the queen of hearts-第61节

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the　Hall　except　when　my　mistress　was　alone　there。　Meaning　no
wrong；　and　therefore　stooping　to　no　concealment；　she　never
thought　of　taking　any　measures　to　keep　Mr。　Meeke　out　of　the　way
when　he　happened　to　be　with　her　at　the　time　of　her　husband's
coming　home；　whether　it　was　only　from　a　riding　excursion　in　the
neighborhood　or　from　a　cruise　in　the　schooner。　In　this　way　it　so
turned　out　that　whenever　my　master　came　home；　after　a　long　or
short　absence；　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　he　found　the　parson　at
the　Hall。

At　first　he　used　to　laugh　at　this　circumstance；　and　to　amuse
himself　with　some　coarse　jokes　at　the　expense　of　his　wife　and　her
companion。　But；　after　a　while；　his　variable　temper　changed；　as
usual。　He　grew　sulky；　rude；　angry；　and；　at　last；　downright
jealous　of　Mr。　Meeke。　Though　too　proud　to　confess　it　in　so　many
words；　he　still　showed　the　state　of　his　mind　clearly　enough　to　my
mistress　to　excite　her　indignation。　She　was　a　woman　who　could　be
led　anywhere　by　any　one　for　whom　she　had　a　regard；　but　there　was
a　firm　spirit　within　her　that　rose　at　the　slightest　show　of
injustice　or　oppression；　and　that　resented　tyrannical　usage　of
any　sort　perhaps　a　little　too　warmly。　The　bare　suspicion　that　her
husband　could　feel　any　distrust　of　her　set　her　all　in　a　flame；
and　she　took　the　most　unfortunate；　and　yet；　at　the　same　time；　the
most　natural　way　for　a　woman；　of　resenting　it。　The　ruder　her
husband　was　to　Mr。　Meeke　the　more　kindly　she　behaved　to　him。　This
led　to　serious　disputes　and　dissensions；　and　thence；　in　time；　to
a　violent　quarrel。　I　could　not　avoid　hearing　the　last　part　of　the
altercation　between　them；　for　it　took　place　in　the　garden…walk；
outside　the　dining…room　window；　while　I　was　occupied　in　laying
the　table　for　lunch。

Without　repeating　their　wordswhich　I　have　no　right　to　do；
having　heard　by　accident　what　I　had　no　business　to　hearI　may
say　generally；　to　show　how　serious　the　quarrel　was；　that　my
mistress　charged　my　master　with　having　married　from　mercenary
motives；　with　keeping　out　of　her　company　as　much　as　he　could；　and
with　insulting　her　by　a　suspicion　which　it　would　be　hard　ever　to
forgive；　and　impossible　ever　to　forget。　He　replied　by　violent
language　directed　against　herself；　and　by　commanding　her　never　to
open　the　doors　again　to　Mr。　Meeke；　she；　on　her　side；　declaring
that　she　would　never　consent　to　insult　a　clergyman　and　a
gentleman　in　order　to　satisfy　the　whim　of　a　tyrannical　husband。
Upon　that；　he　called　out；　with　a　great　oath；　to　have　his　horse
saddled　directly；　declaring　that　he　would　not　stop　another
instant　under　the　same　roof　with　a　woman　who　had　set　him　at
defiance；　and　warning　his　wife　that　he　would　come　back；　if　Mr。
Meeke　entered　the　house　again；　and　horsewhip　him；　in　spite　of　his
black　coat；　all　through　the　village。

With　those　words　he　left　her；　and　rode　away　to　the　sea…port　where
his　yacht　was　lying。　My　mistress　kept　up　her　spirit　till　he　was
out　of　sight；　and　then　burst　into　a　dreadful　screaming　passion　of
tears；　which　ended　by　leaving　her　so　weak　that　she　had　to　be
carried　to　her　bed　like　a　woman　who　was　at　the　point　of　death。

The　same　evening　my　master's　horse　was　ridden　back　by　a
messenger；　who　brought　a　scrap　of　notepaper　with　him　addressed　to
me。　It　only　contained　these　lines：

〃Pack　up　my　clothes　and　deliver　them　immediately　to　the　bearer。
You　may　tell　your　mistress　that　I　sail　to…night　at　eleven　o'clock
for　a　cruise　to　Sweden。　Forward　my　letters　to　the　post…office；
Stockholm。〃

I　obeyed　the　orders　given　to　me　except　that　relating　to　my
mistress。　The　doctor　had　been　sent　for；　and　was　still　in　the
house。　I　consulted　him　upon　the　propriety　of　my　delivering　the
message。　He　positively　forbade　me　to　do　so　that　night；　and　told
me　to　give　him　the　slip　of　paper；　and　leave　it　to　his　discretion
to　show　it　to　her　or　not　the　next　morning。

The　messenger　had　hardly　been　gone　an　hour　when　Mr。　Meeke's
housekeeper　came　to　the　Hall　with　a　roll　of　music　for　my
mistress。　I　told　the　woman　of　my　master's　sudden　departure；　and
of　the　doctor　being　in　the　house。　This　news　brought　Mr。　Meeke
himself　to　the　Hall　in　a　great　flutter。

I　felt　so　angry　with　him　for　being　the　causeinnocent　as　he
might　beof　the　shocking　scene　which　had　taken　place；　that　I
exceeded　the　bounds　of　my　duty；　and　told　him　the　whole　truth。　The
poor；　weak；　wavering；　childish　creature　flushed　up　red　in　the
face；　then　turned　as　pale　as　ashes；　and　dropped　into　one　of　the
hall　chairs　cryingliterally　crying　fit　to　break　his　heart。　〃Oh；
William；〃　says　he；　wringing　his　little　frail；　trembling　white
hands　as　helpless　as　a　baby；　〃oh；　William；　what　am　I　to　do？〃

〃As　you　ask　me　that　question；　sir；〃　says　I；　〃you　will　excuse　me；
I　hope；　if；　being　a　servant；　I　plainly　speak　my　mind
notwithstanding。　I　know　my　station　well　enough　to　be　aware　that；
strictly　speaking；　I　have　done　wrong；　and　far　exceeded　my　duty；
in　telling　you　as　much　as　I　have　told　you　already；　but　I　would　go
through　fire　and　water；　sir；〃　says　I；　feeling　my　own　eyes　getting
moist；　〃for　my　mistress's　sake。　She　has　no　relation　here　who　can
speak　to　you；　and　it　is　even　better　that　a　servant　like　me　should
risk　being　guilty　of　an　impertinence；　than　that　dreadful　and
lasting　mischief　should　arise　from　the　right　remedy　not　being
applied　at　the　right　time。　This　is　what　I　should　do；　sir；　in　your
place。　Saving　your　presence；　I　should　leave　off　crying；　and　go
back　home　and　write　to　Mr。　James　Smith；　saying　that　I　would　not；
as　a　clergyman；　give　him　railing　for　railing；　but　would　prove　how
unworthily　he　had　suspected　me　by　ceasing　to　visit　at　the　Hall
from　thi　s　time　forth；　rather　than　be　a　cause　of　dissension
between　man　and　wife。　If　you　will　put　that　into　proper　language；
sir；　and　will　have　the　letter　ready　for　me　in　half　an　hour's
time；　I　will　call　for　it　on　the　fastest　horse　in　our　stables；
and；　at　my　own　risk；　will　give　it　to　my　master　before　he　sails
to…night。　I　have　nothing　more　to　say；　sir；　except　to　ask　your
pardon　for　forgetting　my　proper　place；　and　for　making　bold　to
speak　on　a　very　serious　matter　as　equal　to　equal；　and　as　man　to
man。〃

To　do　Mr。　Meeke　justice；　he　had　a　heart；　though　it　was　a　very
small　one。　He　shook　hands　with　me；　and　said　he　accepted　my　advice
as　the　advice　of　a　friend；　and　so　went　back　to　his　parsonage　to
write　the　letter。　In　half　an　hour　I　called　for　it　on　horseback；
but　it　was　not　ready　for　me。　Mr。　Meeke　was　ridiculously　nice
about　how　he　should　express　himself　when　he　got　a　pen　into　his
hand。　I　found　him　with　his　desk　littered　with　rough　copies；　in　a
perfect　agony　about　how　to　turn　his　phrases　delicately　enough　in
referring　to　my　mistress。　Every　minute　being　precious；　I　hurried
him　as　much　as　I　could；　without　standing　on　any　ceremony。　It　took
half　an　hour　more；　with　all　my　efforts；　before　he　could　make　up
his　mind　that　the　letter　would　do。　I　started　off　with　it　at　a
gallop；　and　never　drew　rein　till　I　got　to　the　sea…port　town。

The　harbor…clock　chimed　the　quarter　past　eleven　as　I　rode　by　it；
and　when　I　got　down　to　the　jetty　there　was　no　yacht　to　be　seen。
She　had　been　cast　off　from　her　moorings　ten　minutes　before
eleven；　and　as　the　clock　struck　she　had　sailed　out　of　the　harbor。
I　would　have　followed　in　a　boat；　but　it　was　a　fine　starlight
night；　with　a　fresh　wind　blowing；　and　the　sailors　on　the　pier
laughed　at　me　when　I　spoke　of　rowing　after　a　schooner　yacht　which
had　got　a　quarter　of　an　hour's　start　of　us；　with　the　wind　abeam
and　the　tide　in　her　favor。

I　rode　back　with　a　heavy　heart。　All　I　could　do　now　was　to　send
the　letter　to　the　post…office；　Stockholm。

The　next　day　the　doctor　showed　my　mistress　the　scrap　of　paper
with　the　message　on　it　from　my　master；　and　an　hour　or　two　after
that；　a　letter　was　sent　to　her　in　Mr。　Meeke's　handwriting；
explaining　the　reason　why　she　must　not　expect　to　see　him　at　the
Hall；　and　referring　to　me　in　terms　of　high　praise　as　a　sensible
and　faithful　man　who　had　spoken　the　right　word　at　the　right　time。
I　am　able　to　repeat　the　substance　of　the　letter；　because　I　heard
all　about　it　from　my　mistress；　under　very　unpleasant
circumstances　so　far　as　I　was　concerned。

The　news　of　my　master's　departure　did　not　affect　her　as　the
doctor　had　supposed　it　would。　Instead　of　distressing　her；　it
roused　her　spirit　and　made　her　angry；　her　pride；　as　I　imagine；
being　wounded　by　the　contemptuous　manner　in　which　her　husband　had
notified　his　intention　of　sailing　to　Sweden　at　the　end　of　a
message　to　a　servant　about　packing　his　clothes。　Finding　her　in
that　temper　of　mind；　the　letter　from　Mr。　Meeke　only　irritated　her
the　more。　She　insisted　on　getting　up；　and　as　soon　as　she　was
dressed　and　downstairs；　she　vented　her　violent　humor　on　me；
reproaching　me　for　impertinent　interference　in　the　affairs　of　my
betters；　and　declaring　that　she　had　almost　made　up　her　mind　to
turn　me　out　of　my　place　for　it。　I　did　not　defend　myself；　because
I　respected　her　sorrows　and　the　irritation　that　came　from　them；
also；　because　I　knew　the　natural　kindness　of　her　nature　well
enough　to　be　assured　that　she　would　make　amends　to　me　for　her
harshness　the　moment　her　mind　was　composed　again。　The　result
showed　that　I　was　right。　That　same　evening　she　sent　for　me　and
begged　me　to　fo