第7章

theytalkonlyofthingsthatinterestallchildren——pets，toys，andtheirgames。ThisisonlyANYchild’slettertoANYfather。I couldn’treallysayitWASBobby’s。Astothephotograph，theyhaveanoddwayinSouthAmericaofsellingphotographsofanybody，principallyofprettywomen，bythepacket，toanyonewhowantsthem。Sothatitdoesnotfollowthattheownerofthisphotographhadanypersonalinterestinit。Now，astoyourmysteriouspatronhimself，canyoudescribehim？“ShelookedatRandolphwithacertainfelineintensity。 Hebecameembarrassed。“YouknowIonlysawhimonce，underastreetlamp“——hebegan。 “AndIhaveonlyseenCaptainDornton——ifitwerehe——twiceinthreeyears，“shesaid。“Butgoon。“ AgainRandolphwasunpleasantlyimpressedwithhercold，drylypracticalmanner。Hehadneverseenhisbenefactorbutonce，buthecouldnotspeakofhiminthatway。 “Ithink，“hewentonhesitatingly，“thathehaddark，pleasanteyes，athickbeard，andthelookofasailor。“ “Andtherewerenootherpapersintheportmanteau？“shesaid，withthesameintenselook。 “None。“ “Thesearemerecoincidences，“saidMissAvondale，afterapause，“and，afterall，theyarenotasstrangeasthealternative。ForwewouldhavetobelievethatCaptainDorntonarrivedhere——whereheknewhissonandIwereliving——withoutawordofwarning，cameashoreforthepurposeofgoingtoahotelandthebankalso，andthenunaccountablychangedhismindanddisappeared。“ Thethoughtoftherottenwharf，hisownescape，andthedeadbodywereallinRandolph’smind；buthisreasoningwasalreadystaggeredbythegirl’sconclusions，andhefeltthatitmightonlypain，withoutconvincingher。Andwasheconvincedhimself？Shesmiledathisblankfaceandrose。“Thankyouallthesame。AndnowImustgo。“ Randolphrosealso。“Wouldyouliketotakethephotographandlettertoshowyourcousin？“ “Yes。ButIshouldnotplacemuchrelianceonhismemory。“ Nevertheless，shetookupthephotographandletter，andRandolph，puttingtheportmanteaubackinthecloset，lockedit，andstoodreadytoaccompanyher。 Ontheirwaytoherhousetheytalkedofotherthings。RandolphlearnedsomethingofherlifeinCallao:thatshewasanorphanlikehimself，andhadbeenbroughtfromtheEasternStateswhenachildtolivewitharichuncleinCallaowhowaschildless；thatheraunthaddiedandherunclehadmarriedagain；thatthesecondwifehadbeenatvariancewithhisfamily，andthatitwasconsequentlysomerelieftoMissAvondaletobeindependentastheguardianofBobby，whosemotherwasasisterofthefirstwife； thatherunclehadobjectedasstronglyasabrother-in-lawcouldtohiswife’ssister’smarriagewithCaptainDorntononaccountofhisrovinglifeandunsettledhabits，andthatconsequentlytherewouldbelittlesympathyforherorforBobbyinhismysteriousdisappearance。Thewindblewandtherainfellupontheseconfidences，yetRandolph，walkingagainunderthatumbrellaoffelicity，partedwithheratherowndoorstepalltoosoon，althoughconsoledwiththepermissiontocomeandseeherwhenthechildreturned。 Hewentbacktohisroomaveryhopeful，foolish，buthappyyouth。 Asheenteredheseemedtofeelthecharmofherpresenceagaininthehumbleapartmentshehadsanctified。Thefurnitureshehadmovedwithherownlittlehands，thebedonwhichshehadsatforahalfmoment，wasglorifiedtohisyouthfulfancy。Andeventhatmagicportmanteauwhichhadbroughthimallthishappiness，that，too，——buthegaveasuddenstart。Theclosetdoor，whichhehadshutashewentout，wasunlockedandopen，theportmanteau——his“trust“——gone！ RandolphTrent’sconsternationatthelossoftheportmanteauwaspartlysuperstitious。For，althoughitwaseasytomakeupthesmallsumtaken，andthepapersweresafeinMissAvondale’spossession，yetthisdisplacementoftheonlylinkbetweenhimandhismissingbenefactor，andthemysteryofitsdisappearance，raisedallhisolddoubtsandsuspicions。Avagueuneasiness，astillmorevaguesenseofsomeremissnessonhisownpart，possessedhim。 ThattheportmanteauwastakenfromhisroomduringhisabsencewithMissAvondalethatafternoonwasevident。Thedoorhadbeenopenedbyaskeletonkey，andasthebuildingwasdesertedonSunday，therehadbeennochanceofinterferencewiththethief。 Ifmerebootyhadbeenhisobject，thepursewouldhavesatisfiedhimwithouthisburdeninghimselfwithaportmanteauwhichmightbeidentified。Nothingelseintheroomhadbeendisturbed。Thethiefmusthavehadsomecognizanceofitslocation，andhavekeptsomeespionageoverRandolph’smovements——acircumstancewhichaddedtothemysteryandhisdisquiet。Heplacedadescriptionofhislosswiththepoliceauthorities，buttheironlyideaofrecoveringitwasbyleavingthatdescriptionwithpawnbrokersandsecond-handdealers，aproceedingthatRandolphinstinctivelyfeltwasinvain。 AsingularbutinstinctivereluctancetoinformMissAvondaleofhislosskepthimfromcallinguponherforthefirstfewdays。 Whenhedid，sheseemedconcernedatthenews，althoughfarfromparticipatinginhissuperstitionorhissuspicions。 “Youstillhavetheletterandphotograph——whatevertheymaybeworth——foridentification，“shesaiddryly，“althoughBobbycannotrememberabouttheletter。Hethinkshewentoncewithhisfathertoaphotographerandhadapicturetaken，buthecannotrememberseeingitafterward。“Shewasholdingtheminherhand，andRandolphalmostmechanicallytookthemfromherandputtheminhispocket。Hewouldnot，perhaps，havenoticedhisownbrusquenesshadshenotlookedalittlesurprised，and，hethought，annoyed。 “Areyouquitesureyouwon’tlosethem？“shesaidgently。 “PerhapsIhadbetterkeepthemforyou。“ “Ishallsealthemupandputtheminthebanksafe，“hesaidquickly。Hecouldnottellwhetherhissuddenresolutionwasaninstinctortheobstinacythatoftencomestoanawkwardman。 “But，“headded，coloring，“Ishallalwaysregretthelossoftheportmanteau，foritwasthemeansofbringingustogether。“ “Ithoughtitwastheumbrella，“saidMissAvondaledryly。 Shehadoncebeforehaltedhimontheperilousedgeofsentimentbyasimilarcynicism，butthistimeitcuthimdeeply。Forhecouldnotbeblindtothefactthatshetreatedhimlikeamereboy，andindispellingtheillusionsofhisinstinctsandbeliefsseemedasifintentupondispellinghisillusionsofHER；andinherhalf- smilingabstractionhereadonlythewell-bredtolerationofonewhoisbeginningtobebored。Hemadehisexcusesearlyandwenthome。Nevertheless，althoughregrettinghehadnotlefthertheletterandphotograph，hedepositedtheminthebanksafethenextday，andtriedtofeelthathehadvindicatedhischaracterforgrown-upwisdom。 Then，inhisconflictingemotions，hepunishedhimself，afterthefashionofyouth，byavoidingthebelovedone’spresenceforseveraldays。Hedidthisinthebeliefthatitwouldenablehimtomakeuphismindwhethertorevealhisrealfeelingstoher，andperhapstherewasthemorealluringhopethathisabsencemightprovokesomemanifestationsofsentimentonherpart。Butshemadenosign。Andthencameareactioninhisfeelings，withaheightenedsenseofloyaltytohisbenefactor。For，freedofanyillusionoryouthfulfancynow，apurelyunselfishgratitudetotheunknownmanfilledhisheart。Inthelapseofhissentimentheclungthemorecloselytothisonehonestromanceofhislife。 Oneafternoon，atthecloseofbusiness，hewasalittleastonishedtoreceiveamessagefromMr。Dingwall，thedeputymanager，thathewishedtoseehiminhisprivateoffice。HewasstillmoreastonishedwhenMr。Dingwall，afterofferinghimachair，stoodupwithhishandsunderhiscoattailsbeforethefireplace，and，withahesitancyhalfreserved，halfcourteous，butwhollyEnglish，said，—— “I——er——wouldbeglad，Mr。Trent，ifyouwould——er——givemethepleasureofyourcompanyatdinnerto-morrow。“ Randolph，stillamazed，stammeredhisacceptance。 “Therewillbe——er——ayoungladyinwhomyouwere——er——interestedsometimeago。Er——MissAvondale。“ Randolph，feelinghewascoloring，anduncertainwhetherheshouldspeakofhavingmethersince，contentedhimselfwithexpressinghisdelight。 “Infact，“continuedMr。Dingwall，clearinghisthroatasifhewerealsoclearinghisconscienceofatremendoussecret，“she——er—— mentionedyourname。ThereisSirWilliamDorntoncomingalso。 SirWilliamhasrecentlysucceededhiselderbrother，who——er——itseems，wasthegentlemanyouwereinquiringaboutwhenyoufirstcamehere，andwho，itisnowascertained，wasdrownedinthebayafewmonthsago。Infact——er——itisprobablethatyouwerethelastonewhosawhimalive。IthoughtIwouldtellyou，“continuedMr。 Dingwall，settlinghischinmorecomfortablyinhischeckedcravat，“incaseSirWilliamshouldspeakofhimtoyou。“ Randolphwasstaggered。Theabruptrevelationofhisbenefactor’snameandfate，casuallycoupledwithaninvitationtodinner，shockedandconfoundedhim。PerhapsMr。Dingwallnoticeditandmisunderstoodthecause，forheaddedinparentheticalexplanation: “Yes，themanwhoseportmanteauyoutookchargeofisdead；butyoudidyourduty，Mr。Trent，inthematter，althoughtherecoveryoftheportmanteauwasunessentialtothecase。“ “Dead，“repeatedRandolph，scarcelyheedinghim。“Butisittrue？ Aretheysure？“