第 77 节
作者:散发弄舟      更新:2021-02-21 16:20      字数:9322
  〃Oh!〃 said Mrs。 Appleditch to her husband; 〃but Mr。 Sutherland has
  not seen the drawing…room!〃
  Hugh wondered what there could be remarkable about the drawing…room;
  but he soon found that it was the pride of Mrs。 Appleditch's heart。
  She abstained from all use of it except upon great occasionswhen
  parties of her friends came to drink tea with her。  She made a
  point; however; of showing it to everybody who entered the house for
  the first time。  So Hugh was led up…stairs; to undergo the operation
  of being shown the drawing…room; and being expected to be astonished
  at it。
  I asked him what it was like。  He answered: 〃It was just what it
  ought to berich and ugly。  Mr。 Appleditch; in his deacon's
  uniform; hung over the fire; and Mrs。 Appleditch; in her
  wedding…dress; over the piano; for there was a piano; and she could
  play psalm…tunes on it with one finger。  The round table in the
  middle of the room had books in gilded red and blue covers
  symmetrically arranged all round it。  This is all I can recollect。〃
  Having feasted his eyes on the magnificence thus discovered to him;
  he walked home; more depressed at the prospect of his new employment
  than he could have believed possible。
  On his way he turned aside into the Regent's Park; where the sight
  of the people enjoying themselvesfor it was a fine day for the
  seasonpartially dispelled the sense of living corruption and
  premature burial which he had experienced all day long。  He kept as
  far off from the rank of open…air preachers as possible; and really
  was able to thank God that all the world did not keep Scotch
  Sabbatha day neither Mosaic; nor Jewish; nor Christian: not
  Mosaic; inasmuch as it kills the very essence of the fourth
  commandment; which is Rest; transmuting it into what the chemists
  would call a mechanical mixture of service and inertia; not Jewish;
  inasmuch as it is ten times more severe; and formal; and full of
  negations; than that of the Sabbatarian Jews reproved by the Saviour
  for their idolatry of the day; and unchristian; inasmuch as it
  insists; beyond appeal; on the observance of times and seasons;
  abolished; as far as law is concerned; by the word of the chief of
  the apostles; and elevates into an especial test of piety a custom
  not even mentioned by the founders of christianity at allthat;
  namely; of accounting this day more holy than all the rest。
  These last are but outside reasons for calling it unchristian。
  There are far deeper and more important ones; which cannot well be
  produced here。
  It is not Hugh; however; who is to be considered accountable for all
  this; but the historian of his fortunes; between whom and the vision
  of a Lord's Day indeed; there arises too often the nightmare…memory
  of a Scotch Saabbathbetween which and its cousin; the English
  Sunday; there is too much of a family likeness。  The grand men and
  women whom I have known in Scotland; seem to me; as I look back; to
  move about in the mists of a Scotch Sabbath; like a company of
  way…worn angels in the Limbo of Vanity; in which there is no air
  whereupon to smite their sounding wings; that they may rise into the
  sunlight of God's presence。
  CHAPTER VII。
  SUNDAY EVENING。
  Now resteth in my memory but this point; which indeed is the chief
  to you of all others; which is the choice of what men you are to
  direct yourself to; for it is certain no vessel can leave a worse
  taste in the liquor it contains; than a wrong teacher infects an
  unskilful hearer with that which hardly will ever out。。。But you may
  say; 〃How shall I get excellent men to take pains to speak with me?〃
  Truly; in few words; either by much expense or much humbleness。
  Letter of Sir Philip Sidney to his brother Robert。
  How many things which; at the first moment; strike us as curious
  coincidences; afterwards become so operative on our lives; and so
  interwoven with the whole web of their histories; that instead of
  appearing any more as strange accidents; they assume the shape of
  unavoidable necessities; of homely; ordinary; lawful occurrences; as
  much in their own place as any shaft or pinion of a great machine!
  It was dusk before Hugh turned his steps homeward。  He wandered
  along; thinking of Euphra and the Count and the stolen rings。  He
  greatly desired to clear himself to Mr。 Arnold。  He saw that the
  nature of the ring tended to justify Mr。 Arnold's suspicions; for a
  man who would not steal for money's worth; might yet steal for value
  of another sort; addressing itself to some peculiar weakness; and
  Mr。 Arnold might have met with instances of this nature in his
  position as magistrate。  He greatly desired; likewise; for Euphra's
  sake; to have Funkelstein in his power。  His own ring was beyond
  recovery; but if; by its means; he could hold such a lash over him
  as would terrify him from again exercising his villanous influences
  on her; he would he satisfied。
  While plunged in this contemplation; he came upon two policemen
  talking together。  He recognized one of them as a Scotchman; from
  his speech。  It occurred to him at once to ask his advice; in a
  modified manner; and a moment's reflection convinced him that it
  would at least do no harm。  He would do it。  It was one of those
  resolutions at which one arrives by an arrow flight of the
  intellect。
  〃You are a countryman of mine; I think;〃 said he; as soon as the two
  had parted。
  〃If ye're a Scotchman; sirmay be ay; may be no。〃
  〃Whaur come ye frae; man?〃
  〃Ou; Aberdeen…awa。〃
  〃It's mine ain calf…country。  An' what do they ca' ye?〃
  〃They ca' me John MacPherson。〃
  〃My name's Sutherland。〃
  〃Eh; man!  It's my ain mither's name。  Gie's a grup o' yer han';
  Maister Sutherlan'。Eh; man!〃 he repeated; shaking Hugh's hand with
  vehemence。
  〃I have no doubt;〃 said Hugh; relapsing into English; 〃that we are
  some cousins or other。  It's very lucky for me to find a relative;
  for I wanted someadvice。〃
  He took care to say advice; which a Scotchman is generally prepared
  to bestow of his best。  Had it been sixpence; the cousinship would
  have required elaborate proof; before the treaty could have made
  further progress。
  〃I'm fully at your service; sir。〃
  〃When will you be off duty?〃
  〃At nine o'clock preceesely。〃
  〃Come to No。 13;Square; and ask for me。  It's not far。〃
  〃Wi' pleesir; sir; 'gin 'twar twise as far。〃
  Hugh would not have ventured to ask him to his house on Sunday
  night; when no refreshments could be procured; had he not remembered
  a small pig (Anglic?stone bottle) of real mountain dew; which he
  had carried with him when he went to Arnstead; and which had lain
  unopened in one of his boxes。
  Miss Talbot received her lodger with more show of pleasure than
  usual; for he came lapped in the odour of the deacon's sanctity。
  But she was considerably alarmed and beyond measure shocked when
  the policeman called and requested to see him。  Sally had rushed in
  to her mistress in dismay。
  〃Please'm; there's a pleaceman wants Mr。 Sutherland。  Oh! lor'm!〃
  〃Well; go and let Mr。 Sutherland know; you stupid girl;〃 answered
  her mistress; trembling。
  〃Oh! lor'm!〃 was all Sally's reply; as she vanished to bear the
  awful tidings to Hugh。
  〃He can't have been housebreaking already;〃 said Miss Talbot to
  herself; as she confessed afterwards。 〃But it may be forgery or
  embezzlement。  I told the poor deluded young man that the way of
  transgressors was hard。〃
  〃Please; sir; you're wanted; sir;〃 said Sally; out of breath; and
  pale as her Sunday apron。
  〃Who wants me?〃 asked Hugh。
  〃Please; sir; the pleaceman; sir;〃 answered Sally; and burst into
  tears。
  Hugh was perfectly bewildered by the girl's behaviour; and said in a
  tone of surprise:
  〃Well; show him up; then。〃
  〃Ooh! sir;〃 said Sally; with a Plutonic sigh; and began to undo the
  hooks of her dress; 〃if you wouldn't mind; sir; just put on my frock
  and apron; and take a jug in your hand; an' the pleaceman'll never
  look at you。  I'll take care of everything till you come back; sir。〃
  And again she burst into tears。
  Sally was a great reader of the Family Herald; and knew that this
  was an orthodox plan of rescuing a prisoner。  The kindness of her
  anxiety moderated the expression of Hugh's amusement; and having
  convinced her that he was in no danger; he easily prevailed upon her
  to bring the policeman upstairs。
  Over a tumbler of toddy; the weaker ingredients of which were
  procured by Sally's glad connivance; with a lingering idea of
  propitiation; and a gentle hint that Missus mustn't knowthe two
  Scotchmen; seated at opposite corners of the fire; had a long chat。
  They began about the old country; and the places and people they
  both knew; and both didn't know。  If they had met on the shores of
  the central lake of Africa; they could scarcely have been more
  couthy together。  At length Hugh referred to the object of his
  application to MacPherson。
  〃What plan would you have me pursue; John; to get hold of a man in
  London?〃
  〃I could manage that for ye; sir。  I ken maist the haill mengie o'
  the detaictives。〃
  〃But you see; unfortunately; I don't wish; for particular reasons;
  that the police should have anything to do with it。〃
  〃Ay! ay!  Hm!  Hm!  I see brawly。  Ye'll be efter a st