east lynne-第92部分

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〃What　else　have　you　to　urge　against　her？〃

〃I　would　have　married　a　girl　without　a　slur；　if　I　must　have　married；〃　aggravatingly　returned　Miss　Corny。

〃Slur？〃

〃Slur；　yes。　Dear　me；　is　it　an　honorthe　possessing　a　brother　such　as　Richard？〃

Miss　Corny　sniffed。　〃Pigs　may　fly；　but　I　never　saw　them　try　at　it。〃

〃The　next　consideration；　Cornelia；　is　about　your　residence。　You　will　go　back；　I　presume；　to　your　own　home。〃

Miss　Corny　did　not　believe　her　own　ears。　〃Go　back　to　my　own　home！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃I　shall　do　nothing　of　the　sort。　I　shall　stop　at　East　Lynne。　What's　to　hinder　me？〃

Mr。　Carlyle　shook　his　head。　〃It　cannot　be；〃　he　said；　in　a　low；　decisive　tone。

〃Who　says　so？〃　she　sharply　asked。

〃I　do。　Have　you　forgotten　that　nightwhen　she　went　awaythe　words　spoken　by　Joyce？　Cornelia；　whether　they　were　true　or　false；　I　will　not　subject　another　to　the　chance。〃

She　did　not　answer。　Her　lips　parted　and　closed　again。　Somehow；　Miss　Carlyle　could　not　bear　to　be　reminded　of　that　revelation　of　Joyce's；　it　subdued　even　her。

〃I　cast　no　reflection　upon　you；〃　hastily　continued　Mr。　Carlyle。　〃You　have　been　a　mistress　of　a　house　for　many　years；　and　you　naturally　look　to　be　so；　it　is　right　you　should。　But　two　mistresses　in　a　house　do　not　answer；　Cornelia；　they　never　did；　and　they　never　will。〃

〃Why　did　you　not　give　me　so　much　of　your　sentiments　when　I　first　came　to　East　Lynne？〃　she　burst　forth。　〃I　hate　hypocrisy。〃

〃They　were　not　my　sentiments　then；　I　possessed　none。　I　was　ignorant　upon　the　subject　as　I　was　upon　many　others。　Experience　has　come　to　me　since。〃

〃You　will　not　find　a　better　mistress　of　a　house　than　I　have　made　you；〃　she　resentfully　spoke。

〃I　do　not　look　for　it。　The　tenants　leave　your　house　in　March；　do　they　not？〃

〃Yes；　they　do；〃　snapped　Miss　Corny。　〃But　as　we　are　on　the　subject　of　details　of　ways　and　means；　allow　me　to　tell　you　that　if　you　did　what　is　right；　/you/　would　move　into　that　house　of　mine；　and　I　will　go　to　a　smalleras　you　seem　to　think　I　shall　poison　Barbara　if　I　remain　with　her。　East　Lynne　is　a　vast　deal　too　fine　and　too　grand　for　you。〃

〃I　do　not　consider　it　so。　I　shall　not　quit　East　Lynne。〃

〃Are　you　aware　that；　in　leaving　your　house；　I　take　my　income　with　me；　Archibald？〃

〃Most　certainly。　Your　income　is　yours；　and　you　will　require　it　for　your　own　purposes。　I　have　neither　a　right　to；　nor　wish　for　it。〃

〃It　will　make　a　pretty　good　hole　in　your　income；　the　withdrawing　of　it；　I　can　tell　you　that。　Take　care　that　you　and　East　Lynne　don't　go　bankrupt　together。〃

At　this　moment　the　summons　of　a　visitor　was　heard。　Even　that　excited　the　ire　of　Miss　Carlyle。　〃I　wonder　who's　come　bothering　to…night？〃　she　uttered。

Peter　entered。　〃It　is　Major　Thorn；　sir。　I　have　shown　him　into　the　drawing…room。〃

Mr。　Carlyle　was　surprised。　He　had　not　thought　Major　Thorn　within　many　a　mile　of　West　Lynne。　He　proceeded　to　the　drawing…room。

〃Such　a　journey！〃　said　Major　Thorn　to　Mr。　Carlyle。　〃It　is　my　general　luck　to　get　ill…weather　when　I　travel。　Rain　and　hail；　thunder　and　heat；　nothing　bad　comes　amiss　when　I　am　out。　The　snow　lay　on　the　rails；　I　don't　know　how　thick；　at　one　station　we　were　detained　two　hours。〃

〃Are　you　proposing　to　make　any　stay　at　West　Lynne？〃

〃Off　again　to…morrow。　My　leave；　this　time；　is　to　be　spent　at　my　mother's。　I　may　bestow　a　week　of　it　or　so　on　West　Lynne；　but　am　not　sure。　I　must　be　back　in　Ireland　in　a　month。　Such　a　horrid　boghole　we　are　quartered　in　just　now！〃

〃To　go　from　one　subject　to　another；〃　observed　Mr。　Carlyle；　〃there　is　a　question　I　have　long　thought　to　put　to　you；　Thorn；　did　we　ever　meet　again。　Which　year　was　it　that　you　were　staying　at　Swainson？〃

Major　Thorn　mentioned　it。　It　was　the　year　of　Hallijohn's　murder。

〃As　I　thoughtin　fact；　know；〃　said　Mr。　Carlyle。　〃Did　you；　while　you　were　stopping　there；　ever　come　across　a　namesake　of　yoursone　Thorn？〃

〃I　believe　I　did。　But　I　don't　know　the　man；　of　my　knowledge；　and　I　saw　him　but　once　only。　I　don't　think　he　was　living　at　Swainson。　I　never　observed　him　in　the　town。〃

〃Where　did　you　meet　with　him？〃

〃At　a　roadside　beer…shop；　about　two　miles　from　Swainson。　I　was　riding　one　day；　when　a　fearful　storm　came　on；　and　I　took　shelter　there。　Scarcely　had　I　entered；　when　another　horsemen　rode　up；　and　he　likewise　took　sheltera　tall；　dandified　man；　aristocratic　and　exclusive。　When　he　departedfor　he　quitted　first；　the　storm　being　overI　asked　the　people　who　he　was。　They　said　they　did　not　know；　though　they　had　often　seen　him　ride　by；　but　a　man　who　was　there；　drinking；　said　he　was　a　Captain　Thorn。　The　same　man；　by　the　way；　volunteered　the　information　that　he　came　from　a　distance；　somewhere　near　West　Lynne；　I　remember　that。〃

〃That　Captain　Thorn　did？〃

〃Nothat　he；　himself　did。　He　appeared　to　know　nothing　of　Captain　Thorn；　beyond　the　name。

It　seemed　to　be　ever　so！　Scraps　of　information；　but　nothing　tangible。　Nothing　to　lay　hold　of；　or　to　know　the　man　by。　Would　it　be　thus　always？

〃Should　you　recognize　him　again　were　you　to　see　him？〃　resumed　Mr。　Carlyle　awakening　from　his　reverie。

〃I　think　I　should。　There　was　something　peculiar　in　his　countenance；　and　I　remember　it　well　yet。〃

〃Were　you　by　chance　to　meet　him；　and　discover　his　real　namefor　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　Thorn；　the　one　he　went　by　then；　was　an　assumed　onewill　you　oblige　me　by　letting　me　know　it？〃

〃With　all　the　pleasure　in　life；〃　replied　the　major。　〃The　chances　are　against　it　though；　confined　as　I　am　to　that　confounded　sister　country。　Other　regiments　get　the　luck　of　being　quartered　in　the　metropolis；　or　near　it；　ours　doesn't。〃

When　Major　Thorn　departed；　and　Mr。　Carlyle　was　about　to　return　to　the　room　where　he　left　his　sister；　he　was　interrupted　by　Joyce。

〃Sir；〃　she　began。　〃Miss　Carlyle　tells　me　that　there　is　going　to　be　a　change　at　East　Lynne。〃

The　words　took　Mr。　Carlyle　by　surprise。

〃Miss　Carlyle　has　been　in　a　hurry　to　tell　you；〃　he　remarkeda　certain　haughty　displeasure　in　his　tone。

〃She　did　not　speak　for　the　sake　of　telling　me；　sir；　it　is　not　likely；　but　I　fancy　she　was　thinking　about　her　own　plans。　She　inquired　whether　I　would　go　with　her　when　she　left；　or　whether　I　meant　to　remain　at　East　Lynne。　I　would　not　answer　her；　sir；　until　I　had　spoken　to　you。〃

〃Well？〃　said　Mr。　Carlyle。

〃I　gave　a　promise　sir；　totomy　late　ladythat　I　would　remain　with　her　children　as　long　as　I　was　permitted。　She　asked　it　of　me　when　she　was　illwhen　she　thought　she　was　going　to　die。　What　I　would　inquire　of　you；　sir；　is；　whether　the　change　will　make　any　difference　to　my　staying？〃

〃No；〃　he　decisively　replied。　〃I　also；　Joyce；　wish　you　to　remain　with　the　children。〃

〃It　is　well；　sir；〃　Joyce　answered；　and　her　face　looked　bright　as　she　quitted　the　room。



CHAPTER　XXXI。

MR。　DILL　IN　AN　EMBROIDERED　SHIRT…FRONT。

It　was　a　lovely　morning　in　June；　and　all　West　Lynne　was　astir。　West　Lynne　generally　was　astir　in　the　morning；　but　not　in　the　bustling　manner　that　might　be　observed　now。　People　were　abroad　in　numbers；　passing　down　to　St。　Jude's　Church；　for　it　was　the　day　of　Mr。　Carlyle's　marriage　to　Barbara　Hare。

Miss　Carlyle　made　herself　into　a　sort　of　martyr。　She　would　not　go　near　it；　fine　weddings　in　fine　churches　did　not　suit　her；　she　proclaimed；　they　could　t