armadale-第175章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


banker's　to　get　'a　few　hundreds　in　gold；　'　and　he　believed　he　had
left　his　cigar…case　there。　It　was　an　old　friend　of　his；　and　he
begged　that　Midwinter　would　oblige　him　by　endeavoring　to　recover
it；　and　keeping　it　for　him　till　they　met　again。

〃That　was　the　substance　of　the　letter。

〃I　thought　over　it　carefully　when　Midwinter　had　left　me　alone
again；　after　reading　it。　My　idea　was　then　（and　is　still）　that
Manuel　had　not　persuaded　Armadale　to　cruise　in　a　sea　like　the
Adriatic；　so　much　less　frequented　by　ships　than　the
Mediterranean；　for　nothing。　The　terms；　too；　in　which　the　trifling
loss　of　the　cigar…case　was　mentioned　struck　me　as　being　equally
suggestive　of　what　was　coming。　I　concluded　that　Armadale's
circular　notes　had　not　been　transformed　into　those　'few　hundreds
in　gold'　through　any　forethought　or　business　knowledge　of　his
own。　Manuel's　influence；　I　suspected；　had　been　exerted　in　this
matter　also；　and　once　more　not　without　reason。　At　intervals
through　the　wakeful　night　these　considerations　came　back　again
and　again　to　me；　and　time　after　time　they　pointed　obstinately　（so
far　as　my　next　movements　were　concerned）　in　one　and　the　same
waythe　way　back　to　England。

〃How　to　get　there；　and　especially　how　to　get　there　unaccompanied
by　Midwinter；　was　more　than　I　had　wit　enough　to　discover　that
night。　I　tried　and　tried　to　meet　the　difficulty；　and　fell　asleep
exhausted　toward　the　morning　without　having　met　it。

〃Some　hours　later；　as　soon　as　I　was　dressed；　Midwinter　came　in；
with　news　received　by　that　morning's　post　from　his　employers　in
London。　The　proprietors　of　the　newspaper　had　received　from　the
editor　so　favorable　a　report　of　his　correspondence　from　Naples
that　they　had　determined　on　advancing　him　to　a　place　of　greater
responsibility　and　greater　emolument　at　Turin。　His　instructions
were　inclosed　in　the　letter；　and　he　was　requested　to　lose　no　time
in　leaving　Naples　for　his　new　post。

〃On　hearing　this；　I　relieved　his　mind；　before　he　could　put　the
question；　of　all　anxiety　about　my　willingness　to　remove。　Turin
had　the　great　attraction；　in　my　eyes；　of　being　on　the　road　to
England。　I　assured　him　at　once　that　I　was　ready　to　travel　as　soon
as　he　pleased。

〃He　thanked　me　for　suiting　myself　to　his　plans；　with　more　of　his
old　gentleness　and　kindness　than　I　had　seen　in　him　for　some　time
past。　The　good　news　from　Armadale　on　the　previous　day　seemed　to
have　roused　him　a　little　from　the　dull　despair　in　which　he　had
been　sunk　since　the　sailing　of　the　yacht。　And　now　the　prospect　of
advancement　in　his　profession；　and；　more　than　that；　the　prospect
of　leaving　the　fatal　place　in　which　the　Third　Vision　of　the　Dream
had　come　true；　had　（as　he　owned　himself）　additionally　cheered　and
relieved　him。　He　asked；　before　he　went　away　to　make　the
arrangements　for　our　journey；　whether　I　expected　to　hear　from　my
'family'　in　England；　and　whether　he　should　give　instructions　for
the　forwarding　of　my　letters　with　his　own　to　the　_poste　restante_
at　Turin。　I　instantly　thanked　him；　and　accepted　the　offer。　His
proposal　had　suggested　to　me；　the　moment　he　made　it；　that　my
fictitious　'family　circumstances'　might　be　turned　to　good　account
once　more；　as　a　reason　for　unexpectedly　summoning　me　from　Italy
to　England。

〃On　the　ninth　of　the　month　we　were　installed　at　Turin。

〃On　the　thirteenth；　Midwinterbeing　then　very　busyasked　if　I
would　save　him　a　loss　of　time　by　applying　for　any　letters　which
might　have　followed　us　from　Naples。　I　had　been　waiting　for　the
opportunity　he　now　offered　me；　and　I　determined　to　snatch　at　it
without　allowing　myself　time　to　hesitate。　There　were　no　letters
at　the　_poste　restante_　for　either　of　us。　But　when　he　put　the
question　on　my　return；　I　told　him　that　there　had　been　a　letter
for　me；　with　alarming　news　from　'home。'　My　'mother'　was
dangerously　ill；　and　I　was　entreated　to　lose　no　time　in　hurrying
back　to　England　to　see　her。

〃It　seems　quite　unaccountablenow　that　I　am　away　from　himbut
it　is　none　the　less　true；　that　I　could　not；　even　yet；　tell　him　a
downright　premeditated　falsehood；　without　a　sense　of　shrinking
and　shame；　which　other　people　would　think；　and　which　I　think
myself；　utterly　inconsistent　with　such　a　character　as　mine。
Inconsistent　or　not；　I　felt　it。　And　what　is　strangerperhaps　I
ought　to　say　madderstill；　if　he　had　persisted　in　his　first
resolution　to　accompany　me　himself　to　England　rather　than　allow
me　to　travel　alone；　I　firmly　believe　I　should　have　turned　my　back
on　temptation　for　the　second　time；　and　have　lulled　myself　to　rest
once　more　in　the　old　dream　of　living　out　my　life　happy　and
harmless　in　my　husband's　love。

〃Am　I　deceiving　myself　in　this？　It　doesn't　matterI　dare　say　I
am。　Never　mind　what　_might_　have　happened。　What　_did_　happen　is
the　only　thing　of　any　importance　now。

〃It　ended　in　Midwinter's　letting　me　persuade　him　that　I　was　old
enough　to　take　care　of　myself　on　the　journey　to　England；　and　that
he　owed　it　to　the　newspaper　people；　who　had　trusted　their
interests　in　his　hands；　not　to　leave　Turin　just　as　he　was
established　there。　He　didn't　suffer　at　taking　leave　of　me　as　he
suffered　when　he　saw　the　last　of　his　friend。　I　saw　that；　and　set
down　the　anxiety　he　expressed　that　I　should　write　to　him　at　its
proper　value。　I　have　quite　got　over　my　weakness　for　him　at　last。
No　man　who　really　loved　me　would　have　put　what　he　owed　to　a　peck
of　newspaper　people　before　what　he　owed　to　his　wife。　I　hate　him
for　letting　me　convince　him！　I　believe　he　was　glad　to　get　rid　of
me。　I　believe　he　has　seen　some　woman　whom　he　likes　at　Turin。
Well；　let　him　follow　his　new　fancy；　if　he　pleases！　I　shall　be　the
widow　of　Mr。　Armadale　of　Thorpe　Ambrose　before　long；　and　what
will　his　likes　or　dislikes　matter　to　me　then？

〃The　events　on　the　journey　were　not　worth　mentioning；　and　my
arrival　in　London　stands　recorded　already　on　the　top　of　the　new
page。

〃As　for　to…day；　the　one　thing　of　any　importance　that　I　have　done
since　I　got　to　the　cheap　and　quiet　hotel　at　which　I　am　now
staying；　has　been　to　send　for　the　landlord；　and　ask　him　to　help
me　to　a　sight　of　the　back　numbers　of　_The　Times_　newspaper。　He
has　politely　offered　to　accompany　me　himself　to…morrow　morning　to
some　place　in　the　City　where　all　the　papers　are　kept；　as　he　calls
it；　in　file。　Till　to…morrow；　then；　I　must　control　my　impatience
for　news　of　Armadale　as　well　as　I　can。　And　so　good…night　to　the
pretty　reflection　of　myself　that　appears　in　these　pages！


〃November　20th。Not　a　word　of　news　yet；　either　in　the　obituary
column　or　in　any　other　part　of　the　paper。　I　looked　carefully
through　each　number　in　succession；　dating　from　the　day　when
Armadale's　letter　was　written　at　Messina　to　this　present　20th　of
the　month；　and　I　am　certain；　whatever　may　have　happened；　that
nothing　is　known　in　England　as　yet。　Patience！　The　newspaper　is　to
meet　me　at　the　breakfast…table　every　morning　till　further　notice；
and　any　day　now　may　show　me　what　I　most　want　to　see。


〃November　21st。No　news　again。　I　wrote　to　Midwinter　to…day；　to
keep　up　appearances。

〃When　the　letter　was　done；　I　fell　into　wretchedly　low　spiritsI
can't　imagine　whyand　felt　such　a　longing　for　a　little　company
that；　in　despair　of　knowing　where　else　to　go；　I　actually　went　to
Pimlico；　on　the　chance　that　Mother　Oldershaw　might　have　returned
to　her　old　quarters。

〃There　were　changes　since　I　had　seen　the　place　during　my　former
stay　in　London。　Doctor　Downward's　side　of　the　house　was　still
empty。　But　the　shop　was　being　brightened　up　for　the　occupation　of
a　milliner　and　dress…maker。　The　people；　when　I　went　in　to　make
inquiries；　were　all　strangers　to　me。　They　showed；　however；　no
hesitation　in　giving　me　Mrs。　Oldershaw's　address　when　I　asked　for
itfrom　which　I　infer　that　the　little　'difficulty'　which　forced
her　to　be　in　hiding　in　August　last　is　at　an　end；　so　far　as　she　is
concerned。　As　for　the　doctor；　the　people　at　the　shop　either　were；
or　pretended　to　be；　quite　unable　to　tell　me　what　had　become　of
him。

〃I　don't　know　whether　it　was　the　sight　of　the　place　at　Pimlico
that　sickened　me；　or　whether　it　was　my　own　perversity；　or　what。
But　now　that　I　had　got　Mrs。　Oldershaw's　address；　I　felt　as　if　she
was　the　very　last　person　in　the　world　that　I　wanted　to　s