the man between-第33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！


th　her　jewel…　case　in　her　hand；　entered　it　and　was　driven　away。　The　sight　astounded　him。　He　ran　to　her　room；　and　found　her　maid　packing　her　clothing。　The　woman　answered　his　questions　sullenly。　She　said　〃Mrs。　Stanhope　had　gone　to　Mrs。　Denning's；　and　had　left　orders　for　her　trunks　to　be　sent　there。〃　Beyond　this　she　was　silent　and　ignorant。　No　sympathy　for　either　husband　or　wife　was　in　her　heart。　Their　quarrel　was　interfering　with　her　own　plans；　she　hated　both　of　them　in　consequence。

In　the　meantime　Dora　had　reached　her　home。　Her　mother　was　dismayed　and　hesitating；　and　her　attitude　raised　again　in　Dora's　heart　the　passion　which　had　provoked　the　step　she　had　taken。　She　wept　like　a　lost　child。　She　exclaimed　against　the　horror　of　being　Basil's　wife　forever　and　ever。　She　reproached　her　mother　for　suffering　her　to　marry　while　she　was　only　a　child。　She　said　she　had　been　cruelly　used　in　order　to　get　the　family　into　social　recognition。　She　was　in　a　frenzy　of　grief　at　her　supposed　sacrifice　when　her　father　came　home。　Her　case　was　then　won。　With　her　arms　round　his　neck；　sobbing　against　his　heart；　her　tears　and　entreaties　on　his　lips；　Ben　Denning　had　no　feeling　and　no　care　for　anyone　but　his　daughter。　He　took　her　view　of　things　at　once。　〃She　HAD　been　badly　used。　It　WAS　a　shame　to　tie　a　girl　like　Dora　to　sermons　and　such　like。　It　was　like　shutting　her　up　in　a　convent。〃　Dora's　tears　and　complaints　fired　him　beyond　reason。　He　promised　her　freedom　whatever　it　cost　him。

And　while　he　sat　in　his　private　room　considering　the　case；　all　the　racial　passions　of　his　rough　ancestry　burning　within　him；　Basil　Stanhope　called　to　see　him。　He　permitted　him　to　come　into　his　presence；　but　he　rose　as　he　entered；　and　walked　hastily　a　few　steps　to　meet　him。

〃What　do　you　want　here；　sir？〃　he　asked。

〃My　wife。〃

〃My　daughter。　You　shall　not　see　her。　I　have　taken　her　back　to　my　own　care。〃

〃She　is　my　wife。　No　one　can　take　her　from　me。〃

〃I　will　teach　you　a　different　lesson。〃

〃The　law　of　God。〃

〃The　law　of　the　land　goes　here。　You'll　find　it　more　than　you　can　defy。〃

〃Sir；　I　entreat　you　to　let　me　speak　to　Dora。〃

〃I　will　not。〃

〃I　will　stay　here　until　I　see　her。〃

〃I　will　give　you　five　minutes。　I　do　not　wish　to　offer　your　profession　an　insult；　if　you　have　any　respect　for　it　you　will　obey　me。〃

Answer　me　one　questionwhat　have　I　done　wrong？〃

〃A　man　can　be　so　intolerably　right；　that　he　becomes　unbearably　wrong。　You　have　no　business　with　a　wife　and　a　home。　You　are　a　d　sight　too　good　for　a　good　little　girl　that　wants　a　bit　of　innocent　amusement。　Sermons　and　Christmas　trees！　Great　Scott；　what　sensible　woman　would　not　be　sick　of　it　all？　Sir；　I　don't　want　another　minute　of　your　company。　Little　wonder　that　my　Dora　is　ill　with　it。　Oblige　me　by　leaving　my　house　as　quietly　as　possible。〃　And　he　walked　to　the　door；　flung　it　open；　and　stood　glaring　at　the　distracted　husband。　〃Go；〃　he　said。　〃Go　at　once。　My　lawyer　will　see　you　in　the　future。　I　have　nothing　further　to　say　to　you。〃

Basil　went；　but　not　to　his　desolate　home。　He　had　a　private　key　to　the　vestry　in　his　church；　and　in　its　darkness　and　solitude　he　faced　the　first　shock　of　his　ruined　life；　for　he　knew　well　all　was　over。　All　had　been。　He　sank　to　the　floor　at　the　foot　of　the　large　cross　which　hung　on　its　bare　white　walls。　Grief's　illimitable　wave　went　over　him；　and　like　a　drowning　man　he　uttered　an　inarticulate　cry　of　agony　the　cry　of　a　soul　that　had　wronged　its　destiny。　Love　had　betrayed　him　to　ruin。　All　he　had　done　must　be　abandoned。　All　he　had　won　must　be　given　up。　Sin　and　shame　indeed　it　would　be　if　in　his　person　a　sacrament　of　the　Church　should　be　dragged　through　a　divorce　court。　All　other　considerations　paled　before　this　disgrace。　He　must　resign　his　curacy；　strip　himself　of　the　honorable　livery　of　heaven；　obliterate　his　person　and　his　name。　It　was　a　kind　of　death。

After　awhile　he　rose；　drank　some　water；　lifted　the　shade　and　let　the　moonlight　in。　Then　about　that　little　room　he　walked　with　God　through　the　long　night；　telling　Him　his　sorrow　and　perplexity。　And　there　is　a　depth　in　our　own　nature　where　the　divine　and　human　are　one。　That　night　Basil　Stanhope　found　it；　and　henceforward　knew　that　the　bitterness　of　death　was　behind　him；　not　before。　〃I　made　my　nest　too　dear　on　earth；〃　he　sighed；　〃and　it　has　been　swept　barethat　is；　that　I　may　build　in　heaven。

Now；　the　revelation　of　sorrow　is　the　clearest　of　all　revelations。　Stanhope　understood　that　hour　what　he　must　do。　No　doubts　weakened　his　course。　He　went　back　to　the　house　Dora　called　〃hers；〃　took　away　what　he　valued；　and　while　the　servants　were　eating　their　breakfast　and　talking　over　his　marital　troubles；　he　passed　across　its　threshold　for　the　last　time。　He　told　no　one　where　he　was　going；　he　dropped　as　silently　and　dumbly　out　of　the　life　that　had　known　him　as　a　stone　dropped　into　mid…ocean。

Ethel　considered　herself　fortunate　in　being　from　home　at　the　time　this　disastrous　culmination　of　Basil　Stanhope's　married　life　was　reached。　On　that　same　morning　the　Judge；　accompanied　by　Ruth　and　herself；　had　gone　to　Lenox　to　spend　the　holidays　with　some　old　friends；　and　she　was　quite　ignorant　of　the　matter　when　she　returned　after　the　New　Year。　Bryce　was　her　first　informant。　He　called　specially　to　give　her　the　news。　He　said　his　sister　had　been　too　ill　and　too　busy　to　write。　He　had　no　word　of　sympathy　for　the　unhappy　pair。　He　spoke　only　of　the　anxiety　it　had　caused　him。　〃He　was　now　engaged；〃　he　said；　〃to　Miss　Caldwell；　and　she　was　such　an　extremely　proper；　innocent　lady；　and　a　member　of　St。　Jude's；　it　had　really　been　a　trying　time　for　her。〃　Bryce　also　reminded　Ethel　that　he　had　been　against　Basil　Stanhope　from　the　first。　〃He　had　always　known　how　that　marriage　would　end；〃　and　so　on。

Ethel　declined　to　give　any　opinion。　〃She　must　hear　both　sides；〃　she　said。　〃Dora　had　been　so　reasonable　lately；　she　had　appeared　happy。〃

〃Oh；　Dora　is　a　little　fox；〃　he　replied；　〃she　doubles　on　herself　always。〃

Ruth　was　properly　regretful。　She　wondered　〃if　any　married　woman　was　really　happy。〃　She　did　not　apparently　concern　herself　about　Basil。　The　Judge　rather　leaned　to　Basil's　consideration。　He　understood　that　Dora's　overt　act　had　shattered　his　professional　career　as　well　as　his　personal　happiness。　He　could　feel　for　the　man　there。　〃My　dears；〃　he　said；　with　his　dilettante　air；　〃the　goddess　Calamity　is　delicate；　and　her　feet　are　tender。　She　treads　not　upon　the　ground；　but　makes　her　path　upon　the　hearts　of　men。〃　In　this　non…committal　way　he　gave　his　comment；　for　he　usually　found　a　bit　of　classical　wisdom　to　fit　modern　emergencies；　and　the　habit　had　imparted　an　antique　bon…ton　to　his　conversation。　Ethel　could　only　wonder　at　the　lack　of　real　sympathy。

In　the　morning　she　went　to　see　her　grandmother。　The　old　lady　had　〃heard〃　all　she　wanted　to　hear　about　Dora　and　Basil　Stanhope。　If　men　would　marry　a　fool　because　she　was　young　and　pretty；　they　must　take　the　consequences。　〃And　why　should　Stanhope　have　married　at　all？〃　she　asked　indignantly。　〃No　man　can　serve　God　and　a　woman　at　the　same　time。　He　had　to　be　a　bad　priest　and　a　good　husband；　or　a　bad　husband　and　a　good　priest。　Basil　Stanhope　was　honored；　was　doing　good；　and　he　must　needs　be　happy　also。　He　wanted　too　much；　and　lost　everything。　Serve　him　right。〃

〃All　can　now　find　some　fault　in　poor　Basil　Stanhope；〃　said　Ethel。　〃Bryce　was　bitter　against　him　because　Miss　Caldwell　shivers　at　the　word　‘divorce。'〃

〃What　has　Bryce　to　do　with　Jane　Caldwell？〃

〃He　is　going　to　marry　her；　he　says。〃

〃Like　enough；　she's　a　merry　miss　of　two…　score；　and　rich。　Bryce's　marriage　with　anyone　will　be　a　well…considered　affaira　marriage　with　all　the　advantages　of　a　good　bargain。　I'm　tired　of　the　whole　subject。　If　women　will　marry　they　should　be　as　patient　as　Griselda；　in　case　there　ever　was　such　a　woman；　if　not；　there's　an　end　of　the　matter。〃

〃There　are　no　Griseldas　in　this　century；　grandmother。〃

〃Then　there　ought　to　be　no　marriages。　Basil　Stanhope　was　a　grand　man　in　public。　What　kind　of　a　man　was　he　in　his　home？　Measure　a　man　by　his　home　conduct；　and　you'll　not　go　wrong。　It's　the　right　place　to　draw　your　picture　of　him；　I　can　tell　you　that。〃

〃He　has　no　home　now；　poor　fellow。〃

〃Whose　fault　was　it？　God　only　knows。　Where　is　his　wife？〃