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！
At the moment when Mr。 Wendell personified his idea of consummate
villainy by quoting the example of Fauntleroy； I saw the other
middle…aged gentlemanMr。 Trowbridgecolor up on a sudden； and
begin to fidget in his chair。
〃The next time you want to produce an instance of a villain；
sir；〃 said Mr。 Trowbridge； 〃I wish you could contrive to quote
some other example than Fauntleroy。〃
Mr。 Wendell naturally enough looked excessively astonished when
he heard these words； which were very firmly and； at the same
time； very politely addressed to him。
〃May I inquire why you object to my example？〃 he asked。
〃I object to it； sir；〃 said Mr。 Trowbridge； 〃because it makes me
very uncomfortable to hear Fauntleroy called a villain。〃
〃Good heavens above！〃 exclaimed Mr。 Wendell； utterly bewildered。
〃Uncomfortable！you； a mercantile man like myselfyou； whose
character stands so high everywhereyou uncomfortable when you
hear a man who was hanged for forgery called a villain！ In the
name of wonder； why？〃
〃Because；〃 answered Mr。 Trowbridge； with perfect composure；
〃Fauntleroy was a friend of mine。〃
〃Excuse me； my dear sir；〃 retorted Mr。 Wendell； in as polished a
tone of sarcasm as he could command； 〃but of all the friends whom
you have made in the course of your useful and honorable career；
I should have thought the friend you have just mentioned would
have been the very last to whom you were likely to refer in
respectable society； at least by name。〃
〃Fauntleroy committed an unpardonable crime； and died a
disgraceful death；〃 said Mr。 Trowbridge。 〃But； for all that；
Fauntleroy was a friend of mine； and in that character I shall
always acknowledge him boldly to my dying day。 I have a
tenderness for his memory； though he violated a sacred trust； and
die d for it on the gallows。 Don't look shocked； Mr。 Wendell。 I
will tell you； and our other friends here； if they will let me；
why I feel that tenderness； which looks so strange and so
discreditable in your eyes。 It is rather a curious anecdote； sir；
and has an interest； I think； for all observers of human nature
quite apart from its connection with the unhappy man of whom we
have been talking。 You young gentlemen；〃 continued Mr。
Trowbridge； addressing himself to us juniors； 〃have heard of
Fauntleroy； though he sinned and suffered； and shocked all
England long before your time？〃
We answered that we had certainly heard of him as one of the
famous criminals of his day。 We knew that he had been a partner
in a great London banking…house； that he had not led a very
virtuous life； that he had possessed himself； by forgery； of
trust…moneys which he was doubly bound to respect； and that he
had been hanged for his offense； in the year eighteen hundred and
twenty…four； when the gallows was still set up for other crimes
than murder； and when Jack Ketch was in fashion as one of the
hard…working reformers of the age。
〃Very good；〃 said Mr。 Trowbridge。 〃You both of you know quite
enough of Fauntleroy to be interested in what I am going to tell
you。 When the bottles have been round the table； I will start
with my story。〃
The bottles went roundclaret for the degenerate youngsters；
port for the sterling； steady…headed； middle…aged gentlemen。 Mr。
Trowbridge sipped his winemeditated a littlesipped againand
started with the promised anecdote in these terms：
CHAPTER II。
WHAT I am going to tell you； gentlemen； happened when I was a
very young man； and when I was just setting up in business on my
own account。
My father had been well acquainted for many years with Mr。
Fauntleroy； of the famous London banking firm of Marsh； Stracey；
Fauntleroy & Graham。 Thinking it might be of some future service
to me to make my position known to a great man in the commercial
world； my father mentioned to his highly…respected friend that I
was about to start in business for myself in a very small way；
and with very little money。 Mr。 Fauntleroy received the
intimation with a kind appearance of interest； and said that he
would have his eye on me。 I expected from this that he would wait
to see if I could keep on my legs at starting； and that； if he
found I succeeded pretty well； he would then help me forward if
it lay in his power。 As events turned out； he proved to be a far
better friend than that； and he soon showed me that I had very
much underrated the hearty and generous interest which he had
felt in my welfare from the first。
While I was still fighting with the difficulties of setting up my
office； and recommending myself to my connection； and so forth； I
got a message from Mr。 Fauntleroy telling me to call on him； at
the banking…house； the first time I was passing that way。 As you
may easily imagine； I contrived to be passing that way on a
particularly early occasion； and； on presenting myself at the
bank； I was shown at once into Mr。 Fauntleroy's private room。
He was as pleasant a man to speak to as ever I met withbright；
and gay； and companionable in his mannerwith a sort of easy；
hearty； jovial bluntness about him that attracted everybody。 The
clerks all liked himand that is something to say of a partner
in a banking…house； I can tell you！
〃Well； young Trowbridge；〃 says he； giving his papers on the table
a brisk push away from him； 〃so you are going to set up in
business for yourself； are you？ I have a great regard for your
father； and a great wish to see you succeed。 Have you started
yet？ No？ Just on the point of beginning； eh？ Very good。 You will
have your difficulties； my friend； and I mean to smooth one of
them away for you at the outset。 A word of advice for your
private earBank with us。〃
〃You are very kind； sir；〃 I answered； 〃and I should ask nothing
better than to profit by your suggestion； if I could。 But my
expenses are heavy at starting； and when they are all paid I am
afraid I shall have very little left to put by for the first
year。 I doubt if I shall be able to muster much more than three
hundred pounds of surplus cash in the world after paying what I
must pay before I set up my office； and I should be ashamed to
trouble your house； sir； to open an account for such a trifle as
that。〃
〃Stuff and nonsense！〃 says Mr。 Fauntleroy。 〃Are _you_ a banker？
What business have you to offer an opinion on the matter？ Do as I
tell youleave it to mebank with usand draw for what you
like。 Stop！ I haven't done yet。 When you open the account； speak
to the head cashier。 Perhaps you may find he has got something to
tell you。 There！ there！ go awaydon't interrupt megood…byGod
bless you！〃
That was his wayah！ poor fellow； that was his way。
I went to the head cashier the next morning when I opened my
little modicum of an account。 He had received orders to pay my
drafts without reference to my balance。 My checks； when I had
overdrawn； were to be privately shown to Mr。 Fauntleroy。 Do many
young men who start in business find their prosperous superiors
ready to help them in that way？
Well； I got ongot on very fairly and steadily； being careful
not to venture out of my depth； and not to forget that small
beginnings may lead in time to great ends。 A prospect of one of
those great endsgreat； I mean； to such a small trader as I was
at that periodshowed itself to me when I had been some little
time in business。 In plain terms； I had a chance of joining in a
first…rate transaction； which would give me profit； and position；
and everything I wanted； provided I could qualify myself for
engaging in it by getting good security beforehand for a very
large amount。
In this emergency； I thought of my kind friend； Mr。 Fauntleroy；
and went to the bank； and saw him once more in his private room。
There he was at the same table； with the same heaps of papers
about him； and the same hearty； easy way of speaking his mind to
you at once； in the fewest possible words。 I explained the
business I came upon with some little hesitation and nervousness；
for I was afraid he might think I was taking an unfair advantage
of his former kindness to me。 When I had done； he just nodded his
head； snatched up a blank sheet of paper； scribbled a few lines
on it in his rapid way； handed the writing to me； and pushed me
out of the room by the two shoulders before I could say a single
word。 I looked at the paper in the outer office。 It was my
security from the great banking…house for the whole amount； and
for more； if more was wanted。
I could not express my gratitude then； and I don't know that I
can describe it now。 I can only say that it has outlived the
crime； the disgrace； and the awful death on the scaffold。 I am
grieved to speak of that death at all； but I have no other
alternative。 The course of my story must now lead me straight on
to the later time； and to the terrible discovery which exposed my
benefactor and my friend to all England as the forger Fauntleroy。
I must ask you to suppose a lapse of some time after the
occurrence of the events that I have just been relating。 During
this interval； thanks to the kind assistance I had received at
the outset； my position as a man of business had greatly
improved。 Imagine me now； if you please； on the high road to
prosperity； with good large offices and a r