little novels-第16章

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ur　wife's　familyher　elder　brotherlay　at　the　point　of　death。　He　had　taken　his　father's　place　in　the　business；　besides　inheriting　his　father's　fortune。　After　a　happy　married　life　he　was　left　a　widower；　without　children；　and　it　became　necessary　that　he　should　alter　his　will。　He　deferred　performing　his　duty。　It　was　only　at　the　time　of　his　last　illness　that　he　had　dictated　instructions　for　a　new　will；　leaving　his　wealth　（excepting　certain　legacies　to　old　friends）　to　the　hospitals　of　Great　Britain　and　Ireland。　His　lawyer　lost　no　time　in　carrying　out　the　instructions。　The　new　will　was　ready　for　signature　（the　old　will　having　been　destroyed　by　his　own　hand）；　when　the　doctors　sent　a　message　to　say　that　their　patient　was　insensible；　and　might　die　in　that　condition。〃

〃Did　the　doctors　prove　to　be　right？〃

〃Perfectly　right。　Our　wretched　landlady；　as　next　of　kin；　succeeded；　not　only　to　the　fortune；　but　（under　the　deed　of　partnership）　to　her　late　brother's　place　in　the　firm：　on　the　one　easy　condition　of　resuming　the　family　name。　She　calls　herself　〃Miss　Benshaw。〃　But　as　a　matter　of　legal　necessity　she　is　set　down　in　the　deed　as　〃Mrs。　Cosway　Benshaw。〃　Her　partners　only　now　know　that　her　husband　is　living；　and　that　you　are　the　Cosway　whom　she　privately　married。　Will　you　take　a　little　breathing　time？　or　shall　I　go　on；　and　get　done　with　it？〃

Cosway　signed　to　him　to　go　on。

〃She　doesn't　in　the　least　care；〃　Stone　proceeded；　〃for　the　exposure。　'I　am　the　head　partner；'　she　says　'and　the　rich　one　of　the　firm；　they　daren't　turn　their　backs　on　Me。'　You　remember　the　information　I　receivedin　perfect　good　faith　on　his　partfrom　the　man　who　keeps　the　inn？　The　visit　to　the　London　doctor；　and　the　assertion　of　failing　health；　were　adopted　as　the　best　means　of　plausibly　severing　the　lady's　connection　（the　great　lady　now！）　with　a　calling　so　unworthy　of　her　as　the　keeping　of　an　inn。　Her　neighbors　at　the　seaport　were　all　deceived　by　the　stratagem；　with　two　exceptions。　They　were　both　menvagabonds　who　had　pertinaciously　tried　to　delude　her　into　marrying　them　in　the　days　when　she　was　a　widow。　They　refused　to　believe　in　the　doctor　and　the　declining　health；　they　had　their　own　suspicion　of　the　motives　which　had　led　to　the　sale　of　the　inn；　under　very　unfavorable　circumstances；　and　they　decided　on　going　to　London；　inspired　by　the　same　base　hope　of　making　discoveries　which　might　be　turned　into　a　means　of　extorting　money。〃

〃She　escaped　them；　of　course；〃　said　Cosway。　〃How？〃

〃By　the　help　of　her　lawyer；　who　was　not　above　accepting　a　handsome　private　fee。　He　wrote　to　the　new　landlord　of　the　inn；　falsely　announcing　his　client's　death；　in　the　letter　which　I　repeated　to　you　in　the　railway　carriage　on　our　journey　to　London。　Other　precautions　were　taken　to　keep　up　the　deception；　on　which　it　is　needless　to　dwell。　Your　natural　conclusion　that　you　were　free　to　pay　your　addresses　to　Miss　Restall；　and　the　poor　young　lady's　innocent　confidence　in　'Miss　Benshaw's'　sympathy；　gave　this　unscrupulous　woman　the　means　of　playing　the　heartless　trick　on　you　which　is　now　exposed。　Malice　and　jealousyI　have　it；　mind；　from　herself！were　not　her　only　motives。　'But　for　that　Cosway；'　she　said　（I　spare　you　the　epithet　which　she　put　before　your　name）；　'with　my　money　and　position；　I　might　have　married　a　needy　lord；　and　sunned　myself　in　my　old　age　in　the　full　blaze　of　the　peerage。'　Do　you　understand　how　she　hated　you；　now？　Enough　of　the　subject！　The　moral　of　it；　my　dear　Cosway；　is　to　leave　this　place；　and　try　what　change　of　scene　will　do　for　you。　I　have　time　to　spare；　and　I　will　go　abroad　with　you。　When　shall　it　be？〃

〃Let　me　wait　a　day　or　two　more；〃　Cosway　pleaded。

Stone　shook　his　head。　〃Still　hoping；　my　poor　friend；　for　a　line　from　Miss　Restall？　You　distress　me。〃

〃I　am　sorry　to　distress　you；　Stone。　If　I　can　get　one　pitying　word　from　_her_；　I　can　submit　to　the　miserable　life　that　lies　before　me。〃

〃Are　you　not　expecting　too　much？〃

〃You　wouldn't　say　so；　if　you　were　as　fond　of　her　as　I　am。〃

They　were　silent。　The　evening　slowly　darkened；　and　the　mistress　came　in　as　usual　with　the　candles。　She　brought　with　her　a　letter　for　Cosway。

He　tore　it　open；　read　it　in　an　instant；　and　devoured　it　with　kisses。　His　highly　wrought　feelings　found　their　vent　in　a　little　allowable　exaggeration。　〃She　has　saved　my　life！〃　he　said；　as　he　handed　the　letter　to　Stone。

It　only　contained　these　lines：

〃My　love　is　yours；　my　promise　is　yours。　Through　all　trouble；　through　all　profanation；　through　the　hopeless　separation　that　may　be　before　us　in　this　world；　I　live　yoursand　die　yours。　My　Edwin；　God　bless　and　comfort　you。〃


_The　Fourth　Epoch　in　Mr。　Cosway's　Life。_

The　separation　had　lasted　for　nearly　two　years；　when　Cosway　and　Stone　paid　that　visit　to　the　country　house　which　is　recorded　at　the　outset　of　the　present　narrative。　In　the　interval　nothing　had　been　heard　of　Miss　Restall；　except　through　Mr。　Atherton。　He　reported　that　Adela　was　leading　a　very　quiet　life。　The　one　remarkable　event　had　been　an　interview　between　〃Miss　Benshaw〃　and　herself。　No　other　person　had　been　present；　but　the　little　that　was　reported　placed　Miss　Restall's　character　above　all　praise。　She　had　forgiven　the　woman　who　had　so　cruelly　injured　her！

The　two　friends；　it　may　be　remembered；　had　traveled　to　London；　immediately　after　completing　the　fullest　explanation　of　Cosway's　startling　behavior　at　the　breakfast…table。　Stone　was　not　by　nature　a　sanguine　man。　〃I　don't　believe　in　our　luck；〃　he　said。　〃Let　us　be　quite　sure　that　we　are　not　the　victims　of　another　deception。〃

The　accident　had　happened　on　the　Thames；　and　the　newspaper　narrative　proved　to　be　accurate　in　every　respect。　Stone　personally　attended　the　inquest。　From　a　natural　feeling　of　delicacy　toward　Adela；　Cosway　hesitated　to　write　to　her　on　the　subject。　The　ever…helpful　Stone　wrote　in　his　place。

After　some　delay；　the　answer　was　received。　It　inclosed　a　brief　statement　（communicated　officially　by　legal　authority）　of　the　last　act　of　malice　on　the　part　of　the　late　head…partner　in　the　house　of　Benshaw　and　Company。　She　had　not　died　intestate；　like　her　brother。　The　first　clause　of　her　will　contained　the　testator's　grateful　recognition　of　Adela　Restall's　Christian　act　of　forgiveness。　The　second　clause　（after　stating　that　there　were　neither　relatives　nor　children　to　be　benefited　by　the　will）　left　Adela　Restall　mistress　of　Mrs。　Cosway　Benshaw's　fortuneon　the　one　merciless　condition　that　she　did　_not_　marry　Edwin　Cosway。　The　third　clauseif　Adela　Restall　violated　the　conditionhanded　over　the　whole　of　the　money　to　the　firm　in　the　City；　〃for　the　extension　of　the　business；　and　the　benefit　of　the　surviving　partners。〃

Some　months　later；　Adela　came　of　age。　To　the　indignation　of　Mr。　Restall；　and　the　astonishment　of　the　〃Company；〃　the　money　actually　went　to　the　firm。　The　fourth　epoch　in　Mr。　Cosway's　life　witnessed　his　marriage　to　a　woman　who　cheerfully　paid　half　a　million　of　money　for　the　happiness　of　passing　her　life；　on　eight　hundred　a　year；　with　the　man　whom　she　loved。

But　Cosway　felt　bound　in　gratitude　to　make　a　rich　woman　of　his　wife；　if　work　and　resolution　could　do　it。　When　Stone　last　heard　of　him；　he　was　reading　for　the　bar；　and　Mr。　Atherton　was　ready　to　give　him　his　first　brief。

NOTE。That　〃most　improbable〃　part　of　the　present　narrative；　which　is　contained　in　the　division　called　The　First　Epoch；　is　founded　on　an　adventure　which　actually　occurred　to　no　less　a　person　than　a　cousin　of　Sir　Walter　Scott。　In　Lockhart's　delightful　〃Life；〃　the　anecdote　will　be　found　as　told　by　Sir　Walter　to　Captain　Basil　Hall。　The　remainder　of　the　present　story　is　entirely　imaginary。　The　writer　wondered　what　such　a　woman　as　the　landlady　would　do　under　certain　given　circumstances；　after　her　marriage　to　the　young　midshipmanand　here　is　the　result。



MR。　MEDHURST　AND　THE　PRINCESS。

I。

THE　day　before　I　left　London；　to　occupy　the　post　of　second　secretary　of　legation　at　a　small　German　Court；　I　took　leave　of　my　excellent　French　singing…master；　Monsieur　Bonnefoy；　and　of　his　young　and　pretty　daughter　named　Jeanne。

Our　farewell　interview　was　saddened　by　Monsieur　Bonnefoy's　family　anxieties。　His　elder　brother；　known　in　the　household　as　Uncle　David；　had　been　secretly　summoned　to　Paris　by　order　of　a　republican　society。　Anxious　relations　in　London　（whether　reasonably　or　not；　I　am　unable　to　say）　were　in　some　fear　of　the　political　consequences　that　might　follow。

At　parting；　I　made　Mademoiselle　Jeanne　a　present；　in　the　shape　of　a　plain　gold　brooch。　For　some　time　past；　I　had　taken　my　lessons　at　Monsieur　Bonnefoy's　house；　his　daughter　and　I　often　sang　together　under　his　direction。　Seeing　much　of　Jeanne；　under　these　circumstances；　the　little　gift　that　I　had　offered　to　her　was　only　the　natural　expression　of　a　true　interest　in　her　welfare。　Idle　rumor　assertedquite　falselythat　I　was　in　love　with　her。　I　was　sincerely　the　young　lady's　friend：　no　more；　no　less。

Having　alluded　to　my　lessons　in　singing；　it　may　not　be　out　of　place　to　mention　the　circumstances　under　which　I　became　Monsieur　Bonnefoy's　pupil；　and　to　allude　to　the　change　in　my　life　that　followed　in　due　course　of　time。

Our　family　propertyexcepting　the　sum　of　five　thousand　pounds　left　to　me　by　my　motheris　landed　property　strictly　entailed。　The　estates　were　inherited　by　my　only　brother；　Lord　Medhurst；　the　kindest；　the　best；　and；　I　grieve　to　say　it；　the　unhappiest　of　men。　He　lived　separated　from　a　bad　wife；　he　had　no　children　to　console　him；　and　he　only　enjoyed　at　rare　intervals　the　blessing　of　good　health。　Having　myself　nothing　to　live　on　but　the　interest　of　my　mother's　little　fortune；　I　had　to　make　my　own　way　in　the　world。　Poor　younger　sons；　not　possessed　of　the　commanding　ability　which　achieves　distinction；　find　the　roads　that　lead　to　prosperity　closed　to　them；　with　one　exception。　They　can　always　apply　themselves　to　the　social　arts　which　make　a　man　agreeable　in　society。　I　had　naturally　a　good　voice；　and　I　cultivated　it。　I　was　ready　to　sing；　without　being　subject　to　the　wretched　vanity　which　makes　objections　and　excusesI　pleased　the　ladiesthe　ladies　spoke　favorably　of　me　to　their　husbandsand　some　of　their　husbands　were　persons　of　rank　and　influence。　After　no　very　long　lapse　of　time；　the　result　of　this　combination　of　circumstances　declared　itself。　Monsieur　Bonnefoy's　lessons　became　the　indirect　means　of　starting　me　on　a　diplomatic　careerand　the　diplomatic　career　made　poor　Ernest　Medhurst；　to　his　own　unutterable　astonishment；　the　hero　of　a　love　story！

The　story　being　true；　I　must　beg　to　be　excused；　if　I　abstain　from　mentioning　names；　places；　and　dates；　when　I　enter　on　German　ground。　Let　it　be　enough　to　say　that　I　am　writing　of　a　bygone　year　in　the　present　century；　when　no　such　thing　as　a　German　Empire　existed；　and　when　the　revolutionary　spirit　of　France　was　still　an　object　of　well…founded　suspicion　to　tyrants　by　right　divine　on　the　continent　of　Europe。

II。

ON　joining　the　legation；　I　was　not　particularly　attracted　by　my　chief；　the　Minister。　His　manners　were　oppressively　polite；　and　his　sense　of　his　own　importance　was　not　sufficiently　influenced　by　diplomatic　reserve。　I　venture　to　describe　him　（mentally　speaking）　as　an　empty　man；　carefully　trained　to　look　full　on　public　occasions。

My　colleague；　the　first　secretary；　was　a　far　more　interesting　person。　Brigh