the cruise of the jasper b.-第11章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


father。　　Perhaps　more　fanatical；　because　he　secretly　suffered　for

the　irregularity　of　his　own　position　in　the　world。



〃At　any　rate；　supported　at　first　by　the　old　Earl；　he　began　a

series　of　persecutions　designed　to　make　me　renounce　my　suffragist

principles；　or　at　least　to　make　me　cease　playing　a　conspicuous

public　part　in　the　militant　propaganda。　　As　my　husband　was　dead

and　there　were　no　children；　I　could　not　see　that　I　was

accountable　to　the　Claiborne　family　for　my　actions。　　But　the

Claibornes　took　a　different　view　of　it。　　In　their　philosophy；

once　a　Claiborne；　always　a　Claiborne。　　I　was　bringing　disgrace

and　humiliation　upon　the　family；　in　their　opinion。　Knowing　the

old　Earl　as　I　do；　I　am　aware　that　his　suffering　was　genuine　and

intense。　But　what　was　I　to　do？　　One　cannot　desert　one's

principles　merely　because　they　cause　suffering；　otherwise　there

could　be　no　such　thing　as　revolution。



〃Reginald　Maltravers　had　another　reason　for　his　persecution。　

After　the　death　of　Sir　Archibald　he　himself　sought　my　hand　in

marriage。　　I　shall　always　remember　the　form　of　his　proposal；　it

concluded　with　these　words：　'Had　Archibald　lived　you　would　have

been　a　countess。　　You　may　still　be　a　countessbut　you　must　drop

this　suffragist　show；　you　know。　　It　is　all　bally　rot；　Agatha；　all

bally　rot。'　I　would　not　have　married　him　without　the　condition；

for　I　despised　the　man　himself；　but　the　condition　made　me　furious

and　I　drove　him　from　my　sight　with　words　that　turned　him　white

and　made　him　my　enemy　forever。　　'You　will　not　be　my　countess；

then；'　he　said。　　'Very　wellbut　I　can　promise　you　that　you　will

cease　to　be　a　suffragist。'　I　can　still　see　the　evil　flash　of　his

eye　behind　his　monocle　as　he　uttered　these　words　and　turned

away。〃



Lady　Agatha　shuddered　at　the　recollection；　and　took　a　cup　of　tea。



〃It　was　then；〃　she　resumed；　〃that　the　real　persecution　began。　　I

was　peculiarly　helpless；　as　I　have　no　near　relations　who　might

have　come　to　my　defense。　　Representing　himself　always　as　the

agent　of　his　father；　but　far　exceeding　the　Earl　in　the

malevolence　of　his　inventions；　Reginald　Maltravers　sought　by

every　means　he　could　command　to　drive　me　from　public　life　in

England。



〃Three　times　he　succeeded　in　having　me　flung　into　Holloway　Jail。　

I　need　not　tell　you　of　the　terrors　of　that　institution；　nor　of

the　degrading　horrors　of　forcible　feeding。　　They　are　known　to　a

shocked　and　sympathetic　world。　　But　Reginald　Maltravers

contrived；　in　my　case；　to　add　to　the　usual　brutalities　a　peculiar

and　personal　touch。　　By　bribery；　as　I　believe；　he　succeeded　in

getting　himself　into　the　prison　as　a　turnkey。　　It　was　his　custom；

when　I　lay　weak　and　helpless　in　the　semistupor　of　starvation；　to

glide　into　my　cell　and；　standing　by　my　couch；　to　recite　to　me　the

list　of　tempting　viands　that　might　appear　daily　upon　the　board　of

a　Countess　of　Claiborne。



〃He　soon　learned　that　his　very　presence　itself　was　a　persecution。



After　my　release　from　jail　the　last　time；　he　began　to　follow　me

everywhere。　　Turn　where　I　would；　there　was　Reginald　Maltravers。　

At　suffrage　meetings　he　took　his　station　directly　before　the

speaker's　stand；　stroked　his　long　blond　mustache　with　his　long

white　fingers；　and　stared　at　me　steadfastly　through　his　monocle；

with　an　evil　smile　upon　his　face。　　Formerly　he　had；　in　several

instances；　prevented　me　from　attending　suffrage　meetings；　once　he

had　me　spirited　away　and　imprisoned　for　a　week　when　it　fell　to　my

lot　to　burn　a　railroad　station　for　the　good　of　the　cause。　　He

strove　to　ruin　me　with　my　leaders　in　this　despicable　manner。



〃But　in　the　end　he　took　to　showing　himself；　he　stood　and　stared。　

Merely　that。　　He　was　subtle　enough　to　shift　the　persecution　from

the　province　of　the　physical　to　the　realm　of　the　psychological。

It　was　like　being　haunted。　　Even　when　I　did　not　see　him；　I　began

to　THINK　that　I　saw　him。　　He　deliberately　planted　that

hallucination　in　my　mind。　It　is　a　wonder　that　I　did　not　go　mad。



〃I　finally　determined　to　flee　to　America。　　I　made　all　my

arrangements　with　care　andas　I　thoughtwith　secrecy。　　I

imagined　that　I　had　given　him　the　slip。　　But　he　was　too　clever

for　me。　　The　third　day　out；　as　one　of　the　ship's　officers　was

showing　me　about　the　vessel；　I　detected　Reginald　Maltravers　in

the　hold。　　It　is　not　usual　to　allow　women　so　far　below　decks；　but

I　had　insisted　on　seeing　everything。　　Perspiring；　begrimed；　and

mopping　the　moisture　from　his　brow　with　a　piece　of　cotton　waste；

there　he　stood　in　the　guise　of　aofa　croaker；　is　it；　Mr。

Cleggett？〃



〃Stoker；　I　believe；〃　said　Cleggett。



〃Stoker。　　Thank　you。　　He　turned　away　in　confusion　when　he　saw

that　he　was　discovered。　　I　perceived　that；　designing　to　cross　on

the　same　ship　with　me；　he　had　thought　himself　hidden　there。　He

was　not　wearing　his　monocle；　but　I　would　know　that　sloping

forehead；　that　blond　mustache；　and　that　long；　high；　bony　nose

anywhere。〃



Lady　Agatha　broke　off　for　a　moment。　　She　was　extremely　agitated。　

But　presently　she　continued：　〃I　endeavored　to　evade　him。　　The

attempt　was　useless。　　He　found　me　out　at　once。　　The　persecution

went　on。　　It　was　more　terrible　here　than　it　had　been　in　England。　

There　I　had　friends。　　I　had　hours；　sometimes　even　whole　days；　to

myself。



〃But　this　was　not　the　worst。　　A　new　phase　developed。　　From　his

appearance　it　suddenly　became　apparent　to　me　that　Reginald

Maltravers　could　not　stop　haunting　me　if　he　wished！〃



〃COULD　not　stop？〃　cried　Cleggett。



〃COULD　not；〃　said　Lady　Agatha。　　〃The　hunt　had　become　a　monomania

with　him。　　It　had　become　an　obsession。　　He　had　given　his　whole

mentality　to　it　and　it　had　absorbed　all　his　faculties。　　He　was

now　the　victim　of　it。　　He　had　grown　powerless　in　the　grip　of　the

idea；　he　had　lost　volition　in　the　matter。



〃You　can　imagine　my　consternation　when　I　realized　this。　　I　began

to　fear　the　day　when　his　insanity　would　take　some　violent　form

and　he　would　endeavor　to　do　me　a　personal　injury。　　I　determined

to　have　a　bodyguard。　　I　wanted　a　man　inured　to　danger；　one

capable　of　meeting　violence　with　violence；　if　the　need　arose。　　It

struck　me　that　if　I　could　get　into　touch　with　one　of　those

chivalrous　Western　outlaws；　of　whom　we　read　in　American　works　of

fiction；　he　would　be　just　the　sort　of　man　I　needed　to　protect　me

from　Reginald　Maltravers。



〃I　did　not　consider　appealing　to　the　authorities；　for　I　have　no

confidence　in　your　American　laws；　Mr。　Cleggett。　　But　I　did　not

know　how　to　go　about　finding　a　chivalrous　Western　outlaw。　　So

finally　I　put　an　advertisement　in　the　personal　column　of　one　of

your　morning　papers　for　a　reformed　convict。〃



〃A　reformed　convict！〃　exclaimed　Cleggett。　〃May　I　ask　how　you

worded　the　ad。？〃



〃Ad。？　　Oh；　advertisement？　　I　will　get　it　for　you。〃



She　went　into　the　stateroom　and　was　back　in　a　moment　with　a

newspaper　cutting　which　she　handed　to　Cleggett。　　It　read：



Convict　recently　released　from　Sing　Sing；　if　　　　　　

his　reform　is　really　genuine；　may　secure　honest　　　　　　

employment　by　writing　to　A。　F。；　care　Morning　Dispatch。



〃Out　of　the　answers；〃　she　resumed；　〃I　selected　four　and　had　their

writers　call　for　a　personal　interview。　　But　only　two　of　them

seemed　to　me　to　be　really　reformed；　and　of　these　two　Elmer's

reform　struck　me　as　being　the　more　genuine。　　You　may　have　noticed

that　Elmer　gives　the　appearance　of　being　done　with　worldly

vanities。〃



〃He　does　seem　depressed；〃　said　Cleggett；　〃but　I　had　imputed　it

largely　to　the　nature　of　his　present　occupation。〃



〃It　is　due　to　his　attempt　to　lead　a　better　lifeor　at　least　so

he　tells　me；〃　said　Lady　Agatha。　〃Morality　does　not　come　easy　to

Elmer；　he　says；　and　I　believe　him。　　Elmer's　time　is　largely　taken

up　by　inward　moral　debate　as　to　the　right　or　wrong　of　particular

hypothetical　cases　which　his　imagination　insists　on　presenting　to

his　conscience。〃



〃I　can　certainly　imagine　no　state　of　mind　less　enjoyable；〃　said

Cleggett。



〃Nor　I；〃　replied　Lady