hard cash-第76章

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〃Gone　mad？！　Oh；　how　shocking！　What　will　become　of　his　poor　children？〃　She　thought　of　Edward　first。

〃We　have　just　heard　it　from　Sampson。　And　I　presume；　Alfred；　you　are　not　so　far　gone　as　to　insist　on　propagating　insanity　by　a　marriage　with　his　daughter。〃

At　this　conclusion；　which　struck　her　obliquely；　though　aimed　at　Alfred；　Jane　sighed　gently；　and　her　dream　of　earthly　happiness　seemed　to　melt　away。

But　Alfred　ground　his　teeth；　and　replied　with　great　bitterness　and　emotion：　〃I　think；　sir；　you　are　the　last　man　who　ought　to　congratulate　yourself　on　the　affliction　that　has　fallen　on　that　unhappy　family　I　aspire　to　enter；　all　the　more　that　now　they　have　calamities　for　me　to　share〃

〃More　fool　you；〃　put　in　Mr。　Hardie　calmly。

〃For　I　much　fear　you　are　one　of　the　causes　of　that　calamity。〃

Mr。　Hardie　assumed　a　puzzled　air。　〃I　don't　see　how　that　can　be：　do　you；　Jenny？　Sampson　told　us　the　causes：　a　wound　on　the　head；　a　wound　in　the　arm；　bleeding；　cupping；　&c。〃

〃There　may　be　other　causes　Dr。　Sampson　has　not　been　told　ofyet〃

〃Possibly。　I　really　don't　know　what　you　allude　to。〃

The　son　fixed　his　eyes　on　the　father；　and　leaned　across　the　table　to　him；　till　their　faces　nearly　met。

〃The　fourteen　thousand　pounds；　sir。〃



CHAPTER　XXV

MR。　HARDIE　was　taken　by　surprise　for　once；　and　had　not　a　word　to　say；　but　looked　in　his　son's　face；　mute　and　gasping　as　a　fish。

During　this　painful　silence　his　children　eyed　him　inquiringly；　but　not　with　the　same　result；　for　one　face　is　often　read　differently　by　two　persons。　To　Jane；　whose　intelligence　had　no　aids；　he　seemed　unaffectedly　puzzled；　but　Alfred　discerned　beneath　his　wonder　the　terror　of　detection　rising；　and　then　thrust　back　by　the　strong　will：　that　stoical　face　shut　again　like　an　iron　door；　but　not　quickly　enough：　the　right　words；　the　〃open　sesame；〃　had　been　spoken；　and　one　unguarded　look　had　confirmed　Alfred's　vague　suspicions　of　foul　play。　He　turned　his　own　face　away：　he　was　alienated　by　the　occurrences　of　the　last　few　months；　but　Nature　and　tender　reminiscences　still　held　him　by　some　fibres　of　the　heartin　a　moment　of　natural　indignation　he　had　applied　the　touchstone；　but　its　success　grieved　him。　He　could　not　bear　to　go　on　exposing　his　father；　so　he　left　the　room　with　a　deep　sigh；　in　which　pity　mingled　with　shame　and　regret。　He　wandered　out　into　the　silent　night；　and　soon　was　leaning　on　the　gate　of　Albion　Villa；　gazing　wistfully　at　the　windows；　and　sore　perplexed　and　nobly　wretched。

As　he　was　going　out；　Mr。　Hardie　raised　his　eyebrows　with　a　look　of　disinterested　wonder　and　curiosity；　and　touched　his　forehead　to　Jane；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃Is　he　disordered　in　his　mind？〃

As　soon　as　they　were　alone；　he　asked　her　coolly　what　Alfred　meant。　She　said　she　had　no　idea。　Then　he　examined　her　keenly　about　this　fourteen　thousand　pounds；　and　found；　to　his　relief；　Alfred　had　never　even　mentioned　it　to　her。

And　now　Richard　Hardie；　like　his　son；　wanted　to　be　alone；　and　think　over　this　new　peril　that　had　risen　in　the　bosom　of　his　own　family；　and；　for　once；　the　company　of　his　favourite　child　was　irksome：　he　made　an　excuse　and　strolled　out　in　his　turn　into　the　silent　night。　It　was　calm　and　clear：　the　thousand　holy　eyes；　under　which　men　prefer　to　do　their　crimesexcept　when　they　are　in　too　great　a　hurry　to　waitlooked　down　and　seemed　to　wonder　anything　can　be　so　silly　as　to　sin；　and　beneath　their　pure　gaze　the　man　of　the　world　pondered　with　all　his　soul。　He　tormented　himself　with　conjectures：　through　what　channel　did　Alfred　suspect　him？　Through　the　Dodds？　Were　they　aware　of　their　loss？　Had　the　pocket…book　spoken？　If　so；　why　had　not　Mrs。　Dodd　or　her　son　attacked　him？　But　then　perhaps　Alfred　was　their　agent：　they　wished　to　try　a　friendly　remonstrance　through　a　mutual　friend　before　proceeding　to　extremities；　this　accorded　with　Mrs。　Dodd's　character　as　he　remembered　her。

The　solution　was　reasonable；　but　he　was　relieved　of　it　by　recollecting　what　Alfred　had　said；　that　he　had　not　entered　the　house　since　the　bank　broke。

On　this　he　began　to　hope　Alfred's　might　be　a　mere　suspicion　he　could　not　establish　by　any　proof；　and　at　all　events；　he　would　lock　it　in　his　own　breast　like　a　good　son：　his　never　having　given　a　hint　even　to　his　sister　favoured　this　supposition。

Thus　meditating；　Mr。　Hardie　found　himself　at　the　gate　of　Albion　Villa。

Yet　he　had　strolled　out　with　no　particular　intention　of　going　there。　Had　his　mind；　apprehensive　of　danger　from　that　quarter；　driven　his　body　thither？

He　took　a　look　at　the　house；　and　the　first　thing　he　saw　was　a　young　lady　leaning　over　the　balcony；　and　murmuring　softly　to　a　male　figure　below；　whose　outline　Mr。　Hardie　could　hardly　discern；　for　it　stood　in　the　shadow。　Mr。　Hardie　was　delighted。

〃Aha；　Miss　Juliet；〃　said　he；　〃if　Alfred　does　not　visit　you；　some　one　else　does。　You　have　soon　supplied　your　peevish　lover's　place。〃　He　then　withdrew　softly　from　the　gate；　not　to　disturb　the　intrigue；　and　watched　a　few　yards　off；　determined　to　see　who　Julia's　nightly　visitor　was；　and　give　Alfred　surprise　for　surprise。

He　had　not　long　to　wait：　the　man　came　away　directly；　and　walked；　head　erect；　past　Mr。　Hardie；　and　glanced　full　in　his　face；　but　did　not　vouchsafe　him　a　word。　It　was　Alfred　himself。

Mr。　Hardie　was　profoundly　alarmed　and　indignant。　〃The　young　traitor！　Never　enter　the　house？　no；　but　he　comes　and　tells　her　everything　directly　under　her　window　on　the　sly；　and；　when　he　is　caughtdefies　me　to　my　face。〃　And　now　he　suspected　female　cunning　and　malice　in　the　way　that　thunderbolt　had　been　quietly　prepared　for　him　and　launched；　without　warning；　in　his　very　daughter's　presence；　and　the　result　just　communicated　to　Julia　Dodd。

In　a　very　gloomy　mood　he　followed　his　son；　and　heard　his　firm　though　elastic　tread　on　the　frosty　ground；　and　saw　how　loftily　he　carried　his　head；　and　from　that　moment　feared；　and　very；　very　nearly　hated　him。

The　next　day　he　feigned　sick　and　sent　for　Osmond。　That　worthy　prescribed　a　pill　and　a　draught；　the　former　laxative；　the　latter　astringent。　This　ceremony　performed；　Mr。　Hardie　gossipped　with　him；　and；　after　a　detour　or　two；　glided　to　his　real　anxiety。　〃Sampson　tells　me　you　know　more　about　Captain　Dodd's　case　than　he　does：　he　is　not　very　clear　as　to　the　cause　of　the　poor　man's　going　mad。〃

〃The　cause？　Why；　apoplexy。〃

〃Yes；　but　I　mean　what　caused　the　apoplexy？〃

Mr。　Osmond　replied　that　apoplexy　was　often　idiopathic。*　Captain　Dodd；　as　he　understood；　had　fallen　down　in　the　street　in　a　sudden　fit：　〃but　as　for　the　mania；　that　is　to　be　attributed　to　an　insufficient　evacuation　of　blood　while　under　the　apoplectic　coma。〃

…　*〃Arising　of　itself。〃　A　term　rather　hastily　applied　to　disorders　the　coming　signs　of　which　have　not　been　detected　by　the　medical　attendant。

The　birth　of　Topsy　was　idiopathicin　that　learned　lady's　opinion。　…

〃Not　bled　enough！　Why；　Sampson　says　it　is　because　he　was　bled　too　much。〃

Osmond　was　amused　at　this；　and　repeated　that　the　mania　came　of　not　being　bled　enough。

The　discussion　was　turned　into　an　unexpected　quarter　by　the　entrance　of　Jane　Hardie；　who　came　timidly　in　and　said；　〃Oh；　Mr。　Osmond；　I　cannot　let　you　go　without　telling　you　how　anxious　I　am　about　Alfred。　He　is　so　thin；　and　pale；　and　depressed。〃

〃Nonsense；　Jane；〃　said　Mr。　Hardie；　〃have　we　not　all　cause　to　be　dejected　in　this　house？〃　But　she　persisted　gently　that　there　was　more　in　it　than　that；　and　his　headaches　were　worse；　and　she　could　not　be　easy　any　longer　without　advice。

〃Ah！　those　headaches；〃　said　Mr。　Osmond；　〃they　always　made　me　uneasy。　To　tell　the　truth；　Miss　Hardie；　I　have　noticed　a　remarkable　change　in　him；　but　I　did　not　like　to　excite　apprehensions。　And　so　he　mopes；　does　he？　seeks　solitude；　and　is　taciturn；　and　dejected？〃

〃Yes。　But　I　do　not　mind　that　so　much　as　his　turning　so　pale　and　thin。〃

〃Oh；　it　is　all　part　of　one　malady。〃

〃Then　you　know　what　is　the　matter？〃

　〃I　think　I　do；　and　yours　is　a　wise　and　timely　anxiety。　Your　brother's　is　a　very　delicate　case　of　hyperaesthetic　character；　and　I　should　like　to　have　the　advice　of　a　profound　physician。　Let　me　see；　Dr。　Wycherley　will　be　with　me　to…morrow：　may　I　bring　him　over　as　a　friend？〃

This　proposal　did　not　at　all　suit　Mr。　Hardie。　He　put　his　own　construction　on　Alf