armadale-第7部分

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the　unexpected　success　of　her　own　project。　She　had　written　to
tell　Mr。　Blanchard　of　my　illness；　but　had　received　no　reply。　She
now　offered　to　write　again；　if　I　would　promise　not　to　leave　her
before　my　recovery　was　complete。　My　impatience　acknowledged　no
restraint。　Another　ship　in　port　gave　me　another　chance　of　leaving
for　Madeira。　Another　examination　of　Mr。　Blanchard's　letter　of
invitation　assured　me　that　I　should　find　him　still　in　the　island；
if　I　seized　my　opportunity　on　the　spot。　In　defiance　of　my
mother's　entreaties；　I　insisted　on　taking　my　passage　in　the
second　shipand　this　time；　when　the　ship　sailed；　I　was　on　board。

〃The　change　did　me　good；　the　sea…air　made　a　man　of　me　again。
After　an　unusually　rapid　voyage；　I　found　myself　at　the　end　of　my
pilgrimage。　On　a　fine；　still　evening　which　I　can　never　forget；　I
stood　alone　on　the　shore；　with　her　likeness　in　my　bosom；　and　saw
the　white　walls　of　the　house　where　I　knew　that　she　lived。

〃I　strolled　round　the　outer　limits　of　the　grounds　to　compose
myself　before　I　went　in。　Venturing　through　a　gate　and　a
shrubbery；　I　looked　into　the　garden；　and　saw　a　lady　there；
loitering　alone　on　the　lawn。　She　turned　her　face　toward　meand　I
beheld　the　original　of　my　portrait；　the　fulfillment　of　my　dream！
It　is　useless；　and　worse　than　useless；　to　write　of　it　now。　Let　me
only　say　that　every　promise　which　the　likeness　had　made　to　my
fancy　the　living　woman　kept　to　my　eyes　in　the　moment　when　they
first　looked　on　her。　Let　me　say　thisand　no　more。

〃I　was　too　violently　agitated　to　trust　myself　in　her　presence。　I
drew　back　undiscovered；　and；　making　my　way　to　the　front　door　of
the　house；　asked　for　her　father　first。　Mr。　Blanchard　had　retired
to　his　room；　and　could　see　nobody。　Upon　that　I　took　courage；　and
asked　for　Miss　Blanchard。　The　servant　smiled。　'My　young　lady　is
not　Miss　Blanchard　any　longer；　sir；'　he　said。　'She　is　married。'
Those　words　would　have　struck　some　men；　in　my　position；　to　the
earth。　They　fired　my　hot　blood；　and　I　seized　the　servant　by　the
throat；　in　a　frenzy　of　rage　'It's　a　lie！'　I　broke　out；　speaking
to　him　as　if　he　had　been　one　of　the　slaves　on　my　own　estate。
'It's　the　truth；'　said　the　man；　struggling　with　me；　'her　husband
is　in　the　house　at　this　moment。'　'Who　is　he；　you　scoundrel？'　The
servant　answered　by　repeating　my　own　name；　to　my　own　face：
'_Allan　Armadale。_'

〃You　can　now　guess　the　truth。　Fergus　Ingleby　was　the　outlawed　son
whose　name　and　whose　inheritance　I　had　taken。　And　Fergus　Ingleby
was　even　with　me　for　depriving　him　of　his　birthright。

〃Some　account　of　the　manner　in　which　the　deception　had　been
carried　out　is　necessary　to　explainI　don't　say　to　justifythe
share　I　took　in　the　events　that　followed　my　arrival　at　Madeira。

〃By　Ingleby's　own　confession；　he　had　come　to　Barbadoesknowing
of　his　father's　death　and　of　my　succession　to　the　estateswith
the　settled　purpose　of　plundering　and　injuring　me。　My　rash
confidence　put　such　an　opportunity　into　his　hands　as　he　could
never　have　hoped　for。　He　had　waited　to　possess　himself　of　the
letter　which　my　mother　wrote　to　Mr。　Blanchard　at　the　outset　of　my
illnesshad　then　caused　his　own　dismissal　from　his
situationand　had　sailed　for　Madeira　in　the　very　ship　that　was
to　have　sailed　with　me。　Arrived　at　the　island；　he　had　waited
again　till　the　vessel　was　away　once　more　on　her　voyage；　and　had
then　presented　himself　at　Mr。　Blanchard'snot　in　the　assumed
name　by　which　I　shall　continue　to　speak　of　him　here；　but　in　the
name　which　was　as　certainly　his　as　mine；　'Allan　Armadale。'　The
fraud　at　the　outset　presented　few　difficulties。　He　had　only　an
ailing　old　man　（who　had　not　seen　my　mother　for　half　a　lifetime）
and　an　innocent；　unsuspicious　girl　（who　had　never　seen　her　at
all）　to　deal　with；　and　he　had　learned　enough　in　my　service　to
answer　the　few　questions　that　were　put　to　him　as　readily　as　I
might　have　answered　them　myself。　His　looks　and　manners；　his
winning　ways　with　women；　his　quickness　and　cunning；　did　the　rest。
While　I　was　still　on　my　sickbed；　he　had　won　Miss　Blanchard's
affections。　While　I　was　dreaming　over　the　likeness　in　the　first
days　of　my　convalescence；　he　had　secured　Mr。　Blanchard's　consent
to　the　celebration　of　the　marriage　before　he　and　his　daughter
left　the　island。

〃Thus　far　Mr。　Blanchard's　infirmity　of　sight　had　helped　the
deception。　He　had　been　content　to　send　messages　to　my　mother；　and
to　receive　the　messages　which　were　duly　invented　in　return。　But
when　the　suitor　was　accepted；　and　the　wedding…day　was　appointed；
he　felt　it　due　to　his　old　friend　to　write　to　her；　asking　her
formal　consent　and　inviting　her　to　the　marriage。　He　could　only
complete　part　of　the　letter　himself；　the　rest　was　finished；　under
his　dictation；　by　Miss　Blanchard。　There　was　no　chance　of　being
beforehand　with　the　post…office　this　time；　and　Ingleby；　sure　of
his　place　in　the　heart　of　his　victim；　waylaid　her　as　she　came　out
of　her　father's　room　with　the　letter；　and　privately　told　her　the
truth。　She　was　still　under　age；　and　the　position　was　a　serious
one。　If　the　lett　er　was　posted；　no　resource　would　be　left　but　to
wait　and　be　parted　forever；　or　to　elope　under　circumstances　which
made　detection　almost　a　certainty。　The　destination　of　any　ship
which　took　them　away　would　be　known　beforehand；　and　the
fast…sailing　yacht　in　which　Mr。　Blanchard　had　come　to　Madeira　was
waiting　in　the　harbor　to　take　him　back　to　England。　The　only　other
alternative　was　to　continue　the　deception　by　suppressing　the
letter；　and　to　confess　the　truth　when　they　were　securely　married。
What　arts　of　persuasion　Ingleby　usedwhat　base　advantage　he
might　previously　have　taken　of　her　love　and　her　trust　in　him　to
degrade　Miss　Blanchard　to　his　own　levelI　cannot　say。　He　did
degrade　her。　The　letter　never　went　to　its　destination；　and；　with
the　daughter's　privity　and　consent；　the　father's　confidence　was
abused　to　the　very　last。

〃The　one　precaution　now　left　to　take　was　to　fabricate　the　answer
from　my　mother　which　Mr。　Blanchard　expected；　and　which　would
arrive　in　due　course　of　post　before　the　day　appointed　for　the
marriage。　Ingleby　had　my　mother's　stolen　letter　with　him；　but　he
was　without　the　imitative　dexterity　which　would　have　enabled　him
to　make　use　of　it　for　a　forgery　of　her　handwriting。　Miss
Blanchard；　who　had　consented　passively　to　the　deception；　refused
to　take　any　active　share　in　the　fraud　practiced　on　her　father。　In
this　difficulty；　Ingleby　found　an　instrument　ready　to　his　hand　in
an　orphan　girl　of　barely　twelve　years　old；　a　marvel　of　precocious
ability；　whom　Miss　Blanchard　had　taken　a　romantic　fancy　to
befriend　and　whom　she　had　brought　away　with　her　from　England　to
be　trained　as　her　maid。　That　girl's　wicked　dexterity　removed　the
one　serious　obstacle　left　to　the　success　of　the　fraud。　I　saw　the
imitation　of　my　mother's　writing　which　she　had　produced　under
Ingleby's　instructions　and　（if　the　shameful　truth　must　be　told）
with　her　young　mistress's　knowledgeand　I　believe　I　should　have
been　deceived　by　it　myself。　I　saw　the　girl　afterwardand　my
blood　curdled　at　the　sight　of　her。　If　she　is　alive　now；　woe　to
the　people　who　trust　her！　No　creature　more　innately　deceitful　and
more　innately　pitiless　ever　walked　this　earth。

〃The　forged　letter　paved　the　way　securely　for　the　marriage；　and
when　I　reached　the　house；　they　were　（as　the　servant　had　truly
told　me）　man　and　wife。　My　arrival　on　the　scene　simply
precipitated　the　confession　which　they　had　both　agreed　to　make。
Ingleby's　own　lips　shamelessly　acknowledged　the　truth。　He　had
nothing　to　lose　by　speaking　outhe　was　married；　and　his　wife's
fortune　was　beyond　her　father's　control。　I　pass　over　all　that
followedmy　interview　with　the　daughter；　and　my　interview　with
the　fatherto　come　to　results。　For　two　days　the　efforts　of　the
wife；　and　the　efforts　of　the　clergyman　who　had　celebrated　the
marriage；　were　successful　in　keeping　Ingleby　and　myself　apart。　On
the　third　day　I　set　my　trap　more　successfully；　and　I　and　the　man
who　had　mortally　injured　me　met　together　alone；　face　to　face。

〃Remember　how　my　confidence　had　been　abused；　remember　how　the　one
good　purpose　of　my　life　had　been　thwarted；　remember　the　violent
passions　rooted　deep　in　my　nature；　and　never　yet　controlledand
then　imagine　for　yourself　what　passed　between　us。　All　I　need　tell
here　is　the　end。　He　was　a　taller　and　a　stronger　man　than　I；　and
he　took　his　brute's　advantage　with　a　brute's　ferocity。　He　struck
me。

〃Think　of　the　injuries　I　had　received　at　that　man's　hands；　and
then　think　of　his　setting　his　mark　on　my　face　by　a　blow！

〃I　went　to　an　English　officer　who　had　been　my　fellow…passenger　on
the　voyage　from　Barbadoes。　I　told　him　the　truth；　and　he　agreed
with　me　that　a　meeting　was　inevitable。　Dueling　had　its　received
formalities　and　its　established　laws　in　those　days；　and　he　began
to　speak　of　them。　I　stopped　him。　'I　will　take　a　pistol　in　my
right　hand；'　I　said；　'and　he　shall　take　a　pistol　in　his：　I　will
take　one　end　of　a　handkerchief　in　my　left　hand；　and　he　shall　take
the　other　end　in　his；　and　across　that　handkerchief　the　duel　shall
be　fought。'　The　officer　got　up；　and　looked　at　me　as　if　I　had
personally　insulted　him。　'You　are　asking　me　to　be　present　at　a
murder　and　a　suicide；'　he　said；　'I　decline　to　serve　you。'　He　left
the　room。　As　soon　as　he　was　gone　I　wrote　down　the　words　I　had
said　to　the　officer　and　sent　them　by　a　messenger　to　Ingleby。
While　I　was　waiting　for　an　answer；　I　sat　down　before　the　glass；
and　looked　at　his　mark　on　my　face。　'Many　a　man　has　had　blood　on
his　hands　and　blood　on　his　conscience；'　I　thought；　'for　less　than
this。'

〃The　messenger　came　back　with　Ingleby's　answer。　It　appointed　a
meeting　for　three　o'clock　the　next　day；　at　a　lonely　place　in　the
interior　of　the　island。　I　had　resolved　what　to　do　if　he　refused；
his　letter　released　me　from　the　horror　of　my　own　resolution。　I
felt　grateful　to　himyes；　absolutely　grateful　to　himfor
writing　it。

〃The　next　day　I　went　to　the　place。　He　was　not　there。　I　waited　two
hours；　and　he　never　came。　At　last　the　truth　dawned　on　me。　'Once　a
coward；　always　a　coward；'　I　thought。　I　went　back　to　Mr。
Blanchard's　house。　Before　I　got　there；　a　sudden　misgiving　seized
me；　and　I　turned　aside　to　the　harbor。　I　was　right；　the　harbor　was
the　place　to　go