christie johnstone-第28章

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_Gatty。_　〃A　man　of　your　character　must　often　have　been　called　to　an
account　by　your　victims；　soso〃　（hesitating）　〃perhaps　you　will　tell　me
the　proper　course。〃

_Ipsden。　〃I_　shall　send　a　note　to　the　castle；　and　the　colonel　will　send
me　down　somebody　with　a　mustache；　I　shall　pretend　to　remember　mustache；
mustache　will　pretend　he　remembers　me；　he　will　then　communicate　with　your
friend；　and　they　will　arrange　it　all　for　us。〃

_Gatty。_　〃And；　perhaps；　through　your　licentiousness；　one　or　both　of　us
will　be　killed。〃

_Ipsden。_　〃Yes！　but　we　need　not　trouble　our　heads　about　thatthe　seconds
undertake　everything。〃

_Gatty。_　〃I　have　no　pistols。〃

_Ipsden。_　〃If　you　will　do　me　the　honor　to　use　one　of　mine；　it　shall　be　at
your　service。〃

_Gatty。_　〃Thank　you。〃

_Ipsden。_　〃To…morrow　morning？〃

_Gatty。_　〃No。　I　have　four　days'　painting　to　do　on　my　picture；　I　can't　die
till　it　is　finished；　Friday　morning。〃

_Ipsden。_　〃（He　is　mad。）　I　wish　to　ask　you　a　question；　you　will　excuse　my
curiosity。　Have　you　any　idea　what　we　are　agreeing　to　differ　about？〃

_Gatty。_　〃The　question　does　you　little　credit；　my　lord；　that　is　to　add
insult　to　wrong。〃

He　went　off　hurriedly；　leaving　Lord　Ipsden　mystified。

He　thought　Christie　Johnstone　was　somehow　connected　with　it；　but；
conscious　of　no　wrong；　he　felt　little　disposed　to　put　up　with　any　insult；
especially　from　this　boy；　to　whom　he　had　been　kind；　he　thought。

His　lordship　was；　besides；　one　of　those　good；　simple…minded　creatures；
educated　abroad；　who；　when　invited　to　fight；　simply　bow；　and　load　two
pistols；　and　get　themselves　called　at　six；　instead　of　taking　down　tomes
of　casuistry　and　puzzling　their　poor　brains　to　find　out　whether　they　are
gamecocks　or　capons；　and　why。

As　for　Gatty；　he　hurried　home　in　a　fever　of　passion；　begged　his　mother's
pardon；　and　reproached　himself　for　ever　having　disobeyed　her　on　account
of　such　a　perfidious　creature　as　Christie　Johnstone。

He　then　told　her　what　he　had　seen；　as　distance　and　imagination　had
presented　it　to　him；　to　his　surprise　the　old　lady　cut　him　short。

〃Charles；〃　said　she；　〃there　is　no　need　to　take　the　girl's　character　away；
she　has　but　one　faultshe　is　not　in　the　same　class　of　life　as　you；　and
such　marriages　always　lead　to　misery；　but　in　other　respects　she　is　a
worthy　young　womandon't　speak　against　her　character；　or　you　will　make
my　flesh　creep；　you　don't　know　what　her　character　is　to　a　woman；　high　or
low。〃

By　this　moderation；　perhaps　she　held　him　still　faster。

Friday　morning　arrived。　Gatty　had；　by　hard　work；　finished　his　picture；
collected　his　sketches　from　nature；　which　were　numerous；　left　by
memorandum　everything　to　his　mother；　and　was；　or　rather　felt；　as　ready　to
die　as　live。

He　had　hardly　spoken　a　word　or　eaten　a　meal　these　four　days；　his　mother
was　in　anxiety　about　him。　He　rose　early；　and　went　down　to　Leith；　an　hour
later；　his　mother；　finding　him　gone　out；　rose　and　went　to　seek　him　at
Newhaven。

Meantime　Flucker　had　entirely　recovered；　but　his　sister's　color　had　left
her　cheeks。　The　boy　swore　vengeance　against　the　cause　of　her　distress。

On　Friday　morning；　then；　there　paced　on　Leith　Sands　two　figures。

One　was　Lord　Ipsden。

The　other　seemed　a　military　gentleman；　who　having　swallowed　the　mess…room
poker；　and　found　it　insufficient；　had　added　the　ramrods　of　his　company。

The　more　his　lordship　reflected　on　Gatty；　the　less　inclined　he　had　felt
to　invite　a　satirical　young　dog　from　barracks　to　criticise　such　a
_rencontre；_　he　had　therefore　ordered　Saunders　to　get　up　as　a
field…marshal；　or　some　such　trifle；　and　what　Saunders　would　have　called
incomparable　verticality　was　the　result。

The　painter　was　also　in　sight。

While　he　was　coming　up；　Lord　Ipsden　was　lecturing　Marshal　Saunders　on　a
point　on　which　that　worthy　had　always　thought　himself　very　superior　to
his　master〃Gentlemanly　deportment。〃

〃Now；　Saunders；　mind　and　behave　like　a　gentleman；　or　we　shall　be　found
out。〃

〃I　trust；　my　lord；　my　conduct〃

〃What　I　mean　is；　you　must　not　be　so　overpoweringly　gentleman…like　as　you
are　apt　to　be；　no　gentleman　is　so　gentleman　as　all　that；　it　could　not　be
borne；　_c'est　suffoquant；_　and　a　white　handkerchief　is　unsoldier…like；
and　nobody　ties　a　white　handkerchief　so　well　as　that；　of　all　the　vices；
perfection　is　the　most　intolerable。〃　His　lordship　then　touched　with　his
cane　the　generalissimo's　tie；　whose　countenance　straightway　fell；　as
though　he　had　lost　three　successive　battles。

Gatty　came　up。

They　saluted。

〃Where　is　your　second；　sir？〃　said　the　mare'chal。

〃My　second？〃　said　Gatty。　〃Ah！　I　forgot　to　wake　himdoes　it　matter？〃

〃It　is　merely　a　custom；〃　said　Lord　Ipsden；　with　a　very　slightly　satirical
manner。　〃Savanadero；〃　said　he；　〃do　us　the　honor　to　measure　the　ground；
and　be　everybody's　second。〃

Savanadero　measured　the　ground；　and　handed　a　pistol　to　each　combatant；
and　struck　an　imposing　attitude　apart。

〃Are　you　ready；　gentlemen？〃　said　this　Jack…o'…both…sides。

〃Yes！〃　said　both。

Just　as　the　signal　was　about　to　be　given；　an　interruption　occurred。　〃I
beg　your　pardon；　sir；〃　said　Lord　Ipsden　to　his　antagonist；　〃I　am　going　to
take　a　_libertya　great　liberty_　with　you；　but　I　think　you　will　find
your　pistol　is　only　at　half　cock。〃

〃Thank　you；　my　lord；　what　am　I　to　do　with　the　thing？〃

〃Draw　back　the　cock　so；　and　be　ready　to　fire？〃

〃So？〃　_Bang！_

He　had　touched　the　trigger　as　well　as　the　cock；　so　off　went　the　barker；
and　after　a　considerable　pause　the　field…marshal　sprang　yelling　into　the
air。

〃Hallo！〃　cried　Mr。　Gatty。

〃Ah！　oh！　I'm　a　dead　man；〃　whined　the　general。

〃Nonsense！〃　said　Ipsden；　after　a　moment　of　anxiety。　〃Give　yourself　no
concern；　sir；〃　said　he；　soothingly；　to　his　antagonist〃a　mere　accident。
Mare'chal；　reload　Mr。　Gatty's　pistol。〃

〃Excuse　me；　my　lord〃

〃Load　his　pistol　directly；〃　said　his　lordship；　sternly；　〃and　behave　like
a　gentleman。〃

〃My　lord！　my　lord！　but　where　shall　I　stand　to　be　safe？〃

〃Behind　me！〃

The　commander　of　division　advanced　reluctantly　for　Gatty's　pistol。

〃No；　my　lord！〃　said　Gatty；　〃it　is　plain　I　am　not　a　fit　antagonist；　I
shall　but　expose　myselfand　my　mother　has　separated　us；　I　have　lost
herif　you　do　not　win　her　some　worse　man　may；　but；　oh！　if　you　are　a　man；
use　her　tenderly。〃

〃Whom？〃

〃Christie　Johnstone！　Oh；　sir；　do　not　make　her　regret　me　too　much！　She　was
my　treasure；　my　consolationshe　was　to　be　my　wife；　she　would　have
cheered　the　road　of　lifeit　is　a　desert　now。　I　loved　herII〃

Here　the　poor　fellow　choked。

Lord　Ipsden　turned　round；　and　threw　his　pistol　to　Saunders；　saying；
〃Catch　that；　Saunders。〃

Saunders；　on　the　contrary；　by　a　single　motion　changed　his　person　from　a
vertical　straight　line　to　a　horizontal　line　exactly　parallel　with　the
earth's　surface；　and　the　weapon　sang　innoxious　over　him。

His　lordship　then；　with　a　noble　defiance　of　etiquette；　walked　up　to　his
antagonist　and　gave　him　his　hand；　with　a　motion　no　one　could　resist；　for
he　felt　for　the　poor　fellow。

〃It　is　all　a　mistake；〃　said　he。　〃There　is　no　sentiment　between　La
Johnstone　and　me　but　mutual　esteem。　I　will　explain　the　whole　thing。　_I_
admire　_her_　for　her　virtue；　her　wit；　her　innocence；　her　goodness　and　all
that　sort　of　thing；　and　_she；_　what　_she_　sees　in　_me；_　I　am　sure　I　don't
know；〃　added　he；　slightly　shrugging　his　aristocratic　shoulders。　〃Do　me
the　honor　to　breakfast　with　me　at　Newhaven。〃

〃I　have　ordered　twelve　sorts　of　fish　at　the　'Peacock；'　my　lord；〃　said
Saunders。

〃Divine！　（I　hate　fish）　I　told　Saunders　all　would　be　hungry　and　none　shot；
by　the　by；　you　are　winged；　I　think　you　said；　Saunders？〃

〃No；　my　lord！　but　look　at　my　trousers。〃

The　bullet　had　cut　his　pantaloons。

〃I　seeonly　barked；　so　go　and　see　about　our　breakfast。〃

〃Yes；　my　lord〃　_（faintly）。_

〃And　draw　on　me　for　fifty　pounds'　worth　ofnew　trousers。〃

Yes；　my　lord〃　_（sonorously）。_

The　duelists　separated；　Gatty　taking　the　short　cut　to　Newhaven；　he
proposed　to　take　his　favorite　swim　there；　to　refresh　himself　before
breakfast；　and　he　went　from　his　lordship　a　little　cheered　by　remarks
which　fell　from　him；　and　which；　though　vague；　sounded　friendlypoor
fellow；　except　when　he　had　a　brush　in　hand　he　was　a　dreamer。

This　visc