armadale-第22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！


of　spirits。　He　had　discovered　Midwinter's　lodgings；　but　he　had
failed　to　find　Midwinter　himself。　The　only　account　his　landlady
could　give　of　him　was　that　he　had　gone　out　at　his　customary　time
to　get　his　dinner　at　the　nearest　eating…house；　and　that　he　had
not　returned；　in　accordance　with　his　usual　regular　habits；　at　his
usual　regular　hour。　Allan　had　therefore　gone　to　inquire　at　the
eating…house；　and　had　found；　on　describing　him；　that　Midwinter
was　well　known　there。　It　was　his　custom；　on　other　days；　to　take　a
frugal　dinner；　and　to　sit　half　an　hour　afterward　reading　the
newspaper。　On　this　occasion；　after　dining；　he　had　taken　up　the
paper　as　usual；　had　suddenly　thrown　it　aside　again；　and　had　gone；
nobody　knew　where；　in　a　violent　hurry。　No　further　information
being　attainable；　Allan　had　left　a　note　at　the　lodgings；　giving
his　address　at　the　hotel；　and　begging　Midwinter　to　come　and　say
good…by　before　his　departure　for　Paris。

The　evening　passed；　and　Allan's　invisible　friend　never　appeared。
The　morning　came；　bringing　no　obstacles　with　it；　and　Mr。　Brock
and　his　pupil　left　London。　So　far　Fortune　had　declared　herself　at
last　on　the　rector's　side。　Ozias　Midwinter；　after　intrusively
rising　to　the　surface；　had　conveniently　dropped　out　of　sight
again。　What　was　to　happen　next？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

Advancing　once　more；　by　three　weeks　only；　from　past　to　present；
Mr。　Brock's　memory　took　up　the　next　event　on　the　seventh　of
April。　To　all　appearance；　the　chain　was　now　broken　at　last。　The
new　event　had　no　recognizable　connection　（either　to　his　mind　or
to　Allan's）　with　any　of　the　persons　who　had　appeared；　or　any　of
the　circumstances　that　had　happened；　in　the　by…gone　time。

The　travelers　had　as　yet　got　no　further　than　Paris。　Allan's
spirits　had　risen　with　the　change；　and　he　had　been　made　all　the
readier　to　enjoy　the　novelty　of　the　scene　around　him　by　receiving
a　letter　from　Midwinter；　containing　news　which　Mr。　Brock　himself
acknowledged　promised　fairly　for　the　future。　The　ex…usher　had
been　away　on　business　when　Allan　had　called　at　his　lodgings；
having　been　led　by　an　accidental　circumstance　to　open
communications　with　his　relatives　on　that　day。　The　result　had
taken　him　entirely　by　surprise：　it　had　unexpectedly　secured　to
him　a　little　income　of　his　own　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　His
future　plans；　now　that　this　piece　of　good　fortune　had　fallen　to
his　share；　were　still　unsettled。　But　if　Allan　wished　to　hear　what
he　ultimately　decided　on；　his　agent　in　London　（whose　direction　he
inclosed）　would　receive　communications　for　him；　and　would　furnish
Mr。　Armadale　at　all　future　times　with　his　address。

On　receipt　of　this　letter；　Allan　had　seized　the　pen
　in　his　usual　headlong　way；　and　had　insisted　on　Midwinter's
immediately　joining　Mr。　Brock　and　himself　on　their　travels。　The
last　days　of　March　passed；　and　no　answer　to　the　proposal　was
received。　The　first　days　of　April　came；　and　on　the　seventh　of　the
month　there　was　a　letter　for　Allan　at　last　on　the
breakfast…table。　He　snatched　it　up；　looked　at　the　address；　and
threw　the　letter　down　again　impatiently。　The　handwriting　was　not
Midwinter's。　Allan　finished　his　breakfast　before　he　cared　to　read
what　his　correspondent　had　to　say　to　him。

The　meal　over；　young　Armadale　lazily　opened　the　letter。　He　began
it　with　an　expression　of　supreme　indifference。　He　finished　it
with　a　sudden　leap　out　of　his　chair；　and　a　loud　shout　of
astonishment。　Wondering；　as　he　well　might；　at　this　extraordinary
outbreak；　Mr。　Brock　took　up　the　letter　which　Allan　had　tossed
across　the　table　to　him。　Before　he　had　come　to　the　end　of　it；　his
hands　dropped　helplessly　on　his　knees；　and　the　blank　bewilderment
of　his　pupil's　expression　was　accurately　reflected　on　his　own
face。

If　ever　two　men　had　good　cause　for　being　thrown　completely　off
their　balance；　Allan　and　the　rector　were　those　two。　The　letter
which　had　struck　them　both　with　the　same　shock　of　astonishment
did；　beyond　all　question；　contain　an　announcement　which；　on　a
first　discovery　of　it；　was　simply　incredible。　The　news　was　from
Norfolk；　and　was　to　this　effect。　In　little　more　than　one　week's
time　death　had　mown　down　no　less　than　three　lives　in　the　family
at　Thorpe　Ambrose；　and　Allan　Armadale　was　at　that　moment　heir　to
an　estate　of　eight　thousand　a　year！

A　second　perusal　of　the　letter　enabled　the　rector　and　his
companion　to　master　the　details　which　had　escaped　them　on　a　first
reading

The　writer　was　the　family　lawyer　at　Thorpe　Ambrose。　After
announcing　to　Allan　the　deaths　of　his　cousin　Arthur　at　the　age　of
twenty…five；　of　his　uncle　Henry　at　the　age　of　forty…eight；　and　of
his　cousin　John　at　the　age　of　twenty…one；　the　lawyer　proceeded　to
give　a　brief　abstract　of　the　terms　of　the　elder　Mr。　Blanchard's
will。　The　claims　of　male　issue　were；　as　is　not　unusual　in　such
cases；　preferred　to　the　claims　of　female　issue。　Failing　Arthur
and　his　issue　male；　the　estate　was　left　to　Henry　and　his　issue
male。　Failing　them；　it　went　to　the　issue　male　of　Henry's　sister；
and；　in　default　of　such　issue；　to　the　next　heir　male。　As　events
had　happened；　the　two　young　men；　Arthur　and　John；　had　died
unmarried；　and　Henry　Blanchard　had　died；　leaving　no　surviving
child　but　a　daughter。　Under　these　circumstances；　Allan　was　the
next　heir　male　pointed　at　by　the　will；　and　was　now　legally
successor　to　the　Thorpe　Ambrose　estate。　Having　made　this
extraordinary　announcement；　the　lawyer　requested　to　be　favored
with　Mr。　Armadale's　instructions；　and　added；　in　conclusion；　that
he　would　be　happy　to　furnish　any　further　particulars　that　were
desired。

It　was　useless　to　waste　time　in　wondering　at　an　event　which
neither　Allan　nor　his　mother　had　ever　thought　of　as　even　remotely
possible。　The　only　thing　to　be　done　was　to　go　back　to　England　at
once。　The　next　day　found　the　travelers　installed　once　more　in
their　London　hotel；　and　the　day　after　the　affair　was　placed　in
the　proper　professional　hands。　The　inevitable　corresponding　and
consulting　ensued；　and　one　by　one　the　all…important　particulars
flowed　in；　until　the　measure　of　information　was　pronounced　to　be
full。

This　was　the　strange　story　of　the　three　deaths：

At　the　time　when　Mr。　Brock　had　written　to　Mrs。　Armadale's
relatives　to　announce　the　news　of　her　decease　（that　is　to　say；　in
the　middle　of　the　month　of　January）；　the　family　at　Thorpe　Ambrose
numbered　five　personsArthur　Blanchard　（in　possession　of　the
estate）；　living　in　the　great　house　with　his　mother；　and　Henry
Blanchard；　the　uncle；　living　in　the　neighborhood；　a　widower　with
two　children；　a　son　and　a　daughter。　To　cement　the　family
connection　still　more　closely；　Arthur　Blanchard　was　engaged　to　be
married　to　his　cousin。　The　wedding　was　to　be　celebrated　with
great　local　rejoicings　in　the　coming　summer；　when　the　young　lady
had　completed　her　twentieth　year。

The　month　of　February　had　brought　changes　with　it　in　the　family
position。　Observing　signs　of　delicacy　in　the　health　of　his　son；
Mr。　Henry　Blanchard　left　Norfolk；　taking　the　young　man　with　him；
under　medical　advice；　to　try　the　climate　of　Italy。　Early　in　the
ensuing　month　of　March；　Arthur　Blanchard　also　left　Thorpe
Ambrose；　for　a　few　days　only；　on　business　which　required　his
presence　in　London。　The　business　took　him　into　the　City。　Annoyed
by　the　endless　impediments　in　the　streets；　he　returned　westward
by　one　of　the　river　steamers；　and；　so　returning；　met　his　death。

As　the　steamer　left　the　wharf；　he　noticed　a　woman　near　him　who
had　shown　a　singular　hesitation　in　embarking；　and　who　had　been
the　last　of　the　passengers　to　take　her　place　in　the　vessel。　She
was　neatly　dressed　in　black　silk；　with　a　red　Paisley　shawl　over
her　shoulders；　and　she　kept　her　face　hidden　behind　a　thick　veil。
Arthur　Blanchard　was　struck　by　the　rare　grace　and　elegance　of　her
figure；　and　he　felt　a　young　man's　passing　curiosity　to　see　her
face。　She　neither　lifted　her　veil　nor　turned　her　head　his　way。
After　taking　a　few　steps　hesitatingly　backward　and　forward　on　the
deck；　she　walked　away　on　a　sudden　to　the　stern　of　the　vessel。　In
a　minute　more　there　was　a　cry　of　alarm　from　the　man　at　the　helm；
and　the　engines　were　stopped　immediately。　The　woman　had　thrown
herself　overboard。

The　passenge