the legacy of cain-第23节

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whom　I　so　dearly　loved。

〃My　poor　child；〃　I　said。　〃don't　distress　yourself　by　speaking　of
it；　I　understand。　Your　father　objects　to　your　marrying　Mr。
Dunboyne。〃

She　shook　her　head。　〃I　can't　exactly　say；　Helena；　that　papa　does
that。　He　only　behaves　very　strangely。〃

〃Am　I　indiscreet；　dear；　if　I　ask　in　what　way　father's　behavior
has　surprised　you？〃

She　was　quite　willing　to　enlighten　me。　It　was　a　simple　little
story　which；　to　my　mind；　sufficiently　explained　the　strange
behavior　that　had　puzzled　my　unfortunate　sister。

There　could　indeed　be　no　doubt　that　my　father　considered　Eunice
far　too　childish　in　character；　as　yet；　to　undertake　the　duties　of
matrimony。　But；　with　his　customary　delicacy；　and　dread　of　causing
distress　to　others；　he　had　deferred　the　disagreeable　duty　of
communicating　his　opinion　to　Mr。　Dunboyne。　The　adverse　decision
must；　however；　be　sooner　or　later　announced；　and　he　had　arranged
to　inflict　disappointment；　as　tenderly　as　might　be；　at　his　own
table。

Considerately　leaving　Eunice　in　the　enjoyment　of　any　vain　hopes
which　she　may　have　founded　on　the　event　of　the　dinner…party；　I
passed　the　evening　until　supper…time　came　in　the　study　with　my
father。

Our　talk　was　mainly　devoted　to　the　worthy　people　with　whom　I　had
been　staying；　and　whose　new　schools　I　had　helped　to　found。　Not　a
word　was　said　relating　to　my　sister；　or　to　Mr。　Dunboyne。　Poor
father　looked　so　sadly　weary　and　ill　that　I　ventured；　after　what
the　doctor　had　said　to　Eunice；　to　hint　at　the　value　of　rest　and
change　of　scene　to　an　overworked　man。　Oh；　dear　me；　he　frowned；
and　waved　the　subject　away　from　him　impatiently；　with　a　wan；　pale
hand。

After　supper；　I　made　an　unpleasant　discovery。　Not　having
completely　finished　the　unpacking　of　my　boxes；　I　left　Miss
Jillgall　and　Eunice　in　the　drawing…room；　and　went　upstairs。　In
half　an　hour　I　returned；　and　found　the　room　empty。　What　had
become　of　them？　It　was　a　fine　moonlight　night；　I　stepped　into　the
back　drawing…room；　and　looked　out　of　the　window。　There　they　were；
walking　arm…in…arm　with　their　heads　close　together；　deep　in　talk。
With　my　knowledge　of　Miss　Jillgall；　I　call　this　a　bad　sign。

An　odd　thought　has　just　come　to　me。　I　wonder　what　might　have
happened；　if　I　had　been　visiting　at　Mrs。　Staveley's；　instead　of
Eunice；　and　if　Mr。　Dunboyne　had　seen　me　first。

Absurd！　if　I　was　not　too　tired　to　do　anything　more；　those　last
lines　should　be　scratched　out。


CHAPTER　XXII。

EUNICE'S　DIARY。


I　SAID　so　to　Miss　Jillgall；　and　I　say　it　again　here。　Nothing　will
induce　me　to　think　ill　of　Helena。

My　sister　is　a　good　deal　tired；　and　a　little　out　of　temper　after
the　railway　journey。　This　is　exactly　what　happened　to　me　when　I
went　to　London。　I　attribute　her　refusal　to　let　me　read　her
journal；　after　she　had　read　mine；　entirely　to　the　disagreeable
consequences　of　traveling　by　railway。　Miss　Jillgall　accounted　for
it　otherwise；　in　her　own　funny　manner：　〃My　sweet　child；　your
sister's　diary　is　full　of　abuse　of　poor　me。〃　I　humored　the　joke：
〃Dearest　Selina；　keep　a　diary　of　your　own；　and　fill　it　with　abuse
of　my　sister。〃　This　seemed　to　be　a　droll　saying　at　the　time。　But
it　doesn't　look　particularly　amusing；　now　it　is　written　down。　We
had　ginger　wine　at　supper；　to　celebrate　Helena's　return。　Although
I　only　drank　one　glass；　I　daresay　it　may　have　got　into　my　head。

However　that　may　be；　when　the　lovely　moonlight　tempted　us　into
the　garden；　there　was　an　end　to　our　jokes。　We　had　something　to
talk　about　which　still　dwells　disagreeably　on　my　mind。

Miss　Jillgall　began　it。

〃If　I　trust　you；　dearest　Euneece；　with　my　own　precious　secrets；
shall　I　never；　never；　never　live　to　repent　it？〃

I　told　my　good　little　friend　that　she　might　depend　on　me；
provided　her　secrets　did　no　harm　to　any　person　whom　I　loved。

She　clasped　her　hands　and　looked　up　at　the　moonI　can　only
suppose　that　her　sentiments　overpowered　her。　She　said；　very
prettily；　that　her　heart　and　my　heart　beat　together　in　heavenly
harmony。　It　is　needless　to　add　that　this　satisfied　me。

Miss　Jillgall's　generous　confidence　in　my　discretion　was；　I　am
afraid；　not　rewarded　as　it　ought　to　have　been。　I　found　her
tiresome　at　first。

She　spoke　of　an　excellent　friend　（a　lady）；　who　had　helped　her；　at
the　time　when　she　lost　her　little　fortune；　by　raising　a
subscription　privately　to　pay　the　expenses　of　her　return　to
England。　Her　friend's　namenot　very　attractive　to　English
earswas　Mrs。　Tenbruggen；　they　had　first　become　acquainted　under
interesting　circumstances。　Miss　Jillgall　happened　to　mention　that
my　father　was　her　only　living　relative；　and　it　turned　out　that
Mrs。　Tenbruggen　was　familiar　with　his　name；　and　reverenced　his
fame　as　a　preacher。　When　he　had　generously　received　his　poor
helpless　cousin　under　his　own　roof；　Miss　Jillgall's　gratitude　and
sense　of　duty　impelled　her　to　write　and　tell　Mrs。　Tenbruggen　how
happy　she　was　as　a　member　of　our　family。

Let　me　confess　that　I　began　to　listen　more　attentively　when　the
narrative　reached　this　point。

〃I　drew　a　little　picture　of　our　domestic　circle　here；〃　Miss
Jillgall　said；　describing　her　letter；　〃and　I　mentioned　the
mystery　in　which　Mr。　Gracedieu　conceals　the　ages　of　you　two　dear
girls。　Mrs。　Tenbruggen　shall　we　shorten　her　ugly　name　and　call
her　Mrs。　T。？　Very　wellMrs。　T。　is　a　remarkably　clever　woman；　and
I　looked　for　interesting　results；　if　she　would　give　her　opinion
of　the　mysterious　circumstance　mentioned　in　my　letter。〃

By　this　time；　I　was　all　eagerness　to　hear　more。

〃Has　she　written　to　you？〃　I　asked。

Miss　Jillgall　looked　at　me　affectionately；　and　took　the　reply　out
of　her　pocket。

〃Listen；　Euneece；　and　you　shall　hear　her　own　words。　Thus　she
writes：

〃　'Your　letter；　dear　Selina；　especially　interests　me　by　what　it
says　about　the　_two_　Miss　Gracedieus。　'Look；　dear；　she
underlines　the　word　Two。　Why；　I　can't　explain。　Can　you？　Ah；　I
thought　not。　Well；　let　us　get　back　to　the　letter。　My　accomplished
friend　continues　in　these　term　s：

〃　'I　can　understand　the　surprise　which　you　have　felt　at　the
strange　course　taken　by　their　father；　as　a　means　of　concealing
the　difference　which　there　must　be　in　the　ages　of　these　young
ladies。　Many　years　since；　I　happened　to　discover　a　romantic
incident　in　the　life　of　your　popular　preacher；　which　he　has　his
reasons；　as　I　suspect；　for　keeping　strictly　to　himself。　If　I　may
venture　on　a　bold　guess；　I　should　say　that　any　person　who　could
discover　which　was　the　oldest　of　the　two　daughters；　would　be　also
likely　to　discover　the　true　nature　of　the　romance　in　Mr。
Gracedieu's　life。'Isn't　that　very　remarkable；　Euneece？　You
don't　seem　to　see　ityou　funny　child！　Pray　pay　particular
attention　to　what　comes　next。　These　are　the　closing　sentences　in
my　friend's　letter：

〃　'If　you　find　anything　new　to　tell　me　which　relates　to　this
interesting　subject；　direct　your　letter　as　beforeprovided　you
write　within　a　week　from　the　present　time。　Afterward；　my　letters
will　be　received　by　the　English　physician　whose　card　I　inclose。
You　will　be　pleased　to　hear　that　my　professional　interests　call
me　to　London　at　the　earliest　moment　that　I　can　spare。'　There。
dear　child；　the　letter　comes　to　an　end。　I　daresay　you　wonder　what
Mrs。　T。　means；　when　she　alludes　to　her　professional　interests？〃

No：　I　was　not　wondering　about　anything。　It　hurt　me　to　hear　of　a
strange　woman　exercising　her　ingenuity　in　guessing　at　mysteries
in　papa's　life。

But　Miss　Jillgall　was　too　eagerly　bent　on　setting　forth　the
merits　of　her　friend　to　notice　this。　I　now　heard　that　Mrs。　T。's
marriage　had　turned　out　badly；　and　that　she　had　been　reduced　to
earn　her　own　bread。　Her　manner　of　doing　this　was　something　quite
new　to　me。　She　went　about；　from　one　place　to　another；　curing
people　of　all　sorts　of　painful　maladies；　by　a　way　she　had　of
rubbing　them　with　her　hands。　In　Belgium　she　was　called　a
〃Masseuse。〃　When　I　asked　what　this　meant　in　English；　I　was　told；
〃Medical　Rubber；〃　and　that　the　fame　of　Mrs。　T。's　wonderful　cures
had　reached　some　of　the　medical　newspapers　published　in　London。

After　listening　（I　must　say　for　myself）　very　patiently；　I　was
bold　enough　to　own　that　my　interest　in　what　I　had　just　heard　was
not　quite　so　plain　to　me　as　I　could　have　wished　it　to　be。

Miss　Jillgall　looked　shocked　at　my　stupidity。　She　reminded　me
that　there　was　a　mystery　in　Mrs。　Tenbruggen's　letter　and　a
mystery　in　papa's　strange　conduct　toward　Philip。　〃Put　two　and　two
together；　darling；〃　she　said；　〃and；　one　of　these　days；　they　may
make　four。〃

If　this　meant　anything；　it　meant　that　the　reason　which　made　papa
keep　Helena's　age　and　my　age　unknown　to　everybody　but　himself；
was　also　the　reason　why　he　seemed　to　be　so　strangely　unwilling　to
let　me　be　Philip's　wife。　I　really　could　not　endure　to　take　such　a
view　of　it　as　that；　and　begged　Miss　Jillgall　to　drop　the　subject。
She　was　as　kind　as　ever。

〃With　all　my　heart；　dear。　But　don't　deceive　yourselfthe　subject
will　turn　up　again　when　we　least　expect　it。〃


CHAPTER　XXIII。

EUNICE'S　DIARY。


ONLY　two　days　now；　before　we　give　our　little　dinner…party；　and
Philip　finds　his　opportunity　of　speaking　to　papa。　Oh；　how　I　wish
that　day　had　come　and　gone！

I　try　not　to　take　gloomy　views　of　things；　but　I　am　not　quite