按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
time for the London post； and then went upstairs to see his wife
and to tell her what had happened。 Her room was still darkened
and she was still on the sofa。 On the subject of the missing
number she said nothing； but of Mr。 Rambert and his note she
spoke with the most sovereign contempt。 Of course the pompous old
fool was mistaken； and the proper thing to do was to send back
the volume instantly and take no more notice of him。
〃It shall be sent back；〃 said Mr。 Carling； 〃but not till the
missing number is replaced。〃 And he then told her what he had
done。
The effect of that simple piece of information on Mrs。 Carling
was so extraordinary and so unaccountable that her husband fairly
stood aghast。 For the first time since their marriage he saw her
temper suddenly in a flame。 She started up from the sofa and
walked about the room as if she had lost her senses； upbraiding
him for making the weakest of concessions to Mr。 Rambert's
insolent assumption that the rector was to blame。 If she could
only have laid hands on that letter； she would have consulted her
husband's dignity and independence by putting it in the fire！ She
hoped and prayed the number of the paper might not be found！ In
fact； it was certain that the number； after all these years；
could not possibly be hunted up。 The idea of his acknowledging
himself to be in the wrong in that way； when he knew himself to
be in the right！ It was almost ridiculousno； it was _quite_
ridiculous！ And she threw herself back on the sofa； and suddenly
burst out laughing。
At the first word of remonstrance which fell from her husband's
lips her mood changed again in an instant。 She sprang up once
more； kissed him passionately； with the tears streaming from her
eyes； and implored him to leave her alone to recover herself。 He
quitted the room so seriously alarmed about her that he resolved
to go to the doctor privately and question him on the spot。 There
was an unspeakable dread in his mind that the ner vous attack
from which she had been pronounced to be suffering might be a
mere phrase intended to prepare him for the future disclosure of
something infinitely and indescribably worse。
The doctor； on hearing Mr。 Carling's report； exhibited no
surprise and held to his opinion。 Her nervous system was out of
order； and her husband had been needlessly frightened by a
hysterical paroxysm。 If she did not get better in a week； change
of scene might then be tried。 In the meantime； there was not the
least cause for alarm。
On the next day she was quieter； but she hardly spoke at all。 At
night she slept well； and Mr。 Carling's faith in the medical man
revived again。
The morning after was the morning which would bring the answer
from the publisher in London。 The rector's study was on the
ground floor； and when he heard the postman's knock； being
especially anxious that morning about his correspondence； he went
out into the hall to receive his letters the moment they were put
on the table。
It was not the footman who had answered the door； as usual； but
Mrs。 Carling's maid。 She had taken the letters from the postman；
and she was going away with them upstairs。
He stopped her； and asked her why she did not put the letters on
the hall table as usual。 The maid； looking very much confused；
said that her mistress had desired that whatever the postman had
brought that morning should be carried up to her room。 He took
the letters abruptly from the girl； without asking any more
questions； and went back into his study。
Up to this time no shadow of a suspicion had fallen on his mind。
Hitherto there had been a simple obvious explanation for every
unusual event that had occurred during the last three or four
days； but this last circumstance in connection with the letters
was not to be accounted for。 Nevertheless； even now； it was not
distrust of his wife that was busy at his mindhe was too fond
of her and too proud of her to feel itthe sensation was more
like uneasy surprise。 He longed to go and question her； and get a
satisfactory answer； and have done with it。 But there was a voice
speaking within him that had never made itself heard beforea
voice with a persistent warning in it； that said； Wait； and look
at your letters first。
He spread them out on the table with hands that trembled he knew
not why。 Among them was the back number of the _Times_ for which
he had written to London； with a letter from the publisher
explaining the means by which the copy had been procured。
He opened the newspaper with a vague feeling of alarm at finding
that those letters to the editor which he had been so eager to
read； and that perfecting of the mutilated volume which he had
been so anxious to accomplish； had become objects of secondary
importance in his mind。 An inexplicable curiosity about the
general contents of the paper was now the one moving influence
which asserted itself within him； he spread open the broad sheet
on the table。
The first page on which his eye fell was the page on the
right…hand side。 It contained those very lettersthree in
numberwhich he had once been so anxious to see。 He tried to
read them； but no effort could fix his wandering attention。 He
looked aside to the opposite page； on the left hand。 It was the
page that contained the leading articles。
They were three in number。 The first was on foreign politics； the
second was a sarcastic commentary on a recent division in the
House of Lords； the third was one of those articles on social
subjects which have greatly and honorably helped to raise the
reputation of the _Times_ above all contest and all rivalry。
The lines of this third article which first caught his eye
comprised the opening sentence of the second paragraph； and
contained these words：
It appears； from the narrative which will be found in another
part of our columns； that this unfortunate woman married； in the
spring of the year 18； one Mr。 Fergus Duncan； of Glendarn； in
the Highlands of Scotland。 。 。
The letters swam and mingled together under his eyes before he
could go on to the next sentence。 His wife exhibited as an object
for public compassion in the _Times_ newspaper！ On the brink of
the dreadful discovery that was advancing on him； his mind reeled
back； and a deadly faintness came over him。 There was water on a
side…tablehe drank a deep draught of itroused himselfseized
on the newspaper with both hands； as if it had been a living
thing that could feel the desperate resolution of his grasp； and
read the article through； sentence by sentence； word by word。
The subject was the Law of Divorce； and the example quoted was
the example of his wife。
At that time England stood disgracefully alone as the one
civilized country in the world having a divorce law for the
husband which was not also a divorce law for the wife。 The writer
in the _Times_ boldly and eloquently exposed this discreditable
anomaly in the administration of justice； hinted delicately at
the unutterable wrongs suffered by Mrs。 Duncan； and plainly
showed that she was indebted to the accident of having been
married in Scotland； and to her consequent right of appeal to the
Scotch tribunals； fo