little novels-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　knows　he　is　right！〃

She　said　those　last　words　in　accents　of　melancholy　resignation；　which　grieved　the　good　man　whose　one　merciful　purpose　was　to　serve　and　console　her。　He　spoke　impulsively　with　the　freedom　of　an　old　friend

〃I　want　to　know　more　of　you　and　Mr。　John　Zant　than　I　know　now；〃　he　said。　〃My　motive　is　a　better　one　than　mere　curiosity。　Do　you　believe　that　I　feel　a　sincere　interest　in　you？〃

〃With　my　whole　heart。〃

That　reply　encouraged　him　to　proceed　with　what　he　had　to　say。　〃When　you　recovered　from　your　fainting…fit；〃　he　began；　〃Mr。　John　Zant　asked　questions；　of　course？〃

〃He　asked　what　could　possibly　have　happened；　in　such　a　quiet　place　as　Kensington　Gardens；　to　make　me　faint。〃

〃And　how　did　you　answer？〃

〃Answer？　I　couldn't　even　look　at　him！〃

〃You　said　nothing？〃

〃Nothing。　I　don't　know　what　he　thought　of　me；　he　might　have　been　surprised；　or　he　might　have　been　offended。〃

〃Is　he　easily　offended？〃　Mr。　Rayburn　asked。

〃Not　in　my　experience　of　him。〃

〃Do　you　mean　your　experience　of　him　before　your　illness？〃

〃Yes。　Since　my　recovery；　his　engagements　with　country　patients　have　kept　him　away　from　London。　I　have　not　seen　him　since　he　took　these　lodgings　for　me。　But　he　is　always　considerate。　He　has　written　more　than　once　to　beg　that　I　will　not　think　him　neglectful；　and　to　tell　me　（what　I　knew　already　through　my　poor　husband）　that　he　has　no　money　of　his　own；　and　must　live　by　his　profession。〃

〃In　your　husband's　lifetime；　were　the　two　brothers　on　good　terms？〃

〃Always。　The　one　complaint　I　ever　heard　my　husband　make　of　John　Zant　was　that　he　didn't　come　to　see　us　often　enough；　after　our　marriage。　Is　there　some　wickedness　in　him　which　we　have　never　suspected？　It　may　bebut　_how_　can　it　be？　I　have　every　reason　to　be　grateful　to　the　man　against　whom　I　have　been　supernaturally　warned！　His　conduct　to　me　has　been　always　perfect。　I　can't　tell　you　what　I　owe　to　his　influence　in　quieting　my　mind；　when　a　dreadful　doubt　arose　about　my　husband's　death。〃

〃Do　you　mean　doubt　if　he　died　a　natural　death？〃

〃Oh；　no！　no！　He　was　dying　of　rapid　consumptionbut　his　sudden　death　took　the　doctors　by　surprise。　One　of　them　thought　that　he　might　have　taken　an　overdose　of　his　sleeping　drops；　by　mistake。　The　other　disputed　this　conclusion；　or　there　might　have　been　an　inquest　in　the　house。　Oh；　don't　speak　of　it　any　more！　Let　us　talk　of　something　else。　Tell　me　when　I　shall　see　you　again。〃

〃I　hardly　know。　When　do　you　and　your　brother…in…law　leave　London？〃

〃To…morrow。〃　She　looked　at　Mr。　Rayburn　with　a　piteous　entreaty　in　her　eyes；　she　said；　timidly：　〃Do　you　ever　go　to　the　seaside；　and　take　your　dear　little　girl　with　you？〃

The　request；　at　which　she　had　only　dared　to　hint；　touched　on　the　idea　which　was　at　that　moment　in　Mr。　Rayburn's　mind。

Interpreted　by　his　strong　prejudice　against　John　Zant；　what　she　had　said　of　her　brother…in…law　filled　him　with　forebodings　of　peril　to　herself；　all　the　more　powerful　in　their　influence；　for　this　reasonthat　he　shrank　from　distinctly　realizing　them。　If　another　person　had　been　present　at　the　interview；　and　had　said　to　him　afterward：　〃That　man's　reluctance　to　visit　his　sister…in…law；　while　her　husband　was　living；　is　associated　with　a　secret　sense　of　guilt　which　her　innocence　cannot　even　imagine：　he；　and　he　alone；　knows　the　cause　of　her　husband's　sudden　death：　his　feigned　anxiety　about　her　health　is　adopted　as　the　safest　means　of　enticing　her　into　his　houseif　those　formidable　conclusions　had　been　urged　on　Mr。　Rayburn；　he　would　have　felt　it　his　duty　to　reject　them；　as　unjustifiable　aspersions　on　an　absent　man。　And　yet；　when　he　took　leave　that　evening　of　Mrs。　Zant；　he　had　pledged　himself　to　give　Lucy　a　holiday　at　the　seaside：　and　he　had　said；　without　blushing；　that　the　child　really　deserved　it；　as　a　reward　for　general　good　conduct　and　attention　to　her　lessons！

IX。

THREE　days　later；　the　father　and　daughter　arrived　toward　evening　at　St。　Sallins…on…Sea。　They　found　Mrs。　Zant　at　the　station。

The　poor　woman's　joy；　on　seeing　them；　expressed　itself　like　the　joy　of　a　child。　〃Oh；　I　am　so　glad！　so　glad！〃　was　all　she　could　say　when　they　met。　Lucy　was　half…smothered　with　kisses；　and　was　made　supremely　happy　by　a　present　of　the　finest　doll　she　had　ever　possessed。　Mrs。　Zant　accompanied　her　friends　to　the　rooms　which　had　been　secured　at　the　hotel。　She　was　able　to　speak　confidentially　to　Mr。　Rayburn；　while　Lucy　was　in　the　balcony　hugging　her　doll；　and　looking　at　the　sea。

The　one　event　that　had　happened　during　Mrs。　Zant's　short　residence　at　St。　Sallins　was　the　departure　of　her　brother…in…law　that　morning；　for　London。　He　had　been　called　away　to　operate　on　the　feet　of　a　wealthy　patient　who　knew　the　value　of　his　time：　his　housekeeper　expected　that　he　would　return　to　dinner。

As　to　his　conduct　toward　Mrs。　Zant；　he　was　not　only　as　attentive　as　everhe　was　almost　oppressively　affectionate　in　his　language　and　manner。　There　was　no　service　that　a　man　could　render　which　he　had　not　eagerly　offered　to　her。　He　declared　that　he　already　perceived　an　improvement　in　her　health；　he　congratulated　her　on　having　decided　to　stay　in　his　house；　and　（as　a　proof；　perhaps；　of　his　sincerity）　he　had　repeatedly　pressed　her　hand。　〃Have　you　any　idea　what　all　this　means？〃　she　said；　simply。

Mr。　Rayburn　kept　his　idea　to　himself。　He　professed　ignorance；　and　asked　next　what　sort　of　person　the　housekeeper　was。

Mrs。　Zant　shook　her　head　ominously。

〃Such　a　strange　creature；〃　she　said；　〃and　in　the　habit　of　taking　such　liberties　that　I　begin　to　be　afraid　she　is　a　little　crazy。〃

〃Is　she　an　old　woman？〃

〃Noonly　middle…aged。　This　morning；　after　her　master　had　left　the　house；　she　actually　asked　me　what　I　thought　of　my　brother…in…law！　I　told　her；　as　coldly　as　possible；　that　I　thought　he　was　very　kind。　She　was　quite　insensible　to　the　tone　in　which　I　had　spoken；　she　went　on　from　bad　to　worse。　〃Do　you　call　him　the　sort　of　man　who　would　take　the　fancy　of　a　young　woman？〃　was　her　next　question。　She　actually　looked　at　me　（I　might　have　been　wrong；　and　I　hope　I　was）　as　if　the　〃young　woman〃　she　had　in　her　mind　was　myself！　I　said：　〃I　don't　think　of　such　things；　and　I　don't　talk　about　them。〃　Still；　she　was　not　in　the　least　discouraged；　she　made　a　personal　remark　next：　〃Excuse　mebut　you　do　look　wretchedly　pale。〃　I　thought　she　seemed　to　enjoy　the　defect　in　my　complexion；　I　really　believe　it　raised　me　in　her　estimation。　〃We　shall　get　on　better　in　time；〃　she　said；　〃I　am　beginning　to　like　you。〃　She　walked　out　humming　a　tune。　Don't　you　agree　with　me？　Don't　you　think　she's　crazy？〃

〃I　can　hardly　give　an　opinion　until　I　have　seen　her。　Does　she　look　as　if　she　might　have　been　a　pretty　woman　at　one　time　of　her　life？〃

〃Not　the　sort　of　pretty　woman　whom　I　admire！〃

Mr。　Rayburn　smiled。　〃I　was　thinking；〃　he　resumed；　〃that　this　person's　odd　conduct　may　perhaps　be　accounted　for。　She　is　probably　jealous　of　any　young　lady　who　is　invited　to　her　master's　houseand　（till　she　noticed　your　complexion）　she　began　by　being　jealous　of　you。〃

Innocently　at　a　loss　to　understand　how　_she_　could　become　an　object　of　the　housekeeper's　jealousy；　Mrs。　Zant　looked　at　Mr。　Rayburn　in　astonishment。　Before　she　could　give　expression　to　her　feeling　of　surprise；　there　was　an　interruptiona　welcome　interruption。　A　waiter　entered　the　room；　and　announced　a　visitor；　described　as　〃a　gentleman。〃

Mrs。　Zant　at　once　rose　to　retire。

〃Who　is　the　gentleman？〃　Mr。　Rayburn　askeddetaining　Mrs。　Zant　as　he　spoke。

A　voice　which　they　both　recognized　answered　gayly；　from　the　outer　side　of　the　door：

〃A　friend　from　London。〃

X。

〃WELCOME　to　St。　Sallins！　〃　cried　Mr。　John　Zant。　〃I　knew　that　you　were　expected；　my　dear　sir；　and　I　took　my　chance　at　finding　you　at　the　hotel。〃　He　turned　to　his　sister…in…law；　and　kissed　her　hand　with　an　elaborate　gallantry　worthy　of　Sir　Charles　Grandison　himself。　〃When　I　reached　home；　my　dear；　and　heard　that　you　had　gone　out；　I　guessed　that　your　object　was　to　receive　our　excellent　friend。　You　have　not　felt　lonely　while　I　have　been　away？　That's　right！　that's　right！〃　he　looked　toward　the　balcony；　and　discovered　Lucy　at　the　open　window；　staring　at　the　magnificent　stranger。　〃Your　little　daughter；　Mr。　Rayburn？　Dear　child！　Come　and　kiss　me。〃

Lucy　answered　in　one　posi