the frozen deep(冰渊)-第16章
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was Steventon。
〃Can you spare me a few minutes？〃 she asked。 〃I have something to
say to you。〃
〃I am entirely at your service； Miss Burnham。〃
Answering in those words； Steventon dismissed the two sailors。 Mrs。
Crayford looked anxiously at her husband。 Crayford whispered to her；
〃Don't be alarmed about Steventon。 I have cautioned him； his discretion is
to be depended on。〃
Clara beckoned to Crayford to return to her。
〃I will not keep you long；〃 she said。 〃I will promise not to distress Mr。
Steventon。 Young as I am； you shall both find that I am capable of self…
control。 I won't ask you to go back to the story of your past sufferings； I
only want to be sure that I am right about one thingI mean about what
happened at the time when the exploring party was dispatched in search of
help。 As I understand it； you cast lots among yourselves who was to go
with the party； and who was to remain behind。 Frank cast the lot to go。〃
She paused； shuddering。 〃And Richard Wardour；〃 she went on； 〃cast the
lot to remain behind。 On your honor； as officers and gentlemen； is this the
truth？〃
〃On my honor；〃 Crayford answered； 〃it is the truth。〃
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〃On my honor；〃 Steventon repeated； 〃it is the truth。〃
She looked at them； carefully considering her next words； before she
spoke again。
〃You both drew the lot to stay in the huts；〃 she said； addressing
Crayford and Steventon。 〃And you are both here。 Richard Wardour drew
the lot to stay； and Richard Wardour is not here。 How does his name come
to be with Frank's on the list of the missing？〃
The question was a dangerous one to answer。 Steventon left it to
Crayford to reply。 Once again he answered evasively。
〃It doesn't follow； my dear；〃 he said； 〃that the two men were missing
together because their names happen to come together on the list。〃
Clara instantly drew the inevitable conclusion from that ill…considered
reply。
〃Frank is missing from the party of relief；〃 she said。 〃Am I to
understand that Wardour is missing from the huts？〃
Both Crayford and Steventon hesitated。 Mrs。 Crayford cast one
indignant look at them； and told the necessary lie； without a moment's
hesitation！
〃Yes！〃 she said。 〃Wardour is missing from the huts。〃
Quickly as she had spoken； she had still spoken too late。 Clara had
noticed the momentary hesitation on the part of the two officers。 She
turned to Steventon。
〃I trust to your honor；〃 she said； quietly。 〃Am I right； or wrong； in
believing that Mrs。 Crayford is mistaken？〃
She had addressed herself to the right man of the two。 Steventon had
no wife present to exercise authority over him。 Steventon； put on his honor；
and fairly forced to say something； owned the truth。 Wardour had replaced
an officer whom accident had disabled from accompanying the party of
relief； and Wardour and Frank were missing together。
Clara looked at Mrs。 Crayford。
〃You hear？〃 she said。 〃It is you who are mistaken； not I。 What you call
'Accident；' what I call 'Fate；' brought Richard Wardour and Frank together
as members of the same Expedition； after all。〃 Without waiting for a reply；
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she again turned to Steventon； and surprised him by changing the painful
subject of the conversation of her own accord。
〃Have you been in the Highlands of Scotland？〃 she asked。
〃I have never been in the Highlands；〃 the lieutenant replied。
〃Have you ever read； in books about the Highlands； of such a thing as
'The Second Sight'？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Do you believe in the Second Sight？〃
Steventon politely declined to commit himself to a direct reply。
〃I don't know what I might have done； if I had ever been in the
Highlands；〃 he said。 〃As it is； I have had no opportunities of giving the
subject any serious consideration。〃
〃I won't put your credulity to the test；〃 Clara proceeded。 〃I won't ask
you to believe anything more extraordinary than that I had a strange dream
in England not very long since。 My dream showed me what you have just
acknowledgedand more than that。 How did the two missing men come to
be parted from their companions？ Were they lost by pure accident； or were
they deliberately left behind on the march？〃
Crayford made a last vain effort to check her inquiries at the point
which they had now reached。
〃Neither Steventon nor I were members of the party of relief；〃 he said。
〃How are we to answer you？〃
〃Your brother officers who _were_ members of the party must have
told you what happened；〃 Clara rejoined。 〃I only ask you and Mr。
Steventon to tell me what they told you。〃
Mrs。 Crayford interposed again； with a practical suggestion this time。
〃The luncheon is not unpacked yet；〃 she said。 〃Come； Clara！ this is our
business； and the time is passing。〃
〃The luncheon can wait a few minutes longer；〃 Clara answered。 〃Bear
with my obstinacy；〃 she went on； laying her hand caressingly on
Crayford's shoulder。 〃Tell me how those two came to be separated from
the rest。 You have always been the kindest of friendsdon't begin to be
cruel to me now！〃
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The tone in which she made her entreaty to Crayford went straight to
the sailor's heart。 He gave up the hopeless struggle： he let her see a
glimpse of the truth。
〃On the third day out；〃 he said； 〃Frank's strength failed him。 He fell
behin d the rest from fatigue。〃
〃Surely they waited for him？〃
〃It was a serious risk to wait for him； my child。 Their lives （and the
lives of the men they had left in the huts） depended； in that dreadful
climate； on their pushing on。 But Frank was a favorite。 They waited half a
day to give Frank the chance of recovering his strength。〃
There he stopped。 There the imprudence into which his fondness for
Clara had led him showed itself plainly； and closed his lips。
It was too late to take refuge in silence。 Clara was determined on
hearing more。
She questioned Steventon next。
〃Did Frank go on again after the half…day's rest？〃 she asked。
〃He tried to go on〃
〃And failed？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃What did the men do when he failed？ Did they turn cowards？ Did
they desert Frank？〃
She had purposely used language which might irritate Steventon into
answering her plainly。 He was a young manhe fell into the snare that she
had set for him。
〃Not one among them was a coward； Miss Burnham！〃 he replied；
warmly。 〃You are speaking cruelly and unjustly of as brave a set of fellows
as ever lived！ The strongest man among them set the example； he
volunteered to stay by Frank； and to bring him on in the track of the
exploring party。〃
There Steventon stoppedconscious； on his side； that he had said too
much。 Would she ask him who this volunteer was？ No。 She went straight
on to the most embarrassing question that she had put yetreferring to the
volunteer； as if Steventon had already mentioned his name。
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〃What made Richard Wardour so ready to risk his life for Frank's
sake？〃 she said to Crayford。 〃Did he do it out of friendship for Frank？
Surely you can tell me that？ Carry your memory back to the days when
you were all living in the huts。 Were Frank and Wardour friends at that
time？ Did you never hear any angry words pass between them？〃
There Mrs。 Crayford saw her opportunity of giving her husband a
timely hint。
〃My dear child！〃 she said； 〃how can you expect him to remember that？
There must have been plenty of quarrels among the men； all shut up
together； and all weary of each other's company； no doubt。〃
〃Plenty of quarrels！〃 Crayford repeated； 〃and every one of them made
up again。〃
〃And every one of them made up again；〃 Mrs。 Crayford reiterated； in
her turn。 〃There！ a plainer answer than that you can't wish to have。 Now
are you satisfied？ Mr。 Steventon； come and lend a hand （as you say at sea）
with the hamperClara won't help me。 William； don't stand there doing
nothing。 This hamper holds a great deal； we must have a division of labor。
Your division shall be laying the tablecloth。 Don't handle it in that clumsy
way！ You unfold a table…cloth as if you were unfurling a sail。 Put the
knives on the right； and the forks on the left； and the napkin and the bread
between them。 Clara； if you are not hungry in this fine air； you ought to be。
Come and do your duty； come and have some lunch！〃
She looked up as she spoke。 Clara appeared to have yielded at last to
the conspiracy to keep her in the dark。 She had returned slowly to the
boat…house doorway； and she was standing alone on the threshold； looking
out。 Approaching her to lead her to the luncheon…table； Mrs。 Crayford
could hear that she was speaking softly to herself。 She was repeating the
farewell words which Richard Wardour had spoken to her at the ball。
〃'A time may come when I shall forgive _you_。 But the man who has
robbed me of you shall rue the day when you and he first met。' Oh； Frank！
Frank！ does Richard still live； with your blood on his conscience； and my
image in his heart？〃
Her lips suddenly closed。 She started； and drew back from the
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doorway； trembling violently。 Mrs。 Crayford looked out at the quiet
seaward view。
〃Anything there that frightens you； my dear？〃 she asked。 〃I can see
nothing
