tales and fantasies-第18节

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'The　next　best　thing　for　me　is　not　to　recognise　it；　and；'　he

added　coolly；　'I　don't。　　You　may；　if　you　please。　　I　don't

dictate；　but　I　think　a　man　of　the　world　would　do　as　I　do；　and

I　may　add；　I　fancy　that　is　what　K…　would　look　for　at　our

hands。　　The　question　is；　Why　did　he　choose　us　two　for　his

assistants？　　And　I　answer；　because　he　didn't　want　old　wives。'



This　was　the　tone　of　all　others　to　affect　the　mind　of　a　lad

like　Fettes。　　He　agreed　to　imitate　Macfarlane。　　The　body　of

the　unfortunate　girl　was　duly　dissected；　and　no　one　remarked

or　appeared　to　recognise　her。



One　afternoon；　when　his　day's　work　was　over；　Fettes　dropped

into　a　popular　tavern　and　found　Macfarlane　sitting　with　a

stranger。　　This　was　a　small　man；　very　pale　and　dark；　with

coal…black　eyes。　　The　cut　of　his　features　gave　a　promise　of

intellect　and　refinement　which　was　but　feebly　realised　in　his

manners；　for　he　proved；　upon　a　nearer　acquaintance；　coarse；

vulgar；　and　stupid。　　He　exercised；　however；　a　very　remarkable

control　over　Macfarlane；　issued　orders　like　the　Great　Bashaw；

became　inflamed　at　the　least　discussion　or　delay；　and

commented　rudely　on　the　servility　with　which　he　was　obeyed。

This　most　offensive　person　took　a　fancy　to　Fettes　on　the

spot；　plied　him　with　drinks；　and　honoured　him　with　unusual

confidences　on　his　past　career。　　If　a　tenth　part　of　what　he

confessed　were　true；　he　was　a　very　loathsome　rogue；　and　the

lad's　vanity　was　tickled　by　the　attention　of　so　experienced　a

man。



'I'm　a　pretty　bad　fellow　myself；'　the　stranger　remarked；　'but

Macfarlane　is　the　boy　…　Toddy　Macfarlane　I　call　him。　　Toddy；

order　your　friend　another　glass。'　　Or　it　might　be；　'Toddy；

you　jump　up　and　shut　the　door。'　　'Toddy　hates　me；'　he　said

again。　　'Oh　yes；　Toddy；　you　do！'



'Don't　you　call　me　that　confounded　name；'　growled　Macfarlane。



'Hear　him！　　Did　you　ever　see　the　lads　play　knife？　　He　would

like　to　do　that　all　over　my　body；'　remarked　the　stranger。



'We　medicals　have　a　better　way　than　that；'　said　Fettes。

'When　we　dislike　a　dead　friend　of　ours；　we　dissect　him。'



Macfarlane　looked　up　sharply；　as　though　this　jest　were

scarcely　to　his　mind。



The　afternoon　passed。　　Gray；　for　that　was　the　stranger's

name；　invited　Fettes　to　join　them　at　dinner；　ordered　a　feast

so　sumptuous　that　the　tavern　was　thrown　into　commotion；　and

when　all　was　done　commanded　Macfarlane　to　settle　the　bill。

It　was　late　before　they　separated；　the　man　Gray　was　incapably

drunk。　　Macfarlane；　sobered　by　his　fury；　chewed　the　cud　of

the　money　he　had　been　forced　to　squander　and　the　slights　he

had　been　obliged　to　swallow。　　Fettes；　with　various　liquors

singing　in　his　head；　returned　home　with　devious　footsteps　and

a　mind　entirely　in　abeyance。　　Next　day　Macfarlane　was　absent

from　the　class；　and　Fettes　smiled　to　himself　as　he　imagined

him　still　squiring　the　intolerable　Gray　from　tavern　to

tavern。　　As　soon　as　the　hour　of　liberty　had　struck　he　posted

from　place　to　place　in　quest　of　his　last　night's　companions。

He　could　find　them；　however；　nowhere；　so　returned　early　to

his　rooms；　went　early　to　bed；　and　slept　the　sleep　of　the

just。



At　four　in　the　morning　he　was　awakened　by　the　well…known

signal。　　Descending　to　the　door；　he　was　filled　with

astonishment　to　find　Macfarlane　with　his　gig；　and　in　the　gig

one　of　those　long　and　ghastly　packages　with　which　he　was　so

well　acquainted。



'What？'　he　cried。　　'Have　you　been　out　alone？　　How　did　you

manage？'



But　Macfarlane　silenced　him　roughly；　bidding　him　turn　to

business。　　When　they　had　got　the　body　upstairs　and　laid　it　on

the　table；　Macfarlane　made　at　first　as　if　he　were　going　away。

Then　he　paused　and　seemed　to　hesitate；　and　then；　'You　had

better　look　at　the　face；'　said　he；　in　tones　of　some

constraint。　　'You　had　better；'　he　repeated；　as　Fettes　only

stared　at　him　in　wonder。



'But　where；　and　how；　and　when　did　you　come　by　it？'　cried　the

other。



'Look　at　the　face；'　was　the　only　answer。



Fettes　was　staggered；　strange　doubts　assailed　him。　　He　looked

from　the　young　doctor　to　the　body；　and　then　back　again。　　At

last；　with　a　start；　he　did　as　he　was　bidden。　　He　had　almost

expected　the　sight　that　met　his　eyes；　and　yet　the　shock　was

cruel。　　To　see；　fixed　in　the　rigidity　of　death　and　naked　on

that　coarse　layer　of　sackcloth；　the　man　whom　he　had　left　well

clad　and　full　of　meat　and　sin　upon　the　threshold　of　a　tavern；

awoke；　even　in　the　thoughtless　Fettes；　some　of　the　terrors　of

the　conscience。　　It　was　a　CRAS　TIBI　which　re…echoed　in　his

soul；　that　two　whom　he　had　known　should　have　come　to　lie　upon

these　icy　tables。　　Yet　these　were　only　secondary　thoughts。

His　first　concern　regarded　Wolfe。　　Unprepared　for　a　challenge

so　momentous；　he　knew　not　how　to　look　his　comrade　in　the

face。　　He　durst　not　meet　his　eye；　and　he　had　neither　words

nor　voice　at　his　command。



It　was　Macfarlane　himself　who　made　the　first　advance。　　He

came　up　quietly　behind　and　laid　his　hand　gently　but　firmly　on

the　other's　shoulder。



'Richardson；'　said　he；　'may　have　the　head。'



Now　Richardson　was　a　student　who　had　long　been　anxious　for

that　portion　of　the　human　subject　to　dissect。　　There　was　no

answer；　and　the　murderer　resumed：　'Talking　of　business；　you

must　pay　me；　your　accounts；　you　see；　must　tally。'



Fettes　found　a　voice；　the　ghost　of　his　own：　'Pay　you！'　he

cried。　　'Pay　you　for　that？'



'Why；　yes；　of　course　you　must。　　By　all　means　and　on　every

possible　account；　you　must；'　returned　the　other。　　'I　dare　not

give　it　for　nothing；　you　dare　not　take　it　for　nothing；　it

would　compromise　us　both。　　This　is　another　case　like　Jane

Galbraith's。　　The　more　things　are　wrong　the　more　we　must　act

as　if　all　were　right。　　Where　does　old　K…　keep　his　money？'



'There；'　answered　Fettes　hoarsely；　pointing　to　a　cupboard　in

the　corner。



'Give　me　the　key；　then；'　said　the　other；　calmly；　holding　out

his　hand。



There　was　an　instant's　hesitation；　and　the　die　was　cast。

Macfarlane　could　not　suppress　a　nervous　twitch；　the

infinitesimal　mark　of　an　immense　relief；　as　he　felt　the　key

between　his　fingers。　　He　opened　the　cupboard；　brought　out　pen

and　ink　and　a　paper…book　that　stood　in　one　compartment；　and

separated　from　the　funds　in　a　drawer　a　sum　suitable　to　the

occasion。



'Now；　look　here；'　he　said；　'there　is　the　payment　made　…　first

proof　of　your　good　faith：　first　step　to　your　security。　　You

have　now　to　clinch　it　by　a　second。　　Enter　the　payment　in　your

book；　and　then　you　for　your　part　may　defy　the　devil。'



The　next　few　seconds　were　for　Fettes　an　agony　of　thought；　but

in　balancing　his　terrors　it　was　the　most　immediate　that

triumphed。　　Any　future　difficulty　seemed　almost　welcome　if　he

could　avoid　a　present　quarrel　with　Macfarlane。　　He　set　down

the　candle　which　he　had　been　carrying　all　this　time；　and　with

a　steady　hand　entered　the　date；　the　nature；　and　the　amount　of

the　transaction。



'And　now；'　said　Macfarlane；　'it's　only　fair　that　you　should

pocket　the　lucre。　　I've　had　my　share　already。　　By　the　bye；

when　a　man　of　the　world　falls　into　a　bit　of　luck；　has　a　few

shillings　extra　in　his　pocket　…　I'm　ashamed　to　speak　of　it；

but　there's　a　rule　of　conduct　in　the　case。　　No　treating；　no

purchase　of　expensive　class…books；　no　squaring　of　old　debts；

borrow；　don't　lend。'



'Macfarlane；'　began　Fettes；　still　somewhat　hoarsely；　'I　have

put　my　neck　in　a　halter　to　oblige　you。'



'To　oblige　me？'　cried　Wolfe。　　'Oh；　come！　　You　did；　as　near　as

I　can　see　the　matter；　what　you　downright　had　to　do　in　self…

defence。　　Suppose　I　got　into　trouble；　where　would　you　be？

This　second　little　matter　flows　clearly　from　the　first。　　Mr。

Gray　is　the　continuation　of　Miss　Galbraith。　　You　can't　begin

and　then　stop。　　If　you　begin；　you　must　keep　on　beginning；

that's　the　truth。　　No　rest　for　the　wicked。'



A　horrible　sense　of　blackness　and　the　treachery　of　fate

seized　hold　upon　the　soul　of　the　unhappy　student。



'My　God！'　he　cried；　'but　what　have　I　done？　and　when　did　I

begin？　　To　be　made　a　class　assistant　…　in　the　name　of　reason；

where's　the　harm　in　that？　　Service　wanted　the　position；

Service　might　have　got　it。　　Would　HE　have　been　where　I　am

now？'



'My　dear　fellow；'　said　Macfarlane；　'what　a　boy　you　are！　　What

harm　HAS　come　to　you？　　What　harm　CAN　come　to　you　if　you　hold

your　tongue？　　Why；　man；　do　you　know　what　this　life　is？　　There

are　two　squads　of　us　…　the　lions　and　the　lambs。　　If　you're　a

lamb；　you'll　come　to　lie　upon　these　tables　like　Gray　or　Jane

Galbraith；　if　you're　a　lion；　you'll　live　and　drive　a　horse

like　me；　like　K…；　like　all　the　world　with　any　wit　or　courage。

You're　staggered　at　the　first。　　But　look　at　K…！　　My　dear

fellow；　you're　clever；　you　have　pluck。　　I　like　you；　and　K…

likes　you。　　You　were　born　to　lead　the　hunt；　and　I　tell　you；

on　my　honour　and　my　experience　of　life；　three　days　from　now

you'll　laugh　at　all　these　scarecrows　like　a　High　School　boy

at　a　farce。'



And　with　that　Macf