第27章

hasaskedifthereisnootherwineinthehouse；hasbeeninformedthatthereissome"sourishforeignstuffthatnobodyeverdrinks"；hascalledforabottleofit；hasfounditBurgundy，suchasallFrancecannotnowproduce，hascunninglykepthisowncounselwiththewidowedlandlady，andhasboughtthewholestockfor"anoldsong。"SometimesheknowstheproprietorofafamoustaverninLondon，andherecommendshisoneortwoparticularfriends，thenexttimetheyarepassingthatway，togoinanddine，andgivehiscomplimentstothelandlord，andaskforabottleofthebrownsherry，withthelightblue——asdistinguishedfromthedarkblue——seal。Thousandsofpeopledinethereeveryyear，andthinktheyhavegotthefamoussherrywhentheygetthedarkblueseal；buttherealwine，thefamouswine，isthelightblueseal，andnobodyinEnglandknowsitbutthelandlordandhisfriends。Inallthesewine—conversations，whatevervarietytheremaybeinthevariousexperiencesrelated，oneoftwogreatfirstprinciplesisinvariablyassumedbyeachspeakerinsuccession。Eitherheknowsmoreaboutitthananyoneelse，orhehasgotbetterwineofhisowneventhantheexcellentwineheisnowdrinking。Mencangettogethersometimeswithouttalkingofwomen，withouttalkingofhorses，withouttalkingofpolitics，buttheycannotassembletoeatamealtogetherwithouttalkingofwine，andtheycannottalkofwinewithoutassumingtoeachoneofthemselvesanabsoluteinfallibilityinconnectionwiththatsinglesubjectwhichtheywouldshrinkfromassertinginrelationtoanyothertopicunderthesun。

Howlongtheinevitablewine—talklastedontheparticularsocialoccasionofwhichIamnowwritingismorethanIcanundertaketosay。Ihadheardsomanyotherconversationsofthesamesortatsomanyothertablesthatmyattentionwanderedawaywearily，andIbegantoforgetallaboutthedulllittledinner—partyandthebadly—assortedcompanyofguestsofwhomIformedone。HowlongIremainedinthisnotover—courteousconditionofmentaloblivionismorethanIcantell；butwhenmyattentionwasrecalled，induecourseoftime，tothelittleworldaroundme，I

foundthatthegoodwinehadbeguntodoitsgoodoffice。

Thestreamoftalkoneithersideofthehost’schairwasnowbeginningtoflowcheerfullyandcontinuously；thewine—conversationhadwornitselfout；andoneoftheelderguests——Mr。Wendell——wasoccupiedintellingtheotherguest——Mr。

Trowbridge——ofasmallfraudwhichhadlatelybeencommittedonhimbyaclerkinhisemployment。ThefirstpartofthestoryI

missedaltogether。Thelastpart，whichalonecaughtmyattention，followedthecareeroftheclerktothedockoftheOldBailey。

"So，asIwastellingyou，"continuedMr。Wendell，"Imadeupmymindtoprosecute，andIdidprosecute。Thoughtlesspeopleblamedmeforsendingtheyoungmantoprison，andsaidImightjustaswellhaveforgivenhim，seeingthatthetriflingsumofmoneyI

hadlostbyhisbreachoftrustwasbarelyasmuchastenpounds。

Ofcourse，personallyspeaking，Iwouldmuchrathernothavegoneintocourt；butIconsideredthatmydutytosocietyingeneral，andtomybrothermerchantsinparticular，absolutelycompelledmetoprosecuteforthesakeofexample。Iactedonthatprinciple，andIdon’tregretthatIdidso。Thecircumstancesunderwhichthemanrobbedmewereparticularlydisgraceful。Hewasahardenedreprobate，sir，ifevertherewasoneyet；andI

believe，inmyconscience，thathewantednothingbuttheopportunitytobeasgreatavillainasFauntleroyhimself。"

AtthemomentwhenMr。WendellpersonifiedhisideaofconsummatevillainybyquotingtheexampleofFauntleroy，Isawtheothermiddle—agedgentleman——Mr。Trowbridge——coloruponasudden，andbegintofidgetinhischair。

"Thenexttimeyouwanttoproduceaninstanceofavillain，sir，"saidMr。Trowbridge，"IwishyoucouldcontrivetoquotesomeotherexamplethanFauntleroy。"

Mr。Wendellnaturallyenoughlookedexcessivelyastonishedwhenheheardthesewords，whichwereveryfirmlyand，atthesametime，verypolitelyaddressedtohim。

"MayIinquirewhyyouobjecttomyexample？"heasked。

"Iobjecttoit，sir，"saidMr。Trowbridge，"becauseitmakesmeveryuncomfortabletohearFauntleroycalledavillain。"

"Goodheavensabove！"exclaimedMr。Wendell，utterlybewildered。

"Uncomfortable！——you，amercantilemanlikemyself——you，whosecharacterstandssohigheverywhere——youuncomfortablewhenyouhearamanwhowashangedforforgerycalledavillain！Inthenameofwonder，why？"

"Because，"answeredMr。Trowbridge，withperfectcomposure，"Fauntleroywasafriendofmine。"

"Excuseme，mydearsir，"retortedMr。Wendell，inaspolishedatoneofsarcasmashecouldcommand；"butofallthefriendswhomyouhavemadeinthecourseofyourusefulandhonorablecareer，Ishouldhavethoughtthefriendyouhavejustmentionedwouldhavebeentheverylasttowhomyouwerelikelytoreferinrespectablesociety，atleastbyname。"

"Fauntleroycommittedanunpardonablecrime，anddiedadisgracefuldeath，"saidMr。Trowbridge。"But，forallthat，Fauntleroywasafriendofmine，andinthatcharacterIshallalwaysacknowledgehimboldlytomydyingday。Ihaveatendernessforhismemory，thoughheviolatedasacredtrust，anddiedforitonthegallows。Don’tlookshocked，Mr。Wendell。I

willtellyou，andourotherfriendshere，iftheywillletme，whyIfeelthattenderness，whichlookssostrangeandsodiscreditableinyoureyes。Itisratheracuriousanecdote，sir，andhasaninterest，Ithink，forallobserversofhumannaturequiteapartfromitsconnectionwiththeunhappymanofwhomwehavebeentalking。Youyounggentlemen，"continuedMr。

Trowbridge，addressinghimselftousjuniors，"haveheardofFauntleroy，thoughhesinnedandsuffered，andshockedallEnglandlongbeforeyourtime？"

Weansweredthatwehadcertainlyheardofhimasoneofthefamouscriminalsofhisday。WeknewthathehadbeenapartnerinagreatLondonbanking—house；thathehadnotledaveryvirtuouslife；thathehadpossessedhimself，byforgery，oftrust—moneyswhichhewasdoublyboundtorespect；andthathehadbeenhangedforhisoffense，intheyeareighteenhundredandtwenty—four，whenthegallowswasstillsetupforothercrimesthanmurder，andwhenJackKetchwasinfashionasoneofthehard—workingreformersoftheage。

"Verygood，"saidMr。Trowbridge。"YoubothofyouknowquiteenoughofFauntleroytobeinterestedinwhatIamgoingtotellyou。Whenthebottleshavebeenroundthetable，Iwillstartwithmystory。"

Thebottleswentround——claretforthedegenerateyoungsters；

portforthesterling，steady—headed，middle—agedgentlemen。Mr。

Trowbridgesippedhiswine——meditatedalittle——sippedagain——andstartedwiththepromisedanecdoteintheseterms：

CHAPTERII。

WHATIamgoingtotellyou，gentlemen，happenedwhenIwasaveryyoungman，andwhenIwasjustsettingupinbusinessonmyownaccount。

MyfatherhadbeenwellacquaintedformanyyearswithMr。

Fauntleroy，ofthefamousLondonbankingfirmofMarsh，Stracey，Fauntleroy&Graham。Thinkingitmightbeofsomefutureservicetometomakemypositionknowntoagreatmaninthecommercialworld，myfathermentionedtohishighly—respectedfriendthatI

wasabouttostartinbusinessformyselfinaverysmallway，andwithverylittlemoney。Mr。Fauntleroyreceivedtheintimationwithakindappearanceofinterest，andsaidthathewouldhavehiseyeonme。IexpectedfromthisthathewouldwaittoseeifIcouldkeeponmylegsatstarting，andthat，ifhefoundIsucceededprettywell，hewouldthenhelpmeforwardifitlayinhispower。Aseventsturnedout，heprovedtobeafarbetterfriendthanthat，andhesoonshowedmethatIhadverymuchunderratedtheheartyandgenerousinterestwhichhehadfeltinmywelfarefromthefirst。

WhileIwasstillfightingwiththedifficultiesofsettingupmyoffice，andrecommendingmyselftomyconnection，andsoforth，I

gotamessagefromMr。Fauntleroytellingmetocallonhim，atthebanking—house，th

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