第 10 节
作者:淘气      更新:2024-07-17 14:41      字数:9322
  respectful; not to say deferential; than was the manner of the crowd
  toward him。  In his mind he framed a discouraged remark for early entry
  in his diary: 〃It is of no use; they know a lord through any disguise;
  and show awe of himeven something very like fear; indeed。〃
  Presently one of the gaping and adoring half…circle of boys ventured a
  timid question。  My lord answered it。  The boys glanced wonderingly at
  each other and from somewhere fell the comment:
  〃English cowboy!  Well; if that ain't curious。〃
  Another mental note to be preserved for the diary: 〃Cowboy。  Now what
  might a cowboy be?  Perhaps〃 But the viscount perceived that some more
  questions were about to be asked; so he worked his way out of the crowd;
  released the sleeve; put on the coat and wandered away to seek a humble
  and obscure lodging。  He found it and went to bed and was soon asleep。
  In the morning; he examined his clothes。  They were rather assertive; it
  seemed to him; but they were new and clean; at any rate。  There was
  considerable property in the pockets。  Item; five one…hundred dollar
  bills。  Item; near fifty dollars in small bills and silver。  Plug of
  tobacco。  Hymn…book; which refuses to open; found to contain whiskey。
  Memorandum book bearing no name。  Scattering entries in it; recording in
  a sprawling; ignorant hand; appointments; bets; horse…trades; and so on;
  with people of strange; hyphenated nameSix…Fingered Jake; Young…Man…
  afraid…of his…Shadow; and the like。  No letters; no documents。
  The young man muses…maps out his course。  His letter of credit is burned;
  he will borrow the small bills and the silver in these pockets; apply
  part of it to advertising for the owner; and use the rest for sustenance
  while he seeks work。  He sends out for the morning paper; next; and
  proceeds to read about the fire。  The biggest line in the display…head
  announces his own death!  The body of the account furnishes all the
  particulars; and tells how; with the inherited heroism of his caste; he
  went on saving women and children until escape for himself was
  impossible; then with the eyes of weeping multitudes upon him; he stood
  with folded arms and sternly awaited the approach of the devouring fiend;
  〃and so standing; amid a tossing sea of flame and on…rushing billows of
  smoke; the noble young heir of the great house of Rossmore was caught up
  in a whirlwind of fiery glory; and disappeared forever from the vision of
  men。〃
  The thing was so fine and generous and knightly that it brought the
  moisture to his eyes。  Presently he said to himself: 〃What to do is as
  plain as day; now。  My Lord Berkeley is deadlet him stay so。  Died
  creditably; too; that will make the calamity the easier for my father。
  And I don't have to report to the American Claimant; now。  Yes; nothing
  could be better than the way matters have turned out。  I have only to
  furnish myself with a new name; and take my new start in life totally
  untrammeled。  Now I breathe my first breath of real freedom; and how
  fresh and breezy and inspiring it is!  At last I am a man! a man on equal
  terms with my neighbor; and by my manhood; and by it alone; I shall rise
  and be seen of the world; or I shall sink from sight and deserve it。
  This is the gladdest day; and the proudest; that ever poured it's sun
  upon my head!〃
  CHAPTER VIII。
  〃GOD bless my soul; Hawkins!〃
  The morning paper dropped from the Colonel's nerveless…grasp。
  〃What is it?〃
  〃He's gone!the bright; the young; the gifted; the noblest of his
  illustrious racegone! gone up in flames and unimaginable glory!〃
  〃Who?〃
  〃My precious; precious young kinsmanKirkcudbright Llanover Marjoribanks
  Sellers Viscount Berkeley; son and heir of usurping Rossmore。〃
  〃No!〃
  〃It's truetoo true。〃
  〃When?〃
  〃Last night。〃
  〃Where?〃
  〃Right here in Washington; where he arrived from England last night; the
  papers say。〃
  〃You don't say!〃
  〃Hotel burned down。〃
  〃What hotel?〃
  〃The New Gadsby!〃
  〃Oh; my goodness!  And have we lost both of them?〃
  〃Both who?〃
  〃One…Arm Pete。〃
  〃Oh; great guns; I forgot all about him。  Oh; I hope not。〃
  〃Hope!  Well; I should say!  Oh; we can't spare him!  We can better
  afford to lose a million viscounts than our only support and stay。〃
  They searched the paper diligently; and were appalled to find that a one…
  armed man had been seen flying along one of the halls of the hotel in his
  underclothing and apparently out of his head with fright; and as he would
  listen to no one and persisted in making for a stairway which would carry
  him to certain death; his case was given over as a hopeless one。
  〃Poor fellow;〃 sighed Hawkins; 〃and he had friends so near。  I wish we
  hadn't come away from there…maybe we could have saved him。〃
  The earl looked up and said calmly:
  〃His being dead doesn't matter。  He was uncertain before。  We've got him
  sure; this time。〃
  〃Got him?  How?〃
  〃I will materialize him。〃
  〃Rossmore; don'tdon't trifle with me。  Do you mean that?  Can you do
  it?〃
  〃I can do it; just as sure as you are sitting there。  And I will。〃
  〃Give me your hand; and let me have the comfort of shaking it。  I was
  perishing; and you have put new life into me。  Get at it; oh; get at it
  right away。〃
  〃It will take a little time; Hawkins; but there's no hurry; none in the
  worldin the circumstances。  And of course certain duties have devolved
  upon me now; which necessarily claim my first attention。  This poor young
  nobleman〃
  〃Why; yes; I am sorry for my heartlessness; and you smitten with this new
  family affliction。  Of course you must materialize him firstI quite
  understand that。〃
  〃IIwell; I wasn't meaning just that; but;why; what am I thinking
  of!  Of course I must materialize him。  Oh; Hawkins; selfishness is the
  bottom trait in human nature; I was only thinking that now; with the
  usurper's heir out of the way But you'll forgive that momentary weakness;
  and forget it。  Don't ever remember it against me that Mulberry Sellers
  was once mean enough to think the thought that I was thinking。  I'll
  materialise himI will; on my honorand I'd do it were he a thousand
  heirs jammed into one and stretching in a solid rank from here to the
  stolen estates of Rossmore; and barring the road forever to the rightful
  earl!
  〃There spoke the real Sellersthe other had a false ring; old friend。〃
  〃Hawkins; my boy; it just occurs to mea thing I keep forgetting to
  mention…a matter that we've got to be mighty careful about。〃
  〃What is that?〃
  〃We must keep absolutely still about these materializations。  Mind; not a
  hint of them must escapenot a hint。  To say nothing of how my wife and
  daughterhigh…strung; sensitive organizationsmight feel about them;
  the negroes wouldn't stay on the place a minute。〃
  〃That's true; they wouldn't。  It's well you spoke; for I'm not naturally
  discreet with my tongue when I'm not warned。〃
  Sellers reached out and touched a bell…button in the wall; set his eye
  upon the rear door and waited; touched it again and waited; and just as
  Hawkins was remarking admiringly that the Colonel was the most
  progressive and most alert man he had ever seen; in the matter of
  impressing into his service every modern convenience the moment it was
  invented; and always keeping breast to breast with the drum major in the
  great work of material civilization; he forsook the button (which hadn't
  any wire attached to it;) rang a vast dinner bell which stood on the
  table; and remarked that he had tried that new…fangled dry battery; now;
  to his entire satisfaction; and had got enough of it; and added:
  〃Nothing would do Graham Bell but I must try it; said the mere fact of my
  trying it would secure public confidence; and get it a chance to show
  what it could do。  I told him that in theory a dry battery was just a
  curled darling and no mistake; but when it come to practice; sho!and
  here's the result。  Was I right?  What should you say; Washington
  Hawkins?  You've seen me try that button twice。  Was I right?that's the
  idea。  Did I know what I was talking about; or didn't I?〃
  〃Well; you know how I feel about you; Colonel Sellers; and always have
  felt。  It seems to me that you always know everything about everything。
  If that man had known you as I know you he would have taken your judgment
  at the start; and dropped his dry battery where it was。〃
  〃Did you ring; Marse Sellers?〃
  〃No; Marse Sellers didn't。〃
  〃Den it was you; Marse Washington。  I's heah; suh。〃
  〃No; it wasn't Marse Washington; either。〃
  〃De good lan'! who did ring her; den?〃
  〃Lord Rossmore rang it!〃
  The old negro flung up his hands and exclaimed:
  〃Blame my skin if I hain't gone en forgit dat name agin!  Come heah;
  Jinnyrun heah; honey。〃
  Jinny arrived。
  〃You take dish…yer order de lord gwine to give you I's gwine down suller
  and study dat name tell I git it。〃
  〃I take de order!  Who's yo' nigger las' year?  De bell rung for you。〃
  〃Dat don't make no diffunce。  When a bell ring for anybody; en old
  marster tell me to〃
  〃Clear out; and settle it in the kitchen!〃
  The noise of the quarreling presently sank to a murmur in the distance;
  and the earl added: 〃That's a trouble with old house servants that were
  your slaves on