for the term of his natural life-第116章

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THE　STRANGE　BEHAVIOUR　OF　Mr。　NORTH。



On　or　about　the　8th　of　December；　Mrs。　Frere　noticed　a　sudden　and　unaccountable　change　in　the　manner　of　the　chaplain。　　He　came　to　her　one　afternoon；　and；　after　talking　for　some　time；　in　a　vague　and　unconnected　manner；　about　the　miseries　of　the　prison　and　the　wretched　condition　of　some　of　the　prisoners；　began　to　question　her　abruptly　concerning　Rufus　Dawes。

〃I　do　not　wish　to　think　of　him；〃　said　she；　with　a　shudder。　　〃I　have　the　strangest；　the　most　horrible　dreams　about　him。　　He　is　a　bad　man。　He　tried　to　murder　me　when　a　child；　and　had　it　not　been　for　my　husband；　he　would　have　done　so。　　I　have　only　seen　him　once　since　thenat　Hobart　Town；　when　he　was　taken。〃　〃He　sometimes　speaks　to　me　of　you；〃　said　North；　eyeing　her。　〃He　asked　me　once　to　give　him　a　rose　plucked　in　your　garden。〃

Sylvia　turned　pale。　　〃And　you　gave　it　him？〃

〃Yes；　I　gave　it　him。　　Why　not？〃

〃It　was　valueless；　of　course；　but　stillto　a　convict？〃

〃You　are　not　angry？〃

〃Oh；　no！　　Why　should　I　be　angry？〃　　she　laughed　constrainedly。　　〃It　was　a　strange　fancy　for　the　man　to　have；　that's　all。〃

〃I　suppose　you　would　not　give　me　another　rose；　if　I　asked　you。〃

〃Why　not？〃　said　she；　turning　away　uneasily。　　〃You？　　You　are　a　gentleman。〃

〃Not　Iyou　don't　know　me。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃I　mean　that　it　would　be　better　for　you　if　you　had　never　seen　me。〃

〃Mr。　North！〃　Terrified　at　the　wild　gleam　in　his　eyes；　she　had　risen　hastily。　〃You　are　talking　very　strangely。〃

　〃Oh；　don't　be　alarmed；　madam。　　I　am　not　drunk！〃he　pronounced　the　word　　with　a　fierce　energy。　　〃I　had　better　leave　you。　　Indeed；　I　think　the　less　　we　see　of　each　other　the　better。〃

Deeply　wounded　and　astonished　at　this　extraordinary　outburst；　Sylvia　allowed　him　to　stride　away　without　a　word。　　She　saw　him　pass　through　the　garden　and　slam　the　little　gate；　but　she　did　not　see　the　agony　on　his　face；　or　the　passionate　gesture　with　whichwhen　out　of　eyeshot　he　lamented　the　voluntary　abasement　of　himself　before　her。　　She　thought　over　his　conduct　with　growing　fear。　　It　was　not　possible　that　he　was　intoxicatedsuch　a　vice　was　the　last　one　of　which　she　could　have　believed　him　guilty。　　It　was　more　probable　that　some　effects　of　the　fever；　which　had　recently　confined　him　to　his　house；　yet　lingered。　　So　she　thought；　and；　thinking；　was　alarmed　to　realize　of　how　much　importance　the　well…being　of　this　man　was　to　her。

The　next　day　he　met　her；　and；　bowing；　passed　swiftly。　　This　pained　her。　Could　she　have　offended　him　by　some　unlucky　word？　　She　made　Maurice　ask　him　to　dinner；　and；　to　her　astonishment；　he　pleaded　illness　as　an　excuse　for　not　coming。　　Her　pride　was　hurt；　and　she　sent　him　back　his　books　and　music。　A　curiosity　that　was　unworthy　of　her　compelled　her　to　ask　the　servant　who　carried　the　parcel　what　the　clergyman　had　said。　　〃He　said　nothing　only　laughed。〃　　　Laughed！　　In　scorn　of　her　foolishness！　　His　conduct　was　ungentlemanly　and　intemperate。　　She　would　forget；　as　speedily　as　possible；　that　such　a　being　had　ever　existed。　　This　resolution　taken；　she　was　unusually　patient　with　her　husband。

So　a　week　passed；　and　Mr。　North　did　not　return。　　Unluckily　for　the　poor　wretch；　the　very　self…sacrifice　he　had　made　brought　about　the　precise　condition　of　things　which　he　was　desirous　to　avoid。　　It　is　possible　that；　had　the　acquaintance　between　them　continued　on　the　same　staid　footing；　it　would　have　followed　the　lot　of　most　acquaintanceships　of　the　kind　other　circumstances　and　other　scenes　might　have　wiped　out　the　memory　of　all　but　common　civilities　between　them；　and　Sylvia　might　never　have　discovered　that　she　had　for　the　chaplain　any　other　feeling　but　that　of　esteem。　　But　the　very　fact　of　the　sudden　wrenching　away　of　her　soul…companion；　showed　her　how　barren　was　the　solitary　life　to　which　she　had　been　fated。　　Her　husband；　she　had　long　ago　admitted；　with　bitter　self…communings；　was　utterly　unsuited　to　her。　　She　　could　find　in　his　society　no　enjoyment；　and　for　the　sympathy　which　she　needed　was　compelled　to　turn　elsewhere。　　She　understood　that　his　love　for　her　had　burnt　itself　outshe　confessed；　with　intensity　of　self…degradation；　that　his　apparent　affection　had　been　born　of　sensuality；　and　had　perished　in　the　fires　it　had　itself　kindled。　　Many　women　have；　unhappily；　made　some　such　discovery　as　this；　but　for　most　women　there　is　some　distracting　occupation。　　Had　it　been　Sylvia's　fate　to　live　in　the　midst　of　fashion　and　society；　she　would　have　found　relief　in　the　conversation　of　the　witty；　or　the　homage　of　the　distinguished。　　Had　fortune　cast　her　lot　in　a　city；　Mrs。　Frere　might　have　become　one　of　those　charming　women　who　collect　around　their　supper…tables　whatever　of　male　intellect　is　obtainable；　and　who　find　the　husband　admirably　useful　to　open　his　own　champagne　bottles。　　The　celebrated　women　who　have　stepped　out　of　their　domestic　circles　to　enchant　or　astonish　the　world；　have　almost　invariably　been　cursed　with　unhappy　homes。　　But　poor　Sylvia　was　not　destined　to　this　fortune。　　Cast　back　upon　herself；　she　found　no　surcease　of　pain　in　her　own　imaginings；　and　meeting　with　a　man　sufficiently　her　elder　to　encourage　her　to　talk；　and　sufficiently　clever　to　induce　her　to　seek　his　society　and　his　advice；　she　learnt；　for　the　first　time；　to　forget　her　own　griefs；　for　the　first　time　she　suffered　her　nature　to　expand　under　the　sun　of　a　congenial　influence。　　This　sun；　suddenly　withdrawn；　her　soul；　grown　accustomed　to　the　warmth　and　light；　shivered　at　the　gloom；　and　she　looked　about　her　in　dismay　at　the　dull　and　barren　prospect　of　life　which　lay　before　her。　　In　a　word；　she　found　that　the　society　of　North　had　become　so　far　necessary　to　her　that　to　be　deprived　of　it　was　a　griefnotwithstanding　that　her　husband　remained　to　console　her。

After　a　week　of　such　reflections；　the　barrenness　of　life　grew　insupportable　to　her；　and　one　day　she　came　to　Maurice　and　begged　to　be　sent　back　to　Hobart　Town。　　〃I　cannot　live　in　this　horrible　island；〃　she　said。　〃I　am　getting　ill。　　Let　me　go　to　my　father　for　a　few　months；　Maurice。〃　Maurice　consented。　　His　wife　was　looking　ill；　and　Major　Vickers　was　an　old　mana　rich　old　manwho　loved　his　only　daughter。　　It　was　not　undesirable　that　Mrs。　Frere　should　visit　her　father；　indeed；　so　little　sympathy　was　there　between　the　pair　that；　the　first　astonishment　over；　Maurice　felt　rather　glad　to　get　rid　of　her　for　a　while。　　〃You　can　go　back　in　the　Lady　Franklin　if　you　like；　　my　dear；〃　he　said。　　〃I　expect　her　every　day。〃　　At　this　decisionmuch　to　his　surpriseshe　kissed　him　with　more　show　of　affection　than　she　had　manifested　since　the　death　of　her　child。

The　news　of　the　approaching　departure　became　known；　but　still　North　did　not　make　his　appearance。　　Had　it　not　been　a　step　beneath　the　dignity　of　a　woman；　Mrs。　Frere　would　have　gone　herself　and　asked　him　the　meaning　of　his　unaccountable　rudeness；　but　there　was　just　sufficient　morbidity　in　the　sympathy　she　had　for　him　to　restrain　her　from　an　act　which　a　young　girlthough　not　more　innocent…　would　have　dared　without　hesitation。　Calling　one　day　upon　the　wife　of　the　surgeon；　however；　she　met　the　chaplain　face　to　face；　and　with　the　consummate　art　of　acting　which　most　women　possess；　rallied　him　upon　his　absence　from　her　house。　　The　behaviour　of　the　poor　devil；　thus　stabbed　to　the　heart；　was　curious。　　He　forgot　gentlemanly　behaviour　and　the　respect　due　to　a　woman；　flung　one　despairingly　angry　glance　at　her　and　abruptly　retired。　　Sylvia　flushed　crimson；　and　endeavoured　to　excuse　North　on　account　of　his　recent　illness。　　The　surgeon's　wife　looked　askance；　and　turned　the　conversation。　　The　next　time　Sylvia　bowed　to　this　lady；　she　got　a　chilling　salute　in　return　that　made　her　blood　boil。　〃I　wonder　how　I　have　offended　Mrs。　Field？〃　she　asked　Maurice。　〃She　almost　cut　me　to…day。〃　　〃Oh；　the　old　cat！〃　returned　Maurice。　〃What　does　it　matter　if　she　did？〃　　However；　a　few　days　afterwards；　it　seemed　that　it　did　matter；　for　Maurice　called　upon　Field　and　conversed　seriously　with　him。　　The　issue　of　the　conversation　being　reported　to　Mrs。　Frere；　the　lady　wept　indignant　tears　of　wounded　pride　and　shame。　It　appeared　that　North　had　watched　her　out　of　the　house；　returned；　and　relatedin　a　〃stumbling；　hesitating　way〃；　Mrs。　Field　saidhow　he　disliked　Mrs。　Frere；　how　he　did　not