armadale-第153章

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awkward　circumstances。　A　letter　from　Major　Milroy　has　been
forwarded　to　him　from　the　great　house；　and　he　incloses　it　in　his
letter　to　me。

〃Having　left　the　seaside；　and　placed　his　daughter　safely　at　the
school　originally　chosen　for　her　（in　the　neighborhood　of　Ely）；
the　major　appears　to　have　returned　to　Thorpe　Ambrose　at　the　close
of　last　week；　to　have　heard　then；　for　the　first　time；　the　reports
about　Armadale　and　me；　and　to　have　written　instantly　to　Armadale
to　tell　him　so。

〃The　letter　is　stern　and　short。　Major　Milroy　dismisses　the　report
as　unworthy　of　credit；　because　it　is　impossible　for　him　to
believe　in　such　an　act　of　'cold…blooded　treachery；'　as　the
scandal　would　imply；　if　the　scandal　were　true。　He　simply　writes
to　warn　Armadale　that；　if　he　is　not　more　careful　in　his　actions
for　the　future；　he　must　resign　all　pretensions　to　Miss　Milroy's
hand。　'I　neither　expect；　nor　wish　for；　an　answer　to　this'　（the
letter　ends）；　'for　I　desire　to　receive　no　mere　protestations　in
words。　By　your　conduct；　and　by　your　conduct　alone；　I　shall　judge
you　as　time　goes　on。　Let　me　also　add　that　I　positively　forbid　you
to　consider　this　letter　as　an　excuse　for　violating　the　terms
agreed　on　between　us；　by　writing　again　to　my　daughter。　You　have
no　need　to　justify　yourself　in　her　eyes；　for　I　fortunately
removed　her　from　Thorpe　Ambrose　before　this　abominable　report　had
time　to　reach　her；　and　I　shall　take　good　care；　for　her　sake；　that
she　is　not　agitated　and　unsettled　by　hearing　it　where　she　is
now。'

〃Armadale's　petition　to　me；　under　these　circumstances；　entreats
（as　I　am　the　innocent　cause　of　the　new　attack　on　his　character）
that　I　will　write　to　the　major　to　absolve　him　of　all　indiscretion
in　the　matter；　and　to　say　that　he　could　not；　in　common
politeness；　do　otherwise　than　accompany　me　to　London。

〃I　forgive　the　impudence　of　his　request；　in　consideration　of　the
news　that　he　sends　me。　It　is　certainly　another　circumstance　in　my
favor　that　the　scandal　at　Thorpe　Ambrose　is　not　to　be　allowed　to
reach　Miss　Milroy's　ears。　With　her　temper　（if　she　did　hear　it）
she　might　do　something　desperate　in　the　way　of　claiming　her
lover；　and　might　compromise　me　seriously。　As　for　my　own　course
with　Armadale；　it　is　easy　enough。　I　shall　quiet　him　by　promising
to　write　to　Major　Milroy；　and　I　shall　take　the　liberty；　in　my　own
private　interests；　of　not　keeping　my　word。

〃Nothing　in　the　least　suspicious　has　happened　to…day。　Whoever　my
enemies　are；　they　have　lost　me；　and　between　this　and　the　time
when　I　leave　England　they　shall　not　find　me　again。　I　have　been　to
the　post…office；　and　have　got　the　ticket　for　my　luggage；　inclosed
to　me　in　a　letter　from　All　Saints'　Terrace；　as　I　directed。　The
luggage　itself　I　shall　still　leave　at　the　cloak…room；　until　I　see
the　way　before　me　more　clearly　than　I　see　it　now。


〃August　5th。Two　letters　again　from　the　hotel。　Midwinter　writes
to　remind　me；　in　the　prettiest　possible　manner；　that　he　will　have
lived　long　enough　in　the　parish　by　to…morrow　to　be　able　to　get
our　marriage…license；　and　that　he　proposes　applying　for　it　in　the
usual　way　at　Doctors'　Commons。　Now；　if　I　am　ever　to　say　it；　is
the　time　to　say　No。　I　can't　say　No。　There　is　the　plain　truthand
there　is　an　end　of　it！

〃Armadale's　letter　is　a　letter　of　farewell。　He　thanks　me　for　my
kindness　in　consenting　to　write　to　the　major；　and　bids　me
good…by；　till　we　meet　again　at　Naples。　He　has　learned　from　his
friend　that　there　are　private　reasons　which　will　oblige　him　to
forbid　himself　the　pleasure　of　being　present　at　our　marriage。
Under　these　circumstances；　there　is　nothing　to　keep　him　in
London。　He　has　made　all　his　business　arrangements；　he　goes　to
Somersetshire　by　to…night's　train；　and；　after　staying　some　time
with　Mr。　Brock；　he　will　sail　for　the　Mediterranean　from　the
Bristol　Channel　（in　spite　of　Midwinter's　objections）　in　his　own
yacht。

〃The　letter　incloses　a　jeweler's　box；　with　a　ring　in
itArmadale's　present　to　me　on　my　marriage。　It　is　a　rubybut
rather　a　small　one；　and　set　in　the　worst　possible　taste。　He　would
have　given　Miss　Milroy　a　ring　worth　ten　times　the　money；　if　it
had　been　_her_　marriage　present。　There　is　no　more　hateful
creature；　in　my　opinion；　than　a　miserly　young　man。　I　wonder
whether　his　trumpery　little　yacht　will　drown　him？

〃I　am　so　excited　and　fluttered；　I　hardly　know　what　I　am　writing。
Not　that　I　shrink　from　what　is　comingI　only　feel　as　if　I　was
being　hurried　on　faster　than　I　quite　like　to　go。　At　this　rate；　if
nothing　happens；　Midwinter　will　have　married　me　by　the　end　of　the
week。　And　then！


〃August　6th。If　anything　could　startle　me　now；　I　should　feel
startled　by　the　news　that　has　reached　me　to…day。

〃On　his　return　to　the　hotel　this　morning；　after　getting　the
marriage…license；　Midwinter　found　a　telegram　waiting　for　him。　It
contained　an　urgent　message　from　Armadale；　announcing　that　Mr。
Brock　had　had　a　relapse；　and　that　all　hope　of　his　recovery　was
pronounced　by　the　doctors　to　be　at　an　end。　By　the　dying　man's　own
desire；　Midwinter　was　summoned　to　take　leave　of　him；　and　was
entreated　by　Armadale　not　to　lose　a　moment　in　starting　for　the
rectory　by　the　first　train。

〃The　hurried　letter　which　tells　me　this　tells　me　also　that；　by
the　time　I　recei　ve　it；　Midwinter　will　be　on　his　way　to　the　West。
He　promises　to　write　at　greater　length；　after　he　has　seen　Mr。
Brock；　by　to…night's　post。

〃This　news　has　an　interest　for　me；　which　Midwinter　little
suspects。　There　is　but　one　human　creature；　besides　myself；　who
knows　the　secret　of　his　birth　and　his　name；　and　that　one　is　the
old　man　who　now　lies　waiting　for　him　at　the　point　of　death。　What
will　they　say　to　each　other　at　the　last　moment？　Will　some　chance
word　take　them　back　to　the　time　when　I　was　in　Mrs。　Armadale's
service　at　Madeira？　Will　they　speak　of　Me？


〃August　7th。The　promised　letter　has　just　reached　me。　No　parting
words　have　been　exchanged　between　them：　it　was　all　over　before
Midwinter　reached　Somersetshire。　Armadale　met　him　at　the　rectory
gate　with　the　news　that　Mr。　Brock　was　dead。

〃I　try　to　struggle　against　it；　but；　coming　after　the　strange
complication　of　circumstances　that　has　been　closing　round　me　for
weeks　past；　there　is　something　in　this　latest　event　of　all　that
shakes　my　nerves。　But　one　last　chance　of　detection　stood　in　my
way　when　I　opened　my　diary　yesterday。　When　I　open　it　to…day；　that
chance　is　removed　by　Mr。　Brock's　death。　It　means　something；　I
wish　I　knew　what。

〃The　funeral　is　to　be　on　Saturday　morning。　Midwinter　will　attend
it　as　well　as　Armadale。　But　he　proposes　returning　to　London
first；　and　he　writes　word　that　he　will　call　to…night；　in　the　hope
of　seeing　me；　on　his　way　from　the　station　to　the　hotel。　Even　if
there　was　any　risk　in　it；　I　should　see　him；　as　things　are　now。
But　there　is　no　risk　if　he　comes　here　from　the　station　instead　of
coming　from　the　hotel。


〃Five　o'clock。I　was　not　mistaken　in　believing　that　my　nerves
were　all　unstrung。　Trifles　that　would　not　have　cost　me　a　second
thought　at　other　times　weigh　heavily　on　my　mind　now。

〃Two　hours　since；　in　despair　of　knowing　how　to　get　through　the
day；　I　bethought　myself　of　the　milliner　who　is　making　my　summer
dress。　I　had　intended　to　go　and　try　it　on　yesterday；　but　it
slipped　out　of　my　memory　in　the　excitement　of　hearing　about　Mr。
Brock。　So　I　went　this　afternoon；　eager　to　do　anything　that　might
help　me　to　get　rid　of　myself。　I　have　returned；　feeling　more
uneasy　and　more　depressed　than　I　felt　when　I　went　out；　for　I　have
come　back　fearing　that　I　may　yet　have　reason　to　repent　not　having
left　my　unfinished　dress　on　the　milliner's　hands。

〃Nothing　happened　to　me；　this　time；　in　the　street。　It　was　only　in
the　trying…on　room　that　my　suspicions　were　roused；　and　there　it
certainly　did　cross　my　mind　that　the　attempt　to　discover　me；
which　I　defeated　at　All　Saints'　Terrace；　was　not　given　up　yet；
and　that　some　of　the　shop…women　had　been　tampered　with；　if　not
the　mistress　herself。

〃Can　I　give　myself　anything　in　the　shape　of　a　reason　for　this
impression？　Let　me　think　a　little。

〃I　certainly　noticed　two　things　which　were　out　of　the　ordinary
routine；　under　the　circumstances。　In　the　first　place；　there　were
twice　as　many　women　as　were　needed　in