prologue-2-第3章

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answered；　briefly　and　simply；　〃I　once　lived　here；　I　have



associations　with　the　place　with　which　it　is　not　necessary　for　me



to　trouble　you。　Will　you　excuse　what　must　seem　to　you　a　very



strange　request？　I　should　like　to　see　the　dining…room　again；　if



there　is　no　objection；　and　if　I　am　disturbing　nobody。〃







The　〃strange　requests〃　of　rich　men　are　of　the　nature　of



〃privileged　communications；〃　for　this　excellent　reason；　that　they



are　sure　not　to　be　requests　for　money。　Mr。　Vanborough　was　shown



into　the　dining…room。　The　master　of　the　house；　secretly



wondering；　watched　him。







He　walked　straight　to　a　certain　spot　on　the　carpet；　not　far　from



the　window　that　led　into　the　garden；　and　nearly　opposite　the



door。　On　that　spot　he　stood　silently；　with　his　head　on　his



breastthinking。　Was　it　_there_　he　had　seen　her　for　the　last



time；　on　the　day　when　he　left　the　room　forever？　Yes；　it　was



there。　After　a　minute　or　so　he　roused　himself；　but　in　a　dreamy；



absent　manner。　He　said　it　was　a　pretty　place；　and　expressed　his



thanks；　and　looked　back　before　the　door　closed；　and　then　went　his



way　again。　His　carriage　picked　him　up　where　it　had　set　him　down。



He　drove　to　the　residence　of　the　new　Lord　Holchester；　and　left　a



card　for　him。　Then　he　went　home。　Arrived　at　his　house；　his



secretary　reminded　him　that　he　had　an　appointment　in　ten　minutes'



time。　He　thanked　the　secretary　in　the　same　dreamy；　absent　manner



in　which　he　had　thanked　the　owner　of　the　villa；　and　went　into　his



dressing…room。　The　person　with　whom　he　had　made　the　appointment



came；　and　the　secretary　sent　the　valet　up　stairs　to　knock　at　the



door。　There　was　no　answer。　On　trying　the　lock　it　proved　to　be



turned　inside。　They　broke　open　the　door；　and　saw　him　lying　on　the



sofa。　They　went　close　to　lookand　found　him　dead　by　his　own



hand。







VIII。







Drawing　fast　to　its　close；　the　Prologue　reverts　to　the　two



girlsand　tells；　in　a　few　words；　how　the　years　passed　with　Anne



and　Blanche。







Lady　Lundie　more　than　redeemed　the　solemn　pledge　that　she　had



given　to　her　friend。　Preserved　from　every　temptation　which　might



lure　her　into　a　longing　to　follow　her　mother's　career；　trained



for　a　teacher's　life；　with　all　the　arts　and　all　the　advantages



that　money　could　procure；　Anne's　first　and　only　essays　as　a



governess　were　made；　under　Lady　Lundie's　own　roof；　on　Lady



Lundie's　own　child。　The　difference　in　the　ages　of　the



girlsseven　yearsthe　love　between　them；　which　seemed；　as　time



went　on；　to　grow　with　their　growth；　favored　the　trial　of　the



experiment。　In　the　double　relation　of　teacher　and　friend　to



little　Blanche；　the　girlhood　of　Anne　Silvester　the　younger　passed



safely；　happily；　uneventfully；　in　the　modest　sanctuary　of　home。



Who　could　imagine　a　contrast　more　complete　than　the　contrast



between　her　early　life　and　her　mother's？　Who　could　see　any　thing



but　a　death…bed　delusion　in　the　terrible　question　which　had



tortured　the　mother's　last　moments：　〃Will　she　end　like　Me？〃







But　two　events　of　importance　occurred　in　the　quiet　family　circle



during　the　lapse　of　years　which　is　now　under　review。　In　eighteen



hundred　and　fifty…eight　the　household　was　enlivened　by　the



arrival　of　Sir　Thomas　Lundie。　In　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…five



the　household　was　broken　up　by　the　return　of　Sir　Thomas　to　India；



accompanied　by　his　wife。







Lady　Lundie's　health　had　b　een　failing　for　some　time　previously。



The　medical　men；　consulted　on　the　case；　agreed　that　a　sea…voyage



was　the　one　change　needful　to　restore　their　patient's　wasted



strengthexactly　at　the　time；　as　it　happened；　when　Sir　Thomas



was　due　again　in　India。　For　his　wife's　sake；　he　agreed　to　defer



his　return；　by　taking　the　sea…voyage　with　her。　The　one　difficulty



to　get　over　was　the　difficulty　of　leaving　Blanche　and　Anne　behind



in　England。







Appealed　to　on　this　point；　the　doctors　had　declared　that　at



Blanche's　critical　time　of　life　they　could　not　sanction　her　going



to　India　with　her　mother。　At　the　same　time；　near　and　dear



relatives　came　forward；　who　were　ready　and　anxious　to　give



Blanche　and　her　governess　a　homeSir　Thomas；　on　his　side；



engaging　to　bring　his　wife　back　in　a　year　and　a　half；　or；　at



most；　in　two　years'　time。　Assailed　in　all　directions；　Lady



Lundie's　natural　unwillingness　to　leave　the　girls　was　overruled。



She　consented　to　the　partingwith　a　mind　secretly　depressed；　and



secretly　doubtful　of　the　future。







At　the　last　moment　she　drew　Anne　Silvester　on　one　side；　out　of



hearing　of　the　rest。　Anne　was　then　a　young　woman　of　twenty…two；



and　Blanche　a　girl　of　fifteen。







〃My　dear；〃　she　said；　simply；　〃I　must　tell　_you_　what　I　can　not



tell　Sir　Thomas；　and　what　I　am　afraid　to　tell　Blanche。　I　am　going



away；　with　a　mind　that　misgives　me。　I　am　persuaded　I　shall　not



live　to　return　to　England；　and；　when　I　am　dead；　I　believe　my



husband　will　marry　again。　Years　ago　your　mother　was　uneasy；　on



her　death…bed；　about　_your_　future。　I　am　uneasy；　now；　about



Blanche's　future。　I　promised　my　dear　dead　friend　that　you　should



be　like　my　own　child　to　meand　it　quieted　her　mind。　Quiet　my



mind；　Anne；　before　I　go。　Whatever　happens　in　years　to



comepromise　me　to　be　always；　what　you　are　now；　a　sister　to



Blanche。〃







She　held　out　her　hand　for　the　last　time。　With　a　full　heart　Anne



Silvester　kissed　it；　and　gave　the　promise。







IX。







In　two　months　from　that　time　one　of　the　forebodings　which　had



weighed　on　Lady　Lundie's　mind　was　fulfilled。　She　died　on　the



voyage；　and　was　buried　at　sea。







In　a　year　more　the　second　misgiving　was　confirmed。　Sir　Thomas



Lundie　married　again。　He　brought　his　second　wife　to　England



toward　the　close　of　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty　six。







Time；　in　the　new　household；　promised　to　pass　as　quietly　as　in　the



old。　Sir　Thomas　remembered　and　respected　the　trust　which　his



first　wife　had　placed　in　Anne。　The　second　Lady　Lundie；　wisely



guiding　her　conduct　in　this　matter　by　the　conduct　of　her　husband；



left　things　as　she　found　them　in　the　new　house。　At　the　opening　of



eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…seven　the　relations　between　Anne　and



Blanche　were　relations　of　sisterly　sympathy　and　sisterly　love。



The　prospect　in　the　future　was　as　fair　as　a　prospect　could　be。







At　this　date；　of　the　persons　concerned　in　the　tragedy　of　twelve



years　since　at　the　Hampstead　villa；　three　were　dead；　and　one　was



self…exiled　in　a　foreign　land。　There　now　remained　living　Anne　and



Blanche；　who　had　been　children　at　the　time；　and　the　rising



solicitor　who　had　discovered　the　flaw　in　the　Irish　marriageonce



Mr。　Delamayn：　now　Lord　Holchester。