for the term of his natural life-第101章

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In　vain；　in　his　secret　eagerness　to　be　rid　of　her；　he　raged　and　chafed。　He　was　tied　hand　and　foot。　　She　held　his　money；　and　her　shrewd　wit　had　more　than　doubled　it。　　She　was　all…powerful；　and　he　could　but　wait　until　her　death　or　some　lucky　accident　should　rid　him　of　her；　and　leave　him　free　to　follow　out　the　scheme　he　had　matured。　〃Once　rid　of　her；〃　he　thought；　in　his　solitary　rides　over　the　station　of　which　he　was　the　nominal　owner；　〃the　rest　is　easy。　　I　shall　return　to　England　with　a　plausible　story　of　shipwreck；　and　shall　doubtless　be　received　with　open　arms　by　the　dear　mother　from　whom　I　have　been　so　long　parted。　　Richard　Devine　shall　have　his　own　again。〃

To　be　rid　of　her　was　not　so　easy。　　Twice　he　tried　to　escape　from　his　thraldom；　and　was　twice　brought　back。　　〃I　have　bought　you；　John；〃　his　partner　had　laughed；　〃and　you　don't　get　away　from　me。　　Surely　you　can　be　content　with　these　comforts。　　You　were　content　with　less　once。　　I　am　not　so　ugly　and　repulsive；　am　I？〃

〃I　am　home…sick；〃　John　Carr　retorted。　　〃Let　us　go　to　England；　Sarah。〃

She　tapped　her　strong　white　fingers　sharply　on　the　table。　　〃Go　to　England？　No；　no。　　That　is　what　you　would　like　to　do。　　You　would　be　master　there。　You　would　take　my　money；　and　leave　me　to　starve。　　I　know　you；　Jack。　We　stop　here；　dear。　　Here；　where　I　can　hand　you　over　to　the　first　trooper　as　an　escaped　convict　if　you　are　not　kind　to　me。〃

〃She…devil！〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　mind　your　abuse。　　Abuse　me　if　you　like；　Jack。　　Beat　me　if　you　will；　but　don't　leave　me；　or　it　will　be　worse　for　you。〃

〃You　are　a　strange　woman！〃　he　cried；　in　sudden　petulant　admiration。

〃To　love　such　a　villain？　I　don't　know　that。　　I　love　you　because　you　are　a　villain。　　A　better　man　would　be　wearisome　to　such　as　I　am。〃

〃I　wish　to　Heaven　I'd　never　left　Port　Arthur。　　Better　there　than　this　dog's　life。〃

〃Go　back；　then。　　You　have　only　to　say　the　word！〃　And　so　they　would　wrangle；　she　glorying　in　her　power　over　the　man　who　had　so　long　triumphed　over　her；　and　he　consoling　himself　with　the　hope　that　the　day　was　not　far　distant　which　should　bring　him　at　once　freedom　and　fortune。　　One　day　the　chance　came　to　him。　　His　wife　was　ill；　and　the　ungrateful　scoundrel　stole　five　hundred　pounds；　and　taking　two　horses　reached　Sydney；　and　obtained　passage　in　a　vessel　bound　for　Rio。

Having　escaped　thraldom；　John　Rex　proceeded　to　play　for　the　great　stake　of　his　life　with　the　utmost　caution。　　He　went　to　the　Continent；　and　lived　for　weeks　together　in　the　towns　where　Richard　Devine　might　possibly　have　resided；　familiarizing　himself　with　streets；　making　the　acquaintance　of　old　inhabitants；　drawing　into　his　own　hands　all　loose　ends　of　information　which　could　help　to　knit　the　meshes　of　his　net　the　closer。　　Such　loose　ends　were　not　numerous；　the　prodigal　had　been　too　poor；　too　insignificant；　to　leave　strong　memories　behind　him。　　Yet　Rex　knew　well　by　what　strange　accidents　the　deceit　of　an　assumed　identity　is　often　penetrated。　　Some　old　comrade　or　companion　of　the　lost　heir　might　suddenly　appear　with　keen　questions　as　to　trifles　which　could　cut　his　flimsy　web　to　shreds；　as　easily　as　the　sword　of　Saladin　divided　the　floating　silk。　　He　could　not　afford　to　ignore　the　most　insignificant　circumstances。　　With　consummate　skill；　piece　by　piece　he　built　up　the　story　which　was　to　deceive　the　poor　mother；　and　to　make　him　possessor　of　one　of　the　largest　private　fortunes　in　England。

This　was　the　tale　he　hit　upon。　　He　had　been　saved　from　the　burning　Hydaspes　by　a　vessel　bound　for　Rio。　　Ignorant　of　the　death　of　Sir　Richard；　and　prompted　by　the　pride　which　was　known　to　be　a　leading　feature　of　his　character；　he　had　determined　not　to　return　until　fortune　should　have　bestowed　upon　him　wealth　at　least　equal　to　the　inheritance　from　which　he　had　been　ousted。　　In　Spanish　America　he　had　striven　to　accumulate　that　wealth　in　vain。　　As　vequero；　traveller；　speculator；　sailor；　he　had　toiled　for　fourteen　years；　and　had　failed。　　Worn　out　and　penitent；　he　had　returned　home　to　find　a　corner　of　English　earth　in　which　to　lay　his　weary　bones。　　The　tale　was　plausible　enough；　and　in　the　telling　of　it　he　was　armed　at　all　points。　　There　was　little　fear　that　the　navigator　of　the　captured　Osprey；　the　man　who　had　lived　in　Chile　and　〃cut　out〃　cattle　on　the　Carrum　Plains；　would　prove　lacking　in　knowledge　of　riding；　seamanship；　or　Spanish　customs。　　Moreover；　he　had　determined　upon　a　course　of　action　which　showed　his　knowledge　of　human　nature。

The　will　under　which　Richard　Devine　inherited　was　dated　in　1807；　and　had　been　made　when　the　testator　was　in　the　first　hopeful　glow　of　paternity。　　By　its　terms　Lady　Devine　was　to　receive　a　life　interest　of　three　thousand　a　year　in　her　husband's　propertywhich　was　placed　in　the　hands　of　two　trusteesuntil　her　eldest　son　died　or　attained　the　age　of　twenty…five　years。　　When　either　of　these　events　should　occur；　the　property　was　to　be　realized；　Lady　Devine　receiving　a　sum　of　a　hundred　thousand　pounds；　which；　invested　in　Consols　for　her　benefit；　would；　according　to　Sir　Richard's　prudent　calculation　exactly　compensate　for　her　loss　of　interest；　the　remainder　going　absolutely　to　the　son；　if　living；　to　his　children　or　next　of　kin　if　dead。　　The　trustees　appointed　were　Lady　Devine's　father；　Colonel　Wotton　Wade；　and　Mr。　Silas　Quaid；　of　the　firm　of　Purkiss　and　Quaid　Thavies　Inn；　Sir　Richard's　solicitors。　Colonel　Wade；　before　his　death　had　appointed　his　son；　Mr。　Francis　Wade；　to　act　in　his　stead。　　When　Mr。　Quaid　died；　the　firm　of　Purkiss　and　Quaid　（represented　in　the　Quaid　branch　of　it　by　a　smart　London…bred　nephew）　declined　further　responsibility；　and；　with　the　consent　of　Lady　Devine；　Francis　Wade　continued　alone　in　his　trust。　　Sir　Richard's　sister　and　her　husband；　Anthony　Frere；　of　Bristol；　were　long　ago　dead；　and；　as　we　know；　their　representative；　Maurice　Frere；　content　at　last　in　the　lot　that　fortune　had　sent　him；　had　given　up　all　thought　of　meddling　with　his　uncle's　business。　　John　Rex；　therefore；　in　the　person　of　the　returned　Richard；　had　but　two　persons　to　satisfy；　his　putative　uncle；　Mr。　Francis　Wade；　and　his　putative　mother；　Lady　Devine。

This　he　found　to　be　the　easiest　task　possible。　　Francis　Wade　was　an　invalid　virtuoso；　who　detested　business；　and　whose　ambition　was　to　be　known　as　man　of　taste。　　The　possessor　of　a　small　independent　income；　he　had　resided　at　North　End　ever　since　his　father's　death；　and　had　made　the　place　a　miniature　Strawberry　Hill。　　When；　at　his　sister's　urgent　wish；　he　assumed　the　sole　responsibility　of　the　estate；　he　put　all　the　floating　capital　into　3　per　cents。；　and　was　content　to　see　the　interest　accumulate。　　Lady　Devine　had　never　recovered　the　shock　of　the　circumstances　attending　Sir　Richard's　death　and；　clinging　to　the　belief　in　her　son's　existence；　regarded　herself　as　the　mere　guardian　of　his　interests；　to　be　displaced　at　any　moment　by　his　sudden　return。　　The　retired　pair　lived　thus　together；　and　spent　in　charity　and　bric…a…brac　about　a　fourth　of　their　mutual　income。　　By　both　of　them　the　return　of　the　wanderer　was　hailed　with　delight。　　To　Lady　Devine　it　meant　the　realization　of　a　lifelong　hope；　become　part　of　her　nature。　　To　Francis　Wade　it　meant　relief　from　a　responsibility　which　his　simplicity　always　secretly　loathed；　the　responsibility　of　looking　after　another　person's　money。

〃I　shall　not　think　of　interfering　with　the　arrangements　which　you　have　made；　my　dear　uncle；〃　said　Mr。　John　Rex；　on　the　first　night　of　his　reception。　〃It　would　be　most　ungrateful　of　me　to　do　so。　　My　wants　are　very　few；　and　can　easily　be　supplied。　　I　will　see　your　lawyers　some　day；　and　settle　it。〃

〃See　them　at　once；　Richard；　see　them　at　once。　　I　am　no　man　of　business；　you　know；　but　I　think　you　will　find　all　right。〃

Richard；　however；　put　off　the　visit　from　day　to　day。　　He　desired　to　have　as　little　to　do　with　lawyers　as　possible。　　He　had　resolved　upon　his　course　of　action。　　He　would　get　money　from　his　mother　for　immediate　needs；　and　when　that　mother　died　he　would　assert　his　rights。　　〃My　rough　life　has　unfitted　me　for　drawing…rooms；　dear　mother；〃　he　said。　　〃Do　not　let　there　be　a　display　about　my　return。　　Give　me　a　corner　to　smoke　my　pipe；　and　I　am　happy。〃　　Lady　Devine；　with　a　loving　tender　pity；　for　which　John　Rex　could　not　altogether　account；　conse