tales and fantasies-第8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！





But　there　was　to　be　no　remission　of　the　strokes　of　fate。　　As

he　thus　sat；　taking　breath　in　the　shadow　of　the　wall　and

hopped　about　by　sparrows；　it　chanced　that　his　eye　roved　to

the　fastening　of　the　door；　and　what　he　saw　plucked　him　to　his

feet。　　The　thing　locked　with　a　spring；　once　the　door　was

closed；　the　bolt　shut　of　itself；　and　without　a　key；　there　was

no　means　of　entering　from　without。



He　saw　himself　obliged　to　one　of　two　distasteful　and　perilous

alternatives；　either　to　shut　the　door　altogether　and　set　his

portmanteau　out　upon　the　wayside；　a　wonder　to　all　beholders；

or　to　leave　the　door　ajar；　so　that　any　thievish　tramp　or

holiday　schoolboy　might　stray　in　and　stumble　on　the　grisly

secret。　　To　the　last；　as　the　least　desperate；　his　mind

inclined；　but　he　must　first　insure　himself　that　he　was

unobserved。　　He　peered　out；　and　down　the　long　road；　it　lay

dead　empty。　　He　went　to　the　corner　of　the　by…road　that　comes

by　way　of　Dean；　there　also　not　a　passenger　was　stirring。

Plainly　it　was；　now　or　never；　the　high　tide　of　his　affairs；

and　he　drew　the　door　as　close　as　he　durst；　slipped　a　pebble

in　the　chink；　and　made　off　downhill　to　find　a　cab。



Half…way　down　a　gate　opened；　and　a　troop　of　Christmas

children　sallied　forth　in　the　most　cheerful　humour；　followed

more　soberly　by　a　smiling　mother。



'And　this　is　Christmas…day！'　thought　John；　and　could　have

laughed　aloud　in　tragic　bitterness　of　heart。







CHAPTER　VII　…　A　TRAGI…COMEDY　IN　A　CAB







In　front　of　Donaldson's　Hospital；　John　counted　it　good

fortune　to　perceive　a　cab　a　great　way　of；　and　by　much

shouting　and　waving　of　his　arm；　to　catch　the　notice　of　the

driver。　　He　counted　it　good　fortune；　for　the　time　was　long　to

him　till　he　should　have　done　for　ever　with　the　Lodge；　and　the

further　he　must　go　to　find　a　cab；　the　greater　the　chance　that

the　inevitable　discovery　had　taken　place；　and　that　he　should

return　to　find　the　garden　full　of　angry　neighbours。　　Yet　when

the　vehicle　drew　up　he　was　sensibly　chagrined　to　recognise

the　port…wine　cabman　of　the　night　before。　　'Here；'　he　could

not　but　reflect；　'here　is　another　link　in　the　Judicial

Error。'



The　driver；　on　the　other　hand；　was　pleased　to　drop　again　upon

so　liberal　a　fare；　and　as　he　was　a　man　…　the　reader　must

already　have　perceived　…　of　easy；　not　to　say　familiar；

manners；　he　dropped　at　once　into　a　vein　of　friendly　talk；

commenting　on　the　weather；　on　the　sacred　season；　which　struck

him　chiefly　in　the　light　of　a　day　of　liberal　gratuities；　on

the　chance　which　had　reunited　him　to　a　pleasing　customer；　and

on　the　fact　that　John　had　been　（as　he　was　pleased　to　call　it）

visibly　'on　the　randan'　the　night　before。



'And　ye　look　dreidful　bad　the…day；　sir；　I　must　say　that；'　he

continued。　　'There's　nothing　like　a　dram　for　ye　…　if　ye'll

take　my　advice　of　it；　and　bein'　as　it's　Christmas；　I'm　no'

saying；'　he　added；　with　a　fatherly　smile；　'but　what　I　would

join　ye　mysel'。'



John　had　listened　with　a　sick　heart。



'I'll　give　you　a　dram　when　we've　got　through；'　said　he；

affecting　a　sprightliness　which　sat　on　him　most　unhandsomely；

'and　not　a　drop　till　then。　　Business　first；　and　pleasure

afterward。'



With　this　promise　the　jarvey　was　prevailed　upon　to　clamber　to

his　place　and　drive；　with　hideous　deliberation；　to　the　door

of　the　Lodge。　　There　were　no　signs　as　yet　of　any　public

emotion；　only；　two　men　stood　not　far　off　in　talk；　and　their

presence；　seen　from　afar；　set　John's　pulses　buzzing。　　He

might　have　spared　himself　his　fright；　for　the　pair　were　lost

in　some　dispute　of　a　theological　complexion；　and　with

lengthened　upper　lip　and　enumerating　fingers；　pursued　the

matter　of　their　difference；　and　paid　no　heed　to　John。



But　the　cabman　proved　a　thorn　in　the　flesh。



Nothing　would　keep　him　on　his　perch；　he　must　clamber　down；

comment　upon　the　pebble　in　the　door　（which　he　regarded　as　an

ingenious　but　unsafe　device）；　help　John　with　the　portmanteau；

and　enliven　matters　with　a　flow　of　speech；　and　especially　of

questions；　which　I　thus　condense：…



'He'll　no'　be　here　himsel'；　will　he？　　No？　　Well；　he's　an

eccentric　man　…　a　fair　oddity　…　if　ye　ken　the　expression。

Great　trouble　with　his　tenants；　they　tell　me。　　I've　driven

the　fam'ly　for　years。　　I　drove　a　cab　at　his　father's　waddin'。

What'll　your　name　be？　…　I　should　ken　your　face。　　Baigrey；　ye

say？　　There　were　Baigreys　about　Gilmerton；　ye'll　be　one　of

that　lot？　　Then　this'll　be　a　friend's　portmantie；　like？　　Why？

Because　the　name　upon　it's　Nucholson！　　Oh；　if　ye're　in　a

hurry；　that's　another　job。　　Waverley　Brig？　　Are　ye　for　away？'



So　the　friendly　toper　prated　and　questioned　and　kept　John's

heart　in　a　flutter。　　But　to　this　also；　as　to　other　evils

under　the　sun；　there　came　a　period；　and　the　victim　of

circumstances　began　at　last　to　rumble　toward　the　railway

terminus　at　Waverley　Bridge。　　During　the　transit；　he　sat　with

raised　glasses　in　the　frosty　chill　and　mouldy　fetor　of　his

chariot；　and　glanced　out　sidelong　on　the　holiday　face　of

things；　the　shuttered　shops；　and　the　crowds　along　the

pavement；　much　as　the　rider　in　the　Tyburn　cart　may　have

observed　the　concourse　gathering　to　his　execution。



At　the　station　his　spirits　rose　again；　another　stage　of　his

escape　was　fortunately　ended　…　he　began　to　spy　blue　water。

He　called　a　railway　porter；　and　bade　him　carry　the

portmanteau　to　the　cloak…room：　not　that　he　had　any　notion　of

delay；　flight；　instant　flight　was　his　design；　no　matter

whither；　but　he　had　determined　to　dismiss　the　cabman　ere　he

named；　or　even　chose；　his　destination；　thus　possibly　balking

the　Judicial　Error　of　another　link。　　This　was　his　cunning

aim；　and　now　with　one　foot　on　the　roadway；　and　one　still　on

the　coach…step；　he　made　haste　to　put　the　thing　in　practice；

and　plunged　his　hand　into　his　trousers　pocket。



There　was　nothing　there！



Oh　yes；　this　time　he　was　to　blame。　　He　should　have

remembered；　and　when　he　deserted　his　blood…stained

pantaloons；　he　should　not　have　deserted　along　with　them　his

purse。　　Make　the　most　of　his　error；　and　then　compare　it　with

the　punishment！　　Conceive　his　new　position；　for　I　lack　words

to　picture　it；　conceive　him　condemned　to　return　to　that

house；　from　the　very　thought　of　which　his　soul　revolted；　and

once　more　to　expose　himself　to　capture　on　the　very　scene　of

the　misdeed：　conceive　him　linked　to　the　mouldy　cab　and　the

familiar　cabman。　　John　cursed　the　cabman　silently；　and　then

it　occurred　to　him　that　he　must　stop　the　incarceration　of　his

portmanteau；　that；　at　least；　he　must　keep　close　at　hand；　and

he　turned　to　recall　the　porter。　　But　his　reflections；　brief

as　they　had　appeared；　must　have　occupied　him　longer　than　he

supposed；　and　there　was　the　man　already　returning　with　the

receipt。



Well；　that　was　settled；　he　had　lost　his　portmanteau　also；　for

the　sixpence　with　which　he　had　paid　the　Murrayfield　Toll　was

one　that　had　strayed　alone　into　his　waistcoat　pocket；　and

unless　he　once　more　successfully　achieved　the　adventure　of

the　house　of　crime；　his　portmanteau　lay　in　the　cloakroom　in

eternal　pawn；　for　lack　of　a　penny　fee。　　And　then　he

remembered　the　porter；　who　stood　suggestively　attentive；

words　of　gratitude　hanging　on　his　lips。



John　hunted　right　and　left；　he　found　a　coin　…　prayed　God　that

it　was　a　sovereign　…　　drew　it　out；　beheld　a　halfpenny；　and

offered　it　to　the　porter。



The　man's　jaw　dropped。



'It's　only　a　halfpenny！'　he　said；　startled　out　of　railway

decency。



'I　know　that；'　said　John；　piteously。



And　here　the　porter　recovered　the　dignity　of　man。



'Thank　you；　sir；'　said　he；　and　would　have　returned　the　base

gratuity。　　But　John；　too；　would　none　of　it；　and　as　they

struggled；　who　must　join　in　but　the　cabman？



'Hoots；　Mr。　Baigrey；'　said　he；　'you　surely　forget　what　day　it

is！'



'I　tell　you　I　have　no　change！'　cried　John。



'Well；'　said　the　driver；　'and　what　then？　　I　would　rather　give

a　man　a　shillin'　on　a　day　like　this　than　put　him　off　with　a

derision　like　a　bawbee。　　I'm　surprised　at　the　like　of　you；

Mr。　Baigrey！'



'My　name　is　not　Baigrey！'　broke　out　John；　in　mere　childish

temper　and　distress。



'Ye　told　me　it　was　yoursel'；'　said　the　cabman。



'I　know　I　did；　and　what　the　devil　right　had　you　to　ask？'

cried　the　unhappy　one。



'Oh；　very　well；'　said　the　driver。　　'I　know　my　place；　if　you

know　yours　…　if　you　know　yours！'　he　repeated；　as　one　who

should　imply　grave　doubt；　and　muttered　inarticulate　thunders；

in　which　the　grand　old　name　of　gentleman　was　taken　seemingly

in　vain。



Oh　to　have　been　able　to　discharge　this　monster；　whom　John　now

perceived；　with　tardy　clear…sightedness；　to　have　begun

betimes　the　festivities　of　Christmas！　　But　far　from　any　such

ray　of　consolation　visiting　the　lost；　he　stood　bare　of　help

and　helpers；　his　portmanteau　sequestered　in　one　place；　his

money　deserted　in　another　and　guarded　by　a　corpse；　himself；

so　sedulous　of　privacy；　the　cynosure　of　all　men's　eyes　about

the　station；　and；　as　if　these　were　not　enough　mischances；　he

was　now　fallen　in　ill…blood　with　the　beast　to　whom　his

poverty　had　linked　him！　　In　ill…blood；　as　he　reflected

dismally；　with　the　witness　who　perhaps　might　hang　or　save

him！　　There　was　no　time　to　be　lost；　he　durst　not　linger　any

longer　in　that　public　spot；　and　whether　he　had　recourse　to

dignity　or　conciliation；　the　remedy　must　be　applied　at　once。

Some　happily　surviving　element　of　manhood　moved　him　to　the

former。



'Let　us　have　no　more　of　this；'　said　he；　his　foot　once　more

upon　the　step。　　'Go　back　to　where　we　came　from。'



He　had　avoided　the　name　of　any　destination；　for　there　was　now

quite　a　little　band　of　railway　folk　about　the　cab；　and　he

still　kept　an　eye　upon　the　court　of　justice；　and　laboured　to

avoid　concentric　evidence。　　But　here　again　the　fatal　jarvey

out…manoeuvred　him。



'Back　to　the　Ludge？'　cried　he；　in　shrill　tones　of　protest。



'Drive　on　at　once！'　roared　John；　and　slammed　the　door　behind

him；　so　that　the　crazy　chariot　rocked　and　jingled。



Forth　trundled　the　cab　into　the　Christmas　streets；　the　fare

within　plunged　in　the　blackness　of　a　despair　that　neighboured

on　unconsciousness；　the　driver　on　the　box　digesting　his

rebuke　and　his　customer's　duplicity。　　I　would　not　be　thought

to　put　the　pair　in　competition；　John's　case　was　out　of　all

parallel。　　But　the　cabman；　too；　is　worth　the　sympathy　of　the

judicious；　for　he　was　a　fellow　of　genuine　kindliness　and　a

high　sense　of　personal　dignity　incensed　by　drink；　and　his

advances　had　been　cruelly　and　publicly　rebuffed。　　As　he

drove；　therefore；　he　counted　his　wrongs；　and　thirsted　for

sympathy　and　drink。　　Now；　it　chanced　he　had　a　friend；　a

publican　in　Queensferry　Street；　from　whom；　in　view　of　the

sacredness　of　the　occasion；　he　thought　he　might　extract　a

dram。　　Queensferry　Street　lies　something　off　the　direct　road

to　Murrayfield。　　But　then　there　is　the　hilly　cross…road　that