第 27 节
作者:
淘气 更新:2024-07-17 14:41 字数:9322
speechless through the curtainless window。 Then he pointed; and gasped
out a single rapturous word:
〃Look!〃
〃What is it; Colonel?〃
〃IT!〃
〃No!〃
〃Sure as you're born。 Keep perfectly still。 I'll apply the influence
I'll turn on all my force。 I've brought It thus farI'll fetch It right
into the house。 You'll see。〃
He was making all sorts of passes in the air with his hands。
〃There! Look at that。 I've made It smile! See?〃
Quite true。 Tracy; out for an afternoon stroll; had come unexpectantly
upon his family arms displayed upon this shabby house…front。 The
hatchments made him smile; which was nothing; they had made the
neighborhood cats do that。
〃Look; Hawkins; look! I'm drawing It over!〃
〃You're drawing it sure; Rossmore。 If I ever had any doubts about
materialization; they're gone; now; and gone for good。 Oh; this is a
joyful day!〃
Tracy was sauntering over to read the door…plate。 Before he was half way
over he was saying to himself; 〃Why; manifestly these are the American
Claimant's quarters。〃
〃It's coming…coming right along。 I'll slide; down and pull It in。 You
follow after me。〃
Sellers; pale and a good deal agitated; opened the door and confronted
Tracy。 The old man could not at once get his voice: then he pumped out a
scattering and hardly coherent salutation; and followed it with
〃Walk in; walk right in; Mr。er〃
〃TracyHoward Tracy。〃
〃Tracythanks…walk right in; you're expected。〃
Tracy entered; considerably puzzled; and said:
〃Expected? I think there must be some mistake。〃
〃Oh; I judge not;〃 said Sellers; whonoticing that Hawkins had arrived;
gave him a sidewise glance intended to call his close attention to a
dramatic effect which he was proposing to produce by his next remark。
Then he said; slowly and impressively〃I amYOU KNOW WHO。〃
To the astonishment of both conspirators the remark produced no dramatic
effect at all; for the new comer responded with a quite innocent and
unembarrassed air
〃No; pardon me。 I don't know who you are。 I only supposebut no doubt
correctlythat you are the gentleman whose title is on the doorplate。〃
〃Right; quite rightsit down; pray sit down。〃 The earl was rattled;
thrown off his bearings; his head was in a whirl。 Then he noticed
Hawkins standing apart and staring idiotically at what to him was the
apparition of a defunct man; and a new idea was born to him。 He said to
Tracy briskly:
〃But a thousand pardons; dear sir; I am forgetting courtesies due to a
guest and stranger。 Let me introduce my friend General HawkinsGeneral
Hawkins; our new Senator…Senator from the latest and grandest addition to
the radiant galaxy of sovereign States; Cherokee Strip〃(to himself;
〃that name will shrivel him up!〃but it didn't; in the least; and the
Colonel resumed the introduction piteously disheartened and amazed);
〃Senator Hawkins; Mr。 Howard Tracy; ofer〃
〃England。〃
〃England!Why that's im〃
〃England; yes; native of England。〃
〃Recently from there?〃
〃Yes; quite recently。〃
Said the Colonel to himself; 〃This phantom lies like an expert。
Purifying this kind by fire don't work。 I'll sound him a little further;
give him another chance or two to work his gift。〃 Then aloudwith deep
irony
〃Visiting our great country for recreation and amusement; no doubt。
I suppose you find that traveling in the majestic expanses of our Far
West is〃
〃I haven't been West; and haven't been devoting myself to amusement with
any sort of exclusiveness; I assure you。 In fact; to merely live; an
artist has got to work; not play。〃
〃Artist!〃 said Hawkins to himself; thinking of the rifled bank; 〃that is
a name for it!〃
〃Are you an artist?〃 asked the colonel; and added to himself; 〃now I'm
going to catch him。〃
〃In a humble way; yes。〃
〃What line?〃 pursued the sly veteran。
〃Oils。〃
〃I've got him!〃 said Sellers to himself。 Then aloud; 〃This is fortunate。
Could I engage you to restore some of my paintings that need that
attention?〃
〃I shall be very glad。 Pray let me see them。〃
No shuffling; no evasion; no embarrassment; even under this crucial test。
The Colonel was nonplussed。 He led Tracy to a chromo which had suffered
damage in a former owner's hands through being used as a lamp mat; and
said; with a flourish of his hand toward the picture
〃This del Sarto〃
〃Is that a del Sarto?〃
The colonel bent a look of reproach upon Tracy; allowed it to sink home;
then resumed as if there had been no interruption
〃This del Sarto is perhaps the only original of that sublime master in
our country。 You see; yourself; that the work is of such exceeding
delicacy that the riskcoulderwould you mind giving me a little
example of what you can do before we〃
〃Cheerfully; cheerfully。 I will copy one of these marvels。〃
Water…color materialsrelics of Miss Sally's college lifewere brought。
Tracy said he was better in oils; but would take a chance with these。
So he was left alone。 He began his work; but the attractions of the
place were too strong for him; and he got up and went drifting about;
fascinated; also amazed。
CHAPTER XIX。
Meantime the earl and Hawkins were holding a troubled and anxious private
consultation。 The earl said:
〃The mystery that bothers me; is; where did It get its other arm?〃
〃Yesit worries me; too。 And another thing troubles methe apparition
is English。 How do you account for that; Colonel?〃
〃Honestly; I don't know; Hawkins; I don't really know。 It is very
confusing and awful。〃
〃Don't you think maybe we've waked up the wrong one?〃
〃The wrong one? How do you account for the clothes?〃
〃The clothes are right; there's no getting around it。 What are we going
to do? We can't collect; as I see。 The reward is for a one…armed
American。 This is a two…armed Englishman。〃
〃Well; it may be that that is not objectionable。 You see it isn't less
than is called for; it is more; and so;〃
But he saw that this argument was weak; and dropped it。 The friends sat
brooding over their perplexities some time in silence。 Finally the
earl's face began to glow with an inspiration; and he said; impressively:
〃Hawkins; this materialization is a grander and nobler science than we
have dreamed of。 We have little imagined what a solemn and stupendous
thing we have done。 The whole secret is perfectly clear to me; now;
clear as day。 Every man is made up of heredities; long…descended atoms
and particles of his ancestors。 This present materialization is
incomplete。 We have only brought it down to perhaps the beginning of
this century。〃
〃What do you mean; Colonel!〃 cried Hawkins; filled with vague alarms by
the old man's awe…compelling words and manner。
〃This。 We've materialized this burglar's ancestor!〃
〃Oh; don't…don't say that。 It's hideous。〃
〃But it's true; Hawkins; I know it。 Look at the facts。 This apparition
is distinctly English…note that。 It uses good grammarnote that。 It is
an Artistnote that。 It has the manners and carriage of a gentleman
note that。 Where's your cow…boy? Answer me that。〃
〃Rossmore; this is dreadful…it's too dreadful to think of!〃
〃Never resurrected a rag of that burglar but the clothes; not a solitary
rag of him but the clothes。〃
〃Colonel; do you really mean〃
The Colonel brought his fist down with emphasis and said:
〃I mean exactly this。 The materialization was immature; the burglar has
evaded us; this is nothing but a damned ancestor!〃
He rose and walked the floor in great excitement。
Hawkins said plaintively:
〃It's a bitter disappointment…bitter。〃
〃I know it。 I know it; Senator; I feel it as deeply as anybody could。
But we've got to submiton moral grounds。 I need money; but God knows
I am not poor enough or shabby enough to be an accessory to the punishing
of a man's ancestor for crimes committed by that ancestor's posterity。〃
〃But Colonel!〃 implored Hawkins; 〃stop and think; don't be rash; you know
it's the only chance we've got to get the money; and besides; the Bible
itself says posterity to the fourth generation shall be punished for the
sins and crimes committed by ancestors four generations back that hadn't
anything to do with them; and so it's only fair to turn the rule around
and make it work both ways。〃
The Colonel was struck with the strong logic of this position。 He strode
up and down; and thought it painfully over。 Finally he said:
〃There's reason in it; yes; there's reason in it。 And so; although it
seems a piteous thing to sweat this poor ancient devil for a burglary he
hadn't the least hand in; still if duty commands I suppose we must give
him up to the authorities。〃
〃I would;〃 said Hawkins; cheered and relieved; 〃I'd give him up if he was
a thousand ancestors compacted into one。〃
〃Lord bless me; that's just what he is;〃 said Sellers; with something
like a groan; 〃it's exactly what he is; there's a contribution in him
from every ancestor he ever had。 In him there's atoms of priests;
soldiers; crusaders; poets; and sweet and gracious womenall kinds and
conditions of folk who trod this earth in old; old centuries; and
vanished out of it ages ago; and now by act of ours they are summoned
from the