For the first time in their lives these two beings, whose fates were so strangely linked together, faced each other--the mother who believed her child to be dead, the father who had brought up that child in ignorance of her birthright. It was a solemn moment, as trying to the man who had erred1 as to the woman who had fallen. To him the truth was as clear as though it were proclaimed with a tongue of fire, to her it had yet to be revealed. How feeble was the human act when brought into juxtaposition2 with destiny's decree!
Aaron's sin had been ever before him; the handwriting had been ever on the wall. Scarcely for one day during the last twenty years had the voice of conscience been stilled, and it had been part of his punishment that the inherited instincts of the child had worked inexorably against all his efforts; her silent resistance to the lessons he would have inculcated had been too powerful for him; and in the end she had turned resolutely3 from the path into which, with inward reproaches, he had endeavoured to lead her, and had obeyed the promptings of her nature in mapping out her own future.
Keen as were Aaron's sufferings, he experienced a sense of relief that the bolt had fallen, and that the hour of retribution had arrived; the agony of suspense4 had been almost unbearable5, and he accepted with mournful resignation the decree which ordained6 that he should pass judgment7 upon himself.
A difficult task lay before him; the revelation he had to make must be made with tact8 and delicacy9, in consideration for the mother's feelings. Joy, as well as sorrow, has its fears.
Forgetful for the moment of his own domestic grief, a sympathetic pity for the bereaved10 woman stirred Aaron's heart. Her tribulation11 was expressed in her face, which was pale with woe12; her eyes were suffused13 with tears; her limbs trembled as she sank into the chair which he placed for her. It was not he alone who was experiencing the tortures of remorse14.
Mrs. Gordon was in mourning, and Aaron knew it was as much for her child as for her husband. Except that time had told its tale there was little change in her, and few persons who had known her in her springtime would have failed to recognise her in her middle age. Her union with Mr. Gordon had not been entirely15 unhappy; he had performed his duty towards her, as she had done towards him, and though he had a suspicion that through all the long years she never lost sight of her secret sorrow, he made no reference to it, and she, on her part, did not intrude16 it upon him. Only on his deathbed had he spoken of her child, and had given her an imperfect clue, which she was now following up. Bitter was the knowledge she had gained. Her child was dead. Free, and in possession of great wealth, she was alone, without a tie in the world. All her bright dreams had faded. She had indulged the hope that her child still lived, and as she travelled back to England had raised up mental pictures of her daughter which filled her with joy. The presumption17 was that the young girl was living in a poor home, and was perhaps working for a livelihood18. To lift her from poverty to wealth, to make a lady of her, to load her with gifts, to educate her for the new and higher station in life in which she was now to move, to love and caress19 her, to travel with her through the pleasure grounds of Europe--these were the dreams in which she had indulged. Innumerable were the pictures she had raised on her voyage home of the joy and delight of her daughter, and of the happy days in store for them. The information she received from Dr. Spenlove had killed these hopes, and her yearning20 desire now was to visit the grave of the babe she had deserted21, and to weep over it tears of bitter repentance22. It was not so much to reclaim23 the iron box containing the clue to a shameful24 episode in her youthful life, as to learn where her babe was buried, that she wished to learn into whose care her child had been given. There was a time when she nursed a fierce desire for revenge upon the man who had betrayed her, but this desire had burnt itself away, and she would be content that the melancholy25 memories of the past should be buried in oblivion. No good result would accrue26 from rekindling27 the smouldering ashes of an experience so mournful. She had lived down the shame; no word of reproach had been uttered against her; let the dead past bury its dead.
For a few moments there was silence between her and Aaron, and she was the first to speak.
"Dr. Spenlove has told me all," she said.
"He has told you what he knows," said Aaron, "but you have something more to hear. Mrs. Gordon, it was I who undertook the charge of your child. Mr. Moss28 brought her to me in Gosport, and delivered to me also the casket which you entrusted29 to Dr. Spenlove. I return it to you now, in the same condition as it was handed to me. You will oblige me by convincing yourself that it has not been tampered30 with."
She unlocked the box with a key she carried in her purse, and taking from it the letters she had deposited therein, glanced over them with a bitter smile, then replaced them in their hiding-place, and relocked the casket.
"There was nothing else in it?" asked Aaron.
"Nothing else," she replied; "it is as I delivered it to Dr. Spenlove. Tell me about my child. Did she live long? Was she buried in Gosport? You will tell me the truth; you will conceal31 nothing from me?"
"I will tell you the truth; I will conceal nothing from you; but what I have to say must be said in my own way. Prepare yourself for a strange story, but have no fear. You are the first person to whom it will be revealed. When Mr. Moss left your child with me there were two babes in my house of the same age, and we were in deep poverty and distress32. My wife--my beloved wife lay at the point of death"--he covered his eyes with his hands. "Bear with me; these recollections overcome me." Presently he resumed. "But a short time before her confinement33 she had been stricken with blindness. Her own child, whose face she had never seen, lay quiet and still in her arms. The doctor who attended her feared the worst, and said that her life depended upon the life of her babe. If our child died on the morrow the mother would die; if our child lived, the mother would live. Temptation assailed34 me, and to save the life of my beloved wife I yielded to it. How can I expect you to forgive me for what I did in the agony of my heart?"
Again he paused, and tears gushed35 from his eyes. Mrs. Gordon sank back in her chair; there was not a vestige36 of colour in her face.
"My God! My God!" she murmured. "Have I not suffered enough?"
The words recalled him to himself. He begged her to have courage, to be strong; there was no new suffering in store for her, he said; what he had to relate would bring joy into her life. He gave her wine, and when she had recovered he proceeded with his story, and gradually and tenderly revealed to her the truth. As he proceeded her face shone with incredulous joy, her heart beat tumultuously with the prospect37 of this unexpected happiness; and when his story was finished, and he sat before her with bowed head, there was a long, long silence in the room. He dared utter no further words; in silent dread38 he waited for his condemnation39.
He felt a hand upon his knee, and looking down he saw her kneeling at his feet. She was transfigured; the spirit of youth shone in her countenance40, and she took his hand, and kissed it again and again, bedewing it with happy tears. He gazed at her in wonder. He had expected revilings, and she was all tenderness.
"Is it true?" she murmured. "Oh! is it true? At such a time as this you would not deceive me!"
"Heaven forbid!" he answered. "What I have related is the solemn truth."
"And my child lives?"
"She lives."
"God in heaven bless you! She lives--my daughter lives!"
"And you do not blame me--you do not reproach me?"
"I shall bless you to my dying day! Oh, my heart, my heart! It will burst with happiness!"
He entreated41 her to be composed, and in a little while she was calmer. Then for the first time he wrested42 himself from the environment of his own selfish sorrows; he put himself in her place, and understood the sacred joy which animated43 her. She was all eagerness to see her child, but Aaron bade her restrain her impatience44; he had much more to relate which it was necessary she should hear.
"But I must see her to-night!" she cried.
"You shall see her to-night. I will take you to her."
She was fain to be satisfied with this assurance, but she would not be content till she saw a portrait of Ruth. He gave her a cabinet photograph, and she gazed at it longingly45, yearningly46.
"She is beautiful, beautiful!"
"Yes, she is a beautiful girl," said Aaron; and then proceeded with the story, saying nothing, however, of what he had done for the young couple. At first she was grieved to hear that Ruth was married, but she found some consolation47 in the reflection that she had married into an honourable48 family. When Aaron related the particulars of the lawyer's visit to him, commissioned by Lord Storndale because of his stern objection to his son marrying a Jewess, she exclaimed,--
"But Ruth is not a Jewess!" and was appalled49 by the thought that her daughter was not born in wedlock50. A child of shame! How would she be received? It was her turn now to fear, and Aaron, whose native shrewdness had returned to him, divined her fear; but it was not for him to moot51 the subject.
"My child," she said, with hot blushes on her face, "believes herself to be your daughter?"
"She does. It was my intention to undeceive her to-night."
"You know my story?"
"It was imparted to me," he replied, with averted52 head, "when I was asked to receive your child."
"Who knows the truth," she asked, trembling and hesitating, "about me?"
"I, Mr. Moss, Dr. Spenlove, and your husband's lawyers."
"No other persons?"
"No other persons." He took her hand. "Dear lady, from my heart I pity and sympathise with you. If I can assist you in any way----"
"You can--you can!" she cried. "For God's sake do not destroy the happiness that may be mine!"
"As Heaven is my judge, no word shall pass my lips. Be comforted, be comforted. The lawyers' lips are sealed, as you have already learned, and I will answer for Mr. Moss and Dr. Spenlove. Say to her and to her husband's family what you will--it will be justified53. Your secret is safe."
She thanked him humbly54 and gratefully; it was she who was abashed55; it was she who had to implore56 for mercy; and it was due to his wisdom that her aching heart was eased.
"If I can repay you--if I can repay you!" she murmured.
"You can repay me by saying you forgive me for the sin I committed."
"Your sin!" she cried, in amazement57. "You, who have brought up my child in virtue58 and honour! At my door lies the sin, not at yours."
"You forget," he groaned59; "I have sinned against my wife, whom I love with a love dearer than life itself, and she has yet to receive the confession60 I have made to you. It was my love for her that led me into the error."
"An error," said Mrs. Gordon, in tender accents, "that has saved a daughter from regarding her mother with abhorrence61. Dear friend, God sees and judges, and surely He will approve what you have done. A grateful mother blesses you!"
"Remain here," said Aaron. "I will speak to my friends and yours, and then I will conduct you to your daughter."
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1
erred
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| 犯错误，做错事( err的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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juxtaposition
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| n.毗邻，并置，并列 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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6
ordained
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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7
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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8
tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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10
bereaved
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| adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物） | |
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tribulation
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| n.苦难，灾难 | |
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12
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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13
suffused
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| v.（指颜色、水气等）弥漫于，布满( suffuse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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15
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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16
intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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17
presumption
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| n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定 | |
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18
livelihood
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| n.生计，谋生之道 | |
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19
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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20
yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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21
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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22
repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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23
reclaim
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| v.要求归还，收回；开垦 | |
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24
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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25
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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26
accrue
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| v.(利息等)增大，增多 | |
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27
rekindling
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| v.使再燃( rekindle的现在分词 ) | |
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28
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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29
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
tampered
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| v.窜改( tamper的过去式 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄 | |
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31
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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32
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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33
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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34
assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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35
gushed
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| v.喷，涌( gush的过去式和过去分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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36
vestige
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| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
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37
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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38
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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39
condemnation
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| n.谴责; 定罪 | |
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40
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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41
entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
wrested
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| （用力）拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 )； 费力取得； （从…）攫取； （ 从… ） 强行取去… | |
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43
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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44
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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45
longingly
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| adv. 渴望地 热望地 | |
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46
yearningly
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| 怀念地，思慕地，同情地； 渴 | |
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47
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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48
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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49
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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50
wedlock
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| n.婚姻，已婚状态 | |
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51
moot
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| v.提出；adj.未决议的；n.大会；辩论会 | |
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52
averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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53
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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54
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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55
abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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57
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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58
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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59
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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60
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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61
abhorrence
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| n.憎恶；可憎恶的事 | |
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