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hard cash-第87章

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ces still held him by some fibres of the heartin a moment of natural indignation he had applied the touchstone; but its success grieved him。 He could not bear to go on exposing his father; so he left the room with a deep sigh; in which pity mingled with shame and regret。 He wandered out into the silent night; and soon was leaning on the gate of Albion Villa; gazing wistfully at the windows; and sore perplexed and nobly wretched。

As he was going out; Mr。 Hardie raised his eyebrows with a look of disinterested wonder and curiosity; and touched his forehead to Jane; as much as to say; 〃Is he disordered in his mind?〃

As soon as they were alone; he asked her coolly what Alfred meant。 She said she had no idea。 Then he examined her keenly about this fourteen thousand pounds; and found; to his relief; Alfred had never even mentioned it to her。

And now Richard Hardie; like his son; wanted to be alone; and think over this new peril that had risen in the bosom of his own family; and; for once; the company of his favourite child was irksome: he made an excuse and strolled out in his turn into the silent night。 It was calm and clear: the thousand holy eyes; under which men prefer to do their crimesexcept when they are in too great a hurry to waitlooked down and seemed to wonder anything can be so silly as to sin; and beneath their pure gaze the man of the world pondered with all his soul。 He tormented himself with conjectures: through what channel did Alfred suspect him? Through the Dodds? Were they aware of their loss? Had the pocket…book spoken? If so; why had not Mrs。 Dodd or her son attacked him? But then perhaps Alfred was their agent: they wished to try a friendly remonstrance through a mutual friend before proceeding to extremities; this accorded with Mrs。 Dodd's character as he remembered her。

The solution was reasonable; but he was relieved of it by recollecting what Alfred had said; that he had not entered the house since the bank broke。

On this he began to hope Alfred's might be a mere suspicion he could not establish by any proof; and at all events; he would lock it in his own breast like a good son: his never having given a hint even to his sister favoured this supposition。

Thus meditating; Mr。 Hardie found himself at the gate of Albion Villa。

Yet he had strolled out with no particular intention of going there。 Had his mind; apprehensive of danger from that quarter; driven his body thither?

He took a look at the house; and the first thing he saw was a young lady leaning over the balcony; and murmuring softly to a male figure below; whose outline Mr。 Hardie could hardly discern; for it stood in the shadow。 Mr。 Hardie was delighted。

〃Aha; Miss Juliet;〃 said he; 〃if Alfred does not visit you; some one else does。 You have soon supplied your peevish lover's place。〃 He then withdrew softly from the gate; not to disturb the intrigue; and watched a few yards off; determined to see who Julia's nightly visitor was; and give Alfred surprise for surprise。

He had not long to wait: the man came away directly; and walked; head erect; past Mr。 Hardie; and glanced full in his face; but did not vouchsafe him a word。 It was Alfred himself。

Mr。 Hardie was profoundly alarmed and indignant。 〃The young traitor! Never enter the house? no; but he comes and tells her everything directly under her window on the sly; and; when he is caughtdefies me to my face。〃 And now he suspected female cunning and malice in the way that thunderbolt had been quietly prepared for him and launched; without warning; in his very daughter's presence; and the result just communicated to Julia Dodd。

In a very gloomy mood he followed his son; and heard his firm though elastic tread on the frosty ground; and saw how loftily he carried his head; and from that moment feared; and very; very nearly hated him。

The next day he feigned sick and sent for Osmond。 That worthy prescribed a pill and a draught; the former laxative; the latter astringent。 This ceremony performed; Mr。 Hardie gossipped with him; and; after a detour or two; glided to his real anxiety。 〃Sampson tells me you know more about Captain Dodd's case than he does: he is not very clear as to the cause of the poor man's going mad。〃

〃The cause? Why; apoplexy。〃

〃Yes; but I mean what caused the apoplexy?〃

Mr。 Osmond replied that apoplexy was often idiopathic。* Captain Dodd; as he understood; had fallen down in the street in a sudden fit: 〃but as for the mania; that is to be attributed to an insufficient evacuation of blood while under the apoplectic coma。〃

… *〃Arising of itself。〃 A term rather hastily applied to disorders the coming signs of which have not been detected by the medical attendant。

The birth of Topsy was idiopathicin that learned lady's opinion。 …

〃Not bled enough! Why; Sampson says it is because he was bled too much。〃

Osmond was amused at this; and repeated that the mania came of not being bled enough。

The discussion was turned into an unexpected quarter by the entrance of Jane Hardie; who came timidly in and said; 〃Oh; Mr。 Osmond; I cannot let you go without telling you how anxious I am about Alfred。 He is so thin; and pale; and depressed。〃

〃Nonsense; Jane;〃 said Mr。 Hardie; 〃have we not all cause to be dejected in this house?〃 But she persisted gently that there was more in it than that; and his headaches were worse; and she could not be easy any longer without advice。

〃Ah! those headaches;〃 said Mr。 Osmond; 〃they always made me uneasy。 To tell the truth; Miss Hardie; I have noticed a remarkable change in him; but I did not like to excite apprehensions。 And so he mopes; does he? seeks solitude; and is taciturn; and dejected?〃

〃Yes。 But I do not mind that so much as his turning so pale and thin。〃

〃Oh; it is all part of one malady。〃

〃Then you know what is the matter?〃

 〃I think I do; and yours is a wise and timely anxiety。 Your brother's is a very delicate case of hyperaesthetic character; and I should like to have the advice of a profound physician。 Let me see; Dr。 Wycherley will be with me to…morrow: may I bring him over as a friend?〃

This proposal did not at all suit Mr。 Hardie。 He put his own construction on Alfred's pallor and dejection; and was uneasy at the idea of his being cross…questioned by a couple of doctors:

〃No; no;〃 said he; 〃Taff has fancies enough already。 I cannot have you gentlemen coming here to fill his head with many more。〃

〃Oh; he has fancies; has he?〃 said Osmond keenly。 〃My dear sir; we shall not say one word to _him:_ that might irritate him: but I should like _you_ to hear a truly learned opinion。〃

Jane looked so imploringly that Mr。 Hardie yielded a reluctant assent; on those terms。

So the next day; by appointment; Mr。 Osmond introduced his friend Dr。 Wycherley: bland and bald with a fine bead; and a face naturally intelligent; but crossed every now and then by gleams of vacancy; a man of large reading; and of tact to make it subserve his interests。 A voluminous writer on certain medical subjects; he had so saturated himself with circumlocution; that it distilled from his very tongue: he talked like an Article; a Quarterly one; and so gained two advantages: 1st; he rarely irritated a fellow…
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