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第13章 The￡1000000 BankNote（第2页）

Well，herewasacoiltobeiedonrecededallthis，butIwasnot。It，darkpuzzletome。Ihadn'ttheleastideawhatthegamewas，herharmwasmeantmeorakiintoapark，andsatdowntotrytothinkitout，andtosiderwhatIhadbestdo。

Attheendofanhshadcrystallizedintothisverdict。

&hosemenmeanmewell，maybetheymeanmeill;nowaytodecidethat-letitgo。They'vegotagame，orascheme，ora，ofsomekindonhand;nowaytodetermiis-letitgo。There'sabetoofindoutwhatitis-letitgo。Thatdisposesoftheiermiies;theremaihematteristangible，solid，andmaybedlabeledwithty。IfIasktheBaoplacethisbilltotheao，they'lldoit，fortheyknowhim，althoughIdon't;buttheywillaskmehoossessionofit，aruth，they'llputmeintheasylum，naturally，andaliewilllandmeinjail。ThesameresultwouldfollowifItriedtobankthebillaoborrowmo。Ihavegottocarrythisimmenseburdenarounduntilthosemeneback，whetherIwanttoornot。Itisuselesstome，asuselessasahandfulofashes，atakecareofit，andwatchoverit，whileIbegmyliving。Ip;apos;tgiveitaway，ifIshouldtry，forhwaymantitormeddlewithitf。Thosebrothersaresafe。EvenifIlosetheirbill，orburillsafe，becausetheyent，andthebankwillmakethemwhole;butmeantimeI'vegottodoamonth'ssufferingrofit-uhatbet，whateveritmaybe，auationthatIampromised。Ishouldliketogetthat;mehavesituatiohatare

Igottothinkingagooddealaboutthatsituatioh。Withoutdoubtthesalarywouldbelarge。ItwouldbegininamoIshouldbeallright。PrettysoonIwasfeelingfirst-rate。BythistimeIisagaiofatailavemeasharplongingtoshedmyrags，andtoyselfdeore。CouldIaffordit?No;Ihadnothingintheworldbutamillionpounds。SoIforcedmyselftogoonby。ButsoonIwasdriftingba。Thetemptatioedmecruelly。Imusthavepassedthatshopbadforthsixtimesduringthatmanfulstruggle。AtlastIgavein;Ihadto。Iaskediftheyhadamisfitsuitthathadbeenthrownontheirhands。ThefellowIspoketonoddedhisheadtowardsanotherfellow，andgavemetotheindicatedfellow，aedahhishead，andnowords。Iwenttohim，andhesaid:

"Tendtoyoupresently。"

Iwaitedtillhehathewasat，theookmeintoaba，andoverhauledapileofrejectedsuits，atiestoon。Itdidn'tfit，andos;tinanywayattractive，butitasanxioustohaveit;soIdidn'tfindanyfault，butsaid，withsomediffidence:

"Itwouldbeanaodationtomeifyoucouldwaitsomedaysforthemoney。Ihaven'tanysmalle。"

Thefellowworkedupamostsarcasticexpressionofdsaid:

"Oh，youhaven't?Well，ofcourse，Ididn'texpectit。I'dolemeege。"

Iwasled，andsaid:

"Myfriend，youshouldn'tjudgeastrangeralwaysbytheclotheshewears。Iamquiteabletopayforthissuit;Isimplydidn'twishtoputyoutothetroubleofgalarge;

Hemodifiedhisstylealittleatthat，andsaid，thoughstillwithsomethingofanair:

"Ididn'tmeananyparticularharm，butaslongasrebukesaregoing，Imightsayitos;tquiteyouraffairtojumptothethatwep;apos;tyyoumighthappentarourary，we。"

Ihaohim，andsaid:

"Oh，veryologize。"

&withasmile，ohesmileswhichgoesallaroundover，andhasfoldsinit，andirals，andlooksliketheplacewhereyouhavethrownabriapoheactofhistakingaglimpseofthebillthissmilefrozesolid，andturnedyellow，ahosewavy，wormyspreadsoflavawhidhardelelevelsonthesideofVesuvius。Ineverbeforesawasmilecaughtlikethat，ahemanstthebill，andlooki，aorhustleduptoseewhatwasthematter，andsaid，briskly:

"os;sup?os;sthetrouble?os;swanting?"

Isaid:"Thereisn'tanytrouble。I'mwaitingfe。"

"e;gethimhishisge。"

Todretorted:"Gethimhisge!It'seasytosay，sir;butlookatthebillyourself。"

&ortookalook，gavealow，eloquehenmadeadiveforthepileofrejectedg，aosnatchitthiswayandthat，talkiimeexdasiftohimself:

"Sellariairesuspeakablesuitasthat!Tod'safool-abornfool。Alwaysdoihihis。Driveseverymillionaireawayfromthisplace，becausehe'ttellamillioramp，andnevercould。Ah，here'sthethingIamafter。Pleasegetthosethingsoff，sir，andthrowthemihefavortoputonthisshirtandthissuit;it'sjustthethihing-plain，rich，modest，andjustduadetonprinayknowhim，sir，hisSereheHospodarofHalifax;hadtoleaveitwithusandtakeam-suitbecausehismoingtodie-whichshedidn't。Butthat&apht;os;talwayshavethihatis，thewaythey-there!trht，theyfityoutoacharm，sir;cai-Lord!lookatthat，hewholething!Ineversahinallmyexperie;

Iexpressedmysatisfa。

&quht，sir，quiteright;it'lldoforamakeshift，I'mboundtosay。Butwaittillyouseeos;llgetupforyouonyourowod，booka。Le;-andsoon。BeforeIcouldgetinawordhehadmeasuredme，andwasgivingordersfordress-suits，msuits，shirts，andallsortsofthiaceIsaid:

"But，mydearsir，I'tgivetheseorders，unlessyouwaitiely，ethebill。""I'saweakword，sir，aweakword。Eternally-that'stheword，sir。Tod，rushthesethingsthrough，aothegentleman'saddresswithoutaime。Lettheminorerswait。Setdowleman'saddressand-"

"I'mgmyquarters。Iwilldropihe;

&quht，sir，quiteright。Omeshowyooodday。"

os;tyouseewhatwasboundtohappeurallyintobuyied，andaskingfe。assumptuouslyequippedwithallneedfulfortsandluxuries，andwashousedinanexpeehotelinHanoverSquare。ItookmydiforbreakfastIstuckbyHarris'shumblefeedinghotmyfirstmealonmymillion-poundbill。IwasthemakingofHarris。Thefaeallabroadthatthefnkwhocarriedmillion-poundbillsiatronsaihatwasenap，littlehand-to-mouthehadbeecelebrated，andovercrowdedwithers。Harriswassogratefulthatheforsuponme，andwouldnotbedenied;andso，pauperasIwas，Ihadmoospend，andwasliviheridthegreat。Ijudgedthattherewasgoingtobeacrashbyandby，butIwasinnowandmustswimacrossordrowherewasjustthatelementofimpendiogiveaseriousside，asoberside，yes，atragicside，toastateofthingswhichwouldotherurelyridithenight，ihetragedypartwasalwaystothefront，andalwayswarning，alwaysthreatening;andsoImoaossed，andsleepwashardtofind。Butinthecheerfuldaylightthetragedyelemeanddisappeared，andIwalkedonair，andytogiddioxiaysay。

Anditwasnatural;forIhadbeeoiesofthemetropolisoftheworld，anditturjustalittle，butagooddeal。Youottakeupaneer，English，Scotch，orIrish，withoutfindinginitoneormorereferehe"vest-pocketmillio;andhislatestdoingsandsaying。Atfirst，iions，Iwasatthebottomossip，Iwaslistedabovethekabovethebaroabovethebarons，andsoon，andsoon，gsteadily，asmyyaugmeilIreachedthehighestaltitudepossible，andthereIremaiakingpreceofalldukesnotroyal，andofallecclesiasticsexcepttheprimateofallEngland。Butmind，thiswasIhadalyhehegstroke-theaccolade，sotospeak-whiasitraheperishabledrossofheenduringgoldoffame:Punchcaricaturedme!Yes，Iwasamademannow;myplacewasestablished。Imightbejokedaboutstill，butreverently，nothilariously，notrudely;Iiledat，buthetimeforthathadgoneby。Punchpicturedmealla-flutterwithrags，digwithabeefeaterfortheTowerofLondon。Well，youehoithayoungfellowwhohadakennoticeofbefore，andnowallofasuddenp;apos;tsayathingthatos;ttakenupaedeverywhere;p;apos;tstirabroadwithouttlytheremarkflyingfromliptolip，&quoes;that'shim!"p;apos;ttakehisbreakfastwithoutacrowdtolookon;p;apos;tappearinanopera-boxwithouttratihefireofathes。Why，Ijustswamingloryalldaylong-thatistheamountofit。

Youkmyoldsuits，andeverynowandthehem，soastohavetheoldpleasureofbuyingtrifles，andbeihenshootingthescofferdeadwiththemillion-poundbill。ButIp;apos;tkeepthatup。TheillustratedpapersmadetheoutfitsofamiliarthatwheinitIwasatnizedandfollowedbyadifIattemptedapurchasethemanwouldoffermehiswholeshopobeforeIcouldpullmynoteonhim。

AboutthetenthdayofmyfameIwenttofulfilmydutytomyflagbypayiheAmeriister。Hereceivedmewiththeenthusiasmproperinmycase，upbraidedmefsotardyinmyduty，andsaidthattherewasoogethisfivehatwastotaketheseatathisdihatbytheillnessofoneofhisguests。IsaidIwould，aalking。Itturhatheandmyfatherhadbeensatesinboyhood，Yalestudeer，andalwayswarmfriendsuptomyfather'sdeath。SothenherequiredmetoputinathishousealltheoddtimeImighthavetospare，andIwasverywilling，ofcourse。

Infact，Iwasmorethanwilling;Iwasglad。Whenthee，hemightsomehowbeabletosavemefromtotaldestru;Ididn'tknowhow，buthemightthinkofaway，maybe。Ip;apos;tveounbosommyselftohimatthislatedate，athingwhichIwouldhavebeenquicktodointhebeginningofthisawfulineinLondon。No，Ip;apos;tvenow;Iwasiis，toodeepformetrevelationstosohoughnotydepth，asIlookedatit。Because，yousee，withallmyb，Iwascarefullykeepingwithinmymeahinmysalary。Ofcourse，Ip;apos;tknowwhatmysalarywasgoiIhadagoodenoughbasisforahefact，thatifIwoohavechoiysituationinthatritleman'sgiftprovidedIetent-andIshouldlyprovepetent;Ihadn'tanydoubtaboutthat。Andastothebet，Iaboutthat;Ihadalwaysbeenluyestimateofthesalarywassixhuhousandayear;say，sixhuhefirstyear，andsoonupyearbyyear，tillIstrucktheupperfigurebyprovedmerit。AtpresentIwasoformyfirstyear'ssalary。EverybodyhadbeentryingtoleIhadfoughtoffthemostofthemoorahisiededonly￡300borrowedmoher￡300representedmykeepandmypurchases。Ibelievedmysedyear'ssalarywouldcarrymethroughtherestofthemonthifIweiousandeidIiolooksharplyoutforthat。Mymonthended，myemployerbahisjourney，Ishouldbeallrightoncemore，forIshouldatomycreditorsbyassig，adowntomywork。

Itwasalovelydiyoffourteen。TheDukeandDuchessofShoreditdtheirdaughtertheLadyAnne-Graor-d-so-forth-and-so-forth-deBohun，theEarlandtessofCheapside，LordandLadyBlatherskite，someuntitledpeopleofbothsexes，theministerandhiswifeanddaughter，andhisdaughter'svisitingfriend，anEnglishgirloftwenty-tham，whomIfellihintwominutes，ahme-Icouldseeitwithoutglasses。Therewasstilla，aIamalittleaheadofmystory。Whilethepeoplewerestillinthedrawing-room，whettingupfordinner，andspegthelateers，theservantannounced:

"Mr。LloydHastings。"