little novels-第9章

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〃Be　so　good　as　to　remember；　〃　Mr。　John　Zant　answered；　〃that　the　decision　rests　with　me；　as　the　lady's　relative。　I　am　sensible　of　the　honor　which　your　visit　confers　on　me。　But　the　time　has　been　unhappily　chosen。　Forgive　me　if　I　suggest　that　you　will　do　well　to　retire。〃

Mr。　Rayburn　had　not　forgotten　the　housekeeper's　advice；　or　the　promise　which　she　had　exacted　from　him。　But　the　expression　in　John　Zant's　face　was　a　serious　trial　　to　his　self…control。　He　hesitated；　and　looked　back　at　Mrs。　Zant。

If　he　provoked　a　quarrel　by　remaining　in　the　room；　the　one　alternative　would　be　the　removal　of　her　by　force。　Fear　of　the　consequences　to　herself；　if　she　was　suddenly　and　roughly　roused　from　her　trance；　was　the　one　consideration　which　reconciled　him　to　submission。　He　withdrew。

The　housekeeper　was　waiting　for　him　below；　on　the　first　landing。　When　the　door　of　the　drawing…room　had　been　closed　again；　she　signed　to　him　to　follow　her；　and　returned　up　the　stairs。　After　another　struggle　with　himself；　he　obeyed。　They　entered　the　library　from　the　corridorand　placed　themselves　behind　the　closed　curtain　which　hung　over　the　doorway。　It　was　easy　so　to　arrange　the　edge　of　the　drapery　as　to　observe；　without　exciting　suspicion；　whatever　was　going　on　in　the　next　room。

Mrs。　Zant's　brother…in…law　was　approaching　her　at　the　time　when　Mr。　Rayburn　saw　him　again。

In　the　instant　afterward；　she　movedbefore　he　had　completely　passed　over　the　space　between　them。　Her　still　figure　began　to　tremble。　She　lifted　her　drooping　head。　For　a　moment　there　was　a　shrinking　in　heras　if　she　had　been　touched　by　something。　She　seemed　to　recognize　the　touch：　she　was　still　again。

John　Zant　watched　the　change。　It　suggested　to　him　that　she　was　beginning　to　recover　her　senses。　He　tried　the　experiment　of　speaking　to　her。

〃My　love；　my　sweet　angel；　come　to　the　heart　that　adores　you！〃

He　advanced　again；　he　passed　into　the　flood　of　sunlight　pouring　over　her。

〃Rouse　yourself！〃　he　said。

She　still　remained　in　the　same　position；　apparently　at　his　mercy；　neither　hearing　him　nor　seeing　him。

〃Rouse　yourself！〃　he　repeated。　〃My　darling；　come　to　me！〃

At　the　instant　when　he　attempted　to　embrace　herat　the　instant　when　Mr。　Rayburn　rushed　into　the　roomJohn　Zant's　arms；　suddenly　turning　rigid；　remained　outstretched。　With　a　shriek　of　horror；　he　struggled　to　draw　them　backstruggled；　in　the　empty　brightness　of　the　sunshine；　as　if　some　invisible　grip　had　seized　him。

〃What　has　got　me？〃　the　wretch　screamed。　〃Who　is　holding　my　hands？　Oh；　the　cold　of　it！　the　cold　of　it！〃

His　features　became　convulsed；　his　eyes　turned　upward　until　only　the　white　eyeballs　were　visible。　He　fell　prostrate　with　a　crash　that　shook　the　room。

The　housekeeper　ran　in。　She　knelt　by　her　master's　body。　With　one　hand　she　loosened　his　cravat。　With　the　other　she　pointed　to　the　end　of　the　table。

Mrs。　Zant　still　kept　her　place；　but　there　was　another　change。　Little　by　little；　her　eyes　recovered　their　natural　living　expressionthen　slowly　closed。　She　tottered　backward　from　the　table；　and　lifted　her　hands　wildly；　as　if　to　grasp　at　something　which　might　support　her。　Mr。　Rayburn　hurried　to　her　before　she　felllifted　her　in　his　armsand　carried　her　out　of　the　room。

One　of　the　servants　met　them　in　the　hall。　He　sent　her　for　a　carriage。　In　a　quarter　of　an　hour　more；　Mrs。　Zant　was　safe　under　his　care　at　the　hotel。

XIII。

THAT　night　a　note；　written　by　the　housekeeper；　was　delivered　to　Mrs。　Zant。

〃The　doctors　give　little　hope。　The　paralytic　stroke　is　spreading　upward　to　his　face。　If　death　spares　him；　he　will　live　a　helpless　man。　I　shall　take　care　of　him　to　the　last。　As　for　youforget　him。〃

Mrs。　Zant　gave　the　note　to　Mr。　Rayburn。

〃Read　it；　and　destroy　it；〃　she　said。　〃It　is　written　in　ignorance　of　the　terrible　truth。〃

He　obeyedand　looked　at　her　in　silence；　waiting　to　hear　more。　She　hid　her　face。　The　few　words　she　had　addressed　to　him；　after　a　struggle　with　herself；　fell　slowly　and　reluctantly　from　her　lips。

She　said：　〃No　mortal　hand　held　the　hands　of　John　Zant。　The　guardian　spirit　was　with　me。　The　promised　protection　was　with　me。　I　know　it。　I　wish　to　know　no　more。〃

Having　spoken；　she　rose　to　retire。　He　opened　the　door　for　her；　seeing　that　she　needed　rest　in　her　own　room。

Left　by　himself；　he　began　to　consider　the　prospect　that　was　before　him　in　the　future。　How　was　he　to　regard　the　woman　who　had　just　left　him？　As　a　poor　creature　weakened　by　disease；　the　victim　of　her　own　nervous　delusion？　or　as　the　chosen　object　of　a　supernatural　revelationunparalleled　by　any　similar　revelation　that　he　had　heard　of；　or　had　found　recorded　in　books？　His　first　discovery　of　the　place　that　she　really　held　in　his　estimation　dawned　on　his　mind；　when　he　felt　himself　recoiling　from　the　conclusion　which　presented　her　to　his　pity；　and　yielding　to　the　nobler　conviction　which　felt　with　her　faith；　and　raised　her　to　a　place　apart　among　other　women。

XIV。

THEY　left　St。　Sallins　the　next　day。

Arrived　at　the　end　of　the　journey；　Lucy　held　fast　by　Mrs。　Zant's　hand。　Tears　were　rising　in　the　child's　eyes。

〃Are　we　to　bid　her　good…by？〃　she　said　sadly　to　her　father。

He　seemed　to　be　unwilling　to　trust　himself　to　speak；　he　only　said：

〃My　dear；　ask　her　yourself。〃

But　the　result　justified　him。　Lucy　was　happy　again。


MISS　MORRIS　AND　THE　STRANGER。

I。

WHEN　I　first　saw　him；　he　was　lost　in　one　of　the　Dead　Cities　of　Englandsituated　on　the　South　Coast；　and　called　Sandwich。

Shall　I　describe　Sandwich？　I　think　not。　Let　us　own　the　truth；　descriptions　of　places；　however　nicely　they　may　be　written；　are　always　more　or　less　dull。　Being　a　woman；　I　naturally　hate　dullness。　Perhaps　some　description　of　Sandwich　may　drop　out；　as　it　were；　from　my　report　of　our　conversation　when　we　first　met　as　strangers　in　the　street。

He　began　irritably。　〃I've　lost　myself；〃　he　said。

〃People　who　don't　know　the　town　often　do　that；〃　I　remarked。

He　went　on：　〃Which　is　my　way　to　the　Fleur　de　Lys　Inn？〃

His　way　was；　in　the　first　place；　to　retrace　his　steps。　Then　to　turn　to　the　left。　Then　to　go　on　until　he　found　two　streets　meeting。　Then　to　take　the　street　on　the　right。　Then　to　look　out　for　the　second　turning　on　the　left。　Then　to　follow　the　turning　until　he　smelled　stablesand　there　was　the　inn。　I　put　it　in　the　clearest　manner；　and　never　stumbled　over　a　word。

〃How　the　devil　am　I　to　remember　all　that？〃　he　said。

This　was　rude。　We　are　naturally　and　properly　indignant　with　any　man　who　is　rude　to　us。　But　whether　we　turn　our　backs　on　him　in　contempt；　or　whether　we　are　merciful　and　give　him　a　lesson　in　politeness；　depends　entirely　on　the　man。　He　may　be　a　bear；　but　he　may　also　have　his　redeeming　qualities。　This　man　had　redeeming　qualities。　I　cannot　positively　say　that　he　was　either　handsome　or　ugly；　young　or　old；　well　or　ill　dressed。　But　I　can　speak　with　certainty　to　the　personal　attractions　which　recommended　him　to　notice。　For　instance；　the　tone　of　his　voice　was　persuasive。　（Did　you　ever　read　a　story；　written　by　one　of　_us_；　in　which　we　failed　to　dwell　on　our　hero's　voice？）　Then；　again；　his　hair　was　reasonably　long。　（Are　you　acquainted　with　any　woman　who　can　endure　a　man　with　a　cropped　head？）　Moreover；　he　was　of　a　good　height。　（It　must　be　a　very　tall　woman　who　can　feel　favorably　inclined　toward　a　short　man。）　Lastly；　although　his　eyes　were　not　more　than　fairly　presentable　in　form　and　color；　the　wretch　had　in　some　unaccountable　manner　become　possessed　of　beautiful　eyelashes。　They　were　even　better　eyelashes　than　mine。　I　write　quite　seriously。　There　is　one　woman　who　is　above　the　common　weakness　of　vanityand　she　holds　the　present　pen。

So　I　gave　my　lost　stranger　a　lesson　in　politeness。　The　lesson　took　the　form　of　a　trap。　I　asked　him　if　he　would　like　me　to　show　him　the　way　to　the　inn。　He　was　still　annoyed　at　losing　himself。　As　I　had　anticipated；　he　bluntly　answered：　〃Yes。〃

〃When　you　were　a　boy；　and　you　wanted　something；〃　I　said；　〃did　your　mother　teach　you　to　say　'Please'？〃

He　positively　blushed。　〃She　did；〃　he　admitted；　〃and　she　taught　me　to　say　'Beg　your　pardon'　when　I　was　rude。　I'll　say　it　now：　'Beg　your　pardon。'　〃

This　curious　apology　increased　my　belief　in　his　redeeming　qualities。　I　led　the　way　to　the　inn。　He　followed　me　in　silence。　No　woman　wh