stories by modern american authors-第48部分

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formerly。　　Why　he　had　assumed　the　garb　of　a　rustic　Pleyel　was

unable　to　conjecture。　　Perhaps　it　might　be　poverty；　perhaps　he　was

swayed　by　motives　which　it　was　his　interest　to　conceal；　but　which

were　connected　with　consequences　of　the　utmost　moment。



Such　was　the　sum　of　my　friend's　information。　　I　was　not　sorry　to　be

left　alone　during　the　greater　part　of　this　day。　　Every　employment

was　irksome　which　did　not　leave　me　at　liberty　to　meditate。　　I　had

now　a　new　subject　on　which　to　exercise　my　thoughts。　　Before　evening

I　should　be　ushered　into　his　presence；　and　listen　to　those　tones

whose　magical　and　thrilling　power　I　had　already　experienced。　　But

with　what　new　images　would　he　then　be　accompanied？



Carwin　was　an　adherent　to　the　Romish　faith；　yet　was　an　Englishman

by　birth；　and；　perhaps；　a　Protestant　by　education。　　He　had　adopted

Spain　for　his　country；　and　had　intimated　a　design　to　spend　his　days

there；　yet　now　was　an　inhabitant　of　this　district；　and　disguised　by

the　habiliments　of　a　clown！　　What　could　have　obliterated　the

impressions　of　his　youth　and　made　him　abjure　his　religion　and　his

country？　　What　subsequent　events　had　introduced　so　total　a　change

in　his　plans？　　In　withdrawing　from　Spain；　had　he　reverted　to　the

religion　of　his　ancestors？　or　was　it　true　that　his　former

conversion　was　deceitful；　and　that　his　conduct　had　been　swayed　by

motives　which　it　was　prudent　to　conceal？



Hours　were　consumed　in　revolving　these　ideas。　　My　meditations　were

intense；　and；　when　the　series　was　broken；　I　began　to　reflect　with

astonishment　on　my　situation。　　From　the　death　of　my　parents　till

the　commencement　of　this　year　my　life　had　been　serene　and　blissful

beyond　the　ordinary　portion　of　humanity；　but　now　my　bosom　was

corroded　by　anxiety。　　I　was　visited　by　dread　of　unknown　dangers；

and　the　future　was　a　scene　over　which　clouds　rolled　and　thunders

muttered。　　I　compared　the　cause　with　the　effect；　and　they　seemed

disproportioned　to　each　other。　　All　unaware；　and　in　a　manner　which

I　had　no　power　to　explain；　I　was　pushed　from　my　immovable　and　lofty

station　and　cast　upon　a　sea　of　troubles。



I　determined　to　be　my　brother's　visitant　on　this　evening；　yet　my

resolves　were　not　unattended　with　wavering　and　reluctance。

Pleyel's　insinuations　that　I　was　in　love　affected　in　no　degree　my

belief；　yet　the　consciousness　that　this　was　the　opinion　of　one　who

would　probably　be　present　at　our　introduction　to　each　other　would

excite　all　that　confusion　which　the　passion　itself　is　apt　to

produce。　　This　would　confirm　him　in　his　error　and　call　forth　new

railleries。　　His　mirth；　when　exerted　upon　this　topic；　was　the

source　of　the　bitterest　vexation。　　Had　he　been　aware　of　its

influence　upon　my　happiness；　his　temper　would　not　have　allowed　him

to　persist；　but　this　influence　it　was　my　chief　endeavor　to　conceal。

That　the　belief　of　my　having　bestowed　my　heart　upon　another

produced　in　my　friend　none　but　ludicrous　sensations　was　the　true

cause　of　my　distress；　but　if　this　had　been　discovered　by　him　my

distress　would　have　been　unspeakably　aggravated。





III





As　soon　as　evening　arrived；　I　performed　my　visit。　　Carwin　made　one

of　the　company　into　which　I　was　ushered。　　Appearances　were　the　same

as　when　I　before　beheld　him。　　His　garb　was　equally　negligent　and

rustic。　　I　gazed　upon　his　countenance　with　new　curiosity。　　My

situation　was　such　as　to　enable　me　to　bestow　upon　it　a　deliberate

examination。　　Viewed　at　more　leisure；　it　lost　none　of　its　wonderful

properties。　　I　could　not　deny　my　homage　to　the　intelligence

expressed　in　it；　but　was　wholly　uncertain　whether　he　were　an　object

to　be　dreaded　or　adored；　and　whether　his　powers　had　been　exerted　to

evil　or　to　good。



He　was　sparing　in　discourse；　but　whatever　he　said　was　pregnant　with

meaning；　and　uttered　with　rectitude　of　articulation　and　force　of

emphasis　of　which　I　had　entertained　no　conception　previously　to　my

knowledge　of　him。　　Notwithstanding　the　uncouthness　of　his　garb；　his

manners　were　not　unpolished。　　All　topics　were　handled　by　him　with

skill；　and　without　pedantry　or　affectation。　　He　uttered　no

sentiment　calculated　to　produce　a　disadvantageous　impression；　on

the　contrary；　his　observations　denoted　a　mind　alive　to　every

generous　and　heroic　feeling。　　They　were　introduced　without　parade；

and　accompanied　with　that　degree　of　earnestness　which　indicates

sincerity。



He　parted　from　us　not　till　late；　refusing　an　invitation　to　spend

the　night　here；　but　readily　consented　to　repeat　his　visit。　　His

visits　were　frequently　repeated。　　Each　day　introduced　us　to　a　more

intimate　acquaintance　with　his　sentiments；　but　left　us　wholly　in

the　dark　concerning　that　about　which　we　were　most　inquisitive。　　He

studiously　avoided　all　mention　of　his　past　or　present　situation。

Even　the　place　of　his　abode　in　the　city　he　concealed　from　us。



Our　sphere　in　this　respect　being　somewhat　limited；　and　the

intellectual　endowments　of　this　man　being　indisputably　great；　his

deportment　was　more　diligently　marked　and　copiously　commented　on　by

us　than　you；　perhaps；　will　think　the　circumstances　warranted。　　Not

a　gesture；　or　glance；　or　accent；　that　was　not；　in　our　private

assemblies；　discussed；　and　inferences　deduced　from　it。　　It　may　well

be　thought　that　he　modeled　his　behavior　by　an　uncommon　standard；

when；　with　all　our　opportunities　and　accuracy　of　observation；　we

were　able　for　a　long　time　to　gather　no　satisfactory　information。

He　afforded　us　no　ground　on　which　to　build　even　a　plausible

conjecture。



There　is　a　degree　of　familiarity　which　takes　place　between　constant

associates；　that　justifies　the　negligence　of　many　rules　of　which；

in　an　earlier　period　of　their　intercourse；　politeness　requires　the

exact　observance。　　Inquiries　into　our　condition　are　allowable　when

they　are　prompted　by　a　disinterested　concern　for　our　welfare；　and

this　solicitude　is　not　only　pardonable；　but　may　justly　be　demanded

from　those　who　choose　us　for　their　companions。　　This　state　of

things　was　more　slow　to　arrive　at　on　this　occasion　than　on　most

others；　on　account　of　the　gravity　and　loftiness　of　this　man's

behavior。



Pleyel；　however；　began　at　length　to　employ　regular　means　for　this

end。　　He　occasionally　alluded　to　the　circumstances　in　which　they

had　formerly　met；　and　remarked　the　incongruousness　between　the

religion　and　habits　of　a　Spaniard　with　those　of　a　native　of

Britain。　　He　expressed　his　astonishment　at　meeting　our　guest　in

this　corner　of　the　globe；　especially　as；　when　they　parted　in　Spain；

he　was　taught　to　believe　that　Carwin　should　never　leave　that

country。　　He　insinuated　that　a　change　so　great　must　have　been

prompted　by　motives　of　a　singular　and　momentous　kind。



No　answer；　or　an　answer　wide　of　the　purpose；　was　generally　made　to

these　insinuations。　　Britons　and　Spaniards；　he　said；　are　votaries

of　the　same　Deity；　and　square　their　faith　by　the　same　precepts；

their　ideas　are　drawn　from　the　same　fountains　of　literature；　and

they　speak　dialects　of　the　same　tongue；　their　government　and　laws

have　more　resemblances　than　differences；　they　were　formerly

provinces　of　the　same　civil；　and；　till　lately；　of　the　same

religious；　empire。



As　to　the　motives　which　induce　men　to　change　the　place　of　their

abode；　these　must　unavoidably　be　fleeting　and　mutable。　　If　not

bound　to　one　spot　by　conjugal　or　parental　ties；　or　by　the　nature　of

that　employment　to　which　we　are　indebted　for　subsistence；　the

inducements　to　change　are　far　more　numerous　and　powerful　than

opposite　inducements。



He　spoke　as　if　desirous　of　showing　that　he　was　not　aware　of　the

tendency　of　Pleyel's　remarks；　yet　certain　tokens　were　apparent　that

proved　him　by　no　means　wanting　in　penetration。　　These　tokens　were

to　be　read　in　his　countenance；　and　not　in　his　words。　　When　anything

was　said　indicating　curiosity　in　us；　the　gloom　of　his　countenance

was　deepened；　his　eyes　sunk　to　the　ground；　and　his　wonted　air　was

not　resumed　without　visible　struggle。　　Hence；　it　was　obvious　to

infer　that　some　incidents　of　his　life　were　reflected　on　by　him　with

regret；　and　that；　since　these　incidents　were　carefully　concealed；

and　even　that　regret　which　flowed　from　them　laboriously　stifled；

they　had　not　been　merely　disastrous。　　The　secrecy　that　was　observed

appeared　not　designed　to　provoke　or　baffle　the　inquisitive；　but　was

prompted　by　the　shame　or　by　the　prudence　of　guilt。



These　ideas；　which　were　adopted　by　Pleyel　and　my　brother　as　well　as

myself；　hindered　us　from　employing　more　direct　means　for

accomplishing　our　wishes。　　Questions　might　have　been　put　in　such

terms　that　no　room　should　be　left　for　the　pretense　of　misapprehension；

and；　if　modesty　merely　had　been　the　obstacle；　such　questions　would

not　have　been　wanting；　but　we　considered　that；　if　the　disclosure

were　productive　of　pain　or　disgrace；　it　was　inhuman　to　extort　it。



Amidst　the　various　topics　that　were　discussed　in　his　presence；

allusions　were；　of　course；　made　to　the　inexplicable　events　that　had

lately　happened。　　At　those　times　the　words　and　looks　of　this　man

were　objects　of　my　particular　attention。　　The　subject　was

extraordinary；　and　anyone　whose　experience　or　reflections　could

throw　any　light　upon　it　was　entitled　to　my　gratitude。　　As　this　man

was　enlightened　by　reading　and　travel；　I　listened　with　eagerness　to

the　remarks　which　he　should　make。



At　first　I　entertained　a　kind　of　apprehension　that　the　tale　would

be　heard　by　him　with　incredulity　and　secret　ridicule。　　I　had

formerly　heard　stories　that　resembled　this　in　some　of　their

mysterious　circumstances；　but　they　were　commonly　heard　by　me　with

contempt。　　I　was　doubtful　whether　the　same　impression　would　not　now

be　made　on　the　mind　of　our　guest；　but　I　was　mistaken　in　my　fears。



He　heard　them　with　seriousness；　and　without　any　marks　either　of

surprise　or　incredulity。　　He　pursued　with　visible　pleasure　that

kind　of　disquisition　which　was　naturally　suggested　by　them。　　His

fancy　was　eminently　v