desperate remedies-第8节

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'It　happened　just　to　the　purpose　that　I　should　meet　him　there；
didn't　it？　　And　when　I　reached　the　station　and　learnt　that　I　could
not　get　on　by　train　my　foot　seemed　better。　　I　started　off　to　walk
home；　and　went　about　five　miles　along　a　path　beside　the　railway。　　It
then　struck　me　that　I　might　not　be　fit　for　anything　today　if　I
walked　and　aggravated　the　bothering　foot；　so　I　looked　for　a　place　to
sleep　at。　　There　was　no　available　village　or　inn；　and　I　eventually
got　the　keeper　of　a　gate…house；　where　a　lane　crossed　the　line；　to
take　me　in。'

They　proceeded　with　their　breakfast。　　Owen　yawned。

'You　didn't　get　much　sleep　at　the　gate…house　last　night；　I'm　afraid；
Owen；'　said　his　sister。

'To　tell　the　truth；　I　didn't。　　I　was　in　such　very　close　and　narrow
quarters。　　Those　gate…houses　are　such　small　places；　and　the　man　had
only　his　own　bed　to　offer　me。　　Ah；　by…the…bye；　Cythie；　I　have　such
an　extraordinary　thing　to　tell　you　in　connection　with　this　man！by
Jove；　I　had　nearly　forgotten　it！　　But　I'll　go　straight　on。　　As　I　was
saying；　he　had　only　his　own　bed　to　offer　me；　but　I　could　not　afford
to　be　fastidious；　and　as　he　had　a　hearty　manner；　though　a　very　queer
one；　I　agreed　to　accept　it；　and　he　made　a　rough　pallet　for　himself
on　the　floor　close　beside　me。　　Well；　I　could　not　sleep　for　my　life；
and　I　wished　I　had　not　stayed　there；　though　I　was　so　tired。　　For　one
thing；　there　were　the　luggage　trains　rattling　by　at　my　elbow　the
early　part　of　the　night。　　But　worse　than　this；　he　talked　continually
in　his　sleep；　and　occasionally　struck　out　with　his　limbs　at
something　or　another；　knocking　against　the　post　of　the　bedstead　and
making　it　tremble。　　My　condition　was　altogether　so　unsatisfactory
that　at　last　I　awoke　him；　and　asked　him　what　he　had　been　dreaming
about　for　the　previous　hour；　for　I　could　get　no　sleep　at　all。　　He
begged　my　pardon　for　disturbing　me；　but　a　name　I　had　casually　let
fall　that　evening　had　led　him　to　think　of　another　stranger　he　had
once　had　visit　him；　who　had　also　accidentally　mentioned　the　same
name；　and　some　very　strange　incidents　connected　with　that　meeting。
The　affair　had　occurred　years　and　years　ago；　but　what　I　had　said　had
made　him　think　and　dream　about　it　as　if　it　were　but　yesterday。　　What
was　the　word？　I　said。　　〃Cytherea；〃　he　said。　　What　was　the　story？　I
asked　then。　　He　then　told　me　that　when　he　was　a　young　man　in　London
he　borrowed　a　few　pounds　to　add　to　a　few　he　had　saved　up；　and　opened
a　little　inn　at　Hammersmith。　　One　evening；　after　the　inn　had　been
open　about　a　couple　of　months；　every　idler　in　the　neighbourhood　ran
off　to　Westminster。　　The　Houses　of　Parliament　were　on　fire。

'Not　a　soul　remained　in　his　parlour　besides　himself；　and　he　began
picking　up　the　pipes　and　glasses　his　customers　had　hastily
relinquished。　　At　length　a　young　lady　about　seventeen　or　eighteen
came　in。　　She　asked　if　a　woman　was　there　waiting　for　herselfMiss
Jane　Taylor。　　He　said　no；　asked　the　young　lady　if　she　would　wait；
and　showed　her　into　the　small　inner　room。　　There　was　a　glass…pane　in
the　partition　dividing　this　room　from　the　bar　to　enable　the　landlord
to　see　if　his　visitors；　who　sat　there；　wanted　anything。　　A　curious
awkwardness　and　melancholy　about　the　behaviour　of　the　girl　who
called；　caused　my　informant　to　look　frequently　at　her　through　the
partition。　　She　seemed　weary　of　her　life；　and　sat　with　her　face
buried　in　her　hands；　evidently　quite　out　of　her　element　in　such　a
house。　　Then　a　woman　much　older　came　in　and　greeted　Miss　Taylor　by
name。　　The　man　distinctly　heard　the　following　words　pass　between
them：

'〃Why　have　you　not　brought　him？〃

'〃He　is　ill；　he　is　not　likely　to　live　through　the　night。〃

'At　this　announcement　from　the　elderly　woman；　the　young　lady　fell　to
the　floor　in　a　swoon；　apparently　overcome　by　the　news。　　The　landlord
ran　in　and　lifted　her　up。　　Well；　do　what　they　would　they　could　not
for　a　long　time　bring　her　back　to　consciousness；　and　began　to　be
much　alarmed。　　〃Who　is　she？〃　the　innkeeper　said　to　the　other　woman。
〃I　know　her；〃　the　other　said；　with　deep　meaning　in　her　tone。　　The
elderly　and　young　woman　seemed　allied；　and　yet　strangers。

'She　now　showed　signs　of　life；　and　it　struck　him　（he　was　plainly　of
an　inquisitive　turn）；　that　in　her　half…bewildered　state　he　might　get
some　information　from　her。　　He　stooped　over　her；　put　his　mouth　to
her　ear；　and　said　sharply；　〃What's　your　name？〃　　〃To　catch　a　woman
napping　is　difficult；　even　when　she's　half　dead；　but　I　did　it；〃　says
the　gatekeeper。　　When　he　asked　her　her　name；　she　said　immediately

'〃Cytherea〃and　stopped　suddenly。'

'My　own　name！'　said　Cytherea。

'Yesyour　name。　　Well；　the　gateman　thought　at　the　time　it　might　be
equally　with　Jane　a　name　she　had　invented　for　the　occasion；　that
they　might　not　trace　her；　but　I　think　it　was　truth　unconsciously
uttered；　for　she　added　directly　afterwards：　　〃O；　what　have　I　said！〃
and　was　quite　overcome　againthis　time　with　fright。　　Her　vexation
that　the　woman　now　doubted　the　genuineness　of　her　other　name　was
very　much　greater　than　that　the　innkeeper　did；　and　it　is　evident
that　to　blind　the　woman　was　her　main　object。　　He　also　learnt　from
words　the　elderly　woman　casually　dropped；　that　meetings　of　the　same
kind　had　been　held　before；　and　that　the　falseness　of　the　soi…disant
Miss　Jane　Taylor's　name　had　never　been　suspected　by　this　dependent
or　confederate　till　then。

'She　recovered；　rested　there　for　an　hour；　and　first　sending　off　her
companion　peremptorily　（which　was　another　odd　thing）；　she　left　the
house；　offering　the　landlord　all　the　money　she　had　to　say　nothing
about　the　circumstance。　　He　has　never　seen　her　since；　according　to
his　own　account。　　I　said　to　him　again　and　again；　〃Did　you　find　any
more　particulars　afterwards？〃　　〃Not　a　syllable；〃　he　said。　　O；　he
should　never　hear　any　more　of　that！　too　many　years　had　passed　since
it　happened。　　〃At　any　rate；　you　found　out　her　surname？〃　I　said。
〃Well；　well；　that's　my　secret；〃　he　went　on。　　〃Perhaps　I　should　never
have　been　in　this　part　of　the　world　if　it　hadn't　been　for　that。　　I
failed　as　a　publican；　you　know。〃　　I　imagine　the　situation　of　gateman
was　given　him　and　his　debts　paid　off　as　a　bribe　to　silence；　but　I
can't　say。　　〃Ah；　yes！〃　he　said；　with　a　long　breath。　　〃I　have　never
heard　that　name　mentioned　since　that　time　till　to…night；　and　then
there　instantly　rose　to　my　eyes　the　vision　of　that　young　lady　lying
in　a　fainting　fit。〃　　He　then　stopped　talking　and　fell　asleep。
Telling　the　story　must　have　relieved　him　as　it　did　the　Ancient
Mariner；　for　he　did　not　move　a　muscle　or　make　another　sound　for　the
remainder　of　the　night。　　Now　isn't　that　an　odd　story？'

'It　is　indeed；'　Cytherea　murmured。　　'Very；　very　strange。'

'Why　should　she　have　said　your　most　uncommon　name？'　continued　Owen。
'The　man　was　evidently　truthful；　for　there　was　not　motive　sufficient
for　his　invention　of　such　a　tale；　and　he　could　not　have　done　it
either。'

Cytherea　looked　long　at　her　brother。　　'Don't　you　recognize　anything
else　in　connection　with　the　story？'　she　said。

'What？'　he　asked。

'Do　you　remember　what　poor　papa　once　let　dropthat　Cytherea　was　the
name　of　his　first　sweetheart　in　Bloomsbury；　who　so　mysteriously
renounced　him？　　A　sort　of　intuition　tells　me　that　this　was　the　same
woman。'

'O　nonot　likely；'　said　her　brother　sceptically。

'How　not　likely；　Owen？　　There's　not　another　woman　of　the　name　in
England。　　In　what　year　used　papa　to　say　the　event　took　place？'

'Eighteen　hundred　and　thirty…five。'

'And　when　were　the　Houses　of　Parliament　burnt？stop；　I　can　tell
you。'　　She　searched　their　little　stock　of　books　for　a　list　of　dates；
and　found　one　in　an　old　school　history。

'The　Houses　of　Parliament　were　burnt　down　in　the　evening　of　the
sixteenth　of　October；　eighteen　hundred　and　thirty…four。'

'Nearly　a　year　and　a　quarter　before　she　met　father；'　remarked　Owen。

They　were　silent。　　'If　papa　had　been　alive；　what　a　wonderful
absorbing　interest　this　story　would　have　had　for　him；'　said　Cytherea
by…and…by。　　'And　how　strangely　knowledge　comes　to　us。　　We　might　have
searched　for　a　clue　to　her　secret　half　the　world　over；　and　never
found　one。　　If　we　had　really　had　any　motive　for　trying　to　discover
more　of　the　sad　history　than　papa　told　us；　we　should　have　gone　to
Bloomsbury；　but　not　caring　to　do　so；　we　go　two　hundred　miles　in　the
opposite　direction；　and　there　find　information　waiting　to　be　told
us。　　What　could　have　been　the　secret；　Owen？'

'Heaven　knows。　　But　our　having　heard　a　little　more　of　her　in　this
way　（if　she　is　the　same　woman）　is　a　mere　coincidence　after　alla
family　story　to　tell　our　friends　if　we　ever　have　any。　　But　we　shall
never　know　any　more　of　the　episode　nowtrust　our　fates　for　that。'

Cytherea　sat　silently　thinking。

'There　was　no　answer　this　morning　to　your　advertisement；　Cytherea？'
he　continued。

'None。'

'I　could　see　that　by　your　looks　when　I　came　in。'

'Fancy　not　getting　a　single　one；'　she　said　sadly。　　'Surely　there
must　be　people　somewhere　who　want　governesses？'

'Yes；　but　those　who　want　them；　and　can　afford　to　have　them；　get　them
mostly　by　friends'　recommendations；　whilst　those　who　want　them；　and
can't　afford　to　have　them；　make　use　of　their　poor　relations。'

'What　shall　I　do？'

'