第23章

andIknowhiminhistruecharacteratlast。AmIawomanwhosubmitswhenanoutrageisofferedtoher？Whatwillhappennext？

Whoknows？Iaminafinehumor。WhatIhavejustwrittenhassetmelaughingatmyself。HelenaGracedieuhasonemeritatleast——sheisaveryamusingperson。

Isleptlastnight。

Thismorning，Iamstrongagain，calm，wickedlycapableofdeceivingMr。PhilipDunboyne，ashehasdeceivedme。HehasnotthefaintestsuspicionthatIhavediscoveredhim。Iwishhehadcourageenoughtokillsomebody。HowIshouldenjoyhiringthenearestwindowtothescaffold，andseeinghimhanged！

MissJillgallisinbetterspiritsthanever。Sheisgoingtotakealittleholiday；andthecunningcreaturemakesamysteryofit。"Good—by，MissHelena。Iamgoingtostayforadayortwowithafriend。"Whatfriend？Whocares？

Lastnight，Iwaswakeful。Inthedarknessadaringideacametome。To—day，Ihavecarriedouttheidea。SomethinghasfollowedwhichiswellworthenteringinmyDiary。

Ilefttheroomattheusualhourforattendingtomydomesticaffairs。Theobstinatecookdidmeaservice；shewasinsolent；

shewantedtohaveherownway。Igaveherherownway。InlessthanfiveminutesIwasonthewatchinthepantry，whichhasaviewofthehousedoor。Myhatandmyparasolwerewaitingformeonthetable，incaseofmygoingout，too。

Inafewminutesmore，Iheardthedooropened。Mr。PhilipDunboynesteppedout。Hewasgoingtotakeanotherofhislongwalks。

Ifollowedhimtothestreetinwhichthecabsstand。Hehiredthefirstoneontherank，anopenchaise；whileIkeptmyselfhiddenina。shopdoor。

Themomenthestartedonhisdrive，Ihiredaclosedcab。"Doubleyourfare，"Isaidtothedriver，"whateveritmaybe，ifyoufollowthatchaisecleverly，anddowhatItellyou。"

Henoddedandwinkedatme。Awicked—lookingoldfellow；justthemanIwanted。

Wefollowedthechaise。

CHAPTERLVI。

HELENA’SDIARYRESUMED。

WHENwehadleftthetownbehindus，thecoachmanbegantodrivemoreslowly。Inmyignorance，Iaskedwhatthischangeinthepacemeant。Hepointedwithhiswhiptotheopenroadandtothechaiseinthedistance。

"Ifwekeeptoonearthegentleman，miss，hehasonlygottolookback，andhe’llseewearefollowinghim。Thesafethingtodoistoletthechaisegetonabit。Wecan’tlosesightofit，outhere。"

Ihadfeltinclinedtotrustinthedriver’sexperience，andhehadalreadyjustifiedmyconfidenceinhim。Thisencouragedmetoconsulthisopiniononamatterofsomeimportancetomypresentinterests。Icouldseethenecessityofavoidingdiscoverywhenwehadfollowedthechaisetoitsdestination；butIwastotallyatalosstoknowhowitcouldbedone。MywilyoldmanwasreadywithhisadvicethemomentIaskedforit。

"Whereverthechaisestops，miss，wemustdrivepastitasifweweregoingsomewhereelse。Ishallnoticetheplacewhilewegoby；andyouwillpleasesitbackinthecornerofthecabsothatthegentlemancan’tseeyou。"

"Well，"Isaid，"andwhatnext？"

"Next，miss，Ishallpullup，whereveritmaybe，outofsightofthedriverofthechaise。Hebearsanexcellentcharacter，I

don’tdenyit；butI’veknownhimforyears——andwehadbetternottrusthim。Ishalltellyouwherethegentlemanstopped；andyouwillgobacktotheplace（onfoot，ofcourse），andseeforyourselfwhat’stobedone，speciallyiftherehappenstobealadyinthecase。Nooffense，miss；it’sinmyexperiencethatthere’sgenerallyaladyinthecase。Anyhow，youcanjudgeforyourself，andyou’llknowwheretofindmewaitingwhenyouwantmeagain。"

"Supposesomethinghappens，"Isuggested，"thatwedon’texpect？"

"Ishan’tlosemyhead，miss，whateverhappens。"

"Allverywell，coachman；butIhaveonlyyourwordforit。"Intheirritablestateofmymind，theman’sconfidentwayofthinkingannoyedme。

"Beggingyourpardon，myyounglady，you’vegot（ifImaysayso）

whattheycallaguarantee。WhenIwasayoungman，IdroveacabinLondonfortenyears。Willthatdo？"

"Isupposeyoumean，"Ianswered，"thatyouhavelearneddeceitinthewickedwaysofthegreatcity。"

Hetookthisasacompliment。"Thankyou，miss。That’sitexactly。"

Afteralongdrive，orsoitseemedtomyimpatience，wepassedthechaisedrawnupatalonelyhouse，separatedbyafrontgardenfromtheroad。Intwoorthreeminutesmore，westoppedwheretheroadtookaturn，anddescendedtolowerground。Thefarmhousewhichwehadleftbehinduswasknowntothedriver。Heledthewaytoagateatthesideoftheroad，andopeneditforme。

"Inyourplace，miss，"hesaidslyly，"theprivatewaybackisthewayIshouldwishtotake。Tryitbythefields。Turntotherightwhenyouhavepassedthebarn，andyou’llfindyourselfatthebackofthehouse。"Hestopped，andlookedathisbigsilverwatch。"Half—pasttwelve，"hesaid，"theChawbacons——Imeanthefarmhouseservants，miss——willbeattheirdinner。Allinyourfavor，sofar。Ifthedoghappenstobeloose，don’tforgetthathisname’sGrinder；callhimbyhisname，andpathimbeforehehastimeenoughtothink，andhe’llletyoube。Whenyouwantme，hereyou’llfindmewaitingfororders。"

IlookedbackasIcrossedthefield。Thedriverwassittingonthegate，smokinghispipe，andthehorsewasnibblingthegrassattheroadside。Twohappyanimals，withoutaburdenontheirminds！

Afterpassingthebarn，Isawnothingofthedog。Farornear，nolivingcreatureappeared；theservantsmusthavebeenatdinner，asthecoachmanhadforeseen。Arrivingatawoodenfence，I

openedagateinit，andfoundmyselfonabitofwasteground。

Onmyleft，therewasalargeduck—pond。Onmyright，Isawthefowl—houseandthepigstyes。Beforemewasahighimpenetrablehedge；andatsomedistancebehindit——anorchardoragarden，asIsupposed，fillingtheintermediatespace——rosethebackofthehouse。Imadefortheshelterofthehedge，inthefearthatsomeonemightapproachawindowandseeme。Onceshelteredfromobservation，ImightconsiderwhatIshoulddonext。ItwasimpossibletodoubtthatthiswasthehouseinwhichEunicewasliving。NeithercouldIfailtoconcludethatPhiliphadtriedtopersuadehertoseehim，onthoseformeroccasionswhenhetoldmehehadtakenalongwalk。

AsIcrouchedbehindthehedge，Iheardvoicesapproachingontheothersideofit。Atlastfortunehadbefriendedme。ThepersonspeakingatthemomentwasMissJillgall；andthepersonwhoansweredherwasPhilip。

"Iamafraid，dearMr。Philip，youdon’tquiteunderstandmysweetEuneece。Honorable，highminded，delicateinherfeelings，and，oh，sounselfish！Idon’twanttoalarmyou，butwhenshehearsyouhavebeendeceivingHelena——"

"Uponmyword，MissJillgall，youaresoprovoking！IhavenotbeendeceivingHelena。Haven’tItoldyouwhatdiscouraginganswersIgot，whenIwenttoseetheGovernor？Haven’tIshownyouEunice’sreplytomyletter？Youcan’thaveforgottenitalready？"

"Oh，yes，Ihave。WhyshouldIrememberit？Don’tIknowpoorEuneecewasinyourmind，allthetime？"

"You’rewrongagain！Eunicewasnotinmymindallthetime。I

washurt——Iwasoffendedbythecruelmannerinwhichshehadtreatedme。Andwhatwastheconsequence？SofarwasIfromdeceivingHelena——sheroseinmyestimationbycomparisonwithhersister。"

"Oh，come，come，Mr。Philip！thatwon’tdo。Helenarisinginanybody’sestimation？Ha！ha！ha！"

"Laughasmuchasyoulike，MissJillgall，youwon’tlaughawaythefacts。Helenalovedme；Helenawastruetome。Don’tbehardonapoorfellowwhoishalfdistracted。Whatamanfindshecandoononeday，hefindshecan’tdoonanother。Trytounderstandthatachangedoessometimescomeoverone’sfeelings。"

"Blessmysoul，Mr。Philip，that’sjustwhatIhavebeenunderstandingallthetime！Iknowyourmindaswellasyouknowityourself。Youcan’tforgetmysweetEuneece。"

"ItellyouItriedtoforgether！Onmywordofhonorasagentleman，Itriedtoforgether，injusticetoHelena。IsitmyfaultthatIfailed？Eunicewasinmymind，asyousaidjustnow。

Oh，myfriend——foryouaremyfriend，Iamsure——persuadehertoseeme，ifit’sonlyforaminute！"

（Wasthereevera