east lynne-第69章

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ruises　and　a　great　fright　are　the　extent　of　the　damages　but　too　often　a　calamity　whose　remembrance　lasts　a　lifetime。　Lady　Isabel　had　travelled　a　considerable　distance　that　first　day；　and　at　the　dusk　of　evening；　as　they　were　approaching　a　place；　Cammere；　where　she　purposed　to　halt　for　the　night；　a　dreadful　accident　occurred。　The　details　need　not　be　given；　and　will　not　be。　It　is　sufficient　to　say　that　some　of　the　passengers　were　killed；　her　child　and　nurse　being　amongst　them；　and　she　herself　was　dangerously　injured。

The　injuries　lay　chiefly　in　her　left　leg　and　in　her　facethe　lower　part　of　her　face。　The　surgeons；　taking　their　cursory　view　of　her；　as　they　did　of　the　rest　of　the　sufferers；　were　not　sparing　in　their　remarks；　for　they　believed　her　to　be　insensible。　She　had　gathered　that　the　leg　was　to　be　amputated；　and　that　she　would　probably　die　under　the　operationbut　her　turn　to　be　attended　to　was　not　yet。　How　she　contrived　to　write　she　never　knew；　but　she　got　a　pen　and　ink　brought　to　her；　and　did　succeed　in　scrawling　a　letter　to　Lord　Mount　Severn。

She　told　him　that　a　sad　accident　had　taken　place；　she　could　not　say　how；　all　was　confusion；　and　that　her　child　and　maid　were　killed。　She　herself　was　dangerously　injured；　and　was　about　to　undergo　an　operation；　which　the　doctors　believed　she　could　not　survive；　only　/in　case　of　her　death　would　the　letter　be　sent　to　Lord　Mount　Severn/。　She　could　not　die；　she　said；　without　a　word　of　thanks　for　all　his　kindness；　and　she　begged　him；　when　he　saw　Mr。　Carlyle；　to　say　that　with　her　last　breath　she　humbly　implored　his　forgiveness；　and　his　children's　whom　she　no　longer　dared　to　call　hers。

Now　this　letter；　by　the　officiousness　of　a　servant　at　the　inn　to　which　the　sufferers　were　carried；　was　taken　at　once　to　the　post。　And；　after　all；　things　turned　out　not　quite　so　bad　as　anticipated；　for　when　the　doctors　came　to　examine　the　state　of　Lady　Isabel；　not　cursorily；　they　found　there　would　be　no　absolute　necessity　for　the　operation　contemplated。　Fond　as　the　French　surgeons　are　of　the　knife；　to　resort　to　it　in　this　instance　would　have　been　cruel；　and　they　proceeded　to　other　means　of　cure。

The　letter　was　duly　delivered　at　the　town　house　of　Lord　Mount　Severn；　where　it　was　addressed。　The　countess　was　sojourning　there　for　a　few　days；　she　had　quitted　it　after　the　season；　but　some　business；　or　pleasure；　had　called　her　again　to　town。　Lord　Vane　was　with　her；　but　the　earl　was　in　Scotland。　They　were　at　breakfast；　she　and　her　son；　when　the　letter　was　brought　in：　eighteen　pence　to　pay。　Its　scrawled　address；　its　foreign　aspect；　its　appearance；　altogether；　excited　her　curiosity；　in　her　own　mind；　she　believed　she　had　dropped　upon　a　nice　little　conjugal　mare's　nest。

〃I　shall　open　this；〃　cried　she。

〃Why；　it　is　addressed　to　papa！〃　exclaimed　Lord　Vane　who　possessed　all　his　father's　notions　of　honor。

〃But　such　an　odd　letter！　It　may　require　an　immediate　answer；　or　is　some　begging　petition；　perhaps。　Get　on　with　your　breakfast。〃

Lady　Mount　Severn　opened　the　letter；　and　with　some　difficulty　spelt　through　its　contents。　They　shocked　even　her。

〃How　dreadful！〃　she　uttered；　in　the　impulse　of　the　moment。

〃What　is　dreadful？〃　asked　Lord　Vane；　looking　up　from　his　breakfast。

〃Lady　IsabelIsabel　Vaneyou　have　not　forgotten　her？〃

〃Forgotten　her！〃　he　echoed。　〃Why；　mamma；　I　must　possess　a　funny　memory　to　have　forgotten　her　already。〃

〃She　is　dead。　She　has　been　killed　in　a　railway　accident　in　France。〃

His　large　blue　eyes；　honest　and　true　as　they　had　been　in　childhood；　filled；　and　his　face　flushed。　He　said　nothing；　for　emotion　was　strong　within　him。

〃But；　shocking　as　it　is；　it　is　better　for　her；〃　went　on　the　countess；　〃for；　poor　creature　what　could　her　future　life　had　been？〃

〃Oh；　don't　say　it！〃　impetuously　broke　out　the　young　viscount。　〃Killed　in　a　railway　accident；　and　for　you　to　say　that　it　is　better　for　her！〃

〃So　it　is　better；〃　said　the　countess。　〃Don't　go　into　heroics；　William。　You　are　quite　old　enough　to　know　that　she　had　brought　misery　upon　herself；　and　disgrace　upon　all　connected　with　her。　No　one　could　ever　have　taken　notice　of　her　again。〃

〃I　would；〃　said　the　boy；　stoutly。

Lady　Mount　Severn　smiled　derisively。

〃I　would。　I　never　liked　anybody　in　the　world　half　so　much　as　I　liked　Isabel。〃

〃That's　past　and　gone。　You　would　not　have　continued　to　like　her；　after　the　disgrace　she　wrought。〃

〃Somebody　else　wrought　more　of　the　disgrace　than　she　did；　and；　had　I　been　a　man；　I　would　have　shot　him　dead；〃　flashed　the　viscount。

〃You　don't　know　anything　about　it。〃

〃Don't　I！〃　returned　he；　not　over　dutifully。　But　Lady　Mount　Severn　had　not　brought　him　up　to　be　dutiful。

〃May　I　read　the　letter；　mamma？〃　he　demanded；　after　a　pause。

〃If　you　can　read　it；〃　she　replied；　tossing　it　to　him。　〃It　is　written　in　the　strangest　style；　syllables　divided；　and　the　words　running　one　into　the　other。　She　wrote　it　herself　when　she　was　dying。〃

Lord　Vane　took　the　letter　to　a　window；　and　stayed　looking　over　it　for　some　time；　the　countess　ate　an　egg　and　a　plate　of　ham　meanwhile。　Presently　he　came　back　with　it　folded；　and　laid　in　on　the　table。

〃You　will　forward　it　to　papa　to…day；〃　he　observed。

〃I　shall　forward　it　to　him。　But　there's　no　hurry；　and　I　don't　exactly　know　where　your　papa　may　be。　I　shall　send　the　notice　of　her　death　to　the　papers；　and　I　am　glad　to　do　it；　it　is　a　blight　removed　from　the　family。〃

〃Mamma；　I　do　think　you　are　the　unkindest　woman　that　ever　breathed！〃

〃I'll　give　you　something　to　call　me　unkind　for；　if　you　don't　mind；〃　retorted　the　countess；　her　color　rising。　〃Dock　you　of　your　holiday；　and　pack　you　back　to　school　to…day。〃

A　few　mornings　after　this　Mr。　Carlyle　left　East　Lynne　and　proceeded　to　his　office　as　usual。　Scarcely　was　he　seated；　when　Mr。　Dill　entered；　and　Mr。　Carlyle　looked　at　him　inquiringly；　for　it　was　not　Mr。　Carlyle's　custom　to　be　intruded　upon　by　any　person　until　he　had　opened　his　letters；　then　he　would　ring　for　Mr。　Dill。　The　letters　and　the　/Times/　newspaper　lay　on　the　table　before　him。　The　old　gentleman　came　up　in　a　covert；　timid　sort　of　way；　which　made　Mr。　Carlyle　look　all　the　more。

〃I　beg　pardon；　sir；　will　you　let　me　ask　if　you　have　heard　any　particular　news？〃

〃Yes；　I　have　heard　it；〃　replied　Mr。　Carlyle。

〃Then；　sir；　I　beg　your　pardon　a　thousand　times　over。　It　occurred　to　me　that　you　probably　had　not；　Mr。　Archibald；　and　I　thought　I　would　have　said　a　word　to　prepare　you；　before　you　came　upon　it　suddenly　in　the　paper。〃

〃To　prepare　me！〃　echoed　Mr。　Carlyle；　as　old　Dill　was　turning　away。　〃Why；　what　has　come　to　you；　Dill？　Are　you　afraid　my　nerves　are　growing　delicate；　or　that　I　shall　faint　over　the　loss　of　a　hundred　pounds？　At　the　very　most；　we　shall　not　suffer　above　that　extent。〃

Old　Dill　turned　back　again。

〃If　I　don't　believe　you　are　speaking　of　the　failure　of　Kent　&　Green！　It's　not　/that/；　Mr。　Archibald。　They　won't　affect　us　much；　and　there'll　be　a　dividend；　report　runs。〃

〃What　is　it；　then？〃

〃Then　you　have　not　heard　it；　sir！　I　am　glad　that　I'm　in　time。　It　might　not　be　well　for　you　to　have　seen　it　without　a　word　of　preparation；　Mr。　Archibald。〃

〃If　you　have　not　gone　demented；　you　will　tell　me　what　you　mean；　Dill；　and　leave　me　to　my　letters；〃　cried　Mr。　Carlyle；　wondering　excessively　at　his　sober；　matter…of…fact　clerk's　words　and　manner。

Old　Dill　put　his　hands　upon　the　/Times/　newspaper。

〃It's　here；　Mr。　Archibald；　in　the　column　of　deaths；　the　first　on　the　list。　Please；　prepare　yourself　a　little　before　you　look　at　it。〃

He　shuffled　out　quickly；　and　Mr。　Carlyle　as　quickly　unfolded　the　paper。　It　was；　as　old　Dill　said；　the　first　on　the　list　of　deaths：

　〃At　Cammere；　in　France；　on　the　18th　inst。；　Isabel　Mary；　only　child　　　of　William；　late　Earl　of　Mount　Severn。〃

Clients　called；　Mr。　Carlyle's　bell　did　not　ring；　an　hour　or　two　passed；　and　old　Dill　protested　that　Mr。　Carlyle　was　engaged　until　he　could　protest　no　longer。　He　went　in；　deprecatingly。　Mr。　Carlyle　sat　yet　with　the　newspaper　before　him；　and　the　letters　unopened　at　his　elbow。

〃There　are　one　or　two　who　/will/　come　in；　Mr。　Archibaldwho　/will/　see　you；　what　am　I　to　say？〃

Mr。　Carlyle　stared　at　him　for　a　moment；　as　if　his　wits　had　been　in　the　next　world。　Then　he　swept　the　newspaper　from　be