tales and fantasies-第5节

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dizzy　see…saw　…　heaven…high；　hell…deep　…　on　which　men　sit

clutching；　or　perhaps　fearing　that　the　sources　of　his　fortune

might　be　insidiously　traced　to　some　root　in　the　field　of

petty　cash；　he　stuck　to　his　work；　said　not　a　word　of　his　new

circumstances；　and　kept　his　account　with　a　bank　in　a

different　quarter　of　the　town。　　The　concealment；　innocent　as

it　seems；　was　the　first　step　in　the　second　tragicomedy　of

John's　existence。



Meanwhile；　he　had　never　written　home。　　Whether　from

diffidence　or　shame；　or　a　touch　of　anger；　or　mere

procrastination；　or　because　（as　we　have　seen）　he　had　no　skill

in　literary　arts；　or　because　（as　I　am　sometimes　tempted　to

suppose）　there　is　a　law　in　human　nature　that　prevents　young

men　…　not　otherwise　beasts　…　from　the　performance　of　this

simple　act　of　piety　…　months　and　years　had　gone　by；　and　John

had　never　written。　　The　habit　of　not　writing；　indeed；　was

already　fixed　before　he　had　begun　to　come　into　his　fortune；

and　it　was　only　the　difficulty　of　breaking　this　long　silence

that　withheld　him　from　an　instant　restitution　of　the　money　he

had　stolen　or　（as　he　preferred　to　call　it）　borrowed。　　In　vain

he　sat　before　paper；　attending　on　inspiration；　that　heavenly

nymph；　beyond　suggesting　the　words　'my　dear　father；'　remained

obstinately　silent；　and　presently　John　would　crumple　up　the

sheet　and　decide；　as　soon　as　he　had　'a　good　chance；'　to　carry

the　money　home　in　person。　　And　this　delay；　which　is

indefensible；　was　his　second　step　into　the　snares　of　fortune。



Ten　years　had　passed；　and　John　was　drawing　near　to　thirty。

He　had　kept　the　promise　of　his　boyhood；　and　was　now　of　a

lusty　frame；　verging　toward　corpulence；　good　features；　good

eyes；　a　genial　manner；　a　ready　laugh；　a　long　pair　of　sandy

whiskers；　a　dash　of　an　American　accent；　a　close　familiarity

with　the　great　American　joke；　and　a　certain　likeness　to　a　R…

y…l　P…rs…n…ge；　who　shall　remain　nameless　for　me；　made　up　the

man's　externals　as　he　could　be　viewed　in　society。　　Inwardly；

in　spite　of　his　gross　body　and　highly　masculine　whiskers；　he

was　more　like　a　maiden　lady　than　a　man　of　twenty…nine。



It　chanced　one　day；　as　he　was　strolling　down　Market　Street　on

the　eve　of　his　fortnight's　holiday；　that　his　eye　was　caught

by　certain　railway　bills；　and　in　very　idleness　of　mind　he

calculated　that　he　might　be　home　for　Christmas　if　he　started

on　the　morrow。　　The　fancy　thrilled　him　with　desire；　and　in

one　moment　he　decided　he　would　go。



There　was　much　to　be　done：　his　portmanteau　to　be　packed；　a

credit　to　be　got　from　the　bank　where　he　was　a　wealthy

customer；　and　certain　offices　to　be　transacted　for　that　other

bank　in　which　he　was　an　humble　clerk；　and　it　chanced；　in

conformity　with　human　nature；　that　out　of　all　this　business

it　was　the　last　that　came　to　be　neglected。　　Night　found　him；

not　only　equipped　with　money　of　his　own；　but　once　more　（as　on

that　former　occasion）　saddled　with　a　considerable　sum　of

other　people's。



Now　it　chanced　there　lived　in　the　same　boarding…house　a

fellow…clerk　of　his；　an　honest　fellow；　with　what　is　called　a

weakness　for　drink　…　though　it　might；　in　this　case；　have　been

called　a　strength；　for　the　victim　had　been　drunk　for　weeks

together　without　the　briefest　intermission。　　To　this

unfortunate　John　intrusted　a　letter　with　an　inclosure　of

bonds；　addressed　to　the　bank　manager。　　Even　as　he　did　so　he

thought　he　perceived　a　certain　haziness　of　eye　and　speech　in

his　trustee；　but　he　was　too　hopeful　to　be　stayed；　silenced

the　voice　of　warning　in　his　bosom；　and　with　one　and　the　same

gesture　committed　the　money　to　the　clerk；　and　himself　into

the　hands　of　destiny。



I　dwell；　even　at　the　risk　of　tedium；　on　John's　minutest

errors；　his　case　being　so　perplexing　to　the　moralist；　but　we

have　done　with　them　now；　the　roll　is　closed；　the　reader　has

the　worst　of　our　poor　hero；　and　I　leave　him　to　judge　for

himself　whether　he　or　John　has　been　the　less　deserving。

Henceforth　we　have　to　follow　the　spectacle　of　a　man　who　was　a

mere　whip…top　for　calamity；　on　whose　unmerited　misadventures

not　even　the　humourist　can　look　without　pity；　and　not　even

the　philosopher　without　alarm。



That　same　night　the　clerk　entered　upon　a　bout　of　drunkenness

so　consistent　as　to　surprise　even　his　intimate　acquaintance。

He　was　speedily　ejected　from　the　boarding…house；　deposited

his　portmanteau　with　a　perfect　stranger；　who　did　not　even

catch　his　name；　wandered　he　knew　not　where；　and　was　at　last

hove…to；　all　standing；　in　a　hospital　at　Sacramento。　　There；

under　the　impenetrable　ALIAS　of　the　number　of　his　bed；　the

crapulous　being　lay　for　some　more　days　unconscious　of　all

things；　and　of　one　thing　in　particular：　that　the　police　were

after　him。　　Two　months　had　come　and　gone　before　the

convalescent　in　the　Sacramento　hospital　was　identified　with

Kirkman；　the　absconding　San　Francisco　clerk；　even　then；　there

must　elapse　nearly　a　fortnight　more　till　the　perfect　stranger

could　be　hunted　up；　the　portmanteau　recovered；　and　John's

letter　carried　at　length　to　its　destination；　the　seal　still

unbroken；　the　inclosure　still　intact。



Meanwhile；　John　had　gone　upon　his　holidays　without　a　word；

which　was　irregular；　and　there　had　disappeared　with　him　a

certain　sum　of　money；　which　was　out　of　all　bounds　of

palliation。　　But　he　was　known　to　be　careless；　and　believed　to

be　honest；　the　manager　besides　had　a　regard　for　him；　and

little　was　said；　although　something　was　no　doubt　thought；

until　the　fortnight　was　finally　at　an　end；　and　the　time　had

come　for　John　to　reappear。　　Then；　indeed；　the　affair　began　to

look　black；　and　when　inquiries　were　made；　and　the　penniless

clerk　was　found　to　have　amassed　thousands　of　dollars；　and

kept　them　secretly　in　a　rival　establishment；　the　stoutest　of

his　friends　abandoned　him；　the　books　were　overhauled　for

traces　of　ancient　and　artful　fraud；　and　though　none　were

found；　there　still　prevailed　a　general　impression　of　loss。

The　telegraph　was　set　in　motion；　and　the　correspondent　of　the

bank　in　Edinburgh；　for　which　place　it　was　understood　that

John　had　armed　himself　with　extensive　credits；　was　warned　to

communicate　with　the　police。



Now　this　correspondent　was　a　friend　of　Mr。　Nicholson's；　he

was　well　acquainted　with　the　tale　of　John's　calamitous

disappearance　from　Edinburgh；　and　putting　one　thing　with

another；　hasted　with　the　first　word　of　this　scandal；　not　to

the　police；　but　to　his　friend。　　The　old　gentleman　had　long

regarded　his　son　as　one　dead；　John's　place　had　been　taken；

the　memory　of　his　faults　had　already　fallen　to　be　one　of

those　old　aches；　which　awaken　again　indeed　upon　occasion；　but

which　we　can　always　vanquish　by　an　effort　of　the　will；　and　to

have　the　long　lost　resuscitated　in　a　fresh　disgrace　was

doubly　bitter。



'Macewen；'　said　the　old　man；　'this　must　be　hushed　up；　if

possible。　　If　I　give　you　a　cheek　for　this　sum；　about　which

they　are　certain；　could　you　take　it　on　yourself　to　let　the

matter　rest？'



'I　will；'　said　Macewen。　　'I　will　take　the　risk　of　it。'



'You　understand；'　resumed　Mr。　Nicholson；　speaking　precisely；

but　with　ashen　lips；　'I　do　this　for　my　family；　not　for　that

unhappy　young　man。　　If　it　should　turn　out　that　these

suspicions　are　correct；　and　he　has　embezzled　large　sums；　he

must　lie　on　his　bed　as　he　has　made　it。'　　And　then　looking　up

at　Macewen　with　a　nod；　and　one　of　his　strange　smiles：　'Good…

bye；'　said　he；　and　Macewen；　perceiving　the　case　to　be　too

grave　for　consolation；　took　himself　off；　and　blessed　God　on

his　way　home　that　he　was　childless。







CHAPTER　V　…　THE　PRODIGAL'S　RETURN







BY　a　little　after　noon　on　the　eve　of　Christmas；　John　had　left

his　portmanteau　in　the　cloak…room；　and　stepped　forth　into

Princes　Street　with　a　wonderful　expansion　of　the　soul；　such

as　men　enjoy　on　the　completion　of　long…nourished　schemes。　　He

was　at　home　again；　incognito　and　rich；　presently　he　could

enter　his　father's　house　by　means　of　the　pass…key；　which　he

had　piously　preserved　through　all　his　wanderings；　he　would

throw　down　the　borrowed　money；　there　would　be　a

reconciliation；　the　details　of　which　he　frequently　arranged；

and　he　saw　himself；　during　the　next　month；　made　welcome　in

many　stately　houses　at　many　frigid　dinner…parties；　taking　his

share　in　the　conversation　with　the　freedom　of　the　man　and　the

traveller；　and　laying　down　the　law　upon　finance　with　the

authority　of　the　successful　investor。　　But　this　programme　was

not　to　be　begun　before　evening　…　not　till　just　before　dinner；

indeed；　at　which　meal　the　reassembled　family　were　to　sit

roseate；　and　the　best　wine；　the　modern　fatted　calf；　should

flow　for　the　prodigal's　return。



Meanwhile　he　walked　familiar　streets；　merry　reminiscences

crowding　round　him；　sad　ones　also；　both　with　the　same

surprising　pathos。　　The　keen　frosty　air；　the　low；　rosy；

wintry　sun；　the　castle；　hailing　him　like　an　old　acquaintance；

the　names　of　friends　on　door…plates；　the　sight　of　friends

whom　he　seemed