the queen of hearts-第85节

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He　slunk　down　the　Mews　immediately；　and　I　was　free　to　make　my
escape。

How　I　got　home　I　can't　say；　except　that　I　think　I　ran　the　greater
part　of　the　way。　Sally　opened　the　door；　and　asked　if　anything　was
the　matter　the　moment　she　saw　my　face。　I　answered：
〃Nothingnothing。〃　She　stopped　me　as　I　was　going　into　my　room；
and　said：

〃Smooth　your　hair　a　bit；　and　put　your　collar　straight。　There's　a
gentleman　in　there　waiting　for　you。〃

My　heart　gave　one　great　bound：　I　knew　who　it　was　in　an　instant；
and　rushed　into　the　room　like　a　mad　woman。

〃Oh；　Robert；　Robert！〃

All　my　heart　went　out　to　him　in　those　two　little　words。

〃Good　God；　Anne；　has　anything　happened？　Are　you　ill？〃

〃Mary！　my　poor；　lost；　murdered；　dear；　dear　Mary！〃

That　was　all　I　could　say　before　I　fell　on　his　breast。


May　2d。　Misfortunes　and　disappointments　have　saddened　him　a
little；　but　toward　me　he　is　unaltered。　He　is　as　good；　as　kind；　as
gently　and　truly　affectionate　as　ever。　I　believe　no　other　man　in
the　world　could　have　listened　to　the　story　of　Mary's　death　with
such　tenderness　and　pity　as　he。　Instead　of　cutting　me　short
anywhere；　he　drew　me　on　to　tell　more　than　I　had　intended；　and　his
first　generous　words　when　I　had　done　were　to　assure　me　that　he
would　see　himself　to　the　grass　being　laid　and　the　flowers　planted
on　Mary's　grave。　I　could　almost　have　gone　on　my　knees　and
worshiped　him　　when　he　made　me　that　promise。

Surely　this　best；　and　kindest；　and　noblest　of　men　cannot　always
be　unfortunate！　My　cheeks　burn　when　I　think　that　he　has　come　back
with　only　a　few　pounds　in　his　pocket；　after　all　his　hard　and
honest　struggles　to　do　well　in　America。　They　must　be　bad　people
there　when　such　a　man　as　Robert　cannot　get　on　among　them。　He　now
talks　calmly　and　resignedly　of　trying　for　any　one　of　the　lowest
employments　by　which　a　man　can　earn　his　bread　honestly　in　this
great　cityhe　who　knows　French；　who　can　write　so　beautifully！
Oh；　if　the　people　who　have　places　to　give　away　only　knew　Robert
as　well　as　I　do；　what　a　salary　he　would　have；　what　a　post　he
would　be　chosen　to　occupy！

I　am　writing　these　lines　alone　while　he　has　gone　to　the　Mews　to
treat　with　the　dastardly；　heartless　wretch　with　whom　I　spoke
yesterday。

Robert　says　the　creatureI　won't　call　him　a　manmust　be　humored
and　kept　deceived　about　poor　Mary's　end；　in　order　that　we　may
discover　and　bring　to　justice　the　monster　whose　drunken　blow　was
the　death　of　her。　I　shall　know　no　ease　of　mind　till　her　murderer
is　secured；　and　till　I　am　certain　that　he　will　be　made　to　suffer
for　his　crimes。　I　wanted　to　go　with　Robert　to　the　Mews；　but　he
said　it　was　best　that　he　should　carry　out　the　rest　of　the
investigation　alone；　for　my　strength　and　resolution　had　been　too
hardly　taxed　already。　He　said　more　words　in　praise　of　me　for　what
I　have　been　able　to　do　up　to　this　time；　which　I　am　almost　ashamed
to　write　down　with　my　own　pen。　Besides；　there　is　no　need；　praise
from　his　lips　is　one　of　the　things　that　I　can　trust　my　memory　to
preserve　to　the　latest　day　of　my　life。


May　3d。　Robert　was　very　long　last　night　before　he　came　back　to
tell　me　what　he　had　done。　He　easily　recognized　the　hunchback　at
the　corner　of　the　Mews　by　my　description　of　him；　but　he　found　it
a　hard　matter；　even　with　the　help　of　money；　to　overcome　the
cowardly　wretch's　distrust　of　him　as　a　stranger　and　a　man。
However；　when　this　had　been　accomplished；　the　main　difficulty　was
conquered。　The　hunchback；　excited　by　the　promise　of　more　money；
went　at　once　to　the　Red　Lion　to　inquire　about　the　person　whom　he
had　driven　there　in　his　cab。　Robert　followed　him；　and　waited　at
the　corner　of　the　street。　The　tidings　brought　by　the　cabman　were
of　the　most　unexpected　kind。　The　murdererI　can　write　of　him　by
no　other　namehad　fallen　ill　on　the　very　night　when　he　was
driven　to　the　Red　Lion；　had　taken　to　his　bed　there　and　then；　and
was　still　confined　to　it　at　that　very　moment。　His　disease　was　of
a　kind　that　is　brought　on　by　excessive　drinking；　and　that　affects
the　mind　as　well　as　the　body。　The　people　at　the　public　house　call
it　the　Horrors。

Hearing　these　things；　Robert　determined　to　see　if　he　could　not
find　out　something　more　for　himself　by　going　and　inquiring　at　the
public　house；　in　the　character　of　one　of　the　friends　of　the　sick
man　in　bed　upstairs。　He　made　two　important　discoveries。　First；　he
found　out　the　name　and　address　of　the　doctor　in　attendance。
Secondly；　he　entrapped　the　barman　into　mentioning　the　murderous
wretch　by　his　name。　This　last　discovery　adds　an　unspeakably
fearful　interest　to　the　dreadful　misfortune　of　Mary's　death。　Noah
Truscott；　as　she　told　me　herself　in　the　last　conversation　I　ever
had　with　her；　was　the　name　of　the　man　whose　drunken　example
ruined　her　father；　and　Noah　Truscott　is　also　the　name　of　the　man
whose　drunken　fury　killed　her。　There　is　something　that　makes　one
shudder；　something　supernatural　in　this　awful　fact。　Robert　agrees
with　me　that　the　hand　of　Providence　must　have　guided　my　steps　to
that　shop　from　which　all　the　discoveries　since　made　took　their
rise。　He　says　he　believes　we　are　the　instruments　of　effecting　a
righteous　retribution；　and；　if　he　spends　his　last　farthing；　he
will　have　the　investigation　brought　to　its　full　end　in　a　court　of
justice。


May　4th。　Robert　went　to…day　to　consult　a　lawyer　whom　he　knew　in
former　times　The　lawyer　was　much　interested；　though　not　so
seriously　impressed　as　he　ought　to　have　been　by　the　story　of
Mary's　death　and　of　the　events　that　have　followed　it。　He　gave
Robert　a　confidential　letter　to　take　to　the　doctor　in　attendance
on　the　double…dyed　villain　at　the　Red　Lion。　Robert　left　the
letter；　and　called　again　and　saw　the　doctor；　who　said　his　patient
was　getting　better；　and　would　most　likely　be　up　again　in　ten　days
or　a　fortnight。　This　statement　Robert　communicated　to　the　lawyer；
and　the　lawyer　has　undertaken　to　have　the　public　house　properly
watched；　and　the　hunchback　（who　is　the　most　important　witness）
sharply　looked　after　for　the　next　fortnight；　or　longer　if
necessary。　Here；　then；　the　progress　of　this　dreadful　business
stops　for　a　while。


May　5th。　Robert　has　got　a　little　temporary　employment　in
copying　for　his　friend　the　lawyer。　I　am　working　harder　than　ever
at　my　needle；　to　make　up　for　the　time　that　has　been　lost　lately。


May　6th。　To…day　was　Sunday；　and　Robert　proposed　that　we　should
go　and　look　at　Mary's　grave。　He；　who　forgets　nothing　where　a
kindness　is　to　be　done；　has　found　time　to　perform　the　promise　he
made　to　me　on　the　night　when　we　first　met。　The　grave　is　already；
by　his　orders；　covered　with　turf；　and　planted　round　with　shrubs。
Some　flowers；　and　a　low　headstone；　are　to　be　added；　to　make　the
place　look　worthier　of　my　poor　lost　darling　who　is　beneath　it。
Oh；　I　hope　I　shall　live　long　after　I　am　married　to　Robert！　I　want
so　much　time　to　show　him　all　my　gratitude！


May　20th。　A　hard　trial　to　my　courage　to…day。　I　have　given
evidence　at　the　police…office；　and　have　seen　the　monster　who
murdered　her。

I　could　only　look　at　him　once。　I　could　just　see　that　he　was　a
giant　in　size；　and　that　he　kept　his　dull；　lowering；　bestial　face
turned　toward　the　witness…box；　and　his　bloodshot；　vacant　eyes
staring　on　me。　For　an　instant　I　tried　to　confront　that　look；　for
an　instant　I　kept　my　attention　fixed　on　himon　his　blotched
faceon　the　short；　grizzled　hair　above　iton　his　knotty；
murderous　right　hand；　hanging　loose　over　the　bar　in　front　of　him；
like　the　paw　of　a　wild　beast　over　the　edge　of　its　den。　Then　the
horror　of　himthe　double　horror　of　confronting　him；　in　the　first
place；　and　afterward　of　seeing　that　he　was　an　old　manovercame
me；　and　I　turned　away；　faint；　sick；　and　shuddering。　I　never　faced
him　again；　and；　at　the　end　of　my　evidence；　Robert　considerately
took　me　out。

When　we　met　once　more　at　the　end　of　the　examination；　Robert　told
me　that　the　prisoner　never　spoke　and　never　changed　his　position。
He　was　either　fortified　by　the　cruel　composure　of　a　savage；　or
his　faculties　had　not　yet　thoroughly　recovered　from　the　disease
that　had　so　lately　shaken　them。　The　magistrate　seemed　to　doubt　if
he　was　in　his　right　mind；　but　the　evidence　of　the　medical　man
relieved　this　uncertainty；　and　the　prisoner　was　committed　for
trial　on　a　charge　of　manslaughter。

Why　not　on　a　charge　of　murder？　Robert　explained　the　law　to　me
when　I　asked　that　question。　I　accepted　the　explanation；　but　it
did　not　satisfy　me。　Mary　Mallinson　was　killed　by　a　blow　from　the
hand　of　Noah　Truscott。　That　is　murder　in　the　sight　of　God。　Why
not　murder　in　the　sight　of　the　law　also？

*　*　*　*　*　*　*

June　18th。　To…morrow　is　the　day　appointed　for　the　trial　at　the
Old　Bailey。

Before　sunset　this　evening　I　went　to　look　at　Mary's　grave。　The
turf　has　grown　so　green　since　I　saw　it　last；　and　the　flowers　are
springing　up　so　prettily。　A　bird　was　perched　dressing　his
feathers　on　the　low　white　headstone　that　bears　the　inscription　of
her　name　and　age。　I　did　not　go　near　enough　to　disturb　the　little
creature。　He　looked　innocent　and　pretty　on　the　grave；　as　Mary
herself　was　in　her　lifetime。　When　he　flew　away　I　went　and　sat　for
a　little　by　the　headstone；　and　read　the　mournful　lines　on　it。　Oh；
my　love！　my　love！　what　harm　or　wrong　had　you　ever　done　in　this
worl