tales and fantasies-第14节

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

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



'I　have　some；'　said　Flora。　　'I　have　a　pound　note　upstairs。'



'My　dear　Flora；'　returned　Alexander；　'a　pound　note　won't　see

us　very　far；　and　besides；　this　is　my　father's　business；　and　I

shall　be　very　much　surprised　if　it　isn't　my　father　who　pays

for　it。'



'I　would　not　apply　to　him　yet；　I　do　not　think　that　can　be

wise；'　objected　Flora。



'You　have　a　very　imperfect　idea　of　my　resources；　and　not　at

all　of　my　effrontery；'　replied　Alexander。　　'Please　observe。'



He　put　John　from　his　way；　chose　a　stout　knife　among　the

supper　things；　and　with　surprising　quickness　broke　into　his

father's　drawer。



'There's　nothing　easier　when　you　come　to　try；'　he　observed；

pocketing　the　money。



'I　wish　you　had　not　done　that；'　said　Flora。　　'You　will　never

hear　the　last　of　it。'



'Oh；　I　don't　know；'　returned　the　young　man；　'the　governor　is

human　after　all。　　And　now；　John；　let　me　see　your　famous　pass…

key。　　Get　into　bed；　and　don't　move　for　any　one　till　I　come

back。　　They　won't　mind　you　not　answering　when　they　knock；　I

generally　don't　myself。'







CHAPTER　IX　…　IN　WHICH　MR。　NICHOLSON　ACCEPTS　THE　PRINCIPLE　OF

AN　ALLOWANCE







IN　spite　of　the　horrors　of　the　day　and　the　tea…drinking　of

the　night；　John　slept　the　sleep　of　infancy。　　He　was　awakened

by　the　maid；　as　it　might　have　been　ten　years　ago；　tapping　at

the　door。　　The　winter　sunrise　was　painting　the　east；　and　as

the　window　was　to　the　back　of　the　house；　it　shone　into　the

room　with　many　strange　colours　of　refracted　light。　　Without；

the　houses　were　all　cleanly　roofed　with　snow；　the　garden

walls　were　coped　with　it　a　foot　in　height；　the　greens　lay

glittering。　　Yet　strange　as　snow　had　grown　to　John　during　his

years　upon　the　Bay　of　San　Francisco；　it　was　what　he　saw

within　that　most　affected　him。　　For　it　was　to　his　own　room

that　Alexander　had　been　promoted；　there　was　the　old　paper

with　the　device　of　flowers；　in　which　a　cunning　fancy　might

yet　detect　the　face　of　Skinny　Jim；　of　the　Academy；　John's

former　dominie；　there　was　the　old　chest　of　drawers；　there

were　the　chairs　…　one；　two；　three　…　three　as　before。　　Only

the　carpet　was　new；　and　the　litter　of　Alexander's　clothes　and

books　and　drawing　materials；　and　a　pencil…drawing　on　the

wall；　which　（in　John's　eyes）　appeared　a　marvel　of

proficiency。



He　was　thus　lying；　and　looking；　and　dreaming；　hanging；　as　it

were；　between　two　epochs　of　his　life；　when　Alexander　came　to

the　door；　and　made　his　presence　known　in　a　loud　whisper。

John　let　him　in；　and　jumped　back　into　the　warm　bed。



'Well；　John；'　said　Alexander；　'the　cablegram　is　sent　in　your

name；　and　twenty　words　of　answer　paid。　　I　have　been　to　the

cab　office　and　paid　your　cab；　even　saw　the　old　gentleman

himself；　and　properly　apologised。　　He　was　mighty　placable；

and　indicated　his　belief　you　had　been　drinking。　　Then　I

knocked　up　old　Macewen　out　of　bed；　and　explained　affairs　to

him　as　he　sat　and　shivered　in　a　dressing…gown。　　And　before

that　I　had　been　to　the　High　Street；　where　they　have　heard

nothing　of　your　dead　body；　so　that　I　incline　to　the　idea　that

you　dreamed　it。'



'Catch　me！'　said　John。



'Well；　the　police　never　do　know　anything；'　assented

Alexander；　'and　at　any　rate；　they　have　despatched　a　man　to

inquire　and　to　recover　your　trousers　and　your　money；　so　that

really　your　bill　is　now　fairly　clean；　and　I　see　but　one　lion

in　your　path　…　the　governor。'



'I'll　be　turned　out　again；　you'll　see；'　said　John；　dismally。



'I　don't　imagine　so；'　returned　the　other；　'not　if　you　do　what

Flora　and　I　have　arranged；　and　your　business　now　is　to　dress；

and　lose　no　time　about　it。　　Is　your　watch　right？　　Well；　you

have　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　By　five　minutes　before　the　half…

hour　you　must　be　at　table；　in　your　old　seat；　under　Uncle

Duthie's　picture。　　Flora　will　be　there　to　keep　you

countenance；　and　we　shall　see　what　we　shall　see。'



'Wouldn't　it　be　wiser　for　me　to　stay　in　bed？'　said　John。



'If　you　mean　to　manage　your　own　concerns；　you　can　do

precisely　what　you　like；'　replied　Alexander；　'but　if　you　are

not　in　your　place　five　minutes　before　the　half…hour　I　wash　my

hands　of　you；　for　one。'



And　thereupon　he　departed。　　He　had　spoken　warmly；　but　the

truth　is；　his　heart　was　somewhat　troubled。　　And　as　he　hung

over　the　balusters；　watching　for　his　father　to　appear；　he　had

hard　ado　to　keep　himself　braced　for　the　encounter　that　must

follow。



'If　he　takes　it　well；　I　shall　be　lucky；'　he　reflected。



'If　he　takes　it　ill；　why　it'll　be　a　herring　across　John's

tracks；　and　perhaps　all　for　the　best。　　He's　a　confounded

muff；　this　brother　of　mine；　but　he　seems　a　decent　soul。'



At　that　stage　a　door　opened　below　with　a　certain　emphasis；

and　Mr。　Nicholson　was　seen　solemnly　to　descend　the　stairs；

and　pass　into　his　own　apartment。　　Alexander　followed；　quaking

inwardly；　but　with　a　steady　face。　　He　knocked；　was　bidden　to

enter；　and　found　his　father　standing　in　front　of　the　forced

drawer；　to　which　he　pointed　as　he　spoke。



'This　is　a　most　extraordinary　thing；'　said　he；　'I　have　been

robbed！'



'I　was　afraid　you　would　notice　it；'　observed　his　son；　'it

made　such　a　beastly　hash　of　the　table。'



'You　were　afraid　I　would　notice　it？'　repeated　Mr。　Nicholson。

'And；　pray；　what　may　that　mean？'



'That　I　was　a　thief；　sir；'　returned　Alexander。　　'I　took　all

the　money　in　case　the　servants　should　get　hold　of　it；　and

here　is　the　change；　and　a　note　of　my　expenditure。　　You　were

gone　to　bed；　you　see；　and　I　did　not　feel　at　liberty　to　knock

you　up；　but　I　think　when　you　have　heard　the　circumstances；

you　will　do　me　justice。　　The　fact　is；　I　have　reason　to

believe　there　has　been　some　dreadful　error　about　my　brother

John；　the　sooner　it　can　be　cleared　up　the　better　for　all

parties；　it　was　a　piece　of　business；　sir　…　and　so　I　took　it；

and　decided；　on　my　own　responsibility；　to　send　a　telegram　to

San　Francisco。　　Thanks　to　my　quickness　we　may　hear　to…night。

There　appears　to　be　no　doubt；　sir；　that　John　has　been

abominably　used。'



'When　did　this　take　place？'　asked　the　father。



'Last　night；　sir；　after　you　were　asleep；'　was　the　reply。



'It's　most　extraordinary；'　said　Mr。　Nicholson。　　'Do　you　mean

to　say　you　have　been　out　all　night？'



'All　night；　as　you　say；　sir。　　I　have　been　to　the　telegraph

and　the　police　office；　and　Mr。　Macewen's。　　Oh；　I　had　my　hands

full；'　said　Alexander。



'Very　irregular；'　said　the　father。　　'You　think　of　no　one　but

yourself。'



'I　do　not　see　that　I　have　much　to　gain　in　bringing　back　my

elder　brother；'　returned　Alexander；　shrewdly。



The　answer　pleased　the　old　man；　he　smiled。　　'Well；　well；　I

will　go　into　this　after　breakfast；'　said　he。



'I'm　sorry　about　the　table；'　said　the　son。



'The　table　is　a　small　matter；　I　think　nothing　of　that；'　said

the　father。



'It's　another　example；'　continued　the　son；　'of　the

awkwardness　of　a　man　having　no　money　of　his　own。　　If　I　had　a

proper　allowance；　like　other　fellows　of　my　age；　this　would

have　been　quite　unnecessary。'



'A　proper　allowance！'　repeated　his　father；　in　tones　of

blighting　sarcasm；　for　the　expression　was　not　new　to　him。　　'I

have　never　grudged　you　money　for　any　proper　purpose。'



'No　doubt；　no　doubt；'　said　Alexander；　'but　then　you　see　you

aren't　always　on　the　spot　to　have　the　thing　explained　to　you。

Last　night；　for　instance　…　'



'You　could　have　wakened　me　last　night；'　interrupted　his

father。



'Was　it　not　some　similar　affair　that　first　got　John　into　a

mess？'　asked　the　son；　skilfully　evading　the　point。



But　the　father　was　not　less　adroit。　　'And　pray；　sir；　how　did

you　come　and　go　out　of　the　house？'　he　asked。



'I　forgot　to　lock　the　door；　it　seems；'　replied　Alexander。



'I　have　had　cause　to　complain　of　that　too　often；'　said　Mr。

Nicholson。　　'But　still　I　do　not　understand。　　Did　you　keep　the

servants　up？'



'I　propose　to　go　into　all　that　at　length　after　breakfast；'

returned　Alexander。　　'There　is　the　half…hour　going；　we　must

not　keep　Miss　Mackenzie　waiting。'



And　greatly　daring；　he　opened　the　door。



Even　Alexander；　who；　it　must　have　been　perceived　was　on　terms

of　comparative　freedom　with　his　parent　…　even　Alexander　had

never　before　dared　to　cut　short　an　interview　in　this　high…

handed　fashion。　　But　the　truth　is；　the　very　mass　of　his　son's

delinquencies　daunted　the　old　gentleman。　　He　was　like　the　man

with　the　cart　of　apples　…　this　was　beyond　him！　　That

Alexander　should　have　spoiled　his　table；　taken　his　money；

stayed　out　all　night；　and　then　coolly　acknowledged　all；　was

something　undreamed　of　in　the　Nicholsonian　philosophy；　and

transcended　comment。　　The　return　of　the　change；　which　the　old

gentleman　still　carried　in　his　hand；　had　been　a　feature　of

imposing　impudence；　it　had　dealt　him　a　staggering　blow。　　Then

there　was　the　reference　to　John's　original　flight　…　a　subjec