elinor wyllys-2-第68章

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｛〃protection〃　=　a　paper　testifying　to　the　American　citizenship　of　a　seaman；　carried　to　protect　him　against　being　forced　into　the　British　Navy　as　an　Englishman。　Stebbins'　survival　reflects　descriptions　of　a　shipwreck　on　the　Atlantic　coast　of　North　Africa　in　James　Fenimore　Cooper's　〃Homeward　Bound〃　（1838）｝

〃The　fellow　was　half…drunk；〃　said　Stebbins；　〃but　I　knew　his　yarn　was　a　lie　all　the　time；　for　I　had　sailed　with　him　in　another　ship；　at　the　time　my　brother　Jonathan　was　wrecked　in　the　Jefferson。　He　shipped　then　under　the　name　of　Benson；　but　I　knew　his　real　name　was　Edward　Hopgood〃

〃Edward　Hopgood！〃　exclaimed　Harry；　passing　his　hand　over　his　forehead〃　surely　I　have　heard　that　name　before。　Wait　a　moment；〃　he　added；　to　Stebbins；　while　he　endeavoured　to　recollect　why　that　name；　singular　in　itself；　had　a　familiar　sound　to　him。　At　length　his　eye　brightened；　the　whole　matter　became　more　clear；　he　recollected　when　a　mere　child；　a　year　or　two　before　Mr。　Stanley's　death；　while　staying　at　Greatwood　during　a　vacation；　to　have　heard　of　the　bad　conduct　of　a　young　man　named　Edward　Hopgood；　a　lawyer's　clerk　in　the　adjoining　village；　who　had　committed　forgery　and　then　run　away。　The　circumstances　had　occurred　while　Harry　was　at　Greatwood；　and　had　been　so　much　talked　of　in　a　quiet；　country　neighbourhood；　as　to　make　a　decided　impression　on　himself；　child　as　he　was。　Harry　also　remembered　to　have　heard　Mr。　Stanley　tell　Mr。　Wyllys　that　this　Hopgood　was　very　distantly　related　to　himself；　through　the　mother；　who　had　made　a　very　bad　connexion；　adding；　that　this　lad　had　been　at　Greatwood；　and　would　have　been　assisted　by　himself；　had　he　not　behaved　very　badly；　and　done　so　much　to　injure　his　own　son　that　he　had　been　forbidden　the　house。　Harry　farther　remembered；　that　Clapp　had　belonged　to　the　same　office　from　which　this　Hopgood　had　run　away。　There　was；　however；　one　point　which　he　did　not　understand；　he　thought　he　had　since　heard　that　this　Hopgood　had　turned　actor；　and　died　long　since　of　yellow…fever；　at　New　Orleans。　Still；　he　felt　convinced　that　there　was　a　good　foundation　for　Stebbins's　story；　and　he　hoped　soon　to　unravel　the　whole　plot；　from　the　clue　thus　placed　in　his　hands。

〃Go　on；〃　said　Harry；　after　this　pause。　〃You　say　this　man；　whom　you　knew　to　be　Hopgood；　called　himself　William　Stanley。　What　became　of　him？〃

〃It　is　the　same　chap　that　hoisted　your　colours；　Mr。　Hazlehurst；　him　that　the　jury　gave　the　verdict　to　in　Philadelphia。〃

〃Yes；　I　knew　it　must　be　the　same　individual　before　you　spoke；〃　said　Harry；　with　a　view　to　keep　his　informant　accurate。　〃But　how　did　you　know　that　his　name　was　Hopgood？　for　you　say　he　had　shipped　under　another。〃

〃I　knew　it　because　he　had　told　me　so　himself。　He　told　me　how　he　had　run　away　from　a　lawyer's　office　in　Pennsylvany；　gone　to　New　Orleans　and　turned　play…actor　a　while；　then　shammed　dead；　and　had　his　name　printed　in　the　papers　among　them　that　died　of　yellow…fever。　He　told　me　all　that　in　his　first　voyage；　when　we　were　shipmates；　and　that　was　just　the　time　that　my　brother　Jonathan　was　wrecked　in　the　Jefferson。〃

〃When　you　afterwards　heard　him　say　he　was　William　Stanley；　did　you　tell　him　you　knew　his　real　name？〃

〃Yes；　I　told　him　I　knew　he　lied；　for　my　brother　had　buried　Stanley　with　his　own　hands；　and　that　I　had　his　papers　at　home。　Then　he　told　me；　he　was　only　laughing　at　the　green…horns。〃

〃Did　you　mention　to　any　one　at　the　time　that　you　knew　this　man　was　not　William　Stanley？〃

〃No；　sir；　for　I　didn't　speak　to　him　until　we　were　alone；　and　we　parted　company　next　morning；　for　I　went　to　sea。〃

〃When　did　you　next　see　Hopgood？〃

〃Well；　I　didn't　fall　in　with　him　again　for　a　long　while；　until　this　last　spring。　When　I　came　home　from　a　voyage　to　China　in　the　Mandarin；　last　May；　I　went　to　my　mother's；　near　New　Bedford；　and　then　I　found　a　chap　had　been　to　see　her　in　the　winter；　and　persuaded　her　to　give　him　all　the　papers　in　the　old　chest；　that　had　belonged　to　William　Stanley；　making　out　he　was　one　of　the　young　man's　relations。　It　was　that　lawyer　Clapp；　and　Hopgood　had　put　him　on　the　track　of　them　'ere　papers。〃

〃What　were　the　documents　in　your　chest？〃

〃Most　of　what　they　had　to　show　came　from　me：　to　be　sure；　Hopgood　had　got　some　letters　and　papers；　written　to　himself　of　late　years　under　the　name　of　William　Stanley；　but　all　they　had　before　the　wreck　of　the　Jefferson　came　from　me。〃

〃Were　there　any　books　among　the　articles　in　your　possession？〃

〃No；　sir；　nothing　but　the　pocket…book。〃

〃Are　you　quite　sure？　Was　there　not　one　book　with　William　Stanley's　name　in　it？〃

〃Not　one；　that　'ere　book　they　had　in　court　didn't　come　from　me；　how　they　got　it　I　don't　know；〃　replied　Stebbins　positively；　who；　it　seemed；　knew　nothing　of　the　volume　of　the　Spectator。

〃Where　did　you　next　meet　Hopgood？〃

〃Well；　I　was　mad　when　I　found　he　had　got　them　papers；　but　the　lawyer　had　left　a　message　with　my　mother；　saying　if　I　came　home；　she　was　to　tell　me　I'd　hear　something　to　my　advantage　by　applying　to　him。　So　I　went　after　him　to　the　place　where　he　lives；　and　sure　enough　there　was　Hopgood；　and　he　and　Clapp　as　thick　as　can　be　together。　I　guess　they'd　have　liked　it　better　if　I　had　never　showed　myself　again：　but　they　got　round　me；　and　told　me　how　it　was　all　settled；　and　if　I　would　only　lend　a　hand；　and　keep　quiet　about　Hopgood；　and　speak　for　them　once　in　a　while；　they　would　enter　into　an　agreement　to　give　me　enough　to　make　a　skipper　of　me　at　once。　Them　'ere　lawyers　they　can　make　black　look　like　whiteand　so　I　agreed　to　it　at　last。〃

Hazlehurst　strongly　suspected　that　less　persuasion　had　been　necessary　than　the　man　wished　him　to　believe。

〃Did　they　tell　you　all　their　plan？〃

〃Pretty　much　all；　they　said　it　was　easy　to　make　people　believe　Hopgood　was　William　Stanley；　for　he　looked　so　much　like　the　young　man；　that　he　had　been　asked　if　that　wasn't　his　name。　He　said　it　was　that　first　gave　him　the　notion　of　passing　off　for　William　Stanleythat；　and　knowing　all　about　the　family；　and　the　young　man　himself。　He　said　Stanley　had　no　near　relations　who　would　be　likely　to　remember　him；　there　was　only　one　old　gentleman　they　was　afraid　of；　but　they　calculated　they　knew　enough　to　puzzle　him　too。　Hopgood　had　been　practising　after　Stanley's　handwriting；　he　was　pretty　good　at　that　trade　when　he　was　a　shaver；〃　said　Stebbins；　with　a　look　which　showed　he　knew　the　story　of　the　forgery。　〃He　was　bred　a　lawyer；　and　them　'ere　lawyers　are　good　at　all　sorts　of　tricks。　Clapp　and　him　had　made　out　a　story　from　my　papers　and　what　they　know'd　before；　and　got　it　all　ready　in　a　letter；　they　agreed　that　from　the　time　of　the　wreck；　they　had　better　keep　pretty　straight　to　Hopgood's　real　life；　and　so　they　did。〃

〃They　seem　to　have　laid　all　their　plans　before　you。〃

〃Well；　they　couldn't　help　it；　for　they　wanted　me　to　tell　them　all　I　heard　from　my　brother；　but　I　told　'em　to　speak　first。　They　made　out　that　Hopgood　had　a　right　to　the　property；　for　they　said　that　old　Mr。　Stanley　had　no　family　to　leave　it　to；　that　you　was　a　stranger；　and　that　Hopgood　was　a　relation。〃

〃This　Hopgood；　who　first　helped　to　corrupt　William　Stanley；　even　if　he　had　actually　been　a　near　relation；　would　have　been　the　last　human　being　to　whom　Mr。　Stanley　would　have　left　his　property；〃　said　Harry；　coolly。　〃But　go　on　with　your　story；　why　did　they　not　show　the　pocket…book　before　the　trial？〃

〃They　settled　it　so；　because　they　thought　it　would　look　better　before　the　jury。〃

〃Why　did　you　change　your　own　mind　so　soon　after　the　trial？　You　should　have　come　to　me　before。〃

〃Hopgood　and　I　had　a　quarrel　only　three　days　ago；　when　he　was　drunk；　he　swore　they　could　have　done　without　me；　and　I　swore　I'd　be　revenged。　Then　that　fellow；　Clapp；　wouldn't　pay　me　on　the　spot　according　to　agreement；　as　soon　as　they　had　gained　the　cause。　I　had　kept　my　part；　and　he　hadn't　lifted　a　finger　yet　for　me；　nor　he　wouldn't　if　he　could　help　it；　for　all　he　had　given　me　his　word。　I　know　him　from　more　than　one　thing　that　came　out；　he　is　one　of　your　fellows　who　sham　gentlemen；　with　a　fine　coat　to　his　back；　but　I　wouldn't　trust　him　with　a　sixpence　out　of　sight；　no；　nor　out　of　arm's　length；〃　and　Stebbins　went　on；　swearing　roundly　at　Clapp　and　Hopgood；　until　Harry　interrupted　him。

〃I　know　them　'ere　lawyers；　they　think　they　c