elinor wyllys-2-第33章

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〃Did　he　make　no　difficulty　about　sending　it　to　you？〃　asked　Miss　Agnes。

〃No；　he　seemed　to　give　it　readily；　Mr。　Reed　sent　it　to　us　a　day　or　two　since。〃

Miss　Wyllys　received　the　letter　from　her　father；　inviting　Elinor　to　read　it　over　her　shoulder；　at　the　same　moment。　It　was　endorsed；　in　Clapp's　hand；　〃STATEMENT　OF　MR。　STANLEY；　PREPARED　AT　THE　REQUEST　OF　HIS　FATHER'S　EXECUTOR；〃　and　ran　as　follows：

〃July　1st；　183…。

〃I　left　home；　as　everybody　knows；　because　I　would　have　my　own　way　in　everything。　It　was　against　my　best　interests　to　be　sure；　but　boys　don't　think　at　such　times；　about　anything　but　having　their　own　will。　I　suppose　that　every　person　connected　with　my　deceased　father　knows；　that　my　first　voyage　was　made　to　Russia；　in　the　year　18；　in　the　ship　Dorothy　Beck；　Jonas　Thomson；　Master。　I　was　only　fourteen　years　old　at　the　time。　My　father　had　taken　to　heart　my　going　off；　and　when　I　came　back　from　Russia　he　was　on　the　look…out；　wrote　to　me　and　sent　me　money；　and　as　soon　as　he　heard　we　were　in　port　he　came　after　me。　Well；　I　went　back　with　the　old　gentleman；　but　we　had　a　quarrel　on　the　road；　and　I　put　about　again　and　went　to　New　Bedford；　where　I　shipped　in　a　whaler。　We　were　out　only　eighteen　months；　and　brought　in　a　full　cargo。　This　time　I　went　home　of　my　own　accord；　and　I　staid　a　great　part　of　one　summer。　I　did　think　some　of　quitting　the　seas；　but　after　a　while　things　didn't　work　well；　and　one　of　my　old　shipmates　coming　up　into　the　country　to　see　me；　I　went　off　with　him。　This　time　I　shipped　in　the　Thomas　Jefferson；　for　China。　This　was　in　the　year　1814；　during　the　last　war；　when　I　was　about　eighteen。　Most　people；　who　know　anything　about　William　Stanley；　think　that　was　the　last　of　him；　that　he　never　set　foot　on　American　ground　again；　but　they　are　mistaken；　as　he　himself　will　take　the　pains　to　show。　So　far　I　have　told　nothing　but　what　everybody　knows；　but　now　I　am　going　to　give　a　short　account　of　what　has　happened；　since　my　friends　heard　from　me。　Well；　the　Jefferson　sailed；　on　her　voyage　to　China；　in　October；　she　was　wrecked　on　the　coast　of　Africa　in　December；　and　it　was　reported　that　all　hands　were　lost：　so　they　were；　all　but　one；　and　that　one　was　William　Stanley。　I　was　picked　up　by　a　Dutchman；　the　barque　William；　bound　to　Batavia。　I　kept　with　the　Dutchman　for　a　while；　until　he　went　back　to　Holland。　After　I　had　cut　adrift　from　him；　I　fell　in　with　some　Americans；　and　got　some　old　papers；　in　one　of　them　I　saw　my　father's　second　marriage。　I　knew　the　name　of　the　lady　he　had　married；　but　I　had　never　spoken　to　her。　The　very　next　day；　one　of　the　men　I　was　with；　who　came　from　the　same　part　of　the　country；　told　me　of　my　father's　death；　and　said　it　was　the　common　talk　about　the　neighbourhood；　that　I　was　disinherited。　This　made　me　very　angry；　though　I　wasn't　much　surprised；　after　what　had　passed。　I　was　looking　out　for　a　homeward…bound　American；　to　go　back；　and　see　how　matters　stood；　when　one　night　that　I　was　drunk；　I　was　carried　off　by　an　English　officer；　who　made　out　I　was　a　runaway。　For　five　years　I　was　kept　in　different　English　men…of…war；　in　the　East　Indies；　at　the　end　of　that　time　I　was　put　on　board　the　Ceres；　sloop　of　war；　and　I　made　out　to　desert　from　her　at　last；　and　got　on　board　an　American。　I　then　came　home；　and　here；　the　first　man　that　I　met　on　shore　was　Billings；　the　chap　who　first　persuaded　me　to　go　to　sea：　he　knew　all　about　my　father's　family；　and　told　me　it　was　true　I　was　cut　off　without　a　cent；　and　that　Harry　Hazlehurst　had　been　adopted　by　my　father。　This　made　me　so　mad；　that　I　went　straight　to　New　Bedford；　and　shipped　in　the　Sally　Andrews；　for　a　whaling　voyage。　Just　before　we　were　to　have　come　home；　I　exchanged　into　another　whaler；　as　second…mate；　for　a　year　longer。　Then　I　sailed　in　a　Havre　liner；　as　foremast　hand；　for　a　while。　I　found　out　about　this　time；　that　the　executors　of　my　father's　estate　had　been　advertising　for　me　shortly　after　his　death；　while　I　was　in　the　East　Indies；　and　I　went　to　a　lawyer　in　Baltimore；　where　I　happened　to　be；　and　consulted　him　about　claiming　the　property；　but　he　wouldn't　believe　a　word　I　said；　because　I　was　half…drunk　at　the　time；　and　told　me　that　I　should　get　in　trouble　if　I　didn't　keep　my　mouth　shut。　Well；　I　cruized　about　for　a　while　longer；　when　at　last　I　went　to　Longbridge；　with　some　shipmates。　I　had　been　there　often　before；　as　a　lad；　and　I　had　some　notion　of　having　a　talk　with　Mr。　Wyllys；　my　father's　executor；　I　went　to　his　house　one　day；　but　I　didn't　see　him。　One　of　my　shipmates　who　knew　something　of　my　story；　and　had　been　a　client　of　Mr。　Clapp's；　advised　me　to　consult　him。　I　went　to　his　office；　but　he　sent　me　off　like　the　Baltimore　lawyer；　because　be　thought　I　was　drunk。　Three　years　after　that　I　got　back　to　Longbridge　again；　with　a　shipmate；　but　it　did　me　no　good；　for　I　got　drinking；　and　had　a　fit　of　the　horrors。　That　fit　sobered　me；　though；　in　the　end；　it　was　the　worst　I　had　ever　had；　I　should　have　hanged　myself；　and　there　would　have　been　an　end　of　William　Stanley　and　his　hard　rubs；　if　it　hadn't　been　for　the　doctorI　never　knew　his　name；　but　Mr。　Clapp　says　it　was　Dr。　Van　Horne。　After　this　bad　fit；　they　coaxed　me　into　shipping　in　a　temperance　whaler。　While　I　was　in　the　Pacific；　in　this　ship；　nigh　three　years；　and　out　of　the　reach　of　drink；　I　had　time　to　think　what　a　fool　I　had　been　all　my　life；　for　wasting　my　opportunities。　I　thought　there　must　be　some　way　of　getting　back　my　father's　property；　Mr。　Clapp　had　said；　that　if　I　was　really　the　man　I　pretended　to　be；　I　must　have　some　papers　to　make　it　out；　but　if　I　hadn't　any　papers；　he　couldn't　help　me；　even　if　I　was　William　Stanley　forty　times　over。　It　is　true；　I　couldn't　show　him　any　documents　that　time；　for　I　didn't　have　them　with　me　at　Longbridge；　but　I　made　up　my　mind；　while　I　was　out　on　my　last　voyage；　that　as　soon　as　I　got　home；　I　would　give　up　drinking；　get　my　papers　together；　and　set　about　doing　my　best　to　get　back　my　father's　property。　We　came　home　last　February；　I　went　to　work；　I　kept　sober；　got　my　things　together；　put　money　by　for　a　lawyer's　fee；　and　then　went　straight　to　Longbridge　again。　I　went　to　Mr。　Clapp's　office；　and　first　I　handed　him　the　money；　and　then　I　gave　him　my　papers。　I　went　to　him；　because　he　had　treated　me　better　than　any　other　lawyer；　and　told　me　if　I　was　William　Stanley；　and　could　prove　it；　he　could　help　me　better　than　any　other　man；　for　he　knew　all　about　my　father's　will。　Well；　he　hadn't　expected　ever　to　see　me　again；　but　he　heard　my　story　all　out　this　time；　read　the　documents；　and　at　last　believed　me；　and　undertook　the　case。　The　rest　is　known　to　the　executors　and　legatee　by　this　time；　and　it　is　to　be　hoped；　that　after　enjoying　my　father's　estate　for　nigh　twenty　years；　they　will　now　make　it　over　to　his　son。

〃Dictated　to　W。　C。　Clapp；　by　the　undersigned；

＇Signed；＇　〃WILLIAM　STANLEY。〃

｛〃Dutchman〃　=　a　ship　trading　between　the　Netherlands　and　the　Netherlands　East　Indies　（now　Indonesia）；　of　which　Batavia　（now　Jakarta）　was　the　capital｝

〃Are　these　facts；　so　far　as　they　are　known　to　you；　all　true？〃　asked　Miss　Agnes；　as　she　finished　the　paper。　〃I　mean　the　earlier　part　of　the　statement；　which　refers　to　William　Stanley's　movements　before　he　sailed　in　the　Jefferson？〃

〃Yes；　that　part　of　the　story　is　correct；　so　far　as　it　goes。〃

〃How　extraordinary！〃　exclaimed　Elinor。

〃What　does　Harry　think　of　this　paper？〃

〃Both　he　and　Mrs。　Stanley　are　more　disposed　to　listen　to　the　story　than　I　am；　however；　we　are　to　meet　this　individual　to…morrow；　and　shall　be　able　then；　I　hope；　to　see　our　way　more　clearly。〃

〃Do　you　find　any　glaring　inconsistency　in　the　latter　part　of　the　account？〃　continued　Miss　Agnes。

〃Nothing　impossible；　certainly；　but　the　improbability　of　William　Stanley's　never　applying　to　his　father's　executors；　until　he　appeared；　so　late　in　the　day；　as　Mr。　Clapp's　client；　is　still　just　as　striking　as　ever　in　my　eyes。　Mr。　Reed　accounts　for　it；　by　the　singular　character　of　the　man　himself；　and　the　strange；　loose　notions　sailors　get　on　most　subjects；　but　that　is　far　from　satisfying　my　mind。〃

〃Mrs。　Stanley　is　evidently　much　perplexed；〃　observed　Miss　Wyllys；　〃she　always　feels　any　trouble　acutely；　and　this　startling　application　is　enough　to　cause　her　the　most　serious　anxiety；　under　every　point　of　view。〃

〃Ce