armadale-第158章

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outstretched　hand。　Bashwood　the　son　took　a　little　key　out　of　his
waistcoat　pocket；　winked；　shook　his　head；　and　put　the　key　back
again。

〃I　haven't　done　breakfast　yet；〃　he　said。　〃Gently　does　it；　my　dear
sirgently　does　it。〃

〃I　can't　wait！〃　cried　the　old　man；　struggling　vainly　to　preserve
his　self…control。　〃It's　past　nine！　It's　a　fortnight　to…day　since
she　went　to　London　with　Mr。　Armadale！　She　may　be　married　to　him
in　a　fortnight！　She　may　be　married　to　him　this　morning！　I　can't
wait！　I　can't　wait！〃

〃There's　no　knowing　what　you　can　do　till　you　try；〃　rejoined
Bashwood　the　younger。　〃Try；　and　you'll　find　you　can　wait。　What
has　become　of　your　curiosity？〃　he　went　on；　feeding　the　fire
ingeniously　with　a　stick　at　a　time。　〃Why　don't　you　ask　me　what　I
mean　by　calling　Miss　Gwilt　a　public　character？　Why　don't　you
wonder　how　I　came　to　lay　my　hand　on　the　story　of　her　life；　in
black　and　white？　If　you'll　sit　down　again；　I'll　tell　you。　If　you
won't；　I　shall　confine　myself　to　my　breakfast。〃

Mr。　Bashwood　sighed　heavily；　and　went　back　to　his　chair。

〃I　wish　you　were　not　so　fond　of　your　joke；　Jemmy；〃　he　said。　〃I
wish；　my　dear；　you　were　not　quite　so　fond　of　your　joke。〃

〃Joke？〃　repeated　his　son。　〃It　would　be　serious　enough　in　some
people's　eyes；　I　can　tell　you。　Miss　Gwilt　has　been　tried　for　her
life；　and　the　papers　in　that　black　bag　are　the　lawyer's
instructions　for　the　Defense。　Do　you　call　that　a　joke？〃

The　father　started　to　his　feet；　and　looked　straight　across　the
table　at　the　son　with　a　smile　of　exultation　that　was　terrible　to
see。

〃She's　been　tried　for　her　life！〃　he　burst　out；　with　a　deep　gasp
of　satisfaction。　〃She's　been　tried　for　her　life！〃　He　broke　into　a
low；　prolonged　laugh；　and　snapped　his　fingers　exultingly。
〃Aha…ha…ha！　Something　to　frighten　Mr。　Armadale　in　_that！_〃

Scoundrel　as　he　was；　the　son　was　daunted　by　the　explosion　of
pent…up　passion　which　burst　on　him　in　those　words。

〃Don't　excite　yourself；〃　he　said；　with　a　sullen　suppression　of
the　mocking　manner　in　which　he　had　spoken　thus　far。

Mr。　Bashwood　sat　down　again；　and　passed　his　handkerchief　over　his
forehead。　〃No；〃　he　said；　nodding　and　smiling　at　his　son。　〃No；
nono　excitement；　as　you　sayI　can　wait　now；　Jemmy；　I　can　wait
now。〃

He　waited　with　immovable　patience。　At　intervals；　he　nodded；　and
smiled；　and　whispered　to　himself；　〃Something　to　frighten　Mr。
Armadale　in　_that！_〃　But　he　made　no　further　attempt；　by　word；
look；　or　action；　to　hurry　his　son。

Bashwood　the　younger　finished　his　breakfast　slowly；　out　of　pure
bravado；　lit　a　cigar　with　the　utmost　deliberation；　looked　at　his
father；　and；　seeing　him　still　as　immovably　patient　as　ever；
opened　the　black　bag　at　last；　and　spread　the　papers　on　the　table。

〃How　will　you　have　it？〃　he　asked。　〃Long　or　short？　I　have　got　her
whole　life　here。　The　counsel　who　defended　her　at　the　trial　was
instructed　to　hammer　hard　at　the　sympathies　of　the　jury：　he　went
head　over　ears　into　the　miseries　of　her　past　career；　and　shocked
everybody　in　court　in　the　most　workman…like　manner。　Shall　I　take
the　same　line？　Do　you　want　to　know　all　about　her；　from　the　time
when　she　was　in　short　frocks　and　frilled　trousers？　or　do　you
prefer　getting　on　at　once　to　her　first　appearance　as　a　prisoner
in　the　dock？〃

〃I　want　to　know　all　about　her；〃　said　his　father；　eagerly。　〃The
worst；　and　the　bestthe　worst　particularly。　Don't　spare　my
feelings；　Jemmywhatever　you　do；　don't　spare　my　feelings！　Can't
I　look　at　the　papers　myself？〃

〃No；　you　can't。　They　would　be　all　Greek　and　Hebrew　to　you。　Thank
your　stars　that　you　have　got　a　sharp　son；　who　can　take　the　pith
out　of　these　papers；　and　give　it　a　smack　of　the　right　flavor　in
serving　it　up。　There　are　not　ten　men　in　England　who　could　tell
you　this　woman's　story　as　I　can　tell　it。　It's　a　gift；　old
gentleman；　of　the　sort　that　is　given　to　very　few　peopleand　it
lodges　here。〃

He　tapped　his　forehead　smartly；　and　turned　to　the　first　page　of
the　manuscript　before　him；　with　an　unconcealed　triumph　at　the
prospect　of　exhibiting　his　own　cleverness；　which　was　the　first
expression　of　a　genuine　feeling　of　any　sort　that　had　escaped　him
yet。


〃Miss　Gwilt's　story　begins；〃　said　Bashwood　the　younger；　〃in　the
market…place　at　Thorpe　Ambrose。　One　day；　something　like　a　quarter
of　a　century　ago；　a　traveling　quack　doctor；　who　dealt　in
perfumery　as　well　as　medicines；　came　to　the　town　with　his　cart；
and　exhibited；　as　a　living　example　of　the　excellence　of　his
washes　and　hair…oils　and　so　on；　a　pretty　little　girl；　with　a
beautiful　complexion　and　wonderful　hair。　His　name　was　Oldershaw。
He　had　a　wife；　who　helped　him　in　the　perfumery　part　of　his
business；　and　who　carried　it　on　by　herself　after　his　death。　She
has　risen　in　the　world　of　late　years；　and　she　is　identical　with
that　sly　old　lady　who　employed　me　professionally　a　short　time
since。　As　for　the　pretty　little　girl；　you　know　who　she　was　as
well　as　I　do。　While　the　quack　was　haranguing　the　mob　and　showing
them　the　child's　hair；　a　young　lady；　driving　through　the
marketplace；　stopped　her　carriage　to　hear　what　it　was　all　about；
saw　the　little　girl；　and　took　a　violent　fancy　to　her　on　the　spot。
The　young　lady　was　the　daughter　of　Mr。　Blanchard；　of　Thorpe
Ambrose。　She　went　home；　and　interested　her　father　in　the　fate　of
the　innocent　little　victim　of　the　quack　doctor。　The　same　evening；
the　Oldershaws　were　sent　for　to　the　great　house　and　were
questioned。　They　declared　themselves　to　be　her　uncle　and　aunta
lie；　of　course！and　they　were　quite　willing　to　let　her　attend
the　village　school；　while　they　stayed　at　Thorpe　Ambrose；　when　the
proposal　was　made　to　them。　The　new　arrangement　was　carried　out
the　next　day。　And　the　day　after　that；　the　Oldershaws　had
disappeared；　and　had　left　the　little　girl　on　the　squire's　hands！
She　evidently　hadn't　answered　as　they　expected　in　the　capacity　of
an　advertisement；　and　that　was　the　way　they　took　of　providing
　for　her　for　life。　There　is　the　first　act　of　the　play　for　you！
Clear　enough；　so　far；　isn't　it？〃

〃Clear　enough；　Jemmy；　to　clever　people。　But　I'm　old　and　slow。　I
don't　understand　one　thing。　Whose　child　was　she？〃

〃A　very　sensible　question。　Sorry　to　inform　you　that　nobody　can
answer　itMiss　Gwilt　herself　included。　These　Instructions　that
I'm　refering　to　are　founded；　of　course；　on　her　own　statements；
sifted　by　her　attorney。　All　she　could　remember；　on　being
questioned；　was　that　she　was　beaten　and　half　starved；　somewhere
in　the　country；　by　a　woman　who　took　in　children　at　nurse。　The
woman　had　a　card　with　her；　stating　that　her　name　was　Lydia　Gwilt；
and　got　a　yearly　allowance　for　taking　care　of　her　（paid　through　a
lawyer）　till　she　was　eight　years　old。　At　that　time；　the　allowance
stopped；　the　lawyer　had　no　explanation　to　offer；　nobody　came　to
look　after　her；　nobody　wrote。　The　Oldershaws　saw　her；　and　thought
she　might　answer　to　exhibit；　and　the　woman　parted　with　her　for　a
trifle　to　the　Oldershaws；　and　the　Oldershaws　parted　with　her　for
good　and　all　to　the　Blanchards。　That's　the　story　of　her　birth；
parentage；　and　education！　She　may　be　the　daughter　of　a　duke；　or
the　daughter　of　a　costermonger。　The　circumstances　may　be　highly
romantic；　or　utterly　commonplace。　Fancy　anything　you
likethere's　nothing　to　stop　you。　When　you've　had　your　fancy
out；　say　the　word；　and　I'll　turn　over　the　leaves　and　go　on。〃

〃Please　to　go　on；　Jemmyplease　to　go　on。〃

〃The　next　glimpse　of　Miss　Gwilt；〃　resumed　Bashwood　the　younger；
turning　over　the　papers；　〃is　a　glimpse　at　a　family　mystery。　The
deserted　child　was　in　luck's　way　at　last。　She　had　taken　the　fancy
of　an　amiable　young　lady　with　a　rich　father；　and　she　was　petted
and　made　much　of　at　the　great　house；　in　the　character　of　Miss
Blanchard's　last　new　plaything。　Not　long　afterward　Mr。　Blanchard
and　his　daughter　went　abroad；　and　took　the　girl　with　them　in　the
capacity　of　Miss　Blanchard's　little　maid。　When　they　came　back；
the　daughter　had　married；　and　become　a　widow；　in　the　interval；
and　the　pretty　little　maid；　instead　of　returning　with　them　to
Thorpe　Ambrose；　turns　up　suddenly；　all　alone；　as　a　pupil　at　a
school　in　France。　There　she　was；　at　a　first…rate　establishment；
with　her　maintenance　and　education　secured　until　she　married　and
settled　in　lif