On entering the cottage, he met Carice in the hall, encircled by her bridesmaids. He was half pleased, half startled to see that the singular listlessness, amounting to a degree of apathy8, which had characterized her for some weeks, had given place to a certain tremulous agitation9. A round red spot burned on either cheek, where of late the bloom had been both rare and faint; and her eyes were bright and wistful almost to wildness. With a sudden impulse of tenderness, he put his arms round her, and pressed her to his heart.
"Father," she whispered, with her lips close to his ear, "am I dreaming or mad? I have heard a voice in the air—Bergan's voice. I was standing by the window, and I heard it distinctly,—no words, only tones,—pleading, pleading, until I thought they would break my heart. Then all at once, they changed to anger,—fierce, bitter anger! And they ended in despair! Father, what could it mean!"
"My child," said Godfrey Bergan, after a pause, and there was a perceptible tremor10 in his voice, "you are very weak and nervous, and these wedding gayeties have been too much for you. Go to rest, and sleep away your fatigues11 and your fancies together; joy cometh in the morning. The wife of Felix Remy will hear no voices in the air. Good-night."
He unclasped his arms, and her bridesmaids, again clustering round her, led her upstairs in triumph.
But no sooner had they freed her from her bridal garniture,—the veil's soft mistiness12, the robe's heavy, satiny folds, the fragrant13 orange blossoms, already beginning to fade!—than she put them gently aside.
"Bid me good-night, now," she said, with quiet decision. "I am very tired, and I want to be alone for awhile. Rosa will do the rest."
There was something in her tone which forbade remonstrance15; quickly the door shut out the fresh, young faces, and snowy, fluttering robes.
Was she, as she had desired to be, alone?
Alas16! no. The image evoked17 by that "voice in the air," had followed her across the threshold, and still faced her with sad, upbraiding18 eyes. Instinctively19, she threw herself upon her knees to exorcise it by the spell of prayer. Though no intelligible20 word might come to her trembling lips, though not a coherent thought might shape itself in her dizzy brain, she was, nevertheless, prostrate21 at the foot of the cross, and the Saviour22 would understand!
And so—let us not presume to doubt it—He did, and, moreover, answered. But the ways of Providence23 are utterly24 inscrutable; and the answer came in no shape that would have been likely to present itself to her mind, had she been capable of definite thought. She rose from her knees but little comforted.
For the delirious25 disquietude that had taken possession of her, had its physical, not less than its mental, side. The long overstraining of the delicate nerves, the long overburdening of the heart that knew its own bitterness, were fast reaching the point beyond which must needs come fever, or insanity26, or death. Nature—often the wisest of physicians, when left to herself—had sought to work restoration by means of the apathy aforementioned, wrapping her mind and heart as with quilted armor; but the events of this night had pierced quite through the soft sheathing27, and set every nerve quivering with pain. Unable to remain long in one position, she soon began to pace restlessly up and down the room. She was dimly aware that Rosa had come in, and was waiting her commands; but she never once looked to see with what a disturbed and doubtful face the young negress was regarding her.
Getting weary, at last, of her monotonous28 march to and fro, she went to the window, and leaned out to bathe her fevered temples in the cool night air. Suddenly she cried out;—
"Rosa, see! Is not that a light in the old Hall?"
"Yes, Miss Carice, it's just that," answered Rosa, impressively. "It's in Mr. Arling's room. He's here."
"Here!" Carice started, and turned round with eager, expectant eyes.
"No, no," Rosa hastened to say, "not here,—at least, not now."
"Not now," repeated Carice, wonderingly. "When was he here, then?"
Rosa hesitated for an instant, and then flung herself at her mistress's feet. "I will tell you," she cried, vehemently,—"master may kill me, if he likes, but I will tell you! Mr. Arling was here not much more than half an hour ago."
Carice smiled,—a strange, wan14 smile, with no spirit of mirthfulness in it, but something of gentle triumph, as well as relief. "It was no fancy, then," she murmured, softly.
Rosa went on. "I was walking down by the river—with Tom, you know—when I thought it must be getting late, and you might want me, and so I took the short cut through the larches29. And who should I see standing there but Mr. Arling, and your father coming to meet him! So I slipped back behind the trees, meaning to come round the other way; but I caught a few words, and then I listened;—I couldn't help it, Miss Carice, if I'd died for it. For Mr. Arling began to beg and plead that your father wouldn't let your wedding go on, if he cared anything about your happiness. He said there was something dreadful against Doctor Remy,—oh! Miss Carice, I don't like to say it, but I think you ought to know,—he said he was a"—sinking her voice almost to a whisper—"a murderer."
Carice's eyes dilated30 with horror. "A murderer!" she gasped,—"oh! no, no, Rosa; you could not have heard him right!"
"Indeed I did," rejoined Rosa, firmly. "That's the very word he used,—more than once, too. At least, he said there was great reason to believe so; and he begged your father to wait until he could make sure about it. Oh! Miss Carice, I never did like Doctor Remy, but I always liked Mr. Arling, and I don't believe he'd say a word that wasn't true. Do pray wait, as he said, until you can find out the whole truth, before you have anything more to say to the doctor. Lock your door, and say you're sick—I'm sure you look as if you might be—and I'll promise to keep him out, if he were ten Doctor Remys."
And Rosa set her teeth and clenched31 her hands, in a way that promised much for her valor32 in the cause of her young mistress.
Carice put her hand to her brow, and tried to think, but merely succeeded in bewildering herself with images of horror. That frightful33 word, murderer, continually sounded in her ears, to the effectual hindrance34 of anything like connected thought. Only one idea presented itself to her confused brain with even tolerable distinctness,—Bergan was near, Bergan was in possession of knowledge that might yet relieve her, to some extent, from a burden too heavy to be borne,—a burden which she ought never to have consented to take upon herself, nor ever would have done, had she not first been bound fast with a torpor35 that benumbed both feeling and will. Still, having so consented, she would have tried, but for Rosa's terrible revelation, to endure it patiently. Now, it seemed to her, this was no longer possible.
Again she fixed36 her eyes upon the gleaming light from the old Hall; the only star of hope or suggestion that had yet risen upon her darkness. What could she do, in her mortal terror and bewilderment, but follow it?
"Rosa," she said, suddenly, "I am going to the Hall. I must see Bergan, and hear what he has to say; then I can decide what it is right to do."
"And so I would," rejoined Rosa, approvingly. "Just let me slip this dark wrapper on you, and wind this scarf round your head, and well over your face,—so;—why, your own father wouldn't know you, if he were to meet you! Now, we'll be off."
Carice hesitated. "No, Rosa, that will never do; our absence would be quickly discovered. You must stay and keep the door."
"But, Miss Carice, you can't go alone!"
"I can, and must. It is the only way to prevent discovery. Remember, no one is to be let in, upon any consideration, until I return."
"Let me alone for that," responded Rosa, emphatically. And having seen Carice safely down the steps from the upper piazza37, and watched her light form till it was lost among the trees, Rosa returned to mount guard over the door of the deserted38 chamber39.
Godfrey Bergan had been unaccountably shaken by that brief meeting and parting with his daughter, in the hall. Watching her slender form as it toiled40 up the staircase, with the languid step that betrays a heavy or a reluctant heart, he sighed to think with what a graceful41 alacrity42 she had used to flit upward, as if lifted on invisible wings, her happy smile seeming to make a little illuminated43 space about her, like the light which is seen irradiating angelic forms, in old pictures. A sudden burden of despondency fell upon his heart, whereof he understood neither the purport44, nor whether it bore reference to her or himself, but only knew that it quite unfitted him for playing the part of a gay and gracious host to his guests. Seeing Miss Ferrars coming toward him, with her stereotyped45 smile, an impulse of flight seized him; and hastily stepping through one of the long windows, he soon found himself once more under the sighing trees, which were swaying to and fro under the first breathings of a rising wind.
The night was no longer dark. Here and there, a star looked through the broken clouds, and lighted him to the river's bank, down which he walked slowly; torturing himself, as he went, with that weary after-birth of doubts and questions, which often follows hard upon the accomplishment46 of a cherished purpose. Had he done well in wedding Carice to the doctor? Had he not done wrong in refusing to listen to Bergan, at least with courtesy and calmness? Was it barely possible that there could have been some small grain of truth at the bottom of the young man's turbid47 story? What was the meaning of that odd, wild look in Carice's eyes? Had he been thrusting himself, as it were, into the awful place of Providence, only, by reason of his human short-sightedness, to work irremediable ruin?
At that moment, a dark, slender woman's figure hurried past him, toward the ruined foot-bridge, which was near at hand. "One of my brother's servants, who has stolen over to dance with mine," he said to himself, turning idly to watch her progress.
To his utter amazement48, at the further end, he seemed to see her cast herself deliberately49 into the water!
Godfrey Bergan was a practised swimmer, and, after the first motionless moment of astonishment50, he threw off his coat, plunged51 into the stream, which, at this point, was neither rapid nor deep, and swam rapidly toward the spot where he had seen the body disappear. Here, the water was scarcely up to his armpits; in a few moments, he had caught the floating garments, and borne the lifeless form to land. The heavy head fell back on his arm; the scarf trailed away from the white features; he recognized Carice!
With a thick, muffled52 cry of horror, the father sank upon his knees, not so much of devotional intent, as crushed under the double-weight of his physical burden and mental anguish53.
"Oh, God! have mercy upon us!" he ejaculated, brokenly,—"I have driven my child to suicide!"
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1
persistency
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| n. 坚持(余辉, 时间常数) | |
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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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3
condescended
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| 屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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4
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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recapitulated
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| v.总结，扼要重述( recapitulate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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7
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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8
apathy
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| n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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12
mistiness
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| n.雾，模糊，不清楚 | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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14
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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16
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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17
evoked
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| [医]诱发的 | |
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18
upbraiding
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| adj.& n.谴责（的）v.责备，申斥，谴责( upbraid的现在分词 ) | |
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19
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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saviour
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| n.拯救者，救星 | |
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23
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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24
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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delirious
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| adj.不省人事的，神智昏迷的 | |
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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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27
sheathing
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| n.覆盖物，罩子v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的现在分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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28
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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29
larches
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| n.落叶松（木材）( larch的名词复数 ) | |
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30
dilated
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| adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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33
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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34
hindrance
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| n.妨碍，障碍 | |
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torpor
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| n.迟钝；麻木；（动物的）冬眠 | |
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36
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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piazza
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| n.广场；走廊 | |
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38
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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40
toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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41
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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42
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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43
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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44
purport
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| n.意义，要旨，大要；v.意味著，做为...要旨，要领是... | |
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45
stereotyped
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| adj.(指形象、思想、人物等)模式化的 | |
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46
accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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47
turbid
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| adj.混浊的，泥水的，浓的 | |
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48
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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49
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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50
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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51
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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52
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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53
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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