malvina of brittany-第24节

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paid　at　slap…up　hotels　and　a　ten…pound　note　in　your　pocket　at　the
end；　you　can　have　it　for　two　hours'　work　a　day。〃

I　suppose　my　face　expressed　my　acceptance；　for　he　did　not　wait　for
me　to　speak。

〃Only　one　thing　I　stipulate　for；〃　he　added；　〃that　you　mind　your　own
business　and　keep　your　mouth　shut。　　You're　by　yourself；　aren't　you？〃

〃Yes；〃　I　told　him。

He　wrote　on　a　sheet　of　his　notebook；　and；　tearing　it　out；　handed　it
to　me。

〃That's　your　hotel　at　Antwerp；〃　he　said。　　〃You　are　Mr。　Horatio
Jones's　secretary。〃　　He　chuckled　to　himself　as　he　repeated　the　name；
which　certainly　did　not　fit　him。　　〃Knock　at　my　sitting…room　door　at
nine　o'clock　tomorrow　morning。　　Good　night！〃

He　ended　the　conversation　as　abruptly　as　he　had　begun　it；　and
returned　to　his　cabin。

I　got　a　glimpse　of　him　next　morning；　coming　out　of　the　hotel　bureau。
He　was　speaking　to　the　manager　in　French；　and　had　evidently　given
instructions　concerning　me；　for　I　found　myself　preceded　by　an
obsequious　waiter　to　quite　a　charming　bedroom　on　the　second　floor；
while　the　〃English　breakfast〃　placed　before　me　later　in　the
coffee…room　was　of　a　size　and　character　that　in　those　days　I　did　not
often　enjoy。　　About　the　work；　also；　he　was　as　good　as　his　word。　　I
was　rarely　occupied　for　more　than　two　hours　each　morning。　　The
duties　consisted　chiefly　of　writing　letters　and　sending　off
telegrams。　　The　letters　he　signed　and　had　posted　himself；　so　that　I
never　learnt　his　real　namenot　during　that　fortnightbut　I
gathered　enough　to　be　aware　that　he　was　a　man　whose　business
interests　must　have　been　colossal　and　world…wide。

He　never　introduced　me　to　〃Mrs。　Horatio　Jones；〃　and　after　a　few　days
he　seemed　to　be　bored　with　her；　so　that　often　I　would　take　her　place
as　his　companion　in　afternoon　excursions。

I　could　not　help　liking　the　man。　　Strength　always　compels　the
adoration　of　youth；　and　there　was　something　big　and　heroic　about
him。　　His　daring；　his　swift　decisions；　his　utter　unscrupulousness；
his　occasional　cruelty　when　necessity　seemed　to　demand　it。　　One
could　imagine　him　in　earlier　days　a　born　leader　of　savage　hordes；　a
lover　of　fighting　for　its　own　sake；　meeting　all　obstacles　with
fierce　welcome；　forcing　his　way　onward；　indifferent　to　the　misery
and　destruction　caused　by　his　progress；　his　eyes　never　swerving　from
their　goal；　yet　not　without　a　sense　of　rough　justice；　not　altogether
without　kindliness　when　it　could　be　indulged　in　without　danger。

One　afternoon　he　took　me　with　him　into　the　Jewish　quarter　of
Amsterdam；　and　threading　his　way　without　hesitation　through　its　maze
of　unsavoury　slums；　paused　before　a　narrow　three…storeyed　house
overlooking　a　stagnant　backwater。

〃The　room　I　was　born　in；〃　he　explained。　　〃Window　with　the　broken
pane　on　the　second　floor。　　It　has　never　been　mended。〃

I　stole　a　glance　at　him。　　His　face　betrayed　no　suggestion　of
sentiment；　but　rather　of　amusement。　　He　offered　me　a　cigar；　which　I
was　glad　of；　for　the　stench　from　the　offal…laden　water　behind　us　was
distracting；　and　for　a　while　we　both　smoked　in　silence：　　he　with　his
eyes　half…closed；　it　was　a　trick　of　his　when　working　out　a　business
problem。

〃Curious；　my　making　such　a　choice；〃　he　remarked。　　〃A　butcher's
assistant　for　my　father　and　a　consumptive　buttonhole…maker　for　my
mother。　　I　suppose　I　knew　what　I　was　about。　　Quite　the　right　thing
for　me　to　have　done；　as　it　turned　out。〃

I　stared　at　him；　wondering　whether　he　was　speaking　seriously　or　in
grim　jest。　　He　was　given　at　times　to　making　odd　remarks。　　There　was
a　vein　of　the　fantastic　in　him　that　was　continually　cropping　out　and
astonishing　me。

〃It　was　a　bit　risky；〃　I　suggested。　　〃Better　choose　something　a
little　safer　next　time。〃

He　looked　round　at　me　sharply；　and；　not　quite　sure　of　his　mood；　I
kept　a　grave　face。

〃Perhaps　you　are　right；〃　he　agreed；　with　a　laugh。　　〃We　must　have　a
talk　about　it　one　day。〃

After　that　visit　to　the　Goortgasse　he　was　less　reserved　with　me；　and
would　often　talk　to　me　on　subjects　that　I　should　never　have　guessed
would　have　interested　him。　　I　found　him　a　curious　mixture。　　Behind
the　shrewd；　cynical　man　of　business　I　caught　continual　glimpses　of
the　visionary。

I　parted　from　him　at　The　Hague。　　He　paid　my　fare　back　to　London；　and
gave　me　an　extra　pound　for　travelling　expenses；　together　with　the
ten…pound　note　he　had　promised　me。　　He　had　packed　off　〃Mrs。　Horatio
Jones〃　some　days　before；　to　the　relief；　I　imagine；　of　both　of　them；
and　he　himself　continued　his　journey　to　Berlin。　　I　never　expected　to
see　him　again；　although　for　the　next　few　months　I　often　thought　of
him；　and　even　tried　to　discover　him　by　inquiries　in　the　City。　　I
had；　however；　very　little　to　go　upon；　and　after　I　had　left　Fenchurch
Street　behind　me；　and　drifted　into　literature；　I　forgot　him。

Until　one　day　I　received　a　letter　addressed　to　the　care　of　my
publishers。　　It　bore　the　Swiss　postmark；　and　opening　it　and　turning
to　the　signature　I　sat　wondering　for　the　moment　where　I　had　met
〃Horatio　Jones。〃　　And　then　I　remembered。

He　was　lying　bruised　and　broken　in　a　woodcutter's　hut　on　the　slopes
of　the　Jungfrau。　　Had　been　playing　a　fool's　trick；　so　he　described
it；　thinking　he　could　climb　mountains　at　his　age。　　They　would　carry
him　down　to　Lauterbrunnen　as　soon　as　he　could　be　moved　farther　with
safety；　but　for　the　present　he　had　no　one　to　talk　to　but　the　nurse
and　a　Swiss　doctor　who　climbed　up　to　see　him　every　third　day。　　He
begged　me；　if　I　could　spare　the　time；　to　come　over　and　spend　a　week
with　him。　　He　enclosed　a　hundred…pound　cheque　for　my　expenses；
making　no　apology　for　doing　so。　　He　was　complimentary　about　my　first
book；　which　he　had　been　reading；　and　asked　me　to　telegraph　him　my
reply；　giving　me　his　real　name；　which；　as　I　had　guessed　it　would；
proved　to　be　one　of　the　best　known　in　the　financial　world。　　My　time
was　my　own　now；　and　I　wired　him　that　I　would　be　with　him　the
following　Monday。

He　was　lying　in　the　sun　outside　the　hut　when　I　arrived　late　in　the
afternoon；　after　a　three…hours'　climb　followed　by　a　porter　carrying
my　small　amount　of　luggage。　　He　could　not　raise　his　hand；　but　his
strangely　brilliant　eyes　spoke　their　welcome。

〃I　am　glad　you　were　able　to　come；〃　he　said。　　〃I　have　no　near
relations；　and　my　friendsif　that　is　the　right　termare　business
men　who　would　be　bored　to　tears。　　Besides；　they　are　not　the　people　I
feel　I　want　to　talk　to；　now。〃

He　was　entirely　reconciled　to　the　coming　of　death。　　Indeed；　there
were　moments　when　he　gave　me　the　idea　that　he　was　looking　forward　to
it　with　an　awed　curiosity。　　With　the　conventional　notion　of　cheering
him；　I　talked　of　staying　till　he　was　able　to　return　with　me　to
civilisation；　but　he　only　laughed。

〃I　am　not　going　back；〃　he　said。　　〃Not　that　way。　　What　they　may　do
afterwards　with　these　broken　bones　does　not　much　concern　either　you
or　me。

〃It's　a　good　place　to　die　in；〃　he　continued。　　〃A　man　can　think　up
here。〃

It　was　difficult　to　feel　sorry　for　him；　his　own　fate　appearing　to
make　so　little　difference　to　himself。　　The　world　was　still　full　of
interest　to　himnot　his　own　particular　corner　of　it：　　that；　he　gave
me　to　understand；　he　had　tidied　up　and　dismissed　from　his　mind。　　It
was　the　future；　its　coming　problems；　its　possibilities；　its　new
developments；　about　which　he　seemed　eager　to　talk。　　One　might　have
imagined　him　a　young　man　with　the　years　before　him。

One　eveningit　was　near　the　endwe　were　alone　together。　　The
woodcutter　and　his　wife　had　gone　down　into　the　valley　to　see　their
children；　and　the　nurse；　leaving　him　in　my　charge；　had　gone　for　a
walk。　　We　had　carried　him　round　to　his　favourite　side　of　the　hut
facing　the　towering　mass　of　the　Jungfrau。　　As　the　shadows　lengthened
it　seemed　to　come　nearer　to　us；　and　there　fell　a　silence　upon　us。

Gradually　I　became　aware　that　his　piercing　eyes　were　fixed　on　me；
and　in　answer　I　turned　and　looked　at　him。

〃I　wonder　if　we　shall　meet　again；〃　he　said；　〃or；　what　is　more
important；　if　we　shall　remember　one　another。〃

I　was　puzzled　for　the　moment。　　We　had　discussed　more　than　once　the
various　religions　of　mankind；　and　his　attitude　towards　the　orthodox
beliefs　had　always　been　that　of　amused　contempt。

〃It　has　been　growing　upon　me　these　last　few　days；〃　he　continued。
〃It　flashed　across　me　the　first　time　I　saw　you　on　the　boat。　　We　were
fellow…students。　　Something；　I　don't　know　what；　drew　us　very　close
together。　　There　was　a　woman。　　They　were　burning　her。　　And　then
there　was　a　rush　of　people　and　a　sudden　darkness；　and　your　eyes
close　to　mine。〃

I　suppose　it　was　some　form　of　hypnotism；　for；　as　he　spoke；　his
searching　eyes　fixed　on　mine；　there　came　to　me　a　dream　of　narrow
streets　filled　with　a　strange　crowd；　of　painted　houses　such　as　I　had
never　seen；　and　a　haunting　fear　that　seemed　to　be　always　lurking
behind　each　shadow。　　I　shook　myself　free；　but　not　without　an　effort。

〃So　that's　what　you　meant；〃　I　said；　〃that　evening　in　the　Goortgasse。
You　believe　in　it？〃

〃A　curious　thing　happened　to　me；〃　he　said；　〃when　I　was　a　child。　　I
could　hardly　have　been　six　years　old。　　I　had　gone　to　Ghent　with　my
parents。　　I　think　it　was　to　visit　some　relative。　　One　day　we　went
into　the　castle。　　It　was　in　ruins　then；　but　has　since　been　restored。