the law and the lady-第6章
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to send a chaise from Broadstairs to the gap in the cliff？〃
The gentleman advanced a little nearer。
The landlady and I recognized him at the same moment。 It was
Eustace coming to meet us； as we had arranged。 The irrepressible
landlady gave the freest expression to her feelings。 Oh； Mrs。
Woodville； ain't it lucky？ here is Mr。 Woodville himself 。〃
Once more I looked at my mother…in…law。 Once more the name failed
to produce the slightest effect on her。 Her sight was not so keen
as ours； she had not recognized her son yet。 He had young eyes
like us； and he recognized his mother。 For a mome nt he stopped
like a man thunderstruck。 Then he came onhis ruddy face white
with suppressed emotion； his eyes fixed on his mother。
〃You here！〃 he said to her。
〃How do you do； Eustace？〃 she quietly rejoined。 〃Have _you_ heard
of your aunt's illness too？ Did you know she was staying at
Ramsgate？〃
He made no answer。 The landlady； drawing the inevitable inference
from the words that she had just heard； looked from me to my
mother…in…law in a state of amazement； which paralyzed even her
tongue。 I waited with my eyes on my husband； to see what he would
do。 If he had delayed acknowledging me another moment； the whole
future course of my life might have been alteredI should have
despised him。
He did _not_ delay。 He came to my side and took my hand。
〃Do you know who this is？〃 be said to his mother。
She answered； looking at me with a courteous bend of her head：
〃A lady I met on the beach； Eustace； who kindly restored to me a
letter that I dropped。 I think I heard the name〃 （she turned to
the landlady）： Mrs。 Woodville； was it not？〃
My husband's fingers unconsciously closed on my hand with a grasp
that hurt me。 He set his mother right； it is only just to say；
without one cowardly moment of hesitation。
〃Mother；〃 he said to her； very quietly； 〃this lady is my wife。〃
She had hitherto kept her seat。 She now rose slowly and faced her
son in silence。 The first expression of surprise passed from her
face。 It was succeeded by the most terrible look of mingled
indignation and contempt that I ever saw in a woman's eyes。
〃I pity your wife；〃 she said。
With those words and no more； lifting her hand she waved him back
from her； and went on her way again； as we had first found her；
alone。
CHAPTER IV。
ON THE WAY HOME。
LEFT by ourselves； there was a moment of silence among us。
Eustace spoke first。
〃Are you able to walk back？〃 he said to me。 〃Or shall we go on to
Broadstairs； and return to Ramsgate by the railway？〃
He put those questions as composedly； so far as his manner was
concerned； as if nothing remarkable had happened。 But his eyes
and his lips betrayed him。 They told me that he was suffering
keenly in secret。 The extraordinary scene that had just passed；
far from depriving me of the last remains of my courage； had
strung up my nerves and restored my self…possession。 I must have
been more or less than woman if my self…respect had not been
wounded； if my curiosity had not been wrought to the highest
pitch； by the extraordinary conduct of my husband's mother when
Eustace presented me to her。 What was the secret of her despising
him； and pitying me？ Where was the explanation of her
incomprehensible apathy when my name was twice pronounced in her
hearing？ Why had she left us； as if the bare idea of remaining in
our company was abhorrent to her？ The foremost interest of my
life was now the interest of penetrating these mysteries。 Walk？ I
was in such a fever of expectation that I felt as if I could have
walked to the world's end； if I could only keep my husband by my
side； and question him on the way。
〃I am quite recovered；〃 I said。 〃Let us go back； as we came； on
foot。〃
Eustace glanced at the landlady。 The landlady understood him。
〃I won't intrude my company on you； sir；〃 she said； sharply。 〃I
have some business to do at Broadstairs； and； now I am so near； I
may as well go on。 Good…morning； Mrs。 Woodville。〃
She laid a marked emphasis on my name； and she added one
significant look at parting； which （in the preoccupied state of
my mind at that moment） I entirely failed to comprehend。 There
was neither time nor opportunity to ask her what she meant。 With
a stiff little bow； addressed to Eustace； she left us as his
mother had left us taking the way to Broadstairs； and walking
rapidly。
At last we were alone。
I lost no time in beginning my inquiries； I wasted no words in
prefatory phrases。 In the plainest terms I put the question to
him：
〃What does your mother's conduct mean？〃
Instead of answering； he burst into a fit of laughterloud；
coarse； hard laughter； so utterly unlike any sound I had ever yet
heard issue from his lips； so strangely and shockingly foreign to
his character as _I_ understood it； that I stood still on the
sands and openly remonstrated with him。
〃Eustace！ you are not like yourself；〃 I said。 You almost frighten
me。〃
He took no notice。 He seemed to be pursuing some pleasant train
of thought just started in his mind。
〃So like my mother！〃 he exclaimed； with the air of a man who felt
irresistibly diverted by some humorous idea of his own。 〃Tell me
all about it； Valeria！〃
〃Tell _you_！〃 I repeated。 〃After what has happened； surely it is
your duty to enlighten _me_。〃
〃You don't see the joke；〃 he said。
〃I not only fail to see the joke；〃 I rejoined； 〃I see something
in your mother's language and your mother's behavior which
justifies me in asking you for a serious explanation。〃
〃My dear Valeria； if you understood my mother as well as I do； a
serious explanation of her conduct would be the last thing in the
world that you would expect from me。 The idea of taking my mother
seriously！〃 He burst out laughing again。 〃My darling； you don't
know how you amuse me。〃
It was all forced： it was all unnatural。 He； the most delicate；
the most refined of mena gentleman in the highest sense of the
wordwas coarse and loud and vulgar！ My heart sank under a
sudden sense of misgiving which； with all my love for him； it was
impossible to resist。 In unutterable distress and alarm I asked
myself； 〃Is my husband beginning to deceive me？ is he acting a
part； and acting it badly； before we have been married a week？〃 I
set myself to win his confidence in a new way。 He was evidently
determined to force his own point of view on me。 I determined； on
my side； to accept his point of view。
〃You tell me I don't understand your mother；〃 I said； gently。
〃Will you help me to understand her？〃
〃It is not easy to help you to understand a woman who doesn't
understand herself；〃 he answered。 〃But I will try。 The key to my
poor dear mother's character is； in one wordEccentricity。〃
If he had picked out the most inappropriate word in the whole
dictionary to describe the lady whom I had met on the beach；
〃Eccentricity〃 would have been that word。 A child who had seen
what I saw； who had heard what I heard would have discovered that
he was triflinggrossly； recklessly triflingwith the truth
〃Bear in mind what I have said；〃 he proceeded； 〃and if you want
to understand my mother； do what I asked you to do a minute
sincetell me all about it。 How came you to speak to her； to
begin with？〃
〃Your mother told you； Eustace。 I was walking just behind her；
when she dropped a letter by accident〃
〃No accident；〃 he interposed。 〃The letter was dropped on
purpose。〃
〃Impossible！〃 I exclaimed。 〃Why should your mother drop the
letter on purpose？〃
〃Use the key to her character； my dear。 Eccentricity！ My mother's
odd way of making acquaintance with you。〃
〃Making acquaintance with me？ I have just told you that I was
walking behind her。 She could not have known of the existence of
such a person as myself until I spoke to her first。〃
〃So you suppose； Valeria。〃
〃I am certain of it。〃
〃Pardon meyou don't know my mother as I do。〃
I began to lose all patience with him。
〃Do you mean to tell me；〃 I said； 〃that your mother was out on
the sands to…day for the express purpose of making acquaintance
with Me？〃
〃I have not the slightest doubt of it；〃 he answered； coolly。
〃Why； she didn't even recognize my name！〃
