tales and fantasies-第12章

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



'Wouldn't　it　be　wiser　for　me　to　stay　in　bed？'　said　John。



'If　you　mean　to　manage　your　own　concerns；　you　can　do

precisely　what　you　like；'　replied　Alexander；　'but　if　you　are

not　in　your　place　five　minutes　before　the　half…hour　I　wash　my

hands　of　you；　for　one。'



And　thereupon　he　departed。　　He　had　spoken　warmly；　but　the

truth　is；　his　heart　was　somewhat　troubled。　　And　as　he　hung

over　the　balusters；　watching　for　his　father　to　appear；　he　had

hard　ado　to　keep　himself　braced　for　the　encounter　that　must

follow。



'If　he　takes　it　well；　I　shall　be　lucky；'　he　reflected。



'If　he　takes　it　ill；　why　it'll　be　a　herring　across　John's

tracks；　and　perhaps　all　for　the　best。　　He's　a　confounded

muff；　this　brother　of　mine；　but　he　seems　a　decent　soul。'



At　that　stage　a　door　opened　below　with　a　certain　emphasis；

and　Mr。　Nicholson　was　seen　solemnly　to　descend　the　stairs；

and　pass　into　his　own　apartment。　　Alexander　followed；　quaking

inwardly；　but　with　a　steady　face。　　He　knocked；　was　bidden　to

enter；　and　found　his　father　standing　in　front　of　the　forced

drawer；　to　which　he　pointed　as　he　spoke。



'This　is　a　most　extraordinary　thing；'　said　he；　'I　have　been

robbed！'



'I　was　afraid　you　would　notice　it；'　observed　his　son；　'it

made　such　a　beastly　hash　of　the　table。'



'You　were　afraid　I　would　notice　it？'　repeated　Mr。　Nicholson。

'And；　pray；　what　may　that　mean？'



'That　I　was　a　thief；　sir；'　returned　Alexander。　　'I　took　all

the　money　in　case　the　servants　should　get　hold　of　it；　and

here　is　the　change；　and　a　note　of　my　expenditure。　　You　were

gone　to　bed；　you　see；　and　I　did　not　feel　at　liberty　to　knock

you　up；　but　I　think　when　you　have　heard　the　circumstances；

you　will　do　me　justice。　　The　fact　is；　I　have　reason　to

believe　there　has　been　some　dreadful　error　about　my　brother

John；　the　sooner　it　can　be　cleared　up　the　better　for　all

parties；　it　was　a　piece　of　business；　sir　…　and　so　I　took　it；

and　decided；　on　my　own　responsibility；　to　send　a　telegram　to

San　Francisco。　　Thanks　to　my　quickness　we　may　hear　to…night。

There　appears　to　be　no　doubt；　sir；　that　John　has　been

abominably　used。'



'When　did　this　take　place？'　asked　the　father。



'Last　night；　sir；　after　you　were　asleep；'　was　the　reply。



'It's　most　extraordinary；'　said　Mr。　Nicholson。　　'Do　you　mean

to　say　you　have　been　out　all　night？'



'All　night；　as　you　say；　sir。　　I　have　been　to　the　telegraph

and　the　police　office；　and　Mr。　Macewen's。　　Oh；　I　had　my　hands

full；'　said　Alexander。



'Very　irregular；'　said　the　father。　　'You　think　of　no　one　but

yourself。'



'I　do　not　see　that　I　have　much　to　gain　in　bringing　back　my

elder　brother；'　returned　Alexander；　shrewdly。



The　answer　pleased　the　old　man；　he　smiled。　　'Well；　well；　I

will　go　into　this　after　breakfast；'　said　he。



'I'm　sorry　about　the　table；'　said　the　son。



'The　table　is　a　small　matter；　I　think　nothing　of　that；'　said

the　father。



'It's　another　example；'　continued　the　son；　'of　the

awkwardness　of　a　man　having　no　money　of　his　own。　　If　I　had　a

proper　allowance；　like　other　fellows　of　my　age；　this　would

have　been　quite　unnecessary。'



'A　proper　allowance！'　repeated　his　father；　in　tones　of

blighting　sarcasm；　for　the　expression　was　not　new　to　him。　　'I

have　never　grudged　you　money　for　any　proper　purpose。'



'No　doubt；　no　doubt；'　said　Alexander；　'but　then　you　see　you

aren't　always　on　the　spot　to　have　the　thing　explained　to　you。

Last　night；　for　instance　…　'



'You　could　have　wakened　me　last　night；'　interrupted　his

father。



'Was　it　not　some　similar　affair　that　first　got　John　into　a

mess？'　asked　the　son；　skilfully　evading　the　point。



But　the　father　was　not　less　adroit。　　'And　pray；　sir；　how　did

you　come　and　go　out　of　the　house？'　he　asked。



'I　forgot　to　lock　the　door；　it　seems；'　replied　Alexander。



'I　have　had　cause　to　complain　of　that　too　often；'　said　Mr。

Nicholson。　　'But　still　I　do　not　understand。　　Did　you　keep　the

servants　up？'



'I　propose　to　go　into　all　that　at　length　after　breakfast；'

returned　Alexander。　　'There　is　the　half…hour　going；　we　must

not　keep　Miss　Mackenzie　waiting。'



And　greatly　daring；　he　opened　the　door。



Even　Alexander；　who；　it　must　have　been　perceived　was　on　terms

of　comparative　freedom　with　his　parent　…　even　Alexander　had

never　before　dared　to　cut　short　an　interview　in　this　high…

handed　fashion。　　But　the　truth　is；　the　very　mass　of　his　son's

delinquencies　daunted　the　old　gentleman。　　He　was　like　the　man

with　the　cart　of　apples　…　this　was　beyond　him！　　That

Alexander　should　have　spoiled　his　table；　taken　his　money；

stayed　out　all　night；　and　then　coolly　acknowledged　all；　was

something　undreamed　of　in　the　Nicholsonian　philosophy；　and

transcended　comment。　　The　return　of　the　change；　which　the　old

gentleman　still　carried　in　his　hand；　had　been　a　feature　of

imposing　impudence；　it　had　dealt　him　a　staggering　blow。　　Then

there　was　the　reference　to　John's　original　flight　…　a　subject

which　he　always　kept　resolutely　curtained　in　his　own　mind；

for　he　was　a　man　who　loved　to　have　made　no　mistakes；　and　when

he　feared　he　might　have　made　one　kept　the　papers　sealed。　　In

view　of　all　these　surprises　and　reminders；　and　of　his　son's

composed　and　masterful　demeanour；　there　began　to　creep　on　Mr。

Nicholson　a　sickly　misgiving。　　He　seemed　beyond　his　depth；　if

he　did　or　said　anything；　he　might　come　to　regret　it。　　The

young　man；　besides；　as　he　had　pointed　out　himself；　was

playing　a　generous　part。　　And　if　wrong　had　been　done　…　and

done　to　one　who　was；　after；　and　in　spite　of；　all；　a　Nicholson

…　it　should　certainly　be　righted。



All　things　considered；　monstrous　as　it　was　to　be　cut　short　in

his　inquiries；　the　old　gentleman　submitted；　pocketed　the

change；　and　followed　his　son　into　the　dining…room。　　During

these　few　steps　he　once　more　mentally　revolted；　and　once

more；　and　this　time　finally；　laid　down　his　arms：　a　still；

small　voice　in　his　bosom　having　informed　him　authentically　of

a　piece　of　news；　that　he　was　afraid　of　Alexander。　　The

strange　thing　was　that　he　was　pleased　to　be　afraid　of　him。

He　was　proud　of　his　son；　he　might　be　proud　of　him；　the　boy

had　character　and　grit；　and　knew　what　he　was　doing。



These　were　his　reflections　as　he　turned　the　corner　of　the

dining…room　door。　　Miss　Mackenzie　was　in　the　place　of　honour；

conjuring　with　a　tea…pot　and　a　cosy；　and；　behold！　there　was

another　person　present；　a　large；　portly；　whiskered　man　of　a

very　comfortable　and　respectable　air；　who　now　rose　from　his

seat　and　came　forward；　holding　out　his　hand。



'Good…morning；　father；'　said　he。



Of　the　contention　of　feeling　that　ran　high　in　Mr。　Nicholson's

starched　bosom；　no　outward　sign　was　visible；　nor　did　he　delay

long　to　make　a　choice　of　conduct。　　Yet　in　that　interval　he

had　reviewed　a　great　field　of　possibilities　both　past　and

future；　whether　it　was　possible　he　had　not　been　perfectly

wise　in　his　treatment　of　John；　whether　it　was　possible　that

John　was　innocent；　whether；　if　he　turned　John　out　a　second

time；　as　his　outraged　authority　suggested；　it　was　possible　to

avoid　a　scandal；　and　whether；　if　he　went　to　that　extremity；

it　was　possible　that　Alexander　might　rebel。



'Hum！'　said　Mr。　Nicholson；　and　put　his　hand；　limp　and　dead；

into　John's。



And　then；　in　an　embarrassed　silence；　all　took　their　places；

and　even　the　paper　…　from　which　it　was　the　old　gentleman's

habit　to　suck　mortification　daily；　as　he　marked　the　decline

of　our　institutions　…　even　the　paper　lay　furled　by　his　side。



But　presently　Flora　came　to　the　rescue。　　She　slid　into　the

silence　with　a　technicality；　asking　if　John　still　took　his

old　inordinate　amount　of　sugar。　　Thence　it　was　but　a　step　to

the　burning　question　of　the　day；　and　in　tones　a　little

shaken；　she　commented　on　the　interval　since　she　had　last　made

tea　for　the　prodigal；　and　congratulated　him　on　his　return。

And　then　addressing　Mr。　Nicholson；　she　congratulated　him　also

in　a　manner　that　defied　his　ill…humour；　and　from　that

launched　into　the　tale　of　John's　misadventures；　not　without

some　suitable　suppressions。



Gradually　Alexander　joined；　between　them；　whether　he　would　or

no；　they　forced　a　word　or　two　from　John；　and　these　fell　so

tremulously；　and　spoke　so　eloquently　of　a　mind　oppressed　with

dread；　that　Mr。　Nicholson　relented。　　At　length　even　he

contributed　a　question：　and　before　the　meal　was　at　an　end　all

four　were　talking　even　freely。



Prayers　followed；　with　the　servants　gaping　at　this　new…comer

whom　no　one　had　admitted；　and　after　prayers　there　came　that

moment　on　the　clock　which　was　the　signal　for　Mr。　Nicholson's

departure。



'John；'　said　he；　'of　course　you　will　stay　here。　　Be　very

careful　not　to　excite　Maria；　if　Miss　Mackenzie　thinks　it

desirable　that　you　should　see　her。　　Alexander；　I　wish　to

speak　with　you　alone。'　　And　then；　when　they　were　both　in　the

back　room：　'You　need　not　come　to　the　office　to…day；'　said　he；

'you　can　stay　and　amuse　your　brother；　and　I　think　it　would　be

respectful　to　call　on　Uncle　Greig。　　And　by　the　bye'　（this

spoken　with　a　certain…　dare　we　say？　…　bashfulness）；　'I　agree

to　concede　the　principle　of　an　allowance；　and　I　will　consult

with　Doctor　Durie；　who　is　quite　a　man　of　the　world　and　has

sons　of　his　own；　as　to　the　amount。　　And；　my　fine　fellow；　you

may　consider　yourself　in　luck！'　he　added；　with　a　smile。



'Thank　you；'　said　Alexander。



Before　noon　a　detective　had　restored　to　John　his　money；　and

brought　news；　sad　enough　in　truth；　but　perhaps　the　least　sad

possible。　　Alan　had　been　found　in　his　own　house　in　Regent

Terrace；　under　care　of　the　terrified　butler。　　He　was　quite

mad；　and　instead　of　going　to　prison；　had　gone　to　Morningside

Asylum。　　The　murdered　man；　it　appeared；　was　an　evicted　tenant

who　had　for　nearly　a　year　pursued　his　late　landlord　with

threats　and　insults；　and　beyond　this；　the　cause　and　details

of　the　tragedy　were　lost。



When　Mr。　Nicholson　returned　from　dinner　they　were　able　to　put

a　despatch　into　his　hands：　'John　V。　Nicholson；　Randolph

Crescent；　Edinburgh。　…　Kirkham　has　disappeared；　police

looking　for　him。　　All　understood。　　Keep　mind　quite　easy。　…

Austin。'　Having　had　this　explained　to　him；　the　old　gentleman

took　down　the　cellar　key　and　departed　for　two　bottles　of　the

1820　port。　　Uncle　Greig　dined　there　that　day；　and　Cousin

Robina；　and；　by　an　odd　chance；　Mr。　Macewen；　and　the　presence

of　these　strangers　relieved　what　might　have　been　otherwise　a

somewhat　strained　relation。　　Ere　they　departed；　the　family

was　welded　once　more　into　a　fair　semblance　of　unity。



In　the　end　of　April　John　led　Flora　…　or；　as　more　descriptive；

Flora　led　John　…　to　the　altar；　if　altar　that　may　be　called

which　was　indeed　the　drawing…room　mantel…piece　in　Mr。

Nicholson's　house；　with　the　Reverend　Dr。　Durie　posted　on　the

hearthrug　in　the　guise　of　Hymen's　priest。



The　last　I　saw　of　them；　on　a　recent　v