the poor clare-第9节

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　to　the　farm…house。　　I　found　Mistress　Clarke　alone；　and　I　was　glad　and　relieved。　　She　was　evidently　prepared　to　tell　me　all　I　might　wish　to　hear。

〃You　asked　me　for　Mistress　Lucy's　true　name；　it　is　Gisborne；〃　she　began。

〃Not　Gisborne　of　Skipford？〃　I　exclaimed；　breathless　with　anticipation。

〃The　same；〃　said　she；　quietly；　not　regarding　my　manner。　　〃Her　father　is　a　man　of　note；　although；　being　a　Roman　Catholic；　he　cannot　take　that　rank　in　this　country　to　which　his　station　entitles　him。　　The　consequence　is　that　he　lives　much　abroadhas　been　a　soldier；　I　am　told。〃

〃And　Lucy's　mother？〃　I　asked。

She　shook　her　head。　　〃I　never　knew　her；〃　said　she。　　〃Lucy　was　about　three　years　old　when　I　was　engaged　to　take　charge　of　her。　　Her　mother　was　dead。〃

〃But　you　know　her　name？you　can　tell　if　it　was　Mary　Fitzgerald？〃

She　looked　astonished。　　〃That　was　her　name。　　But；　sir；　how　came　you　to　be　so　well　acquainted　with　it？　　It　was　a　mystery　to　the　whole　household　at　Skipford　Court。　　She　was　some　beautiful　young　woman　whom　he　lured　away　from　her　protectors　while　he　was　abroad。　　I　have　heard　said　he　practised　some　terrible　deceit　upon　her；　and　when　she　came　to　know　it；　she　was　neither　to　have　nor　to　hold；　but　rushed　off　from　his　very　arms；　and　threw　herself　into　a　rapid　stream　and　was　drowned。　　It　stung　him　deep　with　remorse；　but　I　used　to　think　the　remembrance　of　the　mother's　cruel　death　made　him　love　the　child　yet　dearer。〃

I　told　her；　as　briefly　as　might　be；　of　my　researches　after　the　descendant　and　heir　of　the　Fitzgeralds　of　Kildoon；　and　added　something　of　my　old　lawyer　spirit　returning　into　me　for　the　moment　that　I　had　no　doubt　but　that　we　should　prove　Lucy　to　be　by　right　possessed　of　large　estates　in　Ireland。

No　flush　came　over　her　gray　face；　no　light　into　her　eyes。　　〃And　what　is　all　the　wealth　in　the　whole　world　to　that　poor　girl？〃　she　said。　〃It　will　not　free　her　from　the　ghastly　bewitchment　which　persecutes　her。　　As　for　money；　what　a　pitiful　thing　it　is！　it　cannot　touch　her。〃

〃No　more　can　the　Evil　Creature　harm　her；〃　I　said。　　〃Her　holy　nature　dwells　apart；　and　cannot　be　defiled　or　stained　by　all　the　devilish　arts　in　the　whole　world。〃

〃True！　but　it　is　a　cruel　fate　to　know　that　all　shrink　from　her；　sooner　or　later；　as　from　one　possessedaccursed。〃

〃How　came　it　to　pass？〃　I　asked。

〃Nay；　I　know　not。　　Old　rumours　there　are；　that　were　bruited　through　the　household　at　Skipford。〃

〃Tell　me；〃　I　demanded。

〃They　came　from　servants；　who　would　fain　account　for　every　thing。　They　say　that；　many　years　ago；　Mr。　Gisborne　killed　a　dog　belonging　to　an　old　witch　at　Coldholme；　that　she　cursed；　with　a　dreadful　and　mysterious　curse；　the　creature；　whatever　it　might　be；　that　he　should　love　best；　and　that　it　struck　so　deeply　into　his　heart　that　for　years　he　kept　himself　aloof　from　any　temptation　to　love　aught。　　But　who　could　help　loving　Lucy？〃

〃You　never　heard　the　witch's　name？〃　I　gasped。

〃Yesthey　called　her　Bridget：　　they　said　he　would　never　go　near　the　spot　again　for　terror　of　her。　　Yet　he　was　a　brave　man！〃

〃Listen；〃　said　I；　taking　hold　of　her　arm；　the　better　to　arrest　her　full　attention：　　〃if　what　I　suspect　holds　true；　that　man　stole　Bridget's　only　childthe　very　Mary　Fitzgerald　who　was　Lucy's　mother；　if　so；　Bridget　cursed　him　in　ignorance　of　the　deeper　wrong　he　had　done　her。　　To　this　hour　she　yearns　after　her　lost　child；　and　questions　the　saints　whether　she　be　living　or　not。　　The　roots　of　that　curse　lie　deeper　than　she　knows：　　she　unwittingly　banned　him　for　a　deeper　guilt　than　that　of　killing　a　dumb　beast。　　The　sins　of　the　fathers　are　indeed　visited　upon　the　children。〃

〃But；〃　said　Mistress　Clarke；　eagerly；　〃she　would　never　let　evil　rest　on　her　own　grandchild？　　Surely；　sir；　if　what　you　say　be　true；　there　are　hopes　for　Lucy。　　Let　us　gogo　at　once；　and　tell　this　fearful　woman　all　that　you　suspect；　and　beseech　her　to　take　off　the　spell　she　has　put　upon　her　innocent　grandchild。〃

It　seemed　to　me；　indeed；　that　something　like　this　was　the　best　course　we　could　pursue。　　But　first　it　was　necessary　to　ascertain　more　than　what　mere　rumour　or　careless　hearsay　could　tell。　　My　thoughts　turned　to　my　unclehe　could　advise　me　wiselyhe　ought　to　know　all。　　I　resolved　to　go　to　him　without　delay；　but　I　did　not　choose　to　tell　Mistress　Clarke　of　all　the　visionary　plans　that　flitted　through　my　mind。　　I　simply　declared　my　intention　of　proceeding　straight　to　London　on　Lucy's　affairs。　　I　bade　her　believe　that　my　interest　on　the　young　lady's　behalf　was　greater　than　ever；　and　that　my　whole　time　should　be　given　up　to　her　cause。　　I　saw　that　Mistress　Clarke　distrusted　me；　because　my　mind　was　too　full　of　thoughts　for　my　words　to　flow　freely。　　She　sighed　and　shook　her　head；　and　said；　〃Well；　it　is　all　right！〃　in　such　a　tone　that　it　was　an　implied　reproach。　　But　I　was　firm　and　constant　in　my　heart；　and　I　took　confidence　from　that。

I　rode　to　London。　　I　rode　long　days　drawn　out　into　the　lovely　summer　nights：　　I　could　not　rest。　　I　reached　London。　　I　told　my　uncle　all；　though　in　the　stir　of　the　great　city　the　horror　had　faded　away；　and　I　could　hardly　imagine　that　he　would　believe　the　account　I　gave　him　of　the　fearful　double　of　Lucy　which　I　had　seen　on　the　lonely　moor…side。　But　my　uncle　had　lived　many　years；　and　learnt　many　things；　and；　in　the　deep　secrets　of　family　history　that　had　been　confided　to　him；　he　had　heard　of　cases　of　innocent　people　bewitched　and　taken　possession　of　by　evil　spirits　yet　more　fearful　than　Lucy's。　　For；　as　he　said；　to　judge　from　all　I　told　him；　that　resemblance　had　no　power　over　her　she　was　too　pure　and　good　to　be　tainted　by　its　evil；　haunting　presence。　　It　had；　in　all　probability；　so　my　uncle　conceived；　tried　to　suggest　wicked　thoughts　and　to　tempt　to　wicked　actions　but　she；　in　her　saintly　maidenhood；　had　passed　on　undefiled　by　evil　thought　or　deed。　　It　could　not　touch　her　soul：　　but　true；　it　set　her　apart　from　all　sweet　love　or　common　human　intercourse。　　My　uncle　threw　himself　with　an　energy　more　like　six…and…twenty　than　sixty　into　the　consideration　of　the　whole　case。　　He　undertook　the　proving　Lucy's　descent；　and　volunteered　to　go　and　find　out　Mr。　Gisborne；　and　obtain；　firstly；　the　legal　proofs　of　her　descent　from　the　Fitzgeralds　of　Kildoon；　and；　secondly；　to　try　and　hear　all　that　he　could　respecting　the　working　of　the　curse；　and　whether　any　and　what　means　had　been　taken　to　exorcise　that　terrible　appearance。　　For　he　told　me　of　instances　where；　by　prayers　and　long　fasting；　the　evil　possessor　had　been　driven　forth　with　howling　and　many　cries　from　the　body　which　it　had　come　to　inhabit；　he　spoke　of　those　strange　New　England　cases　which　had　happened　not　so　long　before；　of　Mr。　Defoe；　who　had　written　a　book；　wherein　he　had　named　many　modes　of　subduing　apparitions；　and　sending　them　back　whence　they　came；　and；　lastly；　he　spoke　low　of　dreadful　ways　of　compelling　witches　to　undo　their　witchcraft。　　But　I　could　not　endure　to　hear　of　those　tortures　and　burnings。　　I　said　that　Bridget　was　rather　a　wild　and　savage　woman　than　a　malignant　witch；　and；　above　all；　that　Lucy　was　of　her　kith　and　kin；　and　that；　in　putting　her　to　the　trial；　by　water　or　by　fire；　we　should　be　torturingit　might　be　to　the　deaththe　ancestress　of　her　we　sought　to　redeem。

My　uncle　thought　awhile；　and　then　said；　that　in　this　last　matter　I　was　rightat　any　rate；　it　should　not　be　tried；　with　his　consent；　till　all　other　modes　of　remedy　had　failed；　and　he　assented　to　my　proposal　that　I　should　go　myself　and　see　Bridget；　and　tell　her　all。

In　accordance　with　this；　I　went　down　once　more　to　the　wayside　inn　near　Coldholme。　　It　was　late　at　night　when　I　arrived　there；　and；　while　I　supped；　I　inquired　of　the　landlord　more　particulars　as　to　Bridget's　ways。　　Solitary　and　savage　had　been　her　life　for　many　years。　　Wild　and　despotic　were　her　words　and　manner　to　those　few　people　who　came　across　her　path。　　The　country…folk　did　her　imperious　bidding；　because　they　feared　to　disobey。　　If　they　pleased　her；　they　prospered；　if；　on　the　contrary；　they　neglected　or　traversed　her　behests；　misfortune；　small　or　great；　fell　on　them　and　theirs。　　It　was　not　detestation　so　much　as　an　indefinable　terror　that　she　excited。

In　the　morning　I　went　to　see　her。　　She　was　standing　on　the　green　outside　her　cottage；　and　received　me　with　the　sullen　grandeur　of　a　throneless　queen。　　I　read　in　her　face　that　she　recognized　me；　and　that　I　was　not　unwelcome；　but　she　stood　silent　till　I　had　opened　my　errand。

〃I　have　news　of　your　daughter；〃　said　I；　resolved　to　speak　straight　to　all　that　I　knew　she　felt　of　love；　and　not　to　spare　her。　　〃She　is　dead！〃

The　stern　figure　scarcely　trembled；　but　her　hand　sought　the　support　of　the　door…post。

〃I　knew　that　she　was　dead；〃　said　she；　deep　and　low；　and　then　was　silent　for　an　instant。　　〃My　tears　that　should　have　flowed　for　her　were　burnt　up　long　years　ago。　　Young　man；　tell　me　about　her。〃

〃Not　yet；〃　said　I；　having　a　strange　power　given　me　of　confronting　one；　whom；　nevertheless；　in　my　secret　soul　I　dreaded。

〃You　had　once　a　little　dog；〃　I　continued。　　The　words　called　out　in　her　more　show　of　emotion　than　the　intelligence　of　her　daughter's　death。　　She　broke　in　upon　my　speech：…

〃I　had！　　It　was　hersthe　last　thing　I　had　of　hersand　it　was　shot　for　wantonness！　　It　died　in　my　arms。　　The　man　who　kille