Thisnotesheansweredbypost,tellinghimthatshehadbeendisappointednottoseehimasshewasalsoill。SheaddedthatshewouldsendthecarriageonthefollowingSundayonthechanceofhistoothachebeingbetter,butthatifitwasnot,shewouldunderstandandtroublehimnomore。
DuringallthatweekGodfreyfoughtwithhimself。HedidnotwishtohaveanythingmoretodowiththewhiteandghostlyEleanor,whochangedhergemssoconstantly,andsaidthatshehadknownhimmillenniumsago。Indeed,hefeltalreadyasthoughsheweremuchtoonearhim,especiallyatnight,whenheseemedtobecomeawareofherbendingoverhisbed,andgenerallymakingherpresenceknowninotheruncomfortablewaysthatcausedhishairtostandupandfrightenedhim。
AtthesametimehewasreallyfondofMissOgilvy,andwhatshesaidaboutbeingilltouchedhim。Alsotherewassomethingthatdrewhim;
itmightbeEleanor,oritmightbeMadameRiennes。Atanyratehefeltagreatlongingtogo。Puttingeverythingelseaside,theseinvestigationshadtheirdelights。WhatotheryoungfellowofhisagecouldboastanEleanor,whosaidshehadbeenfondofhimtensofthousandsofyearsbefore?
Moreover,herewasoneofthegatestothatknowledgewhichhedesiredsoearnestly,andhowcouldhefindthestrengthtoshutitinhisownface?
OfcoursetheendofthematterwasthatbythefollowingSunday,histoothachehaddeparted,andthecarriagedidnotreturnemptytotheVillaOgilvy。
Hefoundhishostesslookingwhiteandethereal,anappearancethatshehadacquiredincreasinglyeversincetheirfirstmeeting。Herdelightatseeinghimwasobvious,aswasthatoftheothers。Forthishesoondiscoveredthereason。ItappearedthatthesittingonthepreviousSunday,whenhewasovercomebytoothache,hadbeenanalmosttotalfailure。ProfessorPetersenhadtriedtofillhisplaceasmedium,withtheresultthatwhenhefellundertheinfluence,theonlyspiritthatbrokethroughhislipswasonewhichdiscoursedinterminablyaboutlagerbeerandliqueursofsomecelestialbrew,which,asMadameRiennes,aladynotgiventominceherwords,toldhimtohisfaceafterwards,wasbecausehedranktoomuch。Hencethejoyoftheseenthusiastsatthere-appearanceofGodfrey。
Withconsiderablereluctancethatyouthconsentedtoplayhisusualr?le,andtobeputintoacharmedsleepbyMadame。ThistimehesawnoEleanor,andknewnothingofwhathappeneduntilheawoketobegreetedbythehorrificspectacleofMissOgilvylyingbackinherchairbathedinblood。GeneralconfusionreignedinthemidstofwhichMadameRiennesalonewascalm。
“Itish?morrhagefromthelungs,“shesaid,“whichiscommonamong/poitrinaires/。BrotherPetersen,dowhatyoucan,andyou,BrotherSmith,flyforMademoiselle’sdoctor,andifheisnotathome,bringanother。“
LaterGodfreyheardwhathadchanced。Itseemedthatthewraith,oremanation,orthesprite,goodorevil,orwhateveritmayhavebeen,whichcalleditselfEleanor,materializedinaveryuglytemper。ItcomplainedthatithadnotbeenallowedtoappearuponthepreviousSundayandhadbeenkeptawayfromitsbrother,i。e。Godfrey。Thenitproceededtothreatenallthecircle,exceptGodfrey,whowastherealculprit,withdiversmisfortunes,especiallydirectingitswrathagainstMissOgilvy。
“Youwilldiesoon,“itsaid,“andinthespiritworldIwillpayyouback。“Thriceitrepeatedthis:“Youwilldie,“towhichMissOgilvyansweredwithcalmdignity:
“Iamnotafraidtodie,noramIatallafraidofyou,Eleanor,who,asInowsee,arenotgoodbutevil。“
Whileshespokeatorrentofbloodburstfromherlips,Eleanordisappeared,andalmostimmediatelyGodfreyawoke。
Induecoursethedoctorcameandannouncedthattheh?morrhagehadceased,andthatthepatientwasinnoimminentdanger。Astothefuture,hecouldsaynothing,exceptthathavingbeenMissOgilvy’smedicalattendantforsomeyears,hehadexpectedsomethingofthissorttohappen,andknownthatherlifecouldnotbeverylong。
ThenGodfreywenthomeveryterrifiedandchastened,blaminghimselfalsoforthisdreadfulevent,althoughintruthnoonecouldhavebeenmoreinnocent。HehadgrownveryfondofMissOgilvy,andshudderedtothinkthatshemustsoonleavetheworldtoseekadimUnknown,wheretherewerebadspiritsaswellasgood。
Heshuddered,too,atthethoughtofthisEleanor,whomadeuseofhimtoappearinhumanform,andonhiskneesprayedGodtoprotecthimfromher。Thisindeedhappened,ifshehadanyrealexistenceandwasnotsomemerecreationofthebrainofMadameRiennes,madevisiblebytheworkingoflawswhereofwehavenoknowledge。Neveragain,duringallhislife,didheactuallyseeanymoreofEleanor,andtheprobabilityisthatheneverwill,eitherhereorelsewhere。
ThreedayslaterGodfreyreceivedaletterfromthedoctor,sayingthatMissOgilvywishedtoseehim,andthatherecommendedhimnottodelayhisvisit。HavingobtainedthepermissionofthePasteur,hewentinatoncebythediligence,andonarrivalatthevilla,whereevidentlyhewasexpected,wasshownuptoabedroomwhichcommandedabeautifulviewofthelakeandMountPilatus。Hereanursemethimandtoldhimthathemustnotstaylong;aquarterofanhourattheoutside。HeaskedhowMademoisellewas,whereonsheansweredwithanexpressiveshrug:
“Soonshewillbefurtherfromtheearththanthetopofthatmountain。“
Thenshetookhimtoanothersmallerroom,andthereuponthebed,lookingwhiterthanthesheets,layhisfriend。Shesmiledverysweetlywhenshecaughtsightofhim。
“DearGodfrey,“shesaid,“itiskindofyoutocome。Iwantedtoseeyouverymuch,forthreereasons。First,IwishtobegyourpardonforhavingdrawnyouintothisspiritualismwithoutyourknowingthatI
wasdoingso。Ihavetoldyouwhatmymotivewas,andthereforeIwillnotrepeatit,asmystrengthissmall。Secondly,Iwishyoutopromisemethatyouwillnevergotoanotherséance,sincenowIamquitesurethatitisdangerousfortheyoung。Tomespiritualismhasbroughtmuchgoodandjoy,butwithothersitmaybedifferent,especiallyasamongspirits,asontheearth,thereareevilbeings。
Doyoupromise?“
“Yes,yes,“answeredGodfrey,“onlyIamafraidofMadameRiennes。“
“Youmuststandupagainstherifshetroublesyou,andseekthehelpofreligion;ifnecessaryconsultyouroldPasteur,forheisagoodman。Thereisnodangerintheworldthatcannotbeescapedifonlyoneisboldenough,orsoIthink,though,alas!myselfIhavelackedcourage,“sheaddedwithagentlesigh。
“Now,dearboy,“shewentonafterpausingtorecoverstrength,“I
haveathirdthingtosaytoyou。Ihaveleftyousomemoney,asI
knowthatyouwillhavelittle。Itisnoteverymuch,butenough,allowingforaccidentsandthelesseningofcapitalvalues,togiveyou£260ayearclear。Imighthavegivenyoumore,butdidnot,fortworeasons。Thefirstis,thatIhaveobservedthatyoungmenwhohavewhatiscalledacompetence,say£500or£600ayear,veryoftenarecontenttotryandliveonit,andtodonothingforthemselves,sothatintheenditbecomes,notablessing,butacurse。Thesecondis,thattodosoIshouldbeobligedtotakeawayfromcertaincharitiesandinstitutionswhichIwishtobenefit。ThatisallIhavetosayaboutmoney。Oh!no,thereisonemorething。Ihavealsoleftyouthetalismanyougaveme,andwithitthishouseandgrounds。
Perhapsonedayyoumightliketolivehere。Ihaveasortoffeelingthatitwillbeusefultoyouatsomegreatcrisisofyourfate,andatleastitwillremindyouofme,whohavelovedandtriedtobeautifytheplace。Inanycaseitwillalwayslet,andifitbecomesawhiteelephant,youcansellitandthefurniture,whichisworthsomething。“
Godfreybegantostammerhisthanks,butshecuthimshortwithawaveofherhand,murmuring:
“Don’tletuswastemoretimeonsuchthings,forsoonyoumustgoaway。AlreadyIseethatnurselookingatmefromthedoorwayoftheotherroom,andIhavesomethingmoretosaytoyou。Youwillcometothinkthatallthisspiritualism,asitiscalled,isnothingbutadangerousfolly。Well,itisdangerous,likeclimbingtheAlps,butonegetsagreatviewfromthetop。And,oh!fromtherehowsmallmenlookandhowneararetheheavens。Imean,mydearboy,thatalthoughIhaveaskedyoutoabjureséancesandsoforth,Idoprayofyoutocultivatethespiritual。Thephysical,ofcourse,isalwayswithus,forthatisNature’slaw,withoutwhichitcouldnotcontinue。Butaroundandbeyonditbroodsthespirit,asonceitdiduponthefaceofthewaters,encirclingallthings;thebeginningofallthings,andtheend。Only,aswinecannotbepouredintoacoveredcup,sothespiritcannotflowintoaworld-sealedheart,andwhatisthecupwithoutthewine?Openyourheart,Godfrey,andreceivethespirit,sothatwhenthemortalperishestheimmortalmayremainandeverlastinglyincrease。Foryouknow,ifwechoosedeathweshalldie,andifwechooselifeweshalllive;we,andallthatisdeartous。“
MissOgilvypausedalittletogetherbreath,thenwenton:“Now,myboy,kissmeandgo。Butfirst——onewordmore。Ihavetakenastrangeaffectionforyou,perhapsbecausewewereassociatedinotherexistences,Idonotknow。Well,IwanttosaythatfromthelandwhitherIamabouttobeborne,itshallbemygreatendeavour,ifitissoallowed,towatchoveryou,tohelpyouiftherebeneed,andintheendtobeamongthefirsttogreetyouthere,you,oranywhomyoumayloveinthisjourneyofyoursthroughlife。Look,thesunissinking。Now,goodbyetillthedawn。“
Hebentdownandkissedherandshekissedhimback,throwingherthinandfeeblearmabouthisneck,afterwhichthenursecameandhurriedhimawayweeping。Atthedoorheturnedbackandsawhersmileathim,and,oh!onherwastedfacewerepeaceandbeauty。
Nextdayshedied。
Forty-eighthourslaterGodfreyattendedherfuneral,towhichthePasteurBoisetwasalsobidden,andafteritwasovertheywerebothsummonedtotheofficeofanotarywhereherwillwasread。Shewasarichwoman,wholeftbehindherpropertytothevalueofquite£100,000,mostofitinEngland。Indeed,thisSwissnotarywasonlyconcernedwithherpossessionsinLucerne,namelytheVillaOgilvy,itsgroundsandfurniture,andcertainmoneysthatshehadinlocalsecuritiesoratthebank。Thehouse,itsappurtenancesandcontents,wereleftabsolutelytoGodfrey,thePasteurBoisetbeingappointedtrusteeofthepropertyuntiltheheircameofage,withalegacyof£200,andanannualallowanceof£100forhistrouble。
第16章