"Johanna?"
"Yes—yes, Arabella. I am here."
"Yes, dear Johanna. But you are weeping."
"I am—I am. To you these tears shall be no secret, Arabella. Alas5! alas! You, who know my heart, know how much I have to weep for. You can bear with me. You are the only one in all the world whom I would willingly let see these bitter—bitter tears."
At those words, Johanna wept afresh, and the heart of her young friend was melted; but recovering sooner than Johanna, Arabella was able to speak somewhat composedly to her, saying—
"Have you heard anything, Johanna, new?"
"No—no. Except that Mr. Jeffery wishes to see me again to tell me something, and as he has not said in his letter what it is, I can guess it is no good news."
"No—no. I know he would, if he had had any joyous7 intelligence for me, have written it. He would feel of what a suspense even a few hours would be upon such a subject. No, Arabella, I feel that what he has to say is some terrible confirmation8 of my worst fears."
Arabella found it no easy task to combat this course of reasoning upon the part of Johanna. She felt its force, and yet she felt at the same time that it was somewhat incumbent9 upon her to resist it, and to make at least the endeavour to ward10 off the deep depression that had seized upon Johanna.
"Now listen to me," she said. "Perhaps what Colonel Jeffery has to say to you is, after all, a something hopeful; but, at the same time, being only hopeful, and nothing positive, he may have felt how difficult it was to write it, without exciting undue11 effects in your mind, and so prefers saying it, when he can accompany it by all the little collateral12 circumstances which alone can give it its proper value."
There was something like a gleam of sunshine in this idea.
"Do you understand me, dear Johanna?"
"Yes—yes."
Johanna spoke13 more firmly than before. The last argument of her friend had had all its weight with her, and had chased away many of the gloomy thoughts that had but a few moments before possessed14 her. What a strange compound is the human mind, and how singularly does it take its texture15, cameleon-like, from surrounding circumstances? But a few moments since, and, to Johanna the brief epistle of the colonel was suggestive of nothing but despair. How different now was its aspect? Arabella Wilmot had, by a few simple words, placed it in a new light, so that it started to the imagination of Johanna symbols of life.
"Ah! you are hoping now," said Arabella.
"I am—I am. Perhaps it is as you say, Arabella. I will think it is."
Miss Wilmot was now almost afraid that she had gone too far, and conjured16 up too much hope; but she could not bear the idea of dashing down again the fairy fabric17 of expectation she had moved in the bosom18 of Johanna, and merely added—
"Well, Johanna, since you find that the letter will, at all events, bear two interpretations19, I am sure that, until you may be convinced it owns to the worst, you will be as composed as possible."
"I will. And now, Arabella, will you, and can you accompany me this evening to the Temple Gardens, to meet Colonel Jeffery?"
"Yes, Johanna. I both can and will, if such is your wish."
"It is, Arabella, much my wish, for I feel that if what our friend, the colonel, has to say, should not be of a hopeful character, I should never be able to repeat it to you, so as to have your opinion of it."
"Then we will go together. But we will not pass that dreadful man's shop."
"Todd's?"
"Yes."
"Why not, Arabella? I feel, the moment that I leave this house, as though some irresistible20 fascination21 dragged me there, and I think I could no more pass down Fleet Street without directing my eyes to that building, which perchance has proved fatal to poor Mark, than I could fly."
"But—but, I shrink from that man recognising us again."
"We will pass upon the other side of the way, Arabella; but do not say nay to me, for pass I must."
There was such a frantic22 sort of earnestness in the manner in which Johanna urged this point, that Arabella no longer made any sort of opposition23 to it, and the two young girls soon arranged a time of meeting, when they would proceed together to the Temple Gardens, to give Colonel Jeffery the meeting he so much desired. As nothing of a very particular character occurred that day, we will at once follow Arabella and Johanna upon the mission, premising that the hours have slipped away which intervened between the time of Johanna receiving the note from Colonel Jeffery, and the time when, if she kept the appointment with him, it would be necessary for her to start from home to do so. Both the young girls made as great alterations24 in their attire25 as they could upon this occasion, so that they should not be strikingly recognisable again by Todd; and then Arabella reminding Johanna that the bargain between them was to pass upon the other side of the way, they both set off from the old spectacle-maker's. As they neared Fleet Street, the agitation26 of Johanna became more and more apparent, and Arabella was compelled to counsel her to calmness, lest the passers-by should notice how much she felt, from some cause to them unknown.
"My dear Johanna," she said. "Your arm trembles in mine. Oh! pray be calm."
"I will—I will. Are we near?"
"Yes. Let us cross."
They reached the other side of the way from that on which Todd's shop was situated27, to the great relief of Arabella, who as yet knew not of the placard that Todd had exhibited in his window, announcing the want of a pious28 youth. The sight of the shop, however, seemed to bring that circumstance to the mind of Johanna, and she told her young friend of it at once.
"Oh! Johanna," said Arabella, "does it not seem as though—"
She paused, and Johanna looked enquiringly at her, saying—
"What would you say, Arabella? What would you say?"
"Nothing now, Johanna. Nothing now. A thought struck me, and when we return from this meeting with your friend, the colonel, I will communicate it to you. Oh! do not look opposite. Do not."
All such injunctions were thrown away upon Johanna. Look opposite she did, and as she herself had truly said, it would have been quite impossible for her to avoid the doing so, even if the greatest personal risk had been risked in the action. But Todd's shop, to look at from the other side of the way, presented no terrors. It simply presented the idea of a little barber's shop, of no very great pretensions29, but of sufficient respectability, as barber's shops were in those days, not to make any decent person shrink from going into it. No doubt, in the crowd of Fleet Street—for Fleet Street was then crowded, although not to the extent it is now—Johanna and her friend passed quite unnoticed by Todd, even if he had been looking out. At all events, they reached Temple Bar without any obstruction30 or adventure. Finding, then, that they had passed the main entrance to the Temple, they went down the nearest adjacent street, and pursuing a circuitous31 route through some curious-looking courts, they reached their destination yet a little before the appointed hour. Colonel Jeffery, however, was not likely to keep Johanna Oakley waiting.
"There," said Arabella. "Is that the colonel?"
Johanna looked up just as the colonel approached, and lifted his hat.
"Yes, yes."
In another moment he was with them. There was a look upon the countenance32 of Colonel Jeffery of deep concern, and that look, at one glance that was bestowed33 upon it by Johanna Oakley, was quite sufficient to banish34 all hidden hopes that she might yet have cherished regarding the character of the news that he had to impart to her. Arabella Wilmot, too, was of the same opinion regarding the physiognomical expression of the colonel, who bowed to her profoundly.
Johanna And Arabella Meet And Consult Colonel Jeffery, In Temple Gardens.
Johanna And Arabella Meet And Consult Colonel Jeffery, In Temple Gardens.
"I have brought my dearest friend with me," said Johanna, "from whom I have no secrets."
"Nor I," said the colonel, "now that I hear she stands in such an enviable relation to you, Miss Oakley."
Arabella slightly bowed; and Johanna fixing her eyes, in which tears were glistening35, upon him, said—
"You have come to tell me that I may abandon all hope?"
"No—no; Heaven forbid!"
A bright flush came over the face of the young girl, and clasping her hands, she said—
"Oh, sir, do not play with feelings that perhaps you scarcely guess at. Do not tamper36 with a heart so near breaking as mine. It is cruel—cruel!"
"Do I deserve such a charge," said the colonel, "even by implication?"
"No—no," said Arabella. "Recollect37 yourself, Johanna. You are unjust to one who has shown himself to be your friend, and a friend to him whom you hope to see again."
Johanna held out her little child-like hand to the colonel, and looking appealingly in his face, she said—
"Can you forgive me? It was not I who spoke, but it was the agony of my heart that fashioned itself at the moment into words my better judgment38 and my better feelings will not own. Can you forgive me?"
"Can I, Miss Oakley! Oh, do not ask me. God grant that I could make you happy."
"I thank you, sir, deeply and truly thank you; and—and—now—now—"
"Now, you would say, tell me my news."
"Yes. Oh, yes."
"Then let us walk upon this broad path, by the river, while, in the first instance, I tell you that it was only from a deep sense of duty, and a feeling that I ought not, upon any consideration, to keep anything from you, that I came here to-day to give you some more information, and yet fresh information."
"You are very—very good to me, sir."
"No—no, do not say that, Miss Oakley. I am a friend. I am only very selfish; but, in brief, the lad who was in the barber's service at the time we think Mark Ingestrie called at the shop with the string of pearls in his possession, has told us all he knows upon the subject, freely."
"Yes—yes; and—and—"
"He knows very little."
"But that little?"
"Just amounts to this:—That such a person did come to the shop, and that he is quite clear that he never left it."
"Quite clear that he never left it!" repeated Johanna—"that he never left it. Quite clear that—that—"
She burst into tears, and clung to Arabella Wilmot for support. The colonel looked inexpressibly distressed39, but he did not speak. He felt that any common-place topics of consolation40 would have been an insult; and he had seen enough of human feelings to know that such bursts of passionate41 grief cannot be stemmed, but must have their course, and that such tears will flow like irresistible torrents42 into the ocean of eternity43. Arabella was greatly distressed. She had not expected that Johanna would have given way in such a manner, and she looked at Colonel Jeffery as though she would have said—"Is it possible that you can say nothing to calm this grief?" He shook his head, but made no reply in words. In a few moments, however, Johanna was wonderfully recovered. She was able to speak more composedly than she had done since the commencement of the interview.
"Tell me all, now," she said. "I can bear to hear it all."
"You know all, Miss Oakley. The poor boy, in whose fate I have felt sufficiently44 interested to take him into my care, says that such a man as Thornhill did come to his master's shop. That he (the boy) was sent out upon some trivial errand, merely to get him out of the way, and that, pending45 his return, the visitor disappeared. He deposes46 to the fact of the dog watching the door."
"The dog?"
"Yes. Thornhill, it seems, had a faithful dog with him."
"Ah, Arabella, we must have seen that dog."
"Has not the creature, then, fallen a victim to Todd's malevolence47?"
"We think not, sir," said Arabella.
"Go on—go on," said Johanna; "what more?"
"The boy states that he is certain he saw the hat of the visitor with the dog in Todd's house, after Todd had declared he had left, and proceeded to the city."
"The hat—the dog. Alas! alas!"
"Nay, Miss Oakley, do not forget one thing, and that is, that neither you nor any one else have as yet identified this Mr. Thornhill as Mr. Ingestrie."
"No, not positively48; but my heart tells me—"
"Ah, Miss Oakley, the heart is the slave of the feelings and of the imagination. You must not always trust to its testimony49 or emotions upon cold fact."
"There is yet hope, then, Johanna," said Arabella. "A bright hope for you to cling to, for, as this gentleman says, there is nothing positive to prove that Mr. Thornhill was Mark Ingestrie. I would not, were I you, abandon that hope on any account, while I lived, and could still clutch it. Would it not be a great thing, sir, if any papers or documents which this Thornhill might have had about him, could be recovered?"
"It would indeed."
Arabella at first seemed upon the point of saying something contingent50 upon this remark of the colonel's, or rather this acquiescence51 of his in her remark, but she thought better of it, and was silent, upon which Johanna spoke, saying—
"And that is really all, sir?"
"It is, Miss Oakley."
"But will nothing be done? Will no steps be taken to bring this man, Todd to justice?"
"Yes, everything will be done; and indeed, anything that can be done consistently with sound policy is actually now. Sir Richard Blunt, one of the most acute, active, and personally daring of the magistrates52 of London, has the affair in hand, and you may be quite assured that he will pursue it with zeal53."
"And what is he doing?"
"Collecting such evidence against Todd, that at a moment the law will be enabled to come upon him with a certainty that by no ingenious quibble can he escape."
"I thank you, sir, from my heart," she said, "for all the kindness and—and—I need not again trespass55 upon your time or your patience."
"Ah, Miss Oakley, will you deny me your friendship?"
"Oh, no—no."
"Then why deny me the privilege of a friend to see you sometimes. If I cannot say to you anything positively of a consoling character regarding him whom you so much regret, I can at least share your sorrows, and sympathise with your feelings."
Johanna was silent, but after a few moments she began to feel that she was acting56 both with harshness and injustice57 towards one who had been all that the kindest and most generous friend could be to her. She held out her hand to the colonel, saying—
"Yes, sir, I shall be always happy to see you."
The colonel pressed her hand in his, and then turning to Arabella Wilmot, they parted at the garden.
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1
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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aphorism
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| n.格言，警语 | |
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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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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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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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incumbent
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| adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的 | |
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10
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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collateral
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| adj.平行的；旁系的；n.担保品 | |
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13
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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14
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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conjured
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| 用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
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fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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interpretations
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| n.解释( interpretation的名词复数 )；表演；演绎；理解 | |
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irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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alterations
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| n.改动( alteration的名词复数 )；更改；变化；改变 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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26
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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27
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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28
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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29
pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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obstruction
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| n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物 | |
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circuitous
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| adj.迂回的路的，迂曲的，绕行的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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banish
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| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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tamper
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| v.干预，玩弄，贿赂，窜改，削弱，损害 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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pending
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| prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的 | |
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46
deposes
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| v.罢免( depose的第三人称单数 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证 | |
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malevolence
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| n.恶意，狠毒 | |
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48
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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50
contingent
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| adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队 | |
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51
acquiescence
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| n.默许；顺从 | |
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52
magistrates
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| 地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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53
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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54
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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55
trespass
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| n./v.侵犯，闯入私人领地 | |
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56
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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