the legacy of cain-第78章

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what　I　had　just　heard。

〃I　wouldn't　own　it；〃　she　said；　〃to　anybody　but　a　dear　friend。　One
thing；　in　the　dreadful　disgrace　that　has　fallen　on　us；　I　am　quite
at　a　loss　to　account　for。　Think　of　Mr。　Gracedieu's　daughter　being
one　of　those　criminal　creatures　on　whom　it　was　once　your　terrible
duty　to　turn　the　key！　Why　didn't　she　commit　suicide？〃

〃My　dear　lady；　no　thoroughly　wicked　creature　ever　yet　committed
suicide。　Self…destruction；　when　it　is　not　an　act　of　madness；
implies　some　acuteness　of　feelingsensibility　to　remorse　or　to
shame；　or　perhaps　a　distorted　idea　of　making　atonement。　There　is
no　such　thing　as　remorse　or　shame；　or　hope　of　making　atonement；
in　Helena's　nature。〃

〃But　when　she　comes　out　of　prison；　what　will　she　do？〃

〃Don't　alarm　yourself；　my　good　friend。　She　will　do　very　well。〃

〃Oh；　hush！　hush！　Poetical　justice；　Mr。　Governor！〃

〃Poetical　fiddlesticks；　Miss　Jillgall。〃


CHAPTER　LXIII。

THE　OBSTACLE　REMOVED。


WHEN　the　subject　of　the　trial　was　happily　dismissed；　my　first
inquiry　related　to　Eunice。　The　reply　was　made　with　an　ominous
accompaniment　of　sighs　and　sad　looks。　Eunice　had　gone　back　to　her
duties　as　governess　at　the　farm。　Hearing　this；　I　asked　naturally
what　had　become　of　Philip。

Melancholy　news；　again；　was　the　news　that　I　now　heard。

Mr。　Dunboyne　the　elder　had　died　suddenly；　at　his　house　in
Ireland；　while　Philip　was　on　his　way　home。　When　the　funeral
ceremony　had　come　to　an　end；　the　will　was　read。　It　had　been　made
only　a　few　days　before　the　testator's　death；　and　the　clause　which
left　all　his　property　to　his　son　was　preceded　by　expressions　of
paternal　affection；　at　a　time　when　Philip　was　in　sore　need　of
consolation。　After　alluding　to　a　letter；　received　from　his　son；
the　old　man　added：　〃I　always　loved　him；　without　caring　to　confess
it；　I　detest　scenes　of　sentiment；　kissings；　embracings；　tears；
and　that　sort　of　thing。　But　Philip　has　yielded　to　my　wishes；　and
has　broken　off　a　marriage　which　would　have　made　him；　as　well　as
me；　wretched　for　life。　After　this；　I　may　speak　my　mind　from　my
grave；　and　may　tell　my　boy　that　I　loved　him。　If　the　wish　is
likely　to　be　of　any　use；　I　will　add　（on　the　chance）God　bless
him。〃

〃Does　Philip　submit　to　separation　from　Eunice？〃　I　asked。　〃Does　he
stay　in　Ireland？〃

〃Not　he；　poor　fellow！　He　will　be　here　to…morrow　or　next　day。　When
I　last　wrote；〃　Miss　Jillgall　continued；　〃I　told　him　I　hoped　to
see　you　again　soon。　If　you　can't　help　us　（I　mean　with　Eunice）
that　unlucky　young　man　will　do　some　desperate　thing。　He　will　join
those　madmen　at　large　who　disturb　poor　savages　in　Africa；　or　go
nowhere　to　find　nothing　in　the　Arctic　regions。

〃Whatever　I　can　do；　Miss　Jillgall；　shall　be　gladly　done。　Is　it
really　possible　that　Eunice　refuses　to　marry　him；　after　having
saved　his　life？〃

〃A　little　patience；　please；　Mr。　Governor；　let　Philip　tell　his　own
story。　If　I　try　to　do　it；　I　shall　only　cryand　we　have　had　tears
enough　lately；　in　this　house。〃

Further　consultation　being　thus　deferred；　I　went　upstairs　to　the
Minister's　room。

He　was　sitting　by　the　window；　in　his　favorite　armchair；　absorbed
in　knitting！　The　person　who　attended　on　him；　a　good…natured；
patient　fellow；　had　been　a　sailor　in　his　younger　days；　and　had
taught　Mr。　Gracedieu　how　to　use　the　needles。　〃You　see　it　amuses
him；〃　the　man　said；　kindly。　〃Don't　notice　his　mistakes；　he　thinks
there　isn't　such　another　in　the　world　for　knitting　as　himself。
You　can　see；　sir；　how　he　sticks　to　it。〃　He　was　so　absorbed　over
his　employment　that　I　had　to　speak　to　him　twice；　before　I　could
induce　him　to　look　at　me。　The　utter　ruin　of　his　intellect　did　not
appear　to　have　exercised　any　disastrous　influence　over　his　bodily
health。　On　the　contrary；　he　had　grown　fatter　since　I　had　last
seen　him；　his　complexion　had　lost　the　pallor　that　I
rememberedthere　was　color　in　his　cheeks。

〃Don't　yo　u　remember　your　old　friend？〃　I　said。　He　smiled；　and
nodded；　and　repeated　the　words：

〃Yes；　yes；　my　old　friend。〃　It　was　only　too　plain　that　he　had　not
the　least　recollection　of　me。　〃His　memory　is　gone；〃　the　man　said。
〃When　he　puts　away　his　knitting；　at　night；　I　have　to　find　it　for
him　in　the　morning。　But；　there！　he's　happyenjoys　his　victuals；
likes　sitting　out　in　the　garden　and　watching　the　birds。　There's
been　a　deal　of　trouble　in　the　family；　sir；　and　it　has　all　passed
over　him　like　a　wet　sponge　over　a　slate。〃　The　old　sailor　was
right。　If　that　wreck　of　a　man　had　been　capable　of　feeling　and
thinking；　his　daughter's　disgrace　would　have　broken　his　heart。　In
a　world　of　sin　and　sorrow；　is　peaceable　imbecility　always　to　be
pitied？　I　have　known　men　who　would　have　answered；　without
hesitation：　〃It　is　to　be　envied。〃　And　where　（some　persons　might
say）　was　the　poor　Minister's　reward　for　the　act　of　mercy　which
had　saved　Eunice　in　her　infancy？　Where　it　ought　to　be！　A　man　who
worthily　performs　a　good　action　finds　his　reward　in　the　action
itself。


At　breakfast；　on　the　next　day；　the　talk　touched　on　those　passages
in　Helena's　diary；　which　had　been　produced　in　court　as　evidence
against　her。

I　expressed　a　wish　to　see　what　revelation　of　a　depraved　nature
the　entries　in　the　diary　might　present；　and　my　curiosity　was
gratified。　At　a　fitter　time；　I　may　find　an　opportunity　of
alluding　to　the　impression　produced　on　me　by　the　diary。　In　the
meanwhile；　the　event　of　Philip's　return　claims　notice　in　the
first　place。

The　poor　fellow　was　so　glad　to　see　me　that　he　shook　hands　as
heartily　as　if　we　had　known　each　other　from　the　time　when　he　was
a　boy。

〃Do　you　remember　how　kindly　you　spoke　to　me　when　I　called　on　you
in　London？〃　he　asked。　〃If　I　have　repeated　those　words　oncebut
perhaps　you　don't　remember　them？　You　said：　'If　I　was　as　young　as
you　are；　I　should　not　despair。'　Well！　I　have　said　that　to　myself
over　and　over　again；　for　a　hundred　times　at　least。　Eunice　will
listen　to　you；　sir；　when　she　will　listen　to　nobody　else。　This　is
the　first　happy　moment　I　have　had　for　weeks　past。〃

I　suppose　I　must　have　looked　glad　to　hear　that。　Anyway；　Philip
shook　hands　with　me　again。

Miss　Jillgall　was　present。　The　gentle…hearted　old　maid　was　so
touched　by　our　meeting　that　she　abandoned　herself　to　the　genial
impulse　of　the　moment；　and　gave　Philip　a　kiss。　The　outraged
claims　of　propriety　instantly　seized　on　her。　She　blushed　as　if
the　long…lost　days　of　her　girlhood　had　been　found　again；　and　ran
out　of　the　room。

〃Now；　Mr。　Philip；〃　I　said；　〃I　have　been　waiting；　at　Miss
Jillgall's　suggestion；　to　get　my　information　from　you。　There　is
something　wrong　between　Eunice　and　yourself。　What　is　it？　And　who
is　to　blame？〃

〃Her　vile　sister　is　to　blame；〃　he　answered。　〃That　reptile　was
determined　to　sting　us。　And　she　has　done　it！〃　he　cried；　starting
to　his　feet；　and　walking　up　and　down　the　room；　urged　into　action
by　his　own　unendurable　sense　of　wrong。　〃I　say；　she　has　done　it；
after　Eunice　has　saved　medone　it；　when　Eunice　was　ready　to　be
my　wife。〃

〃How　has　she　done　it？〃

Between　grief　and　indignation　his　reply　was　involved　in　a
confusion　of　vehemently…spoken　words；　which　I　shall　not　attempt
to　reproduce。　Eunice　had　reminded　him　that　her　sister　had　been
publicly　convicted　of　an　infamous　crime；　and　publicly　punished
for　it　by　imprisonment。　〃If　I　consent　to　marry　you；〃　she　said；　〃I
stain　you　with　my　disgrace；　that　shall　never　be。〃　With　this
resolution；　she　had　left　him。　〃I　have　tried　to　convince　her；〃
Philip　said；　〃that　she　will　not　be　associated　with　her　sister's
disgrace　when　she　bears　my　name；　I　have　promised　to　take　her　far
away　from　England；　among　people　who　have　never　even　heard　of　her
sister。　Miss　Jillgall　has　used　her　influence　to　help　me。　All　in
vain！　There　is　no　hope　for　us　but　in　you。　I　am　not　thinking
selfishly　only　of　myself。　She　tries　to　conceal　itbut；　oh；　she
is　broken…hearted！　Ask　the　farmer's　wife；　if　you　don't　believe
me。　Judge　for　yourself；　sir。　Gofor　God's　sake；　go　to　the　farm。〃

I　made　him　sit　down　and　compose　himself。

〃You　may　depend　on　my　going　to　the　farm；〃　I　answered。　〃I　shall
write　to　Eunice　to…day；　and　follow　my　letter　to…morrow。〃　He　tried
to　thank　me；　but　I　would　not　allow　it。　〃Before　I　consent　to
accept　the　expression　of　your　gratitude；〃　I　said；　〃I　must　know　a
li