the law and the lady-第49章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃A　Roman　name；〃　remarked　Miserrimus　Dexter。　〃I　like　it。　My　mind
is　cast　in　the　Roman　mold。　My　bodily　build　would　have　been　Roman
if　I　had　been　born　with　legs。　I　shall　call　you　Mrs。　Valeria；
unless　you　disapprove　of　it。〃

I　hastened　to　say　that　I　was　far　from　disapproving　of　it。

〃Very　good；〃　said　Miserrimus　Dexter　〃Mrs。　Valeria；　do　you　see　the
face　of　this　creature　in　front　of　me？〃

He　pointed　with　the　hand…mirror　to　his　cousin　as　unconcernedly　as
he　might　have　pointed　to　a　dog。　His　cousin；　on　her　side；　took　no
more　notice　than　a　dog　would　have　taken　of　the　contemptuous
phrase　by　which　he　had　designated　her。　She　went　on　combing　and
oiling　his　beard　as　composedly　as　ever。

〃It　is　the　face　of　an　idiot；　isn't　it？〃　pursued　Miserrimus
Dexter！　〃Look　at　her！　She　is　a　mere　vegetable。　A　cabbage　in　a
garden　has　as　much　life　and　expression　in　it　as　that　girl
exhibits　at　the　present　moment。　Would　you　believe　there　was
latent　intelligence；　affection；　pride；　fidelity；　in　such　a
half…developed　being　as　this？〃

I　was　really　ashamed　to　answer　him。　Quite　needlessly！　The
impenetrable　young　woman　went　on　with　her　master's　beard。　A
machine　could　not　have　taken　less　notice　of　the　life　and　the　talk
around　it　than　this　incomprehensible　creature。

〃_I_　have　got　at　that　latent　affection；　pride；　fidelity；　and　the
rest　of　it；〃　resumed　Miserrimus　Dexter。　〃_I_　hold　the　key　to　that
dormant　Intelligence。　Grand　thought！　Now　look　at　her　when　I
speak。　（I　named　her；　poor　wretch；　in　one　of　my　ironical　moments。
She　has　got　to　like　her　name；　just　as　a　dog　gets　to　like　his
collar。）　Now；　Mrs。　Valeria；　look　and　listen。Ariel！〃

The　girl's　dull　face　began　to　brighten。　The　girl's　mechanically
moving　hand　stopped；　and　held　the　comb　in　suspense。

〃Ariel！　you　have　learned　to　dress　my　hair　and　anoint　my　beard；
haven't　you？〃

Her　face　still　brightened。　〃Yes！　yes！　yes！〃　she　answered；
eagerly。　〃And　you　say　I　have　learned　to　do　it　well；　don't　you？〃

〃I　say　that。　Would　you　like　to　let　anybody　else　do　it　for　you？〃

Her　eyes　melted　softly　into　light　and　life。　Her　strange　unwomanly
voice　sank　to　the　gentlest　tones　that　I　had　heard　from　her　yet。

〃Nobody　else　shall　do　it　for　me；〃　she　said　at　once　proudly　and
tenderly。　〃Nobody；　as　long　as　I　live；　shall　touch　you　but　me。〃

〃Not　even　the　lady　there？〃　asked　Miserrimus　Dexter；　pointing
backward　with　his　hand…mirror　to　the　place　at　which　I　was
standing。

Her　eyes　suddenly　flashed；　her　hand　suddenly　shook　the　comb　at
me；　in　a　burst　of　jealous　rage。

〃Let　her　try！〃　cried　the　poor　creature；　raising　her　voice　again
to　its　hoarsest　notes。　〃Let　her　touch　you　if　she　dares！〃

Dexter　laughed　at　the　childish　outbreak。　〃That　will　do；　my
delicate　Ariel；〃　he　said。　〃I　dismiss　your　Intelligence　for　the
present。　Relapse　into　your　former　self。　Finish　my　beard。〃

She　passively　resumed　her　work。　The　new　light　in　her　eyes；　the
new　expression　in　her　face；　faded　little　by　little　and　died　out。
In　another　minute　the　face　was　as　vacant　and　as　lumpish　as
before；　the　hands　did　their　work　again　with　the　lifeless
dexterity　which　had　so　painfully　impressed　me　when　she　first　took
up　the　brush。　Miserrimus　Dexter　appeared　to　be　perfectly
satisfied　with　these　results。

〃I　thought　my　little　experiment　might　interest　you；〃　he　said。
〃You　see　how　it　is？　The　dormant　intelligence　of　my　curious　cousin
is　like　the　dormant　sound　in　a　musical　instrument。　I　play　upon
itand　it　answers　to　my　touch。　She　likes　being　played　upon。　But
her　great　delight　is　to　hear　me　tell　a　story。　I　puzzle　her　to　the
verge　of　distraction；　and　the　more　I　confuse　her　the　better　she
likes　the　story。　It　is　the　greatest　fun；　you　really　must　see　it
some　day。〃　He　indulged　himself　in　a　last　look　at　the　mirror。
〃Ha！〃　he　said；　complacently；　〃now　I　shall　do。　Vanish；　Ariel！〃

She　tramped　out　of　the　room　in　her　heavy　boots；　with　the　mute
obedience　of　a　trained　animal。　I　said　〃Good…night〃　as　she　passed
me。　She　neither　returned　the　salutation　nor　looked　at　me：　the
words　simply　produced　no　effect　on　her　dull　senses。　The　one　voice
that　could　reach　her　was　silent。　She　had　relapsed　once　more　into
the　vacant　inanimate　creature　who　had　opened　the　gate　to　us；
until　it　pleased　Miserrimus　Dexter　to　speak　to　her　again。

〃Valeria！〃　said　my　mother…in…law。　〃Our　modest　host　is　waiting　to
see　what　you　think　of　him。〃

While　my　attention　was　fixed　on　his　cousin　he　had　wheeled　his
chair　around　so　as　to　face　me。　with　the　light　of　the　lamp　falling
full　on　him。　In　mentioning　his　appearance　as　a　witness　at　the
Trial；　I　find　I　have　borrowed　（without　meaning　to　do　so）　from　my
experience　of　him　at　this　later　time。　I　saw　plainly　now　the
bright　intelligent　face　and　the　large　clear　blue　eyes；　the
lustrous　waving　hair　of　a　light　chestnut　color；　the　long　delicate
white　hands；　and　the　magnificent　throat　and　chest　which　I　have
elsewhere　described。　The　deformity　which　degraded　and　destroyed
the　manly　beauty　of　his　head　and　breast　was　hidden　from　view　by
an　Oriental　robe　of　many　colors；　thrown　over　the　chair　like　a
coverlet。　He　was　clothed　in　a　jacket　of　black　velvet；　fastened
loosely　across　his　chest　with　large　malachite　buttons；　and　he
wore　lace　ruffles　at　the　ends　of　his　sleeves；　in　the　fashion　of
the　last　century。　It　may　well　have　been　due　to　want　of　perception
on　my　partbut　I　could　see　nothing　mad　in　him；　nothing　in　any
way　repelling；　as　he　now　looked　at　me。　The　one　defect　that　I
could　discover　in　his　face　was　at　the　outer　corners　of　his　eyes；
just　under　the　temple。　Here　when　he　laughed；　and　in　a　lesser
degree　when　he　smiled；　the　skin　contracted　into　quaint　little
wrinkles　and　folds；　which　looked　strangely　out　of　harmony　with
the　almost　youthful　appearance　of　the　rest　of　his　face。　As　to　his
other　features；　the　mouth；　so　far　as　his　beard　and　mustache
permitted　me　to　see　it；　was　small　and　delicately　formed；　the
noseperfectly　shaped　on　the　straight　Grecian　modelwas　perhaps
a　little　too　thin；　judged　by　comparison　with　the　full　cheeks　and
the　high　massive　forehead。　Looking　at　him　as　a　whole　（and
speaking　of　him；　of　course；　from　a　woman's；　not　a　physiognomist's
point　of　view）；　I　can　only　describe　him　as　being　an　unusually
handsome　man。　A　painter　would　have　reveled　in　him　as　a　model　for
St。　John。　And　a　young　girl；　ignorant　of　what　the　Oriental　robe
hid　from　view；　would　have　said　to　herself；　the　instant　she　looked
at　him；　〃Here　is　the　hero　of　my　dreams！〃

His　blue　eyeslarge　as　the　eyes　of　a　woman；　clear　as　the　eyes　of
a　childrested　on　me　the　moment　I　turned　toward　him；　with　a
strangely　varying　play　of　expression；　which　at　once　interested
and　perplexed　me。

Now　there　was　doubtuneasy；　painful　doubtin　the　look；　and　now
again　it　changed　brightly　to　approval；　so　open　and　unrestrained
that　a　vain　woman　might　have　fancied　she　had　made　a　conquest　of
him　at　first　sight。　Suddenly　a　new　emotion　seemed　to　take
possession　of　him。　His　eyes　sank；　his　head　drooped；　he　lifted　his
hands　with　a　　gesture　of　regret。　He　muttered　and　murmured　to
himself；　pursuing　some　secret　and　melancholy　train　of　thought；
which　seemed　to　lead　him　further　and　further　away　from　present
objects　of　interest；　and　to　plunge　him　deeper　and　deeper　in
troubled　recollections　of　the　past。　Here　and　there　I　caught　some
of　the　words。　Little　by　little　I　found　myself　trying　to　fathom
what　was　darkly　passing　in　this　strange　man's　mind。

〃A　far　more　charming　face；〃　I　heard　him　say。　〃But　nonot　a　more
beautiful　figure。　What　figure　was　ever　more　beautiful　than　hers？
Somethingbut　not　allof　her　enchanting　grace。　Where　is　the
resemblance　which　has　brought　her　back　to　me？　In　the　pose　of　the
figure；　perhaps。　In　the　movement　of　the　figure；　perhaps。　Poor
martyred　angel！　What　a　life！　And　what　a　death！　what　a　death！〃

Was　he　comparing　me　with　the　victim　of　the　poisonwith　my
husband's　first　wife？　His　words　seemed　to　justify　the　conclusion。
If　I　were　right；　the　dead　woman　had　evidently　been　a　favorite
with　him。　There　was　no　misinterpreting　the　broken　tones　of　his
voice　when　he　spoke　of　her：　he　had　admired　her；　living；　he
mourned　her；　dead。　Supposing　that　I　could　prevail　upon　myself　to
admit　this　extraordinary　person　into　my　confidence；　what　would　be
the　result？　Should　I　be　t