the fatal boots-第9节

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American　Jew；　living　quietly　at　Leamington　with　her　children；　but

possessed　of　an　immense　property。　　There's　no　use　to　give　one's

self　out　to　be　an　absolute　pauper：　so　the　fact　is；　that　I　myself

went　everywhere　with　the　character　of　a　man　of　very　large　means。

My　father　had　died；　leaving　me　immense　sums　of　money；　and　landed

estates。　　Ah！　I　was　the　gentleman　then；　the　real　gentleman；　and

everybody　was　too　happy　to　have　me　at　table。



Well；　I　came　the　next　day；　and　left　a　card　for　Dobble；　with　a　note。

He　neither　returned　my　visit；　nor　answered　my　note。　　The　day　after；

however；　I　met　him　with　the　widow；　as　before；　and　going　up　to　him；

very　kindly　seized　him　by　the　hand；　and　swore　I　wasas　really　was

the　casecharmed　to　see　him。　　Dobble　hung　back；　to　my　surprise；

and　I　do　believe　the　creature　would　have　cut　me；　if　he　dared；　but　I

gave　him　a　frown；　and　said



〃What；　Dobble；　my　boy；　don't　you　recollect　old　Stubbs；　and　our

adventure　with　the　butcher's　daughtersha？〃



Dobble　gave　a　sickly　kind　of　grin；　and　said；　〃Oh！　ah！　yes！　　It　is

yes！　it　is；　I　believe；　Captain　Stubbs。〃



〃An　old　comrade；　Madam；　of　Captain　Dobble's；　and　one　who　has　heard

so　much；　and　seen　so　much　of　your　ladyship；　that　he　must　take　the

liberty　of　begging　his　friend　to　introduce　him。〃



Dobble　was　obliged　to　take　the　hint；　and　Captain　Stubbs　was　duly

presented　to　Mrs。　Manasseh。　　The　lady　was　as　gracious　as　possible；

and　when；　at　the　end　of　the　walk；　we　parted；　she　said　〃she　hoped

Captain　Dobble　would　bring　me　to　her　apartments　that　evening；　where

she　expected　a　few　friends。〃　　Everybody；　you　see；　knows　everybody

at　Leamington；　and　I；　for　my　part；　was　well　known　as　a　retired

officer　of　the　army；　who；　on　his　father's　death；　had　come　into

seven　thousand　a　year。　　Dobble's　arrival　had　been　subsequent　to

mine；　but　putting　up　as　he　did　at　the　〃Royal　Hotel；〃　and　dining　at

the　ordinary　there　with　the　widow；　he　had　made　her　acquaintance

before　I　had。　　I　saw；　however；　that　if　I　allowed　him　to　talk　about

me；　as　he　could；　I　should　be　compelled　to　give　up　all　my　hopes　and

pleasures　at　Leamington；　and　so　I　determined　to　be　short　with　him。

As　soon　as　the　lady　had　gone　into　the　hotel；　my　friend　Dobble　was

for　leaving　me　likewise；　but　I　stopped　him　and　said；　〃Mr。　Dobble；　I

saw　what　you　meant　just　now：　you　wanted　to　cut　me；　because；

forsooth；　I　did　not　choose　to　fight　a　duel　at　Portsmouth。　　Now　look

you；　Dobble；　I　am　no　hero；　but　I'm　not　such　a　coward　as　youand

you　know　it。　　You　are　a　very　different　man　to　deal　with　from

Waters；　and　I　WILL　FIGHT　this　time。〃



Not　perhaps　that　I　would：　but　after　the　business　of　the　butcher；　I

knew　Dobble　to　be　as　great　a　coward　as　ever　lived；　and　there　never

was　any　harm　in　threatening；　for　you　know　you　are　not　obliged　to

stick　to　it　afterwards。　　My　words　had　their　effect　upon　Dobble；　who

stuttered　and　looked　red；　and　then　declared　he　never　had　the

slightest　intention　of　passing　me　by；　so　we　became　friends；　and　his

mouth　was　stopped。



He　was　very　thick　with　the　widow；　but　that　lady　had　a　very

capacious　heart；　and　there　were　a　number　of　other　gentlemen　who

seemed　equally　smitten　with　her。　　〃Look　at　that　Mrs。　Manasseh；〃

said　a　gentleman　（it　was　droll；　HE　was　a　Jew；　too）　sitting　at

dinner　by　me。　　〃She　is　old；　and　ugly；　and　yet；　because　she　has

money；　all　the　men　are　flinging　themselves　at　her。〃



〃She　has　money；　has　she？〃



〃Eighty　thousand　pounds；　and　twenty　thousand　for　each　of　her

children。　　I　know　it　FOR　A　FACT；〃　said　the　strange　gentleman。　　〃I

am　in　the　law；　and　we　of　our　faith；　you　know；　know　pretty　well　what

the　great　families　amongst　us　are　worth。〃



〃Who　was　Mr。　Manasseh？〃　said　I。



〃A　man　of　enormous　wealtha　tobacco…merchantWest　Indies；　a

fellow　of　no　birth；　however；　and　who；　between　ourselves；　married　a

woman　that　is　not　much　better　than　she　should　be。　　My　dear　sir；〃

whispered　he；　〃she　is　always　in　love。　　Now　it　is　with　that　Captain

Dobble；　last　week　it　was　somebody　elseand　it　may　be　you　next

week；　ifha！　ha！　ha！you　are　disposed　to　enter　the　lists。　　I

wouldn't；　for　MY　part；　have　the　woman　with　twice　her　money。〃



What　did　it　matter　to　me　whether　the　woman　was　good　or　not；

provided　she　was　rich？　　My　course　was　quite　clear。　　I　told　Dobble

all　that　this　gentleman　had　informed　me；　and　being　a　pretty　good

hand　at　making　a　story；　I　made　the　widow　appear　SO　bad；　that　the

poor　fellow　was　quite　frightened；　and　fairly　quitted　the　field。

Ha！　ha！　I'm　dashed　if　I　did　not　make　him　believe　that　Mrs。　Manasseh

had　MURDERED　her　last　husband。



I　played　my　game　so　well；　thanks　to　the　information　that　my　friend

the　lawyer　had　given　me；　that　in　a　month　I　had　got　the　widow　to

show　a　most　decided　partiality　for　me。　　I　sat　by　her　at　dinner；　I

drank　with　her　at　the　〃Wells〃I　rode　with　her；　I　danced　with　her；

and　at　a　picnic　to　Kenilworth；　where　we　drank　a　good　deal　of

champagne；　I　actually　popped　the　question；　and　was　accepted。　　In

another　month；　Robert　Stubbs；　Esq。；　led　to　the　altar；　Leah；　widow

of　the　late　Z。　Manasseh；　Esq。；　of　St。　Kitt's！



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



We　drove　up　to　London　in　her　comfortable　chariot：　the　children　and

servants　following　in　a　post…chaise。　　I　paid；　of　course；　for

everything；　and　until　our　house　in　Berkeley　Square　was　painted；　we

stopped　at　〃Stevens's　Hotel。〃



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



My　own　estate　had　been　sold；　and　the　money　was　lying　at　a　bank　in

the　City。　　About　three　days　after　our　arrival；　as　we　took　our

breakfast　in　the　hotel；　previous　to　a　visit　to　Mrs。　Stubbs's

banker；　where　certain　little　transfers　were　to　be　made；　a　gentleman

was　introduced；　who；　I　saw　at　a　glance；　was　of　my　wife's

persuasion。



He　looked　at　Mrs。　Stubbs；　and　made　a　bow。　　〃Perhaps　it　will　be

convenient　to　you　to　pay　this　little　bill；　one　hundred　and　fifty…

two　pounds？〃



〃My　love；〃　says　she；　〃will　you　pay　thisit　is　a　trifle　which　I　had

really　forgotten？〃



〃My　soul！〃　said　I；　〃I　have　really　not　the　money　in　the　house。〃



〃Vel；　denn；　Captain　Shtubbsh；〃　says　he；　〃I　must　do　my　dutyand

arrest　youhere　is　the　writ！　　Tom；　keep　the　door？〃　　My　wife

faintedthe　children　screamed；　and　I　fancy　my　condition　as　I　was

obliged　to　march　off　to　a　spunging…house　along　with　a　horrid

sheriff's　officer？





OCTOBER。MARS　AND　VENUS　IN　OPPOSITION。





I　shall　not　describe　my　feelings　when　I　found　myself　in　a　cage　in

Cursitor　Street；　instead　of　that　fine　house　in　Berkeley　Square；

which　was　to　have　been　mine　as　the　husband　of　Mrs。　Manasseh。　　What

a　place！in　an　odious；　dismal　street　leading　from　Chancery　Lane。

A　hideous　Jew　boy　opened　the　second　of　three　doors　and　shut　it　when

Mr。　Nabb　and　I　（almost　fainting）　had　entered；　then　he　opened　the

third　door；　and　then　I　was　introduced　to　a　filthy　place　called　a

coffee…room；　which　I　exchanged　for　the　solitary　comfort　of　a　little

dingy　back…parlor；　where　I　was　left　for　a　while　to　brood　over　my

miserable　fate。　　Fancy　the　change　between　this　and　Berkeley　Square！

Was　I；　after　all　my　pains；　and　cleverness；　and　perseverance；

cheated　at　last？　　Had　this　Mrs。　Manasseh　been　imposing　upon　me；　and

were　the　words　of　the　wretch　I　met　at　the　table…d'hote　at

Leamington　only　meant　to　mislead　me　and　take　me　in？　　I　determined

to　send　for　my　wife；　and　know　the　whole　truth。　　I　saw　at　once　that

I　had　been　the　victim　of　an　infernal　plot；　and　that　the　carriage；

the　house　in　town；　the　West　India　fortune；　were　only　so　many　lies

which　I　had　blindly　believed。　　It　was　true　that　the　debt　was　but　a

hundred　and　fifty　pounds；　and　I　had　two　thousand　at　my　bankers'。

But　was　the　loss　of　HER　80；000L。　nothing？　　Was　the　destruction　of

my　hopes　nothing？　　The　accursed　addition　to　my　family　of　a　Jewish

wife　and　three　Jewish　children；　nothing？　　And　all　these　I　was　to

support　out　of　my　two　thousand　pounds。　　I　had　better　have　stopped

at　home　with　my　mamma　and　sisters；　whom　I　really　did　love；　and　who

produced　me　eighty　pounds　a　year。



I　had　a　furious　interview　with　Mrs。　Stubbs；　and　when　I　charged　her；

the　base　wretch！　with　cheating　me；　like　a　brazen　serpent　as　she

was；　she　flung　back　the　cheat　in　my　teeth；　and　swore　I　had　swindled

her。　　Why　did　I　marry　her；　when　she　might　have　had　twenty　others？

She　only　took　me；　she　said；　because　I　had　twenty　thousand　pounds。

I　HAD　said　I　possessed　that　sum；　but　in　love；　you　know；　and　war

all's　fair。




We　parted　quite　as　angrily　as　we　met；　and　I　cordially　vowed　that

when　I　had　paid　the　debt　into　which　I　had　been　swindled　by　her；　I

would　take　my　2；000L。　and　depart　to　some　desert　island；　or；　at　the

very　least；　to　America；　and　never　see　her　more；　or　any　of　her

Israelitish　brood。　　There　was　no　use　in　remaining　in　the　spunging…

house　（for　I　knew　that　there　were　such　things　as　detainers；　and

that　where　Mrs。　Stubbs　owed　a　hundred　pounds；　she　might　owe　a

thousand）　so　I　sent　for　Mr。　Nabb；　and　tendering　him　a　cheque　for

150L。　and　his　cos