east lynne-第45节

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indow。　Yes；　she　was　standing　and　looking　still；　brooding　over　her　fancied　wrongs。

〃Who　is　that　Miss　Hare？〃　he　demanded　in　a　cynical　tone。　〃They　appear　to　have　a　pretty　good　understanding　together。　Twice　this　evening　I　have　met　them　enjoying　a　private　walk　and　a　private　confab。〃

〃What　did　you　say？〃　sharply　and　haughtily　returned　Lady　Isabel。

〃Nay；　I　did　not　mean　to　offend　you；〃　was　the　answer；　for　he　knew　that　she　heard　his　words　distinctly　in　spite　of　her　question。　〃I　spoke　of　/Monsieur　votre　mari/。〃



CHAPTER　XXIII。

CAPTAIN　THORN　IN　TROUBLE　ABOUT　〃A　BILL。〃

In　talking　over　a　bygone　misfortune；　we　sometimes　make　the　remark；　or　hear　it　made　to　us；　〃Circumstances　worked　against　it。〃　Such　and　such　a　thing　might　have　turned　out　differently；　we　say；　had　the　surrounding　circumstances　been　more　favorable；　but　they　were　in　opposition；　they　were　dead　against　it。　Now；　if　ever　attendant　circumstances　can　be　said　to　have　borne　a　baneful　influence　upon　any　person　in　this　world；　they　most　assuredly　did　at　this　present　time　against　Lady　Isabel　Carlyle。

Coeval；　you　see；　with　the　arrival　of　the　ex…captain；　Levison；　at　East　Lynne；　all　the　jealous　feeling；　touching　her　husband　and　Barbara　Hare；　was　renewed；　and　with　greater　force　than　ever。　Barbara；　painfully　anxious　that　something　should　be　brought　to　light；　it　would　have　puzzled　her　to　say　how　or　by　what　means；　by　which　her　brother　should　be　exonerated　from　the　terrible　charge　under　which　he　lay；　fully　believing　that　Frederick　Thorn；　captain　in　her　majesty's　service；　was　the　man　who　had　committed　the　crime；　as　asserted　by　Richard；　was　in　a　state　of　excitement　bordering　upon　frenzy。　Too　keenly　she　felt　the　truth　of　her　own　words；　that　she　was　powerless；　that　she　could；　herself；　do　nothing。　When　she　rose　in　the　morning；　after　a　night　passed　in　troubled　reflection　more　than　in　sleep；　her　thoughts　were；　〃Oh；　that　I　could　this　day　find　out　something　certain！〃　She　was　often　at　the　Herberts'；　frequently　invited　theresometimes　going　uninvited。　She　and　the　Herberts　were　intimate　and　they　pressed　Barbara　into　all　the　impromptu　gay　doings；　now　their　brother　was　at　home。　There　she　of　course　saw　Captain　Thorn；　and　now　and　then　she　was　enabled　to　pick　up　scraps　of　his　past　history。　Eagerly　were　these　scraps　carried　to　Mr。　Carlyle。　Not　at　his　office；　Barbara　would　not　appear　there。　Perhaps　she　was　afraid　of　the　gossiping　tongues　of　West　Lynne；　or　that　her　visits　might　have　come　to　the　knowledge　of　that　stern；　prying；　and　questioning　old　gentleman　whom　she　called　sire。　It　may　be　too；　that　she　feared；　if　seen　haunting　Mr。　Carlyle's　office；　Captain　Thorn　might　come　to　hear　of　it　and　suspect　the　agitation；　that　was　afloatfor　who　could　know　better　than　he；　the　guilt　that　was　falsely　attaching　to　Richard？　Therefore　she　chose　rather　to　go　to　East　Lynne；　or　to　waylay　Mr。　Carlyle　as　he　passed　to　and　from　business。　It　was　little　she　gathered　to　tell　him；　one　evening　she　met　him　with　the　news　that　Mr。　Thorn　/had/　been　in　former　years　at　West　Lynne；　though　she　could　not　fix　the　date；　another　time　she　went　boldly　to　East　Lynne　in　eager　anxiety；　ostensibly　to　make　a　call　on　Lady　Isabeland　a　very　restless　one　it　wascontriving　to　make　Mr。　Carlyle　understand　that　she　wanted　to　see　him　alone。　He　went　out　with　her　when　she　departed；　and　accompanied　her　as　far　as　the　park　gates；　the　two　evidently　absorbed　in　earnest　converse。　Lady　Isabel's　jealous　eye　saw　that。　The　communication　Barbara　had　to　make　was；　that　Captain　Thorn　had　let　fall　the　avowal　that　he　had　once　been　〃in　trouble；〃　though　of　its　nature　there　was　no　indication　given。　Another　journey　of　hers　took　the　scrap　of　news　that　she　had　discovered　he　knew　Swainson　well。　Part　of　this；　nay；　perhaps　the　whole　of　it；　Mr。　Carlyle　had　found　out　for　himself；　nevertheless　he　always　received　Barbara　with　vivid　interest。　Richard　Hare　was　related　to　Miss　Carlyle；　and　if　his　innocence　could　be　made　clear　in　the　sight　of　men；　it　would　be　little　less　gratifying　to　them　than　to　the　Hares。　Of　Richard's　innocence；　Mr。　Carlyle　now　entertained　little；　if　any　doubt；　and　he　was　becoming　impressed　with　the　guilt　of　Captain　Thorn。　The　latter　spoke　mysteriously　of　a　portion　of　his　past　lifewhen　he　could　be　brought　to　speak　of　it　at　alland　he　bore　evidently　some　secret　that　he　did　not　care　to　have　alluded　to。

But　now　look　at　the　mean　treachery　of　that　man；　Francis　Levison！　The　few　meetings　that　Lady　Isabel　did　witness　between　her　husband　and　Barbara　would　have　been　quite　enough　to　excite　her　anger　and　jealousy；　to　trouble　her　peace；　but；　in　addition；　Francis　Levison　took　care　to　tell　her　of　those　she　did　not　see。　It　pleased　himhe　could　best　tell　with　what　motiveto　watch　the　movements　of　Mr。　Carlyle　and　Barbara。　There　was　a　hedge　pathway　through　the　fields；　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　road　to　the　residence　of　Justice　Hare；　and　as　Mr。　Carlyle　walked　down　the　road　to　business　in　his　unsuspicion　（not　one　time　in　fifty　did　he　choose　to　ride；　the　walk　to　and　fro　kept　him　in　health；　he　said）；　Captain　Levison　would　be　strolling　down　like　a　serpent　behind　the　hedge；　watching　all　his　movements；　watching　his　interviews　with　Barbara；　did　any　take　place；　watching　Mr。　Carlyle　turn　into　the　grove；　as　he　sometimes　did；　and　perhaps　watch　Barbara　run　out　of　the　house　to　meet　him。　It　was　all　related　over；　and　with　miserable　exaggeration；　to　Lady　Isabel；　whose　jealousy；　as　a　natural　sequence；　grew　feverish　in　its　extent。

It　is　scarcely　necessary　to　explain；　that　of　this　feeling　of　Lady　Isabel's　Barbara　knew　nothing；　not　a　shadow　of　suspicion　had　ever　penetrated　to　her　mind　that　Lady　Isabel　was　jealous　of　her。　Had　she　been　told　that　such　was　the　fact；　she　would　have　laughed　in　derision　at　her　informant。　Mr。　Carlyle's　happy　wife；　proudly　secure　in　her　position　and　in　his　affection；　jealous　of　/her！/　of　her；　to　whom　he　had　never　given　an　admiring　look　or　a　loving　word！　It　would　have　taken　a　great　deal　to　make　Barbara　believe　that。

How　different　were　the　facts　in　reality。　These　meetings　of　Mr。　Carlyle's　and　Barbara's；　instead　of　episodes　of　love…making　and　tender　speeches；　were　positively　painful；　especially　to　Barbara；　from　the　unhappy　nature　of　the　subject　to　be　discussed。　Far　from　feeling　a　reprehensible　pleasure　at　seeking　the　meetings　with　Mr。　Carlyle；　Barbara　shrank　from　them；　but　that　she　was　urged　by　dire　necessity；　in　the　interests　of　Richard；　she　would　wholly　have　avoided　such。　Poor　Barbara；　in　spite　of　that　explosion　of　bottled…up　excitement　years　back；　was　a　lady；　possessed　of　a　lady's　ideas　and　feelings；　and　remembering　the　explosionit　did　not　accord　with　her　pride　at　all　to　be　pushing　herself　into　what　might　be　called　secret　meetings　with　Archibald　Carlyle。　But　Barbara；　in　her　sisterly　love；　pressed　down　all　thought　of　self；　and　went　perseveringly　forward　for　Richard's　sake。

Mr。　Carlyle　was　seated　one　morning　in　his　private　room　at　his　office；　when　his　head　clerk；　Mr。　Dill　came　in。　〃A　gentleman　is　asking　to　see　you；　Mr。　Archibald。〃

〃I　am　too　busy　to　see　anybody　for　this　hour　to　come。　You　know　that；　Dill。〃

〃So　I　told　him；　sir；　and　he　says　he'll　wait。　It　is　that　Captain　Thorn　who　is　staying　here　with　John　Herbert。〃

Mr。　Carlyle　raised　his　eyes；　and　they　encountered　those　of　the　old　man；　a　peculiar　expression　was　in　the　face　of　both。　Mr。　Carlyle　glanced　down　at　the　parchment　he　was　perusing；　as　if　calculating　his　time。　Then　he　looked　up　again　and　spoke。

〃I　will　see　/him/；　Dill。　Send　him　in。〃

The　business　leading　to　the　visit　was　quite　simple。　Captain　Frederick　Thorn　had　got　himself　into　some　trouble　and　vexation　about　〃a　bill〃　as　too　many　captains　will　doand　he　had　come　to　crave　advice　of　Mr。　Carlyle。

Mr。　Carlyle　felt　dubious　about　giving　it。　This　Captain　Thorn　was　a　pleasant；　attractive　sort　of　a　man；　who　won　much　on　acquaintance；　one　whom　Mr。　Carlyle　would　have　been　pleased；　in　a　friendly　point　of　view；　and　setting　professional　interest　apart；　to　help　out　of　his　difficulties；　but　if　he　were　the　villain　they　suspected　him　to　be；　the　man　with　crime　upon　his　hand；　then　Mr。　Carlyle　would　have　ordered　his　office　door　held　wide　for　him　to　slink　out　of　it。

〃Cannot　you　advise　me　what　my　course　ought　to　be？〃　he　inquired；　detecting　Mr。　Carlyle's　hesitation。

〃I　could　advise　you；　certainly。　Butyou　must　excuse　my　being　plain；　Captain　ThornI　like　to　know　who　my　clients　are　before　I　take　up　their　cause　or　accept　them　as　clients。〃

〃I　am　able　to　pay　you；〃　was　Captain　Thorn's　reply。　〃I　am　not　short　of　ready　money；　only　this　bill〃

Mr。　Carlyle　laughed　out；　after　having　bit　his　lip　with　annoyance。　〃It　was　a　natural　inference　of　yours；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　assure　you　I　was　not　thinking　of　your　purse　or　my　pocket。　My　father　held　it　right　never　to　undertake　business　for　a　strangerunless　a　man　was　good；　in　a　respectable　point　of　view；　and　his　cause　was　good；　he　did　not　mention　itand　I　have　acted　on　the　same　principle。　By　these　means；　the　position　and　character　of　our　business；　is　rarely　attained　by　a　solicitor。　Now；　in　saying　that　you　are　a　stranger　to　me；　I　am　not　casting　any　doubt　upon　you；　Captain　Thorn；　I　am　merely　upholding　my　common　practice。〃

〃My　family　is　well　connected；〃　was　Captain　Thorn's　next　venture。

〃Excuse　me；　family　has　nothing　to　do　with　it。　If　the　poorest　day　labo