hesaid，whenhewasclosetoher。Thenshejumpedupquickly，andturnedroundfacinghim。’WhereisDobbs？’shesaid。’WhereisDobbs？’
’Heisnothere。’
’Heisinthehouse，forIheardhim。Whyhaveyoucomeback？’
Dalrymple’seyefellonthetatteredcanvas，andhethoughtofthedoingsofthepastmonth。HethoughtofthepictureofthethreeGraces，whichwashangingintheroombelow，andhethoroughlywishedthathehadneverbeenintroducedtotheBroughtonestablishment。Howwashetogetthroughhispresentdifficulty？’No，’saidhe，’Broughtondidnotcome。ItwasMrMusselborowhosestepsyouheardbelow。’
’Whatisheherefor？Whatishedoinghere？WhereisDobbs？Conway，thereissomethingthematter。Hashegoneoff？’
’Yes；——hehasgoneoff。’
’Thecoward！’
’No；hewasnotacoward；——notinthatway。’
Theuseofthepasttense，unintentionalasithadbeen，toldthestorytothewomanatonce。’Heisdead，’shesaid。Thenhetookbothherhandsinhisandlookedintoherface，withoutspeakingaword。Andshegazedathimwithfixedeyes，andrigidmouth，whilethequickcomingbreathjustmovedthecurlofhernostrils。Itoccurredtohimatthatmomentthathehadneverbeforeseenhersowhollyunaffected，andhadneverbeforeobservedthatshewassototallydeficientinalltheelementsofrealbeauty。Shewasthefirsttospeakagain。’Conway，’shesaid，’tellmeall。Whydoyounotspeaktome？’
’Thereisnothingfurthertotell，’hesaid。
Thenshedroppedherhandsandwalkedawayfromhimtothewindow——andstoodtherelookingoutuponthestuccoedturretofahugehousethatstoodopposite。Asshedidsoshewasemployingherselfincountingthewindows。Hermindwasparalysedbytheblow，andsheknewnothowtomakeanyexertionwithitforanypurpose。Everythingwaschangedwithher——andwaschangedinsuchawaythatshecouldmakenoguessastoherfuturemodeoflife。Shewassuddenlyawidow，apauper，andutterlydesolate——whiletheonlypersoninthewholeworldthatshereallylikedwasstandingclosetoher。Butinthemidstofitallshecountedthewindowsofthehouseopposite。Haditbeenpossibleforhershewouldhaveputhermindaltogethertosleep。
Heletherstandforafewminutesandthenjoinedheratthewindow。
’Myfriend，’hesaid，’whatshallIdoforyou？’
’Do？’shesaid。’Whatdoyoumeanby——doing？’
’Comeandsitdownandletmetalktoyou，’hereplied。Thenheledhertothesofa，andassheseatedherselfIdoubtwhethershehadnotalmostforgottenthatherhusbandwasdead。
’Whatapityitwastocutitup，’shesaid，pointingtotheragsofJaelandSisera。
’Nevermindthepicturenow。Dreadfulasitis，youmustallowyourselftothinkofhimforafewminutes。’
’Thinkofwhat！Oh，God！Yes。Conway，youmusttellmewhattodo。
Waseverythinggone？Itisn’taboutmyself。Idon’tmindaboutmyself。I
wishitwasmeinsteadofhim。Ido。Ido。’
’Nowishingisofanyavail。’
’But，Conway，howdidithappen？Doyouthinkitistrue？Thatmanwouldsayanythingtogainhisobject。Isheherenow？’
’Ibelieveheisherestill。’
’Iwon’tseehim。Rememberthat。Nothingonearthcanmakemeseehim。’
’Itmaybenecessary，butIdonotthinkitwillbe；——atanyrate，notyet。’
’Iwillneverseehim。Ibelievethathehasmurderedmyhusband。Ido。
Ifeelsureofit。NowIthinkofitIamquitesureofit。Andhewillmurderyoutoo；——aboutthatgirl。Hewill。ItellyouIknowtheman。’
Dalrymplesimplyshookhishead，smilingsadly。’Verywell！Youwillsee。But，Conway，howdoyouknowthatitistrue？Doyoubelieveityourself？’
’Idobelieveit。’
’Andhowdidithappen？’
’Hecouldnotbeartheruinthathehadbroughtuponhimselfandyou。’
’Then；——then——’Shewentnofurtherinherspeech；butDalrympleassentedbyaslightmotionofhishead，andshehadbeeninformedsufficientlythatherhusbandhadperishedbyhisownhand。’WhatamI
todo？’shesaid。’Oh，Conway，youmusttellme。Wasthereeversomiserableawoman！Wasit——poison？’
Hegotupandwalkedquicklyacrosstheroomandbackagaintotheplacewhereshewassitting。’Nevermindaboutthatnow。Youshallknowallthatintime。Donotaskmeanyquestionsaboutthat。IfIwereyouI
thinkIwouldgotobed。Youwillbebettertherethanup，andthisshockwillmakeyousleep。’
’No，’shesaid。’Iwillnotgotobed。HowshouldIknowthatthatmanwouldnotcomeandkillme？IbelievehemurderedDobbs；——Ido。Youarenotgoingtoleaveme，Conway？’
’IthinkIhadbetter，forawhile。Therearethingswhichshouldbedone。ShallIsendoneofthewomenforyou？’
’Thereisnotoneofthemthatcaresformeintheleast。Oh，Conway，donotgo；notyet。Iwillnotbeleftaloneinthehousewithhim。Youwillbeverycruelifyougoandleavemenow——whenyouhavesooftensaidthatyou——thatyou——thatyouweremyfriend。’Andnow，atlast，shebegantoweep。
’Ithinkitwillbebest，’hesaid，’thatIshouldgotoMrsVanSiever。
IfIcanmanageit，IwillgetClaratocometoyou。’
’Idonotwanther，’saidMrsBroughton。’Sheisaheartlesscoldcreature，andIdonotwanttohavehernearme。Mypoorhusbandwasruinedamongthem；——yes，ruinedamongthem。Ithasallbeendonethatshemaymarrythathorridmanandlivehereinthishouse。Ihaveknowneversolongthathehasnotbeensafeamongthem。’
’YouneedfearnothingfromClara，’saidDalrymple，withsometouchofangerinhisvoice。
’Ofcourseyouwillsayso。Icanunderstandthatverywell。Anditisnaturalthatyoushouldwishtobewithher。Praygo。’
Thenhesatbesideher，andtookherhand，andendeavouredtospeaktohersoseriously，thatsheherselfmightbecomeserious，andifitmightbepossible，insomedegreecontemplative。Hetoldherhownecessaryitwasthatsheshouldhavesomewomannearherinhertrouble，andexplainedtoherthatasfarasheknewherfemalefriends，therewouldbenoonewhowouldbesoconsideratewithherasClaraVanSiever。SheatonetimementionedthenameofMissDemolines；butDalrymplealtogetheropposedthenotionofsendingforthatlady——expressinghisopinionthattheamiableMadalinahaddoneallinherpowertocreatequarrelsbetweenMrsBroughtonandherhusbandandbetweenDobbsBroughtonandMrsVanSiever。AndhespokehisopinionveryfullyaboutMissDemolines。’Andyetyoulikedheronce，’saidMrsBroughton。’I
neverlikedher，’saidDalrymplewithenergy。’Butallthatmattersnothingnow。Ofcourseyoucansendforherifyouplease；butIdonotthinkhertrustworthy，andIwillnotwillinglycomeincontactwithher。’ThenMrsBroughtongavehimtounderstandthatofcourseshemustgiveway，butthatingivingwayshefeltherselftobesubmittingtoill—usagewhichistheordinarylotofwomen，andtowhichshe，amongwomen，hadbeenspeciallysubjected。Shedidnotexactlysayasmuch，fearingthatifshedidhewouldleaveheraltogether；butthatwasthegistofheplaintsandwails，andfinalacquiescence。
’Andareyougoing？’shesaid，catchingholdofhisarm。
’Iwillemploymyselfaltogetherandonlyaboutyouraffairs，tillIseeyouagain。’
’ButIwantyoutostay。’
’Itwouldbemadness。Lookhere；——liedowntillClaracomesortillI
return。Donotgobeyondthisroomandyourown。IfshecannotcomethiseveningIwillreturn。Good—byenow。IwillseetheservantsasIgoout，andtellthemwhatoughttobetold。’
’Oh，Conway，’shesaid，clutchingholdofhimagain。’Iknowthatyoudespiseme。’
’Idonotdespiseyou，andIwillbeasgoodafriendtoyouasIcan。
Godblessyou。’Thenhewent，andashedescendedthestairshecouldnotrefrainfromtellinghimselfthathedidintruthdespiseher。
HisfirstobjectwastofindMusselboro，andtodismissthatgentlemanfromthehouse。ForthoughhehimselfdidnotattributetoMrsVanSiever’sfavouriteanyo...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：