little novels-第41部分

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of　administering　the　remedies　at　the　prescribed　intervals　of　time。　When　she　left　the　room；　having　performed　her　duties　as　usual；　I　saw　Rothsay's　eyes　follow　her　to　the　door　with　an　expression　of　sardonic　curiosity。　He　put　a　strange　question　to　me　as　soon　as　we　were　alone。

〃Who　engaged　that　new　servant　of　yours？〃　he　asked。　〃I　mean　the　fat　fellow；　with　the　curly　flaxen　hair。〃

〃Hiring　servants；〃　I　replied；　〃is　not　much　in　my　way。　I　left　the　engagement　of　the　new　man　to　Mrs。　Mozeen。〃

Rothsay　walked　gravely　up　to　my　bedside。

〃Lepel；〃　he　said；　〃your　respectable　housekeeper　is　in　love　with　the　fat　young　footman。〃

It　is　not　easy　to　amuse　a　man　suffering　from　bronchitis。　But　this　new　outbreak　of　absurdity　was　more　than　I　could　resist；　even　with　a　mustard…plaster　on　my　chest。

〃I　thought　I　should　raise　your　spirits；〃　Rothsay　proceeded。　〃When　I　came　to　your　house　this　morning；　the　valet　opened　the　door　to　me。　I　expressed　my　surprise　at　his　condescending　to　take　that　trouble。　He　informed　me　that　Joseph　was　otherwise　engaged。　'With　anybody　in　particular？'　I　asked；　humoring　the　joke。　'Yes；　sir；　with　the　housekeeper。　She's　teaching　him　how　to　brush　his　hair；　so　as　to　show　off　his　good　looks　to　the　best　advantage。'　Make　up　your　mind；　my　friend；　to　lose　Mrs。　Mozeenespecially　if　she　happens　to　have　any　money。〃

〃Nonsense；　Rothsay！　The　poor　woman　is　old　enough　to　be　Joseph's　mother。〃

〃My　good　fellow；　that　won't　make　any　difference　to　Joseph。　In　the　days　when　we　were　rich　enough　to　keep　a　man…servant；　our　footmanas　handsome　a　fellow　as　ever　you　saw；　and　no　older　than　I　ammarried　a　witch　with　a　lame　leg。　When　I　asked　him　why　he　had　made　such　a　fool　of　himself　he　looked　quite　indignant；　and　said：　'Sir！　she　has　got　six　hundred　pounds。'　He　and　the　witch　keep　a　public　house。　What　will　you　bet　me　that　we　don't　see　your　housekeeper　drawing　beer　at　the　bar；　and　Joseph　getting　drunk　in　the　parlor；　before　we　are　a　year　older？〃

I　was　not　well　enough　to　prolong　my　enjoyment　of　Rothsay's　boyish　humor。　Besides；　exaggeration　to　be　really　amusing　must　have　some　relation；　no　matter　how　slender　it　may　be；　to　the　truth。　My　housekeeper　belonged　to　a　respectable　family；　　and　was　essentially　a　person　accust　omed　to　respect　herself。　Her　brother　occupied　a　position　of　responsibility　in　the　establishment　of　a　firm　of　chemists　whom　I　had　employed　for　years　past。　Her　late　husband　had　farmed　his　own　land；　and　had　owed　his　ruin　to　calamities　for　which　he　was　in　no　way　responsible。　Kind…hearted　Mrs。　Mozeen　was　just　the　woman　to　take　a　motherly　interest　in　a　well…disposed　lad　like　Joseph；　and　it　was　equally　characteristic　of　my　valetespecially　when　Rothsay　was　thoughtless　enough　to　encourage　himto　pervert　an　innocent　action　for　the　sake　of　indulging　in　a　stupid　jest。　I　took　advantage　of　my　privilege　as　an　invalid；　and　changed　the　subject。

A　week　passed。　I　had　expected　to　hear　from　Rothsay。　To　my　surprise　and　disappointment　no　letter　arrived。

Susan　was　more　considerate。　She　wrote；　very　modestly　and　prettily；　to　say　that　she　and　her　mother　had　heard　of　my　illness　from　Mr。　Rothsay；　and　to　express　the　hope　that　I　should　soon　be　restored　to　health。　A　few　days　later；　Mrs。　Rymer's　politeness　carried　her　to　the　length　of　taking　the　journey　to　London　to　make　inquiries　at　my　door。　I　did　not　see　her；　of　course。　She　left　word　that　she　would　have　the　honor　of　calling　again。

The　second　week　followed。　I　had　by　that　time　perfectly　recovered　from　my　attack　of　bronchitisand　yet　I　was　too　ill　to　leave　the　house。

The　doctor　himself　seemed　to　be　at　a　loss　to　understand　the　symptoms　that　now　presented　themselves。　A　vile　sensation　of　nausea　tried　my　endurance；　and　an　incomprehensible　prostration　of　strength　depressed　my　spirits。　I　felt　such　a　strange　reluctance　to　exert　myself　that　I　actually　left　it　to　Mrs。　Mozeen　to　write　to　my　uncle　in　my　name；　and　say　that　I　was　not　yet　well　enough　to　visit　him。　My　medical　adviser　tried　various　methods　of　treatment；　my　housekeeper　administered　the　prescribed　medicines　with　unremitting　care；　but　nothing　came　of　it。　A　physician　of　great　authority　was　called　into　consultation。　Being　completely　puzzled；　he　retreated　to　the　last　refuge　of　bewildered　doctors。　I　asked　him　what　was　the　matter　with　me。　And　he　answered：　〃Suppressed　gout。〃

FIFTH　EPOCH。

MIDWAY　in　the　third　week；　my　uncle　wrote　to　me　as　follows：


〃I　have　been　obliged　to　request　your　friend　Rothsay　to　bring　his　visit　to　a　conclusion。　Although　he　refuses　to　confess　it；　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　he　has　committed　the　folly　of　falling　seriously　in　love　with　the　young　girl　at　my　lodge　gate。　I　have　tried　remonstrance　in　vain；　and　I　write　to　his　father　at　the　same　time　that　I　write　to　you。　There　is　much　more　that　I　might　say。　I　reserve　it　for　the　time　when　I　hope　to　have　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you；　restored　to　health。〃


Two　days　after　the　receipt　of　this　alarming　letter　Rothsay　returned　to　me。

Ill　as　I　was；　I　forgot　my　sufferings　the　moment　I　looked　at　him。　Wild　and　haggard；　he　stared　at　me　with　bloodshot　eyes　like　a　man　demented。

〃Do　you　think　I　am　mad？　I　dare　say　I　am。　I　can't　live　without　her。〃　Those　were　the　first　words　he　said　when　we　shook　hands。

But　I　had　more　influence　over　him　than　any　other　person；　and；　weak　as　I　was；　I　exerted　it。　Little　by　little；　he　became　more　reasonable；　he　began　to　speak　like　his　old　self　again。

To　have　expressed　any　surprise；　on　my　part；　at　what　had　happened；　would　have　been　not　only　imprudent；　but　unworthy　of　him　and　of　me。　My　first　inquiry　was　suggested　by　the　fear　that　he　might　have　been　hurried　into　openly　confessing　his　passion　to　Susanalthough　his　position　forbade　him　to　offer　marriage。　I　had　done　him　an　injustice。　His　honorable　nature　had　shrunk　from　the　cruelty　of　raising　hopes；　which；　for　all　he　knew　to　the　contrary；　might　never　be　realized。　At　the　same　time；　he　had　his　reasons　for　believing　that　he　was　at　least　personally　acceptable　to　her。

〃She　was　always　glad　to　see　me；〃　said　poor　Rothsay。　〃We　constantly　talked　of　you。　She　spoke　of　your　kindness　so　prettily　and　so　gratefully。　Oh；　Lepel；　it　is　not　her　beauty　only　that　has　won　my　heart！　Her　nature　is　the　nature　of　an　angel。〃

His　voice　failed　him。　For　the　first　time　in　my　remembrance　of　our　long　companionship；　he　burst　into　tears。

I　was　so　shocked　and　distressed　that　I　had　the　greatest　difficulty　in　preserving　my　own　self…control。　In　the　effort　to　comfort　him；　I　asked　if　he　had　ventured　to　confide　in　his　father。

〃You　are　the　favorite　son；〃　I　reminded　him。　〃Is　there　no　gleam　of　hope　in　the　future？〃

He　had　written　to　his　father。　In　silence　he　gave　me　the　letter　in　reply。

It　was　expressed　with　a　moderation　which　I　had　hardly　dared　to　expect。　Mr。　Rothsay　the　elder　admitted　that　he　had　himself　married　for　love；　and　that　his　wife's　rank　in　the　social　scale　（although　higher　than　Susan's）　had　not　been　equal　to　his　own。

〃In　such　a　family　as　ours；〃　he　wroteperhaps　with　pardonable　pride〃we　raise　our　wives　to　our　own　degree。　But　this　young　person　labors　under　a　double　disadvantage。　She　is　obscure；　and　she　is　poor。　What　have　you　to　offer　her？　Nothing。　And　what　have　I　to　give　you？　Nothing。〃

This　meant；　as　I　interpreted　it；　that　the　main　obstacle　in　the　way　was　Susan's　poverty。　And　I　was　rich！　In　the　excitement　that　possessed　me；　I　followed　the　impulse　of　the　moment　headlong；　like　a　child。

〃While　you　were　away　from　me；〃　I　said　to　Rothsay；　〃did　you　never　once　think　of　your　old　friend？　Must　I　remind　you　that　I　can　make　Susan　your　wife　with　one　stroke　of　my　pen？〃　He　looked　at　me　in　silent　surprise。　I　took　my　check…book　from　the　drawer　of　the　table；　and　placed　the　inkstand　within　reach。　〃Susan's　marriage　portion；〃　I　said；　〃is　a　matter　of　a　line　of　writing；　with　my　name　at　the　end　of　it。〃

He　burst　out　with　an　exclamation　that　stopped　me；　just　as　my　pen　touched　the　paper。

〃Good　heavens！〃　he　cried；　〃you　are　thinking　of　that　play　we　saw　at　Rome！　Are　we　on　the　stage？　Are　you　performing　the　part　of　the　Marquisand　am　I　the　Count？〃

I　was　so　startled　by　this　wild　allusion　to　the　pastI　recognized　with　such　astonishment　the　reproduction　of　one　of　the　dramatic　situations　in　the　play；　at　a　crisis　in　his　life　and　minethat　the　use　of　the　pen　remained　suspended　in　my　hand。　For　the　first　time　in　my　life　I　was　conscious　of　a　sensation　which　resembled　superstitious　dread。

Rothsay　recovered　himself　first。　He　misinterpreted　what　was　passing　in　my　mind。

〃Don't　think　me　ungrateful；〃　he　said。　〃You　dear；　kind；　good　fellow；　consider　for　a　moment；　and　you　will　see　that　it　can't　be。　What　would　be　said　of　her　and　of　me；　if　you　made　Susan　rich　with　your　money；　and　if　I　married　her？　The　poor　innocent　would　be　called　your　cast…off　mistress。　People　would　say：　'He　has　behaved　liberally　to　her；　and　his　needy　friend　has　taken　advantage　of　it。'　〃

The　point　of　view　which　I　had　failed　to　see　was　put　with　terrible　directness　of　expression：　the　conviction　that　I　was　wrong　was　literally　forced　on　me。　What　reply　could　I　make？　Rothsay　evidently　felt　for　me。

〃You　are　ill；〃　he　said；　gently；　〃let　me　leave　you　to　rest。〃

He　held　out　his　hand　to　say　good…by。　I　insisted　on　his　taking　up　his　abode　with　me；　for　the　present　at　least。　Ordinary　persuasion　failed　to　induce　him　to　yield。　I　put　it　on　selfish　grounds　next。

〃You　have　noticed　that　I　am　ill；〃　I　said；　〃I　want　you　to　keep　me　company。〃

He　gave　way　directly。

Through　the　wakeful　night；　I　tried　to　consider　what　moral　remedies　might　be　within　our　reach。　The　one　useful　conclusion　at　which　I　could　arrive　was　to　induce　Rothsay　to　try　what　absence　and　change　might　do　to　compose　his　mind。　To　advise　him　to　travel　alone　was　out　of　the　question。　I　wrote　to　his　one　other　old　friend　besides　myselfthe　friend　who　had　taken　him　on　a　cruise　in　the　Mediterranean。

The　owner　of　the　yacht　had　that　very　day　given　directions　to　have　his　vessel　laid　up　for　the　winter　season。　He　at　once　countermanded　the　order　by　telegraph。　〃I　am　an　idle　man；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　am　as　fond　of　Rothsay　as　you　are。　I　will　take　him　wherever　he　likes　to　go。〃　It　was　not　easy　to　persuade　the　object　of　these　kind　intentions　to　profit　by　them。　Nothing　that　I　could　say　roused　him。　I　spoke　to　him　of　his　picture。　He　had　left　it　at　my　uncle's　house；　and　neither　knew　nor　cared　to　know　wh