armadale-第138章
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A strange sensation； as of something leaping up from his heart to
his brain； turned his head wildly giddy。 He held by the house
railings and kept his face to the air； and resolutely waited till
he was steady again。 Then he rang the bell。
〃Is？〃he tried to ask for 〃Mrs。 Armadale；〃 when the maid…servant
had opened the door； but not even his resolution could force the
name to pass his lips〃is your mistress at home？〃 he asked。
〃Yes； sir。〃
The girl showed him into a back parlor； and presented him to a
little old lady； with an obliging manner and a bright pair of
eyes。
〃There is some mistake；〃 said Midwinter。 〃I wished to see〃 Once
more he tried to utter the name； and once more he failed to force
it to his lips。
〃Mrs。 Armadale？〃 suggested the little old lady； with a smile。
〃Yes。〃
〃Show the gentleman upstairs； Jenny。〃
The girl led the way to the drawing…room floor。
〃Any name。 sir？〃
〃No name。〃
Mr。 Bashwood had barely completed his report of what had happened
at the terminus； Mr。 Bashwood's imperious mistress was still
sitting speechless under the shock of the discovery that had
burst on herwhen the door of the room opened； and； without a
word of warning to proceed him； Midwinter appeared on the
threshold。 He took one step into the room； and mechanically
pushed the door to behind him。 He stood in dead silence； and
confronted his wife； with a scrutiny that was terrible in its
unnatural self…possession； and that enveloped her steadily in one
comprehensive look from head to foot。
In dead silence on her side； she rose from her chair； In dead
silence she stood erect on the hearth…rug； and faced her husband
in widow's weeds。 He took one step nearer to her； and stopped
again。 He lifted his hand； and pointed with his lean brown finger
at her dress。
〃What does that mean？〃 he asked； without losing his terrible
self…possession； and without moving his outstretched hand。
At the sound of his voice； the quick rise and fall of her
bosomwhich had been the one outward betrayal thus far of the
inner agony that tortured hersuddenly stopped。 She stood
impenetrably silent； breathlessly stillas if his question had
struck her dead； and his pointing hand had petrified her。
He advanced one step nearer； and reiterated his words in a voice
even lower and quieter than the voice in which he had spoken
first。
One moment more of silence； one moment more of inaction； might
have been the salvation of her。 But the fatal force of her
character triumphed at the crisis of her destiny； and his。 White
and still； and haggard and old； she met the dreadful emergency
with a dreadful courage； and spoke the irrevocable words which
renounced him to his face。
〃Mr。 Midwinter；〃 she said； in tones unnaturally hard and
unnaturally clear； 〃our acquaintance hardly entitles you to speak
to me in that manner。〃 Those were her words。 She never lifted her
eyes from the ground while she spoke them。 When she had done； the
last faint vestige of color in her cheeks faded out。
There was a pause。 Still steadily looking at her； he set himself
to fix the language she had used to him in his mind。 〃She calls
me 'Mr。 Midwinter；' 〃 he said； slowly； in a whisper。 〃She speaks
of 'our acquaintance。' 〃 He waited a little and looked round the
room。 His wandering eyes encountered Mr。 Bashwood for the first
time。 He saw the steward standing near the fireplace； trembling；
and watching him。
〃I once did you a service；〃 he said； 〃and you once told me you
were not an ungrateful man。 Are you grateful enough to answer me
if I ask you something？〃
He waited a little again。 Mr。 Bashwood still stood trembling at
the fireplace； silently watching him。
〃I see you looking at me；〃 he went on。 〃Is there some change in
me that I am not conscious of myself？ Am I seeing things that you
don't see？ Am I hearing words that you don't hear？ Am I looking
or speaking like a man out of his senses？〃
Again he waited； and again the silence was unbroken。 His eyes
began to glitter； and the savage blood that he had inherited from
his mother rose dark and slow in his ashy cheeks。
〃Is that woman；〃 he asked； 〃the woman whom you once knew； whose
name was Miss Gwilt？〃
Once more his wife collected her fatal courage。 Once more his
wife spoke her fatal words。
〃You compel me to repeat；〃 she said； 〃that you are presuming on
our acquaintance； and that you are forgetting what is due to me。〃
He turned upon her； with a savage suddenness which forced a cry
of alarm from Mr。 Bashwood's lips。
〃Are you； or are you not； My Wife？〃 he asked； through his set
teeth。
She raised her eyes to his for the first time。 Her lost spirit
looked at him； steadily defiant； out of the hell of its own
despair。
〃I am _not_ your wife；〃 she said。
He staggered back； with his hands groping for something to hold
by； like the hands of a man in the dark。 He leaned heavily
against the wall of the room； and looked at the woman who had
slept on his bosom； and who had denied him to his face。
Mr。 Bashwood stole panic…stricken to her side。 〃Go in there！〃 he
whispered； trying to draw her toward the folding…doors which led
into the next room。 〃For God's sake； be quick！ He'll kill you！〃
She put the old man back with her hand。 She looked at him with a
sudden irradiation of her blank face。 She answered him with lips
that struggled slowly into a frightful smile。
〃_Let_ him kill me；〃 she said。
As the words passed her lips； he sprang forward from the wall；
with a cry that rang through the house。 The frenzy of a maddened
man flashed at her from his glassy eyes； and clutched at her in
his threatening hands。 He came on till he was within arms…length
of herand suddenly stood still。 The black flush died out of his
face in the instant when he stopped。 His eyelids fell； his
outstretched hands wavered and sank helpless。 He dropped； as the
dead drop。 He lay as the dead lie； in the arms of the wife who
had denied him。
She knelt on the floor； and rested his head on her knee。 She
caught the arm of the steward hurrying to help her； with a hand
that closed round it like a vise。 〃Go for a doctor；〃 she said；
〃and keep the people of the house away till he comes。〃 There was
that in her eye； there was that in her voice； which would have
warned any man living to obey her in silence。 In silence Mr。
Bashwood submitted； and hurried out of the room。
The instant she was alone she raised him from her knee。 With both
arms clasped round him； the miserable woman lifted his lifeless
face to hers and rocked him on her bosom in an agony of
tenderness beyond all relief in tears； in a passion of remorse
beyond all expression in words。 In silence she held him to her
breast； in silence she devoured his forehead； his cheeks； his
lips； with kisses。 Not a sound escaped her till she heard the
trampling footsteps outside； hurrying up the stairs。 Then a low
moan burst from her lips； as she looked her last at him； and
lowered his head again to her knee； before the strangers came in。
The landlady and the steward were the first persons whom she saw
when the door was opened。 The medical man （a surgeon living in
the street） followed。 The horror and the beauty of her face as
she looked up at him absorbed the surgeon's attention for the
moment； to the exclusion of everything else。 Sh e had to beckon
to him； she had to point to the senseless man； before she could
claim his attention for his patient and divert it from herself。
〃Is he dead？〃 she asked。
The surgeon carried Midwinter to the sofa； and ordered the
windows to be opened。 〃It is a fainting fit；〃 he said； 〃nothing
more。〃
At that answer her strength failed her for the first time。 She
drew a deep breath of relief； and leaned on the chimney…piece for
support。 Mr。 Bashwood was the only person present who noticed
that she was overcome。 He led her to the opposite end of the
room； where there was an easy…chair； leaving the landlady to hand
the restoratives to the surgeon as they were wanted。
〃Are you going to wait here till he recovers？〃 whispered the
steward； looking toward the sofa； and trembling as he looked。
The question forced her to a sense of her positionto a
knowledge of the merciless necessities which that position now
forced her to confront。 With a heavy sigh she looked toward the
sofa； considered with herself for a moment； and answered Mr。
Bashwood's inquiry by a question on her side。
〃Is the cab that brought you here from the railway still at the
door？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Drive at once to the gates of the Sanitarium； and wait there
till I join you。〃
Mr。 Bashwood hesitated。 She lifted her eyes to his； and； with a
look； sent him out of the room。
〃The gentleman is coming to； ma'am；〃 said the landlady； as the
steward closed the door。 〃He has just breathed again。〃
She bowed in mute reply； rose； and considered with herself once
morelooked toward the sofa for the second timethen passed
through the folding…doors into her own room。
After a short lapse of time the surgeon drew back from the sofa
and motioned to the landlady to stand aside。 The bodily recovery
of the patient was assured。 There was nothing to be done now but
to wait； and let his mind slowly recall its sense of what had
happened。
〃Where is she？〃 were the first words he said to the surgeon； and
the landlady anxiously watching him。
The landlady knocked at the folding…doors； and received no
answer。 She went in； and found the room empty。 A sheet of
note…paper was on the dressing…table； with the doctor's fee
placed on it。 The paper contained these lines； evidently written
in great agitation or in great haste： 〃It is impossible for me to
remain here to…night； after what has happened。 I will return
to…morrow to take away my luggage； and to pay what I owe you。〃
〃Where is she？〃 Midwinter asked again； when the landlady returned
alone to the drawing…room。
〃Gone； sir。〃
〃I don't believe it！〃
The old lady's color rose。 〃If you know her handwriting； sir；〃
she answered； handing him the sheet of note…paper； 〃perhaps you
may believe _that？_〃
He looked at the paper。 〃I beg your pardon； ma'am；〃 he said； as
he handed it back〃I beg your pardon； with all my heart。〃
There was something in his face as he spoke those words which
more than soothed the old lady's irritation： it touched her with
a sudden pity for the man who had offended her。 〃I am afraid
there is some dreadful trouble； sir； at the bottom of all this；〃
she said； simply。 〃Do you wish me to give any message to the lady
when she comes back？〃
Midwinter rose and steadied himself for a moment against the
sofa。 〃I will bring my own message to…morrow；〃 he said。 〃I must
see her before she leaves your house。〃
The surgeon accompanied his patient into the street。 〃Can I see
you home？〃 he said； kindly。 〃You had better not walk； if it is
far。 You mustn't overexert yourself； you mustn't catch a chill
this cold night。〃
Midwinter took his hand and thanked him。 〃I have been used to
hard walking and cold nights； sir；〃 he said； 〃and I am not easily
worn out； even when I look so broken as I do now。 If you will
tell me the nearest way out of these streets； I think the quiet
of the country and the quiet of the night will help me。 I hav
