第16章

DEARMR。TRENT，——IshouldnotbewritingtoyounowifIdidnotbelievethatINOWunderstandwhyyouleftussoabruptlyonthedayofthefuneral，andwhyyouwereattimessostrange。Youmighthavebeenalittlelesshardandcoldevenifyouknewallthatyoudidknow。ButImustwritenow，forIshallbeinSanFranciscoafewdaysafterthisreachesyou，andIMUSTseeyouandhaveYOURhelp，forIcanhavenoother，asyouknow。Youarewonderingwhatthismeans，andwhyIamhere。IknowALLandEVERYTHING。IknowHEisaliveandneverwasdead。IknowIhavenorighttowhatIhave，andneverhad，andIhavecomeheretoseekhimandmakehimtakeitback。Icoulddonoother。Icouldnotliveanddoanythingbutthat，andYOUmighthaveknownit。 ButIhavenotfoundhimhereasIhopedIshould，thoughperhapsitwasafoolishhopeofmine，andIamcomingtoyoutohelpmeseekhim，forheMUSTBEFOUND。YouknowIwanttokeephisandyoursecret，andthereforetheonlyoneIcanturntoforassistanceandcounselisYOU。 YouarewonderinghowIknowwhatIdo。TwomonthsagoIGOTA LETTERFROMHIM——thestrangest，quaintest，andyetTHEKINDEST LETTER——exactlylikehimselfandthewayheusedtotalk！Hehadjustheardofhisbrother’sdeath，andcongratulatedmeoncomingintotheproperty，andsaidhewasnowperfectlyhappy，andshouldKEEPDEAD，andnever，nevercometolifeagain；thatheneverthoughtthingswouldturnoutassplendidlyastheyhad——forSirWilliamMIGHThavehadanheir——andthatnowheshouldREALLYDIE HAPPY。Hesaidsomethingabouteverythingbeinglegallyright，andthatIcoulddowhatIlikedwiththeproperty。AsifTHATwouldsatisfyme！Yetitwasallsosweetandkind，andsolikedearoldJack，thatIcriedallnight。AndthenIresolvedtocomehere，wherehisletterwasdatedfrom。LuckilyIwasofagenow，andcoulddoasIliked，andIsaidIwantedtotravelinSouthAmericaandCalifornia；andIsupposetheydidn’tthinkitverystrangethatIshouldusemylibertyinthatway。SomesaiditwasquitelikeaDornton！IknewsomethingofCallaofromyourfriendMissAvondale，andcouldtalkaboutit，whichimpressedthem。SoI startedoffwithonlyamaid——myoldnurse。Iwasalittlefrightenedatfirst，whenIcametothinkwhatIwasdoing，buteverybodywasverykind，andIreallyfeelquiteindependentnow。 So，yousee，agirlmaybeINDEPENDENT，afterall！OfcourseI shallseeMr。DingwallinSanFrancisco，butheneednotknowanythingmorethanthatIamtravelingforpleasure。AndImaygototheSandwichIslandsorSydney，ifIthinkHEisthere。OfcourseIhavehadtousesomemoney——someofHISrents——butitshallbepaidback。IwilltellyoueverythingaboutmyplanswhenIseeyou。 Yoursfaithfully，SIBYLEVERSLEIGH。 P。S。Whydidyouletmecryoverthatman’stombinthechurch？ Randolphlookedagainatthedate，andthenhurriedlyconsultedtheshippinglist。Shewasdueintendays。Yet，delightedashewaswiththatprospect，andtouchedashehadbeenwithhercourageandnaivedetermination，afterhisfirstjoyhelaidtheletterdownwithasigh。Forwhateverwashisultimateambition，hewasstillameresalariedclerk；whateverwasherself-sacrificingpurpose，shewasstilltherichheiress。Thesealofsecrecyhadbeenbroken，yetthesituationremainedunchanged；theirassociationmuststillbedominatedbyit。Andheshrankfromthethoughtofmakinghergirlishappealtohimforhelpanopportunityforrevealinghisrealfeelings。 ThisinstinctwasstrengthenedbythesomewhatformalmannerinwhichMr。Dingwallannouncedherapproachingvisit。“MissEversleighwillstaywithMrs。Dingwallwhilesheishere，onaccountofher——er——position，andthefactthatsheiswithoutachaperon。Mrs。Dingwallwill，ofcourse，begladtoreceiveanyfriendsMissEversleighwouldliketosee。“ RandolphfranklyreturnedthatMissEversleighhadwrittentohim，andthathewouldbegladtopresenthimself。Nothingmorewassaid，butasthedayspassedhecouldnothelpnoticingthat，inproportionasMr。Dingwall’smannerbecamemorestiffandceremonious，Mr。Revelstoke’susuallycrisp，good-humoredsuggestionsgrewmoredeliberate，andRandolphfoundhimselfonceortwicethesubjectofthepresident’spenetratingbutsmilingscrutiny。AndthedaybeforeMissEversleigh’sarrivalhisnaturalexcitementwasalittleheightenedbyasummonstoMr。Revelstoke’sprivateoffice。 Asheentered，thepresidentlaidasidehispenandclosedthedoor。 “Ihavenevermadeitmybusiness，Trent，“hesaid，withgood- humoredbrusqueness，“tointerfereinmyemployees’privateaffairs，unlesstheyaffecttheirrelationstothebank，andI haven’thadtheleastoccasiontodosowithyou。NeitherhasMr。 Dingwall，althoughitisonHISbehalfthatIamnowspeaking。“AsRandolphlistenedwithacontractedbrow，hewentonwithagrimsmile:“ButheisanEnglishman，youknow，andhascertainideasoftheimportanceof’position，’particularlyamonghisownpeople。 Hewishesme，therefore，towarnyouofwhatHEcallsthe’disparity’ofyourpositionandthatofayoungEnglishlady——MissEversleigh——withwhomyouhavesomeacquaintance，andinwhom，“headdedwithastillgrimmersatisfaction，“hefearsyouaretoodeeplyinterested。“ Randolphblazed。“IfMr。DingwallhadaskedME，sir，“hesaidhotly，“IwouldhavetoldhimthatIhaveneveryethadtoberemindedthatMissEversleighisarichheiressandIonlyapoorclerk，butastohisusinghernameinsuchaconnection，ordictatingtomethemannerof“—— “Holdhard，“saidRevelstoke，liftinghishanddeprecatingly，yetwithhisunchangedsmile。“Idon’tagreewithMr。Dingwall，andI haveeveryreasontoknowthevalueofYOURservices，yetIadmitsomethingisduetoHISprejudices。Andinthismatter，Trent，theBankofEureka，whileIamitspresident，doesn’ttakeabackseat。 IhaveconcludedtomakeyoumanagerofthebranchbankatMarysville，anindependentpositionwithitssalaryandcommissions。Andifthatdoesn’tsuitDingwall，why，“headded，risingfromhisdeskwithashortlaugh，“hehasabiggerideaofthevalueofpropertythanthebankhas。“ “Onemoment，sir，Iimploreyou，“burstoutRandolphbreathlessly。 “ifyourkindofferisbaseduponthemistakenbeliefthatIhavetheleastclaimuponMissEversleigh’sconsiderationmorethanthatofsimplefriendship——ifanybodyhasdaredtogiveyoutheideathatIhaveaspiredbywordordeedtomore，orthattheyoungladyhasevercountenancedorevensuspectedsuchaspirations，itisutterlyfalse，andgratefulasIamforyourkindness，Icouldnotacceptit。“ “Lookhere，Trent，“returnedRevelstokecurtly，yetlayinghishandontheyoungman’sshouldernotunkindly。“AllthatisYOUR privateaffair，which，asItoldyou，Idon’tinterferewith。TheotherisaquestionbetweenMr。Dingwallandmyselfofyourcomparativevalue。Itwon’thurtyouwithANYBODYtoknowhowhighwe’veassessedit。Don’tspoilagoodthing！“ Gratefuleveninhisuncertainty，Randolphcouldonlythankhimandwithdraw。Yetthisfatefulforcingofhishandinadelicatequestiongavehimanewcourage。ItwaswithacertainconfidencenowinhiscapacityasHERfriendandqualifiedtoadviseHERthathecalledatMr。Dingwall’stheeveningshearrived。ItstruckhimthatintheDingwalls’receptionofhimtherewasmingledwiththeirformalityacertainrespect。 Thankstothis，perhaps，hefoundheralone。Sheseemedtohimmorebeautifulthanhisrecollectionhadpaintedher，inthedevelopmentthatmaturity，freedomfromrestraint，andtimehadgivenher。Foramomenthisnew，freshcouragewasstaggered。Butshehadretainedheryouthfulsimplicity，andcametowardhimwiththesamenaiveandinnocentyearninginhercleareyesthatherememberedattheirlastmeeting。Theirfirstwordswere，naturally，oftheirgreatsecret，andRandolphtoldherthewholestoryofhisunexpectedandstartlingmeetingwiththecaptain，andthecaptain’sstrangenarrative，ofhisundertakingthejourneywithhimtorecoverhisclaim，establishhisidentity，and，asRandolphhadhoped，restoretoherthatmemberofthefamilywhomshehadmostcaredfor。Herecountedthecaptain’shesitationonarriving；hisownjourneytotherectory；thenewsshehadgivenhim；thereasonofhissingularbehavior；hisreturntoLondon；andtheseconddisappearanceofthecaptain。Hereadtohertheletterhehadreceivedfromhim，andtoldherofhishopelesschasetothedocksonlytofindhimgone。Shelistenedtohimbreathlessly，withvaryingcolor，withanoccasionaloutburstofpity，orastrangeshiningoftheeyes，thatsometimesbecamecloudedandmisty，andattheconclusionwithacalmandgravepaleness。 “But，“shesaid，“youshouldhavetoldmeall。“ “Itwasnotmysecret，“hepleaded。 “Youshouldhavetrustedme。“ “ButthecaptainhadtrustedME。“ Shelookedathimwithgravewonder，andthensaidwithherolddirectness:“ButifIhadbeentoldsuchasecretaffectingyou，I shouldhavetoldyou。“Shestoppedsuddenly，seeinghiseyesfixedonher，anddroppedherownlidswithaslightcolor。“Imean，“ shesaidhesitatingly，“ofcourseyouhaveactednobly，generously，kindly，wisely——butIhatesecrets！Oh，whycannotonebealwaysfrank？“ AwildideaseizedRandolph。“ButIhaveanothersecret——youhavenotguessed——andIhavenotdaredtotellyou。Doyouwishmetobefranknow？“ “Whynot？“shesaidsimply，butshedidnotlookup。 Thenhetoldher！But，strangestofall，inspiteofhisfearsandconvictions，itflowedeasilyandnaturallyasapartofhisothersecret，withaneloquencehehadnotdreamedofbefore。Butwhenhetoldherofhislatepositionandhisprospects，sheraisedhereyestohisforthefirsttime，yetwithoutwithdrawingherhandfromhis，andsaidreproachfully，—— “YetbutforTHATyouwouldneverhavetoldme。“ “HowcouldI？“hereturnedeagerly。“ForbutforTHAThowcouldI helpyoutocarryoutYOURtrust？HowcouldIdevotemyselftoyourplans，andenableyoutocarrythemoutwithouttouchingadollarofthatinheritancewhichyoubelievetobewrongfullyyours？“