tales and fantasies-第18章

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disreputable　stepson　of　the　arts。　　Ere　he　left　Paris　Van

Tromp　was　one　of　those　whom　he　entertained　to　a　farewell

supper；　and　the　old　gentleman　made　the　speech　of　the　evening；

and　then　fell　below　the　table；　weeping；　smiling；　paralysed。







CHAPTER　II　…　A　LETTER　TO　THE　PAPERS







OLD　Mr。　Naseby　had　the　sturdy；　untutored　nature　of　the　upper

middle　class。　　The　universe　seemed　plain　to　him。　　'The

thing's　right；'　he　would　say；　or　'the　thing's　wrong'；　and

there　was　an　end　of　it。　　There　was　a　contained；　prophetic

energy　in　his　utterances；　even　on　the　slightest　affairs；　he

SAW　the　damned　thing；　if　you　did　not；　it　must　be　from

perversity　of　will；　and　this　sent　the　blood　to　his　head。

Apart　from　this；　which　made　him　an　exacting　companion；　he　was

one　of　the　most　upright；　hot…tempered；　hot…headed　old

gentlemen　in　England。　　Florid；　with　white　hair；　the　face　of

an　old　Jupiter；　and　the　figure　of　an　old　fox…hunter；　he

enlivened　the　vale　of　Thyme　from　end　to　end　on　his　big；

cantering　chestnut。



He　had　a　hearty　respect　for　Dick　as　a　lad　of　parts。　　Dick　had

a　respect　for　his　father　as　the　best　of　men；　tempered　by　the

politic　revolt　of　a　youth　who　has　to　see　to　his　own

independence。　　Whenever　the　pair　argued；　they　came　to　an　open

rupture；　and　arguments　were　frequent；　for　they　were　both

positive；　and　both　loved　the　work　of　the　intelligence。　　It

was　a　treat　to　hear　Mr。　Naseby　defending　the　Church　of

England　in　a　volley　of　oaths；　or　supporting　ascetic　morals

with　an　enthusiasm　not　entirely　innocent　of　port　wine。　　Dick

used　to　wax　indignant；　and　none　the　less　so　because；　as　his

father　was　a　skilful　disputant；　he　found　himself　not　seldom

in　the　wrong。　　On　these　occasions；　he　would　redouble　in

energy；　and　declare　that　black　was　white；　and　blue　yellow；

with　much　conviction　and　heat　of　manner；　but　in　the　morning

such　a　licence　of　debate　weighed　upon　him　like　a　crime；　and

he　would　seek　out　his　father；　where　he　walked　before

breakfast　on　a　terrace　overlooking　all　the　vale　of　Thyme。



'I　have　to　apologise；　sir；　for　last　night　…　'　he　would　begin。



'Of　course　you　have；'　the　old　gentleman　would　cut　in

cheerfully。　　'You　spoke　like　a　fool。　　Say　no　more　about　it。'



'You　do　not　understand　me；　sir。　　I　refer　to　a　particular

point。　　I　confess　there　is　much　force　in　your　argument　from

the　doctrine　of　possibilities。'



'Of　course　there　is；'　returned　his　father。　　'Come　down　and

look　at　the　stables。　　Only；'　he　would　add；　'bear　this　in

mind；　and　do　remember　that　a　man　of　my　age　and　experience

knows　more　about　what　he　is　saying　than　a　raw　boy。'



He　would　utter　the　word　'boy'　even　more　offensively　than　the

average　of　fathers；　and　the　light　way　in　which　he　accepted

these　apologies　cut　Richard　to　the　heart。　　The　latter　drew

slighting　comparisons；　and　remembered　that　he　was　the　only

one　who　ever　apologised。　　This　gave　him　a　high　station　in　his

own　esteem；　and　thus　contributed　indirectly　to　his　better

behaviour；　for　he　was　scrupulous　as　well　as　high…spirited；

and　prided　himself　on　nothing　more　than　on　a　just　submission。



So　things　went　on　until　the　famous　occasion　when　Mr。　Naseby；

becoming　engrossed　in　securing　the　election　of　a　sound　party

candidate　to　Parliament；　wrote　a　flaming　letter　to　the

papers。　　The　letter　had　about　every　demerit　of　party　letters

in　general；　it　was　expressed　with　the　energy　of　a　believer；

it　was　personal；　it　was　a　little　more　than　half　unfair；　and

about　a　quarter　untrue。　　The　old　man　did　not　mean　to　say　what

was　untrue；　you　may　be　sure；　but　he　had　rashly　picked　up

gossip；　as　his　prejudice　suggested；　and　now　rashly　launched

it　on　the　public　with　the　sanction　of　his　name。



'The　Liberal　candidate；'　he　concluded；　'is　thus　a　public

turncoat。　　Is　that　the　sort　of　man　we　want？　　He　has　been

given　the　lie；　and　has　swallowed　the　insult。　　Is　that　the

sort　of　man　we　want？　　I　answer　No！　　With　all　the　force　of　my

conviction；　I　answer；　NO！'



And　then　he　signed　and　dated　the　letter　with　an　amateur's

pride；　and　looked　to　be　famous　by　the　morrow。



Dick；　who　had　heard　nothing　of　the　matter；　was　up　first　on

that　inauspicious　day；　and　took　the　journal　to　an　arbour　in

the　garden。　　He　found　his　father's　manifesto　in　one　column；

and　in　another　a　leading　article。　　'No　one　that　we　are　aware

of；'　ran　the　article；　'had　consulted　Mr。　Naseby　on　the

subject；　but　if　he　had　been　appealed　to　by　the　whole　body　of

electors；　his　letter　would　be　none　the　less　ungenerous　and

unjust　to　Mr。　Dalton。　　We　do　not　choose　to　give　the　lie　to

Mr。　Naseby；　for　we　are　too　well　aware　of　the　consequences；

but　we　shall　venture　instead　to　print　the　facts　of　both　cases

referred　to　by　this　red…hot　partisan　in　another　portion　of

our　issue。　　Mr。　Naseby　is　of　course　a　large　proprietor　in　our

neighbourhood；　but　fidelity　to　facts；　decent　feeling；　and

English　grammar；　are　all　of　them　qualities　more　important

than　the　possession　of　land。　　Mr。　…　is　doubtless　a　great　man；

in　his　large　gardens　and　that　half…mile　of　greenhouses；　where

he　has　probably　ripened　his　intellect　and　temper；　he　may　say

what　he　will　to　his　hired　vassals；　but　（as　the　Scotch　say）　…





here

He　mauna　think　to　domineer。





'Liberalism；'　continued　the　anonymous　journalist；　'is　of　too

free　and　sound　a　growth；'　etc。



Richard　Naseby　read　the　whole　thing　from　beginning　to　end；

and　a　crushing　shame　fell　upon　his　spirit。　　His　father　had

played　the　fool；　he　had　gone　out　noisily　to　war；　and　come

back　with　confusion。　　The　moment　that　his　trumpets　sounded；

he　had　been　disgracefully　unhorsed。　　There　was　no　question　as

to　the　facts；　they　were　one　and　all　against　the　Squire。

Richard　would　have　given　his　ears　to　have　suppressed　the

issue；　but　as　that　could　not　be　done；　he　had　his　horse

saddled；　and　furnishing　himself　with　a　convenient　staff；　rode

off　at　once　to　Thymebury。



The　editor　was　at　breakfast　in　a　large；　sad　apartment。　　The

absence　of　furniture；　the　extreme　meanness　of　the　meal；　and

the　haggard；　bright…eyed；　consumptive　look　of　the　culprit；

unmanned　our　hero；　but　he　clung　to　his　stick；　and　was　stout

and　warlike。



'You　wrote　the　article　in　this　morning's　paper？'　he　demanded。



'You　are　young　Mr。　Naseby？　　I　PUBLISHED　it；'　replied　the

editor；　rising。



'My　father　is　an　old　man；'　said　Richard；　and　then　with　an

outburst；　'And　a　damned　sight　finer　fellow　than　either　you　or

Dalton！'　　He　stopped　and　swallowed；　he　was　determined　that

all　should　go　with　regularity。　　'I　have　but　one　question　to

put　to　you；　sir；'　he　resumed。　　'Granted　that　my　father　was

misinformed；　would　it　not　have　been　more　decent　to　withhold

the　letter　and　communicate　with　him　in　private？'



'Believe　me；'　returned　the　editor；　'that　alternative　was　not

open　to　me。　　Mr。　Naseby　told　me　in　a　note　that　he　had　sent

his　letter　to　three　other　journals；　and　in　fact　threatened　me

with　what　he　called　exposure　if　I　kept　it　back　from　mine。　　I

am　really　concerned　at　what　has　happened；　I　sympathise　and

approve　of　your　emotion；　young　gentleman；　but　the　attack　on

Mr。　Dalton　was　gross；　very　gross；　and　I　had　no　choice　but　to

offer　him　my　columns　to　reply。　　Party　has　its　duties；　sir；'

added　the　scribe；　kindling；　as　one　who　should　propose　a

sentiment；　'and　the　attack　was　gross。'



Richard　stood　for　half　a　minute　digesting　the　answer；　and

then　the　god　of　fair　play　came　upper…most　in　his　heart；　and

murmuring　'Good　morning；'　he　made　his　escape　into　the　street。



His　horse　was　not　hurried　on　the　way　home；　and　he　was　late

for　breakfast。　　The　Squire　was　standing　with　his　back　to　the

fire　in　a　state　bordering　on　apoplexy；　his　fingers　violently

knitted　under　his　coat　tails。　　As　Richard　came　in；　he　opened

and　shut　his　mouth　like　a　cod…fish；　and　his　eyes　protruded。



'Have　you　seen　that；　sir？'　he　cried；　nodding　towards　the

paper。



'Yes；　sir；'　said　Richard。



'Oh；　you've　read　it；　have　you？'



'Yes；　I　have　read　it；'　replied　Richard；　looking　at　his　foot。



'Well；'　demanded　the　old　gentleman；　'and　what　have　you　to　say

to　it；　sir？'



'You　seem　to　have　been　misinformed；'　said　Dick。



'Well？　　What　then？　　Is　your　mind　so　sterile；　sir？　　Have　you

not　a　word　of　comment？　no　proposal？'



'I　fear；　sir；　you　must　apologise　to　Mr。　Dalton。　　It　would　be

more　handsome；　indeed　it　would　be　only　just；　and　a　free

acknowledgment　would　go　far　…　'　　Richard　paused；　no　language

appearing　delicate　enough　to　suit　the　case。



'That　is　a　suggestion　which　should　have　come　from　me；　sir；'

roared　the　father。　　'It　is　out　of　place　upon　your　lips。　　It

is　not　the　thought　of　a　loyal　son。　　Why；　sir；　if　my　father

had　been　plunged　in　such　deplorable　circumstances；　I　should

have　thrashed　the　editor　of　that　vile　sheet　within　an　inch　of

his　life。　　I　should　have　thrashed　the　man；　sir。　　It　would

have　been　the　action　of　an　ass；　but　it　would　have　shown　that

I　had　the　blood　and　the　natural　affections　of　a　man。　　Son？

You　are　no　son；　no　son　of　mine；　sir！'



'Sir！'　said　Dick。



'I'll　tell　you　what　you　are；　sir；'　pursued　the　Squire。

'You're　a　Benthamite。　　I　disown　you。　　Your　mother　would　have

died　for　shame；　there　was　no　modern　cant　about　your　mother；

she　thought　…　she　said　to　me；　sir　…　I'm　glad　she's　in　her

grave；　Dick　Naseby。　　Misinformed！　　Misinformed；　sir？　　Have

you　no　loyalty；　no　spring；　no　natural　affections？　　Are　you

clockwork；　hey？　　Away！　　This　is　no　place　for　you。　　Away！'

（waving　his　hands　in　the　air）。　　'Go　away！　　Leave　me！'



At　this　moment　Dick　beat　a　retreat　in　a　disarray　of　nerves；　a

whistling　and　clamour　of　his　own　arteries；　and　in　short　in

such　a　final　bodily　disorder　as　made　him　alike　incapable　of

speech　or　hearing。　　And　in　the　midst　of　all　this　turmoil；　a

sense　of　unpardonable　injustice　remained　graven　in　his

memory。









CHAPTER　III　…　IN　THE　ADMIRAL'S　NAME







THERE　was　no　return　to　the　subject。　　Dick　and　his　father　were

henceforth　on　terms　of　coldness。　　The　upright　old　gentleman

grew　more　upright　when　he　met　his　son；　buckrammed　with

immortal　anger；　he　asked　after　Dick's　health；　and　discussed

the　weather　and　the　crops　with　an　appalling　courtesy；　his

pronunciation　was　POINT…DE…VICE；　his　voice　was　distant；

distinct；　and　sometimes　almost　trembling　with　suppressed

indignation。



As　for　Dick；　it　seemed　to　him　as　if　his　life　had　come

abruptly　to　an　end。　　He　came　out　of　his　theories　and

clevernesses；　his　premature　man…of…the…worldness；　on　which　he

had　prided　himself　on　his　travels；　'shrank　like　a　thing

ashamed'　before　this　real　sorrow。　　Pride；　wounded　honour；

pity　and　respect　tussled　together　daily　in　his　heart；　and　now

he　was　within　an　ace　of　throwing　himself　upon　his　father's

mercy；　and　now　of　slipping　forth　at　night　and　coming　back　no

more　to　Naseby　House。　　He　suffered　from　the　sight　of　his

father；　nay；　even　from　the　neighbourhood　of　this　familiar

valley；　where　every　corner　had　its　legend；　and　he　was

besiege