east lynne-第107章

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〃I　fancied　from　your　manner　when　I　was　speaking　of　him　the　other　day；　that　you　knew　him　or　had　known　him。　No　compliment；　you　will　say；　to　assume　an　acquaintance　with　such　a　man。　He　is　a　stranger　to　you；　then？〃

Another　faint　reply。　〃Yes。〃

Barbara　paused。

〃Do　you　believe　in　fatality；　Madame　Vine？〃

〃Yes；　I　do；〃　was　the　steady　answer。

〃I　don't；〃　and　yet　the　very　question　proved　that　she　did　not　wholly　disbelieve　it。　〃No；　I　don't；〃　added　Barbara；　stoutly；　as　she　approached　the　sofa　vacated　by　William；　and　sat　down　upon　it；　thus　bringing　herself　opposite　and　near　to　Madame　Vine。　〃Are　you　aware　that　it　was　Francis　Levison　who　brought　the　evil　to　this　house？〃

〃The　evil〃　stammered　Madame　Vine。

〃Yes；　it　was　he；〃　she　resumed；　taking　the　hesitating　answer　for　an　admission　that　the　governess　knew　nothing；　or　but　little；　of　past　events。　〃It　was　he　who　took　Lady　Isabel　from　her　homethough　perhaps　she　was　as　willing　to　go　as　he　was　to　take　her；　I　do　know〃

〃Oh；　no；　no！〃　broke　from　the　unguarded　lips　of　Madame　Vine。　〃At　least　I　meanI　should　think　not；〃　she　added；　in　confusion。

〃We　shall　never　know；　and　of　what　consequence　is　it？　One　thing　is　certain；　/she　went/；　another　thing；　almost　equally　certain；　is；　she　did　not　go　against　her　will。　Did　you　ever　hear　the　details？〃

〃No。〃　Her　answer　would　have　been　〃Yes；〃　but　possibly　the　next　question　might　have　been；　〃From　whom　did　you　hear　them？〃

〃He　was　staying　at　East　Lynne。　The　man　had　been　abroad；　outlawed；　dared　not　show　his　face　in　England；　and　Mr。　Carlyle；　in　his　generosity；　invited　him　to　East　Lynne　as　a　place　of　shelter；　where　he　would　be　safe　from　his　creditors　while　something　was　arranged。　He　was　a　connection　in　some　way　of　Lady　Isabel's；　and　they　repaid　Mr。　Carlyle；　he　and　she；　by　quitting　East　Lynne　together。〃

〃Why　did　Mr。　Carlyle　give　that　invitation？〃　The　words　were　uttered　in　a　spirit　of　remorseful　wailing。　Mrs。　Carlyle　believed　they　were　a　question　put；　and　she　rose　up　haughtily　against　it。

〃Why　did　he　give　the　invitation？　Did　I　hear　you　aright；　Madame　Vine？　Did　Mr。　Carlyle　know　he　was　a　reprobate？　And；　if　he　had　known　it；　was　not　Isabel　his　wife？　Could　he　dream　of　danger　for　her？　If　it　pleased　Mr。　Carlyle　to　fill　East　Lynne　with　bad　men　to…morrow；　what　would　that　be　to　meto　my　safety；　to　my　well…being；　to　my　love　and　allegiance　to　my　husband？　What　were　you　thinking　of；　madame？〃

〃Thinking　of？〃　She　leaned　her　troubled　head　upon　her　hand。　Mrs。　Carlyle　resumed；

〃Sitting　alone　in　the　drawing…room　just　now；　and　thinking　matters　over；　it　did　seem　to　me　very　like　what　people　call　a　fatality。　That　man；　I　say；　was　the　one　who　wrought　the　disgrace；　the　trouble　to　Mr。　Carlyle's　family；　and　it　is　he；　I　have　every　reason　now　to　believe；　who　brought　a　nearly　equal　disgrace　and　trouble　upon　mine。　Did　you　know〃　Mrs。　Carlyle　lowered　her　voice〃that　I　have　a　brother　in　evil　in　shame？〃

Lady　Isabel　did　not　dare　to　answer　that　she　did　know　it。　Who　had　there　been　likely　to　inform　her；　the　strange　governess　of　the　tale　of　Richard　Hare！

〃So　the　world　calls　itshame；〃　pursued　Barbara；　growing　excited。　〃And　it　is　shame；　but　not　as　the　world　thinks　it。　The　shame　lies　with　another；　who　had　thrust　the　suffering　and　shame　upon　Richard；　and　that　other　is　Francis　Levison。　I　will　tell　you　the　tale。　It　is　worth　the　telling。〃

She　could　only　dispose　herself　to　listen；　but　she　wondered　what　Francis　Levison　had　to　do　with　Richard　Hare。

〃In　the　days　long　gone　by；　when　I　was　little　more　than　a　child；　Richard　took　to　going　after　Afy　Hallijohn。　You　have　seen　the　cottage　in　the　wood；　she　lived　there　with　her　father　and　Joyce。　It　was　very　foolish　for　him；　but　young　men　will　be　foolish。　As　many　more　went　after　her；　or　wanted　to　go　after　her；　as　she　could　count　upon　her　ten　fingers。　Among　them；　chief　of　them；　more　favored　even　than　Richard；　was　one　called　Thorn；　by　social　position　a　gentleman。　He　was　a　stranger；　and　used　to　ride　over　in　secret。　The　night　of　the　murder　camethe　dreadful　murder；　when　Hallijohn　was　shot　down　dead。　Richard　ran　away；　testimony　was　strong　against　him；　and　the　coroner's　jury　brought　in　a　verdict　of　'Wilful　Murder　against　Richard　Hare　the　younger。'　We　never　supposed　but　what　he　was　guiltyof　the　act；　mind　you；　not　of　the　intention；　even　mamma；　who　so　loved　him；　believed　he　had　done　it；　but　she　believed　it　was　the　result　of　accident；　not　design。　Oh；　the　trouble　that　has　been　the　lot　of　my　poor　mamma！〃　cried　Barbara；　clasping　her　hands。　〃And　she　had　no　one　to　sympathize　with　herno　one；　no　one！　I；　as　I　tell　you；　was　little　more　than　a　child；　and　papa；　who　might　have　done　it；　took　part　against　Richard。　It　went　on　for　three　or　four　years；　the　sorrow；　and　there　was　no　mitigation。　At　the　end　of　that　period　Richard　came　for　a　few　hours　to　West　Lynne　came　in　secretand　we　learnt　for　the　first　time　that　he　was　/not/　guilty。　The　man　who　did　the　deed　was　Thorn；　Richard　was　not　even　present。　The　next　question　was；　how　to　find　Thorn。　Nobody　knew　anything　about　himwho　he　was；　what　he　was；　where　he　came　from；　where　he　went　to；　and　thus　more　years　passed　on。　Another　Thorn　came　to　West　Lynnean　officer　in　her　majesty's　service；　and　his　appearance　tallied　with　the　description　Richard　had　given。　I　assumed　it　to　be　the　one；　Mr。　Carlyle　assumed　it；　but；　before　anything　could　be　done　or　even　thought　of　Captain　Thorn　was　gone　again。〃

Barbara　paused　to　take　breath；　Madame　Vine　sat　listless　enough。　What　was　this　tale　to　her？

〃Again　years　went　on。　The　period　came　of　Francis　Levison's　sojourn　at　East　Lynne。　Whilst　I　was　there；　Captain　Thorn　arrived　once　more；　on　a　visit　to　the　Herberts。　We　then　strove　to　find　out　points　of　his　antecedents；　Mr。　Carlyle　and　I；　and　we　became　nearly　convinced　that　he　was　the　man。　I　had　to　come　here　often　to　see　Mr。　Carlyle；　for　mamma　did　not　dare　to　stir　in　the　affair；　papa　was　so　violent　against　Richard。　Thus　I　often　saw　Francis　Levison；　but　he　was　visible　to　scarcely　any　other　visitor；　being　at　East　Lynne　/en　cachette/。　He　intimated　that　he　was　afraid　of　encountering　creditors。　I　now　begin　to　doubt　whether　that　was　not　a　false　plea；　and　I　remember　Mr。　Carlyle　said；　at　the　time；　that　he　had　no　creditors　in　or　near　West　Lynne。〃

〃Then　what　was　his　motive　for　shunning　societyfor　never　going　out？〃　interrupted　Lady　Isabel。　Too　well　she　remembered　that　bygone　time；　Francis　Levison　had　told　that　the　fear　of　his　creditors　kept　him　up　so　closely；　though　he　had　once　said　to　her　they　were　not　in　the　immediate　neighborhood　of　East　Lynne。

〃He　had　a　worse　fear　upon　him　than　that　of　creditors；〃　returned　Mrs。　Carlyle。　〃Singular　to　say；　during　this　visit　of　Captain　Thorn　to　the　Herberts；　we　received　an　intimation　from　my　brother　that　he　was　once　more　about　to　venture　for　a　few　hours　to　West　Lynne。　I　brought　the　news　to　Mr。　Carlyle。　I　had　to　see　him　and　consult　with　him　more　frequently　than　ever；　mamma　was　painfully　restless　and　anxious；　and　Mr。　Carlyle　as　eager　as　we　were　for　the　establishment　of　Richard's　innocence；　for　Miss　Carlyle　and　papa　are　related；　consequently　the　disgrace　may　be　said　to　reflect　on　the　Carlyle　name。〃

Back　went　Lady　Isabel's　memory　and　her　bitter　repentance。　She　remembered　how　jealously　she　had　attributed　these　meetings　between　Mr。　Carlyle　and　Barbara　to　another　source。　Oh！　Why　had　she　suffered　her　mind　to　be　so　falsely　and　fatally　perverted？

〃Richard　came。　It　was　hastily　arranged　that　he　should　go　privately　to　Mr。　Carlyle's　office；　after　the　clerks　had　left　for　the　night；　be　concealed　there；　and　have　an　opportunity　given　him　of　seeing　Captain　Thorn。　There　was　no　difficulty；　for　Mr。　Carlyle　was　transacting　some　matter　of　business　for　the　captain；　and　appointed　him　to　be　at　the　office　at　eight　o'clock。　A　memorable　night；　that；　to　Mr。　Carlyle；　for　it　was　the　one　of　his　wife's　elopement。〃

Lady　Isabel　looked　up　with　a　start。

〃It　was；　indeed。　SheLady　Isabeland　Mr。　Carlyle　were　engaged　to　a　dinner　party；　and　Mr。　Carlyle　had　to　give　it　up；　otherwise　he　could　not　have　served　Richard。　He　is　always　considerate　and　kind；　thinking　of　others'　welfarenever　of　his　own　gratification。　Oh；　it　was　an　anxious　night。　Papa　was　out。　I　waited　at　home　with　mamma；　doing　what　I　could　to　sooth　her　restless　suspense；　for　there　was　hazard　to　Richard　in　his　nigh