"What is it, Banks?" asked Sir Charles, looking up.
"A person wishing to see you, Sir Charles," replied Banks.
"A person! is it a man or a woman?"
"The party," said Banks, varying his word, but not altering the generic12 appellation,--"the party is a man, sir."
"Do I know him?"
"I should say certainly not, Sir Charles," replied Banks in a tone which intimated that if his master did know the stranger, he ought to be ashamed of himself.
"Did he give no name?"
"I ast him for his name, Sir Charles, and he only says, 'Tell your master,' he says, 'that a gentleman,' he says, 'wants to see him.'"
"Oh, tell him that he must call some other time and send in his business. I can't see him now; I'm just going out for a drive with Lady Mitford. Tell him to call again."
"There was a time, and not very long ago either," said Sir Charles, taking up the paper as Banks retired13, "that if I'd been told that a man who wouldn't give his name wanted to speak to me, I should have slipped out the back-way and run for my life. But, thank God, that's all over now.--Well, Banks, what now?"
"The party is very arbitrary, Sir Charles; he won't take 'no' for an answer; and when I told him you must know his business, he bust14 out larfin' and told me to say he was an old messmate of yours, and had sailed with you on board the Albatross."
A red spot burned on Sir Charles Mitford's cheek as he laid the newspaper aside and said, "Show this person into the library, and deny me to every one while he remains15. Let your mistress be told I am prevented by business from driving with her to-day. Look sharp!"
Mr. Banks was not accustomed to be told to "look sharp!" and during his three-months' experience of his master he had never heard him speak in so petulant16 a tone. "I'd no idea he'd been a seafarin' gent," he said downstairs, "or I'd a never undertook the place. The tempers of those ship-captains is awful."
When Banks had left the room Sir Charles walked to the sideboard, and leant heavily against it while he poured out and drank a liqueur-glass of brandy.
"The Albatross!" he muttered with white lips; "which of them can it be? I thought I had heard the last of that cursed name. Banks said a man; it's not the worst of them, then. That's lucky."
He went into the library and seated himself in an armchair facing the door. He had scarcely done so when Banks gloomily ushered17 in the stranger.
He was a middle-sized dark man, dressed in what seemed to be a seedy caricature of the then prevailing18 fashion. His coat had once been a bright-claret colour, but was now dull, threadbare, and frayed19 round the edges of the breast-pocket, out of which peeped the end of a flashy silk handkerchief. He had no shirt-collar apparent; but wore round his neck a dirty blue-satin scarf with two pins, one large and one small, fastened together by a little chain. His trousers were of a staring green shawl-pattern, cut so as to hide nearly all the boot and tightly strapped20 down, as was the fashion of those days; and the little of his boots visible was broken and shabby. Sir Charles looked at him hard and steadily21, then gave a sigh of relief. He had never seen the man before. He pointed5 to a chair, into which his visitor dropped with an easy swagger; then crossed his legs, and looking at Sir Charles, said familiarly, "And how are you?"
"You have the advantage of me," said Sir Charles.
"I think I have," said the man grinning; "and what's more, I mean to keep it too. Lord, what a precious dance you have led me, to be sure!"
"Look here, sir," said Mitford "be good enough to tell me your business, and go. I'm engaged."
"Go! Oh, you're on the high jeff, are you? And engaged too! Going to drive your missis out in that pretty little trap I saw at the door? Well, I'm sorry to stop you; but you must."
"Must!"
"Yes, must. 'Tain't a nice word; but it's the word I want. Must; and I'll tell you why. You recollect22 Tony Butler?"
Sir Charles Mitford's colour, which had returned when he saw that his visitor was a stranger to him, and which had even increased under the insolence23 of the man's manner, fled at the mention of this name. His face and lips were quite white as he said, "I do indeed."
"Yes, I knew you would. Well, he's dead, Tony is."
"Yes," said the man pleasantly; "I think I'm with you in both those remarks. It's a good job he's dead; and he was a bad 'un, was Tony, though he was my brother."
"Your brother!"
"Ah! that's just it. We never met before, because I was in America when you and Tony were so thick together. You see I'm not such a swell25 as Tony was; and they--him and father, I mean--were glad to get me out of the country for fear I should spoil any of their little games. When I came back, you had given Tony a licking, so far as I could make out, though he'd never tell exactly, and your friendship was all bust up, and he was dreadfully mad with you. And that's how we never came to meet before."
"And why have we met now, pray?" said Sir Charles. "What is your business with me?"
"I'm coming to that in good time. Tony's last words to me were, 'If you want to do a good thing for yourself, Dick,' he says, 'find out a fellow named Charles Mitford. He's safe to turn up trumps26 some day,' says Tony, 'he's so uncommonly27 sharp; and whenever you get to speak to him, before you say who you are, tell him you sailed in the Albatross.' Lord bless you! I knew the lot of 'em-Crockett, and Dunks, and Lizzie Ponsford; they said you and she used to be very sweet on each other, and--"
The door opened suddenly, and Lady Mitford hurried into the room; but seeing a stranger, she drew back. Sir Charles went to the door.
"What do you want, Georgie?" said he sharply.
"I had no idea you had any one here, Charles, or I wouldn't have disturbed you. Oh, Charley, send that horrid28 man away, and come and drive me out."
She looked so pretty and spoke29 so winningly that he patted her cheek with his hand, and said in a much softer voice, "I can't come now, child. This man is here on special business, and I must go through it with him. So goodbye, pet, and enjoy yourself."
She made a little moue of entreaty30, and put her hands before his face in a comic appeal; but he shook his head, kissed her cheek, and shut the door.
"Pretty creechur, that!" said his companion; "looks as well in her bonnet31 as out of it; and there's few of 'em does, I think."
"Ah! that's just it," replied Mr. Butler with a sniggering laugh. "I told you you'd led me a precious dance to find you, and so you had. Tony told me that you had regularly come to grief since you parted with him, and I had a regular hunt after you, in all sorts of lodging-houses and places. There are lots of my pals33 on the lookout34 for you now."
"Upon my soul, you're devilish kind to take all this trouble about me, Mr.--Butler. What your motive35 was I can't imagine."
"You'll know all in good time; I'm coming to that; and not 'Butler,' please: Mr. Effingham is my name just now; I'll tell you why by and by. Well, I couldn't get hold of you anyhow, and I thought you'd gone dead or something, when last night, as I was standing waiting to come out of the Parthenium, I heard the linkmen outside hollering 'Lady Mitford's carriage!' like mad. The name strikes on my ears, and I thought I'd wait and see her ladyship. Presently down came the lady we've just seen, leaning on the arm of a cove36 in a big black beard like a foreigner. 'No go,' says I, 'that's not my man;' and I says to a flunkey who was standing next to me, 'He's a rum 'un to look at, is her husband.' 'That's not her husband,' he says; 'this is Sir Charles coming now.' The name Charles and the figure being like struck me at once; so I took the flunkey into the public next door, and we had a glass, and he told me all about the old gent and his kids being drowned, and your coming in for the title. 'That's my man,' says I to myself; and I found out where you lived, and came straight on here this morning."
"And now that your prying37 and sneaking38 has been successful and you have found me, what do you want?"
"Ah! I thought you'd lose your temper; Tony always said you was hotheaded. What do I want! Well, to be very short and come to the point at once--money."
"I guessed as much."
"Yes, there's no denying it; I'm regularly stumped39. I suppose you were surprised now to hear I wasn't flush, after seeing me so well got-up? But it's a deal of it dummy40. These pins now,--Lowther Arcade41! No ticker at the end of this guard; nothing but a key-look!" And he twitched42 a key out of his waistcoat-pocket. "My boots too are infernally leaky; and my hat has become quite limp from being perpetually damped and ironed. Yes, I want money badly."
"Look here, Mr.----"
"Effingham."
"Mr. Effingham, you have taken, as you yourself admit, an immense deal of trouble to hunt me up, and having found me you ask me for money, on the ground of your being the brother of an infernal scoundrel whom I had once the ill-luck to be associated with--don't interrupt me, please. It wasn't Tony Butler's fault that I didn't die on a dunghill, or that I am not now--"
"In Norfolk Island," said Mr. Effingham, getting in his words this time.
Sir Charles glared fiercely at him for an instant, and then continued: "Now I expected I should have to encounter this sort of thing from the people who pillaged43 me when I was poor, and would make that an excuse for further extortion, and I determined not to accede44 to any application. But as you're the first who has applied45, and as you've neither bullied46 nor whined47, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give you, on condition I never see or hear of you again, this five-pound note."
Mr. Effingham laughed, a real hearty48 laugh, as he shook his head, and said: "Won't do: nothing like enough."
Sir Charles lost his temper, and said: "Stop this infernal tomfoolery, sir! Not enough! Why, d--n it, one would think you had a claim upon me!"
"And suppose I have, Sir Charles Mitford, what then?" said Mr. Effingham, leaning forward in his chair and confronting his companion.
"What then? Why--pooh, stuff! this is a poor attempt at extortion. You don't think to get any money out of me by threatening to tell of my connection with the Albatross crew? You don't think I should mind the people to whom you could tell it knowing it, do you?"
"I don't know; perhaps not; and yet I think I shall be able before I've done to prove to you I've a claim on you."
"What is it?"
"All tiled here, eh? Nobody within earshot? That sleek49 cove in black that wouldn't let me see you, not listening at the door, is he?"
"There is no one to hear," said Sir Charles, who was getting more and more uncomfortable at all this mystery.
"All right, then. Sorry to rake up disagreeables; but I must. You recollect making a slight mistake about your Christian50 name once, fancying it was Percy instead of Charles; writing it as Percy across a stamped bit of paper good for two hundred quid, and putting Redmoor as your address after it?"
"It would be awkward to have anything of that sort brought up just now, wouldn't it?"
Sir Charles hesitated for an instant, then gave a great sigh of relief as he said: "You infernal scoundrel! you think to frighten me with that, do you? To make that the ground for your extortion? Why, you miserable52 wretch53, I myself burnt that--that--document in Moss's office!"
"How you do run on, Sir Charles! I just mentioned something about a little bill, and you're down upon me in a moment. I guessed that was destroyed; at all events I knew it was all safe; and Sir Percy's dead, so it don't much matter. But, Lord! with your memory you must surely recollect another little dockyment,--quite a little one, only five-and-twenty pound,-where you mistook both your names that time, and accepted it as Walter Burgess:--recollect?"
The pallor had spread over Mitford's face again, and his lips quivered as he said: "That was destroyed--destroyed by Tony Butler long since--before the other one was done."
"Yes, yes, I know this was the first,--a little one just to get your hand in. But it ain't destroyed. It's all right, bless you! I can see it now with a big black 'FORGED' stamped across it by the bank-people."
"Where is it?"
"Oh, it's in very safe keeping with a friend of mine who scarcely knows its value. Because, though he knows its a forgery54, he don't know who done it; now, you see, through my brother Tony, I do know who done it; and I do know that Walter Burgess is alive, and is a large hop-factor down Maidstone way, and owing you a grudge55 for that thrashing you gave him in the billiard-rooms at Canterbury, which he's never forgotten, would come forward and prosecute56 at once."
"You--you might prove the forgery; but how could you connect me with it?"
"Not bad, that. But I'm ready for you. People at the bank will prove you had the money; and taken in connection with the other little business, which is well known, and which there are lots of people to prove, a jury would convict at once."
Sir Charles Mitford shuddered57, and buried his face in his hands. Then, looking up, said: "How much do you want for that bill?"
"Well, you see, that's scarcely the question. It's in the hands of a man who don't know its value, and if he did he'd open his mouth pretty wide, and stick it on pretty stiff, I can tell you. So we can let him bide58 a bit. Meantime I know about it, and, as Tony told me, I intend to make it serve me. Now you want to get rid of me, and don't want to see me for some little time? I thought so. I'm not an extravagant59 cove; give me fifty pounds."
"If you refused me money and I cut up rough, the bill should be produced, and you'd be in quod and Queer Street in a jiffy! Better do as I say--give me the fifty, and you shan't see me for a blue moon!"
Whether Sir Charles was stimulated61 by the period named or not, it is certain he sat down at his desk, and producing his cheque-book, began to write. Mr. Effingham looked over his shoulder.
"Make it payable62 to some number--295, or anything--not a name, please. And you needn't cross it. Lord! you didn't take much trouble to disguise your fist when you put Walter Bur--, beg pardon! quite forgot what I was saying. Thank you, Sir Charles. I'll keep my word all right, you shall see. I'm not an idle beggar; I'm always at something; so that I shan't depend entirely63 on this bit of gray paper; but it'll ease my springs and grease my wheels a bit. Good-day to you, Sir Charles. Never mind ringing for that solemn cove to let me out; I ain't proud. Good-day."
Mr. Effingham gave a very elaborate bow, and departed. As the door shut upon him, Sir Charles Mitford pulled his chair to the fire, and fell into a deep reverie, out of which he did not rouse himself until his wife's return.
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1
ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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6
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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7
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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8
broiled
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| a.烤过的 | |
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tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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10
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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11
laudatory
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| adj.赞扬的 | |
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generic
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| adj.一般的，普通的，共有的 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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14
bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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15
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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16
petulant
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| adj.性急的，暴躁的 | |
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17
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
prevailing
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| adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的 | |
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19
frayed
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| adj.磨损的v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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21
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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22
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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23
insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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24
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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25
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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26
trumps
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| abbr.trumpets 喇叭；小号；喇叭形状的东西；喇叭筒v.（牌戏）出王牌赢（一牌或一墩）( trump的过去式 )；吹号公告，吹号庆祝；吹喇叭；捏造 | |
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27
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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28
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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29
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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30
entreaty
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| n.恳求，哀求 | |
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bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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haughtily
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| adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地 | |
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33
pals
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| n.朋友( pal的名词复数 )；老兄；小子；（对男子的不友好的称呼）家伙 | |
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34
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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35
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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36
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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37
prying
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| adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开 | |
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38
sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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39
stumped
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| 僵直地行走，跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 )； 把（某人）难住； 使为难； （选举前）在某一地区作政治性巡回演说 | |
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40
dummy
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| n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头 | |
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41
arcade
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| n.拱廊；(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道 | |
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42
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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43
pillaged
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| v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
accede
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| v.应允，同意 | |
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45
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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46
bullied
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| adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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48
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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49
sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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50
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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51
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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52
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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53
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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54
forgery
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| n.伪造的文件等，赝品，伪造（行为） | |
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55
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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56
prosecute
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| vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官 | |
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57
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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58
bide
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| v.忍耐；等候；住 | |
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59
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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60
wring
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| n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭 | |
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61
stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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62
payable
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| adj.可付的，应付的，有利益的 | |
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63
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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