第15章

“Whatdidhesay？“askedRandolphuneasily。 “Idon’tliketosay——itwasTOOdreadful！“ Randolphdidnotpressher。Yet，afterapause，shesaidinalowvoice，withanaiveteimpossibletodescribe，“Itwas，’Jack，damnyou！’“ Hedidnotdaretolookather，evenwiththisgrimminglingoffarceandtragedywhichseemedtoinvesteverysceneofthatsordiddrama。MissEversleighcontinuedgravely:“Thegroom’snamewasRobert，butJackmighthavebeenthenameofoneofhisbooncompanions。“ Convincedthatshesuspectednothing，yetinthehopeofchangingthesubject，Randolphsaidquietly:“Ithoughtyourguardianperhapsalittlelessfrankandcommunicativeto-day。“ “Yes，“saidtheyounggirlsuddenly，withacertainimpatience，andyetinhalfapologytohercompanion，“ofcourse。He——THEY——allandeverybody——aremuchmoreconcernedandanxiousaboutmynewpositionthanIam。It’sperfectlydreadful——thisthinkingofitallthetime，arrangingeverything，criticisingeverythinginreferencetoit，andthepoormanwhoisthecauseofitallnotyetatrestinhisgrave！Thewholethingisinhumanandunchristian！“ “Idon’tunderstand，“stammeredRandolphvaguely。“WhatISyournewposition？Whatdoyoumean？“ Thegirllookedupinhisfacewithsurprise。“Why，didn’tyouknow？I’mthenextofkin——I’mtheheiress——andwillsucceedtothepropertyinsixmonths，whenIamofage。“ InaflashofrecollectionRandolphsuddenlyrecalledthecaptain’swords，“Thereareonlythreelivesbetweenherandtheproperty。“ Theirmeaninghadbarelytouchedhiscomprehensionbefore。Shewastheheiress。Yes，saveforthecaptain！ Shesawthechange，thewonder，eventhedismay，inhisface，andherownbrightenedfrankly。“It’ssogoodtofindonewhoneverthoughtofit，whohadn’titbeforehimasthechiefendforwhichIwasborn！Yes，IwasthenextofkinafterdearJackdiedandBillsucceeded，buttherewaseverychancethathewouldmarryandhaveanheir。Andyetthemomenthewastakenillthatideawasuppermostinmyguardian’smind，goodmanasheis，andevenforceduponme。Ifthis——thispropertyhadcomefrompoorCousinJack，whomIloved，therewouldhavebeensomethingdearinitasamemoryoragift，butfromHIM，whomIcouldn’tbear——Iknowit’swickedtotalkthatway，butit’ssimplydreadful！“ “Andyet，“saidRandolph，withasuddenseriousnesshecouldnotcontrol，“IhonestlybelievethatCaptainDorntonwouldbeperfectlyhappy——yes，rejoiced！——ifheknewthepropertyhadcometoYOU。“ Therewassuchanairofconviction，and，itseemedtothesimplegirl，evenofspiritualinsight，inhismannerthatherclear，handsomeeyesrestedwonderinglyonhis。 “Doyoureallythinkso？“shesaidthoughtfully。“AndyetHEknowsthatIamlikehim。Yes，“shecontinued，answeringRandolph’slookofsurprise，“IamjustlikeHIMinthat。Iloatheanddespisethelifethatthisthingwouldcondemnmeto；Ihateallthatitmeans，andallthatitbindsmeto，asheusedto；andifIcould，IwouldcutandrunfromitasHEdid。“ Shespokewithadeterminedearnestnessandwarmth，sounlikeherusualgravenaivetethathewasastonished。Therewasaflushonhercheekandafrankfireinhereyethatremindedhimstrangelyofthecaptain；andyetshehademphasizedherwordswithalittlestampofhernarrowfootandagestureofherhandthatwassountrainedandgirlishthathesmiled，andsaid，withperhapstheleasttouchofbitternessinhistone，“Butyouwillgetoverthatwhenyoucomeintotheproperty。“ “IsupposeIshall，“shereturned，withanoddlapsetoherformergravityandsubmissiveness。“That’swhattheyalltellme。“ “Youwillbeindependentandyourownmistress，“headded。 “Independent，“sherepeatedimpatiently，“withDorntonHallandtwentythousandayear！Independent，witheverydutymarkedoutforme！Independent，witheveryonetocriticisemysmallestactions——everyonewhowouldneverhavegivenathoughttotheorphanwhowascontentedandmadeherownfriendsonahundredayear！Ofcourseyou，whoareastranger，don’tunderstand；yetI thoughtthatyou“——shehesitated，——“wouldhavethoughtdifferently。“ “Why？“ “Why，withyourbeliefthatoneshouldmakeone’sownfortune，“shesaid。 “Thatwoulddoforaman，andinthatIrespectedCaptainDornton’sconvictions，asyoutoldthemtome。Butforagirl，howcouldshebeindependent，exceptwithmoney？“ Sheshookherheadasifunconvinced，butdidnotreply。Theywerenearingthegardenporch，whenshelookedup，andsaid:“AndasYOU’REaman，youwillbemakingyourwayintheworld。Mr。 Dingwallsaidyouwould。“ Therewassomethingsochildishlytrustfulandconfidentinherassurancethathesmiled。“Mr。Dingwallistoosanguine，butitgivesmehopetohearYOUsayso。“ Shecoloredslightly，andsaidgravely:“Wemustgoinnow。“Yetshelingeredforamomentbeforethedoor。Foralongtimeafterwardhehadaveryvividrecollectionofhercharmingface，initschildlikegravityanditsquaintframeofblackcrape，standingoutagainstthesunset-warmedwalloftherectory。“Promisemeyouwillnotmindwhatthesepeoplesayordo，“shesaidsuddenly。 “Ipromise，“hereturned，withasmile，“tomindonlywhatYOUsayordo。“ “ButImightnotbealwaysquiteright，youknow，“shesaidnaively。 “I’llriskthat。“ “Then，whenwegoinnow，don’ttalkmuchtome，butmakeyourselfagreeabletoalltheothers，andthengostraighthometotheinn，anddon’tcomehereuntilafterthefuneral。“ Thefaintestevasiveglintofmischievousnessinherwithdrawneyesatthismomentmitigatedtheausterityofhercommandastheybothpassedin。 RandolphhadintendednottoreturntoLondonuntilafterthefuneral，twodayslater，andspenttheinterestingdayattheneighboringtown，whencehedispatchedhisexploringandperhapshopelesslettertothecaptain。Thefuneralwasalargeandimposingone，andimpressedRandolphforthefirsttimewiththelocalimportanceandsolidstandingoftheDorntons。Allthemagnatesandoldcountyfamilieswererepresented。Theinnyardandthestreetsofthelittlevillagewerefilledwiththeirquaintliveries，crestedpaneledcarriages，andsilver-ciphercaparisonedhorses，withasprinklingoffashionfromLondon。Hecouldnotclosehisearstothegossipofthevillagersregardingthesuddennessofthelatebaronet’sdeath，theextinctionofthetitle，theaccessionoftheorphanedgirltotheproperty，andeven，tohisgreaterexasperation，speculationsuponherfutureandprobablemarriage。“Someo’theygaychapsfromLunnonwillbelordin’itovertheHallaforelong，“wasthecommentofthehostler。 ItwaswithsomelittlebitternessthatRandolphtookhisseatinthecrowdedchurch。Butthisfeeling，andevenhisattemptstodiscoverMissEversleigh’sfaceinthestatelyfamilypewfencedofffromthechancel，presentlypassedaway。Andthenhismindbegantobefilledwithstrangeandweirdfancies。WhatgrimandghostlyrevelationsmightpassbetweenthisdeadscionoftheDorntonslyingonthetrestlesbeforethemandtheobscure，namelessticketofleavemanawaitinghisentranceinthevaultbelow！Theincongruityofthisthought，withthesmugcomplacencyoftheworldlymindedcongregationsittingaroundhim，andtheprobablesmilingcarelessnessoftherecklessrover——thecauseofall——evennowidlypacingthedeckonthedistantsea，touchedhimwithhorror。AndwhenaddedtothiswastheconsciousnessthatSibylEversleighwasforcedtobecomeaninnocentactorinthishideouscomedy，itseemedasmuchashecouldbear。Againhequestionedhimself，Washerighttowithholdhissecretfromher？ Invainhetriedtosatisfyhisconsciencethatshewashappierinherignorance。Theresolvehehadmadetokeephisrelationswithherapartfromhissecret，heknewnow，wasimpossible。Butonethingwaslefttohim。Untilhecoulddisclosehiswholestory—— untilhislipswereunsealedbyCaptainDornton——hemustneverseeheragain。Andthegrimsanctityoftheedificeseemedtomakethatresolutionavow。 Hedidnotdaretoraisehiseyesagaintowardherpew，lestasightofhersweet，gravefacemightshakehisresolution，andheslippedawayfirstamongthedepartingcongregation。HesentherabriefnotefromtheinnsayingthathewasrecalledtoLondonbyanearliertrain，andthathewouldbeobligedtoreturntoCaliforniaatonce，buthopingthatifhecouldbeofanyfurtherassistancetohershewouldwritetohimtothecareofthebank。Itwasaformalletter，andyethehadneverwrittenotherwisethanformallytoher。ThatnighthereachedLondon。OnthefollowingnighthesailedfromLiverpoolforAmerica。 Sixmonthshadpassed。Itwasdifficult，atfirst，forRandolphtopickuphisoldlifeagain；buthishabitualearnestnessandsinglenessofpurposestoodhimingoodstead，andavaguerumorthathehadmadesomepowerfulfriendsabroad，withthenearerfactthathehadaletterofcreditforathousandpounds，didnotlessenhisreputation。Hewasreinstalledandadvancedatthebank。Mr。Dingwallwasexceptionallygracious，andminuteinhisinquiriesregardingMissEversleigh’ssuccessiontotheDorntonproperty，withanoccasionalshrewdnessofeyeinhisinterrogationswhichrecalledtoRandolphthequestioningofMissEversleigh’sfriends，andwhichherespondedtoascautiously。Fortheyoungfellowremainedfaithfultohisvoweveninthinkingofher，andseemedtobeabsorbedentirelyinhisbusiness。YettherewasavagueambitionofpurposeinthisabsorptionthatwouldprobablyhavestartledthemoreconservativeEnglishmanhadheknownit。 HehadnotheardfromMissEversleighsinceheleft，norhadhereceivedanyresponsefromthecaptain。Indeed，hehadindulgedinlittlehopesofeither。Buthekeptstolidlyatwork，perhapswithalargertrustthanheknew。Andthen，oneday，hereceivedaletteraddressedinahandwritingthatmadehisheartleap，thoughhehadseenitbutonce，whenitconveyedthenewsofSirWilliamDornton’ssuddenillness。ItwasfromMissEversleigh，butthepostmarkwasCallao！Hetoreopentheenvelope，andforthenextfewmomentsforgoteverything——hisbusinessdevotion，hisloftypurpose，evenhissolemnvow。 Itreadasfollows: