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第80章

armadale-第80章

小说: armadale 字数: 每页3500字

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〃If you see that woman again; sir;〃 proceeded Pedgift Senior;
〃you will commit the rashest act of folly I ever heard of in all
my experience。 She can have but one object in coming hereto
practice on your weakness for her。 Nobody can say into what false
step she may not lead you; if you once give her the opportunity。
You admit yourself that you have been fond of her; your
attentions to her have been the subject of general remark; if you
haven't actually offered her the chance of becoming Mrs。
Armadale; you have done the next thing to it; and knowing all
this; you propose to see her; and to let her work on you with her
devilish beauty and her devilish cleverness; in the character of
your interesting victim! You; who are one of the best matches in
England! You; who are the natural prey of all the hungry single
women in the community! I never heard the like of it; I never; in
all my professional experience; heard the like of it! If you must
positively put yourself in a dangerous position; Mr。 Armadale;〃
concluded Pedgift the elder; with the everlasting pinch of snuff
held in suspense between his box and his nose; 〃there's a
wild…beast show coming to our town next week。 Let in the tigress;
sir; don't let in Miss Gwilt!〃

For the third time Allan looked at his lawyer。 And for the third
time his lawyer looked back at him quite unabashed。

〃You seem to have a very bad opinion of Miss Gwilt;〃 said Allan。

〃The worst possible opinion; Mr。 Armadale;〃 retorted Pedgift
Senior; coolly。 〃We will return to that when we have sent the
lady's messenger about his business。 Will you take my advice?
Will you decline to see her?〃

〃I would willingly declineit would be so dreadfully distressing
to both of us;〃 said Allan。 〃I would willingly decline; if I only
knew how。〃

〃Bless my soul; Mr。 Armadale; it's easy enough! Don't commit
_you_ yourself in writing。 Send out to the messenger; and say
there's no answer。〃

The short course thus suggested was a course which Allan
positively declined to take。 〃It's treating her brutally;〃 he
said; 〃I can't and won't do it。〃

Once more the pertinacity of Pedgift the elder found its limits;
and once more that wise man yielded gracefully to a compromise。
On receiving his client's promise not to s ee Miss Gwilt; he
consented to Allan's committing himself in writing under his
lawyer's dictation。 The letter thus produced was modeled in
Allan's own style; it began and ended in one sentence。 〃Mr。
Armadale presents his compliments to Miss Gwilt; and regrets that
he cannot have the pleasure of seeing her at Thorpe Ambrose。〃
Allan had pleaded hard for a second sentence; explaining that he
only declined Miss Gwilt's request from a conviction that an
interview would be needlessly distressing on both sides。 But his
legal adviser firmly rejected the proposed addition to the
letter。 〃When you say No to a woman; sir;〃 remarked Pedgift
Senior; 〃always say it in one word。 If you give her your reasons;
she invariably believes that you mean Yes。〃

Producing that little gem of wisdom from the rich mine of his
professional experience; Mr。 Pedgift the elder sent out the
answer to Miss Gwilt's messenger; and recommended the servant to
〃see the fellow; whoever he was; well clear of the house。〃

〃Now; sir;〃 said the lawyer; 〃we will come back; if you like; to
my opinion of Miss Gwilt。 It doesn't it all agree with yours; I'm
afraid。 You think her an object of pityquite natural at your
age。 I think her an object for the inside of a prisonquite
natural at mine。 You shall hear the grounds on which I have
formed my opinion directly。 Let me show you that I am in earnest
by putting the opinion itself; in the first place; to a practical
test。 Do you think Miss Gwilt is likely to persist in paying you
a visit; Mr。 Armadale; after the answer you have just sent to
her?〃

〃Quite impossible!〃 cried Allan; warmly。 〃Miss Gwilt is a lady;
after the letter I have sent to her; she will never come near me
again。〃

〃There we join issue; sir;〃 cried Pedgift Senior。 〃I say she will
snap her fingers at your letter (which was one of the reasons why
I objected to your writing it)。 I say; she is in all probability
waiting her messenger's return; in or near your grounds at this
moment。 I say; she will try to force her way in here; before
four…and…twenty hours more are over your head。 Egad; sir!〃 cried
Mr。 Pedgift; looking at his watch; 〃it's only seven o'clock now。
She's bold enough and clever enough to catch you unawares this
very evening。 Permit me to ring for the servantpermit me to
request that you will give him orders immediately to say you are
not at home。 You needn't hesitate; Mr。 Armadale! If you're right
about Miss Gwilt; it's a mere formality。 If I'm right; it's a
wise precaution。 Back your opinion; sir;〃 said Mr。 Pedgift;
ringing the bell; 〃I back mine!〃

Allan was sufficiently nettled when the bell rang to feel ready
to give the order。 But when the servant came in; past
remembrances got the better of him; and the words stuck in his
throat。 〃You give the order;〃 he said to Mr。 Pedgift; and walked
away abruptly to the window。 〃You're a good fellow!〃 thought the
old lawyer; looking after him; and penetrating his motive on the
instant。 〃The claws of that she…devil shan't scratch you if I can
help it。〃

The servant waited inexorably for his orders。

〃If Miss Gwilt calls here; either this evening; or at any other
time;〃 said Pedgift Senior; 〃Mr。 Armadale is not at home。 Wait!
If she asks when Mr。 Armadale will be back; you don't know。 Wait!
If she proposes coming in and sitting down; you have a general
order that nobody is to come in and sit down unless they have a
previous appointment with Mr。 Armadale。 Come!〃 cried old Pedgift;
rubbing his hands cheerfully when the servant had left the room;
〃I've stopped her out now; at any rate! The orders are all given;
Mr。 Armadale。 We may go on with our conversation。〃

Allan came back from the window。 〃The conversation is not a very
pleasant one;〃 he said。 〃No offense to you; but I wish it was
over。〃

〃We will get it over as soon as possible; sir;〃 said Pedgift
Senior; still persisting; as only lawyers and women _can_
persist; in forcing his way little by little nearer and nearer to
his own object。 〃Let us go back; if you please; to the practical
suggestion which I offered to you when the servant came in with
Miss Gwilt's note。 There is; I repeat; only one way left for you;
Mr。 Armadale; out of your present awkward position。 You must
pursue your inquiries about this woman to an endon the chance
(which I consider next to a certainty) that the end will justify
you in the estimation of the neighborhood。〃

〃I wish to God I had never made any inquiries at all!〃 said
Allan。 〃Nothing will induce me; Mr。 Pedgift; to make any more。〃

〃Why?〃 asked the lawyer。

〃Can you ask me why;〃 retorted Allan; hotly; 〃after your son has
told you what we found out in London? Even if I had less cause to
beto be sorry for Miss Gwilt than I have; even if it was some
other woman; do you think I would inquire any further into the
secret of a poor betrayed creaturemuch less expose it to the
neighborhood? I should think myself as great a scoundrel as the
man who has cast her out helpless on the world; if I did anything
of the kind。 I wonder you can ask me the questionupon my soul;
I wonder you can ask me the question!〃

〃Give me your hand; Mr。 Armadale!〃 cried Pedgift Senior; warmly;
〃I honor you for being so angry with me。 The neighborhood may say
what it pleases; you're a gentleman; sir; in the best sense of
the word。 Now;〃 pursued the lawyer; dropping Allan's hand; and
lapsing back instantly from sentiment to business; 〃just hear
what I have got to say in my own defense。 Suppose Miss Gwilt's
real position happens to be nothing like what you are generously
determined to believe it to be?〃

〃We have no reason to suppose that;〃 said Allan; resolutely。

〃Such is your opinion; sir;〃 persisted Pedgift。 〃Mine; founded on
what is publicly known of Miss Gwilt's proceedings here; and on
what I have seen of Miss Gwilt herself; is that she is as far as
I am from being the sentimental victim you are inclined to make
her out。 Gently; Mr。 Armadale! remember that I have put my
opinion to a practical test; and wait to condemn it off…hand
until events have justified you。 Let me put my points; sirmake
allowances for me as a lawyerand let me put my points。 You and
my son are young men; and I don't deny that the circumstances; on
the surface; appear to justify the interpretation which; as young
men; you have placed on them。 I am an old manI know that
circumstances are not always to be taken as they appear on the
surfaceand I possess the great advantage; in the present case;
of having had years of professional experience among some of the
wickedest women who ever walked this earth。〃

Allan opened his lips to protest; and checked himself; in despair
of producing the slightest effect。 Pedgift Senior bowed in polite
acknowledgment of his client's self…restraint; and took instant
advantage of it to go on。

〃All Miss Gwilt's proceedings;〃 he resumed; 〃since your
unfortunate correspondence with the major show me that she is an
old hand at deceit。 The moment she is threatened with
exposureexposure of some kind; there can be no doubt; after
what you discovered in Londonshe turns your honorable silence
to the best possible account; and leaves the major's service in
the character of a martyr。 Once out of the house; what does she
do next? She boldly stops in the neighborhood; and serves three
excellent purposes by doing so。 In the first place; she shows
everybody that she is not afraid of facing another attack on her
reputation。 In the second place; she is close at hand to twist
you round her little finger; and to become Mrs。 Armadale in spite
of circumstances; if you (and I) allow her the opportunity。 In
the third place; if you (and I) are wise enough to distrust her;
she is equally wise on her side; and doesn't give us the first
great chance of following her to London; and associating her with
her accomplices。 Is this the conduct of an unhappy woman who has
lost her character in a moment of weakness; and who has been
driven unwillingly into a deception to get it back again?〃

〃You put it cleverly;〃 said Allan; answering with marked
reluctance; 〃I can't deny that you put it cleverly。〃

〃Your own common sense; Mr。 Armadale; is beginning to tell you
that I put it just ly;〃 said Pedgift Senior。 〃I don't presume to
say yet what this woman's connection may be with those people at
Pimlico。 All I assert is that it is not the connection you
suppose。 Having stated the facts so far; I have only to add my
own personal impression of Miss Gwilt。 I won't shock you; if I
can help it; I'll try if I can't put it cleverly again。 She came
to my office (as I told you in my letter); no doubt to make
friends with your lawyer; if she could; she came to tell me; in
the most forgiving and Christian manner; that she didn't blame
_you。_〃

〃Do you ever believe in anybody; Mr。 Pedgift?〃 interposed Allan。

〃Sometimes; Mr。 Armadale;〃 returned Pedgift the elder; as
unabashed as ever。 〃I believe as often as a lawyer c

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