east lynne-第109节

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Lower　bent　the　head　of　Madame　Vine　over　her　employment。　〃Has　anything　been　proved　against　them？〃　she　asked；　in　her　usual　soft　tone；　almost　a　whisper。

〃There　is　not　the　least　doubt　of　the　guilt　of　Levison；　but　Otway　Bethel's　share　in　the　affair　is　a　puzzle　yet；〃　replied　Mrs。　Carlyle。　〃Both　are　committed　for　trial。　Oh；　that　man！　that　man！　how　his　sins　come　out！〃　she　continued　in　excitement。

Madame　Vine　glanced　up　through　her　spectacles。

〃Would　you　believe；〃　continued　Barbara；　dropping　her　voice；　〃that　while　West　Lynne；　and　I　fear　ourselves　also；　gave　that　miserable　Afy　credit　for　having　gone　away　with　Richard；　she　was　all　the　time　with　Levison？　Ball；　the　lawyer　got　her　to　confess　to…day。　I　am　unacquainted　with　the　details；　Mr。　Carlyle　would　not　give　them　to　me。　He　said　the　bare　fact　was　quite　enough；　and　considering　the　associations　it　involved；　would　not　do　to　talk　of。〃

Mr。　Carlyle　was　right。

〃Out　it　seems　to　come；　little　by　little；　one　wickedness　after　another！〃　resumed　Barbara。　〃I　do　not　like　Mr。　Carlyle　to　hear　it。　No；　I　don't。　Of　course　there　is　no　help　for　it；　but　he　must　feel　it　terribly；　as　must　also　Lord　Mount　Severn。　She　/was/　his　wife；　you　know；　and　the　children　are　hers；　and　to　think　that　sheI　mean　he　must　feel　it　/for　her/；〃　went　on　Barbara　after　her　sudden　pause；　and　there　was　some　hauteur　in　her　tone　lest　she　should　be　misunderstood。　〃Mr。　Carlyle　is　one　of　the　very　few　men；　so　entirely　noble；　whom　the　sort　of　disgrace　reflected　from　Lady　Isabel's　conduct　cannot　touch。〃

The　carriage　of　the　first　guest。　Barbara　ran　across　the　room；　and　rattled　at　Mr。　Carlyle's　door。　〃Archibald　do　you　hear？〃

Back　came　the　laughing　answer。　〃I　shan't　keep　them　long。　But　they　may　surely　accord　a　few　minutes'　grace　to　a　man　who　has　just　been　converted　into　an　M。　P。〃

Barbara　descended　to　the　drawing…room；　leaving　her；　that　unhappy　lady；　to　the　cement　and　the　broken　pieces；　and　to　battle　as　best　she　could　with　her　bitter　heart。　Nothing　but　stabs；　nothing　but　stabs！　Was　her　punishment　ever　to　end？　No。　The　step　she　had　taken　in　coming　back　to　East　Lynne　had　precluded　that。

The　guests　arrived；　all　save　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Hare。　Barbara　received　a　note　from　her　instead。　The　justice　did　not　feel　well　enough　to　join　them。

I　should　think　he　did　not。

A　pleasant　party　it　was　at　East　Lynne；　and　twelve　o'clock　struck　before　the　carriage　of　the　last　guest　drove　away。　It　may　have　been　from　one　to　two　hours　after　that；　and　the　house　was　steeped　in　moonlight　and　quietness；　everybody　being　abed　and　asleep　when　a　loud　summons　at　the　hall　bell　echoed　through　the　stillness。

The　first　to　put　her　head　out　the　window　was　Wilson。　〃Is　it　fire？〃　shrieked　she；　in　the　most　excessive　state　of　terror　conceivable。　Wilson　had　a　natural　dread　of　firesome　people　do　possess　this　dread　more　than　othersand　had　oftentime　aroused　the　house　to　a　commotion　by　declaring　she　smelt　it。　〃Is　it　fire？〃　shrieked　Wilson。

〃Yes！〃　was　shouted　at　the　top　of　a　man's　voice；　who　stepped　from　between　the　entrance　pillars　to　answer。

Wilson　waited　for　no　more。　Clutching　at　the　baby　with　one　handa　fine　young　gentleman　now　of　near　twelve　months　old；　promising　fair　to　be　as　great　a　source　of　trouble　to　Wilson　and　the　nursery　as　was　his　brother　Archibald；　whom　he　greatly　resembledand　at　Archie　with　the　other；　out　she　flew　to　the　corridor　screeching　〃Fire！　fire！　fire！〃　never　ceasing；　down　tore　Wilson　with　the　four　children；　and　burst　unceremoniously　into　the　sleeping　apartment　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Carlyle。　By　this　time　the　children；　terrified　out　of　their　senses；　not　at　Wilson's　cry　of　alarm；　but　at　the　summary　propelling　downstairs；　set　up　a　shrieking；　too。　Madame　Vine；　believing　that　half　the　house　as　least　was　in　flames；　was　the　next　to　appear；　throwing　on　a　shawl　she　had　caught　up；　and　then　came　Joyce。

〃Fire！　fire！　fire！〃　shouted　Wilson；　〃we　are　all　being　burnt　up　together！〃

Poor　Mrs。　Carlyle；　thus　wildly　aroused　from　sleep；　sprang　out　of　bed　and　into　the　corridor　in　her　night…dress。　Everybody　else　was　in　a　night…dresswhen　folks　are　flying　for　dear　life；　they　don't　stop　to　look　for　their　dress…coats　and　best　blonde　caps。　Out　came　Mr。　Carlyle；　who　has　hastily　assumed　his　pantaloons。

He　cast　a　rapid　glance　down　to　the　hall；　and　saw　that　the　stairs　were　perfectly　free　for　escape；　therefore　to　hurry　was　not　so　violent。　Every　soul　around　him　was　shrieking　in　concert；　making　the　confusion　and　din　terrific。　The　bright　moonlight　streamed　in　at　the　corridor　windows；　but　there　was　no　other　light；　shadowy　and　indistinct　enough　looked　the　white　figures。

〃Where　is　the　fire？〃　he　exclaimed。　〃I　don't　smell　any。　Who　gave　the　first　alarm？〃

The　bell　answered　him。　The　hall…bell；　which　rang　out　ten　times　louder　and　longer　than　before。　He　opened　one　of　the　windows　and　leaned　from　it。　〃Who's　there？〃　Madame　Vine　caught　up　Archie。

〃It's　me；　sir；〃　responded　a　voice；　which　he　at　once　recognized　to　be　that　of　one　of　Mr。　Hare's　men…servants。　〃Master　has　been　took　in　a　fit；　sir；　and　mistress　sent　me　for　you　and　Miss　Barbara。　You　must　please　make　haste；　sir；　if　you　want　to　see　him　alive。〃

Miss　Barbara！　It　was　more　familiar　to　Jasper；　in　a　moment　of　excitement；　than　the　new　name。

〃You；　Jasper！　Is　the　house　on　firethis　house？〃

〃Well；　I　don't　know；　sir。　I　can　hear　a　dreadful　deal　of　screeching　in　it。〃

Mr。　Carlyle　closed　the　window。　He　began　to　suspect　that　the　danger　lay　in　fear　alone。　〃Who　told　you　there　was　fire？〃　he　demanded　of　Wilson。

〃That　man　ringing　at　the　door；〃　sobbed　Wilson。　〃Thank　goodness　I　have　saved　the　children！〃

Mr。　Carlyle　felt　somewhat　exasperated　at　the　mistake。　His　wife　was　trembling　from　head　to　foot；　her　face　of　a　deadly　whiteness；　and　he　knew　that　she　was　not　in　a　condition　to　be　alarmed；　necessarily　or　unnecessarily。　She　clung　to　him　in　terror；　asking　if　they　/could/　escape。

〃My　darling；　be　calm！　There's　no　fire；　it's　a　stupid　mistake。　You　may　all　go　back　to　bed　and　sleep　in　peace；〃　he　added　to　the　rest；　〃and　the　next　time　that　you　alarm　the　house　in　the　night；　Wilson；　have　the　goodness　to　make　yourself　sure；　first　of　all；　that　there's　cause　for　it。〃

Barbara；　frightened　still；　bewildered　and　uncertain；　escaped　to　the　window　and　threw　it　open。　But　Mr。　Carlyle　was　nearly　as　quick　as　she；　he　caught　her　to　him　with　one　hand；　and　drew　the　window　down　with　the　other。　To　have　these　tidings　told　to　her　abruptly　would　be　worse　than　all。　By　this　time　some　of　the　servants　had　descended　the　other　staircase　with　a　light；　being　in　various　stages　of　costume；　and　hastened　to　open　the　hall…door。　Jasper　entered。　The　man　had　probably　waited　to　help　to　put　out　the　〃fire。〃　Barbara　caught　sight　of　him　ere　Mr。　Carlyle　could　prevent　it；　and　grew　sick　with　fear；　believing　some　ill　had　happened　to　her　mother。

Drawing　her　inside　their　chamber；　he　broke　the　news　to　her　soothingly　and　tenderly；　making　light　of　it。

She　burst　into　tears。　〃You　are　not　deceiving　me；　Archibald？　Papa　is　not　dead？〃

〃Dead！〃　cheerfully　echoed　Mr。　Carlyle；　in　the　same　tone　he　might　have　used　had　Barbara　wondered　whether　the　justice　was　taking　a　night　airing　for　pleasure　in　a　balloon。　〃Wilson　has　indeed　frightened　you；　love。　Dress　yourself；　and　we　will　go　and　see　him。〃

At　that　moment　Barbara　recollected　William。　Strange　that　she　should　have　been　the　first　to　do　sobefore　Lady　Isabelbefore　Mr。　Carlyle。　She　ran　out　again　to　the　corridors；　where　the　boy　stood　shivering。　〃He　may　have　caught　his　death！〃　she　uttered；　snatching　him　up　in　her　arms。　〃Oh；　Wilson！　What　have　you　done？　His　night…gown　is　damp　and　cold。〃

Unfit　as　she　was　for　the　burden；　she　bore　him　to　her　own　bed。　Wilson　was　not　at　leisure　to　attend　to　reproaches　just　then。　She　was　engaged　in　a　wordy　war　with　Jasper；　leaning　over　the　balustrades　to　carry　it　on。

〃I　never　told　you　there　was　a　fire！〃　indignantly　denied　Jasper。

〃You　did。　I　opened　the　nursery　window　and　called　out　'Is　it　fire？'　and　you　answered　'Yes。'　〃

〃You　called　out　'Is　it　Jasper？'　What　else　should　I　say　but　'Yes；'　to　that？　Fire？　Where　was　the　fire　likely　to　bein　the　park？〃

〃Wilson　take　the　children　back　to　bed；〃　authoritatively　spoke　Mr。　Carlyle；　as　he　advanced　to　look　down　into　the　hall。　〃John；　are　you　there？　The　close　carriage；　instantlylook　sharp。　Madame　Vine；　pray　don't　continue　to　hold　that　heavy　boy；　Joyce　can't　you　relieve　madame？〃

In　crossing　back　to　his　room；　Mr。　Carlyle　had　brushed　past　madame；　and　noticed　that　she　appeared　to　be　shaking；　as　with　the　weight　of　Archibald。　In　reality　she　was　still　alarmed；　not　understanding　yet　the　cause　of　the　commotion。　Joyce；　who　comprehended　it　as　little；　and　had　stood　with　her　arms　round　Lucy；　advanced　to　take　Archibald；　and　Mr。　Carlyle　disappeared。　Barbara　had　taken　off　her　own　warm　night…gown　then；　and　put　it　upon　William　in　place　of　his　cold　onehad　struck　a　light　and　was　busily　dressing　herself。

〃Just　feel　his　night…gown　Archibald！　Wilson〃

A　shrill　cry　of　awful　terror　interrupted　the　words；　and　Mr。　Carlyle　made　one　bound　out　again。　Barbara　followed；　the　least　she　thought　was　that　Wilson　had　dropped　the　baby　in　the　hall。

That　was　not　the　catastrophe。　Wilson；　with　the　baby　and　Lucy；　had　already　disappeared　up　the　staircase；　and　Madame　Vine　was　disappearing。　Archibald　lay　on　the　soft　carpet　of　the　co