第28章

Iwastruetohim——IcanhonestlysayIwastruetomybeliefinmygenerousfriend——whenthatfearfulnewsreachedme。Myfellow—merchantshadgotalltheparticularsofthearrest。TheytoldmethattwoofMr。Fauntleroy’sfellow—trusteeshadcomeuptoLondontomakearrangementsaboutsellingoutsomestock。OninquiringforMr。Fauntleroyatthebanking—house，theyhadbeeninformedthathewasnotthere；and，afterleavingamessageforhim，theyhadgoneintotheCitytomakeanappointmentwiththeirstockbrokerforafutureday，whentheirfellow—trusteemightbeabletoattend。Thestock—brokervolunteeredtomakecertainbusinessinquiriesonthespot，withaviewtosavingasmuchtimeaspossible，andleftthemathisofficetoawaithisreturn。Hecameback，lookingverymuchamazed，withtheinformationthatthestockhadbeensoldoutdowntothelastfivehundredpounds。Theaffairwasinstantlyinvestigated；thedocumentauthorizingthesellingoutwasproduced；andthetwotrusteessawonit，sidebysidewithMr。Fauntleroy’ssignature，theforgedsignaturesoftheirownnames。ThishappenedontheFriday，andthetrustees，withoutlosingamoment，senttheofficersofjusticeinpursuitofMr。Fauntleroy。Hewasarrested，broughtupbeforethemagistrate，andremandedontheSaturday。OntheMondayIheardfrommyfriendstheparticularswhichIhavejustnarrated。

Buttheeventsofthatonemorningwerenotdestinedtoendevenyet。IhaddiscoveredthefailureofthebankandthearrestofMr。Fauntleroy。Iwasnexttobeenlightened，inthestrangestandthesaddestmanner，onthedifficultquestionofhisinnocenceorhisguilt。

Beforemyfriendshadleftmyoffice——beforeIhadexhaustedtheargumentswhichmygratituderatherthanmyreasonsuggestedtomeinfavoroftheunhappyprisoner——anote，markedimmediate，wasplacedinmyhands，whichsilencedmetheinstantIlookedatit。ItwaswrittenfromtheprisonbyMr。Fauntleroy，anditcontainedtwolinesonly，entreatingmetoapplyforthenecessaryorder，andtogoandseehimimmediately。

Ishallnotattempttodescribetheflutterofexpectation，thestrangemixtureofdreadandhopethatagitatedmewhenI

recognizedhishandwriting，anddiscoveredwhatitwasthathedesiredmetodo。Iobtainedtheorderandwenttotheprison。

Theauthorities，knowingthedreadfulsituationinwhichhestood，wereafraidofhisattemptingtodestroyhimself，andhadsettwomentowatchhim。Onecameoutastheyopenedhiscelldoor。Theother，whowasboundnottoleavehim，verydelicatelyandconsideratelyaffectedtobelookingoutofwindowthemomentIwasshownin。

Hewassittingonthesideofhisbed，withhisheaddroopingandhishandshanginglistlesslyoverhiskneeswhenIfirstcaughtsightofhim。Atthesoundofmyapproachhestartedtohisfeet，and，withoutspeakingaword，flungbothhisarmsroundmyneckMyheartswelledup。

"Tellmeit’snottrue，sir！ForGod’ssake，tellmeit’snottrue！"wasallIcouldsaytohim。

Heneveranswered——ohme！heneveranswered，andheturnedawayhisface。

Therewasonedreadfulmomentofsilence。Hestillheldhisarmsroundmyneck，andonasuddenheputhislipsclosetomyear。

"Didyougetyourmoneyout？"hewhispered。"WereyouintimeonSaturdayafternoon？"

Ibrokefreefromhimintheastonishmentofhearingthosewords。

"What！"Icriedoutloud，forgettingthethirdpersonatthewindow。"Thatmanwhobroughtthemessage——"

"Hush！"hesaid，puttinghishandonmylips。"Therewasnobettermantobefound，aftertheofficershadtakenme——Iknownomoreabouthimthanyoudo——Ipaidhimwellasachancemessenger，andriskedhischeatingmeofhiserrand。"

"_You_senthim，then！"

"Isenthim。"

Mystoryisover，gentlemen。ThereisnoneedformetotellyouthatMr。Fauntleroywasfoundguilty，andthathediedbythehangman’shand。Itwasinmypowertosoothehislastmomentsinthisworldbytakingonmyselfthearrangementofsomeofhisprivateaffairs，which，whiletheyremainedunsettled，weighedheavilyonhismind。Theyhadnoconnectionwiththecrimeshehadcommitted，soIcoulddohimthelastlittleservicehewasevertoacceptatmyhandswithaclearconscience。

Isaynothingindefenseofhischaracter——nothinginpalliationoftheoffenseforwhichhesuffered。ButIcannotforgetthatinthetimeofhismostfearfulextremity，whenthestrongarmofthelawhadalreadyseizedhim，hethoughtoftheyoungmanwhosehumblefortuneshehadhelpedtobuild；whoseheartfeltgratitudehehadfairlywon；whosesimplefaithhewasresolvednevertobetray。Ileaveittogreaterintellectsthanminetoreconciletheanomalyofhisrecklessfalsehoodtowardothersandhissteadfasttruthtowardme。ItisascertainasthatwesitherethatoneofFauntleroy’slasteffortsinthisworldwastheefforthemadetopreservemefrombeingaloserbythetrustthatIhadplacedinhim。Thereisthesecretofmystrangetendernessforthememoryofafelon；thatiswhythewordvillaindoessomehowstillgrateonmyheartwhenIhearitassociatedwiththename——thedisgracedname，Igrantyou——oftheforgerFauntleroy。Passthebottles，younggentlemen，andpardonamanoftheoldschoolforhavingsolonginterruptedyourconversationwithastoryoftheoldtime。

THETENTHDAY。

THEstormhasburstonusinitsfullfury。Lastnightthestoutoldtowerrockedonitsfoundations。

Ihardlyventuredtohopethatthemessengerwhobringsusourlettersfromthevillage——thepostman，aswecallhim——wouldmakehisappearancethismorning；buthecamebravelythroughrain，hailandwind。Theoldponywhichheusuallyrideshadrefusedtofacethestorm，and，soonerthandisappointus，ourfaithfulpostmanhadboldlystartedforTheGlenToweronfoot。Allhisearlylifehadbeenpassedonboardship，and，atsixtyyearsofage，hehadbattledhiswaythatmorningthroughthestormonshoreassteadilyandasresolutelyaseverhehadbattleditinhisyouththroughthestormatsea。

Iopenedthepost—bageagerly。ThereweretwolettersforJessiefromyoungladyfriends；aletterforOwenfromacharitablesociety；alettertomeuponbusiness；and——onthislastday，ofallothers——nonewspaper！

Isentdirectlytothekitchen（wherethedrenchedandwearypostmanwasreceivingthehospitableattentionsoftheservants）

tomakeinquiries。Thedishearteninganswerreturnedwasthatthenewspapercouldnothavearrivedasusualbythemorning’spost，oritmusthavebeenputintothebagalongwiththeletters。Nosuchaccidentasthishadoccurred，exceptononeformeroccasion，sincethebeginningoftheyear。Andnow，ontheverydaywhenImighthavelookedconfidentlyfornewsofGeorge’sship，whenthestateoftheweathermadethefindingofthatnewsofthelastimportancetomypeaceofmind，thepaper，bysomeinconceivablefatality，hadfailedtoreachme！Iftherehadbeentheslightestchanceofborrowingacopyinthevillage，Ishouldhavegonetheremyselfthroughthetempesttogetit。Iftherehadbeenthefaintestpossibilityofcommunicating，inthatfrightfulweather，withthedistantcountytown，Ishouldhavesentthereorgonetheremyself。Ievenwentthelengthofspeakingtothegroom，anoldservantwhomIknewIcouldtrust。

Themanstaredatmeinastonishment，andthenpointedthroughthewindowtotheblindinghailandthewrithingtrees。

"Nohorsethateverwasfoaled，sir，"hesaid，"wouldface_that_

forlong。It’sa’mostamiraclethatthepostmangotherealive。

Hesayshimselfthathedursn’tgobackagain。I’lltryit，sir，ifyouorderme；butifanaccidenthappens，pleasetoremember，whateverbecomesof_me，_thatIwarnedyoubeforehand。"

Itwasonlytooplainthattheservantwasright，andIdismissedhim。WhatIsufferedfromthatoneaccidentofthemissingnewspaperIamashamedtotell。Noeducatedmancanconceivehowlittlehisacquiredmentaladvantageswillavailhimagainsthisnaturalhumaninheritanceofsuperstition，undercertaincircumstancesoffearandsuspense，untilhehaspassedtheordealinhisownproperperson。Wemostofussoonarriveataknowledgeoftheextentofourstrength，butwemaypassalifetimeandbestillignorantoftheextentofourweakness。

UptothistimeIhadpreservedself—controlenoughtohidether

后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节