the queen of hearts-第31部分

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He　stopped；　murmured　something　about　failing　if　he　went　to　the
frontier　alone；　and　spoke　confusedly　of　delays　that　might　be
fatal；　then　tried　to　utter　the　name　of　〃Ada〃；　but；　in　pronouncing
the　first　letter；　his　voice　faltered；　and；　turning　abruptly　from
me；　he　burst　into　tears。

My　pity　for　him　got　the　better　of　my　prudence　at　that　moment；　and
without　thinking　of　responsibilities；　I　promised　at　once　to　do
for　him　whatever　he　asked。　The　wild　triumph　in　his　expression　as
he　started　up　and　seized　my　hand　showed　me　that　I　had　better　have
been　more　cautious；　but　it　was　too　late　now　to　retract　what　I　had
said。　The　next　best　thing　to　do　was　to　try　if　I　could　not　induce
him　to　compose　himself　a　little；　and　then　to　go　away　and　think
coolly　over　the　whole　affair　by　myself。

〃Yes；　yes；〃　he　rejoined；　in　answer　to　the　few　words　I　now　spoke
to　try　and　calm　him；　〃don't　be　afraid　about　me。　After　what　you
have　said；　I'll　answer　for　my　own　coolness　and　composure　under
all　emergencies。　I　have　been　so　long　used　to　the　apparition　that
I　hardly　feel　its　presence　at　all　except　on　rare　occasions。
Besides；　I　have　here　in　this　little　packet　of　letters　the
medicine　for　every　m　alady　of　the　sick　heart。　They　are　Ada's
letters；　I　read　them　to　calm　me　whenever　my　misfortune　seems　to
get　the　better　of　my　endurance。　I　wanted　that　half　hour　to　read
them　in　to…night　before　you　came；　to　make　myself　fit　to　see　you；
and　I　shall　go　through　them　again　after　you　are　gone；　so；　once
more；　don't　be　afraid　about　me。　I　know　I　shall　succeed　with　your
help；　and　Ada　shall　thank　you　as　you　deserve　to　be　thanked　when
we　get　back　to　England。　If　you　hear　the　fools　at　Naples　talk
about　my　being　mad；　don't　trouble　yourself　to　contradict　them；
the　scandal　is　so　contemptible　that　it　must　end　by　contradicting
itself。〃

I　left　him；　promising　to　return　early　the　next　day。

When　I　got　back　to　my　hotel；　I　felt　that　any　idea　of　sleeping
after　all　that　I　had　seen　and　heard　was　out　of　the　question；　so　I
lit　my　pipe；　and；　sitting　by　the　windowhow　it　refreshed　my　mind
just　then　to　look　at　the　calm　moonlight！tried　to　think　what　it
would　be　best　to　do。　In　the　first　place；　any　appeal　to　doctors　or
to　Alfred's　friends　in　England　was　out　of　the　question。　I　could
not　persuade　myself　that　his　intellect　was　sufficiently
disordered　to　justify　me；　under　existing　circumstances；　in
disclosing　the　secret　which　he　had　intrusted　to　my　keeping。　In
the　second　place；　all　attempts　on　my　part　to　induce　him　to
abandon　the　idea　of　searching　out　his　uncle's　remains　would　be
utterly　useless　after　what　I　had　incautiously　said　to　him。　Having
settled　these　two　conclusions；　the　only　really　great　difficulty
which　remained　to　perplex　me　was　whether　I　was　justified　in
aiding　him　to　execute　his　extraordinary　purpose。

Supposing　that；　with　my　help；　he　found　Mr。　Monkton's　body；　and
took　it　back　with　him　to　England；　was　it　right　in　me　thus　to　lend
myself　to　promoting　the　marriage　which　would　most　likely　follow
these　eventsa　marriage　which　it　might　be　the　duty　of　every　one
to　prevent　at　all　hazards？　This　set　me　thinking　about　the　extent
of　his　madness；　or　to　speak　more　mildly　and　more　correctly；　of
his　delusion。　Sane　he　certainly　was　on　all　ordinary　subjects；
nay；　in　all　the　narrative　parts　of　what　he　had　said　to　me　on　this
very　evening　he　had　spoken　clearly　and　connectedly。　As　for　the
story　of　the　apparition；　other　men；　with　intellects　as　clear　as
the　intellects　of　their　neighbors　had　fancied　themselves　pursued
by　a　phantom；　and　had　even　written　about　it　in　a　high　strain　of
philosophical　speculation。　It　was　plain　that　the　real
hallucination　in　the　case　now　before　me　lay　in　Monkton's
conviction　of　the　truth　of　the　old　prophecy；　and　in　his　idea　that
the　fancied　apparition　was　a　supernatural　warning　to　him　to　evade
its　denunciations；　and　it　was　equally　clear　that　both　delusions
had　been　produced；　in　the　first　instance；　by　the　lonely　life　he
had　led　acting　on　a　naturally　excitable　temperament；　which　was
rendered　further　liable　to　moral　disease　by　an　hereditary　taint
of　insanity。

Was　this　curable？　Miss　Elmslie；　who　knew　him　far　better　than　I
did；　seemed　by　her　conduct　to　think　so。　Had　I　any　reason　or　right
to　determine　offhand　that　she　was　mistaken？　Supposing　I　refused
to　go　to　the　frontier　with　him；　he　would　then　most　certainly
depart　by　himself；　to　commit　all　sorts　of　errors；　and　perhaps　to
meet　with　all　sorts　of　accidents；　while　I；　an　idle　man；　with　my
time　entirely　at　my　own　disposal；　was　stopping　at　Naples；　and
leaving　him　to　his　fate　after　I　had　suggested　the　plan　of　his
expedition；　and　had　encouraged　him　to　confide　in　me。　In　this　way
I　kept　turning　the　subject　over　and　over　again　in　my　mind；　being
quite　free；　let　me　add；　from　looking　at　it　in　any　other　than　a
practical　point　of　view。　I　firmly　believed；　as　a　derider　of　all
ghost　stories；　that　Alfred　was　deceiving　himself　in　fancying　that
he　had　seen　the　apparition　of　his　uncle　before　the　news　of　Mr。
Monkton's　death　reached　England；　and　I　was　on　this　account；
therefore；　uninfluenced　by　the　slightest　infection　of　my　unhappy
friend's　delusions　when　I　at　last　fairly　decided　to　accompany　him
in　his　extraordinary　search。　Possibly　my　harum…scarum　fondness
for　excitement　at　that　time　biased　me　a　little　in　forming　my
resolution；　but　I　must　add；　in　common　justice　to　myself；　that　I
also　acted　from　motives　of　real　sympathy　for　Monkton；　and　from　a
sincere　wish　to　allay；　if　I　could；　the　anxiety　of　the　poor　girl
who　was　still　so　faithfully　waiting　and　hoping　for　him　far　away
in　England。

Certain　arrangements　preliminary　to　our　departure；　which　I　found
myself　obliged　to　make　after　a　second　interview　with　Alfred；
betrayed　the　object　of　our　journey　to　most　of　our　Neapolitan
friends。　The　astonishment　of　everybody　was　of　course　unbounded；
and　the　nearly　universal　suspicion　that　I　must　be　as　mad　in　my
way　as　Monkton　himself　showed　itself　pretty　plainly　in　my
presence。　Some　people　actually　tried　to　combat　my　resolution　by
telling　me　what　a　shameless　profligate　Stephen　Monkton　had
beenas　if　I　had　a　strong　personal　interest　in　hunting　out　his
remains！　Ridicule　moved　me　as　little　as　any　arguments　of　this
sort；　my　mind　was　made　up；　and　I　was　as　obstinate　then　as　I　am
now。

In　two　days'　time　I　had　got　everything　ready；　and　had　ordered　the
traveling　carriage　to　the　door　some　hours　earlier　than　we　had
originally　settled。　We　were　jovially　threatened　with　〃a　parting
cheer〃　by　all　our　English　acquaintances；　and　I　thought　it
desirable　to　avoid　this　on　my　friend's　account；　for　he　had　been
more　excited；　as　it　was；　by　the　preparations　for　the　journey　than
I　at　all　liked。　Accordingly；　soon　after　sunrise；　without　a　soul
in　the　street　to　stare　at　us；　we　privately　left　Naples。

Nobody　will　wonder；　I　think；　that　I　experienced　some　difficulty
in　realizing　my　own　position；　and　shrank　instinctively　from
looking　forward　a　single　day　into　the　future；　when　I　now　found
myself　starting；　in　company　with　〃Mad　Monkton；〃　to　hunt　for　the
body　of　a　dead　duelist　all　along　the　frontier　line　of　the　Roman
States！



CHAPTER　V。


I　HAD　settled　it　in　my　own　mind　that　we　had　better　make　the　town
of　Fondi；　close　on　the　frontier；　our　headquarters；　to　begin　with；
and　I　had　arranged；　with　the　assistance　of　the　embassy；　that　the
leaden　coffin　should　follow　us　so　far；　securely　nailed　up　in　its
packing…case。　Besides　our　passports；　we　were　well　furnished　with
letters　of　introduction　to　the　local　authorities　at　most　of　the
important　frontier　towns；　and；　to　crown　all；　we　had　money　enough
at　our　command　（thanks　to　Monkton's　vast　fortune）　to　make　sure　of
the　services　of　any　one　whom　we　wanted　to　assist　us　all　along　our
line　of　search。　These　various　resources　insured　us　every　facility
for　action；　provided　always　that　we　succeeded　in　discovering　the
body　of　the　dead　duelist。　But；　in　the　very　probable　event　of　our
failing　to　do　this；　our　future　prospectsmore　especially　after
the　responsibility　I　had　undertakenwere　of　anything　but　an
agreeable　nature　to　contemplate。　I　confess　I　felt　uneasy；　almost
hopeless；　as　we　posted；　in　the　dazzling　Italian　sunshine；　along
the　road　to　Fondi。

We　made　an　easy　two　days'　journey　of　it；　for　I　had　insisted；　on
Monkton's　account；　that　we　should　travel　slowly。

On　the　first　day　the　excessive　agitation　of　my　companion　a　little
alarmed　me；　he　showed；　in　many　ways；　more　symptoms　of　a
disordered　mind　than　I　had　yet　observed　in　him。　On　the　second
day；　however；　he　seemed　to　get　accustomed　to　contemplate　calmly
the　new　idea　of　the　search　on　which　we　were　bent；　and；　except　on
one　point；　he　was　cheerful　and　composed　enough。　Whenever　his　dead
uncle　formed　the　subject　of　conversation；　he　still　persistedon
the　strength　of　the　old　prophecy；　and　under　the　influence　of　the
apparition　which　he　saw；　or　thought　he　saw　alwaysin　asserting
that　the　corpse　of　Stephen　Monkton；　wherever　it　was；　lay　yet
unburied。　On　every　other　topic　he　deferred　to　me　with　the　utmost
readiness　and　docility；　on　this　he　maintained　his　strange　opinion
with　an　obstinacy　which　set　reason　and　persuasion　alike　at
defiance。

On　the　third　day　we　rested　at　Fondi。　The　packing…case；　with　the
coffin　in　it；　reached　us；　and　was　deposited　in　a　safe　place　under
lock　and　key。　We　engaged　some　mules；　and　found　a　man　to　act　as
guide　who　knew　the　country　thoroughly。　It　occurred　to　me　that　we
had　better　begin　by　confiding　th　e　real　object　of　our　journey
only　to　the　most　trustworthy　people　we　could　find　among　the
better…educated　classes。　For　this　reason　we　followed；　in　one
respect；　the　example　of　the　fatal　dueling…party；　by　starting；
early　on　the　morning　of　the　fourth　day；　with　sketch…books　and
color…boxes；　as　if　we　were　only　artists　in　search　of　the
picturesque。

After　traveling　some　hours　in　a　northerly　direction　within　the
Roman　frontier；　we　halted　to　rest　ourselves　and　our　mules　at　a
wild　little　village　far　out　of　the　track　of　tourists　in　general。

The　only　person　of　the　smallest　importance　in　the　place　was　the
priest；　and　to　him　I　addressed　my　first　inquiries；　leaving
Monkton　to　await　my　return　with　the　guide。　I　spoke　Italian　quite
fluently；　and　correctly　enough　for　my　purpose；　and　was　extremely
polite　and　ca