east lynne-第58节

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〃His　coming　to　East　Lynne　was　not　my　doing；〃　she　whispered。　〃Mr。　Carlyle　invited　him。〃

〃I　know　he　did。　Invited　him　in　his　unsuspicious　confidence；　believing　his　wife　to　/be/　his　wife；　a　trustworthy　woman　of　honor；〃　was　the　severe　remark。

She　did　not　reply；　she　could　not　gainsay　it；　she　only　sat　with　her　meek　face　of　shame　and　her　eyelids　drooping。

〃If　ever　a　woman　had　a　good　husband；　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　you　had；　in　Carlyle；　if　ever　man　loved　his　wife；　he　loved　you。　/How/　could　you　so　requite　him？〃

She　rolled；　in　a　confused　manner；　the　corners　of　her　warm　shawl　over　her　unconscious　fingers。

〃I　read　the　note　you　left　for　your　husband。　He　showed　it　to　me；　the　only　one；　I　believe；　to　whom　he　did　show　it。　It　was　to　him　entirely　inexplicable；　it　was　so　to　me。　A　notion　had　been　suggested　to　him；　after　your　departure；　that　his　sister　had　somewhat　marred　your　peace　at　East　Lynne；　and　he　blamed　you　much；　if　it　was　so；　for　not　giving　him　your　full　confidence　on　the　point；　that　he　might　set　matters　on　the　right　footing。　But　it　was　impossible；　and　there　was　the　evidence　in　the　note　besides；　that　the　presence　of　Miss　Carlyle　at　East　Lynne　could　be　any　excuse　for　your　disgracing　us　all　and　ruining　yourself。〃

〃Do　not　let　us　speak　of　these　things；〃　said　Lady　Isabel；　faintly。　〃It　cannot　redeem　the　past。〃

〃But　I　must　speak　of　them；　I　came　to　speak　of　them；〃　persisted　the　earl；　〃I　could　not　do　it　as　long　as　that　man　was　here。　When　these　inexplicable　things　take　place　in　the　career　of　a　woman；　it　is　a　father's　duty　to　look　into　motives　and　causes　and　actions；　although　the　events　in　themselves　may　be；　as　in　this　case；　irreparable。　Your　father　is　gone；　but　I　stand　in　his　place；　there　is　no　one　else　to　stand　in　it。〃

Her　tears　began　to　fall。　And　she　let　them　fallin　silence。　The　earl　resumed。

〃But　for　that　extraordinary　letter；　I　should　have　supposed　you　had　been　actuated　by　a　mad　infatuation　for　the　cur；　Levison；　its　tenor　gave　the　matter　a　different　aspect。　To　what　did　you　allude　when　you　asserted　that　your　husband　had　driven　you　to　it？〃

〃He　knew；〃　she　answered；　scarcely　above　her　breath。

〃He　did　not　know；〃　sternly　replied　the　earl。　〃A　more　truthful；　honorable　man　than　Carlyle　does　not　exist　on　the　face　of　the　earth。　When　he　told　me　then；　in　his　agony　of　grief；　that　he　was　unable　to　form　even　a　suspicion　of　your　meaning；　I　could　have　staked　my　earldom　on　his　veracity。　I　would　stake　it　still。〃

〃I　believed；〃　she　began；　in　a　low；　nervous　voice；　for　she　knew　that　there　was　no　evading　the　questions　of　Lord　Mount　Severn；　when　he　was　resolute　in　their　being　answered；　and；　indeed　she　was　too　weak；　both　in　body　and　spirit；　to　resist〃I　believed　that　his　love　was　no　longer　mine；　that　he　had　deserted　me；　for　another。〃

The　earl　stared　at　her。　〃What　can　you　mean　by　'deserted！'　He　was　with　you。〃

〃There　is　a　desertion　of　the　heart；〃　was　her　murmured　answer。

〃Desertion　of　a　fiddlestick！〃　retorted　his　lordship。　〃The　interpretation　we　gave　to　the　note；　I　and　Carlyle；　was；　that　you　had　been　actuated　by　motives　of　jealousy；　had　penned　it　in　a　jealous　mood。　I　put　the　question　to　Carlyleas　between　man　and　mando　you　listen；　Isabel！whether　he　had　given　you　cause；　and　he　answered　me；　as　with　God　over　us；　he　had　never　given　you　cause；　he　had　been　faithful　to　you　in　thought；　word　and　deed；　he　had　never；　so　far　as　he　could　call　to　mind；　even　looked　upon　another　woman　with　covetous　feelings；　since　the　hour　that　he　made　you　his　wife；　his　whole　thoughts　had　been　of　you；　and　of　you　alone。　It　is　more　than　many　a　husband　can　say；〃　significantly　coughed　Lord　Mount　Severn。

Her　pulses　were　beating　wildly。　A　powerful　conviction　that　the　words　were　true；　that　her　own　blind　jealousy　had　been　utterly　mistaken　and　unfounded；　was　forcing　its　way　to　her　brain。

〃After　that　I　could　only　set　your　letter　down　as　a　subterfuge；〃　resumed　the　earl〃a　false；　barefaced　plea；　put　forth　to　conceal　your　real　motives；　and　I　told　Carlyle　so。　I　inquired　how　it　was　he　had　never　detected　any　secret　understanding　between　you　and　thatthat　beast；　located；　as　the　fellow　was；　in　the　house。　He　replied　that　no　such　suspicion　had　ever　occurred　to　him。　He　placed　the　most　implicit　confidence　in　you；　and　would　have　trusted　you　with　the　creature　around　the　world；　aye；　with　any　one　else。〃

She　entwined　her　hands　one　within　the　other；　pressing　them　to　pain。　It　would　not　deaden　the　pain　at　her　heart。

〃Carlyle　told　me　he　had　been　unusually　occupied　during　the　stay　of　that　man。　Besides　his　customary　office　work；　his　time　was　taken　up　with　some　private　business　for　a　family　in　the　neighborhood；　and　he　had　repeatedly　to　see　them；　more　particularly　the　daughter；　after　office　hours。　Very　old　acquaintances　of　his；　he　said；　relatives　of　the　Carlyle　family；　and　he　was　as　anxious　about　the　secreta　painful　one　as　they　were。　This；　I　observed　to　him；　may　have　rendered　him　unobservant　to　what　was　passing　at　home。　He　told　me；　I　remember；　that　on　the　very　evening　of　thethe　catastrophe；　he　ought　to　have　gone　with　you　to　a　dinner　party；　but　most　important　circumstances　arose；　in　connection　with　the　affair；　which　obliged　him　to　meet　two　gentlemen　at　his　office；　and　to　receive　them　in　secret；　unknown　to　his　clerks。〃

〃Did　he　mention　the　name　of　the　family？〃　inquired　Lady　Isabel；　with　white　lips。

〃Yes；　he　did。　I　forgot　it；　though。　Rabbit！　Rabit！some　such　name　as　that。〃

〃Was　it　Hare？〃

〃That　was　itHare。　He　said　you　appeared　vexed　that　he　did　not　accompany　you　to　the　dinner；　and　seeing　that　he　intended　to　go　in　afterward；　but　was　prevented。　When　the　interview　was　over　in　his　office；　he　was　again　detained　at　Mrs。　Hare's　house；　and　by　business　as　impossible　to　avoid　as　the　other。〃

〃Important　business！〃　she　echoed；　giving　way　for　a　moment　to　the　bitterness　of　former　feelings。　〃He　was　promenading　in　their　garden　by　moonlight　with　BarbaraMiss　Hare。　I　saw　them　as　my　carriage　passed。〃

〃And　you　were　jealous　that　he　should　be　there！〃　exclaimed　Lord　Mount　Severn；　with　mocking　reproach；　as　he　detected　her　mood。　〃Listen！〃　he　whispered；　bending　his　head　toward　her。　〃While　you　may　have　thought；　as　your　present　tone　would　seem　to　intimate；　that　they　were　pacing　there　to　enjoy　each　other's　society；　know　that　theyCarlyle；　at　any　ratewas　pacing　the　walk　to　keep　guard。　One　was　within　that　house　for　a　short　half　hour's　interview　with　his　poor　motherone　who　lives　in　danger　of　the　scaffold；　to　which　his　own　father　would　be　the　first　to　deliver　him　up。　They　were　keeping　the　path　against　that　father　Carlyle　and　the　young　lady。　Of　all　the　nights　in　the　previous　seven　years；　that　one　only　saw　the　unhappy　son　at　home　for　a　half　hour's　meeting　with　his　mother　and　sister。　Carlyle；　in　the　grief　and　excitement　caused　by　your　conduct；　confided　so　much　to　me；　when　mentioning　what　kept　him　from　the　dinner　party。〃

Her　face　had　become　crimsoncrimson　at　her　past　lamentable　folly。　And　there　was　no　redemption！

〃But　he　was　always　with　Barbara　Hare；〃　she　murmured；　by　way　of　some　faint　excuse。

〃I　have　mentioned　so。　She　had　to　see　him　upon　this　affair；　her　mother　could　not；　for　it　was　obliged　to　be　kept　from　the　father。　And　so；　you　construed　business　interviews　into　assignations！〃　continued　Lord　Mount　Severn　with　cutting　derision。　〃I　had　given　you　credit　for　better　sense。　But　was　/this/　enough　to　hurl　you　on　the　step　you　took？　Surely　not。　You　must　have　yielded　in　the　persuasions　of　that　wicked　man。〃

〃It　is　all　over　now；〃　she　wailed。

〃Carlyle　was　true　and　faithful　to　you；　and　to　you　alone。　Few　women　have　the　chance　of　happiness；　in　their　married　life；　in　the　degree　that　you　had。　He　is　an　upright　and　good　man；　one　of　nature's　gentlemen；　one　that　England　may　be　proud　of　as　having　grown　upon　her　soil。　The　more　I　see　of　him；　the　greater　becomes　my　admiration　of　him；　and　of　his　thorough　honor。　Do　you　know　what　he　did　in　the　matter　of　the　damages？〃

She　shook　her　head。

〃He　did　not　wish　to　proceed　for　damages；　or　only　for　the　trifling　sum　demanded　by　law；　but　the　jury；　feeling　for　his　wrongs；　gave　unprecedently　heavy　ones。　Since　the　fellow　came　into　his　baronetcy　they　have　been　paid。　Carlyle　immediately　handed　them　over　to　the　county　hospital。　He　holds　the　apparently　obsolete　opinion　that　money　cannot　wipe　out　a　wife's　dishonor。〃

〃Let　us　close　those　topics〃　implored　the　poor　invalid。　〃I　acted　wickedly　and　madly；　and　have　the　consequences　to　bear　forever。　More　I　cannot　say。〃

〃Where　do　you　intend　to　fix　your　future　residence？〃　inquired　the　earl。

〃I　am　unable　to　tell。　I　shall　leave　this　town　as　soon　as　I　am　well　enough。〃

〃Aye。　It　cannot　be　pleasant　for　you　to　remain　under　the　eyes　of　its　inhabitants。　You　were　here　with　him；　were　you　not？〃

〃They　think　I　am　his　wife；〃　she　murmured。　〃The　servants　think　it。〃

〃That's　well；　so　far。　How　many　servants　have　you？〃

〃Two。　I　am　not　strong　enough　yet　to　do　much　myself；　so　am　obliged　to　keep　two；〃　she　continued；　as　if　in　apology　for　the　extravagance；　under　her　reduced　circumstances。　〃As　soon　as　ever　the　baby　can　walk；　I　shall　manage　to　do　with　one。〃

The　earl　looked　confounded。　〃The　baby！〃　he　uttered；　in　a　tone　of　astonishment　and　grief　painful　to　her　to　hear。　〃Isabel；　is　there　a　child？〃

Not　less　painful　was　her　own　emotion　as　she　hid　her　face。　Lord　Moun