"Who are you? What do you want?" gasped10 M. Felix, dreading11 at first whether this was not part of a plot which Dr. Peterssen had devised for his injury. But his doubts were immediately dispelled12.
"I am Emilia Paget," said Emilia, "and I want justice."
With a face of terror he retreated farther into the room, and Emilia followed him. His heart almost ceased to beat, and a singular numbness13 of sensation came over him.
"Through all these years," said Emilia, "I have left you in peace, if peace can ever be the portion of a man like yourself. I come now to force a confession14 from your lips. I want nothing from you in the shape of money. All that you have, and that once was your brother Gerald's, is yours, and shall remain yours. I do not desire it; if I have any right to it I renounce15 it; I am here to demand justice."
This speech gave M. Felix time to recover himself somewhat. Though still conscious of a strange deadness of feeling at his heart, he saw the situation, and asked in a faint voice--
"What kind of justice?"
Emilia put a wrong construction upon the low tone in which he spoke16. Deeming it a sign of relenting on his part, the defiant17 air she had boldly assumed gave way to one of imploring18.
"When we last met in Switzerland," she said, bending toward him, "you told me that your brother, my dear Gerald--who, in my innermost heart, I believe never did harm to woman--had imposed upon me by a mock ceremony of marriage. At that time I was so overwhelmed by despair and so persecuted19 by injustice20, that I did not dispute your statement. I thought only of the present; I wished only to escape from the cruel eyes and tongues of those to whom I had been maligned21; I wished only to fly to a spot where I was unknown, and where I might live out my days in peace. What I yearned22 for was accomplished23. God was good to me; He raised up a friend who took me to her bosom24, and who conducted me to a haven25 of rest. For eighteen years I have lived in a foreign land, contentedly26, even happily, with my child, Gerald's child. But circumstances have occurred which render it vitally necessary for our happiness that the proof should be forthcoming that I am a married woman. To obtain this proof I have come to England to find you, and by a happy chance have so far succeeded. I beg, I entreat27 of you, to give me means to establish my marriage with your brother. That done, I will leave you in peace, as Heaven is my judge. I will bind28 myself to this in any way you wish. I will swear the most solemn oath, I will sign any document you may draw up. Give me the means of preventing a shameful29 exposure which will ruin my child's life and mine. Think of what I have silently suffered, and have pity for me. I will pray for you--I will bless you----"
But her voice was broken by emotion, and she could not proceed. M. Felix gazed at her sternly; as she grew weak, he grew strong.
"I cannot give you what is impossible," he said. "You and Gerald were never married."
"I will not use hard words," said Emilia, restraining herself. "It may be as you say; but give me at least the information that will enable me to establish the truth. You cannot deny me this--you cannot, you cannot!"
"What kind of information do you desire?" asked M. Felix.
"When I was ill and very near to death," she replied; "when reason had forsaken30 me and I was lying stricken down, Gerald and you came to me in the place where afterward31 a civil ceremony was performed which I had every right to believe made me an honorably married woman. Tell me the name of that place. It is little to ask, but I ask no more. If you have a spark of compassion32 in you, tell me this, and I will go away blessing33 you."
"You do not remember it?" said M. Felix, with triumph in his eyes.
"God help me, I have not the least remembrance of it, nor of the roads I took which led me to it."
M. Felix stepped to the window and threw it open. Then he cried in as loud a voice as he could command:
"Help!"
"Why do you cry for help?" asked Emilia, advancing toward him.
"Do not come nearer to me," he replied, "or I will strangle you. Why do I cry for help? To bring the police here--to give you into custody--to expose and brand you as you deserve to be exposed and branded. How you forced your way into this house I do not know: perhaps you have been in hiding until you were assured I was alone. You come here to rob and murder. I will swear to it." Again he called from the window,
"Help!"
Frozen with terror Emilia stood like a statue, white with the fear of a horrible exposure which would blast her and her child forever in this world.
"You talk of ruin," snarled34 M. Felix. "It is upon you now. Disguised as a man you steal upon me here for a vile35 purpose. You will go away blessing me, will you? What do I care for your blessing or your curse? I will make your name a byword of shame, as it has been made before!" For the third time he sent out into the night his cry for "Help!"
Emilia's strength returned to her; she was able to speak once more.
"I will go," she said. "You shall not have the opportunity of still further disgracing me. But I will not rest till the truth is made clear to me--not with your help, but with the help of"----
"Of whom?" asked M. Felix, with a sneer36.
She had intended to say "with the help of God," but an inspiration fell upon her which impelled37 her to utter a name almost as hateful to her as that of Leonard.
"With the help of Dr. Peterssen. If you can ruin me, he has it in his power to ruin you."
"Ah!" cried M. Felix, and in a sudden frenzy38 he snatched the snake dagger39 from the table and hurled40 it at her. It struck her in her left arm, and she caught it in her right hand. As she held it thus, dazed with pain, for a moment, M. Felix was struck with partial blindness. He saw, through the mist which fell upon him, the dagger with blood dripping from it, and thought that it was Emilia's intention to use it against him. He had a revolver in his bedroom. Blindly he staggered thither41, and fell, motionless, into a chair by the side of the bed. The pain of the wound and the horror of the situation deprived Emilia of her senses, and she sank to the ground. How long she remained in that condition she did not know, but when she opened her eyes all was silent. M. Felix was not present. Had he gone to carry out his threat and to bring the police to his aid? The dagger was still in her hand and the wound in her arm was still bleeding. Shudderingly42 she threw the weapon behind the sideboard, and intent now only on escaping from the shame with which she was threatened, she bound her handkerchief tightly round the wound, and fled down the stairs. Constables43 Wigg and Nightingale were outside the door as she threw it open, but she scarcely saw them, although she knew that they were the forms of men. Terror lent wings to her feet, and in a moment she was out of sight, flying for her life.
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1
jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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2
housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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3
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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4
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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5
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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6
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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7
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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8
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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9
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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10
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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11
dreading
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| v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 ) | |
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12
dispelled
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| v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
numbness
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| n.无感觉，麻木，惊呆 | |
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14
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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15
renounce
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| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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16
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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17
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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18
imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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19
persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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20
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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21
maligned
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| vt.污蔑，诽谤（malign的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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22
yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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24
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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25
haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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26
contentedly
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| adv.心满意足地 | |
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27
entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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28
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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29
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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30
Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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31
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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32
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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33
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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34
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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35
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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36
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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37
impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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39
dagger
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| n.匕首，短剑，剑号 | |
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40
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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41
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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42
shudderingly
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43
constables
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| n.警察( constable的名词复数 ) | |
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