第104章
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  Yellowjack,CommanderJaunders,hasbroughtlettersandpapersfromCoventryIsland。H。E。SirThomasLiverseegehadfallenavictimtotheprevailingfeveratSwampton。Hislossisdeeplyfeltintheflourishingcolony。WehearthattheGovernorshiphasbeenofferedtoColonelRawdonCrawley,C。B。,adistinguishedWaterlooofficer。Weneednotonlymenofacknowledgedbravery,butmenofadministrativetalentstosuperintendtheaffairsofourcolonies,andwehavenodoubtthatthegentlemanselectedbytheColonialOfficetofillthelamentedvacancywhichhasoccurredatCoventryIslandisadmirablycalculatedforthepostwhichheisabouttooccupy。”

  “CoventryIsland!Wherewasit?Whohadappointedhimtothegovernment?Youmusttakemeoutasyoursecretary,oldboy。”CaptainMacmurdosaidlaughing;

  andasCrawleyandhisfriendsatwonderingandperplexedovertheannouncement,theClubwaiterbroughtintotheColonelacardonwhichthenameofMr。

  Wenhamwasengraved,whobeggedtoseeColonelCrawley。

  TheColonelandhisaide-de-campwentouttomeetthegentleman,rightlyconjecturingthathewasanemissaryofLordSteyne。”Howd’yedo,Crawley?Iamgladtoseeyou。”saidMr。Wenhamwithablandsmile,andgraspingCrawley’shandwithgreatcordiality。

  “Youcome,Isuppose,from——“

  “Exactly。”saidMr。Wenham。

  “ThenthisismyfriendCaptainMacmurdo,oftheLifeGuardsGreen。”

  “DelightedtoknowCaptainMacmurdo,I’msure。”Mr。

  Wenhamsaidandtenderedanothersmileandshakeofthehandtothesecond,ashehaddonetotheprincipal。

  Macputoutonefinger,armedwithabuckskinglove,andmadeaveryfrigidbowtoMr。Wenhamoverhistightcravat。Hewas,perhaps,discontentedatbeingputincommunicationwithapekin,andthoughtthatLordSteyneshouldhavesenthimaColonelattheveryleast。

  “AsMacmurdoactsforme,andknowswhatImean。”

  Crawleysaid,“Ihadbetterretireandleaveyoutogether。”

  “Ofcourse。”saidMacmurdo。

  “Bynomeans,mydearColonel。”Mr。Wenhamsaid;

  “theinterviewwhichIhadthehonourofrequestingwaswithyoupersonally,thoughthecompanyofCaptainMacmurdocannotfailtobealsomostpleasing。Infact,Captain,Ihopethatourconversationwillleadtononebutthemostagreeableresults,verydifferentfromthosewhichmyfriendColonelCrawleyappearstoanticipate。”

  “Humph!”saidCaptainMacmurdo。Behangedtothesecivilians,hethoughttohimself,theyarealwaysforarrangingandspeechifying。Mr。Wenhamtookachairwhichwasnotofferedtohim——tookapaperfromhispocket,andresumed——

  “Youhaveseenthisgratifyingannouncementinthepapersthismorning,Colonel?Governmenthassecuredamostvaluableservant,andyou,ifyouacceptoffice,asIpresumeyouwill,anexcellentappointment。Threethousandayear,delightfulclimate,excellentgovernment-

  house,allyourownwayintheColony,andacertainpromotion。Icongratulateyouwithallmyheart。I

  presumeyouknow,gentlemen,towhommyfriendisindebtedforthispieceofpatronage?”

  “HangedifIknow。”theCaptainsaid;hisprincipalturnedveryred。

  “Tooneofthemostgenerousandkindestmenintheworld,asheisoneofthegreatest——tomyexcellentfriend,theMarquisofSteyne。”

  “I’llseehimd——beforeItakehisplace。”growledoutRawdon。

  “Youareirritatedagainstmynoblefriend。”Mr。

  Wenhamcalmlyresumed;“andnow,inthenameofcommonsenseandjustice,tellmewhy?”

  “WHY?”criedRawdoninsurprise。

  “Why?Dammy!”saidtheCaptain,ringinghisstickontheground。

  “Dammy,indeed。”saidMr。Wenhamwiththemostagreeablesmile;“still,lookatthematterasamanoftheworld——asanhonestman——andseeifyouhavenotbeeninthewrong。Youcomehomefromajourney,andfind——what?——myLordSteynesuppingatyourhouseinCurzonStreetwithMrs。Crawley。Isthecircumstancestrangeornovel?Hashenotbeenahundredtimesbeforeinthesameposition?Uponmyhonourandwordasagentleman“——Mr。Wenhamhereputhishandonhiswaistcoatwithaparliamentaryair——“IdeclareIthinkthatyoursuspicionsaremonstrousandutterlyunfounded,andthattheyinjureanhonourablegentlemanwhohasprovedhisgood-willtowardsyoubyathousandbenefactions——andamostspotlessandinnocentlady。”

  “Youdon’tmeantosaythat——thatCrawley’smistaken?”saidMr。Macmurdo。

  “IbelievethatMrs。Crawleyisasinnocentasmywife,Mrs。Wenham。”Mr。Wenhamsaidwithgreatenergy。”Ibelievethat,misledbyaninfernaljealousy,myfriendherestrikesablowagainstnotonlyaninfirmandoldmanofhighstation,hisconstantfriendandbenefactor,butagainsthiswife,hisowndearesthonour,hisson’sfuturereputation,andhisownprospectsinlife。”

  “Iwilltellyouwhathappened。”Mr。Wenhamcontinuedwithgreatsolemnity;“IwassentforthismorningbymyLordSteyne,andfoundhiminapitiablestate,as,IneedhardlyinformColonelCrawley,anymanofageandinfirmitywouldbeafterapersonalconflictwithamanofyourstrength。Isaytoyourface;itwasacrueladvantageyoutookofthatstrength,ColonelCrawley。Itwasnotonlythebodyofmynobleandexcellentfriendwhichwaswounded——hisheart,sir,wasbleeding。Amanwhomhehadloadedwithbenefitsandregardedwithaffectionhadsubjectedhimtothefoulestindignity。Whatwasthisveryappointment,whichappearsinthejournalsofto-day,butaproofofhiskindnesstoyou?WhenIsawhisLordshipthismorningIfoundhiminastatepitiableindeedtosee,andasanxiousasyouaretorevengetheoutragecommitteduponhim,byblood。Youknowhehasgivenhisproofs,Ipresume,ColonelCrawley?”

  “Hehasplentyofpluck。”saidtheColonel。”Nobodyeversaidhehadn’t。”

  “Hisfirstordertomewastowritealetterofchallenge,andtocarryittoColonelCrawley。Oneorotherofus。”hesaid,“mustnotsurvivetheoutrageoflastnight。”

  Crawleynodded。”You’recomingtothepoint,Wenham。”hesaid。

  “ItriedmyutmosttocalmLordSteyne。GoodGod!

  sir。”Isaid,“howIregretthatMrs。WenhamandmyselfhadnotacceptedMrs。Crawley’sinvitationtosupwithher!”

  “Sheaskedyoutosupwithher?”CaptainMacmurdosaid。

  “Aftertheopera。Here’sthenoteofinvitation——stop——no,thisisanotherpaper——IthoughtIhadh,butit’sofnoconsequence,andIpledgeyoumywordtothefact。Ifwehadcome——anditwasonlyoneofMrs。

  Wenham’sheadacheswhichpreventedus——shesuffersunderthemagooddeal,especiallyinthespring——ifwehadcome,andyouhadreturnedhome,therewouldhavebeennoquarrel,noinsult,nosuspicion——andsoitispositivelybecausemypoorwifehasaheadachethatyouaretobringdeathdownupontwomenofhonourandplungetwoofthemostexcellentandancientfamiliesinthekingdomintodisgraceandsorrow。”

  Mr。Macmurdolookedathisprincipalwiththeairofamanprofoundlypuzzled,andRawdonfeltwithakindofragethathispreywasescapinghim。Hedidnotbelieveawordofthestory,andyet,howdiscreditordisproveit?

  Mr。Wenhamcontinuedwiththesamefluentoratory,whichinhisplaceinParliamenthehadsooftenpractised——“IsatforanhourormorebyLordSteyne’sbedside,beseeching,imploringLordSteynetoforegohisintentionofdemandingameeting。Ipointedouttohimthatthecircumstanceswereafterallsuspicious——theyweresuspicious。Iacknowledgeit——anymaninyourpositionmighthavebeentakenin——Isaidthatamanfuriouswithjealousyistoallintentsandpurposesamadman,andshouldbeassuchregarded——thataduelbetweenyoumustleadtothedisgraceofallpartiesconcerned——thatamanofhisLordship’sexaltedstationhadnorightinthesedays,whenthemostatrociousrevolutionaryprinciples,andthemostdangerouslevellingdoctrinesarepreachedamongthevulgar,tocreateapublicscandal;andthat,howeverinnocent,thecommonpeoplewouldinsistthathewasguilty。Infine,I

  imploredhimnottosendthechallenge。”

  “Idon’tbelieveonewordofthewholestory。”saidRawdon,grindinghisteeth。”Ibelieveitad——lie,andthatyou’reinit,Mr。Wenham。Ifthechallengedon’tcomefromhim,byJoveitshallcomefromme。”

  Mr。WenhamturneddeadlypaleatthissavageinterruptionoftheColonelandlookedtowardsthedoor。

  ButhefoundachampioninCaptainMacmurdo。ThatgentlemanroseupwithanoathandrebukedRawdonforhislanguage。”Youputtheaffairintomyhands,andyoushallactasIthinkfit,byJove,andnotasyoudo。

  YouhavenorighttoinsultMr。Wenhamwiththissortoflanguage;anddammy,Mr。Wenham,youdeserveanapology。AndasforachallengetoLordSteyne,youmaygetsomebodyelsetocarryit,Iwon’t。Ifmylord,afterbeingthrashed,choosestositstill,dammylethim。

  Andasfortheaffairwith——withMrs。Crawley,mybeliefis,there’snothingprovedatall:thatyourwife’sinnocent,asinnocentasMr。Wenhamsayssheis;andatanyratethatyouwouldbead——foolnottotaketheplaceandholdyourtongue。”

  “CaptainMacmurdo,youspeaklikeamanofsense。”

  Mr。Wenhamcriedout,immenselyrelieved——“IforgetanywordsthatColonelCrawleyhasusedintheirritationofthemoment。”

  “Ithoughtyouwould。”Rawdonsaidwithasneer。

  “Shutyourmouth,youoldstoopid。”theCaptainsaidgood-naturedly。”Mr。Wenhamain’tafightingman;andquiteright,too。”

  “Thismatter,inmybelief。”theSteyneemissarycried。”oughttobeburiedinthemostprofoundoblivion。A

  wordconcerningitshouldneverpassthesedoors。I

  speakintheinterestofmyfriend,aswellasofColonelCrawley,whopersistsinconsideringmehisenemy。”

  “IsupposeLordSteynewon’ttalkaboutitverymuch。”saidCaptainMacmurdo;“andIdon’tseewhyoursideshould。Theaffairain’taveryprettyone,anywayyoutakeit,andthelesssaidaboutitthebetter。

  It’syouarethrashed,andnotus;andifyouaresatisfied,why,Ithink,weshouldbe。”

  Mr。Wenhamtookhishat,uponthis,andCaptainMacmurdofollowinghimtothedoor,shutituponhimselfandLordSteyne’sagent,leavingRawdonchafingwithin。Whenthetwowereontheotherside,Macmurdolookedhardattheotherambassadorandwithanexpressionofanythingbutrespectonhisroundjollyface。

  “Youdon’tstickatatrifle,Mr。Wenham。”hesaid。

  “Youflatterme,CaptainMacmurdo。”answeredtheotherwithasmile。”Uponmyhonourandconsciencenow,Mrs。Crawleydidaskustosupaftertheopera。”

  “Ofcourse;andMrs。Wenhamhadoneofherhead-

  aches。Isay,I’vegotathousand-poundnotehere,whichIwillgiveyouifyouwillgivemeareceipt,please;andIwillputthenoteupinanenvelopeforLordSteyne。

  Mymanshan’tfighthim。Butwehadrathernottakehismoney。”

  “Itwasallamistake——allamistake,mydearsir。”theothersaidwiththeutmostinnocenceofmanner;andwasboweddowntheClubstepsbyCaptainMacmurdo,justasSirPittCrawleyascendedthem。Therewasaslightacquaintancebetweenthesetwogentlemen,andtheCaptain,goingbackwiththeBaronettotheroomwherethelatter’sbrotherwas,toldSirPitt,inconfidence,thathehadmadetheaffairallrightbetweenLordSteyneandtheColonel。

  SirPittwaswellpleased,ofcourse,atthisintelligence,andcongratulatedhisbrotherwarmlyuponthepeacefulissueoftheaffair,makingappropriatemoralremarksupontheevilsofduellingandtheunsatisfactorynatureofthatsortofsettlementofdisputes。

  Andafterthispreface,hetriedwithallhiseloquencetoeffectareconciliationbetweenRawdonandhiswife。

  HerecapitulatedthestatementswhichBeckyhadmade,pointedouttheprobabilitiesoftheirtruth,andassertedhisownfirmbeliefinherinnocence。

  ButRawdonwouldnothearofit。”Shehaskepmoneyconcealedfrommethesetenyears。”hesaid“Sheswore,lastnightonly,shehadnonefromSteyne。Sheknewitwasallup,directlyIfoundit。Ifshe’snotguilty,Pitt,she’sasbadasguilty,andI’llneverseeheragain——

  never。”Hisheadsankdownonhischestashespokethewords,andhelookedquitebrokenandsad。

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