the queen of hearts-第18章

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ends；　I　am　well　aware；　with　my　escape　to　the　farmhouse。　I　have
only　ventured　on　writing　these　few　additional　sentences　because
my　marriage　is　the　moral　of　my　story。　It　has　brought　me　the
choicest　blessings　of　happiness　and　prosperity；　and　I　owe　them
all　to　my　night…adventure　in　_The　Black　Cottage_。

THE　SECOND　DAY。

A　CLEAR；　cloudless；　bracing　autumn　morning。　I　rose　gayly；　with
the　pleasant　conviction　on　my　mind　that　our　experiment　had　thus
far　been　successful　beyond　our　hopes。

Short　and　slight　as　the　first　story　had　been；　the　result　of　it　on
Jessie's　mind　had　proved　conclusive。　Before　I　could　put　the
question　to　her；　she　declared　of　her　own　accord；　and　with　her
customary　exaggeration；　that　she　had　definitely　abandoned　all
idea　of　writing　to　her　aunt　until　our　collection　of　narratives
was　exhausted。

〃I　am　in　a　fever　of　curiosity　about　what　is　to　come；〃　she　said；
when　we　all　parted　for　the　night；　〃and；　even　if　I　wanted　to　leave
you；　I　could　not　possibly　go　away　now；　without　hearing　the
stories　to　the　end。〃

So　far；　so　good。　All　my　anxieties　from　this　time　were　for
George's　return。　Again　to…day　I　searched　the　newspapers；　and
again　there　were　no　tidings　of　the　ship。

Miss　Jessie　occupied　the　second　day　by　a　drive　to　our　county　town
to　make　some　little　purchases。　Owen；　and　Morgan；　and　I　were　all
hard　at　work；　during　her　absence；　on　the　stories　that　still
remained　to　be　completed。　Owen　desponded　about　ever　getting　done；
Morgan　grumbled　at　what　he　called　the　absurd　difficulty　of
writing　nonsense。　I　worked　on　smoothly　and　contentedly；
stimulated　by　the　success　of　the　first　night。

We　assembled　as　before　in　our　guest's　sitting…room。　As　the　clock
struck　eight　she　drew　out　the　second　card。　It　was　Number　Two。　The
lot　had　fallen　on　me　to　read　next。

〃Although　my　story　is　told　in　the　first　person；〃　I　said；
addressing　Jessie；　〃you　must　not　suppose　that　the　events　related
in　this　particular　case　happened　to　me。　They　happened　to　a　friend
of　mine；　who　naturally　described　them　to　me　from　his　own　personal
point　of　view。　In　producing　my　narrative　from　the　recollection　of
what　he　told　me　some　years　since；　I　have　supposed　myself　to　be
listening　to　him　again；　and　have　therefore　written　in　his
character；　and；　w　henever　my　memory　would　help　me；　as　nearly　as
possible　in　his　language　also。　By　this　means　I　hope　I　have
succeeded　in　giving　an　air　of　reality　to　a　story　which　has　truth；
at　any　rate；　to　recommend　it。　I　must　ask　you　to　excuse　me　if　I
enter　into　no　details　in　offering　this　short　explanation。
Although　the　persons　concerned　in　my　narrative　have　ceased　to
exist；　it　is　necessary　to　observe　all　due　delicacy　toward　their
memories。　Who　they　were；　and　how　I　became　acquainted　with　them；
are　matters　of　no　moment。　The　interest　of　the　story；　such　as　it
is；　stands　in　no　need；　in　this　instance；　of　any　assistance　from
personal　explanations。〃

With　those　words　I　addressed　myself　to　my　task；　and　read　as
follows：

BROTHER　GRIFFITH'S　STORY

of

THE　FAMILY　SECRET。

CHAPTER　I。

WAS　it　an　Englishman　or　a　Frenchman　who　first　remarked　that　every
family　had　a　skeleton　in　its　cupboard？　I　am　not　learned　enough　to
know；　but　I　reverence　the　observation；　whoever　made　it。　It　speaks
a　startling　truth　through　an　appropriately　grim　metaphora　truth
which　I　have　discovered　by　practical　experience。　Our　family　had　a
skeleton　in　the　cupboard；　and　the　name　of　it　was　Uncle　George。

I　arrived　at　the　knowledge　that　this　skeleton　existed；　and　I
traced　it　to　the　particular　cupboard　in　which　it　was　hidden；　by
slow　degrees。　I　was　a　child　when　I　first　began　to　suspect　that
there　was　such　a　thing；　and　a　grown　man　when　I　at　last　discovered
that　my　suspicions　were　true。

My　father　was　a　doctor；　having　an　excellent　practice　in　a　large
country　town。　I　have　heard　that　he　married　against　the　wishes　of
his　family。　They　could　not　object　to　my　mother　on　the　score　of
birth；　breeding；　or　characterthey　only　disliked　her　heartily。
My　grandfather；　grandmother；　uncles；　and　aunts　all　declared　that
she　was　a　heartless；　deceitful　woman；　all　disliked　her　manners；
her　opinions；　and　even　the　expression　of　her　faceall；　with　the
exception　of　my　father's　youngest　brother；　George。

George　was　the　unlucky　member　of　our　family。　The　rest　were　all
clever；　he　was　slow　in　capacity。　The　rest　were　all　remarkably
handsome；　he　was　the　sort　of　man　that　no　woman　ever　looks　at
twice。　The　rest　succeeded　in　life；　he　failed。　His　profession　was
the　same　as　my　father's；　but　he　never　got　on　when　he　started　in
practice　for　himself。　The　sick　poor；　who　could　not　choose；
employed　him；　and　liked　him。　The　sick　rich；　who　couldespecially
the　ladiesdeclined　to　call　him　in　when　they　could　get　anybody
else。　In　experience　he　gained　greatly　by　his　profession；　in　money
and　reputation　he　gained　nothing。

There　are　very　few　of　us；　however　dull　and　unattractive　we　may　be
to　outward　appearance；　who　have　not　some　strong　passion；　some
germ　of　what　is　called　romance；　hidden　more　or　less　deeply　in　our
natures。　All　the　passion　and　romance　in　the　nature　of　my　Uncle
George　lay　in　his　love　and　admiration　for　my　father。

He　sincerely　worshipped　his　eldest　brother　as　one　of　the　noblest
of　human　beings。　When　my　father　was　engaged　to　be　married；　and
when　the　rest　of　the　family；　as　I　have　already　mentioned；　did　not
hesitate　to　express　their　unfavorable　opinion　of　the　disposition
of　his　chosen　wife；　Uncle　George；　who　had　never　ventured　on
differing　with　anyone　before；　to　the　amazement　of　everybody；
undertook　the　defense　of　his　future　sister…in…law　in　the　most
vehement　and　positive　manner。　In　his　estimation；　his　brother's
choice　was　something　sacred　and　indisputable。　The　lady　might；　and
did；　treat　him　with　unconcealed　contempt；　laugh　at　his
awkwardness；　grow　impatient　at　his　stammeringit　made　no
difference　to　Uncle　George。　She　was　to　be　his　brother's　wife；
and；　in　virtue　of　that　one　great　fact；　she　became；　in　the
estimation　of　the　poor　surgeon；　a　very　queen；　who；　by　the　laws　of
the　domestic　constitution；　could　do　no　wrong。

When　my　father　had　been　married　a　little　while；　he　took　his
youngest　brother　to　live　with　him　as　his　assistant。

If　Uncle　George　had　been　made　president　of　the　College　of
Surgeons；　he　could　not　have　been　prouder　and　happier　than　he　was
in　his　new　position。　I　am　afraid　my　father　never　understood　the
depth　of　his　brother's　affection　for　him。　All　the　hard　work　fell
to　George's　share：　the　long　journeys　at　night；　the　physicking　of
wearisome　poor　people；　the　drunken　cases；　the　revolting
casesall　the　drudging；　dirty　business　of　the　surgery；　in　short；
was　turned　over　to　him；　and　day　after　day；　month　after　month；　he
struggled　through　it　without　a　murmur。　When　his　brother　and　his
sister…in…law　went　out　to　dine　with　the　county　gentry；　it　never
entered　his　head　to　feel　disappointed　at　being　left　unnoticed　at
home。　When　the　return　dinners　were　given；　and　he　was　asked　to
come　in　at　tea…time；　and　left　to　sit　unregarded　in　a　corner；　it
never　occurred　to　him　to　imagine　that　he　was　treated　with　any
want　of　consideration　or　respect。　He　was　part　of　the　furniture　of
the　house；　and　it　was　the　business　as　well　as　the　pleasure　of　his
life　to　turn　himself　to　any　use　to　which　his　brother　might　please
to　put　him。

So　much　for　what　I　have　heard　from　others　on　the　subject　of　my
Uncle　George。　My　own　personal　experience　of　him　is　limited　to
what　I　remember　as　a　mere　child。　Let　me　say　something；　however；
first　about　my　parents；　my　sister　and　myself。

My　sister　was　the　eldest　born　and　the　best　loved。　I　did　not　come
into　the　world　till　four　years　after　her　birth；　and　no　other
child　followed　me。　Caroline；　from　her　earliest　days；　was　the
perfection　of　beauty　and　health。　I　was　small；　weakly；　and；　if　the
truth　must　be　told；　almost　as　plain…featured　as　Uncle　George
himself。　It　would　be　ungracious　and　undutiful　in　me　to　presume　to
decide　whether　there　was　any　foundation　or　not　for　the　dislike
that　my　father's　family　always　felt　for　my　mother。　All　I　can
venture　to　say　is；　that　her　children　never　had　any　cause　to
complain　of　her。

Her　passionate　affection　for　my　sister；　her　pride　in　the　child's
beauty；　I　remember　well；　as　also　her　uni