tales and fantasies-第15章

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control　over　Macfarlane；　issued　orders　like　the　Great　Bashaw；

became　inflamed　at　the　least　discussion　or　delay；　and

commented　rudely　on　the　servility　with　which　he　was　obeyed。

This　most　offensive　person　took　a　fancy　to　Fettes　on　the

spot；　plied　him　with　drinks；　and　honoured　him　with　unusual

confidences　on　his　past　career。　　If　a　tenth　part　of　what　he

confessed　were　true；　he　was　a　very　loathsome　rogue；　and　the

lad's　vanity　was　tickled　by　the　attention　of　so　experienced　a

man。



'I'm　a　pretty　bad　fellow　myself；'　the　stranger　remarked；　'but

Macfarlane　is　the　boy　…　Toddy　Macfarlane　I　call　him。　　Toddy；

order　your　friend　another　glass。'　　Or　it　might　be；　'Toddy；

you　jump　up　and　shut　the　door。'　　'Toddy　hates　me；'　he　said

again。　　'Oh　yes；　Toddy；　you　do！'



'Don't　you　call　me　that　confounded　name；'　growled　Macfarlane。



'Hear　him！　　Did　you　ever　see　the　lads　play　knife？　　He　would

like　to　do　that　all　over　my　body；'　remarked　the　stranger。



'We　medicals　have　a　better　way　than　that；'　said　Fettes。

'When　we　dislike　a　dead　friend　of　ours；　we　dissect　him。'



Macfarlane　looked　up　sharply；　as　though　this　jest　were

scarcely　to　his　mind。



The　afternoon　passed。　　Gray；　for　that　was　the　stranger's

name；　invited　Fettes　to　join　them　at　dinner；　ordered　a　feast

so　sumptuous　that　the　tavern　was　thrown　into　commotion；　and

when　all　was　done　commanded　Macfarlane　to　settle　the　bill。

It　was　late　before　they　separated；　the　man　Gray　was　incapably

drunk。　　Macfarlane；　sobered　by　his　fury；　chewed　the　cud　of

the　money　he　had　been　forced　to　squander　and　the　slights　he

had　been　obliged　to　swallow。　　Fettes；　with　various　liquors

singing　in　his　head；　returned　home　with　devious　footsteps　and

a　mind　entirely　in　abeyance。　　Next　day　Macfarlane　was　absent

from　the　class；　and　Fettes　smiled　to　himself　as　he　imagined

him　still　squiring　the　intolerable　Gray　from　tavern　to

tavern。　　As　soon　as　the　hour　of　liberty　had　struck　he　posted

from　place　to　place　in　quest　of　his　last　night's　companions。

He　could　find　them；　however；　nowhere；　so　returned　early　to

his　rooms；　went　early　to　bed；　and　slept　the　sleep　of　the

just。



At　four　in　the　morning　he　was　awakened　by　the　well…known

signal。　　Descending　to　the　door；　he　was　filled　with

astonishment　to　find　Macfarlane　with　his　gig；　and　in　the　gig

one　of　those　long　and　ghastly　packages　with　which　he　was　so

well　acquainted。



'What？'　he　cried。　　'Have　you　been　out　alone？　　How　did　you

manage？'



But　Macfarlane　silenced　him　roughly；　bidding　him　turn　to

business。　　When　they　had　got　the　body　upstairs　and　laid　it　on

the　table；　Macfarlane　made　at　first　as　if　he　were　going　away。

Then　he　paused　and　seemed　to　hesitate；　and　then；　'You　had

better　look　at　the　face；'　said　he；　in　tones　of　some

constraint。　　'You　had　better；'　he　repeated；　as　Fettes　only

stared　at　him　in　wonder。



'But　where；　and　how；　and　when　did　you　come　by　it？'　cried　the

other。



'Look　at　the　face；'　was　the　only　answer。



Fettes　was　staggered；　strange　doubts　assailed　him。　　He　looked

from　the　young　doctor　to　the　body；　and　then　back　again。　　At

last；　with　a　start；　he　did　as　he　was　bidden。　　He　had　almost

expected　the　sight　that　met　his　eyes；　and　yet　the　shock　was

cruel。　　To　see；　fixed　in　the　rigidity　of　death　and　naked　on

that　coarse　layer　of　sackcloth；　the　man　whom　he　had　left　well

clad　and　full　of　meat　and　sin　upon　the　threshold　of　a　tavern；

awoke；　even　in　the　thoughtless　Fettes；　some　of　the　terrors　of

the　conscience。　　It　was　a　CRAS　TIBI　which　re…echoed　in　his

soul；　that　two　whom　he　had　known　should　have　come　to　lie　upon

these　icy　tables。　　Yet　these　were　only　secondary　thoughts。

His　first　concern　regarded　Wolfe。　　Unprepared　for　a　challenge

so　momentous；　he　knew　not　how　to　look　his　comrade　in　the

face。　　He　durst　not　meet　his　eye；　and　he　had　neither　words

nor　voice　at　his　command。



It　was　Macfarlane　himself　who　made　the　first　advance。　　He

came　up　quietly　behind　and　laid　his　hand　gently　but　firmly　on

the　other's　shoulder。



'Richardson；'　said　he；　'may　have　the　head。'



Now　Richardson　was　a　student　who　had　long　been　anxious　for

that　portion　of　the　human　subject　to　dissect。　　There　was　no

answer；　and　the　murderer　resumed：　'Talking　of　business；　you

must　pay　me；　your　accounts；　you　see；　must　tally。'



Fettes　found　a　voice；　the　ghost　of　his　own：　'Pay　you！'　he

cried。　　'Pay　you　for　that？'



'Why；　yes；　of　course　you　must。　　By　all　means　and　on　every

possible　account；　you　must；'　returned　the　other。　　'I　dare　not

give　it　for　nothing；　you　dare　not　take　it　for　nothing；　it

would　compromise　us　both。　　This　is　another　case　like　Jane

Galbraith's。　　The　more　things　are　wrong　the　more　we　must　act

as　if　all　were　right。　　Where　does　old　K…　keep　his　money？'



'There；'　answered　Fettes　hoarsely；　pointing　to　a　cupboard　in

the　corner。



'Give　me　the　key；　then；'　said　the　other；　calmly；　holding　out

his　hand。



There　was　an　instant's　hesitation；　and　the　die　was　cast。

Macfarlane　could　not　suppress　a　nervous　twitch；　the

infinitesimal　mark　of　an　immense　relief；　as　he　felt　the　key

between　his　fingers。　　He　opened　the　cupboard；　brought　out　pen

and　ink　and　a　paper…book　that　stood　in　one　compartment；　and

separated　from　the　funds　in　a　drawer　a　sum　suitable　to　the

occasion。



'Now；　look　here；'　he　said；　'there　is　the　payment　made　…　first

proof　of　your　good　faith：　first　step　to　your　security。　　You

have　now　to　clinch　it　by　a　second。　　Enter　the　payment　in　your

book；　and　then　you　for　your　part　may　defy　the　devil。'



The　next　few　seconds　were　for　Fettes　an　agony　of　thought；　but

in　balancing　his　terrors　it　was　the　most　immediate　that

triumphed。　　Any　future　difficulty　seemed　almost　welcome　if　he

could　avoid　a　present　quarrel　with　Macfarlane。　　He　set　down

the　candle　which　he　had　been　carrying　all　this　time；　and　with

a　steady　hand　entered　the　date；　the　nature；　and　the　amount　of

the　transaction。



'And　now；'　said　Macfarlane；　'it's　only　fair　that　you　should

pocket　the　lucre。　　I've　had　my　share　already。　　By　the　bye；

when　a　man　of　the　world　falls　into　a　bit　of　luck；　has　a　few

shillings　extra　in　his　pocket　…　I'm　ashamed　to　speak　of　it；

but　there's　a　rule　of　conduct　in　the　case。　　No　treating；　no

purchase　of　expensive　class…books；　no　squaring　of　old　debts；

borrow；　don't　lend。'



'Macfarlane；'　began　Fettes；　still　somewhat　hoarsely；　'I　have

put　my　neck　in　a　halter　to　oblige　you。'



'To　oblige　me？'　cried　Wolfe。　　'Oh；　come！　　You　did；　as　near　as

I　can　see　the　matter；　what　you　downright　had　to　do　in　self…

defence。　　Suppose　I　got　into　trouble；　where　would　you　be？

This　second　little　matter　flows　clearly　from　the　first。　　Mr。

Gray　is　the　continuation　of　Miss　Galbraith。　　You　can't　begin

and　then　stop。　　If　you　begin；　you　must　keep　on　beginning；

that's　the　truth。　　No　rest　for　the　wicked。'



A　horrible　sense　of　blackness　and　the　treachery　of　fate

seized　hold　upon　the　soul　of　the　unhappy　student。



'My　God！'　he　cried；　'but　what　have　I　done？　and　when　did　I

begin？　　To　be　made　a　class　assistant　…　in　the　name　of　reason；

where's　the　harm　in　that？　　Service　wanted　the　position；

Service　might　have　got　it。　　Would　HE　have　been　where　I　am

now？'



'My　dear　fellow；'　said　Macfarlane；　'what　a　boy　you　are！　　What

harm　HAS　come　to　you？　　What　harm　CAN　come　to　you　if　you　hold

your　tongue？　　Why；　man；　do　you　know　what　this　life　is？　　There

are　two　squads　of　us　…　the　lions　and　the　lambs。　　If　you're　a

lamb；　you'll　come　to　lie　upon　these　tables　like　Gray　or　Jane

Galbraith；　if　you're　a　lion；　you'll　live　and　drive　a　horse

like　me；　like　K…；　like　all　the　world　with　any　wit　or　courage。

You're　staggered　at　the　first。　　But　look　at　K…！　　My　dear

fellow；　you're　clever；　you　have　pluck。　　I　like　you；　and　K…

likes　you。　　You　were　born　to　lead　the　hunt；　and　I　tell　you；

on　my　honour　and　my　experience　of　life；　three　days　from　now

you'll　laugh　at　all　these　scarecrows　like　a　High　School　boy

at　a　farce。'



And　with　that　Macfarlane　took　his　departure　and　drove　off　up

the　wynd　in　his　gig　to　get　under　cover　before　daylight。

Fettes　was　thus　left　alone　with　his　regrets。　　He　saw　the

miserable　peril　in　which　he　stood　involved。　　He　saw；　with

inexpressible　dismay；　that　there　was　no　limit　to　his

weakness；　and　that；　from　concession　to　concession；　he　had

fallen　from　the　arbiter　of　Macfarlane's　destiny　to　his　paid

and　helpless　accomplice。　　He　would　have　given　the　world　to

have　been　a　little　braver　at　the　time；　but　it　did　not　occur

to　him　that　he　might　still　be　brave。　　The　secret　of　Jane

Galbraith　and　the　cursed　entry　in　the　day…book　closed　his

mouth。



Hours　passed；　the　class　began　to　arrive；　the　members　of　the

unhappy　Gray　were　dealt　out　to　one　and　to　another；　and

received　without　remark。　　Richardson　was　made　happy　with　the

head；　and　before　the　hour　of　freedom　rang　Fettes　trembled

with　exultation　to　perceive　how　far　they　had　already　gone

toward　safety。



For　two　days　he　continued　to　watch；　with　increasing　joy；　the

dreadful　process　of　disguise。



On　the　third　day　Macfarlane　made　his　appearance。　　He　had　been

ill；　he　said；　but　he　made　up　for　lost　time　by　the　energy　with

which　he　directed　the　students。　　To　Richardson　in　particular

he　extended　the　most　valuable　assistance　and　advice；　and　that

student；　encouraged　by　the　praise　of　the　demonstrator；　burned

high　with　ambitious　hopes；　and　saw　the　medal　already　in　his

grasp。



Before　the　week　was　out　Macfarlane's　prophecy　had　been

fulfilled。　　Fettes　had　outlived　his　terrors　and　had　forgotten

his　baseness。　　He　began　to　plume　himself　upon　his　courage；

and　had　so　arranged　the　story　in　his　mind　that　he　could　look

back　on　these　events　with　an　unhealthy　pride。　　Of　his

accomplice　he　saw　but　little。　　They　met；　of　course；　in　the

business　of　the　class；　they　received　their　orders　together

from　Mr。　K…。　　At　times　they　had　a　word　or　two　in　private；　and

Macfarlane　was　from　first　to　last　particularly　kind　and

jovial。　　But　it　was　plain　that　he　avoided　any　reference　to

their　common　secret；　and　even　when　Fettes　whispered　to　him

that　he　had　cast　in　his　lot　with　the　lions　and　foresworn　the

lambs；　he　only　signed　to　him　smilingly　to　hold　his　peace。



At　length　an　occasion　arose　which　threw　the　pair　once　more

into　a　closer　union。　　Mr。　K…　was　again　short　of　subjects；

pupils　were　eager；　and　it　was　a　part　of　this　teacher's

pretensions　to　be　always　well　supplied。　　At　the　same　time

there　came　the　news　of　a　burial　in　the　rustic　graveyard　of

Glencorse。　　Time　has　little　changed　the　place　in　question。

It　stood　then；　as　now；　upon　a　cross　road；　out　of　call　of

human　habitations；　and　buried　fathom　deep　in　the　foliage　of

six　cedar　trees。　　The　cries　of　the　sheep　upon　the

neighbouring　hills；　the　streamlets　upon　either　hand；　one

loudly　singing　among　pebbles；　the　other　dripping　furtively

from　pond　to　pond；　the　stir　of　the　wind　in　mountainous　old

flowering　chestnuts；　and　once　in　seven　days　the　voice　of　the

be