the notch on the ax and on being found out-第88章

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connected　with　the　cursecomes　with　a　storm　of　wind。　　That　was　why
I　so　disliked　your　story　of　the　imaginary　tempests　which　have
disturbed　your　nights　since　you　slept　there。　　As　to　what
followed；〃he　gave　a　sigh；〃that　story　is　long　enough　and　full　of
incident。　　On　the　morning　after　the　murder；　so　runs　the　tale；　Dame
Alice　came　down　to　the　Grange　from　the　tower　to　which　she　had
retired　when　her　son's　wickednesses　had　driven　her　from　his　house；
and　there　in　the　presence　of　the　two　corpses　she　foretold　the　curse
which　should　rest　upon　their　descendants　for　generations　to　come。
A　clergyman　who　was　present；　horrified；　it　is　said　at　her　words；
adjured　her　by　the　mercy　of　Heaven　to　place　some　term　to　the　doom
which　she　had　pronounced。　　She　replied　that　no　mortal　might　reckon
the　fruit　of　a　plant　which　drew　its　life　from　hell；　that　a　term
there　should　be；　but　as　it　passed　the　wisdom　of　man　to　fix　it；　so
it　should　pass　the　wit　of　man　to　discover　it。　　She　then　placed　in
the　room　this　cabinet；　constructed　by　herself　and　her　Italian
follower；　and　said　that　the　curse　should　not　depart　from　the　family
until　the　day　when　its　doors　were　unlocked　and　its　legend　read。

〃Such　is　the　story。　　I　tell　it　to　you　as　it　was　told　to　me。　　One
thing　only　is　certain；　that　the　doom　thus　traditionally　foretold
has　been　only　too　amply　fulfilled。〃

〃And　what　was　the　doom？〃

Alan　hesitated　a　little；　and　when　he　spoke　his　voice　was　almost
awful　in　its　passionless　sternness；　in　its　despairing　finality；　it
seemed　to　echo　the　irrevocable　judgment　which　his　words　pronounced：
〃That　the　crimes　against　God　and　each　other　which　had　destroyed　the
parents'　life　should　enter　into　the　children's　blood；　and　that
never　thereafter　should　there　fail　a　Mervyn　to　bring　shame　or　death
upon　one　generation　of　his　father's　house。

〃There　were　two　sons　of　that　ill…fated　marriage；〃　he　went　on　after
a　pause；　〃boys　at　the　time　of　their　parents'　death。　　When　they　grew
up　they　both　fell　in　love　with　the　same　woman；　and　one　killed　the
other　in　a　duel。　　The　story　of　the　next　generation　was　a　peculiarly
sad　one。　　Two　brothers　took　opposite　sides　during　the　civil
troubles；　but　so　fearful　were　they　of　the　curse　which　lay　upon　the
family；　that　they　chiefly　made　use　of　their　mutual　position　in
order　to　protect　and　guard　each　other。　　After　the　wars　were　over；
the　younger　brother；　while　traveling　upon　some　parliamentary
commission；　stopped　a　night　at　the　Grange。　　There；　through　a
mistake；　he　exchanged　the　report　which　he　was　bringing　to　London
for　a　packet　of　papers　implicating　his　brother　and　several　besides
in　a　royalist　plot。　　He　only　discovered　his　error　as　he　handed　the
papers　to　his　superior；　and　was　but　just　able　to　warn　his　brother
in　time　for　him　to　save　his　life　by　flight。　　The　other　men　involved
were　taken　and　executed；　and　as　it　was　known　by　what　means
information　had　reached　the　Government；　the　elder　Mervyn　was
universally　charged　with　the　vilest　treachery。　　It　is　said　that
when　after　the　Restoration　his　return　home　was　rumored　the
neighboring　gentry　assembled；　armed　with　riding　whips；　to　flog　him
out　of　the　country　if　he　should　dare　to　show　his　face　there。　　He
died　abroad；　shame…stricken　and　broken…hearted。　　It　was　his　son；
brought　up　by　his　uncle　in　the　sternest　tenets　of　Puritanism；　who；
coming　home　after　a　lengthened　journey；　found　that　during　his
absence　his　sister　had　been　shamefully　seduced。　　He　turned　her　out
of　doors；　then　and　there；　in　the　midst　of　a　bitter　January　night；
and　the　next　morning　her　dead　body　and　that　of　her　new…born　infant
were　found　half　buried　in　the　fresh…fallen　snow　on　the　top　of　the
wolds。　　The　'white　lady'　is　still　supposed　by　the　villagers　to
haunt　that　side　of　the　glen。　　And　so　it　went　on。　　A　beautiful；
heartless　Mervyn　in　Queen　Anne's　time　enticed　away　the　affections
of　her　sister's　betrothed；　and　on　the　day　of　her　own　wedding　with
him；　her　forsaken　sister　was　found　drowned　by　her　own　act　in　the
pond　at　the　bottom　of　the　garden。　　Two　brothers　were　soldiers
together　in　some　Continental　war；　and　one　was　involuntarily　the
means　of　discovering　and　exposing　the　treason　of　the　other。　　A　girl
was　betrayed　into　a　false　marriage；　and　her　life　ruined　by　a　man
who　came　into　the　house　as　her　brother's　friend；　and　whose　infamous
designs　were　forwarded　and　finally　accomplished　by　that　same
brother's　active　though　unsuspecting　assistance。　　Generation　after
generation；　men　or　women；　guilty　or　innocent；　through　the　action　of
their　own　will　or　in　spite　of　it；　the　curse　has　never　yet　failed　of
its　victims。〃

〃Never　yet？　　But　surely　in　our　own　timeyour　father？〃　　I　did　not
dare　to　put　the　question　which　was　burning　my　lips。

〃Have　you　never　heard　of　the　tragic　end　of　my　poor　young　uncles？〃
he　replied。　　〃They　were　several　years　older　than　my　father。　　When
boys　of　fourteen　and　fifteen　they　were　sent　out　with　the　keeper　for
their　first　shooting　lesson；　and　the　elder　shot　his　brother　through
the　heart。　　He　himself　was　delicate；　and　they　say　that　he　never
entirely　recovered　from　the　shock。　　He　died　before　he　was　twenty；
and　my　father；　then　a　child　of　seven　years　old；　became　the　heir。
It　was　partly；　no　doubt；　owing　to　this　calamity　having　thus
occurred　before　he　was　old　enough　to　feel　it；　that　his　comparative
skepticism　on　the　whole　subject　was　due。　　To　that　I　suppose；　and　to
the　fact　that　he　grew　up　in　an　age　of　railways　and　liberal
culture。〃

〃He　didn't　believe；　then；　in　the　curse？〃

〃Well；　rather；　he　thought　nothing　about　it。　　Until；　that　is；　the
time　came　when　it　took　effect；　to　break　his　heart　and　end　his
life。〃

〃How　do　you　mean？〃

There　was　silence　for　a　little。　　Alan　had　turned　away　his　head；　so
that　I　could　not　see　his　face。　　Then

〃I　suppose　you　have　never　been　told　the　true　story　of　why　Jack　left
the　country？〃

〃No。　　Was　heis　he？〃

〃He　is　one　victim　of　the　curse　in　this　generation；　and　I；　God　help
me；　am　the　other；　and　perhaps　more　wretched　one。〃

His　voice　trembled　and　broke；　and　for　the　first　time　that　day　I
almost　forgot　the　mysterious　horror　of　the　night　before；　in　my　pity
for　the　actual；　tangible　suffering　before　me。　　I　stretched　out　my
hand　to　his；　and　his　fingers　closed　on　mine　with　a　sudden；　painful
grip。　　Then　quietly

〃I　will　tell　you　the　story；〃　he　said；　〃though　since　that　miserable
time　I　have　spoken　of　it　to　no　one。〃

There　was　a　pause　before　he　began。　　He　lay　there　by　my　side；　his
gaze　turned　across　me　up　the　sunbright；　autumn…tinted　glen；　but　his
eyes　shadowed　by　the　memories　which　he　was　striving　to　recall　and
arrange　in　due　order　in　his　mind。　　And　when　he　did　speak　it　was　not
directly　to　begin　the　promised　recital。

〃You　never　knew　Jack；〃　he　said；　abruptly。

〃Hardly；〃　I　acquiesced。　　〃I　remember　thinking　him　very　handsome。〃

〃There　could　not　be　two　opinions　as　to　that；〃　he　answered。　　〃And　a
man　who　could　have　done　anything　he　liked　with　life；　had　things
gone　differently。　　His　abilities　were　fine；　but　his　strength　lay
above　all　in　his　character：　he　was　strong；strong　in　his　likes　and
in　his　dislikes；　resolute；　fearless；　incapable　of　half　measuresa
man；　every　inch　of　him。　　He　was　not　generally　popularstiff；　hard；
unsympathetic；　people　called　him。　　From　one　point　of　view；　and　one
only；　he　perhaps　deserved　the　epithets。　　If　a　woman　lost　his
respect　she　seemed　to　lose　his　pity　too。　　Like　a　mediaeval　monk；　he
looked　upon　such　rather　as　the　cause　than　the　result　of　male
depravity；　and　his　contempt　for　them　mingled　with　anger；　almost；　as
I　sometimes　thought；　with　hatred。　　And　this　attitude　was；　I　have　no
doubt；　resented　by　the　men　of　his　own　class　and　set；　who　shared
neither　his　faults　nor　his　virtues。　　But　in　other　ways　he　was　not
hard。　　He　could　love；　I；　at　least；　have　cause　to　know　it。　　If　you
would　hear　his　story　rightly　from　my　lips；　Evie；　you　must　try　and
see　him　with　my　eyes。　　The　friend　who　loved　me；　and　whom　I　loved
with　the　passion　which；　if　not　the　strongest；　is　certainly；　I
believe；　the　most　enduring　of　which　men　are　capable；that　perfect
brother's　love；　which　so　grows　into　our　being　that　when　it　is　at
peace　we　are　scarcely　conscious　of　its　existence；　and　when　it　is
wounded　our　very　life…blood　seems　to　flow　at