desperate remedies-第70章

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It　was　half…past　twelve　when　Manston　moved；　as　if　he　had　come　to　a
determination。

The　first　thing　he　did　the　next　morning　was　to　call　at　Knapwater
House；　where　he　found　that　Miss　Aldclyffe　was　not　well　enough　to　see
him。　　She　had　been　ailing　from　slight　internal　haemorrhage　ever
since　the　confession　of　the　porter　Chinney。　　Apparently　not　much
aggrieved　at　the　denial；　he　shortly　afterwards　went　to　the　railway…
station　and　took　his　departure　for　London；　leaving　a　letter　for　Miss
Aldclyffe；　stating　the　reason　of　his　journey　thitherto　recover
traces　of　his　missing　wife。

During　the　remainder　of　the　week　paragraphs　appeared　in　the　local
and　other　newspapers；　drawing　attention　to　the　facts　of　this
singular　case。　　The　writers；　with　scarcely　an　exception；　dwelt
forcibly　upon　a　feature　which　had　at　first　escaped　the　observation
of　the　villagers；　including　Mr。　Raunhamthat　if　the　announcement　of
the　man　Chinney　were　true；　it　seemed　extremely　probable　that　Mrs。
Manston　left　her　watch　and　keys　behind　on　purpose　to　blind　people　as
to　her　escape；　and　that　therefore　she　would　not　now　let　herself　be
discovered；　unless　a　strong　pressure　were　put　upon　her。　　The　writers
added　that　the　police　were　on　the　track　of　the　porter；　who　very
possibly　had　absconded　in　the　fear　that　his　reticence　was　criminal；
and　that　Mr。　Manston；　the　husband；　was；　with　praiseworthy　energy；
making　every　effort　to　clear　the　whole　matter　up。

2。　　FROM　THE　EIGHTEENTH　TO　THE　END　OF　JANUARY

Five　days　from　the　time　of　his　departure；　Manston　returned　from
London　and　Liverpool；　looking　very　fatigued　and　thoughtful。　　He
explained　to　the　rector　and　other　of　his　acquaintance　that　all　the
inquiries　he　had　made　at　his　wife's　old　lodgings　and　his　own　had
been　totally　barren　of　results。

But　he　seemed　inclined　to　push　the　affair　to　a　clear　conclusion　now
that　he　had　commenced。　　After　the　lapse　of　another　day　or　two　he
proceeded　to　fulfil　his　promise　to　the　rector；　and　advertised　for
the　missing　woman　in　three　of　the　London　papers。　　The　advertisement
was　a　carefully　considered　and　even　attractive　effusion；　calculated
to　win　the　heart；　or　at　least　the　understanding；　of　any　woman　who
had　a　spark　of　her　own　nature　left　in　her。

There　was　no　answer。

Three　days　later　he　repeated　the　experiment；　with　the　same　result　as
before。

'I　cannot　try　any　further；'　said　Manston　speciously　to　the　rector；
his　sole　auditor　throughout　the　proceedings。　　'Mr。　Raunham；　I'll
tell　you　the　truth　plainly：　　I　don't　love　her；　I　do　love　Cytherea；
and　the　whole　of　this　business　of　searching　for　the　other　woman　goes
altogether　against　me。　　I　hope　to　God　I　shall　never　see　her　again。'

'But　you　will　do　your　duty　at　least？'　said　Mr。　Raunham。

'I　have　done　it；'　said　Manston。　　'If　ever　a　man　on　the　face　of　this
earth　has　done　his　duty　towards　an　absent　wife；　I　have　towards　her
living　or　deadat　least；'　he　added；　correcting　himself；　'since　I
have　lived　at　Knapwater。　　I　neglected　her　before　that　timeI　own
that；　as　I　have　owned　it　before。'

'I　should；　if　I　were　you；　adopt　other　means　to　get　tidings　of　her　if
advertising　fails；　in　spite　of　my　feelings；'　said　the　rector
emphatically。　　'But　at　any　rate；　try　advertising　once　more。　　There's
a　satisfaction　in　having　made　any　attempt　three　several　times。'

When　Manston　had　left　the　study；　the　rector　stood　looking　at　the
fire　for　a　considerable　length　of　time；　lost　in　profound　reflection。
He　went　to　his　private　diary；　and　after　many　pauses；　which　he　varied
only　by　dipping　his　pen；　letting　it　dry；　wiping　it　on　his　sleeve；
and　then　dipping　it　again；　he　took　the　following　note　of　events：

'January　25。Mr。　Manston　has　just　seen　me　for　the　third　time　on　the
subject　of　his　lost　wife。　　There　have　been　these　peculiarities
attending　the　three　interviews：

'The　first。　　My　visitor；　whilst　expressing　by　words　his　great
anxiety　to　do　everything　for　her　recovery；　showed　plainly　by　his
bearing　that　he　was　convinced　he　should　never　see　her　again。

'The　second。　　He　had　left　off　feigning　anxiety　to　do　rightly　by　his
first　wife；　and　honestly　asked　after　Cytherea's　welfare。

'The　third　（and　most　remarkable）。　　He　seemed　to　have　lost　all
consistency。　　Whilst　expressing　his　love　for　Cytherea　（which
certainly　is　strong）　and　evincing　the　usual　indifference　to　the
first　Mrs。　Manston's　fate；　he　was　unable　to　conceal　the　intensity　of
his　eagerness　for　me　to　advise　him　to　ADVERTISE　AGAIN　for　her。'

A　week　after　the　second；　the　third　advertisement　was　inserted。　　A
paragraph　was　attached；　which　stated　that　this　would　be　the　last
time　the　announcement　would　appear。

3。　　THE　FIRST　OF　FEBRUARY

At　this；　the　eleventh　hour；　the　postman　brought　a　letter　for
Manston；　directed　in　a　woman's　hand。

A　bachelor　friend　of　the　steward's；　Mr。　Dickson　by　name；　who　was
somewhat　of　a　chattererplenus　rimarumand　who　boasted　of　an
endless　string　of　acquaintances；　had　come　over　from　Casterbridge　the
preceding　day　by　invitationan　invitation　which　had　been　a　pleasant
surprise　to　Dickson　himself；　insomuch　that　Manston；　as　a　rule；　voted
him　a　bore　almost　to　his　face。　　He　had　stayed　over　the　night；　and
was　sitting　at　breakfast　with　his　host　when　the　important　missive
arrived。

Manston　did　not　attempt　to　conceal　the　subject　of　the　letter；　or　the
name　of　the　writer。　　First　glancing　the　pages　through；　he　read　aloud
as　follows：

'〃MY　HUSBAND；I　implore　your　forgiveness。

'〃During　the　last　thirteen　months　I　have　repeated　to　myself　a
hundred　times　that　you　should　never　discover　what　I　voluntarily　tell
you　now；　namely；　that　I　am　alive　and　in　perfect　health。

'〃I　have　seen　all　your　advertisements。　　Nothing　but　your　persistence
has　won　me　round。　　Surely；　I　thought；　he　MUST　love　me　still。　　Why
else　should　he　try　to　win　back　a　woman　who；　faithful　unto　death　as
she　will　be；　can；　in　a　social　sense；　aid　him　towards　acquiring
nothing？rather　the　reverse；　indeed。

'〃You　yourself　state　my　own　mindthat　the　only　grounds　upon　which
we　can　meet　and　live　together；　with　a　reasonable　hope　of　happiness；
must　be　a　mutual　consent　to　bury　in　oblivion　all　past　differences。
I　heartily　and　willingly　forget　everythingand　forgive　everything。
You　will　do　the　same；　as　your　actions　show。

'〃There　will　be　plenty　of　opportunity　for　me　to　explain　the　few
facts　relating　to　my　escape　on　the　night　of　the　fire。　　I　will　only
give　the　heads　in　this　hurried　note。　　I　was　grieved　at　your　not
coming　to　fetch　me；　more　grieved　at　your　absence　from　the　station；
most　of　all　by　your　absence　from　home。　　On　my　journey　to　the　inn　I
writhed　under　a　passionate　sense　of　wrong　done　me。　　When　I　had　been
shown　to　my　room　I　waited　and　hoped　for　you　till　the　landlord　had
gone　upstairs　to　bed。　　I　still　found　that　you　did　not　come；　and　then
I　finally　made　up　my　mind　to　leave。　　I　had　half　undressed；　but　I　put
on　my　things　again；　forgetting　my　watch　（and　I　suppose　dropping　my
keys；　though　I　am　not　sure　where）　in　my　hurry；　and　slipped　out　of
the　house。　　The〃'

'Well；　that's　a　rum　story；'　said　Mr。　Dickson；　interrupting。

'What's　a　rum　story？'　said　Manston　hastily；　and　flushing　in　the
face。

'Forgetting　her　watch　and　dropping　her　keys　in　her　hurry。'

'I　don't　see　anything　particularly　wonderful　in　it。　　Any　woman　might
do　such　a　thing。'

'Any　woman　might　if　escaping　from　fire　or　shipwreck；　or　any　such
immediate　danger。　　But　it　seems　incomprehensible　to　me　that　any
woman　in　her　senses；　who　quietly　decides　to　leave　a　house；　should　be
so　forgetful。'

'All　that　is　required　to　reconcile　your　seeming　with　her　facts　is　to
assume　that　she　was　not　in　her　senses；　for　that's　what　she　did
plainly；　or　how　could　the　things　have　been　found　there？　　Besides；
she's　truthful　enough。'　　He　spoke　eagerly　and　peremptorily。

'Yes；　yes；　I　know　that。　　I　merely　meant　that　it　seemed　rather　odd。'

'O　yes。'　　Manston　read　on：

'〃and　slipped　out　of　the　house。　　The　rubbish…heap　was　burning　up
brightly；　but　the　thought　that　the　house　was　in　danger　did　not
strike　me；　I　did　not　consider　that　it　might　be　thatched。

'〃I　idled　in　the　lane　behind　the　wood　till　the　last　down…train　had
come　in；　not　being　in　a　mood　to　face　strangers。　　Whilst　I　was　there
the　fire　broke　out；　and　this　perplexed　me