"Child, child!" Ormskirk began, and made a tiny gesture of deprecation, "I perceive you are about to appeal to my better nature, and so I warn you in advance that the idiotic1 business has worked me into a temper absolutely ogreish."
"The Jacobite conspiracy2, you mean?" said Miss Allonby. "Oh, I suppose so. I am not particularly interested in such matters, though; I came, you understand, for a warrant, or an order, or whatever you call it, for them to let Frank out of that horrid4 filthy5 gaol6."
The Duke's face was gravely humorous as he gazed at her for a moment or two in silence, "You know quite well," he said at last, "that I can give you nothing of the sort."
Miss Allonby said: "Upon my word, I never heard of such nonsense! How else is he to take me to Lady Mackworth's ball to-night?"
"It is deplorable," his Grace of Ormskirk conceded, "that Captain Audaine should be thus snatched from circles which he, no doubt, adorns7. Still, I fear you must look for another escort; and frankly8, child, if you will be advised by me, you will permit us to follow out our present intentions and take off his head—not a great deprivation9 when you consider he has so plainly demonstrated its contents to be of such inferior quality."
She had drawn10 close to him, with widening, pitiable eyes. "You mean, then," she demanded, "that Frank's very life is in danger?"
"This is unfair," the Duke complained. "You are about to go into hysterics forthwith and thus bully11 me into letting the man escape. You are a minx. You presume upon the fact that in the autumn I am to wed12 your kinswoman and bosom13 companion, and that my affection for her is widely known to go well past the frontier of common-sense; and also upon the fact that Marian will give me the devil if I don't do exactly as you ask. I consider you to abuse your power unconscionably, I consider you to be a second Delilah. However, since you insist upon it, this Captain Audaine must, of course, be spared the fate he very richly merits."
Miss Allonby had seated herself beside a table and was pensively14 looking up at him. "Naturally," she said, "Marian and I, between us, will badger15 you into saving Frank. I shall not worry, therefore, and I must trust to Providence16, I suppose, to arrange matters so that the poor boy will not catch his death of cold in your leaky gaol yonder. And now I would like to be informed of what he has been most unjustly accused."
"His crime," the Duke retorted, "is the not unusual one of being a fool.
Heaven knows, and nobody but a fool would want them back."
"I am not here to discuss politics," a dignified18 Miss Allonby stated, "but simply to find out in what way Frank has been slandered19."
Ormskirk lifted one eyebrow20. "It is not altogether a matter of politics. Rather, as I see it, it is a matter of common-sense. Under the Stuarts England was a prostitute among the nations, lackey21 in turn to Spain and France and Italy; under the Guelph the Three-per-cents. are to-day at par3. The question as to which is preferable thus resolves itself into a choice between common-sense and bedlamite folly22. But, unhappily, you cannot argue with a Jacobite: only four years ago Cumberland and Hawley and I rode from Aberdeen to the Highlands and left all the intervening country bare as the palm of your hand; I forget how many Jacobites we killed, but evidently not enough to convince the others. Very well: we intend to have no more such nonsense, and we must settle this particular affair by the simple device of hanging or beheading every man-Jack concerned in it." He spoke23 without vehemence—rather regretfully than otherwise.
Miss Allonby was patient, yet resolute24 to keep to the one really important point. "But what has Frank been accused of doing when it never even entered his head?"
"He has been conspiring," said the Duke, "and with conspicuous25 clumsiness. It appears, child, that it was their common idiocy26 which of late brought together some two hundred gentlemen in Lancashire. Being every one of them most unmitigated fools, they desired that sot at Avignon to come over once more and 'take back his own,' as the saying is. He would not stir without definite assurances. So these men drew up a petition pledging their all to the Chevalier's cause and—God help us!—signed it. I protest," the Duke sighed, "I cannot understand these people! A couple of penstrokes, you observe, and there is your life at the mercy of chance, at the disposal of a puff27 of wind or the first blunderer who stumbles on the paper."
Frank?"
Ormskirk shrugged29 his shoulders and began to laugh. "You are an incomparable actress, you rogue30 you. But let us be candid, for all that, since as it happens Lord Humphrey is not the only person in my employ. What occurred last night I now partly know, and in part guess, Degge played a bold game, and your Captain gambled even more impudently,—only the stakes, as it to-day transpires31, were of somewhat less importance than either of them surmised32. For years Mr. Vanringham has been a Jacobite emissary; now he tires of it; and so he devoted33 the entire morning, yesterday to making a copy of this absurd petition."
"I do not understand," said Miss Allonby; and in appearance, at least, she was no whit34 disconcerted.
"He carried only the copy. You burned only the copy. Mr. Vanringham, it develops, knew well enough what that bungling35 Degge had been deputed to do, and he preferred to treat directly with Lord Humphrey's principal. Mr. Vanringham is an intelligent fellow. I dare make this assertion, because I am fresh from an interview with Mr. Vanringham," his Grace of Ormskirk ended, and allowed himself a reminiscent chuckle36.
"I pray you," said the Duke, "give vent38 to no such scandal. Vanringham's life would not be worth a farthing if he had done such a thing, and he knows it. Nay39, I have planned it more neatly40. To-night Mr. Vanringham will be arrested—merely on suspicion, mind you,—and all his papers will be brought to me; and it is possible that among them we may find the petition. And it is possible that, somehow, when he is tried with the others, Mr. Vanringham alone may be acquitted41. And it is possible that an aunt—in Wales, say,—may die about this time and leave him a legacy42 of some five thousand pounds. Oh, yes, all this is quite possible," said the Duke; "but should we therefore shriek43 Bribery44? For my own part, I esteem45 Mr. Vanringham, as the one sensible man in the two hundred."
"He has turned King's evidence," she said, "and his papers will be brought to you—" Miss Allonby paused. "All his papers!" said Miss Allonby.
"And very curious they will prove, no doubt," said his Grace. "So many love-sick misses write to actors. I can assure you, child, I look forward with a deal of interest to my inspection46 of Mr. Vanringham's correspondence."
"Eh?—Oh, yes!" Miss Allonby assented—"all his papers! Yes, they should be diverting, I must be going home though, to make ready for Lady Mackworth's ball. And if I have nobody to dance with me, I shall know quite well whose fault it is. How soon will Frank be freed, you odious47 tyrant48?"
"My child, but in these matters we are all slaves to red tape! I can promise you, however, that your Captain will be released from prison before this month is out, so you are not to worry."
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1
idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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par
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| n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的 | |
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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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filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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gaol
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| n.(jail)监狱；(不加冠词)监禁；vt.使…坐牢 | |
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adorns
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| 装饰，佩带( adorn的第三人称单数 ) | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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deprivation
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| n.匮乏；丧失；夺去，贫困 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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pensively
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| adv.沉思地，焦虑地 | |
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badger
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| v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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slandered
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| 造谣中伤( slander的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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lackey
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| n.侍从；跟班 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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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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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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idiocy
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| n.愚蠢 | |
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puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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transpires
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| （事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的第三人称单数 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生 | |
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32
surmised
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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whit
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| n.一点，丝毫 | |
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bungling
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| adj.笨拙的，粗劣的v.搞糟，完不成( bungle的现在分词 )；笨手笨脚地做；失败；完不成 | |
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chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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bribed
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| v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂 | |
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38
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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41
acquitted
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| 宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现 | |
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42
legacy
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| n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
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43
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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44
bribery
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| n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿 | |
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45
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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46
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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47
odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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48
tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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