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classic mystery and detective stories-第53部分
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price does not suit me。 I only happen to have thirty…four and
sixpence in my pocket; of which I want a shilling for the waiter;
and eighteen pence for my cab。 You rich foreigners and SWELLS may
spend what you like〃 (I had him there: for my friend's dress was as
shabby as an old…clothes man's); 〃but a man with a family; Mr。
Whatd'you…call'im; cannot afford to spend seven or eight hundred a
year on his dinner alone。〃
〃Bah!〃 he said。 〃Nunkey pays for all; as you say。 I will what you
call stant the dinner; if you are SO POOR!〃 and again he gave that
disagreeable grin; and placed an odious crook…nailed and by no
means clean finger to his nose。 But I was not so afraid of him
now; for we were in a public place; and the three glasses of port
wine had; you see; given me courage。
〃What a pretty snuff…box!〃 he remarked; as I handed him mine; which
I am still old…fashioned enough to carry。 It is a pretty old gold
box enough; but valuable to me especially as a relic of an old; old
relative; whom I can just remember as a child; when she was very
kind to me。 〃Yes; a pretty box。 I can remember when many ladies
most ladies; carried a boxnay; two boxestabatiere and
bonbonniere。 What lady carries snuff…box now; hey? Suppose your
astonishment if a lady in an assembly were to offer you a prise? I
can remember a lady with such a box as this; with a tour; as we
used to call it then; with paniers; with a tortoise…shell cane;
with the prettiest little high…heeled velvet shoes in the world!
ah! that was a time; that was a time! Ah; Eliza; Eliza; I have
thee now in my mind's eye! At Bungay on the Waveney; did I not
walk with thee; Eliza? Aha; did I not love thee? Did I not walk
with thee then? Do I not see thee still?〃
This was passing strange。 My ancestressbut there is no need to
publish her revered namedid indeed live at Bungay St。 Mary's;
where she lies buried。 She used to walk with a tortoise…shell
cane。 She used to wear little black velvet shoes; with the
prettiest high heels in the world。
〃Did youdid youknow; then; my great…gr…nd…m…ther?〃 I said。
He pulled up his coat sleeve〃Is that her name?〃 he said。
〃Eliza〃
There; I declare; was the very name of the kind old creature
written in red on his arm。
〃YOU knew her old;〃 he said; divining my thoughts (with his strange
knack); 〃I knew her young and lovely。 I danced with her at the
Bury ball。 Did I not; dear; dear Miss ?〃
As I live; he here mentioned dear gr…nny's MAIDEN name。 Her maiden
name was 。 Her honored married name was 。
〃She married your great…gr…ndf…th…r the year Poseidon won the
Newmarket Plate;〃 Mr。 Pinto dryly remarked。
Merciful powers! I remember; over the old shagreen knife and spoon
case on the sideboard in my gr…nny's parlor; a print by Stubbs of
that very horse。 My grandsire; in a red coat; and his fair hair
flowing over his shoulders; was over the mantelpiece; and Poseidon
won the Newmarket Cup in the year 1783!
〃Yes; you are right。 I danced a minuet with her at Bury that very
night; before I lost my poor leg。 And I quarreled with your
grandf; ha!〃
As he said 〃Ha!〃 there came three quiet little taps on the table
it is the middle table in the 〃Gray's…Inn CoffeeHouse;〃 under the
bust of the late Duke of W…ll…ngt…n。
〃I fired in the air;〃 he continued; 〃did I not?〃 (Tap; tap; tap。)
〃Your grandfather hit me in the leg。 He married three months
afterwards。 'Captain Brown;' I said 'who could see Miss Sm…th
without loving her?' She is there! She is there!〃 (Tap; tap;
tap。) 〃Yes; my first love〃
But here there came tap; tap; which everybody knows means 〃No。〃
〃I forgot;〃 he said; with a faint blush stealing over his wan
features; 〃she was not my first love。 In Germin my own country
there WAS a young woman〃
Tap; tap; tap。 There was here quite a lively little treble knock;
and when the old man said; 〃But I loved thee better than all the
world; Eliza;〃 the affirmative signal was briskly repeated。
And this I declare UPON MY HONOR。 There was; I have said; a bottle
of port wine before usI should say a decanter。 That decanter was
LIFTED UP; and out of it into our respective glasses two bumpers of
wine were poured。 I appeal to Mr。 Hart; the landlordI appeal to
James; the respectful and intelligent waiter; if this statement is
not true? And when we had finished that magnum; and I saidfor I
did not now in the least doubt her presence〃Dear gr…nny; may we
have another magnum?〃 the table DISTINCTLY rapped 〃No。〃。
〃Now; my good sir;〃 Mr。 Pinto said; who really began to be affected
by the wine; 〃you understand the interest I have taken in you。 I
loved Eliza 〃 (of course I don't mention family names)。 〃I
knew you had that box which belonged to herI will give you what
you like for that box。 Name your price at once; and I pay you on
the spot。〃
〃Why; when you came out; you said you had not six…pence in your
pocket。〃
〃Bah! give you anything you likefiftya hundreda tausend
pound。〃
〃Come; come;〃 said I; 〃the gold of the box may be worth nine
guineas; and the facon we will put at six more。〃
〃One tausend guineas!〃 he screeched。 〃One tausend and fifty pound
dere!〃 and he sank back in his chairno; by the way; on his bench;
for he was sitting with his back to one of the partitions of the
boxes; as I dare say James remembers。
〃DON'T go on in this way;〃 I continued rather weakly; for I did not
know whether I was in a dream。 〃If you offer me a thousand guineas
for this box I MUST take it。 Mustn't I; dear gr…nny?〃
The table most distinctly said 〃Yes〃; and putting out his claws to
seize the box; Mr。 Pinto plunged his hooked nose into it; and
eagerly inhaled some of my 47 with a dash of Hardman。
〃But stay; you old harpy!〃 I exclaimed; being now in a sort of
rage; and quite familiar with him。 〃Where is the money? Where is
the check?〃
〃James; a piece of note paper and a receipt stamp!〃
〃This is all mighty well; sir;〃 I said; 〃but I don't know you; I
never saw you before。 I will trouble you to hand me that box back
again; or give me a check with some known signature。〃
〃Whose? Ha; Ha; HA!〃
The room happened to be very dark。 Indeed all the waiters were
gone to supper; and there were only two gentlemen snoring in their
respective boxes。 I saw a hand come quivering down from the
ceilinga very pretty hand; on which was a ring with a coronet;
with a lion rampant gules for a crest。 I saw that hand take a dip
of ink and write across the paper。 Mr。 Pinto; then; taking a gray
receipt stamp out of his blue leather pocketbook; fastened it on to
the paper by the usual process; and the hand then wrote across the
receipt stamp; went across the table and shook hands with Pinto;
and then; as if waving him an adieu; vanished in the direction of
the ceiling。
There was the paper before me; wet with the ink。 There was the pen
which THE HAND had used。 Does anybody doubt me? I have that pen
now;a cedar stick of a not uncommon sort; and holding one of
Gillott's pens。 It is in my inkstand now; I tell you。 Anybody may
see it。 The handwriting on the check; for such the document was;
was the writing of a female。 It ran thus:〃London; midnight;
March 31; 1862。 Pay the bearer one thousand and fifty pounds。
Rachel Sidonia。 To Messrs。 Sidonia; Pozzosanto and Co。; London。〃
〃Noblest and best of women!〃 said Pinto; kissing the sheet of paper
with much reverence。 〃My good Mr。 Roundabout; I suppose you do not
question THAT signature?〃
Indeed the house of Sidonia; Pozzosanto and Co。; is known to be one
of the richest in Europe; and as for the Countess Rachel; she was
known to be the chief manager of that enormously wealthy
establishment。 There was only one little difficulty; the Countess
Rachel died last October。
I pointed out this circumstance; and tossed over the paper to Pinto
with a sneer。
〃C'est a brandre ou a laisser;〃 he said with some heat。 〃You
literary men are all imbrudent; but I did not tink you such a fool
wie dis。 Your box is not worth twenty pound; and I offer you a
tausend because I know you want money to pay dat rascal Tom's
college bills。〃 (This strange man actually knew that my scapegrace
Tom had been a source of great expense and annoyance to me。) 〃You
see money costs me nothing; and you refuse to take it! Once;
twice; will you take this check in exchange for your trumpery
snuff…box?〃
What could I do? My poor granny's legacy was valuable and dear to
me; but after all a thousand guineas are not to be had every day。
〃Be it a bargain;〃 said I。 〃Shall we have a glass of wine on it?〃
says Pinto; and to this proposal I also unwillingly acceded;
reminding him; by the way; that he had not yet told me the story of
the headless man。
〃Your poor gr…ndm…ther was right just now; when she said she was
not my first love
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