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第11节

tales and fantasies-第11节

小说: tales and fantasies 字数: 每页4000字

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

the cabman toasted the publican; and the publican toasted the

cabman; and both reviewed the affairs of the nation; so he

still sat; when his master condescended to return; and drive

off at last down…hill; along the curve of Lynedoch Place; but

even so sitting; as he passed the end of his father's street;

he took one glance from between shielding fingers; and beheld

a doctor's carriage at the door。



'Well; just so;' thought he; 'I'll have killed my father!

And this is Christmas…day!'



If Mr。 Nicholson died; it was down this same road he must

journey to the grave; and down this road; on the same errand;

his wife had preceded him years before; and many other

leading citizens; with the proper trappings and attendance of

the end。  And now; in that frosty; ill…smelling; straw…

carpeted; and ragged…cushioned cab; with his breath

congealing on the glasses; where else was John himself

advancing to?



The thought stirred his imagination; which began to

manufacture many thousand pictures; bright and fleeting; like

the shapes in a kaleidoscope; and now he saw himself; ruddy

and comfortered; sliding in the gutter; and; again; a little

woe…begone; bored urchin tricked forth in crape and weepers;

descending this same hill at the foot's pace of mourning

coaches; his mother's body just preceding him; and yet again;

his fancy; running far in front; showed him his destination …

now standing solitary in the low sunshine; with the sparrows

hopping on the threshold and the dead man within staring at

the roof … and now; with a sudden change; thronged about with

white…faced; hand…uplifting neighbours; and doctor bursting

through their midst and fixing his stethoscope as he went;

the policeman shaking a sagacious head beside the body。  It

was to this he feared that he was driving; in the midst of

this he saw himself arrive; heard himself stammer faint

explanations; and felt the hand of the constable upon his

shoulder。  Heavens! how he wished he had played the manlier

part; how he despised himself that he had fled that fatal

neighbourhood when all was quiet; and should now be tamely

travelling back when it was thronging with avengers!



Any strong degree of passion lends; even to the dullest; the

forces of the imagination。  And so now as he dwelt on what

was probably awaiting him at the end of this distressful

drive … John; who saw things little; remembered them less;

and could not have described them at all; beheld in his

mind's…eye the garden of the Lodge; detailed as in a map; he

went to and fro in it; feeding his terrors; he saw the

hollies; the snowy borders; the paths where he had sought

Alan; the high; conventual walls; the shut door … what! was

the door shut?  Ay; truly; he had shut it … shut in his

money; his escape; his future life … shut it with these

hands; and none could now open it!  He heard the snap of the

spring…lock like something bursting in his brain; and sat

astonied。



And then he woke again; terror jarring through his vitals。

This was no time to be idle; he must be up and doing; he must

think。  Once at the end of this ridiculous cruise; once at

the Lodge door; there would be nothing for it but to turn the

cab and trundle back again。  Why; then; go so far? why add

another feature of suspicion to a case already so suggestive?

why not turn at once?  It was easy to say; turn; but whither?

He had nowhere now to go to; he could never … he saw it in

letters of blood … he could never pay that cab; he was

saddled with that cab for ever。  Oh that cab! his soul

yearned and burned; and his bowels sounded to be rid of it。

He forgot all other cares。  He must first quit himself of

this ill…smelling vehicle and of the human beast that guided

it … first do that; do that; at least; do that at once。



And just then the cab suddenly stopped; and there was his

persecutor rapping on the front glass。  John let it down; and

beheld the port…wine countenance inflamed with intellectual

triumph。



'I ken wha ye are!' cried the husky voice。  'I mind ye now。

Ye're a Nucholson。  I drove ye to Hermiston to a Christmas

party; and ye came back on the box; and I let ye drive。'



It is a fact。  John knew the man; they had been even friends。

His enemy; he now remembered; was a fellow of great good

nature … endless good nature … with a boy; why not with a

man?  Why not appeal to his better side?  He grasped at the

new hope。



'Great Scott! and so you did;' he cried; as if in a transport

of delight; his voice sounding false in his own ears。  'Well;

if that's so; I've something to say to you。  I'll just get

out; I guess。  Where are we; any way?'



The driver had fluttered his ticket in the eyes of the

branch…toll keeper; and they were now brought to on the

highest and most solitary part of the by…road。  On the left;

a row of fieldside trees beshaded it; on the right; it was

bordered by naked fallows; undulating down…hill to the

Queensferry Road; in front; Corstorphine Hill raised its

snow…bedabbled; darkling woods against the sky。  John looked

all about him; drinking the clear air like wine; then his

eyes returned to the cabman's face as he sat; not

ungleefully; awaiting John's communication; with the air of

one looking to be tipped。



The features of that face were hard to read; drink had so

swollen them; drink had so painted them; in tints that varied

from brick…red to mulberry。  The small grey eyes blinked; the

lips moved; with greed; greed was the ruling passion; and

though there was some good nature; some genuine kindliness; a

true human touch; in the old toper; his greed was now so set

afire by hope; that all other traits of character lay

dormant。  He sat there a monument of gluttonous desire。



John's heart slowly fell。  He had opened his lips; but he

stood there and uttered nought。  He sounded the well of his

courage; and it was dry。  He groped in his treasury of words;

and it was vacant。  A devil of dumbness had him by the

throat; the devil of terror babbled in his ears; and

suddenly; without a word uttered; with no conscious purpose

formed in his will; John whipped about; tumbled over the

roadside wall; and began running for his life across the

fallows。



He had not gone far; he was not past the midst of the first

afield; when his whole brain thundered within him; 'Fool!

You have your watch!'  The shock stopped him; and he faced

once more toward the cab。  The driver was leaning over the

wall; brandishing his whip; his face empurpled; roaring like

a bull。  And John saw (or thought) that he had lost the

chance。  No watch would pacify the man's resentment now; he

would cry for vengeance also。  John would be had under the

eye of the police; his tale would be unfolded; his secret

plumbed; his destiny would close on him at last; and for

ever。



He uttered a deep sigh; and just as the cabman; taking heart

of grace; was beginning at last to scale the wall; his

defaulting customer fell again to running; and disappeared

into the further fields。









CHAPTER VIII … SINGULAR INSTANCE OF THE UTILITY OF PASS…KEYS







WHERE he ran at first; John never very clearly knew; nor yet

how long a time elapsed ere he found himself in the by…road

near the lodge of Ravelston; propped against the wall; his

lungs heaving like bellows; his legs leaden…heavy; his mind

possessed by one sole desire … to lie down and be unseen。  He

remembered the thick coverts round the quarry…hole pond; an

untrodden corner of the world where he might surely find

concealment till the night should fall。  Thither he passed

down the lane; and when he came there; behold! he had

forgotten the frost; and the pond was alive with young people

skating; and the pond…side coverts were thick with lookers…

on。  He looked on a while himself。  There was one tall;

graceful maiden; skating hand in hand with a youth; on whom

she bestowed her bright eyes perhaps too patently; and it was

strange with what anger John beheld her。  He could have

broken forth in curses; he could have stood there; like a

mortified tramp; and shaken his fist and vented his gall upon

her by the hour … or so he thought; and the next moment his

heart bled for the girl。  'Poor creature; it's little she

knows!' he sighed。  'Let her enjoy herself while she can!'

But was it possible; when Flora used to smile at him on the

Braid ponds; she could have looked so fulsome to a sick…

hearted bystander?



The thought of one quarry; in his frozen wits; suggested

another; and he plodded off toward Craigleith。  A wind had

sprung up out of the north…west; it was cruel keen; it dried

him like a fire; and racked his finger…joints。  It brought

clouds; too; pale; swift; hurrying clouds; that blotted

heaven and shed gloom upon the earth。  He scrambled up among

the hazelled rubbish heaps that surround the caldron 

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