desperate remedies-第22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！


requested　to；　especially　after　Miss　Aldclyffe's　strict　charge　to
her。　　She　sat　down　again；　determined　to　let　no　idle　curiosity
influence　her　movements。

Her　window　commanded　the　front　of　the　house；　and　the　next　thing　she
saw　was　a　clergyman　walk　up　and　enter　the　door。

All　was　silent　again　till；　a　long　time　after　the　first　man　had　left；
he　returned　again　on　the　same　horse；　now　matted　with　sweat　and
trotting　behind　a　carriage　in　which　sat　an　elderly　gentleman　driven
by　a　lad　in　livery。　　These　came　to　the　house；　entered；　and　all　was
again　the　same　as　before。

The　whole　householdmaster；　mistress；　and　servantsappeared　to
have　forgotten　the　very　existence　of　such　a　being　as　Cytherea。　　She
almost　wished　she　had　not　vowed　to　have　no　idle　curiosity。

Half…an…hour　later；　the　carriage　drove　off　with　the　elderly
gentleman；　and　two　or　three　messengers　left　the　house；　speeding　in
various　directions。　　Rustics　in　smock…frocks　began　to　hang　about　the
road　opposite　the　house；　or　lean　against　trees；　looking　idly　at　the
windows　and　chimneys。

A　tap　came　to　Cytherea's　door。　　She　opened　it　to　a　young　maid…
servant。

'Miss　Aldclyffe　wishes　to　see　you；　ma'am。'　　Cytherea　hastened　down。

Miss　Aldclyffe　was　standing　on　the　hearthrug；　her　elbow　on　the
mantel；　her　hand　to　her　temples；　her　eyes　on　the　ground；　perfectly
calm；　but　very　pale。

'Cytherea；'　she　said　in　a　whisper；　'come　here。'

Cytherea　went　close。

'Something　very　serious　has　taken　place；'　she　said　again；　and　then
paused；　with　a　tremulous　movement　of　her　mouth。

'Yes；'　said　Cytherea。

'My　father。　　He　was　found　dead　in　his　bed　this　morning。'

'Dead！'　echoed　the　younger　woman。　　It　seemed　impossible　that　the
announcement　could　be　true；　that　knowledge　of　so　great　a　fact　could
be　contained　in　a　statement　so　small。

'Yes；　dead；'　murmured　Miss　Aldclyffe　solemnly。　　'He　died　alone；
though　within　a　few　feet　of　me。　　The　room　we　slept　in　is　exactly
over　his　own。'

Cytherea　said　hurriedly；　'Do　they　know　at　what　hour？'

'The　doctor　says　it　must　have　been　between　two　and　three　o'clock
this　morning。'

'Then　I　heard　him！'

'Heard　him？'

'Heard　him　die！'

'You　heard　him　die？　　What　did　you　hear？'

'A　sound　I　heard　once　before　in　my　lifeat　the　deathbed　of　my
mother。　　I　could　not　identify　itthough　I　recognized　it。　　Then　the
dog　howled：　　you　remarked　it。　　I　did　not　think　it　worth　while　to
tell　you　what　I　had　heard　a　little　earlier。'　　She　looked　agonized。

'It　would　have　been　useless；'　said　Miss　Aldclyffe。　　'All　was　over　by
that　time。'　　She　addressed　herself　as　much　as　Cytherea　when　she
continued；　'Is　it　a　Providence　who　sent　you　here　at　this　juncture
that　I　might　not　be　left　entirely　alone？'

Till　this　instant　Miss　Aldclyffe　had　forgotten　the　reason　of
Cytherea's　seclusion　in　her　own　room。　　So　had　Cytherea　herself。　　The
fact　now　recurred　to　both　in　one　moment。

'Do　you　still　wish　to　go？'　said　Miss　Aldclyffe　anxiously。

'I　don't　want　to　go　now；'　Cytherea　had　remarked　simultaneously　with
the　other's　question。　　She　was　pondering　on　the　strange　likeness
which　Miss　Aldclyffe's　bereavement　bore　to　her　own；　it　had　the
appearance　of　being　still　another　call　to　her　not　to　forsake　this
woman　so　linked　to　her　life；　for　the　sake　of　any　trivial　vexation。

Miss　Aldclyffe　held　her　almost　as　a　lover　would　have　held　her；　and
said　musingly

'We　get　more　and　more　into　one　groove。　　I　now　am　left　fatherless　and
motherless　as　you　were。'　　Other　ties　lay　behind　in　her　thoughts；　but
she　did　not　mention　them。

'You　loved　your　father；　Cytherea；　and　wept　for　him？'

'Yes；　I　did。　　Poor　papa！'

'I　was　always　at　variance　with　mine；　and　can't　weep　for　him　now！
But　you　must　stay　here　always；　and　make　a　better　woman　of　me。'

The　compact　was　thus　sealed；　and　Cytherea；　in　spite　of　the　failure
of　her　advertisements；　was　installed　as　a　veritable　Companion。　　And；
once　more　in　the　history　of　human　endeavour；　a　position　which　it　was
impossible　to　reach　by　any　direct　attempt；　was　come　to　by　the
seeker's　swerving　from　the　path；　and　regarding　the　original　object
as　one　of　secondary　importance。



VII。　　THE　EVENTS　OF　EIGHTEEN　DAYS

1。　　AUGUST　THE　SEVENTEENTH

The　time　of　day　was　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　　The　place　was
the　lady's　study　or　boudoir；　Knapwater　House。　　The　person　was　Miss
Aldclyffe　sitting　there　alone；　clothed　in　deep　mourning。

The　funeral　of　the　old　Captain　had　taken　place；　and　his　will　had
been　read。　　It　was　very　concise；　and　had　been　executed　about　five
years　previous　to　his　death。　　It　was　attested　by　his　solicitors；
Messrs。　Nyttleton　and　Tayling；　of　Lincoln's　Inn　Fields。　　The　whole
of　his　estate；　real　and　personal；　was　bequeathed　to　his　daughter
Cytherea；　for　her　sole　and　absolute　use；　subject　only　to　the　payment
of　a　legacy　to　the　rector；　their　relative；　and　a　few　small　amounts
to　the　servants。

Miss　Aldclyffe　had　not　chosen　the　easiest　chair　of　her　boudoir　to
sit　in；　or　even　a　chair　of　ordinary　comfort；　but　an　uncomfortable；
high；　narrow…backed；　oak　framed　and　seated　chair；　which　was　allowed
to　remain　in　the　room　only　on　the　ground　of　being　a　companion　in
artistic　quaintness　to　an　old　coffer　beside　it；　and　was　never　used
except　to　stand　in　to　reach　for　a　book　from　the　highest　row　of
shelves。　　But　she　had　sat　erect　in　this　chair　for　more　than　an　hour；
for　the　reason　that　she　was　utterly　unconscious　of　what　her　actions
and　bodily　feelings　were。　　The　chair　had　stood　nearest　her　path　on
entering　the　room；　and　she　had　gone　to　it　in　a　dream。

She　sat　in　the　attitude　which　denotes　unflagging；　intense；
concentrated　thoughtas　if　she　were　cast　in　bronze。　　Her　feet　were
together；　her　body　bent　a　little　forward；　and　quite　unsupported　by
the　back　of　the　chair；　her　hands　on　her　knees；　her　eyes　fixed
intently　on　the　corner　of　a　footstool。

At　last　she　moved　and　tapped　her　fingers　upon　the　table　at　her　side。
Her　pent…up　ideas　had　finally　found　some　channel　to　advance　in。
Motions　became　more　and　more　frequent　as　she　laboured　to　carry
further　and　further　the　problem　which　occupied　her　brain。　　She　sat
back　and　drew　a　long　breath：　　she　sat　sideways　and　leant　her
forehead　upon　her　hand。　　Later　still　she　arose；　walked　up　and　down
the　roomat　first　abstractedly；　with　her　features　as　firmly　set　as
ever；　but　by　degrees　her　brow　relaxed；　her　footsteps　became　lighter
and　more　leisurely；　her　head　rode　gracefully　and　was　no　longer
bowed。　　She　plumed　herself　like　a　swan　after　exertion。

'Yes；'　she　said　aloud。　　'To　get　HIM　here　without　letting　him　know
that　I　have　any　other　object　than　that　of　getting　a　useful　man
that's　the　difficultyand　that　I　think　I　can　master。'

She　rang　for　the　new　maid；　a　placid　woman　of　forty　with　a　few　grey
hairs。

'Ask　Miss　Graye　if　she　can　come　to　me。'

Cytherea　was　not　far　off；　and　came　in。

'Do　you　know　anything　about　architects　and　surveyors？'　said　Miss
Aldclyffe　abruptly。

'Know　anything？'　replied　Cytherea；　poising　herself　on　her　toe　to
consider　the　compass　of　the　question。

'Yesknow　anything；'　said　Miss　Aldclyffe。

'Owen　is　an　architect　and　surveyor's　draughtsman；'　the　maiden　said；
and　thought　of　somebody　else　who　was　likewise。

'Yes！　that's　why　I　asked　you。　　What　are　the　different　kinds　of　work
comprised　in　an　architect's　practice？　　They　lay　out　estates；　and
superintend　the　various　works　done　upon　them；　I　should　think；　among
other　things？'

'Those　are；　more　properly；　a　land　or　building　steward's　dutiesat
least　I　have　always　imagined　so。　　Country　architects　include　those
things　in　their　practice；　city　architects　don't。'

'I　know　that；　child。　　But　a　steward's　is　an　indefinite　fast　and
loose　profession；　it　seems　to　me。　　Shouldn't　you　think　that　a　man
who　had　been　brought　up　as　an　architect　would　do　for　a　steward？'

Cytherea　had　doubts　whether　an　architect　pure　would　do。

The　chief　pleasure　connected　with　asking　an　opinion　lies　in　not
adopting　it。　　Miss　Aldclyffe　replied　decisively

'Nonsense；　of　course　he　would。　　Your　brother　Owen　makes　plans　for
country　buildingssuch　as　cottages；　stables；　homesteads；　and　so
on？'

'Yes；　he　does。'

'And　superintends　the　building　of　them？'

'Yes；　he　will　soon。'

'And　he　surveys　land？'

'O　yes。'

'And　he　knows　about　hedges　and　ditcheshow　wide　they　ought　to　be；
boundaries；　levelling；　planting　trees　to　keep　away　the　winds；
measuring　timber；　houses　for　ninety…nine　years；　and　such　things？'

'I　have　never　heard　him　say　that；　but　I　think　Mr。　Gradfield　does
those　things。　　Owen；　I　am　afraid；　is　inexperienced　as　yet。'

'Yes；　your　brother　is　not　old　enough　for　such　a　post　yet；　of　course。
And　then　there　are　rent…days；　the　audit　and　winding　up　of
tradesmen's　accounts。　　I　am　afraid；　Cytherea；　you　don't　know　much
more　about　the　matter　than　I　do　myself。　。　。　。　　I　am　going　out　just
now；'　she　continued。　　'I　shall　not　want　you　to　walk　with　me　to…day。
Run　away　till　dinner…time。'

Miss　Aldclyffe　went　out　of　doors；　and　down　the　steps　to　the　lawn：
then　turning　to　the　left；　through　a　shrubbery；　she　opened　a　wicket
and　passed　into　a　neglected　and　leafy　carriage…drive；　leading　down
the　hill。　　This　she　followed　till　she　reached　the　point　of　its
greatest　depression；　which　was　also　the　lowest　ground　in　the　whole
grove。

T