She did not move.
The scrivener never, for a moment, suspected who she might be. It never occurred to him that she had a special object in accosting2 him. He could not see her face, for it was still concealed3 by the bonnet4 and thick veil she wore.
“There is something for you,” he said, throwing down a small silver coin; for he judged that she might be a beggar. “Now stand aside, will you, for I am in haste.”
“So you bestow5 your alms upon me, as upon a beggar, Jacob Wynne,” said the woman, with a hard, bitter laugh. As she spoke6, she drew aside her veil with an impatient movement, and allowed him a full view of her features.
“Yes,—Margaret!” she repeated, in the same hard tone as before. “I dare say you did not expect to see me here.”
“What fiend sent you here?” he exclaimed, angrily.
“Is it so remarkable,” she said, “that I should wish to be near you?”
“Margaret,” said Jacob, with difficulty restraining his anger sufficiently8 to assume a tone of persuasion9, “consider 113how much attention you will attract, dressed in this uncouth10 style. Go home; there’s a good woman.”
He looked uneasily in the direction where he had left his companion, fearing that she might become a witness of this interview.
“Good woman!” she laughed, wildly. “Oh, yes, you do well to call me that. You are doing your best to make me so.” Then changing her tone, “So you are ashamed of my dress. I will not disgrace you any longer, if you will give me money to buy others.”
“Well, well! we’ll talk about that when we get home. Only walk quietly down to the boat now. You see we are attracting attention.”
“And you will come with me?” she said, with a searching look.
“I? no, not at present. I have an engagement,” said Jacob, in some embarrassment11.
“Yes, I understand,” said Margaret, bitterly. “It is with her,” and she pointed12 to the tree under which his late companion was yet seated.
Jacob started.
“You may well start,” said Margaret, whose observant eye did not fail to detect his momentary13 confusion.
“Jacob Wynne,” she continued, sternly, fixing her penetrating15 eye full upon him, “tell me who is this woman, and what she is to you. Tell me, for I have a right to know.”
She folded her arms and looked like an accusing spirit, as she made this demand. The consciousness of guilt16 made his physical inferiority the more conspicuous17, as he met her gaze uneasily, as if meditating18 an escape.
“This is no place for the discussion of such matters,” he said, in a tone which strove to be conciliatory. “It is all 114right, of course. Go home quietly, and when I return, I will answer your questions.”
He was mistaken if he thought thus to escape. Margaret was in a state of high nervous excitement, and the fear of being overheard by the groups who surrounded them was wholly lost sight of in the intensity19 of her purpose.
“Jacob,” she said, steadily20, “this is not a matter to be deferred21. My suspicions have been long excited, and now I want an explanation. I cannot live as I have lived. Sometimes I have feared,” placing her hand upon her brow, “that my head was becoming unsettled.”
“Your coming here to-day is no slight proof of it,” he said, hardly. “I think you are right.”
She threw off this insinuation, cruel as it was, with hardly a thought of what it meant. She had but one object now, and that she must accomplish.
“Enough of this, Jacob,” she said, briefly22. “You have not answered my question. This woman,—what is she to you?”
“I demand an answer,” said Margaret, resolutely24. “I have a right to know.”
The weakest natures are often the most cruel, delighting in the power which circumstances sometimes bestow upon them of torturing those who are infinitely25 their superiors. There was a cruel malignity26 in the scrivener’s eyes as he repeated, slowly, “You have a right to know! Deign27 to inform me of what nature is this right.”
“Good heavens!” she exclaimed, startled out of herself by his effrontery28. “Have you the face to ask?”
“I have,” he said, his countenance29 expressing the satisfaction he felt in the blow he meditated30.
Margaret looked at him a moment, uncertain of his meaning. 115Then she took a step forward and placed her hand on his arm, while she looked up in his face with an expression which had changed suddenly from defiance31 to entreaty32.
“Jacob,” she said, in a softened33 tone, “have you forgotten the morning when we both stood before the altar, and pledged to each other eternal constancy? It is ten years since, years not unmarked by sorrow and privation, but we have been the happier for being together, have we not? You remember our little Margaret, Jacob,—how she lighted up our humble34 home with her sweet, winning ways, till God saw fit to take her to himself? If she had lived, I don’t think you would have found it in your heart to neglect me so. Can we not be to each other what we have been, Jacob? I may have been in fault sometimes, with my hasty temper, but I have never swerved35 from my love for you.”
“You are at liberty to do so as soon as you like,” he said, coldly.
“That is a slight mistake of yours,” he returned, with a sneer37, resting his calculating eyes upon her face, as if to mark the effect of his words.
Her hand released its hold upon his arm, and she staggered back as if about to fall.
“My God! what do you mean? What can you mean? Tell me quickly, if you would not have me go mad before your eyes.”
“That might be the best way of ending the matter,” said he, with deliberate cruelty. “Nevertheless I will not refuse to gratify your reasonable curiosity. I declare to you solemnly that you are not my wedded wife.”
“You would deceive me,” she said, with sudden anger.
“Not in this matter, though I acknowledge having deceived 116you once. The priest who performed the ceremony was so only for that occasion.”
Margaret passed her hand across her eyes as if she were trying to rouse herself from some stupefying dream.
“Surely you are jesting, Jacob,” she said, at length. “You are only saying this to try me. Is it not so? I will only ask you this once. Are you in earnest?”
“I declare to you, Margaret, that you are not my wedded wife.”
“Then,” she said in a sudden burst of fury, to which she was urged by the sharpness of her despair. “Then I have only one thing to live for now.”
She turned away.
“What do you mean?” asked Jacob, almost involuntarily, her manner producing a vague uneasiness.
“Revenge!”
She drew her tattered38 shawl closely about her, and, though the heat was intense, actually shivered in her fierce emotion. Jacob looked after her as she walked rapidly away, turning neither to the right nor to the left, and a half feeling of compunction came over him. It was only for a moment, however, for he shook it off, muttering impatiently,—
“Pshaw! what’s the use of fretting39! It must have come sooner or later. I suppose it was only natural to expect a scene. Well, I’m glad it’s over, at any rate. Now I shall have one impediment out of my path.”
Jacob’s nature was cold and cowardly, and, as may be inferred, essentially40 selfish. Destitute41 of all the finer feelings, it was quite impossible to understand the pain which he had inflicted42 on a nature so sensitive and high-strung as that of Margaret. Nor, had he been able to understand, would the instinct of humanity have bidden him to refrain.
He retraced43 his steps to obtain another glass of water, 117for the one in his hand had been spilled in the surprise of his first meeting with Margaret.
“Did you get tired of waiting, Ellen?” he asked, as on his return he presented the glass to his companion.
The suspicions excited in her mind by the mysterious warning had been strengthened by his protracted44 absence.
“You were long absent,” she said, coldly.
“Yes,” he replied, somewhat confused. “I was unexpectedly detained.”
“Perhaps you can explain this,” she continued, handing him the paper she had received.
He turned pale with anger and vexation, and incautiously muttered, “This is some of Margaret’s work. Curse her!”
“Who is Margaret?” asked his companion, suspiciously.
“She,” said Jacob, hesitating, in embarrassment. “Oh, she is an acquaintance of mine whose mind has lost its balance. You may have seen her on the ground here. She was muffled45 up in a shawl and cape-bonnet. She is always making trouble in some unexpected way.”
That this was a fabrication, Jacob’s confused manner clearly evinced.
“I wish to go home,” was the only response. Jacob offered his arm.
It was rejected. They walked on, not exchanging a word.
When they parted in New York, Jacob gave full vent46 to his indignation, and hastened home to pour out his fury on Margaret, who had so seriously interfered47 with his plan of allying himself with one for whom he cared little, except that she would have brought him a small property which he coveted48. He hurried up stairs, and dashed into the room occupied by Margaret and himself. He looked about him eagerly, but saw no one.
Margaret had disappeared.
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1
persistently
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| ad.坚持地；固执地 | |
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2
accosting
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| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的现在分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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6
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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7
recoiling
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| v.畏缩( recoil的现在分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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8
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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9
persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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12
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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14
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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15
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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16
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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18
meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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21
deferred
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| adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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22
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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doggedly
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| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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25
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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malignity
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| n.极度的恶意，恶毒；（病的）恶性 | |
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27
deign
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| v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事) | |
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28
effrontery
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| n.厚颜无耻 | |
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29
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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30
meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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31
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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32
entreaty
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| n.恳求，哀求 | |
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33
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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34
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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35
swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
wedded
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| adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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38
tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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39
fretting
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| n. 微振磨损 adj. 烦躁的, 焦虑的 | |
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40
essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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41
destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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42
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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44
protracted
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| adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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45
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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46
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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47
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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48
coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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