armadale-第53节

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attractive　feature　in　his　clean…shaven；　weary　old　face　was　a　neat
set　of　teethteeth　（as　honest　as　his　wig）　which　said　plainly　to
all　inquiring　eyes；　〃We　pass　our　nights　on　his　looking…glass；　and
our　days　in　his　mouth。〃

All　the　little　blood　in　the　man's　body　faintly　reddened　his
fleshless　cheeks　as　Midwinter　advanced　to　meet　him；　and　asked　the
way　to　Thorpe　Ambrose。　His　weak；　watery　eyes　looked　hither　and
thither　in　a　bewilderment　painful　to　see。　If　he　had　met　with　a
lion　instead　of　a　man；　and　if　the　few　words　addressed　to　him　had
been　words　expressing　a　threat　instead　of　a　question；　he　could
hardly　have　looked　more　confused　and　alarmed　than　he　looked　now。
For　the　first　time　in　his　life；　Midwinter　saw　his　own　shy
uneasiness　in　the　presence　of　strangers　reflected；　with　tenfold
intensity　of　nervous　suffering；　in　the　face　of　another　manand
that　man　old　enough　to　be　his　father。

〃Which　do　you　please　to　mean；　sirthe　town　or　the　house？　I　beg
your　pardon　for　asking；　but　they　both　go　by　the　same　name　in
these　parts。〃

He　spoke　with　a　timid　gentleness　of　tone；　an　ingratiatory　smile；
and　an　anxious　courtesy　of　manner；　all　distressingly　suggestive
of　his　being　accustomed　to　receive　rough　answers　in　exchange　for
his　own　politeness　from　the　persons　whom　he　habitually　addressed。

〃I　was　not　aware　that　both　the　house　and　the　town　went　by　the
same　name；〃　said　Midwinter；　〃I　meant　the　house。〃　He　instinctively
conquered　his　own　shyness　as　he　answered　in　those　words；　speaking
with　a　cordiality　of　manner　which　was　very　rare　with　him　in　his
intercourse　with　strangers。

The　man　of　miserable　respectability　seemed　to　feel　the　warm
return　of　his　own　politeness　gratefully；　he　brightened　and　took　a
little　courage。　His　lean　forefinger　pointed　eagerly　to　the　right
road。　〃That　way；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃and　when　you　come　to　two　roads
next；　please　take　the　left　one　of　the　two。　I　am　sorry　I　have
business　the　other　way；　I　mean　in　the　town。　I　should　have　been
happy　to　go　with　you　and　show　you。　Fine　summer　weather；　sir；　for
walking？　You　can't　miss　your　way　if　you　keep　to　the　left。　Oh；
don't　mention　it！　I'm　afraid　I　have　detained　you；　sir。　I　wish　you
a　pleasant　walk　back；　andgood…morning。〃

By　the　time　he　had　made　an　end　of　speaking　（under　an　impression
apparently　that　the　more　he　talked　the　more　polite　he　would　be）
he　had　lost　his　courage　again。　He　darted　away　down　his　own　road；
as　if　Midwinter's　attempt　to　thank　him　involved　a　series　of
trials　too　terrible　to　confront。　In　two　minutes　more；　his　black
retreating　figure　had　lessened　in　the　distance　till　it　looked
again；　what　it　had　once　looked　already；　a　moving　blot　on　the
brilliant　white　surface　of　the　sun…brightened　road。

The　man　ran　strangely　in　Midwinter's　thoughts　while　he　took　his
way　back　to　the　house。　He　was　at　a　loss　to　account　for　it。　It
never　occurred　to　him　that　he　might　have　been　insensibly　reminded
of　himself；　when　he　saw　the　plain　traces　of　past　misfortune　and
present　nervous　suffering　in　the　poor　wretch's　face。　He　blindly
resented　his　own　perverse　interest　in　this　chance　foot　passenger
on　the　high…road；　as　he　had　resented　all　else　that　had　happened
to　him　since　the　beginning　of　the　day。　〃Have　I　made　another
unlucky　discovery？〃　he　asked　himself；　impatiently。　〃Shall　I　see
this　man　again；　I　wonder？　Who　can　he　be？〃

Time　was　to　answer　both　those　questions　before　many　days　more　had
passed　over　the　inquirer's　head。


Allan　had　not　returned　when　Midwinter　reached　the　house。　Nothing
had　happened　but　the　arrival　of　a　message　of　apology　from　the
cottage。　〃Major　Milroy's　compliments；　and　he　was　sorry　that　Mrs。
Milroy's　illness　would　prevent　his　receiving　Mr。　Armadale　that
day。〃　It　was　plain　that　Mrs。　Milroy's　occasional　fits　of
suffering　（or　of　ill　temper）　created　no　mere　transitory
disturbance　of　the　tranquillity　of　the　household。　Drawing　this
natural　inference；　after　what　he　had　himself　heard　at　the　cottage
nearly　three　hours　since；　Midwinter　withdrew　into　the　library　to
wait　patiently　among　the　books　until　his　friend　came　back。

It　was　past　six　o'clock　when　the　well…known　hearty　voice　was
heard　again　in　the　hall。　Allan　burst　into　the　library；　in　a　state
of　irrepressible　excitement；　and　pushed
　Midwinter　back　unceremoniously　into　the　chair　from　which　he　was
just　rising；　before　he　could　utter　a　word

〃Here's　a　riddle　for　you；　old　boy！〃　cried　Allan。　〃Why　am　I　like
the　resident　manager　of　the　Augean　stable；　before　Hercules　was
called　in　to　sweep　the　litter　out？　Because　I　have　had　my　place　to
keep　up；　and　I've　gone　and　made　an　infernal　mess　of　it！　Why　don't
you　laugh？　By　George；　he　doesn't　see　the　point！　Let's　try　again。
Why　am　I　like　the　resident　manager〃

〃For　God's　sake；　Allan；　be　serious　for　a　moment！〃　interposed
Midwinter。　〃You　don't　know　how　anxious　I　am　to　hear　if　you　have
recovered　the　good　opinion　of　your　neighbors。〃

〃That's　just　what　the　riddle　was　intended　to　tell　you！〃　rejoined
Allan。　〃But　if　you　will　have　it　in　so　many　words；　my　own
impression　is　that　you　would　have　done　better　not　to　disturb　me
under　that　tree　in　the　park。　I've　been　calculating　it　to　a
nicety；　and　I　beg　to　inform　you　that　I　have　sunk　exactly　three
degrees　lower　in　the　estimation　of　the　resident　gentry　since　I
had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　last。〃

〃You　_will_　have　your　joke　out；〃　said　Midwinter；　bitterly。　〃Well；
if　I　can't　laugh；　I　can　wait。〃

〃My　dear　fellow；　I'm　not　joking；　I　really　mean　what　I　say。　You
shall　hear　what　happened；　you　shall　have　a　report　in　full　of　my
first　visit。　It　will　do；　I　can　promise　you；　as　a　sample　for　all
the　rest。　Mind　this；　in　the　first　place；　I've　gone　wrong　with　the
best　possible　intentions。　When　I　started　for　these　visits；　I　own
I　was　angry　with　that　old　brute　of　a　lawyer；　and　I　certainly　had
a　notion　of　carrying　things　with　a　high　hand。　But　it　wore　off
somehow　on　the　road；　and　the　first　family　I　called　on；　I　went　in；
as　I　tell　you；　with　the　best　possible　intentions。　Oh；　dear；　dear！
there　was　the　same　spick…and…span　reception…room　for　me　to　wait
in；　with　the　neat　conservatory　beyond；　which　I　saw　again　and
again　and　again　at　every　other　house　I　went　to　afterward。　There
was　the　same　choice　selection　of　books　for　me　to　look　ata
religious　book；　a　book　about　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　a　book　about
sporting；　and　a　book　about　nothing　in　particular；　beautifully
illustrated　with　pictures。　Down　came　papa　with　his　nice　white
hair；　and　mamma　with　her　nice　lace　cap；　down　came　young　mister
with　the　pink　face　and　straw…colored　whiskers；　and　young　miss
with　the　plump　cheeks　and　the　large　petticoats。　Don't　suppose
there　was　the　least　unfriendliness　on　my　side；　I　always　began
with　them　in　the　same　wayI　insisted　on　shaking　hands　all　round。
That　staggered　them　to　begin　with。　When　I　came　to　the　sore
subject　nextthe　subject　of　the　public　receptionI　give　you　my
word　of　honor　I　took　the　greatest　possible　pains　with　my
apologies。　It　hadn't　the　slightest　effect；　they　let　my　apologies
in　at　one　ear　and　out　at　the　other；　and　then　waited　to　hear　more。
Some　men　would　have　been　disheartened：　I　tried　another　way　with
them；　I　addressed　myself　to　the　master　of　the　house；　and　put　it
pleasantly　next。　'The　fact　is；'　I　said；　'I　wanted　to　escape　the
speechifyingmy　getting　up；　you　know；　and　telling　you　to　your
face　you're　the　best　of　men；　and　I　beg　to　propose　your　health；
and　your　getting　up　and　telling　me　to　my　face　I'm　the　best　of
men；　and　you　beg　to　thank　me；　and　so　on；　man　after　man；　praising
each　other　and　pestering　each　other　all　round　the　table。'　That's
how　I　put　it；　in　an　easy；　light…handed；　convincing　sort　of　way。
Do　you　think　any　of　them　took　it　in　the　same　friendly　spirit？　Not
one！　It's　my　belief　they　had　got　their　speeches　ready　for　the
reception；　with　the　flags　and　the　flowers；　and　that　they're
secretly　angry　with　me　for　stopping　their　open　mouths　just　as
they　were　ready　to　begin。　Anyway；　whenever　we　came　to　the　matter
of　the　speechifying　（whether　they　touched　it　first　or　I）；　down　I
fell　in　their　estimation　the　first　of　those　three　steps　I　told
you　of　just　now。　Don't　suppose　I　made　no　efforts　to　get　up　again！
I　made　desperate　efforts。　I　found　they　were　all　anxious　to　know
what　sort　of　life　I　had　led　before　I　came　in　for　the　Thorpe
Ambrose　property；　and　I　did　my　best　to　satisfy　them。　And　what
came　of　that；　do　you　think？　Hang　me；　if　I　didn't　disappoint　them
for　the　second　time！　When　they　found　out　that　I　had　actually
never　been　to　Eton　or　Harrow；　or　Oxford　or　Cambridge；　they　were
quite　dumb　with　astonishment。　I　fancy　they　thought　me　a　sort　of
outlaw。　At　any　rate；　they　all　froze　up　again；　and　down　I　fell　the
second　step　in　their　estimation。　Never　mind！　I　wasn't　to　be
beaten；　I　had　promised　you　to　do　my　best；　and　I　did　it。　I　tried
cheerful　small…talk　about　the　neighborhood　next。　The　women　said
nothing　in　particular；　the　men；　to　my　unutterable　astonishment；
all　began　to　condole　with　me。　I　shouldn't　be　able　to　find　a　pack
of　hounds；　they　said；　within　twenty　miles　of　my　house；　and　they
thought　it　only　right　to　prepare　me　for　the　disgracefully
careless　manner　in　which　the　Thorpe　Ambrose　covers　had　been
preserved。　I　let　them　go　on　condoling　with　me；　and　then　what　do
you　think　I　did？　I　put　my