lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


started　and　trembled；　his　pale　face　grew　whiter　than　ever；　his　wild

black　eyes　turned　on　Arthur；　and　looked　through　and　through　him。



'A　pretty　drawing；'　he　said　in　a　remarkably　quiet　tone　of　voice。



'Ah！　and　done　by　such　a　pretty　girl；'　said　Arthur。　　'Oh；　such　a

pretty　girl！　　I　wish　it　was　not　a　landscape　…　I　wish　it　was　a

portrait　of　her！'



'You　admire　her　very　much？'



Arthur；　half　in　jest；　half　in　earnest；　kissed　his　hand　for　answer。



'Love　at　first　sight！'　he　said；　putting　the　drawing　away　again。

'But　the　course　of　it　doesn't　run　smooth。　　It's　the　old　story。

She's　monopolised　as　usual。　　Trammelled　by　a　rash　engagement　to

some　poor　man　who　is　never　likely　to　get　money　enough　to　marry　her。

It　was　lucky　I　heard　of　it　in　time；　or　I　should　certainly　have

risked　a　declaration　when　she　gave　me　that　drawing。　　Here；　doctor！

Here　is　pen；　ink；　and　paper　all　ready　for　you。'



'When　she　gave　you　that　drawing？　　Gave　it。　　Gave　it。'　　He　repeated

the　words　slowly　to　himself；　and　suddenly　closed　his　eyes。　　A

momentary　distortion　passed　across　his　face；　and　I　saw　one　of　his

hands　clutch　up　the　bedclothes　and　squeeze　them　hard。　　I　thought　he

was　going　to　be　ill　again；　and　begged　that　there　might　be　no　more

talking。　　He　opened　his　eyes　when　I　spoke；　fixed　them　once　more

searchingly　on　Arthur；　and　said；　slowly　and　distinctly；　'You　like

her；　and　she　likes　you。　　The　poor　man　may　die　out　of　your　way。　　Who

can　tell　that　she　may　not　give　you　herself　as　well　as　her　drawing；

after　all？'



Before　young　Holliday　could　answer；　he　turned　to　me；　and　said　in　a

whisper；　'Now　for　the　prescription。'　　From　that　time；　though　he

spoke　to　Arthur　again；　he　never　looked　at　him　more。



When　I　had　written　the　prescription；　he　examined　it；　approved　of

it；　and　then　astonished　us　both　by　abruptly　wishing　us　good　night。

I　offered　to　sit　up　with　him；　and　he　shook　his　head。　　Arthur

offered　to　sit　up　with　him；　and　he　said；　shortly；　with　his　face

turned　away；　'No。'　　I　insisted　on　having　somebody　left　to　watch

him。　　He　gave　way　when　he　found　I　was　determined；　and　said　he　would

accept　the　services　of　the　waiter　at　the　Inn。



'Thank　you；　both；'　he　said；　as　we　rose　to　go。　　'I　have　one　last

favour　to　ask　…　not　of　you；　doctor；　for　I　leave　you　to　exercise

your　professional　discretion　…　but　of　Mr。　Holliday。'　　His　eyes；

while　he　spoke；　still　rested　steadily　on　me；　and　never　once　turned

towards　Arthur。　　'I　beg　that　Mr。　Holliday　will　not　mention　to　any

one　…　least　of　all　to　his　father　…　the　events　that　have　occurred；

and　the　words　that　have　passed；　in　this　room。　　I　entreat　him　to

bury　me　in　his　memory；　as；　but　for　him；　I　might　have　been　buried　in

my　grave。　　I　cannot　give　my　reasons　for　making　this　strange

request。　　I　can　only　implore　him　to　grant　it。'



His　voice　faltered　for　the　first　time；　and　he　hid　his　face　on　the

pillow。　　Arthur；　completely　bewildered；　gave　the　required　pledge。

I　took　young　Holliday　away　with　me；　immediately　afterwards；　to　the

house　of　my　friend；　determining　to　go　back　to　the　Inn；　and　to　see

the　medical　student　again　before　he　had　left　in　the　morning。



I　returned　to　the　Inn　at　eight　o'clock；　purposely　abstaining　from

waking　Arthur；　who　was　sleeping　off　the　past　night's　excitement　on

one　of　my　friend's　sofas。　　A　suspicion　had　occurred　to　me　as　soon

as　I　was　alone　in　my　bedroom；　which　made　me　resolve　that　Holliday

and　the　stranger　whose　life　he　had　saved　should　not　meet　again；　if

I　could　prevent　it。　　I　have　already　alluded　to　certain　reports；　or

scandals；　which　I　knew　of；　relating　to　the　early　life　of　Arthur's

father。　　While　I　was　thinking；　in　my　bed；　of　what　had　passed　at　the

Inn　…　of　the　change　in　the　student's　pulse　when　he　heard　the　name

of　Holliday；　of　the　resemblance　of　expression　that　I　had　discovered

between　his　face　and　Arthur's；　of　the　emphasis　he　had　laid　on　those

three　words；　'my　own　brother；'　and　of　his　incomprehensible

acknowledgment　of　his　own　illegitimacy　…　while　I　was　thinking　of

these　things；　the　reports　I　have　mentioned　suddenly　flew　into　my

mind；　and　linked　themselves　fast　to　the　chain　of　my　previous

reflections。　　Something　within　me　whispered；　'It　is　best　that　those

two　young　men　should　not　meet　again。'　　I　felt　it　before　I　slept；　I

felt　it　when　I　woke；　and　I　went；　as　I　told　you；　alone　to　the　Inn

the　next　morning。



I　had　missed　my　only　opportunity　of　seeing　my　nameless　patient

again。　　He　had　been　gone　nearly　an　hour　when　I　inquired　for　him。





I　have　now　told　you　everything　that　I　know　for　certain；　in　relation

to　the　man　whom　I　brought　back　to　life　in　the　double…bedded　room　of

the　Inn　at　Doncaster。　　What　I　have　next　to　add　is　matter　for

inference　and　surmise；　and　is　not；　strictly　speaking；　matter　of

fact。



I　have　to　tell　you；　first；　that　the　medical　student　turned　out　to

be　strangely　and　unaccountably　right　in　assuming　it　as　more　than

probable　that　Arthur　Holliday　would　marry　the　young　lady　who　had

given　him　the　water…colour　drawing　of　the　landscape。　　That　marriage

took　place　a　little　more　than　a　year　after　the　events　occurred

which　I　have　just　been　relating。　　The　young　couple　came　to　live　in

the　neighbourhood　in　which　I　was　then　established　in　practice。　　I

was　present　at　the　wedding；　and　was　rather　surprised　to　find　that

Arthur　was　singularly　reserved　with　me；　both　before　and　after　his

marriage；　on　the　subject　of　the　young　lady's　prior　engagement。　　He

only　referred　to　it　once；　when　we　were　alone；　merely　telling　me；　on

that　occasion；　that　his　wife　had　done　all　that　honour　and　duty

required　of　her　in　the　matter；　and　that　the　engagement　had　been

broken　off　with　the　full　approval　of　her　parents。　　I　never　heard

more　from　him　than　this。　　For　three　years　he　and　his　wife　lived

together　happily。　　At　the　expiration　of　that　time；　the　symptoms　of

a　serious　illness　first　declared　themselves　in　Mrs。　Arthur

Holliday。　　It　turned　out　to　be　a　long；　lingering；　hopeless　malady。

I　attended　her　throughout。　　We　had　been　great　friends　when　she　was

well；　and　we　became　more　attached　to　each　other　than　ever　when　she

was　ill。　　I　had　many　long　and　interesting　conversations　with　her　in

the　intervals　when　she　suffered　least。　　The　result　of　one　of　these

conversations　I　may　briefly　relate；　leaving　you　to　draw　any

inferences　from　it　that　you　please。



The　interview　to　which　I　refer；　occurred　shortly　before　her　death。

I　called　one　evening；　as　usual；　and　found　her　alone；　with　a　look　in

her　eyes　which　told　me　that　she　had　been　crying。　　She　only　informed

me　at　first；　that　she　had　been　depressed　in　spirits；　but；　by　little

and　little；　she　became　more　communicative；　and　confessed　to　me　that

she　had　been　looking　over　some　old　letters；　which　had　been

addressed　to　her；　before　she　had　seen　Arthur；　by　a　man　to　whom　she

had　been　engaged　to　be　married。　　I　asked　her　how　the　engagement

came　to　be　broken　off。　　She　replied　that　it　had　not　been　broken

off；　but　that　it　had　died　out　in　a　very　mysterious　way。　　The　person

to　whom　she　was　engaged　…　her　first　love；　she　called　him　…　was　very

poor；　and　there　was　no　immediate　prospect　of　their　being　married。

He　followed　my　profession；　and　went　abroad　to　study。　　They　had

corresponded　regularly；　until　the　time　when；　as　she　believed；　he

had　returned　to　England。　　From　that　period　she　heard　no　more　of

him。　　He　was　of　a　fretful；　sensitive　temperament；　and　she　feared

that　she　might　have　inadvertently　done　or　said　something　that

offended　him。　　However　that　might　be；　he　had　never　written　to　her

again；　and；　after　waiting　a　year；　she　had　married　Arthur。　　I　asked

when　the　first　estrangement　had　begun；　and　found　that　the　time　at

which　she　ceased　to　hear　anything　of　her　first　lover　exactly

corresponded　with　the　time　at　which　I　had　been　called　in　to　my

mysterious　patient　at　The　Two　Robins　Inn。



A　fortnight　after　that　conversation；　she　died。　　In　course　of　time；

Arthur　married　again。　　Of　late　years；　he　has　lived　principally　in

London；　and　I　have　seen　little　or　nothing　of