the law and the lady-第14章

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Was　he　referring　to　Eustace？　And　was　he　going　to　do　what　he　would
have　done　in　my　husband's　place？was　he　really　going　to　tell　me
the　truth？

The　idea　had　barely　crossed　my　mind　when　I　was　startled　by　a　loud
and　peremptory　knocking　at　the　street　door。　The　Major　stopped　and
listened　attentively。　In　a　few　moments　the　door　was　opened；　and
the　rustling　of　a　woman's　dress　was　plainly　audible　in　the　hall。
The　Major　hurried　to　the　door　of　the　room　with　the　activity　of　a
young　man。　He　was　too　late。　The　door　was　violently　opened　from
the　outer　side；　just　as　he　got　to　it。　The　lady　of　the　rustling
dress　burst　into　the　room。



CHAPTER　IX。

THE　DEFEAT　OF　THE　MAJOR。

　MAJOR　FITZ…DAVID'S　visitor　proved　to　be　a　plump；　round…eyed
overdressed　girl；　with　a　florid　complexion　and　straw　colored
hair。　After　first　fixing　on　me　a　broad　stare　of　astonishment；　she
pointedly　addressed　her　apologies　for　intruding　on　us　to　the
Major　alone。　The　creature　evidently　believed　me　to　be　the　last
new　object　of　the　old　gentleman's　idolatry；　and　she　took　no　pains
to　disguise　her　jealous　resentment　on　discovering　us　together。
Major　Fitz…David　set　matters　right　in　his　own　irresistible　way。
He　kissed　the　hand　of　the　overdressed　girl　as　devotedly　as　he　had
kissed　mine；　he　told　her　she　was　looking　charmingly。　Then　he　led
her；　with　his　happy　mixture　of　admiration　and　respect；　back　to
the　door　by　which　she　had　entereda　second　door　communicating
directly　with　the　hall。

〃No　apology　is　necessary；　my　dear；〃　he　said。　〃This　lady　is　with
me　on　a　matter　of　business。　You　will　find　your　singing…master
waiting　for　you　upstairs。　Begin　your　lesson；　and　I　will　join　you
in　a　few　minutes。　_Au　revoir_；　my　charming　pupil_au　revoir。_〃

The　young　lady　answered　this　polite　little　speech　in　a
whisperwith　her　round　eyes　fixed　distrustfully　on　me　while　she
spoke。　The　door　closed　on　her。　Major　Fitz…David　was　a　t　liberty
to　set　matters　right　with　me；　in　my　turn。

〃I　call　that　young　person　one　of　my　happy　discoveries；〃　said　the
old　gentleman；　complacently。　〃She　possesses；　I　don't　hesitate　to
say；　the　finest　soprano　voice　in　Europe。　Would　you　believe　it；　I
met　with　her　at　the　railway　station。　She　was　behind　the　counter
in　a　refreshment…room；　poor　innocent；　rinsing　wine…glasses；　and
singing　over　her　work。　Good　Heavens；　such　singing！　Her　upper
notes　electrified　me。　I　said　to　myself；　'Here　is　a　born　prima
donnaI　will　bring　her　out！'　She　is　the　third　I　have　brought　out
in　my　time。　I　shall　take　her　to　Italy　when　her　education　is
sufficiently　advanced；　and　perfect　her　at　Milan。　In　that
unsophisticated　girl；　my　dear　lady；　you　see　one　of　the　future
Queens　of　Song。　Listen！　She　is　beginning　her　scales。　What　a
voice！　Brava！　Brava！　Bravissima！〃

The　high　soprano　notes　of　the　future　Queen　of　Song　rang　through
the　house　as　he　spoke。　Of　the　loudness　of　the　young　lady's　voice
there　could　be　no　sort　of　doubt。　The　sweetness　and　the　purity　of
it　admitted；　in　my　opinion；　of　considerable　dispute。

Having　said　the　polite　words　which　the　occasion　rendered
necessary；　I　ventured　to　recall　Major　Fitz…David　to　the　subject
in　discussion　between　us　when　his　visitor　had　entered　the　room。
The　Major　was　very　unwilling　to　return　to　the　perilous　topic　on
which　we　had　just　touched　when　the　interruption　occurred。　He　beat
time　with　his　forefinger　to　the　singing　upstairs；　he　asked　me
about　_my_　voice；　and　whether　I　sang；　he　remarked　that　life　would
be　intolerable　to　him　without　Love　and　Art。　A　man　in　my　place
would　have　lost　all　patience；　and　would　have　given　up　the
struggle　in　disgust。　Being　a　woman；　and　having　my　end　in　view；　my
resolution　was　invincible。　I　fairly　wore　out　the　Major's
resistance；　and　compelled　him　to　surrender　at　discretion。　It　is
only　justice　to　add　that；　when　he　did　make　up　his　mind　to　speak
to　me　again　of　Eustace；　he　spoke　frankly；　and　spoke　to　the　point。

〃I　have　known　your　husband；〃　he　began；　〃since　the　time　when　he
was　a　boy。　At　a　certain　period　of　his　past　life　a　terrible
misfortune　fell　upon　him。　The　secret　of　that　misfortune　is　known
to　his　friends；　and　is　religiously　kept　by　his　friends。　It　is　the
secret　that　he　is　keeping　from　You。　He　will　never　tell　it　to　you
as　long　as　he　lives。　And　he　has　bound　_me_　not　to　tell　it；　under
a　promise　given　on　my　word　of　honor。　You　wished；　dear　Mrs。
Woodville；　to　be　made　acquainted　with　my　position　toward　Eustace。
There　it　is！〃

〃You　persist　in　calling　me　Mrs。　Woodville；〃　I　said。

〃Your　husband　wishes　me　to　persist；〃　the　Major　answered。　〃He
assumed　the　name　of　Woodville；　fearing　to　give　his　own　name；　when
he　first　called　at　your　uncle's　house。　He　will　now　acknowledge　no
other。　Remonstrance　is　useless。　You　must　do　what　we　doyou　must
give　way　to　an　unreasonable　man。　The　best　fellow　in　the　world　in
other　respects：　in　this　one　matter　as　obstinate　and　self…willed
as　he　can　be。　If　you　ask　me　my　opinion；　I　tell　you　honestly　that
I　think　he　was　wrong　in　courting　and　marrying　you　under　his　false
name。　He　trusted　his　honor　and　his　happiness　to　your　keeping　in
making　you　hiswife。　Why　should　he　not　trust　the　story　of　his
troubles　to　you　as　well？　His　mother　quite　shares　my　opinion　in
this　matter。　You　must　not　blame　her　for　refusing　to　admit　you
into　her　confidence　after　your　marriage：　it　was　then　too　late。
Before　your　marriage　she　did　all　she　could　dowithout　betraying
secrets　which；　as　a　good　mother；　she　was　bound　to　respectto
induce　her　son　to　act　justly　toward　you。　I　commit　no　indiscretion
when　I　tell　you　that　she　refused　to　sanction　your　marriage　mainly
for　the　reason　that　Eustace　refused　to　follow　her　advice；　and　to
tell　you　what　his　position　really　was。　On　my　part　I　did　all　I
could　to　support　Mrs。　Macallan　in　the　course　that　she　took。　When
Eustace　wrote　to　tell　me　that　he　had　engaged　himself　to　marry　a
niece　of　my　good　friend　Doctor　Starkweather；　and　that　he　had
mentioned　me　as　his　reference；　I　wrote　back　to　warn　him　that　I
would　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　affair　unless　he　revealed　the
whole　truth　about　himself　to　his　future　wife。　He　refused　to
listen　to　me；　as　he　had　refused　to　listen　to　his　mother；　and　he
held　me　at　the　same　time　to　my　promise　to　keep　his　secret。　When
Starkweather　wrote　to　me；　I　had　no　choice　but　to　involve　myself
in　a　deception　of　which　I　thoroughly　disapproved；　or　to　answer　in
a　tone　so　guarded　and　so　brief　as　to　stop　the　correspondence　at
the　outset。　I　chose　the　last　alternative；　and　I　fear　I　have
offended　my　good　old　friend。　You　now　see　the　painful　position　in
which　I　am　placed。　To　add　to　the　difficulties　of　that　situation；
Eustace　came　here　this　very　day　to　warn　me　to　be　on　my　guard；　in
case　of　your　addressing　to　me　the　very　request　which　you　have
just　made！　He　told　me　that　you　had　met　with　his　mother；　by　an
unlucky　accident；　and　that　you　had　discovered　the　family　name。　He
declared　that　he　had　traveled　to　London　for　the　express　purpose
of　speaking　to　me　personally　on　this　serious　subject。　'I　know
your　weakness；'　he　said；　'where　women　are　concerned。　Valeria　is
aware　that　you　are　my　old　friend。　She　will　certainly　write　to
you；　she　may　even　be　bold　enough　to　make　her　way　into　your　house。
Renew　your　promise　to　keep　the　great　calamity　of　my　life　a
secret；　on　your　honor　and　on　your　oath。　'Those　were　his　words；　as
nearly　as　I　can　remember　them。　I　tried　to　treat　the　thing
lightly；　I　ridiculed　the　absurdly　theatrical　notion　of　'renewing
my　promise；'　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　Quite　useless！　He　refused　to
leave　me；　he　reminded　me　of　his　unmerited　sufferings；　poor
fellow；　in　the　past　time。　It　ended　in　his　bursting　into　tears。
You　love　him；　and　so　do　I。　Can　you　wonder　that　I　let　him　have　his
way？　The　result　is　that　I　am　doubly　bound　to　tell　you　nothing；　by
the　most　sacred　promise　that　a　man　can　give。　My　dear　lady；　I
cordially　side　with　you　in　this　matter；　I　long　to　relieve　your
anxieties。　But　what　can　I　do？〃

He　stopped；　and　waitedgravely　waitedto　hear　my　reply。

I　had　listened　from　beginning　to　end　without　interrupting　him。
The　extraordinary　change　in　his　manner；　and　in　his　way　of
expressing　himself；　while　he　was　speaking　of　Eustace；　alarmed　me
as　nothing　had　alarmed　me　yet。　How　terrible　（I　thought　to　myself）
must　this　untold　stor