She had no real love for Ned Chester. She liked him, and had been led away by his attentions and flatteries, by the handsome presents he had given her, and by the belief that he was rich and a gentleman. All the sentiment that the future contained for her was that she would be able to live like a lady. In all other respects the page was blank, and her history would be written from experiences to come.
Early in the afternoon there was a heavy fall of snow, which, from appearance, bid fair to continue through the night. In the midst of the storm, the Duchess stole away from Rosemary Lane.
Within half a mile from home she entered a cab, as she believed unobserved. But Sally, who was at that moment returning from the establishment which supplied her with needlework, saw the Duchess's face, as the cab drove swiftly off. The truth flashed upon her instantly; the Duchess had gone away from them for ever. Wringing5 her hands in despair, she ran after the cab, but it was soon out of sight, and seeing the hopelessness of pursuit she retraced6 her steps, and ran swiftly to Rosemary Lane to acquaint Seth Dumbrick with the circumstance.
Mention has frequently been made of Mrs. Preedy. To this woman the Duchess had entrusted7 a letter accompanied with a bribe8, and the instruction that it was not to be delivered to Seth until the following morning. In the course of the few anxious minutes which Seth (after hearing what Sally had to tell him) devoted9 to the endeavour to discover a clue in Rosemary Lane, he came across Mrs. Preedy. It needed no great shrewdness on his part to suspect, from the woman's important manner, that she had something to impart, and with a small exercise of cunning he extracted the letter from her.
The mere10 receipt of it filled him with alarm. He hurried to his cellar, with Sally at his heels.
"I wouldn't open it before the neighbours," he said to Sally, "for the Duchess's sake. They're only too ready to talk, and take away a girl's character."
With this he opened the letter. The words were few:
"I have gone away, and perhaps shall never come back. I will try and pay you and Sally for all your kindness to me. Don't blame me; I cannot help what I am doing. When you see me again, I shall be a lady. Goodbye."
They looked at each other with white faces.
"It has come," said Seth, in a pathetic voice, "What we dreaded11 has come. Our child has deserted12 us. God send that she is not being deceived; but I fear--I fear!" He paced the cellar for some moments in anxious thought, and Sally, with all her soul in her eyes, followed his movements. Presently he straightened himself with the air of a man who has a serious task before him. "I am going straight to my duty," he said. "Kiss me, my dear. Whatever a man can do, I intend to do, without fear of consequences."
"Let me go with you, Daddy," implored13 Sally.
"Come along, then; it will be as well, perhaps."
No further words passed between them, and as quickly as it could be accomplished14, the shutters15 were put up to Seth's stall, and he and Sally were riding to Mr. Temple's house. On his arrival there Seth demanded to see Mr. Temple.
The servant conveyed the message to Mr. Temple, coupling it with the information that the visitor was the person who had lately been turned from the house by Mr. Temple's orders. Mr. Temple ordered the servant again to expel him; but the man returned, saying that Seth Dumbrick declared he must have an interview, and promised that he would not detain Mr. Temple. The secret of this lay in the servant having been bribed16 by Seth.
"The person is not alone, sir," said the servant; "he has a woman with him."
"Let him come in," said Mr. Temple; "and you yourself will remain within call."
"Now," said Mr. Temple haughtily17, the moment Seth and Sally entered, "without a word of preamble18, the reason of this intrusion. You are, perhaps, aware that I could have you locked up for forcing your way into my house."
"In that case," said Seth firmly, "I should be compelled, in the magistrate's court to make certain matters public. The press is open to a man's wrongs."
"Clap-trap," exclaimed Mr. Temple. "Come at once to your business with me."
Seth handed to Mr. Temple the note left by the Duchess with Mrs. Preedy. Mr. Temple read it in silence, and returned it with the words,
"How does this affect me?"
"My child has fled," said Seth.
"How does that affect me?"
"Your son is with her."
"Twill satisfy you," said Mr. Temple, with a frown, "that you are labouring under a gross error." He touched the bell; the servant answered it. "Go to Mr. Arthur Temple, and tell him I desire to see him."
"He is not in the house, sir."
"Has he been long absent?"
"Not long, sir," replied the man who, through a fellow-servant, was enabled to give the information. "He left in great haste for the railway station to catch a train, I heard."
"For what place?"
"For Sevenoaks, sir."
Mr. Temple was aware that Seth's lynx eyes were upon him, and that it would give the common man an advantage if he exhibited surprise.
"Send Richards to me."
"Richards left the house with your son, sir."
Throughout his life Mr. Temple had proved himself equal to emergencies.
"You have nothing further to say to me, I presume," he said, addressing himself to Seth.
"Nothing that your own sense of honour and justice does not dictate," was the reply.
"It dictates19 nothing that you can have a claim to hear. There is the door."
Seth had his reasons now for not wishing to prolong the interview.
"I will not trouble you any longer, sir. I know what kind of justice I might expect from you in such a matter as this. From this moment it is for me to act, not to talk. I have but this to say before I leave. If my child comes to grief through your son--if he inflicts20 a wrong upon her--I will devote my life to exposing both him and you."
He quitted the room upon this, and, giving instructions to the cab-driver, bade Sally jump in.
"Where are you going now, Daddy?" asked Sally.
"To Sevenoaks. We may yet be in time."
The same train which conveyed him and Sally to Sevenoaks, conveyed Mr. Temple also. The men did not see each other. Mr. Temple rode first-class, Seth and Sally third.
The snowstorm showed no sign of abatement21; steadily22 and heavily the white flakes23 fell.
The links which fate weaves around human lives were drawing closer and closer around the lives of the actors in this story; every yard that was traversed by the train, conveying Seth and Mr. Temple, strengthened the threads which for years had been so far distant from one another, that nothing but the strangest circumstance could have prevented them from eventually breaking. As Seth gazed from the window upon the falling snow, he prayed that he might be in time to save the child of his love, or to assure himself that she was on the right track. To Mr. Temple the heavy snowfall brought the memory of a night long buried in the past, when he had stood hidden near a quaint1 old church, while strangers' hands were saving from death the woman he had betrayed. And an uneasy feeling crept into his mind at the thought that the church was within a mile of the place towards which he was wending his way.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
quaint
|
|
| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
ingratitude
|
|
| n.忘恩负义 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
fortified
|
|
| adj. 加强的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
retract
|
|
| vt.缩回，撤回收回，取消 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
wringing
|
|
| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
retraced
|
|
| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
entrusted
|
|
| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
bribe
|
|
| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
devoted
|
|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
dreaded
|
|
| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
deserted
|
|
| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
implored
|
|
| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
accomplished
|
|
| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
shutters
|
|
| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
bribed
|
|
| v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
haughtily
|
|
| adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
preamble
|
|
| n.前言；序文 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
dictates
|
|
| n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
inflicts
|
|
| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
abatement
|
|
| n.减(免)税，打折扣，冲销 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
flakes
|
|
| 小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |