desperate remedies-第85章

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Philadelphia。　　Then　making　me　read　up　the　guide…book　to
Philadelphia；　and　details　of　American　life　and　manners；　in　case　the
birthplace　and　history　of　your　wife；　Eunice；　should　ever　become
known　in　this　neighbourhoodunlikely　as　it　was。　　Ah！　and　then　about
the　handwriting　of　hers　that　I　had　to　imitate；　and　the　dying　my
hair；　and　rouging；　to　make　the　transformation　complete？　　You　mean　to
say　that　that　was　taking　less　trouble　than　there　would　have　been　in
arranging　events　to　make　Cytherea　believe　herself　your　wife；　and
live　with　you？'

'You　were　a　needy　adventuress；　who　would　dare　anything　for　a　new
pleasure　and　an　easy　lifeand　I　was　fool　enough　to　give　in　to　you
'

'Good　heavens　above！did　I　ask　you　to　insert　those　advertisements
for　your　old　wife；　and　to　make　me　answer　it　as　if　I　was　she？　　Did　I
ask　you　to　send　me　the　letter　for　me　to　copy　and　send　back　to　you
when　the　third　advertisement　appearedpurporting　to　come　from　the
long…lost　wife；　and　giving　a　detailed　history　of　her　escape　and
subsequent　lifeall　which　you　had　invented　yourself？　　You　deluded
me　into　loving　you；　and　then　enticed　me　here！　　Ah；　and　this　is
another　thing。　　How　did　you　know　the　real　wife　wouldn't　answer　it；
and　upset　all　your　plans？'

'Because　I　knew　she　was　burnt。'

'Why　didn't　you　force　Cytherea　to　come　back；　then？　　Now；　my　love；　I
have　caught　you；　and　you　may　just　as　well　tell　first　as　last；　WHAT
WAS　YOUR　MOTIVE　IN　HAVING　ME　HERE　AS　YOUR　FIRST　WIFE？'

'Silence！'　he　exclaimed。

She　was　silent　for　the　space　of　two　minutes；　and　then　persisted　in
going　on　to　mutter；　'And　why　was　it　that　Miss　Aldclyffe　allowed　her
favourite　young　lady；　Cythie；　to　be　overthrown　and　supplanted
without　an　expostulation　or　any　show　of　sympathy？　　Do　you　know　I
often　think　you　exercise　a　secret　power　over　Miss　Aldclyffe。　　And
she　always　shuns　me　as　if　I　shared　the　power。　　A　poor；　ill…used
creature　like　me　sharing　power；　indeed！'

'She　thinks　you　are　Mrs。　Manston。'

'That　wouldn't　make　her　avoid　me。'

'Yes　it　would；'　he　exclaimed　impatiently。　　'I　wish　I　was　dead
dead！'　　He　had　jumped　up　from　his　seat　in　uttering　the　words；　and
now　walked　wearily　to　the　end　of　the　room。　　Coming　back　more
decisively；　he　looked　in　her　face。

'We　must　leave　this　place　if　Raunham　suspects　what　I　think　he　does；'
he　said。　　'The　request　of　Cytherea　and　her　brother　may　simply　be　for
a　satisfactory　proof；　to　make　her　feel　legally　freebut　it　may　mean
more。'

'What　may　it　mean？'

'How　should　I　know？'

'Well；　well；　never　mind；　old　boy；'　she　said；　approaching　him　to　make
up　the　quarrel。　　'Don't　be　so　alarmedanybody　would　think　that　you
were　the　woman　and　I　the　man。　　Suppose　they　do　find　out　what　I　am
we　can　go　away　from　here　and　keep　house　as　usual。　　People　will　say
of　you；　〃His　first　wife　was　burnt　to　death〃　（or　〃ran　away　to　the
Colonies；〃　as　the　case　may　be）；　〃He　married　a　second；　and　deserted
her　for　Anne　Seaway。〃　　A　very　everyday　casenothing　so　horrible；
after　all。'

He　made　an　impatient　movement。　　'Whichever　way　we　do　it；　NOBODY　MUST
KNOW　THAT　YOU　ARE　NOT　MY　WIFE　EUNICE。　　And　now　I　must　think　about
arranging　matters。'

Manston　then　retired　to　his　office；　and　shut　himself　up　for　the
remainder　of　the　evening。



XIX。　　THE　EVENTS　OF　A　DAY　AND　NIGHT

1。　　MARCH　THE　TWENTY…FIRST。　　MORNING

Next　morning　the　steward　went　out　as　usual。　　He　shortly　told　his
companion；　Anne；　that　he　had　almost　matured　their　scheme；　and　that
they　would　enter　upon　the　details　of　it　when　he　came　home　at　night。
The　fortunate　fact　that　the　rector's　letter　did　not　require　an
immediate　answer　would　give　him　time　to　consider。

Anne　Seaway　then　began　her　duties　in　the　house。　　Besides　daily
superintending　the　cook　and　housemaid　one　of　these　duties　was；　at
rare　intervals；　to　dust　Manston's　office　with　her　own　hands；　a
servant　being　supposed　to　disturb　the　books　and　papers
unnecessarily。　　She　softly　wandered　from　table　to　shelf　with　the
duster　in　her　hand；　afterwards　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　room；
and　glancing　around　to　discover　if　any　noteworthy　collection　of　dust
had　still　escaped　her。

Her　eye　fell　upon　a　faint　layer　which　rested　upon　the　ledge　of　an
old…fashioned　chestnut　cabinet　of　French　Renaissance　workmanship；
placed　in　a　recess　by　the　fireplace。　　At　a　height　of　about　four　feet
from　the　floor　the　upper　portion　of　the　front　receded；　forming　the
ledge　alluded　to；　on　which　opened　at　each　end　two　small　doors；　the
centre　space　between　them　being　filled　out　by　a　panel　of　similar
size；　making　the　third　of　three　squares。　　The　dust　on　the　ledge　was
nearly　on　a　level　with　the　woman's　eye；　and；　though　insignificant　in
quantity；　showed　itself　distinctly　on　account　of　this　obliquity　of
vision。　　Now　opposite　the　central　panel；　concentric　quarter…circles
were　traced　in　the　deposited　film；　expressing　to　her　that　this
panel；　too；　was　a　door　like　the　others；　that　it　had　lately　been
opened；　and　had　skimmed　the　dust　with　its　lower　edge。

At　last；　then；　her　curiosity　was　slightly　rewarded。　　For　the　right
of　the　matter　was　that　Anne　had　been　incited　to　this　exploration　of
Manston's　office　rather　by　a　wish　to　know　the　reason　of　his　long
seclusion　here；　after　the　arrival　of　the　rector's　letter；　and　their
subsequent　discourse；　than　by　any　immediate　desire　for　cleanliness。
Still；　there　would　have　been　nothing　remarkable　to　Anne　in　this
sight　but　for　one　recollection。　　Manston　had　once　casually　told　her
that　each　of　the　two　side…lockers　included　half　the　middle　space；
the　panel　of　which　did　not　open；　and　was　only　put　in　for　symmetry。
It　was　possible　that　he　had　opened　this　compartment　by　candlelight
the　preceding　night；　or　he　would　have　seen　the　marks　in　the　dust；
and　effaced　them；　that　he　might　not　be　proved　guilty　of　telling　her
an　untruth。　　She　balanced　herself　on　one　foot　and　stood　pondering。
She　considered　that　it　was　very　vexing　and　unfair　in　him　to　refuse
her　all　knowledge　of　his　remaining　secrets；　under　the　peculiar
circumstances　of　her　connection　with　him。　　She　went　close　to　the
cabinet。　　As　there　was　no　keyhole；　the　door　must　be　capable　of　being
opened　by　the　unassisted　hand。　　The　circles　in　the　dust　told　her　at
which　edge　to　apply　her　force。　　Here　she　pulled　with　the　tips　of　her
fingers；　but　the　panel　would　not　come　forward。　　She　fetched　a　chair
and　looked　over　the　top　of　the　cabinet；　but　no　bolt；　knob；　or　spring
was　to　be　seen。

'O；　never　mind；'　she　said；　with　indifference；　'I'll　ask　him　about
it；　and　he　will　tell　me。'　　Down　she　came　and　turned　away。　　Then
looking　back　again　she　thought　it　was　absurd　such　a　trifle　should
puzzle　her。　　She　retraced　her　steps；　and　opened　a　drawer　beneath　the
ledge　of　the　cabinet；　pushing　in　her　hand　and　feeling　about　on　the
underside　of　the　board。

Here　she　found　a　small　round　sinking；　and　pressed　her　finger　into
it。　　Nothing　came　of　the　pressure。　　She　withdrew　her　hand　and　looked
at　the　tip　of　her　finger：　　it　was　marked　with　the　impress　of　the
circle；　and；　in　addition；　a　line　ran　across　it　diametrically。

'How　stupid　of　me；　it　is　the　head　of　a　screw。'　　Whatever　mysterious
contrivance　had　originally　existed　for　opening　the　puny　cupboard　of
the　cabinet；　it　had　at　some　time　been　broken；　and　this　rough
substitute　provided。　　Stimulated　curiosity　would　not　allow　her　to
recede　now。　　She　fetched　a　screwdriver；　withdrew　the　screw；　pulled
the　door　open　with　a　penknife；　and　found　inside　a　cavity　about　ten
inches　square。　　The　cavity　contained

Letters　from　different　women；　with　unknown　signatures；　Christian
names　only　（surnames　being　despised　in　Paphos）。　　Letters　from　his
wife　Eunice。　　Letters　from　Anne　herself；　including　that　she　wrote　in
answer　to　his　advertisement。　　A　small　pocket…book。　　Sundry　scraps　of
paper。

The　letters　from　the　strange　women　with　pet　names　she　glanced
carelessly　through；　and　then　put　them　aside。　　They　were　too　similar
to　her　own　regretted　delusion；　and　curiosity　requires　contrast　to
excite　it。

The　letters　from　his　wife　were　next　examined。　　They　were　dated　back
as　far　as　Eunice's　first　meeting　with　Manston；　and　the　early　ones
before　their　marriage　contained　the　usual　pretty　effusions　of　women
at　such　a　period　of　their　existence。　　Some　little　time　after