armadale-第75节

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marked；　and　the　eyes　small；　and　in　color　either　gray　or　hazel。
This　woman's　forehead　was　low；　upright；　and　broad　toward　the
temples；　her　eyebrows；　at　once　strongly　and　delicately　marked；
were　a　shade　darker　than　her　hair；　her　eyes；　large；　bright；　and
well　opened；　were　of　that　purely　blue　color；　without　a　tinge　in
it　of　gray　or　green；　so　often　presented　to　our　admiration　in
pictures　and　books；　so　rarely　met　with　in　the　living　face。　The
nose　in　the　rector's　description　was　aquiline。　The　line　of　this
woman's　nose　bent　neither　outward　nor　inward：　it　was　the
straight；　delicately　molded　nose　（with　the　short　upper　lip
beneath）　of　the　ancient　statues　and　busts。　The　lips　in　the
rector's　description　were　thin　and　the　upper　lip　long；　the
complexion　was　of　a　dull；　sickly　paleness；　the　chin　retreating
and　the　mark　of　a　mole　or　a　scar　on　the　left　side　of　it。　This
woman's　lips　were　full；　rich；　and　sensual。　Her　complexion　was　the
lovely　complexion　which　accompanies　such　hair　as　hersso
delicately　bright　in　its　rosier　tints；　so　warmly　and　softly　white
in　its　gentler　gradations　of　color　on　the　forehead　and　the　neck。
Her　chin；　round　and　dimpled；　was　pure　of　the　slightest　blemish　in
every　part　of　it；　and　perfectly　in　line　with　her　forehead　to　the
end。　Nearer　and　nearer；　and　fairer　and　fairer　she　came；　in　the
glow　of　the　morning　lightthe　most　startling；　the　most
unanswerable　contradiction　that　eye　could　see　or　mind　conceive　to
the　description　in　the　rector's　letter。

Both　governess　and　pupil　　were　close　to　the　summer…house　before
they　looked　that　way；　and　noti　ced　Midwinter　standing　inside。　The
governess　saw　him　first。

〃A　friend　of　yours；　Miss　Milroy？〃　she　asked；　quietly；　without
starting　or　betraying　any　sign　of　surprise。

Neelie　recognized　him　instantly。　Prejudiced　against　Midwinter　by
his　conduct　when　his　friend　had　introduced　him　at　the　cottage；
she　now　fairly　detested　him　as　the　unlucky　first　cause　of　her
misunderstanding　with　Allan　at　the　picnic。　Her　face　flushed　and
she　drew　back　from　the　summerhouse　with　an　expression　of
merciless　surprise。

〃He　is　a　friend　of　Mr。　Armadale's；〃　she　replied　sharply。　〃I　don't
know　what　he　wants；　or　why　he　is　here。〃

〃A　friend　of　Mr。　Armadale's！〃　The　governess's　face　lighted　up
with　a　suddenly　roused　interest　as　she　repeated　the　words；　She
returned　Midwinter's　look；　still　steadily　fixed　on　her；　with
equal　steadiness　on　her　side。

〃For　my　part；〃　pursued　Neelie；　resenting　Midwinter's
insensibility　to　her　presence　on　the　scene；　〃I　think　it　a　great
liberty　to　treat　papa's　garden　as　if　it　were　the　open　park！〃

The　governess　turned　round；　and　gently　interposed。

〃My　dear　Miss　Milroy；〃　she　remonstrated；　〃there　are　certain
distinctions　to　be　observed。　This　gentleman　is　a　friend　of　Mr。
Armadale's。　You　could　hardly　express　yourself　more　strongly　if　he
was　a　perfect　stranger。〃

〃I　express　my　opinion；〃　retorted　Neelie；　chafing　under　the
satirically　indulgent　tone　in　which　the　governess　addressed　her。
〃It's　a　matter　of　taste；　Miss　Gwilt；　and　tastes　differ。〃　She
turned　away　petulantly；　and　walked　back　by　herself　to　the
cottage。

〃She　is　very　young；〃　said　Miss　Gwilt；　appealing　with　a　smile　to
Midwinter's　forbearance；　〃and；　as　you　must　see　for　yourself；　sir；
she　is　a　spoiled　child。〃　She　pausedshowed；　for　an　instant　only；
her　surprise　at　Midwinter's　strange　silence　and　strange
persistency　in　keeping　his　eyes　still　fixed　on　herthen　set
herself；　with　a　charming　grace　and　readiness；　to　help　him　out　of
the　false　position　in　which　he　stood。　〃As　you　have　extended　your
walk　thus　far；〃　she　resumed；　〃perhaps　you　will　kindly　favor　me；
on　your　return；　by　taking　a　message　to　your　friend？　Mr。　Armadale
has　been　so　good　as　to　invite　me　to　see　the　Thorpe　Ambrose
gardens　this　morning。　Will　you　say　that　Major　Milroy　permits　me
to　accept　the　invitation　（in　company　with　Miss　Milroy）　between
ten　and　eleven　o'clock？〃　For　a　moment　her　eyes　rested；　with　a
renewed　look　of　interest；　on　Midwinter's　face。　She　waited；　still
in　vain；　for　an　answering　word　from　himsmiled；　as　if　his
extraordinary　silence　amused　rather　than　angered　herand
followed　her　pupil　back　to　the　cottage。


It　was　only　when　the　last　trace　of　her　had　disappeared　that
Midwinter　roused　himself；　and　attempted　to　realize　the　position
in　which　he　stood。　The　revelation　of　her　beauty　was　in　no　respect
answerable　for　the　breathless　astonishment　which　had　held　him
spell…bound　up　to　this　moment。　The　one　clear　impression　she　had
produce　on　him　thus　far　began　and　ended　with　his　discovery　of　the
astounding　contradiction　that　her　face　offered；　in　one　feature
after　another；　to　the　description　in　Mr。　Brock's　letter。　All
beyond　this　was　vague　and　mistya　dim　consciousness　of　a　tall；
elegant　woman；　and　of　kind　words；　modestly　and　gracefully　spoken
to　him；　and　nothing　more。

He　advanced　a　few　steps　into　the　garden　without　knowing
whystopped；　glancing　hither　and　thither　like　a　man
lostrecognized　the　summer…house　by　an　effort；　as　if　years　had
elapsed　since　he　had　seen　itand　made　his　way　out　again；　at
last；　into　the　park。　Even　here；　he　wandered　first　in　one
direction；　then　in　another。　His　mind　was　still　reeling　under　the
shock　that　had　fallen　on　it；　his　perceptions　were　all　confused。
Something　kept　him　mechanically　in　action；　walking　eagerly
without　a　motive；　walking　he　knew　not　where。

A　far　less　sensitively　organized　man　might　have　been　overwhelmed；
as　he　was　overwhelmed　now；　by　the　immense；　the　instantaneous
revulsion　of　feeling　which　the　event　of　the　last　few　minutes　had
wrought　in　his　mind。

At　the　memorable　instant　when　he　had　opened　the　door　of　the
summer…house；　no　confusing　influence　troubled　his　faculties。　In
all　that　related　to　his　position　toward　his　friend；　he　had
reached　an　absolutely　definite　conclusion　by　an　absolutely
definite　process　of　thought。　The　whole　strength　of　the　motive
which　had　driven　him　into　the　resolution　to　part　from　Allan
rooted　itself　in　the　belief　that　he　had　seen　at　Hurle　Mere　the
fatal　fulfillment　of　the　first　Vision　of　the　Dream。　And　this
belief；　in　its　turn；　rested；　necessarily；　on　the　conviction　that
the　woman　who　was　the　one　survivor　of　the　tragedy　in　Madeira　must
be　also　inevitably　the　woman　whom　he　had　seen　standing　in　the
Shadow's　place　at　the　pool。　Firm　in　that　persuasion；　he　had
himself　compared　the　object　of　his　distrust　and　of　the　rector's
distrust　with　the　description　written　by　the　rector　himselfa
description；　carefully　minute；　by　a　man　entirely　trustworthyand
his　own　eyes　had　informed　him　that　the　woman　whom　he　had　seen　at
the　Mere；　and　the　woman　whom　Mr。　Brock　had　identified　in　London；
were　not　one；　but　Two。　In　the　place　of　the　Dream　Shadow；　there
had　stood；　on　the　evidence　of　the　rector's　letter；　not　the
instrument　of　the　Fatalitybut　a　stranger！

No　such　doubts　as　might　have　troubled　a　less　superstitious　man；
were　started　in　_his_　mind　by　the　discovery　that　had　now　opened
on　him。

It　never　occurred　to　him　to　ask　himself　whether　a　stranger　might
not　be　the　appointed　instrument　of　the　Fatality；　now　when　the
letter　had　persuaded　him　that　a　stranger　had　been　revealed　as　the
figure　in　the　dream　landscape。　No　such　idea　entered　or　could
enter　his　mind。　The　one　woman　whom　_his_　superstition　dreaded　was
the　woman　who　had　entwined　herself　with　the　lives　of　the　two
Armadales　in　the　first　generation；　and　with　the　fortunes　of　the
two　Armadales　in　the　secondwho　was　at　once　the　marked　object　of
his　father's　death…bed　warning；　and　the　first　cause　of　the　family
calamities　which　had　opened　Allan's　way　to　the　Thorpe　Ambrose
estatethe　woman；　in　a　word；　whom　he　would　have　known
instinctively；　but　for　Mr。　Brock's　letter；　to　be　the　woman　whom
he　had　now　actually　seen。

Looking　at　events　as　they　had　just　happened；　under　the　influence
of　the　misapprehension　into　which　the　rector　had　innocently
misled　him；　his　mind　saw　and　seized　its　new　conclusion
instantaneously；　acting　precisely　as　it　had　acted　in　the　past
time　of　his　interview　with　Mr。　Brock　at　the　Isle　of　Man。

Exactly　as　he　had　once　declared　it　to　be　an　all…sufficient
refutation　of　the　idea　of　the　Fatality；　that　he　had　never　met
with　the　timber…ship　in　any　of　his　voyages　at　sea；　so　he　now
seized　on　the　similarly　derived　conclusion；　that　the　whole　claim
of　the　Dream　to　a　supernatural　origin　stood　self…refuted　by　the
disclosure　of　a　stranger　in　the　Shadow's　place。　Once　started　from
this　pointonce　encouraged　to　let　his　love　for　Allan　influence
him　undividedly　again；　his　mind　hurried　along　the　whole　resulting
chain　of　thought　at　lightning　speed。　If　the　Dream　was　proved　to
be　no　longer　a　warning　from　the　other　world；　it　followed
inevitably　that　accident　and　not　fate　had　led　the　way　to　the
night　on　the　Wreck；　and　that　all　the　events　which　had　happened
since　Allan　and　he　had　parted　from　Mr。　Brock　were　events　in
themselves　harmless；　which　his　superstition　had　distorted　from
their　proper　shape。　In　less　than　a　moment　his　mobile　imagination
had　taken　him　back　to　the　morning　at　Castletown　when　he　had
revealed　to　the　rector　the　secret　of　his　name；　when　he　had
declared　to　the　rector；　with　his　father's　letter　before　his　eyes；
the　better　faith　that　was　in　him。　Now　once　more　he　felt　his