登陆注册
5170000000067

第67章 THE DEVIL AND ALL AT AMERSHAM PLACE(4)

La vieillesse est impitoyable.'

The blood leaped darkly into Alain's face.He turned to Romaine and me, and his eyes flashed.

'It is your turn now,' he said.'At least it shall be prison for prison with the two viscounts.'

'Not so, Mr.Alain, by your leave,' said Romaine.'There are a few formalities to be considered first.'

But Alain was already striding towards the door.

'Stop a moment, stop a moment!' cried Romaine.'Remember your own counsel not to despise an adversary.'

Alain turned.

'If I do not despise I hate you!' he cried, giving a loose to his passion.'Be warned of that, both of you.'

'I understand you to threaten Monsieur le Vicomte Anne,' said the lawyer.'Do you know, I would not do that.I am afraid, I am very much afraid, if you were to do as you propose, you might drive me into extremes.'

'You have made me a beggar and a bankrupt,' said Alain.What extreme is left?'

'I scarce like to put a name upon it in this company,' replied Romaine.'But there are worse things than even bankruptcy, and worse places than a debtors' jail.'

The words were so significantly said that there went a visible thrill through Alain; sudden as a sword-stroke, he fell pale again.

'I do not understand you,' said he.

'O yes, you do,' returned Romaine.'I believe you understand me very well.You must not suppose that all this time, while you were so very busy, others were entirely idle.You must not fancy, because I am an Englishman, that I have not the intelligence to pursue an inquiry.Great as is my regard for the honour of your house, M.Alain de St.-Yves, if I hear of you moving directly or indirectly in this matter, I shall do my duty, let it cost what it will: that is, I shall communicate the real name of the Buonapartist spy who signs his letters RUE GREGOIRE DE TOURS.'

I confess my heart was already almost altogether on the side of my insulted and unhappy cousin; and if it had not been before, it must have been so now, so horrid was the shock with which he heard his infamy exposed.Speech was denied him; he carried his hand to his neckcloth; he staggered; I thought he must have fallen.I ran to help him, and at that he revived, recoiled before me, and stood there with arms stretched forth as if to preserve himself from the outrage of my touch.

'Hands off!' he somehow managed to articulate.

'You will now, I hope,' pursued the lawyer, without any change of voice, 'understand the position in which you are placed, and how delicately it behoves you to conduct yourself.Your arrest hangs, if I may so express myself, by a hair; and as you will be under the perpetual vigilance of myself and my agents, you must look to it narrowly that you walk straight.Upon the least dubiety, I will take action.' He snuffed, looking critically at the tortured man.

'And now let me remind you that your chaise is at the door.This interview is agitating to his lordship - it cannot be agreeable for you - and I suggest that it need not be further drawn out.It does not enter into the views of your uncle, the Count, that you should again sleep under this roof.'

As Alain turned and passed without a word or a sign from the apartment, I instantly followed.I suppose I must be at bottom possessed of some humanity; at least, this accumulated torture, this slow butchery of a man as by quarters of rock, had wholly changed my sympathies.At that moment I loathed both my uncle and the lawyer for their coldblooded cruelty.

Leaning over the banisters, I was but in time to hear his hasty footsteps in that hall that had been crowded with servants to honour his coming, and was now left empty against his friendless departure.A moment later, and the echoes rang, and the air whistled in my ears, as he slammed the door on his departing footsteps.The fury of the concussion gave me (had one been still wanted) a measure of the turmoil of his passions.In a sense, I felt with him; I felt how he would have gloried to slam that door on my uncle, the lawyer, myself, and the whole crowd of those who had been witnesses to his humiliation.

同类推荐
  • 发史

    发史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 注大乘入楞伽经并序

    注大乘入楞伽经并序

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A Century of Roundels

    A Century of Roundels

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Little Lame Prince

    The Little Lame Prince

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 许真君玉匣记

    许真君玉匣记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 誓不做小三

    誓不做小三

    安昕昕傻了,疯了,也怕了……如今的她看到谁都唯恐避之不及!她默默承受着好友的唾骂,苦苦拒绝着好友未婚夫的追求,四处躲避他的各种软硬兼施…安昕昕欲哭无泪,平生素来冷静的她,怎么会……
  • 重生之我是你女王

    重生之我是你女王

    身为刁钻蛮横的千金,她为了一个莫黎,气死父母,害大哥嫂子,夺财产给他。脱衣爬床勾引,接触过他的女人都被她害的自杀。而身为她的竹马云霈,深爱她,一直给她善后掩盖。最后慕黎的初恋怀孕,上门挑衅她。她嫉妒的失手杀人,云霈却打电话自首。当她恍然醒悟,她决心要和莫黎了断,莫黎却杀了她。赶到的云霈撕心裂肺的抱起倒在血泊的她。她说“如果有来世,一定好好爱你。”
  • 六角街灯

    六角街灯

    本书是一部极具哈尔滨情味的史诗性作品。十九世纪末叶,随着中东铁路的建设,哈尔滨作为一座国际大都市崛起于东北亚的心脏地带。二十世纪二十年代初,俄国爆发国内战争,哥萨克士兵谢苗退居哈尔滨。他解救了正处于饥饿濒死困境中的俄罗斯贵族之女薇拉,与之结为夫妇,在哈尔滨菅草岭开办牧场,饲养奶牛。他(她)们作为第一代哈尔滨俄侨,开创了哈尔滨乳业的先河。二人生活虽贫苦,但自由豪爽、优雅高贵的气质不改,为保存俄罗斯国宝受尽艰辛。六十年代初,二人再次漂泊,远赴澳大利亚,不幸感染登革出血热,双双身亡。
  • 莲子居词话

    莲子居词话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 门神

    门神

    绿茵场上有这样一类人,在某些时刻能够左右比赛的胜负。 人们把这类人敬称为——门神。 陆豪,一个喜爱实况足球游戏的伪球迷。 2001年秋天,在得到一张《实况足球8》的游戏光盘后,他成为了一位守门员。 最终,他在佛罗伦萨重新崛起的道路上谱写出一段门神传说。 我佛慈悲,我佛V5!!!
  • 别笑,这是大清正史

    别笑,这是大清正史

    雾满拦江PK当年明月?谁是幽默讲史第一人?读者自有公论!清朝多少事,都付笔谈中,让你笑得肚子疼的清史读本:《别笑,这是大清正史》讲述自努尔哈赤出世(1559年)至顺治二年(1645年)史可法困守扬州86年问的大清历史。此时正是清朝崛起、明朝灭亡之大动荡、大变革的非常时期,其问所发生的历史事件,既精彩纷呈,又血腥。惨烈。作者娓娓道来,虽然嬉笑怒骂,但却谑而不虐:看似散漫随意,实则用心良苦;看似如小说家言,实则以信史为本。书中的人物,无论是大英雄熊廷弼、袁崇焕、努尔哈赤、皇太极等人,抑或是大汉奸吴三桂,不论是具有悲剧性格的崇祯皇帝,还是雄才强悍的多尔衮,都一改往日严肃、刻板的面目,泼皮似的调侃使其人物形象陡然生动起来。
  • 左右你一生的心态

    左右你一生的心态

    生活在同一个世界上,为什么有的人过得幸福、快乐、富有,有的人却一直生活在烦恼和贫困之中呢?心态是我们真正的主人。一个人有什么样的心态,就会有什么样的命运。本书告诉你如何调整自己的心态,让自己远离消极的心态,从而以积极的心态应对人生的一切险阻,改变人生的现状,创造崭新的生活,真正成为主宰自己命运的主人。本书从心态的重性开始,分别探讨心态与职业,心态与人际交往,形象与心态,心态与健康……包罗万象,而又深入具体地分析了心态的特征以及影响,是一本参透人生哲理,把握心态脉络的智慧之书,希望能助你揭开心态的神秘面纱,洞悉人性的弱点,调整自我,改善自我,走出心态的误区,踏上成功之路。
  • 许你灿烂晴天

    许你灿烂晴天

    【灿骑&行星饭皆可食用】他是圈内新晋男神,是乐器小王子,也是众粉丝心里的快乐病毒。殊不知坚持这条路是因为她。一场意外,将她的人生彻底颠覆,从此封闭自己的内心。再相遇,校园风云因她而起,高中生活不再平静。重回校园,她变得强大。惹火她,加倍奉还就可以了。可他的出现,却成了她唯一的意外。“我想成为你最依赖的人。”他的真情流露,却被她当成玩笑。相遇在最好的年纪,却又不敢相互靠近。他不相信命运,但高中能再次与她相遇,仿佛是花掉了自己所有的幸运。——命运安排我们再相遇,我就不会再放手。即便你将自己层层伪装,我也将亲手撕破,护你入怀。『晓月晨曦』【伪韩娱/糖带玻璃渣/现实向/灿妮为主团队为辅】
  • 万界天卡

    万界天卡

    我从来不和人比底牌,因为没有人能比过我的牌。这是一个万界穿梭的休闲,这是一个万界抽卡的游戏。这是一个得到了上一任系统本源的家伙,自己当系统搞事情的故事。欢迎吐槽……欢迎加入无尘居,群主官方????群聊号码:450050958 ―――――――――――― 本书算是一个小故事吧……按字数的话……不过还是完结了,有完整的开头和结尾。 新书,失格者世界,希望大家喜欢吧!
  • 误惹豪门:总裁轻点宠

    误惹豪门:总裁轻点宠

    “离开他,否则我会让你身败名裂。”洛嘉之所以答应对面豪门阔太和邱廷翼分手,并不是因为她害怕权贵,而是因为,对方手中拿着的是自己被陷害后拍下的裸照。三年时间,她以为一切可以重头来过,却没料到那个男人缠上了身。他说他牵肠挂肚,日思夜想,终于他又再次遇到她。他要织成一张遮天蔽日的大网,牢牢的把她困在身边,让她连床都下不了。