armadale-第127章

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bending　toward　mine；　and　dropped　my　head　lower；　and　stopped　him
in　the　very　act　of　kissing　me。

〃　'No；'　I　said；　'I　am　only　a　woman　who　has　taken　your　fancy。　You
are　treating　me　as　if　I　was　your　promised　wife。'

〃　'_Be_　my　promised　wife！'　he　whispered；　eagerly；　and　tried　to
raise　my　head。　I　kept　it　down。　The　horror　of　these　old
remembrances　that　you　know　of　came　back　and　made　me　tremble　a
little　when　he　asked　me　to　be　his　wife。　I　don't　think　I　was
actually　faint；　but　something　like　faintness　made　me　close　my
eyes。　The　moment　I　shut　them；　the　darkness　seemed　to　open　as　if
lightning　had　split　it；　and　the　ghosts　of　_those　other　men_　rose
in　the　horrid　gap；　and　looked　at　me。

〃　'Speak　to　me！'　he　whispered；　tenderly。　'My　darling；　my　angel；
speak　to　me！'

〃His　voice　helped　me　to　recover　myself。　I　had　just　sense　enough
left　to　remember　that　the　time　was　passing；　and　that　I　had　not
put　my　question　to　him　yet　about　his　name。

〃　'Suppose　I　felt　for　you　as　you　feel　for　me？'　I　said。　'Suppose　I
loved　you　dearly　enough　to　trust　you　with　the　happiness　of　all　my
life　to　come？'

〃I　paused　a　moment　to　get　my　breath。　It　was　unbearably　still　and
close；　the　air　seemed　to　have　died　when　the　night　came。

〃　'Would　you　be　marrying　me　honorably；'　I　went　on；　'if　you
married　me　in　your　present　name？'

〃His　arm　dropped　from　my　waist；　and　I　felt　him　give　one　great
start。　After　that　he　sat　by　me；　still；　and　cold；　and　silent；　as
if　my　question　had　struck　him　dumb。　I　put　my　arm　round　his　neck；
and　lifted　my　head　again　on　his　shoulder。　Whatever　the　spell　was
I　had　laid　on　him；　my　coming　closer　in　that　way　seemed　to　break
it。

〃　'Who　told　you？'　He　stopped。　'No；'　he　went　on；　'nobody　can　have
told　you。　What　ma　de　you　suspect？'　He　stopped　again。

〃　'Nobody　told　me；'　I　said；　'and　I　don't　know　what　made　me
suspect。　Women　have　strange　fancies　sometimes。　Is　Midwinter
really　your　name？'

〃　'I　can't　deceive　you；'　he　answered；　after　another　interval　of
silence；　'Midwinter　is　_not_　really　my　name。'

〃I　nestled　a　little　closer　to　him。

〃　'What　_is_　your　name？'　I　asked。

〃He　hesitated。

〃I　lifted　my　face　till　my　cheek　just　touched　his。　I　persisted；
with　my　lips　close　at　his　ear：

〃　'What；　no　confidence　in　me　even　yet！　No　confidence　in　the　woman
who　has　almost　confessed　she　loves　youwho　has　almost　consented
to　be　your　wife！'

〃He　turned　his　face　to　mine。　For　the　second　time　he　tried　to　kiss
me；　and　for　the　second　time　I　stopped　him。

〃'If　I　tell　you　my　name；'　he　said；　'I　must　tell　you　more。'

〃I　let　my　cheek　touch　his　again。

〃　'Why　not？'　I　said。　'How　can　I　love　a　manmuch　less　marry
himif　he　keeps　himself　a　stranger　to　me？'

〃There　was　no　answering　that；　as　I　thought。　But　he　did　answer　it。

〃　'It　is　a　dreadful　story；'　he　said。　'It　may　darken　all　your
life；　if　you　know　it；　as　it　has　darkened　mine。'

〃I　put　my　other　arm　round　him；　and　persisted。　'Tell　it　me；　I'm
not　afraid；　tell　it　me。'

〃He　began　to　yield　to　my　other　arm。

〃　'Will　you　keep　it　a　sacred　secret？'　he　said。　'Never　to　be
breathednever　to　be　known　but　to　you　and　me？'

〃I　promised　him　it　should　be　a　secret。　I　waited　in　a　perfect
frenzy　of　expectation。　Twice　he　tried　to　begin；　and　twice　his
courage　failed　him。

〃　'I　can't！'　he　broke　out　in　a　wild；　helpless　way。　I　can't　tell
it！'

〃My　curiosity；　or　more　likely　my　temper；　got　beyond　all　control。
He　had　irritated　me　till　I　was　reckless　what　I　said　or　what　I
did。　I　suddenly　clasped　him　close；　and　pressed　my　lips　to　his。　'I
love　you！'　I　whispered　in　a　kiss。　'_Now_　will　you　tell　me？'

〃For　the　moment　he　was　speechless。　I　don't　know　whether　I　did　it
purposely　to　drive　him　wild。　I　don't　know　whether　I　did　it
involuntarily　in　a　burst　of　rage。　Nothing　is　certain　but　that　I
interpreted　his　silence　the　wrong　way。　I　pushed　him　back　from　me
in　a　fury　the　instant　after　I　had　kissed　him。　'I　hate　you！'　I
said。　'You　have　maddened　me　into　forgetting　myself。　Leave　me。　I
don't　care　for　the　darkness。　Leave　me　instantly；　and　never　see　me
again！'

〃He　caught　me　by　the　hand　and　stopped　me。　He　spoke　in　a　new
voice；　he　suddenly　_commanded；_　as　only　men　can。

〃　'Sit　down；'　he　said。　'You　have　given　me　back　my　courageyou
shall　know　who　I　am。'

〃In　the　silence　and　the　darkness　all　round　us；　I　obeyed　him；　and
sat　down。

〃In　the　silence　and　the　darkness　all　round　us；　he　took　me　in　his
arms　again；　and　told　me　who　he　was。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

〃Shall　I　trust　you　with　his　story？　Shall　I　tell　you　his　real
name？　Shall　I　show　you；　as　I　threatened；　the　thoughts　that　have
grown　out　of　my　interview　with　him　and　out　of　all　that　has
happened　to　me　since　that　time？

〃Or　shall　I　keep　his　secret　as　I　promised？　and　keep　my　own　secret
too；　by　bringing　this　weary；　long　letter　to　an　end　at　the　very
moment　when　you　are　burning　to　hear　more！

〃Those　are　serious　questions；　Mrs。　Oldershawmore　serious　than
you　suppose。　I　have　had　time　to　calm　down；　and　I　begin　to　see；
what　I　failed　to　see　when　I　first　took　up　my　pen　to　write　to　you；
the　wisdom　of　looking　at　consequences。　Have　I　frightened　myself
in　trying　to　frighten　_you？_　It　is　possiblestrange　as　it　may
seem；　it　is　really　possible。

〃I　have　been　at　the　window　for　the　last　minute　or　two；　thinking。
There　is　plenty　of　time　for　thinking　before　the　post　leaves。　The
people　are　only　now　coming　out　of　church。

〃I　have　settled　to　put　my　letter　on　one　side；　and　to　take　a　look
at　my　diary。　In　plainer　words　I　must　see　what　I　risk　if　I　decide
on　trusting　you；　and　my　diary　will　show　me　what　my　head　is　too
weary　to　calculate　without　help。　I　have　written　the　story　of　my
days　（and　sometimes　the　story　of　my　nights）　much　more　regularly
than　usual　for　the　last　week；　having　reasons　of　my　own　for　being
particularly　careful　in　this　respect　under　present　circumstances。
If　I　end　in　doing　what　it　is　now　in　my　mind　to　do；　it　would　be
madness　to　trust　to　my　memory。　The　smallest　forgetfulness　of　the
slightest　event　that　has　happened　from　the　night　of　my　interview
with　Midwinter　to　the　present　time　might　be　utter　ruin　to　me。

〃　'Utter　ruin　to　her！'　you　will　say。　'What　kind　of　ruin　does　she
mean？'

〃Wait　a　little；　till　I　have　asked　my　diary　whether　I　can　safely
tell　you。〃

CHAPTER　X。

MISS　GWILT'S　DIARY。

〃July　21st；　Monday　night；　eleven　o'clock。Midwinter　has　just
left　me。　We　parted　by　my　desire　at　the　path　out　of　the　coppice；
he　going　his　way　to　the　hotel；　and　I　going　mine　to　my　lodgings。

〃I　have　managed　to　avoid　making　another　appointment　with　him　by
arranging　to　write　to　him　to…morrow　morning。　This　gives　me　the
night's　interval　to　compose　myself；　and　to　coax　my　mind　back　（if
I　can）　to　my　own　affairs。　Will　the　night　pass；　and　the　morning
find　me　still　thinking　of　the　Letter　that　came　to　him　from　his
father's　deathbed？　of　the　night　he　watched　through　on　the　Wrecked
Ship；　and；　more　than　all；　of　the　first　breathless　moment　when　he
told　me　his　real　Name？

〃Would　it　help　me　to　shake　off　these　impressions；　I　wonder；　if　I
made　the　effort　of　writing　them　down？　There　would　be　no　danger；
in　that　case；　of　my　forgetting　anything　important。　And　perhaps；
after　all；　it　may　be　the　fear　of　forgetting　something　which　I
ought　to　remember　that　keeps　this　story　of　Midwinter's　weighing
as　it　does　on　my　mind。　At　any　rate；　the　experiment　is　worth
trying。　In　my　present　situation　I　_must_　be　free　to　think　of
other　things；　or　I　shall　never　find　my　way　through　all　the
difficulties　at　Thorpe　Ambrose　that　are　still　to　come。

〃Let　me　think。　What　_haunts_　me；　to　begin　with？

〃The　Names　haunt　me。　I　keep　saying　and　saying　to　myself：　Both
alike！Christian　name　and　surname　both　alike！　A　light…haired
Allan　Armadale；　whom　I　have　long　since　known　of；　and　who　is　the
son　of　my　old　mistress。　A　dark…haired　Allan　Armadale；　whom　I　only
know　of　now；　and　who　is　only　known　to　others　under　the　name　of
Ozias　Midwinter。　Stranger　still；　it　is　not　relationship；　it　is
not　chance；　that　has　made　them　namesakes。　The　father　of　the　light
Armadale　was　the　man　who　was　_born_　to　the　family　name；　and　who
lost　the　family　inheritance。　The　father　of　the　dark　Armadale　was
the　man　who　_took_　the　name；　on　condition　of　getting　the
inheritanceand　who　got　it。

〃So　there　ar