tales and fantasies-第5部分

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Henceforth　we　have　to　follow　the　spectacle　of　a　man　who　was　a

mere　whip…top　for　calamity；　on　whose　unmerited　misadventures

not　even　the　humourist　can　look　without　pity；　and　not　even

the　philosopher　without　alarm。



That　same　night　the　clerk　entered　upon　a　bout　of　drunkenness

so　consistent　as　to　surprise　even　his　intimate　acquaintance。

He　was　speedily　ejected　from　the　boarding…house；　deposited

his　portmanteau　with　a　perfect　stranger；　who　did　not　even

catch　his　name；　wandered　he　knew　not　where；　and　was　at　last

hove…to；　all　standing；　in　a　hospital　at　Sacramento。　　There；

under　the　impenetrable　ALIAS　of　the　number　of　his　bed；　the

crapulous　being　lay　for　some　more　days　unconscious　of　all

things；　and　of　one　thing　in　particular：　that　the　police　were

after　him。　　Two　months　had　come　and　gone　before　the

convalescent　in　the　Sacramento　hospital　was　identified　with

Kirkman；　the　absconding　San　Francisco　clerk；　even　then；　there

must　elapse　nearly　a　fortnight　more　till　the　perfect　stranger

could　be　hunted　up；　the　portmanteau　recovered；　and　John's

letter　carried　at　length　to　its　destination；　the　seal　still

unbroken；　the　inclosure　still　intact。



Meanwhile；　John　had　gone　upon　his　holidays　without　a　word；

which　was　irregular；　and　there　had　disappeared　with　him　a

certain　sum　of　money；　which　was　out　of　all　bounds　of

palliation。　　But　he　was　known　to　be　careless；　and　believed　to

be　honest；　the　manager　besides　had　a　regard　for　him；　and

little　was　said；　although　something　was　no　doubt　thought；

until　the　fortnight　was　finally　at　an　end；　and　the　time　had

come　for　John　to　reappear。　　Then；　indeed；　the　affair　began　to

look　black；　and　when　inquiries　were　made；　and　the　penniless

clerk　was　found　to　have　amassed　thousands　of　dollars；　and

kept　them　secretly　in　a　rival　establishment；　the　stoutest　of

his　friends　abandoned　him；　the　books　were　overhauled　for

traces　of　ancient　and　artful　fraud；　and　though　none　were

found；　there　still　prevailed　a　general　impression　of　loss。

The　telegraph　was　set　in　motion；　and　the　correspondent　of　the

bank　in　Edinburgh；　for　which　place　it　was　understood　that

John　had　armed　himself　with　extensive　credits；　was　warned　to

communicate　with　the　police。



Now　this　correspondent　was　a　friend　of　Mr。　Nicholson's；　he

was　well　acquainted　with　the　tale　of　John's　calamitous

disappearance　from　Edinburgh；　and　putting　one　thing　with

another；　hasted　with　the　first　word　of　this　scandal；　not　to

the　police；　but　to　his　friend。　　The　old　gentleman　had　long

regarded　his　son　as　one　dead；　John's　place　had　been　taken；

the　memory　of　his　faults　had　already　fallen　to　be　one　of

those　old　aches；　which　awaken　again　indeed　upon　occasion；　but

which　we　can　always　vanquish　by　an　effort　of　the　will；　and　to

have　the　long　lost　resuscitated　in　a　fresh　disgrace　was

doubly　bitter。



'Macewen；'　said　the　old　man；　'this　must　be　hushed　up；　if

possible。　　If　I　give　you　a　cheek　for　this　sum；　about　which

they　are　certain；　could　you　take　it　on　yourself　to　let　the

matter　rest？'



'I　will；'　said　Macewen。　　'I　will　take　the　risk　of　it。'



'You　understand；'　resumed　Mr。　Nicholson；　speaking　precisely；

but　with　ashen　lips；　'I　do　this　for　my　family；　not　for　that

unhappy　young　man。　　If　it　should　turn　out　that　these

suspicions　are　correct；　and　he　has　embezzled　large　sums；　he

must　lie　on　his　bed　as　he　has　made　it。'　　And　then　looking　up

at　Macewen　with　a　nod；　and　one　of　his　strange　smiles：　'Good…

bye；'　said　he；　and　Macewen；　perceiving　the　case　to　be　too

grave　for　consolation；　took　himself　off；　and　blessed　God　on

his　way　home　that　he　was　childless。







CHAPTER　V　…　THE　PRODIGAL'S　RETURN







BY　a　little　after　noon　on　the　eve　of　Christmas；　John　had　left

his　portmanteau　in　the　cloak…room；　and　stepped　forth　into

Princes　Street　with　a　wonderful　expansion　of　the　soul；　such

as　men　enjoy　on　the　completion　of　long…nourished　schemes。　　He

was　at　home　again；　incognito　and　rich；　presently　he　could

enter　his　father's　house　by　means　of　the　pass…key；　which　he

had　piously　preserved　through　all　his　wanderings；　he　would

throw　down　the　borrowed　money；　there　would　be　a

reconciliation；　the　details　of　which　he　frequently　arranged；

and　he　saw　himself；　during　the　next　month；　made　welcome　in

many　stately　houses　at　many　frigid　dinner…parties；　taking　his

share　in　the　conversation　with　the　freedom　of　the　man　and　the

traveller；　and　laying　down　the　law　upon　finance　with　the

authority　of　the　successful　investor。　　But　this　programme　was

not　to　be　begun　before　evening　…　not　till　just　before　dinner；

indeed；　at　which　meal　the　reassembled　family　were　to　sit

roseate；　and　the　best　wine；　the　modern　fatted　calf；　should

flow　for　the　prodigal's　return。



Meanwhile　he　walked　familiar　streets；　merry　reminiscences

crowding　round　him；　sad　ones　also；　both　with　the　same

surprising　pathos。　　The　keen　frosty　air；　the　low；　rosy；

wintry　sun；　the　castle；　hailing　him　like　an　old　acquaintance；

the　names　of　friends　on　door…plates；　the　sight　of　friends

whom　he　seemed　to　recognise；　and　whom　he　eagerly　avoided；　in

the　streets；　the　pleasant　chant　of　the　north…country　accent；

the　dome　of　St。　George's　reminding　him　of　his　last

penitential　moments　in　the　lane；　and　of　that　King　of　Glory

whose　name　had　echoed　ever　since　in　the　saddest　corner　of　his

memory；　and　the　gutters　where　he　had　learned　to　slide；　and

the　shop　where　he　had　bought　his　skates；　and　the　stones　on

which　he　had　trod；　and　the　railings　in　which　he　had　rattled

his　clachan　as　he　went　to　school；　and　all　those　thousand　and

one　nameless　particulars；　which　the　eye　sees　without　noting；

which　the　memory　keeps　indeed　yet　without　knowing；　and　which；

taken　one　with　another；　build　up　for　us　the　aspect　of　the

place　that　we　call　home：　all　these　besieged　him；　as　he　went；

with　both　delight　and　sadness。



His　first　visit　was　for　Houston；　who　had　a　house　on　Regent

Terrace；　kept　for　him　in　old　days　by　an　aunt。　　The　door　was

opened　（to　his　surprise）　upon　the　chain；　and　a　voice　asked

him　from　within　what　he　wanted。



'I　want　Mr。　Houston　…　Mr。　Alan　Houston；'　said　he。



'And　who　are　ye？'　said　the　voice。



'This　is　most　extraordinary；'　thought　John；　and　then　aloud　he

told　his　name。



'No'　young　Mr。　John？'　cried　the　voice；　with　a　sudden　increase

of　Scotch　accent；　testifying　to　a　friendlier　feeling。



'The　very　same；'　said　John。



And　the　old　butler　removed　his　defences；　remarking　only　'I

thocht　ye　were　that　man。'　　But　his　master　was　not　there；　he

was　staying；　it　appeared；　at　the　house　in　Murrayfield；　and

though　the　butler　would　have　been　glad　enough　to　have　taken

his　place　and　given　all　the　news　of　the　family；　John；　struck

with　a　little　chill；　was　eager　to　be　gone。　　Only；　the　door

was　scarce　closed　again；　before　he　regretted　that　he　had　not

asked　about　'that　man。'



He　was　to　pay　no　more　visits　till　he　had　seen　his　father　and

made　all　well　at　home；　Alan　had　been　the　only　possible

exception；　and　John　had　not　time　to　go　as　far　as　Murrayfield。

But　here　he　was　on　Regent　Terrace；　there　was　nothing　to

prevent　him　going　round　the　end　of　the　hill；　and　looking　from

without　on　the　Mackenzies'　house。　　As　he　went；　he　reflected

that　Flora　must　now　be　a　woman　of　near　his　own　age；　and　it

was　within　the　bounds　of　possibility　that　she　was　married；

but　this　dishonourable　doubt　he　dammed　down。



There　was　the　house；　sure　enough；　but　the　door　was　of　another

colour；　and　what　was　this　…　two　door…plates？　　He　drew　nearer；

the　top　one　bore；　with　dignified　simplicity；　the　words；　'Mr。

Proudfoot'；　the　lower　one　was　more　explicit；　and　informed　the

passer…by　that　here　was　likewise　the　abode　of　'Mr。　J。　A。

Dunlop　Proudfoot；　Advocate。'　　The　Proudfoots　must　be　rich；

for　no　advocate　could　look　to　have　much　business　in　so　remote

a　quarter；　and　John　hated　them　for　their　wealth　and　for　their

name；　and　for　the　sake　of　the　house　they　desecrated　with

their　presence。　　He　remembered　a　Proudfoot　he　had　seen　at

school；　not　known：　a　little；　whey…faced　urchin；　the

despicable　member　of　some　lower　class。　　Could　it　be　this

abortion　that　had　climbed　to　be　an　advocate；　and　now　lived　in

the　birthplace　of　Flora　and　the　home　of　John's　tenderest

memories？　　The　chill　that　had　first　seized　upon　him　when　he

heard　of　Houston's　absence　deepened　and　struck　inward。　　For　a

moment；　as　he　stood　under　the　doors　of　that　estranged　house；

and　looked　east　and　west　along　the　solitary　pavement　of　the

Royal　Terrace；　where　not　a　cat　was　stirring；　the　sense　of

solitude　and　desolation　took　him　by　the　throat；　and　he　wished

himself　in　San　Francisco。



And　then　the　figure　he　made；　with　his　decent　portliness；　his

whiskers；　the　money　in　his　purse；　the　excellent　cigar　that　he

now　lighted；　recurred　to　his　mind　in　consolatory　comparison

with　that　of　a　certain　maddened　lad　who；　on　a　certain　spring

Sunday　ten　years　before；　and　in　the　hour　of　church…time

silence；　had　stolen　from　that　city　by　the　Glasgow　road。　　In

the　face　of　these　changes；　it　were　impious　to　doubt　fortune's

kindness。　　All　would　be　well　yet；　the　Mackenzies　would　be

found；　Flora；　younger　and　lovelier　and　kinder　than　before；

Alan　would　be　found；　and　would　have　so　nicely　discriminated

his　behaviour　as　to　have　grown；　on　the　one　hand；　into　a

valued　friend　of　Mr。　Nicholson's；　and　to　have　remained；　upon

the　other；　of　that　exact　shade　of　joviality　which　John

desired　in　his　companions。　　And　so；　once　more；　John　fell　to

work　discounting　the　delightful　future：　his　first　appearance

in　the　family　pew；　his　first　visit　to　his　uncle　Greig；　who

thought　himself　so　great　a　financier；　and　on　whose　purblind

Edinburgh　eyes　John　was　to　let　in　the　dazzling　daylight　of

the　West；　and　the　details　in　general　of　that　unrivalled

transformation　scene；　in　which　he　was　to　display　to　all

Edinburgh　a　portly　and　successful　gentleman　in　the　shoes　of

the　derided　fugitive。



The　time　began　to　draw　near　when　his　father　would　have

returned　fro