pgw.adamselindistress-第24部分

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n　for　one　night　to　oblige。　They'll　pay　yer　a　quid。〃
　〃I'll　hand　it　over　to　you。〃
　〃Just；〃　said　Albert　approvingly；　〃wot　I　was　goin'　to　suggest　myself。〃
　〃Then　I'll　leave　all　the　arrangements　to　you。〃
　〃You'd　better；　if　you　don't　want　to　mike　a　mess　of　everything。　　All　you've　got　to　do　is　to　e　to　the　servants'　entrance　at　eight　sharp　tonight　and　say　you're　my　cousin。〃
　〃That's　an　awful　thing　to　ask　anyone　to　say。〃
　〃Pardon？〃
　〃Nothing！〃　said　George。
　
　CHAPTER　12。
　
　The　great　ball　in　honour　of　Lord　Belpher's　ing…of…age　was　at　its　height。　The　reporter　of　the　Belpher　Intelligencer　and　Farmers'　Guide；　who　was　present　in　his　official　capacity；　and　had　been　allowed　by　butler　Keggs　to　take　a　peep　at　the　scene　through　a　side…door；　justly　observed　in　his　account　of　the　proceedings　next　day　that　the　'tout　ensemble　was　fairylike'；　and　described　the　pany　as　'a　galaxy　of　fair　women　and　brave　men'。　　The　floor　was　crowded　with　all　that　was　best　and　noblest　in　the　county；　so　that　a　half…brick；　hurled　at　any　given　moment；　must　infallibly　have　spilt　blue　blood。　Peers　stepped　on　the　toes　of　knights；　honorables　bumped　into　the　spines　of　baronets。　Probably　the　only　titled　person　in　the　whole　of　the　surrounding　country　who　was　not　playing　his　part　in　the　glittering　scene　was　Lord　Marshmoreton；　who；　on　discovering　that　his　private　study　had　been　converted　into　a　cloakroom；　had　retired　to　bed　with　a　pipe　and　a　copy　of　Roses　Red　and　Roses　White；　by　Emily　Ann　Mackintosh　（Popgood；　Crooly　&　Co。）；　which　he　was　to　discoverafter　he　was　between　the　sheets；　and　it　was　too　late　to　repair　the　errorwas　not；　as　he　had　supposed；　a　treatise　on　his　favourite　hobby；　but　a　novel　of　stearine　sentimentality　dealing　with　the　adventures　of　a　pure　young　English　girl　and　an　artist　named　Claude。
　George；　from　the　shaded　seclusion　of　a　gallery；　looked　down　upon　the　brilliant　throng　with　impatience。　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　had　been　doing　this　all　his　life。　The　novelty　of　the　experience　had　long　since　ceased　to　divert　him。　It　was　all　just　like　the　second　act　of　an　old…fashioned　musical　edy　（Act　Two：　　The　Ballroom；　Grantchester　Towers：　One　Week　Later）a　resemblance　which　was　heightened　for　him　by　the　fact　that　the　band　had　more　than　once　played　dead　and　buried　melodies　of　his　own　position；　of　which　he　had　wearied　a　full　eighteen　months　back。
　A　plete　absence　of　obstacles　had　attended　his　intrusion　into　the　castle。　A　brief　interview　with　a　motherly　old　lady；　whom　even　Albert　seemed　to　treat　with　respect；　and　who；　it　appeared　was　Mrs。　Digby；　the　house…keeper；　followed　by　an　even　briefer　encounter　with　Keggs　（fussy　and　irritable　with　responsibility；　and；　even　while　talking　to　George　carrying　on　two　other　conversations　on　topics　of　the　moment）；　and　he　was　past　the　censors　and　free　for　one　night　only　to　add　his　presence　to　the　chosen　inside　the　walls　of　Belpher。　His　duties　were　to　stand　in　this　gallery；　and　with　the　assistance　of　one　of　the　maids　to　minister　to　the　fort　of　such　of　the　dancers　as　should　use　it　as　a　sitting…out　place。　None　had　so　far　made　their　appearance；　the　superior　attractions　of　the　main　floor　having　exercised　a　great　appeal；　and　for　the　past　hour　George　had　been　alone　with　the　maid　and　his　thoughts。　The　maid；　having　asked　George　if　he　knew　her　cousin　Frank；　who　had　been　in　America　nearly　a　year；　and　having　received　a　reply　in　the　negative；　seemed　to　be　disappointed　in　him；　and　to　lose　interest；　and　had　not　spoken　for　twenty　minutes。
　George　scanned　the　approaches　to　the　balcony　for　a　sight　of　Albert　as　the　shipwrecked　mariner　scans　the　horizon　for　the　passing　sail。　It　was　inevitable；　he　supposed；　this　waiting。　It　would　be　difficult　for　Maud　to　slip　away　even　for　a　moment　on　such　a　night。
　〃I　say；　laddie；　would　you　mind　getting　me　a　lemonade？〃
　George　was　gazing　over　the　balcony　when　the　voice　spoke　behind　him；　and　the　muscles　of　his　back　stiffened　as　he　recognized　its　genial　note。　This　was　one　of　the　things　he　had　prepared　himself　for；　but；　now　that　it　had　happened；　he　felt　a　wave　of　stage…fright　such　as　he　had　only　once　experienced　before　in　his　lifeon　the　occasion　when　he　had　been　young　enough　and　inexperienced　enough　to　take　a　curtain…call　on　a　first　night。　Reggie　Byng　was　friendly；　and　would　not　wilfully　betray　him；　but　Reggie　was　also　a　babbler；　who　could　not　be　trusted　to　keep　things　to　himself。　It　was　necessary；　he　perceived；　to　take　a　strong　line　from　the　start；　and　convince　Reggie　that　any　likeness　which　the　latter　might　suppose　that　he　detected　between　his　panion　of　that　afternoon　and　the　waiter　of　tonight　existed　only　in　his　heated　imagination。
　As　George　turned；　Reggie's　pleasant　face；　pink　with　healthful　exercise　and　Lord　Marshmoreton's　finest　Bollinger；　lost　most　of　its　colour。　His　eyes　and　mouth　opened　wider。　The　fact　is　Reggie　was　shaken。　All　through　the　earlier　part　of　the　evening　he　had　been　sedulously　priming　himself　with　stimulants　with　a　view　to　amassing　enough　nerve　to　propose　to　Alice　Faraday：　and；　now　that　he　had　drawn　her　away　from　the　throng　to　this　secluded　nook　and　was　about　to　put　his　fortune　to　the　test；　a　horrible　fear　swept　over　him　that　he　had　overdone　it。　He　was　having　optical　illusions。
　〃Good　God！〃
　Reggie　loosened　his　collar；　and　pulled　himself　together。
　〃Would　you　mind　taking　a　glass　of　lemonade　to　the　lady　in　blue　sitting　on　the　settee　over　there　by　the　statue；〃　he　said　carefully。
　He　brightened　up　a　little。
　〃Pretty　good　that！　Not　absolutely　a　test　sentence；　perhaps；　like　'Truly　rural'　or　'The　intricacies　of　the　British　Constitution'。　But　nevertheless　no　mean　feat。〃
　〃I　say！〃　he　continued；　after　a　pause。
　〃Sir？〃
　〃You　haven't　ever　seen　me　before　by　any　chance；　if　you　know　what　I　mean；　have　you？〃
　〃No；　sir。〃
　〃You　haven't　a　brother；　or　anything　of　that　shape　or　order；　have　you；　no？〃
　〃No；　sir。　I　have　often　wished　I　had。　I　ought　to　have　spoken　to　father　about　it。　Father　could　never　deny　me　anything。〃
　Reggie　blinked。　His　misgiving　returned。　Either　his　ears；　like　his　eyes；　were　playing　him　tricks；　or　else　this　waiter…chappie　was　talking　pure　drivel。
　〃What's　that？〃
　〃Sir？〃
　〃What　did　you　say？〃
　〃I　said；　'No；　sir；　I　have　no　brother'。〃
　〃Didn't　you　say　something　else？〃
　〃No；　sir。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃No；　sir。〃
　Reggie's　worst　suspicions　were　confirmed。
　〃Good　God！〃　he　muttered。　〃Then　I　am！〃　　Miss　Faraday；　when　he　joined　her　on　the　settee；　wanted　an　explanation。
　〃What　were　you　talking　to　that　man　about；　Mr。　Byng？　You　seemed　to　be　having　a　very　interesting　conversation。〃
　〃I　was　asking　him　if　he　had　a　brother。〃
　Miss　Faraday　glanced　quickly　at　him。　She　had　had　a　feeling　for　some　time　during　the　evening　that　his　manner　had　been　strange。
　〃A　brother？　What　made　you　ask　him　that？〃
　〃HeI　meanthat　is　to　saywhat　I　mean　is；　he　looked　the　sort　of　chap　who　might　have　a　brother。　Lots　of　those　fellows　have！〃
　Alice　Faraday's　face　took　on　a　motherly　look。　She　was　fonder　of　Reggie　than　that　love…sick　youth　supposed；　and　by　sheer　accident　he　had　stumbled　on　the　right　road　to　her　consideration。　Alice　Faraday　was　one　of　those　girls　whose　dream　it　is　to　be　a　ministering　angel　to　some　chosen　man；　to　be　a　good　influence　to　him　and　raise　him　to　an　appreciation　of　nobler　things。　　Hitherto；　Reggie's　personality　had　seemed　to　her　agreeable；　but　negative。　A　positive　vice　like　over…indulgence　in　alcohol　altered　him　pletely。　It　gave　him　a　significance。
　〃I　told　him　to　get　you　a　lemonade；〃　said　Reggie。　〃He　seems　to　be　taking　his　time　about　it。　Hi！〃
　George　approached　deferentially。
　〃Sir？〃
　〃Where's　that　lemonade？〃
　〃Lemonade；　sir？〃
　〃Didn't　I　ask　you　to　bring　this　lady　a　glass　of　lemonade？〃
　〃I　did　not　understand　you　to　do　so；　sir。〃
　〃But；　Great　Scott！　What　were　we　chatting　about；　then？〃
　〃You　were　telling　me　a　diverting　story　about　an　Irishman　who　landed　in　New　York　looking　for　work；　sir。　You　would　like　a　glass　of　lemonade；　sir？　Very　good；　sir。〃
　Alice　placed　a　hand　gently　on　Reggie's　arm。
　〃Don't　you　think　you　had　better　lie　down　for　a　little　and　rest；　Mr。　Byng？　I'm　sure　it　would　do　you　good。〃
　The　solicitous　note　in　her　voice　made　Reggie　quiver　like　a　jelly。　He　had　never　known　her　speak　like　that　before。　For　a　moment　he　was　inclined　to　lay　bare　his　soul；　b