desperate remedies-第44节

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undressing？'

SPRINGROVE：　　'I　cannot　say；　as　I　didn't　take　particular　notice。　　It
moved　backwards　and　forwards；　she　might　have　been　undressing　or
merely　pacing　up　and　down　the　room。'

Mrs。　Fitler；　the　ostler's　wife　and　chambermaid；　said　that　she
preceded　Mrs。　Manston　into　the　room；　put　down　the　candle；　and　went
out。　　Mrs。　Manston　scarcely　spoke　to　her；　except　to　ask　her　to　bring
a　little　brandy。　　Witness　went　and　fetched　it　from　the　bar；　brought
it　up；　and　put　it　on　the　dressing…table。

THE　CORONER：　　'Had　Mrs。　Manston　begun　to　undress；　when　you　came
back？'

'No；　sir；　she　was　sitting　on　the　bed；　with　everything　on；　as　when
she　came　in。'

'Did　she　begin　to　undress　before　you　left？'

'Not　exactly　before　I　had　left；　but　when　I　had　closed　the　door；　and
was　on　the　landing　I　heard　her　boot　drop　on　the　floor；　as　it　does
sometimes　when　pulled　off？'

'Had　her　face　appeared　worn　and　sleepy？'

'I　cannot　say　as　her　bonnet　and　veil　were　still　on　when　I　left；　for
she　seemed　rather　shy　and　ashamed　to　be　seen　at　the　Three　Tranters
at　all。'

'And　did　you　hear　or　see　any　more　of　her？'

'No　more；　sir。'

Mrs。　Crickett；　temporary　servant　to　Mr。　Manston；　said　that　in
accordance　with　Mr。　Manston's　orders；　everything　had　been　made
comfortable　in　the　house　for　Mrs。　Manston's　expected　return　on
Monday　night。　　Mr。　Manston　told　her　that　himself　and　Mrs。　Manston
would　be　home　late；　not　till　between　eleven　and　twelve　o'clock；　and
that　supper　was　to　be　ready。　　Not　expecting　Mrs。　Manston　so　early；
she　had　gone　out　on　a　very　important　errand　to　Mrs。　Leat　the
postmistress。

Mr。　Manston　deposed　that　in　looking　down　the　columns　of　Bradshaw　he
had　mistaken　the　time　of　the　train's　arrival；　and　hence　was　not　at
the　station　when　she　came。　　The　broken　watch　produced　was　his
wife'she　knew　it　by　a　scratch　on　the　inner　plate；　and　by　other
signs。　　The　bunch　of　keys　belonged　to　her：　　two　of　them　fitted　the
locks　of　her　two　boxes。

Mr。　Flooks；　agent　to　Lord　Claydonfield　at　Chettlewood；　said　that　Mr。
Manston　had　pleaded　as　his　excuse　for　leaving　him　rather　early　in
the　evening　after　their　day's　business　had　been　settled；　that　he　was
going　to　meet　his　wife　at　Carriford　Road　Station；　where　she　was
coming　by　the　last　train　that　night。

The　surgeon　said　that　the　remains　were　those　of　a　human　being。　　The
small　fragment　seemed　a　portion　of　one　of　the　lumbar　vertebraethe
other　the　head　of　the　os　femorisbut　they　were　both　so　far　gone
that　it　was　impossible　to　say　definitely　whether　they　belonged　to
the　body　of　a　male　or　female。　　There　was　no　moral　doubt　that　they
were　a　woman's。　　He　did　not　believe　that　death　resulted　from　burning
by　fire。　　He　thought　she　was　crushed　by　the　fall　of　the　west　gable；
which　being　of　wood；　as　well　as　the　floor；　burnt　after　it　had
fallen；　and　consumed　the　body　with　it。

Two　or　three　additional　witnesses　gave　unimportant　testimony。

The　coroner　summed　up；　and　the　jury　without　hesitation　found　that
the　deceased　Mrs。　Manston　came　by　her　death　accidentally　through　the
burning　of　the　Three　Tranters　Inn。

3。　　DECEMBER　THE　SECOND。　　AFTERNOON

When　Mr。　Springrove　came　from　the　door　of　the　Rising　Sun　at　the　end
of　the　inquiry；　Manston　walked　by　his　side　as　far　as　the　stile　to
the　park；　a　distance　of　about　a　stone's…throw。

'Ah；　Mr。　Springrove；　this　is　a　sad　affair　for　everybody　concerned。'

'Everybody；'　said　the　old　farmer；　with　deep　sadness；　''tis　quite　a
misery　to　me。　　I　hardly　know　how　I　shall　live　through　each　day　as　it
breaks。　　I　think　of　the　words；　〃In　the　morning　thou　shalt　say；　Would
God　it　were　even！　and　at　even　thou　shalt　say；　Would　God　it　were
morning！　for　the　fear　of　thine　heart　wherewith　thou　shalt　fear；　and
for　the　sight　of　thine　eyes　which　thou　shalt　see。〃'　　His　voice
became　broken。

'Ahtrue。　　I　read　Deuteronomy　myself；'　said　Manston。

'But　my　loss　is　as　nothing　to　yours；'　the　farmer　continued。

'Nothing；　but　I　can　commiserate　you。　　I　should　be　worse　than
unfeeling　if　I　didn't；　although　my　own　affliction　is　of　so　sad　and
solemn　a　kind。　　Indeed　my　own　loss　makes　me　more　keenly　alive　to
yours；　different　in　nature　as　it　is。'

'What　sum　do　you　think　would　be　required　of　me　to　put　the　houses　in
place　again？'

'I　have　roughly　thought　six　or　seven　hundred　pounds。'

'If　the　letter　of　the　law　is　to　be　acted　up　to；'　said　the　old　man；
with　more　agitation　in　his　voice。

'Yes；　exactly。'

'Do　you　know　enough　of　Miss　Aldclyffe's　mind　to　give　me　an　idea　of
how　she　means　to　treat　me？'

'Well；　I　am　afraid　I　must　tell　you　that　though　I　know　very　little　of
her　mind　as　a　rule；　in　this　matter　I　believe　she　will　be　rather
peremptory；　she　might　share　to　the　extent　of　a　sixth　or　an　eighth
perhaps；　in　consideration　of　her　getting　new　lamps　for　old；　but　I
should　hardly　think　more。'

The　steward　stepped　upon　the　stile；　and　Mr。　Springrove　went　along
the　road　with　a　bowed　head　and　heavy　footsteps　towards　his　niece's
cottage；　in　which；　rather　against　the　wish　of　Edward；　they　had
temporarily　taken　refuge。

The　additional　weight　of　this　knowledge　soon　made　itself
perceptible。　　Though　indoors　with　Edward　or　Adelaide　nearly　the
whole　of　the　afternoon；　nothing　more　than　monosyllabic　replies　could
be　drawn　from　him。　　Edward　continually　discovered　him　looking
fixedly　at　the　wall　or　floor；　quite　unconscious　of　another's
presence。　　At　supper　he　ate　just　as　usual；　but　quite　mechanically；
and　with　the　same　abstraction。

4。　　DECEMBER　THE　THIRD

The　next　morning　he　was　in　no　better　spirits。　　Afternoon　came：　　his
son　was　alarmed；　and　managed　to　draw　from　him　an　account　of　the
conversation　with　the　steward。

'Nonsense；　he　knows　nothing　about　it；'　said　Edward　vehemently。
'I'll　see　Miss　Aldclyffe　myself。　　Now　promise　me；　father；　that
you'll　not　believe　till　I　come　back；　and　tell　you　to　believe　it；
that　Miss　Aldclyffe　will　do　any　such　unjust　thing。'

Edward　started　at　once　for　Knapwater　House。　　He　strode　rapidly　along
the　high…road；　till　he　reached　a　wicket　where　a　footpath　allowed　of
a　short　cut　to　the　mansion。　　Here　he　leant　down　upon　the　bars　for　a
few　minutes；　meditating　as　to　the　best　manner　of　opening　his　speech；
and　surveying　the　scene　before　him　in　that　absent　mood　which　takes
cognizance　of　little　things　without　being　conscious　of　them　at　the
time；　though　they　appear　in　the　eye　afterwards　as　vivid　impressions。
It　was　a　yellow；　lustrous；　late　autumn　day；　one　of　those　days　of　the
quarter　when　morning　and　evening　seem　to　meet　together　without　the
intervention　of　a　noon。　　The　clear　yellow　sunlight　had　tempted　forth
Miss　Aldclyffe　herself；　who　was　at　this　same　time　taking　a　walk　in
the　direction　of　the　village。　　As　Springrove　lingered　he　heard
behind　the　plantation　a　woman's　dress　brushing　along　amid　the
prickly　husks　and　leaves　which　had　fallen　into　the　path　from　the
boughs　of　the　chestnut　trees。　　In　another　minute　she　stood　in　front
of　him。

He　answered　her　casual　greeting　respectfully；　and　was　about　to
request　a　few　minutes'　conversation　with　her；　when　she　directly
addressed　him　on　the　subject　of　the　fire。　　'It　is　a　sad　misfortune
for　your　father'　she　said；　'and　I　hear　that　he　has　lately　let　his
insurances　expire？'

'He　has；　madam；　and　you　are　probably　aware　that　either　by　the
general　terms　of　his　holding；　or　the　same　coupled　with　the　origin　of
the　fire；　the　disaster　may　involve　the　necessity　of　his　rebuilding
the　whole　row　of　houses；　or　else　of　becoming　a　debtor　to　the　estate；
to　the　extent　of　some　hundreds　of　pounds？'

She　assented。　　'I　have　been　thinking　of　it；'　she　went　on；　and　then
repeated　in　substance　the　words　put　into　her　mouth　by　the　steward。
Some　disturbance　of　thought　might　have　been　fancied　as　taking　place
in　Springrove's　mind　during　her　statement；　but　before　she　had
reached　the　end；　his　eyes　were　clear；　and　directed　upon　her。

'I　don't　accept　your　conditions　of　release；'　he　said。

'They　are　not　conditions　exactly。'

'Well；　whatever　they　are　not；　they　are　very　uncalled…for　remarks。'

'Not　at　allthe　houses　have　been　burnt　by　your　family's
negligence。'

'I　don't　refer　to　the　housesyou　have　of　course　the　best　of　all
rights　to　speak　of　that　matter；　but　you；　a　stranger　to　me
comparatively；　have　no　right　at　all　to　volunteer　opinions　and　wishes
upon　a　very　delicate　subject；　which　concerns　no　living　beings　but
Miss　Graye；　Miss　Hinton；　and　myself。'

Miss　Aldclyffe；　like　a　good　many　others　in　her　position；　had　plainly
not　realized　that　a　son　of　her　tenant　and　inferior　could　have　become
an　educated　man；　who　had　learnt　to　feel　his　individuality；　to　view
society　from　a　Bohemian　standpoint；　far　outside　the　farming　grade　in
Carriford　parish；　and　that　hence　he　had　all　a　developed　man's
unorthodox　opinion　about　the　subordination　of　classes。　　And　fully
conscious　of　the　labyrinth　into　which　he　had　wandered　between　his
wish　to　behave　honourably　in　the　dilemma　of　his　engagement　to　his
cousin　Adelaide　and　the　intensity　of　his　love　for　Cytherea；
Springrove　was　additionally　sensitive　to　any　allusion　to　the　case。
He　had　spoken　to　Miss　Aldclyffe　with　considerable　warmth。

And　Miss　Aldclyffe　was　not　a　woman　likely　to　be　far　behind　any
second　person　in　warming　to　a　mood　of　defiance。　　It　seemed　as　if　she
were　prepared