for the term of his natural life-第48节

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　thing〃　that　fell　vacant　should　be　given　to　the　gallant　preserver　of　Major　Vickers's　child。

Major　Vickers　also　prospered。　　He　had　always　been　a　careful　man；　and　having　saved　some　money；　had　purchased　land　on　favourable　terms。　The　〃assignment　system〃　enabled　him　to　cultivate　portions　of　it　at　a　small　expense；　and；　following　the　usual　custom；　he　stocked　his　run　with　cattle　and　sheep。　　He　had　sold　his　commission；　and　was　now　a　comparatively　wealthy　man。　　He　owned　a　fine　estate；　the　house　he　lived　in　was　purchased　property。　　He　was　in　good　odour　at　Government　House；　and　his　office　of　Superintendent　of　Convicts　caused　him　to　take　an　active　part　in　that　local　government　which　keeps　a　man　constantly　before　the　public。　Major　Vickers；　a　colonist　against　his　will；　had　become；　by　force　of　circumstances；　one　of　the　leading　men　in　Van　Diemen's　Land。　His　daughter　was　a　good　match　for　any　man；　and　many　ensigns　and　lieutenants；　cursing　their　hard　lot　in　〃country　quarters〃；　many　sons　of　settlers　living　on　their　father's　station　among　the　mountains；　and　many　dapper　clerks　on　the　civil　establishment　envied　Maurice　Frere　his　good　fortune。　Some　went　so　far　as　to　say　that　the　beautiful　daughter　of　〃Regulation　Vickers〃　was　too　good　for　the　coarse　red…faced　Frere；　who　was　noted　for　his　fondness　for　low　society；　and　overbearing；　almost　brutal　demeanour。　No　one　denied；　however；　that　Captain　Frere　was　a　valuable　officer。　It　was　said　that；　in　consequence　of　his　tastes；　he　knew　more　about　the　tricks　of　convicts　than　any　man　on　the　island。　　It　was　said；　even；　that　he　was　wont　to　disguise　himself；　and　mix　with　the　pass…holders　and　convict　servants；　in　order　to　learn　their　signs　and　mysteries。　When　in　charge　at　Bridgewater　it　had　been　his　delight　to　rate　the　chain…gangs　in　their　own　hideous　jargon；　and　to　astound　a　new…comer　by　his　knowledge　of　his　previous　history。　　The　convict　population　hated　and　cringed　to　him；　for；　with　his　brutality；　and　violence；　he　mingled　a　ferocious　good　humour；　that　resulted　sometimes　in　tacit　permission　to　go　without　the　letter　of　the　law。　　Yet；　as　the　convicts　themselves　said；　〃a　man　was　never　safe　with　the　Captain〃；　for；　after　drinking　and　joking　with　them；　as　the　Sir　Oracle　of　some　public…house　whose　hostess　he　delighted　to　honour；　he　would　disappear　through　a　side　door　just　as　the　constables　burst　in　at　the　back；　and　show　himself　as　remorseless；　in　his　next　morning's　sentence　of　the　captured；　as　if　he　had　never　entered　a　tap…room　in　all　his　life。　His　superiors　called　this　〃zeal〃；　his　inferiors　〃treachery〃。　　For　himself；　he　laughed。　　〃Everything　is　fair　to　those　wretches；〃　he　was　accustomed　to　say。

As　the　time　for　his　marriage　approached；　however；　he　had　in　a　measure　given　up　these　exploits；　and　strove；　by　his　demeanour；　to　make　his　acquaintances　forget　several　remarkable　scandals　concerning　his　private　life；　for　the　promulgation　of　which　he　once　cared　little。　When　Commandant　at　the　Maria　Island；　and　for　the　first　two　years　after　his　return　from　the　unlucky　expedition　to　Macquarie　Harbour；　he　had　not　suffered　any　fear　of　society's　opinion　to　restrain　his　vices；　but；　as　the　affection　for　the　pure　young　girl；　who　looked　upon　him　as　her　saviour　from　a　dreadful　death；　increased　in　honest　strength；　he　had　resolved　to　shut　up　those　dark　pages　in　his　colonial　experience；　and　to　read　therein　no　more。　　He　was　not　remorseful；　he　was　not　even　disgusted。　He　merely　came　to　the　conclusion　that；　when　a　man　married；　he　was　to　consider　certain　extravagances　common　to　all　bachelors　as　at　an　end。　He　had　〃had　his　fling；　like　all　young　men〃；　perhaps　he　had　been　foolish　like　most　young　men；　but　no　reproachful　ghost　of　past　misdeeds　haunted　him。　His　nature　was　too　prosaic　to　admit　the　existence　of　such　phantoms。　Sylvia；　in　her　purity　and　excellence；　was　so　far　above　him；　that　in　raising　his　eyes　to　her；　he　lost　sight　of　all　the　sordid　creatures　to　whose　level　he　had　once　debased　himself；　and　had　come　in　part　to　regard　the　sins　he　had　committed；　before　his　redemption　by　the　love　of　this　bright　young　creature；　as　evil　done　by　him　under　a　past　condition　of　existence；　and　for　the　consequences　of　which　he　was　not　responsible。　One　of　the　consequences；　however；　was　very　close　to　him　at　this　moment。　His　convict　servant　had；　according　to　his　instructions；　sat　up　for　him；　and　as　he　entered；　the　man　handed　him　a　letter；　bearing　a　superscription　in　a　female　hand。

〃Who　brought　this？〃　asked　Frere；　hastily　tearing　it　open　to　read。　〃The　groom；　sir。　　He　said　that　there　was　a　gentleman　at　the　'George　the　Fourth'　who　wished　to　see　you。〃

Frere　smiled；　in　admiration　of　the　intelligence　which　had　dictated　such　a　message；　and　then　frowned　in　anger　at　the　contents　of　the　letter。　〃You　needn't　wait；〃　he　said　to　the　man。　　〃I　shall　have　to　go　back　again；　I　suppose。〃

Changing　his　forage　cap　for　a　soft　hat；　and　selecting　a　stick　from　a　miscellaneous　collection　in　a　corner；　he　prepared　to　retrace　his　steps。　〃What　does　she　want　now？〃　he　asked　himself　fiercely；　as　he　strode　down　the　moonlit　road；　but　beneath　the　fierceness　there　was　an　under…current　of　petulance；　which　implied　that；　whatever　〃she〃　did　want；　she　had　a　right　to　expect。

The　〃George　the　Fourth〃　was　a　long　low　house；　situated　in　Elizabeth　Street。　Its　front　was　painted　a　dull　red；　and　the　narrow　panes　of　glass　in　its　windows；　and　the　ostentatious　affectation　of　red　curtains　and　homely　comfort；　gave　to　it　a　spurious　appearance　of　old　English　jollity。　　A　knot　of　men　round　the　door　melted　into　air　as　Captain　Frere　approached；　for　it　was　now　past　eleven　o'clock；　and　all　persons　found　in　the　streets　after　eight　could　be　compelled　to　〃show　their　pass〃　or　explain　their　business。　The　convict　constables　were　not　scrupulous　in　the　exercise　of　their　duty；　and　the　bluff　figure　of　Frere；　clad　in　the　blue　serge　which　he　affected　as　a　summer　costume；　looked　not　unlike　that　of　a　convict　constable。

Pushing　open　the　side　door　with　the　confident　manner　of　one　well　acquainted　with　the　house；　Frere　entered；　and　made　his　way　along　a　narrow　passage　to　a　glass　door　at　the　further　end。　　A　tap　upon　this　door　brought　a　white…faced；　pock…pitted　Irish　girl；　who　curtsied　with　servile　recognition　of　the　visitor；　and　ushered　him　upstairs。　The　room　into　which　he　was　shown　was　a　large　one。　　It　had　three　windows　looking　into　the　street；　and　was　handsomely　furnished。　　The　carpet　was　soft；　the　candles　were　bright；　and　the　supper　tray　gleamed　invitingly　from　a　table　between　the　windows。　　As　Frere　entered；　a　little　terrier　ran　barking　to　his　feet。　　It　was　evident　that　he　was　not　a　constant　visitor。　The　rustle　of　a　silk　dress　behind　the　terrier　betrayed　the　presence　of　a　woman；　and　Frere；　rounding　the　promontory　of　an　ottoman；　found　himself　face　to　face　with　Sarah　Purfoy。

〃Thank　you　for　coming；〃　she　said。　　〃Pray；　sit　down。〃

This　was　the　only　greeting　that　passed　between　them；　and　Frere　sat　down；　in　obedience　to　a　motion　of　a　plump　hand　that　twinkled　with　rings。

The　eleven　years　that　had　passed　since　we　last　saw　this　woman　had　dealt　gently　with　her。　　Her　foot　was　as　small　and　her　hand　as　white　as　of　yore。　　Her　hair；　bound　close　about　her　head；　was　plentiful　and　glossy；　and　her　eyes　had　lost　none　of　their　dangerous　brightness。　Her　figure　was　coarser；　and　the　white　arm　that　gleamed　through　a　muslin　sleeve　showed　an　outline　that　a　fastidious　artist　might　wish　to　modify。　The　most　noticeable　change　was　in　her　face。　　The　cheeks　owned　no　longer　that　delicate　purity　which　they　once　boasted；　but　had　become　thicker；　while　here　and　there　showed　those　faint　red　streaksas　though　the　rich　blood　throbbed　too　painfully　in　the　veinswhich　are　the　first　signs　of　the　decay　of　〃fine〃　women。　　With　middle　age　and　the　fullness　of　figure　to　which　most　women　of　her　temperament　are　prone；　had　come　also　that　indescribable　vulgarity　of　speech　and　manner　which　habitual　absence　of　moral　restraint　never　fails　to　produce。

Maurice　Frere　spoke　first；　he　was　anxious　to　bring　his　visit　to　as　speedy　a　termination　as　possible。　　〃What　do　you　want　of　me？〃　he　asked。

Sarah　Purfoy　laughed；　a　forced　laugh；　that　sounded　so　unnatural；　that　Frere　turned　to　look　at　her。　　〃I　want　you　to　do　me　a　favour　a　very　great　favour；　that　is　if　it　will　not　put　you　out　of　the　way。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Frere　roughly；　pursing　his　lips　with　a　sullen　air。　〃Favour！　　What　do　you　call　this？〃　striking　the　sofa　on　which　he　sat。　〃Isn't　this　a　favour？　　What　do　you　call　your　precious　house　and　all　that's　in　it？　　Isn't　that　a　favour？　　What　do　you　mean？〃

To　his　utter　astonishment　the　woman　replied　by　shedding　tears。　For　some　time　he　regarded　her　in　silence；　as　if　unwilling　to　be　softened　by　such　shallow　device；　but　eventually　felt　constrained　to　say　something。　〃Have　you　been　drinking　again？〃　he　asked；　〃or　what's　the　matter　with　you？　Tell　me　what　it　is　you　want；　and　have　done　with　it。　　I　don't　know　what　possessed　me　to　come　here　at　all。〃

Sarah　sat　upright；　and　dashed　away　her　tears　with　one　passionate　hand。

〃I　am　ill；　can't　you　see；　you　fool！〃　said　she。　　〃The　news　has　unnerved　me。　If　I　have　been　drinking；　what　then？　It's　nothing　to　you；　is　it？〃

〃Oh；　no；〃　returned　the　other；　〃it's　nothing　to　me。　　You　are　the　principal　party　concerned。　　If　you　choose　to　bloat　yourself　with　brandy；　do　it　by　all　m