the queen of hearts-第72节

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leave　you　to　judge　if　that　mended　matters。　He　found　me　mopping
the　poor　woman's　temples　with　scent　and　water；　and　he　would　have
pitched　me　out　of　the　window；　as　sure　as　I　sit　here；　if　I　had　not
met　him　and　staggered　him　at　once　with　the　charge　of　murder
against　his　wife。　That　stopped　him　when　he　was　in　full　cry；　I　can
promise　you。　'Go　and　wait　in　the　next　room；'　says　he；　'and　I'll
come　in　and　speak　to　you　directly。'　〃

〃And　did　you　go？〃　I　asked。

〃Of　course　I　did；〃　said　Mr。　Dark。　〃I　knew　he　couldn't　get　out　by
the　drawing…room　windows；　and　I　knew　I　could　watch　the　door；　so
away　I　went；　leaving　him　alone　with　the　lady；　who　didn't　spare
him　by　any　manner　of　means；　as　I　could　easily　hear　in　the　next
room。　However；　all　rows　in　this　world　come　to　an　end　sooner　or
later；　and　a　man　with　any　brains　in　his　head　may　do　what　he
pleases　with　a　woman　who　is　fond　of　him。　Before　long　I　heard　her
crying　and　kissing　him。　'I　can't　go　home；'　she　says；　after　this。
'You　have　behaved　like　a　villain　and　a　monster　to　mebut　oh；
Jemmy；　I　can't　give　you　up　to　anybody！　Don't　go　back　to　your
wife！　Oh；　don't；　don't　go　back　to　your　wife！'　'No　fear　of　that；'
says　he。　'My　wife　wouldn't　have　me　if　I　did　go　back　to　her。'
After　that　I　heard　the　door　open；　and　went　out　to　meet　him　on　the
landing。　He　began　swearing　the　moment　he　saw　me；　as　if　that　was
any　good。　'Business　first；　if　you　please；　sir；'　says　I；　'and　any
pleasure　you　like；　in　the　way　of　swearing；　afterward。'　With　that
beginning；　I　mentioned　our　terms　to　him；　and　asked　the　pleasure
of　his　company　to　Cumberland　in　return；　he　was　uncommonly
suspicious　at　first；　but　I　promised　to　draw　out　a　legal　document
（mere　waste　paper；　of　no　earthly　use　except　to　pacify　him）；
engaging　to　hold　him　harmless　throughout　the　proceedings；　and
what　with　that；　and　telling　him　of　the　frightful　danger　his　wife
was　in；　I　managed；　at　last；　to　carry　my　point。〃

〃But　did　the　second　wife　make　no　objection　to　his　going　away　with
you？〃　I　inquired。

〃Not　she；〃　said　Mr。　Dark。　〃I　stated　the　case　to　her　just　as　it
stood；　and　soon　satisfied　her　that　there　was　no　danger　of　Mr。
James　Smith's　first　wife　laying　any　claim　to　him。　After　hearing
that；　she　joined　me　in　persuading　him　to　do　his　duty；　and　said
she　pitied　your　mistress　from　the　bottom　of　her　heart。　With　her
influence　to　back　me；　I　had　no　great　fear　of　our　man　changing　his
mind。　I　had　the　door　watched　that　night；　however；　so　as　to　make
quite　sure　of　him。　The　next　morning　he　was　ready　to　time　when　I
called；　and　a　quarter　of　an　hour　after　that　we　were　off　together
for　the　north　road。　We　made　the　journey　with　post…horses；　being
afraid　of　chance　passengers；　you　know；　in　public　conveyances。　On
the　way　down；　Mr。　James　Smith　and　I　got　on　as　comfortably
together　as　if　we　had　been　a　pair　of　old　friends。　I　told　the
story　of　our　tracing　him　to　the　north　of　Scotland；　and　he　gave　me
the　particulars；　in　return；　of　his　bolting　from　Darrock　Hall。
They　are　rather　amusing；　William；　would　you　like　to　hear　them？〃

I　told　Mr。　Dark　that　he　had　anticipated　the　very　question　I　was
about　to　ask　him。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　how　it　was：　To　begin　at　the　beginning；
our　man　really　took　Mrs。　Smith；　Number　Two；　to　the　Mediterranean；
as　we　heard。　He　sailed　up　the　Spanish　coast；　and；　after　short
trips　ashore；　stopped　at　a　seaside　place　in　France　called　Cannes。
There　he　saw　a　house　and　grounds　to　be　sold　which　took　his　fancy
as　a　nice　retired　place　to　keep　Number　Two　in。　Nothing　particular
was　wanted　but　the　money　to　buy　it；　and；　not　having　the　little
amount　in　his　own　possession；　Mr。　James　Smith　makes　a　virtue　of
necessity；　and　goes　back　overland　to　his　wife　with　private
designs　on　her　purse…strings。　Number　Two；　who　objects　to　be　left
behind；　goes　with　him　as　far　as　London。　There　he　trumps　up　the
first　story　that　comes　into　his　head　about　rents　in　the　country；
and　a　house　in　Lincolnshire　that　is　too　damp　for　her　to　trust
herself　in；　and　so；　leaving　her　for　a　few　days　in　London；　starts
boldly　for　Darrock　Hall。　His　notion　was　to　wheedle　your　mistress
out　of　the　money　by　good　behavior；　but　it　seems　he　started　badly
by　quarreling　with　her　about　a　fiddle…playing　parson〃

〃Yes；　yes；　I　know　all　about　that　part　of　the　story；〃　I　broke　in；
seeing　by　Mr。　Dark's　manner　that　he　was　likely　to　speak　both
ignorantly　and　impertinently　of　my　mistress's　unlucky　friend　ship
for　Mr。　Meeke。　〃Go　on　to　the　time　when　I　left　my　master　alone　in
the　Red　Room；　and　tell　me　what　he　did　between　midnight　and　nine
the　next　morning。〃

〃Did？〃　said　Mr。　Dark。　〃Why；　he　went　to　bed　with　the　unpleasant
conviction　on　his　mind　that　your　mistress　had　found　him　out；　and
with　no　comfort　to　speak　of　except　what　he　could　get　out　of　the
brandy　bottle。　He　couldn't　sleep；　and　the　more　he　tossed　and
tumbled；　the　more　certain　he　felt　that　his　wife　intended　to　have
him　tried　for　bigamy。　At　last；　toward　the　gray　of　the　morning；　he
could　stand　it　no　longer；　and　he　made　up　his　mind　to　give　the　law
the　slip　while　he　had　the　chance。　As　soon　as　he　was　dressed；　it
struck　him　that　there　might　be　a　reward　offered　for　catching　him；
and　he　determined　to　make　that　slight　change　in　his　personal
appearance　which　puzzled　the　witnesses　so　much　before　the
magistrate　to…day。　So　he　opens　his　dressing…case　and　crops　his
hair　in　no　time；　and　takes　off　his　whiskers　next。　The　fire　was
out；　and　he　had　to　shave　in　cold　water。　What　with　that；　and　what
with　the　flurry　of　his　mind；　naturally　enough　he　cut　himself〃

〃And　dried　the　blood　with　his　nightgown？〃　says　I。

〃With　his　nightgown；〃　repeated　Mr。　Dark。　〃It　was　the　first　thing
that　lay　handy；　and　he　snatched　it　up。　Wait　a　bit；　though；　the
cream　of　the　thing　is　to　come。　When　he　had　done　being　his　own
barber；　he　couldn't　for　the　life　of　him　hit　on　a　way　of　getting
rid　of　the　loose　hair。　The　fire　was　out；　and　he　had　no　matches；
so　he　couldn't　burn　it。　As　for　throwing　it　away；　he　didn't　dare
do　that　in　the　house　or　about　the　house；　for　fear　of　its　being
found；　and　betraying　what　he　had　done。　So　he　wraps　it　all　up　in
paper；　crams　it　into　his　pocket　to　be　disposed　of　when　he　is　at　a
safe　distance　from　the　Hall；　takes　his　bag；　gets　out　at　the
window；　shuts　it　softly　after　him；　and　makes　for　the　road　as　fast
as　his　long　legs　will　carry　him。　There　he　walks　on　till　a　coach
overtakes　him；　and　so　travels　back　to　London　to　find　himself　in　a
fresh　scrape　as　soon　as　be　gets　there。　An　interesting　situation；
William；　and　hard　traveling　from　one　end　of　France　to　the　other；
had　not　agreed　together　in　the　case　of　Number　Two。　Mr。　James
Smith　found　her　in　bed；　with　doctor's　orders　that　she　was　not　to
be　moved。　There　was　nothing　for　it　after　that　but　to　lie　by　in
London　till　the　lady　got　better。　Luckily　for　us；　she　didn't　hurry
herself；　so　that；　after　all；　your　mistress　has　to　thank　the　very
woman　who　supplanted　her　for　clearing　her　character　by　helping　us
to　find　Mr。　James　Smith。〃

〃And；　pray；　how　did　you　come　by　that　loose　hair　of　his　which　you
showed　before　the　justice　to…day？〃　I　asked。

〃Thank　Number　Two　again；〃　says　Mr。　Dark。　〃I　was　put　up　to　asking
after　it　by　what　she　told　me。　While　we　were　talking　about　the
advertisement；　I　made　so　bold　as　to　inquire　what　first　set　her
thinking　that　her　husband　and　the　Mr。　James　Smith　whom　we　wanted
might　be　one　and　the　same　man。　'Nothing；'　says　she；　'but　seeing
him　come　home　with　his　hair　cut　short　and　his　whiskers　shaved
off；　and　finding　that　he　could　not　give　me　any　good　reason　for
disfiguring　himself　in　that　way。　I　had　my　suspicions　that
something　was　wrong；　and　the　sight　of　your　advertisement
strengthened　them　directly。'　The　hearing　her　say　that　suggested
to　my　mind　that　there　might　be　a　difficulty　in　identifying　him
after　the　change　in　his　looks；　and　I　asked　him　what　he　had　done
with　the　loose　hair　before　we　left　London。　It　was　found　in　the
pocket　of　his　traveling　coat　just　as　he　had　huddled　it　up　there
on　leaving　the　Hall；　worry；　and　fright；　and　vexation；　having
caused　him　to　forget　all　about　it。　Of　course　I　took　charge　of　the
parcel；　and　you　know　what　good　it　did　as　well　as　I　do。　So　to
speak；　William；　it　just　completed　this　beautifully　neat　case。
Looking　at　the　matter　in　a　professional　point　of　view；　I　don't
hesitate　to　say　that　we　have　managed　our　business　with　Mr。　James
Smith　to　perfection。　We　have　produced　him　at　the　right　time；　and
we　are　going　to　get　rid　of　him　at　the　right　time。　By　to…night　he
will　be　on　his　way　to　foreign　parts　with　Number　Two；　and　he　won't
show　his　nose　in　England　again　if　he　lives　to　the　age　of
Methuselah。〃

It　was　a　relief　to　hear　that　and　it　was　almost　as　great　a　comfort
to　find；　from　what　Mr。　Dark　said　next；　that　my　mistress　need　fear
nothing　that　Josephine　could　do　for　the　future。

The　charge　of　theft；　on　which　she　was　about　to　be　tried；　did　not
afford　the　shadow　of　an　excuse　in　law　any　more　than　in　logic　for
alluding　to　the　crime　which　her　master　had　committed。　If　she
meant　to　talk　about　it　she　might　do　so　in　her　place　of
transportation；　but　she　would　not　have　the　slightest　chance　of
being　listened　to　previously　in　a　court　of　law。

〃In　short；〃　said　Mr。　Dark；　rising　to　take　his　leave；　〃as　I　have
told　you　already；　William；　it's　checkmate　fo