第27章

CHAPTERXLIII。

ATLAST！

MYletterfromMr。Playmore，inclosingtheagent’sextraordinarytelegram，wasnotinspiredbythesanguineviewofourprospectswhichhehadexpressedtomewhenwemetatBenjamin’shouse。

"Ifthetelegrammeananything，"hewrote，"itmeansthatthefragmentsofthetornletterhavebeencastintothehousemaid’sbucket（alongwiththedust，theashes，andtherestofthelitterintheroom），andhavebeenemptiedonthedust—heapatGleninch。Sincethiswasdone，theaccumulatedrefusecollectedfromtheperiodicalcleansingsofthehouse，duringatermofnearlythreeyears——including，ofcourse，theashesfromthefireskeptburning，forthegreaterpartoftheyear，inthelibraryandthepicture—gallery——havebeenpouredupontheheap，andhaveburiedthepreciousmorselsofpaperdeeperanddeeper，daybyday。Evenifwehaveafairchanceoffindingthesefragments，whathopecanwefeel，atthisdistanceoftime，ofrecoveringthemwiththewritinginastateofpreservation？I

shallbegladtohear，byreturnofpostifpossible，howthematterstrikesyou。IfyoucouldmakeitconvenienttoconsultwithmepersonallyinEdinburgh，weshouldsavetime，whentimemaybeofseriousimportancetous。WhileyouareatDoctorStarkweather’syouarewithineasyreachofthisplace。Pleasethinkofit。"

Ithoughtofitseriouslyenough。TheforemostquestionwhichI

hadtoconsiderwasthequestionofmyhusband。

ThedepartureofthemotherandsonfromSpainhadbeensolongdelayed，bythesurgeon’sorders，thatthetravelershadonlyadvancedontheirhomewardjourneyasfarasBordeaux，whenIhadlastheardfromMrs。Macallanthreeorfourdayssince。AllowingforanintervalofreposeatBordeaux，andfortheslowrateatwhichtheywouldbecompelledtomoveafterward，ImightstillexpectthemtoarriveinEnglandsometimebeforealetterfromtheagentinAmericacouldreachMr。Playmore。How，inthispositionofaffairs，IcouldcontrivetojointhelawyerinEdinburgh，aftermeetingmyhusbandinLondon，itwasnoteasytosee。Thewiseandtherightway，asIthought，wastotellMr。

PlaymorefranklythatIwasnotmistressofmyOwnmovements，andthathehadbetteraddresshisnextlettertomeatBenjamin’shouse。

Writingtomylegaladviserinthissense，Ihadawordofmyowntoaddonthesubjectofthetornletter。

Inthelastyearsofmyfather’slifeIhadtraveledwithhiminItaly，andIhadseenintheMuseumatNaplesthewonderfulrelicsofabygonetimediscoveredamongtheruinsofPompeii。BywayofencouragingMr。Playmore，Inowremindedhimthattheeruptionwhichhadoverwhelmedthetownhadpreserved，formorethansixteenhundredyears，suchperishablethingsasthestrawinwhichpotteryhadbeenpacked；thepaintingsonhousewalls；

thedresseswornbytheinhabitants；and（mostnoticeableofall，inourcase）apieceofancientpaper，stillattachedtothevolcanicasheswhichhadfallenoverit。Ifthesediscoverieshadbeenmadeafteralapseofsixteencenturies，underalayerofdustandashesonalargescale，surelywemighthopetomeetwithsimilarcasesofpreservation，afteralapseofthreeorfouryearsonly，underalayerofdustandashesonasmallscale。Takingforgranted（whatwasperhapsdoubtfulenough）thatthefragmentsofthelettercouldberecovered，myownconvictionwasthatthewritingonthem，thoughitmightbefaded，wouldcertainlystillbelegible。TheveryaccumulationswhichMr。

Playmoredeploredwouldbethemeansofpreservingthemfromtherainandthedamp。WiththesemodesthintsIclosedmyletter；

andthusforonce，thankstomyContinentalexperience，Iwasabletoinstructmylawyer！

Anotherdaypassed；andIheardnothingofthetravelers。

Ibegantofeelanxious。Imademypreparationsformyjourneysouthwardovernight；andIresolvedtostartforLondonthenextday——unlessIheardofsomechangeinMrs。Macallan’stravelingarrangementsintheinterval。

Thepostofthenextmorningdecidedmycourseofaction。Itbroughtmealetterfrommymother—in—law，whichaddedonemoretothememorabledatesinmydomesticcalendar。

EustaceandhismotherhadadvancedasfarasParisontheirhomewardjourney，whenacrueldisasterhadbefallenthem。Thefatiguesoftraveling，andtheexcitementofhisanticipatedmeetingwithme，hadprovedtogethertobetoomuchformyhusband。HehadheldoutasfarasPariswiththegreatestdifficulty；andhewasnowconfinedtohisbedagain，struckdownbyarelapse。Thedoctors，thistime，hadnofearforhislife，providedthathispatiencewouldsupporthimthroughalengthenedperiodofthemostabsoluterepose。

"Itnowrestswithyou，Valeria，"Mrs。Macallanwrote，"tofortifyandcomfortEustaceunderthisnewcalamity。DonotsupposethathehaseverblamedorthoughtofblamingyouforleavinghimwithmeinSpain，assoonashewasdeclaredtobeoutofdanger。’Itwas_I_wholeft_her，_’hesaidtome，whenwefirsttalkedaboutit；’anditismywife’srighttoexpectthatIshouldgobacktoher。’Thosewerehiswords，mydear；andhehasdoneallhecantoabidebythem。Helplessinhisbed，henowasksyoutotakethewillforthedeed，andtojoinhiminParis。IthinkIknowyouwellenough，mychild，tobesurethatyouwilldothis；andIneedonlyaddonewordofcaution，beforeIclosemyletter。Avoidallreference，notonlytotheTrial（youwilldothatofyourownaccord），buteventoourhouseatGleninch。Youwillunderstandhowhefeels，inhispresentstateofnervousdepression，whenItellyouthatIshouldneverhaveventuredonaskingyoutojoinhimhere，ifyourletterhadnotinformedmethatyourvisitstoDexterwereatanend。Wouldyoubelieveit？——hishorrorofanythingwhichrecallsourpasttroublesisstillsovividthathehasactuallyaskedmetogivemyconsenttosellingGleninch！"

SoEustace’smotherwroteofhim。Butshehadnottrustedentirelytoherownpowersofpersuasion。Aslipofpaperwasinclosedinherletter，containingthesetwolines，tracedinpencil——oh，sofeeblyandsowearily！——bymypoordarlinghimself：

"Iamtooweaktotravelanyfurther，Valeria。Willyoucometomeandforgiveme？"Afewpencil—marksfollowed；buttheywereillegible。Thewritingofthosetwoshortsentenceshadexhaustedhim。

Itisnotsayingmuchformyself，Iknow——but，havingconfesseditwhenIwaswrong，letme，atleast，recorditwhenIdidwhatwasright——Idecidedinstantlyongivingupallfurtherconnectionwiththerecoveryofthetornletter。IfEustaceaskedmethequestion，Iwasresolvedtobeabletoanswertruly："I

havemadethesacrificethatassuresyourtranquillity。Whenresignationwashardest，Ihavehumbledmyobstinatespirit，andIhavegivenwayformyhusband’ssake。"

TherewashalfanhourtosparebeforeIleftthevicaragefortherailwaystation。InthatintervalIwroteagaintoMr。

Playmore，tellinghimplainlywhatmypositionwas，andwithdrawing，atonceandforever，fromallshareininvestigatingthemysterywhichlayhiddenunderthedust—heapatGleninch。

CHAPTERXLIV。

OURNEWHONEYMOON。

ItisnottobedisguisedordeniedthatmyspiritsweredepressedonmyjourneytoLondon。

Toresigntheonecherishedpurposeofmylife，whenIhadsufferedsomuchinpursuingit，andwhenIhad（toallappearance）sonearlyreachedtherealizationofmyhopes，wasputtingtoahardtrialawoman’sfortitudeandawoman’ssenseofduty。Still，eveniftheopportunityhadbeenofferedtome，I

wouldnothaverecalledmylettertoMr。Playmore。"Itisdone，andwelldone，"Isaidtomyself；"andIhaveonlytowaitadaytobereconciledtoit——whenIgivemyhusbandmyfirstkiss。"

IhadplannedandhopedtoreachLondonintimetostartforParisbythenight—mail。ButthetrainwastwicedelayedonthelongjourneyfromtheNorth；andtherewasnohelpforitbuttosleepatBenjamin’svilla，andtodefermydepartureuntilthemorning。

Itwas，ofcourse，impossibleformetowarnmyoldfriendofthechangeinmyplans。Myarrivaltookhimbysurprise。Ifoundhimaloneinhislibrary，withawonderfulilluminationoflampsandcandles，absorbedoversomemorselsoftornpaperscatteredonthetablebeforehim。

"Whatintheworldareyouabout？"Iasked。

Benjaminblushed——Iwasgoingtosay，likeayounggirl；butyounggirlshavegivenupblushingintheselatterdaysoftheagewelivein。

"Oh，nothing，nothing！"hesaid，confusedly。"Don’tnoticeit。"

Hestretchedouthishandtobrush