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the author of beltraffio-第12节

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Trust a mothera devoted mother; my dear friend!〃  With such words
as these I tried to soothe and comfort him; and; marvellous to
relate; I succeeded; with the help of many cigarettes; in making him
walk about the garden and talk; or suffer me at least to do so; for
near an hour。  When about that time had elapsed his sister
reappeared; reaching us rapidly and with a convulsed face while she
held her hand to her heart。

〃Go for the Doctor; Markgo for the Doctor this moment!〃

〃Is he dying?  Has she killed him?〃 my poor friend cried; flinging
away his cigarette。

〃I don't know what she has done!  But she's frightened; and now she
wants the Doctor。〃

〃He told me he'd be hanged if he came back!〃  I felt myself obliged
to mention。

〃Preciselytherefore Mark himself must go for him; and not a
messenger。  You must see him and tell him it's to save your child。
The trap has been orderedit's ready。〃

〃To save him?  I'll save him; please God!〃 Ambient cried; bounding
with his great strides across the lawn。

As soon as he had gone I felt I ought to have volunteered in his
place; and I said as much to Miss Ambient; but she checked me by
grasping my arm while we heard the wheels of the dog…cart rattle away
from the gate。  〃He's offhe's offand now I can think!  To get him
awaywhile I thinkwhile I think!〃

〃While you think of what; Miss Ambient?〃

〃Of the unspeakable thing that has happened under this roof!〃

Her manner was habitually that of such a prophetess of ill that I at
first allowed for some great extravagance。  But I looked at her hard;
and the next thing felt myself turn white。  〃Dolcino IS dying then
he's dead?〃

〃It's too late to save him。  His mother has let him die!  I tell you
that because you're sympathetic; because you've imagination;〃 Miss
Ambient was good enough to add; interrupting my expression of horror。
〃That's why you had the idea of making her read Mark's new book!〃

〃What has that to do with it?  I don't understand you。  Your
accusation's monstrous。〃

〃I see it allI'm not stupid;〃 she went on; heedless of my emphasis。
〃It was the book that finished herit was that decided her!〃

〃Decided her?  Do you mean she has murdered her child?〃 I demanded;
trembling at my own words。

〃She sacrificed him; she determined to do nothing to make him live。
Why else did she lock herself in; why else did she turn away the
Doctor?  The book gave her a horror; she determined to rescue himto
prevent him from ever being touched。  He had a crisis at two o'clock
in the morning。  I know that from the nurse; who had left her then;
but whom; for a short time; she called back。  The darling got munch
worse; but she insisted on the nurse's going back to bed; and after
that she was alone with him for hours。〃

I listened with a dread that stayed my credence; while she stood
there with her tearless glare。  〃Do you pretend then she has no pity;
that she's cruel and insane?〃

〃She held him in her arms; she pressed him to her breast; not to see
him; but she gave him no remedies; she did nothing the Doctor
ordered。  Everything's there untouched。  She has had the honesty not
even to throw the drugs away!〃

I dropped upon the nearest bench; overcome with my dismayquite as
much at Miss Ambient's horrible insistence and distinctness as at the
monstrous meaning of her words。  Yet they came amazingly straight;
and if they did have a sense I saw myself too woefully figure in it。
Had I been then a proximate cause ?  〃You're a very strange woman
and you say incredible things;〃 I could only reply。

She had one of her tragic headshakes。  〃You think it necessary to
protest; but you're really quite ready to believe me。  You've
received an impression of my sister…in…lawyou've guessed of what
she's capable。〃

I don't feel bound to say what concession on this score I made to
Miss Ambient; who went on to relate to me that within the last half…
hour Beatrice had had a revulsion; that she was tremendously
frightened at what she had done; that her fright itself betrayed her;
and that she would now give heaven and earth to save the child。  〃Let
us hope she will!〃 I said; looking at my watch and trying to time
poor Ambient; whereupon my companion repeated all portentously

〃Let us hope so!〃  When I asked her if she herself could do nothing;
and whether she oughtn't to be with her sister…in…law; she replied:
〃You had better go and judge!  She's like a wounded tigress!〃

I never saw Mrs。 Ambient till six months after this; and therefore
can't pretend to have verified the comparison。  At the latter period
she was again the type of the perfect lady。  〃She'll treat him better
after this;〃 I remember her sister…in…law's saying in response to
some quick outburst; on my part; of compassion for her brother。
Though I had been in the house but thirty…six hours this young lady
had treated me with extraordinary confidence; and there was therefore
a certain demand I might; as such an intimate; make of her。  I
extracted from her a pledge that she'd never say to her brother what
she had just said to me; that she'd let him form his own theory of
his wife's conduct。  She agreed with me that there was misery enough
in the house without her contributing a new anguish; and that Mrs。
Ambient's proceedings might be explained; to her husband's mind; by
the extravagance of a jealous devotion。  Poor Mark came back with the
Doctor much sooner than we could have hoped; but we knew five minutes
afterwards that it was all too late。  His sole; his adored little son
was more exquisitely beautiful in death than he had been in life。
Mrs。 Ambient's grief was frantic; she lost her head and said strange
things。  As for Mark'sbut I won't speak of that。  Basta; basta; as
he used to say。  Miss Ambient kept her secretI've already had
occasion to say that she had her good pointsbut it rankled in her
conscience like a guilty participation and; I imagine; had something
to do with her ultimately retiring from the world。  And; apropos of
consciences; the reader is now in a position to judge of my
compunction for my effort to convert my cold hostess。  I ought to
mention that the death of her child in some degree converted her。
When the new book came out (it was long delayed) she read it over as
a whole; and her husband told me that during the few supreme weeks
before her deathshe failed rapidly after losing her son; sank into
a consumption and faded away at Mentoneshe even dipped into the
black 〃Beltraffio。〃







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