pgw.uneasymoney-第25部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


knowledge　would　have　been　to　fill　her　with　fears　for　his　safety。　So　he　went　to　considerable　inconvenience　to　keep　the　matter　from　her　notice；　and　thought　rather　highly　of　himself　for　doing　so。
　It　certainly　was　inconvenientthere　was　no　doubt　of　that。　It　made　him　feel　like　a　cross　between　a　hunted　fawn　and　a　burglar。　But　he　had　to　some　extent　diminished　the　possibility　of　surprise　by　leaving　his　door　open；　and　to…night　he　approached　the　cupboard　where　he　kept　the　materials　for　refreshment　with　a　certain　confidence。　He　had　left　Elizabeth　on　the　porch　in　a　hammock；　apparently　anchored　for　some　time。　Lord　Dawlish　was　out　in　the　grounds　somewhere。　Presently　he　would　e　in　and　join　Elizabeth　on　the　porch。　The　risk　of　interruption　was　negligible。
　Nutty　mixed　himself　a　drink　and　settled　down　to　brood　bitterly；　as　he　often　did；　on　the　doctor　who　had　made　that　disastrous　statement。　Doctors　were　always　saying　things　like　thatsweeping　things　which　nervous　people　took　too　literally。　It　was　true　that　he　had　been　in　pretty　bad　shape　at　the　moment　when　the　words　had　been　spoken。　It　was　just　at　the　end　of　his　Broadway　career；　when；　as　he　handsomely　admitted；　there　was　a　certain　amount　of　truth　in　the　opinion　that　his　interior　needed　a　vacation。　But　since　then　he　had　been　living　in　the　country；　breathing　good　air；　taking　things　easy。　In　these　altered　conditions　and　after　this　lapse　of　time　it　was　absurd　to　imagine　that　a　moderate　amount　of　alcohol　could　do　him　any　harm。
　It　hadn't　done　him　any　harm；　that　was　the　point。　He　had　tested　the　doctor's　statement　and　found　it　incorrect。　He　had　spent　three　hectic　days　and　nights　in　New　York；　andafter　a　reasonable　intervalhad　felt　much　the　same　as　usual。　And　since　then　he　had　imbibed　each　night；　and　nothing　had　happened。　What　it　came　to　was　that　the　doctor　was　a　chump　and　a　blighter。　Simply　that　and　nothing　more。
　Having　e　to　this　decision；　Nutty　mixed　another　drink。　He　went　to　the　head　of　the　stairs　and　listened。　He　heard　nothing。　He　returned　to　his　room。
　Yes；　that　was　it；　the　doctor　was　a　chump。　So　far　from　doing　him　any　harm；　these　nightly　potations　brightened　Nutty　up；　gave　him　heart；　and　enabled　him　to　endure　life　in　this　hole　of　a　place。　He　felt　a　certain　scornful　amusement。　Doctors；　he　supposed；　had　to　get　off　that　sort　of　talk　to　earn　their　money。
　He　reached　out　for　the　bottle；　and　as　he　grasped　it　his　eye　was　caught　by　something　on　the　floor。　A　brown　monkey　with　a　long；　grey　tail　was　sitting　there　staring　at　him。
　There　was　one　of　those　painful　pauses。　Nutty　looked　at　the　monkey　rather　like　an　elongated　Macbeth　inspecting　the　ghost　of　Banquo。　The　monkey　looked　at　Nutty。　The　pause　continued。　Nutty　shut　his　eyes；　counted　ten　slowly；　and　opened　them。
　The　monkey　was　still　there。
　'Boo！'　said　Nutty；　in　an　apprehensive　undertone。
　The　monkey　looked　at　him。
　Nutty　shut　his　eyes　again。　He　would　count　sixty　this　time。　A　cold　fear　had　laid　its　clammy　fingers　on　his　heart。　This　was　what　that　doctornot　such　a　chump　after　allmust　have　meant！
　Nutty　began　to　count。　There　seemed　to　be　a　heavy　lump　inside　him；　and　his　mouth　was　dry；　but　otherwise　he　felt　all　right。　That　was　the　gruesome　part　of　itthis　dreadful　thing　had　e　upon　him　at　a　moment　when　he　could　have　sworn　that　he　was　sound　as　a　bell。　If　this　had　happened　in　the　days　when　he　ranged　the　Great　White　Way；　sucking　up　deleterious　moisture　like　a　cloud；　it　would　have　been　intelligible。　But　it　had　sneaked　upon　him　like　a　thief　in　the　night；　it　had　stolen　unheralded　into　his　life　when　he　had　practically　reformed。　What　was　the　good　of　practically　reforming　if　this　sort　of　thing　was　going　to　happen　to　one？
　'。。。　Fifty…nine　。。。　sixty。'
　He　opened　his　eyes。　The　monkey　was　still　there；　in　precisely　the　same　attitude；　as　if　it　was　sitting　for　its　portrait。　Panic　surged　upon　Nutty。　He　lost　his　head　pletely。　He　uttered　a　wild　yell　and　threw　the　bottle　at　the　apparition。
　Life　had　not　been　treating　Eustace　well　that　evening。　He　seemed　to　have　happened　upon　one　of　those　days　when　everything　goes　wrong。　The　cat　had　scratched　him；　the　odd…job　man　had　swathed　him　in　an　apron；　and　now　this　stranger；　in　whom　he　had　found　at　first　a　pleasant　restfulness；　soothing　after　the　recent　scenes　of　violence　in　which　he　had　participated；　did　this　to　him。　He　dodged　the　missile　and　clambered　on　to　the　top　of　the　wardrobe。　It　was　his　instinct　in　times　of　stress　to　seek　the　high　spots。　And　then　Elizabeth　hurried　into　the　room。
　Elizabeth　had　been　lying　in　the　hammock　on　the　porch　when　her　brother's　yell　had　broken　forth。　It　was　a　lovely；　calm；　moonlight　night；　and　she　had　been　revelling　in　the　peace　of　it；　when　suddenly　this　outcry　from　above　had　shot　her　out　of　her　hammock　like　an　explosion。　She　ran　upstairs；　fearing　she　knew　not　what。　She　found　Nutty　sitting　on　the　bed；　looking　like　an　overwrought　giraffe。
　'Whatever　is　the？'　she　began；　and　then　things　began　to　impress　themselves　on　her　senses。
　The　bottle　which　Nutty　had　thrown　at　Eustace　had　missed　the　latter；　but　it　had　hit　the　wall；　and　was　now　lying　in　many　pieces　on　the　floor；　and　the　air　was　heavy　with　the　scent　of　it。　The　remains　seemed　to　leer　at　her　with　a　kind　of　furtive　swagger；　after　the　manner　of　broken　bottles。　A　quick　thrill　of　anger　ran　through　Elizabeth。　She　had　always　felt　more　like　a　mother　to　Nutty　than　a　sister；　and　now　she　would　have　liked　to　exercise　the　maternal　privilege　of　slapping　him。
　'Nutty！'
　'I　saw　a　monkey！'　said　her　brother；　hollowly。　'I　was　standing　over　there　and　I　saw　a　monkey！　Of　course；　it　wasn't　there　really。　I　flung　the　bottle　at　it；　and　it　seemed　to　climb　on　to　that　wardrobe。'
　'This　wardrobe？'
　'Yes。'
　Elizabeth　struck　it　a　resounding　blow　with　the　palm　of　her　hand；　and　Eustace's　face　popped　over　the　edge；　peering　down　anxiously。　'I　can　see　it　now；'　said　Nutty。　A　sudden；　faint　hope　came　to　him。　'Can　you　see　it？'　he　asked。
　Elizabeth　did　not　speak　for　a　moment。　This　was　an　unusual　situation；　and　she　was　wondering　how　to　treat　it。　She　was　sorry　for　Nutty；　but　Providence　had　sent　this　thing　and　it　would　be　foolish　to　reject　it。　She　must　look　on　herself　in　the　light　of　a　doctor。　It　would　be　kinder　to　Nutty　in　the　end。　She　had　the　feminine　aversion　from　the　lie　deliberate。　Her　ethics　on　the　_suggestio　falsi_　were　weak。　She　looked　at　Nutty　questioningly。
　'See　it？'　she　said。
　'Don't　you　see　a　monkey　on　the　top　of　the　wardrobe？'　said　Nutty；　being　more　definite。
　'There's　a　sort　of　bit　of　wood　sticking　out'
　Nutty　sighed。
　'No；　not　that。　You　didn't　see　it。　I　don't　think　you　would。'
　He　spoke　so　dejectedly　that　for　a　moment　Elizabeth　weakened；　but　only　for　an　instant。
　'Tell　me　all　about　this；　Nutty；'　she　said。
　Nutty　was　beyond　the　desire　for　evasion　and　concealment。　His　one　wish　was　to　tell。　He　told　all。
　'But；　Nutty；　how　silly　of　you！'
　'Yes。'
　'After　what　the　doctor　said。'
　'I　know。'
　'You　remember　his　telling　you'
　'I　know。　Never　again！'
　'What　do　you　mean？'
　'I　quit。　I'm　going　to　give　it　up。'
　Elizabeth　embraced　him　maternally。
　'That's　a　good　child！'　she　said。　'You　really　promise？'
　'I　don't　have　to　promise；　I'm　just　going　to　do　it。'
　Elizabeth　promised　with　her　conscience　by　being　soothing。
　'You　know；　this　isn't　so　very　serious；　Nutty；　darling。　I　mean；　it's　just　a　warning。'
　'It's　warned　me　all　right。'
　'You　will　be　perfectly　all　right　if'
　Nutty　interrupted　her。
　'You're　sure　you　can't　see　anything？'
　'See　what？'
　Nutty's　voice　became　almost　apologetic。
　'I　know　it's　just　imagination；　but　the　monkey　seems　to　me　to　be　climbing　down　from　the　wardrobe。'
　'I　can't　see　anything　climbing　down　the　wardrobe；'　said　Elizabeth；　as　Eustace　touched　the　floor。
　'It's　e　down　now。　It's　crossing　the　carpet。'
　'Where？'
　'It's　gone　now。　It　went　out　of　the　door。'
　'Oh！'
　'I　say；　Elizabeth；　what　do　you　think　I　ought　to　do？'
　'I　should　go　to　bed　and　have　a　nice　long　sleep；　and　you'll　feel'
　'Somehow　I　don't　feel　much　like　going　to　bed。　This　sort　of　thing　upsets　a　chap；　you　know。'
　'Poor　dear！'
　'I　think　I'll　go　for　a　long　walk。'
　'That's　a　splendid　idea。'
　'I　think　I'd　better　do　a　good　lot　of　walking　from　now　on。　Didn't　Chalmers　bring　down　some　Indian　clubs　with　him？　I　think　I'll　borrow　them。