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my father's marriage。 I found that my uncle's surviving relatives
now spoke of him slightingly and carelessly。 They assured me that
they had never heard from him; and that they knew nothing about
him; except that he had gone away to settle; as they supposed; in
some foreign place; after having behaved very basely and badly to
my father。 He had been traced to London; where he had sold out of
the funds the small share of money which he had inherited after
his father's death; and he had been seen on the deck of a packet
bound for France later on the same day。 Beyond this nothing was
known about him。 In what the alleged baseness of his behavior had
consisted none of his brothers and sisters could tell me。 My
father had refused to pain them by going into particulars; not
only at the time of his brother's disappearance; but afterward;
whenever the subject was mentioned。 George had always been the
black sheep of the flock; and he must have been conscious of his
own baseness; or he would certainly have written to explain and
to justify himself。
Such were the particulars which I gleaned during my visit to my
father's family。 To my mind; they tended rather to deepen than to
reveal the mystery。 That such a gentle; docile; affectionate
creature as Uncle George should have injured the brother he loved
by word or deed at any period of their intercourse; seemed
incredible; but that he should have been guilty of an act of
baseness at the very time when my sister was dying was simply and
plainly impossible。 And yet there was the incomprehensible fact
staring me in the face that the death of Caroline and the
disappearance of Uncle George had taken plac e in the same week!
Never did I feel more daunted and bewildered by the family secret
than after I had heard all the particulars in connection with it
that my father's relatives had to tell me。
I may pass over the events of the next few years of my life
briefly enough。
My nautical pursuits filled up all my time; and took me far away
from my country and my friends。 But; whatever I did; and wherever
I went; the memory of Uncle George; and the desire to penetrate
the mystery of his disappearance; haunted me like familiar
spirits。 Often; in the lonely watches of the night at sea; did I
recall the dark evening on the beach; the strange man's hurried
embrace; the startling sensation of feeling his tears on my
cheeks; the disappearance of him before I had breath or
self…possession enough to say a word。 Often did I think over the
inexplicable events that followed; when I had returned; after my
sister's funeral; to my father's house; and oftener still did I
puzzle my brains vainly; in the attempt to form some plan for
inducing my mother or my aunt to disclose the secret which they
had hitherto kept from me so perseveringly。 My only chance of
knowing what had really happened to Uncle George; my only hope of
seeing him again; rested with those two near and dear relatives。
I despaired of ever getting my mother to speak on the forbidden
subject after what had passed between us; but I felt more
sanguine about my prospects of ultimately inducing my aunt to
relax in her discretion。 My anticipations; however; in this
direction were not destined to be fulfilled。 On my next visit to
England I found my aunt prostrated by a paralytic attack; which
deprived her of the power of speech。 She died soon afterward in
my arms; leaving me her sole heir。 I searched anxiously among her
papers for some reference to the family mystery; but found no
clew to guide me。 All my mother's letters to her sister at the
time of Caroline's illness and death had been destroyed。
CHAPTER III。
MORE years passed; my mother followed my aunt to the grave; and
still I was as far as ever from making any discoveries in
relation to Uncle George。 Shortly after the period of this last
affliction my health gave way; and I departed; by my doctor's
advice; to try some baths in the south of France。
I traveled slowly to my destination; turning aside from the
direct road; and stopping wherever I pleased。 One evening; when I
was not more than two or three days' journey from the baths to
which I was bound; I was struck by the picturesque situation of a
little town placed on the brow of a hill at some distance from
the main road; and resolved to have a nearer look at the place;
with a view to stopping there for the night; if it pleased me。 I
found the principal inn clean and quietordered my bed
thereand; after dinner; strolled out to look at the church。 No
thought of Uncle George was in my mind when I entered the
building; and yet; at that very moment; chance was leading me to
the discovery which; for so many years past; I had vainly
endeavored to makethe discovery which I had given up as
hopeless since the day of my mother's death。
I found nothing worth notice in the church; and was about to
leave it again; when I caught a glimpse of a pretty view through
a side door; and stopped to admire it。
The churchyard formed the foreground; and below it the hill…side
sloped away gently into the plain; over which the sun was setting
in full glory。 The cure of the church was reading his breviary;
walking up and down a gravel…path that parted the rows of graves。
In the course of my wanderings I had learned to speak French as
fluently as most Englishmen; and when the priest came near me I
said a few words in praise of the view; and complimented him on
the neatness and prettiness of the churchyard。 He answered with
great politeness; and we got into conversation together
immediately。
As we strolled along the gravel…walk; my attention was attracted
by one of the graves standing apart from the rest。 The cross at
the head of it differed remarkably; in some points of appearance;
from the crosses on the other graves。 While all the rest had
garlands hung on them; this one cross was quite bare; and; more
extraordinary still; no name was inscribed on it。
The priest; observing that I stopped to look at the grave; shook
his head and sighed。
〃A countryman of yours is buried there;〃 he said。 〃I was present
at his death。 He had borne the burden of a great sorrow among us;
in this town; for many weary years; and his conduct had taught us
to respect and pity him with all our hearts。〃
〃How is it that his name is not inscribed over his grave?〃 I
inquired。
〃It was suppressed by his own desire;〃 answered the priest; with
some little hesitation。 〃He confessed to me in his last moments
that he had lived here under an assumed name。 I asked his real
name; and he told it to me; with the particulars of his sad
story。 He had reasons for desiring to be forgotten after his
death。 Almost the last words he spoke were; 'Let my name die with
me。' Almost the last request he made was that I would keep that
name a secret from all the world excepting only one person。〃
〃Some relative; I suppose?〃 said I。
〃Yesa nephew;〃 said the priest。
The moment the last word was out of his mouth; my heart gave a
strange answering bound。 I suppose I must have changed color
also; for the cure looked at me with sudden attention and
interest。
〃A nephew;〃 the priest went on; 〃whom he h