the law and the lady-第80章
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passed between Dexter and myself。 He still mechanically kept his
page open； and still held his pencil in readiness to go on。
Ariel； quietly submitting to the drowsy influence of the wine
while Dexter's voice was in her ears； felt uneasily the change to
silence。 She glanced round her restlessly； she lifted her eyes to
〃the Master。〃
There he sat； silent； with his hand to his head； still struggling
to marshal his wandering thoughts； still trying to see light
through the darkness that was closing round him。
〃Master！〃 cried Ariel； piteously。 〃What's become of the story？〃
He started as if she had awakened him out of a sleep； he shook
his head impatiently； as though he wanted to throw off some
oppression that weighed upon it。
〃Patience； patience；〃 he said。 〃The story is going on again。〃
He dashed at it desperately； he picked up the first lost thread
that fell in his way； reckless whether it were the right thread
or the wrong one：
〃Damoride fell on her knees。 She burst into tears。 She said〃
He stopped； and looked about him with vacant eyes。
〃What name did I give the other woman？〃 he asked； not putting the
question to me； or to either of my companions： asking it of
himself； or asking it of the empty air。
〃You called the other woman Cunegonda；〃 I said。
At the sound of my voice his eyes turned slowlyturned on me；
and yet failed to look at me。 Dull and absent； still and
changeless； they were eyes that seemed to be fixed on something
far away。 Even his voice was altered when he spoke next。 It had
dropped to a quiet； vacant； monotonous tone。 I had heard
something like it while I was watching by my husband's bedside；
at the time of his deliriumwhen Eustace's mind appeared to be
too weary to follow his speech。 Was the end so near as this？
〃I called her Cunegonda；〃 he repeated。 〃And I called the other〃
He stopped once more。
〃And you called the other Damoride；〃 I said。
Ariel looked up at him with a broad stare of bewilderment。 She
pulled impatiently at the sleeve of his jacket to attract his
notice。
〃Is this the story； Master？〃 she asked。
He answered without looking at her； his changeless eyes still
fixed； as it seemed； on something far away。
〃This is the story；〃 he said； absently。 〃But why Cunegonda？ why
Damoride？ Why not Mistress and Maid？ It's easier to remember
Mistress and Maid〃
He hesitated； he shivered as he tried to raise himself in his
chair。 Then he seemed to rally 〃What did the Maid say to the
Mistress？〃 he muttered。 〃What？ what？ what？〃 He hesitated again。
Then something seemed to dawn upon him unexpectedly。 Was it some
new thought that had struck him？ or some lost thought that he had
recovered？ Impossible to say。
He went on； suddenly and rapidly went on； in these strange words：
〃'The letter；' the Maid said； 'the letter。 Oh my heart。 Every
word a dagger。 A dagger in my heart。 Oh； you letter。 Horrible；
horrible； horrible letter。'〃
What； in God's name； was he talking about？ What did those words
mean？
Was he unconsciously pursuing his faint and fragmentary
recollections of a past time at Gleninch； under the delusion that
he was going on with the story？ In the wreck of the other
faculties； was memory the last to sink？ Was the truth； the
dreadful truth； glimmering on me dimly through the awful shadow
cast before it by the advancing； eclips e of the brain？ My breath
failed me； a nameless horror crept through my whole being。
Benjamin； with his pencil in his hand； cast one warning look at
me。 Ariel was quiet and satisfied。 〃Go on； Master；〃 was all she
said。 〃I like it！ I like it！ Go on with the story。〃
He went onlike a man sleeping with his eyes open； and talking
in his sleep。
〃The Maid said to the Mistress。 Nothe Mistress said to the
Maid。 The Mistress said； 'Show him the letter。 Must； must； must
do it。' The Maid said； 'No。 Mustn't do it。 Shan't show it。 Stuff。
Nonsense。 Let him suffer。 We can get him off。 Show it？ No。 Let
the worst come to the worst。 Show it； then。' The Mistress said〃
He paused； and waved his hand rapidly to and fro before his eyes；
as if he were brushing away some visionary confusion or
entanglement。 〃Which was it last？〃 he said〃Mistress or Maid？
Mistress？ No。 Maid speaks； of course。 Loud。 Positive。 'You
scoundrels。 Keep away from that table。 The Diary's there。 Number
Nine； Caldershaws。 Ask for Dandie。 You shan't have the Diary。 A
secret in your ear。 The Diary will hang； him。 I won't have him
hanged。 How dare you touch my chair？ My chair is Me！ How dare you
touch Me？'〃
The last words burst on me like a gleam of light！ I had read them
in the Report of the Trialin the evidence of the sheriff's
officer。 Miserrimus Dexter had spoken in those very terms when he
had tried vainly to prevent the men from seizing my husband's
papers； and when the men had pushed his chair out of the room。
There was no doubt now of what his memory was busy with。 The
mystery at Gleninch！ His last backward flight of thought circled
feebly and more feebly nearer and nearer to the mystery at
Gleninch！
Ariel aroused him again。 She had no mercy on him； she insisted on
hearing the whole story。
〃Why do you stop； Master？ Get along with it！ get along with it！
Tell us quickwhat did the Missus say to the Maid？〃
He laughed feebly； and tried to imitate her。
〃'What did the Missus say to the Maid？'〃 he repeated。 His laugh
died away。 He went on speaking； more and more vacantly； more and
more rapidly。 〃The Mistress said to the Maid。 We've got him off。
What about the letter？ Burn it now。 No fire in the grate。 No
matches in the box。 House topsy…turvy。 Servants all gone。 Tear it
up。 Shake it up in the basket。 Along with the rest。 Shake it up。
Waste paper。 Throw it away。 Gone forever。 Oh； Sara； Sara； Sara！
Gone forever。'〃
Ariel clapped her hands； and mimicked him in her turn。
〃'Oh； Sara； Sara； Sara！'〃 she repeated。 〃'Gone forever。' That's
prime； Master！ Tell uswho was Sara？〃
His lips moved； but his voice sank so low that I could barely
hear him。 He began again； with the old melancholy refrain：
〃The Maid said to the Mistress。 Nothe Mistress said to the
Maid〃 He stopped abruptly； and raised himself erect in the
chair； he threw up both his hands above his head； and burst into
a frightful screaming laugh。 〃Aha…ha…ha…ha！ How funny！ Why don't
you laugh？ Funny； funny； funny； funny。 Aha…ha…ha…ha…ha〃
He fell back in the chair。 The shrill and dreadful laugh died
away into a low sob。 Then there was one long； deep； wearily drawn
breath。 Then nothing but a mute； vacant face turned up to the
ceiling； with eyes that looked blindly； with lips parted in a
senseless； changeless grin。 Nemesis at last！ The foretold doom
had fallen on him。 The night had come。
But one feeling animated me when the first shock was over。 Even
the horror of that fearful sight seemed only to increase the pity
that I felt for the stricken wretch。 I started impulsively to my
feet。 Seeing nothing； thinking of nothing but the helpless figure
in the chair； I sprang forward to raise him； to revive him； to
recall him （if such a thing might still be possible） to himself。
At the first step that I took； I felt hands on meI was
violently drawn back。 〃Are you blind？〃 cried Benjamin； dragging
me nearer and nearer to the door。 〃Look there！〃
He pointed； and I looked。
Ariel had been beforehand with me。 She had raised her master in
the chair； she had got one arm around him。 In her free hand she
brandished an Indian club； torn from a 〃trophy〃 of Oriental
weapons that ornamented the wall over the fire…place。 The
creature was transfigured！ Her dull eyes glared like the eyes of
a wild animal。 She gnashed her teeth in the frenzy that possessed
her。 〃You have done this！〃 she shouted to me； waving the club
furiously around and around over her head。 〃Come near him； and
I'll dash your brains out！ I'll mash you till there's not a whole
bone left in your skin！〃 Benjamin； still holding me with one hand
opened the door with the other。 I let him do with me as he would；
Ariel fascinated me； I could look at nothing but Ariel。 Her
frenzy vanished as she saw us retreating。 She dropped the club；
she threw both arms around him； and nestled he
