the woman in the alcove-第37节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


y　of　whom　was　more　agreeable　to　her　than　her　own　husband；　and；　though　he　could　not　put　his　finger　on　any　definite　fault；　he　soon　wearied　of　a　beauty　that　only　glowed　for　others；　and　made　up　his　mind　to　part　with　her　rather　than　let　his　heart　be　eaten　out　by　unappeasable　longing　for　what　his　own　good　sense　told　him　would　never　be　his。

Yet；　being　naturally　generous；　he　was　satisfied　with　a　separation；　and；　finding　it　impossible　to　think　of　her　as　other　than　extravagantly　fed；　waited　on　and　clothed；　he　allowed　her　a　good　share　of　his　fortune　with　the　one　proviso；　that　she　should　not　disgrace　him。　But　the　diamond　she　stole；　or　rather　carried　off　in　her　naturally　high…handed　manner　with　the　rest　of　her　jewels。　He　had　never　given　it　to　hen　She　knew　the　value　he　set　on　it；　but　not　how　he　came　by　it；　and　would　have　worn　it　quite　freely　if　he　had　not　very　soon　given　her　to　understand　that　the　pleasure　of　doing　so　ceased　when　she　left　his　house。　As　she　could　not　be　seen　with　it　without　occasioning　public　remark；　she　was　forced；　though　much　against　her　will；　to　heed　his　wishes；　and　enjoy　its　brilliancy　in　private。　But　once；　when　he　was　out　of　town；　she　dared　to　appear　with　this　fortune　on　her　breast；　and　again　while　on　a　visit　West；and　her　husband　heard　of　it。

Mr。　Fairbrother　had　had　the　jewel　set　to　suit　him；　not　in　Florence；　as　Sears　had　said；　but　by　a　skilful　workman　he　had　picked　up　in　great　poverty　in　a　remote　corner　of　Williamsburg。　Always　in　dread　of　some　complication；　he　had　provided　himself　with　a　second　facsimile　in　paste；　this　time　of　an　astonishing　brightness；　and　this　facsimile　he　had　had　set　precisely　like　the　true　stone。　Then　he　gave　the　workman　a　thousand　dollars　and　sent　him　back　to　Switzerland。　This　imitation　in　paste　he　showed　nobody；　but　he　kept　it　always　in　his　pocket；　why；　he　hardly　knew。　Meantime；　he　had　one　confidant；　not　of　his　crime；　but　of　his　sentiments　toward　his　wife；　and　the　determination　he　had　secretly　made　to　proceed　to　extremities　if　she　continued　to　disobey　him。

This　was　a　man　of　his　own　age　or　older；　who　had　known　him　in　his　early　days；　and　had　followed　all　his　fortunes。　He　had　been　the　master　of　Fairbrother　then；　but　he　was　his　servant　now；　and　as　devoted　to　his　interests　as　if　they　were　his　own；which；　in　a　way；　they　were。　For　eighteen　years　he　had　stood　at　the　latter's　right　hand；　satisfied　to　look　no　further；　but；　for　the　last　three；　his　glances　had　strayed　a　foot　or　two　beyond　his　master；　and　taken　in　his　master's　wife。

The　feelings　which　this　man　had　for　Mrs。　Fairbrother　were　peculiar。　She　was　a　mere　adjunct　to　her　great　lord；　but　she　was　a　very　gorgeous　one；　and；　while　he　could　not　imagine　himself　doing　anything　to　thwart　him　whose　bread　he　ate；　and　to　whose　rise　he　had　himself　contributed；　yet　if　he　could　remain　true　to　him　without　injuring　he；　he　would　account　himself　happy。　The　day　came　when　he　had　to　decide　between　them；　and；　against　all　chances；　against　his　own　preconceived　notion　of　what　he　would　do　under　these　circumstances；　he　chose　to　consider　her。

This　day　came　when；　in　the　midst　of　growing　complacency　and　an　intense　interest　in　some　new　scheme　which　demanded　all　his　powers；　Abner　Fairbrother　learned　from　the　papers　that　Mr。　Grey；　of　English　Parliamentary　fame；　had　arrived　in　New　York　on　an　indefinite　visit。　As　no　cause　was　assigned　for　the　visit　beyond　a　natural　desire　on　the　part　of　this　eminent　statesman　to　see　this　great　country；　Mr。　Fairbrother's　fears　reached　a　sudden　climax；　and　he　saw　himself　ruined　and　for　ever　disgraced　if　the　diamond　now　so　unhappily　out　of　his　hands　should　fall　under　the　eyes　of　its　owner；　whose　seeming　quiet　under　its　loss　had　not　for　a　moment　deceived　him。　Waiting　only　long　enough　to　make　sure　that　the　distinguished　foreigner　was　likely　to　accept　social　attentions；　and　so　in　all　probability　would　be　brought　in　contact　with　Mrs。　Fairbrother；　he　sent　her　by　his　devoted　servant　a　peremptory　message；　in　which　he　demanded　back　his　diamond；　and；　upon　her　refusing　to　heed　this；　followed　it　up　by　another；　in　which　he　expressly　stated　that　if　she　took　it　out　of　the　safe　deposit　in　which　he　had　been　told　she　was　wise　enough　to　keep　it；　or　wore　it　so　much　as　once　during　the　next　three　months；　she　would　pay　for　her　presumption　with　her　life。

This　was　no　idle　threat；　though　she　chose　to　regard　it　as　such；　laughing　in　the　old　servant's　face　and　declaring　that　she　would　run　the　risk　if　the　notion　seized　her。　But　the　notion　did　not　seem　to　seize　her　at　once；　and　her　husband　was　beginning　to　take　heart；　when　he　heard　of　the　great　ball　about　to　be　given　by　the　Ramsdells　and　realized　that　if　she　were　going　to　be　tempted　to　wear　the　diamond　at　all；　it　would　be　at　this　brilliant　function　given　in　honor　of　the　one　man　he　had　most　cause　to　fear　in　the　whole　world。

Sears；　seeing　the　emotion　he　was　under；　watched　him　closely。　They　had　both　been　on　the　point　of　starting　for　New　Mexico　to　visit　a　mine　in　which　Mr。　Fairbrother　was　interested；　and　he　waited　with　inconceivable　anxiety　to　see　if　his　master　would　change　his　plans。　It　was　while　he　was　in　this　condition　of　mind　that　he　was　seen　to　shake　his　fist　at　Mrs。　Fairbrother's　passing　figure；　a　menace　naturally　interpreted　as　directed　against　her；　but　which；　if　we　know　the　man；　was　rather　the　expression　of　his　anger　against　the　husband　who　could　rebuke　and　threaten　so　beautiful　a　creature。　Meanwhile；　Mr。　Fairbrother's　preparations　went　on　and；　three　weeks　before　the　ball；　they　started。　Mr。　Fairbrother　had　business　in　Chicago　and　business　in　Denver。　It　was　two　weeks　and　more　before　he　reached　La　Junta。　Sears　counted　the　days。　At　La　Junta　they　had　a　long　conversation；　or　rather　Mr。　Fairbrother　talked　and　Sears　listened。　The　sum　of　what　he　said　was　this：　He　had　made　up　his　mind　to　have　back　his　diamond。　He　was　going　to　New　York　to　get　it。　He　was　going　alone；　and　as　he　wished　no　one　to　know　that　he　had　gone　or　that　his　plans　had　been　in　any　way　interrupted；　the　other　was　to　continue　on　to　El　Moro；　and；　passing　himself　off　as　Fairbrother；　hire　a　room　at　the　hotel　and　shut　himself　up　in　it　for　ten　days　on　any　plea　his　ingenuity　might　suggest。　If　at　the　end　of　that　time　Fairbrother　should　rejoin　him；　well　and　good。　They　would　go　on　together　to　Santa　Fe。　But　if　for　any　reason　the　former　should　delay　his　return；　then　Sears　was　to　exercise　his　own　judgment　as　to　the　length　of　time　he　should　retain　his　borrowed　personality；　also　as　to　the　advisability　of　pushing　on　to　the　mine　and　entering　on　the　work　there；　as　had　been　planned　between　them。

Sears　knew　what　all　this　meant。　He　understood　what　was　in　his　master's　mind；　as　well　as　if　he　had　been　taken　into　his　full　confidence；　and　openly　accepted　his　part　of　the　business　with　seeming　alacrity；　even　to　the　point　of　supplying　Fairbrother　with　suitable　references　as　to　the　ability　of　one　James　Wellgood　to　fill　a　waiter's　place　at　fashionable　functions。　It　was　not　the　first　he　had　given　him。　Seventeen　years　before　he　had　written　the　same；　minus　the　last　phrase。　That　was　when　he　was　the　master　and　Fairbrother　the　man。　But　he　did　not　mean　to　play　the　part　laid　out　for　him；　for　all　his　apparent　acquiescence。　He　began　by　following　the　other's　instructions。　He　exchanged　clothes　with　him　and　other　necessaries；　and　took　the　train　for　La　Junta　at　or　near　the　time　that　Fairbrother　started　east。　But　once　at　El　Moroonce　registered　there　as　Abner　Fairbrother　from　New　Yorkhe　took　a　different　course　from　the　one　laid　out　for　him；a　course　which　finally　brought　him　into　his　master's　wake　and　landed　him　at　the　same　hour　in　New　York。

This　is　what　he　did。　Instead　of　shutting　himself　up　in　his　room　he　expressed　an　immediate　desire　to　visit　some　neighboring　mines；　and；　procuring　a　good　horse；　started　off　at　the　first　available　moment。　He　rode　north；　lost　himself　in　the　mountains；　and　wandered　till　he　found　a　guide　intelligent　enough　to　lend　himself　to　his　plans。　To　this　guide　he　confided　his　horse　for　the　few　days　he　intended　to　be　gone；　paying　him　well　and　promising　him　additional　money　if；　during　his　absence；　he　succeeded　in　circulating　the　report　that　he；　Abner　Fairbrother；　had　gone　deep　into　the　mountains；　bound　for　such　and　such　a　camp。

Having　thus　provided　an　alibi；　not　only　for　himself；　but　for　his　master；　too；　in　case　he　should　need　it；　he　took　the　direct　road　to　the　nearest　railway　station；　and　started　on　his　long　ride　east。　He　did　not　expect　to　overtake　the　man　he　had　been　personating；　but　fortune　was　kinder　than　is　usual　in　such　cases；　and；　owing　to　a　delay　caused　by　some　accident　to　a　freight　train；　he　arrived　in　Chicago　within　a　couple　of　hours　of　Mr。　Fairbrother；　and　started　out　of　that　city　on　the　same　train。　But　not　on　the　same　car。　Sears　had　caught　a　glimpse　of　Fairbrother　on　the　platform；　and　was　careful　to　keep　out　of　his　sight。　This　was　easy　enough。　He　bought　a　compartment　in　the　sleeper　and　stayed　in　it　till　they　arrived　at　the　Grand　Central　Station。　Then　he　hastened　out　and；　fortune　favoring　him　with　another　glimpse　of　the　man　in　whose　movements　he　was　so　interested；　followed　him　into　the　streets。

Fairbrother　had　shaved　off　his　beard　before　leaving　El　Moro。　Sears　had　shaved　his　off　on　the　train。　Both　were　changed；　the　former　the　more；　owing　to　a　peculiarity　of　his　mouth　which　u