the queen of hearts-第77节

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are　all　liable　to　make　mista　kes。　Say　nothing　more　about　it；　and
bring　the　money　back　on　Monday　if　you　still　honor　us　with　your
confidence。〃

He　looked　down　at　his　papers　as　if　he　was　anxious　to　be　alone
again；　and　I　had　no　alternative；　of　course；　but　to　take　my　leave
immediately。　I　went　home；　feeling　a　little　easier　in　my　mind　now
that　I　had　paved　the　way　for　making　the　best　practical　atonement
in　my　power　by　bringing　my　balance　back　the　first　thing　on　Monday
morning。　Still；　I　passed　a　weary　day　on　Sunday；　reflecting；　sadly
enough；　that　I　had　not　yet　made　my　peace　with　Mr。　Fauntleroy。　My
anxiety　to　set　myself　right　with　my　generous　friend　was　so
intense　that　I　risked　intruding　myself　on　his　privacy　by　calling
at　his　town　residence　on　the　Sunday。　He　was　not　there；　and　his
servant　could　tell　me　nothing　of　his　whereabouts。　There　was　no
help　for　it　now　but　to　wait　till　his　weekday　duties　brought　him
back　to　the　bank。

I　went　to　business　on　Monday　morning　half　an　hour　earlier　than
usual；　so　great　was　my　impatience　to　restore　the　amount　of　that
unlucky　draft　to　my　account　as　soon　as　possible　after　the　bank
opened。

On　entering　my　office；　I　stopped　with　a　startled　feeling　just
inside　the　door。　Something　serious　had　happened。　The　clerks；
instead　of　being　at　their　desks　as　usual；　were　all　huddled
together　in　a　group；　talking　to　each　other　with　blank　faces。　When
they　saw　me；　they　fell　back　behind　my　managing　man；　who　stepped
forward　with　a　circular　in　his　hand。

〃Have　you　heard　the　news；　sir？〃　he　said。

〃No。　What　is　it？〃

He　handed　me　the　circular。　My　heart　gave　one　violent　throb　the
instant　I　looked　at　it。　I　felt　myself　turn　pale；　I　felt　my　knees
trembling　under　me。

Marsh；　Stracey；　Fauntleroy　&　Graham　had　stopped　payment。

〃The　circular　has　not　been　issued　more　than　half　an　hour；〃
continued　my　managing　clerk。　〃I　have　just　come　from　the　bank；
sir。　The　doors　are　shut；　there　is　no　doubt　about　it。　Marsh　&
Company　have　stopped　this　morning。〃

I　hardly　heard　him；　I　hardly　knew　who　was　talking　to　me。　My
strange　visitor　of　the　Saturday　had　taken　instant　possession　of
all　my　thoughts；　and　his　words　of　warning　seemed　to　be　sounding
once　more　in　my　ears。　This　man　had　known　the　true　condition　of
the　bank　when　not　another　soul　outside　the　doors　was　aware　of　it！
The　last　draft　paid　across　the　counter　of　that　ruined　house；　when
the　doors　closed　on　Saturday；　was　the　draft　that　I　had　so
bitterly　reproached　myself　for　drawing；　the　one　balance　saved
from　the　wreck　was　my　balance。　Where　had　the　stranger　got　the
information　that　had　saved　me？　and　why　had　he　brought　it　to　my
ears？

I　was　still　groping；　like　a　man　in　the　dark；　for　an　answer　to
those　two　questionsI　was　still　bewildered　by　the　unfathomable
mystery　of　doubt　into　which　they　had　plunged　mewhen　the
discovery　of　the　stopping　of　the　bank　was　followed　almost
immediately　by　a　second　shock；　far　more　dreadful；　far　heavier　to
bear；　so　far　as　I　was　concerned；　than　the　first。

While　I　and　my　clerks　were　still　discussing　the　failure　of　the
firm；　two　mercantile　men；　who　were　friends　of　mine；　ran　into　the
office；　and　overwhelmed　us　with　the　news　that　one　of　the　partners
had　been　arrested　for　forgery。　Never　shall　I　forget　the　terrible
Monday　morning　when　those　tidings　reached　me；　and　when　I　knew
that　the　partner　was　Mr。　Fauntleroy。

I　was　true　to　himI　can　honestly　say　I　was　true　to　my　belief　in
my　generous　friendwhen　that　fearful　news　reached　me。　My
fellow…merchants　had　got　all　the　particulars　of　the　arrest。　They
told　me　that　two　of　Mr。　Fauntleroy's　fellow…trustees　had　come　up
to　London　to　make　arrangements　about　selling　out　some　stock。　On
inquiring　for　Mr。　Fauntleroy　at　the　banking…house；　they　had　been
informed　that　he　was　not　there；　and；　after　leaving　a　message　for
him；　they　had　gone　into　the　City　to　make　an　appointment　with
their　stockbroker　for　a　future　day；　when　their　fellow…trustee
might　be　able　to　attend。　The　stock…broker　volunteered　to　make
certain　business　inquiries　on　the　spot；　with　a　view　to　saving　as
much　time　as　possible；　and　left　them　at　his　office　to　await　his
return。　He　came　back；　looking　very　much　amazed；　with　the
information　that　the　stock　had　been　sold　out　down　to　the　last
five　hundred　pounds。　The　affair　was　instantly　investigated；　the
document　authorizing　the　selling　out　was　produced；　and　the　two
trustees　saw　on　it；　side　by　side　with　Mr。　Fauntleroy's　signature；
the　forged　signatures　of　their　own　names。　This　happened　on　the
Friday；　and　the　trustees；　without　losing　a　moment；　sent　the
officers　of　justice　in　pursuit　of　Mr。　Fauntleroy。　He　was
arrested；　brought　up　before　the　magistrate；　and　remanded　on　the
Saturday。　On　the　Monday　I　heard　from　my　friends　the　particulars
which　I　have　just　narrated。

But　the　events　of　that　one　morning　were　not　destined　to　end　even
yet。　I　had　discovered　the　failure　of　the　bank　and　the　arrest　of
Mr。　Fauntleroy。　I　was　next　to　be　enlightened；　in　the　strangest
and　the　saddest　manner；　on　the　difficult　question　of　his
innocence　or　his　guilt。

Before　my　friends　had　left　my　officebefore　I　had　exhausted　the
arguments　which　my　gratitude　rather　than　my　reason　suggested　to
me　in　favor　of　the　unhappy　prisonera　note；　marked　immediate；
was　placed　in　my　hands；　which　silenced　me　the　instant　I　looked　at
it。　It　was　written　from　the　prison　by　Mr。　Fauntleroy；　and　it
contained　two　lines　only；　entreating　me　to　apply　for　the
necessary　order；　and　to　go　and　see　him　immediately。

I　shall　not　attempt　to　describe　the　flutter　of　expectation；　the
strange　mixture　of　dread　and　hope　that　agitated　me　when　I
recognized　his　handwriting；　and　discovered　what　it　was　that　he
desired　me　to　do。　I　obtained　the　order　and　went　to　the　prison。
The　authorities；　knowing　the　dreadful　situation　in　which　he
stood；　were　afraid　of　his　attempting　to　destroy　himself；　and　had
set　two　men　to　watch　him。　One　came　out　as　they　opened　his　cell
door。　The　other；　who　was　bound　not　to　leave　him；　very　delicately
and　considerately　affected　to　be　looking　out　of　window　the　moment
I　was　shown　in。

He　was　sitting　on　the　side　of　his　bed；　with　his　head　drooping　and
his　hands　hanging　listlessly　over　his　knees　when　I　first　caught
sight　of　him。　At　the　sound　of　my　approach　he　started　to　his　feet；
and；　without　speaking　a　word；　flung　both　his　arms　round　my　neck

My　heart　swelled　up。

〃Tell　me　it's　not　true；　sir！　For　God's　sake；　tell　me　it's　not
true！〃　was　all　I　could　say　to　him。

He　never　answeredoh　me！　he　never　answered；　and　he　turned　away
his　face。

There　was　one　dreadful　moment　of　silence。　He　still　held　his　arms
round　my　neck；　and　on　a　sudden　he　put　his　lips　close　to　my　ear。

〃Did　you　get　your　money　out？〃　he　whispered。　〃Were　you　in　time　on
Saturday　afternoon？〃

I　broke　free　from　him　in　the　astonishment　of　hearing　those　words。

〃What！〃　I　cried　out　loud；　forgetting　the　third　person　at　the
window。　〃That　man　who　brought　the　message〃

〃Hush！〃　he　said；　putting　his　hand　on　my　lips。　〃There　was　no
better　man　to　be　found；　after　the　officers　had　taken　meI　know
no　more　about　him　than　you　doI　paid　him　well　as　a　chance
messenger；　and　risked　his　cheating　me　of　his　errand。〃

〃_You_　sent　him；　then！〃

〃I　sent　him。〃

My　story　is　over；　gentlemen。　There　is　no　need　for　me　to　tell　you
that　Mr。　Fauntleroy　was　found　guilty；　and　that　he　died　by　the
hangman's　hand。　It　was　in　my　power　to　soothe　his　last　moments　in
this　world　by　taking　on　myself　the　arrangement　of　some　of　his
private　affairs；　which；　while　they　remained　unsettled；　weighed
heavily　on　his　mind。　They　had　no　connection　with　the　crimes　he
had　committed；　so　I　could　do　him　the　last　little　service　he　was
ever　to　accept　at　my　hands　with　a　clear　conscience。

I　say　nothing　in　defense　of　his　characternothing　in　palliation
of　the　offense　for　which　he　suffered。　But　I　cannot　forget　that　in
the　time　of　his　most　fearful　extremity；　when　the　strong　arm　of
the　law　had　already　seized　him；　he　thought　of　the　young　man　whose
humble　fortunes　he　had　helped　to　build；　whose　heartfelt　gratitude
he　had　fairly　won；　whose　simple　faith　he　was　resolved　never　to
betray。　I　leave　it　to　greater　intellects　than　mine　to　reconcile
the　anomaly　of　his　reckless　falsehood　toward　others　and　his
steadfast　truth　toward　me。　It　is　as　certain　as　that　we　sit　here
that　one　of　Fauntleroy's　last　efforts　in　this　world　was　the
effort　he　made　to　preserve　me　from　being　a　loser　by　the　trust
that　I　had　placed　in　him。　There　is　the　secret　of　my　strange
tenderness　for　the　memory　of　a　felon；　that　is　why　the　word
villain　does　somehow　still　grate　on　my　heart　when　I　hear　it
associated　with　the　namethe　disgraced　name；　I　grant　youof　the
forger　Fauntleroy。　Pass　the　bottles；　young　gentlemen；　and　pardon
a　man　of　the　old　school　for　having　so　long　interrupted　your
conversation　with　a　story　of　the　old　time。


THE　TENTH　DAY。


THE　storm　has　burst　on　us　in　its　full　fury。　Last　night　the　stout
old　tower　rocked　on　its　foundations。

I　hardly　ventured　to　hope　that　the　messenger　who　brings　us　our
letters　from　the　villagethe　postman；　as　we　call　himwould　make
his　appearance　this　morning；　but　he　came　bravely　through　rain；
hail　and　wind。　The　old　pony　which　he　usually　rides　had　refused　to
face　the　storm；　and；　sooner