the legacy of cain-第21部分

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walking　arm…in…arm　with　their　heads　close　together；　deep　in　talk。
With　my　knowledge　of　Miss　Jillgall；　I　call　this　a　bad　sign。

An　odd　thought　has　just　come　to　me。　I　wonder　what　might　have
happened；　if　I　had　been　visiting　at　Mrs。　Staveley's；　instead　of
Eunice；　and　if　Mr。　Dunboyne　had　seen　me　first。

Absurd！　if　I　was　not　too　tired　to　do　anything　more；　those　last
lines　should　be　scratched　out。


CHAPTER　XXII。

EUNICE'S　DIARY。


I　SAID　so　to　Miss　Jillgall；　and　I　say　it　again　here。　Nothing　will
induce　me　to　think　ill　of　Helena。

My　sister　is　a　good　deal　tired；　and　a　little　out　of　temper　after
the　railway　journey。　This　is　exactly　what　happened　to　me　when　I
went　to　London。　I　attribute　her　refusal　to　let　me　read　her
journal；　after　she　had　read　mine；　entirely　to　the　disagreeable
consequences　of　traveling　by　railway。　Miss　Jillgall　accounted　for
it　otherwise；　in　her　own　funny　manner：　〃My　sweet　child；　your
sister's　diary　is　full　of　abuse　of　poor　me。〃　I　humored　the　joke：
〃Dearest　Selina；　keep　a　diary　of　your　own；　and　fill　it　with　abuse
of　my　sister。〃　This　seemed　to　be　a　droll　saying　at　the　time。　But
it　doesn't　look　particularly　amusing；　now　it　is　written　down。　We
had　ginger　wine　at　supper；　to　celebrate　Helena's　return。　Although
I　only　drank　one　glass；　I　daresay　it　may　have　got　into　my　head。

However　that　may　be；　when　the　lovely　moonlight　tempted　us　into
the　garden；　there　was　an　end　to　our　jokes。　We　had　something　to
talk　about　which　still　dwells　disagreeably　on　my　mind。

Miss　Jillgall　began　it。

〃If　I　trust　you；　dearest　Euneece；　with　my　own　precious　secrets；
shall　I　never；　never；　never　live　to　repent　it？〃

I　told　my　good　little　friend　that　she　might　depend　on　me；
provided　her　secrets　did　no　harm　to　any　person　whom　I　loved。

She　clasped　her　hands　and　looked　up　at　the　moonI　can　only
suppose　that　her　sentiments　overpowered　her。　She　said；　very
prettily；　that　her　heart　and　my　heart　beat　together　in　heavenly
harmony。　It　is　needless　to　add　that　this　satisfied　me。

Miss　Jillgall's　generous　confidence　in　my　discretion　was；　I　am
afraid；　not　rewarded　as　it　ought　to　have　been。　I　found　her
tiresome　at　first。

She　spoke　of　an　excellent　friend　（a　lady）；　who　had　helped　her；　at
the　time　when　she　lost　her　little　fortune；　by　raising　a
subscription　privately　to　pay　the　expenses　of　her　return　to
England。　Her　friend's　namenot　very　attractive　to　English
earswas　Mrs。　Tenbruggen；　they　had　first　become　acquainted　under
interesting　circumstances。　Miss　Jillgall　happened　to　mention　that
my　father　was　her　only　living　relative；　and　it　turned　out　that
Mrs。　Tenbruggen　was　familiar　with　his　name；　and　reverenced　his
fame　as　a　preacher。　When　he　had　generously　received　his　poor
helpless　cousin　under　his　own　roof；　Miss　Jillgall's　gratitude　and
sense　of　duty　impelled　her　to　write　and　tell　Mrs。　Tenbruggen　how
happy　she　was　as　a　member　of　our　family。

Let　me　confess　that　I　began　to　listen　more　attentively　when　the
narrative　reached　this　point。

〃I　drew　a　little　picture　of　our　domestic　circle　here；〃　Miss
Jillgall　said；　describing　her　letter；　〃and　I　mentioned　the
mystery　in　which　Mr。　Gracedieu　conceals　the　ages　of　you　two　dear
girls。　Mrs。　Tenbruggen　shall　we　shorten　her　ugly　name　and　call
her　Mrs。　T。？　Very　wellMrs。　T。　is　a　remarkably　clever　woman；　and
I　looked　for　interesting　results；　if　she　would　give　her　opinion
of　the　mysterious　circumstance　mentioned　in　my　letter。〃

By　this　time；　I　was　all　eagerness　to　hear　more。

〃Has　she　written　to　you？〃　I　asked。

Miss　Jillgall　looked　at　me　affectionately；　and　took　the　reply　out
of　her　pocket。

〃Listen；　Euneece；　and　you　shall　hear　her　own　words。　Thus　she
writes：

〃　'Your　letter；　dear　Selina；　especially　interests　me　by　what　it
says　about　the　_two_　Miss　Gracedieus。　'Look；　dear；　she
underlines　the　word　Two。　Why；　I　can't　explain。　Can　you？　Ah；　I
thought　not。　Well；　let　us　get　back　to　the　letter。　My　accomplished
friend　continues　in　these　term　s：

〃　'I　can　understand　the　surprise　which　you　have　felt　at　the
strange　course　taken　by　their　father；　as　a　means　of　concealing
the　difference　which　there　must　be　in　the　ages　of　these　young
ladies。　Many　years　since；　I　happened　to　discover　a　romantic
incident　in　the　life　of　your　popular　preacher；　which　he　has　his
reasons；　as　I　suspect；　for　keeping　strictly　to　himself。　If　I　may
venture　on　a　bold　guess；　I　should　say　that　any　person　who　could
discover　which　was　the　oldest　of　the　two　daughters；　would　be　also
likely　to　discover　the　true　nature　of　the　romance　in　Mr。
Gracedieu's　life。'Isn't　that　very　remarkable；　Euneece？　You
don't　seem　to　see　ityou　funny　child！　Pray　pay　particular
attention　to　what　comes　next。　These　are　the　closing　sentences　in
my　friend's　letter：

〃　'If　you　find　anything　new　to　tell　me　which　relates　to　this
interesting　subject；　direct　your　letter　as　beforeprovided　you
write　within　a　week　from　the　present　time。　Afterward；　my　letters
will　be　received　by　the　English　physician　whose　card　I　inclose。
You　will　be　pleased　to　hear　that　my　professional　interests　call
me　to　London　at　the　earliest　moment　that　I　can　spare。'　There。
dear　child；　the　letter　comes　to　an　end。　I　daresay　you　wonder　what
Mrs。　T。　means；　when　she　alludes　to　her　professional　interests？〃

No：　I　was　not　wondering　about　anything。　It　hurt　me　to　hear　of　a
strange　woman　exercising　her　ingenuity　in　guessing　at　mysteries
in　papa's　life。

But　Miss　Jillgall　was　too　eagerly　bent　on　setting　forth　the
merits　of　her　friend　to　notice　this。　I　now　heard　that　Mrs。　T。's
marriage　had　turned　out　badly；　and　that　she　had　been　reduced　to
earn　her　own　bread。　Her　manner　of　doing　this　was　something　quite
new　to　me。　She　went　about；　from　one　place　to　another；　curing
people　of　all　sorts　of　painful　maladies；　by　a　way　she　had　of
rubbing　them　with　her　hands。　In　Belgium　she　was　called　a
〃Masseuse。〃　When　I　asked　what　this　meant　in　English；　I　was　told；
〃Medical　Rubber；〃　and　that　the　fame　of　Mrs。　T。's　wonderful　cures
had　reached　some　of　the　medical　newspapers　published　in　London。

After　listening　（I　must　say　for　myself）　very　patiently；　I　was
bold　enough　to　own　that　my　interest　in　what　I　had　just　heard　was
not　quite　so　plain　to　me　as　I　could　have　wished　it　to　be。

Miss　Jillgall　looked　shocked　at　my　stupidity。　She　reminded　me
that　there　was　a　mystery　in　Mrs。　Tenbruggen's　letter　and　a
mystery　in　papa's　strange　conduct　toward　Philip。　〃Put　two　and　two
together；　darling；〃　she　said；　〃and；　one　of　these　days；　they　may
make　four。〃

If　this　meant　anything；　it　meant　that　the　reason　which　made　papa
keep　Helena's　age　and　my　age　unknown　to　everybody　but　himself；
was　also　the　reason　why　he　seemed　to　be　so　strangely　unwilling　to
let　me　be　Philip's　wife。　I　really　could　not　endure　to　take　such　a
view　of　it　as　that；　and　begged　Miss　Jillgall　to　drop　the　subject。
She　was　as　kind　as　ever。

〃With　all　my　heart；　dear。　But　don't　deceive　yourselfthe　subject
will　turn　up　again　when　we　least　expect　it。〃


CHAPTER　XXIII。

EUNICE'S　DIARY。


ONLY　two　days　now；　before　we　give　our　little　dinner…party；　and
Philip　finds　his　opportunity　of　speaking　to　papa。　Oh；　how　I　wish
that　day　had　come　and　gone！

I　try　not　to　take　gloomy　views　of　things；　but　I　am　not　quite　so
happy　as　I　had　expected　to　be　when　my　dear　was　in　the　same　town
with　me。　If　papa　had　encouraged　him　to　call　again；　we　might　have
had　some　precious　time　to　ourselves。　As　it　is；　we　can　only　meet
in　the　different　show…places　in　the　townwith　Helena　on　one
side；　and　Miss　Jillgall　on　the　other；　to　take　care　of　us。　I　do
call　it　cruel　not　to　let　two　young　people　love　each　other；
without　setting　third　persons　to　watch　them。　If　I　was　Queen　of
England；　I　would　have　pretty　private　bowers　made　for　lovers；　in
the　summer；　and　nice　warm　little　rooms　to　hold　two；　in　the
winter。　Why　not？　What　harm　could　come　of　it；　I　should　like　to
know？

The　cathedral　is　the　place　of　meeting　which　we　find　most
convenient；　under　the　circumstances。　There　are　delightful　nooks
and　corners　about　this　celebrated　building　in　which　lovers　can
lag　behind。　If　we　had　been　in　papa's　chapel　I　should　have
hesitated　to　turn　it　to　such　a　profane　use　as　this；　the　cathedral
doesn't　so　much　matter。

Shall　I　own　that　I　felt　my　inferiority　to　Helena　a　little　keenly？
She　could　tell　Philip　so　many　things　that　I　should　have　liked　to
tell　him　first。　My　clever　sister　taught　him　how　to　pronounce　the
name　of　the　bishop　who　began　building　the　cathedral；　she　led　him
over　the　crypt；　and　told　him　how　old　it　was。　He　was　interested　in
the　crypt；　he　talked　to　Helena　（not　to　me）　of　his　ambition　to
write　a　work　on　cathedral　architecture　in　England；　he　made　a
rough　little　sketch　in　his　book　of　our　famous　tomb　of　some　king。
Helena　knew　the　late　royal　personage's　name；　and　Philip　showed
his　sketch　to　her　before　he　showed　it　to　me。　How　can　I　blame　him；
when　I　stood　there　the　picture　of　stupidity；　trying　to　recollect
something　that　I　might　tell　him；　if　it　was　only　the　Dean's　name？
Helena　might　have　whispered　it　to　me；　I　think。　She　remembered　it；
not　Iand　mentioned　it　to　Philip；　of　course。　I　kept　close　by　him
all　the　time；　and　now　and　then　he　gave　me　a　look　which　raised　my
spirits。　He　might　have　given　me　something　better　than　thatI
mean　a　kisswhen　we　had　left　the　cathedral；　and　were　by
ourselves　for　a　moment　in　a　corner　of　the　Dean's　garden。　But　he
missed　the　opportunity。　Perhaps　he　was　afraid　of　the　Dean　himself
coming　that　way；　and　happening　to　see　us。　However；　I　am　far　from
thinking　the　worse　of　Philip。　I　gave　his　arm　a　little
squeezeand　that　was　better　than　nothing。

。　。　。　。　。　。　。

He　and　I　took　a　walk　along　the　bank　of　the　river　to…day；　my
sister　and　Miss　Jillgall　looking　after　us　as　usual。

On　our　way　through　the　town；　Helena　stopped　to　give　an　order　at　a
shop。　She　asked　us　to　wait　for　her。　That　best　of　good　creatures；
Miss　Jillgall；　whispered　in　my　ear：　〃Go　on　by　yourselves；　and
leave　me　to　wait　for　her。〃　Philip　interpreted　this　act　of
kindness　in　a　manner　which　would　have　vexed　me；　if　I　had　not
understood　that　it　was　one　of　his　jokes。　He　said　to　me：　〃Miss
Jillgall　sees　a　chance　of　annoying　your　sister；　and　enjoys　the
prospect。〃

Well；　away　we　went　together；　it　was　just　what　I　wanted；　it　gave
me　an　opportunity　of　saying　somethin