the purcell papers-2-第2章

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！



letter　stated　that　Sir　Arthur　was　likely　to

incur　not　merely　suspicion；　but　personal

risk；　unless　he　could　account　for　certain

circumstances　connected　with　the　recent

murder；　and　contained　a　copy　of　a　letter

written　by　the　deceased；　and　bearing　date；

the　day　of　the　week；　and　of　the　month；

upon　the　night　of　which　the　deed　of　blood

had　been　perpetrated。　Tisdall's　note　ran

as　follows：



　　　　　'DEAR　COLLIS；

　　　　　　　　　　'I　have　had　sharp　work　with　Sir

Arthur；　he　tried　some　of　his　stale　tricks；

but　soon　found　that　_I_　was　Yorkshire　too：

it　would　not　doyou　understand　me。　We

went　to　the　work　like　good　ones；　head；

heart　and　soul；　and；　in　fact；　since　I　came

here；　I　have　lost　no　time。　I　am　rather

fagged；　but　I　am　sure　to　be　well　paid　for

my　hardship；　I　never　want　sleep　so　long

as　I　can　have　the　music　of　a　dice…box；　and

wherewithal　to　pay　the　piper。　As　I　told

you；　he　tried　some　of　his　queer　turns；　but

I　foiled　him　like　a　man；　and；　in　return；

gave　him　more　than　he　could　relish　of　the

genuine　DEAD　KNOWLEDGE。



'In　short；　I　have　plucked　the　old

baronet　as　never　baronet　was　plucked　before；

I　have　scarce　left　him　the　stump　of

a　quill；　I　have　got　promissory　notes　in　his

hand　to　the　amount　ofif　you　like　round

numbers；　say；　thirty　thousand　pounds；

safely　deposited　in　my　portable　strong…

box；　alias　double…clasped　pocket…book。　I

leave　this　ruinous　old　rat…hole　early　on　to…

morrow；　for　two　reasonsfirst；　I　do　not

want　to　play　with　Sir　Arthur　deeper　than

I　think　his　security；　that　is；　his　money；　or

his　money's　worth；　would　warrant；　and；

secondly；　because　I　am　safer　a　hundred

miles　from　Sir　Arthur　than　in　the　house

with　him。　Look　you；　my　worthy；　I　tell

you　this　between　ourselvesI　may　be

wrong；　but；　by　G；　I　am　as　sure　as　that　I

am　now　living；　that　Sir　A　attempted

to　poison　me　last　night；　so　much　for　old

friendship　on　both　sides。



'When　I　won　the　last　stake；　a　heavy　one

enough；　my　friend　leant　his　forehead　upon

his　hands；　and　you'll　laugh　when　I　tell

you　that　his　head　literally　smoked　like　a

hot　dumpling。　I　do　not　know　whether　his

agitation　was　produced　by　the　plan　which

he　had　against　me；　or　by　his　having　lost　so

heavilythough　it　must　be　allowed　that　he

had　reason　to　be　a　little　funked；　whichever

way　his　thoughts　went；　but　he　pulled　the

bell；　and　ordered　two　bottles　of

champagne。　While　the　fellow　was　bringing

them　he　drew　out　a　promissory　note　to　the

full　amount；　which　he　signed；　and；　as　the

man　came　in　with　the　bottles　and　glasses；

he　desired　him　to　be　off；　he　filled　out　a

glass　for　me；　and；　while　he　thought　my

eyes　were　off；　for　I　was　putting　up　his　note

at　the　time；　he　dropped　something　slyly

into　it；　no　doubt　to　sweeten　it；　but　I　saw

it　all；　and；　when　he　handed　it　to　me；　I

said；　with　an　emphasis　which　he　might　or

might　not　understand：



'　〃There　is　some　sediment　in　this；　I'll

not　drink　it。〃



'　〃Is　there？〃　said　he；　and　at　the　same

time　snatched　it　from　my　hand　and　threw

it　into　the　fire。　What　do　you　think　of

that？　have　I　not　a　tender　chicken　to

manage？　Win　or　lose；　I　will　not　play

beyond　five　thousand　to…night；　and　to…

morrow　sees　me　safe　out　of　the　reach　of

Sir　Arthur's　champagne。　So；　all　things

considered；　I　think　you　must　allow　that

you　are　not　the　last　who　have　found　a

knowing　boy　in

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'Yours　to　command；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'HUGH　TISDALL。'





Of　the　authenticity　of　this　document　I

never　heard　my　father　express　a　doubt；

and　I　am　satisfied　that；　owing　to　his

strong　conviction　in　favour　of　his　brother；

he　would　not　have　admitted　it　without

sufficient　inquiry；　inasmuch　as　it　tended　to

confirm　the　suspicions　which　already

existed　to　his　prejudice。



Now；　the　only　point　in　this　letter　which

made　strongly　against　my　uncle；　was　the

mention　of　the　'double…clasped　pocket…

book'　as　the　receptacle　of　the　papers

likely　to　involve　him；　for　this　pocket…book

was　not　forthcoming；　nor　anywhere　to　be

found；　nor　had　any　papers　referring　to　his

gaming　transactions　been　found　upon　the

dead　man。　However；　whatever　might　have

been　the　original　intention　of　this　Collis；

neither　my　uncle　nor　my　father　ever　heard

more　of　him；　but　he　published　the　letter

in　Faulkner's　newspaper；　which　was　shortly

afterwards　made　the　vehicle　of　a　much

more　mysterious　attack。　The　passage　in

that　periodical　to　which　I　allude；　occurred

about　four　years　afterwards；　and　while　the

fatal　occurrence　was　still　fresh　in　public

recollection。　It　commenced　by　a　rambling

preface；　stating　that　'a　CERTAIN　PERSON

whom　CERTAIN　persons　thought　to　be　dead；

was　not　so；　but　living；　and　in　full　possession

of　his　memory；　and　moreover　ready

and　able　to　make　GREAT　delinquents

tremble。'　It　then　went　on　to　describe　the

murder；　without；　however；　mentioning

names；　and　in　doing　so；　it　entered　into

minute　and　circumstantial　particulars　of

which　none　but　an　EYE…WITNESS　could　have

been　possessed；　and　by　implications　almost

too　unequivocal　to　be　regarded　in　the　light

of　insinuation；　to　involve　the　'TITLED

GAMBLER'　in　the　guilt　of　the　transaction。



My　father　at　once　urged　Sir　Arthur　to

proceed　against　the　paper　in　an　action　of

libel；　but　he　would　not　hear　of　it；　nor

consent　to　my　father's　taking　any　legal

steps　whatever　in　the　matter。　My　father；

however；　wrote　in　a　threatening　tone　to

Faulkner；　demanding　a　surrender　of　the

author　of　the　obnoxious　article。　The

answer　to　this　application　is　still　in　my

possession；　and　is　penned　in　an　apologetic

tone：　it　states　that　the　manuscript　had

been　handed　in；　paid　for；　and　inserted　as

an　advertisement；　without　sufficient

inquiry；　or　any　knowledge　as　to　whom　it

referred。



No　step；　however；　was　taken　to　clear

my　uncle's　character　in　the　judgment　of

the　public；　and　as　he　immediately　sold　a

small　property；　the　application　of　the

proceeds　of　which　was　known　to　none；　he

was　said　to　have　disposed　of　it　to　enable

himself　to　buy　off　the　threatened　information。

However　the　truth　might　have　been；

it　is　certain　that　no　charges　respecting　the

mysterious　murder　were　afterwards　publicly

made　against　my　uncle；　and；　as　far　as

external　disturbances　were　concerned；　he

enjoyed　henceforward　perfect　security　and

quiet。



A　deep　and　lasting　impression；　however；

had　been　made　upon　the　public　mind；　and

Sir　Arthur　Tn　was　no　longer　visited

or　noticed　by　the　gentry　and　aristocracy　of

the　county；　whose　attention　and　courtesies

he　had　hitherto　received。　He　accordingly

affected　to　despise　these　enjoyments　which

he　could　not　procure；　and　shunned　even

that　society　which　he　might　have　commanded。



This　is　all　that　I　need　recapitulate　of　my

uncle's　history；　and　I　now　recur　to　my　own。

Although　my　father　had　never；　within　my

recollection；　visited；　or　been　visited　by；　my

uncle；　each　being　of　sedentary；　procrastinating；

and　secluded　habits；　and　their　respective

residences　being　very　far　apart

the　one　lying　in　the　county　of　Galway；　the

other　in　that　of　Corkhe　was　strongly

attached　to　his　brother；　and　evinced　his

affection　by　an　active　correspondence；　and

by　deeply　and　proudly　resenting　that

neglect　which　had　marked　Sir　Arthur　as

unfit　to　mix　in　society。



When　I　was　about　eighteen　years　of

age；　my　father；　whose　health　had　been

gradually　declining；　died；　leaving　me　in

heart　wretched　and　desolate；　and；　owing　to

his　previous　seclusion；　with　few　acquaintances；

and　almost　no　friends。



The　provisions　of　his　will　were　curious；

and　when　I　had　sufficiently　come　to　myself

to　listen　to　or　comprehend　them；

surprised　me　not　a　little：　all　his　vast　property

was　left　to　me；　and　to　the　heirs　of　my

body；　for　ever；　and；　in　default　of　such

heirs；　it　was　to　go　after　my　death　to　my

uncle；　Sir　Arthur；　without　any　entail。



At　the　same　time；　the　will　appointed

him　my　guardian；　desiring　that　I　might　be

received　within　his　house；　and　reside　with

his　family；　and　under　his　care；　during　the

term　of　my　minority；　and　in　consideration

of　the　increased　expense　consequent　upon

such　an　arrangement；　a　handsome　annuity

was　allotted　to　him　during　the　term　of　my

proposed　residence。



The　object　of　this　last　provision　I　at

once　understood：　my　father　desired；　by

making　it　the　direct；　apparent　interest　of

Sir　Arthur　that　I　should　die　without

issue；　while　at　the　same　time　he　placed　me

wholly　in　his　power；　to　prove　to　the　world

how　great　and　unshaken　was　his

confidence　in　his　brother's　innocence　and

honour；　and　also　to　afford　him　an

opportunity　of　showing　that　this　mark　of

confidence　was　not　unworthily　bestowed。



It　was　a　strange；　perhaps　an　idle

scheme；　but　as　I　had　been　always　brought

up　in　the　habit　of　considering　my　uncle　as

a　deeply…injured　man；　and　had　been　taught；

almost　as　a　part　of　my　religion；　to　regard

him　as　the　very　soul　of　honour；　I　felt　no

further　uneasiness　respecting　the　arrangement

than　that　likely　to　result　to　a　timid

girl；　of　secluded　habits；　from　the　immediate

prospect　of　taking　up　her　abode　for　the

first　time　in　her　life　among　total　strangers。

Previous　to　leaving　my　home；　which　I　felt

I　should　do　with　a　heavy　heart；　I　re…

ceived　a　most　tender　and　affectionate　letter

from　my　uncle；　calculated；　if　anything

could　do　so；　to　remove　the　bitterness　of

parting　from　scenes　familiar　and　dear　from

my　earliest　childhood；　and　in　some　degree

to　reconcile　me　to　the　measure。



It　was　during　a　fine　autumn　that　I

approached　the　old　domain　of　Carrickleigh。

I　shall　not　soon　forget　the　impression　of

sadness　and　of　gloom　which　all　that　I　saw

produced　upon　my　mind；　the　sunbeams

were　falling　with　a　rich　and　melancholy

tint　upon　the　fine　old　trees；　which　stood　in

lordly　groups；　casting　their　long；　sweeping

shadows　over　rock　and　sward。　There　was

an　air　of　neglect　and　decay　about　the　spot；

which　amounted　almost　to　desolation；　the

symptoms　of　this　increased　in　number　as

we　approached　the　building　itself；　near

which　the　ground　had　been　originally　more

artificially　and　carefully　cultivated　than

elsewhere；　and　whose　neglect　consequently

more　immediately　and　strikingly　betrayed

itself。



As　we　proceeded；　the　road　wound　near

the　beds　of　what　had　been　formally　two

fish…ponds；　which　were　now　nothing　more

than　stagnant　swamps；　overgrown　with

rank　weeds；　and　here　and　there　encroached

upon　by　the　straggling　underwood；　the

avenue　itself　was　much　broken；　and　in

many　places　the　stones　were　almost

concealed　by　grass　and　nettles；　the　loose

stone　walls　which　had　here　and　there

intersected　the　broad　park　were；　in　many

places；　broken　down；　so　as　no　longer　to

answer　their　original　purpose　as　fences；

piers　were　now　and　then　to　be　seen；　but

the　gates　were　gone；　and；　to　add　to　the

general　air　of　dilapidation；　some　huge　

trunks　were　lying　scattered　through　the

venerable　old　tr