第30章

“Yes，Mr。Northmour，“returnedClara，withgreatspirit；“butthatiswhatyouwillneverdo。Youmadeabargainthatwasunworthyofagentleman；butyouareagentlemanforallthat，andyouwillneverdesertamanwhomyouhavebeguntohelp。“ “Aha！“saidhe。“YouthinkIwillgivemyyachtfornothing？YouthinkIwillriskmylifeandlibertyforloveoftheoldgentleman；andthen，Isuppose，hebestmanatthewedding，towindup？Well，“headded，withanoddsmile，“perhapsyouarenotaltogetherwrong。ButaskCassilishere。HEknowsme。AmIamantotrust？AmIsafeandscrupulous？AmIkind？“ “Iknowyoutalkagreatdeal，andsometimes，Ithink，veryfoolishly，“repliedClara，“butIknowyouareagentleman，andI amnottheleastafraid。“ Helookedatherwithapeculiarapprovalandadmiration；then，turningtome，“DoyouthinkIwouldgiveherupwithoutastruggle，Frank？“saidhe。“Itellyouplainly，youlookout。Thenexttimewecometoblows——“ “Willmakethethird，“Iinterrupted，smiling。 “Aye，true；soitwill，“hesaid。“Ihadforgotten。Well，thethirdtime’slucky。“ “Thethirdtime，youmean，youwillhavethecrewofthe’RedEarl’ tohelp，“Isaid。 “Doyouhearhim？“heasked，turningtomywife。 “Iheartwomenspeakinglikecowards，“saidshe。“Ishoulddespisemyselfeithertothinkorspeaklikethat。Andneitherofyoubelieveonewordthatyouaresaying，whichmakesitthemorewickedandsilly。“ “She’satrump！“criedNorthmour。“Butshe’snotyetMrs。 Cassilis。Isaynomore。Thepresentisnotforme。“ Thenmywifesurprisedme。 “Ileaveyouhere，“shesaidsuddenly。“Myfatherhasbeentoolongalone。Butrememberthis:youaretobefriends，foryouarebothgoodfriendstome。“ Shehassincetoldmeherreasonforthisstep。Aslongassheremained，shedeclaresthatwetwowouldhavecontinuedtoquarrel； andIsupposethatshewasright，forwhenshewasgonewefellatonceintoasortofconfidentiality。 Northmourstaredafterherasshewentawayoverthesandhill。 “Sheistheonlywomanintheworld！“heexclaimedwithanoath。 “Lookatheraction。“ I，formypart，leapedatthisopportunityforalittlefurtherlight。 “Seehere，Northmour，“saidI；“weareallinatightplace，arewenot？“ “Ibelieveyou，myboy，“heanswered，lookingmeintheeyes，andwithgreatemphasis。“Wehaveallhelluponus，that’sthetruth。 Youmaybelievemeornot，butI’mafraidofmylife。“ “Tellmeonething，“saidI。“Whataretheyafter，theseItalians？ WhatdotheywantwithMr。Huddlestone？“ “Don’tyouknow？“hecried。“Theblackoldscamphadcarbonarifundsonadeposit——twohundredandeightythousand；andofcoursehegambleditawayonstocks。TherewastohavebeenarevolutionintheTridentino，orParma；buttherevolutionisoff，andthewholewasp’snestisafterHuddlestone。Weshallallbeluckyifwecansaveourskins。“ “Thecarbonari！“Iexclaimed；“Godhelphimindeed！“ “Amen！“saidNorthmour。“Andnow，lookhere:Ihavesaidthatweareinafix；and，frankly，Ishallbegladofyourhelp。IfI can’tsaveHuddlestone，Iwantatleasttosavethegirl。Comeandstayinthepavilion；and，there’smyhandonit，Ishallactasyourfrienduntiltheoldmaniseitherclearordead。But，“headded，“oncethatissettled，youbecomemyrivalonceagain，andI warnyou——mindyourself。“ “Done！“saidI；andweshookhands。 “Andnowletusgodirectlytothefort，“saidNorthmour；andhebegantoleadthewaythroughtherain。 VI WewereadmittedtothepavilionbyClara，andIwassurprisedbythecompletenessandsecurityofthedefenses。Abarricadeofgreatstrength，andyeteasytodisplace，supportedthedooragainstanyviolencefromwithout；andtheshuttersofthedining- room，intowhichIwasleddirectly，andwhichwasfeeblyilluminatedbyalamp，wereevenmoreelaboratelyfortified。Thepanelswerestrengthenedbybarsandcrossbars；andthese，intheirturn，werekeptinpositionbyasystemofbracesandstruts，someabuttingonthefloor，someontheroof，andothers，infine，againsttheoppositewalloftheapartment。Itwasatonceasolidandwell-designedpieceofcarpentry；andIdidnotseektoconcealmyadmiration。 “Iamtheengineer，“saidNorthmour。“Youremembertheplanksinthegarden？Beholdthem？“ “Ididnotknowyouhadsomanytalents，“saidI。 “Areyouarmed？“hecontinued，pointingtoanarrayofgunsandpistols，allinadmirableorder，whichstoodinlineagainstthewallorweredisplayeduponthesideboard。 “Thankyou，“Ireturned；“Ihavegonearmedsinceourlastencounter。But，totellyouthetruth，Ihavehadnothingtoeatsinceearlyyesterdayevening。“ Northmourproducedsomecoldmeat，towhichIeagerlysetmyself，andabottleofgoodBurgundy，bywhich，wetasIwas，Ididnotscrupletoprofit。Ihavealwaysbeenanextremetemperancemanonprinciple；butitisuselesstopushprincipletoexcess，andonthisoccasionIbelievethatIfinishedthreequartersofthebottle。AsIeat，Istillcontinuedtoadmirethepreparationsfordefense。 “Wecouldstandasiege，“Isaidatlength。 “Ye——es，“drawledNorthmour；“averylittleone，perhaps。ItisnotsomuchthestrengthofthepavilionImisdoubt；itisthedoubledangerthatkillsme。Ifwegettoshooting，wildasthecountryis，someoneissuretohearit，andthen——whythenit’sthesamething，onlydifferent，astheysay:cagedbylaw，orkilledbycarbonari。There’sthechoice。Itisadevilishbadthingtohavethelawagainstyouinthisworld，andsoItelltheoldgentlemanupstairs。Heisquiteofmywayofthinking。“ “Speakingofthat，“saidI，“whatkindofpersonishe？“ “Oh，he！“criedtheother；“he’sarancidfellow，asfarashegoes。Ishouldliketohavehisneckwrungto-morrowbyallthedevilsinItaly。Iamnotinthisaffairforhim。Youtakeme？I madeabargainformissy’shand，andImeantohaveittoo。“ “That，bytheway，“saidI。“Iunderstand。ButhowwillMr。 Huddlestonetakemyintrusion？“ “LeavethattoClara，“returnedNorthmour。 Icouldhavestruckhiminthefaceforhiscoarsefamiliarity；butIrespectedthetruce，as，Iamboundtosay，didNorthmour，andsolongasthedangercontinuednotacloudaroseinourrelation。I bearhimthistestimonywiththemostunfeignedsatisfaction；noramIwithoutpridewhenIlookbackuponmyownbehavior。Forsurelynotwomenwereeverleftinapositionsoinvidiousandirritating。 AssoonasIhaddoneeating，weproceededtoinspectthelowerfloor。Windowbywindowwetriedthedifferentsupports，nowandthenmakinganinconsiderablechange；andthestrokesofthehammersoundedwithstartlingloudnessthroughthehouse。Iproposed，I remember，tomakeloopholes；buthetoldmetheywerealreadymadeinthewindowsoftheupperstory。Itwasananxiousbusiness，thisinspection，andleftmedown-hearted。Thereweretwodoorsandfivewindowstoprotect，and，countingClara，onlyfourofustodefendthemagainstanunknownnumberoffoes。IcommunicatedmydoubtstoNorthmour，whoassuredme，withunmovedcomposure，thatheentirelysharedthem。 “Beforemorning，“saidhe，“weshallallbebutcheredandburiedinGradenFloe。Forme，thatiswritten。“ Icouldnothelpshudderingatthementionofthequicksand，butremindedNorthmourthatourenemieshadsparedmeinthewood。 “Donotflatteryourself，“saidhe。“Thenyouwerenotinthesameboatwiththeoldgentleman；nowyouare。It’sthefloeforallofus，markmywords。“ ItrembledforClara；andjustthenherdearvoicewasheardcallingustocomeupstairs。Northmourshowedmetheway，and，whenhehadreachedthelanding，knockedatthedoorofwhatusedtobecalledMyUncle’sBedroom，asthefounderofthepavilionhaddesigneditespeciallyforhimself。 “Comein，Northmour；comein，dearMr。Cassilis，“saidavoicefromwithin。 Pushingopenthedoor，Northmouradmittedmebeforehimintotheapartment。AsIcameinIcouldseethedaughterslippingoutbythesidedoorintothestudy，whichhadbeenpreparedasherbedroom。Inthebed，whichwasdrawnbackagainstthewall，insteadofstanding，asIhadlastseenit，boldlyacrossthewindow，satBernardHuddlestone，thedefaultingbanker。LittleasIhadseenofhimbytheshiftinglightofthelanternonthelinks，Ihadnodifficultyinrecognizinghimforthesame。Hehadalongandsallowcountenance，surroundedbyalongredbeardandside-whiskers。Hisbrokennoseandhighcheek-honesgavehimsomewhattheairofaKalmuck，andhislighteyesshonewiththeexcitementofahighfever。Heworeaskull-capofblacksilk；ahugeBiblelayopenbeforehimonthebed，withapairofgoldspectaclesintheplace，andapileofotherbookslayonthestandbyhisside。Thegreencurtainslentacadaverousshadetohischeek；and，ashesatproppedonpillows，hisgreatstaturewaspainfullyhunched，andhisheadprotrudedtillitoverhunghisknees。Ibelieveifhehadnotdiedotherwise，hemusthavefallenavictimtoconsumptioninthecourseofbutaveryfewweeks。 Heheldouttomeahand，long，thin，anddisagreeablyhairy。 “Comein，comein，Mr。Cassilis，“saidhe。“Anotherprotector—— ahem！——anotherprotector。Alwayswelcomeasafriendofmydaughter’s，Mr。Cassilis。Howtheyhaveralliedaboutme，mydaughter’sfriends！MayGodinheavenblessandrewardthemforit！“ Igavehimmyhand，ofcourse，becauseIcouldnothelpit；butthesympathyIhadbeenpreparedtofeelforClara’sfatherwasimmediatelysouredbyhisappearance，andthewheedling，unrealtonesinwhichhespoke。 “Cassilisisagoodman，“saidNorthmour；“worthten。“ “SoIhear，“criedMr。Huddlestoneeagerly；“somygirltellsme。 Ah，Mr。Cassilis，mysinhasfoundmeout，yousee！Iamverylow，verylow；butIhopeequallypenitent。Wemustallcometothethroneofgraceatlast，Mr。Cassilis。Formypart，Icomelateindeed；butwithunfeignedhumility，Itrust。“ “Fiddle-de-dee！“saidNorthmourroughly。 “No，no，dearNorthmour！“criedthebanker。“Youmustnotsaythat；youmustnottrytoshakeme。Youforget，mydear，goodboy，youforgetImaybecalledthisverynightbeforemyMaker。“ Hisexcitementwaspitifultobehold；andIfeltmyselfgrowindignantwithNorthmour，whoseinfidelopinionsIwellknew，andheartilydespised，ashecontinuedtotauntthepoorsinneroutofhishumorofrepentance。 “Pooh，mydearHuddlestone！“saidhe。“Youdoyourselfinjustice。 Youareamanoftheworldinsideandout，andwereuptoallkindsofmischiefbeforeIwasborn。YourconscienceistannedlikeSouthAmericanleather——onlyyouforgottotanyourliver，andthat，ifyouwillbelieveme，istheseatoftheannoyance。“ “Rogue，rogue！badboy！“saidMr。Huddlestone，shakinghisfinger。 “Iamnoprecisian，ifyoucometothat；Ialwayshatedaprecisian；butIneverlostholdofsomethingbetterthroughitall。Ihavebeenabadboy，Mr。Cassilis；Idonotseektodenythat；butitwasaftermywife’sdeath，andyouknow，withawidower，it’sadifferentthing:sinful——Iwon’tsayno；butthereisagradation，weshallhope。Andtalkingofthat——Hark！“hebrokeoutsuddenly，hishandraised，hisfingersspread，hisfacerackedwithinterestandterror。“Onlytherain，blessGod！“headded，afterapause，andwithindescribablerelief。 Forsomesecondshelaybackamongthepillowslikeamanneartofainting；thenhegatheredhimselftogether，and，insomewhattremuloustones，beganoncemoretothankmefortheshareIwaspreparedtotakeinhisdefense。 “Onequestion，sir，“saidI，whenhehadpaused。“Isittruethatyouhavemoneywithyou？“