the queen of hearts-第31章

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have　felt　at　this　petty　repulse　under　ordinary　circumstances　was
dismissed　from　my　mind　by　the　occurrence　of　a　real　misfortune　in
our　household。　For　some　months　past　my　father's　health　had　been
failing；　and；　just　at　the　time　of　which　I　am　now　writing；　his
sons　had　to　mourn　the　irreparable　calamity　of　his　death。

This　event；　through　some　informality　or　error　in　the　late　Mr。
Elmslie's　will；　left　the　future　of　Ada's　life　entirely　at　her
mother's　disposal。　The　consequence　was　the　immediate　ratification
of　the　marriage　engagement　to　which　my　father　had　so　steadily
refused　his　consent。　As　soon　as　the　fact　was　publicly　announced；
some　of　Mrs。　Elmslie's　more　intimate　friends；　who　were　acquainted
with　the　reports　affecting　the　Monkton　family；　ventured　to　mingle
with　their　formal　congratulations　one　or　two　significant
references　to　the　late　Mrs。　Monkton　and　some　searching　inquiries
as　to　the　disposition　of　her　son。

Mrs。　Elmslie　always　met　these　polite　hints　with　one　bold　form　of
answer。　She　first　admitted　the　existence　of　these　reports　about
the　Monktons　which　her　friends　were　unwilling　to　specify
distinctly；　and　then　declared　that　they　were　infamous　calumnies。
The　hereditary　taint　had　died　out　of　the　family　generations　back。
Alfred　was　the　best；　the　kindest；　the　sanest　of　human　beings。　He
loved　study　and　retirement；　Ada　sympathized　with　his　tastes；　and
had　made　her　choice　unbiased；　if　any　more　hints　were　dropped
about　sacrificing　her　by　her　marriage；　those　hints　would　be
viewed　as　so　many　insults　to　her　mother；　whose　affection　for　her
it　was　monstrous　to　call　in　question。　This　way　of　talking
silenced　people；　but　did　not　convince　them。　They　began　to
suspect；　what　was　indeed　the　actual　truth；　that　Mrs。　Elmslie　was
a　selfish；　worldly；　grasping　woman；　who　wanted　to　get　her
daughter　well　married；　and　cared　nothing　for　consequences　as　long
as　she　saw　Ada　mistress　of　the　greatest　establishment　in　the
whole　county。

It　seemed；　however；　as　if　there　was　some　fatality　at　work　to
prevent　the　attainment　of　Mrs。　Elmslie's　great　object　in　life。
Hardly　was　one　obstacle　to　the　ill…omened　marriage　removed　by　my
father's　death　before　another　succeeded　it　in　the　shape　of
anxieties　and　difficulties　caused　by　the　delicate　state　of　Ada's
health。　Doctors　were　consulted　in　all　directions；　and　the　result
of　their　advice　was　that　the　marriage　must　be　deferred；　and　that
Miss　Elmslie　must　leave　England　for　a　certain　time；　to　reside　in
a　warmer　climatethe　south　of　France；　if　I　remember　rightly。
Thus　it　happened　that　just　before　Alfred　came　of　age　Ada　and　her
mother　departed　for　the　Continent；　and　the　union　of　the　two　young
people　was　understood　to　be　indefinitely　postponed。　Some
curiosity　was　felt　in　the　neighborhood　as　to　what　Alfred　Monkton
would　do　under　these　circumstances。　Would　he　follow　his
lady…love？　would　he　go　yachting？　would　he　throw　open　the　doors　of
the　old　Abbey　at　last；　and　endeavor　to　forget　the　absence　of　Ada
and　the　postponement　of　his　marriage　in　a　round　of　gayeties？　He
did　none　of　these　things。　He　simply　remained　at　Wincot；　living　as
suspiciously　strange　and　solitary　a　life　as　his　father　had　lived
before　him。　Literally；　there　was　now　no　companion　for　him　at　the
Abbey　but　the　old　priestthe　Monktons；　I　should　have　mentioned
before；　were　Roman　Catholicswho　had　held　the　office　of　tutor　to
Alfred　from　his　earliest　years。　He　came　of　age；　and　there　was　not
even　so　much　as　a　private　dinner…party　at　Wincot　to　celebrate　the
event。　Families　in　the　neighborhood　determined　to　forget　the
offense　which　his　father's　reserve　had　given　them；　and　invited
him　to　their　houses。　The　invitations　were　politely　declined。
Civil　visitors　called　resolutely　at　the　Abbey；　and　were　as
resolutely　bowed　away　from　the　doors　as　soon　as　they　had　left
their　cards。　Under　this　combination　of　sinister　and　aggravating
circumstances　people　in　all　directions　took　to　shaking　their
heads　mysteriously　when　the　name　of　Mr。　Alfred　Monkton　was
mentioned；　hinting　at　the　family　calamity；　and　wondering
peevishly　or　sadly；　as　their　tempers　inclined　them；　what　he　could
possibly　do　to　occupy　himself　month　after　month　in　the　lonely　old
house。

The　right　answer　to　this　question　was　not　easy　to　find。　It　was
quite　useless；　for　ex　ample；　to　apply　to　the　priest　for　it。　He
was　a　very　quiet；　polite　old　gentleman；　his　replies　were　always
excessively　ready　and　civil；　and　appeared　at　the　time　to　convey
an　immense　quantity　of　information；　but　when　they　came　to　be
reflected　on；　it　was　universally　observed　that　nothing　tangible
could　ever　be　got　out　of　them。　The　housekeeper；　a　weird　old
woman；　with　a　very　abrupt　and　repelling　manner；　was　too　fierce
and　taciturn　to　be　safely　approached。　The　few　indoor　servants　had
all　been　long　enough　in　the　family　to　have　learned　to　hold　their
tongues　in　public　as　a　regular　habit。　It　was　only　from　the
farm…servants　who　supplied　the　table　at　the　Abbey　that　any
information　could　be　obtained；　and　vague　enough　it　was　when　they
came　to　communicate　it。

Some　of　them　had　observed　the　〃young　master〃　walking　about　the
library　with　heaps　of　dusty　papers　in　his　hands。　Others　had　heard
odd　noises　in　the　uninhabited　parts　of　the　Abbey；　had　looked　up；
and　had　seen　him　forcing　open　the　old　windows；　as　if　to　let　light
and　air　into　the　rooms　supposed　to　have　been　shut　close　for　years
and　years；　or　had　discovered　him　standing　on　the　perilous　summit
of　one　of　the　crumbling　turrets；　never　ascended　before　within
their　memories；　and　popularly　considered　to　be　inhabited　by　the
ghosts　of　the　monks　who　had　once　possessed　the　building。　The
result　of　these　observations　and　discoveries；　when　they　were
communicated　to　others；　was　of　course　to　impress　every　one　with　a
firm　belief　that　〃poor　young　Monkton　was　going　the　way　that　the
rest　of　the　family　had　gone　before　him；〃　which　opinion　always
appeared　to　be　immensely　strengthened　in　the　popular　mind　by　a
convictionfounded　on　no　particle　of　evidencethat　the　priest
was　at　the　bottom　of　all　the　mischief。

Thus　far　I　have　spoken　from　hearsay　evidence　mostly。　What　I　have
next　to　tell　will　be　the　result　of　my　own　personal　experience。

CHAPTER　II。

ABOUT　five　months　after　Alfred　Monkton　came　of　age　I　left
college；　and　resolved　to　amuse　and　instruct　myself　a　little　by
traveling　abroad。

At　the　time　when　I　quitted　England　young　Monkton　was　still
leading　his　secluded　life　at　the　Abbey；　and　was；　in　the　opinion
of　everybody；　sinking　rapidly；　if　he　had　not　already　succumbed；
under　the　hereditary　curse　of　his　family。　As　to　the　Elmslies；
report　said　that　Ada　had　benefited　by　her　sojourn　abroad；　and
that　mother　and　daughter　were　on　their　way　back　to　England　to
resume　their　old　relations　with　the　heir　of　Wincot。　Before　they
returned　I　was　away　on　my　travels；　and　wandered　half　over　Europe；
hardly　ever　planning　whither　I　should　shape　my　course　beforehand。
Chance；　which　thus　led　me　everywhere；　led　me　at　last　to　Naples。
There　I　met　with　an　old　school　friend；　who　was　one　of　the
_attaches_　at　the　English　embassy；　and　there　began　the
extraordinary　events　in　connection　with　Alfred　Monkton　which　form
the　main　interest　of　the　story　I　am　now　relating。

I　was　idling　away　the　time　one　morning　with　my　friend　the
_attache_　in　the　garden　of　the　Villa　Reale；　when　we　were　passed
by　a　young　man；　walking　alone；　who　exchanged　bows　with　my　friend。

I　thought　I　recognized　the　dark；　eager　eyes；　the　colorless
cheeks；　the　strangely…vigilant；　anxious　expression　which　I
remembered　in　past　times　as　characteristic　of　Alfred　Monkton's
face；　and　was　about　to　question　my　friend　on　the　subject；　when　he
gave　me　unasked　the　information　of　which　I　was　in　search。

〃That　is　Alfred　Monkton；〃　said　he；　〃he　comes　from　your　part　of
England。　You　ought　to　know　him。〃

〃I　do　know　a　little　of　him；〃　I　answered；　〃he　was　engaged　to　Miss
Elmslie　when　I　was　last　in　the　neighborhood　of　Wincot。　Is　he
married　to　her　yet？〃

〃No；　and　he　never　ought　to　be。　He　has　gone　the　way　of　the　rest　of
the　familyor；　in　plainer　words；　he　has　gone　mad。〃

〃Mad！　But　I　ought　not　to　be　surprised　at　hearing　that；　after　the
reports　about　him　in　England。〃

〃I　speak　from　no　reports；　I　speak　from　what　he　has　said　and