east lynne-第57部分

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Barbara　parted　from　them。　Thought　upon　thought　crowded　upon　her　brain　as　she　flew　back　to　East　Lynne。　She　ran　up　the　steps　to　the　hall；　gliding　toward　a　group　which　stood　near　its　further　endher　mother；　Miss　Carlyle；　Mr。　Carlyle；　and　little　Isabel；　Lady　Isabel　she　did　not　see。　Mrs。　Hare　was　then　going　up　to　see　Joyce。

In　the　agitation　of　the　moment　she　stealthily　touched　Mr。　Carlyle；　and　he　stepped　away　from　the　rest　to　speak　to　her；　she　drawing　back　toward　the　door　of　one　of　the　reception　rooms；　and　motioning　him　to　approach。

〃Oh；　Archibald；　I　must　speak　to　you　alone！　Could　you　not　come　out　again　for　a　little　while？〃

He　nodded；　and　walked　out　openly　by　her　side。　Why　should　he　not？　What　had　he　to　conceal？　But；　unfortunately；　Lady　Isabel；　who　had　but　gone　into　that　same　room　for　a　minute；　and　was　coming　out　again　to　join　Mrs。　Hare；　both　saw　Barbara's　touch　upon　her　husband's　arm；　marked　her　agitation；　and　heard　her　words。　She　went　to　one　of　the　hall　windows　and　watched　them　saunter　toward　the　more　private　part　of　the　ground；　she　saw　her　husband　send　back　Isabel。　Never；　since　her　marriage；　had　Lady　Isabel's　jealousy　been　excited　as　it　was　excited　that　evening。

〃II　feelI　scarcely　know　whether　I　am　awake　or　dreaming；〃　began　Barbara；　putting　up　her　hand　to　her　brow　and　speaking　in　a　dreamy　tone。　〃Pardon　me　for　bringing　you　out　in　this　unceremonious　fashion。〃

〃What　state　secrets　have　you　to　discuss？〃　asked　Mr。　Carlyle　in　a　jesting　manner。

〃We　were　speaking　of　mamma's　dream。　She　said　the　impression　it　had　left　upon　her　mindthat　the　murderer　was　in　West　Lynnewas　so　vivid　that　in　spite　of　common　sense　she　could　not　persuade　herself　that　he　was　not。　Welljust　now〃

〃Barbara；　what　/can/　be　the　matter？〃　uttered　Mr。　Carlyle；　perceiving　that　her　agitation　was　so　great　as　to　impede　her　words。

〃/I　have　just　seen　him！/〃　she　rejoined。

〃Seen　him！〃　echoed　Mr。　Carlyle；　looking　at　her　fixedly；　a　doubt　crossing　his　mind　whether　Barbara's　mind　might　be　as　uncollected　as　her　manner。

〃What　were　nearly　my　last　words　to　you？　That　if　ever　that　Thorn　did　come　to　West　Lynne　again；　I　would　leave　no　stone　unturned　to　bring　it　home　to　him。　He　is　here；　Archibald。　Now；　when　I　went　to　the　gate　to　speak　to　Tom　Herbert；　his　brother；　Major　Herbert；　was　also　there；　and　with　him　Captain　Thorn。　Bethel；　also。　Do　you　wonder　I　say　that　I　know　not　whether　I　am　awake　or　dreaming？　They　have　some　weeks'　holiday；　and　are　here　to　spend　it。〃

〃It　is　a　singular　coincidence；〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Carlyle。

〃Had　anything　been　wanting　to　convince　me　that　Thorn　is　the　guilty　man；　this　would　have　done　it；〃　went　on　Barbara；　in　her　excitement。　〃Mamma's　dream；　with　the　steadfast　impression　it　left　upon　her　that　Hallijohn's　murderer　was　now　at　West　Lynne〃

In　turning　the　sharp　corner　of　the　covered　walk　they　came　in　contact　with　Captain　Levison；　who　appeared　to　be　either　standing　or　sauntering　there；　his　hands　underneath　his　coat…tails。　Again　Barbara　felt　vexed；　wondering　how　much　he　had　heard；　and　beginning　in　her　heart　to　dislike　the　man。　He　accosted　them　familiarly；　and　appeared　as　if　he　would　have　turned　with　them；　but　none　could　put　down　presumption　more　effectually　than　Mr。　Carlyle；　calm　and　gentlemanly　though　he　always　was。

〃I　will　join　you　presently；　Captain　Levison；〃　he　said　with　a　wave　of　the　hand。　And　he　turned　back　with　Barbara　toward　the　open　parts　of　the　park。

〃Do　you　like　that　Captain　Levison？〃　she　abruptly　inquired；　when　they　were　beyond　hearing。

〃I　cannot　say　I　do；〃　was　Mr。　Carlyle's　reply。　〃He　is　one　who　does　not　improve　upon　acquaintance。〃

〃To　me　it　looks　as　though　he　had　placed　himself　in　our　way　to　hear　what　we　were　saying。〃

〃No；　no；　Barbara。　What　interest　could　it　bear　for　him？〃

Barbara　did　not　contest　the　point；　she　turned　to　the　one　nearer　at　heart。　〃What　must　be　our　course　with　regard　to　Thorn？〃

〃It　is　more　than　I　can　tell　you；〃　replied　Mr。　Carlyle。　〃I　cannot　go　up　to　the　man　and　unceremoniously　accuse　him　of　being　Hallijohn's　murderer。〃

They　took　their　way　to　the　house；　for　there　was　nothing　further　to　discuss。　Captain　Levison　entered　it　before　them；　and　saw　Lady　Isabel　standing　at　the　hall　window。　Yes；　she　was　standing　and　looking　still；　brooding　over　her　fancied　wrongs。

〃Who　is　that　Miss　Hare？〃　he　demanded　in　a　cynical　tone。　〃They　appear　to　have　a　pretty　good　understanding　together。　Twice　this　evening　I　have　met　them　enjoying　a　private　walk　and　a　private　confab。〃

〃What　did　you　say？〃　sharply　and　haughtily　returned　Lady　Isabel。

〃Nay；　I　did　not　mean　to　offend　you；〃　was　the　answer；　for　he　knew　that　she　heard　his　words　distinctly　in　spite　of　her　question。　〃I　spoke　of　/Monsieur　votre　mari/。〃



CHAPTER　XXIII。

CAPTAIN　THORN　IN　TROUBLE　ABOUT　〃A　BILL。〃

In　talking　over　a　bygone　misfortune；　we　sometimes　make　the　remark；　or　hear　it　made　to　us；　〃Circumstances　worked　against　it。〃　Such　and　such　a　thing　might　have　turned　out　differently；　we　say；　had　the　surrounding　circumstances　been　more　favorable；　but　they　were　in　opposition；　they　were　dead　against　it。　Now；　if　ever　attendant　circumstances　can　be　said　to　have　borne　a　baneful　influence　upon　any　person　in　this　world；　they　most　assuredly　did　at　this　present　time　against　Lady　Isabel　Carlyle。

Coeval；　you　see；　with　the　arrival　of　the　ex…captain；　Levison；　at　East　Lynne；　all　the　jealous　feeling；　touching　her　husband　and　Barbara　Hare；　was　renewed；　and　with　greater　force　than　ever。　Barbara；　painfully　anxious　that　something　should　be　brought　to　light；　it　would　have　puzzled　her　to　say　how　or　by　what　means；　by　which　her　brother　should　be　exonerated　from　the　terrible　charge　under　which　he　lay；　fully　believing　that　Frederick　Thorn；　captain　in　her　majesty's　service；　was　the　man　who　had　committed　the　crime；　as　asserted　by　Richard；　was　in　a　state　of　excitement　bordering　upon　frenzy。　Too　keenly　she　felt　the　truth　of　her　own　words；　that　she　was　powerless；　that　she　could；　herself；　do　nothing。　When　she　rose　in　the　morning；　after　a　night　passed　in　troubled　reflection　more　than　in　sleep；　her　thoughts　were；　〃Oh；　that　I　could　this　day　find　out　something　certain！〃　She　was　often　at　the　Herberts'；　frequently　invited　theresometimes　going　uninvited。　She　and　the　Herberts　were　intimate　and　they　pressed　Barbara　into　all　the　impromptu　gay　doings；　now　their　brother　was　at　home。　There　she　of　course　saw　Captain　Thorn；　and　now　and　then　she　was　enabled　to　pick　up　scraps　of　his　past　history。　Eagerly　were　these　scraps　carried　to　Mr。　Carlyle。　Not　at　his　office；　Barbara　would　not　appear　there。　Perhaps　she　was　afraid　of　the　gossiping　tongues　of　West　Lynne；　or　that　her　visits　might　have　come　to　the　knowledge　of　that　stern；　prying；　and　questioning　old　gentleman　whom　she　called　sire。　It　may　be　too；　that　she　feared；　if　seen　haunting　Mr。　Carlyle's　office；　Captain　Thorn　might　come　to　hear　of　it　and　suspect　the　agitation；　that　was　afloatfor　who　could　know　better　than　he；　the　guilt　that　was　falsely　attaching　to　Richard？　Therefore　she　chose　rather　to　go　to　East　Lynne；　or　to　waylay　Mr。　Carlyle　as　he　passed　to　and　from　business。　It　was　little　she　gathered　to　tell　him；　one　evening　she　met　him　with　the　news　that　Mr。　Thorn　/had/　been　in　former　years　at　West　Lynne；　though　she　could　not　fix　the　date；　another　time　sh