robert falconer-第131章

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the　world；　bandying　chaff　with　you　all　the　time。　　I　had　got　amongst

another　set；　however。



'Leastways　you've　got　as　good；'　said　a　third；　approaching　from　the

court；　as　villanous…looking　a　fellow　as　I　have　ever　seen。



'This　is　hardly　the　right　way　to　ask　for　it；'　I　said；　looking　out

for　a　chance　of　bolting；　but　putting　my　hand　in　my　pocket　at　the

same　time。　　I　confess　again　I　acted　very　stupidly　throughout　the

whole　affair；　but　it　was　my　first　experience。



'It's　a　way　we've　got　down　here；　anyhow；'　said　the　third　with　a

brutal　laugh。　'Look　out；　Savoury　Sam；'　he　added　to　one　of　them。



'Now　I　don't　want　to　hurt　you；'　struck　in　the　first；　coming　nearer；

'but　if　you　gives　tongue；　I'll　make　cold　meat　of　you；　and　gouge　your

pockets　at　my　leisure；　before　ever　a　blueskin　can　turn　the　corner。'



Two　or　three　more　came　sidling　up　with　their　hands　in　their　pockets。



'What　have　you　got　there；　Slicer？'　said　one　of　them；　addressing　the

third；　who　looked　like　a　ticket…of…leave　man。



'We've　cotched　a　pig…headed　counter…jumper　here；　that　didn't　know

Jim　there　from　a　man…trap；　and　went　by　him　as　if　he'd　been　a

bull…dog　on　a　long…chain。　　He　wants　to　fight　cocum。　　But　we　won't

trouble　him。　　We'll　help　ourselves。　　Shell　out　now。'



As　he　spoke　he　made　a　snatch　at　my　watch…chain。　　I　forgot　myself　and

hit　him。　　The　same　moment　I　received　a　blow　on　the　head；　and　felt

the　blood　running　down　my　face。　　I　did　not　quite　lose　my　senses；

though；　for　I　remember　seeing　yet　another　mana　tall　fellow；　coming

out　of　the　gloom　of　the　court。　　How　it　came　into　my　mind；　I　do　not

know；　and　what　I　said　I　do　not　remember；　but　I　must　have　mentioned

Falconer's　name　somehow。



The　man　they　called　Slicer；　said；



'Who's　he？　　Don't　know　the。'



Words　followed　which　I　cannot　write。



'What！　you　devil's　gossoon！'　returned　an　Irish　voice　I　had　not　heard

before。　'You　don't　know　Long　Bob；　you　gonnof！'



All　that　passed　I　heard　distinctly；　but　I　was　in　a　half　faint；　I

suppose；　for　I　could　no　longer　see。



'Now　what　the　devil　in　a　dice…box　do　you　mean？'　said　Slicer；

possessing　himself　of　my　watch。　'Who　is　the　blasted　cove？not　that

I　care　a　flash　of　damnation。'



'A　man　as　'll　knock　you　down　if　he　thinks　you　want　it；　or　give　you　a

half…a…crown　if　he　thinks　you　want　itall's　one　to　him；　only　he'll

have　the　choosing　which。'



'What　the　hell's　that　to　me？　　Look　spry。　　He　mustn't　lie　there　all

night。　　It's　too　near　the　ken。　　Come　along；　you　Scotch　haddock。'



I　was　aware　of　a　kick　in　the　side　as　he　spoke。



'I　tell　you　what　it　is；　Slicer；'　said　one　whose　voice　I　had　not　yet

heard；　'if　so　be　this　gentleman's　a　friend　of　Long　Bob；　you　just　let

him　alone；　I　say。'



I　opened　my　eyes　now；　and　saw　before　me　a　tall　rather　slender　man　in

a　big　loose　dress…coat；　to　whom　Slicer　had　turned　with　the　words；



'You　say！　　Ha！　ha！　　Well；　I　sayThere's　my　Scotch　haddock！　who'll

touch　him？'



'I'll　take　him　home；'　said　the　tall　man；　advancing　towards　me。　　I

made　an　attempt　to　rise。　　But　I　grew　deadly　ill；　fell　back；　and

remember　nothing　more。



When　I　came　to　myself　I　was　lying　on　a　bed　in　a　miserable　place。　　A

middle…aged　woman　of　degraded　countenance；　but　kindly　eyes；　was

putting　something　to　my　mouth　with　a　teaspoon：　I　knew　it　by　the

smell　to　be　gin。　　But　I　could　not　yet　move。　　They　began　to　talk

about　me；　and　I　lay　and　listened。　　Indeed；　while　I　listened；　I　lost

for　a　time　all　inclination　to　get　up；　I　was　so　much　interested　in

what　I　heard。



'He's　comin'　to　hisself；'　said　the　woman。　'He'll　be　all　right　by　and

by。　　I　wonder　what　brings　the　likes　of　him　into　the　likes　of　this

place。　　It　must　look　a　kind　of　hell　to　them　gentle…folks；　though　we

manage　to　live　and　die　in　it。'



'I　suppose；'　said　another；　'he's　come　on　some　of　Mr。　Falconer's

business。'



'That's　why　Job's　took　him　in　charge。　　They　say　he　was　after

somebody　or　other；　they　think。No　friend　of　Mr。　Falconer's　would　be

after　another　for　any　mischief；'　said　my　hostess。



'But　who　is　this　Mr。　Falconer？Is　Long　Bob　and　he　both　the　same

alias？'　asked　a　third。



'Why；　Bessy；　ain't　you　no　better　than　that　damned　Slicer；　who　ought

to　ha'　been　hung　up　to　dry　this　many　a　year？　　But　to　be　sure　you

'ain't　been　long　in　our　quarter。　　Why；　every　child　hereabouts　knows

Mr。　Falconer。　　Ask　Bobby　there。'



'Who's　Mr。　Falconer；　Bobby？'



A　child's　voice　made　reply；



'A　man　with　a　long；　long　beard；　that　goes　about；　and　sometimes　grows

tired　and　sits　on　a　door…step。　　I　see　him　once。　　But　he　ain't　Mr。

Falconer；　nor　Long　Bob　neither；'　added　Bobby　in　a　mysterious　tone。

'I　know　who　he　is。'



'What　do　you　mean；　Bobby？　　Who　is　he；　then？'



The　child　answered　very　slowly　and　solemnly；



'He's　Jesus　Christ。'



The　woman　burst　into　a　rude　laugh。



'Well；'　said　Bobby　in　an　offended　tone；　'Slicer's　own　Tom　says　so；

and　Polly　too。　　We　all　says　so。　　He　allus　pats　me　on　the　head；　and

gives　me　a　penny。'



Here　Bobby　began　to　cry；　bitterly　offended　at　the　way　Bessy　had

received　his　information；　after　considering　him　sufficiently

important　to　have　his　opinion　asked。



'True　enough；'　said　his　mother。　'I　see　him　once　a…sittin'　on　a

door…step；　lookin'　straight　afore　him；　and　worn…out　like；　an'　a　lot

o'　them　childer　standin'　all　about　him；　an'　starin'　at　him　as　mum　as

mice；　for　fear　of　disturbin'　of　him。　　When　I　come　near；　he　got　up

with　a　smile　on　his　face；　and　give　each　on　'em　a　penny　all　round；

and　walked　away。　　Some　do　say　he's　a　bit　crazed　like；　but　I　never

saw　no　sign　o'　that；　and　if　any　one　ought　to　know；　that　one's　Job's

Mary；　and　you　may　believe　me　when　I　tell　you　that　he　was　here　night

an'　mornin'　for　a　week；　and　after　that　off　and　on；　when　we　was　all

down　in　the　cholerer。　　Ne'er　a　one　of　us　would　ha'　come　through　but

for　him。'



I　made　an　attempt　to　rise。　　The　woman　came　to　my　bedside。



'How　does　the　gentleman　feel　hisself　now？'　she　asked　kindly。



'Better；　thank　you；'　I　said。　'I　am　ashamed　of　lying　like　this；　but　I

feel　very　queer。'



'And　it's　no　wonder；　when　that　devil　Slicer　give　you　one　o'　his　even

down　blows　on　the　top　o'　your　head。　　Nobody　knows　what　he　carry　in

his　sleeve　that　he　do　it　withonly　you've　got　off　well；　young　man；

and　that　I　tell　you；　with　a　decent　cut　like　that。　　Only　don't　you　go

tryin'　to　get　up　now。　　Don't　be　in　a　hurry　till　your　blood　comes

back　like。'



I　lay　still　again　for　a　little。　　When　I　lifted　my　hand　to　my　head；　I

found　it　was　bandaged　up。　　I　tried　again　to　rise。　　The　woman　went　to

the　door；　and　called　out；



'Job；　the　gentleman's　feelin'　better。　　He'll　soon　be　able　to　move；　I

think。　　What　will　you　do　with　him　now？'



'I'll　go　and　get　a　cab；'　said　Job；　and　I　heard　him　go　down　a　stair。



I　raised　myself；　and　got　on　the　floor；　but　found　I　could　not　stand。

By　the　time　the　cab　arrived；　however；　I　was　able　to　crawl　to　it。

When　Job　came；　I　saw　the　same　tall　thin　man　in　the　long　dress　coat。

His　head　was　bound　up　too。



'I　am　sorry　to　see　you　too　have　been　hurtfor　my　sake；　of　course；'

I　said。　'Is　it　a　bad　blow？'



'Oh！　it　ain't　over　much。　　I　got　in　with　a　smeller　afore　he　came

right　down　with　his　slogger。　　But　I　say；　I　hope　as　how　you　are　a

friend　of　Mr。　Falconer's；　for　you　see　we　can't　afford　the　likes　of

this　in　this　quarter　for　every　chance　that　falls　in　Slicer's　way。

Gentlemen　has　no　business　here。'



'On　the　contrary；　I　mean　to　come　again　soon；　to　thank　you　all　for

being　so　good　to　me。'



'Well；　when　you　comes　next；　you'd　better　come　with　him；　you　know。'



'You　mean　with　Mr。　Falconer？'



'Yes；　who　else？　　But　are　you　able　to　go　now？　for　the　sooner　you're

out　of　this　the　better。'



'Quite　able。　　Just　give　me　your　arm。'



He　offered　it　kindly。　　Taking　a　grateful　farewell　of　my　hostess；　I

put　my　hand　in　my　pocket；　but　there　was　nothing　there。　　Job　led　me

to　the　mouth　of　the　court；　where　a　cab；　evidently　of　a　sort　with　the

neighbourhood；　wa