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appreciate my danger。'
'I think you never do；' said he。
'But yet surely that public scene … ' I began。
'It was madness。 I quite agree with you；' Mr。 Romaine interrupted。
'But it was your uncle's orders； Mr。 Anne； and what could I do？
Tell him you were the murderer of Goguelat？ I think not。'
'No； sure！' said I。 'That would but have been to make the trouble
thicker。 We were certainly in a very ill posture。'
'You do not yet appreciate how grave it was；' he replied。 'It was
necessary for you that your cousin should go； and go at once。 You
yourself had to leave to…night under cover of darkness； and how
could you have done that with the Viscount in the next room？ He
must go； then； he must leave without delay。 And that was the
difficulty。'
'Pardon me； Mr。 Romaine； but could not my uncle have bidden him
go？' I asked。
'Why； I see I must tell you that this is not so simple as it
sounds；' he replied。 'You say this is your uncle's house； and so
it is。 But to all effects and purposes it is your cousin's also。
He has rooms here； has had them coming on for thirty years now； and
they are filled with a prodigious accumulation of trash … stays； I
dare say； and powder…puffs； and such effeminate idiocy … to which
none could dispute his title； even suppose any one wanted to。 We
had a perfect right to bid him go； and he had a perfect right to
reply； 〃Yes； I will go； but not without my stays and cravats。 I
must first get together the nine…hundred…and…ninety…nine chestsfull
of insufferable rubbish； that I have spent the last thirty years
collecting … and may very well spend the next thirty hours a…
packing of。〃 And what should we have said to that？'
'By way of repartee？' I asked。 'Two tall footmen and a pair of
crabtree cudgels； I suggest。'
'The Lord deliver me from the wisdom of laymen！' cried Romaine。
'Put myself in the wrong at the beginning of a lawsuit？ No；
indeed！ There was but one thing to do； and I did it； and burned my
last cartridge in the doing of it。 I stunned him。 And it gave us
three hours； by which we should make haste to profit； for if there
is one thing sure； it is that he will be up to time again to…morrow
in the morning。'
'Well；' said I； 'I own myself an idiot。 Well do they say； AN OLD
SOLDIER； AN OLD INNOCENT！ For I guessed nothing of all this。'
'And； guessing it； have you the same objections to leave England？'
he inquired。
'The same；' said I。
'It is indispensable；' he objected。
'And it cannot be；' I replied。 'Reason has nothing to say in the
matter； and I must not let you squander any of yours。 It will be
enough to tell you this is an affair of the heart。'
'Is it even so？' quoth Romaine； nodding his head。 'And I might
have been sure of it。 Place them in a hospital； put them in a jail
in yellow overalls； do what you will； young Jessamy finds young
Jenny。 O； have it your own way； I am too old a hand to argue with
young gentlemen who choose to fancy themselves in love； I have too
much experience； thank you。 Only； be sure that you appreciate what
you risk： the prison； the dock； the gallows； and the halter …
terribly vulgar circumstances； my young friend； grim； sordid；
earnest； no poetry in that！'
'And there I am warned；' I returned gaily。 'No man could be warned
more finely or with a greater eloquence。 And I am of the same
opinion still。 Until I have again seen that lady； nothing shall
induce me to quit Great Britain。 I have besides … '
And here I came to a full stop。 It was upon my tongue to have told
him the story of the drovers； but at the first word of it my voice
died in my throat。 There might be a limit to the lawyer's
toleration； I reflected。 I had not been so long in Britain
altogether； for the most part of that time I had been by the heels
in limbo in Edinburgh Castle； and already I had confessed to
killing one man with a pair of scissors； and now I was to go on and
plead guilty to having settled another with a holly stick！ A wave
of discretion went over me as cold and as deep as the sea。
'In short； sir； this is a matter of feeling；' I concluded； 'and
nothing will prevent my going to Edinburgh。'
If I had fired a pistol in his ear he could not have been more
startled。
'To Edinburgh？' he repeated。 'Edinburgh？ where the very paving…
stones know you！'
'Then is the murder out！' said I。 'But； Mr。 Romaine； is there not
sometimes safety in boldness？ Is it not a common…place of strategy
to get where the enemy least expects you？ And where would he
expect me less？'
'Faith； there is something in that； too！' cried the lawyer。 'Ay；
certainly； a great deal in that。 All the witnesses drowned but
one； and he safe in prison； you yourself changed beyond recognition
… let us hope … and walking the streets of the very town you have
illustrated by your … well； your eccentricity！ It is not badly
combined； indeed！'
'You approve it； then？' said I。
'O； approve！' said he； 'there is no question of approval。 There is
only one course which I could approve； and that were to escape to
France instanter。'
'You do not wholly disapprove； at least？' I substituted。
'Not wholly； and it would not matter if I did；' he replied。 'Go
your own way； you are beyond argument。 And I am not sure that you
will run more danger by that course than by any other。 Give the
servants time to get to bed and fall asleep； then take a country
cross…road and walk； as the rhyme has it； like blazes all night。
In the morning take a chaise or take the mail at pleasure； and
continue your journey with all the decorum and reserve of which you
shall be found capable。'
'I am taking the picture in；' I said。 'Give me time。 'Tis the
TOUT ENSEMBLE I must see： the whole as opposed to the details。'
'Mountebank！' he murmured。
'Yes； I have it now； and I see myself with a servant； and that
servant is Rowley；' said I。
'So as to have one more link with your uncle？' suggested the
lawyer。 'Very judicious！'
'And； pardon me； but that is what it is；' I exclaimed。 'Judicious
is the word。 I am not making a deception fit to last for thirty
years； I do not found a palace in the living granite for the night。
This is a shelter tent … a flying picture … seen； admired； and gone
again in the wink of an eye。 What is wanted； in short； is a
TROMPE…L'OEIL that shall be good enough for twelve hours at an inn：
is it not so？'
'It is； and the objection holds。 Rowley is but another danger；'
said Romaine。
'Rowley；' said I； 'will pass as a servant from a distance … as a
creature seen poised on the dicky of a bowling chaise。 He will
pass at hand as a smart； civil fellow one meets in the inn
corridor； and looks back at； and asks； and is told； 〃Gentleman's
servant in Number 4。〃 He will pass； in fact； all round； except
with his personal friends！ My dear sir； pray what do you expect？
Of course if we meet my cousin； or if we meet anybody who took part
in the judicious exhibition of this evening； we are lost； and who's
denying it？ To every disguise； however good and safe； there is
always the weak point； you must always take （let us say … and to
take a simile from your own waistcoat pocket） a snuff box…full of
risk。 You'll get it just as small with Rowley as with anybody
else。 And the long and short of it is； the lad's honest； he likes
me； I trust him； he is my servant； or nobody。'
'He might not accept；' said Romaine。
'I bet you a thousand pounds he does！' cried I。 'But no matter；
all you have to do is to send him out to…night on this cross…
country business； and leave the thing to me。 I tell you； he will
be my servant； and I tell you； he will do well。'
I had crossed the room； and was already overhauling my wardrobe as
I spoke。
'Well；' concluded the lawyer； with a shrug； 'one risk with another：
A GUERRE COMME A LA GUERRE； as you would say。 Let the brat come
and be useful； at least。' And he was about to ring the bell； when
his eye was caught by my researches in the wardrobe。 'Do not fall
in love with these coats； waistcoats； cravats； and other panoply
and accoutrements by which you are now surrounded。 You must not
run the post as a dandy。 It is not the fashion； even。'
'You are pleased to be facetious； sir；' said I； 'and not according
to knowledge。 These clothes are my life； they are my disguise； and
since I can take but few of them； I were a fool indeed if I
selected hastily！ Will you understand； once and for all； what I am
seeking？ To be invisible； is the first point； the second； to be
invisible in a post…chaise and with a servant。 Can you not
perceive the delicacy of the quest？ Nothing must be too coarse；
nothing too fine； RIEN DE VOYANT； RIEN QUI DELONNE； so that I may
lea