armadale-第6章

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putting　a　young　lady's　diffidence　to　the　blush。　So　I　send　her　in
effigy　（without　her　knowledge）　to　answer　for　herself。　It　is　a
good　likeness　of　a　good　girl。　If　she　likes　your　sonand　if　I
like　him；　which　I　am　sure　I　shallwe　may　yet　live；　my　good
friend；　to　see　our　children　what　we　might　once　have　been
ourselvesman　and　wife。'　My　mother　gave　me　the　miniature　with
the　letter。　The　portrait　at　once　struck　meI　can't　say　why；　I
can't　say　howas　nothing　of　the　kind　had　ever　struck　me　before。

〃Harder　intellects　than　mine　might　have　attributed　the
extraordinary　impression　produced　on　me　to　the　disordered
condition　of　my　mind　at　that　time；　to　the　weariness　of　my　own
base　pleasures　which　had　been　gaining　on　me　for　months　past；　to
the　undefined　longing　which　that　weariness　implied　for　newer
interests　and　fresher　hopes　than　any　that　had　possessed　me　yet。　I
attempted　no　such　sober　self…examination　as　this：　I　believed　in
destiny　then；　I　believe　in　destiny　now。　It　was　enough　for　me　to
knowas　I　did　knowthat　the　first　sense　I　had　ever　felt　of
something　better　in　my　nature　than　my　animal　self　was　roused　by
that　girl's　face　looking　at　me　from　her　picture　as　no　woman's
face　had　ever　looked　at　me　yet。　In　those　tender　eyesin　the
chance　of　making　that　gentle　creature　my　wifeI　saw　my　destiny
written。　The　portrait　which　had　come　into　my　hands　so　strangely
and　so　unexpectedly　was　the　silent　messenger　of　happiness　close
at　hand；　sent　to　warn；　to　encourage；　to　rouse　me　before　it　was
too　late。　I　put　the　miniature　under　my　pillow　at　night；　I　looked
at　it　again　the　next　morning。　My　conviction　of　the　day　before
remained　as　strong　as　ever；　my　superstition　（if　you　please　to
call　it　so）　pointed　out　to　me　irresistibly　the　way　on　which　I
should　go。　There　was　a　ship　in　port　which　was　to　sail　for　England
in　a　fortnight；　touching　at　Madeira。　In　that　ship　I　took
　my　passage。〃


Thus　far　the　reader　had　advanced　with　no　interruption　to　disturb
him。　But　at　the　last　words　the　tones　of　another　voice；　low　and
broken；　mingled　with　his　own。

〃Was　she　a　fair　woman；〃　asked　the　voice；　〃or　dark；　like　me？〃

Mr。　Neal　paused；　and　looked　up。　The　doctor　was　still　at　the　bed
head；　with　his　fingers　mechanically　on　the　patient's　pulse。　The
child；　missing　his　midday　sleep；　was　beginning　to　play　languidly
with　his　new　toy。　The　father's　eyes　were　watching　him　with　a　rapt
and　ceaseless　attention。　But　one　great　change　was　visible　in　the
listeners　since　the　narrative　had　begun。　Mrs。　Armadale　had
dropped　her　hold　of　her　husband's　hand；　and　sat　with　her　face
steadily　turned　away　from　him　The　hot　African　blood　burned　red　in
her　dusky　cheeks　as　she　obstinately　repeated　the　question：　〃Was
she　a　fair　woman；　or　dark；　like　me？〃

〃Fair；〃　said　her　husband；　without　looking　at　her。

Her　hands；　lying　clasped　together　in　her　lap；　wrung　each　other
hardshe　said　no　more。　Mr。　Neal's　overhanging　eyebrows　lowered
ominously　as　he　returned　to　the　narrative。　He　had　incurred　his
own　severe　displeasurehe　had　caught　himself　in　the　act　of
secretly　pitying　her。


〃I　have　said〃the　letter　proceeded〃that　Ingleby　was　admitted
to　my　closest　confidence。　I　was　sorry　to　leave　him；　and　I　was
distressed　by　his　evident　surprise　and　mortification　when　he
heard　that　I　was　going　away。　In　my　own　justification；　I　showed
him　the　letter　and　the　likeness；　and　told　him　the　truth。　His
interest　in　the　portrait　seemed　to　be　hardly　inferior　to　my　own。
He　asked　me　about　Miss　Blanchard's　family　and　Miss　Blanchard's
fortune　with　the　sympathy　of　a　true　friend；　and　he　strengthened
my　regard　for　him；　and　my　belief　in　him；　by　putting　himself　out
of　the　question；　and　by　generously　encouraging　me　to　persist　in
my　new　purpose。　When　we　parted；　I　was　in　high　health　and　spirits。
Before　we　met　again　the　next　day；　I　was　suddenly　struck　by　an
illness　which　threatened　both　my　reason　and　my　life。

〃I　have　no　proof　against　Ingleby。　There　was　more　than　one　woman
on　the　island　whom　I　had　wronged　beyond　all　forgiveness；　and
whose　vengeance　might　well　have　reached　me　at　that　time。　I　can
accuse　nobody。　I　can　only　say　that　my　life　was　saved　by　my　old
black　nurse；　and　that　the　woman　afterward　acknowledged　having
used　the　known　negro　antidote　to　a　known　negro　poison　in　those
parts。　When　my　first　days　of　convalescence　came；　the　ship　in
which　my　passage　had　been　taken　had　long　since　sailed。　When　I
asked　for　Ingleby；　he　was　gone。　Proofs　of　his　unpardonable
misconduct　in　his　situation　were　placed　before　me；　which　not　even
my　partiality　for　him　could　resist。　He　had　been　turned　out　of　the
office　in　the　first　days　of　my　illness；　and　nothing　more　was
known　of　him　but　that　he　had　left　the　island。

〃All　through　my　sufferings　the　portrait　had　been　under　my　pillow。
All　through　my　convalescence　it　was　my　one　consolation　when　I
remembered　the　past；　and　my　one　encouragement　when　I　thought　of
the　future。　No　words　can　describe　the　hold　that　first　fancy　had
now　taken　of　mewith　time　and　solitude　and　suffering　to　help　it。
My　mother；　with　all　her　interest　in　the　match；　was　startled　by
the　unexpected　success　of　her　own　project。　She　had　written　to
tell　Mr。　Blanchard　of　my　illness；　but　had　received　no　reply。　She
now　offered　to　write　again；　if　I　would　promise　not　to　leave　her
before　my　recovery　was　complete。　My　impatience　acknowledged　no
restraint。　Another　ship　in　port　gave　me　another　chance　of　leaving
for　Madeira。　Another　examination　of　Mr。　Blanchard's　letter　of
invitation　assured　me　that　I　should　find　him　still　in　the　island；
if　I　seized　my　opportunity　on　the　spot。　In　defiance　of　my
mother's　entreaties；　I　insisted　on　taking　my　passage　in　the
second　shipand　this　time；　when　the　ship　sailed；　I　was　on　board。

〃The　change　did　me　good；　the　sea…air　made　a　man　of　me　again。
After　an　unusually　rapid　voyage；　I　found　myself　at　the　end　of　my
pilgrimage。　On　a　fine；　still　evening　which　I　can　never　forget；　I
stood　alone　on　the　shore；　with　her　likeness　in　my　bosom；　and　saw
the　white　walls　of　the　house　where　I　knew　that　she　lived。

〃I　strolled　round　the　outer　limits　of　the　grounds　to　compose
myself　before　I　went　in。　Venturing　through　a　gate　and　a
shrubbery；　I　looked　into　the　garden；　and　saw　a　lady　there；
loitering　alone　on　the　lawn。　She　turned　her　face　toward　meand　I
beheld　the　original　of　my　portrait；　the　fulfillment　of　my　dream！
It　is　useless；　and　worse　than　useless；　to　write　of　it　now。　Let　me
only　say　that　every　promise　which　the　likeness　had　made　to　my
fancy　the　living　woman　kept　to　my　eyes　in　the　moment　when　they
first　looked　on　her。　Let　me　say　thisand　no　more。

〃I　was　too　violently　agitated　to　trust　myself　in　her　presence。　I
drew　back　undiscovered；　and；　making　my　way　to　the　front　door　of
the　house；　asked　for　her　father　first。　Mr。　Blanchard　had　retired
to　his　room；　and　could　see　nobody。　Upon　that　I　took　courage；　and
asked　for　Miss　Blanchard。　The　servant　smiled。　'My　young　lady　is
not　Miss　Blanchard　any　longer；　sir；'　he　said。　'She　is　married。'
Those　words　would　have　struck　some　men；　in　my　position；　to　the
earth。　They　fired　my　hot　blood；　and　I　seized　the　servant　by　the
throat；　in　a　frenzy　of　rage　'It's　a　lie！'　I　broke　out；　speaking
to　him　as　if　he　had　been　one　of　the　slaves　on　my　own　estate。
'It's　the　truth；'　said　the　man；　struggling　with　me；　'her　husband
is　in　the　house　at　this　moment。'　'Who　is　he；　you　scoundrel？'　The
servant　answered　by　repeating　my　own　name；　to　my　own　face：
'_Allan　Armadale。_'

〃You　can　now　guess　the　truth。　Fergus　Ingleby　was　the　outlawed　son
whose　name　and　whose　inheritance　I　had　taken。　And　Fergus　Ingleby
was　even　with　me　for　depriving　him　of　his　birthright。

〃Some　account　of　the　manner　in　which　the　deception　had　been
carried　out　is　necessary　to　explainI　don't　say　to　justifythe
share　I　took　in　the　events　that　followed　my　arrival　at　Madeira。

〃By　Ingleby's　own　confession；　he　had　come　to　Barbadoesknowing
of　his　father's　death　and　of　my　succession　to　the　estateswith
the　settled　purpose　of　plundering　and　injuring　me。　My　rash
confidence　put　such　an　opportunity　into　his　hands　as　he　could
never　have　hoped　for。　He　had　waited　to　possess　himself　of　the
letter　which　my　mother　wrote　to　Mr。　Blanchard　at　the　outset　of　my
illnesshad　then　caused　his　own　dismissal　from　his
situationand　had　sailed　for　Madeira　in　the　very　ship　that　was
to　have　sailed　with　me。　Arrived　at　the　island；　he　had　waited
again　till　the　vessel　was　away　once　more　on　her　voyage；　and　had
then　presented　himself　at　Mr。　Blanchard'snot　in　the　assumed
name　by　which　I　shall　continue　to　speak　of　him　here；　but　in　the
name　which　was　as　certainly　his　as　mine；　'Allan　Armadale。'　The
fraud　at　the　outset　presented　few　difficulties。　He　had　only　an
ailing　old　man　（who　had　not　seen　my　mother　for　half　a　lifetime）
and　an　innocent；　unsuspicious　girl　（who　had　never　seen　her　at
all）　to　deal　with；　and　he　had　learned　enough　in　my　service　to
answer　the　few　questions　that　were　put　to　him　as　readily　as　I
might　have　answered　them　myself。　His　looks　and　manners；　his
winning　ways　with　women；　his　quickness　and　cunning；　did　the　rest。
While　I　was　still　on　my　sickbed；　he　had　won　Miss　Blanchard's
affections。　While　I　was　dreaming　over　the　likeness　in　the　first
days　of　my　convalescence；　he　had　secured　Mr。　Blanchard's　consent
to　the　celebration　of　the　marriage　before　he　and　his　daughter
left　the　island。

〃Thus　far　Mr。　Blanchard's　infirmity　of　sight　had　helped　the
deception。　He　had　been　content　to　send　messages　to　my　mother；　and
to　receive　the　messages　which　were　duly　invented　in　return。　But
when　the　suitor　was　accepted；　and　the　wedding…day　was　appointed；
he　felt　it　due　to　his　old　friend　to　write　to　her；　asking　her
formal　consent　and　inviting　her　to　the　marriage。　He　could　only
complete　part　of　the　letter　himself；　the　rest　was　finished；　under
his　dictation；　by　Miss　Blanchard。　There　was　no　chance　of　being
beforehand　with　the　post…office　this　time；　and　Ingleby；　sure　of
his　place　in　the　heart　of　his　victim；　waylaid　her　as　she　came　out
of　her　father's　room　with　the　letter；　and　privately　told　her　the
truth。　She　was　still　under　age；　and　the　position　was　a　serious
one。　If　the　lett　er　was　posted；　no　resource　would　be　left　but　to
wait　and　be　parted　forever；　or　to　elope　under　circumstances　which
made　detection　almost　a　certainty。　The　destination　of　any　ship
which　took　them　away　would　be　known　beforehand；　and　the
fast…sailing　yacht　in　which　Mr。　Blanchard　had　come　to　Madeira　was
waiting　in　the　harbor　to　take　him　back　to　England。　The　only　other
alternative　was　to　continue　the　deception　by　suppressing　the
letter；　and　to　confess　the　truth　when　they　were　securely　married。
What　arts　of　persuasion　Ingleby　usedwhat　base　advantage　he
might　previously　have　taken　of　her　love　and　her　trust　in　him　to
degrade　Miss　Blanchard　to　his　own　levelI　cannot　say。　He　did
degrade　her。　The　letter　never　went　to　its　destination；　and；　with
the　daughter's　privity　and　consent；　the　father's　confidence　was
abused　to　the　very　last。

〃The　one　precaution　now　left　to　take　was　to　fabricate　the　answer
from　my　mother　which　Mr。　Blanchard　expected；　and　which　would
arrive　in　due　course　of　post　before　the　day　appointed　for　the
marriage。　Ingleby　had　my　mother's　stolen　letter　with　him；　but　he
was　without　the　imitative　dexterity　which　would　have　enabled　him