The Thirteenth Tale-第35章

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ace。

hester　did　not　resist。

listening　at　doors　is　not　bad　manners　when　it　is　done　in　the　name　of　science；　and　the　doctor’s　wife　was　a　keen　scientist　when　it　came　to　studying　her　own　husband。　the　kiss　that　so　startled　the　doctor　and　hester　came　as　no　surprise　at　all　to　mrs。　maudsley；　who　had　been　expecting　something　rather　like　it　for　some　time。

she　flung　the　door　open　and　in　a　rush　of　outraged　righteousness　burst　into　the　surgery。

‘i　will　thank　you　to　leave　this　house　instantly；“　she　said　to　hester。　”you　can　send　john　in　the　brougham　for　the　child。“

then；　to　her　husband；　“i　will　speak　to　you　later。”

the　experiment　was　over。　so　were　many　other　things。

john　fetched　adeline。　he　saw　neither　the　doctor　nor　his　wife　at　the　house　but　learned　from　the　maid　about　the　events　of　the　morning。

at　home　he　put　adeline　in　her　old　bed；　in　the　old　room；　and　left　the　door　ajar。

emmeline；　wandering　in　the　woods；　raised　her　head；　sniffed　the　air　and　turned　directly　toward　home。　she　came　in　the　kitchen　door；　made　straight　for　the　stairs；　went　up　two　steps　at　a　time　and　strode　unhesitatingly　to　the　old　room。　she　closed　the　door　behind　her。

and　hester？　no　one　saw　her　return　to　the　house；　and　no　one　heard　her　leave。　but　when　the　missus　knocked　on　her　door　the　next　morning；　she　found　the　neat　little　room　empty　and　hester　gone。

i　emerged　from　the　spell　of　the　story　and　into　miss　winter’s　glazed　and　mirrored　library。

‘where　did　she　go？“　i　wondered。

miss　winter　eyed　me　with　a　slight　frown。　“i’ve　no　idea。　what　does　it　matter？”

‘she　must　have　gone　somewhere。“

the　storyteller　gave　me　a　sideways　look。　“miss　lea；　it　doesn’t　do　to　get　attached　to　these　secondary　characters。　it’s　not　their　story。　they　e；　they　go；　and　when　they　go　they’re　gone　for　good。　that’s　all　there　is　to　it。”

i　slid　my　pencil　into　the　spiral　binding　of　my　notebook　and　walked　to　the　door；　but　when　i　got　there；　i　turned　back。

‘where　did　she　e　from；　then？“

‘for　goodness’　sake！　she　was　only　a　governess！　she　is　irrelevant；　i　tell　you。“

‘she　must　have　had　references。　a　previous　job。　or　else　a　letter　of　application　with　a　home　address。　perhaps　she　came　from　an　agency？“

miss　winter　closed　her　eyes　and　a　long…suffering　expression　appeared　on　her　face。　“mr。　lomax；　the　angelfield　family　solicitor；　will　have　all　the　details　i’m　sure。　not　that　they’ll　do　you　any　good。　it’s　my　story。　i　should　know。　his　office　is　in　market　street；　banbury。　i　will　instruct　him　to　answer　any　inquiries　you　choose　to　make。”

i　wrote　to　mr。　lomax　that　night。

。d　　。



AFTER　HESTER


the　next　morning；　when　judith　came　with　my　breakfast　tray；　i　gave　her　the　letter　for　mr。　lomax；　and　she　took　a　letter　for　me　from　her　apron　pocket。　i　recognized　my　father’s　handwriting。

my　father’s　letters　were　always　a　fort；　and　this　one　was　no　exception。　he　hoped　i　was　well。　was　my　work　progressing？　he　had　read　a　very　strange　and　delightful　nineteenth…century　danish　novel　that　he　would　tell　me　about　when　i　returned。　at　auction　he　had　e　across　a　bundle　of　eighteenth…century　letters　no　one　seemed　to　want。　might　i　be　interested？　he　had　bought　them　in　case。　private　detectives？　well；　perhaps；　but　would　a　genealogical　researcher　not　do　the　job　just　as　well　or　perhaps　better？　there　was　a　fellow　he　knew　who　had　all　the　right　skills；　and　e　to　think　of　it；　he　owed　father　a　favor—he　sometimes　came　into　the　shop　to　use　the　almanacs。　in　case　i　intended　to　pursue　the　matter；　here　was　his　address。　finally；　as　always；　those　well　meant　but　desiccated　four　words：　mother　sends　her　love。

did　she　really　say　it？　i　wondered。　father　mentioning；　i’ll　write　to　margaret　this　afternoon；　and　she—casually？　warmly？—send　her　my　love。

no。　i　couldn’t　imagine　it。　it　would　be　my　father’s　addition。　written　without　her　knowledge。　why　did　he　bother？　to　please　me？　to　make　it　true？　was　it　for　me　or　for　her　that　he　made　these　thankless　efforts　to　connect　us？　it　was　an　impossible　task。　my　mother　and　i　were　like　two　continents　moving　slowly　but　inexorably　apart；　my　father；　the　bridge　builder；　constantly　extending　the　fragile　edifice　he　had　constructed　to　connect　us。

a　letter　had　e　for　me　at　the　shop；　my　father　enclosed　it　with　his　own。　it　was　from　the　law　professor　father　had　remended　to　me。

dear　miss　lea；i　was　not　aware　ivan　lea　even　had　a　daughter；　but　now　i　know　he　has　one；　i　am　pleased　to　make　your　acquaintance—and　even　more　pleased　to　be　of　assistance。　the　legal　decree　of　decease　is　just　what　you　imagine　it　to　be：　a　presumption　in　law　of　the　death　of　a　person　whose　whereabouts　have　been　unknown　for　such　a　length　of　time　and　in　such　circumstances　that　death　is　the　only　reasonable　assumption。　its　main　function　is　to　enable　the　estate　of　a　missing　person　to　be　passed　into　the　hands　of　his　inheritors。

i　have　undertaken　the　necessary　researches　and　traced　the　documents　relating　to　the　case　you　are　particularly　interested　in。　your　mr。　angelfield　was　apparently　a　man　of　reclusive　habits；　and　the　date　and　circumstances　of　his　disappearance　appear　not　to　be　known。　however；　the　painstaking　and　sympathetic　work　carried　out　by　one　mr。　lomax　on　behalf　of　the　inheritors　（two　nieces）　enabled　the　relevant　formalities　to　be　duly　carried　out。　the　estate　was　of　some　significant　value；　though　diminished　somewhat　by　a　fire　that　left　the　house　itself　uninhabitable。　but　you　will　see　all　this　for　yourself　in　the　copy　i　have　made　you　of　the　relevant　documents。

you　will　see　that　the　solicitor　himself　has　signed　on　behalf　of　one　of　the　beneficiaries。　this　is　mon　in　situations　where　the　beneficiary　is　unable　for　some　reason　（illness　or　other　incapacity；　for　instance）　to　take　care　of　his　own　affairs。

it　was　with　a　most　particular　attention　that　i　noted　the　signature　of　the　other　beneficiary。　it　was　almost　illegible；　but　i　managed　to　work　it　out　in　the　end。　have　i　stumbled　across　one　of　the　best…kept　secrets　of　the　day？　but　perhaps　you　knew　it　already？　is　this　what　inspired　your　interest　in　the　case？

fear　not！　i　am　a　man　of　the　greatest　discretion！　tell　your　father　to　give　me　a　good　discount　on　the　justitiae　naturalis　principia；　and　i　will　say　not　a　word　to　anyone！

your　servant；william　henry　cadwalladri　turned　straight　to　the　end　of　the　neat　copy　professor　cadwalladr　had　made。　here　was　space　for　the　signatures　of　charlie’s　nieces。　as　he　said；　mr。　lomax　had　signed　for　emmeline。　that　told　me　that　she　had　survived　the　fire；　at　least。　and　on　the　second　line；　the　name　i　had　been　hoping　for。　vida　winter。　and　after　it；　in　brackets；　the　words；　formerly　known　as　adeline　march。

proof。

vida　winter　was　adeline　march。

she　was　telling　the　truth。

with　this　in　mind；　i　went　to　my　appointment　in　the　library；　and　listened　and　scribbled　in　my　little　book　as　miss　winter　recounted　the　aftermath　of　hester’s　departure。

adeline　and　emmeline　spent　the　first　night　and　the　first　day　in　their　room；　in　bed；　arms　wrapped　around　each　other　and　gazing　into　each　other’s　eyes。　there　was　a　tacit　agreement　between　the　missus　and　john…the…dig　to　treat　them　as　though　they　were　convalescent；　and；　in　a　way；　they　were。　an　injury　had　been　done　to　them。　so　they　lay　in　bed；　nose　to　nose；　gazing　cross…eyed　at　each　other。　without　a　word。　without　a　smile。　blinking　in　unison。　and　with　the　transfusion　that　took　place　via　that　twenty…four…hour…long　gaze；　the　connection　that　had　been　broken；　healed。　and　like　any　wound　that　heals；　it　left　its　scar。

meanwhile　the　missus　was　in　a　state　of　confusion　over　what　had　happened　to　hester。　john；　reluctant　to　disillusion　her　about　the　governess；　said　nothing；　but　his　silence　only　encouraged　her　to　wonder　aloud。　“i　suppose　she’ll　have　told　the　doctor　where　she’s　gone；”　she　concluded　miserably。　“i’ll　have　to　find　out　from　him　when　she’s　ing　back。”

then　john　had　to　speak；　and　he　spoke　roughly。　“don’t　you　go　asking　him　where　she’s　gone！　don’t　ask　him　anything　at　all。　besides；　we　won’t　be　seeing　him　around　the　place　no　more。”

the　missus　turned　away　from　him；　frowning。　what　was　the　matter　with　everyone？　why　was　hester　not　there？　why　was　john　all　upset？　and　the　doctor—he　who　had　been　the　household’s　constant　visitor—　why　should　he　not　be　ing　anymore？　things　were　happening　that　were　beyond　her　prehension。　more　and　more　often　these　days；　and　for　longer　and　longer　periods；　she　had　the　sense　that　something　had　gone　wrong　with　the　world。　more　than　once　she　seemed　to　wake　up　in　her　head　to　find　that　whole　hours　had　passed　by　without　leaving　a　trace　in　her　memory。　things　that　clearly　made　sense　to　other　people　didn’t　always　make　sense　to　her。　and　when　she　asked　questions　to　try　and　understand　it；　a　queer　look　came　into　people’s　eyes；　which　they　quickly　covered　up。　yes。　something　odd　was　happening；　and　hester’s　unexplained　absence　was　only　part　of　it。

john；　though　he　regretted　the　unhappiness　of　the　missus；　was　relieved　that　hester　had　gone。　the　departure　of　the　governess　seemed　to　take　a　great　burden　from　him。　he　came　more　freely　into　the　house；　and　in　the　evenings　spent　longer　hours　with　the　missus　in　the　kitchen。　to　his　way　of　thinking；　losing　hester　was　no　loss　at　all。　she　had　really　made　only　one　improvement　to　his　life—by　encouraging　him　to　take　up　work　agai