tales and fantasies-第27节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



friendship　with　the　landlord。　　Dick　wondered　who　paid　for

these　excursions；　and　at　the　thought　that　the　reprobate　must

get　his　pocket　money　where　he　got　his　board　and　lodging；　from

poor　Esther's　generosity；　he　had　it　almost　in　his　heart　to

knock　the　old　gentleman　down。　　He；　on　his　part；　was　full　of

airs　and　graces　and　geniality。



'Dear　Dick；'　he　said；　taking　his　arm；　'this　is　neighbourly　of

you；　it　shows　your　tact　to　meet　me　when　I　had　a　wish　for　you。

I　am　in　pleasant　spirits；　and　it　is　then　that　I　desire　a

friend。'



'I　am　glad　to　hear　you　are　so　happy；'　retorted　Dick　bitterly。

'There's　certainly　not　much　to　trouble　YOU。'



'No；'　assented　the　Admiral；　'not　much。　　I　got　out　of　it　in

time；　and　here　…　well；　here　everything　pleases　me。　　I　am

plain　in　my　tastes。　　'A　PROPOS；　you　have　never　asked　me　how　I

liked　my　daughter？'



'No；'　said　Dick　roundly；　'I　certainly　have　not。'



'Meaning　you　will　not。　　And　why；　Dick？　　She　is　my　daughter；

of　course；　but　then　I　am　a　man　of　the　world　and　a　man　of

taste；　and　perfectly　qualified　to　give　an　opinion　with

impartiality　…　yes；　Dick；　with　impartiality。　　Frankly；　I　am

not　disappointed　in　her。　　She　has　good　looks；　she　has　them

from　her　mother。　　So　I　may　say　I　CHOSE　her　looks。　　She　is

devoted；　quite　devoted　to　me　…　'



'She　is　the　best　woman　in　the　world！'　broke　out　Dick。



'Dick；'　cried　the　Admiral；　stopping　short；　'I　have　been

expecting　this。　　Let　us　…　let　us　go　back　to　the　〃Trevanion

Arms〃　and　talk　this　matter　out　over　a　bottle。'



'Certainly　not；'　went　Dick。　　'You　have　had　far　too　much

already。'



The　parasite　was　on　the　point　of　resenting　this；　but　a　look

at　Dick's　face；　and　some　recollection　of　the　terms　on　which

they　had　stood　in　Paris；　came　to　the　aid　of　his　wisdom　and

restrained　him。



'As　you　please；'　he　said；　'although　I　don't　know　what　you

mean　…　nor　care。　　But　let　us　walk；　if　you　prefer　it。　　You　are

still　a　young　man；　when　you　are　my　age　…　　But；　however；　to

continue。　　You　please　me；　Dick；　you　have　pleased　me　from　the

first；　and　to　say　truth；　Esther　is　a　trifle　fantastic；　and

will　be　better　when　she　is　married。　　She　has　means　of　her

own；　as　of　course　you　are　aware。　　They　come；　like　the　looks；

from　her　poor；　dear；　good　creature　of　a　mother。　　She　was

blessed　in　her　mother。　　I　mean　she　shall　be　blessed　in　her

husband；　and　you　are　the　man；　Dick；　you　and　not　another。

This　very　night　I　will　sound　her　affections。'



Dick　stood　aghast。



'Mr。　Van　Tromp；　I　implore　you；'　he　said；　'do　what　you　please

with　yourself；　but；　for　God's　sake；　let　your　daughter　alone。'



'It　is　my　duty；'　replied　the　Admiral；　'and　between　ourselves；

you　rogue；　my　inclination　too。　　I　am　as　matchmaking　as　a

dowager。　　It　will　be　more　discreet　for　you　to　stay　away　to…

night。　　Farewell。　　You　leave　your　case　in　good　hands；　I　have

the　tact　of　these　little　matters　by　heart；　it　is　not　my　first

attempt。'



All　arguments　were　in　vain；　the　old　rascal　stuck　to　his

point；　nor　did　Richard　conceal　from　himself　how　seriously

this　might　injure　his　prospects；　and　he　fought　hard。　　Once

there　came　a　glimmer　of　hope。　　The　Admiral　again　proposed　an

adjournment　to　the　'Trevanion　Arms；'　and　when　Dick　had　once

more　refused；　it　hung　for　a　moment　in　the　balance　whether　or

not　the　old　toper　would　return　there　by　himself。　　Had　he　done

so；　of　course　Dick　could　have　taken　to　his　heels；　and　warned

Esther　of　what　was　coming；　and　of　how　it　had　begun。　　But　the

Admiral；　after　a　pause；　decided　for　the　brandy　at　home；　and

made　off　in　that　direction。



We　have　no　details　of　the　sounding。



Next　day　the　Admiral　was　observed　in　the　parish　church；　very

properly　dressed。　　He　found　the　places；　and　joined　in

response　and　hymn；　as　to　the　manner　born；　and　his　appearance；

as　he　intended　it　should；　attracted　some　attention　among　the

worshippers。　　Old　Naseby；　for　instance；　had　observed　him。



'There　was　a　drunken…looking　blackguard　opposite　us　in

church；'　he　said　to　his　son　as　they　drove　home；　'do　you　know

who　he　was？'



'Some　fellow　…　Van　Tromp；　I　believe；'　said　Dick。



'A　foreigner；　too！'　observed　the　Squire。



Dick　could　not　sufficiently　congratulate　himself　on　the

escape　he　had　effected。　　Had　the　Admiral　met　him　with　his

father；　what　would　have　been　the　result？　　And　could　such　a

catastrophe　be　long　postponed？　　It　seemed　to　him　as　if　the

storm　were　nearly　ripe；　and　it　was　so　more　nearly　than　he

thought。



He　did　not　go　to　the　cottage　in　the　afternoon；　withheld　by

fear　and　shame；　but　when　dinner　was　over　at　Naseby　House；　and

the　Squire　had　gone　off　into　a　comfortable　doze；　Dick　slipped

out　of　the　room；　and　ran　across　country；　in　part　to　save

time；　in　part　to　save　his　own　courage　from　growing　cold；　for

he　now　hated　the　notion　of　the　cottage　or　the　Admiral；　and　if

he　did　not　hate；　at　least　feared　to　think　of　Esther。　　He　had

no　clue　to　her　reflections；　but　he　could　not　conceal　from　his

own　heart　that　he　must　have　sunk　in　her　esteem；　and　the

spectacle　of　her　infatuation　galled　him　like　an　insult。



He　knocked　and　was　admitted。　　The　room　looked　very　much　as　on

his　last　visit；　with　Esther　at　the　table　and　Van　Tromp　beside

the　fire；　but　the　expression　of　the　two　faces　told　a　very

different　story。　　The　girl　was　paler　than　usual；　her　eyes

were　dark；　the　colour　seemed　to　have　faded　from　round　about

them；　and　her　swiftest　glance　was　as　intent　as　a　stare。　　The

appearance　of　the　Admiral；　on　the　other　hand；　was　rosy；　and

flabby；　and　moist；　his　jowl　hung　over　his　shirt　collar；　his

smile　was　loose　and　wandering；　and　he　had　so　far　relaxed　the

natural　control　of　his　eyes；　that　one　of　them　was　aimed

inward；　as　if　to　watch　the　growth　of　the　carbuncle。　　We　are

warned　against　bad　judgments；　but　the　Admiral　was　certainly

not　sober。　　He　made　no　attempt　to　rise　when　Richard　entered；

but　waved　his　pipe　flightily　in　the　air；　and　gave　a　leer　of

welcome。　　Esther　took　as　little　notice　of　him　as　might　be。



'Aha！　　Dick！'　cried　the　painter。　　'I've　been　to　church；　I

have；　upon　my　word。　　And　I　saw　you　there；　though　you　didn't

see　me。　　And　I　saw　a　devilish　pretty　woman；　by　Gad。　　If　it

were　not　for　this　baldness；　and　a　kind　of　crapulous　air　I

can't　disguise　from　myself　…　if　it　weren't　for　this　and　that

and　t'other　thing　…　I　…　I've　forgot　what　I　was　saying。　　Not

that　that　matters；　I've　heaps　of　things　to　say。　　I'm　in　a

communicative　vein　to…night。　　I'll　let　out　all　my　cats；　even

unto　seventy　times　seven。　　I'm　in　what　I　call　THE　stage；　and

all　I　desire　is　a　listener；　although　he　were　deaf；　to　be　as

happy　as　Nebuchadnezzar。'



Of　the　two　hours　which　followed　upon　this　it　is　unnecessary

to　give　more　than　a　sketch。　　The　Admiral　was　extremely　silly；

now　and　then　amusing；　and　never　really　offensive。　　It　was

plain　that　he　kept　in　view　the　presence　of　his　daughter；　and

chose　subjects　and　a　character　of　language　that　should　not

offend　a　lady。　　On　almost　any　other　occasion　Dick　would　have

enjoyed　the　scene。　　Van　Tromp's　egotism；　flown　with　drink；

struck　a　pitch　above　mere　vanity。　　He　became　candid　and

explanatory；　sought　to　take　his　auditors　entirely　into　his

confidence；　and　tell　them　his　inmost　conviction　about

himself。　　Between　his　self…knowledge；　which　was　considerable；

and　his　vanity；　which　was　immense；　he　had　created　a　strange

hybrid　animal；　and　called　it　by　his　own　name。　　How　he　would

plume　his　feathers　over　virtues　which　would　have　gladdened

the　heart　of　Caesar　or　St。　Paul；　and　anon；　complete　his　own

portrait　with　one　of　those　touches　of　pitiless　realism　which

the　satirist　so　often　seeks　in　vain。



'Now；　there's　Dick；'　he　said；　'he's　shrewd；　he　saw　through　me

the　first　time　we　met；　and　told　me　so　…　told　me　so　to　my

face；　which　I　had　the　virtue　to　keep。　　I　bear　you　no　malice

for　it；　Dick；　you　were　right；　I　am　a　humbug。'



You　may　fancy　how　Esther　quailed　at　this　new　feature　of　the

meeting　between　her　two　idols。



And　then；　again；　in　a　parenthesis：…



'That；'　said　Van　Tromp；　'was　when　I　had　to　paint　those　dirty

daubs　of　mine。'



And　a　little　further　on；　laughingly　said　perhaps；　but　yet

with　an　air　of　truth：…



'I　never　had　the　slightest　hesitation　in　sponging　upon　any

human　creature。'



Thereupon　Dick　got　up。



'I　think　perhaps；'　he　said；　'we　had　better　all　be　thinking　of

going　to　bed。'　　And　he　smiled　with　a　feeble　and　deprecatory

smile。



'Not　at　all；'　cried　the　Admiral；　'I　know　a　trick　worth　two　of

that。　　Puss　here；'　indicating　his　daughter；　'shall　go　to　bed；

and　you　and　I　will　keep　it　up　till　all's　blue。'



Thereupon　Esther　arose　in　sullen　glory。　　She　had　sat　and

listened　for　two　mortal　hours　while　her　idol　defiled　himself

and　sneered　away　his　godhead。　　One　by　one；　her　illusions　had

departed。　　And　now　he　wished　to　order　her　to　bed　in　her　own

house！　now　he　called　her　Puss！　now；　even　as　he　uttered　the

words；　toppling　on　his　chair；　he　broke　the　stem　of　his

tobacco…pipe　in　three！