st. ives-第30章

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received　so　chilling　an　impression　of　age　and　experience　that　the　

mere　look　of　youth　drew　me　to　confide　in　Rowley：　he　was　only　a　boy；　

his　heart　must　beat　yet；　he　must　still　retain　some　innocence　and　

natural　feelings；　he　could　blurt　out　follies　with　his　mouth；　he　was　

not　a　machine　to　utter　perfect　speech！　　At　the　same　time；　I　was　

beginning　to　outgrow　the　painful　impressions　of　my　interview；　my　

spirits　were　beginning　to　revive；　and　at　the　jolly；　empty　looks　of　

Mr。　Rowley；　as　he　ran　forward　to　relieve　me　of　the　box；　St。　Ives　

became　himself　again。



'Now；　Rowley；　don't　be　in　a　hurry；'　said　I。　　'This　is　a　momentous　

juncture。　　Man　and　boy；　you　have　been　in　my　service　about　three　

hours。　　You　must　already　have　observed　that　I　am　a　gentleman　of　a　

somewhat　morose　disposition；　and　there　is　nothing　that　I　more　

dislike　than　the　smallest　appearance　of　familiarity。　　Mr。　Pole　or　

Mr。　Powl；　probably　in　the　spirit　of　prophecy；　warned　you　against　

this　danger。'



'Yes；　Mr。　Anne；'　said　Rowley　blankly。



'Now　there　has　just　arisen　one　of　those　rare　cases；　in　which　I　am　

willing　to　depart　from　my　principles。　　My　uncle　has　given　me　a　box　

…　what　you　would　call　a　Christmas　box。　　I　don't　know　what's　in　it；　

and　no　more　do　you：　perhaps　I　am　an　April　fool；　or　perhaps　I　am　

already　enormously　wealthy；　there　might　be　five　hundred　pounds　in　

this　apparently　harmless　receptacle！'



'Lord；　Mr。　Anne！'　cried　Rowley。



'Now；　Rowley；　hold　up　your　right　hand　and　repeat　the　words　of　the　

oath　after　me；'　said　I；　laying　the　despatch…box　on　the　table。　　

'Strike　me　blue　if　I　ever　disclose　to　Mr。　Powl；　or　Mr。　Powl's　

Viscount；　or　anything　that　is　Mr。　Powl's；　not　to　mention　Mr。　Dawson　

and　the　doctor；　the　treasures　of　the　following　despatch…box；　and　

strike　me　sky…blue　scarlet　if　I　do　not　continually　maintain；　

uphold；　love；　honour　and　obey；　serve；　and　follow　to　the　four　

corners　of　the　earth　and　the　waters　that　are　under　the　earth；　the　

hereinafter　before…mentioned　（only　that　I　find　I　have　neglected　to　

mention　him）　Viscount　Anne　de　Keroual　de　St。…Yves；　commonly　known　

as　Mr。　Rowley's　Viscount。　　So　be　it。　　Amen。'



He　took　the　oath　with　the　same　exaggerated　seriousness　as　I　gave　it　

to　him。



'Now；'　said　I。　　'Here　is　the　key　for　you；　I　will　hold　the　lid　with　

both　hands　in　the　meanwhile。'　　He　turned　the　key。　　'Bring　up　all　

the　candles　in　the　room；　and　range　them　along…side。　　What　is　it　to　

be？　　A　live　gorgon；　a　Jack…in…the…box；　or　a　spring　that　fires　a　

pistol？　　On　your　knees；　sir；　before　the　prodigy！'



So　saying；　I　turned　the　despatch…box　upside　down　upon　the　table。　　

At　sight　of　the　heap　of　bank　paper　and　gold　that　lay　in　front　of　

us；　between　the　candles；　or　rolled　upon　the　floor　alongside；　I　

stood　astonished。



'O　Lord！'　cried　Mr。　Rowley；　'oh　Lordy；　Lordy；　Lord！'　and　he　

scrambled　after　the　fallen　guineas。　　'O　my；　Mr。　Anne！　what　a　sight　

o'　money！　　Why；　it's　like　a　blessed　story…book。　　It's　like　the　

Forty　Thieves。'



'Now　Rowley；　let's　be　cool；　let's　be　businesslike；'　said　I。　　

'Riches　are　deceitful；　particularly　when　you　haven't　counted　them；　

and　the　first　thing　we　have　to　do　is　to　arrive　at　the　amount　of　my　

…　let　me　say；　modest　competency。　　If　I'm　not　mistaken；　I　have　

enough　here　to　keep　you　in　gold　buttons　all　the　rest　of　your　life。　　

You　collect　the　gold；　and　I'll　take　the　paper。'



Accordingly；　down　we　sat　together　on　the　hearthrug；　and　for　some　

time　there　was　no　sound　but　the　creasing　of　bills　and　the　jingling　

of　guineas；　broken　occasionally　by　the　exulting　exclamations　of　

Rowley。　　The　arithmetical　operation　on　which　we　were　embarked　took　

long；　and　it　might　have　been　tedious　to　others；　not　to　me　nor　to　my　

helper。



'Ten　thousand　pounds！'　I　announced　at　last。



'Ten　thousand！'　echoed　Mr。　Rowley。



And　we　gazed　upon　each　other。



The　greatness　of　this　fortune　took　my　breath　away。　　With　that　sum　

in　my　hands；　I　need　fear　no　enemies。　　People　are　arrested；　in　nine　

cases　out　of　ten；　not　because　the　police　are　astute；　but　because　

they　themselves　run　short　of　money；　and　I　had　here　before　me　in　the　

despatch…box　a　succession　of　devices　and　disguises　that　insured　my　

liberty。　　Not　only　so；　but；　as　I　felt　with　a　sudden　and　

overpowering　thrill；　with　ten　thousand　pounds　in　my　hands　I　was　

become　an　eligible　suitor。　　What　advances　I　had　made　in　the　past；　

as　a　private　soldier　in　a　military　prison；　or　a　fugitive　by　the　

wayside；　could　only　be　qualified　or；　indeed；　excused　as　acts　of　

desperation。　　And　now；　I　might　come　in　by　the　front　door；　I　might　

approach　the　dragon　with　a　lawyer　at　my　elbow；　and　rich　settlements　

to　offer。　　The　poor　French　prisoner；　Champdivers；　might　be　in　a　

perpetual　danger　of　arrest；　but　the　rich　travelling　Englishman；　

St。…Ives；　in　his　post…chaise；　with　his　despatch…box　by　his　side；　

could　smile　at　fate　and　laugh　at　locksmiths。　　I　repeated　the　

proverb；　exulting；　LOVE　LAUGHS　AT　LOCKSMITHS！　　In　a　moment；　by　the　

mere　coming　of　this　money；　my　love　had　become　possible　…　it　had　

come　near；　it　was　under　my　hand　…　and　it　may　be　by　one　of　the　

curiosities　of　human　nature；　but　it　burned　that　instant　brighter。



'Rowley；'　said　I；　'your　Viscount　is　a　made　man。'



'Why；　we　both　are；　sir；'　said　Rowley。



'Yes；　both；'　said　I；　'and　you　shall　dance　at　the　wedding；'　and　I　

flung　at　his　head　a　bundle　of　bank　notes；　and　had　just　followed　it　

up　with　a　handful　of　guineas；　when　the　door　opened；　and　Mr。　Romaine　

appeared　upon　the　threshold。









CHAPTER　XVIII　…　MR。　ROMAINE　CALLS　ME　NAMES





FEELING　very　much　of　a　fool　to　be　thus　taken　by　surprise；　I　

scrambled　to　my　feet　and　hastened　to　make　my　visitor　welcome。　　He　

did　not　refuse　me　his　hand；　but　he　gave　it　with　a　coldness　and　

distance　for　which　I　was　quite　unprepared；　and　his　countenance；　as　

he　looked　on　me；　was　marked　in　a　strong　degree　with　concern　and　

severity。



'So；　sir；　I　find　you　here？'　said　he；　in　tones　of　little　

encouragement。　　'Is　that　you；　George？　　You　can　run　away；　I　have　

business　with　your　master。'



He　showed　Rowley　out；　and　locked　the　door　behind　him。　　Then　he　sat　

down　in　an　armchair　on　one　side　of　the　fire；　and　looked　at　me　with　

uncompromising　sternness。



'I　am　hesitating　how　to　begin；'　said　he。　　'In　this　singular　

labyrinth　of　blunders　and　difficulties　that　you　have　prepared　for　

us；　I　am　positively　hesitating　where　to　begin。　　It　will　perhaps　be　

best　that　you　should　read；　first　of　all；　this　paragraph。'　　And　he　

handed　over　to　me　a　newspaper。



The　paragraph　in　question　was　brief。　　It　announced　the　recapture　of　

one　of　the　prisoners　recently　escaped　from　Edinburgh　Castle；　gave　

his　name；　Clausel；　and　added　that　he　had　entered　into　the　

particulars　of　the　recent　revolting　murder　in　the　Castle；　and　

denounced　the　murderer：…





'It　is　a　common　soldier　called　Champdivers；　who　had　himself　

escaped；　and　is　in　all　probability　involved　in　the　common　fate　of　

his　comrades。　　In　spite　of　the　activity　along　all　the　Forth　and　the　

East　Coast；　nothing　has　yet　been　seen　of　the　sloop　which　these　

desperadoes　seized　at　Grangemouth；　and　it　is　now　almost　certain　

that　they　have　found　a　watery　grave。'





At　the　reading　of　this　paragraph；　my　heart　turned　over。　　In　a　

moment　I　saw　my　castle　in　the　air　ruined；　myself　changed　from　a　

mere　military　fugitive　into　a　hunted　murderer；　fleeing　from　the　

gallows；　my　love；　which　had　a　moment　since　appeared　so　near　to　me；　

blotted　from　the　field　of　possibility。　　Despair；　which　was　my　first　

sentiment；　did　not；　however；　endure　for　more　than　a　moment。　　I　saw　

that　my　companions　had　indeed　succeeded　in　their　unlikely　design；　

and　that　I　was　supposed　to　have　accompanied　and　perished　along　with　

them　by　shipwreck　…　a　most　probable　ending　to　their　enterprise。　　If　

they　thought　me　at　the　bottom　of　the　North　Sea；　I　need　not　fear　

much　vigilance　on　the　streets　of　Edinburgh。　　Champdivers　was　

wanted：　what　was　to　connect　him　with　St。　Ives？　　Major　Chevenix　

would　recognise　me　if　he　met　me；　that　was　beyond　bargaining：　he　had　

seen　me　so　often；　his　interest　had　been　kindled　to　so　high　a　point；　

that　I　could　hope　to　deceive　him　by　no　stratagem　of　disguise。　　

Well；　even　so；　he　would　have　a　competition　of　testimony　before　him：　

he　knew　Clausel；　he　knew　me；　and　I　was　sure　he　would　decide　for　

honour。　　At　the　same　time　the　image　of　Flora　shot　up　in　my　mind's　

eye　with　such　a　radiancy　as　fairly　overwhelmed　all　other　

considerations；　the　blood　sprang　to　every　corner　of　my　body；　and　I　

vowed　I　would　see　and　win　her；　if　it　cost　my　neck。



'Very　annoying；　no　doubt；'　said　I；　as　I　returned　the　paper　to　Mr。　

Romaine。



'Is　annoying　your　word　for　it？'　said　he。



'Exasperating；　if　you　like；'　I　admitted。



'And　true？'　he　inquired。



'Well；　true　in　a　sense；'　said　I。　　'But　perhaps　I　had　better　answer　

that　question　by　putting　you　in　possession　of　the　facts？'



'I　think　so；　indeed；'　said　he。



I　narrated　to　him　as　much　as　seemed　necessary　of　the　quarrel；　the　

duel；　the　death　of　Goguelat；　and　the　character　of　Clausel。　　He　

heard　me　through　in　a　forbidding　silence；　nor　did　he　at　all　betray　

the　nature　of　his　sentiments；　except　that；　at　the　episode　of　the　

scissors；　I　could　observe　his　mulberry　face　to　turn　three　shades　

paler。



'I　suppose　I　may　believe　you？'　said　he；　when　I　had　done。



'Or　else　conclude　this　interview；'　said　I。



'Can　you　not　understand　that　we　are　here　discussing　matters　of　the　

gravest　import？　　Can　you　not　understand　that　I　feel　myself　weighed　

with　a　load　of　responsibility　on　your　account　…　that　you　should　

take　this　occasion　to　air　your　fire…eating　manners　against　your　own　

attorney？　　There　are　serious　hours　in　life；　Mr。　Anne；'　he　said　

severely。　　'A　capital　charge；　and　that　of　a　very　brutal　character　

and　with　singularly　unpleasant　details；　the　presence　of　the　man　

Clausel；　who　（according　to　your　account　of　it）　is　actuated　by　

sentiments　of　real　malignity；　and　prepared　to　swear　black　white；　

all　the　other　witnesses　scattered　and　perhaps　drowned　at　sea；　the　

natural　prejudice　against　a　Frenchman　and　a　runaway　prisoner：　this　

makes　a　serious　total　for　your　lawyer　to　consider；　and　is　by　no　

means　lessened　by　the　incurable　folly　and　levity　of　your　own　

disposition。'



'I　beg　your　pardon！'　said　I。



'Oh；　my　expressions　have　been　selected　with　scrupulous　accuracy；'　

he　replied。　　'How　did　I　find　you；　sir；　when　I　came　to　announce　this　

catastrophe？　　You　were　sitting　on　the　hearthrug　playing；　like　a　

silly　baby；　with　a　servant；　were　you　not；　and　the　floor　all　

scattered　with　gold　and　bank　paper？　　There　was　a　tableau　for　you！　　

It　was　I　who　came；　and　you　were　lucky　in　that。　　It　might　have　been　

any　one　…　your　cousin　as　well　as　another。'



'You　have　me　there；　sir；'　I　admitted。　　'I　had　neglected　all　

precautions；　and　you　do　right　to　be　angry。　　APROPOS；　Mr。　Romaine；