tales and fantasies-第10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！



ingenious　but　unsafe　device）；　help　John　with　the　portmanteau；

and　enliven　matters　with　a　flow　of　speech；　and　especially　of

questions；　which　I　thus　condense：…



'He'll　no'　be　here　himsel'；　will　he？　　No？　　Well；　he's　an

eccentric　man　…　a　fair　oddity　…　if　ye　ken　the　expression。

Great　trouble　with　his　tenants；　they　tell　me。　　I've　driven

the　fam'ly　for　years。　　I　drove　a　cab　at　his　father's　waddin'。

What'll　your　name　be？　…　I　should　ken　your　face。　　Baigrey；　ye

say？　　There　were　Baigreys　about　Gilmerton；　ye'll　be　one　of

that　lot？　　Then　this'll　be　a　friend's　portmantie；　like？　　Why？

Because　the　name　upon　it's　Nucholson！　　Oh；　if　ye're　in　a

hurry；　that's　another　job。　　Waverley　Brig？　　Are　ye　for　away？'



So　the　friendly　toper　prated　and　questioned　and　kept　John's

heart　in　a　flutter。　　But　to　this　also；　as　to　other　evils

under　the　sun；　there　came　a　period；　and　the　victim　of

circumstances　began　at　last　to　rumble　toward　the　railway

terminus　at　Waverley　Bridge。　　During　the　transit；　he　sat　with

raised　glasses　in　the　frosty　chill　and　mouldy　fetor　of　his

chariot；　and　glanced　out　sidelong　on　the　holiday　face　of

things；　the　shuttered　shops；　and　the　crowds　along　the

pavement；　much　as　the　rider　in　the　Tyburn　cart　may　have

observed　the　concourse　gathering　to　his　execution。



At　the　station　his　spirits　rose　again；　another　stage　of　his

escape　was　fortunately　ended　…　he　began　to　spy　blue　water。

He　called　a　railway　porter；　and　bade　him　carry　the

portmanteau　to　the　cloak…room：　not　that　he　had　any　notion　of

delay；　flight；　instant　flight　was　his　design；　no　matter

whither；　but　he　had　determined　to　dismiss　the　cabman　ere　he

named；　or　even　chose；　his　destination；　thus　possibly　balking

the　Judicial　Error　of　another　link。　　This　was　his　cunning

aim；　and　now　with　one　foot　on　the　roadway；　and　one　still　on

the　coach…step；　he　made　haste　to　put　the　thing　in　practice；

and　plunged　his　hand　into　his　trousers　pocket。



There　was　nothing　there！



Oh　yes；　this　time　he　was　to　blame。　　He　should　have

remembered；　and　when　he　deserted　his　blood…stained

pantaloons；　he　should　not　have　deserted　along　with　them　his

purse。　　Make　the　most　of　his　error；　and　then　compare　it　with

the　punishment！　　Conceive　his　new　position；　for　I　lack　words

to　picture　it；　conceive　him　condemned　to　return　to　that

house；　from　the　very　thought　of　which　his　soul　revolted；　and

once　more　to　expose　himself　to　capture　on　the　very　scene　of

the　misdeed：　conceive　him　linked　to　the　mouldy　cab　and　the

familiar　cabman。　　John　cursed　the　cabman　silently；　and　then

it　occurred　to　him　that　he　must　stop　the　incarceration　of　his

portmanteau；　that；　at　least；　he　must　keep　close　at　hand；　and

he　turned　to　recall　the　porter。　　But　his　reflections；　brief

as　they　had　appeared；　must　have　occupied　him　longer　than　he

supposed；　and　there　was　the　man　already　returning　with　the

receipt。



Well；　that　was　settled；　he　had　lost　his　portmanteau　also；　for

the　sixpence　with　which　he　had　paid　the　Murrayfield　Toll　was

one　that　had　strayed　alone　into　his　waistcoat　pocket；　and

unless　he　once　more　successfully　achieved　the　adventure　of

the　house　of　crime；　his　portmanteau　lay　in　the　cloakroom　in

eternal　pawn；　for　lack　of　a　penny　fee。　　And　then　he

remembered　the　porter；　who　stood　suggestively　attentive；

words　of　gratitude　hanging　on　his　lips。



John　hunted　right　and　left；　he　found　a　coin　…　prayed　God　that

it　was　a　sovereign　…　　drew　it　out；　beheld　a　halfpenny；　and

offered　it　to　the　porter。



The　man's　jaw　dropped。



'It's　only　a　halfpenny！'　he　said；　startled　out　of　railway

decency。



'I　know　that；'　said　John；　piteously。



And　here　the　porter　recovered　the　dignity　of　man。



'Thank　you；　sir；'　said　he；　and　would　have　returned　the　base

gratuity。　　But　John；　too；　would　none　of　it；　and　as　they

struggled；　who　must　join　in　but　the　cabman？



'Hoots；　Mr。　Baigrey；'　said　he；　'you　surely　forget　what　day　it

is！'



'I　tell　you　I　have　no　change！'　cried　John。



'Well；'　said　the　driver；　'and　what　then？　　I　would　rather　give

a　man　a　shillin'　on　a　day　like　this　than　put　him　off　with　a

derision　like　a　bawbee。　　I'm　surprised　at　the　like　of　you；

Mr。　Baigrey！'



'My　name　is　not　Baigrey！'　broke　out　John；　in　mere　childish

temper　and　distress。



'Ye　told　me　it　was　yoursel'；'　said　the　cabman。



'I　know　I　did；　and　what　the　devil　right　had　you　to　ask？'

cried　the　unhappy　one。



'Oh；　very　well；'　said　the　driver。　　'I　know　my　place；　if　you

know　yours　…　if　you　know　yours！'　he　repeated；　as　one　who

should　imply　grave　doubt；　and　muttered　inarticulate　thunders；

in　which　the　grand　old　name　of　gentleman　was　taken　seemingly

in　vain。



Oh　to　have　been　able　to　discharge　this　monster；　whom　John　now

perceived；　with　tardy　clear…sightedness；　to　have　begun

betimes　the　festivities　of　Christmas！　　But　far　from　any　such

ray　of　consolation　visiting　the　lost；　he　stood　bare　of　help

and　helpers；　his　portmanteau　sequestered　in　one　place；　his

money　deserted　in　another　and　guarded　by　a　corpse；　himself；

so　sedulous　of　privacy；　the　cynosure　of　all　men's　eyes　about

the　station；　and；　as　if　these　were　not　enough　mischances；　he

was　now　fallen　in　ill…blood　with　the　beast　to　whom　his

poverty　had　linked　him！　　In　ill…blood；　as　he　reflected

dismally；　with　the　witness　who　perhaps　might　hang　or　save

him！　　There　was　no　time　to　be　lost；　he　durst　not　linger　any

longer　in　that　public　spot；　and　whether　he　had　recourse　to

dignity　or　conciliation；　the　remedy　must　be　applied　at　once。

Some　happily　surviving　element　of　manhood　moved　him　to　the

former。



'Let　us　have　no　more　of　this；'　said　he；　his　foot　once　more

upon　the　step。　　'Go　back　to　where　we　came　from。'



He　had　avoided　the　name　of　any　destination；　for　there　was　now

quite　a　little　band　of　railway　folk　about　the　cab；　and　he

still　kept　an　eye　upon　the　court　of　justice；　and　laboured　to

avoid　concentric　evidence。　　But　here　again　the　fatal　jarvey

out…manoeuvred　him。



'Back　to　the　Ludge？'　cried　he；　in　shrill　tones　of　protest。



'Drive　on　at　once！'　roared　John；　and　slammed　the　door　behind

him；　so　that　the　crazy　chariot　rocked　and　jingled。



Forth　trundled　the　cab　into　the　Christmas　streets；　the　fare

within　plunged　in　the　blackness　of　a　despair　that　neighboured

on　unconsciousness；　the　driver　on　the　box　digesting　his

rebuke　and　his　customer's　duplicity。　　I　would　not　be　thought

to　put　the　pair　in　competition；　John's　case　was　out　of　all

parallel。　　But　the　cabman；　too；　is　worth　the　sympathy　of　the

judicious；　for　he　was　a　fellow　of　genuine　kindliness　and　a

high　sense　of　personal　dignity　incensed　by　drink；　and　his

advances　had　been　cruelly　and　publicly　rebuffed。　　As　he

drove；　therefore；　he　counted　his　wrongs；　and　thirsted　for

sympathy　and　drink。　　Now；　it　chanced　he　had　a　friend；　a

publican　in　Queensferry　Street；　from　whom；　in　view　of　the

sacredness　of　the　occasion；　he　thought　he　might　extract　a

dram。　　Queensferry　Street　lies　something　off　the　direct　road

to　Murrayfield。　　But　then　there　is　the　hilly　cross…road　that

passes　by　the　valley　of　the　Leith　and　the　Dean　Cemetery；　and

Queensferry　Street　is　on　the　way　to　that。　　What　was　to　hinder

the　cabman；　since　his　horse　was　dumb；　from　choosing　the

cross…road；　and　calling　on　his　friend　in　passing？　　So　it　was

decided；　and　the　charioteer；　already　somewhat　mollified；

turned　aside　his　horse　to　the　right。



John；　meanwhile；　sat　collapsed；　his　chin　sunk　upon　his　chest；

his　mind　in　abeyance。　　The　smell　of　the　cab　was　still　faintly

present　to　his　senses；　and　a　certain　leaden　chill　about　his

feet；　all　else　had　disappeared　in　one　vast　oppression　of

calamity　and　physical　faintness。　　It　was　drawing　on　to　noon　…

two…and…twenty　hours　since　he　had　broken　bread；　in　the

interval；　he　had　suffered　tortures　of　sorrow　and　alarm；　and

been　partly　tipsy；　and　though　it　was　impossible　to　say　he

slept；　yet　when　the　cab　stopped　and　the　cabman　thrust　his

head　into　the　window；　his　attention　had　to　be　recalled　from

depths　of　vacancy。



'If　you'll　no'　STAND　me　a　dram；'　said　the　driver；　with　a

well…merited　severity　of　tone　and　manner；　'I　dare　say　ye'll

have　no　objection　to　my　taking　one　mysel'？'



'Yes　…　no　…　do　what　you　like；'　returned　John；　and　then；　as　he

watched　his　tormentor　mount　the　stairs　and　enter　the　whisky…

shop；　there　floated　into　his　mind　a　sense　as　of　something

long　ago　familiar。　　At　that　he　started　fully　awake；　and

stared　at　the　shop…fronts。　　Yes；　he　knew　them；　but　when？　and

how？　　Long　since；　he　thought；　and　then；　casting　his　eye

through　the　front　glass；　which　had　been　recently　occluded　by

the　figure　of　the　jarvey；　he　beheld　the　tree…tops　of　the

rookery　in　Randolph　Crescent。　　He　was　close　to　home　…　home；

where　he　had　thought；　at　that　hour；　to　be　sitting　in　the

well…remembered　drawing…room　in　friendly　converse；　and；

instead　…　！



It　was　his　first　impulse　to　drop　into　the　bottom　of　the　cab；

his　next；　to　cover　his　face　with　his　hands。　　So　he　sat；　while

the