the queen of hearts-第62节
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showed that I was right。 That same evening she sent for me and
begged me to forgive and forget the hasty words she had spoken in
the morning with a grace and sweetness that would have won the
heart of any man who listened to her。
Weeks passed after this； till it was more than a month since the
day of my master's departure； and no letter in his handwriting
came to Darrock Hall。
My mistress； taking this treatment more angrily than sorrowfully；
went to London to consult her nearest relations； who lived there。
On leaving home she stopped the carriage at the parsonage； and
went in （as I thought； rather defiantly） to say good…by to Mr。
Meeke。 She had answered his letter； and received others from him；
and had answered them likewise。 She had also； of course； seen him
every Sunday at church； and had always stopped to speak to him
after the service； but this was the first occasion on which she
had visited him at his house。 As the carriage stopped； the little
parson came out； in great hurry and agitation； to meet her at the
garden gate。
〃Don't look alarmed； Mr。 Meeke；〃 says my mistress； getting out。
〃Though you have engaged not to come near the Hall； I have made
no promise to keep away from the parsonage。〃 With those words she
went into the house。
The quadroon maid； Josephine； was sitting with me in the rumble
of the carriage； and I saw a smile on her tawny face as the
parson and his visitor went into the house together。 Harmless as
Mr。 Meeke was； and innocent of all wrong as I knew my mistress to
be； I regretted that she should be so rash as to despise
appearances； considering the situation she was placed in。 She had
already exposed herself to be thought of disrespectfully by her
own maid； and it was hard to say what worse consequences might
not happen after that。
Half an hour later we were away on our journey。 My mistress
stayed in London two months。 Throughout all that long time no
letter from my master was forwarded to her from the country
house。
CHAPTER II。
WHEN the two months had passed we returned to Darrock Hall。
Nobody there had received any news in our absence of the
whereabouts of my master and his yacht。
Six more weary weeks elapsed； and in that time but one event
happened at the Hall to vary the dismal monotony of the lives we
now led in the solitary place。 One morning Josephine came down
after dressing my mistress with her face downright livid to look
at； except on one check； where there was a mark as red as burning
fire。 I was in the kitchen at the time； and I asked what was the
matter。
〃The matter！〃 says she； in her shrill voice and her half…foreign
English。 〃Use your own eyes； if you please； and look at this
cheek of mine。 What！ have you lived so long a time with your
mistress； and don't you know the mark of her hand yet？〃
I was at a loss to understand what she meant； but she soon
explained herself。 My mistress； whose temper had been sadly
altered for the worse by the trials and humiliations she had gone
through； had got up that morning more out of humor than usual；
and； in answer to her maid's inquiry as to how she had passed the
night； had begun talking about her weary； miserable life in an
unusually fretful and desperate way。 Josephine； in trying to
cheer her spirits； had ventured； most improperly； on making a
light； jesting reference to Mr。 Meeke； which had so enraged my
mistress that she turned round sharp on the half…breed and gave
herto use the common phrasea smart box on the ear。 Josephine
confessed that； the moment after she had done this； her better
sense appeared to tell her that she had taken a most improper way
of resenting undue familiarity。 She had immediately expressed her
regret for having forgotten herself； and had proved the sincerity
of it by a gift of half a dozen cambric handkerchiefs； presented
as a peace…offering on the spot。 After that I thought it
impossible that Josephine could bear any malice against a
mistress whom she had served ever since she had been a girl； and
I said as much to her when she had done telling me what had
happened upstairs。
〃I！ Malice！〃 cries Miss Josephine； in her hard； sharp； snappish
way。 〃And why； and wherefore； if you please？ If my mistress
smacks my cheek with one hand； she gives me handkerchiefs to wipe
it with the other。 My good mistress； my kind mistress； my pretty
mistress！ I； the servant； bear malice against her； the mistress！
Ah！ you bad man； even to think of such a thing！ Ah！ fie； fie！ I
am quite ashamed of you！〃
She gave me one lookthe wickedest look I ever saw； and burst
out laughingthe harshest laugh I ever heard from a woman's
lips。 Turning away from me directly after； she said no more； and
never referred to the subject again on any subsequent occasion。
From that time； however； I noticed an alteration in Miss
Josephine； not in her way of doing her work； for she was just as
sharp and careful about it as ever； but in her manners and
habits。 She grew amazingly quiet； and passed almost all her
leisure time alone。 I could bring no charge against her which
authorized me to speak a word of warning； but； for all that； I
could not help feeling that if I had been in my mistress's place；
I would have followed up the present of the cambric handkerchiefs
by paying her a month's wages in advance； and sending her away
from the house the same evening。
With the exception of this little domestic matter； which appeared
trifling enough at the time； hut which led to very serious
consequences afterward； nothing happened at all out of the
ordinary way during the six weary weeks to which I have referred。
At the beginning of the seventh week； however； an event occurred
at last。
One morning the postman brought a letter to the Hall addressed to
my mistress。 I took it upstairs； and looked at the direction as I
put it on the salver。 The handwriting was not my master's； was
not； as it appeared to me； the handwriting of any well…educated
person。 The outside of the letter was also very dirty； and the
seal a common office…seal of the usual lattice…work pattern。
〃This must be a begging…letter；〃 I thought to myself as I entered
the breakfast… room and advanced with it to my mistress。
She held up her hand before she opened it as a sign to me that
she had some order to give； and that I was not to leave the room
till I had received it。 Then she broke the seal and began to read
the letter。
Her eyes had hardly been on it a moment before her face turned as
pale as death； and the paper began to tremble in her fingers。 She
read on to the end； and suddenly turned from pale to scarlet；
started out of her chair； crumpled the letter up violently in her
hand； and took several turns backward and forward in the room；
without seeming to notice me as I stood by the door。 〃You
villain！ you villain！ you villain！〃 I heard her whisper to
herself many times over； in a quick； hissing； fierce way。 Then
she stopped； and said on a sudden； 〃Can it be true？〃 Then she
looked up； and； seeing me standing at the door； started as if I
had been a stranger； changed color again； and told me； in a
stifled voice； to leave her and come back again in half an hour。
I obeyed； feeling certain that she must have received some very
bad news of her husband； and wondering； anxiously enough； what it
might be。
When I returned to the breakfast…room her face was as much
discomposed as ever。 Without speaking a word she handed me two
sealed letters： one； a note to be left for Mr。 Meeke at the
parsonage； the other； a letter marked 〃Immediate；〃 and addressed
to her solicitor in London； who was also； I should add； her
nearest living relative。
I left one of these letters and posted the other。 When I came
back I heard that my mistress had taken to her room。 She remained
there for four days； keeping her new sorrow； whatever it was；
strictly to herself。 On the fifth day the lawyer from London
arrived at the Hall。 My mistress went down to him in the library；
and was shut up there with him for nearly two hours。 At the end
of that time the bell rang for me。
〃Sit down； William；〃 said my mistress； when I came into the room。
〃I feel such entire confidence in your fidelity and attachment
that I am about； with the full concurrence of this gentleman； who
is my nearest relative and my legal adviser； to place a very
serious secret in your keeping； and to employ your services on a
matter which is as important to me as a matter of life and
death。〃
Her poor eyes were very red； and her lips quivered as she spoke
to me。 I was so startled by what she had said that I hardly knew
which chair to sit in。 She pointed to one placed near herself at
the table； and seemed about to speak to me again； when the lawyer
interfered。
〃Let me entreat you；〃 he said； 〃not to agitate yourself
unnecessarily。 I will put this person in possession of the facts；
and； if I omit anything； you shall stop me and set me right。〃
My mistress leaned back in her chair and covered her face with
her handkerchief。 The lawyer waited a moment； and then addressed
himself to me。
〃You are already aware；〃 he said； 〃of the circumstances under
which your master left this house； and you also know； I have no
doubt； that n
