the queen of hearts-第68章

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yachting。　Darrock　was　within　sixteen　miles　of　a　sea…port　town；
with　an　excellent　harbor；　and　to　this　accident　of　position　the
Hall　was　entirely　indebted　for　recommending　itself　as　a　place　of
residence　to　Mr。　James　Smith。

He　had　such　an　untiring　enjoyment　and　delight　in　cruising　about
at　sea；　and　all　his　ideas　of　pleasure　seemed　to　be　so　closely
connected　with　his　remembrance　of　the　sailing　trips　he　had　taken
on　board　different　yachts　belonging　to　his　friends；　that　I　verily
believe　his　chief　object　in　marrying　my　mistress　was　to　get　the
command　of　money　enough　to　keep　a　vessel　for　himself。　Be　that　as
it　may；　it　is　certain　that　he　prevailed　on　her；　some　time　after
their　marriage；　to　make　him　a　present　of　a　fine　schooner　yacht；
which　was　brought　round　from　Cowes　to　our　coast…town；　and　kept
always　waiting　ready　for　him　in　the　harbor。

His　wife　required　some　little　persuasion　before　she　could　make　up
her　mind　to　let　him　have　the　vessel。　She　suffered　so　much　from
sea…sickness　that　pleasure…sailing　was　out　of　the　question　for
her；　and；　being　very　fond　of　her　husband；　she　was　naturally
unwilling　that　he　should　engage　in　an　amusement　which　took　him
away　from　her。　However；　Mr。　James　Smith　used　his　influence　over
her　cleverly；　promising　that　he　would　never　go　away　without　first
asking　her　leave；　and　engaging　that　his　terms　of　absence　at　sea
should　never　last　for　more
　than　a　week　or　ten　days　at　a　time。　Accordingly；　my　mistress；　who
was　the　kindest　and　most　unselfish　woman　in　the　world；　put　her
own　feelings　aside；　and　made　her　husband　happy　in　the　possession
of　a　vessel　of　his　own。

While　my　master　was　away　cruising；　my　mistress　had　a　dull　time　of
it　at　the　Hall。　The　few　gentlefolks　there　were　in　our　part　of　the
county　lived　at　a　distance；　and　could　only　come　to　Darrock　when
they　were　asked　to　stay　there　for　some　days　together。　As　for　the
village　near　us；　there　was　but　one　person　living　in　it　whom　my
mistress　could　think　of　asking　to　the　Hall；　and　that　person　was
the　clergyman　who　did　duty　at　the　church。

This　gentleman's　name　was　Mr。　Meeke。　He　was　a　single　man；　very
young；　and　very　lonely　in　his　position。　He　had　a　mild；
melancholy；　pasty…looking　face；　and　was　as　shy　and　soft…spoken　as
a　little　girlaltogether；　what　one　may　call；　without　being
unjust　or　severe；　a　poor；　weak　creature；　and；　out　of　all　sight；
the　very　worst　preacher　I　ever　sat　under　in　my　life。　The　one
thing　he　did；　which；　as　I　heard；　he　could　really　do　well；　was
playing　on　the　fiddle。　He　was　uncommonly　fond　of　musicso　much
so　that　he　often　took　his　instrument　out　with　him　when　he　went
for　a　walk。　This　taste　of　his　was　his　great　recommendation　to　my
mistress；　who　was　a　wonderfully　fine　player　on　the　piano；　and　who
was　delighted　to　get　such　a　performer　as　Mr。　Meeke　to　play　duets
with　her。　Besides　liking　his　society　for　this　reason；　she　felt
for　him　in　his　lonely　position；　naturally　enough；　I　think；
considering　how　often　she　was　left　in　solitude　herself。　Mr。
Meeke；　on　his　side；　when　he　got　over　his　first　shyness；　was　only
too　glad　to　leave　his　lonesome　little　parsonage　for　the　fine
music…room　at　the　Hall；　and　for　the　company　of　a　handsome；
kind…hearted　lady；　who　made　much　of　him；　and　admired　his
fiddle…playing　with　all　her　heart。　Thus　it　happened　that；
whenever　my　master　was　away　at　sea；　my　mistress　and　Mr。　Meeke
were　always　together；　playing　duets　as　if　they　had　their　living
to　get　by　it。　A　more　harmless　connection　than　the　connection
between　those　two　never　existed　in　this　world；　and　yet；　innocent
as　it　was；　it　turned　out　to　be　the　first　cause　of　all　the
misfortunes　that　afterward　happened。

My　master's　treatment　of　Mr。　Meeke　was；　from　the　first；　the　very
opposite　of　my　mistress's。　The　restless；　rackety；　bounceable　Mr。
James　Smith　felt　a　contempt　for　the　weak；　womanish；　fiddling
little　parson；　and；　what　was　more；　did　not　care　to　conceal　it。
For　this　reason；　Mr。　Meeke　（who　was　dreadfully　frightened　by　my
master's　violent　language　and　rough　ways）　very　seldom　visited　at
the　Hall　except　when　my　mistress　was　alone　there。　Meaning　no
wrong；　and　therefore　stooping　to　no　concealment；　she　never
thought　of　taking　any　measures　to　keep　Mr。　Meeke　out　of　the　way
when　he　happened　to　be　with　her　at　the　time　of　her　husband's
coming　home；　whether　it　was　only　from　a　riding　excursion　in　the
neighborhood　or　from　a　cruise　in　the　schooner。　In　this　way　it　so
turned　out　that　whenever　my　master　came　home；　after　a　long　or
short　absence；　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　he　found　the　parson　at
the　Hall。

At　first　he　used　to　laugh　at　this　circumstance；　and　to　amuse
himself　with　some　coarse　jokes　at　the　expense　of　his　wife　and　her
companion。　But；　after　a　while；　his　variable　temper　changed；　as
usual。　He　grew　sulky；　rude；　angry；　and；　at　last；　downright
jealous　of　Mr。　Meeke。　Though　too　proud　to　confess　it　in　so　many
words；　he　still　showed　the　state　of　his　mind　clearly　enough　to　my
mistress　to　excite　her　indignation。　She　was　a　woman　who　could　be
led　anywhere　by　any　one　for　whom　she　had　a　regard；　but　there　was
a　firm　spirit　within　her　that　rose　at　the　slightest　show　of
injustice　or　oppression；　and　that　resented　tyrannical　usage　of
any　sort　perhaps　a　little　too　warmly。　The　bare　suspicion　that　her
husband　could　feel　any　distrust　of　her　set　her　all　in　a　flame；
and　she　took　the　most　unfortunate；　and　yet；　at　the　same　time；　the
most　natural　way　for　a　woman；　of　resenting　it。　The　ruder　her
husband　was　to　Mr。　Meeke　the　more　kindly　she　behaved　to　him。　This
led　to　serious　disputes　and　dissensions；　and　thence；　in　time；　to
a　violent　quarrel。　I　could　not　avoid　hearing　the　last　part　of　the
altercation　between　them；　for　it　took　place　in　the　garden…walk；
outside　the　dining…room　window；　while　I　was　occupied　in　laying
the　table　for　lunch。

Without　repeating　their　wordswhich　I　have　no　right　to　do；
having　heard　by　accident　what　I　had　no　business　to　hearI　may
say　generally；　to　show　how　serious　the　quarrel　was；　that　my
mistress　charged　my　master　with　having　married　from　mercenary
motives；　with　keeping　out　of　her　company　as　much　as　he　could；　and
with　insulting　her　by　a　suspicion　which　it　would　be　hard　ever　to
forgive；　and　impossible　ever　to　forget。　He　replied　by　violent
language　directed　against　herself；　and　by　commanding　her　never　to
open　the　doors　again　to　Mr。　Meeke；　she；　on　her　side；　declaring
that　she　would　never　consent　to　insult　a　clergyman　and　a
gentleman　in　order　to　satisfy　the　whim　of　a　tyrannical　husband。
Upon　that；　he　called　out；　with　a　great　oath；　to　have　his　horse
saddled　directly；　declaring　that　he　would　not　stop　another
instant　under　the　same　roof　with　a　woman　who　had　set　him　at
defiance；　and　warning　his　wife　that　he　would　come　back；　if　Mr。
Meeke　entered　the　house　again；　and　horsewhip　him；　in　spite　of　his
black　coat；　all　through　the　village。

With　those　words　he　left　her；　and　rode　away　to　the　sea…port　where
his　yacht　was　lying。　My　mistress　kept　up　her　spirit　till　he　was
out　of　sight；　and　then　burst　into　a　dreadful　screaming　passion　of
tears；　which　ended　by　leaving　her　so　weak　that　she　had　to　be
carried　to　her　bed　like　a　woman　who　was　at　the　point　of　death。

The　same　evening　my　master's　horse　was　ridden　back　by　a
messenger；　who　brought　a　scrap　of　notepaper　with　him　addressed　to
me。　It　only　contained　these　lines：

〃Pack　up　my　clothes　and　deliver　them　immediately　to　the　bearer。
You　may　tell　your　mistress　that　I　sail　to…night　at　eleven　o'clock
for　a　cruise　to　Sweden。　Forward　my　letters　to　the　post…office；
Stockholm。〃

I　obeyed　the　orders　given　to　me　except　that　relating　to　my
mistress。　The　doctor　had　been　sent　for；　and　was　still　in　the
house。　I　consulted　him　upon　the　propriety　of　my　delivering　the
message。　He　positively　forbade　me　to　do　so　that　night；　and　told
me　to　give　him　the　slip　of　paper；　and　leave　it　to　his　discretion
to　show　it　to　her　or　not　the　next　morning。

The　messenger　had　hardly　been　gone　an　hour　when　Mr。　Meeke's
housekeeper　came　to　the　Hall　with　a　roll　of　music　for　my
mistress。　I　told　the　woman　of　my　master's　sudden　departure；　and
of　the　doctor　being　in　the　house。　This　news　brought　Mr。　Meeke
himself　to　the　Hall　in　a　great　flutter。

I　felt　so　angry　with　him　for　being　the　causeinnoc