the lifted veil-第9节

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her　slave；　and　that；　being　her　slave；　I　should　execute　her　will　in
all　things。　　With　the　essential　shallowness　of　a　negative；
unimaginative　nature；　she　was　unable　to　conceive　the　fact　that
sensibilities　were　anything　else　than　weaknesses。　　She　had　thought
my　weaknesses　would　put　me　in　her　power；　and　she　found　them
unmanageable　forces。　　Our　positions　were　reversed。　　Before　marriage
she　had　completely　mastered　my　imagination；　for　she　was　a　secret　to
me；　and　I　created　the　unknown　thought　before　which　I　trembled　as　if
it　were　hers。　　But　now　that　her　soul　was　laid　open　to　me；　now　that
I　was　compelled　to　share　the　privacy　of　her　motives；　to　follow　all
the　petty　devices　that　preceded　her　words　and　acts；　she　found
herself　powerless　with　me；　except　to　produce　in　me　the　chill
shudder　of　repulsionpowerless；　because　I　could　be　acted　on　by　no
lever　within　her　reach。　　I　was　dead　to　worldly　ambitions；　to　social
vanities；　to　all　the　incentives　within　the　compass　of　her　narrow
imagination；　and　I　lived　under　influences　utterly　invisible　to　her。

She　was　really　pitiable　to　have　such　a　husband；　and　so　all　the
world　thought。　　A　graceful；　brilliant　woman；　like　Bertha；　who
smiled　on　morning　callers；　made　a　figure　in　ball…rooms；　and　was
capable　of　that　light　repartee　which；　from　such　a　woman；　is
accepted　as　wit；　was　secure　of　carrying　off　all　sympathy　from　a
husband　who　was　sickly；　abstracted；　and；　as　some　suspected；　crack…
brained。　　Even　the　servants　in　our　house　gave　her　the　balance　of
their　regard　and　pity。　　For　there　were　no　audible　quarrels　between
us；　our　alienation；　our　repulsion　from　each　other；　lay　within　the
silence　of　our　own　hearts；　and　if　the　mistress　went　out　a　great
deal；　and　seemed　to　dislike　the　master's　society；　was　it　not
natural；　poor　thing？　　The　master　was　odd。　　I　was　kind　and　just　to
my　dependants；　but　I　excited　in　them　a　shrinking；　half…contemptuous
pity；　for　this　class　of　men　and　women　are　but　slightly　determined
in　their　estimate　of　others　by　general　considerations；　or　even
experience；　of　character。　　They　judge　of　persons　as　they　judge　of
coins；　and　value　those　who　pass　current　at　a　high　rate。

After　a　time　I　interfered　so　little　with　Bertha's　habits　that　it
might　seem　wonderful　how　her　hatred　towards　me　could　grow　so
intense　and　active　as　it　did。　　But　she　had　begun　to　suspect；　by
some　involuntary　betrayal　of　mine；　that　there　was　an　abnormal　power
of　penetration　in　methat　fitfully；　at　least；　I　was　strangely
cognizant　of　her　thoughts　and　intentions；　and　she　began　to　be
haunted　by　a　terror　of　me；　which　alternated　every　now　and　then　with
defiance。　　She　meditated　continually　how　the　incubus　could　be
shaken　off　her　lifehow　she　could　be　freed　from　this　hateful　bond
to　a　being　whom　she　at　once　despised　as　an　imbecile；　and　dreaded　as
an　inquisitor。　　For　a　long　while　she　lived　in　the　hope　that　my
evident　wretchedness　would　drive　me　to　the　commission　of　suicide；
but　suicide　was　not　in　my　nature。　　I　was　too　completely　swayed　by
the　sense　that　I　was　in　the　grasp　of　unknown　forces；　to　believe　in
my　power　of　self…release。　　Towards　my　own　destiny　I　had　become
entirely　passive；　for　my　one　ardent　desire　had　spent　itself；　and
impulse　no　longer　predominated　over　knowledge。　　For　this　reason　I
never　thought　of　taking　any　steps　towards　a　complete　separation；
which　would　have　made　our　alienation　evident　to　the　world。　　Why
should　I　rush　for　help　to　a　new　course；　when　I　was　only　suffering
from　the　consequences　of　a　deed　which　had　been　the　act　of　my
intensest　will？　　That　would　have　been　the　logic　of　one　who　had
desires　to　gratify；　and　I　had　no　desires。　　But　Bertha　and　I　lived
more　and　more　aloof　from　each　other。　　The　rich　find　it　easy　to　live
married　and　apart。

That　course　of　our　life　which　I　have　indicated　in　a　few　sentences
filled　the　space　of　years。　　So　much　miseryso　slow　and　hideous　a
growth　of　hatred　and　sin；　may　be　compressed　into　a　sentence！　　And
men　judge　of　each　other's　lives　through　this　summary　medium。　　They
epitomize　the　experience　of　their　fellow…mortal；　and　pronounce
judgment　on　him　in　neat　syntax；　and　feel　themselves　wise　and
virtuousconquerors　over　the　temptations　they　define　in　well…
selected　predicates。　　Seven　years　of　wretchedness　glide　glibly　over
the　lips　of　the　man　who　has　never　counted　them　out　in　moments　of
chill　disappointment；　of　head　and　heart　throbbings；　of　dread　and
vain　wrestling；　of　remorse　and　despair。　　We　learn　WORDS　by　rote；
but　not　their　meaning；　THAT　must　be　paid　for　with　our　life…blood；
and　printed　in　the　subtle　fibres　of　our　nerves。

But　I　will　hasten　to　finish　my　story。　　Brevity　is　justified　at　once
to　those　who　readily　understand；　and　to　those　who　will　never
understand。

Some　years　after　my　father's　death；　I　was　sitting　by　the　dim
firelight　in　my　library　one　January　eveningsitting　in　the　leather
chair　that　used　to　be　my　father'swhen　Bertha　appeared　at　the
door；　with　a　candle　in　her　hand；　and　advanced　towards　me。　　I　knew
the　ball…dress　she　had　onthe　white　ball…dress；　with　the　green
jewels；　shone　upon　by　the　light　of　the　wax　candle　which　lit　up　the
medallion　of　the　dying　Cleopatra　on　the　mantelpiece。　　Why　did　she
come　to　me　before　going　out？　　I　had　not　seen　her　in　the　library；
which　was　my　habitual　place　for　months。　　Why　did　she　stand　before
me　with　the　candle　in　her　hand；　with　her　cruel　contemptuous　eyes
fixed　on　me；　and　the　glittering　serpent；　like　a　familiar　demon；　on
her　breast？　　For　a　moment　I　thought　this　fulfilment　of　my　vision　at
Vienna　marked　some　dreadful　crisis　in　my　fate；　but　I　saw　nothing　in
Bertha's　mind；　as　she　stood　before　me；　except　scorn　for　the　look　of
overwhelming　misery　with　which　I　sat　before　her　。　。　。　〃Fool；　idiot；
why　don't　you　kill　yourself；　then？〃that　was　her　thought。　　But　at
length　her　thoughts　reverted　to　her　errand；　and　she　spoke　aloud。
The　apparently　indifferent　nature　of　the　errand　seemed　to　make　a
ridiculous　anticlimax　to　my　prevision　and　my　agitation。

〃I　have　had　to　hire　a　new　maid。　　Fletcher　is　going　to　be　married；
and　she　wants　me　to　ask　you　to　let　her　husband　have　the　public…
house　and　farm　at　Molton。　　I　wish　him　to　have　it。　　You　must　give
the　promise　now；　because　Fletcher　is　going　to…morrow　morningand
quickly；　because　I'm　in　a　hurry。〃

〃Very　well；　you　may　promise　her；〃　I　said；　indifferently；　and　Bertha
swept　out　of　the　library　again。

I　always　shrank　from　the　sight　of　a　new　person；　and　all　the　more
when　it　was　a　person　whose　mental　life　was　likely　to　weary　my
reluctant　insight　with　worldly　ignorant　trivialities。　　But　I　shrank
especially　from　the　sight　of　this　new　maid；　because　her　advent　had
been　announced　to　me　at　a　moment　to　which　I　could　not　cease　to
attach　some　fatality：　　I　had　a　vague　dread　that　I　should　find　her
mixed　up　with　the　dreary　drama　of　my　lifethat　some　new　sickening
vision　would　reveal　her　to　me　as　an　evil　genius。　　When　at　last　I
did　unavoidably　meet　her；　the　vague　dread　was　changed　into　definite
disgust。　　She　was　a　tall；　wiry；　dark…eyed　woman；　this　Mrs。　Archer；
with　a　face　handsome　enough　to　give　her　coarse　hard　nature　the
odious　finish　of　bold；　self…confident　coquetry。　　That　was　enough　to
make　me　avoid　her；　quite　apart　from　the　contemptuous　feeling　with
which　she　contemplated　me。　　I　seldom　saw　her；　but　I　perceived　that
she　rapidly　became　a　favourite　with　her　mistress；　and；　after　the
lapse　of　eight　or　nine　months；　I　began　to　be　aware　that　there　had
arisen　in　Bertha's　mind　towards　this　woman　a　mingled　feeling　of
fear　and　dependence；　and　that　this　feeling　was　associated　with　ill…
defined　images　of　candle…light　scenes　in　her　dressing…room；　and　the
locking…up　of　something　in　Bertha's　cabinet。　　My　interviews　with　my
wife　had　become　so　brief　and　so　rarely　solitary；　that　I　had　no
opportunity　of　perceiving　these　images　in　her　mind　with　more
definiteness。　　The　recollections　of　the　past　become　contracted　in
the　rapidity　of　thought　till　they　sometimes　bear　hardly　a　more
distinct　resemblance　to　the　external　reality　than　the　forms　of　an
oriental　alphabet　to　the　objects　that　suggested　them。

Besides；　for　the　last　year　or　more　a　modification　had　been　going
forward　in　my　mental　condition；　and　was　growing　more　and　more
marked。　　My　insight　into　the　minds　of　those　around　me　was　becoming
dimmer　and　more　fitful；　and　the　ideas　that　crowded　my　double
consciousness　became　less　and　less　dependent　on　any　personal
contact。　　All　that　was　personal　in　me　seemed　to　be　suffering　a
gradual　death；　so　that　I　was　losing　the　organ　through　which　the
personal　agitations　and　projects　of　others　could　affect　me。　　But
along　with　this　relief　from　wearisome　insight；　there　was　a　new
development　of　what　I　concludedas　I　have　since　found　rightlyto
be　a　provision　of　external　scenes。　　It　was　as　if　the　relation
between　me　and　my　fellow…men　was　more　and　more　deadened；　and　my
relation　to　what　we　call　the　inanimate　was　quickened　into　new　life。
The　more　I　lived　apart　from　society；　and　in　proportion　as　my
wretchedness　subsided　from　the　violent　throb　of　agonized　passion
into　the　dulness　of　habitual　pain；　the　more　frequent　and　vivid
became　such　visions　as　that　I　had　had　of　Pragueof　strange　cities；
of　sandy　plains；　of　gigantic　ruins；　of　midnight　skies　with　strange
bright　constell