the legacy of cain-第58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！


pleasant　journey　home。〃

I　rang　for　the　waiter。　〃Show　this　lady　out；〃　I　said。

Even　this　failed　to　have　the　slightest　effect　on　her。　She
sauntered　to　the　door；　as　perfectly　at　her　ease　as　if　the　room
had　been　hersnot　mine。

I　had　thought　of　driving　to　the　farm。　Shall　I　confess　it？　My
temper　was　so　completely　upset　that　active　movement　of　some　kind
offered　the　one　means　of　relief　in　which　I　could　find　refuge。　The
farm　was　not　more　than　five　miles　distant；　and　I　had　been　a　good
walker　all　my　life。　After　making　the　needful　inquiries；　I　set
forth　to　visit　Eunice　on　foot。

My　way　through　the　town　led　me　past　the；　Minister's　house。　I　had
left　the　door　some　fifty　yards　behin　d　me；　when　I　saw　two　ladies
approaching。　They　were　walking；　in　the　friendliest　manner；　arm　in
arm。　As　they　came　nearer；　I　discovered　Miss　Jillgall。　Her
companion　was　the　middle…aged　lady　who　had　declined　to　give　her
name；　when　we　met　accidentally　at　Mr。　Gracedieu's　door。

Hysterically　impulsive；　Miss　Jillgall　seized　both　my　hands；　and
overwhelmed　me　with　entreaties　that　I　would　go　back　with　her　to
the　house。　I　listened　rather　absently。　The　middle…aged　lady
happened　to　be　nearer　to　me　now　than　on　either　of　the　former
occasions　on　which　I　had　seen　her。　There　was　something　in　the
expression　of　her　eyes　which　seemed　to　be　familiar　to　me。　But　the
effort　of　my　memory　was　not　helped　by　what　I　observed　in　the
other　parts　of　her　face。　The　iron…gray　hair；　the　baggy　lower
eyelids；　the　fat　cheeks；　the　coarse　complexion；　and　the　double
chin；　were　features；　and　very　disagreeable　features；　too；　which　I
had　never　seen　at　any　former　time。

〃Do　pray　come　back　with　us；〃　Miss　Jillgall　pleaded。　〃We　were　just
talking　of　you。　I　and　my　friend〃　There　she　stopped；　evidently
on　the　point　of　blurting　out　the　name　which　she　had　been
forbidden　to　utter　in　my　hearing。

The　lady　smiled；　her　provokingly　familiar　eyes　rested　on　me　with
a　humorous　enjoyment　of　the　scene。

〃My　dear；〃　she　said　to　Miss　Jillgall；　〃caution　ceases　to　be　a
virtue　when　it　ceases　to　be　of　any　use。　The　Governor　is　beginning
to　remember　me；　and　the　inevitable　recognitionwith　_his_
quickness　of　perceptionis　likely　to　be　a　matter　of　minutes
now。〃　She　turned　to　me。　〃In　more　ways　than　one；　sir；　women　are
hardly　used　by　Nature。　As　they　advance　in　years　they　lose　more　in
personal　appearance　than　the　men　do。　You　are　white…haired；　and
（pray　excuse　me）　you　are　too　fat；　and　（allow　me　to　take　another
liberty）　you　stoop　at　the　shouldersbut　you　have　not　entirely
lost　your　good　looks。　_I_　am　no　longer　recognizable。　Allow　me　to
prompt　you；　as　they　say　on　the　stage。　I　am　Mrs。　Tenbruggen。〃

As　a　man　of　the　world；　I　ought　to　have　been　capable　of　concealing
my　astonishment　and　dismay。　She　struck　me　dumb。

Mrs。　Tenbruggen　in　the　town！　The　one　woman　whose　appearance　Mr。
Gracedieu　had　dreaded；　and　justly　dreaded；　stood　before　mefree；
as　a　friend　of　his　kinswoman；　to　enter　his　house；　at　the　very
time　when　he　was　a　helpless　man；　guarded　by　watchers　at　his
bedside。　My　first　clear　idea　was　to　get　away　from　both　the　women；
and　consider　what　was　to　be　done　next。　I　bowedand　begged　to　be
excusedand　said　I　was　in　a　hurry；　all　in　a　breath。

Hearing　this；　the　best　of　genial　old　maids　was　unable　to　restrain
her　curiosity。　〃Where　are　you　going？〃　she　asked。

Too　confused　to　think　of　an　excuse；　I　said　I　was　going　to　the
farm。

〃To　see　my　dear　Euneece？〃　Miss　Jillgall　burst　out。　〃Oh；　we　will
go　with　you！〃　Mrs。　Tenbruggen's　politeness　added　immediately；
〃With　the　greatest　pleasure。〃


CHAPTER　XLVII。

THE　JOURNEY　TO　THE　FARM。


MY　first　ungrateful　impulse　was　to　get　rid　of　the　two　cumbersome
ladies　who　had　offered　to　be　my　companions。　It　was　needless　to
call　upon　my　invention　for　an　excuse；　the　truth；　as　I　gladly
perceived；　would　serve　my　purpose。　I　had　only　to　tell　them　that　I
had　arranged　to　walk　to　the　farm。

Lean；　wiry；　and　impetuous；　Miss　Jillgall　received　my　excuse　with
the　sincerest　approval　of　it；　as　a　new　idea。　〃Nothing　could　be
more　agreeable　to　me；〃　she　declared；　〃I　have　been　a　wonderful
walker　all　my　life。〃　She　turned　to　her　friend。　〃We　will　go　with
him；　my　dear；　won't　we？〃

Mrs。　Tenbruggen's　reception　of　this　proposal　inspired　me　with
hope；　she　asked　how　far　it　was　to　the　farm。　〃Five　miles！〃　she
repeated。　〃And　five　miles　back　again；　unless　the　farmer　lends　us
a　cart。　My　dear　Selina；　you　might　as　well　ask　me　to　walk　to　the
North　Pole。　You　have　got　rid　of　one　of　us；　Mr。　Governor；〃　she
added；　pleasantly；　〃and　the　other；　if　you　only　walk　fast　enough；
you　will　leave　behind　you　on　the　road。　If　I　believed　in
luckwhich　I　don'tI　should　call　you　a　fortunate　man。〃

But　companionable　Selina　would　not　hear　of　a　separation。　She
asked；　in　her　most　irresistible　manner；　if　I　objected　to　driving
instead　of　walking。　Her　heart's　dearest　wish；　she　said；　was　to
make　her　bosom　friend　and　myself　better　acquainted　with　each
other。　To　conclude；　she　reminded　me　that　there　was　a　cab…stand　in
the　next　street。

Perhaps　I　might　have　been　influenced　by　my　distrust　of　Mrs。
Tenbruggen；　or　perhaps　by　my　anxiety　to　protect　Eunice。　It　struck
me　that　I　might　warn　the　defenseless　girl　to　be　on　her　guard　with
Mrs。　Tenbruggen　to　better　purpose；　if　Eunice　was　in　a　position　to
recognize　her　in　any　future　emergency　that　might　occur。　To　my
mind；　this　dangerous　woman　was　doubly　formidableand　for　a　good
reason；　she　was　the　bosom　friend　of　that　innocent　and　unwary
person；　Miss　Jillgall。

So　I　amiably　consented　to　forego　my　walk；　yielding　to　the
superior　attraction　of　Mrs。　Tenbruggen's　company。　On　that　day　the
sunshine　was　tempered　by　a　delightful　breeze。　If　we　had　been　in
the　biggest　and　worst…governed　city　on　the　civilised　earth；　we
should　have　found　no　public　vehicle；　open　to　the　air；　which　could
offer　accommodation　to　three　people。　Being　only　in　a　country
town；　we　had　a　light　four…wheeled　chaise　at　our　disposal；　as　a
matter　of　course。

No　wise　man　expects　to　be　mercifully　treated；　when　he　is　shut
into　a　carriage　with　a　mature　single　lady；　inflamed　by　curiosity。
I　was　not　unprepared　for　Miss　Jillgall　when　she　alluded；　for　the
second　time；　to　the　sad　events　which　had　happened　in　the　house　on
the　previous　dayand　especially　to　the　destruction　by　Mr。
Gracedieu　of　the　portrait　of　his　wife。

〃Why　didn't　he　destroy　something　else？〃　she　pleaded；　piteously。
〃It　is　such　a　disappointment　to　Me。　I　never　liked　that　picture
myself。　Of　course　I　ought　to　have　admired　the　portrait　of　the
wife　of　my　benefactor。　But　nothat　disagreeable　painted　face　was
too　much　for　me。　I　should　have　felt　inexpressibly　relieved；　if　I
could　have　shown　it　to　Elizabeth；　and　heard　her　say　that　she
agreed　with　me。〃

〃Perhaps　I　saw　it　when　I　called　on　you；〃　Mrs。　Tenbruggen
suggested。　〃Where　did　the　picture　hang？〃

〃My　dear！　I　received　you　in　the　dining…room；　and　the　portrait
hung　in　Mr。　Gracedieu's　study。〃

What　they　said　to　each　other　next　escaped　my　attention。　Quite
unconsciously；　Miss　Jillgall　had　revealed　to　me　a　danger　which
neither　the　Minister　nor　I　had　discovered；　though　it　had
conspicuously　threatened　us　both　on　the　wall　of　the　study。　The
act　of　mad　destruction　which；　if　I　had　possessed　the　means　of
safely　interfering；　I　should　certainly　have　endeavored　to
prevent；　now　assumed　a　new　and　startling　aspect。　If　Mrs。
Tenbruggen　really　had　some　motive　of　her　own　for　endeavoring　to
identify　the　adopted　child；　the　preservation　of　the　picture　must
have　led　her　straight　to　the　end　in　view。　The　most　casual
opportunity　of　comparing　Helena　with　the　portrait　of　Mrs。
Gracedieu　would　have　revealed　the　likeness　between　mother　and
daughterand；　that　result　attained；　the　identification　of　Eunice
with　the　infant　whom　the　〃Miss　Chance〃　of　those　days　had　brought
to　the　prison　must　inevitably　have　followed。　It　was　perhaps
natural　that　Mr。　Gracedieu's　infatuated　devotion　to　the　memory　of
his　wife　should　have　blinded　him　to　the　betrayal　of　Helena's
parentage；　which　met　his　eyes　every　time　he　entered　his　study。
But　that　I　should　have　been　too　stupid　to　discover　what　he　had
failed　to　see；　was　a　wound　dealt　to　my　self…esteem　which　I　was
vain　enough　to　feel　acutely。

Mrs。　Tenbruggen's　voice；　cheery　an