery。　　It　is　a　sort　of　fashion　to　express

surprise　that　any　notorious　criminal；　having　such　crime　upon　his

conscience；　can　so　brave　it　out。　　Do　you　think　that　if　he　had　it　on

his　conscience　at　all；　or　had　a　conscience　to　have　it　upon；　he

would　ever　have　committed　the　crime？



Perfectly　consistent　with　himself；　as　I　believe　all　such　monsters

to　be；　this　Slinkton　recovered　himself；　and　showed　a　defiance　that

was　sufficiently　cold　and　quiet。　　He　was　white；　he　was　haggard；　he

was　changed；　but　only　as　a　sharper　who