’Lastnight,sir,afteryouwereasleep,’wasthereply。
’It’smostextraordinary,’saidMr。Nicholson。’Doyoumeantosayyouhavebeenoutallnight?’
’Allnight,asyousay,sir。Ihavebeentothetelegraphandthepoliceoffice,andMr。Macewen’s。Oh,Ihadmyhandsfull,’saidAlexander。
’Veryirregular,’saidthefather。’Youthinkofnoonebutyourself。’
’IdonotseethatIhavemuchtogaininbringingbackmyelderbrother,’returnedAlexander,shrewdly。
Theanswerpleasedtheoldman;hesmiled。’Well,well,I
willgointothisafterbreakfast,’saidhe。
’I’msorryaboutthetable,’saidtheson。
’Thetableisasmallmatter;Ithinknothingofthat,’saidthefather。
’It’sanotherexample,’continuedtheson,’oftheawkwardnessofamanhavingnomoneyofhisown。IfIhadaproperallowance,likeotherfellowsofmyage,thiswouldhavebeenquiteunnecessary。’
’Aproperallowance!’repeatedhisfather,intonesofblightingsarcasm,fortheexpressionwasnotnewtohim。’I
havenevergrudgedyoumoneyforanyproperpurpose。’
’Nodoubt,nodoubt,’saidAlexander,’butthenyouseeyouaren’talwaysonthespottohavethethingexplainedtoyou。
Lastnight,forinstance—’
’Youcouldhavewakenedmelastnight,’interruptedhisfather。
’WasitnotsomesimilaraffairthatfirstgotJohnintoamess?’askedtheson,skilfullyevadingthepoint。
Butthefatherwasnotlessadroit。’Andpray,sir,howdidyoucomeandgooutofthehouse?’heasked。
’Iforgottolockthedoor,itseems,’repliedAlexander。
’Ihavehadcausetocomplainofthattoooften,’saidMr。
Nicholson。’ButstillIdonotunderstand。Didyoukeeptheservantsup?’
’Iproposetogointoallthatatlengthafterbreakfast,’
returnedAlexander。’Thereisthehalf—hourgoing;wemustnotkeepMissMackenziewaiting。’
Andgreatlydaring,heopenedthedoor。
EvenAlexander,who,itmusthavebeenperceivedwasontermsofcomparativefreedomwithhisparent—evenAlexanderhadneverbeforedaredtocutshortaninterviewinthishigh—
handedfashion。Butthetruthis,theverymassofhisson’sdelinquenciesdauntedtheoldgentleman。Hewaslikethemanwiththecartofapples—thiswasbeyondhim!ThatAlexandershouldhavespoiledhistable,takenhismoney,stayedoutallnight,andthencoollyacknowledgedall,wassomethingundreamedofintheNicholsonianphilosophy,andtranscendedcomment。Thereturnofthechange,whichtheoldgentlemanstillcarriedinhishand,hadbeenafeatureofimposingimpudence;ithaddealthimastaggeringblow。ThentherewasthereferencetoJohn’soriginalflight—asubjectwhichhealwayskeptresolutelycurtainedinhisownmind;
forhewasamanwholovedtohavemadenomistakes,andwhenhefearedhemighthavemadeonekeptthepaperssealed。Inviewofallthesesurprisesandreminders,andofhisson’scomposedandmasterfuldemeanour,therebegantocreeponMr。
Nicholsonasicklymisgiving。Heseemedbeyondhisdepth;ifhedidorsaidanything,hemightcometoregretit。Theyoungman,besides,ashehadpointedouthimself,wasplayingagenerouspart。Andifwronghadbeendone—anddonetoonewhowas,after,andinspiteof,all,aNicholson—itshouldcertainlyberighted。
Allthingsconsidered,monstrousasitwastobecutshortinhisinquiries,theoldgentlemansubmitted,pocketedthechange,andfollowedhissonintothedining—room。Duringthesefewstepsheoncemorementallyrevolted,andoncemore,andthistimefinally,laiddownhisarms:astill,smallvoiceinhisbosomhavinginformedhimauthenticallyofapieceofnews;thathewasafraidofAlexander。Thestrangethingwasthathewaspleasedtobeafraidofhim。
Hewasproudofhisson;hemightbeproudofhim;theboyhadcharacterandgrit,andknewwhathewasdoing。
Thesewerehisreflectionsasheturnedthecornerofthedining—roomdoor。MissMackenziewasintheplaceofhonour,conjuringwithatea—potandacosy;and,behold!therewasanotherpersonpresent,alarge,portly,whiskeredmanofaverycomfortableandrespectableair,whonowrosefromhisseatandcameforward,holdingouthishand。
’Good—morning,father,’saidhe。
OfthecontentionoffeelingthatranhighinMr。Nicholson’sstarchedbosom,nooutwardsignwasvisible;nordidhedelaylongtomakeachoiceofconduct。Yetinthatintervalhehadreviewedagreatfieldofpossibilitiesbothpastandfuture;whetheritwaspossiblehehadnotbeenperfectlywiseinhistreatmentofJohn;whetheritwaspossiblethatJohnwasinnocent;whether,ifheturnedJohnoutasecondtime,ashisoutragedauthoritysuggested,itwaspossibletoavoidascandal;andwhether,ifhewenttothatextremity,itwaspossiblethatAlexandermightrebel。
’Hum!’saidMr。Nicholson,andputhishand,limpanddead,intoJohn’s。
Andthen,inanembarrassedsilence,alltooktheirplaces;
andeventhepaper—fromwhichitwastheoldgentleman’shabittosuckmortificationdaily,ashemarkedthedeclineofourinstitutions—eventhepaperlayfurledbyhisside。
ButpresentlyFloracametotherescue。Sheslidintothesilencewithatechnicality,askingifJohnstilltookhisoldinordinateamountofsugar。Thenceitwasbutasteptotheburningquestionoftheday;andintonesalittleshaken,shecommentedontheintervalsinceshehadlastmadeteafortheprodigal,andcongratulatedhimonhisreturn。
AndthenaddressingMr。Nicholson,shecongratulatedhimalsoinamannerthatdefiedhisill—humour;andfromthatlaunchedintothetaleofJohn’smisadventures,notwithoutsomesuitablesuppressions。
GraduallyAlexanderjoined;betweenthem,whetherhewouldorno,theyforcedawordortwofromJohn;andthesefellsotremulously,andspokesoeloquentlyofamindoppressedwithdread,thatMr。Nicholsonrelented。Atlengthevenhecontributedaquestion:andbeforethemealwasatanendallfourweretalkingevenfreely。
Prayersfollowed,withtheservantsgapingatthisnew—comerwhomnoonehadadmitted;andafterprayerstherecamethatmomentontheclockwhichwasthesignalforMr。Nicholson’sdeparture。
’John,’saidhe,’ofcourseyouwillstayhere。BeverycarefulnottoexciteMaria,ifMissMackenziethinksitdesirablethatyoushouldseeher。Alexander,Iwishtospeakwithyoualone。’Andthen,whentheywerebothinthebackroom:’Youneednotcometotheofficeto—day,’saidhe;
’youcanstayandamuseyourbrother,andIthinkitwouldberespectfultocallonUncleGreig。Andbythebye’(thisspokenwithacertain—darewesay?—bashfulness),’Iagreetoconcedetheprincipleofanallowance;andIwillconsultwithDoctorDurie,whoisquiteamanoftheworldandhassonsofhisown,astotheamount。And,myfinefellow,youmayconsideryourselfinluck!’headded,withasmile。
’Thankyou,’saidAlexander。
BeforenoonadetectivehadrestoredtoJohnhismoney,andbroughtnews,sadenoughintruth,butperhapstheleastsadpossible。AlanhadbeenfoundinhisownhouseinRegentTerrace,undercareoftheterrifiedbutler。Hewasquitemad,andinsteadofgoingtoprison,hadgonetoMorningsideAsylum。Themurderedman,itappeared,wasanevictedtenantwhohadfornearlyayearpursuedhislatelandlordwiththreatsandinsults;andbeyondthis,thecauseanddetailsofthetragedywerelost。
WhenMr。Nicholsonreturnedfromdinnertheywereabletoputadespatchintohishands:’JohnV。Nicholson,RandolphCrescent,Edinburgh。—Kirkhamhasdisappeared;policelookingforhim。Allunderstood。Keepmindquiteeasy。—
Austin。’Havinghadthisexplainedtohim,theoldgentlemantookdownthecellarkeyanddepartedfortwobottlesofthe1820port。UncleGreigdinedtherethatday,andCousinRobina,and,byanoddchance,Mr。Macewen;andthepresenceofthesestrangersrelievedwhatmighthavebeenotherwiseasomewhatstrainedrelation。Eretheydeparted,thefamilywasweldedoncemoreintoafairsemblanceofunity。
IntheendofAprilJohnledFlora—or,asmoredescriptive,FloraledJohn—tothealtar,ifaltarthatmaybecalledwhichwasindeedthedrawing—roommantel—pieceinMr。
Nicholson’shouse,withtheReverendDr。DuriepostedonthehearthrugintheguiseofHymen’spriest。
ThelastIsawofthem,onarecentvisittothenorth,wasatadinner—partyinthehouseofmyoldfriendGellatlyMacbride;andafterwehad,inclassicphrase,’rejoinedtheladies,’IhadanopportunitytooverhearFloraconversingwithanothermarriedwomanonthemuchcanvassedmatterofahusband’stobacco。
’Ohyes!’saidshe;’IonlyallowMr。Nicholsonfourcigarsaday。Threehesmokesatfixedtimes—afterameal,youknow,mydear;andthefourthhecantakewhenhelikeswithanyfriend。’
’Bravo!’thoughtItomyself;’thisisthewifeformyfriendJohn!’
THEBODY—SNATCHER
EVERYnightintheyear,fourofussatinthesmallparlouroftheGeorgeatDebenham—theundertaker,andthelandlord,andFettes,andmyself。Sometimestherewouldbemore;butblowhigh,blowlow,comerainorsnoworfrost,wefourwouldbeeachplantedinhisownparticulararm—chair。
FetteswasanolddrunkenScotchman,amanofeducationobviously,andamanofsomeproperty,sincehelivedinidleness。HehadcometoDebenhamyearsago,whilestillyoung,andbyamerecontinuanceoflivinghadgrowntobeanadoptedtownsman。Hisbluecamletcloakwasalocalantiquity,likethechurch—spire。HisplaceintheparlourattheGeorge,hisabsencefromchurch,hisold,crapulous,disreputablevices,wereallthingsofcourseinDebenham。
HehadsomevagueRadicalopinionsandsomefleetinginfidelities,whichhewouldnowandagainsetforthandemphasisewithtotteringslapsuponthetable。Hedrankrum—fiveglassesregularlyeveryevening;andforthegreaterportionofhisnightlyvisittotheGeorgesat,withhisglassinhisrighthand,inastateofmelancholyalcoholicsaturation。WecalledhimtheDoctor,forhewassupposedtohavesomespecialknowledgeofmedicine,andhadbeenknown,uponapinch,tosetafractureorreduceadislocation;butbeyondtheseslightparticulars,wehadnoknowledgeofhischaracterandantecedents。
Onedarkwinternight—ithadstruckninesometimebeforethelandlordjoinedus—therewasasickmanintheGeorge,agreatneighbouringproprietorsuddenlystruckdownwithapoplexyonhiswaytoParliament;andthegreatman’sstillgreaterLondondoctorhadbeentelegraphedtohisbedside。
ItwasthefirsttimethatsuchathinghadhappenedinDebenham,fortherailwaywasbutnewlyopen,andwewereallproportionatelymovedbytheoccurrence。
’He’scome,’saidthelandlord,afterhehadfilledandlightedhispipe。
’He?’saidI。’Who?—notthedoctor?’
’Himself,’repliedourhost。
’Whatishisname?’
’DoctorMacfarlane,’saidthelandlord。
Fetteswasfarthroughhisthirdtumbler,stupidlyfuddled,nownoddingover,nowstaringmazilyaroundhim;butatthelastwordheseemedtoawaken,andrepeatedthename’Macfarlane’twice,quietlyenoughthefirsttime,butwithsuddenemotionatthesecond。
’Yes,’saidthelandlord,’that’shisname,DoctorWolfeMacfarlane。’
Fettesbecameinstantlysober;hiseyesawoke,hisvoicebecameclear,loud,andsteady,hislanguageforcibleandearnest。Wewereallstartledbythetransformation,asifamanhadrisenfromthedead。
’Ibegyourpardon,’hesaid,’IamafraidIhavenotbeenpayingmuchattentiontoyourtalk。WhoisthisWolfeMacfarlane?’Andthen,whenhehadheardthelandlordout,’Itcannotbe,itcannotbe,’headded;’andyetIwouldlikewelltoseehimfacetoface。’
’Doyouknowhim,Doctor?’askedtheundertaker,withagasp。
’Godforbid!’wasthereply。’Andyetthenameisastrangeone;itweretoomuchtofancytwo。Tellme,landlord,isheold?’
’Well,’saidthehost,’he’snotayoungman,tobesure,andhishairiswhite;buthelooksyoungerthanyou。’
’Heisolder,though;yearsolder。But,’withaslapuponthetable,’it’stherumyouseeinmyface—rumandsin。
Thisman,perhaps,mayhaveaneasyconscienceandagooddigestion。Conscience!Hearmespeak。YouwouldthinkI
wassomegood,old,decentChristian,wouldyounot?Butno,notI;Inevercanted。Voltairemighthavecantedifhe’dstoodinmyshoes;butthebrains’—witharattlingfilliponhisbaldhead—’thebrainswereclearandactive,andI
sawandmadenodeductions。’
’Ifyouknowthisdoctor,’Iventuredtoremark,afterasomewhatawfulpause,’Ishouldgatherthatyoudonotsharethelandlord’sgoodopinion。’
Fettespaidnoregardtome。
’Yes,’hesaid,withsuddendecision,’Imustseehimfacetoface。’
Therewasanotherpause,andthenadoorwasclosedrathersharplyonthefirstfloor,andastepwashearduponthestair。
’That’sthedoctor,’criedthelandlord。’Looksharp,andyoucancatchhim。’
ItwasbuttwostepsfromthesmallparlourtothedooroftheoldGeorgeInn;thewideoakstaircaselandedalmostinthestreet;therewasroomforaTurkeyrugandnothingmorebetweenthethresholdandthelastroundofthedescent;butthislittlespacewaseveryeveningbrilliantlylitup,notonlybythelightuponthestairandthegreatsignal—lampbelowthesign,butbythewarmradianceofthebar—roomwindow。TheGeorgethusbrightlyadvertiseditselftopassers—byinthecoldstreet。Fetteswalkedsteadilytothespot,andwe,whowerehangingbehind,beheldthetwomenmeet,asoneofthemhadphrasedit,facetoface。Dr。
Macfarlanewasalertandvigorous。Hiswhitehairsetoffhispaleandplacid,althoughenergetic,countenance。Hewasrichlydressedinthefinestofbroadclothandthewhitestoflinen,withagreatgoldwatch—chain,andstudsandspectaclesofthesamepreciousmaterial。Heworeabroad—
foldedtie,whiteandspeckledwithlilac,andhecarriedonhisarmacomfortabledriving—coatoffur。Therewasnodoubtbuthebecamehisyears,breathing,ashedid,ofwealthandconsideration;anditwasasurprisingcontrasttoseeourparloursot—bald,dirty,pimpled,androbedinhisoldcamletcloak—confronthimatthebottomofthestairs。
’Macfarlane!’hesaidsomewhatloudly,morelikeaheraldthanafriend。
Thegreatdoctorpulledupshortonthefourthstep,asthoughthefamiliarityoftheaddresssurprisedandsomewhatshockedhisdignity。
’ToddyMacfarlane!’repeatedFettes。
TheLondonmanalmoststaggered。Hestaredfortheswiftestofsecondsatthemanbeforehim,glancedbehindhimwithasortofscare,andtheninastartledwhisper,’Fettes!’hesaid,’You!’
’Ay,’saidtheother,’me!DidyouthinkIwasdeadtoo?Wearenotsoeasyshutofouracquaintance。’
’Hush,hush!’exclaimedthedoctor。’Hush,hush!thismeetingissounexpected—Icanseeyouareunmanned。I
hardlyknewyou,Iconfess,atfirst;butIamoverjoyed—
overjoyedtohavethisopportunity。Forthepresentitmustbehow—d’ye—doandgood—byeinone,formyflyiswaiting,andImustnotfailthetrain;butyoushall—letmesee—
yes—youshallgivemeyouraddress,andyoucancountonearlynewsofme。Wemustdosomethingforyou,Fettes。I
fearyouareoutatelbows;butwemustseetothatforauldlangsyne,asoncewesangatsuppers。’
’Money!’criedFettes;’moneyfromyou!ThemoneythatIhadfromyouislyingwhereIcastitintherain。’
Dr。Macfarlanehadtalkedhimselfintosomemeasureofsuperiorityandconfidence,buttheuncommonenergyofthisrefusalcasthimbackintohisfirstconfusion。
Ahorrible,uglylookcameandwentacrosshisalmostvenerablecountenance。’Mydearfellow,’hesaid,’beitasyouplease;mylastthoughtistooffendyou。Iwouldintrudeonnone。Iwillleaveyoumyaddress,however—’
’Idonotwishit—Idonotwishtoknowtheroofthatsheltersyou,’interruptedtheother。’Iheardyourname;I
feareditmightbeyou;Iwishedtoknowif,afterall,therewereaGod;Iknownowthatthereisnone。Begone!’
Hestillstoodinthemiddleoftherug,betweenthestairanddoorway;andthegreatLondonphysician,inordertoescape,wouldbeforcedtosteptooneside。Itwasplainthathehesitatedbeforethethoughtofthishumiliation。
Whiteashewas,therewasadangerousglitterinhisspectacles;butwhilehestillpauseduncertain,hebecameawarethatthedriverofhisflywaspeeringinfromthestreetatthisunusualsceneandcaughtaglimpseatthesametimeofourlittlebodyfromtheparlour,huddledbythecornerofthebar。Thepresenceofsomanywitnessesdecidedhimatoncetoflee。Hecrouchedtogether,brushingonthewainscot,andmadeadartlikeaserpent,strikingforthedoor。Buthistribulationwasnotyetentirelyatanend,forevenashewaspassingFettesclutchedhimbythearmandthesewordscameinawhisper,andyetpainfullydistinct,’Haveyouseenitagain?’
ThegreatrichLondondoctorcriedoutaloudwithasharp,throttlingcry;hedashedhisquestioneracrosstheopenspace,and,withhishandsoverhishead,fledoutofthedoorlikeadetectedthief。Beforeithadoccurredtooneofustomakeamovementtheflywasalreadyrattlingtowardthestation。Thescenewasoverlikeadream,butthedreamhadleftproofsandtracesofitspassage。Nextdaytheservantfoundthefinegoldspectaclesbrokenonthethreshold,andthatverynightwewereallstandingbreathlessbythebar—
roomwindow,andFettesatourside,sober,pale,andresoluteinlook。
’Godprotectus,Mr。Fettes!’saidthelandlord,comingfirstintopossessionofhiscustomarysenses。’Whatintheuniverseisallthis?Thesearestrangethingsyouhavebeensaying。’
Fettesturnedtowardus;helookeduseachinsuccessionintheface。’Seeifyoucanholdyourtongues,’saidhe。
’ThatmanMacfarlaneisnotsafetocross;thosethathavedonesoalreadyhaverepentedittoolate。’
Andthen,withoutsomuchasfinishinghisthirdglass,farlesswaitingfortheothertwo,hebadeusgood—byeandwentforth,underthelampofthehotel,intotheblacknight。
Wethreeturnedtoourplacesintheparlour,withthebigredfireandfourclearcandles;andaswerecapitulatedwhathadpassed,thefirstchillofoursurprisesoonchangedintoaglowofcuriosity。Wesatlate;itwasthelatestsessionIhaveknownintheoldGeorge。Eachman,beforeweparted,hadhistheorythathewasboundtoprove;andnoneofushadanynearerbusinessinthisworldthantotrackoutthepastofourcondemnedcompanion,andsurprisethesecretthathesharedwiththegreatLondondoctor。Itisnogreatboast,butIbelieveIwasabetterhandatwormingoutastorythaneitherofmyfellowsattheGeorge;andperhapsthereisnownoothermanalivewhocouldnarratetoyouthefollowingfoulandunnaturalevents。
InhisyoungdaysFettesstudiedmedicineintheschoolsofEdinburgh。Hehadtalentofakind,thetalentthatpicksupswiftlywhatithearsandreadilyretailsitforitsown。Heworkedlittleathome;buthewascivil,attentive,andintelligentinthepresenceofhismasters。Theysoonpickedhimoutasaladwholistenedcloselyandrememberedwell;
nay,strangeasitseemedtomewhenIfirstheardit,hewasinthosedayswellfavoured,andpleasedbyhisexterior。
Therewas,atthatperiod,acertainextramuralteacherofanatomy,whomIshallheredesignatebytheletterK。Hisnamewassubsequentlytoowellknown。ThemanwhoboreitskulkedthroughthestreetsofEdinburghindisguise,whilethemobthatapplaudedattheexecutionofBurkecalledloudlyforthebloodofhisemployer。ButMr。K—wasthenatthetopofhisvogue;heenjoyedapopularityduepartlytohisowntalentandaddress,partlytotheincapacityofhisrival,theuniversityprofessor。Thestudents,atleast,sworebyhisname,andFettesbelievedhimself,andwasbelievedbyothers,tohavelaidthefoundationsofsuccesswhenhehadacquiredthefavourofthismeteoricallyfamousman。Mr。K—wasaBONVIVANTaswellasanaccomplishedteacher;helikedaslyillusionnolessthanacarefulpreparation。InbothcapacitiesFettesenjoyedanddeservedhisnotice,andbythesecondyearofhisattendanceheheldthehalf—regularpositionofseconddemonstratororsub—
assistantinhisclass。
Inthiscapacitythechargeofthetheatreandlecture—roomdevolvedinparticularuponhisshoulders。Hehadtoanswerforthecleanlinessofthepremisesandtheconductoftheotherstudents,anditwasapartofhisdutytosupply,receive,anddividethevarioussubjects。Itwaswithaviewtothislast—atthattimeverydelicate—affairthathewaslodgedbyMr。K—inthesamewynd,andatlastinthesamebuilding,withthedissecting—rooms。Here,afteranightofturbulentpleasures,hishandstilltottering,hissightstillmistyandconfused,hewouldbecalledoutofbedintheblackhoursbeforethewinterdawnbytheuncleananddesperateinterloperswhosuppliedthetable。Hewouldopenthedoortothesemen,sinceinfamousthroughouttheland。
Hewouldhelpthemwiththeirtragicburden,paythemtheirsordidprice,andremainalone,whentheyweregone,withtheunfriendlyrelicsofhumanity。Fromsuchascenehewouldreturntosnatchanotherhourortwoofslumber,torepairtheabusesofthenight,andrefreshhimselfforthelaboursoftheday。
Fewladscouldhavebeenmoreinsensibletotheimpressionsofalifethuspassedamongtheensignsofmortality。Hismindwasclosedagainstallgeneralconsiderations。Hewasincapableofinterestinthefateandfortunesofanother,theslaveofhisowndesiresandlowambitions。Cold,light,andselfishinthelastresort,hehadthatmodicumofprudence,miscalledmorality,whichkeepsamanfrominconvenientdrunkennessorpunishabletheft。Hecoveted,besides,ameasureofconsiderationfromhismastersandhisfellow—pupils,andhehadnodesiretofailconspicuouslyintheexternalpartsoflife。Thushemadeithispleasuretogainsomedistinctioninhisstudies,anddayafterdayrenderedunimpeachableeye—servicetohisemployer,Mr。K—。
Forhisdayofworkheindemnifiedhimselfbynightsofroaring,blackguardlyenjoyment;andwhenthatbalancehadbeenstruck,theorganthathecalledhisconsciencedeclareditselfcontent。
Thesupplyofsubjectswasacontinualtroubletohimaswellastohismaster。Inthatlargeandbusyclass,therawmaterialoftheanatomistskeptperpetuallyrunningout;andthebusinessthusrenderednecessarywasnotonlyunpleasantinitself,butthreateneddangerousconsequencestoallwhowereconcerned。ItwasthepolicyofMr。K—toasknoquestionsinhisdealingswiththetrade。’Theybringthebody,andwepaytheprice,’heusedtosay,dwellingonthealliteration—’QUIDPROQUO。’And,again,andsomewhatprofanely,’Asknoquestions,’hewouldtellhisassistants,’forconscience’sake。’Therewasnounderstandingthatthesubjectswereprovidedbythecrimeofmurder。Hadthatideabeenbroachedtohiminwords,hewouldhaverecoiledinhorror;butthelightnessofhisspeechuponsograveamatterwas,initself,anoffenceagainstgoodmanners,andatemptationtothemenwithwhomhedealt。Fettes,forinstance,hadoftenremarkedtohimselfuponthesingularfreshnessofthebodies。Hehadbeenstruckagainandagainbythehang—dog,abominablelooksoftheruffianswhocametohimbeforethedawn;andputtingthingstogetherclearlyinhisprivatethoughts,heperhapsattributedameaningtooimmoralandtoocategoricaltotheunguardedcounselsofhismaster。Heunderstoodhisduty,inshort,tohavethreebranches:totakewhatwasbrought,topaytheprice,andtoaverttheeyefromanyevidenceofcrime。
OneNovembermorningthispolicyofsilencewasputsharplytothetest。Hehadbeenawakeallnightwitharackingtoothache—pacinghisroomlikeacagedbeastorthrowinghimselfinfuryonhisbed—andhadfallenatlastintothatprofound,uneasyslumberthatsooftenfollowsonanightofpain,whenhewasawakenedbythethirdorfourthangryrepetitionoftheconcertedsignal。Therewasathin,brightmoonshine;itwasbittercold,windy,andfrosty;thetownhadnotyetawakened,butanindefinablestiralreadypreludedthenoiseandbusinessoftheday。Theghoulshadcomelaterthanusual,andtheyseemedmorethanusuallyeagertobegone。Fettes,sickwithsleep,lightedthemupstairs。HeheardtheirgrumblingIrishvoicesthroughadream;andastheystrippedthesackfromtheirsadmerchandiseheleaneddozing,withhisshoulderproppedagainstthewall;hehadtoshakehimselftofindthementheirmoney。Ashedidsohiseyeslightedonthedeadface。
Hestarted;hetooktwostepsnearer,withthecandleraised。
’GodAlmighty!’hecried。’ThatisJaneGalbraith!’
Themenanswerednothing,buttheyshufflednearerthedoor。
’Iknowher,Itellyou,’hecontinued。’Shewasaliveandheartyyesterday。It’simpossibleshecanbedead;it’simpossibleyoushouldhavegotthisbodyfairly。’
’Sure,sir,you’remistakenentirely,’saidoneofthemen。
ButtheotherlookedFettesdarklyintheeyes,anddemandedthemoneyonthespot。
Itwasimpossibletomisconceivethethreatortoexaggeratethedanger。Thelad’sheartfailedhim。Hestammeredsomeexcuses,countedoutthesum,andsawhishatefulvisitorsdepart。Nosoonerweretheygonethanhehastenedtoconfirmhisdoubts。Byadozenunquestionablemarksheidentifiedthegirlhehadjestedwiththedaybefore。Hesaw,withhorror,marksuponherbodythatmightwellbetokenviolence。
Apanicseizedhim,andhetookrefugeinhisroom。Therehereflectedatlengthoverthediscoverythathehadmade;
consideredsoberlythebearingofMr。K—’sinstructionsandthedangertohimselfofinterferenceinsoseriousabusiness,andatlast,insoreperplexity,determinedtowaitfortheadviceofhisimmediatesuperior,theclassassistant。
Thiswasayoungdoctor,WolfeMacfarlane,ahighfavouriteamongalltherecklessstudents,clever,dissipated,andunscrupuloustothelastdegree。Hehadtravelledandstudiedabroad。Hismannerswereagreeableandalittleforward。Hewasanauthorityonthestage,skilfulontheiceorthelinkswithskateorgolf—club;hedressedwithniceaudacity,and,toputthefinishingtouchuponhisglory,hekeptagigandastrongtrotting—horse。WithFetteshewasontermsofintimacy;indeed,theirrelativepositionscalledforsomecommunityoflife;andwhensubjectswerescarcethepairwoulddrivefarintothecountryinMacfarlane’sgig,visitanddesecratesomelonelygraveyard,andreturnbeforedawnwiththeirbootytothedoorofthedissecting—room。
OnthatparticularmorningMacfarlanearrivedsomewhatearlierthanhiswont。Fettesheardhim,andmethimonthestairs,toldhimhisstory,andshowedhimthecauseofhisalarm。Macfarlaneexaminedthemarksonherbody。
’Yes,’hesaidwithanod,’itlooksfishy。’
’Well,whatshouldIdo?’askedFettes。
’Do?’repeatedtheother。’Doyouwanttodoanything?
Leastsaidsoonestmended,Ishouldsay。’
’Someoneelsemightrecogniseher,’objectedFettes。’ShewasaswellknownastheCastleRock。’
’We’llhopenot,’saidMacfarlane,’andifanybodydoes—
well,youdidn’t,don’tyousee,andthere’sanend。Thefactis,thishasbeengoingontoolong。Stirupthemud,andyou’llgetK—intothemostunholytrouble;you’llbeinashockingboxyourself。SowillI,ifyoucometothat。I
shouldliketoknowhowanyoneofuswouldlook,orwhatthedevilweshouldhavetosayforourselves,inanyChristianwitness—box。Forme,youknowthere’sonethingcertain—
that,practicallyspeaking,alloursubjectshavebeenmurdered。’
’Macfarlane!’criedFettes。
’Comenow!’sneeredtheother。’Asifyouhadn’tsuspectedityourself!’
’Suspectingisonething—’
’Andproofanother。Yes,Iknow;andI’massorryasyouarethisshouldhavecomehere,’tappingthebodywithhiscane。
’Thenextbestthingformeisnottorecogniseit;and,’headdedcoolly,’Idon’t。Youmay,ifyouplease。Idon’tdictate,butIthinkamanoftheworldwoulddoasIdo;andImayadd,IfancythatiswhatK—wouldlookforatourhands。Thequestionis,Whydidhechooseustwoforhisassistants?AndIanswer,becausehedidn’twantoldwives。’
ThiswasthetoneofallotherstoaffectthemindofaladlikeFettes。HeagreedtoimitateMacfarlane。Thebodyoftheunfortunategirlwasdulydissected,andnooneremarkedorappearedtorecogniseher。
Oneafternoon,whenhisday’sworkwasover,FettesdroppedintoapopulartavernandfoundMacfarlanesittingwithastranger。Thiswasasmallman,verypaleanddark,withcoal—blackeyes。Thecutofhisfeaturesgaveapromiseofintellectandrefinementwhichwasbutfeeblyrealisedinhismanners,forheproved,uponaneareracquaintance,coarse,vulgar,andstupid。Heexercised,however,averyremarkablecontroloverMacfarlane;issuedordersliketheGreatBashaw;
becameinflamedattheleastdiscussionordelay,andcommentedrudelyontheservilitywithwhichhewasobeyed。
ThismostoffensivepersontookafancytoFettesonthespot,pliedhimwithdrinks,andhonouredhimwithunusualconfidencesonhispastcareer。Ifatenthpartofwhatheconfessedweretrue,hewasaveryloathsomerogue;andthelad’svanitywastickledbytheattentionofsoexperiencedaman。
’I’maprettybadfellowmyself,’thestrangerremarked,’butMacfarlaneistheboy—ToddyMacfarlaneIcallhim。Toddy,orderyourfriendanotherglass。’Oritmightbe,’Toddy,youjumpupandshutthedoor。’’Toddyhatesme,’hesaidagain。’Ohyes,Toddy,youdo!’
’Don’tyoucallmethatconfoundedname,’growledMacfarlane。
’Hearhim!Didyoueverseetheladsplayknife?Hewouldliketodothatallovermybody,’remarkedthestranger。
’Wemedicalshaveabetterwaythanthat,’saidFettes。
’Whenwedislikeadeadfriendofours,wedissecthim。’
Macfarlanelookedupsharply,asthoughthisjestwerescarcelytohismind。
Theafternoonpassed。Gray,forthatwasthestranger’sname,invitedFettestojointhematdinner,orderedafeastsosumptuousthatthetavernwasthrownintocommotion,andwhenallwasdonecommandedMacfarlanetosettlethebill。
Itwaslatebeforetheyseparated;themanGraywasincapablydrunk。Macfarlane,soberedbyhisfury,chewedthecudofthemoneyhehadbeenforcedtosquanderandtheslightshehadbeenobligedtoswallow。Fettes,withvariousliquorssinginginhishead,returnedhomewithdeviousfootstepsandamindentirelyinabeyance。NextdayMacfarlanewasabsentfromtheclass,andFettessmiledtohimselfasheimaginedhimstillsquiringtheintolerableGrayfromtaverntotavern。Assoonasthehouroflibertyhadstruckhepostedfromplacetoplaceinquestofhislastnight’scompanions。
Hecouldfindthem,however,nowhere;soreturnedearlytohisrooms,wentearlytobed,andsleptthesleepofthejust。
Atfourinthemorninghewasawakenedbythewell—knownsignal。Descendingtothedoor,hewasfilledwithastonishmenttofindMacfarlanewithhisgig,andinthegigoneofthoselongandghastlypackageswithwhichhewassowellacquainted。
’What?’hecried。’Haveyoubeenoutalone?Howdidyoumanage?’
ButMacfarlanesilencedhimroughly,biddinghimturntobusiness。Whentheyhadgotthebodyupstairsandlaiditonthetable,Macfarlanemadeatfirstasifheweregoingaway。
Thenhepausedandseemedtohesitate;andthen,’Youhadbetterlookattheface,’saidhe,intonesofsomeconstraint。’Youhadbetter,’herepeated,asFettesonlystaredathiminwonder。
’Butwhere,andhow,andwhendidyoucomebyit?’criedtheother。
’Lookattheface,’wastheonlyanswer。
Fetteswasstaggered;strangedoubtsassailedhim。Helookedfromtheyoungdoctortothebody,andthenbackagain。Atlast,withastart,hedidashewasbidden。Hehadalmostexpectedthesightthatmethiseyes,andyettheshockwascruel。Tosee,fixedintherigidityofdeathandnakedonthatcoarselayerofsackcloth,themanwhomhehadleftwellcladandfullofmeatandsinuponthethresholdofatavern,awoke,eveninthethoughtlessFettes,someoftheterrorsoftheconscience。ItwasaCRASTIBIwhichre—echoedinhissoul,thattwowhomhehadknownshouldhavecometolieupontheseicytables。Yetthesewereonlysecondarythoughts。
HisfirstconcernregardedWolfe。Unpreparedforachallengesomomentous,heknewnothowtolookhiscomradeintheface。Hedurstnotmeethiseye,andhehadneitherwordsnorvoiceathiscommand。
ItwasMacfarlanehimselfwhomadethefirstadvance。Hecameupquietlybehindandlaidhishandgentlybutfirmlyontheother’sshoulder。
’Richardson,’saidhe,’mayhavethehead。’
NowRichardsonwasastudentwhohadlongbeenanxiousforthatportionofthehumansubjecttodissect。Therewasnoanswer,andthemurdererresumed:’Talkingofbusiness,youmustpayme;youraccounts,yousee,musttally。’
Fettesfoundavoice,theghostofhisown:’Payyou!’hecried。’Payyouforthat?’
’Why,yes,ofcourseyoumust。Byallmeansandoneverypossibleaccount,youmust,’returnedtheother。’Idarenotgiveitfornothing,youdarenottakeitfornothing;itwouldcompromiseusboth。ThisisanothercaselikeJaneGalbraith’s。Themorethingsarewrongthemorewemustactasifallwereright。WheredoesoldK—keephismoney?’
’There,’answeredFetteshoarsely,pointingtoacupboardinthecorner。
’Givemethekey,then,’saidtheother,calmly,holdingouthishand。
Therewasaninstant’shesitation,andthediewascast。
Macfarlanecouldnotsuppressanervoustwitch,theinfinitesimalmarkofanimmenserelief,ashefeltthekeybetweenhisfingers。Heopenedthecupboard,broughtoutpenandinkandapaper—bookthatstoodinonecompartment,andseparatedfromthefundsinadrawerasumsuitabletotheoccasion。
’Now,lookhere,’hesaid,’thereisthepaymentmade—firstproofofyourgoodfaith:firststeptoyoursecurity。Youhavenowtoclinchitbyasecond。Enterthepaymentinyourbook,andthenyouforyourpartmaydefythedevil。’
ThenextfewsecondswereforFettesanagonyofthought;butinbalancinghisterrorsitwasthemostimmediatethattriumphed。AnyfuturedifficultyseemedalmostwelcomeifhecouldavoidapresentquarrelwithMacfarlane。Hesetdownthecandlewhichhehadbeencarryingallthistime,andwithasteadyhandenteredthedate,thenature,andtheamountofthetransaction。
’Andnow,’saidMacfarlane,’it’sonlyfairthatyoushouldpocketthelucre。I’vehadmysharealready。Bythebye,whenamanoftheworldfallsintoabitofluck,hasafewshillingsextrainhispocket—I’mashamedtospeakofit,butthere’saruleofconductinthecase。Notreating,nopurchaseofexpensiveclass—books,nosquaringofolddebts;
borrow,don’tlend。’
’Macfarlane,’beganFettes,stillsomewhathoarsely,’Ihaveputmyneckinahaltertoobligeyou。’
’Toobligeme?’criedWolfe。’Oh,come!Youdid,asnearasIcanseethematter,whatyoudownrighthadtodoinself—
defence。SupposeIgotintotrouble,wherewouldyoube?
Thissecondlittlematterflowsclearlyfromthefirst。Mr。
GrayisthecontinuationofMissGalbraith。Youcan’tbeginandthenstop。Ifyoubegin,youmustkeeponbeginning;
that’sthetruth。Norestforthewicked。’
Ahorriblesenseofblacknessandthetreacheryoffateseizedholduponthesouloftheunhappystudent。
’MyGod!’hecried,’butwhathaveIdone?andwhendidI
begin?Tobemadeaclassassistant—inthenameofreason,where’stheharminthat?Servicewantedtheposition;
Servicemighthavegotit。WouldHEhavebeenwhereIamnow?’
’Mydearfellow,’saidMacfarlane,’whataboyyouare!WhatharmHAScometoyou?WhatharmCANcometoyouifyouholdyourtongue?Why,man,doyouknowwhatthislifeis?Therearetwosquadsofus—thelionsandthelambs。Ifyou’realamb,you’llcometolieuponthesetableslikeGrayorJaneGalbraith;ifyou’realion,you’llliveanddriveahorselikeme,likeK—,likealltheworldwithanywitorcourage。
You’restaggeredatthefirst。ButlookatK—!Mydearfellow,you’reclever,youhavepluck。Ilikeyou,andK—
likesyou。Youwereborntoleadthehunt;andItellyou,onmyhonourandmyexperienceoflife,threedaysfromnowyou’lllaughatallthesescarecrowslikeaHighSchoolboyatafarce。’
AndwiththatMacfarlanetookhisdepartureanddroveoffupthewyndinhisgigtogetundercoverbeforedaylight。
Fetteswasthusleftalonewithhisregrets。Hesawthemiserableperilinwhichhestoodinvolved。Hesaw,withinexpressibledismay,thattherewasnolimittohisweakness,andthat,fromconcessiontoconcession,hehadfallenfromthearbiterofMacfarlane’sdestinytohispaidandhelplessaccomplice。Hewouldhavegiventheworldtohavebeenalittlebraveratthetime,butitdidnotoccurtohimthathemightstillbebrave。ThesecretofJaneGalbraithandthecursedentryintheday—bookclosedhismouth。
Hourspassed;theclassbegantoarrive;themembersoftheunhappyGrayweredealtouttooneandtoanother,andreceivedwithoutremark。Richardsonwasmadehappywiththehead;andbeforethehouroffreedomrangFettestrembledwithexultationtoperceivehowfartheyhadalreadygonetowardsafety。
Fortwodayshecontinuedtowatch,withincreasingjoy,thedreadfulprocessofdisguise。
OnthethirddayMacfarlanemadehisappearance。Hehadbeenill,hesaid;buthemadeupforlosttimebytheenergywithwhichhedirectedthestudents。ToRichardsoninparticularheextendedthemostvaluableassistanceandadvice,andthatstudent,encouragedbythepraiseofthedemonstrator,burnedhighwithambitioushopes,andsawthemedalalreadyinhisgrasp。
BeforetheweekwasoutMacfarlane’sprophecyhadbeenfulfilled。Fetteshadoutlivedhisterrorsandhadforgottenhisbaseness。Hebegantoplumehimselfuponhiscourage,andhadsoarrangedthestoryinhismindthathecouldlookbackontheseeventswithanunhealthypride。Ofhisaccomplicehesawbutlittle。Theymet,ofcourse,inthebusinessoftheclass;theyreceivedtheirorderstogetherfromMr。K—。Attimestheyhadawordortwoinprivate,andMacfarlanewasfromfirsttolastparticularlykindandjovial。Butitwasplainthatheavoidedanyreferencetotheircommonsecret;andevenwhenFetteswhisperedtohimthathehadcastinhislotwiththelionsandforeswornthelambs,heonlysignedtohimsmilinglytoholdhispeace。
Atlengthanoccasionarosewhichthrewthepaironcemoreintoacloserunion。Mr。K—wasagainshortofsubjects;
pupilswereeager,anditwasapartofthisteacher’spretensionstobealwayswellsupplied。AtthesametimetherecamethenewsofaburialintherusticgraveyardofGlencorse。Timehaslittlechangedtheplaceinquestion。
Itstoodthen,asnow,uponacrossroad,outofcallofhumanhabitations,andburiedfathomdeepinthefoliageofsixcedartrees。Thecriesofthesheepupontheneighbouringhills,thestreamletsuponeitherhand,oneloudlysingingamongpebbles,theotherdrippingfurtivelyfrompondtopond,thestirofthewindinmountainousoldfloweringchestnuts,andonceinsevendaysthevoiceofthebellandtheoldtunesoftheprecentor,weretheonlysoundsthatdisturbedthesilencearoundtheruralchurch。TheResurrectionMan—touseabynameoftheperiod—wasnottobedeterredbyanyofthesanctitiesofcustomarypiety。Itwaspartofhistradetodespiseanddesecratethescrollsandtrumpetsofoldtombs,thepathswornbythefeetofworshippersandmourners,andtheofferingsandtheinscriptionsofbereavedaffection。Torusticneighbourhoods,whereloveismorethancommonlytenacious,andwheresomebondsofbloodorfellowshipunitetheentiresocietyofaparish,thebody—snatcher,farfrombeingrepelledbynaturalrespect,wasattractedbytheeaseandsafetyofthetask。Tobodiesthathadbeenlaidinearth,injoyfulexpectationofafardifferentawakening,therecamethathasty,lamp—lit,terror—hauntedresurrectionofthespadeandmattock。Thecoffinwasforced,thecerementstorn,andthemelancholyrelics,cladinsackcloth,afterbeingrattledforhoursonmoonlessbyways,wereatlengthexposedtouttermostindignitiesbeforeaclassofgapingboys。
Somewhatastwovulturesmayswoopuponadyinglamb,FettesandMacfarlaneweretobeletlooseuponagraveinthatgreenandquietresting—place。Thewifeofafarmer,awomanwhohadlivedforsixtyyears,andbeenknownfornothingbutgoodbutterandagodlyconversation,wastoberootedfromhergraveatmidnightandcarried,deadandnaked,tothatfar—awaycitythatshehadalwayshonouredwithherSunday’sbest;theplacebesideherfamilywastobeemptytillthecrackofdoom;herinnocentandalmostvenerablememberstobeexposedtothatlastcuriosityoftheanatomist。
Lateoneafternoonthepairsetforth,wellwrappedincloaksandfurnishedwithaformidablebottle。Itrainedwithoutremission—acold,dense,lashingrain。Nowandagainthereblewapuffofwind,butthesesheetsoffallingwaterkeptitdown。Bottleandall,itwasasadandsilentdriveasfarasPenicuik,wheretheyweretospendtheevening。Theystoppedonce,tohidetheirimplementsinathickbushnotfarfromthechurchyard,andonceagainattheFisher’sTryst,tohaveatoastbeforethekitchenfireandvarytheirnipsofwhiskywithaglassofale。Whentheyreachedtheirjourney’sendthegigwashoused,thehorsewasfedandcomforted,andthetwoyoungdoctorsinaprivateroomsatdowntothebestdinnerandthebestwinethehouseafforded。
Thelights,thefire,thebeatingrainuponthewindow,thecold,incongruousworkthatlaybeforethem,addedzesttotheirenjoymentofthemeal。Witheveryglasstheircordialityincreased。SoonMacfarlanehandedalittlepileofgoldtohiscompanion。
’Acompliment,’hesaid。’Betweenfriendstheselittled—daccommodationsoughttoflylikepipe—lights。’
Fettespocketedthemoney,andapplaudedthesentimenttotheecho。’Youareaphilosopher,’hecried。’IwasanasstillIknewyou。YouandK—betweenyou,bytheLordHarry!butyou’llmakeamanofme。’
’Ofcourseweshall,’applaudedMacfarlane。’Aman?Itellyou,itrequiredamantobackmeuptheothermorning。
Therearesomebig,brawling,forty—year—oldcowardswhowouldhaveturnedsickatthelookofthed—dthing;butnotyou—youkeptyourhead。Iwatchedyou。’
’Well,andwhynot?’Fettesthusvauntedhimself。’Itwasnoaffairofmine。Therewasnothingtogainontheonesidebutdisturbance,andontheotherIcouldcountonyourgratitude,don’tyousee?’Andheslappedhispockettillthegoldpiecesrang。
Macfarlanesomehowfeltacertaintouchofalarmattheseunpleasantwords。Hemayhaveregrettedthathehadtaughthisyoungcompanionsosuccessfully,buthehadnotimetointerfere,fortheothernoisilycontinuedinthisboastfulstrain:—
’Thegreatthingisnottobeafraid。Now,betweenyouandme,Idon’twanttohang—that’spractical;butforallcant,Macfarlane,Iwasbornwithacontempt。Hell,God,Devil,right,wrong,sin,crime,andalltheoldgalleryofcuriosities—theymayfrightenboys,butmenoftheworld,likeyouandme,despisethem。Here’stothememoryofGray!’
Itwasbythistimegrowingsomewhatlate。Thegig,accordingtoorder,wasbroughtroundtothedoorwithbothlampsbrightlyshining,andtheyoungmenhadtopaytheirbillandtaketheroad。TheyannouncedthattheywereboundforPeebles,anddroveinthatdirectiontilltheywereclearofthelasthousesofthetown;then,extinguishingthelamps,returnedupontheircourse,andfollowedaby—roadtowardGlencorse。Therewasnosoundbutthatoftheirownpassage,andtheincessant,stridentpouringoftherain。Itwaspitchdark;hereandthereawhitegateorawhitestoneinthewallguidedthemforashortspaceacrossthenight;
butforthemostpartitwasatafootpace,andalmostgroping,thattheypickedtheirwaythroughthatresonantblacknesstotheirsolemnandisolateddestination。Inthesunkenwoodsthattraversetheneighbourhoodoftheburying—
groundthelastglimmerfailedthem,anditbecamenecessarytokindleamatchandre—illumineoneofthelanternsofthegig。Thus,underthedrippingtrees,andenvironedbyhugeandmovingshadows,theyreachedthesceneoftheirunhallowedlabours。
Theywerebothexperiencedinsuchaffairs,andpowerfulwiththespade;andtheyhadscarcebeentwentyminutesattheirtaskbeforetheywererewardedbyadullrattleonthecoffinlid。AtthesamemomentMacfarlane,havinghurthishanduponastone,flungitcarelesslyabovehishead。Thegrave,inwhichtheynowstoodalmosttotheshoulders,wasclosetotheedgeoftheplateauofthegraveyard;andthegiglamphadbeenpropped,thebettertoilluminatetheirlabours,againstatree,andontheimmediatevergeofthesteepbankdescendingtothestream。Chancehadtakenasureaimwiththestone。Thencameaclangofbrokenglass;nightfelluponthem;soundsalternatelydullandringingannouncedtheboundingofthelanterndownthebank,anditsoccasionalcollisionwiththetrees。Astoneortwo,whichithaddislodgedinitsdescent,rattledbehinditintotheprofunditiesoftheglen;andthensilence,likenight,resumeditssway;andtheymightbendtheirhearingtoitsutmostpitch,butnaughtwastobeheardexcepttherain,nowmarchingtothewind,nowsteadilyfallingovermilesofopencountry。
Theyweresonearlyatanendoftheirabhorredtaskthattheyjudgeditwisesttocompleteitinthedark。Thecoffinwasexhumedandbrokenopen;thebodyinsertedinthedrippingsackandcarriedbetweenthemtothegig;onemountedtokeepitinitsplace,andtheother,takingthehorsebythemouth,gropedalongbywallandbushuntiltheyreachedthewiderroadbytheFisher’sTryst。Herewasafaint,diffusedradiancy,whichtheyhailedlikedaylight;bythattheypushedthehorsetoagoodpaceandbegantorattlealongmerrilyinthedirectionofthetown。
Theyhadbothbeenwettedtotheskinduringtheiroperations,andnow,asthegigjumpedamongthedeepruts,thethingthatstoodproppedbetweenthemfellnowupononeandnowupontheother。Ateveryrepetitionofthehorridcontacteachinstinctivelyrepelleditwiththegreaterhaste;andtheprocess,naturalalthoughitwas,begantotelluponthenervesofthecompanions。Macfarlanemadesomeill—favouredjestaboutthefarmer’swife,butitcamehollowlyfromhislips,andwasallowedtodropinsilence。
Stilltheirunnaturalburdenbumpedfromsidetoside;andnowtheheadwouldbelaid,asifinconfidence,upontheirshoulders,andnowthedrenchingsack—clothwouldflapicilyabouttheirfaces。AcreepingchillbegantopossessthesoulofFettes。Hepeeredatthebundle,anditseemedsomehowlargerthanatfirst。Alloverthecountry—side,andfromeverydegreeofdistance,thefarmdogsaccompaniedtheirpassagewithtragicululations;anditgrewandgrewuponhismindthatsomeunnaturalmiraclehadbeenaccomplished,thatsomenamelesschangehadbefallenthedeadbody,andthatitwasinfearoftheirunholyburdenthatthedogswerehowling。
’ForGod’ssake,’saidhe,makingagreatefforttoarriveatspeech,’forGod’ssake,let’shavealight!’
SeeminglyMacfarlanewasaffectedinthesamedirection;for,thoughhemadenoreply,hestoppedthehorse,passedthereinstohiscompanion,gotdown,andproceededtokindletheremaininglamp。Theyhadbythattimegotnofartherthanthecross—roaddowntoAuchenclinny。Therainstillpouredasthoughthedelugewerereturning,anditwasnoeasymattertomakealightinsuchaworldofwetanddarkness。
Whenatlasttheflickeringblueflamehadbeentransferredtothewickandbegantoexpandandclarify,andshedawidecircleofmistybrightnessroundthegig,itbecamepossibleforthetwoyoungmentoseeeachotherandthethingtheyhadalongwiththem。Therainhadmouldedtheroughsackingtotheoutlinesofthebodyunderneath;theheadwasdistinctfromthetrunk,theshouldersplainlymodelled;somethingatoncespectralandhumanrivetedtheireyesupontheghastlycomradeoftheirdrive。
ForsometimeMacfarlanestoodmotionless,holdingupthelamp。Anamelessdreadwasswathed,likeawetsheet,aboutthebody,andtightenedthewhiteskinuponthefaceofFettes;afearthatwasmeaningless,ahorrorofwhatcouldnotbe,keptmountingtohisbrain。Anotherbeatofthewatch,andhehadspoken。Buthiscomradeforestalledhim。
’Thatisnotawoman,’saidMacfarlane,inahushedvoice。
’Itwasawomanwhenweputherin,’whisperedFettes。
’Holdthatlamp,’saidtheother。’Imustseeherface。’
AndasFettestookthelamphiscompanionuntiedthefasteningsofthesackanddrewdownthecoverfromthehead。
Thelightfellveryclearuponthedark,well—mouldedfeaturesandsmooth—shavencheeksofatoofamiliarcountenance,oftenbeheldindreamsofbothoftheseyoungmen。Awildyellrangupintothenight;eachleapedfromhisownsideintotheroadway:thelampfell,broke,andwasextinguished;andthehorse,terrifiedbythisunusualcommotion,boundedandwentofftowardEdinburghatagallop,bearingalongwithit,soleoccupantofthegig,thebodyofthedeadandlong—dissectedGray。
THESTORYOFALIE
CHAPTERI—INTRODUCESTHEADMIRAL
WHENDickNasebywasinParishemadesomeoddacquaintances;
forhewasoneofthosewhohaveearstohear,andcanusetheireyesnolessthantheirintelligence。HemadeasmanythoughtsasStuartMill;buthisphilosophyconcernedfleshandblood,andwasexperimentalastoitsmethod。Hewasatype—hunteramongmankind。Hedespisedsmallgameandinsignificantpersonalities,whetherintheshapeofdukesorbagmen,lettingthemgobylikesea—weed;butshowhimarefinedorpowerfulface,lethimhearaplangentorapenetratingvoice,fishforhimwithalivinglookinsomeone’seye,apassionategesture,ameaningandambiguoussmile,andhismindwasinstantaneouslyawakened。’Therewasaman,therewasawoman,’heseemedtosay,andhestooduptothetaskofcomprehensionwiththedelightofanartistinhisart。
Andindeed,rightlyconsidered,thisinterestofhiswasanartisticinterest。Thereisnoscienceinthepersonalstudyofhumannature。Allcomprehensioniscreation;thewomanI
loveissomewhatofmyhandiwork;andthegreatlover,likethegreatpainter,ishethatcansoembellishhissubjectastomakehermorethanhuman,whilstyetbyacunningarthehassobasedhisapotheosisonthenatureofthecasethatthewomancangoonbeingatruewoman,andgivehercharacterfreeplay,andshowlittleness,orcherishspite,orbegreedyofcommonpleasures,andhecontinuetoworshipwithoutathoughtofincongruity。Toloveacharacterisonlytheheroicwayofunderstandingit。Whenwelove,bysomenoblemethodofourownorsomenobilityofmienornatureintheother,weapprehendthelovedonebywhatisnoblestinourselves。Whenwearemerelystudyinganeccentricity,themethodofourstudyisbutaseriesofallowances。Tobegintounderstandistobegintosympathise;forcomprehensioncomesonlywhenwehavestatedanother’sfaultsandvirtuesintermsofourown。Hencetheproverbialtolerationofartistsfortheirownevilcreations。Hence,too,itcameaboutthatDickNaseby,ahigh—mindedcreature,andasscrupulousandbraveagentlemanasyouwouldwanttomeet,heldinasortofaffectionthevarioushumancreepingthingswhomhehadmetandstudied。
OneofthesewasMr。PeterVanTromp,anEnglish—speaking,two—leggedanimaloftheinternationalgenus,andbyprofessionofgeneralandmorethanequivocalutility。Yearsbeforehehadbeenapainterofsomestandinginacolony,andportraitssigned’VanTromp’hadcelebratedthegreatnessofcolonialgovernorsandjudges。Inthosedayshehadbeenmarried,anddrivenhiswifeandinfantdaughterinaponytrap。Whatwerethestepsofhisdeclension?Nooneexactlyknew。Herehewasatleast,andhadbeenanytimethesepasttenyears,asortofdismalparasiteupontheforeignerinParis。
Itwouldbehazardoustospecifyhisexactindustry。
Coarselyfollowed,itwouldhavemeritedanamegrownsomewhatunfamiliartoourears。Followedashefollowedit,withaskilfulreticence,inakindofsocialchiaroscuro,itwasstillpossibleforthepolitetocallhimaprofessionalpainter。HislairwasintheGrandHotelandthegaudiestcafes。Therehemightbeseenjottingoffasketchwithanairofsomeinspiration;andhewasalwaysaffable,andoneoftheeasiestofmentofallintalkwithal。Aconversationusuallyripenedintoapeculiarsortofintimacy,anditwasextraordinaryhowmanylittleservicesVanTrompcontrivedtorenderinthecourseofsix—and—thirtyhours。Heoccupiedapositionbetweenafriendandacourier,whichmadehimworsethanembarrassingtorepay。Butthosewhomheobligedcouldalwaysbuyoneofhisvillainouslittlepictures,or,wherethefavourshadbeenprolongedandmorethanusuallydelicate,mightorderandpayforalargecanvas,withperfectcertaintythattheywouldhearnomoreofthetransaction。
Amongresidentartistsheenjoyedcelebrityofanon—
professionalsort。Hehadspentmoremoney—nolessthanthreeindividualfortunes,itwaswhispered—thananyofhisassociatescouldeverhopetogain。Apartfromhiscolonialcareer,hehadbeentoGreeceinabrigantinewithfourbrasscarronades;hehadtravelledEuropeinachaiseandfour,drawingbridleatthepalace—doorsofGermanprinces;queensofsonganddancehadfollowedhimlikesheepandpaidhistailor’sbills。Andtobeholdhimnow,seekingsmallloanswithplaintivecondescension,spongingforbreakfastonanart—studentofnineteen,afallenDonJuanwhohadneglectedtodieatthepropitioushour,hadacolourofromanceforyoungimaginations。Hisnameandhisbrightpast,seenthroughtheprismofwhisperedgossip,hadgainedhimthenicknameofTHEADMIRAL。
Dickfoundhimonedayatthereceiptofcustom,rapidlypaintingapairofhensandacockinalittlewater—coloursketchingbox,andnowandthenglancingattheceilinglikeamanwhoshouldseekinspirationfromthemuse。Dickthoughtitremarkablethatapaintershouldchoosetoworkoveranabsintheinapubliccafe,andlookedthemanover。
Theagedrakishnessofhisappearancewassetoffbyayouthfulcostume;hehaddisreputablegreyhairandadisreputablesore,rednose;butthecoatandthegesture,theoutworksoftheman,werestilldesignedforshow。Dickcameuptohistableandinquiredifhemightlookatwhatthegentlemanwasdoing。NoonewassodelightedastheAdmiral。
’Abitofathing,’saidhe。’Ijustdashthemofflikethat。I—Idashthemoff,’headdedwithagesture。
’Quiteso,’saidDick,whowasappalledbythefeeblenessoftheproduction。
’Understandme,’continuedVanTromp;’Iamamanoftheworld。Andyet—onceanartistalwaysanartist。Allofasuddenathoughttakesmeinthestreet;Ibecomeitsprey:
it’slikeaprettywoman;nousetostruggle;Imust—dashitoff。’
’Isee,’saidDick。
’Yes,’pursuedthepainter;’itallcomeseasily,easilytome;itisnotmybusiness;it’sapleasure。Lifeismybusiness—life—thisgreatcity,Paris—Parisafterdark—
itslights,itsgardens,itsoddcorners。Aha!’hecried,’tobeyoungagain!Theheartisyoung,buttheheelsareleaden。Apoor,meanbusiness,togrowold!NothingremainsbuttheCOUPD’OEIL,thecontemplativeman’senjoyment,Mr。—
,’andhepausedforthename。
’Naseby,’returnedDick。
Theothertreatedhimatoncetoanexcitingbeverage,andexpatiatedonthepleasureofmeetingacompatriotinaforeignland;tohearhim,youwouldhavethoughttheyhadencounteredinCentralAfrica。Dickhadneverfoundanyonetakeafancytohimsoreadily,norshowitinaneasierorlessoffensivemanner。Heseemedtickledwithhimasanelderlyfellowabouttownmightbetickledbyapleasantandwittylad;heindicatedthathewasnoprecision,butinhiswildesttimeshadneverbeensuchabladeashethoughtDick。
Dickprotested,butinvain。Thismannerofcarryinganintimacyatthebayonet’spointwasVanTromp’sstock—in—
trade。Withanoldermanheinsinuatedhimself;withyouthheimposedhimself,andinthesamebreathimposedanidealonhisvictim,whosawthathemustworkuptoitorlosetheesteemofthisoldandviciouspatron。Andwhatyoungmancanbeartoloseacharacterforvice?
Atlast,asitgrewtowardsdinner—time,’DoyouknowParis?’
askedVanTromp。