east lynne-第96部分

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〃Were　you　not　in　the　cottage　all　the　time？〃

〃No；　we　went　out　for　a　stroll　at　the　back。　Captain　Thorn　wished　me　good…bye　there；　and　I　stayed　out。〃

〃Did　you　hear　the　gun　go　off？〃

〃I　heard　a　shot　as　I　was　sitting　on　the　stump　of　a　tree；　and　was　thinking；　but　I　attached　no　importance　to　it；　never　supposing　it　was　in　the　cottage。〃

〃What　was　it　that　Captain　Thorn　had　to　get　from　the　cottage　after　he　quitted　you？　What　had　he　left　there？〃

Now；　this　was　a　random　shaft。　Lawyer　Ball；　a　keen　man；　who　had　well　weighed　all　points　in　the　tale　imparted　to　him　by　Richard；　as　well　as　other　points；　had　colored　them　with　his　own　deductions；　and　spoke　accordingly。　Afy　was　taken　in。

〃He　had　left　his　hat　therenothing　else。　It　was　a　warm　evening；　and　he　had　gone　out　without　it。〃

〃He　told　you；　I　believe；　sufficient　to　convince　you　of　the　guilt　of　Richard　Hare？〃　Another　shaft　thrown　at　random。

〃I　did　not　want　convincingI　knew　it　without。　Everybody　else　knew　it。〃

〃To　be　sure；〃　equably　returned　Lawyer　Ball。　〃Did　Captain　Thorn　/see/　it　donedid　he　tell　you　that？〃

〃He　had　got　his　hat；　and　was　away　down　the　wood　some　little　distance；　when　he　heard　voices　in　dispute　in　the　cottage；　and　recognized　one　of　them　to　be　that　of　my　father。　The　shot　followed　close　upon　it；　and　he　guessed　some　mischief　had　been　done；　though　he　did　not　suspect　its　extent。〃

〃Thorn　told　you　thiswhen？〃

〃The　same　nightmuch　later。〃

〃How　came　you　to　see　him？〃

Afy　hesitated；　but　she　was　sternly　told　to　answer　the　question。

〃A　boy　came　up　to　the　cottage　and　called　me　out；　and　said　a　strange　gentleman　wanted　to　see　me　in　the　wood；　and　had　given　him　sixpence　to　come　for　me。　I　went；　and　found　Captain　Thorn。　He　asked　me　what　the　commotion　was　about；　and　I　told　him　Richard　Hare　had　killed　my　father。　He　said；　that　now　I　spoke　of　him；　he　could　recognize　Richard　Hare's　as　having　been　the　other　voice　in　the　dispute。〃

〃What　boy　was　thatthe　one　who　came　for　you？〃

〃It　was　Mother　Whiteman's　little　son。〃

〃And　Captain　Thorn　then　gave　you　this　version　of　the　tragedy？〃

〃It　was　the　right　version；〃　resentfully　spoke　Afy。

〃How　do　you　know　that？〃

〃Oh！　because　I'm　sure　it　was。　Who　else　would　kill　him　but　Richard　Hare？　It　is　a　scandalous　shame；　your　wanting　to　put　it　upon　Thorn！〃

〃Look　at　the　prisoner；　Sir　Francis　Levison。　Is　it　he　whom　you　knew　as　Thorn？〃

〃Yes；　but　that　does　not　make　him　guilty　of　the　murder。〃

〃Of　course　it　does　not；〃　complacently　assented　Lawyer　Ball。　〃How　long　did　you　remain　with　Captain　Thorn　in　Londonupon　that　little　visit；　you　know？〃

Afy　started　like　anybody　moonstruck。

〃When　you　quitted　this　place；　after　the　tragedy；　it　was　to　join　Captain　Thorn　in　London。　How　long；　I　ask；　did　you　remain　with　him？〃

Entirely　a　random　shaft；　this。　But　Richard　had　totally　denied　to　Lawyer　Ball　the　popular　assumption　that　Afy　had　been　with　him。

〃Who　says　I　was　with　him？　Who　says　I　went　after　him？〃　flashed　Afy；　with　scarlet　cheeks。

〃I　do；〃　replied　Lawyer　Ball；　taking　notes　of　her　confusion。　〃Come；　it's　over　and　done　withit's　of　no　use　to　deny　it　now。　We　all　go　upon　visits　to　friends　sometimes。〃

〃I　never　heard　anything　so　bold！〃　cried　Afy。　〃Where　will　you　tell　me　I　went　next？〃

〃You　are　upon　your　oath；　woman！〃　again　interposed　Justice　Hare；　and　a　trembling；　as　of　agitation；　might　be　detected　in　his　voice；　in　spite　of　its　ringing　severity。　〃Were　you　with　the　prisoner　Levison；　or　were　you　with　Richard　Hare？〃

〃I　with　Richard　Hare！〃　cried　Afy；　agitated　in　her　turn；　and　shaking　like　an　aspen…leaf；　partly　with　discomfiture；　partly　with　unknown　dread。　〃How　dare　that　cruel　falsehood　be　brought　up　again；　to　my　face？　I　never　saw　Richard　Hare　after　the　night　of　the　murder。　I　swear　it。　I　swear　that　I　never　saw　him　since。　Visit　/him/！　I'd　sooner　visit　Calcraft；　the　hangman。〃

There　was　truth　in　the　wordsin　the　tone。　The　chairman　let　fall　the　hand　which　had　been　raised　to　his　face；　holding　on　his　eye…glasses；　and　a　sort　of　self…condemning　fear　arose；　confusing　his　brain。　His　son；　proved　innocent　of　one　part；　/might/　be　proved　innocent　of　the　other；　and　thenhow　would　his　own　harsh　conduct　show　out！　West　Lynne；　in　its　charity；　the　justice　in　his；　had　cast　more　odium　to　Richard；　with　regard　to　his　after　conduct　touching　this　girl；　than　it　had　on　the　score　of　the　murder。

〃Come；〃　said　Lawyer　Ball；　in　a　coaxing　tone；　〃let　us　be　pleasant。　Of　course　you　were　not　with　Richard　HareWest　Lynne　is　always　ill…　naturedyou　were　on　a　visit　to　Captain　Thorn；　asas　any　other　young　lady　might　be？〃

Afy　hung　her　head；　cowed　down　to　abject　meekness。

〃Answer　the　question；〃　came　forth　the　chairman's　voice　again。　〃/Were/　you　with　Thorn？〃

〃Yes；〃　though　the　answer　was　feeble　enough。

Mr。　Ball　coughed　an　insinuating　cough。

〃Did　you　remain　with　himsay　two　or　three　years？〃

〃Not　three。〃

〃A　little　over　two；　perhaps？〃

〃There　was　no　harm　in　it；〃　shrieked　Afy；　with　a　catching　sob　of　temper。　〃If　I　chose　to　live　in　London；　and　he　chose　to　make　a　morning　call　upon　me；　now　and　then；　as　an　old　friend；　what's　that　to　anybody？　Where　was　the　harm；　I　ask？〃

〃Certainlywhere　was　the　harm？　/I/　am　not　insinuating　any；〃　returned　Lawyer　Ball；　with　a　wink　of　the　eye　furthest　from　the　witness　and　the　bench。　〃And；　during　the　time　thatthat　he　was　making　these　little　morning　calls　upon　you；　did　you　know　him　to　be　Levison？〃

〃Yes。　I　knew　him　to　be　Captain　Levison　then。〃

〃Did　he　ever　tell　you　why　he　had　assumed　the　name　of　Thorn？〃

〃Only　for　a　whim；　he　said。　The　day　he　spoke　to　me　in　the　pastrycook's　shop　at　Swainson；　something　came　over　him；　in　the　spur　of　the　moment；　not　to　give　his　right　name；　so　he　gave　the　first　that　came　into　his　head。　He　never　thought　to　retain　it；　or　that　other　people　would　hear　of　him　by　it。〃

〃I　dare　say　not；〃　laconically　spoke　Lawyer　Ball。　〃Well；　Miss　Afy；　I　believe　that　is　all　for　the　present。　I　want　Ebenezer　James　in　again；〃　he　whispered　to　an　officer　of　the　justice…room；　as　the　witness　retired。

Ebenezer　James　reappeared　and　took　Afy's　place。

〃You　informed　their　worships；　just　now；　that　you　had　met　Thorn　in　London；　some　eighteen　months　subsequent　to　the　murder；〃　began　Lawyer　Ball；　launching　another　of　his　shafts。　〃This　must　have　been　during　the　period　of　Afy　Hallijohn's　sojourn　with　him。　Did　you　also　see　/her/？〃

Mr。　Ebenezer　opened　his　eyes。　He　knew　nothing　of　the　evidence　just　given　by　Afy；　and　wondered　how　on　earth　it　had　come　outthat　she　had　been　with　Thorn　at　all。　He　had　never　betrayed　it。

〃Afy？〃　stammered　he。

〃Yes；　Afy；〃　sharply　returned　the　lawyer。　〃Their　worships　know　that　when　she　took　that　trip　of　hers　from　West　Lynne　it　was　to　join　Thorn　not　Richard　Harethough　the　latter　has　borne　the　credit　of　it。　I　ask　you；　did　you　see　her？　for　she　was　then　still　connected　with　him。〃

〃Wellyes；　I　did；〃　replied　Mr。　Ebenezer；　his　own　scruples　removed；　but　wondering　still　how　it　had　been　discovered；　unless　Afy　hadas　he　had　prophesied　she　wouldlet　out　in　her　〃tantrums。〃　〃In　fact；　it　was　Afy　whom　I　first　saw。〃

〃State　the　circumstances。〃

〃I　was　up　Paddington　way　one　afternoon；　and　saw　a　lady　going　into　a　house。　It　was　Afy　Hallijohn。　She　lived　there；　I　foundhad　the　drawing…room　apartments。　She　invited　me　to　stay　to　tea　with　her；　and　I　did。〃

〃Did　you　see　Captain　Levison　there？〃

〃I　saw　Thornas　I　thought　him　to　be。　Afy　told　me　I　must　be　away　by　eight　o'clock；　for　she　was　expecting　a　friend　who　sometimes　came　to　sit　with　her　for　an　hour's　chat。　But；　in　talking　over　old　timesnot　that　I　could　tell　her　much　about　West　Lynne；　for　I　had　left　it　almost　as　long　as　she　hadthe　time　slipped　on　past　the　hour。　When　Afy　found　that　out　she　hurried　me　off；　and　I　had　barely　got　outside　the　gate　when　a　cab　drove　up；　and　Thorn　alighted　from　it；　and　let　himself　in　with　a　latch…key。　That　is　all　I　know。〃

〃When　you　knew　that　the　scandal　of　Afy's　absence　rested　on　Richard　Hare；　why　could　you　not　have　said　this；　and　cleared　him；　on　your　return　to　West　Lynne？〃

〃It　was　no　affair　of　mine；　that　I　should　make　it　public。　Afy　asked　me　not　to　say　I　had　seen　her；　and　I　promised　her　I　would　not。　As　to　Richard　Hare；　a　little　extra　scandal　on　his　back　was　nothing；　while　there　remained　on　it　the　worse　scandal　of　murder。〃

〃Stop　a　bit；〃　interposed　Mr。　Rubiny；　as　the　witness　was　about　to　retire。　〃You　speak　of　the　time　being　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening；　sir。　Was　it　dark？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Then　how　can　you　be　certain　it　was　Thorn　who　got　out　of　the　cab　and　entered？〃

〃I　am　quite　certain。　There　was　a　gas…lamp　right　at　the　spot；　and　I　saw　him　as　well　as　I　should　have　seen　him　in　daylight。　I　knew　his　voice；　too；　could　have　sworn　to　it　anywhere；　and　I　would　almost　have　sworn　to　him　by　his　splendid　diamond　ring。　It　flashed　in　the　lamplight。〃

〃His　voice！　Did　he　speak　to　you？〃

〃No。　But　he　spoke　to　the　cabman。　There　was　a　half　dispute　between　them。　The　man　said　Thorn　had　not　paid　him　enough；　that　he　had　not　allowed　for　having　been　kept　waiting　twenty　minutes　on　the　road。　Thorn　swore　at　him　a　bit；　and　then　flung　him　an　extra　shilling。〃

The　next　witness　was　a　man　who　had　been　groom　to　the　late　Sir　Peter　Levison。　He　testified　that　the　prisoner；　Francis　Levison　had　been　on　a　visit　to　his　master　late　in　the　summer　and　part　of　the　autumn；　the　year　that　Hallijohn　was　killed。　That　he　frequently　rode　out　in　the　direction　of　West　Lynne；　especially　toward　evening；　would　be　away　three　or　four　hours；　and　come　home　with　the　horse　in　a　foam。　Also　that　he　picked　up　two　letters　at　different　times；　which　Mr。　Levison　had　carelessly　let　fall　from　his　pocket；　and　returned　them　to　him。　Both　the　notes　were　addressed　〃Captain　Thorn。〃　But　they　had　not　been　through　the　post；　for　there　was　no　further　superscription　on　them；　and　the　writing　looked　like　a　lady's。　He　remembered　quite　well　hearing　of　the　murder　of　Hallijohn；　the　witness　added；　in　answer　to　a　question；　it　made　a　great　stir　through　out　the　country。　It　was　just　at　that　same　time　that　Mr。　Levison　concluded　his　visit；　and　returned　to　London。

〃A　/wonderful/　memory！〃　Mr。　Rubiny　sarcastically　remarked。

The　witness；　a　quiet；　respectable　man；　replied　that　he　/had/　a　good　memory；　but　that　circumstances　had　impressed　upon　it　particularly　the　fact　that　Mr。　Levison's　departure　followed　close　upon　the　murder　of　Hallijohn。

〃One