east lynne-第38节

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She　was　aware　that　she　looked　unusually　ill　at　that　moment；　for　the　agitation　and　surprise　of　meeting　him　were　fading　away；　leaving　her　face　an　ashy　whiteness。　Exceedingly　vexed　and　angry　with　herself　did　she　feel　that　the　meeting　should　have　power　to　call　forth　emotion。　Until　that　moment　she　was　unconscious　that　she　retained　any　sort　of　feeling　for　Captain　Levison。

〃Perhaps　I　have　ventured　out　too　early；〃　she　said；　in　a　tone　that　would　seem　to　apologize　for　her　looks：　〃I　think　I　will　return。　I　shall　meet　my　servant；　no　doubt。　Good…morning；　Captain　Levison。〃

〃But　indeed　you　do　not　appear　fit　to　walk　alone；〃　he　remonstrated。　〃You　must　allow　me　to　see　you　safely　home。〃

Drawing　her　hand　within　his　own　quite　as　a　matter　of　course；　as　he　had　done　many　a　time　in　days　gone　by；　he　proceeded　to　assist　her　down　the　pier。　Lady　Isabel；　conscious　of　her　own　feelings；　felt　that　it　was　not　quite　the　thing　to　walk　thus　familiarly　with　him；　but　he　was　a　sort　of　relation　of　the　familya　connection；　at　any　rateand　she　could　find　no　ready　excuse　for　declining。

〃Have　you　seen　Lady　Mount　Severn　lately？〃　he　inquired。

〃I　saw　her　when　I　was　in　London　this　spring　with　Mr。　Carlyle。　The　first　time　we　have　met　since　my　marriage；　and　we　do　not　correspond。　Lord　Mount　Severn　had　paid　us　two　or　three　visits　at　East　Lynne。　They　are　in　town　yet；　I　believe。〃

〃For　all　I　know；　I　have　not　seen　them；　or　England　either；　for　ten　months。　I　have　been　staying　in　Paris；　and　got　here　yesterday。〃

〃A　long　leave　of　absence；〃　she　observed。

〃Oh；　I　have　left　the　army。　I　sold　out。　The　truth　is；　Lady　Isabelfor　I　don't　mind　telling　youthings　are　rather　down　with　me　at　present。　My　old　uncle　has　behaved　shamefully；　he　has　married　again。〃

〃I　heard　that　Sir　Peter　had　married。〃

〃He　is　seventy…threethe　old　simpleton！　Of　course　this　materially　alters　my　prospects；　for　it　is　just　possible　he　may　have　a　son　of　his　own　now；　and　my　creditors　all　came　down　upon　me。　They　allowed　me　to　run　into　debt　with　complacency　when　I　was　heir　to　the　title　and　estates；　but　as　soon　as　Sir　Peter's　marriage　appeared　in　the　papers；　myself　and　my　consequence　dropped　a　hundred　per　cent；　credit　was　stopped；　and　I　dunned　for　payment。　So　I　thought　I'd　cut　it　altogether；　and　I　sold　out　and　came　abroad。〃

〃Leaving　your　creditors？〃

〃What　else　could　I　do？　My　uncle　would　not　pay　them；　or　increase　my　allowance。〃

〃What　are　your　prospects　then？〃　resumed　Lady　Isabel。

〃Prospects！　Do　you　see　that　little　ragged　boy　throwing　stones　into　the　harbor？it　is　well　the　police　don't　drop　upon　him；ask　him　what　his　prospects　are；　and　he　will　stare　you　in　the　face；　and　say；　'None。'　Mine　are　on　a　like　par。〃

〃You　may　succeed　Sir　Peter　yet。〃

〃I　may；　but　I　may　not。　When　those　old　idiots　get　a　young　wife〃

〃Have　you　quarreled　with　Sir　Peter？〃　interrupted　Lady　Isabel。

〃I　should　quarrel　with　him　as　he　deserves；　if　it　would　do　any　good；　but　I　might　get　my　allowance　stopped。　Self　interest；　you　see；　Lady　Isabel；　is　the　order　of　the　day　with　most　of　us。〃

〃Do　you　propose　staying　in　Boulogne　long？〃

〃I　don't　know。　As　I　may　find　amusement。　Paris　is　a　fast　capital；　with　its　heated　rooms　and　its　late　hours；　and　I　came　down　for　the　refreshment　of　a　few　sea　dips。　Am　I　walking　too　fast　for　you？〃

〃You　increased　your　pace　alarmingly　when　you　spoke　of　Sir　Peter's　marriage。　And　I　am　not　sorry　for　it；〃　she　added；　good…naturedly；　〃for　it　has　proved　to　me　how　strong　I　am　getting。　A　week　ago　I　could　not　have　walked　half　so　fast。〃

He　interrupted　with　eager　apologies；　and　soon　they　reached　her　home。　Captain　Levison　entered　with　heruninvited。　He　probably　deemed　between　connections　great　ceremonies　might　be　dispensed　with；　and　he　sat　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　chatting　to　amuse　her。　When　he　rose；　he　inquired　what　she　meant　to　do　with　herself　in　the　afternoon。

〃To　lie　down；〃　replied　Isabel。　〃I　am　not　strong　enough　to　sit　up　all　day。〃

〃Should　you　be　going　out　afterwards；　you　must　allow　me　to　take　care　of　you；〃　he　observed。　〃I　am　glad　that　I　happened　to　be　here；　for　I　am　sure　you　are　not　fit　to　wander　out　without　an　arm；　and　only　followed　by　a　servant。　When　Mr。　Carlyle　comes；　he　will　thank　me　for　my　pains。〃

What　was　she　to　urge　in　objection？　Simply　nothing。　He　spoke；　let　us　not　doubt；　from　a　genuine　wish　to　serve　her；　in　a　plain；　easy　tone；　as　any　acquaintance　might　speak。　Lady　Isabel　schooled　herself　severely。　If　those　old　feelings　were　not　quite　dead　within　her；　why；　she　must　smother　them　down　again　as　effectually　as　if　they　were；　the　very　fact　of　recognizing　such　to　her　own　heart；　brought　a　glow　of　shame　to　her　brow。　She　would　meet　Captain　Levison；　and　suffer　his　companionship；　as　she　would　that　of　the　most　indifferent　stranger。

It　was　just　the　wrong　way　for　her　to　go　to　work；　though。

As　the　days　passed　on；　Lady　Isabel　improved　wonderfully。　She　was　soon　able　to　go　to　the　sands　in　the　morning　and　sit　there　to　enjoy　the　sea　air；　watching　the　waves　come　up　to　recede　with　the　tide。　She　made　no　acquaintance　whatever　in　the　place；　and　when　she　had　a　companion　it　was　Captain　Levison。　He　would　frequently　join　her　there；　sometimes　take　her；　almost　always　give　her　his　arm　home。　Of　all　things；　she　disliked　the　having　to　take　his　arm；　would　a　thousand　times　over　rather　have　taken　good　old　Peter's。　A　secret　prick　of　the　conscience　whispered　it　might　be　better　if　she　did　not。　One　day　she　said；　in　a　joking　sort　of　mannershe　would　not　say　it　in　any　otherthat　now　she　was　strong；　she　had　no　need　of　his　arm　and　his　escort。　He　demanded；　in　evident　astonishment；　what　had　arisen　that　he　might　not　still　afford　it；　seeing　her　husband　was　not　with　her　to　give　her　his。　She　had　no　answer　in　reply　to　this；　no　excuse　to　urge；　and；　in　default　of　one；　took　his　arm；　as　usual。　In　the　evening　he　would　be　ready　to　take　her　to　the　pier；　but　they　sat　apart；　mixing　not　with　the　bustling　crowd　he　lending　to　his　manner；　as　he　conversed　with　her；　all　that　he　would　call　up　of　fascinationand　fascination；　such　as　Francis　Levison's；　might　be　dangerous　to　any　ear；　in　the　sweet　evening　twilight。　The　walk　over；　he　left　her　at　her　own　door；　she　never　asked　him　in　in　the　evening；　and　he　did　not　intrude　without；　as　he　sometimes　would　of　a　morning。

Now；　where　was　the　help　for　this？　You　may　say　that　she　should　have　remained　indoors；　and　not　have　subjected　herself　to　his　companionship。　But　the　remaining　indoors　would　not　have　brought　her　health；　and　it　was　health　that　she　was　staying　in　Boulogne　to　acquire；　and　the　sooner　it　came　the　better　pleased　she　would　be；　for　she　wanted　to　be　at　home　with　her　husband　and　children。

In　a　fortnight　from　the　period　of　his　departure；　Mr。　Carlyle　was　expected　in　Boulogne。　But　what　a　marvellous　change　had　this　fortnight　wrought　in　Lady　Isabel！　She　did　not　dare　to　analyze　her　feelings；　but　she　was　conscious　that　all　the　fresh　emotions　of　her　youth　had　come　again。　The　blue　sky　seemed　as　of　the　sweetest　sapphire；　the　green　fields　and　waving　trees　were　of　an　emerald　brightness；　the　perfume　of　the　flowers　was　more　fragrant　than　any　perfume　had　yet　seemed。　She　knew　that　the　sky；　that　the　grassy　plains；　the　leafy　trees；　the　brilliant　flowers；　were　but　as　they　ever　had　been；　she　knew　that　the　sunny　atmosphere　possessed　no　more　of　loveliness　or　power　of　imparting　delight　than　of　old；　and　she　knew　that　the　change；　the　sensation　of　ecstacy；　was　in　her　own　heart。　No　wonder　that　she　shrank　from　self…　examination。

The　change　from　listless　languor　to　her　present　feeling　brought　the　hue　and　contour　of　health　to　her　face　far　sooner　than　anything　else　could　have　done。　She　went　down　with　Captain　Levison　to　meet　Mr。　Carlyle；　the　evening　he　came　in；　and　when　Mr。　Carlyle　saw　her　behind　the　cords；　as　he　was　going　to　the　custom…house；　he　scarcely　knew　her。　Her　features　had　lost　their　sharpness；　her　cheeks　wore　a　rosy　flush；　and　the　light　of　pleasure　at　meeting　him　again　shone　in　her　eyes。

〃What　can　you　have　been　doing　to　yourself；　my　darling？〃　he　uttered　in　delight　as　he　emerged　from　the　custom…house　and　took　her　hands　in　his。　〃You　look　almost　well。〃

〃Yes；　I　am　much　better；　Archibald；　but　I　am　warm　now　and　flushed。　We　have　waited　here　some　time；　and　the　setting　sun　was　full　upon　us。　How　long　the　boat　was　in　coming　in！〃

〃The　wind　was　against　us；〃　replied　Mr。　Carlyle；　wondering　who　the　exquisite　was　at　his　wife's　side。　He　thought　he　remembered　his　face。

〃Captain　Levison；〃　said　Lady　Isabel。　〃I　wrote　you　word　in　one　of　my　letters　that　he　was　here。　Have　you　forgotten　it？〃　Yes；　it　had　slipped　from　his　memory。

〃And　I　am　happy　that　it　happened　so；〃　said　that　gentleman；　interposing；　〃for　it　has　enabled　me　to　attend　Lady　Isabel　in　some　of　her　walks。　She　is　stronger　now；　but　at　first　she　was　unfit　to　venture　alone。〃

〃I　feel　much　indebted　to　you；〃　said　Mr。　Carlyle；　warmly。

The　following　day　was　Sunday；　and　Francis　Levison　was　asked　to　dine　with　themthe　first　meal　he　had　been　invited　to　in　the　house。　After　dinner；　when　Lady　Isabel　left　them；　he　grew　confidential　over　his　claret　to　Mr。　Carlyle；　laying　open　all　his　intricate　affairs　and　his　cargo　of　troubles。

〃This　compulsory　exile　abroad　is　becoming　intolerable；〃　he　concluded；　〃and　a　Paris　life　plays　the　very　deuce　with　one。　Do　you　see　any　chance　of　my　getting　back　to　England？〃

〃N