the wheels of chance-第19部分

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n　the　hayloft。　To…morrow　he　will　be　a　Mystery；　and　they　will　be　looking　for　his　body　along　the　sea　front。　And　so　far　we　have　never　given　a　glance　at　the　desolate　home　in　Surbiton；　familiar　to　you　no　doubt　through　the　medium　of　illustrated　interviews；　where　the　unhappy　stepmother

That　stepmother；　it　must　be　explained；　is　quite　well　known　to　you。　That　is　a　little　surprise　I　have　prepared　for　you。　She　is　'Thomas　Plantagenet；'　the　gifted　authoress　of　that　witty　and　daring　book；　〃A　Soul　Untrammelled；〃　and　quite　an　excellent　woman　in　her　way；only　it　is　such　a　crooked　way。　Her　real　name　is　Milton。　She　is　a　widow　and　a　charming　one；　only　ten　years　older　than　Jessie；　and　she　is　always　careful　to　dedicate　her　more　daring　works　to　the　'sacred　memory　of　my　husband'　to　show　that　there's　nothing　personal；　you　know；　in　the　matter。　Considering　her　literary　reputation　（she　was　always　speaking　of　herself　as　one　I　martyred　for　truth；'　because　the　critics　advertised　her　written　indecorums　in　column　long　'slates'）；considering　her　literary　reputation；　I　say；　she　was　one　of　the　most　respectable　women　it　is　possible　to　imagine。　She　furnished　correctly；　dressed　correctly；　had　severe　notions　of　whom　she　might　meet；　went　to　church；　and　even　at　times　took　the　sacrament　in　some　esoteric　spirit。　And　Jessie　she　brought　up　so　carefully　that　she　never　even　let　her　read　〃A　Soul　Untrammelled。〃　Which；　therefore；　naturally　enough；　Jessie　did；　and　went　on　from　that　to　a　feast　of　advanced　literature。　Mrs。　Milton　not　only　brought　up　Jessie　carefully；　but　very　slowly；　so　that　at　seventeen　she　was　still　a　clever　schoolgirl　（as　you　have　seen　her）　and　quite　in　the　background　of　the　little　literary　circle　of　unimportant　celebrities　which　'Thomas　Plantagenet'　adorned。　Mrs。　Milton　knew　Bechamel's　reputation　of　being　a　dangerous　man；　but　then　bad　men　are　not　bad　women；　and　she　let　him　come　to　her　house　to　show　she　was　not　afraidshe　took　no　account　of　Jessie。　When　the　elopement　came；　therefore；　it　was　a　double　disappointment　to　her；　for　she　perceived　his　hand　by　a　kind　of　instinct。　She　did　the　correct　thing。　The　correct　thing；　as　you　know；　is　to　take　hansom　cabs；　regardless　of　expense；　and　weep　and　say　you　do　not　know　WHAT　to　do；　round　the　circle　of　your　confidential　friends。　She　could　not　have　ridden　nor　wept　more　had　Jessie　been　her　own　daughtershe　showed　the　properest　spirit。　And　she　not　only　showed　it；　but　felt　it。

Mrs。　Milton；　as　a　successful　little　authoress　and　still　more　successful　widow　of　thirty…two；〃Thomas　Plantagenet　is　a　charming　woman；〃　her　reviewers　used　to　write　invariably；　even　if　they　spoke　ill　of　her；found　the　steady　growth　of　Jessie　into　womanhood　an　unmitigated　nuisance　and　had　been　willing　enough　to　keep　her　in　the　background。　And　Jessiewho　had　started　this　intercourse　at　fourteen　with　abstract　objections　to　stepmothershad　been　active　enough　in　resenting　this。　Increasing　rivalry　and　antagonism　had　sprung　up　between　them；　until　they　could　engender　quite　a　vivid　hatred　from　a　dropped　hairpin　or　the　cutting　of　a　book　with　a　sharpened　knife。　There　is　very　little　deliberate　wickedness　in　the　world。　The　stupidity　of　our　selfishness　gives　much　the　same　results　indeed；　but　in　the　ethical　laboratory　it　shows　a　different　nature。　And　when　the　disaster　came；　Mrs。　Milton's　remorse　for　their　gradual　loss　of　sympathy　and　her　share　in　the　losing　of　it；　was　genuine　enough。

You　may　imagine　the　comfort　she　got　from　her　friends；　and　how　West　Kensington　and　Notting　Hill　and　Hampstead；　the　literary　suburbs；　those　decent　penitentiaries　of　a　once　Bohemian　calling；　hummed　with　the　business；　Her　'Men'as　a　charming　literary　lady　she　had；　of　course；　an　organised　corpswere　immensely　excited；　and　were　sympathetic；　helpfully　energetic；　suggestive；　alert；　as　their　ideals　of　their　various　dispositions　required　them　to　be。　〃Any　news　of　Jessie？〃　was　the　pathetic　opening　of　a　dozen　melancholy　but　interesting　conversations。　To　her　Men　she　was　not　perhaps　so　damp　as　she　was　to　her　women　friends；　but　in　a　quiet　way　she　was　even　more　touching。　For　three　days；　Wednesday　that　is；　Thursday；　and　Friday；　nothing　was　heard　of　the　fugitives。　It　was　known　that　Jessie；　wearing　a　patent　costume　with　buttonup　skirts；　and　mounted　on　a　diamond　frame　safety　with　Dunlops；　and　a　loofah　covered　saddle；　had　ridden　forth　early　in　the　morning；　taking　with　her　about　two　pounds　seven　shillings　in　money；　and　a　grey　touring　case　packed；　and　there；　save　for　a　brief　note　to　her　stepmother；a　declaration　of　independence；　it　was　said；　an　assertion　of　her　Ego　containing　extensive　and　very　annoying　quotations　from　〃A　Soul　Untrammelled；〃　and　giving　no　definite　intimation　of　her　plansknowledge　ceased。　That　note　was　shown　to　few；　and　then　only　in　the　strictest　confidence。

But　on　Friday　evening　late　came　a　breathless　Man　Friend；　Widgery；　a　correspondent　of　hers；　who　had　heard　of　her　trouble　among　the　first。　He　had　been　touring　in　Sussex；his　knapsack　was　still　on　his　back；and　he　testified　hurriedly　that　at　a　place　called　Midhurst；　in　the　bar　of　an　hotel　called　the　Angel；　he　had　heard　from　a　barmaid　a　vivid　account　of　a　Young　Lady　in　Grey。　Descriptions　tallied。　But　who　was　the　man　in　brown？〃The　poor；　misguided　girl！　I　must　go　to　her　at　once；〃　she　said；　choking；　and　rising　with　her　hand　to　her　heart。

〃It's　impossible　to…night。　There　are　no　more　trains。　I　looked　on　my　way。〃

〃A　mother's　love；〃　she　said。　〃I　bear　her　THAT。〃

〃I　know　you　do。〃　He　spoke　with　feeling；　for　no　one　admired　his　photographs　of　scenery　more　than　Mrs。　Milton。　〃it's　more　than　she　deserves。〃

〃Oh；　don't　speak　unkindly　of　her！　She　has　been　misled。〃

It　was　really　very　friendly　of　him。　He　declared　he　was　only　sorry　his　news　ended　there。　Should　he　follow　them；　and　bring　her　back？　He　had　come　to　her　because　he　knew　of　her　anxiety。　〃It　is　GOOD　of　you；〃　she　said；　and　quite　instinctively　took　and　pressed　his　hand。　〃And　to　think　of　that　poor　girltonight！　It's　dreadful。〃　She　looked　into　the　fire　that　she　had　lit　when　he　came　in；　the　warm　light　fell　upon　her　dark　purple　dress；　and　left　her　features　in　a　warm　shadow。　She　looked　such　a　slight；　frail　thing　to　be　troubled　so。　〃We　must　follow　her。〃　Her　resolution　seemed　magnificent。　〃I　have　no　one　to　go　with　me。〃

〃He　must　marry　her；〃　said　the　man。

〃She　has　no　friends。　We　have　no　one。　After　allTwo　women。So　helpless。〃

And　this　fair…haired　little　figure　was　the　woman　that　people　who　knew　her　only　from　her　books；　called　bold；　prurient　even！　Simply　because　she　was　great…heartedintellectual。　He　was　overcome　by　the　unspeakable　pathos　of　her　position。

〃Mrs。　Milton；〃　he　said。　〃Hetty！〃

She　glanced　at　him。　The　overflow　was　imminent。　〃Not　now；〃　she　said；　〃not　now。　I　must　find　her　first。〃

〃Yes；〃　he　said　with　intense　emotion。　（He　was　one　of　those　big；　fat　men　who　feel　deeply。）　〃But　let　me　help　you。　At　least　let　me　help　you。〃

　〃But　can　you　spare　time？〃　she　said。　〃For　ME。〃

　〃For　you〃

　〃But　what　can　I　do？　what　can　WE　do？〃

〃Go　to　Midhurst。　Follow　her　on。　Trace　her。　She　was　there　on　Thursday　night；　last　night。　She　cycled　out　of　the　town。　Courage！〃　he　said。　〃We　will　save　her　yet！〃

She　put　out　her　hand　and　pressed　his　again。

〃Courage！〃　he　repeated；　finding　it　so　well　received。

There　were　alarms　and　excursions　without。　She　turned　her　back　to　the　fire；　and　he　sat　down　suddenly　in　the　big　armchair；　which　suited　his　dimensions　admirably。　Then　the　door　opened；　and　the　girl　showed　in　Dangle；　who　looked　curiously　from　one　to　the　other。　There　was　emotion　here；　he　had　heard　the　armchair　creaking；　and　Mrs。　Milton；　whose　face　was　flushed；　displayed　a　suspicious　alacrity　to　explain。　〃You；　too；〃　she　said；　〃are　one　of　my　good　friends。　And　we　have　news　of　her　at　last。〃

It　was　decidedly　an　advantage　to　Widgery；　but　Dangle　determined　to　show　himself　a　man　of　resource。　In　the　end　he；　too；　was　accepted　for　the　Midhurst　Expedition；　to　the　intense　disgust　of　Widgery；　and　young　Phipps；　a　callow　youth　of　few　words；　faultless　collars；　and　fervent　devotion；　was　also　enrolled　before　the　evening　was　out。　They　would　scour　the　country；　all　three　of　them。　She　appeared　to　brighten　up　a　little；　but　it　was　evident　she　was　profoundly　touched。　She　did　not　know　what　she　had　done　to　merit　such　friends。　Her　voice　broke　a　little；　she　moved　towards　the　door；　and　young　Phipps；　who　was　a　youth　of　action　rather　than　of　words；　sprang　and　opened　itproud　to　be　first。

〃She　is　sorely　troubled；〃　said　Dangle　to　Widgery。　〃We　must　do　what　we　can　for　her。〃

〃She　is　a　wonderful　woman；〃　said　Dangle。　〃So　subtle；　so　intricate；　so　many　faceted。　She　feels　this　deeply。〃

Young　Phipps　said　nothing；　but　he　felt　the　more。

And　yet　they　say　the　age　of　chivalry　is　dead！

But　this　is　only　an　Interlude；　introduced　to　give　our　wanderers　time　to　refresh　themselves　by　good；　honest　sleeping。　For　the　present；　therefore；　we　will　not　concern　ourselves　with　the　starting　of　the　Rescue　Party；　nor　with　Mrs。　Milton's　simple　but　becoming　grey　dress；　with　the　healthy　Widgery's　Norfolk　jacket　and　thick　boots；　with　the　slender　Dangle's　energetic　bearing；　nor　with　the　wonderful　chequerings　that　set　off　the　legs　of　the　golf…suited　Phipps。　They　are　after　us。　In　a　little　while　they　will　be　upon　us。　You　must　imagine　as　you　best　can　the　competitive　raidings　at　Midhurst　of