east lynne-第131章

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has　been　wanting　me；〃　she　observed。　〃Whyoh！〃

It　was　a　sharp；　momentary　cry；　subdued　as　soon　as　uttered。　Madame　Vine　sprang　forward　to　Joyce's　side；　looking　also。　The　pale　young　face　lay　calm　in　its　utter　stillness；　the　busy　little　heart　had　ceased　to　beat。　Jesus　Christ　had　indeed　come　and　taken　the　fleeting　spirit。

Then　she　lost　all　self…control。　She　believed　that　she　had　reconciled　herself　to　the　child's　death；　that　she　could　part　with　him　without　too　great　emotion。　But　she　had　not　anticipated　it　would　be　quite　so　soon；　she　had　deemed　that　some　hours　more　would　at　least　be　given　him；　and　now　the　storm　overwhelmed　her。　Crying；　sobbing；　calling；　she　flung　herself　upon　him；　she　clasped　him　to　her；　she　dashed　off　her　disguising　glasses；　she　laid　her　face　upon　his；　beseeching　him　to　come　back　to　her；　that　she　might　say　farewellto　her；　his　mother；　her　darling　child；　her　lost　William！

Joyce　was　terrifiedterrified　for　consequences。　With　her　full　strength　she　pulled　her　from　the　boy；　praying　her　to　considerto　be　still。　〃Do　not；　do　not；　for　the　love　of　Heaven！　/My　lady！　My　lady！/〃

It　was　the　old　familiar　title　that　struck　upon　her　fears　and　induced　calmness。　She　stared　at　Joyce；　and　retreated　backward；　after　the　manner　of　one　receding　from　some　hideous　vision。　Then；　as　recollection　came　to　her；　she　snatched　her　glasses　up　and　hurried　them　on。

〃My　lady；　let　me　take　you　into　your　room。　Mr。　Carlyle　is　come；　he　is　just　bringing　up　his　wife。　Only　think　if　you　should　give　way　before　him！　Pray　come　away！〃

〃How　did　you　know　me？〃　she　asked　in　a　hollow　voice。

〃My　lady；　it　was　that　night　when　there　was　an　alarm　of　fire。　I　went　close　up　to　you　to　take　Master　Archibald　from　your　arms；　and；　as　sure　as　I　am　now　standing　here；　I　believe　that　for　the　moment　my　senses　left　me。　I　thought　I　saw　a　spectrethe　spectre　of　my　dead　lady。　I　forgot　the　present；　I　forgot　that　all　were　standing　round　me；　that　you；　Madame　Vine；　were　alive　before　me。　Your　face　was　not　disguised　then；　the　moonlight　shone　full　upon　it；　and　I　knew　it；　after　the　first　few　moments　of　terror；　to　be；　in　dreadful　truth；　the　/living/　one　of　Lady　Isabel。　My　lady；　come　away！　We　shall　have　Mr。　Carlyle　here。〃

Poor　thing！　She　sank　upon　her　knees；　in　her　humility；　her　dread。　〃Oh；　Joyce；　have　pity　upon　me！　don't　betray　me！　I　will　leave　the　house；　indeed　I　will。　Don't　betray　me　while　I　am　in　it！〃

〃My　lady；　you　have　nothing　to　fear　from　me。　I　have　kept　the　secret　buried　within　my　breast　since　then。　Last　April！　It　has　nearly　been　too　much　for　me。　By　night　and　by　day　I　have　had　no　peace；　dreading　what　might　come　out。　Think　of　the　awful　confusion；　the　consequences；　should　it　come　to　the　knowledge　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Carlyle。　Indeed；　my　lady；　you　never　ought　to　have　come。〃

〃Joyce；〃　she　said；　hollowly；　lifting　her　haggard　face；　〃I　could　not　keep　away　from　my　unhappy　children。　Is　it　no　punishment　to　/me/；　think　you；　the　being　here？〃　she　added；　vehemently。　〃To　see　himmy　husband　the　husband　of　another！　It　is　killing　me。〃

〃Oh；　my　lady；　come　away！　I　hear　him；　I　hear　him！〃

Partly　coaxing；　partly　dragging　her；　Joyce　took　her　into　her　own　room；　and　left　her　there。　Mr。　Carlyle　was　at　that　moment　at　the　door　of　the　sick　one。　Joyce　sprang　forward。　Her　face；　in　her　emotion　and　fear；　was　of　one　livid　whiteness；　and　she　shook　as　William　had　shaken；　poor　child；　in　the　afternoon。　It　was　only　too　apparent　in　the　well…lighted　corridor。

〃Joyce；〃　he　exclaimed；　in　amazement；　〃what　ails　you？〃

〃Sir！　master！〃　she　panted；　〃be　prepared。　Master　WilliamMaster　William〃

〃Joyce！　Not　/dead/！〃

〃Alas；　yes；　sir！〃

Mr。　Carlyle　strode　into　the　chamber。　But　ere　he　was　well　across　it；　he　turned　back　to　slip　the　bolt　of　the　door。　On　the　pillow　lay　the　white；　thin　face；　at　rest　now。

〃My　boy！　my　boy！　Oh；　my　God！〃　he　murmured；　in　bowed　reverence；　〃mayest　Thou　have　received　this　child　to　rest　in　Jesus；　even　as；　I　trust；　Thou　hadst　already　received　his　unhappy　mother！〃



CHAPTER　XLIV。

LORD　VANE　DATING　FORWARD。

To　the　burial　of　William　Carlyle　came　Lord　Mount　Severn　and　his　son。　Wilson　had　been　right　in　her　surmises　as　to　the　resting…place。　The　Carlyle　vault　was　opened　for　him；　and　an　order　went　forth　to　the　sculptor　for　an　inscription　to　be　added　to　their　marble　tablet　in　the　church：　〃William　Vane　Carlyle；　eldest　son　of　Archibald　Carlyle；　of　East　Lynne。〃　Amongst　those　who　attended　the　funeral　as　mourners　went　one　more　notable　in　the　eyes　of　the　gazers　than　the　restRichard　Hare　the　younger。

Lady　Isabel　was　ill。　Ill　in　mind；　and　ominously　ill　in　body。　She　kept　her　room；　and　Joyce　attended　on　her。　The　household　set　down　madame's　illness　to　the　fatigue　of　having　attended　upon　Master　William；　it　was　not　thought　of　seriously　by　any　one；　especially　as　she　declined　to　see　a　doctor。　All　her　thoughts　now　were　directed　to　the　getting　away　from　East　Lynne；　for　it　would　never　do　to　remain　there　to　die；　and　she　knew　that　death　was　on　his　way　to　her；　and　that　no　human　power　or　skill　not　all　the　faculty　combinedcould　turn　him　back　again。　The　excessive　dread　of　detection　was　not　upon　her　as　it　had　been　formerly。　I　mean　she　did　not　dread　the　consequences　so　much；　if　detection　came。　In　nearing　the　grave；　all　fears　and　hopes；　of　whatever　nature；　relating　to　this　world；　lose　their　force；　and　fears　or　hopes　regarding　the　next　world　take　their　place。　Our　petty　feelings　here　are　lost　in　the　greater。

In　returning　to　East　Lynne；　Lady　Isabel　had　entered　upon　a　daring　act；　and　she　found；　in　the　working；　that　neither　strength　nor　spirit　was　equal　to　it。　Human　passions　and　tempers　were　brought　with　us　into　this　world；　and　they　can　only　quit　us　when　we　bid　it　farewell；　to　enter　upon　immortality　in　the　next。

When　Lady　Isabel　was　Mr。　Carlyle's　wife；　she　had　never　wholly　loved　him。　The　very　utmost　homage　that　esteem；　admiration；　affection　could　give　was　his；　but　that　mysterious　passion　called　by　the　name　of　love；　and　which；　as　I　truly　and　heartily　believe；　cannot；　in　its　refined　etherealism；　be　known　to　many　of　us；　had　not　been　given　to　him。　It　was　now。　From　the　very　night　she　came　back　to　East　Lynne；　her　love　for　Mr。　Carlyle　had　burst　forth　with　an　intensity　never　before　felt。　It　had　been　smoldering　almost　ever　since　she　quitted　him。　〃Reprehensible！〃　groans　a　moralist。　Very。　Everybody　knows　that；　as　Afy　would　say。　But　her　heart；　you　see；　had　/not/　done　with　human　passions；　and　they　work　ill；　and　contrariness；　let　the　word　stand；　critic；　if　you　please；　and　precisely　everything　they　should　not。

I　shall　get　in　for　it；　I　fear；　if　I　attempt　to　defend　her。　But　it　was　not　exactly　the　same　thing；　as　though　she　suffered　herself　to　fall　in　love　with　somebody　else's　husband。　Nobody　would　defend　that。　We　have　not　turned　Mormons　yet；　and　the　world　does　not　walk　upon　its　head。　But　this　was　a　peculiar　case。　She；　poor　thing；　almost　regarded　Mr。　Carlyle　as　/her/　husband。　The　bent　of　her　thoughts　was　only　too　much　inclined　to　this。　The　evil　human　heart　again。　Many　and　many　a　time　did　she　wake　up　from　a　reverie；　and　strive　to　drive　this　mistaken　view　of　things　away　from　her；　taking　shame　to　herself。　Ten　minutes　afterward；　she　would　catch　her　brain　reveling　in　the　same　rebellious　vision。　Mr。　Carlyle's　love　was　not　hers　now；　it　was　Barbara's。　Mr。　Carlyle　did　not　belong　to　her；　he　belonged　to　his　wife。　It　was　not　only　that　he　was　not　hershe　was　another's。　You　may；　therefore；　if　you　have　the　pleasure　of　being　experienced　in　this　sort　of　thing；　guess　a　little　of　what　her　inward　life　was。　Had　there　been　no　Barbara　in　the　case；　she　might　have　lived　and　borne　it；　as　it　was；　it　had　killed　her　before　her　time；　that　and　the　remorse　together。

There　had　been　other　things；　too。　The　re…appearance　of　Francis　Levison　at　West　Lynne；　in　fresh　contact；　as　may　be　said；　with　herself；　had　struck　terror　to　her　heart；　and　the　dark　charge　brought　against　him　augmented　awfully　her　remorse。　Then；　the　sharp　lances　perpetually　thrust　upon　her　memorythe　Lady　Isabel's　memoryfrom　all　sides；　were　full　of　cruel　stings；　unintentionally　though　they　were　hurled。　And　there　was　the　hourly　chance　of　discovery；　and　the　never　ceasing　battle　with　her　conscience；　for　being　at　East　Lynne　at　all。　No　wonder　that　the　chords　of　life　were　snapping；　the　wonder　would　have　been　had　they　r