the queen of hearts-第38章

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the　worstnay；　more；　she　insisted　on　knowing　it。　At　her　bidding
I　told　all；　and　then　left　her　free　to　break　our　engagement。　The
thought　of　death　was　in　my　heart　as　I　spoke　the　parting
wordsdeath　by　my　own　act；　if　life　still　held　out　after　our
separation。　She　suspected　that　thought；　she　knew　it；　and　never
left　me　till　her　good　influence　had　destroyed　it　forever。　But　for
her　I　should　not　have　been　alive　now；　but　for　her　I　should　never
have　attempted　the　project　which　has　brought　me　here。〃

〃Do　you　mean　that　it　was　at　Miss　Elmslie's　suggestion　that　you
came　to　Naples？〃　I　asked；　in　amazement。

〃I　mean　that　what　she　said　suggested　the　design　which　has　brought
me　to　Naples；〃　he　answered。　〃While　I　believed　that　the　phantom
had　appeared　to　me　as　the　fatal　messenger　of　death；　there　was　no
comfortthere　was　misery；　rather；　in　hearing　her　say　that　no
power　on　earth　should　make　her　desert　me；　and　that　she　would　live
for　me；　and　for　me　only；　through　every　trial。　But　it　was　far
different　when　we　afterward　reasoned　together　about　the　purpose
which　the　apparition　had　come　to　fulfillfar　different　when　she
showed　me　that　its　mission　might　be　for　good　instead　of　for　evil；
and　that　the　warning　it　was　sent　to　give　might　be　to　my　profit
instead　of　to　my　loss。　At　those　words；　the　new　idea　which　gave
the　new　hope　of　life　came　to　me　in　an　instant。　I　believed　then；
what　I　believe　now；　that　I　have　a　supernatural　warrant　for　my
errand　here。　In　that　faith　I　live；　without　it　I　should　die。　_She_
never　ridiculed　it；　never　scorned　it　as　insanity。　Mark　what　I
say！　The　spirit　that　appeared　to　me　in　the　Abbeythat　has　never
left　me　sincethat　stands　there　now　by　your　side；　warns　me　to
escape　from　the　fatality　which　hangs　over　our　race；　and　commands
me；　if　I　would　avoid　it；　to　bury　the　unburied　dead。　Mortal　loves
and　mortal　interests　must　bow　to　that　awful　bidding。　The
specter…presence　will　never　leave　me　till　I　have　sheltered　the
corpse　that　cries　to　the　earth　to　cover　it！　I　dare　not　returnI
dare　not　marry　till　I　have　filled　the　place　that　is　empty　in
Wincot　vault。〃

His　eyes　flashed　and　dilatedhis　voice　deepeneda　fanatic
ecstasy　shone　in　his　expression　as　he　uttered　these　words。
Shocked　and　grieved　as　I　was；　I　made　no　attempt　to　remonstrate　or
to　reason　with　him。　It　would　have　been　useless　to　have　referred
to　any　of　the　usual　commonplaces　about　optical　delusions　or
diseased　imaginationsworse　than　useless　to　have　attempted　to
account　by　natural　causes　for　any　of　the　extraordinary
coincidences　and　events　of　which　he　had　spoken。　Briefly　as　he　had
referred　to　Miss　Elmslie；　he　had　said　enough　to　show　me　that　the
only　hope　of　the　poor　girl　who　loved　him　best　and　had　known　him
longest　of　any　one　was　in　humoring　his　delusions　to　the　last。　How
faithfully　she　still　clung　to　the　belief　that　she　could　restore
him！　How　resolutely　was　she　sacrificing　herself　to　his　morbid
fancies；　in　the　hope　of　a　happy　future　that　might　never　come！
Little　as　I　knew　of　Miss　Elmslie；　the　mere　thought　of　her
situation；　as　I　now　reflected　on　it；　made　me　feel　sick　at　heart。

〃They　call　me　Mad　Monkton！〃　he　exclaimed；　suddenly　breaking　the
silence　between　us　during　the　last　few　minutes；　〃Here　and　in
England　everybody　believes　I　am　out　of　my　senses　except　Ada　and
you。　She　has　been　my　salvation；　and　you　will　be　my　salvation　too。
Something　told　me　that　when　I　first　met　you　walking　in　the　Villa
Peale。　I　struggled　against　the　strong　desire　that　was　in　me　to
trust　my　secret　to　you；　but　I　could　resist　it　no　longer　when　I
saw　you　to…night　at　the　ball；　the　phantom　seemed　to　draw　me　on　to
you　as　you　stood　alone　in　the　quiet　room。　Tell　me　more　of　that
idea　of　yours　about　finding　the　place　where　the　duel　was　fought。
If　I　set　out　to…morrow　to　seek　for　it　myself；　where　must　I　go　to
first？　where？〃　He　stopped；　his　strength　was　evidently　becoming
exhausted；　and　his　mind　was　growing　confused。　〃What　am　I　to　do？　I
can't　remember。　You　know　everythingwill　you　not　help　me？　My
misery　has　made　me　unable　to　help　myself。〃

He　stopped；　murmured　something　about　failing　if　he　went　to　the
frontier　alone；　and　spoke　confusedly　of　delays　that　might　be
fatal；　then　tried　to　utter　the　name　of　〃Ada〃；　but；　in　pronouncing
the　first　letter；　his　voice　faltered；　and；　turning　abruptly　from
me；　he　burst　into　tears。

My　pity　for　him　got　the　better　of　my　prudence　at　that　moment；　and
without　thinking　of　responsibilities；　I　promised　at　once　to　do
for　him　whatever　he　asked。　The　wild　triumph　in　his　expression　as
he　started　up　and　seized　my　hand　showed　me　that　I　had　better　have
been　more　cautious；　but　it　was　too　late　now　to　retract　what　I　had
said。　The　next　best　thing　to　do　was　to　try　if　I　could　not　induce
him　to　compose　himself　a　little；　and　then　to　go　away　and　think
coolly　over　the　whole　affair　by　myself。

〃Yes；　yes；〃　he　rejoined；　in　answer　to　the　few　words　I　now　spoke
to　try　and　calm　him；　〃don't　be　afraid　about　me。　After　what　you
have　said；　I'll　answer　for　my　own　coolness　and　composure　under
all　emergencies。　I　have　been　so　long　used　to　the　apparition　that
I　hardly　feel　its　presence　at　all　except　on　rare　occasions。
Besides；　I　have　here　in　this　little　packet　of　letters　the
medicine　for　every　m　alady　of　the　sick　heart。　They　are　Ada's
letters；　I　read　them　to　calm　me　whenever　my　misfortune　seems　to
get　the　better　of　my　endurance。　I　wanted　that　half　hour　to　read
them　in　to…night　before　you　came；　to　make　myself　fit　to　see　you；
and　I　shall　go　through　them　again　after　you　are　gone；　so；　once
more；　don't　be　afraid　about　me。　I　know　I　shall　succeed　with　your
help；　and　Ada　shall　thank　you　as　you　deserve　to　be　thanked　when
we　get　back　to　England。　If　you　hear　the　fools　at　Naples　talk
about　my　being　mad；　don't　trouble　yourself　to　contradict　them；
the　scandal　is　so　contemptible　that　it　must　end　by　contradicting
itself。〃

I　left　him；　promising　to　return　early　the　next　day。

When　I　got　back　to　my　hotel；　I　felt　that　any　idea　of　sleeping
after　all　that　I　had　seen　and　heard　was　out　of　the　question；　so　I
lit　my　pipe；　and；　sitting　by　the　windowhow　it　refreshed　my　mind
just　then　to　look　at　the　calm　moonlight！tried　to　think　what　it
would　be　best　to　do。　In　the　first　place；　any　appeal　to　doctors　or
to　Alfred's　friends　in　England　was　out　of　the　question。　I　could
not　persuade　myself　that　his　intellect　was　sufficiently
disordered　to　justify　me；　under　existing　circumstances；　in
disclosing　the　secret　which　he　had　intrusted　to　my　keeping。　In
the　second　place；　all　attempts　on　my　part　to　induce　him　to
abandon　the　idea　of　searching　out　his　uncle's　remains　would　be
utterly　useless　after　what　I　had　incautiously　said　to　him。　Having
settled　these　two　conclusions；　the　only　really　great　difficulty
which　remained　to　perplex　me　was　whether　I　was　justified　in
aiding　him　to　execute　his　extraordinary　purpose。

Supposing　that；　with　my　help；　he　found　Mr。　Monkton's　body；　and
took　it　back　with　him　to　England；　was　it　right　in　me　thus　to　lend
myself　to　promoting　the　marriage　which　would　most　likely　follow
these　eventsa　marriage　which　it　might　be　the　duty　of　every　one
to　prevent　at　all　hazards？　This　set　me　thinking　about　the　extent
of　his　madness；　or　to　speak　more　mildly　and　more　correctly；　of
his　delusion。　Sane　he　certainly　was　on　all　ordinary　subjects；
nay；　in　all　the　narrative　parts　of　what　he　had　said　to　me　on　this
very　evening　he　had　spoken　clearly　and　connectedly。　As　for　the
story　of　the　apparition；　other　men；　with　intellects　as　clear　as
the　intellects　of　their　neighbors　had　fancied　themselves　pursued
by　a　phantom；　and　had　even　written　about　it　in　a　high　strain　of
philosophical　speculation。　It　was　plain　that　the　real
hallucination　in　the　case　now　before　me　lay　in　Monkton's
conviction　of　the　truth　of　the　old　prophecy；　and　in　his　idea　that
the　fancied　apparition　was　a　supernatural　warning　to　him　to　evade
its　denunciations；　and　it　was　equally　clear　that　both　delusions
had　been　produced；　in　the　first　instance；　by　the　lonely　life　he
had　led　acting　on　a　naturally　excitable　temperament；　which　was
rendered　further　liable　to　moral　disease　by　an　hereditary　taint
of　insanity。

Was　this　curable？　Miss　Elmslie；　who　knew　him　far　better　than　I
did；　seemed　by　her　conduct　to　think　s