the queen of hearts-第44节

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sealed　up　in　that　brown　paper　parcel　for　the　coroner's　inquest　to
open　to…morrow　or　next　day。　He's　been　here　a　week；　paying　his　way
fairly　enough；　and　stopping　indoors；　for　the　most　part；　as　if　he
was　ailing。　My　girl　brought　him　up　his　tea　at　five　to…day；　and　as
he　was　pouring　of　it　out；　he　fell　down　in　a　faint；　or　a　fit；　or　a
compound　of　both；　for　anything　I　know。　We　couldn't　bring　him　to；
and　I　said　he　was　dead。　And；　the　doctor　couldn't　bring　him　to；
and　the　doctor　said　he　was　dead。　And　there　he　is。　And　the
coroner's　inquest's　coming　as　soon　as　it　can。　And　that's　as　much
as　I　know　about　it。〃

Arthur　held　the　candle　close　to　the　man's　lips。　The　flame　still
burned　straight　up　as　steadily　as　ever。　There　was　a　moment　of
silence；　and　the　rain　pattered　drearily　through　it　against　the
panes　of　the　window。

〃If　you　haven't　got　nothing　more　to　say　to　me；〃　continued　the
landlord；　〃I　suppose　I　may　go。　You　don't　expect　your　five
shillings　back；　do　you？　There's　the　bed　I　promised　you；　clean　and
comfortable。　There's　the　man　I　warranted　not　to　disturb　you；
quiet　in　this　world　forever。　If　you're　frightened　to　stop　alone
with　him；　that's　not　my　lookout。　I've　kept　my　part　of　the
bargain；　and　I　mean　to　keep　the　money。　I'm　not　Yorkshire　myself；
young　gentleman；　but　I've　lived　long　enough　in　these　parts　to
have　my　wits　sharpened；　and　I　shouldn't　wonder　if　you　found　out
the　way　to　brighten　up　yours　next　time　you　come　among　us。〃

With　these　words　the　landlord　turned　toward　the　door；　and　laughed
to　himself　softly；　in　high　satisfaction　at　his　own　sharpness。

Startled　and　shocked　as　he　was；　Arthur　had　by　this　time
sufficiently　recovered　himself　to　feel　indignant　at　the　trick
that　had　been　played　on　him；　and　at　the　insolent　manner　in　which
the　landlord　exulted　in　it。

〃Don't　laugh；〃　he　said　sharply；　〃till　you　are　quite　sure　you　have
got　the　laugh　against　me。　You　shan't　have　the　five　shillings　for
nothing；　my　man。　I'll　keep　the　bed。〃

〃Will　you？〃　said　the　landlord。　〃Then　I　wish　you　a　good　night's
rest。〃　With　that　brief　farewell　he　went　out　and　shut　the　door
after　him。

A　good　night's　rest！　The　words　had　hardly　been　spoken；　the　door
had　hardly　been　closed；　before　Arthur　half　repented　the　hasty
words　that　had　just　escaped　him。　Though　not　naturally
over…sensitive；　and　not　wanting　in　courage　of　the　moral　as　well
as　the　physical　sort；　the　presence　of　the　dead　man　had　an
instantaneously　chilling　effect　on　his　mind　when　he　found　himself
alone　in　the　roomalone；　and　bound　by　his　own　rash　words　to　stay
there　till　the　next　morning。　An　older　man　would　have　thought
nothing　of　those　words；　and　would　have　acted；　without　reference
to　them；　as　his　calmer　sense　suggested。　But　Arthur　was　too　young
to　treat　the　ridicule　even　of　his　inferiors　with　contempttoo
young　not　to　fear　the　momentary　humiliation　of　falsifying　his　own
foolish　boast　more　than　he　feared　the　trial　of　watching　out　the
long　night　in　the　same　chamber　with　the　dead。

〃It　is　but　a　few　hours；〃　he　thought　to　himself；　〃and　I　can　get
away　the　first　thing　in　the　morning。〃

He　was　looking　toward　the　occupied　bed　as　that　idea　passed
through　his　mind；　and　the　sharp；　angular　eminence　made　in　the
clothes　by　the　dead　man's　upturned　feet　again　caught　his　eye。　He
advanced　and　drew　the　curtains；　purposely　abstaining；　as　he　did
so；　from　looking　at　the　face　of　the　corpse；　lest　he　might　unnerve
himself　at　the　outset　by　fastening　some　ghastly　impression　of　it
on　his　mind。　He　drew　the　curtain　very　gently；　and　sighed
involuntarily　as　he　closed　it。

〃Poor　fellow；〃　he　said；　almost　as　sadly　as　if　he　had　known　the
man。　〃Ah！　poor　fellow！〃

He　went　next　to　the　window。　The　night　was　black；　and　he　could　see
nothing　from　it。　The　　rain　still　pattered　heavily　agai　nst　the
glass。　He　inferred；　from　hearing　it；　that　the　window　was　at　the
back　of　the　house；　remembering　that　the　front　was　sheltered　from
the　weather　by　the　court　and　the　buildings　over　it。

While　he　was　still　standing　at　the　windowfor　even　the　dreary
rain　was　a　relief；　because　of　the　sound　it　made；　a　relief；　also；
because　it　moved；　and　had　some　faint　suggestion；　in　consequence；
of　life　and　companionship　in　itwhile　he　was　standing　at　the
window；　and　looking　vacantly　into　the　black　darkness　outside；　he
heard　a　distant　church　clock　strike　ten。　Only　ten！　How　was　he　to
pass　the　time　till　the　house　was　astir　the　next　morning？

Under　any　other　circumstances　he　would　have　gone　down　to　the
public…house　parlor；　would　have　called　for　his　grog；　and　would
have　laughed　and　talked　with　the　company　assembled　as　familiarly
as　if　he　had　known　them　all　his　life。　But　the　very　thought　of
whiling　away　the　time　in　this　manner　was　now　distasteful　to　him。
The　new　situation　in　which　he　was　placed　seemed　to　have　altered
him　to　himself　already。　Thus　far　his　life　had　been　the　common；
trifling；　prosaic；　surface…life　of　a　prosperous　young　man；　with
no　troubles　to　conquer　and　no　trials　to　face。　He　had　lost　no
relation　whom　he　loved；　no　friend　whom　he　treasured。　Till　this
night；　what　share　he　had　of　the　immortal　inheritance　that　is
divided　among　us　all　had　lain　dormant　within　him。　Till　this
night；　Death　and　he　had　not　once　met；　even　in　thought。

He　took　a　few　turns　up　and　down　the　room；　then　stopped。　The　noise
made　by　his　boots　on　the　poorly…carpeted　floor　jarred　on　his　ear。
He　hesitated　a　little；　and　ended　by　taking　the　boots　off；　and
walking　backward　and　forward　noiselessly。

All　desire　to　sleep　or　to　rest　had　left　him。　The　bare　thought　of
lying　down　on　the　unoccupied　bed　instantly　drew　the　picture　on
his　mind　of　a　dreadful　mimicry　of　the　position　of　the　dead　man。
Who　was　he？　What　was　the　story　of　his　past　life？　Poor　he　must
have　been；　or　he　would　not　have　stopped　at　such　a　place　as　the
Two　Robins　Inn；　and　weakened；　probably；　by　long　illness；　or　he
could　hardly　have　died　in　the　manner　which　the　landlord　had
described。　Poor；　ill；　lonelydead　in　a　strange　placedead；　with
nobody　but　a　stranger　to　pity　him。　A　sad　story；　truly；　on　the
mere　face　of　it；　a　very　sad　story。

While　these　thoughts　were　passing　through　his　mind；　he　had
stopped　insensibly　at　the　window；　close　to　which　stood　the　foot
of　the　bed　with　the　closed　curtains。　At　first　he　looked　at　it
absently；　then　he　became　conscious　that　his　eyes　were　fixed　on
it；　and　then　a　perverse　desire　took　possession　of　him　to　do　the
very　thing　which　he　had　resolved　not　to　do　up　to　this　timeto
look　at　the　dead　man。

He　stretched　out　his　hand　toward　the　curtains；　but　checked
himself　in　the　very　act　of　undrawing　them；　turned　his　back
sharply　on　the　bed；　and　walked　toward　the　chimney…piece；　to　see
what　things　were　placed　on　it；　and　to　try　if　he　could　keep　the
dead　man　out　of　his　mind　in　that　way。

There　was　a　pewter　inkstand　on　the　chimney…piece；　with　some
mildewed　remains　of　ink　in　the　bottle。　There　were　two　coarse
china　ornaments　of　the　commonest　kind；　and　there　was　a　square　of
embossed　card；　dirty　and　fly…blown；　with　a　collection　of　wretched
riddles　printed　on　it；　in　all　sorts　of　zigzag　directions；　and　in
variously　colored　inks。　He　took　the　card　and　went　away　to　read　it
at　the　table　on　which　the　candle　was　placed；　sitting　down　with
his　back　resolutely　turned　to　the　curtained　bed。

He　read　the　first　riddle；　the　second；　the　third；　all　in　one
corner　of　the　card；　then　turned　it　round　impatiently　to　look　at
another。　Before　he　could　begin　reading　the　riddles　printed　here
the　sound　of　the　church　clock　stopped　him。

Eleven。

He　had　got　through　an　hour　of　the　time　in　the　room　with　the　dead
man。

Once　more　he　looked　at　the　card。　It　was　not　easy　to　make　out　the
letters　printed　on　it　in　consequence　of　the　dimness　of　the　light
which　the　landlord　had　left　hima　common　tallow　candle；
furnished　with　a　pair　of　heavy　old…fashioned　steel　snuffers。　Up
to　this　time　his　mind　had　been　too　much　occupied　to　think　of　the
light。　He　had　left　the　wick　of　the　candle　unsnuffed　till　it　had
risen　higher　than　the　flame；　and　had　burned　into　an　odd
pent…house　shape　at　the　top；　from　which　morsels　of　the　charred
cotton　fell　off　from　time　to　time　in　little　flakes。　He　took　up
the　snuffers　now　and　trimmed　the　wick。　The　light　brightened
directly；　and　the　room　became　less　dismal。

Again　he　turned　to　the　riddles；　reading　them　doggedly　and
resolutely；　now　in　one　corner　of　the　card；　now　in　another。　All
his　efforts；　however；　could　not　fix　his　attention　on　them。　He
pursued　his　occupation　mechanically；　deriving　no　sort　of
impression　from　what　he　was　reading。　It　was　as　if　a　shadow　from
the　curtained　bed　had　got　between　his　mind　and　the　gayly　printed
lettersa　shadow　that　nothing　could　dispel。　At　last　he　gave　up
the　struggle；　threw　the　card　from　him　impatiently；　and　took　to
walking　softly　up　and　down　the　room　again。

The　dead　man；　the　dead　man；　the　_hidden_　dead　man　on　the　bed！

There　was　the　one　persistent　idea　still　haunting　him。　Hidden！　Was
it　only　the　body　being　there；　or　was　it　the　body　being　there
_concealed；_　that　was　preying　on　his　mind？　He　stopped　at　the
window　with　that　doubt　in　him；　once　more　listening　to　the
pattering　rain；　once　more　looking　out　into　the　black　darkness。

Still　the　dead　man！

The　darkness　forced　his　mind　back　upon　itself；　and　set