hard cash-第118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！


Frank　_is_　a　gentleman；　when　he　is　dressed　like　one。〃

〃Isn't　he？〃　said　Alfred　eagerly。　〃And　whose　fault　is　it　he　is　not　always　dressed　like　one？　Whose　fault　that　here's　an　earl's　nephew；　'Boots　in　Hell'？〃

〃Not　yours；　Alfred；　nor　mine；〃　was　the　honeyed　reply。

In　vain　did　Mr。　Hayes　prefer　his　complaint　to　Dr。　Wolf。　The　Archbold　had　been　before　him；　and　the　answer　was；　〃Served　you　right。〃

These　and　many　other　good　deeds　did　Alfred　Hardie　in　Drayton　House。　But；　as　the　days　rolled　on；　and　no　answer　came　from　the　Commissioners；　his　own　anxiety；　grief；　and　dismay　left　him　less　and　less　able　to　sympathise　with　the　material　but　smaller　wrongs　around　him。　He　became　silent；　dejected。

At　last　he　came　to　Mrs。　Archbold；　and　said　sternly　his　letters　to　the　Commissioners　were　intercepted。

〃I　can't　believe　that；〃　said　she。　〃It　is　against　the　law。〃

So　it　was：　but　law　and　custom　are　two。

〃I　am　sure　of　it；〃　said　he；　〃and　may　the　eternal　curse　of　Heaven　light　on　the　cowardly　traitor　and　miscreant　who　has　done　it。〃　And　he　stalked　gloomily　away。

When　he　left　her；　she　sighed　at　this　imprecation　from　his　lips；　but　did　not　repent。　〃I　_can't_　part　with　him；〃　she　said　despairingly；　〃and　if　I　did　not　stop　his　poor　dear　letters；　Wolf　would：〃　and　the　amorous　crocodile　shed　a　tear；　and　persisted　in　her　double…faced　course。

By…and…by；　when　she　saw　him　getting　thinner　and　paler；　and　his　bright　face　downcast　and　inexpressibly　sad；　she　shared　his　misery：　ay；　shed　scalding　tears　for　him：　yet　could　not　give　him　up；　for　her　will　was　as　strong　as　the　rest　of　her　was　supple；　and　hers　was　hot　love；　but　not　true　love　like　Julia's。

Perhaps　a　very　subtle　observer；　seeing　this　man　and　woman　wax　pale　and　spiritless　together　in　one　house；　might　have　divined　her　secret。　Dr。　Wolf；　then；　was　no　such　observer；　for　she　made　him　believe　she　had　a　rising　_penchant_　for　him。　He　really　had　a　strong　one　for　her。

While　Alfred's　visible　misery　pulled　at　her　heart…strings；　and　sometimes　irritated；　sometimes　melted　her；　came　curious　complications；　one　of　which　requires　preface。

Mrs。　Dodd　then　was　not　the　wife　to　trust　blindly　where　her　poor　husband　was　concerned。　She　bribed　so　well　that　a　keeperess　in　David's　first　asylum　told　her　David　had　been　harshly　used　by　an　attendant。　She　instantly　got　Eve　Dodd　to　take　him　away：　and　transfer　him　to　a　small　asylum　nearer　London；　and　kept　by　a　Mrs。　Ellis。　〃Women　are　not　cruel　to　men；〃　said　the　sagacious　Lucy　Dodd。

But；　alas！　if　women　are　not　cruel　where　sex　comes　in　and　mimics　that　wider　sentiment；　Humanity；　women　are　deadly　economical。　Largely　gifted　with　that　household　virtue；　Mrs。　Ellis　kept　too　few　servants；　and；　sure　consequence　in　a　madhouse；　too　many　straitjackets；　hobbles；　muffs；　leg…locks；　bodybelts；　&c。　&c。　Hence　half　her　patients　were　frequently　kept　out　of　harm's　way　by　cruel　restraints　administered；　not　out　of　hearty　cruelty；　but　female　parsimony。　Mrs。　and　Miss　Dodd　invaded　the　house　one　day　when　the　fair　economist　was　out；　and　found　seven　patients　out　of　the　twelve　kept　out　of　mischief　thus：　one　in　a　restraint　chair；　two　hobbled　like　asses；　two　chained　like　dogs；　and　two　in　straight…waistcoats；　and　fastened　to　beds　by　webbing　and　straps；　amongst　the　latter；　David；　though　quiet　as　a　lamb。

Mrs。　Dodd　cried　over　him　as　if　her　heart　would　break；　and　made　Miss　Dodd　shift　him　to　a　large　asylum；　where　I　believe　he　was　very　well　used。　But　here　those　dreadful　newspapers　interfered；　a　prying　into　sweet　secluded　spots。　They　diversified　Mrs。　Dodd's　breakfast　by　informing　her　that　the　doctor　of　this　asylum　had　just　killed　a　patient；　the　mode　of　execution　bloodless　and　sure；　as　became　fair　science。　It　was　a　man　between　sixty　and　seventy；　an　age　at　which　the　heart　can　seldom　stand　very　much　shocking；　or　lowering；　especially　where　the　brain　is　diseased。　So　they　placed　him　in　a　shower…bath；　narrow　enough　to　impede　respiration；　without　the　falling　water；　which　of　necessity　drives　out　air。　In　short　a　vertical　box　with　holes　all　round　the　top。

Here　the　doctor　ordered　him　a　cold　shower…bath　of　unparalleled　duration：　half　an　hour。　To　be　followed　by　an　unprecedented　dose　of　tartar　emetic。　This　double…barrelled　order　given；　the　doctor　went　away。　（Formula。）

The　water　was　down　to　forty…five　degrees　Fahrenheit。　Half　an　hour's　shower…bath　at　that　temperature　in　a　roomy　bath　would　kill　the　youngest　and　strongest　man　in　her　Majesty's　dominions。

For　eight…and…twenty　mortal　minutes　the　poor　old　man　stood　in　this　vertical　coffin　under　this　cold　cascade。　Six　hundred　gallons　of　icy　water　were　in　that　his　last　hour；　his　last　half…hour；　discharged　upon　his　devoted　head　and　doomed　body。

He　had　to　be　helped　away　from　this　death…torrent　he　had　walked　into　in　high　spirits；　poor　soul。

Even　this　change　awakened　no　misgivings；　no　remorse；　though　you　or　I；　or　any　man　or　woman　picked　at　hazard　out　of　the　streets；　would　at　once　have　seen　that　he　was　dying；　he　was　duly　dozed　by　the　fire　with　four　spoonfuls　of　antimonial　tincture_to　mak'　sicker。_　But　even　the　〃Destructive　Art　of　Healing〃　cannot　slay　the　slain。　The　old　man　cheated　the　emetic；　for；　before　it　could　hurt　him；　he　died　of　the　bath；　And　his　body　told　its　own　sad　tale；　to　use　the　words　of　a　medical　eye…witness；　it　was　〃A　PIECE　OF　ALABASTER。〃　The　death…torrent　had　driven　the　whole　circulation　from　the　surface。*

*　This　mode　of　execution　is　well　known　in　the　United　States。　They　settle　refractory　prisoners　with　it　periodically。　But　half　an　hour　is　not　needed；　twenty　minutes　will　do　the　trick。　_〃Harper's　Weekly；_〃　a　year　or　two　ago；　contained　an　admirable　woodcut　of　a　negro's　execution　by　water。　In　this　remarkable　picture　you　see　the　poor　darkie　seated　powerless；　howling　and　panting　his　life　away　under　the　deadly　cascade；　and　there　stands　the　stolid　turnkey；　erect；　formal；　stiff　as　a　ramrod；　pulling　the　deadly　string　with　a　sort　of　drill　exercise　air；　and　no　more　compunction　nor　reflection　than　if　he　himself　was　a　machine　constructed　to　pull　strings　or　triggers　on　his　own　string　being　pulled　by　butcher　or　fool。　A　picture　well　studied；　and　so　worth　study。

Mrs。　Dodd　was　terrified；　and　in　spite　of　Sampson's　assurance　that　this　was　the　asylum　of　all　others　they　would　not　settle　another　patient　in　until　the　matter　should　have　blown　over；　got　Eve　Dodd　to　write　to　Dr。　Wolf；　and　offer　L。　300　a　year　if　he　would　take　David　at　once；　and　treat　him　with　especial　consideration。

He　showed　this　letter　triumphantly　to　Mrs。　Archbold；　and　she；　blinded　for　a　moment　by　feeling；　dissuaded　him　from　receiving　Captain　Dodd。　He　stared　at　her。　〃What；　turn　away　a　couple　of　thousand　pounds？〃

〃But　they　will　come　to　visit　him；　and　perhaps　see　him。〃

〃Oh；　that　can　be　managed。　You　must　be　on　your　guard：　and　I'll　warn　Rooke。　I　can't　turn　away　money　on　a　chance。〃

One　day　Alfred　found　himself　locked　into　his　room。　This　was　unusual：　for；　though　they　called　him　a　lunatic　in　words；　they　called　him　sane　by　all　their　acts。　He　half　suspected　that　the　Commissioners　were　in　the　house。

Had　he　known　who　really　was　in　the　house；　he　would　have　beaten　himself　to　pieces　against　the　door。

At　dinner　there　was　a　new　patient；　very　mild　and　silent；　with　a　beautiful　large　brown　eye；　like　some　gentle　animal's。

Alfred　was　very　much　struck　with　this　eye；　and　contrived　to　say　a　kind　word　to　him　after　dinner。　Finding　himself　addressed　by　a　gentleman；　the　new　comer　handled　his　forelock　and　made　a　sea　scrape；　and　announced　himself　as　William　Thompson；　he　added　with　simple　pride；　〃Able　Seaman；〃　then　touching　his　forelock　again；　〃Just　come　aboard；　your　honour。〃　After　this；　which　came　off　glibly；　he　was　anything　but　communicative。　However；　Alfred　contrived　to　extract　from　him　that　he　was　rather　glad　to　leave　his　last　ship；　on　account　of　having　been　constantly　impeded　there　in　his　duties　by　a　set　of　lubbers；　that　clung　round　him　and　kept　him　on　deck　whenever　the　first　lieutenant　ordered　him　into　the　top。

The　very　next　day；　pacing　sadly　the　dull　gravel　of　his　prison　yard；　Alfred　heard　a　row；　and　there　was　the　able　seaman　struggling　with　the　Robin　and　two　other　keepers。　He　wanted　to　go　to　his　duties　in　the　foretop：　to　wit；　the　fork　of　a　high　elm…tree　in　the　court…yard。　Alfred　had　half　a　mind　not　to　interfere。　〃Who　cares　for　_my_　misery？〃　he　said。　But　his　better　nature　prevailed；　and　he　told　the　Robin　he　was　sure　going　up　imaginary　rigging　would　do　Thompson　more　good　than　harm。

On　this　the　men　reluctantly　gave　him　a　trial；　and　he　went　up　the　tree　with　wonderful　strength　and　agility；　but　evident　caution。　Still　Alfred　quaked　when　he　crossed　his　thighs　tight　over　a　limb　of　the　tree　forty　feet　from　earth；　and　went　carefully　and　minutely　through　the　whole　process　of　furling　imaginary　sails。　However；　he　came　down　manifestly　soothed　by　the　performance；　and；　singular　phenomenon；　he　was　quite　cool；　and　it　was　the　spectators　on　deck　who　perspired。

〃And　what　a　pleasant　voice　he　has；〃　said　Alfred；　〃it　quite　charms　my　ear；　it　is　not　like　a　mad　voice。　It　is　likeI'm　mad　myself。〃

〃And　he　has　got　a　fiddle；　and　plays　it　like　a　hangel；　by　all　accounts；〃　said　the　Robin；　〃only　he　won't　touch　it　but　when　he　has　a　mind。〃

At　night　Alfred　dreamed　he　heard　Julia's　sweet　mellow　voice　speaking　to　him；　and　he　looked；　and　lo！　it　was　the　able