the legacy of cain-第1节

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The　Legacy　of　Cain

by　Wilkie　Collins





To

MRS。　HENRY　POWELL　BARTLEY：

Permit　me　to　add　your　name　to　my　name；　in　publishing　this　novel。
The　pen　which　has　written　my　books　cannot　be　more　agreeably
employed　than　in　acknowledging　what　I　owe　to　the　pen　which　has
skillfully　and　patiently　helped　me；　by　copying　my　manuscripts　for
the　printer。

WILKIE　COLLINS。

Wimpole　Street；　6th　December；　1888。



THE　LEGACY　OF　CAIN。

First　Period：　1858…1859。

EVENTS　IN　THE　PRISON；　RELATED　BY　THE　GOVERNOR。



CHAPTER　I。

THE　GOVERNOR　EXPLAINS。


AT　the　request　of　a　person　who　has　claims　on　me　that　I　must　not
disown；　I　consent　to　look　back　through　a　long　interval　of　years
and　to　describe　events　which　took　place　within　the　walls　of　an
English　prison　during　the　earlier　period　of　my　appointment　as
Governor。

Viewing　my　task　by　the　light　which　later　experience　casts　on　it；
I　think　I　shall　act　wisely　by　exercising　some　control　over　the
freedom　of　my　pen。

I　propose　to　pass　over　in　silence　the　name　of　the　town　in　which
is　situated　the　prison　once　confided　to　my　care。　I　shall　observe
a　similar　discretion　in　alluding　to　individualssome　dead；　some
living；　at　the　present　time。

Being　obliged　to　write　of　a　woman　who　deservedly　suffered　the
extreme　penalty　of　the　law；　I　think　she　will　be　sufficiently
identified　if　I　call　her　The　Prisoner。　Of　the　four　persons
present　on　the　evening　before　her　execution　three　may　be
distinguished　one　from　the　other　by　allusion　to　their　vocations
in　life。　I　here　introduce　them　as　The　Chaplain；　The　Minister；　and
The　Doctor。　The　fourth　was　a　young　woman。　She　has　no　claim　on　my
consideration；　and；　when　she　is　mentioned；　her　name　may　appear。
If　these　reserves　excite　suspicion；　I　declare　beforehand　that
they　influence　in　no　way　the　sense　of　responsibility　which
commands　an　honest　man　to　speak　the　truth。


CHAPTER　II。

THE　MURDERESS　ASKS　QUESTIONS。


THE　first　of　the　events　which　I　must　now　relate　was　the
conviction　of　The　Prisoner　for　the　murder　of　her　husband。

They　had　lived　together　in　matrimony　for　little　more　than　two
years。　The　husband；　a　gentleman　by　birth　and　education；　had
mortally　offended　his　relations　in　marrying　a　woman　of　an
inferior　rank　of　life。　He　was　fast　declining　into　a　state　of
poverty；　through　his　own　reckless　extravagance；　at　the　time　when
he　met　with　his　death　at　his　wife's　hand。

Without　attempting　to　excuse　him；　he　deserved；　to　my　mind；　some
tribute　of　regret。　It　is　not　to　be　denied　that　he　was　profligate
in　his　habits　and　violent　in　his　temper。　But　it　is　equally　true
that　he　was　affectionate　in　the　domestic　circle；　and；　when　moved
by　wisely　applied　remonstrance；　sincerely　penitent　for　sins
committed　under　temptation　that　overpowered　him。　If　his　wife　had
killed　him　in　a　fit　of　jealous　rageunder　provocation；　be　it
remembered；　which　the　witnesses　provedshe　might　have　been
convicted　of　manslaughter；　and　might　have　received　a　light
sentence。　But　the　evidence　so　undeniably　revealed　deliberate　and
merciless　premeditation；　that　the　only　defense　attempted　by　her
counsel　was　madness；　and　the　only　alternative　left　to　a　righteous
jury　was　a　verdict　which　condemned　the　woman　to　death。　Those
mischievous　members　of　the　community；　whose　topsy…turvy
sympathies　feel　for　the　living　criminal　and　forget　the　dead
victim；　attempted　to　save　her　by　means　of　high…flown　petitions
and　contemptible　correspondence　in　the　newspapers。　But　the　Judge
held　firm；　and　the　Home　Secretary　held　firm。　They　were　entirely
right；　and　the　public　were　scandalously　wrong。

Our　Chaplain　endeavored　to　offer　the　consolations　of　religion　to
the　condemned　wretch。　She　refused　to　accept　his　ministrations　in
language　which　filled　him　with　grief　and　horror。

On　the　evening　before　the　execution；　the　reverend　gentleman　laid
on　my　table　his　own　written　report　of　a　conversation　which　had
passed　between　the　Prisoner　and　himself。

〃I　see　some　hope；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃of　inclining　the　heart　of　this
woman　to　religious　belief；　before　it　is　too　late。　Will　you　read
my　report；　and　say　if　you　agree　with　me？〃

I　read　it；　of　course。　It　was　called　〃A　Memorandum；〃　and　was　thus
written：

〃At　his　last　interview　with　the　Prisoner；　the　Chaplain　asked　her
if　she　had　ever　entered　a　place　of　public　worship。　She　replied
that　she　had　occasionally　attended　the　services　at　a
Congregational　Church　in　this　town；　attracted　by　the　reputation
of　the　Minister　as　a　preacher。　'He　entirely　failed　to　make　a
Christian　of　me；'　she　said；　'but　I　was　struck　by　his　eloquence。
Besides；　he　interested　me　personallyhe　was　a　fine　man。'

〃In　the　dreadful　situation　in　which　the　woman　was　placed；　such
language　as　this　shocked　the　Chaplain；　he　appealed　in　vain　to　the
Prisoner's　sense　of　propriety。　'You　don't　understand　women；'　she
answered。　'The　greatest　saint　of　my　sex　that　ever　lived　likes　to
look　at　a　preacher　as　well　as　to　hear　him。　If　he　is　an　agreeable
man；　he　has　all　the　greater　effect　on　her。　This　preacher's　voice
told　me　he　was　kind…hearted；　and　I　had　only　to　look　at　his
beautiful　eyes　to　see　that　he　was　trustworthy　and　true。'

〃It　was　useless　to　repeat　a　protest　which　had　already　failed。
Recklessly　and　flippantly　as　she　had　described　it；　an　impression
had　been　produced　on　her。　It　occurred　to　the　Chaplain　that　he
might　at　least　make　the　attempt　to　turn　this　result　to　her　own
religious　advantage。　He　asked　whether　she　would　receive　the
Minister；　if　the　reverend　gentleman　came　to　the　prison。　'That
will　depend；'　she　said；　'on　whether　you　answer　some　questions
which　I　want　to　put　to　you　first。'　The　Chaplain　consented；
provided　always　that　he　could　reply　with　propriety　to　what　she
asked　of　him。　Her　first　question　only　related　to　himself。

〃She　said：　'The　women　who　watch　me　tell　me　that　you　are　a
widower；　and　have　a　family　of　children。　Is　that　true？'

〃The　Chaplain　answered　that　it　was　quite　true。

〃She　alluded　next　to　a　report；　current　in　the　town；　that　the
Minister　had　resigned　the　pastorate。　Being　personally　acquainted
with　him；　the　Chaplain　was　able　to　inform　her　that　his
resignation　had　not　yet　been　accepted。　On　hearing　this；　she
seemed　to　gather　confidence。　Her　next　inquiries　succeeded　each
other　rapidly；　as　follows：

〃　'Is　my　handsome　preacher　married？'

〃　'Yes。'

〃　'Has　he　got　any　children？'

〃　'He　has　never　had　any　children。'

〃　'How　long　has　he　been　married？'

〃　'As　well　as　I　know；　about　seven　or　eight　years。

〃　'What　sort　of　woman　is　his　wife？'

〃　'A　lady　universally　respected。'

〃　'I　don't　care　whether　she　is　respected　or　not。　Is　she　kind？'

〃　'Certainly！'

〃　'Is　her　husband　well　off？'

〃　'He　has　a　sufficient　income。'

〃After　that　reply；　the　Prisoner's　curiosity　appeared　to　be
satisfied。　She　said；　'Bring　your　friend　the　preacher　to　me；　if
you　like'and　there　it　ended。

〃What　her　object　could　have　been　in　putting　these　questions；　it
seems　to　be　impossible　to　guess。　Having　accurately　reported　all
that　took　place；　the　Chaplain　declares；　with　heartfelt　regret；
that　he　can　exert　no　religious　influence　over　this　obdurate
woman。　He　leaves　it　to　the　Governor　to　decide　whether　the
Minister　of　the　Congregational　Church　may　not　succeed；　where　the
Chaplain　of　the　Jail　has　failed。　Herein　is　the　one　last　hope　of
saving　the　soul　of　the　Prisoner；　now　under　sentence　of　death！〃

In　those　serious　words　the　Memorandum　ended。　Although　not
personally　acquainted　with　the　Minister　I　had　heard　of　him；　on
all　sides；　as　an　excellent　man。　In　the　emergency　that　confronted
us　he　had；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　his　own　sacred　right　to　enter　the
prison；　assuming　that　he　was　willing　to　accept；　what　I　myself
felt　to　be；　a　very　serious　responsibility。　The　first　necessity
was　to　discover　whether　we　might　hope　to　obtain　his　services。
With　my　full　approval　the　Chaplain　left　me；　to　state　the
circumstances　to　his　reverend　colleague。

CHAPTER　III。

THE　CHILD　APPEARS。

DURING　my　friend's　absence；　my　attention　was　claimed　by　a　sad
incidentnot　unforeseen。

It　is；　I　suppose；　generally　known　that　near　relatives　are
admitted　to　take　their　leave　of　criminals　condemned　to　death。　In
the　case　of　the　Prisoner　now　waiting　for　execution；　no　person　a
pplied　to　the　authorities　for　permission　to　see　her。　I　myself
inquired　if　she　had　any　relations　living；　and　if　she　would　like
to　see　them。　She　answered：　〃None　that　I　care　to　see；　or　that　care
to　see　meexcept　the　nearest　relation　of　all。〃

In　those　last　words　the　miserable　creature　alluded　to　her　only
child；　a　little　girl　（an　infant；　I　should　say）；　who　had　passed
her　first　year's　birthday　by　a　few　months。　The　farewell　interview
was　to　take　place　on　the　mother's　last　evening　on　earth；　and　the
child　was　now　brought　into　my　rooms；　in　charge　of　her　nurse。

I　had　seldom　seen　a　brighter　or　prettier　little　girl。　She　was
just　able　to　walk　alone；　and　to　enjoy　the　first　delight　of　moving
from　one　place　to　another。　Quite　of　her　own　accord　she　came　to
me；　attracted　I　daresay　by　the　glitter　of　my　watch…chain。　Helping
her　to　climb　on　my　knee；　I　showed　the　wonders　of　the　watch；　and
held　it　to　her　ear。　At　that　past　time；　death　had　taken　my　good
wife　from　me；　my　two　boys　were　away　at　Harrow　School；　my　domestic
life　wa