tales and fantasies-第11章

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within　him；　here　was　a　Flora　he　disowned；　she　was　hard；　she

was　of　a　set　colour；　a　settled；　mature；　undecorative　manner；

plain　of　speech；　plain　of　habit　…　he　had　come　near　saying；

plain　of　face。　　And　this　changeling　called　herself　by　the

same　name　as　the　many…coloured；　clinging　maid　of　yore；　she　of

the　frequent　laughter；　and　the　many　sighs；　and　the　kind；

stolen　glances。　　And　to　make　all　worse；　she　took　the　upper

hand　with　him；　which　（as　John　well　knew）　was　not　the　true

relation　of　the　sexes。　　He　steeled　his　heart　against　this

sick…nurse。



'And　how　do　you　come　to　be　here？'　he　asked。



She　told　him　how　she　had　nursed　her　father　in　his　long

illness；　and　when　he　died；　and　she　was　left　alone；　had　taken

to　nurse　others；　partly　from　habit；　partly　to　be　of　some

service　in　the　world；　partly；　it　might　be；　for　amusement。

'There's　no　accounting　for　taste；'　said　she。　　And　she　told

him　how　she　went　largely　to　the　houses　of　old　friends；　as　the

need　arose；　and　how　she　was　thus　doubly　welcome　as　an　old

friend　first；　and　then　as　an　experienced　nurse；　to　whom

doctors　would　confide　the　gravest　cases。



'And；　indeed；　it's　a　mere　farce　my　being　here　for　poor

Maria；'　she　continued；　'but　your　father　takes　her　ailments　to

heart；　and　I　cannot　always　be　refusing　him。　　We　are　great

friends；　your　father　and　I；　he　was　very　kind　to　me　long　ago　…

ten　years　ago。



A　strange　stir　came　in　John's　heart。　　All　this　while　had　he

been　thinking　only　of　himself？　　All　this　while；　why　had　he

not　written　to　Flora？　　In　penitential　tenderness；　he　took　her

hand；　and；　to　his　awe　and　trouble；　it　remained　in　his；

compliant。　　A　voice　told　him　this　was　Flora；　after　all　…　told

him　so　quietly；　yet　with　a　thrill　of　singing。



'And　you　never　married？'　said　he。



'No；　John；　I　never　married；'　she　replied。



The　hall　clock　striking　two　recalled　them　to　the　sense　of

time。



'And　now；'　said　she；　'you　have　been　fed　and　warmed；　and　I

have　heard　your　story；　and　now　it's　high　time　to　call　your

brother。'



'Oh！'　cried　John；　chap…fallen；　'do　you　think　that　absolutely

necessary？'



'I　can't　keep　you　here；　I　am　a　stranger；'　said　she。　　'Do　you

want　to　run　away　again？　　I　thought　you　had　enough　of　that。'



He　bowed　his　head　under　the　reproof。　　She　despised　him；　he

reflected；　as　he　sat　once　more　alone；　a　monstrous　thing　for　a

woman　to　despise　a　man；　and　strangest　of　all；　she　seemed　to

like　him。　　Would　his　brother　despise　him；　too？　　And　would　his

brother　like　him？



And　presently　the　brother　appeared；　under　Flora's　escort；

and；　standing　afar　off　beside　the　doorway；　eyed　the　hero　of

this　tale。



'So　this　is　you？'　he　said；　at　length。



'Yes；　Alick；　it's　me　…　it's　John；'　replied　the　elder　brother；

feebly。



'And　how　did　you　get　in　here？'　inquired　the　younger。



'Oh；　I　had　my　pass…key；'　says　John。



'The　deuce　you　had！'　said　Alexander。　　'Ah；　you　lived　in　a

better　world！　　There　are　no　pass…keys　going　now。'



'Well；　father　was　always　averse　to　them；'　sighed　John。　　And

the　conversation　then　broke　down；　and　the　brothers　looked

askance　at　one　another　in　silence。



'Well；　and　what　the　devil　are　we　to　do？'　said　Alexander。　　'I

suppose　if　the　authorities　got　wind　of　you；　you　would　be

taken　up？'



'It　depends　on　whether　they've　found　the　body　or　not；'

returned　John。　　'And　then　there's　that　cabman；　to　be　sure！'



'Oh；　bother　the　body！'　said　Alexander。　　'I　mean　about　the

other　thing。　　That's　serious。'



'Is　that　what　my　father　spoke　about？'　asked　John。　　'I　don't

even　know　what　it　is。'



'About　your　robbing　your　bank　in　California；　of　course；'

replied　Alexander。



It　was　plain；　from　Flora's　face；　that　this　was　the　first　she

had　heard　of　it；　it　was　plainer　still；　from　John's；　that　he

was　innocent。



'I！'　he　exclaimed。　　'I　rob　my　bank！　　My　God！　　Flora；　this　is

too　much；　even　you　must　allow　that。'



'Meaning　you　didn't？'　asked　Alexander。



'I　never　robbed　a　soul　in　all　my　days；'　cried　John：　'except

my　father；　if　you　call　that　robbery；　and　I　brought　him　back

the　money　in　this　room；　and　he　wouldn't　even　take　it！'



'Look　here；　John；'　said　his　brother；　'let　us　have　no

misunderstanding　upon　this。　　Macewen　saw　my　father；　he　told

him　a　bank　you　had　worked　for　in　San　Francisco　was　wiring

over　the　habitable　globe　to　have　you　collared　…　that　it　was

supposed　you　had　nailed　thousands；　and　it　was　dead　certain

you　had　nailed　three　hundred。　　So　Macewen　said；　and　I　wish

you　would　be　careful　how　you　answer。　　I　may　tell　you　also；

that　your　father　paid　the　three　hundred　on　the　spot。'



'Three　hundred？'　repeated　John。　　'Three　hundred　pounds；　you

mean？　　That's　fifteen　hundred　dollars。　　Why；　then；　it's

Kirkman！'　he　broke　out。　　'Thank　Heaven！　　I　can　explain　all

that。　　I　gave　them　to　Kirkman　to　pay　for　me　the　night　before

I　left　…　fifteen　hundred　dollars；　and　a　letter　to　the

manager。　　What　do　they　suppose　I　would　steal　fifteen　hundred

dollars　for？　　I'm　rich；　I　struck　it　rich　in　stocks。　　It's　the

silliest　stuff　I　ever　heard　of。　　All　that's　needful　is　to

cable　to　the　manager：　Kirkman　has　the　fifteen　hundred　…　find

Kirkman。　　He　was　a　fellow…clerk　of　mine；　and　a　hard　case；　but

to　do　him　justice；　I　didn't　think　he　was　as　hard　as　this。'



'And　what　do　you　say　to　that；　Alick？'　asked　Flora。



'I　say　the　cablegram　shall　go　to…night！'　cried　Alexander；

with　energy。　　'Answer　prepaid；　too。　　If　this　can　be　cleared

away　…　and　upon　my　word　I　do　believe　it　can　…　we　shall　all　be

able　to　hold　up　our　heads　again。　　Here；　you　John；　you　stick

down　the　address　of　your　bank　manager。　　You；　Flora；　you　can

pack　John　into　my　bed；　for　which　I　have　no　further　use　to…

night。　　As　for　me；　I　am　off　to　the　post…office；　and　thence　to

the　High　Street　about　the　dead　body。　　The　police　ought　to

know；　you　see；　and　they　ought　to　know　through　John；　and　I　can

tell　them　some　rigmarole　about　my　brother　being　a　man　of

highly　nervous　organisation；　and　the　rest　of　it。　　And　then；

I'll　tell　you　what；　John　…　did　you　notice　the　name　upon　the

cab？'



John　gave　the　name　of　the　driver；　which；　as　I　have　not　been

able　to　command　the　vehicle；　I　here　suppress。



'Well；'　resumed　Alexander；　'I'll　call　round　at　their　place

before　I　come　back；　and　pay　your　shot　for　you。　　In　that　way；

before　breakfast…time；　you'll　be　as　good　as　new。'



John　murmured　inarticulate　thanks。　　To　see　his　brother　thus

energetic　in　his　service　moved　him　beyond　expression；　if　he

could　not　utter　what　he　felt；　he　showed　it　legibly　in　his

face；　and　Alexander　read　it　there；　and　liked　it　the　better　in

that　dumb　delivery。



'But　there's　one　thing；'　said　the　latter；　'cablegrams　are

dear；　and　I　dare　say　you　remember　enough　of　the　governor　to

guess　the　state　of　my　finances。'



'The　trouble　is；'　said　John；　'that　all　my　stamps　are　in　that

beastly　house。'



'All　your　what？'　asked　Alexander。



'Stamps　…　money；'　explained　John。　　'It's　an　American

expression；　I'm　afraid　I　contracted　one　or　two。'



'I　have　some；'　said　Flora。　　'I　have　a　pound　note　upstairs。'



'My　dear　Flora；'　returned　Alexander；　'a　pound　note　won't　see

us　very　far；　and　besides；　this　is　my　father's　business；　and　I

shall　be　very　much　surprised　if　it　isn't　my　father　who　pays

for　it。'



'I　would　not　apply　to　him　yet；　I　do　not　think　that　can　be

wise；'　objected　Flora。



'You　have　a　very　imperfect　idea　of　my　resources；　and　not　at

all　of　my　effrontery；'　replied　Alexander。　　'Please　observe。'



He　put　John　from　his　way；　chose　a　stout　knife　among　the

supper　things；　and　with　surprising　quickness　broke　into　his

father's　drawer。



'There's　nothing　easier　when　you　come　to　try；'　he　observed；

pocketing　the　money。



'I　wish　you　had　not　done　that；'　said　Flora。　　'You　will　never

hear　the　last　of　it。'



'Oh；　I　don't　know；'　returned　the　young　man；　'the　governor　is

human　after　all。　　And　now；　John；　let　me　see　your　famous　pass…

key。　　Get　into　bed；　and　don't　move　for　any　one　till　I　come

back。　　They　won't　mind　you　not　answering　when　they　knock；　I

generally　don't　myself。'







CHAPTER　IX　…　IN　WHICH　MR。　NICHOLSON　ACCEPTS　THE　PRINCIPLE　OF

AN　ALLOWANCE







IN　spite　of　the　horrors　of　the　day　and　the　tea…drinking　of

the　night；　John　slept　the　sleep　of　infancy。　　He　was　awakened

by　the　maid；　as　it　might　have　been　ten　years　ago；　tapping　at

the　door。　　The　winter　sunrise　was　painting　the　east；　and　as

the　window　was　to　the　back　of　the　house；　it　shone　into　the

room　with　many　strange　colours　of　refracted　light。　　Without；

the　houses　were　all　cleanly　roofed　with　snow；　the　garden

walls　were　coped　with　it　a　foot　in　height；　the　greens　lay

glittering。　　Yet　strange　as　snow　had　grown　to　John　during　his

years　upon　the　Bay　of　San　Francisco；　it　was　what　he　saw

within　that　most　affected　him。　　For　it　was　to　his　own　room

that　Alexander　had　been　promoted；　there　was　the　old　paper

with　the　device　of　flowers；　in　which　a　cunning　fancy　might

yet　detect　the　face　of　Skinny　Jim；　of　the　Academy；　John's

former　dominie；　there　was　the　old　chest　of　drawers；　there

were　the　chairs　…　one；　two；　three　…　three　as　before。　　Only

the　carpet　was　new；　and　the　litter　of　Alexander's　clothes　and

books　and　drawing　materials；　and　a　pencil…drawing　on　the

wall；　which　（in　John's　eyes）　appeared　a　marvel　of

proficiency。



He　was　thus　lying；　and　looking；　and　dreaming；　hanging；　as　it

were；　between　two　epochs　of　his　life；　when　Alexander　came　to

the　door；　and　made　his　presence　known　in　a　loud　whisper。

John　let　him　in；　and　jumped　back　into　the　warm　bed。



'Well；　John；'　said　Alexander；　'the　cablegram　is　sent　in　your

name；　and　twenty　words　of　answer　paid。　　I　have　been　to　the

cab　office　and　paid　your　cab；　even　saw　the　old　gentleman

himself；　and　properly　apologised。　　He　was　mighty　placable；

and　indicated　his　belief　you　had　been　drinking。　　Then　I

knocked　up　old　Macewen　out　of　bed；　and　explained　affairs　to

him　as　he　sat　and　shivered　in　a　dressing…gown。　　And　before

that　I　had　been　to　the　High　Street；　where　they　have　heard

nothing　of　your　dead　body；　so　that　I　incline　to　the　idea　that

you　dreamed　it。'



'Catch　me！'　said　John。



'Well；　the　police　never　do　know　anything；'　assented

Alexander；　'and　at　any　rate；　they　have　despatched　a　man　to

inquire　and　to　recover　your　trousers　and　your　money；　so　that

really　your　bill　is　now　fairly　clean；　and　I　see　but　one　lion

in　your　path　…　the　governor。'



'I'll　be　turned　out　again；　you'll　see；'　said　John；　dismally。



'I　don't　imagine　so；'　returned　the　other；　'not　if　you　do　what

Flora　and　I　have　arranged；　and　your　business　now　is　to　dress；

and　lose　no　time　about　it。　　Is　your　watch　right？　　Well；　you

have　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　By　five　minutes　before　the　half…

hour　you　must　be　at　table；　in　your　old　seat；　under　Uncle

Duthie's　picture。　　Flora　will　be　there　to　keep　you

countenance；　and　we　shall　see　what　we　shall　see。'



'Wouldn't　it　be　wiser　for　me　to　stay　in　bed