the adventure of the cardboard box-第5节

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as　close　to　me　as　a　rope　to　a　block　if　that　woman　had　never　darkened

our　door。　For　Sarah　Cushing　loved　me…　that's　the　root　of　the　business…

she　loved　me　until　all　her　love　turned　to　poisonous　hate　when　she　knew

that　I　thought　more　of　my　wife's　footmark　in　the　mud　than　I　did　of　her

whole　body　and　soul。

　　〃'There　were　three　sisters　altogether。　The　old　one　was　just　a　good

woman；　the　second　was　a　devil；　and　the　third　was　an　angel。　Sarah　was

thirty…three；　and　Mary　was　twenty…nine　when　I　married。　We　were　just　as

happy　as　the　day　was　long　when　we　set　up　house　together；　and　in　all

Liverpool　there　was　no　better　woman　than　my　Mary。　And　then　we　asked

Sarah　up　for　a　week；　and　the　week　grew　into　a　month；　and　one　thing　led

to　another；　until　she　was　just　one　of　ourselves。

　　〃'I　was　blue　ribbon　at　that　time；　and　we　were　putting　a　little　money

by；　and　all　was　as　bright　as　a　new　dollar。　My　God；　whoever　would

have　thought　that　it　could　have　come　to　this？　Whoever　would　have

dreamed　it？

　　〃'I　used　to　be　home　for　the　week…ends　very　often；　and　sometimes　if

the　ship　were　held　back　for　cargo　I　would　have　a　whole　week　at　a　time；

and　in　this　way　I　saw　a　deal　of　my　sister…in…law；　Sarah。　She　was　a

fine　tall　woman；　black　and　quick　and　fierce；　with　a　proud　way　of

carrying　her　head；　and　a　glint　from　her　eye　like　a　spark　from　a　flint。

But　when　little　Mary　was　there　I　had　never　a　thought　of　her；　and

that　I　swear　as　I　hope　for　God's　mercy。

　　〃'It　had　seemed　to　me　sometimes　that　she　liked　to　be　alone　with

me；　or　to　coax　me　out　for　a　walk　with　her；　but　I　had　never　thought

anything　of　that。　But　one　evening　my　eyes　were　opened。　I　had　come　up

from　the　ship　and　found　my　wife　out；　but　Sarah　at　home。　〃Where's

Mary？〃　I　asked。　〃Oh；　she　has　gone　to　pay　some　accounts。〃　I　was

impatient　and　paced　up　and　down　the　room。　〃Can't　you　be　happy　for　five

minutes　without　Mary；　Jim？〃　says　she。　〃It's　a　bad　compliment　to　me

that　you　can't　be　contented　with　my　society　for　so　short　a　time。〃

〃That's　all　right；　my　lass；〃　said　I；　putting　out　my　hand　towards　her

in　a　kindly　way；　but　she　had　it　in　both　hers　in　an　instant；　and　they

burned　as　if　they　were　in　a　fever。　I　looked　into　her　eyes　and　I　read

it　all　there。　There　was　no　need　for　her　to　speak；　nor　for　me　either。　I

frowned　and　drew　my　hand　away。　Then　she　stood　by　my　side　in　silence

for　a　bit；　and　then　put　up　her　hand　and　patted　me　on　the　shoulder。

〃Steady　old　Jim！〃　said　she；　and　with　a　kind　o'　mocking　laugh；　she

run　out　of　the　room。

　　〃Well；　from　that　time　Sarah　hated　me　with　her　whole　heart　and

soul；　and　she　is　a　woman　who　can　hate；　too。　I　was　a　fool　to　let　her　go

on　biding　with　us…　a　besotted　fool…　but　I　never　said　a　word　to　Mary；

for　I　knew　it　would　grieve　her。　Things　went　on　much　as　before；　but

after　a　time　I　began　to　find　that　there　was　a　bit　of　a　change　in

Mary　herself。　She　had　always　been　so　trusting　and　so　innocent；　but　now

she　became　queer　and　suspicious；　wanting　to　know　where　I　had　been

and　what　I　had　been　doing；　and　whom　my　letters　were　from；　and　what　I

had　in　my　pockets；　and　a　thousand　such　follies。　Day　by　day　she　grew

queerer　and　more　irritable；　and　we　had　ceaseless　rows　about　nothing。　I

was　fairly　puzzled　by　it　all。　Sarah　avoided　me　now；　but　she　and　Mary

were　just　inseparable。　I　can　see　now　how　she　was　plotting　and　scheming

and　poisoning　my　wife's　mind　against　me；　but　I　was　such　a　blind　beetle

that　I　could　not　understand　it　at　the　time。　Then　I　broke　my　blue

ribbon　and　began　to　drink　again；　but　I　think　I　should　not　have　done　it

if　Mary　had　been　the　same　as　ever。　She　had　some　reason　to　be　disgusted

with　me　now；　and　the　gap　between　us　began　to　be　wider　and　wider。　And

then　this　Alec　Fairbairn　chipped　in；　and　things　became　a　thousand

times　blacker。

　　〃'It　was　to　see　Sarah　that　he　came　to　my　house　first；　but　soon　it

was　to　see　us；　for　he　was　a　man　with　winning　ways；　and　he　made　friends

wherever　he　went。　He　was　a　dashing；　swaggering　chap；　smart　and　curled；

who　had　seen　half　the　world　and　could　talk　of　what　he　had　seen。　He　was

good　company；　I　won't　deny　it；　and　he　had　wonderful　polite　ways　with

him　for　a　sailor　man；　so　that　I　think　there　must　have　been　a　time　when

he　knew　more　of　the　poop　than　the　forecastle。　For　a　month　he　was　in

and　out　of　my　house；　and　never　once　did　it　cross　my　mind　that　harm

might　come　of　his　soft　tricky　ways。　And　then　at　last　something　made　me

suspect　and　from　that　day　my　peace　was　gone　forever。

　　〃'It　was　only　a　little　thing；　too。　I　had　come　into　the　parlour

unexpected；　and　as　I　walked　in　at　the　door　I　saw　a　light　of　welcome　on

my　wife's　face。　But　as　she　saw　who　it　was　it　faded　again；　and　she

turned　away　with　a　look　of　disappointment。　That　was　enough　for　me。

There　was　no　one　but　Alec　Fairbairn　whose　step　she　could　have　mistaken

for　mine。　If　I　could　have　seen　him　then　I　should　have　killed　him；

for　I　have　always　been　like　a　madman　when　my　temper　gets　loose。　Mary

saw　the　devil's　light　in　my　eyes；　and　she　ran　forward　with　her　hands

on　my　sleeve。　〃Don't　Jim；　don't！〃　says　she。　〃Where's　Sarah？〃　I

asked。　〃In　the　kitchen；〃　says　she。　〃Sarah；〃　says　I　as　I　went　in；　〃this

man　Fairbairn　is　never　to　darken　my　door　again。〃　〃Why　not？〃　says

she。　〃Because　I　order　it。〃　〃Oh！〃　says　she；　〃if　my　friends　are　not　good

enough　for　this　house；　then　I　am　not　good　enough　for　it　either。〃

〃You　can　do　what　you　like；〃　says　I；　〃but　if　Fairbairn　shows　his　face

here　again　I'll　send　you　one　of　his　ears　for　a　keepsake。〃　She　was

frightened　by　my　face；　I　think；　for　she　never　answered　a　word；　and　the

same　evening　she　left　my　house。

　　〃'Well；　I　don't　know　now　whether　it　was　pure　devilry　on　the　part

of　this　woman；　or　whether　she　thought　that　she　could　turn　me　against

my　wife　by　encouraging　her　to　misbehave。　Anyway；　she　took　a　house　just

two　streets　off　and　let　lodgings　to　sailors。　Fairbairn　used　to　stay

there；　and　Mary　would　go　round　to　have　tea　with　her　sister　and　him。

How　often　she　went　I　don't　know；　but　I　followed　her　one　day；　and　as

I　broke　in　at　the　door　Fairbairn　got　away　over　the　back　garden　wall；

like　the　cowardly　skunk　that　he　was。　I　swore　to　my　wife　that　I　would

kill　her　if　I　found　her　in　his　company　again；　and　I　led　her　back

with　me；　sobbing　and　trembling；　and　as　white　as　a　piece　of　paper。

There　was　no　trace　of　love　between　us　any　longer。　I　could　see　that　she

hated　me　and　feared　me；　and　when　the　thought　of　it　drove　me　to

drink；　then　she　despised　me　as　well。

　　〃'Well；　Sarah　found　that　she　could　not　make　a　living　in　Liverpool；

so　she　went　back；　as　I　understand；　to　live　with　her　sister　in　Croydon；

and　things　jogged　on　much　the　same　as　ever　at　home。　And　then　came　this

last　week　and　all　the　misery　and　ruin。

　　〃'It　was　in　this　way。　We　had　gone　on　the　May　Day　for　a　round

voyage　of　seven　days；　but　a　hogshead　got　loose　and　started　one　of

our　plates；　so　that　we　had　to　put　back　into　port　for　twelve　hours。　I

left　the　ship　and　came　home；　thinking　what　a　surprise　it　would　be

for　my　wife；　and　hoping　that　maybe　she　would　be　glad　to　see　me　so

soon。　The　thought　was　in　my　head　as　I　turned　into　my　own　street　and　at

that　moment　a　cab　passed　me；　and　there　she　was；　sitting　by　the　side　of

Fairbairn；　the　two　chatting　and　laughing；　with　never　a　thought　for

me　as　I　stood　watching　them　from　the　footpath。

　　〃'I　tell　you；　and　I　give　you　my　word　for　it；　that　from　that　moment　I

was　not　my　own　master；　and　it　is　all　like　a　dim　dream　when　I　look　back

on　it。　I　had　been　drinking　hard　of　late；　and　the　two　things　together

fairly　turned　my　brain。　There's　something　throbbing　in　my　head　now；

like　a　docker's　hammer；　but　that　morning　I　seemed　to　have　all

Niagara　whizzing　and　buzzing　in　my　ears。

　　〃'Well；　I　took　to　my　heels；　and　I　ran　after　the　cab。　I　had　a　heavy

oak　stick　in　my　hand；　and　I　tell　you　I　saw　red　from　the　first；　but

as　I　ran　I　got　cunning；　too；　and　hung　back　a　little　to　see　them

without　being　seen。　They　pulled　up　soon　at　the　railway　station。

There　was　a　good　crowd　round　the　booking…office；　so　I　got　quite

close　to　them　without　being　seen。　They　took　tickets　for　New

Brighton。　So　did　I；　but　I　got　in　three　carriages　behind　them。　When

we　reached　it　they　walked　along　the　Parade；　and　I　was　never　more

than　a　hundred　yards　from　them。　At　last　I　saw　them　hire　a　boat　and

start　for　a　row；　for　it　was　a　very　hot　day；　and　they　thought；　no

doubt；　that　it　would　be　cooler　on　the　water。

　　〃It　was　just　as　if　they　had　been　given　into　my　hands。　There　was　a

bit　of　a　haze；　and　you　could　not　see　more　than　a　few　hundred　yards。

I　hired　a　boat　for　myself；　and　I　pulled　after　them。　I　could　see　the

blur　of　their　craft；　but　they　were　going　nearly　as　fast　as　I；　and　they

must　have　been　a　long　mile　from　the　shore　before　I　caught　them　up。　The

haze　was　like　a　curtain　all　round　us；　and　there　were　we　three　in　the

middle　of　it。　My　God；　shall　I　ever　forget　their　faces　when　they　saw

who　was　in　the　boat　that　was　closing　in　upon　them？　She　screamed　out。

He　swore　like　a　madman　and　jabbed　at　me　with　an　oar；　for　he　must

have　seen　death　in　my　eyes。　I　got　past　it　and　got　one　in　with　my　stick

that　crushed　his　head　like　an　egg。　I　would　have　spared　her；　perhaps；

for　al