armadale-第202章
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She laid him down； and； taking off her shawl； made a pillow of it
to support his head。 〃It might have been hard； love；〃 she said；
as she felt the faint pulsation strengthening at his heart。 〃You
have made it easy now。〃
She rose； and； turning from him； noticed the Purple Flask in the
place where she had left it since the fourth Pouring。 〃Ah；〃 she
thought； quietly； 〃I had forgotten my best friendI had
forgotten that there is more to pour in yet。〃
With a steady hand； with a calm； attentive face； she fed the
funnel for the fifth time。 〃Five minutes more；〃 she said； when
she had put the Flask back； after a look at the clock。
She fell into thoughtthought that only deepened the grave and
gentle composure of her face。 〃Shall I write him a farewell
word？〃 she asked herself。 〃Shall I tell him the truth before I
leave him forever？〃
Her little gold pencil…case hung with the other toys at her
watch…chain。 After looking about her for a moment； she knelt over
her husband and put her hand into the breast…pocket of his coat。
His pocket…book was there。 Some papers fell from it as she
unfastened the clasp。 One of them was the letter which had come
to him from Mr。 Brock's death…bed。 She turned over the two sheets
of note…paper on which the rector had written the words that had
now come true； and found the last page of the last sheet a blank。
On that page she wrote her farewell words； kneeling at her
husband's side。
〃I am worse than the worst you can think of me。 You have saved
Armadale by changing rooms with him to…night； and you have saved
him from Me。 You can guess now whose widow I should have claimed
to be； if you had not preserved his life； and you will know what
a wretch you married when you married the woman who writes these
lines。 Still； I had some innocent moments； and then I loved you
dearly。 Forget me； my darling； in the love of a better woman than
I am。 I might； perhaps； have been that better woman myself； if I
had not lived a miserable life before you met with me。 It matters
little now。 The one atonement I can make for all the wrong I have
done you is the atonement of my death。 It is not hard for me to
die； now I know you will live。 Even my wickedness has one
meritit has not prospered。 I have never been a happy woman。〃
She folded the letter again； and put it into his hand； to attract
his attention in that way when he came to himself。 As she gently
closed his fingers on the paper and looked up； the last minute of
the last interval faced her； recorded on the clock。
She bent over him； and gave him her farewell kiss。
〃Live； my angel； live！〃 she murmured； tenderly； with her lips
just touching his。 〃All your life is before youa happy life；
and an honored life； if you are freed from _me！_〃
With a last； lingering tenderness； she parted the hair back from
his forehead。 〃It is no merit to have loved you；〃 she said。 〃You
are one of the men whom women all like。〃 She sighed and left him。
It was her last weakness。 She bent her head affirmatively to the
clock； as if it had been a living creature speaking to her； and
fed the funnel for the last time； to the last drop left in the
Flask。
The waning moon shone in faintly at the window。 With her hand on
the door of the room； she turned and looked at the light that was
slowly fading out of the murky sky。
〃Oh； God； forgive me！〃 she said。 〃Oh； Christ； bear witness that I
have suffered！〃
One moment more she lingered on the threshold； lingered for her
last look in this world and turned that look on _him。_
〃Good…by！〃 she said； softly。
The door of the room opened； and closed on her。 There was an
interval of silence。
Then a sound came dull and sudden； like the sound of a fall。
Then there was silence again。
* * * * *
The hands of the clock； following their steady course； reckoned
the minutes of the morning as one by one they lapsed away。 It was
the tenth minute since the door of the room had opened and closed
； before Midwinter stirred on his pillow； and； struggling to
raise himself； felt the letter in his hand。
At the same moment a key was turned in the staircase door。 And
the doctor； looking expectantly toward the fatal room； saw the
Purple Flask on the window…sill； and the prostrate man trying to
raise himself from the floor。
EPILOGUE。
CHAPTER I。
NEWS FROM NORFOLK。
_From Mr。 Pedgift； Senior （Thorpe Ambrose）； to Mr。 Pedgift；
Junior （Paris）。_
〃High Street； December 20th。
〃MY DEAR AUGUSTUSYour letter reached me yesterday。 You seem to
be making the most of your youth （as you call it） with a
vengeance。 Well！ enjoy your holiday。 I made the most of my youth
when I was your age； and； wonderful to relate； I haven't
forgotten it yet！
〃You ask me for a good budget of news； and especially for more
information about that mysterious business at the Sanitarium。
〃Curiosity； my dear boy； is a quality which （in our profession
especially） sometimes leads to great results。 I doubt； however；
if you will find it leading to much on this occasion。 All I know
of the mystery of the Sanitarium； I know from Mr。 Armadale： and
he is entirely in the dark on more than one point of importance。
I have already told you how they were entrapped into the house；
and how they passed the night there。 To this I can now add that
something did certainly happen to Mr。 Midwinter； which deprived
him of consciousness； and that the doctor； who appears to have
been mixed up in the matter； carried things with a high hand； and
insisted on taking his own course in his own Sanitarium。 There is
not the least doubt that the miserable woman （however she might
have come by her death） was found deadthat a coroner's inquest
inquired into the circumstancesthat the evidence showed her to
have entered the house as a patientand that the medical
investigation ended in discovering that she had died of apoplexy。
My idea is that Mr。 Midwinter had a motive of his own for not
coming forward with the evidence that he might have given。 I have
also reason to suspect that Mr。 Armadale； out of regard for him；
followed his lead； and that the verdict at the inquest （attaching
no blame to anybody） proceeded； like many other verdicts of the
same kind； from an entirely superficial investigation of the
circumstances。
〃The key to the whole mystery is to be found； I firmly believe；
in that wretched woman's attempt to personate the character of
Mr。 Armadale's widow when the news of his death appeared in the
papers。 But what first set her on this； and by what inconceivable
process of deception she can have induced Mr。 Midwinter to marry
her （as the certificate proves） under Mr。 Armadale's name； is
more than Mr。 Armadale himself knows。 The point was not touched
at the inquest； for the simple reason that the inquest only
concerned itself with the circumstances attending her death。 Mr。
Armadale； at his friend's request； saw Miss Blanchard； and
induced her to silence old Darch on the subject of the claim that
had been made relating to the widow's income。 As the claim had
never been admitted； even our stiff…necked brother practitioner
consented for once to do as he was asked。 The doctor's statement
that his patient was the widow of a gentleman named Armadale was
accordingly left unchallenged； and so the matter has been hushed
up。 She is buried in the great cemetery； near the place where she
died。 Nobody but Mr。 Midwinter and Mr。 Armadale （who insisted on
going with him） followed her to the grave； and nothing has been
inscribed on the tombstone but the initial letter of her
Christian name and the date of her death。 So； after all the harm
she has done； she rests at last； and so the two men whom she has
injured have forgiven her。
〃Is there more to say on this subject before we leave it？ On
referring to your letter； I find you have raised one other point；
which may be worth a moment's notice。
〃You ask if there is reason to suppose that the doctor comes out
of the matter with hands which are really as clean as they look？
My dear Augustus； I believe the doctor to have been at the bottom
of more of this mischief than we shall ever find out； and to have
profited by the self…
