the queen of hearts-第12章

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〃Say　nothing；〃　I　replied；　〃till　you　have　heard　the　first　story。
Shut　up　the　paper…case　till　that　time；　and　then　decide　when　you
will　open　it　again　to　write　to　your　aunt。〃

She　hesitated　and　smiled。　That　terribly　close　guess　of　hers　was
not　out　of　her　mind　yet。

〃I　rather　fancy；〃　she　said；　slyly；　〃that　the　story　will　turn　out
to　be　the　best　of　the　whole　series。〃

〃Wrong　again；〃　I　retorted。　〃I　have　a　plan　for　letting　chance
decide　which　of　the　stories　the　first　one　shall　be。　They　shall　be
all　numbered　as　they　are　done；　corresponding　numbers　shall　be
written　inside　folded　pieces　of　card　and　well　mixed　together；　you
shall　pick　out　any　one　card　you　like；　you　shall　declare　the
number　written　within；　and；　good　or　bad；　the　story　that　answers
to　that　number　shall　be　the　story　that　is　read。　Is　that　fair？〃

〃Fair！〃　she　exclaimed；　〃it's　better　than　fair；　it　makes　_me_　of
some　importance；　and　I　must　be　more　or　less　than　woman　not　to
appreciate　that。〃

〃Then　you　consent　to　wait　patiently　for　the　next　five　days？〃

〃As　patiently　as　I　can。〃

〃And　you　engage　to　decide　nothing　about　writing　to　your　aunt
until　you　have　heard　the　first　story？〃

〃I　do；〃　she　said；　returning　to　the　writing…table。　〃Behold　the
proof　of　it。〃　She　raised　her　hand　with　theatrical　solemnity；　and
closed　the　paper…case　with　an　impressive　bang。

I　leaned　back　in　my　chair　with　my　mind　at　ease　for　the　first　　time
since　the　receipt　of　my　son's　letter。

〃Only　let　George　return　by　the　first　of　November；〃　I　thought　to
myself；　〃and　all　the　aunts　in　Christendom　shall　not　prevent
Jessie　Yelverton　from　being　here　to　meet　him。〃

THE　TEN　DAYS。

THE　FIRST　DAY。

SHOWERY　and　unsettled。　In　spite　of　the　weather；　Jessie　put　on　my
Mackintosh　cloak　and　rode　off　over　the　hills　to　one　of　Owen's
outlying　farms。　She　was　already　too　impatient　to　wait　quietly　for
the　evening's　reading　in　the　house；　or　to　enjoy　any　amusement
less　exhilarating　than　a　gallop　in　the　open　air。

I　was；　on　my　side；　as　anxious　and　as　uneasy　as　our　guest。　Now
that　the　six　weeks　of　her　stay　had　expirednow　that　the　day　had
really　arrived；　on　the　evening　of　which　the　first　story　was　to　be
read；　I　began　to　calculate　the　chances　of　failure　as　well　as　the
chances　of　success。　What　if　my　own　estimate　of　the　interest　of
the　stories　turned　out　to　be　a　false　one？　What　if　some　unforeseen
accident　occurred　to　delay　my　son's　return　beyond　ten　days？

The　arrival　of　the　newspaper　had　already　become　an　event　of　the
deepest　importance　to　me。　Unreasonable　as　it　was　to　expect　any
tidings　of　George　at　so　early　a　date；　I　began；　nevertheless；　on
this　first　of　our　days　of　suspense；　to　look　for　the　name　of　his
ship　in　the　columns　of　telegraphic　news。　The　mere　mechanical　act
of　looking　was　some　relief　to　my　overstrained　feelings；　although
I　might　have　known；　and　did　know；　that　the　search；　for　the
present；　could　lead　to　no　satisfactory　result。

Toward　noon　I　shut　myself　up　with　my　collection　of　manuscripts　to
revise　them　for　the　last　time。　Our　exertions　had　thus　far
produced　but　six　of　the　necessary　ten　stories。　As　they　were　only；
however；　to　be　read；　one　by　one；　on　six　successive　evenings；　and
as　we　could　therefore　count　on　plenty　of　leisure　in　the　daytime；
I　was　in　no　fear　of　our　failing　to　finish　the　little　series。

Of　the　six　completed　stories　I　had　written　two；　and　had　found　a
third　in　the　form　of　a　collection　of　letters　among　my　papers。
Morgan　had　only　written　one；　and　this　solitary　contribution　of
his　had　given　me　more　trouble　than　both　my　own　put　together；　in
consequence　of　the　perpetual　intrusion　of　my　brother's
eccentricities　in　every　part　of　his　narrative。　The　process　of
removing　these　quaint　turns　and　frisks　of　Morgan's　humorwhich；
however　amusing　they　might　have　been　in　an　essay；　were　utterly
out　of　place　in　a　story　appealing　to　suspended　interest　for　its
effectcertainly　tried　my　patience　and　my　critical　faculty　（such
as　it　is）　more　severely　than　any　other　part　of　our　literary
enterprise　which　had　fallen　my　share。

Owen's　investigations　among　his　papers　had　supplied　us　with　the
two　remaining　narratives。　One　was　contained　in　a　letter；　and　the
other　in　the　form　of　a　diary；　and　both　had　been　received　by　him
directly　from　the　writers。　Besides　these　contributions；　he　had
undertaken　to　help　us　by　some　work　of　his　own；　and　had　been
engaged　for　the　last　four　days　in　molding　certain　events　which
had　happened　within　his　personal　knowledge　into　the　form　of　a
story。　His　extreme　fastidiousness　as　a　writer　interfered；
however；　so　seriously　with　his　progress　that　he　was　still　sadly
behindhand；　and　was　likely；　though　less　heavily　burdened　than
Morgan　or　myself；　to　be　the　last　to　complete　his　allotted　task。

Such　was　our　position；　and　such　the　resources　at　our　command；
when　the　first　of　the　Ten　Days　dawned　upon　us。　Shortly　after　four
in　the　afternoon　I　completed　my　work　of　revision；　numbered　the
manuscripts　from　one　to　six　exactly　as　they　happened　to　lie　under
my　hand；　and　inclosed　them　all　in　a　portfolio；　covered　with
purple　morocco；　which　became　known　from　that　time　by　the　imposing
title　of　The　Purple　Volume。

Miss　Jessie　returned　from　her　expedition　just　as　I　was　tying　the
strings　of　the　portfolio；　and；　womanlike；　instantly　asked　leave
to　peep　inside；　which　favor　I；　manlike；　positively　declined　to
grant。

As　soon　as　dinner　was　over　our　guest　retired　to　array　herself　in
magnificent　evening　costume。　It　had　been　arranged　that　the
readings　were　to　take　place　in　her　own　sitting…room；　and　she　was
so　enthusiastically　desirous　to　do　honor　to　the　occasion；　that
she　regretted　not　having　brought　with　her　from　London　the　dress
in　which　she　had　been　presented　at　court　the　year　before；　and　not
having　borrowed　certain　materials　for　additional　splendor　which
she　briefly　described　as　〃aunt's　diamonds。〃

Toward　eight　o'clock　we　assembled　in　the　sitting…room；　and　a
strangely　assorted　company　we　were。　At　the　head　of　the　table；
radiant　in　silk　and　jewelry；　flowers　and　furbelows；　sat　The　Queen
of　Hearts；　looking　so　handsome　and　so　happy　that　I　secretly
congratulated　my　absent　son　on　the　excellent　taste　he　had　shown
in　falling　in　love　with　her。　Round　this　bright　young　creature
（Owen；　at　the　foot　of　the　table；　and　Morgan　and　I　on　either　side）
sat　her　three　wrinkled；　gray…headed；　dingily…attired　hosts；　and
just　behind　her；　in　still　more　inappropriate　companionship；
towered　the　spectral　figure　of　the　man　in　armor；　which　had　so
unaccountably　attracted　her　on　her　arrival。　This　strange　scene
was　lighted　up　by　candles　in　high　and　heavy　brass　sconces。　Before
Jessie　stood　a　mighty　china　punch…bowl　of　the　olden　time；
containing　the　folded　pieces　of　card；　inside　which　were　written
the　numbers　to　be　drawn；　and　before　Owen　reposed　the　Purple
Volume　from　which　one　of　us　was　to　read。　The　walls　of　the　room
were　hung　all　round　with　faded　tapestry；　the　clumsy　furniture　was
black　with　age；　and；　in　spite　of　the　light　from　the　sconces；　the
lofty　ceiling　was　almost　lost　in　gloom。　If　Rembrandt　could　have
painted　our　background；　Reynolds　our　guest；　and　Hogarth
ourselves；　the　picture　of　the　scene　would　have　been　complete。

When　the　old　clock　over　the　tower　gateway　had　chimed　eight；　I
rose　to　inaugurate　the　proceedings　by　requesting　Jessie　to　take
one　of　the　pieces　of　card　out　of　the　punch…bowl；　and　to　declare
the　number。

She　laughed；　then　suddenly　became　frightened　and　serious；　then
looked　at　me；　and　said；　〃It　was　dreadfully　like　business；〃　and
then　entreated　Morgan　not　to　stare　at　her；　or；　in　the　present
state　of　her　nerves；　she　should　upset　the　punch…bowl。　At　last　she
summoned　resolution　enough　to　take　out　one　of　the　pieces　of　card
and　to　unfold　it。

〃Declare　the　number；　my　dear；〃　said　Owen。

〃Number　Four；〃　answered　Jessie；　making　a　magnificent　courtesy；
and　beginning　to　look　like　herself　again。

Owen　opened　the　Purple　Volume；　searched　through　the　manuscripts；
and　suddenly　changed　color。　The　cause　of　his　discomposure　was
soon　explained。　Malicious　fate　had　assigned　to　the　most　diffident
individual　in　the　company　the　trying　responsibility　of　leading
the　way。　Number　Four　was　one　of　the　two　narratives　which　Owen　had
found　among　his　own　papers。