armadale-第19节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


delicacy；　quite　out　of　the　question　and；　having　done　this；　he
would　beg　leave　to　close　the　correspondence。

Mr。　Brock　wisely　destroyed　the　second　letter　on　the　spot；　and；
after　showing　Allan　his　cousin's　invitation；　suggested　that　he
should　go　to　Thorpe　Ambrose　as　soon　as　he　felt　fit　to　present
himself　to　strangers。

Allan　listened　to　the　advice　patiently　enough；　but　he　declined　to
profit　by　it。　〃I　will　shake　hands　with　my　cousin　willingly　if　I
ever　meet　him；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　will　visit　no　family；　and　be　a
guest　in　no　house；　in　which　my　mother　has
　been　badly　treated。〃　Mr。　Brock　remonstrated　gently；　and　tried　to
put　matters　in　their　proper　light。　Even　at　that　timeeven　while
he　was　still　ignorant　of　events　which　were　then
impendingAllan's　strangely　isolated　position　in　the　world　was　a
subject　of　serious　anxiety　to　his　old　friend　and　tutor。　The
proposed　visit　to　Thorpe　Ambrose　opened　the　very　prospect　of　his
making　friends　and　connections　suited　to　him　in　rank　and　age
which　Mr。　Brock　most　desired　to　see；　but　Allan　was　not　to　be
persuaded；　he　was　obstinate　and　unreasonable；　and　the　rector　had
no　alternative　but　to　drop　the　subject。

One　on　another　the　weeks　passed　monotonously；　and　Allan　showed
but　little　of　the　elasticity　of　his　age　and　character　in　bearing
the　affliction　that　had　made　him　motherless。　He　finished　and
launched　his　yacht；　but　his　own　journeymen　remarked　that　the　work
seemed　to　have　lost　its　interest　for　him。　It　was　not　natural　to
the　young　man　to　brood　over　his　solitude　and　his　grief　as　he　was
brooding　now。　As　the　spring　advanced；　Mr。　Brock　began　to　feel
uneasy　about　the　future；　if　Allan　was　not　roused　at　once　by
change　of　scene。　After　much　pondering；　the　rector　decided　on
trying　a　trip　to　Paris；　and　on　extending　the　journey　southward　if
his　companion　showed　an　interest　in　Continental　traveling。
Allan's　reception　of　the　proposal　made　atonement　for　his
obstinacy　in　refusing　to　cultivate　his　cousin's　acquaintance；　he
was　willing　to　go　with　Mr。　Brock　wherever　Mr。　Brock　pleased。　The
rector　took　him　at　his　word；　and　in　the　middle　of　March　the　two
strangely　assorted　companions　left　for　London　on　their　way　to
Paris。

Arrived　in　London；　Mr。　Brock　found　himself　unexpectedly　face　to
face　with　a　new　anxiety。　The　unwelcome　subject　of　Ozias
Midwinter；　which　had　been　buried　in　peace　since　the　beginning　of
December；　rose　to　the　surface　again；　and　confronted　the　rector　at
the　very　outset　of　his　travels；　more　unmanageably　than　ever。

Mr。　Brock's　position　in　dealing　with　this　difficult　matter　had
been　hard　enough　to　maintain　when　he　had　first　meddled　with　it。
He　now　found　himself　with　no　vantage…ground　left　to　stand　on。
Events　had　so　ordered　it　that　the　difference　of　opinion　between
Allan　and　his　mother　on　the　subject　of　the　usher　was　entirely
disassociated　with　the　agitation　which　had　hastened　Mrs。
Armadale's　death。　Allan's　resolution　to　say　no　irritating　words；
and　Mr。　Brock's　reluctance　to　touch　on　a　disagreeable　topic；　had
kept　them　both　silent　about　Midwinter　in　Mrs。　Armadale's　presence
during　the　three　days　which　had　intervened　between　that　person's
departure　and　the　appearance　of　the　strange　woman　in　the　village。
In　the　period　of　suspense　and　suffering　that　had　followed　no
recurrence　to　the　subject　of　the　usher　had　been　possible；　and
none　had　taken　place。　Free　from　all　mental　disquietude　on　this
score；　Allan　had　stoutly　preserved　his　perverse　interest　in　his
new　friend。　He　had　written　to　tell　Midwinter　of　his　affliction；
and　he　now　proposed　（unless　the　rector　formally　objected　to　it）
paying　a　visit　to　his　friend　before　he　started　for　Paris　the　next
morning。

What　was　Mr。　Brock　to　do？　There　was　no　denying　that　Midwinter's
conduct　had　pleaded　unanswerably　against　poor　Mrs。　Armadale's
unfounded　distrust　of　him。　If　the　rector；　with　no　convincing
reason　to　allege　against　it；　and　with　no　right　to　interfere　but
the　right　which　Allan's　courtesy　gave　him；　declined　to　sanction
the　proposed　visit；　then　farewell　to　all　the　old　sociability　and
confidence　between　tutor　and　pupil　on　the　contemplated　tour。
Environed　by　difficulties；　which　might　have　been　possibly　worsted
by　a　less　just　and　a　less　kind…hearted　man；　Mr。　Brock　said　a
cautious　word　or　two　at　parting；　and　（with　more　confidence　in
Midwinter's　discretion　and　self…denial　than　he　quite　liked　to
acknowledge；　even　to　himself）　left　Allan　free　to　take　his　own
way。

After　whiling　away　an　hour；　during　the　interval　of　his　pupil's
absence；　by　a　walk　in　the　streets；　the　rector　returned　to　his
hotel；　and；　finding　the　newspaper　disengaged　in　the　coffee…room；
sat　down　absently　to　look　over　it。　His　eye；　resting　idly　on　the
title…page；　was　startled　into　instant　attention　by　the　very　first
advertisement　that　it　chanced　to　light　on　at　the　head　of　the
column。　There　was　Allan's　mysterious　namesake　again；　figuring　in
capital　letters；　and　associated　this　time　（in　the　character　of　a
dead　man）　with　the　offer　of　a　pecuniary　reward。　Thus　it　ran：


SUPPOSED　TO　BE　DEAD。To　parish　clerks；　sextons；　and　others。
Twenty　Pounds　reward　will　be　paid　to　any　person　who　can　produce
evidence　of　the　death　of　ALLAN　ARMADALE；　only　son　of　the　late
Allan　Armadale；　of　Barbadoes；　and　born　in　Trinidad　in　the　year
1830。　Further　particulars　on　application　to　Messrs。　Hammick　and
Ridge；　Lincoln's　Inn　Fields；　London。


Even　Mr。　Brock's　essentially　unimaginative　mind　began　to　stagger
superstitiously　in　the　dark　as　he　laid　the　newspaper　down　again。
Little　by　little　a　vague　suspicion　took　possession　of　him　that
the　whole　series　of　events　which　had　followed　the　first
appearance　of　Allan's　namesake　in　the　newspaper　six　years　since
was　held　together　by　some　mysterious　connection；　and　was　tending
steadily　to　some　unimaginable　end。　Without　knowing　why；　he　began
to　feel　uneasy　at　Allan's　absence。　Without　knowing　why；　he　became
impatient　to　get　his　pupil　away　from　England　before　anything　else
happened　between　night　and　morning。

In　an　hour　more　the　rector　was　relieved　of　all　immediate　anxiety
by　Allan's　return　to　the　hotel。　The　young　man　was　vexed　and　out
of　spirits。　He　had　discovered　Midwinter's　lodgings；　but　he　had
failed　to　find　Midwinter　himself。　The　only　account　his　landlady
could　give　of　him　was　that　he　had　gone　out　at　his　customary　time
to　get　his　dinner　at　the　nearest　eating…house；　and　that　he　had
not　returned；　in　accordance　with　his　usual　regular　habits；　at　his
usual　regular　hour。　Allan　had　therefore　gone　to　inquire　at　the
eating…house；　and　had　found；　on　describing　him；　that　Midwinter
was　well　known　there。　It　was　his　custom；　on　other　days；　to　take　a
frugal　dinner；　and　to　sit　half　an　hour　afterward　reading　the
newspaper。　On　this　occasion；　after　dining；　he　had　taken　up　the
paper　as　usual；　had　suddenly　thrown　it　aside　again；　and　had　gone；
nobody　knew　where；　in　a　violent　hurry。　No　further　information
being　attainable；　Allan　had　left　a　note　at　the　lodgings；　giving
his　address　at　the　hotel；　and　begging　Midwinter　to　come　and　say
good…by　before　his　departure　for　Paris。

The　evening　passed；　and　Allan's　invisible　friend　never　appeared。
The　morning　came；　bringing　no　obstacles　with　it；　and　Mr。　Brock
and　his　pupil　left　London。　So　far　Fortune　had　declared　herself　at
last　on　the　rector's　side。　Ozias　Midwinter；　after　intrusively
rising　to　the　surface；　had　conveniently　dropped　out　of　sight
again。　What　was　to　happen　next？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

Advancing　once　more；　by　three　weeks　only；　from　past　to　present；
Mr。　Brock's　memory　took　up　the　next　event　on　the　seventh　of
April。　To　all　appearance；　the　chain　was　now　broken　at　last。　The
new　event　had　no　recognizable　connection　（either　to　his　mind　or
to　Allan's）　with　any　of　the　persons　who　had　appeared；　or　any　of
the　circumstances　that　had　happened；　in　the　by…gone　time。

The　travelers　had　as　yet　got　no　further　than　Paris。　Allan's
spirits　had　risen　with　the　change；　and　he　had　been　made　all　the
readier　to　enjoy　the　novelty　of　the　scene　around　him　by　receiving
a　letter　from　Midwinter；　containing　news　which　Mr。　Brock　himself
acknowledged　promised　fairly　for　the　future。　The　ex…usher　had
been　away　on　business　when　Allan　had　called　at　his　lodgings；
having　been　led　by　an　accidental　circumstance　to　open
communications　with　his　relatives　on　that　day。　The　result　had
taken　him　entirely　by　surprise：　it　had　unexpectedly　secured　to
him　a　little　income　of　his　own　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　His
future　plans；　now　that　this　piece　of　good　fortune　had　fallen　to
his　share；　were　still　unsettled。　But　if　Allan　wished　to　hear　what
he　ultimately　decided　on；　his　agent　in　London　（whose　direction　he
inclosed）　would　receive　communications　for　him；　and　would　furnish
Mr。　Armadale　at　all　future　times　with　his　address。

On　receipt　of　this　letter；　Allan　had　seized　the　pen
　in　his　usual　headlong　way；　and　had　insisted　on　Midwinter's
immediately　joining　Mr。　Brock　and　himself　on　their　travels。　The
last　days　of　March　passed；　and　no　answer　to　the　proposal　was
received。　The　first　days　of　April　came；　and　on　the　seventh　of　the
month　there　was　a　letter　for　Allan　at　last　on　the
breakfast…table。　He　snatched　it　up；　looked　at　the　address；　and
threw　the　letter　down　again　impatiently。　The　handwritin