the cruise of the jasper b[1].(杰斯帕·b·之游)-第12节
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condition； for I despised the man himself； but the condition made me
furious and I drove him from my sight with words that turned him white
and made him my enemy forever。 'You will not be my countess； then；' he
said。 'Very wellbut I can promise you that you will cease to be a
suffragist。' I can still see the evil flash of his eye behind his monocle as he
uttered these words and turned away。〃
Lady Agatha shuddered at the recollection； and took a cup of tea。
〃It was then；〃 she resumed； 〃that the real persecution began。 I was
peculiarly helpless； as I have no near relations who might have come to
my defense。 Representing himself always as the agent of his father； but
far exceeding the Earl in the malevolence of his inventions； Reginald
Maltravers sought by every means he could command to drive me from
public life in England。
〃Three times he succeeded in having me flung into Holloway Jail。 I
need not tell you of the terrors of that institution； nor of the degrading
horrors of forcible feeding。 They are known to a shocked and
sympathetic world。 But Reginald Maltravers contrived； in my case； to
add to the usual brutalities a peculiar and personal touch。 By bribery； as I
believe； he succeeded in getting himself into the prison as a turnkey。 It
was his custom； when I lay weak and helpless in the semistupor of
starvation； to glide into my cell and； standing by my couch； to recite to me
the list of tempting viands that might appear daily upon the board of a
Countess of Claiborne。
〃He soon learned that his very presence itself was a persecution。
After my release from jail the last time； he began to follow me
everywhere。 Turn where I would； there was Reginald Maltravers。 At
suffrage meetings he took his station directly before the speaker's stand；
stroked his long blond mustache with his long white fingers； and stared at
me steadfastly through his monocle； with an evil smile upon his face。
Formerly he had； in several instances； prevented me from attending
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THE CRUISE OF THE JASPER B。
suffrage meetings； once he had me spirited away and imprisoned for a
week when it fell to my lot to burn a railroad station for the good of the
cause。 He strove to ruin me with my leaders in this despicable manner。
〃But in the end he took to showing himself； he stood and stared。
Merely that。 He was subtle enough to shift the persecution from the
province of the physical to the realm of the psychological。 It was like
being haunted。 Even when I did not see him； I began to THINK that I
saw him。 He deliberately planted that hallucination in my mind。 It is a
wonder that I did not go mad。
〃I finally determined to flee to America。 I made all my arrangements
with care andas I thoughtwith secrecy。 I imagined that I had given
him the slip。 But he was too clever for me。 The third day out； as one of
the ship's officers was showing me about the vessel； I detected Reginald
Maltravers in the hold。 It is not usual to allow women so far below decks；
but I had insisted on seeing everything。 Perspiring； begrimed； and
mopping the moisture from his brow with a piece of cotton waste； there he
stood in the guise of aofa croaker； is it； Mr。 Cleggett？〃
〃Stoker； I believe；〃 said Cleggett。
〃Stoker。 Thank you。 He turned away in confusion when he saw that
he was discovered。 I perceived that； designing to cross on the same ship
with me； he had thought himself hidden there。 He was not wearing his
monocle； but I would know that sloping forehead； that blond mustache；
and that long； high； bony nose anywhere。〃
Lady Agatha broke off for a moment。 She was extremely agitated。
But presently she continued： 〃I endeavored to evade him。 The attempt
was useless。 He found me out at once。 The persecution went on。 It
was more terrible here than it had been in England。 There I had friends。
I had hours； sometimes even whole days； to myself。
〃But this was not the worst。 A new phase developed。 From his
appearance it suddenly became apparent to me that Reginald Maltravers
could not stop haunting me if he wished！〃
〃COULD not stop？〃 cried Cleggett。
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THE CRUISE OF THE JASPER B。
〃COULD not；〃 said Lady Agatha。 〃The hunt had become a
monomania with him。 It had become an obsession。 He had given his
whole mentality to it and it had absorbed all his faculties。 He was now
the victim of it。 He had grown powerless in the grip of the idea； he had
lost volition in the matter。
〃You can imagine my consternation when I realized this。 I began to
fear the day when his insanity would take some violent form and he would
endeavor to do me a personal injury。 I determined to have a bodyguard。
I wanted a man inured to danger； one capable of meeting violence with
violence； if the need arose。 It struck me that if I could get into touch with
one of those chivalrous Western outlaws； of whom we read in American
works of fiction； he would be just the sort of man I needed to protect me
from Reginald Maltravers。
〃I did not consider appealing to the authorities； for I have no
confidence in your American laws； Mr。 Cleggett。 But I did not know
how to go about finding a chivalrous Western outlaw。 So finally I put an
advertisement in the personal column of one of your morning papers for a
reformed convict。〃
〃A reformed convict！〃 exclaimed Cleggett。 〃May I ask how you
worded the ad。？〃
〃Ad。？ Oh； advertisement？ I will get it for you。〃
She went into the stateroom and was back in a moment with a
newspaper cutting which she handed to Cleggett。 It read：
Convict recently released from Sing Sing； if his reform is
really genuine； may secure honest employment by writing to A。 F。；
care Morning Dispatch。
〃Out of the answers；〃 she resumed； 〃I selected four and had their
writers call for a personal interview。 But only two of them seemed to me
to be really reformed； and of these two Elmer's reform struck me as being
the more genuine。 You may have noticed that Elmer gives the
appearance of being done with worldly vanities。〃
〃He does seem depressed；〃 said Cleggett； 〃but I had imputed it largely
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THE CRUISE OF THE JASPER B。
to the nature of his present occupation。〃
〃It is due to his attempt to lead a better lifeor at least so he tells me；〃
said Lady Agatha。 〃Morality does not come easy to Elmer； he says； and I
believe him。 Elmer's time is largely taken up by inward moral debate as
to the right or wrong of particular hypothetical cases which his
imagination insists on presenting to his conscience。〃
〃I can certainly imagine no state of mind less enjoyable；〃 said
Cleggett。
〃Nor I；〃 replied Lady Agatha。 〃But to resume： The very fact that I
had employed a guard seemed to put Reginald Maltravers beside himself。
He followed me more closely than ever。 Regardless of appearances； he
would suddenly plant himself in front of me in restaurants and tramcars； in
the streets or parks when I went for an airing； even in the lifts and
corridors of the apartment hotel where I stopped； and stare at me intently
through his monocle； caressing his mustache the while。 I did not dare
make a scene； the thing was causing enough remark without that； I was； in
fact； losing my reputation。
〃Finally； goaded beyond
