east lynne-第13章

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ould　not　have　remained　another　minute　with　that　dead　man；　had　it　been　to　save　my　own　life。　I　caught　up　the　gun；　and　was　making　off；　when〃

〃Why　did　you　catch　up　the　gun？〃　interrupted　Mr。　Carlyle。

〃Ideas　pass　through　our　minds　quicker　than　we　can　speak　them；　especially　in　these　sorts　of　moments；〃　was　the　reply　of　Richard　Hare。　〃Some　vague　notion　flashed　on　my　brain　that　/my　gun/　ought　not　to　be　found　near　the　murdered　body　of　Hallijohn。　I　was　flying　from　the　door；　I　say；　when　Locksley　emerged　from　the　wood；　full　in　view；　and　what　possessed　me　I　can't　tell；　but　I　did　the　worst　thing　I　could　doflung　the　gun　indoors　again；　and　got　away；　although　Locksley　called　after　me　to　stop。〃

〃Nothing　told　against　you　so　much　as　that；〃　observed　Mr。　Carlyle。　〃Locksley　deposed　that　he　had　seen　you　leave　the　cottage；　gun　in　hand；　apparently　in　great　commotion；　that　the　moment　you　saw　him；　you　hesitated；　as　from　fear；　flung　back　the　gun；　and　escaped。〃

Richard　stamped　his　foot。　〃Aye；　and　all　owing　to　my　cursed　cowardice。　They　had　better　have　made　a　woman　of　me；　and　brought　me　up　in　petticoats。　But　let　me　go　on。　I　came　upon　Bethel。　He　was　standing　in　that　half…circle　where　the　trees　have　been　cut。　Now　I　knew　that　Bethel；　if　he　had　gone　straight　in　the　direction　of　the　cottage；　must　have　met　Thorn　quitting　it。　'Did　you　encounter　that　hound？'　I　asked　him。　'What　hound？'　returned　Bethel。　'That　fine　fellow；　that　Thorn；　who　comes　after　Afy；'　I　answered；　for　I　did　not　mind　mentioning　her　name　in　my　passion。　'I　don't　know　any　Thorn；'　returned　Bethel；　'and　I　did　not　know　anybody　was　after　Afy　but　yourself。'　'Did　you　hear　a　shot？'　I　went　on。　'Yes；　I　did；'　he　replied；　'I　suppose　it　was　Locksley；　for　he's　about　this　evening；'　'And　I　saw　you；'　I　continued；　'just　at　the　moment　the　shot　was　fired；　turn　round　the　corner　in　the　direction　of　Hallijohn's。'　'So　I　did；'　he　said；　'but　only　to　strike　into　the　wood；　a　few　paces　up。　What's　your　drift？'　'Did　you　not　encounter　Thorn；　running　from　the　cottage？'　I　persisted。　'I　have　encountered　no　one；'　he　said；　'and　I　don't　believe　anybody's　about　but　ourselves　and　Locksley。'　I　quitted　him；　and　came　off；〃　concluded　Richard　Hare。　〃He　evidently　had　not　seen　Thorn；　and　knew　nothing。〃

〃And　you　decamped　the　same　night；　Richard；　it　was　a　fatal　step。〃

〃Yes；　I　was　a　fool。　I　thought　I'd　wait　quiet；　and　see　how　things　turned　out；　but　you　don't　know　all。　Three　or　four　hours　later；　I　went　to　the　cottage　again；　and　I　managed　to　get　a　minute's　speech　with　Afy。　I　never　shall　forget　it；　before　I　could　say　one　syllable　she　flew　out　at　me；　accusing　me　of　being　the　murderer　of　her　father；　and　she　fell　into　hysterics　out　there　on　the　grass。　The　noise　brought　people　from　the　houseplenty　were　in　it　thenand　I　retreated。　'If　/she/　can　think　me　guilty；　the　world　will　think　me　guilty；'　was　my　argument；　and　that　night　I　went　right　off；　to　stop　in　hiding　for　a　day　or　two；　till　I　saw　my　way　clear。　It　never　came　clear；　the　coroner's　inquest　sat；　and　the　verdict　floored　me　over。　And　Afybut　I　won't　curse　her　fanned　the　flame　against　me　by　denying　that　any　one　had　been　there　that　night。　'She　had　been　at　home；'　she　said；　'and　had　strolled　out　at　the　back　door；　to　the　path　that　led　from　West　Lynne；　and　was　lingering　there　when　she　heard　a　shot。　Five　minutes　afterward　she　returned　to　the　house；　and　found　Locksley　standing　over　her　dead　father。'　〃

Mr。　Carlyle　remained　silent；　rapidly　running　over　in　his　mind　the　chief　points　of　Richard　Hare's　communication。　〃Four　of　you；　as　I　understand　it；　were　in　the　vicinity　of　the　cottage　that　night；　and　from　one　or　the　other　the　shot　no　doubt　proceeded。　You　were　at　a　distance；　you　say；　Richard；　Bethel；　also；　could　not　have　been〃

〃It　was　not　Bethel　who　did　it；〃　interrupted　Richard；　〃it　was　an　impossibility。　I　saw　him；　as　I　tell　you；　in　the　same　moment　that　the　gun　was　fired。〃

〃But　now；　where　was　Locksley？〃

〃It　is　equally　impossible　that　it　could　have　been　Locksley。　He　was　within　my　view　at　the　same　time；　at　right　angles　from　me；　deep　in　the　wood；　away　from　the　paths　altogether。　It　was　Thorn　did　the　deed；　beyond　all　doubt；　and　the　verdict　ought　to　have　been　willful　murder　against　him。　Carlyle；　I　see　you　don't　believe　my　story。〃

〃What　you　say　has　startled　me；　and　I　must　take　time　to　consider　whether　I　believe　it　or　not；〃　said　Mr。　Carlyle；　in　his　straightforward　manner。　〃The　most　singular　thing　is；　if　you　witnessed　this；　Thorn's　running　from　the　cottage　in　the　manner　you　describe；　that　you　did　not　come　forward　and　denounce　him。〃

〃I　didn't　do　it；　because　I　was　a　fool；　a　weak　coward；　as　I　have　been　all　my　life；〃　rejoined　Richard。　〃I　can't　help　it；　it　was　born　with　me；　and　will　go　with　me　to　my　grave。　What　would　my　word　have　availed　that　it　was　Thorn；　when　there　was　nobody　to　corroborate　it？　And　the　discharged　gun；　mine；　was　a　damnatory　proof　against　me。〃

〃Another　thing　strikes　me　as　curious；〃　cried　Mr。　Carlyle。　〃If　this　man；　Thorn；　was　in　the　habit　of　coming　to　West　Lynne；　evening　after　evening；　how　was　it　that　he　never　was　observed？　This　is　the　first　time　I　have　heard　any　stranger's　name　mentioned　in　connection　with　the　affair；　or　with　Afy。〃

〃Thorn　chose　by…roads；　and　he　never　came；　save　that　once；　but　at　dusk　and　dark。　It　was　evident　to　me　at　the　time　that　he　was　striving　to　do　it　on　the　secret。　I　told　Afy　so；　and　that　it　augured　no　good　for　her。　You　are　not　attaching　credit　to　what　I　say；　and　it　is　only　as　I　expected；　nevertheless；　I　swear　that　I　have　related　the　facts。　As　surely　as　that　weI；　Thorn；　Afy　and　Hallijohn；　must　one　day　meet　together　before　our　Maker；　I　have　told　you　the　truth。〃

The　words　were　solemn；　their　tone　earnest；　and　Mr。　Carlyle　remained　silent；　his　thoughts　full。

〃To　what　end；　else；　should　I　say　this？〃　went　on　Richard。　〃It　can　do　me　no　service；　all　the　assertion　I　could　put　forth　would　not　go　a　jot　toward　clearing　me。〃

〃No；　it　would　not；〃　assented　Mr。　Carlyle。　〃If　ever　you　are　cleared；　it　must　be　by　proofs。　ButI　will　keep　my　thought　on　the　matter；　and　should　anything　arise　What　sort　of　a　man　was　this　Thorn？〃

〃In　age　he　might　be　three　or　four　and　twenty；　tall　and　slender；　an　out…and…out　aristocrat。〃

〃And　his　connections？　Where　did　he　live？〃

〃I　never　knew。　Afy；　in　her　boasting　way；　would　say　he　had　come　from　Swainson；　a　ten　mile　ride。〃

〃From　Swainson？〃　quickly　interrupted　Mr。　Carlyle。

〃Could　it　be　one　of　the　Thorns　of　Swainson？〃

〃None　of　the　Thorns　that　I　know。　He　was　a　totally　different　sort　of　man；　with　his　perfumed　hands；　and　his　rings；　and　his　dainty　gloves。　That　he　was　an　aristocrat　I　believe；　but　of　bad　taste　and　style；　displaying　a　profusion　of　jewellery。〃

A　half　smile　flitted　over　Carlyle's　face。

〃Was　it　real；　Richard？〃

〃It　was。　He　would　wear　diamond　shirt…studs；　diamond　rings；　diamond　pins；　brilliants；　all　of　the　first　water。　My　impression　was；　that　he　put　them　on　to　dazzle　Afy。　She　told　me　once　that　she　could　be　a　grander　lady；　if　she　chose；　than　I　could　ever　make　her。　'A　lady　on　the　cross；'　I　answered；　'but　never　on　the　square。'　Thorn　was　not　a　man　to　entertain　honest　intentions　to　one　in　the　station　of　Afy　Hallijohn；　but　girls　are　simple　as　geese。〃

〃By　your　description；　it　could　not　have　been　one　of　the　Thorns　of　Swainson。　Wealthy　tradesmen；　fathers　of　young　families；　short；　stout；　and　heavy　as　Dutchmen；　staid　and　most　respectable。　Very　unlikely　men　are　they；　to　run　into　an　expedition　of　that　sort。〃

〃What　expedition？〃　questioned　Richard。　〃The　murder？〃

〃The　riding　after　Afy。　Richard；　where　is　Afy？〃

Richard　Hare　lifted　his　eyes　in　surprise。　〃How　should　I　know？　I　was　just　going　to　ask　you。〃

Mr。　Carlyle　paused。　He　thought　Richard's　answer　an　evasive　one。　〃She　disappeared　immediately　after　the　funeral；　and　it　was　thoughtin　short；　Richard；　the　neighborhood　gave　her　credit　for　having　gone　after　and　joined　you。〃

〃No！　did　they？　What　a　pack　of　idiots！　I　have　never　seen　or　heard　of　her；　Carlyle；　since　that　unfortunate　night。　If　she　went　after　anybody；　it　was　after　Thorn。〃

〃Was　the　man　good…looking？〃

〃I　suppose　the　world　would　call　him　so。　Afy　thought　such　an　Adonis　had　never　been　coined；　out　of　fable。　He　had　shiny　black　hair　and　whiskers；　dark　eyes　and　handsome　features。　But　his　vain　dandyism　spoilt　him；　would　you　bel