east lynne-第120部分

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　houses；　but　one　wishing　to　avoid　the　high　road　could　get　into　it　from　these　grounds；　and　so　on　to　West　Lynne。　He　must　have　gone　back　directly　on　foot　to　West　Lynne；　to　get　the　post　carriage；　as　was　proved；　and　he　would　naturally　go　through　Bean　lane。　Forgive　me；　Archibald；　for　recalling　these　things　to　you；　but　I　feel　so　sure　that　Levison　and　Thorn　are　one。〃

〃I　know　they　are；〃　he　quietly　said。

Barbara；　in　her　astonishment　drew　back　and　stared　him　in　the　facea　face　of　severe　dignity　it　was　just　then。

〃Oh；　Archibald！　Did　you　know　it　at　that　time？〃

〃I　did　not　know　it　until　this　afternoon。　I　never　suspected　it。〃

〃I　wonder　you　did　not。　I　have　wondered　often。〃

〃So　do　I　now。　Dill；　Ebenezer　James；　and　Otway　Bethelwho　came　home　to…daywere　standing　before　the　Raven；　listening　to　his　speech；　when　Bethel　recognized　him；　not　as　Levisonhe　was　infinitely　astonished　to　find　he　was　Levison。　Levison；　they　say；　was　scared　at　the　recognition；　and　changed　color。　Bethel　would　give　no　explanation；　and　moved　away；　but　James　told　Dill　that　Levison　was　the　man　Thorn　who　used　to　be　after　Afy　Hallijohn。〃

〃How　did　you　know？〃　breathlessly　asked　Barbara。

〃Because　Mr。　Ebenezer　was　after　Afy　himself；　and　repeatedly　saw　Thorn　in　the　wood。　Barbara；　I　believe　now　that　it　was　Levison　who　killed　Hallijohn；　but　I　should　like　to　know　what　Bethel　had　to　do　with　it。〃

Barbara　clasped　her　hands。　〃How　strange　it　is！〃　she　exclaimed；　in　some　excitement。　〃Mamma　told　me；　yesterday；　that　she　was　convinced　something　or　other　was　going　to　turn　up　relative　to　the　murder。　She　had　had　the　most　distressing　dream；　she　said；　connected　with　Richard　and　Bethel；　and　somebody　else；　whom　she　appeared　to　know　in　the　dream；　but　could　not　recognize　or　remember　when　she　was　awake。　She　was　as　ill　as　could　beshe　does　put　such　faith　in　these　wretched　dreams。〃

〃One　would　think　you　did　also；　Barbara；　by　your　vehemence。〃

〃No；　no；　you　know　better。　But　it　is　strangeyou　must　acknowledge　that　it　isthat；　so　sure　as　anything　fresh　happens　touching　the　subject　of　the　murder；　so　sure　is　a　troubled　dream　the　forerunner　of　it。　Mamma　does　not　have　them　at　other　times。　Bethel　denied　to　you　that　he　knew　Thorn。〃

〃I　know　he　did。〃

〃And　now　it　turns　out　that　he　does　know　him；　and　he　is　always　in　mamma's　dreamsnone　more　prominent　in　them　than　Bethel。　But；　Archibald；　I　am　not　telling　youI　have　sent　for　Richard。〃

〃You　have？〃

〃I　felt　sure　that　Levison　was　Thorn。　I　did　not　expect　that　others　would　recognize　him；　and　I　acted　on　the　impulse　of　the　moment　and　wrote　to　Richard；　telling　him　to　be　here　on　Saturday　evening。　The　letter　is　gone。〃

〃Well；　we　must　shelter　him　as　best　we　can。〃

〃Archibalddear　Archibald；　what　can　be　done　to　clear　him？〃　she　asked；　the　tears　rising　to　her　eyes。

〃Being　Levison；　I　cannot　act。〃

〃What！〃　she　uttered。　〃Not　actnot　act　for　Richard！〃

He　bent　his　clear；　truthful　eyes　upon　her。

〃My　dearest；　how　can　I？〃

She　looked　a　little　rebellious；　and　the　tears　fell。

〃You　have　not　considered；　Barbara。　Any　one　in　the　world　but　Levison；　it　would　look　like　my　own　revenge。〃

〃Forgive　me！〃　she　softly　whispered。　〃You　are　always　right。　I　did　not　think　of　it　in　that　light。　But；　what　steps　do　you　imagine　can　be　taken？〃

〃It　is　a　case　encompassed　with　difficulties；〃　mused　Mr。　Carlyle。　〃Let　us　wait　until　Richard　comes。〃

〃Do　you　happen　to　have　a　five…pound　note　in　your　pocket；　Archibald？　I　had　not　one　to　send　to　him；　and　borrowed　it　from　Madame　Vine。〃

He　took　out　his　pocket　book　and　gave　it　to　her。

In　the　gray　parlor；　in　the　dark　twilight　of　the　April　eveningor　it　was　getting　far　into　the　nightwere　William　Carlyle　and　Lady　Isabel。　It　had　been　a　warm　day；　but　the　spring　evenings　were　still　chilly；　and　a　fire　burned　in　the　grate。　There　was　no　blaze；　the　red　embers　were　smoldering　and　half　dead；　but　Madame　Vine　did　not　bestir　herself　to　heed　the　fire。　William　lay　on　the　sofa；　and　she　sat　by；　looking　at　him。　Her　glasses　were　off；　for　the　tears　wetted　them　continually；　and　it　was　not　the　recognition　of　the　children　she　feared。　He　was　tired　with　the　drive　to　Lynneborough　and　back；　and　lay　with　eyes　shut；　she　thought　asleep。　Presently　he　opened　them。

〃How　long　will　it　be　before　I　die？〃

The　words　took　her　utterly　by　surprise；　and　her　heart　went　round　in　a　whirl。　〃What　do　you　mean；　William？　Who　said　anything　about　dying？〃

〃Oh；　I　know。　I　know　by　the　fuss　there　is　over　me。　You　heard　what　Hannah　said　the　other　night。〃

〃What？　When？〃

〃When　she　brought　in　the　tea；　and　I　was　lying　on　the　rug。　I　was　not　asleep；　though　you　thought　I　was。　You　told　her　she　ought　to　be　more　cautious；　for　that　I　might　not　have　been　asleep。〃

〃I　don't　remember　much　about　it；〃　said　Lady　Isabel；　at　her　wits'　ends　how　to　remove　the　impression　Hannah's　words　must　have　created；　had　he　indeed　heard　them。　〃Hannah　talks　great　nonsense　sometimes。〃

〃She　said　I　was　going　on　fast　to　the　grave。〃

〃Did　she？　Nobody　attends　to　Hannah。　She　is　only　a　foolish　girl。　We　shall　soon　have　you　well；　when　the　warm　weather　comes。〃

〃Madame　Vine。〃

〃Well；　my　darling？〃

〃Where's　the　use　of　your　trying　to　deceive　me？　Do　you　think　I　don't　see　that　you　are　doing　it？　I'm　not　a　baby；　you　might　if　it　were　Archibald。　What　is　it　that's　the　matter　with　me？〃

〃Nothing。　Only　you　are　not　strong。　When　you　get　strong　again；　you　will　be　as　well　as　ever。〃

William　shook　his　head　in　disbelief。　He　was　precisely　that　sort　of　child　from　whom　it　is　next　to　impossible　to　disguise　facts；　quick；　thoughtful；　observant；　and　advanced　beyond　his　years。　Had　no　words　been　dropped　in　his　hearing；　he　would　have　suspected　the　evil；　by　the　care　evinced　for　him；　but　plenty　of　words　had　been　dropped；　hints；　by　which　he　had　gathered　suspicion；　broad　assertions；　like　Hannah's；　which　had　too　fully　supplied　it；　and　the　boy　in　his　inmost　heart；　knew　as　well　that　death　was　coming　for　him　as　that　death　itself　did。

〃Then；　if　there's　nothing　the　matter　with　me；　why　could　not　Dr。　Martin　speak　to　you　before　me　to…day？　Why　did　he　send　me　into　the　other　room　while　he　told　you　what　he　thought？　Ah；　Madame　Vine；　I　am　as　wise　as　you。〃

〃A　wise　little　boy；　but　mistaken　sometimes；〃　she　said　from　her　aching　heart。

〃It's　nothing　to　die；　when　God　loves　us。　Lord　Vane　says　so。　He　had　a　little　brother　who　died。〃

〃A　sickly　child；　who　was　never　likely　to　live；　he　had　been　pale　and　ailing　from　a　baby；〃　spoke　Lady　Isabel。

〃Why！　Did　you　know　him？〃

〃II　heard　so；〃　she　replied；　turning　off　her　thoughtless　avowal　in　the　best　manner　she　could。

〃Don't　/you/　know　that　I　am　going　to　die？〃

〃No。〃

〃Then　why　have　you　been　grieving　since　we　left　Dr。　Martin's？　And　why　do　you　grieve　at　all　for　me？　I　am　not　your　child。〃

The　words；　the　scene　altogether；　overcame　her。　She　knelt　down　by　the　sofa；　and　her　tears　burst　forth　freely。　〃There！　You　see！〃　cried　William。

〃Oh；　William；　II　had　a　little　boy　of　my　own；　and　when　I　look　at　you；　I　think　of　him；　and　that　is　why　I　cry。〃

〃I　know。　You　have　told　us　of　him　before。　His　name　was　William；　too。〃

She　leaned　over　him；　her　breath　mingling　with　his；　she　took　his　little　hand　in　hers；　〃William；　do　you　know　that　those　whom　God　loves　best　He　takes　first？　Were　you　to　die；　you　would　go　to　Heaven；