第10章

Randolph’snaturewastoohopefulandrecuperativetoallowhimtolingeridlyinthepast。Hethrewhimselfintohisworkatthebankwithhisoldearnestnessandacertainsimpleconscientiousnesswhich，whileitoftenprovokedtherailleryofhisfellowclerks，didnotescapetheeyesofhisemployers。Hewasadvancedstepbystep，andbytheendoftheyearwasputinchargeofthecorrespondencewithbanksandagencies。Hehadsavedsomemoney，andhadmadeoneortwoprofitableinvestments。Hewasenabledtotakebetterapartmentsinthesamebuildinghehadoccupied。Hehadfewofthetemptationsofyouth。Hisfearofpovertyandhisnaturaltastekepthimfromthespeculativeandmaterialexcessesoftheperiod。Adistrustofhisromanticweaknesskepthimfromsocietyandmeanerentanglementswhichmighthavebesethisgoodlooksandgoodnature。Heworkedinhisroomsatnightandforborehisoldeveningrambles。

Astheyearworeontotheanniversaryofhisarrival，hethoughtmuchofthedeadmanwhohadinspiredhisfortunes，andwithitasenseofhisolddoubtsandsuspicionsrevived。Hisreasonhadobligedhimtoacceptthelossofthefatefulportmanteauasanordinarytheft；hisinstinctremainedunconvinced。Therewasnosuperstitionconnectedwithhisloss。Hisownprosperityhadnotbeenimpairedbyit。Onthecontrary，hereflectedbitterlythatthedeadmanhadapparentlydiedonlytobenefitothers。Atsuchtimesherecalled，withapleasurethatheknewmightbecomeperilous，thetallEnglishgirlwhohaddefendedDornton’smemoryandechoedhisownsympathy。Butthatwasallovernow。

Onestormynight，notunlikethateventfuloneofhispastexperience，Randolphsoughthisroomsintheteethofasouthwestgale。Ashebuffetedhiswayalongtherain-washedpavementofMontgomeryStreet，itwasnotstrangethathisthoughtsrevertedtothatnightandthememoryofhisdeadprotector。Butreachinghisapartment，hesternlybanishedthemwiththevanishedromancetheyrevived，andlightinghislamp，laidouthispapersintheprospectofaneveningofuninterruptedwork。Hewassurprised，however，afteralittleinterval，bythesoundofuncertainandshufflingstepsonthehalf-lightedpassageoutside，thenoiseofsomeheavyarticlesetdownonthefloor，andthenatentativeknockathisdoor。Alittleimpatientlyhecalled，“Comein。“

Thedooropenedslowly，andoutofthehalfobscurityofthepassageathicksetfigurelurchedtowardhimintothefulllightoftheroom。Randolphhalfrose，andthensankbackintohischair，awed，spellbound，andmotionless。Hesawthefigurestandingplainlybeforehim；hesawdistinctlythefamiliarfurnitureofhisroom，thestorm-twinklinglightsinthewindowsopposite，theflashofpassingcarriagelampsinthestreetbelow。Butthefigurebeforehimwasnoneotherthanthedeadmanofwhomhehadjustbeenthinking。

Thefigurelookedathimintently，andthenburstintoafitofunmistakablelaughter。Itwasneitherloudnorunpleasant，andyetitprovokedadisagreeablerecollection。Nevertheless，itdissipatedRandolph’ssuperstitioustremor，forhehadneverbeforeheardofaghostwholaughedheartily。

“Youdon’trememberme，“saidtheman。“Belaythere，andI’llfreshenyourmemory。“Hesteppedbacktothedoor，openedit，puthisarmoutintothehall，andbroughtinaportmanteau，closedthedoor，andappearedbeforeRandolphagainwiththeportmanteauinhishand。Itwastheonethathadbeenstolen。“There！“hesaid。

“CaptainDornton，“murmuredRandolph。

Themanlaughedagainandflungdowntheportmanteau。“You’vegotmynamepatenough，lad，Isee；butIreckonedyou’dhavespottedMEwithoutthatportmanteau。“

“Iseeyou’vegotitback，“stammeredRandolphinhisembarrassment。

“Itwas——stolenfromme。“

CaptainDorntonlaughedagain，droppedintoachair，rubbedhishandsonhisknees，andturnedhisfacetowardRandolph。“Yes；I

stoleit——orhaditstolen——thesamething，forI’mresponsible。“

“ButIwouldhavegivenituptoYOUatonce，“saidRandolphreproachfully，clingingtotheonlyideahecouldunderstandinhisutterbewilderment。“Ihavereligiouslyandfaithfullykeptitforyou，withallitscontents，eversince——youdisappeared。“

“Iknowit，lad，“saidCaptainDornton，rising，andextendingabrown，weather-beatenhandwhichclosedheartilyontheyoungman’s；“noneedtosaythat。Andyou’vekeptitevenbetterthanyouknow。Lookhere！“

HeliftedtheportmanteautohislapanddisclosedBEHINDtheusualsmallpouchorpocketinthelidaslitinthelining。“Betweentheliningandtheouterleather，“hewentongrimly，“Ihadtwoorthreebanknotesthatcametoaboutathousanddollars，andsomepapers，lad，that，reckoningbyandlarge，mightbeworthtomeamillion。WhenIgotthatportmanteaubacktheywereallthere，gummedin，justasIhadleftthem。Ididn’tshowupandcomeforthemmyself，forIwaslyinglowatthetime，and——nooffense，lad——

Ididn’tknowhowyoustoodwithapartywhowasnoparticularfriendofmine。AnoldshipmatewhomIsettowatchthatpartyquiteaccidentallyrunacrossyourbowsintheferryboat，andheardenoughtomakehimfollowinyourwakehere，wherehegottheportmanteau。It’sallright，“hesaid，withalaugh，wavingasidewithhisbrownhandRandolph’sprotestinggesture。“Theoldbag’sonlygotbacktoitsrightfulowner。Itmayn’thavebeengotinshipshape’Friscostyle，butwhenaman’slifeisatstake，atleast，whenit’saquestionofhisbeingconsidereddeadoralive，he’sgottotakethingsashefinds’em，andIfound’emd——bad。“

InaflashofrecollectionRandolphrememberedtheobtrudingminerontheferryboat，thesamefigureonthewharfcorner，andtheadvantagetakenofhisabsencewithMissAvondale。AndMissAvondalewasthe“party“thisman’sshipmatewaswatching！Hefelthisfacecrimsoning，yethedarednotquestionhimfurther，noryetdefendher。CaptainDorntonnoticedit，andwithafriendlytact，whichRandolphhadnotexpectedofhim，risingagain，laidhishandgentlyontheyoungman’sshoulder。

“Lookhere，lad，“hesaid，withhispleasantsmile；“don’tyouworryyourheadaboutthewaysordoingsoftheDorntonfamily，oranyoftheirfriends。They’reaqueerlot——includingyourhumbleservant。You’vedonethesquarethingaccordin’toyourlights。

You’veriddenstraightfromstarttofinish，withnojockeying，andIshan’tforgetit。Thereareonlytwomenwhohaven’tfailedmewhenItrustedthem。OnewasyouwhenIgaveyoumyportmanteau；

theotherwasJackRedhillwhenhestoleitfromyou。“

Hedroppedbackinhischairagain，andlaughedsilently。

“Thenyoudidnotfalloverboardastheysupposed，“stammeredRandolphatlast。

“Notmuch！Butthenextthingtoit。Itwasn’tthewaterthatI

tookinthatknockedmeout，mylad，butsomethingstronger。Iwasshanghaied。“

“Shanghaied？“repeatedRandolphvacantly。

“Yes，shanghaied！Hocused！Druggedatthatginmillonthewharfbyalotofcrimps，who，mistakingmeforabetterman，shovedme，blinddrunkandhelpless，downthestepsintoaboat，andouttoashort-handedbriginthestream。WhenIcametoIwasoutsidetheHeads，pointedforGuayaquil。Whentheyfoundthey’dcaptured，notapoorJack，butamanwho’dtrodaquarterdeck，whoknew，andwasknownateveryportonthetradingline，andwhocouldmakeithotforthem，theyweregladtocompromiseandsetmeashoreatAcapulco，andsixweekslaterIlandedin’Frisco。“

“Safeandsound，thankHeaven！“saidRandolphjoyously。

“Notexactly，lad，“saidCaptainDorntongrimly，“butdeadandsatuponbythecoroner，andmybodycomfortablyboxedupandonitswaytoEngland。“

“Butthatwasninemonthsago。Whathaveyoubeendoingsince？

Whydidn’tyoudeclareyourselfthen？“saidRandolphimpatiently，alittleirritatedbytheman’sextremeindifference。Hereallytalkedlikeanamusedspectatorofhisownmisfortunes。

“Steady，lad。Iknowwhatyou’regoingtosay。Iknowallthathappened。ButthefirstthingIfoundwhenIgotbackwasthattheshanghaibusinesshadsavedmylife；thatbutforthatIwouldhavereallybeenoccupyingthatboxonitswaytoEngland，insteadofthepoordevilwhowastakenforme。“

AcoldtremorpassedoverRandolph。CaptainDornton，however，wastolerantlysmiling。

“Idon’tunderstand，“saidRandolphbreathlessly。

CaptainDorntonroseand，walkingtothedoor，lookedoutintothepassage；thenheshutthedoorcarefullyandreturned，glancingabouttheroomandatthestorm-washedwindows。“IthoughtIheardsomeoneoutside。I’mlyinglowjustnow，andonlygooutatnight，forIdon’twantthisthingblownbeforeI’mready。Gotanythingtodrinkhere？“

Randolphrepliedbytakingadecanterofwhiskeyandglassesfromacupboard。Thecaptainfilledhisglass，andcontinuedwiththesamegentlebutexasperatingnonchalance，“Mindmysmoking？“

“Notatall，“saidRandolph，pushingacigartowardhim。Butthecaptainputitaside，drewfromhispocketashortblackclaypipe，stuffeditwithblack“Cavendishplug，“whichhehadfirstchippedoffinthepalmofhishandwithalargeclaspknife，lightedit，andtookafewmeditativewhiffs。Then，glancingatRandolph’spapers，hesaid，“I’mnotkeepingyoufromyourwork，lad？“andreceivingareplyinthenegative，puffedathispipeandoncemoresettledhimselfcomfortablyinhischair，withhisdark，beardedprofiletowardRandolph。