第10章
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  Moreover,hecouldnotsleepwell。Nightmareshauntedhiminwhichhewasbeinghuntedandmockedbyajeeringcrowd,untilSimsarrivedandrescuedhiminthecab。OnlyitwasthedeadSimsthatdrovewithstaringeyesandfallenjaw,andthesideofthehorsewastornopen。

  NexthesawIsobelandtheKnightinArmour,whokeptpaceoneithersideoftheghostlycabandmockedathim,tossingrosestoeachotherastheyspedalong,untilfinallyhisfatherappeared,calledIsobelayoungserpent,atwhichshelaughedloudly,andboreoffSimstobeburiedinthevaultwiththePlantagenetladyatMonk’sAcre。

  Godfreywokeupshakingwithfear,wetwithperspiration,andreflectedearnestlyonhislatterend,whichseemedtobeathand。Ifthatgreat,burly,raucous-voicedSimshaddiedsosuddenly,whyshouldnothe,Godfrey?

  HewonderedwhereSimshadgoneto,andwhathewasdoingnow。

  Explainingthematterofthehalf-sovereigntoSt。Peter,perhaps,andhopinghumblythatitandotherswouldbeoverlooked,“sinceafterallhehaddonetherightthingbytheyounggent。“

  PoorSims,hewassorryforhim,butitmighthavebeenworse。/He/

  mighthavebeeninthecabhimselfandnowbeofferingexplanationsofhisownastoawilddesiretokillthatknightinarmour,andIsobelaswell。Oh!whatafoolhehadbeen。WhatbusinesswasitofhisifIsobelchosetogiverosestosomefriendofhersatadance?Shewasnothisproperty,butonlyagirlwithwhomhechancedtohavebeenbroughtup,andwhofoundhimapleasantcompanionwhentherewasnooneelseathand。

  Bynature,ashasbeenrecorded,Godfreywasintenselyproud,andthenandtherehemadearesolutionthathewouldhavenothingmoretodowithIsobel。Neveragainwouldhehangabouttheskirtsofthatfineandrichyounglady,whoonthenightthathewasgoingawaycouldgiverosestoanotherman,justbecausehewasalordandgood-looking——yes,andkissthemtoo。Hisfatherwasquiterightaboutwomen,andhewouldtakehisadvicetotheletter,andbegintostudyProverbsforthwith,especiallythemarkedpassages。

  Havingcometothisconclusion,andthuseasedhistroubledmind,hewenttosleepingoodearnest,forhewasverytired。Thenextthingofwhichhebecameawarewasthatsomeonewashammeringatthedoor,andcallingoutthataladydownstairssaidhemustgetupatonceifhemeanttobeintime。Helookedathiswatch,aseven-and-sixpennyarticlethathehadbeengivenoffaChristmastreeatHawk’sHall,andobserved,withhorror,thathehadjusttenminutesinwhichtodress,pack,andcatchthetrain。Somehowhedidit,forfortunatelyhisbillhadbeenpaid。Alwaysinafterdaysatumultuousvisionremainedinhismindofhimself,along,lankyouthwithunbrushedhairandunbuttonedwaistcoat,carryingabagandacoat,followedbyanhotelporterwithhisluggage,rushingwildlydownaninterminableplatformwithhisticketinhisteethtowardsanalreadymovingtrain。

  AtanopencarriagedoorstoodaladyinwhomherecognizedMissOgilvy,whowasimploringtheguardtoholdthetrain。

  “Can’tdoit,ma’am,anylonger,“saidtheguard,betweenblastsofhiswhistleandwavingsofhisgreenflag。“It’sallmyplaceisworthtodelaytheContinentalExpressformorethanaminute。Thankyoukindly,ma’am。Herehecomes,“andtheflagpausedforafewseconds。

  “Inyougo,younggentleman。“

  Aheave,astruggle,anavalancheofbaggage,andGodfreyfoundhimselfinthearmsofMissOgilvyinareservedfirst-classcarriage。

  Fromthosekindsupportingarmsheslidgentlyandslowlytothefloor。

  “Well,“saidthatlady,contemplatinghimwithhisbackrestingagainstaportmanteau,“youcutthingsratherfine。“

  Stillseatedonthefloor,Godfreypulledouthiswatchandlookedatit,thenremarkedthatelevenminutesbeforehewasfastasleepinbed。

  “Ithoughtasmuch,“shesaidseverely,“andthat’swhyItoldthemaidtoseeifyouhadbeencalled,whichIdaresayyouforgottoarrangeforyourself。“

  “Idid,“admittedGodfrey,risingandbuttoninghiswaistcoat。“Ihavehadaverytroublednight;allsortsofthingshappenedtome。“

  “Whathaveyoubeendoing?“askedMissOgilvy,whoseinterestwasexcited。

  ThenGodfrey,whosebosomwasbursting,toldherall,andthestorylastedmostofthewaytoDover。

  “Youpoorboy,“shesaid,whenhehadfinished,“youpoorboy!“

  “Ileftthebasketwiththefoodbehind,andIamsohungry,“remarkedGodfreypresently。

  “There’sarestaurantcaronthetrain,comeandhavesomebreakfast,“

  saidMissOgilvy,“forontheboatyoumaynotwishtoeat。Ishallatanyrate。“

  Thiswasuntrueforshehadbreakfastedalready,butthatdidnotmatter。

  “MyfathersaidIwasnottotakemealsonthetrains,“explainedGodfrey,awkwardly,“becauseoftheexpense。“

  “Oh!I’myourfather,orratheryourmother,now。Besides,Ihaveatable,“sheaddedinanebulousmanner。

  SoGodfreyfollowedhertothediningcar,wherehemadeanexcellentmeal。

  “Youdon’tseemtoeatmuch,“hesaidatlength。“Youhaveonlyhadacupofteaandhalfabitoftoast。“

  “InevercanwhenIamgoingonthesea,“sheexplained。“IexpectI

  shallbeveryill,andyouwillhavetolookafterme,andyouknowthelessyoueat,well——thelessyoucanbeill。“

  “Whydidyounottellmethatbefore?“heremarked,contemplatinghisemptyplatewithagloomyeye。“BesidesIexpectweshallbeindifferentpartsoftheship。“

  “Oh!Idaresayitcanbearranged,“sheanswered。

  Andasamatteroffact,itwas“arranged,“allthewaytoLucerne。AtDoverstationMissOgilvyhadahurriedinterviewattheticketoffice。Godfreydidnotintheleastunderstandwhatshewasdoing,butasaresulthewashercompanionthroughoutthelongjourney。Thecrossingwasveryrough,anditwasGodfreywhowasill,excessivelyill,notMissOgilvywho,withtheassistanceofhermaidandthesteward,attendedassiduouslytohiminhisagonies。

  “Andtothink,“hemoanedfaintlyastheymooredalongsideoftheFrenchpier,“thatonceIwishedtobeasailor。“

  “Nelsonwasalwayssick,“saidMissOgilvy,wipinghisdampbrowwithascentedpocket-handkerchief,whilethemaidheldthesmelling-saltstohisnose。

  “Thenhemusthavebeenafooltogotosea,“mutteredGodfrey,andrelapsedintoatorpor,fromwhichheawokeonlytofindhimselfstretchedatlengthonthecushionsofafirst-classcarriage。

  Lateron,thejourneybecameveryagreeable。Godfreywasinterestedineverything,beingofaquickandreceptivemind,andMissOgilvyprovedafundofinformation。Whentheyhadexhaustedthescenerytheyconversedonothertopics。SoonshekneweverythingtherewastoknowabouthimandIsobel,whomitwasevidentshecouldnotunderstand。

  “Tellme,“shesaid,lookingathisdarkandratherunusualeyes,“doyoueverhavedreams,Godfrey?“fornowshecalledhimbyhisChristianname。

  “Notatnight,whenIsleepverysoundly,exceptafterthatpoorcabmanwaskilled。Ihaveseenlotsofdeadpeople,becausemyfatheralwaystakesmetolookatthemintheparish,toremindmeofmyownlatterend,ashesays,buttheynevermademedreambefore。“

  “Thendoyouhavethematall?“

  Hehesitatedalittle。

  “Sometimes,atleastvisionsofasort,whenIamwalkingalone,especiallyintheevening,orwonderingaboutthings。ButalwayswhenIamalone。“

  “Whatarethey?“sheaskedeagerly。

  “Ican’tquiteexplain,“herepliedinaslowvoice。“Theycomeandtheygo,andIforgetthem,becausetheyfadeout,justlikeadreamdoes,youknow。“

  “Youmustremembersomething;trytotellmeaboutthem。“

  “Well,IseemtobeamongagreatmanypeoplewhomIhavenevermet。

  YetIknowthemandtheyknowme,andtalktomeaboutallsortsofthings。Forinstance,ifIampuzzlingoveranythingtheywillexplainitquiteclearly,butafterwardsIalwaysforgettheexplanationandamnowiserthanIwasbefore。Ahandholdingaclothseemstowipeitoutofmymind,justasonecleansaslate。“

  “Isthatall?“

  “Notquite。OccasionallyImeetthepeopleafterwards。Forinstance,ThomasSims,thecabman,wasoneofthem,and,“headdedcolouring,“forgivemeforsayingso,butyouareanother。Iknewitatonce,themomentIsawyou,andthatiswhatmademefeelsofriendly。“

  “Howveryodd!“sheexclaimed,“andhowdelightful。Because,yousee——

  wellnevermind——“

  Helookedatherexpectantly,butasshesaidnomore,wenton。

  “ThennowandagainIseeplacesbeforeIreallydoseethem。Forexample,Ithinkthatpresentlyweshallpassalongahillsidewithgreatmountainslopesaboveandbelowuscoveredwithdarktrees。

  Oppositetousalso,runninguptothreepeakswithapatchofsnowonthecentrepeak,butnotquiteatthetop。“Heclosedhiseyes,andadded,“Yes,andthereisavillageatthebottomofthevalleybyaswift-runningstream,andinitasmallwhitechurchwithaspireandagiltweathercockwithabirdonit。Then,“hecontinuedrapidly,“I

  canseethehousewhereIamgoingtolive,withthePasteurBoiset,anoldwhitehousewithwoodsaboveandallaboutit,andthebeautifullakebeneath,andbeyond,agreatmountain。Thereisatreeinthegardenoppositethefrontdoor,likeabigcherrytree,onlythefruitlookslargerthancherries,“headdedwithconfidence。

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