to-morrow-第5章

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off　his　guard　for　once。　　〃He's　coming　home　to…



morrow。〃







〃The　devil　he　is！〃　　The　stranger　marvelled



greatly；　and　then　went　on；　with　only　a　slight



change　of　tone：　〃You've　grown　a　beard　like



Father　Christmas　himself。〃







Captain　Hagberd　drew　a　little　nearer；　and



leaned　forward　over　his　spade。　　〃Go　your　way；〃



he　said；　resentfully　and　timidly　at　the　same　time；



because　he　was　always　afraid　of　being　laughed　at。



Every　mental　state；　even　madness；　has　its　equi…



librium　based　upon　self…esteem。　　Its　disturbance



causes　unhappiness；　and　Captain　Hagberd　lived



amongst　a　scheme　of　settled　notions　which　it　pained



him　to　feel　disturbed　by　people's　grins。　　Yes；　peo…



ple's　grins　were　awful。　　They　hinted　at　something



wrong：　but　what？　　He　could　not　tell；　and　that



stranger　was　obviously　grinninghad　come　on



purpose　to　grin。　　It　was　bad　enough　on　the　streets；



but　he　had　never　before　been　outraged　like　this。







The　stranger；　unaware　how　near　he　was　of　hav…



ing　his　head　laid　open　with　a　spade；　said　seriously：



〃I　am　not　trespassing　where　I　stand；　am　I？　　I



fancy　there's　something　wrong　about　your　news。



Suppose　you　let　me　come　in。〃







〃YOU　come　in！〃　murmured　old　Hagberd；　with



inexpressible　horror。







〃I　could　give　you　some　real　information　about



your　sonthe　very　latest　tip；　if　you　care　to



hear。〃







〃No；〃　shouted　Hagberd。　　He　began　to　pace



wildly　to　and　fro；　he　shouldered　his　spade；　he　ges…



ticulated　with　his　other　arm。　　〃Here's　a　fellow



a　grinning　fellow；　who　says　there's　something



wrong。　　I've　got　more　information　than　you're



aware　of。　　I've　all　the　information　I　want。　　I've



had　it　for　yearsfor　yearsfor　yearsenough



to　last　me　till　to…morrow。　　Let　you　come　in；　indeed！



What　would　Harry　say？〃







Bessie　Carvil's　figure　appeared　in　black　silhou…



ette　on　the　parlour　window；　then；　with　the　sound　of



an　opening　door；　flitted　out　before　the　other　cot…



tage；　all　black；　but　with　something　white　over



her　head。　　These　two　voices　beginning　to　talk　sud…



denly　outside　（she　had　heard　them　indoors）　had



given　her　such　an　emotion　that　she　could　not　utter



a　sound。







Captain　Hagberd　seemed　to　be　trying　to　find　his



way　out　of　a　cage。　　His　feet　squelched　in　the　pud…



dles　left　by　his　industry。　　He　stumbled　in　the　holes



of　the　ruined　grass…plot。　　He　ran　blindly　against



the　fence。







〃Here；　steady　a　bit！〃　said　the　man　at　the　gate；



gravely　stretching　his　arm　over　and　catching　him



by　the　sleeve。　　〃Somebody's　been　trying　to　get　at



you。　　Hallo！　what's　this　rig　you've　got　on？　　Storm



canvas；　by　George！〃　　He　had　a　big　laugh。



〃Well；　you　ARE　a　character！〃







Captain　Hagberd　jerked　himself　free；　and　began



to　back　away　shrinkingly。　　〃For　the　present；〃　he



muttered；　in　a　crestfallen　tone。







〃What's　the　matter　with　him？〃　　The　stranger



addressed　Bessie　with　the　utmost　familiarity；　in　a



deliberate；　explanatory　tone。　　〃I　didn't　want　to



startle　the　old　man。〃　　He　lowered　his　voice　as



though　he　had　known　her　for　years。　　〃I　dropped



into　a　barber's　on　my　way；　to　get　a　twopenny



shave；　and　they　told　me　there　he　was　something　of



a　character。　　The　old　man　has　been　a　character　all



his　life。〃







Captain　Hagberd；　daunted　by　the　allusion　to　his



clothing；　had　retreated　inside；　taking　his　spade



with　him；　and　the　two　at　the　gate；　startled　by　the



unexpected　slamming　of　the　door；　heard　the　bolts



being　shot；　the　snapping　of　the　lock；　and　the　echo



of　an　affected　gurgling　laugh　within。







〃I　didn't　want　to　upset　him；〃　the　man　said；



after　a　short　silence。　　〃What's　the　meaning　of　all



this？　　He　isn't　quite　crazy。〃







〃He　has　been　worrying　a　long　time　about　his



lost　son；〃　said　Bessie；　in　a　low；　apologetic　tone。







〃Well；　I　am　his　son。〃







〃Harry！〃　she　criedand　was　profoundly　si…



lent。







〃Know　my　name？　　Friends　with　the　old　man；



eh？〃







〃He's　our　landlord；〃　Bessie　faltered　out；　catch…



ing　hold　of　the　iron　railing。







〃Owns　both　them　rabbit…hutches；　does　he？〃



commented　young　Hagberd；　scornfully；　〃just　the



thing　he　would　be　proud　of。　　Can　you　tell　me　who's



that　chap　coming　to…morrow？　　You　must　know



something　of　it。　　I　tell　you；　it's　a　swindle　on　the　old



mannothing　else。〃







She　did　not　answer；　helpless　before　an　insur…



mountable　difficulty；　appalled　before　the　necessity；



the　impossibility　and　the　dread　of　an　explanation



in　which　she　and　madness　seemed　involved　together。







〃OhI　am　so　sorry；〃　she　murmured。







〃What's　the　matter？〃　he　said；　with　serenity。



〃You　needn't　be　afraid　of　upsetting　me。　　It's　the



other　fellow　that'll　be　upset　when　he　least　expects



it。　　I　don't　care　a　hang；　but　there　will　be　some　fun



when　he　shows　his　mug　to…morrow。　　I　don't　care



THAT　for　the　old　man's　pieces；　but　right　is　right。



You　shall　see　me　put　a　head　on　that　coonwhoever



he　is！〃







He　had　come　nearer；　and　towered　above　her　on



the　other　side　of　the　railings。　　He　glanced　at　her



hands。　　He　fancied　she　was　trembling；　and　it　oc…



curred　to　him　that　she　had　her　part　perhaps　in　that



little　game　that　was　to　be　sprung　on　his　old　man



to…morrow。　　He　had　come　just　in　time　to　spoil　their



sport。　　He　was　entertained　by　the　ideascornful



of　the　baffled　plot。　　But　all　his　life　he　had　been　full



of　indulgence　for　all　sorts　of　women's　tricks。　　She



really　was　trembling　very　much；　her　wrap　had



slipped　off　her　head。　　〃Poor　devil！〃　he　thought。



〃Never　mind　about　that　chap。　　I　daresay　he'll



change　his　mind　before　to…morrow。　　But　what



about　me？　　I　can't　loaf　about　the　gate　til　the　morn…



ing。〃







She　burst　out：　〃It　is　YOUyou　yourself　that　he's



waiting　for。　　It　is　YOU　who　come　to…morrow。〃







He　murmured。　　〃Oh！　　It's　me！〃　blankly；　and



they　seemed　to　become　breathless　together。　　Ap…



parently　he　was　pondering　over　what　he　had　heard；



then；　without　irritation；　but　evidently　perplexed；



he　said：　〃I　don't　understand。　　I　hadn't　written　or



anything。　　It's　my　chum　who　saw　the　paper　and



told　methis　very　morning。　。　。　。　　Eh？　what？〃







He　bent　his　ear；　she　whispered　rapidly；　and　he



listened　for　a　while；　muttering　the　words　〃yes〃



and　〃I　see〃　at　times。　　Then；　〃But　why　won't　to…



day　do？〃　he　queried　at　last。







〃You　didn't　understand　me！〃　she　exclaimed；



impatiently。　　The　clear　streak　of　light　under　the



clouds　died　out　in　the　west。　　Again　he　stooped



slightly　to　hear　better；　and　the　deep　night　buried



everything　of　the　whispering　woman　and　the



attentive　man；　except　the　familiar　contiguity　of



their　faces；　with　its　air　of　secrecy　and　caress。







He　squared　his　shoulders；　the　broad…brimmed



shadow　of　a　hat　sat　cavalierly　on　his　head。　　〃Awk…



ward　this；　eh？〃　he　appealed　to　her。　　〃To…morrow？



Well；　well！　　Never　heard　tell　of　anything　like　this。



It's　all　to…morrow；　then；　without　any　sort　of　to…day；



as　far　as　I　can　see。〃







She　remained　still　and　mute。







〃And　you　have　been　encouraging　this　funny



notion；〃　he　said。







〃I　never　contradicted　him。〃







〃Why　didn't　you？〃







〃What　for　should　I？〃　she　defended　herself。



〃It　would　only　have　made　him　miserable。　　He



would　have　gone　out　of　his　mind。〃







〃His　mind！〃　he　muttered；　and　heard　a　short



nervous　laugh　from　her。







〃Where　was　the　harm？　　Was　I　to　quarrel　with



the　poor　old　man？　　It　was　easier　to　half　belie