jamesclavell.noblehouse-第123节

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　Penelope　was　remembering　how　old　Granny　Dunross　had　taken　her　into　her　heart　and　into　the　clan　from　the　first　moment。　That　was　just　after　she　and　Ian　were　married　and　visiting　for　the　second　time；　Ian　on　sick　leave；　still　on　crutches；　his　legs　badly　burned　but　healing；　the　rest　of　him　untouched　in　the　flaming　crash…landing　but　for　his　mad；　all…consuming　anger　at　being　grounded　forever；　she　so　pleased　secretly；　thanking　God　for　the　reprieve。
　〃But　whisht；　lassie；〃　Granny　Dunross　had　added　with　a　chuckle　that　night　when　the　winter　winds　were　whining　off　the　moors；　sleet　outside；　and　they　all　warm　and　toasty　in　front　of　the　great　fire；　safe　from　the　bombing；　well　fed　and　never　a　care　except　that　Ian　should　get　well　quickly；　〃。。。　there　was　a　time　when　this　Dunross　was　six　and；　och　aye；　he　had　a　terrible　temper　even　then　and　his　father　Colin　was　off　in　those　heathen　foreign　parts　as　always；　so　this　Dunross　would　e　to　Ayr　on　holiday　from　boarding　school。　Aye；　and　sometimes　he　would　e　to　see　me　and　I'd　tell　him　tales　o'　the　clan　and　his　grandfather　and　great…grandfather　but　this　time　nothing　would　take　away　the　deevil　that　possessed　him。　It　was　a　night　like　this　and　I　sent　him　out；　the　poor　wee　bairn；　aye　I　sent　him　out　to　the　Shrieking　Tree。　。。。〃　The　old　woman　had　chuckled　and　chuckled　and　sipped　whiskey　and　continued；　〃Aye　and　the　young　deevil　went　out；　cock　of　the　walk；　the　gale　under　his　kilt；　and　he　cursed　the　tree。　Och　aye；　surely　the　wee　beasties　in　the　forest　fled　before　his　wrath　and　then　he　came　back。　'Have　you　given　it　a　good　drubbing；'　I　asked　him。　'Aye；'　he　said　in　his　wee　voice。　'Aye；　Grandma；　I　gave　it　a　good　drubbing；　the　very　best　ever。'
　〃　'Good；'　I　said。　'And　now　you're　at　peace！'
　〃　'Well；　not　really；　Grandmother；　but　I　am　tired。'　And　then；　lassie；　at　that　moment；　there　was　an　almighty　crash　and　the　whole　house　shook　and　I　thought　it　was　the　end　of　the　world　but　the　wee　little　bairn　ran　out　to　see　what　had　happened　and　a　lightning　bolt　had　blasted　the　Shrieking　Tree　to　pieces。　'Och　aye；　Granny；'　he　said　in　his　piping　little　voice　when　he　came　back；　his　eyes　wide；　'that　really　was　the　very　best　I　ever　did。　Can　I　do　it　again！'　〃
　Ian　had　laughed。　〃That's　all　a　story；　I　don't　remember　that　at　all。　You're　making　it　up；　Granny！〃
　〃Whisht　on　you！　You　were　five　or　six　and　the　next　day　we　went　into　the　glade　and　picked　the　new　tree；　the　one　you'll　see　tomorrow；　lassie；　and　blessed　it　in　the　clan's　name　and　I　told　young　Ian　to　be　a　mite　more　careful　next　time！〃
　They　had　laughed　together　and　then；　later　that　night；　she　had　woken　up　to　find　Ian　gone　and　his　crutches　gone。　She　had　watched　and　waited。　When　he　came　back　he　was　soaked　but　tired　and　at　peace。　She　pretended　sleep　until　he　was　in　bed　again。　Then　she　turned　to　him　and　gave　him　all　the　warmth　she　had。
　〃Remember；　lassie；〃　Granny　Dunross　had　said　to　her　privately　the　day　they　left；　〃if　ye　want　to　keep　your　marriage　sweet；　make　sure　this　Dunross　always　has　a　Shrieking　Tree　nearby。　Dinna　be　afeared。　Pick　one；　always　pick　one　wherever　you　go。　This　Dunross　needs　a　Shrieking　Tree　close　by　though　he'll　never　admit　it　and　will　never　use　it　but　rarely。　He's　like　the　Dirk。　He's　too　strong。　。。。〃
　So　wherever　they　had　gone　they　had　had　one。　Penelope　had　insisted。　Once；　in　Chungking；　where　Dunross　had　been　sent　to　be　an　Allied　liaison　officer　after　he　was　well　again；　she　had　made　a　bamboo　their　Shrieking　Tree。　Here　in　Hong　Kong　it　was　a　huge　jacaranda　that　dominated　the　whole　garden。　〃Don't　you　think　you　should　pay　her　a　wee　visit？〃　The　tree　was　always　a　her　for　him　and　a　him　for　her。　Everyone　should　have　a　Shrieking　Tree；　Penelope　thought。　Everyone。
　〃Thanks；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　okay　now。〃
　〃How　did　Granny　Dunross　have　so　much　wisdom　and　stay　so　marvelous　after　so　much　tragedy　in　her　life？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　Perhaps　they　built　them　stronger　in　those　days。〃
　〃I　miss　her。〃　Granny　Dunross　was　eighty…five　when　she　died。　She　was　Agnes　Struan　when　she　married　her　cousin　Dirk　Dunross　…　Dirk　McCloud　Dunross；　whom　his　mother　Winifred；　Dirk　Struan's　only　daughter；　had　named　after　her　father　in　remembrance。　Dirk　Dunross　had　been　fourth　tai…pan　and　he　had　been　lost　at　sea　in　Sunset　Cloud　driving　her　homeward。　He　was　only　forty…two　when　he　was　lost；　she　thirty…one。　She　never　married　again。　They　had　had　three　sons　and　one　daughter。　Two　of　her　sons　were　killed　in　World　War　I；　the　eldest　at　Gallipoli　at　twenty…one；　the　other　gassed　at　Ypres　in　Flanders；　nineteen。　Her　daughter　Anne　had　married　Gaston　deVille；　Jacques's　father。　Anne　had　died　in　the　London　bombing　where　all　the　deVilles　had　fled　except　Jacques　who　had　stayed　in　France　and　fought　the　Nazis　with　the　Maquis。　Colin；　the　last　of　her　sons；　Ian's　father；　also　had　three　sons　and　a　daughter；　Kathren。　Two　sons　also　were　killed　in　World　War　II。　Kathren's　first　husband；　Ian's　squadron　leader；　was　killed　in　the　Battle　of　Britain。　〃So　many　deaths；　violent　deaths；〃　Penelope　said　sadly。　〃To　see　them　all　born　and　all　die　。。。　terrible。　Poor　Granny！　Yet　when　she　died　she　seemed　to　go　so　peacefully　with　that　lovely　smile　of　hers。〃
　〃Perhaps　it　was　joss。　But　the　others；　that　was　joss　too。　They　only　did　what　they　had　to；　Penn。　After　all；　our　family　history's　ordinary　in　that。　We're　British。　War's　been　a　way　of　life　for　centuries。　Look　at　your　family　…　one　of　your　uncles　was　lost　at　sea　in　the　navy　in　the　Great　War；　another　in　the　last　at　El　Alamein；　your　parents　killed　in　the　blitz　。。。　all　very　ordinary。〃　His　voice　hardened。　〃It's　not　easy　to　explain　to　any　outsider；　is　it？〃
　〃No。　We　all　had　to　grow　up　so　quickly；　didn't　we；　Ian？〃　He　nodded　and　after　a　moment　she　said；　〃You'd　better　dress　for　dinner；　dear；　you'll　be　late。〃
　〃e　on；　Penn；　for　God's　sake；　you　take　an　hour　longer　than　me。　We'll　put　in　a　quick　appearance　and　leave　directly　after　chow。　Wh…　〃　The　phone　rang　and　he　picked　it　up。　〃Yes？　Oh　hello；　Mr。　Deland。〃
　〃Good　evening；　tai…pan。　I　wish　to　report　about　Mme。　deVille's　daughter　and　son…in…law；　M。　Escary。〃
　〃Yes；　please　go　ahead。〃
　〃I　am　sad　to　have　the　dishonor　of　bringing　such　bad　tidings。　The　accident　was　a；　how　do　you　say；　sideswipe　on　the　upper　Corniche　just　outside　Eze。　The　driver　of　the　other　car　was　drunk。　It　was　at　two　in　the　morning　about；　and　when　the　police　arrived；　M。　Escary　was　already　dead　and　his　wife　unconscious。　The　doctor　says　she　will　mend；　very　well；　but　he　is　afraid　that　her；　her　internal　organs；　her　childbearing　organs　may　have　permanent　hurt。　She　may　require　an　operation。　He　…　〃
　〃Does　she　know　this？〃
　〃No；　m'sieu；　not　yet；　but　Mme。　deVille　was　told；　the　doctor　told　her。　I　met　her　as　you　ordered　and　have　taken　care　of　everything。　I　have　asked　for　a　specialist　in　these　things　from　Paris　to　consult　with　the　Nice　Hospital　and　he　arrives　this　afternoon。〃
　〃Is　there　any　other　damage？〃
　〃Externally；　non。　A　broken　wrist；　a　few　cuts；　nothing。　But　。。。　the　poor　lady　is　distraught。　It　was　glad　。。。　I　was　glad　that　her　mother　came；　that　helped；　has　helped。　She　stays　at　the　Métropole　in　a　suite　and　I　met　her　airplane。　Of　course　I　will　be　in　the　constant　touch。〃
　〃Who　was　driving？〃
　〃Mme。　Escary。〃
　〃And　the　other　driver？〃
　There　was　a　hesitation。　〃His　name　is　Charles　Sessonne。　He's　a　baker　in　Eze　and　he　was　ing　home　after　cards　and　an　evening　with　some　friends。　The　police　have　。。。　Mme。　Escary　swears　his　car　was　on　the　wrong　side　of　the　road。　He　cannot　remember。　Of　course　he　is　very　sorry　and　the　police　have　charged　him　with　drunk　driving　an…　〃
　〃Is　this　the　first　time？〃
　〃Non。　Non；　once　before　he　was　stopped　and　fined。〃
　〃What'll　happen　under　French　law？〃
　〃There　will　be　a　court　and　then　。。。　I　do　not　know；　m'sieu。　There　were　no　other　witnesses。　Perhaps　a　fine；　perhaps　jail；　I　do　not　know。　Perhaps　he　will　remember　he　was　on　the　right　side；　who　knows？　I'm　sorry。〃
　Dunross　thought　a　moment。　〃Where　does　this　man　live？〃
　〃Rue　de　Verte　14；　Eze。〃
　Dunross　remembered　the　village　well；　not　far　from　Monte　Carlo；　high　above；　and　the　whole　of　the　C？te　d'Azur　below　and　you　could　see　beyond　Monte　Carlo　into　Italy；　and　beyond　Cap　Ferrat　to　Nice。　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Deland。　I've　telexed　you　10；000　U。S。　for　Mme。　deVille's　expenses　and　anything　else。　Whatever's　necessary　please　do　it。　Call　me　at　once　if　there's　anything　。。。　yes　and　ask　the　specialist　to　call　me　immediately　after　he's　examined　Mme。　Escary。　Have　you　talked　with　Mr。　Jacques　deVille？〃
　〃No；　tai…pan。　You　did　not　instruct　this。　Should　I　phone？〃
　〃No。　I'll　call　him。　Thank　you　again。〃　Dunross　hung　up　and　told　Penelope　everything；　except　about　the　internal　injuries。
　〃How　awful！　How　。。。　how　senseless！〃
　Dunross　was　looking　out　at　the　sunset。　It　was　at　his　suggestion　the　young　couple　had　gone　to　Nice　and　Monte　Carlo　where　he　and　Penelope　had　had　so　much　fun；　and　marvelous　food；　marvelous　wine　and　a　little　gambling。　Joss；　he　thought；　then　added；　Christ　all　bloody　mighty！
　He　dialed　Jacques　deVille's　house　but　he　was　not　there。　He　left　a　message　for　him　to　return　the　call。　〃I'll　see　him　at　the　dinner　tonight；〃　he　said；　the　champagne　now　tasteless。　〃Well；　we'd　better　get　changed。〃
　〃I'm　not　going；　dear。〃
　〃Oh　but　。。。〃
　〃I've　lots　to　do　to　get　ready　for　tomorrow。　You　can　make　an　excuse　for　me　…　of　course　you　have　to　go。　I'll　be　ever　so　bu