my lady caprice(我的无常夫人)-第21部分
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to me that the felon was already ousted by the man。
〃I 'specks he forgot all 'bout me ！〃 said the Imp disconsolately。
〃No；〃 I answered； shaking my head； 〃I don't think he will ever forget
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you； my Imp。〃
〃I 'spose he's awfull' fond of you； Uncle Dick？〃
〃Not that I know of；〃
〃Then why did he kiss your hand？〃
〃Oh； well … er … perhaps it is a way he has。〃
〃He didn't kiss mine；〃 said the Imp。
A door opened and closed very softly； and Lisbeth came towards us
down the path； whereupon the Imp immediately 〃took cover〃 in the ditch。
〃He is dead； Dick！〃 she said as I opened the gate。 〃He died in his
son's arms … the George he was always talking about。 And oh； Dick； he
died trying to sing 'The British Grenadiers。〃
〃Poor old Jasper！〃 I said。
〃His son was a convict once； wasn't he？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃It was strange that he should come back as he did … just in time； it
almost seems like the hand of Providence； doesn't it； Dick？〃
〃Yes。〃 Lisbeth was standing with her elbows upon the gate and her
chin in her hands； staring up at the moon； and I saw that her eyes were wet
with tears。
〃Why； where is your cap ？〃 she exclaimed when at last she
condescended to look at me。
〃On the head of an escaped convict；〃
I answered。
〃Do you mean … 〃
〃The 'bye Jarge；'〃 I nodded。
〃Oh； Dick！〃
〃Yes； Lisbeth； it was a ridiculous piece of sentiment I admit。 Your
1aw abiding； level…headed citizen would doubtless be highly shocked； not
to say scandalised； likewise the Law might get up on its hind legs and kick
… quite unpleasantly； but all the same； I did it〃
〃You were never what one might call … very 'level…headed；' were you；
Dick？〃
〃No； I'm afraid not。〃
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〃And； do you know； I think that is the very reason why I … good
gracious！ … what is that？〃 She pointed toward the shadow of the hedge。
〃Merely the Imp；〃 I answered； 〃but never mind that … tell me what you
were going to say … 'the very reason why you' … what？〃
〃Reginald！〃 said Lisbeth； unheeding my question； 〃come here； sir！〃
Very sheepishly the Imp crept forth from the ditch； and coming up beside
me； stole his hand into mine； and I put it in my pocket。
〃Reginald？〃 she repeated； looking from one to the other of us with that
expression which always renews within me the memory of my boyish
misdeeds； 〃why are you not asleep in bed？〃
〃'Cause I had to go an' feed my outlaw； Auntie Lisbeth。〃
〃And；〃 I put in to create a diversion； 〃incidentally I've discovered the
secret of his 'enormous appetite。' It is explained in three words； to wit；
'the bye Jarge。〃
〃Do you mean to say … 〃 began Lisbeth。
〃Fed him regularly twice a day；〃 I went on； 〃and nearly famished
himself in the doing of it … you remember the dry…bread incident？〃
〃Imp！〃 cried Lisbeth； 〃Imp！〃 And she had him next moment in her
arms。
〃But Uncle Dick gave him a whole sovereign； you know；〃 he began；
〃an' … 〃
〃I sent him to a certain house； Lisbeth；〃 I said； as her eyes met mine；
〃an old house that stands not far from the village of Down； in Kent； to
prune the roses and things。 I should like it to be looking its best when we
get there； and … 〃
〃An' my outlaw kissed Uncle Dick's hand；〃 pursued the Imp。 〃Don't
you think he must love him an awful lot？〃
〃I gave him a month to do it in；〃 I went on； 〃but a month seems much
too long when one comes to consider … what do you think； Lisbeth？〃
〃I think that I hear the wheels of the dog…cart！〃 she cried。 Sure
enough； a moment later Peter hove in view； and great was his
astonishment at sight of 〃Master Reginald。〃
〃Peter；〃 I said； 〃Miss Elizabeth has changed her mind； and will walk
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back with us； and … er … by the way； I understand that Master Reginald
purchased a coat； a shirt； and a pair of trousers of you； for which he has
already paid a deposit of sixpence。 Now； if you will let me know their
value … 〃
〃That's hall right； Mr。 Brent； sir。 Betwixt you and me； sir； they wasn't
up to much； nohow； the coat being tightish； sir … tightish … and the trousis
uncommon short in the leg for a man o' my hinches； sir。〃
〃Nevertheless；〃 said I； 〃a coat's a coat； and a pair of trousers are
indubitably a pair of trousers； and nothing can alter the fact； so if you will
send me in a bill some time I shall be glad。〃
〃Very good； Mr。 Brent； sir。〃 Saying which Peter touched his hat
and turning； drove away。
〃Now；〃 I said as I rejoined Lisbeth and the Imp； 〃I shall be glad if you
will tell me how long it should take for my garden to look fair enough to
welcome you？〃
〃Oh； well； it depends upon the gardener； and the weather； and … and
heaps of things；〃 she answered； flashing her dimple at me；
〃On the contrary；〃 I retorted； shaking my head； 〃it depends altogether
upon the whim of the most beautiful； tempting … 〃
〃Supposing；〃 sighed Lisbeth； 〃supposing we talk of fish！〃
〃You haven't been fishing lately； Uncle Dick；〃 put in the Imp。
〃I've had no cause to；〃 I answered； 〃you see； I am guilty of such things
only when life assumes a grey monotony of hue and everything is a flat；
dreary desolation。 Do you understand； Imp？〃
〃Not 'zackly … but it sounds fine！ Auntie Lisbeth；〃 he said suddenly；
as we paused at the Shrubbery gate； 〃don't you think my outlaw must be
very； very fond of Uncle Dick to kiss his hand？〃
〃Why； of course he must；〃 nodded Lisbeth。
〃If；〃 he went on thoughtfully； 〃if you loved somebody … very much …
would you kiss their hand； Auntie Lisbeth ？〃
〃I don't know … of course not！〃
〃But why not … s'posing their hand was nice an' clean ？〃
〃Oh； well … really I don't know。 Imp； run along to bed； do。〃
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〃You know now that I wasn't such a pig as to eat all that food； don't
you？〃 Lisbeth kissed him。
〃Now be off to bed with you。〃
〃You'll come an' tuck me up； an' kiss me good…night； won't you？〃
〃To be sure I will；〃 nodded Lisbeth；
〃Why； then； I'll go；〃 said the Imp； and with a wave of the hand to me
he went。
〃Dick；〃 said Lisbeth； staring up at the moon； 〃it was very unwise of
you； to say the least of it； to set a desperate criminal at large。〃
〃I'm afraid it was； Lisbeth； but then I saw there was good in the fellow；
you know； and … er … 〃
〃Dick；〃 she said again； and then laughed suddenly； with the dimple in
full evidence； 〃you foolish old Dick … you know you would have done it
anyway for the sake of that dying old soldier。〃
〃Poor old Jasper！〃 I said； 〃I'm really afraid I should。〃 Then a
wonderful thing happened； for as I reached out my hand to her； she caught
it suddenly in hers； and before I knew had pressed her lips upon it … and so
was gone。
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VII
THE BLASTED OAK
I had quarrelled with Lisbeth； had quarrelled beyond all hope of
redemption and forgiveness； desperately； irrevocably； and it had all come
about through a handkerchief … Mr。 Selwyn's handkerchief。
At a casual glance this may appear all very absurd； not to say petty；
but then I have frequently noticed that insignificant things very often serve
for the foundation of great； and incidentally quite a surprising number of
lives have been ruined by a handkerchief。
The circumstances were briefly these： In the first place； I had received
the following letter from the Duchess； which had perturbed me not a little：
MY DEAR DICK： I hear that that Agatha Warburton creature has
written threatening to cut off our dear Lisbeth with the proverbial shilling
unless she complies with her wish and marries Mr。 Selwyn within the year。
Did you ever know of anything so disgusting？
If I were Lisbeth； and possessed such a 'creature〃 for an aunt； I'd see
her in Timbuctoo first … I would！ But then I forget the poor child has
nothing in the world； and you little more； and 〃love in a cottage〃 is all
very well； Dick； up to a certain time。 Of course； it is all right in novels
but you are neither of you in a novel； and that is the worst of it。 If
Providence had seen fit to make me Lisbeth's aunt； now； things might have
been very different； hut alas！ it was not to be。 Under the circumstances；
the best thing you can do； for her sake and your own； is to turn your back
upon Arcadia and try to forget it all as soon as possible in the swirl of
London and
