east lynne-第142部分

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decline　to　tell　them　to　you；　on　my　own　account；　as　well　as　on　yours。　Lay　not　discourtesy　to　my　charge；　Lady　Levison。　Were　I　to　speak　of　the　man；　even　to　you；　his　name　would　blister　my　lips。〃

〃In　every　word　of　hate　spoken　by　you　I　would　sympathize；　every　contemptuous　expression　of　scorn；　cast　upon　him　from　your　heart；　I　would　join　in；　tenfold。〃

Barbara　was　shocked。　〃He　is　your　husband；　after　all；〃　she　took　leave　to　whisper。

〃My　husband！〃　broke　forth　Lady　Levison；　in　agitation；　seemingly。　〃Yes！　there's　the　wrong。　Why　did　he；　knowing　what　he　was；　delude　me　into　becoming　his　wife？　You　ought　to　feel　for　me；　Mrs。　Carlyle；　and　you　do　feel　for　me；　for　you　are　a　wife　and　mother。　How　dare　these　base　men　marrytake　to　themselves　an　innocent；　inexperienced　girl；　vowing；　before　God；　to　love　and　honor　and　cherish　her？　Were　not　his　other　sins　impediment　enough　but　he　must　have　crime；　also；　and　woo　me！　He　has　done　me　deep　and　irredeemable　wrong；　and　has　entailed　upon　his　child　an　inheritance　of　shame。　What　had　he　or　I　done　to　deserve　it；　I　ask？〃

Barbara　felt　half　frightened　at　her　vehemence；　and　Barbara　might　be　thankful　not　to　understand　it。　All　her　native　gentleness；　all　her　reticence　of　feeling；　as　a　wife　and　a　gentlewoman；　had　been　goaded　out　of　her。　The　process　had　been　going　on　for　some　time；　but　this　last　revelation　was　the　crowning　point；　and　Alice；　Lady　Levison；　turned　round　upon　the　world　in　her　helpless　resentment；　as　any　poor　wife；　working　in　a　garret；　might　have　done。　There　are　certain　wrongs　which　bring　out　human　nature　in　the　high…born；　as　well　as　in　the　low。　〃Still　he　is　your　husband；〃　was　all　Barbara　could；　with　deprecation；　again　plead。

〃He　made　himself　my　husband　by　deceit；　and　I　will　throw　him　off　in　the　face　of　day；〃　returned　Lady　Levison。　〃There　is　no　moral　obligation　why　I　should　not。　He　has　worked　ill　and　ruinill　and　ruin　upon　me　and　my　child；　and　the　world　shall　never　be　allowed　to　think　I　have　borne　my　share　in　it。　How　was　it　you　kept　your　hands　off　him；　when　he　reappeared；　to　brave　you；　in　West　Lynne？〃　she　added；　in　a　changed　tone；　turning　to　Mr。　Carlyle。

〃I　cannot　tell。　I　was　a　marvel　oftentimes　to　myself。〃

He　quitted　the　room　as　he　spoke；　adding　a　few　civil　words　about　her　with　Mrs。　Carlyle。　Barbara；　not　possessing　the　scruples　of　her　husband；　yielded　to　Lady　Levison's　request；　and　gave　her　the　outline　of　the　dark　tale。　Its　outline　only；　and　generously　suppressing　Afy's　name　beyond　the　evening　of　the　fatal　event。　Lady　Levison　listened　without　interruption。

〃Do　you　and　Mr。　Carlyle　believe　him　to　have　been　guilty？〃

〃Yes；　but　Mr。　Carlyle　will　not　express　his　opinion　to　the　world。　He　does　not　repay　wrong　with　revenge。　I　have　heard　him　say　that　if　the　lifting　of　his　finger　would　send　the　man　to　his　punishment；　he　would　tie　down　his　hand　rather　than　lift　it。〃

〃Was　his　first　wife；　Isabel　Vane；　mad？〃　she　presently　asked。

〃Mad！〃　echoed　Barbara；　in　surprise。

〃When　she　quitted　him　for　the　other。　It　could　have　been　nothing　else　than　madness。　I　could　understand　a　woman's　flying　from　/him/　for　love　of　Mr。　Carlyle；　but　now　that　I　have　seen　your　husband；　I　cannot　understand　the　reverse　side　of　the　picture。　I　thank　you　for　your　courtesy；　Mrs。　Carlyle。〃

And；　without　another　word；　Alice　Levison　quitted　the　room　as　abruptly　as　she　had　entered　it。

Well；　the　London　visit　came　to　an　end。　It　was　of　little　more　than　three　weeks'　duration；　for　Barbara　must　be　safe　at　home　again。　Mr。　Carlyle　remained　for　the　rest　of　the　season　alone；　but　he　varied　it　with　journeys　to　East　Lynne。　He　had　returned　home　for　good　now；　July；　although　the　session　had　not　quite　terminated。　There　was　another　baby　at　East　Lynne；　a　lovely　little　baby；　pretty　as　Barbara　herself　had　been　at　a　month　old。　William　was　fading　rapidly。　The　London　physicians　had　but　confirmed　the　opinion　of　Dr。　Martin；　and　it　was　evident　to　all　that　the　close　would　not　be　long　protracted。

Somebody　else　was　fadingLady　Isabel。　The　cross　had　been　too　heavy；　and　she　was　sinking　under　its　weight。　Can　you　wonder　at　it？

An　intensely　hot　day　it　was　under　the　July　sun。　Afy　Hallijohn　was　sailing　up　the　street　in　its　beams；　finer　and　vainer　than　ever。　She　encountered　Mr。　Carlyle。

〃So；　Afy；　you　are　really　going　to　be　married　at　last？〃

〃Jiffin　fancies　so；　sir。　I　am　not　sure　yet　but　what　I　shall　change　my　mind。　Jiffin　thinks　there's　nobody　like　me。　If　I　could　eat　gold　and　silver；　he'd　provide　it；　and　he's　as　fond　as　fond　can　be。　But　then　you　know；　sir；　he's　half　soft。〃

〃Soft　as　to　you；　perhaps；〃　laughed　Mr。　Carlyle。　〃I　consider　him　a　very　civil；　respectable　man；　Afy。〃

〃And　then；　I　never　did　think　to　marry　a　shopkeeper；〃　grumbled　Afy；　〃I　looked　a　little　higher　than　that。　Only　fancy；　sir；　having　a　husband　who　wears　a　white　apron　tied　round　him！〃

〃Terrible！〃　responded　Mr。　Carlyle；　with　a　grave　face。

〃Not　but　what　it　will　be　a　tolerable　settlement；〃　rejoined　Afy；　veering　round　a　point。　〃He's　having　his　house　done　up　in　style；　and　I　shall　keep　two　good　servants；　and　do　nothing　myself　but　dress　and　subscribe　to　the　library。　He　makes　plenty　of　money。〃

〃A　very　tolerable　settlement；　I　should　say；〃　returned　Mr。　Carlyle；　and　Afy's　face　fell　before　the　glance　of　his　eye；　merry　though　it　was。　〃Take　care　you　don't　spend　all　his　money　for　him；　Afy。〃

〃I'll　take　care　of　that；〃　nodded　Afy；　significantly。　〃Sir；〃　she　somewhat　abruptly　added；　〃what　is　it　that's　the　matter　with　Joyce？〃

〃I　do　not　know；〃　said　Mr。　Carlyle；　becoming　serious。　〃There　does　appear　to　be　something　the　matter　with　her；　for　she　is　much　changed。〃

〃I　never　saw　anybody　so　changed　in　my　life；〃　exclaimed　Afy。　〃I　told　her　the　other　day　that　she　was　just　like　one　who　had　got　some　dreadful　secret　upon　their　mind。〃

〃It　is　really　more　like　that　than　anything　else；〃　observed　Mr。　Carlyle。

〃But　she　is　one　of　the　close　ones；　is　Joyce；〃　continued　Afy。　〃No　fear　that　she'll　give　out　a　clue；　if　it　does　not　suit　her　to　do　so。　She　told　me；　in　answer；　to　mind　my　own　business；　and　not　to　take　absurd　fancies　in　my　head。　How　is　the　baby；　sir；　and　Mrs。　Carlyle？〃

〃All　well。　Good　day；　Afy。〃



CHAPTER　XLII。

THE　TRIAL。

Spacious　courts　were　the　assize　courts　of　Lynneborough；　and　it　was　well　they　were　so；　otherwise　more　people　had　been　disappointed；　and　numbers　were；　of　hearing　the　noted　trial　of　Sir　Francis　Levison　for　the　murder　of　George　Hallijohn。

The　circumstances　attending　the　case　caused　it　to　bear　for　the　public　an　unparalleled　interest。　The　rank　of　the　accused；　and　his　antecedents；　more　especially　that　particular　local　antecedent　touching　the　Lady　Isabel　Carlyle；　the　verdict　still　out　against　Richard　Hare；　the　length　of　time　which　had　elapsed　since；　the　part　played　in　it　by　Afy；　the　intense　curiosity　as　to　the　part　taken　in　it　by　Otway　Bethel；　the　speculation　as　to　what　had　been　the　exact　details；　and　the　doubt　of　a　convictionall　contributed　to　fan　the　curiosity　of　the　public。　People　came　from　far　and　near　to　be　presentfriends　of　Mr。　Carlyle；　friends　of　the　Hares；　friends　of　the　Challoner　family；　friends　of　the　prisoner；　besides　the　general　public。　Colonel　Bethel　and　Mr。　Justice　Hare　had　conspicuous　seats。

At　a　few　minutes　past　nine　the　judge　took　his　place　on　the　bench；　but　not