elinor wyllys-2-第29节

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ned　to　be　that　succeeding　the　arrival　of　the　ladies；　and　it　will　be　easily　imagined　that　every　member　of　the　family　looked　forward　to　the　moment　with　most　anxious　interest。　Perhaps　they　were　not　aware　themselves；　how　gradually　doubts　had　arisen　and　increased；　in　their　own　minds；　since　the　first　disclosure　made　by　Mr。　Clapp。

〃Harry　and　myself　have　both　seen　this　man　at　last；　Agnes；〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys　to　his　daughter；　just　after　she　had　returned　home；　when　alone　with　Elinor　and　herself。　〃Where　do　you　suppose　Harry　saw　him　yesterday？　At　church；　with　Mr。　Reed。　And　this　morning　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　him；　standing　on　the　steps　of　Clapp's　office。〃

〃Indeed！〃　exclaimed　Miss　Wyllys；　who；　as　well　as　Elinor；　was　listening　eagerly。　How　did　he　look？what　kind　of　man　did　he　seem？〃

〃He　looked　like　a　sailor。　I　only　saw　him　for　a　moment；　however；　for　he　was　coming　out　of　the　office；　and　walked　down　the　street；　in　an　opposite　direction　from　me。　I　must　confess　that　his　face　had　something　of　a　Stanley　look。〃

〃Is　it　possible！〃

〃Yes；　so　far　as　I　could　see　him；　he　struck　me　as　looking　like　the　Stanleys；　but；　in　another　important　point；　he　does　not　resemble　them　at　all。　You　remember　the　peculiar　gait　of　the　family？they　all　had　it；　more　or　less；　anybody　who　knew　them　well　must　have　remarked　it　oftenbut　this　man　had　nothing　of　the　kind；　he　walked　like　a　sailor。〃

〃I　know　what　you　mean；　it　was　a　peculiar　motion　in　walking；　well　known　to　all　their　friendsa　long；　slow　step。〃

〃Precisely；　this　man　had　nothing　of　it；　whateverhe　had　the　sailor　swing；　for　I　watched　his　movements　expressly。　William　Stanley；　as　a　boy；　walked　just　like　his　father；　for　I　have　often　pointed　it　out　to　Mr。　Stanley；　myself。〃

〃That　mast　be　an　important　point；　I　should　suppose；　and　yet；　grandpapa；　you　think　he　looks　like　my　uncle　Stanley？〃　said　Elinor。

〃So　I　should　say；　from　the　glimpse　I　had　of　him。〃

〃What　did　Harry　think　of　him？〃　asked　Miss　Wyllys。

〃Hazlehurst　did　not　see　his　face；　for　he　sat　before　him　in　church。　He　said；　that　if　he　had　not　been　told　who　it　was；　he　should　have　pronounced　him；　from　his　general　appearance　and　manner；　a　common…looking；　sea…faring　man；　who　was　not　accustomed　to　the　service　of　the　Church；　for　he　did　not　seem　to　understand　when　he　should　kneel；　and　when　he　should　rise。〃

〃But　William　Stanley　ought　to　have　known　it　perfectly；〃　observed　Elinor；　〃for　he　must　have　gone　to　church　constantly；　with　his　family；　as　a　child；　until　he　went　to　sea；　and　could　scarcely　have　forgotten　the　service　entirely；　I　should　think。〃

〃Certainly；　my　dear；　that　is　another　point　which　we　have　noted　in　our　favour。　On　the　other　hand；　however；　I　have　just　been　carefully　comparing　the　hand…writing　of　Clapp's　client；　with　that　of　William　Stanley；　and　there　is　a　very　remarkable　resemblance　between　them。　As　far　as　the　hand…writing　goes；　I　must　confess；　that　I　should　have　admitted　it　at　once；　as　identical；　under　ordinary　circumstances。〃

〃And　the　personal　likeness；　too；　struck　you；　it　seems；〃　added　Miss　Agnes。

〃It　did；　so　far；　at　least；　as　I　could　judge　from　seeing　him　only　a　moment；　and　with　his　hat　on。　To…morrow　we　shall　be　able；　I　trust；　to　make　up　our　minds　more　decidedly　on　other　important　points。〃

〃It　is　very　singular　that　he　should　not　be　afraid　of　an　interview！〃　exclaimed　Elinor。

〃Well；　I　don't　know　that；　my　child；　having　once　advanced　this　claim；　he　must　be　prepared　for　examination；　you　know；　under　any　circumstances。　It　is　altogether　a　singular　case；　however；　whether　he　be　the　impostor　we　think　him；　or　the　individual　he　claims　to　be。　Truth　is　certainly　more　strange　than　fiction　sometimes。　Would　you　like　to　see　the　statement　Mr。　Reed　sent　us；　when　we　applied　for　some　account　of　his　client's　past　movements？〃

Miss　Agnes　and　Elinor　were　both　anxious　to　see　it。

〃Here　it　isshort　you　seein　Clapp's　hand…writing；　but　signed　by　himself。　There　is　nothing　in　it　that　may　not　possibly　be　true；　but　I　fancy　that　we　shall　be　able　to　pick　some　holes　in　it；　by…and…bye。〃

〃Did　he　make　no　difficulty　about　sending　it　to　you？〃　asked　Miss　Agnes。

〃No；　he　seemed　to　give　it　readily；　Mr。　Reed　sent　it　to　us　a　day　or　two　since。〃

Miss　Wyllys　received　the　letter　from　her　father；　inviting　Elinor　to　read　it　over　her　shoulder；　at　the　same　moment。　It　was　endorsed；　in　Clapp's　hand；　〃STATEMENT　OF　MR。　STANLEY；　PREPARED　AT　THE　REQUEST　OF　HIS　FATHER'S　EXECUTOR；〃　and　ran　as　follows：

〃July　1st；　183…。

〃I　left　home；　as　everybody　knows；　because　I　would　have　my　own　way　in　everything。　It　was　against　my　best　interests　to　be　sure；　but　boys　don't　think　at　such　times；　about　anything　but　having　their　own　will。　I　suppose　that　every　person　connected　with　my　deceased　father　knows；　that　my　first　voyage　was　made　to　Russia；　in　the　year　18；　in　the　ship　Dorothy　Beck；　Jonas　Thomson；　Master。　I　was　only　fourteen　years　old　at　the　time。　My　father　had　taken　to　heart　my　going　off；　and　when　I　came　back　from　Russia　he　was　on　the　look…out；　wrote　to　me　and　sent　me　money；　and　as　soon　as　he　heard　we　were　in　port　he　came　after　me。　Well；　I　went　back　with　the　old　gentleman；　but　we　had　a　quarrel　on　the　road；　and　I　put　about　again　and　went　to　New　Bedford；　where　I　shipped　in　a　whaler。　We　were　out　only　eighteen　months；　and　brought　in　a　full　cargo。　This　time　I　went　home　of　my　own　accord；　and　I　staid　a　great　part　of　one　summer。　I　did　think　some　of　quitting　the　seas；　but　after　a　while　things　didn't　work　well；　and　one　of　my　old　shipmates　coming　up　into　the　country　to　see　me；　I　went　off　with　him。　This　time　I　shipped　in　the　Thomas　Jefferson；　for　China。　This　was　in　the　year　1814；　during　the　last　war；　when　I　was　about　eighteen。　Most　people；　who　know　anything　about　William　Stanley；　think　that　was　the　last　of　him；　that　he　never　set　foot　on　American　ground　again；　but　they　are　mistaken；　as　he　himself　will　take　the　pains　to　show。　So　far　I　have　told　nothing　but　what　everybody　knows；　but　now　I　am　going　to　give　a　short　account　of　what　has　happened；　since　my　friends　heard　from　me。　Well；　the　Jefferson　sailed；　on　her　voyage　to　China；　in　October；　she　was　wrecked　on　the　coast　of　Africa　in　December；　and　it　was　reported　that　all　hands　were　lost：　so　they　were；　all　but　one；　and　that　one　was　William　Stanley。　I　was　picked　up　by　a　Dutchman；　the　barque　William；　bound　to　Batavia。　I　kept　with　the　Dutchman　for　a　while；　until　he　went　back　to　Holland。　After　I　had　cut　adrift　from　him；　I　fell　in　with　some　Americans；　and　got　some　old　papers；　in　one　of　them　I　saw　my　father's　second　marriage。　I　knew　the　name　of　the　lady　he　had　married；　but　I　had　never　spoken　to　her。　The　very　next　day；　one　of　the　men　I　was　with；　who　came　from　the　same　part　of　the　country；　told　me　of　my　father's　death；　and　said　it　was　the　common　talk　about　the　neighbourhood；　that　I　was　disinherited。　This　made　me　very　angry；　though　I　wasn't　much　surprised；　after　what　had　passed。　I　was　looking　out　for　a　homeward…bound　American；　to　go　back；　and　see　how　matters　stood；　when　one　night　that　I　was　drunk；　I　was　carried　off　by　an　English　officer；　who　made　out　I　was　a　runaway。　For　five　years　I　was　kept　in　different　English　men…of…war；　in　the　East　Indies；　at　the　end　of　that　time　I　was　put　on　board　the　Ceres；　sloop　of　war；　and　I　made　out　to　desert　from　her　at　last；　and　got　on　board　an　American。　I　then　came　home；　and　here；　the　first　man　that　I　met　on　shore　was　Billings；　the　chap　who　first　persuaded　me　to　go　to　sea：　he　knew　all　about　my　father's　family；　and　told　me　it　was　true　I　was　cut　off　without　a　cent；　and　that　Harry　Hazlehurst　had　been　adopted　by　my　father。　This　made　me　so　mad；　that　I　went　straight　to　New　Bedford；　and　shipped　in　the　Sally　Andrews；　for　a　whaling　voyage。　Just　before　we　were　to　have　come　home；　I　exchanged　into　another　whaler；　as　second…mate；　for　a　year　longer。　Then　I　sailed　in　a　Havre　liner；　as　foremast　hand；　for　a　while。　I　found　out　about　this　time；　that　the　executors　of　my　father's　estate　had　been　advertising　for　me　shortly　after　his　death；　while　I　was　in　the　East　Indies；　and　I　went　to　a　lawyer　in　Baltimore；　where　I　happened　to　be；　and　consulted　him　about　claiming　the　property；　but　he　wouldn't　believe　a　word　I　said；　because　I　was　half…drunk　at　the　time；　and　told　me　that　I　should　get　in　trouble　if　I　didn't　keep　my　mouth　shut。　Well；　I　cruized　about　for　a　while　longer；　when　at　last　I　went　to　Longbridge；　with　some　shipmates。　I　had　been　there　often　before；　as　a　lad；　and　I　had　some　notion　of　having　a　talk　with　Mr。　Wyllys；　my　father's　executor；　I　went　to　his　house　one　day；　but　I　didn't　see　him。　One　of　my　shipmates　who　knew　something　of　my　story；　and　had　been　a　client　of　Mr。　Clapp's；　advised　me　to　consult　him。　I　went　to　his　office；　but　he　sent　me　off　like　the　Baltimore　lawyer；　because　be　thought　I　was　drunk。　Three　years　after　that　I　got　back　to　Longbridge　again；　with　a　shipmate；　but　it　did　me　no　good；　for　I　got　drinking；　and　had　a　fit　of　the　horrors。　That　fit　sobered　me；　though；　in　the　end；　it　was　the　worst　I　had　ever　had；　I　should　have　hanged　myself；　and　there　would　have　been　an　end　of　William　Stanley　and　his　hard　rubs；　if　it　hadn't　been　for　the　doctorI　never　knew　his　name；　but　Mr。　Clapp　says　it　was　Dr。　Van　Horne。　After　this　bad　fit；　they　coaxed　me　into　shipping　in　a　temperance　whaler。　While　I　was　in　the　Pacific；　in　this　ship；　nigh　three　years；　and　out　of　the　reach　of　drink；　I　had　time