armadale-第31章

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and　murder　is　not　dead　yet。　Read　those　words。〃

He　pushed　the　page　across　the　table；　with　his　finger　on　one
sentence。　Midwinter's　agitation　misled　him。　He　mistook　the
indication；　and　read；　〃Avoid　the　widow　of　the　man　I　killed；　if
the　widow　still　lives。〃

〃Not　that　sentence；〃　said　the　rector。　〃The　next。〃

Midwinter　read　it：　〃Avoid　the　maid　whose　wicked　hand　smoothed　the
way　to　the　marriage；　if　the　maid　is　still　in　her　service。〃

〃The　maid　and　the　mistress　parted；〃　said　Mr。　Brock；　〃at　the　time
of　the　mistress's　marriage。　The　maid　and　the　mistress　met　again
at　Mrs。　Armadale's　residence　in　Somersetshire　last　year。　I　myself
met　the　woman　in　the　village；　and　I　myself　know　that　her　visit
hastened　Mrs。　Armadale's　death。　Wait　a　little；　and　compose
yourself；　I　see　I　have　startled　you。〃

He　waited　as　he　was　bid；　his　color　fading　away　to　a　gray　paleness
and　the　light　in　his　clear　brown　eyes　dying　out　slowly。　What　the
rector　had　said　had　produced　no　transient　impression　on　him；
there　was　more　than　doubt；　there　was　alarm　in　his　face；　as　he　sat
lost　in　his　own　thought。　Was　the　struggle　of　the　past　night
renewing　itself　already？　Did　he　feel　the　horror　of　his　hereditary
superstition　creeping　over　him　again？

〃Can　you　put　me　on　my　guard　against　her？〃　he　asked；　after　a　long
interval　of　silence。　〃Can　you　tell　me　her　name？〃

〃I　can　only　tell　you　what　Mrs。　Armadale　told　me；〃　answered　Mr。
Brock。　〃The　woman　acknowledged　having　been　married　in　the　long
interval　since　she　and　her　mistress　had　last　met。　But　not　a　word
more　escaped　her　about　her　past　life。　She　came　to　Mrs。　Armadale
to　ask　for　money；　under　a　plea　of　distress。　She　got　the　money；
and　she　left　the　house；　positively　refusing；　when　the　question
was　put　to　her；　to　mention　her　married　name。〃

〃You　saw　her　yourself　in　the　village。　What　was　she　like？〃

〃She　kept　her　veil　down。　I　can't　tell　you。〃

〃You　can　tell　me　what　you　_did_　see？〃

〃Certainly。　I　saw；　as　she　approached　me；　that　she　moved　very
gracefully；　that　she　had　a　beautiful　figure；　and　that　she　was　a
little　over　the　middle　height。　I　noticed；　when　she　asked　me　the
way　to　Mrs。　Armadale's　house；　that　her　manner　was　the　manner　of　a
lady；　and　that　the　tone　of　her　voice　was　remarkably　soft　and
winning。　Lastly；　I　remembered　afterward　that　she　wore　a　thick
black　veil；　a　black　bonnet；　a　black　silk　dress；　and　a　red　Paisley
shawl。　I　feel　all　the　importance　of　your　possessing　some　better
means　of　identifying　her　than　I　can　give　you。　But　unhappily〃

He　stopped。　Midwinter　was　leaning　eagerly　across　the　table；　and
Midwinter's　hand　was　laid　suddenly　on　his　arm。

〃Is　it　possible　that　you　know　the　woman？〃　asked　Mr。　Brock；
surprised　at　the　sudden　change　in　his　manner。

〃No。〃

〃What　have　I　said；　then；　that　has　startled　you　so？〃

〃Do　you　remember　the　woman　who　threw　herself　from　the　river
steamer？〃　asked　the　other〃the　woman　who　caused　that　succession
of　deaths　which　opened　Allan　Armadale's　way　to　the　Thorpe　Ambrose
estate？〃

〃I　remember　the　description　of　her　in　the　police　report；〃
answered　the　rector。

〃_That_　woman；〃　pursued　Midwinter；　〃moved　gracefully；　and　had　a
beautiful　figure。　_That_　woman　wore　a　black　veil；　a　black　bonnet；
a　black　silk　gown；　and　a　red　Paisley　shawl〃　He　stopped；
released　his　hold　of　Mr。　Brock's　arm；　and　abruptly　resumed　his
chair。　〃Can　it　be　the　same？〃　he　said　to　himself　in　a　whisper。
〃_Is_　there　a　fatality　that　follows　men　in　the　dark？　And　is　it
following　_us_　in　that　woman's　footsteps？〃

If　the　conjecture　was　right；　the　one　event　in　the　past　which　had
appeared　to　be　entirely　disconnected　with　the　events　that　had
preceded　it　was；　on　the　contrary；　the　one　missing　link　which　made
the　chain　complete。　Mr。　Brock's　comfortable　common　sense
instinctively　denied　that　startling　conclusion。　He　looked　at
Midwinter　with　a　compassionate　smile。

〃My　young　friend；〃　he　said；　kindly；　〃have　you　cleared　your　mind
of　all　superstition　as　completely　as　you　think？　Is　what　you　have
just　said　worthy　of　the　bet　ter　resolution　at　which　you　arrived
last　night？〃

Midwinter's　head　drooped　on　his　breast；　the　color　rushed　back
over　his　face；　he　sighed　bitterly。

〃You　are　beginning　to　doubt　my　sincerity；〃　he　said。　〃I　can't
blame　you。〃

〃I　believe　in　your　sincerity　as　firmly　as　ever；〃　answered　Mr。
Brock。　〃I　only　doubt　whether　you　have　fortified　the　weak　places
in　your　nature　as　strongly　as　you　yourself　suppose。　Many　a　man
has　lost　the　battle　against　himself　far　oftener　than　you　have
lost　it　yet；　and　has　nevertheless　won　his　victory　in　the　end。　I
don't　blame　you；　I　don't　distrust　you。　I　only　notice　what　has
happened；　to　put　you　on　your　guard　against　yourself。　Come！　come！
Let　your　own　better　sense　help　you；　and　you　will　agree　with　me
that　there　is　really　no　evidence　to　justify　the　suspicion　that
the　woman　whom　I　met　in　Somersetshire；　and　the　woman　who
attempted　suicide　in　London；　are　one　and　the　same。　Need　an　old
man　like　me　remind　a　young　man　like　you　that　there　are　thousands
of　women　in　England　with　beautiful　figuresthousands　of　women
who　are　quietly　dressed　in　black　silk　gowns　and　red　Paisley
shawls？〃

Midwinter　caught　eagerly　at　the　suggestion；　too　eagerly；　as　it
might　have　occurred　to　a　harder　critic　on　humanity　than　Mr。
Brock。

〃You　are　quite　right；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　am　quite　wrong。　Tens
of　thousands　of　women　answer　the　description；　as　you　say。　I　have
been　wasting　time　on　my　own　idle　fancies；　when　I　ought　to　have
been　carefully　gathering　up　facts。　If　this　woman　ever　attempts　to
find　her　way　to　Allan；　I　must　be　prepared　to　stop　her。〃　He　began
searching　restlessly　among　the　manuscript　leaves　scattered　about
the　table；　paused　over　one　of　the　pages；　and　examined　it
attentively。　'This　helps　me　to　something　positive；〃　he　went　on；
〃this　helps　me　to　a　knowledge　of　her　age。　She　was　twelve　at　the
time　of　Mrs。　Armadale's　marriage；　add　a　year；　and　bring　her　to
thirteen；　add　Allan's　age　（twenty…two）；　and　we　make　her　a　woman
of　five…and…thirty　at　the　present　time。　I　know　her　age；　and　I
know　that　she　has　her　own　reasons　for　being　silent　about　her
married　life。　This　is　something　gained　at　the　outset；　and　it　may
lead；　in　time；　to　something　more。〃　He　looked　up　brightly　again　at
Mr。　Brock。　〃Am　I　in　the　right　way　now；　sir？　Am　I　doing　my　best　to
profit　by　the　caution　which　you　have　kindly　given　me？〃

〃You　are　vindicating　your　own　better　sense；〃　answered　the　rector；
encouraging　him　to　trample　down　his　own　imagination；　with　an
Englishman's　ready　distrust　of　the　noblest　of　the　human
faculties。　〃You　are　paving　the　way　for　your　own　happier　life。〃

〃Am　I？〃　said　the　other；　thoughtfully。

He　searched　among　the　papers　once　more；　and　stopped　at　another　of
the　scattered　pages。

〃The　ship！〃　he　exclaimed；　suddenly；　his　color　changing　again；　and
his　manner　altering　on　the　instant。

〃What　ship？〃　asked　the　rector。

〃The　ship　in　which　the　deed　was　done；〃　Midwinter　answered；　with
the　first　signs　of　impatience　that　he　had　shown　yet。　〃The　ship　in
which　my　father's　murderous　hand　turned　the　lock　of　the　cabin
door。〃

〃What　of　it？〃　said　Mr。　Brock。

He　appeared　not　to　hear　the　question；　his　eyes　remained　fixed
intently　on　the　page　that　he　was　reading。

〃A　French　vessel；　employed　in　the　timber　trade；〃　he　said；　still
speaking　to　himself〃a　French　vessel；　named　_La　Grace　de　Dieu。_
If　my　father's　belief　had　been　the　right　beliefif　the　fatality
had　been　following　me；　step　by　step；　from　my　father's　grave；　in
one　or　other　of　my　voyages；　I　should　have　fallen　in　with　that
ship。〃　He　looked　up　again　at　Mr。　Brock。　〃I　am　quite　sure　about　it
now；〃　he　said。　〃Those　women　are　two；　and　not　one。〃

Mr。　Brock　shook　his　head。

〃I　am　glad　you　have　come　to　that　conclusion；〃　he　said。　〃But　I
wish　you　had　reached　it　in　some　other　way。〃

Midwinter　started　passionately　to　his　feet；　and；　seizing　on　the
pages　of　the　manuscript　with　both　hands；　flung　them　into　the
empty　fireplace。

〃For　God's　sake　let　me　burn　it！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃As　long　as　there
is　a　page　left；　I　shall　read　it。　And；　as　long　as　I　read　it；　my
father　gets　the　better　of　me；　in　spite　of　myself！〃

Mr。　Brock　pointed　to　the　match…box。　In　another　moment　the
confession　was　in　flames。　When　the　fire　had　consumed