爱爱小说网 > 其他电子书 > a simpleton >

第65章

a simpleton-第65章

小说: a simpleton 字数: 每页3500字

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!



and that I was nearer death for that woman than ever man was; and
lost my reason for her; and went through toil and privations;
hunger; exile; mainly for her; and then to find the banns cried in
open church; with that scoundrel!say no more; uncle。  I shall
never reproach her; and never forgive her。〃

〃She was deceived。〃

〃I don't doubt that; but nobody has a right to be so great a fool
as all that。〃

〃It was not her folly; but her innocence; that was imposed on。  You
a philosopher; and not know that wisdom itself is sometimes imposed
on; and deceived by cunning folly!  Have you forgotten your
Milton?


     〃'At Wisdom's gate; Suspicion sleeps;
       And deems no ill where no ill seems。'


Come; come! are you sure you are not a little to blame?  Did you
write home the moment you found you were not dead?〃

Christopher colored high。

〃Evidently not;〃 said the keen old man。  〃Ah; my fine fellow! have
I found the flaw in your own armor?〃

〃I did wrong; but it was for her。  I sinned for her。  I could not
bear her to be without money; and I knew the insuranceI sinned
for her。  She has sinned AGAINST me。〃

〃And she had much better have sinned against God; hadn't she?  He
is more forgiving than we perfect creatures that cheat insurance
companies。  And so; my fine fellow; you hid the truth from her for
two or three months。〃

No answer。

〃Strike off those two or three months; would the banns have ever
been cried?〃

〃Well; uncle;〃 said Christopher; hard pressed; 〃I am glad she has
got a champion; and I hope you will always keep your eye on her。〃

〃I mean to。〃

〃Good…morning。〃

〃No; don't be in a hurry。  I have something else to say; not so
provoking。  Do you know the arts by which she was made to believe
you wished her to marry again?〃

〃I wished her to marry again!  Are you mad; uncle?〃

〃Whose handwriting is on this envelope?〃

〃Mine; to be sure。〃

〃Now; read the letter。〃

Christopher read the forged letter。

〃Oh; monstrous!〃

〃This was given her with your ruby ring; and a tale so artful that
nothing we read about the devil comes near it。  This was what did
it。  The Earl of Tadcaster brought her title; and wealth; and
love。〃

〃What; he too!  The little cub I saved; and lost myself forblank
him! blank him!〃

〃Why; you stupid ninny! you forget you were dead; and he could not
help loving her。  How could he?  Well; but you see she refused him。
And why? because he came without a forged letter from YOU。  Do you
doubt her love for you?〃

〃Of course I do。  She never loved me as I loved her。〃

〃Christopher; don't you say that before me; or you and I shall
quarrel。  Poor girl! she lay; in my sight; as near death for you as
you were for her。  I'll show you something。〃

He went to a cabinet; and took out a silver paper; he unpinned it;
and laid Rosa's beautiful black hair upon her husband's knees。
〃Look at that; you hard…hearted brute!〃 he roared to Christopher;
who sat; anything but hard…hearted; his eyes filling fast; at the
sad proof of his wife's love and suffering。

Rosa could bear no more。  She came out with her boy in her hand。
〃O uncle; do not speak harshly to him; or you will kill me quite!〃

She came across the room; a picture of timidity and penitence; with
her whole eloquent body bent forward at an angle。  She kneeled at
his knees; with streaming eyes; and held her boy up to him: 〃Plead
for your poor mother; my darling。  She mourns her fault; and will
never excuse it。〃

The cause was soon decided。  All Philip's logic was nothing;
compared with mighty nature。  Christopher gave one great sob; and
took his darling to his heart; without one word; and he and Rosa
clung together; and cried over each other。  Philip slipped out of
the room; and left the restored ones together。


I have something more to say about my hero and heroine; but must
first deal with other characters; not wholly uninteresting to the
reader; I hope。

Dr。 Staines directed Phoebe Falcon how to treat her husband。  No
medicine; no stimulants; very wholesome food; in moderation; and
the temperature of the body regulated by tepid water。  Under these
instructions; the injured but still devoted wife was the real
healer。  He pulled through; but was lame for life; and ridiculously
lame; for he went with a spring halt;a sort of hop…and…go…one
that made the girls laugh; and vexed Adonis。

Phoebe found the diamonds; and offered them all to Staines; in
expiation of his villany。  〃See;〃 she said; 〃he has only spent
one。〃

Staines said he was glad of it; for her sake; for he must be just
to his own family。  He sold them for three thousand two hundred
pounds; but for the big diamond he got twelve thousand pounds; and
I believe it was worth double the money。

Counting the two sums; and deducting six hundred for the stone Mr。
Falcon had embezzled; he gave her over seven thousand pounds。

She stared at him; and changed color at so large a sum。  〃But I
have no claim on that; sir。〃

〃That is a good joke;〃 said he。  〃Why; you and I are partners in
the whole thingyou and I and Dick。  Was it not with his horse and
rifle I bought the big diamond?  Poor dear; honest; manly Dick!
No; the money is honestly yours; Mrs。 Falcon; but don't trust a
penny to your husband。〃

〃He will never see it; sir。  I shall take him back; and give him
all his heart can ask for; with this; but he will be little more
than a servant in the house now; as long as Dick is single; I know
that;〃 and she could still cry at the humiliation of her villain。

Staines made her promise to write to him; and she did write him a
sweet; womanly letter; to say that they were making an enormous
fortune; and hoped to end their days in England。  Dick sent his
kind love and thanks。

I will add; what she only said by implication; that she was happy
after all。  She still contrived to love the thing she could not
respect。  Once; when an officious friend pitied her for her
husband's lameness; she said; 〃Find me a face like his。  The lamer
the better; he can't run after the girls; like SOME。〃

Dr。 Staines called on Lady Cicely Treherne; the footman stared。  He
left his card。

A week afterwards; she called on him。  She had a pink tinge in her
cheeks; a general animation; and her face full of brightness and
archness。

〃Bless me!〃 said he bluntly; 〃is this you?  How you are improved!〃

〃Yes;〃 said she; 〃and I am come to thank you for your pwescwiption:
I followed it to the lettaa。〃

〃Woe is me!  I have forgotten it。〃

〃You diwected me to mawwy a nice man。〃

〃Never: I hate a nice man。〃

〃No; noan Iwishman: and I have done it。〃

〃Good gracious! you don't mean that!  I must be more cautious in my
prescriptions。  After all; it seems to agree。〃

〃Admiwably。〃

〃He loves you?〃

〃To distwaction。〃

〃He amuses you?〃

〃Pwodigiously。  Come and see。〃


Dr。 and Mrs。 Staines live with Uncle Philip。  The insurance money
is returned; but the diamond money makes them very easy。  Staines
follows his profession now under great advantages: a noble house;
rent free; the curiosity that attaches to a man who has been canted
out of a ship in mid…ocean; and lives to tell it; and then Lord
Tadcaster; married into another noble house; swears by him; and
talks of him; so does Lady Cicely Munster; late Treherne; and when
such friends as these are warm; it makes a physician the centre of
an important clientele; but his best friend of all is his
unflagging industry; and his truly wonderful diagnosis; which
resembles divination。  He has the ball at his feet; and above all;
that without which worldly success soon palls; a happy home; a
fireside warm with sympathy。

Mrs。 Staines is an admiring; sympathizing wife; and an admirable
housekeeper。  She still utters inadvertencies now and then; commits
new errors at odd times; but never repeats them when exposed。
Observing which docility; Uncle Philip has been heard to express a
fear that; in twenty years; she will be the wisest woman in
England。  〃But; thank heaven!〃 he adds; 〃I shall be gone before
that。〃

Her conduct and conversation afford this cynic constant food for
observation; and he has delivered himself oracularly at various
stages of the study: but I cannot say that his observations; taken
as a whole; present that consistency which entitles them to be
regarded as a body of philosophy。  Examples:  In the second month
after Mrs。 Staines came to live with him; he delivered himself
thus: 〃My niece Rosa is an anomaly。  She gives you the impression
she is shallow。  Mind your eye: in one moment she will take you out
of your depth or any man's depth。  She is like those country
streams I used to fish for pike when I was young; you go along;
seeing the bottom everywhere; but presently you come to a corner;
and it is fifteen deep all in a moment; and souse you go over head
and ears: that's my niece Rosa。〃

In six months he had got to thisand; mind you; each successive
dogma was delivered in a loud; aggressive tone; and in sublime
oblivion of the preceding oracle〃My niece Rosa is the most artful
woman。  (You may haw! haw! haw! as much as you like。  You have not
found out her little gameI have。)  What is the aim of all women?
To be beloved by an unconscionable number of people。  Well; she
sets up for a simpleton; and so disarms all the brilliant people;
and they love her。  Everybody loves her。  Just you put her down in
a room with six clever women; and you will see who is the favorite。
She looks as shallow as a pond; and she is as deep as the ocean。〃

At the end of the year he threw off the mask altogether。  〃The
great sweetener of a man's life;〃 said he; 〃is 'a simpleton。'  I
shall not go abroad any more; my house has become attractive: I've
got a simpleton。  When I have a headache; her eyes fill with tender
concern; and she hovers about me and pesters me with pillows: when
I am cross with her; she is afraid I am ill。  When I die; and leave
her a lot of money; she will howl for months; and say I don't want
his money: 'I waw…waw…waw…waw…want my Uncle Philip; to love me; and
scold me。'  One day she told me; with a sigh; I hadn't lectured her
for a month。  'I am afraid I have offended you;' says she; 'or else
worn you out; dear。'  When I am well; give me a simpleton; to make
me laugh。  When I am ill; give me a simpleton to soothe me with her
innocent tenderness。  A simpleton shall wipe the dews of death; and
close my eyes: and when I cross the river of death; let me be met
by a band of the heavenly host; who were all simpletons here on
earth; and too good for such a hole; so now they are in heaven; and
their garments always whitebecause there are no laundresses there。〃

Arrived at this point; the Anglo…Saxon race will retire; grinning;
to fresh pastures; and leave this champion of 〃a Simpleton;〃 to
thunder paradoxes in a desert。





End 

返回目录 上一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的