Never, in his brightest dreams, had Valentine Hawkehurst imagined the stream of life so fair and sunny a river as it seemed to him now. Fortune had treated him so scurvily1 for seven-and-twenty years of his life, only to relent of a sudden and fling all her choicest gifts into his lap.
“I must be the prince in the fairy tale who begins life as a revolting animal of the rhinoceros2 family, and ends by marrying the prettiest princess in Elfindom,” he said to himself gaily3, is he paced the broad walks of Kensington-gardens, where the bare trees swung their big black branches in the wintry blast, and the rooks cawed their loudest at close of the brief day.
What, indeed, could this young adventurer demand from benignant Fortune above and beyond the blessings4 she had given, him? The favoured suitor of the fairest and brightest woman he had ever looked upon, received by her kindred, admitted to her presence, and only bidden to serve a due apprenticeship5 before he claimed her as his own for ever. What more could he wish? what further boon6 could he implore7 from the Fates?
Yes, there was one thing more — one thing for which Mr. Hawkehurst pined, while most thankful for his many blessings. He wanted a decent excuse for separating himself most completely from Horatio Paget. He wanted to shake himself free from all the associations of his previous existence. He wanted to pass through the waters of Jordan, and to emerge purified, regenerate8, leaving his garments on the furthermost side of the river; and, with all other things appertaining to the past, he would fain have rid himself of Captain Paget.
“‘Be sure your sin will find you out,’” mused9 the young man; “and having found you, be sure that it will stick to you like a leech10, if your sin takes the shape of an unprincipled acquaintance, as it does in my case. I may try my hardest to cut the past, but will Horatio Paget let me alone in the future? I doubt it. The bent11 of that man’s genius shows itself in his faculty12 for living upon other people. He knows that I am beginning to earn money regularly, and has begun to borrow of me already. When I can earn more, he will want to borrow more; and although it is very sweet to work for Charlotte Halliday, it would not be by any means agreeable to slave for my friend Paget. Shall I offer him a pound a week, and ask him to retire into the depths of Wales or Cornwall, amend13 his ways, and live the life of a repentant14 hermit15? I think I could bring myself to sacrifice the weekly sovereign, if there were any hope that Horatio Paget could cease to be — Horatio Paget, on this side the grave. No, I have the misfortune to be intimately acquainted with the gentleman. When he is in the swim, as he calls it, and is earning money on his own account, he will give himself cosy16 little dinners and four-and-sixpenny primrose17 gloves; and when he is down on his luck, he will come whining18 to me.”
This was by no means a pleasant idea to Mr. Hawkehurst. In the old days he had been distinguished19 by all the Bohemian’s recklessness, and even more than the Bohemian’s generosity20 in his dealings with friend or companion. But now all was changed. He was no longer reckless. A certain result was demanded from him as the price of Charlotte Halliday’s hand, and he set himself to accomplish his allotted21 task with all due forethought and earnestness of purpose. He had need even to exercise restraint over himself, lest, in his eagerness, he should do too much, and so lay himself prostrate22 from the ill effects of overwork; so anxious was he to push on upon the road whose goal was so fair a temple, so light seemed that labour of love which was performed for the sake of Charlotte.
He communed with himself very often on the subject of that troublesome question about Captain Paget. How was he to sever23 his frail24 skiff from that rakish privateer? What excuse could he find for renouncing25 his share in the Omega-street lodgings26, and setting up a new home elsewhere?
“Policy might prompt me to keep my worthy28 friend under my eye,” he said to himself, “in order that I may be sure there is no underhand work going on between him and Philip Sheldon. But I can scarcely believe that Philip Sheldon has any inkling about the Haygarthian fortune. If he had, he would surely not receive me as Charlotte’s suitor. What possible motive29 could he have for doing so?”
This was a question which Mr. Hawkehurst had frequently put to himself; for his confidence in Mr. Sheldon was not of that kind which asks no questions. Even while most anxious to believe in that gentleman’s honesty of purpose, he was troubled by occasional twinges of unbelief.
During the period which had elapsed since his return from Yorkshire, he had been able to discover nothing of any sinister30 import from the proceedings31 of Captain Paget. That gentleman appeared to be still engaged upon the promoting business, although by no means so profitably as heretofore. He went into the City every day, and came home in the evening toilworn and out of spirits. He talked freely of his occupation — how he had done much or done nothing, during the day; and Valentine was at a loss to perceive any further ground for the suspicion that had arisen in his mind after the meeting at the Ullerton station, and the shuffling32 of the sanctimonious33 Goodge with regard to Mrs. Rebecca Haygarth’s letters.
Mr. Hawkehurst therefore determined34 upon boldly cutting the knot that tied him to the familiar companion of his wanderings.
“I am tired of watching and suspecting,” he said to himself. “If my dear love has a right to this fortune, it will surely come to her; or if it should never come, we can live very happily without it. Indeed, for my own part, I am inclined to believe that I should be prouder and happier as the husband of a dowerless wife, than as prince-consort to the heiress of the Haygarths. We have built up such a dear, cheery, unpretentious home for ourselves in our talk of the future, that I doubt if we should care to change it for the stateliest mansion35 in Kensington Palace-gardens or Belgrave-square. My darling could not be my housekeeper36, and make lemon cheese-cakes in her own pretty little kitchen, if we lived in Belgrave-square; and how could she stand at one of those great Birmingham ironwork gates in the Palace-gardens to watch me ride away to my work?”
To a man as deeply in love as Mr. Hawkehurst, the sordid37 dross38 which other people prize so highly is apt to become daily more indifferent; a kind of colour-blindness comes over the vision of the true lover, and the glittering yellow ore seems only so much vulgar earth, too mean a thing to be regarded by any but the mean of soul. Thus it was that Mr. Hawkehurst relaxed his suspicion of Captain Paget, and neglected his patron and ally of Gray’s Inn, much to the annoyance39 of that gentleman, who tormented40 the young man with little notes demanding interviews.
These interviews had of late been far from agreeable to either of the allies. George Sheldon urged the necessity of an immediate41 marriage; Valentine declined to act in an underhand manner, after the stockbroker42’s unexpected generosity.
“Generosity!” echoed George Sheldon, when Valentine had given him this point-blank refusal at the close of a stormy argument. “Generosity! My brother Phil’s generosity! Egad, that is about the best thing I’ve heard for the last ten years. If I pleased, Mr. Valentine Hawkehurst, I could tell you something about my brother which would enable you to estimate his generosity at its true value. But I don’t please; and if you choose to run counter to me and my interests, you must pay the price of your folly43. You may think yourself uncommonly44 lucky if the price isn’t a stiff one.”
“I am prepared to abide45 by my decision,” answered Valentine. “Miss Halliday without a shilling is so dear to me, that I don’t care to commit a dishonourable action in order to secure my share of the fortune she may claim. I turned over a new leaf on the day when I first knew myself possessed47 of her affection. I don’t want to go back to the old leaves.”
George Sheldon gave himself an impatient shrug48. “I have heard of a great many fools,” he said, “but I never heard of a fool who would play fast-and-loose with a hundred thousand pounds, and until to-day I couldn’t have believed there was such an animal.”
Mr. Hawkehurst did not deign49 to notice this remark.
“Do be reasonable, Sheldon,” he said. “You ask me to do what my sense of right will not permit me to do, and you ask me that which I fully50 believe to be impossible. I cannot for a moment imagine that any persuasion51 of mine would induce Charlotte to consent to a secret marriage, after your brother’s fair and liberal conduct.”
“Of course not,” cried George, with savage52 impatience53; “that’s my brother Phil all over. He is so honourable46, so plain and straightforward54 in all his dealings, that he would get the best of Lucifer himself in a bargain. I tell you, Hawkehurst, you don’t know how deep he is — as deep as the bottomless pit, by Jove! His very generosity makes me all the more afraid of him. I don’t understand his game. If he consented to your marriage in order to get rid of Charlotte, he would let you marry her off-hand; but instead of doing that, he makes conditions which must delay your marriage for years. There is the point that bothers me.”
“You had better pursue your own course, without reference to me or my marriage with Miss Halliday,” said Valentine.
“That is exactly what I must do. I can’t leave the Haygarth estate to the mercy of Tom, Dick, and Harry55, while you try to earn thirty pounds a month by scribbling56 for the magazines. I must make my bargain with Philip instead of with you, and I can tell you that you’ll be the loser by the transaction.”
“I don’t quite see that.”
“Perhaps not. You see, you don’t quite understand my brother Phil. If this money gets into his hands, be sure some of it will stick to them.”
“Why should the money get into his hand?”
“Because, so long as Charlotte Halliday is under his roof, she is, to a certain extent, under his authority. And then, I tell you again, there is no calculating the depth of that man. He has thrown dust in your eyes already. He will make that poor girl believe him the most disinterested57 of mankind.”
“You can warn her.”
“Yes; as I have warned you. To what purpose? You are inclined to believe in Phil rather than to believe in me, and you will be so inclined to the end of the chapter. You remember that man Palmer, at Rugely, who used to go to church, and take the sacrament?”
“Yes; of course I remember that case. What of him?”
“Why, people believed in him, you know, and thought him a jolly good fellow, up to the time when they discovered that he had poisoned a few of his friends in a quiet gentlemanly way.”
Mr. Hawkehurst smiled at the irrelevance58 of this remark. He could not perceive the connection of ideas between Palmer the Rugely poisoner, and Philip Sheldon the stockbroker.
“That was an extreme case,” he said.
“Yes; of course that was an extreme case,” answered George, carelessly. “Only it goes far to prove that a man may be gifted with a remarkable59 genius for throwing dust in the eyes of his fellow-creatures.”
There was no further disputation between the lawyer and Valentine. George Sheldon began to understand that a secret marriage was not to be accomplished60 in the present position of affairs.
“I am half inclined to suspect that Phil knows something about that money,” he said presently, “and is playing some artful game of his own.”
“In that case your better policy would be to take the initiative,” answered Valentine.
“I have no other course.”
“And will Charlotte know — will she know that I have been concerned in this business?” asked Valentine, growing very pale all of sudden. He was thinking how mean he must appear in Miss Halliday’s eyes, if she came to understand that he had known her to be John Haygarth’s heiress at the time he won from her the sweet confession61 of her love. “Will she ever believe how pure and true my love has been, if she comes to know this?” he asked himself despairingly, while George Sheldon deliberated in silence for a few moments.
“She need know nothing until the business comes to a head,” replied George at last. “You see, there may be no resistance on the part of the Crown lawyers; and, in that case, Miss Halliday will get her rights after a moderate amount of delay. But if they choose to dispute her claim, it will be quite another thing — Halliday versus62 the Queen, and so on — with no end of swell63 Q.O.‘s against us. In the latter case you’ll have to put all your adventures at Ullerton and Huxter’s Cross into an affidavit64, and Miss H. must know everything.”
“Yes; and then she will think — ah, no; I do not believe she can misunderstand me, come what may.”
“All doubt and difficulty might be avoided if you would manage a marriage on the quiet off-hand,” said George. “I tell you again that I cannot do that; and that, even if it were possible, I would not attempt it.”
“So be it. You elect to ride the high horse; take care that magnificent animal doesn’t give you an ugly tumble.”
“I can take my chance.”
“And I must take my chance against that brother of mine. The winning cards are all in my own hand this time, and it will be uncommonly hard if he gets the best of me.”
On this the two gentlemen parted. Valentine went to look at a bachelor’s lodging27 in the neighbourhood of the Edgeware-road, which he had seen advertised in that morning’s Times; and George Sheldon started for Bayswater, where he was always sure of a dinner and a liberal allowance of good wine from the hospitality of his prosperous kinsman65.
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scurvily
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| 下流地，粗鄙地，无礼地 | |
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rhinoceros
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| n.犀牛 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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apprenticeship
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| n.学徒身份；学徒期 | |
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boon
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| n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠 | |
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implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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regenerate
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| vt.使恢复，使新生；vi.恢复，再生；adj.恢复的 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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leech
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| n.水蛭，吸血鬼，榨取他人利益的人；vt.以水蛭吸血；vi.依附于别人 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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amend
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| vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿 | |
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repentant
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| adj.对…感到悔恨的 | |
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hermit
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| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 | |
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cosy
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| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
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primrose
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| n.樱草，最佳部分， | |
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whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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sever
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| v.切开，割开；断绝，中断 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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renouncing
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| v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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sanctimonious
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| adj.假装神圣的，假装虔诚的，假装诚实的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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dross
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| n.渣滓；无用之物 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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stockbroker
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| n.股票（或证券），经纪人（或机构） | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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deign
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| v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事) | |
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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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persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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scribbling
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| n.乱涂[写]胡[乱]写的文章[作品]v.潦草的书写( scribble的现在分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
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disinterested
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| adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的 | |
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irrelevance
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| n.无关紧要；不相关；不相关的事物 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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versus
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| prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下 | |
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swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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affidavit
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| n.宣誓书 | |
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kinsman
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| n.男亲属 | |
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