a laodicean-第84章

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is　afoot　between　my　niece　and　the　present　Sir　William；　this
must　be　looked　into。'

Dare　reflectively　said　'O；'　as　he　observed　through　the　window
one　of　the　workmen　bring　up　a　candle　from　the　vault　and
extinguish　it　with　his　fingers。

'The　marriage　is　desirable；　and　your　relationship　in　itself　is
of　no　consequence；'　continued　the　elder；　'but　just　look　at
this。　　You　have　forced　on　the　marriage　by　unscrupulous　means；
your　object　being　only　too　clearly　to　live　out　of　the　proceeds
of　that　marriage。'

'Mr。　Power；　you　mock　me；　because　I　labour　under　the　misfortune
of　having　an　illegitimate　father　to　provide　for。　　I　really
deserve　commiseration。'

'You　might　deserve　it　if　that　were　all。　　But　it　looks　bad　for
my　niece's　happiness　as　Lady　De　Stancy；　that　she　and　her
husband　are　to　be　perpetually　haunted　by　a　young　chevalier
d'industrie；　who　can　forge　a　telegram　on　occasion；　and　libel
an　innocent　man　by　an　ingenious　device　in　photography。　　It
looks　so　bad；　in　short；　that；　advantageous　as　a　title　and　old
family　name　would　be　to　her　and　her　children；　I　won't　let　my
brother's　daughter　run　the　risk　of　having　them　at　the　expense
of　being　in　the　grip　of　a　man　like　you。　　There　are　other
suitors　in　the　world；　and　other　titles：　　and　she　is　a
beautiful　woman；　who　can　well　afford　to　be　fastidious。　　I
shall　let　her　know　at　once　of　these　things；　and　break　off　the
businessunless　you　do　ONE　THING。'

A　workman　brought　up　another　candle　from　the　vault；　and
prepared　to　let　down　the　slab。　　'Well；　Mr。　Power；　and　what　is
that　one　thing？'

'Go　to　Peru　as　my　agent　in　a　business　I　have　just　undertaken
there。'

'And　settle　there？'

'Of　course。　　I　am　soon　going　over　myself；　and　will　bring　you
anything　you　require。'

'How　long　will　you　give　me　to　consider？'　said　Dare。

Power　looked　at　his　watch。　　'One；　two；　three；　four　hours；'　he
said。　　'I　leave　Markton　by　the　seven　o'clock　train　this
evening。'

'And　if　I　meet　your　proposal　with　a　negative？'

'I　shall　go　at　once　to　my　niece　and　tell　her　the　whole
circumstancestell　her　that；　by　marrying　Sir　William；　she
allies　herself　with　an　unhappy　gentleman　in　the　power　of　a
criminal　son　who　makes　his　life　a　burden　to　him　by　perpetual
demands　upon　his　purse；　who　will　increase　those　demands　with
his　accession　to　wealth；　threaten　to　degrade　her　by　exposing
her　husband's　antecedents　if　she　opposes　his　extortions；　and
who　will　make　her　miserable　by　letting　her　know　that　her　old
lover　was　shamefully　victimized　by　a　youth　she　is　bound　to
screen　out　of　respect　to　her　husband's　feelings。　　Now　a　man
does　not　care　to　let　his　own　flesh　and　blood　incur　the　danger
of　such　anguish　as　that；　and　I　shall　do　what　I　say　to　prevent
it。　　Knowing　what　a　lukewarm　sentiment　hers　is　for　Sir　William
at　best；　I　shall　not　have　much　difficulty。'

'Well；　I　don't　feel　inclined　to　go　to　Peru。'

'Neither　do　I　want　to　break　off　the　match；　though　I　am　ready
to　do　it。　　But　you　care　about　your　personal　freedom；　and　you
might　be　made　to　wear　the　broad　arrow　for　your　tricks　on
Somerset。'

'Mr。　Power；　I　see　you　are　a　hard　man。'

'I　am　a　hard　man。　　You　will　find　me　one。　　Well；　will　you　go　to
Peru？　　Or　I　don't　mind　Australia　or　California　as
alternatives。　　As　long　as　you　choose　to　remain　in　either　of
those　wealth…producing　places；　so　long　will　Cunningham　Haze　go
uninformed。'

'Mr。　Power；　I　am　overcome。　　Will　you　allow　me　to　sit　down？
Suppose　we　go　into　the　vestry。　　It　is　more　comfortable。'

They　entered　the　vestry；　and　seated　themselves　in　two　chairs；
one　at　each　end　of　the　table。

'In　the　meantime；'　continued　Dare；　'to　lend　a　little　romance
to　stern　realities；　I'll　tell　you　a　singular　dream　I　had　just
before　you　returned　to　England。'　　Power　looked　contemptuous；
but　Dare　went　on：　　'I　dreamt　that　once　upon　a　time　there　were
two　brothers；　born　of　a　Nonconformist　family；　one　of　whom
became　a　railway…contractor；　and　the　other　a　mechanical
engineer。'

'A　mechanical　engineergood；'　said　Power；　beginning　to
attend。

'When　the　first　went　abroad　in　his　profession；　and　became
engaged　on　continental　railways；　the　second；　a　younger　man；
looking　round　for　a　start；　also　betook　himself　to　the
continent。　　But　though　ingenious　and　scientific；　he　had　not
the　business　capacity　of　the　elder；　whose　rebukes　led　to　a
sharp　quarrel　between　them；　and　they　parted　in　bitter
estrangementnever　to　meet　again　as　it　turned　out；　owing　to
the　dogged　obstinacy　and　self…will　of　the　younger　man。　　He；
after　this；　seemed　to　lose　his　moral　ballast　altogether；　and
after　some　eccentric　doings　he　was　reduced　to　a　state　of
poverty；　and　took　lodgings　in　a　court　in　a　back　street　of　a
town　we　will　call　Geneva；　considerably　in　doubt　as　to　what
steps　he　should　take　to　keep　body　and　soul　together。'

Abner　Power　was　shooting　a　narrow　ray　of　eyesight　at　Dare　from
the　corner　of　his　nearly　closed　lids。　　'Your　dream　is　so
interesting；'　he　said；　with　a　hard　smile；　'that　I　could　listen
to　it　all　day。'

'Excellent！'　said　Dare；　and　went　on：　　'Now　it　so　happened　that
the　house　opposite　to　the　one　taken　by　the　mechanician　was
peculiar。　　It　was　a　tall　narrow　building；　wholly　unornamented；
the　walls　covered　with　a　layer　of　white　plaster　cracked　and
soiled　by　time。　　I　seem　to　see　that　house　now！　　Six　stone
steps　led　up　to　the　door；　with　a　rusty　iron　railing　on　each
side；　and　under　these　steps　were　others　which　went　down　to　a
cellarin　my　dream　of　course。'

'Of　coursein　your　dream；'　said　Power；　nodding
comprehensively。

'Sitting　lonely　and　apathetic　without　a　light；　at　his　own
chamber…window　at　night　time；　our　mechanician　frequently
observed　dark　figures　descending　these　steps　and　ultimately
discovered　that　the　house　was　the　meeting…place　of　a
fraternity　of　political　philosophers；　whose　object　was　the
extermination　of　tyrants　and　despots；　and　the　overthrow　of
established　religions。　　The　discovery　was　startling　enough；
but　our　hero　was　not　easily　startled。　　He　kept　their　secret
and　lived　on　as　before。　　At　last　the　mechanician　and　his
affairs　became　known　to　the　society；　as　the　affairs　of　the
society　had　become　known　to　the　mechanician；　and；　instead　of
shooting　him　as　one　who　knew　too　much　for　their　safety；　they
were　struck　with　his　faculty　for　silence；　and　thought　they
might　be　able　to　make　use　of　him。'

'To　be　sure；'　said　Abner　Power。

'Next；　like　friend　Bunyan；　I　saw　in　my　dream　that　denunciation
was　the　breath　of　life　to　this　society。　　At　an　earlier　date　in
its　history；　objectionable　persons　in　power　had　been　from　time
to　time　murdered；　and　curiously　enough　numbered；　that　is；　upon
the　body　of　each　was　set　a　mark　or　seal；　announcing　that　he
was　one　of　a　series。　　But　at　this　time　the　question　before　the
society　related　to　the　substitution　for　the　dagger；　which　was
vetoed　as　obsolete；　of　some　explosive　machine　that　would　be
both　more　effectual　and　less　difficult　to　manage；　and　in
short；　a　large　reward　was　offered　to　our　needy　Englishman　if
he　would　put　their　ideas　of　such　a　machine　into　shape。'

Abner　Power　nodded　again；　his　complexion　being　peculiarwhich
might　partly　have　been　accounted　for　by　the　reflection　of
window…light　from　the　green…baize　table…cloth。

'He　agreed；　though　no　politician　whatever　himself；　to　exercise
his　wits　on　their　account；　and　brought　his　machine　to　such　a
pitch　of　perfection；　that　it　was　the　identical　one　used　in　the
memorable　attempt'　（Dare　whispered　the　remainder　of　the
sentence　in　tones　so　low　that　not　a　mouse　in　the　corner　could
have　heard。）　　'Well；　the　inventor　of　that　explosive　has
naturally　been　wanted　ever　since　by　all　the　heads　of　police　in
Europe。　　But　the　most　curiousor　perhaps　the　most　natural
part　of　my　story　is；　that　our　hero；　after　the　catastrophe；
grew　disgusted　with　himself　and　his　comrades；　acquired；　in　a
fit　of　revulsion；　quite　a　conservative　taste　in　politics；
which　was　strengthened　greatly　by　the　news　he　indirectly
received　of　the　great　wealth　and　respectability　of　his
brother；　who　had　had　no　communion　with　him　for　years；　and
supposed　him　dead。　　He　abjured　his　employers　and　resolved　to
abandon　them；　but　before　coming　to　England　he　decided　to
destroy　all　trace　of　his　combustible　inventions　by　dropping
them　into　the　neighbou