按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
the mouth of any man who has the courage to repeat it often
enough； and Allan had the courage to repeat it often enough on
this occasion。
〃Very good； sir；〃 said the lawyer； accepting his defeat without
the slightest loss of temper。 〃The choice rests with you； and you
have chosen。 We will go the long way。 It starts （allow me to
inform you） from my office； and it leads （as I strongly suspect）
through a very miry road toMiss Gwilt。〃
Allan looked at his legal adviser in speechless astonishment。
〃If you won't expose the person who is responsible in the first
instance； sir； for the inquiries to which you unfortunately lent
yourself；〃 proceeded Mr。 Pedgift the elder； 〃the only other
alternative； in your present position； is to justify the
inquiries themselves。〃
〃And how is that to be done？〃 inquired Allan。
〃By proving to the whole neighborhood； Mr。 Armadale； what I
firmly believe to be the truththat the pet object of the public
protection is an adventuress of the worst class； an undeniably
worthless and dangerous woman。 In plainer English still； sir； by
employing time enough and money enough to discover the truth
about Miss Gwilt。〃
Before Allan could say a word in answer； there was an
interruption at the door。 After the usual preliminary knock； one
of the servants came in。
〃I told you I was not to be interrupted；〃 said Allan； irritably。
〃Good heavens！ am I never to have done with them？ Another
letter！〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 said the man； holding it out。 〃And；〃 he added；
speaking words of evil omen in his master's ears； 〃the person
waits for an answer。〃
Allan looked at the address of the letter with a natural
expectation of encountering the handwriting of the major's wife。
The anticipation was not realized。 His correspondent was plainly
a lady； but the lady was not Mrs。 Milroy。
〃Who can it be？〃 he said； looking mechanically at Pedgift Senior
as he opened the envelope。
Pedgift Senior gently tapped his snuff…box； and said； without a
moment's hesitation； 〃Miss Gwilt。〃
Allan opened the letter。 The first two words in it were the echo
of the two words the lawyer had just pronounced。 It _was_ Miss
Gwilt！
Once more； Allan looked at his legal adviser in speechless
astonishment。
〃I have known a good many of them in my time； sir；〃 explained
Pedgift Senior； with a modesty equally rare and becoming in a man
of his age。 〃Not as handsome as Miss Gwilt； I admit。 But quite as
bad； I dare say。 Read your letter； Mr。 Armadaleread your
letter。〃
Allan read these lines：
〃Miss Gwilt presents her compliments to Mr。 Armadale and begs to
know if it will be convenient to him to favor her with an
interview； either this evening or to…morrow morning。 Miss Gwilt
offers no apology for making her present request。 She believes
Mr。 Armadale will grant it as an act of justice toward a
friendless woman whom he has been innocently the means of
injuring； and who is earnestly desirous to set herself right in
his estimation。〃
Allan handed the letter to his lawyer in silent perplexity and
distress。
The face of Mr。 Pedgift the elder expressed but one feeling when
he had read the letter in his turn and had handed it backa
feeling of profound admiration。 〃What a lawyer she would have
made；〃 he exclaimed； fervently； 〃if she had only been a man！〃
〃I can't treat this as lightly as you do； Mr。 Pedgift；〃 said
Allan。 〃It's dreadfully distressing to me。 I was so fond of her；〃
he added； in a lower tone〃I was so fond of her once。〃
Mr。 Pedgift Senior suddenly became serious on his side。
〃Do you mean to say； sir； that you actually contemplate seeing
Miss Gwilt？〃 he asked； with an expression of genuine dismay。
〃I can't treat her cruelly；〃 returned Allan。 〃I have been the
means of injuring herwithout intending it； God knows！ I can't
treat her cruelly after that！ 〃
〃Mr。 Armadale；〃 said the lawyer； 〃you did me the honor； a little
while since； to say that you considered me your friend。 May I
presume on that position to ask you a question or two； before you
go straight to your own ruin？〃
〃Any questions you like；〃 said Allan； looking back at the
letterthe only letter he had ever received from Miss Gwilt。
〃You have had one trap set for you already； sir； and you have
fallen into it。 Do you want to fall into another？〃
〃You know the answer to that question； Mr。 Pedgift； as well as I
do。〃
〃I'll try again； Mr。 Armadale； we lawyers are not easily
discouraged。 Do you think that any statement Miss Gwilt might
make to you； if you do see her； would be a statement to be relied
on； after what you and my son discovered in London？〃
〃She might explain what we discovered in London；〃 suggested
Allan； still looking at the writing； and thinking of the hand
that had traced it。
〃_Might_ explain it？ My dear sir； she is quite certain to explain
it！ I will do her justice： I believe she would make out a case
without a single flaw in it from beginning to end。〃
That last answer forced Allan's attention away from the letter。
The lawyer's pitiless common sense showed him no mercy。
〃If you see that woman again； sir；〃 proceeded Pedgift Senior；
〃you will commit the rashest act of folly I ever heard of in all
my experience。 She can have but one object in coming hereto
practice on your weakness for her。 Nobody can say into what false
step she may not lead you； if you once give her the opportunity。
You admit yourself that you have been fond of her； your
attentions to her have been the subject of general remark； if you
haven't actually offered her the chance of becoming Mrs。
Armadale； you have done the next thing to it； and knowing all
this； you propose to see her； and to let her work on you with her
devilish beauty and her devilish cleverness； in the character of
your interesting victim！ You； who are one of the best matches in
England！ You； who are the natural prey of all the hungry single
women in the community！ I never heard the like of it； I never； in
all my professional experience； heard the like of it！ If you must
positively put yourself in a dangerous position； Mr。 Armadale；〃
concluded Pedgift the elder； with the everlasting pinch of snuff
held in suspense between his box and his nose； 〃there's a
wild…beast show coming to our town next week。 Let in the tigress；
sir； don't let in Miss Gwilt！〃
For the third time Allan looked at his lawyer。 And for the third
time his lawyer looked back at him quite unabashed。
〃You seem to have a very bad opinion of Miss Gwilt；〃 said Allan。
〃The worst possible opinion； Mr。 Armadale；〃 retorted Pedgift
Senior； coolly。 〃We will return to that when we have sent the
lady's messenger about his business。 Will you take my advice？
Will you decline to see her？〃
〃I would willingly declineit would be so dreadfully distressing
to both of us；〃 said Allan。 〃I would willingly decline； if I only
knew how。〃
〃Bless my soul； Mr。 Armadale； it's easy enough！ Don't commit
_you_ yourself in writing。 Send out to the messenger； and say
there's no answer。〃
The short course thus suggested was a course which Allan
positively declined to take。 〃It's treating her brutally；〃 he
said； 〃I can't and won't do it。〃
Once more the pertinacity of Pedgift the elder found its limits；
and once more that wise man yielded gracefully to a compromise。
On receiving his client's promise not to s ee Miss Gwilt； he
consented to Allan's committing himself in writing under his
lawyer's dictation。 The letter thus produced was modeled in
Allan's own style； it began and ended in one sentence。 〃Mr。
Armadale presents his compliments to Miss Gwilt； and regrets that
he cannot have the pleasure of seeing her at Thorpe Ambrose。〃
Allan had pleaded hard for a second sentence； explaining that he
only declined Miss Gwilt's request from a conviction that an
interview would be needlessly distressing on both sides。 But his
legal adviser firmly rejected the proposed addition to the
letter。 〃When you say No to a woman； sir；〃 remarked Pedgift
Senior； 〃always say it in one word。 If you give her your reasons；
she invariably believes that you mean Yes。〃
Producing that little gem of wisdom from the rich mine of his
professional experience； Mr。 Pedgift the elder sent out the
answer to Miss Gwilt's messenger； and recommended the servant to
〃see the fellow； whoever he was； well clear of the house。〃
〃Now； sir；〃 said the lawyer； 〃we will come back； if you like； to
my opinion of Miss Gwilt。 It doesn't it all agree with yours； I'm
afraid。 You think her an object of pityquite natural at your
age。 I think her an object for the inside of a prisonquite
natural at mine。 You shall hear the grounds on which I have
formed my opinion directly。 Let me show you that I am in earnest
by putting the opinion itself； in the first place； to a practical
test。 Do you think Miss Gwilt is likely to persist in paying you
a visit； Mr。 Armadale； after the answer you have just sent to
her？〃
〃Quite impossible！〃 cried Allan； warmly。 〃Miss Gwilt is a lady；
after the letter I have sent to her； she will never come near me
again。〃
〃There we join issue； sir；〃 cried Pedgift Senior。 〃I say she will
snap her fingers at your letter （which was one of the reasons why
I objected to your wr