the author of beltraffio-第12节

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Trust　a　mothera　devoted　mother；　my　dear　friend！〃　　With　such　words
as　these　I　tried　to　soothe　and　comfort　him；　and；　marvellous　to
relate；　I　succeeded；　with　the　help　of　many　cigarettes；　in　making　him
walk　about　the　garden　and　talk；　or　suffer　me　at　least　to　do　so；　for
near　an　hour。　　When　about　that　time　had　elapsed　his　sister
reappeared；　reaching　us　rapidly　and　with　a　convulsed　face　while　she
held　her　hand　to　her　heart。

〃Go　for　the　Doctor；　Markgo　for　the　Doctor　this　moment！〃

〃Is　he　dying？　　Has　she　killed　him？〃　my　poor　friend　cried；　flinging
away　his　cigarette。

〃I　don't　know　what　she　has　done！　　But　she's　frightened；　and　now　she
wants　the　Doctor。〃

〃He　told　me　he'd　be　hanged　if　he　came　back！〃　　I　felt　myself　obliged
to　mention。

〃Preciselytherefore　Mark　himself　must　go　for　him；　and　not　a
messenger。　　You　must　see　him　and　tell　him　it's　to　save　your　child。
The　trap　has　been　orderedit's　ready。〃

〃To　save　him？　　I'll　save　him；　please　God！〃　Ambient　cried；　bounding
with　his　great　strides　across　the　lawn。

As　soon　as　he　had　gone　I　felt　I　ought　to　have　volunteered　in　his
place；　and　I　said　as　much　to　Miss　Ambient；　but　she　checked　me　by
grasping　my　arm　while　we　heard　the　wheels　of　the　dog…cart　rattle　away
from　the　gate。　　〃He's　offhe's　offand　now　I　can　think！　　To　get　him
awaywhile　I　thinkwhile　I　think！〃

〃While　you　think　of　what；　Miss　Ambient？〃

〃Of　the　unspeakable　thing　that　has　happened　under　this　roof！〃

Her　manner　was　habitually　that　of　such　a　prophetess　of　ill　that　I　at
first　allowed　for　some　great　extravagance。　　But　I　looked　at　her　hard；
and　the　next　thing　felt　myself　turn　white。　　〃Dolcino　IS　dying　then
he's　dead？〃

〃It's　too　late　to　save　him。　　His　mother　has　let　him　die！　　I　tell　you
that　because　you're　sympathetic；　because　you've　imagination；〃　Miss
Ambient　was　good　enough　to　add；　interrupting　my　expression　of　horror。
〃That's　why　you　had　the　idea　of　making　her　read　Mark's　new　book！〃

〃What　has　that　to　do　with　it？　　I　don't　understand　you。　　Your
accusation's　monstrous。〃

〃I　see　it　allI'm　not　stupid；〃　she　went　on；　heedless　of　my　emphasis。
〃It　was　the　book　that　finished　herit　was　that　decided　her！〃

〃Decided　her？　　Do　you　mean　she　has　murdered　her　child？〃　I　demanded；
trembling　at　my　own　words。

〃She　sacrificed　him；　she　determined　to　do　nothing　to　make　him　live。
Why　else　did　she　lock　herself　in；　why　else　did　she　turn　away　the
Doctor？　　The　book　gave　her　a　horror；　she　determined　to　rescue　himto
prevent　him　from　ever　being　touched。　　He　had　a　crisis　at　two　o'clock
in　the　morning。　　I　know　that　from　the　nurse；　who　had　left　her　then；
but　whom；　for　a　short　time；　she　called　back。　　The　darling　got　munch
worse；　but　she　insisted　on　the　nurse's　going　back　to　bed；　and　after
that　she　was　alone　with　him　for　hours。〃

I　listened　with　a　dread　that　stayed　my　credence；　while　she　stood
there　with　her　tearless　glare。　　〃Do　you　pretend　then　she　has　no　pity；
that　she's　cruel　and　insane？〃

〃She　held　him　in　her　arms；　she　pressed　him　to　her　breast；　not　to　see
him；　but　she　gave　him　no　remedies；　she　did　nothing　the　Doctor
ordered。　　Everything's　there　untouched。　　She　has　had　the　honesty　not
even　to　throw　the　drugs　away！〃

I　dropped　upon　the　nearest　bench；　overcome　with　my　dismayquite　as
much　at　Miss　Ambient's　horrible　insistence　and　distinctness　as　at　the
monstrous　meaning　of　her　words。　　Yet　they　came　amazingly　straight；
and　if　they　did　have　a　sense　I　saw　myself　too　woefully　figure　in　it。
Had　I　been　then　a　proximate　cause　？　　〃You're　a　very　strange　woman
and　you　say　incredible　things；〃　I　could　only　reply。

She　had　one　of　her　tragic　headshakes。　　〃You　think　it　necessary　to
protest；　but　you're　really　quite　ready　to　believe　me。　　You've
received　an　impression　of　my　sister…in…lawyou've　guessed　of　what
she's　capable。〃

I　don't　feel　bound　to　say　what　concession　on　this　score　I　made　to
Miss　Ambient；　who　went　on　to　relate　to　me　that　within　the　last　half…
hour　Beatrice　had　had　a　revulsion；　that　she　was　tremendously
frightened　at　what　she　had　done；　that　her　fright　itself　betrayed　her；
and　that　she　would　now　give　heaven　and　earth　to　save　the　child。　　〃Let
us　hope　she　will！〃　I　said；　looking　at　my　watch　and　trying　to　time
poor　Ambient；　whereupon　my　companion　repeated　all　portentously

〃Let　us　hope　so！〃　　When　I　asked　her　if　she　herself　could　do　nothing；
and　whether　she　oughtn't　to　be　with　her　sister…in…law；　she　replied：
〃You　had　better　go　and　judge！　　She's　like　a　wounded　tigress！〃

I　never　saw　Mrs。　Ambient　till　six　months　after　this；　and　therefore
can't　pretend　to　have　verified　the　comparison。　　At　the　latter　period
she　was　again　the　type　of　the　perfect　lady。　　〃She'll　treat　him　better
after　this；〃　I　remember　her　sister…in…law's　saying　in　response　to
some　quick　outburst；　on　my　part；　of　compassion　for　her　brother。
Though　I　had　been　in　the　house　but　thirty…six　hours　this　young　lady
had　treated　me　with　extraordinary　confidence；　and　there　was　therefore
a　certain　demand　I　might；　as　such　an　intimate；　make　of　her。　　I
extracted　from　her　a　pledge　that　she'd　never　say　to　her　brother　what
she　had　just　said　to　me；　that　she'd　let　him　form　his　own　theory　of
his　wife's　conduct。　　She　agreed　with　me　that　there　was　misery　enough
in　the　house　without　her　contributing　a　new　anguish；　and　that　Mrs。
Ambient's　proceedings　might　be　explained；　to　her　husband's　mind；　by
the　extravagance　of　a　jealous　devotion。　　Poor　Mark　came　back　with　the
Doctor　much　sooner　than　we　could　have　hoped；　but　we　knew　five　minutes
afterwards　that　it　was　all　too　late。　　His　sole；　his　adored　little　son
was　more　exquisitely　beautiful　in　death　than　he　had　been　in　life。
Mrs。　Ambient's　grief　was　frantic；　she　lost　her　head　and　said　strange
things。　　As　for　Mark'sbut　I　won't　speak　of　that。　　Basta；　basta；　as
he　used　to　say。　　Miss　Ambient　kept　her　secretI've　already　had
occasion　to　say　that　she　had　her　good　pointsbut　it　rankled　in　her
conscience　like　a　guilty　participation　and；　I　imagine；　had　something
to　do　with　her　ultimately　retiring　from　the　world。　　And；　apropos　of
consciences；　the　reader　is　now　in　a　position　to　judge　of　my
compunction　for　my　effort　to　convert　my　cold　hostess。　　I　ought　to
mention　that　the　death　of　her　child　in　some　degree　converted　her。
When　the　new　book　came　out　（it　was　long　delayed）　she　read　it　over　as
a　whole；　and　her　husband　told　me　that　during　the　few　supreme　weeks
before　her　deathshe　failed　rapidly　after　losing　her　son；　sank　into
a　consumption　and　faded　away　at　Mentoneshe　even　dipped　into　the
black　〃Beltraffio。〃







End