st. ives-第58节

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frolic；　but　I　would　like　very　well　if　it　could　be　managed　without　

my　personal　appearance　or　even　the　mention　of　my　real　name。　　I　had　

so　much　wisdom　as　to　sail　under　false　colours　in　this　foolish　jaunt　

of　mine；　my　family　would　be　extremely　concerned　if　they　had　wind　of　

it；　but　at　the　same　time；　if　the　case　of　this　Faa　has　terminated　

fatally；　and　there　are　proceedings　against　Todd　and　Candlish；　I　am　

not　going　to　stand　by　and　see　them　vexed；　far　less　punished；　and　I　

authorise　you　to　give　me　up　for　trial　if　you　think　that　best　…　or；　

if　you　think　it　unnecessary；　in　the　meanwhile　to　make　preparations　

for　their　defence。　　I　hope；　sir；　that　I　am　as　little　anxious　to　be　

Quixotic；　as　I　am　determined　to　be　just。'



'Very　fairly　spoken；'　said　Mr。　Robbie。　　'It　is　not　much　in　my　line；　

as　doubtless　your　friend；　Mr。　Romaine；　will　have　told　you。　　I　

rarely　mix　myself　up　with　anything　on　the　criminal　side；　or　

approaching　it。　　However；　for　a　young　gentleman　like　you；　I　may　

stretch　a　point；　and　I　dare　say　I　may　be　able　to　accomplish　more　

than　perhaps　another。　　I　will　go　at　once　to　the　Procurator　Fiscal's　

office　and　inquire。'



'Wait　a　moment；　Mr。　Robbie；'　said　I。　　'You　forget　the　chapter　of　

expenses。　　I　had　thought；　for　a　beginning；　of　placing　a　thousand　

pounds　in　your　hands。'



'My　dear　sir；　you　will　kindly　wait　until　I　render　you　my　bill；'　

said　Mr。　Robbie　severely。'



'It　seemed　to　me；'　I　protested；　'that　coming　to　you　almost　as　a　

stranger；　and　placing　in　your　hands　a　piece　of　business　so　contrary　

to　your　habits；　some　substantial　guarantee　of　my　good　faith　…　'



'Not　the　way　that　we　do　business　in　Scotland；　sir；'　he　interrupted；　

with　an　air　of　closing　the　dispute。



'And　yet；　Mr。　Robbie；'　I　continued；　'I　must　ask　you　to　allow　me　to　

proceed。　　I　do　not　merely　refer　to　the　expenses　of　the　case。　　I　

have　my　eye　besides　on　Todd　and　Candlish。　　They　are　thoroughly　

deserving　fellows；　they　have　been　subjected　through　me　to　a　

considerable　term　of　imprisonment；　and　I　suggest；　sir；　that　you　

should　not　spare　money　for　their　indemnification。　　This　will　

explain；'　I　added　smiling；　'my　offer　of　the　thousand　pounds。　　It　

was　in　the　nature　of　a　measure　by　which　you　should　judge　the　scale　

on　which　I　can　afford　to　have　this　business　carried　through。'



'I　take　you　perfectly；　Mr。　Ducie；'　said　he。　　'But　the　sooner　I　am　

off；　the　better　this　affair　is　like　to　be　guided。　　My　clerk　will　

show　you　into　the　waiting…room　and　give　you　the　day's　CALEDONIAN　

MERCURY　and　the　last　REGISTER　to　amuse　yourself　with　in　the　

interval。'



I　believe　Mr。　Robbie　was　at　least　three　hours　gone。　　I　saw　him　

descend　from　a　cab　at　the　door；　and　almost　immediately　after　I　was　

shown　again　into　his　study；　where　the　solemnity　of　his　manner　led　

me　to　augur　the　worst。　　For　some　time　he　had　the　inhumanity　to　read　

me　a　lecture　as　to　the　incredible　silliness；　'not　to　say　

immorality；'　of　my　behaviour。　　'I　have　the　satisfaction　in　telling　

you　my　opinion；　because　it　appears　that　you　are　going　to　get　off　

scot　free；'　he　continued；　where；　indeed；　I　thought　he　might　have　

begun。



'The　man；　Faa；　has　been　discharged　cured；　and　the　two　men；　Todd　and　

Candlish；　would　have　been　leeberated　lone　ago　if　it　had　not　been　

for　their　extraordinary　loyalty　to　yourself；　Mr。　Ducie　…　or　Mr。　St。　

Ivey；　as　I　believe　I　should　now　call　you。　　Never　a　word　would　

either　of　the　two　old　fools　volunteer　that　in　any　manner　pointed　at　

the　existence　of　such　a　person；　and　when　they　were　confronted　with　

Faa's　version　of　the　affair；　they　gave　accounts　so　entirely　

discrepant　with　their　own　former　declarations；　as　well　as　with　each　

other；　that　the　Fiscal　was　quite　nonplussed；　and　imaigined　there　

was　something　behind　it。　　You　may　believe　I　soon　laughed　him　out　of　

that！　　And　I　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　your　two　friends　set　

free；　and　very　glad　to　be　on　the　causeway　again。'



'Oh；　sir；'　I　cried；　'you　should　have　brought　them　here。'



'No　instructions；　Mr。　Ducie！'　said　he。　　'How　did　I　know　you　wished　

to　renew　an　acquaintance　which　you　had　just　terminated　so　

fortunately？　　And；　indeed；　to　be　frank　with　you；　I　should　have　set　

my　face　against　it；　if　you　had！　　Let　them　go！　　They　are　paid　and　

contented；　and　have　the　highest　possible　opinion　of　Mr。　St。　Ivey！　　

When　I　gave　them　fifty　pounds　apiece　…　which　was　rather　more　than　

enough；　Mr。　Ducie；　whatever　you　may　think　…　the　man　Todd；　who　has　

the　only　tongue　of　the　party；　struck　his　staff　on　the　ground。　　

〃Weel；〃　says　he；　〃I　aye　said　he　was　a　gentleman！〃　　〃Man；　Todd；〃　

said　I；　〃that　was　just　what　Mr　St。　Ivey　said　of　yourself！〃'



'So　it　was　a　case　of　〃Compliments　fly　when　gentlefolk　meet。〃'



'No；　no；　Mr。　Ducie；　man　Todd　and　man　Candlish　are　gone　out　of　your　

life；　and　a　good　riddance！　　They　are　fine　fellows　in　their　way；　but　

no　proper　associates　for　the　like　of　yourself；　and　do　you　finally　

agree　to　be　done　with　all　eccentricity　…　take　up　with　no　more　

drovers；　or　tinkers；　but　enjoy　the　naitural　pleesures　for　which　

your　age；　your　wealth；　your　intelligence；　and　（if　I　may　be　allowed　

to　say　it）　your　appearance　so　completely　fit　you。　　And　the　first　of　

these；'　quoth　he；　looking　at　his　watch；　'will　be　to　step　through　to　

my　dining…room　and　share　a　bachelor's　luncheon。'



Over　the　meal；　which　was　good；　Mr。　Robbie　continued　to　develop　the　

same　theme。　　'You're；　no　doubt；　what　they　call　a　dancing…man？'　said　

he。　　'Well；　on　Thursday　night　there　is　the　Assembly　Ball。　　You　must　

certainly　go　there；　and　you　must　permit　me　besides　to　do　the　

honours　of　the　ceety　and　send　you　a　ticket。　　I　am　a　thorough　

believer　in　a　young　man　being　a　young　man　…　but　no　more　drovers　or　

rovers；　if　you　love　me！　　Talking　of　which　puts　me　in　mind　that　you　

may　be　short　of　partners　at　the　Assembly　…　oh；　I　have　been　young　

myself！　…　and　if　ye　care　to　come　to　anything　so　portentiously　

tedious　as　a　tea…party　at　the　house　of　a　bachelor　lawyer；　

consisting　mainly　of　his　nieces　and　nephews；　and　his　grand…nieces　

and　grand…nephews；　and　his　wards；　and　generally　the　whole　clan　of　

the　descendants　of　his　clients；　you　might　drop　in　to…night　towards　

seven　o'clock。　　I　think　I　can　show　you　one　or　two　that　are　worth　

looking　at；　and　you　can　dance　with　them　later　on　at　the　Assembly。'



He　proceeded　to　give　me　a　sketch　of　one　or　two　eligible　young　

ladies'　whom　I　might　expect　to　meet。　　'And　then　there's　my　

parteecular　friend；　Miss　Flora；'　said　he。　　'But　I'll　make　no　

attempt　of　a　description。　　You　shall　see　her　for　yourself。'



It　will　be　readily　supposed　that　I　accepted　his　invitation；　and　

returned　home　to　make　a　toilette　worthy　of　her　I　was　to　meet　and　

the　good　news　of　which　I　was　the　bearer。　　The　toilette；　I　have　

reason　to　believe；　was　a　success。　　Mr。　Rowley　dismissed　me　with　a　

farewell：　'Crikey！　　Mr。　Anne；　but　you　do　look　prime！'　　Even　the　

stony　Bethiah　was　…　how　shall　I　say？　…　dazzled；　but　scandalised；　by　

my　appearance；　and　while；　of　course；　she　deplored　the　vanity　that　

led　to　it；　she　could　not　wholly　prevent　herself　from　admiring　the　

result。



'Ay；　Mr。　Ducie；　this　is　a　poor　employment　for　a　wayfaring　Christian　

man！'　she　said。　　'Wi'　Christ　despised　and　rejectit　in　all　pairts　of　

the　world　and　the　flag　of　the　Covenant　flung　doon；　you　will　be　

muckle　better　on　your　knees！　　However；　I'll　have　to　confess　that　it　

sets　you　weel。　　And　if　it's　the　lassie　ye're　gaun　to　see　the　nicht；　

I　suppose　I'll　just　have　to　excuse　ye！　　Bairns　maun　be　bairns！'　she　

said；　with　a　sigh。　　'I　mind　when　Mr。　McRankine　came　courtin'；　and　

that's　lang　by…gane　…　I　mind　I　had　a　green　gown；　passementit；　that　

was　thocht　to　become　me　to　admiration。　　I　was　nae　just　exactly　what　

ye　would　ca'　bonny；　but　I　was　pale；　penetratin'；　and　interestin'。'　　

And　she　leaned　over　the　stair…rail　with　a　candle　to　watch　my　

descent　as　long　as　it　should　be　possible。



It　was　but　a　little　party　at　Mr。　Robbie's　…　by　which；　I　do　not　so　

much　mean　that　there　were　few　people；　for　the　rooms　were　crowded；　

as　that　there　was　very　little　attempted　to　entertain　them。　　In　one　

apartment　there　were　tables　set　out；　where　the　elders　were　solemnly　

engaged　upon　whist；　in　the　other　and　larger　one；　a　great　number　of　

youth　of　both　sexes　entertained　themselves　languidly；　the　ladies　

sitting　upon　chairs　to　be　courted；　the　gentlemen　standing　about　in　

various　attitudes　of　insinuation　or　indifference。　　Conversation　

appeared　the　sole　resource；　except　in　so　far　as　it　was　modified　by　

a　number　of　keepsakes　and　annuals　which　lay　dispersed　upon　the　

tables；　and　of　which　the　young　beaux　displayed　the　illustrations　to　

the　ladies。　　Mr。　Robbie　himself　was　customarily　in　the　card…room；　

only　now　and　again；　when　he　cut　out；　he　made　an　incursion　among　the　

young　folks；　and　rolled　about　jovially　from　one　to　another；　the　

very　picture　of　the　general　uncle。



It　chanced　that　Flora　had　met　Mr。　Robbie　in　the　course　of　the　

afternoon