tales and fantasies-第3节

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race；　had　received　the　news　at　dinner…time；　and　was　now；　in

default　of　any　possible　means　of　extrication；　drowning　the

memory　of　his　predicament。　　He　to　help　John！　　The　thing　was

impossible；　he　couldn't　help　himself。



'If　you　have　a　beast　of　a　father；'　said　he；　'I　can　tell　you　I

have　a　brute　of　a　trustee。'



'I'm　not　going　to　hear　my　father　called　a　beast；'　said　John

with　a　beating　heart；　feeling　that　he　risked　the　last　sound

rivet　of　the　chain　that　bound　him　to　life。



But　Alan　was　quite　good…natured。



'All　right；　old　fellow；'　said　he。　　'Mos'　respec'able　man　your

father。'　　And　he　introduced　his　friend　to　his　companions　as

'old　Nicholson　the　what…d'ye…call…um's　son。'



John　sat　in　dumb　agony。　　Colette's　foul　walls　and　maculate

table…linen；　and　even　down　to　Colette's　villainous　casters；

seemed　like　objects　in　a　nightmare。　　And　just　then　there　came

a　knock　and　a　scurrying；　the　police；　so　lamentably　absent

from　the　Calton　Hill；　appeared　upon　the　scene；　and　the　party；

taken　FLAGRANTE　DELICTO；　with　their　glasses　at　their　elbow；

were　seized；　marched　up　to　the　police　office；　and　all　duly

summoned　to　appear　as　witnesses　in　the　consequent　case

against　that　arch…shebeener；　Colette。



It　was　a　sorrowful　and　a　mightily　sobered　company　that　came

forth　again。　　The　vague　terror　of　public　opinion　weighed

generally　on　them　all；　but　there　were　private　and　particular

horrors　on　the　minds　of　individuals。　　Alan　stood　in　dread　of

his　trustee；　already　sorely　tried。　　One　of　the　group　was　the

son　of　a　country　minister；　another　of　a　judge；　John；　the

unhappiest　of　all；　had　David　Nicholson　to　father；　the　idea　of

facing　whom　on　such　a　scandalous　subject　was　physically

sickening。　　They　stood　awhile　consulting　under　the　buttresses

of　Saint　Giles；　thence　they　adjourned　to　the　lodgings　of　one

of　the　number　in　North　Castle　Street；　where　（for　that　matter）

they　might　have　had　quite　as　good　a　supper；　and　far　better

drink；　than　in　the　dangerous　paradise　from　which　they　had

been　routed。　　There；　over　an　almost　tearful　glass；　they

debated　their　position。　　Each　explained　he　had　the　world　to

lose　if　the　affair　went　on；　and　he　appeared　as　a　witness。　　It

was　remarkable　what　bright　prospects　were　just　then　in　the

very　act　of　opening　before　each　of　that　little　company　of

youths；　and　what　pious　consideration　for　the　feelings　of

their　families　began　now　to　well　from　them。　　Each；　moreover；

was　in　an　odd　state　of　destitution。　　Not　one　could　bear　his

share　of　the　fine；　not　one　but　evinced　a　wonderful　twinkle　of

hope　that　each　of　the　others　（in　succession）　was　the　very　man

who　could　step　in　to　make　good　the　deficit。　　One　took　a　high

hand；　he　could　not　pay　his　share；　if　it　went　to　a　trial；　he

should　bolt；　he　had　always　felt　the　English　Bar　to　be　his

true　sphere。　　Another　branched　out　into　touching　details

about　his　family；　and　was　not　listened　to。　　John；　in　the

midst　of　this　disorderly　competition　of　poverty　and　meanness；

sat　stunned；　contemplating　the　mountain　bulk　of　his

misfortunes。



At　last；　upon　a　pledge　that　each　should　apply　to　his　family

with　a　common　frankness；　this　convention　of　unhappy　young

asses　broke　up；　went　down　the　common　stair；　and　in　the　grey

of　the　spring　morning；　with　the　streets　lying　dead　empty　all

about　them；　the　lamps　burning　on　into　the　daylight　in

diminished　lustre；　and　the　birds　beginning　to　sound

premonitory　notes　from　the　groves　of　the　town　gardens；　went

each　his　own　way　with　bowed　head　and　echoing　footfall。



The　rooks　were　awake　in　Randolph　Crescent；　but　the　windows

looked　down；　discreetly　blinded；　on　the　return　of　the

prodigal。　　John's　pass…key　was　a　recent　privilege；　this　was

the　first　time　it　had　been　used；　and；　oh！　with　what　a

sickening　sense　of　his　unworthiness　he　now　inserted　it　into

the　well…oiled　lock　and　entered　that　citadel　of　the

proprieties！　　All　slept；　the　gas　in　the　hall　had　been　left

faintly　burning　to　light　his　return；　a　dreadful　stillness

reigned；　broken　by　the　deep　ticking　of　the　eight…day　clock。

He　put　the　gas　out；　and　sat　on　a　chair　in　the　hall；　waiting

and　counting　the　minutes；　longing　for　any　human　countenance。

But　when　at　last　he　heard　the　alarm　spring　its　rattle　in　the

lower　story；　and　the　servants　begin　to　be　about；　he　instantly

lost　heart；　and　fled　to　his　own　room；　where　he　threw　himself

upon　the　bed。







CHAPTER　III　…　IN　WHICH　JOHN　ENJOYS　THE　HARVEST　HOME







SHORTLY　after　breakfast；　at　which　he　assisted　with　a　highly

tragical　countenance；　John　sought　his　father　where　he　sat；

presumably　in　religious　meditation；　on　the　Sabbath　mornings。

The　old　gentleman　looked　up　with　that　sour；　inquisitive

expression　that　came　so　near　to　smiling　and　was　so　different

in　effect。



'This　is　a　time　when　I　do　not　like　to　be　disturbed；'　he　said。



'I　know　that；'　returned　John；　'but　I　have　…　I　want　…　I've

made　a　dreadful　mess　of　it；'　he　broke　out；　and　turned　to　the

window。



Mr。　Nicholson　sat　silent　for　an　appreciable　time；　while　his

unhappy　son　surveyed　the　poles　in　the　back　green；　and　a

certain　yellow　cat　that　was　perched　upon　the　wall。　　Despair

sat　upon　John　as　he　gazed；　and　he　raged　to　think　of　the

dreadful　series　of　his　misdeeds；　and　the　essential　innocence

that　lay　behind　them。



'Well；'　said　the　father；　with　an　obvious　effort；　but　in　very

quiet　tones；　'what　is　it？'



'Maclean　gave　me　four　hundred　pounds　to　put　in　the　bank；

sir；'　began　John；　'and　I'm　sorry　to　say　that　I've　been　robbed

of　it！'



'Robbed　of　it？'　cried　Mr。　Nicholson；　with　a　strong　rising

inflection。　　'Robbed？　　Be　careful　what　you　say；　John！'



'I　can't　say　anything　else；　sir；　I　was　just　robbed　of　it；'

said　John；　in　desperation；　sullenly。



'And　where　and　when　did　this　extraordinary　event　take　place？'

inquired　the　father。



'On　the　Calton　Hill　about　twelve　last　night。'



'The　Calton　Hill？'　repeated　Mr。　Nicholson。　　'And　what　were

you　doing　there　at　such　a　time　of　the　night？'



'Nothing；　sir；'　says　John。



Mr。　Nicholson　drew　in　his　breath。



'And　how　came　the　money　in　your　hands　at　twelve　last　night？'

he　asked；　sharply。



'I　neglected　that　piece　of　business；'　said　John；　anticipating

comment；　and　then　in　his　own　dialect：　'I　clean　forgot　all

about　it。'



'Well；'　said　his　father；　'it's　a　most　extraordinary　story。

Have　you　communicated　with　the　police？'



'I　have；'　answered　poor　John；　the　blood　leaping　to　his　face。

'They　think　they　know　the　men　that　did　it。　　I　dare　say　the

money　will　be　recovered；　if　that　was　all；'　said　he；　with　a

desperate　indifference；　which　his　father　set　down　to　levity；

but　which　sprung　from　the　consciousness　of　worse　behind。



'Your　mother's　watch；　too？'　asked　Mr。　Nicholson。



'Oh；　the　watch　is　all　right！'　cried　John。　　'At　least；　I　mean

I　was　coming　to　the　watch　…　the　fact　is；　I　am　ashamed　to　say；

I　…　I　had　pawned　the　watch　before。　　Here　is　the　ticket；　they

didn't　find　that；　the　watch　can　be　redeemed；　they　don't　sell

pledges。'　　The　lad　panted　out　these　phrases；　one　after

another；　like　minute　guns；　but　at　the　last　word；　which　rang

in　that　stately　chamber　like　an　oath；　his　heart　failed　him

utterly；　and　the　dreaded　silence　settled　on　father　and　son。



It　was　broken　by　Mr。　Nicholson　picking　up　the　pawn…ticket：

'John　Froggs；　85　Pleasance；'　he　read；　and　then　turning　upon

John；　with　a　brief　flash　of　passion　and　disgust；　'Who　is　John

Froggs？'　he　cried。



'Nobody；'　said　John。　　'It　was　just　a　name。'



'An　ALIAS；'　his　father　commented。



'Oh！　　I　think　scarcely　quite　that；'　said　the　culprit；　'it's　a


form；　they　all　do　it；　the　man　seemed　to　understand；　we　had　a

great　deal　of　fun　over　the　name　…　'



He　paused　at　that；　for　he　saw　his　father　wince　at　the　picture

like　a　man　physically　struck；　and　again　there　was　silence。



'I　do　not　think；'　said　Mr。　Nicholson；　at　last；　'that　I　am　an

ungenerous　father。　　I　have　never　grudged　you　money　within

reason；　for　any　avowable　purpose；　you　had　just　to　come　to　me

and　speak。　　And　now　I　find　that　you　have　forgotten　all

decency　and　all　natural　feeling；　and　actually　pawned　…　pawned

…　your　mother's　watch。　　You　must　have　had　some　temptation；　I

will　do　you　the　justice　to　suppose　it　was　a　strong　one。　　What

did　you　want　with　this　money？'



'I　would　rather　not　tell　you；　sir；'　said　John。　　'It　will　only

make　you　angry。'



'I　will　not　be　fenced　with；'　cried　his　father。　　'There　must

be　an　end　of　disingenuous　answers。　　What　did　you　want　with

this　money？'



'To　lend　it　to　Houston；　sir；'　says　John。



'I　thought　I　had　forbidden　you　to　speak　to　that　young　man？'

asked　the　father。



'Yes；　sir；'　said　John；　'but　I　only　met　him。'



'Where？'　came　the　deadly　question。



And　'In　a　billiard…room'　was　the　damning　answer。　　Thus；　had

John's　single　departure　from　the　truth　brought　instant

punishment。　　For　no　other　purpose　but　to　see　Alan　would　he

have　entered　a　billiard…room；　but　he　had　desired　to　palliate