After a while she became very cold;—so cold that that now became for the moment her greatest cause of suffering. It was mid-winter, and though the cloak she had brought was the warmest garment that she possessed9, it was very insufficient10 for such work as the present night had brought upon her. Besides her cloak, she had nothing wherewith to wrap herself. Her feet became like ice, and then the chill crept up her body; and though she clung very close to her lover, she could not keep herself from shivering as though in an ague fit. She had no hesitation11 now in striving to obtain some warmth by his close proximity12. It seemed to her as though the cold would kill her before she could reach Augsburg. The train would not be due there till nine in the morning, and it was still dark night as she thought that it would be impossible for her to sustain such an agony of pain much longer. It was still dark night, and the violent rain was pattering against the glass, and the damp came in through the crevices13, and the wind blew bitterly upon her; and then as she turned a little to ask her lover to find some comfort for her, some mitigation of her pain, she perceived that he was asleep. Then the tears began to run down her cheeks, and she told herself that it would be well if she could die.
After all, what did she know of this man who was now sleeping by her side,—this man to whom she had intrusted everything, more than her happiness, her very soul? How many words had she ever spoken to him? What assurance had she even of his heart? Why was he asleep, while her sufferings were so very cruel to her? She had encountered the evils of this elopement to escape what had appeared to her the greater evils of a detested14 marriage. Steinmarc was very much to be hated. But might it not be that even that would have been better than this? Poor girl! the illusion even of her love was being frozen cold within her during the agony of that morning. All the while the train went thundering on through the night, now rushing into a tunnel, now crossing a river, and at every change in the sounds of the carriages she almost hoped that something might be amiss. Oh, the cold! She had gathered her feet up and was trying to sit on them. For a moment or two she had hoped that her movement would waken Ludovic, so that she might have had the comfort of a word; but he had only tumbled with his head hither and thither15, and had finally settled himself in a position in which he leaned heavily upon her. She thought that he was heartless to sleep while she was suffering; but she forgot that he had watched at the window while she had slumbered16 upon the sacks in the warehouse17. At length, however, she could bear his weight no longer, and she was forced to rouse him. "You are so heavy," she said; "I cannot bear it;" when at last she succeeded in inducing him to sit upright.
"Dear me! oh, ah, yes. How cold it is! I think I have been asleep."
"The cold is killing18 me," she said.
"My poor darling! What shall I do? Let me see. Where do you feel it most."
"All over. Do you not feel how I shiver? Oh, Ludovic, could we get out at the next station?"
"Impossible, Linda. What should we do there?"
"And what shall we do at Augsburg? Oh dear, I wish I had not come. I am so cold. It is killing me." Then she burst out into floods of sobbing19, so that the old man opposite to her was aroused. The old man had brandy in his basket and made her drink a little. Then after a while she was quieted, and was taken by station after station without demanding of Ludovic that he should bring this weary journey to an end.
Gradually the day dawned, and the two could look at each other in the grey light of the morning. But Linda thought of her own appearance rather than that of her lover. She had been taught that it was required of a woman that she should be neat, and she felt now that she was dirty, foul20 inside and out,—a thing to be scorned. As their companions also bestirred themselves in the daylight, she was afraid to meet their eyes, and strove to conceal21 her face. The sacks in the warehouse had, in lieu of a better bed, been acceptable; but she was aware now, as she could see the skirts of her own dress and her shoes, and as she glanced her eyes gradually round upon her shoulders, that the stains of the place were upon her, and she knew herself to be unclean. That sense of killing cold had passed off from her, having grown to a numbness23 which did not amount to present pain, though it would hardly leave her without some return of the agony; but the misery24 of her disreputable appearance was almost as bad to her as the cold had been. It was not only that she was untidy and dishevelled, but it was that her condition should have been such without the company of any elder female friend whose presence would have said, "This young woman is respectable, even though her dress be soiled with dust and meal." As it was, the friend by her side was one who by his very appearance would condemn25 her. No one would suppose her to be his wife. And then the worst of it was that he also would judge her as others judged her. He also would say to himself that no one would suppose such a woman to be his wife. And if once he should learn so to think of her, how could she expect that he would ever persuade himself to become her husband? How she wished that she had remained beneath her aunt's roof! It now occurred to her, as though for the first time, that no one could have forced her to go to church on that thirtieth of January and become Peter Steinmarc's wife. Why had she not remained at home and simply told her aunt that the thing was impossible?
At last they were within an hour of Augsburg, and even yet she knew nothing as to his future plans. It was very odd that he should not have told her what they were to do at Augsburg. He said that she should be his queen, that she should be as happy as the day was long, that everything would be right as soon as they reached Augsburg; but now they were all but at Augsburg, and she did not as yet know what first step they were to take when they reached the town. She had much wished that he would speak without being questioned, but at last she thought that she was bound to question him. "Ludovic, where are we going to at Augsburg?"
"To the Black Bear first. That will be best at first."
"Is it an inn?"
"Yes, dear; not a great big house like the Rothe Ross at Nuremberg, but very quiet and retired26, in a back street."
"Do they expect us?"
"Well, no; not exactly. But that won't matter."
"And how long shall we stay there?"
"Ah! that must depend on tidings from Berlin and Munich. It may be that we shall be compelled to get away from Bavaria altogether." Then he paused for a moment, while she was thinking what other question she could ask. "By the by," he said, "my father is in Augsburg."
She had heard of his father as a man altogether worthless, one ever in difficulties, who would never work, who had never seemed to wish to be respectable. When the great sins of Ludovic's father had been magnified to her by Madame Staubach and by Peter, with certain wise hints that swans never came out of the eggs of geese, Linda would declare with some pride of spirit that the son was not like the father; that the son had never been known to be idle. She had not attempted to defend the father, of whom it seemed to be acknowledged by the common consent of all Nuremberg that he was utterly27 worthless, and a disgrace to the city which had produced him. But Linda now felt very thankful for the assurance of even his presence. Had it been Ludovic's mother, how much better would it have been! But that she should be received even by his father,—by such a father,—was much to her in her desolate28 condition.
"Will he be at the station?" Linda asked.
"Oh, no."
"Does he expect us?"
"Well, no. You see, Linda, I only got out of prison yesterday morning."
"Does your father live in Augsburg?"
"He hardly lives anywhere. He goes and comes at present as he is wanted by the cause. It is quite on the cards that we should find that the police have nabbed him. But I hope not. I think not. When I have seen you made comfortable, and when we have had something to eat and drink, I shall know where to seek him. While I am doing so, you had better lie down."
She was afraid to ask him whether his father knew, or would suspect, aught as to his bringing a companion, or whether the old man would welcome such a companion for his son. Indeed, she hardly knew how to frame any question that had application to herself. She merely assented29 to his proposition that she should go to bed at the Black Bear, and then waited for the end of their journey. Early in the morning their fellow-passengers had left them, and they were now alone. But Ludovic distressed30 her no more by the vehemence31 of his caresses32. He also was tired and fagged and cold and jaded33. It is not improbable that he had been meditating34 whether he, in his present walk of life, had done well to encumber35 himself with the burden of a young woman.
At last they were at the platform at Augsburg. "Don't move quite yet," he said. "One has to be a little careful." When she attempted to raise herself she found herself to be so numb22 that all quickness of motion was out of the question. Ludovic, paying no attention to her, sat back in the carriage, with his cap before his face, looking with eager eyes over the cap on to the platform.
"May we not go now?" said Linda, when she saw that the other passengers had alighted.
"Don't be in a hurry, my girl. By God, there are those ruffians, the gendarmerie. It's all up. By Jove! yes, it's all up. That is hard, after all I did at Nuremberg."
"Ludovic!"
"Look here, Linda. Get out at once and take these letters. Make your way to the Black Bear, and wait for me."
"And you?"
"Never mind me, but do as you're told. In a moment it will be too late. If we are noticed to be together it will be too late."
"But how am I to get to the Black Bear?"
"Heaven and earth! haven't you a tongue? But here they are, and it's all up." And so it was. A railway porter opened the door, and behind the railway porter were two policemen. Linda, in her dismay, had not even taken the papers which had been offered to her, and Valcarm, as soon as he was sure that the police were upon him, had stuffed them down the receptacle made in the door for the fall of the window.
But the fate of Valcarm and of his papers is at the present moment not of so much moment to us as is that of Linda Tressel. Valcarm was carried off, with or without the papers, and she, after some hurried words, which were unintelligible36 to her in her dismay, found herself upon the platform amidst the porters. A message had come from Nuremberg by the wires to Augsburg, requiring the arrest of Ludovic Valcarm, but the wires had said nothing of any companion that might be with him. Therefore Linda was left standing37 amidst the porters on the platform. She asked one of the men about the Black Bear. He shook his head, and told her that it was a house of a very bad sort,—of a very bad sort indeed.
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1
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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2
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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3
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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5
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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6
dozed
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| v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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8
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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9
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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10
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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11
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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12
proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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13
crevices
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| n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 ) | |
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14
detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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16
slumbered
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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17
warehouse
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| n.仓库；vt.存入仓库 | |
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18
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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19
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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20
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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21
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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22
numb
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| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
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23
numbness
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| n.无感觉，麻木，惊呆 | |
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24
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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25
condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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26
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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27
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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28
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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29
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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31
vehemence
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| n.热切；激烈；愤怒 | |
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32
caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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33
jaded
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| adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的 | |
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34
meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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35
encumber
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| v.阻碍行动，妨碍，堆满 | |
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36
unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
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37
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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