armadale-第14节

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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
friend；　I　see　I　surprise　you：　will　you　bear　with　me　if　I　leave
these　strange　circumstances　unexplained？　There　is　past　misfortune
and　misery　in　my　early　life　too　painful　for　me　to　speak　of；　even
to　_you。_　Will　you　help　me　to　bear　the　remembrance　of　it；　by
never　referring　to　this　again？　Will　you　do　even　morewill　you
promise　not　to　speak　of　it　to　Allan；　and　not　to　let　that
newspaper　fall　in　his　way？〃

Mr。　Brock　gave　the　pledge　required　of　him；　and　considerately　left
her　to　herself。

The　rector　had　been　too　long　and　too　truly　attached　to　Mrs。
Armadale　to　be　capable　of　regarding　her　with　any　unworthy
distrust。　But　it　would　be　idle　to　deny　that　he　felt　disappointed
by　her　want　of　confidence　in　him；　and　that　he　looked
inquisitively　at　the　advertisement　more　than　once　on　his　way　back
to　his　own　house。

It　was　clear　enough；　now；　that　Mrs。　Armadale's　motives　for
burying　her　son　as　well　as　herself　in　the　seclusion　of　a　remote
country　village　was　not　so　much　to　keep　him　under　her　own　eye　as
to　keep　him　from　discovery　by　his　namesake。　Why　did　she　dread　the
idea　of　their　ever　meeting？　Was　it　a　dread　for　herself；　or　a
dread　for　her　son？　Mr。　Brock's　loyal　belief　in　his　friend
rejected　any　solution　of　the　difficulty　which　pointed　at　some
past　misconduct　of　Mrs。　Armadale's。　That　night　he　destroyed　the
advertisement　with　his　own　hand；　that　night　he　resolved　that　the
subject　should　never　be　suffered　to　enter　his　mind　again。　There
was　another　Allan　Armadale　about　the　world；　a　stranger　to　his
pupil's　blood；　and　a　vagabond　advertised　in　the　public
newspapers。　So　much　accident　had　revealed　to　him。　More；　for　Mrs。
Armadale's　sake；　he　had　no　wish　to　discoverand　more　he　would
never　seek　to　know。

This　was　the　second　in　the　series　of　events　which　dated　from　the
rector's　connection　with　Mrs。　Armadale　and　her　son。　Mr。　Brock's
memory；　traveling　on　nearer　and　nearer　to　present　circumstances；
reached　the　third　stage　of　its　journey　through　the　by…gone　time；
and　stopped　at　the　year　eighteen　hundred　and　fifty；　next。

The　five　years　that　had　passed　had　made　little　if　any　change　in
Allan's　character。　He　had　simply　developed　（to　use　his　tutor's
own　expression）　from　a　boy　of　sixteen　to　a　boy　of　twenty…one。　He
was　just　as　easy　and　open　in　his　disposition　as　ever；　just　as
quaintly　and　inveterately　good…humored；　just　as　heedless　in
following　his　own　impulses；　lead　him　where　they　might。　His　bias
toward　the　sea　had　strengthened　with　his　advance　to　the　years　of
manhood。　From　building　a　boat；　he　had　now　got　onwith　two
journeymen　at　work　under　himto　building　a　decked　vessel　of
five…and…thirty　tons。　Mr。　Brock　had　conscientiously　tried　to
divert　him　to　higher　aspirations；　had　taken　him　to　Oxford；　to　see
what　college　life　was　like；　had　taken　him　to　London；　to　expand
his　mind　by　the　spectacle　of　the　great　metropolis。　The　change　had
diverted　Allan；　but　had　not　altered　him　in　the　least。　He　was　as
impenetrably　superior　to　all　worldly　ambition　as　Diogenes
himself。　〃Which　is　best；〃　asked　this　unconscious　philosopher；　〃to
find　out　the　way　to　be　happy　for　yourself；　or　to　let　other　people
try　if　they　can　find　it　out　for　you？〃　From　that　moment　Mr。　Brock
permitted　his　pupil's　character　to　grow　at　its　own　rate　of
development；　and　Allan　went　on　uninterruptedly　with　the　work　of
his　yacht。

Time；　which　had　wrought　so　little　change　in　the　son；　had　not
passed　harmless　over　the　mother。

Mrs。　Armadale's　health　was　breaking　fast。　As　her　strength　failed；
her　temper　altered　for　the　worse：　she　grew　more　and　more　fretful；
more　and　more　subject　to　morbid　fears　and　fancies；　more　and　more
reluctant　to　leave　her　own　room。　Since　the　appearance　of　the
advertisement　five　years　since；　nothing　had　happened　to　force　her
memory　back　to　the　painful　associations　connected　with　her　early
life。　No　word　more　on　the　forbidden　topic　had　passed　between　the
rector　and　herself；　no　suspicion　had　ever　been　raised　in　Allan's
mind　of　the　existence　of　his　namesake；　and　yet；　without　the
shadow　of　a　reason　for　any　special　anxiety；　Mrs。　Armadale　had
become；　of　late　years；　obstinately　and　fretfully　uneasy　on　the
subject　of　her　son。　More　than　once　Mr。　Brock　dreaded　a　serious
disagreement　between　them；　but　Allan's　natural　sweetness　of
temper；　fortified　by　his　love　for　his　mother；　carried　him
triumphantly　through　all　trials。　Not　a　hard　word　or　a　harsh　look
ever　escaped　him　in　her　presence；　he　was　unchangeably　loving　and
forbearing　with　her　to　the　very　last。

Such　were　the　positions　of　the　son；　the　mother；　and　the　friend；
when　the　next　notable　event　happened　in　the　lives　of　the　three。
On　a　dreary　afternoon；　early　in　the　month　of　November；　Mr。　Brock
was　disturbed　over　the　composition　of　his　sermon　by　a　visit　from
the　landlord　of　the　village　inn。

After　making　his　introductory　apologies；　the　landlord　st　ated　the
urgent　business　on　which　he　had　come　to　the　rectory　clearly
enough。

A　few　hours　since　a　young　man　had　been　brought　to　the　inn　by　some
farm　laborers　in　the　neighborhood；　who　had　found　him　wandering
about　one　of　their　master's　fields　in　a　disordered　state　of　mind；
which　looked　to　their　eyes　like　downright　madness。　The　landlord
had　given　the　poor　creature　shelter　while　he　sent　for　medical
help；　and　the　doctor；　on　seeing　him；　had　pronounced　that　he　was
suffering　from　fever　on　the　brain；　and　that　his　removal　to　the
nearest　town　at　which　a　hospital　or　a　work…house　infirmary　could
be　found　to　receive　him　would　in　all　probability　be　fatal　to　his
chances　of　recovery。　After　hearing　this　expression　of　opinion；
and　after　observing　for　himself　that　the　stranger's　only　luggage
consisted　of　a　small　carpet…bag　which　had　been　found　in　the　field
near　him；　the　landlord　had　set　off　on　the　spot　to　consult　the
rector；　and　to　ask；　in　this　serious　emergency；　what　course　he　was
to　take　next。

Mr。　Brock　was　the　magistrate　as　well　as　the　clergyman　of　the
district；　and　the　course　to　be　taken；　in　the　first　instance；　was
to　his　mind　clear　enough。　He　put　on　his　hat；　and　accompanied　the
landlord　back　to　the　inn。

At　the　inn　door　they　were　joined　by　Allan；　who　had　heard　the　news
through　another　channel；　and　who　was　waiting　Mr。　Brock's　arrival；
to　follow　in　the　magistrate's　train；　and　to　see　what　the　stranger
was　like。　The　village　surgeon　joined　them　at　the　same　moment；　and
the　four　went　into　the　inn　together。

They　found　the　landlord's　son　on　one　side；　and　the　hostler　on　the
other；　holding　the　man　down　in　his　chair。　Young；　slim；　and
undersized；　he　was　strong　enough　at　that　moment　to　make　it　a
matter　of　difficulty　for　the　two　to　master　him。　His　tawny
complexion；　his　large；　bright　brown　eyes；　and　his　black　beard
gave　him　something　of　a　foreign　look。　His　dress　was　a　little
worn；　but　his　linen　was　clean。　His　dusky　hands　were　wiry　and
nervous；　and　were　lividly　discolored　in　more　places　than　one　by
the　scars　of　old　wounds。　The　toes　of　one　of　his　feet；　off　which
he　had　kicked　the　shoe；　grasped　at　the　chair　rail　through　his
stocking；　with　the　sensitive　muscular　action　which　is　only　seen
in　those　who　have　been　accustomed　to　go　barefoot。　In　the　frenzy
that　now　possessed　him；　it　was　impossible　to　notice；　to　any
useful　purpose；　more　than　this。　After　a　whispered　consultation
with　Mr。　Brock；　the　surgeon　personally　superintended　the
patient's　removal　to　a　quiet　bedroom　at　the　back　of　the　house。
Shortly　afterward　his　clothes　and　his　carpet…bag　were　sent
downstairs；　and　were　searched；　on　the　chance　of　finding　a　clew　by
which　to　communicate　with　his　friends；　in　the　magistrate's
presence。

The　carpet…　bag　contained　nothing　but　a　change　of　clothing；　and
two　booksthe　Plays　of　Sophocles；　in　the　original　Greek；　and　the
〃Faust〃　of　Goethe；　in　the　original　German。　Both　volumes　were　much
worn　by　reading；　and　on　the　fly…leaf　of　each　were　inscribed　the
initials　O。　M。　So　much　the　bag　revealed；　and　no　more。

The　clothes　which　the　man　wore　when　he　was　discovered　in　the
field　were　tried　next。　A　purse　（containing　a　sovereign　and　a　few
shillings）；　a　pipe；　a　tobacco　pouch；　a　handkerchief；　and　a　little
drinking…cup　of　horn　were　produced　in　succession。　The　next
object；　and　the　last；　was　found　crumpled　up　carelessly　in　the
breast…pocket　of　the　coat。　It　was　a　written　testimonial　to
character；　dated　and　signed；　but　without　any　address。

So　far　as　this　document　could　tell　it；　the　stranger's　story　was　a
sad　one　indeed。　He　had　apparently　been　employed　for　a　short　time
as　usher　at　a　school；　and　had　been　turned　adrift　in　the　world；　at
the　outset　of　his　illness；　from　the　fear　that　the　fever　might　be
infectious；　and　that　the　prosperity　of　the　establishment　might
suffer　accordingly。　Not　the　slightest　imputation　of　any
misbehavior　in　his　employment　rested　on　him。　On　the　contrary；　the
schoolmaster　had　great　pleasure　in　testifying　to　his　capacity　and
his　character；　and　in　expressing　a　fervent　hope　that　he　might
（under　Providence）　succeed　in　recovering　his　health　in　somebody
else's　house。　The　written　testimonial　which　afforded　this　glimpse
at　the　man's　story　served　one　purpose　more：　it　connected　him　with
the　initials　on　the　books；　and　id