登陆注册
5393100000039

第39章

Seeing us, he shouted again and waved his stick, and from the light of his eves and his gallant bearing, and the spring of his step across the heathery turf, we knew instinctively that trouble had come upon him. He always rose to meet it with that look and air. It was the old Norse blood in his veins, I suppose. So, one imagines, must those godless old Pirates have sprung to their feet when the North wind, loosed as a hawk from the leash, struck at the beaked prow.

We heard his quick step on the rickety stair, and the next moment he was between us, breathing a little hard, but laughing.

He stood for awhile beside my mother without speaking, both of them gazing at the distant hills among which, as my mother had explained, things had happened long ago. And maybe, "over there," their memories met and looked upon each other with kind eyes.

"Do you remember," said my father, "we climbed up here--it was the first walk we took together after coming here. We discussed our plans for the future, how we would retrieve our fortunes."

"And the future," answered my mother, "has a way of making plans for us instead."

"It would seem so," replied my father, with a laugh. "I am an unlucky beggar, Maggie. I dropped all your money as well as my own down that wretched mine."

"It was the will--it was Fate, or whatever you call it," said my mother. "You could not help that, Luke."

"If only that damned pump hadn't jambed," said my father.

"Do you remember that Mrs. Tharand?" asked my mother.

"Yes, what of her?"

"A worldly woman, I always thought her. She called on me the morning we were leaving; I don't think you saw her. 'I've been through more worries than you would think, to look at me,' she said to me, laughing. I've always remembered her words: 'and of all the troubles that come to us in this world, believe me, Mrs. Kelver, money troubles are the easiest to bear.'"

"I wish I could think so," said my father.

"She rather irritated me at the time," continued my mother. "I thought it one of those commonplaces with which we console ourselves for other people's misfortunes. But now I know she spoke the truth."

There was silence between them for awhile. Then said my father in a cheery tone:

"I've broken with old Hasluck."

"I thought you would be compelled to sooner or later," answered my mother.

"Hasluck," exclaimed my father, with sudden vehemence, "is little better than a thief; I told him so."

"What did he say?" asked my mother.

"Laughed, and said that was better than some people."

My father laughed himself.

I wish to do the memory of Noel Hasluck no injustice. Ever was he a kind friend to me; not only then, but in later years, when, having come to learn that kindness is rarer in the world than I had dreamt, I was glad of it. Added to which, if only for Barbara's sake, I would prefer to write of him throughout in terms of praise. Yet even were his good-tempered, thick-skinned ghost (and unless it were good-tempered and thick-skinned it would be no true ghost of old Noel Hasluck) to be reading over my shoulder the words as I write them down, I think it would agree with me--I do not think it would be offended with me (for ever in his life he was an admirer and a lover of the Truth, being one of those good fighters capable of respecting even his foe, his enemy, against whom from ten to four, occasionally a little later, he fought right valiantly) for saying that of all the men who go down into the City each day in a cab or 'bus or train, he was perhaps one of the most unprincipled: and whether that be saying much or little I leave to those with more knowledge to decide.

To do others, as it was his conviction, right or wrong, that they would do him if ever he gave them half a chance, was his notion of "business;" and in most of his transactions he was successful. "I play a game," he would argue, "where cheating is the rule. Nine out of every ten men round the table are sharpers like myself, and the tenth man is a fool who has no business to be there. We prey upon each other, and the cutest of us is the winner."

"But the innocent people, lured by your fine promises," I ventured once to suggest to him, "the widows and the orphans?"

"My dear lad," he said, with a laugh, laying his fat hand upon my shoulder, "I remember one of your widows writing me a pathetic letter about some shares she had taken in a Silver Company of mine. Lord knows where the mine is now--somewhere in Spain, I think. It looked as though all her savings were gone. She had an only son, and it was nearly all they possessed in the world, etc., etc.--you know the sort of thing. Well, I did what I've often been numskull enough to do in similar cases, wrote and offered to buy her out at par. A week later she answered, thanking me, but saying it did not matter. There had occurred a momentary rise, and she had sold out at a profit--to her own brother-in-law, as I discovered, happening to come across the transfers. You can find widows and orphans round the Monte Carlo card tables, if you like to look for them; they are no more deserving of consideration than the rest of the crowd. Besides, if it comes to that, I'm an orphan myself;" and he laughed again, one of his deep, hearty, honest laughs. No one ever possessed a laugh more suggestive in its every cadence of simple, transparent honesty. He used to say himself it was worth thousands to him.

Better from the Moralists' point of view had such a man been an out-and-out rogue. Then might one have pointed, crying: "Behold:

同类推荐
  • 诗纪匡谬

    诗纪匡谬

    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。
  • 钱通

    钱通

    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。
  • 增修教苑清规

    增修教苑清规

    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。
  • 台湾资料清文宗实录选辑

    台湾资料清文宗实录选辑

    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。
  • 宣室志

    宣室志

    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
  • 仙入凡尘,翩翩公子不许逃

    仙入凡尘,翩翩公子不许逃

    前世,她是天界的月女,一心救母,却因误会被贬下凡。今生,她是温柔乐观的云芫,微笑是她的代名词,可是在微笑的背后,隐藏着她的悲伤。而他是温润如玉的翩翩公子凌舒恒,幼时意外与她相遇,却早已暗生情愫。为了使结局不像原来结局那般悲痛,她将周围人的结局都更改,编造了一个既美好又易碎的梦。就算最终知道这所有的一切都是一场梦,凌舒恒也不愿醒来,因为梦里有她,梦醒之后,便什么也没了…抚今思昔,魂牵梦萦,想要停留在梦中,将前世今生都忘却,做一场醒不来的梦。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 爆宠:总裁的超模小甜心

    爆宠:总裁的超模小甜心

    白烨,白式企业唯一的继承人,他霸道,冷漠,权势惊人。罗筱雅,平凡的小职员,她美丽,纯真,不屑权贵。她遇到了他,本该隔山隔海,但为什么竟然成了死缠烂打?他爱上了她,本该唾手可得,但追了累了最后只是无可奈何?“白烨!你想干嘛!快把我放开!?”“想干什么你不知道?老婆,这辈子别想逃!”
  • 慕迟

    慕迟

    卿如世间惊鸿,君似人间春秋。你是我最初和最后的念想!
  • 明月照漓心

    明月照漓心

    云汐玥,21世纪的全能特工,身处临人间炼狱却无时不向往着光明。纵使年少柔弱也不丢一身傲骨。她说:“我想要的从来就不多,我想要的就是和哥哥一起过着平平凡凡的生活。不求荣华锦绣,只求一世长宁”她说:“山河锦绣,扬鞭纵马。若你能给我这样的生活,我便嫁你!”她说:“三年岁月,大梦初醒,从此你我咫尺天涯,与君相决绝!”她说:“青丝即情丝,定不负相思意。”她说……——我说:吾乃学生党,写得好大家鼓个掌,写不好还望多加担待,吾会更加努力,谢谢!三鞠躬!!!
  • 剑桥家训全集

    剑桥家训全集

    剑桥八百年的教育智慧,滋养着一代代的杰出人物。但是,有一个课堂比剑桥更深刻地影响着它的学生,那就是家庭;有一些老师比剑桥的教育家们更注重引导学生走向成功,那就是父母、家长的言传身教决定着孩子的一生,在这个特殊的教育澡堂上,老师们更需要学习教育的方法,更需要吸取剑桥的教育精华。本书365个教子故事,365堂人生之课,和孩子一起,共同体味来自剑桥的最真实感悟,携手走向成功的未来。
  • 佛说护国尊者所问大乘经

    佛说护国尊者所问大乘经

    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。
  • 奉化民间文艺·地名故事卷

    奉化民间文艺·地名故事卷

    该套书共三卷,分别是《谜语卷》《歌谣卷》《地名故事卷》,收录了奉化区谜语近1200条,歌谣340余首,地名故事150余则。
  • 至尊掌控

    至尊掌控

    郝威一个一无是处的青年,在一场车祸之中,灵魂穿越到了一个修仙的世界之中,通过自己的努力,还有不断出现的无数机遇,最后修炼成无上的仙法,达到仙界的顶端,掌控着所有的一切。
  • 嫡长妃

    嫡长妃

    前世她被最爱的和最好的两人谋害今世嫡亲长女身份原可与当今太子相般配不想被人横插一杠,偏生给她配了一个四肢无力的“废人”呵……傻子配残废还真是天生一对今生嫁与谁?她无所谓只求能有一个安身之所,可在洞房掀开盖头,她见到一张熟悉的绝美容颜,她的心不再冰冷,被一股浓浓的暖意包围,同时满腔恨意滋生她说:“相公,该你的,娘子我一定帮你讨回,我们不要再任人搓圆捏扁……”男子拉着她的手,俊美出尘的脸庞,浮现久违魅惑的笑意,只为心中至爱而绽放,他暖暖道:“谢谢娘子!”他身为皇长子,太子之位本该稳坐泰山可在七岁那年,他的母后被人设计陷害,从高高在上的皇后,被父皇一气之下打入冷宫,不见天日而他,却被一位蒙面黑衣人挑断了手筋脚筋,让他手无缚鸡之力,行若飘渺本是谪仙般的美男子,从此绝色的面孔失去颜色,整日只知躲在太后娘娘的身旁,像在逃避,也像是在寻求仳佑是她的出现,让他的脸上出现第一抹红晕,让他决定不再沉寂,即使不是为了自己,应该为了她而活从此,落魄皇子一改往昔模样,锋芒毕露,灼人眼目【种田,宅斗,宫斗,江湖斗,魔法斗,但凡想得到的斗,都拿出来斗一下(本文励志向上,并非仅有爱情)女主非万能,亦非善类,且看女主如何扫去阻障,协助失势的皇子,一步一步登上高峰,俯瞰天下】(注:本文一对一,男女主是‘同病相怜’,相互扶持,恩爱型,喜欢看爱得死去活来,虐得眼泪横流的文文的盆友就可能要失望了哦!嘻嘻……)敬请支持某奴新文:《前夫总裁》(是写的关于一对疑似有血缘关系的夫妻,经历了最初的分离,重逢后的情感考验,到后来的真相大白,故事曲折,纠结!是某奴全心全意打造的一部与众不同的小说。)以下是领名单:大皇子连傲轩——由亲亲半生清梦领★★★以下是推文时间★★★推荐自己的完结文:《冰山总裁》《姐夫我嫁你》《总裁的玩奴》《俏妈咪de天才宝宝》《二分之一同床》(免费)推荐朋友的文:隆重推荐兮的新文:《装萌后宫》(一朝穿越,大龄剩女成萌萌小宫女。身处真正的后宫大院,装萌、宫斗、权谋、掳爱,步步惊心,步步高升…)无计的种田红文:《极恶嫡妇》(本文是贴近古代现实生活的种田文,写的都是家长里短,婆媳斗,妻妾斗,可不是什么俊男美女,横扫天下,慎入。)在移动手机阅读平台上使用的名称为《落魄皇子强悍妃》
  • 娶谁,嫁谁?血型全知道!

    娶谁,嫁谁?血型全知道!

    本书简要介绍了血型心理的基本原理,并以此为基础,对不同血型在婚恋家庭中的特点一一作了阐述。读者能在其中找到自己生活中的影子,并可据此对症下药、有的放矢,以更有效地解决生活中遇到的问题。