elinor wyllys-2-第28章

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Mrs。　Stanley　was　listening　with　anxious　eagerness　for　the　opinion　of　the　two　gentlemen。

〃I　am　strongly　disposed　to　mistrust　anything　that　comes　through　Clapp's　hands；〃　said　Harry；　pacing　the　room　thoughtfully；　with　the　letters　in　his　hand。　〃Still；　I　think　it　behooves　us；　sir；　to　act　with　deliberation；　the　idea　that　it　is　not　impossible　that　this　individual　should　be　the　son　of　Mr。　Stanley；　must　not　be　forgottenthat　possibility　alone　would　make　me　sift　the　matter　to　the　bottom　at　once。〃

〃Certainly；　it　must　be　looked　into　immediately。〃

〃What　has　the　lawyer　written　to　you？〃　asked　Mrs。　Stanley。

The　letters　to　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Harry　were　then　read　aloud；　they　were　almost　identical　in　their　contents　with　that　to　Mrs。　Stanley。　The　tone　of　each　was　civil　and　respectful；　though　each　contained　a　technical　legal　notice；　that　they　would　be　required　to　surrender　to　William　Stanley；　the　property　of　his　late　father；　according　to　the　will　of　the　said　John　William　Stanley；　which　the　said　William；　his　son；　had　hitherto　neglected　to　claim；　though　legally　entitled　to　it。

〃There：　is　certainly　an　air　of　confidence　about　those　letters　of　Clapp's；〃　said　Harry；　〃as　if　he　felt　himself　on　a　firm　foothold。　It　is　very　extraordinary！〃

〃Of　course：　he　would　never　move　in　such　a　case；　without　some　plausible　proof；〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys。

〃But　how　could　he　get　any　proof　whatever；　on　this　occasion？〃　said　Mrs。　Stanley。　〃For　these　eighteen　years；　nearly；　William　Stanley　has　been　lying　at　the　bottom　of　the　ocean。　We　have　believed　so；　at　least。〃

〃Proofs　have　been　manufactured　by　lawyers　before　now；〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys。　〃Do　you　suppose　that　if　William　Stanley　had　been　living；　we　never　should　have　heard　one　trace　of　him　during　eighteen　years？at　a　time；　too；　when　his　father's　death　had　left　him　a　large　property。〃

〃What　sort　of　a　man　is　this　Mr。　Clapp？〃　asked　Mrs。　Stanley。　〃His　manners　and　appearance；　whenever　I　have　accidentally　seen　him　with　the　Hubbards；　struck　me　as　very　unpleasant：　but　is　it　possible　he　can　be　so　utterly　devoid　of　all　principle；　as　wilfully　to　countenance　an　impostor？〃

〃He　is　a　man　whom　I　do　not　believe　to　possess　one　just　principle！〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys。　〃Within　the　last　year　or　two；　I　have　lost　all　confidence　in　his　honesty；　from　facts　known　to　me。〃

〃I　have　always　had　a　poor　opinion　of　him；　but　I　have　never　had　much　to　do　with　him；〃　said　Harry；　〃still；　I　should　not　have　thought　him　capable　of　entering　into　a　conspiracy　so　atrocious　as　this　must　be；　if　the　story　be　not　true。〃

〃He　would　do　any　dirty　work　whatever；　for　money。　I　KNOW　the　man；〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys；　with　emphasis。

〃It　is　possible　he　may　be　deceived　himself；〃　observed　Mrs。　Stanley。

〃Very　improbable；〃　replied　Mr。　Wyllys；　shaking　his　head。

〃A　shrewd；　cunning；　quick…witted　fellow；　as　I　remember　him；　would　not　be　likely　to　undertake　such　a　case；　unless　he　had　some　prospect　of　success；〃　said　Harry；　pacing　the　room　again。　〃He　must　know　perfectly　well　that　it　is　make　or　break　with　him。　If　he　does　not　succeed；　he　will　be　utterly　ruined。〃

〃He　will　give　us　trouble；　no　doubt；〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys。　〃He　must　have　got　the　means　of　putting　together　a　plausible　story。　And　yet　his　audacity　confounds　me！〃　

〃Eighteen　years；　is　it　not；　since　William　Stanley's　death？〃　asked　Harry；　turning　to　Mrs。　Stanley。

〃It　will　be　eighteen　years　next　October；　since　he　sailed。　I　was　married　in　November；　and　from　that　time　we　have　never　heard　anything　from　the　poor　boy；　excepting　the　report　that　the　Jefferson；　the　ship　in　which　he　sailed；　had　been　shipwrecked　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　the　following　winter；　and　all　hands　lost。　That　report　reached　us　not　long　before　my　husband's　death；　and　caused　him　to　word　his　will　in　the　way　it　is　now　expressed；　giving　to　the　son　of　his　kinsman　and　old　friend；　half　his　property；　in　case　his　son's　death　should　be　confirmed。　The　report　WAS　confirmed；　some　months　later；　by　the　arrival　of　an　American　vessel；　which　had　ridden　out　the　storm　that　wrecked　the　Jefferson：　she　saw　the　wreck　itself；　sent　a　boat　to　examine　it；　but　could　find　no　one　living；　although　several　bodies　were　picked　up；　with　the　hope　of　reviving　them。　But　you　have　heard　the　whole　sad　story　before；　Harry。〃

〃Certainly；　I　merely　wished　to　hear　the　facts　again；　ma'am；　from　your　own　lips；　lest　I　might　have　forgotten　some　important　point。〃

〃Although　you　were　quite　a　child　at　the　time；　Harry；〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys；　〃eight　or　ten　I　believe；　still；　I　should　think　you　must　remember　the　anxiety　to　discover　the　real　fate　of　William　Stanley。　I　have　numbers　of　letters　in　my　hands；　answers　to　those　I　had　written　with　the　hope　of　learning　something　more　positive　on　the　subject。　We　sent　several　agents；　at　different　times；　to　the　principal　sea…ports；　to　make　inquiries　among　the　sailors；　it　all　resulted　in　confirming　the　first　story；　the　loss　of　the　Jefferson；　and　all　on　board。　Every　year；　of　course；　made　the　point　more　certain。〃

〃Still；　we　cannot　say　that　is　not　impossible　｛sic｝　he　should　have　escaped；〃　observed　Harry。

〃Why　should　he　have　waited　eighteen　years；　before　he　appeared　to　claim　his　property？and　why　should　he　not　come　directly　to　his　father's　executors；　instead　of　seeking　out　such　a　fellow　as　Clapp？　It　bears　on　the　very　face　every　appearance　of　a　gross　imposture。　Surely；　Harry；　you　do　not　think　there　is　a　shade　of　probability　as　to　the　truth　of　this　story？〃

〃Only　a　possibility；　sir；　almost　everything　is　against　it；　and　yet　I　shall　not　rest　satisfied　without　going　to　the　bottom　of　the　matter。〃

〃That；　you　may　be　sure；　we　shall　be　forced　to　do。　Clapp　will　give　us　trouble　enough；　I　warrant；　he　will　leave　no　stone　unturned　that　a　dirty　lawyer　can　move。　It　will　be　vexatious；　but　there　cannot　be　a　doubt　as　to　the　result。〃

〃You　encourage　me；〃　said　Mrs。　Stanley；　〃and　yet　the　idea　of　entering　into　a　suit　of　this　kind　is　very　painful！〃

〃If　it　be　a　conspiracy；　there　is　no　treatment　too　bad　for　those　who　have　put　the　plot　together！〃　exclaimed　Harry。　〃What　a　double…dyed　villain　Clapp　must　be！〃

〃He　will　end　his　career　in　the　State…Prison；〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys。

〃The　Hubbards；　too；　that　is　another　disagreeable　part　of　the　business；〃　said　Harry。

〃I　am　truly　sorry　for　them；〃　replied　Mr。　Wyllys。　〃It　will　give　them　great　pain。〃

〃What　steps　shall　we　first　take；　sir？〃　inquired　Harry。

〃We　must　look　into　the　matter　immediately；　of　course；　and　find　out　upon　what　grounds　they　are　at　work。〃

〃I　am　utterly　at　a　loss　to　comprehend　it！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Stanley。　〃Such　a　piece　of　bare…faced　audacity！〃

〃Clapp　must　rest　all　his　hope　of　success　on　our　want　of　positive　proof　as　to　the　death　of　William　Stanley；〃　observed　Harry。　〃But　his　having　dared　to　bring　forward　an　individual　to　personate　the　dead　man；　is　really　a　height　of　impudence　that　I　should　never　have　conceived　of。〃

〃If　I　did　not　know　him　to　be　an　incarnation　of　cunning；　I　should　think　he　had　lost　his　senses；〃　replied　Mr。　Wyllys；　〃but　happily　for　honest　men；　rogues　generally　overreach　themselves；　after　they　have　spread　their　nets；　made　the　mesh　as　intricate　as　possible；　they　almost　invariably　fall　into　their　own　snare。　Such　will；　undoubtedly；　be　the　result　in　this　case。〃　

〃Had　you　not　better　return　to　Longbridge　at　once；〃　said　Mrs。　Stanley；　〃in　order　to　inquire　into　the　matter？〃

〃Certainly；　we　had　better　all　be　on　the　spot；　though　I　am　confident　we　shall　unmask　the　rogues　very　speedily。　You　were　already　pledged　to　return　with　us；　Mrs。　Stanley；　and　I　shall　be　glad　to　see　you　at　Wyllys…Roof；　again；　Harry。〃

〃Thank　you；　sir；　you　are　very　good；〃　replied　Hazlehurst；　with　something　more　than　the　common　meaning　in　the　words；　for　he　coloured　a　little　on　remembering　the　occurrences　of　his　last　visit　to　Longbridge；　more　than　three　years　since。

　〃We　shall　find　it　difficult；〃　continued　Mr。　Wyllys；　〃to　get　an　insight　into　Clapp's　views　and　plans。　He　will；　no　doubt；　be　very　wary　in　all　he　does；　though　voluble　as　ever　in　what　he　says。　I　know　his　policy　of　old；　he　reverses　the　saying　of　the　cunning　Italian；　volto　sciolto；　bocca　stretta。〃

｛〃volto　sciolto；　bocca　stretta〃　=　open　countenance；　tight　lips　（Italian）｝

〃But　his　first　step　has　not　been　a　cautious　one；〃　observed　Harry。　〃It　is　singular　he　should　have　allowed　his　client　to　write　to　Mrs。　Stanley。