east lynne-第105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！



〃Well；　it's　nothing　to　you。　And　I　am　sure　I　don't　want　you　to　dance　attendance　upon　me　just　now。　There's　a　time　for　all　things。　I'll　have　some　chatter　with　you　another　day。〃

〃One　would　think　you　were　hurrying　to　catch　a　train。〃

〃So　I　amif　you　must　have　your　curiosity　satisfied。　I　am　going　on　a　little　pleasure　excursion；　Mr。　Inquisitive。〃

〃For　long？〃

〃Um！　Home　to…morrow；　perhaps。　Is　it　true　that　Mr。　Carlyle's　elected？〃

〃Oh；　yes；　don't　go　up　that　way；　please。〃

〃Not　up　this　way？〃　repeated　Afy。　〃It's　the　nearest　road　to　the　station。　It　cuts　off　all　that　corner。〃

The　officer　laid　his　hand　upon　her；　gently。　Afy　thought　he　was　venturing　upon　it　in　sportas　if　he　deemed　her　too　charming　to　be　parted　with。

〃What　do　you　mean　by　your　nonsense？　I　tell　you　I　have　not　time　for　it　now。　Take　your　hand　off　me；〃　she　added　grimlyfor　the　hand　was　clasping　her　closer。

〃I　am　sorry　to　hurt　a　lady's　feelings；　especially　yours；　miss；　but　I　daren't　take　it　off；　and　I　daren't　part　with　you。　My　instructions　are　to　take　you　on　at　once　to　the　witness…room。　Your　evidence　is　wanted　this　afternoon。〃

If　you　ever　saw　a　ghost　more　livid　than　ghosts　in　ordinary；　you　may　picture　to　your　mind　the　appearance　of　Afy　Hallijohn　just　then。　She　did　not　faint　as　she　had　done　once　before　that　day；　but　she　looked　as　if　she　should　die。　One　sharp　cry；　instantly　suppressed；　for　Afy　did　retain　some　presence　of　mind；　and　remembered　that　she　was　in　the　public　roadone　sharp　tussle　for　liberty；　over　as　soon；　and　she　resigned　herself；　perforce；　to　her　fate。

〃I　have　no　evidence　to　give；〃　she　said；　in　a　calmer　tone。　〃I　know　nothing　of　the　facts。〃

〃I'm　sure　/I/　don't　know　anything　of　them；〃　returned　the　man。　〃I　don't　know　why　you　are　wanted。　When　instructions　are　given　us；　miss；　we　can't　ask　what　they　mean。　I　was　bid　to　watch　that　you　didn't　go　off　out　of　the　town；　and　to　bring　you　on　to　the　witness…room　if　you　attempted　it；　and　I　have　tried　to　do　it　as　politely　as　possible。〃

〃You　don't　imagine　I　am　going　to　walk　through　West　Lynne　with　your　hand　upon　me！〃

〃I'll　take　it　off；　Miss　Hallijohn；　if　you'll　give　a　promise　not　to　bolt。　You　see；　'twould　come　to　nothing　if　you　did；　for　I　should　be　up　with　you　in　a　couple　of　yards；　besides；　it　would　be　drawing　folks'　attention　on　you。　You　couldn't　hope　to　outrun　me；　or　be　a　match　for　me　in　strength。〃

〃I　will　go　quietly；〃　said　Afy。　〃Take　it　off。〃

She　kept　her　word。　Afy　was　no　simpleton；　and　knew　that　she　/was/　no　match　for　him。　She　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　Philistines；　was　powerless；　and　must　make　the　best　of　it。　So　they　walked　through　the　street　as　if　they　were　taking　a　quiet　stroll；　he　gallantly　bearing　the　leather　bag。　Miss　Carlyle's　shocked　eyes　happened　to　fall　upon　them　as　they　passed　her　window。　She　wondered　where　could　be　the　eyes　of　the　man's　inspector。



CHAPTER　XL。

THE　JUSTICE…ROOM。

The　magistrates　took　their　seats　on　the　bench。　The　bench　would　not　hold　them。　All　in　the　commission　of　the　peace　flocked　in。　Any　other　day　they　would　not　have　been　at　West　Lynne。　As　to　the　room；　the　wonder　was　how　it　ever　got　emptied　again；　so　densely　was　it　packed。　Sir　Francis　Levison's　friends　were　there　in　a　body。　They　did　not　believe　a　word　of　the　accusation。　〃A　scandalous　affair；〃　cried　they；　〃got　up；　probably；　by　some　sneak　of　the　scarlet…and…purple　party。〃　Lord　Mount　Severn；　who　chose　to　be　present；　had　a　place　assigned　him　on　the　bench。　Lord　Vane　got　the　best　place　he　could　fight　for　amid　the　crowd。　Mr。　Justice　Hare　sat　as　chairman；　unusually　stern；　unbending；　and　grim。　No　favor　would　he　show；　but　no　unfairness。　Had　it　been　to　save　his　son　from　hanging；　he　would　not　adjudge　guilt　to　Francis　Levison　against　his　conscience。　Colonel　Bethel　was　likewise　on　the　bench；　stern　also。

In　that　primitive　placeprimitive　in　what　related　to　the　justice…room　and　the　justicesthings　were　not　conducted　with　the　regularity　of　the　law。　The　law　there　was　often　a　dead　letter。　No　very　grave　cases　were　decided　there；　they　went　to　Lynneborough。　A　month　at　the　treadmill；　or　a　week's　imprisonment；　or　a　bout　of　juvenile　whipping；　were　pretty　near　the　harshest　sentences　pronounced。　Thus；　in　this　examination；　as　in　others；　evidence　was　advanced　that　was　inadmissibleat　least；　that　would　have　been　inadmissible　in　a　more　orthodox　courthearsay　testimony；　and　irregularities　of　that　nature。　Mr。　Rubiny　watched　the　case　on　behalf　of　Sir　Francis　Levison。

Mr。　Ball　opened　the　proceedings；　giving　the　account　which　had　been　imparted　to　him　by　Richard　Hare；　but　not　mentioning　Richard　as　his　informant。　He　was　questioned　as　to　whence　he　obtained　his　information；　but　replied　that　it　was　not　convenient　at　present　to　disclose　the　source。　The　stumbling　block　of　the　magistrates　appeared　to　be　the　identifying　Levison　with　Thorn。　Ebenezer　James　came　forward　to　prove　it。

〃What　do　you　know　of　the　prisoner；　Sir　Francis　Levison？〃　questioned　Justice　Herbert。

〃Not　much；〃　responded　Mr。　Ebenezer。　〃I　used　to　know　him　as　Captain　Thorn。〃

〃/Captain/　Thorn？〃

〃Afy　Hallijohn　called　him　captain；　but　I　understood　he　was　but　a　lieutenant。〃

〃From　whom　did　you　understand　that？〃

〃From　Afy。　She　was　the　only　person　I　heard　speak　of　him。〃

〃And　you　say　you　were　in　the　habit　of　seeing　him　in　the　place　mentioned；　the　Abbey　Wood？〃

〃I　saw　him　there　repeatedly；　also　at　Hallijohn's　cottage。〃

〃Did　you　speak　with　him　as　Thorn？〃

〃Two　or　three　times。　I　addressed　him　as　Thorn；　and　he　answered　to　the　name。　I　had　no　suspicion　but　that　it　was　his　name。　Otway　Bethel〃　casting　his　eyes　on　Mr。　Otway；　who　stood　in　his　shaggy　attire〃also　knew　him　as　Thorn；　and　so　I　have　no　doubt；　did　Locksley；　for　he　was　always　in　the　wood。〃

〃Anybody　else？〃

〃Poor　Hallijohn　himself　knew　him　as　Thorn。　He　said　to　Afy　one　day；　in　my　presence；　that　he　would　not　have　that　confounded　dandy；　Thorn；　coming　there。〃

〃Were　those　the　words　he　used？〃

〃They　were；　'that　confounded　dandy　Thorn。'　I　remember　Afy's　replyit　was　rather　insolent。　She　said　Thorn　was　as　free　to　come　there　as　anybody　else；　and　she　would　not　be　found　fault　with；　as　though　she　was　not　fit　to　take　care　of　herself。〃

〃That　is　nothing　to　the　purpose。　Were　any　others　acquainted　with　this　Thorn？〃

〃I　should　imagine　the　elder　sister；　Joyce；　was。　And　the　one　who　knew　him　best　of　all　of　us　was　young　Richard　Hare。〃

/Old/　Richard　Hare；　from　his　place　on　the　bench；　frowned　menacingly　at　an　imaginary　Richard。

〃What　took　Thorn　into　the　wood　so　often？〃

〃He　was　courting　Afy。〃

〃With　an　intention　of　marrying　her？〃

〃Wellno；〃　cried　Mr。　Ebenezer；　with　a　twist　of　the　mouth；　〃I　should　not　suppose　he　entertained　any　intention　of　the　sort。　He　used　to　come　over　from　Swainson；　or　its　neighborhood；　riding　a　splendid　horse。〃

〃Whom　did　you　suppose　him　to　be？〃

〃I　supposed　him　to　be　moving　in　the　upper　ranks　of　life。　There　was　no　doubt　of　it。　His　dress；　his　manners；　his　tone；　all　proclaimed　it。　He　appeared　to　wish　to　shun　observation；　and　evidently　did　not　care　to　be　seen　by　any　of　us。　He　rarely　arrived　until　twilight。〃

〃Did　you　see　him　there　on　the　night　of　Hallijohn's　murder？〃

〃No。　I　was　not　there　myself　that　evening；　so　could　not　have　seen　him。〃

〃Did　a　suspicion　cross　your　mind　at　any　time　that　he　may　have　been　guilty　of　the　murder？〃

〃Never。　Richard　Hare　was　accused　of　it　by　universal　belief；　and　it　never　occurred　to　me　to　suppose　he　had　not　done　it。〃

〃Pray；　how　many　years　is　this　ago？〃　sharply　interrupted　Mr。　Rubiny；　perceiving　that　the　witness　was　done　with。

〃Let's　see！〃　responded　Mr。　Ebenezer。　〃I　can't　be　sure　as　to　a　year　without　reckoning　up。　A　dozen；　if　not　more。〃

〃And　you　mean　to　say　that　you　can　swear　to　Sir　Francis　Levison　being　that　man；　with　all　these　years　intervening？〃

〃I　swear　that　he　is　the　man。　I　am　as　positive　of　his　identity　as　I　am　of　my　own。〃

〃Without　having　seen　him　from　that　time　to　this？〃　derisively　returned　the　lawyer。　〃Nonsense；　witness。〃

〃I　did　not　say　that；〃　returned　Mr。　Ebenezer。

The　court　pricked　up　its　ears。　〃Have　you　seen　him　between　then　and　now？〃　asked　one　of　them。

〃Once。〃

〃Where　and　when？〃

〃It　was　in　London；　about　eighteen　months　after　the　period　of　the　trial！〃

〃What　communication　had　you　with　him？〃

〃None　at　all。　I　only　saw　himquite　by　chance。〃

〃And　whom　did　you　suppose　him　to　be　thenThorn　or　Levison？〃

〃Thorn；　certainly。　I　never　dreamt　of　his　being　Levison　until　he　appeared　here；　now；　to　oppose　Mr。　Carlyle。〃

A　wild；　savage　curse　shot　through　Sir　Francis's　heart　as　he　heard　the　words。　What　demon　had　possessed　him　to　venture　his　neck　into　the　lion's　den？　There　had　been　a　strong　hidden　power　holding　him　back　from　it；　independent　of　his　dislike　to　face　Mr。　Carlyle；　how　could　he　be　so　mad　as　to　disregard　it？　How？　Could　a　man　go　from　his　doom？　Can　any？

〃You　may　have　been　mistaken；　witness；　as　to　the　identity　of　the　man　you　saw　in　London。　It　may　not　have　been　the　Thorn　you　had　known　here。〃

Mr。　Ebenezer　James　smiled　a　peculiar　smile。　〃I　was　not　mistaken；〃　he　said；　his　tone　sounding　remarkably　significant。　〃I　am　upon　my　oath。〃

〃Call　Aphrodite　Hallijohn。〃

The　lady　appeared；　supported　by　her　friend；　the　policeman。　And　Mr。　Ebenezer　James　was　desired　by　Mr。　Ball　to　leave　the　court　while　she　gave　her　evidence。　Doubtless　h