the captives-第85部分

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　Aunt　Elizabeth　sniffed　into　her　handkerchief　a　good　deal；　Mr。　Magnus；　his　face　strained　with　a　look　of　intense　fatigue；　went　out　about　some　business。　The　blinds　of　the　house　wore　down　and　all　the　rooms　were　bathed　in　a　green　twilight。

About　quarter　past　four　Maggie　went　down　into　the　Strand　and　found　a　cab。　She　gave　the　address　and　off　they　went。　Sitting　in　the　corner　of　the　cab　she　seemed　to　be　an　entirely　passive　spectator　of　events　that　were　being　played　before　her。　She　knew；　remotely；　that　Aunt　Anne's　death　had　deeply　affected　her；　that　coming　back　to　the　old　house　had　deeply　affected　her；　and　that　this　interview　with　Amy　Warlock　might　simply　fasten　on　her　the　fate　that　she　had　for　many　months　now　seen　in　front　of　her。　She　could　not　escape；　and　she　did　not　want　to　escape。

They　found　the　house；　a　very　grimy　looking　one；　in　the　interminable　Cromwell　Road。　Maggie　rang　a　jangling　bell；　and　the　door　was　ultimately　opened　by　a　woman　with　sleeves　turned　up　at　the　elbows　and　a　dirty　apron。

〃Is　Miss　Warlock　at　home？〃　The　woman　sniffed。

〃I　expect　so；〃　she　said。　〃Most　times　she　is。　What　name？〃

〃Mrs。　Trenchard；〃　Maggie　said。

She　was　admitted　into　a　hall　that　smelt　of　food　and　seemed　in　the　half…light　to　be　full　of　umbrellas。　The　woman　went　upstairs；　but　soon　returned　to　say　that　Miss　Warlock　would　see　the　lady。　Maggie　found　that　in　the　sitting…room　the　gas　was　dimly　burning。　There　was　the　usual　lodging…house　furniture；　and　on　a　faded　red　sofa　near　the　fire　old　Mrs。　Warlock　was　lying。　Maggie　could　not　see　her　very　clearly　in　the　half…light；　but　there　was　something　about　her　immobility　and　the　stiffness　of　her　head　（decorated　as　of　old　with　its　frilly　white　cap）　that　reminded　one　of　a　figure　made　out　of　wax。　Maggie　turned　to　find　Amy　Warlock　standing　close　to　her。

〃Mrs。　Thurston〃　Maggie　began；　hesitating。

〃You　may　not　know；〃　said　Amy　Warlock；　〃that　I　have　retained　my　maiden　name。　Sit　down；　won't　you？　It　is　good　of　you　to　have　come。〃

The　voice　was　a　little　more　genial　than　it　had　been　in　the　old　days。　Nevertheless　this　was　still　the　old　Amy　Warlock；　stiff；　masculine；　impenetrable。

〃I　hope　your　aunt　is　better；〃　she　said。

〃My　aunt　is　dead；〃　answered　Maggie。

〃Dear　me；　I'm　sorry　to　hear　that。　She　was　a　good　woman　and　did　many　kind　actions　in　her　time。〃

There　was　something　very　unpleasant　about　that　room；　with　the　yellow　light；　the　hissing　gas；　and　the　immobile　figure　on　the　sofa。　Maggie　looked　in　the　direction　of　old　Mrs。　Warlock

〃You　needn't　mind　mother；〃　said　Amy　Warlock。　〃For　some　time　now　she's　been　completely　paralysed。　She　can't　speak　or　move。　But　she　likes　to　be　downstairs；　to　see　the　world　a　bit。　It's　sad　after　the　way　that　she　used　to　enjoy　life。　Father's　death　was　a　great　shock　to　her。〃

It　was　sad。　Maggie　remembered　how　fond　she　had　been　of　her　food。　Like　a　waxen　image！　Like　a　waxen　image！　The　whole　room　was　ghoulish　and　unnatural。

〃I've　asked　you　to　come　and　see　me；　Mrs。　Trenchard；〃　continued　Miss　Warlock；　〃not　because　we　can　have　any　wish　to　meet；　I　am　sure。　We　have　never　liked　one　another。　But　I　have　something　on　my　conscience；　and　I　may　not　have　another　opportunity　of　speaking　to　you。　I　don't　suppose　you　have　heard　that　very　shortly　I　intend　to　enter　a　nunnery　at　Roehampton。〃

〃And　your　mother？〃　asked　Maggie。

〃Mother　will　go　into　a　Home；〃　answered　Miss　Warlock。

There　was　a　strange　little　sound　from　the　sofa　like　a　rat　nibbling　behind　the　wainscot。

〃I　must　tell　you；〃　said　Miss　Warlock；　speaking　apparently　with　some　difficulty；　〃that　I　have　done　you　a　wrong。　Shortly　after　my　father's　death　my　brother　wrote　to　you　from　Paris。〃

〃Wrote　to　me？〃　repeated　Maggie。

〃Yeswrote　to　you　through　me。　I　destroyed　the　letters。　He　wrote　then　five　times　in　rather　swift　succession。　I　destroyed　all　the　letters。〃

Maggie　said　nothing。

〃I　destroyed　the　letters；〃　continued　Amy　Warlock；　〃because　I　did　not　wish　you　and　my　brother　to　come　together。　I　did　not　wish　you　to；　simply　out　of　hatred　for　you　both。　I　thought　that　my　brother　killed　my　fatherwhomwhomI　loved。　I　knew　that　the　one　human　being　whom　Martin　had　ever　loved　beside　his　father　was　yourself。　He　did　love　you；　Mrs。　Trenchard；　more　truly　than　I　had　believed　it　in　his　power　to　love　any　one。　I　think　you　could　have　made　him　happytherefore　I　did　not　wish　you　to　meet　again。〃

There　was　a　pause。　Maggie　said　at　last：

〃Were　there　no　other　letters？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Miss　Warlock。　〃One　this　summer。　For　more　than　a　year　there　was　nothing；　then　this　summer；　a　little　one。　I　destroyed　that　too。〃

〃What　did　it　say？〃　asked　Maggie。

〃It　said　that　the　woman　to　whom　he　had　been　married　was　dead。　He　said　that　if　you　didn't　answer　this　letter　he　would　understand　that　you　would　not　want　to　hear　from　him　any　more。　He　had　been　very　ill。〃

〃Where　did　he　write　that？〃

〃In　Paris。〃

〃And　where　is　he　now？〃

〃I　don't　know。　I　have　heard　from　him　no　more。〃

Maggie　got　up　and　stood；　her　head　raised　as　though　listening　for　something。

〃You've　been　very　cruel；　Miss　Warlock；〃　she　said。

〃Perhaps　I　have；〃　said　Miss　Warlock。　〃But　you　cannot　judge　until　you　know　with　what　reason　I　hated　my　brother。　It　is　a　very　old　story。　However；　now　I　hate　no　one。　I　will　not　apologise　for　what　I　have　done。　I　do　not　want　your　forgiveness。　I　had　to　absolve　my　conscience。〃

〃And　you　have　no　idea　where　he　is　now？〃

〃I　have　no　idea。　He　may　be　dead　for　all　I　know。〃

Maggie　shivered。　〃If　you　have　any　more　information　you　will　give　it　me？〃

〃I　will　give　it　you。〃

〃This　is　my　address。〃　Maggie　gave　her　a　card。

They　said　good…day；　looking　for　one　moment；　face　to　face；　eye　to　eye。

Then　Maggie　turned　and　went。　Her　eyes　were　dim　so　that　she　stumbled　on　the　stairs。　In　the　street　she　walked；　caring　nothing　of　her　direction；　seeing　only　Martin。




CHAPTER　VIII

DEATH　OF　UNCLE　MATHEW


Grace；　during　the　days　that　Maggie　was　in　London；　regained　something　of　her　old　tranquillity。　It　was　wonderful　to　her　to　be　able　to　potter　about　the　house　once　more　mistress　of　all　that　she　surveyed　and　protected　from　every　watching　eye。　She　had　had；　from　her　very　earliest　years；　a　horror　of　being　what　she　called　〃overlooked。〃

She　had　a　habit　of　stopping；　when　she　had　climbed　halfway　upstairs；　of　suddenly　jerking　her　head　round　to　see　whether　any　one　were　looking　at　her。　You　would　have　sworn；　had　you　seen　her；　that　she　was　deeply　engaged　upon　some　nefarious　and　underhand　plot；　yet　it　was　not　so…she　was　simply　going　to　dust　some　of　her　hideous　china　treasures　in　her　bedroom。

Always　after　breakfast　there　was　this　pleasant　ritual。　She　would　plod　all　round　the　house；　duster　in　hand；　picking　things　up。　giving　them　a　little　flick　and　putting　them　back　again；　patting　treasures　that　she　especially　loved；　sighing　heavily　with　satisfaction　at　the　pleasant　sight　of　all　her　possessions　tranquilly　in　their　right　places。　As　she　looked　around　the　ugly　sitting…room　and　saw　the　red　glazed　pots　with　the　ferns；　the　faded　football…groups；　the　worsted　mats　and　the　china　shepherdesses；　a　rich　warm　feeling　rose　in　her　heart　and　filled　her　whole　body。　It　was　like　a　fine　meal　to　a　hungry　man：　every　morning　at　half…past　nine　she　was　hungry　in　this　fashion；　and　every　morning　by　eleven　o'clock　she　was　satisfied。　Her　thick　body　thus　promenaded　the　house；　she　was　like　a　stolid　policeman　in　female　attire；　going　his　rounds　to　see　that　all　was　well。　From　room　to　room　she　went；　pausing　to　pant　for　breath　on　the　stairs；　stumbling　always　because　of　her　short　sight　at　the　three　dark　little　steps　just　outside　Paul's　bedroom；　always　sitting　down　on　her　bed　〃to　take　a　breath〃　and　to　get　a　full　gaze　at　the　crucifix　of　bright　yellow　wood；　that　hung　just　under　her　mother's　picture。　Tramp；　tramp；　tramp　round　the　house　she　went。

It　was　incredible　how　deeply　Maggie　had　interfered　with　this　ritual。　She　had　certainly　not　intended　to　do　so。　After　that　first　effort　to　change　certain　things　in　the　house　she　had　retired　from　the　battle；　had　completely　capitulated。　Nevertheless　she　had　interfered　with　all　Grace's　movements　and；　as　the　terror　of　her　grew；　it　seemed　to　pervade　every　nook　and　corner　of　the　house；　so　that　Grace　felt　that　she　could　go　nowhere　without　that　invasion。　Oh；　how　she　resented　it；　and　how　afraid　she　was！　After　Paul　and　Maggie　returned　from　that　summer　holiday　she　saw　that　Paul　too　felt　Maggie's　strangeness。　To　Grace；　from　the　beginning　of　that　autumn；　every　movement　and　gesture　of　Maggie's　was　strange。　The　oddity　of　her　appearance；　her　ignorance　of　everything　that　seemed　to　Grace　to　be　life；　her　strange；　half…　mocking；　half…wondering　attitude　to　the　Church　and　its　affairs　（〃like　a　heathen　in　Central　Africa〃）；　her　dislike　of　the　Maxses　and　the　Pynsents　and　her　liking　for　the　Toms　and　Caroline　Purdie；　her　odd　silences　and　still　odder　speeches；　all　these　things　increased　the　atmosphere　that　separated　her　from　the　rest　of　the　world。

Then　came　the　day　when　Grace；　dusting　in　Maggie's　bedroom；　discovered　the　bundle　of　letters。　She　read　them；　read　them　with　shame　at　her　own　dishonesty　and　anger　at　Maggie　for　making　her　dishonest。　To　her　virgin　ignorance　the　passion　in　them　spoke　of　illicit　love　and　the　grossest　immorality。　Her　heart　burnt　with　a　strange　mingling　of　envy；　jealousy；　loneliness；　shame；　and　eagerness　to　know　more　。　。　。

Then　came　Uncle　Mathew's　visit；　then　Caroline　Purdie's　disgrace。　The　count　was　fully　charged。　Maggie；　that　strange　girl　found　in　the　heart　of　London's　darkness；　alone；　without　friends　or　parents；　was　a　witch；　a　devilish；　potion…dealing　witch；　who　might；　at　any　time；　fly　through　the　night…sky　on　a　broom…stick　as　surely　as　any　mediaeval　old　hag。　These　visions　might　be　exaggerated　for　many　human　beings；　not　so　for　Grace。　Having　no　imagination　she　was　soaked　in　superstition。　She　clung　to　a　few　simple　pictures；　and　was　exposed　to　every　terror　that　those　pictures　could　supply。

Maggie　now　haunted　her　day　and　night。　Everywhere　she　could　feel　Maggie's　eyes　piercing　her。　A　thousand　times　an　hour　she　looked　up　to　see　whether　Maggie　were　not　there　in　the　room　watching　her。　She　hated　her　now　with　terror　that　was　partly　fear　for　her　own　safety；　partly　love　and　jealousy　for　Paul；　partly　outraged　modesty　and　tradition；　partly　sheer　panic。

She　had；　as　yet；　said　very　little　to　Paul。　She　waited　t