第154章

don’tcareforyourpresenteyes。Now，Iamcomingtothepaper，andmarkwhatIsay。Youputitawaysomewhere，andyoukeptyourowncounselwhere。You’reanactivewomanatthattime，andifyouwanttogetthatpaper，youcangetit。But，mark。Therecomesatimewhenyouarestruckintowhatyouarenow，andthenifyouwanttogetthatpaper，youcan’tgetit。Soitlies，longyears，initshiding-place。Atlast，whenweareexpectingArthurhomeeveryday，andwhenanydaymaybringhimhome，andit’simpossibletosaywhatrummaginghemaymakeaboutthehouse，Irecommendyoufivethousandtimes，ifyoucan’tgetatit，toletmegetatit，thatitmaybeputinthefire。Butno——noonebutyouknowswhereitis，andthat’spower；and，callyourselfwhateverhumblenamesyouwill，IcallyouafemaleLuciferinappetiteforpower!OnaSundaynight，Arthurcomeshome。Hehasnotbeeninthisroomtenminutes，whenhespeaksofhisfather’swatch。YouknowverywellthattheDoNotForget，atthetimewhenhisfathersentthatwatchtoyou，couldonlymean，therestofthestorybeingthenalldeadandover，DoNotForgetthesuppression。Makerestitution!

Arthur’swayshavefrightenedyouabit，andthepapershallbeburntafterall。So，beforethatjumpingjadeandJezebel，’MrFlintwinchgrinnedathiswife，’hasgotyouintobed，youatlasttellmewhereyouhaveputthepaper，amongtheoldledgersinthecellars，whereArthurhimselfwentprowlingtheverynextmorning。

Butit’snottobeburntonaSundaynight。No；youarestrict，youare；wemustwaitovertwelveo’clock，andgetintoMonday。

Now，allthisisaswallowingofmeupalivethatraspsme；so，feelingalittleoutoftemper，andnotbeingasstrictasyourself，Itakealookatthedocumentbeforetwelveo’clocktorefreshmymemoryastoitsappearance——folduponeofthemanyyellowoldpapersinthecellarslikeit——andafterwards，whenwehavegotintoMondaymorning，andIhave，bythelightofyourlamp，towalkfromyou，lyingonthatbed，tothisgrate，makealittleexchangeliketheconjuror，andburnaccordingly。MybrotherEphraim，thelunatic-keeper(Iwishhehadhadhimselftokeepinastrait-waistcoat)，hadhadmanyjobssincethecloseofthelongjobhegotfromyou，buthadnotdonewell。Hiswifedied(notthatthatwasmuch；minemighthavediedinstead，andwelcome)，hespeculatedunsuccessfullyinlunatics，hegotintodifficultyaboutover-roastingapatienttobringhimtoreason，andhegotintodebt。Hewasgoingoutoftheway，onwhathehadbeenabletoscrapeup，andatriflefromme。HewasherethatearlyMondaymorning，waitingforthetide；inshort，hewasgoingtoAntwerp，where(Iamafraidyou’llbeshockedatmysaying，Andbedamnedtohim!)hemadetheacquaintanceofthisgentleman。Hehadcomealongway，and，Ithoughtthen，wasonlysleepy；but，I

supposenow，wasdrunk。WhenArthur’smotherhadbeenunderthecareofhimandhiswife，shehadbeenalwayswriting，incessantlywriting，——mostlylettersofconfessiontoyou，andPrayersforforgiveness。Mybrotherhadhanded，fromtimetotime，lotsofthesesheetstome。IthoughtImightaswellkeepthemtomyselfashavethemswallowedupalivetoo；soIkepttheminabox，lookingoverthemwhenIfeltinthehumour。Convincedthatitwasadvisabletogetthepaperoutoftheplace，withArthurcomingaboutit，Iputitintothissamebox，andIlockedthewholeupwithtwolocks，andItrustedittomybrothertotakeawayandkeep，tillIshouldwriteaboutit。Ididwriteaboutit，andnevergotananswer。Ididn’tknowwhattomakeofit，tillthisgentlemanfavoureduswithhisfirstvisit。Ofcourse，Ibegantosuspecthowitwas，then；andIdon’twanthiswordforitnowtounderstandhowhegetshisknowledgefrommypapers，andyourpaper，andmybrother’scognacandtobaccotalk(Iwishhe’dhadtogaghimself)。Now，Ihaveonlyonethingmoretosay，youhammer-

headedwoman，andthatis，thatIhaven’taltogethermadeupmymindwhetherImight，ormightnot，haveevergivenyouanytroubleaboutthecodicil。Ithinknot；andthatIshouldhavebeenquitesatisfiedwithknowingIhadgotthebetterofyou，andthatIheldthepoweroveryou。Inthepresentstateofcircumstances，Ihavenomoreexplanationtogiveyoutillthistimeto-morrownight。Soyoumayaswell，’saidMrFlintwinch，terminatinghisorationwithascrew，’keepyoureyesopenatsomebodyelse，forit’snousekeeping’emopenatme。’

Sheslowlywithdrewthemwhenhehadceased，anddroppedherforeheadonherhand。Herotherhandpressedharduponthetable，andagainthecuriousstirwasobservableinher，asifsheweregoingtorise。

’Thisboxcanneverbring，elsewhere，thepriceitwillbringhere。

Thisknowledgecanneverbeofthesameprofittoyou，soldtoanyotherperson，assoldtome。ButIhavenotthepresentmeansofraisingthesumyouhavedemanded。Ihavenotprospered。Whatwillyoutakenow，andwhatatanothertime，andhowamItobeassuredofyoursilence？’

’Myangel，’saidRigaud，’IhavesaidwhatIwilltake，andtimepresses。Beforecominghere，Iplacedcopiesofthemostim