第148章

’Igo，consequentementally，’——itwouldhavegivenMrsPlornishgreatconcernifshecouldhavebeenpersuadedthathisoccasionallengtheningofanadverbinthisway，wasthechieffaultofhisEnglish，——’firstamongmycountrymen。IaskthemwhatnewsinLondra，offoreignersarrived。ThenIgoamongtheFrench。ThenIgoamongtheGermans。Theyalltellme。Thegreatpartofusknowwelltheother，andtheyalltellme。But!——nopersoncantellmenothingofhim，Rigaud。Fifteentimes，’saidCavalletto，thricethrowingouthislefthandwithallitsfingersspread，anddoingitsorapidlythatthesenseofsightcouldhardlyfollowtheaction，’Iaskofhimineveryplacewheregotheforeigners；andfifteentimes，’repeatingthesameswiftperformance，’theyknownothing。But!——’AtthissignificantItalianrestontheword’But，’hisbackhandedshakeofhisrightforefingercameintoplay；

averylittle，andverycautiously。

’But!——AfteralongtimewhenIhavenotbeenabletofindthatheishereinLondra，someonetellsmeofasoldierwithwhitehair——

hey？——nothairlikethisthathecarries——white——wholivesretiredsecrettementally，inacertainplace。But!——’withanotherrestupontheword，’whosometimesintheafter-dinner，walks，andsmokes。Itisnecessary，astheysayinItaly(andastheyknow，poorpeople)，tohavepatience。Ihavepatience。Iaskwhereisthiscertainplace。One。believesitishere，onebelievesitisthere。Ehwell!Itisnothere，itisnotthere。Iwaitpatientissamentally。AtlastIfindit。ThenIwatch；thenI

hide，untilhewalksandsmokes。Heisasoldierwithgreyhair——

But!——’averydecidedrestindeed，andaveryvigorousplayfromsidetosideoftheback-handedforefinger——’heisalsothismanthatyousee。’

Itwasnoticeable，that，inhisoldhabitofsubmissiontoonewhohadbeenatthetroubleofassertingsuperiorityoverhim，heeventhenbestoweduponRigaudaconfusedbendofhishead，afterthuspointinghimout。

’Ehwell，Signore!’hecriedinconclusion，addressingArthuragain。’Iwaitedforagoodopportunity。IwritedsomewordstoSignorPanco，’anairofnoveltycameoverMrPanckswiththisdesignation，’tocomeandhelp。Ishowedhim，Rigaud，athiswindow，toSignorPanco，whowasoftenthespyintheday。Isleptatnightnearthedoorofthehouse。Atlastweentered，onlythisto-day，andnowyouseehim!AshewouldnotcomeupinpresenceoftheillustriousAdvocate，’suchwasMrBaptist’shonourablementionofMrRugg，’wewaiteddownbelowthere，together，andSignorPancoguardedthestreet。’

Atthecloseofthisrecital，Arthurturnedhiseyesupontheimpudentandwickedface。Asitmethis，thenosecamedownoverthemoustacheandthemoustachewentupunderthenose。Whennoseandmoustachehadsettledintotheirplacesagain，MonsieurRigaudloudlysnappedhisfingershalf-a-dozentimes；bendingforwardtojerkthesnapsatArthur，asiftheywerepalpablemissileswhichhejerkedintohisface。

’Now，Philosopher!’saidRigaud。’Whatdoyouwantwithme？’

’Iwanttoknow，’returnedArthur，withoutdisguisinghisabhorrence，’howyoudaredirectasuspicionofmurderagainstmymother’shouse？’

’Dare!’criedRigaud。’Ho，ho!Hearhim!Dare？Isitdare？ByHeaven，mysmallboy，butyouarealittleimprudent!’

’Iwantthatsuspiciontobeclearedaway，’saidArthur。’Youshallbetakenthere，andbepubliclyseen。Iwanttoknow，moreover，whatbusinessyouhadtherewhenIhadaburningdesiretoflingyoudown-stairs。Don’tfrownatme，man!Ihaveseenenoughofyoutoknowthatyouareabullyandcoward。Ineednorevivalofmyspiritsfromtheeffectsofthiswretchedplacetotellyousoplainafact，andonethatyouknowsowell。’

Whitetothelips，Rigaudstrokedhismoustache，muttering，’ByHeaven，mysmallboy，butyouarealittlecompromisingofmylady，yourrespectablemother’——andseemedforaminuteundecidedhowtoact。Hisindecisionwassoongone。Hesathimselfdownwithathreateningswagger，andsaid：

’Givemeabottleofwine。Youcanbuywinehere。Sendoneofyourmadmentogetmeabottleofwine。Iwon’ttalktoyouwithoutwine。Come!Yesorno？’

’Fetchhimwhathewants，Cavalletto，’saidArthur，scornfully，producingthemoney。

’Contrabandbeast，’addedRigaud，’bringPortwine!I’lldrinknothingbutPorto-Porto。’

Thecontrabandbeast，however，assuringallpresent，withhissignificantfinger，thatheperemptorilydeclinedtoleavehispostatthedoor，SignorPancoofferedhisservices。Hesoonreturnedwiththebottleofwine：which，accordingtothecustomoftheplace，originatinginascarcityofcorkscrewsamongtheCollegians(incommonwithascarcityofmuchelse)，wasalreadyopenedforuse。

’Madman!Alargeglass，’saidRigaud。

SignorPancoputatumblerbeforehim；notwithoutavisibl