第143章

第143章“youhadbettertellmewhatyouhavetosaytothem.wheredoyoucomefrom?”

“iamastranger.”

“whatisyourbusinesshereatthishour?”

“iwantanight’sshelterinanout-houseoranywhere,andamorselofbreadtoeat.”

distrust,theveryfeelingidreaded,appearedinhannah’sface.“i’llgiveyouapieceofbread,”shesaid,afterapause;“butwecan’ttakeinavagranttolodge.itisn’tlikely.”

“doletmespeaktoyourmistresses.”

“no,noti.whatcantheydoforyou?youshouldnotberovingaboutnow;itlooksveryill.”

“butwhereshalligoifyoudrivemeaway?whatshallido?”

“oh,i’llwarrantyouknowwheretogoandwhattodo.mindyoudon’tdowrong,that’sall.hereisapenny;nowgo—”

“apennycannotfeedme,andihavenostrengthtogofarther.don’tshutthedoor:—oh,don’t,forgod’ssake!”

“imust;therainisdrivingin—”

“telltheyoungladies.letmeseethem—”

“indeed,iwillnot.youarenotwhatyououghttobe,oryouwouldn’tmakesuchanoise.moveoff.”

“butimustdieifiamturnedaway.”

“notyou.i’mfear’dyouhavesomeillplansagate,thatbringyouaboutfolk’shousesatthistimeo’night.ifyou’veanyfollowers—housebreakersorsuchlike—anywherenear,youmaytellthemwearenotbyourselvesinthehouse;wehaveagentleman,anddogs,andguns.”herethehonestbutinflexibleservantclappedthedoortoandbolteditwithin.

thiswastheclimax.apangofexquisitesuffering—athroeoftruedespair—rentandheavedmyheart.wornout,indeed,iwas;notanotherstepcouldistir.isankonthewetdoorstep:igroaned—iwrungmyhands—iweptinutteranguish.oh,thisspectreofdeath!oh,thislasthour,approachinginsuchhorror!alas,thisisolation—thisbanishmentfrommykind!notonlytheanchorofhope,butthefootingoffortitudewasgone—atleastforamoment;butthelastisoonendeavouredtoregain.

“icanbutdie,”isaid,“andibelieveingod.letmetrytowaithiswillinsilence.”

thesewordsinotonlythought,bututtered;andthrustingbackallmymiseryintomyheart,imadeanefforttocompelittoremainthere—dumbandstill.

“allmenmustdie,”saidavoicequitecloseathand;“butallarenotcondemnedtomeetalingeringandprematuredoom,suchasyourswouldbeifyouperishedhereofwant.”

“whoorwhatspeaks?”iasked,terrifiedattheunexpectedsound,andincapablenowofderivingfromanyoccurrenceahopeofaid.aformwasnear—whatform,thepitch-darknightandmyenfeebledvisionpreventedmefromdistinguishing.withaloudlongknock,thenew-comerappealedtothedoor.

“isityou,mr.st.john?”criedhannah.

“yes—yes;openquickly.”

“well,howwetandcoldyoumustbe,suchawildnightasitis!comein—yoursistersarequiteuneasyaboutyou,andibelievetherearebadfolksabout.therehasbeenaar-woman—ideclaresheisnotgoneyet!—laiddownthere.getup!forshame!moveoff,isay!”

“hush,hannah!ihaveawordtosaytothewoman.youhavedoneyourdutyinexcluding,nowletmedomineinadmittingher.iwasnear,andlistenedtobothyouandher.ithinkthisisapeculiarcase—imustatleastexamineintoit.youngwoman,rise,andpassbeforemeintothehouse.”

withdifficultyiobeyedhim.presentlyistoodwithinthatclean,brightkitchen—ontheveryhearth—trembling,sickening;consciousofanaspectinthelastdegreeghastly,wild,andweather-beaten.thetwoladies,theirbrother,mr.st.john,theoldservant,wereallgazingatme.