登陆注册
5363000000175

第175章

"as I expected, he can give me but little satisfaction on some points respecting the occurrence on the 18th of last month, which I desire to have cleared up. Perhaps you two can tell me what I want to know. As intimate friends of Barton's you probably know, or can conjecture a good deal. Have no scruple as to speaking the truth. What you say in this room shall never be named again by me. Besides, you are aware that the law allows no one to be tried twice for the same offence." He stopped for a minute, for the mere act of speaking was fatiguing to him after the excitement of the last few weeks. Job Legh took the opportunity of speaking. "I'm not going to be affronted either for myself or Jem at what you've just now been saying about the truth. You don't know us, and there's an end on't, only it's as well for folk to think others good and true until they're proved contrary. Ask what you like, sir, I'll answer for it we'll either tell truth, or hold our tongues." "I beg your pardon," said Mr Carson, slightly bowing his head. "What I wished to know was" referring to a slip of paper he held in his hand, and shaking so much he could hardly adjust his glasses to his eyes, "whether you, Wilson, can explain how Barton came possessed of your gun. I believe you refused this explanation to Mr Bridgenorth." "I did, sir! If I had said what I knew then, I saw it would criminate Barton, and so I refused telling aught. To you, sir, now I will tell everything and anything; only it is but little. The gun was my father's before it was mine, and long ago he and John Barton had a fancy for shooting at the gallery; and they used always to take this gun, and brag that though it was old-fashioned it was sure. Jem saw with self-upbraiding pain how Mr Carson winced at these last words, but at each irrepressible and involuntary evidence of feeling, the hearts of the two men warmed towards him. Jem went on speaking. "One day in the week--I think it was on the Wednesday,--yes, it was--it was on St Patrick's day, I met John just coming out of our house, as I were going to my dinner. Mother was out, and he'd found no one in. He said he'd come to borrow the old gun, and that he'd have made bold, and taken it, but it was not to be seen. Mother was afraid of it, so after father's death (for while he were alive, she seemed to think he could manage it)

I had carried it to my own room. I went up and fetched it for John, who stood outside the door all the time." "What did he say he wanted it for?" asked Mr Carson, hastily. "I don't think he spoke when I gave it him. At first he muttered something about the shooting gallery, and I never doubted but that it was for practice there, as I knew he had done years before." Mr Carson had strung up his frame to an attitude of upright attention while Jem was speaking; now the tension relaxed, and he sank back in his chair, weak and powerless. He rose up again, however, as Jem went on, anxious to give every particular which could satisfy the bereaved father. "I never knew for what he wanted the gun till I was taken up,--I do not know yet why he wanted it. No one would have had me get out of the scrape by implicating an old friend,--my father's old friend, and the father of the girl I loved. So I refused to tell Mr Bridgenorth aught about it, and would not have named it now to any one but you." Jem's face became very red at the allusion he made to Mary, but his honest, fearless eyes had met Mr Carson's penetrating gaze unflinchingly, and had carried conviction of his innocence and truthfulness; Mr Carson felt certain that he had heard all that Jem could tell. Accordingly he turned to Job Legh. "You were in the room the whole time while Barton was speaking to me, I think?" "Yes, sir," answered Job. "You'll excuse my asking plain and direct questions; the information I am gaining is really a relief to my mind, I don't know how, but it is,--will you tell me if you had any idea of Barton's guilt in this matter before?" "None whatever, so help me God!" said Job, solemnly. "To tell truth (and axing your forgiveness, Jem), I had never got quite shut of the notion that Jem here had done it. At times I was as clear of his innocence as I was of my own; and whenever I took to reasoning about it, I saw he could not have been the man that did it. Still I never thought of Barton." "And yet by his confession he must have been absent at the time," said Mr Carson, referring to his slip of paper. "Aye, and for many a day after,--I can't rightly say how long. But still, you see, one's often blind to many a thing that lies right under one's nose, till it's pointed out. And till I beard what John Barton had to say yon night, I could not have seen what reason he had for doing it; while in the case of Jem, any one who looked at Mary Barton might have seen a cause for jealousy clear enough." "Then you believe that Barton had no knowledge of my son's unfortunate--," he looked at Jem "of his attentions to Mary Barton. This young man, Wilson, has heard of them, you see." "The person who told me said clearly she neither had, nor would tell Mary's father," interposed Jem. "I don't believe he'd ever heard of it; he weren't a man to keep still in such a matter, if he had." "Besides," said Job, "the reason he gave on his death-bed, so to speak, was enough; 'specially to those who knew him." "You mean his feelings regarding the treatment of the workmen by the masters; you think he acted from motives of revenge, in consequence of the part my son had taken in putting down the strike?" "Well, sir," replied Job, "it's hard to say: John Barton was not a man to take counsel with people; nor did he make many words about his doings.

So I can only judge from his way of thinking and talking in general, never having heard him breathe a syllable concerning this matter in particular.

同类推荐
  • Okewood of the Secret Service

    Okewood of the Secret Service

    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。
  • 外科精义

    外科精义

    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。
  • 病榻寤言

    病榻寤言

    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 Outlaw of Torn

    The Outlaw of Torn

    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。
  • 西藏剌麻溯源

    西藏剌麻溯源

    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
  • 等路人

    等路人

    “我”为了相恋多年的女友来到北京,谁知女友却突然提出分手,还没明白分手原因的时候,女友乘坐的那架飞机就意外坠落,“我”陷入疑惑和悲痛中无法自拔,在“我”试着去寻找几次新的感情之后,终究因放不下前女友而告终,而“我”也在一次意外中得知女友的消失远没有自己想象的那么简单,并且“我”的朋友们全都知情,于是事情一下子变得混乱起来,“我”最相信的人不可信,最好的朋友不可信,一件又一件措手不及的事情接踵而来……面对人生和爱情,我们都是站在路口的那个人,在等待来路上的人时也在目送着远去的人,没有谁能够为谁永远地停留……
  • 《论语》与近代日本

    《论语》与近代日本

    作为一部传统文化典籍,《论语》不仅在中国文化史上占有重要位置,就东亚特别是日本文化发展而言,《论语》也是一部不能被遗忘的文献。近代日本的《论语》研究,折射出日本民族自身近代化进程中所遭遇的挑战、做出的抉择。本书从梳理截至近代以前《论语》在日本的流布概况入手,进而选取近代日本中国学界在哲学、历史、文学等人文学科领域的若干研究成果以及近代日本文学创作领域的相关作品,就其源于各自不同的立场、视角、学养以及情感体认而完成的《论语》阐释,尝试做出相对客观的清理与解读。书后并附“近代日本《论语》研究著作目录”,以期为读者的深入阅读与研究,提供有益的帮助。
  • 湘西往事:黑帮的童话(全集)

    湘西往事:黑帮的童话(全集)

    1992年,对金钱的渴望让小混混姚义杰迈入了冒险天堂的大门,让他走上飞黄腾达的血光生涯;在财富与刀枪的洗礼中,天生的血性、机警、单纯和残酷,帮助他登上人生的顶峰。二十多年后,“问题富豪”姚义杰富甲一方,总想金盆洗手、退隐江湖,但错综复杂的政商关系、千丝万缕的黑道恩仇早已将他牢牢绑定,动弹不得,直到枪毙安优的那颗子弹呼啸而至,躲开子弹的代价已经太多太大……时代在每一个人身上留下印记,留在姚义杰身上的要更深、更重一些。翻开本书,带您亲眼目睹30年社会巨变中,一代迷失青年的暴力成长史诗。
  • 穿过冬天来看你

    穿过冬天来看你

    五年级的舒夏晴是一个开朗活泼的女孩,她和班里的同学都很要好,她能包容朋友身上的小缺点,有些也称不上缺点的小特点。而女孩叶冰沁的性格内向,喜欢独来独往。一次班级的盆栽评比上,舒夏晴推选了叶冰沁的小仙人球,这一个不经意间的举动,让两个人成了好朋友。舒夏晴发现叶冰沁有很多秘密,她喜欢把秘密藏在心里。在一同经历了矛盾和化解矛盾的过程后,舒夏晴的率真和真诚打动了外表冰冷的叶冰沁。她敞开心扉,把包裹严严实实的自己放开了。她从舒夏晴身上学会了包容和接纳,抛弃了小小的嫉妒心,握住了珍贵的友谊。
  • 绝斩之帝

    绝斩之帝

    世人皆想成神,却不知成神之路几多艰辛,许多人在一开始便已了无希望。绝代天骄风雪黾为救女友甘愿放弃成神之资并重新开始修炼。风雪黾凭借着逆天的资质终于强势崛起。自此以后,其在成神之路上越走越远,不知觉间已是几百年过去。
  • 七剑下天山

    七剑下天山

    本书讲述了清朝初年,以凌未风为首的天山七剑和反清志士一起为推翻清廷暴政而多方奔走的故事。纳兰明慧与多铎江南杭州大婚前夕,杨云骢潜入将军府,期望明慧和他出走,但明慧不能负累家族,杨一气之下由她手中抢走女儿,在钱塘江畔遭遇仇家纽枯鲁,与纽枯鲁同归于尽,奄奄一息之时,遇见正要投江自尽的少年(梁穆郎)。少年看到云骢的痛苦后打消了自杀的念头,杨临终时将女儿托付给穆郎带上天山学艺。这是楔子。十六年后,“天山神芒”凌未风(即穆郎)得晦明禅师真传,名震江湖。他当年带上山的女婴易兰珠(宝珠,“易”是杨的右边,“兰”取自纳兰明慧,“珠”取自宝珠),学成天山剑法,立志杀多铎以报父仇。
  • 唯识二十论述记

    唯识二十论述记

    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。
  • 大业杂记

    大业杂记

    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。
  • 中学生必知的名胜古迹(上)

    中学生必知的名胜古迹(上)

    名胜古迹,是指风景优美和有古代遗迹的著名地方。漫步在这些名山胜水之中,一方面可以领略自然的大好风光,另一方面也从中感悟博大精深的历史文化。对于了解一个国家,一个地区,一个民族的地理文化,也有着十分重要的帮助。
  • 生为女人

    生为女人

    在人群中,我是隐匿不见的,必须要大声尖叫,人们才会发现我。——题记。无双把女儿高洁送进林府做佣人正好碰上兵荒马乱。先是国军第27军、36军、58军开始奉命进驻天河镇各地,在相当长的一段时间里,天河镇的大街上每天都可以看到荷枪实弹的国军,还可以看到装有弹药的军车驶过。这些国军的到来据说是为了保护离天河镇不远的天河煤矿。当时这座在晚清就已经兴建好的煤矿是江南最大,产量几乎接近全国煤产量的一半,如果给日本鬼子占去了,无疑将会使鬼子如虎添翼,因此国民政府就派出重兵予以保护。