the queen of hearts-第70章

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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　talking　about　her　weary；　miserable　life　in　an
unusually　fretful　and　desperate　way。　Josephine；　in　trying　to
cheer　her　spirits；　had　ventured；　most　improperly；　on　making　a
light；　jesting　reference　to　Mr。　Meeke；　which　had　so　enraged　my
mistress　that　she　turned　round　sharp　on　the　half…breed　and　gave
herto　use　the　common　phrasea　smart　box　on　the　ear。　Josephine
confessed　that；　the　moment　after　she　had　done　this；　her　better
sense　appeared　to　tell　her　that　she　had　taken　a　most　improper　way
of　resenting　undue　familiarity。　She　had　immediately　expressed　her
regret　for　having　forgotten　herself；　and　had　proved　the　sincerity
of　it　by　a　gift　of　half　a　dozen　cambric　handkerchiefs；　presented
as　a　peace…offering　on　the　spot。　After　that　I　thought　it
impossible　that　Josephine　could　bear　any　malice　against　a
mistress　whom　she　had　served　ever　since　she　had　been　a　girl；　and
I　said　as　much　to　her　when　she　had　done　telling　me　what　had
happened　upstairs。

〃I！　Malice！〃　cries　Miss　Josephine；　in　her　hard；　sharp；　snappish
way。　〃And　why；　and　wherefore；　if　you　please？　If　my　mistress
smacks　my　cheek　with　one　hand；　she　gives　me　handkerchiefs　to　wipe
it　with　the　other。　My　good　mistress；　my　kind　mistress；　my　pretty
mistress！　I；　the　servant；　bear　malice　against　her；　the　mistress！
Ah！　you　bad　man；　even　to　think　of　such　a　thing！　Ah！　fie；　fie！　I
am　quite　ashamed　of　you！〃

She　gave　me　one　lookthe　wickedest　look　I　ever　saw；　and　burst
out　laughingthe　harshest　laugh　I　ever　heard　from　a　woman's
lips。　Turning　away　from　me　directly　　after；　she　said　no　more；　and
never　referred　to　the　subject　again　on　any　subsequent　occasion。

From　that　time；　however；　I　noticed　an　alteration　in　Miss
Josephine；　not　in　her　way　of　doing　her　work；　for　she　was　just　as
sharp　and　careful　about　it　as　ever；　but　in　her　manners　and
habits。　She　grew　amazingly　quiet；　and　passed　almost　all　her
leisure　time　alone。　I　could　bring　no　charge　against　her　which
authorized　me　to　speak　a　word　of　warning；　but；　for　all　that；　I
could　not　help　feeling　that　if　I　had　been　in　my　mistress's　place；
I　would　have　followed　up　the　present　of　the　cambric　handkerchiefs
by　paying　her　a　month's　wages　in　advance；　and　sending　her　away
from　the　house　the　same　evening。

With　the　exception　of　this　little　domestic　matter；　which　appeared
trifling　enough　at　the　time；　hut　which　led　to　very　serious
consequences　afterward；　nothing　happened　at　all　out　of　the
ordinary　way　during　the　six　weary　weeks　to　which　I　have　referred。
At　the　beginning　of　the　seventh　week；　however；　an　event　occurred
at　last。

One　morning　the　postman　brought　a　letter　to　the　Hall　addressed　to
my　mistress。　I　took　it　upstairs；　and　looked　at　the　direction　as　I
put　it　on　the　salver。　The　handwriting　was　not　my　master's；　was
not；　as　it　appeared　to　me；　the　handwriting　of　any　well…educated
person。　The　outside　of　the　letter　was　also　very　dirty；　and　the
seal　a　common　office…seal　of　the　usual　lattice…work　pattern。
〃This　must　be　a　begging…letter；〃　I　thought　to　myself　as　I　entered
the　breakfast…　room　and　advanced　with　it　to　my　mistress。

She　held　up　her　hand　before　she　opened　it　as　a　sign　to　me　that
she　had　some　order　to　give；　and　that　I　was　not　to　leave　the　room
till　I　had　received　it。　Then　she　broke　the　seal　and　began　to　read
the　letter。

Her　eyes　had　hardly　been　on　it　a　moment　before　her　face　turned　as
pale　as　death；　and　the　paper　began　to　tremble　in　her　fingers。　She
read　on　to　the　end；　and　suddenly　turned　from　pale　to　scarlet；
started　out　of　her　chair；　crumpled　the　letter　up　violently　in　her
hand；　and　took　several　turns　backward　and　forward　in　the　room；
without　seeming　to　notice　me　as　I　stood　by　the　door。　〃You
villain！　you　villain！　you　villain！〃　I　heard　her　whisper　to
herself　many　times　over；　in　a　quick；　hissing；　fierce　way。　Then
she　stopped；　and　said　on　a　sudden；　〃Can　it　be　true？〃　Then　she
looked　up；　and；　seeing　me　standing　at　the　door；　started　as　if　I
had　been　a　stranger；　changed　color　again；　and　told　me；　in　a
stifled　voice；　to　leave　her　and　come　back　again　in　half　an　hour。
I　obeyed；　feeling　certain　that　she　must　have　received　some　very
bad　news　of　her　husband；　and　wondering；　anxiously　enough；　what　it
might　be。

When　I　returned　to　the　breakfast…room　her　face　was　as　much
discomposed　as　ever。　Without　speaking　a　word　she　handed　me　two
sealed　letters：　one；　a　note　to　be　left　for　Mr。　Meeke　at　the
parsonage；　the　other；　a　letter　marked　〃Immediate；〃　and　addressed
to　her　solicitor　in　London；　who　was　also；　I　should　add；　her
nearest　living　relative。

I　left　one　of　these　letters　and　posted　the　other。　When　I　came
back　I　heard　that　my　mistress　had　taken　to　her　room。　She　remained
there　for　four　days；　keeping　her　new　sorrow；　whatever　it　was；
strictly　to　herself。　On　the　fifth　day　the　lawyer　from　London
arrived　at　the　Hall。　My　mistress　went　down　to　him　in　the　library；
and　was　shut　up　there　with　him　for　nearly　two　hours。　At　the　end
of　that　time　the　bell　rang　for　me。

〃Sit　down；　William；〃　said　my　mistress；　when　I　came　into　the　room。
〃I　feel　such　entire　confidence　in　your　fidelity　and　attachment
that　I　am　about；　with　the　full　concurrence　of　this　gentleman；　who
is　my　nearest　relative　and　my　legal　adviser；　to　place　a　very
serious　secret　in　your　keeping；　and　to　employ　your　services　on　a
matter　which　is　as　important　to　me　as　a　matter　of　life　and
death。〃

Her　poor　eyes　were　very　red；　and　her　lips　quivered　as　she　spoke
to　me。　I　was　so　startled　by　what　she　had　said　that　I　hardly　knew
which　chair　to　sit　in。　She　pointed　to　one　placed　near　herself　at
the　table；　and　seemed　about　to　speak　to　me　again；　when　the　lawyer
interfered。

〃Let　me　entreat　you；〃　he　said；　〃not　to　agitate　yourself
unnecessarily。　I　will　put　this　person　in　possession　of　the　facts；
and；　if　I　omit　anything；　you　shall　stop　me　and　set　me　right。〃

My　mistress　leaned　back　in　her　chair　and　covered　her　face　with
her　handkerchief。　The　lawyer　waited　a　moment；　and　then　addressed
himself　to　me。

〃You　are　already　aware；〃　he　said；　〃of　the　circumstances　under
which　your　master　left　this　house；　and　you　also　know；　I　have　no
doubt；　that　no　direct　news　of　him　has　reached　your　mistress　up　to
this　time？〃

I　bowed　to　him　and　said　I　knew　of　the　circumstances　so　far。

〃Do　you　remember；〃　he　went　on；　〃taking　a　letter　to　your　mistress
five　days　ago？〃

〃Yes；　sir；〃　I　replied；　〃a　letter　which　seemed　to　distress　and
alarm　her　very　seriously。〃

〃I　will　read　you　that　letter　before　we　say　any　more；〃　continued
the　lawyer。　〃I　warn　you　beforehand　that　it　contains　a　terrible
charge　against　your　master；　which；　however；　is　not　attested　by
the　writer's　signature。　I　have　already　told　your　mistress　that
she　must　not　attach　too　much　importance　to　an　anonymous　letter；
and　I　now　tell　you　the　same　thing。〃

Saying　that；　he　took　up　a　letter　from　the　table　and　read　it
aloud。　I　had　a　copy　of　it　given　to　me　afterward；　which　I　looked
at　often　enough　to　fix　the　contents　of　the　letter　in　my　memory。　I
can　now　repeat　them；　I　think；　word　for　word。


〃MADAMI　cannot　reconcile　it　to　my　conscience　to　leave　you　in
total　ignorance　of　your　husband　's　atrocious　conduct　toward　you。
If　you　have　ever　been　disposed　to　regret　his　absence　do　so　no
longer。　Hope　and　pray；　rather；　that　you　and　he　may　never　meet
face　to　face　again　in　this　world。　I　write　in　great　haste　and　in
great　fear　of　being　observed。　Time　fails　me　to　prepare　you　as　you
ought　to　be　prepared　for　what　I　have　now　to　disclose。　I　must　tell
you　plainly；　with　much　respect　for　you　and　sorrow　for　your
misfortune；　that　your　husband　_has　married　another　wife_。　I　saw
the　ceremony　performed；　unknown　to　him。　If　I　could　not　have
spoken　of　this　infamous　act　as　an　eye…witness；　I　would　not　have
spoken　of　it　at　all。

〃I　dare　not　acknowledge　who　I　am；　for　I　believe　Mr。　James　Smith
would　stick　at　no　crime　to　revenge　himself　on　me　if　he　ever　came
to　a　knowledge　of　the　step　I　am　now　taking；　and　of　the　means　by
which　I　got　my　information；　neither　have　I　time　to　enter　into
particulars。　I　simply　warn　you　of　what　has　happened；　and　leave
you　to　act　on　that　warning　as　you　please。　You　ma