five tales-第13节

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What　a　parchmenty；　precise；　thread…paper　of　a　chap；　with　his　bird's　claw　of　a　hand；　and　his　muffled…up　throat；　and　his　quavery：

〃How　do　you　do；　Sylvanus？　　I'm　afraid　you're　not〃

〃First　rate。　　Sit　down。　　Have　some　port。〃

〃Port！　　I　never　drink　it。　　Poison　to　me！　　Poison！〃

〃Do　you　good！〃

〃Oh！　　I　know；　that's　what　you　always　say。

You've　a　monstrous　constitution；　Sylvanus。　　If　I　drank　port　and　smoked　cigars　and　sat　up　till　one　o'clock；　I　should　be　in　my　grave　to…morrow。　　I'm　not　the　man　I　was。　　The　fact　is；　I've　come　to　see　if　you　can　help　me。　　I'm　getting　old；　I'm　growing　nervous。。。。〃

〃You　always　were　as　chickeny　as　an　old　hen；　Joe。〃

〃Well；　my　nature's　not　like　yours。　　To　come　to　the　point；　I　want　to　sell　my　ships　and　retire。　　I　need　rest。　　Freights　are　very　depressed。　I've　got　my　family　to　think　of。〃

〃Crack　on；　and　go　broke；　buck　you　up　like　anything！〃

〃I'm　quite　serious；　Sylvanus。〃

〃Never　knew　you　anything　else；　Joe。〃

A　quavering　cough；　and　out　it　had　come：

〃Nowin　a　wordwon't　your　'Island　Navigation　Company'　buy　my　ships？〃

A　pause；　a　twinkle；　a　puff　of　smoke。　　〃Make　it　worth　my　while！〃　　He　had　said　it　in　jest；　and　then；　in　a　flash；　the　idea　had　come　to　him。　Rosamund　and　her　youngsters！　　What　a　chance　to　put　something　between　them　and　destitution　when　he　had　joined　the　majority！　　And　so　he　said：〃　We　don't　want　your　silly　ships。〃

That　claw　of　a　hand　waved　in　deprecation。　　〃They're　very　good　ships　doing　quite　well。　　It's　only　my　wretched　health。　　If　I　were　a　strong　man　I　shouldn't　dream。。。。〃

〃What　d'you　want　for'em？〃　　Good　Lord！　　how　he　jumped　if　you　asked　him　a　plain　question。　　The　chap　was　as　nervous　as　a　guinea…fowl！

〃Here　are　the　figuresfor　the　last　four　years。　　I　think　you'll　agree　that　I　couldn't　ask　less　than　seventy　thousand。〃

Through　the　smoke　of　his　cigar　old　Heythorp　had　digested　those　figures　slowly；　Joe　Pillin　feeling　his　teeth　and　sucking　lozenges　the　while；　then　he　said：

〃Sixty　thousand！　　And　out　of　that　you　pay　me　ten　per　cent。；　if　I　get　it　through　for　you。　　Take　it　or　leave　it。〃

〃My　dear　Sylvanus；　that's　almost…cynical。〃

〃Too　good　a　priceyou'll　never　get　it　without　me。〃

〃But　abut　a　commission！　　You　could　never　disclose　it！〃

〃Arrange　that　all　right。　　Think　it　over。　　Freights'll　go　lower　yet。　Have　some　port。〃

〃No；　no！　　Thank　you。　　No！　　So　you　think　freights　will　go　lower？〃

〃Sure　of　it。〃

〃Well；　I'll　be　going。　　I'm　sure　I　don't　know。　　It'sit'sI　must　think。〃

〃Think　your　hardest。〃

〃Yes；　yes。　　Good…bye。　　I　can't　imagine　how　you　still　go　on　smoking　those　things　and　drinking　port。

〃See　you　in　your　grave　yet；　Joe。〃　　What　a　feeble　smile　the　poor　fellow　had！　　Laugh…he　couldn't！　　And；　alone　again；　he　had　browsed；　developing　the　idea　which　had　come　to　him。

Though；　to　dwell　in　the　heart　of　shipping；　Sylvanus　Heythorp　had　lived　at　Liverpool　twenty　years；　he　was　from　the　Eastern　Counties；　of　a　family　so　old　that　it　professed　to　despise　the　Conquest。　　Each　of　its　generations　occupied　nearly　twice　as　long　as　those　of　less　tenacious　men。　　Traditionally　of　Danish　origin；　its　men　folk　had　as　a　rule　bright　reddish…brown　hair；　red　cheeks；　large　round　heads；　excellent　teeth　and　poor　morals。　　They　had　done　their　best　for　the　population　of　any　county　in　which　they　had　settled；　their　offshoots　swarmed。　　Born　in　the　early　twenties　of　the　nineteenth　century；　Sylvanus　Heythorp；　after　an　education　broken　by　escapades　both　at　school　and　college；　had　fetched　up　in　that　simple　London　of　the　late　forties；　where　claret；　opera；　and　eight　per　cent。　for　your　money　ruled　a　cheery　roost。　　Made　partner　in　his　shipping　firm　well　before　he　was　thirty；　he　had　sailed　with　a　wet　sheet　and　a　flowing　tide；　dancers；　claret；　Cliquot；　and　piquet；　a　cab　with　a　tiger；　some　travelall　that　delicious　early…Victorian　consciousness　of　nothing　save　a　golden　time。　　It　was　all　so　full　and　mellow　that　he　was　forty　before　he　had　his　only　love　affair　of　any　depthwith　the　daughter　of　one　of　his　own　clerks；　a　liaison　so　awkward　as　to　necessitate　a　sedulous　concealment。　　The　death　of　that　girl；　after　three　years；　leaving　him　a；　natural　son；　had　been　the　chief；　perhaps　the　only　real；　sorrow　of　his　life。　　Five　years　later　he　married。　　What　for？　God　only　knew！　as　he　was　in　the　habit　of　remarking。　　His　wife　had　been　a　hard；　worldly；　well…connected　woman；　who　presented　him　with　two　unnatural　children；　a　girl　and　a　boy；　and　grew　harder；　more　worldly；　less　handsome；　in　the　process。　　The　migration　to　Liverpool；　which　took　place　when　he　was　sixty　and　she　forty…two；　broke　what　she　still　had　of　heart；　but　she　lingered　on　twelve　years；　finding　solace　in　bridge；　and　being　haughty　towards　Liverpool。　　Old　Heythorp　saw　her　to　her　rest　without　regret。　　He　had　felt　no　love　for　her　whatever；　and　practically　none　for　her　two　childrenthey　were　in　his　view　colourless；　pragmatical；　very　unexpected　characters。　　His　son　Ernest…　…in　the　Admiraltyhe　thought　a　poor；　careful　stick。　　His　daughter　Adela；　an　excellent　manager；　delighting　in　spiritual　conversation　and　the　society　of　tame　men；　rarely　failed　to　show　him　that　she　considered　him　a　hopeless　heathen。　　They　saw　as　little　as　need　be　of　each　other。　　She　was　provided　for　under　that　settlement　he　had　made　on　her　mother　fifteen　years　ago；　well　before　the　not　altogether　unexpected　crisis　in　his　affairs。　　Very　different　was　the　feeling　he　had　bestowed　on　that　son　of　his　〃under　the　rose。〃　　The　boy；　who　had　always　gone　by　his　mother's　name　of　Larne；　had　on　her　death　been　sent　to　some　relations　of　hers　in　Ireland；　and　there　brought　up。　　He　had　been　called　to　the　Dublin　bar；　and　married；　young；　a　girl　half　Cornish　and　；half　Irish；　presently；　having　cost　old　Heythorp　in　all　a　pretty　penny；　he　had　died　impecunious；　leaving　his　fair　Rosamund　at　thirty　with　a　girl　of　eight　and　a　boy　of　five。　　She　had　not　spent　six　months　of　widowhood　before　coming　over　from　Dublin　to　claim　the　old　man's　guardianship。　　A　remarkably　pretty　woman；　like　a　full…blown　rose；　with　greenish　hazel　eyes；　she　had　turned　up　one　morning　at　the　offices　of　〃The　Island　Navigation　Company；〃　accompanied　by　her　two　childrenfor　he　had　never　divulged　to　them　his　private　address。　　And　since　then　they　had　always　been　more　or　less　on　his　hands；　occupying　a　small　house　in　a　suburb　of　Liverpool。　　He　visited　them　there；　but　never　asked　them　to　the　house　in　Sefton　Park；　which　was　in　fact　his　daughter's；　so　that　his　proper　family　and　friends　were　unaware　of　their　existence。

Rosamund　Larne　was　one　of　those　precarious　ladies　who　make　uncertain　incomes　by　writing　full…bodied　storyettes。　　In　the　most　dismal　circumstances　she　enjoyed　a　buoyancy　bordering　on　the　indecent；　which　always　amused　old　Heythorp's　cynicism。　　But　of　his　grandchildren　Phyllis　and　Jock　（wild　as　colts）　he　had　become　fond。　　And　this　chance　of　getting　six　thousand　pounds　settled　on　them　at　a　stroke　had　seemed　to　him　nothing　but　heaven…sent。　　As　things　were；　if　he　〃went　off〃　and；　of　course；　he　might　at　any　moment；　there　wouldn't　be　a　penny　for　them；　for　he　would　〃cut　up〃　a　good　fifteen　thousand　to　the　bad。　　He　was　now　giving　them　some　three　hundred　a　year　out　of　his　fees；　and　dead　directors　unfortunately　earned　no　fees！　　Six　thousand　pounds　at　four　and　a　half　per　cent。；　settled　so　that　their　mother　couldn't　〃blue　it；〃　would　give　them　a　certain　two　hundred　and　fifty　pounds　a　year…better　than　beggary。　　And　the　more　he　thought　the　better　he　liked　it；　if　only　that　shaky　chap；　Joe　Pillin；　didn't　shy　off　when　he'd　bitten　his　nails　short　over　it！

Four　evenings　later；　the　〃shaky　chap〃　had　again　appeared　at　his　house　in　Sefton　Park。

〃I've　thought　it　over；　Sylvanus。　　I　don't　like　it。

〃No；　but　you'll　do　it。〃

〃It's　a　sacrifice。　　Fifty…four　thousand　for　four　shipsit　means　a　considerable　reduction　in　my　income。〃

〃It　means　security；　my　boy。〃

〃Well；　there　is　that；　but　you　know；　I　really　can't　be　party　to　a　secret　commission。　　If　it　came　out；　think　of　my　name　and　goodness　knows　what。〃

〃It　won't　come　out。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　so　you　say；　but〃

〃All　you've　got　to　do's　to　execute　a　settlement　on　some　third　parties　that　I'll　name。　　I'm　not　going　to　take　a　penny　of　it　myself。　　Get　your　own　lawyer　to　draw　it　up　and　make　him　trustee。　　You　can　sign　it　when　the　purchase　has　gone　through。　　I'll　trust　you；　Joe。　　What　stock　have　you　got　that　gives　four　and　a　half　per　cent。？〃

〃Midland〃

〃That'll　do。　　You　needn't　sell。〃

〃Yes；　but　who　are　these　people？〃

〃Woman　and　her　children　I　want　to　do　a　good　turn　to。〃　　What　a　face　the　fellow　had　made！　　〃Afraid　of　being　connected　with　a　woman；　Joe？〃

〃Yes；　you　may　laughI　am　afraid　of　being　connected　with　someone　else's　woman。　　I　don't　like　itI　don't　like　it　at　all。　　I've　not　led　your　life；　Sylvanus。〃

〃Lucky　for　you；　you'd　have　been　dead　long　ago。　　Tell　your　lawyer　it's　an　old　flame　of　yoursyou　old　dog！〃

〃Yes；　there　it　is　at　once；　you　see。　　I　might　be　subject　to　blackmail。〃

〃Tell　him　to　keep　it　dark；　and　just　pay　over　the　income；　quarterly。〃

〃I　don't　like　it；　SylvanusI　don't　like　it。〃

〃Then　leave　it；　and　be　hanged　to　you。　　Have　a　cigar？〃

〃You　know　I　never　smoke。　　Is　there　no　other　way？〃

〃Yes。　　Sell　stock　in　London；　bank　the　proceeds　there；　and　bring　me　six　thousand　pounds　in　notes。　　I'll　hold　'em　till　after　the　gener