the frozen deep-第1章

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THE　FROZEN　DEEP

by　Wilkie　Collins





First　SceneThe　Ball…room

Chapter　1。

The　date　is　between　twenty　and　thirty　years　ago。　The　place　is　an
English　sea…port。　The　time　is　night。　And　the　business　of　the
moment　isdancing。

The　Mayor　and　Corporation　of　the　town　are　giving　a　grand　ball；　in
celebration　of　the　departure　of　an　Arctic　expedition　from　their
port。　The　ships　of　the　expedition　are　two　in　numberthe
_Wanderer_　and　the　_Sea…mew_。　They　are　to　sail　（in　search　of　the
Northwest　Passage）　on　the　next　day；　with　the　morning　tide。

Honor　to　the　Mayor　and　Corporation！　It　is　a　brilliant　ball。　The
band　is　complete。　The　room　is　spacious。　The　large　conservatory
opening　out　of　it　is　pleasantly　lighted　with　Chinese　lanterns；
and　beautifully　decorated　with　shrubs　and　flowers。　All　officers
of　the　army　and　navy　who　are　present　wear　their　uniforms　in　honor
of　the　occasion。　Among　the　ladies；　the　display　of　dresses　（a
subject　which　the　men　don't　understand）　is　bewilderingand　the
average　of　beauty　（a　subject　which　the　men　do　understand）　is　the
highest　average　attainable；　in　all　parts　of　the　room。

For　the　moment；　the　dance　which　is　in　progress　is　a　quadrille。
General　admiration　selects　two　of　the　ladies　who　are　dancing　as
its　favorite　objects。　One　is　a　dark　beauty　in　the　prime　of
womanhoodthe　wife　of　First　Lieutenant　Crayford；　of　the
_Wanderer_。　The　other　is　a　young　girl；　pale　and　delicate；　dressed
simply　in　white；　with　no　ornament　on　her　head　but　her　own　lovely
brown　hair。　This　is　Miss　Clara　Burnhaman　orphan。　She　is　Mrs。
Crayford's　dearest　friend；　and　she　is　to　stay　with　Mrs。　Crayford
during　the　lieutenant's　absence　in　the　Arctic　regions。　She　is　now
dancing；　with　the　lieutenant　himself　for　partner；　and　with　Mrs。
Crayford　and　Captain　Helding　（commanding　officer　of　the
_Wanderer_）　for　vis…a…visin　plain　English；　for　opposite　couple。

The　conversation　between　Captain　Helding　and　Mrs。　Crayford；　in
one　of　the　intervals　of　the　dance；　turns　on　Miss　Burnham。　The
captain　is　greatly　interested　in　Clara。　He　admires　her　beauty；
but　he　thinks　her　mannerfor　a　young　girlstrangely　serious　and
subdued。　Is　she　in　delicate　health？

Mrs。　Crayford　shakes　her　head；　sighs　mysteriously；　and　answers；

〃In　_very_　delicate　health；　Captain　Helding。〃

〃Consumptive？〃

〃Not　in　the　least。〃

〃I　am　glad　to　hear　that。　She　is　a　charming　creature；　Mrs。
Crayford。　She　interests　me　indescribably。　If　I　was　only　twenty
years　youngerperhaps　（as　I　am　not　twenty　years　younger）　I　had
better　not　finish　the　sentence？　Is　it　indiscreet；　my　dear　lady；
to　inquire　what　_is_　the　matter　with　her？〃

〃It　might　be　indiscreet；　on　the　part　of　a　stranger；〃　said　Mrs。
Crayford。　〃An　old　friend　like　you　may　make　any　inquiries。　I　wish
I　could　tell　you　what　is　the　matter　with　Clara。　It　is　a　mystery
to　the　doctors　themselves。　Some　of　the　mischief　is　due；　in　my
humble　opinion；　to　the　manner　in　which　she　has　been　brought　up。〃

〃Ay！　ay！　A　bad　school；　I　suppose。〃

〃Very　bad；　Captain　Helding。　But　not　the　sort　of　school　which　you
have　in　your　mind　at　this　moment。　Clara's　early　years　were　spent
in　a　lonely　old　house　in　the　Highlands　of　Scotland。　The　ignorant
people　about　her　were　the　people　who　did　the　mischief　which　I
have　just　been　speaking　of。　They　filled　her　mind　with　the
superstitions　which　are　still　respected　as　truths　in　the　wild
Northespecially　the　superstition　called　the　Second　Sight。〃

〃God　bless　me！〃　cried　the　captain；　〃you　don't　mean　to　say　she
believes　in　such　stuff　as　that？　In　these　enlightened　times　too！〃

Mrs。　Crayford　looked　at　her　partner　with　a　satirical　smile。

〃In　these　enlightened　times；　Captain　Helding；　we　only　believe　in
dancing　tables；　and　in　messages　sent　from　the　other　world　by
spirits　who　can't　spell！　By　comparison　with　such　superstitions　as
these；　even　the　Second　Sight　has　somethingin　the　shape　of
poetryto　recommend　it；　surely？　Estimate　for　yourself；〃　she
continued　seriously；　〃the　effect　of　such　surroundings　as　I　have
described　on　a　delicate；　sensitive　young　creaturea　girl　with　a
naturally　imaginative　temperament　leading　a　lonely；　neglected
life。　Is　it　so　very　surprising　that　she　should　catch　the
infection　of　the　superstition　about　her？　And　is　it　quite
incomprehensible　that　her　nervous　system　should　suffer
accordingly；　at　a　very　critical　period　of　her　life？〃

〃Not　at　all；　Mrs。　Crayfordnot　at　all；　ma'am；　as　you　put　it。
Still　it　is　a　little　startling；　to　a　commonplace　man　like　me；　to
meet　a　young　lady　at　a　ball　who　believes　in　the　Second　Sight。
Does　she　really　profess　to　see　into　the　future？　Am　I　to
understand　that　she　positively　falls　into　a　trance；　and　sees
people　in　distant　countries；　and　foretells　events　to　come？　That
is　the　Second　Sight；　is　it　not？〃

〃That　is　the　Second　Sight；　captain。　And　that　is；　really　and
positively；　what　she　does。〃

〃The　young　lady　who　is　dancing　opposite　to　us？〃

〃The　young　lady　who　is　dancing　opposite　to　us。〃

The　captain　waited　a　littleletting　the　new　flood　of　information
which　had　poured　in　on　him　settle　itself　steadily　in　his　mind。
This　process　accomplished；　the　Arctic　explorer　proceeded
resolutely　on　his　way　to　further　discoveries。

〃May　I　ask；　ma'am；　if　you　have　ever　seen　her　in　a　state　of　trance
with　your　own　eyes？〃　he　inquired。

〃My　sister　and　I　both　saw　her　in　the　trance；　little　more　than　a
month　since；〃　Mrs。　Crayford　replied。　〃She　had　been　nervous　and
irritable　all　the　morning；　and　we　took　her　out　into　the　garden　to
breathe　the　fresh　air。　Suddenly；　without　any　reason　for　it；　the
color　left　her　face。　She　stood　between　us；　insensible　to　touch；
insensible　to　sound；　motionless　as　stone；　and　cold　as　death　in　a
moment。　The　first　change　we　noticed　came　after　a　lapse　of　some
minutes。　Her　hands　began　to　move　slowly；　as　if　she　was　groping　in
the　dark。　Words　dropped　one　by　one　from　her　lips；　in　a　lost；
vacant　tone；　as　if　she　was　talking　in　her　sleep。　Whether　what　she
said　referred　to　past　or　future　I　cannot　tell　you。　She　spoke　of
persons　in　a　foreign　countryperfect　strangers　to　my　sister　and
to　me。　After　a　little　interval；　she　suddenly　became　silent。　A
momentary　color　appeared　in　her　face；　and　left　it　again。　Her　eyes
closedher　feet　failed　herand　she　sank　insensible　into　our
arms。〃

〃Sank　insensible　into　your　arms；〃　repeated　the　captain；　absorbing
his　new　information。　〃Most　extraordinary！　Andin　this　state　of
healthshe　goes　out　to　parties；　and　dances。　More　extraordinary
still！〃

〃You　are　entirely　mistaken；〃　said　Mrs。　Crayford。　〃She　is　only
here　to…night　to　please　me；　and　she　is　only　dancing　to　please　my
husband。　As　a　rule；　she　shuns　all　society。　The　doctor　recommends
change　and　amusement　for　her。　She　won't　listen　to　him。　Except　on
rare　occasions　like　this；　she　persists　in　remaining　at　home。〃

Captain　Helding　brightened　at　the　allusion　to　the　doctor。
Something　practical　might　be　got　out　of　the　doctor。　Scientific
man。　Sure　to　see　this　very　obscure　subject　under　a　new　light。
〃How　does　it　strike　the　doctor　now？〃　said　the　captain。　〃Viewed
simply　as　a　Case；　ma'am；　how　does　it　strike　the　doctor？〃

〃He　will　give　no　positive　opinion；〃　Mrs。　Crayford　answered。　〃He
told　me　that　such　cases　as　Clara's　were　by　no　means　unfamiliar　to
medical　practice。　'We　know；'　he　told　me；　'that　certain　disordered
conditions　of　the　brain　and　the　nervous　system　produce　results
quite　as　extraordinary　as　any　that　you　have　describedand　there
our　knowledge　ends。　Neither　my　science　nor　any　man's　science　can
clear　up　the　mystery　in　this　case。　It　is　an　especially　difficult
case　to　deal　with；　because　Miss　Burnham's　early　associations
dispose　her　to　attach　a　superstitious　importance　to　the
maladythe　hysterical　malady　as　some　doctors　would　call　itfrom
which　she　suffers。　I　can　give　you　instructions　for　preserving　her
general　health；　and　I　can　recommend　you　to　try　some　change　in　her
lifeprovided　you　first　relieve　her　mind　of　any　secret　anxieties
that　may　possibly　be　preying　on　it。'〃

The　captain　smiled　self…approvingly。　The　doctor　had　justified　his
anticipations。　The　doctor　had　suggested　a　practical　solution　of
the　difficulty。

〃Ay！　ay！　At　last　we　have　hit　the　nail　on　the　h　ead！　Secret
anxieties。　Yes！　yes！　Plain　enough　now。　A　disappointment