the legacy of cain-第26章
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walking arm…in…arm with their heads close together； deep in talk。
With my knowledge of Miss Jillgall； I call this a bad sign。
An odd thought has just come to me。 I wonder what might have
happened； if I had been visiting at Mrs。 Staveley's； instead of
Eunice； and if Mr。 Dunboyne had seen me first。
Absurd！ if I was not too tired to do anything more； those last
lines should be scratched out。
CHAPTER XXII。
EUNICE'S DIARY。
I SAID so to Miss Jillgall； and I say it again here。 Nothing will
induce me to think ill of Helena。
My sister is a good deal tired； and a little out of temper after
the railway journey。 This is exactly what happened to me when I
went to London。 I attribute her refusal to let me read her
journal； after she had read mine； entirely to the disagreeable
consequences of traveling by railway。 Miss Jillgall accounted for
it otherwise； in her own funny manner： 〃My sweet child； your
sister's diary is full of abuse of poor me。〃 I humored the joke：
〃Dearest Selina； keep a diary of your own； and fill it with abuse
of my sister。〃 This seemed to be a droll saying at the time。 But
it doesn't look particularly amusing； now it is written down。 We
had ginger wine at supper； to celebrate Helena's return。 Although
I only drank one glass； I daresay it may have got into my head。
However that may be； when the lovely moonlight tempted us into
the garden； there was an end to our jokes。 We had something to
talk about which still dwells disagreeably on my mind。
Miss Jillgall began it。
〃If I trust you； dearest Euneece； with my own precious secrets；
shall I never； never； never live to repent it？〃
I told my good little friend that she might depend on me；
provided her secrets did no harm to any person whom I loved。
She clasped her hands and looked up at the moonI can only
suppose that her sentiments overpowered her。 She said； very
prettily； that her heart and my heart beat together in heavenly
harmony。 It is needless to add that this satisfied me。
Miss Jillgall's generous confidence in my discretion was； I am
afraid； not rewarded as it ought to have been。 I found her
tiresome at first。
She spoke of an excellent friend （a lady）； who had helped her； at
the time when she lost her little fortune； by raising a
subscription privately to pay the expenses of her return to
England。 Her friend's namenot very attractive to English
earswas Mrs。 Tenbruggen； they had first become acquainted under
interesting circumstances。 Miss Jillgall happened to mention that
my father was her only living relative； and it turned out that
Mrs。 Tenbruggen was familiar with his name； and reverenced his
fame as a preacher。 When he had generously received his poor
helpless cousin under his own roof； Miss Jillgall's gratitude and
sense of duty impelled her to write and tell Mrs。 Tenbruggen how
happy she was as a member of our family。
Let me confess that I began to listen more attentively when the
narrative reached this point。
〃I drew a little picture of our domestic circle here；〃 Miss
Jillgall said； describing her letter； 〃and I mentioned the
mystery in which Mr。 Gracedieu conceals the ages of you two dear
girls。 Mrs。 Tenbruggen shall we shorten her ugly name and call
her Mrs。 T。？ Very wellMrs。 T。 is a remarkably clever woman； and
I looked for interesting results； if she would give her opinion
of the mysterious circumstance mentioned in my letter。〃
By this time； I was all eagerness to hear more。
〃Has she written to you？〃 I asked。
Miss Jillgall looked at me affectionately； and took the reply out
of her pocket。
〃Listen； Euneece； and you shall hear her own words。 Thus she
writes：
〃 'Your letter； dear Selina； especially interests me by what it
says about the _two_ Miss Gracedieus。 'Look； dear； she
underlines the word Two。 Why； I can't explain。 Can you？ Ah； I
thought not。 Well； let us get back to the letter。 My accomplished
friend continues in these term s：
〃 'I can understand the surprise which you have felt at the
strange course taken by their father； as a means of concealing
the difference which there must be in the ages of these young
ladies。 Many years since； I happened to discover a romantic
incident in the life of your popular preacher； which he has his
reasons； as I suspect； for keeping strictly to himself。 If I may
venture on a bold guess； I should say that any person who could
discover which was the oldest of the two daughters； would be also
likely to discover the true nature of the romance in Mr。
Gracedieu's life。'Isn't that very remarkable； Euneece？ You
don't seem to see ityou funny child！ Pray pay particular
attention to what comes next。 These are the closing sentences in
my friend's letter：
〃 'If you find anything new to tell me which relates to this
interesting subject； direct your letter as beforeprovided you
write within a week from the present time。 Afterward； my letters
will be received by the English physician whose card I inclose。
You will be pleased to hear that my professional interests call
me to London at the earliest moment that I can spare。' There。
dear child； the letter comes to an end。 I daresay you wonder what
Mrs。 T。 means； when she alludes to her professional interests？〃
No： I was not wondering about anything。 It hurt me to hear of a
strange woman exercising her ingenuity in guessing at mysteries
in papa's life。
But Miss Jillgall was too eagerly bent on setting forth the
merits of her friend to notice this。 I now heard that Mrs。 T。's
marriage had turned out badly； and that she had been reduced to
earn her own bread。 Her manner of doing this was something quite
new to me。 She went about； from one place to another； curing
people of all sorts of painful maladies； by a way she had of
rubbing them with her hands。 In Belgium she was called a
〃Masseuse。〃 When I asked what this meant in English； I was told；
〃Medical Rubber；〃 and that the fame of Mrs。 T。's wonderful cures
had reached some of the medical newspapers published in London。
After listening （I must say for myself） very patiently； I was
bold enough to own that my interest in what I had just heard was
not quite so plain to me as I could have wished it to be。
Miss Jillgall looked shocked at my stupidity。 She reminded me
that there was a mystery in Mrs。 Tenbruggen's letter and a
mystery in papa's strange conduct toward Philip。 〃Put two and two
together； darling；〃 she said； 〃and； one of these days； they may
make four。〃
If this meant anything； it meant that the reason which made papa
keep Helena's age and my age unknown to everybody but himself；
was also the reason why he seemed to be so strangely unwilling to
let me be Philip's wife。 I really could not endure to take such a
view of it as that； and begged Miss Jillgall to drop the subject。
She was as kind as ever。
〃With all my heart； dear。 But don't deceive yourselfthe subject
will turn up again when we least expect it。〃
CHAPTER XXIII。
EUNICE'S DIARY。
ONLY two days now； before we give our little dinner…party； and
Philip finds his opportunity of speaking to papa。 Oh； how I wish
that day had come and gone！
I try not to take gloomy views of things； but I am not quite so
happy as I had expected to be when my dear was in the same town
with me。 If papa had encouraged him to call again； we might have
had some precious time to ourselves。 As it is； we can only meet
in the different show…places in the townwith Helena on one
side； and Miss Jillgall on the other； to take care of us。 I do
call it cruel not to let two young people love each other；
without setting third persons to watch them。 If I was Queen of
England； I would have pretty private bowers made for lovers； in
the summer； and nice warm little rooms to hold two； in the
winter。 Why not？ What harm could come of it； I should like to
know？
The cathedral is the place of meeting which we find most
convenient； under the circumstances。 There are delightful nooks
and corners about this celebrated building in which lovers can
lag behind。 If we had been in papa's chapel I should have
hesitated to turn it to such a profane use as this； the cathedral
doesn't so much matter。
Shall I own that I felt my inferiority to
