armadale-第20节

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breakfast…table。　He　snatched　it　up；　looked　at　the　address；　and
threw　the　letter　down　again　impatiently。　The　handwriting　was　not
Midwinter's。　Allan　finished　his　breakfast　before　he　cared　to　read
what　his　correspondent　had　to　say　to　him。

The　meal　over；　young　Armadale　lazily　opened　the　letter。　He　began
it　with　an　expression　of　supreme　indifference。　He　finished　it
with　a　sudden　leap　out　of　his　chair；　and　a　loud　shout　of
astonishment。　Wondering；　as　he　well　might；　at　this　extraordinary
outbreak；　Mr。　Brock　took　up　the　letter　which　Allan　had　tossed
across　the　table　to　him。　Before　he　had　come　to　the　end　of　it；　his
hands　dropped　helplessly　on　his　knees；　and　the　blank　bewilderment
of　his　pupil's　expression　was　accurately　reflected　on　his　own
face。

If　ever　two　men　had　good　cause　for　being　thrown　completely　off
their　balance；　Allan　and　the　rector　were　those　two。　The　letter
which　had　struck　them　both　with　the　same　shock　of　astonishment
did；　beyond　all　question；　contain　an　announcement　which；　on　a
first　discovery　of　it；　was　simply　incredible。　The　news　was　from
Norfolk；　and　was　to　this　effect。　In　little　more　than　one　week's
time　death　had　mown　down　no　less　than　three　lives　in　the　family
at　Thorpe　Ambrose；　and　Allan　Armadale　was　at　that　moment　heir　to
an　estate　of　eight　thousand　a　year！

A　second　perusal　of　the　letter　enabled　the　rector　and　his
companion　to　master　the　details　which　had　escaped　them　on　a　first
reading

The　writer　was　the　family　lawyer　at　Thorpe　Ambrose。　After
announcing　to　Allan　the　deaths　of　his　cousin　Arthur　at　the　age　of
twenty…five；　of　his　uncle　Henry　at　the　age　of　forty…eight；　and　of
his　cousin　John　at　the　age　of　twenty…one；　the　lawyer　proceeded　to
give　a　brief　abstract　of　the　terms　of　the　elder　Mr。　Blanchard's
will。　The　claims　of　male　issue　were；　as　is　not　unusual　in　such
cases；　preferred　to　the　claims　of　female　issue。　Failing　Arthur
and　his　issue　male；　the　estate　was　left　to　Henry　and　his　issue
male。　Failing　them；　it　went　to　the　issue　male　of　Henry's　sister；
and；　in　default　of　such　issue；　to　the　next　heir　male。　As　events
had　happened；　the　two　young　men；　Arthur　and　John；　had　died
unmarried；　and　Henry　Blanchard　had　died；　leaving　no　surviving
child　but　a　daughter。　Under　these　circumstances；　Allan　was　the
next　heir　male　pointed　at　by　the　will；　and　was　now　legally
successor　to　the　Thorpe　Ambrose　estate。　Having　made　this
extraordinary　announcement；　the　lawyer　requested　to　be　favored
with　Mr。　Armadale's　instructions；　and　added；　in　conclusion；　that
he　would　be　happy　to　furnish　any　further　particulars　that　were
desired。

It　was　useless　to　waste　time　in　wondering　at　an　event　which
neither　Allan　nor　his　mother　had　ever　thought　of　as　even　remotely
possible。　The　only　thing　to　be　done　was　to　go　back　to　England　at
once。　The　next　day　found　the　travelers　installed　once　more　in
their　London　hotel；　and　the　day　after　the　affair　was　placed　in
the　proper　professional　hands。　The　inevitable　corresponding　and
consulting　ensued；　and　one　by　one　the　all…important　particulars
flowed　in；　until　the　measure　of　information　was　pronounced　to　be
full。

This　was　the　strange　story　of　the　three　deaths：

At　the　time　when　Mr。　Brock　had　written　to　Mrs。　Armadale's
relatives　to　announce　the　news　of　her　decease　（that　is　to　say；　in
the　middle　of　the　month　of　January）；　the　family　at　Thorpe　Ambrose
numbered　five　personsArthur　Blanchard　（in　possession　of　the
estate）；　living　in　the　great　house　with　his　mother；　and　Henry
Blanchard；　the　uncle；　living　in　the　neighborhood；　a　widower　with
two　children；　a　son　and　a　daughter。　To　cement　the　family
connection　still　more　closely；　Arthur　Blanchard　was　engaged　to　be
married　to　his　cousin。　The　wedding　was　to　be　celebrated　with
great　local　rejoicings　in　the　coming　summer；　when　the　young　lady
had　completed　her　twentieth　year。

The　month　of　February　had　brought　changes　with　it　in　the　family
position。　Observing　signs　of　delicacy　in　the　health　of　his　son；
Mr。　Henry　Blanchard　left　Norfolk；　taking　the　young　man　with　him；
under　medical　advice；　to　try　the　climate　of　Italy。　Early　in　the
ensuing　month　of　March；　Arthur　Blanchard　also　left　Thorpe
Ambrose；　for　a　few　days　only；　on　business　which　required　his
presence　in　London。　The　business　took　him　into　the　City。　Annoyed
by　the　endless　impediments　in　the　streets；　he　returned　westward
by　one　of　the　river　steamers；　and；　so　returning；　met　his　death。

As　the　steamer　left　the　wharf；　he　noticed　a　woman　near　him　who
had　shown　a　singular　hesitation　in　embarking；　and　who　had　been
the　last　of　the　passengers　to　take　her　place　in　the　vessel。　She
was　neatly　dressed　in　black　silk；　with　a　red　Paisley　shawl　over
her　shoulders；　and　she　kept　her　face　hidden　behind　a　thick　veil。
Arthur　Blanchard　was　struck　by　the　rare　grace　and　elegance　of　her
figure；　and　he　felt　a　young　man's　passing　curiosity　to　see　her
face。　She　neither　lifted　her　veil　nor　turned　her　head　his　way。
After　taking　a　few　steps　hesitatingly　backward　and　forward　on　the
deck；　she　walked　away　on　a　sudden　to　the　stern　of　the　vessel。　In
a　minute　more　there　was　a　cry　of　alarm　from　the　man　at　the　helm；
and　the　engines　were　stopped　immediately。　The　woman　had　thrown
herself　overboard。

The　passengers　all　rushed　to　the　side　of　the　vessel　to　look。
Arthur　Blanchard　alone；　without　an　instant's　hesitation；　jumped
into　the　river。　He　was　an　excellent　swimmer；　and　he　reached　the
woman　as　she　rose　again　to　the　surface；　after　sinking　for　the
first　time。　Help　was　at　hand；　and　they　were　both　brought　safely
ashore。　The　woman　was　taken　to　the　nearest　police　station；　and
was　soon　restored　to　her　senses；　her　preserver　giving　his　name
and　address；　as　usual　in　such　cases；　to　the　inspector　on　duty；
who　wisely　recommended　him　to　get　into　a　warm　bath；　and　to　send
to　his　lodgings　for　dry　clothes。　Arthur　Blanchard；　who　had　never
known　an　hour's　illness　since　he　was　a　child；　laughed　at　the
caution；　and　went　back　in　a　cab。　The　next　day　he　was　too　ill　to
attend　the　examination　before　the　magistrate。　A　fortnight
afterward　he　was　a　dead　man。

The　news　of　the　calamity　reached　Henry　Blanchard　and　his　son　at
Milan；　and　within　an　hour　of　the　time　when　they　received　it　they
were　on　their　way　back　to　England。　The　snow　on　the　Alps　had
loosened　earlier　than　usual　that　year；　and　the　passes　were
notoriously　dangerous。　The　father　and　son；　traveling　in　their　own
carriage；　were　met　on　the　mountain　by　the　mail　returning；　after
sending　the　letters　on　by　hand。　Warnings　which　would　have
produced　their　effect　under　any　ordinary　circumstances　were　now
vainly　addressed　to　the　two　Englishmen。　Their　impatience　to　be　at
home　again；　after　the　catastrophe　which　had　befallen　their
family；　brooked　no　delay。　Bribes　lavishly　offered　to　the
postilions；　tempted　them　to　go　on。　The　carriage　pursued　its　way；
and　was　lost　to　view　in　the　mist。　When　it　was　seen　again；　it　was
disinterred　from　the　bottom　of　a　precipicethe　men；　the　horses；
and　the　vehicle　all　crushed　together　under　the　wreck　and　ruin　of
an　avalanche。

So　the　three　lives　were　mown　down　by　death。　So；　in　a　clear
sequence　of　events；　a　woman's　suicide…leap　into　a　river　had
opened　to　Allan　Armadale　the　succession　to　the　Thorpe　Ambrose
estates。

Who　was　the　woman？　The　man　who　saved　her　life　never　knew。　The
magistrate　who　remanded　her；　the　chaplain　who　exhorted　her；　the
reporter　who　exhibited　her　in　print；　never　knew。　It　was　recorded
of　her　with　surprise　that；　though　most　respectably　dressed；　she
had　nevertheless　described　herself　as　being　〃in　distress。〃　She
had　expressed　the　deepest　contrition；　but　had　persisted　in　giving
a　name　which　was　on　the　face　of　it　a　false　one；　in　telling　a
commonplace　story；　which　was　manifestly　an　invention；　and　in
refusing　to　the　last　to　furnish　any　clew　to　her　friends。　A　lady
connected　with　a　charitable　institution　（〃interested　by　her
extreme　elegance　and　beauty〃）　had　volunteered　to　take　charge　of
her；　and　to　bring　her　into　a　better　frame　of　mind　。　The　first
day's　experience　of　the　penitent　had　been　far　from　cheering；　and
the　second　day's　experience　had　been　conclusive。　She　had　left　the
institution　by　stealth；　andthough　the　visiting　clergyman；
taking　a　special　interest　in　the　case；　had　caused　special　efforts
to　be　madeall　search　after　her；　from　that　time　forth；　had
proved　fruitless。

While　this　useless　investigation　（undertaken　at　Allan's　express
desire）　was　in　progress；　the　lawyers　had　settled　the　preliminary
formalities　connected　with　the　succession　to　the　property。　All
that　remained　was　for　the　new　master　of　Thorpe　Ambrose　to　decide
when　he　would　personally　establish　himself　on　the　estate　of　which
he　was　now　the　legal　possessor。

Left　necessarily　to　his　own　guidance　in　this　matter；　Allan
settled　it　for　himself　in　his　usual　hot…headed；　generous　way。　He
positively　declined　to　take　possession　until　Mrs。　Blanchard　and
her　niece　（who　had　been　permitted　thus　far；　as　a　matter　of
courtesy；　to　remain　in　their　old　home）　had　recovered　from　the
calamity　that　had　befallen　them；　and　were　fit　to　decide　for
themselves　what　their　future　proceedings　should　be。　A　private
correspondence　followed　this　resolution；　comprehending；　on
Allan's　side；　unlimited　offers　of　everything　he　had　to　give　（in　a
hou