the law and the lady-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


to　his　friends；　and　is　religiously　kept　by　his　friends。　It　is　the
secret　that　he　is　keeping　from　You。　He　will　never　tell　it　to　you
as　long　as　he　lives。　And　he　has　bound　_me_　not　to　tell　it；　under
a　promise　given　on　my　word　of　honor。　You　wished；　dear　Mrs。
Woodville；　to　be　made　acquainted　with　my　position　toward　Eustace。
There　it　is！〃

〃You　persist　in　calling　me　Mrs。　Woodville；〃　I　said。

〃Your　husband　wishes　me　to　persist；〃　the　Major　answered。　〃He
assumed　the　name　of　Woodville；　fearing　to　give　his　own　name；　when
he　first　called　at　your　uncle's　house。　He　will　now　acknowledge　no
other。　Remonstrance　is　useless。　You　must　do　what　we　doyou　must
give　way　to　an　unreasonable　man。　The　best　fellow　in　the　world　in
other　respects：　in　this　one　matter　as　obstinate　and　self…willed
as　he　can　be。　If　you　ask　me　my　opinion；　I　tell　you　honestly　that
I　think　he　was　wrong　in　courting　and　marrying　you　under　his　false
name。　He　trusted　his　honor　and　his　happiness　to　your　keeping　in
making　you　hiswife。　Why　should　he　not　trust　the　story　of　his
troubles　to　you　as　well？　His　mother　quite　shares　my　opinion　in
this　matter。　You　must　not　blame　her　for　refusing　to　admit　you
into　her　confidence　after　your　marriage：　it　was　then　too　late。
Before　your　marriage　she　did　all　she　could　dowithout　betraying
secrets　which；　as　a　good　mother；　she　was　bound　to　respectto
induce　her　son　to　act　justly　toward　you。　I　commit　no　indiscretion
when　I　tell　you　that　she　refused　to　sanction　your　marriage　mainly
for　the　reason　that　Eustace　refused　to　follow　her　advice；　and　to
tell　you　what　his　position　really　was。　On　my　part　I　did　all　I
could　to　support　Mrs。　Macallan　in　the　course　that　she　took。　When
Eustace　wrote　to　tell　me　that　he　had　engaged　himself　to　marry　a
niece　of　my　good　friend　Doctor　Starkweather；　and　that　he　had
mentioned　me　as　his　reference；　I　wrote　back　to　warn　him　that　I
would　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　affair　unless　he　revealed　the
whole　truth　about　himself　to　his　future　wife。　He　refused　to
listen　to　me；　as　he　had　refused　to　listen　to　his　mother；　and　he
held　me　at　the　same　time　to　my　promise　to　keep　his　secret。　When
Starkweather　wrote　to　me；　I　had　no　choice　but　to　involve　myself
in　a　deception　of　which　I　thoroughly　disapproved；　or　to　answer　in
a　tone　so　guarded　and　so　brief　as　to　stop　the　correspondence　at
the　outset。　I　chose　the　last　alternative；　and　I　fear　I　have
offended　my　good　old　friend。　You　now　see　the　painful　position　in
which　I　am　placed。　To　add　to　the　difficulties　of　that　situation；
Eustace　came　here　this　very　day　to　warn　me　to　be　on　my　guard；　in
case　of　your　addressing　to　me　the　very　request　which　you　have
just　made！　He　told　me　that　you　had　met　with　his　mother；　by　an
unlucky　accident；　and　that　you　had　discovered　the　family　name。　He
declared　that　he　had　traveled　to　London　for　the　express　purpose
of　speaking　to　me　personally　on　this　serious　subject。　'I　know
your　weakness；'　he　said；　'where　women　are　concerned。　Valeria　is
aware　that　you　are　my　old　friend。　She　will　certainly　write　to
you；　she　may　even　be　bold　enough　to　make　her　way　into　your　house。
Renew　your　promise　to　keep　the　great　calamity　of　my　life　a
secret；　on　your　honor　and　on　your　oath。　'Those　were　his　words；　as
nearly　as　I　can　remember　them。　I　tried　to　treat　the　thing
lightly；　I　ridiculed　the　absurdly　theatrical　notion　of　'renewing
my　promise；'　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　Quite　useless！　He　refused　to
leave　me；　he　reminded　me　of　his　unmerited　sufferings；　poor
fellow；　in　the　past　time。　It　ended　in　his　bursting　into　tears。
You　love　him；　and　so　do　I。　Can　you　wonder　that　I　let　him　have　his
way？　The　result　is　that　I　am　doubly　bound　to　tell　you　nothing；　by
the　most　sacred　promise　that　a　man　can　give。　My　dear　lady；　I
cordially　side　with　you　in　this　matter；　I　long　to　relieve　your
anxieties。　But　what　can　I　do？〃

He　stopped；　and　waitedgravely　waitedto　hear　my　reply。

I　had　listened　from　beginning　to　end　without　interrupting　him。
The　extraordinary　change　in　his　manner；　and　in　his　way　of
expressing　himself；　while　he　was　speaking　of　Eustace；　alarmed　me
as　nothing　had　alarmed　me　yet。　How　terrible　（I　thought　to　myself）
must　this　untold　story　be；　if　the　mere　act　of　referring　to　it
makes　light…hearted　Major　Fitz…David　speak　seriously　and　sadly；
never　smiling；　never　paying　me　a　compliment；　never　even　noticing
the　singing　upstairs！　My　heart　sank　in　me　as　I　drew　that
startling　conclusion。　For　the　first　time　since　I　had　entered　the
house　I　was　at　the　end　of　my　resources；　I　knew　neither　what　to
say　nor　what　to　do　next。

And　yet　I　kept　my　seat。　Never　had　the　resolution　to　discover　what
my　husband　was　hiding　from　me　been　more　firmly　rooted　in　my　mind
than　it　was　at　that　moment！　I　cannot　account　for　the
extraordinary　inconsistency　in　my　character　which　this　confession
implies。　I　can　only　describe　the　facts　as　they　really　were。

The　singing　went　on　upstairs。　Major　Fitz…David　still　waited
impenetrably　to　hear　what　I　had　to　sayto　know　what　I　resolved
on　doing　next。

Before　I　had　decided　what　to　say　or　what　to　do；　another　domestic
incident　happened。　In　plain　words；　another　knocking　announced　a
new　visitor　at　the　house　door。　On　this　occasion　there　was　no
rustling　of　a　woman's　dress　in　the　hall。　On　this　occasion　only
the　old　servant　entered　the　room；　carrying　a　magnificent　nosegay
in　his　hand。　〃With　Lady　Clarinda's　kind　regards。　To　remind　Major
Fitz…David　of　his　appointment。〃　Another　lady！　This　time　a　lady
with　a　title。　A　great　lady　who　sent　her　flowers　and　her　messages
without　condescending　to　concealment。　The　Majorfirst
apologizing　to　mewrote　a　few　lines　of　acknowledgment；　and　sent
them　out　to　the　messenger。　When　the　door　was　closed　again　he
carefully　selected　one　of　the　choicest　flowers　in　the　nosegay。
〃May　I　ask；〃　he　said；　presenting　the　flower　to　me　with　his　best
grace；　〃whether　you　now　understand　the　delicate　position　in　which
I　am　placed　between　your　husband　and　yourself？〃

The　little　interruption　caused　by　the　appearance　of　the　nosegay
had　given　a　new　impulse　to　my　thoughts；　and　had　thus　helped；　in
some　degree；　to　r　estore　me　to　myself。　I　was　able　at　last　to
satisfy　Major　Fitz…David　that　his　considerate　and　courteous
explanation　had　not　been　thrown　away　upon　me。

〃I　thank　you；　most　sincerely；　Major；〃　I　said　〃You　have　convinced
me　that　I　must　not　ask　you　to　forget；　on　my　account；　the　promise
which　you　have　given　to　my　husband。　It　is　a　sacred　promise；　which
I　too　am　bound　to　respectI　quite　understand　that。〃

The　Major　drew　a　long　breath　of　relief；　and　patted　me　on　the
shoulder　in　high　approval　of　what　I　had　said　to　him。

〃Admirably　expressed！〃　he　rejoined；　recovering　his　light…hearted
looks　and　his　lover…like　ways　all　in　a　moment。　〃My　dear　lady；　you
have　the　gift　of　sympathy；　you　see　exactly　how　I　am　situated。　Do
you　know；　you　remind　me　of　my　charming　Lady　Clarinda。　_She_　has
the　gift　of　sympathy；　and　sees　exactly　how　I　am　situated。　I
should　so　enjoy　introducing　you　to　each　other；〃　said　the　Major；
plunging　his　long　nose　ecstatically　into　Lady　Clarinda's　flowers。

I　had　my　end　still　to　gain；　and；　being　（as　you　will　have
discovered　by　this　time）　the　most　obstinate　of　living　women；　I
still　kept　that　end　in　view。

〃I　shall　be　delighted　to　meet　Lady　Clarinda；〃　I　replied。　〃In　the
meantime〃

〃I　will　get　up　a　little　dinner；〃　proceeded　the　Major；　with　a
burst　of　enthusiasm。　〃You　and　I　and　Lady　Clarinda。　Our　young
prima　donna　shall　come　in　the　evening；　and　sing　to　us。　Suppose　we
draw　out　the　_menu？_　My　sweet　friend；　what　is　your　favorite
autumn　soup？〃

〃In　the　meantime；〃　I　persisted；　〃to　return　to　what　we　were
speaking　of　just　now〃

The　Major's　smile　vanished；　the　Major's　hand　dropped　the　pen
destined　to　immortalize　the　name　of　my　favorite　autumn　soup。

〃_Must_　we　return　to　that？〃　he　asked；　piteously。

〃Only　for　a　moment；〃　I　said。

〃You　remind　me；〃　pursued　Major　Fitz…David；　shaking　his　head
sadly；　〃of　another　charming　friend　of　minea　French
friendMadame　Mirliflore。　You　are　a　person　of　prodigious
tenacity　of　purpose。　Madame　Mirliflore　is　a　person　of　prodigious
tenacity　of　purpose。　She　happens　to　be　in　London。　Shall　we　have
her　at　our　little　dinner？〃　The　Major　brightened　at　the　idea；　and
took　up　the　pen　again。　〃Do　tell　me；〃　he　said；　〃what　_is_　your
favorite　autumn　soup？〃

〃Pardon　me；〃　I　began；　〃we　were　speaking　just　now〃

〃Oh；　dear　me！〃　cried　Major　Fitz…David。　〃Is　this　the　other
subject？〃

〃Yesthis　is　the　other　subject。〃

The　Major　put　down　his　pen　for　the　second　time；　and　regretfully
dismissed　from　his　mind　Madame　Mirliflore　and　the　autumn　soup。

〃Yes？〃　he　said；　with　a　patient　bow　and　a　submissive　smile。　〃You
were　going　to　say〃

〃I　was　going　to　say；〃　I　rejoined；　〃that　your　promise　only　pledges
you　not　to　tell　the　secret　which　my　husband　is　keeping　from　me。
You　have　given　no　promise　not　to　answer　me　if　I　venture　to　ask
you　one　or　two　questions。〃

Major　Fitz…David　held　up　his　hand　warningly；　and　cast　a　sly　look
at　me　out　of　his　bright　little　gray　eyes。

〃Stop！〃　he　said。　〃My　sweet　friend；　stop　there！　I　know　where　your
questions　will　lead　me；　and　what　the　result　will　be　if　I　once
begin　to　answer　them。　When　your　husband　was　here　to…day　he　took
occasion　to　remind　me　that　I　was　as　weak　as