armadale-第102章
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landlady。 A very nice person； with all the remains of having been
a fine girl about fifty years ago； quite in Pedgift's styleif
he had only been alive at the beginning of the present
centuryquite in Pedgift's style。 But perhaps Mr。 Armadale would
prefer hearing about Mrs。 Mandeville？ Unfortunately； there was
nothing to tell。 There had been no quarreling； and not a farthing
left unpaid： the lodger had gone； and there wasn't an explanatory
circumstance to lay hold of anywhere。 It was either Mrs。
Mandeville's way to vanish； or there was something under the
rose； quite undiscoverable so far。 Pedgift had got the date on
which she left； and the time of day at which she left； and the
means by which she left。 The means might help to trace her。 She
had gone away in a cab which the servant had fetched from the
nearest stand。 The stand was now before their eyes； and the
waterman was the first person to apply togoing to the waterman
for information being clearly （if Mr。 Armadale would excuse the
joke） going to the fountain…head。 Treating the subject in this
airy manner； and telling Allan that he would be back in a moment；
Pedgift Junior sauntered down the street； and beckoned the
waterman confidentially into the nearest public…house。
In a little while the two re…appeared； the waterman taking
Pedgift in succession to the first； third； fourth； and sixth of
the cabmen whose vehicles were on the stand。 The longest
conference was held with the sixth man； and it ended in the
sudden approach of the sixth cab to the part of the street where
Allan was waiting。
〃Get in； sir；〃 said Pedgift； opening the door； 〃I've found the
man。 He remembers the lady； and； though he has forgotten the name
of the street； he believes he can find the place he drove her to
when he once gets back into the neighborhood。 I am charmed to
inform you； Mr。 Armadale； that we are in luck's way so far。 I
asked the waterman to show me the regular men on the stand； and
it turns out that one of the regular men drove Mrs。 Mandeville。
The waterman vouches for him； he's quite an anomalya
respectable cabman； drives his own horse； and has never been in
any trouble。 These are the sort of men； sir； who sustain one's
belief in human nature。 I've had a look at our friend； and I
agree with the waterman； I think we can depend on him。〃
The investigation required some exercise of patience at the
outset。 It was not till the cab had traversed the distance
between Bayswater and Pimlico that the driver began to slacken
his pace and look about him。 After once or twice retracing its
course； the vehicle entered a quiet by…street； ending in a dead
wall； with a door in it； and stopped at the last house on the
left…hand side； the house next to the wall。
〃Here it is； gentlemen；〃 said the man； opening the cab door。
Allan and Allan's adviser both got out； and both looked at the
house； with the same feeling of instinctive distrust。
Buildings have their physiognomyespecially buildings in great
citiesand the face of this house was essentially furtive in its
expression。 The front windows were all shut； and the front blinds
were all drawn down。 It looked no larger than the other houses in
the street； seen in front； but it ran back deceitfully and gained
its greater accommodation by means of its greater depth。 It
affected to be a shop on the ground…floor； but it exhibited
absolutely nothing in the space that intervened between the
window and an inner row of red curtains； which hid the interior
entirely from view。 At one side was the shop door； having more
red curtains behind the glazed part of it； and bearing a brass
plate on the wooden part of it； inscribed with the name of
〃Oldershaw。〃 On the other side was the private door； with a bell
marked Professional； and another brass plate； indicating a
medical occupant on this side of the house； for the name on it
was； 〃Doctor Downward。〃 If ever brick and mortar spoke yet； the
brick and mortar here said plainly； 〃We have got our secrets
inside； and we mean to keep them。〃
〃This can't be the place；〃 said Allan； 〃there must be some
mistake。〃
'You know best； sir；〃 remarked Pedgift Junior； with his sardonic
gravity。 〃You know Mrs。 Mandeville's habits。〃
〃I！〃 exclaimed Allan。 〃You may be surprised to hear it； but Mrs。
Mandeville is a total stranger to me。〃
〃I'm not in the least surprised to hear it； sir； the landlady at
Kingsdown Crescent informed me that Mrs。 Mandeville was an old
woman。 Suppose we inquire？〃 added the impenetrable Pedgift；
looking at the red curtains in the shop window with a strong
suspicion that Mrs。 Mandeville's granddaughter might possibly be
behind them。
They tried the shop door first。 It was locked。 They rang。 A lean
and yellow young woman； with a tattered French novel in her hand；
opened it。
〃Good…morning； miss；〃 said Pedgift。 〃Is Mrs。 Mandeville at home？〃
The yellow young woman stared at him in astonishment。 〃No person
of that name is known here；〃 she answered； sharply； in a foreign
accent。
〃Perhaps they know her at the private door？〃 suggested Pedgift
Junior。
〃Perhaps they do；〃 said the yellow young woman； and shut the door
in his face。
〃Rather a quick…tempered young person that； sir；〃 said Pedgift。
〃I congratulate Mrs。 Mandeville on not being acquainted with
her。〃 He led the way； as he spoke； to Doctor Downward's side of
the premises； and rang the bell。
The door was opened this time by a man in a shabby livery。 He；
too； stared when Mrs。 Mandeville's name was mentioned； and he；
too； knew of no such person in the house。
〃Very odd；〃 said Pedgift； appealing to Allan。
〃What is odd？〃 asked a softly stepping； softly speaking gentleman
in black； suddenly appearing on the threshold of the parlor door。
Pedgift Junior politely explained the circumstances； and begged
to know whether he had the pleasure of speaking to Doctor
Downward。
The doctor bowed。 If the expression may be pardoned； he was one
of those carefully constructed physicians in whom the
publicespecially the female publicimplicitly trust。 He had
the necessary bald head； the necessary double eyeglass； the
necessary black clothes； and the necessary blandness of manner；
all complete。 His voice was soothing； his ways were deliberate；
his smile was confid ential。 What particular branch of his
profession Doctor Downward followed was not indicated on his
door…plate； but he had utterly mistaken his vocation if he was
not a ladies' medical man。
〃Are you quite sure there is no mistake about the name？〃 asked
the doctor； with a strong underlying anxiety in his manner。 〃I
have known very serious inconvenience to arise sometimes from
mistakes about names。 No？ There is really no mistake？ In that
case； gentlemen； I can only repeat what my servant has already
told you。 Don't apologize； pray。 Good…morning。〃 The doctor
withdrew as noiselessly as he had appeared； the man in the shabby
livery silently opened the door； and Allan and his companion
found themselves in the street again。
〃Mr。 Armadale；〃 said Pedgift； 〃I don't know how you feel； I feel
puzzled。〃
〃That's awkward；〃 returned Allan。 〃I was just going to ask you
what we ought to do next。〃
〃I don't like the look of the place； the look of the shop…woman；
or the look of the doctor；〃 pursued the other。 〃And yet I can't
say I think they are deceiving us； I can't say I think they
really know Mrs。 Mandeville's name。〃
The impressions of Pedgift Junior seldom misled him； and they had
not misled him in this case。 The caution which had dictated Mrs。
Oldershaw's private removal from Bayswater was the caution which
frequently overreaches itself。 It had warned her to trust nobody
at Pimlico with the secret of the name she had assumed as Miss
Gwilt's reference； but it had entirely failed to prepare her for
the emergency that had really happened。 In a word； Mrs。 Oldershaw
had provided for everything except for the one unimaginable
contingency of an after…inquiry into the character of Miss Gwilt。
〃We must do something；〃 said Allan； 〃it seems useless to stop
here。〃
Nobody had ever yet caught Pedgift Junior at the end of his
resources； and Allan failed to catch him at the end of them now。
〃I qui
