the queen of hearts-第27节

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and　traveling　on　the　Continent　when　I　ought　to　have　been　keeping
my　terms　at　Lincoln's　Inn。　At　the　outset　of　the　story；　you　will
find　that　I　refer　to　the　county　in　which　I　lived　in　my　youth；　and
to　a　neighboring　family　possessing　a　large　estate　in　it。　That
county　is　situated　in　a　part　of　England　far　away　from　The　Glen
Tower；　and　that　family　is　therefore　not　to　be　associated　with　any
present　or　former　neighbors　of　ours　in　this　part　of　the　world。〃

After　saying　these　necessary　words　of　explanation；　I　opened　the
first　page；　and　began　the　story　of　my　Own　Adventure。　I　observed
that　my　audience　started　a　little　as　I　read　the　title；　which　I
must　add；　in　my　own　defense；　had　been　almost　forced　on　my　choice
by　the　peculiar　character　of　the　narrative。　It　was　〃MAD　MONKTON。〃

BROTHER　GRIFFITH'S　STORY

of

MAD　MONKTON


CHAPTER　I。


THE　Monktons　of　Wincot　Abbey　bore　a　sad　character　for　want　of
sociability　in　our　county。　They　never　went　to　other　people's
houses；　and；　excepting　my　father；　and　a　lady　and　her　daughter
living　near　them；　never　received　anybody　under　their　own　roof。

Proud　as　they　all　certainly　were；　it　was　not　pride；　but　dread；
which　kept　them　thus　apart　from　their　neighbors。　The　family　had
suffered　for　generations　past　from　the　horrible　affliction　of
hereditary　insanity；　and　the　members　of　it　shrank　from　exposing
their　calamity　to　others；　as　they　must　have　exposed　it　if　they
had　mingled　with　the　busy　little　world　around　them。　There　is　a
frightful　story　of　a　crime　committed　in　past　times　by　two　of　the
Monktons；　near　relatives；　from　which　the　first　appearance　of　the
insanity　was　always　supposed　to　date；　but　it　is　needless　for　me
to　shock　any　one　by　repeating　it。　It　is　enough　to　say　that　at
intervals　almost　every　form　of　madness　appeared　in　the　family；
monomania　being　the　most　frequent　manifestation　of　the　affliction
among　them。　I　have　these　particulars；　and　one　or　two　yet　to　be
related；　from　my　father。

At　the　period　of　my　youth　but　three　of　the　Monktons　were　left　at
the　AbbeyMr。　and　Mrs。　Monkton　and　their　only　child　Alfred；　　heir
to　the　prope　rty。　The　one　other　member　of　this；　the　elder　branch
of　the　family；　who　was　then　alive；　was　Mr。　Monkton's　younger
brother；　Stephen。　He　was　an　unmarried　man；　possessing　a　fine
estate　in　Scotland；　but　he　lived　almost　entirely　on　the
Continent；　and　bore　the　reputation　of　being　a　shameless
profligate。　The　family　at　Wincot　held　almost　as　little
communication　with　him　as　with　their　neighbors。

I　have　already　mentioned　my　father；　and　a　lady　and　her　daughter；
as　the　only　privileged　people　who　were　admitted　into　Wincot
Abbey。

My　father　had　been　an　old　school　and　college　friend　of　Mr。
Monkton；　and　accident　had　brought　them　so　much　together　in　later
life　that　their　continued　intimacy　at　Wincot　was　quite
intelligible。　I　am　not　so　well　able　to　account　for　the　friendly
terms　on　which　Mrs。　Elmslie　（the　lady　to　whom　I　have　alluded）
lived　with　the　Monktons。　Her　late　husband　had　been　distantly
related　to　Mrs。　Monkton；　and　my　father　was　her　daughter's
guardian。　But　even　these　claims　to　friendship　and　regard　never
seemed　to　me　strong　enough　to　explain　the　intimacy　between　Mrs。
Elmslie　and　the　inhabitants　of　the　Abbey。　Intimate；　however；　they
certainly　were；　and　one　result　of　the　constant　interchange　of
visits　between　the　two　families　in　due　time　declared　itself：　Mr。
Monkton's　son　and　Mrs。　Elmslie's　daughter　became　attached　to　each
other。

I　had　no　opportunities　of　seeing　much　of　the　young　lady；　I　only
remember　her　at　that　time　as　a　delicate；　gentle；　lovable　girl；
the　very　opposite　in　appearance；　and　apparently　in　character
also；　to　Alfred　Monkton。　But　perhaps　that　was　one　reason　why　they
fell　in　love　with　each　other。　The　attachment　was　soon　discovered；
and　was　far　from　being　disapproved　by　the　parents　on　either　side。
In　all　essential　points　except　that　of　wealth；　the　Elmslies　were
nearly　the　equals　of　the　Monktons；　and　want　of　money　in　a　bride
was　of　no　consequence　to　the　heir　of　Wincot。　Alfred；　it　was　well
known；　would　succeed　to　thirty　thousand　a　year　on　his　father's
death。

Thus；　though　the　parents　on　both　sides　thought　the　young　people
not　old　enough　to　be　married　at　once；　they　saw　no　reason　why　Ada
and　Alfred　should　not　be　engaged　to　each　other；　with　the
understanding　that　they　should　be　united　when　young　Monkton　came
of　age；　in　two　years'　time。　The　person　to　be　consulted　in　the
matter；　after　the　parents；　was　my　father；　in　his　capacity　of
Ada's　guardian。　He　knew　that　the　family　misery　had　shown　itself
many　years　ago　in　Mrs。　Monkton；　who　was　her　husband's　cousin。　The
_illness；_　as　it　was　significantly　called；　had　been　palliated　by
careful　treatment；　and　was　reported　to　have　passed　away。　But　my
father　was　not　to　be　deceived。　He　knew　where　the　hereditary　taint
still　lurked；　he　viewed　with　horror　the　bare　possibility　of　its
reappearing　one　day　in　the　children　of　his　friend's　only
daughter；　and　he　positively　refused　his　consent　to　the　marriage
engagement。

The　result　was　that　the　doors　of　the　Abbey　and　the　doors　of　Mrs。
Elmslie's　house　were　closed　to　him。　This　suspension　of　friendly
intercourse　had　lasted　but　a　very　short　time　when　Mrs。　Monkton
died。　Her　husband；　who　was　fondly　attached　to　her；　caught　a
violent　cold　while　attending　her　funeral。　The　cold　was　neglected；
and　settled　on　his　lungs。　In　a　few　months'　time　he　followed　his
wife　to　the　grave；　and　Alfred　was　left　master　of　the　grand　old
Abbey　and　the　fair　lands　that　spread　all　around　it。

At　this　period　Mrs。　Elmslie　had　the　indelicacy　to　endeavor　a
second　time　to　procure　my　father's　consent　to　the　marriage
engagement。　He　refused　it　again　more　positively　than　before。　More
than　a　year　passed　away。　The　time　was　approaching　fast　when
Alfred　would　be　of　age。　I　returned　from　college　to　spend　the　long
vacation　at　home；　and　made　some　advances　toward　bettering　my
acquaintance　with　young　Monkton。　They　were　evadedcertainly　with
perfect　politeness；　but　still　in　such　a　way　as　to　prevent　me　from
offering　my　friendship　to　him　again。　Any　mortification　I　might
have　felt　at　this　petty　repulse　under　ordinary　circumstances　was
dismissed　from　my　mind　by　the　occurrence　of　a　real　misfortune　in
our　household。　For　some　months　past　my　father's　health　had　been
failing；　and；　just　at　the　time　of　which　I　am　now　writing；　his
sons　had　to　mourn　the　irreparable　calamity　of　his　death。

This　event；　through　some　informality　or　error　in　the　late　Mr。
Elmslie's　will；　left　the　future　of　Ada's　life　entirely　at　her
mother's　disposal。　The　consequence　was　the　immediate　ratification
of　the　marriage　engagement　to　which　my　father　had　so　steadily
refused　his　consent。　As　soon　as　the　fact　was　publicly　announced；
some　of　Mrs。　Elmslie's　more　intimate　friends；　who　were　acquainted
with　the　reports　affecting　the　Monkton　family；　ventured　to　mingle
with　their　formal　congratulations　one　or　two　significant
references　to　the　late　Mrs。　Monkton　and　some　searching　inquiries
as　to　the　disposition　of　her　son。

Mrs。　Elmslie　always　met　these　polite　hints　with　one　bold　form　of
answer。　She　first　admitted　the　existence　of　these　reports　about
the　Monktons　which　her　friends　were　unwilling　to　specify
distinctly；　and　then　declared　that　they　were　infamous　calumnies。
The　hereditary　taint　had　died　out　of　the　family　generations　back。
Alfred　was　the　best；　the　kindest；　the　sanest　of　human　beings。　He
loved　study　and　retirement；　Ada　sympathized　with　his　tastes；　and
had　made　her　choice　unbiased；　if　any　more　hints　were　dropped
about　sacrificing　her　by　her　marriage；　those　hints　would　be
viewed　as　so　many　insults　to　her　mother；　whose　affection　for　her
it　was　monstrous　to　call　in　question。　This　way　of　talking
silenced　people；　but　did　not　convince　them。　They　began　to
suspect；　what　was　indeed　the　actual　truth；　that　Mrs。　Elmslie　was
a　selfish；　worldly；　grasping　woman；　who　wanted　to　get　her
daughter　well　married；　and　cared　nothing　for　consequences　as　long
as　she　saw　Ada　mistress　of　the　greatest　establishment　in　the
whole　county。

It　seemed；　however；　as　if　there　was　some　fatality　at　work　to
prevent　the　attainment　of　Mrs。　Elmslie's　great　object　in　life。
Hardly　was　one　obstacle　to　the　ill…omened　marriage　removed　by　my
father's　death　before　another　succeeded　it　in　the　shape　of
anxieties　and　difficulties　caused　by　the　delicate　state　of　Ada's
health。　Doctors　were　consulted　in　all　directions；　and　the　result
of　their　advice　was　that　the　marriage　must　be　deferred；　and　that
Miss　Elmslie　must　leave　England　for　a　certain　time；　to　reside　in
a　warmer　climatethe　south　of　France；　if　I　remember　rightly。
Thus　it　happened　that　just　before　Alfred　came　of　age　Ada　and　her
mother　departed　for　the　Continent；　and　the　union　of　the　two　young
people　was　understood　to　be　indefinitely　postponed。　Some
curiosity　was　felt　in　the　neighborhood　as　to　what　Alfred　Monkton
would　do　under　these　circumstances。　Would　he　follow　his
lady…love？　would　he　go　yachting？　would　he　throw　open　the　doors　of
the　old　Abbey　at　last；　and　endeavor　to　forget　the　absence　of　Ada
and　the　postponement　of　his　marriage　in　a　round　of　gayeties？　He
did　none　of　these　things。　He　simply　remained　at　Wincot；　living　as
suspiciously　strange　and　solitary　a　life　as