the queen of hearts-第76节

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improved。　Imagine　me　now；　if　you　please；　on　the　high　road　to
prosperity；　with　good　large　offices　and　a　respectable　staff　of
clerks；　and　picture　me　to　yourselves　sitting　alone　in　my　private
room　between　four　and　five　o'clock　on　a　certain　Saturday
afternoon。

All　my　letters　had　been　written；　all　the　people　who　had
appointments　with　me　had　been　received。　I　was　looking　carelessly
over　the　newspaper；　and　thinking　about　going　home；　when　one　of　my
clerks　came　in；　and　said　that　a　stranger　wished　to　see　me
immediately　on　very　important　business。

〃Did　he　mention　his　name？〃　I　inquired。

〃No；　sir。〃

〃Did　you　not　ask　him　for　it？〃

〃Yes；　sir。　And　he　said　you　would　be　none　the　wiser　if　he　told　me
what　it　was。〃

〃Does　he　look　like　a　begging…letter　writer？〃

〃He　looks　a　little　shabby；　sir；　but　he　doesn't　talk　at　all　like　a
begging…letter　writer。　He　spoke　sharp　and　decided；　sir；　and　said
it　was
　in　your　interests　that　he　came；　and　that　you　would　deeply　regret
it　afterward　if　you　refused　to　see　him。〃

〃He　said　that；　did　he？　Show　him　in　at　once；　then。〃

He　was　shown　in　immediately：　a　middling…sized　man；　with　a　sharp；
unwholesome…looking　face；　and　with　a　flippant；　reckless　manner；
dressed　in　a　style　of　shabby　smartness；　eying　me　with　a　bold
look；　and　not　so　overburdened　with　politeness　as　to　trouble
himself　about　taking　off　his　hat　when　he　came　in。　I　had　never
seen　him　before　in　my　life；　and　I　could　not　form　the　slightest
conjecture　from　his　appearance　to　guide　me　toward　guessing　his
position　in　the　world。　He　was　not　a　gentleman；　evidently；　but　as
to　fixing　his　whereabouts　in　the　infinite　downward　gradations　of
vagabond　existence　in　London；　that　was　a　mystery　which　I　was
totally　incompetent　to　solve。

〃Is　your　name　Trowbridge？〃　he　began。

〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　dryly　enough。

〃Do　you　bank　with　Marsh；　Stracey；　Fauntleroy　&　Graham？〃

〃Why　do　you　ask？〃

〃Answer　my　question；　and　you　will　know。〃

〃Very　well；　I　_do_　bank　with　Marsh；　Stracey；　Fauntleroy　&
Grahamand　what　then？〃

〃Draw　out　every　farthing　of　balance　you　have　got　before　the　bank
closes　at　five　to…day。〃

I　stared　at　him　in　speechless　amazement。　The　words；　for　an
instant；　absolutely　petrified　me。

〃Stare　as　much　as　you　like；〃　he　proceeded；　coolly；　〃I　mean　what　I
say。　Look　at　your　clock　there。　In　twenty　minutes　it　will　strike
five；　and　the　bank　will　be　shut。　Draw　out　every　farthing；　I　tell
you　again；　and　look　sharp　about　it。〃

〃Draw　out　my　money！〃　I　exclaimed；　partially　recovering　myself。
〃Are　you　in　your　right　senses？　Do　you　know　that　the　firm　I　bank
with　represents　one　of　the　first　houses　in　the　world？　What　do　you
meanyou；　who　are　a　total　stranger　to　meby　taking　this
extraordinary　interest　in　my　affairs？　If　you　want　me　to　act　on
your　advice；　why　don't　you　explain　yourself？〃

〃I　have　explained　myself。　Act　on　my　advice　or　not；　just　as　you
like。　It　doesn't　matter　to　me。　I　have　done　what　I　promised；　and
there's　an　end　of　it。〃

He　turned　to　the　door。　The　minute…hand　of　the　clock　was　getting
on　from　the　twenty　minutes　to　the　quarter。

〃Done　what　you　promised？〃　I　repeated；　getting　up　to　stop　him。

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　with　his　hand　on　the　lock。　〃I　have　given　my
message。　Whatever　happens；　remember　that。　Good…afternoon。〃

He　was　gone　before　I　could　speak　again。

I　tried　to　call　after　him；　but　my　speech　suddenly　failed　me。　It
was　very　foolish；　it　was　very　unaccountable；　but　there　was
something　in　the　man's　last　words　which　had　more　than　half
frightened　me。

I　looked　at　the　clock。　The　minute…hand　was　on　the　quarter。

My　office　was　just　far　enough　from　the　bank　to　make　it　necessary
for　me　to　decide　on　the　instant。　If　I　had　had　time　to　think；　I　am
perfectly　certain　that　I　should　not　have　profited　by　the
extraordinary　warning　that　had　just　been　addressed　to　me。　The
suspicious　appearance　and　manners　of　the　stranger；　the　outrageous
improbability　of　the　inference　against　the　credit　of　the　bank
toward　which　his　words　pointed；　the　chance　that　some　underhand
attempt　was　being　made；　by　some　enemy　of　mine；　to　frighten　me
into　embroiling　myself　with　one　of　my　best　friends；　through
showing　an　ignorant　distrust　of　the　firm　with　which　he　was
associated　as　partnerall　these　considerations　would
unquestionably　have　occurred　to　me　if　I　could　have　found　time　for
reflection；　and；　as　a　necessary　consequence；　not　one　farthing　of
my　balance　would　have　been　taken　from　the　keeping　of　the　bank　on
that　memorable　day。

As　it　was；　I　had　just　time　enough　to　act；　and　not　a　spare　moment
for　thinking。　Some　heavy　payments　made　at　the　beginning　of　the
week　had　so　far　decreased　my　balance　that　the　sum　to　my　credit　in
the　banking…book　barely　reached　fifteen　hundred　pounds。　I
snatched　up　my　check…book；　wrote　a　draft　for　the　whole　amount；
and　ordered　one　of　my　clerks　to　run　to　the　bank　and　get　it　cashed
before　the　doors　closed。　What　impulse　urged　me　on；　except　the
blind　impulse　of　hurry　and　bewilderment；　I　can't　say。　I　acted
mechanically；　under　the　influence　of　the　vague　inexplicable　fear
which　the　man's　extraordinary　parting　words　had　aroused　in　me；
without　stopping　to　analyze　my　own　sensationsalmost　without
knowing　what　I　was　about。　In　three　minutes　from　the　time　when　the
stranger　had　closed　my　door　the　clerk　had　started　for　the　bank；
and　I　was　alone　again　in　my　room；　with　my　hands　as　cold　as　ice
and　my　head　all　in　a　whirl。

I　did　not　recover　my　control　over　myself　until　the　clerk　came
back　with　the　notes　in　his　hand。　He　had　just　got　to　the　bank　in
the　nick　of　time。　As　the　cash　for　my　draft　was　handed　to　him　over
the　counter；　the　clock　struck　five；　and　he　heard　the　order　given
to　close　the　doors。

When　I　had　counted　the　bank…notes　and　had　locked　them　up　in　the
safe；　my　better　sense　seemed　to　come　back　to　me　on　a　sudden。
Never　have　I　reproached　myself　before　or　since　as　I　reproached
myself　at　that　moment。　What　sort　of　return　had　I　made　for　Mr。
Fauntleroy's　fatherly　kindness　to　me？　I　had　insulted　him　by　the
meanest；　the　grossest　distrust　of　the　honor　and　the　credit　of　his
house；　and　that　on　the　word　of　an　absolute　stranger；　of　a
vagabond；　if　ever　there　was　one　yet。　It　was　madnessdownright
madness　in　any　man　to　have　acted　as　I　had　done。　I　could　not
account　for　my　own　inconceivably　thoughtless　proceeding。　I　could
hardly　believe　in　it　myself。　I　opened　the　safe　and　looked　at　the
bank…notes　again。　I　locked　it　once　more；　and　flung　the　key　down
on　the　table　in　a　fury　of　vexation　against　myself。　There　the
money　was；　upbraiding　me　with　my　own　inconceivable　folly；　telling
me　in　the　plainest　terms　that　I　had　risked　depriving　myself　of　my
best　and　kindest　friend　henceforth　and　forever。

It　was　necessary　to　do　something　at　once　toward　making　all　the
atonement　that　lay　in　my　power。　I　felt　that；　as　soon　as　I　began
to　cool　down　a　little。　There　was　but　one　plain；　straight…forward
way　left　now　out　of　the　scrape　in　which　I　had　been　mad　enough　to
involve　myself。　I　took　my　hat；　and；　without　stopping　an　instant
to　hesitate；　hurried　off　to　the　bank　to　make　a　clean　breast　of　it
to　Mr。　Fauntleroy。

When　I　knocked　at　the　private　door　and　asked　for　him；　I　was　told
that　he　had　not　been　at　the　bank　for　the　last　two　days。　One　of
the　other　partners　was　there；　however；　and　was　working　at　that
moment　in　his　own　room。

I　sent　in　my　name　at　once；　and　asked　to　see　him。　He　and　I　were
little　better　than　strangers　to　each　other；　and　the　interview　was
likely　to　be；　on　that　account；　unspeakably　embarrassing　and
humiliating　on　my　side。　Still；　I　could　not　go　home。　I　could　not
endure　the　inaction　of　the　next　day；　the　Sunday；　without　having
done　my　best　on　the　spot　to　repair　the　error　into　which　my　own
folly　had　led　me。　Uncomfortable　as　I　felt　at　the　prospect　of　the
approaching　interview；　I　should　have　been　far　more　uneasy　in　my
mind　if　the　partner　had　declined　to　see　me。

To　my　relief；　the　bank　porter　returned　with　a　message　requesting
me　to　walk　in。

What　particular　form　my　explanations　and　apologies　took　when　I
tried　to　offer　them　is　more　than　I　can　tell　now。　I　was　so
confused　and　distressed　that　I　hardly　knew　what　I　was　talking
about　at　the　time。　The　one　circumstance　which　I　remember　clearly
is　that　I　was　ashamed　to　refer　to　my　interview　with　the　strange
man；　and　that　I　tried　to　account　for　my　sudden　withdrawal　of　my
balance　by　referring　it　to　some　inexplicable　panic；　caused　by
mischievous　reports　which　I　was　unable　to　trace　to　their　source；
and　which；　for　anything　I　knew　to　the　contrary；　might；　after　all；
have　been　only　started　in　jest。　Greatly　to　my　surprise；　the
partner　did　not　seem　to　notice　the　lamentable　lameness　of　my
excuses；　and　did　not　additionally　confuse　me　by　asking　any
questions。　A　weary；　absent　look；　which　I　had　observed　on　his　face
when　I　came　in；　remained　on　it　while　I　was　speaking。　It　seemed　to
be　an　effort　to　him　even　to　keep　up　the　appearance　of　listening
to　me；　and　when；　at　last；　I　fairly　broke　down　in　the　middle　of　a
sentence；　and　gave　up　the　hope　of　getting　any　further；　all　the
answer　he　gave　me　was　comprised　in　these　few　civil　commonplace
words：

〃Never　mind；　Mr。　Trowbridge；　pray　don't　think　of　apologizing。　We
are　all　liable　to　make　mista　kes。　Say　nothing　more　about　it；　and
bring　the