armadale-第76节

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the　better　faith　that　was　in　him。　Now　once　more　he　felt　his　heart
holding　firmly　by　the　bond　of　brotherhood　between　Allan　and
himself；　now　once　more　he　could　say　with　the　eager　sincerity　of
the　old　time；　〃If　the　thought　of　leaving　him　breaks　my　heart；　the
thought　of　leaving　him　is　wrong！〃　As　that　nobler　conviction
possessed　itself　again　of　his　mindquieting　the　tumult；　clearing
the　confusion　within　himthe　house　at　Thorpe　Ambrose；　with　Allan
on　the　steps；　waiting；　looking　for　him；　opened　on　his　eyes
through　the　trees。　A　sense　of　illimitable　relief　lifted　his　eager
spirit　high　above　the　cares；　and　doubts；　and　fears　that　had
oppressed　it　so　long；　and　showed　him　once　more　the　better　and
brighter　future　of　his　early　dreams。　His　eyes　filled　with　tears；
and　he　pressed　the　rector's　letter；　in　his　wild；　passionate　way；
to　his　lips；　as　he　looked　at　Allan　through　the　vista　of　the
trees。　〃But　for　this　morsel　of　paper；〃　he　thought；　〃my　life　might
have　been　one　long　sorrow　to　me；　and　my　father's　crime　might　have
parted　us　forever！〃


Such　was　the　result　of　the　stratagem　which　had　shown　the
housemaid's　face　to　Mr。　Brock　as　the　face　of　Miss　Gwilt。　And
soby　shaking　Midwinter's　trust　in　his　own　superstition；　in　the
one　case　in　which　that　superstition　pointed　to　the　truthdid
Mother　Oldershaw's　cunning　triumph　over　difficulties　and　dangers
which　had　never　been　contemplated　by　Mother　Oldershaw　herself。

CHAPTER　XI。

MISS　GWILT　AMONG　THE　QUICKSANDS。

1。　_From　the　Rev。　Decimus　Brock　to　Ozias　Midwinter。_

〃Thursday。

〃MY　DEAR　MIDWINTERNo　words　can　tell　what　a　relief　it　was　to　me
to　get　your　letter　this　morning；　and　what　a　happiness　I　honestly
feel　in　having　been　thus　far　proved　to　be　in　the　wrong。　The
precautions　you　have　taken　in　case　the　woman　should　still　confirm
my　apprehensions　by　venturing　herself　at　Thorpe　Ambrose　seem　to
me　to　be　all　that　can　be　desired。　You　are　no　doubt　sure　to　hear
of　her　from　one　or　other　of　the　people　in　the　lawyer's　office；
whom　you　have　asked　to　inform　you　of　the　appearance　of　a　stranger
in　the　town。

〃I　am　the　more　pleased　at　finding　how　entirely　I　can　trust　you　in
this　matter；　for　I　am　likely　to　be　obliged　to　leave　Allan's
interests　longer　than　I　supposed　solely　in　your　hands。　My　visit
to　Thorpe　Ambrose　must；　I　regret　to　say；　be　deferred　for　two
months。　The　only　one　of　my　brother…clergymen　in　London　who　is
able　to　take　my　duty　for　me　cannot　make　it　convenient　to　remove
with　his　family　to　Somersetshire　before　that　time。　I　have　no
alternative　but　to　finish　my　business　here；　and　be　back　at　my
rectory　on　Saturday　next。　If　anything　happens；　you　will；　of
course；　instantly　communicate　with　me；　and；　in　that　case；　be　the
inconvenience　what　it　may；　I　must　leave　home　for　Thorpe　Ambrose。
If；　on　the　other　hand；　all　goes　more　smoothly　than　my　own
obstinate　apprehensions　will　allow　me　to　suppose；　then　Allan　（to
whom　I　have　written）　must　not　expect　to　see　me　till　this　day　two
months。

〃No　result　has；　up　to　this　time；　rewarded　our　exertions　to
recover　the　trace　lost　at　the　railway。　I　will　keep　my　letter
open；　however；　until　post　time；　in　case　the　next　few　hours　bring
any　news。

〃Always　truly　yours；

DECIMUS　BROCK。

〃P。　S。I　have　just　heard　from　the　lawyers。　They　have　found　out
the　name　the　woman　passed　by　in　London。　If　this　discovery　（not　a
very　important　one；　I　am　afraid）　suggests　any　new　course　of
proceeding　to　you；　pray　act　on　it　at　once。　The　name　isMiss
Gwilt。〃

2。　_From　Miss　Gwilt　to　Mrs。　Oldershaw。_

The　Cottage；　Thorpe　Ambrose；　Saturday；　June　28。

〃IF　you　will　promise　not　to　be　alarmed；　Mamma　Oldershaw；　I　will
begin　this　letter　in　a　very　odd　way；　by　copying　a　page　of　a
letter　written　by　somebody　else。　You　have　an　excellent　memory；
and　you　may　not　have　forgotten　that　I　received　a　note　from　Major
Milroy's　mother　（after　she　had　engaged　me　as　governess）　on　Monday
last。　It　was　dated　and　signed；　and　here　it　is；　as　far　as　the
first　page：　'June　23d；　1851。　Dear　MadamPray　excuse　my　troubling
you；　before　you　go　to　Thorpe　Ambrose；　with　a　word　more　about　the
habits　observed　in　my　son's　household。　When　I　had　the　pleasure　of
seeing　you　at　two　o'clock　to…day；　in　Kingsdown　Crescent；　I　had
another　appointment　in　a　distant　part　of　London　at　three；　and；　in
the　hurry　of　the　moment；　one　or　two　little　matters　escaped　me
which　I　think　I　ought　to　impress　on　your　attention。'　The　rest　of
the　letter　is　not　of　the　slightest　importance；　but　the　lines　that
I　have　just　copied　are　well　worthy　of　all　the　attention　you　can
bestow　on　them。　They　have　saved　me　from　discovery；　my　dear；
before　I　have　been　a　week　in　Major　Milroy's　service！

〃It　happened　no　later　than　yesterday　evening；　and　it　began　and
ended　in　this　manner：

〃There　is　a　gentleman　here；　（of　whom　I　shall　have　more　to　say
presently）　who　is　an　intimate　friend　of　young　Armadale's；　and　who
bears　the　strange　name　of　Midwinter。　He　contrived　yesterday　to
speak　to　me　alone　in　the　park。　Almost　as　soon　as　he　opened　his
lips；　I　found　that　my　name　had　been　discovered　in　London　（no
doubt　by　the　Somersetshire　clergyman）；　and　that　Mr。　Midwinter　had
been　chosen　（evidently　by　the　same　person）　to　identify　the　Miss
Gwilt　who　had　vanished　from　Brompton　with　the　Miss　Gwilt　who　had
appeared　at　Thorpe　Ambrose。　You　foresaw　this　danger；　I　remember；
but　you　could　scarcely　have　imagined　that　the　exposure　would
threaten　me　so　soon。

〃I　spare　you　the　details　of　our　conversation　to　come　to　the　end。
Mr。　Midwinter　put　the　matter　very　delicately；　declaring；　to　my
great　surprise；　that　he　felt　quite　certain　himself　that　I　was　not
the　Miss　Gwilt　of　whom　his　friend　was　in　search；　and　that　he　only
acted　as　he　did　out　of　regard　to　the　anxiety　of　a　person　whose
wishes　he　was　bound　to　respect。　Would　I　assist　him　in　setting
that　anxiety　completely　at　rest；　as　far　as　I　was　concerned；　by
kindly　answering　one　plain　questionwhich　he　had　no　other　right
to　ask　me　than　the　right　my　indulgence　might　give　him？　The　lost
'Miss　Gwilt'　had　been　missed　on　Monday　last；　at　two　o'clock；　in
the　crowd　on　the　platform　of　the　North…western　Railway；　in　Euston
Square。　Would　I　authorize　him　to　say　that　on　that　day；　and　at
that　hour；　the　Miss　Gwilt　who　was　Major　Milroy's　governess　had
never　been　near　the　place？

〃I　need　hardly　tell　you　that　I　seized　the　fine　opportunity　he　had
given　me　of　disarming　all　future　suspicion。　I　took　a　high　tone　on
the　spot；　and　met　him　with　the　old　lady's　letter。　He　politely
refused　to　look　at　it。　I　insisted　on　his　looking　at　it。　'I　don't
choose　to　be　mistaken；'　I　said；　'for　a　woman　who　may　be　a　bad
character；　because　she　happens　to　bear；　or　to　have　assumed；　the
same　name　as　mine。　I　insist　on　your　reading　the　first　part　of
this　letter　for　my　satisfaction；　if　not　for　your　own。'　He　was
obliged　to　comply；　and　there　was　the　proof；　in　the　old　lady's
handwriting；　that；　at　two　o'clock　on　Monday　last；　she　and　I　were
together　in　Kingsdown　Crescent；　which　any　directory　would　tell
him　is　a　'crescent'　in　Bayswater！　I　leave　you　to　imagine　his
apologies；　and　the　perfect　sweetness　with　which　I　received　them。

〃I　might；　of　course；　if　I　had　not　preserved　the　letter；　have
referred　him　to　you；　or　to　the　major's　mother；　with　similar
results。　As　it　is；　the　object　has　been　gained　without　trouble　or
delay。　_I　have　been　proved　not　to　be　myself；_　and　one　of　the　many
dangers　that　threatened　me　at　Thorpe　Ambrose　is　a　danger　blown
over　from　this　moment。　Your　house…maid's　face　may　not　be　a　very
handsome　one；　but　there　is　no　denying　that　it　has　done　us
excellent　service。


〃So　much　for　the　past；　now　for　the　future。　You　shall　hear　how　I
get　on　with　the　people　about　me；　and　you　shall　judge　for　yourself
what　the　chances　are　for　and　against　my　becoming　mistress　of
Thorpe　Ambrose。

〃Let　me　begin　with　young　Armadalebecause　it　is　beginning　with
good　news。　I　have　produced　the　right　impression　on　him　already；
and　Heaven　knows　_that_　is　nothing　to　boast　of！　Any　moderately
good…looking　woman　who　chose　to　take　the　trouble　could　make　him
fall　in　love　with　her。　He　is　a　rattle…pated　young　foolone　of
those　noisy；　rosy；　light…haired；　good…tempered　men　whom　I
particularly　detest。　I　had　a　whole　hour　alone　with　him　in　a　boat；
the　first　day　I　came　here；　and　I　have　made　good　use　of　my　time；　I
can　tell　you；　from　that　day　to　this。　The　only　difficulty　with　him
is　the　difficulty　of　concealing　my　own　feelings；　especially　when
he　turns　my　dislike　of　him　into　downright　hatred　by　sometimes
reminding　me　of　his　mother。　I　really　never　saw　a　man　whom　I　could
use　so　ill；　if　I　had　the　opportunity。　He　will　give　me　the
opportunity；　I　believe；　if　no　accident　happens；　sooner　than　we
calculated　on。　I　have　just　returned　from　a　party　at　the　great
house；　in　celebration　of　the　rent…day　dinner；　and　the　squire's
attentions　to　me；　and　my　modest　reluctance　to　receive　them；　have
already　excited　general　remark。

〃My　pupil；　Miss　Milroy；　comes　ne　xt。　She；　too；　is　rosy　and
foolish；　and；　what　is　more；　awkward　and　squat　and　freckled；　and
ill…tempered　and　ill…dressed。　No　fear　of　_her；_　though　she　hates
me　like　poison；　which　is　a　great　comfort；　for　I　get　rid　of　her
out　of　lesson　time　and　walking　time。　It　is　perfectly　easy　to　see
that　she　has　made　the　most　of　her　op