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！
Gleninch！
Ariel aroused him again。 She had no mercy on him； she insisted on
hearing the whole story。
〃Why do you stop； Master？ Get along with it！ get along with it！
Tell us quickwhat did the Missus say to the Maid？〃
He laughed feebly； and tried to imitate her。
〃'What did the Missus say to the Maid？'〃 he repeated。 His laugh
died away。 He went on speaking； more and more vacantly； more and
more rapidly。 〃The Mistress said to the Maid。 We've got him off。
What about the letter？ Burn it now。 No fire in the grate。 No
matches in the box。 House topsy…turvy。 Servants all gone。 Tear it
up。 Shake it up in the basket。 Along with the rest。 Shake it up。
Waste paper。 Throw it away。 Gone forever。 Oh； Sara； Sara； Sara！
Gone forever。'〃
Ariel clapped her hands； and mimicked him in her turn。
〃'Oh； Sara； Sara； Sara！'〃 she repeated。 〃'Gone forever。' That's
prime； Master！ Tell uswho was Sara？〃
His lips moved； but his voice sank so low that I could barely
hear him。 He began again； with the old melancholy refrain：
〃The Maid said to the Mistress。 Nothe Mistress said to the
Maid〃 He stopped abruptly； and raised himself erect in the
chair； he threw up both his hands above his head； and burst into
a frightful screaming laugh。 〃Aha…ha…ha…ha！ How funny！ Why don't
you laugh？ Funny； funny； funny； funny。 Aha…ha…ha…ha…ha〃
He fell back in the chair。 The shrill and dreadful laugh died
away into a low sob。 Then there was one long； deep； wearily drawn
breath。 Then nothing but a mute； vacant face turned up to the
ceiling； with eyes that looked blindly； with lips parted in a
senseless； changeless grin。 Nemesis at last！ The foretold doom
had fallen on him。 The night had come。
But one feeling animated me when the first shock was over。 Even
the horror of that fearful sight seemed only to increase the pity
that I felt for the stricken wretch。 I started impulsively to my
feet。 Seeing nothing； thinking of nothing but the helpless figure
in the chair； I sprang forward to raise him； to revive him； to
recall him （if such a thing might still be possible） to himself。
At the first step that I took； I felt hands on meI was
violently drawn back。 〃Are you blind？〃 cried Benjamin； dragging
me nearer and nearer to the door。 〃Look there！〃
He pointed； and I looked。
Ariel had been beforehand with me。 She had raised her master in
the chair； she had got one arm around him。 In her free hand she
brandished an Indian club； torn from a 〃trophy〃 of Oriental
weapons that ornamented the wall over the fire…place。 The
creature was transfigured！ Her dull eyes glared like the eyes of
a wild animal。 She gnashed her teeth in the frenzy that possessed
her。 〃You have done this！〃 she shouted to me； waving the club
furiously around and around over her head。 〃Come near him； and
I'll dash your brains out！ I'll mash you till there's not a whole
bone left in your skin！〃 Benjamin； still holding me with one hand
opened the door with the other。 I let him do with me as he would；
Ariel fascinated me； I could look at nothing but Ariel。 Her
frenzy vanished as she saw us retreating。 She dropped the club；
she threw both arms around him； and nestled her head on his
bosom； and sobbed and wept over him。 〃Master！ master！ They shan't
vex you any more。 Look up again。 Laugh at me as you used to do。
Say； 'Ariel； you're a fool。' Be like yourself again！〃 I was
forced into the next room。 I heard a long； low； wailing cry of
misery from the poor creature who loved him with a dog's fidelity
and a woman's devotion。 The heavy door was closed between us。 I
was in the quiet antechamber； crying over that piteous sight；
clinging to my kind old friend as helpless and as useless as a
child。
Benjamin turned the key in the lock。
〃There's no use in crying about it；〃 he said； quietly。 〃It would
be more to the purpose； Valeria； if you thanked God that you have
got out of that room safe and sound。 Come with me。〃
He took the key out of the lock； and led me downstairs into the
hall。 After a little consideration； he opened the front door of
the house。 The gardener was still quietly at work in the grounds。
〃Your master is taken ill；〃 Benjamin said； 〃and the woman who
attends upon him has lost her headif she ever had a head to
lose。 Where does the nearest doctor live？〃
The man's devotion to Dexter showed itself as the woman's
devotion had shown itselfin the man's rough way。 He threw down
his spade with an oath。
〃The Master taken bad？〃 he said。 〃I'll fetch the doctor。 I shall
find him sooner than you will。〃
〃Tell the doctor to bring a man with him；〃 Benjamin added。 〃He
may want help。〃
The gardener turned around sternly。
〃_I'm_ the man；〃 he said。 〃Nobody shall help but me。〃
He left us。 I sat down on one of the chairs in the hall； and did
my best to compose myself。 Benjamin walked to and fro； deep in
thought。 〃Both of them fond of him；〃 I heard my old friend say to
himself。 〃Half monkey； half manand both of them fond of him。
_That_ beats me。〃
The gardener returned with the doctora quiet； dark； resolute
man。 Benjamin advanced to meet them。 〃I have got the key；〃 he
said。 〃Shall I go upstairs with you？〃
Without answering； the doctor drew Benjamin aside into a corner
of the hall。 The two talked together in low voices。 At the end of
it the doctor said； 〃Give me the key。 You can be of no use； you
will only irritate her。〃
With those words he beckoned to the gardener。 He was about to
lead the way up the stairs when I ventured to stop him。
〃May I stay in the hall； sir？〃 I said。 〃I am very anxious to hear
how it ends。〃
He looked at me for a moment before he replied。
〃You had better go home； madam；〃 he said。 〃Is the gardener
acquainted with your address？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Very well。 I will let you know how it ends by means of the
gardener。 Take my advice。 Go home。〃
Benjamin placed my arm in his。 I looked back； and saw the doctor
and the gardener ascending the stairs together on their way to
the locked…up room。
〃Never mind the doctor；〃 I whispered。 〃Let's wait in the garden。〃
Benjamin would not hear of deceiving the doctor。 〃I mean to take
you home；〃 he said。 I looked at him in amazement。 My old friend；
who was all meekness and submission so long as there was no
emergency to try him； now showed the dormant reserve of manly
spirit and decision in his nature as he had never （in my
experience） shown it yet。 He led me into the garden。 We had kept
our cab： it was waiting for us at the gate。
On our way home Benjamin produced his note…book。
〃What's to be done； my dear； with the gib berish that I have
written here？〃 he said。
〃Have you written it all down？〃 I asked； in surprise。
〃When I undertake a duty； I do it；〃 he answered。 〃You never gave
me the signal to leave offyou never moved your chair。 I have
written every word of it。 What shall I do？ Throw it out of the
cab window？〃
〃Give it to me。〃
〃What are you going to do with it？〃
〃I don't know yet。 I will ask Mr。 Playmore。〃
CHAPTER XLI。
MR。 PLAYMORE IN A NEW CHARACTER。
BY that night's postalthough I was far from being fit to make
the exertionI wrote to Mr。 Playmore； to tell him what had taken
place； and to beg for