She returned the next night, and the next: and then she gave it up, and awaited an explanation. None came, and she was bitterly disappointed, and indignant.
She began to hate Griffith, and to conceive a certain respect, and even a tepid2 friendship, for the other woman he had insulted.
Another clue to this change of feeling is to be found in a word she let drop in talking to another servant. "Sly mistress," said she, "bears it like a man."
In fact, Mrs. Gaunt's conduct at this period was truly noble.
She suffered months of torture, months of grief; but the high-spirited creature hid it from the world, and maintained a sad but high composure.
She wore her black, for she said, "How do I know he is alive?" She retrenched3 her establishment, reduced her expenses two-thirds; and busied herself in works of charity and religion.
Her desolate4 condition attracted a gentleman who had once loved her, and now esteemed5 and pitied her profoundly: Sir George Neville.
He was still unmarried, and she was the cause; so far at least as this: she had put him out of conceit7 with the other ladies at that period when he had serious thoughts of marriage: and the inclination8 to marry at all had not since returned.
If the Gaunts had settled at Bolton, Sir George would have been their near neighbour; but Neville's Court was nine miles from Hernshaw Castle: and when they met, which was not very often, Mrs. Gaunt was on her guard to give Griffith no shadow of uneasiness. She was therefore rather more dignified9 and distant with Sir George, than her own inclination and his merits would have prompted; for he was a superior and very agreeable man.
When it became quite certain that her husband had left her, Sir George rode up to Hernshaw Castle, and called upon her.
She begged to be excused from seeing him.
Now, Sir George was universally courted, and this rather nettled10 him: however, he soon learned that she received nobody except a few religious friends of her own sex.
Sir George then wrote her a letter that did him credit; it was full of worthy11 sentiment and good sense. For instance, he said he desired to intrude12 his friendly offices and his sympathy upon her, but nothing more. Time had cured him of those warmer feelings which had once ruffled13 his peace; but Time could not efface14 his tender esteem6 for the lady he had loved in his youth, nor his profound respect for her character.
Mrs. Gaunt wept over his gentle letter, and was on the verge15 of asking herself why she had chosen Griffith instead of this chevalier. She sent him a sweet, yet prudent16 reply; she did not encourage him to visit her; but said, that, if ever she should bring herself to receive visits from the gentlemen of the county during her husband's absence, he should be the first to know it. She signed herself his unhappy, but deeply grateful, servant and friend.
One day, as she came out of a poor woman's cottage, with a little basket on her arm, which she had emptied in the cottage, she met Sir George Neville full.
He took his hat off, and made her a profound bow. He was then about to ride on, but altered his mind, and dismounted to speak to her.
The interview was constrained17 at first; but ere long he ventured to tell her she really ought to consult with some old friend and practical man like himself. He would undertake to scour18 the country, and find her husband, if he was above ground.
"Me go a hunting the man," cried she, turning red; "not if he was my king as well as my husband. He knows where to find me; and that is enough."
"Well, but madam, would you not like to learn where he is, and what he is doing?"
"Why, yes, my good, kind friend, I should like to know that." And having pronounced these words with apparent calmness, she burst out crying, and almost ran away from him.
Sir George looked sadly after her; and formed a worthy resolution. He saw there was but one road to her regard. He resolved to hunt her husband for her, without intruding19 on her, or giving her a voice in the matter. Sir George was a magistrate20, and accustomed to organize inquiries21. Spite of the length of time that had elapsed, he traced Griffith for a considerable distance; pending22 further inquiries, he sent Mrs. Gaunt word that the truant23 had not made for the sea, but had gone due south.
Mrs. Gaunt returned him her warm thanks for this scrap24 of information. So long as Griffith remained in the island there was always a hope he might return to her. The money he had taken would soon be exhausted25: and poverty might drive him to her; and she was so far humbled26 by grief, that she could welcome him even on those terms.
Affliction tempers the proud. Mrs. Gaunt was deeply injured as well as insulted; but, for all that, in her many days and weeks of solitude27 and sorrow, she took herself to task, and saw her fault. She became more gentle, more considerate of her servants' feelings, more womanly.
For many months she could not enter "the Grove." The spirited woman's very flesh revolted at the sight of the place where she had been insulted and abandoned. But as she went deeper in religion, she forced herself to go to the gate and look in, and say out loud, "I gave the first offence," and then she would go in-doors again, quivering with the internal conflict.
Finally, being a Catholic, and therefore attaching more value to self-torture than we do, the poor soul made this very grove her place of penance29 Once a week she had the fortitude30 to drag herself to the very spot where Griffith had denounced her; and there she would kneel and pray for him and for herself. And, certainly, if humility31 and self-abasement were qualities of the body, here was to be seen their picture; for her way was to set her crucifix up at the foot of a tree; then to bow herself all down, between kneeling and lying; and put her lips meekly32 to the foot of the crucifix and so pray long and earnestly.
Now, one day, while she was thus crouching33 in prayer, a gentleman, booted, and spurred, and splashed, drew near, with hesitating steps. She was so absorbed, she did not hear those steps at all, till they were very near; but then she trembled all over; for her delicate ear recognized a manly28 tread she had not heard for many a day. She dared not move nor look, for she thought it was a mere34 sound, sent to her by heaven to comfort her.
The question went no farther, for Kate Gaunt sprang to her feet, with a loud scream, and stood glaring at Griffith Gaunt, and he at her.
And thus husband and wife met again—met, by some strange caprice of Destiny, on the very spot where they had parted so horribly.
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1
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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tepid
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| adj.微温的，温热的，不太热心的 | |
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retrenched
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| v.紧缩开支( retrench的过去式和过去分词 )；削减（费用）；节省 | |
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desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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conceit
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| n.自负，自高自大 | |
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inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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nettled
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| v.拿荨麻打，拿荨麻刺（nettle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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13
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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efface
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| v.擦掉，抹去 | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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scour
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| v.搜索；擦，洗，腹泻，冲刷 | |
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intruding
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| v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的现在分词)；把…强加于 | |
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magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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pending
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| prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的 | |
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truant
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| n.懒惰鬼，旷课者；adj.偷懒的，旷课的，游荡的；v.偷懒，旷课 | |
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scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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humbled
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| adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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penance
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| n.（赎罪的）惩罪 | |
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30
fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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31
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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32
meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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33
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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