lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第21章

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He　bore　it。　　And　the　more　he　bore；　the　more　he　wanted　compensation

in　Money；　and　the　more　he　was　resolved　to　have　it。



'But；　lo！　　Before　he　got　it；　she　cheated　him。　　In　one　of　her

imperious　states；　she　froze；　and　never　thawed　again。　　She　put　her

hands　to　her　head　one　night；　uttered　a　cry；　stiffened；　lay　in　that

attitude　certain　hours；　and　died。　　And　he　had　got　no　compensation

from　her　in　Money；　yet。　　Blight　and　Murrain　on　her！　　Not　a　penny。



'He　had　hated　her　throughout　that　second　pursuit；　and　had　longed

for　retaliation　on　her。　　He　now　counterfeited　her　signature　to　an

instrument；　leaving　all　she　had　to　leave；　to　her　daughter　…　ten

years　old　then　…　to　whom　the　property　passed　absolutely；　and

appointing　himself　the　daughter's　Guardian。　　When　He　slid　it　under

the　pillow　of　the　bed　on　which　she　lay；　He　bent　down　in　the　deaf

ear　of　Death；　and　whispered：　　〃Mistress　Pride；　I　have　determined　a

long　time　that；　dead　or　alive；　you　must　make　me　compensation　in

Money。'



'So；　now　there　were　only　two　left。　　Which　two　were；　He；　and　the

fair　flaxen…haired；　large…eyed　foolish　daughter；　who　afterwards

became　the　Bride。



'He　put　her　to　school。　　In　a　secret；　dark；　oppressive；　ancient

house；　he　put　her　to　school　with　a　watchful　and　unscrupulous　woman。

〃My　worthy　lady；〃　he　said；　〃here　is　a　mind　to　be　formed；　will　you

help　me　to　form　it？〃　　She　accepted　the　trust。　　For　which　she；　too；

wanted　compensation　in　Money；　and　had　it。



'The　girl　was　formed　in　the　fear　of　him；　and　in　the　conviction；

that　there　was　no　escape　from　him。　　She　was　taught；　from　the　first；

to　regard　him　as　her　future　husband　…　the　man　who　must　marry　her　…

the　destiny　that　overshadowed　her　…　the　appointed　certainty　that

could　never　be　evaded。　　The　poor　fool　was　soft　white　wax　in　their

hands；　and　took　the　impression　that　they　put　upon　her。　　It　hardened

with　time。　　It　became　a　part　of　herself。　　Inseparable　from　herself；

and　only　to　be　torn　away　from　her；　by　tearing　life　away　from　her。



'Eleven　years　she　had　lived　in　the　dark　house　and　its　gloomy

garden。　　He　was　jealous　of　the　very　light　and　air　getting　to　her；

and　they　kept　her　close。　　He　stopped　the　wide　chimneys；　shaded　the

little　windows；　left　the　strong…stemmed　ivy　to　wander　where　it

would　over　the　house…front；　the　moss　to　accumulate　on　the　untrimmed

fruit…trees　in　the　red…walled　garden；　the　weeds　to　over…run　its

green　and　yellow　walks。　　He　surrounded　her　with　images　of　sorrow

and　desolation。　　He　caused　her　to　be　filled　with　fears　of　the　place

and　of　the　stories　that　were　told　of　it；　and　then　on　pretext　of

correcting　them；　to　be　left　in　it　in　solitude；　or　made　to　shrink

about　it　in　the　dark。　　When　her　mind　was　most　depressed　and　fullest

of　terrors；　then；　he　would　come　out　of　one　of　the　hiding…places

from　which　he　overlooked　her；　and　present　himself　as　her　sole

resource。



'Thus；　by　being　from　her　childhood　the　one　embodiment　her　life

presented　to　her　of　power　to　coerce　and　power　to　relieve；　power　to

bind　and　power　to　loose；　the　ascendency　over　her　weakness　was

secured。　　She　was　twenty…one　years　and　twenty…one　days　old；　when　he

brought　her　home　to　the　gloomy　house；　his　half…witted；　frightened；

and　submissive　Bride　of　three　weeks。



'He　had　dismissed　the　governess　by　that　time　…　what　he　had　left　to

do；　he　could　best　do　alone　…　and　they　came　back；　upon　a　rain　night；

to　the　scene　of　her　long　preparation。　　She　turned　to　him　upon　the

threshold；　as　the　rain　was　dripping　from　the　porch；　and　said：



'〃O　sir；　it　is　the　Death…watch　ticking　for　me！〃



'〃Well！〃　he　answered。　　〃And　if　it　were？〃



'〃O　sir！〃　she　returned　to　him；　〃look　kindly　on　me；　and　be　merciful

to　me！　　I　beg　your　pardon。　　I　will　do　anything　you　wish；　if　you

will　only　forgive　me！〃



'That　had　become　the　poor　fool's　constant　song：　　〃I　beg　your

pardon；〃　and　〃Forgive　me！〃



'She　was　not　worth　hating；　he　felt　nothing　but　contempt　for　her。

But；　she　had　long　been　in　the　way；　and　he　had　long　been　weary；　and

the　work　was　near　its　end；　and　had　to　be　worked　out。



'〃You　fool；〃　he　said。　　〃Go　up　the　stairs！〃



'She　obeyed　very　quickly；　murmuring；　〃I　will　do　anything　you　wish！〃

When　he　came　into　the　Bride's　Chamber；　having　been　a　little

retarded　by　the　heavy　fastenings　of　the　great　door　（for　they　were

alone　in　the　house；　and　he　had　arranged　that　the　people　who

attended　on　them　should　come　and　go　in　the　day）；　he　found　her

withdrawn　to　the　furthest　corner；　and　there　standing　pressed

against　the　paneling　as　if　she　would　have　shrunk　through　it：　　her

flaxen　hair　all　wild　about　her　face；　and　her　large　eyes　staring　at

him　in　vague　terror。



'〃What　are　you　afraid　of？　　Come　and　sit　down　by　me。〃



'〃I　will　do　anything　you　wish。　　I　beg　your　pardon；　sir。　　Forgive

me！〃　　Her　monotonous　tune　as　usual。



'〃Ellen；　here　is　a　writing　that　you　must　write　out　to…morrow；　in

your　own　hand。　　You　may　as　well　be　seen　by　others；　busily　engaged

upon　it。　　When　you　have　written　it　all　fairly；　and　corrected　all

mistakes；　call　in　any　two　people　there　may　be　about　the　house；　and

sign　your　name　to　it　before　them。　　Then；　put　it　in　your　bosom　to

keep　it　safe；　and　when　I　sit　here　again　to…morrow　night；　give　it　to

me。〃



'〃I　will　do　it　all；　with　the　greatest　care。　　I　will　do　anything　you

wish。〃



'〃Don't　shake　and　tremble；　then。〃



'〃I　will　try　my　utmost　not　to　do　it　…　if　you　will　only　forgive　me！〃



'Next　day；　she　sat　down　at　her　desk；　and　did　as　she　had　been　told。

He　often　passed　in　and　out　of　the　room；　to　observe　her；　and　always

saw　her　slowly　and　laboriously　writing：　　repeating　to　herself　the

words　she　copied；　in　appearance　quite　mechanically；　and　without

caring　or　endeavouring　to　comprehend　them；　so　that　she　did　her

task。　　He　saw　her　follow　the　directions　she　had　received；　in　all

particulars；　and　at　night；　when　they　were　alone　again　in　the　same

Bride's　Chamber；　and　he　drew　his　chair　to　the　hearth；　she　timidly

approached　him　from　her　distant　seat；　took　the　paper　from　her

bosom；　and　gave　it　into　his　hand。



'It　secured　all　her　possessions　to　him；　in　the　event　of　her　death。

He　put　her　before　him；　face　to　face；　that　he　might　look　at　her

steadily；　and　he　asked　her；　in　so　many　plain　words；　neither　fewer

nor　more；　did　she　know　that？



'There　were　spots　of　ink　upon　the　bosom　of　her　white　dress；　and

they　made　her　face　look　whiter　and　her　eyes　look　larger　as　she

nodded　her　head。　　There　were　spots　of　ink　upon　the　hand　with　which

she　stood　before　him；　nervously　plaiting　and　folding　her　white

skirts。



'He　took　her　by　the　arm；　and　looked　her；　yet　more　closely　and

steadily；　in　the　face。　　〃Now；　die！　　I　have　done　with　you。〃



'She　shrunk；　and　uttered　a　low；　suppressed　cry。



'〃I　am　not　going　to　kill　you。　　I　will　not　endanger　my　life　for

yours。　　Die！〃



'He　sat　before　her　in　the　gloomy　Bride's　Chamber；　day　after　day；

night　after　night；　looking　the　word　at　her　when　he　did　not　utter

it。　　As　often　as　her　large　unmeaning　eyes　were　raised　from　the

hands　in　which　she　rocked　her　head；　to　the　stern　figure；　sitting

with　crossed　arms　and　knitted　forehead；　in　the　chair；　they　read　in

it；　〃Die！〃　　When　she　dropped　asleep　in　exhaustion；　she　was　called

back　to　shuddering　consciousness；　by　the　whisper；　〃Die！〃　　When　she

fell　upon　her　old　entreaty　to　be　pardoned；　she　was　answered　〃Die！〃

When　she　had　out…watched　and　out…suffered　the　long　night；　and　the

rising　sun　flamed　into　the　sombre　room；　she　heard　it　hailed　with；

〃Another　day　and　not　dead？　…　Die！〃



'Shut　up　in　the　deserted　mansion；　aloof　from　all　mankind；　and

engaged　alone　in　such　a　struggle　without　any　respite；　it　came　to

this　…　that　either　he　must　die；　or　she。　　He　knew　it　very　well；　and

concentrated　his　strength　against　her　feebleness。　　Hours　upon　hours

he　held　her　by　the　arm　when　her　arm　was　black　where　he　held　it；　and

bade　her　Die！



'It　was　done；　upon　a　windy　morning；　before　sunrise。　　He　computed

the　time　to　be　half…past　four；　but；　his　forgotten　watch　ha