east lynne-第74节

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nd　most　else　belonging　to　it；　from　its　lord　of　the　soil；　the　Baron　von　Stalkenberg。　A　stalwart　old　man　was　the　baron；　with　grizzly　hair；　a　grizzled　beard；　and　manners　as　loutish　as　those　of　the　boars　he　hunted。　He　had　four　sons　as　stalwart　as　himself；　and　who　promised　to　be　in　time　as　grizzled。　They　were　all　styled　the　Counts　von　Stalkenberg；　being　distinguished　by　their　Christian　names　all　save　the　eldest　son；　and　he　was　generally　called　the　young　baron。　Two　of　them　were　awaysoldiers；　and　two；　the　eldest　and　the　youngest；　lived　with　their　father　in　the　tumble…down　castle　of　Stalkenberg；　situated　about　a　mile　from　the　village　to　which　it　gave　its　name。　The　young　Baron　von　Stalkenberg　was　at　liberty　to　marry；　the　three　Counts　von　Stalkenberg　were　notunless　they　could　pick　up　a　wife　with　enough　money　to　keep　herself　and　her　husband。　In　this　creed　they　had　been　brought　up。　It　was　a　perfectly　understood　creed；　and　not　rebelled　against。

The　young　Baron　von　Stalkenberg；　who　was　only　styled　young　in　contradistinction　to　his　father；　being　in　his　forty…first　year；　was　famous　for　a　handsome　person；　and　for　his　passionate　love　of　the　chase：　of　wild　boars　and　wolves　he　was　the　deadly　enemy。　The　Count　Otto　von　Stalkenberg；　eleven　years　his　brother's　junior；　was　famous　for　nothing　but　his　fiercely…ringed　moustache；　a　habit　of　eating；　and　an　undue　addiction　to　draughts　of　Marcobrunen。　Somewhat　meager　fare；　so　report　ran；　was　the　fashion　in　the　Castle　of　Stalkenbergneither　the　old　baron　nor　his　heir　cared　for　luxury；　therefore　Count　von　Otto　was　sure　to　be　seen　at　the　/table　d'　hote/　as　often　as　anybody　would　invite　him；　and　that　was　nearly　every　day；　for　the　Count　von　Stalkenberg　was　a　high…sounding　title；　and　his　baronial　father；　proprietor　of　all　Stalkenberg；　lorded　it　in　the　baronial　castle　close　by；　all　of　which　appeared　very　grand　and　great；　and　that　the　English　bow　down　to　with　an　idol's　worship。

Stopping　at　the　Ludwig　Bad；　the　chief　hotel　in　the　place；　was　a　family　of　the　name　of　Crosby。　It　consisted　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Crosby；　an　only　daughter；　her　governess；　and　two　or　three　servants。　What　Mr。　Crosby　had　done　to　England；　or　England　to　him；　I　can't　say；　but　he　never　went　near　his　native　country。　For　years　and　years　he　had　lived　abroadnot　in　any　settled　place　of　residence：　they　would　travel　about；　and　remain　a　year　or　two　in　one　place；　a　year　or　two　in　another；　as　the　whim　suited　them。　A　respectable；　portly　man；　of　quiet　and　gentlemanly　manners；　looking　as　little　like　one　who　need　be　afraid　of　the　laws　of　his　own　land　as　can　be。　Neither　is　it　said　or　insinuated　that　he　was　afraid　of　them。　A　gentleman　who　knew　him　had　told；　many　years　before；　in　answer　to　a　doubt；　that　Crosby　was　as　free　to　go　home　and　establish　himself　in　a　mansion　in　Piccadilly　as　the　best　of　them。　But　he　had　lost　fearfully　by　some　roguish　scheme；　like　the　South　Sea　Bubble；　and　could　not　live　in　the　style　he　once　had　done；　therefore　preferred　remaining　abroad。　Mrs。　Crosby　was　a　pleasant；　chatty　woman　given　to　take　as　much　gayety　as　she　could　get；　and　Helena　Crosby　was　a　remarkably　fine　grown　girl　of　seventeen。　You　might　have　given　her　some　years　on　it　had　you　been　guessing　her　age；　for　she　was　no　child；　either　in　appearance　or　manners；　and　never　had　been。　She　was　an　heiress；　too。　An　uncle　had　left　her　twenty　thousand　pounds；　and　at　her　mother's　death　she　would　have　ten　thousand　more。　The　Count　Otto　von　Stalkenberg　heard　of　the　thirty　thousand　pounds；　and　turned　his　fierce　moustache　and　his　eyes　on　Miss　Helena。

〃Thirty　thousand　pounds　and　von　handsome　girls！〃　cogitated　he；　for　he　prided　himself　upon　his　English。　〃It　is　just　what　I　have　been　seeking　after。〃

He　found　the　rumor　touching　her　fortune　to　be　correct；　and　from　that　time　was　seldom　apart　from　the　Crosbys。　They　were　as　pleased　to　have　his　society　as　he　was　to　be　in　theirs；　for　was　he　not　the　Count　von　Stalkenberg？　And　the　other　visitors　at　Stalkenberg　looking　on　with　envy；　would　have　given　their　ears　to　be　honored　with　a　like　intimacy。

One　day　there　thundered　down　in　a　vehicle　the　old　Baron　von　Stalkenberg。　The　old　chief　had　come　to　pay　a　visit　of　ceremony　to　the　Crosbys。　And　the　host　of　the　Ludwig　Bad；　as　he　appeared　himself　to　marshal　this　chieftain　to　their　saloon；　bowed　his　body　low　with　every　step。

〃Room　there；　room　there；　for　the　mighty　Baron　von　Stalkenberg。〃

The　mighty　baron　had　come　to　invite　them　to　a　feast　at　his　castle；　where　no　feast　had　ever　been　made　so　grand　before　as　this　would　be；　and　Otto　had　/carte　blanche/　to　engage　other　distinguished　sojourners　at　Stalkenberg；　English；　French；　and　natives；　who　had　been　civil　to　him。　Mrs。　Crosby's　head　was　turned。

And　now；　I　ask　you；　knowing　as　you　do　our　national　notions；　was　it　not　enough　to　turn　it？　You　will　not；　then；　be　surprised　to　hear　that　when；　some　days　subsequent　to　the　feast；　the　Count　Otto　von　Stalkenberg　laid　his　proposals　at　Helena's　feet；　they　were　not　rejected。

Helena　Crosby　rushed　into　her　governess's　room。

〃Madam！　Madam！　Only　think。　I　am　going　to　be　married！〃

Madam　lifted　her　pale；　sad　facea　very　sad　and　pale　face　was　hers。

〃Indeed！〃　she　gently　uttered。

〃And　my　studies　are　to　be　over　from　to…day；　Mamma　says　so。〃

〃You　are　over　young　to　marry；　Helena。〃

〃Now　don't　you　bring　up　that；　madam。　It　is　just　what　papa　is　harping　upon；〃　returned　Miss　Helena。

〃It　is　to　Count　Otto？〃　And　it　may　be　remarked　that　the　governess's　English　was　perfect；　although　the　young　lady　addressed　her　as　〃Madam。〃

〃Count　Otto；　of　course。　As　if　I　would　marry　anybody　else！〃

Look　at　the　governess；　reader；　and　see　whether　you　know　her。　You　will　say　〃No。〃　But　you　do；　for　it　is　Lady　Isabel　Vane。　But　how　strangely　she　is　altered！　Yes；　the　railway　accident　did　that　for　her；　and　what　the　accident　left　undone；　grief　and　remorse　accomplished。　She　limps　as　she　walks；　and　slightly　stoops；　taken　from　her　former　height。　A　scar　extends　from　her　chin　above　her　mouth；　completely　changing　the　character　of　the　lower　part　of　her　face；　some　of　her　teeth　are　missing；　so　that　she　speaks　with　a　lisp；　and　the　sober　bands　of　her　gray　hairit　is　nearly　silverare　confined　under　a　large　and　close　cap。　She　herself　tries　to　make　the　change　greater；　so　that　all　chance　of　being　recognized　may　be　at　an　end；　and　for　that　reason　she　wears　disfiguring　spectacles；　and　a　broad　band　of　gray　velvet；　coming　down　low　upon　her　forehead。　Her　dress；　too；　is　equally　disfiguring。　Never　is　she　seen　in　one　that　fits　her　person；　but　in　those　frightful　〃loose　jackets；〃　which　must　surely　have　been　invented　by　somebody　envious　of　a　pretty　shape。　As　to　her　bonnet；　it　would　put　to　shame　those　masquerade　things　tilted　on　to　the　back　of　the　head；　for　it　actually　shaded　her　face；　and　she　was　never　seen　out　without　a　thick　veil。　She　was　pretty　easy　upon　the　score　of　being　recognized　now；　for　Mrs。　Ducie　and　her　daughters　had　been　sojourning　at　Stalkenberg；　and　they　did　not　know　her　in　the　least。　Who　could　know　her？　What　resemblance　was　there　between　that　gray；　broken…down　woman；　with　her　disfiguring　marks；　and　the　once　loved　Lady　Isabel；　with　her　bright　color；　her　beauty；　her　dark　flowing　curls；　and　her　agile　figure？　Mr。　Carlyle　himself　could　not　have　told　her。　But　she　was　good…looking　still；　in　spite　of　it　all；　gentle　and　interesting；　and　people　wondered　to　see　that　gray　hair　in　one　yet　young。

She　had　been　with　the　Crosbys　going　on　for　two　years。　After　her　recovery　from　the　railway　accident；　she　removed　to　a　quiet　town　in　the　vicinity；　they　were　living　there；　and　she　became　daily　governess　to　Helena。　The　Crosbys　were　given　to　understand　that　she　was　English；　but　the　widow　of　a　Frenchmanshe　was　obliged　to　offer　some　plausible　account。　There　were　no　references；　but　she　so　won　upon　their　esteem　as　the　daily　governess；　that　they　soon　took　her　into　the　house。　Had　Lady　Isabel　surmised　that　they　would　be　travelling　to　so　conspicuous　a　spot　as　an　English…frequented　German　watering…place；　she　might　have　hesitated　to　accept　the　engagement。　However；　it　had　been　of　service　to　her；　the　meeting　with　Mrs。　Ducie　proving　that　she　was　altered　beyond　chance　of　recognition。　She　could　go　anywhere　now。

But　now；　about　her　state　of　mind？　I　don't　know　how　to　describe　it；　the　vain　yearning；　the　inward　fever；　the　restless　longing　for　what　might　not　be。　Longing　for　what？　For　her　children。　Let　the　mother；　be　she　a　duchess；　or　be　she　an　apple…woman　at　a　stand；　be　separated　for　awhile　from　her　little　children；　let　/her/　answer　how　she　yearns　for　them。　She　may　be　away　on　a　tour　of　pleasure　for　a　few　weeks；　the　longing　to　see　their　little　faces　again；　to　hear　their　prattling　tongues；　to　feel　their　soft　kisses；　is　kept　under；　and　there　may　be　frequent　messages；　〃The　children's　dear　love　to　mamma；〃　but　as　the　weeks　lengthen　out；　the　desire　to　see　them　again　becomes　almost　irrepressible。　What　must　it　have　been　then；　for　Lady　Isabel；　who　had　endured　this　longing　for　years？　Talk　of　the　/mal　du　pays/；　which　is　said　to　attack　the　Swiss　when　exiled　from　their　countrythat　is　as　nothing　compared　to　the　heartsickness　which　clung　to　Lady　Isabel。　She　had　passionately　loved　her　children；　she　had　been　anxious　for　their　welfare　in　all　ways；　and　not　the　least　she　had　to　endure　now　was　the　thought　that　she　had　abandoned　them　to　be　traine