pgw.piccadillyjim-第24部分

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　〃Oh　yes；　I　remember。　So　it　was。　It's　a　curious　thing；　too；　that　it　sounds　familiar。　I've　heard　the　name　before　somewhere。〃
　〃I　was　talking　about　Jimmy　Crocker　on　the　ship。　That　evening　on　deck。〃
　Jimmy　looked　at　her　doubtfully。
　〃Were　you？　Oh　yes；　of　course。　I've　got　it　now。　He　is　the　man　you　dislike　so。〃
　Ann　was　still　looking　at　him　as　if　he　had　undergone　a　change　into　something　new　and　strange。
　〃I　hope　you　aren't　going　to　let　the　resemblance　prejudice　you　against　me？〃　said　Jimmy。　〃Some　are　born　Jimmy　Crockers；　others　have　Jimmy　Crockers　thrust　upon　them。　I　hope　you'll　bear　in　mind　that　I　belong　to　the　latter　class。〃
　〃It's　such　an　extraordinary　thing。〃
　〃Oh；　I　don't　know。　You　often　hear　of　doubles。　There　was　a　man　in　England　a　few　years　ago　who　kept　getting　sent　to　prison　for　things　some　genial　stranger　who　happened　to　look　like　him　had　done。〃
　〃I　don't　mean　that。　Of　course　there　are　doubles。　But　it　is　curious　that　you　should　have　e　over　here　and　that　we　should　have　met　like　this　at　just　this　time。　You　see；　the　reason　I　went　over　to　England　at　all　was　to　try　to　get　Jimmy　Crocker　to　e　back　here。〃
　〃What！〃
　〃I　don't　mean　that　I　did。　I　mean　that　I　went　with　my　uncle　and　aunt；　who　wanted　to　persuade　him　to　e　and　live　with　them。〃
　Jimmy　was　now　feeling　pletely　out　of　his　depth。
　〃Your　uncle　and　aunt？　Why？〃
　〃I　ought　to　have　explained　that　they　are　his　uncle　and　aunt；　too。　My　aunt's　sister　married　his　father。〃
　〃But…〃
　〃It's　quite　simple；　though　it　doesn't　sound　so。　Perhaps　you　haven't　read　the　Sunday　Chronicle　lately？　It　has　been　publishing　articles　about　Jimmy　Crocker's　disgusting　behaviour　in　Londonthey　call　him　Piccadilly　Jim；　you　know〃
　In　print；　that　name　had　shocked　Jimmy。　Spoken；　and　by　Ann；　it　was　loathly。　Remorse　for　his　painful　past　tore　at　him。
　〃There　was　another　one　printed　yesterday。〃
　〃I　saw　it；〃　said　Jimmy；　to　avert　description。
　〃Oh；　did　you？　Well；　just　to　show　you　what　sort　of　a　man　Jimmy　Crocker　is；　the　Lord　Percy　Whipple　whom　he　attacked　in　the　club　was　his　very　best　friend。　His　step…mother　told　my　aunt　so。　He　seems　to　be　absolutely　hopeless。〃　She　smiled。　〃You're　looking　quite　sad；　Mr。　Bayliss。　Cheer　up！　You　may　look　like　him；　but　you　aren't　him　he？him？no；　'he'　is　right。　The　soul　is　what　counts。　If　you've　got　a　good；　virtuous；　Algernonish　soul；　it　doesn't　matter　if　you're　so　like　Jimmy　Crocker　that　his　friends　e　up　and　talk　to　you　in　restaurants。　In　fact；　it's　rather　an　advantage；　really。　I'm　sure　that　if　you　were　to　go　to　my　aunt　and　pretend　to　be　Jimmy　Crocker；　who　had　e　over　after　all　in　a　fit　of　repentance；　she　would　be　so　pleased　that　there　would　be　nothing　she　wouldn't　do　for　you。　You　might　realise　your　ambition　of　being　adopted　by　a　millionaire。　Why　don't　you　try　it？　I　won't　give　you　away。〃
　〃Before　they　found　me　out　and　hauled　me　off　to　prison；　I　should　have　been　near　you　for　a　time。　I　should　have　lived　in　the　same　house　with　you；　spoken　to　you！〃　Jimmy's　voice　shook。
　Ann　turned　her　head　to　address　an　imaginary　panion。
　〃You　must　listen　to　this；　my　dear；〃　she　said　in　an　undertone。　〃He　speaks　wonderfully！　They　used　to　call　him　the　Boy　Orator　in　his　home…town。　Sometimes　that；　and　sometimes　Eloquent　Algernon！〃
　Jimmy　eyed　her　fixedly。　He　disapproved　of　this　frivolity。
　〃One　of　these　days　you　will　try　me　too　high！〃
　〃Oh；　you　didn't　hear　what　I　was　saying　to　my　friend；　did　you？〃　she　said　in　concern。　〃But　I　meant　it；　every　word。　I　love　to　hear　you　talk。　You　have　such　feeling！　〃
　Jimmy　attuned　himself　to　the　key　of　the　conversation。
　〃Have　you　no　sentiment　in　you？〃　he　demanded。
　〃I　was　just　warming　up；　too！　In　another　minute　you　would　have　heard　something　worth　while。　You've　damped　me　now。　Let's　talk　about　my　lifework　again。〃
　〃Have　you　thought　of　anything？〃
　〃I'd　like　to　be　one　of　those　fellows　who　sit　in　offices；　and　sign　checks；　and　tell　the　office…boy　to　tell　Mr。　Rockerfeller　they　can　give　him　five　minutes。　But　of　course　I　should　need　a　check…book；　and　I　haven't　got　one。　Oh　well；　I　shall　find　something　to　do　all　right。　Now　tell　me　something　about　yourself。　Let's　drop　the　future　for　awhile。〃
　An　hour　later　Jimmy　turned　into　Broadway。　He　walked　pensively；　for　he　had　much　to　occupy　his　mind。　How　strange　that　the　Petts　should　have　e　over　to　England　to　try　to　induce　him　to　return　to　New　York；　and　how　galling　that；　now　that　he　was　in　New　York；　this　avenue　to　a　prosperous　future　was　closed　by　the　fact　that　something　which　he　had　done　five　years　agothat　he　could　remember　nothing　about　it　was　quite　maddeninghad　caused　Ann　to　nurse　this　abiding　hatred　of　him。　He　began　to　dream　tenderly　of　Ann；　bumping　from　pedestrian　to　pedestrian　in　a　gentle　trance。
　From　this　trance　the　seventh　pedestrian　aroused　him　by　uttering　his　name；　the　name　which　circumstances　had　pelled　him　to　abandon。
　〃Jimmy　Crocker！〃
　Surprise　brought　Jimmy　back　from　his　dreams　to　the　hard　world　surprise　and　a　certain　exasperation。　It　was　ridiculous　to　be　incognito　in　a　city　which　he　had　not　visited　in　five　years　and　to　be　instantly　recognised　in　this　way　by　every　second　man　he　met。　He　looked　sourly　at　the　man。　The　other　was　a　sturdy；　square…shouldered；　battered　young　man；　who　wore　on　his　homely　face　a　grin　of　recognition　and　regard。　Jimmy　was　not　particularly　good　at　remembering　faces；　but　this　person's　was　of　a　kind　which　the　poorest　memory　might　have　recalled。　It　was；　as　the　advertisements　say；　distinctively　individual。　The　broken　nose；　the　exiguous　forehead；　and　the　enlarged　ears　all　clamoured　for　recognition。　The　last　time　Jimmy　had　seen　Jerry　Mitchell　had　been　two　years　before　at　the　National　Sporting　Club　in　London；　and；　placing　him　at　once；　he　braced　himself；　as　a　short　while　ago　he　had　braced　himself　to　confound　immaculate　Reggie。
　〃Hello！〃　said　the　battered　one。
　〃Hello　indeed！〃　said　Jimmy　courteously。　〃In　what　way　can　I　brighten　your　life？〃
　The　grin　faded　from　the　other's　face。　He　looked　puzzled。
　〃You're　Jimmy　Crocker；　ain't　you？〃
　〃No。　My　name　chances　to　be　Algernon　Bayliss。〃
　Jerry　Mitchell　reddened。
　〃'Scuse　me。　My　mistake。〃
　He　was　moving　off；　but　Jimmy　stopped　him。　Parting　from　Ann　had　left　a　large　gap　in　his　life；　and　he　craved　human　society。
　〃I　know　you　now；〃　he　said。　〃You're　Jerry　Mitchell。　I　saw　you　fight　Kid　Burke　four　years　ago　in　London。〃
　The　grin　returned　to　the　pugilist's　face；　wider　than　ever。　He　beamed　with　gratification。
　〃Gee！　Think　of　that！　I've　quit　since　then。　I'm　working　for　an　old　guy　named　Pett。　Funny　thing；　he's　Jimmy　Crocker's　uncle　that　I　mistook　you　for。　Say；　you're　a　dead　ringer　for　that　guy！　I　could　have　sworn　it　was　him　when　you　bumped　into　me。　Say；　are　you　doing　anything？〃
　〃Nothing　in　particular。〃
　〃e　and　have　a　yarn。　There's　a　place　I　know　just　round　by　here。〃
　〃Delighted。〃
　They　made　their　way　to　the　place。
　〃What's　yours？〃　said　Jerry　Mitchell。　〃I'm　on　the　wagon　myself；〃　he　said　apologetically。
　〃So　am　I；〃　said　Jimmy。　〃It's　the　only　way。　No　sense　in　always　drinking　and　making　a　disgraceful　exhibition　of　yourself　in　public！〃
　Jerry　Mitchell　received　this　homily　in　silence。　It　disposed　definitely　of　the　lurking　doubt　in　his　mind　as　to　the　possibility　of　this　man　really　being　Jimmy　Crocker。　Though　outwardly　convinced　by　the　other's　denial；　he　had　not　been　able　to　rid　himself　till　now　of　a　nebulous　suspicion。　But　this　convinced　him。　Jimmy　Crocker　would　never　have　said　a　thing　like　that　nor　would　have　refused　the　offer　of　alcohol。　He　fell　into　pleasant　conversation　with　him。　His　mind　eased。
　
　CHAPTER　IX
　MRS。　PETT　IS　SHOCKED
　
　AT　five　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　some　ten　days　after　her　return　to　America；　Mrs。　Pett　was　at　home　to　her　friends　in　the　house　on　Riverside　Drive。　The　proceedings　were　on　a　scale　that　amounted　to　a　reception；　for　they　were　not　only　a　sort　of　official　notification　to　New　York　that　one　of　its　most　prominent　hostesses　was　once　more　in　its　midst；　but　were　also　designed　to　entertain　and　impress　Mr。　Hammond　Chester；　Ann's　father；　who　had　been　spending　a　couple　of　days　in　the　metropolis　preparatory　to　departing　for　South　America　on　one　of　his　frequent　trips。　He　was　very　fond　of　Ann　in　his　curious；　detached　way；　though　he　never　ceased　in　his　private　heart　to　consider　it　injudicious　of