desperate remedies-第42节

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sympathy　with　the　steward　for　his　awful　loss　caused　the　old　man　to
step　aside；　that　Manston　might　pass　out　without　speaking　to　them　if
he　chose　to　do　so。

'Who　is　he？'　whispered　Edward　to　his　father；　as　Manston　approached。

'Mr。　Manston；　the　steward。'

Manston　came　near；　and　passed　down　the　aisle　on　the　side　of　the
younger　man。　　Their　faces　came　almost　close　together：　　one　large
flame；　which　still　lingered　upon　the　ruins　outside；　threw　long
dancing　shadows　of　each　across　the　nave　till　they　bent　upwards
against　the　aisle　wall；　and　also　illuminated　their　eyes；　as　each　met
those　of　the　other。　　Edward　had　learnt；　by　a　letter　from　home；　of
the　steward's　passion　for　Cytherea；　and　his　mysterious　repression　of
it；　afterwards　explained　by　his　marriage。　　That　marriage　was　now
nought。　　Edward　realized　the　man's　newly　acquired　freedom；　and　felt
an　instinctive　enmity　towards　himhe　would　hardly　own　to　himself
why。　　The　steward；　too；　knew　Cytherea's　attachment　to　Edward；　and
looked　keenly　and　inscrutably　at　him。

7。　　ONE　TO　TWO　A。M。

Manston　went　homeward　alone；　his　heart　full　of　strange　emotions。
Entering　the　house；　and　dismissing　the　woman　to　her　own　home；　he　at
once　proceeded　upstairs　to　his　bedroom。

Reasoning　worldliness；　especially　when　allied　with　sensuousness；
cannot　repress　on　some　extreme　occasions　the　human　instinct　to　pour
out　the　soul　to　some　Being　or　Personality；　who　in　frigid　moments　is
dismissed　with　the　title　of　Chance；　or　at　most　Law。　　Manston　was
selfishly　and　inhumanly；　but　honestly　and　unutterably；　thankful　for
the　recent　catastrophe。　　Beside　his　bed；　for　that　first　time　during
a　period　of　nearly　twenty　years；　he　fell　down　upon　his　knees　in　a
passionate　outburst　of　feeling。

Many　minutes　passed　before　he　arose。　　He　walked　to　the　window；　and
then　seemed　to　remember　for　the　first　time　that　some　action　on　his
part　was　necessary　in　connection　with　the　sad　circumstance　of　the
night。

Leaving　the　house　at　once；　he　went　to　the　scene　of　the　fire；
arriving　there　in　time　to　hear　the　rector　making　an　arrangement　with
a　certain　number　of　men　to　watch　the　spot　till　morning。　　The　ashes
were　still　red…hot　and　flaming。　　Manston　found　that　nothing　could　be
done　towards　searching　them　at　that　hour　of　the　night。　　He　turned
homeward　again；　in　the　company　of　the　rector；　who　had　considerately
persuaded　him　to　retire　from　the　scene　for　a　while；　and　promised
that　as　soon　as　a　man　could　live　amid　the　embers　of　the　Three
Tranters　Inn；　they　should　be　carefully　searched　for　the　remains　of
his　unfortunate　wife。

Manston　then　went　indoors；　to　wait　for　morning。



XI。　　THE　EVENTS　OF　FIVE　DAYS

1。　　NOVEMBER　THE　TWENTY…NINTH

The　search　began　at　dawn；　but　a　quarter　past　nine　o'clock　came
without　bringing　any　result。　　Manston　ate　a　little　breakfast；　and
crossed　the　hollow　of　the　park　which　intervened　between　the　old　and
modern　manor…houses；　to　ask　for　an　interview　with　Miss　Aldclyffe。

He　met　her　midway。　　She　was　about　to　pay　him　a　visit　of　condolence；
and　to　place　every　man　on　the　estate　at　his　disposal；　that　the
search　for　any　relic　of　his　dead　and　destroyed　wife　might　not　be
delayed　an　instant。

He　accompanied　her　back　to　the　house。　　At　first　they　conversed　as　if
the　death　of　the　poor　woman　was　an　event　which　the　husband　must　of
necessity　deeply　lament；　and　when　all　under　this　head　that　social
form　seemed　to　require　had　been　uttered；　they　spoke　of　the　material
damage　done；　and　of　the　steps　which　had　better　be　taken　to　remedy
it。

It　was　not　till　both　were　shut　inside　her　private　room　that　she
spoke　to　him　in　her　blunt　and　cynical　manner。　　A　certain　newness　of
bearing　in　him；　peculiar　to　the　present　morning；　had　hitherto
forbidden　her　this　tone：　　the　demeanour　of　the　subject　of　her
favouritism　had　altered；　she　could　not　tell　in　what　way。　　He　was
entirely　a　changed　man。

'Are　you　really　sorry　for　your　poor　wife；　Mr。　Manston？'　she　said。

'Well；　I　am；'　he　answered　shortly。

'But　only　as　for　any　human　being　who　has　met　with　a　violent　death？'

He　confessed　it'For　she　was　not　a　good　woman；'　he　added。

'I　should　be　sorry　to　say　such　a　thing　now　the　poor　creature　is
dead；'　Miss　Aldclyffe　returned　reproachfully。

'Why？'　he　asked。　　'Why　should　I　praise　her　if　she　doesn't　deserve
it？　　I　say　exactly　what　I　have　often　admired　Sterne　for　saying　in
one　of　his　lettersthat　neither　reason　nor　Scripture　asks　us　to
speak　nothing　but　good　of　the　dead。　　And　now；　madam；'　he　continued；
after　a　short　interval　of　thought；　'I　may；　perhaps；　hope　that　you
will　assist　me；　or　rather　not　thwart　me；　in　endeavouring　to　win　the
love　of　a　young　lady　living　about　you；　one　in　whom　I　am　much
interested　already。'

'Cytherea！'

'Yes；　Cytherea。'

'You　have　been　loving　Cytherea　all　the　while？'

'Yes。'

Surprise　was　a　preface　to　much　agitation　in　her；　which　caused　her　to
rise　from　her　seat；　and　pace　to　the　side　of　the　room。　　The　steward
quietly　looked　on　and　added；　'I　have　been　loving　and　still　love
her。'

She　came　close　up　to　him；　wistfully　contemplating　his　face；　one　hand
moving　indecisively　at　her　side。

'And　your　secret　marriage　was；　then；　the　true　and　only　reason　for
that　backwardness　regarding　the　courtship　of　Cytherea；　which；　they
tell　me；　has　been　the　talk　of　the　village；　not　your　indifference　to
her　attractions。'　　Her　voice　had　a　tone　of　conviction　in　it；　as　well
as　of　inquiry；　but　none　of　jealousy。

'Yes；'　he　said；　'and　not　a　dishonourable　one。　　What　held　me　back　was
just　that　one　thinga　sense　of　morality　that　perhaps；　madam；　you
did　not　give　me　credit　for。'　　The　latter　words　were　spoken　with　a
mien　and　tone　of　pride。

Miss　Aldclyffe　preserved　silence。

'And　now；'　he　went　on；　'I　may　as　well　say　a　word　in　vindication　of
my　conduct　lately；　at　the　risk；　too；　of　offending　you。　　My　actual
motive　in　submitting　to　your　order　that　I　should　send　for　my　late
wife；　and　live　with　her；　was　not　the　mercenary　policy　of　wishing　to
retain　an　office　which　brings　me　greater　comforts　than　any　I　have
enjoyed　before；　but　this　unquenchable　passion　for　Cytherea。　　Though
I　saw　the　weakness；　folly；　and　even　wickedness　of　it　continually；　it
still　forced　me　to　try　to　continue　near　her；　even　as　the　husband　of
another　woman。'

He　waited　for　her　to　speak：　　she　did　not。

'There's　a　great　obstacle　to　my　making　any　way　in　winning　Miss
Graye's　love；'　he　went　on。

'Yes；　Edward　Springrove；'　she　said　quietly。　　'I　know　it；　I　did　once
want　to　see　them　married；　they　have　had　a　slight　quarrel；　and　it
will　soon　be　made　up　again；　unless'　she　spoke　as　if　she　had　only
half　attended　to　Manston's　last　statement。

'He　is　already　engaged　to　be　married　to　somebody　else；'　said　the
steward。

'Pooh！'　said　she；　'you　mean　to　his　cousin　at　Peakhill；　that's
nothing　to　help　us；　he's　now　come　home　to　break　it　off。'

'He　must　not　break　it　off；'　said　Manston；　firmly　and　calmly。

His　tone　attracted　her；　startled　her。　　Recovering　herself；　she　said
haughtily；　'Well；　that's　your　affair；　not　mine。　　Though　my　wish　has
been　to　see　her　YOUR　wife；　I　can't　do　anything　dishonourable　to
bring　about　such　a　result。'

'But　it　must　be　MADE　your　affair；'　he　said　in　a　hard；　steady　voice；
looking　into　her　eyes；　as　if　he　saw　there　the　whole　panorama　of　her
past。

One　of　the　most　difficult　things　to　portray　by　written　words　is　that
peculiar　mixture　of　moods　expressed　in　a　woman's　countenance　when；
after　having　been　sedulously　engaged　in　establishing　another's
position；　she　suddenly　suspects　him　of　undermining　her　own。　　It　was
thus　that　Miss　Aldclyffe　looked　at　the　steward。

'Youknowsomethingof　me？'　she　faltered。

'I　know　all；'　he　said。

'Then　curse　that　wife　of　yours！　　She　wrote　and　said　she　wouldn't
tell　you！'　she　burst　out。　　'Couldn't　she　keep　her　word　for　a　day？'
She　reflected　and　then　said；　but　no　more　as　to　a　stranger；　'I　will
not　yield。　　I　have　committed　no　crime。　　I　yielded　to　her　threats　in
a　moment　of　weakness；　though　I　felt　inclined　to　defy　her　at　the
time：　　it　was　chiefly　because　I　was　mystified　as　to　how　she　got　to
know　of　it。　　Pooh！　I　will　put　up　with　threats　no　more。　　O；　can　YOU
threaten　me？'　she　added　softly；　as　if　she　had　for　the　moment
forgotten　to　whom　she　had　been　speaking。

'My　love　must　be　made　your　affair；'　he　repeated；　without　taking　his
eyes　from　her。

An　agony；　which　was　not　the　agony　of　being　discovered　in　a　secret；
obstructed　her　utterance　for　a　time。　　'How　can　you　turn　upon　me　so
when　I　schemed　to　get　you　hereschemed　that　you　might　win　her　till
I　found　you　were　married。　　O；　how　can　you！　　O！。　。　。　　O！'　　She　wept；
and　the　weeping　of　such　a　nature　was　as　harrowing　as　the　weeping　of
a　man。

'Your　getting　me　here　was　bad　policy　as　to　your　secretthe　most
absurd　thing　in　the　world；'　he　said；　not　heeding　her　distress。　　'I
knew　all；　except　the　identity　of　the　individual；　long　ago。　　Directly
I　found　that　my　coming　here　was　a　contrived　thing；　and　not　a　matter
of　chance；　it　fixed　my　attention　upon　you　at　once。　　All　that　was
required　was　the　mere　spark　of　life；　to　make　of　a　bundle　of
perceptions　an　organic　whole。'

'Policy；　how　can　you　talk　of　policy？　　Think；　do　think！　　And　how　can
you　threaten　me　when　you　knowyou　knowthat　I　would　befriend　you
readily　without