with lee in virginia-第62章

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〃Just　so；　Wingfield。　　I　am　as　certain　that　it　was　Jackson　as　you　arc；

because　I　know　the　circumstances；　but　you　see　there　is　no　more

absolute　proof　against　one　man　than　against　the　other。　　It　is　true

that　you　had　had　a　quarrel　with　Jackson　some　two　years　before；　but

you　see　you　had　made　it　up　and　had　become　friends　in　prison…so

much　so　that　you　selected　him　from　among　a　score　of　others　in　the

same　room　to　be　the　companion　of　your　flight。　　You　and　I；　who

know　Jackson；　can　well　believe　him　guilty　of　an　act　of　gross

ingratitude…of　ingratitude　and　treachery；　but　people　who　do　not

know　would　hardly　credit　it　as　possible　…　that　a　man　could　be　such

a　villain。　　The　defense　he　would　set　up　would　be　that　in　the　first

place　there　is　no　shadow　of　evidence　that　he　more　than　the　other

turned　traitor。　Tn　the　second　place　he　would　be　sure　to　say　that

such　an　accusation　against　a　Confederate　officer　is　too　monstrous

and　preposterous　to　be　entertained　for　a　moment；　and　that

doubtless　your　negro；　although　he　denies　the　fact；　really　chattered

about　his　doings　to　the　negroes　he　was　lodging　with；　and　that　it

was　through　them　that　some　one　got　to　know　of　the　disguise　you

would　wear。　　We　know　that　it　wasn't　so；　Wingfield；　but　ninety…nine

out　of　every　hundred　white　men　in　the　South　would　rather　believe

that　a　negro　bad　chattered　than　that　a　Confederate　officer　had　been

guilty　of　a　gross　act　of　treachery　and　ingratitude。〃



Vincent　was　silent。　　He　felt　that　what　his　companion　said　was　the

truth；　and　that　a　weapon　by　which　he　had　hoped　to　force　the　elder

Jackson　into　saying　what　he　had　done　with　Dinah　would　probably

fail　in　its　purpose。　　The　old　man　was　too　astute　not　to　perceive　that

there　was　no　real　proof　against　his　son；　and　would　therefore　be

unlikely　at　once　to　admit　that　he　had　committed　a　serious　crime；

and　to　forego　his　revenge。



〃I　will　try　at　any　rate；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃and　if　he　refuses　I　will

publish　the　story　in　the　papers。　　When　the　fellow　gets　back　from

Yankee…land　he　may　either　call　me　out　or　demand　a　court　of

inquiry。　　I　may　not　succeed　in　getting　a　verdict　from　twelve　white

men；　but　I　think　I　can　convince　every　one　of　our　own　class　that　the

fellow　did　it；　and　when　this　battle　that　is　expected　is　over　I　have

got　three　months'　leave；　and　I　will　move　heaven　and　earth　to　find

the　woman；　and　if　I　do；　Jackson　will　either　have　to　bolt　or　stand　a

trial；　with　the　prospect　of　ten　years'　imprisonment　if　he　is

convicted。　　In　either　case　we　are　not　likely　to　have　his　son　about

here　again；　and　if　he　did　venture　back　and　brought　an　action

against　me；　his　chance　of　getting　damages　would　be　a　small　one。〃



Another　half…hour's　ride　brought　them　to　the　Cedars。　They

dismounted　at　the　house；　and　fastening　their　horses　to　the　portico

knocked　at　the　door。　　It　was　opened　by　a　negro。



〃Tell　your　master；〃　Vincent　said；　〃that　Mr。　Wingfield　wishes　to

speak　to　him。〃



Andrew　Jackson　himself　came　to　the　door。



〃To　what　do　I　owe　the　very　great　pleasure　of　this　visit；　Mr。

Wingfield？〃　he　said　grimly。



〃I　have　come　to　ask　you　what　you　have　done　with　Dinah　Morris；

whom；　I　have　every　ground　for　believing；　you　have　caused　to　be

kidnaped　from　my　mother's　house。〃



〃This　is　a　serious　charge；　young　gentleman；〃　Andrew　Jackson　said；

〃and　one　that　I　shall　call　upon　you　to　justify　in　the　law…courts。　

Men　are　not　to　be　charged　with　criminal　actions　even　by　young

gentlemen　of　good　Virginian　families。〃



〃I　shall　be　quite　ready　to　meet　you　there；　Mr。　Jackson；　whenever

you　choose；　but　my　visit　here　is　rather　to　give　you　an　opportunity

of　escaping　the　consequences　that　will　follow　your　detection　as　the

author　of　the　crime；　for　I　warn　you　that　I　will　bring　the　crime　home

to　you；　whatever　it　costs　me　in　time　and　money。　　My　offer　is　this：

produce　the　woman　and　her　child；　and　not　only　shall　no

prosecution　take　place；　but　I　will　remain　silent　concerning　a　fact

which　affects　the　honor　of　your　son。〃



Andrew　Jackson's　face　had　been　perfectly　unmoved　during　this

conversation　until　he　heard　the　allusion　to　his　son。　　Then　his　face

changed　visibly。



〃I　know　nothing　concerning　which　you　can　attack　the　honor　of　my

son；　Mr。　Wingfield；〃　he　said；　with　an　effort　to　speak　as

unconcernedly　as　before。



〃My　charge　is　as　follows；〃　Vincent　said　quietly：　〃I　was　imprisoned

at　Elmira　with　a　number　of　other　officers；　among　them　your　son。　

Thinking　that　it　was　time　for　the　unpleasantness　that　had　been

existing　between　us　to　come　to　an　end；　I　offered　him　my　hand。　

This　he　accepted　and　we　became　friends。　　A　short　time　afterward　a

mode　of　escape　offered　itself　to　me；　and　I　proved　the　sincerity　of

my　feelings　toward　him　by　offering　to　him　and　another　officer　the

means　of　sharing　my　escape。　　This　they　accepted。　Once　outside　the

walls；　I　furnished　them　with　disguises　that　had　been　prepared　for

them；　assuming　myself　that　of　a　minister。　　We　then　separated；

going　in　different　directions；　I　myself　being　accompanied　by　my

negro　servant；　to　whose　fidelity　I　owed　our　escape。　　Two　days

afterward　an　anonymous　writer　communicated　to　the　police　the

fact　that　I　had　escaped　in　the　disguise　of　a　minister；　and　was

accompanied　by　my　black　servant。　　This　fact　was　only　known　to

the　negro；　myself；　and　the　two　officers。　　My　negro；　who　had

released　me；　was　certainly　not　my　betrayer；　the　other　officer　could

certainly　have　had　no　possible　motive　for　betraying　me。　　There

remains；　therefore；　only　your　son；　whose　hostility　to　me　was

notorious；　and　who　had　expressed　himself　with　bitterness　agsinst

me　on　many　occasions；　and　among　others　in　the　hearing　of　my

friend　Mr。　Furniss　here。　　Such　being　the　case；　it　is　my　intention　to

charge　him　before　the　military　authorities　with　this　act　of

treachery。　　But；　as　I　have　said；　I　am　willing　to　forego　this　and　to

keep　silence　as　to　your　conduct　with　reference　to　my　slave　Dinah

Morris；　if　you　will　restore　her　and　her　child　uninjured　to　the　house

from　which　you　caused　her　to　be　taken。〃



The　sallow　cheeks　of　the　old　planter　had　grown　a　shade　paler　as　he

listened　to　Vincent's　narrative；　but　he　now　burst　out　in　angry　tones：



〃Hew　dare　you；　sir；　bring　such　an　infamous　accusation　against　my

son…an　accusation；　like　that　against　myself；　wholly　unsupported　by

a　shred　of　evidence？　　Doubtless　your　negro　had　confided　to　some

of　his　associates　his　plans　for　assisting　you　to　escape　from　prison；

and　it　is　from　one　of　these　that　the　denunciation　has　come。　　Go；　sir；

report　where　you　will　what　lies　and　fables　you　have　invented；　but

be　assured　that　I　and　my　son　will　seek　our　compensation　for　such

gross　libels　in　the　courts。〃



〃Very　well；　sir；〃　Vincent　said；　as　be　prepared　to　mount　his　horse；

〃if　you　will　take　the　trouble　to　look　in　the　papers　to…morrow；　you

will　see　that　your　threats　of　action　for　libel　have　no　effect

whatever　upon　me。〃



〃The　man　is　as　hard　as　a　rock；　Wingfleld；〃　Furniss　said；　as　they

rode　off　together。　　〃He　wilted　a　little　when　you　were　telling　your

story；　but　the　moment　he　saw　you　had　no　definite　proofs　he　was；　as

I　expected　he　would　be；　ready　to　defy　you。　　What　shall　you　do

now？〃



〃I　shall　ride　back　into　Richmond　again　and　give　a　full　account　of

my　escape　from　the　jail；　and　state　that　I　firmly　believe　that　the

information　as　to　my　disguise　was　given　by　Jackson；　and　that　it

was　the　result　of　a　personal　hostility　which；　as　many　young　men　in

Richmond　are　well　aware；　has　existed　for　some　time　between　us。〃



〃Well；　you　must　do　as　you　like；　Wingfield；　but　I　think　it　will　be　a

risky　business。〃



〃It　may　be　so；〃　Vincent　said；　〃but　I　have　little　doubt　that　long

before　Jackson　is　exchanged　I；　shall　have　discovered　Dinah；　and

shall　prosecute　Jackson　for　theft　and　kidnaping；　in　which　case　the

young　man　will　hardly　venture　to　prosecute　me　or　indeed　to　show

his　face　in　this　part　of　the　country。〃



That　evening　the　two　young　officers　started　for　the　front；　and　the

next　morning　the　Richmond　pa