st. ives-第8节

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I　had　no　stockings；　'I　was　no　more　than　a　child；　and　see　how　they　

had　begun　to　treat　myself。'



He　looked　at　the　mark　of　my　old　burn　with　a　certain　shrinking。　　

'Beastly　people！'　I　heard　him　mutter　to　himself。



'The　English　may　say　so　with　a　good　grace；'　I　observed　politely。



Such　speeches　were　the　coin　in　which　I　paid　my　way　among　this　

credulous　race。　　Ninety　per　cent。　of　our　visitors　would　have　

accepted　the　remark　as　natural　in　itself　and　creditable　to　my　

powers　of　judgment；　but　it　appeared　my　lawyer　was　more　acute。



'You　are　not　entirely　a　fool；　I　perceive；'　said　he。



'No；'　said　I；　'not　wholly。'



'And　yet　it　is　well　to　beware　of　the　ironical　mood；'　he　continued。　　

'It　is　a　dangerous　instrument。　　Your　great…uncle　has；　I　believe；　

practised　it　very　much；　until　it　is　now　become　a　problem　what　he　

means。'



'And　that　brings　me　back　to　what　you　will　admit　is　a　most　natural　

inquiry；'　said　I。　　'To　what　do　I　owe　the　pleasure　of　this　visit？　

how　did　you　recognise　me？　and　how　did　you　know　I　was　here？'



Carefull　separating　his　coat　skirts；　the　lawyer　took　a　seat　beside　

me　on　the　edge　of　the　flags。



'It　is　rather　an　odd　story；'　says　he；　'and；　with　your　leave；　I'll　

answer　the　second　question　first。　　It　was　from　a　certain　

resemblance　you　bear　to　your　cousin；　M。　le　Vicomte。'



'I　trust；　sir；　that　I　resemble　him　advantageously？'　said　I。



'I　hasten　to　reassure　you；'　was　the　reply：　'you　do。　　To　my　eyes；　M。　

Alain　de　St。…Yves　has　scarce　a　pleasing　exterior。　　And　yet；　when　I　

knew　you　were　here；　and　was　actually　looking　for　you　…　why；　the　

likeness　helped。　　As　for　how　I　came　to　know　your　whereabouts；　by　an　

odd　enough　chance；　it　is　again　M。　Alain　we　have　to　thank。　　I　should　

tell　you；　he　has　for　some　time　made　it　his　business　to　keep　M。　de　

Keroual　informed　of　your　career；　with　what　purpose　I　leave　you　to　

judge。　　When　he　first　brought　the　news　of　your　…　that　you　were　

serving　Buonaparte；　it　seemed　it　might　be　the　death　of　the　old　

gentleman；　so　hot　was　his　resentment。　　But　from　one　thing　to　

another；　matters　have　a　little　changed。　　Or　I　should　rather　say；　

not　a　little。　　We　learned　you　were　under　orders　for　the　Peninsula；　

to　fight　the　English；　then　that　you　had　been　commissioned　for　a　

piece　of　bravery；　and　were　again　reduced　to　the　ranks。　　And　from　

one　thing　to　another　（as　I　say）；　M。　de　Keroual　became　used　to　the　

idea　that　you　were　his　kinsman　and　yet　served　with　Buonaparte；　and　

filled　instead　with　wonder　that　he　should　have　another　kinsman　who　

was　so　remarkably　well　informed　of　events　in　France。　　And　it　now　

became　a　very　disagreeable　question；　whether　the　young　gentleman　

was　not　a　spy？　　In　short；　sir；　in　seeking　to　disserve　you；　he　had　

accumulated　against　himself　a　load　of　suspicions。'



My　visitor　now　paused；　took　snuff；　and　looked　at　me　with　an　air　of　

benevolence。



'Good　God；　sir！'　says　I；　'this　is　a　curious　story。'



'You　will　say　so　before　I　have　done；'　said　he。　　'For　there　have　two　

events　followed。　　The　first　of　these　was　an　encounter　of　M。　de　

Keroual　and　M。　de　Mauseant。'



'I　know　the　man　to　my　cost；'　said　I：　'it　was　through　him　I　lost　my　

commission。'



'Do　you　tell　me　so？'　he　cried。　　'Why；　here　is　news！'



'Oh；　I　cannot　complain！'　said　I。　　'I　was　in　the　wrong。　　I　did　it　

with　my　eyes　open。　　If　a　man　gets　a　prisoner　to　guard　and　lets　him　

go；　the　least　he　can　expect　is　to　be　degraded。'



'You　will　be　paid　for　it；'　said　he。　　'You　did　well　for　yourself　and　

better　for　your　king。'



'If　I　had　thought　I　was　injuring　my　emperor；'　said　I；　'I　would　have　

let　M。　de　Mauseant　burn　in　hell　ere　I　had　helped　him；　and　be　sure　

of　that！　　I　saw　in　him　only　a　private　person　in　a　difficulty：　I　let　

him　go　in　private　charity；　not　even　to　profit　myself　will　I　suffer　

it　to　be　misunderstood。'



'Well；　well；'　said　the　lawyer；　'no　matter　now。　　This　is　a　foolish　

warmth　…　a　very　misplaced　enthusiasm；　believe　me！　　The　point　of　the　

story　is　that　M。　de　Mauseant　spoke　of　you　with　gratitude；　and　drew　

your　character　in　such　a　manner　as　greatly　to　affect　your　uncle's　

views。　　Hard　upon　the　back　of　which；　in　came　your　humble　servant；　

and　laid　before　him　the　direct　proof　of　what　we　had　been　so　long　

suspecting。　　There　was　no　dubiety　permitted。　　M。　Alain's　expensive　

way　of　life；　his　clothes　and　mistresses；　his　dicing　and　racehorses；　

were　all　explained：　he　was　in　the　pay　of　Buonaparte；　a　hired　spy；　

and　a　man　that　held　the　strings　of　what　I　can　only　call　a　

convolution　of　extremely　fishy　enterprises。　　To　do　M。　de　Keroual　

justice；　he　took　it　in　the　best　way　imaginable；　destroyed　the　

evidences　of　the　one　great…nephew's　disgrace　…　and　transferred　his　

interest　wholly　to　the　other。'



'What　am　I　to　understand　by　that？'　said　I。



'I　will　tell　you；'　says　he。　　'There　is　a　remarkable　inconsistency　

in　human　nature　which　gentlemen　of　my　cloth　have　a　great　deal　of　

occasion　to　observe。　　Selfish　persons　can　live　without　chick　or　

child；　they　can　live　without　all　mankind　except　perhaps　the　barber　

and　the　apothecary；　but　when　it　comes　to　dying；　they　seem　

physically　unable　to　die　without　an　heir。　　You　can　apply　this　

principle　for　yourself。　　Viscount　Alain；　though　he　scarce　guesses　

it；　is　no　longer　in　the　field。　　Remains；　Viscount　Anne。'



'I　see；'　said　I；　'you　give　a　very　unfavourable　impression　of　my　

uncle；　the　Count。'



'I　had　not　meant　it；'　said　he。　　'He　has　led　a　loose　life　…　sadly　

loose　…　but　he　is　a　man　it　is　impossible　to　know　and　not　to　admire；　

his　courtesy　is　exquisite。'



'And　so　you　think　there　is　actually　a　chance　for　me？'　I　asked。



'Understand；'　said　he：　'in　saying　as　much　as　I　have　done；　I　travel　

quite　beyond　my　brief。　　I　have　been　clothed　with　no　capacity　to　

talk　of　wills；　or　heritages；　or　your　cousin。　　I　was　sent　here　to　

make　but　the　one　communication：　that　M。　de　Keroual　desires　to　meet　

his　great…nephew。'



'Well；'　said　I；　looking　about　me　on　the　battlements　by　which　we　sat　

surrounded；　'this　is　a　case　in　which　Mahomet　must　certainly　come　to　

the　mountain。'



'Pardon　me；'　said　Mr。　Romaine；　'you　know　already　your　uncle　is　an　

aged　man；　but　I　have　not　yet　told　you　that　he　is　quite　broken　up；　

and　his　death　shortly　looked　for。　　No；　no；　there　is　no　doubt　about　

it　…　it　is　the　mountain　that　must　come　to　Mahomet。'



'From　an　Englishman；　the　remark　is　certainly　significant；'　said　I；　

'but　you　are　of　course；　and　by　trade；　a　keeper　of　men's　secrets；　

and　I　see　you　keep　that　of　Cousin　Alain；　which　is　not　the　mark　of　a　

truculent　patriotism；　to　say　the　least。'



'I　am　first　of　all　the　lawyer　of　your　family！'　says　he。



'That　being　so；'　said　I；　'I　can　perhaps　stretch　a　point　myself。　　

This　rock　is　very　high；　and　it　is　very　steep；　a　man　might　come　by　a　

devil　of　a　fall　from　almost　any　part　of　it；　and　yet　I　believe　I　

have　a　pair　of　wings　that　might　carry　me　just　so　far　as　to　the　

bottom。　　Once　at　the　bottom　I　am　helpless。'



'And　perhaps　it　is　just　then　that　I　could　step　in；'　returned　the　

lawyer。　　'Suppose　by　some　contingency；　at　which　I　make　no　guess；　

and　on　which　I　offer　no　opinion　…　'



But　here　I　interrupted　him。　　'One　word　ere　you　go　further。　　I　am　

under　no　parole；'　said　I。



'I　understood　so　much；'　he　replied；　'although　some　of　you　French　

gentry　find　their　word　sit　lightly　on　them。'



'Sir；　I　am　not　one　of　those；'　said　I。



'To　do　you　plain　justice；　I　do　not　think　you　one；'　said　he。　　

'Suppose　yourself；　then；　set　free　and　at　the　bottom　of　the　rock；'　

he　continued；　'although　I　may　not　be　able　to　do　much；　I　believe　I　

can　do　something　to　help　you　on　your　road。　　In　the　first　place　I　

would　carry　this；　whether　in　an　inside　pocket　or　my　shoe。'　　And　he　

passed　me　a　bundle　of　bank　notes。



'No　harm　in　that；'　said　I；　at　once　concealing　them。



'In　the　second　place；'　he　resumed；　'it　is　a　great　way　from　here　to　

where　your　uncle　lives　…　Amersham　Place；　not　far　from　Dunstable；　

you　have　a　great　part　of　Britain　to　get　through；　and　for　the　first　

stages；　I　must　leave　you　to　your　own　luck　and　ingenuity。　　I　have　no　

acquaintance　here　in　Scotland；　or　at　least'　（with　a　grimace）　'no　

dishonest　ones。　　But　further　to　the　south；　about　Wakefield；　I　am　

told　there　is　a　gentleman　called　Burchell　Fenn；　who　is　not　so　

particular　as　some　others；　and　might　be　willing　to　give　you　a　cast　

forward。　　In　fact；　sir；　I　believe　it's　the　man's　trade：　a　piece　of　

knowledge　that　burns　my　mouth。　　But　that　is　what　you　get　by　

meddling　with　rogues；　and　perhaps　the　biggest　rogue　now　extant；　M。　

de　Saint…Yves；　is　your　cousin；　M。　Alain。'



'If　this　be　a　man　of　my　cousin's；'　I　observed；　'I　am　perhaps　better　

to　keep　clear　of　him？'



'It　was　through　some　paper　of　your　cousin's　that　we　came　across　his　

trail；'　replied　the　lawyer。　　'But　I　am　inclined　to　think；　so　far　as　

anything　is　safe　in　such　a　nasty　business；　you　might　apply　to　the　

man　Fenn。　　You　might　even；　I　thin