the legacy of cain-第20章
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will never find out my address again； I have taken good care of
that。〃
He spoke in a loud voice； with a flushed faceas if it was quite
a triumph to have prevented this woman from discovering his
address。 What reason could he have for being so anxious to keep
her away from him？ Could I venture to conclude that there was a
mystery in the life of a man so blameless； so truly pious？ It
shocked one even to think of it。
There was a silence between us； to which the housemaid offered a
welcome interruption。 Dinner was ready。
He kissed me before we left the room。 〃One word more； Helena；〃 he
said； 〃and I have done。 Let there be no more talk between us
about Elizabeth Chance。〃
CHAPTER XVIL
HELENA'S DIARY。
MISS JILLGALL joined us at the dinner…table； in a state of
excitement； carrying a book in her hand。
I am inclined； on reflection； to suspect that she is quite clever
enough to have discovered that I hate herand that many of the
aggravating things she says and does are assumed； out of
retaliation； for the purpose of making me angry。 That ugly face
is a double face； or I am much mistaken。
To return to the dinner…table； Miss Jillgall addressed herself；
with an air of playful penitence； to my father。
〃Dear cousin； I hope I have not done wrong。 Helena left me all by
myself。 When I had finished darning the curtain； I really didn't
know what to do。 So I opened all the bedroom doors upstairs and
looked into the rooms。 In the big room with two bedsoh； I am so
ashamedI found this book。 Please look at the first page。〃
My father looked at the title…page： 〃Doctor Watts's Hymns。 Well；
Selina； what is there to be ashamed of in this？〃
〃Oh； no！ no！ It's the wrong page。 Do look at the other pagethe
one that comes first before that one。〃
My patient father turned to the blank page。
〃Ah；〃 he said quietly； 〃my other daughter's name is written in
itthe daughter whom you have not seen。 Well？〃
Miss Jillgall clasped her hands distractedly。 〃It's my ignorance
I'm so ashamed of。 Dear cousin； forgive me； enlighten me。 I don't
know how to pronounce your other daughter's name。 Do you call her
Euneece？〃
The dinner was getting cold。 I was provoked into saying： 〃No； we
don't。〃
She had evidently not forgiven me for leaving her by herself。
〃Pardon me； Helena； when I want information I don't apply to you：
I sit； as it were； at the feet of your learned father。 Dear
cousin； is it〃
Even my father declined to wait for his dinner any longer。
〃Pronounce it as you like； Selina。 Here we say Euni'cewith the
accent on the 'i' and with the final 'e' sounded： Eu…ni'…see。 Let
me give you some soup。〃
Miss Jillgall groaned。 〃Oh； how difficult it seems to be！ Quite
beyond my poor brains！ I shall ask the dear girl's leave to call
her Euneece。 What very strong soup！ Isn't it rather a waste of
meat？ Give me a little more； please。〃
I discovered another of Miss Jillgall's peculiarities。 Her
appetite was enormous ； and her ways were greedy。 You heard her
eat her soup。 She devoured the food on her plate with her eyes
before she put it into her mouth； and she criticised our English
cookery in the most impudent manner； under pretense of asking
humbly how it was done。 There was； however； some temporary
compensation for this。 We had less of her talk while she was
eating her dinner。
With the removal of the cloth； she recovered the use of her
tongue； and she hit on the one subject of all others which proves
to be the sorest trial to my father's patience。
〃And now； dear cousin； let us talk of your other daughter； our
absent Euneece。 I do so long to see her。 When is she coming
back？〃
〃In a few days more。〃
〃How glad I am！ And do tell mewhich is she？ Your oldest girl or
your youngest？〃
〃Neither the one nor the other； Selina。〃
〃Oh； my head！ my head！ This is even worse than the accent on the
'i' and the final 'e。' Stop！ I am cleverer than I thought I was。
You mean that the girls are twins。 Are they both so exactly like
each other that I shan't know which is which？ What fun！〃
When the subject of our ages was unluckily started at Mrs。
Staveley's； I had slipped out of the difficulty easily by
assuming the character of the eldest sisteran example of ready
tact which my dear stupid Eunice doesn't understand。 In my
father's presence； it is needless to say that I kept silence； and
left it to him。 I was sorry to be obliged to do this。 Owing to
his sad state of health； he is easily irritatedespecially by
inquisitive strangers。
〃I must leave you；〃 he answered； without taking the slightest
notice of what Miss Jillgall had said to him。 〃My work is waiting
for me。〃
She stopped him on his way to the door。 〃Oh； tell mecan't I
help you？〃
〃Thank you； no。〃
〃Wellbut tell me one thing。 Am I right about the twins？〃
〃You are wrong。〃
Miss Jillgall's demonstrative hands flew up into the air again；
and expressed the climax of astonishment by quivering over her
head。 〃This is positively maddening；〃 she declared。 〃What does it
mean？〃
〃Take my advice； cousin。 Don't attempt to find out what it
means。〃
He left the room。 Miss Jillgall appealed to me。 I imitated my
father's wise brevity of expression： 〃Sorry to disappoint you；
Selina； I know no more about it than you do。 Come upstairs。〃
Every step of the way up to the drawing…room was marked by a
protest or an inquiry。 Did I expect her to believe that I
couldn't say which of us was the elder of the two？ that I didn't
really know what my father's motive was for this extraordinary
mystification？ that my sister and I had submitted to be robbed；
as it were； of our own ages； and had not insisted on discovering
which of us had come into the world first？ that our friends had
not put an end to this sort of thing by comparing us personally；
and discovering which was the elder sister by investigation of
our faces？ To all this I replied： First； that I did certainly
expect her to believe whatever I might say： Secondly； that what
she was pleased to call the 〃mystification〃 had begun when we
were both children； that habit had made it familiar to us in the
course of years； and above all； that we were too fond of our good
father to ask for explanations which we knew by experience would
distress him： Thirdly； that friends did try to discover； by
personal examination； which was the elder sister； and differed
perpetually in their conclusions； also that we had amused
ourselves by trying the same experiment before our
looking…glasses； and that Eunice thought Helena was the oldest；
and Helena thought Eunice was the oldest： Fourthly （and finally）；
that the Reverend Mr。 Gracedieu's cousin had better drop the
subject； unless she was bent on making her presence in the house
unendurable to the Reverend Mr。 Gracedieu himself。
I write it with a sense of humiliation； Miss Jillgall listened
attentively to all I had to sayand then took me completely by
surprise。 This inquisitive； meddlesome； restless； impudent woman
suddenly transformed herself into a perfect model of amiability
and decorum。 She actually said she agreed with me； and was much
obliged for my good advice！
A stupid young woman； in my place； would have discovered that
this was not natural； and that Miss Jillgall was presenting
herself to me in disguise； to reach some secret end of her own。 I
am not a stupid young woman； I ought to have had at my service
penetration enough to see through and through Cousin Selina。
Well！ Cousin Selina was an impenetrable mystery to me。
The one thing to be done was to watch her。 I was at least sly
enough to take up a book； and pretend to be reading it。 How
contemptible！
She looked round the room； and discovered our pretty
writing…table； a present to my father from his congregation。
After a little consideration； she sat down to write a letter。
〃When does the post go out？〃 she asked。
I mentioned the hour； and she began her letter。 Before she could
have written more than the first two or three lines； she turned
round on her seat； and began talking to me。
〃Do you like writing letters； my dear？〃
〃Yesbut then I have not many letters to write。〃
〃Only a few friends； Helena； but those few worthy to be loved？
