armadale-第15章

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dangers　to　which　his　mother's　system　of　education　inevitably
exposed　him。　He　had　a　thoroughly　English　love　of　the　sea　and　of
all　that　belongs　to　it；　and　as　he　grew　in　years；　there　was　no
luring　him　away　from　the　water…side；　and　no　keeping　him　out　of
the　boat…builder's　yard。　In　course　of　time　his　mother　caught　him
actually　working　there；　to　her　infinite　annoyance　and　surprise；
as　a　volunteer。　He　acknowledged　that　his　whole　future　ambition
was　to　have　a　yard　of　his　own；　and　that　his　one　present　object
was　to　learn　to　build　a　boat　for　himself。　Wisely　foreseeing　that
such　a　pursuit　as　this　for　his　leisure　hours　was　exactly　what　was
wanted　to　reconcile　the　lad　to　a　position　of　isolation　from
companions　of　his　own　rank　and　age；　Mr。　Brock　prevailed　on　Mrs。
Armadale；　with　no　small　difficulty；　to　let　her　son　have　his　way。
At　the　period　of　that　second　event　in　the　clergyman's　life　with
his　pupil　which　is　now　to　be　related；　young　Armadale　had
practiced　long　enough　in　the　builder's　yard　to　have　reached　the
summit　of　his　wishes；　by　laying　with　his　own　hands　the　keel　of
his　own　boat。

Late　on　a　certain　summer　day；　not　long　after　Allan　had　completed
his　sixteenth　year；　Mr。　Brock　left　his　pupil　hard　at　work　in　the
yard；　and　went　to　spend　the　evening　with　Mrs。　Armadale；　taking
the　_Times_　newspaper　with　him　in　his　hand。

The　years　that　had　passed　since　they　had　first　met　had　long　since
regulated　the　lives　of　the　clergyman　and　his　neighbor。　The　first
advances　which　Mr。　Brock's　growing　admiration　for　the　widow　had
led　him　to　make　in　the　early　days　of　their　intercourse　had　been
met　on　her　side　by　an　appeal　to　his　forbearance　which　had　closed
his　lips　for　the　future。　She　had　satisfied　him；　at　once　and
forever；　th　at　the　one　place　in　her　heart　which　he　could　hope　to
occupy　was　the　place　of　a　friend。　He　loved　her　well　enough　to
take　what　she　would　give　him：　friends　they　became；　and　friends
they　remained　from　that　time　forth。　No　jealous　dread　of　another
man's　succeeding　where　he　had　failed　imbittered　the　clergyman's
placid　relations　with　the　woman　whom　he　loved。　Of　the　few
resident　gentlemen　in　the　neighborhood；　none　were　ever　admitted
by　Mrs。　Armadale　to　more　than　the　merest　acquaintance　with　her。
Contentedly　self…buried　in　her　country　retreat；　she　was　proof
against　every　social　attraction　that　would　have　tempted　other
women　in　her　position　and　at　her　age。　Mr。　Brock　and　his
newspaper；　appearing　with　monotonous　regularity　at　her　tea…table
three　times　a　week；　told　her　all　she　knew　or　cared　to　know　of　the
great　outer　world　which　circled　round　the　narrow　and　changeless
limits　of　her　daily　life。

On　the　evening　in　question　Mr。　Brock　took　the　arm…chair　in　which
he　always　sat；　accepted　the　one　cup　of　tea　which　he　always　drank；
and　opened　the　newspaper　which　he　always　read　aloud　to　Mrs。
Armadale；　who　invariably　listened　to　him　reclining　on　the　same
sofa；　with　the　same　sort　of　needle…work　everlastingly　in　her
hand。

〃Bless　my　soul！〃　cried　the　rector；　with　his　voice　in　a　new
octave；　and　his　eyes　fixed　in　astonishment　on　the　first　page　of
the　newspaper。

No　such　introduction　to　the　evening　readings　as　this　had　ever
happened　before　in　all　Mrs。　Armadale's　experience　as　a　listener。
She　looked　up　from　the　sofa　in　a　flutter　of　curiosity；　and
besought　her　reverend　friend　to　favor　her　with　an　explanation。

〃I　can　hardly　believe　my　own　eyes；〃　said　Mr。　Brock。　〃Here　is　an
advertisement；　Mrs。　Armadale；　addressed　to　your　son。〃

Without　further　preface；　he　read　the　advertisement　as　follows：


IF　this　should　meet　the　eye　of　ALLAN　ARMADALE；　he　is　desired　to
communicate；　either　personally　or　by　letter；　with　Messrs。　Hammick
and　Ridge　（Lincoln's　Inn　Fields；　London）；　on　business　of
importance　which　seriously　concerns　him。　Any　one　capable　of
informing　Messrs。　E。　and　R。　where　the　person　herein　advertised
can　be　found　would　confer　a　favor　by　doing　the　same。　To　prevent
mistakes；　it　is　further　notified　that　the　missing　Allan　Armadale
is　a　youth　aged　fifteen　years；　and　that　this　advertisement　is
inserted　at　the　instance　of　his　family　and　friends。


〃Another　family；　and　other　friends；〃　said　Mrs。　Armadale。　〃The
person　whose　name　appears　in　that　advertisement　is　not　my　son。〃

The　tone　in　which　she　spoke　surprised　Mr。　Brock。　The　change　in
her　face；　when　he　looked　up；　shocked　him。　Her　delicate　complexion
had　faded　away　to　a　dull　white；　her　eyes　were　averted　from　her
visitor　with　a　strange　mixture　of　confusion　and　alarm；　she　looked
an　older　woman　than　she　was；　by　ten　good　years　at　least。

〃The　name　is　so　very　uncommon；〃　said　Mr。　Brock；　imagining　he　had
offended　her；　and　trying　to　excuse　himself。　〃It　really　seemed
impossible　there　could　be　two　persons〃

〃There　_are_　two；〃　interposed　Mrs。　Armadale。　〃Allan；　as　you　know；
is　sixteen　years　old。　If　you　look　back　at　the　advertisement；　you
will　find　the　missing　person　described　as　being　only　fifteen。
Although　he　bears　the　same　surname　and　the　same　Christian　name；
he　is；　I　thank　God；　in　no　way　whatever　related　to　my　son。　As　long
as　I　live；　it　will　be　the　object　of　my　hopes　and　prayers　that
Allan　may　never　see　him；　may　never　even　hear　of　him。　My　kind
friend；　I　see　I　surprise　you：　will　you　bear　with　me　if　I　leave
these　strange　circumstances　unexplained？　There　is　past　misfortune
and　misery　in　my　early　life　too　painful　for　me　to　speak　of；　even
to　_you。_　Will　you　help　me　to　bear　the　remembrance　of　it；　by
never　referring　to　this　again？　Will　you　do　even　morewill　you
promise　not　to　speak　of　it　to　Allan；　and　not　to　let　that
newspaper　fall　in　his　way？〃

Mr。　Brock　gave　the　pledge　required　of　him；　and　considerately　left
her　to　herself。

The　rector　had　been　too　long　and　too　truly　attached　to　Mrs。
Armadale　to　be　capable　of　regarding　her　with　any　unworthy
distrust。　But　it　would　be　idle　to　deny　that　he　felt　disappointed
by　her　want　of　confidence　in　him；　and　that　he　looked
inquisitively　at　the　advertisement　more　than　once　on　his　way　back
to　his　own　house。

It　was　clear　enough；　now；　that　Mrs。　Armadale's　motives　for
burying　her　son　as　well　as　herself　in　the　seclusion　of　a　remote
country　village　was　not　so　much　to　keep　him　under　her　own　eye　as
to　keep　him　from　discovery　by　his　namesake。　Why　did　she　dread　the
idea　of　their　ever　meeting？　Was　it　a　dread　for　herself；　or　a
dread　for　her　son？　Mr。　Brock's　loyal　belief　in　his　friend
rejected　any　solution　of　the　difficulty　which　pointed　at　some
past　misconduct　of　Mrs。　Armadale's。　That　night　he　destroyed　the
advertisement　with　his　own　hand；　that　night　he　resolved　that　the
subject　should　never　be　suffered　to　enter　his　mind　again。　There
was　another　Allan　Armadale　about　the　world；　a　stranger　to　his
pupil's　blood；　and　a　vagabond　advertised　in　the　public
newspapers。　So　much　accident　had　revealed　to　him。　More；　for　Mrs。
Armadale's　sake；　he　had　no　wish　to　discoverand　more　he　would
never　seek　to　know。

This　was　the　second　in　the　series　of　events　which　dated　from　the
rector's　connection　with　Mrs。　Armadale　and　her　son。　Mr。　Brock's
memory；　traveling　on　nearer　and　nearer　to　present　circumstances；
reached　the　third　stage　of　its　journey　through　the　by…gone　time；
and　stopped　at　the　year　eighteen　hundred　and　fifty；　next。

The　five　years　that　had　passed　had　made　little　if　any　change　in
Allan's　character。　He　had　simply　developed　（to　use　his　tutor's
own　expression）　from　a　boy　of　sixteen　to　a　boy　of　twenty…one。　He
was　just　as　easy　and　open　in　his　disposition　as　ever；　just　as
quaintly　and　inveterately　good…humored；　just　as　heedless　in
following　his　own　impulses；　lead　him　where　they　might。　His　bias
toward　the　sea　had　strengthened　with　his　advance　to　the　years　of
manhood。　From　building　a　boat；　he　had　now　got　onwith　two
journeymen　at　work　under　himto　building　a　decked　vessel　of
five…and…thirty　tons。　Mr。　Brock　had　conscientiously　tried　to
divert　him　to　higher　aspirations；　had　taken　him　to　Oxford；　to　see
what　college　life　was　like；　had　taken　him　to　London；　to　expand
his　mind　by　the　spectacle　of　the　great　metropolis。　The　change　had
diverted　Allan；　but　had　not　altered　him　in　the　least。　He　was　as
impenetrably　superior　to　all　worldly　ambition　as　Diogenes
himself。　〃Which　is　best；〃　asked　this　unconscious　philosopher；　〃