tales and fantasies-第15节

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

which　he　always　kept　resolutely　curtained　in　his　own　mind；

for　he　was　a　man　who　loved　to　have　made　no　mistakes；　and　when

he　feared　he　might　have　made　one　kept　the　papers　sealed。　　In

view　of　all　these　surprises　and　reminders；　and　of　his　son's

composed　and　masterful　demeanour；　there　began　to　creep　on　Mr。

Nicholson　a　sickly　misgiving。　　He　seemed　beyond　his　depth；　if

he　did　or　said　anything；　he　might　come　to　regret　it。　　The

young　man；　besides；　as　he　had　pointed　out　himself；　was

playing　a　generous　part。　　And　if　wrong　had　been　done　…　and

done　to　one　who　was；　after；　and　in　spite　of；　all；　a　Nicholson

…　it　should　certainly　be　righted。



All　things　considered；　monstrous　as　it　was　to　be　cut　short　in

his　inquiries；　the　old　gentleman　submitted；　pocketed　the

change；　and　followed　his　son　into　the　dining…room。　　During

these　few　steps　he　once　more　mentally　revolted；　and　once

more；　and　this　time　finally；　laid　down　his　arms：　a　still；

small　voice　in　his　bosom　having　informed　him　authentically　of

a　piece　of　news；　that　he　was　afraid　of　Alexander。　　The

strange　thing　was　that　he　was　pleased　to　be　afraid　of　him。

He　was　proud　of　his　son；　he　might　be　proud　of　him；　the　boy

had　character　and　grit；　and　knew　what　he　was　doing。



These　were　his　reflections　as　he　turned　the　corner　of　the

dining…room　door。　　Miss　Mackenzie　was　in　the　place　of　honour；

conjuring　with　a　tea…pot　and　a　cosy；　and；　behold！　there　was

another　person　present；　a　large；　portly；　whiskered　man　of　a

very　comfortable　and　respectable　air；　who　now　rose　from　his

seat　and　came　forward；　holding　out　his　hand。



'Good…morning；　father；'　said　he。



Of　the　contention　of　feeling　that　ran　high　in　Mr。　Nicholson's

starched　bosom；　no　outward　sign　was　visible；　nor　did　he　delay

long　to　make　a　choice　of　conduct。　　Yet　in　that　interval　he

had　reviewed　a　great　field　of　possibilities　both　past　and

future；　whether　it　was　possible　he　had　not　been　perfectly

wise　in　his　treatment　of　John；　whether　it　was　possible　that

John　was　innocent；　whether；　if　he　turned　John　out　a　second

time；　as　his　outraged　authority　suggested；　it　was　possible　to

avoid　a　scandal；　and　whether；　if　he　went　to　that　extremity；

it　was　possible　that　Alexander　might　rebel。



'Hum！'　said　Mr。　Nicholson；　and　put　his　hand；　limp　and　dead；

into　John's。



And　then；　in　an　embarrassed　silence；　all　took　their　places；

and　even　the　paper　…　from　which　it　was　the　old　gentleman's

habit　to　suck　mortification　daily；　as　he　marked　the　decline

of　our　institutions　…　even　the　paper　lay　furled　by　his　side。



But　presently　Flora　came　to　the　rescue。　　She　slid　into　the

silence　with　a　technicality；　asking　if　John　still　took　his

old　inordinate　amount　of　sugar。　　Thence　it　was　but　a　step　to

the　burning　question　of　the　day；　and　in　tones　a　little

shaken；　she　commented　on　the　interval　since　she　had　last　made

tea　for　the　prodigal；　and　congratulated　him　on　his　return。

And　then　addressing　Mr。　Nicholson；　she　congratulated　him　also

in　a　manner　that　defied　his　ill…humour；　and　from　that

launched　into　the　tale　of　John's　misadventures；　not　without

some　suitable　suppressions。



Gradually　Alexander　joined；　between　them；　whether　he　would　or

no；　they　forced　a　word　or　two　from　John；　and　these　fell　so

tremulously；　and　spoke　so　eloquently　of　a　mind　oppressed　with

dread；　that　Mr。　Nicholson　relented。　　At　length　even　he

contributed　a　question：　and　before　the　meal　was　at　an　end　all

four　were　talking　even　freely。



Prayers　followed；　with　the　servants　gaping　at　this　new…comer

whom　no　one　had　admitted；　and　after　prayers　there　came　that

moment　on　the　clock　which　was　the　signal　for　Mr。　Nicholson's

departure。



'John；'　said　he；　'of　course　you　will　stay　here。　　Be　very

careful　not　to　excite　Maria；　if　Miss　Mackenzie　thinks　it

desirable　that　you　should　see　her。　　Alexander；　I　wish　to

speak　with　you　alone。'　　And　then；　when　they　were　both　in　the

back　room：　'You　need　not　come　to　the　office　to…day；'　said　he；

'you　can　stay　and　amuse　your　brother；　and　I　think　it　would　be

respectful　to　call　on　Uncle　Greig。　　And　by　the　bye'　（this

spoken　with　a　certain…　dare　we　say？　…　bashfulness）；　'I　agree

to　concede　the　principle　of　an　allowance；　and　I　will　consult

with　Doctor　Durie；　who　is　quite　a　man　of　the　world　and　has

sons　of　his　own；　as　to　the　amount。　　And；　my　fine　fellow；　you

may　consider　yourself　in　luck！'　he　added；　with　a　smile。



'Thank　you；'　said　Alexander。



Before　noon　a　detective　had　restored　to　John　his　money；　and

brought　news；　sad　enough　in　truth；　but　perhaps　the　least　sad

possible。　　Alan　had　been　found　in　his　own　house　in　Regent

Terrace；　under　care　of　the　terrified　butler。　　He　was　quite

mad；　and　instead　of　going　to　prison；　had　gone　to　Morningside

Asylum。　　The　murdered　man；　it　appeared；　was　an　evicted　tenant

who　had　for　nearly　a　year　pursued　his　late　landlord　with

threats　and　insults；　and　beyond　this；　the　cause　and　details

of　the　tragedy　were　lost。



When　Mr。　Nicholson　returned　from　dinner　they　were　able　to　put

a　despatch　into　his　hands：　'John　V。　Nicholson；　Randolph

Crescent；　Edinburgh。　…　Kirkham　has　disappeared；　police

looking　for　him。　　All　understood。　　Keep　mind　quite　easy。　…

Austin。'　Having　had　this　explained　to　him；　the　old　gentleman

took　down　the　cellar　key　and　departed　for　two　bottles　of　the

1820　port。　　Uncle　Greig　dined　there　that　day；　and　Cousin

Robina；　and；　by　an　odd　chance；　Mr。　Macewen；　and　the　presence

of　these　strangers　relieved　what　might　have　been　otherwise　a

somewhat　strained　relation。　　Ere　they　departed；　the　family

was　welded　once　more　into　a　fair　semblance　of　unity。



In　the　end　of　April　John　led　Flora　…　or；　as　more　descriptive；

Flora　led　John　…　to　the　altar；　if　altar　that　may　be　called

which　was　indeed　the　drawing…room　mantel…piece　in　Mr。

Nicholson's　house；　with　the　Reverend　Dr。　Durie　posted　on　the

hearthrug　in　the　guise　of　Hymen's　priest。



The　last　I　saw　of　them；　on　a　recent　visit　to　the　north；　was

at　a　dinner…party　in　the　house　of　my　old　friend　Gellatly

Macbride；　and　after　we　had；　in　classic　phrase；　'rejoined　the

ladies；'　I　had　an　opportunity　to　overhear　Flora　conversing

with　another　married　woman　on　the　much　canvassed　matter　of　a

husband's　tobacco。



'Oh　yes！'　said　she；　'I　only　allow　Mr。　Nicholson　four　cigars　a

day。　　Three　he　smokes　at　fixed　times　…　after　a　meal；　you

know；　my　dear；　and　the　fourth　he　can　take　when　he　likes　with

any　friend。'



'Bravo！'　thought　I　to　myself；　'this　is　the　wife　for　my　friend

John！'







THE　BODY…SNATCHER









EVERY　night　in　the　year；　four　of　us　sat　in　the　small　parlour

of　the　George　at　Debenham　…　the　undertaker；　and　the　landlord；

and　Fettes；　and　myself。　　Sometimes　there　would　be　more；　but

blow　high；　blow　low；　come　rain　or　snow　or　frost；　we　four

would　be　each　planted　in　his　own　particular　arm…chair。

Fettes　was　an　old　drunken　Scotchman；　a　man　of　education

obviously；　and　a　man　of　some　property；　since　he　lived　in

idleness。　　He　had　come　to　Debenham　years　ago；　while　still

young；　and　by　a　mere　continuance　of　living　had　grown　to　be　an

adopted　townsman。　　His　blue　camlet　cloak　was　a　local

antiquity；　like　the　church…spire。　　His　place　in　the　parlour

at　the　George；　his　absence　from　church；　his　old；　crapulous；

disreputable　vices；　were　all　things　of　course　in　Debenham。

He　had　some　vague　Radical　opinions　and　some　fleeting

infidelities；　which　he　would　now　and　again　set　forth　and

emphasise　with　tottering　slaps　upon　the　table。　　He　drank　rum

…　five　glasses　regularly　every　evening；　and　for　the　greater

portion　of　his　nightly　visit　to　the　George　sat；　with　his

glass　in　his　right　hand；　in　a　state　of　melancholy　alcoholic

saturation。　　We　called　him　the　Doctor；　for　he　was　supposed　to

have　some　special　knowledge　of　medicine；　and　had　been　known；

upon　a　pinch；　to　set　a　fracture　or　reduce　a　dislocation；　but

beyond　these　slight　particulars；　we　had　no　knowledge　of　his

character　and　antecedents。



One　dark　winter　night　…　it　had　struck　nine　some　time　before

the　landlord　joined　us　…　there　was　a　sick　man　in　the　George；

a　great　neighbouring　proprietor　suddenly　struck　down　with

apoplexy　on　his　way　to　Parliament；　and　the　great　man's　still

greater　London　doctor　had　been　telegraphed　to　his　bedside。

It　was　the　first　time　that　such　a　thing　had　happened　in

Debenham；　for　the　railway　was　but　newly　open；　and　we　were　all

proportionately　moved　by　the　occurrence。



'He's　come；'　said　the　landlord；　after　he　had　filled　and

lighted　his　pipe。



'He？'　said　I。　　'Who？　…　not　the　doctor？'



'Himself；'　replied　our　host。



'What　is　his　name？'



'Doctor　Macfarlane；'　said　the　landlord。



Fettes　was　far　through　his　third　tumbler；　stupidly　fuddled；

now　nodding　over；　now　staring　mazily　around　him；　but　at　the

last　word　he　seemed　to　awaken；　and　repeated　the　name

'Macfarlane'　twice；　quietly　enough　the　first　time；　but　with

sudden　emotion　at　the　second。



'Yes；'