a simpleton-第84章

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have　four　thousand　thirty…foot　claims　leased　at　ten　shillings　per
month。　　Count　that　up。〃

〃Why；　it　is　twenty…four　thousand　pounds　a　year。〃

〃Excuse　me：　you　must　deduct　a　thousand　a　year　for　the　expenses　of
collection。　　But　this　is　only　one　phase　of　the　business。　　I　have　a
large　inn　upon　each　of　the　three　great　routes　from　the　diamonds　to
the　coast；　and　these　inns　are　supplied　with　the　produce　of　my　own
farms。　　Mark　the　effect　of　the　diamonds　on　property。　　My　sixty
thousand　acres；　which　are　not　diamondiferous；　will　very　soon　be
worth　as　much　as　sixty　thousand　English　acres；　say　two　pounds　the
acre　per　annum。　　That　is　under　the　mark；　because　in　Africa　the　land
is　not　burdened　with　poor…rates；　tithes；　and　all　the　other
iniquities　that　crush　the　English　land…owner；　as　I　know　to　my　cost。
But　that　is　not　all；　sir。　　Would　you　believe　it？　even　after　the
diamonds　were　declared；　the　people　out　there　had　so　little
foresight　that　they　allowed　me　to　buy　land　all　round　Port
Elizabeth；　Natal；　and　Cape　Town；　the　three　ports　through　which　the
world　get　at　the　diamonds；　and　the　diamonds　get　at　the　world。　　I
have　got　a　girdle　of　land　round　those　three　outlets；　bought　by　the
acre；　in　two　years　I　shall　sell　it　by　the　yard。　　Believe　me；　sir；
English　fortunes；　even　the　largest；　are　mere　child's　play；　compared
with　the　colossal　wealth　a　man　can　accumulate；　if　he　looks　beyond
these　great　discoveries　to　their　consequences；　and　lets　others　grub
for　him。　　But　what　is　the　use　of　it　all　to　me？〃　said　this　Bohemian；
with　a　sigh。　　〃I　have　no　taste　for　luxuries；　no　love　of　display。　　I
have　not　even　charity　to　dispense　on　a　large　scale；　for　there　are
no　deserving　poor　out　there；　and　the　poverty　that　springs　from
vice；　that　I　never　will　encourage。〃

John　heard　nearly　all　this；　and　took　it　into　the　kitchen；　and
henceforth　Adoration　was　the　only　word　for　this　prince　of　men；　this
rare　combination　of　the　Adonis　and　the　millionnaire。

He　seldom　held　such　discourses　before　Rosa；　but　talked　her　father
into　an　impression　of　his　boundless　wealth；　and　half　reconciled　him
to　Rosa's　refusal　of　Lord　Tadcaster；　since　here　was　an　old　suitor；
who；　doubtless；　with　a　little　encouragement；　would　soon　come　on
again。

Under　this　impression；　Mr。　Lusignan　gave　Falcon　more　than　a　little
encouragement；　and；　as　Rosa　did　not　resist；　he　became　a　constant
visitor　at　the　villa；　and　was　always　there　from　Saturday　to　Monday。

He　exerted　all　his　art　of　pleasing；　and　he　succeeded。　　He　was
welcome　to　Rosa；　and　she　made　no　secret　of　it。

Emily　threw　herself　in　his　way；　and　had　many　a　sly　talk　with　him；
while　he　was　pretending　to　be　engaged　with　young　Christie。　　He
flattered　her；　and　made　her　sweet　on　him；　but　was　too　much　in　love
with　Rosa；　after　his　fashion；　to　flirt　seriously　with　her。　　He
thought　he　might　want　her　services：　so　he　worked　upon　her　after
this　fashion；　asked　her　if　she　would　like　to　keep　an　inn。

〃Wouldn't　I　just？〃　said　she　frankly。

Then　he　told　her　that；　if　all　went　to　his　wish　in　England；　she
should　be　landlady　of　one　of　his　inns　in　the　Cape　Colony。　　〃And　you
will　get　a　good　husband　out　there　directly；〃　said　he。　　〃Beauty　is　a
very　uncommon　thing　in　those　parts。　　But　I　shall　ask　you　to　marry
somebody　who　can　help　you　in　the　businessor　not　to　marry　at　all。〃

〃I　wish　I　had　the　inn；〃　said　Emily。　　〃Husbands　are　soon　got　when　a
girl　hasn't　her　face　only　to　look　to。〃

〃Well；　I　promise　you　the　inn；〃　said　he；　〃and　a　good　outfit　of
clothes；　and　money　in　both　pockets；　if　you　will　do　me　a　good　turn
here　in　England。〃

〃That　I　would；　sir。　　But；　laws；　what　can　a　poor　girl　like　me　do　for
a　rich　gentleman　like　you？〃

〃Can　you　keep　a　secret；　Emily？〃

〃Nobody　better。　　You　try　me；　sir。〃

He　looked　at　her　well；　saw　she　was　one　of　those　who　could　keep　a
secret；　if　she　chose；　and　he　resolved　to　risk　it。

〃Emily；　my　girl；〃　said　he　sadly；　〃I　am　an　unhappy　man。〃

〃You；　sir！　　Why；　you　didn't　ought　to　be。〃

〃I　am　then。　　I　am　in　love；　and　cannot　win　her。〃

Then　he　told　the　girl　a　pretty　tender　tale；　that　he　had　loved　Mrs。
Staines　when　she　was　Miss　Lusignan；　had　thought　himself　beloved　in
turn；　but　was　rejected；　and　now；　though　she　was　a　widow；　he　had　not
the　courage　to　court　her；　her　heart　was　in　the　grave。　　He　spoke　in
such　a　broken　voice　that　the　girl's　good…nature　fought　against　her
little　pique　at　finding　how　little　he　was　smitten　with　HER；　and
Falcon　soon　found　means　to　array　her　cupidity　on　the　side　of　her
good…nature。　　He　gave　her　a　five…pound　note　to　buy　gloves；　and
promised　her　a　fortune；　and　she　undertook　to　be　secret　as　the
grave；　and　say　certain　things　adroitly　to　Mrs。　Staines。

Accordingly；　this　young　woman　omitted　no　opportunity　of　dropping　a
word　in　favor　of　Falcon。　　For　one　thing；　she　said　to　Mrs。　Staines；
〃Mr。　Falcon　must　be　very　fond　of　children；　ma'am。　　Why；　he　worships
Master　Christie。〃

〃Indeed！　　I　have　not　observed　that。〃

〃Why；　no；　ma'am。　　He　is　rather　shy　over　it；　but　when　he　sees　us
alone；　he　is　sure　to　come　to　us；　and　say；　'Let　me　look　at　my　child；
nurse；'　and　he　do　seem　fit　to　eat　him。　　Onst　he　says　to　me；　'This
boy　is　my　heir；　nurse。'　　What　did　he　mean　by　that；　ma'am？〃

〃I　don't　know。〃

〃Is　he　any　kin　to　you；　ma'am？〃

〃None　whatever。　　You　must　have　misunderstood　him。　　You　should　not
repeat　all　that　people　say。〃

〃No；　ma'am；　only　I　did　think　it　so　odd。　　Poor　gentleman；　I　don't
think　he　is　happy；　for　all　his　money。〃

〃He　is　too　good　to　be　unhappy　all　his　life。〃

〃So　I　think；　ma'am。〃

These　conversations　were　always　short；　for　Rosa；　though　she　was　too
kind　and　gentle　to　snub　the　girl；　was　also　too　delicate　to　give　the
least　encouragement　to　her　gossip。

But　Rosa's　was　a　mind　that　could　be　worked　upon；　and　these　short
but　repeated　eulogies　were　not　altogether　without　effect。

At　last　the　insidious　Falcon；　by　not　making　his　approaches　in　a　way
to　alarm　her；　acquired　her　friendship　as　well　as　her　gratitude；
and；　in　short；　she　got　used　to　him　and　liked　him。　　Not　being　bound
by　any　limit　of　fact　whatever；　he　entertained　her；　and　took　her　out
of　herself　a　little　by　extemporaneous　pictures；　he　told　her　all　his
thrilling　adventures　by　flood　and　field；　not　one　of　which　had　ever
occurred；　yet　he　made　them　all　sound　like　truth；　he　invented
strange　characters；　and　set　them　talking；　he　went　after　great
whales；　and　harpooned　one；　which　slapped　his　boat　into　fragments
with　one　stroke　of　its　tail；　then　died；　and　he　hung　on　by　the
harpoon　protruding　from　the　carcass　till　a　ship　came　and　picked　him
up。　　He　shot　a　lion　that　was　carrying　off　his　favorite　Hottentot。
He　encountered　another；　wounded　him　with　both　barrels；　was　seized；
and　dragged　along　the　ground；　and　gave　himself　up　for　lost；　but
kept　firing　his　revolver　down　the　monster's　throat　till　at　last　he
sickened　him；　and　so　escaped　out　of　death's　maw；　he　did　NOT　say　how
he　had　fired　in　the　air；　and　ridden　fourteen　miles　on　end；　at　the
bare　sight　of　a　lion's　cub；　but；　to　compensate　that　one　reserve；
plunged　into　a　raging　torrent　and　saved　a　drowning　woman　by　her
long　hair；　which　he　caught　in　his　teeth；　he　rode　a　race　on　an
ostrich　against　a　friend　on　a　zebra；　which　went　faster；　but　threw
his　rider；　and　screamed　with　rage　at　not　being　able　to　eat　him；　he；
Falcon；　having　declined　to　run　unless　his　friend's　zebra　was
muzzled。　　He　fed　the　hungry；　clothed　the　naked；　and　shot　a　wild
elephant　in　the　eye；　and　all　this　he　enlivened　with　pictorial
descriptions　of　no　mean　beauty；　and　as　like　South　Africa　as　if　it
had　been　feu　George　Robins　advertising　that　continent　for　sale。

In　short；　never　was　there　a　more　voluble　and　interesting　liar　by
word　of　mouth；　and　never　was　there　a　more　agreeable　creature
interposed　between　a　bereaved　widow　and　her　daily　grief　and
regrets。　　He　diverted　her　mind　from　herself；　and　did　her　good。

At　last；　such　was　the　charm　of　infinite　lying；　she　missed　him　on
the　days　he　did　not　come；　and　was　brighter　when　he　did　come　and　lie。

Things　went　smoothly；　and　so　pleasantly；　that　he　would　gladly　have
prolonged　this　form　of　courtship　for　a　month　or　two　longer；　sooner
than　risk　a　premature　declaration。　　But　more　than　one　cause　drove
him　to　a　bolder　course；　his　passion；　which　increa