lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第12节

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house　of　my　friend；　determining　to　go　back　to　the　Inn；　and　to　see

the　medical　student　again　before　he　had　left　in　the　morning。



I　returned　to　the　Inn　at　eight　o'clock；　purposely　abstaining　from

waking　Arthur；　who　was　sleeping　off　the　past　night's　excitement　on

one　of　my　friend's　sofas。　　A　suspicion　had　occurred　to　me　as　soon

as　I　was　alone　in　my　bedroom；　which　made　me　resolve　that　Holliday

and　the　stranger　whose　life　he　had　saved　should　not　meet　again；　if

I　could　prevent　it。　　I　have　already　alluded　to　certain　reports；　or

scandals；　which　I　knew　of；　relating　to　the　early　life　of　Arthur's

father。　　While　I　was　thinking；　in　my　bed；　of　what　had　passed　at　the

Inn　…　of　the　change　in　the　student's　pulse　when　he　heard　the　name

of　Holliday；　of　the　resemblance　of　expression　that　I　had　discovered

between　his　face　and　Arthur's；　of　the　emphasis　he　had　laid　on　those

three　words；　'my　own　brother；'　and　of　his　incomprehensible

acknowledgment　of　his　own　illegitimacy　…　while　I　was　thinking　of

these　things；　the　reports　I　have　mentioned　suddenly　flew　into　my

mind；　and　linked　themselves　fast　to　the　chain　of　my　previous

reflections。　　Something　within　me　whispered；　'It　is　best　that　those

two　young　men　should　not　meet　again。'　　I　felt　it　before　I　slept；　I

felt　it　when　I　woke；　and　I　went；　as　I　told　you；　alone　to　the　Inn

the　next　morning。



I　had　missed　my　only　opportunity　of　seeing　my　nameless　patient

again。　　He　had　been　gone　nearly　an　hour　when　I　inquired　for　him。





I　have　now　told　you　everything　that　I　know　for　certain；　in　relation

to　the　man　whom　I　brought　back　to　life　in　the　double…bedded　room　of

the　Inn　at　Doncaster。　　What　I　have　next　to　add　is　matter　for

inference　and　surmise；　and　is　not；　strictly　speaking；　matter　of

fact。



I　have　to　tell　you；　first；　that　the　medical　student　turned　out　to

be　strangely　and　unaccountably　right　in　assuming　it　as　more　than

probable　that　Arthur　Holliday　would　marry　the　young　lady　who　had

given　him　the　water…colour　drawing　of　the　landscape。　　That　marriage

took　place　a　little　more　than　a　year　after　the　events　occurred

which　I　have　just　been　relating。　　The　young　couple　came　to　live　in

the　neighbourhood　in　which　I　was　then　established　in　practice。　　I

was　present　at　the　wedding；　and　was　rather　surprised　to　find　that

Arthur　was　singularly　reserved　with　me；　both　before　and　after　his

marriage；　on　the　subject　of　the　young　lady's　prior　engagement。　　He

only　referred　to　it　once；　when　we　were　alone；　merely　telling　me；　on

that　occasion；　that　his　wife　had　done　all　that　honour　and　duty

required　of　her　in　the　matter；　and　that　the　engagement　had　been

broken　off　with　the　full　approval　of　her　parents。　　I　never　heard

more　from　him　than　this。　　For　three　years　he　and　his　wife　lived

together　happily。　　At　the　expiration　of　that　time；　the　symptoms　of

a　serious　illness　first　declared　themselves　in　Mrs。　Arthur

Holliday。　　It　turned　out　to　be　a　long；　lingering；　hopeless　malady。

I　attended　her　throughout。　　We　had　been　great　friends　when　she　was

well；　and　we　became　more　attached　to　each　other　than　ever　when　she

was　ill。　　I　had　many　long　and　interesting　conversations　with　her　in

the　intervals　when　she　suffered　least。　　The　result　of　one　of　these

conversations　I　may　briefly　relate；　leaving　you　to　draw　any

inferences　from　it　that　you　please。



The　interview　to　which　I　refer；　occurred　shortly　before　her　death。

I　called　one　evening；　as　usual；　and　found　her　alone；　with　a　look　in

her　eyes　which　told　me　that　she　had　been　crying。　　She　only　informed

me　at　first；　that　she　had　been　depressed　in　spirits；　but；　by　little

and　little；　she　became　more　communicative；　and　confessed　to　me　that

she　had　been　looking　over　some　old　letters；　which　had　been

addressed　to　her；　before　she　had　seen　Arthur；　by　a　man　to　whom　she

had　been　engaged　to　be　married。　　I　asked　her　how　the　engagement

came　to　be　broken　off。　　She　replied　that　it　had　not　been　broken

off；　but　that　it　had　died　out　in　a　very　mysterious　way。　　The　person

to　whom　she　was　engaged　…　her　first　love；　she　called　him　…　was　very

poor；　and　there　was　no　immediate　prospect　of　their　being　married。

He　followed　my　profession；　and　went　abroad　to　study。　　They　had

corresponded　regularly；　until　the　time　when；　as　she　believed；　he

had　returned　to　England。　　From　that　period　she　heard　no　more　of

him。　　He　was　of　a　fretful；　sensitive　temperament；　and　she　feared

that　she　might　have　inadvertently　done　or　said　something　that

offended　him。　　However　that　might　be；　he　had　never　written　to　her

again；　and；　after　waiting　a　year；　she　had　married　Arthur。　　I　asked

when　the　first　estrangement　had　begun；　and　found　that　the　time　at

which　she　ceased　to　hear　anything　of　her　first　lover　exactly

corresponded　with　the　time　at　which　I　had　been　called　in　to　my

mysterious　patient　at　The　Two　Robins　Inn。



A　fortnight　after　that　conversation；　she　died。　　In　course　of　time；

Arthur　married　again。　　Of　late　years；　he　has　lived　principally　in

London；　and　I　have　seen　little　or　nothing　of　him。



I　have　many　years　to　pass　over　before　I　can　approach　to　anything

like　a　conclusion　of　this　fragmentary　narrative。　　And　even　when

that　later　period　is　reached；　the　little　that　I　have　to　say　will

not　occupy　your　attention　for　more　than　a　few　minutes。　　Between　six

and　seven　years　ago；　the　gentleman　to　whom　I　introduced　you　in　this

room；　came　to　me；　with　good　professional　recommendations；　to　fill

the　position　of　my　assistant。　　We　met；　not　like　strangers；　but　like

friends　…　the　only　difference　between　us　being；　that　I　was　very

much　surprised　to　see　him；　and　that　he　did　not　appear　to　be　at　all

surprised　to　see　me。　　If　he　was　my　son　or　my　brother；　I　believe　he

could　not　be　fonder　of　me　than　he　is；　but　he　has　never　volunteered

any　confidences　since　he　has　been　here；　on　the　subject　of　his　past

life。　　I　saw　something　that　was　familiar　to　me　in　his　face　when　we

first　met；　and　yet　it　was　also　something　that　suggested　the　idea　of

change。　　I　had　a　notion　once　that　my　patient　at　the　Inn　might　be　a

natural　son　of　Mr。　Holliday's；　I　had　another　idea　that　he　might

also　have　been　the　man　who　was　engaged　to　Arthur's　first　wife；　and

I　have　a　third　idea；　still　clinging　to　me；　that　Mr。　Lorn　is　the

only　man　in　England　who　could　really　enlighten　me；　if　he　chose；　on

both　those　doubtful　points。　　His　hair　is　not　black；　now；　and　his

eyes　are　dimmer　than　the　piercing　eyes　that　I　remember；　but；　for

all　that；　he　is　very　like　the　nameless　medical　student　of　my　young

days　…　very　like　him。　　And；　sometimes；　when　I　come　home　late　at

night；　and　find　him　asleep；　and　wake　him；　he　looks；　in　coming　to；

wonderfully　like　the　stranger　at　Doncaster；　as　he　raised　himself　in

the　bed　on　that　memorable　night！



The　Doctor　paused。　　Mr。　Goodchild；　who　had　been　following　every

word　that　fell　from　his　lips　up　to　this　time；　leaned　forward

eagerly　to　ask　a　question。　　Before　he　could　say　a　word；　the　latch

of　the　door　was　raised；　without　any　warning　sound　of　footsteps　in

the　passage　outside。　　A　long；　white；　bony　hand　appeared　through　the

opening；　gently　pushing　the　door；　which　was　prevented　from　working

freely　on　its　hinges　by　a　fold　in　the　carpet　under　it。



'That　hand！　　Look　at　that　hand；　Doctor！'　said　Mr。　Goodchild；

touching　him。



At　the　same　moment；　the　Doctor　looked　at　Mr。　Goodchild；　and

whispered　to　him；　significantly：



'Hush！　he　has　come　back。'







CHAPTER　III







The　Cumberland　Doctor's　mention　of　Doncaster　Races；　inspired　Mr。

Francis　Goodchild　with　the　idea　of　going　down　to　Doncaster　to　see

the　races。　　Doncaster　being　a　good　way　off；　and　quite　out　of　the

way　of　the　Idle　Apprentices　（if　anything　could　be　out　of　their　way；

who　had　no　way）；　it　necessarily　followed　that　Francis　perceived

Doncaster　in　the　race…week　to　be；　of　all　possible　idleness；　the

particular　idleness　that　would　completely　satisfy　him。



Thomas；　with　an　enforced　idleness　grafted　on　the　natural　and

voluntary　power　of　his　disposition；　was　not　of　this　mind；　objecting

that　a　man　compelled　to　lie　on　his　back　on　a　floor；　a　sofa；　a

table；　a　line　of　chairs；　or　anything　he　could　get　to　lie　upon；　was

not　in　racing　condition；　and　that　he　desired　nothing　better　than　to

lie　where　he　was；　enjoying　himself　in　looking　at　the　flies　on　the

ceiling。　　But；　Francis　Goodchild；　who　had　been　walking　round　his

companion　in　a　circuit　of　twelve　miles　for　two　days；　and　had　begun

to　doubt　whether　it　was　reserved　for　him　ever　to　be　idle　in　his

life；　not　only　overpowered　this　objection；　but　even　converted

Thomas　Idle　to　a　scheme　he　formed　（another　idle　inspiration）；　of

conveying　the　said　Thomas　to　the　sea…coast；　and　putting　his　injured

leg　under　a　stream　of　salt…water。



Plunging　into　this　happy　conception　headforemost；　Mr。　Goodchild

immediately　referred　to　the　county…map；　and　ardently　discovered

that　the　most　delicious　piece　of　sea…coast　to　be　found　within　the

limits　of　England；　Ireland；　Scotland；　Wales；　the　Isle　of　Man；　and

the　Channel　Island