Chapter 3. ANOTHER MAN

ingtofather,becausefatherlovesmeandIlovefather.Ican’tsomuchasreadabook,because,ifIhadlearned,fatherwouldhavethoughtIwasdesertinghim,andIshouldhavelostmyinfluence.IhavenottheinfluenceIwanttohave,IcannotstopsomedreadfulthingsItrytostop,butIgooninthehopeandtrustthatthetimewillcome.InthemeanwhileIknowthatIaminsomethingsastaytofather,andthatifIwasnotfaithfultohimhewould—inrevenge-like,orindisappointment,orboth—gowildandbad.’ ‘Giveusatouchofthefortune-tellingpicturesaboutme.’ ‘Iwaspassingontothem,Charley,’saidthegirl,whohadnotchangedherattitudesinceshebegan,andwhonowmournfullyshookherhead‘theotherswereallleadingup.Thereareyou—’ ‘WhereamI,Liz?’ ‘Stillinthehollowdownbytheflare.’ ‘Thereseemstobethedeuce-and-allinthehollowdownbytheflare,’saidtheboy,glancingfromhereyestothebrazier,whichhadagrislyskeletonlookonitslongthinlegs. ‘Thereareyou,Charley,workingyourway,insecretfromfather,attheschoolandyougetprizesandyougoonbetterandbetterandyoucometobea—whatwasityoucalleditwhenyoutoldmeaboutthat?’ ‘Ha,ha!Fortune-tellingnotknowthename!’criedtheboy,seemingtoberatherrelievedbythisdefaultonthepartofthehollowdownbytheflare.‘Pupil-teacher.’ ‘Youcometobeapupil-teacher,andyoustillgoonbetterandbetter,andyourisetobeamasterfulloflearningandrespect.Butthesecrethascometofather’sknowledgelongbefore,andithasdividedyoufromfather,andfromme.’ ‘Noithasn’t!’ ‘Yesithas,Charley.Isee,asplainasplaincanbe,thatyourwayisnotours,andthateveniffathercouldbegottoforgiveyourtakingit(whichhenevercouldbe),thatwayofyourswouldbedarkenedbyourway.ButIseetoo,Charley—’ ‘Stillasplainasplaincanbe,Liz?’askedtheboyplayfully. ‘Ah!Still.Thatitisagreatworktohavecutyouawayfromfather’slife,andtohavemadeanewandgoodbeginning.SothereamI,Charley,leftalonewithfather,keepinghimasstraightasIcan,watchingformoreinfluencethanIhave,andhopingthatthroughsomefortunatechance,orwhenheisill,orwhen—Idon’tknowwhat—Imayturnhimtowishtodobetterthings.’ ‘Yousaidyoucouldn’treadabook,Lizzie.Yourlibraryofbooksisthehollowdownbytheflare,Ithink.’ ‘Ishouldbeverygladtobeabletoreadrealbooks.Ifeelmywantoflearningverymuch,Charley.ButIshouldfeelitmuchmore,ifIdidn’tknowittobeatiebetweenmeandfather.—Hark!Father’stread!’ Itbeingnowpastmidnight,thebirdofpreywentstraighttoroost.Atmid-dayfollowinghereappearedattheSixJollyFellowshipPorters,inthecharacter,notnewtohim,ofawitnessbeforeaCoroner’sJury. MrMortimerLightwood,besidessustainingthecharacterofoneofthewitnesses,doubledthepartwiththatoftheeminentsolicitorwhowatchedtheproceedingsonbehalfoftherepresentativesofthedeceased,aswasdulyrecordedinthenewspapers.MrInspectorwatchedtheproceedingstoo,andkepthiswatchingcloselytohimself.MrJuliusHandfordhavinggivenhisrightaddress,andbeingreportedinsolventcircumstancesastohisbill,thoughnothingmorewasknownofhimathishotelexceptthathiswayoflifewasveryretired,hadnosummonstoappear,andwasmerelypresentintheshadesofMrInspector’smind. Thecasewasmadeinterestingtothepublic,byMrMortimerLightwood’sevidencetouchingthecircumstancesunderwhichthedeceased,MrJohnHarmon,hadreturnedtoEnglandexclusiveprivateproprietorshipinwhichcircumstanceswassetupatdinner-tablesforseveraldays,byVeneering,Twemlow,Podsnap,andalltheBuffers:whoallrelatedthemirreconcilablywithoneanother,andcontradictedthemselves.ItwasalsomadeinterestingbythetestimonyofJobPotterson,theship’ssteward,andoneMrJacobKibble,afellow-passenger,thatthedeceasedMrJohnHarmondidbringover,inahand-valisewithwhichhediddisembark,thesumrealizedbytheforcedsaleofhislittlelandedproperty,andthatthesumexceeded,inreadymoney,sevenhundredpounds.Itwasfurthermadeinteresting,bytheremarkableexperiencesofJesseHexaminhavingrescuedfromtheThamessomanydeadbodies,andforwhosebehoofarapturousadmirersubscribinghimself‘AfriendtoBurial’(perhapsanundertaker),senteighteenpostagestamps,andfive‘NowSir’stotheeditoroftheTimes. Upontheevidenceadducedbeforethem,theJuryfound,ThatthebodyofMrJohnHarmonhadbeendiscoveredfloatingintheThames,inanadvancedstateofdecay,andmuchinjuredandthatthesaidMrJohnHarmonhadcomebyhisdeathunderhighlysuspiciouscircumstances,thoughbywhoseactorinwhatprecisemannertherewasnoevidencebeforethisJurytoshow.Andtheyappendedtotheirverdict,arecommendationtotheHomeOffice(whichMrInspectorappearedtothinkhighlysensible),toofferarewardforthesolutionofthemystery.Withineight-and-fortyhours,arewardofOneHundredPoundswasproclaimed,togetherwithafreepardontoanypersonorpersonsnottheactualperpetratororperpetrators,andsoforthindueform. ThisProclamationrenderedMrInspectoradditionallystudious,andcausedhimtostandmeditatingonriver-stairsandcauseways,andtogolurkingaboutinboats,puttingthisandthattogether.But,accordingtothesuccesswithwhichyouputthisandthattogether,yougetawomanandafishapart,oraMermaidincombination.AndMrInspectorcouldturnoutnothingbetterthanaMermaid,whichnoJudgeandJurywouldbelievein. Thus,likethetidesonwhichithadbeenbornetotheknowledgeofmen,theHarmonMurder—asitcametobepopularlycalled—wentupanddown,andebbedandflowed,nowinthetown,nowinthecountry,nowamongpalaces,nowamonghovels,nowamonglordsandladiesandgentlefolks,nowamonglabourersandhammerersandballast-heavers,untilatlast,afteralongintervalofslackwateritgotouttoseaanddriftedaway.