the queen of hearts-第35章

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when　I　was　a　mere　child。〃

〃Then　you　could　have　had　no　very　strong　personal　regard　for　him？〃

'Regard　for　him！　I　should　have　been　ashamed　to　feel　any　regard
for　him。　He　disgraced　us　wherever　he　went。〃

〃May　I　ask　if　any　family　motive　is　involved　in　your　anxiety　to
recover　his　remains？〃

〃Family　motives　may　enter　into　it　among　othersbut　why　do　you
ask？〃

〃Because；　having　heard　that　you　employ　the　police　to　assist　your
search；　I　was　anxious　to　know　whether　you　had　stimulated　their
superiors　to　make　them　do　their　best　in　your　service　by　giving
some　strong　personal　reasons　at　headquarters　for　the　very　unusual
project　which　has　brought　you　here。〃

〃I　give　no　reasons。　I　pay　for　the　work　I　want　done；　and；　in
return　for　my　liberality；　I　am　treated　with　the　most　infamous
indifference　on　all　sides。　A　stranger　in　the　country；　and　badly
acquainted　with　the　language；　I　can　do　nothing　to　help　myself。
The　authorities；　both　at　Rome　and　in　this　place；　pretend　to
assist　me；　pretend　to　search　and　inquire　as　I　would　have　them
search　and　inquire；　and　do　nothing　more。　I　am　insulted；　laughed
at；　almost　to　my　face。〃

〃Do　you　not　think　it　possiblemind；　I　have　no　wish　to　excuse　the
misconduct　of　the　authorities；　and　do　not　share　in　any　such
opinion　myselfbut　do　you　not　think　it　likely　that　the　police
may　doubt　whether　you　are　in　earnest？〃

〃Not　in　earnest！〃　he　cried；　starting　up　and　confronting　me
fiercely；　with　wild　eyes　and　quickened　breath。　〃Not　in　earnest！
_You_　think　I'm　not　in　earnest　too。　I　know　you　think　it；　though
you　tell　me　you　don't。　Stop；　before　we　say　another　word；　your　own
eyes　shall　convince　you。　Come　hereonly　for　a　minuteonly　for
one　minute！〃

I　followed　him　into　his　bedroom；　which　opened　out　of　the
sitting…room。　At　one　side　of　his　bed　stood　a　large　packing…case
of　plain　wood；　upward　of　seven　feet　in　length。

〃Open　the　lid　and　look　in；〃　he　said；　〃while　I　hold　the　candle　so
that　you　can　see。〃

I　obeyed　his　directions；　and　discovered　to　my　astonishment　that
the　packing…case　contained　a　leaden　coffin；　magnificently
emblazoned　with　the　arms　of　the　Monkton　family；　and　inscribed　in
old…fashioned　letters　with　the　name　of　〃Stephen　Monkton；〃　his　age
and　the　manner　of　his　death　being　added　underneath。

〃I　keep　his　coffin　ready　for　him；〃　whispered　Alfred；　close　at　my
ear。　〃Does　that　look　like　earnest？〃

It　looked　more　like　insanityso　like　that　I　shrank　from
answering　him。

〃Yes！　yes！　I　see　you　are　convinced；〃　he　continued　quickly；　〃we
may　go　back　into　the　next　room；　and　may　talk　without　restraint　on
either　side　now。〃

On　returning　to　our　places；　I　mechanically　moved　my　chair　away
from　the　table。　My　mind　was　by　this　time　in　such　a　state　of
confusion　and　uncertainty　about　what　it　would　be　best　for　me　to
say　or　do　next；　that　I　forgot　for　the　moment　the　position　he　had
assigned　to　me　when　we　lit　the　candles。　He　reminded　me　of　this
directly。

〃Don't　move　away；〃　he　said；　very　earnestly；　〃keep　on　sitting　in
the　light；　pray　do！　I'll　soon　tell　you　why　I　am　so　particular
about　that。　But　first　give　me　your　advice；　help　me　in　my　great
distress　and　suspense。　Remember；　you　promised　me　you　would。〃

I　made　an　effort　to　collect　my　thoughts；　and　succeeded。　It　was
useless　to　treat　the　affair　otherwise　than　seriously　in　his
presence；　it　would　have　been　cruel　not　to　have　advised　him　as　I
best　could。

〃You　know；〃　I　said；　〃that　two　days　after　the　drawing　up　of　the
agreement　at　Naples；　the　duel　was　fought　out　of　the　Neapolitan
States。　This　fact　has　of　course　led　you　to　the　conclusion　that
all　inquiries　about　localities　had　better　be　confined　to　the
Roman　territory？〃

〃Certainly；　the　search；　such　as　it　is；　has　been　made　there；　and
there　only。　If　I　can　believe　the　police；　they　and　their　agents
have　inquired　for　the　place　where　the　duel　was　fought　（offering　a
large　reward　in　my　name　to　the　person　who　can　discover　it）　all
along　the　high　road　from　Naples　to　Rome。　They　have　also
circulatedat　least　so　they　tell　medescriptions　of　the
duelists　and　their　seconds；　have　left　an　agent　to　superintend
investigations　at　the　post…house；　and　another　at　the　town
mentioned　as　meeting…points　in　the　agreement；　and　have
endeavored；　by　correspondence　with　foreign　authorities；　to　trace
the　Count　St。　Lo　and　Monsieur　Dalville　to　their　place　or　places
of　refuge。　All　these　efforts；　supposing　them　to　have　been　really
made；　have　hitherto　proved　utterly　fruitless。〃

〃My　impression　is；〃　said　I；　after　a　moment's　consideration；　〃that
all　inquiries　made　along　the　high　road；　or　anywhere　near　Rome；
are　likely　to　be　made　in　vain。　As　to　the　discovery　of　your
uncle's　remains；　that　is；　I　think；　identical　with　the　discovery
of　the　place　where　he　was　shot；　for　those　engaged　in　the　duel
would　certainly　not　risk　detection　by　carrying　a　corpse　any
distance　with　them　in　their　flight。　The　place；　then；
　is　all　that　we　want　to　find　out。　Now　let　us　consider　for　a
moment。　The　dueling…party　changed　carriages；　traveled　separately；
two　and　two；　doubtless　took　roundabout　roads；　stopped　at　the
post…house　and　the　town　as　a　blind；　walked；　perhaps；　a
considerable　distance　unguided。　Depend　upon　it；　such　precautions
as　these　（which　we　know　they　must　have　employed）　left　them　very
little　time　out　of　the　two　daysthough　they　might　start　at
sunrise　and　not　stop　at　night…fallfor　straightforward
traveling。　My　belief　therefore　is；　that　the　duel　was　fought
somewhere　near　the　Neapolitan　frontier；　and；　if　I　had　been　the
police　agent　who　conducted　the　search；　I　should　only　have　pursued
it　parallel　with　the　frontier；　starting　from　west　to　east　till　I
got　up　among　the　lonely　places　in　the　mountains。　That　is　my　idea；
do　you　think　it　worth　anything？〃

His　face　flushed　all　over　in　an　instant。　〃I　think　it　an
inspiration！〃　he　cried。　〃Not　a　day　is　to　be　lost　in　carrying　out
our　plan。　The　police　are　not　to　be　trusted　with　it。　I　must　start
myself　to…morrow　morning；　and　you〃

He　stopped；　his　face　grew　suddenly　pale；　he　sighed　heavily；　his
eyes　wandered　once　more　into　the　fixed　look　at　vacancy；　and　the
rigid；　deathly　expression　fastened　again　upon　all　his　features。

〃I　must　tell　you　my　secret　before　I　talk　of　to…morrow；〃　he
proceeded；　faintly。　〃If　I　hesitated　any　longer　at　confessing
everything；　I　should　be　unworthy　of　your　past　kindness；　unworthy
of　the　help　which　it　is　my　last　hope　that　you　will　gladly　give　me
when　you　have　heard　all。〃

I　begged　him　to　wait　until　he　was　more　composed；　until　he　was
better　able　to　speak；　but　he　did　not　appear　to　notice　what　I
said。　Slowly；　and　struggling　as　it　seemed　against　himself；　he
turned　a　little　away　from　me；　and；　bending　his　head　over　the
table；　supported　it　on　his　hand。　The　packet　of　letters　with　which
I　had　seen　him　occupied　when　I　came　in　lay　just　beneath　his　eyes。
He　looked　down　on　it　steadfastly　when　he　next　spoke　to　me。

CHAPTER　IV。

〃You　were　born；　I　believe；　in　our　county；〃　he　said；　〃perhaps；
therefore；　you　may　have　heard　at　some　time　of　a　curious　old
prophecy　about　our　family；　which　is　still　preserved　among　the
traditions　of　Wincot　Abbey？〃

〃I　have　heard　of　such　a　prophecy；〃　I　answered；　〃but　I　never　knew
in　what　terms　it　was　expressed。　It　professed　to　predict　the
extinction　of　your　family；　or　something　of　that　sort；　did　it
not？〃

〃No　inquiries；〃　he　went　on；　〃have　traced　back　that　prophecy　to
the　time　when　it　was　first　made；　none　of　our　family　records　tell
us　anything　of　its　origin。　Old　servants　and　old　tenants　of　ours
remember　to　have　heard　it　from　their　fathers　and　grandfathers。
The　monks；　whom　we　succeeded　in　the　Abbey　in　Henry　the　Eighth's
time；　got　knowledge　of　it　in　some　way；　for　I　myself　discovered
the　rhymes；　in　which　we　know　the　prophecy　to　have　been　preserved
from　a　very　remote　period；　written　on　a　blank　leaf　of　one　of　the
Abbey　manuscripts。　These　are　the　verses；　if　verses　they　deserve
to　be　called：

When　in　Wincot　vault　a　place　Waits　for　one　of　Monkton's　race
When　that　one　forlorn　shall　lie　Graveless　under　open　sky；
Beggared　of　six　feet　of　earth；　Though　lord　of　acres　from　his
birth　That　shall　be　a　certain　sign　Of　the　end　of　Monkton's
line。　Dwindling　ever　faster；　faster；　Dwindling　to　the　last…left
master；　From　mortal　ken；　from　light　o