第187章

第187章acommonplace,practicalreply,outofthetrainofhisowndisturbedideas,was,iwassure,thebestandmostreassuringforhiminthisframeofmind.ipassedmyfingeroverhiseyebrows,andremarkedthattheywerescorched,andthatiwouldapplysomethingwhichwouldmakethemgrowasbroadandblackasever.

“whereistheuseofdoingmegoodinanyway,beneficentspirit,when,atsomefatalmoment,youwillagaindesertme—passinglikeashadow,whitherandhowtomeunknown,andformeremainingafterwardsundiscoverable?

“haveyouapocket-combaboutyou,sir?”

“whatfor,jane?”

“justtocomboutthisyblackmane.ifindyouratheralarming,wheniexamineyoucloseathand:youtalkofmybeingafairy,butiamsure,youaremorelikeabrownie.”

“amihideous,jane?”

“very,sir:youalwayswere,youknow.”

“humph!thewickednesshasnotbeentakenoutofyou,whereveryouhavesojourned.”

“yetihavebeenwithgoodpeople;farbetterthanyou:ahundredtimesbetterpeople;possessedofideasandviewsyouneverentertainedinyourlife:quitemorerefinedandexalted.”

“whothedeucehaveyoubeenwith?”

“ifyoutwistinthatwayyouwillmakemepullthehairoutofyourhead;andthenithinkyouwillceasetoentertaindoubtsofmysubstantiality.”

“whohaveyoubeenwith,jane?”

“youshallnotgetitoutofmeto-night,sir;youmustwaittillto-morrow;toleavemytalehalftold,will,youknow,beasortofsecuritythatishallappearatyourbreakfasttabletofinishit.bythebye,imustmindnottoriseonyourhearthwithonlyaglassofwaterthen:imustbringaneggattheleast,tosaynothingoffriedham.”

“youmockingchangeling—fairy-bornandhuman-bred!youmakemefeelasihavenotfeltthesetwelvemonths.ifsaulcouldhavehadyouforhisdavid,theevilspiritwouldhavebeenexorcisedwithouttheaidoftheharp.”

“there,sir,youarereddupandmadedecent.nowi’llleaveyou:ihavebeentravellingtheselastthreedays,andibelieveiamtired.goodnight.”

“justoneword,jane:werethereonlyladiesinthehousewhereyouhavebeen?”

ilaughedandmademyescape,stilllaughingasiranupstairs.“agoodidea!”ithoughtwithglee.“iseeihavethemeansoffrettinghimoutofhismelancholyforsometimetocome.”

veryearlythenextmorningiheardhimupandastir,wanderingfromoneroomtoanother.assoonasmarycamedowniheardthequestion:“ismisseyrehere?”then:“whichroomdidyouputherinto?wasitdry?issheup?goandaskifshewantsanything;andwhenshewillcomedown.”

icamedownassoonasithoughttherewasaprospectofbreakfast.enteringtheroomverysoftly,ihadaviewofhimbeforehediscoveredmypresence.itwasmournful,indeed,towitnessthesubjugationofthatvigorousspirittoacorporealinfirmity.hesatinhischair—still,butnotatrest:expectantevidently;thelinesofnowhabitualsadnessmarkinghisstrongfeatures.hiscountenanceremindedoneofalampquenched,waitingtobere-lit—andalas!itwasnothimselfthatcouldnowkindlethelustreofanimatedexpression:hewasdependentonanotherforthatoffice!ihadmeanttobegayandcareless,butthepowerlessnessofthestrongmantouchedmyhearttothequick:stilliaccostedhimwithwhatvivacityicould:—

“itisabright,sunnymorning,sir,”isaid.“therainisoverandgone,andthereisatendershiningafterit:youshallhaveawalksoon.”

ihadwakenedtheglow:hisfeaturesbeamed.

“oh,youareindeedthere,myskylark!cometome.youarenotgone:notvanished?iheardoneofyourkindanhourago,singinghighoverthewood:butitssonghadnomusicforme,anymorethantherisingsunhadrays.allthemelodyonearthisconcentratedinmyjane’stonguetomyear(iamgladitisnotnaturallyasilentone):allthesunshineicanfeelisinherpresence.”

thewaterstoodinmyeyestohearthisavowalofhisdependence;justasifaroyaleagle,chainedtoaperch,shouldbeforcedtoentreatasparrowtobecomeitspurveyor.butiwouldnotbelachrymose:idashedoffthesaltdrops,andbusiedmyselfwithpreparingbreakfast.

mostofthemorningwasspentintheopenair.iledhimoutofthewetandwildwoodintosomecheerfulfields:idescribedtohimhowbrilliantlygreentheywere;howtheflowersandhedgeslookedrefreshed;howsparklinglybluewasthesky.isoughtaseatforhiminahiddenandlovelyspot,adrystumpofatree;nordidirefusetolethim,whenseated,placemeonhisknee.whyshouldi,whenbothheandiwerehappiernearthanapart?pilotlaybesideus:allwasquiet.hebrokeoutsuddenlywhileclaspingmeinhisarms—

“cruel,crueldeserter!oh,jane,whatdidifeelwhenidiscoveredyouhadfledfromthornfield,andwhenicouldnowherefindyou;and,afterexaminingyourapartment,ascertainedthatyouhadtakennomoney,noranythingwhichcouldserveasanequivalent!apearlnecklaceihadgivenyoulayuntouchedinitslittlecasket;yourtrunkswereleftcordedandlockedastheyhadbeenpreparedforthebridaltour.whatcouldmydarlingdo,iasked,leftdestituteandpenniless?andwhatdidshedo?letmehearnow.”

无一错一首一发一内一容一在一6一9一书一吧一看！

thusurged,ibeganthenarrativeofmyexperienceforthelastyear.isoftenedconsiderablywhatrelatedtothethreedaysofwanderingandstarvation,becausetohavetoldhimallwouldhavebeentoinflictunnecessarypain:thelittleididsaylaceratedhisfaithfulheartdeeperthaniwished.

ishouldnothavelefthimthus,hesaid,withoutanymeansofmakingmyway:ishouldhavetoldhimmyintention.ishouldhaveconfidedinhim:hewouldneverhaveforcedmetobehismistress.violentashehadseemedinhisdespair,he,intruth,lovedmefartoowellandtootenderlytoconstitutehimselfmytyrant:hewouldhavegivenmehalfhisfortune,withoutdemandingsomuchasakissinreturn,ratherthanishouldhaveflungmyselffriendlessonthewideworld.ihadendured,hewascertain,morethanihadconfessedtohim.