"Having written and posted my last letter to you, I lost no time in asking Mr. Gruding, the landlord of the hotel where I am staying, to again favor me with his company for a short time. It was from him I had obtained my information about Mr. Hodgson, and it seemed not unlikely that he might be able to supply me with some particulars anent Miss Pengarvon, of Broome.
"Nor was I mistaken. Gruding had much that was interesting to tell me in answer to the questions I put to him; all of which shall be re-told you fully2 when next we meet.
"The interview with my landlord took place on Saturday. Having decided3 upon seeing Miss Pengarvon for myself, I made my way yesterday morning to the church she is in the habit of attending, which is situated4 on the outskirts5 of the village of Dritton, and within half-a-mile of the Hall; and there, in a square, old-fashioned pew, shut up by herself in isolated6 dignity, sat the last living representative of the old family.
"I was fortunate enough to be so placed as to have a good view of Miss Pengarvon during the progress of the service, and I took care to be standing7 close to the porch when she emerged from the church. She was followed by an old serving man, who limped somewhat, and who carried his mistress's capacious umbrella and large-print prayer-book.
"Enclosed is a sketch8-likeness9 of Miss Pengarvon, elaborated from a rougher sketch which I made seated on a tombstone, as soon as the congregation had dispersed10 and I was left alone.
"Now I want you, dearest, to tell me whether you can detect in the sketch any resemblance to either of the two ladies whom you saw that evening in the oak-panelled room, as described by you in your last letter but one."
Hermia Rivers to Clement Hazeldine.
"Without committing myself to a positive statement, I can safely say that the sketch of Miss Pengarvon, which I received from you this morning, bears a marked resemblance to the face of the elder of the two sisters--if sisters they were--as stored up in my memory all these years. More than that it would not be safe for me to say."
If Clem had been troubled by any faint doubts before as to whether he was on the right track, the receipt of Hermia's last note would have served to finally dissipate them. Being satisfied so far, he was at once faced by the question, what ought his next step to be? It was a question hard to answer, because it seemed to him that beyond the point at which he had now arrived he had no sure ground to go upon.
As far as he had gone each step he had taken had pointed11 the way to the next; but he now found himself, as it were, confronted by a dead wall. Despite all he had discovered so far, he felt that he had no sufficient basis of facts to warrant him in going to Miss Pengarvon. What, indeed, could he say to her if he sought and obtained an interview? He would simply be showing his hand prematurely12, with the result, in all likelihood, of defeating the very object he had in view.
But although he could not see his way to call upon the mistress of Broome, Clement was by no means minded to give up his quest at the point to which he had now brought it, and admit his inability to push it to a further issue. Somewhere in the dark must be hidden another link of the chain, if only he knew in which direction to put forth13 his hands and grope for it.
Two or three days passed without bringing him any suggestion that seemed worth following up. Then, on the third forenoon, as he stood leaning over a gate in a country lane, staring at nothing in particular in a somewhat disconsolate14 mood, he said to himself: "Perhaps if I could obtain access to the old Hall, and were allowed to go over it, I might chance to light on something which would furnish me with a hint or a clue to that which I am so anxious to find out." The course in question seemed such an obvious one that he was surprised it had failed to suggest itself to him before.
As soon as he got back to the hotel he sought another interview with his landlord, who opened his eyes to their fullest extent when told his guest's object in sending for him. He, Gruding, had never heard of anybody who wanted to go over Broome. It wasn't a show place, and, as far as he knew, there was nothing in it worth seeing. But granting that anyone should want to go over it, he didn't for a moment suppose that Miss Pengarvon would allow them to do so. Still, he might be wrong. He had reason to believe that his barmaid's brother was engaged to a young woman who was in service at Broome, and there was no doubt the young fellow in question could easily get to know through his sweetheart whether there was any likelihood of a stranger being allowed to explore the interior of the Hall.
At Clement's request a message was sent to Mark Finch15--that being the young fellow's name--asking him to call upon Doctor Hazeldine at the "King's Arms" as soon as his day's work was over. In due course he made his appearance, and great was his astonishment16 when told what he was wanted for. Like the landlord, he had never heard of anybody who was anxious to explore the old mansion17; nor did he believe they would be allowed to do so. However he would ask his sweetheart, Lucy Grice, whom he was going to meet that evening, and would let the gentleman know her opinion in the matter by breakfast-time next morning.
Lucy's opinion proved to be merely a confirmation19 of those already enunciated20 by Gruding and Mark Finch, except that it was expressed in still more emphatic21 terms. Anybody, she said, who was acquainted with Miss Pengarvon would know quite well that on no account whatever would that lady allow a stranger, who could allege22 the gratification of an idle curiosity as his only motive23 for wanting to do so, to set foot across the threshold of Broome. Many people in Clem's place would have given up the point as hopeless; but he was composed of more stubborn stuff. Mark Finch was told to come again in the evening, when he would have time for a long talk with Dr. Hazeldine.
Into the details of the conversation that passed between the two it is not needful that we should enter. Mark and Lucy, it seemed, were desirous of getting married, and were saving up towards housekeeping with that end in view. Towards the fund thus being accumulated Clem offered to contribute five pounds, on condition that Lucy, unknown to the other inmates24, should admit him to the Hall, and show him over that part of it which was shut up and unoccupied. The girl would be at his heels the whole time he was inside the house, and would be able to watch his every movement; while, finally, he engaged that an hour and a half at most should elapse between the time of his entering the house and leaving it.
The temptation proved too strong for the lovers to resist. Lucy foresaw no difficulty in carrying out her part of the scheme. Once a month her uncle, Barney Dale, went to Marrowfield, as he had done for the last quarter of a century, to dispose of the work of his mistress's needle. Three days hence was his time for going, and Dr. Hazeldine's exploration must take place while he was away. Breakfast would be over, and Miss Pengarvon, intent on her work in the Green Parlor25, would hear nothing. As a further safeguard, however, it might be as well if the young doctor were to wear a pair of list slippers26 over his boots.
As it was arranged so it was carried out. Clement was surreptitiously admitted at the side entrance about half-an-hour after Barney had taken his departure. Under the guidance of the girl he tramped upstairs and down in his list slippers, passing from one unused room to another, having here a shutter27 opened for him, so as to let in a modified daylight, and there a blind partly drawn28 up. Many of the rooms were entirely29 denuded30 of furniture, while in others what there was of it was sheeted up in brown holland. Everywhere the dust lay thick and heavy; the clouded mirrors could but reflect the ghosts, as it were, of the young man and the girl as they passed in front of them. Nearly every corner was festooned with huge cobwebs; behind the wainscoting the mice squeaked31 and scampered32; everything was touched by the mouldering33 finger of decay. When Clement and his guide spoke34 to each other it was as people speak in the chamber35 of death.
Last of all they came to the picture-gallery, where hung some score or more portraits of dead and gone Pengarvons. A lozenge-paned oriel window at one end, the upper half of which was filled with painted glass, suffused36 the gallery with a faintly-tinted half-light, which seemed fitly to accord with the place and the throng37 of dumbly-staring effigies38 on its walls. Clem walked up to the oriel and gazed out into the grounds, while Lucy proceeded to open the shutters39 of two of the long windows which fronted the portraits. Presently Clem's eyes came back to the window, and to a recognition of the fact that sundry40 names and initials had been scratched with a diamond here and there on its panes41. Among them he found one which sent a sudden rush of blood to his heart the moment his eyes lighted on it. Surmounted42 by a true lover's knot, and with the date 1649 below, were the two names "Hermia Moray" and "Rupert Pengarvon." Here was proof positive of one thing--that "Hermia" was a name not unknown in the Pengarvon annals upwards43 of two centuries ago. Clem felt that this discovery alone amply rewarded him for his exploration of the Hall. Presently he turned to examine the portraits. One after another his gaze took them in till the series was exhausted44. They comprised both sexes, and some of the oldest of them, judging from their costumes, seemed to date back to the time of the First or Second Charles, but apparently45 none were more modern than the first decade of the present century. Then Clement went back to one of the portraits, and stood gazing at it in silence for a long time. It was the likeness of a girl of nineteen or twenty, wearing a short-waisted white robe, a broad blue sash, and a wide-brimmed hat with sweeping46 plumes47 over an elaborate arrangement of curls and loosely-coiled tresses. Taken simply as a work of art, it was the gem48 of the gallery, and Clem at once set it down as being from the brush of either Lawrence or Sir Joshua. But what struck him more than aught else was the strange, haunting likeness it bore to Hermia. Not merely was it that the eyes and hair of one and the other approximated closely in color, and that the features of both might almost have been cast in the same mould, there was an indescribable something, a sort of spiritual likeness, so to call it, which brought them into closer affinity49 than any mere18 similarity of physical attributes would have served to do. Long and earnestly did Clement gaze at the beautiful face with its hovering50 smile, and its fathomless51 violet eyes which seemed as if they were reading his inmost thoughts. Lucy, when questioned, could tell him nothing about the original. She had only been in the gallery once before, and felt anything but comfortable with all those staring eyes following her every movement. But it would not do to linger there forever. Clem had brought sketching52 materials with him in readiness for any emergency that might arise, and he now proceeded, with a few bold, swift touches, to secure the salient points of the likeness which had for him an interest far exceeding that of all the other portraits put together.
He left Stavering by the afternoon train that same day, and a few hours later was back at home.
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1
clement
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| adj.仁慈的；温和的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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8
sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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9
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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prematurely
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| adv.过早地，贸然地 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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disconsolate
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| adj.忧郁的，不快的 | |
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finch
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| n.雀科鸣禽(如燕雀，金丝雀等) | |
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16
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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enunciated
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| v.（清晰地）发音( enunciate的过去式和过去分词 )；确切地说明 | |
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emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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allege
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| vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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26
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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shutter
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| n.百叶窗；(照相机)快门；关闭装置 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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30
denuded
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| adj.[医]变光的，裸露的v.使赤裸( denude的过去式和过去分词 )；剥光覆盖物 | |
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31
squeaked
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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32
scampered
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
mouldering
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| v.腐朽( moulder的现在分词 )；腐烂，崩塌 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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35
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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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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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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effigies
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| n.（人的）雕像，模拟像，肖像( effigy的名词复数 ) | |
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39
shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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40
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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41
panes
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| 窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 ) | |
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42
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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43
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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44
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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45
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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46
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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47
plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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48
gem
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| n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel | |
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49
affinity
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| n.亲和力，密切关系 | |
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50
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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51
fathomless
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| a.深不可测的 | |
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52
sketching
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| n.草图 | |
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