armadale-第195章
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Armadale see the bubbles；〃 continued the doctor； in the tone of a
parent humoring a spoiled child。 〃Try if you can find a few of
those fragments that we want； Benjamin。 I dare say the workmen
（slovenly fellows！） have left something of the sort about the
house or the grounds。〃
The Resident Dispenser left the room。
As soon as his back was turned； the doctor began opening and
shutting drawers in various parts of the Dispensary； with the air
of a man who wants something in a hurry； and does not know where
to find it。 〃Bless my soul！〃 he exclaimed； suddenly stopping at
the drawer from which he had taken his cards of invitation on the
previous day； 〃what's this？ A key？ A duplicate key； as I'm alive；
of my fumigating apparatus upstairs！ Oh dear； dear； how careless
I get；〃 said the doctor； turning round briskly to Miss Gwilt。 〃I
hadn't the least idea that I possessed this second key。 I should
never have missed it。 I do assure you I should never have missed
it if anybody had taken it out of the drawer！〃 He bustled away to
the other end of the roomwithout closing the drawer； and
without taking away the duplicate key。
In silence； Miss Gwilt listened till he had done。 In silence； she
glided to the drawer。 In silence； she took the key and hid it in
her apron pocket。
The Dispenser came back； with the fragments required of him；
collected in a basin。 〃Thank you； Benjamin；〃 said the doctor。
〃Kindly cover them with water； while I get the bottle down。〃
As accidents sometimes happen in the most perfectly regulated
families； so clumsiness sometimes possesses itself of the most
perfectly disciplined hands。 In the process of its transfer from
the shelf to the doctor； the bottle slipped and fell smashed to
pieces on the floor。
〃Oh； my fingers and thumbs！〃 cried the doctor； with an air of
comic vexation； 〃what in the world do you mean by playing me such
a wicked trick as that？ Well； well； wellit can't be helped。
Have we got any more of it； Benjamin？〃
〃Not a drop； sir。〃
〃Not a drop！〃 echoed the doctor。 〃My dear madam； what excuses can
I offer you？ My clumsiness has made our little experiment
impossible for to…day。 Remind me to order some more to…morrow；
Benjamin； and don't think of troubling yourself to put that mess
to rights。 I'll send the man here to mop it all up。 Our Stout
Friend is harmless enough now； my dear ladyin combination with
a boarded floor and a coming mop！ I'm so sorry； I really am so
sorry to have disappointed you。〃 With those soothing words； he
offered his arm； and led Miss Gwilt out of the Dispensary。
〃Have you done with me for the present？〃 she asked； when they
were in the hall。
〃Oh； dear； dear； what a way of putting it！〃 exclaimed the doctor。
〃Dinner at six；〃 he added； with his politest emphasis； as she
turned from him in disdainful silence； and slowly mounted the
stairs to her own room。
A clock of the noiseless sortincapable of offending irritable
nerveswas fixed in the wall； a bove the first…floor landing； at
the Sanitarium。 At the moment when the hands pointed to a quarter
before six； the silence of the lonely upper regions was softly
broken by the rustling of Miss Gwilt's dress。 She advanced along
the corridor of the first floorpaused at the covered apparatus
fixed outside the room numbered Fourlistened for a momentand
then unlocked the cover with the duplicate key。
The open lid cast a shadow over the inside of the casing。 All she
saw at first was what she had seen alreadythe jar； and the pipe
and glass funnel inserted in the cork。 She removed the funnel；
and； looking about her； observed on the window…sill close by a
wax…tipped wand used for lighting the gas。 She took the wand；
and； introducing it through the aperture occupied by the funnel；
moved it to and fro in the jar。 The faint splash of some liquid；
and the grating noise of certain hard substances which she was
stirring about； were the two sounds that caught her ear。 She drew
out the wand； and cautiously touched the wet left on it with the
tip of her tongue。 Caution was quite needless in this case。 The
liquid waswater。
In putting the funnel back in its place； she noticed something
faintly shining in the obscurely lit vacant space at the side of
the jar。 She drew it out； and produced a Purple Flask。 The liquid
with which it was filled showed dark through the transparent
coloring of the glass； and fastened at regular intervals down one
side of the Flask were six thin strips of paper； which divided
the contents into six equal parts。
There was no doubt now that the apparatus had been secretly
prepared for herthe apparatus of which she alone （besides the
doctor） possessed the key。
She put back the Flask； and locked the cover of the casing。 For a
moment she stood looking at it； with the key in her hand。 On a
sudden； her lost color came back。 On a sudden； its natural
animation returned； for the first time that day； to her face。 She
turned and hurried breathlessly upstairs to her room on the
second floor。 With eager hands she snatched her cloak out of the
wardrobe； and took her bonnet from the box。 〃I'm not in prison！〃
she burst out； impetuously。 〃I've got the use of my limbs！ I can
gono matter where； as long as I am out of this house！〃
With her cloak on her shoulders； with her bonnet in her hand； she
crossed the room to the door。 A moment moreand she would have
been out in the passage。 In that moment the remembrance flashed
back on her of the husband whom she had denied to his face。 She
stopped instantly； and threw the cloak and bonnet from her on the
bed。 〃No！〃 she said； 〃the gulf is dug between usthe worst is
done！〃
There was a knock at the door。 The doctor's voice outside
politely reminded her that it was six o'clock。
She opened the door； and stopped him on his way downstairs。
〃What time is the train due to…night？〃 she asked； in a whisper。
〃At ten；〃 answered the doctor； in a voice which all the world
might hear； and welcome。
〃What room is Mr。 Armadale to have when he comes？〃
〃What room would you like him to have？〃
〃Number Four。〃
The doctor kept up appearances to the very last。
〃Number Four let it be；〃 he said； graciously。 〃Provided； of
course； that Number Four is unoccupied at the time。〃
* * * * *
The evening wore on； and the night came。
At a few minutes before ten； Mr。 Bashwood was again at his post；
once more on the watch for the coming of the tidal train。
The inspector on duty； who knew him by sight； and who had
personally ascertained that his regular attendance at the
terminus implied no designs on the purses and portmanteaus of the
passengers； noticed two new circumstances in connection with Mr。
Bashwood that night。 In the first place； instead of exhibiting
his customary cheerfulness； he looked anxious and depressed。 In
the second place； while he was watching for the train； he was to
all appearance being watched in his turn； by a slim； dark；
undersized man； who had left his luggage （marked with the name of
Midwinter） at the custom…house department the evening before； and
who had returned to have it examined about half an hour since。
What had brought Midwinter to the terminus？ And why was he； too；
waiting for the tidal train？
After straying as far as Hendon during his lonely walk of the
previous night； he had taken refuge at the village inn； and had
fallen asleep （from sheer exhaustion） toward those later hours of
the morning which were the hours that his wife's foresight had
turned to account。 When he returned to the lodging； the landlady
could only inform him that her tenant had settled everything with
her； and had left （for what destination neither she nor her
servant could tell） more than two hours since。
Having given some little time to inquiries； the result of which
convinced him that the clew was lost so far； Midwinter had
quitted the house； and had pursued his way mechanically to the
busier and more central parts of the metropolis。 With the light
now thrown on his wife's character； to call at the address she
had given him as the address at which her mother lived would be
plainly useless。 He went on through the streets； resolute to
discover
