第31章

Heseemedannoyedbythequestion，butadmittedwithreluctancethathehadalittle。 “Well，“Icontinued，“itistheirmoneytheyareafter，isitnot？ Whynotgiveituptothem？“ “Ah！“repliedhe，shakinghishead，“Ihavetriedthatalready，Mr。 Cassilis；andalas！thatitshouldbeso，butitisbloodtheywant。“ “Huddlestone，that’salittlelessthanfair，“saidNorthmour。 “Youshouldmentionthatwhatyouofferedthemwasupwardoftwohundredthousandshort。Thedeficitisworthareference；itisforwhattheycallacoolsum，Frank。Then，yousee，thefellowsreasonintheirclearItalianway；anditseemstothem，asindeeditseemstome，thattheymayjustaswellhavebothwhilethey’reaboutit——moneyandbloodtogether，byGeorge，andnomoretroublefortheextrapleasure。“ “Isitinthepavilion？“Iasked。 “Itis；andIwishitwereinthebottomoftheseainstead，“saidNorthmour；andthensuddenly——“Whatareyoumakingfacesatmefor？“hecriedtoMr。Huddlestone，onwhomIhadunconsciouslyturnedmyback。“DoyouthinkCassiliswouldsellyou？“ Mr。Huddlestoneprotestedthatnothinghadbeenfurtherfromhismind。 “Itisagoodthing，“retortedNorthmourinhisugliestmanner。 “Youmightendbywearyingus。Whatwereyougoingtosay？“headded，turningtome。 “Iwasgoingtoproposeanoccupationfortheafternoon，“saidI。 “Letuscarrythatmoneyout，piecebypiece，andlayitdownbeforethepaviliondoor。Ifthecarbonaricome，why，it’stheirsatanyrate。“ “No，no，“criedMr。Huddlestone；“itdoesnot，itcannot，belongtothem！Itshouldbedistributedprorataamongallmycreditors。“ “Comenow，Huddlestone，“saidNorthmour，“noneofthat。“ “Well，butmydaughter，“moanedthewretchedman。“Yourdaughterwilldowellenough。Herearetwosuitors，CassilisandI，neitherofusbeggars，betweenwhomshehastochoose。Andasforyourself，tomakeanendofarguments，youhavenorighttoafarthing，and，unlessI’mmuchmistaken，youaregoingtodie。“ Itwascertainlyverycruellysaid；butMr。Huddlestonewasamanwhoattractedlittlesympathy；and，althoughIsawhimwinceandshudder，Imentallyindorsedtherebuke；nay，Iaddedacontributionofmyown。 “NorthmourandI，“Isaid，“arewillingenoughtohelpyoutosaveyourlife，butnottoescapewithstolenproperty。“ Hestruggledforawhilewithhimself，asthoughhewereonthepointofgivingwaytoanger，butprudencehadthebestofthecontroversy。 “Mydearboys，“hesaid，“dowithmeormymoneywhatyouwill。I leaveallinyourhands。Letmecomposemyself。“ Andsowelefthim，gladlyenoughIamsure。 ThelastthatIsaw，hehadoncemoretakenuphisgreatBible，andwithtremuloushandswasadjustinghisspectaclestoread。 VII Therecollectionofthatafternoonwillalwaysbegravenonmymind。NorthmourandIwerepersuadedthatanattackwasimminent； andifithadbeeninourpowertoalterinanywaytheorderofevents，thatpowerwouldhavebeenusedtoprecipitateratherthandelaythecriticalmoment。Theworstwastobeanticipated；yetwecouldconceivenoextremitysomiserableasthesuspensewewerenowsuffering。Ihaveneverbeenaneager，thoughalwaysagreat，reader；butIneverknewbookssoinsipidasthosewhichItookupandcastasidethatafternooninthepavilion。Eventalkbecameimpossible，asthehourswenton。Oneorotherwasalwayslisteningforsomesound，orpeeringfromanupstairswindowoverthelinks。Andyetnotasignindicatedthepresenceofourfoes。 Wedebatedoverandoveragainmyproposalwithregardtothemoney；andhadwebeenincompletepossessionofourfaculties，I amsureweshouldhavecondemneditasunwise；butwewereflusteredwithalarm，graspedatastraw，anddetermined，althoughitwasasmuchasadvertisingMr。Huddlestone’spresenceinthepavilion，tocarrymyproposalintoeffect。 Thesumwaspartinspecie，partinbankpaper，andpartincircularnotespayabletothenameofJamesGregory。Wetookitout，countedit，incloseditoncemoreinadispatchboxbelongingtoNorthmour，andpreparedaletterinItalianwhichhetiedtothehandle。Itwassignedbybothofusunderoath，anddeclaredthatthiswasallthemoneywhichhadescapedthefailureofthehouseofHuddlestone。Thiswas，perhaps，themaddestactioneverperpetratedbytwopersonsprofessingtobesane。Hadthedispatchboxfallenintootherhandsthanthoseforwhichitwasintended，westoodcriminallyconvictedonourownwrittentestimony；but，asIhavesaid，wewereneitherofusinaconditiontojudgesoberly，andhadathirstforactionthatdroveustodosomething，rightorwrong，ratherthanenduretheagonyofwaiting。Moreover，aswewerebothconvincedthatthehollowsofthelinkswerealivewithhiddenspiesuponourmovements，wehopedthatourappearancewiththeboxmightleadtoaparley，and，perhaps，acompromise。 Itwasnearlythreewhenweissuedfromthepavilion。Therainhadtakenoff；thesunshonequitecheerfully。Ihadneverseenthegullsflysocloseaboutthehouseorapproachsofearlesslytohumanbeings。Ontheverydoorsteponeflappedheavilypastourheads，anduttereditswildcryinmyveryear。 “Thereisanomenforyou，“saidNorthmour，wholikeallfreethinkerswasmuchundertheinfluenceofsuperstition。“Theythinkwearealreadydead。“ Imadesomelightrejoinder，butitwaswithhalfmyheart；forthecircumstancehadimpressedme。 Ayardortwobeforethegate，onapatchofsmoothturf，wesetdownthedispatchbox；andNorthmourwavedawhitehandkerchiefoverhishead。Nothingreplied。Weraisedourvoices，andcriedaloudinItalianthatwewerethereasambassadorstoarrangethequarrel，butthestillnessremainedunbrokensavebytheseagullsandthesurf。Ihadaweightatmyheartwhenwedesisted；andI sawthatevenNorthmourwasunusuallypale。Helookedoverhisshouldernervously，asthoughhefearedthatsomeonehadcreptbetweenhimandthepaviliondoor。 “ByGod，“hesaidinawhisper，“thisistoomuchforme！“ Irepliedinthesamekey:“Supposethereshouldbenone，afterall！“ “Lookthere，“hereturned，noddingwithhishead，asthoughhehadbeenafraidtopoint。 Iglancedinthedirectionindicated；andthere，fromthenorthernquarteroftheSea-Wood，beheldathincolumnofsmokerisingsteadilyagainstthenowcloudlesssky。 “Northmour，“Isaid(westillcontinuedtotalkinwhispers)，“itisnotpossibletoendurethissuspense。Ipreferdeathfiftytimesover。Stayyouheretowatchthepavilion；Iwillgoforwardandmakesure，ifIhavetowalkrightintotheircamp。“ Helookedonceagainallroundhimwithpuckeredeyes，andthennoddedassentinglytomyproposal。 MyheartheatlikeasledgehammerasIsetoutwalkingrapidlyinthedirectionofthesmoke；and，thoughuptothatmomentIhadfeltchillandshivering，Iwassuddenlyconsciousofaglowofheatallovermybody。Thegroundinthisdirectionwasveryuneven；ahundredmenmighthavelainhiddeninasmanysquareyardsaboutmypath。ButIwhohadnotpracticedthebusinessinvain，chosesuchroutesascutattheveryrootofconcealment，and，bykeepingalongthemostconvenientridges，commandedseveralhollowsatatime。ItwasnotlongbeforeIwasrewardedformycaution。Comingsuddenlyontoamoundsomewhatmoreelevatedthanthesurroundinghummocks，Isaw，notthirtyyardsaway，amanbentalmostdouble，andrunningasfastashisattitudepermitted，alongthebottomofagully。Ihaddislodgedoneofthespiesfromhisambush。AssoonasIsightedhim，IcalledloudlybothinEnglishandItalian；andhe，seeingconcealmentwasnolongerpossible，straightenedhimselfout，leapedfromthegully，andmadeoffasstraightasanarrowforthebordersofthewood。Itwasnoneofmybusinesstopursue；IhadlearnedwhatIwanted——thatwewerebeleagueredandwatchedinthepavilion；andIreturnedatonce，andwalkedasnearlyaspossibleinmyoldfootsteps，towhereNorthmourawaitedmebesidethedispatchbox。HewasevenpalerthanwhenIhadlefthim，andhisvoiceshookalittle。 “Couldyouseewhathewaslike？“heasked。 “Hekepthisbackturned，“Ireplied。 “Letusgetintothehouse，Frank。Idon’tthinkI’macoward，butIcanstandnomoreofthis，“hewhispered。 Allwasstillandsunshinyaboutthepavilion，asweturnedtoreenterit；eventhegullshadflowninawidercircuit，andwereseenflickeringalongthebeachandsandhills；andthislonelinessterrifiedmemorethanaregimentunderarms。ItwasnotuntilthedoorwasbarricadedthatIcoulddrawafullinspirationandrelievetheweightthatlayuponmybosom。NorthmourandI exchangedasteadyglance；andIsupposeeachmadehisownreflectionsonthewhiteandstartledaspectoftheother。 “Youwereright，“Isaid。“Allisover。Shakehands，oldman，forthelasttime。“ “Yes，“repliedhe，“Iwillshakehands；for，assureasIamhere，Ibearnomalice。But，remember，if，bysomeimpossibleaccident，weshouldgivethesliptotheseblackguards，I’lltaketheupperhandofyoubyfairorfoul。“ “Oh，“saidI，“youwearyme！“ Heseemedhurt，andwalkedawayinsilencetothefootofthestairs，wherehepaused。 “Youdonotunderstand，“saidhe。“Iamnotaswindler，andI guardmyself；thatisall。Imaywearyyouornot，Mr。Cassilis，I donotcarearush；Ispeakformyownsatisfaction，andnotforyouramusement。Youhadbettergoupstairsandcourtthegirl；formypart，Istayhere。“ “AndIstaywithyou，“Ireturned。“DoyouthinkIwouldstealamarch，evenwithyourpermission？“ “Frank，“hesaid，smiling，“it’sapityyouareanass，foryouhavethemakingsofaman。IthinkImustbefeyto-day；youcannotirritatemeevenwhenyoutry。Doyouknow，“hecontinuedsoftly，“IthinkwearethetwomostmiserablemeninEngland，youandI？wehavegotontothirtywithoutwifeorchild，orsomuchasashoptolookafter——poor，pitiful，lostdevils，both！Andnowweclashaboutagirl！AsiftherewerenotseveralmillionsintheUnitedKingdom！Ah，Frank，Frank，theonewholoseshisthrow，beityouorme，hehasmypity！Itwerebetterforhim——howdoestheBiblesay？——thatamillstonewerehangedabouthisneckandhewerecastintothedepthofthesea。Letustakeadrink，“heconcludedsuddenly，butwithoutanylevityoftone。 Iwastouchedbyhiswords，andconsented。Hesatdownonthetableinthedining-room，andhelduptheglassofsherrytohiseye。 “Ifyoubeatme，Frank，“hesaid，“Ishalltaketodrink。Whatwillyoudo，ifitgoestheotherway？“ “Godknows，“Ireturned。 “Well，“saidhe，“hereisatoastinthemeantime:’Italiairredenta！’“ Theremainderofthedaywaspassedinthesamedreadfultediumandsuspense。Ilaidthetablefordinner，whileNorthmourandClarapreparedthemealtogetherinthekitchen。IcouldheartheirtalkasIwenttoandfro，andwassurprisedtofinditranallthetimeuponmyself。Northmouragainbracketedustogether，andralliedClaraonachoiceofhusbands；buthecontinuedtospeakofmewithsomefeeling，andutterednothingtomyprejudiceunlessheincludedhimselfinthecondemnation。Thisawakenedasenseofgratitudeinmyheart，whichcombinedwiththeimmediatenessofourperiltofillmyeyeswithtears。Afterall，Ithought——andperhapsthethoughtwaslaughablyvain——wewereherethreeverynoblehumanbeingstoperishindefenseofathievingbanker。 Beforewesatdowntotable，Ilookedforthfromanupstairswindow。Thedaywasbeginningtodecline；thelinkswereutterlydeserted；thedispatchboxstilllayuntouchedwherewehadleftithoursbefore。 Mr。Huddlestone，inalongyellowdressinggown，tookoneendofthetable，Claratheother；whileNorthmourandIfacedeachotherfromthesides。Thelampwasbrightlytrimmed；thewinewasgood； theviands，althoughmostlycold，excellentoftheirsort。Weseemedtohaveagreedtacitly；allreferencetotheimpendingcatastrophewascarefullyavoided；and，consideringourtragiccircumstances，wemadeamerrierpartythancouldhavebeenexpected。Fromtimetotime，itistrue，NorthmourorIwouldrisefromtableandmakearoundofthedefenses；and，oneachoftheseoccasions，Mr。Huddlestonewasrecalledtoasenseofhistragicpredicament，glancedupwithghastlyeyes，andboreforaninstantonhiscountenancethestampofterror。Buthehastenedtoemptyhisglass，wipedhisforeheadwithhishandkerchief，andjoinedagainintheconversation。 Iwasastonishedatthewitandinformationhedisplayed。Mr。