armadale-第92节

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〃There　can't　be　any　harm；　I　suppose；　in　making　inquiries；〃
replied　Allan。

He；　too；　spoke　more　seriously　than　usual；　he；　too；　was　beginning
to　feel　an　all…mastering　curiosity　to　know　more。　Some　vague
connection；　not　to　be　distinctly　realized　or　traced　out；　began　to
establish　itself　in　his　mind　between　the　difficulty　of
approaching　Miss　Gwilt's　family　circumstances　and　the　difficulty
of　approaching　Miss　Gwilt's　reference。　〃I'll　get　down　and　walk；
and　leave　you　to　go　on　to　your　business；〃　he　said。　〃I　want　to
consider　a　little　about　this；　and　a　walk　and　a　cigar　will　help
me。〃

〃My　business　will　be　done；　sir；　between　one　and　two；〃　said
Pedgift；　when　the　cab　had　been　stopped；　and　Allan　had　got　out。
〃Shall　we　meet　again　at　two　o'clock；　at　the　hotel？〃

Allan　nodded；　and　the　cab　drove　off。

CHAPTER　IV。

ALLAN　AT　BAY。

Two　o'clock　came；　and　Pedgift　Junior；　punctual　to　his　time；　came
with　it。　His　vivacity　of　the　morning　had　all　sparkled　out；　he
greeted　Allan　with　his　customary　politeness；　but　without　his
customary　smile；　and；　when　the　headwaiter　came　in　for　orders；　his
dismissal　was　instantly　pronounced　in　words　never　yet　heard　to
issue　from　the　lips　of　Pedgift　in　that　hotel：　〃Nothing　at
present。〃

〃You　seem　to　be　in　low　spirits；〃　said　Allan。　〃Can't　we　get　our
information？　Can　nobody　tell　you　anything　about　the　house　in
Pimlico？〃

〃Three　different　people　have　told　me　about　it；　Mr。　Armadale；　and
they　have　all　three　said　the　same　thing。〃

Allan　eagerly　drew　his　chair　nearer　to　the　place　occupied　by　his
traveling　companion。　His　reflections　in　the　interval　since　they
had　last　seen　each　other　had　not　tended　to　compose　him。　That
strange　connection；　so　easy　to　feel；　so　hard　to　trace；　between
the　difficulty　of　approaching　Miss　Gwilt's　family　circumstances
and　the　difficulty　of　approaching　Miss　Gwilt's　reference；　which
had　already　established　itself　in　his　thoughts；　had　by　this　time
stealthily　taken　a　firmer　and　firmer　hold　on　his　mind。　Doubts
troubled　him　which　he　could　neither　understand　nor　express。
Curiosity　filled　him；　which　he　half　longed　and　half　dreaded　to
satisfy。

〃I　am　afraid　I　must　trouble　you　with　a　question　or　two；　sir；
before　I　can　come　to　the　point；〃　said　Pedgift　Junior。　〃I　don't
want　to　force　myself　into　your　confidence。　I　only　want　to　see　my
way；　in　what　looks　to　me　like　a　very　awkward　business。　Do　you
mind　telling　me　whether　others　besides　yourself　are　interested　in
this　inquiry　of　ours？〃

〃Other　people　_are_　interested　in　it；〃　replied　Allan。　〃There's　no
objection　to　telling　you　that。〃

〃Is　there　any　other　person　who　is　the　object　of　the　inquiry
besides　Mrs。　Mandeville；　herself？〃　pursued　Pedgift；　winding　his
way　a　little　deeper　into　the　secret。

〃Yes；　there　is　another　person；〃　said　Allan；　answering　rather
unwillingly。

〃Is　the　person　a　young　woman；　Mr。　Armadale？〃

Allan　started。　〃How　do　you　come　to　guess　that？〃　he　began；　then
checked　himself；　when　it　was　too　late。　〃Don't　ask　me　any　more
questions；〃　he　resumed。　〃I'm　a　bad　hand　at　defending　myself
against　a　sharp　fellow　like　you；　and　I'm　bound　in　honor　toward
other　people　to　keep　the　particulars　of　this　business　to　myself。〃

Pedgift　Junior　had　apparently　heard　enough　for　his　purpose。　He
drew　his　chair；　in　his　turn；　nearer　to　Allan。　He　was　evidently
anxious　and　　embarrassed；　but　his　professional　manner　began　to
show　itself　again　from　sheer　fo　rce　of　habit。

〃I've　done　with　my　questions；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　have
something　to　say　now　on　my　side。　In　my　father's　absence；　perhaps
you　may　be　kindly　disposed　to　consider　me　as　your　legal　adviser。
If　you　will　take　my　advice；　you　will　not　stir　another　step　in
this　inquiry。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　interposed　Allan。

〃It　is　just　possible；　Mr。　Armadale；　that　the　cabman；　positive　as
he　is；　may　have　been　mistaken。　I　strongly　recommend　you　to　take
it　for　granted　that　he　_is_　mistaken；　and　to　drop　it　there。〃

The　caution　was　kindly　intended；　but　it　came　too　late。　Allan　did
what　ninety…nine　men　out　of　a　hundred　in　his　position　would　have
donehe　declined　to　take　his　lawyer's　advice。

〃Very　well；　sir；〃　said　Pedgift　Junior；　〃if　you　will　have　it；　you
must　have　it。〃

He　leaned　forward　close　to　Allan's　ear；　and　whispered　what　he　had
heard　of　the　house　in　Pimlico；　and　of　the　people　who　occupied　it。

〃Don't　blame　me；　Mr。　Armadale；〃　he　added；　when　the　irrevocable
words　had　been　spoken。　〃I　tried　to　spare　you。〃

Allan　suffered　the　shock；　as　all　great　shocks　are　suffered；　in
silence。　His　first　impulse　would　have　driven　him　headlong　for
refuge　to　that　very　view　of　the　cabman's　assertion　which　had　just
been　recommended　to　him；　but　for　one　damning　circumstance　which
placed　itself　inexorably　in　his　way。　Miss　Gwilt's　marked
reluctance　to　approach　the　story　of　her　past　life　rose
irrepressibly　on　his　memory；　in　indirect　but　horrible
confirmation　of　the　evidence　which　connected　Miss　Gwilt's
reference　with　the　house　in　Pimlico。　One　conclusion；　and　one
onlythe　conclusion　which　any　man　must　have　drawn；　hearing　what
he　had　just　heard；　and　knowing　no　more　than　he　knewforced
itself　into　his　mind。　A　miserable；　fallen　woman；　who　had
abandoned　herself　in　her　extremity　to　the　help　of　wretches
skilled　in　criminal　concealment；　who　had　stolen　her　way　back　to
decent　society　and　a　reputable　employment　by　means　of　a　false
character；　and　whose　position　now　imposed　on　her　the　dreadful
necessity　of　perpetual　secrecy　and　perpetual　deceit　in　relation
to　her　past　lifesuch　was　the　aspect　in　which　the　beautiful
governess　at　Thorpe　Ambrose　now　stood　revealed　to　Allan's　eyes！

Falsely　revealed；　or　truly　revealed？　Had　she　stolen　her　way　back
to　decent　society　and　a　reputable　employment　by　means　of　a　false
character？　She　had。　Did　her　position　impose　on　her　the　dreadful
necessity　of　perpetual　secrecy　and　perpetual　deceit　in　relation
to　her　past　life？　It　did。　Was　she　some　such　pitiable　victim　to
the　treachery　of　a　man　unknown　as　Allan　had　supposed？　_She　was　no
such　pitiable　victim。_　The　conclusion　which　Allan　had　drawnthe
conclusion　literally　forced　into　his　mind　by　the　facts　before
himwas；　nevertheless；　the　conclusion　of　all　others　that　was
furthest　even　from　touching　on　the　truth。　The　true　story　of　Miss
Gwilt's　connection　with　the　house　in　Pimlico　and　the　people　who
inhabited　ita　house　rightly　described　as　filled　with　wicked
secrets；　and　people　rightly　represented　as　perpetually　in　danger
of　feeling　the　grasp　of　the　lawwas　a　story　which　coming　events
were　yet　to　disclose：　a　story　infinitely　less　revolting；　and　yet
infinitely　more　terrible；　than　Allan　or　Allan's　companion　had
either　of　them　supposed。

〃I　tried　to　spare　you；　Mr。　Armadale；〃　repeated　Pedgift。　〃I　was
anxious；　if　I　could　possibly　avoid　it；　not　to　distress　you。〃

Allan　looked　up；　and　made　an　effort　to　control　himself。　〃You　have
distressed　me　dreadfully；〃　he　said。　〃You　have　quite　crushed　me
down。　But　it　is　not　your　fault。　I　ought　to　feel　you　have　done　me
a　service；　and　what　I　ought　to　do　I　will　do；　when　I　am　my　own　man
again。　There　is　one　thing；〃　Allan　added；　after　a　moment's　painful
consideration；　〃which　ought　to　be　understood　between　us　at　once。
The　advice　you　offered　me　just　now　was　very　kindly　meant；　and　it
was　the　best　advice　that　could　be　given。　I　will　take　it
gratefully。　We　will　never　talk　of　this　again；　if　you　please；　and
I　beg　and　entreat　you　will　never　speak　about　it　to　any　other
person。　Will　you　promise　me　that？〃

Pedgift　gave　the　promise　with　very　evident　sincerity；　but　without
his　professional　confidence　of　manner。　The　distress　in　Allan's
face　seemed　to　daunt　him。　After　a　moment　of　very　uncharacteristic
hesitation；　he　considerately　quitted　the　room。

Left　by　himself；　Allan　rang　for　writing　materials；　and　took　out
of　his　pocket…book　the　fatal　letter　of　introduction　to　〃Mrs。
Mandeville〃　which　he　had　received　from　the　major's　wife。

A　man　accustomed　to　consider　consequences　and　to　prepare　himself
for　action　by　previous　thought　would；　in　Allan's　present
circumstances；　have　felt　some　difficulty　as　to　the　course　which
it　might　now　be　least　embarrassing　and　least　dangerous　to　pursue。
Accustomed　to　let　his　impulses　direct　him　on　all　other　occasions；
Allan　acted　on　impulse　in　the　serious　emergency　that　now
confronted　him。　Though　his　attachment　to　Miss　Gwilt　was　nothing
like　the　deeply　rooted　feeling　which　he　had　himself　honestly
believed　it　to　be；　she　had　taken　no　common　place　in　his
admiration；　and　she　filled　him　with　no　common　grief　when　he
thought　of　her　now。　His　one　dominant　desire；　at　that　critical
moment　in　his　life；　was　a　man's　merciful　desire　to　protect　from
exposure　and　ruin　the　unhappy　woman　who　had　lost　her　place　in　his
estimation；　without　losing　her　claim　to　the　forbearance　that
could　spare；　and　to　the　compassion　that　could　shield　her。　〃I
can't　go　back　to　Thorpe　Ambrose；　I　can't　trust　myself　to　speak　to
her；　or　to　see　her　again。　But　I　can　keep　her　miserable　secret；
and　I　will！〃　With　that　thought　in　his　heart；　Allan　set　himself　to
perform　the　first　and　foremost　duty　which　now　claimed　himthe
duty　of　communicating　with　Mrs。　Milroy。　If　he　had　possessed　a
higher　mental　capacity　and　a　clearer　mental　view；　he　might　have
found　the　letter　no　easy　one　to