第 63 节
作者:你妹找1      更新:2022-06-15 12:56      字数:9322
  which brought up a warm steam from the Schwarzwald valleys;
  and caused the young tufts and grasses to swell visibly in a
  few hours。  After the Baden slopes the flat thoroughfares of
  'Charles's Rest' seemed somewhat uninteresting; though a busy
  fair which was proceeding in the streets created a quaint and
  unexpected liveliness。  On reaching the old…fashioned inn in
  the Lange…Strasse that they had fixed on; the women of the
  party betook themselves to their rooms and showed little
  inclination to see more of the world that day than could be
  gleaned from the hotel windows。
  III。
  While the malignant tongues had been playing havoc with
  Somerset's fame in the ears of Paula and her companion; the
  young man himself was proceeding partly by rail; partly on
  foot; below and amid the olive…clad hills; vineyards; carob
  groves; and lemon gardens of the Mediterranean shores。
  Arrived at San Remo he wrote to Nice to inquire for letters;
  and such as had come were duly forwarded; but not one of them
  was from Paula。  This broke down his resolution to hold off;
  and he hastened directly to Genoa; regretting that he had not
  taken this step when he first heard that she was there。
  Something in the very aspect of the marble halls of that city;
  which at any other time he would have liked to linger over;
  whispered to him that the bird had flown; and inquiry
  confirmed the fancy。  Nevertheless; the architectural beauties
  of the palace…bordered street; looking as if mountains of
  marble must have been levelled to supply the materials for
  constructing it; detained him there two days:  or rather a
  feat of resolution; by which he set himself to withstand the
  drag…chain of Paula's influence; was operative for that space
  of time。
  At the end of it he moved onward。  There was no difficulty in
  discovering their track northwards; and feeling that he might
  as well return to England by the Rhine route as by any other;
  he followed in the course they had chosen; getting scent of
  them in Strassburg; missing them at Baden by a day; and
  finally overtaking them at Carlsruhe; which town he reached on
  the morning after the Power and De Stancy party had taken up
  their quarters at the ancient inn above mentioned。  When
  Somerset was about to get out of the train at this place;
  little dreaming what a meaning the word Carlsruhe would have
  for him in subsequent years; he was disagreeably surprised to
  see no other than Dare stepping out of the adjoining carriage。
  A new brown leather valise in one of his hands; a new umbrella
  in the other; and a new suit of fashionable clothes on his
  back; seemed to denote considerable improvement in the young
  man's fortunes。  Somerset was so struck by the circumstance of
  his being on this spot that he almost missed his opportunity
  for alighting。
  Dare meanwhile had moved on without seeing his former
  employer; and Somerset resolved to take the chance that
  offered; and let him go。  There was something so mysterious in
  their common presence simultaneously at one place; five
  hundred miles from where they had last met; that he exhausted
  conjecture on whether Dare's errand this way could have
  anything to do with his own; or whether their juxtaposition a
  second time was the result of pure accident。  Greatly as he
  would have liked to get this answered by a direct question to
  Dare himself; he did not counteract his first instinct; and
  remained unseen。
  They went out in different directions; when Somerset for the
  first time remembered that; in learning at Baden that the
  party had flitted towards Carlsruhe; he had taken no care to
  ascertain the name of the hotel they were bound for。
  Carlsruhe was not a large place and the point was immaterial;
  but the omission would necessitate a little inquiry。 To follow
  Dare on the chance of his having fixed upon the same quarters
  was a course which did not commend itself。  He resolved to get
  some lunch before proceeding with his businessor fatuityof
  discovering the elusive lady; and drove off to a neighbouring
  tavern; which did not happen to be; as he hoped it might; the
  one chosen by those who had preceded him。
  Meanwhile Dare; previously master of their plans; went
  straight to the house which sheltered them; and on entering
  under the archway from the Lange…Strasse was saved the trouble
  of inquiring for Captain De Stancy by seeing him drinking
  bitters at a little table in the court。  Had Somerset chosen
  this inn for his quarters instead of the one in the Market…
  Place which he actually did choose; the three must inevitably
  have met here at this moment; with some possibly striking
  dramatic results; though what they would have been remains for
  ever hidden in the darkness of the unfulfilled。
  De Stancy jumped up from his chair; and went forward to the
  new…comer。  'You are not long behind us; then;' he said; with
  laconic disquietude。  'I thought you were going straight
  home?'
  'I was;' said Dare; 'but I have been blessed with what I may
  call a small competency since I saw you last。  Of the two
  hundred francs you gave me I risked fifty at the tables; and I
  have multiplied them; how many times do you think?  More than
  four hundred times。'
  De Stancy immediately looked grave。  'I wish you had lost
  them;' he said; with as much feeling as could be shown in a
  place where strangers were hovering near。
  'Nonsense; captain!  I have proceeded purely on a calculation
  of chances; and my calculations proved as true as I expected;
  notwithstanding a little in…and…out luck at first。  Witness
  this as the result。'  He smacked his bag with his umbrella;
  and the chink of money resounded from within。  'Just feel the
  weight of it!'
  'It is not necessary。  I take your word。'
  'Shall I lend you five pounds?'
  'God forbid!  As if that would repay me for what you have cost
  me!  But come; let's get out of this place to where we can
  talk more freely。'  He put his hand through the young man's
  arm; and led him round the corner of the hotel towards the
  Schloss…Platz。
  'These runs of luck will be your ruin; as I have told you
  before;' continued Captain De Stancy。  'You will be for
  repeating and repeating your experiments; and will end by
  blowing your brains out; as wiser heads than yours have done。
  I am glad you have come away; at any rate。  Why did you travel
  this way?'
  'Simply because I could afford it; of course。But come;
  captain; something has ruffled you to…day。  I thought you did
  not look in the best temper the moment I saw you。  Every sip
  you took of your pick…up as you sat there showed me something
  was wrong。  Tell your worry!'
  'PoohI can tell you in two words;' said the captain
  satirically。  'Your arrangement for my wealth and happiness
  for I suppose you still claim it to be yourshas fallen
  through。  The lady has announced to…day that she means to send
  for Somerset instantly。  She is coming to a personal
  explanation with him。  So woe to meand in another sense; woe
  to you; as I have reason to fear。'
  'Send for him!' said Dare; with the stillness of complete
  abstraction。  'Then he'll come。'
  'Well;' said De Stancy; looking him in the face。  'And does it
  make you feel you had better be off?  How about that telegram?
  Did he ask you to send it; or did he not?'
  'One minute; or I shall be up such a tree as nobody ever saw
  the like of。'
  'Then what did you come here for?' burst out De Stancy。  ''Tis
  my belief you are no more than aBut I won't call you names;
  I'll tell you quite plainly that if there is anything wrong in
  that message to herwhich I believe there isno; I can't
  believe; though I fear ityou have the chance of appearing in
  drab clothes at the expense of the Government before the year
  is out; and I of being eternally disgraced!'
  'No; captain; you won't be disgraced。  I am bad to beat; I can
  tell you。  And come the worst luck; I don't say a word。'
  'But those letters pricked in your skin would say a good deal;
  it strikes me。'
  'What! would they strip me?but it is not coming to that。
  Look here; now; I'll tell you the truth for once; though you
  don't believe me capable of it。  I DID concoct that telegram
  and sent it; just as a practical joke; and many a worse one
  has been only laughed at by honest men and officers。  I could
  show you a bigger joke stilla joke of jokeson the same
  individual。'
  Dare as he spoke put his hand into his breast…pocket; as if
  the said joke lay there; but after a moment he withdrew his
  hand empty; as he continued:
  'Having invented it I have done enough; I was going to explain
  it to you; that you might carry it out。  But you are so
  serious; that I will leave it alone。  My second joke shall die
  with me。'
  'So much the better;' said De Stancy。  'I don't like your
  jokes; even though they are not directed against myself。  They
  express a kind of humour which does not suit me。'
  'You may have reason to alter your mind;' said Dare
  carelessly。  'Your success with your lady may depend on it。
  The truth is; captain; we aristocrats must not take too high a
  tone。  Our days as an independent division of society; which
  holds aloof from other sections; are past。  This has been my
  argument (in spite of my strong Norman feelings) ever since I
  broached the su