tales and fantasies-第13节

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misfortunes　were　then　half　forgotten；　his　mind　considering；

not　without　regret；　this　unsentimental　return　to　his　old

love。



He　was　thus　engaged；　when　that　bustling　woman　noiselessly　re…

entered。



'Have　you　eaten？'　said　she。　　'Then　tell　me　all　about　it。'



It　was　a　long　and　（as　the　reader　knows）　a　pitiful　story；　but

Flora　heard　it　with　compressed　lips。　　She　was　lost　in　none　of

those　questionings　of　human　destiny　that　have；　from　time　to

time；　arrested　the　flight　of　my　own　pen；　for　women；　such　as

she；　are　no　philosophers；　and　behold　the　concrete　only。　　And

women；　such　as　she；　are　very　hard　on　the　imperfect　man。



'Very　well；'　said　she；　when　he　had　done；　'then　down　upon　your

knees　at　once；　and　beg　God's　forgiveness。'



And　the　great　baby　plumped　upon　his　knees；　and　did　as　he　was

bid；　and　none　the　worse　for　that！　　But　while　he　was　heartily

enough　requesting　forgiveness　on　general　principles；　the

rational　side　of　him　distinguished；　and　wondered　if；　perhaps；

the　apology　were　not　due　upon　the　other　part。　　And　when　he

rose　again　from　that　becoming　exercise；　he　first　eyed　the

face　of　his　old　love　doubtfully；　and　then；　taking　heart；

uttered　his　protest。



'I　must　say；　Flora；'　said　he；　'in　all　this　business；　I　can

see　very　little　fault　of　mine。'



'If　you　had　written　home；'　replied　the　lady；　'there　would

have　been　none　of　it。　　If　you　had　even　gone　to　Murrayfield

reasonably　sober；　you　would　never　have　slept　there；　and　the

worst　would　not　have　happened。　　Besides；　the　whole　thing

began　years　ago。　　You　got　into　trouble；　and　when　your　father；

honest　man；　was　disappointed；　you　took　the　pet；　or　got

afraid；　and　ran　away　from　punishment。　　Well；　you've　had　your

own　way　of　it；　John；　and　I　don't　suppose　you　like　it。'



'I　sometimes　fancy　I'm　not　much　better　than　a　fool；'　sighed

John。



'My　dear　John；'　said　she；　'not　much！'



He　looked　at　her；　and　his　eye　fell。　　A　certain　anger　rose

within　him；　here　was　a　Flora　he　disowned；　she　was　hard；　she

was　of　a　set　colour；　a　settled；　mature；　undecorative　manner；

plain　of　speech；　plain　of　habit　…　he　had　come　near　saying；

plain　of　face。　　And　this　changeling　called　herself　by　the

same　name　as　the　many…coloured；　clinging　maid　of　yore；　she　of

the　frequent　laughter；　and　the　many　sighs；　and　the　kind；

stolen　glances。　　And　to　make　all　worse；　she　took　the　upper

hand　with　him；　which　（as　John　well　knew）　was　not　the　true

relation　of　the　sexes。　　He　steeled　his　heart　against　this

sick…nurse。



'And　how　do　you　come　to　be　here？'　he　asked。



She　told　him　how　she　had　nursed　her　father　in　his　long

illness；　and　when　he　died；　and　she　was　left　alone；　had　taken

to　nurse　others；　partly　from　habit；　partly　to　be　of　some

service　in　the　world；　partly；　it　might　be；　for　amusement。

'There's　no　accounting　for　taste；'　said　she。　　And　she　told

him　how　she　went　largely　to　the　houses　of　old　friends；　as　the

need　arose；　and　how　she　was　thus　doubly　welcome　as　an　old

friend　first；　and　then　as　an　experienced　nurse；　to　whom

doctors　would　confide　the　gravest　cases。



'And；　indeed；　it's　a　mere　farce　my　being　here　for　poor

Maria；'　she　continued；　'but　your　father　takes　her　ailments　to

heart；　and　I　cannot　always　be　refusing　him。　　We　are　great

friends；　your　father　and　I；　he　was　very　kind　to　me　long　ago　…

ten　years　ago。



A　strange　stir　came　in　John's　heart。　　All　this　while　had　he

been　thinking　only　of　himself？　　All　this　while；　why　had　he

not　written　to　Flora？　　In　penitential　tenderness；　he　took　her

hand；　and；　to　his　awe　and　trouble；　it　remained　in　his；

compliant。　　A　voice　told　him　this　was　Flora；　after　all　…　told

him　so　quietly；　yet　with　a　thrill　of　singing。



'And　you　never　married？'　said　he。



'No；　John；　I　never　married；'　she　replied。



The　hall　clock　striking　two　recalled　them　to　the　sense　of

time。



'And　now；'　said　she；　'you　have　been　fed　and　warmed；　and　I

have　heard　your　story；　and　now　it's　high　time　to　call　your

brother。'



'Oh！'　cried　John；　chap…fallen；　'do　you　think　that　absolutely

necessary？'



'I　can't　keep　you　here；　I　am　a　stranger；'　said　she。　　'Do　you

want　to　run　away　again？　　I　thought　you　had　enough　of　that。'



He　bowed　his　head　under　the　reproof。　　She　despised　him；　he

reflected；　as　he　sat　once　more　alone；　a　monstrous　thing　for　a

woman　to　despise　a　man；　and　strangest　of　all；　she　seemed　to

like　him。　　Would　his　brother　despise　him；　too？　　And　would　his

brother　like　him？



And　presently　the　brother　appeared；　under　Flora's　escort；

and；　standing　afar　off　beside　the　doorway；　eyed　the　hero　of

this　tale。



'So　this　is　you？'　he　said；　at　length。



'Yes；　Alick；　it's　me　…　it's　John；'　replied　the　elder　brother；

feebly。



'And　how　did　you　get　in　here？'　inquired　the　younger。



'Oh；　I　had　my　pass…key；'　says　John。



'The　deuce　you　had！'　said　Alexander。　　'Ah；　you　lived　in　a

better　world！　　There　are　no　pass…keys　going　now。'



'Well；　father　was　always　averse　to　them；'　sighed　John。　　And

the　conversation　then　broke　down；　and　the　brothers　looked

askance　at　one　another　in　silence。



'Well；　and　what　the　devil　are　we　to　do？'　said　Alexander。　　'I

suppose　if　the　authorities　got　wind　of　you；　you　would　be

taken　up？'



'It　depends　on　whether　they've　found　the　body　or　not；'

returned　John。　　'And　then　there's　that　cabman；　to　be　sure！'



'Oh；　bother　the　body！'　said　Alexander。　　'I　mean　about　the

other　thing。　　That's　serious。'



'Is　that　what　my　father　spoke　about？'　asked　John。　　'I　don't

even　know　what　it　is。'



'About　your　robbing　your　bank　in　California；　of　course；'

replied　Alexander。



It　was　plain；　from　Flora's　face；　that　this　was　the　first　she

had　heard　of　it；　it　was　plainer　still；　from　John's；　that　he

was　innocent。



'I！'　he　exclaimed。　　'I　rob　my　bank！　　My　God！　　Flora；　this　is

too　much；　even　you　must　allow　that。'



'Meaning　you　didn't？'　asked　Alexander。



'I　never　robbed　a　soul　in　all　my　days；'　cried　John：　'except

my　father；　if　you　call　that　robbery；　and　I　brought　him　back

the　money　in　this　room；　and　he　wouldn't　even　take　it！'



'Look　here；　John；'　said　his　brother；　'let　us　have　no

misunderstanding　upon　this。　　Macewen　saw　my　father；　he　told

him　a　bank　you　had　worked　for　in　San　Francisco　was　wiring

over　the　habitable　globe　to　have　you　collared　…　that　it　was

supposed　you　had　nailed　thousands；　and　it　was　dead　certain

you　had　nailed　three　hundred。　　So　Macewen　said；　and　I　wish

you　would　be　careful　how　you　answer。　　I　may　tell　you　also；

that　your　father　paid　the　three　hundred　on　the　spot。'



'Three　hundred？'　repeated　John。　　'Three　hundred　pounds；　you

mean？　　That's　fifteen　hundred　dollars。　　Why；　then；　it's

Kirkman！'　he　broke　out。　　'Thank　Heaven！　　I　can　explain　all

that。　　I　gave　them　to　Kirkman　to　pay　for　me　the　night　before

I　left　…　fifteen　hundred　dollars；　and　a　letter　to　the

manager。　　What　do　they　suppose　I　would　steal　fifteen　hundred

dollars　for？　　I'm　rich；　I　struck　it　rich　in　stocks。　　It's　the

silliest　stuff　I　ever　heard　of。　　All　that's　needful　is　to

cable　to　the　manager：　Kirkman　has　the　fifteen　hundred　…　find

Kirkman。　　He　was　a　fellow…clerk　of　mine；　and　a　hard　case；　but

to　do　him　justice；　I　didn't　think　he　was　as　hard　as　this。'



'And　what　do　you　say　to　that；　Alick？'　asked　Flora。



'I　say　the　cablegram　shall　go　to…night！'　cried　Alexander；

with　energy。　　'Answer　prepaid；　too。　　If　this　can　be　cleared

away　…　and　upon　my　word　I　do　believe　it　can　…　we　shall　all　be

able　to　hold　up　our　heads　again。　　Here；　you　John；　you　stick

down　the　address　of　your　bank　manager。　　You；　Flora；　you　can

pack　John　into　my　bed；　for　which　I　have　no　further　use　to…

night。　　As　for　me；　I　am　off　to　the　post…office；　and　thence　to

the　High　Street　about　the　dead　body。　　The　police　ought　to

know；　you　see；　and　they　ought　to　know　through　John；　and　I　can

tell　them　some　rigmarole　about　my　brother　being　a　man　of

highly　nervous　organisation；　and　the　rest　of　it。　　And　then；

I'll　tell　you　what；　John　…　did　you　notice　the　name　upon　the

cab？'



John　gave　the　name　of　the　driver；　which；　as　I　have　not　been

able　to　command　the　vehicle；　I　here　suppress。



'Well；'　resumed　Alexander；　'I'll　call　round　at　their　place

before　I　come　back；　and　pay　your　shot　for　you。　　In　that　way；

before　breakfast…time；　you'll　be　as　good　as　new。'



John　murmured　inarticulate　thanks。　　To　see　his　brother　thus

energetic　in　his　service　moved　him　beyond　expression；　if　he

could　not　utter　what　he　felt；　he　showed　it　legibly　in　his

face；　and　Alexander　read　it　there；　and　liked　it　the　better　in

that　dumb　delivery。



'But　there's　one　thing；'　said　the　latter；　'cablegrams　are

dear；　and　I　dare　say　you　remember　enough　of　the　governor　to

guess　the　state　of　my　finances。'



'The　trouble　is；'　said　John；　'that　all　my　stamps　are　in　that

beastly　house。'



'All　your　what？'　asked　Alexander。



'Stamps　…　money；'　explained　John。　　'It's　an　American

expression；　I'm　afraid　I　contracted　one　or　two。'



'I　have　some；'