\"He\'stheonlylivingsoulIcangetatwhowasconnectedwithHolmescroft,\"Isaid。
\"Ah!Livingsoulisgood,\"saidM\'Leod。\"Atanyrateourlittlegirlwillbepleasedthatyouarestillinterestedinus。Won\'tyoucomedownsomedaythisweek?\"
\"Howisittherenow?\"Iasked。
Hescreweduphisface。\"Simplyfrightful!\"hesaid。\"TheaisatDroitwich。\"
\"Ishouldlikeitimmensely,butImustcultivateBaxterforthepresent。You\'llbesureandkeephimbusyyourend,won\'tyou?\"
Helookedatmewithquietcontempt。\"Donotbeafraid。IshallbeagoodJew。Ishallbemyownsolicitor。\"
Beforeafortnightwasover,BaxteradmittedruefullythatM\'Leodwasbetterthanmostfirmsinthebusiness:Webuyerswerecoy,argumentative,shockedatthepriceofHolmescroft,inquisitive,andcoldbyturns,butMr。M\'Leodthesellereasilymetandsurpassedus;andMr。Baxterenteredeveryletter,telegram,andconsultationattheproperratesinacinematograph-filmofabill。AttheendofamonthhesaiditlookedasthoughM\'Leod,thankstohim,werereallygoingtolistentoreason。Iwasmanypoundsoutofpocket,butIhadlearnedsomethingofMr。Baxteronthehumanside。Ideservedit。NeverinmylifehaveIworkedtoconciliate,amuse,andflatterahumanbeingasIworkedovermysolicitor。
Itappearedthathegolfed。Therefore,Iwasanenthusiasticbeginner,anxioustolearn。TwiceIinvadedhisofficewithabag(M\'Leodlentit)fullofthespelicansneededinthisdetestablegame,andavocabularytomatch。Thethirdtimetheicebroke,andMr。Baxtertookmetohislinks,quitetenmilesoff,whereinamazeoftramwaylines,railroads,andnursery-maids,weskelpedourdivottedwayroundnineholeslikebargesplungingthroughheadseas。Heplayedvilelyandhadneverexpectedtomeetanyoneworse;butasherealisedmyform,Ithinkhebegantolikeme,forhetookmeinhandbythetwohourstogether。
Afterafortnighthecouldgivemenomorethanastrokeahole,andwhen,withthisallowance,Ioncemanagedtobeathimbyone,hewashonestlyglad,andassuredmethatIshouldbeagolferifIstucktoit。Iwasstickingtoitformyownends,butnowandagainmyconscienceprickedme;forthemanwasaniceman。
Betweengameshesuppliedmewithoddpiecesofevidence,suchasthathehadknowntheMoultriesallhislife,beingtheircousin,andthatMissMary,theeldest,wasanunforgivingwomanwhowouldneverletbygonesbe。Inaturallywonderedwhatshemighthaveagainsthim;andsomehowconnectedhimunfavourablywithmadAgnes。
\"Peopleoughttoforgiveandforget,\"hevolunteeredonedaybetweenrounds。\"Speciallywhere,inthenatureofthings,theycan\'tbesureoftheirdeductions。Don\'tyouthinkso?\"
\"Italldependsonthenatureoftheevidenceonwhichoneformsone\'sjudgment,\"Ianswered。
\"Nonsense!\"hecried。\"I\'mlawyerenoughtoknowthatthere\'snothingintheworldsomisleadingascircumstantialevidence。
Neverwas。\"
\"Why?Haveyoueverseenmenhangedonit?\"
\"Hanged?Peoplehavebeensupposedtobeeternallylostonit,\"
hisfaceturnedgreyagain。\"Idon\'tknowhowitiswithyou,butmyconsolationisthatGodmustknow。Hemust!Thingsthatseemonthefaceof\'emlikemurder,orsaysuicide,mayappeardifferenttoGod。Heh?\"
\"That\'swhatthemurdererandthesuicidecanalwayshope——I
suppose。\"
\"Ihaveexpressedmyselfclumsilyasusual。ThefactsasGodknows\'em——maybedifferent——evenafterthemostclinchingevidence。I\'vealwayssaidthat——bothasalawyerandaman,butsomepeoplewon\'t——Idon\'twanttojudge\'em——we\'llsaytheycan\'t——believeit;whereasIsaythere\'salwaysaworkingchance——acertainty——thattheworsthasn\'thappened。\"Hestoppedandclearedhisthroat。\"Now,let\'scomeon!ThistimenextweekIshallbetakingmyholiday。\"
\"Whatlinks?\"Iaskedcarelessly,whiletwinsinaperambulatorgotoutofourlineoffire。
\"Apottylittlenine-holeaffairatahydrointheMidlands。Mycousinsstaythere。Alwayswill。Notbutwhatthefourthandtheseventhholestakesomedoing。Youcouldmanageit,though,\"hesaidencouragingly。\"You\'redoingmuchbetter。It\'sonlyyourapproachshotsthatareweak。\"
\"You\'reright。Ican\'tapproachfornuts!Ishallgotopieceswhileyou\'reaway——withnoonetocoachme,\"Isaidmournfully。
\"Ihaven\'ttaughtyouanything,\"hesaid,delightedwiththecompliment。
\"IoweallI\'velearnedtoyou,anyhow。Whenwillyoucomeback?\"
\"Lookhere,\"hebegan。\"Idon\'tknow,yourengagements,butI\'venoonetoplaywithatBurryMills。Neverhave。Whycouldn\'tyoutakeafewdaysoffandjoinmethere?Iwarnyouitwillberatherdull。It\'sathroatandgoutplace-baths,massage,electricity,andsoforth。Butthefourthandtheseventhholesreallytakesomedoing。\"
\"I\'mforthegame,\"Iansweredvaliantly;HeavenwellknowingthatIhatedeverystrokeandwordofit。
\"That\'stheproperspirit。AstheirlawyerImustaskyounottosayanythingtomycousinsaboutHolmescroft。Itupsets\'em。
Alwaysdid。Butspeakingasmantoman,itwouldbeverypleasantformeifyoucouldseeyourwayto——\"
Isawitassoonasdecencypermitted,andthankedhimsincerely。
Accordingtomynowwell-developedtheoryhehadcertainlymisappropriatedhisagedcousins\'moniesunderpowerofattorney,andhadprobablydrivenpoorAgnesMoultrieoutofherwits,butIwishedthathewasnotsogentle,andgood-tempered,andinnocenteyed。
BeforeIjoinedhimatBurryMillsHydro,IspentanightatHolmescroft。MissM\'LeodhadreturnedfromherHydro,andfirstwemadeverymerryontheopenlawninthesunshineoverthemannersandcustomsoftheEnglishresortingtosuchplaces。Sheknewdozensofhydros,andwarnedmehowtobehaveinthem,whileMr。andMrs。M\'Leodstoodasideandadoredher。
\"Ah!That\'sthewayshealwayscomesbacktous,\"hesaid。\"Pityitwearsoffsosoon,ain\'tit?Yououghttohearhersing\'Withmirththouprettybird。\'\"
Wehadthehousetofacethroughtheevening,andthereweneitherlaughednorsung。Thegloomfellonusasweentered,anddidnotshifttillteno\'clock,whenwecrawledout,asitwere,frombeneathit。
\"Ithasbeenbadthissummer,\"saidMrs。M\'Leodinawhisperafterwerealisedthatwewerefreed。\"SometimesIthinkthehousewillgetupandcryout——itissobad。\"
\"How?\"
\"Haveyouforgottenwhatcomesafterthedepression?\"
Sothenwewaitedaboutthesmallfire,andthedeadairintheroompresentlyfilledandpresseddownuponuswiththesensation(butwordsareuselesshere)asthoughsomedumbandboundpowerwerestrivingagainstgagandbondtodeliveritssoulofanarticulateword。Itpassedinafewminutes,andIfelltothinkingaboutMr。Baxter\'sconscienceandAgnesMoultrie,gonemadinthewell-litbedroomthatwaitedme。ThesereflectionssecuredmeanightduringwhichIrediscoveredhow,frompurelymentalcauses,amancanbephysicallysick;butthesicknesswasblisscomparedtomydreamswhenthebirdswaked。Onmydeparture,M\'Leodgavemeabeautifulnarwhal\'shorn,muchasanursegivesachildsweetsforbeingbraveatadentist\'s。
\"There\'snoduplicateofitintheworld,\"hesaid,\"elseitwouldhavecometooldMaxM\'Leod;\"andhetuckeditintothemotor。MissM\'Leodonthefarsideofthecarwhispered,\"Haveyoufoundoutanything,Mr。Perseus?\"
Ishookmyhead。
\"ThenIshallbechainedtomyrockallmylife,\"shewenton。
\"Onlydon\'ttellpapa。\"
IsupposedshewasthinkingoftheyounggentlemanwhospecialisedinSouthAmericanrails,forInoticedaringonthethirdfingerofherlefthand。
IwentstraightfromthathousetoBurryMillsHydro,keenforthefirsttimeinmylifeonplayinggolf,whichisguaranteedtooccupythemind。Baxterhadtakenmearoomcommunicatingwithhisown,andafterlunchintroducedmetoatall,horse-headedelderlyladyofdecidedmanners,whomawhite-hairedmaidpushedalonginabath-chairthroughthepark-likegroundsoftheHydro。
ShewasMissMaryMoultrie,andshecoughedandclearedherthroatjustlikeBaxter。Shesuffered——shetoldmeitwasaMoultriecastemark——fromsomeobscureformofchronicbronchitis,complicatedwithspasmoftheglottis;and,inadead,flatvoice,withasunkeneyethatlookedandsawnot,toldmewhatwashes,gargles,pastilles,andinhalationsshehadprovedmostbeneficial。FromherIwaspassedontoheryoungersister,MissElizabeth,asmallandwitheredthingwithtwitchinglips,victim,shetoldme,toverymuchthesamesortofthroat,butsecretlydevotedtoanothersetofmedicines。WhenshewentawaywithBaxterandthebath-chair,IfellacrossamajoroftheIndianarmywithgoutinhisglassyeyes,andastomachwhichhehadtakenallroundtheContinent。Helaideverythingbeforeme;
andhimIescapedonlytobeconfidedinbyamatronwithatendencytofolliculartonsilitisandeczema。Baxterwaitedhandandfootonhiscousinstillfiveo\'clock,trying,asIsaw,toatoneforhistreatmentofthedeadsister。MissMaryorderedhimaboutlikeadog。
\"Iwarnedyouitwouldbedull,\"hesaidwhenwemetinthesmoking-room。
\"It\'stremendouslyinteresting,\"Isaid。\"Buthowaboutalookroundthelinks?\"
\"Unluckilydampalwaysaffectsmyeldestcousin。I\'vegottobuyheranewbronchitis-kettle。Arthursbrokeheroldoneyesterday。\"
Weslippedouttothechemist\'sshopinthetown,andheboughtalargeglitteringtinthingwhoseworkingsheexplained。
\"I\'musedtothissortofwork。Icomeuphereprettyoften,\"hesaid。\"I\'vethefamilythroattoo。\"
\"You\'reagoodman,\"Isaid。\"Averygoodman。\"
Heturnedtowardsmeintheeveninglightamongthebeeches,andhisfacewaschangedtowhatitmighthavebeenagenerationbefore。
\"Yousee,\"hesaidhuskily,\"therewastheyoungest——Agnes。
Beforeshefellill,youknow。Butshedidn\'tlikeleavinghersisters。Neverwould。\"Hehurriedonwithhisodd-shapedloadandleftmeamongtheruinsofmyblacktheories。ThemanwiththatfacehaddoneAgnesMoultrienowrong。
Weneverplayedourgame。IwaswakedbetweentwoandthreeinthemorningfrommyhygienicbedbyBaxterinanulsteroverorangeandwhitepyjamas,whichIshouldneverhavesuspectedfromhischaracter。
\"Mycousinhashadsomesortofaseizure,\"hesaid。\"Willyoucome?Idon\'twanttowakethedoctor。Don\'twanttomakeascandal。Quick!\"
SoIcamequickly,andledbythewhite-hairedArthursinajacketandpetticoat,enteredadouble-beddedroomreekingwithsteamandFriar\'sBalsam。Theelectricswereallon。MissMary——I
knewherbyherheight——wasattheopenwindow,wrestlingwithMissElizabeth,whogrippedherroundtheknees。
MissMary\'shandwasatherownthroat,whichwasstreakedwithblood。
\"She\'sdoneit。She\'sdoneittoo!\"MissElizabethpanted。\"Holdher!Helpme!\"
\"Oh,Isay!Womendon\'tcuttheirthroats,\"Baxterwhispered。
\"MyGod!Hasshecutherthroat?\"themaidcriedout,andwithnowarningrolledoverinafaint。Baxterpushedherunderthewash-basins,andleapedtoholdthegauntwomanwhocrowedandwhistledasshestruggledtowardthewindow。Hetookherbytheshoulder,andshestruckoutwildly:
\"Allright!She\'sonlycutherhand,\"hesaid。\"Wettowelquick!\"
WhileIgotthathepushedherbackward。Herstrengthseemedalmostasgreatashis。IswabbedatherthroatwhenIcould,andfoundnomark;thenhelpedhimtocontrolheralittle。MissElizabethleapedbacktobed,wailinglikeachild。
\"Tieupherhandsomehow,\"saidBaxter。\"Don\'tletitdripabouttheplace。She\"——hesteppedonbrokenglassinhisslippers,\"shemusthavesmashedapane。\"
MissMarylurchedtowardstheopenwindowagain,droppedonherknees,herheadonthesill,andlayquiet,surrenderingthecuthandtome。
\"Whatdidshedo?\"BaxterturnedtowardsMissElizabethinthefarbed。
\"Shewasgoingtothrowherselfoutofthewindow,\"wastheanswer。\"Istoppedher,andsentArthursforyou。Oh,wecanneverholdupourheadsagain!\"
MissMarywrithedandfoughtforbreath。Baxterfoundashawlwhichhethrewoverhershoulders。
\"Nonsense!\"saidhe。\"Thatisn\'tlikeMary;\"buthisfaceworkedwhenhesaidit。
\"Youwouldn\'tbelieveaboutAggie,John。Perhapsyouwillnow!\"
saidMissElizabeth。\"Isawherdoit,andshe\'scutherthroattoo!\"
\"Shehasn\'t,\"Isaid。\"It\'sonlyherhand。\"
MissMarysuddenlybrokefromuswithanindescribablegrunt,flew,ratherthanran,tohersister\'sbed,andthereshookherasonefuriousschoolgirlwouldshakeanother。
\"Nosuchthing,\"shecroaked。\"Howdareyouthinkso,youwickedlittlefool?\"
\"Getintobed,Mary,\"saidBaxter。\"You\'llcatchachill。\"
Sheobeyed,butsatupwiththegreyshawlroundherleanshoulders,glaringathersister。\"I\'mbetternow,\"shepanted。\"
Arthursletmesitouttoolong。Where\'sArthurs?Thekettle。\"
\"NevermindArthurs,\"saidBaxter。\"Yougetthekettle。\"I
hastenedtobringitfromthesidetable。\"Now,Mary,asGodseesyou,tellmewhatyou\'vedone。\"
Hislipsweredry,andhecouldnotmoisten。themwithhistongue。
MissMaryappliedherselftothemouthofthekettle,andbetweenindrawsofsteamsaid:\"Thespasmcameonjustnow,whileIwasasleep。Iwasnearlychokingtodeath。SoIwenttothewindowI\'vedoneitoftenbefore,without,wakinganyone。Bessie\'ssuchanoldmaidaboutdraughts。ItellyouIwaschokingtodeath。I
couldn\'tmanagethecatch,andInearlyfellout。Thatwindowopenstoolow。Icutmyhandtryingtosavemyself。Whohastieditupinthisfilthyhandkerchief?Iwishyouhadhadmythroat,Bessie。Ineverwasnearerdying!\"Shescowledonusallimpartially,whilehersistersobbed。
Fromthebottomofthebedweheardaquiveringvoice:\"Isshedead?Havetheytookheraway?Oh,Inevercouldbearthesighto\'blood!\"
\"Arthurs,\"saidMissMary,\"youareanhireling。Goaway!\"
ItismybeliefthatArthurscrawledoutonallfours,butIwasbusypickingupbrokenglassfromthecarpet。
ThenBaxter,seatedbythesideofthebed,begantocross-examineinavoiceIscarcelyrecognised。NoonecouldforaninstanthavedoubtedthegenuinerageofMissMaryagainsthersister,hercousin,orhermaid;andthatadoctorshouldhavebeencalledinforshedidmethehonourofcallingmedoctor——wasthelastdrop。Shewaschokingwithherthroat;hadrushedtothewindowforair;hadnearpitchedout,andincatchingatthewindowbarshadcutherhand。OverandovershemadethiscleartotheintentBaxter。Thensheturnedonhersisterandtongue-lashedhersavagely。
\"Youmustn\'tblameme,\"MissBessiefalteredatlast。\"Youknowwhatwethinkofnightandday。\"。
\"I\'mcomingtothat,\"saidBaxter。\"Listentome。Whatyoudid,Mary,misledfourpeopleintothinkingyou——youmeanttodoawaywithyourself。\"
\"Isn\'tonesuicideinthefamilyenough?OhGod,helpandpityus!Youcouldn\'thavebelievedthat!\"shecried。
\"Theevidencewascomplete。Now,don\'tyouthink,\"Baxter\'sfingerwaggedunderhernose——\"can\'tyouthinkthatpoorAggiedidthesamethingatHolmescroftwhenshefelloutofthewindow?\"
\"Shehadthesamethroat,\"saidMissElizabeth。\"Exactlythesamesymptoms。Don\'tyouremember,Mary?\"
\"Whichwasherbedroom?\"IaskedofBaxterinanundertone。
\"Overthesouthverandah,lookingontothetennislawn。\"
\"InearlyfelloutofthatverywindowwhenIwasatHolmescroft——openingittogetsomeair。Thesilldoesn\'tcomemuchaboveyourknees,\"Isaid。
\"Youhearthat,Mary?Mary,doyouhearWhatthisgentlemansays?
Won\'tyoubelievethatwhatnearlyhappenedtoyoumusthavehappenedtopoorAggiethatnight?ForGod\'ssake——forhersake——Mary,won\'tyoubelieve?\"
Therewasalongsilencewhilethesteamkettlepuffed。
\"IfIcouldhaveproof——ifIcouldhaveproof,\"saidshe,andbrokeintomosthorribletears。
Baxtermotionedtome,andIcreptawaytomyroom,andlayawaketillmorning,thinkingmorespeciallyofthedumbThingatHolmescroftwhichwishedtoexplainitself。IhatedMissMaryasperfectlyasthoughIhadknownherfortwentyyears,butIfeltthat,aliveordead,Ishouldnotlikehertocondemnme。
Yetatmid-day,whenIsawMissMaryinherbathchair,ArthursbehindandBaxterandMissElizabethoneitherside,inthepark-likegroundsoftheHydro,Ifounditdifficulttoarrangemywords。
\"Nowthatyouknowallaboutit,\"saidBaxteraside,afterthefirststrangenessofourmeetingwasover,\"it\'sonlyfairtotellyouthatmypoorcousindidnotdieinHolmescroftatall。
Shewasdeadwhentheyfoundherunderthewindowinthemorning。
Justdead。\"
\"Underthatlaburnumoutsidethewindow?\"Iasked,forIsuddenlyrememberedthecrookedevilthing。
\"Exactly。Shebrokethetreeinfalling。Butnodeathhasevertakenplaceinthehouse,sofaraswewereconcerned。Youcanmakeyourselfquiteeasyonthatpoint。Mr。M\'Leod\'sextrathousandforwhatyoucalledthe\'cleanbillofhealth\'wassomethingtowardmycousins\'estatewhenwesold。Itwasmydutyastheirlawyertogetitforthem——atanycosttomyownfeelings。\"
IknowbetterthantoarguewhentheEnglishtalkabouttheirduty。SoIagreedwithmysolicitor。
\"Theirsister\'sdeathmusthavebeenagreatblowtoyourcousins,\"Iwenton。Thebath-chairwasbehindme。
\"Unspeakable,\"Baxterwhispered。\"Theybroodedonitdayandnight。Nowonder。IftheirtheoryofpoorAggiemakingawaywithherselfwascorrect,shewaseternallylost!\"
\"Doyoubelievethatshemadeawaywithherself?\"
\"No,thankGod!Neverhave!AndafterwhathappenedtoMarylastnight,IseeperfectlywhathappenedtopoorAggie。Shehadthefamilythroattoo。Bytheway,Marythinksyouareadoctor。
Otherwiseshewouldn\'tlikeyourhavingbeeninherroom。\"
\"Verygood。Issheconvincednowabouthersister\'sdeath?\"
\"She\'dgiveanythingtobeabletobelieveit,butshe\'sahardwoman,andbroodingalongcertainlinesmakesonegroovy。Ihavesometimesbeenafraidofherreason——onthereligiousside,don\'tyouknow。Elizabethdoesn\'tmatter。Brainofahen。Alwayshad。\"
HereArthurssummonedmetothebath-chair,andtheravagedface,beneathitsknittedShetlandwoolhood,ofMissMaryMoultrie。
\"Ineednotremindyou,Ihope,ofthesealofsecrecy——absolutesecrecy——inyourprofession,\"shebegan。\"Thankstomycousin\'sandmysister\'sstupidity,youhavefoundout\"sheblewhernose。
\"Pleasedon\'texciteher,sir,\"saidArthursattheback。
\"But,mydearMissMoultrie,IonlyknowwhatI\'veseen,ofcourse,butitseemstomethatwhatyouthoughtwasatragedyinyoursister\'scase,turnsout,onyourownevidence,sotospeak,tohavebeenanaccident——adreadfullysadone——butabsolutelyanaccident。\"
\"Doyoubelievethattoo?\"shecried。\"Orareyouonlysayingittocomfortme?\"
\"Ibelieveitfromthebottomofmyheart。ComedowntoHolmescroftforanhour——forhalfanhourandsatisfyyourself。\"
\"Ofwhat?Youdon\'tunderstand。Iseethehouseeveryday-everynight。Iamalwaysthereinspirit——wakingorsleeping。I
couldn\'tfaceitinreality。\"
\"Butyoumust,\"Isaid。\"Ifyougothereinthespiritthegreaterneedforyoutogothereintheflesh。Gotoyoursister\'sroomoncemore,andseethewindow——Inearlyfelloutofitmyself。It\'s——it\'sawfullylowanddangerous。Thatwouldconvinceyou,\"Ipleaded。
\"YetAggiehadsleptinthatroomforyears,\"sheinterrupted。
\"You\'vesleptinyourroomhereforalongtime,haven\'tyou?Butyounearlyfelloutofthewindowwhenyouwerechoking。\"
\"Thatistrue。Thatisonethingtrue,\"shenodded。\"AndImighthavebeenkilledas——perhapsAggiewaskilled。\"
\"Inthatcaseyourownsisterandcousinandmaidwouldhavesaidyouhadcommittedsuicide,MissMoultrie。ComedowntoHolmescroft,andgoovertheplacejustonce。\"
\"Youarelying,\"shesaidquitequietly。\"Youdon\'twantmetocomedowntoseeawindow。Itissomethingelse。IwarnyouweareEvangelicals。Wedon\'tbelieveinprayersforthedead。\'Asthetreefalls——\'\"
\"Yes。Idaresay。Butyoupersistinthinkingthatyoursistercommittedsuicide\"
\"No!No!IhavealwaysprayedthatImighthavemisjudgedher。\"
Arthursatthebath-chairspokeup:\"Oh,MissMary!youwould\'aveitfromthefirstthatpoorMissAggie\'admadeawaywithherself;an\',ofcourse,MissBessietookthenotionfromyou:
OnlyMaster——MisterJohnstoodout,-and——andI\'d\'avetakenmyBibleoathyouwasmakingawaywithyourselflastnight。\"
MissMaryleanedtowardsme,onefingeronmysleeve。
\"IfgoingtoHolmescroftkillsme,\"shesaid,\"youwillhavethemurderofafellow-creatureonyourconscienceforalleternity。\"
\"I\'llriskit,\"Ianswered。RememberingwhattormentthemerereflectionofhertormentshadcastonHolmescroft,andremembering,aboveall,thedumbThingthatfilledthehousewithitsdesiretospeak,Ifeltthattheremightbeworsethings。
Baxterwasamazedattheproposedvisit,butatanodfromthatterriblewomanwentofftomakearrangements。ThenIsentatelegramtoM\'LeodbiddinghimandhisvacateHolmescroftforthatafternoon。MissMaryshouldbealonewithherdead,asIhadbeenalone。
Iexpecteduntoldtroubleintransportingher,buttodoherjustice,thepromisegivenforthejourney,sheunderwentitwithoutmurmur,spasm,orunnecessaryword。MissBessie,pressedinacornerbythewindow,weptbehindherveil,andfromtimetotimetriedtotakeholdofhersister\'shand。Baxterwrappedhimselfinhisnewlyfoundhappinessasselfishlyasabridegroom,forhesatstillandsmiled。
\"SolongasIknowthatAggiedidn\'tmakeawaywithherself,\"heexplained,\"ItellyoufranklyIdon\'tcarewhathappened。She\'sashardasarock——Mary。Alwayswas。Shewon\'tdie。\"
Weledheroutontotheplatformlikeablindwoman,andsogotherintothefly。Thehalf-hourcrawltoHolmescroftwasthemostrackingexperienceoftheday。M\'Leodhadobeyedmyinstructions。
Therewasnoonevisibleinthehouseorthegardens;andthefrontdoorstoodopen。
MissMaryrosefrombesidehersister,steppedforthfirst,andenteredthehall。
\"Come,Bessie,\"shecried。
\"Idaren\'t。Oh,Idaren\'t。\"
\"Come!\"Hervoicehadaltered。IfeltBaxterstart。\"There\'snothingtobeafraidof。\"
\"Goodheavens!\"saidBaxter。\"She\'srunningupthestairs。We\'dbetterfollow。\"
\"Let\'swaitbelow。She\'sgoingtotheroom。\"
WeheardthedoorofthebedroomIknewopenandshut,andwewaitedinthelemon-colouredhall,heavywiththescentofflowers。
\"I\'veneverbeenintoitsinceitwassold,\"Baxtersighed。\"Whatalovely,restfulplateitis!PoorAggieusedtoarrangetheflowers。\"
\"Restful?\"Ibegan,butstoppedofasudden,forIfeltallovermybruisedsoulthatBaxterwasspeakingtruth。Itwasalight,spacious,airyhouse,fullofthesenseofwell-beingandpeace——aboveallthings,ofpeace。Iventuredintothedining-roomwherethethoughtfulM\'Leod\'shadleftasmallfire。
Therewasnoterrorthere,presentorlurking;andinthedrawing-room,whichforgoodreasonswehadnevercaredtoenter,thesunandthepeaceandthescentoftheflowersworkedtogetherasisfitinaninhabitedhouse。WhenIreturnedtothehall,Baxterwassweetlyasleeponacouch,lookingmostunlikeamiddle-agedsolicitorwhohadspentabrokennightwithanexactingcousin。
Therewasampletimeformetoreviewitall——tofelicitatemyselfuponmymagnificentacumen(barringsomeerrorsaboutBaxterasathiefandpossiblyamurderer),beforethedooraboveopened,andBaxter,evidentlyalightsleeper,sprangawake。
\"I\'vehadaheavenlylittlenap,\"hesaid,rubbinghiseyeswiththebacksofhishandslikeachild。\"GoodLord!That\'snottheirstep!\"
Butitwas。IhadneverbeforebeenprivilegedtoseetheShadowturnedbackwardonthedial——theyearsrippedbodilyoffpoorhumanshoulders——oldsunkeneyesfilledandalight——harshlipsmoistenedandhuman。
\"John,\"MissMarycalled,\"Iknownow。Aggiedidn\'tdoit!\"and\"Shedidn\'tdoit!\"echoedMiss\"Ididnotthinkitwrongtosayaprayer,\"MissMarycontinued。
\"Notforhersoul,butforourpeace。ThenIwasconvinced。\"
\"Thenwegotconviction,\"theyoungersisterpiped。
\"We\'vemisjudgedpoorAggie,John。ButIfeelsheknowsnow。
Whereversheis,sheknowsthatweknowsheisguiltless。\"
\"Yes,sheknows。Ifeltittoo,\"saidMissElizabeth。,\"Ineverdoubted,\"saidJohn\'Baxter,whosefacewasbeautifulatthathour。\"Notfromthefirst。Neverhave!\"
\"Youneverofferedmeproof,John。Now,thankGod,itwillnotbethesameanymore。IcanthinkhenceforwardofAggiewithoutsorrow。\"Shetripped,absolutelytripped,acrossthehall。\"WhatideastheseJewshaveofarrangingfurniture!\"ShespiedmebehindabigCloisonneevase。\"I\'veseenthewindow,\"shesaidremotely。\"Youtookagreatriskinadvisingmetoundertakesuchajourney。However,asitturnsout……Iforgiveyou,andIprayyoumayneverknowwhatmentalanguishmeans!Bessie!Lookatthispeculiarpiano!Doyousuppose,Doctor,thesepeoplewouldofferonetea?Imissmine。\"
\"Iwillgoandsee,\"Isaid,andexploredM\'Leod\'snew-builtservants\'wing。Itwasintheservants\'hallthatIunearthedtheM\'Leodfamily,burstingwithanxiety。
\"Teaforthree,quick,\"Isaid。\"Ifyouaskmeanyquestionsnow,Ishallhaveafit!\"SoMrs。M\'Leodgotit,andIwasbutler,amidmurmuredapologiesfromBaxter,stillsmilingandself-absorbed,andthecolddisapprovalofMissMary,whothoughtthepatternofthechinavulgar。However,sheatewell,andevenaskedmewhetherIwouldnotlikeacupofteaformyself。
Theywentawayinthetwilight——thetwilightthatIhadoncefeared。TheyweregoingtoanhotelinLondontorestafterthefatiguesoftheday,andastheirflyturneddownthedrive,I
caperedonthedoorstep,withtheall-darkenedhousebehindme。
ThenIheardtheuncertainfeetoftheM\'Leodsandbadethemnottoturnonthelights,buttofeel——tofeelwhatIhaddone;fortheShadowwasgone,withthedumbdesireintheair。Theydrewshort,butafterwardsdeeper,breaths,likebathersenteringchillwater,separatedonefromtheother,movedaboutthehall,tiptoedupstairs,raceddown,andthenMissM\'Leod,andIbelievehermother,thoughshedeniesthis,embracedme。IknowM\'Leoddid。
Itwasadisgracefulevening。Tosayweriotedthroughthehouseistoputitmildly。WeplayedasortofBlindMan\'sBuffalongthedarkestpassages,intheunlighteddrawing-room,andlittledining-room,callingcheerilytoeachotheraftereachexplorationthathere,andhere,andhere,thetrouble-hadremoveditself。Wecameuptothebedroom——mineforthenightagain——andsat,thewomenonthebed,andwemenonchairs,drinkinginblesseddraughtsofpeaceandcomfortandcleanlinessofsoul,whileItoldthemmytaleinfull,andreceivedfreshpraise,thanks,andblessings。
Whentheservants,returnedfromtheirday\'souting,gaveusasupperofcoldfriedfish,M\'Leodhadsenseenoughtoopennowine。Wehadbeenpracticallydrunksincenightfall,andgrewincoherentonwaterandmilk。
\"IlikethatBaxter,\"saidM\'Leod。\"He\'sasharpman。Thedeathwasn\'tinthehouse,butheranitprettyclose,ain\'tit?\"
\"AndthejokeofitisthathesupposesIwanttobuytheplacefromyou,\"Isaid。\"Areyouselling?\"
\"NotfortwicewhatIpaidforit——now,\"saidM\'Leod。\"I\'llkeepyouinfursallyourlife,butnotourHolmescroft。\"
\"No——neverourHolmescroft,\"saidMissM\'Leod。\"We\'llaskhimhereonTuesday,mamma。\"Theysqueezedeachother\'shands。
\"Nowtellme,\"saidMrs。M\'Leod——\"thattallone,Isawoutofthescullerywindow——didshetellyoushewasalwayshereinthespirit?Ihateher。Shemadeallthistrouble。Itwasnotherhouseaftershehadsoldit。Whatdoyouthink?\"
\"Isuppose,\"Ianswered,\"shebroodedoverwhatshebelievedwashersister\'ssuicidenightandday——sheconfessedshedid——andherthoughtsbeingconcentratedonthisplace,theyfeltlikea——likeaburningglass。\"
\"Burningglassisgood,\"saidM\'Leod。
\"Isaiditwaslikealightofblacknessturnedonus,\"criedthegirl,twiddlingherring。\"Thatmusthavebeenwhenthetallonethoughtworstabouthersisterandthehouse。\"
\"Ah,thepoorAggie!\"saidMrs。M\'Leod。\"ThepoorAggie,tryingtotelleveryoneitwasnotso!NowonderwefeltSomethingwishedtosaySomething。Thea,Max,doyourememberthatnight\"
\"Weneednotrememberanymore,\"M\'Leodinterrupted。\"Itisnotourtrouble。Theyhavetoldeachothernow。\"
\"Doyouthink,then,\"saidMissM\'Leod,\"thatthosetwo,thelivingones,wereactuallytoldsomething——upstairs——inyourintheroom?\"
\"Ican\'tsay。Atanyratetheyweremadehappy,andtheyateabigteaafterwards。Asyourfathersays,itisnotourtroubleanylonger——thankGod!\"
\"Amen!\"saidM\'Leod。\"Now,Thea,letushavesomemusicafterallthesemonths。\'Withmirth,thouprettybird,\'ain\'tit?Yououghttohearthat。\"
Andinthehalf-lightedhall,TheasanganoldEnglishsongthatIhadneverheardbefore。
Withmirth,thouprettybird,rejoiceThyMaker\'spraiseenhanced;
Liftupthyshrillandpleasantvoice,ThyGodishighadvanced!
ThyfoodbeforeHedidprovide,Andgivesitinafittingside,Wherewithbethousufficed!
Whyshouldstthounowunpleasantbe,ThywrathagainstGodventing,ThatHealittlebirdmadethee,Thysillyheadtormenting,BecauseHemadetheenotaman?
Oh,Peace!Hehathwellthoughtthereon,Therewithbethousufficed!
THERABBI\'SSONG
IFTHOUGHTcanreachtoHeaven,OnHeavenletitdwell,ForfearthatThoughtbegivenLikepowertoreachtoHell。
ForfearthedesolationAnddarknessofthymind,PerplexanhabitationWhichthouhastleftbehind。
Letnothinglingerafter——
Nowhisperingghostremain,Inwall,orbeam,orrafter,Ofanyhateorpain:
Cleanseandcallhomethyspirit,Denyherleavetocast,Onaughtthyheirsinherit,Theshadowofherpast。
Forthink,inallthysadness,Whatroadourgriefsmaytake;
Whosebrainreflectourmadness,Orwhomourterrorsshake。
Forthink,lestanylanguishBycauseofthydistressThearrowsofouranguishFlyfartherthanweguess。
Ourlives,ourtears,aswater,Arespilledupontheground;
Godgivethnomanquarter,YetGodameanshathfound;
Thoughfaithandhopehavevanished,Andevenlovegrowsdim;
AmeanswherebyHisbanishedBenotexpelledfromHim!