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第40章 掘墓盗尸人8（第1页）

rewasaninstantshesitation，andthediewascast。Macfarlanecouldnotsuressanervoustwitch，theinfinitesimalmarkofanimmenserelief，ashefeltthekeybetweenhisfingers。Heoenedthecuboard，broughtoutenandinkandaaer-bookthatstoodinonecomartment，andsearatedfromthefundsinadrawerasumsuitabletotheoccasion。

"Now，lookhere，

"hesaid，

"thereistheaymentmade—firstroofofyourgoodfaith:firststetoyoursecurity。Youhavenowtoclinchitbyasecond。Entertheaymentinyourbook，andthenyouforyourartmaydefythedevil。

"

ThenextfewsecondswereforFettesanagonyofthought;butinbalancinghisterrorsitwasthemostimmediatethattriumhed。AnyfuturedifficultyseemedalmostwelcomeifhecouldavoidaresentquarrelwithMacfarlane。Hesetdownthecandlewhichhehadbeencarryingallthistime，andwithasteadyhandenteredthedate，thenature，andtheamountofthetransaction。

"Andnow，

"saidMacfarlane，

"itsonlyfairthatyoushouldocketthelucre。Ivehadmysharealready。Bythebye，whenamanoftheworldfallsintoabitofluck，hasafewshillingsextrainhisocket—Imashamedtoseakofit，buttheresaruleofconductinthecase。Notreating，nourchaseofexensiveclass-books，nosquaringofolddebts;borrow，dontlend。

"

"Macfarlane，

"beganFettes，stillsomewhathoarsely，

"Ihaveutmyneckinahaltertoobligeyou。

"

"Toobligeme?

"criedWolfe。

"Oh，come!Youdid，asnearasIcanseethematter，whatyoudownrighthadtodoinself-defence。SuoseIgotintotrouble，wherewouldyoube?Thissecondlittlematterflowsclearlyfromthefirst。Mr。GrayisthecontinuationofMissGalbraith。Youcantbeginandthensto。Ifyoubegin，youmustkeeonbeginning;thatsthetruth。Norestforthewicked。

"

Ahorriblesenseofblacknessandthetreacheryoffateseizedholduonthesouloftheunhaystudent。

"MyGod!

"hecried，

"butwhathaveIdone?andwhendidIbegin?Tobemadeaclassassistant—inthenameofreason，wherestheharminthat?Servicewantedtheosition;Servicemighthavegotit。WouldhehavebeenwhereIamnow?

"

"Mydearfellow，

"saidMacfarlane，

"whataboyyouare!WhatharmHAScometoyou?WhatharmCANcometoyouifyouholdyourtongue?Why，man，doyouknowwhatthislifeis?Therearetwosquadsofus—thelionsandthelambs。Ifyourealamb，youllcometolieuonthesetableslikeGrayorJaneGalbraith;ifyourealion，youllliveanddriveahorselikeme，likeK，likealltheworldwithanywitorcourage。Yourestaggeredatthefirst。ButlookatK!Mydearfellow，youreclever;youhaveluck。Ilikeyou，andKlikesyou。Youwereborntoleadthehunt;andItellyou，onmyhonourandmyexerienceoflife，threedaysfromnowyoulllaughatallthesescarecrowslikeaHighSchoolboyatafarce。

"

AndwiththatMacfarlanetookhisdeartureanddroveoffuthewyndinhisgigtogetundercoverbeforedaylight。Fetteswasthusleftalonewithhisregrets。Hesawthemiserableerilinwhichhestoodinvolved。Hesaw，withinexressibledismay，thattherewasnolimittohisweakness，andthat，fromconcessiontoconcession，hehadfallenfromthearbiterofMacfarlanesdestinytohisaidandhellessaccomlice。Hewouldhavegiventheworldtohavebeenalittlebraveratthetime，butitdidnotoccurtohimthathemightstillbebrave。ThesecretofJaneGalbraithandthecursedentryintheday-bookclosedhismouth。

Hoursassed;theclassbegantoarrive;themembersoftheunhayGrayweredealtouttooneandtoanother，andreceivedwithoutremark。Richardsonwasmadehaywiththehead;andbeforethehouroffreedomrangFettestrembledwithexultationtoerceivehowfartheyhadalreadygonetowardsafety。

Fortwodayshecontinuedtowatch，withincreasingjoy，thedreadfulrocessofdisguise。

OnthethirddayMacfarlanemadehisaearance。Hehadbeenill，hesaid;buthemadeuforlosttimebytheenergywithwhichhedirectedthestudents。ToRichardsoninarticularheextendedthemostvaluableassistanceandadvice，andthatstudent，encouragedbytheraiseofthedemonstrator，burnedhighwithambitioushoes，andsawthemedalalreadyinhisgras。

BeforetheweekwasoutMacfarlanesrohecyhadbeenfulfilled。Fetteshadoutlivedhisterrorsandhadforgottenhisbaseness。Hebegantolumehimselfuonhiscourage，andhadsoarrangedthestoryinhismindthathecouldlookbackontheseeventswithanunhealthyride。Ofhisaccomlicehesawbutlittle。Theymet，ofcourse，inthebusinessoftheclass;theyreceivedtheirorderstogetherfromMr。K。Attimestheyhadawordortwoinrivate，andMacfarlanewasfromfirsttolastarticularlykindandjovial。Butitwaslainthatheavoidedanyreferencetotheircommonsecret;andevenwhenFetteswhiseredtohimthathehadcastinhislotwiththelionsandforswornthelambs，heonlysignedtohimsmilinglytoholdhiseace。