armadale-第130节

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you　forfeited　your　security；　and　I　had　to　pay。　I　am　willing　and
anxious　to　let　by…gones　be　by…gones；　and　to　forget　the　past。

〃It　is　in　your　power　（if　you　are　still　at　the　Private　Inquiry
Office）　to　do　me　a　great　service。　I　am　in　sore　anxiety　and
trouble　on　the　subject　of　a　person　in　whom　I　am　interested。　The
person　is　a　lady。　Please　don't　make　game　of　me　for　confessing
this；　if　you　can　help　it。　If　you　knew　what　I　am　now　suffering；　I
think　you　would　be　more　inclined　to　pity　than　to　make　game　of　me。

〃I　would　enter　into　particulars；　only　I　know　your　quick　temper；
and　I　fear　exhausting　your　patience。　Perhaps　it　may　be　enough　to
say　that　I　have　reason　to　believe　the　lady's　past　life　has　not
been　a　very　creditable　one；　and　that　I　am　interestedmore
interested　than　words　can　tellin　finding　out　what　her　life　has
really　been；　and　in　making　the　discovery　within　a　fortnight　from
the　present　time。

〃Though　I　know　very　little　about　the　ways　of　business　in　an
office　like　yours；　I　can　understand　that；　without　first　having
the　lady's　present　address；　nothing　can　be　done　to　help　me。
Unfortunately；　I　am　not　yet　acquainted　with　her　present　address。
I　only　know　that　she　went　to　town　to…day；　accompanied　by　a
gentleman；　in　whose　employment　I　now　am；　and　who　（as　I　believe）
will　be　likely　to　write　to　me　for　money　before　many　days　more　are
over　his　head。

〃Is　this　circumstance　of　a　nature　to　help　us？　I　venture　to　say
'us；'　because　I　count　already；　my　dear　boy；　on　your　kind
assistance　and　advice。　Don't　let　money　stand　between　us；　I　have
saved　a　little　something；　and　it　is　all　freely　at　your　disposal。
Pray；　pray　write　to　me　by　return　of　post！　If　you　will　only　try
your　best　to　end　the　dreadful　suspense　under　which　I　am　now
suffering；　you　will　atone　for　all　the　grief　and　disappointment
you　caused　me　in　times　that　are　past；　and　you　will　confer　an
obligation　that　he　will　never　forget　on

〃Your　affectionate　father；

〃FELIX　BASHWOOD。〃


After　waiting　a　little；　to　dry　his　eyes；　Mr。　Bashwood　added　the
date　and　address；　and　directed　the　letter　to　his　son；　at　〃The
Private　Inquiry　Office；　Shadyside　Place；　London。〃　That　done；　he
went　out　at　once；　and　posted　his　letter　with　his　own　hands。　It
was　then　Monday；　and；　if　the　answer　was　sent　by　return　of　post；
the　answer　would　be　received　on　Wednesday　morning。

The　interval　day；　the　Tuesday；　was　passed　by　Mr。　Bashwood　in　the
steward's　office　at　the　great　house。　He　had　a　double　motive　for
absorbing　himself　as　deeply　as　might　be　in　the　various
occupations　connected　with　the　management　of　the　estate。　In　the
first　place；　employment　helped　him　to　control　the　devouring
impatience　with　which　he　looked　for　the　coming　of　the　next　day。
In　the　second　place；　the　more　forward　he　was　with　the　business　of
the　office；　the　more　free　he　would　be　to　join　his　son　in　London；
without　attracting　suspicion　to　himself　by　openly　neglecting　the
interests　placed　under　his　charge。

Toward　the　Tuesday　afternoon；　vague　rumors　of　something　wrong　at
the　cottage　found　their　way　（through　Major　Milroy's　servants）　to
the　servants　at　the　great　house；　and　attempted　ineffectually
through　this　latter　channel　to　engage　the　attention　of　Mr。
Bashwood；　impenetrably　fixed　on　other　things。　The　major　and　Miss
Neelie　had　been　shut　up　together　in　mysterious　conference；　and
Miss　Neelie's　appearance　after　the　close　of　the　interview　plainly
showed　that　she　had　been　crying。　This　had　happened　on　the　Monday
afternoon；　and　on　the　next　day　（that　present　Tuesday）　the　major
had　startled　the　household　by　announcing　briefly　that　his
daughter　wanted　a　change　to　the　air　of　the　seaside；　and　that　he
proposed　taking　her　himself；　by　the　next　train；　to　Lowestoft。　The
two　had　gone　away　together；　both　very　serious　and　silent；　but
both；　apparently；　very　good　friends；　for　all　that。　Opinions　at
the　great　house　attributed　this　domestic　revolution　to　the
reports　current　on　the　subject　of　Allan　and　Miss　Gwilt。　Opinions
at　the　cottage　rejected　that　solution　of　the　difficulty；　on
practical　grounds。　Miss　Neelie　had　remained　inaccessibly　shut　up
in　her　own　room；　from　the　Monday　afternoon　to　the　Tuesday　morning
when　her　father　took　her　away。　The　major；　during　the　same
interval；　had　not　been　outside　the　door；　and　had　spoken　to　nobody
And　Mrs。　Milroy；　at　the　first　attempt　of　her　new　attendant　to
inform　her　of　the　prevailing　scandal　in　the　town；　had　sealed　the
servant's　lips　by　flying　into　one　of　her　terrible　passions　the
instant　Miss　Gwilt's　name　was　mentioned。　Something　must　have
happened；　of　course；　to　take　Major　Milroy　and　his　daughter　so
suddenly　from　home；　but　that　something　was　certainly　not　Mr。
Armadale's　scandalous　elopement；　in　broad　daylight；　with　Miss
Gwilt。

The　afternoon　passed；　and　the　evening　passed；　and　no　other　event
happened　but　the　purely　private　and　personal　event　which　had
taken　place　at　the　cottage。　Nothing　occurred　（for　nothing　in　the
nature　of　things　_could_　occur）　to　dissipate　the　delusion　on
which　Miss　Gwilt　had　countedthe　delusion　which　all　Thorpe
Ambrose　now　shared　with　Mr。　Bashwood；　that　she　had　gone　privately
to　London　with　Allan　in　the　character　of　Allan's　future　wife。

On　the　Wednesday　morning；　the　postman；　entering　the　street　in
which　Mr。　Bashwood　lived；　was　encountered　by　Mr。　Bashwood
himself；　so　eager　to　know　if　there　was　a　letter　for　him　that　he
had　come　out　without　his　hat。　There　_was_　a　letter　for　himthe
letter　that　he　longed　for　from　his　vagabond　son。

These　were　the　terms　in　which　Bashwood　the　younger　answered　his
father's　supplication　for　helpafter　having　previously　ruined
his　father's　prospects　for　life：


〃Shadyside　Place。　Tuesday；　July　29th。

〃MY　DEAR　DADWe　have　some　little　practice　in　dealing　with
mysteries　at　this　office；　but　the　mystery　of　your　letter　beats　me
altogether。　Are　you　speculating　on　the　interesting　hidden
frailties　of　some　charming　woman？　Or；　after　_your_　experience　of
matrimony；　are　you　actually　going　to　give　me　a　stepmother　at　this
time　of　day？　Whichever　it　is；　upon　my　life　your　letter　interests
me。

〃I　am　not　joking；　mindthough　the　temptation　is　not　an　easy　one
to　resist。　On　the　contrary；　I　have　given　you　a　quarter　of　an　hour
of　my　valuable　time　already。　The　place　you　date　from　sounded
somehow　familiar　to　me。　I　referred　back　to　the　memorandum　book；
and　found　that　I　was　sent　down　to　Thorpe　Ambrose　to　make　private
inquiries　not　very　long　since。　My　employer　was　a　lively　old　lady；
who　was　too　sly　to　give　us　her　right　name　and　address。　As　a
matter　of　course；　we　set　to　work　at　once；　and　found　out　who　she
was。　Her　name　is　Mrs。　Oldershaw；　and；　if　you　think　of　_her_　for
my　stepmother；　I　strongly　recommend　you　to　think　again　before　you
make　her　Mrs。　Bashwood。

〃If　it　is　not　Mrs。　Oldershaw；　then　all　I　can　do；　so　far；　is　to
tell　you　how　you　may　find　out　the　unknown　lady's　address。　Come　to
town　yourself　as　soon　as　you　get　the　letter　you　expect　from　the
gentleman　who　has　gone　away　with　her　（I　hope　he　is　not　a　handsome
young　man；　for　your　sake）　and　call　here。　I　will　send　somebody　to
help　you　in　watching　his　hotel　or　lodgings；　and　if　he
communicates　with　the　lady；　or　the　lady　with　him；　you　may
consider　her　address　discovered　from　that　moment。　Once　let　me
identify　her；　and　know　where　she　is；　and　you　shall　see　all　her
charming　little　secrets　as　plainly　as　you　see　the　paper　on　which
your　affectionate　son　is　now　writing　to　you。

〃A　word　more　about　the　terms。　I　am　as　willing　as　you　are　to　be
friends　again；　but；　though　I　own　you　were　out　of　pocket　by　me
once；　I　can't　afford　to　be　out　of　pocket　by　you。　It　must　be
understood　that　you　are　answerable　for　all　the　expenses　of　the
inquiry。　We　may　have　to　employ　some　of　the　women　attached　to　this
office；　if　your　lady　is　too　wideawake　or　too　nice…looking　to　be
dealt　with　by　a　man。　There　will　be　cab　hire；　and
postage…stampsadmissions　to　public　amusements；　if　she　is
inclined　that　wayshillings　for　pew…openers；　if　she　is　serious；
and　takes　our　people　into　churches　to　hear　popular　preachers；　and
so　on。　My　own　professional　services　you　shall　have　gratis；　but　I
can't　lose　by　you　as　well。　Only　remember　that；　and　you　shall　have
your　way。　By…gones　shall　be　by…gones；　and　we　will　forget　the
past。

〃Your　affectionate　son；

〃JAMES　BASHWOOD。〃


In　the　ecstasy　of　seeing　help　placed　at　last　within　his　reach；
the　father　put　his　son's　atrocious　letter　to　his　lips。　〃My　good
boy！〃　he　murmured；　tenderly〃my　dear；　good　boy！〃

He　put　the　letter　down；　and　fell　into　a　new　train　of　thought。　The
next　question　to　face　was　the　serious　question　of　time。　Mr。
Pedgift　had　told　him　Miss　Gwilt　might　be　married　in　a　fortnight。
One　day　of　the　fourteen　had　passed　already；　and　another　was
passing。　He　beat　his　hand　impatiently　on　the　table　at　his　side；
wondering　how　soon　the　want　of　money　would　force　Allan　to　write
to　him　from　London。　〃To…morrow？〃　he　asked　himself。　〃Or　next　day？〃

The　morrow　passed；　and　nothing　happened。　The　next　day　came；　and
the　letter　arrived！　It　was　on　business；　as　he　had　anticipated；　it
asked　for　money；　as　he　had　anticipated；　and　there；　at　the　end　of
it；　in　a　postscript；　was　the　address　added；　concluding　with　the
words；　〃You　may　count　on　my　staying　here　till　further　notice。〃