hard cash-第82章

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th　my　father；　nor　to　insult　him；　God　knows：　and　I　entreat　you　for　both　our　sakes　not　to　try　my　temper　too　hard　by　these　childish　attempts　to　blind　me：　and；　sir；　pray　dismiss　from　your　mind　the　notion　that　I　have　disclosed　to　any　living　soul　my　knowledge　of　this　horrible　secret：　on　the　contrary；　I　have　kept　it　gnawing　my　heart　and　almost　maddening　me　at　times。　For　my　own　personal　satisfaction　I　have　applied　a　test　both　to　you　and　Skinner；　but　that　is　all　I　have　done：　I　have　not　told　dear　Julia；　nor　any　of　her　family；　and　now；　if　you　will　only　listen　to　me；　and　do　what　I　entreat　you　to　do；　she　shall　never　know；　oh；　never。〃

〃Oho！〃　thought　Mr。　Hardie；　〃he　comes　with　a　proposal：　I'll　hear　it；　anyway。〃

He　then　took　a　line　well　known　to　artful　men：　he　encouraged　Alfred　to　show　his　hand；　maintaining　a　complete　reserve　as　to　his　own；　〃You　say　you　did　not　communicate　your　illusion　about　this　fourteen　thousand　pounds　to　Julia　Dodd　that　night：　May　I　ask　then　（without　indiscretion）　what　did　pass　between　you　two？〃

〃I　will　tell　you；　sir。　She　saw　me　standing　there；　and　asked　me　in　her　own　soft　angel　voice　if　I　was　unhappy。　I　told　her　I　must　be　a　poor　creature　if　I　could　be　happy。　Then　she　asked　me；　with　some　hesitation　I　thought；　why　I　was　unhappy。　I　said；　because　I　could　not　see　the　path　of　honour　and　duty　clear：　that　at　least　was　the　purport。　Then　she　told　me　that　in　all　difficulties　she　had　found　the　best　way　was　to　pray　to　God　to　guide　her；　and　she　begged　me　to　lay　my　care　before　Him　and　ask　His　counsel。　And　then　I　thanked　her；　and　bade　her　good…night；　and　she　me；　and　that　was　all　that　passed　between　us　two　unhappy　lovers；　whom　you　have　made　miserable；　and　even　cool　to　one　another；　but　not　hostile　to　you。　And　you　played　the　spy　on　us；　sir；　and　misunderstood　us；　as　spies　generally　do。　Ah；　sir！　a　few　months　ago　you　would　not　have　condescended　to　that。〃

Mr。　Hardie　coloured；　but　did　not　reply。　He　had　passed　from　the　irritable　into　the　quietly　vindictive　stage。

Alfred　then　deprecated　further　discussion　of　what　was　past；　and　said　abruptly；　〃I　have　an　offer　to　make　you：　in　a　very　short　time　I　shall　have　ten　thousand　pounds；　I　will　not　resign　my　whole　fortune；　that　would　be　unjust　to　myself；　and　my　wife；　and　I　loathe　and　despise　Injustice　in　all　its　forms；　however　romantic　or　plausible。　But；　if　you　will　give　the　Dodds　their　L。　14；000；　I　will　share　my　little　fortune　equally　with　you：　and　thank　you；　and　bless　you。　Consider；　sir；　with　your　abilities　and　experience　five　thousand　pounds　may　yet　be　the　nucleus　of　a　fortune；　a　fortune　built　on　an　honourable　foundation。　I　know　you　will　thrive　with　my　five　thousand　pounds　ten　times　more　than　with　their　fourteen　thousand；　and　enjoy　the　blessing　of　blessings；　a　clear　conscience。〃

Now　this　offer　was　no　sooner　made　than　Mr。　Hardie　shut　his　face；　and　went　to　mental　arithmetic；　like　one　doing　a　sum　behind　a　thick　door。　He　would　have　taken　ten　thousand：　but　five　thousand　did　not　much　tempt　him：　besides；　would　it　be　five　thousand　clear？　He　already　owed　Alfred　two　thousand　five　hundred。　It　flashed　through　him　that　a　young　man　who　loathed　and　despised　Injusticeeven　to　himselfwould　not　consent　to　be　diddled　by　him　out　of　one　sum　while　making　him　a　present　of　another：　and　then　there　was　Skinner's　thousand　to　be　reimbursed。　He　therefore　declined　in　these　terms：

〃This　offer　shows　me　you　are　sincere　in　these　strange　notions　you　have　taken　up。　I　am　sorry　for　it：　it　looks　like　insanity。　These　nocturnal　illusions；　these　imaginary　sights　and　sounds；　come　of　brooding　on　a　single　idea；　and　often　usher　in　a　calamity　one　trembles　to　think　of。　You　have　made　me　a　proposal：　I　make　you　one：　take　a　couple　of　hundred　pounds　（I'll　get　it　from　your　trustees）　and　travel　the　Continent　for　four　months；　enlarge　and　amuse　your　mind　with　the　contemplation　of　nature　and　manners　and　customs；　and　if　that　does　not　clear　this　phantom　L。　14；000　out　of　your　head；　I　am　much　mistaken。〃

Alfred　replied　that　foreign　travel　was　his　dream：　but　he　could　not　leave　Barkington　while　there　was　an　act　of　justice　to　be　done。

〃Then　do　me　justice；　boy；〃　said　Mr。　Hardie；　with　wonderful　dignity；　all　things　considered。　〃Instead　of　brooding　on　your　one　fantastical　idea；　and　shutting　out　all　rational　evidence　to　the　contrary；　take　the　trouble　to　look　through　my　books：　and　they　will　reveal　to　you　a　fortune；　not　of　fourteen　thousand；　but　of　eighty　thousand　pounds；　honourably　sacrificed　in　the　vain　struggle　to　fulfil　my　engagements：　who；　do　you　think；　will　believe；　against　such　evidence；　the　preposterous　tale　you　have　concocted　against　your　poor　father？　Already　the　tide　is　turning；　and　all　who　have　seen　the　accounts　of　the　Bank　pity　me；　they　will　pity　me　still　more　if　ever　they　hear　my　own　flesh　and　blood　insults　me　in　the　moment　of　my　fall；　sees　me　ruined　by　my　honesty　and　living　in　a　hovel；　yet　comes　into　that　poor　but　honest　abode；　and　stabs　me　to　the　heart　by　accusing　me　of　stealing　fourteen　thousand　pounds：　a　sum　that　would　have　saved　me；　if　I　could　only　have　laid　my　hands　on　it。〃

He　hid　his　face；　to　conceal　its　incongruous　expression：　and　heaved　a　deep　sigh。

Alfred　turned　his　head　away　and　groaned。

After　a　while　he　rose　from　his　seat　and　went　to　the　door；　but　seemed　reluctant　to　go：　he　cast　a　longing；　lingering　look　on　his　father；　and　said　beseechingly：　〃Oh　think！　you　are　not　my　flesh　and　blood　more　than　I　am　yours；　is　all　the　love　to　be　on　my　side？　Have　I　no　influence　even　when　right　is　on　my　side？〃　Then　he　suddenly　turned　and　threw　himself　impetuously　on　his　knees：　〃Your　father　was　the　soul　of　honour；　your　son　loathed　fraud　and　injustice　from　his　cradle；　you　stand　between　two　generations　of　Hardies；　and　belong　to　neither；　do　but　reflect　one　moment　how　bright　a　thing　honour　is；　how　short　and　uncertain　a　thing　life　is；　how　sure　a　thing　retribution　is；　in　this　world　or　the　next：　it　is　your　guardian　angel　that　kneels　before　you　now；　and　not　your　son：　oh；　for　Christ's　sake；　for　my　mother's　sake；　listen　to　my　last　appeal。　You　don't　know　me：　I　cannot　compound　with　injustice。　Pity　me；　pity　her　I　love；　pity　yourself！〃

〃You　young　viper！〃　cried　the　father；　stung　with　remorse；　but　not　touched　with　penitence。　〃Get　away；　you　amorous　young　hypocrite；　get　out　of　my　house；　get　out　of　my　sight；　or　I　shall　spurn　you　and　curse　you　at　my　feet。〃

〃Enough！〃　said　Alfred；　rising　and　turning　suddenly　calm　as　a　statue：　〃let　us　be　gentlemen；　if　you　please；　even　though　we　must　be　enemies。　Good…bye；　my　father　that　_was。_〃

And　he　walked　gently　out　of　the　room；　and；　as　he　passed　the　window　Mr。　Hardie　heard　his　great　heart　sob。

He　wiped　his　forehead　with　his　handkerchief。　〃A　hard　tussle；〃　thought　he；　〃and　with　my　own　unnatural；　ungrateful　flesh　and　blood；　but　I　have　won　it：　he　hasn't　told　the　Dodds；　he　never　will；　and；　if　he　did；　who　would　believe　him；　or　them？〃

At　dinner　there　was　no　Alfred；　but　after　dinner　a　note　to　Jane　informing　her　he　had　taken　lodgings　in　the　town；　and　requesting　her　to　send　his　books　and　clothes　in　the　evening。　Jane　handed　the　note　to　her　father：　and　sighed　deeply。　Watching　his　face　as　he　read　it；　she　saw　him　turn　rather　pale；　and　look　more　furrowed　than　ever。

〃Papa！〃　said　she；　〃what　_does_　it　all　mean！〃

〃I　am　thinking。〃

Then；　after　a　long　pause；　he　ground　his　teeth　and　said；　〃It　meansWar：　War　between　my　own　son　and　me。〃


CHAPTER　XXVI

LONG　before　this　open　rupture　Jane　Hardie　had　asked　her　father　sorrowfully；　whether　she　was　to　discontinue　her　intimacy　with　the　Dodds：　she　thought　of　course　he　would　say　〃Yes；〃　and　it　cost　her　a　hard　struggle　between　inclination　and　filial　duty　to　raise　the　question。　But　Mr。　Hardie　was　anxious　her　friendship　with　that　family　should　continue；　it　furnished　a　channel　of　news；　and　in　case　of　detection　might　be　useful　to　avert　or　soften　hostilities；　so　he　answered　rather　sharply；　〃On　no　account：　the　Dodds　are　an　estimable　family：　pray　be　as　friendly　with　them　as　ever　you　can。〃　Jane　coloured　with　pleasure　at　this　most　unexpected　reply；　but　her　wakeful　conscience　reminded　her；　this　answer　was　given　in　ignorance　of　her　attachment　to　Edward　Dodd；　and　urged　her　to　confession。　But　at　that　Nature　recoiled：　Edward　had　not　openly　declared　his　love　to　her；　so　modest　pride；　as　well　as　modest　shame；