armadale-第11章

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ray　of　sunshine　was　crossing　the　death…bed；　and　the　child；
overcome　by　drowsiness；　lay　peacefully　asleep　in　the　golden
light。　The　father's　countenance　had　altered　visibly。　Forced　into
action　by　the　tortured　mind；　the　muscles　of　the　lower　face；　which
had　never　moved　yet；　were　moving　distortedly　now。　Warned　by　the
damps　gathering　heavily　on　his　forehead；　the　doctor　had　risen　to
revive　the　sinking　man。　On　the　other　side　of　the　bed　the　wife's
chair　stood　empty。　At　the　moment　when　her　husband　had　interrupted
the　reading；　she　had　drawn　back　behind　the　bed　head；　out　of　his
sight。　Supporting　herself　against　the　wall；　she　stood　there　in
hiding；　her　eyes　fastened　in　hungering　suspense　on　the　manuscript
in　Mr。　Neal's　hand。

In　a　minute　more　the　silence　was　broken　again　by　Mr。　Armadale。

〃Where　is　she？〃　he　asked；　looking　angrily　at　his　wife's　empty
chair。　The　doctor　pointed　to　the　place。　She　had　no　choice　but　to
come　forward。　She　came　slowly　and　stood　before　him。

〃You　promised　to　go　when　I　told　you；〃　he　said。　〃Go　now。〃

Mr。　Neal　tried　hard　to　control　his　hand　as　it　kept　his　place
between　the　leaves　of　the　manuscripts　but　it　trembled　in　spite　of
him。　A　suspicion　which　had　been　slowly　forcing　itself　on　　his　mind
；　while　he　was　reading；　became　a　certainty　when　he　heard　those
words。　From　one　revelation　to　another　the　letter　had　gone　on；
until　it　had　now　reached　the　brink　of　a　last　disclosure　to　come。
At　that　brink　the　dying　man　had　predetermined　to　silence　the
reader's　voice；　before　he　had　permitted　his　wife　to　hear　the
narrative　read。　There　was　the　secret　which　the　son　was　to　know　in
after　years；　and　which　the　mother　was　never　to　approach。　From
that　resolution；　his　wife's　tenderest　pleadings　had　never　moved
him　an　inchand　now；　from　his　own　lips；　his　wife　knew　it。

She　made　him　no　answer。　She　stood　there　and　looked　at　him；　looked
her　last　entreatyperhaps　her　last　farewell。　His　eyes　gave　her
back　no　answering　glance：　they　wandered　from　her　mercilessly　to
the　sleeping　boy。　She　turned　speechless　from　the　bed。　Without　a
look　at　the　childwithout　a　word　to　the　two　strangers
breathlessly　watching　hershe　kept　the　promise　she　had　given；
and　in　dead　silence　left　the　room。

There　was　something　in　the　manner　of　her　departure　which　shook
the　self…possession　of　both　the　men　who　witnessed　it。　When　the
door　closed　on　her；　they　recoiled　instinctively　from　advancing
further　in　the　dark。　The　doctor's　reluctance　was　the　first　to
express　itself。　He　attempted　to　obtain　the　patient's　permission
to　withdraw　until　the　letter　was　completed。　The　patient　refused。

Mr。　Neal　spoke　next　at　greater　length　and　to　more　serious
purpose。

〃The　doctor　is　accustomed　in　his　profession；〃　he　began；　〃and　I　am
accustomed　in　mine；　to　have　the　secrets　of　others　placed　in　our
keeping。　But　it　is　my　duty；　before　we　go　further；　to　ask　if　you
really　understand　the　extraordinary　position　which　we　now　occupy
toward　one　another。　You　have　just　excluded　Mrs。　Armadale；　before
our　own　eyes；　from　a　place　in　your　confidence。　And　you　are　now
offering　that　same　place　to　two　men　who　are　total　strangers　to
you。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Mr。　Armadale；　〃_because_　you　are　strangers。〃

Few　as　the　words　were；　the　inference　to　be　drawn　from　them　was
not　of　a　nature　to　set　distrust　at　rest。　Mr。　Neal　put　it　plainly
into　words。

〃You　are　in　urgent　need　of　my　help　and　of　the　doctor's　help；〃　he
said。　〃Am　I　to　understand　（so　long　as　you　secure　our　assistance）
that　the　impression　which　the　closing　passages　of　this　letter　may
produce　on　us　is　a　matter　of　indifference　to　you？〃

〃Yes。　I　don't　spare　you。　I　don't　spare　myself。　I　_do_　spare　my
wife。〃

〃You　force　me　to　a　conclusion；　sir；　which　is　a　very　serious　one；〃
said　Mr。　Neal。　〃If　I　am　to　finish　this　letter　under　your
dictation；　I　must　claim　permissionhaving　read　aloud　the　greater
part　of　it　alreadyto　read　aloud　what　remains；　in　the　hearing　of
this　gentleman；　as　a　witness。〃

〃Read　it。〃

Gravely　doubting；　the　doctor　resumed　his　chair。　Gravely　doubting；
Mr。　Neal　turned　the　leaf；　and　read　the　next　words：


〃There　is　more　to　tell　before　I　can　leave　the　dead　man　to　his
rest。　I　have　described　the　finding　of　his　body。　But　I　have　not
described　the　circumstances　under　which　he　met　his　death。

〃He　was　known　to　have　been　on　deck　when　the　yacht's　boats　were
seen　approaching　the　wreck；　and　he　was　afterward　missed　in　the
confusion　caused　by　the　panic　of　the　crew。　At　that　time　the　water
was　five　feet　deep　in　the　cabin；　and　was　rising　fast。　There　was
little　doubt　of　his　having　gone　down　into　that　water　of　his　own
accord。　The　discovery　of　his　wife's　jewel　box；　close　under　him；
on　the　floor；　explained　his　presence　in　the　cabin。　He　was　known
to　have　seen　help　approaching；　and　it　was　quite　likely　that　he
had　thereupon　gone　below　to　make　an　effort　at　saving　the　box。　It
was　less　probablethough　it　might　still　have　been　inferredthat
his　death　was　the　result　of　some　accident　in　diving；　which　had
for　the　moment　deprived　him　of　his　senses。　But　a　discovery　made
by　the　yacht's　crew　pointed　straight　to　a　conclusion　which　struck
the　men；　one　and　all；　with　the　same　horror。　When　the　course　of
their　search　brought　them　to　the　cabin；　they　found　the　scuttle
bolted；　and　the　door　locked　on　the　outside。　Had　some　one　closed
the　cabin；　not　knowing　he　was　there？　Setting　the　panic…stricken
condition　of　the　crew　out　of　the　question；　there　was　no　motive
for　closing　the　cabin　before　leaving　the　wreck。　But　one　other
conclusion　remained。　Had　some　murderous　hand　purposely　locked　the
man　in；　and　left　him　to　drown　as　the　water　rose　over　him？

〃Yes。　A　murderous　hand　had　locked　him　in；　and　left　him　to　drown。
That　hand　was　mine。　〃


The　Scotchman　started　up　from　the　table；　the　doctor　shrank　from
the　bedside。　The　two　looked　at　the　dying　wretch；　mastered　by　the
same　loathing；　chilled　by　the　same　dread。　He　lay　there；　with　his
child's　head　on　his　breast；　abandoned　by　the　sympathies　of　man；
accursed　by　the　justice　of　Godhe　lay　there；　in　the　isolation　of
Cain；　and　looked　back　at　them。

At　the　moment　when　the　two　men　rose　to　their　feet；　the　door
leading　into　the　next　room　was　shaken　heavily　on　the　outer　side；
and　a　sound　like　the　sound　of　a　fall；　striking　dull　on　their
ears；　silenced　them　both。　Standing　nearest　to　the　door；　the
doctor　opened　it；　passed　through；　and　closed　it　instantly。　Mr。
Neal　turned　his　back　on　the　bed；　and　waited　the　event　in　silence。
The　sound；　which　had　failed　to　awaken　the　child；　had　failed　also
to　attract　the　father's　notice。　His　own　words　had　taken　him　far
from　all　that　was　passing　at　his　deathbed。　His　helpless　body　was
back　on　the　wreck；　and　the　ghost　of　his　lifeless　hand　was　turning
the　lock　of　the　cabin　door。

A　bell　rang　in　the　next　roomeager　voices　talked；　hurried
footsteps　moved　in　itan　interval　passed；　and　the　doctor
returned。　〃Was　she　listening？〃　whispered　Mr。　Neal；　in　German。
〃The　women　are　restoring　her；〃　the　doctor　whispered　back。　〃She
has　heard　it　all。　In　God's　name；　what　are　we　to　do　next？〃　Before
it　was　possible　to　reply；　Mr。　Armadale　spoke。　The　doctor's　return
had　roused　him　to　a　sense　of　present　things。

〃Go　on；〃　he　said；　as　if　nothing　had　happened。

〃I　refuse　to　meddle　further　with　your　infamous　secret；〃　returned
Mr。　Neal。　〃You　are　a　murderer　on　your　own　confession。　If　that
letter　is　to　be　finished；　don't　ask　_me_　to　hold　the　pen　for
you。〃

〃You　gave　me　your　promise；〃　was　the　reply；　spoken　with　the　same
immovable　self…possession。　〃You　must　write　for　me；　or　break　your
word。〃

For　the　moment；　Mr。　Neal　was　silenced。　There　the　man
laysheltered　from　the　execration　of　his　fellow…creatures；　under
the　shadow　of　Deathbeyond　the　reach　of　all　human　condemnation；
beyond　the　dread　of　all　mortal　laws；　sensitive　to　nothing　but　his
one　last　resolution　to　finish　the　letter　addressed　to　his　son。

Mr。　Neal　drew　the　doctor　aside。　〃A　word　with　you；〃　he　said；　in
German。　〃Do　you　persist　in　asserting　that　he　may　be　speechless
before　we　can　send　to　Stuttgart？〃

〃Look　at　his　lips；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃and　judge　for　yourself。〃

His　lips　answered　for　him：　the　reading　of　the　narrative　had　left
its　mark　on　them　already。　A　distortion　at　the　corners　of　his
mouth；　which　had