armadale-第24章

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Allan's　kindness　to　him　with　the　same　undisciplined　fervor　of
gratitude　and　surprise。　〃I　have　done　what　I　could；　sir；〃　he　said
to　Mr。　Brock；　while　Allan　was　asleep　in　the　railway　carriage。　〃I
have　kept　out　of　Mr。　Armadale's　way；　and　I　have　not　even　answered
his　last　letter　to　me。　More　than　that　is　more　than　I　can　do。　I
don't　ask　you　to　consider　my　own　feeling　toward　the　only　human
creature　who　has　never　suspected　and　never　ill…treated　me。　I　can
resist　my　own　feeling；　but　I　can't　resist　the　young　gentleman
himself。　There's　not　another　like　him　in　the　world。　If　we　are　to
be　parted　again；　it　must　be　his　doing　or　yoursnot　mine。　The
dog's　master　has　whistled；〃　said　this　strange　man；　with　a
momentary　outburst　of　the　hidden　passion　in　him；　and　a　sudden
springing　of　angry　tears　in　his　wild　brown　eyes；　〃and　it　is　hard；
sir；　to　blame　the　dog　when　the　dog　comes。〃

Once　more　Mr。　Brock's　humanity　got　the　better　of　Mr。　Brock's
caution。　He　determined　to　wait；　and　see　what　the　coming　days　of
social　intercourse　might　bring　forth。

The　days　passed；　the　yacht　was　rigged　and　fitted　for　sea；　a
cruise　was　arranged　to　the　Welsh　coastand　Midwinter　the　Secret
was　the　same　Midwinter　still。　Confinement　on　board　a　little
vessel　of　five…and…thirty　tons　offered　no　great　attraction　to　a
man　of　Mr。　Brock's　time　of　life。　But　he　sailed　on　the　trial　trip
of　the　yacht　nevertheless；　rather　than　trust　Allan　alone　with　his
new　friend。

Would　the　close　companionship　of　the　three　on　their　cruise　tempt
the　man　into　talking　of　his　own　affairs？　No；　he　was　ready　enough
on　other　subjects；　especially　if　Allan　led　the　way　to　them。　But
not　a　word　escaped　him　about　himself。　Mr。　Brock　tried　him　with
questions　about　his　recent　inheritance；　and　was　answered　as　he
had　been　answered　once　already　at　the　Somersetshire　inn。　It　was　a
curious　coincidence；　Midwinter　admitted；　that　Mr。　Armadale's
prospects　and　his　own　prospects　should　both　have　unexpectedly
changed　for　the　better　about　the　same　time。　But　there　the
resemblance　ended。　It　was　no　large　fortune　that　had　fallen　into
his　lap；　though　it　was　enough　for　his　wants。　It　had　not
reconciled　him　with　his　relations；　for　the　money　had　not　come　to
him　as　a　matter　of　kindness；　but　as　a　matter　of　right。　As　for　the
circumstance　which　had　led　to　his　communicating　with　his　family；
it　was　not　worth　mentioning；　seeing　that　the　temporary　renewal　of
intercourse　which　had　followed　had　produced　no　friendly　results。
Nothing　had　come　of　it　but　the　moneyand；　with　the　money；　an
anxiety　which　troubled　him　sometimes；　when　he　woke　in　the　small
hours　of　the　morning。

At　those　last　words　he　became　suddenly　silent；　as　if　for　once　his
well…guarded　tongue　had　betrayed　him。

Mr。　Brock　seized　the　opportunity；　and　bluntly　asked　him　what　the
nature　of　the　anxiety　might　be。　Did　it　relate　to　money？　No；　it
related　to　a　Letter　which　had　been　waiting　for　him　for　many
years。　Had　he　received　the　letter？　Not　yet；　it　had　been　left
under　charge　of　one　of　the　partners　in　the　firm　which　had　man
aged　the　business　of　his　inheritance　for　him；　the　partner　had
been　absent　from　England；　and　the　letter；　locked　up　among　his　own
private　papers；　could　not　be　got　at　till　he　returned。　He　was
expected　back　toward　the　latter　part　of　that　present　May；　and；　if
Midwinter　could　be　sure　where　the　cruise　would　take　them　to　at
the　close　of　the　month；　he　thought　he　would　write　and　have　the
letter　forwarded。　Had　he　any　family　reasons　to　be　anxious　about
it？　None　that　he　knew　of；　he　was　curious　to　see　what　had　been
waiting　for　him　for　many　years；　and　that　was　all。　So　he　answered
the　rector's　questions；　with　his　tawny　face　turned　away　over　the
low　bulwark　of　the　yacht；　and　his　fishing…line　dragging　in　his
supple　brown　hands。

Favored　by　wind　and　weather；　the　little　vessel　had　done　wonders
on　her　trial　trip。　Before　the　period　fixed　for　the　duration　of
the　cruise　had　half　expired；　the　yacht　was　as　high　up　on　the
Welsh　coast　as　Holyhead；　and　Allan；　eager　for　adventure　in
unknown　regions；　had　declared　boldly　for　an　extension　of　the
voyage　northward　to　the　Isle　of　Man。　Having　ascertained　from
reliable　authority　that　the　weather　really　promised　well　for　a
cruise　in　that　quarter；　and　that；　in　the　event　of　any　unforeseen
necessity　for　return；　the　railway　was　accessible　by　the　steamer
from　Douglas　to　Liverpool；　Mr。　Brock　agreed　to　his　pupil's
proposal。　By　that　night's　post　he　wrote　to　Allan's　lawyers　and　to
his　own　rectory；　indicating　Douglas　in　the　Isle　of　Man　as　the
next　address　to　which　letters　might　be　forwarded。　At　the
post…office　he　met　Midwinter；　who　had　just　dropped　a　letter　into
the　box。　Remembering　what　he　had　said　on　board　the　yacht；　Mr。
Brock　concluded　that　they　had　both　taken　the　same　precaution；　and
had　ordered　their　correspondence　to　be　forwarded　to　the　same
place。

Late　the　next　day　they　set　sail　for　the　Isle　of　Man。

For　a　few　hours　all　went　well；　but　sunset　brought　with　it　the
signs　of　a　coming　change。　With　the　darkness　the　wind　rose　to　a
gale；　and　the　question　whether　Allan　and　his　journeymen　had　or
had　not　built　a　stout　sea…boat　was　seriously　tested　for　the　first
time。　All　that　night；　after　trying　vainly　to　bear　up　for
Holyhead；　the　little　vessel　kept　the　sea；　and　stood　her　trial
bravely。　The　next　morning　the　Isle　of　Man　was　in　view；　and　the
yacht　was　safe　at　Castletown。　A　survey　by　daylight　of　hull　and
rigging　showed　that　all　the　damage　done　might　be　set　right　again
in　a　week's　time。　The　cruising　party　had　accordingly　remained　at
Castletown；　Allan　being　occupied　in　superintending　the　repairs；
Mr。　Brock　in　exploring　the　neighborhood；　and　Midwinter　in　making
daily　pilgrimages　on　foot　to　Douglas　and　back　to　inquire　for
letters。

The　first　of　the　cruising　party　who　received　a　letter　was　Allan。
〃More　worries　from　those　everlasting　lawyers；〃　was　all　he　said；
when　he　had　read　the　letter；　and　had　crumpled　it　up　in　his
pocket。　The　rector's　turn　came　next；　before　the　week's　sojourn　at
Castletown　had　expired。　On　the　fifth　day　he　found　a　letter　from
Somersetshire　waiting　for　him　at　the　hotel。　It　had　been　brought
there　by　Midwinter；　and　it　contained　news　which　entirely
overthrew　all　Mr。　Brock's　holiday　plans。　The　clergyman　who　had
undertaken　to　do　duty　for　him　in　his　absence　had　been
unexpectedly　summoned　home　again；　and　Mr。　Brock　had　no　choice
（the　day　of　the　week　being　Friday）　but　to　cross　the　next　morning
from　Douglass　to　Liverpool；　and　get　back　by　railway　on　Saturday
night　in　time　for　Sunday's　service。

Having　read　his　letter；　and　resigned　himself　to　his　altered
circumstances　as　patiently　as　he　might；　the　rector　passed　next　to
a　question　that　pressed　for　serious　consideration　in　its　turn。
Burdened　with　his　heavy　responsibility　toward　Allan；　and
conscious　of　his　own　undiminished　distrust　of　Allan's　new　friend；
how　was　he　to　act；　in　the　emergency　that　now　beset　him；　toward
the　two　young　men　who　had　been　his　companions　on　the　cruise？

Mr。　Brock　had　first　asked　himself　that　awkward　question　on　the
Friday　afternoon；　and　he　was　still　trying　vainly　to　answer　it；
alone　in　his　own　room；　at　one　o'clock　on　the　Saturday　morning。　It
was　then　only　the　end　of　May；　and　the　residence　of　the　ladies　at
Thorpe　Ambrose　（unless　they　chose　to　shorten　it　of　their　own
accord）　would　not　expire　till　the　middle　of　June。　Even　if　the
repairs　of　the　yacht　had　been　completed　（which　was　not　the　case）；
there　was　no　possible　pretense　for　hurrying　Allan　back　to
Somersetshire。　But　one　other　alternative　remainedto　leave　him
where　he　was。　In　other　words；　to　leave　him；　at　the　turning…point
of　his　life；　under　the　sole　influence　of　a　man　whom　he　had　first
met　with　as　a　castaway　at　a　village　inn；　and　who　was　still；　to
all　practical　purposes；　a　total　stranger　to　him。

In　despair　of　obtaining　any　better　means　of　enlightenment　to
guide　his　decision；　Mr。　Brock　reverted　to　the　impression　which
Midwinter　had　produced　on　his　own　mind　in　the　familiarity　of　the
cruise。

Young　as　he　was；　the　ex…usher　had　evidently　lived　a　varied　life。
He　could　speak　of　books　like　a　man　who　had　really　enjoyed　them；
he　could　take　his　turn　at　the　helm　like　a　sailor　who　knew　his
duty；　he　could　cook；　and　climb　the　rigging；　and　lay　the