the black dwarf-第32章

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en　irreconcilably　with　Ratcliffe；　and　can　have　nothing　to　expect　from　that　quarter　but　insult　and　persecution。　　I　must　wander　forth　an　impoverished　and　dishonoured　man；　without　even　the　means　of　sustaining　life；　far　less　wealth　sufficient　to　counterbalance　the　infamy　which　my　countrymen；　both　those　whom　I　desert　and　those　whom　I　join；　will　attach　to　the　name　of　the　political　renegade。　　It　is　not　to　be　thought　of。　　And　yet；　what　choice　remains　between　this　lot　and　the　ignominious　scaffold？　　Nothing　can　save　me　but　reconciliation　with　these　men；　and；　to　accomplish　this；　I　have　promised　to　Langley　that　Isabella　shall　marry　him　ere　midnight；　and　to　Mareschal；　that　she　shall　do　so　without　compulsion。　　I　have　but　one　remedy　betwixt　me　and　ruinher　consent　to　take　a　suitor　whom　she　dislikes；　upon　such　short　notice　as　would　disgust　her；　even　were　he　a　favoured　lover　But　I　must　trust　to　the　romantic　generosity　of　her　disposition；　and　let　me　paint　the　necessity　of　her　obedience　ever　so　strongly；　I　cannot　overcharge　its　reality。〃

Having　finished　this　sad　chain　of　reflections　upon　his　perilous　condition；　he　entered　his　daughter's　apartment　with　every　nerve　bent　up　to　the　support　of　the　argument　which　he　was　about　to　sustain。　　Though　a　deceitful　and　ambitious　man；　he　was　not　so　devoid　of　natural　affection　but　that　he　was　shocked　at　the　part　he　was　about　to　act；　in　practising　on　the　feelings　of　a　dutiful　and　affectionate　child；　but　the　recollections；　that；　if　he　succeeded；　his　daughter　would　only　be　trepanned　into　an　advantageous　match；　and　that；　if　he　failed；　he　himself　was　a　lost　man；　were　quite　sufficient　to　drown　all　scruples。

He　found　Miss　Vere　seated　by　the　window　of　her　dressing…room；　her　head　reclining　on　her　hand；　and　either　sunk　in　slumber；　or　so　deeply　engaged　in　meditation；　that　she　did　not　hear　the　noise　he　made　at　his　entrance。　　He　approached　with　his　features　composed　to　a　deep　expression　of　sorrow　and　sympathy；　and；　sitting　down　beside　her；　solicited　her　attention　by　quietly　taking　her　hand；　a　motion　which　he　did　not　fail　to　accompany　with　a　deep　sigh。

〃My　father！〃　　said　Isabella；　with　a　sort　of　start；　which　expressed　at　least　as　much　fear；　as　joy　or　affection。

〃Yes；　Isabella；〃　said　Vere；　〃your　unhappy　father；　who　comes　now　as　a　penitent　to　crave　forgiveness　of　his　daughter　for　an　injury　done　to　her　in　the　excess　of　his　affection；　and　then　to　take　leave　of　her　for　ever。〃

〃Sir？　　Offence　to　me　take　leave　for　ever？　　What　does　all　this　mean？〃　　said　Miss　Vere。

〃Yes；　Isabella；　I　am　serious。　　But　first　let　me　ask　you；　have　you　no　suspicion　that　I　may　have　been　privy　to　the　strange　chance　which　befell　you　yesterday　morning？〃

〃You；　sir？〃　　answered　Isabella；　stammering　between　a　consciousness　that　he　had　guessed　her　thoughts　justly；　and　the　shame　as　well　as　fear　which　forbade　her　to　acknowledge　a　suspicion　so　degrading　and　so　unnatural。

〃Yes！〃　　he　continued；　〃your　hesitation　confesses　that　you　entertained　such　an　opinion；　and　I　have　now　the　painful　task　of　acknowledging　that　your　suspicions　have　done　me　no　injustice。　But　listen　to　my　motives。　　In　an　evil　hour　I　countenanced　the　addresses　of　Sir　Frederick　Langley；　conceiving　it　impossible　that　you　could　have　any　permanent　objections　to　a　match　where　the　advantages　were；　in　most　respects；　on　your　side。　　In　a　worse；　I　entered　with　him　into　measures　calculated　to　restore　our　banished　monarch；　and　the　independence　of　my　country。　　He　has　taken　advantage　of　my　unguarded　confidence；　and　now　has　my　life　at　his　disposal。〃

〃Your　life；　sir？〃　　said　Isabella；　faintly。

〃Yes；　Isabella；〃　continued　her　father；　〃the　life　of　him　who　gave　life　to　you。　　So　soon　as　I　foresaw　the　excesses　into　which　his　headlong　passion　（for；　to　do　him　justice；　I　believe　his　unreasonable　conduct　arises　from　excess　of　attachment　to　you）　was　likely　to　hurry　him；　I　endeavoured；　by　finding　a　plausible　pretext　for　your　absence　for　some　weeks；　to　extricate　myself　from　the　dilemma　in　which　I　am　placed。　　For　this　purpose　I　wished；　in　case　your　objections　to　the　match　continued　insurmountable；　to　have　sent　you　privately　for　a　few　months　to　the　convent　of　your　maternal　aunt　at　Paris。　　By　a　series　of　mistakes　you　have　been　brought　from　the　place　of　secrecy　and　security　which　I　had　destined　for　your　temporary　abode。　　Fate　has　baffled　my　last　chance　of　escape；　and　I　have　only　to　give　you　my　blessing；　and　send　you　from　the　castle　with　Mr。　Ratcliffe；　who　now　leaves　it；　my　own　fate　will　soon　be　decided。〃

〃Good　Heaven；　sir！　　can　this　be　possible？〃　　exclaimed　Isabella。　〃O；　why　was　I　freed　from　the　restraint　in　which　you　placed　me？　or　why　did　you　not　impart　your　pleasure　to　me？〃

〃Think　an　instant；　Isabella。　　Would　you　have　had　me　prejudice　in　your　opinion　the　friend　I　was　most　desirous　of　serving；　by　communicating　to　you　the　injurious　eagerness　with　which　he　pursued　his　object？　　Could　I　do　so　honourably；　having　promised　to　assist　his　suit？But　it　is　all　over；　I　and　Mareschal　have　made　up　our　minds　to　die　like　men；　it　only　remains　to　send　you　from　hence　under　a　safe　escort。〃

〃Great　powers！　　and　is　there　no　remedy？〃　　said　the　terrified　young　woman。

〃None；　my　child；〃　answered　Vere；　gently；　〃unless　one　which　you　would　not　advise　your　father　to　adoptto　be　the　first　to　betray　his　friends。〃

〃O；　no！　　no！〃　　she　answered；　abhorrently　yet　hastily；　as　if　to　reject　the　temptation　which　the　alternative　presented　to　her。　〃But　is　there　no　other　hopethrough　flightthrough　mediation　through　supplication？I　will　bend　my　knee　to　Sir　Frederick！〃

〃It　would　be　a　fruitless　degradation；　he　is　determined　on　his　course；　and　I　am　equally　resolved　to　stand　the　hazard　of　my　fate。　On　one　condition　only　he　will　turn　aside　from　his　purpose；　and　that　condition　my　lips　shall　never　utter　to　you。〃

〃Name　it；　I　conjure　you；　my　dear　father！〃　　exclaimed　Isabella。　〃What　CAN　he　ask　that　we　ought　not　to　grant；　to　prevent　the　hideous　catastrophe　with　which　you　are　threatened？〃

〃That；　Isabella；〃　said　Vere；　solemnly；　〃you　shall　never　know；　until　your　father's　head　has　rolled　on　the　bloody　scaffold；　then；　indeed；　you　will　learn　there　was　one　sacrifice　by　which　he　might　have　been　saved。〃

〃And　why　not　speak　it　now？〃　　said　Isabella；　〃do　you　fear　I　would　flinch　from　the　sacrifice　of　fortune　for　your　preservation？　or　would　you　bequeath　me　the　bitter　legacy　of　life…long　remorse；　so　oft　as　I　shall　think　that　you　perished；　while　there　remained　one　mode　of　preventing　the　dreadful　misfortune　that　overhangs　you？〃

〃Then；　my　child；〃　said　Vere；　〃since　you　press　me　to　name　what　I　would　a　thousand　times　rather　leave　in　silence；　I　must　inform　you　that　he　will　accept　for　ransom　nothing　but　your　hand　in　marriage；　and　that　conferred　before　midnight　this　very　evening！〃

〃This　evening；　sir？〃　　said　the　young　lady；　struck　with　horror　at　the　proposal〃and　to　such　a　man！A　man？a　monster；　who　could　wish　to　win　the　daughter　by　threatening　the　life　of　the　father　it　is　impossible！〃

〃You　say　right；　my　child；〃　answered　her　father；　〃it　is　indeed　impossible；　nor　have　I　either　the　right　or　the　wish　to　exact　such　a　sacrificeIt　is　the　course　of　nature　that　the　old　should　die　and　be　forgot；　and　the　young　should　live　and　be　happy。〃

〃My　father　die；　and　his　child　can　save　him！but　nonomy　dear　father；　pardon　me；　it　is　impossible；　you　only　wish　to　guide　me　to　your　wishes。　　I　know　your　object　is　what　you　think　my　happiness；　and　this　dreadful　tale　is　only　told　to　influence　my　conduct　and　subdue　my　scruples。〃

〃My　daughter；〃　replied　Ellieslaw；　in　a　tone　where　offended　authority　seemed　to　struggle　with　parental　affection；　〃my　child　suspects　me　of　inventing　a　false　tale　to　work　upon　her　feelings！　Even　this　I　must　bear；　and　even　from　this　unworthy　suspicion　I　must　descend　to　vindicate　myself。　　You　know　the　stainless　honour　of　your　cousin　Mareschalmark　what　I　shall　write　to　him；　and　judge　from　his　answer；　if　the　danger　in　which　we　stand　is　not　real；　and　whether　I　have　not　used　every　means　to　avert　it。〃

He　sate　down；　wrote　a　few　lines　hastily；　and　handed　them　to　Isabella；　who；　after　repeated　and　painful　efforts；　cleared　her　eyes　and　head　sufficiently　to　discern　their　purport。

〃Dear　cousin；〃　said　the　billet；　〃I　find　my　daughter；　as　I　expected；　in　despair　at　the　untimely　and　prematu