stories by modern american authors-第70节

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〃You　seeyou　see；〃　said　the　old　man　sarcastically；　〃how

reluctantly　she　parts　with　it。　　Take　it；　sir；　it　is　yours。〃



It　was　a　small　bar　of　metal。　　I　examined　it　carefully；　poised　it　in

my　handthe　color；　weight；　everything；　announced　that　it　really

was　gold。



〃You　doubt　its　genuineness；　perhaps；〃　continued　the　alchemist。

〃There　are　acids　on　yonder　tabletest　it。〃



I　confess　that　I　DID　doubt　its　genuineness；　but　after　I　had　acted

upon　the　old　man's　suggestion；　all　further　suspicion　was　rendered

impossible。　　It　was　gold　of　the　highest　purity。　　I　was　astounded。

Was　then；　after　all；　this　man's　tale　a　truth？　　Was　his　daughter；

that　fair；　angelic…looking　creature；　a　demon　of　avarice；　or　a　slave

to　worse　passions？　　I　felt　bewildered。　　I　had　never　met　with

anything　so　incomprehensible。　　I　looked　from　father　to　daughter　in

the　blankest　amazement。　　I　suppose　that　my　countenance　betrayed　my

astonishment；　for　the　old　man　said：　〃I　perceive　that　you　are

surprised。　　Well；　that　is　natural。　　You　had　a　right　to　think　me　mad

until　I　proved　myself　sane。〃



〃But；　Mr。　Blakelock；〃　I　said；　〃I　really　cannot　take　this　gold。　　I

have　no　right　to　it。　　I　cannot　in　justice　charge　so　large　a　fee。〃



〃Take　ittake　it；〃　he　answered　impatiently；　〃your　fee　will　amount

to　that　before　I　am　well。　　Besides；〃　he　added　mysteriously；　〃I　wish

to　secure　your　friendship。　　I　wish　that　you　should　protect　me　from

her；〃　and　he　pointed　his　poor；　bandaged　hand　at　Marion。



My　eyes　followed　his　gesture；　and　I　caught　the　glance　that　replied

a　glance　of　horror；　distrust；　despair。　　The　beautiful　face　was

distorted　into　positive　ugliness。



〃It's　all　true；〃　I　thought；　〃she　is　the　demon　that　her　father

represents　her。〃



I　now　rose　to　go。　　This　domestic　tragedy　sickened　me。　　This

treachery　of　blood　against　blood　was　too　horrible　to　witness。　　I

wrote　a　prescription　for　the　old　man；　left　directions　as　to　the

renewal　of　the　dressings　upon　his　burns；　and；　bidding　him　good

night；　hastened　toward　the　door。



While　I　was　fumbling　on　the　dark；　crazy　landing　for　the　staircase；

I　felt　a　hand　laid　on　my　arm。



〃Doctor；〃　whispered　a　voice　that　I　recognized　as　Marion

Blakelock's；　〃Doctor；　have　you　any　compassion　in　your　heart？〃



〃I　hope　so；〃　I　answered　shortly；　shaking　off　her　hand；　her　touch

filled　me　with　loathing。



〃Hush！　don't　talk　so　loud。　　If　you　have　any　pity　in　your　nature；

give　me　back；　I　entreat　of　you；　that　gold　ingot　which　my　father

gave　you　this　evening。〃



〃Great　heaven！〃　said　I；　〃can　it　be　possible　that　so　fair　a　woman

can　be　such　a　mercenary；　shameless　wretch？〃



〃Ah！　you　know　notI　cannot　tell　you！　　Do　not　judge　me　harshly。　　I

call　God　to　witness　that　I　am　not　what　you　deem　me。　　Some　day　or

other　you　will　know。　　But；〃　she　added；　interrupting　herself；　〃the

ingotwhere　is　it？　　I　must　have　it。　　My　life　depends　on　your

giving　it　to　me。〃



〃Take　it；　impostor！〃　I　cried；　placing　it　in　her　hand；　that　closed

on　it　with　a　horrible　eagerness。　　〃I　never　intended　to　keep　it。

Gold　made　under　the　same　roof　that　covers　such　as　you　must　be

accursed。〃



So　saying；　heedless　of　the　nervous　effort　she　made　to　detain　me；　I

stumbled　down　the　stairs　and　walked　hastily　home。



The　next　morning；　while　I　was　in　my　office；　smoking　my　matutinal

cigar；　and　speculating　over　the　singular　character　of　my

acquaintances　of　last　night；　the　door　opened；　and　Marion　Blakelock

entered。　　She　had　the　same　look　of　terror　that　I　had　observed　the

evening　before；　and　she　panted　as　if　she　had　been　running　fast。



〃Father　has　got　out　of　bed；〃　she　gasped　out；　〃and　insists　on　going

on　with　his　alchemy。　　Will　it　kill　him？〃



〃Not　exactly；〃　I　answered　coldly。　　〃It　were　better　that　he　kept

quiet；　so　as　to　avoid　the　chance　of　inflammation。　　However；　you

need　not　be　alarmed；　his　burns　are　not　at　all　dangerous；　although

painful。〃



〃Thank　God！　thank　God！〃　she　cried；　in　the　most　impassioned　accents；

and；　before　I　was　aware　of　what　she　was　doing；　she　seized　my　hand

and　kissed　it。



〃There；　that　will　do；〃　I　said；　withdrawing　my　hand；　〃you　are　under

no　obligations　to　me。　　You　had　better　go　back　to　your　father。〃



〃I　can't　go；〃　she　answered。　　〃You　despise　meis　it　not　so？〃



I　made　no　reply。



〃You　think　me　a　monstera　criminal。　　When　you　went　home　last

night；　you　were　wonderstruck　that　so　vile　a　creature　as　I　should

have　so　fair　a　face。〃



〃You　embarrass　me；　madam；〃　I　said；　in　a　most　chilling　tone。　　〃Pray

relieve　me　from　this　unpleasant　position。〃



〃Wait。　　I　cannot　bear　that　you　should　think　ill　of　me。　　You　are

good　and　kind；　and　I　desire　to　possess　your　esteem。　　You　little

know　how　I　love　my　father。〃



I　could　not　restrain　a　bitter　smile。



〃You　do　not　believe　that？　　Well；　I　will　convince　you。　　I　have　had　a

hard　struggle　all　last　night　with　myself；　but　am　now　resolved。

This　life　of　deceit　must　continue　no　longer。　　Will　you　hear　my

vindication？〃



I　assented。　　The　wonderful　melody　of　her　voice　and　the　purity　of

her　features　were　charming　me　once　more。　　I　half　believed　in　her

innocence　already。



〃My　father　has　told　you　a　portion　of　his　history。　　But　he　did　not

tell　you　that　his　continued　failures　in　his　search　after　the　secret

of　metallic　transmutation　nearly　killed　him。　　Two　years　ago　he　was

on　the　verge　of　the　grave；　working　every　day　at　his　mad　pursuit；

and　every　day　growing　weaker　and　more　emaciated。　　I　saw　that　if　his

mind　was　not　relieved　in　some　way　he　would　die。　　The　thought　was

madness　to　me；　for　I　loved　himI　love　him　still；　as　a　daughter

never　loved　a　father　before。　　During　all　these　years　of　poverty　I

had　supported　the　house　with　my　needle；　it　was　hard　work；　but　I　did

itI　do　it　still！〃



〃What？〃　I　cried；　startled；　〃does　not〃



〃Patience。　　Hear　me　out。　　My　father　was　dying　of　disappointment。　　I

must　save　him。　　By　incredible　exertions；　working　night　and　day；　I

saved　about　thirty…five　dollars　in　notes。　　These　I　exchanged　for

gold；　and　one　day；　when　my　father　was　not　looking；　I　cast　them　into

the　crucible　in　which　he　was　making　one　of　his　vain　attempts　at

transmutation。　　God；　I　am　sure；　will　pardon　the　deception。　　I　never

anticipated　the　misery　it　would　lead　to。



〃I　never　beheld　anything　like　the　joy　of　my　poor　father；　when；

after　emptying　his　crucible；　he　found　a　deposit　of　pure　gold　at　the

bottom。　　He　wept；　and　danced；　and　sang；　and　built　such　castles　in

the　air；　that　my　brain　was　dizzy　to　hear　him。　　He　gave　me　the　ingot

to　keep；　and　went　to　work　at　his　alchemy　with　renewed　vigor。　　The

same　thing　occurred。　　He　always　found　the　same　quantity　of　gold　in

his　crucible。　　I　alone　knew　the　secret。　　He　was　happy；　poor　man；

for　nearly　two　years；　in　the　belief　that　he　was　amassing　a　fortune。

I　all　the　while　plied　my　needle　for　our　daily　bread。　　When　he　asked

me　for　the　savings；　the　first　stroke　fell　upon　me。　　Then　it　was

that　I　recognized　the　folly　of　my　conduct。　　I　could　give　him　no

money。　　I　never　had　anywhile　he　believed　that　I　had　fourteen

thousand　dollars。　　My　heart　was　nearly　broken　when　I　found　that　he

had　conceived　the　most　injurious　suspicions　against　me。　　Yet　I

could　not　blame　him。　　I　could　give　no　account　of　the　treasure　I　had

permitted　him　to　believe　was　in　my　possession。　　I　must　suffer　the

penalty　of　my　fault；　for　to　undeceive　him　would　be；　I　felt；　to　kill

him。　　I　remained　silent　then；　and　suffered。



〃You　know　the　rest。　　You　now　know　why　it　was　that　I　was　reluctant

to　give　you　that　ingotwhy　it　was　that　I　degraded　myself　so　far　as

to　ask　it　back。　　It　was　the　only　means　I　had　of　continuing　a

deception　on　which　I　believed　my　father's　life　depended。　　But　that

delusion　has　been　dispelled。　　I　can　live　this　life　of　hypocrisy　no

longer。　　I　cannot　exist　and　hear　my　father；　whom　I　love　so；　wither

me　daily　with　his　curses。　　I　will　undeceive　him　this　very　day。

Will　you　come　with　me；　for　I　fear　the　effect　on　his　enfeebled

frame？〃



〃Willingly；〃　I　answered；　taking　her　by　the　hand；　〃and　I　think　that

no　absolute　danger　need　be　apprehended。　　Now；　Marion；〃　I　added；

〃let　me　ask　forgiveness　for　having　even　for　a　moment　wounded　so

noble　a　heart。　　You　are　truly　as　great　a　martyr　as　any　of　those

whose　sufferings　the　Church　perpetuates　in　altar…pieces。〃



〃I　knew　you　would　do　me　justice　when　you　knew　all；〃　she　sobbed；

pressing　my　hand；　〃but　come。　　I　am　on　fire。　　Let　us　hasten　to　my

father；　and　break　this　terror　to　him。〃



When　we　reached　the　old　alchemist's　room；　we　found　him　busily

engaged　over　a　crucible　which　was　placed　on　a　small　furnace；　and　in


which　some　indescribable　mixture　was　boiling。　　He　looked　up　as　we

entered。



〃No　fear　of　me；　doctor；〃　he　said；　with　a　ghastly　smile；　〃no　fear；　I

must　not　allow　a　little　physical　pain　to　interrupt　my　great　work；

you　know。　　By　the　way；　you　are　just　in　time。　　In　a　few　moments　the

marriage　of　the　Red　King　and　White　Queen　will　be　accomplished；　as

George　Ripley　calls　the　great　act；　in　his　book　en