第20章

Thenhetooburstforth。

“Damnyou，whatdoyoumean，youlittleminx？“heasked。“WhydoyousayIkilledher，becauseIdidwhatIthoughtthebestforallofus？

Nowomanhadabetterhusband，asIamsuresheacknowledgesinheavento-day。“

“Idon’tknowwhatMotherthinksinheaven，ifthereisoneforher，asthereoughttobe。ButIdoknowwhatIthinkonearth，“remarkedtheburningIsobel。

“AndIknowwhatIthinkalso，“shoutedherenragedparent，dashingthenew，crape-coveredhatontothetableinfrontofhim，“anditisthatthefurtheryouandIareapartfromeachother，thebetterwearelikelytogeton。“

“Iagreewithyou，Father。“

“Lookhere，Isobel，yousaidthatyouruncleEdgar，whohasbeenappointedMinistertoMexico，offeredtotakeyouwithhimtobeacompaniontohisdaughter，yourcousinEmily。Well，youcangoifyoulike。I’llpaytheshotandshutupthishouseforawhile。I’msickofthecursedplace，andcangettoHarwichjustaswellfromLondon。

Writeandmakethearrangements，foroneyear，nomore。Bythattimeyourtempermayhaveimproved，“headdedwithanuglysneer。

“Thankyou，Father，Iwill。“

Hestaredatherforalittlewhile。Shemethisgazeunflinchingly，andintheenditwasnothereyesthatdropped。Thenwithasmotheredexclamationhestampedoutoftheroom，kickingIsobel’slittleterrieroutofthepathwithhiselephantinefoot。Thepoorbeast，ofwhichshewasveryfond，limpedtoherwhining，foritwasmuchhurt。

Shetookitinherarmsandkissedit，weepingtearsofwrathandpity。

“IwonderwhatGodfreywouldsayaboutthefifthCommandmentifhehadbeenherethisafternoon，youpoorthing，“shewhisperedtothewhimperingdog，whichwaslickingitshangingleg。“ThereisnoGod。

IftherehadbeenHewouldnothavegivenmesuchafather，ormymothersuchahusband。“

Thenstillcarryingtheinjuredterrier，shewentoutandglidedthroughthedarknesstohermother’sgraveintheneighbouringchurchyard。Thesextonshaddonetheirwork，andtheraw，brownearthofthegrave，mixedwithbitsofdecayedcoffinsandfragmentsofperishedhumanbones，wascoveredwithhot-houseflowers。Amongtheselayagorgeouswreathofwhiteandpurpleorchids，towhichwastiedacardwhereonwaswritten：“Tomydarlingwife，fromherbereavedhusband，JohnBlake。“

Isobelliftedthewreathfromitsplaceofhonourandthrewitoverthethechurchyardwall。Thensheweptandweptasthoughherheartwouldbreak。

InduecourseGodfreyreceivedanepistleoffrigidcongratulationfromhisfatheruponhisaccessiontowealthwhich，heremarked，wouldbeofassistancetohiminhisfutureclericalcareer。TherestoftheletterwasfullofcomplaintsagainsttheindignitiesthathadbeenheapeduponhimbyMissOgilvy’sexecutorsandtrustees，andalsoagainstGodfreyhimselffornothavingfurnishedhimwithmoreinformationconcerningthecircumstancessurroundinghisinheritance。

Lastly，Mr。KnightenclosedapaperwhichherequestedGodfreytosignandreturn，authorizinghimtodealwiththeincomeofthelegacy。

ThisGodfreydidobediently，onlyaweekortwolatertoreceiveaformalnotificationfromthelawyers，senttohimdirectthistimeashisaddresshadbeenfilledinontheAuthority，informinghimthathehadnopowertosignsuchdocuments，hebeinginfactunderage，andsuggestingthatheshouldrefrainfromdoingsointhefuture。

Enclosedwerecopiesoftheirfirstlettertohim，andoftheotherdocumentswhichMr。Knighthadnotthoughtitworthwhiletoforwardbecause，ashesaid，theywereheavyandforeignpostagewassoexpensive。

Furtherthetrusteesannouncedthattheyproposedtoallowhim￡50ayearoutoftheincomeforhispersonalneeds，whichwouldbepaidhalf-yearly，andenclosedadraftfor￡25，whichwasmoremoneythaneverGodfreyhadpossessedbefore。Thisdrafthewasdesiredtoacknowledge，andgenerallytokeephimselfintouchwiththetrustees，andtoconsultthembeforetakinganystepofimportance，alsoastohisfuturecareer。

Allthis，withthesenseofindependencewhichitgavehim，wasagreeableenoughtoGodfrey，asitwouldhavebeentoanyyouth。HeacknowledgedthedraftundertheguidanceofthePasteur，sayingthathewouldwriteagainwhenhehadanythingtocommunicate，butthatasyethehadnotmadeuphismindastohisfuture，andproposedtostaywherehewas，continuinghisstudies，ifhisfatherwouldallowhimtodoso。NexthetookanopportunitytogotoLucernewiththePasteur，whowishedtoinspecttheVillaOgilvyandconsultthenotaryastoaninventoryofitscontentsandarrangementsforitsupkeep。

Godfrey，whowasreceivedbytheservantswithmanybows，andrequeststhattheymightbeallowedtocontinueintheiremployment，wanderedthroughthebigroomswhichlookedsodesolatenow，andstareduntilhewastiredatexamplesofbeautifulFrenchfurniture，ofwhichheunderstoodnothing。Then，oppressedbymemoriesofhiskindfriendintowhosedeathchamberhehadblundered，and，asitseemedtohim，byasenseofherpresencewhichheimaginedwaswarninghimofsomething，heleftthehouse，tellingthePasteur，whowaspeeringabouthimthroughhisbluespectaclesinaninnocentandinterestedway，thathewouldmeethimatthefiveo’clockdiligence。Indeed，hehadbusinessofhisowntodo，whichseemedtohimmoreimportantthanallthisstock-takingandlegaldiscussion。HavingplentyofmoneyinhispocketGodfreywishedtospendsomeofitinpresents。

First，heboughtalargemeerschaumpipewithaflexiblestemasagifttothePasteur，whomhehadheardadmirethisverypipeintheshopwindowandexpressregretsthatitwastooexpensiveforhismeans。Havingpaiddownthirtyfrancslikeamanforthistreasure，heproceededtoajeweller’snearby。Thereheacquiredanecklaceofamethystssetwithgreattasteinlocalsilverwork，forMadametowear，andacharmingsilverwatchofthebestSwissmakeforJuliette。

Whenhefoundthattheseobjectsinvolvedanexpenditureoffourteensovereigns，hewasalittlestaggered，butagainsmiledandpaidup。

Therewasalsoalovelylittleringofgoldwithtwoturquoiseheartsthatheboughtfor￡2tosendtoIsobel/when/shewrotetohim。But，asIsobelhadpostedherletterinMr。Knight’sdrawer，thatringneverreachedherfingerformanyaday。

Thesegiftssafelyinhispocket，hebegantostrolltowardstherailwaystation，whencethediligencestarted，slowly，ashehadplentyoftime。Ashewenthesaw，inashopwindow，abeautifulstickofolivewood，withanebonycrook。Itwasmarkedtenfrancs，andhecoveteditgreatly，butreflectedwithasighthathavingspentsomuchonothershecouldaffordnothingforhimself，forGodfreywasanunselfishsoul。InsteadheboughtacollarofSwisslaceforMrs。

Parsons。Immediatelyafterheleftthelaceshophebecameawarethathewasbeingshadowed。Heheardnofootfall，andhesawnoone，buthe/knew/thatthiswasso；hecouldfeelitdownhisback，andinacoldwindwhichblewacrosshishands，asithaddonealwaysattheVillaOgilvyséances。

Theroadthathewasfollowingledacrosssomepublicgardensbeneathanavenueoftrees，which，ofcourse，atthistimeoftheyear，wereleafless。Thisavenuewaslightedhereandthere，andbeneathoneofthegaslampsGodfreywheeledroundtoseeMadameRiennesadvancingonhimoutofthegloom。Herstoutformpaddedforwardnoiselessly，exceptfortheoccasionalcrackleofadeadandfrostedleafbeneathherfoot。Sheworeathickcloakofsomesortwithablackhoodthatframedherlarge，whiteface，makingherlooklikeamonkoftheInquisitionasdepictedinvariousoldprints。Beneaththeblacknessofthishoodandabovetherigidlineofthesetmouth，staredtwoprominentandglowingeyes，inwhichthegaslightwasreflected。TheyremindedGodfreyofthoseofastalkingcatinadarkroom。Indeed，fromthemomentthathecaughtsightofthemhefeltlikethemousecoweringinacorner，orlikeabirdinatreefascinatedbythesnakethatwrithestowardsitalongthebough。

“Ah，/monpetit/，“saidMadame，inherthick，creamyvoice，thatseemedtoemergefromherlowerregions，“soIhavefoundyou。Iwaswalkingthroughthetownandanotioncametomethatyouwerehere，a——whatyoucallit？——instinctlikethatwhichmakethedogfinditsmaster。OnlyImasterandyoudog，eh？“

Godfreytriedtopullhimselftogether，feelingthatitwouldnotbewisetoshowfearofthiswoman，andgreetedheraspolitelyashecould，takingoffhishatwithaflourishintheforeignfashion。

“Putthathatbackonyourhead，/monpetit/，oryouwillcatchcoldandbeill，youwhoaremuchtooprecioustobeill。Listen，now：I

havesomethingtosaytoyou。Youhavegreatluck，haveyounot？Ah!

sweetSisterHelen，shegotojointhespirits，quitequick，asItellheralittlewhileagoshewilldo，andsheleavesyoumuchmoney，thoughtome，heroldfriend，hersisterinthespeerit，shegivenotonesou，althoughsheknowIwantit。Well，Ithinktheresomemistake，andIwishtotalktoSisterHelenaboutthismoneybusiness。

Ithinksheleavemesomething，somehow，ifIcanfindoutwhere。Andyou，dear/petit/，canhelpme。NextSundayyouwillcometomyroomsofwhichIgiveyouaddress，“andshethrustacardintohishand，“andwewilltalkwithSisterHelen，oratleastwithEleanor，yourlittlefriend。“

Godfreyshookhisheadvigorously，butshetooknonotice。

“Whathaveyoubeenbuying，“shewenton，“withSisterHelen’smoney？

Presents，Ithink。Yes，yes，Iseetheminyourpocket，“andshefixedhereyesupontheunhappyGodfrey’spocket，atleastthatiswherehefeltthem。

“Oh!veryprettypresents。NecklaceforthefineMadame，ofwhomIcantellyousomestories。WatchforprettyMees，withthered，poutinglips，sonicetokiss。PipeforgoodoldPasteur，tosmokewhilehethinkofheaven，whereonetimehesitalldayanddonothingforever；laceforsomeoneelse，Iknownotwho，andIthinkacharmingringforonewhowillnotwearitjustyet；abiggirlwithapalefaceandeyesthatflash，butcangrowsoft。Onewhowouldknowhowtolove，eh!Yes，notadoll，butonewhowouldknowhowtolovelikeawomanshould。AmIright？“

TheconfusedGodfreybabbledsomethingaboutashop，andwassilent。