east lynne-第75章

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〃That　will　do；〃　said　Mr。　Carlyle。　〃Put　a　quart　of　ale　on　the　table；　and　everything　likely　to　be　wanted。　And　then　the　household　can　go　to　bed；　we　may　be　late；　and　the　things　can　be　removed　in　the　morning。　Oh　and　Peternone　of　you　must　come　near　the　room；　this　or　the　next；　under　any　pretence　whatever；　unless　I　ring；　for　I　shall　be　too　busy　to　be　disturbed。〃

〃Very　well；　sir。　Shall　I　serve　the　ham　also？〃

〃The　ham？〃

〃I　beg　pardon；　sir；　I　guessed　it　might　be　Mr。　Dill；　and　he　is　so　fond　of　our　hams。〃

〃Ah；　you　were　always　a　shrewd　guesser；　Peter；〃　smiled　his　master。　〃He　is　fond　of　ham　I　know；　yes；　you　may　put　it　on　the　table。　Don't　forget　the　small　kettle。〃

The　consequence　of　which　little　finesse　on　Mr。　Carlyle's　part　was；　that　Peter　announced　in　the　kitchen　that　Mr。　Dill　had　arrived；　and　supper　was　to　be　served　for　two。　〃But　what　a　night　for　the　old　gentleman　to　have　trudged　through　on　foot！〃　exclaimed　he。

〃And　what　a　trudge　he'll　have　of　it　back　again；　for　it'll　be　worse　then！〃　chimed　in　one　of　the　maids。

When　Mr。　Carlyle　got　back　in　the　other　room；　his　sister　and　Richard　Hare　had　scarcely　finished　staring　at　each　other。

〃Please　lock　the　door；　Miss　Cornelia；〃　began　poor　shivering　Dick。

〃The　door's　locked；〃　snapped　she。　〃But　what　on　earth　brought　you　here；　Richard？　You　must　be　worse　than　mad。〃

〃The　Bow…street　officers　were　after　me　in　London；〃　he　meekly　responded；　unconsciously　using　a　term　which　had　been　familiar　to　his　boyish　years。　〃I　had　to　cut　away　without　a　thing　belonging　to　me；　without　so　much　as　a　clean　shirt。〃

〃They　must　be　polite　officers；　not　to　have　been　after　you　before；〃　was　the　consolatory　remark　of　Miss　Carlyle。　〃Are　you　going　to　dance　a　hornpipe　through　the　streets　of　West　Lynne　to…morrow；　and　show　yourself　openly？〃

〃Not　if　I　can　help　it；〃　replied　Richard。

〃You　might　just　as　well　do　that；　if　you　come　to　West　Lynne　at　all；　for　you　can't　be　here　now　without　being　found　out。　There　was　a　bother　about　your　having　been　here　the　last　time：　I　should　like　to　know　how　it　got　abroad。〃

〃The　life　I　lead　is　dreadful！〃　cried　Richard。　〃I　might　make　up　my　mind　to　toil；　though　that's　hard；　after　being　reared　a　gentleman；　but　to　be　an　exile；　banned；　disgraced；　afraid　to　show　my　face　in　broad　daylight　amidst　my　fellowmen；　in　dread　every　hour　that　the　sword　may　fall！　I　would　almost　as　soon　be　dead　as　continue　to　live　it。〃

〃Well；　you　have　got　nobody　to　grumble　at；　you　brought　it　upon　yourself；〃　philosophically　returned　Miss　Carlyle；　as　she　opened　the　door　to　admit　her　brother。　〃You　would　go　hunting　after　that　brazen　hussy；　Afy；　you　know；　in　defiance　of　all　that　could　be　said　to　you。〃

〃That　would　not　have　brought　it　upon　me；〃　said　Richard。　〃It　was　through　that　fiend's　having　killed　Hallijohn；　that　was　what　brought　the　ban　upon　me。〃

〃It's　a　most　extraordinary　thing；　if　anybody　else　/did/　kill　him；　that　the　facts　can't　be　brought　to　light；〃　retorted　Miss　Carlyle。　〃Here　you　tell　a　cock…and…bull　story　of　some　man's　having　done　it；　some　Thorn；　but　nobody　ever　saw　or　heard　of　him；　at　the　time　or　since。　It　looks　like　a　made…up　story；　Mr。　Dick；　to　whiten　yourself。〃

〃Made　up！〃　panted　Richard；　in　agitation；　for　it　seemed　cruel　to　him；　especially　in　his　present　frame　of　mind；　to　have　a　doubt　cast　upon　his　tale。　〃It　is　Thorn　who　is　setting　the　officers　upon　me。　I　have　seen　him　three　or　four　times　within　the　last　fortnight。〃

〃And　why　did　you　not　turn　the　tables；　and　set　the　officers　upon　him？〃　demanded　Miss　Carlyle。

〃Because　it　would　lead　to　no　good。　Where's　the　proof；　save　my　bare　word；　that　he　committed　the　murder？〃

Miss　Carlyle　rubbed　her　nose。　〃Dick　Hare；〃　said　she。

〃Well？〃

〃You　know　you　always　were　the　greatest　natural　idiot　that　ever　was　let　loose　out　of　leading　strings。〃

〃I　know　I　always　was　told　so。〃

〃And　it's　what　you　always　will　be。　If　I　were　accused　of　committing　a　crime；　which　I　knew　another　had　committed　and　not　myself；　should　I　be　such　an　idiot　as　not　to　give　that　other　into　custody　if　I　got　the　chance？　If　you　were　not　in　such　a　cold；　shivery；　shaky　state；　I　would　treat　you　to　a　bit　of　my　mind；　you　may　rely　upon　that。〃

〃He　was　in　league　with　Afy；　at　that　period；〃　pursued　Richard；　〃a　deceitful；　bad　man；　and　he　carries　it　in　his　countenance。　And　he　must　be　in　league　with　her　still；　if　she　asserts　that　he　was　in　her　company　at　the　moment　the　murder　was　committed。　Mr。　Carlyle　says　she　does；　that　she　told　him　so　the　other　day；　when　she　was　here。　He　never　was；　and　it　was　he；　and　no　other；　who　did　the　murder。〃

〃Yes；〃　burst　forth　Miss　Carlyle；　for　the　topic　was　sure　to　agitate　her；　〃that　Jezebel　of　brass　did　presume　to　come　here！　She　chose　her　time　well；　and　may　thank　her　lucky　stars　I　was　not　at　home。　Archibald；　he's　a　fool　too；　quite　as　bad　a　you　are；　Dick　Hare；　in　some　things　actually　suffered　her　to　lodge　here　for　two　days！　A　vain；　ill…　conducted　hussy；　given　to　nothing　but　finery　and　folly！〃

〃Afy　said　that　she　knew　nothing　of　Thorn's　movements　now；　Richard；　and　had　not　for　some　time；〃　interposed　Mr。　Carlyle；　allowing　his　sister's　compliments　to　pass　in　silence。　〃She　heard　a　rumor；　she　thought；　that　he　had　gone　abroad　with　his　regiment。〃

〃So　much　the　better　for　her；　if　she　does　know　nothing　of　him；　sir；〃　was　Richard's　comment。　〃I　can　answer　for　it　that　he　is　not　abroad；　but　in　England。〃

〃And　where　are　you　going　to　lodge　to…night？〃　abruptly　spoke　Miss　Carlyle；　confronting　Richard。

〃I　don't　know；〃　was　the　broken…spirited　answer；　sighed　forth。　〃If　I　lay　myself　down　in　a　snowdrift；　and　am　found　frozen　in　the　morning；　it　won't　be　of　much　moment。〃

〃Was　that　what　you　thought　of　doing？〃　returned　Miss　Carlyle。

〃No；〃　he　mildly　said。　〃What　I　thought　of　doing　was　to　ask　Mr。　Carlyle　for　the　loan　of　a　few　shillings；　and　then　I　can　get　a　bed。　I　know　a　place　where　I　shall　be　in　safety；　two　or　three　miles　from　here。〃

〃Richard；　I　would　not　turn　a　dog　out　to　go　two　or　three　miles　on　such　a　night　as　this；〃　impulsively　uttered　Mr。　Carlyle。　〃You　must　stop　here。〃

〃Indeed　I　don't　see　how　he　is　to　get　up　to　a　bedroom；　or　how　a　room　is　to　be　made　ready　for　him；　for　the　matter　of　that；　without　betraying　his　presence　to　the　servants；〃　snapped　Miss　Carlyle。　And　poor　Richard　laid　his　aching　head　upon　his　hands。

But　now　Miss　Carlyle's　manner　was　more　in　fault　than　her　heart。　Will　it　be　believed　that；　before　speaking　the　above　ungracious　words；　before　Mr。　Carlyle　had　touched　upon　the　subject；　she　had　been　casting　about　in　her　busy　mind　for　the　best　plan　of　keeping　Richardhow　it　could　be　accomplished。

〃One　thing　is　certain；〃　she　resumed；　〃that　it　will　be　impossible　for　you　to　sleep　here　without　its　being　known　to　Joyce。　And　I　suppose　you　and　Joyce　are　upon　the　friendly　terms　of　drawing　daggers；　for　she　believes　you　were　the　murderer　of　her　father。〃

〃Let　me　disabuse　her；〃　interrupted　Richard；　his　pale　lips　working　as　he　started　up。　〃Allow　me　to　see　her　and　convince　her；　Mr。　Carlyle。　Why　did　you　not　tell　Joyce　better？〃

〃There's　that　small　room　at　the　back　of　mine；〃　said　Miss　Carlyle；　returning　to　the　practical　part　of　the　subject。　〃He　might　sleep　there。　But　Joyce　must　be　taken　in　confidence。〃

〃Joyce　had　better　come　in；〃　said　Mr。　Carlyle。　〃I　will　say　a　word　to　her　first。〃

He　unlocked　the　door　and　quitted　the　room。　Miss　Carlyle　as　jealously　locked　it　again；　called　to　Joyce　and　beckoned　her　into　the　adjoining　apartment。　He　knew　that　Joyce's　belief　in　the　guilt　of　Richard　Hare　was　confirmed　and　strong；　but　he　must　uproot　that　belief　if　Richard　was　to　be　lodged　in　his　house　that　night。

〃Joyce；〃　he　began；　〃you　remember　how　thoroughly　imbued　with　the　persuasion　you　were；　that　Afy　went　off　with　Richard　Hare；　and　was　living　with　him。　I　several　times　expressed　my　doubts　upon　the　point。　The　fact　was；　I　had　positive　information　that　she　was　not　with　him；　and　never　had　been；　though　I　considered　it　expedient　to　keep　my　information　to　myself。　You　are　convinced　now　that　she　was　not　with　him？〃

〃Of　course　I　am；　sir。〃

〃Well；　you　see；　Joyce；　that　my　opinion　would　have　been　worth　listening　to。　Now　I　am　going　to　shake　your　belief　upon　another　point；　and　if　I　assure　you　that　I　have　equally　good　grounds　for　doing　so；　you　will　believe　me？〃

〃I　am　quite　certain；　sir；　that　you