armadale-第141节

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expression　of　a　genuine　feeling　of　any　sort　that　had　escaped　him
yet。


〃Miss　Gwilt's　story　begins；〃　said　Bashwood　the　younger；　〃in　the
market…place　at　Thorpe　Ambrose。　One　day；　something　like　a　quarter
of　a　century　ago；　a　traveling　quack　doctor；　who　dealt　in
perfumery　as　well　as　medicines；　came　to　the　town　with　his　cart；
and　exhibited；　as　a　living　example　of　the　excellence　of　his
washes　and　hair…oils　and　so　on；　a　pretty　little　girl；　with　a
beautiful　complexion　and　wonderful　hair。　His　name　was　Oldershaw。
He　had　a　wife；　who　helped　him　in　the　perfumery　part　of　his
business；　and　who　carried　it　on　by　herself　after　his　death。　She
has　risen　in　the　world　of　late　years；　and　she　is　identical　with
that　sly　old　lady　who　employed　me　professionally　a　short　time
since。　As　for　the　pretty　little　girl；　you　know　who　she　was　as
well　as　I　do。　While　the　quack　was　haranguing　the　mob　and　showing
them　the　child's　hair；　a　young　lady；　driving　through　the
marketplace；　stopped　her　carriage　to　hear　what　it　was　all　about；
saw　the　little　girl；　and　took　a　violent　fancy　to　her　on　the　spot。
The　young　lady　was　the　daughter　of　Mr。　Blanchard；　of　Thorpe
Ambrose。　She　went　home；　and　interested　her　father　in　the　fate　of
the　innocent　little　victim　of　the　quack　doctor。　The　same　evening；
the　Oldershaws　were　sent　for　to　the　great　house　and　were
questioned。　They　declared　themselves　to　be　her　uncle　and　aunta
lie；　of　course！and　they　were　quite　willing　to　let　her　attend
the　village　school；　while　they　stayed　at　Thorpe　Ambrose；　when　the
proposal　was　made　to　them。　The　new　arrangement　was　carried　out
the　next　day。　And　the　day　after　that；　the　Oldershaws　had
disappeared；　and　had　left　the　little　girl　on　the　squire's　hands！
She　evidently　hadn't　answered　as　they　expected　in　the　capacity　of
an　advertisement；　and　that　was　the　way　they　took　of　providing
　for　her　for　life。　There　is　the　first　act　of　the　play　for　you！
Clear　enough；　so　far；　isn't　it？〃

〃Clear　enough；　Jemmy；　to　clever　people。　But　I'm　old　and　slow。　I
don't　understand　one　thing。　Whose　child　was　she？〃

〃A　very　sensible　question。　Sorry　to　inform　you　that　nobody　can
answer　itMiss　Gwilt　herself　included。　These　Instructions　that
I'm　refering　to　are　founded；　of　course；　on　her　own　statements；
sifted　by　her　attorney。　All　she　could　remember；　on　being
questioned；　was　that　she　was　beaten　and　half　starved；　somewhere
in　the　country；　by　a　woman　who　took　in　children　at　nurse。　The
woman　had　a　card　with　her；　stating　that　her　name　was　Lydia　Gwilt；
and　got　a　yearly　allowance　for　taking　care　of　her　（paid　through　a
lawyer）　till　she　was　eight　years　old。　At　that　time；　the　allowance
stopped；　the　lawyer　had　no　explanation　to　offer；　nobody　came　to
look　after　her；　nobody　wrote。　The　Oldershaws　saw　her；　and　thought
she　might　answer　to　exhibit；　and　the　woman　parted　with　her　for　a
trifle　to　the　Oldershaws；　and　the　Oldershaws　parted　with　her　for
good　and　all　to　the　Blanchards。　That's　the　story　of　her　birth；
parentage；　and　education！　She　may　be　the　daughter　of　a　duke；　or
the　daughter　of　a　costermonger。　The　circumstances　may　be　highly
romantic；　or　utterly　commonplace。　Fancy　anything　you
likethere's　nothing　to　stop　you。　When　you've　had　your　fancy
out；　say　the　word；　and　I'll　turn　over　the　leaves　and　go　on。〃

〃Please　to　go　on；　Jemmyplease　to　go　on。〃

〃The　next　glimpse　of　Miss　Gwilt；〃　resumed　Bashwood　the　younger；
turning　over　the　papers；　〃is　a　glimpse　at　a　family　mystery。　The
deserted　child　was　in　luck's　way　at　last。　She　had　taken　the　fancy
of　an　amiable　young　lady　with　a　rich　father；　and　she　was　petted
and　made　much　of　at　the　great　house；　in　the　character　of　Miss
Blanchard's　last　new　plaything。　Not　long　afterward　Mr。　Blanchard
and　his　daughter　went　abroad；　and　took　the　girl　with　them　in　the
capacity　of　Miss　Blanchard's　little　maid。　When　they　came　back；
the　daughter　had　married；　and　become　a　widow；　in　the　interval；
and　the　pretty　little　maid；　instead　of　returning　with　them　to
Thorpe　Ambrose；　turns　up　suddenly；　all　alone；　as　a　pupil　at　a
school　in　France。　There　she　was；　at　a　first…rate　establishment；
with　her　maintenance　and　education　secured　until　she　married　and
settled　in　life；　on　this　understandingthat　she　never　returned
to　England。　Those　were　all　the　particulars　she　could　be　prevailed
on　to　give　the　lawyer　who　drew　up　these　instructions。　She
declined　to　say　what　had　happened　abroad；　she　declined　even；
after　all　the　years　that　had　passed；　to　mention　her　mistress's
married　name。　It's　quite　clear；　of　course；　that　she　was　in
possession　of　some　family　secret；　and　that　the　Blanchards　paid
for　her　schooling　on　the　Continent　to　keep　her　out　of　the　way。
And　it's　equally　plain　that　she　would　never　have　kept　her　secret
as　she　did　if　she　had　not　seen　her　way　to　trading　on　it　for　her
own　advantage　at　some　future　time。　A　clever　woman；　as　I've　told
you　already！　A　devilish　clever　woman；　who　hasn't　been　knocked
about　in　the　world；　and　seen　the　ups　and　downs　of　life　abroad　and
at　home；　for　nothing。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　Jemmy；　quite　true。　How　long　did　she　stop；　please；　at
the　school　in　France？〃

Bashwood　the　younger　referred　to　the　papers。　〃She　stopped　at　the
French　school；〃　he　replied；　〃till　she　was　seventeen。　At　that　time
something　happened　at　the　school　which　I　find　mildly　described　in
these　papers　as　'something　unpleasant。'　The　plain　fact　was　that
the　music…master　attached　to　the　establishment　fell　in　love　with
Miss　Gwilt。　He　was　a　respectable　middle…aged　man；　with　a　wife　and
family；　and；　finding　the　circumstances　entirely　hopeless；　he　took
a　pistol；　and；　rashly　assuming　that　he　had　brains　in　his　head；
tried　to　blow　them　out。　The　doctor　saved　his　life；　but　not　his
reason；　he　ended；　where　he　had　better　have　begun；　in　an　asylum。
Miss　Gwilt's　beauty　having　been　at　the　bottom　of　the　scandal；　it
was；　of　course；　impossiblethough　she　was　proved　to　have　been
otherwise　quite　blameless　in　the　matterfor　her　to　remain　at　the
school　after　what　had　happened。　Her　'friends'　（the　Blanchards）
were　communicated　with。　And　her　friends　transferred　her　to
another　school；　at　Brussels；　this　time。What　are　you　sighing
about？　What's　wrong　now？〃

〃I　can't　help　feeling　a　little　for　the　poor　music…master；　Jemmy。
Go　on。〃

〃According　to　her　own　account　of　it；　dad；　Miss　Gwilt　seems　to
have　felt　for　him　too。　She　took　a　serious　turn；　and　was
'converted'　（as　they　call　it）　by　the　lady　who　had　charge　of　her
in　the　interval　before　she　went　to　Brussels。　The　priest　at　the
Belgium　school　appears　to　have　been　a　man　of　some　discretion；　and
to　have　seen　that　the　girl's　sensibilities　were　getting　into　a
dangerously　excited　state。　Before　he　could　quiet　her　down；　he
fell　ill；　and　was　succeeded　by　another　priest；　who　was　a　fanatic。
You　will　understand　the　sort　of　interest　he　took　in　the　girl；　and
the　way　in　which　he　worked　on　her　feelings；　when　I　tell　you　that
she　announced　it　as　her　decision；　after　having　been　nearly　two
years　at　the　school；　to　end　her　days　in　a　convent！　You　may　well
stare！　Miss　Gwilt；　in　the　character　of　a　Nun；　is　the　sort　of
female　phenomenon　you　don't　often　set　eyes　on。〃

〃Did　she　go　into　the　convent？〃　asked　Mr。　Bashwood。　〃Did　they　let
her　go　in；　so　friendless　and　so　young；　with　nobody　to　advise　her
for　the　best？〃

〃The　Blanchards　were　consulted；　as　a　matter　of　form；〃　pursued
Bashwood　the　younger。　〃_They_　had　no　objection　to　her　shutting
herself　up　in　a　convent；　as　you　may　well　imagine。　The　pleasantest
letter　they　ever　had　from　her；　I'll　answer　for　it；　was　the　letter
in　which　she　solemnly　took　leave　of　them　in　this　world　forever。
The　people　at　the　convent　were　as　careful　as　usual　not　to　commit
themselves。　Their　rules　wouldn't　allow　her　to　take　the　veil　till
she　had　tried　the　life　for　a　year　first；　and　then；　if　she　had　any
doubt；　for　another　year　after　that。　She　tried　the　life　for　the
first　year；　accordingly；　and　doubted。　She　tried　it　for　the　second
year；　and　was　wise　enough；　by　that　time；　to　give　it　up　without
further　hesitation。　Her　position　was　rather　an　awkward　one　when
she　found　herself　at　liberty　again。　The　sisters　at　the　convent
had　lost　their　interest　in　her；　the　mistress　at　the　school
declined　to　take　her　back　as　teacher；　on　the　ground　that　she　was
too　nice…looking　for　the　place；　the　priest　considered　her　to　be
possessed　by　the　devil。　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　write　to
the　Blanchards　again；　and　ask　them　to　start　her　in　life　as　a
teacher　of　music　on　her　own　account。　She　wrote　to　her　former
mistress　accordingly。　Her　former　mistress　had　evidently　doubted
the　genuineness　of　the　girl's　resolution　to　be　a　nun；　and　had
seized　the　opportunity　offered　by　her　entry　into　the　convent　to
cut　off　all　further　communication　between　her　ex…waiting…maid　and
herself。　Miss　Gwilt's　letter　was　returned　by　the　post…office。　She
caused　inquiries　to　be　made；　and　found　that　Mr。　Blanchard　was
dead；　and　that　his　daughter　had　left　the　great　house　for　some
place　of　retirement　unknown。　The　next　thing　she　did；　upon　this；
was　to　write　to　the　heir　in　possession　of　the　estate。　The　letter
was　answered　by　his　solicitors；　who　were　instructed　to　put　the
law　in　force　at　the　first　attempt　she　made　to　extort　money　from
any　member　of　the　family　at　Thorpe　Ambrose。　The　last　chance　was
to　get　at