armadale-第204章

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luckily　for　society；　can't　always　keep　up　appearances；　and；　in
their　case；　Rogues　and　Retribution　do　occasionally　come　into
collision　with　each　other。〃



CHAPTER　II。

MIDWINTER。

THE　spring　had　advanced　to　the　end　of　April。　It　was　the　eve　of
Allan's　wedding…day。　Midwinter　and　he　had　sat　talking　together　at
the　great　house　till　far　into　the　nighttill　so　far　that　it　had
struck　twelve　long　since；　and　the　wedding　day　was　already　some
hours　old。

For　the　most　part　the　conversation　had　turned　on　the　bridegroom's
plans　and　projects。　It　was　not　till　the　two　friends　rose　to　go　to
rest　that　Allan　insisted　on　making　Midwinter　speak　of　himself。

〃We　have　had　enough；　and　more　than　enough；　of　_my_　future；〃　he
began；　in　his　bluntly　straightforward　way。　〃Let's　say　something
now；　Midwinter；　about　yours。　You　have　promised　me；　I　know；　that；
if　you　take　to　literature；　it　shan't　part　us；　and　that；　if　you　go
on　a　sea…voyage；　you　will　remember；　when　you　come　back；　that　my
house　is　your　home。　But　this　is　the　last　chance　we　have　of　being
together　in　our　old　way；　and　I　own　I　should　like　to　know〃　His
voice　faltered；　and　his　eyes　moistened　a　little。　He　left　the
sentence　unfinished。

Midwinter　took　his　hand　and　helped　him；　as　he　had　often　helped
him　to　the　words　that　he　wanted　in　the　by…gone　time。

〃You　would　like　to　know；　Allan；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　shall　not　bring
an　aching　heart　with　me　to　your　wedding　day？　If　you　will　let　me
go　back　for　a　moment　to　the　past；　I　think　I　can　satisfy　you。〃

They　took　their　chairs　again。　Allan　saw　that　Midwinter　was　moved。
〃Why　distress　yourself？〃　he　asked；　kindly〃why　go　back　to　the
past？〃

〃For　two　reasons；　Allan。　I　ought　to　have　thanked　you　long　since
for　the　silence　you　have　observed；　for　my　sake；　on　a　matter　that
must　have　seemed　very　strange　to　you。　You　know　what　the　name　is
which　appears　on　the　register　of　my　marriage；　and　yet　you　have
forborne　to　speak　of　it；　from　the　fear　of　distressing　me。　Before
you　enter　on　your　new　life；　let　us　come　to　a　first　and　last
understanding　about　this。　I　ask　youas　one　more　kindness　to
meto　accept　my　assurance　（strange　as　the　thing　may　seem　to　you）
that　I　am　blameless　in　this　matter；　and　I　entreat　you　to　believe
that　the　reasons　I　have　for　leaving　it　unexplained　are　reasons
which；　if　Mr。　Brock　was　living；　Mr。　Brook　himself　would　approve。〃
In　those　words　he　kept　the　secret　of　the　two　names；　and　left　the
memory　of　Allan's　mother；　what　he　had　found　it；　a　sacred　memory
in　the　heart　of　her　son。

〃One　word　more；〃　he　went　on〃a　word　which　will　take　us；　this
time；　from　past　to　future。　It　has　been　said；　and　truly　said；　that
out　of　Evil　may　come　Good。　Out　of　the　horror　and　the　misery　of
that　night　you　know　of　has　come　the　silencing　of　a　doubt　which
once　made　my　life　miserable　with　groundless　anxiety　about　you　and
about　myself。　No　clouds　raised　by　my　superstition　will　ever　come
between　us　again。　I　can't　honestly　tell　you　that　I　am　more
willing　now　than　I　was　when　we　were　in　the　Isle　of　Man　to　take
what　is　called　the　rational　view　of　your　Dream。　Though　I　know
what　extraordinary　coincidences　are　perpetually　happening　in　the
experience　of　all　of　us；　still　I　cannot　accept　coincidences　as
explaining　the　fulfillment　of　the　Visions　which　our　own　eyes　have
seen。　All　I　can　sincerely　say　for　myself　is；　what　I　think　it　will
satisfy　you　to　know；　that　I　have　learned　to　view　the　purpose　of
the　Dream　with　a　new　mind。　I　once　believed　that　it　was　sent　to
rouse　your　distrust　of　the　friendless　man　whom　you　had　taken　as　a
brother　to　your　heart。　I　now　_know_　that　it　came　to　you　as　a
timely　warning　to　take　him　closer　still。　Does　this　help　to
satisfy　you　that　I；　too；　am　standing　hopefully　on　the　brink　of　a
new　life；　and　that　while　we　live；　brother；　your　love　and　mine
will　never　be　divided　again？〃

They　shook　hands　in　silence。　Allan　was　the　first　to　recover
himself。　He　answered　in　the　few　words　of　kindly　assurance　which
were　the　best　words　that　he　could　address　to　his　friend。

〃I　have　heard　all　I　ever　want　to　hear　about　the　past；〃　he　said；
〃and　I　know　what　I　most　wanted　to　know　about　the　future。
Everybody　says；　Midwinter；　you　have　a　career　before　you；　and　I
believe　that　everybody　is　right。　Who　knows　what　great　things　may
　happen　before　you　and　I　are　many　years　older？〃

〃Who　_need_　know？〃　said　Midwinter；　calmly。　〃Happen　what　may；　God
is　all…merciful；　God　is　all…wise。　In　those　words　your　dear　old
friend　once　wrote　to　me。　In　that　faith　I　can　look　back　without
murmuring　at　the　years　that　are　past；　and　can　look　on　without
doubting　to　the　years　that　are　to　come。〃

He　rose；　and　walked　to　the　window。　While　they　had　been　speaking
together　the　darkness　had　passed。　The　first　light　of　the　new　day
met　him　as　he　looked　out；　and　rested　tenderly　on　his　face。


APPENDIX。


NOTEMy　readers　will　perceive　that　I　have　purposely　left　them；
with　reference　to　the　Dream　in　this　story；　in　the　position　which
they　would　occupy　in　the　case　of　a　dream　in　real　life：　they　are
free　to　interpret　it　by　the　natural　or　the　supernatural　theory；
as　the　bent　of　their　own　minds　may　incline　them。　Persons　disposed
to　take　the　rational　view　may；　under　these　circumstances；　be
interested　in　hearing　of　a　coincidence　relating　to　the　present
story；　which　actually　happened；　and　which　in　the　matter　of
〃extravagant　improbability〃　sets　anything　of　the　same　kind　that　a
novelist　could　imagine　at　flat　defiance。

In　November；　1865；　that　is　to　say；　when　thirteen　monthly　parts　of
〃Armadale〃　had　been　published；　and；　I　may　add；　when　more　than　a
year　and　a　half　had　elapsed　since　the　end　of　the　story；　as　it　now
appears；　was　first　sketched　in　my　notebooka　vessel　lay　in　the
Huskisson　Dock　at　Liverpool　which　was　looked　after　by　one　man；
who　slept　on　board；　in　the　capacity　of　shipkeeper。　On　a　certain
day　in　the　week　this　man　was　found　dead　in　the　deck…house。　On　the
next　day　a　second　man；　who　had　taken　his　place；　was　carried　dying
to　the　Northern　Hospital。　On　the　third　day　a　third　ship…keeper
was　appointed；　and　was　found　dead　in　the　deck…house　which　had
already　proved　fatal　to　the　other　two。　_The　name　of　that　ship　was
〃The　Armadale。〃_　And　the　proceedings　at　the　Inquest　proved　that
the　three　men　had　been　all　suffocated　_by　sleeping　in　poisoned
air！_

I　am　indebted　for　these　particulars　to　the　kindness　of　the
reporters　at　Liverpool；　who　sent　me　their　statement　of　the　facts。
The　case　found　its　way　into　most　of　the　newspapers。　It　was
noticedto　give　two　instances　in　which　I　can　cite　the　datesin
the　_Times_　of　November　30th；　1865；　and　was　more　fully　described
in　the　_Daily　News_　of　November　28th；　in　the　same　year。

Before　taking　leave　of　〃Armadale；〃　I　may　perhaps　be　allowed　to
mention；　for　the　benefit　of　any　readers　who　may　be　curious　on
such　points；　that　the　〃Norfolk　Broads〃　are　here　described　after
personal　investigation　of　them。　In　this；　as　in　other　cases；　I
have　spared　no　pains　to　instruct　myself　on　matters　of　fact。
Wherever　the　story　touches　on　questions　connected　with　Law；
Medicine；　or　Chemistry；　it　has　been　submitted　before　publication
to　the　experience　of　professional　men。　The　kindness　of　a　friend
supplied　me　with　a　plan　of　the　doctor's　apparatus；　and　I　saw　the
chemical　ingredients　at　work　before　I　ventured　on　describing　the
action　of　them　in　the　closing　scenes　of　this　book。







End