第14章

IwentdowntherewithJackRedhill，andweseparatedatthestation。Ihungaroundinthefog。IevensawyoupasswithSibylinthedogcart，butyoudidn’tseeme。Iknewtheplace，andjustwheretohidewhereIcouldhavethechanceofseeinghimalone。 Butitwasabeastlyjobwaitingthere。Ifeltlikead——dthiefinsteadofamanwhowassimplyvisitinghisown。Yet，youmayn’tbelieveme，lad，butIhatedtheplaceandallitmeantmorethanever。Then，byandby，Iheardhimcoming。Ihadarrangeditallwithmyselftogetintotheyewhedge，andstepoutashecametothegardenentrance，andassoonasherecognizedmetogethimroundtheterraceintothesummerhouse，wherewecouldspeakwithoutdanger。 Iheardthegroomdriveawaytothestablewiththecart，and，sureenough，inaminutehecamelurchingalongtowardthegardendoor。 Hewasmightyunsteadyonhispins，andIreckonhewasmorethanhalffull，whichwasabadlookoutforourconfab。ButI calculatedthatthesightofme，whenIslippedout，wouldsoberhim。And，by——，itdid！Forhiseyesbulgedoutofhisheadandgotfixedthere；hisjawdropped；hetriedtostrikeatmewithahuntingcrophewascarrying，andthenheutteredanungodlyyellyoumighthaveheardatthestation，anddroppeddowninhistracks。Ihadjusttimetoslipbackintothehedgeagainbeforethegroomcamedrivingback，andthenallhandswerepiped，andtheytookhimintothehouse。 Andofcoursethegamewasup，andIlostmyonlychance。Iwasthankfulenoughtogetcleanawaywithoutdiscoveringmyself，andI havetotrustnowtothefactofBill’sbeingdrunk，andthinkingitwasmyghostthathesaw，inatouchofthejimjams！AndI’mnotsorrytohavegivenhimthatstart，fortherewasthatinhiseye，andthatinthestrokehemade，mylad，thatshowedaguiltyconscienceIhadn’treckonedon。Anditcuredmeofmywishtosethismindatease。He’swelcometoalltherest。 Andthat’swhyI’mgoingaway——nevertoreturn。I’msorryI couldn’ttakeyouwithme，butit’sbetterthatIshouldn’tseeyouagain，andthatyoudidn’tevenknowWHEREIwasgone。WhenyougetthisIshallbeonbluewaterandheadingforthesunshine。 You’llfindtwolettersinclosed。Oneyouneednotopenunlessyouhearthatmysecretwasblown，andyouareevercalledupontoexplainyourrelationswithme。Theotherismythanks，mylad，inaletterofcreditonthebank，forthewayyouhavekeptyourtrust，andIbelievewillcontinuetokeepit，toJOHNDORNTON。 P。S。IhopeyoudroppedatearovermyswelltombatDorntonChurch。Allthesame，Idon’tbegrudgeittothepoordevilwholosthislifeinsteadofme。 AsRandolphread，heseemedtohearthecaptain’svoicethroughouttheletter，andevenhislow，characteristiclaughinthepostscript。Thenhesuddenlyrememberedtheluggagewhichtheporterhadsaidthecaptainhadorderedtobetakenbelow；butonaskingthatfunctionaryhewastoldaconveyancefortheVictoriaDockshadcalledwithanorder，andtakenitawayatdaybreak。Itwasevidentthatthecaptainhadintendedthelettershouldbehisonlyfarewell。Depressedandalittlehurtathispatron’sabruptness，Randolphreturnedtohisroom。Openingtheletterofcredit，hefounditwasforathousandpounds——amunificentbeneficence，asitseemedtoRandolph，forhisdubiousservices，andaproofofhispatron’sfrequentdeclarationsthathehadmoneyenoughwithouttouchingtheDorntonestates。 Foralongtimehesatwiththesesoleevidencesoftherealityofhisexperienceinhishands，apreytoathousandsurmisesandconflictingthoughts。Washetheself-deceiveddiscipleofavisionary，agenerous，unselfish，butweakman，whoseeccentricitypassedeventheboundsofreason？Whowouldbelievethecaptain’sstoryorthecaptain’smotives？Whocomprehendhisstrangequestanditsstrangerandalmostridiculoustermination？Evenifthesealofsecrecywereremovedinafteryears，whathadhe，Randolph，toshowincorroborationofhispatron’sclaim？ ThenitoccurredtohimthattherewasnoreasonwhyheshouldnotgodowntotherectoryandseeMissEversleighagainunderpretenseofinquiringafterthelucklessbaronet，whosetitleandfortunehad，nevertheless，beensostrangelypreserved。Hebeganatoncehispreparationsforthejourney，andwasnearlyreadywhenaservantenteredwithatelegram。Randolph’sheartleaped。Thecaptainhadsenthimnews——perhapshadchangedhismind！Hetoreofftheyellowcover，andread，—— SirWilliamdiedattwelveo’clockwithoutrecoveringconsciousness。 ForamomentRandolphgazedatthedispatchwithahalf-hystericallaugh，andthenbecameassuddenlysaneandcool。Onethoughtalonewasuppermostinhismind:thecaptaincouldnothaveheardthisnewsyet，andifhewasstillwithinreach，oraccessiblebyanymeanswhatever，howeverdeterminedhispurpose，hemustknowitatonce。TheonlycluetohiswhereaboutswastheVictoriaDocks。 Butthatwassomething。InanothermomentRandolphwasinthelowerhall，hadlearnedthequickestwayofreachingthedocks，andplungedintothestreet。 Thefoghereswoopeddown，andtotheembarrassmentofhismindwasaddedtheobscurityoflightanddistance，whichhaltedhimafterafewhurriedsteps，inutterperplexity。Indistinctfigureswerehereandthereapproachinghimoutofnothingnessandmeltingawayagainintothegreenishgraychaos。Hewasinabusythoroughfare； hecouldheartheslowtrampleofhoofs，thedullcrawlingofvehicles，andthewarningoutcriesofatraffichecouldnotsee。 Trustingrathertohisownspeedthanthatofahaltingconveyance，heblunderedonuntilhereachedtherailwaystation。Ashortbutexasperatingjourneyofimpulsesandhesitations，ofdetonatingsignalsandwarningwhistles，andheatlaststoodonthedocks，beyondhimavaguebulkortwo，andasoft，opaqueflowingwall—— theriver！ Butonesteamerhadleftthatday——theDomPedro，fortheRiverPlate——twohoursbefore，butuntilthefogthickened，aquarterofanhourago，shecouldbeseen，sohisinformantsaid，stilllying，withsteamup，inmidstream。Yes，itwasstillpossibletoboardher。Butevenastheboatmanspoke，andwasleadingthewaytowardthelandingsteps，thefogsuddenlylightened；asoftsaltbreathstoleinfromthedistantsea，andaveilseemedtobeliftedfromthefaceofthegraywaters。Theoutlinesofthetwoshorescameback；thesparsofnearervesselsshoweddistinctly，butthespacewherethehugehulkhadrestedwasemptyandvoid。Therewasatrailofsomethingdarkerandmoreopaquethanfogitselflyingnearthesurfaceofthewater，buttheDomPedrowasamerespeckinthebroadeningdistance。 AbrightsunandakeeneasterlywindwererevealingthecurlingridgesoftheseabeyondtheheadlandwhenRandolphagainpassedthegatesofDorntonHallonhiswaytotherectory。Now，forthefirsttime，hewasabletoseeclearlytheoutlinesofthatspotwhichhadseemedtohimonlyamistydream，andeveninhispreoccupationhewasstruckbyitsgravebeauty。TheleaflesslimesandelmsintheparkgroupedthemselvesaspartofthepicturesquedetailsoftheHalltheyencompassed，andtheevergreenslopeoffirsandlarchesroseasabackgroundtothegraybattlements，coveredwithdarkgreenivy，whoserichshadowswerebroughtoutbytheunwontedsunshine。Withahalf-repugnantcuriosityhehadtriedtoidentifythegardenentranceandthefatefulyewhedgethecaptainhadspokenofashepassed。Butasquicklyhefellbackupontheresolutionhehadtakenincomingthere——todissociatehissecret，hisexperience，andhisresponsibilitytohispatronfromhisrelationstoSibylEversleigh；toenjoyhercompanionshipwithoutanobtrudingthoughtofthestrangecircumstancesthathadbroughtthemtogetheratfirst，orthestrangerfortunethathadlaterrenewedtheiracquaintance。Hehadresolvedtothinkofherasifshehadmerelypassedintohislifeinthecasualwaysofsociety，withonlyherpersonalcharmstosetherapartfromothers。Whyshouldhisexclusivepossessionofasecret——which，evenifconfidedtoher，wouldonlygiveherneedlessandhopelessanxiety——debarthemfromanexchangeofthoseotherconfidencesofyouthandsympathy？Whycouldhenotloveherandyetwithholdfromhertheknowledgeofhercousin’sexistence？Sohehaddeterminedtomakethemostofhisopportunityduringhisbriefholiday；toavailhimselfofhernaiveinvitation，andevenofwhathedaredsometimestothinkwasherpredilectionforhiscompanionship。Andif，beforeheleft，hehadacquiredarighttolookforwardtoatimewhenherfutureandhisshouldbeone——butherehisglowingfancywasabruptlycheckedbyhisarrivalattherectorydoor。 Mr。Bruntonreceivedhimcordially，yetwithaslightbusinesspreoccupationandacertainairofimportancethatstruckhimaspeculiar。Sibyl，heinformedhim，wasengagedatthatmomentwithsomefriendswhohadcomeoverfromtheHall。Mr。Trentwouldunderstandthattherewasagreatdealforhertodo——inherpresentposition。WonderingwhySHEshouldbeselectedtodoitinsteadofolderandmoreexperiencedpersons，Randolph，however，contentedhimselfwithinquiriesregardingthedetailsofSirWilliam’sseizureanddeath。Helearned，asheexpected，thatnothingwhateverwasknownofthecaptain’svisit，norwastheretheleastsuspicionthatthebaronet’sattackwastheresultofanypredisposingemotion。Indeed，itseemedmorepossiblethathismedicalattendants，knowingsomethingofhislateexcessesandtheireffectuponhisconstitution，preferred，forthesakeofavoidingscandal，toattributetheattacktolong-standingorganicdisease。 Randolph，whohadalreadydetermined，asaforlornhope，towriteacautiouslettertothecaptain(informinghimbrieflyofthenewswithoutbetrayinghissecret，anddirectedtothecareoftheconsigneesoftheDomPedroinBrazil，bythenextpost)，wasgladtobeabletoaddthismedicalopiniontorelievehispatron’smindofanyfearofhavinghastenedhisbrother’sdeathbyhisinnocentappearance。ButheretheentranceofSibylEversleighwithherfriendsdroveallelsefromhismind。 Shelookedsotallandgracefulinherblackdress，whichsetoffherdazzlingskin，and，withheryouthfulgravity，gavetoherfigurethecharmingmaturityofayoungwidow，thathewasforamomentawedandembarrassed。Butheexperiencedareliefwhenshecameeagerlytowardhiminallheroldgirlishfrankness，andwithevensomethingofyearningexpectationinhergrayeyes。 “Itwassogoodofyoutocome，“shesaid。“IthoughtyouwouldimaginehowIwasfeeling“——Shestopped，asifshewereconscious，asRandolphwas，ofacertainchillofunresponsivenessinthecompany，andsaidinanundertone，“Waituntilwearealone。“Then，turningwithaslightcolorandaprettydignitytowardherfriends，shecontinued:“LadyAshbrook，thisisMr。 Trent，anoldfriendofbothmycousinswhentheywereinAmerica。“ Inspiteofthegraciousresponseoftheladies，RandolphwasawareoftheircriticalscrutinyofbothhimselfandMissEversleigh，oftheexchangeofsignificantglances，andacertainstiffnessinherguardian’smanner。ItwasquiteenoughtoaffectRandolph’ssensitivenessandbringouthisownreserve。 Fancying，however，thathisreticencedisturbedMissEversleigh，heforcedhimselftoconversewithLadyAshbrook——avoidingmanyofherpointedqueriesastohimself，hisacquaintancewithSibyl，andthelengthoftimeheexpectedtostayinEngland——andevenaccompaniedhertohercarriage。AndherehewasrewardedbySibylrunningoutwithacrapeveiltwistedroundherthroatandhead，andtheusualfemininelyforgottenfinalmessagetohervisitor。Asthecarriagedroveaway，sheturnedtoRandolph，andsaidquickly，—— “Letusgoinbywayofthegarden。“ Itwasaslightdetour，butitgavethemafewmomentsalone。 “Itwassoawfulandsudden，“shesaid，lookinggravelyatRandolph，“andtothinkthatonlyanhourbeforeIhadbeensayingunkindthingsofhim！Ofcourse，“sheaddednaively，“theyweretrue，andthegroomadmittedtomethatthemarewasoverdrivenandSirWilliamcouldhardlystand。Andonlytothinkofit！heneverrecoveredcompleteconsciousness，butmutteredincoherentlyallthetime。Iwaswithhimtothelast，andheneversaidawordIcouldunderstand——onlyonce。“