armadale-第13节

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beginning　of　the　interview；　to　amuse　himself　in　the　rectory
garden。　Her　card　had　preceded　her　entrance　into　the　study；　and
had　announced　her　under　the　name　of　〃Mrs。　Armadale。〃　Mr。　Brock
began　to　feel　interested　in　her　before　she　had　opened　her　lips；
and　when　the　son　had　been　dismissed；　he　awaited　with　some　anxiety
to　hear　what　the　mother　had　to　say　to　him。

Mrs。　Armadale　began　by　informing　the　rector　that　she　was　a　widow。
Her　husband　had　perished　by　shipwreck　a　short　time　after　their
union；　on　the　voyage　from　Madeira　to　Lisbon。　She　had　been　brought
to　England；　after　her　affliction；　under　her　father's　protection；
and　her　childa　posthumous　sonhad　been　born　on　the　family
estate　in　Norfolk。　Her　father's　death；　shortly　afterward；　had
deprived　her　of　her　only　surviving　parent；　and　had　exposed　her　to
neglect　and　misconstruction　on　the　part　of　her　remaining
relatives　（two　brothers）；　which　had　estranged　her　from　them；　she
feared；　for　the　rest　of　her　days。　For　some　time　past　she　had
lived　in　the　neighboring　county　of　Devonshire；　devoting　herself
to　the　education　of　her　boy；　who　had　now　reached　an　age　at　which
he　required　other　than　his　mother's　teaching。　Leaving　out　of　the
question　her　own　unwillingness　to　part　with　him；　in　her　solitary
position；　she　was　especially　anxious　that　he　should　not　be　thrown
among　strangers　by　being　sent　to　school。　Her　darling　project　was
to　bring　him　up　privately　at　home；　and　to　keep　him；　as　he
advanced　in　years；　from　all　contact　with　the　temptations　and　the
dangers　of　the　world。

With　these　objects　in　view；　her　longer　sojourn　in　her　own
locality　（where　the　services　of　the　resident　clergyman；　in　the
capacity　of　tutor；　were　not　obtainable）　must　come　to　an　end。　She
had　made　inquiries；　had　heard　of　a　house　that　would　suit　her　in
Mr。　Brock's　neighborhood；　and　had　also　been　told　that　Mr。　Brock
himself　had　formerly　been　in　the　habit　of　taking　pupils。
Possessed　of　this　information；　she　had　ventured　to　present
herself；　with　references　that　vouched　for　her　respectability；　but
without　a　formal　introduction；　and　she　had　now　to　ask　whether　（in
the　event　of　her　residing　in　the　neighborhood）　any　terms　that
could　be　offered　would　induce　Mr。　Brock　to　open　his　doors　once
more　to　a　pupil；　and　to　allow　that　pupil　to　be　her　son。

If　Mrs。　Armadale　had　been　a　woman　of　no　personal　attractions；　or
if　Mr。　Brock　had　been　provided　with　an　intrenchment　to　fight
behind　in　the　shape　of　a　wife；　it　is　probable　that　the　widow's
journey　might　have　been　taken　in　vain。　As　things　really　were；　the
rector　examined　the　references　which　were　offered　to　him；　and
asked　time　for　consideration。　When　the　time　had　expired；　he　did
what　Mrs。　Armadale　wished　him　to　dohe　offered　his　back　to　the
burden；　and　let　the　mother　load　him　with　the　responsibility　of
the　son。

This　was　the　first　event　of　the　series；　the　date　of　it　being　the
year　eighteen　hundred　and　thirty…seven。　Mr。　Brock's　memory；
traveling　forward　toward　the　present　from　that　point；　picked　up
the　second　event　in　its　turn；　and　stopped　next　at　the　year
eighteen　hundred　and　forty…five。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

The　fishing…village　on　the　Somersetshire　coast　was　still　the
scene；　and　the　characters　were　once　againMrs。　Armadale　and　her
son。

Through　the　eight　years　that　had　passed；　Mr。　Brock's
responsibility　had　rested　on　him　lightly　enough。　The　boy　had
given　his　mother　and　his　tutor　but　little　trouble。　He　was
certainly　slow　over　his　books；　but　more　from　a　constitutional
inability　to　fix　his　attention　on　his　tasks　than　from　want　of
capacity　to　understand　them。　His　temperament；　it　could　not　be
denied；　was　heedless　to　the　last　degree：　he　acted　recklessly　on
his　first　impulses；　and　rushed　blindfold　at　all　his　conclusions。
On　the　other　hand；　it　was　to　be　said　in　his　favor　that　his
disposition　was　open　as　the　day；　a　more　generous；　affectionate；
sweet…tempered　lad　it　would　have　been　hard　to　find　anywhere。　A
certain　quaint　originality　of　character；　and　a　natural
healthiness　in　all　his　tastes；　carried　him　free　of　most　of　the
dangers　to　which　his　mother's　system　of　education　inevitably
exposed　him。　He　had　a　thoroughly　English　love　of　the　sea　and　of
all　that　belongs　to　it；　and　as　he　grew　in　years；　there　was　no
luring　him　away　from　the　water…side；　and　no　keeping　him　out　of
the　boat…builder's　yard。　In　course　of　time　his　mother　caught　him
actually　working　there；　to　her　infinite　annoyance　and　surprise；
as　a　volunteer。　He　acknowledged　that　his　whole　future　ambition
was　to　have　a　yard　of　his　own；　and　that　his　one　present　object
was　to　learn　to　build　a　boat　for　himself。　Wisely　foreseeing　that
such　a　pursuit　as　this　for　his　leisure　hours　was　exactly　what　was
wanted　to　reconcile　the　lad　to　a　position　of　isolation　from
companions　of　his　own　rank　and　age；　Mr。　Brock　prevailed　on　Mrs。
Armadale；　with　no　small　difficulty；　to　let　her　son　have　his　way。
At　the　period　of　that　second　event　in　the　clergyman's　life　with
his　pupil　which　is　now　to　be　related；　young　Armadale　had
practiced　long　enough　in　the　builder's　yard　to　have　reached　the
summit　of　his　wishes；　by　laying　with　his　own　hands　the　keel　of
his　own　boat。

Late　on　a　certain　summer　day；　not　long　after　Allan　had　completed
his　sixteenth　year；　Mr。　Brock　left　his　pupil　hard　at　work　in　the
yard；　and　went　to　spend　the　evening　with　Mrs。　Armadale；　taking
the　_Times_　newspaper　with　him　in　his　hand。

The　years　that　had　passed　since　they　had　first　met　had　long　since
regulated　the　lives　of　the　clergyman　and　his　neighbor。　The　first
advances　which　Mr。　Brock's　growing　admiration　for　the　widow　had
led　him　to　make　in　the　early　days　of　their　intercourse　had　been
met　on　her　side　by　an　appeal　to　his　forbearance　which　had　closed
his　lips　for　the　future。　She　had　satisfied　him；　at　once　and
forever；　th　at　the　one　place　in　her　heart　which　he　could　hope　to
occupy　was　the　place　of　a　friend。　He　loved　her　well　enough　to
take　what　she　would　give　him：　friends　they　became；　and　friends
they　remained　from　that　time　forth。　No　jealous　dread　of　another
man's　succeeding　where　he　had　failed　imbittered　the　clergyman's
placid　relations　with　the　woman　whom　he　loved。　Of　the　few
resident　gentlemen　in　the　neighborhood；　none　were　ever　admitted
by　Mrs。　Armadale　to　more　than　the　merest　acquaintance　with　her。
Contentedly　self…buried　in　her　country　retreat；　she　was　proof
against　every　social　attraction　that　would　have　tempted　other
women　in　her　position　and　at　her　age。　Mr。　Brock　and　his
newspaper；　appearing　with　monotonous　regularity　at　her　tea…table
three　times　a　week；　told　her　all　she　knew　or　cared　to　know　of　the
great　outer　world　which　circled　round　the　narrow　and　changeless
limits　of　her　daily　life。

On　the　evening　in　question　Mr。　Brock　took　the　arm…chair　in　which
he　always　sat；　accepted　the　one　cup　of　tea　which　he　always　drank；
and　opened　the　newspaper　which　he　always　read　aloud　to　Mrs。
Armadale；　who　invariably　listened　to　him　reclining　on　the　same
sofa；　with　the　same　sort　of　needle…work　everlastingly　in　her
hand。

〃Bless　my　soul！〃　cried　the　rector；　with　his　voice　in　a　new
octave；　and　his　eyes　fixed　in　astonishment　on　the　first　page　of
the　newspaper。

No　such　introduction　to　the　evening　readings　as　this　had　ever
happened　before　in　all　Mrs。　Armadale's　experience　as　a　listener。
She　looked　up　from　the　sofa　in　a　flutter　of　curiosity；　and
besought　her　reverend　friend　to　favor　her　with　an　explanation。

〃I　can　hardly　believe　my　own　eyes；〃　said　Mr。　Brock。　〃Here　is　an
advertisement；　Mrs。　Armadale；　addressed　to　your　son。〃

Without　further　preface；　he　read　the　advertisement　as　follows：


IF　this　should　meet　the　eye　of　ALLAN　ARMADALE；　he　is　desired　to
communicate；　either　personally　or　by　letter；　with　Messrs。　Hammick
and　Ridge　（Lincoln's　Inn　Fields；　London）；　on　business　of
importance　which　seriously　concerns　him。　Any　one　capable　of
informing　Messrs。　E。　and　R。　where　the　person　herein　advertised
can　be　found　would　confer　a　favor　by　doing　the　same。　To　prevent
mistakes；　it　is　further　notified　that　the　missing　Allan　Armadale
is　a　youth　aged　fifteen　years；　and　that　this　advertisement　is
inserted　at　the　instance　of　his　family　and　friends。


〃Another　family；　and　other　friends；〃　said　Mrs。　Armadale。　〃The
person　whose　name　appears　in　that　advertisement　is　not　my　son。〃

The　tone　in　which　she　spoke　surprised　Mr。　Brock。　The　change　in
her　face；　when　he　looked　up；　shocked　him。　Her　delicate　complexion
had　faded　away　to　a　dull　white；　her　eyes　were　averted　from　her
visitor　with　a　strange　mixture　of　confusion　and　alarm；　she　looked
an　older　woman　than　she　was；　by　ten　good　years　at　least。

〃The　name　is　so　very　uncommon；〃　said　Mr。　Brock；　imagining　he　had
offended　her；　and　trying　to　excuse　himself。　〃It　really　seemed
impossible　there　could　be　two　persons〃

〃There　_are_　two；〃　interposed　Mrs。　Armadale。　〃Allan；　as　you　know；
is　sixteen　years　old。　If　you　look　back　at　the　advertisement；　you
will　find　the　missing　person　described　as　being　only　fifteen。
Although　he　bears　the　same　surname　and　the　same　Christian　name；
he　is；　I　thank　God；　in　no　way　whatever　related　to　my　son。　As　long
as　I　live；　it　will　be　the　object　of　my　hopes　and　prayers　that
Allan　may　never　see　him；　may　never　even　hear　of　him。　My　kind