Всего за 199 руб. Купить полную версию
Before the house was astir, I got her away (by the workmens train) to а large manufacturing town in our parts.
Here with my savings in money to help her she could get her outfit of decent clothes and her lodging among strangers who asked no questions so long as they were paid. Here now on one pretense and now on another I could visit her, and we could both plan together what our future lives were to be. I need not tell you that I stood pledged to make her my wife. А man in my station always marries а woman of her sort.
Do you wonder if I was happy at this time? I should have been perfectly happy but for one little drawback. It was this: I was never quite at my ease in the presence of my promised wife.
I dont mean that I was shy with her, or suspicious of her, or ashamed of her. The uneasiness I am speaking of was caused by а faint doubt in my mind whether I had not seen her somewhere, before the morning when we met at the doctors house. Over and over again, I found myself wondering whether her face did not remind me of some other face what other I never could tell. This strange feeling, this one question that could never be answered, vexed me to а degree that you would hardly credit. It came between us at the strangest times oftenest, however, at night, when the candles were lit. You have known what it is to try and remember а forgotten name and to fail, search as you may, to find it in your mind. That was my case. I failed to find my lost face, just as you failed to find your lost name.
In three weeks we had talked matters over, and had arranged how I was to make а clean breast of it at home. By Alicias advice, I was to describe her as having been one of my fellow servants during the time I was employed under my kind master and mistress in London. There was no fear now of my mother taking any harm from the shock of а great surprise. Her health had improved during the three weeks interval. On the first evening when she was able to take her old place at tea time, I summoned my courage, and told her I was going to be married. The poor soul flung her arms round my neck, and burst out crying for joy. Oh, Francis! she says, I am so glad you will have somebody to comfort you and care for you when I am gone! As for my aunt Chance, you can anticipate what she did, without being told. Ah, me! If there had really been any prophetic virtue in the cards, what а terrible warning they might have given us that night! It was arranged that I was to bring my promised wife to dinner at the cottage on the next day.
X
I own I was proud of Alicia when I led her into our little parlor at the appointed time. She had never, to my mind, looked so beautiful as she looked that day. I never noticed any other womans dress I noticed hers as carefully as if I had been а woman myself! She wore а black silk gown, with plain collar and cuffs, and а modest lavender-colored bonnet, with one white rose in it placed at the side. My mother, dressed in her Sunday best, rose up, all in а flutter, to welcome her daughter-in-law that was to be. She walked forward а few steps, half smiling, half in tears she looked Alicia full in the face and suddenly stood still. Her cheeks turned white in an instant; her eyes stared in horror; her hands dropped helplessly at her sides. She staggered back, and fell into the arms of my aunt, standing behind her. It was no swoon she kept her senses. Her eyes turned slowly from Alicia to me. Francis, she said, does that womans face remind you of nothing?
Before I could answer, she pointed to her writing-desk on the table at the fireside. Bring it! she cried, bring it!.
At the same moment I felt Alicias hand on my shoulder, and saw Alicias face red with anger and no wonder!
What does this mean? she asked. Does your mother want to insult me?
I said а few words to quiet her; what they were I dont remember I was so confused and astonished at the time. Before I had done, I heard my mother behind me.
My aunt had fetched her desk. She had opened it; she had taken а paper from it. Step by step, helping herself along by the wall, she came nearer and nearer, with the paper in her hand. She looked at the paper she looked in Alicias face she lifted the long, loose sleeve of her gown, and examined her hand and arm. I saw fear suddenly take the place of anger in Alicias eyes. She shook herself free of my mothers grasp. Mad! she said to herself, and Francis never told me! With those words she ran out of the room.
I was hastening out after her, when my mother signed to me to stop. She read the words written on the paper. While they fell slowly, one by one, from her lips, she pointed toward the open door.
Light gray eyes, with а droop in the left eyelid. Flaxen hair, with а gold-yellow streak in it. White arms, with а down upon them. Little, ladys hand, with а rosy-red look about the finger nails. The Dream Woman, Francis! The Dream Woman!
Something darkened the parlor window as those words were spoken. I looked sidelong at the shadow. Alicia Warlock had come back! She was peering in at us over the low window blind. There was the fatal face which had first looked at me in the bedroom of the lonely inn. There, resting on the window blind, was the lovely little hand which had held the murderous knife. I had seen her before we met in the village. The Dream Woman! The Dream Woman!