the legacy of cain-第8节

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enough　（with　your　interest　to　help　us）　to　be　received　into　the
asylum。　What　a　relief　it　will　be　to　get　rid　of　that　child！　And
how　hard　I　shall　work　at　canvassing　for　subscribers'　votes！　Your
name　will　be　a　tower　of　strength　when　I　use　it　as　a　reference。
Pardon　meyou　are　not　looking　so　pleasantly　as　usual。　Do　you　see
some　obstacles　in　our　way？〃

〃I　see　two　obstacles。〃

〃What　can　they　possibly　be？〃

For　the　second　time；　my　politeness　gave　way　under　the　strain　laid
on　it。　〃You　know　perfectly　well；〃　I　said；　〃what　one　of　the
obstacles　is。〃

〃Am　I　to　understand　that　you　contemplate　any　serious　resistance
on　the　part　of　my　husband？〃

〃Certainly！〃

She　was　unaffectedly　amused　by　my　simplicity。

〃Are　you　a　single　man？〃　she　asked。

〃I　am　a　widower。〃

〃Then　your　experience　ought　to　tell　you　that　I　know　every　weak
point　in　the　Minister's　character。　I　can　tell　him；　on　your
authority；　that　the　hateful　child　will　be　placed　in　competent　and
kindly　handsand　I　have　my　own　sweet　baby　to　plead　for　me。　With
these　advantages　in　my　favor；　do　you　actually　suppose　I　can　fail
to　make　_my_　way　of　thinking　_his_　way　of　thinking？　You　must　have
forgotten　your　own　married　life！　Suppose　we　go　on　to　the　second
of　your　two　obstacles。　I　hope　it　will　be　better　worth　considering
than　the　first。〃

〃The　second　obstacle　will　not　disappoint　you；〃　I　answered；　〃I　am
the　obstacle；　this　time。〃

〃You　refuse　to　help　me？〃

〃Positively。〃

〃Perhaps　reflection　may　alter　your　resolution？〃

〃Reflection　will　do　nothing　of　the　kind。〃

〃You　are　rude；　sir！〃

〃In　speaking　to　you；　madam；　I　have　no　alternative　but　to　speak
plainly。〃

She　rose。　Her　shifting　eyes；　for　once；　looked　at　me　steadily。

〃What　sort　of　enemy　have　I　made　of　you？〃　she　asked。　〃A　passive
enemy　who　is　content　with　refusing　to　help　me？　Or　an　active　enemy
who　will　write　to　my　husband？〃

〃It　depends　entirely；〃　I　told　her；　〃on　what　your　husband　does。　If
he　questions　me　about　you；　I　shall　tell　him　the　truth。〃

〃And　if　not？〃

〃In　that　case；　I　shall　hope　to　forget　that　you　ever　favored　me
with　a　visit。〃

In　making　this　reply　I　was　guiltless　of　any　malicious　intention。
What　evil　interpretation　she　placed
　on　my　words　it　is　impossible　for　me　to　say；　I　can　only　declare
that　some　intolerable　sense　of　injury　hurried　her　into　an
outbreak　of　rage。　Her　voice；　strained　for　the　first　time；　lost
its　tuneful　beauty　of　tone。

〃Come　and　see　us　in　two　years'　time；〃　she　burst　out〃and
discover　the　orphan　of　the　gallows　in　our　house　if　you　can！　If
your　Asylum　won't　take　her；　some　other　Charity　will。　Ha；　Mr。
Governor；　I　deserve　my　disappointment！　I　ought　to　have　remembered
that　you　are　only　a　jailer　after　all。　And　what　is　a　jailer？
Proverbially　a　brute。　Do　you　hear　that？　A　brute！〃

Her　strength　suddenly　failed　her。　She　dropped　back　into　the　chair
from　which　she　had　risen；　with　a　faint　cry　of　pain。　A　ghastly
pallor　stole　over　her　face。　There　was　wine　on　the　sideboard；　I
filled　a　glass。　She　refused　to　take　it。　At　that　time　in　the　day；
the　Doctor's　duties　required　his　attendance　in　the　prison。　I
instantly　sent　for　him。　After　a　moment's　look　at　her；　he　took　the
wine　out　of　my　hand；　and　held　the　glass　to　her　lips。

〃Drink　it；〃　he　said。　She　still　refused。　〃Drink　it；〃　he
reiterated；　〃or　you　will　die。〃

That　frightened　her；　she　drank　the　wine。　The　Doctor　waited　for　a
while　with　his　fingers　on　her　pulse。　〃She　will　do　now；〃　he　said。

〃Can　I　go？〃　she　asked。

〃Go　wherever　you　please；　madamso　long　as　you　don't　go　upstairs
in　a　hurry。〃

She　smiled：　〃I　understand　you；　sirand　thank　you　for　your
advice。〃

I　asked　the　Doctor；　when　we　were　alone；　what　made　him　tell　her
not　to　go　upstairs　in　a　hurry。

〃What　I　felt；〃　he　answered；　〃when　I　had　my　fingers　on　her　pulse。
You　heard　her　say　that　she　understood　me。〃

〃Yes；　but　I　don't　know　what　she　meant。〃

〃She　meant；　probably；　that　her　own　doctor　had　warned　her　as　I
did。〃

〃Something　seriously　wrong　with　her　health？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃What　is　it？〃

〃Heart。〃


CHAPTER　X。

MISS　CHANCE　REAPPEARS。


A　WEEK　had　passed；　since　the　Minister's　wife　had　left　me；　when　I
received　a　letter　from　the　Minister　himself。

After　surprising　me；　as　he　innocently　supposed；　by　announcing　the
birth　of　his　child；　he　mentioned　some　circumstances　connected
with　that　event；　which　I　now　heard　for　the　first　time。

〃Within　an　easy　journey　of　the　populous　scene　of　my　present
labors；〃　he　wrote；　〃there　is　a　secluded　country　village　called
Low　Lanes。　The　rector　of　the　place　is　my　wife's　brother。　Before
the　birth　of　our　infant；　he　had　asked　his　sister　to　stay　for　a
while　at　his　house；　and　the　doctor　thought　she　might　safely　be
allowed　to　accept　the　invitation。　Through　some　error　in　the
customary　calculations；　as　I　suppose；　the　child　was　born
unexpectedly　at　the　rectory；　and　the　ceremony　of　baptism　was
performed　at　the　church；　under　circumstances　which　I　am　not　able
to　relate　within　the　limits　of　a　letter：　Let　me　only　say　that　I
allude　to　this　incident　without　any　sectarian　bitterness　of
feelingfor　I　am　no　enemy　to　the　Church　of　England。　You　have　no
idea　what　treasures　of　virtue　and　treasures　of　beauty　maternity
has　revealed　in　my　wife's　sweet　nature。　Other　mothers；　in　her
proud　position；　might　find　their　love　cooling　toward　the　poor
child　whom　we　have　adopted。　But　my　household　is　irradiated　by　the
presence　of　an　angel；　who　gives　an　equal　share　in　her　affections
to　the　two　little　ones　alike。〃

In　this　semi…hysterical　style　of　writing；　the　poor　man
unconsciously　told　me　how　cunningly　and　how　cruelly　his　wife　was
deceiving　him。

I　longed　to　exhibit　that　wicked　woman　in　her　true　characterbut
what　could　I　do？　She　must　have　been　so　favored　by　circumstances
as　to　be　able　to　account　for　her　absence　from　home；　without
exciting　the　slightest　suspicion　of　the　journey　which　she　had
really　taken；　if　I　declared　in　my　reply　to　the　Minister's　letter
that　I　had　received　her　in　my　rooms；　and　if　I　repeated　the
conversation　that　had　taken　place；　what　would　the　result　be？　She
would　find　an　easy　refuge　in　positive　denial　of　the　truthand；
in　that　case；　which　of　us　would　her　infatuated　husband　believe？

The　one　part　of　the　letter　which　I　read　with　some　satisfaction
was　the　end　of　it。

I　was　here　informed　that　the　Minister's　plans　for　concealing　the
parentage　of　his　adopted　daughter　had　proved　to　be　entirely
successful。　The　members　of　the　new　domestic　household　believed
the　two　children　to　be　infant…sisters。　Neither　was　there　any
danger　of　the　adopted　child　being　identified　（as　the　oldest　child
of　the　two）　by　consultation　of　the　registers。

Before　he　left　our　town；　the　Minister　had　seen　for　himself　that
no　baptismal　name　had　been　added；　after　the　birth　of　the　daughter
of　the　murderess　had　been　registered；　and　that　no　entry　of
baptism　existed　in　the　registers　kept　in　places　of　worship。　He
drew　the　inferencein　all　probability　a　true　inference；
considering　the　characters　of　the　parentsthat　the　child　had
never　been　baptized；　and　he　performed　the　ceremony　privately；
abstaining；　for　obvious　reasons；　from　adding　her　Christian　name
to　the　imperfect　register　of　her　birth。　〃I　am　not　aware；〃　he
wrote；　〃whether　I　have；　or　have　not；　committed　an　offense　against
the　Law。　In　any　case；　I　may　hope　to　have　made　atonement　by
obedience　to　the　Gospel。〃

Six　weeks　passed；　and　I　heard　from　my　reverend　friend　once　more。

His　second　letter　presented　a　marked　contrast　to　the　first。　It
was　written　in　sorrow　and　anxiety；　to　inform　me　of　an　alarming
change　for　the　worse　in　his　wife's　health。　I　showed　the　letter　to
my　medical　colleague。　After　reading　it　he　predicted　the　event
that　might　be　expected；　in　two　words：Sudden　death。

On　the　next　occasion　when　I　heard　from　the　Minister；　the　Doctor's
grim　reply　proved　to　be　a　prophecy　fulfilled。

When　we　address　expressions　of　condolence　to　bereaved　friends；
the　principles　of　popular　hypocrisy　sanction　indiscriminate　lying
as　a　duty　which　we　owe　to　the　deadno　matter　what　their　lives
may　have　beenbecause　they　are　dead。　Within　my　own　little
sphere；　I　have　always　been　silent；　when　I　could　not　offer　to
afflicted　persons　expressions　of　sympathy　which　I　honestly　felt。
To　have　condoled　with　the　Minister　on　the　loss　that　he　had
sustained　by　the　death　of　a　woman；　self…betrayed　to　me　as
shamelessly　deceitful；　and　pitilessly　determined　to　reach　her　own
cruel　ends；　would　have　been　to　degrade　myself　by　telling　a
deliberate　lie。　I　expressed　in　my　answer　all　that　an　honest　man
naturally　feels；　when　he　is　writing　to　a　friend　in　distress；
carefully　abstaining　from　any　allusion　to　the　memory　of　his　wife；
or　to　the　place　which　her　death　had　left　vacant　in　his　household。
My　letter；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　disappointed　and　offended　him。　He
wrote　to　me　no　more；　until　years　had　passed；　and　time　had　exerted
its　influence　in　producing　a　more　indulgent　frame　of　mind。　These
letters　of　a　later　date　have　been　preserved；　and　will　probably　be
used；　at　the　right　time；　for　purposes　of　explanation　with　which　I
may　be　connected　in　the　future。

。　。　。　。　。　。　。

The　correspondent　whom　I　had　now　lost　was　succeeded　by　a
gentleman　entirely　unknown　to　me。

Those　reasons　which　induced　me　to　conceal　the　names　of