east lynne-第39节

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chance　of　my　getting　back　to　England？〃

〃Not　the　least；〃　was　the　candid　answer；　〃unless　you　can　manage　to　satisfy　or　partially　satisfy　those　claims　you　have　been　telling　me　of。　Will　not　Sir　Peter　assist　you？〃

〃I　believe　he　would；　were　the　case　fairly　represented　to　him；　but　how　am　I　to　get　over　to　do　it？　I　have　written　several　letters　to　him　lately；　and　for　some　time　I　got　no　reply。　Then　came　an　epistle　from　Lady　Levison；　not　short　and　sweet；　but　short　and　sour。　It　was　to　the　effect　that　Sir　Peter　was　ill；　and　could　not　at　present　be　troubled　with　business　matters。〃

〃He　cannot　be　very　ill；〃　remarked　Mr。　Carlyle；　〃he　passed　through　West　Lynne；　in　his　open　carriage；　a　week　ago。〃

〃He　ought　to　help　me；〃　grumbled　Captain　Levison。　〃I　am　his　heir；　so　long　as　Lady　Levison　does　not　give　him　one。　I　do　not　hear　that　she　has　expectations。〃

〃You　should　contrive　to　see　him。〃

〃I　know　I　should；　but　it　is　not　possible　under　present　circumstances。　With　these　thunder…clouds　hanging　over　me；　I　dare　not　set　foot　in　England；　and　run　the　risk　to　be　dropped　upon。　I　can　stand　a　few　things；　but　I　shudder　at　the　bare　idea　of　a　prison。　Something　peculiar　in　my　idiosyncrasy；　I　take　it；　for　those　who　have　tried　it；　say　that　it's　nothing　when　you're　used　to　it。〃

〃Some　one　might　see　him　for　you。〃

〃Some　onewho？　I　have　quarreled　with　my　lawyers；　Sharp　&　Steel；　of　Lincoln's　Inn。〃

〃Keen　practitioners；〃　put　in　Mr。　Carlyle。

〃Too　keen　for　me。　I'd　send　them　over　the　herring…pond　if　I　could。　They　have　used　me　shamefully　since　my　uncle's　marriage。　If　ever　I　do　come　into　the　Levison　estates　they'll　be　ready　to　eat　their　ears　off；　they　would　like　a　finger　in　a　pie　with　such　property　as　that。〃

〃Shall　I　see　Sir　Peter　Levison　for　you？〃

〃/Will/　you？〃　returned　Captain　Levison；　his　dark　eyes　lighting　up。

〃If　you　like　as　your　friend；　you　understand；　not　as　your　solicitor；　that　I　decline。　I　have　a　slight　knowledge　of　Sir　Peter；　my　father　was　well　acquainted　with　him；　and　if　I　can　render　you　any　little　service；　I　shall　be　happy；　in　return　for　your　kind　attention　to　my　wife。　I　cannot　promise　to　see　him　for　those　two　or　three　weeks；　though；〃　resumed　Mr。　Carlyle；　〃for　we　are　terribly　busy。　I　never　was　so　driven；　but　for　being　so　I　should　stay　here　with　my　wife。〃

Francis　Levison　expressed　his　gratitude；　and　the　prospect；　however　remote；　of　being　enabled　to　return　to　England　increased　his　spirits　to　exultation。　Whilst　they　continued　to　converse；　Lady　Isabel　sat　at　the　window　in　the　adjoining　room；　listlessly　looking　out　on　the　crowds　of　French　who　were　crowding　to　and　from　the　port　in　their　Sunday　holiday　attire。　Looking　at　them　with　her　eyes；　not　with　her　sensesher　senses　were　holding　commune　with　herself；　and　it　was　not　altogether　satisfactoryshe　was　aware　that　a　sensation　all　too　warm；　a　feeling　of　attraction　toward　Francis　Levison；　was　working　within　her。　Not　a　voluntary　one；　she　could　no　more　repress　it　than　she　could　repress　her　own　sense　of　being；　and；　mixed　with　it；　was　the　stern　voice　of　conscience；　overwhelming　her　with　the　most　lively　terror。　She　would　have　given　all　she　possessed　to　be　able　to　overcome　it。　She　would　have　given　half　the　years　of　her　future　life　to　separate　herself　at　once　and　forever　from　the　man。

But　do　not　mistake　the　word　terror；　or　suppose　that　Lady　Isabel　Carlyle　applied　it　here　in　the　vulgar　acceptation　of　the　term。　She　did　not　fear　for　herself；　none　could　be　more　conscious　of　self…rectitude　of　principle　and　conduct；　and　she　would　have　believed　it　as　impossible　for　her　ever　to　forsake　her　duty　as　a　wife；　a　gentlewoman；　and　a　Christian；　as　for　the　sun　to　turn　round　from　west　to　east。　That　was　not　the　fear　which　possessed　her；　it　had　never　presented　itself　to　her　mind；　what　she　did　fear　was；　that　further　companionship　with　Francis　Levison　might　augment　the　sentiments　she　entertained　for　him　to　a　height　that　her　life；　for　perhaps　years　to　come；　would　be　one　of　unhappiness；　a　sort　of　concealment；　and；　more　than　all；　she　shrank　form　the　consciousness　of　the　bitter　wrong　that　these　sentiments　cast　upon　her　husband。

〃Archibald；　I　have　a　favor　to　ask　you；〃　she　said；　after　Captain　Levison's　departure。　〃Take　me　back　with　you。〃

〃Impossible；　my　love。　The　change　is　doing　you　so　much　good；　and　I　took　the　apartments　for　six　weeks。　You　must　at　least　remain　that　time。〃

The　color　flowed　painfully　into　her　cheek。　〃I　cannot　stay　without　you；　Archibald。〃

〃Tell　me　why。〃

〃I　am　so　dull　without　you；〃　was　all　she　could　say。　He　felt　that　this　was　not　reason　enough　for　altering　an　arrangement　that　was　so　beneficial　to　her；　so　he　left　her　the　following　morning；　commending　her　to　the　continued　care　of　Captain　Levison。



CHAPTER　XXI。

QUITTING　THE　DANGER。

Lady　Isabel　was　seated　on　one　of　the　benches　of　the　Petit　Camp；　as　it　is　called；　underneath　the　ramparts　of　the　upper　tower。　A　week　or　ten　days　had　passed　away　since　the　departure　of　Mr。　Carlyle；　and　in　her　health　there　was　a　further　visible　improvement。

It　was　still　evening；　cool　for　July；　no　sound　was　heard　save　the　hum　of　the　summer　insects；　and　Lady　Isabel　sat　in　silence　with　her　companion；　her　rebellious　heart　beating　with　a　sense　of　its　own　happiness。　But　for　the　voice　of　conscience；　strong　within　her；　but　for　the　sense　of　right　and　wrong；　but　for　the　existing　things；　in　short；　but　that　she　was　a　wife；　she　might　have　been　content　to　sit　by　his　side　forever；　never　to　wish　to　move　or　to　break　the　silence。　Did　he　read　her　feelings？　He　told　her；　months　afterward；　that　he　did；　but　it　may　have　been　a　vain　boast；　an　excuse。

〃Do　you　remember　the　evening；　Lady　Isabel；　just　such　a　one　as　this；　that　we　all　passed　at　Richmond？〃　he　suddenly　asked。　〃Your　father；　Mrs。　Vane；　you；　I　and　others？〃

〃Yes；　I　remember　it。　We　had　spent　a　pleasant　day；　the　two　Miss　Challoners　were　with　us。　You　drove　Mrs。　Vane　home；　and　I　went　with　papa。　You　drove　recklessly；　I　recollect；　and　Mrs。　Vane　said　when　we　got　home　that　you　should　never　drive　her　again。〃

〃Which　meant；　not　until　the　next　time。　Of　all　capricious；　vain；　exacting　women；　Emma　Vane　was　the　worst；　and　Emma　Mount　Severn　is　no　improvement　upon　it；　she's　a　systematic　flirt；　and　nothing　better。　I　drove　recklessly　on　purpose　to　put　her　in　a　fright；　and　pay　her　off。〃

〃What　had　she　done？〃

〃Put　me　in　a　rage。　She　had　saddled　herself　upon　me；　when　I　wantedI　wished　for　another　to　be　my　companion。〃

〃Blanche　Challoner。〃

〃Blanche　Challoner！〃　echoed　Captain　Levison；　in　a　mocking　tone；　〃what　did　I　care　for　Blanche　Challoner？〃

Isabel　remembered　that　he　had　been　supposed　in　those　days　to　care　a　great　deal　for　Miss　Blanche　Challonera　most　lovely　girl　of　seventeen。　〃Mrs。　Vane　used　to　accuse　you　of　caring　too　much　for　her；〃　she　said；　aloud。

〃She　accused　me　of　caring　for　some　one　else　more　than　for　Blanche　Challoner；〃　he　significantly　returned；　〃and　for　once　her　jealous　surmises　were　not　misplaced。　No　Lady　Isabel；　it　was　not　Blanche　Challoner　I　had　wished　to　drive　home。　Could　you　not　have　given　a　better　guess　than　that　at　the　time？〃　he　added；　turning　to　her。

There　was　no　mistaking　the　tone　of　his　voice　or　the　glance　of　his　eye。　Lady　Isabel　felt　a　crimson　flush　rising　and　she　turned　her　face　away。

〃The　past　is　gone；　and　cannot　be　recalled；〃　he　continued；　〃but　we　both　played　our　cards　like　simpletons。　If　ever　two　beings　were　formed　to　love　each　other；　you　and　I　were。　I　sometimes　thought　you　read　my　feelings〃

Surprise　had　kept　her　silent；　but　she　interrupted　him　now；　haughtily　enough。

〃I　must　speak；　Lady　Isabel；　it　is　but　a　few　words；　and　then　I　am　silent　forever。　I　would　have　declared　myself　had　I　dared；　but　my　uncertain　position；　my　debts；　my　inability　to　keep　a　wife；　weighed　me　down；　and；　instead　of　appealing　to　Sir　Peter；　as　I　ought　to　have　done；　for　the　means　to　assume　a　position　that　would　justify　me　in　asking　Lord　Mount　Severn's　daughter；　I　crushed　my　hopes　within　me；　and　suffered　you　to　escape〃

〃I　will　not　hear　this；　Captain　Levison；〃　she　cried；　rising　from　her　seat　in　anger。

He　touched　her　arm　to　place　her　on　it　again。

〃One　single　moment　yet；　I　pray　you。　I　have　for　years　wished　that　you　should　know　why　I　lost　youa　loss　that　tells　upon　me　yet。　I　have　bitterly　worked　out　my　own　folly　since　I　knew　not　how　passionately　I　loved　you　until　you　became　the　wife　of　another。　Isabel；　I　love　you　passionately　still。〃

〃How　dare　you　presume　so　to　address　me？〃

She　spoke　in　a　cold；　dignified　tone　of　hauteur；　as　it　was　her　bounden　duty　to　speak；　but；　nevertheless；　she　was　conscious　of　an　undercurrent　of　feeling；　whispering　that；　under　other　auspices；　the　avowal　would　have　brought　to　her　heart　the　most　intense　bliss。

〃What　I　have　said　can　do　no　hurt　now；〃　resumed　Captain　Levison；　〃the　time　has　gone　by　for　it；　for　neither　you　nor　I　are　likely　to　forget　that　you　are　a　wife。　We　have　each　chosen　our　path　in　life；　and　must　abide　by　it；　the　gulf　between　us　is　impassable　but　the　fault　was　mine。　I　ought　to　have　avowed　my　affection；　and　not　have　suffered　you　to　throw　yourself　away　upon　Mr。　Carlyle。〃

〃Throw　myself　away！〃　she　indignantly　uttered；　roused　to　the　retort。　〃Mr。　Carlyle　is　my　dear　husband；　esteemed；　respected；　and　beloved。　I　married　him　of　my　own　free　choice；　and　I　have　never　repented　it；　I　have　grown　more　attached