the legacy of cain-第18节

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aggravating　things　she　says　and　does　are　assumed；　out　of
retaliation；　for　the　purpose　of　making　me　angry。　That　ugly　face
is　a　double　face；　or　I　am　much　mistaken。

To　return　to　the　dinner…table；　Miss　Jillgall　addressed　herself；
with　an　air　of　playful　penitence；　to　my　father。

〃Dear　cousin；　I　hope　I　have　not　done　wrong。　Helena　left　me　all　by
myself。　When　I　had　finished　darning　the　curtain；　I　really　didn't
know　what　to　do。　So　I　opened　all　the　bedroom　doors　upstairs　and
looked　into　the　rooms。　In　the　big　room　with　two　bedsoh；　I　am　so
ashamedI　found　this　book。　Please　look　at　the　first　page。〃

My　father　looked　at　the　title…page：　〃Doctor　Watts's　Hymns。　Well；
Selina；　what　is　there　to　be　ashamed　of　in　this？〃

〃Oh；　no！　no！　It's　the　wrong　page。　Do　look　at　the　other　pagethe
one　that　comes　first　before　that　one。〃

My　patient　father　turned　to　the　blank　page。

〃Ah；〃　he　said　quietly；　〃my　other　daughter's　name　is　written　in
itthe　daughter　whom　you　have　not　seen。　Well？〃

Miss　Jillgall　clasped　her　hands　distractedly。　〃It's　my　ignorance
I'm　so　ashamed　of。　Dear　cousin；　forgive　me；　enlighten　me。　I　don't
know　how　to　pronounce　your　other　daughter's　name。　Do　you　call　her
Euneece？〃

The　dinner　was　getting　cold。　I　was　provoked　into　saying：　〃No；　we
don't。〃

She　had　evidently　not　forgiven　me　for　leaving　her　by　herself。
〃Pardon　me；　Helena；　when　I　want　information　I　don't　apply　to　you：
I　sit；　as　it　were；　at　the　feet　of　your　learned　father。　Dear
cousin；　is　it〃

Even　my　father　declined　to　wait　for　his　dinner　any　longer。
〃Pronounce　it　as　you　like；　Selina。　Here　we　say　Euni'cewith　the
accent　on　the　'i'　and　with　the　final　'e'　sounded：　Eu…ni'…see。　Let
me　give　you　some　soup。〃

Miss　Jillgall　groaned。　〃Oh；　how　difficult　it　seems　to　be！　Quite
beyond　my　poor　brains！　I　shall　ask　the　dear　girl's　leave　to　call
her　Euneece。　What　very　strong　soup！　Isn't　it　rather　a　waste　of
meat？　Give　me　a　little　more；　please。〃

I　discovered　another　of　Miss　Jillgall's　peculiarities。　Her
appetite　was　enormous　；　and　her　ways　were　greedy。　You　heard　her
eat　her　soup。　She　devoured　the　food　on　her　plate　with　her　eyes
before　she　put　it　into　her　mouth；　and　she　criticised　our　English
cookery　in　the　most　impudent　manner；　under　pretense　of　asking
humbly　how　it　was　done。　There　was；　however；　some　temporary
compensation　for　this。　We　had　less　of　her　talk　while　she　was
eating　her　dinner。

With　the　removal　of　the　cloth；　she　recovered　the　use　of　her
tongue；　and　she　hit　on　the　one　subject　of　all　others　which　proves
to　be　the　sorest　trial　to　my　father's　patience。

〃And　now；　dear　cousin；　let　us　talk　of　your　other　daughter；　our
absent　Euneece。　I　do　so　long　to　see　her。　When　is　she　coming
back？〃

〃In　a　few　days　more。〃

〃How　glad　I　am！　And　do　tell　mewhich　is　she？　Your　oldest　girl　or
your　youngest？〃

〃Neither　the　one　nor　the　other；　Selina。〃

〃Oh；　my　head！　my　head！　This　is　even　worse　than　the　accent　on　the
'i'　and　the　final　'e。'　Stop！　I　am　cleverer　than　I　thought　I　was。
You　mean　that　the　girls　are　twins。　Are　they　both　so　exactly　like
each　other　that　I　shan't　know　which　is　which？　What　fun！〃

When　the　subject　of　our　ages　was　unluckily　started　at　Mrs。
Staveley's；　I　had　slipped　out　of　the　difficulty　easily　by
assuming　the　character　of　the　eldest　sisteran　example　of　ready
tact　which　my　dear　stupid　Eunice　doesn't　understand。　In　my
father's　presence；　it　is　needless　to　say　that　I　kept　silence；　and
left　it　to　him。　I　was　sorry　to　be　obliged　to　do　this。　Owing　to
his　sad　state　of　health；　he　is　easily　irritatedespecially　by
inquisitive　strangers。

〃I　must　leave　you；〃　he　answered；　without　taking　the　slightest
notice　of　what　Miss　Jillgall　had　said　to　him。　〃My　work　is　waiting
for　me。〃

She　stopped　him　on　his　way　to　the　door。　〃Oh；　tell　mecan't　I
help　you？〃

〃Thank　you；　no。〃

〃Wellbut　tell　me　one　thing。　Am　I　right　about　the　twins？〃

〃You　are　wrong。〃

Miss　Jillgall's　demonstrative　hands　flew　up　into　the　air　again；
and　expressed　the　climax　of　astonishment　by　quivering　over　her
head。　〃This　is　positively　maddening；〃　she　declared。　〃What　does　it
mean？〃

〃Take　my　advice；　cousin。　Don't　attempt　to　find　out　what　it
means。〃

He　left　the　room。　Miss　Jillgall　appealed　to　me。　I　imitated　my
father's　wise　brevity　of　expression：　〃Sorry　to　disappoint　you；
Selina；　I　know　no　more　about　it　than　you　do。　Come　upstairs。〃

Every　step　of　the　way　up　to　the　drawing…room　was　marked　by　a
protest　or　an　inquiry。　Did　I　expect　her　to　believe　that　I
couldn't　say　which　of　us　was　the　elder　of　the　two？　that　I　didn't
really　know　what　my　father's　motive　was　for　this　extraordinary
mystification？　that　my　sister　and　I　had　submitted　to　be　robbed；
as　it　were；　of　our　own　ages；　and　had　not　insisted　on　discovering
which　of　us　had　come　into　the　world　first？　that　our　friends　had
not　put　an　end　to　this　sort　of　thing　by　comparing　us　personally；
and　discovering　which　was　the　elder　sister　by　investigation　of
our　faces？　To　all　this　I　replied：　First；　that　I　did　certainly
expect　her　to　believe　whatever　I　might　say：　Secondly；　that　what
she　was　pleased　to　call　the　〃mystification〃　had　begun　when　we
were　both　children；　that　habit　had　made　it　familiar　to　us　in　the
course　of　years；　and　above　all；　that　we　were　too　fond　of　our　good
father　to　ask　for　explanations　which　we　knew　by　experience　would
distress　him：　Thirdly；　that　friends　did　try　to　discover；　by
personal　examination；　which　was　the　elder　sister；　and　differed
perpetually　in　their　conclusions；　also　that　we　had　amused
ourselves　by　trying　the　same　experiment　before　our
looking…glasses；　and　that　Eunice　thought　Helena　was　the　oldest；
and　Helena　thought　Eunice　was　the　oldest：　Fourthly　（and　finally）；
that　the　Reverend　Mr。　Gracedieu's　cousin　had　better　drop　the
subject；　unless　she　was　bent　on　making　her　presence　in　the　house
unendurable　to　the　Reverend　Mr。　Gracedieu　himself。

I　write　it　with　a　sense　of　humiliation；　Miss　Jillgall　listened
attentively　to　all　I　had　to　sayand　then　took　me　completely　by
surprise。　This　inquisitive；　meddlesome；　restless；　impudent　woman
suddenly　transformed　herself　into　a　perfect　model　of　amiability
and　decorum。　She　actually　said　she　agreed　with　me；　and　was　much
obliged　for　my　good　advice！

A　stupid　young　woman；　in　my　place；　would　have　discovered　that
this　was　not　natural；　and　that　Miss　Jillgall　was　presenting
herself　to　me　in　disguise；　to　reach　some　secret　end　of　her　own。　I
am　not　a　stupid　young　woman；　I　ought　to　have　had　at　my　service
penetration　enough　to　see　through　and　through　Cousin　Selina。
Well！　Cousin　Selina　was　an　impenetrable　mystery　to　me。

The　one　thing　to　be　done　was　to　watch　her。　I　was　at　least　sly
enough　to　take　up　a　book；　and　pretend　to　be　reading　it。　How
contemptible！

She　looked　round　the　room；　and　discovered　our　pretty
writing…table；　a　present　to　my　father　from　his　congregation。
After　a　little　consideration；　she　sat　down　to　write　a　letter。

〃When　does　the　post　go　out？〃　she　asked。

I　mentioned　the　hour；　and　she　began　her　letter。　Before　she　could
have　written　more　than　the　first　two　or　three　lines；　she　turned
round　on　her　seat；　and　began　talking　to　me。

〃Do　you　like　writing　letters；　my　dear？〃

〃Yesbut　then　I　have　not　many　letters　to　write。〃

〃Only　a　few　friends；　Helena；　but　those　few　worthy　to　be　loved？　My
own　case　exactly。　Has　your　father　told　you　of　my　troubles？　Ah；　I
am　glad　of　that。　It　spares　me　the　sad　necessity　of　confessing
what　I　have　suffered。　Oh；　how　good　my　friends；　my　new　friends；
were　to　me　in　that　dull　little　Belgian　town！　One　of　them　was
generosity　personifiedah；　she　had　suffered；　too！　A　vile　husband
who　had　deceived　and　deserted　her。　Oh；　the　men！　When　she　heard　of
the　loss　of　my　little　fortune；　that　noble　creature　got　up　a
subscription　for　me；　and　went　round　herself　to　collect。　Think　of
what　I　owe　to　her！　Ought　I　to　let　another　day　pass　without
writing　to　my　benefactress？　Am　I　not　bound　in　gratitude　to　make
her　happy　in　the　knowledge　of　_my_　happinessI　mean　the　refuge
opened　to　me　in　this　hospitable　house？〃

She　twisted　herself　back　again　to　the　writing…table；　and　went　on
with　her　letter。

I　have　not　attempted　to　conceal　my　stupidity。　Let　me　now　record　a
partial　recovery　of　my　intelligence。

It　was　not　to　be　denied　that　Miss　Jillgall　had　discovered　a　good
reason　for　writing　to　her　friend；　but　I　was　at　a　loss　to
understand　why　she　should　have　been　so　anxious　to　mention　the
reason。　Was　it　possibleafter　the　talk　which　had　passed　between
usthat　she　had　something　mischievous　to　say　in　her　letter；
relating　to　my　father　or　to　me？　Was　she　afraid　I　might　suspect
this？　And　had　she　been　so　communicative　for　the　purpose　of
leading　my　suspicions　astray？　These　were　vague　guesses；　but；　try
as　I　might；　I　could　arrive　at　no　clearer　view　of　what　was　passing
in　Miss　Jillgall's　mind。　What　would　I　not　have　given　to　be　able
to　look　over　her　shoulder；　without　discovery！

She　finished　her　letter；　and　put　the　address；　and　closed　the
envelope。　Then　she　turned　round　toward　me　again。

〃Have　you　got　a　foreign　postage　stamp；　dear？〃

If　I　could　look　at　nothing　else；　I　was　resolved　to　look　at　her
envelope。　It　was　only　necessary　to　go　to　the　study；　and　to　apply
to　my　father。　I　returned　with　the　foreign　stamp；　and　I　stuck　it
on　the　env