the queen of hearts-第41节

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Just　as　we　pushed　off　from　the　sinking　ship　Alfred　made　an　effort
to　break　from　me；　but　I　held　him　firm；　and　he　never　repeated　the
attempt。　He　sat　by　me　with　drooping　head；　still　and　silent；　while
the　sailors　rowed　away　from　the　vessel；　still　and　silent　when；
with　one　accord；　they　paused　at　a　little　distance　off；　and　we　all
waited　and　watched　to　see　the　brig　sink；　still　and　silent；　even
when　that　sinking　happened；　when　the　laboring　hull　plunged　slowly
into　a　hollow　of　the　seahesitated；　as　it　seemed；　for　one
moment；　rose　a　little　again；　then　sank　to　rise　no　more。

Sank　with　her　dead　freightsank；　and　snatched　forever　from　our
power　the　corpse　which　we　had　discovered　almost　by　a
miraclethose　jealously…preserved　remains；　on　the　safe…keeping
of　which　rested　so　strangely　the　hopes　and　the　love…destinies　of
two　living　beings！　As　the　last　signs　of　the　ship　in　the　depths　of
the　waters；


I　felt　Monkton　trembling　all　over　as　he　sat　close　at　my　side；　and
heard　him　repeating　to　himself；　sadly；　and　many　times　over；　the
name　of　〃Ada。〃

I　tried　to　turn　his　thoughts　to　another　subject；　but　it　was
useless。　He　pointed　over　the　sea　to　where　the　brig　had　once　been；
and　where　nothing　was　left　to　look　at　but　the　rolling　waves。

〃The　empty　place　will　now　remain　empty　forever　in　Wincot　vault。〃

As　he　said　these　words；　he　fixed　his　eyes　for　a　moment　sadly　and
earnestly　on　my　face；　then　looked　away；　leaned　his　cheek　on　his
hand；　and　spoke　no　more。

We　were　sighted　long　before　nightfall　by　a　trading　vessel；　were
taken　on　board；　and　landed　at　Cartagena　in　Spain。　Alfred　never
held　up　his　head；　and　never　once　spoke　to　me　of　his　own　accord
the　whole　time　we　were　at　sea　in　the　merchantman。　I　observed；
however；　with　alarm；　that　he　talked　often　and　incoherently　to
himselfconstantly　muttering　the　lines　of　the　old
prophecyconstantly　referring　to　the　fatal　place　that　was　empty
in　Wincot　vaultconstantly　repeating　in　broken　accents；　which　it
affected　me　inexpressibly　to　hear；　the　name　of　the　poor　girl　who
was　awaiting　his　return　to　England。　Nor　were　these　the　only
causes　for　the　apprehension　that　I　now　felt　on　his　account。
Toward　the　end　of　our　voyage　he　began　to　suffer　from　alternations
of　fever…fits　and　shivering…fits；　which　I　ignorantly　imagined　to
be　attacks　of　ague。　I　was　soon　undeceived。　We　had　hardly　been　a
day　on　shore　before　he　became　so　much　worse　that　I　secured　the
best　medical　assistance　Cartagena　could　afford。　For　a　day　or　two
the　doctors　differed；　as　usual；　about　the　nature　of　his
complaint；　but　ere　long　alarming　symptoms　displayed　themselves。
The　medical　men　declared　that　his　life　was　in　danger；　and　told　me
that　his　disease　was　brain　fever。

Shocked　and　grieved　as　I　was；　I　hardly　knew　how　to　act　at　first
under　the　fresh　responsibility　now　laid　upon　me。　Ultimately　I
decided　on　writing　to　the　old　priest　who　had　been　Alfred's　tutor；
and　who；　as　I　knew；　still　resided　at　Wincot　Abbey。　I　told　this
gentleman　all　that　had　happened；　begged　him　to　break　my
melancholy　news　as　gently　as　possible　to　Miss　Elmslie；　and
assured　him　of　my　resolution　to　remain　with　Monkton　to　the　last。

After　I　had　dispatched　my　letter；　and　had　sent　to　Gibraltar　to
secure　the　best　English　medical　advice　that　could　be　obtained；　I
felt　that　I　had　done　my　best；　and　that　nothing　remained　but　to
wait　and　hope。

Many　a　sad　and　anxious　hour　did　I　pass　by　my　poor　friend's
bedside。　Many　a　time　did　I　doubt　whether　I　had　done　right　in
giving　any　encouragement　to　his　delusion。　The　reasons　for　doing
so　which　had　suggested　themselves　to　me　after　my　first　interview
with　him　seemed；　however；　on　reflection；　to　be　valid　reasons
still。　The　only　way　of　hastening　his　return　to　England　and　to
Miss　Elmslie；　who　was　pining　for　that　return；　was　the　way　I　had
taken。　It　was　not　my　fault　that　a　disaster　which　no　man　could
foresee　had　overthrown　all　his　projects　and　all　mine。　But；　now
that　the　calamity　had　happened　and　was　irretrievable；　how；　in　the
event　of　his　physical　recovery；　was　his　moral　malady　to　be
combated？

When　I　reflected　on　the　hereditary　taint　in　his　mental
organization；　on　that　first　childish　fright　of　Stephen　Monkton
from　which　he　had　never　recovered；　on　the　perilously…secluded
life　that　he　had　led　at　the　Abbey；　and　on　his　firm　persuasion　of
the　reality　of　the　apparition　by　which　he　believed　himself　to　be
constantly　followed；　I　confess　I　despaired　of　shaking　his
superstitious　faith　in　every　word　and　line　of　the　old　family
prophecy。　If　the　series　of　striking　coincidences　which　appeared
to　attest　its　truth　had　made　a　strong　and　lasting　impression　on
_me_　（and　this　was　assuredly　the　case）；　how　could　I　wonder　that
they　had　produced　the　effect　of　absolute　conviction　on　_his_
mind；　constituted　as　it　was？　If　I　argued　with　him；　and　he
answered　me；　how　could　I　rejoin？　If　he　said；　〃The　prophecy　points
at　the　last　of　the　family：　_I_　am　the　last　of　the　family。　The
prophecy　mentions　an　empty　place　in　Wincot　vault；　there　is　such
an　empty　place　there　at　this　moment。　On　the　faith　of　the　prophecy
I　told　you　that　Stephen　Monkton's　body　was　unburied；　and　you
found　that　it　was　unburied〃if　he　said　this；　what　use　would　it
be　for　me　to　reply；　〃These　are　only　strange　coincidences　after
all？〃

The　more　I　thought　of　the　task　that　lay　before　me；　if　he
recovered；　the　more　I　felt　inclined　to　despond。　The　oftener　the
English　physician　who　attended　on　him　said　to　me；　〃He　may　get　the
better　of　the　fever；　but　he　has　a　fixed　idea；　which　never　leaves
him　night　or　day；　which　has　unsettled　his　reason；　and　which　will
end　in　killing　him；　unless　you　or　some　of　his　friends　can　remove
it〃the　oftener　I　heard　this；　the　more　acutely　I　felt　my　own
powerlessness；　the　more　I　shrank　from　every　idea　that　was
connected　with　the　hopeless　future。

I　had　only　expected　to　receive　my　answer　from　Wincot　in　the　shape
of　a　letter。　It　was　consequently　a　great　surprise；　as　well　as　a
great　relief；　to　be　informed　one　day　that　two　gentlemen　wished　to
speak　with　me；　and　to　find　that　of　these　two　gentlemen　the　first
was　the　old　priest；　and　the　second　a　male　relative　of　Mrs。
Elmslie。

Just　before　their　arrival　the　fever　symptoms　had　disappeared；　and
Alfred　had　been　pronounced　out　of　danger。　Both　the　priest　and　his
companion　were　eager　to　know　when　the　sufferer　would　be　strong
enough　to　travel。　The　y　had　come　to　Cartagena　expressly　to　take
him　home　with　them；　and　felt　far　more　hopeful　than　I　did　of　the
restorative　effects　of　his　native　air。　After　all　the　questions
connected　with　the　first　important　point　of　the　journey　to
England　had　been　asked　and　answered；　I　ventured　to　make　some
inquiries　after　Miss　Elmslie。　Her　relative　informed　me　that　she
was　suffering　both　in　body　and　in　mind　from　excess　of　anxiety　on
Alfred's　account。　They　had　been　obliged　to　deceive　her　as　to　the
dangerous　nature　of　his　illness　in　order　to　deter　her　from
accompanying　the　priest　and　her　relation　on　their　mission　to
Spain。

Slowly　and　imperfectly；　as　the　weeks　wore　on；　Alfred　regained
something　of　his　former　physical　strength；　but　no　alteration
appeared　in　his　illness　as　it　affected　his　mind。

From　the　very　first　day　of　his　advance　toward　recovery；　it　had
been　discovered　that　the　brain　fever　had　exercised　the　strangest
influence　over　his　faculties　of　memory。　All　recollection　of
recent　events　was　gone　from　him。　Everything　connected　with
Naples；　with　me；　with　his　journey　to　Italy；　had　dropped　in　some
mysterious　manner　entirely　out　of　his　remembrance。　So　completely
had　all　late　circumstances　passed　from　his　memory　that；　though　he
recognized　the　old　priest　and　his　own　servant　easily　on　the　first
days　of　his　convalescence；　he　never　recognized　me；　but　regarded
me　with　such　a　wistful；　doubting　expression；　that　I　felt
inexpressibly　pained　when　I　approached　his　bedside。　All　his
questions　were　about　Miss　Elmslie　and　Wincot　Abbey；　and　all　his
talk　referred　to　the　period　when　his　father　was　yet　alive。

The　doctors　augured　good　rather　than　ill　from　this　loss　of　memory
of　recent　incidents；　saying　that　it　would　turn　out　to　be
temporary；　and　that　it　answered　the　first　great　healing　purpose
of　keeping　his　mind　at　ease。　I　tried　to　believe　themtried　to
feel　as　sanguine；　when　the　day　came　for　his　departure；　as　the　old
friends　felt　who　were　taking　him　home。　But　the　effort　was　too
much　for　me。　A　foreboding　that　I　should　never　see　him　again
oppressed　my　heart；　and　the　tears　came　into　my　eyes　as　I　saw　the
worn　figure　of　my　poor　friend　half　helped；　half　lifted　into　the
traveling…carriage；　and　borne　away　gently　on　the　road　toward
home。

He　had　never　recognized　me；　and　the　doctors　had　begged　that　I
would　give　him；　for　some　time　to　come；　as　few　opportunities　as
possible　of　doing　so。　But　for　this　request　I　should　have
accompanied　him　to　England。　As　it　was；　nothing　better　remained
for　me　to　do　than　to　change　the　scene；　and　recruit　as　I　best
could　my　energies　of　body　and　mind；　depressed　of　late　by　much
watching　and　anxiety。　The　famous　cities　of　Spain　were　not　new　to
me；　but　I　visited　them　again　and　revived　old　impressions　of　the
Alhambra　and　Madrid。　Once　or　twice　I　thought　of　making　a
pilgrimage　to　the　East；　but　late　events　had　sobered　and　altered
me。　That　year