desperate remedies-第36节

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attempt　at　returning　his　scrutiny　was　absent；　awoke　him　to　the
perception　that　probably　his　secret　was　by　some　means　or　other　known
to　her；　how　it　had　become　known　he　could　not　tell。

She　drew　forth　the　letter；　unfolded　it；　and　held　it　up　to　him；
letting　it　hang　by　one　corner　from　between　her　finger　and　thumb；　so
that　the　light　from　the　lamp；　though　remote；　fell　directly　upon　its
surface。

'You　know　whose　writing　this　is？'　she　said。

He　saw　the　strokes　plainly；　instantly　resolving　to　burn　his　ships
and　hazard　all　on　an　advance。

'My　wife's；'　he　said　calmly。

His　quiet　answer　threw　her　off　her　balance。　　She　had　no　more
expected　an　answer　than　does　a　preacher　when　he　exclaims　from　the
pulpit；　'Do　you　feel　your　sin？'　　She　had　clearly　expected　a　sudden
alarm。

'And　why　all　this　concealment？'　she　said　again；　her　voice　rising；　as
she　vainly　endeavoured　to　control　her　feelings；　whatever　they　were。

'It　doesn't　follow　that；　because　a　man　is　married；　he　must　tell
every　stranger　of　it；　madam；'　he　answered；　just　as　calmly　as　before。

'Stranger！　well；　perhaps　not；　but；　Mr。　Manston；　why　did　you　choose
to　conceal　it；　I　ask　again？　　I　have　a　perfect　right　to　ask　this
question；　as　you　will　perceive；　if　you　consider　the　terms　of　my
advertisement。'

'I　will　tell　you。　　There　were　two　simple　reasons。　　The　first　was
this　practical　one；　you　advertised　for　an　unmarried　man；　if　you
remember？'

'Of　course　I　remember。'

'Well；　an　incident　suggested　to　me　that　I　should　try　for　the
situation。　　I　was　married；　but；　knowing　that　in　getting　an　office
where　there　is　a　restriction　of　this　kind；　leaving　one's　wife　behind
is　always　accepted　as　a　fulfilment　of　the　condition；　I　left　her
behind　for　awhile。　　The　other　reason　is；　that　these　terms　of　yours
afforded　me　a　plausible　excuse　for　escaping　（for　a　short　time）　the
company　of　a　woman　I　had　been　mistaken　in　marrying。'

'Mistaken！　what　was　she？'　the　lady　inquired。

'A　third…rate　actress；　whom　I　met　with　during　my　stay　in　Liverpool
last　summer；　where　I　had　gone　to　fulfil　a　short　engagement　with　an
architect。'

'Where　did　she　come　from？'

'She　is　an　American　by　birth；　and　I　grew　to　dislike　her　when　we　had
been　married　a　week。'

'She　was　ugly；　I　imagine？'

'She　is　not　an　ugly　woman　by　any　means。'

'Up　to　the　ordinary　standard？'

'Quite　up　to　the　ordinary　standardindeed；　handsome。　　After　a　while
we　quarrelled　and　separated。'

'You　did　not　ill…use　her；　of　course？'　said　Miss　Aldclyffe；　with　a
little　sarcasm。

'I　did　not。'

'But　at　any　rate；　you　got　thoroughly　tired　of　her。'

Manston　looked　as　if　he　began　to　think　her　questions　put　of　place；
however；　he　said　quietly；　'I　did　get　tired　of　her。　　I　never　told　her
so；　but　we　separated；　I　to　come　here；　bringing　her　with　me　as　far　as
London　and　leaving　her　there　in　perfectly　comfortable　quarters；　and
though　your　advertisement　expressed　a　single　man；　I　have　always
intended　to　tell　you　the　whole　truth；　and　this　was　when　I　was　going
to　tell　it；　when　your　satisfaction　with　my　careful　management　of
your　affairs　should　have　proved　the　risk　to　be　a　safe　one　to　run。'

She　bowed。

'Then　I　saw　that　you　were　good　enough　to　be　interested　in　my　welfare
to　a　greater　extent　than　I　could　have　anticipated　or　hoped；　judging
you　by　the　frigidity　of　other　employers；　and　this　caused　me　to
hesitate。　　I　was　vexed　at　the　complication　of　affairs。　　So　matters
stood　till　three　nights　ago；　I　was　then　walking　home　from　the
pottery；　and　came　up　to　the　railway。　　The　down…train　came　along
close　to　me；　and　there；　sitting　at　a　carriage　window；　I　saw　my　wife：
she　had　found　out　my　address；　and　had　thereupon　determined　to　follow
me　here。　　I　had　not　been　home　many　minutes　before　she　came　in；　next
morning　early　she　left　again'

'Because　you　treated　her　so　cavalierly？'

'And　as　I　suppose；　wrote　to　you　directly。　　That's　the　whole　story　of
her；　madam。'　　Whatever　were　Manston's　real　feelings　towards　the　lady
who　had　received　his　explanation　in　these　supercilious　tones；　they
remained　locked　within　him　as　within　a　casket　of　steel。

'Did　your　friends　know　of　your　marriage；　Mr　Manston？'　she　continued。

'Nobody　at　all；　we　kept　it　a　secret　for　various　reasons。'

'It　is　true　then　that；　as　your　wife　tells　me　in　this　letter；　she　has
not　passed　as　Mrs。　Manston　till　within　these　last　few　days？'

'It　is　quite　true；　I　was　in　receipt　of　a　very　small　and　uncertain
income　when　we　married；　and　so　she　continued　playing　at　the　theatre
as　before　our　marriage；　and　in　her　maiden　name。'

'Has　she　any　friends？'

'I　have　never　heard　that　she　has　any　in　England。　　She　came　over　here
on　some　theatrical　speculation；　as　one　of　a　company　who　were　going
to　do　much；　but　who　never　did　anything；　and　here　she　has　remained。'

A　pause　ensued；　which　was　terminated　by　Miss　Aldclyffe。

'I　understand；'　she　said。　　'Now；　though　I　have　no　direct　right　to
concern　myself　with　your　private　affairs　（beyond　those　which　arise
from　your　misleading　me　and　getting　the　office　you　hold）'

'As　to　that；　madam；'　he　interrupted；　rather　hotly；　'as　to　coming
here；　I　am　vexed　as　much　as　you。　　Somebody；　a　member　of　the
Institute　of　Architectswho；　I　could　never　tellsent　to　my　old
address　in　London　your　advertisement　cut　from　the　paper；　it　was
forwarded　to　me；　I　wanted　to　get　away　from　Liverpool；　and　it　seemed
as　if　this　was　put　in　my　way　on　purpose；　by　some　old　friend　or
other。　　I　answered　the　advertisement　certainly；　but　I　was　not
particularly　anxious　to　come　here；　nor　am　I　anxious　to　stay。'

Miss　Aldclyffe　descended　from　haughty　superiority　to　womanly
persuasion　with　a　haste　which　was　almost　ludicrous。　　Indeed；　the
Quos　ego　of　the　whole　lecture　had　been　less　the　genuine　menace　of
the　imperious　ruler　of　Knapwater　than　an　artificial　utterance　to
hide　a　failing　heart。

'Now；　now；　Mr。　Manston；　you　wrong　me；　don't　suppose　I　wish　to　be
overbearing；　or　anything　of　the　kind；　and　you　will　allow　me　to　say
this　much；　at　any　rate；　that　I　have　become　interested　in　your　wife；
as　well　as　in　yourself。'

'Certainly；　madam；'　he　said；　slowly；　like　a　man　feeling　his　way　in
the　dark。　　Manston　was　utterly　at　fault　now。　　His　previous
experience　of　the　effect　of　his　form　and　features　upon　womankind　en
masse；　had　taught　him　to　flatter　himself　that　he　could　account　by
the　same　law　of　natural　selection　for　the　extraordinary　interest
Miss　Aldclyffe　had　hitherto　taken　in　him；　as　an　unmarried　man；　an
interest　he　did　not　at　all　object　to；　seeing　that　it　kept　him　near
Cytherea；　and　enabled　him；　a　man　of　no　wealth；　to　rule　on　the　estate
as　if　he　were　its　lawful　owner。　　Like　Curius　at　his　Sabine　farm；　he
had　counted　it　his　glory　not　to　possess　gold　himself；　but　to　have
power　over　her　who　did。　　But　at　this　hint　of　the　lady's　wish　to　take
his　wife　under　her　wing　also；　he　was　perplexed：　　could　she　have　any
sinister　motive　in　doing　so？　　But　he　did　not　allow　himself　to　be
troubled　with　these　doubts；　which　only　concerned　his　wife's
happiness。

'She　tells　me；'　continued　Miss　Aldclyffe；　'how　utterly　alone　in　the
world　she　stands；　and　that　is　an　additional　reason　why　I　should
sympathize　with　her。　　Instead；　then；　of　requesting　the　favour　of
your　retirement　from　the　post；　and　dismissing　your　interests
altogether；　I　will　retain　you　as　my　steward　still；　on　condition　that
you　bring　home　your　wife；　and　live　with　her　respectably；　in　short；
as　if　you　loved　her；　you　understand。　　I　WISH　you　to　stay　here　if　you
grant　that　everything　shall　flow　smoothly　between　yourself　and　her。'

The　breast　and　shoulders　of　the　steward　rose；　as　if　an　expression　of
defiance　was　about　to　be　poured　forth；　before　it　took　form；　he
controlled　himself　and　said；　in　his　natural　voice

'My　part　of　the　performance　shall　be　carried　out；　madam。'

'And　her　anxiety　to　obtain　a　standing　in　the　world　ensures　that　hers
will；'　replied　Miss　Aldclyffe。　　'That　will　be　satisfactory；　then。'

After　a　few　additional　remarks；　she　gently　signified　that　she　wished
to　put　an　end　to　the　interview。　　The　steward　took　the　hint　and
retired。

He　felt　vexed　and　mortified；　yet　in　walking　homeward　he　was
convinced　that　telling　the　whole　truth　as　he　had　done；　with　the
single　exception　of　his　love　for　Cytherea　（which　he　tried　to　hide
even　from　himself）；　had　never　served　him　in　better　stead　than　it　had
done　that　night。

Manston　went　to　his　desk　and　thought　of　Cytherea's　beauty　with　the
bitterest；　wildest　regret。　　After　the　lapse　of　a　few　minutes　he
calmed　himself　by　a　stoical　effort；　and　wrote　the　subjoined　letter
to　his　wife：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'KNAPWATER；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　November　21；　1864。

'DEAR　EUNICE；I　hope　you　reached　London　safely　after　your　flighty
visit　to　me。

'As　I　promised；　I　have　thought　over　our　conversation　that　night；　and
your　wish　that　your　coming　here　should　be　no　longer　delayed。　　After
all；　it　was　perfectly　natural　that　you　should　have　spoken　unkindly
as　you　did；　ignorant　as　you　were　of　the　circumstances　which　bound
me。

'So　I　have　made　arrangements　to　fetch　you　home　at　once。　　It　is
hardly　worth　while　for　you　to　attempt　to　bring　with　you　any　luggage
you　may　have　gathered　about　you　（beyond　mere　clothing）。　　Dispose　of
su