armadale-第101章

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consequence。　Say；　Mr。　Pedgift　Junior；　if　you　please；　William；
otherwise；　sir；　we　might　get　my　grandfather's　dinner　or　my
father's　dinner；　and　they　_might_　turn　out　a　little　too　heavy　and
old…fashioned　in　their　way　of　feeding　for　you　and　me。　As　to　the
wine；　William。　At　dinner；　_my_　Champagne；　and　the　sherry　that　my
father　thinks　nasty。　After　dinner；　the　claret　with　the　blue
sealthe　wine　my　innocent　grandfather　said　wasn't　worth　sixpence
a　bottle。　Ha！　ha！　poor　old　boy！　You　will　send　up　the　evening
papers　and　the　play…bills；　just　as　usual；　andthat　will　do？　I
think；　William；　for　the　present。　An　invaluable　servant；　Mr。
Armadale；　they're　all　invaluable　servants　in　this　house。　We　may
not　be　fashionable　here；　sir；　but　by　the　Lord　Harry　we　are　snug！
A　cab？　you　would　like　a　cab？　Don't　stir！　I've　rung　the　bell
twicethat　means；　Cab　wanted　in　a　hurry。　Might　I　ask；　Mr。
Armadale；　which　way　your　business　takes　you？　Toward　Bayswater？
Would　you　mind　dropping　me　in　the　park？　It's　a　habit　of　mine　when
I'm　in　London　to　air　myself　among　the　aristocracy。　Yours　truly；
sir；　has　an　eye　for　a　fine　woman　and　a　fine　horse；　and　when　he's
in　Hyde　Park　he's　quite　in　his　native　element。〃　Thus　the
all…accomplished　Pedgift　ran　on；　and　by　these　little　arts　did　he
recommend　himself　to　the　good　opinion　of　his　client。

When　the　dinner　hour　united　the　traveling　companions　again　in
their　sitting…room　at　the　hotel；　a　far　less　acute　observer　than
young　Pedgift　must　have　noticed　the　marked　change　that　appeared
in　Allan's　manner。　He　looked　vexed　and　puzzled；　and　sat　drumming
with　his　fingers　on　the　dining…table　without　uttering　a　word。

〃I'm　afraid　something　has　happened　to　annoy　you；　sir；　since　we
parted　company　in　the　Park？〃　said　Pedgift　Junior。　〃Excuse　the
question；　I　only　ask　it　in　case　I　can　be　of　any　use。〃

〃Something　that　I　never　expected　has　happened；〃　returned　Allan；
〃I　don't　know　what　to　make　of　it。　I　should　like　to　have　your
opinion；〃　he　added；　after　a　little　hesitation；　〃that　is　to　say；
if　you　will　excuse　my　not　entering　into　any　particulars？〃

〃Certainly！〃　assented　young　Pedgift。　〃Sketch　it　in　outline；　sir。
The　merest　hint　will　do；　I　wasn't　born　yesterday。〃　（〃Oh；　these
women！〃　thought　the　youthful　philosopher；　in　parenthesis。）

〃Well；〃　began　Allan；　〃you　know　what　I　said　when　we　got　to　this
hotel；　I　said　I　had　a　place　to　go　to　in　Bayswater〃　（Pedgift
mentally　checked　off　the　first　point：　Case　in　the　suburbs；
Bayswater）；　〃and　a　personthat　is　to　saynoas　I　said　before；
a　person　to　inquire　after。〃　（Pedgift　checked　off　the　next　point：
Person　in　the　case。　She…person；　or　he…person　？　She…person；
unquestionably！）　〃Well；　I　went　to　the　house；　and　when　I　asked　for
herI　mean　the　personshethat　is　to　say；　the　personoh；
confound　it！〃　cried　Allan；　〃I　shall　drive　myself　mad；　and　you；
too；　if　I　try　to　tell　my　story　in　this　roundabout　way。　Here　it　is
in　two　words。　I　went　to　No。　18　Kingsdown　Crescent；　to　see　a　lady
named　Mandeville；　and；　when　I　asked　for　her；　the　servant　said
Mrs。　Mandeville　had　gone　away；　without　telling　anybody　where；　and
without　even　leaving　an　address　at　which　letters　could　be　sent　to
her。　There！　it's　out　at　last。　And　what　do　you　think　of　it　now？〃

〃Tell　me　first；　sir；〃　said　the　wary　Pedgift；　〃what　inquiries　you
made　when　you　found　this　lady　had　vanished？〃

〃Inquiries！〃　repeated　Allan。　〃I　was　utterly　staggered；　I　didn't
say　anything。　What　inquiries　ought　I　to　have　made？〃

Pedgift　Junior　cleared　his　throat；　and　crossed　his　legs　in　a
strictly　professional　manner。

〃I　have　no　wish；　Mr。　Armadale；〃　he　began；　〃to　inquire　into　your
business　with　Mrs。　Mandeville〃

〃No；〃　interposed　Allan；　bluntly；　〃I　hope　you　won't　inquire　into
that。　My　business　with　Mrs。　Mandeville　must　remain　a　secret。〃

〃But；〃　pursued　Pedgift；　laying　down　the　law　with　the　forefinger
of　one　hand　on　the　outstretched　palm　of　the　other；　〃I　may；
perhaps；　be　allowed　to　ask　generally　whether　your　business　with
Mrs。　Mandeville　is　of　a　nature　to　interest　you　in　tracing　her
from　Kingsdown　Crescent　to　her　present　residence？〃

〃Certainly！〃　said　Allan。　〃I　have　a　very　particular　reason　for
wishing　to　see　her。〃

〃In　that　case；　sir；〃　returned　Pedgift　Junior；　〃there　were　two
obvious　questions　which　you　ought　to　have　asked；　to　begin
withnamely；　on　what　date　Mrs。　Mandeville　left；　and　how　she
left。　Having　discovered　this；　you　should　have　ascertained　next
under　what　domestic　circumstances　she　went　awaywhether　there
was　a　misunderstanding　with　anybody；　say　a　difficulty　about　money
matters。　Also；　whether　she　went　away　alone；　or　with　somebody
else。　Also；　whether　the　house　was　her　own；　or　whether　she　only
lodged　in　it。　Also；　in　the　latter　event〃

〃Stop！　stop！　you're　making　my　head　swim；〃　cried　Allan。　〃I　don't
understand　all　these　ins　and　outs。　I'm　not　used　to　this　sort　of
thing。〃

〃I've　been　used　to　it　myself　from　my　childhood　upward；　sir；〃
remarked　Pedgift。　〃And　if　I　can　be　of　any　assistance；　say　the
word。〃

〃You're　very　kind；〃　returned　Allan。　〃If　you　could　only　help　me　to
find　Mrs。　Mandeville；　and　if　you　wouldn't　mind　leaving　the　thing
afterward　entirely　in　my　hands？〃

〃I'll　leave　it　in　your　hands；　sir；　with　all　the　pleasure　in
life；〃　said　Pedgift　Junior。　（〃And　I'll　lay　five　to　one；〃　he
added；　mentally；　〃when　the　time　comes；　you'll　leave　it　in　mine！〃）
〃We'll　go　to　Bayswater　together；　Mr。　Armadale；　tomorrow　morning。
In　the　meantime。　here's　the　soup。　The　case　now　before　the　court
is；　Pleasure　versus　Business。　I　don't　know　what　you　say；　sir；　I
say；　without　a　moment's　hesitation；　Verdict　for　the　plaintiff。
Let　us　gather　our　rosebuds　while　we　may。　Excuse　my　high　spirits；
Mr。　Armadale。　Though　buried　in　the　country；　I　was　made　for　a
London　life；　the　very　air　of　the　metropolis　intoxicates　me。〃　With
that　avowal　the　irresistible　Pedgift　placed　a　chair　for　his
patron；　and　issued　his　orders　cheerfully　to　his　viceroy；　the
head…waiter。　〃Iced　punch；　William；　after　the　soup。　I　answer　for
the　punch；　Mr。　Armadale；　it's　made　after　a　recipe　of　my
great…uncle's。　He　kept　a　tavern；　and　founded　the　fortunes　of　the
family。　I　don't　mind　telling　you　the　Pedgifts　have　had　a　publican
amon　g　them；　there's　no　false　pride　about　me。　'Worth　makes　the
man　（as　Pope　says）　and　want　of　it　the　fellow；　the　rest　is　all　but
leather　and　prunella。'　I　cultivate　poetry　as　well　as　music；　sir；
in　my　leisure　hours；　in　fact；　I'm　more　or　less　on　familiar　terms
with　the　whole　of　the　nine　Muses。　Aha！　here's　the　punch！　The
memory　of　my　great…uncle；　the　publican；　Mr。　Armadaledrunk　in
solemn　silence！〃

Allan　tried　hard　to　emulate　his　companion's　gayety　and　good
humor；　but　with　very　indifferent　success。　His　visit　to　Kingsdown
Crescent　recurred　ominously　again　and　again　to　his　memory　all
through　the　dinner；　and　all　through　the　public　amusements　to
which　he　and　his　legal　adviser　repaired　at　a　later　hour　of　the
evening。　When　Pedgift　Junior　put　out　his　candle　that　night；　he
shook　his　wary　head；　and　regretfully　apostrophized　〃the　women〃
for　the　second　time。

By　ten　o'clock　the　next　morning　the　indefatigable　Pedgift　was　on
the　scene　of　action。　To　Allan's　great　relief；　he　proposed　making
the　necessary　inquiries　at　Kingsdown　Crescent　in　his　own　person；
while　his　patron　waited　near　at　hand；　in　the　cab　which　had
brought　them　from　the　hotel。　After　a　delay　of　little　more　than
five　minutes；　he　reappeared；　in　full　possession　of　all　attainable
particulars。　His　first　proceeding　was　to　request　Allan　to　step
out　of　the　cab；　and　to　pay　the　driver。　Next；　he　politely　offered
his　arm；　and　led　the　way　round　the　corner　of　the　crescent；　across
a　square；　and　into　a　by…street；　which　was　rendered　exceptionally
lively　by　the　presence　of　the　local　cab…stand。　Here　he　stopped；
and　asked　jocosely　whether　Mr。　Armadale　saw　his　way　now；　or
whether　it　would　be　necessary　to　test　his　patience　by　making　an
explanation。

〃See　my　way？〃　repeated　Allan；　in　bewilderment。　〃I　see　nothing　but
a　cab…stand。〃

Pedgift　Junior　smiled　compassionately；　and　entered　on　his
explanation。　It　was　a　lodging…house　at　Kingsdown　Crescent；　he
begged　to　state　to　begin　with。　He　had　insisted　on　seeing　the
landlady。　A　very　nice　person；　with　all　the　remains　of　having　been
a　fine　girl　about　fifty　years