第35章

“Notmuchtodohere，“Isaytothehostler。 “Verylittletodo，sir，“thehostlerreplies。 “Anybodystayinginthehouse？“ “Thehouseisquiteempty，sir。“ “Ithoughtyouwerealldead。Icouldmakenobodyhearme。“ “Thelandlordisverydeaf，sir，andthewaiterisoutonanerrand。“ “Yes；andYOUwerefastasleepinthestable。Doyouoftentakeanapinthedaytime？“ Thewornfaceofthehostlerfaintlyflushes。Hiseyeslookawayfrommyeyesforthefirsttime。Mrs。Fairbankfurtivelypinchesmyarm。Areweontheeveofadiscoveryatlast？Irepeatmyquestion。Themanhasnocivilalternativebuttogivemeananswer。Theanswerisgiveninthesewords: “Iwastiredout，sir。Youwouldn’thavefoundmeasleepinthedaytimebutforthat。“ “Tiredout，eh？Youhadbeenhardatwork，Isuppose？“ “No，sir。“ “Whatwasit，then？“ Hehesitatesagain，andanswersunwillingly，“Iwasupallnight。“ “Upallnight？Anythinggoingoninthetown？“ “Nothinggoingon，sir。“ “Anybodyill？“ “Nobodyill，sir。“ Thatreplyisthelast。TryasImay，Icanextractnothingmorefromhim。Heturnsawayandbusieshimselfinattendingtothehorse’sleg。IleavethestabletospeaktothelandlordaboutthecarriagewhichistotakeusbacktoFarleighHall。Mrs。Fairbankremainswiththehostler，andfavorsmewithalookatparting。 Thelooksaysplainly，“Imeantofindoutwhyhewasupallnight。 LeavehimtoMe。“ Theorderingofthecarriageiseasilyaccomplished。Theinnpossessesonehorseandonechaise。Thelandlordhasastorytotellofthehorse，andastorytotellofthechaise。TheyresemblethestoryofFrancisRaven——withthisexception，thatthehorseandchaisebelongtonoreligiouspersuasion。“Thehorsewillbenineyearoldnextbirthday。I’vehadtheshayforfour- and-twentyyear。Mr。Max，ofUnderbridge，hebredthehorse；andMr。Pooley，ofYeovil，hebuilttheshay。It’smyhorseandmyshay。Andthat’sTHEIRstory！“Havingrelievedhismindofthesedetails，thelandlordproceedstoputtheharnessonthehorse。Bywayofassistinghim，Idragthechaiseintotheyard。Justasourpreparationsarecompleted，Mrs。Fairbankappears。Amomentortwolaterthehostlerfollowsherout。Hehasbandagedthehorse’sleg，andisnowreadytodriveustoFarleighHall。Iobservesignsofagitationinhisfaceandmanner，whichsuggestthatmywifehasfoundherwayintohisconfidence。Iputthequestiontoherprivatelyinacorneroftheyard。“Well？HaveyoufoundoutwhyFrancisRavenwasupallnight？“ Mrs。Fairbankhasaneyetodramaticeffect。Insteadofansweringplainly，YesorNo，shesuspendstheinterestandexcitestheaudiencebyputtingaquestiononherside。 “Whatisthedayofthemonth，dear？“ “ThedayofthemonthisthefirstofMarch。“ “ThefirstofMarch，Percy，isFrancisRaven’sbirthday。“ ItrytolookasifIwasinterested——anddon’tsucceed。 “Franciswasborn，“Mrs。Fairbankproceedsgravely，“attwoo’clockinthemorning。“ Ibegintowonderwhethermywife’sintellectisgoingthewayofthelandlord’sintellect。“Isthatall？“Iask。 “ItisNOTall，“Mrs。Fairbankanswers。“FrancisRavensitsuponthemorningofhisbirthdaybecauseheisafraidtogotobed。“ “Andwhyisheafraidtogotobed？“ “Becauseheisinperilofhislife。“ “Onhisbirthday？“ “Onhisbirthday。Attwoo’clockinthemorning。Asregularlyasthebirthdaycomesround。“ Thereshestops。Hasshediscoverednomorethanthat？Nomorethusfar。Ibegintofeelreallyinterestedbythistime。Iaskeagerlywhatitmeans？Mrs。Fairbankpointsmysteriouslytothechaise——withFrancisRaven(hithertoourhostler，nowourcoachman) waitingforustogetin。Thechaisehasaseatfortwoinfront，andaseatforonebehind。Mywifecastsawarninglookatme，andplacesherselfontheseatinfront。 ThenecessaryconsequenceofthisarrangementisthatMrs。Fairhanksitsbythesideofthedriverduringajourneyoftwohoursandmore。NeedIstatetheresult？Itwouldbeaninsulttoyourintelligencetostatetheresult。Letmeofferyoumyplaceinthechaise。AndletFrancisRaventellhisterriblestoryinhisownwords。 ItisnowtenyearsagosinceIgotmyfirstwarningofthegreattroubleofmylifeintheVisionofaDream。 IshallbebetterabletotellyouaboutitifyouwillpleasesupposeyourselvestobedrinkingteaalongwithusinourlittlecottageinCambridgeshire，tenyearssince。 Thetimewasthecloseofday，andtherewerethreeofusatthetable，namely，mymother，myself，andmymother’ssister，Mrs。 Chance。ThesetwowereScotchwomenbybirth，andbothwerewidows。 TherewasnootherresemblancebetweenthemthatIcancalltomind。MymotherhadlivedallherlifeinEngland，andhadnomoreoftheScotchbrogueonhertonguethanIhave。MyauntChancehadneverbeenoutofScotlanduntilshecametokeephousewithmymotherafterherhusband’sdeath。AndwhenSHEopenedherlipsyouheardbroadScotch，Icantellyou，ifyoueverheardityet！ Asitfellout，therewasamatterofsomeconsequenceindebateamongusthatevening。Itwasthis:whetherIshoulddowellornottotakealongjourneyonfootthenextmorning。 Nowthenextmorninghappenedtobethedaybeforemybirthday；andthepurposeofthejourneywastooffermyselfforasituationasgroomatagreathouseintheneighboringcountytoours。Theplacewasreportedaslikelytofallvacantinaboutthreeweeks’ time。Iwasaswellfittedtofillitasanyotherman。Intheprosperousdaysofourfamily，myfatherhadbeenmanagerofatrainingstable，andhehadkeptmeemployedamongthehorsesfrommyboyhoodupward。Pleasetoexcusemytroublingyouwiththesesmallmatters。Theyallfitintomystoryfartheron，asyouwillsoonfindout。Mypoormotherwasdeadagainstmyleavinghomeonthemorrow。 “Youcanneverwalkallthewaythereandallthewaybackagainbyto-morrownight，“shesays。“Theendofitwillbethatyouwillsleepawayfromhomeonyourbirthday。Youhaveneverdonethatyet，Francis，sinceyourfather’sdeath，Idon’tlikeyourdoingitnow。Waitadaylonger，myson——onlyoneday。“ Formyownpart，Iwaswearyofbeingidle，andIcouldn’tabidethenotionofdelay。Evenonedaymightmakeallthedifference。 Someothermanmighttaketimebytheforelock，andgettheplace。 “ConsiderhowlongIhavebeenoutofwork，“Isays，“anddon’taskmetoputoffthejourney。Iwon’tfailyou，mother。I’llgetbackbyto-morrownight，ifIhavetopaymylastsixpenceforaliftinacart。“ Mymothershookherhead。“Idon’tlikeit，Francis——Idon’tlikeit！“Therewasnomovingherfromthatview。Wearguedandargued，untilwewerebothatadeadlock。Itendedinouragreeingtoreferthedifferencebetweenustomymother’ssister，Mrs。 Chance。 Whileweweretryinghardtoconvinceeachother，myauntChancesatasdumbasafish，stirringherteaandthinkingherownthoughts。Whenwemadeourappealtoher，sheseemedasitweretowakeup。“Yebaithreferittomypuirjudgment？“shesays，inherbroadScotch。WebothansweredYes。UponthatmyauntChancefirstclearedthetea-table，andthenpulledoutfromthepocketofhergownapackofcards。 Don’trunaway，ifyouplease，withthenotionthatthiswasdonelightly，withaviewtoamusemymotherandme。MyauntChanceseriouslybelievedthatshecouldlookintothefuturebytellingfortunesonthecards。Shedidnothingherselfwithoutfirstconsultingthecards。Shecouldgivenomoreseriousproofofherinterestinmywelfarethantheproofwhichshewasofferingnow。 Idon’tsayitprofanely；Ionlymentionthefact——thecardshad，insomeincomprehensibleway，gotthemselvesjumbleduptogetherwithherreligiousconvictions。Youmeetwithpeoplenowadayswhobelieveinspiritsworkingbywayoftablesandchairs。Onthesameprinciple(ifthereISanyprincipleinit)myauntChancebelievedinProvidenceworkingbywayofthecards。 “WhetherYOUareright，Francie，oryourmither——whetheryewilldoweelorill，themorrow，togoorstay——thecairdswilltellit。 Wearea’inthehandsofProavidence。Thecairdswilltellit。“ Hearingthis，mymotherturnedherheadaside，withsomethingofasourlookinherface。Hersister’snotionsaboutthecardswerelittlebetterthanflatblasphemytohermind。Butshekeptheropiniontoherself。MyauntChance，toownthetruth，hadinherited，throughherlatehusband，apensionofthirtypoundsayear。Thiswasanimportantcontributiontoourhousekeeping，andwepoorrelationswereboundtotreatherwithacertainrespect。 Asformyself，ifmypoorfatherneverdidanythingelseformebeforehefellintodifficulties，hegavemeagoodeducation，andraisedme(thankGod)abovesuperstitionsofallsorts。However，averylittleamusedmeinthosedays；andIwaitedtohavemyfortunetold，aspatientlyasifIbelievedinittoo！ Myauntbeganherhocuspocusbythrowingoutallthecardsinthepackunderseven。Sheshuffledtherestwithherlefthandforluck；andthenshegavethemtometocut。“Wi’yerlefthand，Francie。Mindthat！PetyourtrustinProavidence——butdinnaforgetthatyourluck’sinyerlefthand！“Alongandroundaboutshiftingofthecardsfollowed，reducingtheminnumberuntiltherewerejustfifteenofthemleft，laidoutneatlybeforemyauntinahalfcircle。Thecardwhichhappenedtolieoutermost，attheright-handendofthecircle，was，accordingtoruleinsuchcases，thecardchosentorepresentMe。Bywayofbeingappropriatetomysituationasapoorgroomoutofemployment，thecardwas——theKingofDiamonds。 “Itak’uptheKingo’Diamants，“saysmyaunt。“Icountsevencairdsfra’richttoleft；andIhumblyaskablessingonwhatfollows。“Myauntshuthereyesasifshewassayinggracebeforemeat，andhelduptometheseventhcard。Icalledtheseventhcard——theQueenofSpades。Myauntopenedhereyesagaininahurry，andcastaslylookmyway。“TheQueeno’Spadesmeansadairkwoman。Ye’llbethinkinginsecret，Francie，ofadairkwoman？“ Whenamanhasbeenoutofworkformorethanthreemonths，hismindisn’ttroubledmuchwiththinkingofwomen——lightordark。I wasthinkingofthegroom’splaceatthegreathouse，andItriedtosayso。MyauntChancewouldn’tlisten。Shetreatedmyinterpretationwithcontempt。“Hoot-toot！there’sthecairdinyourhand！Ifye’renothinkingofhertheday，ye’llbethinkingofherthemorrow。Where’stheharmofthinkingofadairkwoman！