count bunker-第19节

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〃It　vas　ze　only　safe　vay；〃　he　said　dolefully。　　〃Vas　I　not　right；　Bonker？〃

〃Quite；　my　dear　Baron；〃　replied　the　Count　sympathetically。　　〃Believe　me；　I　appreciate　your　self…sacrifice。　　In　fact；　it　was　to　relieve　the　strain　upon　your　too　generous　heart　that　I　immediately　accepted　Mr。　Maddison's　invitation　for　to…morrow。〃

〃How　so？〃　demanded　the　Baron　with　perhaps　excusable　surprise。

〃You　will　be　able　to　decide　at　once　which　is　the　most　suitable　bride　for　Tulliwuddle；　and　then；　if　you　like；　we　can　leave　in　a　day　or　two。〃

〃Bot　I　do　not　vish　to　leave　so　soon！〃

〃Well　then；　while　you　stay；　you　can　at　least　make　sure　that　you　are　engaging　the　affections　of　the　right　girl。〃

Though　Bunker　spoke　with　an　air　of　desiring　merely　to　assist　his　friend；　the　speech　seemed　to　arouse　some　furious　thinking　in　the　Baron's　mind。

For　some　moments　he　made　no　reply；　and　then　at　last；　in　a　troubled　voice；　he　said

〃I　have　already　a　leetle　gommitted　Tollyvoddle　to　Eva。　　Ach；　bot　not　moch！　　Still　it　vas　a　leetle。　　Miss　Maddisonvat　is　she　like？〃

To　the　best　of　his　ability　the　Count　sketched　the　charms　of　Eleanor　Maddisonher　enthusiasm　for　large　and　manly　noblemen；　and　the　probable　effects　of　the　Baron's　stalwart　form　set　off　by　the　tartan　which　（in　deference；　he　declared；　to　the　Wraith's　injunctions）　he　now　invariably　wore。　　Also；　he　touched　upon　her　father's　colossal　fortune；　and　the　genuine　Tulliwuddle's　necessities。

The　Baron　listened　with　growing　interest。

〃Vell；〃　he　said；　〃I　soppose　I　most　make　a　goot　impression　for　ze　sake　of　Tollyvoddle。　　For　instance；　ven　we　drive　up〃

〃Drive？　my　dear　Baron；　we　shall　march！　　Leave　it　to　me；　I　have　a　very　pretty　design　shaping　in　my　head。〃

〃Aha！〃　smiled　the　Baron；　〃my　showman　again；　eh？〃

His　expression　sobered；　and　he　added　as　a　final　contribution　to　the　debate

〃But　I　may　tell　you；　Bonker；　I　do　not　eggspect　to　like　Miss　Maddison。　　Ah；　my　instinct　he　is　vonderful！　　It　vas　my　instinct　vich　said。　　'Chose　Miss　Gallosh　for　Tollyvoddle！'　〃



CHAPTER　XIX

While　the　Baron　was　thus　loyally　doing　his　duty；　his　Baroness；　being　ignorant　of　the　excellence　of　his　purpose；　and　knowing　only　that　he　had　deceived　her　in　one　matter；　and　that　the　descent　to　Avernus　is　easy；　passed　a　number　of　very　miserable　days。　　That　heart…　breaking　〃us　both〃　kept　her　awake　at　nights　and　distraught　throughout　the　day；　and　when　for　a　little　she　managed　to　explain　the　phrase　away；　and　tried　to　anchor　her　trust　in　Rudolph　once　more；　the　vision　of　the　St。　Petersburg　window　overlooking　the　crops　would　come　to　shatter　her　confidence。　　She　wrote　a　number　of　passionate　replies；　but　as　the　Baron　in　making　his　arrangements　with　his　Russian　friend　had　forgotten　to　provide　him　with　his　Scotch　address；　these　letters　only　reached　him　after　the　events　of　this　chronicle　had　passed　into　history。　　Strange　to　say；　her　only　consolation　was　that　neither　her　mother　nor　Sir　Justin　was　able　to　supply　any　further　evidence　of　any　kind　whatsoever。　　One　would　naturally　suppose　that　the　assistance　they　had　gratuitously　given　would　have　made　her　feel　eternally　indebted　to　them；　but；　on　the　contrary；　she　was　actually　inconsistent　enough　to　resent　their　head…shakings　nearly　as　much　as　her　Rudolph's　presumptive　infidelity。　　So　that　her　lot　was　indeed　to　be　deplored。

At　last　a　second　letter　came；　and　with　trembling　fingers；　locked　in　her　room；　the　forsaken　lady　tore　the　curiously　bulky　envelope　apart。　　Then；　at　the　sight　of　the　enclosure　that　had　given　it　this　shape；　her　heart　lightened　once　more。

〃A　sprig　of　white　heather！〃　she　cried。　　〃Ah；　he　loves　me　still！〃

With　eager　eyes　she　next　devoured　the　writing　accompanying　this　token；　and　as　the　Baron's　head　happened　to　be　clearer　when　he　composed　this　second　epistle；　and　his　friend's　hints　peculiarly　judicious；　it　conveyed　so　plausible　an　account　of　his　proceedings；　and　contained　so　many　expressions　of　his　unaltered　esteem；　that　his　character　was　completely　reinstated　in　her　regard。

Having　read　every　affectionate　sentence　thrice　over；　and　given　his　exceedingly　interesting　statements　of　fact　the　attention　they　deserved；　she　once　more　took　up　the　little　bouquet　and　examined　it　more　curiously　and　intently。　　She　even　untied　the　ribbon；　when；　lo　and　behold！　there　fell　a　tiny　and　tightly　folded　twist　of　paper　upon　the　floor。　　Preparing　herself　for　a　delicious　bit　of　sentiment；　she　tenderly　unfolded　and　smoothed　it　out。

〃Verses！〃　she　exclaimed　rapturously；　but　the　next　instant　her　pleasure　gave　place　to　a　look　of　the　extremest　mystification。

〃What　does　this　mean？〃　she　gasped。

There　was；　in　fact；　some　excuse　for　her　perplexity；　since　the　precise　text　of　the　enclosure　ran　thus：

　　　　　　　　　　〃TO　LORD　TULLIWUDDLE。

　　　　　〃O　Chieftain；　trample　on　this　heath　　　　　　Which　lies　thy　springing　foot　beneath！　　　　　　It　can　recover　from　thy　tread；　　　　　　And　once　again　uplift　its　head！　　　　　　But　spare；　O　Chief；　the　tenderer　plant；　　　　　　Because　when　trampled　on；　it　can't！　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃EVA。〃


Too　confounded　for　coherent　speculation；　the　Baroness　continued　to　stare　at　this　baffling　effusion。　　Who　Lord　Tulliwuddle　and　Eva　were；　why　this　glimpse　into　their　drama　（for　such　it　appeared　to　be）　should　be　forwarded　to　her；　and　where　the　Baron　von　Blitzenberg　came　into　the　storythese；　among　a　dozen　other　questions；　flickered　chaotically　through　her　mind　for　some　minutes。　　Again　and　again　she　studied　the　cryptogram；　till　at　last　a　few　definite　conclusions　began　to　crystallize　out　of　the　confusion。　　That　the　〃tenderer　plant〃　symbolized　the　lady　herself；　that　she　was　a　person　to　be　regarded　with　extreme　suspicion；　and　that　emphatically　the　bouquet　was　never　originally　intended　for　the　Baroness　von　Blitzenberg；　all　became　settled　convictions。　　The　fact　that　she　knew　Tulliwuddle　to　be　an　existing　peerage　afforded　her　some　relief；　yet　the　longer　she　pondered　on　the　problem　of　Rudolph's　part　in　the　episode；　the　more　uneasy　grew　her　mind。

Composing　her　face　before　the　mirror　till　it　resumed　its　normal　round…eyed　placidity；　she　locked　the　letter　and　its　contents　in　a　safe　place；　and　sought　out　her　mother。

〃Did　you　get　any　letter；　dear；　by　the　last　post？〃　inquired　the　Countess　as　soon　as　she　had　entered　the　room。

〃Nothing　of　importance；　mamma。〃

That　so　sweet　and　docile　a　daughter　should　stoop　to　deceit　was　inconceivable。　　The　Countess　merely　frowned　her　disappointment　and　resumed　the　novel　which　she　was　beguiling　the　hours　between　eating　and　eating　again。

〃Mamma；〃　said　the　Baroness　presently；　〃can　you　tell　me　whether　heather　is　found　in　many　other　European　countries？〃

The　Countess　raised　her　firmly　penciled　eyebrows。

〃In　some；　I　believe。　　What　a　remarkable　question；　Alicia。〃

〃I　was　thinking　about　Russia；〃　said　Alicia　with　an　innocent　air。　　〃Do　you　suppose　heather　grows　there？〃

The　Countess　remembered　the　floral　symptoms　displayed　by　Ophelia；　and　grew　a　trifle　nervous。

〃My　child；　what　is　the　matter？〃

〃Oh；　nothing；〃　replied　Alicia　hastily。

A　short　silence　followed；　during　which　she　was　conscious　of　undergoing　a　curious　scrutiny。

〃By　the　way；　mamma；〃　she　found　courage　to　ask　at　length；　〃do　you　know　anything　about　Lord　Tulliwuddle？〃

Lady　Grillyer　continued　uneasy。　　These　irrelevant　questions　undoubtedly　indicated　a　mind　unhinged。

〃I　was　acquainted　with　the　late　Lord　Tulliwuddle。〃

〃Oh；　he　is　dead；　then？〃

〃Certainly。〃

Alicia's　face　clouded　for　a　moment；　and　then　a　ray　of　hope　lit　it　again。

〃Is　there　a　present　Lord　Tulliwuddle？〃

〃I　believe　so。　　Why　do　you　ask？〃

〃I　heard　some　one　speak　of　him　the　other　day。〃

She　spoke　so　naturally　that　her　mother　began　to　feel　relieved。

〃Sir　Justin　Wallingford　can　tell　you　all　about　the　family；　if　you　are　curious；〃　she　remarked。

〃Sir　Justin！〃

Alicia　recoiled　from　the　thought　of　him。　　But　presently　her　curiosity　prevailed；　and　she　inquired

〃Does　he　know　them　well？〃

〃He　inherited　a　place　in　Scotland　a　number　of　years　ago；　you　remember。　　It　is　somewhere　near　Lord　Tulliwuddle's　placeHechHechHech…something…or…　other　Castle。　　He　was　very　well　acquainted　with　the　last　Tulliwuddle。〃

〃Oh；〃　said　Alicia　indifferently；　〃I　am　not　really　interested。　　It　was　mere　idle　curiosity。〃

For　the　greater　part　of　twenty…four　hours　she　kept　this　mystery　locked　within　her　heart；　till　at　last　she　could　contain　it　no　longer。　　The　resolution　she　came　to　was　both　desperate　and　abruptly　taken。　　At　five　minutes　to　three　she　was　resolved　to　die　rather　than　mention　that　sprig　of　heather　to　a　soul；　at　five　minutes　past　she　was　on　her　way　to　Sir　Justin　Wallingford's　house。

〃It　may　be　going　behind　mamma's　back；〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃but　she　went　behind　mine　when　SHE　consulted　Sir　Justin。〃

It　was　probably　in　consequence　of　her　urgent　voice　and　agitated　manner　that　she　came　to　be　shown　straight　into　Sir　Justin's　library；　without　warning　on　either　side；　and　thus　surprised　her　counsellor　in　the　act　of　softly　singing　a　well…known　hymn　to　the　accompaniment　of　a　small　harmonium。　　He　seemed　for　a　moment　to　be　a　trifle　embarrassed；　and　the　glance　he　threw　at　his　footman　appeared　to　indicate　an　early　vacancy　in　his　establishment；　but　as　soon　as　he　had　recovered　his　customary　solemnity　his　explanation　reflected　nothing　but　credit　upon