the author of beltraffio-第13章

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young　American　she　disliked。　　I　thought　of　her　sitting　there　in　the
sick…chamber　in　the　still　hours　of　the　night　and　after　the　nurse　had
left　her；　turning　and　turning　those　pages　of　genius　and　wrestling
with　their　magical　influence。

I　must　be　sparing　of　the　minor　facts　and　the　later　emotions　of　this
sojournit　lasted　but　a　few　hours　longerand　devote　but　three　words
to　my　subsequent　relations　with　Ambient。　　They　lasted　five　years
till　his　deathand　were　full　of　interest；　of　satisfaction　and；　I　may
add；　of　sadness。　　The　main　thing　to　be　said　of　these　years　is　that　I
had　a　secret　from　him　which　I　guarded　to　the　end。　　I　believe　he　never
suspected　it；　though　of　this　I'm　not　absolutely　sure。　　If　he　had　so
much　as　an　inkling　the　line　he　had　taken；　the　line　of　absolute
negation　of　the　matter　to　himself；　shows　an　immense　effort　of　the
will。　　I　may　at　last　lay　bare　my　secret；　giving　it　for　what　it　is
worth；　now　that　the　main　sufferer　has　gone；　that　he　has　begun　to　be
alluded　to　as　one　of　the　famous　early　dead　and　that　his　wife　has
ceased　to　survive　him；　now；　too；　that　Miss　Ambient；　whom　I　also　saw
at　intervals　during　the　time　that　followed；　has；　with　her
embroideries　and　her　attitudes；　her　necromantic　glances　and　strange
intuitions；　retired　to　a　Sisterhood；　where；　as　I　am　told；　she　is
deeply　immured　and　quite　lost　to　the　world。

Mark　came　in　to　breakfast　after　this　lady　and　I　had　for　some　time
been　seated　there。　　He　shook　hands　with　me　in　silence；　kissed　my
companion；　opened　his　letters　and　newspapers　and　pretended　to　drink
his　coffee。　　But　I　took　these　movements　for　mechanical　and　was　little
surprised　when　he　suddenly　pushed　away　everything　that　was　before　him
and；　with　his　head　in　his　hands　and　his　elbows　on　the　table；　sat
staring　strangely　at　the　cloth。

〃What's　the　matter；　caro　fratello　mio？〃　Miss　Ambient　quavered；
peeping　from　behind　the　urn。

He　answered　nothing；　but　got　up　with　a　certain　violence　and　strode　to
the　window。　　We　rose　to　our　feet；　his　relative　and　I；　by　a　common
impulse；　exchanging　a　glance　of　some　alarm；　and　he　continued　to　stare
into　the　garden。　　〃In　heaven's　name　what　has　got　possession　of
Beatrice？〃　he　cried　at　last；　turning　round　on　us　a　ravaged　face。　　He
looked　from　one　of　us　to　the　otherthe　appeal　was　addressed　to　us
alike。

Miss　Ambient　gave　a　shrug。　　〃My　poor　Mark；　Beatrice　is　always
Beatrice！〃

〃She　has　locked　herself　up　with　the　boybolted　and　barred　the　door。
She　refuses　to　let　me　come　near　him！〃　he　went　on。

〃She　refused　to　let　Mackintosh　see　him　an　hour　ago！〃　Miss　Ambient
promptly　returned。

〃Refused　to　let　Mackintosh　see　him？　　By　heaven　I'll　smash　in　the
door！〃　　And　Mark　brought　his　fist　down　upon　the　sideboard；　which　he
had　now　approached；　so　that　all　the　breakfast…service　rang。

I　begged　Miss　Ambient　to　go　up　and　try　to　have　speech　of　her　sister…
in…law；　and　I　drew　Mark　out　into　the　garden。　　〃You're　exceedingly
nervous；　and　Mrs。　Ambient's　probably　right；〃　I　there　undertook　to
plead。　　〃Women　know；　women　should　be　supreme　in　such　a　situation。
Trust　a　mothera　devoted　mother；　my　dear　friend！〃　　With　such　words
as　these　I　tried　to　soothe　and　comfort　him；　and；　marvellous　to
relate；　I　succeeded；　with　the　help　of　many　cigarettes；　in　making　him
walk　about　the　garden　and　talk；　or　suffer　me　at　least　to　do　so；　for
near　an　hour。　　When　about　that　time　had　elapsed　his　sister
reappeared；　reaching　us　rapidly　and　with　a　convulsed　face　while　she
held　her　hand　to　her　heart。

〃Go　for　the　Doctor；　Markgo　for　the　Doctor　this　moment！〃

〃Is　he　dying？　　Has　she　killed　him？〃　my　poor　friend　cried；　flinging
away　his　cigarette。

〃I　don't　know　what　she　has　done！　　But　she's　frightened；　and　now　she
wants　the　Doctor。〃

〃He　told　me　he'd　be　hanged　if　he　came　back！〃　　I　felt　myself　obliged
to　mention。

〃Preciselytherefore　Mark　himself　must　go　for　him；　and　not　a
messenger。　　You　must　see　him　and　tell　him　it's　to　save　your　child。
The　trap　has　been　orderedit's　ready。〃

〃To　save　him？　　I'll　save　him；　please　God！〃　Ambient　cried；　bounding
with　his　great　strides　across　the　lawn。

As　soon　as　he　had　gone　I　felt　I　ought　to　have　volunteered　in　his
place；　and　I　said　as　much　to　Miss　Ambient；　but　she　checked　me　by
grasping　my　arm　while　we　heard　the　wheels　of　the　dog…cart　rattle　away
from　the　gate。　　〃He's　offhe's　offand　now　I　can　think！　　To　get　him
awaywhile　I　thinkwhile　I　think！〃

〃While　you　think　of　what；　Miss　Ambient？〃

〃Of　the　unspeakable　thing　that　has　happened　under　this　roof！〃

Her　manner　was　habitually　that　of　such　a　prophetess　of　ill　that　I　at
first　allowed　for　some　great　extravagance。　　But　I　looked　at　her　hard；
and　the　next　thing　felt　myself　turn　white。　　〃Dolcino　IS　dying　then
he's　dead？〃

〃It's　too　late　to　save　him。　　His　mother　has　let　him　die！　　I　tell　you
that　because　you're　sympathetic；　because　you've　imagination；〃　Miss
Ambient　was　good　enough　to　add；　interrupting　my　expression　of　horror。
〃That's　why　you　had　the　idea　of　making　her　read　Mark's　new　book！〃

〃What　has　that　to　do　with　it？　　I　don't　understand　you。　　Your
accusation's　monstrous。〃

〃I　see　it　allI'm　not　stupid；〃　she　went　on；　heedless　of　my　emphasis。
〃It　was　the　book　that　finished　herit　was　that　decided　her！〃

〃Decided　her？　　Do　you　mean　she　has　murdered　her　child？〃　I　demanded；
trembling　at　my　own　words。

〃She　sacrificed　him；　she　determined　to　do　nothing　to　make　him　live。
Why　else　did　she　lock　herself　in；　why　else　did　she　turn　away　the
Doctor？　　The　book　gave　her　a　horror；　she　determined　to　rescue　himto
prevent　him　from　ever　being　touched。　　He　had　a　crisis　at　two　o'clock
in　the　morning。　　I　know　that　from　the　nurse；　who　had　left　her　then；
but　whom；　for　a　short　time；　she　called　back。　　The　darling　got　munch
worse；　but　she　insisted　on　the　nurse's　going　back　to　bed；　and　after
that　she　was　alone　with　him　for　hours。〃

I　listened　with　a　dread　that　stayed　my　credence；　while　she　stood
there　with　her　tearless　glare。　　〃Do　you　pretend　then　she　has　no　pity；
that　she's　cruel　and　insane？〃

〃She　held　him　in　her　arms；　she　pressed　him　to　her　breast；　not　to　see
him；　but　she　gave　him　no　remedies；　she　did　nothing　the　Doctor
ordered。　　Everything's　there　untouched。　　She　has　had　the　honesty　not
even　to　throw　the　drugs　away！〃

I　dropped　upon　the　nearest　bench；　overcome　with　my　dismayquite　as
much　at　Miss　Ambient's　horrible　insistence　and　distinctness　as　at　the
monstrous　meaning　of　her　words。　　Yet　they　came　amazingly　straight；
and　if　they　did　have　a　sense　I　saw　myself　too　woefully　figure　in　it。
Had　I　been　then　a　proximate　cause　？　　〃You're　a　very　strange　woman
and　you　say　incredible　things；〃　I　could　only　reply。

She　had　one　of　her　tragic　headshakes。　　〃You　think　it　necessary　to
protest；　but　you're　really　quite　ready　to　believe　me。　　You've
received　an　impression　of　my　sister…in…lawyou've　guessed　of　what
she's　capable。〃

I　don't　feel　bound　to　say　what　concession　on　this　score　I　made　to
Miss　Ambient；　who　went　on　to　relate　to　me　that　within　the　last　half…
hour　Beatrice　had　had　a　revulsion；　that　she　was　tremendously
frightened　at　what　she　had　done；　that　her　fright　itself　betrayed　her；
and　that　she　would　now　give　heaven　and　earth　to　save　the　child。　　〃Let
us　hope　she　will！〃　I　said；　looking　at　my　watch　and　trying　to　time
poor　Ambient；　whereupon　my　companion　repeated　all　portentously

〃Let　us　hope　so！〃　　When　I　asked　her　if　she　herself　could　do　nothing；
and　whether　she　oughtn't　to　be　with　her　sister…in…law；　she　replied：
〃You　had　better　go　and　judge！　　She's　like　a　wounded　tigress！〃

I　never　saw　Mrs。　Ambient　till　six　months　after　this；　and　therefore
can't　pretend　to　have　verified　the　comparison。　　At　the　latter　period
she　was　again　the　type　of　the　perfect　lady。　　〃She'll　treat　him　better
after　this；〃　I　remember　her　sister…in…law's　saying　in　response　to
some　quick　outburst；　on　my　part；　of　compassion　for　her　brother。
Though　I　had　been　in　the　house　but　thirty…six　hours　this　young　lady
had　treated　me　with　extraordinary　confidence；　and　there　was　therefore
a　certain　demand　I　might；　as　such　an　intimate；　make　of　her。　　I
extracted　from　her　a　pledge　that　she'd　never　say　to　her　brother　what
she　had　just　said　to　me；　that　she'd　let　him　form　his　own　theory　of
his　wife's　conduct。　　She　agreed　wi