the poor clare-第8节

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I　could　not　conceive　what　he　meant；　and　so　I　said；　and　then　he　swore　at　me　for　a　liar；　and　said　I　was　of　no　true　blood；　for　he　had　seen　me　doing　all　that　mischief　himselfwith　his　own　eyes。　　What　could　I　say？　　He　would　not　listen　to　me；　and　even　my　tears　seemed　only　to　irritate　him。　　That　day　was　the　beginning　of　my　great　sorrows。　　Not　long　after；　he　reproached　me　for　my　undue　familiarityall　unbecoming　a　gentlewomanwith　his　grooms。　　I　had　been　in　the　stable…yard；　laughing　and　talking；　he　said。　　Now；　sir；　I　am　something　of　a　coward　by　nature；　and　I　had　always　dreaded　horses；　be…sides　that；　my　father's　servantsthose　whom　he　brought　with　him　from　foreign　parts…　…were　wild　fellows；　whom　I　had　always　avoided；　and　to　whom　I　had　never　spoken；　except　as　a　lady　must　needs　from　time　to　time　speak　to　her　father's　people。　　Yet　my　father　called　me　by　names　of　which　I　hardly　know　the　meaning；　but　my　heart　told　me　they　were　such　as　shame　any　modest　woman；　and　from　that　day　he　turned　quite　against　me；nay；　sir；　not　many　weeks　after　that；　he　came　in　with　a　riding…whip　in　his　hand；　and；　accusing　me　harshly　of　evil　doings；　of　which　I　knew　no　more　than　you；　sir；　he　was　about　to　strike　me；　and　I；　all　in　bewildering　tears；　was　ready　to　take　his　stripes　as　great　kindness　compared　to　his　harder　words；　when　suddenly　he　stopped　his　arm　mid…　way；　gasped　and　staggered；　crying　out；　'The　cursethe　curse！'　　I　looked　up　in　terror。　　In　the　great　mirror　opposite　I　saw　myself；　and　right　behind；　another　wicked；　fearful　self；　so　like　me　that　my　soul　seemed　to　quiver　within　me；　as　though　not　knowing　to　which　similitude　of　body　it　belonged。　　My　father　saw　my　double　at　the　same　moment；　either　in　its　dreadful　reality；　whatever　that　might　be；　or　in　the　scarcely　less　terrible　reflection　in　the　mirror；　but　what　came　of　it　at　that　moment　I　cannot　say；　for　I　suddenly　swooned　away；　and　when　I　came　to　myself　I　was　lying　in　my　bed；　and　my　faithful　Clarke　sitting　by　me。　　I　was　in　my　bed　for　days；　and　even　while　I　lay　there　my　double　was　seen　by　all；　flitting　about　the　house　and　gardens；　always　about　some　mischievous　or　detestable　work。　　What　wonder　that　every　one　shrank　from　me　in　dreadthat　my　father　drove　me　forth　at　length；　when　the　disgrace　of　which　I　was　the　cause　was　past　his　patience　to　bear。　　Mistress　Clarke　came　with　me；　and　here　we　try　to　live　such　a　life　of　piety　and　prayer　as　may　in　time　set　me　free　from　the　curse。〃

All　the　time　she　had　been　speaking；　I　had　been　weighing　her　story　in　my　mind。　　I　had　hitherto　put　cases　of　witchcraft　on　one　side；　as　mere　superstitions；　and　my　uncle　and　I　had　had　many　an　argument；　he　supporting　himself　by　the　opinion　of　his　good　friend　Sir　Matthew　Hale。　　Yet　this　sounded　like　the　tale　of　one　bewitched；　or　was　it　merely　the　effect　of　a　life　of　extreme　seclusion　telling　on　the　nerves　of　a　sensitive　girl？　　My　scepticism　inclined　me　to　the　latter　belief；　and　when　she　paused　I　said：

〃I　fancy　that　some　physician　could　have　disabused　your　father　of　his　belief　in　visions〃

Just　at　that　instant；　standing　as　I　was　opposite　to　her　in　the　full　and　perfect　morning　light；　I　saw　behind　her　another　figurea　ghastly　resemblance；　complete　in　likeness；　so　far　as　form　and　feature　and　minutest　touch　of　dress　could　go；　but　with　a　loathsome　demon　soul　looking　out　of　the　gray　eyes；　that　were　in　turns　mocking　and　voluptuous。　　My　heart　stood　still　within　me；　every　hair　rose　up　erect；　my　flesh　crept　with　horror。　　I　could　not　see　the　grave　and　tender　Lucymy　eyes　were　fascinated　by　the　creature　beyond。　　I　know　not　why；　but　I　put　out　my　hand　to　clutch　it；　I　grasped　nothing　but　empty　air；　and　my　whole　blood　curdled　to　ice。　　For　a　moment　I　could　not　see；　then　my　sight　came　back；　and　I　saw　Lucy　standing　before　me；　alone；　deathly　pale；　and；　I　could　have　fancied；　almost；　shrunk　in　size。

〃IT　has　been　near　me？〃　she　said；　as　if　asking　a　question。

The　sound　seemed　taken　out　of　her　voice；　it　was　husky　as　the　notes　on　an　old　harpsichord　when　the　strings　have　ceased　to　vibrate。　　She　read　her　answer　in　my　face；　I　suppose；　for　I　could　not　speak。　　Her　look　was　one　of　intense　fear；　but　that　died　away　into　an　aspect　of　most　humble　patience。　　At　length　she　seemed　to　force　herself　to　face　behind　and　around　her：　　she　saw　the　purple　moors；　the　blue　distant　hills；　quivering　in　the　sunlight；　but　nothing　else。

〃Will　you　take　me　home？〃　she　said；　meekly。

I　took　her　by　the　hand；　and　led　her　silently　through　the　budding　heatherwe　dared　not　speak；　for　we　could　not　tell　but　that　the　dread　creature　was　listening；　although　unseen；but　that　IT　might　appear　and　push　us　asunder。　　I　never　loved　her　more　fondly　than　now　when　and　that　was　the　unspeakable　miserythe　idea　of　her　was　becoming　so　inextricably　blended　with　the　shuddering　thought　of　IT。　　She　seemed　to　understand　what　I　must　be　feeling。　　She　let　go　my　hand；　which　she　had　kept　clasped　until　then；　when　we　reached　the　garden　gate；　and　went　forwards　to　meet　her　anxious　friend；　who　was　standing　by　the　window　looking　for　her。　　I　could　not　enter　the　house：　　I　needed　silence；　society；　leisure；　changeI　knew　not　whatto　shake　off　the　sensation　of　that　creature's　presence。　　Yet　I　lingered　about　the　gardenI　hardly　know　why；　I　partly　suppose；　because　I　feared　to　encounter　the　resemblance　again　on　the　solitary　common；　where　it　had　vanished；　and　partly　from　a　feeling　of　inexpressible　compassion　for　Lucy。　　In　a　few　minutes　Mistress　Clarke　came　forth　and　joined　me。　　We　walked　some　paces　in　silence。

〃You　know　all　now；〃　said　she；　solemnly。

〃I　saw　IT；〃　said　I；　below　my　breath。

〃And　you　shrink　from　us；　now；〃　she　said；　with　a　hopelessness　which　stirred　up　all　that　was　brave　or　good　in　me。

〃Not　a　whit；〃　said　I。　　〃Human　flesh　shrinks　from　encounter　with　the　powers　of　darkness：　　and；　for　some　reason　unknown　to　me；　the　pure　and　holy　Lucy　is　their　victim。〃

〃The　sins　of　the　fathers　shall　be　visited　upon　the　children；〃　she　said。

〃Who　is　her　father？〃　asked　I。　　〃Knowing　as　much　as　I　do；　I　may　surely　know　moreknow　all。　　Tell　me；　I　entreat　you；　madam；　all　that　you　can　conjecture　respecting　this　demoniac　persecution　of　one　so　good。〃

〃I　will；　but　not　now。　　I　must　go　to　Lucy　now。　　Come　this　afternoon；　I　will　see　you　alone；　and　oh；　sir！　　I　will　trust　that　you　may　yet　find　some　way　to　help　us　in　our　sore　trouble！〃

I　was　miserably　exhausted　by　the　swooning　affright　which　had　taken　possession　of　me。　　When　I　reached　the　inn；　I　staggered　in　like　one　overcome　by　wine。　　I　went　to　my　own　private　room。　　It　was　some　time　before　I　saw　that　the　weekly　post　had　come　in；　and　brought　me　my　letters。　　There　was　one　from　my　uncle；　one　from　my　home　in　Devonshire；　and　one；　re…directed　over　the　first　address；　sealed　with　a　great　coat　of　arms；　It　was　from　Sir　Philip　Tempest：　　my　letter　of　inquiry　respecting　Mary　Fitzgerald　had　reached　him　at　Liege；　where　it　so　happened　that　the　Count　de　la　Tour　d'Auvergne　was　quartered　at　the　very　time。　　He　remembered　his　wife's　beautiful　attendant；　she　had　had　high　words　with　the　deceased　countess；　respecting　her　intercourse　with　an　English　gentleman　of　good　standing；　who　was　also　in　the　foreign　service。　　The　countess　augured　evil　of　his　intentions；　while　Mary；　proud　and　vehement；　asserted　that　he　would　soon　marry　her；　and　resented　her　mistress's　warnings　as　an　insult。　　The　consequence　was；　that　she　had　left　Madame　de　la　Tour　d'Auvergne's　service；　and；　as　the　Count　believed；　had　gone　to　live　with　the　Englishman；　whether　he　had　married　her；　or　not；　he　could　not　say。　　〃But；〃　added　Sir　Philip　Tempest；　you　may　easily　hear　what　particulars　you　wish　to　know　respecting　Mary　Fitzgerald　from　the　Englishman　himself；　if；　as　I　suspect；　he　is　no　other　than　my　neighbour　and　former　acquaintance；　Mr。　Gisborne；　of　Skipford　Hall；　in　the　West　Riding。　　I　am　led　to　the　belief　that　he　is　no　other；　by　several　small　particulars；　none　of　which　are　in　themselves　conclusive；　but　which；　taken　together；　furnish　a　mass　of　presumptive　evidence。　　As　far　as　I　could　make　out　from　the　Count's　foreign　pronunciation；　Gisborne　was　the　name　of　the　Englishman：　　I　know　that　Gisborne　of　Skipford　was　abroad　and　in　the　foreign　service　at　that　timehe　was　a　likely　fellow　enough　for　such　an　exploit；　and；　above　all；　certain　expressions　recur　to　my　mind　which　he　used　in　reference　to　old　Bridget　Fitzgerald；　of　Coldholme；　whom　he　once　encountered　while　staying　with　me　at　Starkey　Manor…　house。　　I　remember　that　the　meeting　seemed　to　have　produced　some　extraordinary　effect　upon　his　mind；　as　though　he　had　suddenly　discovered　some　connection　which　she　might　have　had　with　his　previous　life。　　I　beg　you　to　let　me　know　if　I　can　be　of　any　further　service　to　you。　　Your　uncle　once　rendered　me　a　good　turn；　and　I　will　gladly　repay　it；　so　far　as　in　me　lies；　to　his　nephew。〃

I　was　now　apparently　close　on　the　discovery　which　I　had　striven　so　many　months　to　attain。　　But　success　had　lost　its　zest。　　I　put　my　letters　down；　and　seemed　to　forget　them　all　in　thinking　of　the　morning　I　had　passed　that　very　day。　　Nothing　was　real　but　the　unreal　presence；　which　had　come　like　an　evil　blast　across　my　bodily　eyes；　and　burnt　itself　down　upon　my　brain。　　Dinner　came；　and　went　away　untouched。　　Early　in　the　afternoon　I　walked　to　the　farm…house。　　I　found　Mistress　Clarke　alone；　and　I　was　glad　and　relieved。　　She　was　evidently