pgw.adamselindistress-第12部分

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n；　the　most　rigid　regard　for　the　dignity　of　his　great　name。　　Yet；　here　he　was；　if　the　carefully　considered　reports　in　the　daily　press　were　to　be　believed；　spending　his　time　in　the　very　spring…tide　of　his　life　running　about　London　like　a　frenzied　Hottentot；　brutally　assaulting　the　police。　Lady　Caroline　felt　as　a　bishop　might　feel　if　he　suddenly　discovered　that　some　favourite　curate　had　gone　over　to　the　worship　of　Mumbo　Jumbo。
　〃Explain？〃　she　cried。　〃How　can　you　explain？　Youmy　nephew；　the　heir　to　the　title；　behaving　like　a　mon　rowdy　in　the　streets　of　London　。　。　。　your　name　in　the　papers　。　。　。
　〃If　you　knew　the　circumstances。〃
　〃The　circumstances？　They　are　in　the　evening　paper。　They　are　in　print。〃
　〃In　verse；〃　added　Lord　Marshmoreton。　He　chuckled　amiably　at　the　recollection。　He　was　an　easily　amused　man。　　〃You　ought　to　read　it；　my　boy。　Some　of　it　was　capital　。　。　。〃
　〃John！〃
　〃But　deplorable；　of　course；〃　added　Lord　Marshmoreton　hastily。　〃Very　deplorable。〃　He　endeavoured　to　regain　his　sister's　esteem　by　a　show　of　righteous　indignation。　〃What　do　you　mean　by　it；　damn　it？　You're　my　only　son。　I　have　watched　you　grow　from　child　to　boy；　from　boy　to　man；　with　tender　solicitude。　I　have　wanted　to　be　proud　of　you。　And　all　the　time；　dash　it；　you　are　prowling　about　London　like　a　lion；　seeking　whom　you　may　devour；　terrorising　the　metropolis；　putting　harmless　policemen　in　fear　of　their　lives。　。　。〃
　〃Will　you　listen　to　me　for　a　moment？〃　shouted　Percy。　He　began　to　speak　rapidly；　as　one　conscious　of　the　necessity　of　saying　his　say　while　the　saying　was　good。　〃The　facts　are　these。　I　was　walking　along　Piccadilly　on　my　way　to　lunch　at　the　club；　when；　near　Burlington　Arcade；　I　was　amazed　to　see　Maud。〃
　Lady　Caroline　uttered　an　exclamation。
　〃Maud？　But　Maud　was　here。〃
　〃I　can't　understand　it；〃　went　on　Lord　Marshmoreton；　pursuing　his　remarks。　Righteous　indignation　had；　he　felt；　gone　well。　It　might　be　judicious　to　continue　in　that　vein；　though　privately　he　held　the　opinion　that　nothing　in　Percy's　life　so　became　him　as　this　assault　on　the　Force。　Lord　Marshmoreton；　who　in　his　time　had　mitted　all　the　follies　of　youth；　had　e　to　look　on　his　blameless　son　as　scarcely　human。　〃It's　not　as　if　you　were　wild。　　You've　never　got　into　any　scrapes　at　Oxford。　　You've　spent　your　time　collecting　old　china　and　prayer　rugs。　　You　wear　flannel　next　your　skin　。　。　。〃
　〃Will　you　please　be　quiet；〃　said　Lady　Caroline　impatiently。　　〃Go　on；　Percy。〃
　〃Oh；　very　well；〃　said　Lord　Marshmoreton。　〃I　only　spoke。　　I　merely　made　a　remark。〃
　〃You　say　you　saw　Maud　in　Piccadilly；　Percy？〃
　〃Precisely。　I　was　on　the　point　of　putting　it　down　to　an　extraordinary　resemblance；　when　suddenly　she　got　into　a　cab。　Then　I　knew。〃
　Lord　Marshmoreton　could　not　permit　this　to　pass　in　silence。　　He　was　a　fair…minded　man。
　〃Why　shouldn't　the　girl　have　got　into　a　cab？　Why　must　a　girl　walking　along　Piccadilly　be　my　daughter　Maud　just　because　she　got　into　a　cab。　London；〃　he　proceeded；　warming　to　the　argument　and　thrilled　by　the　clearness　and　coherence　of　his　reasoning；　〃is　full　of　girls　who　take　cabs。〃
　〃She　didn't　take　a　cab。〃
　〃You　just　said　she　did；〃　said　Lord　Marshmoreton　cleverly。
　〃I　said　she　got　into　a　cab。　There　was　somebody　else　already　in　the　cab。　A　man。　Aunt　Caroline；　it　was　the　man。〃
　〃Good　gracious；〃　ejaculated　Lady　Caroline；　falling　into　a　chair　as　if　she　had　been　hamstrung。
　〃I　am　absolutely　convinced　of　it；〃　proceeded　Lord　Belpher　solemnly。　〃His　behaviour　was　enough　to　confirm　my　suspicions。　　The　cab　had　stopped　in　a　block　of　the　traffic；　and　I　went　up　and　requested　him　in　a　perfectly　civil　manner　to　allow　me　to　look　at　the　lady　who　had　just　got　in。　He　denied　that　there　was　a　lady　in　the　cab。　And　I　had　seen　her　jump　in　with　my　own　eyes。　Throughout　the　conversation　he　was　leaning　out　of　the　window　with　the　obvious　intention　of　screening　whoever　was　inside　from　my　view。　　I　followed　him　along　Piccadilly　in　another　cab；　and　tracked　him　to　the　Carlton。　When　I　arrived　there　he　was　standing　on　the　pavement　outside。　There　were　no　signs　of　Maud。　I　demanded　that　he　tell　me　her　whereabouts。　。　。〃
　〃That　reminds　me；〃　said　Lord　Marshmoreton　cheerfully；　〃of　a　story　I　read　in　one　of　the　papers。　I　daresay　it's　old。　Stop　me　if　you've　heard　it。　A　woman　says　to　the　maid：　'Do　you　know　anything　of　my　husband's　whereabouts？'　And　the　maid　replies〃
　〃Do　be　quiet；〃　snapped　Lady　Caroline。　〃I　should　have　thought　that　you　would　be　interested　in　a　matter　affecting　the　vital　welfare　of　your　only　daughter。〃
　〃I　am。　I　am；〃　said　Lord　Marshmoreton　hastily。　〃The　maid　replied：　'They're　at　the　wash。'　Of　course　I　am。　Go　on；　Percy。　Good　God；　boy；　don't　take　all　day　telling　us　your　story。〃
　〃At　that　moment　the　fool　of　a　policeman　came　up　and　wanted　to　know　what　the　matter　was。　I　lost　my　head。　I　admit　it　freely。　The　policeman　grasped　my　shoulder；　and　I　struck　him。〃
　〃Where？〃　asked　Lord　Marshmoreton；　a　stickler　for　detail。
　〃What　does　that　matter？〃　demanded　Lady　Caroline。　〃You　did　quite　right；　Percy。　These　insolent　jacks　in　office　ought　not　to　be　allowed　to　manhandle　people。　Tell　me；　what　this　man　was　like？〃
　〃Extremely　ordinary…looking。　In　fact；　all　I　can　remember　about　him　was　that　he　was　clean…shaven。　I　cannot　understand　how　Maud　could　have　e　to　lose　her　head　over　such　a　man。　　He　seemed　to　me　to　have　no　attraction　whatever；〃　said　Lord　Belpher；　a　little　unreasonably；　for　Apollo　himself　would　hardly　appear　attractive　when　knocking　one's　best　hat　off。
　〃It　must　have　been　the　same　man。〃
　〃Precisely。　If　we　wanted　further　proof；　he　was　an　American。　　You　recollect　that　we　heard　that　the　man　in　Wales　was　American。〃
　There　was　a　portentous　silence。　Percy　stared　at　the　floor。　Lady　Caroline　breathed　deeply。　Lord　Marshmoreton；　feeling　that　something　was　expected　of　him；　said　〃Good　Gad！〃　and　gazed　seriously　at　a　stuffed　owl　on　a　bracket。　Maud　and　Reggie　Byng　came　in。
　〃What　ho；　what　ho；　what　ho！〃　said　Reggie　breezily。　He　always　believed　in　starting　a　conversation　well；　and　putting　people　at　their　ease。　〃What　ho！　What　ho！〃
　Maud　braced　herself　for　the　encounter。
　〃Hullo；　Percy；　dear；〃　she　said；　meeting　her　brother's　accusing　eye　with　the　perfect　posure　that　es　only　from　a　thoroughly　guilty　conscience。　〃What's　all　this　I　hear　about　your　being　the　Scourge　of　London？　Reggie　says　that　policemen　dive　down　manholes　when　they　see　you　ing。〃
　The　chill　in　the　air　would　have　daunted　a　less　courageous　girl。　Lady　Caroline　had　risen；　and　was　staring　sternly。　Percy　was　pulling　the　puffs　of　an　overwrought　soul。　Lord　Marshmoreton；　whose　thoughts　had　wandered　off　to　the　rose　garden；　pulled　himself　together　and　tried　to　look　menacing。　Maud　went　on　without　waiting　for　a　reply。　She　was　all　bubbling　gaiety　and　insouciance；　a　charming　picture　of　young　English　girlhood　that　nearly　made　her　brother　foam　at　the　mouth。
　〃Father　dear；〃　she　said；　attaching　herself　affectionately　to　his　buttonhole；　〃I　went　round　the　links　in　eighty…three　this　morning。　I　did　the　long　hole　in　four。　One　under　par；　a　thing　I've　never　done　before　in　my　life。〃　（〃Bless　my　soul；〃　said　Lord　Marshmoreton　weakly；　as；　with　an　apprehensive　eye　on　his　sister；　he　patted　his　daughter's　shoulder。）　〃First；　I　sent　a　screecher　of　a　drive　right　down　the　middle　of　the　fairway。　Then　I　took　my　brassey　and　put　the　ball　just　on　the　edge　of　the　green。　A　hundred　and　eighty　yards　if　it　was　an　inch。　My　approach　putt〃
　Lady　Caroline；　who　was　no　devotee　of　the　royal　and　ancient　game；　interrupted　the　recital。
　〃Never　mind　what　you　did　this　morning。　What　did　you　do　yesterday　afternoon？〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Lord　Belpher。　〃Where　were　you　yesterday　afternoon？〃
　Maud's　gaze　was　the　gaze　of　a　young　child　who　has　never　even　attempted　to　put　anything　over　in　all　its　little　life。
　〃Whatever　do　you　mean？〃
　〃What　were　you　doing　in　Piccadilly　yesterday　afternoon？〃　said　Lady　Caroline。
　〃Piccadilly？　The　place　where　Percy　fights　policemen？　I　don't　understand。〃
　Lady　Caroline　was　no　sportsman。　She　put　one　of　those　direct　questions；　capable　of　being　answered　only　by　〃Yes〃　or　〃No〃；　which　ought　not　to　be　allowed　in　controversy。　They　are　the　verbal　equivalent　of　shooting　a　sitting　bird。
　〃Did　you　or　did　you　not　go　to　London　yesterday；　Maud？〃
　The　monstrous　unfairness　of　this　method　of　attack　pained　Maud。　From　childhood　up　she　had　held　the　customary　feminine　views　upon　the　Lie　Direct。　As　long　as　it　was　a　question　of　suppression　of　the　true　or　suggestion　of　the　false　she　had　no　scruples。　　But　she　had　a　distaste　for　deliberate　falsehood。　Faced　now　with　a　choice　between　two　evils；　she　chose　the　one　which　would　at　least　leave　her　self…respect。
　〃Yes；　I　did。〃
　Lady　Caroline　looked　at　Lord　Belpher。　Lord　Belpher　looked　at　Lady　Caroline。
　〃You　went　to　meet　that　American　of　yours？〃
　Reggie　Byng　slid　softly　from　the　room。　He　felt　that　he　would　be　happier　elsewhere。　He　had　been　an　acutely　embarrassed　spectator　of　this　distressing　scene；　and　had　been　passing　the　time　by　shuffling　his　feet；　playing　with　his　coat　buttons　and　perspiring。
　〃Don't　go；　Reggie；〃　said　Lord　Belpher。
　〃Well；　what　I　mean　to　say　isfamily　row　and　what　notif　you　see　what　I　meanI've　one　or　two　things　I　ought　to　do〃
　He　vanished。　Lord　Belpher　frowned　a　sombre　frown。　　〃Then　it　was　that　man　who　knocked　my　hat　off？〃