the legacy of cain-第9章
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these advantages in my favor； do you actually suppose I can fail
to make _my_ way of thinking _his_ way of thinking？ You must have
forgotten your own married life！ Suppose we go on to the second
of your two obstacles。 I hope it will be better worth considering
than the first。〃
〃The second obstacle will not disappoint you；〃 I answered； 〃I am
the obstacle； this time。〃
〃You refuse to help me？〃
〃Positively。〃
〃Perhaps reflection may alter your resolution？〃
〃Reflection will do nothing of the kind。〃
〃You are rude； sir！〃
〃In speaking to you； madam； I have no alternative but to speak
plainly。〃
She rose。 Her shifting eyes； for once； looked at me steadily。
〃What sort of enemy have I made of you？〃 she asked。 〃A passive
enemy who is content with refusing to help me？ Or an active enemy
who will write to my husband？〃
〃It depends entirely；〃 I told her； 〃on what your husband does。 If
he questions me about you； I shall tell him the truth。〃
〃And if not？〃
〃In that case； I shall hope to forget that you ever favored me
with a visit。〃
In making this reply I was guiltless of any malicious intention。
What evil interpretation she placed
on my words it is impossible for me to say； I can only declare
that some intolerable sense of injury hurried her into an
outbreak of rage。 Her voice； strained for the first time； lost
its tuneful beauty of tone。
〃Come and see us in two years' time；〃 she burst out〃and
discover the orphan of the gallows in our house if you can！ If
your Asylum won't take her； some other Charity will。 Ha； Mr。
Governor； I deserve my disappointment！ I ought to have remembered
that you are only a jailer after all。 And what is a jailer？
Proverbially a brute。 Do you hear that？ A brute！〃
Her strength suddenly failed her。 She dropped back into the chair
from which she had risen； with a faint cry of pain。 A ghastly
pallor stole over her face。 There was wine on the sideboard； I
filled a glass。 She refused to take it。 At that time in the day；
the Doctor's duties required his attendance in the prison。 I
instantly sent for him。 After a moment's look at her； he took the
wine out of my hand； and held the glass to her lips。
〃Drink it；〃 he said。 She still refused。 〃Drink it；〃 he
reiterated； 〃or you will die。〃
That frightened her； she drank the wine。 The Doctor waited for a
while with his fingers on her pulse。 〃She will do now；〃 he said。
〃Can I go？〃 she asked。
〃Go wherever you please； madamso long as you don't go upstairs
in a hurry。〃
She smiled： 〃I understand you； sirand thank you for your
advice。〃
I asked the Doctor； when we were alone； what made him tell her
not to go upstairs in a hurry。
〃What I felt；〃 he answered； 〃when I had my fingers on her pulse。
You heard her say that she understood me。〃
〃Yes； but I don't know what she meant。〃
〃She meant； probably； that her own doctor had warned her as I
did。〃
〃Something seriously wrong with her health？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃What is it？〃
〃Heart。〃
CHAPTER X。
MISS CHANCE REAPPEARS。
A WEEK had passed； since the Minister's wife had left me； when I
received a letter from the Minister himself。
After surprising me； as he innocently supposed； by announcing the
birth of his child； he mentioned some circumstances connected
with that event； which I now heard for the first time。
〃Within an easy journey of the populous scene of my present
labors；〃 he wrote； 〃there is a secluded country village called
Low Lanes。 The rector of the place is my wife's brother。 Before
the birth of our infant； he had asked his sister to stay for a
while at his house； and the doctor thought she might safely be
allowed to accept the invitation。 Through some error in the
customary calculations； as I suppose； the child was born
unexpectedly at the rectory； and the ceremony of baptism was
performed at the church； under circumstances which I am not able
to relate within the limits of a letter： Let me only say that I
allude to this incident without any sectarian bitterness of
feelingfor I am no enemy to the Church of England。 You have no
idea what treasures of virtue and treasures of beauty maternity
has revealed in my wife's sweet nature。 Other mothers； in her
proud position； might find their love cooling toward the poor
child whom we have adopted。 But my household is irradiated by the
presence of an angel； who gives an equal share in her affections
to the two little ones alike。〃
In this semi…hysterical style of writing； the poor man
unconsciously told me how cunningly and how cruelly his wife was
deceiving him。
I longed to exhibit that wicked woman in her true characterbut
what could I do？ She must have been so favored by circumstances
as to be able to account for her absence from home； without
exciting the slightest suspicion of the journey which she had
really taken； if I declared in my reply to the Minister's letter
that I had received her in my rooms； and if I repeated the
conversation that had taken place； what would the result be？ She
would find an easy refuge in positive denial of the truthand；
in that case； which of us would her infatuated husband believe？
The one part of the letter which I read with some satisfaction
was the end of it。
I was here informed that the Minister's plans for concealing the
parentage of his adopted daughter had proved to be entirely
successful。 The members of the new domestic household believed
the two children to be infant…sisters。 Neither was there any
danger of the adopted child being identified （as the oldest child
of the two） by consultation of the registers。
Before he left our town； the Minister had seen for himself that
no baptismal name had been added； after the birth of the daughter
of the murderess had been registered； and that no entry of
baptism existed in the registers kept in places of worship。 He
drew the inferencein all probability a true inference；
considering the characters of the parentsthat the child had
never been baptized； and he performed the ceremony privately；
abstaining； for obvious reasons； from adding her Christian name
to the imperfect register of her birth。 〃I am not aware；〃 he
wrote； 〃whether I have； or have not； committed an offense against
the Law。 In any case； I may hope to have made atonement by
obedience to the Gospel。〃
Six weeks passed； and I heard from my reverend friend once more。
His second letter presented a marked contrast to the first。 It
was written in sorrow and anxiety； to inform me of an alarming
change for the worse in his wife's health。 I showed the letter to
my medical colleague。 After reading it he predicted the event
that might be expected； in two words：Sudden death。
On the next occasion when I heard from the Minister； the Doctor's
grim reply proved to be a prophecy fulfilled。
When we address expressions of condolence to bereaved friends；
the principles of popular hypocrisy sanction indiscriminate lying
as a duty which we owe to the deadno matter what their lives
may have beenbecause they are dead。 Within my own little
sphere； I have always been silent； when I could not offer to
afflicted persons expressions of sympathy which I honestly felt。
To have condoled with the Minister on the loss that he had
sustained by the death of a woman； self…betrayed to me as
shamelessly deceitful； and pitilessly determined to reach her own
cruel ends； would have been to degrade myself by telling a
deliberate lie。 I expressed in my answer all that an honest man
naturally feels； when he is writing to a friend in distress；
carefully abstaining from any allusion to the memory of his wife；
or to the place which her death had left vacant in his household。
My letter； I am sorry to say； disappointed and offended him。 He
wrote to me no more； until years had passed； and time had exerted
its influence in producing a more indulgent frame of mind。 These
letters of a later date have been preserved； and will probably be
used； at the right time； for purposes of explanation with which I
may be connected in the future。
。 。 。 。 。 。 。
The correspondent whom I had now lost was succeeded by a
gentleman entirely unknown to me。
Those reasons which induced me to conceal the names of persons；
