第13章

Eveninhisanxiouspreoccupationhecouldseethatthechurchitselfwasaquaintandwonderfulpreservationofthepast。ForfourcenturiesithadbeensacredtothetombsoftheDorntonsandtheireffigiesinbrassandmarble，yet，asRandolphglancedatthestatelysarcophagusoftheunknownticketofleaveman，itscomplacentabsurdity，combinedwithhisnervousness，madehimalmosthysterical。Yetagain，itseemedtohimthatsomethingofthemysteryandinviolabilityofthepastnowinvestedthatdegradeddust，anditwouldbeanequalimpietytodisturbit。 MissEversleigh，againbelievinghisagitationcausedbythememoryofhisoldpatron，tactfullyhurriedhimaway。Yetitwasamorebitterthought，Ifear，thatnotonlywerehislipssealedtohischarmingcompaniononthesubjectinwhichtheycouldsympathize，buthisanxietypreventedhimfromavailinghimselfofthatinterviewtoexchangethelighterconfidenceshehadeagerlylookedforwardto。Itseemedcruelthathewasdebarredthischanceofknittingtheirfriendshipcloserbyanotherofthoseaccidentsthathadbroughtthemtogether。Andhewasawarethathisgloomyabstractionwasnoticedbyher。Atfirstshedrewherselfupinacertainproudreserve，andthen，perhaps，hisownnervousnessinfectingherinturn，hewasatlastterrifiedtoobservethat，asshestoodbeforethetomb，hercleargrayeyesfilledwithtears。 “Oh，pleasedon’tdothat——THERE，MissEversleigh，“heburstoutimpulsively。 “IwasthinkingofCousinJack，“shesaid，alittlestartledathisabruptness。“Sometimesitseemssostrangethatheisdead——I scarcelycanbelieveit。“ “Imeant，“stammeredRandolph，“thatheismuchhappier——youknow“—— hegrewalmosthystericalagainashethoughtofthecaptainlyingcheerfullyinhisbedatthehotel——“muchhappierthanyouorI，“ headdedbitterly；“thatis——Imean，itgrievesmesotoseeYOU grieve，youknow。“ MissEversleighdidNOTknow，buttherewasenoughsincerityandrealfeelingintheyoungfellow’svoiceandeyestomakehercolorslightlyandhurryhimawaytoalocalitylessfraughtwithemotions。Inafewmomentstheyenteredthepark，andtheoldHallrosebeforethem。ItwasagreatTudorhouseofmullionedwindows，traceries，andbattlements；ofstatelytowers，moss-grownbalustrades，andstatuesdarkeningwiththefogthatwasalreadyhidingtheanglesandwingsofitshugebulk。Apeacockspreaditsostentatioustailonthebroadstonestepsbeforetheportal；aflightofrooksfromtheleaflesselmsroseaboveitsstackedandtwistedchimneys。Afterall，howlittlehadthisstatelyincarnationofthevestedrightsandsacredtenuresofthepastincommonwiththelaughingroverhehadleftinLondonthatmorning！ Andthinkingofthedestiniesthatthecaptainheldsolightlyinhishand，andperhapsnotalittleoftheabsurdityofhisownpositiontotheconfidingyounggirlbesidehim，foramomenthehalfhatedhim。 Thefogdeepenedastheyreachedthestation，and，asitseemedtoRandolph，madetheirpartingstillmorevagueandindefinite，anditwaswithdifficultythathecouldrespondtotheyounggirl’sfrankhopethathewouldsoonreturntothem。Yethehalfresolvedthathewouldnotuntilhecouldtellherall。 Nevertheless，asthetraincreptmoreandmoreslowly，withhaltingsignals，towardLondon，hebuoyedhimselfupwiththehopethatCaptainDorntonwouldstilltryconclusionsforhispatrimony，oratleastcometosomecompromisebywhichhemightberestoredtohisrankandname。Butuponthesehopesthevisionofthatgreathousesettledfirmlyuponitslands，heldthereinperpetuitybythedeadandstretched-outhandsofthosethatlaybeneathitssoil，alwaysobtrudeditself。Thenthefogdeepened，andthecrawlingtraincametoadeadstopatthenextstation。Thewholelinewasblocked。Fourprecioushourswerehopelesslylost。 Yetdespitehisimpatience，hereenteredLondonwiththesamedazedsemi-consciousnessoffeelingasonthenighthehadfirstarrived。 Thereseemedtohavebeennointerim；hisvisittotherectoryandHall，andevenhisfatefulnews，wereonlyadream。Hedrovethroughthesameshadowtothehotel，wasreceivedbythesamehalo-encircledlightsthathadneverbeenputout。Afterglancingthroughthehallsandreadingroomhehurriedlymadehiswaytohiscompanion’sroom。Thecaptainwasnotthere。Hequicklysummonedthewaiter。Thegentleman？Yes；CaptainDorntonhadleftwithhisservant，Redhill，afewhoursafterMr。Trentwentaway。Hehadleftnomessage。 Againcondemnedtowaitininactivity，Randolphtriedtoresistacertainuneasinessthatwascreepingoverhim，byattributingthecaptain’sabsencetosomeunexpectedlegalconsultationorthegatheringofevidence，hisprolongeddetentionbeingduetothesamefogthathaddelayedhisowntrain。Buthewassomewhatsurprisedtofindthatthecaptainhadorderedhisluggageintotheporter’scareinthehallbelowbeforeleaving，andthatnothingremainedinhisroombutafewtoiletarticlesandthefatefulportmanteau。Thehourspassedslowly。Owingtothatperpetualtwilightinwhichhehadpassedtheday，thereseemednoperceptibleflightoftime，andateleveno’clock，thecaptainnotarriving，hedeterminedtowaitinthelatter’sroomsoastobesurenottomisshim。Twelveo’clockboomedfromanadjacentinvisiblesteeple，butstillhecamenot。Overcomebythefatigueandexcitementoftheday，Randolphconcludedtoliedowninhisclothesonthecaptain’sbed，notwithoutasuperstitiousanduncomfortablerecollectionofthatnight，aboutayearbefore，whenhehadawaitedhimvainlyattheSanFranciscohotel。Eventhefatefulportmanteauwastheretoassisthisgloomyfancy。 Nevertheless，withtheboomofoneo’clockinhisdrowsyearsashislastcoherentrecollection，hesankintoadreamlesssleep。 Hewasawakenedbyatappingathisdoor，andjumpeduptorealizebyhiswatchandthestillburninggaslightthatitwasnineo’clock。ButtheintruderwasonlyawaiterwithaletterwhichhehadbroughttoRandolph’sroominobediencetotheinstructionsthelatterhadgivenovernight。Notdoubtingitwasfromthecaptain，althoughthehandwritingoftheaddresswasunfamiliar，heeagerlybroketheseal。Buthewassurprisedtoreadasfollows:—— DEARMR。TRENT，——WehadsuchsadnewsfromtheHallafteryouleft。 SirWilliamwasseizedwithakindoffit。Itappearsthathehadjustreturnedfromthehorseshow，andhadgivenhismaretothegroomwhilehewalkedtothegardenentrance。Thegroomsawhimturnattheyewhedge，andwasdrivingtothestableswhenheheardaqueerkindofcry，andturningbacktothegardenfront，foundpoorSirWilliamlyingonthegroundinconvulsions。Thedoctorwassentfor，andMr。BruntonandIwentovertotheHall。Thedoctorthinksitwassomethinglikeastroke，butheisnotcertain，andSirWilliamisquitedelirious，anddoesn’trecognizeanybody。IgatheredfromthegroomthathehadbeenDRINKING HEAVILY。Perhapsitwaswellthatyoudidnotseehim，butI thoughtyououghttoknowwhathadhappenedincaseyoucamedownagain。It’sallverydreadful，andIwonderifthatiswhyIwassonervousalltheafternoon。Itmayhavebeenakindofpresentiment。Don’tyouthinkso？ Yoursfaithfully，SIBYLEVERSLEIGH。 IamafraidRandolphthoughtmoreofthesimple-mindedgirlwho，inthemidstofherexcitement，turnedtohimhalfunconsciously，thanhedidofSirWilliam。Haditnotbeenforthenecessityofseeingthecaptain，hewouldprobablyhavetakenthenexttraintotherectory。Perhapshemightlater。HethoughtlittleofSirWilliam’sillness，andwasinclinedtoaccepttheyounggirl’snaivesuggestionofitscause。Hereadandrereadtheletter，staringatthelarge，grave，childlikehandwriting——solikeherself——andobeyingasuddenimpulse，raisedthesignature，asgravelyasifithadbeenherhand，tohislips。 Stillthedayadvancedandthecaptaincamenot。Randolphfoundtheinactivityinsupportable。Heknewnotwheretoseekhim；hehadnomorecluetohisresortsorhisfriends——if，indeed，hehadanyinLondon——thanhehadaftertheirmemorablefirstmeetinginSanFrancisco。Hemight，indeed，bethedupeofanimpostor，who，attheeleventhhour，hadturnedcravenandfled。Hemightbe，inthecaptain’sindifference，amereinstrumentsetasideathispleasure。YethecouldtakeadvantageofMissEversleigh’sletterandseekher，andconfesseverything，andaskheradvice。Itwasagreatandatthemomentitseemedtohimanoverwhelmingtemptation。Butonlyforthemoment。Hehadgivenhiswordtothecaptain——more，hehadgivenhisyouthfulFAITH。And，tohiscredit，heneverswervedagain。Itseemedtohim，too，inhisyouthfulsuperstition，ashelookedattheabandonedportmanteau，thathehadagaintotakeuphisburden——his“trust。“ Itwasnearlyfouro’clockwhenthespellwasbroken。Alargepacket，bearingtheprintedaddressofaLondonandAmericanbank，wasbroughttohimbyaspecialmessenger；butthewrittendirectionwasinthecaptain’shand。Randolphtoreitopen。Itcontainedoneortwoinclosures，whichhehastilyputasidefortheletter，twopagesoffoolscap，whichhereadbreathlessly:—— DEARTRENT，——Don’tworryyourheadifIhaveslippedmycablewithouttellingyou。I’mallright，onlyIgotthenewsyouarebringingme，JUSTAFTERYOULEFT，byJackRedhill，whomIhadsenttoDorntonHalltoseehowthelandlaythenightbefore。ItwasnotthatIdidn’ttrustYOU，butHEhadwaysofgettingnewsthatyouwouldn’tstoopto。Youcanguess，fromwhatIhavetoldyoualready，that，nowBobbyisgone，there’snothingtokeepmehere，andI’mfollowingmyownideaoflettingthewholeblastedthingslide。Ionlyworkedthisracketforthesakeofhim。I’msorryforhim，butIsupposethepoorlittlebeggarcouldn’tstandthesesunless，God-forsakenlongitudesanymorethanIcould。Besidesthat，asIdidn’twanttotrustanylawyerwithmysecret，Imyselfhadhuntedupsomebooksonthematter，andfoundthat，bythelawofentail，I’dhavetoripupthewholeblessedthing，andBillwouldhavehadtopaybackeveryblessedcentofwhatrentshehadcollectedsincehetookhold——nottoME，buttheESTATE——withinterest，andthatnoarrangementIcouldmakewithHIMwouldbelegalonaccountoftheboy。Atleast，that’sthewaythethingseemedtopanouttome。SothatwhenIheardofBobby’sdeathI wasgladtojumptherest，andthat’swhatImadeupmymindtodo。 But，likeablastedlubber，nowthatICOULDdoitandcutrightaway，ImustneedsthinkthatI’dlikefirsttoseeBillonthesly，withoutlettingontoanyoneelse，andtellhimwhatIwasgoingtodo。I’dnofearthathe’dobject，orthathe’dhesitateaminutetofallinwithmyplanofdroppingmynameandmygame，andgivinghimfullswing，whileIstoodouttoseaandtheSouthPacific，anddroppedoutofhismessfortherestofmylife。 PerhapsIwantedtosethismindatrest，ifhe’deverhadanydoubts；perhapsIwantedtohavealittlefunoutofhimforhisd——dpreviousness；perhaps，lad，Ihadahankeringtoseetheoldplaceforthelasttime。Atanyrate，IallowedtogotoDorntonHall。Itimedmyselftogetthereaboutthehouryouleft，tokeepoutofsightuntilIknewhewasreturningfromthehorseshow，andtowaylayhimALONEandhaveourlittletalkwithoutwitnesses。I daren’tgototheHall，forsomeoftheoldservantsmightrecognizeme。