第32章

Whenthedoctormadehisreappearanceitwastosaythathispatientwasbeingundressedandputtobedbyhisnegroservant，who，however，wouldreturnwiththedoctorto-night，butthatthepatientwouldbeleftwitheverythingthatwasnecessary，andthathewouldrequirenoattentionfromthefamilyuntilthenextday。 Indeed，itwasbetterthatheshouldremainundisturbed。Asthedoctorconfinedhisconfidencesandinstructionsentirelytothephysicalconditionoftheirguest，Mrs。Riversfounditawkwardtopressotherinquiries。 “Ofcourse，“shesaidatlasthesitatingly，butwithacertainprimnessofexpression，“Mr。Hamlinmustexpecttofindeverythinghereverydifferentfromwhatheisaccustomedto——atleastfromwhatmyhusbandsaysarehishabits。“ “Nobodyknowsthatbetterthanhe，Mrs。Rivers，“returnedthedoctorwithanequallymarkedprecisionofmanner，“andyoucouldnothaveaguestwhowouldbelesslikelytomakeyouremindhimofit。“ Alittleannoyed，yetnotexactlyknowingwhy，Mrs。Riversabandonedthesubject，andasthedoctorshortlyafterwardsbusiedhimselfinthecareofhispatient，withwhomheremaineduntilthehourofhisdeparture，shehadnochanceofrenewingit。Butashefinallyshookhandswithhishostandhostess，itseemedtoherthatheslightlyrecurredtoit。“Ihavethegreatesthopeofthecurativeeffectofthiswonderfullocalityonmypatient，butevenstillmoreofthebeneficialeffectofthecompletechangeofhishabits，hissurroundings，andtheirinfluences。“Thenthedoorclosedonthemanofscienceandthegrizzlednegroservant，thenoiseofthecarriagewheelswasshutoutwiththesongofthewindinthepinetops，andtheranchoofWindyHillpossessedMr。JackHamlininpeace。Indeed，thewindwasnowfalling，aswasitscustomatthathour，andthemoonpresentlyaroseoverahushedandsleepinglandscape。 Fortherestoftheeveningthesilentpresenceintheroomaboveaffectedthehousehold；thehalf-curiousservantsandranchhandsspokeinwhispersinthepassages，andateveningprayers，inthediningroom，SethRivers，kneelingbeforeandbowedoverarush- bottomedchairwhoselegswereclutchedbyhisstronghands，included“thestrangerwithinourgates“inhisregularsupplications。Whenthehourforretiringcame，Seth，withacandleinhishand，precededhiswifeupthestaircase，butstoppedbeforethedooroftheirguest’sroom。“Ireckon，“hesaidinterrogativelytoMrs。Rivers，“Ioughterseeefhe’swantin’ anythin’？“ “Youheardwhatthedoctorsaid，“returnedMrs。Riverscautiously。 Atthesametimeshedidnotspeakdecidedly，andthefrontiersman’sinstinctofhospitalityprevailed。Heknockedlightly；therewasnoresponse。Heturnedthedoorhandlesoftly。 Thedooropened。Afaintcleanperfume——anodorofsomegeneralpersonalityratherthananyparticularthing——stoleoutuponthem。 ThelightofSeth’scandlestruckafewglintsfromsomecut-glassandsilver，thecontentsoftheguest’sdressingcase，whichhadbeencarefullylaidoutuponasmalltablebyhisnegroservant。 TherewasalsoarefinedneatnessinthedispositionofhisclothesandeffectswhichstruckthefeminineeyeofeventhetidyMrs。 Riversassomethingnewtoherexperience。Sethdrewnearerthebedwithhisshadedcandle，andthen，turning，beckonedhiswifetoapproach。Mrs。Rivershesitated——butforthenecessityofsilenceshewouldhaveopenlyprotested——butthatprotestwasshutupinhercompressedlipsasshecameforward。 Foraninstantthatawewithwhichabsolutehelplessnessinveststhesleepinganddeadwasfeltbybothhusbandandwife。Onlytheupperpartofthesleeper’sfacewasvisibleabovethebedclothes，heldinpositionbyathinwhitenervoushandthatwasencircledatthewristbyaruffle。Sethstared。Shortbrowncurlsweretumbledoveraforeheaddampwiththedewsofsleepandexhaustion。 Butwhatappearedmoresingular，theclosedeyesofthisvesselofwrathandrecklessnesswerefringedwithlashesaslongandsilkyasawoman’s。ThenMrs。Riversgentlypulledherhusband’ssleeve，andtheybothcreptbackwithagreatersenseofintrusionandevenmorecautiouslythantheyhadentered。Nordidtheyspeakuntilthedoorwasclosedsoftlyandtheywerealoneonthelanding。 Sethlookedgrimlyathiswife。 “Don’tlookmuchezefhecouldhurtanybody。“ “Helookslikeasickman，“returnedMrs。Riverscalmly。 Theunconsciousobjectofthiscriticismandattentionsleptuntillate；sleptthroughthestirofawakenedlifewithinandwithout，throughthechallengeofearlycocksinthelean-toshed，throughthecreakingofdepartingoxteamsandthelazy，long-drawncommandsofteamsters，throughtheregularstrokesofthemorningpumpandthesplashofwateronstones，throughthefar-offbarkingofdogsandthehalf-intelligibleshoutsofranchmen；sleptthroughthesunlightonhisceiling，throughitsslowdescentofhiswall，andawokewithitinhiseyes！Hewoke，too，withadelicioussenseoffreedomfrompain，andofevendrawingalongbreathwithoutdifficulty——twofactssomarvelousanddreamlikethathenaturallyclosedhiseyesagainlestheshouldwakentoaworldofsufferinganddyspnoea。Satisfiedatlastthatthisreliefwasreal，heagainopenedhiseyes，butuponsurroundingssostrange，sowildlyabsurdandimprobable，thatheagaindoubtedtheirreality。Hewaslyinginamoderatelylargeroom，primlyandseverelyfurnished，buthisattentionwasforthemomentrivetedtoagiltframeuponthewallbesidehimbearingthetext，“GodBlessOurHome，“andthenonanotherframeontheoppositewallwhichadmonishedhimto“WatchandPray。“Besidethemhunganengravingofthe“RaisingofLazarus，“andaHogarthianlithographof“TheDrunkard’sProgress。“Mr。Hamlinclosedhiseyes；hewasdreamingcertainly——notoneofthosewild，fantasticvisionsthathadsomiserablyfilledthepastlongnightsofpainandsuffering，butstilladream！Atlast，openingoneeyestealthily，hecaughttheflashofthesunlightuponthecrystalandsilverarticlesofhisdressingcase，andthatflashatonceilluminatedhismemory。HerememberedhislongweeksofillnessandthedevotionofDr。 Duchesne。Herememberedhow，whenthecrisiswaspast，thedoctorhadurgedacompletechangeandabsoluterest，andhadtoldhimofasecludedranchoinsomeremotelocalitykeptbyanhonestWesternpioneerwhosefamilyhehadattended。Herememberedhisownreluctantassent，impelledbygratitudetothedoctorandthehelplessnessofasickman。Henowrecalledthewearyjourneythither，hisexhaustionandthesemi-consciousnessofhisarrivalinabewilderingwindonashadowyhilltop。Andthiswastheplace！ Heshiveredslightly，andduckedhisheadunderthecoveragain。 Butthebrightnessofthesunandsomeexhilaratingqualityintheairtemptedhimtohaveanotheroutlook，avoidingasfaraspossiblethegrimlydecoratedwalls。Iftheyhadonlylefthimhisfaithfulservanthecouldhaverelievedhimselfofthatmischievousbadinagewhichalwaysalternatelyhorrifiedanddelightedthatdevotednegro。Buthewasalone——absolutelyalone——inthisconventicle！ Presentlyhesawthedooropenslowly。Itgaveadmissiontothesmallroundfaceandyellowringletsofalittlegirl，andfinallytoherwholefigure，claspingadollnearlyaslargeasherself。 Foramomentshestoodthere，arrestedbythedisplayofMr。 Hamlin’sdressingcaseonthetable。Thenherglancesmovedaroundtheroomandresteduponthebed。HerblueeyesandMr。Hamlin’sbrownonesmetandmingled。Withoutamoment’shesitationshemovedtothebedside。Takingherdoll’shandsinherown，shedisplayeditbeforehim。 “Isn’titpitty？“ Mr。Hamlinwasinstantlyhisoldselfagain。Thrustinghishandcomfortablyunderthepillow，helayonhissideandgazedatitlongandaffectionately。“Inever，“hesaidinafaintvoice，butwithimmovablefeatures，“sawanythingsoperfectlybeautiful。Isitalive？“ “It’sadolly，“shereturnedgravely，smoothingdownitsfrockandstraighteningitshelplessfeet。Thenseizedwithaspontaneousidea，likeayounganimalshesuddenlypresentedittohimwithbothhandsandsaid，—— “Kissit。“ Mr。Hamlinimplantedachastesaluteonitsvermilioncheek。 “Wouldyoumindlettingmeholditforalittle？“hesaidwithextremediffidence。 Thechildwasdelighted，asheexpected。Mr。Hamlinplaceditinasittingpostureontheedgeofhisbed，andputanostentatiouspaternalarmaroundit。 “Butyou’realive，ain’tyou？“hesaidtothechild。 Thissubtlewitticismconvulsedher。“I’malittlegirl，“shegurgled。 “Isee；hermother？“ “Ess。“ “Andwho’syourmother？“ “Mammy。“ “Mrs。Rivers？“ Thechildnoddeduntilherringletswereshakenonhercheek。 Afteramomentshebegantolaughbashfullyandwithrepression，yetasMr。Hamlinthoughtalittlemischievously。Thenashelookedatherinterrogativelyshesuddenlycaughtholdoftheruffleofhissleeve。 “Oo’sgotonmammy’snighty。“ Mr。Hamlinstarted。Hesawthechild’sobviousmistakeandactuallyfelthimselfblushing。Itwasunprecedented——itwasthesheerestweakness——itmusthavesomethingtodowiththeconfoundedair。