She never mentioned her husband; but it is not to be supposed she never thought of him. She waited the course of events in dignified16 and patient silence.
As for Griffith Gaunt, he was in the hands of two lawyers, Atkins and Houseman. He waited on the first, and made a friend of him. "I am at your service," said he; "but not if I am to be indicted18 for bigamy, and burned in the hand."
"These fears are idle," said Atkins. "Mercy Vint declared in open court she will not proceed against you."
"Ay, but there's my wife."
"She will keep quiet; I have Houseman's word for it."
"Ay, but there's the Attorney-General."
"Oh, he will not move, unless he is driven. We must use a little influence. Mr. Houseman is of my mind, and he has the ear of the county."
To be brief, it was represented in high quarters that to indict19 Mr. Gaunt would only open Mrs. Gaunt's wounds afresh, and do no good; and so Houseman found means to muzzle20 the Attorney-General.
Just three weeks after the trial, Griffith Gaunt, Esq., reappeared publicly. The place of his reappearance was Coggleswade. He came and set about finishing his new mansion21 with feverish22 rapidity. He engaged an army of carpenters and painters, and spent thousands of pounds on the decorating and furnishing of the mansion, and laying out the grounds.
This was duly reported to Mrs. Gaunt, who said—not a word.
But at last one day came a letter to Mrs. Gaunt, in Griffith's well-known handwriting.
With all her acquired self-possession, her hand trembled as she broke open the seal.
It contained but these words:—
"MADAM,—I do not ask you to forgive me; for, if you had done what I have, I could never forgive you. But, for the sake of Rose, and to stop their tongues, I do hope you will do me the honor to live under this my roof. I dare not face Hernshaw Castle. Your own apartments here are now ready for you. The place is large. Upon my honor I will not trouble you; but show myself always, as now,
"GRIFFITH GAUNT."
The messenger was to wait for her reply.
This letter disturbed Mrs. Gaunt's sorrowful tranquillity25 at once. She was much agitated26, and so undecided, that she sent the messenger away, and told him to call next day.
Then she sent off to Father Francis to beg his advice.
But her courier returned, late at night, to say Father Francis was away from home.
Then she took Rose, and said to her, "My darling, papa wants us to go to his new house, and leave dear old Hernshaw; I know not what to say about that. What do you say?"
"Tell him to come to us," said Bose, dictatorially27. "Only," (lowering her little voice very suddenly), "if he is naughty and won't, why then we had better go to him. For he amuses me."
"As you please," said Mrs. Gaunt; and sent her husband this reply:—
"SIR,—Rose and I are agreed to defer28 to your judgment29 and obey your wishes. Be pleased to let me know what day you will require us; and I must trouble you to send a carriage.
"I am, sir,
"Your faithful Wife, and humble Servant,
"CATHERINE GAUNT."
At the appointed day, a carriage and four came wheeling up to the door. The vehicle was gorgeously emblazoned, and the servants in rich liveries; all which finery glittering in the sun, and the glossy30 coats of the horses, did mightily31 please Mistress Rose. She stood on the stone steps, and clapped her hands with delight. Her mother just sighed, and said, "Ay, 'tis in pomp and show we must seek our happiness now."
She leaned back in the carriage, and closed her eyes, yet not so close but now and then a tear would steal out, as she thought of the past.
They drove up under an avenue to a noble mansion; and landed at the foot of some marble steps, low and narrow, but of vast breadth.
As they mounted these, a hall door, through which the carriage could have passed, was flung open, and discovered the servants all drawn32 up to do honor to their mistress.
She entered the hall, leading Rose by the hand, the servants bowed and curtsied down to the ground.
She received this homage33 with dignified courtesy, and her eye stole round to see if the master of the house was coming to receive her.
The library door was opened hastily, and out came to meet her—Father Francis.
"Welcome, madam, a thousand times welcome to your new home," said he, in a stentorian34 voice, with a double infusion35 of geniality36. "I claim the honour of showing you your part of the house, though 'tis all yours for that matter." And he led the way.
Now this cheerful stentorian voice was just a little shaky for once, and his eyes were moist.
Mrs. Gaunt noticed, but said nothing before the people. She smiled graciously, and accompanied him.
He took her to her apartments. They consisted of a salle-à-manger, three delightful38 bedrooms, a boudoir, and a magnificent drawing-room, fifty feet long, with two fire-places, and a bay-window thirty feet wide, filled with the choicest flowers.
An exclamation39 of delight escaped Mrs. Gaunt. Then she said, "One would think I was a queen." Then she sighed, "Ah," said she, "'tis a fine thing to be rich." Then, despondently40, "Tell him I think it very beautiful."
Mrs. Gaunt made no reply to that; she added: "And it was kind of him to have you here the first day: I do not feel so lonely as I should without you."
She took Griffith at his word, and lived with Rose in her own apartments.
For some time Griffith used to slip away whenever saw her coming.
He came to her.
"You need not run away from me," said she: "I did not come into your house to quarrel with you. Let us he friends." And she gave him her hand sweetly enough, but oh so coldly.
"I hope for nothing more," said Griffith. "If you ever have a wish, give me the pleasure of gratifying it—that is all."
"I wish to retire to a convent," said she, quietly.
"And desert your daughter?"
"I would leave her behind, to remind you of days gone by."
By degrees they saw a little more of one another; they even dined together, now and then. But it brought them no nearer. There was no anger, with its loving reaction. They were friendly enough, but an icy barrier stood between them.
One person set himself quietly to sap this barrier. Father Francis was often at the Castle, and played the peace-maker very adroitly43.
The line he took might be called the innocent Jesuitical. He saw that it would be useless to exhort44 these two persons to ignore the terrible things that happened, and to make it up as if it was only a squabble. What he did was to repeat to the husband every gracious word the wife let fall, and vice17 versa, and to suppress all either said that might tend to estrange45 them.
In short, he acted the part of Mr. Harmony in the play, and acted it to perfection.
Gutta cavat lapidem.
Though no perceptible effect followed his efforts, yet there is no doubt that he got rid of some of the bitterness. But the coldness remained.
One day he was sent for all in a hurry by Griffith.
He found him looking gloomy and agitated.
The cause came out directly. Griffith had observed, at last, what all the females in the house had seen two months ago, that Mrs. Gaunt was in the family-way.
He now communicated this to Father Francis, with a voice of agony, and looks to match.
"All the better, my son," said the genial37 priest; "'twill be another tie between you. I hope it will be a fine boy to inherit your estates." Then, observing a certain hideous46 expression distorting Griffith's face, he fixed47 his eyes full on him, and said, sternly, "Are you not cured yet of that madness of yours?"
"No, no, no," said Griffith, deprecatingly; "but why did she not tell me?"
"You had better ask her."
"Not I. She will remind me I am nothing to her now. And, though 'tis so, yet I would not hear it from her lips."
In spite of this wise resolution, the torture he was in drove him to remonstrate48 with her on her silence.
She blushed high, and excused herself as follows:—
"I should have told you as soon as I knew it myself. But you were not with me. I was all by myself—in Carlisle gaol49."
This reply, uttered with hypocritical meekness50, went through Griffith like a knife. He turned white, and gasped51 for breath, but said nothing. He left her, with a deep groan52, and never ventured to mention the matter again.
All he did in that direction was to redouble his attentions and solicitude53 for her health.
Even Father Francis, who had seen strange things in families, used to watch Mrs. Gaunt rise from table and walk heavily to the door, and her husband dart55 to it and open it obsequiously56, and receive only a very formal reverence57 in return—and wonder how all this was to end.
However, under this icy surface, a change was gradually going on; and one afternoon, to his great surprise, Mrs. Gaunt's maid came to ask Griffith if he would come to Mrs. Gaunt's apartment.
He found her seated in her bay window, among her flowers. She seemed another woman all of a sudden, and smiled on him her exquisite58 smile of days gone by.
"Come, sit beside me," said she, "in this beautiful window that you have given me."
"Sit beside you, Kate," said Griffith; "nay, let me kneel at your knees; that is my place."
"As you will," said she, softly; and continued, in the same tone, "Now listen to me; you and I are two fools; we have been very happy together in days gone by; and we should both of us like to try again; but we neither of us know how to begin. You are afraid to tell me you love me and I am ashamed to own to you or anybody else that I love you, in spite of it all—I do, though."
"Child," said Mrs. Gaunt, "love is not reason; love is not common sense. 'Tis a passion; like your jealousy60, poor fool. I love you, as a mother loves her child, all the more for all you have made me suffer. I might not say as much if I thought we should be long together. But something tells me I shall die this time: I never felt so before. I want you to bury me at Hernshaw. After all, I spent more happy years there than most wives ever know. I see you are very sorry for what you have done. How could I die and leave thee in doubt of my forgiveness, and my love? Kiss me, poor jealous fool; for I do forgive thee, and love thee with all my sorrowful heart," And even with the words she bowed herself and sank quietly into his arms, and he kissed her and cried bitterly over her: bitterly. But she was comparatively calm. For she said to herself, "the end is at hand."
Griffith, instead of pooh-poohing his wife's forebodings, set himself to baffle them.
He used his wealth freely; and, besides the county doctor, had two very eminent61 practitioners62 from London, one of whom was a grey-headed man, the other singularly young for the fame he had obtained. But then he was a genuine enthusiast63 in his art.
该作者其它作品
《The Cloister and the Hearth回廊与壁炉》
该作者其它作品
《The Cloister and the Hearth回廊与壁炉》
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1
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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sifted
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| v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审 | |
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6
annihilated
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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revere
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| vt.尊崇，崇敬，敬畏 | |
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erring
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| 做错事的，错误的 | |
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bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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12
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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13
embellished
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| v.美化( embellish的过去式和过去分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色 | |
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14
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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18
indicted
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| 控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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indict
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| v.起诉，控告，指控 | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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penitent
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| adj.后悔的；n.后悔者；忏悔者 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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dictatorially
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| adv.独裁地，自大地 | |
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defer
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| vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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30
glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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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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homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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stentorian
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| adj.大声的，响亮的 | |
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infusion
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| n.灌输 | |
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geniality
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| n.和蔼，诚恳；愉快 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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38
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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40
despondently
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| adv.沮丧地，意志消沉地 | |
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41
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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42
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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adroitly
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| adv.熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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exhort
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| v.规劝，告诫 | |
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45
estrange
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| v.使疏远，离间，使离开 | |
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46
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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47
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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remonstrate
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| v.抗议，规劝 | |
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49
gaol
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| n.(jail)监狱；(不加冠词)监禁；vt.使…坐牢 | |
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50
meekness
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| n.温顺，柔和 | |
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51
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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52
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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53
solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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54
anomalous
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| adj.反常的；不规则的 | |
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55
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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56
obsequiously
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57
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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58
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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59
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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60
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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61
eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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practitioners
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| n.习艺者，实习者( practitioner的名词复数 )；从业者（尤指医师） | |
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enthusiast
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| n.热心人，热衷者 | |
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