desperate remedies-第50章

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perceptible。　　Though　indoors　with　Edward　or　Adelaide　nearly　the
whole　of　the　afternoon；　nothing　more　than　monosyllabic　replies　could
be　drawn　from　him。　　Edward　continually　discovered　him　looking
fixedly　at　the　wall　or　floor；　quite　unconscious　of　another's
presence。　　At　supper　he　ate　just　as　usual；　but　quite　mechanically；
and　with　the　same　abstraction。

4。　　DECEMBER　THE　THIRD

The　next　morning　he　was　in　no　better　spirits。　　Afternoon　came：　　his
son　was　alarmed；　and　managed　to　draw　from　him　an　account　of　the
conversation　with　the　steward。

'Nonsense；　he　knows　nothing　about　it；'　said　Edward　vehemently。
'I'll　see　Miss　Aldclyffe　myself。　　Now　promise　me；　father；　that
you'll　not　believe　till　I　come　back；　and　tell　you　to　believe　it；
that　Miss　Aldclyffe　will　do　any　such　unjust　thing。'

Edward　started　at　once　for　Knapwater　House。　　He　strode　rapidly　along
the　high…road；　till　he　reached　a　wicket　where　a　footpath　allowed　of
a　short　cut　to　the　mansion。　　Here　he　leant　down　upon　the　bars　for　a
few　minutes；　meditating　as　to　the　best　manner　of　opening　his　speech；
and　surveying　the　scene　before　him　in　that　absent　mood　which　takes
cognizance　of　little　things　without　being　conscious　of　them　at　the
time；　though　they　appear　in　the　eye　afterwards　as　vivid　impressions。
It　was　a　yellow；　lustrous；　late　autumn　day；　one　of　those　days　of　the
quarter　when　morning　and　evening　seem　to　meet　together　without　the
intervention　of　a　noon。　　The　clear　yellow　sunlight　had　tempted　forth
Miss　Aldclyffe　herself；　who　was　at　this　same　time　taking　a　walk　in
the　direction　of　the　village。　　As　Springrove　lingered　he　heard
behind　the　plantation　a　woman's　dress　brushing　along　amid　the
prickly　husks　and　leaves　which　had　fallen　into　the　path　from　the
boughs　of　the　chestnut　trees。　　In　another　minute　she　stood　in　front
of　him。

He　answered　her　casual　greeting　respectfully；　and　was　about　to
request　a　few　minutes'　conversation　with　her；　when　she　directly
addressed　him　on　the　subject　of　the　fire。　　'It　is　a　sad　misfortune
for　your　father'　she　said；　'and　I　hear　that　he　has　lately　let　his
insurances　expire？'

'He　has；　madam；　and　you　are　probably　aware　that　either　by　the
general　terms　of　his　holding；　or　the　same　coupled　with　the　origin　of
the　fire；　the　disaster　may　involve　the　necessity　of　his　rebuilding
the　whole　row　of　houses；　or　else　of　becoming　a　debtor　to　the　estate；
to　the　extent　of　some　hundreds　of　pounds？'

She　assented。　　'I　have　been　thinking　of　it；'　she　went　on；　and　then
repeated　in　substance　the　words　put　into　her　mouth　by　the　steward。
Some　disturbance　of　thought　might　have　been　fancied　as　taking　place
in　Springrove's　mind　during　her　statement；　but　before　she　had
reached　the　end；　his　eyes　were　clear；　and　directed　upon　her。

'I　don't　accept　your　conditions　of　release；'　he　said。

'They　are　not　conditions　exactly。'

'Well；　whatever　they　are　not；　they　are　very　uncalled…for　remarks。'

'Not　at　allthe　houses　have　been　burnt　by　your　family's
negligence。'

'I　don't　refer　to　the　housesyou　have　of　course　the　best　of　all
rights　to　speak　of　that　matter；　but　you；　a　stranger　to　me
comparatively；　have　no　right　at　all　to　volunteer　opinions　and　wishes
upon　a　very　delicate　subject；　which　concerns　no　living　beings　but
Miss　Graye；　Miss　Hinton；　and　myself。'

Miss　Aldclyffe；　like　a　good　many　others　in　her　position；　had　plainly
not　realized　that　a　son　of　her　tenant　and　inferior　could　have　become
an　educated　man；　who　had　learnt　to　feel　his　individuality；　to　view
society　from　a　Bohemian　standpoint；　far　outside　the　farming　grade　in
Carriford　parish；　and　that　hence　he　had　all　a　developed　man's
unorthodox　opinion　about　the　subordination　of　classes。　　And　fully
conscious　of　the　labyrinth　into　which　he　had　wandered　between　his
wish　to　behave　honourably　in　the　dilemma　of　his　engagement　to　his
cousin　Adelaide　and　the　intensity　of　his　love　for　Cytherea；
Springrove　was　additionally　sensitive　to　any　allusion　to　the　case。
He　had　spoken　to　Miss　Aldclyffe　with　considerable　warmth。

And　Miss　Aldclyffe　was　not　a　woman　likely　to　be　far　behind　any
second　person　in　warming　to　a　mood　of　defiance。　　It　seemed　as　if　she
were　prepared　to　put　up　with　a　cold　refusal；　but　that　her
haughtiness　resented　a　criticism　of　her　conduct　ending　in　a　rebuke。
By　this；　Manston's　discreditable　object；　which　had　been　made　hers　by
compulsion　only；　was　now　adopted　by　choice。　　She　flung　herself　into
the　work。

A　fiery　man　in　such　a　case　would　have　relinquished　persuasion　and
tried　palpable　force。　　A　fiery　woman　added　unscrupulousness　and
evolved　daring　strategy；　and　in　her　obstinacy；　and　to　sustain
herself　as　mistress；　she　descended　to　an　action　the　meanness　of
which　haunted　her　conscience　to　her　dying　hour。

'I　don't　quite　see；　Mr。　Springrove；'　she　said；　'that　I　am　altogether
what　you　are　pleased　to　call　a　stranger。　　I　have　known　your　family；
at　any　rate；　for　a　good　many　years；　and　I　know　Miss　Graye
particularly　well；　and　her　state　of　mind　with　regard　to　this
matter。'

Perplexed　love　makes　us　credulous　and　curious　as　old　women。　　Edward
was　willing；　he　owned　it　to　himself；　to　get　at　Cytherea's　state　of
mind；　even　through　so　dangerous　a　medium。

'A　letter　I　received　from　her'　he　said；　with　assumed　coldness；
'tells　me　clearly　enough　what　Miss　Graye's　mind　is。'

'You　think　she　still　loves　you？　　O　yes；　of　course　you　doall　men
are　like　that。'

'I　have　reason　to。'　　He　could　feign　no　further　than　the　first
speech。

'I　should　be　interested　in　knowing　what　reason？'　she　said；　with
sarcastic　archness。

Edward　felt　he　was　allowing　her　to　do；　in　fractional　parts；　what　he
rebelled　against　when　regarding　it　as　a　whole；　but　the　fact　that　his
antagonist　had　the　presence　of　a　queen；　and　features　only　in　the
early　evening　of　their　beauty；　was　not　without　its　influence　upon　a
keenly　conscious　man。　　Her　bearing　had　charmed　him　into　toleration；
as　Mary　Stuart's　charmed　the　indignant　Puritan　visitors。　　He　again
answered　her　honestly。

'The　best　of　reasonsthe　tone　of　her　letter。'

'Pooh；　Mr。　Springrove！'

'Not　at　all；　Miss　Aldclyffe！　　Miss　Graye　desired　that　we　should　be
strangers　to　each　other　for　the　simple　practical　reason　that
intimacy　could　only　make　wretched　complications　worse；　not　from　lack
of　lovelove　is　only　suppressed。'

'Don't　you　know　yet；　that　in　thus　putting　aside　a　man；　a　woman's
pity　for　the　pain　she　inflicts　gives　her　a　kindness　of　tone　which　is
often　mistaken　for　suppressed　love？'　said　Miss　Aldclyffe；　with　soft
insidiousness。

This　was　a　translation　of　the　ambiguity　of　Cytherea's　tone　which　he
had　certainly　never　thought　of；　and　he　was　too　ingenuous　not　to　own
it。

'I　had　never　thought　of　it；'　he　said。

'And　don't　believe　it？'

'Not　unless　there　was　some　other　evidence　to　support　the　view。'

She　paused　a　minute　and　then　began　hesitatingly

'My　intention　waswhat　I　did　not　dream　of　owning　to　youmy
intention　was　to　try　to　induce　you　to　fulfil　your　promise　to　Miss
Hinton　not　solely　on　her　account　and　yours　（though　partly）。　　I　love
Cytherea　Graye　with　all　my　soul；　and　I　want　to　see　her　happy　even
more　than　I　do　you。　　I　did　not　mean　to　drag　her　name　into　the　affair
at　all；　but　I　am　driven　to　say　that　she　wrote　that　letter　of
dismissal　to　youfor　it　was　a　most　pronounced　dismissalnot　on
account　of　your　engagement。　　She　is　old　enough　to　know　that
engagements　can　be　broken　as　easily　as　they　can　be　made。　　She　wrote
it　because　she　loved　another　man；　very　suddenly；　and　not　with　any
idea　or　hope　of　marrying　him；　but　none　the　less　deeply。'

'Who？'

'Mr。　Manston。'

'Good　…！　　I　can't　listen　to　you　for　an　instant；　madam；　why；　she
hadn't　seen　him！'

'She　had；　he　came　here　the　day　before　she　wrote　to　you；　and　I　could
prove　to　you；　if　it　were　worth　while；　that　on　that　day　she　went
voluntarily　to　his　house；　though　not　artfully　or　blamably；　stayed
for　two　hours　playing　and　singing；　that　no　sooner　did　she　leave　him
than　she　went　straight　home；　and　wrote　the　letter　saying　she　should
not　see　you　again；　entirely　because　she　had　seen　him　and　fallen
desperately　in　love　with　hima　perfectly　natural　thing　for　a　young
girl　to　do；　considering　that　he's　the　handsomest　man　in　the　county。
Why　else　should　she　not　have　writte