the queen of hearts-第69章

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himself　to　the　Hall　in　a　great　flutter。

I　felt　so　angry　with　him　for　being　the　causeinnocent　as　he
might　beof　the　shocking　scene　which　had　taken　place；　that　I
exceeded　the　bounds　of　my　duty；　and　told　him　the　whole　truth。　The
poor；　weak；　wavering；　childish　creature　flushed　up　red　in　the
face；　then　turned　as　pale　as　ashes；　and　dropped　into　one　of　the
hall　chairs　cryingliterally　crying　fit　to　break　his　heart。　〃Oh；
William；〃　says　he；　wringing　his　little　frail；　trembling　white
hands　as　helpless　as　a　baby；　〃oh；　William；　what　am　I　to　do？〃

〃As　you　ask　me　that　question；　sir；〃　says　I；　〃you　will　excuse　me；
I　hope；　if；　being　a　servant；　I　plainly　speak　my　mind
notwithstanding。　I　know　my　station　well　enough　to　be　aware　that；
strictly　speaking；　I　have　done　wrong；　and　far　exceeded　my　duty；
in　telling　you　as　much　as　I　have　told　you　already；　but　I　would　go
through　fire　and　water；　sir；〃　says　I；　feeling　my　own　eyes　getting
moist；　〃for　my　mistress's　sake。　She　has　no　relation　here　who　can
speak　to　you；　and　it　is　even　better　that　a　servant　like　me　should
risk　being　guilty　of　an　impertinence；　than　that　dreadful　and
lasting　mischief　should　arise　from　the　right　remedy　not　being
applied　at　the　right　time。　This　is　what　I　should　do；　sir；　in　your
place。　Saving　your　presence；　I　should　leave　off　crying；　and　go
back　home　and　write　to　Mr。　James　Smith；　saying　that　I　would　not；
as　a　clergyman；　give　him　railing　for　railing；　but　would　prove　how
unworthily　he　had　suspected　me　by　ceasing　to　visit　at　the　Hall
from　thi　s　time　forth；　rather　than　be　a　cause　of　dissension
between　man　and　wife。　If　you　will　put　that　into　proper　language；
sir；　and　will　have　the　letter　ready　for　me　in　half　an　hour's
time；　I　will　call　for　it　on　the　fastest　horse　in　our　stables；
and；　at　my　own　risk；　will　give　it　to　my　master　before　he　sails
to…night。　I　have　nothing　more　to　say；　sir；　except　to　ask　your
pardon　for　forgetting　my　proper　place；　and　for　making　bold　to
speak　on　a　very　serious　matter　as　equal　to　equal；　and　as　man　to
man。〃

To　do　Mr。　Meeke　justice；　he　had　a　heart；　though　it　was　a　very
small　one。　He　shook　hands　with　me；　and　said　he　accepted　my　advice
as　the　advice　of　a　friend；　and　so　went　back　to　his　parsonage　to
write　the　letter。　In　half　an　hour　I　called　for　it　on　horseback；
but　it　was　not　ready　for　me。　Mr。　Meeke　was　ridiculously　nice
about　how　he　should　express　himself　when　he　got　a　pen　into　his
hand。　I　found　him　with　his　desk　littered　with　rough　copies；　in　a
perfect　agony　about　how　to　turn　his　phrases　delicately　enough　in
referring　to　my　mistress。　Every　minute　being　precious；　I　hurried
him　as　much　as　I　could；　without　standing　on　any　ceremony。　It　took
half　an　hour　more；　with　all　my　efforts；　before　he　could　make　up
his　mind　that　the　letter　would　do。　I　started　off　with　it　at　a
gallop；　and　never　drew　rein　till　I　got　to　the　sea…port　town。

The　harbor…clock　chimed　the　quarter　past　eleven　as　I　rode　by　it；
and　when　I　got　down　to　the　jetty　there　was　no　yacht　to　be　seen。
She　had　been　cast　off　from　her　moorings　ten　minutes　before
eleven；　and　as　the　clock　struck　she　had　sailed　out　of　the　harbor。
I　would　have　followed　in　a　boat；　but　it　was　a　fine　starlight
night；　with　a　fresh　wind　blowing；　and　the　sailors　on　the　pier
laughed　at　me　when　I　spoke　of　rowing　after　a　schooner　yacht　which
had　got　a　quarter　of　an　hour's　start　of　us；　with　the　wind　abeam
and　the　tide　in　her　favor。

I　rode　back　with　a　heavy　heart。　All　I　could　do　now　was　to　send
the　letter　to　the　post…office；　Stockholm。

The　next　day　the　doctor　showed　my　mistress　the　scrap　of　paper
with　the　message　on　it　from　my　master；　and　an　hour　or　two　after
that；　a　letter　was　sent　to　her　in　Mr。　Meeke's　handwriting；
explaining　the　reason　why　she　must　not　expect　to　see　him　at　the
Hall；　and　referring　to　me　in　terms　of　high　praise　as　a　sensible
and　faithful　man　who　had　spoken　the　right　word　at　the　right　time。
I　am　able　to　repeat　the　substance　of　the　letter；　because　I　heard
all　about　it　from　my　mistress；　under　very　unpleasant
circumstances　so　far　as　I　was　concerned。

The　news　of　my　master's　departure　did　not　affect　her　as　the
doctor　had　supposed　it　would。　Instead　of　distressing　her；　it
roused　her　spirit　and　made　her　angry；　her　pride；　as　I　imagine；
being　wounded　by　the　contemptuous　manner　in　which　her　husband　had
notified　his　intention　of　sailing　to　Sweden　at　the　end　of　a
message　to　a　servant　about　packing　his　clothes。　Finding　her　in
that　temper　of　mind；　the　letter　from　Mr。　Meeke　only　irritated　her
the　more。　She　insisted　on　getting　up；　and　as　soon　as　she　was
dressed　and　downstairs；　she　vented　her　violent　humor　on　me；
reproaching　me　for　impertinent　interference　in　the　affairs　of　my
betters；　and　declaring　that　she　had　almost　made　up　her　mind　to
turn　me　out　of　my　place　for　it。　I　did　not　defend　myself；　because
I　respected　her　sorrows　and　the　irritation　that　came　from　them；
also；　because　I　knew　the　natural　kindness　of　her　nature　well
enough　to　be　assured　that　she　would　make　amends　to　me　for　her
harshness　the　moment　her　mind　was　composed　again。　The　result
showed　that　I　was　right。　That　same　evening　she　sent　for　me　and
begged　me　to　forgive　and　forget　the　hasty　words　she　had　spoken　in
the　morning　with　a　grace　and　sweetness　that　would　have　won　the
heart　of　any　man　who　listened　to　her。

Weeks　passed　after　this；　till　it　was　more　than　a　month　since　the
day　of　my　master's　departure；　and　no　letter　in　his　handwriting
came　to　Darrock　Hall。

My　mistress；　taking　this　treatment　more　angrily　than　sorrowfully；
went　to　London　to　consult　her　nearest　relations；　who　lived　there。
On　leaving　home　she　stopped　the　carriage　at　the　parsonage；　and
went　in　（as　I　thought；　rather　defiantly）　to　say　good…by　to　Mr。
Meeke。　She　had　answered　his　letter；　and　received　others　from　him；
and　had　answered　them　likewise。　She　had　also；　of　course；　seen　him
every　Sunday　at　church；　and　had　always　stopped　to　speak　to　him
after　the　service；　but　this　was　the　first　occasion　on　which　she
had　visited　him　at　his　house。　As　the　carriage　stopped；　the　little
parson　came　out；　in　great　hurry　and　agitation；　to　meet　her　at　the
garden　gate。

〃Don't　look　alarmed；　Mr。　Meeke；〃　says　my　mistress；　getting　out。
〃Though　you　have　engaged　not　to　come　near　the　Hall；　I　have　made
no　promise　to　keep　away　from　the　parsonage。〃　With　those　words　she
went　into　the　house。

The　quadroon　maid；　Josephine；　was　sitting　with　me　in　the　rumble
of　the　carriage；　and　I　saw　a　smile　on　her　tawny　face　as　the
parson　and　his　visitor　went　into　the　house　together。　Harmless　as
Mr。　Meeke　was；　and　innocent　of　all　wrong　as　I　knew　my　mistress　to
be；　I　regretted　that　she　should　be　so　rash　as　to　despise
appearances；　considering　the　situation　she　was　placed　in。　She　had
already　exposed　herself　to　be　thought　of　disrespectfully　by　her
own　maid；　and　it　was　hard　to　say　what　worse　consequences　might
not　happen　after　that。

Half　an　hour　later　we　were　away　on　our　journey。　My　mistress
stayed　in　London　two　months。　Throughout　all　that　long　time　no
letter　from　my　master　was　forwarded　to　her　from　the　country
house。

CHAPTER　II。

WHEN　the　two　months　had　passed　we　returned　to　Darrock　Hall。
Nobody　there　had　received　any　news　in　our　absence　of　the
whereabouts　of　my　master　and　his　yacht。

Six　more　weary　weeks　elapsed；　and　in　that　time　but　one　event
happened　at　the　Hall　to　vary　the　dismal　monotony　of　the　lives　we
now　led　in　the　solitary　place。　One　morning　Josephine　came　down
after　dressing　my　mistress　with　her　face　downright　livid　to　look
at；　except　on　one　check；　where　there　was　a　mark　as　red　as　burning
fire。　I　was　in　the　kitchen　at　the　time；　and　I　asked　what　was　the
matter。

〃The　matter！〃　says　she；　in　her　shrill　voice　and　her　half…foreign
English。　〃Use　your　own　eyes；　if　you　please；　and　look　at　this
cheek　of　mine。　What！　have　you　lived　so　long　a　time　with　your
mistress；　and　don't　you　know　the　mark　of　her　hand　yet？〃

I　was　at　a　loss　to　understand　what　she　meant；　but　she　soon
explained　herself。　My　mistress；　whose　temper　had　been　sadly
altered　for　the　worse　by　the　trials　and　humiliations　she　had　gone
through；　had　got　up　that　morning　more　out　of　humor　than　usual；
and；　in　answer　to　her　maid's　inquiry　as　to　how　she　had　passed　the
night；　had　begun　talkin