hard cash-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





Hard　Cash

by　Charles　Reade






PREFACE


〃HARD　CASH；〃　like　〃The　Cloister　and　the　Hearth；〃　is　a　matter…of…fact　Romancethat　is；　a　fiction　built　on　truths；　and　these　truths　have　been　gathered　by　long；　severe；　systematic　labour；　from　a　multitude　of　volumes；　pamphlets；　journals；　reports；　blue…books；　manuscript　narratives；　letters；　and　living　people；　whom　I　have　sought　out；　examined；　and　cross…examined；　to　get　at　the　truth　on　each　main　topic　I　have　striven　to　handle。


The　madhouse　scenes　have　been　picked　out　by　certain　disinterested　gentlemen；　who　keep　private　asylums；　and　periodicals　to　puff　them；　and　have　been　met　with　bold　denials　of　public　facts；　and　with　timid　personalities；　and　a　little　easy　cant　about　Sensation*　Novelists；　but　in　reality　those　passages　have　been　written　on　the　same　system　as　the　nautical；　legal；　and　other　scenes：　the　best　evidence　has　been　ransacked；　and　a　large　portion　of　this　evidence　I　shall　be　happy　to　show　at　my　house　to　any　brother　writer　who　is　disinterested；　and　really　cares　enough　for　truth　and　humanity　to　walk　or　ride　a　mile　in　pursuit　of　them。

CHARLES　READE。

6　BOLTON　ROW；　MAYFAIR；　December　5；　1868。


*This　slang　term　is　not　quite　accurate　as　applied　to　me。　Without　sensation　there　can　be　no　interest：　but　my　plan　is　to　mix　a　little　character　and　a　little　philosophy　with　the　sensational　element。







HARD　CASH



PROLOGUE

IN　a　snowy　villa；　with　a　sloping　lawn；　just　outside　the　great　commercial　seaport；　Barkington；　there　lived　a　few　years　ago　a　happy　family。　A　lady；　middle…aged；　but　still　charming；　two　young　friends　of　hers；　and　a　periodical　visitor。

The　lady　was　Mrs。　Dodd；　her　occasional　visitor　was　her　husband；　her　friends　were　her　son　Edward；　aged　twenty；　and　her　daughter　Julia；　nineteen；　the　fruit　of　a　misalliance。

Mrs。　Dodd　was　originally　Miss　Fountain；　a　young　lady　well　born；　high　bred；　and　a　denizen　of　the　fashionable　world。　Under　a　strange　concurrence　of　circumstances　she　coolly　married　the　captain　of　an　East　Indiaman。　The　deed　done；　and　with　her　eyes　open；　for　she　was　not；　to　say；　in　love　with　him；　she　took　a　judicious　lineand　kept　it：　no　hankering　after　Mayfair；　no　talking　about　〃Lord　this〃　and　〃Lady　that；〃　to　commercial　gentlewomen；　no　amphibiousness。　She　accepted　her　place　in　society；　reserving　the　right　to　embellish　it　with　the　graces　she　had　gathered　in　a　higher　sphere。　In　her　home；　and　in　her　person；　she　was　little　less　elegant　than　a　countess；　yet　nothing　more　than　a　merchant…captain's　wife；　and　she　reared　that　commander's　children　in　a　suburban　villa；　with　the　manners　which　adorn　a　palace。　When　they　happen　to　be　there。　She　had　a　bugbear；　Slang。　Could　not　endure　the　smart　technicalities　current；　their　multitude　did　not　overpower　her　distaste；　she　called　them　〃jargon〃〃slang〃　was　too　coarse　a　word　for　her　to　apply　to　slang：　she　excluded　many　a　good　〃racy　idiom〃　along　with　the　real　offenders；　and　monosyllables　in　general　ran　some　risk　of'　having　to　show　their　passports。　If　this　was　pedantry；　it　went　no　further；　she　was　open；　free；　and　youthful　with　her　young　pupils；　and　had　the　art　to　put　herself　on　their　level：　often；　when　they　were　quite　young；　she　would　feign　infantine　ignorance；　in　order　to　hunt　trite　truth　in　couples　with　them；　and　detect；　by　joint　experiment；　that　rainbows　cannot；　or　else　will　not；　be　walked　into；　nor　Jack…o'…lantern　be　gathered　like　a　cowslip；　and　that；　dissect　we　the　vocal　dogwhose　hair　is　so　like　a　lamb'snever　so　skilfully；　no　fragment　of　palpable　bark；　no　sediment　of　tangible　squeak；　remains　inside　him　to　bless　the　inquisitive　little　operator；　&c。；　&c。　When　they　advanced　from　these　elementary　branches　to　Languages；　History；　Tapestry；　and　〃What　Not；〃　she　managed　still　to　keep　by　their　side　learning　with　them；　not　just　hearing　them　lessons　down　from　the　top　of　a　high　tower　of　maternity。　She　never　checked　their　curiosity；　but　made　herself　share　it；　never　gave　them；　as　so　many　parents　do；　a　white…lying　answer；　wooed　their　affections　with　subtle　though　innocent　art；　thawed　their　reserve；　obtained　their　love；　and　retained　their　respect。　Briefly；　a　female　Chesterfield；　her　husband's　lover　after　marriage；　though　not　before；　and　the　mild　monitress　the　elder　sister；　the　favourite　companion　and　bosom　friend　of　both　her　children。

They　were　remarkably　dissimilar；　and　perhaps　I　may　be　allowed　to　preface　the　narrative　of　their　adventures　by　a　delineation；　as　in　country　churches　an　individual　pipes　the　keynote；　and　the　tune　comes　raging　after。

Edward；　then；　had　a　great　calm　eye；　that　was　always　looking　folk　full　in　the　face；　mildly；　his　countenance　comely　and　manly；　but　no　more；　too　square　for　Apollo；　but　sufficed　for　John　Bull。　His　figure　it　was　that　charmed　the　curious　observer　of　male　beauty。　He　was　five　feet　ten；　had　square　shoulders；　a　deep　chest；　masculine　flank；　small　foot；　high　instep。　To　crown　all　this；　a　head；　overflowed　by　ripples　of　dark　brown　hair；　sat　with　heroic　grace　upon　his　solid　white　throat；　like　some　glossy　falcon　new　lighted　on　a　Parian　column。

This　young　gentleman　had　decided　qualities；　positive　and　negative。　He　could　walk　up　to　a　five…barred　gate　and　clear　it；　alighting　on　the　other　side　like　a　fallen　feather；　could　row　all　day；　and　then　dance　all　night；　could　fling　a　cricket　ball　a　hundred　and　six　yards；　had　a　lathe　and　a　tool…box；　and　would　make　you　in　a　trice　a　chair；　a　table；　a　doll；　a　nutcracker；　or　any　other　moveable；　useful；　or　the　very　reverse。　And　could　not　learn　his　lessons；　to　save　his　life。

His　sister　Julia　was　not　so　easy　to　describe。　Her　figure　was　tall；　lithe；　and　serpentine；　her　hair　the　colour　of　a　horse…chestnut　fresh　from　its　pod；　her　ears　tiny　and　shell…like；　her　eyelashes　long　and　silky；　her　mouth　small　when　grave；　large　when　smiling；　her　eyes　pure　hazel　by　day；　and　tinged　with　a　little　violet　by　night。　But　in　jotting　down　these　details；　true　as　they　are；　I　seem　to　myself　to　be　painting　fire；　with　a　little　snow　and　saffron　mixed　on　a　marble　pallet。　There　is　a　beauty　too　spiritual　to　be　chained　in　a　string　of　items；　and　Julia's　fair　features　were　but　the　china　vessel　that　brimmed　over　with　the　higher　loveliness　of　her　soul。　Her　essential　charm　was；　what　shall　I　say？　Transparence。

　　　　　〃You　would　have　said　her　very　body　thought。〃

Modesty；　Intelligence；　and；　above　all；　Enthusiasm；　shone　through　her；　and　out　of　her；　and　made　her　an　airy；　fiery；　household　joy。　Briefly；　an　incarnate　sunbeam。

This　one　could　learn　her　lessons　with　unreasonable　rapidity；　and　until　Edward　went　to　Eton；　would　insist　upon　learning　his　into　the　bargain；　partly　with　the　fond　notion　of　coaxing　him　on；　as　the　company　of　a　swift　horse　incites　a　slow　one；　partly　because　she　was　determined　to　share　his　every　trouble；　if　she　could　not　remove　it。　A　little　choleric；　and　indeed　downright　prone　to　that　more　generous　indignation　which　fires　at　the　wrongs　of　others。　When　heated　with　emotion；　or　sentiment；　she　lowered　her　voice；　instead　of　raising　it　like　the　rest　of　us。　She　called　her　mother　〃Lady　Placid；〃　and　her　brother　〃Sir　Imperturbable。〃　And　so　much　for　outlines。

Mrs。　Dodd　laid　aside　her　personal　ambition　with　her　maiden　name；　but　she　looked　high　for　her　children。　Perhaps　she　was　all　the　more　ambitious　for　them；　that　they　had　no　rival　aspirant　in　Mrs。　Dodd。　She　educated　Julia　herself　from　first　to　last：　but　with　true　feminine　distrust　of　her　power　to　mould　a　lordling　of　creation；　she　sent　Edward　to　Eton；　at　nine。　This　was　slackening　her　tortoise；　for　at　Eton　is　no　female　master；　to　coax　dry　knowledge　into　a　slow　head。　However；　he　made　good　progress　in　two　branchesaquatics　and　cricket。

After　Eton　came　the　choice　of　a　profession。　His　mother　recognised　but　four；　and　these　her　discreet　ambition　speedily　sifted　down　to　two。　For　military　heroes　are　shot　now　and　then；　however　pacific　the　century；　and　naval　ones　drowned。　She　would　never　expose　her　Edward　to　this　class　of　accidents。　Glory　by　all　means；　glory　by　the　pail；　but　safe　glory；　please；　or　she　would　none　of　it。　Remained　the　church　and　the　bar：　and；　within　these　reasonable　limits；　she　left　her　dear　boy　free　as　air；　and　not　even　hurriedthere　was　plenty　of　time　to　choose：　he　must　pass　through　the　university　to　either。　This　last　essential　had　been　settled　about　a　twelvemonth；　and　the　very　day　for　his　going　to　Oxford　was　at　hand；　when　one　morning　Mr。　Edward　formally　cleared　his　throat：　it　was　an　unusual　act；　and　drew　the　ladies'　eyes　upon　him。　He　followed　the　solemnity　up　by　delivering　calmly　and　ponderously　a　connected　discourse；　which　astonished　them　by　its　length　and　purport。　〃Mamma；　dear；　let　us　look　the　thing　in　the　face。〃　（This　was　his　favourite　expression；　as　well　as　habit。）　〃I　have　been　thinking　it　quietly　over　for　the　last　six　months。　Why　send　me　to　the　university？　I　shall　be　out　of　place　there。　It　will　cost　you　a　lot　of　money；　and　no　good。　Now；　you　take　a　fool's　advice；　don't　you　waste　your　money　and　papa's；　sending　a　dull　fellow　like　me　to　Oxford。　I　did　bad　enough　at　_Eton。_　Make　me　an　engineer；　or　something。　If　you　were　not　so　fond　of　me；　and　I　of　you；　I'd　say　send　me　to　Canada；　with　a　pickaxe；　you　know　I　have　got　no　headpiece。〃

Mrs。　Dodd　had　sat　aghast；　casting　Edward　deprecating　looks　at　the　close　of　each　ponderous　sentence；　but　too　polite