the notch on the ax and on being found out-第61章

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place　and　took　to　drawing　on　our　'ouse！　　It's　too　bad；　grandma；　it
is　too　bad！〃　and　he　appealed　to　me；　and　tears　actually　trickled
down　his　nose。

〃Is　it　the　Countess　Sidonia's　check　or　not？〃　I　asked；　haughtily。

〃But；　I　tell　you；　she's　dead！　　It's　a　shame！it's　a　shame！it　is；
grandmamma！〃　and　he　cried；　and　wiped　his　great　nose　in　his　yellow
pocket　handkerchief。　　〃Look　yearwill　you　take　pounds　instead　of
guineas？　　She's　dead；　I　tell　you！　　It's　no　go！　　Take　the　pounds
one　tausend　pound！ten　nice；　neat；　crisp　hundred…pound　notes；　and
go　away　vid　you；　do！〃

〃I　will　have　my　bond；　sir；　or　nothing；〃　I　said；　and　I　put　on　an
attitude　of　resolution　which　I　confess　surprised　even　myself。

〃Wery　veil；〃　he　shrieked；　with　many　oaths；　〃then　you　shall　have
notingha；　ha；　ha！noting　but　a　policeman！　　Mr。　Abednego；　call　a
policeman！　　Take　that；　you　humbug　and　impostor！〃　and　here　with　an
abundance　of　frightful　language　which　I　dare　not　repeat；　the
wealthy　banker　abused　and　defied　me。

Au　bout　du　compte；　what　was　I　to　do；　if　a　banker　did　not　choose　to
honor　a　check　drawn　by　his　dead　grandmother？　　I　began　to　wish　I　had
my　snuff…box　back。　　I　began　to　think　I　was　a　fool　for　changing　that
little　old…fashioned　gold　for
this　slip　of　strange　paper。

Meanwhile　the　banker　had　passed　from　his　fit　of　anger　to　a　paroxysm
of　despair。　　He　seemed　to　be　addressing　some　person　invisible；　but
in　the　room：　〃Look　here；　ma'am；　you've　really　been　coming　it　too
strong。　　A　hundred　thousand　in　six　months；　and　now　a　thousand　more！
The　'ouse　can't　stand　it；　it　WON'T　stand　it；　I　say！　　What？　　Oh！
mercy；　mercy！

As　he　uttered　these　words；　A　HAND　fluttered　over　the　table　in　the
air！　　It　was　a　female　hand：　that　which　I　had　seen　the　night　before。
That　female　hand　took　a　pen　from　the　green　baize　table；　dipped　it
in　a　silver　inkstand；　and　wrote　on　a　quarter　of　a　sheet　of　foolscap
on　the　blotting　book；　〃How　about　the　diamond　robbery？　　If　you　do
not　pay；　I　will　tell　him　where　they　are。〃

What　diamonds？　what　robbery？　what　was　this　mystery？　　That　will
never　be　ascertained；　for　the　wretched　man's　demeanor　instantly
changed。　　〃Certainly；　sir；oh；　certainly；〃　he　said；　forcing　a
grin。　　〃How　will　you　have　the　money；　sir？　　All　right；　Mr。　Abednego。
This　way　out。〃

〃I　hope　I　shall　often　see　you　again；〃　I　said；　on　which　I　own　poor
Manasseh　gave　a　dreadful　grin；　and　shot　back　into　his　parlor。

I　ran　home；　clutching　the　ten　delicious；　crisp　hundred　pounds；　and
the　dear　little　fifty　which　made　up　the　account。　　I　flew　through
the　streets　again。　　I　got　to　my　chambers。　　I　bolted　the　outer
doors。　　I　sank　back　in　my　great　chair；　and　slept。　。　。　。

My　first　thing　on　waking　was　to　feel　for　my　money。　　Perdition！
Where　was　I？　　Ha！on　the　table　before　me　was　my　grandmother's
snuff…box；　and　by　its　side　one　of　those　awfulthose　admirable
sensation　novels；　which　I　had　been　reading；　and　which　are　full　of
delicious　wonder。

But　that　the　guillotine　is　still　to　be　seen　at　Mr。　Gale's；　No。　47；
High　Holborn；　I　give　you　MY　HONOR。　　I　suppose　I　was　dreaming　about
it。　　I　don't　know。　　What　is　dreaming？　　What　is　life？　　Why　shouldn't
I　sleep　on　the　ceiling？and　am　I　sitting　on　it　now；　or　on　the
floor？　　I　am　puzzled。　　But　enough。　　If　the　fashion　for　sensation
novels　goes　on；　I　tell　you　I　will　write　one　in　fifty　volumes。　　For
the　present；　DIXI。　　But　between　ourselves；　this　Pinto；　who　fought
at　the　Colosseum；　who　was　nearly　being　roasted　by　the　Inquisition；
and　sang　duets　at　Holyrood；　I　am　rather　sorry　to　lose　him　after
three　little　bits　of　Roundabout　Papers。　　Et　vous？



Bourgonef


I

AT　A　TABLE　D'HOTE


At　the　close　of　February；　1848；　I　was　in　Nuremberg。　　My　original
intention　had　been　to　pass　a　couple　of　days　there　on　my　way　to
Munich；　that　being；　I　thought；　as　much　time　as　could　reasonably　be
spared　for　so　small　a　city；　beckoned　as　my　footsteps　were　to　the
Bavarian　Athens；　of　whose　glories　of　ancient　art　and　German
Renaissance　I　had　formed　expectations　the　most　exaggerated
expectations　fatal　to　any　perfect　enjoyment；　and　certain　to　be
disappointed；　however　great　the　actual　merit　of　Munich　might　be。
But　after　two　days　at　Nuremberg　I　was　so　deeply　interested　in　its
antique　sequestered　life；　the　charms　of　which　had　not　been　deadened
by　previous　anticipations；　that　I　resolved　to　remain　there　until　I
had　mastered　every　detail　and　knew　the　place　by　heart。

I　have　a　story　to　tell　which　will　move　amidst　tragic　circumstances
of　too　engrossing　a　nature　to　be　disturbed　by　archaeological
interests；　and　shall　not；　therefore；　minutely　describe　here　what　I
observed　in　Nuremberg；　although　no　adequate　description　of　that
wonderful　city　has　yet　fallen　in　my　way。　　To　readers　unacquainted
with　this　antique　place；　it　will　be　enough　to　say　that　in　it　the
old　German　life　seems　still　to　a　great　extent　rescued　from　the　all…
devouring；　all…equalizing　tendencies　of　European　civilization。　　The
houses　are　either　of　the　fifteenth　and　sixteenth　centuries；　or　are
constructed　after　those　ancient　models。　　The　citizens　have
preserved　much　of　the　simple　manners　and　customs　of　their
ancestors。　　The　hurrying　feet　of　commerce　and　curiosity　pass
rapidly　by；　leaving　it　sequestered　from　the　agitations　and　the
turmoils　of　metropolitan　existence。　　It　is　as　quiet　as　a　village。
During　my　stay　there　rose　in　its　quiet　streets　the　startled　echoes
of　horror　at　a　crime　unparalleled　in　its　annals；　which；　gathering
increased　horror　from　the　very　peacefulness　and　serenity　of　the
scene；　arrested　the　attention　and　the　sympathy　in　a　degree　seldom
experienced。　　Before　narrating　that；　it　will　be　necessary　to　go
back　a　little；　that　my　own　connection　with　it　may　be　intelligible；
especially　in　the　fanciful　weaving　together　of　remote　conjectures
which　strangely　involved　me　in　the　story。

The　table　d'hote　at　the　Bayerischer　Hof　had　about　thirty　visitors
all；　with　one　exception；　of　that　local　commonplace　which　escapes
remark。　　Indeed　this　may　almost　always　be　said　of　tables　d'hote；
though　there　is　a　current　belief；　which　I　cannot　share；　of　a　table
d'hote　being　very　delightfulof　one　being　certain　to　meet　pleasant
people　there。〃　　It　may　be　so。　　For　many　years　I　believed　it　was　so。
The　general　verdict　received　my　assent。　　I　had　never　met　those
delightful　people；　but　was　always　expecting　to　meet　them。　　Hitherto
they　had　been　conspicuous　by　their　absence。　　According　to　my
experience　in　Spain；　France；　and　Germany；　such　dinners　had　been
dreary　or　noisy　and　vapid。　　If　the　guests　were　English；　they　were
chillingly　silent；　or　surlily　monosyllabic：　to　their　neighbors　they
were　frigid；　amongst　each　other　they　spoke　in　low　undertones。　　And
if　the　guests　were　foreigners；　they　were　noisy；　clattering；　and
chattering；　foolish　for　the　most　part；　and　vivaciously　commonplace。
I　don't　know　which　made　me　feel　most　dreary。　　The　predominance　of
my　countrymen　gave　the　dinner　the　gayety　of　a　funeral；　the
predominance　of　the　Mossoo　gave　it　the　fatigue　of　got…up
enthusiasm；　of　trivial　expansiveness。　　To　hear　strangers　imparting
the　scraps　of　erudition　and　connoisseurship　which　they　had　that
morning　gathered　from　their　valets　de　place　and　guide…books；　or
describing　the　sights　they　had　just　seen；　to　you；　who　either　saw
them　yesterday；　or　would　see　them　to…morrow；　could　not　be
permanently　attractive。　　My　mind　refuses　to　pasture　on　such　food
with　gusto。　　I　cannot　be　made　to　care　what　the　Herr　Baron's
sentiments　about　Albert　Durer　or　Lucas　Cranach　may　be。　　I　can
digest　my　rindfleisch　without　the　aid　of　the　commis　voyageur's
criticisms　on　Gothic　architecture。　　This　may　be　my　misfortune。　　In
spite　of　the　Italian　blood　which　I　inherit；　I　am　a　shy　manshy　as
the　purest　Briton。　　But；　like　other　shy　men；　I　make　up　in　obstinacy
what　may　be　deficient　in　expansiveness。　　I　can　be　frightened　into
silence；　but　I　won't　be　dictated　to。　　You　might　as　well　attempt　the
persuasive　effect　of　your　eloquence　upon　a　snail　who　has　withdrawn
into　his　shell　at　your　approach；　and　will　not　emerge　till　his
confidence　is　restored。　　To　be　told　that　I　MUST　see　this；　and　ought
to　go　there；　because　my　casual　neighbor　was　charme；　has　never
presented　itself　to　me　as　an　adequate　motive。

From　this　you　readily　gathe