desperate remedies-第24节

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tell　her　brother　that　if　he　saw　the　notice　it　would　be　useless　to
reply。

3。　　AUGUST　THE　TWENTY…FIFTH

Five　days　after　the　above…mentioned　dialogue　took　place　they　went　to
London；　and；　with　scarcely　a　minute's　pause；　to　the　solicitors'
offices　in　Lincoln's　Inn　Fields。

They　alighted　opposite　one　of　the　characteristic　entrances　about　the
placea　gate　which　was　never；　and　could　never　be；　closed；　flanked
by　lamp…standards　carrying　no　lamp。　　Rust　was　the　only　active　agent
to　be　seen　there　at　this　time　of　the　day　and　year。　　The　palings
along　the　front　were　rusted　away　at　their　base　to　the　thinness　of
wires；　and　the　successive　coats　of　paint；　with　which　they　were
overlaid　in　bygone　days；　had　been　completely　undermined　by　the　same
insidious　canker；　which　lifted　off　the　paint　in　flakes；　leaving　the
raw　surface　of　the　iron　on　palings；　standards；　and　gate　hinges；　of　a
staring　blood…red。

But　once　inside　the　railings　the　picture　changed。　　The　court　and
offices　were　a　complete　contrast　to　the　grand　ruin　of　the　outwork
which　enclosed　them。　　Well…painted　respectability　extended　over；
within；　and　around　the　doorstep；　and　in　the　carefully　swept　yard　not
a　particle　of　dust　was　visible。

Mr。　Nyttleton；　who　had　just　come　up　from　Margate；　where　he　was
staying　with　his　family；　was　standing　at　the　top　of　his　own
staircase　as　the　pair　ascended。　　He　politely　took　them　inside。

'Is　there　a　comfortable　room　in　which　this　young　lady　can　sit　during
our　interview？'　said　Miss　Aldclyffe。

It　was　rather　a　favourite　habit　of　hers　to　make　much　of　Cytherea
when　they　were　out；　and　snub　her　for　it　afterwards　when　they　got
home。

'CertainlyMr。　Tayling's。'　　Cytherea　was　shown　into　an　inner　room。

Social　definitions　are　all　made　relatively：　　an　absolute　datum　is
only　imagined。　　The　small　gentry　about　Knapwater　seemed　unpractised
to　Miss　Aldclyffe；　Miss　Aldclyffe　herself　seemed　unpractised　to　Mr。
Nyttleton's　experienced　old　eyes。

'Now　then；'　the　lady　said；　when　she　was　alone　with　the　lawyer；　'what
is　the　result　of　our　advertisement？'

It　was　late　summer；　the　estate…agency；　building；　engineering；　and
surveying　worlds　were　dull。　　There　were　forty…five　replies　to　the
advertisement。

Mr。　Nyttleton　spread　them　one　by　one　before　Miss　Aldclyffe。　　'You
will　probably　like　to　read　some　of　them　yourself；　madam？'　he　said。

'Yes；　certainly；'　said　she。

'I　will　not　trouble　you　with　those　which　are　from　persons　manifestly
unfit　at　first　sight；'　he　continued；　and　began　selecting　from　the
heap　twos　and　threes　which　he　had　marked；　collecting　others　into　his
hand。

'The　man　we　want　lies　among　these；　if　my　judgment　doesn't　deceive
me；　and　from　them　it　would　be　advisable　to　select　a　certain　number
to　be　communicated　with。'

'I　should　like　to　see　every　oneonly　just　to　glance　them　over
exactly　as　they　came；'　she　said　suasively。

He　looked　as　if　he　thought　this　a　waste　of　his　time；　but　dismissing
his　sentiment　unfolded　each　singly　and　laid　it　before　her。　　As　he
laid　them　out；　it　struck　him　that　she　studied　them　quite　as　rapidly
as　he　could　spread　them。　　He　slyly　glanced　up　from　the　outer　corner
of　his　eye　to　hers；　and　noticed　that　all　she　did　was　look　at　the
name　at　the　bottom　of　the　letter；　and　then　put　the　enclosure　aside
without　further　ceremony。　　He　thought　this　an　odd　way　of　inquiring
into　the　merits　of　forty…five　men　who　at　considerable　trouble　gave
in　detail　reasons　why　they　believed　themselves　well　qualified　for　a
certain　post。　　She　came　to　the　final　one；　and　put　it　down　with　the
rest。

Then　the　lady　said　that　in　her　opinion　it　would　be　best　to　get　as
many　replies　as　they　possibly　could　before　selecting'to　give　us　a
wider　choice。　　What　do　you　think；　Mr。　Nyttleton？'

It　seemed　to　him；　he　said；　that　a　greater　number　than　those　they
already　had　would　scarcely　be　necessary；　and　if　they　waited　for
more；　there　would　be　this　disadvantage　attending　it；　that　some　of
those　they　now　could　command　would　possibly　not　be　available。

'Never　mind；　we　will　run　that　risk；'　said　Miss　Aldclyffe。　　'Let　the
advertisement　be　inserted　once　more；　and　then　we　will　certainly
settle　the　matter。'

Mr。　Nyttleton　bowed；　and　seemed　to　think　Miss　Aldclyffe；　for　a
single　woman；　and　one　who　till　so　very　recently　had　never　concerned
herself　with　business　of　any　kind；　a　very　meddlesome　client。　　But
she　was　rich；　and　handsome　still。　　'She's　a　new　broom　in　estate…
management　as　yet；'　he　thought。　　'She　will　soon　get　tired　of　this；'
and　he　parted　from　her　without　a　sentiment　which　could　mar　his
habitual　blandness。

The　two　ladies　then　proceeded　westward。　　Dismissing　the　cab　in
Waterloo　Place；　they　went　along　Pall　Mall　on　foot；　where　in　place　of
the　usual　well…dressed　clubbistsrubicund　with　alcoholwere　to　be
seen；　in　linen　pinafores；　flocks　of　house…painters　pallid　from　white
lead。　　When　they　had　reached　the　Green　Park；　Cytherea　proposed　that
they　should　sit　down　awhile　under　the　young　elms　at　the　brow　of　the
hill。　　This　they　didthe　growl　of　Piccadilly　on　their　left　hand
the　monastic　seclusion　of　the　Palace　on　their　right：　　before　them；
the　clock　tower　of　the　Houses　of　Parliament；　standing　forth　with　a
metallic　lustre　against　a　livid　Lambeth　sky。

Miss　Aldclyffe　still　carried　in　her　hand　a　copy　of　the　newspaper；
and　while　Cytherea　had　been　interesting　herself　in　the　picture
around；　glanced　again　at　the　advertisement。

She　heaved　a　slight　sigh；　and　began　to　fold　it　up　again。　　In　the
action　her　eye　caught　sight　of　two　consecutive　advertisements　on　the
cover；　one　relating　to　some　lecture　on　Art；　and　addressed　to　members
of　the　Institute　of　Architects。　　The　other　emanated　from　the　same
source；　but　was　addressed　to　the　public；　and　stated　that　the
exhibition　of　drawings　at　the　Institute's　rooms　would　close　at　the
end　of　that　week。

Her　eye　lighted　up。　　She　sent　Cytherea　back　to　the　hotel　in　a　cab；
then　turned　round　by　Piccadilly　into　Bond　Street；　and　proceeded　to
the　rooms　of　the　Institute。　　The　secretary　was　sitting　in　the　lobby。
After　making　her　payment；　and　looking　at　a　few　of　the　drawings　on
the　walls；　in　the　company　of　three　gentlemen；　the　only　other
visitors　to　the　exhibition；　she　turned　back　and　asked　if　she　might
be　allowed　to　see　a　list　of　the　members。　　She　was　a　little　connected
with　the　architectural　world；　she　said；　with　a　smile；　and　was
interested　in　some　of　the　names。

'Here　it　is；　madam；'　he　replied；　politely　handing　her　a　pamphlet
containing　the　names。

Miss　Aldclyffe　turned　the　leaves　till　she　came　to　the　letter　M。　　The
name　she　hoped　to　find　there　was　there；　with　the　address　appended；
as　was　the　case　with　all　the　rest。

The　address　was　at　some　chambers　in　a　street　not　far　from　Charing
Cross。　　'Chambers；'　as　a　residence；　had　always　been　assumed　by　the
lady　to　imply　the　condition　of　a　bachelor。　　She　murmured　two　words；
'There　still。'

Another　request　had　yet　to　be　made；　but　it　was　of　a　more　noticeable
kind　than　the　first；　and　might　compromise　the　secrecy　with　which　she
wished　to　act　throughout　this　episode。　　Her　object　was　to　get　one　of
the　envelopes　lying　on　the　secretary's　table；　stamped　with　the　die
of　the　Institute；　and　in　order　to　get　it　she　was　about　to　ask　if　she
might　write　a　note。

But　the　secretary's　back　chanced　to　be　turned；　and　he　now　went
towards　one　of　the　men　at　the　other　end　of　the　room；　who　had　called
him　to　ask　some　question　relating　to　an　etching　on　the　wall。　　Quick
as　thought；　Miss　Aldclyffe　stood　before　the　table；　slipped　her　hand
behind　her；　took　one　of　the　envelopes　and　put　it　in　her　pocket。

She　sauntered　round　the　rooms　for　two　or　three　minutes　longer；　then
withdrew　and　returned　to　her　hotel。

Here　she　cut　the　Knapwater　advertisement　from　the　paper；　put　it　into
the　envelope　she　had　stolen；　embossed　with　the　society's　stamp；　and
directed　it　in　a　round　clerkly　hand　to　the　address　she　had　seen　in
the　list　of　members'　names　submitted　to　her：

　　　　　AENEAS　MANSTON；　ESQ。；
　　　　　　　　　　WYKEHAM　CHAMBERS；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SPRING　GARDENS。

This　ended　her　first　day's　work　in　London。

4。　　FROM　AUGUST　THE　TWENTY…SIXTH　TO　SEPTEMBER　THE　FIRST

The　two　Cythereas　continued　at　the　Westminster　Hotel；　Miss　Aldclyffe
informing　her　companion　that　business　would　detain　them　in　London
another　week。　　The　days　passed　as　slowly　and　quietly　as　days　can
pass　in　a　city　at　that　time　of　the　year；　the　shuttered　windows　about
the　squares　and　terraces　confronting　their　eyes　like　the　white　and
sightless　orbs　of　blind　men。　　On　Thursday　Mr。　Nyttleton　called；
bringing　the　whole　number　of　replies　to　the　advertisement。　　Cytherea
was　present　at　the　interview；　by　Miss　Aldclyffe's　requesteither
from　whim　or　design。

Ten　additional　letters　were　the　result　of　the　second　week's
insertion；　making　fifty…five　in　all。　　Miss　Aldclyffe　looked　them
over　as　before。　　One　was　signed

AENEAS　MANSTON；
　　　　　133；　TURNGATE　STREET；
　　　　　　　　　　LIVERPOOL。

'Now；　then；　Mr。　Nyttleton；　will　you　make　a　selection；　and　I　will　add
one　or　two；'　Miss　Aldclyffe　said。

Mr。　Nyttleton　scanned　the　whole　heap　of　letters；　testimonials；　and
references；　sorting　them　into　two　heaps。　　Manston's　missive；　after　a
mere　glance；　was　thrown　amongst　the　summarily　rejected　ones。

Miss　Aldclyffe　read；　o