desperate remedies-第77章

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'I　have　always　said　〃No〃　hitherto；'　replied　the　woman；　'considering
I　could　say　no　more　if　put　upon　my　oath；　as　I　expected　to　be。　　But
speaking　in　a　common　everyday　way　now　the　occurrence　is　past；　I
believe　a　few　things　of　some　kind　（though　I　doubt　if　they　were
papers）　were　left　in　a　workbox　she　had；　because　she　talked　about　it
to　Mr。　Brown；　and　was　rather　angry　at　what　occurredyou　see；　she
had　a　temper　by　all　account；　and　so　I　didn't　like　to　remind　the　lady
of　this　workbox　when　she　came　the　other　day　with　her　husband。'

'And　about　the　workbox？'

'Well；　from　what　was　casually　dropped；　I　think　Mrs。　Manston　had　a
few　articles　of　furniture　she　didn't　want；　and　when　she　was　leaving
they　were　put　in　a　sale　just　by。　　Amongst　her　things　were　two
workboxes　very　much　alike。　　One　of　these　she　intended　to　sell；　the
other　she　didn't；　and　Mr。　Brown；　who　collected　the　things　together；
took　the　wrong　one　to　the　sale。'

'What　was　in　it？'

'O；　nothing　in　particular；　or　of　any　valuesome　accounts；　and　her
usual　sewing　materials　I　thinknothing　more。　　She　didn't　take　much
trouble　to　get　it　backshe　said　the　bills　were　worth　nothing　to　her
or　anybody　else；　but　that　she　should　have　liked　to　keep　the　box
because　her　husband　gave　it　her　when　they　were　first　married；　and　if
he　found　she　had　parted　with　it；　he　would　be　vexed。'

'Did　Mrs。　Manston；　when　she　called　recently　with　her　husband；　allude
to　this；　or　inquire　for　it；　or　did　Mr。　Manston？'

'Noand　I　rather　wondered　at　it。　　But　she　seemed　to　have　forgotten
itindeed；　she　didn't　make　any　inquiry　at　all；　only　standing　behind
him；　listening　to　his；　and　he　probably　had　never　been　told　anything
about　it。'

'Whose　sale　were　these　articles　of　hers　taken　to？'

'Who　was　the　auctioneer？　　Mr。　Halway。　　His　place　is　the　third
turning　from　the　end　of　that　street　you　see　there。　　Anybody　will
tell　you　the　shophis　name　is　written　up。'

Edward　went　off　to　follow　up　his　clue　with　a　promptness　which　was
dictated　more　by　a　dogged　will　to　do　his　utmost　than　by　a　hope　of
doing　much。　　When　he　was　out　of　sight；　the　tall　and　cloaked　man；　who
had　watched　him；　came　up　to　the　woman's　door；　with　an　appearance　of
being　in　breathless　haste。

'Has　a　gentleman　been　here　inquiring　about　Mrs。　Manston？'

'Yes；　he's　just　gone。'

'Dear　me！　　I　want　him。'

'He's　gone　to　Mr。　Halway's。'

'I　think　I　can　give　him　some　information　upon　the　subject。　　Does　he
pay　pretty　liberally？'

'He　gave　me　half…a…crown。'

'That　scale　will　do。　　I'm　a　poor　man；　and　will　see　what　my　little
contribution　to　his　knowledge　will　fetch。　　But；　by　the　way；　perhaps
you　told　him　all　I　knowwhere　she　lived　before　coming　to　live
here？'

'I　didn't　know　where　she　lived　before　coming　here。　　O　noI　only
said　what　Mr。　Brown　had　told　me。　　He　seemed　a　nice；　gentle　young
man；　or　I　shouldn't　have　been　so　open　as　I　was。'

'I　shall　now　about　catch　him　at　Mr。　Halway's；'　said　the　man；　and
went　away　as　hastily　as　he　had　come。

Edward　in　the　meantime　had　reached　the　auction…room。　　He　found　some
difficulty；　on　account　of　the　inertness　of　those　whose　only
inducement　to　an　action　is　a　mere　wish　from　another；　in　getting　the
information　he　stood　in　need　of；　but　it　was　at　last　accorded　him。
The　auctioneer's　book　gave　the　name　of　Mrs。　Higgins；　3　Canley
Passage；　as　the　purchaser　of　the　lot　which　had　included　Mrs。
Manston's　workbox。

Thither　Edward　went；　followed　by　the　man。　　Four　bell　pulls；　one
above　the　other　like　waistcoat…buttons；　appeared　on　the　door…post。
Edward　seized　the　first　he　came　to。

'Who　did　you　woant？'　said　a　thin　voice　from　somewhere。

Edward　looked　above　and　around　him；　nobody　was　visible。

'Who　did　you　woant？'　said　the　thin　voice　again。

He　found　now　that　the　sound　proceeded　from　below　the　grating
covering　the　basement　window。　　He　dropped　his　glance　through　the
bars；　and　saw　a　child's　white　face。

'Who　did　you　woant？'　said　the　voice　the　third　time；　with　precisely
the　same　languid　inflection。

'Mrs。　Higgins；'　said　Edward。

'Third　bell　up；'　said　the　face；　and　disappeared。

He　pulled　the　third　bell　from　the　bottom；　and　was　admitted　by
another　child；　the　daughter　of　the　woman　he　was　in　search　of。　　He
gave　the　little　thing　sixpence；　and　asked　for　her　mamma。　　The　child
led　him　upstairs。

Mrs。　Higgins　was　the　wife　of　a　carpenter　who　from　want　of　employment
one　winter　had　decided　to　marry。　　Afterwards　they　both　took　to
drink；　and　sank　into　desperate　circumstances。　　A　few　chairs　and　a
table　were　the　chief　articles　of　furniture　in　the　third…floor　back
room　which　they　occupied。　　A　roll　of　baby…linen　lay　on　the　floor；
beside　it　a　pap…clogged　spoon　and　an　overturned　tin　pap…cup。
Against　the　wall　a　Dutch　clock　was　fixed　out　of　level；　and　ticked
wildly　in　longs　and　shorts；　its　entrails　hanging　down　beneath　its
white　face　and　wiry　hands；　like　the　faeces　of　a　Harpy　（'foedissima
ventris　proluvies；　uncaeque　manus；　et　pallida　semper　ora'）。　　A　baby
was　crying　against　every　chair…leg；　the　whole　family　of　six　or　seven
being　small　enough　to　be　covered　by　a　washing…tub。　　Mrs。　Higgins　sat
helpless；　clothed　in　a　dress　which　had　hooks　and　eyes　in　plenty；　but
never　one　opposite　the　other；　thereby　rendering　the　dress　almost
useless　as　a　screen　to　the　bosom。　　No　workbox　was　visible　anywhere。

It　was　a　depressing　picture　of　married　life　among　the　very　poor　of　a
city。　　Only　for　one　short　hour　in　the　whole　twenty…four　did　husband
and　wife　taste　genuine　happiness。　　It　was　in　the　evening；　when；
after　the　sale　of　some　necessary　article　of　furniture；　they　were
under　the　influence　of　a　quartern　of　gin。

Of　all　the　ingenious　and　cruel　satires　that　from　the　beginning　till
now　have　been　stuck　like　knives　into　womankind；　surely　there　is　not
one　so　lacerating　to　them；　and　to　us　who　love　them；　as　the　trite　old
fact；　that　the　most　wretched　of　men　can；　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；
find　a　wife　ready　to　be　more　wretched　still　for　the　sake　of　his
company。

Edward　hastened　to　despatch　his　errand。

Mrs。　Higgins　had　lately　pawned　the　workbox　with　other　useless
articles　of　lumber；　she　said。　　Edward　bought　the　duplicate　of　her；
and　went　downstairs　to　the　pawnbroker's。

In　the　back　division　of　a　musty　shop；　amid　the　heterogeneous
collection　of　articles　and　odours　invariably　crowding　such　places；
he　produced　his　ticket；　and　with　a　sense　of　satisfaction　out　of　all
proportion　to　the　probable　worth　of　his　acquisition；　took　the　box
and　carried　it　off　under　his　arm。　　He　attempted　to　lift　the　cover　as
he　walked；　but　found　it　locked。

It　was　dusk　when　Springrove　reached　his　lodging。　　Entering　his　small
sitting…room；　the　front　apartment　on　the　ground　floor；　he　struck　a
light；　and　proceeded　to　learn　if　any　scrap　or　mark　within　or　upon
his　purchase　rendered　it　of　moment　to　the　business　in　hand。
Breaking　open　the　cover　with　a　small　chisel；　and　lifting　the　tray；
he　glanced　eagerly　beneath；　and　foundnothing。

He　next　discovered　that　a　pocket　or　portfolio　was　formed　on　the
underside　of　the　cover。　　This　he　unfastened；　and　slipping　his　hand
within；　found　that　it　really　contained　some　substance。　　First　he
pulled　out　about　a　dozen　tangled　silk　and　cotton　threads。　　Under
them　were　a　short　household　account；　a　dry　moss…rosebud；　and　an　old
pair　of　carte…de…visite　photographs。　　One　of　these　was　a　likeness　of
Mrs。　Manston'Eunice'　being　written　under　it　in　inkthe　other　of
Manston　himself。

He　sat　down　dispirited。　　This　was　all　the　fruit　of　his　tasknot　a
single　letter；　date；　or　address　of　any　kind　to　help　himand　was　it
likely　there　would　be？

However；　thinking　he　would　send　the　fragments；　such　as　they　were；　to
Graye；　in　order　to　satisfy　him　that　he　had　done　his　best　so　far；　he
scribbled　a　line；　and　put　all　except　the　silk　and　cotton　into　an
envelope。　　Looking　at　his　watch；　he　found　it　was　then　twenty　minutes
to　seven；　by　affixing　an　extra　stamp　he　would　be　enabled　to　despatch
them　by　that　evening's　post。　　He　hastily　directed　the　packet；　and
ran　with　it　at　once　to　the　post…office　at　Charing　Cross。

On　his　return　he　took　up　the　workbox　again　to　examine　it　more
leisurely。　　He　then　found　there　was　also　a　small　cavity　in　the　tray
under　the　pincushion；　which　was　movable　by　a　bit　of　ribbon。　　Lifting