第114章BOOKTHETHIRD：THETRACKOFASTORM(29)

第114章bookthethird：thetrackofastorm(29)

'sheheardme，andranin.itoldhernottocomenearustillhewasdead.hecameinandfirsttossedmesomepiecesofmoney；thenstruckatmewithawhip.buti，thoughacommondog，sostruckathimastomakehimdraw.lethimbreakintoasmanypiecesashewill，theswordthathestainedwithmycommonblood；hedrewtodefendhimself—thrustatmewithallhisskillforhislife.'

'myglancehadfallen，butafewmomentsbefore.onthefragmentsofabrokensword，lyingamongthehay.thatweaponwasagentleman's.inanotherplace.layanoldswordthatseemedtohavebeenasoldier's.

'now，liftmeup，doctor；liftmeup.whereishe？'

'heisnothere，'isaid，supportingtheboy，andthinkingthathereferredtothebrother.

'he！proudasthesenoblesare，heisafraidtoseeme.whereisthemanwhowashere？turnmyfacetohim.'

'ididso，raisingtheboy'sheadagainstmyknee.but，investedforthemomentwithextraordinarypower，heraisedhimselfcompletely：obligingmetorisetoo，oricouldnothavestillsupportedhim.

'marquis，'saidtheboy，turnedtohimwithhiseyesopenedwide，andhisrighthandraised，'inthedayswhenallthesethingsaretobeansweredfor，isummonyouandyours，thelastofyourbadrace，toanswerforthem.imarkthiscrossofblooduponyou，asasignthatidoit.inthedayswhenallthesethingsaretobeansweredfor，isummonyourbrother，theworstofthebadrace，toanswerforthemseparately.imarkthiscrossofblooduponhim，asasignthatidoit.'

'twice，heputhishandtothewoundinhisbreast，andwithhisforefingerdrewacrossintheair.hestoodforaninstantwiththefingeryetraised，and，asitdropped，hedroppedwithit，andilaidhimdowndead.

'whenireturnedtothebedsideoftheyoungwoman，ifoundherravinginpreciselythesameorderandcontinuity.iknewthatthismightlastformanyhours，andthatitwouldprobablyendinthesilenceofthegrave.

'irepeatedthemedicinesihadgivenher，andisatatthesideofthebeduntilthenightwasfaradvanced.sheneverabatedthepiercingqualityofhershrieks，neverstumbledinthedistinctnessortheorderofherwords.theywerealways'myhusband，myfather，andmybrother！one，two，three，four，five，six，seven，eight，nine，ten，eleven，twelve！hush！'thislastedtwenty-sixhoursfromthetimewhenifirstsawher.ihadcomeandgonetwiceandwasagainsittingbyher，whenshebegantofalter.ididwhatlittlecouldbedonetoassistthatopportunity，andby-and-byshesankintoalethargy，andlaylikethedead.

'itwasasifthewindandrainhadlulledatlast，afteralongandfearfulstorm.ireleasedherarms，andcalledthewomantoassistmetocomposeherfigureandthedressshehadtorn.itwasthenthatiknewherconditiontobethatofoneinwhomthefirstexpectationsofbeingamotherhavearisen；anditwasthenthatilostthelittlehopeihadhadofher.

'isshedead？'askedthemarquis，whomiwillstilldescribeastheelderbrother，comingbootedintotheroomfromhishorse.

'notdead，'saidi；'butliketodie.'

'whatstrengththereisinthesecommonbodies！'hesaid，lookingdownatherwithsomecuriosity.

'thereisprodigiousstrength，'iansweredhim.'insorrowanddespair.'

'hefirstlaughedatmywords，andthenfrownedatthem.hemovedachairwithhisfootneartomine，orderedthewomanaway，andsaidinasubduedvoice，'doctor，findingmybrotherinthisdifficultywiththesehinds，irecommendedthatyouraidshouldbeinvited.yourreputationishigh，and，asayoungmanwithyourfortunetomake，youareprobablymindfulofyourinterest.thethingsthatyouseehere，arethingstobeseen，andnotspokenof.'

'ilistenedtothepatient'sbreathing，andavoidedanswering.

'doyouhonourmewithyourattention，doctor？'

'monsieur，'saidi，'inmyprofession，thecommunicationsofpatientsarealwaysreceivedinconfidence.'iwasguardedinmyanswer，foriwastroubledinmymindwithwhatihadheardandseen.

'herbreathingwassodifficulttotrace，thaticarefullytriedthepulseandtheheart.therewaslife，andnomore.lookingroundasiresumedmyseat，ifoundboththebrothersintentuponme.

'iwritewithsomuchdifficulty，thecoldissosevere，iamsofearfulofbeingdetectedandconsignedtoanundergroundcellandtotaldarkness，thatimustabridgethisnarrative.thereisnoconfusionorfailureinmymemory；itcanrecall，andcoulddetail，everywordthatwaseverspokenbetweenmeandthosebrothers.

'shelingeredforaweek.towardsthelast，icouldunderstandsomefewsyllablesthatshesaidtome，byplacingmyearclosetoherlips.sheaskedmewhereshewas，anditoldher；whoiwas，anditoldher.itwasinvainthatiaskedherforherfamilyname.shefaintlyshookherheaduponthepillow，andkepthersecret，astheboyhaddone.

'ihadnoopportunityofaskingheranyquestions，untilihadtoldthebrothersshewassinkingfast，andcouldnotliveanotherday.untilthen，thoughnoonewaseverpresentedtoherconsciousnesssavethewomanandmyself，oneorotherofthemhadalwaysjealouslysatbehindthecurtainattheheadofthebedwheniwasthere.butwhenitcametothat，theyseemedcarelesswhatcommunicationimightholdwithher；asif—thethoughtpassedthroughmymind—iweredyingtoo.

'ialwaysobservedthattheirpridebitterlyresentedtheyoungerbrother's（asicallhim）havingcrossedswordswithapeasantandthatpeasantaboy.theonlyconsiderationthatappearedtoaffectthemindofeitherofthemwastheconsiderationthatthiswashighlydegradingtothefamily，andwasridiculous.asoftenasicaughttheyoungerbrother'seyes，theirexpressionremindedmethathedislikedmedeeply，forknowingwhatiknewfromtheboy.hewassmootherandmorepolitetomethantheelder；butisawthis.ialsosawthatiwasanincumbranceinthemindoftheelder，too.