All this floated through my mind with that dreadful faculty6 of jumping at conclusions that imagination always has. Did ever anybody meet with any great misfortune, which has been hanging some time over them, without going through it a thousand times before the blow really fell, and the dreadful repetition was done away with once and for ever? How many times over and over, sleeping and waking, does the death-bed watcher go through the parting that approaches before it really comes? Dying itself, I think,—one naturally thinks what kind of a process that is, as one comes near the appointed natural period of its coming,—dying itself must be rehearsed so often, that its coming at last is a real relief to the real actor. Not only does what is real go through a hundred performances in one’s imagination, but many a scene appals7 us that, thank heaven, we are never condemned8 to go through with. I could not see before me what was to happen, nor into Sarah’s mind{139} to know what was astir there; but I tortured myself all the same, gathering9 all the proofs of this new dismal10 light thrown upon her, in my mind. All insane people make up a persecutor12 or pursuer for themselves. Poor Sarah had found hers in the strange face,—it was so unusual in our quiet roads to see a strange face!—which she met all at once and without warning, on the quiet road.
I recollected13 every incident, and everything confirmed my idea. She had taken a panic all at once,—she had driven five miles round to get out of his way; from that hour painful watchfulness14 and anxiety had come to her face. Carson was sent out to see that the road was clear, before, poor soul, she would venture out, though with the carriage blinds drawn15 down. Ah! I think if my only communication with the open air and the out-of-doors world was in the enclosure of that carriage with the blinds drawn down, I should certainly go mad, and quickly too! I had a long afternoon by myself in the library that day. I went back, as well as my memory would carry me, into the history of the Mortimers. Insanity was not in our family,—no trace of it. We had never been very clever, but we had been obstinately16 sane11 and sober-minded. My mother’s family too, the Stamfords, so far as I know, were all extremely steady people. It is odd when one individual of a family, and no more, shows a tendency to wander; at sixty, too, all of a sudden, with no possible reason. But who can search into the ways of Providence17? It might perhaps never go any further; it might be the long silence of her life, and perhaps long brooding over such things as may have happened to her in the course of it. Something must have happened to Sarah; she was not like me. She had really lived her life, and had her own course in the world. She had known her own bitterness, too, no doubt, or she—she, the great beauty, the heiress,—would not have been Sarah Mortimer sitting voiceless by the fireside. She had been too silent, had too much leisure to go over her life. Her brain had rusted18 in the quietness; terrors had risen within her that took form and found an execution for themselves whenever, without any warning, she saw a strange face. This explained everything. I could see it quite clear with this interpretation19; and without this nothing could explain it; for the young Italian looking for his friend, the lady whom nobody had ever heard of, could be nothing in the world to Sarah Mortimer.
Thinking over this, it naturally occurred to me that it would be important to let my poor sister know that this innocent{140} young object of her fears had left the neighbourhood. It might, even, who knows? restore the balance to her poor mind. I got up from my chair the moment I thought of that, but did not go out of the library quite so quickly as you might have supposed, either. I was afraid of Sarah’s passions and reproaches; I always was. She had a way of representing everybody else as so unkind to her, poor dear soul, and of making out that she was neglected and of no consequence. Though I knew that this was not the case, I never could help feeling uncomfortable. Perhaps if I could only have put myself in her place, I might have felt the same; but it made me very timid of starting any subject before her that she did not like, even though it might be to relieve her mind.
I went slowly into the drawing-room. I thought most likely little Sara was dressing20 upstairs, and we two would have a little time to ourselves. When I went into the great room it was lying in the twilight21, very dim and shadowy. The great mirror looked like another dimmer world added on to this one which was already so dim,—a world all full of glimpses and gliding22 figures, and brightened up by the gleams of the firelight which happened to be blazing very bright and cheerful. There were no curtains closed nor blinds down. Four great long windows, each let into the opposite wall a long strip of sky, the grass, and leafless trees, giving one a strange idea of the whole world outside, the world of winds, and hills, and rivers, and foreign unknown people. It was not light that came in at these windows; it was a sort of grey luminous23 darkness, that led our eyes up to the sky and blurred24 everything underneath25. But in the centre of the room burned that ruddy centre of fire, a light which is quite by itself, and is not to be compared to anything else. Straight before me, as I stood at the door, was Sarah’s screen, shutting out as much light as it could, and of course concealing26 her entirely27; but beyond, full in the ruddy light on the other side of the screen, with the red fire reddening all over her velvet28 jacket, her glossy29 hair, and the white round arms out of those long wide sleeves, sat little Sara Cresswell, on a footstool opposite her godmamma, and talking to her. I cannot say Sara was in a pretty attitude. Young ladies now-a-days are sadly careless in their ways. She was stooping quite double, with one of her hands thrust into her hair, and the fire scorching30 her complexion31 all to nothing; and one of the long, uncovered windows, with the blind drawn up to the very top, you may be sure by Sara’s own wilful32 hands, was letting in the sky light over her,{141} like a very tall spirit with pale blue eyes, so chilly33, and clear, and pale, that it looked the oddest contrast possible to the firelight and the little velvet kitten then in front of it, all scorched34 and reddened over, as you could fancy; velvet takes on that surface tint35 wonderfully. I could see nothing of Sarah in the shelter of her screen; but there sat the little puss in velvet, straight before her, talking to her as nobody else ever ventured to talk. I have been long telling you how that fireside scene looked, just to get my breath. I had been trying to work myself up to the proper pitch to enter upon that subject again with my poor sister. But lo! here had little Sara come on her own account and got it all over. I could see at a glance that there was no more to be said.
I came forward quietly and dropped into my own seat without saying anything. Dear, dear! had it been an insane, unreasonable36 terror, or had it been something real and serious that she knew, and she alone? Sarah was leaning a little towards the fire, rubbing the joints37 of her fingers, which were rheumatic, as I have mentioned before; but it was not what she was doing that struck me; it was the strange look of ease and comfort that had somehow come upon her. Her whole person looked as if it had relaxed out of some bondage38. Her head drooped39 a little in a kind of easy languor40: her muslin shawl, lined with pale blue, hung lightly off her shoulders. Her pins were laid down orderly and neat on her basket with the wools. Her very foot was at ease on the footstool. How was it? If it had been incipient41 madness, could this grateful look of rest have come so easily? Would the fever have gone down only at knowing he was away? Heavens know! I sat all silent in my own chair in the shadow, and felt the water moisten my old eyes. What she must have gone through before this sudden ease could show itself so clearly in every limb and movement! What an iron bondage she must have been putting on! What a relief this was! Her comfort and sudden relaxation42 struck me dumb. I was appalled43 at the sight of it. My notion about insanity, dreadful to think of, but still natural and innocent, was shaken; a restless uneasiness of a different description rose upon my mind. Could he indeed be anything to her, this young stranger? Could she in her own knowledge have some mysterious burden which was connected with his coming or going? Could she have recognised, instead of only finding an insanely fanciful destiny in his strange face? Impossible! That foreign life of hers, so obscure and mysterious to me, was of an older period than his{142} existence. He could bring no gossip, no recollections to confound her. At the time of her return he could scarcely have been born. Thus I was plunged44 into a perfect wilderness45 of amazed questions again.
“When little Sara went off to dress,—she dressed every evening, though we never saw anybody,—I stole to the door after her, and caught her little pink ear outside the door in the half-lighted hall. She gave a little shriek46 when I came suddenly behind her. I believe she thought I was angry, and came to take her punishment into my own hand.
“What did you say to your godmamma, Sara?” said I.
“Nothing,” said the perverse47 child. Then, after a little pause, “I told her that your Mr. Luigi was gone, godmamma; and that he was a very pretty-behaved young man; and asked her who the Countess Sermoneta was.”
“You did?”
“Yes; but she did not mind,” said Sara. “I am not sure if she heard me; she gave such a long sigh, half a year long. Godmamma Sarah’s heart must be very deep down if it took that to ease it; and melted all out, as if frost was over somehow, and thaw48 had come.”
“Ah! and what more?” said I.
“Nothing more,” cried the child. “Don’t you think I have a little heart, godmamma? If she felt it so, could I go poking49 at her with that Countess’s name? Ah! you should have seen her. She thawed50 out as if the sun was shining and the frost gone.”
“Ah!” I cried again. It went to my heart as well. “Come down and talk, little Sara,” said I, and so went back to the drawing room, where she sat looking so eased and relieved, poor soul, poor soul! I was very miserable. I had not the heart to ring for lights. I sat down in my chair with all sorts of dismal thoughts in my heart. She did not speak either. She was rubbing her rheumatic fingers, and taking in all the warmth and comfort. She looked as if somehow she had escaped—good heavens! from what?
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1
dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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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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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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7
appals
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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8
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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9
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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persecutor
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| n. 迫害者 | |
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recollected
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| adj.冷静的；镇定的；被回忆起的；沉思默想的v.记起，想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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rusted
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| v.（使）生锈( rust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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24
blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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scorching
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| adj. 灼热的 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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wilful
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| adj.任性的，故意的 | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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35
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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38
bondage
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| n.奴役，束缚 | |
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39
drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
languor
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| n.无精力，倦怠 | |
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incipient
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| adj.起初的，发端的，初期的 | |
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42
relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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43
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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44
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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45
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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46
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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47
perverse
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| adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的 | |
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48
thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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49
poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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50
thawed
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| 解冻 | |
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