prologue-2-第1章

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Part　the　Second。











THE　MARCH　OF　TIME。







V。







ADVANCING　from　time　past　to　time　present；　the　Prologue　leaves　the



date　last　attained　（the　summer　of　eighteen　hundred　and



fifty…five）；　and　travels　on　through　an　interval　of　twelve



yearstells　who　lived；　who　died；　who　prospered；　and　who　failed



among　the　persons　concerned　in　the　tragedy　at　the　Hampstead



villaand；　this　done；　leaves　the　reader　at　the　opening　of　THE



STORY　in　the　spring　of　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…eight。







The　record　begins　with　a　marriagethe　marriage　of　Mr。　Vanborough



and　Lady　Jane　Parnell。







In　three　months　from　the　memorable　day　when　his　solicitor　had



informed　him　that　he　was　a　free　man；　Mr。　Vanborough　possessed　the



wife　he　desired；　to　grace　the　head　of　his　table　and　to　push　his



fortunes　in　the　worldthe　Legislature　of　Great　Britain　being　the



humble　servant　of　his　treachery；　and　the　respectable　accomplice



of　his　crime。







He　entered　Parliament。　He　gave　（thanks　to　his　wife）　six　of　the



grandest　dinners；　and　two　of　the　most　crowded　balls　of　the



season。　He　made　a　successful　first　speech　in　the　House　of



Commons。　He　endowed　a　church　in　a　poor　neighborhood。　He　wrote　an



article　which　attracted　attention　in　a　quarterly　review。　He



discovered；　denounced；　and　remedied　a　crying　abuse　in　the



administration　of　a　public　charity。　　He　r　eceived　（thanks　once



more　to　his　wife）　a　member　of　the　Royal　family　among　the　visitors



at　his　country　house　in　the　autumn　recess。　These　were　his



triumphs；　and　this　his　rate　of　progress　on　the　way　to　the



peerage；　during　the　first　year　of　his　life　as　the　husband　of　Lady



Jane。







There　was　but　one　more　favor　that　Fortune　could　confer　on　her



spoiled　childand　Fortune　bestowed　it。　There　was　a　spot　on　Mr。



Vanborough's　past　life　as　long　as　the　woman　lived　whom　he　had



disowned　and　deserted。　At　the　end　of　the　first　year　Death　took



herand　the　spot　was　rubbed　out。







She　had　met　the　merciless　injury　inflicted　on　her　with　a　rare



patience；　with　an　admirable　courage。　It　is　due　to　Mr。　Vanborough



to　admit　that　he　broke　her　heart；　with　the　strictest　attention　to



propriety。　He　offered　（through　his　lawyer　）　a　handsome　provision



for　her　and　for　her　child。　It　was　rejected；　without　an　instant's



hesitation。　She　repudiated　his　moneyshe　repudiated　his　name。　By



the　name　which　she　had　borne　in　her　maiden　daysthe　name　which



she　had　made　illustrious　in　her　Artthe　mother　and　daughter　were



known　to　all　who　cared　to　inquire　after　them　when　they　had　sunk



in　the　world。







There　was　no　false　pride　in　the　resolute　attitude　which　she　thus



assumed　after　her　husband　had　forsaken　her。　Mrs。　Silvester　（as



she　was　now　called）　gratefully　accepted　for　herself；　and　for　Miss



Silvester；　the　assistance　of　the　dear　old　friend　who　had　found



her　again　in　her　affliction；　and　who　remained　faithful　to　her　to



the　end。　They　lived　with　Lady　Lundie　until　the　mother　was　strong



enough　to　carry　out　the　plan　of　life　which　she　had　arranged　for



the　future；　and　to　earn　her　bread　as　a　teacher　of　singing。　To　all



appearance　she　rallied；　and　became　herself　again；　in　a　few



months'　time。　She　was　making　her　way；　she　was　winning　sympathy；



confidence；　and　respect　every　wherewhen　she　sank　suddenly　at



the　opening　of　her　new　life。　Nobody　could　account　for　it。　The



doctors　themselves　were　divided　in　opinion。　Scientifically



speaking；　there　was　no　reason　why　she　should　die。　It　was　a　mere



figure　of　speechin　no　degree　satisfactory　to　any　reasonable



mindto　say；　as　Lady　Lundie　said；　that　she　had　got　her



death…blow　on　the　day　when　her　husband　deserted　her。　The　one



thing　certain　was　the　factaccount　for　it　as　you　might。　In　spite



of　science　（which　meant　little）；　in　spite　of　her　own　courage



（which　meant　much）；　the　woman　dropped　at　her　post　and　died。







In　the　latter　part　of　her　illness　her　mind　gave　way。　The　friend



of　her　old　school…days；　sitting　at　the　bedside；　heard　her　talking



as　if　she　thought　herself　back　again　in　the　cabin　of　the　ship。



The　poor　soul　found　the　tone；　almost　the　look；　that　had　been　lost



for　so　many　yearsthe　tone　of　the　past　time　when　the　two　girls



had　gone　their　different　ways　in　the　world。　She　said；　〃we　will



meet；　darling；　with　all　the　old　love　between　us；〃　just　as　she　had



said　almost　a　lifetime　since。　Before　the　end　her　mind　rallied。



She　surprised　the　doctor　and　the　nurse　by　begging　them　gently　to



leave　the　room。　When　they　had　gone　she　looked　at　Lady　Lundie；　and



woke；　as　it　seemed；　to　consciousness　from　a　dream。







〃Blanche；〃　she　said；　〃you　will　take　care　of　my　child？〃







〃She　shall　be　_my_　child；　Anne；　when　you　are　gone。〃







The　dying　woman　paused；　and　thought　for　a　little。　A　sudden



trembling　seized　her。







〃Keep　it　a　secret！〃　she　said。　〃I　am　afraid　for　my　child。〃







〃Afraid？　After　what　I　have　promised　you？〃







She　solemnly　repeated　the　words；　〃I　am　afraid　for　my　child。〃







〃Why？〃







〃My　Anne　is　my　second　selfisn't　she？〃







〃Yes。〃







〃She　is　as　fond　of　your　child　as　I　was　of　you？〃







〃Yes。〃







〃She　is　not　called　by　her　father's　nameshe　is　called　by　mine。



She　is　Anne　Silvester　as　I　was。　Blanche！　_Will　she　end　like　Me？_〃







The　question　was　put　with　the　laboring　breath；　with　the　heavy



accents　which　tell　that　death　is　near。　It　chilled　the　living



woman　who　heard　it　to　the　marrow　of　her　bones。







〃Don't　think　that！〃　she　cried；　horror…struck。　〃For　God's　sake；



don't　think　that！〃







The　wildness　began　to　appear　again　in　Anne　Silvester's　eyes。　She



made　feebly　impatient　signs　with　her　hands。　Lady　Lundie　bent　over



her；　and　heard　her　whisper；　〃Lift　me　up。〃







She　lay　in　her　friend's　arms；　she　looked　up　in　her　friend's　face；



she　went　back　wildly　to　her　fear　for　her　child。







〃Don't　bring　her　up　like　Me！　She　must　be　a　governessshe　must



get　her　bread。　Don't　let　her　act！　don't　let　her　sing！　don't　let



her　go　on　the　stage！〃　She　stoppedher　voice　suddenly　recovered



its　sweetness　of　toneshe　smiled　faintlyshe　said　the　old



girlish　words　once　more；　in　the　old　girlish　way；　〃Vow　it；



Blanche！〃　Lady　Lundie　kissed　her；　and　answered；　as　she　had



answered　when　they　parted　in　the　ship；　〃I　vow　it；　Anne！〃







The　head　sank；　never　to　be　lifted　more。　The　last　look　of　life



flickered　in　the　filmy　eyes　and　went　out。　For　a　moment　afterward



her　lips　moved。　Lady　Lundie　put　her　ear　close　to　them；　and　heard



the　dreadful　question　reiterated；　in　the　same　dreadful　words：



〃She　is　Anne　Silvesteras　I　was。　_Will　she　end　like　Me？_〃







VI。







Five　years　passedand　the　lives　of　the　three　men　who　had　sat　at



the　dinner…table　in　the　Hampstead　villa　began；　in　their　altered



aspects；　to　reveal　the　progress　of　time　and　change。







Mr。　Kendrew；　Mr。　Delamayn；　Mr。　Vanborough。　Let　the　order　in　which



they　are　here　named　be　the　order　in　which　their　lives　are



reviewed；　as　seen　once　more　after　a　lapse　of　five　years。







How　the　husband's　friend　marked　his　sense　of　the　husband's



treachery　has　been　told　already。　How　he　felt　the　death　of　the



deserted　wife　is　still　left　to　tell。　Report；　which　sees　the



inmost　hearts　of　men；　and　delights　in　turning　them　outward　to　the



public　view；　had　always　declared　that　Mr。　Kendrew's　life　had　its



secret；　and　that　the　secret　was　a　hopeless　passion　for　the



beautiful　woman　who　had　married　his　friend。　Not　a　hint　ever



dropped　to　any　living　soul；　not　a　word　ever　spoken　to　the　woman



herself；　could　be　produced　in　proof　of