第 12 节
作者:莫莫言      更新:2024-01-06 10:43      字数:9322
  talking in her sleep。
  Mrs。 Crayford looks back at the house。 Sad experience makes her
  suspicious of the servants' curiosity。 Sad experience has long
  since warned her that the servants are not to be trusted within
  hearing of the wild words which Clara speaks in the trance。 Has
  any one of them ventured into the garden? No。 They are out of
  hearing at the window; waiting for the signal which tells them
  that their help is needed。
  Turning toward Clara once more; Mrs。 Crayford hears the vacantly
  uttered words; falling faster and faster from her lips
  〃Frank! Frank! Frank! Don't drop behinddon't trust Richard
  Wardour。 While you can stand; keep with the other men; Frank!〃
  (The farewell warning of Crayford in the solitudes of the Frozen
  Deep; repeated by Clara in the garden of her English home!)
  A moment of silence follows; and; in that moment; the vision has
  changed。 She sees him on the iceberg now; at the mercy of the
  bitterest enemy he has on earth。 She sees him driftingover the
  black water; through the ashy light。
  〃Wake; Frank! wake and defend yourself! Richard Wardour knows
  that I love youRichard Wardour's vengeance will take your life!
  Wake; Frankwake! You are drifting to your death!〃 A low groan
  of horror bursts from her; sinister and terrible to hear。
  〃Drifting! drifting!〃 she whispers to herself〃drifting to his
  death!〃
  Her glassy eyes suddenly softenthen close。 A long shudder runs
  through her。 A faint flush shows itself on the deadly pallor of
  her face; and fades again。 Her limbs fail her。 She sinks into
  Mrs。 Crayford's arms。
  The servants; answering the call for help; carry her into the
  house。 They lay her insensible on her bed。 After half an hour or
  more; her eyes open againthis time with the light of life in
  themopen; and rest languidly on the friend sitting by the
  bedside。
  〃I have had a dreadful dream;〃 she murmurs faintly。 〃Am I ill;
  Lucy? I feel so weak。〃
  Even as she says the words; sleep; gentle; natural sleep; takes
  her suddenly; as it takes young children weary with their play。
  Though it is all over now; though no further watching is
  required; Mrs。 Crayford still keeps her place by the bedside; too
  anxious and too wakeful to retire to her own room。
  On other occasions; she is accustomed to dismiss from her mind
  the words which drop from Clara in the trance。 This time the
  effort to dismiss them is beyond her power。 The words haunt her。
  Vainly she recalls to memory all that the doctors have said to
  her; in speaking of Clara in the state of trance。 〃What she
  vaguely dreads for the lost man whom she loves is mingled in her
  mind with what she is constantly reading; of trials; dangers; and
  escapes in the Arctic seas。 The most startling things that she
  may say or do are all attributable to this cause; and may all be
  explained in this way。〃 So the doctors have spoken; and; thus
  far; Mrs。 Crayford has shared their view。 It is only to…night
  that the girl's words ring in her ear; with a strange prophetic
  sound in them。 It is only to…night that she asks herself: 〃Is
  Clara present; in the spirit; with our loved and lost ones in the
  lonely North? Can mortal vision see the dead and living in the
  solitudes of the Frozen Deep?〃
  Chapter 14。
  The night had passed。
  Far and near the garden view looked its gayest and brightest in
  the light of the noonday sun。 The cheering sounds which tell of
  life and action were audible all round the villa。 From the garden
  of the nearest house rose the voices of children at play。 Along
  the road at the back sounded the roll of wheels; as carts and
  carriages passed at intervals。 Out on the blue sea; the distant
  splash of the paddles; the distant thump of the engines; told
  from time to time of the passage of steamers; entering or leaving
  the strait between the island and the mainland。 In the trees; the
  birds sang gayly among the rustling leaves。 In the house; the
  women…servants were laughing over some jest or story that cheered
  them at their work。 It was a lively and pleasant timea bright;
  enjoyable day。
  The two ladies were out together; resting on a garden seat; after
  a walk round the grounds。
  They exchanged a few trivial words relating to the beauty of the
  day; and then said no more。 Possessing the same consciousness of
  what she had seen in the trance which persons in general possess
  of what they have seen in a dreambelieving in the vision as a
  supernatural revelationClara's worst forebodings were now; to
  her mind; realized as truths。 Her last faint hope of ever seeing
  Frank again was now at an end。 Intimate experience of her told
  Mrs。 Crayford what was passing in Clara's mind; and warned her
  that the attempt to reason and remonstrate would be little better
  than a voluntary waste of words and time。 The disposition which
  she had herself felt on the previous night; to attach a
  superstitious importance to the words that Clara had spoken in
  the trance; had vanished with the return of the morning。 Rest and
  reflection had quieted her mind; and had restored the composing
  influence of her sober sense。 Sympathizing with Clara in all
  besides; she had no sympathy; as they sat together in the
  pleasant sunshine; with Clara's gloomy despair of the future。
  She; who could still hope; had nothing to say to the sad
  companion who had done with hope。 So the quiet minutes succeeded
  each other; and the two friends sat side by side in silence。
  An hour passed; and the gate…bell of the villa rang。
  They both startedthey both knew the ring。 It was the hour when
  the postman brought their newspapers from London。 In past days;
  what hundreds on hundreds of times they had torn off the cover
  which inclosed the newspaper; and looked at the same column with
  the same weary mingling of hope and despair! There to…dayas it
  was yesterday; as it would be; if they lived; to…morrowthere
  was the servant with Lucy's newspaper and Clara's newspaper in
  his hand!
  Would both of them do again to…day what both had done so often in
  the days that were gone?
  No! Mrs。 Crayford removed the cover from her newspaper as usual。
  Clara laid _her_ newspaper aside; unopened; on the garden seat。
  In silence; Mrs。 Crayford looked; where she always looked; at the
  column devoted to the Latest Intelligence from foreign parts。 The
  instant her eye fell on the page she started with a loud cry of
  joy。 The newspaper fell from her trembling hand。 She caught Clara
  in her arms。 〃Oh; my darling! my darling! news of them at last。〃
  Without answering; without the slightest change in look or
  manner; Clara took the newspaper from the ground; and read the
  top line in the column; printed in capital letters:
  THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION。
  She waited; and looked at Mrs。 Crayford。
  〃Can you bear to hear it; Lucy;〃 she asked; 〃if I read it aloud?〃
  Mrs。 Crayford was too agitated to answer in words。 She signed
  impatiently to Clara to go on。
  Clara read the news which followed the heading in capital
  letters。 Thus it ran:
  〃The following intelligence; from St。 Johns; Newfoundland; has
  reached us for publication。 The whaling…vessel _Blythew ood_ is
  reported to have met with the surviving officers and men of the
  Expedition in Davis Strait。 Many are stated to be dead; and some
  are supposed to be missing。 The list of the saved; as collected
  by the people of the whaler; is not vouched for as being
  absolutely correct; the circumstances having been adverse to
  investigation。 The vessel was pressed for time; and the members
  of the Expedition; all more or less suffering from exhaustion;
  were not in a position to give the necessary assistance to
  inquiry。 Further particulars may be looked for by the next mail。〃
  The list of the survivors followed; beginning with the officers
  in the order of their rank。 They both read the list together。 The
  first name was Captain Helding; the second was Lieutenant
  Crayford。
  There the wife's joy overpowered her。 After a pause; she put her
  arm around Clara's waist; and spoke to her。
  〃Oh; my love!〃 she murmured; 〃are you as happy as I am? Is
  Frank's name there too? The tears are in my eyes。 Read for meI
  can't read for myself。〃
  The answer came; in still; sad tones:
  〃I have read as far as your husband's name。 I have no need to
  read further。〃
  Mrs。 Crayford dashed the tears from her eyessteadied
  herselfand looked at the newspaper。
  On the list of the survivors; the search was vain。 Frank's name
  was not among them。 On a second list; headed 〃Dead or Missing;〃
  the first two names that appeared were:
  FRANCIS ALDERSLEY。 RICHARD WARDOUR。
  In speechless distress and dismay; Mrs。 Crayford looked at Clara。
  Had she force enough in her feeble health to sustain the shock
  that had fallen on her? Yes! she bore it with a strange unnatural
  resignationshe looked; she spoke; with the sad self…possession
  of despair。
  〃I was prepared for it;〃 she said。 〃I saw them in the spirit last
  night。 Richard Wardour has discovered the truth; and Frank has
  paid the penalty with his lifeand I; I alone; am to blame。〃 She
  shuddered; and put her hand on her heart。 〃We shall not be long
  parted; Lucy。 I shall go to him。 He will not return to me。〃
  Those words were spoken with a calm certainty of conviction that
  wa