for the term of his natural life-第85章

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　been　born　of　sensuality；　and　had　perished　in　the　fires　it　had　itself　kindled。　　Many　women　have；　unhappily；　made　some　such　discovery　as　this；　but　for　most　women　there　is　some　distracting　occupation。　　Had　it　been　Sylvia's　fate　to　live　in　the　midst　of　fashion　and　society；　she　would　have　found　relief　in　the　conversation　of　the　witty；　or　the　homage　of　the　distinguished。　　Had　fortune　cast　her　lot　in　a　city；　Mrs。　Frere　might　have　become　one　of　those　charming　women　who　collect　around　their　supper…tables　whatever　of　male　intellect　is　obtainable；　and　who　find　the　husband　admirably　useful　to　open　his　own　champagne　bottles。　　The　celebrated　women　who　have　stepped　out　of　their　domestic　circles　to　enchant　or　astonish　the　world；　have　almost　invariably　been　cursed　with　unhappy　homes。　　But　poor　Sylvia　was　not　destined　to　this　fortune。　　Cast　back　upon　herself；　she　found　no　surcease　of　pain　in　her　own　imaginings；　and　meeting　with　a　man　sufficiently　her　elder　to　encourage　her　to　talk；　and　sufficiently　clever　to　induce　her　to　seek　his　society　and　his　advice；　she　learnt；　for　the　first　time；　to　forget　her　own　griefs；　for　the　first　time　she　suffered　her　nature　to　expand　under　the　sun　of　a　congenial　influence。　　This　sun；　suddenly　withdrawn；　her　soul；　grown　accustomed　to　the　warmth　and　light；　shivered　at　the　gloom；　and　she　looked　about　her　in　dismay　at　the　dull　and　barren　prospect　of　life　which　lay　before　her。　　In　a　word；　she　found　that　the　society　of　North　had　become　so　far　necessary　to　her　that　to　be　deprived　of　it　was　a　griefnotwithstanding　that　her　husband　remained　to　console　her。

After　a　week　of　such　reflections；　the　barrenness　of　life　grew　insupportable　to　her；　and　one　day　she　came　to　Maurice　and　begged　to　be　sent　back　to　Hobart　Town。　　〃I　cannot　live　in　this　horrible　island；〃　she　said。　〃I　am　getting　ill。　　Let　me　go　to　my　father　for　a　few　months；　Maurice。〃　Maurice　consented。　　His　wife　was　looking　ill；　and　Major　Vickers　was　an　old　mana　rich　old　manwho　loved　his　only　daughter。　　It　was　not　undesirable　that　Mrs。　Frere　should　visit　her　father；　indeed；　so　little　sympathy　was　there　between　the　pair　that；　the　first　astonishment　over；　Maurice　felt　rather　glad　to　get　rid　of　her　for　a　while。　　〃You　can　go　back　in　the　Lady　Franklin　if　you　like；　　my　dear；〃　he　said。　　〃I　expect　her　every　day。〃　　At　this　decisionmuch　to　his　surpriseshe　kissed　him　with　more　show　of　affection　than　she　had　manifested　since　the　death　of　her　child。

The　news　of　the　approaching　departure　became　known；　but　still　North　did　not　make　his　appearance。　　Had　it　not　been　a　step　beneath　the　dignity　of　a　woman；　Mrs。　Frere　would　have　gone　herself　and　asked　him　the　meaning　of　his　unaccountable　rudeness；　but　there　was　just　sufficient　morbidity　in　the　sympathy　she　had　for　him　to　restrain　her　from　an　act　which　a　young　girlthough　not　more　innocent…　would　have　dared　without　hesitation。　Calling　one　day　upon　the　wife　of　the　surgeon；　however；　she　met　the　chaplain　face　to　face；　and　with　the　consummate　art　of　acting　which　most　women　possess；　rallied　him　upon　his　absence　from　her　house。　　The　behaviour　of　the　poor　devil；　thus　stabbed　to　the　heart；　was　curious。　　He　forgot　gentlemanly　behaviour　and　the　respect　due　to　a　woman；　flung　one　despairingly　angry　glance　at　her　and　abruptly　retired。　　Sylvia　flushed　crimson；　and　endeavoured　to　excuse　North　on　account　of　his　recent　illness。　　The　surgeon's　wife　looked　askance；　and　turned　the　conversation。　　The　next　time　Sylvia　bowed　to　this　lady；　she　got　a　chilling　salute　in　return　that　made　her　blood　boil。　〃I　wonder　how　I　have　offended　Mrs。　Field？〃　she　asked　Maurice。　〃She　almost　cut　me　to…day。〃　　〃Oh；　the　old　cat！〃　returned　Maurice。　〃What　does　it　matter　if　she　did？〃　　However；　a　few　days　afterwards；　it　seemed　that　it　did　matter；　for　Maurice　called　upon　Field　and　conversed　seriously　with　him。　　The　issue　of　the　conversation　being　reported　to　Mrs。　Frere；　the　lady　wept　indignant　tears　of　wounded　pride　and　shame。　It　appeared　that　North　had　watched　her　out　of　the　house；　returned；　and　relatedin　a　〃stumbling；　hesitating　way〃；　Mrs。　Field　saidhow　he　disliked　Mrs。　Frere；　how　he　did　not　want　to　visit　her；　and　how　flighty　and　reprehensible　such　conduct　was　in　a　married　woman　of　her　rank　and　station。　This　act　of　basenessor　profound　noblenessachieved　its　purpose。　Sylvia　noticed　the　unhappy　priest　no　more。　　Between　the　Commandant　and　the　chaplain　now　arose　a　coolness；　and　Frere　set　himself；　by　various　petty　tyrannies；　to　disgust　North；　and　compel　him　to　a　resignation　of　his　office。　　The　convict…gaolers　speedily　marked　the　difference　in　the　treatment　of　the　chaplain；　and　their　demeanour　changed。　For　respect　was　substituted　insolence；　for　alacrity；　sullenness；　for　prompt　obedience；　impertinent　intrusion。　　The　men　whom　North　favoured　were　selected　as　special　subjects　for　harshness；　and　for　a　prisoner　to　be　seen　talking　to　the　clergyman　was　sufficient　to　ensure　for　him　a　series　of　tyrannies。　　The　result　of　this　was　that　North　saw　the　souls　he　laboured　to　save　slipping　back　into　the　gulf；　beheld　the　men　he　had　half　won　to　love　him　meet　him　with　averted　faces；　discovered　that　to　show　interest　in　a　prisoner　was　to　injure　him；　not　to　serve　him。　　The　unhappy　man　grew　thinner　and　paler　under　this　ingenious　torment。　　He　had　deprived　himself　of　that　love　which；　guilty　though　it　might　be；　was；　nevertheless；　the　only　true　love　he　had　known；　and　he　found　that；　having　won　this　victory；　he　had　gained　the　hatred　of　all　living　creatures　with　whom　he　came　in　contact。　The　authority　of　the　Commandant　was　so　supreme　that　men　lived　but　by　the　breath　of　his　nostrils。　　To　offend　him　was　to　perish　and　the　man　whom　the　Commandant　hated　must　be　hated　also　by　all　those　who　wished　to　exist　in　peace。　　There　was　but　one　being　who　was　not　to　be　turned　from　his　allegiancethe　convict　murderer；　Rufus　Dawes；　who　awaited　death。　For　many　days　he　had　remained　mute；　broken　down　beneath　his　weight　of　sorrow　or　of　sullenness；　but　North；　bereft　of　other　love　and　sympathy；　strove　with　that　fighting　soul；　if　haply　he　might　win　it　back　to　peace。　It　seemed　to　the　fancy　of　the　priesta　fancy　distempered；　perhaps；　by　excess；　or　superhumanly　exalted　by　mental　agonythat　this　convict；　over　whom　he　had　wept；　was　given　to　him　as　a　hostage　for　his　own　salvation。　〃I　must　save　him　or　perish；〃　he　said。　　〃I　must　save　him；　though　I　redeem　him　with　my　own　blood。〃

Frere；　unable　to　comprehend　the　reason　of　the　calmness　with　which　the　doomed　felon　met　his　taunts　and　torments；　thought　that　he　was　shamming　piety　to　gain　some　indulgence　of　meat　and　drink；　and　redoubled　his　severity。　　He　ordered　Dawes　to　be　taken　out　to　work　just　before　the　hour　at　which　the　chaplain　was　accustomed　to　visit　him。　　He　pretended　that　the　man　was　〃dangerous〃；　and　directed　a　gaoler　to　be　present　at　all　interviews；　〃lest　the　chaplain　might　be　murdered〃。　　He　issued　an　order　that　all　civil　officers　should　obey　the　challenges　of　convicts　acting　as　watchmen；　and　North；　coming　to　pray　with　his　penitent；　would　be　stopped　ten　times　by　grinning　felons；　who；　putting　their　faces　within　a　foot　of　his；　would　roar　out；　〃Who　goes　there？〃　and　burst　out　laughing　at　the　reply。　Under　pretence　　of　watching　more　carefully　over　the　property　of　the　chaplain；　he　directed　that　any　convict；　acting　as　constable；　might　at　any　time　〃search　everywhere　and　anywhere〃　for　property　supposed　to　be　in　the　possession　of　a　prisoner。　　The　chaplain's　servant　was　a　prisoner；　of　course；　and　North's　drawers　were　ransacked　twice　in　one　week　by　Troke。　North　met　these　impertinences　with　unruffled　brow；　and　Frere　could　in　no　way　account　for　his　obstinacy；　until　the　arrival　of　the　Lady　Franklin　explained　the　chaplain's　apparent　coolness。　　He　had　sent　in　his　resignation　two　months　before；　and　the　saintly　Meekin　had　been　appointed　in　his　stead。　Frere；　unable　to　attack　the　clergyman；　and　indignant　at　the　manner　in　which　he　had　been　defeated；　revenged　himself　upon　Rufus　Dawes。




CHAPTER　XIII。

MR。　NORTH　SPEAKS。



The　method　and　manner　of　Frere's　revenge　became　a　subject　of　whispered　conversation　on　the　island。　　It　was　reported　that　North　had　been　forbidden　to　visit　the　convict；　but　that　he　had　refused　to　accept　the　prohibition；　and　by　a　threat　of　what　he　would　do　when　the　returning　vessel　had　landed　him　in　Hobart　Town；　had　compelled　the　Commandant　to　withdraw　his　order。　The　Commandant；　however；　speedily　discovered　in　Rufus　Dawes　signs　of　insubordination；　and　set　to　work　again　to　reduce　still　further　the　〃spirit〃　he　had　so　ingeniously　〃broken〃。　　The　unhappy　convict　was　deprived　of　food；　was　kept　awake　at　nights；　was　put　to　the　hardest　labour；　was　loaded　with　the　heaviest　irons。　　Troke；　with　devilish　malice；　suggested　that；　if　the　tortured　wretch　would　decline　to　see　the　chaplain；　some　amelioration　of　his　condition　might　be　effected；　but　his　suggestions　were　in　vain。　　Fully　believing　that　his　death　was　certain；　Dawes　clung　to　North　as　the　saviour　of　his　agonized　soul；　and　rejected　all　such　insidious　overtures。　　Enraged　at　this　obstinacy；　Frere　sentenced　his　victim　to　the　〃spread　eagle〃　and　the　〃stretcher〃。

Now　the　rumour　of　the　obduracy　of　this　undaunted　convict　　who　had　been　recalled　to　her　by　the　clergyman　at　their　strange　interview；　had　reached　Sylvia's　ears。　　She　had　heard　gloomy　hints　of　the　punishments　inflicted　on　him　by　her　husband's　order；　and　asconstantly　revolving　in　her　mind　was　that　last　conversation　with　the　chaplainshe　wondered　at　the　prisoner's　strange　fancy　for　a　flower；　her　brain　began　to　thrill　with　those　undefined　and　dreadful　memories　which　had　haunted　her　childhood。　What　was　the　link　between　her　and　this　murderous　villain？　　How　came　it　that　she　felt　at　times　so　strange　a　sympathy　for　his　fate；　and　that　he　who　had　attempted　her　lifecherished　so　tender　a　remembrance　of　her　as　to　beg　for　a　flower　which　her　hand　had　touched？

She　questioned　her　husband　concerning　the　convict's　misdoings；　but　with　the　petulant　brutality　which　he　invariably　displayed　when　the　name　of　Rufus　Dawes　intruded　itself　into　their　conversation；　Maurice　Frere　harshly　refused　to　satisfy　her。　　This　but　raised　her　curiosity　higher。　She　reflected　how　bitter　he　had　always　seemed　against　this　manshe　remembered　how；　in　the　garden　at　Hobart　Town；　the　hunted　wretch　had　caught　her　dress　with　words　of　assured　confidenceshe　recollected　the　fragment　of　cloth　he　passionately　flung　from　him；　and　which　her　affianced　lover　had　contemptuously　tossed　into　the　stream。　　The　name　of　〃Dawes〃；　detested　as　it　had　become　to　her；　bore　yet　some　strange　association　of　comfort　and　hope。　What　secret　lurked　behind　the　twilight　that　had　fallen　upon　her　childish　memories？　　Deprived　of　the　advice　of　Northto　whom；　a　few　weeks　back；　she　would　have　confided　her　misgivingsshe　resolved　upon　a　project　that；　for　her；　was　most　distasteful。　　She　would　herself　visit　the　gaol　and　judge　how　far　the　rumours　of　her　husband's　cruelty　were　worthy　of　credit。

One　sultry　afternoon；　when　the　Commandant　had　gone　on　a　visit　of　inspection；　Troke；　lounging　at　the　door　of　the　New　Prison；　beheld；　with　surprise；　the　figure　of　the　Commandant's　lady。

〃What　is　it；　mam？〃　he　asked；　scarcely　able　to　believe　his　eyes。

〃I　want　to　see　the　prisoner　Dawes。〃

Troke's　jaw　fell。

〃See　Dawes？〃　he　repeated。

〃Yes。　　Where　is　he？〃

Troke　was　preparing　a　lie。　　The　imperious　voice；　and　the　clear；　steady　g