第242章

She gave it up, but she still thought of it-thought of it while she strolled again under the great oaks whose shadows were long upon the acres of turf.At the end of a few minutes she found herself near a rustic bench, which, a moment after she had looked at it, struck her as an object recognized.It was not simply that she had seen it before, nor even that she had sat upon it; it was that on this spot something important had happened to her-that the place had an air of association.Then she remembered that she had been sitting there, six years before, when a servant brought her from the house the letter in which Caspar Goodwood informed her that he had followed her to Europe; and that when she had read the letter she looked up to hear Lord Warburton announcing that he should like to marry her.It was indeed an historical, an interesting, bench; she stood and looked at it as if it might have something to say to her.She wouldn't sit down on it now-she felt rather afraid of it.She only stood before it, and while she stood the past came back to her in one of those rushing waves of emotion by which persons of sensibility are visited at odd hours.The effect of this agitation was a sudden sense of being very tired, under the influence of which she overcame her scruples and sank into the rustic seat.I have said that she was restless and unable to occupy herself; and whether or no, if you had seen her there, you would have admired the justice of the former epithet, you would at least have allowed that at this moment she was the image of a victim of idleness.Her attitude had a singular absence of purpose;her hands, hanging at her sides, lost themselves in the folds of her black dress; her eyes gazed vaguely before her.There was nothing to recall her to the house; the two ladies, in their seclusion, dined early and had tea at an indefinite hour.How long she had sat in this position she could not have told you; but the twilight had grown thick when she became aware that she was not alone.She quickly straightened herself, glancing about, and then saw what had become of her solitude.She was sharing it with Caspar Goodwood, who stood looking at her, a few yards off, and whose footfall on the unresonant turf, as he came near, she had not heard.It occurred to her in the midst of this that it was just so Lord Warburton had surprised her of old.

She instantly rose, and as soon as Goodwood saw he was seen he started forward.She had had time only to rise when, with a motion that looked like violence, but felt like-she knew not what, he grasped her by the wrist and made her sink again into the seat.She closed her eyes; he had not hurt her; it was only a touch, which she had obeyed.But there was something in his face that she wished not to see.That was the way he had looked at her the other day in the churchyard; only at present it was worse.He said nothing at first;she only felt him close to her-beside her on the bench and pressingly turned to her.It almost seemed to her that no one had ever been so close to her as that.All this, however, took but an instant, at the end of which she had disengaged her wrist, turning her eyes upon her visitant."You've frightened me," she said.

"I didn't mean to," he answered, "but if I did a little, no matter.I came from London a while ago by the train, but I couldn't come here directly.There was a man at the station who got ahead of me.He took a fly that was there, and I heard him give the order to drive here.I don't know who he was, but I didn't want to come with him; I wanted to see you alone.So I've been waiting and walking about.I've walked all over, and I was just coming to the house when Isaw you here.There was a keeper, or some one, who met me; but that was all right, because I had made his acquaintance when I came here with your cousin.Is that gentleman gone? Are you really alone? I want to speak to you." Goodwood spoke very fast; he was as excited as when they had parted in Rome.Isabel had hoped that condition would subside; and she shrank into herself as she perceived that, on the contrary, he had only let out sail.She had a new sensation; he had never produced it before; it was a feeling of danger.There was indeed something really formidable in his resolution.She gazed straight before her; he, with a hand on each knee, leaned forward, looking deeply into her face.The twilight seemed to darken round them."Iwant to speak to you," he repeated; "I've something particular to say.

I don't want to trouble you-as I did the other day in Rome.That was of no use; it only distressed you.I couldn't help it; I knew I was wrong.But I'm not wrong now; please don't think I am," he went on with his hard, deep voice melting a moment into entreaty."I came here to-day for a purpose.It's very different.It was vain for me to speak to you then; but now I can help you."She couldn't have told you whether it was because she was afraid, or because such a voice in the darkness seemed of necessity a boon; but she listened to him as she had never listened before; his words dropped deep into her soul.They produced a sort of stillness in all her being; and it was with an effort, in a moment, that she answered him."How can you help me?" she asked in a low tone, as if she were taking what he had said seriously enough to make the enquiry in confidence.

"By inducing you to trust me.Now I know-to-day I know.Do you remember what I asked you in Rome? Then I was quite in the dark.But to-day I know on good authority; everything's clear to me to-day.It was a good thing when you made me come away with your cousin.He was a good man, a fine man, one of the best; he told me how the case stands for you.He explained everything; he guessed my sentiments.