david elginbrod-第43章

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perplexed　and　wholly　pleased。

〃Come；　come；〃　said　Euphra；　recovering　herself；　and　leading　the　way
to　the　door。

When　they　reached　it；　they　found　it　closed　and　locked。　　Euphra
raised　her　hand　to　beat　on　it。　　Hugh　caught　it。

〃You　will　drive　Lady　Emily　into　fits。　　Did　you　not　see　how　awfully
pale　she　was？〃

Euphra　instantly　lifted　her　hand　again；　as　if　she　would　just　like　to
try　that　result。　　But　Hugh；　who　was　in　no　haste　for　any　result；　held
her　back。

She　struggled　for　a　moment　or　two；　but　not　very　strenuously；　and；
desisting　all　at　once；　let　her　arms　drop　by　her　sides。

〃I　fear　it　is　too　late。　　This　is　a　double　door；　and　Mr。　Arnold　will
have　locked　all　the　doors　between　this　and　the　picture…gallery。
They　are　there　now。　　What　shall　we　do？〃

She　said　this　with　an　expression　of　comical　despair；　which　would
have　made　Hugh　burst　into　laughter；　had　he　not　been　too　much　pleased
to　laugh。

〃Never　mind；〃　he　said；　〃we　will　go　on　with　our　study　of　the　cabinet。
They　will　soon　find　out　that　we　are　left　behind；　and　come　back　to
look　for　us。〃

〃Yes；　but　only　fancy　being　found　here！〃

She　laughed；　but　the　laugh　did　not　succeed。　　It　could　not　hide　a
real　embarrassment。　　She　pondered；　and　seemed　irresolute。　　Then　with
the　words〃They　will　say　we　stayed　behind　on　purpose；〃　she　moved
her　hand　to　the　door；　but　again　withdrew　it；　and　stood　irresolute。

〃Let　us　put　out　the　light。〃　said　Hugh　laughing；　〃and　make　no
answer。〃

〃Can　you　starve　well？〃

〃With　you。〃

She　murmured　something　to　herself；　then　said　aloud　and　hastily；　as
if　she　had　made　up　her　mind　by　the　compulsion　of　circumstances：

〃But　this　won't　do。　　They　are　still　looking　at　the　portrait；　I
daresay。　　Come。〃

So　saying；　she　went　into　another　recess；　and；　lifting　a　curtain　of
tapestry；　opened　a　door。

〃Come　quick；〃　she　said。

Hugh　followed　her　down　a　short　stair　into　a　narrow　passage；　nowhere
lighted　from　the　outside。　　The　door　went　to　behind　them；　as　if　some
one　had　banged　it　in　anger　at　their　intrusion。　　The　passage　smelt
very　musty；　and　was　as　quiet　as　death。

〃Not　a　word　of　this；　Hugh；　as　you　love　me。　　It　may　be　useful　yet。〃

〃Not　a　word。〃

They　came　through　a　sliding　panel　into　an　empty　room。　　Euphra　closed
it　behind　them。

〃Now　shade　your　light。〃

He　did　so。　　She　took　him　by　the　hand。　　A　few　more　turns　brought　them
in　sight　of　the　lights　of　the　rest　of　the　party。　　As　Euphra　had
conjectured；　they　were　looking　at　the　picture　of　Lady　Euphrasia；　Mr。
Arnold　prosing　away　to　them；　in　proof　that　the　nun　could　not　be　she。
They　entered　the　gallery　without　being　heard；　and　parting　a　little
way；　one　pretending　to　look　at　one　picture；　the　other　at　another；
crept　gradually　round　till　they　joined　the　group。　　It　was　a　piece　of
most　successful　generalship。　　Euphra　was；　doubtless；　quite　prepared
with　her　story　in　case　it　should　fail。

〃Dear　Lady　Emily；〃　said　she；　〃how　tired　you　look！　　Do　let　us　go；
uncle。〃

〃By　all　means。　　Take　my　arm；　Lady　Emily。　　Euphra；　will　you　take　the
keys　again；　and　lock　the　doors？〃

Mrs。　Elton　had　already　taken　Hugh's　arm；　and　was　leading　him　away
after　Mr。　Arnold　and　Lady　Emily。

〃I　will　not　leave　you　behind　with　the　spectres；　Miss　Cameron；〃　said
Funkelstein。

〃Thank　you；　they　will　not　detain　me　long。　　They　don't　mind　being
locked　up。〃

It　was　some　little　time；　however；　before　they　presented　themselves
in　the　drawing…room；　to　which；　and　not　to　the　library；　the　party　had
gone：　they　had　had　enough　of　horrors　for　that　night。

Lest　my　readers　should　think　they　have　had　too　many　wonders　at
least；　I　will　explain　one　of　them。　　It　was　really　Margaret　Elginbrod
whom　Hugh　had　seen。　　Mrs。　Elton　was　the　lady　in　whose　service　she
had　left　her　home。　　It　was　nothing　strange　that　they　had　not　met；
for　Margaret　knew　he　was　in　the　same　house；　and　had　several　times
seen　him；　but　had　avoided　meeting　him。　　Neither　was　it　a　wonderful
coincidence　that　they　should　be　in　such　close　proximity；　for　the
college　friend　from　whom　Hugh　had　first　heard　of　Mr。　Arnold；　was　the
son　of　the　gentleman　whom　Mrs。　Elton　was　visiting；　when　she　first
saw　Margaret。

Margaret　had　obeyed　her　mistress's　summons　to　the　drawing…room；　and
had　entered　while　Hugh　was　stooping　over　the　plate。　　As　the　room　was
nearly　dark；　and　she　was　dressed　in　black；　her　pale　face　alone
caught　the　light　and　his　eye　as　he　looked　up；　and　the　giddiness
which　followed　had　prevented　him　from　seeing　more。　　She　left　the
room　the　next　moment；　while　they　were　all　looking　out　of　the　window。
Nor　was　it　any　exercise　of　his　excited　imagination　that　had
presented　her　face　as　glorified。　　She　was　now　a　woman；　and；　there
being　no　divine　law　against　saying　so；　I　say　that　she　had　grown　a
lady　as　well；　as　indeed　any　one　might　have　foreseen　who　was　capable
of　foreseeing　it。　　Her　whole　nature　had　blossomed　into　a　still；
stately；　lily…like　beauty；　and　the　face　that　Hugh　saw　was　indeed　the
realised　idea　of　the　former　face　of　Margaret。

But　how　did　the　plate　move？　and　whence　came　the　writing　of　old
David's　name？　　I　must；　for　the　present；　leave　the　whole　matter　to
the　speculative　power　of　each　of　my　readers。

But　Margaret　was　in　mourning：　was　David　indeed　dead？

He　was　dead。Yet　his　name　will　stand　as　the　name　of　my　story　for
pages　to　come；　because；　if　he　had　not　been　in　it；　the　story　would
never　have　been　worth　writing；　because　the　influence　of　that
ploughman　is　the　salt　of　the　whole；　because　a　man's　life　in　the
earth　is　not　to　be　measured　by　the　time　he　is　visible　upon　it；　and
because；　when　the　story　is　wound　up；　it　will　be　in　the　presence　of
his　spirit。

Do　I　then　believe　that　David　himself　did　write　that　name　of　his？

Heaven　forbid　that　any　friend　of　mine　should　be　able　to　believe　it！

Long　before　she　saw　him；　Margaret　had　known；　from　what　she　heard
among　the　servants；　that　Master　Harry's　tutor　could　be　no　other　than
her　own　tutor　of　the　old　time。　　By　and　by　she　learned　a　great　deal
about　him　from　Harry's　talk　with　Mrs。　Elton　and　Lady　Emily。　　But　she
did　not　give　the　least　hint　that　she　knew　him；　or　betray　the　least
desire　to　see　him。

Mrs。　Elton　was　amusingly　bewildered　by　the　occurrences　of　the
evening。　　Her　theories　were　something　astounding；　and　followed　one
another　with　such　alarming　rapidity；　that　had　they　been　in
themselves　such　as　to　imply　the　smallest　exercise　of　the　thinking
faculty；　she　might　well　have　been　considered　in　danger　of　an　attack
of　brain…fever。　　As　it　was；　none　such　supervened。　　Lady　Emily　said
nothing；　but　seemed　unhappy。　　As　for　Hugh；　he　simply　could　not　tell
what　to　make　of　the　writing。　　But　he　did　not　for　a　moment　doubt　that
the　vision　he　had　seen　was　only　a　visiona　home…made　ghost；　sent
out　from　his　own　creative　brain。　　Still　he　felt　that　Margaret's
face；　come　whence　it　might；　was　a　living　reproof　to　him；　for　he　was
losing　his　life　in　passion；　sinking　deeper　in　it　day　by　day。　　His
powers　were　deserting　him。　　Poetry；　usually　supposed　to　be　the
attendant　of　love；　had　deserted　him。　　Only　by　fits　could　he　see
anything　beautiful；　and　then　it　was　but　in　closest　association　of
thought　with　the　one　image　which　was　burning　itself　deeper　and
deeper　into　his　mental　sensorium。　　Come　what　might；　he　could　not
tear　it　away。　　It　had　become　a　part　of　himselfof　his　inner
lifeeven　while　it　seemed　to　be　working　the　death　of　life。　　Deeper
and　deeper　it　would　burn；　till　it　reached　the　innermost　chamber　of
life。　　Let　it　burn。

Yet　he　felt　that　he　could　not　trust　her。　　Vague　hopes　he　had；　that；
by　trusting；　she　might　be　made　trustworthy；　but　he　feared　they　were
vain　as　well　as　vague。　　And　yet　he　would　not　cast　them　away；　for　he
could　not　cast　her　away。




CHAPTER　XVIII。

MORE　MATERIALISM　AND　SOME　SPIRITUALISM。

God　wisheth　none　should　wreck　on　a　strange　shelf：
　　To　Him　man's　dearer　than　to　himself。

BEN　Jonson。The　Forest：　To　Sir　Robert　Wroth。


At　breakfast　the　following　morning；　the　influences　of　the　past　day
on　the　family　were　evident。　　There　was　a　good　deal　of　excitement；
alternated　with　listlessness。　　The　moral　atmosphere　seemed
unhealthy；　and　Harry；　although　he　had；　fortunately　for　him；　had
nothing　to　do　with　the　manifestations　of　the　previous　evening；　was
affected　by　the　condition　of　those　around　him。　　Hugh　was　still
careful　enough　of　him　to　try　to　divert　the　conversation　entirely
from　what　he　knew　would　have　a　very　injurious　effect　upon　him；　and
Mr。　Arnold；　seeing　the　anxious　way　in　which　he　glanced　now　and　then
at　his　pupil；　and　divining　the　reason；　by　the　instinct　of　his
affection；　with　far　more　than　his　usual　acuteness；　tried　likewise　to
turn　it　aside；　as　often　as　it　inclined　that　way。　　Still　a　few　words
were　let　fall　by　the　visitors；　which　made　Harry　stare。　　Hugh　took
him　away　as　soon　as　breakfast　was　over。

In　the　afternoon；　Funkelstein　called　to　inquire　after　the　ladies；
and　hoped　he　had　no　injury　to　their　health　to　lay　on　his　conscience。
Mr。　Arnold；　who　had　a　full　allowance　of　curiosity；　its　amount　being
frequently　in　an　inverse　ratio　to　that　of　higher　intellectual　gifts；
begged　him　to　spend　the　rest　of　the　day　with　them；　but　not　to　say　a
word　of　what　had　passed　the　day　before；　till　after　Harry　had　retired
for　the　night。

Renewed　conversation　led　to　renewed　experiments　in　the　library。
Hugh；　however；　refused　to　have　anything　more　to　do　with　the
plate…writing；　for　he　dreaded　its　influence　on　his　physical　nature；
attributing；　as　I　have　said；　the　vision　of　Margaret　to　a　cerebral
affection。　　And　the　plate　did　not　seem　to　work　satisfactorily　with
any　one　else；　except　Funkelstein；　who；　for　his　part；　had　no　great
wish　to　operate。　　Recourse　was　had　to　a　more　vulgar　methodthat　of
expectant　solicitation　of　those　noises　whereby　the　prisoners　in　the
a雛ial　vaults　are　supposed　capable　of　communicating　with　those　in
this　earthly　cell。　　Certainly；　raps　were　heard　from　some　quarter　or
another；　and　when　the　lights　were　extinguished；　and　the　crescent
moon　only　allowed　to　shine　in　the　room；　some　commotion　was
discernible　amongst　the　furniture。　　Several　light　articles　flew
about。　　A　pen…wiper　alighted　on　Euphra's　lap；　and　a　sofa…pillow
gently　disarranged　Mrs。　Elton's　cap。　　Most　of　the　artillery；
however；　was　directed　against　Lady　Emily；　and　she　it　was　who　saw；　in
a　faint　stream　of　moonlight；　a　female　arm　uplifted　towards　her；　from
under　a　table；　with　a　threatening　motion。　　It　was　bare　to　the　elbow；
and　draped　above。　　It　showed　first　a　clenched　fist；　and　next　an　open
hand；　palm　outwards；　making　a　repellent　gesture。　　Then　the　back　of
the　hand　was　turned；　and　it　motioned　her　away；　as　if　she　had　been　an
importunate　beggar。　　But　at　this　moment；　one　of　the　doors　opened；
and　a　dark　figure　passed　through　the　room　towards　the　opposite　door。
Everything　that　could　be　called　ghostly；　ceased　instantaneously。
The　arm　vanished。　　The　company　breathed　more　freely。

Lady　Emily；　who　had　been　on　the　point　of　going　into　hysterics；
recovered　herself；　and　overcame　the　still　lingering　impulse：　she
felt　as　if　she　had　awaked　from　a　momentary　aberration　of　the
intellect。　　Mr。　Arnold　proceeded　to　light　the　candles；　saying；　in　a
righteous　tone：

〃I　think　we　have　had　enough　of　this　nonsense。〃

When　the　candles　were　lighted；　there　was　no　one　to　be　seen　in　the
room　besides　themse