第10章

Randolph’snaturewastoohopefulandrecuperativetoallowhimtolingeridlyinthepast。Hethrewhimselfintohisworkatthebankwithhisoldearnestnessandacertainsimpleconscientiousnesswhich，whileitoftenprovokedtherailleryofhisfellowclerks，didnotescapetheeyesofhisemployers。Hewasadvancedstepbystep，andbytheendoftheyearwasputinchargeofthecorrespondencewithbanksandagencies。Hehadsavedsomemoney，andhadmadeoneortwoprofitableinvestments。Hewasenabledtotakebetterapartmentsinthesamebuildinghehadoccupied。Hehadfewofthetemptationsofyouth。Hisfearofpovertyandhisnaturaltastekepthimfromthespeculativeandmaterialexcessesoftheperiod。Adistrustofhisromanticweaknesskepthimfromsocietyandmeanerentanglementswhichmighthavebesethisgoodlooksandgoodnature。Heworkedinhisroomsatnightandforborehisoldeveningrambles。 Astheyearworeontotheanniversaryofhisarrival，hethoughtmuchofthedeadmanwhohadinspiredhisfortunes，andwithitasenseofhisolddoubtsandsuspicionsrevived。Hisreasonhadobligedhimtoacceptthelossofthefatefulportmanteauasanordinarytheft；hisinstinctremainedunconvinced。Therewasnosuperstitionconnectedwithhisloss。Hisownprosperityhadnotbeenimpairedbyit。Onthecontrary，hereflectedbitterlythatthedeadmanhadapparentlydiedonlytobenefitothers。Atsuchtimesherecalled，withapleasurethatheknewmightbecomeperilous，thetallEnglishgirlwhohaddefendedDornton’smemoryandechoedhisownsympathy。Butthatwasallovernow。 Onestormynight，notunlikethateventfuloneofhispastexperience，Randolphsoughthisroomsintheteethofasouthwestgale。Ashebuffetedhiswayalongtherain-washedpavementofMontgomeryStreet，itwasnotstrangethathisthoughtsrevertedtothatnightandthememoryofhisdeadprotector。Butreachinghisapartment，hesternlybanishedthemwiththevanishedromancetheyrevived，andlightinghislamp，laidouthispapersintheprospectofaneveningofuninterruptedwork。Hewassurprised，however，afteralittleinterval，bythesoundofuncertainandshufflingstepsonthehalf-lightedpassageoutside，thenoiseofsomeheavyarticlesetdownonthefloor，andthenatentativeknockathisdoor。Alittleimpatientlyhecalled，“Comein。“ Thedooropenedslowly，andoutofthehalfobscurityofthepassageathicksetfigurelurchedtowardhimintothefulllightoftheroom。Randolphhalfrose，andthensankbackintohischair，awed，spellbound，andmotionless。Hesawthefigurestandingplainlybeforehim；hesawdistinctlythefamiliarfurnitureofhisroom，thestorm-twinklinglightsinthewindowsopposite，theflashofpassingcarriagelampsinthestreetbelow。Butthefigurebeforehimwasnoneotherthanthedeadmanofwhomhehadjustbeenthinking。 Thefigurelookedathimintently，andthenburstintoafitofunmistakablelaughter。Itwasneitherloudnorunpleasant，andyetitprovokedadisagreeablerecollection。Nevertheless，itdissipatedRandolph’ssuperstitioustremor，forhehadneverbeforeheardofaghostwholaughedheartily。 “Youdon’trememberme，“saidtheman。“Belaythere，andI’llfreshenyourmemory。“Hesteppedbacktothedoor，openedit，puthisarmoutintothehall，andbroughtinaportmanteau，closedthedoor，andappearedbeforeRandolphagainwiththeportmanteauinhishand。Itwastheonethathadbeenstolen。“There！“hesaid。 “CaptainDornton，“murmuredRandolph。 Themanlaughedagainandflungdowntheportmanteau。“You’vegotmynamepatenough，lad，Isee；butIreckonedyou’dhavespottedMEwithoutthatportmanteau。“ “Iseeyou’vegotitback，“stammeredRandolphinhisembarrassment。 “Itwas——stolenfromme。“ CaptainDorntonlaughedagain，droppedintoachair，rubbedhishandsonhisknees，andturnedhisfacetowardRandolph。“Yes；I stoleit——orhaditstolen——thesamething，forI’mresponsible。“ “ButIwouldhavegivenituptoYOUatonce，“saidRandolphreproachfully，clingingtotheonlyideahecouldunderstandinhisutterbewilderment。“Ihavereligiouslyandfaithfullykeptitforyou，withallitscontents，eversince——youdisappeared。“ “Iknowit，lad，“saidCaptainDornton，rising，andextendingabrown，weather-beatenhandwhichclosedheartilyontheyoungman’s；“noneedtosaythat。Andyou’vekeptitevenbetterthanyouknow。Lookhere！“ HeliftedtheportmanteautohislapanddisclosedBEHINDtheusualsmallpouchorpocketinthelidaslitinthelining。“Betweentheliningandtheouterleather，“hewentongrimly，“Ihadtwoorthreebanknotesthatcametoaboutathousanddollars，andsomepapers，lad，that，reckoningbyandlarge，mightbeworthtomeamillion。WhenIgotthatportmanteaubacktheywereallthere，gummedin，justasIhadleftthem。Ididn’tshowupandcomeforthemmyself，forIwaslyinglowatthetime，and——nooffense，lad—— Ididn’tknowhowyoustoodwithapartywhowasnoparticularfriendofmine。AnoldshipmatewhomIsettowatchthatpartyquiteaccidentallyrunacrossyourbowsintheferryboat，andheardenoughtomakehimfollowinyourwakehere，wherehegottheportmanteau。It’sallright，“hesaid，withalaugh，wavingasidewithhisbrownhandRandolph’sprotestinggesture。“Theoldbag’sonlygotbacktoitsrightfulowner。Itmayn’thavebeengotinshipshape’Friscostyle，butwhenaman’slifeisatstake，atleast，whenit’saquestionofhisbeingconsidereddeadoralive，he’sgottotakethingsashefinds’em，andIfound’emd——bad。“ InaflashofrecollectionRandolphrememberedtheobtrudingminerontheferryboat，thesamefigureonthewharfcorner，andtheadvantagetakenofhisabsencewithMissAvondale。AndMissAvondalewasthe“party“thisman’sshipmatewaswatching！Hefelthisfacecrimsoning，yethedarednotquestionhimfurther，noryetdefendher。CaptainDorntonnoticedit，andwithafriendlytact，whichRandolphhadnotexpectedofhim，risingagain，laidhishandgentlyontheyoungman’sshoulder。 “Lookhere，lad，“hesaid，withhispleasantsmile；“don’tyouworryyourheadaboutthewaysordoingsoftheDorntonfamily，oranyoftheirfriends。They’reaqueerlot——includingyourhumbleservant。You’vedonethesquarethingaccordin’toyourlights。 You’veriddenstraightfromstarttofinish，withnojockeying，andIshan’tforgetit。Thereareonlytwomenwhohaven’tfailedmewhenItrustedthem。OnewasyouwhenIgaveyoumyportmanteau； theotherwasJackRedhillwhenhestoleitfromyou。“ Hedroppedbackinhischairagain，andlaughedsilently。 “Thenyoudidnotfalloverboardastheysupposed，“stammeredRandolphatlast。 “Notmuch！Butthenextthingtoit。Itwasn’tthewaterthatI tookinthatknockedmeout，mylad，butsomethingstronger。Iwasshanghaied。“ “Shanghaied？“repeatedRandolphvacantly。 “Yes，shanghaied！Hocused！Druggedatthatginmillonthewharfbyalotofcrimps，who，mistakingmeforabetterman，shovedme，blinddrunkandhelpless，downthestepsintoaboat，andouttoashort-handedbriginthestream。WhenIcametoIwasoutsidetheHeads，pointedforGuayaquil。Whentheyfoundthey’dcaptured，notapoorJack，butamanwho’dtrodaquarterdeck，whoknew，andwasknownateveryportonthetradingline，andwhocouldmakeithotforthem，theyweregladtocompromiseandsetmeashoreatAcapulco，andsixweekslaterIlandedin’Frisco。“ “Safeandsound，thankHeaven！“saidRandolphjoyously。 “Notexactly，lad，“saidCaptainDorntongrimly，“butdeadandsatuponbythecoroner，andmybodycomfortablyboxedupandonitswaytoEngland。“ “Butthatwasninemonthsago。Whathaveyoubeendoingsince？ Whydidn’tyoudeclareyourselfthen？“saidRandolphimpatiently，alittleirritatedbytheman’sextremeindifference。Hereallytalkedlikeanamusedspectatorofhisownmisfortunes。 “Steady，lad。Iknowwhatyou’regoingtosay。Iknowallthathappened。ButthefirstthingIfoundwhenIgotbackwasthattheshanghaibusinesshadsavedmylife；thatbutforthatIwouldhavereallybeenoccupyingthatboxonitswaytoEngland，insteadofthepoordevilwhowastakenforme。“ AcoldtremorpassedoverRandolph。CaptainDornton，however，wastolerantlysmiling。 “Idon’tunderstand，“saidRandolphbreathlessly。 CaptainDorntonroseand，walkingtothedoor，lookedoutintothepassage；thenheshutthedoorcarefullyandreturned，glancingabouttheroomandatthestorm-washedwindows。“IthoughtIheardsomeoneoutside。I’mlyinglowjustnow，andonlygooutatnight，forIdon’twantthisthingblownbeforeI’mready。Gotanythingtodrinkhere？“ Randolphrepliedbytakingadecanterofwhiskeyandglassesfromacupboard。Thecaptainfilledhisglass，andcontinuedwiththesamegentlebutexasperatingnonchalance，“Mindmysmoking？“ “Notatall，“saidRandolph，pushingacigartowardhim。Butthecaptainputitaside，drewfromhispocketashortblackclaypipe，stuffeditwithblack“Cavendishplug，“whichhehadfirstchippedoffinthepalmofhishandwithalargeclaspknife，lightedit，andtookafewmeditativewhiffs。Then，glancingatRandolph’spapers，hesaid，“I’mnotkeepingyoufromyourwork，lad？“andreceivingareplyinthenegative，puffedathispipeandoncemoresettledhimselfcomfortablyinhischair，withhisdark，beardedprofiletowardRandolph。