第167章

Impartial sleep flies at the steps of the scaffold and the gate of Elysium: so Alfred awoke at the above; but doubted whether he was quite awake; for two velvet lips seemed to be still touching his. He stirred, and somebody was gone like the wind, with a rustle of flying petticoats, and his door shut in a moment. It closed with a catch-lock; this dastardly vision had opened it with her key, and left it open to make good her retreat if he should awake. Alfred sat up in bed indignant, and somewhat fluttered. "Confound her impudence," said he. But there was no help for it; he grinned and bore it, as he had the blisters, and boluses, &c., rolled the clothes round his shoulders, and off to the sleep of the just again. Not so the passionate hypocrite, who, maddened by a paroxysm of jealousy, had taken this cowardly advantage of a prisoner. She had sucked fresh poison from those honest lips, and filled her veins with molten fire. She tossed and turned the livelong night in a high fever of passion, nor were the cold chills wanting of shame and fear at what she had done.

In the morning, Alfred remembered this substantial vision, and determined to find out which of those two it was. "I shall know by her looks," said he; "she won't be able to meet my eye. Well, the first he saw was Mrs.

Archbold. She met his eye full with a mild and pensive dignity. "Come, it is not you," thought Alfred. Presently he fell in with Hannah. She wore a serene, infantine face, the picture of unobtrusive modesty. Alfred was dumbfoundered. "It's not this one, either," said he. "But then, it must.

Confound her impudence for looking so modest." However, he did not speak to her; he was looking out for a face that interested him far more: the weather-beaten countenance of Giles Brown. He saw him once or twice, but could not get him alone till the afternoon. He invited him into his room:

and when he got him there, lost no time. "Just look me in the face, Brown," said he quietly. Brown looked him in the face.

"Now, sir, am I mad or sane?"

Brown turned his head away. Alfred laughed. "No, no, none of your tricks, old fellow: look me in the face while you answer."The man coloured. "I can't look a gentleman like you in the face, and tell him he is mad.""I should think not. Well, now; what shall I give you to help me escape?""Hush! don't mention that, sir; it's as much as my place is worth even to listen to you.""Well! then I must give you as much as your place is worth. Please to calculate that, and name the figure.""My place! I wouldn't lose it for a hundred pounds.""Exactly. Then I'll give you a hundred guineas.""And how am I to get my money, sir?""The first time you are out, come to Albion Villa, in Barkington, and I'll have it all ready for you.""And suppose you were to say, 'No: you didn't ought ever to have been confined'?""I must trouble you to look in my face again, Mr. Brown. Now, do you see treason, bad faith, avarice, ingratitude, rascality in it?""Not a grain of 'em," said Brown, with an accent of conviction. "Well, now, I'll tell you the truth; I can read a gent by this time: and I'm no more afeared for the money than if I had it in my hand. But ye see, my stomach won't let me do it."This was a sad disappointment; so sudden, too. " Your stomach?" said Alfred ruefully. "'What do you mean?""Ay, my stomach. Wouldn't _your_stomach rise against serving a man that had done you the worst turn one man can do another--been and robbed you of your sweetheart?"Alfred stared with amazement.

Brown continued, and now with some emotion: "Hannah Blake and I were very good friends till you came, and I was thinking of asking her to name the day; but now she won't look at me. 'Don't come teasing me,' says she, 'Iam meat for your master.' It's you that have turned the girl's head, sir.""Bother the women!" said Alfred cordially. "Oh, what plagues they are!

And how unjust _you_ are, to spite me for the fault of another. Can Ihelp the fools from spooning upon me?" He reflected a moment then burst out: "Brown, you are a duffer, a regular duffer. What, don't you see your game is to get me out of the place? If you do, in forty-eight hours Ishall be married to my Julia, and that dumpling-faced girl will be cured.