the queen of hearts-第62部分

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showed　that　I　was　right。　That　same　evening　she　sent　for　me　and
begged　me　to　forgive　and　forget　the　hasty　words　she　had　spoken　in
the　morning　with　a　grace　and　sweetness　that　would　have　won　the
heart　of　any　man　who　listened　to　her。

Weeks　passed　after　this；　till　it　was　more　than　a　month　since　the
day　of　my　master's　departure；　and　no　letter　in　his　handwriting
came　to　Darrock　Hall。

My　mistress；　taking　this　treatment　more　angrily　than　sorrowfully；
went　to　London　to　consult　her　nearest　relations；　who　lived　there。
On　leaving　home　she　stopped　the　carriage　at　the　parsonage；　and
went　in　（as　I　thought；　rather　defiantly）　to　say　good…by　to　Mr。
Meeke。　She　had　answered　his　letter；　and　received　others　from　him；
and　had　answered　them　likewise。　She　had　also；　of　course；　seen　him
every　Sunday　at　church；　and　had　always　stopped　to　speak　to　him
after　the　service；　but　this　was　the　first　occasion　on　which　she
had　visited　him　at　his　house。　As　the　carriage　stopped；　the　little
parson　came　out；　in　great　hurry　and　agitation；　to　meet　her　at　the
garden　gate。

〃Don't　look　alarmed；　Mr。　Meeke；〃　says　my　mistress；　getting　out。
〃Though　you　have　engaged　not　to　come　near　the　Hall；　I　have　made
no　promise　to　keep　away　from　the　parsonage。〃　With　those　words　she
went　into　the　house。

The　quadroon　maid；　Josephine；　was　sitting　with　me　in　the　rumble
of　the　carriage；　and　I　saw　a　smile　on　her　tawny　face　as　the
parson　and　his　visitor　went　into　the　house　together。　Harmless　as
Mr。　Meeke　was；　and　innocent　of　all　wrong　as　I　knew　my　mistress　to
be；　I　regretted　that　she　should　be　so　rash　as　to　despise
appearances；　considering　the　situation　she　was　placed　in。　She　had
already　exposed　herself　to　be　thought　of　disrespectfully　by　her
own　maid；　and　it　was　hard　to　say　what　worse　consequences　might
not　happen　after　that。

Half　an　hour　later　we　were　away　on　our　journey。　My　mistress
stayed　in　London　two　months。　Throughout　all　that　long　time　no
letter　from　my　master　was　forwarded　to　her　from　the　country
house。

CHAPTER　II。

WHEN　the　two　months　had　passed　we　returned　to　Darrock　Hall。
Nobody　there　had　received　any　news　in　our　absence　of　the
whereabouts　of　my　master　and　his　yacht。

Six　more　weary　weeks　elapsed；　and　in　that　time　but　one　event
happened　at　the　Hall　to　vary　the　dismal　monotony　of　the　lives　we
now　led　in　the　solitary　place。　One　morning　Josephine　came　down
after　dressing　my　mistress　with　her　face　downright　livid　to　look
at；　except　on　one　check；　where　there　was　a　mark　as　red　as　burning
fire。　I　was　in　the　kitchen　at　the　time；　and　I　asked　what　was　the
matter。

〃The　matter！〃　says　she；　in　her　shrill　voice　and　her　half…foreign
English。　〃Use　your　own　eyes；　if　you　please；　and　look　at　this
cheek　of　mine。　What！　have　you　lived　so　long　a　time　with　your
mistress；　and　don't　you　know　the　mark　of　her　hand　yet？〃

I　was　at　a　loss　to　understand　what　she　meant；　but　she　soon
explained　herself。　My　mistress；　whose　temper　had　been　sadly
altered　for　the　worse　by　the　trials　and　humiliations　she　had　gone
through；　had　got　up　that　morning　more　out　of　humor　than　usual；
and；　in　answer　to　her　maid's　inquiry　as　to　how　she　had　passed　the
night；　had　begun　talking　about　her　weary；　miserable　life　in　an
unusually　fretful　and　desperate　way。　Josephine；　in　trying　to
cheer　her　spirits；　had　ventured；　most　improperly；　on　making　a
light；　jesting　reference　to　Mr。　Meeke；　which　had　so　enraged　my
mistress　that　she　turned　round　sharp　on　the　half…breed　and　gave
herto　use　the　common　phrasea　smart　box　on　the　ear。　Josephine
confessed　that；　the　moment　after　she　had　done　this；　her　better
sense　appeared　to　tell　her　that　she　had　taken　a　most　improper　way
of　resenting　undue　familiarity。　She　had　immediately　expressed　her
regret　for　having　forgotten　herself；　and　had　proved　the　sincerity
of　it　by　a　gift　of　half　a　dozen　cambric　handkerchiefs；　presented
as　a　peace…offering　on　the　spot。　After　that　I　thought　it
impossible　that　Josephine　could　bear　any　malice　against　a
mistress　whom　she　had　served　ever　since　she　had　been　a　girl；　and
I　said　as　much　to　her　when　she　had　done　telling　me　what　had
happened　upstairs。

〃I！　Malice！〃　cries　Miss　Josephine；　in　her　hard；　sharp；　snappish
way。　〃And　why；　and　wherefore；　if　you　please？　If　my　mistress
smacks　my　cheek　with　one　hand；　she　gives　me　handkerchiefs　to　wipe
it　with　the　other。　My　good　mistress；　my　kind　mistress；　my　pretty
mistress！　I；　the　servant；　bear　malice　against　her；　the　mistress！
Ah！　you　bad　man；　even　to　think　of　such　a　thing！　Ah！　fie；　fie！　I
am　quite　ashamed　of　you！〃

She　gave　me　one　lookthe　wickedest　look　I　ever　saw；　and　burst
out　laughingthe　harshest　laugh　I　ever　heard　from　a　woman's
lips。　Turning　away　from　me　directly　　after；　she　said　no　more；　and
never　referred　to　the　subject　again　on　any　subsequent　occasion。

From　that　time；　however；　I　noticed　an　alteration　in　Miss
Josephine；　not　in　her　way　of　doing　her　work；　for　she　was　just　as
sharp　and　careful　about　it　as　ever；　but　in　her　manners　and
habits。　She　grew　amazingly　quiet；　and　passed　almost　all　her
leisure　time　alone。　I　could　bring　no　charge　against　her　which
authorized　me　to　speak　a　word　of　warning；　but；　for　all　that；　I
could　not　help　feeling　that　if　I　had　been　in　my　mistress's　place；
I　would　have　followed　up　the　present　of　the　cambric　handkerchiefs
by　paying　her　a　month's　wages　in　advance；　and　sending　her　away
from　the　house　the　same　evening。

With　the　exception　of　this　little　domestic　matter；　which　appeared
trifling　enough　at　the　time；　hut　which　led　to　very　serious
consequences　afterward；　nothing　happened　at　all　out　of　the
ordinary　way　during　the　six　weary　weeks　to　which　I　have　referred。
At　the　beginning　of　the　seventh　week；　however；　an　event　occurred
at　last。

One　morning　the　postman　brought　a　letter　to　the　Hall　addressed　to
my　mistress。　I　took　it　upstairs；　and　looked　at　the　direction　as　I
put　it　on　the　salver。　The　handwriting　was　not　my　master's；　was
not；　as　it　appeared　to　me；　the　handwriting　of　any　well…educated
person。　The　outside　of　the　letter　was　also　very　dirty；　and　the
seal　a　common　office…seal　of　the　usual　lattice…work　pattern。
〃This　must　be　a　begging…letter；〃　I　thought　to　myself　as　I　entered
the　breakfast…　room　and　advanced　with　it　to　my　mistress。

She　held　up　her　hand　before　she　opened　it　as　a　sign　to　me　that
she　had　some　order　to　give；　and　that　I　was　not　to　leave　the　room
till　I　had　received　it。　Then　she　broke　the　seal　and　began　to　read
the　letter。

Her　eyes　had　hardly　been　on　it　a　moment　before　her　face　turned　as
pale　as　death；　and　the　paper　began　to　tremble　in　her　fingers。　She
read　on　to　the　end；　and　suddenly　turned　from　pale　to　scarlet；
started　out　of　her　chair；　crumpled　the　letter　up　violently　in　her
hand；　and　took　several　turns　backward　and　forward　in　the　room；
without　seeming　to　notice　me　as　I　stood　by　the　door。　〃You
villain！　you　villain！　you　villain！〃　I　heard　her　whisper　to
herself　many　times　over；　in　a　quick；　hissing；　fierce　way。　Then
she　stopped；　and　said　on　a　sudden；　〃Can　it　be　true？〃　Then　she
looked　up；　and；　seeing　me　standing　at　the　door；　started　as　if　I
had　been　a　stranger；　changed　color　again；　and　told　me；　in　a
stifled　voice；　to　leave　her　and　come　back　again　in　half　an　hour。
I　obeyed；　feeling　certain　that　she　must　have　received　some　very
bad　news　of　her　husband；　and　wondering；　anxiously　enough；　what　it
might　be。

When　I　returned　to　the　breakfast…room　her　face　was　as　much
discomposed　as　ever。　Without　speaking　a　word　she　handed　me　two
sealed　letters：　one；　a　note　to　be　left　for　Mr。　Meeke　at　the
parsonage；　the　other；　a　letter　marked　〃Immediate；〃　and　addressed
to　her　solicitor　in　London；　who　was　also；　I　should　add；　her
nearest　living　relative。

I　left　one　of　these　letters　and　posted　the　other。　When　I　came
back　I　heard　that　my　mistress　had　taken　to　her　room。　She　remained
there　for　four　days；　keeping　her　new　sorrow；　whatever　it　was；
strictly　to　herself。　On　the　fifth　day　the　lawyer　from　London
arrived　at　the　Hall。　My　mistress　went　down　to　him　in　the　library；
and　was　shut　up　there　with　him　for　nearly　two　hours。　At　the　end
of　that　time　the　bell　rang　for　me。

〃Sit　down；　William；〃　said　my　mistress；　when　I　came　into　the　room。
〃I　feel　such　entire　confidence　in　your　fidelity　and　attachment
that　I　am　about；　with　the　full　concurrence　of　this　gentleman；　who
is　my　nearest　relative　and　my　legal　adviser；　to　place　a　very
serious　secret　in　your　keeping；　and　to　employ　your　services　on　a
matter　which　is　as　important　to　me　as　a　matter　of　life　and
death。〃

Her　poor　eyes　were　very　red；　and　her　lips　quivered　as　she　spoke
to　me。　I　was　so　startled　by　what　she　had　said　that　I　hardly　knew
which　chair　to　sit　in。　She　pointed　to　one　placed　near　herself　at
the　table；　and　seemed　about　to　speak　to　me　again；　when　the　lawyer
interfered。

〃Let　me　entreat　you；〃　he　said；　〃not　to　agitate　yourself
unnecessarily。　I　will　put　this　person　in　possession　of　the　facts；
and；　if　I　omit　anything；　you　shall　stop　me　and　set　me　right。〃

My　mistress　leaned　back　in　her　chair　and　covered　her　face　with
her　handkerchief。　The　lawyer　waited　a　moment；　and　then　addressed
himself　to　me。

〃You　are　already　aware；〃　he　said；　〃of　the　circumstances　under
which　your　master　left　this　house；　and　you　also　know；　I　have　no
doubt；　that　n