hard cash-第135章

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all　be　ere　long；　and　then　I'll　make　you　love　me；　dote　on　me；　follow　me　about　for　a　smile：　and　then　I'll　leave　off　hating　you；　and　love　you　once　more；　but　not　the　way　I　did　five　minutes　ago。〃

At　this　furious　threat　Alfred　ground　his　teeth；　and　said；　〃Then　I　give　you　my　honour　that　the　moment　I　see　my　reason　the　least　shaken；　I'll　kill　you：　and　so　save　myself　from　the　degradation　of　being　your　lover　on　any　terms。〃

〃Threaten　your　own　sex　with　that；〃　said　the　Archbold　contemptuously；　〃you　may　kill　me　whenever　you　like；　and　the　sooner　the　better。　Only；　if　you　don't　do　it　very　quickly；　you　shall　be　my　property；　my　brain…sick；　love…sick　slave。〃




CHAPTER　XLI

AFTER　a　defiance　so　bitter　and　deadly；　Alfred　naturally　drew　away　from　his　inamorata。　But　she；　boiling　with　love　and　hate；　said　bitterly；　〃We　need　not　take　Mr。　Rooke　into　our　secrets。　Come；　sir；　your　arm！〃

He　stuck　it　out　ungraciously；　and　averted　his　head；　she　took　it；　suppressed　with　difficulty　a　petty　desire　to　pinch；　and　so　walked　by　his　side。　He　was　as　much　at　his　ease　as　if　promenading　jungles　with　a　panther。　She　felt　him　quiver　with　repugnance　under　her　soft　hand；　and　prolonged　the　irritating　contact。　She　walked　very　slowly；　and　told　him　with　much　meaning　she　was　waiting　for　a　signal。　〃Till　then；〃　said　she；　〃we　will　keep　one　another　company；〃　biting　the　word　with　her　teeth　as　it　went　out。

By…and…by　a　window　was　opened　in　the　asylum；　and　a　table…cloth　hung　out。　Mrs。　Archbold　pointed　it　out　to　Alfred；　he　stared　at　it；　and　after　that　she　walked　him　rapidly　home　in　silence。　But；　as　soon　as　the　door　was　double…locked　on　him；　she　whispered　triumphantly　in　his　ear

〃Your　mother…in…law　was　expected　to…day；　that　signal　was　to　let　me　know　she　was　gone。〃

〃My　mother…in…law！〃　cried　the　young　man；　and　tried　in　vain　to　conceal　his　surprise　and　agitation。

〃Ay；　your　mother…in…law；　that　shall　never　be。　Mrs。　Dodd。〃

〃Mrs。　Dodd　here！〃　said　Alfred；　clasping　his　hands。　Then　he　reflected；　and　said　coolly：　〃It　is　false；　what　should　she　come　here　for？〃

〃To　see　your　father…in…law。〃

〃My　father…in…law？　What；　is　he　here；　too？〃　said　Alfred　with　an　incredulous　sneer。

〃Yes；　the　raving　maniac　that　calls　himself　Thompson；　and　that　you　took　to　from　the　first：　he　is　your　precious　father…in…lawthat　shall　never　be。〃

Alfred　was　now　utterly　amazed；　and　bewildered。　Mrs。　Archbold　eyed　him　in　silent　scorn。

〃Poor　man；〃　said　he　at　last；　and　hung　his　head　sorrowfully。　〃No　wonder　then　his　voice　went　so　to　my　heart。　How　strange　it　all　is！　and　how　will　it　all　end？〃

〃In　your　being　a　madman　instead　of　an　insolent　fool；〃　hissed　the　viper。

At　this　moment　Beverley　appeared　at　the　end　of　the　yard。　Mrs。　Archbold　whistled　him　to　her　like　a　dog。　He　came　running　zealously。　〃Who　was　that　called　while　I　was　out？〃　she　inquired。

〃A　polite　lady；　madam：　she　said　sir　to　me；　and　thanked　me。〃

〃That　sounds　like　Mrs。　Dodd；〃　said　the　Archbold　quietly。

〃Ah；　but；〃　continued　Frank；　〃there　was　another　with　her　a　beautiful　young　lady；　oh；　so　beautiful！〃

〃Miss　Julia　Dodd；〃　said　the　Archbold　grimly。

Alfred　panted；　and　his　eyes　roved　wildly　in　search　of　a　way　to　escape　and　follow　her；　she　could　not　be　far　off。

〃Anybody　else；　Frank？〃　inquired　Mrs。　Archbold。

〃No　more　ladies；　madam；　but　there　was　a　young　gentleman　all　in　black。　I　think　he　was　a　clergymanor　a　butler。〃

〃Ah；　that　was　her　husband　that　is　to　be；　that　was　Mr。　Hurd。　She　can　go　nowhere　without　him；　not　even　to　see　her　old　beau。〃

At　these　words；　every　one　of　them　an　adder；　Alfred　turned　on　her　furiously；　and　his　long　arm　shot　out　of　its　own　accord；　and　the　fingers　opened　like　an　eagle's　claw。　She　saw；　and　understood；　but　never　blenched。　Her　vindictive　eye　met　his　dilating　flashing　orbs　unflinchingly。

〃You　pass　for　a　woman；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　am　too　wretched　for　anger。〃　He　turned　from　her　with　a　deep　convulsive　sob；　and；　almost　staggering；　leaned　his　brow　against　the　wall　of　the　house。

She　had　done　what　no　man　had　as　yet　succeeded　in；　she　had　broken　his　spirit。　And　here　a　man　would　have　left　him　alone。　But　the　rejected　beauty　put　her　lips　to　his　ear；　and　whispered　into　them；　〃This　is　only　the　beginning。〃　Then　she　left　him　and　went　to　his　room　and　stole　all　his　paper；　and　pens；　and　ink；　and　his　very　Aristotle。　He　was　to　have　no　occupation　now；　except　to　brood；　and　brood；　and　brood。

As　for　Alfred；　he　sat　down　upon　a　bench　in　the　yard　a　broken　man：　up　to　this　moment　he　had　hoped　his　Julia　was　as　constant　as　himself。　But　no；　either　she　had　heard　he　was　mad；　and　with　the　universal　credulity　had　believed　it；　or　perhaps；　not　hearing　from　him　at　all　believed　herself　forsaken；　and　was　consoling　herself　with　a　clergyman。　Jealousy　did　not　as　yet　infuriate　Alfred。　Its　first　effect　resembled　that　of　a　heavy　blow。　Little　Beverley　found　him　actually　sick；　and　ran　to　the　Robin。　The　ex…prizefighter　brought　him　a　thimbleful　of　brandy；　but　he　would　not　take　it。　〃Ah　no；　my　friends；〃　he　said；　〃that　cannot　cure　me；　it　is　not　my　stomach；　it　is　my　heart。　Broken；　broken！〃

The　Robin　retired　muttering。　Little　Beverley　kneeled　down　beside　him；　and　kissed　his　hand　with　a　devotion　that　savoured　of　the　canine。　Yet　it　was　tender；　and　the　sinking　heart　clung　to　it。　〃Oh；　Frank！〃　he　cried；　〃my　Julia　believes　me　mad；　or　thinks　me　false；　or　something；　and　she　will　marry　another　before　I　can　get　out　to　tell　her　all　I　have　endured　was　for　loving　her。　What　shall　I　do？　God　protect　my　reason！　What　will　become　of　me？〃

He　moaned；　and　young　Frank　sorrowed　over　him；　till　the　harsh　voice　of　Rooke　summoned　him　to　some　menial　duty。　This　discharged；　he　came　running　back；　and　sat　on　the　bench　beside　his　crushed　benefactor　without　saying　a　word。　At　last　he　delivered　this　sapient　speech：　〃I　see。　You　want　to　get　out　of　this　place。〃

Alfred　only　sighed　hopelessly。

〃Then　I　must　try　and　get　you　out；〃　said　Frank。　Alfred　shook　his　head。

〃Just　let　me　think；〃　said　Frank　solemnly；　and　he　sat　silent　looking　like　a　young　owl：　for　thinking　soon　puzzled　him；　and　elicited　his　intellectual　weakness；　whereas　in　a　groove　of　duties　he　could　go　as　smoothly　as　half　the　world；　and　but　for　his　official；　officious　Protector；　might　just　as　well　have　been　Boots　at　the　Swan；　as　Boots　and　Chambermaid　at　the　Wolf。


So　now　force　and　cunning　had　declared　war　on　Alfred；　and　feebleness　in　person　enlisted　in　his　defence。　His　adversary　lost　no　time；　that　afternoon　Rooke　told　him　he　was　henceforth　to　occupy　a　double　bedded　room　with　another　patient。

〃If　he　should　be　violent　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　sing　out；　and　we　will　comeif　we　hear　you；〃　said　the　keeper　with　a　malicious　smile。

The　patient　turned　out　to　be　the　able　seaman。　Here　Mrs。　Archbold　aimed　a　double　stroke；　to　shake　Alfred's　nerves；　and　show　him　how　very　mad　his　proposed　father…in…law　was。　She　thought　that；　if　he　could　once　be　forced　to　realise　this；　it　might　reconcile　him　to　not　marrying　the　daughter。

The　first　night　David　did　get　up　and　paraded　an　imaginary　deck　for　four　mortal　hours。　Alfred's　sleep　was　broken；　but　he　said　nothing；　and　David　turned　in　again；　his　watch　completed。

Not　a　day　passed　now　but　a　blow　was　struck。　Nor　was　the　victim　passive；　debarred　writing　materials；　he　cut　the　rims　off　several　copies　of　the　_Times；_　and　secreted　them：　then　catching　sight　of　some　ink…blots　on　the　back　of　Frank's　clothes…brush；　scraped　them　carefully　off；　melted　them　in　a　very　little　water；　and　with　a　toothpick　scrawled　his　wrongs　to　the　Commissioners；　he　rolled　the　slips　round　a　half…crown；　and　wrote　outside；　〃Good　Christian；　keep　this　half…crown；　and　take　the　writing　to　the　Lunacy　Commissioners　at　Whitehall；　for　pity's　sake。〃　This　done；　he　watched；　and　when　nobody　was　looking；　flung　his　letter；　so　weighted；　over　the　gates；　he　heard　it　fall　on　the　public　road。

Another　day　he　secreted　a　spoonful　of　black　currant　preserve；　diluted　it　with　a　little　water；　and　wrote　a　letter；　and　threw　it　into　the　road　as　before：　another　day；　hearing　the　Robin　express　disgust　at　the　usage　to　which　he　was　now　subjected；　he　drew　him　apart；　and　offered　him　a　hundred　pounds　to　get　him　out。　Now　the　ex…prizefighter　was　rather　a　tender…hearted　fellow；　and　a　great　detester　of　foul　play。　What　he　saw　made　him　now　side　heartily　with　Alfred；　and　al