east lynne-第94节

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with　the　drive　to　Lynneborough　and　back；　and　lay　with　eyes　shut；　she　thought　asleep。　Presently　he　opened　them。

〃How　long　will　it　be　before　I　die？〃

The　words　took　her　utterly　by　surprise；　and　her　heart　went　round　in　a　whirl。　〃What　do　you　mean；　William？　Who　said　anything　about　dying？〃

〃Oh；　I　know。　I　know　by　the　fuss　there　is　over　me。　You　heard　what　Hannah　said　the　other　night。〃

〃What？　When？〃

〃When　she　brought　in　the　tea；　and　I　was　lying　on　the　rug。　I　was　not　asleep；　though　you　thought　I　was。　You　told　her　she　ought　to　be　more　cautious；　for　that　I　might　not　have　been　asleep。〃

〃I　don't　remember　much　about　it；〃　said　Lady　Isabel；　at　her　wits'　ends　how　to　remove　the　impression　Hannah's　words　must　have　created；　had　he　indeed　heard　them。　〃Hannah　talks　great　nonsense　sometimes。〃

〃She　said　I　was　going　on　fast　to　the　grave。〃

〃Did　she？　Nobody　attends　to　Hannah。　She　is　only　a　foolish　girl。　We　shall　soon　have　you　well；　when　the　warm　weather　comes。〃

〃Madame　Vine。〃

〃Well；　my　darling？〃

〃Where's　the　use　of　your　trying　to　deceive　me？　Do　you　think　I　don't　see　that　you　are　doing　it？　I'm　not　a　baby；　you　might　if　it　were　Archibald。　What　is　it　that's　the　matter　with　me？〃

〃Nothing。　Only　you　are　not　strong。　When　you　get　strong　again；　you　will　be　as　well　as　ever。〃

William　shook　his　head　in　disbelief。　He　was　precisely　that　sort　of　child　from　whom　it　is　next　to　impossible　to　disguise　facts；　quick；　thoughtful；　observant；　and　advanced　beyond　his　years。　Had　no　words　been　dropped　in　his　hearing；　he　would　have　suspected　the　evil；　by　the　care　evinced　for　him；　but　plenty　of　words　had　been　dropped；　hints；　by　which　he　had　gathered　suspicion；　broad　assertions；　like　Hannah's；　which　had　too　fully　supplied　it；　and　the　boy　in　his　inmost　heart；　knew　as　well　that　death　was　coming　for　him　as　that　death　itself　did。

〃Then；　if　there's　nothing　the　matter　with　me；　why　could　not　Dr。　Martin　speak　to　you　before　me　to…day？　Why　did　he　send　me　into　the　other　room　while　he　told　you　what　he　thought？　Ah；　Madame　Vine；　I　am　as　wise　as　you。〃

〃A　wise　little　boy；　but　mistaken　sometimes；〃　she　said　from　her　aching　heart。

〃It's　nothing　to　die；　when　God　loves　us。　Lord　Vane　says　so。　He　had　a　little　brother　who　died。〃

〃A　sickly　child；　who　was　never　likely　to　live；　he　had　been　pale　and　ailing　from　a　baby；〃　spoke　Lady　Isabel。

〃Why！　Did　you　know　him？〃

〃II　heard　so；〃　she　replied；　turning　off　her　thoughtless　avowal　in　the　best　manner　she　could。

〃Don't　/you/　know　that　I　am　going　to　die？〃

〃No。〃

〃Then　why　have　you　been　grieving　since　we　left　Dr。　Martin's？　And　why　do　you　grieve　at　all　for　me？　I　am　not　your　child。〃

The　words；　the　scene　altogether；　overcame　her。　She　knelt　down　by　the　sofa；　and　her　tears　burst　forth　freely。　〃There！　You　see！〃　cried　William。

〃Oh；　William；　II　had　a　little　boy　of　my　own；　and　when　I　look　at　you；　I　think　of　him；　and　that　is　why　I　cry。〃

〃I　know。　You　have　told　us　of　him　before。　His　name　was　William；　too。〃

She　leaned　over　him；　her　breath　mingling　with　his；　she　took　his　little　hand　in　hers；　〃William；　do　you　know　that　those　whom　God　loves　best　He　takes　first？　Were　you　to　die；　you　would　go　to　Heaven；　leaving　all　the　cares　and　sorrows　of　the　world　behind　you。　It　would　have　been　happier　for　many　of　us　had　we　died　in　infancy。〃

〃Would　it　have　been　happier　for　you？〃

〃Yes；〃　she　faintly　said。　〃I　have　had　more　than　my　share　of　sorrow。　Sometimes　I　think　that　I　cannot　support　it。〃

〃Is　it　not　past；　then？　Do　you　have　sorrow　now？〃

〃I　have　it　always。　I　shall　have　it　till　I　die。　Had　I　died　a　child；　William；　I　should　have　escaped　it。　Oh！　The　world　is　full　of　it！　full　and　full。〃

〃What　sort　of　sorrow？〃

〃All　sorts。　Pain；　sickness；　care；　trouble；　sin；　remorse；　weariness；〃　she　wailed　out。　〃I　cannot　enumerate　the　half　that　the　world　brings　upon　us。　When　you　are　very；　very　tired；　William；　does　it　not　seem　a　luxury；　a　sweet　happiness；　to　lie　down　at　night　in　your　little　bed；　waiting　for　the　bliss　of　sleep？〃

〃Yes。　And　I　am　often　tired；　so　tired　as　that。〃

〃Then　just　so　do　we；　who　are　tired　of　the　world's　cares；　long　for　the　grave　in　which　we　shall　lie　down　to　rest。　We　/covet/　it；　William；　long　for　it；　but　you　cannot　understand　that。〃

〃/We/　don't　lie　in　the　grave；　Madame　Vine。〃

〃No；　no；　child。　Our　bodies　lie　there；　to　be　raised　again　in　beauty　at　the　last　day。　We　go　into　a　blessed　place　of　rest；　where　sorrow　and　pain　cannot　come。　I　wishI　wish；〃　she　uttered；　with　a　bursting　heart；　〃that　you　and　I　were　both　there！〃

〃Who　says　the　world's　so　sorrowful；　Madame　Vine？　I　think　it　is　lovely；　especially　when　the　sun's　shining　on　a　hot　day；　and　the　butterflies　come　out。　You　should　see　East　Lynne　on　a　summer's　morning；　when　you　are　running　up　and　down　the　slopes；　and　the　trees　are　waving　overhead；　and　the　sky's　blue；　and　the　roses　and　flowers　are　all　out。　You　would　not　call　it　a　sad　world。〃

〃A　pleasant　world　one　might　regret　to　leave　if　we　were　not　wearied　by　pain　and　care。　But；　what　is　this　world；　take　it　at　its　best；　in　comparison　with　that　other　world；　Heaven？　I　have　heard　of　some　people　who　are　afraid　of　death；　they　fear　they　shall　not　go　to　it；　but　when　God　takes　a　little　child　there　it　is　because　He　loves　him。　It　is　a　land；　as　Mrs。　Barbauld　says；　where　the　roses　are　without　thorns；　where　the　flowers　are　not　mixed　with　brambles〃

〃I　have　seen　the　flowers；〃　interrupted　William；　rising　in　his　earnestness。　〃They　are　ten　times　brighter　than　our　flowers　here。〃

〃Seen　the　flowers！　The　flowers　we　shall　see　in　Heaven？〃　she　echoed。

〃I　have　seen　a　picture　of　them。　We　went　to　Lynneborough　to　see　Martin's　picture　of　the　Last　JudgmentI　don't　mean　Dr。　Martin；〃　said　William　interrupting　himself。

〃I　know。〃

〃There　were　three　pictures。　One　was　called　the　'Plains　of　Heaven；'　and　I　liked　that　best；　and　so　we　all　did。　Oh；　you　should　have　seen　it！　Did　you　ever　see　them；　Madame　Vine？〃

〃No。　I　have　heard　of　them。〃

〃There　was　a　river；　you　know；　and　boats；　beautiful　gondolas　they　looked；　taking　the　redeemed　to　the　shores　of　Heaven。　They　were　shadowy　figures　in　white　robes；　myriads　of　them；　for　they　reached　all　up　in　the　air　to　the　holy　city；　it　seemed　to　be　in　the　clouds　coming　down　from　God。　The　flowers　grew　on　the　banks　of　the　river；　pink；　and　blue；　and　violet；　all　colors　they　were；　but　so　bright　and　beautiful；　brighter　than　our　flowers　are。〃

〃Who　took　you　to　see　the　pictures？〃

〃Papa。　He　took　me　and　Lucy；　and　Mrs。　Hare　went　with　us；　and　Barbara　she　was　not　our　mamma　then。　But；　madame〃dropping　his　voice〃what　stupid　thing　do　you　think　Lucy　asked　papa？〃

〃What　did　she　ask　him？〃

〃She　asked　whether　mamma　was　amongst　that　crowd　in　the　white　robes；　whether　she　was　gone　up　to　Heaven？　Our　mamma　that　was；　you　know；　and　lots　of　people　could　hear　what　she　said。〃

Lady　Isabel　dropped　her　face　upon　her　hands。

〃What　did　your　papa　answer？〃　she　breathed。

〃I　don't　know。　Nothing；　I　think；　he　was　talking　to　Barbara。　But　it　was　very　stupid　of　Lucy；　because　Wilson　has　told　her　over　and　over　again　that　she　must　never　talk　of　Lady　Isabel　to　papa。　Miss　Manning　told　her　so　too。　When　we　got　home；　and　Wilson　heard　of　it；　she　said　Lucy　deserved　a　good　shaking。〃

〃Why　must　not　Lady　Isabel　be　talked　of　to　him？〃

A　moment　after　the　question　had　left　her　lips；　she　wondered　what　possessed　her　to　give　utterance　to　it。

〃I'll　tell　you；〃　said　William　in　a　whisper。　〃She　ran　away　from　papa。　Lucy　talks　nonsense　about　her　having　been　kidnapped；　but　she　knows　nothing。　I　do；　though　they　don't　think　it；　perhaps。〃

〃She　may　be　among　the　redeemed；　some　time；　William；　and　you　with　her。〃

He　fell　back　on　the　sofa…pillow　with　a　weary　sigh；　and　lay　in　silence。　Lady　Isabel　shaded　her　face；　and　remained　in　silence　also。　Soon　she　was　aroused　from　it；　William　was　in　a　fit　of　loud；　sobbing　tears。

〃Oh；　I　don't　want　to　die！　I　don't　want　to　die！　Why　should　I　go　and　leave　papa　and　Lucy？〃

She　hung　over　him；　she　clasped　her　arms　around　him；　her　tears；　her　sobs；　mingling　with　his。　She　whispered　to　him　sweet　and　soothing　words；　she　placed　him　so　that　he　might　sob　out　his　grief　upon　her　bosom；　and　in　a　little　while　the　paroxysm　had　passed。

〃Hark！〃　exclaimed　William。　〃What's　that？〃

A　sound　of　talking　and　laughter　in　the　hall。　Mr。　Carlyle；　Lord　Mount　Severn；　and　his　son　were　leaving　the　dining…room。　They　had　some　committee　appointed　that　evening　at　West　Lynne　and　were　departing　to　keep　it。　As　the　hall…door　closed　upon　them；　Barbara　came　into　the　gray　parlor。　Up　rose　Madame　Vine；　scuffled　on　her　spectacles；　and　took　her　seat　soberly　upon　a　chair。

〃All　in　the　dark；　and　your　fire　going　out！〃　exclaimed　Barbara；　as　she　hastened　to　stir　the　latter　and　send　it　into　a　blaze。　〃Who's　on　the　sofa？　William；　you　ought　to　be　to　bed！〃

〃Not　yet；　mamma。　I　don't　want　to　go　yet。〃

〃But　it　is　quite　time　that　you　should；〃　she　returned；　ringing　the　bell。　〃To　sit　up　at　night　is　not　the　way　to　make　you　strong。〃

William　was　dismissed。　And　then　she　returned　to　Madame　Vine；　and　inquired　what　Dr。　Martin　had　said。

〃He　said　the　lungs　were　undoubtedly　affected；　but；　like　all　doctors；　he　would　give　no　decisive　opinion。　I　could　see　that　he　had　formed　one。〃

Mrs。　Carlyle　looked　at　her。　The　firelight　played　especially　upon　the　spectacles；　and　she　moved　her　chair　into　the