the queen of hearts-第30章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Bard；　who　was　to　be　found　at　a　distant　farmhouse　far　beyond　the
limits　of　Owen's　property。　The　prospect　of　discovering　this
remarkable　relic　of　past　times　hurried　her　off；　under　the
guidance　of　her　ragged　groom；　in　a　high　state　of　excitement；　to
see　and　hear　the　venerable　man。　She　was　away　the　whole　day；　and
for　the　first　time　since　her　visit　she　kept　us　waiting　more　than
half　an　hour　for　dinner。　The　moment　we　all　sat　down　to　table；　she
informed　us；　to　Morgan's　great　delight；　that　the　bard　was　a　rank
impostor。

〃Why；　what　did　you　expect　to　see？〃　I　asked。

〃A　Welsh　patriarch；　to　be　sure；　with　a　long　white　beard；　flowing
robes；　and　a　harp　to　match；〃　answered　Miss　Jessie。

〃And　what　did　you　find？〃

〃A　highly…respectable　middle…aged　rustic；　a　smiling；
smoothly…shaven；　obliging　man；　dressed　in　a　blue　swallow…tailed
coat；　with　brass　buttons；　and　exhibiting　his　bardic　legs　in　a
pair　of　extremely　stout。　and　comfortable　corduroy　trousers。〃

〃But　he　sang　old　Welsh　songs；　surely？〃

〃Sang！　I'll　tell　you　what　he　did。　He　sat　down　on　a　Windsor　chair；
without　a　harp；　he　put　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　cleared　his
throat；　looked　up　at　the　ceiling；　and　suddenly　burst　into　a
series　of　the　shrillest　falsetto　screeches　I　ever　heard　in　my
life。　My　own　private　opinion　is　that　he　was　suffering　from
hydrophobia。　I　have　lost　all　belief；　henceforth　and　forever；　in
bardsall　belief　in　everything；　in　short；　except　your　very
delightful　stories　and　this　remarkably　good　dinner。

Ending　with　that　smart　double　fire　of　compliments　to　her　hosts；
the　Queen　of　Hearts　honored　us　all　three　with　a　smile　of
approval；　and　transferred　her　attention　to　her　knife　and　fork。

The　number　drawn　to…night　was　One。　On　examination　of　the　Purple
Volume；　it　proved　to　be　my　turn　to　read　again。

〃Our　story　to…night；〃　I　said；　〃contains　the　narrative　of　a　very
remarkable　adventure　which　really　befell　me　when　I　was　a　young
man。　At　the　time　of　my　life　when　these　events　happened　I　was
dabbling　in　literature　when　I　ought　to　have　been　studying　law；
and　traveling　on　the　Continent　when　I　ought　to　have　been　keeping
my　terms　at　Lincoln's　Inn。　At　the　outset　of　the　story；　you　will
find　that　I　refer　to　the　county　in　which　I　lived　in　my　youth；　and
to　a　neighboring　family　possessing　a　large　estate　in　it。　That
county　is　situated　in　a　part　of　England　far　away　from　The　Glen
Tower；　and　that　family　is　therefore　not　to　be　associated　with　any
present　or　former　neighbors　of　ours　in　this　part　of　the　world。〃

After　saying　these　necessary　words　of　explanation；　I　opened　the
first　page；　and　began　the　story　of　my　Own　Adventure。　I　observed
that　my　audience　started　a　little　as　I　read　the　title；　which　I
must　add；　in　my　own　defense；　had　been　almost　forced　on　my　choice
by　the　peculiar　character　of　the　narrative。　It　was　〃MAD　MONKTON。〃

BROTHER　GRIFFITH'S　STORY

of

MAD　MONKTON


CHAPTER　I。


THE　Monktons　of　Wincot　Abbey　bore　a　sad　character　for　want　of
sociability　in　our　county。　They　never　went　to　other　people's
houses；　and；　excepting　my　father；　and　a　lady　and　her　daughter
living　near　them；　never　received　anybody　under　their　own　roof。

Proud　as　they　all　certainly　were；　it　was　not　pride；　but　dread；
which　kept　them　thus　apart　from　their　neighbors。　The　family　had
suffered　for　generations　past　from　the　horrible　affliction　of
hereditary　insanity；　and　the　members　of　it　shrank　from　exposing
their　calamity　to　others；　as　they　must　have　exposed　it　if　they
had　mingled　with　the　busy　little　world　around　them。　There　is　a
frightful　story　of　a　crime　committed　in　past　times　by　two　of　the
Monktons；　near　relatives；　from　which　the　first　appearance　of　the
insanity　was　always　supposed　to　date；　but　it　is　needless　for　me
to　shock　any　one　by　repeating　it。　It　is　enough　to　say　that　at
intervals　almost　every　form　of　madness　appeared　in　the　family；
monomania　being　the　most　frequent　manifestation　of　the　affliction
among　them。　I　have　these　particulars；　and　one　or　two　yet　to　be
related；　from　my　father。

At　the　period　of　my　youth　but　three　of　the　Monktons　were　left　at
the　AbbeyMr。　and　Mrs。　Monkton　and　their　only　child　Alfred；　　heir
to　the　prope　rty。　The　one　other　member　of　this；　the　elder　branch
of　the　family；　who　was　then　alive；　was　Mr。　Monkton's　younger
brother；　Stephen。　He　was　an　unmarried　man；　possessing　a　fine
estate　in　Scotland；　but　he　lived　almost　entirely　on　the
Continent；　and　bore　the　reputation　of　being　a　shameless
profligate。　The　family　at　Wincot　held　almost　as　little
communication　with　him　as　with　their　neighbors。

I　have　already　mentioned　my　father；　and　a　lady　and　her　daughter；
as　the　only　privileged　people　who　were　admitted　into　Wincot
Abbey。

My　father　had　been　an　old　school　and　college　friend　of　Mr。
Monkton；　and　accident　had　brought　them　so　much　together　in　later
life　that　their　continued　intimacy　at　Wincot　was　quite
intelligible。　I　am　not　so　well　able　to　account　for　the　friendly
terms　on　which　Mrs。　Elmslie　（the　lady　to　whom　I　have　alluded）
lived　with　the　Monktons。　Her　late　husband　had　been　distantly
related　to　Mrs。　Monkton；　and　my　father　was　her　daughter's
guardian。　But　even　these　claims　to　friendship　and　regard　never
seemed　to　me　strong　enough　to　explain　the　intimacy　between　Mrs。
Elmslie　and　the　inhabitants　of　the　Abbey。　Intimate；　however；　they
certainly　were；　and　one　result　of　the　constant　interchange　of
visits　between　the　two　families　in　due　time　declared　itself：　Mr。
Monkton's　son　and　Mrs。　Elmslie's　daughter　became　attached　to　each
other。

I　had　no　opportunities　of　seeing　much　of　the　young　lady；　I　only
remember　her　at　that　time　as　a　delicate；　gentle；　lovable　girl；
the　very　opposite　in　appearance；　and　apparently　in　character
also；　to　Alfred　Monkton。　But　perhaps　that　was　one　reason　why　they
fell　in　love　with　each　other。　The　attachment　was　soon　discovered；
and　was　far　from　being　disapproved　by　the　parents　on　either　side。
In　all　essential　points　except　that　of　wealth；　the　Elmslies　were
nearly　the　equals　of　the　Monktons；　and　want　of　money　in　a　bride
was　of　no　consequence　to　the　heir　of　Wincot。　Alfred；　it　was　well
known；　would　succeed　to　thirty　thousand　a　year　on　his　father's
death。

Thus；　though　the　parents　on　both　sides　thought　the　young　people
not　old　enough　to　be　married　at　once；　they　saw　no　reason　why　Ada
and　Alfred　should　not　be　engaged　to　each　other；　with　the
understanding　that　they　should　be　united　when　young　Monkton　came
of　age；　in　two　years'　time。　The　person　to　be　consulted　in　the
matter；　after　the　parents；　was　my　father；　in　his　capacity　of
Ada's　guardian。　He　knew　that　the　family　misery　had　shown　itself
many　years　ago　in　Mrs。　Monkton；　who　was　her　husband's　cousin。　The
_illness；_　as　it　was　significantly　called；　had　been　palliated　by
careful　treatment；　and　was　reported　to　have　passed　away。　But　my
father　was　not　to　be　deceived。　He　knew　where　the　hereditary　taint
still　lurked；　he　viewed　with　horror　the　bare　possibility　of　its
reappearing　one　day　in　the　children　of　his　friend's　only
daughter；　and　he　positively　refused　his　consent　to　the　marriage
engagement。

The　result　was　that　the　doors　of　the　Abbey　and　the　doors　of　Mrs。
Elmslie's　house　were　closed　to　him。　This　suspension　of　friendly
intercourse　had　lasted　but　a　very　short　time　when　Mrs。　Monkton
died。　Her　husband；　who　was　fondly　attached　to　her；　caught　a
violent　cold　while　attending　her　funeral。　The　cold　was　neglected；
and　settled　on　his　lungs。　In　a　few　months'　time　he　followed　his
wife　to　the　grave；　and　Alfred　was　left　master　of　the　grand　old
Abbey　and　the　fair　lands　that　spread　all　around　it。

At　this　period　Mrs。　Elmslie　had　the　indelicacy　to　endeavor　a
second　time　to　procure　my　father's　consent　to　the　marriage
engagement。　He　refused　it　again　more　positively　than　before。　More
than　a　year　passed　away。　The　time　was　approaching　fast　when
Alfred　would　be　of　age。　I　returned　from　college　to　spend　the　long
vacation　at　home；　and　made　some　advances　toward　bettering　my
acquaintance　with　young　Monkton。　They　were　evadedcertainly　with
perfect　politeness；　but　still　in　such　a　way　as　to　prevent　me　from
offering　my　friendship　to　him　again。　Any　mortification　I　might
have　felt　at　this　petty　repulse　under　ordinary　circumstances　was
dismissed　from　my