to-morrow- 第5部分

〃He　has　been　worrying　a　long　time　about　his



lost　son；〃　said　Bessie；　in　a　low；　apologetic　tone。







〃Well；　I　am　his　son。〃







〃Harry！〃　she　criedand　was　profoundly　si…



lent。







〃Know　my　name？　　Friends　with　the　old　man；



eh？〃







〃He's　our　landlord；〃　Bessie　faltered　out；　catch…



ing　hold　of　the　iron　railing。







〃Owns　both　them　rabbit…hutches；　does　he？〃



commented　young　Hagberd；　scornfully；　〃just　the



thing　he　would　be　proud　of。　　Can　you　tell　me　who's



that　chap　coming　to…morrow？　　You　must　know



something　of　it。　　I　tell　you；　it's　a　swindle　on　the　old



mannothing　else。〃







She　did　not　answer；　helpless　before　an　insur…



mountable　difficulty；　appalled　before　the　necessity；



the　impossibility　and　the　dread　of　an　explanation



in　which　she　and　madness　seemed　involved　together。







〃OhI　am　so　sorry；〃　she　murmured。







〃What's　the　matter？〃　he　said；　with　serenity。



〃You　needn't　be　afraid　of　upsetting　me。　　It's　the



other　fellow　that'll　be　upset　when　he　least　expects



it。　　I　don't　care　a　hang；　but　there　will　be　some　fun



when　he　shows　his　mug　to…morrow。　　I　don't　care



THAT　for　the　old　man's　pieces；　but　right　is　right。



You　shall　see　me　put　a　head　on　that　coonwhoever



he　is！〃







He　had　come　nearer；　and　towered　above　her　on



the　other　side　of　the　railings。　　He　glanced　at　her



hands。　　He　fancied　she　was　trembling；　and　it　oc…



curred　to　him　that　she　had　her　part　perhaps　in　that



little　game　that　was　to　be　sprung　on　his　old　man



to…morrow。　　He　had　come　just　in　time　to　spoil　their



sport。　　He　was　entertained　by　the　ideascornful



of　the　baffled　plot。　　But　all　his　life　he　had　been　full



of　indulgence　for　all　sorts　of　women's　tricks。　　She



really　was　trembling　very　much；　her　wrap　had



slipped　off　her　head。　　〃Poor　devil！〃　he　thought。



〃Never　mind　about　that　chap。　　I　daresay　he'll



change　his　mind　before　to…morrow。　　But　what



about　me？　　I　can't　loaf　about　the　gate　til　the　morn…



ing。〃







She　burst　out：　〃It　is　YOUyou　yourself　that　he's



waiting　for。　　It　is　YOU　who　come　to…morrow。〃







He　murmured。　　〃Oh！　　It's　me！〃　blankly；　and



they　seemed　to　become　breathless　together。　　Ap…



parently　he　was　pondering　over　what　he　had　heard；



then；　without　irritation；　but　evidently　perplexed；



he　said：　〃I　don't　understand。　　I　hadn't　written　or



anything。　　It's　my　chum　who　saw　the　paper　and



told　methis　very　morning。　。　。　。　　Eh？　what？〃







He　bent　his　ear；　she　whispered　rapidly；　and　he



listened　for　a　while；　muttering　the　words　〃yes〃



and　〃I　see〃　at　times。　　Then；　〃But　why　won't　to…



day　do？〃　he　queried　at　last。







〃You　didn't　understand　me！〃　she　exclaimed；



impatiently。　　The　clear　streak　of　light　under　the



clouds　died　out　in　the　west。　　Again　he　stooped



slightly　to　hear　better；　and　the　deep　night　buried



everything　of　the　whispering　woman　and　the



attentive　man；　except　the　familiar　contiguity　of



their　faces；　with　its　air　of　secrecy　and　caress。







He　squared　his　shoulders；　the　broad…brimmed



shadow　of　a　hat　sat　cavalierly　on　his　head。　　〃Awk…



ward　this；　eh？〃　he　appealed　to　her。　　〃To…morrow？



Well；　well！　　Never　heard　tell　of　anything　like　this。



It's　all　to…morrow；　then；　without　any　sort　of　to…day；



as　far　as　I　can　see。〃







She　remained　still　and　mute。







〃And　you　have　been　encouraging　this　funny



notion；〃　he　said。







〃I　never　contradicted　him。〃







〃Why　didn't　you？〃







〃What　for　should　I？〃　she　defended　herself。



〃It　would　only　have　made　him　miserable。　　He



would　have　gone　out　of　his　mind。〃







〃His　mind！〃　he　muttered；　and　heard　a　short



nervous　laugh　from　her。







〃Where　was　the　harm？　　Was　I　to　quarrel　with



the　poor　old　man？　　It　was　easier　to　half　believe　it



myself。〃







〃Aye；　aye；〃　he　meditated；　intelligently。　　〃I



suppose　the　old　chap　got　around　you　somehow　with



his　soft　talk。　　You　are　good…hearted。〃







Her　hands　moved　up　in　the　dark　nervously。



〃And　it　might　have　been　true。　　It　was　true。　　It



has　come。　　Here　it　is。　　This　is　the　to…morrow　we



have　been　waiting　for。〃







She　drew　a　breath；　and　he　said；　good…humour…



edly：　〃Aye；　with　the　door　shut。　　I　wouldn't　care



if　。　。　。　　And　you　think　he　could　be　brought　round



to　recognise　me　。　。　。　　Eh？　　What？　。　。　。　　You



could　do　it？　　In　a　week　you　say？　　H'm；　I　daresay



you　couldbut　do　you　think　I　could　hold　out　a



week　in　this　dead…alive　place？　　Not　me！　　I　want



either　hard　work；　or　an　all…fired　racket；　or　more



space　than　there　is　in　the　whole　of　England。　　I



have　been　in　this　place；　though；　once　before；　and　for



more　than　a　week。　　The　old　man　was　advertising



for　me　then；　and　a　chum　I　had　with　me　had　a　no…



tion　of　getting　a　couple　quid　out　of　him　by　writ…



ing　a　lot　of　silly　nonsense　in　a　letter。　　That　lark　did



not　come　off；　though。　　We　had　to　clear　outand



none　too　soon。　　But　this　time　I've　a　chum　waiting



for　me　in　London；　and　besides　。　。　。〃







Bessie　Carvil　was　breathing　quickly。







〃What　if　I　tried　a　knock　at　the　door？〃　he　sug…



gested。







〃Try；〃　she　said。







Captain　Hagberd's　gate　squeaked；　and　the　shad…



ow　of　the　son　moved　on；　then　stopped　with　another



deep　laugh　in　the　throat；　like　the　father's；　only



soft　and　gentle；　thrilling　to　the　woman's　heart；



awakening　to　her　ears。







〃He　isn't　friskyis　he？　　I　would　be　afraid　to



lay　hold　of　him。　　The　chaps　are　always　telling　me



I　don't　know　my　own　strength。〃







〃He's　the　most　harmless　creature　that　ever



lived；〃　she　interrupted。







〃You　wouldn't　say　so　if　you　had　seen　him　chas…



ing　me　upstairs　with　a　hard　leather　strap；〃　he　said；



〃I　haven't　forgotten　it　in　sixteen　years。〃







She　got　warm　from　head　to　foot　under　another



soft；　subdued　laugh。　　At　the　rat…tat…tat　of　the



knocker　her　heart　flew　into　her　mouth。







〃Hey；　dad！　　Let　me　in。　　I　am　Harry；　I　am。



Straight！　　Come　back　home　a　day　too　soon。〃







One　of　the　windows　upstairs　ran　up。







〃A　grinning；　information　fellow；〃　said　the　voice



of　old　Hagberd；　up　in　the　darkness。　　〃Don't　you



have　anything　to　do　with　him。　　It　will　spoil　every…



thing。〃







She　heard　Harry　Hagberd　say；　〃Hallo；　dad；〃



then　a　clanging　clatter。　　The　window　rumbled



down；　and　he　stood　before　her　again。







〃It's　just　like　old　times。　　Nearly　walloped　the



life　out　of　me　to　stop　me　going　away；　and　now　I



come　back　he　throws　a　confounded　shovel　at　my



head　to　keep　me　out。　　It　grazed　my　shoulder。〃







She　shuddered。







〃I　wouldn't　care；〃　he　began；　〃only　I　spent　my



last　shillings　on　the　railway　fare　and　my　last　two…



pence　on　a　shaveout　of　respect　for　the　old　man。〃







〃Are　you　really　Harry　Hagberd？〃　she　asked。



〃Can　you　prove　it？〃







〃Can　I　prove　it？　　Can　any　one　else　prove　it？〃



he　said　jovially。　　〃Prove　with　what？　　What　do　I



want　to　prove？　　There　isn't　a　single　corner　in　the



world；　barring　England；　perhaps；　where　you　could



not　find　some　man；　or　more　likely　woman；　that



would　remember　me　for　Harry　Hagberd。　　I　am



more　like　Harry　Hagberd　than　any　man　alive；　and



I　can　prove　it　to　you　in　a　minute；　if　you　will　let　me



step　inside　your　gate。〃







〃Come　in；〃　she　said。







He　entered　then　the　front　garden　of　the　Carvils。



His　tall　shadow　strode　with　a　swagger；　she　turned



her　back　on　the　window　and　waited；　watching　the



shape；　of　which　the　footfalls　seemed　the　most　mate…



rial　part。　　The　light　fell　on　a　tilted　hat；　a　power…



ful　shoulder；　that　seemed　to　cleave　the　darkness；



on　a　leg　stepping　out。　　He　swung　about　and　stood



still；　facing　the　illuminated　parlour　window　at　her



back；　turning　his　head　from　side　to　side；　laughing



softly　to　himself。







〃Just　fancy；　for　a　minute；　the　old　man's　beard



stuck　on　to　my　chin。　　Hey？　　Now　say。　　I　was　the



very　spit　of　him　from　a　boy。〃







〃It's　true；〃　she　murmured　to　herself。







〃And　that's　about　as　far　as　it　goes。　　He　was　al…



ways　one　of　your　domestic　characters。　　Why；　I　re…



member　how　he　used　to　go　about　looking　very　sick



for　three　days　before　he　had　to　leave　home　on　one



of　his　trips　to　South　Shields　for　coal。　　He　had　a



standing　charter　from　the　gas…works。　　You　would



think　he　was　off　on　a　whaling　cruisethree　years



and　a　tail。　　Ha；　ha！　　Not　a　bit　of　it。　　Ten　days　on



the　outside。　　The　Skimmer　of　the　Seas　w